through her mind.
“Quite the contrary. He’s very easy with his daughter.”
Chloe pondered this as she reached for her water glass. “Well, that’s not surprising. She’s a part of the wife he lost.”
“He must have been crazy about the woman.”
Kitty’s remark turned Rose’s attention back to the dinner table. “What makes you say that?”
With a negligible wave of her hand, Kitty rose from the table and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Because he’s never remarried. As far as I know he hasn’t had much in the way of girlfriends, either.”
Rose frowned. “How could you know that? I didn’t think you knew Harlan.”
Coffee cup in hand, Kitty returned to her seat at the table. “I’ve spoken to him briefly a few times when he stopped by the ranch to see Tomas. But as for the girlfriends, I’m merely repeating rumors I’ve heard.”
And in this case, rumor was right, Rose thought. The first night she’d met him, Harlan had implied he wasn’t interested in attaching himself to a woman. Not even in a semipermanent way. But whether his single status was due to some overwhelming grief for his late wife, Rose couldn’t say. Nor did she like the idea of Harlan clinging uselessly to a memory. He was too strong a man for that.
Dabbing her mouth with a napkin, Rose pushed her chair back from the table. The food on her plate had barely been touched, but her appetite was completely gone now.
“Well,” she said to her aunt and sister. “The only thing we need to know about Harlan Hamilton is that we owe him money. Whether he wants a wife or a mother for Emily is his own business.”
She left the kitchen with both women staring worriedly after her.
Later that night Justine called as Rose was helping Chloe give the twins a bath. Rose dried her hands and went into the study to pick up the phone.
“Hi, Rose. Sorry I called at a bad time.”
“Don’t worry, Chloe is managing all by herself. Although I’m not sure who’s actually getting the bath, her or the twins.”
Justine laughed. “Either way, I’m sure Chloe is enjoying every minute of it.”
Yes, Chloe was utterly taken with her baby brother and sister. Rose often worried what it might do to her if Belinda suddenly showed up to claim the twins. One thing was for certain, her little sister would be totally heartbroken.
“How’s everything over at the Pardee Ranch? Charlie and Roy doing okay?”
“Charlie has been happily helping his daddy dig holes in the yard. Roy wants to put up a fence around the house and plant rosebushes. For his beautiful wife, he says.”
“Rosebushes?”
Justine laughed and Rose could easily tell it was the contented sound of a woman who knew she was loved. Justine and Roy had been married for more than two months now. But before that things had hardly been easy for the couple. Five years ago Justine had borne Roy’s son, but at the time she’d believed he loved someone else more. So she’d left town and kept the baby’s parentage a secret from him. Once Roy had discovered the truth about Charlie, he’d been furious. But in the end love had prevailed and both Justine and Roy now regretted letting pride and misunderstanding waste five years they could have spent together.
“Romantic huh?” Justine went on. “But I told him this isn’t east Texas, it’s the New Mexican desert. He still insists he can get them to grow and bloom.”
“When Roy gets them all planted I’ll come over and take a look. I haven’t gotten to see Charlie enough lately.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise, sis. So how are things going over there?”
Rose bit back a sigh. She didn’t want Justine to know just how weary she and Chloe were; it would only make their middle sister feel guilty for not being around to help. Justine’s monetary contribution to the ranch each month was doing more than her fair share to hold the Bar M together.
“We’re all fine. Has Roy made any progress tracing Belinda
“Quite the contrary. He’s very easy with his daughter.”
Chloe pondered this as she reached for her water glass. “Well, that’s not surprising. She’s a part of the wife he lost.”
“He must have been crazy about the woman.”
Kitty’s remark turned Rose’s attention back to the dinner table. “What makes you say that?”
With a negligible wave of her hand, Kitty rose from the table and went to pour herself a cup of coffee. “Because he’s never remarried. As far as I know he hasn’t had much in the way of girlfriends, either.”
Rose frowned. “How could you know that? I didn’t think you knew Harlan.”
Coffee cup in hand, Kitty returned to her seat at the table. “I’ve spoken to him briefly a few times when he stopped by the ranch to see Tomas. But as for the girlfriends, I’m merely repeating rumors I’ve heard.”
And in this case, rumor was right, Rose thought. The first night she’d met him, Harlan had implied he wasn’t interested in attaching himself to a woman. Not even in a semipermanent way. But whether his single status was due to some overwhelming grief for his late wife, Rose couldn’t say. Nor did she like the idea of Harlan clinging uselessly to a memory. He was too strong a man for that.
Dabbing her mouth with a napkin, Rose pushed her chair back from the table. The food on her plate had barely been touched, but her appetite was completely gone now.
“Well,” she said to her aunt and sister. “The only thing we need to know about Harlan Hamilton is that we owe him money. Whether he wants a wife or a mother for Emily is his own business.”
She left the kitchen with both women staring worriedly after her.
Later that night Justine called as Rose was helping Chloe give the twins a bath. Rose dried her hands and went into the study to pick up the phone.
“Hi, Rose. Sorry I called at a bad time.”
“Don’t worry, Chloe is managing all by herself. Although I’m not sure who’s actually getting the bath, her or the twins.”
Justine laughed. “Either way, I’m sure Chloe is enjoying every minute of it.”
Yes, Chloe was utterly taken with her baby brother and sister. Rose often worried what it might do to her if Belinda suddenly showed up to claim the twins. One thing was for certain, her little sister would be totally heartbroken.
“How’s everything over at the Pardee Ranch? Charlie and Roy doing okay?”
“Charlie has been happily helping his daddy dig holes in the yard. Roy wants to put up a fence around the house and plant rosebushes. For his beautiful wife, he says.”
“Rosebushes?”
Justine laughed and Rose could easily tell it was the contented sound of a woman who knew she was loved. Justine and Roy had been married for more than two months now. But before that things had hardly been easy for the couple. Five years ago Justine had borne Roy’s son, but at the time she’d believed he loved someone else more. So she’d left town and kept the baby’s parentage a secret from him. Once Roy had discovered the truth about Charlie, he’d been furious. But in the end love had prevailed and both Justine and Roy now regretted letting pride and misunderstanding waste five years they could have spent together.
“Romantic huh?” Justine went on. “But I told him this isn’t east Texas, it’s the New Mexican desert. He still insists he can get them to grow and bloom.”
“When Roy gets them all planted I’ll come over and take a look. I haven’t gotten to see Charlie enough lately.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise, sis. So how are things going over there?”
Rose bit back a sigh. She didn’t want Justine to know just how weary she and Chloe were; it would only make their middle sister feel guilty for not being around to help. Justine’s monetary contribution to the ranch each month was doing more than her fair share to hold the Bar M together.
“We’re all fine. Has Roy made any progress tracing Belinda
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