Part 1: No Regrets(Divine Creek Ranch 2)(59)

Rachel smiled, noting that Grace always seemed to take joy in every moment she had with any of her men. She never took their presence for granted. She snuggled up to Jack and spoke quietly to him. He obviously loved having her so close and smiled at whatever she said and nodded and kissed her. The love and satisfaction on his face were obvious.

Rachel glanced again in sympathy at Wesley and Evan Garner. Wesley was having sharp but indistinguishable words with Evan as Evan slouched over his beer unhappily. He muttered a few words in Wesley’s direction, and Wes bit back a harsh reply, his big, strong hands knotting into fists.

Rachel looked back over to Ethan’s table and happened to catch Rosemary watching Wes and Evan, looking distinctly torn. She turned away to look up at Ace as he spoke to her and smiled at him. Rachel looked up at Eli.

“Would you mind if I went over to talk with those two idiots for a minute?”

“No, I’m sure they could use all the wisdom they can get their hands on. Be gentle. Or not.” Eli shrugged then smiled when she tucked her fingers in the waistband of his leathers, stroking his lower back.

“Be right back, honey.” Rachel turned to saunter over to the Garner boys. They looked up as she approached. She felt a little sad for them as they tried to put on a happy face for her visit to their table.

Wesley got up and held out a seat to her, which she took, and he asked,

“I know you’re here with Eli, but do you want a drink, sweetheart?”

“No, thank you, Wesley. I appreciate it. I want to talk to you.”

She looked back and forth between the two of them, struck yet again by the contrast in these two brothers. Wes was tall and lean, at least six feet three inches, hard-muscled, and tanned. His hands were big and hardened from his line of work as a custom furniture craftsman. His wavy, sandy-



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blond hair peeked out from the back of his white Stetson, curling slightly at the nape.

Evan was stockier and had a shorter, thicker build, at five ten. Despite being shorter than his brother, he was no less powerful. His dark brown hair was barely visible under his hat, and he grew a soul patch beneath his bottom lip, which Rachel secretly thought was sexy as hell on him. She wasn’t normally much for facial hair, but that little patch of hair was almost lickable on him. His shoulders were broad and thickly muscled as were his arms and legs. His hands were also work roughened and callused.

The shapes of their faces were unique to each of them, as well, taking after different sides of the family. Where Wes’s features were lean and angular with round, deep-set green eyes, Evan’s features were broader, his jaw square, and his cheeks dimpled. She hadn’t seen the dimples make much of an appearance lately because he smiled so rarely. His eyes were more of an almond shape and chocolaty brown. They were warm and

inviting when he was happy, changing to dark and unreadable when he wasn’t, like right now.

“What’s on your mind?” Wesley asked, glancing beyond her in

Rosemary’s direction again. His green eyes were filled with soulful longing.

“We’ve been good friends a long time, right, guys?” Rachel’s voice grew husky as an aching lump formed in her throat for the pain she saw in their eyes.

Wes smiled. “Ever since we beat Bobby Joe Booker up for pushing you off your bicycle when we were all six years old.”

“You were my heroes that day. You helped put the chain back on my bike and cleaned up my skinned knee, too.”

“I’m not sure spit counts as cleaning, sweetheart,” Wes said with a halfhearted chuckle.

“My knee healed up fine, and Bobby Joe finally left me alone after that.

You fixed all that for me because you cared.”

“What are you trying to say, baby?” Evan looked sadder than an old hound dog.

“You’re friends with Grace, right?”

“Sure! Good friends with all four of them. Why?”

She knew she had their full attention. “If the two of you have unresolved issues or questions, you should get together with them soon. When you look



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back, are you going to be proud of causing her all this pain before you let her down for good? Or will you thank your lucky stars that you wised up and grabbed hold of the best woman to ever come your sorry way. I don’t know what happened with her, but I’m willing to bet someone’s alligator mouth wrote a check their hummingbird ass couldn’t cash.” She placed a soothing handover Evan’s. “Sorry, honey, but you know it’s the truth. You both tend to let your mouths get the better of you. Either forgive her and start over, or let her go. Remember this is about Wesley, too.”