Texas Tough (The Tylers of Texas 2)

Beau, her first friend on the ranch, sat next to Natalie. With their wedding coming up and a baby on the way, he had every reason to be happy. But today he was uncharacteristically quiet, his expression uneasy, as if he were waiting for a bomb to explode.

Jasper was glancing from brother to brother, clearly sensing trouble. Bernice, who’d labored all morning to prepare a delicious pot roast with all the trimmings, simply looked tired.

Tori sat on Will’s right, her lovely eyes casting concerned looks in his direction. What had happened between these two people who seemed to care so deeply for each other? Even though Tori had become her friend, Lauren suspected she would never know the full story.

“But I want to stay here!” Erin was pouting. Her parents had agreed that she should go home with her mother until drought conditions improved at the ranch and Will had more time to be with her. The real reason—the danger of a terrible wildfire—hadn’t been mentioned in her hearing. No one wanted to frighten the girl.

“What if something happens to Tesoro? What if he doesn’t remember me when I come back?”

“He’ll be fine.” Will’s gruff manner showed the strain he was under. “Stop arguing, Erin. It’s time you learned that you can’t always have your way.”

“I have a suggestion.” It was Natalie who spoke. “If somebody would bring Tesoro and his mother into town, they could stay in my corral behind the clinic. Erin could even help out around the place to pay for their board. I really could use her. With the baby coming, I don’t have the energy I used to.”

Erin’s blue eyes lit. “Oh, I’d love that! Please say yes, Daddy! Sky could haul them to Natalie’s place in the trailer.”

“The horses will be fine where they are. And Sky can’t spare the time right now.” Will was clearly running out of patience.

Sitting next to Sky, Lauren sensed the tension at the table. Will was Sky’s boss. But Sky was partial to Erin and to those horses. Would he speak up? But why wonder? She should have known he would.

“No, listen, Will, it’s a good idea,” he said. “Think about it. The mare and foal would be fine, Erin would be happy, and Natalie would have the help she needs. It wouldn’t take me an hour to load those horses, drive them to Natalie’s, and come back here.”

“And I wouldn’t be stuck with a complaining daughter,” Tori said. “I agree, Will, it’s the perfect solution. I’ll take Erin home with me today, and Sky can bring the horses when he has time.”

Will scowled at the faces around the table. “Looks like I’m outvoted. If this keeps up I won’t have any say around here.”

“How soon can you bring Tesoro and Lupita, Sky?” Erin was all sunshine now.

Sky glanced at Lauren before he spoke. “The funeral for Lauren’s father is tomorrow. I won’t have time to move the horses till it’s over. But I’ll shoot for the end of the day, or the day after. How’s that?”

“Fine.” Erin gave him a grin. Lauren reached for his hand under the table. She’d learned that Sky had a quiet way of making things go smoothly, seeing what needed to be done, and doing it with a minimum of fuss. He’d been a godsend since her release from the hospital, helping her plan the funeral and get the house ready for the gathering afterward. Still in pain and needing a lot of rest, she could never have managed on her own.

Two nights ago when he’d told her his story and they’d held each other, she’d known—as if she’d ever doubted it—that Sky Fletcher was the love of her life and that no force on earth could stop her from marrying him.

The only trouble was, Sky hadn’t asked her.

The idea that he was Bull Tyler’s son was still sinking in. Glancing at his secret half brothers, Lauren could see traces of resemblance—Will’s cobalt eyes; Beau’s stubborn, slightly cleft chin. The bloodline and the land Bull had left him might have made a difference to her father. But to her he was just plain Sky, the man she loved.

“Bernice,” Will demanded. “How about some of that apple pie I smelled baking earlier?”

“I’ll get it.” Tori spoke before Bernice could rise off her chair. “Come on, Erin, you can clear and serve.”

Erin followed her mother into the kitchen and was soon scampering back and forth, taking the dinner plates and returning with saucers of homemade apple pie, each one topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What a blessed child she was, Lauren thought—happy, secure, and surrounded by love every minute of her life. Lauren could only dream of raising her own children with the same kind of love, in a home on the land she’d seen with Sky. But what if she was jumping too far ahead? What if she was planning a future that could vanish like virga, the phantom rain that fell from the clouds but never reached the thirsty ground?

Tori and Erin had just sat down with their desserts when Beau tapped his glass for attention. Sliding back his chair, he rose. “I have an announcement to make,” he said.

“You goin’ to tell us it’

s twins?” Jasper’s attempt at a joke fell flat. Beau wasn’t smiling. And Natalie’s expression appeared more worried than happy.

“I hope you’re going to tell us you’ve set a wedding date.” Tori spoke into the awkward silence.

“That’s part of it, yes,” Beau said. “We’re getting married the fifteenth of August.”

A smatter of applause went around the table. Will’s eyes narrowed. “Congratulations. Now tell us the rest.”

“I was getting to that,” Beau said. “After the wedding, Natalie and I are leaving. We’re moving to DC.”

Will’s features froze. His color deepened. “The devil you are,” he snapped.