MEET THE FORTUNES!

Fortune of the Month: Toby Fortune Jones

Age: 28

Vital Statistics: Dazzling blue eyes, broad, strapping shoulders, strong arms that could hold a woman all night long …

Claim to Fame: Has a heart bigger than Texas.

Romantic Prospects: He’s raising three foster kids and running a ranch. Are you kidding?

“I must be the king of bad timing. I finally meet a gal that’s something special, and my nights are tied up with math homework and braiding pigtails. Angie is the first woman who seems to ‘get’ me. But let’s be real. How many females are really in the market for a family of five? Forget about settling down—I haven’t even been able to kiss her proper. How’s a guy supposed to get to first base when there’s always a first-grader underfoot?”

* * *

The Fortunes of Texas: Welcome to Horseback Hollow!

A House Full

of Fortunes!

Judy Duarte

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JUDY DUARTE always knew there was a book inside her, but since English was her least favorite subject in school, she never considered herself a writer. An avid reader who enjoys a happy ending, Judy couldn’t shake the dream of creating a book of her own.

Her dream became a reality in March 2002, when Mills & Boon® Cherish™ released her first book, Cowboy Courage. Since then she has published more than twenty novels. Her stories have touched the hearts of readers around the world. And in July 2005 Judy won a prestigious Readers’ Choice Award for The Rich Man’s Son.

Judy makes her home near the beach in Southern California. When she’s not cooped up in her writing cave, she’s spending time with her somewhat enormous but delightfully close family.

To my daughter, Christy Duarte, who has been an awesome critique partner, brainstorm wizard and editor. You are a creative and talented author who will soon hold your first of many of your published books in your hands. I love you, T.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Extract

Chapter One

“Justin! Get down from there!”

At the sound of the baritone voice spiked with irritation, Angie Edwards looked up from the cash register, stopped totaling her mother’s grocery purchases and looked across the Superette to see a little red-haired boy high atop the stock clerk’s ladder.

She was just about to rush over to the child before he fell when she spotted Toby Fortune Jones standing near the bottom rung, waiting for the little imp to climb down.

Toby, who owned a small ranch just outside of town and volunteered his time as a coach at the YMCA in nearby Vicker’s Corners, had become a foster parent to the three Hemings children last fall.

Who would have guessed that the hunky rancher had such a paternal side? Just seeing him with those kids each time they came into the Superette gave Angie pause. And it warmed her heart, too.

What didn’t warm her heart, however, was her mother checking up on her. Again.

“Don’t forget that you’re always welcome to come stay at my house if you need to,” Angie’s mother said, drawing her back to the task and the conversation at hand.

Angie loved her mom—she truly did—but there was no way she’d ever consider living with the woman again. There were times she couldn’t get her mom off the telephone or, in this case, through the Superette checkout line fast enough for comfort.

“That’ll be fourteen dollars and seventeen cents,” Angie said, after she’d finished totaling her mother’s purchases.

Why would Doris Edwards, who now lived and worked in Lubbock as a real-estate agent, drive all the way into Horseback Hollow to buy fifteen dollars’ worth of groceries?

To check up on Angie and give her another lecture, no doubt. Thank goodness no one had gotten into line behind her yet.

“You’re twenty-four and you can’t work at the Superette forever.” Her mother reached into her purse for her wallet. “Not that you’ve worked anywhere longer than a few months, but how are you ever going to make ends meet if you’re only putting in four hours a day? Your rent will be due soon. I hope you have enough money set aside to cover it.”

She did, but just barely. However, she’d learned early in life that it was best not to share her worries or concerns with her mom. The woman stressed about things entirely too much as it was. And nothing Angie did would ever be good enough for a hardworking powerhouse like Doris Edwards.

“I’ll be fine. Really.” Angie glanced around the grocery store, hoping the owners—Julia Tierney or her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tierney—weren’t within earshot. When she saw that they weren’t, she slowly released a sigh of relief. “I knew this was a part-time position when I accepted it.”

“You put in your application at The Hollows Cantina like I told you to, right?” As Doris pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, Angie nodded her confirmation that she had reluctantly applied.

“Well, at least that’s something promising. From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be an upscale place to eat.”

If truth be told, Angie really had no interest in waiting tables. She’d already done that gig and, as much as Angie liked to cook, the restaurant business wasn’t for her. Unfortunately, working part-time at the Superette and filling in as a receptionist at the flight school and charter service barely enabled her to make ends meet. Thank goodness she’d moved recently and had worked out a deal with her new landlord.

“You realize,” Doris added, “that with the Fortune name behind the cantina, and with Jeanne Marie Fortune Jones being related to royalty and all... Well, you know what that means. People with money will be eating there. So it’ll be a good place for you to network and make some connections. Then again, if it’s a husband you want, your prospects will be better there than here. After all, if you want to catch a big fish, you have to go where they’re swimming.”

Angie blew out a sigh. Her mother had been pushing her to get the college degree she’d never gotten for herself. And since Angie usually found jobs through friends or through a temp agency in Vicker’s Corners, her mother had decided she lacked the ambition to succeed in life. So Doris had recently started pushing a white-lace and gold-band solution.

But Angie wasn’t looking for love. Not until she had a good idea of who she really was and where she was going in life.

She just wished her mother’s voice wasn’t so loud, and that she wouldn’t make those kinds of comments in public.

“Why don’t you come over for supper tonight,” her mother said, as she reached for her grocery bag. “If you do, I’ll fix meat loaf.”

Angie would rather have a root canal than spend the evening with her mom, especially if she was making meat loaf. The woman had never been known for her domestic skills. Or her parenting skills, for that matter. In fact, Angie had probably cooked more of the family meals growing up than she had.

But it wasn’t the quality of the food that would keep her away. It was the heartburn and the headache she expected to get from the mealtime conversation. As usual, her mom was sure to point out that Angie’s only hope—at least, as far as Doris could see—was for Angie to snag a gainfully employed husband. And there was no reason to believe tonight would be any different. They’d had this conversation at least twenty times in the past couple of months.

To be honest, Angie feared that at least some of what her mother believed might be true. Not that she needed a man to rescue her. That certainly wasn’t the case. But for some reason, Angie just couldn’t seem to get fired up about anything, which she found troubling. Because at twenty-four, you’d think she’d know what she wanted to do with her life.

Angie had never been good with decisions of any kind, as was evident by her résumé, which read like a copy of the Yellow Pages. But why pour herself into something when her heart wasn’t in it? She always figured she’d know what she was meant to do with her life when she felt some sort of spark or passion. Until then, she’d just keep trying a little bit of everything and commit to nothing.

The sound of broken glass sounded from the first aisle, followed by a little girl’s shriek.

“I’m sorry!” This came from a boy—maybe the one who’d been on the ladder. “But it wasn’t my fault, Toby. Kylie pushed me into the stack of mayonnaise. I didn’t mean to knock the jars over.”

Angie reached for the small microphone to the right of her register. “Ralph? We’ll need a cleanup at the front of aisle one.”

Poor Toby. His foster kids were usually pretty well-mannered, but they were obviously having a bad day. At least, the middle boy was.

“Thank goodness you don’t have that problem to worry about, Evangeline.” Her mother shot a look of annoyance at the mayonnaise mess and then at the three children arguing over who was at fault. “Women like us were not meant to stay at home and raise a passel of rug rats. I can’t imagine what Toby was thinking when he took in that brood.”

The soft dark hairs on the back of Angie’s neck bristled at her mother’s familiar rant against children. Just ignore it, Angie thought. She knew better than to engage Doris in a conversation like that, especially in public.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I can’t do dinner tonight. I already have plans.” Angie just hoped her mother didn’t ask what those plans might be because she’d probably spend the first half of her evening looking in her pantry trying to decide what to eat and the second half sitting in front of the television, wearing out the remote.

“Oh, really?” Doris perked up. “What are you doing tonight?”

So much for hoping her mother wouldn’t ask.

