fine, child. Howâd your trip to Kalispell go?â
âAll right, I guess.â
âKalispell is too citified for me.â Grandpa went back to rubbing the leather saddle. âAll those people and cars make me nervous.â
She laughed. âI guess you wonât be coming to visit me and Bryan in Seattle then.â
âNope. Donât imagine so.â
She suppressed a sudden pang of dismay. Driving to Seattle on his own would be too far, too hard, for Grandpa.
He nodded. âItâll be quiet around here with both him and Krissy gone, thatâs for sure.â
She swallowed hard. She hadnât given any thought to how much Grandpa would miss Krissy and Bryan. Heâd seemed so supportive of her becoming Bryanâs guardian. Sheâd wanted to please him. Maybe the reality had finally sunk in.
âDid you have any lunch, Grandpa?â
âYep. Jay made us a couple sandwiches.â
Grateful that Jay had looked out for Grandpa, she said, âI didnât take time to eat on the way home, so Iâm going to find something for myself.â
âI could use a glass of iced tea, if youâve got the time,â Grandpa said.
âSure. Iâll be back in a minute with a pitcherful. Nathan might want some, too.â
She walked out of the barn. Momentarily blinded by the bright sun, she bumped smack into the solid wall of Jayâs chest.
âHey, nice shoes,â he said, steadying her.
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Why in the world did he always show up out of nowhere? And why did she react with a strange quivering sensation deep inside?
She regained her footing and her mental equilibrium, and took a step away from him. âThe shoes were Krissyâs. Theyâre a half size too big, but I had to do something.â
âSmart girl! Better than breaking your neck.â He thumbed his hat back. âSo what happened in Kalispell?â
âThey gave me a court date for the hearing about Bryan.â
His eyes narrowed. âWhen?â
She bristled at his sharp-edged tone. âUnfortunately, the soonest date they could give me is the end of next week. I think Iâll go back to Seattle this Thursday. Iâll be there for the medical conference at the hotel over the weekend, which will please my boss. Iâll also be able to start setting things up for Bryan.â
âSo youâll have what, four days this week to get to know him? Then youâll duck out and reappear just in time to drag him back to Seattle with you?â
âYou were the one who said he shouldnât miss the last two weeks of school.â She pointed her chin at him. âNow you get your way and youâre angry about it. Whyâs that?â
His blue-green eyes darkened to almost black. His jaw muscle jumped and his Adamâs apple bounced.
âIf youâre going to have any kind of a relationship with that boy, youâd better spend every minute you can with him before you go off to Seattle.â
âFine. Iâd be happy to. But just how am I going to do that when he spends all of his time in the barn or stables or off somewhere on his horse?â
âThen I guess youâre going to have to get up close and personal with his horse.â He squared his hat, gave her another hard look and strode past her into the barn.
She fumed. Had he forgotten her fear of horses? Or had he said that to point out what a terrible guardian sheâd be for Bryan?
Well, forget that, Mr. High-and-Mighty. It might take some time and effort, but she and Bryan would be fine.
* * *
Jay snatched up a bridle that needed to be cleaned, grabbed a sponge and dipped it in the ammonia-laced water. That fool woman had no right to take Bryan away. He belonged here at Bear Lake Outfitters, not in some dinky condo in Seattle.
âYou act like a man with a problem,â Grandpa Henry said.
Jay scrubbed the bridle to get rid of accumulated dirt and grime, a
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