LET DEBBIE MACOMBER TAKE YOU INTO THE HEART OF TEXAS

Welcome back to Promise, Texas, a ranching community deep in the Hill Country. It’s a good place to live and raise a family—and a good place to visit. Yes, there’s a secret or two hidden beneath Promise’s everyday exterior, but what town doesn’t have its secrets?

CAROLINE’S CHILD

Who’s the father of Caroline Daniels’s child? Everyone in town wants to know, but no one’s ever asked—or ever will. The people of Promise are protective of Caroline and five-year-old Maggie. They care. Especially rancher Grady Weston, who’s beginning to realize he more than cares….

DR. TEXAS

They call her Dr. Texas. She’s Jane Dickinson, a newly graduated physician from California who’s working at the Promise clinic— but just for a couple of years. They call him Mr. Grouch. Cal Patterson was left at the altar by his out-of-state fiancée, and he’s not over it yet. Too bad Jane reminds him so much of the woman he’s trying to forget!

Praise for Debbie Macomber’s Heart of Texas series

“Debbie Macomber brings the people of Promise, Texas,

to life as she blends drama, romance and adventure

in Caroline’s Child.”

—RT Book Reviews

“I’ve never met a Macomber book I didn’t love!”

—Linda Lael Miller

“Romance readers everywhere

cherish the books of Debbie Macomber.”

—Susan Elizabeth Philips

“Debbie Macomber writes stories as grand as Texas itself.”

—Pamela Morsi

“Debbie Macomber’s name on a book is a guarantee of delightful, warmhearted romance.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz

“Popular romance writer Macomber has a gift for evoking the emotions that are at the heart of the genre’s popularity.”

—Publishers Weekly

“With first-class author Debbie Macomber it’s quite simple–she

gives readers an exceptional, unforgettable story every time

and her books are always, always keepers!”

—ReaderToReader.com

Dear Friends,

I hope you’re enjoying the Heart of Texas series. Although I wrote these books years ago, I continue to receive reader mail regarding this series. A lot of people were looking for one title or another and wrote to ask if I knew where they might find a copy. It was for this reason that my publisher decided to reissue these books.

The Heart of Texas series helped inspire my current Cedar Cove series set in the Pacific Northwest. As with almost everything in life, writing is a learning and growing process. Heart of Texas was a giant step forward for me. It was this series that led to my first New York Times bestseller, Promise, Texas. But that’s only one reason these books are special to me. I came to love this little town I’d created deep in the Texas Hill Country and the characters who live there. And I associate these stories with some wonderful visits to Texas.

Caroline’s Child and Dr. Texas are the middle books in the series, which also includes Lonesome Cowboy and Texas Two-Step (Volume One) as well as Nell’s Cowboy and Lone Star Baby (Volume 3). Promise, Texas and Return to Promise are the final two titles. (Return to Promise is available in the collection entitled Small Town Christmas.)

As you might have gathered, I enjoy hearing from my readers; I read every word you write and value your comments. You can reach me through my website at www.DebbieMacomber.com or at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.

Now, find a comfortable chair and spend a few hours with the people of Promise, Texas. I’m sure you’ll hear a few whispers about the ghost town of Bitter End while you’re there.…

Have a good visit!

Heart of Texas Volume 2

Caroline’s Child

Dr. Texas

Debbie Macomber

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Caroline’s Child

Debbie Macomber

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE PEOPLE OF PROMISE

Nell Bishop: thirtysomething widow with a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Emma; her husband died in a tractor accident

Ruth Bishop: Nell’s mother-in-law; lives with Nell and her two children

Dovie Boyd: runs an antiques shop and has dated Sheriff Frank Hennessey for ten years

Caroline Daniels: postmistress of Promise

Maggie Daniels: Caroline’s five-year-old daughter

Dr. Jane Dickinson: new doctor in Promise

Ellie Frasier: owner of Frasier’s Feed Store

Frank Hennessey: local sheriff

Max Jordan: owner of Jordan’s Town and Country

Wade McMillen: preacher at Promise Christian Church

Edwina and Lily Moorhouse: sisters; retired schoolteachers

Cal and Glen Patterson: local ranchers; brothers who ranch together

Phil and Mary Patterson: parents of Cal and Glen; operate a local B and B

Louise Powell: town gossip

Wiley Rogers: sixty-year-old ranch foreman at the Weston Ranch

Laredo Smith: wrangler hired by Savannah Weston

Barbara and Melvin Weston: mother and father to Savannah, Grady and Richard; the Westons died six years ago

Richard Weston: youngest of the Weston siblings

Savannah Weston: Grady and Richard’s sister; cultivates old roses

Grady Weston: rancher and oldest of the Weston siblings

Contents

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1

CLUTCHING THE MAIL IN ONE HAND, Grady Weston paced the narrow corridor inside the post office. He glanced distractedly at the row of mailboxes, gathering his courage before he approached Caroline Daniels, the postmistress.

His tongue felt as if it’d wrapped itself around his front teeth, and he was beginning to doubt he’d be able to utter a single sensible word. It shouldn’t be so damned difficult to let a woman know he found her attractive!

“Grady?” Caroline’s voice reached out to him.

He spun around, not seeing her. Great. Not only was he dreaming about her, now he was hearing her voice.

