Free The Rancher's Second Chance (Martin's Crossing Book 3) by Brenda Minton

nothing to stem the salty wetness that trickled free.
    “Mom...” She started again and then sobbed. “Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry for messing everything up. I should have stayed in school.”
    “Grace, is everything okay?” her mom asked. “Of course everything isn’t okay. What’s wrong?”
    Grace left the living room and walked out the door to stand in the yard, surrounded by the quiet of Saturday evening in Martin’s Crossing. In the distance she heard cattle.
    “Mom, I’m pregnant.”
    “Grace, oh, sweetheart.”
    “I’m pregnant and—” she had to say it “—Mom, Lincoln has been abusing me.”
    There was a sharp pause. “Where are you now? Is Jacki there?”
    “No, she’s in Florida. I’m in Martin’s Crossing. I just didn’t know where else to go.” Grace moved across the small grassy area at the back of the building.
    “You can go home. You know that. Your grandparents are scheduled to fly out in a couple of weeks. They were going to make a few side trips, but they’ll come home sooner for you.”
    “I don’t want to do that to them. I just need a little time to get myself together.”
    “In Martin’s Crossing?”
    “I’m staying in an apartment on Main Street. There are people here to help me.”
    “We can come home. We can leave this week,” her mom said in a rush.
    “No, don’t do that. Dad has dreamed of this trip for years. I don’t want to be the reason he calls it off.”
    “You’re more important than this mission.”
    Grace closed her eyes. “I know you feel that way, but I’m okay, and I don’t want you to have to come home because of me. I’m a grown woman and I can do this.”
    A hand settled on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Brody. He winked, and she believed what she’d told her mom. She could do this. She wasn’t alone.
    Brody was inching his way back into her heart again. Or maybe he’d never left. But she couldn’t go there. Especially not now.
    “If you need us, call. You have family,” her mom repeated what Grace already knew, but hearing the words felt good.
    “If I need you, I’ll call.” Grace leaned into the arm that had circled her, pulling her close. “You and Dad are okay?”
    “Of course we are. But I need to know that you’re okay, that you’re safe.”
    “I’m safe. Don’t worry, I’ll go back to school and I’ll get back on track.”
    “Of course I’m going to worry.”
    At that Grace smiled. “I know you’ll worry, but it’s going to be okay. I’m going to make sure I’m safe and then I’ll go home. I can probably sign up for the spring semester.”
    “You’ll get through this, Grace. And we’ll be home soon to help you.”
    They said goodbye, then Grace reached for Brody’s hand. He led her back into the house and she let him, because it felt good to have someone take charge.
    “You should have woken me up,” he said as he let go of her and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee.
    “You obviously needed the sleep.”
    He lifted the cup to his lips but grinned over the rim. “Can’t stop being the nurse, can you?”
    She shook her head. “No, I guess it’s what we do in my family.”
    “That’s not a bad thing, you know.”
    “No, it isn’t, is it?”
    “Oh, good, make this about me,” he grumbled good-naturedly.
    “I’m happier making it about you. I think you need to be reminded that your brothers and Sam have always been there for you. You have a tendency to push people away.”
    “Yeah, well, I need to figure this out on my own.”
    “You haven’t told Duke and Jake?”
    “I’m sure they’ve figured it out but they’re giving me space. You know—” the corner of his mouth lifted “—when you stomp around, quiet and unapproachable, people tend to give you space.”
    “I’ve noticed that. I’m not sure why you do that.”
    “Less complicated. People don’t get in my business, ask how I’m doing or expect too much.”
    “Until me?” she asked, as she sat down across from