Page 66 of Dark Side of the River

Tilly reminded herself that her sister hadn’t just been shot but had a concussion, a bad one. Maybe she had no idea what she was saying when Cooper found her. Feeling as frustrated as she knew Cooper was, she headed back to the ranch.

Before Oakley’s shooting, she’d been working with her mother to learn everything about the financial side of running the ranch. Tilly had grown up calving, rounding up cattle, nursing calves, taking care of the horses and other animals.

But she’d never known about the interworkings of the ranch, something she needed to know if she hoped to one day take over this one. She knew it might mean fighting CJ for not just the ranch, but the heart of the ranch, which she didn’t feel he understood.

COOPERCAMEOUTof the hardware store to find CJ Stafford waiting for him. The cowboy stood, arms crossed, leaning against the building, his face a mask of fury.

“Whatever it is,” Cooper said, “I’m really not in the mood for it today.”

CJ shoved off the wall and advanced on him, clearly looking for a fight. “You need to stay away from my sister.”

“Thanks for the advice.” He started to step past him, determined not to get into a brawl on the main drag of Powder Crossing, but CJ had other plans. He slammed a big palm into Cooper’s chest, driving him back a step.

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?” the cowboy demanded.

“Not doing this.” He tried to step past him again, but CJ caught his arm and swung him around to face him.

Cooper brought the full hardware bag around with him and hit the cowboy in the side of his head. CJ staggered back, reaching for the knife at his hip.

“Don’t do it, CJ,” said a loud male voice behind the cowboy.

CJ’s hand rested on the bowie knife for a moment longer, before he dropped his hand to his side. With a sigh, he said, “Your buddy the sheriff isn’t always going to be around, McKenna. Stay away from my sister.” With that, CJ strode off, leaving Cooper and Stu alone on the street.

“You just have a knack for making friends wherever you go,” Stu said.

“It’s a talent,” he admitted. “Thanks.”

“I just didn’t want blood on the sidewalk. After all, it is Main Street.”

CJ came roaring past in a Stafford Ranch pickup, giving Cooper the finger.

“Classy,” Cooper said.

“But expressive.” With that, Stu turned and walked away.

Cooper watched them both go, wondering what the hell he was doing. Also wondering if Tilly had any idea what an uphill battle it would be for the two of them to be together.

HOLLYJOHADbeen trying to get into the stables all morning. Every time she went near them, Deacon would appear and she’d be forced to pretend she wasn’t planning to saddle up a horse and get out of there.

Now that Deacon was locking the tack room, it made it harder. But she’d just seen Elaine go out to the stables. She was dressed for a ride. If she forgot to lock the tack room door...

Time was running out to make her escape. Earlier she’d heard Holden and Elaine talking about getting her enrolled in school. She would be taking the bus and have to walk to the end of the ranch house road to catch it? They had to be kidding. It was at least a half mile.

“It will be good for her to walk down there every morning,” Holden said. “All my kids did. Didn’t hurt them.”

“She’s going to need some school clothes.” School clothes, ugh. She could just imagine what Holden would buy her, more Western shirts, jeans and boots like he’d purchased for her so far.

She assured herself that she wouldn’t be here when school started in August. This couldn’t be her life. The rest of her life, she thought with a groan. She still didn’t know how she’d ended up here. At supper Holden had said they would talk about it some other time. But every time she tried to talk to him about it, he’d say, “Some other time.”

At the sound of a pickup coming up the drive, she looked out and saw that it was Cooper. She growled under her breath. He’d promised to teach her to ride today. She still hadn’t ridden any farther than around and around the corral.

He pulled up beside her and whirred down his window. “Meet me in the stables. You’re going riding.”

“Outside of the corral?” she asked hopefully.

“Outside of the corral.” His window went back up and she ran toward the house to get anything of her past that she could stuff into her pockets. She was getting out of here.

HOLDENLOVEDHOLLYJO’Senthusiasm as she focused on saddling her horse. He could feel her excitement and it gave him hope that this might work out, having her here. Raising her, he reminded himself. She was now his responsibility.

---