Free Chance Of A Lifetime by Kelly Eileen Hake Page A

without you.” Bryce spoke gruffly, slapping his brother on the shoulder. “Things just won’t be the same.”
    “When things stay the same,” Logan mused, “it means you’re not growing. I hope Chance Ranch keeps on growing. I know I can depend on you to take care of things.”
    When did my baby brother become so serious and grown-up? He’s a man now with a wife and a business. Logan’s found his place and his purpose. I always figured mine was Chance Ranch, but I thought the same for Logan and was wrong
.
    Bryce saw Daisy walking with Hattie across the yard.
Seeing Daisy tugs something in me, especially when I think of leaving and never seeing her or Jamie again. Could those be growing pains?
    “Pretty, isn’t she?” Logan had followed his gaze.
    “Absolutely,” Bryce agreed so fervently that Logan looked at him askance.
    “She is my wife, Bryce.” A steely glint lit Logan’s eye as he planted his feet a bit wider.
    “And I’m happy for you.” Bryce tried to calm Logan down. “But there’s nothing more beautiful than seeing women playing with a child.”
    Logan looked again toward the women, where Daisy held a squirming Jamie as Hattie tickled him. “It’s a fine sight.” Logan relaxed as he said the words. “But all the same, I’m happy to have Hattie all to myself.”
    “So I noticed,” Bryce teased his brother with a grin.
But I can’t imagine Daisy without Jamie. He brings out the loving
mother, the strong lioness, the laughing girl, and the gentle homemaker in her. Jamie’s a great kid, and he makes Daisy a better woman
.
    “How much wood did you get cut while we were gone?” Logan’s question snapped Bryce back to their conversation.
    “About that …” Bryce launched into a shortened version of how the stove monopolized their week. “Between moving and setting up the stove and repairing the doorframe, I didn’t get so much as a full cord cut.”
    “So that’s why you and Daisy couldn’t stop laughing this morning,” Logan reasoned with a big grin. “I can’t believe one little stove made you go through all that hassle.”
    “Little?” Bryce drew himself to his full height and jabbed a finger at his brother’s chest. “Why don’t you go try to haul that thing around?”
    “Sorry!” Logan put his hands in the air. “It is pretty big.”
    “And heavy,” Bryce added. “Thing’s made of solid cast iron all welded together.”
    “Hmm. I wondered how it managed to survive all you put it through!” Logan laughed and slapped his hand on his knee. “Come on, let’s go get to work. Aside from the wood chopping, I’ve been thinking we need to build a second barn. If I’m going to transport those horses and cattle here from Chance Ranch, Miz Willow’s barn can’t hold them, and they won’t survive the winter.”
    “Right.” Bryce frowned at the thought of any domesticated animal left out to contend with the snowy chill of an Appalachian winter. “Any other work you want to get out of me?”
    “I don’t know.” Logan pretended to give the matter serious thought. “Cabin, chopped wood for winter, impossible stove installation, new barn. Nope. That’s it, but I’ll let you know if I think of anything else!”

eleven
    Thunk. Thunk. Clunk
. Bryce grinned at Jamie’s efforts. The night before, Bryce had cranked the hand-held drill to force peg-sized holes through a small piece of wood. He filled the holes with pegs, only a single whack apiece, so they stuck up and needed to be driven in. Today he’d balanced the board on two bricks, sat Jamie down in front of it with a small wooden mallet, and showed him what to do.
    The little boy had been banging with plenty of enthusiasm—if precious little accuracy—ever since. Jamie liked being outside, doing “man” work with them. The mallet clattered from his little hands to the opposite side of the makeshift worktable. Bryce put down the ax he’d been using to chop firewood and loped over to put the tool back in