“Open your box,” she instructed.

He fumbled for the key and twisted open the small rectangular door, then peered in. Sure enough, Caroline was there. Not all of her, just her brown eyes, her pert little nose and lovely mouth.

If he’d possessed his brother’s gift for flattery, Grady would have said something clever. Made some flowery remark. Unfortunately all he managed was a gruff unfriendly sounding “Hello.”

“Hi.”

Caroline had beautiful eyes, dark and rich like freshly brewed coffee, which was about as poetic as Grady got. Large and limpid, they reminded him of a calf’s, but he figured that might not be something a woman wanted to hear, even if he considered it a compliment. This was the problem, Grady decided. He didn’t know how to talk to a woman. In fact, it’d been more than six years since he’d gone out on an actual date.

“Can I help you with anything?” she asked.

He wanted to invite her to lunch, and although that seemed a simple enough request, he couldn’t make himself ask her. Probably because their relationship so far hadn’t been too promising. Calling it a “relationship” wasn’t really accurate, since they’d barely exchanged a civil word and had never so much as held hands. Mostly they snapped at each other, disagreed and argued—if they were speaking at all. True, they’d danced once; it’d been nice, but only when he could stop worrying about stepping on her toes.

Who was he kidding? Holding Caroline in his arms had been more than nice, it had been wonderful. In the month since, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that one dance. Every night when he climbed into bed and closed his eyes, Caroline was there to greet him. He could still feel her softness against him, could almost smell the faint scent of her cologne. The dance had been ladies’ choice, and that was enough to let him believe—hope—she might actually hold some regard for him, too. Despite their disagreements, he’d been the one she’d chosen to ask.

“You had lunch yet?” Grady asked, his voice brusque. He didn’t mean to sound angry or unfriendly. The timbre of his voice and his abrupt way of speaking had caused him plenty of problems with Maggie, Caroline’s five-year-old daughter. He’d been trying to get in the kid’s good graces for months now, with only limited success. But he’d tried. He hoped Caroline and Maggie gave him credit for that.

Caroline’s mouth broke into a wide grin. “Lunch? Not yet, and I’m starved.”

Grady’s spirits lifted considerably. “Well, then, I was thinking, seeing as I haven’t eaten myself…” The words stumbled all over themselves in his eagerness to get them out. “You want to join me?”

“Sure, but let me get this straight. Is this an invitation, as in a date?”

“No.” His response was instinctive, given without thought. He’d been denying his feelings for her so long that his answer had come automatically. He feared, too, that she might misread his intentions. He was attracted to Caroline and he wanted to know her better, but beyond that—he wasn’t sure. Hell, what he knew about love and marriage wouldn’t fill a one-inch column of the Promise Gazette.

Some of the happiness faded from her smile. “Understood. Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you out front.” She moved out of his range of vision.

Grady closed the box, but left his hand on the key. How could anyone with the skills to run a thriving cattle ranch in the Texas hill country be such a fool when it came to women?

He rapped on the post-office box hard enough to hurt his knuckles. “Caroline!” Then he realized he had to open the box. He did that, then stared through it and shouted for her a second time. “Caroline!”

Her face appeared, eyes snapping with impatience. “What’s the rush?” she demanded. “I said it’d take me a few minutes.”

The edges of the postbox cut into his forehead and chin and knocked his Stetson askew. “This is a date, all right?”

She stared back at him from the other side, and either she was overwhelmed by his offer to buy her lunch or surprised into speechlessness.

“All right?” he repeated. “This is a date.”

She continued to look at him. “I shouldn’t have asked,” she finally said.

“I’m glad you did.” And he was. He could think of no better way to set things straight. He hadn’t invited her to lunch because he needed someone to pass the time with; if that was what he’d wanted, he could have asked his sister, Savannah, or her husband or Cal Patterson—or any number of people. No, he’d asked Caroline because he wanted to be with her. For once he longed to talk to her without interference or advice from his matchmaking sister. It didn’t help to have Maggie there hiding her face in her mother’s lap every time he walked into the room, either. This afternoon it’d be just the two of them. Caroline and him.

Grady respectfully removed his hat when she joined him in the lobby.

“This is a pleasant surprise,” Caroline said.

“I was in town, anyway.” He didn’t mention that he’d rearranged his entire day for this opportunity. It was hard enough admitting that to himself, let alone Caroline.

“Where would you like to eat?” he asked. The town had three good restaurants: the café in the bowling alley; the Chili Pepper, a Texas barbecue place; and a Mexican restaurant run by the Chavez family.

“How about Mexican Lindo?” Caroline suggested.

It was the one he would have chosen himself. “Great.”

Since the restaurant was on Fourth Avenue, only two blocks from the post office, they walked there, chatting as they went. Or rather, Caroline chatted and he responded with grunts and murmurs.

Grady had long ago realized he lacked the ability to make small talk. Unlike his younger brother, Richard, who could charm his way into—or out of—anything. Grady tried not to feel inadequate, but he was distinctly relieved when they got to the restaurant.

In a few minutes they were seated at a table, served water and a bowl of tortilla chips along with a dish of extra-hot salsa. He reached for a chip, scooped up as much salsa as it would hold and popped it in his mouth. He ate another and then another before he noticed that Caroline hadn’t touched a single chip.

