A Rancher's Love by Capri Montgomery Read Free Book Online Page A

disconnected. He tried the cell and he couldn’t get her either. The lines were having trouble or something. He thinks he’s lost her for good.”
    “Oh hell,” Guy mumbled.
    “Just get him another woman, Justin said.
    35

    A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery
    “He’s not like you young men, Justin. When he falls he falls hard.”
    “He didn’t know her that long.” Justin commented in between shoving food in his mouth.
    “He knew he was going to marry Daisy the first day he met her.”
    “High school,” Justin tried to speak with food in his mouth and Jasper chastised him for it.
    Everybody knew Jasper was big on table manners and speaking with food in one’s mouth was not welcome at her table.
    “He met her the first day and he knew right away that he was going to marry her someday. He told his parents when he came home from school. I know because his mother told me when I first went to work for them. She said she thought her son was crazy, but he married that girl anyway. When they died he hired me on instead of just making me leave the ranch. He knew I thought this place and his parents were my home. I, in all my time of knowing him, have never seen him look at another woman the way he looked at Zoe—not since Daisy died.”
    “It’s like he’s lost love all over again.” Guy shook his head for his friend. Jasper was right. When Dean fell he fell hard, and he was falling now.
    “Take him some food back with you when you go.”
    “He won’t eat it,” Guy said because Dean hadn’t eaten it any other time he had taken it back.
    “Take it anyway,” she snapped.
    “Yes Mrs. Daisy.”
    His heart was aching for his friend because he didn’t see any sort of recovery for him. Losing one woman he loved had been bad enough, but losing two—he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy, let alone his friend.
    “I have to go into town and pick up the supplies this weekend. Somebody please make sure Dean doesn’t kill himself with work like he’s been doing the past few weekends.”
    They all nodded and agreed to try. But they knew, just as he knew, nobody told Dean what to do.
    The man was more alive than any of them had seen him while Zoe was there, and now he was just giving 36

    A Rancher’s Love ~ Capri Montgomery up. It wasn’t that he was miserable before, but the life he had shining in his eyes was different when she was here—brighter and better and warmer. They all missed seeing him that happy.
    When Saturday came Guy gave up trying to keep Dean out of the stables. He wanted to work even though he looked like death warmed over, and Guy needed to get to town to pick up supplies. He couldn’t hand hold a grown man, especially when that man was stubborn as a bull. He wasn’t doing well, not at all.
    Guy punched in the cell phone number Jasper took off Dean’s speed dial on the home phone. When she answered he thanked God for her voice.
    “Guy! How are you? I’ve been trying to get through, but Dean and I keep missing each other, and then I had to put my stuff in storage.” She laughed. “How is he?”
    “Not well, Zoe.”
    “Oh my God, what’s wrong?”
    “He’s in a real bad way. I don’t know…I just don’t know if he’ll make it. Can you come? I know it’s asking a lot…”
    “I’m leaving today. I’ll catch a flight, the first flight I can get. I was supposed to leave for New York tonight, but I’ll change my ticket. I’m coming.”
    “I’ll pick you up at the airport,” he exhaled sharply. The relief evident in his tone; relief that she didn’t say no. “Thank you, Zoe.”
    “Please tell him to hold on for me. You guys keep him as comfortable as possible and don’t you dare let him die on me.”
    She hung up the phone so fast. He could hear the tears in her voice. At least she was coming; that was what Dean needed—to see her, to hold her. She could save his heart and his life if she just came back.
    Zoe had made a mad dash for the airport. She had already