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Two Cowboy Promises Returning To Rocky Ridge Book 2 April Murdock Download 2024 Full Chapter
Two Cowboy Promises Returning To Rocky Ridge Book 2 April Murdock Download 2024 Full Chapter
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TWO COWBOY PROMISES
RETURNING TO ROCKY RIDGE - BOOK 2
APRIL MURDOCK
CHAPTER ONE
KELSEY
“ROCKY RIDGE, Montana. Come for the cowboys, stay for the Black Forest Brownies.”
I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. That sounded so fake. My followers wouldn’t buy in at all. I
had to do better. First, I took a sip of water, then I checked my lipstick from the screen on my phone.
And finally I adjusted the red cowboy hat that matched the color of my lips perfectly. The smile I’d
worn on that first take didn’t look right for some reason. I didn’t look as comfortable as I normally
do.
So I tried again.
“Rocky Ridge, Montana. Where the cowboys are sweet, and the Black Forest Brownies are sweeter.”
Dang it, that was even worse. Was I losing my touch? No, of course not. I was still the same, bright,
loveable online presence as ever. I just needed to find something that felt more real. Taking a deep
breath, I clicked the button hidden in my other hand and smiled wide. “Rocky Ridge—”
Out of nowhere, a small boy materialized at my side. His large brown eyes locked onto the brownie I
held then he looked up at me. His denim overalls had a hole in the knee, and he wore a bright red pair
of Converse shoes. Legs swinging back and forth, he gave me a shy smile. “Hi.”
Who was this kid? Where were his parents? I glanced around quickly but found no one anywhere
nearby. “Hello,” I drawled.
“I like brownies. A whole lot.” He looked up at me with big, round eyes.
And just like that, my heart melted. “You do?”
He nodded. “That’s a big brownie.”
“It sure is. And you know what? It’s the best brownie in the whole world.”
His brown eyes rounded as they landed on the chocolate dessert I held. “Really?”
“Yep. Because not only does it have the most delicious chocolate chunks, it has cherries in it, too.”
I didn’t think this kid could get any cuter, but boy was I wrong. His small pink tongue slipped from
between his lips and licked back and forth.
“I like cherries.”
Tossing my head back, I let out a laugh. “You’re a kid after my own heart. Here, you want this one? I
can get another.”
His eyes flitted up to meet mine then bounced down to the dessert. There was hesitation, but more
than that, I could see just how much he wanted the treat.
I tore off a corner of the brownie and popped it in my mouth. “See? It’s good. You can have it.” I held
out the brownie, napkin and all.
Just as his small hands reached out for my offering, the little boy was scooped up off the bench and
placed on his feet with one tall adult between us. The man crouched down and pointed an angry finger
at his poor unsuspecting boy. “What have I said about running off? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?
Something could have happened to you and then what?”
The small boy dropped his gaze to the ground but didn’t say anything. My heart practically broke for
this kid. It wasn’t his fault his father wasn’t paying attention.
I scooted closer to the edge of the bench. “Hey, it’s fine. He wasn’t bothering me.”
Angry man whirled around, redirecting his frustration at me. “What did you just say?”
Blinking, my voice died in my throat.
“This is not fine. He’s a child. And this isn’t about you, anyway; this is about his safety.” His dark
brown eyes swept over me and my impractical white and red polka-dotted summer dress and my
stylish cowboy boots. His lip curled as he folded his arms. “I would have thought you knew better.”
“What?” I stammered.
“Don’t you know that it’s not okay for a child to talk to strangers, much less accept food from one?
What do you think you were doing? You’re training him to think that he can trust someone he doesn’t
know.”
My head reared back, and I let out a sharp gasp. “Excuse me? Are you accusing me of—”
“Nope, not accusing you at all. Just annoyed that someone like you would so flagrantly disregard one
of the biggest rules when it comes to children.” He let out a long breath and frowned even deeper.
“Then again, maybe I’m judging you too quickly.”
For a split second I thought he might have seen reason. He wasn’t the jerk he was making himself out
to be. There were still people out in the world who had common sense. My shoulders relaxed, and I
smiled at him. “That’s—”
“Someone like you obviously must not have a single clue what to do with children.”
My mouth dropped open. “Someone like me?”
“It’s not your fault. Women like you are more concerned about people behind screens than those who
are right in front of you.”
