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“I was watching you tonight with Joshua while the fireworks were going off. It made me wonder if you still had feelings for him.”
Honor bowed her head. “I’ll always have the memories of what we shared, but that’s all in the past. As it stands now, we’re on opposite sides of this issue regarding the Diamond R. Joshua can’t wait to head back to Seattle and put this town in his rearview mirror. There’s no way things could ever work out between us. Even if the injunction holds, it’s still a messy situation.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I’ll support you, no matter what. I didn’t have your back six years ago, and I know it caused you a lot of pain.”
“That means a lot to me,” she said, fighting back tears.
“Now, if he decides not to sell the ranch to the Alloy Corporation, that might change things between you. Am I right?”
Honor frowned. “I don’t think he will, Boone. He’s made no secret of his plans.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that. It would be a blessing if he changed his mind,” Boone said. “For all our sakes.”
She jutted her chin up. “It would be wonderful, but I learned a long time ago not to hope for the impossible.” She felt exhaustion sweep through her. The entire situation was taking a heavy toll on her.
“Oh, Honor,” Boone said in a voice clogged with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”
Something about Boone’s tone caused her to crack wide open. Honor got up from her seat and threw herself against Boone’s chest. She began to cry—tears of frustration and loss. She had no idea what might happen to the Diamond R, but Honor knew that she and Joshua were hopelessly at odds over it. Filing the injunction had been a long shot, and even though no decision had yet been made, she could almost sense that it wouldn’t hold up.
Joshua and Theo would sell Bud’s beloved ranch to developers. The Diamond R would cease to exist as they had always known it. And Joshua and Violet would head back to their lives in Seattle. The very thought of it made her heart ache way more than she wanted to acknowledge.
Chapter Twelve
Joshua gazed out the window of Bud’s study. The ranch was blanketed in white, with a recent snowfall leaving the ground packed with snow. Everything was white, for as far as the eye could see. A few of the ranch hands were leading horses into the paddock. Maybe he would bring Violet outside later on to play in the snow. He was in an antsy mood. Last night he had tossed and turned for hours, torn apart by the moral dilemma over the Diamond R. Selling the ranch and returning to Seattle was the only thing that made sense. But every time he thought about going through with the sale he felt sick to his stomach.
Theo walked into the study, his face lit up with a huge grin. “I just got the call. The judge has lifted the injunction,” he announced in a voice full of triumph. He raised his fist in the air and shook it.
Joshua knew he should be feeling on top of the world at the moment. Hadn’t this been what he’d been waiting to hear? Why wasn’t he rejoicing? All he felt was emptiness.
“Did you hear me? It’s over. We can sell Bud’s property to whomever we choose.” Theo was practically jumping up and down with joy at the news.
“I heard you,” he said. “It’s a lot to take in.”
Theo narrowed his gaze as he looked at him. “It’s a victory, Joshua. We’re one step closer to leaving this town behind us.” Theo shook his head at Joshua. “I’m beginning to think you were hoping we would lose.” Theo glared at him, then stormed out of the room.
Joshua sighed raggedly. The legal victory had hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t been expecting to hear anything definitive today. Instead of rejoicing, his head was filled with Honor. He had no idea whether or not she’d received word about the injunction. The news couldn’t have come at a worse time. She was scheduled to come to the ranch this morning to check up on the c
alves, as well as some other livestock. One of the calves seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Joshua had called Honor to let her know about the situation.
He had no intention of telling her about the injunction being lifted. It would only cause more strain between them.
While Winnie tended to Violet, Joshua found himself listening for any signs of Honor’s arrival at the ranch. He was pacing back and forth in the den when he heard the crunch of tires from outside. One glance out of the window confirmed Honor’s arrival. He quickly put on his parka and headed outside to greet her.
She was just getting out of her car when he reached her side. Dressed in a pair of nice-fitting jeans and a snug winter parka, Honor looked casual yet lovely. The gray knit hat perched on her head gave her a wholesome look. Joshua stuffed down a wild impulse to kiss her. But he knew it wasn’t his place to do so. It would only serve to make things messier than they already were, he reckoned.
“Honor. Thanks for coming over.”
“Of course. I came as soon as I could. What’s going on with the calf?”
“It hasn’t been eating or moving all that much. It doesn’t seem to be thriving.”
Honor nodded. There were crease lines around her mouth and eyes. He knew she took her job seriously. The welfare of animals was of the utmost importance to her. Part of her profession involved wildlife rehabilitation.
They took off toward the barn with Honor leading the way. She made a quick beeline to the area where the calves were situated. He didn’t need to tell Honor which calf was doing poorly. It was evident by the way she sat off to the side, not interacting with the other calves.
Joshua stood and watched as Honor gently examined the calf. After a few minutes, her shoulders slumped. She turned toward him. “You were right. She’s not doing well. It could be dehydration or a virus, although I would think if it was viral the others would be doing poorly as well. I’m not a vet, so you might want another opinion, but it’s not looking good.” She shrugged. “She needs special care. There’s not a whole lot we can do if she continues to struggle.” She bowed her head.
“Honor. Don’t feel bad. Sometimes it’s just nature’s way. You’ve been incredible. You’ve got such a nurturing instinct with animals and with people. You’ll make a great mother one day.”
