Page 34 of Daybreak

Holly walked out to the back patio and took a seat on the porch swing to talk. “No, it’s fine. I’m glad to hear your voice again. It’s been pretty hectic here.”

“I just wanted you to know I am in Crossroads. I got here last night, and I’ll be here for a while.”

Holly closed her eyes, letting the deep, husky rasp of his voice wash through her.

“Mom’s services are at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, at the church in town.”

“I heard them talking about it in the Rose when I went to pick up Dad’s lunch.”

“I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised. Word does get around in small towns, doesn’t it?”

Gunner had heard enough witnesses giving statements to hear that she was bordering on panic. There was a moment of silence, and then Gunner asked, “Is there anything I can do for you today?”

Holly didn’t hesitate. “I wouldn’t mind the sight of your face and a hug if you’re free, of course. The thought of Saturday looms.”

Gunner didn’t hesitate. “I’m about as free as a man can be. Is now okay?”

“Now is very okay,” Holly said.

“Then I’ll see you soon,” he said and disconnected. He went to get his hat—a black gambler-style Stetson with a thin leather hatband studded in small pieces of turquoise. It was his only bow to fashion.

There were only a few customers in the Weed when he walked into the bar. “Hey, Dad, I’m going out to the Dillon Ranch to see Holly.”

Jacob nodded. “Give them my best,” he said, but Gunner was already walking out. Jacob smiled to himself.

First time I’ve known Gunner to be in a hurry to get to a woman he wasn’t about to arrest.

* * *

The moment her call with Gunner ended, Holly made a run for her bedroom, changed out of the T-shirt she’d been working in to a pretty summer blouse, took the clip out of her hair and finger-combed it into place, and started to put on lipstick, then changed her mind. She didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard.

Her grandmother was coming up the hall when she noticed Holly’s door was open and she had changed her clothes and her hair.

“What’s going on?” Trudy asked as she walked in.

There was no way to lie to Granny and get away with it, so Holly just spit it out.

“Gunner Kingston is in town. He called to let me know and asked if he could do anything for me. I said he could come talk to me about anything except the funeral. He’s on his way.”

Trudy gave her a hug. “Good for you, and say hello to him for me. I remember him as a child, and then when he was in high school, but he was always such a loner. However, Jacob did raise some fine men.”

“Yes, ma’am, that he did,” Holly said.

“I’m going to lie down for a while. One of the neighbors brought chicken and dumplings for our supper, and we still have pie from previous days, so no worries about cooking tonight,” Trudy said.

Holly paused. “Granny, is Dad going to be okay?”

Trudy sighed. “As okay as anyone can be who loses the love of their life. I lost my Jamie twenty years ago, and when I’m here, it still feels like he should walk into the house at any moment. It’s why I moved to Santa Fe. It was too hard to be here without him. But I’m okay, right?”

Holly wrapped her arms around her Granny’s neck and kissed her cheek. “I never thought of it that way. I’m sorry we mistook your strength of purpose. Thinking you were getting over it… Moving on, you know? We didn’t realize it was how you were dealing with your grief.”

“It’s all good,” Trudy said and gave Holly a light swat on her backside. “Go on with you. If you need me, you’ll know where I am.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Holly said and went to watch for Gunner’s arrival.

Chapter 7

Gunner was just leaving Crossroads when he got a phone call from Dylan. He guessed he was going to get chewed out for not telling him what was going on and braced himself as he answered via Bluetooth.