Free A McKaslin Homecoming (The McKaslin Clan) by Jillian Hart Page A

their lives and she doesn’t deserve to be fleeced by some—”
    Caleb knew Spence well enough to guess what was behind his seemingly hard stance. Spence wasn’t harsh, not down deep. He’d worked on the board of the united churches for years, trying to make a difference, to serve his church and his community. He cared. That was the bottom line. But when it came to family wounds, little else could cut deeper or leave such a lasting effect.
    Caleb did his best to see that now. “You did meet Lauren, right? You said you did, but you’re not acting like it.”
    “Oh, sure. Why shouldn’t she come across as nice?”
    “If you bothered to get to know her at all, then you’d figure, like I do, that her niceness is more than skin-deep.”
    “How exactly do you know that? You sawher for a few minutes before Gran got here? It takes more than a few minutes—”
    This is where it could get complicated, but Caleb bit the bullet. “The truth is, I offered to teach her to ride. She came out and met me for an early morning horse ride. We kept to the pasture, but she seemed so interested in the horses. Maybe she’s a country girl at heart.”
    “Don’t be fooled. Linda raised her. Why wouldn’t she be just like her? If she’s true to form, she’ll get close to Gran, close enough to get her hands on enough goods to pawn or get Gran sympathetic enough to write her a fat check and she’ll be gone. Never to be heard of again, if we’re lucky.” Spence looked away, staring hard at the house, his jaw tight.
    Worrying about family could do that to a man. You took care of what was yours. End of story. That’s just the way it was. Caleb knew that was all Spence was trying to do, because that’s how he lived his life, too. He’d come home to Montana and left his fiancée behind to take care of the grandparents who’d raised him, so he knew a thing or two about what his buddy was goingthrough. “All I’m saying is get to know Lauren first, before you make all these judgments. Judgments are like blinders. You see all right looking straight ahead, but it’s the whole picture you gotta take careful note of.”
    “Yeah, I see what you’re saying.” Spence seemed to consider that.
    Caleb heard a car’s faint hum carried on the dry wind. He squinted down the road but couldn’t see the car yet. Probably Lauren, he figured. She’d been on his mind all day. Maybe because they’d started the day together in this field, maybe because spending time with her had been nice. He liked her; it was hard not to.
    The beige sedan came into sight around the bend in the driveway, kicking up a small plume of dust—Ava’s new SUV. Maybe Lauren was with her. The thought of seeing Lauren again lit him up inside and the power of it surprised him.
    Spence folded his arms over his chest, staring hard at the approaching car. “I think she’s after Gran’s money.”
    “You only think that because of the demands your mother made before thedivorce. Lauren didn’t have anything to do with that.” He remembered how unsure she was, how alone. “Maybe it isn’t like you think.”
    “She’s been gone twenty years. Not a word in all this time. No calls, nothing. They’re the ones who left us. Why would Gran invite her here?”
    “Remember, Lauren was too young at the time to make the choice to leave. She’s your sister.”
    “She’s a stranger. If she’d been interested in us, she would have let us know before this.” He blew out a frustrated sigh.
    “Give it some time and you’ll see.”
    “Anything could happen given enough time. That settles it. I’m hiring a private investigator. You can recommend someone, can’t you?”
    “I’ve worked with a few good ones over the years. But it’s costly. It’ll set you back at least several grand.”
    “I have it. It’s not how I want to spend it, but if it goes toward protecting Gran from someone out to hurt her, then it’s money well spent.”
    “Now, don’t jump the gun here.