Falling for the Single Dad

Moving to a small Texas town, Lucy Grayson is looking to live life on her own terms. When she agrees to take a job in Doctor Graham Redmond’s office, the two instantly clash. The same can’t be said for the widower’s daughter. They quickly form a bond when Lucy begins teaching the little girl to dance. Graham soon realizes how good Lucy is for his daughter—and for him. Yet his late wife’s parents don’t agree. Their ultimatum to choose between them or Lucy fills Graham with despair. He can’t let his daughter lose her grandparents…but he also can’t lose the woman who could complete their family.

“I don’t ever plan to remarry.”

He didn’t have to make up this whole story for her. So they weren’t a match in the love department. The idea that Graham would never remarry was crazy.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. It’s not like we were on a date.”

“I know. But I’m telling you, I wouldn’t be anyway. I’m really never getting remarried.”

Graham definitely seemed the type to marry and grow old with someone. Lucy could picture him having more kids, finding a stepmom for Mattie. The girl would love it. Maybe having a mom again would take away some of Mattie’s serious nature and let her be a kid.

What would keep Graham from considering marriage again?

“Was your marriage…that bad?” Graham’s frown told her what she already knew—she shouldn’t have asked.

“No. It was that good.”

Ouch. Why did those words sting? She hardly knew this man. She’d been in town two weeks, and yet his response made her feel as if she’d been shoved from a moving car.

This had nothing to do with her. Then why did it feel as though it did?

JILL LYNN is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group and won the ACFW Genesis award in 2013. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bethel University. A native of Minnesota, Jill now lives in Colorado with her husband and two children. She’s an avid reader of happily-ever-afters and a fan of grace, laughter and thrift stores. Connect with her at jill-lynn.com.

Her Texas
Family
Jill Lynn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

—Psalms 139:14

To my husband: God blessed me big when He gave me you. Thank you for being better than I could have ever imagined, for making me laugh and for always cleaning my mess of a car. I love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Climbing a tree in heels? Not one of her better decisions.

Lucy Grayson held her cell phone toward the Texas sky and prayed for reception. The prayer didn’t work, nor did her ascent, which she’d hoped would somehow get her closer to a cell tower. Just beyond the tree, Lucy’s pitiful car sat on the side of the road with a flat tire, stranded like a woman with a broken high heel.

Her whole life was packed into that car...all of her shoes, most of her clothes and everything else she could cram in. Which made the thought of clearing out her trunk in order to reach her spare tire daunting. And so not necessary. Not if she could get hold of her sister and brother-in-law and borrow their truck, loading everything into it instead of dumping her things on the side of the road.

She was mere miles from their home, so she could walk. But surely her phone was just being ornery. It had to have some reception. Another impatient glance at the screen told her nothing had changed in the past twenty seconds of her life.

Drat.

Lucy wiggled her left foot, attempting to free it from her red ankle bootee without reaching down to untie it. She certainly couldn’t climb down in these shoes. She’d slipped a few times on the way up and didn’t want to risk the same during her descent.

A look down had her stomach tripping all over itself. Lucy had climbed higher than she realized, hoping just a little more height would give her the results she wanted.

Averting her gaze to the limb directly in front of her, she shimmied out of her left ankle boot. It dropped to the ditch below with a muted thud. The sole of her bare foot met rough bark, and she started the same process with her other shoe. One final kick of her heel against the tree limb sent it flying from her foot. Perfect. Now to get down.

A yelp sounded.

At the bottom of the tree, a man stood staring up at her, his hand pressed against his forehead. Oh, no. She hadn’t...

“Is there another shoe coming that I need to be aware of?”

Lucy pressed her lips together to hold back the ill-timed amusement that begged for release. Keeping her right arm wrapped around the tree trunk, she pointed to her other shoe, which had landed a few feet away from him. “No. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I think.” He stopped rubbing his forehead, leaving the red mark from her boot weapon visible. “What are you doing up there?”

Now, that was a tough question to answer. Picnicking? Going for a climb? Moving to Texas? Nothing seemed quite right. And her actual answer, now that she had an audience, did sound a bit...unusual. Or for her, usual. Her family would definitely call this a typical Lucy moment.

“I was making a phone call.” Or trying to.

The man’s brow crinkled, and he continued to peer up at her with confusion. Lucy scrambled down the tree, each bough swaying under her now bare feet. Despite feeling somewhat like a monkey, the sensation of being free did give her a thrill.

She landed in front of him with a very ungraceful, un-dancer-like crash.

During her descent, he’d crossed his arms over a white-checked oxford he wore with crisp jeans and brown leather shoes that even her fashion sense approved of. He was a head taller than her, with chocolate hair and midnight-green eyes.

A wave of recognition rushed through her, causing her skin to prickle with awareness.

Lucy remembered this man from her sister’s wedding. She didn’t know his name. She just recalled seeing him that night.

At Olivia and Cash’s reception, he’d been dancing with a little girl. The small child had worn glasses and a frilly dress, and her shoes had been propped up on his toes as they’d twirled around the dance floor. Lucy had melted at the sight. After all, she was a dancer.

Right. That was what had attracted her attention. Not the fact that the guy was totally droolworthy and hadn’t noticed her for a second. Usually when guys tried to gain her attention, she couldn’t care less. This one hadn’t known she existed...although now that she’d clocked him in the head with a shoe, she’d be unforgettable. For all the wrong reasons.

Did it really matter that he was looking at her without an ounce of recognition?

It wasn’t as if Lucy wanted to follow her sister’s path and sign up for a wedding ring while in Texas. She didn’t do serious relationships. She did fun. Lucy had made the decision way back in high school, and she’d stuck to it ever since. It had taken only one experience—one moment of going gooey over a guy—to teach her she much preferred to keep things light. And it was a lesson that had served her well over the years.

“I saw your flat tire and thought you might need help.” The look of bewilderment still etched across his face had her fighting a smile. Not everyone knew what to make of her personality. But did he have to look so shocked? So he’d found her up a tree trying to make a phone call. She wasn’t acting that crazy. “Where are you headed?”

“I’m actually moving here. Right now I’m trying to get to my sister’s house, which is just—” North? East? Lucy searched for the Rocky Mountains that had declared which way was west for the whole of her life, but was only met with the low green hills that permeated Texas Hill Country. Finally, she just pointed. “That direction.”

He reached forward and removed something from her hair, tossing it to the side. Looked like a baby branch by the size of the thing. How had she not noticed that monstrosity hitchhiking a ride on the way down?

“Your sister?”

“Yeah. Olivia Maddox.” Even after seven months of her sister being married, that new last name still felt so weird to say.

“Graham Redmond.” He offered his hand, and Lucy shook it, introducing herself. “Cash is a friend of mine.”

Lucy just nodded. I know. Men. This conversation only served to support her philosophy of keeping them in the fun/friend category instead of getting overly involved with one.

“So, are you moving to Texas for work?”

“For fun.” For the most part. Lucy could also mention that she couldn’t get along with her previous employer and that the move had been perfect timing for getting away from a certain guy, but she didn’t feel like delving into those things now. Or maybe ever. “And partly for work. I have a part-time job lined up teaching dance.” Although teaching one measly dance class wasn’t enough to pay her bills. Lucy’s first priority in town was to find a job that did. Scratch that. Her first priority was to get to her sister’s house. The second would be to make sure she could pay for rent and groceries.

But at least she knew she was doing the right thing in moving. After the trouble with her old boss, she’d prayed for an out. Olivia had called about the dance-instructor opening a few days later. Moving to Texas had been an answer to prayer and just the kind of adventure Lucy craved.

She reached out and gently touched the mark on his head. “I’m sorry about hitting you with my shoe. Does it hurt?”

He flinched as if her hand inflicted more pain than her boot had. “It’s fine.”

“But it looks so red.” A perfect match for the color of her shoe. And it was forming a rather large bump. “How do you know? Maybe you should get it checked out.”

“I’m a doctor.” He tenderly touched the spot. “I’m not worried about it.”

“Okay.” She shrugged. Why did she care so much? Sure, her shoe had caused the welt, but he obviously didn’t want her interference. Fine by her.

She could say the same back to him. Since he’d so nobly stopped to help her, she would reassure him she didn’t need his assistance. He could keep heading wherever he’d been heading, and she’d figure out how to get to her sister’s or change the tire on her own.

Graham Redmond didn’t need to fill the role of dashing hero in her life. Because, as the residents of Fredericksburg would soon find out, Lucy wasn’t a damsel in distress who needed to be rescued.

She could rescue herself.

* * *

Usually people worried about pulling over to help with a stranded vehicle because a dangerous person could be planning some kind of highway robbery...not because they feared shoes falling from the sky and almost knocking them out cold.

