HER SECRET 33

‘I haven’t had a chance to wrap it properly,’ she apologized, handing him the flat package wrapped in brown paper.

Matt began tearing the wrapping off. The phone rang, and Sierra went to answer it.

He heard the distant sound of her voice as he uncovered the oil painting, a portrait of Sam in his younger, vibrant days, the glory of Texas’s vast blue sky and open spaces in the background.

Staring at it, he swallowed a thick lump in his throat. His normally steady hands were shaking.

Sierra returned. ‘That was someone wanting to rent the carriage for a party tomorrow night,’ she reported brightly. As she glimpsed his solemn expression, her tone dropped. ‘Like it? The newspaper had an old photo of Sam on file and let me borrow it. It’s the first thing I’ve done in a long time, and I’m afraid it’s not my best work.’

‘It’s fine. Sierra. Real fine. Thank you. I didn’t think there was anything I wanted for Christmas until I saw this. I love it. When did you start working on it? This must have