20

Chapter 20

They arrived at her home the next afternoon. The train was still in Seattle-Archer, so they’d had to finish the trek on horseback. Madison was excited and impatient to see her family again, even as her mind worried at Tiernan’s silence. He had a brooding air that screamed to leave him alone, and her attempts at conversation had stalled with his monosyllabic responses. She had a new appreciation for the frustration he’d felt at the beginning of their relationship, when she had refused to engage in anything but the most superficial conversation.

Madison hopped off her horse as they neared the front porch, not even waiting for the painted animal to stop completely. With a whistle that made the dogs bark with gusto, she rushed up the stairs, forgetting manners and everything else in her need to see her family again.

The screen door opened with the squeak of rusty hinges, and her papa stood there. He was a tall man, with a big frame that swallowed most of the space of the doorwa