Big Sky Country: Montana (The Americana Series Book 26) by Dailey Janet

Author:Dailey, Janet [Dailey, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2014-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

AFTER A WEEK, life at the ranch fell into a pattern. The daylight hours were the ones that brought the most pleasure to Jill. She and Kerry often took exploratory walks in the morning, discovering the beaver pool and other places, but wisely keeping the ranch buildings in sight at all times. In the afternoons they lazed in the sun or helped Mary when she would let them. It wasn't a demanding routine but a welcome change from the hectic college schedule of classes and study.

As Jill had expected, Sheena stopped over. Both of her visits coincided with times that Riordan was at the house—deliberately planned, Jill was sure. Neither visit had changed Jill's opinion of the woman.

Part of Jill's pleasure was derived from the fact that Riordan was gone from the house with the rising of the sun. Todd, too, of course. Generally it was nearly dark before they returned. On only three days had they been close enough to the ranch house to return for lunch, an event that Kerry looked forward to and Jill dreaded.

The evenings were blessedly short. By the time Riordan and Todd returned, showered away the day's dirt and had eaten dinner, it was nearly time to go to bed. Still, it was more time in Riordan's company than Jill wanted to spend. He was constantly baiting her with a word or a look guaranteed to set her teeth on edge. Kerry he virtually ignored, intimidating her into gaucherie merely with his presence.

Since the object of this visit was ostensibly for Riordan to get to know Kerry better, his indifference annoyed Jill, but she was helpless to do anything about it. She could hardly point out Kerry's good qualities as if her friend was a slave on an auction block.

The Tiffany glass pane in the living-room window lacked its usual brilliant color. The thunderheads concealing the mountain peaks had completely blocked out the sun. The fat drops that had been ricocheting off the windows had turned into a sheeting downpour of rain. Serrated bolts of lightning were followed by rolling explosions of thunder that rattled the window panes.

Todd had dashed into the house alone more than a quarter of an hour ago, drenched to the skin. Jill hadn't cared where Riordan was. She was curled in a corner of the living-room sofa staring at the portrait above the fireplace, wondering how that beautiful woman could mother two so very different sons.

"Hi, where's Kerry?" Todd walked into the living room, tucking a clean shirt into his dry trousers.

His brown hair was still damp, gleaming almost as black as Riordan's. For an instant the resemblance between the two brothers was strong. It vanished when Jill met the friendly hazel eyes.

"In the kitchen, making you some hot chocolate," she replied.

"That woman is going to make some man a great wife," he sighed, sinking into the wing chair opposite the sofa. A crack of lightning was ominously close. "Rain, rain, rain!" A smile of contentment turned up his mouth.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.