Free Ring of Fire Book Two of the McKay's by Rita Hestand

it. There were too many obstacles.
    Julie and Cade had gone to Hawaii for their honeymoon and had a mountain of pictures and stories to tell.
    It was a day of giggles and joy as everyone gathered about them.
    Letty hadn't seen Hank all day , and she missed him like a piece of her was torn off and missing. He hadn't worked in the corral or she would have spotted him when she went to refill the luncheon plate. Her eyes kept straying out the window to the corral, but there was no sign of him today.
    A s dusk settled, the house got quiet and Letty went to the kitchen to clean up. Sandy had a date with Candy Man. "You need to be careful, Sandy. Mike is nice, but he has been around, if you know what I mean."
    "That's what attracts me so much. He's very mature for his age, and he knows what he's talking about. He is so interesting to talk to."
    "Sounds like you really like him?" Letty asked, a little surprised it had gone this far without Mike putting on the brakes.
    "I do."
    "Just be careful, I don't want to see you hurt."
    "I'm a big girl now, Letty."
    "Yes, but you aren't exactly worldly, and he is…"
    "That's another thing I like about him." Sandy giggled and ran up the stairs to dress for her date.
    Wendy was somewhere close to Wade, Letty was sure, and Kellie listened to her parents making plans for their future.
    Letty felt restless, lonely, even.
    Cade had built a place not far from the ranch and they would live there. That meant Julie would be moving out of the house and Letty already missed her and Kellie.
    Things change, get used to it!
    Lonely and out of sorts, Letty dried her hands on the cup towel and wandered outside. She hated feeling this way. She wanted to be happy for her sister and family, but she knew she dulled their party. She'd never been rejected by a man before, and to think Hank Silver was the one to do it hurt.
    Solitude would cure her. She needed a place to think.
    She strode up the hill from the house and stared out at the property. The land was exquisite in every detail. Wade and Cade had taken care of this place so long, they had every inch of it manicured to their lives.
    Letty sighed. She used to come up here with her father every now and then just to admire the land, to get away from the rat race below, and to talk.
    But today felt so different.
    She wanted to talk, needed to talk, needed to understand.
    She didn't want to dwell on Hank, but she could n't stop her mind from going there. Hank wanted no part of her. He set the boundaries for them and that wouldn't change no matter what. Something squeezed hard in Letty's chest at the knowledge of how easily Hank had insinuated himself into her heart. She'd never been on a date with him. Never been allowed to be friends with him, and yet, she knew…she was in love with him. How could it happen like this? Love was supposed to come after you got to know everything about a man, and decided he was the one for you. After you dated for years and wore his engagement ring for months waiting on the wedding to come. It didn't happen that way for her. It hit her like a building storm that slammed into her heart and wouldn't let go, a hopeless storm.
    Not a soul knew how much she liked Hank, and she wouldn't be confiding about that to anyone.
    She shrugged, and sighed heavily.
    That's when she he ard a noise and a voice nearby, "Something got you, girl?"
    It was Caleb. What was he d oing up here? She glanced down the line of trees and then she saw him, sitting there on the ground, leaning against an old tree, staring at the evening sunset.
    "Caleb, I didn't expect you up here." Letty tried to smile.
    "Sunsets are nice, don't you think?" he said lowly.
    "Yes ." Letty walked over to him. "They are. I used to come up here with Dad, every now and then. We'd sit here 'til the sun went down and talk. It's about the only time we really did talk. Up here we were just two people who mutually appreciated the beautiful sunsets. Not father and daughter."
    "Ya know…of all