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Chapter One
It was an image straight out of a country dream.
Miles and miles of land stretched out for as far as the eye could see. Land filled with mesquite trees, scrub oak, late spring wildflowers, and early summer grasses. A herd of longhorn cattle lazily munched on those grasses, their tails occasionally lifting to flick at pesky insects. Or maybe just to fan their bodies in the sizzling May heat.
Amid the land and cattle sat a big red barn and quaint two-story farmhouse. The barn brought up images of six laughing girls grooming thoroughbred horses and cuddling newborn kittens and jumping in shrieks of delight from the hayloft. The farmhouse with its wide porch brought up another image.
An image of a loving family.
As always, the image caused Corbin Whitlock to feel numerous things: pain, desire, envy, and anger. The anger always won out. It was a much easier emotion to deal with than the others.
“I don’t know how in the hell I let you and Jesse talk me into allowing the Holidays to stay for a month, Sunshine Brook Whitlock,” he grumbled as he maneuvered his truck around a pothole in the road. “I should have my head examined.”
His sister smiled at him from the passenger seat. Sunny had been aptly named. She was brilliance and warmth and life.
She was certainly his life.
“I’m not going to argue that point, Corbin Conrad Whitlock,” she said. “I have never understood the things that go on in your head.”
“Just like I don’t understand the things that go on in yours. Allowing the Holidays to stay for a month will only make it harder for them to leave.” He took his eyes off the dirt road to give her a stern look. “And they are going to leave, Sunny. They aren’t like all the stray animals you kept bringing home when we were kids.”
Not that they had ever been able to keep any of those strays. Which probably explained why Corbin had grown so attached to Taylor Swift. He glanced down at the tiger-striped kitten curled up in his lap and gently stroked her soft, tiny head as he continued.
“The Holidays aren’t strays. They have six daughters who I’m sure will be more than happy to take them in. Or at least four of them will.”
Sunny laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re still holding a grudge against Liberty and Belle for that little high school prank they pulled. I’ve pulled worse pranks than that.”
Sunny did have a prankster nature, but her jokes were all in good fun. Liberty and Belle’s prank hadn’t been fun. Not fun at all. When he didn’t say anything, Sunny sighed.
“Okay. I guess my pranks never broke anyone’s heart.”
“Liberty didn’t break my heart. You have to be in love with someone for them to break your heart and I was never in love with her.”
“No, just infatuated. And since you’re taking their family’s ranch, I have to wonder if you weren’t infatuated with the entire Holiday family.”
He snorted. “Not hardly. Like I’ve told you and Jesse repeatedly. Foreclosing on this ranch isn’t about the Holidays.” He glanced at her. “I want you to have your dream home.”
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again and smiled brightly. “Thank you, big brother. You always have given me everything I’ve dreamed of. Now about that Lamborghini for my birthday?”
He looked back at the road. “Not a chance. After the way you were driving in Paris, I’m not about to buy you a fast car.” He pulled in behind the U-Haul truck he’d been following to the ranch. “I ordered you a Subaru. They’re supposed to be some of the safest cars on the road.”
Sunny rolled her eyes as she reached for the door handle. “Whoopee. I just love playing it safe.”
Corbin didn’t find her sarcasm funny. Keeping Sunny safe was a full-time job. While he had always been cautious, she had always been adventurous and a daredevil. She never did anything illegal—besides driving way too fast—but she was always willing to try something new, exciting . . . and dangerous.
Against his wishes, she’d skydived, mountain climbed, and scuba dived with sharks. She’d driven Formula One race cars and motocross motorcycles and taken flying lessons. After graduating from college, she’d wanted to travel all over the world. He’d put his foot down and closed his wallet on that dream. But she had talked him into going to an art school in Paris.
Corbin had been worried sick the entire three years she’d been gone—even with the security team he’d hired to keep an eye on her.
But she was home now. Their home. And he could finally relax.
Although, as he climbed out of his truck, he didn’t feel relaxed. A knot of unease, anxiety . . . and guilt settled in his stomach. It pissed him off. He had every right to be there. The Holidays had known what would happen if they failed to make the loan payments on the ranch. He wasn’t at fault. He had only done what any smart businessman would do.
The Holidays would find another place to call home. In fact, at their age, they should probably be living in a retirement community. A ranch this size was too much for three old people to handle by themselves. The debt they had gotten themselves in proved it.
But knowing that didn’t stop his guilt from growing when Mitzy Holiday, or Mimi as everyone called her, came around the side of the house. The Holidays’ grandma looked like she had every other time he’d visited the ranch—like she’d been rolling around in the dirt. Her gardening gloves, T-shirt, jeans, and roper boots were covered in dark soil. There was even a smudge on her nose and the wide brim of her hat.
Completely unconcerned with the dirt, Sunny hurried over and gave her a tight hug. Sunny had fallen in love with Mimi after only one meeting. Which wasn’t surprising given that Sunny seemed to love everyone . . . while Corbin only tolerated people.