“You’re joking, right?” I looked around, searching for any signs I might be getting pranked. I’d seen
some real doozies before, but not one to this extent. My eyes flew back to meet his when he continued
his tirade.
“Unfortunately, I’m not. People like you don’t live in the real world with the rest of us. So go back to
your video and leave the parenting to me.” He didn’t even give me a chance to defend myself before
he snatched his child’s hand and stomped away like the coward he was.
I gaped after the two of them, tempted to chase that man down and give him a piece of my mind. He
didn’t know me. He clearly didn’t have a single clue who I was, or he would have been much nicer to
me.
Tearing the hat from my head, I suddenly felt far sillier than I had moments ago. I tossed it onto the
bench beside me with a huff and crossed my arms. I wasn’t some airheaded dimwit. I was a content
creator, and that persona was for the public’s benefit. If I were to show my real side on social media,
I wouldn’t have near the number of followers I do now. All of that reach helped us get Twisted Rivers
on the map. If it weren’t for me and my silly insistence on staying relevant, we wouldn’t even be here
in Montana in the first place.
That guy was a total jerk, and I felt sorry for whoever he was married to.
Eying that brownie, I frowned. My appetite was completely shot now. Maybe Paige or Brooke might
want it. A perfectly good day had been ruined by one person. I’ve told myself not to let trolls get to
me, but this was different. This wasn’t some stranger behind a profile picture telling me I wasn’t
worth anything. This was someone who had said it to my face. And it stung.
I gathered up my things and headed in the last direction I’d seen my sister and her fiancé go. They
were my ride back to the ranch. Hopefully, Paige was done having her little date with Jake because
the last thing I wanted to do right now was have another run-in with that jerk.
“DO you guys think I’m a good person?” I couldn’t bring myself to look at the faces of my family as
we sat at the kitchen table. It probably would have been better to wait until Jake had left, but ever
since my run-in with that guy, I couldn’t shake the cloud hanging over my head.
“Of course, you’re a good person.” Paige laughed. “Why are you asking such a ridiculous thing?”
The fork in my hand felt heavy as I pushed around the corn on my plate. “Nothing. Just something
someone said.”
Chairs creaked, but other than that, the room remained quiet.
I let out a sigh and sat back in my seat, not surprised at all to find all three of them looking at me.
Brooke’s brows were creased together, and her lips were pressed so thin they were almost invisible.
“Who said you weren’t a good person? Was it on one of your videos? Because you’ve been doing this
a long time. You know not to—”
“It wasn’t online,” I huffed. “It was today when we went to Rocky Ridge.”
Paige and Jake exchanged a quick look, but they weren’t so fast I didn’t catch it.
“What happened?” Brooke demanded.
I lifted a shoulder and looked down at my hands. “I was talking to a little boy, and his father just came
up and yelled at me.”
“What? How rude.”
“Not really,” I mumbled. “Okay the yelling part was definitely rude. But in all fairness, he was scared
about his son. I shouldn’t have offered him my brownie.”
“Wait, was this that guy we saw at the bakery?” Paige and Jake locked eyes again.
“Yeah. Why?”
Paige shook her head. “Just curious.” It was clear she wasn’t going to elaborate on where her
curiosity stemmed from. And based on the tight-lipped look Jake wore, neither would he.
My eyes bounced between them like my own little game of tennis or ping-pong. Then I heaved a sigh
that made me feel even more empty inside. “Anyway, what started out as him lecturing his kid, turned
into a lecture for me, which then morphed into him saying I wasn’t mother material or something like
that.”
“He didn’t say that,” Paige butted in again.
“No. But he implied it. He basically said I don’t live in the real world, and it makes sense that I have
no idea what I was doing when I offered his kid my brownie. I guess he’s right on that one, but I can’t
shake this feeling that maybe I’m doing something wrong.”
Brooke reached for my hand and squeezed it. “You’re just fine. Don’t let what some jerk said mess
with you. We know you’re smarter than what you show on your social media. Even your fans know
you’re a wonderful person. That’s all that matters.”
Her words were probably supposed to make me feel better, but in fact, they did the opposite. Once
again, I was left with one truth to grasp onto. I didn’t have friends; I had fans. The only people who
cared about me were in this room. Oh, and those who still lived in California. But right now, the way
I was feeling, they seemed so far away.