As the next customer began to place his groceries on the conveyor belt, Angie tore her gaze from her mom and glanced at Toby, the man who’d gotten in line behind her. In spite of those gorgeous baby blues and the kind of face that made even strangers want to confide in him, Toby looked a bit frazzled today.

Funny. He usually looked so capable and put-together.

“I’ll have to give you a call and we can talk more later,” Angie told her mother. “We don’t want to hold up the line.”

“Sure, honey.” Doris glanced over her shoulder. When she spotted Toby, she offered him a sympathetic smile. “You’ve certainly got your hands full.”

“Just enough to keep life interesting—and fun.” Toby tossed Doris a boyish grin, then winked at Angie as if the two of them were in on a secret.

Being included, even in a make-believe secret, was enough to lift Angie’s spirits and to trigger a smile of her own.

“We’re going fishing,” Brian, the older boy, said. “That is, if there’re any fish left by the time we get to Cutter’s Pond.”

Toby placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Nonsense. Everyone knows the bigger fish are busy fattening themselves up and waiting for just the right person to come and catch them up.” Toby winked at Angie again, and she realized he must have overheard her mother’s comment about fishing for a suitable mate while working at The Hollows Cantina.

As her cheeks warmed, she looked at the small space under the cash register, wishing she could stuff her five-foot-seven-inch body into the square opening.

But why stress about it? It wasn’t as though she’d set her sights on Toby as a viable romantic option. He was practically the guy next door.

She’d known the Jones family—make that the Fortune Jones family—forever. She’d gone to school with Toby’s sister Stacey, although they’d never run in the same circles. She’d even double-dated with Toby’s brother Jude a couple of times, but there’d never been any sparks, so nothing had ever come of it.

Toby was probably the only one of Stacey’s hunky brothers Angie hadn’t considered dating.

Not that he wasn’t just as handsome as the others. Angie looked at his tall frame, lean and muscled from years of ranch work and extracurricular sports coaching. Yep, Toby Fortune Jones could definitely compete with his brothers in the looks department.

But Toby always seemed so confident and so sure of himself. And people who knew exactly what they wanted and went after it always intimidated her. Plus, the whole “Mother Teresa meets Dudley Do-Right” personality only made Toby seem all the more out of reach.

A guy like Toby would never be interested in someone like her. He’d want a woman who was down-to-earth, a woman who had her ducks in a row.

Someone who had dreams and plans to fulfill. Someone who wouldn’t ever stress about what job she was going to try next.

Angie’s mother reached for her grocery bag, causing Angie to break her bold perusal.

“Must be nice to have so much free time on your hands,” Doris said to Toby. “Have fun.”

Angie could see the disapproval evident on her mom’s face. Doris Edwards didn’t believe in burning daylight simply for fishing or spending time with one’s family.

“We will,” Toby told her. “You have a nice day, Mrs. Edwards.”

As Doris headed to the parking lot, she turned back to look at what Angie was wearing behind the check stand. “And, honey,” Doris said reproachingly, her voice quieter yet still loud enough for anyone within five feet of her to hear, “try to dress a bit more conservatively. Nobody is going to take you seriously with all those curves popping out everywhere. You look like you just got off a shift at a roadhouse honky-tonk.”

Doris’s smartphone rang, thankfully cutting off her insult to Angie’s snug-but-comfortable jeans and her white T-shirt. “Gotta take this. You know, the client always comes first.”

Angie started the conveyor belt as her mother breezed out the door in a conservative shoulder-padded power suit. She tried to smile through the mortification that warmed her cheeks and strained the muscles in her face. “Chips, soda, cookies... Looks like someone is planning a picnic.”

Toby tossed her a playful grin. “Fishing on the lake is hungry business.”

“It should be a nice day for it,” Angie said, as she began to check out Toby—or rather, his groceries.

Not that there wasn’t plenty to check out about the man himself—if she were looking.

Brown hair that was stylishly mussed, but not out of place. Dazzling blue eyes that were both playful and bright. Broad, strapping shoulders. Arms that looked as though they could pitch a mean curveball—or hold a woman tightly all night.

“I don’t want to go to Cutter’s Pond,” Kylie complained, breaking Angie from her wayward thoughts. “You’re just going to kill those poor fish. And I don’t even like to eat them.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a stinking crybaby, Kylie. We never get to do anything fun without you complaining.”

Toby glanced at Angie and gave a little shrug. “Sometimes it’s hard to find an activity or an outing they can all enjoy. It seems that someone always has an objection.”

Angie smiled. “To be honest, I can’t blame her a bit. I never did like putting a worm on a hook.”

“You had to go fishing, too?” the little red-haired girl asked.

Angie offered her a sympathetic smile. “When my father was alive, he would take me to Cutter’s Pond. And while I could usually count on getting sunburned and bit by a mosquito or two, there was always something special about spending time with my daddy.”

“But I don’t have a daddy,” the girl said.

Angie’s cheeks warmed. She’d only wanted to help, but had probably made things worse.

“You might not have a dad,” Toby said, as he gave one of Kylie’s lopsided auburn pigtails a gentle tug, “but you have me.”

Toby’s hands might be skilled at lassoing horses and throwing a football, but the poor man couldn’t do a little girl’s hair to save his life.

Still, these kids were lucky to have Toby. If he hadn’t stepped up to the plate when their aunt had gone off the deep end and lost custody, they might have been separated and placed in different foster homes.

Justin, the boy who’d climbed the ladder, said, “Too bad we don’t have a babysitter for Kylie. She’s gonna wah-wah like a little crybaby and ruin our whole day.” Justin made fake crying noises and rubbed his eyes to emphasize his overly dramatic point.

Maybe Angie could help out after all. “I only have to work for a half hour or so, and then my shift is over. If you don’t mind leaving Kylie here with me, I’d be happy to hang out with her while you and the boys go fishing. We can do cool girls-only things that boys don’t get to do.”

“That’s nice of you to offer,” Toby said, “but you don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, she does!” Kylie gave a little jump and a clap.

Uh-oh. What had Angie done? Had she overstepped her boundaries—or bitten off more than she could chew?

“Please, Toby?” Kylie looked at her foster dad with puppy-dog eyes. “Can I stay here with Angie? Can I please?”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind.” Toby’s gaze zeroed in on Angie, and her heart spun in her chest.

What was that little zing all about?

Had that come from the way Toby was looking at her? Or from having second thoughts about what she’d just offered to do?

After all, she didn’t know anything about kids. She’d been an only child and Doris definitely wasn’t the maternal type. Plus, unlike some of the other girls she’d grown up with, she’d never even had a babysitting job.

But now that she’d made the offer, she couldn’t very well backpedal.

“Of course I don’t mind.” Angie reached under the checkout stand for a stack of coloring pages and pulled out the top sheet. “The Superette is having a poster contest this month. All the kids have to do is color this picture and turn it back in for the judging. I have a few markers Kylie can use. Then, after I clock out, we’ll be on our way for the best girls’ day ever!”

Toby shot her an appreciative smile. “All right. We’ll probably only be a couple of hours. Where should I pick her up?”

Angie hadn’t given much thought to what she’d do with Kylie, but since she didn’t have any money to spend, they’d have to find something cheap to do at home. “I live in the small granny flat behind Elmer Murdock’s place. Do you know where that is?”

“Sure do. Mr. Murdock owns the yellow, two-story house next to the post office. I didn’t know anyone was living in that...unit in the back.”

It wasn’t common knowledge. In fact, she hadn’t even mentioned the move to her mother yet.

Should she explain her living situation? Or better yet, make an excuse for it?

She decided to do neither.

After totaling Toby’s purchases, Angie took his cash and gave him his change. Then she watched him leave the store with the boys, walking with that same swagger the other Fortune Jones boys possessed.

No, she’d never considered dating Toby in the past. And for the briefest of moments, she wondered why she hadn’t.

* * *

After a fun but unproductive day at Cutter’s Pond, Toby and the boys climbed into his truck. If they wanted fish for supper tonight, Toby would have to make another stop at the Superette and purchase a few fillets. As it was, he decided to make things easy on himself and to take the kids to The Horseback Hollow Grill for a couple of burgers. But first they’d have to pick up Kylie.

