Chapter 31

Misty gripped Link's hand as she led him into her apartment. She'd literally never thought he'd be in this place. She'd never intended to bring him to her apartment in Dallas. As she took a step closer to the kitchen, where Danny had started smearing cream cheese on his toasted bagel, she realized how foolish she'd been.

Of course Link would've come with her to help her move from Dallas to Three Rivers. He'd have seen the apartment then.

"This is a nice place," Link said, his voice tinged with admiration.

"It's usually cleaner," Misty muttered. In a louder voice, she said, "Danny, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Lincoln Glover."

Her brother lifted his bagel and took a bite as he turned, which was such a classic alpha-dog move. Misty wanted to roll her eyes, but she managed to refrain. He wouldn't say hello first. He'd juggle his food before he could shake Link's hand. He'd take the extra seconds to size up Link as if he might be found wanting.

"Hey, brother," Link said easily, his voice carrying the smile on his face. "It's great to meet you." He didn't move to shake his hand, and he looked between Misty and Danny. "I see the resemblance. You guys have the best eyes in the world." He pressed a kiss to Misty's temple, and she leaned into his touch, having missed it so much.

Her feelings streamed through her in bright colors, and Misty couldn't make sense of all of them. She did decide right then and there that she didn't care if Danny liked Link or not. She liked him—she liked him a whole lot—and Danny didn't get to influence her decisions when it came to where she lived, where she worked, or who she was with.

"Thanks, Link," she said. She met her brother's eye, and he finally swallowed his first bite of breakfast, though she'd told him Link was bringing them food.

"It's great to meet you," Danny said. "Misty's talked of hardly anything else this week." He gave her a knowing look, but Misty stood up strong against it. She didn't have anything to hide from Link or Danny.

"I brought you a bagel," Link said, lifting the bag of food. "But that one looks better, so maybe I'll eat it." He released her hand and started pulling out containers. "For my beautiful girl," he said, handing her a round tinfoil container with a cardboard cover over it.

He took out another one and looked at Danny. Link didn't seem nervous at all, but Misty knew he had to be. She knew him well enough to see the jump in his jaw and the way he hesitated, albeit slightly. "I got you a quiche too, my friend. Misty said you liked bacon and Swiss."

Danny stepped over and took it. "I do," he said. "Thanks."

"Here's that bagel too." Link tossed it to him, as it had been wrapped in white paper and basically resembled a baseball. "I'm not kidding when I said I'd eat it if you don't want it."

"I want it," Danny said.

"He's not used to having unlimited access to food," Misty said, giving her brother a look he ignored. "And Link isn't used to not having platters and platters of food." She grinned at him, and Link ducked that adorable cowboy hat and chuckled.

"Nice hat," Danny said, and Misty pulled in a breath.

But Link just said, "Thanks, brother. It's one I really like." He reached up and adjusted it on his head. "There's this famous rodeo star that lives in Three Rivers now that he's retired. My family is real close with his, and it's one of his signature hats."

"Wyatt Walker," Misty said, because she knew this now.

"Wyatt Walker," Link confirmed. "I think I'm gonna call it my traveling hat, and I'll wear it when I travel."

"Which means you'll never wear it again," she quipped.

"Hey." He laughed and pulled out another white-wrapped package. "I might. You never know. Maybe we'll go somewhere amazing for Thanksgiving, just the two of us."

Misty gaped at him, forgetting about Danny completely. "The day you leave Shiloh Ridge at Thanksgiving is the day I die."

He laughed again and leaned toward her. "I sure do like your pretty accent. Di-ie. It's one syllable, sweetheart."

She'd made it two, and she let her eyes drift closed as he kissed her briefly.

"You two are sickly sweet," Danny said in a dry tone.

Misty pulled back and moved around him to get silverware out of the kitchen. "Danny, I'm not staying in Dallas."

"I figured," he said.

