Page 91 of The Cowboy Who Looked Again

“Hey,” Link said. “Does it feel right to have him in Three Rivers or not?” He put his hand under her chin and made her look up at him. “When you prayed about it? When you thought of it? Did it feel right or not?”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “It feels like the perfect solution.” She’d get to rekindle her relationship with her brother, show him how amazing small-town living could be, and help him get reintroduced to society in an easy, cowboy way. He’d have to work hard, but Misty believed in him—and she’d be nearby to help.

And the Glovers…they seemed to connect with every person they came in contact with, and Misty couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t take her broken brother under their collective wing and heal him…the way they’d healed her.

“Okay, then,” Link said softly but with plenty of surety. “Then he’s coming to Three Rivers, and we’ll handle whatever comes up.”

“Together,” she said.

“Yeah, sweetheart.” He grinned at her and kissed her again. “Together.”

Misty did love that word when it was in reference to Link, and she managed to make the drive home without allowing the sadness to overcome her. At home, she found Danny asleep on the couch, and she paused as she looked down at him.

Love filled her, along with a peaceful purifying feeling that she truly had done her best with him. Now, it was up to him to take advantage of this second chance at his life. She brushed her fingers across his forehead and murmured, “I love you, Danny.”

She went into her bedroom, a steady prayer coursing through her mind, body, and soul. Please bless my brother to know how much he’s loved. Please bless my brother to know how much he’s loved—by me, by the Glovers, and by You.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Link pulled up to the homestead, taking one of the only remaining spots left in the gravel area out front. “This is the homestead,” he said. “My uncle Ranger and aunt Oakley live here.”

“But they don’t run the ranch,” Danny said, peering at the huge house. “Seems odd that they live in the biggest house.”

“There are a lot of big houses here,” Misty said from the passenger seat of Link’s truck. He’d followed her and Danny to the house she shared with Janie, and then they’d all piled into his truck to make the final leg of their trip to Shiloh Ridge Ranch.

“My daddy and Ranger are the oldest brothers in their family lines,” Link said. He watched the windows and didn’t see any movement. “They lived here, in opposite wings, at first. Before Daddy met Momma. I lived in this house when they were first married. And when Smiles came along. Then Uncle Ranger and Aunt Oakley started havin’ kids too, and Aunt Etta was living in the downstairs suite, and it was just a lot of people in a big house.”

He smiled over to Misty and back to Danny. “My folks built a new house, and Etta got married. She and August got a new house too, so now, Ranger and Oakley live here alone. They host all the big parties that aren’t at True Blue or the firepit, and I don’t know. This house feels like home to me too.” He blew out his breath, and reached for the door. He didn’t really spend this much time traveling and talking, and the quiet emptiness of his house sounded pretty amazing about now.

However, Link had spent an hour on the phone last night, with only the first ten minutes of it with his daddy. Then, they’d done a group call with Uncle Ward, Uncle Ranger, Uncle Cactus, and Uncle Preacher. All of them would be here tonight, and probably more. Link hadn’t put a limit on it, and the Glovers never really passed up an opportunity to get together and eat.

“Time to rip off the Band-Aid,” Link said. “Because my mother has some sort of radar that tells her when I’m nearby, and she knows we’ve been sitting out here for a few minutes.” He flashed a smile all around and reached for the door handle.

“It’s not radar,” Misty said, “Every building on this ranch has cameras.”

Danny chuckled as he spilled from the backseat, and Link led the way through the fenceposts and onto the sidewalk. To his surprise, no one opened the front door before he reached it, and he pushed into the homestead and called, “We’re here.”

He reached for Misty, and thankfully, she knew when to ground him. Her fingers slid between his, and they went under the arch and the carved mention of the Glover family name and into the kitchen.

So many eyes looked back at him, and he couldn’t even imagine how they made Danny’s skin itch and burn.

“Son.” Of course Daddy would be the first to greet him. He’d probably been hovering next to the fridge for the last half-hour. He grabbed onto Link and pulled him into a hug. Link didn’t believe for a moment that Daddy wasn’t already sizing up Danny, but he’d be kind about it.

He had a very good first-impression-meter, and Link had been praying that Danny could pass it for the entire drive from Amarillo.

“Daddy,” Link whispered. “Thank you.”

“I love you.” Daddy pulled back and looked at Misty. “Hey, Misty-girl.” He hugged her too, and Link nearly lost his composure watching his father hug his girlfriend. His eyes filled with tears as God whispered to him that everything was handled.

I’ve got this, he heard as his mom tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey,” she said as he faced her. He grabbed onto her and held her tight, not sure if he should tell her everything in his mind and heart right now or just let it all play out.

“Introduce us,” she whispered, and Link stepped back.

“Daddy,” he said, doing a quick swipe at his eyes. “Momma, this is Danny Granger, Misty’s brother.” He indicated the man, giving him a quick nod and even quicker smile. “Danny, these are my parents, Bear and Sammy Glover.”

“It’s so great to meet you, sir,” Danny said, all proper and polite. “Ma’am.” He shook hands and looked at Misty.

“Link’s aunt and uncle,” Misty said, “Ranger and Oakley.”

---