Broken(5)

“Will do.” This time around, Jocelyn welcomed the peace that followed. It allowed her to think about the events to come. Her stomach rumbled with each mile they drew closer. How much had the ranch changed in her absence? Had her father aged noticeably? Was the tire swing that hung from Old Hickory still there? Did Gertie still cook the best chili in the state of Texas? Most importantly, what would Cade say when he saw her again?

He’d probably moved on with his life and found happiness in the arms of another woman. Who wouldn’t want the tall, blond hunk? It had been her decision to end their relationship, so she had no right to feel the shattering pain that gnawed at her insides when she imagined him with someone else.

One thing she knew with absolute certainty, the next couple months would be a testament to her strength and Jocelyn hoped she had it in abundance.







Jocelyn gulped as she stepped on the porch of the house she’d grown up in. The two-seater swing chair, where she would sit for hours and sketch, was still there as was the weather-beaten rocking chair her father had favored. Everything was just as she remembered, down to the green shutters and slightly askew welcome mat with mini cows painted on it. Yet, she felt like an intruder, like she didn’t belong here, didn’t have the right to be here. A lump formed in her throat and she froze. Once she rang that bell, there was no turning back.

Kyla gave her a slight tap. “Are you okay, Jos?”

Jocelyn nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m nervous. What if he—” She wasn’t able to finish that thought when the door was abruptly open. A pleasantly plump woman of short stature, with dirty blonde hair liberally streaked with grey, opened the door. Laugh lines framed her eyes and she wore a wide grin, revealing small white teeth. “Jocelyn! Welcome!”

Before Jocelyn could respond, the other woman engulfed her in an embrace and rocked her from side to side. “It’s so good to finally see you face to face. I’ve seen your pictures in that television special they did on you, but you’re even prettier in person. Jack will be over the moon when he gets back. He’s gone into town to pick up some material to mend a fence.”

Jocelyn had no choice but to return the hug. She could only assume this was the Lavern her father was planning to marry and with whom she’d corresponded over the last several weeks. There was something very genuine about the other woman that instantly put her at ease. “It’s nice to finally meet you face to face as well.” She pulled away in order to introduce her to Kyla. “And this is the friend I told you about. She’ll be staying with us.”

Lavern walked over to the model with outstretched arms and hugged her as well. “Of course. Kyla. I’m mighty pleased to meet you. Jocelyn didn’t tell me how pretty you’d be, but I should have known, you being a model and all.”

Kyla shot Jocelyn a questioning look. She’d made Jocelyn promise not to tell anyone who she was. Without the makeup and fancy clothes, Kyla looked a lot different than she did on the runway or within the pages of fashion magazines, but it didn’t change the fact that she was still an incredibly stunning beauty. “I didn’t say anything,” she mouthed to her friend.

Lavern must have caught on because her grin widened. “She didn’t tell me you were a model, but it’s not that difficult to figure out. With your looks you’re going cause a riot among the men. You’re a mite skinny, dear, but no matter, we’ll fatten you up with some good old-fashion Texan cooking.”

Kyla offered a small smile. “Thank you for having me.”

Lavern waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t think about it, honey. Any friend of Jocelyn’s is obviously a friend of mine. Come on in, girls. I’ll call one of the boys over to get the rest of your things out of your truck later. I just made some iced tea. I’ll pour you two a glass.”