phone range six times before he picked up.
“You’re late,” he whispered.
“You shouldn’t have gone after Maud.”
“Got your attention, didn’t I?”
Bastard! “If you hurt anyone else, I won’t cooperate.”
“Don’t try to bargain, Nicole. I’m in charge, and you’ll do what I tell you to do.”
She had no leverage. Her resistance felt weak. “Why should I? How do I know you won’t come after Dylan?”
“You don’t,” he said. “But if you don’t follow my orders, I promise that you won’t like the results. The next time I won’t be satisfied with destroying property. I will take lives. Your friends, your family, all your pretty little horses. Do you believe me?”
“Yes.” All her fear came rushing back. She gained nothing by fighting. He was capable of terrible violence.
“Tell no one that you’re in contact with me.”
She had no choice. She had to lie. A helpless sob crawled up her throat. Dylan, I’m sorry .
“Nicole, did you hear me?”
“Tell me what I have to do.”
D YLAN LEFT Nicole alone in the bedroom to make her phone call and went downstairs to the kitchen. Though he felt bad about Maud’s clinic, Carolyn’s interruption had come at the right time. He didn’t want to get rolling with a bunch of tired old arguments.
Trips into Delta twice a week to see a counselor? It didn’t fit his schedule. And he didn’t need an outside person telling him how to run his life.
He moved quietly through the house, not needing to turn on any of the lights. This had been his home since he was born. Except for college in Fort Collins, he’d never lived anywhere else. Just like his dad.
Sure, there were similarities between him and his old man, and it wasn’t all bad. They were both ranchers, good providers, conscious of the environment. And they both had trouble in their marriage.
Dylan had learned a lesson by watching his father. Sterling had never found another woman he loved as much as Andrea. He’d gone through life alone. I won’t make the same mistake . If Nicole needed for him to see a shrink, he’d do it. By God, he’d do any damn thing to save his marriage.
In the kitchen, he took a half gallon of milk from the fridge and poured himself a glass. A shot of whiskey might go down well, but he wanted to stay alert in case Nicole had another rough night.
Through the kitchen window, he saw hillsides covered with pristine white snow. The smells of pine boughs and gingerbread lingered from the afternoon.
From the front room, he heard the spinet. Not a Christmas song, but a sonata. The music took him back in time to when he was a little boy, sitting beside his mom on the piano bench, listening as her long fingers stroked the keys.
Quietly, he went through the dining room. In the living room, the lights flickered on the Christmas tree. Andrea sat with her back to him, making music.
He’d never forgiven her for leaving him and Carolyn, for choosing to follow her own dreams. But he’d never stopped loving his mother. He came up behind her. “Don’t stop playing.”
“Do you remember?” she asked.
He hesitated for a long moment. “I remember, Mom.”
He hadn’t called her Mom in a hell of a long time. But it felt right. Standing behind her, he listened andthought of how much he’d missed by being too stubborn to return her gestures when she reached out to him.
“You’ve never asked me for advice,” she said, continuing to play. “But I have something to say.”
“I’m ready to hear it.”
“You and Nicole are soul mates. You’re meant to be together. But she’s been badly hurt. You’re going to have to fight to win her back.”
“Fight?” If it meant saving his marriage, he was ready to kick ass. Preferably, Nate Miller’s ass. But he was pretty sure that wasn’t what Andrea meant. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“You need to court her. The roses were a good start, but you need to do more.” Her fingers darted across the keys,
“You’re late,” he whispered.
“You shouldn’t have gone after Maud.”
“Got your attention, didn’t I?”
Bastard! “If you hurt anyone else, I won’t cooperate.”
“Don’t try to bargain, Nicole. I’m in charge, and you’ll do what I tell you to do.”
She had no leverage. Her resistance felt weak. “Why should I? How do I know you won’t come after Dylan?”
“You don’t,” he said. “But if you don’t follow my orders, I promise that you won’t like the results. The next time I won’t be satisfied with destroying property. I will take lives. Your friends, your family, all your pretty little horses. Do you believe me?”
“Yes.” All her fear came rushing back. She gained nothing by fighting. He was capable of terrible violence.
“Tell no one that you’re in contact with me.”
She had no choice. She had to lie. A helpless sob crawled up her throat. Dylan, I’m sorry .
“Nicole, did you hear me?”
“Tell me what I have to do.”
D YLAN LEFT Nicole alone in the bedroom to make her phone call and went downstairs to the kitchen. Though he felt bad about Maud’s clinic, Carolyn’s interruption had come at the right time. He didn’t want to get rolling with a bunch of tired old arguments.
Trips into Delta twice a week to see a counselor? It didn’t fit his schedule. And he didn’t need an outside person telling him how to run his life.
He moved quietly through the house, not needing to turn on any of the lights. This had been his home since he was born. Except for college in Fort Collins, he’d never lived anywhere else. Just like his dad.
Sure, there were similarities between him and his old man, and it wasn’t all bad. They were both ranchers, good providers, conscious of the environment. And they both had trouble in their marriage.
Dylan had learned a lesson by watching his father. Sterling had never found another woman he loved as much as Andrea. He’d gone through life alone. I won’t make the same mistake . If Nicole needed for him to see a shrink, he’d do it. By God, he’d do any damn thing to save his marriage.
In the kitchen, he took a half gallon of milk from the fridge and poured himself a glass. A shot of whiskey might go down well, but he wanted to stay alert in case Nicole had another rough night.
Through the kitchen window, he saw hillsides covered with pristine white snow. The smells of pine boughs and gingerbread lingered from the afternoon.
From the front room, he heard the spinet. Not a Christmas song, but a sonata. The music took him back in time to when he was a little boy, sitting beside his mom on the piano bench, listening as her long fingers stroked the keys.
Quietly, he went through the dining room. In the living room, the lights flickered on the Christmas tree. Andrea sat with her back to him, making music.
He’d never forgiven her for leaving him and Carolyn, for choosing to follow her own dreams. But he’d never stopped loving his mother. He came up behind her. “Don’t stop playing.”
“Do you remember?” she asked.
He hesitated for a long moment. “I remember, Mom.”
He hadn’t called her Mom in a hell of a long time. But it felt right. Standing behind her, he listened andthought of how much he’d missed by being too stubborn to return her gestures when she reached out to him.
“You’ve never asked me for advice,” she said, continuing to play. “But I have something to say.”
“I’m ready to hear it.”
“You and Nicole are soul mates. You’re meant to be together. But she’s been badly hurt. You’re going to have to fight to win her back.”
“Fight?” If it meant saving his marriage, he was ready to kick ass. Preferably, Nate Miller’s ass. But he was pretty sure that wasn’t what Andrea meant. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“You need to court her. The roses were a good start, but you need to do more.” Her fingers darted across the keys,
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