Long Road Home. Vicki Thompson Lewis

Nick had been the result of a brief affair and Gabe was the only biological son of Sarah, Jonathan Chance’s second wife and now his widow. But according to everyone in town, Sarah treated all three as her own.

      Now here came another half brother, but he’d only made reference to Jack. “This is really none of my business,” she said, “so you don’t have to answer, but I’m curious as to how you and Jack are related.”

      “We have the same mother.”

      “Ah.” So that was the much-maligned Diana who’d taken off all those years ago. Any time her name was mentioned, people made a face. “And is she …”

      “Alive and well in San Francisco.”

      “Hmm. I take it she and Jack aren’t close?”

      “They’ve had no contact since she left the ranch.”

      Olivia considered that for a moment, trying to imagine such a thing. Nope, couldn’t do it. “But you’re here now.”

      Wyatt heaved another sigh and stretched his arms against the steering wheel. “I didn’t find out Jack existed until last summer, and I … I’d like to get to know the guy.”

      “She kept Jack a secret?”

      “Yep.”

      Olivia didn’t say what she thought about that because Diana was his mother, after all, but apparently the people who made a face at the mention of her name had good reason. “Does Jack know you exist?”

      “Yeah, because I paid him a short visit last August. We left the situation sort of open-ended. I decided to come back and see …”

      The longing in his voice made her heart ache. “Are you an only child?”

      “No. I have a twin brother named Rafe.” He paused. “He thinks coming here is a dumb idea. And maybe it is.”

      “No, it’s not a dumb idea,” she said softly. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but if I suddenly found out I had one tucked away somewhere, I’d be making tracks for wherever that person lived. I mean, they’re your blood. That has to count for something.”

      He sent her a look of gratitude. “I think so.”

      Rain continued to pound the roof of the cab and splash against the windows, cocooning them from the rest of the world. A sense of intimacy enhanced by his impressive rescue almost made her comfortable enough to touch his arm in a gesture of understanding. Almost.

      “You said you don’t have brothers or sisters, so you must be an only child,” Wyatt said after a moment of cozy silence.

      “I am. My mom died soon after I was born, and my dad never remarried.”

      “Were you lonely?”

      Yes, achingly lonely. But she gave him the answer she always gave. “Not really. My dad’s an inventor so he worked at home. He kept me company.”

      “An inventor.” Wyatt sounded impressed. “You don’t hear that every day. Has he invented anything I’d know about?”

      “Actually he came up with a razor blade that never wears out.”

      Wyatt gave a low whistle of surprise. “Is it available? Because I would buy that in a second. I have to shave twice a day.”

      That comment directed her attention to his strong jaw. He must have shaved recently because no stubble showed, and now that he’d mentioned shaving, she remembered that she’d noticed a mint scent when he’d carried her to his truck. “Sorry, but the blade’s not available.”

      “When’s it coming out?”

      “It’s not. One of the big companies, and I’m not allowed to say which one, bought the patent because they didn’t want that product on the market. They said it would wreck their profit margin.”

      “Damn. Can I just buy one from your dad?”

      “‘Fraid not. He had to destroy everything, including his research notes, in order to get the payoff. But it was a lot of money. That’s why we’re here, actually. He always wanted to live in Jackson Hole, so once he had the means, we pulled up stakes and left Pittsburgh.”

      “You live with him?”

      Olivia shook her head. “God, no. I had to deal with his cluttered lifestyle when I was a kid, but I don’t have to now. I live nearby so I can keep an eye on him and make sure that he eats, but I have my own place.”

      “He sounds like an interesting guy.”

      “Interesting, maddening, funny. He looks like that picture you’ve probably seen of Albert Einstein, white hair sticking out everywhere.”

      “Really?” He glanced at her. “But Einstein was old in that picture. You can’t be much over twenty-five.”

      “I’m twenty-eight, and Dad was fifty when I was born. His hair was already turning white then, and now it’s a hot mess. Besides being a nail tech I also do hair, but he won’t let me give him a decent haircut. He’d rather cut it himself with my mother’s old sewing scissors.”

      “At least he’s not vain.”

      That made her laugh. “No, he certainly isn’t. I’ve tried telling him how handsome he’d look if I trimmed his hair, and he just shrugs and says he doesn’t care about that.”

      “Speaking of your work, I really don’t see myself hanging around during a night of beauty.”

      “Maybe not, but I don’t think Sarah’s going to stand for you staying at the Bunk and Grub, either. It’s a very nice B and B and it’s almost like being with family because of Pam’s connection, but still, Sarah’s going to want you here, I’ll bet.” From what Olivia knew of the woman, she was virtually sure of it. A long-lost half brother wanting to connect with kin would touch Sarah’s heartstrings.

      “Pam Mulholland is part of the Chance family?”

      “You didn’t know that?”

      Wyatt shook his head. “There’s probably a lot I don’t know. And I want to.”

      “She’s Nick Chance’s aunt, his late mother’s older sister. In fact, Pam will be at this thing tonight, assuming she made it over before the storm hit.”

      “She probably did. Somebody else checked me in this afternoon and said Pam would be gone overnight.”

      “Pam didn’t recognize your name when you made a reservation?”

      “She didn’t act like she did. Jack and Sarah are the only people I met when I came here last August. Maybe they decided to keep my visit quiet.”

      “Maybe.” Although intimate details of people’s lives were freely bandied about in Shoshone, Olivia figured the town had its share of secrets, too. Wyatt might be one of them. “I’m guessing you didn’t leave a phone number or an address with Jack.”

      “No. To be honest, he was so abrupt that I wasn’t sure I’d come back. I understand why he might not welcome me with open arms, but like you said, we’re blood. I’d hate to miss out on … well, friendship, at the very least, and a deeper connection if such a thing is possible. Rafe doesn’t hold out much hope and doesn’t seem to care whether Jack accepts us or not. But I … I do.”

      Olivia turned to him. “I like your courage and persistence, Wyatt Locke. I’m glad you decided to come back and give the brother deal another try, because it means we got to meet.”

      He grinned at her. “Same here, Olivia. But no matter how much I like you, and I do, I’m still not up for a night of beauty with the girls.”

      DESPITE THE DIFFICULTY he’d had driving through the storm, Wyatt was sorry when they reached the circular drive in front of the two-story log ranch house. He felt that he and Olivia had made a connection during that drive,