When Love Comes by Leigh Greenwood

you won’t agree. Maybe he thinks losing the ranch would change your mind.”
    “Corby would never do anything like that. He was hereyesterday offering to marry me so he could help us keep the ranch,” she argued. “What else have you been conjecturing?”
    “I’m not sure I should tell you.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you’ll be even angrier with me than you are now.”
    “I’m not angry with you.”
    “Do you tell all the men you’re not angry with to leave your ranch and never come back?”
    “That’s different. You’d upset my mother.”
    “I didn’t upset you?”
    “Yes, you did.” It wasn’t a hot afternoon, but she was feeling warm from irritation. Frustration. Attraction.
    “I don’t want to upset you again.”
    She didn’t want to be upset, either, but he was the only experienced cowhand she could trust to tell her the truth. “I promise not to get upset.”
    “You’ll hate what I’m going to say.”
    She couldn’t imagine what he could say that would be that terrible. “I’m sure I won’t, but even if I did, I need to know. It might help me figure out what’s going on and who’s behind it.”
    He hesitated.
    “Come on. Leo already has a rope on the bull. If what you say is going to upset me so much, I’d rather it didn’t happen in front of him.”
    “I’m not saying this is what’s happening, but you’ve got to consider all the possibilities.”
    “Stop stalling. Spit it out.”
    “Your brother hates working on the ranch and hopes your mother will sell it. Have you considered that he might be letting the bull out? And who would be in a better position to hide some of your cows until you’re forced to sell?”
    Amanda was so appalled by his accusation, she was speechless.She wondered what kind of family he’d grown up in to make him think her brother would even think of doing something so horrible. Gary did hate to work on the ranch, but he was young and easily bored by hard work.
    “Gary doesn’t enjoy working on the ranch, but he’d never do anything to hurt his family. How could you even think something like that?”
    “I’m an outsider, so I’m not influenced by knowing anything about the people involved. I just look at facts and draw possible conclusions.”
    “Well, that conclusion isn’t possible.” She was relieved to have reached the tree where Broc had tied the bull. She didn’t want him to know he’d upset her a lot more than she let on. If she hadn’t overheard what Gary had said to Corby yesterday, she wouldn’t have given Broc’s accusation a minute’s thought. But she had overheard it, and she couldn’t get it out of her mind.
    She would have to talk to Gary. She didn’t believe he was responsible for any of their troubles, but he needed to stop broadcasting his dislike for the ranch. He also had to start telling her when something went wrong, especially when a hundred cows were missing.
    She had intended to help with the bull, but he followed so docilely between Broc and Leo, she wondered what made the bull leave his pasture so often. She followed, relieved not to have to ride next to either man.
    All the way back to the ranch she tried to convince herself neither Corby nor Gary was responsible for any of the trouble. She was satisfied her arguments against Gary’s involvement were solid. She was equally sure of her reasoning against Corby’s involvement. The difficulty came when it occurred to her that they might be working together. Forcing her mother to sell the ranch would accomplish what each of them was after. It upset her that she’d let someone she didn’tknow cause her to question the honesty of two people she’d known most of her life. She didn’t know whether it was Broc or the logic of what he said, but she felt alone with only a stranger to depend on.
    Her heart sank when, as they were approaching the ranch house, her mother came out on the porch. She took one look at Broc and gripped the porch rail for support. She