The Rancher's Blessed Event Read Free

like the edge of a rusty razor.
    â€œWhat are you trying to say? Had Kenneth become an alcoholic?” he asked.
    She realized what her words were probably doing to him. Cooper had always looked up to his older brother. From what he’d once told her, Kenneth had been a steadying influence to him after their parents had died. Then later, when Cooper had decided to try his hand at bronc riding, Kenneth had urged him on like a proud papa. If either of the Dunn brothers had possessed a wild streak, it had been Cooper, not Kenneth.
    Emily’s blue eyes were suddenly snapping with anger as she looked at him and it dawned on Cooper this was the most emotion he’d seen on her face since he’d arrived.
    â€œNo. Kenneth wasn’t an alcoholic, but it was in the makings. I told him not to ever get on that horse if he’d been drinking. But he did anyway. A man with drunk reflexes shouldn’t be on a gentle nag, much less a loco cow horse.”
    Cooper felt physically ill. When the news of Kenneth’s death had reached him all he could think was what a senseless way to die. But now—what Emily was telling him made it far worse. “You know for a fact Kenneth had been drinking? You’d said you were gone to Ruidoso. You couldn’t have seen him.”
    Emily pushed aside her unfinished cocoa and got up from the table. “The autopsy report stated there was enough alcohol in his bloodstream to make him well past the legal point of drunkenness. I’m sorry, Cooper, but that’s the way it was.”
    He stared up at her in disbelief. “You’re sorry!”
    Before she could make a reply, he jumped to his feet and grabbed her by the upper arm. “That’s all you can say, you’re sorry?” His face bore down on hers. “What the hell were you thinking, Emily? Why did you let him get on a horse in such a condition? What were you doing?”
    Her features cold and stiff, she ripped her arm from his grasp. “What were you doing, Cooper?”
    Her pointed question stunned him. His hand fell away from her arm, but his gray eyes mercilessly held onto hers.
    The sick look on his face didn’t give Emily any pleasure and she decided they had both said enough for one night. None of it mattered anyway. Kenneth was gone. And so would Cooper, too. Probably by the end of the day.
    Turning away from him, she started out of the room. Before she reached the door, she said, “I made up the bed in your old room. If you want any breakfast, I’ll have it ready by seven.”
    Cooper wanted to call her back, but he didn’t. It was late and he could see she was exhausted. Now wasn’t the time to press her about his brother. But he would before he left here. And he’d make damn sure he got some answers.
    Â 
    The next morning Emily was frying bacon when Rose, her stepmother, called. Holding the portable phone with one hand, she forked the frying bacon with the other.
    â€œI’m just checking on you,” Rose said. “Did you sleep last night?”
    Emily closed her eyes and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. For twenty-three years Rose had been her mother in every sense of the word and throughout that time her love and gentle kindness had never wavered. Nor had it ever failed to touch Emily’s heart.
    â€œA little,” she told her.
    Picking up the weariness in her voice, Rose said, “You need more than a little sleep. Your dad is going to the horse sale with a friend so I’ve got the day to myself. Why don’t you go back to bed after you eat and I’ll come over and see to the chores for you.”
    â€œYou did that yesterday,” Emily reminded her.
    â€œAnd it didn’t hurt me one little bit Now tell me if you need me to bring you anything and I’ll be over in an hour or so.”
    Emily dropped a piece of bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. “No,” she said quickly. “Don’t do