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He didn’t want to take a novice out on the trail at night.
    “I’m an average rider, but nothing like Lexi, for example. She’s amazing.” She glanced at him. “I’m guessing you ride well.”
    “That was part of life at Thunder Mountain. We all learned to ride and care for horses. If we hadn’t considered ourselves cowboys before we arrived there, we were proud to say we were when we left.”
    “It’s really great that Rosie and Herb taught you ranch life. They’re both such good people.”
    “The best.”
    “But I picked up on something that makes me curious. The other guys refer to Rosie as Mom, but you and Grady don’t.”
    She’d been paying close attention. That was encouraging. “We call her Rosie because we have a mother and she’s terrific.”
    Her eyes widened. “Your mother is alive and well? I thought everyone at Thunder Mountain was a foster kid.”
    “They were. Grady and I were temporarily in the program after our mom had a bad car accident. She didn’t have any family to take over, and she had a lot of healing to do. We visited her, but she was in no shape to manage a couple of rowdy teenage boys. Rosie, who seems to know everyone in Sheridan, heard about us and invited us to live at Thunder Mountain.”
    “Where’s your mom now?”
    “At this very moment, she’s on a Fourth of July paddle-wheel cruise going up the Mississippi River. She and my stepdad booked it before they got the wedding invitation. Their tickets were nonrefundable, and they’ve talked about this trip for years.”
    “Then I’m glad they didn’t cancel it. So she’s okay now?”
    “More than okay.” There was a time when it had hurt to talk about his mom. She’d tried so hard to make a life for her boys, and then a guy in a delivery truck hadn’t been paying attention and she’d ended up in a coma. “She finally found a man who appreciates her. My dad obviously didn’t, although I never knew him. I remember Grady’s dad, though, and he was a piece of work. She was well rid of him.”
    “So that’s why you and Grady don’t look alike.” Hope squeezed her eyes shut in obvious embarrassment. “I’m sorry. That didn’t need to be discussed. I’m afraid I’ve had too much wine.”
    He was touched by her apology. He’d met people who thought nothing of asking rude questions about his and Grady’s parentage. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first person to wonder why we don’t look like brothers. Actually, Grady has my mom’s coloring. Apparently I take after my dad.” Years ago he’d hated that, but it wasn’t something he could change, so he’d decided to accept it.
    “Did you ever try to locate your father?” Then she waved her hand as if to erase her words. “Inappropriate question. Forget I asked.”
    “I’m glad you asked.” He smiled at her. “It means you’re interested in me.”
    “As it happens, I am.”
    “So if I arranged a moonlit horseback ride tonight after dinner, you’d be willing to go?”
    “Sounds like fun.”
    “Yeah.” He gazed into her warm gray eyes. They revealed a depth of emotion that called to him. “I think it will be.”
    * * *
    L IAM ’ S PLAN HAD everything going for it except the moon. After dinner at the ranch house, a rambunctious meal during which he exchanged only a few words with Hope, he excused himself to go saddle the horses. The temperature was perfect for an evening ride, but a quick glance at the sky told him he was stuck with a scrawny sliver of a moon that wouldn’t give them much light.
    “Want some help getting the horses ready?”
    He turned back to see Cade coming down the porch steps. “Sure, thanks.” They started toward the barn, their boots crunching on the gravel. “I was hoping for more moonlight.”
    “You may not have much of a moon, but the stars are spectacular.”
    “I know. I just don’t want Hope to be spooked because it’s so dark. I get the impression she doesn’t spend a lot of time in