The place where Graham’s forehead had been introduced to a high heel still smarted, but he ignored the throbbing in order to figure out the woman in front of him. She seemed...young. Flighty. And not just because she’d been up a tree when he’d pulled over at the sight of her stranded Volkswagen Beetle. She twisted long, blond curls over one shoulder as she bent to pick up her shoes, sliding them back on her feet and then tying the small black laces. Skinny jeans met with a blue-and-white-checked shirt extending from under a navy sweater. How old could she be? Early twenties? She acted a bit like a teenager, though her looks didn’t support that theory.

And neither did the math. If Graham remembered correctly, Olivia’s sister was just a few years younger than she was.

He pointed up the tree she’d just climbed down like some kind of gymnast. “Did you say you were making a phone call?”

“Yeah.”

“If you were calling for help, I can change the tire for you.”

She huffed, crossing her arms. Had he said something offensive?

“I know how to change a tire. At least, I’m sure I could figure it out,” she said, voice quieter. “There’s probably instructions. How hard can it be?” She motioned to her car. “I was calling my brother-in-law because my car’s packed full. Every inch of it. I’d have to unpack the back to get to my spare, and since I’m almost to my sister’s house, it made more sense to see if they could bring the truck. That way I could load everything into it, and I wouldn’t have to move all of my stuff onto the side of the road.”

Her convoluted logic made sense. Graham must be losing his mind.

“So, you need a ride to Cash and Olivia’s? That I can do.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Were you...headed in that direction?”

“No, but it’s not far.”

The toe of her boot tapped as she contemplated. A quick shake of her head was coupled with tight-pressed lips. “No, thank you.”

No? What did she plan to do? Walk? Hope for cell reception? She was crazy to think he’d leave without helping her.

“I don’t want to interrupt your plans.”

What plans? Graham hadn’t done anything social in the past...five years or so. Not since Mattie was born and then losing Brooke. He didn’t exactly have a busy social life. Work? He had plenty of that. And colored pictures on his fridge. He had lots of those. Plus, he played a mean game of Go Fish on Saturday nights.

“My daughter and I were just headed home. It will only take us a few minutes to drop you off.” If he had to be direct or demanding in order for her to accept his help, so be it. Anything to make this encounter go a bit faster. Lucy made him feel...uncomfortable. As if he wanted to loosen his tie, even though he wasn’t wearing one today.

After a minute of contemplation, she let out an earth-shaking sigh. “Fine.” The word came through gritted teeth. “I appreciate your help.”

He got the impression she didn’t like his offer of help one bit, especially when her forced tone was accompanied by crossed arms and eyes that flashed with displeasure. Their bright blue color punched him in the chest. Unique. Brilliant. He wasn’t sure exactly how to describe them. Not that he needed to write a report. What he needed to do was drop this woman off at her sister’s and then head home to get his week organized before the craziness of Monday hit. No doubt his medical office would be slammed tomorrow morning as it was almost every Monday. But at least there he felt useful. At least there he was too busy for the images of his past failures to haunt him.

“Let me grab my purse.”

While Lucy did that, Graham opened the trunk to his car and checked the bolt pattern on his spare. It didn’t match the one on Lucy’s wheels. Just as well. Graham wasn’t sure he’d live through the experience of changing a flat tire with this woman. He’d seen what Lucy could do with a shoe. What harm could she accomplish with a lug wrench?

He started his BMW and pulled up parallel to her car. She came over with full hands, so he leaned across the seat and popped the passenger door open. Lucy slid in, dropping a purse and jacket on the floor of his car. When she shut the door, the scent of lime and coconut came with her.

It was the end of January, and she smelled like summer. Graham hadn’t known the season had its own scent before.

He motioned to the backseat. “This is my daughter, Matilda Grace. Everyone calls her Mattie.”

Lucy buckled and twisted to face the backseat while he put the car in Drive. “Hi, Mattie Grace. It’s nice to meet you.”

In the rearview mirror, Graham could see the name earned a smile from Mattie. A shy one.

“I’m Lucy.”

“Ms. Lucy,” he said.

Those eyes of hers jutted to him, giving off a spark of something close to annoyance before she softened and turned back to Mattie. “What grade are you in?”

“Kindergarten.”

Graham could feel the mix of interest and shyness oozing from Mattie in the backseat. His daughter tended to be on the serious side with an older-than-her-years nature. She was compliant, sweet and entirely more than he deserved. He thanked God for her every day.

The short distance to Cash and Olivia’s took only a few minutes. When they arrived, the three of them got out, making their way up the wide porch steps.

Lucy knocked, then opened the door, calling out her arrival. She stepped inside, and Olivia squealed, tugging her into a very enthusiastic hug.

Cash Maddox appeared at the door, surprise evident. “Hey, Red. Mattie. Come on in.”

At thirty-one years old, Graham was a few years older than Cash, but the two of them had grown up together and they’d always had an easy friendship. Cash was one of the few people who understood losing someone—not that he’d lost a wife, like Graham had, but grief was one emotion they shared knowledge of.

Even though Graham was close to six feet tall, Cash towered over him. His friend passed him in inches...and brawn. The fact that Cash ran a ranch from dawn till dusk and Graham saw patients inside all day might have a little something to do with that second thing.

“I can’t believe you’re finally here!” Olivia took a step back from her sister, her brown hair contrasting with Lucy’s sunshine blond. “Where have you been? I thought from the last time I talked to you that you were going to get here an hour ago.”

“Flat tire.” Lucy grimaced.

“Where’s your car? Did you change it? What happened?”

Lucy laughed, a lyrical sound that tightened Graham’s throat. Was he coming down with something? There’d been a lot of rash/fever combinations in the office last week. It was either that or this woman had some strange effect on him.

Definitely had to be germs.

“Still on the road. No, I didn’t change it because I didn’t want to unpack everything. And Graham stopped and ended up giving me a ride.”

Olivia’s gaze jumped to him. Seemed she hadn’t noticed his arrival. But then, he would guess Lucy’s entrance anywhere would pretty much overshadow anyone else’s.

“Thanks for taking care of my little sister, Graham.”

He nodded.

“Yeah.” Lucy flashed bright white teeth in his direction. “Thanks for the ride.”

He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

Olivia bent to eye level with Mattie while Graham still choked on his words. Or lack of them. Honestly. What was wrong with him?

“Hey, Mattie. It’s good to see you.” Her hand trailed along one of Mattie’s brown pigtails, coaxing a grin from his daughter.

“Mattie is practically a superhero. She swooped in and saved me from having to make the choice between a long walk or unloading my car.” Lucy shared a fist bump with Mattie, her head tilting in his direction. “Along with her trusty sidekick.”

Graham’s mouth gave in to a slight curve at the acknowledgment. He’d take the demoted status just for the look on his daughter’s face.

Lucy turned to Cash. “About my car. I thought maybe I could borrow your truck. I’ll change the tire. I can do everything if you’ll just let me—”

“What?” Cash snorted. “You really think I’m going to send you back out to take care of a flat tire on your own? What kind of brother do you think I am? I’ll take care of it.”

By the way Lucy’s chin jutted out, she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “I don’t want you to have to deal with all of my stuff. The car’s jammed full.”

“I have a thing for taking care of little sisters, and since Rachel up and left for college, you’re stuck with my overprotective nature. I might even have a spare out in the garage we could use. And if I don’t, not that much can fit into that tin-can car of yours anyway.”

“Listen, McCowboy.” Her finger poked into Cash’s gray T-shirt. “I’m absolutely helping with the tire. Don’t even think about going without me.”

McCowboy?

Cash shook his head, glancing at Olivia with amusement. “You did mention what a complex your sister has about accepting help.”

So it wasn’t just Graham she fought. Good to know.

Lucy squeaked. “That’s not true! I just accepted a ride to your house.” The woman beamed as if she should win a prize.

“Lucy’s car is near the big oak tree that got hit by lightning when we were in high school.” Graham’s lips twitched, and Lucy’s eyes started dancing with mischief. She certainly wasn’t embarrassed about her tree climb. He got the impression not much caused her to experience that particular emotion.

“So, Graham.” Olivia turned to him. “It’s actually perfect that you picked up my sister. I wanted the two of you to meet.”

A cold sweat snaked under his collar. Was Olivia trying to set him up with her flighty sister? Not going to happen. Graham had already had the love of his life. Now he had Mattie and absolutely no desire to remarry. Olivia would just have to take her matchmaking ideas elsewhere.

“Lulu, Graham’s office manager is out on maternity leave and he needs someone to fill in.”

What?

He hadn’t expected that. And this conversation sounded like trouble. Yes, the woman who ran Graham’s front office had gone on maternity leave unexpectedly early last week, leaving him completely strapped, but that didn’t mean Lucy Grayson was the right person for the position.

“I think it would be a perfect start for you, Lulu.” Olivia gave Graham a look he couldn’t quite decipher. Did she expect him to offer Lucy a job right here and now? Bend down on one knee and start begging?

Lucy studied him long enough to make him squirm, determination sparking in her eyes. “I do have a business degree. I don’t have experience in a medical office, but I could learn.”