I pushed away from the table and picked up my plate. I couldn’t sit in this room with these people
trying to convince me of something when they were the most biased people on the topic. “I think I’m
just going to head to bed early.”
“Kelsey—”
“I’ll be fine. Promise.”
“Aren’t you going to—” Jake grunted.
I glanced over my shoulder in time to see Paige shake her head vehemently. Brooke looked from
Paige to me then shrugged. Then, as if by a light switch, her face brightened, and she spun to face me
fully. “You know what we should do tomorrow? We should go for a ride. You can take some pictures
and post about the ranch…”
“Actually, that’s not gonna work out,” Paige cut in. Once again, my gaze shifted to the oldest triplet.
“Why?”
Paige hesitated. That was never good. She was hiding something, and she didn’t want me to know
about it. Finally she glanced at Jake when she murmured, “We’re hiring a new interim manager, and
we offered Jake’s cabin for housing. Tomorrow we need to help move stuff over here.”
“Well, it’s not gonna take all day. We can still go for a ride sometime. And if you don’t want to, it will
just be Kelsey and me.” Brooke grinned as she met my gaze.
The last thing I wanted to do was spend more time with someone who would want to talk about what
happened today. But I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, either. Besides, maybe some fresh air would
help clear my head a bit. “Yeah, sure. Let’s do it.”
CHAPTER TWO
T ANNER
A DANGEROUS MIXTURE of fury and embarrassment combined to make me feel like I had morphed into
some kind of monster. The horror stories and the superhero movies had gotten it completely right.
I scooped Jackson up and plopped him in a wrought iron chair inside the bakery. If this kid had
listened to me, he would have had his chance to get something sweet.
“No running off,” I said it evenly, not a drop of malice, but the second the words tumbled from my
tongue, I regretted it. Jackson had this way of making his eyes turn round and almost cartoony. How
on earth could a three-year-old make me feel so evil with just one look? I opened my mouth to assure
him he’s not in a lot of trouble, but Max pulled out a chair to sit and interrupted me.
My friend let out a low, rumbling chuckle. “You know, I’ve always thought kids were harder to herd
than the cows themselves.”
A slice of apple pie slid across the table and stopped in front of me. Allison placed a hand on her hip
with a huff. “You don’t herd children, dear. You raise them.”
Her husband shrugged. “Sounds about the same to me.”
Allison whacked his shoulder with the back of her fingers. “When we have children, you will not be
herding them.” She turned to Jackson and crouched down. “Hey, kiddo. You want something?”
Jackson glanced at me then down at his hands.
I sighed, recalling the way his mouth practically watered when he was talking to that woman earlier.
“He probably wants the brownie that girl out front was eating.”
And just like that, Jackson perked up. “I like brownies.”
“Yeah. I know, kid.”
Allison stood and peered out the window. “I don’t see anyone. We’ve sold a lot of brownies today.
Do you know what kind it was?”
Before I had the chance to describe it, Jackson scooted to the edge of his chair. “It has cherries.”
Her face broke into a wide grin. “Of course. That’s the Black Forest Brownies. Good choice.” She
headed behind the counter, and I turned toward Max again.
“I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
This was harder than I thought it would be. Max had seen me though my rodeo years, and this was the
first time I’d sat down with him since Nate died. He had no idea what I’d finally decided to do with
my life. I just hoped he would understand.
Allison returned with the brownie. She ruffled Jackson’s hair and glanced toward me expectantly.
Both of them had me pinned against the wall where I didn’t want to be stuck. Well, it was now or
never. If I accepted this job at Twisted Rivers, then they’d find out eventually anyway.
“I’m dropping out of the rodeo.”
I had expected shock and maybe a little disappointment. But I didn’t get any of that. My friends didn’t
move, and I almost thought they might not have heard me.
“I said—”
“Oh, honey, we figured you would step down when you started taking care of Jackson.” Allison
reached out and touched my upper arm. “We just didn’t know when you would make it official.”
Max’s expression seemed to suggest he was on the same page as Allison. He nodded then shifted in
his seat. “I mean, I’d love for you to stick around, but no one can blame you for choosing a different
path. What are your plans then?” Once more, he and Allison exchanged looks. “Because you know
we’d be happy to host you while you figure everything out, right?”
