Page 65 of Unbreakable Love

And then, I absolutely had the most amazing night of sleep in my life.

I rose with the sun before it fully crested and the morning sky was light with oranges and pinks, brushing awake the dark of night. Usually an early riser due to Josie, I threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt. After I got up and got moving for the day, I needed to head to the ranch. I’d promised Dalton I’d help him with some work around the land before Thanksgiving, so I didn’t need to get ready quite yet.

Thanksgiving. It was a day to be thankful and after last night’s events, I was thankful for more than my family this year.

I poured a cup of coffee I’d had set to brew the night before, ready before Penny ever came over, and jumped at the harsh, shrill sound of my doorbell going off. Repeatedly. Like it was an emergency.

I rushed to the door, expecting to see Penny on the other side, maybe desperate for a morning kiss. I had no problems with that.

Instead, it was her sister. Same ebony hair as I’d briefly seen last night. Her cheeks were pink, eyes still sleepy and darker than Penny’s, but other than that, they were pretty much mirror images of each other.

“Is she okay?” I barked. Why else would she be here? I leaned back inside to grab my boots when Maize laughed.

Laughed at me, and then turned to the side and stepped into my home.

Uninvited.

And seemingly unbothered by my panic.

“She’s fine. I wanted to talk to you.”

I stepped back because I had no choice and closed the door behind her. “Does she know you’re here?”

“Nope.” She popped the P and scanned my house. I had the sudden sense this was a test, there’d be a grilling to come, and she was ferreting out exactly what kind of man I was.

“Penny told you about us, I take it.”

“She’s told me lots of things, about you, the town, your family…” she trailed off and wandered into my home.

The nerve of this woman to be so blasé. I followed her and settled in for the reason for her visit.

“Penny’s sleeping,” she finally said, resting her hip against my kitchen island. “Nice house. Feels homey. I like it.”

I grabbed my coffee and slid it toward me. “Happy to meet your approval.”

“She came home last night, late. I assume she snuck out and came here?”

“I wasn’t aware she snuck out from anyone, but yes, she was here.”

“Good.” She nodded and then pointed at my coffee. “Mind if I get one of those? I did the same and snuck out as soon as I woke so I could talk to you.”

“I thought older sisters were supposed to be the overprotective ones,” I grumbled but went to the cupboard above my coffee pot and grabbed one for her. And since my mom would kick my ass for not being a gentleman, I asked, “Cream or sugar?”

“Black like my soul is fine,” Maize quipped.

“Nice.” I set the coffee mug down in front of her. “You have things to say then?”

“Penny said she told you about our mom.”

I leaned back against the counter, facing her. “She did.”

“She’s distorted that image of her to make her seem better than she was.”

That was entirely possible. I figured everyone, especially their children, wanted to see the best in their parents. But given what she’d said about men, I tensed. “She told me none of the men hurt her, Penny I mean.”

Maize shrugged, the move so similar to Penny it was uncanny. “That was probably my mom’s only success as a parent.”

“Good.”

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