The Family Plan. Cathy McDavid

      “She’s recently changed her mind.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me?”

      Her father heaved a tired sigh. “I didn’t want to upset you before your trip. Figured you had enough to deal with.”

      Jolyn groaned. “What brought this on?”

      “I’m not sure. Mandy started taking lessons…oh, sometime last fall I guess it was. But your mother didn’t get pushy with Chase again until recently.”

      Dottie Sutherland operated a small dance studio out of the community center, offering classes three afternoons a week and Saturday mornings. Most of the girls in town, and even the occasional boy, studied under her at one point or another while growing up. As a child, Jolyn endured two years of lessons before permanently trading her tap shoes for cowboy boots.

      “Can’t you stop her?” Jolyn asked.

      Her father raised one eyebrow and gave a short laugh. “You’re joking, of course.”

      She hadn’t been but didn’t contradict him.

      “This isn’t just about Mom. There are other people’s feelings to consider, including Mandy’s. She still doesn’t know, does she?”

      “I don’t think so.”

      “I can’t support Mom in this if it means hurting Mandy.” Or going against Chase, she added silently.

      Her father scowled. “I don’t know what’s with your mother lately. She’s been acting funny.”

      “Funny how?”

      “Just not her usual self.” He exhaled. “I’ve asked her again and again what’s wrong but she keeps insisting nothing’s the matter.”

      “Maybe I can get her to open up.”

      “It’s worth a shot, I guess.” His tone implied she’d get no further with her mother than he had.

      Sinbad, evidently tired of standing in one place, began pawing the ground. The movement caused his injury to gape and seep fresh blood.

      Jolyn made a decision. As much as she wanted to see her mother and get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her, Sinbad’s injury needed attending. Turning him around, she walked toward the trailer. “I’m going to drive over to Chase’s.” She hated loading the horse back into the trailer after a grueling four-day road trip but saw no other choice.

      Her father followed her. “What about supper? Your mother won’t be happy after all the work she’s put into it.”

      “This won’t take long.”

      “You baby that horse too much considering what he did to you.”

      “Not now, Dad. Please.” She’d just returned home after a long absence and wasn’t in the mood to dredge up old arguments. To ease the tension, she gave him another kiss on the cheek. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

      Chase lived half a mile away. She’d phone him on the drive over there. If he happened to be away, she’d wait for him and cleanse Sinbad’s wound using a garden hose.

      And what if he doesn’t want to see you?

      Of course he does, Jolyn told herself. Chase might be angry with her mother but he’d never refuse to treat a sick or injured animal.

      He’d looked good the last time she’d seen him—two Christmases ago, was it?—though tired. His dark brown eyes had lacked their usual warmth, and his killer smile struck her as forced. The divorce and grueling custody battle had obviously taken a toll on him. Had he changed since then? And what would he think about the changes in her? Both the good and bad ones? Would he even notice?

      It occurred to Jolyn that her need to rush Sinbad over to Chase’s house might be motivated by her desire to see him, especially now that he was single again.

      Before loading Sinbad she inspected the inside of the trailer. Finding no sharp edge on the gate that might have caused the cut, she erred on the side of caution and chose to put him on the left side of the gate this time. The big paint initially balked at going back into the trailer but finally complied after much coaxing. Jolyn shut the door behind him and dropped the latch in place.

      Her father rested a hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t all your mother’s fault. You can’t blame her entirely.”

      “No, it’s not all her fault.”

      It was her brother Steven’s fault when, nine years ago, he’d decided to have an affair with SherryAnne, Jolyn’s one-time best friend and Chase’s wife of three months. To this day, no one knew for certain who Mandy’s biological father was. Not even SherryAnne, at least as far as she was telling.

      CHASE WALKED OUT of the house, the screen door banging shut behind him. He spotted Jolyn’s truck pulling into his driveway, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She’d returned to Blue Ridge. Hopefully, to stay. He hadn’t realized until now how much he missed her.

      When she approached, he motioned her on, signaling she should park near the barn, next to his truck. She gave him a wave as she rolled past. Chase followed, hurrying his steps. He rounded the back end of the trailer at the same moment she hopped out of the truck cab.

      “Hey there.” She came toward him, grinning from ear to ear.

      He avoided staring at her pronounced limp and kept his eyes focused on her face. It wasn’t exactly a hardship. Jolyn had always been a cute girl. She’d grown up into a very attractive woman. Hell, she’d just plain grown up. Chase didn’t recall her filling out a T-shirt quite that nicely.

      “Hey there, yourself.” He scooped her up in an impulsive hug and swung her around in a circle. She felt nice in his arms. So nice, he didn’t let her go right away. “It’s good to see you again, Beanie.”

      She pulled out of his embrace and glared at him with enough heat to blister paint. “I’m leaving right this minute and never coming back if you call me that awful name one more time.”

      “String Bean Sutherland,” he teased.

      “You’re as bad as you ever were.”

      “Some say I’m worse.”

      Her voice dropped in pitch. “Do tell.”

      Was she flirting with him? Or, more precisely, flirting back? The Jolyn he remembered was too shy, too serious, too self-conscious around men to engage in lighthearted sexual banter. What, besides nearly losing her right leg, had happened to her during the last nine years?

      She looked the same. Well, almost the same. Her brown hair sported blond highlights and was cut in a shorter, more sophisticated style. She’d also taken to wearing makeup. Not much, just enough to enhance her hazel eyes and full mouth. Dallas had obviously agreed with Jolyn. He liked the new her, liked seeing her finally come into her own.

      Easy, boy. Chase took a mental step back, reminding himself this wasn’t just Jolyn, one of his oldest and closest friends. This was Dottie Sutherland’s daughter, and Dottie was a woman dead set on making his life miserable. No, ruining it.

      About the same time Chase sobered, a loud bang came from inside her horse trailer. Sinbad was making his displeasure known.

      Jolyn shook her head. “I’d better get him out before he kicks a hole in the door.”

      “So, what scrape did he get into this time?”

      “Scrape is exactly how I’d describe it. He was fine when I loaded him in Phoenix but not so fine when I unloaded him at the folks’ house. He has a pretty bad cut on his left side.”

      “Let’s have a look.”

      She opened the trailer door. Sinbad nearly plowed over her in his haste to escape and only calmed when she had a firm hold on his lead rope. “That wasn’t so bad,