Runaway by Bobbi Smith Page B

them—especially my mother. We were very close.”
    “I know. It’s hard losing a loved one.”
    “Do you have any family?”
    “No.”
    She heard the slight edge in his voice and sensed he’d suffered a loss, too. “Have you lost someone close to you, too?”
    “Yes.”
    “What happened?” She looked up at Seth, trying to read his expression.
    Lane turned to gaze out across the land. “I was married once before, but my wife died.”
    Destiny was glad he was being honest with her from the start. “I’m sorry.”
    “So am I. Katie was a good woman.” He turned back to her.
    For a moment, Destiny could see the pain darkening his eyes, but then it was gone.
    Lane went on to explain, “It’s been a few years now since she passed away, and after winning the Circle D, I thought it was time to try to settle down again.”
    Destiny couldn’t help herself. She reached out to gently touch his arm. “Well, I’m glad you did.”
    He looked down at her hand on his arm and then lifted his gaze to her face, seeing only kindness there. The realization that Rebecca was a truly gentle woman made him uncomfortable about lying to her.
    “So, tell me,” Destiny asked, “what does it take to run a ranch the size of the Circle D?”
    “A lot of hard work from sunup to sundown.”
    “How big is it?”
    “It’s over seven thousand acres,” he told her.
    “Seven thousand…” she repeated, impressed. The farms back home were measured in hundreds of acres, not thousands.
    “It’ll grow over the years.”
    “But isn’t seven thousand acres big enough?”
    He slanted her a sidelong grin. “This is Texas.”
    “Oh.” She was suitably chastened.
    “Come on, I’ll show you around. We’ve been working hard, doing a lot of fixing up since I got here. The last owner had let the place run down a lot. When he lost it in the card game, he even owed the men back pay. I paid them what they were owed.”
    “You’re a good and honest man, Seth.”
    Her words stabbed at him, but he didn’t let his unease show. “They’re hardworking, reliable ranch hands, and they deserved what he owed them. I didn’t want them to quit on me.”
    “It looks like you’ve done a good job around here. I was impressed when we rode in.”
    “Good. If we impressed you, then all our hard work is paying off.”
    They were laughing.
    “Do you know how to ride?” Lane asked.
    “I’ve ridden sidesaddle before,” she said.
    “That’s a start.”
    He took her out toward the stable to look at the horses and to meet the ranch hands who were working on the Circle D.
    Caroline had been outside hanging up some laundry on the line when she saw the couple leave the main house and start walking her way. Steve had told her the news about Seth’s mail-order bride when he’d come to ask her to fix a big dinner that night, and now she went over to introduce herself. The thought of having another woman on the ranch delighted her. Sometimes she found herself feeling outnumbered by men. Having some regular female companionship was going to be wonderful.
    “Seth, I understand you’ve got yourself a bride,” Caroline said as she approached them.
    “Yes, I do.” He quickly introduced the two women.
    Caroline sized the newcomer up quickly. Rebecca obviously wasn’t a timid or frightened young woman. She had to be brave to venture the journey west, and Caroline made up her mind to help Rebecca settle in and adjust to ranch life. “Welcome to the Circle D. You’ve got yourself a good man here in Seth.”
    “I know,” Destiny replied without hesitation.
    “I’m real glad you’re here. It gets lonely sometimes, being the only female on the place.”
    “I’m glad you’re here, too,” Destiny said. She was going to need a friend to help her learn how to set up housekeeping in this rugged place.
    “It’s great to meet you, and I’ll see you at dinner,” Caroline said as she returned to her work.
    Lane took Rebecca to the corral near the