While the others worked out the wording, Rose let her gaze drift out the window. This attempt felt too big. Too impossible without Someone more powerful overseeing every step. She hadn’t prayed in years, not really. But maybe…
Before shame could stop her, she shaped a quiet plea. Lord…if You’re as near as they seem to believe, keep Thomas unseen. Keep him safe.
The words felt strange, like wearing a dress that wasn’t hers. And she didn’t expect an answer.
Still, the asking eased something tight inside her.
CHAPTER 13
The bitter wind cut through James’s coat as he guided his horse down the slope toward the ranch house, his jaw clenched against more than just the cold.
Snow had been falling since last night, blanketing the Montana peaks in pristine white that would have been beautiful if it didn’t spell a hard few days or weeks for their stock. He, Enoch, and Robert had been working with the horses in the meadow pasture all morning, until Robert had gone back to the barn to fetch the ax over an hour ago—a simple task that should have taken fifteen minutes at most. The ice on the creek in the north pasture would be thick by now, and cattle couldn’t survive long without water, no matter how much hay they had stored.
As he rode into the barn, Robert’s horse stood in its stall, still saddled but sleeping, as though it had stood there a while. The ax hung exactly where it always did, untouched on its wooden pegs.
He couldn’t help but growl as he strode toward the house, irritation building with each step.
Four days. Four days since Thomas had ridden out for Virginia City to retrieve Rose’s contract, and the waiting had stretched everyone’s nerves thin. The least Robert could do was handle the simple tasks he’d been asked to do instead of?—
As he crossed the porch, he forced himself to slow down before easing open the front door.
The sight before him made his gut twist.
Rose sat curled on the leather sofa in the great room, her auburn hair catching the lamplight as she bent over what looked like a book. Robert sat beside her—close beside her—their heads nearly touching as they studied whatever lay open between them. Her green eyes were bright with interest as she pointed to something on the page, and Robert’s expression held that same patient attention he’d always given to his books.
The jealousy hit James hard, sharp and immediate beneath his ribs. His hands clenched at his sides as he watched them, so absorbed in their conversation they hadn’t even noticed him enter.
Rose’s relaxed posture, the way she leaned toward Robert without any of the careful distance she maintained with everyone else, made his chest burn with something ugly and possessive.
The ax. The cattle. His brother had abandoned his responsibilities to sit here playing scholar with Rose while James and Enoch worked in the bitter cold and while cattle stood thirsty in the north pasture. He was probably trying to impress her with his knowledge of legal precedents or some other intellectual pursuit that made James feel like a rough-handed rancher by comparison.
The worst part was how natural they looked together—two minds bent over a shared interest, Rose’s delicate features animated with the kind of engagement she never showed when James tried to talk with her. When he attempted conversation, she gave him polite responses and careful smiles. But here she was, leaning into Robert’s space as though she belonged there.
The rational part of his mind knew he was being unreasonable—Robert was probably just answering a question she’d asked from one of his law books. But rationality had nothing to do with the jealousy that clawed through his chest like a living thing.
“Robert.” The name came out harsher than he’d meant, cutting through their quiet discussion like a blade.
Both heads snapped up. Rose straightened immediately, that familiar wariness sliding back into her expression like a mask. Robert blinked, looking genuinely surprised to see him standing there.
But before his brother could defend himself, the sound of hoofbeats in the yard made James spin.
Thomas was back.
And if God was merciful, he’d have Rose’s contract with him.
James stepped back onto the porch as his youngest brother reined in amidst the still-falling snow.
Thomas swung from his saddle, his movements stiff from the long ride. Snow clung to his coat and hat, and his face flushed red from the cold.
But his eyes held a gleam of satisfaction that made James’s pulse quicken.
“Did you get it?” James called out, stepping to the edge of the porch.
Thomas patted the front of his coat. “Got it.” His grin was sharp with triumph. “Vincent Dunhill is very organized.”
Relief flooded through James’s chest, washing away some of the bitter jealousy that had just been eating through him. Rose’s contract—the key to her freedom—was finally within their reach.
“Thomas!” Robert’s voice came from behind him, and James turned to see his brother emerging from the house, Rose close behind him. Her face had gone pale, her green eyes wide with a mixture of hope and fear that twisted inside him.
