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“Ain’t that what a cow does?”
He snorted. “If you’re comparing me to cattle, have the decency to make me a bull at least.”
Time to leave the memories behind, and get back to reality.
He paused at the door and glanced up at the hay loft.
Christ, it seems like a lifetime ago.
Butch was a different person now. His past actions had forced him to lead a better life, but not a healthy one. There was still too much guilt rolling around inside him to allow him to be happy.
Hecouldn’t be happy, because Scott Nelson never got the chance to be happy.
Scott never got the chance to live past seventeen, and that was down to Butch.
Chapter 2
Butch parked the truck beside the bunkhouse and switched off the engine.
Thank God that’s over for another week.
Saturdays were the fussiest kind of day, guests coming and going, and what with cleaning up after one group and getting ready for another, picking up new arrivals from Bozeman, and generally making sure they were all happy, supper time was there before he knew it. Being busy was just fine, however. He’d rather be occupied than twiddling his thumbs.
Except there was always something to do around the ranch.
Zeeb had taken the new guests indoors, and Butch was content to let him deal with them for a moment. Four this time, all keen to spend a week on horseback. The weather forecast was good, and Teague had drawn up a list of trails. Paul was ready to school the newbies—there were two of them—in how to take care of a horse, but that was all to come.
Food first.
Butch knew there’d be plenty to eat—Matt saw to that—and besides, he wanted to enjoy the scenery, the place he’d called home for the last thirty-three years.
He glanced at the empty paddock. Paul was probably in the stables, checking on the horses. Then he noticed a figure leaning on the railing, the waning sun filtering through her hair, creating a glowing halo.
He smiled to himself at the thought.Diana ain’t no angel.
Butch strolled toward her, his feet crunching on the gravel path. She turned as he approached, her smile instantaneous.
“Hey you.”
Butch rested his arms on the wooden railing. “Hey yourself. What you doing here?”
“I came to see Robert.”
Butch grinned. “Well, you won’t find him down here. He’ll be up at the house.”
Diana’s cheeks pinked. “He is. But I didn’t tell him I was coming, so…”
He saw the light. “Ah. He’s… er… occupied.”
She coughed. “That’s one way of putting it. Serves me right for not calling first.” Diana shook her head. “There are some things a girl doesnotneed to know about her brother.”
Yeah, he wasn’t gonna go there either.
“Shouldn’t you be at your fancy-pants ranch, looking after your new guests?”
She rolled her eyes. “It isn’t that fancy. I don’t know why you always say that.”
“It’s swankier than Salvation.”