How was he going to get out of this? Graham wanted someone for the position who could walk right in and know what they were doing. Someone with experience. Exactly the type of person he’d been looking for since well before Hollie went into early labor. Unfortunately, after three different temps had filled in last week, Graham was beginning to think that person didn’t exist.

Olivia was still talking about the possibility of Lucy working for him, how it would be a great fit, how it would be beneficial for both of them.

Graham could only stare. He felt as though he was sliding down a treacherous slope with little chance of rescue.

“Sorry, Red.” Cash looked far too amused and not nearly concerned enough. “I don’t think there’s any saving you from this one.”

“Seriously? You’re just going to leave me hanging? I am never prescribing anything for you ever again.”

Cash laughed. “I can’t imagine anyone going up against Liv and coming away with a win. Trust me, I know from experience.” His gaze slid to his wife, filled with enough admiration that a twinge of jealousy came over Graham.

Graham remembered that look, that feeling, well. He’d give anything to look at his wife like that again. But those days were gone, and he was healing. He was moving on. Just not into another relationship.

Unfortunately, at the moment, his friend was right. By the look on Olivia’s face, she was going to win this battle. Graham wanted to run for the door. Either that or rewind the evening and not stop at the sight of a stranded yellow Beetle.

“What do you think? Should we give it a try?” Lucy looked so hopeful that something in him tugged. She couldn’t be worse than the temps, could she? Maybe he was overreacting about the fact that he’d found her up a tree on the side of the road. Perhaps they could help each other out.

She’d have to be trained, but he’d figure out that part. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had any other choices lined up.

Graham would usually pray about a decision like this. Take his time. Wait on God’s guidance. But he was desperate. Desperate enough to hire a woman who looked like a model, smelled like sunshine and didn’t have a lick of experience.

Her words came back to him. A try, she’d said.

The tension in his body untangled. That was what he would do. He’d hire her on a trial basis. That way, when she couldn’t do the job, he’d have no issue letting her go.

Chapter Two

On Tuesday morning, Lucy sat behind a wide receptionist desk in Graham’s medical office and stared at the blinking black beast in front of her. Some might call it a phone. Lucy deemed it an instrument of torture. It boasted a number on the small gray screen—one that kept growing as the number of people waiting for her to answer increased. When Graham’s nurse, Danielle, had trained Lucy on it early this morning, she’d called it the queue. Lucy didn’t have such a nice name for it.

It scared her more than spiders or spam.

On Sunday night, she and Graham had hammered out a few details. An agreement of sorts. They’d agreed to give working together a try. He’d put a lot of emphasis on that last word, and Lucy felt an underlying sense of tension that normally didn’t invade her life. Graham probably thought she was completely unqualified for the position. And he’d be right. Which meant she needed to prove herself today.

She knew her opportunity to work for Graham had everything to do with God and Olivia making it happen and very little to do with her office skills—which were nonexistent.

On Monday, when Lucy had moved into her above-garage apartment in town—the one her sister had lived in last year—she’d scanned the paper for any other job openings she might be qualified for, just in case working for Graham didn’t pan out.

There weren’t any.

Since her move to Texas had come up quickly, Lucy hadn’t had time to save. She didn’t have any reserves for covering an extended period of time without work. And since she absolutely refused to ask her parents or Olivia and Cash for money, she needed this job.

How hard could it be? she’d thought. Answer a phone. File some charts. But after a few of the calls she’d already fielded this morning, Lucy was afraid to touch the flashing beast in front of her. Since timidity wasn’t in her nature, she took a steadying breath and yanked the receiver up, pressing it to her ear.

“Dr. Redmond’s office. May I help you?”

“This is Walt Birl. Who’s this?”

Another favorite question of the morning. Who was she? What was she doing in town? And from two grandmothers—was she interested in meeting their grandsons?

“Lucy Grayson. I’m new to town. I’m running from some unsolved crimes in Colorado. What can I do for you, Mr. Birl?”

Stunned silence.

Lucy winced and looked at the phone as though she could see his reaction through the small black holes. Oops. Perhaps not her best move. Wasn’t she planning to be professional today? Prove to Graham he hadn’t made a mistake in hiring her?

When she put the phone back to her ear, loud cackling greeted her. “I like you. Listen, I have a rash I need to discuss with someone.”

Don’t pick me. Don’t pick me.

“It’s kind of round, though there’s a few spots—”

“Mr. Birl, you really need to speak with the nurse or schedule an appointment with Dr. Redmond. I’ll be no help at all.”

“Okay. Transfer me to Danielle, then.”

Lucy sighed with relief, then pressed a few buttons on the phone, hoping the call actually went to Danielle’s phone and voice mail in the back.

She dived into the waiting queue. It took her almost two hours to wade through the calls, partially since everyone had to get the lowdown on her before talking medical business. Finally, the screen didn’t show anyone on hold. Lucy did a happy dance, chair sliding back and forth with her movements.

“What are you doing?”

She screeched. Graham had come down the hall during her happy dance...with a patient. Thankfully the frazzled mom with a toddler on her hip simply waved and walked out the front doors.

Lucy motioned to the phone. “Just celebrating getting through the phone calls.”

“Oh.” Graham sported the same look of confusion he’d been wearing when he’d stopped to help with her flat tire. “Okay.” He shrugged and disappeared down the hall again. Even slightly snarly, the man still managed to look good. He also had impeccable taste in clothes. A crisp white button-down shirt and black dress pants. A tie that teased some of the lighter flecks of green from his eyes. He reminded Lucy of an actor on a television show she used to watch. Definitely Hollywood for this small town.

Digging into her purse, Lucy plucked out her phone and texted her sister.

What are you doing?

When it beeped a response, Lucy gave a silent cheer. Liv almost never responded to texts during the day because she was normally in the middle of teaching one of her French classes at the high school.

Between classes. How’s the first day?

How to answer that?

Exciting.

Lol. Yeah, rt. R u still at work? Have u caused any trouble?

Lucy’s lips curved. Her sister knew her too well.

Yes and no.

Though Lucy had simply meant to answer Liv’s questions in order, the humor in it made her perk up. Let her sister wonder a bit at that.

Lucy?!!!??

She laughed and slid the phone back into her purse. It took her a few minutes to figure out how to print the updated appointment schedule so she could pull the patient charts for the rest of the day. Once she did, Lucy did a pirouette on her way to pick up the sheet from the printer located in the far left corner of the reception space. Now that the phone calls had slowed, she was doing okay. Maybe she’d get the hang of this job faster than she’d expected.

Graham walked into the reception space and dropped some charts on top of the pile on her desk that needed to be reshelved, then turned and scanned the files.

“Just grabbing my next appointment. I’m sure you haven’t had time to pull anything with handling the phones this morning.”

“Thanks.” That was nice. Maybe the man didn’t just speak in grunts all the time. Actually, she knew he didn’t. She’d heard him being great with the patients. And she’d seen him interact with Mattie the other night. Graham looked at his daughter as if she made the sun rise and set each day. From what Lucy had gathered in the short time they’d been together on Sunday, she agreed with that assessment. Mattie was supercute with her red glasses, glossy hair and bright, inquisitive green eyes that seemed to quietly observe everything around her.

Seeing Graham act so sweet with Mattie had melted Lucy a bit.

But he certainly hadn’t sprinkled any of that sugar in her direction. With Lucy, he kept a polite distance and only spoke caveman.

She considered the way Graham obviously adored Mattie to be his best quality. Second best? His choice in cologne.

Inhaling, she inched closer to his back as he faced the charts. Woodsy. Spicy. Definitely worth a second sniff. She leaned in just a bit more.

Graham grabbed a chart and turned, almost bumping into her. Lucy jumped back, not realizing how close she’d migrated in her efforts to breathe him in.

He stared at her, those dark, stormy eyes wide.

“Sorry.” She took a step back. “I—” Want to smell you? Nope. Not first-day-on-the-job words.

Graham’s brow furrowed. “You okay?”

“I’m great.” You just smell distractingly good. What kind of cologne is that? Would it be weird if I requested you wear it every day? Would it be even worse if I grabbed your perfectly knotted grass-green tie, tugged you forward and buried my nose along the collar of your shirt?

Graham made his way past her, pausing by the edge of the desk. “We’ll turn off the phones for lunch. I need to grab Mattie from school. She has a half day today. But Danielle can answer any questions you have after you’re done eating.”

“Sounds good.” Lucy pasted on a bright smile and waited until Graham disappeared down the hall before letting it fall from her face. Phew. That had been a close one.

She searched the shelves filled with rows and rows of manila folders reaching up to the ceiling behind her desk and along the wall. Looked as though the chart she needed was on the top row. She glanced around. Not a stool or chair to be found besides the rolling one behind her desk. At five and a half feet, Lucy wasn’t necessarily short—unless she compared herself with her sister or father—but she was pretty sure she needed some assistance to reach the top row.

