Long Road Home by Joann Ross

Author:Joann Ross [Ross, JoAnn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Western
Publisher: Castlelough Publishing, LLC
Published: 2016-07-25T23:00:00+00:00

21

SOPHIE WAS HALFWAY down the driveway when Austin came out on the porch. The girl could definitely run. Austin thought about chasing her, then considered the truck instead. Maybe they could take a ride and talk things out. Of course if Sophie climbed the fence and cut across a pasture toward the river or mountain, she’d have to ditch the rig.

Starting to appreciate what Heather had been talking about those times she’d insisted her life wasn’t as perfect as it might seem to outsiders, Austin opted for the truck.

It took less than a minute to catch up with Sophie on the road. Austin rolled down the driver’s window. “Where are you going?”

“Home.” Sophie didn’t look her way.

“I don’t think your mom would want that.”

“My mom isn’t around to want anything. Because she’s dead. And we don’t always get what we want. I didn’t want her to die, either. And now that we’re damn pitiful orphans, I’m stuck with being idiot Jack’s mother.”

Austin decided to let her calling her brother an idiot pass and focus on the more important issue. She remembered what Rachel had said about Scott believing he’d have to be the man of the family after his father’s death. Sophie was going to have enough to deal with without having that burden put on such very slender shoulders.

“No, your brother isn’t going to be your responsibility. At least not that way, though he will need your love and support.”

“He doesn’t even care.”

“He does. But at his age, I’m not sure he totally understands the permanency of the situation.”

Sophie stopped marching down the gravel at the side of the road and spun toward the truck. “He’s having fun planning our parents’ funeral!”

“Father Cassidy said young children get caught up in the detail of ritual. I suspect it’s a form of coping mechanism.”

“Lucky him.” She kicked the ground, scattering gravel. “I hate this.”

“I do, too. Your mother was my best friend for as long as I can remember. I have this big, huge, aching hole in my heart and am afraid if I let myself cry, I’ll never be able to stop.”

“Really?” That got the girl’s attention. “I figured since you were a grown-up, you knew how to deal with stuff like this.”

“I haven’t a clue,” Austin said. She might not have any idea how to handle this situation, but decided honesty couldn’t hurt. “Neither does Sawyer.”

“He’s a Marine. He probably saw lots of people die in war.”

“I suppose he did. But the Marines undoubtedly have a very organized and detailed system to deal with battlefield losses. In civilian life, we only have guidelines and have to learn how to get through the maze as we go along.”

“Well, that’s fucking encouraging.”

Austin wasn’t wild about the f-bomb, but she did welcome the snark. At least it was communication. “How about going for a ride?” she asked. “I always feel better down by the river.”

“Do you really believe that’s going to make all this go away?”

“No.” A cattle truck, loaded with fifty thousand pounds of beef on the hoof, roared past between them in the other lane.

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