Page 39 of Roaring Fork Wrangler

“I didn’t name the cat; you did. And if you recall, I protested the choice.”

I shrugged, remembering the day my dad had brought the kitten home as a surprise. “Mom was so mad at him,” I muttered.

Gray laughed. “She hates cats.”

“Hated. Past tense. She loves Buttons.”

“Right.”

When we pulled up near the house, the first person I saw was Cord. There were two other guys with him.

“Hey, Juni,” he said as he walked past me to help unload.

“Hey,” I said, following to help.

“Why don’t you get the door, and we’ll bring all this in?” he offered.

“Uh, sure.” I raced up the steps and had my hand on the latch to open it when it hit me that Miss Cena wouldn’t be inside. My eyes filled with tears I quickly brushed away.

“That’s all of it,” Gray said after the four men brought a second load in. “Let me introduce you,” he said, leading me over when a man came down the stairs.

“Mr. Barrett, this is my sister, Juniper.”

He walked over and shook my hand at the same time a woman who didn’t look much older than me came up behind him. “Both of you, please call me Beau. And this is Samantha,” he said.

“Sam,” she said, shaking my hand too.

“Most everyone calls me Juni.”

“What a great name,” she commented.

I looked around the kitchen. “I can’t remember the last time I was here. It has to have been at least a year. Sorry.” I waved my hand in front of myface when I teared up. “Miss Cena was such a lovely woman. I miss her.”

“How well did you know her?” Beau asked.

“Not that well. Once her eyesight got bad, I’d visit and read to her a few times a week.” Gray’s eyes met mine, and I shook my head. The other reason I spent time at the Lilacs wasn’t something I wanted to talk about—now or ever.

“Did she say much about her family?”

Gray and I both shuddered. “If you mean her nephews, Miss Cena didn’t like to think about them, let alone talk about them. Or one of them, anyway. Johnny was okay.”

“Who are the others?” Beau asked.

“Just one. James, but everyone calls him Jimmy.” I made a face. “Hard to believe twins could be so different.”

“James Rooker?” Sam asked.

I nodded. “That’s right.” When I glanced over at Cord, our eyes met, but he quickly looked away.

“Did you say his brother’s name is Johnny?” Beau asked.

“That’s right. He doesn’t live around here, though.”

“Where does he live?” Sam asked.

“Now that you mention it, I think I remember hearing he went somewhere out west,” said Gray, looking over at me. “I can’t recall who said it, though. Do you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t.”

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