Chapter 1
January, Silver Stone ranch
Laughter, warm and familiar, rolled between Caleb Stone and his best friend, Josiah Ryder, as they stood and shared a moment in the warmth of the Silver Stone horse barn.
Daily chores were a grind, but even the day in, day out work was made that much better because Caleb got to work with people he cared about. And a friend who was also a brother-in-law?
Life had turned out more than all right.
He pulled his thoughts back from his musings and met Josiah’s steady blue eyes. “Heard you plan to float teeth all week. Then move into vaccinations?”
Josiah’s chin dipped a second before a furrow formed between his brows. “I think that’s the plan. One sec.”
Caleb hid a smile as Josiah pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and slipped them on to examine his calendar.
“Maybe you should do a few eye exams while you’re at it.”
Josiah peered over the top rim of the glasses and sighed. “Comedian.”
“It’s a new look for you,” Caleb said, his tone less teasing. “Doesn’t look bad, though.”
A snort escaped Josiah. “Wouldn’t care if it made me look like a clown. It’s getting harder and harder to switch between near and far. I swear the pharmacies are making the text on prescription labels smaller all the time.”
“Don’t tell me we’re getting older,” Caleb warned.
“Try and outrun time? Good luck. The only thing that makes it bearable is that we’re in this together.
” Josiah smirked as Caleb protested lightly.
“Not only you and me. Even Lisa is losing it these days. I keep catching her walking into a room, talking to herself, and she still can’t remember why she went in there. ”
“That’s probably less that she’s getting older and more that she’s taking care of your three kids twenty-four seven, all under the age of five.”
Josiah’s chest puffed up. “God, those kids are awesome. And so’s Lisa. I mean, I get it. By the time we get them to bed in the evening, my mind is mush. No way could I deal all time like she does.”
“Maybe you should ask Lisa to come help you float the horses’ teeth for a vacation,” Caleb offered Josiah with a wink. “Seem to remember that was one of the first tasks she helped you with back in the day.”
“She’d jump at the idea, but to be honest, if we’re going to ask family to take on the kids for a getaway, I’m not making her work.” Josiah’s eyes lit up. “I’d take her somewhere special for a bit of peace and quiet.” Mischief slid in. “Somewhere I can spoil her rotten.”
Caleb slapped a hand on Josiah’s shoulder. “Good man.”
He didn’t say anything else, but a seed was planted. He’d talk it over with Tamara before they offered help, but there was another truth Caleb loved. Family working together happened outside the ranch buildings just as often as inside.
Josiah straightened, stretching lazily before tilting his head toward the nearest stall. “I’m going to dive in, but speaking of Lisa, she sent me a text. She needs the permits Tamara picked up in Calgary for the Community Centre project, but she forgot to remind her to bring them over.”
Caleb gave his own family schedule a mental run through.
Tuesday. Five-year-old Tyler was in playschool, which meant Tamara was running around town doing all the things on her unending list, including visiting her sister. “I can drop them off.”
“Thanks. The building committee has a meeting tomorrow night, and Lisa wanted to update the minutes so she’s ready.”
“No problem.”
They parted on an easy farewell. Caleb slipped into the house and found the file on Tamara’s desk. A few minutes later, he was down the drive and headed into town.
Dustin passed him, going in the opposite direction. His youngest brother waved and hit the horn, grin wide as anything as he turned into Silver Stone.
Sun shone off the clean white snow, the landscape turned into a brilliant winter painting by last night’s snowfall. The mountains to the west were fully dressed in snow and ice, and the blue sky so bright, the contrast was blinding.
Caleb slowed as he passed the site where the Heart Falls community hall used to stand. After the fire in September, the site had been cleared to the ground until even the safety fence had been removed. A fresh stretch of snow remained, like a blank canvas waiting for a new image to appear.
That hall had been there for all of Caleb’s life, and seeing the empty spot put a strange sensation into his gut. Something missing. Not only the building, but the familiarity, with good memories of times there with his parents and his siblings.
Josiah was right. They couldn’t stop the passage of time. Caleb didn’t really want to, because good things would happen in the future as well, yet that odd sensation lingered. Like a warning shot across his bow that said not all changes were going to be as welcome as the new hall going up.
He parked next to Tamara’s SUV outside Josiah and Lisa’s place, marching up to the door and letting himself into the warmth and chaos that was the Ryder household. “Hello?”
Happy children’s music played softly in the background while a little girl sang along. A younger boy whined, and Lisa and Tamara both responded.
Caleb toed off his boots to follow the noises into the kitchen.