She wasn't sure how to tell him he couldn't stay here either. That she didn't want him living in her apartment, especially if the way he cleaned up after himself was any indication of future behavior. He'd told her that everything in prison was so strict, that he just wanted to toss his shoes and shed his socks, and he'd get to them later. That he wouldn't live like this forever.

Misty honestly wasn't sure she believed him. Of course, he'd told her so many things in the past that hadn't been true, so his track record with her wasn't great.

"There's a spot for you at Shiloh Ridge," Link said. "Poor Cutter's livin' alone these days, and that man needs someone to keep him in line." He grinned at Danny while Misty stared.

Danny scoffed—just like Misty wanted to—and then he just stared at Link. Her boyfriend casually took a bite of his sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"You mean that?" Danny had stopped eating completely, and Misty hadn't started yet. Tension choked her, but Link took another bite as he looked between them.

He nodded, reached for a napkin, and swallowed. "Yeah, of course," he said. "Why wouldn't I mean…that?"

"Misty told you I was in prison, right?" Danny asked, glaring over to Misty now.

"Of course I told him that."

Danny focused on Link again. "And your daddy knows? All your family? They want me there?"

"Shiloh Ridge always needs good men," Link said.

"So you haven't spoken to them about it." Danny scoffed again and started to laugh in an unkind way. "Right." He rolled his eyes and his head in Misty's direction.

"Be nice," she hissed at him.

"This is why I don't want to go to Three Rivers," he said bitterly. "You say it'll be fine, but it won't be. Every job I get from now until forever is going to make me disclose that I'm an ex-con."

"Well, it won't be different here," Misty shot back at him. "And no one here is offering you anywhere to live, work, and be anonymous." She gestured to Link, who had stopped eating. "We're offering you all of that. It's a good thing, Danny. Don't make it into a bad thing just because you're scared."

Danny pressed his teeth together, his lips flat-lining over them. He took his food and stormed out of the kitchen and dining area and into the living room. Misty's adrenaline fell, and she let the breath out of her lungs too.

She looked helplessly at Link, who suddenly did wear an expression of uncertainty. Then, he grabbed his food and followed Danny into the living room. He sat down on the other end of the couch, leaving the middle cushion for Misty, should she choose to join them.

With her lungs pinched as they were, she decided to stay at the dining room table to eat. She'd just taken her first bite of quiche Lorraine when Link looked over to Danny. "You own any boots?"

"No," Danny said.

"A hat?"

Danny looked at him, pure irritation in his eyes. "What do you think, cowboy?"

"I think you can borrow one of mine until we can get you set up with your own," Link said without missing a beat. "The boots I can't help you with, because I think my giant feet will be like you wearing skis." He chuckled and went back to his sandwich.

Danny looked over to Misty, who likewise stared right back at him. She'd been nervous about Link meeting Danny, though realistically, she shouldn't have been. Link didn't pick up any more small talk, and the three of them ate in silence from their positions in the apartment.

Misty could only get down a few more bites, and then she got up and put the cardboard cover over her quiche. She slid it into the fridge and joined the men in the living room. "Danny, I haven't seen Link in a week, and I'm going to take him out to see my favorite things in Dallas." She grinned and extended both of her hands to Link.

He blinked at her, pure surprise emanating from him. "We're going around the city?"

"Yes, sir," she said. "You can keep your hat on, so don't worry."

"All right." He set his food on the side table and took both of her hands. He stood and wrapped his arms around her. "He can come, love. I don't care."

"Nope," she said, stepping out of his arms. "Danny, we're going back to Three Rivers tomorrow night. You can't stay in my apartment alone, so you'll need to find somewhere to live in the next twenty-four hours—and that includes an amazing, furnished-and-ready cowboy cabin at Shiloh Ridge."

"Misty."

"I'm just saying it's an option." His only option right now, but that didn't need to be said out loud, so Misty didn't say it.

