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Ari pulled the daisy from her hair and stared at the petals so many coming together to make something simply beautiful. Whatever
happened that day, she knew Desi hadn t left her willingly.
She handed the flower to her twin.  We promised to always be there for each other.
 I was.
 How?
 If it had been you instead of me, what choice would you have made? What would you have done?
 I wouldn t save myself, leaving you to suffer.
Desi crushed the flower in her hand.  What the hell makes you imagine I did? For heaven s sake, Ari, think. We did everything together,
were everything to each other. What makes you think anything could possibly lead me to leave you like that?
 I cried for you to come back. For months I waited for rescue. I held on, and I believed in you. No one ever came.
 That s not true. I sent Tracker. I sent them all.
Yes. She had. She couldn t stop the flow of words. They d been trapped inside her for too long.  I didn t save myself, Ari. They said
whomever I chose would be saved. I chose you, but then they turned around and said it didn t matter what I wanted. And they took me. It wasn t a rescue.
They bought me for their personal use. Chained me naked to the bed when I escaped too often.
Her hand shook when she reached out. Ari grasped it, feeling Desi s pain as if it was her own. The trembling spread to her, and her own
tears choked her voice, a harsh gasp of sound.
 I didn t know.
 How could you know anything? You were a prisoner.
 So were you.
 But I knew what you thought. Knew what you suffered. For almost two years I ve had one goal finding you. I sent the Hell s Eight after
you even though I knew it would jeopardize Caine s dream, because the men couldn t be here, at the ranch. Even though I knew others would suffer
because without the Eight there s no law. You were my sister. You needed to come home.
Ari couldn t stand it anymore. She hugged her. The tears poured harder. Hers, her sister s who could tell? What did it matter?  I thought
you were happy and free.
 I was. Eventually.
 Thinking that kept me sane.
 But you resented it.
 I hurt so much. I had to put the pain somewhere.
 So you put it into hating me.
Ari hugged her harder. It hurt so much to admit that, knowing how much it was going to pain Desi.  Yes. Her sister flinched.  But only
because I knew there was nothing I couldn t forgive you for, she hastened to add.
Desi took a step back, still holding Ari s arm.  Tell me you forgive me.
 There s nothing to forgive.
Desi gripped so tightly that her nails bit into Ari s skin through her clothing.  Tell me so I have that memory, too.
The words came easily.  I forgive you. It wasn t so easy to ask for herself.  Can you forgive me?
 Oh, yes. That s the easiest thing I ve ever done. After years of not knowing if you were alive or dead, I ve finally got my sister back.
Desi wiped her face with her sleeve.  When the note came from Zach that Tracker had found you, I just collapsed. I d sent you that letter
so you d know who he was. I planted this field of daisies so you d have a place to return to. She wiped her face again. Ari wiped hers. The tears wouldn t
stop, for either of them, but the pain was subsiding.
 Tell me about Caine.
 When Caine found me, I was little more than an animal fighting and running, tempting death and defying it. My world was such chaos that
some days I didn t even know who I was. Caine stepped into that chaos and did what he does best sorted through it. When the padre backed him into a
corner and told him he couldn t take me from the man who had me then, without benefit of marriage, Caine agreed. In one fell swoop he gave me
respectability and a future. It took him a long time to get through to me. Even longer for me to believe that he wasn t tricking me, too, and that I was worthy.
Desi shook her head.  It took a long time. But all that time I never stopped thinking of you and looking for you.
 I know. Ari believed her. When her sister s arms came around her, Ari started to cry again.  I m sorry, I m sorry.
 Me, too.
Desi shook her head.  Sometimes you need to be angry to stay alive. I know that.
 I m so glad Caine found you.
 I m glad Tracker found you.
She scrubbed her cheek.  He s high-handed.
 But a good man. You ll forgive him?
Already her anger was fading.  Apparently I have a big heart. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]