second and remembered everything she’d shared with Santos last night. She was still kicking herself for telling him the truth. What on earth had come over her? She didn’t want to consider that the kiss they’d shared might have nicked her defenses and opened a hole big enough for her emotions to escape. No, she didn’t want to consider that at all.
As the cruiser cooled down and clicked in the heat, a quiet, still voice inside her head gave her another answer. The secret had festered inside her for years and, coming to west Texas and finding herself at loose ends, it had grown. The landscape was so empty, so vast, that she’d been forced to think about things she’d kept at bay for years. Santos’s arrival had not only brought up everything that was between them, it’d given rise to the secrets between herself and her mom. The perfect emotional storm, she thought regretfully. And it’d broken at just the wrong time.
She picked her way through the walking stick chollas in her grandfather’s front yard and knocked lightly on the screen door, peering through the wire mesh. “Can I come in?” Without waiting for Silas’s reply, she opened the door, its ancient hinges complaining at the effort.
Her grandfather lifted himself out of his recliner as she stepped inside, a smile breaking out across his face as he held out a hand. “Hey, baby, look who’s here.”
Her eyes went to the man on the plaid couch. After a moment’s struggle with his cane, Dan Strickland stood awkwardly.
She’d always wondered why Dan had returned to Rio County after his injury. He seemed so bitter and unhappy. Was he still searching for ways to fill the holes in his life?
Limping toward her, he smiled. “I got a new ride—bet you didn’t know it was me sitting in here bugging Silas.”
She shook her head and accepted his hug, feeling uncomfortable as she always did when he drew too close.
“It’s a nice looking pickup,” she said as she pulled away a little too quickly. “You always had a thing for red trucks, didn’t you?”
He grinned. “Maybe so, but this one is a business expense. I can’t be hauling around fancy-dancy hunters carrying $75,000 Purdys in a beat-up old Ford.”
Despite his leg, he’d become somewhat of a legend with his hunting guide skills.
“I can see your point,” she said with a smile.
Silas beamed. “Dan’s business is booming. He’s got more trips lined up this year than ever before.”
“Muleshoe, whitetail, even some javelinas. Plenty of dove and quail, too. I’m doing it all,” Dan said. “Why don’t you come with me sometime, Rose? I’ve got a group of women from Dallas going out in early November. I could work you in.” He held up both hands, palms out. “No charge.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I doubt I’d have the time.”
His expression went tight for the barest moment. She wouldn’t have caught it if she hadn’t been looking for it.
“I understand, of course. Duty calls.” He dropped his hands and stepped back. “Speaking of which, I need to get going myself.” He raised a salute to Silas, then tapped past her. “Take care.”
The door closed behind him, and the knock of his cane echoed down the sidewalk.
Silas dropped back in his chair. “Good Lord, Rose, give the guy a break. You could have been more tactful. Life’s hard enough for him already.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about Dan. I came to tell you Santos and I are heading for Mexico shortly.”
Her grandfather lifted one corner of his mouth. “Guess that explains why you’re not interested in Dan.”
She snorted. “I haven’t been ‘interested’ in Dan since I was seventeen. And I’m helping Santos look for Mom and hopefully find his informant. That’s it.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” he said when she finished explaining the trip.
Her glance fell on a ratty afghan lying on the arm of the couch. She remembered the smell of the wool and how warm it had felt draped
As the cruiser cooled down and clicked in the heat, a quiet, still voice inside her head gave her another answer. The secret had festered inside her for years and, coming to west Texas and finding herself at loose ends, it had grown. The landscape was so empty, so vast, that she’d been forced to think about things she’d kept at bay for years. Santos’s arrival had not only brought up everything that was between them, it’d given rise to the secrets between herself and her mom. The perfect emotional storm, she thought regretfully. And it’d broken at just the wrong time.
She picked her way through the walking stick chollas in her grandfather’s front yard and knocked lightly on the screen door, peering through the wire mesh. “Can I come in?” Without waiting for Silas’s reply, she opened the door, its ancient hinges complaining at the effort.
Her grandfather lifted himself out of his recliner as she stepped inside, a smile breaking out across his face as he held out a hand. “Hey, baby, look who’s here.”
Her eyes went to the man on the plaid couch. After a moment’s struggle with his cane, Dan Strickland stood awkwardly.
She’d always wondered why Dan had returned to Rio County after his injury. He seemed so bitter and unhappy. Was he still searching for ways to fill the holes in his life?
Limping toward her, he smiled. “I got a new ride—bet you didn’t know it was me sitting in here bugging Silas.”
She shook her head and accepted his hug, feeling uncomfortable as she always did when he drew too close.
“It’s a nice looking pickup,” she said as she pulled away a little too quickly. “You always had a thing for red trucks, didn’t you?”
He grinned. “Maybe so, but this one is a business expense. I can’t be hauling around fancy-dancy hunters carrying $75,000 Purdys in a beat-up old Ford.”
Despite his leg, he’d become somewhat of a legend with his hunting guide skills.
“I can see your point,” she said with a smile.
Silas beamed. “Dan’s business is booming. He’s got more trips lined up this year than ever before.”
“Muleshoe, whitetail, even some javelinas. Plenty of dove and quail, too. I’m doing it all,” Dan said. “Why don’t you come with me sometime, Rose? I’ve got a group of women from Dallas going out in early November. I could work you in.” He held up both hands, palms out. “No charge.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I doubt I’d have the time.”
His expression went tight for the barest moment. She wouldn’t have caught it if she hadn’t been looking for it.
“I understand, of course. Duty calls.” He dropped his hands and stepped back. “Speaking of which, I need to get going myself.” He raised a salute to Silas, then tapped past her. “Take care.”
The door closed behind him, and the knock of his cane echoed down the sidewalk.
Silas dropped back in his chair. “Good Lord, Rose, give the guy a break. You could have been more tactful. Life’s hard enough for him already.”
“I didn’t come here to talk about Dan. I came to tell you Santos and I are heading for Mexico shortly.”
Her grandfather lifted one corner of his mouth. “Guess that explains why you’re not interested in Dan.”
She snorted. “I haven’t been ‘interested’ in Dan since I was seventeen. And I’m helping Santos look for Mom and hopefully find his informant. That’s it.”
“You’re doing the right thing,” he said when she finished explaining the trip.
Her glance fell on a ratty afghan lying on the arm of the couch. She remembered the smell of the wool and how warm it had felt draped
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