“If you make sudden moves, you’ll scare him.”
“I know. He just took me by surprise. I guess I was daydreaming.”
“Hmm.” Fianna pursed her lips.
Northstar clip clopped his hooves next to Fianna, echoing throughout the stable. Bree appreciated this regal beauty even more when Fi let it gallop into one of the enclosed fields at the Moore ranch.
Fianna watched her horse run after two other horses and smiled. She shifted her stance and her smile fell the moment her eyes found Bree’s.
“Are you not even going to tell me what’s been on your mind?”
“What?” Bree feigned to be clueless, but the fiery Ryan sister was back in Austin and wouldn’t stand for being left in the dark any longer.
“Daydreaming, eh? Thinking about that yummy co-worker of yours?”
Fianna and Bree turned at the sound of Gwenn snorting behind them.
“What did I miss?” Fianna tilted her head to the side and narrowed her emerald eyes at Bree. “I’m always the last one to know… What haven’t you told me?”
“It’s nothing, sis.”
Fianna didn’t seem to believe Bree’d dismissal as she huffed and walked away into the field. Her sister stuck out against the greens with her bright red, long hair. Bree held up her hand when Gwenn opened her mouth.
“Before you say anything, you know how she gets about the Mills guys. She’ll go on and on about how it’s stupid that I’m still in love with Dec. I’m sorry, but not today….”
Bree placed a booted foot on a low wooden board and leaned her under arms over the top wooden board that made up for a makeshift fence.
She gazed around the Moore ranch. Bree waved at Declan’s cousin Emmy, who sat a hundred feet away on her knees, planting something in her fall vegetable garden. She waved a dirt-covered hand back at Bree.
After months of scorching hot Texas weather, October offered cool nights and bearable days. Bree loved coming to the Moore ranch when they were kids. She didn’t have a feel for horse riding, but loved to groom the horses. Whenever Bree was on the ranch, Emmy would take her under her wing to help farm the land.
“Well now, isn’t that Gwenn Ryan standing on my land?”
The Ryan sisters looked over at a bundle of gray hair that sneaked up on them from behind. Before Gwenn could react, Shauni Mills-Moore had already taken her in for a bear hug. With a strong and weathered arm, Shauni engulfed Bree’s shoulder to tug her into a three-way-hug.
“Shauni!” Gwenn said.
“I’m so glad you’re safe and sound. We’ve missed you,” Shauni said. And in a whisper she added, “Thank you for your service, darlin’.”
Gwenn nodded and cleared her throat before she settled her gaze at something in the distance.
“I was so upset when we couldn’t make it to your welcome home party! But unfortunately these farm animals give birth at the most unlucky times.”
“It’s okay, Shauni. I came to see you instead.” Gwenn shrugged.
“And I’m so glad you did.” Shauni turned her attention to Bree.
“Hey, darlin’. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Pops’ daughter Shauni gave Bree a kiss on top of her hair. “I’m so glad your sisters are back. Does this mean we’ll be seeing more of you now too?”
Bree’s cheeks flushed. It hadn’t been her intention to stop coming over at the ranch. It was just that she knew how close Declan was with his Mills and Moore cousins, and she’d tried to avoid him after last March.
“I heard what happened, darlin’.” Shauni gave Bree an understanding smile while she squeezed her hand in hers. “But from now on, you keep comin’ back here to see me, okay? I’ve missed our talks.”
Tears pricked Bree’s eyes at the warm welcome of Declan’s aunt. Bree was disappointed in herself for staying away so long.
“I’ve missed you too, Shauni.”
“Good.” Shauni turned them all around and walked in the house's direction with her arms over Bree and Gwenn’s shoulders. Shauni had inherited Pops’s physique, and she often made remarks about her size. She said there was simply more of her to love.