She rolled the office chair over, aligned it in front of the shelves, then dropped to the ground and locked the wheels into place. Lucy stood and put one foot on the chair, then changed her mind and unzipped her brown, high-heeled boots. She removed them from her feet, rather proud of herself for taking the time to ensure her safety. She’d learned her lesson about climbing in heels.

Her outfit for the day—an army-green dress that swished above the knee, cinched with a multicolored belt and accessorized with an assortment of mismatched beaded bracelets—wasn’t exactly ideal for climbing on a chair. But Lucy would make it quick. She’d grab the chart and be back down before anyone knew what she’d been up to.

After giving the chair a test shove to make sure the wheels didn’t roll, Lucy stepped up, toes digging into the leather. She heard the front door to the office open but kept her concentration on the charts. Scanning the names until she found the one she needed, she slid it from the shelf. The chair moved under her feet. She gasped and reached for the shelf, dropping the file in order to hang on with both hands. The grip stopped her movement. A shaky, relieved breath whooshed out, causing dust to fly off a few files in front of her. Another close one.

She jumped from the chair before it could cause further damage, bare feet landing on the floor with a thud.

Lucy found herself face-to-face with a young man who’d appeared behind the receptionist desk during her chart hunt. He screamed cowboy. Broad shoulders in a blue plaid shirt. Boots peeking out from jeans.

The skin around his brown eyes crinkled. “I apologize for being in your space, ma’am. When I walked in, I saw you wobbling on the chair and thought you might need a hand. Looked like you were about to take quite the tumble. And yet, here you stand.”

He had a Southern drawl and he’d called her ma’am. Yee-haw. “I appreciate the backup.”

“I’m the one who called to see if Doc Redmond could squeeze me in for this.” His right shirtsleeve was rolled up, a nasty-looking gash visible. He situated the cloth he was holding to fully cover the wound. “I’m Hunter McDermott. My family’s ranch edges your brother-in-law’s.”

She introduced herself, and dimples sprouted in his cheeks.

“The famous Lucy Grayson. Do you really think anyone in this town doesn’t know who you are?”

At least one person hadn’t.

“Sooo...” He stretched the word out. “I suppose you saw a bit of Rachel back in Colorado.” Hunter’s gaze flitted away before meeting hers again. “How’s she doing?”

Oh. Now Lucy knew the lay of the land. Wonder if Rachel Maddox knew she’d left behind one interested cowboy in Texas when she’d headed to Colorado for college.

“Rachel’s great. Busy with classes and off-season volleyball training. And not dating anyone that I know of.”

Interest flashed on his face before he cleared his throat. “That’s good, then. I mean, not that she’s not dating anyone. Just that she’s doing well. I—”

Hunter shrugged and shook his head, and Lucy’s amusement and pity for the guy doubled. He grabbed the chart she’d dropped—amazingly the contents had stayed anchored inside—and handed it to her. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Lucy stepped toward the desk to set the file down and stumbled over her forgotten boots on the floor. Though she didn’t exactly need it, Hunter reached out, grabbing her arms to steady her. They shared an amused grin.

“I’ll let Dr. Redmond know you’re here.”

“No need.” Graham spoke from behind Lucy, his curt tone zinging along her spine. “Come on back, Hunter.”

Hunter nodded at Lucy, then stepped around to the front of the reception desk.

“I’ll meet you in exam room two.”

At that, the cowboy disappeared down the hallway, leaving Lucy with a disgruntled Graham.

Uh-oh. Why did he look so upset? Was it something she’d done? She could just imagine the long list of complaints Graham could have against her. After all, she’d literally been thrown into the job this morning with very little training. Lucy hadn’t been taught much more than how to deal with the phone and a quick lesson on the appointment scheduling system. Had she mis-scheduled an appointment? Lost a chart? Offended a patient?

She didn’t know the answer. She only knew by the tension tugging on Graham’s mouth and the crease cutting through his forehead that whatever he had to say couldn’t be good.

And Lucy really, really preferred good.

* * *

Graham didn’t usually have to count to ten when dealing with Mattie, but Lucy Grayson might be harder for him to handle than his five-year-old daughter.

He couldn’t shake the sight of Hunter and Lucy standing so close when he’d walked into the front office. What had they been doing? There had to be a good explanation for why they’d been tangled up together. For why Hunter had been behind the receptionist desk in the first place.

Had to be.

“What were you just doing?” Though he attempted to keep calm, his voice dripped with irritation. And then, instead of giving her time to answer, the rest of his thoughts spilled out without permission. “I walked down the hall to find you practically in a patient’s arms, and a young man at that. How do you think that looks? What kind of reputation do you think that gives the office?”

Her mouth opened but no words came out.

Didn’t she have anything to say to defend herself? And why did she look upset with him?

A glance over his shoulder told him Hunter was in the exam room, door closed. Waiting. Graham couldn’t deal with Lucy right now. His patient needed sutures and that came first.

He faced her again. “I need to help Hunter.” Plus, he needed to finish this appointment in time to grab Mattie from school so she didn’t have to ride the bus. He knew she didn’t like it, though she rarely complained. His daughter seemed to think it was her job to take care of him instead of his job to protect her.

“But I—” Lucy had finally found her voice. “I wasn’t—”

“We’ll talk about this later.”

Without letting her finish, Graham turned and walked down the hall. Exasperation snaked under his collar, mixed with a faint touch of guilt for being so short with Lucy. He paused outside the door to exam room two, loosening the knot of his tie. Somehow, he needed to get his mind out of the fog that had descended on him this morning.

For being a Tuesday, today definitely felt like a Monday.

Nothing was going according to plan. First, he’d wanted a qualified person to fill in for Hollie. Instead, he’d got Lucy. He’d known after their conversation Sunday night that Lucy didn’t have any experience working in a medical office. Her résumé sounded like an audition for a Broadway show. Yet he’d been desperate. And he knew she was, too. That, coupled with the pressure from Olivia, had prompted him to give working with Lucy a shot.

No pun intended.

The morning had been crazy busy, and Graham hadn’t really had time to observe Lucy. Except for the time he’d found her dancing in her chair, their close encounter by the charts...and then finding her and Hunter behind the desk together.

The unprofessional nature of what he’d seen grated. Graham had the niggling sense that he was missing some piece of the puzzle with Lucy. When he’d questioned her about previous employment on Sunday night, Lucy had been vague. She’d mentioned working at a dance school back in Colorado. Until...what? She hadn’t really said why she’d left. Only something about a “difference of opinion” with the owners of the studio. Now he wondered if there was more to the story. Had she been unprofessional there? What had gone on between them?

It was obviously something he needed to figure out. Along with whether he’d made a bad choice in hiring her. Did he need to let her go already?

The thought came with an underlying sense of relief.

Why?

Graham didn’t want to go anywhere near the answer to that question, because if he did, he’d have to analyze the fact that Lucy Grayson flustered him. She was...young. Flighty. And entirely too beautiful for her own good.

If Brooke were still alive, she’d never be okay with someone like Lucy working in his front office. Graham wouldn’t be, either. But Brooke was gone. And Graham should be able to have a receptionist without thinking of her as anything but that.

Only, seeing Lucy in Hunter’s arms...something had sparked in Graham that he hadn’t expected. A sense of jealousy. Where had it come from? He didn’t know. Nor did he want to explore it.

Lucy might be a good fill-in for Hollie on maternity leave, or she might not. The jury on that was still out. But as for any attraction Graham felt for the young woman?

That, he knew his answer to. He’d already had the love of his life. Dating, marriage, love...those things weren’t for him. Which meant attraction to his off-limits receptionist wasn’t an option.

Chapter Three

Lucy pushed out the doors of the medical office and screamed up at the mocking bright blue sky. Oh, my. Her heartbeats settled from outraged racing to annoyed drumming. That scream had felt good. She’d like to indulge in one more—this time in Graham’s presence. But he was still dealing with Hunter.

After Graham had headed down the hall, Lucy stayed until it was time to turn the phones over to the answering service. Then she’d waved goodbye to Danielle—who probably thought she was just ducking out to grab something for lunch—and headed outside.

She didn’t want to leave the only real job option she had in this town, but Lucy knew better than to let someone treat her the way Graham just had. His accusations had stolen the air from her lungs and the words from her mouth.

She and Hunter had been totally innocent in that situation, yet Graham assumed the worst.

Lucy didn’t like thinking a person was one thing and then finding out they were something completely different. At least with Graham she’d found out right away.

Unlike before.

Words spoken about her years earlier tumbled back. She could still hear Nate talking to his best friend, still picture his arrogant behavior.

After that, she’s all yours.

Indignation flared at the memory. Lucy had vowed never to let someone treat her with such disrespect again. Her independent, take-care-of-herself streak had started growing the day she’d overheard Nate, and it hadn’t slowed since.

Which meant she couldn’t stay working for Graham. Not if that was what he thought of her. Not if that was how he planned to treat her.

She should feel relieved leaving. Instead, pinpricks of disappointment riddled her skin.

