She was right. He’d been so hungry to have a family of his own, to make a life for himself that was completely different from the childhood he left behind, that he’d rushed into a wedding that came more from his head than his heart. He’d realized that she deserved more and maybe he did, too, so he did the honorable thing. He let her go. Then he did what his pride demanded, and left. He wasn’t there to see her marry Sean O’Brien, Lawson’s best friend and the man Lorelei had always secretly loved, though he was happy for her—happy for both of them—that they’d found the love they deserved.
He knew that calling off the wedding had been the right decision, but it had still hurt. The wedding was supposed to prove that he’d overcome his past, that he was starting a new life and a new family. Instead, it seemed to prove the opposite and reminded him of all the rejection he’d experienced before. In truth, it was no wonder she’d walked away so easily. The people who mattered most often did.
He read the letter from Sean’s brother-in-law, Nathan Rutledge, then let it fall to his chest as he stared at the ceiling. There must be some conspiracy to make him come home. Nathan wrote that his horse ranch had been doing so well that he’d decided to expand. He was offering Lawson the job of foreman just in case he’d grown tired of being a Ranger.
“Lord, is this from You?”
It was possible that God was bringing his time as a Ranger to a close. If so, Lawson planned to listen. God had been getting Lawson out of danger since he’d been a scraggly ten-year-old fending for himself on the streets, even if he hadn’t known Whom to thank for it right away. God had helped him find a fresh start once. Maybe it was time for another new beginning.
Lawson Williams still had something to prove—that he was nothing like the parents who’d given him life then done their best to ruin it. He’d keep proving it to himself over and over again until he could finally believe it. He’d thought being a lawman would provide the opportunity to do that but perhaps the best way to prove it was by going home.
* * *
Ellie was trying her best to ignore the young man who’d been trailing after her for the past ten minutes. It wasn’t working. She turned and planted her hands on her hips as she eyed the dashing young blacksmith. “Rhett, if you insist on following me then you might as well make yourself useful.”
She pointed to the signs for the booths resting on the church stairs. The Founder’s Day activities had already started but the signs needed extra time to dry. Rhett really must have been desperate because he picked them up and began helping her hand them out to the booth workers. “Ellie, I’m sure I’m on your list. You’ve got to tell me. Jeff Bridger says you told him about Maddie and they are already engaged.”
She smiled as she handed Mrs. Redding the sign for her lemonade stand then moved on. “I know they’re engaged. I invited you to the party I’m having for them at the ranch. Don’t tell me you forgot about it already.”
“I didn’t forget and you aren’t going to distract me.” His muscles bulged as he shifted the remaining signs to his shoulder, which somehow made his pleading look seem all the more pitiful. “I’ve just got to know who you think my match is.”
She rolled her eyes. It had been two weeks since the fateful day she’d created the “Bachelor List.” The whole thing had turned into a disaster. Everyone in town knew about it. She’d had plenty of available men seeking her out after word got around. Unfortunately, they weren’t looking for her. They’d just wanted to know whose initials were next to their names on the list.
She could understand them wanting an answer. She’d wanted one, too, but Lettie and Kate never told her who the mystery suitor for her was. Try as she might to extricate the information from them, she’d gained little more for her efforts than a headache.
She sighed. “Well, Rhett, who do you want it to be?”
She followed his gaze as it trailed to where Amy Bradley stood with her sisters. He watched Amy for a full minute before Ellie shook her head and smiled. “Yep, that’s what I thought.”
His gaze jumped back to hers, and then he grinned. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
He nodded then set off toward Amy. She grabbed his massive arm and dug her heels into the ground to stop him. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re going to help me deliver all these signs because you’re so grateful. Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.” He patted her hand in brotherly affection and began trailing her again but remained decidedly distracted. He seemed to grow less confident as they continued and when she finally set him free, he went in the opposite direction from where his thoughts had been taking him.
Now, what’s wrong with him? She pulled the new list from her pocket and crossed out the question mark beside Amy’s initials by his name. He was the only one besides Deputy Jeff Bridger who she’d officially paired a girl with so far. There were plenty of others still with question marks—for now.
She felt someone’s eyes on her and turned to find Donovan Turner watching her from near the gazebo. She tucked the list out of sight before barely managing to hide her grimace behind a polite smile and a nod. The man pulled the piece of hay from his mouth and tossed it to the ground before pacing toward her. Now, there was one man who made no effort to hide his opinion of her, which was definitely not brotherly. He always seemed to pop up at the most inopportune times—like when she was alone. If he caught her, he’d spend the next thirty minutes bending her ear about that pig farm of his. If he caught her; but she wasn’t going to let him.
She slipped into a group of people, dashed behind a booth and surfaced behind a tree. She thought she’d lost him, but to make sure, she scanned the crowd as she continued walking backward. She spotted the man scratching his head, glancing about. She was about to turn around when she backed right into someone. She gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry!”
She tried to step away from the man but strong arms slipped around her waist and pulled her against a solid chest. She froze, then caught her breath as a warm, masculine voice filled her ear. “Hey there, beautiful.”
Her eyes narrowed. Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder to look at him. The way his lips curved made her cheeks warm but she forgot all about that when her gaze tangled with those unforgettable hazel eyes. Her breath caught in her throat then her lips blossomed into a smile. “Lawson Williams, as I live and breathe!”
He loosened his arms enough for her to turn around and throw herself back into them. He hugged her back just as tightly as she hugged him. She pushed away to look at his face. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
He grinned that slow, steady grin of his that set every female heart in a fifty-mile radius beating wildly. He stepped back to survey her. “Look who’s talking. You sure have changed in the last few months.”
She laughed. “Last few months? Are you crazy? It’s been a year and no less! Of course I’ve changed. Did you get my letters?”
“I did.”
“You only wrote back twice.”
“I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “I was on assignment most of the time so it wasn’t easy to keep up with mail.”
She lifted her chin. “Well, how is a person to know whether you fell off your saddle and broke your head or got laid up sick for a week if you don’t write?”
He dipped his head to send her a suspicious look. “Were you worrying about me, Ellie?”
“Not me. Just...certain other people.”
“I