“Grabbing Dad’s map box. Want me to stay?”
“No, go. I know how to deal with Leonora.”
Ben headed through the house, grabbed the box, and met his mother in the drive.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing here?”
He held up the box.
“Be careful of that. You know how you father is about his trail maps.”
“I’m actually gonna take it into town later today and get copies made, two or three copies, of all these, so we can keep a set at the barn.”
“Have you got time for a cool drink?”
“No, just had one with Beth.”
“What’s she doing up here in the middle of the afternoon?”
Ben regarded his mother, who was still a blonde beauty. In her late fifties now, Leonora had married her high school sweetheart. She and Ben Senior were still as much in love now as they had been at sixteen. He hated to tell her about Beth. His mother liked order and predictability. When order and tranquility were absent, she worked overtime until they were restored. Poor Beth.
He gave their mother a quick rundown of the situation, ending with, “Just let her be, Mom. Let her cry it out for a few days. She’s strong. We’ll help her through it.”
“Beth doesn’t cry.”
“Well, she does today, and she needs to let it all out. If I could get my hands on Sampson, I’d wring his neck, the jerk.”
“Your father will kill him.”
“Not if Harley and I get to him first.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll do no such thing. You have a family now.”
Ben thought about his beautiful wife, Maggie and their daughter, Emma. Yes, he did have a family and felt like the luckiest man on earth, which made his beloved sister’s situation even more upsetting. Bill might have been a bit on the dull side, but he seemed steady and reliable, and he had clearly made Beth happy until today. He might not kill him, but they would certainly have words.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
About the Author
A Note from the Author
Other Titles from M. Lee Prescott
Excerpt from Lang's Return
Chapter 1
Chapter 2