Maneuvering to the NICU had been no simple feat, but I'd been determined to see my daughters as soon as humanly possible. I didn't care how much pain I was in, nor did I care what the doctor's thought about moving me. I wasn't guaranteed today or tomorrow, and there was no chance I'd risk not seeing them, talking to them, touching them. Personally, I thought the nurses conceded just to get me to shut up, and I didn't bother trying to hide my satisfaction when Charlie suggested they make it happen. He'd never seen me overbearing...until today. My mama claws came out sharp and fierce, and I'd protect those girls until my last breath. Even though I'd seen pictures, they didn't change the magic of the moment I first met my daughters. Peering in at their tiny little bodies, I, too, noticed all the things Charlie had said about their differences. It was the little things like the pulse of one versus the other, the skin tone, the way one breathed, the little bits of fuzz on their head
My sister had missed yet another milestone in my life, and I'd decided I'd had enough. I might not ever win back her affection-although I wasn't sure I'd ever had it to begin with-but there wasn't going to be a day that went by that Randi didn't know I wanted her to come home. The twins had taught me one thing-tomorrow is never a guarantee. Every two weeks, like clockwork. I called my sister. And anytime something happened in Mason Belle she heard from me then as well. I had a great relationship with her voicemail for several years. I was really good about keeping up with her, but the conversations were strained at best, and I did the majority of the talking. She would grunt or acknowledge that I'd spoken, but she never engaged. Randi never called me or texted me-it was always a reply to my reaching out. But she did reply, and that had to count for something. I ended every phone call with an invitation for her to come home, not just to meet Kylie and Kara, but to meet Rand as
"Sarah!" Panic laced my husband's tone, and I dreaded hearing what he'd come in to tell me. Mason Belle was in a state of emergency as wildfires tore through the fields, pastures, and ranches all around us. We'd hoped like crazy that they'd blow in another direction, but that wasn't the path they took. For days the flames had inched toward our county and then one by one taken over. Last night, they'd hit Cross Acres and Twin Creeks, and every available hand had been called up to do everything they could to help, which primarily meant driving the cattle to safety. That was difficult to do at Cross Acres because there were so many more head than on any other ranch around. That many cows required space to even stand much less feed. When Charlie had gotten the call from his dad last night, I'd been woken as well. What hadn't happened was an update since. Even if my condition didn't prevent me from hopping on a horse to try to heard cattle, my three children did. A
My phone rang in my purse the next day, and I raced to locate it amongst the crayons and action figures. The second I found it, I saw Randi's name on the screen. I'd blown her up, trying to get in touch with her, and it seemed she'd finally figured out that it might be important. I grabbed Charlie's arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'm going to go take this." I flashed the phone his way and stood to walk out for privacy. I stepped away from the waiting room before answering the phone. "Randi?" I tried like crazy to keep the fear out of my voice, but I wasn't successful. A breathy puff of air rattled against the speaker. "Yeah?" "You need to come home." My voice cracked, and I lost the fight against tears. "There's been an accident." There was silence on the other end. I didn't know if she was processing what I'd just said, not interested, or had gone mute. "Randi? Did you hear me?" My questions were met with more silence. I couldn't even he
The screen door slammed behind me. Over the years, I'd grown so used to the rattling when it would bounce off the frame and settle shut that I didn't notice the footsteps approaching in the kitchen. It was an old farmhouse, and I'd long since learned to ignore the creaks and pops. As a little girl, the noises kept me up, and I had always been convinced someone lurked in the house, roaming the halls late at night.I ducked my head into the fridge to search for orange juice. When I realized I had company, I stood, stepped back with the carton in my hand, and came face to face with my sister's scowl. Then I noticed her tapping foot. I cracked open the container, brought it to my lips-it drove her insane-and drank more than I actually wanted, simply to irritate her. I flashed my brows at her, the citrus burning my throat. And when I finally plopped it on the counter, I let out a satisfied sigh, followed by an obnoxious burp.Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and jutted her hip out
I righted myself in the seat, ran my fingers through my long hair to get it out of my face, and bent across the cab to kiss Austin on the cheek. In an instant, he snaked his right arm around my lower back. Our lips met in an electric, yet brief, exchange. When he broke away to focus on the road, my gaze lingered on his profile. Austin had been the boy every girl wanted, just like his brother seven years earlier. Only this sister had caught this brother's attention early, and we'd been together since the start of our freshman year. He'd never had eyes for anyone other than me, and there wasn't another guy in Mason Belle who even piqued my interest.It wasn't his chiseled jaw or his sandy-blond hair. It wasn't even the taut muscles or his year-round tan. Those were all bonuses. Sprinkles on top of the icing. Austin Burin was a gentle soul with the heart of a lion. And he was fiercely protective-of me. There wasn't anything that boy wouldn't do to ensure my happiness, and his parents ad
His feet slowed when he hit the shore, but not because he planned to stop. Running in water was no different than high-stepping in quicksand. It was laborious and threatened to take him under if his feet didn't land right. Brock grabbed my hips, his fingers closed around my skin, and the moment air crept between my stomach and his shoulder, I took a deep breath. Catapulted through the air, my arms and legs flailed, and the last thing I saw before breaking the surface of the lake was Austin's infectious smile.Before I kicked my way to fresh air, Austin appeared in front of me, and the two of us swam up together. His face rippled with distortion from the water, yet through the blur, he never took his eyes off mine. Even when he and his friends played around, Austin never left my side. I gasped when we broke the surface. Remnants of the lake washed my cheeks and dripped from my jaw. It was too deep for me to stand, but Austin found his footing and circled his arm around my waist to dra
"Eason, are you ready?" I peeked my head around the door to his office, and his slate-grey eyes met mine. My heart warmed at the sight of his panty-dropping grin."Packing up now. Did you finish the files on the Martin case?"I lifted the folder and proceeded across his office to drop the paperwork on his desk. "Everything you asked for is there, including a copy of the will." Real estate law was rarely exciting, but every once in a while, a case went to court, and things got juicy.As a paralegal, I didn't get to attend many of the actual hearings, although occasionally, I did get to sit in on depositions and mediations. It never ceased to amaze me just how greedy people got after death. Brothers and sisters became mortal enemies, and long-lost relatives appeared out of nowhere-every one of them had their hand out. I'd get tickled when Eason let a case get hung up in probate because his client was an ass. "I wish I could come with you for this one. It's going to be a doozy."T