Adam was feeling restless. He didn’t want to admit it, but the reason for his mood was that the women would be returning today. They’d been gone a week and he was looking forward to their return. He’d been shocked at how much he’d missed seeing Rachel, and not only for the sex either, he flat out missed talking to her. Seeing her in the yard with her camera had become a highlight of his day. Watching her and Alyssa ride out on the horses made him smile.

Dear God, when had he become such a sap? It had snuck up on him, but this last week had proven that it was here to stay, this sappy mush he’d turned into. At least here to stay until she left for good in a month or maybe six weeks. He was going to have to get over this bullshit then, that was for damn sure.

He moved over to look out the window of the office library, the one that faced the drive. No sign of them yet, and he couldn’t just stand around watching an empty driveway, for what could be hours.

Beau walked in the door and Adam jerked around trying to act like he hadn’t been mooning, watching the empty driveway. But Beau didn’t seem to even notice him, he just walked over and started staring at the driveway, too. A few minutes later their father joined them. None of them said a word, just stood there looking out the window.

After about fifteen minutes his dad sighed. “I really should get to work. There’s a lot to be done.” But he didn’t move from his spot by the window.

Beau nodded. “Yep, same here. Daylight’s burning.” Beau stayed rooted where he was also.

Finally, Adam said, “We are a sad lot.”

Both Beau and Travis looked at him. “What? It’s not my fault the women sucked all the joy out of the house by leaving.”

Beau gave him a small smile. “You’ve been keeping your relationship with Rachel on the downlow.”

“She’ll be leaving in a month to six weeks. Whenever she gets the pics taken you’ve asked her to take after the wedding. No reason to broadcast something that’s not going to remain.” Adam shrugged.

His dad lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve never known you to give up so easily, Son.”

He folded his arms. “She’s planning to go to art school.”

Beau shook his head. “No, she’s thinking about going to art school. According to Alyssa she hasn’t made up her mind about that.”

“And I recall her talking about the old photo studio in town and how much fun she’d have with it.” Travis added.

Adam swore. “I know, but I can’t be the one to decide for her. Besides she’s too young for me.”

Beau rolled his eyes and Travis laughed. “Adam, that’s one of the dumbest things you’ve ever said. I married your mother when she was eighteen, I’m six years older than she is. Your grandfather was even more of a cradle robber. He married your grandmother when she was only seventeen, they were seven years apart in age. Rachel is twenty-two and a mature adult. You’re the ripe old age of thirty-one. Nothing wrong with that age gap.”

Adam frowned. “But if we were still in school—”

Beau whacked him on the back of his head. “You’re not still in school, dumbass. Get over it already. There are people out there getting married with a twenty or even thirty-year gap in ages. Less than a decade is nothing. Lighten up.”

“Fine, but I still don’t think it’s my place to decide for Rachel to not go to school.” Adam crossed his arms again. He’d never thought about age gaps in his parents or grandparents.

“No one said you have to decide for her,” Beau said, “but you might want to offer her some choices.”

“I’ll think about it.” Adam noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. “But right now, it looks like the women are finally home.”

Beau and his dad turned their heads so quickly back to the window there was practically a breeze.

“Thank God,” Travis said.

“Whoo hoo, last one out the door is a rotten egg,” Beau cried and nearly ran out the door, with his father right behind him.

Adam frowned at the discussion as he followed the other two men out of the house. Am I really being a dumb ass? Based on the revelations he’d just heard it was no wonder no one else thought a thing about Beau marrying Alyssa.

* * *

Rachel was shocked at the feeling of returning home she had when they turned into the driveway of the Rockin’ K ranch. She had not felt this feeling of homecoming when she’d arrived in Chedwick or even her family’s home a week ago. Her childhood bedroom had seemed foreign to her, even though she’d been living in the room her whole life, up until a couple of months ago.

It was very disconcerting, and she supposed it had something to do with the tall cowboy following his father and brother out the door of the house with a slight frown on his face. That expression changed to a smile when she climbed out of the back seat. It surprised the hell out of her when he came straight to her and wrapped her in a hug. They had never had any PDA in front of his family. Not that anyone was paying attention, since Travis was greeting Meg with a much more enthusiastic greeting. And Alyssa and Beau were devouring each other. Emma was busy releasing her tired little boy from his car seat.

Adam sighed and stepped back. He looked into her eyes. “I missed you.”

She felt her smile wobble. “I missed you too. Join me tonight, after dinner?”

His eyes lit. “Happy to. Now let’s get this car unloaded.” Turning away from her he said, “Beau, quit eating Alyssa’s face, we need to get the car emptied.”

Beau gave Alyssa one last long kiss then pulled away. “If we must.”

Even though the car was packed to the roof with luggage and wedding gifts, it didn’t take them long to unload it, especially when the twins and Grandpa K showed up to help.

Rachel went into her room and sank down on the bed. She needed to unpack, download her pictures from the trip, the wedding shower, bachelorette party, and the dress fittings. It had been a long couple of days, so she just wanted to sit for a minute. She looked at her desk and wished she had brought her computer. She’d debated bringing it with her the whole time she was home. In the end, she had left it because Alyssa’s wedding gifts had filled the car. Half of them were still in Washington and her family planned to bring them along when they came back for the wedding in three weeks.

She couldn’t believe it was only three weeks until the wedding. When she’d first come to Colorado, the few months she would be here seemed like a long time. Now with the end quickly approaching, she wished the time had not gone by so quickly. She would spend a week or two after the wedding getting the pictures taken of the Kipling herd, but then she would be either going back to Washington or off to college.

Her mother had given her the two acceptance letters to the schools she could attend in the fall. She dug the letters out of her purse and looked at them again. They wanted an answer right away, but she didn’t know how she wanted to reply. She’d applied late and hadn’t really expected acceptance, she was behind in the process and thought they might accept her for the winter term. But both the art school in California and Seattle had accepted her for the fall term, only eight weeks from now. She had the money set aside for the first year, so finances were not an issue and both campuses assured her there was housing available.

She flopped back on her bed and the letters drifted to the floor. She really did not know what she wanted to do. At least that’s what she told herself, she was afraid what she really wanted was to stay here in Colorado with grumpy Adam and reopen the photography studio in town. But was that even an option? Yes, he’d said he missed her but that didn’t necessarily mean he wanted her to stay either.

Maybe she should just enroll in one of them and move forward, mooning about some guy wasn’t smart. But which one should she choose? California would be fun, but she would be very far away from everyone. Seattle was a couple of hours from her family and Sandy, her old babysitter, lived there, so she would know someone.

She got up to get busy. Laying on her bed was not helping in the least. She folded the letters and put them in the night stand to think about later.