“I might be stuck working with you, Temple, but I’m not the same girl who was falling all over you. I’ve grown up.”
“Come on, Josie. What happened between us was years ago.”
Eight years and eleven months, she silently corrected. She could still recall that awful day. She’d been so eager to see him when he returned home. It had been months since their argument. She’d finally agreed to see him, then he broke the devastating news.
He stared at her with those gray eyes, and she still felt the old pull. “I was hoping enough time has passed so...”
“So I’d do what? Forgive you? Forgive you for telling me you loved me, then going off and getting another woman pregnant?”
* * *
Later that afternoon in the parlor converted into a first-floor bedroom, Colt Slater sat in his chair in front of the picture window. He squeezed the rubber ball in his right hand. He knew his strength was coming back since the stroke. Just not fast enough to suit him. His therapist, Jay McNeal, kept telling him to have patience. He would get his strength back.
Right now, Colt’s concern was for his daughter, Josie. He had watched her drive away from the house and prayed that she would come back, but he wouldn’t have bet on it. Not that he could blame her; he hadn’t been the best father in the world.
Then a truck pulled up about an hour ago. He held his breath and watched Garrett Temple get out, then lift Josie out of the passenger seat and carry her into the house. He heard the footsteps that went right past his room.
He tensed. What had happened? Had she been in an accident? Finally, Ana came in and explained about Josie’s mishap at the construction site with Temple. He wasn’t sure he was happy that those two were together again. That man had hurt Josie so badly. He’d wished he could have been there for her back then.
“Will you stop worrying? You’re going to end up back in the hospital.”
Colt glanced at his friend, Wade Dickson in the chair next to his. Dressed in his usual business suit with his gray hair cut and styled, his friend and lawyer knew all the family secrets.
“I can’t stop worrying about Josie,” Colt admitted.
“Hey, things worked out with Ana, so there’s hope with Josie, too.” Wade stood up. “I’ll go see what’s going on, then I need to get back to my office. Some of us have to work.”
Colt nodded. “Thanks for everything, Wade.”
“I love those girls, too. It’s about time you realize what you have.” He turned and walked out.
Alone again, Colt started having doubts again. Would Josie finally come to see him now?
He stood, grabbed the walker and made his way to the sideboard in the dining room. Now it was his exercise area, since he’d been released from the rehab center. He pulled open the drawer and dug under the stack of tablecloths until he found the old album.
Setting it on top, he turned the pages, trying to ignore the ones of his wife, Lucia. He should have burned those years ago, but something kept him from erasing all the past.
He made it to the picture of his four daughters together. The last one taken before their mother walked out the door. His hand moved over the photo. Josie was the one who was a miniature version of her mother, petite and curvy, although her hair was lighter and her eyes were definitely Slater blue.
He frowned, knowing he’d been unfair to his girls. He couldn’t even use the excuse of being a single parent. Kathleen, the longtime housekeeper, handled most everything while he worked the ranch. He sighed, recalling those years. Since the day Lucia left, he’d closed up and couldn’t show love to his four daughters.
He studied the photo. Analeigh was the oldest. Then came the twins, Josefina Isabel, followed five minutes later by Vittoria Irene. The memory of him standing next to his wife, and encouraging her as she gave birth to their beautiful daughters, Ana, Josie, Tori and Marissa.
He felt tears gathering in his eyes. Would he get the chance to fix the damage he’d done?
“Hello, Colt.”
He turned and saw his beautiful Josie leaning against a crutch in the doorway. He’d just been given a second chance, and he wasn’t about to throw it away.
CHAPTER TWO
JOSIE FELT STRANGE, not only being back in this house, but seeing her father after all these years.
“J...Josie. I’m gl...glad you’re home.”
Colt still stood straight and tall as he had before his stroke. Thirty years ago, he’d been a rodeo star, winning the World Saddle Bronc title before he retired when he married Lucia Delgado and brought her back to the Lazy S to make a life, raising cattle and a family.
Now in his mid-fifties, he was still a good-looking man, even with his weathered skin and graying hair. His blue eyes were the one thing she’d inherited from him. Her dark coloring was what she’d gotten from her Hispanic mother.
“This hasn’t been my home for a long time.” With the aid of her crutch, she bravely made her way into the room.
“You had an accident,” Colt said.
“It seems I got in the way at the construction site.” She nodded to her ankle. “In a few days I’ll be as good as new. Looks like you’re stuck with me for the duration anyway.”
“Hap...happy to have you.”
His words gave her a strange feeling, making her realize how badly she wanted to be here.
She began to examine the rehab equipment to hide her nervousness. “Looks like I don’t need to go to a gym to exercise. You have everything right here.”
“You’re welcome to u...use it,” he told her. “When you’re able to.”
She sat down on the weight bench and eyed the parallel bars, then Colt. Outside of some weight loss, he looked good. “Is all this helping you?”
He nodded. “Been working hard. I hope to get a lot better s...soon.” He studied her. “Thank you for coming home.”
That was a first. Her father actually thanked her. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m not sure how much I can help, or how long I can stay.”
Colt smiled.
Another first, Josie thought, not to mention he was actually carrying on a conversation with her. How many times had she tried to get some attention from this man? She felt tears gathering.
“Just glad you’re here,” he told her.
Suddenly her throat tightened so she nodded. “I should go and unpack.” She got up, slipped the single crutch under her arms and headed for the door, but Colt’s gravelly voice made her turn around.
“M...made a lot of mistakes, Josie. I would like a s...second chance.”
His words about threw her over the edge. She raised a hand. “I can’t deal with any more right now. We’ll talk later.”
She managed to get out the door and headed toward the staircase. She hopped up the steps on her good leg until she got to the second floor. Using her crutch, she made her way down the familiar hall to the third door on the left that had been her and Tori’s bedroom. She stepped inside and froze. It looked the same as it did when she’d left here.
The walls were still pale lavender and the twin beds had floral print comforters with matching dust ruffles. She walked to her bed against the far wall and sank down onto the mattress. Taking a toss pillow from the headboard, she hugged it close against the burning acid in the pit of her stomach.
Great, this trip was