Rocky Mountain Hitched: Contemporary Western Romance (To Love Again Book 6) by Kate Fargo Page A

“Exactly. It was a hell of a thing to explain that their father didn’t give a rat’s ass about them. Of course, I didn’t frame it that way. But he never sent so much as a birthday card to the girls.”
    “I’m sorry, Issy.” He stroked her shoulder. “Did you ever wonder if —”
    “If maybe he died? I’m ashamed to say part of me wanted him dead. Just so it would be easier to explain. For the first year or so, he just fell off the face of the earth. Then, through the grapevine, I heard he’d taken some time off and was living in Borneo or someplace over there.”
    “Borneo?”
    She shrugged. Even after all this time, it made her tired just thinking about it. “He’s back in the country now. As far as I know, he’s working at the same real estate company as when we were married.”
    “I’m sure Barry will find out everything there is to know. The question is, do you want to know what he finds out?” Tray cocked his head.
    She rubbed her hand over her forehead. “I don’t know. If it’s important for me to know, then yes.”
    He nodded and pulled her close. “I won’t let him hurt you again, love. And I will never hurt you the way he did.”
    She snuggled into him, finding comfort in his embrace. She believed him. With all her heart, she believed him. She exhaled and her body relaxed. She pushed up off the bed. “Beer? I’m going to have some wine.”
    “Sounds good,” he said, sitting up. “What’s in the mini-fridge for snacks?”
    “Let me see.” She pulled a beer out and placed it on the counter. “Snickers, M&M’s, Pringles, and dry roasted nuts.” She turned toward him holding the bottle of nuts and quirked her brows.
    “Definitely the nuts.”
    She pulled what was left of the white wine out of the fridge and poured about two fingers worth into the goblet. “I don’t think that’ll be enough wine,” she mused.
    “I’ll go,” Tray said, getting up.
    “Go where?”
    “To the bar.”
    “Really? Why don’t we just call room service.”
    “I could use a stretch,” he said, extending his arms over his head. “Be right back.”
    Isabel stood by the fridge and watched the door click behind him. Huh, men.
     
    ~~~
     
    Tray took the stairs, two at a time, down to the main lobby. Poking his head into the dining room, he saw the pasta buffet was still in full swing. It wasn’t as late as he’d thought. They could come downstairs for dinner before they went dancing.
    The bartender presented him a couple of choices, both well chilled. After choosing, he signed the chit with their room number, re-entered the lobby, and crossed the wide expanse of marble floor to the gift shop. The young woman behind the counter, discreetly filing her nails, glanced up and smiled widely.
    “How can I help you sir?”
    “I was hoping for some fresh flowers,” Tray said, his gaze sweeping the shelves and counters lined with souvenirs and boxed candy.
    “We have some,” the young woman said. “Out back in the cooler. What did you have in mind?” She rifled through a stack of papers beside the cash register, and passed him a full-color brochure. “We have some beautiful daffodils for Easter. Lilies, too.”
    “Roses?”
    “Absolutely, we got some nice ones in this morning. Let me check what colors we have left.” She slipped from behind the counter and through a door into the back. “We have red. And red.” She smiled, a crooked bit of a smile, that he found somehow endearing. She reminded him a little of Isabel’s daughter Karin.
    “Red is perfect. I’ll take a dozen, please.”
    “Shall I send them up to your room, sir?”
    “I’d rather take them myself, if it’s no trouble.”
    “No trouble at all, sir. Give me five minutes. Would you like a vase for them? We have a nice selection against that wall.” She pointed out a shelf with a handful of different vases.
    “I’ll have a look,” Tray said. He shuffled through the vases for a couple of minutes - they all looked the same