The Rancher's City Girl by Patricia Johns

Author:Patricia Johns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Eloise leaned against the window frame, her gaze trained over the front veranda where Cory stood with his back to the house, his broad, tan hands resting on the wooden rail. Beyond him, bright afternoon sunlight bleached the lawn. Something in the set of his wide shoulders spoke of heaviness. Down the hallway, Mr. Bessler snored softly.

Eloise considered slipping away to leave Cory to his thoughts, but she paused, her eyes lingering on the tall cowboy. They’d gotten closer over the past few days, and whether he’d wanted her to or not, she’d witnessed some of his toughest moments with his father. It wasn’t his relationship with his dad that was nagging her, though—it was the old woman who knew a bit too much about her personal life. Eloise had a sense that perhaps she’d misplaced her trust, and while she once would have done anything to avoid confrontation, she was older and wiser now. Besides, she couldn’t be certain of Cory’s betrayal until she heard his side of it. She stood undecided for several moments; then before she could regret her decision, she opened the door and stepped outside.

Cory turned.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

“That was an interesting Sunday, huh?” He gave her a wry smile.

“You could say that.” She tucked a stray curl back into the loose bun at the back of her head.

“I’m really sorry,” he said again, turning back to face the sunny lawn. “I probably should have left well enough alone with my dad.”

“You had a conversation with your father—one that was long overdue, I think. You have nothing to apologize for. I wanted to ask you about something else.”

“Oh?” Cory turned to face her again.

“That woman who was talking to me in the service—she said she’d heard about my situation.”

“What situation?” He frowned.

“My divorce. She’d heard that my husband left me.”

Color drained from Cory’s face. “How?”

“She didn’t say, but—” Eloise sighed. “You’re the only one I told, Cory, and I told you as a friend. I didn’t think you’d gossip about it.”

“I didn’t!” He sighed. “Wait—”

The hesitance in his tone gave her pause, and her stomach sank. She didn’t know what explanation she was hoping for, but she wanted it to prove him innocent of talking to someone about her most personal failure. Eloise attempted to hide her misgiving and raised an eyebrow.

“Look, I was talking to Zack, and it came up.”

Came up? All the hope she had for a marvelous explanation seeped out of her, leaving behind a bedrock of disappointment. A curl tickled her forehead and she batted it back.

“How?” she asked after a moment. “I don’t get how my personal life became a topic of discussion with your partner.”

Color rose in Cory’s face and he rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Zack was suggesting that you and I could—” he shrugged faintly “—be something more. You know him and Nora, always trying to set me up. I told him that I didn’t think it would work.”

“Because my husband left me,” she concluded.

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