It had been nice of Angie to offer to babysit. The afternoon had been a lot more pleasant with only the boys. Not that Kylie was a problem child. She was a sweetheart most of the time, but... Well, she had a tendency to get a little teary when things didn’t go her way. But he supposed he couldn’t really blame her. It had to be tough for a little girl growing up in a boys’ world.

As he pulled his black four-wheel-drive Dodge Ram along the curb in front of the old Murdock place, he scanned the front yard, which looked a lot better than it had the last time he’d driven by. The once-overgrown lawn had been mowed recently and a sprinkler had brought the grass back to life.

The old house was still in need of repair—or at least, a fresh coat of paint and some new shutters. But that wasn’t surprising. Elmer Murdock was well over eighty years old and living on his marine-corps retirement pay.

“Can we get out, too?” Justin asked.

“I don’t see why not.” While they’d all had a blast fishing, Toby knew the boys had been stewing over what kind of things might constitute a “girls-only” day. Apparently, the mystery of womanhood began early in a male’s life.

He shut off the ignition, got out of the pickup and made his way to the path that led to the back of the house, where Mr. Murdock had built separate quarters for his widowed mother-in-law decades ago.

The “granny flat,” as Angie had called it, was even more run-down than the main house. The small porch railing had come loose and was about to collapse, although the wood flooring had been swept recently.

A pot of red geraniums added a splash of color to the chipped and weathered white paint.

Brian and Justin lagged behind by several feet because they’d stopped to check out two different birdhouses in a maple tree. The birdhouse on the left was pretty basic, but the one on the right was three stories with a wraparound porch and looked like something straight out of his mother’s Southern Living magazine.

Toby continued to the front door and knocked loud enough to be heard over the sound of Taylor Swift belting out her latest hit. He cringed, although he knew that, as a proud Texan, he should favor country music, even crossover pop artists like Taylor Swift. But his well-guarded secret was that he couldn’t stand the stuff. He preferred his music with a lot more soul and a lot less twang.

When the front door swung open, Kylie, her face smeared with green goo, greeted Toby with a bright-eyed smile. “Guess what? Mr. Murdock and Angie had a nail-painting contest and I got to be the judge. And see, Mr. Murdock won because he painted the cutest little horse on my big toenail.” She lifted her right leg high in the air in an effort to put her toe in front of his face.

“Yeah, well, Mr. Murdock cheated,” came Angie’s reply. “He took an hour to do it, using a magnifying glass and his model-airplane paint, which, by the way, isn’t washable. That horse will never come off.”

Toby couldn’t actually see Angie, since she had her back to the door and was leaning over the arm of the sofa, a white container in one hand and a green sponge in the other.

Both amused and touched by the sight, Toby couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Ooh, gross,” Brian said, when he spotted his sister’s face. “What happened to you?”

“I’m getting pretty—just like Angie.”

Both boys began to hoot and howl.

Toby couldn’t say that he blamed them. Kylie, who was a cutie-pie when she wasn’t whining, looked like a pint-sized version of the creature from the black lagoon, walking around with a green face and her fingers and toes splayed out wide so the paint would dry.

The little red-haired girl stepped aside to allow them into the small house, just as Angie straightened. As Toby’s eyes landed on Angie’s face, it appeared as though she’d climbed from the same lagoon.

She smiled as if having green goop smeared all over wasn’t the least bit unusual. “We didn’t expect you back so soon.”

“It certainly appears that way.” Toby couldn’t help but laugh.

“Just for the record, I did not cheat. You never established any ground rules.” Elmer Murdock sprang up from the sofa Angie had been leaning over, the same green mud on his face. And Toby didn’t know whether he should hoot with laughter or try his best to hold it back.

Was this the formidable retired marine who’d instilled fear in most of Horseback Hollow High School’s youth with his loud shouting during football practices?

And for some reason, the old leatherneck didn’t seem to be the least bit embarrassed at being caught having a facial.

Mr. Murdock slapped his hands on his hips and zeroed in on Angie. “I didn’t complain about you cheating when you used way more material on that Bird McMansion than I did during our birdhouse-building contest.”

Toby quickly grabbed his ball cap from his head and pulled it lower over his face to cover his smirk. Was this the one-and-only Elmer Murdock?

His brothers would never believe this.

“You built that huge birdhouse outside?” Brian asked Angie. “I didn’t know girls could build like that.”

“Girls can do anything. Especially this girl.” Angie pointed to her green-covered face. “I got an A in woodshop when I was in high school. Give me a hammer, wood and nails, and I can build anything.”

“Can you help me build my car for the soapbox derby?” Brian asked.

“Only if you want to win,” Angie replied. Then she pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat, guys. Mr. Murdock has a few more minutes for his face to dry, but it’s time for us ladies to wash off our masks. We’ll be back in a Flash, Gordon.”

“Hey,” Brian said. “Flash Gordon. That’s funny.”

Toby crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one hip. Wow, Brian had been pretty quiet and distant ever since the state had stepped in and removed the kids from their aunt’s custody. But he’d warmed up to Angie in about three minutes flat.

As Angie led Kylie across the small living area that served as both kitchen and sitting room, Toby couldn’t help but watch the brunette who wore a pair of cutoff jeans that would have put Daisy Duke to shame pad across the floor. Her hips moved in a natural sway, her long, shapely legs damn near perfect. He remembered Doris Edwards’s cutting potshot at the Superette and thought that from where he was standing, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Angie’s curves.

He continued to watch her from behind until she and Kylie disappeared into the only other room in the house and shut the door.

Justin was sitting next to Mr. Murdock and reaching out his fingers to the wrinkled weather-beaten cheek. “Is that mud?” he asked the old man.

“Justin,” Toby scolded, “keep your hands to yourself.”

“Yeah, but this is sissy mud,” Mr. Murdock answered casually. “It’s supposed to clear your pores and detoxify your skin or some such bull. I’ll tell you what, we never worried about our pores when we were covered in mud back in that wet foxhole in Korea. All we cared about was not getting our fool heads blown off.”

“Wow, you got shot at in a war?” Brian asked as Justin started using the white container to apply stripes to his own eight-year-old face in a war-paint fashion that would make any Apache proud.

“Mr. Murdock,” Angie yelled from the bathroom at the end of the small hall, “stop talking so much. You need to keep still and let the mask dry. Every time you talk, you crack it.”

Mr. Murdock clamped his thin lips together in their perpetual grimace.

As Toby scanned Angie’s small living area, he couldn’t help but take note of the freshly painted blue walls that had been adorned with the oddest forms of artwork—the label side of a wooden produce crate that advertised Parnell’s Apple Farm, an old mirror framed with pieces of broken ceramic, a coatrack made out of doorknobs...

She’d placed a whitewashed bookshelf against one wall. Instead of books, it held various knickknacks. A bouquet of bluebonnets in a Mason jar sat on top. The furniture was old, and while the decor was kind of funky, the house had a cozy appeal.

“So you’re running the old Double H Ranch?” Mr. Murdock asked Toby, lasting only a couple of minutes before he broke Angie’s orders to stay quiet. It was hard to take the crotchety old man seriously with the green mud caked onto his face and his lips barely able to move.

“Sure am,” Toby replied, warming up to his favorite subject—his ranch. “We have more than three hundred head of cattle now, and I’ve been doing some breeding.”

“I used to do some roping back before I enlisted, you know. Could probably still out-rope most of you young upstarts. I should swing by your place and we could have a little contest.”

What was it with this old man and contests? Apparently his competitiveness went well beyond the high-school football field.

Before Toby could politely decline the challenge, the door swung open and the girls came out.

Angie had apparently swapped the denim shorts for a yellow floral sundress, yet she was still barefoot, her toenails painted the same pink shade as Kylie’s—minus the horse.

“We had a really good day,” Angie said, her face clean, her eyes bright.

“We did, too,” he said.

