High Country Cop by Cynthia Thomason

Author:Cynthia Thomason [Thomason, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-11-16T20:19:41+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

CARTER LEFT WITHOUT saying goodbye to anyone in the house. Her mind burdened with thoughts of what had happened, Miranda took Emily for a walk around the farm. Every step reminded her of the past, other walks and another hand in hers. Those days were not always sweet, but the same could not be said for the sights and smells she allowed herself to experience today. The meadow grass was fragrant and green. Homey, natural scents from the barn made her think of late evenings doing chores.

Miranda still loved him. She couldn’t keep denying it. Had she come to that conclusion after only one kiss? No, she’d known it shortly after marrying Donny. She’d known it from the first moment she saw Carter at Dale’s cabin on Liggett. She hadn’t treated him fairly that day, but she’d been overwhelmed with feelings and memories and the agonizing joy of seeing him again and coming to terms with what she’d lost.

But Carter didn’t want to love her. He called himself a coward. But how could he be otherwise? How was a man supposed to face the heartache the relationships in his life had brought him? He was content with his job, his cabin, this little town where he knew who he was and was respected and liked. How could Miranda upset the calm, peaceful passage of his days? How could she convince him that something was missing from his life when he didn’t want to believe it?

“Mom, aren’t the goats cute?”

Miranda turned toward her daughter, who was scratching the head of one very docile ruminate. “They are indeed,” she said. “I know the Cahills still have a cow and a horse, if he’s not out in the pasture. Why don’t we go in the barn and check them out?”

They finished their tour with a trip around the barn where Cora’s vegetable garden was flourishing. Already the fall gourds were trailing along the ground in all their warty splendor. Pumpkins were well on their way to becoming scary jack-o’-lanterns.

“Would you like to live on a farm, Em?” Miranda asked her daughter as they were headed back to the house.

“I might,” Emily said. “But I don’t know if I like my hands being this dirty.”

“I’m sure Miss Cora has some soap in the kitchen.” Miranda sighed. Perhaps it was just as well that Emily wasn’t sold on a life on the outskirts of Holly River.

“I hope you had as fine a day as I did,” Cora said when they were ready to leave. She handed them a sack of cookies and travel cups of cold iced tea. “Come back anytime.” She hugged Emily and held Miranda back from following her daughter out the door. “She’s a precious little thing,” Cora said. “Please bring her to visit again. It can get lonely out here, and Emily is a ray of sunshine.”

“Thanks for everything.”

“I’m sorry Carter ran off like he did,” Cora said. “He always has an emergency or someone that demands his attention.”

Miranda nodded, unable to admit that Carter had left because of her, because of that kiss.

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