Allison nodded. “Absolutely.” Her warm smile tugged at my heart a little. Jackson’s own mother had
zero interest in raising him. What must it be like for him to be so distinctly aware of that? Then again,
maybe Nate had kept that part of Jackson’s life from him.
My focus landed on Max, the apple pie forgotten. “I wanted to ask your advice on a few things. Since
I’m not going to be in the rodeo circuit anymore…”
“What do you want advice about?”
I shrugged. Where to start? I didn’t know anything about raising a kid besides knowing that I couldn’t
go traveling to different events when he needed something stable. Max had found a life here with
Allison, maybe he’d be able to help me transition. But saying all of that sounded so ridiculous. Before
I could say anything, though, Max jumped in.
“Look, there’s nothing to it. You find a job, settle down, and you do it because there’s someone who
needs you.” He smiled lovingly at his wife, and for a split second, I couldn’t help but feel a little
jealous. To have someone to share a life with was something I’d never wanted, not until I had a little
boy to look after. But I wasn’t about to go find someone just to fill a void. That whole being in a
stable situation was the most important thing right now. That’s why this job was going to be so
important.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Until I bumped into who could only be someone related to Paige, I was
ready to jump at the opportunity she’d offered. But now, I wasn’t so sure. I needed to know what I
was getting into and if it would be good for Jackson. “That girl I mentioned. She looks an awful lot
like Paige Holt.”
As one, my friends stiffened. “Why do you want to know about the Holts?”
“What? Is there something wrong with them?” It was clear they didn’t want to talk about Paige Holt,
but at the same time, there was something they yearned to tell me. “They offered me a job as their
interim manager. I haven’t accepted the job formally, but it was the best offer I’ve had so far.”
Allison squirmed in her seat and exchanged one final look with Max. “Paige Holt is a sweet girl.
She’s got a lot on her plate, and the poor thing doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing.”
“Allison—”
“He needs to know, Max.” She turned her gaze toward me. “That ranch was barely holding on when
they showed up, and from what I hear, it might be getting a little better. But it’s a long way off from
what it was in its heyday. If you take that job, it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and that’s if they
don’t fire you.”
I chuckled, though the sound was almost foreign to me. “Why would they fire me? They were actively
looking for someone to replace the last one.”
She gave me a pointed stare. “And why did they need a new guy to begin with? The one who worked
that ranch before those girls arrived, he shouldn’t have even been fired. He’d been working that ranch
for years.”
I glanced at Max who had remained silent for the most part. He shrugged but didn’t add any
comments. It made me wonder if he knew something she wasn’t saying.
Allison reached across the table and touched my forearm. She gave him a soft smile. “Just be careful.
If you take that job, just make sure it’s the best fit for you and Jackson.”
A frown creased my brow. “You’re saying they’re bad people?” I finally picked up the fork that sat
beside the piece of pie Allison had given me before taking the tip off the slice and taking a bite.
“Oh, heaven’s no. Paige seems sweet enough. Her sisters…they’re a little…” Allison glanced
sideways at Max. “Odd.”
Max let out a laugh. “A little odd? That one that came in today, didn’t she ask for a different brownie
three times? She said she wanted the perfect cut, right?”
Allison laughed with him. “Yeah. She wanted it for her Instagram channel. And her other sister, boy, I
don’t even know why she’s staying in Montana. She’s a vegetarian or a vegan. I don’t remember.”
I nearly choked on my dessert. “She doesn’t eat meat?”
Max shook his head. “You should have seen the looks she gets when she’s trying to buy that tofu stuff
at Cliff’s market or when she goes out to eat at the steak house. Tanner, if you end up taking that job,
it’s gonna be tough. But maybe you can be just the thing to turn it around. Just remember, they’re as
clueless about running that ranch as they are rich. And while they might not be rich, they have a
wealthy family.”
One thing stuck out from his comments, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. “Turn it around? From
what I understood, they were finally turning a profit.”
Max shrugged again. “I heard that, too, but like Allison said, that place is a disaster. It needs a lot of
TLC.”
I wasn’t afraid of a little hard work; it was Paige’s sisters I wasn’t so sure about. I hadn’t missed just
how similar they looked, but then, I hadn’t interacted with either of them long enough to find any
differences. I shot a quick look at Jackson who was now covered in chocolate. Allison followed my
focus and let out a laugh.
