Page 48 of Embracing Hope

“What rumors are you curious about?”

“The forced marriages. Sorry. It really ain’t none of my business.” He swiped off his hat and held it against his chest. “I take full responsibility. Marcum had every right to do what he did. I would have done it myself if one of the boys allowed their mouths to work past their brains.”

Something made her doubt his statement. Although she didn’t know Wheeler very well, she didn’t like a man who couldn’t make eye contact, especially when he tried apologizing.

“Will it happen again?” She had no clue what had happened, but she was clever enough to figure it out. Isaac had been defending her honor.

“No, ma’am. That’s a fact.” He shoved his hat back down on his head.

“I’ll take your word for it. By chance, have you seen Isaac this morning?”

“No.” His jaw clicked.

Leaving Wheeler to finish his work, she exited the barn and scanned the pastures to the mountain peaks in the distance.

Could it be possible that Isaac was dodging her?

In the stables, she strolled to the last stall, unlocked the gate, and stroked her horse, Sabrina, on the nose. The friendly mare rubbed her head against Hope’s palm. “You want to go for a ride, girl?”

As if the horse understood, she made a low sound.

Taking the young mare out of the stall and outside, Hope outfitted her in tack and climbed into the saddle Daddy had made for her. He had saddles customized for each of his daughters. Hope’s saddle, crafted from buttery-soft leather, featured delicate sage green embroidery and her initials embossed in the material.

Despite feeling a bit sore from last night’s incident with the intruder and sex with Isaac, she found comfort in the saddle. It was her sanctuary—her therapy.

She led Sabrina toward the pasture and waved at Billy, who acted like he didn’t see her. They were all afraid to look at her after the episode between Isaac and Wheeler. Well, Isaac could no longer stay in the bunkhouse. She couldn’t have him punching all the workers.

The wind caught her hair as she gave the mare a little gesture that sent her galloping. Hope tightened her thighs around the saddle and tautened her hold on the reins as she encouraged Sabrina to pick up speed.

The combination of the sun beating down on her shoulders and the wind caressing her skin made her feel alive. She loved riding at this time of morning. She and her sisters could ride before they could walk. Although Hope had done some barrel racing through the years, she’d never taken to the sport like Honor and Liberty did. They were well known for their skills, and their awards were proudly displayed on a shelf in Daddy’s office. Hope had won first place in the science fair four years in a row, and her awards were placed along with the other prestigious trophies.

Tears filled her eyes.

He was spending more time in the Catskills at the family cabin. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to enjoy the lavish cabin where he’d planned to return one day or if he didn’t want his daughters to see him losing his battle with cancer. A tear slid down her cheek as she pondered the idea that he’d never retire and spend his days fishing, hunting, drinking bourbon, and smoking cigars in front of the fireplace as he’d always talked about.

She didn’t want to disappoint him.

Although she thought his demand for his daughters to marry was high-handed, in a way, she could understand what the strong, stubborn patriarch was trying to do. He didn’t want his girls to be alone, even if that meant forcing them into marriage. On a more selfish level, he also believed that the sisters needed men to help them run the place.

Hope sighed. The man might be onto something because her sisters were very happy with their husbands. Hope guessed even independent women needed companionship.

Time was running out. Soon, the deadline would come, and she’d be written out of the will, and the ranch would be lost to her. She wanted to believe her father wouldn’t be so stubborn and inflexible, but anyone who knew Sam Rose would never question that once he made his mind up the boundaries were in concrete.

Her mind wandered to Isaac. He knew about the forced marriages, and he wasn’t running.

He wasn’t gravitating toward her either. Or was he?

She slowed Sabrina to a gentle trot.

The sunshine felt nice and the scenery could only be described as breathtaking.

Once they reached the lake, she slid out of the saddle and hooked the reins to a limb. “Stay put, girl.” She gave Sabrina a scratch on her head before Hope headed down the narrow path toward the water. Recently, the area had been marred with the death of Rigs Fletcher. He’d pulled the wool over all their eyes. He’d been a convicted felon. A dangerous criminal who had been stalking Freedom for months and stealing private documents from their daddy’s office.

She wouldn’t let the disaster of that day keep her from one of her favorite places on the ranch.

At the water’s edge, she toed off her boots, shimmied out of her jeans and top, and slowly ascended into the calm water that remained cool because the sunlight hadn’t warmed it yet.

She swam out further, enjoying the weightless feel of floating.

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