Cowboy's Chocolate Roses Read Online Free Page A

started to laugh. "Two years of hiding and when you finally decide to start living again, you get knocked up by one of daddy's new business partners? Good job, sis."
    Charming. She didn't need sarcasm right now.
    Wrenching the picture away, she glared. "If you aren't going to be helpful, then feel free to go."
    "Now, don't be like that. I was just trying to lighten things up," she said, moving closer and wrapping her arms around Bri. "We'll fix this, okay?"
    "How?" Bri asked, her voice hoarse as her head fell into her hands. Between crying, being sick all the time, and stressing out, she felt exhausted.
    "Well, for starters, you're going to go to…where was it again?" Looking at the article, she nodded. "Right, Bricker. More specifically to Silver Stone Ranch, it's only a few hours from Dallas. Next you're going to track this man down, tell him you're having his baby and after that, leave the ball in his court."
    "I can't just do that." She gaped. She needed a plan. What to say, how to say it. She couldn’t just dump something like this on the man.
    "Yeah, you can. You've already decided to keep the baby, so now he just needs to figure out if he wants to be a part of all that." When Charlotte talked like that, she made it seem a lot easier than it really would be.
    Or maybe not. Bri wondered if she had simply just been overthinking things, borrowing trouble where she didn't need it. Either way, Charlotte had a point; Bri had decided to keep her baby.
    "All right. I guess I'm going to Bricker."
    "Yep." Charlotte squinted at Bri. "Are you sure you don't want to tell daddy first?"
    "No. I need to sort this out before I deal with him."
    Their father wasn't an ogre, he just happened to be very protective of his girls. Poor man really should have had sons. Bri feared what her father would do, not to her, but to Josh, especially given her past. Not wanting to dwell on the memories, Bri gave herself a mental shake. Fretting wouldn't solve anything. Bri needed to head to Bricker, Texas. She had enough to deal with in the present, she didn't need to worry about the past.
    *****
    Five hours later, Bri turned into the first bed and breakfast she had seen since hitting Bricker, fairly certain the old, but well maintained cottage style home to be the only accommodation around, not even finding a motel on her way through. Pulling her red Prius into the parking spot nearest the front door, she turned off the engine and took a deep breath. Two hours after packing with Charlotte's help, Bri had hit the road before she could change her mind. Three hours later and she had finally arrived; no turning back now.
    Sliding out of the car, she walked to the trunk, opened it, and grabbed her bags. Glancing out over the surrounding town, Bri smiled at the peacefulness that encompassed her. Not a dead town kind of quiet, just slow paced and relaxed. No hustle and bustle. She loved how most of the shops on Main Street seemed modernized, but somehow had still managed to maintain an old world charm. Some of the smaller stores had paint peeling around the edges but that seemed to add to the quaintness of it all. Seeing one antique store after another, Bri had the feeling they outnumbered the rest of the shops at least five to one. Taking in the fresh air, the beautiful sights, and the sense of calm that filled her, Bri could see being happy here.
    Stopping those thoughts dead—no point in getting her hopes up before she had had a chance to speak to Josh—Bri dragged her bags behind her, and headed for the entrance, knocking when she stepped up onto the landing.
    The door opened revealing a small woman, with graying-brown hair, light blue eyes, and a kind smile. "Can I help you, dear?"
    "Ah, I hope so. I was wondering if you had a room free for a little while?"
    "Oh, certainly. Come on in." The older woman ushered Bri inside and led her to the front desk. "I'm Adele, my husband and I run this place. So, how long will you be needing the room for?"
    "Um. I'm