“Did you catch anything?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I used to catch all kinds of stuff out at Cutter’s Pond,” Mr. Murdock chimed in, while the boys continued to stare at the old swamp monster look-alike as if he were a real hero come to life. “Still hold the record for the biggest trout ever caught in Horseback Hollow. Nobody’s beat me yet.”

“Okay, Mr. Murdock, you should be dry.” Angie patted her landlord on his shoulder. “You can probably go home and wash your face now.”

“Roger that,” the old coot replied as he shuffled toward the door and back to the main house. The former marine looked like a strong Texas wind would knock him over, and Toby doubted the man was in any shape to rope a tractor on his ranch, let alone a longhorn steer, although he’d never say so out loud.

Instead, he nodded at the interior of Angie’s little house, at the freshly painted blue walls. “I like what you’ve done with this place. You certainly have a creative side.”

“You think so? Thanks.” She scanned the cramped quarters, too. “The house was empty for nearly twenty years, so it was pretty stuffy and drab when I moved in. I spent a couple of days cleaning and airing it out. I’ve also learned how to decorate on a shoestring budget, which has been fun.”

“I can see that. You’ve done a great job. Where did you find this stuff?”

“Some of it was already here—like the furniture. I picked up the paint on sale when I was in Vicker’s Corners the other day. Someone had ordered the wrong color, so it was practically free. I’ve also been picking up odds and ends at garage sales. Then I figured out a way to make them pretty—or at least, interesting.”

“I’m impressed. You’re quite the homemaker.”

She brightened, and her wholesome beauty stunned him. Not that he hadn’t noticed before, but he’d never seen her blue eyes light up when she smiled like that.

“To tell you the truth,” he added, “I was surprised to hear that you’d moved in here. The windows had been boarded up for ages, and the weeds had grown up so high that most people forgot that there was a little house back here at all.”

“Mr. Murdock and I were talking one day at the Superette, and he mentioned that he needed to hire someone to do some chores for him. I told him I had some free time. And when I spotted the little house, I asked if he’d be interested in renting it to me.”

“I’d think you would have preferred to find a place that wouldn’t have required as much work.”

She shrugged. “Let’s just say that, like Mr. Murdock, I love a challenge. Besides, his sons live out of state, so he’s all alone. Plus, this way, I can look out for him and let him think he’s looking out for me.”

Toby had always thought Angie was a bit shallow, although he couldn’t say why he’d come to that conclusion. Probably because he’d heard a few people say that she was flighty. But apparently, he’d been wrong. There was more to her than he’d given her credit for.

He also owed her for taking care of Kylie today, although something told him she wouldn’t accept any money for doing it. So it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to say, “We’re going to have burgers at The Grill. Would you like to join us?”

And it seemed even more natural for her to respond, “Sure. Why not?”

Chapter Two

The Horseback Hollow Grill, which was attached to the Two Moon Saloon, wasn’t much to shout about when it came to eateries. But it was one of the only options in town. Fortunately, they served the juiciest burgers and dogs, fresh-cut fries and a mean grilled-cheese sandwich.

As Angie climbed from Toby’s lifted truck, she couldn’t help but smile. If her mom could see her now, the poor woman would be torn between deep anxiety and despair.

First of all, she’d be dancing on clouds to see Angie enter a restaurant with one of the Fortune Jones men, even if it was only The Grill. Doris assumed all the Fortunes were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, although local rumor had it that the Horseback Hollow branch of the family hadn’t struck any gold.

According to what Angie had heard, Jeanne Marie Fortune Jones had been adopted. And when her birth brother, James Marshall Fortune, had found her last year, he’d given her a portion of his stock in the family company. But when she found out those shares were supposed to go to his kids, she’d refused it.

Nevertheless, even with a boatload of cash, a man with three kids wasn’t the catch Angie’s mom had been hoping she’d snag.

Of course, this wasn’t a date by any stretch of the word. Toby had only included her in the family plans because he was a nice guy. And Angie had accepted because she’d had nothing better to do and was on an especially tight budget these days.

As they entered the small-town restaurant, where artificial flowers in hammered coffeepots sat on old-style tables with rounded edges encased in silver metal, Angie realized they weren’t the only ones in Horseback Hollow who’d decided to pick up a quick meal tonight. The place was certainly hopping.

Toby nodded toward an empty booth by the window, one of the few places to sit that weren’t taken.

“Can we play in the game room for a while?” Justin asked.

Angie remembered the small arcade in back—if you could call it that—from her own school days. Back then, The Grill was the place to hang out if you were a teenager in Horseback Hollow. It probably still was, so she couldn’t blame the kids for their eagerness to drop coins into the video-game machines.

“What do you guys want to eat?” he asked.

“I’d like grilled cheese,” Kylie said, “but only if they have real bread and square cheese.”

Angie cocked her head slightly. “What’s she talking about?”

Toby chuckled. “We stopped at a place in Lubbock one day, and they brought out a sandwich that had been made with focaccia bread and several fancy kinds of cheese. It was the restaurant’s claim to fame, and it cost a pretty penny, but Kylie didn’t like it. By ‘square’ cheese, she means good ole American slices, individually wrapped.”

“Aw.” Angie smiled. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“I want a corn dog and fries,” Justin said.

“Got it.” Toby turned to Brian. “How about you?”

“I want a cheeseburger, but I don’t want onions or lettuce or pickles. But ask if they’ll give me extra tomatoes.”

“Since we’ve got that out of the way, here you go.” Toby reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handful of quarters. “Why don’t you start with these? I’ll get some change after the waitress takes our order.”

While the kids dashed off, Toby waited for Angie to slide into the booth, then did the same.

As she settled into a middle spot, he removed his ball cap, as any proper Texan gentleman would do, leaving his brown hair disarrayed and close to his head. She was tempted to reach out and finger-comb it.

Or maybe she just wanted to touch it and see if it was as soft as it looked.

Odd, though. He didn’t appear to be the least bit...mussed. He actually looked darn near perfect.

As if completely unaware of her perusal—and why wouldn’t he be?—he reached across the table for the menus and handed her one, ending her silly musing.

But as she opened it up and scanned the offerings—burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches—her options, while too few by some people’s standards, still seemed too difficult to narrow down.

This was the part about eating out that she dreaded. She could never decide on what to order, especially when there were other people with her.

Since she didn’t want Toby to think that she was indecisive, she did what she’d learned to do on her other dates. Not that this was a date.

Or was it? Did Toby think it was a date?

The waitress, a tall brunette in her early forties, approached. “What’ll it be?”

Toby placed the kids’ orders, then asked Angie, “What would you like?”

She gave her standard reply. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

But when Toby ordered the double bacon cheeseburger, the large onion rings, fried pickles and jumbo peanut-butter milk shake, she realized she’d have to rethink her strategy if she ever went to another restaurant with him again.

Where was she going to put all that food?

“Maybe you’d better not bring me those pickles,” she told the waitress.

The woman nodded, then made a note on her pad. After she left them alone, things got a little quiet. Actually, too quiet, since Angie tended to get bored easily.

So she said, “Looks like the kids will be busy for a while.”

He smiled. “I remember when those games were brand-new. Fifteen years later, and they’re still entertaining kids.”

“You might not believe this,” Angie said, “but I was a whiz at Ms. Pac-Man. There weren’t too many people who could outscore me.”

“Not even Mr. Murdock?”

At that, Angie laughed and shook her head. “Please don’t tell him. I’ve never met a man more competitive than he is. If he finds out, I’ll be forced to defend my title.”

“Wow! A titleholder?” Toby tossed her a heart-strumming grin. “Who would have guessed that I’d be sharing a meal with a real live champion?”

“Yeah, well, it’d be nice to have a more worthwhile claim to fame than ‘Top Scorer on Ms. Pac-Man.’” Angie settled back in the booth. Even the praise over what little she had achieved in life didn’t do much in the way of soothing her embarrassment over her mother’s public criticism.

“I’m sure you have plenty of things to be proud of,” he said.

