Forgotten Trails by Bonnie R. Paulson

Author:Bonnie R. Paulson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western, western series, western romance, cowboy romance, cowboy, clean and wholesome, clearwater, clean rom, clean romance, sweet, sweet romance, cowboy and indian romance, cowgirl, clearwater county, small town, arranged marriage, mail order bride, native american romance
Publisher: Captiva Publishing
Published: 2017-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Rachiah

Defeat burrowed inside Rachiah, leaving a hollow ache she would never be able to fill. She had to go home. She had to admit she failed.

Had she really though?

Ratchet was her father.

There was no denying it. He wouldn’t declare his name and he so calmly lied to her face when other men in town – who had no investment in the situation – had recognized the name she’d searched for.

She had the sinking realization she’d been fighting the truth staring at her. There weren’t a bunch of Ratchets running around the west. There just weren’t. She didn’t want to face it, own it. He was more vocal in his denial, going so far as to lie.

He wasn’t Salish. He wasn’t any defined nationality which made her half a puzzle.

Or, for her sanity’s sake, she could look at it from the “maybe perspective”.

Maybe, he was telling the truth.

Maybe, he wasn’t her father.

Maybe, she’d been given the wrong information all around those three states.

Maybe she was supposed to go into North Dakota to find her long lost father.

Or maybe he was Sioux and she had to actually go onto other reservations.

Or the maybe perspective wasn’t enough to fight the logical steps she’d followed to get herself into North Fork, Wyoming and into the work place of Ratchet.

She refilled the salt containers for the tables, wiping down the bases, and placing them carefully on the dark brown plastic tray. She could work mindlessly, like a robot, just keep going. Work. Work. Work. While her mind turned possibilities over and over like a washing machine.

Going home didn’t feel her with excitement like it should. The only thing going for her back home involved seeing Damon again. She had to talk to Tom some point that morning. She couldn’t just disappear on him. Not when he’d done so much for her.

A slight draft ran along the floor when someone opened the door and closed it. Cool air chilled around her ankles like a whisper.

Finishing the salt and pepper shakers, Rachiah glanced toward the kitchen. Tom bobbed his bald head in rhythm to the beat of Led Zeppelin. He hadn’t heard anyone come in.

If she hid behind the pantry, maybe they’d go away.

Another maybe. She was drowning in maybes.

From behind the tall coffee station, she patted the front pocket of her apron to find her pad and pencil. Well, wait, her eraser had fallen off somewhere in her pocket. She dug around for it, walking toward the occupied table.

She didn’t care enough to even look up. All she wanted was to be done with it all.

She drummed up enough compassion to smile as she approached the table and finally looked up. Her eraser was going to have to wait ‘til later.

Time froze.

Ratchet sat at the table, his hands steepled as he watched her approach. He didn’t look away when her gaze settled on his.

She cooled. How dare he come in there after dismissing her claims so thoroughly?

He’d said no.

He knew the truth and he’d denied her rights to it.

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