“How I know that you’re not in love with Mr. Weitz.” She chuckled again, the sound almost sad as she looked toward Kat’sfather’s empty office. “It’s not a secret. At least not around here.” She lowered her voice and leaned closer. “Only a handful of people around here know about the arrangement.”
Grimacing, Kat covered her face with her hands. This was so embarrassing.
At the gentle squeeze on her leg, Kat peeked at June again. “Your mother would want you to be happy. Whatever that means for you.”
Deep down, Kat could accept the truth for what it was, but in this moment, she couldn’t reconcile the woman she remembered with the logic that Jane was sharing with her. Kat’s mother married and walked away from a dream. Had she found complete happiness with her father? That was the question of the century, right there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Every time Leowalked past that forsaken therapy center, a very immature part of him wanted to pick up a rock and throw it through a window.
Thankfully, his logic continued to win during those moments of insanity.
Months.
Kat had been gone for months, and he hadn’t heard a word from her. She wouldn’t return his calls. His messages were left unread. She refused any interaction with him even when he’d caught Jane on a call with her.
He’d known who Jane was talking to, even after she denied it when she hung up.
More than once, Reese had attempted to put him in his place. That was easy for him to say. He’d gotten the girl and the two of them were busy planning a June wedding.
Everyone was so annoyingly happy around here.
Weddings.
Babies.
Engagements.
But none of that was happening for him.
What did he have to do to have some good favor shine down on him?
He closed his eyes against each and every thought that threatened to rip his heart right from his chest.
Oh wait, that had already happened when Kat had left and taken that very vital organ with her.
The horse at his side pawed at the ground and snorted. Leo patted her neck. Several yards away, Jane and Noah were giving some folks in suits a tour of the therapy center. This spring they were planning on a grand opening. It was the biggest talk of the town since those women from California inherited their father’s property.
Leo grunted his displeasure.
At the city girls owning a piece of prime property.
At Kat.
At his life in general.
There was a reason he believed nothing good came from the city. Plagues. Disease that swept through nice little towns like this one. Breaking hearts. Stealing land.
“Might want to ease up on the scowling.” Tripp’s amused voice tore Leo from his thoughts, drawing his wrath. He chuckled. “Didn’t your mom ever tell you that you need to be carefulwith expressions like that?” He waved a finger in Leo’s general direction. “It’s gonna get stuck like that.”
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Leo muttered. He tugged on the lead and guided his horse in the direction of the barn. Sprigs of green were peeking out of the brown earth. Everything seemed to be soggy these days with the rainfall and the last remnants of snow melting away.
Tripp’s steps followed him, and he rolled his eyes. It wasn’t often these days that Leo spent time outside after his work was done. With the building of the therapy center complete, Bo and Jane didn’t need him supervising its progress. There was no reason to have a liaison between Sagebrush and Kat’s company.
Based on the way Tripp was following him like a lost puppy, Leo understood better than ever why he’d opted to hide away at his house.
“What do you want, Tripp?”