Their gazes met and held for a moment. Her smile faded, and she broke eye contact.

She was also a champ at changing subjects.

“The kids certainly seem to be settling in,” she said.

“They seem to be. It was tough for a while, though. Justin was acting out and getting in trouble at school, but he’s doing better now. And Kylie no longer has nightmares. Brian still holds back a bit, although I can understand that. It’s hard for him to trust adults. Each one he’s ever had to depend on has abandoned him—one way or another.”

She’d heard a few scant rumors about the kids, but she didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t.

“What happened to their mother?” she asked.

“She was diagnosed with cancer right after Kylie was born and died just before her first birthday. Justin was only two at the time, so Brian’s the only one who was old enough to remember her.”

“What about their dad?”

Toby glanced toward the arcade, where the kids continued to play. Still, he kept his voice low. “From what I understand, he wasn’t the kind of guy who could handle responsibility. When Ann, their mom, found out that she was pregnant with Kylie, he left her. And no one has heard from him since.”

“That’s so sad.” Angie had always been close to her father, and when her parents had split up, it had crushed her. Losing her dad to cancer two years later had been even worse.

“After Ann died,” Toby continued, “the kids went to live with her sister. But Barbara wasn’t prepared for the challenge of raising two toddlers and a five-year-old. She drank as a way of escape. And the kids seemed to exacerbate her stress—and her need for the bottle.”

“When did the state step in?” Angie asked.

“Last year, when Justin’s behavioral problems in school escalated. The authorities were called in to investigate, and that’s when they found out how bad things were at home. Shortly after that, Barbara was arrested. At that point, she was ordered to get in-patient treatment and the children were placed in separate foster homes. I hated the thought of them being split up. Family is important. And they’d lost so much already. So I volunteered to take them in.”

“That was a big step for a bachelor.”

He shrugged. “My mom was adopted. It just seemed like a natural way to pay it forward.”

There it was again. Toby’s altruistic personality. Everything about him was too perfect. Even his slightly mussed hair, which she was still tempted to reach out and touch.

It had a bit of a curl to it. Was it really as soft as it looked?

Oh, good grief. Get a grip, girl. She forced herself to stop gawking at him and to keep the conversation going. “So how long have you had them? About six months?”

“Yes, and I’ll be the first to admit that it was a big adjustment. But it’s getting easier. I actually like having them around. The ranch was too quiet before. You probably can imagine what it was like for me, growing up with all my brothers and sisters. I’m used to noise. Sometimes I feel as if I can’t concentrate unless the decibel level is over ninety-five.”

Actually, Angie couldn’t imagine what any of that had been like. She didn’t have any siblings. So her house had always been as quiet as a tomb, unless she had friends over.

“It was the talk of the town when you got custody of the kids,” she said. “Most people didn’t think it would last.”

“My buddies certainly didn’t think it would.”

“How about you?” she asked. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing all right, but it’s put a real cramp in my social life.”

Angie smiled. “You mean with the guys—or romantically speaking?”

“Romance? What’s that?” Toby laughed. “Actually, if I were even in a position to be looking for a relationship, I’d be in a real fix. Most women go running for the hills when they hear I have three children, even though the situation is supposed to be temporary. Other women look at me as if I’m some kind of hero. But even then, when they’re faced with the reality of dating a man with the responsibility of three kids, they don’t stick around long.”

Point taken. Toby was making it clear that he wasn’t looking for a relationship. Therefore, Angie now knew this clearly wasn’t a date.

“Yet here you are,” she said, “out with the kids having burgers, when you could be having a few beers at the Two Moon Saloon and dancing with Horseback Hollow’s most eligible bachelorettes. From what I remember, you were always a pretty good dancer.”

“I still am. Maybe I’ll prove it to you sometime.” Now, that was a challenge Angie looked forward to. And while the boyish grin on his face suggested that he was teasing, for a moment, for a heartbeat, she’d suspected that he’d been a wee bit serious.

And if they were ever to lay their secrets out on the table, she’d have to admit that she wouldn’t mind dancing with him, holding him close, swaying to the slow beat of a country love song, her body pressed to his...

“Seriously, though,” he said, drawing her back to reality, “if I wanted a beer, they’d serve me one in here. But I have enough on my plate without having to worry about dancing and courting the ladies, too.”

“I hear you.” And she did—loud and clear. He’d said it twice now, which was just as well. Really, it was. “I’m not looking for love, either—although my mother seems to think I should be.”

“Doris is really hard on you. Why is that?”

“Because she’s lost all hope of me making a financial success of my life. So if I can’t be the money-making ballbuster she envisions, the least I can do is marry one.”

“Well, then, Doris can rest assured that you’ll be safe from me. I’m definitely not raking in the dough.”

Safe from him? Toby couldn’t be more obvious if he was wearing a blinking neon sign. She wanted to say, Okay, I get it. You’re not interested in me.

But she supposed it wasn’t necessary. Neither one of them was in any position to enter into a romantic relationship right now—with anyone.

“I wouldn’t let your mother drag you down,” Toby said. “You seem like a happy person. So whatever you’re doing must be working for you.”

Well, not exactly. While she wasn’t miserable, she’d be a lot happier if she had a full-time job—or at least some direction.

“I’m doing just fine,” she said.

Before Toby could respond, Kylie ran up to the table. “Brian won’t let me have a turn driving the race car. He said it’s ’cause I’m a girl. And ’cause my feet won’t reach the pedals. But they will if he lets me sit on his lap.”

“I have an idea,” Angie said, as she slid out from behind the booth. “I’m going to show you how to play a better game. One that you can play all by yourself.”

“You’re coming in pretty handy,” Toby said.

Angie laughed. “I’m just paying for my supper.”

“At this rate, I’m going to owe you breakfast, too.”

For a moment, just like the comment about dancing together had done, the overnight innuendo hung in the air. And while they both might have laughed it off, there’d been a brief moment when their gazes had met, a beat when she suspected that neither of them had taken the promise of an early-morning breakfast lightly.

* * *

Toby hoped the waitress brought their food soon. Not only was he hungry, but he was down to his last few quarters and wasn’t about to ask for any more change than he had already. Since taking in the kids six months ago, his coin contributions alone could go a long way in refurbishing some of those old games and buying a new one.

He took a sip of his milk shake and watched the kids and Angie return to the table—out of quarters again, no doubt.

“You’re pretty good at Ms. Pac-Man,” Brian told Angie, as she slipped back into the booth.

“Thanks.” She winked at Toby. “I used to be a lot better, but I’m getting rusty in my old age.”

“You aren’t that old,” Justin said, taking her far more seriously than she’d intended. “Maybe if you came here to practice more often, you’d be supergood again.”

Angie laughed. “I’m afraid my days of playing in the arcade are over.”

“That’s too bad,” Justin said. “I’ll bet you could hold the world record.”

“I’ll have to remind my mother that I actually have some talent the next time she worries about my future prospects.”

“Here you go,” Toby said, as he rationed out a few more of the coveted coins to the kids.

Then they dashed off, leaving him and Angie alone again. It was nice getting to know her, getting a chance to see a side to her he’d never realized was there. He didn’t think he was the only one in town to have misconceptions about Angie Edwards. Heck, even her own mother didn’t seem to appreciate her.

Toby hadn’t liked the way her mom had talked to her today, especially in front of other people. But he supposed that wasn’t any of his business. He’d always had a sympathetic nature. In fact, his brothers often ribbed him, saying he was a sucker for people who were down on their luck. Some of that might be true, although he didn’t see Angie that way.

Sure, maybe she wasn’t a superambitious go-getter. But she seemed to have a good head—and a pretty one at that—on her shoulders. And something told him that she’d find her groove in life soon.

“You know,” he said, “it’s not too late to go back to school.”