“Oh, buddy, let’s get you cleaned up.” She held out her hand toward him, and he hopped off the chair,
leaving me alone with Max.
I raked a hand through my hair. There was only one reason I wasn’t walking away at this moment.
And it was that little boy. He’d lost enough in his life. He deserved some stability and that was me. “I
can handle the Holt sisters.”
Max chuckled again. “Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”
“Oh, I can take ’em. I was a rodeo star. Who’s gonna be better to cut through their bull than a bull
rider?” I stabbed the slice of pie with my fork again and took a bigger bite. “Your wife sure can
bake.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I glanced in the direction where Allison had left, then peeked at Max. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What are your thoughts on all of this?”
“Like Allison said—”
I shook my head. “I want to know what you’ve heard behind the scenes. Allison’s great, but she lives
in town, and we both know that folks in town have a different understanding of how things work.
What happened with Jeremy?”
Max sighed. “Honestly? I don’t really know. That ranch has been struggling to pay their bills for the
last decade. And then the girls showed up and started making waves. Then they all went to California,
and when they came back, Paige and that guy—”
“Jake.”
“Yeah. Jake. They became partners. Jeremy stepped down—though we don’t know if it was because
he wanted to or not.”
I put my fork down. “But Allison said—”
Max nodded. “That’s the consensus. They all think he was fired because no guy in their right mind
would walk away from that job. And we haven’t seen his mom around town, either. It’s been a year
since all that happened, Tanner. A lot of what we know could just be rumors. But that’s just it. We
don’t know. The only thing I can tell you is that Paige and Jake are decent folks. Can they run that
ranch?” He shrugged. “You’ll have to decide for yourself it it’s worth the risk to work for them.”
CHAPTER THREE
KELSEY
MY THUMB TAPPED the screen on my phone. Even though it wasn’t my first choice, I had to use the
video I’d gotten before being interrupted by that little boy. I could have done better if that dumb guy
hadn’t messed with my confidence. But today was a new day, and I probably would never see that guy
again.
I placed my phone on the table and stared at the brownie I hadn’t had a chance to eat. Black Forest
Brownies were my favorite, or at least they used to be before yesterday’s experience left a bad taste
in my mouth.
Crossing my arms, I rested them on the table and stared at the brownie, unable to bring myself to eat
it.
“Ooh. Is that a Black Forest Brownie?” Brooke wandered past where I sat at the kitchen table and
headed for the cupboards.
“Yeah. It’s from yesterday,” I mumbled.
She glanced at me over her shoulder before pulling out a glass. “You still thinking about that guy?”
I wasn’t going to answer that question. Obviously, I was thinking about the guy who made me question
my career choice. What was it about that guy that got under my skin so easily? Even after I promised
myself that I wasn’t going to let it affect me, his face still filled my thoughts.
Brook opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. “You gonna eat it?”
“Yes,” I muttered. Just because it was still on the table didn’t mean I was going to throw it away.
“You sure about that?” Brooke hovered near the edge of the table. She rested her hip against the wood
and took a sip of her drink. “Because if you aren’t—”
“I’m going to eat it, okay? I just wish I could get that guy out of my head. Who says that kind of stuff to
someone’s face? I mean, seriously. He had to be some special kind of stupid, right?”
Brooke shrugged. “Maybe he was just stressed out about his son. You know how parents can be.”
“Apparently not,” I muttered.
“Come on. No more moping. Didn’t you agree to go for a ride with me today?”
Without lifting my head, I glanced at her. “I don’t feel like it.”
Brooke let out an exaggerated groan. “You’re bringing down the whole vibe of this place, and it was
already dismal to start with, so that’s saying something.”
“Go on a ride without me.”
Without warning, Brooke grabbed the plate that sat in front of me. Then she darted out of the kitchen.
I lunged to my feet with a yelp and charged after her. “Hey! Give that back. It’s mine. I bought it.” My
ankles wobbled due to the high heels I’d foolishly decided to wear today. Maybe I needed to
reconsider some of my wardrobe along with my career.
Brooke’s maniacal laughter was the only thing that helped me know where she went off to. And she
was headed straight for the front door.
