A Marriage In Wyoming (The Marshall Brothers 3) by Lynnette Kent

done,” Garrett said, too tired to keep the irritation out of his voice. “A little positivity goes a long way.”
    “You’re the one who’s short on sleep.”
    “I’m not complaining.”
    “No, you just keep taking on more and more responsibility until something has to give. You can’t do it all, Garrett.”
    He managed to quell his irritation. “Thanks for the concern, brother.” He gave Ford a salute off his hat brim. “I’ll be okay.”
    Of course, after getting to bed at 2:00 a.m. on Friday morning, he wasn’t quite so optimistic when his alarm rang at five. A cold shower and two cups of strong coffee got him moving, though, and the prospect of seeing Rachel in a couple of hours put a smile on his face when he went to wake up the boys.
    With breakfast eaten and cleaned up, he helped the kids saddle up for their ride. As he left the barn, he noticed Rachel’s SUV approaching on the drive. Caroline and Rachel were already sitting at the dining room table when he came in.
    “Thanks for coming,” he said, pulling out the chair across from Rachel. “We checked on Lena last night and this morning—everything went according to orders.”
    She met his gaze directly, but he thought she might be blushing. “From what I observed yesterday,” she said, “Lena understands the procedure and can follow it, though she’s not organized about the process.”
    “How long should we plan to supervise her?” Caroline asked.
    Rachel shrugged. “As far as the injections are concerned, you can probably trust her to manage on her own now.”
    Garrett sat forward. “After less than a week? That seems way too soon to me.”
    “Lena’s a smart girl,” Rachel said, “and she understands what’s at stake. Like most teenagers, she wants to take control of her own body, her own life.”
    “I agree.” Caroline braced her folded arms on the table. “Granted that you’re standing in for her parents, Garrett, but Lena should have privacy for her injections. She’s an adolescent girl. More important, we want to teach all the teens independence and responsibility while they’re here. What better example than allowing Lena to take charge of her treatment?”
    “I’m not sure we can risk her physical well-being for the sake of a principle.” He scrubbed a hand across his face. “What if she makes a mistake?”
    “She’ll experience the consequences,” Rachel said. “And learn not to make mistakes. Caroline’s right—Lena can handle this.”
    He shook his head. “I think it’s asking too much of her at this point.”
    “In that case, there’s another option.” She slid some papers toward him. “I did a little research on the internet last night. There’s a camp for kids with diabetes in the mountains near Laramie. They offer trained staff, the right kind of support and peers who face the same issues. I called this morning—they have spaces open and scholarships are available.”
    Folding her hands on the table, she sent him an encouraging smile. “Why not send Lena there?”

Chapter Six
    Garrett flushed as if he’d been slapped in the face. “Send her away?”
    “Oh, no,” Caroline said. “We can’t do that.”
    Rachel hadn’t expected the suggestion to meet with immediate approval, so she had prepared her arguments. “On top of everything else you’re trying to do, supporting Lena is a huge burden. This other camp is designed for exactly that purpose. Why not give her the benefit of expert care?”
    “Lena is not a burden.” Garrett’s voice, usually so easygoing, had a hard edge. “I won’t abandon her the way her dad did.”
    “You wouldn’t be—”
    “She’d believe we were. Anyway, how do you imagine we’re going to separate her from Justino?”
    “That’s a point.” This discussion was proving to be every bit as difficult as she’d expected. “But you could talk to her and get her reaction to the idea. You might be surprised.”
    “She’ll believe we want to be rid of