Promise Canyon (Virgin River #13)(73)

The shock was evident on her face. "Oh? Why, that's wonderful! You must be so happy!"

"My father has worked many hard years so we could be together," Gabe said.

"Yes," she said solemnly. And wisely she didn't say any more. Clay had brought Gabe to the Sorensons' after his marriage, brought him to that big, cold, unfriendly house, and after just a few weeks sent him back to his grandparents. Gabe had occasionally visited the Sorensons' ranch in L.A. but he never again attempted to live there. His dad had said, "Surely you can see this isn't the right place for you."

And Gabe had said, "Is it the right place for you, Dad?"

"You know, Gabe," Isabel went on, "there are opportunities for you at our ranch when you've finished school. I would sponsor you myself. Hire you, that is. We're connected to many important breeders, training programs, et cetera. It might give you the right connections to establish your own equine business. You have only to call me if you're interested."

"Thank you," he said politely, knowing he'd never take her up on the offer.

"Well, I'd better be on my way then," she said, turning away. "Very nice seeing you, Gabe." And she strode back into the barn.

He called after her. "Are you loading that horse?"

"Yes," she said over her shoulder. "I brought her up here for your father and Dr. Jensen to have a look at her leg. I wasn't satisfied with our vet's diagnosis and for good reason--Clay and Dr. Jensen had a better idea of what was wrong with her. I'm glad I made the trip."

She is so full of shit, Gabe thought. Isabel Sorenson didn't have to cart her own champion horses around the state in a trailer to get second opinions. She could bring half the high-priced vets in the nation to her door; they'd be panting for a chance to give their opinions, to find a niche in that wealthy breeding and racing family. Isabel had come for his father. And at the moment Gabe was very happy he'd seen his father leaving angrily.

But he said, "Can I help you load her?"

Isabel stood aside, her hands behind her back. "Thank you. That would be so nice of you."

Gabe took the lead and put the horse in the fancy trailer. He closed it up and turned to Isabel. "Is there anything else I can get for you before you're on your way?"

"Not a thing. But do remember what I said, Gabe. If you want a chance with a big breeder, you have only to give me a call. I'll set everything up for you. You'll never have to worry about a thing. Being your father's son, I know you're a talented young man."

"Thank you," he said with a slight nod.

He watched her climb in the big truck, turn it around to face the road and roll down the window to give him a winning smile. "Call anytime, Gabe!"

"Thank you," he said. And as the truck and trailer exited the lot, heading down the road, he said, "When hell freezes over."

Lilly drove away from the Jensen Clinic as though her tailgate was on fire. She had trouble breathing. Hadn't Clay just told her he'd love her forever? Exactly how many women had he pledged to love forever? Did he envision a harem?

She had a flashback to her old boyfriend. To the time she'd seen him flirting with another girl and had thought to herself, He's just a boy. When I tell him we made a baby, that will be over. But a different outcome was in store for her. She told him and he laughed and said it couldn't be his--that he'd been careful. Lilly never understood what he meant by that--he certainly hadn't used a condom!

She tried again and again to direct his attention to that baby, but when all else failed, she'd gone to her grandfather. Yaz was incensed. He loaded his rifle and headed for the boy's home to confront the whole family at gunpoint. There was no tribe like Clay's father and uncles with a lawyer and leather binder, just her infuriated grandfather.

But the boy had run. And Yaz had pulled her away from the only home she'd ever known before she had a chance to even hear whether he came back around.

She lost the baby and for a few months she grieved. For a few more she fantasized that he'd returned to the reservation to reclaim her. For still longer she dreamed that he was searching for her. It took such a long time for her to face the truth; he didn't love her, but had used her and had no concern about her once he was done with her.

This thing with Clay, she thought it was so different. But it felt so familiar!

When she reached her grandfather's feed store, she jumped out of the truck. Her grandfather wasn't expecting her back today, except to pick up her car before heading home. She grabbed her purse from the truck and headed for her Jeep. She saw one of her grandfather's employees and yelled, "Hey, Manny! When you go back inside, tell my grandpa I'm done for the day, will you?"

"Not riding today, Lilly?" he shouted back.

"I was going to, but something..." Something ripped my heart out! "Something came up!" She had barely made it to the driver's door of her Jeep when a big truck pulled into the feed store lot and blocked her departure.

She had been hurt before, but as she watched Clay jump out of his truck and stride toward her, her anger flared. She tried to make herself taller by straightening her spine and lifting her chin.

"Lilly, you have to let me explain," Clay said.

"I can't wait," she said, shaking her head. "I can't imagine there's anything about what I heard that could be explainable."