“That I don’t know. You need to take the list to her. I think I stuffed it into my jacket pocket just seconds before the pickup rolled. I have no idea where my clothes are. Maybe a nurse has them.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find the list and talk to Oakley. You just need to rest.” He leaned over and kissed her.

  “Coop,” she said, grabbing his shirt in her fist and drawing him to her again.

  He knew what she wanted to ask. He could understand why she was worried. He’d been worried that this could change things between them. “I love you, Tilly Stafford.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I love you, Cooper McKenna. I had a dream about you and me. It involved the tailgate of your pickup.”

  He grinned. “As soon as you get out of here and are up for it.”

  “Oh, I’m up for it. Does this mean you’re through fighting it?”

  He nodded. “I can’t wait to make love to you.”

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Charlotte Stafford cried from the doorway.

  “Visiting the woman I love,” Cooper said as he gave Tilly another quick kiss and turned to leave.

  Her mother looked as if she might explode as she strode past him to her daughter’s bed.

  “I don’t want to hear it, Mother,” Tilly said as Cooper left the room, closing the door behind him. His boots felt lighter on his feet as he headed down the hall to find Tilly’s jacket and the passwords before visiting Oakley’s room.

  All the way, he couldn’t help but wonder why a password had been so important to Oakley that day after being shot.

  * * *

  HOLDEN STOOD IN the doorway of the stables watching Holly Jo. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she was definitely murmuring something to her horse as she groomed the mare. Her movements were slow, almost loving, and he felt a tug at his heart.

  He’d been beginning to think he’d made a mistake by bringing her here. He’d promised he would take care of her. That didn’t mean that he had to bring her to a ranch where she didn’t want to be and force her into his lifestyle instead of her own. He’d been having doubts since their ride together. He’d known that she’d thought she would just take off on the horse and never look back. Was she that desperate to get away?

  But watching her now, he felt such a ray of hope that he wondered how he could ever have thought of not keeping her here.

  “Interested in going for a ride?” he asked as he approached.

  She looked up in surprise. “Really?”

  “No more stunts like last time?”

  “I promise,” she said excitedly. “I promise. I think Honey wants to go even more than I do.”

  He smiled at that. “She does look like she could use a little exercise. We should saddle the horses.” The girl was all smiles now.

  They walked their horses out of the stables. She went over to the corral and used the railing to climb up on her horse by herself. Turning, she grinned at him. He could see the pride in her eyes.

  “Nice job,” he said as he swung up into the saddle. They rode out across the pasture toward the foothills. He felt the warm morning summer breeze on his face and looked over at Holly Jo. Her expression was one of bliss. He smiled, thinking he’d never felt more alive than at that moment.

  They stopped in the trees to let their horses get a drink from the creek. He didn’t want to spoil this easy peace between them, but he also wanted to talk to her about a few things.

  “Are you looking forward to school?” She shot him a disbelieving look. “I think you’ll enjoy it. You’ll meet other kids your age. You’ll make friends.” She didn’t look convinced.

  He changed the subject. “I’ve noticed that you don’t seem to like a lot of the food we eat. I was wondering if there is something Elaine can buy that you might like.”

  “It’s okay. Elaine talked me into trying some beef. It’s not bad. I think I could like it.”

  Holden smiled. “Better than broccoli?”

  She gave him a sheepish look. “I don’t really like broccoli.”

  “I noticed you didn’t eat much of it.”

  “If I’m going to stay here, what should I call you?”

  It was a good question, one he hadn’t considered. “What would you like to call me?”

  She shrugged. “I suppose Holden. You’re really not my dad?”

  “No, but I wish I were. I’m glad you’re staying with us.”

  Holly Jo looked away. “I’m not sure I belong here.”

  “I think you do and so does Honey.”

  She laughed at that as she stroked the mare’s neck. “You shouldn’t believe everything Honey says.”

  He laughed and they turned back toward the house, him promising that they would ride more.

  “Can I learn to do tricks on Honey?” she asked.

  “We’ll see.” He told himself to enjoy this moment because it wouldn’t last. He was smart enough to know that there would be tantrums, crying, yelling and threats to leave. After all, Holly Jo was just at the beginning of her teenage years.

  He remembered what he’d gone through with Bailey. Just the thought of his daughter reminded him that he hadn’t seen much of her lately. He hated to think what she might be up to. He tried not to worry as he looked over at Holly Jo. Right now, he had a good feeling about the future and he was determined to hang on to it.

  * * *

  AFTER LEAVING TILLY’S ROOM, the sheriff went down the hall to visit Oakley. He figured she’d already heard that it had been her brother who shot her. But Stuart needed to make it official. She was sitting up in bed when he stepped in.

  “I figure you’ve already heard,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded. “I knew how CJ felt about a lot of things. I should have known I was pushing him too far. He just seems to think that he’s now the man of the house and that we all have to do whatever he says. That’s not going to happen. I hope he learned something from this.”