Tamara cradled a sleeping five-month-old Nathan against her chest, his thick black hair sticking up in every direction as he slumbered quietly.
She smiled as she met Caleb’s gaze, brown eyes dancing behind glasses that today were the tortoiseshell-coloured ones he really liked.
“Hi there, handsome. You’re too late for tea. I was just about to head out.”
He held the file folder in the air, glancing at Lisa. “Brought you the file you need.”
“Lifesaver. I would have remembered—for the third time—that I still needed it somewhere around midnight.” Lisa tilted her head to the shelf beside the fridge as she adjusted a very clingy eighteen-month-old Mason on her hip. “Drop it there and I’ll deal with it in my free time.”
“Which you have so much of?” Tamara teased.
The faint dark shadows under Lisa’s eyes seemed to vanish as her smile appeared. “Life is good,” she insisted, watching her oldest dance across the room to hug Caleb’s legs enthusiastically,
“Unca Caleb, I have a book and a kitty and come see.” Dark-haired Zoe caught his fingers. “Come see.”
“Sorry, Sunshine,” Lisa warned. “But Uncle Caleb and Auntie Tamara have to go. We need to get Mason to stop doing his octopus imitation so we can have lunch and do some fun stuff together.”
Zoe considered this, her fingers still tight around Caleb’s.
Tamara eyed her sister. “You sure you don’t need a hand for a bit longer?”
“Nah, I’m great.” Lisa covered a yawn then snorted. “Truly. We’ll all have an afternoon nap and life will be golden again.”
“Okay, but if you need anything, call.” Tamara lowered Nathan carefully into the crib in the kitchen. She waggled her fingers at Mason, who instantly re-buried his face in Lisa’s shoulder. “Ah well, kiddo. Someday you’ll be into auntie hugs.”
Zoe, on the other hand, was already there. She imperiously demanded a hug and a dozen kisses from Tamara.
A firm tug on his pant leg a moment after Tamara put Zoe down was Caleb’s cue to offer the little princess homage. He knelt to accept a kiss from Zoe as well.
“Love you, Unca Caleb.”
“Love you, too, Sunny Girl.”
He and Tamara were out the door a moment later, the icy-cold January wind brushing against them as they made their way down the walkway to their vehicles.
“Lisa has more energy than I do, that’s for sure.” Tamara sighed happily as she slipped her hand around his elbow. “What a gorgeous day.”
“It is, just like you.” Caleb squeezed her fingers. “Can I take my favourite girl out for lunch?”
She brightened more than the shine on the snow. “Why, Mr. Stone, that’s a mighty sweet offer.”
Caleb tugged her into him, the cold vanishing with the blanket of warmth between them. “Meet you at Buns and Roses?”
“Best place in town,” she agreed, lifting her lips for a kiss.
Sweet memories, sweet moments in the here and now. More to look forward to in the future?
Caleb had every intention of enjoying every second of what he had.
Strange premonitions be damned.
Dustin put his truck into park outside the main barns, pausing to admire the view.
Last night’s snow had made things extra pretty, with small caps of white rising on every fence post like barn elves still dressed for Christmas. But it was not only the broad sweep he appreciated, with his view of the arenas and buildings of Silver Stone, the ranch that had been his home forever.
It was Charity, leaning against the barn wall and listening intently as the ranch foreman, Tucker Stewart, spoke to her that had a smile rising to Dustin’s lips and sent an extra thump to his heart.
She wore her winter coat and gloves, her curly hair extra wild this morning—and the reason for that was enough to bring heat to his body all over again.
They’d been ready to walk out the door this morning when one lingering kiss had led to another, and the next thing he knew they were naked in the living room of their small cottage.
A year and half after they’d begun, and they were still as hot for each other as the day they’d first caved, moving from friends to lovers to where they were now. Engaged, and finally deep into wedding plans so they could say I do this coming summer.
He’d just reached for the door when his phone went off. He answered it, easing back into the comfortable cushioning of his truck seat. “Uncle Frank.”
“Hey, Dustin. How’re things?”
“Good.” Dustin smiled as he tried to smother his chuckle. “Same as they were yesterday and the day before that.”
“Good. Good.”
Uncle Frank sounded twice as distracted as he had the previous couple of times he’d called, and that was saying something.
Enough waiting for the man to confess why he kept calling and rambling.
“Something up at Crooked Creek that you’re worried about?” Dustin straight up asked.
Silence echoed back for an instant before Frank responded, a touch of the old annoyance in his tone. “What makes you say that?”