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Two of the children, a girl and a boy, had been born after Sky’s arrival Years later, hoping to save at least one of them, Sky had invited the boy to come to work on the Rimrock But the intervention had come too late Lute had proved as rotten as the others

As for the girl

Sky’s thoughts scattered as he stepped into the hospital waiting rooed ten years, w

as dozing in the rocker, her knitting in a tumble on the floor The poor woht in She needed to go hoet some rest

Scooping up the yarn and knitting needles, Sky laid theently in her lap She opened her pale eyes “Oh, hullo,” she mumbled “Is it daytime yet?”

“Yes, and I’m here to drive you home,” Sky said “How’s Jasper?”

“All right, I think He had soave him some pills that see he was sleeping like a baby”

“What do you say we go check on him? Then we can head hoone to see Jasper alone, but he knew Bernice wouldn’t leave until she was sure her brother was all right

She took his arm as they moved down the hall They found Jasper sound asleep His color was good, the oxygen mask replaced by a tube with a clip Bernice tiptoed to his bedside and touched his hand, as if to reassure herself that her brother was still waro now,” she said

In the truck she was quiet “He’ll be all right, Bernice,” Sky said “Your brother is one tough old cowboy”

“I know that But we can’t all be tough forever”

“How come Jasper never had a faured that was his own business”

“His sweetheart died—drowned in a flood three days before their wedding Pretty little thing—Sally was her naot over her But he has a family—Will and Beau, you and me, Erin, and everyone on the ranch That’s his family”

Ignoring the tightness in his throat, Sky swung the truck onto the hway “Did you know Will and Beau’s mother?” he asked

“I never did She died a feeeks before I came to cook and take care of the boys You kno it happened, don’t you?”