He raised his eyes to hers and stopped chewing, his mouth full.

Caroline apparently read the question in his eyes. “I don’t eat corn chips,” she explained. “I fill up on them and then I don’t have room for anything else.”

He swallowed and nodded. “Oh.”

A moment of silence passed, and Grady wondered if her comment was a subtle hint that she was watching her weight. From what he understood, weight was a major preoccupation with women. Maybe she was waiting for him to tell her she shouldn’t worry about it; maybe he was supposed to say she looked great. She did. She was slender and well proportioned, and she wore her dark brown hair straight and loose, falling to her shoulders. In his opinion she looked about as perfect as a woman could get. Someday he’d tell her that, but not just yet. Besides, he didn’t want her to think he was only interested in her body, although it intrigued him plenty. He admired a great deal about her, especially the way she was raising Maggie on her own. She understood the meaning of the words responsibility and sacrifice, just like he did.

She was staring at him as if she expected a comment, and Grady realized he needed to say something. “You could be fat and I’d still have asked you to lunch.”

Her smooth brow crumpled in a puzzled frown.

“I meant that as a compliment,” he sputtered and decided then and there it was better to keep his trap shut. Thankfully the waitress came to take their order. Grady decided on chicken enchiladas; Caroline echoed his choice.

“This is really very nice,” she said and reached for the tall glass of iced tea.

“I wanted us to have some time alone,” he told her.

“Any particular reason?”

Grady rested his spine against the back of his chair and boldly met her look. “I like you, Caroline.” He didn’t know any way to be other than direct. This had gotten him into difficulties over the years. Earlier that spring he’d taken a dislike to Laredo Smith and hadn’t been shy about letting his sister and everyone else know his feelings. But he’d been wrong in his assessment of the man’s character. Smith’s truck had broken down and Savannah had brought him home to the ranch. Over Grady’s objections she’d hired him herself, and before long they’d fallen in love. It came as a shock to watch his sane sensible sister give her heart to a perfect stranger. Still, Grady wasn’t proud of the way he’d behaved. By the time Laredo decided it’d be better for everyone concerned if he moved on, Grady had wanted him to stay. He’d gone so far as to offer the man a partnership in the ranch in an effort to change his mind. Not that it’d done any good. To Grady’s eternal gratitude, Laredo had experienced a change of heart and returned a couple of months later. Love had driven him away, but it had also brought him back.

Savannah and Laredo had married in short order and were now involved in designing plans for their own home, plus raising quarter horses. Savannah, with her husband’s active support, continued to grow the antique roses that were making her a name across the state.

In the weeks since becoming his brother-in-law, Laredo Smith had proved himself a damn good friend and Grady’s right-hand man.

“I like you, too,” Caroline said, but she lowered her gaze as she spoke, breaking eye contact. This seemed to be something of an admission for them both.

“You do?” Grady felt light-headed with joy. It was all he could do not to leap in the air and click his heels.

“We’ve known each other a lot of years.”

“I’ve known you most of my life,” he agreed, but as he said the words, he realized he didn’t really know Caroline. Not the way he wanted, not the way he hoped he would one day. It wasn’t just that he had no idea who’d fathered Maggie; apparently no one else in town did, either. He wondered what had attracted her to this man, why she hadn’t married him. Or why he’d left her to deal with the pregnancy and birth alone. It all remained a mystery. Another thing Grady didn’t understand about Caroline was the changes in her since her daughter’s birth. In time Grady believed she’d trust him enough to answer his questions, and he prayed he’d say and do the right thing when she did.

Their lunches arrived and they ate, stopping to chat now and then. The conversation didn’t pall, but again he had to credit Caroline with the skill to keep it going. Half an hour later, as he escorted her back to the post office, Grady was walking on air.

“I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” he said, watching her for some sign of encouragement. “If you want,” he added, needing her reassurance.

“Sure.”

Her response was neither encouraging nor discouraging.

“I’d like to talk to Maggie again, if she’ll let me.”

“You might try this afternoon, since she’s spending the day with Savannah.”

This was news to Grady, but he’d been busy that morning and had left the house early. He hadn’t spoken to Savannah other than a few words over breakfast, and even if he’d known Maggie was staying with his sister, he wouldn’t have had time to chat with the girl that morning.

“I’ll make a point of saying hello,” he said. His heart lifted when it suddenly struck him that he’d be seeing Caroline again later in the day, when she came to pick up Maggie.

They parted. Whistling, Grady sauntered across the asphalt parking lot toward his truck. He felt damn good. The afternoon had gone better than he’d hoped.

He was about to open the cab door when Max Jordan stopped him.

“Grady, have you got a moment?” The older man, owner of the local Western-wear store, quickened his pace.

“Howdy, Max.” Grady grinned from ear to ear and didn’t let the somber expression on Max’s face get him down. “What can I do for you?”

Max shuffled his feet a couple of times, looking uncomfortable. “You know I hate to mention this a second time, but Richard still hasn’t paid me for the clothes he bought three months ago.”

The happy excitement Grady had experienced only moments earlier died a quick death. “It was my understanding Richard mailed you a check.”

“He told me the same thing, but it’s been more than two weeks now and nothing’s come. I don’t feel I should have to wait any longer.”

