Midnight's Dream (Book One of the Verbecks of Idaho)

By R.E.S. Tidmore

Emma Verbeck has always lived in the shadows of her older brothers. After a tragic accident befalls the Verbeck family, her loving brothers are too overprotective, and Emma has been struggling ever since to find her own voice. Her sensitive and empathetic nature as the town doctor offers her an identity all to herself.

Logan Miller returns to his childhood home in Idaho to help his ailing father take care of the ranch. He wants to live a simple life on the ranch and to avoid running into anyone from his past. But when he meets Emma, he is drawn into her magnetic force and his life shifts in a way that he never thought possible.

But there is one problem: Logan is a nemesis of the Verbeck brothers, and they will stop at nothing to keep Emma and Logan apart. The ghosts of long-buried secrets threaten to reveal themselves and expose the truth of what happened on the tragic day that changed Logan’s life and the Verbecks’ lives forever.

In the first book of the Verbecks of Idaho series, the past has the power to turn lives upside down and family loyalties are tested. This is a story about love against all odds and learning how to forgive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E.S. Tidmore
• Release date: Apr 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9780989524308

R.E.S. Tidmore

R.E.S. Tidmore is a defective writer who writes. She has a BA and MFA in creative writing. Being dyslexic, she never thought she could make a living from writing. Writing isn’t only about dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. It’s about storytelling, and doing it in all the best ways. She loves Jane Austen, tattoos, sarcasm, quick wit, gardening, all things Harry Potter, being a writing coach, and a happy ever after.Check out my other adult romance series: The Awakener series and the Managing Mayhem series.

Book preview

Midnight’s Dream

Book One of the Verbecks of Idaho

by R.E.S. Tidmore

MIDNIGHT’S DREAM (The Verbecks of Idaho Series)

Copyright © 2013 by R.E.S. Tidmore

Ruthless Writers Publishing

All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Print (Dream Collection) ISBN: 9780989524391

Ebook ISBN: 97809895243

Other Titles

The Awakener Series

Awaken

Oblivion

Torn

The Verbecks of Idaho

Midnight’s Dream

Delicate Dream

Unbroken Dream

Managing Mayhem

Bliss

Coming Soon!

Book 4 of the Awakener Series

Redeemed

Dedication

To my father-in-law, you inspired this story and series with your infectious mischievous good humor and determined spirit to push through any challenge and come out on top.

Thanks for being you.

Chapter One

Listen here, boy, Harold Miller complained to his son’s back. You may be running my cattle ranch and taking care of this sad bag of bones, but you can at least pretend to listen to me.

Logan continued to ignore his father, back to him, while he repaired the dilapidated fence surrounding the white, two-story farmhouse, paint curling and flaking off like a river sunburn. The house, and most everything around it, was in poor condition. The flower beds had stick-like carcasses protruding through weed infestation. The flower beds had once been his mother’s pride and joy. It was difficult to see them like that. It stirred an anger inside Logan he didn’t wish his father to see. Since Logan’s mother died ten years ago, his father worried less and less about the house, and was only interested in the day-to-day workings of his ranch. For Logan, it was a crushing blow to his mother’s memory.

But now, with his father ill and unable to handle even the most mundane task, the Glade—one of Idaho’s most known ranches other than the Verbecks—had become Logan’s sole responsibility. It was a Herculean task, and his to-do list was a mile long. He had barely made a dent since coming home.

Logan turned around and eyed his father as he moved closer. He heard his weary groan and spied him looking up at the sun. It was nearing ninety-five degrees on this dry and hot summer day, although it wasn’t anything a little shade couldn’t fix. There was no breeze wrestling through the flat, open mouth of the Miller land today. Not a single pine needle could taunt the wind into bending the tall evergreens standing watch at the edge of the land. Logan blew out a breath, wiped his brow, and went back to hammering a nail into the fence.

