And she'd promised herself she never would.
Adam felt Breanna's withdrawal,but he wasn't going to hide the truth.
Father needed him. Reggie needed him. Even Mother needed him, if only so she could distract herself by trying to manage Adam's life.
His family relied on the income from theDaily Explorer. They employed sixteen people, who counted on the paper staying in business. And now with Father's medical expenses... Adam had had no choice but to step into the life that had been planned for him.
He'd taken over the editor-in-chief duties at the paper a few weeks past. He'd begged off to go on this trip. He might've hinted to his father that there was a story involved, though he hadn't mentioned that it was his own life story he was trying to write.
He'd left theExplorerin the intrepid hands of Father's senior editor, a man who'd been with Father nearly from the beginning. Clarence was waiting for Adam's telegraph with the first article.
Adam would find something to write. Later. When he wasn't busy courting.
He should probably feel guilty about playing fast and loose with the truth, but Father's mortality had made Adam take a hard look at his life.
When push came to shove, he couldn't imagine living in one of Mother's society matches.
Breanna would give him a small taste of freedom and be his solace after long days in the office.
If only he could convince her to return to Philadelphia with him.
They'd left the small town behind and only passed one other house on the otherwise open prairie. In the far distance, a mountain range rose gray and purple on the horizon.
They crested a hill, and a valley opened up, spreading out in a picturesque view. A log cabin that had obviously been modified with rooms added on was front and center. A barn stood off in the distance. Another house sat nestled in a copse of trees to the north, a second one straight west, and another to the south.
"My brother Maxwell lives in town with his wife. They’re both doctors."
"Maxwell. That's one fewer I have to remember." His teasing words brought a faint smile to her face, but nothing like the easy grin he'd received when she'd first seen Domino.
"Ricky and his wife Daisy and their baby live up north, near Sheridan. They aren't here today."
Before he could beg her for more hints to the other family members' names, Walt ran up to them. Jonas and Penny's wagon had rolled to a stop halfway between the barn and house, and Walt had been the first one to jump out.
"Can I ride your horse?” the boy asked. “Pretty please?"
Adam couldn't help but smile. He'd felt the very same way when he'd first seen Domino.
"Your sister gets the first ride." It was his ace in the hole to win her over, their shared love of horses.
Breanna shook her head. "Go ahead, Walt. I'd hate for my gelding to get jealous."
Stubborn woman. But he nodded to the boy, who was fairly bouncing with excitement. "Should I—?"
"He's a good rider." Breanna smiled affectionately at her brother.
Adam used his hands as a cradle to boost the boy into the saddle, then adjusted the stirrups so the he could reach.
He watched as Walt walked the horse in a slow circle, then trotted toward the open land that stretched out in front of the house. The boy galloped away with a whoop, clinging to the saddle like he'd been born to it. Like Breanna.
"It's a beautiful animal," Breanna said, her eyes on the horse.
"We do have horses in Pennsylvania."
She smiled, but it was a tight thing. Not real. "If you'll excuse me, I'll make myself useful and help set out the meal."
She gestured to the three long wooden tables and picnic benches on the south side of the house. They were sheltered on one side by the house and on the other by several towering pine trees.
He watched her go. This wasn't as easy as he'd hoped it might be. His memory of the connection between them was on target, but she seemed skittish. And she was right—they didn't really know each other. He couldn't spend more than a few days—maybe a week—out West. He might've left things in Clarence's capable hands, but his father wouldn't be happy with that for long. Father only trusted Adam to run the paper. The few days he had would need to be enough.