“I don’t think you should, either. I’ll speak to him myself,” Grady promised.

“I hate to drag you into this,” Max muttered, and it was clear from his shaky voice how much the subject distressed him.

“Don’t worry about it, Max. I understand.”

The older man nodded and turned away. Grady climbed into his truck and clenched the steering wheel with both hands as the anger flooded through him. Leave it to his brother to lie and cheat and steal!

What infuriated Grady was that he had no one to blame but himself. He’d allowed Richard to continue living on the Yellow Rose. Allowed him to tarnish the family name. Allowed himself to believe, to hope, that the years away had changed his brother.

All his illusions had been shattered. They were destroyed like so much else Richard had touched. He’d done his damnedest to ruin Grady, and he’d come close. But Richard had succeeded in ruining his own life—his potential to be a different person, a worthwhile human being.

Charming and personable, a born leader, Richard could have accomplished great things. Instead, he’d used his charisma and personality to swindle others, never understanding that the person he’d cheated most had been himself.

Six years earlier Richard had forged Grady’s signature and absconded with the cash their parents had left—cash that would have paid the inheritance taxes on the ranch and covered the burial expenses. Grady and Savannah had found themselves penniless following the tragedy that had claimed their parents’ lives. It’d taken six long, backbreaking, frustration-filled years to crawl out of debt. Grady had sacrificed those years to hold on to the ranch while Richard had squandered the money. When it had run out, he’d returned home with his tail between his legs, looking for a place to stay until he received a severance check from his last job—or so he’d said.

Deep down Grady had wanted to believe in Richard. His sister had begged him to let their younger brother stay. But she didn’t need to beg very hard or very long for him to relent. Unfortunately it had become apparent that a liar and a cheat didn’t change overnight—or in six years. Grady’s brother was the same now as the day he’d stolen from his family.

Despite the air conditioner, the heat inside the truck cab sucked away Grady’s energy. It should have come as no surprise to discover that Richard had lied to him again. This time would be the last, Grady vowed.

Oh, yes, this episode was the proverbial last straw.

* * *

HIS DAYS IN PROMISE were numbered, Richard Weston thought as he sat on his bed in the bunkhouse. It wouldn’t be long before Grady learned the truth. The whole uncomfortable truth. Actually he was surprised he’d managed to hold out this long; he credited that to his ability to lie effectively. But then, small-town folks were embarrassingly easy to dupe. They readily accepted his lies because they wanted to believe him. The years had finely honed his powers of persuasion, but he hadn’t needed to work very hard convincing the business owners in Promise to trust him. Being born and raised in this very town had certainly helped. He nearly laughed out loud at how smoothly everything had gone.

Actually Richard did feel kind of bad about leaving a huge debt behind. Max Jordan was decent enough, even if he was an old fool. Billy from Billy D’s was okay, too. One day—maybe—when he had money to spare, he’d consider paying everyone back. Grady and Savannah, too. That would shock his uptight brother.

It might all have worked if Richard could’ve persuaded Ellie Frasier to marry him. He experienced a twinge of regret. He must be losing his knack with women. Nothing could have shocked him more than Ellie’s informing him she’d chosen Glen Patterson, instead.

Damn shame. Glen was a real hick, not all that different from Grady. Why Ellie would marry Glen when she could have had him was something he’d never understand. Women were fickle creatures, but until recently he’d been able to sway them to his way of thinking.

Not Ellie. How he would’ve loved to get his hands on her inheritance. That money would have gone a long way toward solving his problems. Well, it didn’t do any good to cry over might-have-beens. He was a survivor and he’d prove it—not for the first time. Nothing kept Richard Weston down for long.

Calculating quickly, Richard figured he had only a few days before everything went all to hell. He was ready. Grady seemed to think he idled away his days, but Richard had been working hard, preparing what he’d need. He’d been planning for this day almost from the moment he’d gotten back to Promise. Grady needn’t worry; before long Richard would be out of his brother’s hair.

Sure he had regrets. He’d thought about returning to Promise lots of times over the years, but he’d never suspected it would be for the reasons that had driven him here now.

When he’d first arrived on the ranch, he’d felt a faint stirring of emotion. It’d been a little less than six years since he’d set foot on the old homestead. Those feelings, however, hadn’t lasted long and were completely dead now, especially since Grady had tossed him out of the house and forced him to sleep in the bunkhouse.

Richard couldn’t grasp what it was that had kept his father and now his brother tied to a herd of four-footed headaches. He hated cattle, hated the way they smelled and bawled, the way they constantly needed care. Hated everything about them. This kind of life was never meant for him. Sadly no one appreciated that he was different. Better, if he did say so himself. Not even his mother had fully recognized it. Unfortunately neither did Savannah. Now that she’d married Laredo, she was even less inclined to side with him.

Sad to say, his time on the Yellow Rose was drawing to a close.

“Richard?”

Maggie Daniels peeked into the bunkhouse. The kid had become something of a pest lately, but he’d always been popular with children. They weren’t all that different from women, most of them, eager for his attention.

“Howdy, cupcake,” he said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Nothing. You want to play cards?”

“I can’t now. How about later?” He leaned against the wall, clasping his hands behind his head.

“You said that last time.” Her lower lip shot out.

Yup, kids were just like women; they pouted when they didn’t get their way.

