The Rancher Takes A Bride (The Burnett Brides Book 1)

dust in odd twists and patterns. Rose turned her face away from the stinging crystals.
    "If you think I didn't realize what kind of man Daddy was, then you're wrong. I knew a long time ago he was not the kind of man who kept a promise to a woman. So if you're trying to tell me my parents didn't live together, it's really all right." She sighed, wondering what her life would have been like if her mother had lived. "Daddy was not the kind of man I'd ever consider marrying, and I'm sure Mama must have regretted falling in love with him."
    "Miss Rose, your father had a good heart. He just had a roving eye and a restless spirit that kept him on the move all the time."
    "I know, and after Mama died, I was fortunate he made room for me in his life. He wasn't a bad father, just not the kind of man a woman would want to marry." She considered her thoughts carefully for a moment. "Actually, living with Daddy was often fun. Right up until he met that witch of a woman he married. I still can't believe he ran out on us for her."
    Isaiah shook his head. "I never understood how he could abandon us that way either."
    "I guess he felt he'd found something better," she said, glancing out at the spacious land surrounding her. "Still, I can't imagine growing up in such wide- open spaces."
    Isaiah shrugged. "It's a lot quieter than those northern cities you were accustomed to."
    Rose couldn't help but think of Travis as a young boy, riding the range with his father. "I bet growing up at the Bar None was nothing like my childhood either."
    "Uh-huh. Different as milk and rum." Isaiah turned the wagon in a more southerly direction. "As different as fire and rain. You were taught how to make a living as best you could. Mr. Burnett was taught how to take care of himself and his family."
    "True." She laughed. "If Travis only knew I could have picked their pockets clean anytime I'd wanted to, he would be more understanding concerning his mother's ring."
    "Oh, Lord, Miss Rose, please don't say that to Mr. Burnett. He'll lock you up in that jail for sure."
    "You're right, Isaiah." She sighed, the sound heavy in the lengthening twilight. "It probably would be better not to tell Travis the truth about my father and how I spent my childhood, learning the art of the con. Travis certainly could not trust me at all if he knew the truth."

Chapter Fourteen

    Rose glanced around at the family mingling in the yard of the big house and felt completely overwhelmed. Never in her entire life had she been in one place with so many people who were related to one another. Of course, she knew very little regarding her own family and had very limited contact with people who were related to her, besides her parents. Her father had mentioned a brother once, but she'd never met him and didn't even know his name.
    The whole concept of a family reunion was foreign to Rose.
    A warm summer breeze stirred the curls that lay against her nape as she watched small children chase one another among the tall oak trees that graced the yard. She glanced at the crowd of fifty or more people and was awed by the fact that all of these people shared a common bond. They were a family, and she'd never experienced that tradition, never really thought much about it until now.
    As a child she had often wondered what it would be like to have siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles gather together at the holidays, but it had never been a reality. And now she doubted she would ever experience the connection these people seemed to have, and that saddened her. A family didn't have a place in a successful actress's life.
    Eugenia came up behind Rose, startling her as she lightly touched Rose's arm.
    "Come along, dear, I want to introduce you to everyone," she said excitedly, tugging Rose along.
    "But . . . I'm busy," Rose said in protest.
    "Oh, come on, it will be fun and stir up all sorts of speculation about who you are." Eugenia's dark eyes sparkled.
    "Don't you mean it will start rumors regarding my association with Travis?" Rose asked, not needing any more complications with that stubborn cowboy.
    Eugenia smiled and began walking toward a group of women. "I have no control over what people are talking about. And besides, I do want to show you off. You're the closest thing to a daughter I have."
    Rose swallowed to keep the tears at bay. How could she turn the woman down, when she made her feel so special? "Thanks—Eugenia." Her voice almost broke. "That's quite a compliment."
    "You're welcome.