9781631053566SpringsDelightBallNC Read Free Page B

wouldn’t he? Caleb
often talked about cattle and horses. She might have lived in Texas, but she’d
never been on a horse, and she couldn’t wait to see one. Looking down at her
worn sneakers, she knew it wouldn’t be soon.
    There was something beside the
barn, and after a moment of trying to discern what it was, her hand covered her
mouth and she gasped. A mangled snowmobile sat there. How could Colt stand to
have it on the property? Looking at it made her shiver, and tears trailed down
her face. Caleb was really gone and her heart broke for his brother.
    Spotting Colt walking toward
the house, she dashed away her tears with the heels of her hands and scurried
away from the window. She didn’t want him to think she was spying on him.
     
    * * * *
     
    Colt stamped his feet on the
porch, trying to remove as much packed on snow from his boots as possible. He
opened the door and quickly shut it behind him. It didn’t take more than a
couple seconds to make the house cold.
    The smell of lemon hit him in
a wave. He glanced up as he removed his boots and sought Spring out. He frowned when he saw her reddened eyes.     “What’s
wrong?”
    “Memories I guess, but I’m
fine. You must be hungry.” She hustled to the stove and turned it on.
    “I could eat. I forgot about
lunch, but I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.” He took off his tan
Stetson and hung it on the peg near the door. “Was there even anything to
make?”
    “Grilled
cheese and soup. Your cupboards are pretty bare.”
    “ Them church ladies tried to give me casseroles and such, but I refused most of
them.” The surprise in her eyes caused his face to warm. “They just wanted to get
into my business. Busybodies, every one of them. Besides there is only one woman who knows how to cook in this town, her name is Autumn . The rest, well, I couldn’t manage to choke
their food down.”
    “Oh.”
    “I didn’t go to the store for
the same reason. They just want to fuss over me, and it only makes things
worse.”
    Spring placed soup and a
sandwich in front of him. “I can understand that.”
    “Really?” He
cocked his right eyebrow. “No one else seems to.”
    She gave him a whisper of a
smile. “I know about being in pain, and wanting to be left alone.”
    Colt had to look away. She was
too sincere, and he wasn’t sure he wanted understanding. She might know pain,
but his suffering was his own. For a moment, he wondered what her story was,
but he finished eating in silence then pushed back from the table. “I’ll be
back at sundown. Make what you can. I’ll have Bibbs bring supplies tomorrow.”
    He put on his boots, coat and
Stetson. Turning, he gazed at her. The corners of her mouth drooped, and his
heart went out to her. Quickly, before he said something foolish, he went out
into the snow.
    Brr , it’s cold. A
burst of frigid air blew snow into his eyes. Therewas nothing worse than a springtime snowstorm. Right when you were
making plans for the future…
    He didn’t have a plan anymore.
He always thought he’d work side by side with Caleb, growing the ranch but his
future died and was buried. He felt gut sick, and he swore his head was going
to explode. A feeling of being lost engulfed him. Sighing, he shook his head.
Maybe having her around wouldn’t be so bad. He’d been losing too much weight,
and he’d have to change his clothes more often.
    At least he had his horses.
The horses needed him. A lot of the time, they took his mind off his misery at
least for a short while. He loved what he did, but he wished there was no need
for a horse rescue. He never understood why people got horses then neglected
them. Caleb thought that people didn’t realize the time and commitment a horse
needed and chose to give up. Whatever the reason, it was a big problem, and
thank God, Holden O’Leary and Jonas Barnes had his back, especially now. Stone
McCoy used to, and he never would have guessed what a hardhearted man he really
was.
    Not