Winchester Christmas Wedding Read Free Page B

Ranch lodge, terrified that Pepper Winchester might see them and…well, they’d heard stories about how mean she was and had no idea what she might do.
    Lizzy’s father, Will, had loved this ranch and had worked it until he died. Her happiest memories were here. As she looked around the room, she could no longer imagine her father—or any other ranch hand for that matter—in this room.
    As her gaze settled again on Anne, she tried to accept that a lot more had changed than just the furnishings. Including Lizzy’s real reason for coming here.
    â€œI’m glad your sister is here with you,” she said to fill the uncomfortable silence. Since college and her father’s death, Lizzy hadn’t seen as much of Anne. At first they’d kept in touch through emails and phone calls, but even those had been scarce the past few years. “How is Janie doing?”
    Anne glanced toward the stairs and lowered her voice.“I’m worried about her. You know how close she and Mother were.”
    As close as Joanna McCormick could be to any human being, Lizzy thought. Joanna loved horses and hadn’t seemed to have any love left over for her husband and her children. “I’m sorry.”
    She knew firsthand what it was like to lose a parent. She’d lost her mother at the age of three. All she knew about the pretty woman from the photographs her father had shown her was that her father had loved his wife more than life.
    â€œIf I hadn’t had you,” he used to say. “You were my reason to go on living.”
    Lizzy still missed her father desperately. Was that another reason she’d jumped at the chance to join the agency? Roger Collins had said it was like a family. That’s why she had been excited about coming back here for this assignment. This had once been home.
    â€œI wish you had called before coming, though,” Anne said. “As much as I appreciate it, I’m afraid you being here will upset Janie.”
    â€œWhat will upset Janie?” asked a voice from the stairs.
    They both turned to see Anne’s younger sister standing halfway down the steps. Janie was still small, wiry, with dark hair and eyes like her mother. Even though Anne hadn’t been Hunt’s child, she resembled him.
    The thought startled Lizzy. Was it possible Anne and Janie had different fathers? And why hadn’t she thought of that before, since the sisters were so different in every way? After all, Anne and Janie’s older brother, Jordan, had had a different father than his half sisters.Jordan had died in a ranching accident before Lizzy was born.
    â€œWhy would a visit from my sister’s friend upset me?” Janie asked smiling as she came down the stairs to give Lizzy a hug.
    â€œYou look great, Janie,” she said and then realized how that must sound. Unlike Anne, Janie did look great. Anne’s skin was pale with dark shadows under lifeless eyes. Janie was radiant, eyes almost too bright.
    â€œMy sister and I mourn losses very differently,” Janie said, crossing the room to hug her sister. Anne looked as surprised by Janie’s show of affection as Lizzy had been. Neither of them believed it was real, she thought uncharitably.
    â€œSo how long are you staying?” Janie asked. Before Liz could answer, Janie rushed on. “Stay through the holidays,” she said impulsively. “It will be just like old times, won’t it, Anne?”
    Lizzy saw a look pass between the sisters. She opened her mouth to say she wasn’t sure how long she would be staying, but this time Anne cut her off.
    â€œI’m sure Lizzy isn’t staying that long,” her old friend said pointedly. “After all, she has a job. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten what you said you do.”
    â€œI’m a consultant for companies planning to expand,” Liz said, giving her the practiced spiel.
    â€œHow horribly boring,” Janie