"They won't have any airplane tickets left," he grumbled. "Not one we can afford, at least."

Misty looked at Link, and Link looked at Misty. She knew he'd pay whatever required if Danny wanted to go to Three Rivers with them, and neither of them had to say a word.

"Ready, love?" he asked, taking her hand.

"Ready," she said, and she let Link lead her out of her own apartment. She hadn't anticipated him being the one to convince Danny to come to Three Rivers, but as the door closed behind him, she was fairly sure he'd done just that.

"You're going to have to stop kissing me," Link murmured just before he touched his mouth to Misty's and kissed her again. They'd been doing that for a while, and Misty did need to get back to her apartment—and her brother.

"I don't want to," Misty said, but Link broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I don't want to go another week without seeing you," he whispered.

"But you will," she said. "Next spring, when you drive the cattle up into the hills. And next fall, when you bring them back."

Link smiled, and Misty enjoyed the close-up beauty of it.

"But I'll hate every minute of it."

"You love being a cowboy."

He sighed. "Yeah." He pulled away and touched his keycard to the sensor on his hotel room door. "Hey, Misty?"

She toyed with her keys, not wanting to make the drive back to her place in the dark. "Yeah?"

"I love you, too."

Her smile spread across her face, and she turned back and threw her arms around him. Kissing him, she said, "I love you, too." She pulled away, suddenly feeling more serious. "Thank you for your help with Danny."

"Do you really think he'll come to Three Rivers?"

She nodded. "If I remember him from a few years ago, then yes. He's going to come with us."

"All right," he said. "I'll call my daddy tonight and make sure everyone knows."

"Will it really be okay?" Her worry rose again, and Misty just wanted Link to hold her and tell her everything would be fine. She also didn't want to share him with Danny, and that selfishness made a stitch of guilt weave through her.

"I didn't say anything that was untrue," Link said. "The ranch always needs good men, and Cutter really does need a roommate to be happy. I think it'll be fine, love."

"I guess we'll find out," she said, stepping back. Fear accompanied her a few steps away, and then she spun back to Link. "Baby, what if he's not a good man? What if he hates Cutter, or Cutter hates him?"

The last scenario was the most likely, if Misty was being honest. She wrung her hands around and around while Link considered her. "What if you have to fire him?"

He took a breath and closed the gap between them. He played with her fingers, gently pulling them apart and calming them. "My daddy used to say this: we'll cross any bridges that need to be crossed when we get to them."

Misty nodded, though her stomach still stormed and buzzed and stung with biting ants.

"Hey," Link said. "Does it feel right to have him in Three Rivers or not?" He put his hand under her chin and made her look up at him. "When you prayed about it? When you thought of it? Did it feel right or not?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "It feels like the perfect solution." She'd get to rekindle her relationship with her brother, show him how amazing small-town living could be, and help him get reintroduced to society in an easy, cowboy way. He'd have to work hard, but Misty believed in him—and she'd be nearby to help.

And the Glovers…they seemed to connect with every person they came in contact with, and Misty couldn't imagine they wouldn't take her broken brother under their collective wing and heal him…the way they'd healed her.

"Okay, then," Link said softly but with plenty of surety. "Then he's coming to Three Rivers, and we'll handle whatever comes up."

"Together," she said.

"Yeah, sweetheart." He grinned at her and kissed her again. "Together."

Misty did love that word when it was in reference to Link, and she managed to make the drive home without allowing the sadness to overcome her. At home, she found Danny asleep on the couch, and she paused as she looked down at him.

Love filled her, along with a peaceful purifying feeling that she truly had done her best with him. Now, it was up to him to take advantage of this second chance at his life. She brushed her fingers across his forehead and murmured, "I love you, Danny."

She went into her bedroom, a steady prayer coursing through her mind, body, and soul. Please bless my brother to know how much he's loved. Please bless my brother to know how much he's loved—by me, by the Glovers, and by You.