One Night with a Cowboy - Sara Richardson Page 0,16

He gave off a low whistle. “Trust me. You don’t want to miss Louise’s breakfast. I think I saw some chocolate chips in the waffles.”

Now the boy looked truly torn. He bounced his gaze from Wes to his fishing pole to the lake.

“How about if I promise to take you to the best, supersecret fishing spot I’ve ever been another day?” He hadn’t been up to the waterfall in years. Some of the best fishing he’d ever done with his dad had been at that spot.

“Really?” The boy had frozen. “You would show me your supersecret fishing hole?”

“You bet.” Wes picked up the paddle again. “It’s right here at the ranch. Not too far of a hike. We probably can’t go today since everyone else will be here soon. But I promise I will find a day to take you.” And catching a fish up there was pretty much a guarantee since no one else knew about that spot.

“Okay! Yes! I can’t wait to see it!” Ryan sprang up and down, nearly capsizing the canoe.

“Whoa.” Wes steadied the boat. “We’ll make it happen. I promise. But right now, I’m going to tow you back to shore so we can go find your mom and sis and you can get changed. How does that sound?”

“Good.” The boy sat back down on the small bench in the center of the canoe, eyes wide with relief. “My arms are killing me after all that paddling.”

“It’s tough work.” Wes started them off. With the weight of the canoe dragging behind him, he didn’t move nearly as fast.

“You’re really good at that,” Ryan observed from behind him. “Where’d you learn to paddle?”

“My dad taught me.” More memories came flooding back. Usually he was able to block them or change the subject or distract himself with something else, but that was harder to do on the lake. They’d gone on many kayaking trips together. They likely still would be if Wes had shown up for his dad on the day he died…

“Where’s your dad now?” Ryan asked.

Now he had nowhere to hide. Wes gritted his teeth. “He passed away.”

The boy let out a gasp. “So did my dad. It’s really hard.”

Wes looked back at him, tempted to explain it was a long time ago, so it wasn’t as hard anymore. But that wasn’t the truth, and he couldn’t lie to a kid. “It sure is.” He turned back around and focused on the lake in front of him. They were pretty much crawling toward the shore at a snail’s pace.

“My mom says when you love someone, they’re never really gone.” Something in Ryan’s tone sounded almost…skeptical. “Do you think that’s true?”

“I know it’s true.” The pain in his chest was all the evidence he needed. His dad wasn’t gone—not from his memory, not from his heart.

The guilt wasn’t gone either. As much as he tried to outrun it.

Chapter Five

Thea had forgotten how dry the mountain air could be. Moaning, she flung out her arm and blindly searched for the water bottle she’d put on the nightstand before she went to bed.

Sheesh. Her mouth was like a desert wasteland. Tomorrow she’d have to use the humidifier they provided in every cabin.

Propping herself up, she took a sip of water and let her eyes adjust to the daylight. It was awfully bright for being so early. Squinting, Thea tried to make out the clock.

No. No way. That couldn’t be right. She sat up and snatched her phone off the table.

Eight thirty.

Eight thirty?

Eight thirty!

What the actual hell? She threw off the covers and sprang out of bed, trying to find her footing. She hadn’t slept past six in a lifetime! How could her internal clock have failed her today of all days? The day she was supposed to welcome the other families to the ranch?

Careening out of her room, Thea checked the open-concept kitchen and living room. Her heart slowed. At least it appeared the kids had slept in too. She crept down the hallway and pushed open the other bedroom door. Liv was buried underneath blankets and pillows on the bottom bunk, but the top bunk was empty.

Great. She shook her daughter awake. “Where’s Ryan?”

Liv’s eyelids fluttered, but she only groaned and turned over.

“Come on!” Thea nudged her again. “Where’s your brother?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Liv pulled the comforter over her head.

“Okay.” Thea inhaled a deep calming breath. He had to be here somewhere. Ryan knew better than to leave the house when she wasn’t awake,