Free Righteous Lies (Book 1: Dancing Moon Ranch Series) by Patricia Watters

a flurry of activity at the lodge. Sam and Jack were having some work
done on their mother's house, and since Grace was in the room Maureen Hansen
would have stayed in, Flo and Carlie, one of the kitchen help during the guest
season, spent the week making ready a bedroom suite down the hallway from Grace,
which had become a catchall over time. Grace tried to imagine what the woman
who'd raised two such opposite twins would be like. If she was like Sam, she'd
be adaptable and reasonable. But if she was like Jack, she could be difficult.
Grace hadn't brought up the subject of returning to her house at the end of the
week because Jack had been busy, but she would, before the day was done.
    Jack had been
working horses or doing maintenance on the ranch until late each day, but
stopped in at night to visit for a few minutes. During that time, Grace found
herself chattering about her family, and her childhood, and every milestone in
her life, but after Jack left each night, she realized he'd deflected any
questions she'd asked about his personal life. He'd talked about growing up on
the ranch, and about losing his father in a private-plane crash five years
before. But after almost two weeks, Grace still had no idea why, at age thirty-three,
Jack wasn't married, and he'd made it clear the subject wasn't open for
discussion.
    But today was
Sunday, Flo and Carlie were gone, and after having no contractions for well
over a week, Grace had her fill of sitting in bed or motoring around the lodge
in the wheelchair. The snow had melted off the sidewalks, the day was sunny,
and she'd never seen Jack's house.
    After changing
into her maternity sweats and a flannel top, she put on her down jacket and
left through the front door of the lodge. She followed a concrete walkway to
Jack's house, which was a short distance from the lodge and directly across a
gravel drive from Sam's house. Like Sam's house, Jack's was made of logs, but
unlike Sam's, with its curtained windows and planter boxes and nice porch
furniture, Jack's house showed no sign of a woman's touch. The windows were
bare of curtains, and on the porch, beside a scuffed toolbox, were a couple pairs
of boots that had been kicked off near the front door. She knocked, and when
there was no response, she cupped her hands around her eyes and peered through
the window at a stark room with sparse furnishings, and saw a house both
cheerless, and gloomy...
    ...It'll be good for him, having a boy
around. He's a lonely man...
    But why? Grace
wondered, and made a promise to herself to find out.
    Hearing nothing
inside, she followed the wrap-around porch to the back of the house and saw, a
little distance from the house, Jack crouched inside an area enclosed by an
iron picket fence, which appeared from where she stood, to be a private
cemetery. Jack's father would be buried there. She didn't call to Jack, but
waited. After a few more minutes, he stood and let himself out through a small
iron gate, then started toward the house. She had a few seconds to watch before
he looked up and saw her. His face was sad, and she was tempted to ask what was
wrong. Then the sadness turned to concern, and he said, "Is everything
alright?"
    "Yes,"
she replied. "I was shack happy and had to get out. What were you doing
out there?"
    "Go back
to the lodge," Jack said, ignoring her question. "I'll come fix you
lunch."
    "I want to
see your house," Grace replied.
    "Not now.
It's a mess."
    "I
know," Grace said. "I looked in the window. But I want to see how the
father of my unborn son lives."
    "It'll be
different when he's here," Jack said, then opened the door for her to
enter.
    As she stood
looking around, Grace felt the sting of tears. The place was barren. Devoid of
warmth. And love. She had an urge to spend the day scrubbing floors and
arranging furniture...
    "It's just
a place to hang my hat," Jack said, as if in apology.
    "It's also
where you plan to house our son when he stays with you," Grace pointed out.
"You