Once Destiny came out of the trees and the open meadow stretched ahead, Josie nudged him in the ribs. Because he was homeward bound, he took off immediately, cantering across the meadow. The wind whipped the tears away and the excitement of riding this powerful animal soothed her aching heart.
Halfway back her hat blew off, but she kept going. Someone would find it, and if not, it was only a hat. A hat was easy to replace. The love of your life, not so much.
Then again, she’d better hope Jack wasn’t the love of her life. If so, she was totally screwed. Jack, near as she could tell, was a lost cause. She might have been speaking Chinese back in the clearing for all the effect her words had on him.
At least Alex would be happy about this. He’d probably congratulate her on making the right decision. And she had. She definitely had. But even good decisions could hurt like a sonofabitch.
When she came within sight of the barn, she slowed Destiny, but instead of walking him, she urged him into a trot. Although she still bounced at first, she found the rhythm and rode up to the barn rocking gently in time with the horse. She was proud of that.
Unfortunately, nobody was around to notice. Dismounting, she tied Destiny to the hitching post. Now she really did have to go up to the house and find someone, so she could report that she’d brought the horse back. If that someone turned out to be Sarah, so much the better.
She was in luck. When she rang the doorbell, Sarah answered. She was dressed in the kind of outfit Josie associated with Sarah — jeans and bright-colored western shirt that contrasted nicely with her medium-length silver bob.
Her hair. Josie realized with horror that hers was still down around her shoulders and had to be a tangled mess by now. Pair that with her red eyes from crying most of the way here, and she probably looked like a pitiful waif.
But there wasn’t much she could do about that now except straighten her shoulders and lift her chin. “I wanted to let someone know that I brought Destiny back and he’s tied to the hitching post down at the barn. I haven’t learned how to unsaddle a horse yet, or I’d have—”
“Come in.” Sarah reached out and took Josie’s arm as if to make sure that instruction was followed. “What’s happened?”
“Everything’s fine, Mrs. Chance. Don’t worry about the wedding. Nothing will happen, I promise.”
“Please call me Sarah, and I’m less worried about the wedding at the moment than about you. Did Jack say something? Do something?”
“No. Jack hasn’t done anything wrong.” Josie stood in the large living room with its beamed ceilings, mammoth rock fireplace, and Native American rugs hanging on the walls. Comfy leather furniture was grouped in front of the fireplace and a wagon-wheel chandelier hung from the ceiling. She’d only been here a couple of times, but she’d always loved this room.
“Come on back to the kitchen. Let me get you some coffee, tea, water, something.”
Josie allowed herself to be guided down a hallway to the left. She remembered it led to the kitchen and dining rooms, both the large one where the hands and any guests ate, and the small one for the family. She’d been invited to one family dinner, but Jonathan Chance’s disapproval had ruined the meal for her.
“I apologize for the way I look,” she said. “I wanted to let you know about Destiny, and I totally forgot about my hair.” She had no idea how to explain why her hair was in this state, so she didn’t try.
“Don’t apologize. I feel somewhat responsible for this because Gabe and I are the ones who suggested the riding lessons. I was hoping… well, never mind.” She led the way through the large dining room, empty at this hour of the morning. Four round tables that could seat eight were set for lunch.
Which reminded her that she couldn’t dawdle. Andy and Tracy could open Spirits and Spurs without her, but she didn’t like to be gone without telling them where she was. “I can’t stay long,” she said as she followed Sarah into the kitchen where Mary Lou presided over the industrial-sized stove. Josie smelled chicken baking.
“I hope you can stay long enough to tell me what happened.” Sarah moved to the counter where a large coffee pot sat. “Mary Lou, you remember Josie Keller from Spirits and Spurs.”
“Sure do.” Mary Lou turned. “You were also out here for dinner last summer.”
“I was, and it was delicious.” Josie tried not to think about that ill-fated family dinner where Jack’s father had made it plain she wasn’t welcome.
“I appreciate that.” Mary Lou met her gaze and smiled. “You look as if you could use something to drink.”
Josie discarded the idea of asking for whiskey, straight up. “A glass of water would be great.”
Sarah gestured to the coffee pot. “We have coffee. We can make tea.”
“No, thanks. I really do have to get going.”
Sarah brought her a glass of water and pointed to a chair at a small side table. “Sit a minute. Catch your breath.”
Josie hadn’t realized how shaky she was until she sank onto the straight-backed chair.
“It’s plain that you and Jack had a fight.”
“Not really.” Josie gripped her water glass like a lifeline. “But I’ve decided that we’re just not meant to be.”
Sarah raised her eyebrows. “It’s really none of my business, but I’d love to know why you think that.”
“Don’t get me wrong.” Josie had to remember this woman loved Jack as a mother loved a son. “Jack’s a terrific guy. But he seems to hold something back, if you know what I mean. At least with me, he does.”
Sarah’s blue eyes softened in sympathy. “He does that with everyone, honey. Even me.”
“I know.” She caught herself. “I mean, I figured he did.”
Sarah traced the grain of the wood in the old oak table. “I was hoping you might break through that barrier he’s erected.”
“I don’t know how.” She paused. “So I’m giving up.”
“That’s too bad.”
“But I want you to know it won’t affect the wedding. I promise you that. I’m sure you can count on Jack, too.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can.” Sarah looked wistful. “But this would have been a great opportunity to… well, never mind.”
“I wish it could have worked out.” Josie thought that was the understatement of the year.
“So do I, Josie. So do I.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jack would have liked to leave town, even the country, for the next few weeks. But he still had ranch duties, and then there was, of course, the wedding. He and Nick were in charge of the bachelor party on Thursday night prior to the wedding on Saturday.
He knew before Nick even proposed it that they’d have to stage it at Spirits and Spurs. It was the only good venue in town, which was why the bachelorette party had taken place there the night before. In Shoshone, you either had your bash at Spirits and Spurs or you moved the event out of town. The only person in favor of that was Jack, and he was outvoted.
So here he was, yukking it up with his two brothers, assorted ranch hands, various guys from around town, Josie’s brother Alex, and one of Morgan’s brothers who’d made the trek with his parents and youngest sister in the family’s battered and decal-decorated Volkswagen van. The thing had to be twenty years old, maybe more.