Beth Cornelison - Rancher's Deadly Reunion

“But...” Zane said.

She tapped the tip of her nose and sent Josh a wink. “Called it.”

“But...” Zane continued, nonplussed by his siblings, “I see no reason to keep you in the loop if you’re not here on the frontlines, putting in sweat equity every day the way we are.”

Zane’s bluntness punched Piper like a cattle prod to the gut. She grabbed a fistful of chenille bedspread and squeezed while she swallowed her pain and worked to hide her hurt from the three pairs of eyes studying her. She lifted a shoulder and forced a tight grin. “Love you, too, bro.”

“Way to win her over before we lay out our proposal,” Josh muttered.

“What proposal?” she asked.

Zane and Josh exchanged one of their twin-telepathy glances. After a moment, Josh bobbed a quick nod and said, “We’ll fill you in tonight. Zane and I want to have a family meeting after supper to talk about some ideas we have for the ranch.”

“Am I invited?” Piper asked, giving Zane a churlish look.

“Don’t be a brat.” He hooked an arm loosely around her neck and dragged her in for a knuckle noogie to the top of her head. “Of course you are. You’re family, right?”

Wiggling to her feet and free of his grasp, she swatted at him and straightened her hair. “Am I, Mr. Sweat Equity? Am I allowed an opinion?”

He easily caught one of her hands as she batted at him and drew her into a hug. “Sure, as long as it agrees with mine.”

“Okay then, my opinions and I will be there.” She returned his hug, savoring the sense of calm and security that flowed through her after the strained ride from the airport. Her brothers had always protected her growing up, and she’d missed having them close by while she faced the challenges of her life in Boston. Too soon, her brother backed out of the embrace—because heaven forbid he appear too emotional or affectionate!—and, reluctantly, she released Zane. His crooked smile asked silently, Are we good?

She nodded and returned a we’re good half grin.

Josh quickly took his brother’s place, giving her a quick squeeze before shuffling toward the door. “Welcome home, Pipsqueak.”

“Thanks, Doofus.”

“Ditto,” Zane said.

Their mother stood back to let her sons pass, and she smiled warmly at Piper. “It is good to have you home, honey. Oh, I’ve missed you!” Her mother stroked her hair and kissed her forehead before following the guys out. “Let me know if you need anything.”

A sudden, unexpected wallop of emotion surged up in Piper’s throat, making a verbal reply impossible. Instead, she blinked back tears and gave her mother a nod and a smile.

Turning toward her suitcases on the bed, she dashed away the moisture that stung her eyes and swallowed against the knot that choked her. Why was she so weepy about this trip to the ranch? She hadn’t been this sentimental and fragile even on her first trip back after her freshman year at BC. After the physical, mental and emotional upheaval of the longest year of her life. After having Brady’s baby, surviving finals week while purging all the pregnancy hormones from her system, and coming to grips with the idea she’d never again see the face of the tiny life she’d created—and given away.

She’d prayed that whole first trip that no one would read the truth of what she’d done in her eyes...and that Brady wouldn’t learn how she’d deceived him about the fate of their baby. No, she hadn’t lied to him, she’d told herself, but letting him live with his mistaken beliefs that she’d miscarried still gnawed at her conscience. Yes, that trip back to the Double M had been colossally difficult, but she’d survived it and visits since then with a stiff upper lip. And she had to do the same now.

Certainly the shock of seeing Brady at the airport had worn down her defenses. As had the poignant introduction to his nephew and the reminder of Scott and Pam’s tragic deaths. Add to that the stressful month at work where the company had lost the Regal, Inc. account, one of their most important clients, and had reps from the corporate office breathing down her neck. And the freak accident that had killed the guy that worked in the cubicle across from her. Ron had been a nice enough guy, if a bit forward at times, and his bizarre death a couple weeks back had shaken the office staff. Then to be greeted with the news that the Double M could go under was the pickax blow to the thin shell that had held her intact in recent weeks.

With a cleansing breath, she shoved at Zeke’s backside to scoot him off her suitcase where he’d settled. “Time to unpack, fuzzball. Move it.” Another push roused the large cat, who stood and stretched. When she unzipped the top of the luggage, the noise intrigued Zeke. With his ears pointed forward and a quick head cock to the side, he bicycled his paws on the suitcase as if digging up whatever prey inside had made the rasping sound. The cat’s antics tickled Piper, and the laugh that bubbled up in her helped staunch the rising tears. “You goofball,” she said, lifting the Maine coon into her arms for a snuggle. Immediately the feline’s chest rumbled and he head-butted her chin, returning the affection. “I missed you, too, fuzzball.”

After a moment, Piper set Zeke on the floor and pulled her favorite blue jeans from the suitcase along with her well-worn cowboy boots and started for the closet. Then paused. Turning back to the bed, she stripped out of the slacks and blouse she’d worn on the airplane. As the clothes fell to the floor, she kicked them aside and pulled on the jeans, a T-shirt and her boots, welcoming the comfortable fit like an old friend.

Seeing Brady at the airport had been an unsettling surprise, but it was behind her. For the rest of her trip, she resolved, squaring her shoulders, she would survive by avoiding Brady the same way she had on previous visits. She’d help her family sort through the difficulties the ranch was facing, would celebrate her parents’ anniversary and would be back to Boston in a week. And everything would return to normal.

Yes. Normal. Normal was good. The status quo was safe.

Her strategy seemed sound. Logical. Achievable.

So why did her plan leave her feeling so empty?

Brady couldn’t sit still. He paced from the kitchen table in the house he shared with his father to the picture window in their living room. He gazed out at the Double M Ranch yard to the tree where Connor was playing on a tire swing while the boy’s dog, Kip, sniffed around the yard, and he heaved a sigh. Ever since picking up Piper at the airport he’d been restless.

Of course, he knew the source of his restlessness. Piper’s visit had the potential to blow his world apart.

Or not.

The situation could play out in so many different ways. And if experience had taught him anything, it was that life had a way of unfolding in completely unexpected directions. You couldn’t prepare for all the strange twists and possible scenarios fate had in store. That unpredictability was at the root of his uneasiness. Because his first and most important priority was protecting Connor.

He knew Piper would never intentionally hurt Connor. But Brady, of all people, knew that good intentions could still backfire. He’d let Piper rip his heart out again, relive the agony he’d known when she’d left him behind for Boston, if he could spare Connor even a little pain. The poor kid was already dealing with the loss of his parents. The boy was vulnerable, and Brady had to keep his guard up.

He heard the back door open and close, followed by the familiar scuff of feet and weary grunt as his father came in at the end of the day and shucked his work boots in the mudroom. “Brady?”

“In here.” He shuffled back to the kitchen to greet his dad.