that. Iâll be fine.â âBut honey, I want to help you.â âI know,â she said, then decided she should explain. âCooper came home last night.â The line went quiet as Rose digested her daughterâs abrupt news. âIs he there now?â Emily glanced over her shoulder to make sure the man hadnât slipped into the kitchen without her knowing. âYes.â âHow long does he plan to stay?â âHe hasnât said and I havenât asked.â Rose went silent for another long spell. âHow does he seem to be taking Kennethâs death?â âI think heâs still in a bit of shock about it.â And Emily was still in a shock over seeing Cooper again. âWell, I know the two of them were close at one time. But frankly, Iâm surprised the news brought Cooper home. Heâs never bothered before. And what can he do now?â âIâve been thinking the very things you just said.â âSo you donât really know his intentions?â Rose asked. âNot yet.â Rose groaned. âOh Lord, Emily, I wished the man had stayed gone. Harlan isnât going to like this one little bit. He hasnât forgotten how Cooper hurt you. And if heâs come back with plans to take over his half of the ranchâwell, all I can say is I see trouble.â His half of the ranch. Like a cold north wind, the words rushed through Emily. It was true that Cooper and Kenneth had shared ownership of the ranch since their father had died fifteen years ago. But Cooper had never seen fit to take any interest in the place. Neither with money nor his presence. She couldnât see that changing just because Kenneth was no longer here. âYouâre borrowing trouble, Mom. Cooper doesnât have any intentions toward the Diamond D. Why would he? Heâs a big rodeo star now. He has all the money he needs. And anybody with one good eye can see this place is falling down around my ears. No. You can rest assured Cooper couldnât be bothered.â âI hope youâre right, darling. You have enough on your mind without something like that. You havenât told him anything, have you?â Emily switched off the burner beneath the skillet and took a peep in the oven at the baking biscuits. âWhat do you mean? About the accident?â âNo. About you.â Emily quickly glanced over her shoulder again. A few minutes before her mother had called, sheâd heard Cooper head down the hall to the bathroom. Any second now she expected him to walk into the kitchen. âI have no intentions of telling him anything about my condition. Itâs none of his business. And Iâd appreciate it if youâd tell Daddy and the rest of the family not to say anything if they happen to run into Cooper.â âIs there a reason you donât want him to know?â She bit down on her lip as several reasons came to mind. âHe...doesnât need to know, thatâs all. Now Iâve got to finish breakfast. Iâll call you later, Mom.â âAll right, honey, if thatâs the way you feel. You know your daddy and I are here if you need us.â Knowing she had her parentsâ support was one of the things that had kept her going. âAnd I love you for it. Weâll talk later.â She placed the phone out of the way then gathered a couple of pot holders and pulled the pan of hot bread from the oven. âSomething smells good. Is it biscuits?â Emily glanced around just as Cooper walked into the room. Even though she knew heâd slept across the hall from her last night, it was still a shock to the senses to see him this morning. He hadnât shaved but she could see he must have taken a quick shower because his dark hair was wet and slicked back from his face. A red plaid shirt hung half buttoned on the outside of his jeans. His feet were bare except for a pair of white