The smell of cattle infused the air around them, heavy and strong. Harold’s eyes swept the landscape. One hundred head of cattle grazed the northeast pasture. He shook his head at Logan. When did you bring the herd in from the back mountains? I didn’t hear you bring them in.

Logan clenched his jaw but remained calm. He’d just started going through his list since he returned home after a twenty-two-year absence. It felt odd to be here. His parents had come to visit him at least once a year while he lived with his uncle in Elk Creek after his best friend, Joel Verbeck, died when he was twelve. However, once he went away to college and his mother died, there was no point in coming back here. Until now.

He wanted to yell at his father to get his ass back in bed and to stop bothering him, but every man has his pride. So, he bit his tongue and drove the final nail home, gave the fence a vigorous shake, and then turned to lean against it, facing his father. Sweat trickled down his face.

I’m not ignoring you, Pop. Max, John, and I brought the herd in last night because it was cooler outside, he said, brushing his hair away from his eyes.

Oh, well, that makes sense. Harold scratched at his two-week-old gray beard, looking a bit lost.

Pop, I have a lot to finish today. Can you please go back to bed and stop worrying about things? Uncle Clay taught me to run a ranch better than you ever did. He wanted to smile when fire ignited in his father’s dark-brown eyes at the mention of his brother, Clay. It was amusing to get his father’s blood boiling once in a while. It showed him that the cancer wasn’t winning.

I’ll go to bed when I’m done giving you the what-for, young man, and not a second before! Harold straightened and pointed. Don’t you be talking to me about your uncle. If it weren’t for me, that man wouldn’t know anything about cattle, let alone running a ranch. His hollowed features hardened with contempt.

Logan saw the vein in his father’s forehead pop out. There was something on his father’s mind, and it wasn’t his uncle. That vein never surfaced unless he was intent on a fight.

You’ve been back on the Glade for six months, and I haven’t seen you leave the ranch once other than to help round up some cows with John and Max. Why don’t you go out and meet some young women? Harold eyed Logan.

Logan didn’t know how to take that, so he waited, dissecting his father closely. He wasn’t smiling, and the corners of his mouth didn’t twitch like they did when he’d joked with Logan as a boy. Logan cursed under his breath. His father was dead serious. This conversation wasn’t going to be fun.

Harold went on. You know, you’re not as young as you used to be.

Unable to resist, Logan threw his head back and howled with laughter. He wasn’t having this conversation. He went on with his work, inspecting the rotting boards on the next section of the fence. He loved physical labor, even though he hadn’t done this type of work in a long time. He held a law degree from Berkeley. His work as a defense attorney for nine years had not been as satisfying as using his hands or breaking his back to get a job done right.

Smacking his gloved hands on his jeans, Logan couldn’t stay still. The constant battle to keep his anxiety over his father’s illness at bay was emotionally and physically draining. He had the dark circles under his eyes to prove it. Since he had come home, sleep had been elusive. Work was his therapy.

As he bent down to grab the new wood fencing lying beside his foot, someone grabbed him around the waist and dragged him backward. The force shocked him. Startled, Logan set one leg back shoulder-width apart from the other, bent both legs and pulled his elbows tight against his ribs. He was ready for a fight. He’d known it was only a matter of time before Cole Verbeck, Joel’s oldest brother, came for him.

Logan spun around at his assailant and was stunned to see it was his father dragging him back like an errant dog. The hidden strength within his father surprised and pleased him. Harold and Logan were an even match, standing over six feet, both with thick shoulders.

He glanced around. There was nothing but open fields for miles. Not a car in sight. He was relieved that Cole Verbeck wasn’t on his property looking for revenge. Cole blamed Logan for the death of his brother, Joel. But that was twenty-two years ago. Logan could only hope that Joel’s ghost didn’t haunt Cole as much as he haunted Logan.

Pop, what’s your problem? Logan asked. I was ready to knock your head off. You know I’m on edge waiting for Cole to find out I’m back in town.

"He will come around when he comes around. I’m tired of you turning your back on me. There’s nothing on this ranch that needs to be done so badly that you have to turn your back