Page 48 of Her Last Chance Cowboy

Josh made a face. “So?”

“He’d already been harassing Hannah.” If there was one thing he regretted, it was not punching Troy while he still had the chance.

“He was an idiot for sure, but the guy’s dead now.”

Jake slid out of the booth.

“I need some help at the site,” Josh said, telling Jake the real reason for the breakfast. “Can you spare one of your guys from the ranch to work at the downtown site?”

“You’re the boss.”

Josh rolled his eyes.

Sighing, Jake nodded. “Sure, I’ll talk to some of the guys.” He put his hat back on and touched the brim. “I’ll see you later.”

“Let me know who you’re sending,” Josh took a drink of coffee, his attention already on his phone.

Jake shot a belligerent look around the diner at anyone who might still be snooping into his business. As soon as he left the diner, he called Hannah’s cell, but it went to voicemail again. He didn’t want to read too much into Hannah’s silence since the funeral. He knew she was going through a lot. But he was starting to get an uneasy feeling.

* * *

Hannah lay on the sofa bed as a rooster crowed outside. The night sky slowly melted into day, showing off the twinkling lights for one last moment in a navy-blue sky. Birds twittered, their songs strengthening with the light.

She watched the cracked-open door to Emma’s room.

After the funeral, Emma had hung out with the other kids like always, and came in for dinner like always, but she went straight to bed afterward. She didn’t want to talk about things with Hannah, which broke her heart. Emma always came to her with her troubles. Today, however, was Emma’s birthday, and Hannah was going to do her level best to make the most of it. She blew up balloons and hung streamers throughout the barn. Olivia put up a banner and promised a big breakfast at the house.

She got up and peeked inside Emma’s room, watching her chest rise and fall with each sleeping breath. She had already decorated her bedroom. Posters, photographs, and certificates covered her walls. She thought of her own teenage bedroom. She wasn’t allowed posters or anything that had to be fixed to a wall. She’d had a bed, a closet, and a nightstand with a lamp. And a father telling her she should be grateful that he let her stay. She’d always wanted to point out that most parents simply saw it as their natural duty to care for their children, but she hadn’t quite dared.

Maybe she was naïve, but she really had thought her father might reach out after Troy’s death. But she should have known better. Joel Destin wasn’t one for sentiment.

She wondered if Troy had really wanted to change. By pushing him away, had she driven him back to the bottle? Which of course led to the question that was really eating her up… did she bear some responsibility for his death?

Emma stirred then, snapping Hannah back to reality. Her eyes opened, her arms and legs stretched, and Hannah knelt and pulled her into a hug. “Happy birthday, baby!”

Emma wrapped her arms around Hannah’s neck and squeezed with all her sleepy strength. Hannah felt tears threaten and blinked them back, not wanting to confuse her daughter.

“Happy birthday, sweet thirteen!”

“Have you been watching me sleep?”

She rubbed her eyes and swung her legs out of bed.

“Yes,” Hannah laughed.

“You’resoweird,” Emma said, but she hugged Hannah again. She bounced up and headed into the other room, looking around. “You decorated!”

“Yup, and we’re having pancakes for breakfast, up at the house.”

Emma smiled and went straight to the table, where a gaudily wrapped gift sat. She picked it up, but she knew the rule.

“Can Ipleaseopen it?” she asked.

Hannah smiled, but shook her head. “Not until after you blow out your candles.” She had always made her wait until 6:36 P.M., The exact moment that Hannah’s life had changed forever, the moment she heard the cry of her baby girl. Troy might have caused her pain and problems, but Emma was her promise of a better future, and she would be forever grateful for that. Well, they had a new life ahead of them now, and they could make changes if they wanted to. “You know what? Go ahead.”

Emma’s eyes widened, and Hannah noted signs of puffiness lingering from her bout of tears. She ripped off the paper, and when she saw the label on the box, she dropped it back on the table and wrapped her arms around Hannah.

“You got me a phone!” she squealed. “My very own phone!”

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