Free Wild Texas Rose by Jodi Thomas

to ask more, but suddenly Major Chamberlain drew all her attention. His time in the military must have taught him to bully and bluff his way through life as though everyone were under his command. Rose had never been sure she even liked the man. Talking to him had always seemed more like being interrogated than conversation. He professed his beliefs as if he had his name on a book in the Bible.
    “How is your family, Rose?” He snapped the question to her.
    “Fine.” She didn’t want to say more, but he pushed.
    “Your father? He still running that huge ranch?”
    “Yes.”
    “I hear about your uncle now and then. The famous Texas Ranger who went into law. Very unusual for a half-breed.”
    Rose wasn’t sure that was a question so she said nothing, but a smile tickled at the corner of her lip. If the McMurrays heard the major call Travis a half-breed, they’d probably take turns beating him to death. The three brothers considered themselves double blessed by being both Irish and Apache.
    The major continued, “Times are good finally. The McMurrays must be making the money. Of course, with all the kids running around, it probably costs a fortune just to outfit the clan, or should I say
tribe
.”
    He waited, as if expecting her to give him an accounting. In truth, he barely knew her family. Her papa met him once when he’d picked up Emily and her from school at the same time the major collected his daughter. Teagan McMurray had said very little to him. Papa Teagan seldom talked to people he liked and was usually silent to those he didn’t.
    Killian lifted his glass, drawing the major’s attention. “I’ve heard of your family, miss. A fine family of heroes and statesmen.”
    The major frowned, but Rose smiled at the thin man. He’d willingly saved her by drawing fire.
    Victoria quickly pulled her father back her direction and rattled all the way through lunch, first with plans of the wedding and then all about how dear Rose was to her.
    Rose tried to smile. She even felt a little guilty about thinking so rarely of a woman who apparently claimed she loved her like a sister. She thought of all the crises she and Emily had helped Victoria through, but she couldn’t think of one time Tori had saved her, or even tried to cheer her up. Yet she couldn’t deny Tori had a kind of magic surrounding her. She lived life in her own kind of world and looked at things differently than anyone Rose had ever known.
    Halfway through dinner, the major was called away on business, leaving Rose alone with Killian and Tori. Before Rose could think of anything to say, Victoria touched her arm. “I know you have a fitting so I’ll meet you upstairs in a few minutes.”
    She stood like a queen and walked out of the dining room behind her father.
    Killian had stood when Victoria rose, but she hadn’t even looked his direction. Rose watched as he almost ran toward the garden door, straight out into the rain.
    Left sitting alone at the table filled with half-eaten lunch plates and half-empty wineglasses, Rose decided it was going to be a long week until the wedding.

Chapter 7
    Sunday
    Second Avenue
    A be noticed Killian sitting out front of his mercantile as he restocked his shelves on the only day the store was closed. Killian never came for a visit in the afternoon. The weather had turned colder, but Abe doubted either of them would mind as long as they had a cup of coffee in their hands. So he poured two mugs, put on his coat, and stepped outside.
    “Afternoon, O’Toole.” Abe handed his friend a cup of coffee, then nodded toward the empty space next to him on the bench. “Afternoon, Shawn. Nice day for a visit.”
    Killian growled. “Don’t talk to either of us. One of us is an idiot and the other is dumb enough to hang around and be his brother.”
    Abe knew better than to laugh. “Long morning, I’m guessing. You start drinking early for some reason?” Killian liked to drink; it seemed his balm for all the loneliness