She swallowed and forced words. “No, it’s fine. I can make it by myself.” A soft breeze brushed past them, swirling down the neck of her shirt and chilling her through.
“It’s dark out here, dear,” Carrie said. “We don’t let anyone ride alone in the dark.”
“I’m headed to Brandon’s.”
“Lead the way.” Tom fell back a few feet. She sighed. At least he trusted her.
She nodded, and they rode on in silence for some time. When the lights of the ranch house came into view, a beacon in the dark in so many ways—her haven—Zoey’s mind cleared. The accusations Hunter had leveled at her stung worse than a wasp bite. There were so many astonished Westbrooks when the sale was announced. And even though Tom and Carrie could have been angry and let her leave, they’d cared enough to make sure she got home safe, to treat her like one of their own. They didn’t deserve to worry—not even a little bit.
“Tom, Carrie, I need you to know that if—and it’s a bigifright now—my brothers decide to go along with this deal and buy the land, I’ve already told Liam Nicholls we’ll be signing the grazing rights over to you. You’ll have them for as long as I own the land.”
The three of them pulled up her driveway.
“That’s mighty kind of you, Zoey,” he said. “We pay rent, of course.”
She shook her head. “No, I won’t allow that.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Tom said, but Zoey was decided. The Westbrooks had saved her brother’s barn, horses, and life. As far as she was concerned, she owed them. Hunter’s face popped into her mind just then, those gray-blue eyes sparkling with mirth and that sexy grin, but she pushed the thought back. He couldn’t have place in her decision-making. Not anymore.
Carrie leaned over and patted her hand. “Hunter didn’t mean it.”
Zoey offered her a smile, but she couldn’t speak; the lump in her throat returned with a vengeance. “Have a good night.” She headed toward the barn, leaving them behind. And soon, as soon as she got her deal taken care of, she’d leave Harvest Ranch behind too. It was time to go home.
