Family in the Making by Melissa Senate

Author:Melissa Senate
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-07-30T17:03:25+00:00

Chapter 2

An hour and a half later, Lulu stood at the entrance of the apiary on her ranch, staring at the empty field. Bare spots where the boxes and pallets had been. A few wooden lids scattered here and there. The occasional honeybee buzzing around, wondering where in the world the hives had gone.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked, standing next to her, looking more solid and imperturbable than ever.

Was she?

Resisting the urge to throw herself into his arms and ask for the comfort only he could give, Lulu turned away from his quiet regard. Her heart aching, she watched the patrol car leave her ranch. The only time she had ever felt this devastated was when Sam had walked away from her years ago in Tennessee. But she had survived heartbreak then, she told herself steadfastly. And she would survive it now.

“Lulu?” he prompted again.

She pivoted back toward him and lifted her chin, hating that he had to see her at her most vulnerable. “Of course I’m all right,” she muttered. Although the devastation might have been easier to bear had he not gallantly insisted on accompanying her to the scene of the crime. And then, once amid the devastation, done his best to assist her and the sheriff’s deputy who’d been sent to investigate. Because that had made her want to lean on him, the way she once had. And she knew she could never do that again.

Oblivious to the morose direction of her thoughts, Sam put a staying hand on her shoulder. Moved so she had no choice but to look into his face. Solemnly, he reminded her, “It’s been a hell of a day, darlin’. First, we found out about the death of our close friends. Learned their boys had been orphaned. And found out we had both been tapped as potential guardians. Now, you just had all three hundred of your bee boxes, as well as your entire stockpile of honey, stolen.”

Which left her with exactly nothing, she realized miserably. Seven years of hard work, building up her hives, gone. The only thing she had left of her business, aside from her small 150-acre ranch property, was her Honeybee Ranch food truck, and without her signature honey, the food she served out of that wasn’t going to be the same, either.

His gaze drifting over her with unexpected gentleness, Sam told her, “I called the other officers of the Laramie County Cattleman’s Association while you were talking to the deputy, and put out the word. Everyone’s offered to do whatever they can to help.”

Lulu was grateful for the assistance. Even if she wasn’t entirely sure it would do much good now, after the theft. With a grimace, she stepped back. Despite her efforts to the contrary, she was unable to control the emotions riding roughshod inside her.

Bitter tears misting her eyes, she blurted out, “If only you had made that offer prior to today, cowboy, I might not be in such a mess.”

Recognition lit his gold-flecked eyes. “Wait.

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