Lassoed by the Would-Be Rancher--A Clean Romance by Melinda Curtis

Author:Melinda Curtis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-10-15T17:52:38+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NOT ONLY DID Shane have to worry about angry, horned behemoths emerging from the overgrowth, but now Franny’s domesticated stock was also proving they were worry-worthy, too.

Shane cast a glance over at Franny.

“I’m fine.” She waved him off.

He knew she was lying. She kept clenching and unclenching her reins.

Shane was the last to reach the tree with the photograph. The bark had grown so that only the faces and shoulders of the people in the picture were showing.

“That’s Grandpa Harlan.” Bo’s horse stood obediently next to the tree. “And his doppelgänger.”

“Identical twins?” Jonah lowered his sunglasses and squinted at the picture. “Or a clone?”

“Spare me the Hollywood explanation.” Bo never missed a chance to rib Jonah. “It’s got to be a cousin. Grandpa Harlan didn’t have brothers.”

“We don’t know that for sure.” Shane leaned forward in the saddle for a closer look. “In fact...” He sat back in the saddle. “I should have remembered this sooner. Last month, two people mentioned what a great person Hobart was. I thought they’d misremembered Grandpa Harlan’s name. But what if they hadn’t?” Shane tapped the plastic. “What if this was his brother?”

“If that man is family, there’s a reason no one’s ever mentioned him to us.” Bo’s dark eyebrows lowered. “But why?”

“Maybe Hobart wanted part of Grandpa Harlan’s fortune.” Jonah stared at Shane. “Maybe Harlan paid him to stay quiet?”

“If that was the case, he’d have been mentioned in the will.” Shane glanced up as Franny approached on horseback. “Or Hobart would still be here in Second Chance.” That was highly unlikely given Shane had made it a priority to meet everyone in town, although he hadn’t checked the cemetery.

“Gentlemen, we need to keep moving.” Franny rode up beside Shane, easily guiding her horse next to his. “Those pictures are everywhere out here.”

“Really?” Shane gestured toward a narrow trail that had been made behind the tree. “Where does that path lead to?”

Franny followed the direction of his gaze. “Path? That’s more like a deer track. And it goes up the mountain to federal land.”

“Can we follow it?” Shane asked quickly. “Just for a little while. There’s a gate.”

“Is that why you offered to help?” Franny used her chin to gesture to the trail. “So you could follow Gertie’s bread crumbs?”

“She’s onto you.” Bo chuckled.

“It’s just a detour.” Shane forced himself to hold Franny’s gaze, to try and look sincere and not think about her kiss. “A few minutes of your time in exchange for a few minutes of ours.”

Franny tilted her head, as if listening for birds, and whether they sang overhead. “Okay.” She urged her horse forward and opened the gate. She latched it after Bo, who was the last to ride through. “Just this once.”

“Thank you.” Shane followed her along the trail. Brush swept over his legs, none too gently. He didn’t care. “I bet there’s a cabin at the end of this trail. Or the boulder that had crushed the infamous Merciless Mike Moody.” Their discovery was going to change the fate of Second Chance.

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