She needed this job. Too bad Graham had reacted the way he had. Lucy could see now he’d never really given her a chance. He’d thrown her into the position with hardly any training and then he’d jumped to conclusions.

It wasn’t as though working as a receptionist in a medical office would end up on her Pinterest board for dream work. If Lucy let herself travel down that road, she’d wish her way into owning a dance school she could run under her own philosophy. But that option wasn’t on the horizon.

Lucy paused near her car as a school bus pulled up to the parking lot. The door opened and Mattie got off, clutching some things to her chest.

Hadn’t Graham said he was going to pick her up?

The bus pulled away, and Mattie dropped the items she’d been holding on to the grass between the sidewalk and the parking lot.

Lucy approached. “Hi, Mattie Grace.”

The little girl glanced up, shoving her glasses to the bridge of her nose. “Hi, Lucy.” One shoe was untied, but the rest of her looked perfectly put together. A bright, white shirt without a mark on it—something Lucy could rarely boast of accomplishing—a jean skirt, light-up tennis shoes and a pink fleece sweatshirt. The sight made Lucy realize she’d forgotten her jacket inside.

Double drat. Maybe she could live without it. After all, the weather in Texas was warmer than Colorado.

“What’s going on with your lunch?” Mattie’s pink-and-purple lunch box was open, leftover contents and containers spread on the ground. Lucy knelt, helping her put the items back inside.

“One of the boys kicked my lunch box on the bus and everything fell out.”

At Mattie’s quiet explanation, Lucy’s outrage spiked a few degrees. “Sounds like I should pay a visit to your school bus tomorrow.”

The girl’s smile was like the sun coming out from behind clouds. “It’s okay. He doesn’t bug me very often. My dad said he was going to pick me up so I didn’t have to ride the bus today, but he must have forgot.”

Oh, be still her heart. No matter how much Lucy didn’t like Graham right now, she knew he’d never forget Mattie. “I don’t think he forgot, sweetie. I think he just had a busy morning.”

Lucy barely resisted scooping the girl up in a big hug. They closed the lunch box and stood, slipping it into Mattie’s backpack.

After Graham and Mattie had left the other night, Olivia had told Lucy that Graham’s wife had passed away from cystic fibrosis at a young age—only in her twenties. Since then, it sounded like Graham pretty much worked and took care of Mattie.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Graham came out of the office and jogged to his car, the beep-beep from his key fob interrupting the quiet. Since he was parked on the other side of the building, he didn’t notice them.

Lucy and Mattie shared a grin. “Told you he didn’t forget. Think we should stop him or let him go?”

“Let him go.”

Lucy laughed. “I’m not sure whether to be impressed or shocked.”

That earned her a giggle.

The thought was tempting. A trip to school and subsequent freak-out would serve Graham right. Smothering her impulse to let him suffer a bit, Lucy called out to him across the lot. He looked in their direction, shoulders sagging when he saw Mattie.

Since his adorable daughter was standing next to her, Lucy would figure out how to talk to Graham in a civilized manner. She would put on her maturity cape—at least, until no little ears were listening—and if she could manage it, beyond that.

He came over, dropped in front of his daughter and pulled her into a hug. Lucy ignored the tug on her heart. I will not like Graham. I will not soften toward him. When Graham buried his face in Mattie’s hair and inhaled as if he wouldn’t live another second without smelling her, Lucy lost the battle. The chant wasn’t working.

“Did you take the bus?”

Mattie nodded.

“Why didn’t you wait? I told you I’d come get you.”

“It’s okay, Dad. I didn’t mind.”

Graham ran a hand through his hair, causing the dark locks to stick out in every direction and reminding Lucy of a young boy. She skipped over the thought, concentrating instead on the irritation she’d felt inside the office minutes ago.

“Next time, just wait for me, okay?”

The small shrug told Lucy Mattie’s answer was far more of a “we’ll see” than a “yes.” Lucy liked the girl more and more by the moment. If only Mattie didn’t have that look marring her features. Lucy couldn’t figure out if she was sad or serious or both.

“Why don’t you go inside and find Danielle?” Graham spoke to Mattie. “I’ll be in in a sec.”

“Okay. ’Bye, Ms. Lucy.”

So they’d gone formal. Lucy offered Mattie a fist bump, which she answered with a small nudge.

Graham watched Mattie go inside before facing Lucy. She fought the temptation to squirm, knowing she hadn’t done anything wrong. It might have looked strange to find Hunter behind her desk, but Graham could have given her the benefit of the doubt. He could have let her explain.

Instead, he thought she was so unprofessional that she’d throw herself at one of his patients.

Lucy sent up an SOS prayer that she’d be able to talk to Graham in a mature manner and that God would show her how to handle this conversation. After Graham had walked away from her inside, Lucy hadn’t even considered asking God for guidance. She’d just followed her instincts. She was horrible at remembering to pray for help, usually barreling forward without stopping to think. Certainly without stopping to pray.

But in this situation, Lucy needed all of the direction she could get. Because not only was she at a loss for what to do if this job didn’t work out, she’d never been very good at keeping her thoughts to herself.

* * *

When Graham had realized Lucy was no longer inside the office, he’d wondered if she’d just left to grab some lunch...or if she’d taken off, never planning to return. After the way he’d acted, Graham wouldn’t blame her if she had bolted.

Hunter had told Graham what had happened and why he’d been behind Lucy’s desk. A very simple explanation. If only the sight hadn’t sent Graham into thinking the worst.

He’d jumped to conclusions and been a jerk. Now he was going to have to grovel. The thought almost tugged a smile from his lips. He hadn’t groveled in ages—not since Brooke. Though, even then, it had been more in teasing. They’d had a good relationship, not the constant back-and-forth bickering that some couples were prone to. Which was exactly why Graham didn’t expect to have anything like it again.

But he did have a bit of experience in apologizing. What husband didn’t?

“About earlier.”

She crossed her arms, gaze defiant.

“I’m sorry for my reaction. I was short with you and I jumped to conclusions.”

When she opened her mouth, he braced for her to be angry with him. Instead, like a slowly deflating balloon, her shoulders lowered. “Okay.”

Not exactly accepting his apology, but he’d take it for now.

On to the second order of business. Before he asked her to stay, Graham needed to know what had transpired at her old job. But he had the feeling she wasn’t going to like his prying. “Lucy, what happened at the dance school you worked at in Colorado?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She mumbled a word that sounded a lot like mature. After fidgeting with the collar of her green dress, she let loose a frustrated exhalation. “Why do you want to know?”

“If you’re going to be working here, and I’m going to trust you, I need to know.”

“But I’m not—” Her sigh scattered across the parking lot. “Fine. It’s not like I did anything bad there. I worked at the same school for years and loved it, but when they sold to new owners, we couldn’t get along.”

“Why not?”

A man could spend years deciphering the emotions that flickered through her gorgeous blue eyes. Graham focused on her mouth instead, but that didn’t help. Her lips pressed together, broadcasting frustration with his questions.

“They were so into the correct dance positions, they were cruel. I mean, I get that they wanted to win competitions. What school doesn’t? But they pushed too far. They were way too strict on all of the age groups, but especially the beginner’s classes. Those little girls are there to learn to love dance, not to do a perfect plié at age four.”

“That’s it?”

“Um, kind of.”

“Lucy.”

“I confronted them about it, asking them to change the way they were treating the students. It didn’t go over well. They said I didn’t have the right attitude to be one of their teachers. That’s when I knew I couldn’t continue working there, so I packed up and moved.”

Huh. Graham had thought there might be a skeleton in her closet. Instead, she’d been a defender for the young girls in her classes. Wouldn’t he want someone to do the same for Mattie if she were in a class like that? He’d definitely had Lucy pegged as something she wasn’t.

This woman surprised him. And Graham wanted her to stay working for him. In one morning, she’d accomplished more than any of the temps. His patients even liked her, and they reacted to change as though he was trying to personally offend them.

“Lucy, will you consider coming back to work?”

She rubbed her arms. “I’m not a huge fan of yours right now.”

“I’m not a huge fan of myself right now.”

Those lips curved ever so slightly. “You know, I wasn’t doing anything inappropriate with Hunter. I’d been standing on the chair—”

“I know. He told me. I overreacted.” And seeing his hands on you...hadn’t bothered Graham in the least. Lucy was too young for him to be thinking about her in that way. Plus, besides his other list of reasons, she was his employee. Possibly his employee.

“I’ll get a stool.”

Her head tilted, loose curls cascading over her right shoulder as she studied him. “Why do you want me to stay, anyway?”

“You dealt with this morning’s chaos better than the temps I’ve had in, and they had experience. All I’ve heard today is how delighted everyone is with you.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “But I didn’t get anything done this morning but handling the phone.”

“But you did handle it.”

She didn’t look convinced, but at least she wasn’t running for her car. “I’m not exactly qualified for this position.” Her hand flew through her hair with agitation, sending the locks bouncing. One finger pointed at him. “You can’t just throw me into a medical office and expect me to have a clue what I’m doing. You have to give me some time to adjust and figure things out.”