“No, it isn’t. But you’re looking at a woman who’d joined the Toastmasters Club, the Teachers of Tomorrow, Health Careers and Future Farmers of America when I was in high school. I was even a member of the French Club one semester. I couldn’t decide on a direction then, and I’m no closer to having one now. So I can’t imagine spending the time and money to take classes without a goal in mind. So far, my motto in life has been ‘just keep on keeping on.’”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think that motto suits you pretty well. You’re a lot of fun to be with. And you have a great ability to adapt. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

“Yes, but as each week passes, my mother gets more and more stressed about my future.”

“How about you?” he asked. “Are you worried about it?”

She tossed him a pretty smile. “I’m doing just fine.”

He didn’t doubt that she was. “Then that ought to settle it.”

She took her glass, wrapped her full lips around the straw and took a slow drag of her milk shake, making him think about somewhere else her mouth could be...

What in blazes was wrong with him? Angie Edwards wasn’t the woman for him. He needed someone who was solid and stable, someone who was willing to take on three kids. And while Angie could probably handle anything life threw at her, she didn’t seem like the type who would stick around for the long haul.

And even though everyone in town, including his family, thought that his taking on the Hemings kids was a temporary thing, Toby had gotten attached to them, and he wasn’t planning to give them up unless their aunt insisted on taking them back. And even then, he wasn’t sure if he’d step back without a fight. But from what he’d gathered from the social worker, their aunt Barbara wasn’t the maternal type.

So if he had any chance of keeping them, he needed a partner who would be just as committed to the kids as he was.

Still, that didn’t mean Angie wasn’t an attractive woman. What she might lack in commitment, she more than made up for with sex appeal.

Yet the more time he spent with her, the more intriguing he found her.

Why hadn’t he looked at her that way before? Well, of course he’d noticed her looks. He wasn’t blind. But he’d never been the kind of guy to date someone just because of her physical appearance. He’d been interested in the woman on the inside.

Of course, after talking with her this evening, he had to admit that he was curious about what made her tick.

Even though they’d both grown up in Horseback Hollow, he really didn’t know very much about her—except in the way that most folks in small towns knew stuff about each other.

Up until today, he and Angie had never said more than a few words to each other in passing.

Before he could ponder it any further, the waitress brought their food. While she was placing the plates on the table, Toby excused himself and went after the kids.

Moments later, they were all seated at the booth. The boys began to dig in, but Kylie merely looked at her plate and frowned.

“What’s the matter?” Angie asked.

“It’s too much. I don’t want it.”

“Oops,” Toby said. “The boys are such good eaters that I sometimes forget about her. She isn’t actually all that fussy, but I think she gets overwhelmed when her plate is too full.”

“What if you share with me,” Angie said. “Would that help?”

When Kylie nodded, Angie took a knife and, with a careful slice, cut the grilled cheese into quarters instead of halves. “I like smaller triangles. Don’t you?”

The little girl smiled.

Angie reached for a section. “Can I have some of your fries, too?”

Again, Kylie nodded.

Toby would have to remember that trick.

Next, Angie took the knife, then sliced her double bacon burger in two. “When the waitress comes by I’m going to ask her for a to-go box.”

“What are you going to do?” Toby asked. “Take that home for lunch tomorrow?”

“Actually, I thought I’d offer it to Mr. Murdock. He likes a late-night snack when he watches television. And I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

So she was thoughtful, too—especially with kids and the elderly.

Toby took a bite of his burger, relishing the taste. No one made them better than The Grill.

“Can you hand me the mustard?” Angie asked.

Toby reached for the bottle that stood next to the menus on the table and handed it to her, thinking she was going to apply it to the portion of the burger she intended to eat. Instead, she poured a glob onto her plate, dipped one of the French fries into it and took a bite.

“Most people prefer catsup,” he said. “Miss Edwards, you’re proving to be quite a novelty.”

She smiled. “‘Always keep ’em guessing.’ That’s my motto.”

Toby laughed. “You have a lot of mottos, I’m learning.”

She tossed him a pretty smile.

“Can I try that?” Justin asked. “Pass me the mustard, too.”

“I’m not going to be able to eat all these onion rings,” Angie said. “Does anyone want to help me out?”

“I’ve never had them before,” Brian said.

She passed her plate to him. “You should at least try one. You might be missing a real treat.”

Ten minutes later, Kylie had eaten three-quarters of her sandwich. Justin had finished off his corn dog and decided that he preferred dipping his fries in mustard rather than catsup. And Brian had wolfed down most of Angie’s onion rings.

Then the kids dashed back to the arcade with the last of the quarters, leaving the adults sitting amid the clutter of nearly empty plates, wadded napkins, dribbles of soda pop and a melting ice cube.

Toby studied Angie in the dim light of the least romantic restaurant in West Texas.

Why in the world hadn’t he taken the time to get to know her sooner, when his life hadn’t been complicated by three children?

He supposed one reason he’d steered clear of her was because his brother Jude had once dated her. And for that reason, Toby had considered her off-limits.

Yet, when the kids returned to the table, high from their final top-ranking scores on Ms. Pac-Man, the sound of Angie’s infectious laughter, as well as the way she pulled Kylie onto her lap and gave her a squeeze, made Toby think he’d better have a talk with his newly engaged brother.

There were a few questions he needed to ask Jude. Because maybe, just maybe, this funny and beautiful woman wasn’t entirely off-limits after all.

Chapter Three

Ever since Angie had joined him and the kids for dinner on Saturday night, Toby hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. By Monday morning he was racking his brain, trying to come up with an excuse to see her—other than stopping by the Superette to pick up groceries, although he was tempted to do just that.

Then, while driving the kids to school, he had a lightbulb moment.

Brian, who was seated in front, was craning his neck and peering out the windshield at a plane flying overhead.

“Look at that one,” he said, pointing it out to his younger brother, who sat in the back with Kylie. “Wouldn’t it be cool to fly an airplane?”

And bingo! Toby had the perfect solution.

“How would you like to talk to a real pilot and see some planes up close?” he asked Brian.

The oldest boy had been unusually quiet and introspective since moving in with Toby, but when he glanced across the seat, his mouth dropped open and his eyes lit up in a way they’d never done before. “That would be awesome. Do you know one?”

“My cousin Sawyer and his wife, Laurel, own the new flight school and charter service. Laurel is actually the pilot. She was even in the air force.”

“No kidding?” The boy’s jaw dropped, and his eyes grew wide. “For real?”

Most people in town were more impressed with Toby’s connection to the Fortune family, rather than the lovely woman one of his cousins had married. “Yes, for real. I’ll give Sawyer a call this morning and ask for a tour.”

“For all of us?” Justin asked.

“And for me, too?” Kylie chimed in. “If it’s a girl pilot, I want to see her.”

Toby laughed. “Yes, we’ll all go. After I drop you guys off at school, I’ll try to work out a good time for us to go. But no promises on when that might be.”

And that was just what Toby did. Once the kids had gotten their backpacks, climbed out of the truck and headed for their respective classrooms, he called his cousin.

Sawyer’s father, James Marshall Fortune, had been a triplet. His two sisters had been given up for adoption when they were very young. Josephine May was raised in England by the Chesterfields, a family that was both rich and royal. Jeanne Marie, Toby’s mom, was raised in Horseback Hollow by loving parents who were common folk. But what they lacked in finances, they made up for in love.

Last year, Sawyer had met Laurel Redmond in Red Rock, where they fell in love. On New Year’s Eve, they married in Horseback Hollow, where they now made their home. Sawyer and Laurel opened Redmond-Fortune Air, which served folks in this area. Laurel used to work with her brother, Tanner Redmond, who owned the Redmond Flight School and Charter Service back in Red Rock. They originally opened a branch of that company here, but with Tanner’s blessing and Sawyer’s capital, Laurel bought out her brother’s stock and recently went out on her own.

When Sawyer answered the phone, Toby told him about Brian’s interest in airplanes, then asked if he could bring the kids by the airfield sometime for a tour.

“Absolutely,” Sawyer said. “Laurel flew a couple of businessmen from Vicker’s Corners to Abilene this morning for a meeting, but she should be back before three.”

“Is Angie Edwards working for you today?” Toby asked, as casually as he could.

