Free 0373659458 (R) by Karen Templeton

about the most important person in his life. “Right now? Austin’s with my folks. But it varies, depending on who snags him first. He’s a pretty popular little dude. So when’s your boy coming out?”
    “Two weeks,” she said, flashing a smile at Zach’s brother.
    “Let’s see...two weeks. Before or after the tenth?”
    “After.”
    “Too bad. He’ll just miss the rodeo.”
    “There’s a rodeo?”
    “After a fashion. Probably nothing like you were used to.” At her lifted brows, he said, “Zach told me. Barrel racer, huh?”
    “Yep.” She patted the horse’s shoulder and steered the conversation away from herself. “What about you? You ride?”
    “Some. Cutting, mostly, these days. Although since Austin came I’ve only done the local one. It’s a big deal around here, though. Which is why I cannot figure out for the life of me why my brother and his fiancée decided that’s when they should get married.”
    Mallory’s head jerked up. “Your brother?”
    A grin spread across Josh’s mouth. “My twin. Levi. What?”
    Her face hot, Mallory turned back to the horse. “For a moment I forgot you had more than one brother, that’s all. But a wedding!” she said, smiling at him again. “How exciting!”
    “For Levi, maybe,” Josh said with another quick grin, propping a boot up on the lower rail and looking out over the pasture. “Levi’d been sweet on Val all through high school, but she ended up with his best friend. Then both Levi and Tomas enlisted, went to Afghanistan...” He sobered. “Except Tommy didn’t make it home.”
    “Oh, no...”
    “Yeah. Everybody here took it pretty hard. He was a good guy. A really good guy. The kind of good guy who makes his best friend swear to look out for his wife and kids.”
    “Oh. Wow. And now they’re getting married.”
    “Yep.”
    Waffles nuzzled her hair. Looking for more carrots, maybe. Mallory obliged. “You all really watch out for each other, don’t you? The whole town, I mean.”
    “To the point where we drive each other nuts sometimes. But yeah.”
    Mallory hesitated, then asked, “Would it be betraying a confidence to tell me what happened to Zach’s wife?”
    Frowning out into the pasture, Josh waited a good long time before answering. “Car crash. Hardly a secret. Beyond that, though...”
    “Understood. And there’s no reason he should talk to me about it, really. We hardly know each other. But I get the feeling he doesn’t talk about it to anyone.”
    Josh turned his gaze to hers. “No. He doesn’t.”
    “That’s too bad.”
    “I think it’s a family trait. Except for my mother. Whatever she’s feeling, you know it, boy. Which doesn’t mean she blabs about anyone else. But the rest of us...” His head shook. “None of us even know what really went on with Levi, when he was overseas. Although I suspect he’s sharing more with Val than he ever did with any of us. She has that effect on people.”
    “Aw...you like your sister-in-law.”
    Another cute, almost embarrassed grin preceded a quiet, “We all do. She’s good folks.”
    Mallory smiled. From what she’d heard so far, there were several people in town she thought she might like getting to know.
    “A word of warning, though,” Josh said. Kindly, she thought. Leaning one hip against the fence, he crossed his arms high on his chest. “Zach’s doing a pretty good job of holding it together. For his kids, his clients. At least, that’s how it seems to us. But the minute you poke at him, you’re right—he’ll close up faster’n a snapping turtle. And despite what most women think—and with good reason, I’ll admit,” Josh said with a smile, “not all men are totally oblivious. Meaning I can see you’re curious. Don’t know about interested,” he said, his eyes narrowing, “but the wheels are definitely turning.”
    She blew a short laugh through her nose. “Yes, they are. And you’re right, I am curious. In a people-fascinate-me kind of