“Where’s Savannah?” Richard asked, hoping to divert the kid’s attention.

“In her garden.”

“Didn’t I hear her say something about baking cookies this afternoon?” He hadn’t heard any such thing, but it’d get rid of the kid.

“She did?” Excitement tinged Maggie’s voice.

“She told me so herself. Chocolate chip, my favorite. Why don’t you ask her, and when you’re finished you can bring me a sample. How does that sound?”

Maggie’s eyes lit up and Richard laughed. He loved the fact that she preferred him over Grady. His big lug of a brother didn’t know a damn thing about kids. It was comical watching him try to make friends with Maggie. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him, and for once in his life Richard outshone his big brother.

“Come on, I’ll go with you,” he said, changing his mind. “We’ll go talk to Savannah about those cookies.”

“She’s busy in her rose garden.”

“But not too busy for us.” Richard felt certain that was true. Savannah had a soft spot in her heart for the child and could refuse Maggie nothing. If he’d asked her on his own, chances were he wouldn’t get to first base, but with Maggie holding his hand, Savannah was sure to capitulate.

For some reason Richard wanted one of those cookies. And he wanted it now.

He wasn’t sure why—maybe just to pull Savannah’s strings a bit. But Richard prided himself on getting what he wanted. Whenever he wanted it.

* * *

“YOU’RE FULL of surprises, Grady Weston,” Caroline muttered to herself as she drove down the highway toward the Yellow Rose. The afternoon had dragged even though she’d been busy. Despite the heavy flow of traffic in and out of the post office, Caroline had frequently glanced at her watch, counting down the hours and then the minutes until closing time. And until she saw Grady again….

His invitation to lunch had caught her by surprise. She’d all but given up hope that he’d ever figure it out. In the past six months she’d done everything short of sending him a fax to let him know she was interested. When it came to romance, Grady Weston was as blind as they come. Not that she was any better; it’d taken her years to work up enough courage to give love a second chance.

She’d dated occasionally but never found that combination of mutual attraction and respect with anyone except Grady. Unfortunately she wasn’t sure he recognized his own feelings, let alone hers. Twice now she’d decided to forget about him, and both times he’d given her reasons to believe it might work for them. Like showing up this afternoon and taking her to lunch.

She sped up, hoping their lunch date really was a beginning. She wanted a relationship with Grady, a romance—maybe even marriage eventually. Oh, my, but she did like him. He was honest, loyal, hardworking. She admired the way he’d struggled to hold on to the ranch despite grief and crippling sacrifices. Year after year she’d watched him do whatever it took to keep the Yellow Rose, to keep what was important to him and Savannah.

Caroline and Savannah had always been close, but never more so than now. Caroline’s mother had died the year before, and it was Savannah who’d stood by her side and cried with her. Having buried her own mother, Savannah understood the grief that suffocated Caroline those first few months. It was also during that time that Maggie had grown so attached to Savannah, who’d become like a second mother to her. It pleased Caroline that her daughter loved Savannah as much as she did herself.

However, the five-year-old felt no such tenderness for Grady. Caroline sighed as her thoughts drifted to their rocky relationship. Grady’s loud voice had made the child skittish from the first, and then one afternoon when Maggie was feeling ill, she’d phoned Savannah. Grady had answered the phone with a brusque demand, and from that moment forward Maggie would have nothing to do with him.

It was a problem, and one that continued to bother Caroline. If a romantic relationship developed between her and Grady the way she wanted, the way she dreamed, then Maggie and Grady would need to make their peace. True, Grady regretted the incident and had tried to undo the damage, but the child was unrelenting in her dislike of him.

As she reached the long gravel driveway leading to the Yellow Rose, Caroline decreased her speed to make the turn. A few moments later the large two-storey ranch house came into view. Rocket, Grady’s old dog, lumbered stiffly down the porch steps to greet her, tail wagging.

Laredo was working in the corral while Savannah stood at the fence watching him put their prize stallion through his paces. Maggie was with Savannah, her feet braced against the bottom rail and her arms resting on top. When she heard the car, she leaped down and dashed toward her mother.

Maggie hurled herself into her arms as soon as Caroline stepped out of the car. “Me and Savannah baked cookies!” Her young voice rang with glee. “And Richard said he never tasted better. He ate five cookies before he could stop himself.” She slapped both hands over her mouth as though she’d blurted out a secret.

“How many did you eat?” Caroline wanted to know. It would be just like Richard to let the child spoil her dinner with cookies.

“Too many,” Savannah answered for her, giving Caroline an apologetic half smile.

“We’ll have a late dinner,” Caroline said, dismissing her friend’s worries. “I had a big lunch.” She was about to tell Savannah about her lunch date when Grady burst out of the barn.

“Have you seen Richard? Has he shown up yet? He’s got to be around here somewhere.” Grady’s face was distorted with rage.

Maggie edged closer to Caroline and wrapped her arm around her mother’s waist.

“Grady,” Savannah said in that low calming way of hers.

If Grady noticed Caroline, he gave no indication.