  Her attitude surprised him. He’d known Oakley a long time. This young woman was strong and determined. But he also knew her brother CJ. “You’re taking this awfully well.” He wasn’t completely sure that he believed it.

  She laughed. “I’m not taking it that well. When I see him, I’m sure I’ll have a few things to say to him. With him injured, it will limit how angry I get.”

  “How’s your mother doing?”

  “You haven’t seen her?”

  “Actually, I did just see her.”

  Oakley groaned. “Then I’m sure you have a pretty good idea how she’s taking this. CJ is her hope for the future. She keeps thinking he’s going to change because she is planning on him running the ranch one day. For such a liberal, strong, independent woman, it kind of amazes me that she thinks CJ should run the ranch. How can she not realize that Tilly’s the one who loves the ranch and will take care of it? I can’t say the same for my brother. He’s all about money and power. But then again, so is my mother.”

  “I’m sorry about the problems with the family.”

  “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Her gaze softened. “You know about Tilly and Cooper.” He nodded. “I have no idea what Mother will do.”

  “You’re not interested in running the ranch?” he had to ask.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure why I’ve stayed here this long.”

  Stuart thought he might know. “Do you mind if I ask if you’re involved with Pickett Hanson?”

  She smiled. “I like Pickett. But he’s not the only man I’m interested in, if I’m being honest. And in case you’re wondering, my brother CJ wouldn’t approve of either of my choices.”

  He realized she wasn’t going to share any more of her personal life with him. Wasn’t his business. But keeping peace in this valley was. “I heard you’re getting out of the hospital pretty soon.”

  “Thank goodness. I’m going stir-crazy in here.”

  “I’m going to need a formal statement from you.” She started to say that she wasn’t pressing charges. “I’ve heard you’re not pressing charges. But in the case of a shooting, the county will. CJ will face charges.”

  She shook her head. “We both know that my mother will get him out of it.”

  “I’ll send a deputy by with some paperwork.” He tipped his Stetson, wished her well and left.

  He could foresee a long legal battle ahead, but CJ would get off easy. Not that it would end the trouble in that family. His best friend was in love with a Stafford, there was a PI in town asking questions about Charlotte’s last husband who’d disappeared, and if he’d read Oakley right, she wasn’t just interested in a McKenna ranch hand. He figured there wouldn’t be any peace in that family for a very long time.

  He just hoped it didn’t boil over and require the law to step in.

  * * *

  DOWN AT THE OFFICE, Cooper was directed to the head nurse who found Tilly’s clothing and jacket. All had been covered with blood and bagged. He dug in her jacket pocket and found a scrap of paper with a list of passwords on it. He scanned them as he walked to Oakley’s room. The word buttercup jumped out at him, but there was nothing after it that explained what the password was for.

  He hoped she would be able to solve at least one mystery that had been driving him batty since she’d ridden her horse onto the road that day. He tapped on her door before peeking in. He didn’t want to have a run-in with her mother. He’d barely escaped the last one.

  Fortunately, Oakley was alone. “I have something for you,” he said as he stepped in.

  “I hope it’s not flowers. I’m not dying.”

  He laughed. “I can see that you’re recovering.” She was so much like Tilly. He never appreciated her sense of humor until now. “It’s your passwords.” He handed her the handwritten list.

  She looked at him suspiciously. “Did you memorize them?”

  “I can’t remember my own passwords, so I’m certainly not going to try to memorize yours.” She laughed and glanced at the sheet. “But I do have a question. Remember when I found you?” She didn’t remember. “I told you when I found you that all you said was ‘Buttercup,’ and I thought it was the name of your horse and that you were worried about your mare.”

  “Oh, right, and I can’t remember why I said that.”

  “Apparently it is one of your passwords.”

  She looked at the sheet again and laughed. “It is. It’s actually not my password. It’s CJ’s. I stole it so I could look at his phone occasionally to see what he’s been up to. He leads a very boring life.”

  “So that day you were shot, were you trying to tell me who shot you?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Truthfully, I can’t imagine why I said that to you.”

  “You were pretty adamant that I remember the word buttercup. Did you know it was your brother who shot you?”

  “I must have. But why didn’t I just say his name?” She frowned. “I don’t remember any of it.”

  He wondered if even then she was covering for her brother. “You know the county is going to press charges even if you don’t.”

  “That’s what the sheriff just told me.”

  “You don’t hold a grudge?”

  “Of course I do. Don’t you think I’m going to make him pay the rest of his life? But I can’t press charges against my brother. I already told the sheriff. I think we all just want to forget it.”

  Good luck with that, he thought.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better and that you’re getting out of here pretty soon. I know your sister will be glad too.” He turned toward the door, when she stopped him.

  “You and Tilly?” She grinned, not waiting for him to confirm it. His expression must have given him away. “I’m not surprised. I always thought you two had some kind of chemistry between you. You aren’t worried about the families?”

  “I’m always worried about the families,” he said with a chuckle. “But you can’t stop true love, right?”