“As a matter of fact, she comes in at one-thirty and will be here until four. Why?”

“No reason. I’d heard she was a part-time receptionist.” Toby glanced at the clock on the dashboard, realizing he had a lot of chores to get done today. But no telling when Angie would be working at the flight school again.

“The kids get out of school at three,” he told Sawyer. “So we’ll head over to the airfield then.”

And that was just what he did.

As had become his routine, Toby waited in front of the school when the bell rang. Only this time, he’d gone home so he could shower, shave and put on a new shirt and his favorite jeans.

“Did you talk to your cousin?” Brian asked, as he climbed into the truck.

“I sure did. And Sawyer said to come by today.”

Whoops and cheers erupted from the backseat. Even the usually quiet Brian was beaming, confirming that Toby had just hit a home run.

So what if fulfilling a young boy’s dreams to get to see the inside of a cockpit hadn’t been his only motive? Besides, the kids had been talking about Angie nonstop—especially Kylie—and they were going to be just as excited to see her as he was. If he happened to talk to a beautiful woman and casually slip in a dinner invitation while they were at the airfield, then so be it.

“But let’s set some ground rules,” he told the kids. “You’re going to have to mind your manners and not touch anything you’re not supposed to. No running off—that means you, Justin. And the minute we get back to the ranch, you’re going to have to sit down and do your homework. No complaints. Got it?”

A chorus of “got it”s and excited chatter filtered over the seat to him.

Fifteen minutes later, as the anticipation built in the cab of the truck, Toby turned down the county road that led to their destination.

Prior to the addition of Redmond-Fortune Air, the Horseback Hollow Airport hadn’t amounted to much more than a small control tower, a couple of modular buildings, one of which housed Lone Star Avionics, several hangars and a relatively small airstrip.

But the brand-new building Sawyer and Laurel had built, with its gray block exterior, smoky glass windows and chrome trim, added some class to an otherwise small-town, nondescript airport that served both Horseback Hollow and nearby Vicker’s Corners.

After parking next to Sawyer’s new black Cadillac Escalade, Toby led the kids up the walkway and through the double glass doors into the reception area.

Angie, who was busy typing some letters at the reception desk, brightened when they came in. “Hey, look who’s here!”

She greeted each child with a hug, but stopped short when she reached Toby. After all, what was required? Certainly not an embrace. And a handshake was much too formal.

They both settled for a smile, which worked out just fine.

“I heard you were coming.” She turned to a guy in green coveralls who was seated near a potted ficus tree and reading a newspaper. “Pete, is Sawyer still out back?”

“Yep. He’ll be in shortly.” Pete lowered his newspaper and nodded at Toby. “How’s it goin’?”

“Not bad.”

Pete Nelson, a tall, lanky mechanic, worked for Lone Star Avionics and sometimes did side jobs for Sawyer and Laurel. Ever since Sawyer and Laurel opened up for business, the other employees at the airfield usually came over to use their break room, as well as the new fridge, microwave and coffeemaker.

“Taking a break?” Toby asked the thirtysomething air-force vet, trying to keep the hint of jealousy from his voice. After all, if he worked at the airfield, he’d be taking breaks in the office when Angie was here, too.

Hell, Toby didn’t even work at the airfield, and he was looking for reasons to stop by the sexy brunette’s places of employment.

“Just having a quick cup of coffee,” Pete said. “Then it’s back to the hangar.”

“Hey, Justin,” Brian said, as he wandered toward a table with a plastic-enclosed display of miniature-sized scale models of airplanes. “Look at this.”

Kylie followed the boys, just as Sawyer entered the building.

“Hey, Toby.” He extended his arm, and they shook hands. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived.”

“No problem. We’ve been checking out the reception area.” And the receptionist, who’d just bent over to reach into the lowest drawer of the filing cabinet.

Toby hadn’t noticed before, but Angie was wearing a short black skirt. Well, it hadn’t looked so short until she’d bent over and those long, tanned, shapely legs stretched out.

Wow.

Sawyer continued to talk, although Toby couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what he was saying. Still, he nodded as if he’d heard every word.

When Kylie, who must have gotten bored looking at the miniature planes with her brothers, wandered over to Angie, Toby was about to call the little girl over to him and tell her that Angie was busy. But without missing a beat, Angie set her up at the desk with a stamp pad and paper, then went back to stooping and bending and flashing those long, shapely legs.

“Aw, so that’s the way the wind is blowing,” Sawyer said, calling Toby out.

“The wind?”

Sawyer lowered his voice to a whisper. “It’s not the airplanes you’re interested in. It’s Little Miss Google. I’d wondered why you wanted to know if she was working today.”

Toby tore his gaze from Angie, ran his fingers through his closely cropped hair and focused on Sawyer. “What are you talking about? Who’s Little Miss Google?”

“Evangeline Edwards, our part-time receptionist and jack-of-all-trades.”

Toby never had been good at lying, so he zeroed in on the subject he’d rather discuss. “Why do you call her Little Miss Google?”

“Because she’s a walking version of the website. If you want any information about anything at all, there’s a pretty good chance she knows it.”

While Toby had never considered Angie to be dumb, she hadn’t struck him as being exceptionally knowledgeable, either.

Had he missed something?

“You don’t believe me? Watch this.” Sawyer called across the open reception room. “Hey, Angie, Captain Schroder called a few minutes ago. Laurel wasn’t around for me to ask, but he’s flying his client’s new Cessna Nav into Horseback Hollow. He wants to know how many feet per minute his descent should be.”

Angie didn’t look up from her work. “If his true airspeed is 75 knots, which is standard for most Cessna Navs on approach, our headwind component here is usually 15 knots. That would make his ground speed 60 knots, which you’d multiply by five for a rate of descent of 300 feet per minute.”

“Thanks. I’ll let him know.” Sawyer gave Toby a little jab with his elbow, then tilted his head and lifted a single eyebrow as if to ask, What’d I tell you?

Toby had no way of knowing if what Angie had recited was true or not, but he figured it must be. Pete the mechanic hadn’t argued the point. Of course, he still had his nose in the newspaper.

Moments later, Laurel Redmond Fortune came through the same back door Sawyer had entered. The lovely blonde greeted Toby with a hug, then gave her husband a kiss. “I’m going to grab a quick cup of coffee in the break room, then I’ll give you guys that tour we promised.”

“Take your time,” Toby said.

As Laurel left the room, Pete lowered the newspaper he’d been reading. “Did you guys know that Herb Walker got busted for drunk-and-disorderly conduct last night outside the Two Moon Saloon?”

Sawyer gave Toby another little elbow jab, then said, “I wonder what kind of bail his wife will have to post for him.”

“Normally, it would be twenty-five hundred dollars,” Angie said, “but seeing how today is Monday and Judge Hanson doesn’t approve of drinking on Sundays, drunk and disorderlies from the night before usually have to post four thousand.”

Angie’s position on her knees, as she placed the last of the papers in the very back of the lowest drawer, gave Toby an excellent view of the rear end Doris Edwards had criticized days earlier. But Toby was so busy picking up his jaw off the floor that he was having trouble concentrating on those lovely curves.

How did she know those random facts?

When Sawyer and Pete started to laugh, Angie finally looked up and clued in to what was happening. “Were you guys doing that Google thing again?”

“What’s a drunk and disorderly?” Kylie asked, reminding the adults that the kids were still hanging around.

“It’s what Aunt Barbara got arrested for,” Brian answered, displaying knowledge beyond his age.

The laughter suddenly ceased, and the adults sobered. Fortunately, Angie swooped in for the save. “Hey, Brian, Mr. Fortune said you could go sit in the cockpit of his brand-new Gulfstream. You can even touch every button and lever. And Mr. Nelson won’t mind a bit putting them all back into place after you guys mess with them to your heart’s content.”

As a whoop went up from the kids, Angie cheekily smiled at her boss and the mechanic.

About that time, Laurel came out of the break room with her coffee. “Let’s go, kids.”

“I call first on talking on the headset to the people in the control tower,” Justin said.