“Did I hear someone call for me?” Richard said, strolling out of the house as though he hadn’t a care in the world. He was a handsome man, lean and muscular, probably the most attractive man Caroline had ever known. But in Richard’s case the good looks were superficial. She’d watched as he skillfully manipulated and used others to his own advantage. Even Grady and Savannah. She was amazed that Grady had allowed him to continue living on the ranch—yet at the same time, she understood. Like Savannah, Grady wanted to believe that Richard had changed.

Grady whirled around at the sound of Richard’s voice. “We need to talk.” His voice boomed and Maggie hid her face against Caroline’s stomach.

“Max Jordan said he hasn’t been paid,” Grady shouted.

A shocked look stole over Richard. “You’re joking! He didn’t get the check? I put it in the mail two weeks ago.”

“He never got it because you didn’t mail it.”

“What do you mean?” Richard demanded.

The two men faced off, Grady’s anger spilling over in every word and Richard looking stunned and hard done by.

“Grady, please,” Savannah said, hurrying toward her older brother and gently placing a hand on his arm. “Now isn’t the time to be discussing this. Leave it until later.”

“She’s right,” Richard said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we have company.”

It was obvious that Grady had been so consumed by his anger, he’d barely realized they weren’t alone. “Caroline,” he murmured, and his face revealed both regret and delight. He seemed uncertain about what to say next. “Hello.”

“How’s my cupcake?” Richard asked, smiling at Maggie.

The little girl loosened her grip on Caroline’s waist, turning to Richard as he spoke. He threw his arms open and she raced eagerly toward him.

“That’s my girl,” Richard said, catching Maggie and sweeping her high into the air. He whirled her around, the pair of them laughing as if it’d been days since they’d seen each other.

Savannah sidled closer to Caroline. “Grady’s been looking for Richard all afternoon,” she said in a quiet voice, “and he’s been conveniently missing until now.”

Caroline understood what her friend was saying. Richard had played his cards perfectly, appearing at the precise moment it’d be impossible for Grady to get a straight answer from him. Then he’d used Maggie’s childish adoration to make Grady look even more foolish.

“Maggie,” Caroline called.

Richard set the child back on her feet. Together the two of them joined Caroline and Savannah.

“I do believe Maggie has stolen my heart,” he said, his eyes bright with laughter.

“Does that mean you’ll marry me?” Maggie asked, grinning up at him.

“Sure thing.”

“Really?”

“He won’t marry you,” Caroline said, reaching for her daughter’s hand.

“Don’t be so certain,” Richard countered. He crouched down beside Maggie, but he was looking at Caroline.

“Hi, Maggie,” Grady said, choosing that moment to try again. The anger had faded from his face, but he still held himself rigid.

Caroline gave him credit for making the effort to win Maggie over.

Her daughter wasn’t easily swayed, however. She buried her face in Richard’s shoulder.

“There’s no need to be afraid of Grady,” Richard whispered to Maggie—a stage whisper that carried easily. Then he smiled in a way that suggested Grady was wasting his time. In other words, Grady didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of convincing Maggie he wasn’t an ogre. Richard’s meaning couldn’t have been clearer.

“I don’t like Grady,” Maggie announced, pursing her lips.

“Maggie!” Caroline admonished her.

“She’s right, you know,” Richard said, teeth flashing in a wide grin. “Grady just doesn’t get along with kids, not like I do.”

Caroline clamped her mouth shut rather than reveal her thoughts. She didn’t trust Richard, couldn’t trust him, not after the way he’d used his family. Used anyone who’d let him.

“I’m thinking Maggie needs someone like me in her life,” Richard said. “Which means there’s only one solution.”

“What’s that?” Caroline knew she was a fool to ask.

“You could always marry me,” he said and leaned over far enough to touch his lips to Caroline’s cheek. “Put me out of my misery, Caroline Daniels, and marry me.”

“Oh, Mommy, let’s do it!” Maggie shouted, clapping her hands. “Let’s marry Richard.”

2

GRADY WAS PLEASED THAT HIS SISTER HAD convinced Caroline and Maggie to stay for dinner. Now all he had to do was behave. It never seemed to fail—whenever he had a chance to make some headway with Maggie, he’d do something stupid. He wanted to blame Richard, but as usual he’d done it to himself.

His brother brought out the very worst in him. As Grady washed up for dinner, he hoped this evening would give him an opportunity to redeem himself in both Caroline and Maggie’s eyes.

The table was already set and the food dished up in heaping portions. A platter of sliced roast beef rested in the middle, along with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, a pitcher of gravy, fresh corn on the cob and a crisp green salad. There was also a basket filled with Savannah’s mouthwatering buttermilk biscuits. His sister was one fine cook. He’d miss her when she moved into her own house with Laredo. But it was time, well past time, that she had a home and a life of her own. He knew from his talks with Laredo that they’d already started to think about adding to the family.

“Dinner looks wonderful,” he said. Grady made an effort these days to let Savannah know how much he appreciated her. Over the years he’d taken her contributions for granted, discounting her efforts with her roses and her fledgling mail-order business—a business that now brought a significant income. He’d even made fun of her goats, which he considered pets rather than livestock. Now that she was married and about to establish her own home, Grady recognized just how much he was going to miss her.

Savannah flushed with pleasure at his praise.

The compliment had apparently earned him points with Caroline, too; she cast him an approving smile. Grady held in a sigh. He needed all the points he could get when it came to Caroline and Maggie. If everything went well, this evening might help him recapture lost ground with the child.