  She didn’t look so sure about that. “I hope that’s true,” she said, and he suspected that she wasn’t talking about him and Tilly anymore.

  As he left the hospital, he heard a helicopter land in the field behind it.

  * * *

  CHARLOTTE FOLLOWED THE gurney with CJ strapped to it to the helicopter, even though she was told it wasn’t necessary.

  “I will be the judge of that,” she’d snapped. She’d already been told that she would have to drive to Billings instead of accompanying CJ on the chopper. For what she was paying, she should have been able to fly the damned helicopter, she thought.

  She had seen the expressions of the nurses and Doc Hammond. She’d overheard one of the nurses tell Doc that Charlotte Stafford seemed to think she owned the hospital.

  Doc had laughed. “In a way, she does. She pays the taxes that keep this hospital running. She and Holden McKenna and the other large landowners around here. I’ve always thought she’d make a good general if we ever went to war again.”

  She’d taken it as a compliment. Now she reached into the helicopter to take her son’s hand. Motioned back by the pilot, she let go, ducked under the rotating blades and stumbled back toward the hospital. She stopped, shielding her eyes as the chopper took off, hiding her tears.

  Her baby was hurt so badly that he might never walk again. How would she ever get through this? She kept watching the helicopter until it disappeared from view. Then, pulling herself together, she straightened her shoulders and put on her stern expression before going back inside to pay her bill. After, she’d head home and pack for the drive to Billings, then fly on to a specialized care facility. She had no idea how long she’d be gone from home since Doc had told her that CJ’s recovery could be a long one.

  * * *

  WHEN COOPER RETURNED to the ranch, he could hear what sounded like an impromptu rodeo going on down at the corrals. He walked over to find Holly Jo hanging on the side of the corral railing, watching. He joined her as Pickett performed some basic horseback tricks to the cheers and jeers of his fellow ranch hands.

  “Can girls do that?” Holly Jo asked.

  He considered her, seeing a gleam in her blue eyes. “A most famous trick rider was a woman named Connie Griffith. She’s in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.”

  Holly Jo’s eyes widened with wonder. “Can you teach me to do that?”

  He wondered what his father would say. But if Holden was here right now and could see the look on this girl’s face, he couldn’t say no. “I can do a few tricks.” He thought of Tilly, who was even better at trick riding. “I also know a cowgirl who could show you a few things too.”

  “Please?” She said it as if it hurt to form the word, let alone that she might get her dream crushed. For days she’d fought everything about ranch life, from the food to living out in the sticks. He suspected that the only reason she’d originally wanted to learn to ride a horse was to leave. He wasn’t sure when that had changed or if it would last, but he thought it was a good sign that her staying here might work out.

  “I’ll make a deal with you,” he said. “You make more of an effort to eat the food Elaine cooks, including the beef—”

  Her face lit up. “I ate some. I did. It wasn’t...terrible.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “You do that and I’ll think about it.”

  “Cooper, I want to be able to do horse tricks more than anything in the world.” She said it with such sincerity.

  He kept looking at her for a long moment, knowing he’d already made up his mind. “I’ll have to ask Dad. You could get hurt. If you do, he’ll blame me.”

  She grinned. “Then I guess you better make sure I don’t get hurt.”

  * * *

  HOLDEN SENSED THAT something had changed when he sat down to supper that night. For starters, all of his offspring were here along with Holly Jo. Even Elaine looked surprised, giving him a questioning look. He had no idea.

  As the food was passed around, he saw Holly Jo take a little of everything on her plate, including a tiny piece of roast beef. He saw her shoot a look down the table at Cooper, who gave her a nod.

  He wanted to ask what was going on, but he thought there was something to that old expression, let sleeping dogs lie. Whatever had caused this rare occurrence, he didn’t want to do anything to ruin it.

  Holden listened as Bailey and Duffy joked with each other. Even Treyton seemed to be in a good mood, discussing the building of the new barn with Cooper. All of it made him wonder at the change, though. His ex-wife, Lulabelle Braden McKenna, would have said it was the position of the stars.

  Just the thought of the fiery redhead always made him question his good judgment. He’d married her right after Charlotte’s first husband had died and she’d quickly married Dixon Malone. Her marriage had lasted less than a year. His hadn’t made it much longer.

  He was still embarrassed and didn’t need a psychiatrist to tell him why he’d proposed to the sexy, loud, long-legged city girl. She was the extreme opposite of Charlotte Stafford. She’d instantly hated ranch life, having thought it was like the Western romances she read.

  “I thought we’d wear Western clothes and go places, like Vegas and New York, once in a while,” she’d said, pouting. “I hate living out here in the middle of nowhere. You never told me it was so...boring.”

  Just when he’d thought that things couldn’t get any worse, Lulabelle had ended up in a hair-pulling fight at the grocery store with Charlotte. He hadn’t been there, but he’d been told that the fight was a draw before the manager at the store got between them and broke it up.

  He felt himself flush at the memory of the second-worst mistake he’d ever made.

  “What do you think, Dad?” he heard Cooper say.