The Rancher's Redemption

“This is a really nice place.”

“So I hear.” Adam nodded. “It certainly has a great bar and restaurant.”

“You’re local?” the guy asked.

“Yeah. My family just came in for dinner.”

“Nice. Do you ever go to that café in town? Yvonne’s?”

“It’s a great place for breakfast if you don’t want to eat here,” Adam replied.

“Cool, I’ll definitely give it a try if I’m up early enough.” The man nodded. “Thanks. Good to talk to you.”

He walked over to the comfortable couches set out in the lobby and took out his phone.

Tom joined Adam who had kept his gaze on the unknown man.

“Who’s that?” Adam asked quietly.

“Now you know I can’t give away that kind of information, Adam.”

“I just wondered who he was meeting.” Adam shrugged. “It’s a small town.”

“Then feel free to drop by tomorrow and spy on him to your heart’s content.” Tom slapped him on the back. “Now, shall we go and sort out dessert?”

When Adam got back to his family, Leanne and his dad were still talking intently, but there was no sign of either of them getting upset or mad. It was really weird. He’d half been expecting to have to separate the pair like he’d done when he was twelve. Occasionally, his dad would beckon imperiously to one of his siblings, and they’d be included in the conversation, but mainly it was just them. He guessed they had a lot to catch up on.

Daisy came over to him. “Where did you go? I got dragged in to talk to her.”

“How was it?” Adam asked.

“She was . . . okay. She asked me about the flower shop, about my company, and about Jackson.” Daisy frowned. “She seemed really well informed for someone who hasn’t been here for twenty-plus years.”

“I had the same thought,” Adam said. “I wonder whether Auntie Rae’s been in touch with her all along.”

“It’s possible. Rae was the one who said Leanne wanted to come back.”

“Exactly.” His dad waved at him, and he got up. “I guess it’s my turn for a grilling. Wish me luck.”

Daisy gave him a thumbs-up and helped herself to another glass of wine.

Adam took the seat between his parents. “How’s it going?”

“Leanne said she’s already spoken to you about Louisa,” his dad said.

“She mentioned it on the ride home.” Adam nodded. “She said she’d written to me.”

“Ah, well.” Jeff rubbed a hand over his jaw and looked remarkably uncomfortable. “I might not have passed that letter on. I thought you were upset enough.”

“I did say to Jeff that if he thought my letter was inappropriate, he should keep it to himself and give it to you later,” Leanne said.

“There’s no need to be making up excuses for me now, Leanne. I was wrong not to give it to the boy.” Adam’s father met his gaze. “I’m sorry about that.”

Adam tried to think of the number of apologies he’d received from his father in his lifetime, and couldn’t get beyond two. Jeff wasn’t the sort of guy who spent much time mulling over his past or his decisions.

“It’s okay, Dad,” Adam said and turned to Leanne. “Who told you Louisa had died?”

Leanne blinked and shared a quick covert glance with his father. “Rae told me.”

“Not Dad?”

“Were we speaking to each other by then?” Jeff asked. “I can’t remember.”

Adam sat up straighter. “Hang on a minute. Are you saying that you’ve been in contact before this?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” His dad looked affronted. “We had stuff to discuss.”

“Like what?”

“You kids, for one thing.”

Adam met his father’s indignant gaze. “You wouldn’t allow us to speak her name, and you were going around chatting to her?”

“Hardly that,” Leanne intervened, her voice still calm. “We exchanged the occasional message through our solicitors while the divorce was going through. Didn’t we, Jeff?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” His father sat back. “Now, how about you tell your mother what’s been going on in your life?”