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It was difficult not to be irritated with his spoiled sister With all the trouble he had on his hands now, the last thing he needed was for her to pull a disappearing act just to gain his attention But he also saas a sign of insecurity, a silent cry for someone to let her know they cared about her At sixteen, all the feelings were so intense—pain, pride, love, hate With their mother’s death and now Nanna Ruth’s, their father in the hospital for God only kneout on theive her much of his time, she probably felt completely alone, unwanted and unneeded

Ty studied the note again “Since she wants you toout soone to the same place she went the last time”

“O’Rourke’s?”

“When did he leave here?” Ty asked

“About the saht after the sheriff took you away thisHe hasn’t been back since”

“Come on” Ty returned the note and pushed away froet her” With luck, things would stay quiet here until he got back

No time asted in the drive to the Shamrock Ranch They traveled as fast as the condition of the roads would per the horizon with a cerise hue that grayed to purple where the land met the sky O’Rourke was on the front stoop to meet them when the truck roared into his ranch yard

“Tell Cathleen we’ve come to take her home,” Ty announced with firm conviction while he climbed out of the truck

“Cathleen? She’s not here” The denial was startled out of Culley “The last time I saw her, she was at The Homestead”

“It’s no use covering for her, Cuiley,” Ty declared i hi him to meet her This is the only place she could hide out”

“I swear she didn’t co scratch of his head “She wouldn’t run away,” he insisted, speaking his thoughts aloud “Not when she was so worried about what Dyson ht do to you while you were in jail She wouldn’t have run”

“In her note, she referred to the plane crash—” Repp

arted to ask if her uncle knehat she was talking about

“Did she tell you about that?” His gaze jerked to the cowboy

“What about it?” Ty demanded