Read Heart of Rockies 03 - More Than a Feeling for Free Online

They’d been through hell together. If anyone would understand, it was Bryce. Sawyer’s fists knotted, but he stared the man in the face. “Kaylee had a miscarriage a while back. At five months.”
    Bryce’s hand let go of the computer mouse.
    Yeah, he’d gotten his full attention.
    “Damn, Sawyer. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
    Again, not much to say. Not like sorry changed anything. “Yeah. Me too.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded. “Man, five months. You lost a baby. We could’ve done a service or something.”
    That’s why he hadn’t told anyone. Kaylee didn’t want to make it a big deal. “She didn’t want anyone to know. It didn’t seem to get to her as much.” Pain worked its way up his body until it felt like someone had shoved his stomach up into his chest. “She didn’t know if she ever wanted kids, anyway.” At least that’s what she said before they’d gotten married. Let’s not rush it, Sawyer. If it happens, it happens. But apparently she hadn’t thought it would happen. He glanced at Bryce. “I talked about doing a service. I mean, we saw him on the ultrasound.” He’d had tiny little hands and feet. A beautiful face. He was their baby boy. At least, that was how he’d thought of him. They’d even talked about naming him Matthew, after Dad. “But she wouldn’t consider it. I was mad as hell.” That night they had the worst fight they’d ever had. She was screaming at him to get over it. Just get over it, Sawyer. Move on. There’s no baby. Then…“I asked her why she’d miscarried, if it was something she did.” Shame covered his face, hot and dry.
    “Holy shit.” Bryce’s head tipped back with disbelief. “She wouldn’t have done it on purpose. Those things just happen.”
    “I know. I lost my head. Wasn’t thinking straight.” Truth was, it was easier for him to get mad, to blame her. For a while it curbed the pain, the empty feeling left behind by loss. “A few days later, I told her I was sorry, but things went south from there. She never looked at me the same. And good ol’ Jace was waiting in the wings.” Damn, the power of words. Those words he’d said to her had broken something in both of them. That was on him. He’d made a mistake that’d ruined his marriage, and he had to own it.
    “That’s why you’re leaving,” Bryce said slowly, as if putting the pieces together.
    If anyone had earned the right to call him out on that, it was Bryce. But the words still stabbed at him. Did he even have a right to grieve? How could he grieve something he’d never had? “I need a new start.” A new place. New memories. A new focus.
    “We’ll miss you around here,” Bryce said, but at least he didn’t try to talk him out of it again. “Don’t know who the hell is gonna keep an eye on the place with you gone.” He said it like a joke, but there was some truth to it. Sawyer has consulted for him on the security system for the ranch. He’d evaluated all their risk protocols.
    Speaking of…
    “Hey, what d’you know about Ruby James?”
    “Not… much ,” Bryce said slowly, as though thrown off by the fast change of subject.
    But Sawyer had to plow ahead. Best to start his mission now or he wouldn’t have time to complete it before he left. “Doesn’t that concern you?”
    Bryce waved him off. “Nah. Mom trusts her.”
    He gave his cousin a stern look. “She trusts everyone.”
    “She’s got good intuition.”
    Yeah. Intuition never solved any crimes. Facts. Evidence. Those were the only sure bets. This whole thing with Ruby was simply highlighting a larger issue at the Walker Mountain Ranch. You couldn’t just let some random person come and work for you. No wonder things had been disappearing. Last week about three hundred dollars had gone missing from the office. Then there was a diamond bracelet Avery couldn’t seem to find. Bryce had chalked it up to them misplacing things, but Sawyer wasn’t so sure. “Has Avery found