Everyone began to arrive for dinner. With the scent of the meal wafting through the house, it wasn’t long before all the chairs were occupied—except for one. Richard’s. It was just like his spoiled younger brother to keep everyone waiting.

“Where’s Richard?” Maggie asked, glancing up at her mother.

Grady was asking himself the same question.

“He’s coming, isn’t he?” Maggie whined.

Even from where he stood Grady could sense the little girl’s disappointment.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Caroline answered.

“There’s no need to let our meal get cold,” Grady said. If Richard chose to go without dinner, that was fine by him. If anything, he was grateful not to have his brother monopolizing the conversation, distracting both Caroline and Maggie. Grady pulled out his chair and sat down. Laredo, Savannah and Caroline did so, as well. The only one who remained standing was Maggie.

“What about Richard?” she asked in a small stubborn voice.

“I guess he isn’t hungry,” Caroline said and pulled out the chair next to her own for Maggie.

“He promised he’d sit next to me at dinner.”

“It isn’t a good idea to believe in the things Richard promises,” Grady said as much for Caroline’s ears as for her daughter’s. He hated to disappoint the five-year-old, but it was God’s own truth. Richard was about as stable as beef prices. His loyalties constantly shifted toward whatever was most advantageous to him, with little concern for anyone else.

His playful marriage proposal to Caroline worried Grady. She’d laughed it off, but Grady found no humor in it. Apparently his brother knew Grady was interested in Caroline and thus considered her fair game. It would be typical of Richard to do what he could to thwart any romance between Caroline and Grady by making a play for her himself. Grady knew that made him sound paranoid, but he thought his fears were justified. Experience had been an excellent teacher.

He reached for the meat and forked a thick slice of roast beef onto his plate, then passed the platter to Caroline.

Maggie folded her arms and stared defiantly at Grady. “I’m not eating until Richard’s here.”

“Maggie, please,” Caroline cajoled. She glanced at Grady, her eyes apologetic.

“Grady yelled at Richard.”

Once again Grady was the culprit. “I shouldn’t have yelled, should I?” He was careful to speak in a low quiet voice. “I do that sometimes without thinking, but I wasn’t angry at you.”

“You were mad at Richard.”

No use lying about it. “Yes, I was.”

“And now he won’t come to dinner.”

“I think Richard has other reasons for not showing up,” Caroline explained as she placed a scoop of mashed potatoes on her daughter’s plate. “Do you want one of Savannah’s yummy buttermilk biscuits?”

Maggie hesitated for a long moment before she shook her head. “I won’t eat without Richard.”

“Did I hear someone call my name?” Richard asked cheerfully as he stepped into the kitchen. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, not sounding the least apologetic. He pulled out his chair, sat down beside Maggie and reached for the meat platter all in a single graceful movement.

Caroline’s child shot Grady a triumphant look as if to say she’d known all along that Richard hadn’t lied to her.

Grady’s appetite vanished. For every step he advanced in his effort to make friends with Maggie, he seemed to retreat two. Once more Richard had made him look like a fool in front of the little girl. And once more he’d allowed it to happen.

“Is it true you want to marry my mom?” Maggie asked Richard with such hopefulness that the question silenced all other conversation.

“Of course it’s true.” Richard chuckled, then winked at Caroline.

“I think you should,” Maggie said, hanging on Richard’s every word.

Grady didn’t speak again during the entire meal. Not that anyone noticed. Adored by Maggie, Richard was in his element, and he became the center of attention, joking and teasing, complimenting Savannah, even exchanging a brief joke with Laredo.

Caroline was quiet for a time, but soon, Grady noted, Richard had won her over just as he had everyone else. Despite his disappointment, Grady marveled at his brother’s talent. Richard had always savored attention, whereas Grady avoided the limelight. It had never bothered him before, but now he felt a growing resentment, certain Caroline was about to be caught by the force of Richard’s spell. Other than Ellie Fraiser, Grady had never known any woman to resist his brother’s charms. Ellie was the exception, and only because she was already in love with Glen Patterson, although neither of them had recognized the strength of their feelings for each other—until Richard interfered. Indirectly, and definitely without intending it, Richard had brought about something good. Still, if it hadn’t been for Glen in Ellie’s life, Grady wondered what would have happened. That, at least, was one worry he’d escaped.

As soon as he could, Grady excused himself from the table and headed toward the barn. He would have liked to linger over dinner, perhaps enjoy a cup of coffee with Caroline on the porch, but he could see that was a lost cause.

Not until he’d stalked across the yard did he recognize the symptoms. Damn it all, he was jealous. The only woman he’d ever cared about, and Richard was going to steal her away. The problem was, Grady had no idea how to keep him from Caroline.

To his surprise Laredo followed him outside. Like Grady, his brother-in-law was a man of few words.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Laredo said, leading the way into the barn.

“I’m not,” Grady told him, which wasn’t entirely a lie. He knew the kind of man Richard was; he knew the insecurity of Richard’s charm. He didn’t like the fact that his brother was working on Caroline, but he wasn’t willing to make a fool of himself, either. Other men had made that mistake before him. Glen Patterson, for one. The poor guy had come off looking like an idiot at the Cattlemen’s Association Dance. Richard and Glen had nearly come to blows over Ellie, with half the town looking on. They might have, too, if Sheriff Hennessey hadn’t stepped in when he did.