“If you don’t give that back to me, so help—”
The front door swung open wide, and light flooded into the dimly lit entryway. I burst onto the porch
to find Brooke sitting casually in the porch swing, her stocking feet crossed and stretched out onto the
porch railing. She tilted her face toward me and grinned. “It’s a beautiful day, don’t you think?”
My mouth hung open, and my shoulders rose and fell with the effort it had taken to chase her down. I
could feel the heat in my cheeks continue to spread down my neck, and I placed my hands on my hips.
“What is your problem?”
Brooke grinned. “Don’t you mean what is your problem?”
“My problem is sitting in front of me,” I huffed. “And she stole my brownie, and she won’t leave me
alone.”
Brooke snickered.
“And how did you manage to escape me without falling all over the place? You’re the accident prone
one out of the three of us.”
“I know, right?” Brooke tossed her head back and laughed. “Must have been fate.”
“Well, I want my brownie back.”
Brooke’s eyes dipped down to the plate beside her. “If you want it so bad, come and get it.”
I rolled my eyes. The second I reach for it, she’d move it. She had set us both on a path, and she
wasn’t willing to back down. I might as well agree to going for a ride because I’d already lost.
My sister picked up the plate and waved it in front of me with a teasing grin. “Or we could split it.”
“No.”
Brooke pouted. “Why are you letting this bother you so much? Whoever this guy is, he doesn’t know
who you are. Who is he to judge you based on one interaction? I can’t say I understand exactly what
you went through, but I can say you need to pull yourself out of it. There are so many more important
things we need you for. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have made such a quick turnaround.”
It was nice hearing her say that. I already knew it deep down, but sometimes I needed those words of
affirmation to remind me why I was needed.
A smile tugged at my lips, and my arms dropped to my sides. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“See? That guy was an idiot. If he really got to know you, he wouldn’t have said any of that stuff.”
I settled onto the porch swing, letting the brownie stay where it was between us. “Who do you think
that guy even was? I don’t think I’ve ever met him before, and I’m pretty sure we’ve met everyone in
Rocky Ridge.”
Brooke shrugged, taking another sip of her milk as she peered out at the property. “Who knows and
who cares? He’s probably just some tourist who came here for the brownies.” She nudged me.
“Maybe he saw one of your earlier videos, huh?” She snickered. “And he’s jealous or something.”
“Yeah. Cuz middle-aged, cranky men with children are my prime demographic.” My voice dripped
with sarcasm.
We swayed back and forth on the swing. My thoughts turned once again to the one person I needed to
forget. I had no idea what Brooke’s thoughts entailed, but as long as I didn’t look like I was dwelling
on the bad, maybe she’d leave me alone. I’d bounce back; I always did.
Dust kicked up in the distance, and I straightened, my eyes narrowing as I attempted to see who was
coming up the long dirt road leading to the house. A flash of hunter green was all I saw until an SUV
came up over the ridge and turned toward the barn.
Brooke and I glanced at one another. She didn’t know who the visitor was either. Jeremy trudged from
the barn toward the visitor. His hat shaded his features, but my focus only landed on him for mere
moments. The driver of the green SUV was where my interest stayed.
A gasp tore from my throat, and I whacked Brooke.
She yelped and gave me a dark look. “What was that for?”
“Do you think that’s the new interim manager?”
Brooke’s eyes shot toward the SUV. “I think you’re right.” She dropped her feet to the porch and
stood. “Do you think it’s someone we know?”
“Has to be, right?” I rose and stood beside her then leaned against the railing. “Probably someone that
Jake knows from the ranches around here. I bet he found someone real good to help out while he and
Paige plan their wedding.”
The SUV door opened, and that was when everything inside me went hot and cold all at once. My
body felt stiff like I’d turned to stone. Even from this distance, I knew who that was.
He strode toward Jeremy, and they shook hands. Jeremy nodded and gestured toward the barn then out
at the surrounding property. When his hand motioned toward the house, I grabbed Brooke’s hand and
yanked her down to crouch behind the railing.
She flailed and a weak-sounding argument was uttered from her lips. “Kelsey! What are you doing?”
“That’s him,” I spoke through gritted teeth.
“Who?”
“The guy. The one who said all those horrible things to me. That’s the jerk. Do you think they hired
him?”
Brooke shifted to get a better look. “How can you tell from here?”