“I get to sit in the pilot’s chair first,” Brian countered, as he followed Laurel out the door.

“Wait for me,” Kylie yelled as she tried to keep up with her brothers, who were already headed toward the hangar with Laurel.

The mechanic and Sawyer both gave Angie a look that promised they’d get even with her. But as far as Toby could see, they’d messed with Angie first.

It was nice to see that she gave back as good as she got.

“Laurel’s going to need my help,” Sawyer said.

“Mine, too.” Pete set aside the newspaper, grabbed his disposable cup and followed Sawyer outside, leaving Toby and Angie alone.

Finally.

“How do you know so much?” he asked.

“I used to watch Jeopardy! a lot with my dad when he was sick, and trivial facts tend to stick in my brain. Plus, I did a lot of internet research when I was trying to decide upon a college major.” She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was four.

She straightened her desk, then shut down her computer. As she reached for her purse, she added, “Learning various oddball things is also a perk to changing jobs frequently. So I ended up knowing a little something about everything. Obviously, the flight stuff, I learned here.”

As she pushed back her chair, he couldn’t help noticing those long, tanned legs emerging from the skirt that no longer seemed too short.

“What about the drunk and disorderly?” he asked. “Is that from a job or from firsthand experience?” Please don’t let her be a party girl, he found himself thinking.

“Do I look like the drunk-and-disorderly type?” She turned back to Toby. She must have noticed his gaze on her legs, because she crossed her arms and said, “Don’t answer that.”

“Sorry.”

She didn’t seem to be actually annoyed, though, because there was a spark of humor in her voice when she added, “Before that temp agency folded, they sent me to work at Señor Paco’s Bail Bonds for a few weeks.”

That was a relief. Not that he planned to actually date her.

Or did he?

“Aren’t you going out with the kids to see the new plane?” she asked.

He’d much rather learn about Angie’s control panel than some stupid airplane’s, especially since it was four o’clock and she was leaving.

Who knew when he’d see her again, which brought out an unexpected sense of urgency, prompting him to blurt out, “Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?”

* * *

Dinner? At the Double H Ranch? With Toby and the kids?

The invitation had come out of the blue, and judging from the expression on Toby’s face, Angie suspected that the question had surprised him as much as it had her.

“I’m not sure what we’ll be having,” he added. “I’ll have to stop by the Superette and pick up something. But the kids need to eat tonight. And if you’re not busy...”

“Actually, I have to stop by there to pick up my paycheck anyway. Do you want me to do the shopping for you?”

“That would be great.” Toby reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet and peeled out a couple of bills. “Here’s forty bucks. Pick up whatever you think the kids will like.”

Great. The choice was hers, then?

Not only had she agreed to have dinner with him and the kids, she’d also agreed to plan the menu, which meant she’d be stuck trying to decide what to cook for a hungry man and three picky children.

What had she been thinking?

At least he’d given her the money to pay for the groceries. She wasn’t sure how she would have been able to afford them if he hadn’t.

“Do you know how to get to the ranch?” he asked.

She tossed him a smile. “I’m sure I can find my way there.”

Ten minutes later, she was walking up and down the aisles of the Superette, grabbing packages and cans in record time.

Julia Tierney, who’d been working the check stand, laughed when Angie started laying items out on the conveyor belt.

“What’s so funny?” Angie asked her friend and boss.

“Girl, I haven’t seen you make such quick decisions on what to buy since that time you came running in here after that chili-pepper-eating contest with Mr. Murdock. You grabbed the first bottle of Mylanta you could find and drained it right in the middle of aisle three.”

Sometimes, when Angie didn’t have time to think about it, she could be rather decisive. And her tummy had been on fire that day.

She shook off Julia’s teasing. “I’m picking up dinner for Toby and his kids this evening. And since I’m sure everyone’s probably hungry, I don’t have time to roam the aisles, stewing about what to cook.”

Julia glanced at the items she rang up. “Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, mushrooms, ham, peppers, onions, ice cream, strawberries, instant bread mix. Looks like you’ll be having homemade pizza.”

“I figured it would be safe, especially if the kids can make their own.”

“That’s clever,” Julia said. “I couldn’t have come up with a better idea myself.”

That was quite the compliment. Julia had always dreamed of going to culinary school or maybe getting a degree in restaurant management, but when her father suffered a heart attack, she’d decided to stick close to home and help out her parents with the store. So she’d given up her dream.

However, now that her father was better, it looked as though her dreams would finally come true. When Wendy and Marcos Mendoza finally opened up The Hollows Cantina in the next month or so, Julia was going to manage it.

“Yeah, well, I’ve learned that if you can’t choose just one thing, it’s best to have plenty of options available.”

“Good idea,” Julia said, as she totaled Angie’s purchases.

“How are things going with the new restaurant?”

“Great. I love what Marcos and Wendy have envisioned, and it’s really coming together. In fact, I was going over some of the job applications we’ve gotten and saw yours. We won’t be scheduling interviews yet, but I wanted you to know that you’re at the top of the pile.”

“Thanks. That’s nice to know.” Angie helped Julia bag her purchases. “Who’s going to take over for you here?”

“My mother’s sister just retired from a cable-television company in Lubbock. So she’s going to move in with my folks and help out for a while. I think it’s all going to work out nicely.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“So tell me,” Julia said. “This thing with Toby and the kids... That’s a little intriguing.”

Only because Julia was in love with Liam, Toby’s brother. And she had stars in her eyes and thought everyone else should, too.

“We’re just friends,” Angie said.

Of course, she’d caught Toby staring at her legs a few times earlier today. And unlike a lot of other men she’d caught gawking like that, he’d seemed to be interested in more than just her appearance.

“Didn’t I once hear you say that you never liked limiting your options?” Julia asked.

Yes, that was Angie. Her father had always told her that life wasn’t an Etch A Sketch. That she ought to weigh each decision carefully, especially when it came to choosing a career—or a spouse.

Otherwise, she could find herself stuck in a really bad place.

She supposed that was why she’d never been able to settle on a college major or to find a job that interested her for very long—or a man worth making any kind of commitment to.

Angie didn’t respond to Julia’s question. Instead, she thanked Julia, took the two bags of groceries and headed for her car.

No, Toby Fortune Jones wasn’t in the running when it came to considering romantic possibilities.

But if he wasn’t an option, then what was he?

The answer came to her as she placed the pizza fixings into her car and prepared to head for the Double H Ranch.

Toby Fortune was one fine cowboy who was far too attractive for her own good.

Chapter Four

After Toby finished overseeing the homework hour, he told the kids they could watch television before dinner. Then he went into the kitchen to check the pantry. It wasn’t as though his cupboards were bare. He could certainly rustle up something to add to whatever Angie planned to cook.

He’d no more than scanned the canned goods in the pantry when he heard a car pull up. Knowing it had to be her, he went outside to greet her.

As she climbed out of the driver’s seat of a black Toyota Celica that had seen better years, let alone days, she reached into the back for the first of two eco-friendly bags. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail when she’d been at Redmond-Fortune Air, but it hung loose around her shoulders now—soft, glossy and teased by a light evening breeze.

She wasn’t wearing anything different—just that black skirt and white blouse. Yet tonight, for some crazy reason, he found himself a wee bit... Hell, he didn’t know what to call it—starstruck, stagestruck, dumbstruck...?

“Here. Let me help you with those.” He reached for the bags, and she handed them over.

As they headed for the house, he said, “I’m sorry for not having stuff on hand to cook. When I lived by myself, I could go weeks without grocery shopping. But since the kids have been living here, it seems like I need to restock my fridge every other day.”

She tossed him a carefree smile. “You should probably shop at one of those warehouse stores where you can buy in bulk and use a flatbed cart to haul your purchases to the checkout line.”

“If I didn’t have to drive clear to Lubbock to find one, I would. But then again, the kids wouldn’t get to come into the Superette all the time and see you.”

Toby chanced a glance at the woman walking next to him, wondering if she knew the kids weren’t the only ones who’d miss seeing her.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.