“I—”

“And you have to at least try to like me. I’m not asking you to fall in love with me—” Good to know since that definitely wasn’t on Graham’s to-do list. “But you could at least make an attempt to get along. People don’t usually have such a hard time with me.”

That was exactly what he was afraid of. Lucy had this energy, this essence that just attracted people to her. Graham felt the tug, too, though he didn’t plan to pursue anything more than a work relationship. A friendly work relationship. That he could handle.

“I accept your terms.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

He raised his right hand. “I pledge to not be a jerk.” He winced. “I’ll do my best. And I really mean what I’m saying.”

Lucy’s eyes began to twinkle. “Do you think we can get one purse a month thrown into my salary?”

“No.”

“How about one for the whole of Hollie’s maternity leave?”

“No.” His lips twitched.

“We could call it a briefcase, make it a business expense.”

“Lucy.” He groaned. What was he going to do with this woman? He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or run in the other direction.

Her shoulders inched up. “I would try to keep bargaining for more, but we both know I’m not that valuable of a commodity. I don’t want to ruin my chances.”

He had a feeling she would be more valuable—to his office—than she realized. Now that he was over his misconceptions, Graham felt relieved he’d found a fill-in for Hollie that his patients liked.

“I think we should shake on it. Graham Redmond, you promise to be patient with me as I figure out this job—and give me a real chance this time—and I’ll do my best to be professional.”

Lucy offered her hand.

“I already pledged an oath.”

She raised one eyebrow, waiting.

Fine. Graham would shake on it. He cupped her hand in his. It was warm and soft and definitely didn’t make him think about a business deal.

He pulled his hand back. Scrubbed it against his pants.

She was right. He hadn’t really given her a chance. He’d been expecting her to fail. But Graham should know by now he was the one who excelled in the failure department.

He’d definitely made mistakes with Brooke. He’d loved her. That much he’d got right. But he hadn’t been able to save her. He’d known when he married Brooke there were risks. She’d had cystic fibrosis, but she’d been on medication and always done well. Until her lungs had got worse and worse. Even then, Graham had assumed he could help her, that she’d get better.

They’d married young—just out of college. She’d worked, putting him through medical school. And then they’d found out Brooke was unexpectedly pregnant. At first, Graham had been shocked. He’d been a wreck. Would Brooke’s body handle the pregnancy okay? How would they make it? How would he provide? He’d planned to quit medical school until Brooke had given him a verbal slap, knocking him back to reality. She’d told him it would be fine.

And she’d been right.

At least for a while. They’d welcomed Mattie into the world, and Graham had fallen for her just as he had her mother. The years of residency had begun. Brooke had been a rock. Working, taking care of Mattie and shining like never before. Motherhood had fit her. Both of their parents had helped out as much as they could while living over an hour away. Things had settled in again. He’d been months from finishing his residency when Brooke got sick.

Graham should have been able to save her. He should have had the knowledge. He’d pushed her doctors for every detail, searched for answers himself—any treatment options they might be missing. But in the end, it hadn’t been enough. He hadn’t been enough. She’d faded quickly, no matter what he’d done. No matter what he’d prayed.

He still didn’t know how he’d made it through those last months of residency without her. Prayers and family had carried him. Graham had come out stumbling. He’d followed through on his and Brooke’s plan to move back to Fredericksburg and open a clinic near both of their parents, missing her as though part of his heart had been surgically removed.

He’d done it for Mattie. Graham would do anything for Mattie. Which was why he’d continued to practice medicine while doubts about his abilities as a doctor assailed him.

If he thought too much about Brooke, about how he’d failed her and been unable to save her, then he wanted to crawl into bed and never come out.

Instead, Graham focused on Mattie. Her needs before his. He kept putting one foot in front of the other, hoping the whole town wouldn’t notice he’d fallen flat on his face two years before.

“You still with me, Hollywood?” Lucy’s question interrupted his sprint down memory lane. She’d moved closer, about a foot away, bringing the scent of lime and coconut with her.

“Hollywood?”

Her lips lifted. “So, you can hear me. I wasn’t sure for a minute.”

A light breeze tousled her hair, and Lucy pulled her curls to one side while the hem of her skirt flitted above her knees.

For a second, Graham questioned his sanity, asking Lucy to keep working for him. He only knew his decision had nothing to do with her looks and everything to do with his medical office. Lucy was good at the position—okay, maybe good was too strong a word at this point. She had the potential to do well, and that was what mattered.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he was in love with the woman. He could simply admit she was beautiful and leave it at that. Anyone meeting Lucy would think the same.

Relief slid down his spine. A bit of attraction? That he could handle. He wasn’t signing up for anything more than a businesslike friendship with Lucy Grayson.

Graham and Lucy started walking toward the office, Lucy a few steps in front of him. Without permission, his eyes slid down her belted dress, noticing the way it hugged her curves and showcased her legs. He quickly bounced his gaze to the sky and bit back a groan. The outfit was professional, he would give her that. But it was also distracting. To him. He was positive Hunter hadn’t minded rescuing Lucy, though the man hadn’t seemed as frazzled by the incident as Graham had been.

“You know, you could wear scrubs if you want. A lot of people working in medical offices do. It simplifies things.”

Plus, maybe scrubs would help keep his thoughts focused on work instead of on the woman in front of him.

“Scrubs?” Lucy turned back, nose wrinkled. “I’m not really a scrubs kind of girl. I think I’ll pass.”

That was exactly what he’d feared.

Chapter Four

Before Lucy could even consider teaching her first Saturday-morning beginner’s ballet class, she needed two things—a Diet Coke and her sunglasses.

Assuming she’d left her sunglasses at work yesterday, since they weren’t on the floor of her car, Lucy had left early enough to swing by Graham’s office this morning and then hit the drive-through. Some things were worth the sacrifice of a few minutes of lost sleep.

Graham had given her a key to the office on Wednesday, which she considered his peace offering after their confrontation Tuesday. The rest of the week they’d been cordial to each other. Lucy had been scrambling to learn about the job, and Graham had been Mr. Polite. He’d been patient with her and completely professional. He treated her the way she saw him treat everyone else—very respectfully. It bored her just a titch, and Lucy had almost found herself wishing for the snarly Graham back, if only for the entertainment value.

She pulled into the lot of the small redbrick building, surprised to see Graham’s car there. Did he work Saturdays, too?

Lucy parked and walked inside, calling out her arrival. When no one answered, she checked the reception desk. Score. Her favorite Ray-Ban sunglasses—red on the front, multicolored on the inside—were peeking out from under some papers. She grabbed them.

“Hi, Lucy.”

She placed a hand over her thudding heart and turned. “Hey, Mattie. What are you up to?”

“I was drawing in Daddy’s office. He’s working.”

Huh. That did not sound like a fun Saturday to Lucy.

“What are you wearing?” Mattie’s eyes traveled the length of Lucy’s dance sweatshirt, striped fitted shirt that landed just past her hips, leggings and bright green Converse high-tops.

“Clothes for teaching dance. Except for the shoes. Those I have to change when I get there because you can’t wear ballet shoes on the street.”

“You teach dance?” Mattie’s eyes grew large. She bounced on the toes of her pink tennis shoes. “And do you wear the pink slippers?”

“Yes and yes.” Delight had erased the seriousness Lucy had come to expect on Mattie’s face.

“And you do the twirls?”

A pirouette. “Yes.” Lucy stooped to Mattie’s height. “Do you...do you want to take ballet, Mattie?”

She nodded quickly, then looked down at the floor.

“Have you asked your dad?”

She shook her head.

Why hadn’t she asked Graham? In the past few days, Lucy had learned the little girl was a miniature adult—possibly more mature than Lucy—and that she always seemed slightly sad.

That last one killed Lucy. She couldn’t curb the deep desire to make it better, to give the girl some fun. A little joy.

When Lucy had been ten, her uncle had died unexpectedly. Her dad had been devastated over losing his brother, and Lucy had taken it upon herself to cheer him up.

She’d done everything she could to bring happiness back into his life. She’d put on plays. Performed hilarious songs. Made him funny cards and left him notes. Sneaked silly faces at the dinner table. Eventually, it had worked. Dad had called her his sunshine, and cheering people up had become her thing. She already read people’s emotions quickly, so delving into helping them came naturally.

And Lucy just couldn’t resist bringing some cheer into sweet, serious Mattie’s life.

“I think we should ask him.”

Mattie bit her lip. “Okay.”

Lucy glanced at her watch. She wouldn’t have time for her Diet Coke run if she talked to Graham about Mattie doing dance. But when a little hand slipped into hers, Lucy knew it didn’t matter.

Her decision had already been made.

* * *

Graham heard a noise down the hall and stood from behind his desk. Hopefully it wasn’t a patient popping in. He wasn’t exactly looking professional in jeans, an untucked blue cotton button-down and brown leather tennis shoes.

