True Love at Silver Creek Ranch(94)
“Mom,” she began slowly, “you’ve been such a help to me as I figured out some things. It’s like I’m finding myself at last, you know?”
“I do know,” her mom said, touching her hand. “In some ways, when I met your father, it was like I saw a whole new side of myself—but then, I know this isn’t about a man.”
Brooke swallowed. One stressful thing at a time. “No, it’s about being my own person, being independent. I’ve been thinking about moving into town. Emily’s apartment is for rent, so I could have a place if I wanted it. A place of my own.” And then she risked a glance at her mother.
Sandy was smiling, her eyes crinkling in the corners and full of warm understanding. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to say something at last. I knew something was up with you. Of course you should have your own place. It will be such an exciting new time for you. You’ll be in town and be with more young people.”
Brooke flung her arms around her mom and hugged her tight, feeling love like a warm blanket that would always protect her. “Oh, thank you!”
Sandy at last took her daughter’s upper arms in her hands and gave her a disbelieving look. “Did you think I’d object?”
Brooke hesitated.
“Why would you think—oh, tell me you didn’t assume my MS would play any part in this.”
“But I want to do whatever helps you, Mom,” Brooke said quietly.
Sandy kissed her cheek. “Sweetie, you are a good daughter—no matter where you live. So, will you need some help packing?”
“Now?”
“Don’t you want to decorate your own place for Christmas?”
The thought seemed suddenly magical, and she grinned. She had so many new plans for her life: research to explain the appeal of an indoor riding arena to her family, the business plan to begin her own riding school—and somehow making Adam Desantis see that he could take a chance on loving her.
“Hey, Mom, let me tell you about my idea for an indoor riding arena.”
The next afternoon, Adam was breaking up the ice in the water tanks in the nearest cattle pasture when Tyler came striding toward him, hands deep in his pocket. The snow whipped all around them, forcing them to narrow their eyes as they regarded each other.
“Bad weather,” Adam said, hoisting the pickax over his shoulder. “Thought your mom wouldn’t be able to drive you out.”
Tyler shrugged. “She was on her way to work.”
Adam nodded. “Give me a hand breaking up the ice, then we’ll go see if there’s anything to be done in the truck shed—out of this near blizzard.”
“A lot different from Louisiana,” Tyler said. “You going back there?”
“No. I need to be here.”
“For your grandma?”
“And other reasons.”
Once they were in the truck shed, and sorting the burn barrels from the scrap-metal barrels, Adam found a football lost behind them. He held it up and gestured for Tyler to go long.
Tyler blinked for a moment, grinned, then ran past the trucks to the far end of the building. They tossed the ball for a while with silent camaraderie.
When the passes were short, with only a couple ATVs between them, Tyler spoke. “You said I could come to the house renovation for that soldier.”
Surprised, Adam tossed the ball back. “Invitation’s still there.” He had a sudden inspiration. “Maybe you could bring your brother, too.”
Defensive and wary, Tyler demanded, “What made you think of my brother?”
“Because you think of him, Tyler. And it’s hurting you.”
“It’s just . . . no one will hire him, and he’s going out every night. I’m worried he’ll do something stupid.”
His words all came out in a rush, and he seemed to deliberately drop the ball so he had to go find it beneath a tool bench. When he straightened, Adam thought his eyes were shiny with tears.
“I hope you can persuade Cody to come. I’d like to meet him.”
Tyler’s shoulders slumped, and he suddenly slammed the ball down hard on the seat of an ATV without letting it go. “Miss Thalberg trusted me, and now maybe she thinks I tried to burn down her barn because of what Matthew said.”
“She doesn’t think that, Tyler,” Adam said, coming to stand on the opposite side of the machine from the boy.
“Matthew just wanted to screw me over. And if my brother had been out of jail at the time, he wouldn’t have burned the barn either,” Tyler insisted.
“I know.” It was as if the weight of the world—of his family—was on the kid’s shoulders. “Bring him to the housing-renovation project tomorrow. Maybe someone will see he’s a hard worker and offer him a job.”