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The second reason behind sending you to the home is about saving your brother Thom’s reputation. It’s not Thom’s fault that his wife’s brother is the culprit here. If what you claimed is true, Gretchen’s brother Val is a rapist. The ugliness of the word, well, I can hardly bear to even write it. Let the Army beat that out of him.

The arrangements have been made. There’s no discussion about it. You’ll be back in September, after the birth, and if you want your marriage to Victor to take place, Daddy and I will facilitate it.

Disappointed in you,

Mother

Sitting for a while with the letter in her lap, Rose thought about the accusation.

I don’t see Victor coming to your rescue, offering to marry you now.

If she remembered correctly, Vic had told her he’d tried to rescue Emily, but the family hadn’t allowed him to see her. The situation angered her, and she wanted to understand it and find out exactly what part Vic had played, if any. But why? It was history, out of her control now. Emily was dead.

Refolding the letter, Rose got up to find its place in the order of letters, just in case there was a timeline to follow. Placing the top on the box would ensure that its contents were kept intact. She picked it up and slid it under her side of the bed for another time. She’d had enough for now.

Back out in the great room, Vic was in his recliner with an open book on his lap, snoozing. She tiptoed out of the room, down the hallway, and to the side door. It led to a large gravel parking area, and across the lot was the entrance to the clinic and, beyond that, the massive barn. She stepped out of the lodge, on her way to talk to Justin.

A ranch hand was leading a horse from the paddock out to the trail, presumably to take a ride, a perk of the job, to keep the horse in riding condition. A pickup hauling a horse trailer pulled into the driveway just as another ranch hand came out to help. A client with a cat in a carrier held the door for Rose.

“You go ahead,” Rose insisted.

The waiting room was packed. Two women Rose had never met were at the reception desk, and one of them looked up and greeted her.

“I’m Rose,” she said, introducing herself. “Old Dr. Chastain’s girlfriend. Can I talk to Young Doc?”

“Sure. Come in, Rose,” she said, pushing a button that released the lock on the door to the exam rooms. “He’s down at the end in number six.”

The exam rooms were full. Rose saw Grace Breaux in room one with a poodle. Room two was open to the paddock, and Harvey, their new grad veterinarian, dressed in dark-green overalls, was looking at a donkey with a lame leg. The door to room three was closed, but she heard the vet tech, Sarah, comforting a grieving pet owner. Rooms four and five were also open to the paddocks, with horses waiting in both. In room six, she found Justin looking into the ear of a cat.

“Oh, jeez, I’ll wait out front.”

“No, come on in, Rose. This is Mary Fisher. You remember Mary from Old Hat Saloon?”

“Oh my God! Rose Langtry!” Mary yelled, grabbing her.

“Mary, you look exactly the same!” Rose cried, while Justin finished up with the kitty.

“Tick bite,” he said. “Sarah will be in shortly to clean it up and write a script.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and Rose left with Justin, pulling him to the supply closet. “Did you talk to Maggie about the dress?”

“Yes, and she’s interested.”

“Justin, I’m reading through your mother’s letters. Vic asked me to go through her closet. It’s all things you boys and Maggie might want. But the letters…” She gasped and sputtered, and tears came cruising down her cheeks. “She saved the letter her mother wrote her about why they were sending her away. It’s heartbreaking. I know you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but I think you need to, so you’ll understand what she went through.”

He had grasped her arm to comfort her; Justin and Rose weren’t at the hugging stage. “I’ll read them,” he finally replied. “If you think it will help. I’m frankly at a loss right now.”

She grabbed a paper towel and wiped under her eyes. “I found all her riding clothes. I wonder if Maggie would want them.”

“All you can do is ask, Rose. She’s open to anything.”

“Okay. Maybe I’ll ask her if I can stop by today and take her some things I found.”

“Do that, Rose. You know Maggie’s not good with emotions.”

“I know that. She never was.” She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Get back to work before I’m accused of disrupting your day.”

She snickered, amused by his protests. Following her out to the parking lot, he stopped to talk to a client, watching her return to the house.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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