Page 25 of Dark Side of the River

She turned as her mother followed her accusing tone into the room. Charlotte held a cup of vending machine coffee in her hand. She looked as if she’d been here since the shooting, without sleep or a change of clothing.

“You haven’t been home?” Her mother didn’t answer, merely sat down in the chair next to Oakley’s bed and took a sip of her coffee, making a face as she did. “You should go home, shower, change, get some sleep. I’ll stay here with her.”

Her mother’s gaze lifted to hers, the answer in her eyes even before she shook her head and said, “Cooper McKenna?”

The entire under-a-hot-light grilling took place with those two words.

She bristled, pretending it was from her mother’s implication that she’d been out having fun while her sister was fighting for her life here in the hospital. She knew better. This was about a McKenna.

“We’re trying to find out who shot her.”

“Isn’t your lawman boyfriend doing that?” her mother asked.

Tilly felt bruised and battered enough with everything that had happened over the past few days. She wasn’t up for one of her fights with her mother. Nor was this the place.

“Unless you’re going home, I should see to the ranch,” she said, and started to the door.

Her mother’s words stopped her before she could reach it. “CJ and your brothers can run the ranch just fine without you.”

Did her mother really believe that? She turned to look at her. Was it possible Charlotte Stafford didn’t realize who loved this ranch, who would do anything to save it, who had been actively working the ranch?

But before she could speak, her mother seemed to shrink before her. The ramrod-straight back bent like a young willow in the wind, the hardened expression sculpted by an equally hard life softened, and tears filled those ocean-deep green eyes as she looked at her daughter. As she extended a hand, Tilly moved around the end of the bed to take it. The skin felt thin, mottled with freckles and ice-cold.

“We aren’t going to lose Oakley,” Tilly said, her voice sounding more confident than she felt. “We aren’t going to lose anything.”

Her look said that she’d already lost too much. Tilly knew that loss had nothing to do with Charlotte Stafford’s last husband, who’d run off and hadn’t been seen since. Tilly had heard the rumors, about her brother Brand being a product of an affair with Holden McKenna. She’d also heard that Holden’s wife Margaret had a wild affair more than thirty years ago and that Cooper might not be his.

Tilly had always wondered if Holden had been the love of her mother’s life—or if any man had that honor. She had always felt that her mother’s only love had been the land that she would die trying to keep.

“Don’t make this worse,” her mother said, and let go of her hand. “Stay away from that McKenna.”

Seeing her mother turn away from her, she felt a deep sadness. As much as she was determined to someday run the ranch, she didn’t want to have the regrets she saw carved into her mother’s face. Did it have to be a choice between the love of a man and the love of the land?

*

HOLDENWASGLADthat none of the family was around when he and Holly Jo arrived at the ranch. She sat staring dispassionately out the windshield as he turned off the engine. “This is your new home.”

“Only until I leave,” she said. “I’m not staying here, and you can’t make me.”

He wasn’t going to argue the point. She was twelve. She didn’t know how to drive a vehicle. He couldn’t see her jumping on a bike and riding twenty miles into Powder Crossing and then what? Nor could he see her making the hike on foot, especially in a pair of flip-flops, the only thing she now apparently owned. “Come on. I’ll show you your room. I’ll see about getting you some boots tomorrow.”

She made a gagging sound and didn’t get out until he’d taken her suitcase out of the back and started for the house. He could hear her hollering something at him, but didn’t turn. He was already missing her silent treatment.

Holden carried her suitcase up the stairs to the room Elaine had readied for the girl. It wasn’t his taste, too frilly and pink, but she said a little girl would like it. He doubted Holly Jo would like anything here on the ranch.

Turning, he saw that she’d followed him upstairs and was now staring at the room in horror. “I’m not five,” she said, clearly offended.

“Our cook and head housekeeper, Elaine, decorated the room for you. I don’t want you hurting her feelings. We can change it to something you like better after a few months.”

She raised a brow. “A few months?” She scoffed. “I won’t be here that long.”

“Well, then, I guess it will be fine the way it is.” He headed for the door. “If you’re hungry, come down to the kitchen. Elaine will make you something to eat if you ask nicely.” Otherwise, as far as he was concerned, she could starve.

TILLYWASCOMINGout of the hospital when she saw Stuart pull up. When he didn’t get out of his patrol SUV, she knew that he was looking for her. She’d seen that he’d texted a couple of times and tried to call once. She hadn’t checked her messages. She was still angry with him. Angry with Cooper as well. Men, she thought as she walked over to his driver’s-side window.

He powered it down. “Get in. Please,” he added before her eyebrows could shoot to the stars. He leaned over and opened the passenger-side door.

Going around the SUV, taking her time as she debated how she felt about Stu right now, she climbed in and closed the door.

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