More likely the noise was just Mattie. She’d been drawing quietly in his office, but she must have wandered off. He’d promised her they’d do something fun this afternoon to make up for working on the weekend. Being Mattie, she’d agreed without an argument.

He really did not deserve her.

He poked his head out of his office door and found Mattie and Lucy coming down the hall hand in hand. His daughter had been pestering him with questions about Lucy all week. Turned out Graham didn’t know that much about her, so he wasn’t much of a help to Mattie.

He did know that the past three days with Lucy had gone much better than Tuesday morning. They’d settled into a working relationship in which Graham didn’t have a ton of interaction with her outside of work questions—and he was thankful for that.

In the past few days, she’d managed to lose only one chart (Graham had later found it filed under the first name instead of the last), and she’d shredded a stack of notes he’d left that needed to be added to charts. He was working on rewriting those this morning. But, beyond that, she’d charmed his daughter, made friends with Danielle and managed to deal with his sometimes crazy patients and make it look easy.

Lucy and Mattie stopped in front of him, some kind of trouble hiding behind their shared glance.

In leggings and bright green tennis shoes with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, Lucy looked the part of dance instructor. Maybe she’d forgotten which job she was going to this morning.

“Graham.” She paused to wink at Mattie. “We have a question to ask you.”

Unease trickled through him. “Okay.”

“Mattie expressed an interest in going to dance class. The one I teach on Saturday mornings is beginner’s ballet. It would be perfect for her.”

Perfect? Lucy had no idea what she was talking about. The only activity perfect for Mattie was yoga. Although she could probably pull a muscle in that. Something with padding around her whole body and no physical contact would do. But since that sport didn’t exist, he’d vote no.

His daughter had a major propensity for getting hurt. The last sport Mattie had played was soccer. She’d ended up with a concussion. Who got a concussion in peewee soccer? When she’d begged to take gymnastics, she’d sprained her wrist within the first week.

If there was a competition for reading fast, Mattie would rock it. Or a spelling bee. She could totally do that. He should check if her school had—

“What do you think? Can she come to class with me?”

“I think you’re good, aren’t you, Mattie?”

Mattie stared at him, seconds feeling like hours. “Okay, Daddy.” Her hand slipped from Lucy’s and she walked down the hall, her little shoulders slouching.

Graham rubbed a fist over his aching heart. He wanted to make her happy, but more than anything, he wanted to keep her safe. Sometimes parents had to make the hard decisions, and this was one of them.

“Are you joking?” Lucy’s hands landed on her hips, and she looked as though he’d just told her she couldn’t buy another pair of shoes all year. Guess it had been naive of him to think she’d walk away and let him handle his daughter’s care without injecting her opinion. “You can tell she wants to go. It’s obvious. Why won’t you let her?”

“You’re overstepping your bounds, Lucy. You don’t understand.”

“What I understand is that little girl will do anything for you—including give up a dance class she really wants to go to. You should have seen her light up when we were talking about it. She wants to go.”

“Mattie struggles with athletics. I don’t want her getting injured or feeling left out if she’s not as good as the other girls.” Rarely did he get heated, but right now? Not feeling so calm. “Plus, who are you to have an opinion about Mattie or question my parenting? You’re acting like a sixteen-year-old.”

“I’m offended for sixteen-year-olds everywhere. And you’re acting like an ancient grump.”

“At thirty-one, I am ancient compared to you. And since I’m Mattie’s old, grumpy father, I get to make the decisions.”

“I’m twenty-four. You’re not that much older than me.”

“I am in wisdom.” What? That sentence didn’t even make sense. “Age doesn’t matter. I’m her father. It’s my choice.” Graham did the math in his head. “Wait—didn’t you just graduate from college last year?” A fifth-year senior. The way Lucy acted, he could see her not finishing in four.

“Yes. Before I started college, I traveled with a dance team.”

“And then you went to college after that?”

She nodded.

He was being a jerk. Again. Why did he expect the worst from Lucy? Most people wouldn’t take time off and still go back to school. She should be commended. But while she might surprise him in certain areas, she was definitely driving him nuts right now.

They stared each other down. Graham wasn’t planning to budge. He’d made his decision.

Eventually Lucy’s stance softened. “Listen, Hollywood, I understand you’re worried about her, but the class is really safe. I’ll be there the whole time to watch out for her and help her so she doesn’t feel lost or uncomfortable.”

Hollywood. Why did she keep calling him that?

Lucy glanced at her watch. “I know you’re my boss and all, but since it’s the weekend, I don’t think that counts. Do you?”

Strange logic. “Ah, I guess not?”

“Great. Then you won’t fire me when I take her to dance anyway.” Lucy headed down the hall, and it took a second for her words to register. When they did, Graham went after her. She and Mattie were standing by the reception desk, and Lucy was helping Mattie into her coat.

“You can’t just take her. That’s kidnapping.”

Lucy faced his daughter. “Mattie, do you want to go to dance with me?”

Mattie looked at him with mournful eyes, then at Lucy before her gaze dipped to the floor. Finally, she gave the most imperceptible nod.

He felt like the worst dad ever. Especially since she rarely went against what he said. Must have been hard for her to admit. But even with seeing her blatant desire to attend ballet, letting her go was so hard. She’d had a lot of hurt in her life. Was he so wrong not to want her to go through more?

They were leaving. Mattie and Lucy were walking out the front doors while he stood there thinking. Graham followed them into the parking lot.

“It’s illegal for her to ride without a booster seat.”

Lucy marched over to his car. She wouldn’t get anywhere with it. He always locked the doors. She pulled on the back door handle, and it popped right open.

Impossible. He always locked his car. That verse about everything being possible with God seemed to also apply to Lucy. Whatever she touched turned to gold. Did God just shine down on her life with rainbows and unicorns?

She grabbed Mattie’s car seat and walked back over to her Volkswagen. After putting it in her backseat, she helped Mattie buckle in.

When she climbed into the driver’s seat, Graham approached.

“I’m calling the cops. You can’t just take my daughter.”

Lucy shrugged. “Call the cops, then. The girl needs some fun in her life. You know I’m right or you would have already stopped me.” At that, she slammed the door and drove off.

* * *

Turned out, Matilda Grace Redmond had some natural dance ability. And even if she didn’t, the whole morning fiasco with Graham would have been worth it just to see the look of joy on the girl’s face.

She’d missed a few steps—okay, a lot—but it was her first class. She’d improve. And, really, it wasn’t about getting the steps perfect. It was about a little girl’s delight when she learned the five positions and got distracted watching herself in the mirrors. The way she tried to stand on her toes the first time she wore ballet slippers, even though she shouldn’t, just because she wanted to be like the older girls in pointe shoes. It was about falling in love with dance the way Lucy had so many years before.

When they’d arrived at the studio with barely any minutes to spare, Lucy had scrounged through the share bin—a place where dancers left items that no longer fit them—and found a skirt and shoes for Mattie. Total score. The dance school had a small area where they sold a few necessary items, and Lucy had snagged a leotard and tights there. A small price to pay for the way Mattie kept twirling in the outfit even though class had already finished.

Yes, the morning had been worth it. But now that Lucy was removed from the encounter with Graham, she really wished she would have handled things better. Niggling doubt about the way she’d acted snatched her joy at seeing Mattie so happy. Why couldn’t she just be calm and reasonable? She’d always been passionate. Sometimes her emotions ran a bit...dramatic. She rarely thought too long before making a decision, usually jumping right in. But this time, she might have been a little too Lucy.

At least her intentions had been good.

She’d just wanted to help Mattie, not ruin her own newly improved relationship with Graham. Or hurt Mattie’s chance to do dance in the future. She hadn’t even thought about that. What if Graham never let Mattie come back and it was all Lucy’s fault? That would be awful. Mattie really did seem to love it.

She sent up another of her trademark help-fix-what-I’ve-already-done prayers, hoping God could help her and Mattie out. They could certainly use some divine intervention.

Lucy corralled Mattie and Belle—the other little girl from class who hadn’t been picked up by her parents yet—into the waiting area so that the next class could start. Just as they walked into the space lined with chairs and couches, the door to the studio opened and a female police officer walked in.

Panic climbed Lucy’s throat. Graham wouldn’t really... He hadn’t...

The cop scanned the room, and Lucy broke out in a sweat worthy of a marathon runner. Had Graham seriously called the cops? She needed a place to hide. But would that be considered resisting arrest?

Mattie and Belle were chatting and comparing ballet shoes, completely oblivious to Lucy’s turmoil.

She dived behind the closest chair, body barely fitting in the space. She was probably overreacting—as usual. Maybe the officer had already moved on. Lucy leaned ever so slightly from behind the chair and peeked out.

Drat! The woman’s black boots were headed right for her! She ducked back behind the seat, hoping the officer hadn’t seen her.

“Excuse me, but are you Lucy? Lucy Grayson?”

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.

