The Long Ride Home (Cowboys & Cowgirls) Read Free Page B

I can’t let it go, either. I know next to nothing about ranching, Holton. I’m going to school for Nursing. I am not qualified to take care of it on my own.”
    “Sell it to me,” he said, as he took her hand. Elena glanced up and saw the gleam in his eyes.
    “What? No, I’m not—I don’t want—”
    “Why not? You don’t want it, and your dad knew me… he wouldn’t disapprove, Elena.”
    “Yeah? You don’t think he would? You don’t think he would care that I sold what his family worked hard to build for hundreds of years? No, no big deal. And then what? Lose everything?” Elena looked devastated.
    “You can have the house, Elena. I don’t need it. I have mine; you can live there and sell me the land. That way you will have the money that you need for college.”
    “I can’t believe you just suggested that I do that! You told him we were married, you told him that you would take care of me!” she said, crying.
    Holton’s eyes widened and he walked over to console her, but she turned away.
    “I need you to leave now, Holton.”
    “Elena!”
    “Go,” she said, and then she walked to her bedroom and then shut the door.
    A few minutes later, she heard Holton shut the door and start up his car. Her shoulders slumped, she couldn’t imagine Holton on her land, raising his kids with another woman. She didn’t think she could stand the thought of not being with him, but him with someone else and a family, was even harder.
    ***
    The next day was mostly uneventful for Holton as he went through the business of doing his usual chores on the ranch, feeding the livestock, checking the fence lines and figuring out numbers and weight ratios for the upcoming auction. As he sat in the east field of his property that overlooked Elena’s, he thought of what she said last night and his promise to her father. He supposed it was inevitable, him tying himself to her in marriage. They had been in each other’s lives for years now; why not make it something more permanent. She could finish school, get the degree she had planned on getting and he could gain more land. Like her father said—a merger—something that made sense.
    And maybe finally he could get over his hang-ups—the main one being him too old and not good enough for her.
    Feeling happy, Holton made his way down the property line on Reiser, his horse, and took a shorter path to Elena’s, not seeing the car that was parked in the driveway.
    Holton knocked twice and waited for her to come to the doorway. Excitement ran through his veins at the thought of marrying Elena and being able to expand his operation. He had never planned on getting married, but it would be something that Elena would need in order to get what she wanted.
    Holton knocked on the door once more and waited, but nothing happened. All he could think of was how upset she was yesterday. What if she did something stupid—being so worried about her situation? With adrenaline in his veins, he opened the door and ran toward her bedroom and flung the door open and was shocked at what faced him.
    “Holton!” Elena exclaimed.
    Holton’s eyes rounded and then focused on the man that had his future wife wrapped up in his arms. He didn’t think; he walked right up to him and yanked him out of the bed by the collar. “Who the hell are you? And what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he roared. Elena flinched and the man that was just holding her went to move his arms, but was firmly planted against the wall now. “Answer me!”
    “I’m… I’m Brian Hadley!”
    “Brian! I am so sorry,” Elena said, looking from Brian to Holton. “Holton, leave him alone!  Are you nuts?!”
    Holton’s eyes looked like they were on fire. When he looked at Elena she visibly flinched. “I leave you for two seconds and you are all over this guy!”
    “Two seconds! Are you kidding me? I told you to just go last night and now you are over here pulling Brian away from me!”
    Brian smiled at Elena and