“Oh, it’s him. I’d recognize that guy from a hundred yards away.” My head warred with the
information I now had at my fingertips. Everything Brooke had said earlier about pulling myself out of
this funk was right. But there was a small part of me that wanted to be spiteful. He deserved to get a
little payback. I whacked Brooke again, getting another dirty look from her. “How do you feel about
helping me with something?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you want help with?”
“Are you up for some revenge?” If there was anyone who would be willing to dish up some well-
deserved payback, it would be Brooke. Paige was a no-go seeing as she probably hired the guy. My
only shot at getting some closure would be if Brooke joined in on the fun.
She frowned, glancing once more in that jerk’s direction. “Paige will kill us. You know how she’s
been lately. We can’t make waves.”
I nibbled on my lower lip. They were just going to have a little fun—toy with him until he realized
he’d been in the wrong. Then the perfect idea came to me. “You can have half of the brownie.”
Brooke snorted. “That’s not worth it, and you know it.”
I groaned. “All of it, then. You can have the whole brownie.”
“Deal.” She got to her feet and picked up a pair of boots that had been discarded nearby. “Just so you
know, I would have done it for half of the brownie. I just wanted to see how much you wanted this.”
My mouth fell open, and a soft laugh bubbled up from my chest.
“I’ll go distract him. We’re doing the mistaken identity one, right?”
“Right.”
Brooke skipped down a few steps then stopped and faced me. “Don’t touch my brownie. And for the
love of Pete, go change into something more Paige-like. If he’s met her before, he’s not gonna believe
you’re her dressed like that.” She waved her finger at my halter top and shredded jeans. “Maybe raid
Paige’s closet. If you can’t find anything, you can get into mine.”
“Got it.” I remained hidden as Brooke closed the distance between us and our target. This was going
to be fun.
CHAPTER FOUR
T ANNER
J EREMY WANDERED off somewhere to find Paige, and all I could do was wait by my SUV and take in
how the place looked. There was one bright spot. Jeremy didn’t seem at all put off over me replacing
him. In fact, he seemed like a pretty decent guy. That meant Allison could be right over him losing his
job for reasons that didn’t make sense.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head just in time to see a woman
approaching. She wore a flannel shirt over a T-shirt, a pair of tattered jeans, and a pair of dusty
cowboy boots.
And she looked exactly like the woman from the bakery. I’d been so caught up in my frustration with
Jackson, I really must not have paid enough attention to the fact that these women were twins.
Straightening from my relaxed position, I moved toward her. Good impression. That’s what I’m
supposed to be doing right now. Because if they take back their job offer, then my wondering if this
place is a good fit is a moot point.
I smiled widely and held out my hand toward her. “Miss Holt, this place is amazing.” Hopefully, she
wouldn’t realize that I was lying through my teeth. Allison was right about more than just Jeremy. This
place was run down. It was clear that the house had a fresh coat of paint, but there was still so much
more to do to get the ranch up and running the way it ought to be.
My hand remained outstretched, and Paige just stared at it. I stood there for what felt like an eternity,
feeling like an idiot until I finally dropped my hand to my side. Maybe she didn’t like handshakes.
“Glad you could make it.” Her voice was flat, almost bored-sounding. She crossed her arms and
finally smiled at him. “What did you say your background was again?”
All of that information was on my resume. But then again, maybe Paige hadn’t seen it. Up until
yesterday, I had only spoken with Jake. “I was in the rodeo circuit for several years.” I couldn’t tell,
but I could have sworn she let out a laugh.
“And you think that qualified you to be the manager of a ranch?”
What was I supposed to say to that? Yesterday, she’d practically shoved the job down my throat. Was
she pulling my leg? Or maybe she’d changed her mind? I opened my mouth, but words failed me. I
should chuckle or smile to let her know I caught on to this hazing.
But then movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Another blonde woman
approached dressed so similarly, there was no denying they were twins. Wait, wasn’t there another
sister?
This one had an easier smile on her face. She held out her hand. “Nice to see you again.”
My gaze bounced from this woman to the first and back. “I’m sorry?” One of these women had to be
Paige, and the other was the girl from in front of the bakery. My jaw tightened out of habit, and my
eyes narrowed. I didn’t appreciate being teased. The professionalism left much to be desired. Allison
was right after all. These girls didn’t know the first thing about running a business, and if this was
how they treated all of their applicants, it wasn’t any wonder why they hadn’t found a replacement.