Lucy winced, slowly standing from her position. She was going to use her one phone call to call Graham and yell at him. As if she had actually kidnapped Mattie. He could have stopped her if he wanted to. She wouldn’t have left if the man had put up a fight. He’d been wavering the whole time. Lucy had simply taken advantage of his indecision.

And now she was going to suffer the consequences. Lucy squared her shoulders. Time to take it like a woman. “Yes. That’s me. I can ex—”

“I’m Peggy.” The officer extended her hand. “Belle’s mom. It’s nice to meet you.”

Lucy’s mouth flopped open. Belle’s mom. Graham hadn’t really called the police. Yet... Lucy had just been hiding behind a chair.

“You are the new instructor for beginning ballet, right?”

“Yes.” Lucy shook the woman’s hand. “I am. I was just—” She glanced at the chair that had recently been her safe haven. “We were just...playing hide-and-seek.”

It was the truth. Only Lucy had been hiding from a police officer, not Belle and Mattie. She could have told Peggy more of the truth, but I hide from law enforcement hadn’t seemed like the better option.

Thankfully Peggy was gracious and didn’t ask Lucy about her strange behavior. She did ask about Belle’s time in class, and by the time they left, Lucy hoped she’d redeemed herself and her escapades would be forgotten.

Hoped, but didn’t necessarily believe.

After Belle left with her mom, Lucy stuffed Mattie’s ballet shoes into her own dance bag and helped her put on her pink tennis shoes.

They walked outside, and again, Mattie’s hand slipped into Lucy’s. The child still sported that dreamy look. One Lucy understood well. Dance had always been that place for her. Olivia had played volleyball, creating a bond with Dad, and Lucy had danced her way through life.

Even if Graham didn’t forgive her, the morning had been worth it.

They got into the car, and Lucy pulled out her phone and texted Graham.

Are you still mad? She had THE BEST time. She’s got natural talent. No injuries.

His reply came back in record time.

Maybe a little.

The man must have been glued to the phone. Remnants of guilt slithered across her skin. She definitely could have handled this morning better.

Lucy would have to work on that whole think-before-you-do thing.

I’m sorry I stole your daughter.

I’m still considering pressing charges. :)

He’d included a smiley face? He was putty in her hands.

If it makes you feel any better, when one of the dance parents arrived in a police uniform to pick up her daughter, I thought you HAD called the cops on me.

Ha! That does make me feel better. Did she really have fun? She fit in okay? She didn’t get hurt?

Overprotective man. His barrage of questions made Lucy grin.

“When are we going?”

“One sec, Mattie.” Lucy had forgotten about the little girl in the backseat.

She looked so happy. Like she was living a fairy tale.

That might be overdoing it a little, but Lucy needed to plead her case a bit. She continued texting.

It’s dance. There’s not that many ways to get injured.

Not completely truthful. But at Mattie’s age, the steps and classes were simple. The older girls had more chances of injury.

Any chance I can keep her for another hour? I think the first dance class deserves an ice cream celebration.

Crickets. No answer. Lucy glanced in the rearview mirror. Mattie was staring out the window. Patient, serious little thing.

Fine.

Graham’s begrudging response made Lucy laugh. He didn’t exactly sound excited, but she’d take it and run.

“What’s so funny?” Mattie piped up from the backseat.

“I was just texting your dad that I thought we should grab some ice cream before I drop you off. What do you think?”

Mattie’s eyes grew to the size of quarters, and she nodded quickly.

Lucy’s phone beeped again, and her mouth curved, picturing another text from Graham. Directions on what Mattie could and couldn’t do, most likely.

When are you coming home? I miss you.

Disappointment sucked the air from her lungs. It was from Bodie. Not Graham.

Bodie Kelps. Lucy had gone on a total of three dates with him back in Colorado. After which, Bodie had started talking about the future and Lucy meeting his parents. He’d even brought up the relationship-defining talk, which was Lucy’s cue to exit the scene.

The move to Texas couldn’t have come at a better time in terms of Bodie. Lucy liked him. They’d been friends during college and after, and she didn’t want to lose that friendship because things hadn’t worked out between them. She’d told Bodie in clear terms that they were not in a relationship and that she didn’t want to keep dating after she moved.

But the man didn’t listen.

He must think she was using moving as an excuse and he could prove his affection by continuing to pursue her. She wasn’t. Even if Lucy had stayed in Colorado, she wouldn’t have continued dating Bodie.

He’d texted her every day since she’d moved and called twice. Once she’d answered and talked to him—after all, she didn’t want to be rude—but she’d tried not to encourage him in a romantic way. Her hints definitely weren’t working.

Maybe she could etch it into stone or something. Although that would be pricey to mail.

Lucy put the phone to the side, started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Bodie could wait for an answer on that text since she didn’t know what to do about him. He obviously hadn’t believed her when she’d told him she was moving and that they were over. Lucy just didn’t do serious relationships.

She didn’t have some heart-wrenching story like the one her sister had endured. Lucy had just learned her lessons young. One time she’d attempted that whole falling for someone thing. The results hadn’t been good. One time had been enough for her to realize she much preferred to love and embrace everyone in life without ever getting too serious.

Lucy had been young—her junior year in high school—the first time she’d been tempted to let her feelings for a guy progress beyond friendship. A senior had asked her to prom, and she’d accepted. He was gorgeous, and she’d let her imagination get the best of her. She’d started daydreaming about him, thinking maybe he was really interested in her, acting like one of the silly girls she usually detested. Then, one day after school, she’d needed someone to give her a ride home. She’d headed to Nate’s locker to see if he could, but realized as she approached that he was talking about her to his friend.

At first she’d been giddy, thinking he must really like her. But then she’d realized they were discussing a plan regarding her.

They were talking about how long Nate would date her before passing her on to his friend who wanted a turn with her. Discussing her as if she were a piece of playground equipment.

She’s already fallen for me. I have no doubt that by prom, I’ll get what I want. After that, she’s all yours.

If Lucy hadn’t overheard, she’d never have known that all of Nate’s flattery and attention had only been done with one goal in mind.

Thankfully it had been early enough in the relationship that Lucy had come out of the experience with her heart still intact. In fact, she considered that day, that conversation, one of her biggest blessings because of how it had changed her life.

From that point on—after telling Nate exactly what she’d thought of his plans—she’d made a few decisions.

First, she’d started rescuing herself. She hadn’t called her parents or sister for a ride home from school. She hadn’t found one of her girlfriends and bummed a ride. Lucy had walked. Granted, it had been only a few miles to get home, but that had been the beginning for her.

No more looking for a prince when she could rescue herself.

And second, she’d tossed out serious (not that she’d ever had an extra supply in that department) and stuck to fun. She hung with groups of friends and even went to prom that year with a bunch of people. Guys. Girls. Everyone knew her. Most loved her. She loved back. Simple. Easy. No mess to clean up when she went through life with the objective of having fun.

“Ms. Lucy?”

“Yeah?”

“This really is the best day ever.”

The contented sigh that came from the backseat wrapped around Lucy. Good thing she didn’t resist getting involved with people in general, just dating relationships. Because she feared she’d already lost her heart to the adorable five-year-old in the rearview mirror.

Chapter Five

He missed his daughter.

Graham was a big sap, and even one more hour without Mattie felt like a year. Pathetic would be a good word to describe him right now. Even though Mattie was likely having a ton more fun with Lucy at dance and now going to get ice cream, he wanted her here. He wanted to look across his desk and see her at the credenza in the corner where she kept her art supplies and liked to color. He was selfish, that was what he was.

And he was getting nothing done.

With time to himself, his workload should be dwindling. But since Lucy and Mattie had left, he’d only dealt with a few charts and organized his pens. Who didn’t want to claim an accomplishment like that for their Saturday?

He wanted to ask Mattie about class. Sure, he’d got some answers from Lucy, but he wanted to hear from his daughter.

Graham checked his watch. Lucy had texted only a few minutes ago that they were going for ice cream. He could go meet them. But that would be overprotective of him. Which he wasn’t. He was more...curious. Another good word.

He grabbed his keys.

If he happened to be at the same place as them, nobody could fault him for that. And Graham knew just where his daughter would want to go.

* * *

Lucy judged the ice cream places in town by the level of excitement coming from the backseat. Clear River, a red storefront that boasted bakery, ice cream and deli signs, garnered the most response, so Lucy found a parking spot, and she and Mattie walked the short distance. If the smell of sugar and cinnamon that greeted them when Lucy opened the door was any indication, Mattie had impeccable taste.

Red booths with white tables lined the space, and a curved glass display case held mouthwatering treats with the menu hanging behind. When it was their turn to order, Mattie still hadn’t decided which flavor to choose, so Lucy ordered first.

“I’ll have a double-scoop cone. Chocolate peanut butter cup, strawberry cheesecake and... Let’s make that a triple. One scoop of caramel turtle fudge, too.”

She felt a tug on her arm. “Can I have that many scoops?”

Lucy imagined her answer should be no, but she didn’t know why. “Go for it.”

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