The Reluctant Rancher~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense) by J.D. Faver
Authors: J.D. Faver
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I’m not happy about you spending any time with Eldon Kincaid. I can’t imagine why he wants to talk to you. Or why you would agree to it. After all, he tried to kill you too.”
She heaved a huge sigh, her shoulders lifting and falling with the effort. “Trust me, I remember.” She was happy to have won a small battle…totally unable to fathom why Eldon would want to see her, but considering the conditions surrounding his confession, she was too curious to deny him. At any rate, she was glad her husband would be nearby to back her up.
Breck turned to gather the pile of mail on the credenza in the entryway. He tore open the envelopes and separated the enclosures into several piles.
She went to the kitchen to begin making dinner, a task she was still not very good at. She had thought herself an adequate cook back in Houston, but realized that most of her menus were built around food she had picked up on the way home from the hospital where she had completed her residency and internship. Where, she had thought to complete a fellowship in immunology and advance her career in medical research.
But that was before she had met Breckenridge T. Ryan. Before she had returned to the town of Langston in the Texas Panhandle for her Aunt Silky’s funeral and before she had begun to suspect her aunt had been murdered. It was before the enigmatic Breck had changed her life plan by making her fall in love with him, with the town and its people and with the dream her aunt had set forth for h er.
Now, preparing an edible meal for her husband was high on her list of priorities. Breck would have had no problem cooking a great meal for her, but it was a point of pride with Cami that she would be able to produce simple fare for their evening meal. That was , she reasoned, part of being a country wife. This was what all the other wives in the area did, so she had decided it was her duty as well. When she informed Breck of her intentions, he had scoffed.
“Well, all those other wives aren’t working full time as doctors. They don’t get called out in the middle of the night to deliver babies and provide medical care to the elderly shut-ins.” He had insisted that he was more than happy to pitch in with the cooking and cleaning, but she refused his help.
Now, she stared into the freezer, sorry that she had forgotten to take something out to thaw earlier. She sighed and went to the pantry. A box of macaroni and cheese met her eye. She found a recipe on the back that only required a can of tuna and another of mushroom soup. “Got it.” After a short time she was able to call Breck to the table.
“Tuna casserole,” he announced. “I haven’t had this since my mom was alive.” He kissed her temple and sat down at the head of the table.
She passed the casserole dish to him, glad he was able to recognize it. “And peas…We have peas.” True, they had been frozen and she had nuked them into tenderness, but they had a somewhat balanced meal. Okay, so cooking wasn’t her thing, but she would learn.
“Great meal, honey.” Breck beamed his appreciation at her.
A flow of warmth to her insides gave her one more reason she was glad she had given up her dream career in Houston. Got a new dream.
~*~
That night, E.J. was ready to turn in, when the house phone rang. It was a physician calling from his dad’s prison. He informed E.J. that Eldon was severely depressed and anxious. Eldon wanted his son to visit and was asking if someone named Camryn Carmichael was going to be coming too.
“I…I’m not sure. I asked her, but she didn’t sound eager to see him.” E.J. heaved out a huge sigh. “You know that he confessed to killing her great aunt, don’t you?”
There was a silence on the other end of the line. “No, I wasn’t aware of that. Perhaps he wants her forgiveness.”
E.J. shook his head. “I can’t imagine, but I’ll ask her again.” He hung up feeling restless and far from sleepy. He paced around the house,
She heaved a huge sigh, her shoulders lifting and falling with the effort. “Trust me, I remember.” She was happy to have won a small battle…totally unable to fathom why Eldon would want to see her, but considering the conditions surrounding his confession, she was too curious to deny him. At any rate, she was glad her husband would be nearby to back her up.
Breck turned to gather the pile of mail on the credenza in the entryway. He tore open the envelopes and separated the enclosures into several piles.
She went to the kitchen to begin making dinner, a task she was still not very good at. She had thought herself an adequate cook back in Houston, but realized that most of her menus were built around food she had picked up on the way home from the hospital where she had completed her residency and internship. Where, she had thought to complete a fellowship in immunology and advance her career in medical research.
But that was before she had met Breckenridge T. Ryan. Before she had returned to the town of Langston in the Texas Panhandle for her Aunt Silky’s funeral and before she had begun to suspect her aunt had been murdered. It was before the enigmatic Breck had changed her life plan by making her fall in love with him, with the town and its people and with the dream her aunt had set forth for h er.
Now, preparing an edible meal for her husband was high on her list of priorities. Breck would have had no problem cooking a great meal for her, but it was a point of pride with Cami that she would be able to produce simple fare for their evening meal. That was , she reasoned, part of being a country wife. This was what all the other wives in the area did, so she had decided it was her duty as well. When she informed Breck of her intentions, he had scoffed.
“Well, all those other wives aren’t working full time as doctors. They don’t get called out in the middle of the night to deliver babies and provide medical care to the elderly shut-ins.” He had insisted that he was more than happy to pitch in with the cooking and cleaning, but she refused his help.
Now, she stared into the freezer, sorry that she had forgotten to take something out to thaw earlier. She sighed and went to the pantry. A box of macaroni and cheese met her eye. She found a recipe on the back that only required a can of tuna and another of mushroom soup. “Got it.” After a short time she was able to call Breck to the table.
“Tuna casserole,” he announced. “I haven’t had this since my mom was alive.” He kissed her temple and sat down at the head of the table.
She passed the casserole dish to him, glad he was able to recognize it. “And peas…We have peas.” True, they had been frozen and she had nuked them into tenderness, but they had a somewhat balanced meal. Okay, so cooking wasn’t her thing, but she would learn.
“Great meal, honey.” Breck beamed his appreciation at her.
A flow of warmth to her insides gave her one more reason she was glad she had given up her dream career in Houston. Got a new dream.
~*~
That night, E.J. was ready to turn in, when the house phone rang. It was a physician calling from his dad’s prison. He informed E.J. that Eldon was severely depressed and anxious. Eldon wanted his son to visit and was asking if someone named Camryn Carmichael was going to be coming too.
“I…I’m not sure. I asked her, but she didn’t sound eager to see him.” E.J. heaved out a huge sigh. “You know that he confessed to killing her great aunt, don’t you?”
There was a silence on the other end of the line. “No, I wasn’t aware of that. Perhaps he wants her forgiveness.”
E.J. shook his head. “I can’t imagine, but I’ll ask her again.” He hung up feeling restless and far from sleepy. He paced around the house,
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