The second woman laughed. “I’m sorry. I forgot to mention I have a sister who looks just like me.”
“We’ve met,” I murmured. My irritation started building. When I said I’d come by for a tour of the
property before making my decision, I hadn’t been told I’d be the wrong side of someone’s joke.
“Oh?” Number two exchanged looks with number one. “Wonderful. I think we’re all going to be best
friends.”
It all started to make sense. Number one had been so cold. She must have been the woman who’d
offered the brownie to Jackson. We glanced at one another, and I considered apologizing for losing
my cool when yet another woman materialized.
“Come on,” I groaned.
Number three glanced first at her sisters then at me. She released a heavy sigh. “Seriously? What have
I told you two about pretending to be me?”
Number two placed her hands on her hips. “It helped when Aunt Alice—”
The third arrival shook her head sharply, and the sister who was speaking immediately cut herself off.
She met my gaze, and that’s when it clicked. This was the bakery girl. Number one must have been the
third sister. And the one who’d saved me from both of them was, in fact, Paige.
Paige flicked her hands toward her sisters. “Don’t you guys have something more important to do than
to pester our newest hire?”
I nearly reminded her that I hadn’t accepted her offer officially yet, though the more I thought about it,
the more I wasn’t sure. Paige might actually believe I’d taken the job. Paige stared down her sisters
until they finally left without so much as an apology.
When she turned back to face me, her cheeks were flushed. “I’m so sorry about that. Kelsey and
Brooke have this nasty habit of confusing people. I assure you it won’t happen again.”
Somehow, I didn’t think I could believe her. But I was stubborn, and if they tried it again, I’d be able
to catch on better this time. There were some slight differences between Paige and her other sisters.
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die jong kaptein, wat aanstap met sy ma, haar arm in syne. En,
dinkend aan Alida, laat Paula op haar vraag volg, so by haarself:
—Alte ryk, en te min moed.
Marcel sien die rytuig wat vir hulle wag, en roep:
—Daar is ons ou rytuig!
—Die enigste wat ons oorgehou het, sê mevrou Kibert, net of sy
om verskoning vra daarvoor.
By sy vrolike uitroep het die jonkman so ’n antwoord nie voorsien
nie. Die ou rytuig het hom laat dink aan sy kinderjare, en kyk, nou is
dit die teken van die agteruitgang van die famielie. Sy gesig betrek:
hy begryp meteens hoe moeilikhede van stoflike aard nog die rou en
ellende in Maupas vererger het. Sonder self persoonlike behoeftes
te gevoel, want hy is gewend om met min klaar te kom, voel hy vir sy
moeder en sy suster om die agteruitsetting, wat hy nou begryp. En
mevrou Kibert sê by haarself:
—Ons moes ’n rytuig by die stasie geneem het om hom eer aan te
doen.
Marcel asem met genot die lug weer in van sy geboorteplek. ’n
Swerm herinneringe kom hom weer te binne, terwyl hulle deur die
dorp ry. Die veld is weer ontwaak in ’n gelukkige hartstogtelike jeug.
Half teen die hoogte op, sag genestel in die groen bome, lê die
kerkie, soos ’n skaap in ’n vet weiland. Die fris, vreedsame groen op
die hang versag die ruwe en strenge indruk van die dreiende
rotskranse bo. As hulle naby Maupas kom, sien Marcel dat die
landelike huis nog soos vroeër half begrawe lê in rose en ander
blomme; dat nog soos altyd die aandskemering aan die bome in die
laan ’n aansien gee van stille afgeslotenheid. Hy spring die eerste af
van die rytuig. Die sand maak onder sy voete die welbekende
geluidjie. By die stoep help hy sy ma die treedjies op. En as hulle
eers binne is, druk hy die wenende ou moeder aan sy hart.
En eindelik gee Paula, wat sterker is, haar ook oor aan haar
ontroering. Die hoof van die huis makeer, en op die drumpel van die
deur het sy seun hulle weer sy kragtige persoonlikheid te binne
gebring, sy vriendelike glimlag, sy vertroue.
En noudat hulle mekaar weer gevind het, smaak die drie, in ’n
mengeling van vreugde en smart, die hele inhoud van die menslike
lewe. . . .