Claiming the Rancher's Heart by Cindy Kirk Read Free Book Online Page B

searching for your damned bliss.”
    The words sounded like a curse. Still, Stacie couldn’t help but smile at the familiar name. She and Amber had been best friends all through school. “Amber and I used to joke that we were twins separated at birth.”
    “She was never happy in Ann Arbor, either,” Paul said, a surprising bitterness in his tone. “She always wanted something more. And look where it got her.”
    “Where it got her?” Stacie’s voice rose. She couldn’t believe his arrogance. “The school where she’s teaching in Los Angeles may not be nationally acclaimed, and she may not be making the big bucks, but every day she makes a difference in the lives of her students.”
    “You haven’t heard.” It was a statement, not a question. The bleak look in Paul’s eyes sent a shiver of unease up Stacie’s spine.
    “Heard what?” She knew Amber and Paul kept in touch. A long time ago Paul had desperately wanted to marry her friend. Though he’d moved on and married another woman, Stacie knew Amber still held a special spot in his heart.
    A tiny muscle in Paul’s jaw jumped. “I thought Karen and you would have talked by now.”
    Karen was one of Stacie’s sisters. She’d left a handful of messages the past week, but Stacie hadn’t gotten around to calling her back. “Karen and I haven’t connected. Did she hear from Amber?”
    “Amber is dead.” The muscle in Paul’s jaw began twitching. “Some punk shot her in the school parking lot.”
    His words seemed to come from far away. Stacie turned hot and then cold. A vision of Amber—auburn hair, bright green eyes and an ever-present smile—flashed before her. How could her friend be dead? She’d been the most alive person Stacie knew.
    “It’s not true.” Stacie shook her head, trying to dispel the picture of Amber lying in her own blood. “You’re making it up. You want me to move back. To give up my dreams. Just like you wanted Amber to give up her dream for you. But she didn’t and I won’t—”
    “Shh. It’s okay.” Josh moved to her side and this time when he placed a steadying arm around her shoulders, she didn’t resist.
    “The funeral was Thursday,” Paul said, sounding incredibly weary.
    Stacie swallowed a sob. It seemed easier to focus on her anger, rather than the pain tearing her heart in two.
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice sounded shrill even to her own ears. “I’d have come. She was my friend. My best friend.”
    “Karen and I both left messages asking you to call us back,” Paul said simply. “I couldn’t leave that news on voice mail.”
    Regret mixed with shame washed over Stacie. She leaned against Josh, drawing strength from his support. She’d been wrong to blame Paul. It was her fault for not calling back. She’d put off dialing his number for one reason: every time she talked to him or Karen, she hung up feeling like a big failure. Now Amber’s parents probably thought she didn’t care enough to come back for the funeral. “I can’t imagine how hard this is on her family.”
    “I know exactly how they’re feeling,” Paul said. “That’s why I’m here. I love you, Stacie. I want to make sure what happened to Amber doesn’t happen to you.”

    Midmorning sun streamed through the lace curtains of the kitchen window and the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Stacie stared down at her steaming cup of French roast, still unsettled by last night’s events.
    She lifted her gaze to find Lauren and Anna staring, waiting for her to finish the story. “I convinced Josh that my brother could see me safely home. Paul and I spent a couple of hours talking…crying…talking some more. He slept for three or four hours then headed back to Billings to catch his flight.”
    Though she and Paul disagreed on most issues, they’d both loved Amber. Stacie felt tears sting the back of her lids, but she blinked them back. She’d never liked crying in public. Even if in this