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"You got it, hot stuff. Forever."
She smiled again, and then her eyes closed. Riggs shook her, and there was no response. "Gunner!"
Gunner ran over, tossing his phone in Grace's direction. "911, now!"
Chapter TwentySeven
"I will definitely let you know when I hear anything," Naomie said as she finished preparing Robby's breakfast. The woman, Grace, who was rescued with Georgie, called twice daily to check on Georgie. More than Georgie's own sister, Tess, which disappointed Naomie.
That thought turned her mind to her conversation with Tess two days ago.
"Tess, you should come see her. She's been through a lot and--
"St. Georgie." Tess interrupted. "It's always Georgie, isn't it. Georgie, the smart one; Georgie, the courageous, the brave, the brains, the soul, the special one. Georgie, Georgie, Georgie. Will there ever come a time when life isn't about the perfect Georgie?"
The proclamation stunned Naomie. Why had no one ever realized Tess resented Georgie, and more importantly, what caused it?
"Where's this coming from?"
There was a long pause before Tess answered. "Look, I know you all think she can walk on water, and I give her creds. She overcame a lot, losing her leg and all, but she wasn't the only one who lost. Everyone seems to conveniently forget that I lost my parents, too. And I might as well have lost Georgie because when we came to live with your parents, everyone was all about Georgie and didn't even know I existed."
There wasn't anything Tess could have said that could hurt more. Naomie and her family had done everything to make both girls feel loved and welcome. Why this sudden animosity?
"I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way, Tess. We obviously didn't do as well as we'd hoped or thought in loving and caring for you.But you're wrong about Georgie. We didn't set her on a pedestal. We just tried to get her what she needed to grow, learn, and live a productive and hopefully happy life.
"Quite frankly, I'm shocked you'd hate the person that kept you from dying in that car as well."
"Fuck you, Naomie. You're such a know-it-all. Or think you know everything. But here's a news flash. You don't. You don't have a clue, and I lost the desire to clue you in long ago, so how about we agree to step back. I won't call you, and you don't call me. I need a break from all you people."
"Well, then, that's what you'll get."
With that, Naomie hung up the phone. Where had all that bitterness come from? Although reeling, she had to put it aside for now until she could deal with it later. Naomie placed both handson the kitchen counter and willed the annoyance out of her body. Robby had been through enough. He didn't need a tensed-out caregiver, and babies were all too perceptive when it came to sensing moods.
When he made a little squeak, she turned, and the sight of him waving his chubby arms and smiling was a balm to cool the anger. She picked him up, grabbed his bottle, and headed out onto the back porch where Russell was having morning coffee.
He stood at the porch railing, looking out over the expanse of land. Every time she saw it, she was taken aback. Not only was Russ an attractive, sexy man, but he was a man who genuinely loved the land and all the living things on it.
People in other states didn't know how much ranchers cared about the land. They were some of the most devoted environmentalists in the country, perhaps the world. They often came across in the news and social media as being thick-headed, stubborn, and behind the times.
And maybe it was for people who wanted the land to pour more concrete and asphalt, to build more high rises, ski resorts, and hotels. But for the people who saw the beauty and actual value of the land, that would be a death sentence.
They weren't wrong. When the ecosystems here fell, it was the last hope. These ranchers were more than stewards of the land. They were trying their best to be the saviors of it.
It was a lifelong commitment for Russ, and from what she knew of his children, it had also become theirs. She felt honored to know them and did all she could to help their efforts.
Robby squealed when he saw Russ and reached for him. For a moment, Naomie felt a pang of wanting. She'd always hoped to one day be a mother, but so far, that hadn't been in the cards for her. He'd never raised the subject of having more children, which made her reluctant to discuss the topic.
She told herself that having Robby here was enough. Maybe Russ's sons would have more kids, and she could help. Or perhaps she'd get over wanting a child. Sometimes, you don't get what you want in life, but she was a woman who'd gotten at least ninety percent, so she wouldn't complain or feel sorry for herself.
"Any news?" she asked Russell.
He shook his head. "Not except that Gunner is now officially off active duty and is moving into the cottage you vacated this weekend, despite his insistence he could stay in the bunkhouse, and next week he starts learning to be a cowboy."
"Well, that'll be a sight," she smiled at the thought. Gunner was one big man. Not just tall but built like a lumberjack in old tales. He was the guy who could scoop up a calf and tote it across a field. She'd witnessed that.
He was also the guy you could trust. If Gunner Hale gave his word, you could take it to the bank. Riggs and Gunner had known one another since they enlisted and today were as close as brothers could be.
All of Russ's kids thought of Gunner as family, and now so did Naomie. Russ was thrilled with the news. If Gunner was signing on, that meant Riggs was planning on staying, which made her very happy.
