Montana SEAL (Brotherhood Protectors #1)(4)
Carla must have taken him at his word. She wasn’t anywhere around. A quick glance out the window proved the theory. Her car was gone from the driveway. Glad to walk away from the house without an interrogation about where she was going and whom she was going to see in town, Sadie climbed into the Jeep she’d rented and drove out of the yard and down the gravel road toward the highway.
The view hadn’t changed much. This was the same land she’d grown up on. She’d played in these fields, climbed the hills, and ridden across the pastures like a wild child. The horses were different, and there was a fresh coat of paint on the house and barn, but what struck her was how much she’d changed. And how much she wished she hadn’t. Sadie missed the carefree days of summer and the midnight visits from Hank.
If she were honest with herself, she’d call it as it was. She missed Hank Patterson and the young, stupid love they’d shared when they were teenagers. That was the real reason why she hadn’t come home much during the past eleven years—Hank wasn’t there.
Her heart constricted. After all these years, she’d thought she could handle coming home for an extended stay. She was wrong.
The drive into Eagle Rock didn’t take long. She passed the entrance to Bear Creek Ranch and slowed to stare down the winding road disappearing into the evergreens. After a moment, she shook herself. What did she expect? Hank had been eager to shake the shackles of a small town and tight community off his shoulders. He was even more determined to break free of the iron grip of his father. Lloyd Patterson had always been civil to her, but she’d known from Hank’s simmering anger and the way he clenched his jaw whenever he spoke about his father, that they weren’t close, and never would be.
From the moment she and Hank started riding together, Sadie knew he’d have to get away from Bear Creek Ranch to make a life of his own. Where Sadie would have been content to stay in the area, Hank had to leave to prove to his father and himself he had a mind of his own and could make his own way in the world.
Sadie’s heart swelled with the pride she’d felt when she’d gone to Hank’s graduation ceremony. She’d read everything she could get her hands on about SEAL training. Hank had made it through where more than seventy percent of those who tried failed and washed out in the first few weeks. He hadn’t known she’d been there, and she hadn’t walked up to him. The man was still following his dream. If she’d come back into his life then…well, she hadn’t wanted to be the force that derailed him. Hell, he probably had forgotten about her, once he’d swept the dust of the ranch from his boots.
Not so for Sadie. She thought of Hank often and worried about him. SEALs lived dangerous lives. They went into some of the most hostile environments, going up against some of the most heinous terrorists imaginable.
As she neared Eagle Rock, she slowed for a stop sign. A truck loaded with bags of feed pulled through the stop sign and one of the fifty-pound bags slid off the back, dropped to the ground and split open, spilling its contents on the road.
Sadie waved at the driver, pulled to the side of the road and got out.
The driver of the other vehicle edged the truck to the side of the road and climbed down, frowning.
Sadie’s heart twisted in her chest. She’d recognize the tall, gray-haired man anywhere. His son looked so much like him, it made her chest ache. “Good morning, Mr. Patterson.” Hank’s father had always had a fierce countenance. Permanently etched on his face, the man’s frown had frightened more than one foreman away from the Bear Creek Ranch where Hank grew up.
He grunted in response to her greeting and stared at the feed spilled across the road. “Damned kids. Can’t stack a load so as it won’t fall off. I’ll have words with Bergman about that boy he hired to load feed.”
Sadie squatted beside the torn edges of paper and scooped feed into what was left of one half of the bag. “I’m sure he didn’t know better. How have you been?” she asked, when she’d really rather ask about his son, Hank.
“Arthritis is giving me fits in my knees and Allie’s been nagging me to go to the doctor.” He snorted. “Ain’t got time to be driving all the way to Bozeman to see a doc who will charge me a fortune to tell me what I already know. I’m gettin’ old.” He dropped to his haunches beside Sadie and went to work salvaging what he could of the feed.
“I haven’t seen Allie since she was fifteen. She must be all grown up by now.” Sadie commented.
Lloyd hefted the larger of the two halves of a bag and straightened with a groan. “That she is. And a thinks she runs the place. Need to get her married off before she makes me crazy.”
Sadie laughed, scooped the other half up and followed Lloyd to the back of the truck.
The old rancher settled his burden in between the stack of feed and the wheel well and then turned to take the other half from Sadie. He jammed the feed bag in beside the one he’d just settled and turned to face her. When he did, the lines in his forehead deepened. “You’re that McClain girl from the neighboring ranch, aren’t you?”
Sadie grinned and stuck out her hand. “Sadie McClain. I’m surprised you remembered me.”
“I remember you used to ride over on that old nag and hang around my barn every Saturday afternoon. Couldn’t get a lick of work out of Hank when you were around.”
Sadie’s smile slipped, her thoughts filling with memories of a happier time. “I’m sorry I disturbed your work day.” But she wasn’t sorry for the memories she and Hank had created together. “Speaking of Hank—” The bag Mr. Patterson had just jammed into the back of the truck split open again and fell toward the pavement. Sadie dove to catch what she could.