Page 4 of Spilling the Tea

“I guess you’re right.” Lucky paused and then asked, “So, when are you leaving for Houston?”

“What makes you think I’m going to Houston?”

“Seriously, Zoe? How can you not? You’ve found a document that corroborates those dreams you’ve been having, as well as a necklace. Do you honestly want me to think you aren’t going to Texas to check things out for yourself?”

Zoey didn’t say anything, and the silence was thick. Lucky knew her like no other and was right. She was going to Houston but still had a few misgivings. “The ranch was sold close to twenty years ago. I’m not sure the people who bought it could tell me anything about my mother’s family.”

“But what if they can?” Lucky countered. “It would be nice if they let you look around to see if anything about the house is familiar to you.”

Zoey knew Lucky was right. There had to be a reason she had been dreaming of spending time with her parents on a ranch. She strongly felt it was the same ranch; if it was, being there could jog her memory even more. “You’re right. Maybe I will go.”

A short while later, after ending the call with Lucky, Zoey got up from the kitchen table to walk over to the window and gaze again at the flowers. Seeing them reminded her of the beauty in the world. That meant she had to remain positive. After all she’d been through over the past twenty-eight years, wasn’t it time for her to experience true happiness?

At least she had the time off work to take that trip to Houston.She’d been selected to teach a medical class at the Johns Hopkins University, and the semester had ended last month. She didn’t have to report back to the hospital until September.

She had planned to spend the entire summer touring London, Scotland, and Ireland. Now that wouldn’t be happening. In addition to planning to go to Texas, she needed to decide what she would do with her aunt’s home. She appreciated Aunt Paulina for taking her in for those ten years before she’d left for college, but she had never truly felt this was her home. Her aunt hadn’t mistreated her or anything; she just hadn’t experienced that same warm, loving aura she’d felt whenever she visited Lucky’s house. Her best friend’s parents openly displayed affection for each other, their three children, and their friends. Mrs. Andres seemed to always know whenever she needed a hug.

Zoey reached up and fingered the necklace again, figuring her father had given it to her mother as a gift. It was hard to believe that, after all these years, her memory might be returning. She wouldn’t waste time wondering why her aunt had kept information from her. The important thing was that because of that document she’d found, she had a chance to learn more about her history.

It might be a good idea to start in Boston. Surely, her parents had made friends when they’d lived there. Zoey had been born there but had no idea where they’d lived. Her aunt had only told her that her parents had worked at Massachusetts General Hospital.

A smile touched Zoey’s lips. Finally, she had a chance to find out about a past she couldn’t remember and couldn’t wait to discover everything she could.

Part One

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Chapter One

A month later…

Chancellor Madaris left Burney’s Feed Store to return to Teakwood Ridge. It had taken him longer than expected because Burney had been more talkative than usual. The older man had heard that a Madaris had married this past weekend.

Chance decided to quash that rumor by letting him know that it hadn’t been a Madaris wedding but the wedding of a Madaris family friend. His single Madaris cousins—those who weren’t ready to settle down to protect, provide, and prosper—would blow a gasket if they knew gossip was spreading that one of them had tied the knot. For that reason, he’d wanted to ensure Burney had gotten the right information.

As he exited the interstate, he couldn’t help but remember the wedding he had attended last weekend. Not in a million years had he figured he would see Tanner Jamison getting married and happily doing so. At the wedding, Mama Laverne had been all smiles while taking credit for bringing Tanner and Lyric together. Everyone was still pretty stunned by that one.

Another thing his family seemed stunned about was that Ravena Boyle was back in Houston. Years ago, when she moved to Houston, it was due to her wanting a fresh start living somewhere different from Colorado. So why had she returned? That question had some of his kinfolk speculating about all sorts of things, but honestly, he couldn’t care less. Ravena meant nothing to him, like he’d told Corbin or anyone else who thought he needed to know about her return.

A short while later, he was on the two-lane road that led to Whispering Pines, Teakwood Ridge, and a couple of other huge spreads in the area. Every time he took this road home, he felt extremely grateful. He loved his ranch, and so far, Chance and his older brothers, Luke and Reese, were the only Madaris cousins who’d followed their uncle Jake into ranching.

Glancing up at the sky, Chance saw dark clouds forming. The weather report had warned of a thunderstorm, and he’d meant to get home long before it hit. He had reached toward his car’s console to switch radio stations for a weather update when he noticed a car was stalled on the side of the road. He took a quick assessment of the situation. Since a tow truck was already on the scene, there was no reason for him to stop.

At least, he’d thought that until he’d seen her. The woman was standing by the car and talking to the tow truck driver. She’d heard the sound of his truck and had glimpsed quickly at him before resuming her conversation with the man. That had been enough time for his mind to accept that, without a shadow of a doubt, she had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

One of Chance’s skills as an army ranger was to do a quick and thorough assessment of a given situation or that of another human. For some reason, those skills had homed in on her. Her height was about 5'6". Dark brown eyes. High cheekbones. Cocoa-colored skin. Shoulder-length black hair whose strands curled at the end. She had full lips and dimples on each cheekthat showed even when she wasn’t smiling. Presently, her expression conveyed her frustration. Then there was her body in jeans and a white shirt. The outfit looked gorgeous on such a curvy body.

Her beauty had clouded his judgment. That had to be why he pulled over to the shoulder of the road, stopped his truck, and got out. There was no other reason for him to do so. With the tow truck here, the situation was clearly under control.

He was not.

His control had been shot to hell the moment he had seen her. Blame it on the fact that he hadn’t gotten laid in close to six months, thanks to back-to-back roundups and an unusually cold and harsh Texas winter.

Closing his truck door, he began moving toward the woman. The closer he got, the more he liked. His gaze roamed over her deliberately, liking everything he saw. She was definitely wearing those jeans. He hoped she was into one-night stands like he was.

“Morning, ma’am. Need help?” he asked, smiling while tipping his Stetson in greeting when he approached her. He wasn’t sure what cologne she wore, but it was an arousing scent. The tow truck driver had walked off, and Chance had her full attention. If he hadn’t been a goner before, he certainly was one now. When her gorgeous lips had curved into a smile, it was as if a fist had suddenly slammed into the middle of his gut. She was more beautiful than he’d thought. And when smiling, her dimples became more profound.

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