of losing Will without her seeing just how close to the edge he was. Maybe he should focus on what arrangements they should make for their mother.
“What’s Mom’s prognosis?” he asked.
“Not good. The cancer has invaded her organs—lungs, kidneys, liver. She’s dying, Billy.”
“How long does she have?”
“The doctor doesn’t know. A couple of months, maybe.”
“Isn’t there anything he can do for her? Chemotherapy? Radiation? Surgery?”
Emma shook her head. “It’s too late. He can give her something for the pain. She’s going to need care. With everything I have to do around the ranch and…” She smoothed her nightgown over her rounded abdomen. “And other things… I realized I couldn’t do it all alone. So I called you.”
Billy shoved a hand through his hair and blew out a gusty breath. “How would you feel about selling the ranch?”
“What would that accomplish? The shape it’s in, no one would pay much for it. Except maybe the Blackthornes. They’d buy it for the land.”
Billy grimaced. “Mom paid too high a price to get this place. I’d hate like hell giving it back to Blackjack for nothing.”
“That’s not the worst of it,” Emma said. “Where would Mom and I go? Is your place in Amarillo big enough for the four—” She patted her stomach and revised, “The five of us?”
“There’s barely room for me and Will.”
“So selling this place is out. Any other ideas?”
Billy swallowed the last of his bourbon and set the jar on the table. “Let me sleep on it. Maybe something will come to me by morning.”
“I hope you have better luck than I’ve had,” Emma said. “I’ve gone round and round with this in my head, and I haven’t figured out a solution to the problem.”
“I’ll think of something,” Billy said.
Because if he didn’t, he was going to lose his son.
Billy’s stomach turned over.
By the time the sun rose again, he had to come up with a plan. He wasn’t giving up Will. That simply wasn’t going to happen. No matter what he had to do.
Chapter 4
S UMMER WOKE UP FEELING UNHAPPY AND DESPERATE and reckless. If only Billy hadn’t shown up in town last night. If only he’d stayed away two weeks longer. His sudden reappearance had turned her life upside down.
She’d tossed and turned all night, unable to decide what she should do. Her brothers had all made lives for themselves that took them away from the ranch. Trace had inherited a cattle station in Australia. Clay was the attorney general of Texas. And Owen was a Texas Ranger. All she’d ever wanted was to one day be mistress of Bitter Creek. Could she marry Geoffrey knowing that she was doing it simply to realize her dream?
On the other hand wasn’t that why she’d agreed to his proposal in the first place? Why wasn’t she grabbing at the chance her mother had offered her with both hands?
Her current confusion was all Billy’s fault.
His return had reminded her that once upon a time she’d had a best friend with whom she could share everything, say anything. And for the briefest moment before they’d been separated two years ago, she’d felt things for Billy Coburn that she hadn’t known it waspossible for one human being to feel for another. Frightening feelings. Terrifying feelings. Billy had touched someplace deep inside her that she’d kept hidden from everyone, even herself.
What she felt for Geoffrey wasn’t nearly so threatening. She could marry him and get the ranch and never have to worry about having those terrifying feelings again.
Unfortunately, she’d already broken off their engagement. She’d have to lie to Geoffrey if she wanted their marriage to go forward now, and she’d never believed herself capable of that sort of deceit.
Summer made a growling sound in her throat. She hated being manipulated even more than she wanted Bitter Creek. First her father throwing Geoffrey at her as a prospective husband, hoping for a grandson to carry on after him.
“What’s Mom’s prognosis?” he asked.
“Not good. The cancer has invaded her organs—lungs, kidneys, liver. She’s dying, Billy.”
“How long does she have?”
“The doctor doesn’t know. A couple of months, maybe.”
“Isn’t there anything he can do for her? Chemotherapy? Radiation? Surgery?”
Emma shook her head. “It’s too late. He can give her something for the pain. She’s going to need care. With everything I have to do around the ranch and…” She smoothed her nightgown over her rounded abdomen. “And other things… I realized I couldn’t do it all alone. So I called you.”
Billy shoved a hand through his hair and blew out a gusty breath. “How would you feel about selling the ranch?”
“What would that accomplish? The shape it’s in, no one would pay much for it. Except maybe the Blackthornes. They’d buy it for the land.”
Billy grimaced. “Mom paid too high a price to get this place. I’d hate like hell giving it back to Blackjack for nothing.”
“That’s not the worst of it,” Emma said. “Where would Mom and I go? Is your place in Amarillo big enough for the four—” She patted her stomach and revised, “The five of us?”
“There’s barely room for me and Will.”
“So selling this place is out. Any other ideas?”
Billy swallowed the last of his bourbon and set the jar on the table. “Let me sleep on it. Maybe something will come to me by morning.”
“I hope you have better luck than I’ve had,” Emma said. “I’ve gone round and round with this in my head, and I haven’t figured out a solution to the problem.”
“I’ll think of something,” Billy said.
Because if he didn’t, he was going to lose his son.
Billy’s stomach turned over.
By the time the sun rose again, he had to come up with a plan. He wasn’t giving up Will. That simply wasn’t going to happen. No matter what he had to do.
Chapter 4
S UMMER WOKE UP FEELING UNHAPPY AND DESPERATE and reckless. If only Billy hadn’t shown up in town last night. If only he’d stayed away two weeks longer. His sudden reappearance had turned her life upside down.
She’d tossed and turned all night, unable to decide what she should do. Her brothers had all made lives for themselves that took them away from the ranch. Trace had inherited a cattle station in Australia. Clay was the attorney general of Texas. And Owen was a Texas Ranger. All she’d ever wanted was to one day be mistress of Bitter Creek. Could she marry Geoffrey knowing that she was doing it simply to realize her dream?
On the other hand wasn’t that why she’d agreed to his proposal in the first place? Why wasn’t she grabbing at the chance her mother had offered her with both hands?
Her current confusion was all Billy’s fault.
His return had reminded her that once upon a time she’d had a best friend with whom she could share everything, say anything. And for the briefest moment before they’d been separated two years ago, she’d felt things for Billy Coburn that she hadn’t known it waspossible for one human being to feel for another. Frightening feelings. Terrifying feelings. Billy had touched someplace deep inside her that she’d kept hidden from everyone, even herself.
What she felt for Geoffrey wasn’t nearly so threatening. She could marry him and get the ranch and never have to worry about having those terrifying feelings again.
Unfortunately, she’d already broken off their engagement. She’d have to lie to Geoffrey if she wanted their marriage to go forward now, and she’d never believed herself capable of that sort of deceit.
Summer made a growling sound in her throat. She hated being manipulated even more than she wanted Bitter Creek. First her father throwing Geoffrey at her as a prospective husband, hoping for a grandson to carry on after him.
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