Tory dried her eyes and stepped back. Lance let his arms drop, but he was still watching her carefully.
“I miss how it was. Our family. When we were all together. I wish to God I could have that back,” she told him. She’d never even admitted that to herself before, but it was true.
“We can’t go back in time,” Lance said gently. “But we can build a better tomorrow. As a family,” he added firmly. “Look at us. We’re all here in Chance Creek, even if it isn’t perfect, and even if Dad is gone. That’s a start.”
Tory nodded, feeling closer to him than she’d been in a long time, but before she could tell him, the sound of a horse’s hooves made her turn to see who was coming.
Olivia rode up and dismounted. “What are you two up to? Hey, Tory—are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Tory scraped away the remnants of her tears, embarrassed she’d let any of them flow. That wasn’t like her.
“She’s just missing the old days,” Lance said.
Olivia nodded. “I think we all do now and then. You know, if you stayed, we could make a whole new batch of memories here. Good ones. It’s what Dad would have wanted.”
Tory swallowed. It was hard to admit she wanted that, too. “You’re probably right.”
“You don’t have to make up your mind right now,” Lance said with a pointed look at Olivia.
“He’s right. You don’t have to decide today. “Don’t take too long, though. We could have so much fun,” Olivia said. “Besides, you’re staying here at least three years, right?”
“That’s right.” Three years of watching Liam move on with his life—without her.
It was going to be a long haul.
“So you saved the dialysis unit?” Jed asked when he found Liam in his barn office.
“Looks like it.”
His uncle straightened a stack of paper that was threatening to slide off the desk. “Good work,” he said gruffly. “That’s pretty important in this town.”
“Guess you’re happy we’re that much closer to winning the Founder’s Prize.”
“Aren’t you?” Jed demanded. “Especially with your mother trying to sell my ranch out from under me? If I’d known this day was coming, I would never have let your father inherit it.”
“Under us, you mean. Of course I’m happy.” Liam leaned back in his chair and stretched his back. “You know what, though? I’m just as happy to have helped the town. People keep stopping me on the street to tell me what it means to them. I didn’t realize how many folks I knew here.”
“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Jed asked. “How good things are when you’ve got strong roots. Everyone’s always in a hurry these days to rush around and go other places. I like it right here.”
“Know what you mean,” Liam said. “Wish some other folks felt the same way.”
“Like that Cooper girl? Yeah, I know about her,” Jed said. “I know about everything.”
Liam didn’t think that was true. At least, he hoped Jed didn’t know about the pot crop growing at the Ridley property. He hoped like hell Steel got it out of there soon, if he hadn’t already.
“It’s not going to work between Tory and me,” he told Jed.
“Maybe you’re not trying hard enough.”
Liam sat back. “I tried pretty damn hard.”
“Did you? Seems to me you gave up pretty quick. She’s been home only a month or two. Can’t have spent too much time at the problem.”
How could he explain to his uncle he didn’t want to be the kind of guy who didn’t know when to quit? Tory had said her piece. She was a grown woman; she knew her own mind.
“You can’t just make her fall for you,” Jed said. “You’ve got to make her fall in love with Chance Creek. I heard you announced you wanted to marry her.”
“Someday. In the future—”
“You put the cart way before the horse,” Jed told him. “Women want to be wooed. They want the dinners. The dancing. The movies. The thrill of the chase.”
“I don’t know about that—”
“At least take her out a time or two before you start talking forever,” Jed said.
Hell.
He’d really blown it, hadn’t he? Liam scraped a hand through his hair. “I rushed things.”
“Sounds like it.”
“I was afraid of losing her.”
“A self-fulfilling prophecy,” Jed proclaimed. He sighed. “Know all about that.”
Liam stilled. He’d wondered once or twice why his uncle had never married. “Did you drive a woman away?”
“Ran her off with a pitchfork, more like. I’ve regretted it ever since.”
“Maybe you need to woo her, whoever she is.”
“Maybe you’re right. Anyway, just came by to—” Jed broke off and sniffed the air. “What’s that?”
Liam sniffed, too. “Smoke.” He leaped out of the chair and rushed to the door, Jed following behind. A thick, dark plume rose up in the distance over the Ridley property, and Liam could make out the glow of dancing flames.
When the horses were safely back in the stable, Tory went up to the house with the others, ready for a cold glass of water. Time to think about dinner, probably.
“Wait—I smell smoke,” Olivia said suddenly.
Lance looked around. “Fire,” he barked. “On the Ridley property.”
Good, was Tory’s first thought. Let it burn. The flames would destroy all evidence of what Steel had done, and maybe they could finally start working at being a normal, law-abiding family. But with things so dry, that fire was going to spread, fast—and God knew how far.
“Do we call it in?” she asked.
“What are you talking about?” Olivia demanded. “Of course we call it in.”
Lance pulled out his phone. “On it.”
Tory watched him punch in the emergency number. “There’s no water in Pittance Creek to fight that fire. It’s going to spread like crazy,” she said to Olivia. “We need to dig a fire break—fast.”
Lance lifted the phone to his ear. “The tractor! Come on!” They hurried after him as he spoke into the phone, but he’d pocketed it again by the time they reached the outbuilding. He took charge of the
