Red Hot Rancher. Maureen Child

my own girls were little. Your mother and I were hopping every minute.”

      A soft smile curved her mouth. “I still miss her.”

      “So do I, darling. Every damn day.” Frank sighed a little, then grinned when Molly slapped her hands together. “She’d have loved this little one. So don’t you worry about me and Molly. We’re fine. You go and do something useful.”

      Something useful. Was talking to Caden a waste of time? Or a chance to set them both on a different path?

      She watched her father walk away and thought about it. She could go back and finish cleaning out the tack room. Or she could go over the ranch books and see exactly where they stood financially. Or maybe go and talk to the cowboys and hear their opinions.

      But she wasn’t going to do any of that, Emma realized.

      “Dad?”

      He stopped and looked back at her, waiting.

      Decision made, she said, “If it’s okay with you, I’m going over to Caden’s. Maybe settle a few things.”

      Her father winked. “That’s a good idea, honey. You go ahead. Take your time.”

      When he left, Emma walked across the room and grabbed her heavy brown jacket off the coat tree in the hall. Take her time. That was assuming that Caden would speak to her at all. But even as she considered that, she remembered that she’d always been able to talk her way around that stubborn cowboy. Today would be no different.

      They would get everything out in the open and find a way to deal with each other. Or, she considered, this would blow up in her face and she’d be no further along than she was right now.

      Pulling her coat on, Emma stepped out onto the wide porch. There was a lot to do around here and she’d barely made a dent in any of it in the past few days.

      But facing Caden was more important. All of the work would still be here waiting for her when she got back, she reminded herself. Digging her car keys out of her jacket pocket, she headed for the old and cranky SUV that had brought her and Molly all the way from Los Angeles.

      She climbed in, fired it up and threw it into gear. Out by the stable, she saw Gracie talking to a woman with long, braided red hair and a face full of freckles. Must be the vet, she thought, then waved when Gracie turned to fire a glare at her. If her sister was mad, she only had herself to blame. She’d actually told Emma to stay away. So she would.

      Turning the car around, she headed down the drive to the road that would take her to Caden’s house. They were going to talk, damn it. And she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

      Dirt and gravel flew up in her wake like the tail of a dragon and she barely noticed Gracie, standing in the yard, staring after her.