“Good.” Laredo slapped him on the back and the two went their separate ways.

Grady didn’t stay in the barn long. He gave himself ample time to control his resentment, then decided that, while he wasn’t going to accept the role of fool, he didn’t intend to just give up, either. He’d tried to make sure Caroline understood that their lunch today was more than a meal between friends. Hell—despite what she’d said—he didn’t know if she ever considered him a friend.

Grady found her sitting on the porch with Savannah sipping hot tea. Maggie sat on the steps cradling her doll. He strolled toward the women, without a clue what to say once he joined them. He supposed he’d better learn a few conversational rules, he thought grimly, if that meant he’d have a chance with Caroline.

The two women stopped talking as he approached, which led him to surmise that he’d been the topic of conversation. He felt as awkward as a schoolboy and, not sure what else to do, touched the rim of his hat.

Savannah, bless her heart, winked conspiratorially at him and stood. “Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand to the little girl, “I found one of my old dolls this afternoon. Would you like to play with her?”

Maggie leaped to her feet. “Could I?”

“You bet.”

As Savannah and Maggie disappeared into the house, Grady lowered himself onto the rocker his sister had vacated. He felt as tongue-tied and unsure as he had that afternoon. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember that he’d been talking to Caroline all her life. It shouldn’t be any different now.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” he commented, thinking the weather was a safe subject with which to start.

“Those look like storm clouds to the east.”

Grady hadn’t noticed. He gazed up at the sky, feeling abashed, until Caroline leaned back in her rocker and laughed. He grinned, loving the sound of her amusement. It was difficult not to stare. All these years, and he hadn’t seen how damn beautiful she was. While he could speculate why it’d taken him this long, he didn’t want to waste another minute. It was all he could do to keep his tongue from lolling out the side of his mouth whenever he caught sight of her. He longed to find the words to tell her how attractive she was, how much he liked and respected her. It wasn’t the first time he’d wished he could issue compliments with Richard’s finesse.

“Come on, Grady, loosen up.”

“I’m loose,” he growled and noted how relaxed she was, rocking back and forth as if they often sat side by side in the evening. His parents had done that. Every night. They’d shared the events of their day, talked over plans for the future, exchanged feelings and opinions.

The memory of his mother and father filled his mind. Six years, and the pain of their absence was as strong now as it had been in the beginning. Some nights Grady would sit on the porch, the old dog beside him, and silently discuss business matters with his father, seeking his advice. Not that he actually expected his father to provide answers, of course; Grady was no believer in ghosts or paranormal influences. But those one-sided discussions had helped see Grady through the rough years. It was during those times, burdened with worries, that he’d been forced to search deep inside himself for the answers. And on rare occasions, he’d experienced moments when he’d felt his father’s presence more intensely than his absence.

“You’ve gotten quiet all of a sudden,” Caroline said.

“I want to talk to you about Richard.” His words were as much a surprise to him as to Caroline.

“Oh?” Her eyebrows rose.

“I realize you must find his attention flattering, but like I said earlier it isn’t wise to believe anything Richard says.” The lazy sway of her rocking stopped. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this,” he added. It wasn’t pleasant for him, either. Regardless of anything between them, though, Grady’s one concern was that Richard not hurt Caroline.

“I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’m a big girl.”

“I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t. It’s just that, well, Richard has a way with women.”

“And you assume he’s going to sweep me off my feet, is that it?” The teasing warmth in her voice was gone, replaced by something less friendly.

“You think I want to say these things?” he asked, inhaling sharply. “It isn’t really you he’s interested in, anyway.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Grady wished he’d never introduced the subject. Clearly Caroline wasn’t going to appreciate his insight, but once he’d started he couldn’t stop. “Richard knows how I feel about you and—” He snapped his mouth closed before he embarrassed himself further. “I’m only telling you this because I don’t want you to get hurt again.” He didn’t know what madness possessed him to add the again. He realized the moment he did that Caroline had taken his advice the wrong way.

Grady had never asked her about Maggie’s father, didn’t intend to do so now. Heaven knew she was touchy enough about the subject. The only other time he’d said something, months earlier, she’d been ready to bite his head off.

“This discussion is over,” she said, jumping to her feet.

“Caroline, I didn’t mean— Oh, hell, be angry if you want.” With an abrupt movement, he got out of the chair, leaving it to rock wildly. Once again he’d botched their conversation. “It appears you don’t need any advice from me.”

“No, Grady, I don’t.”

It damaged his pride that she’d so casually disregard his warning. “Fine, then, for all I care, you can marry Richard.” Not giving her a chance to respond, he stalked away, absolutely certain that any hope of a relationship was forever ruined.

His fears were confirmed less than an hour later when he left the barn and saw her again. She was in her car with the driver’s window rolled down. Richard was leaning against the side of the vehicle, and the sound of their laughter rang in the twilight.

The unexpected twist of disappointment and pain caught Grady off guard. Well, that certainly answered that.

Caroline must have noticed him because Richard suddenly looked over his shoulder. Grady didn’t stick around. It was too hard to pretend he didn’t care when he damn well did. His stride was full of purpose as he crossed the yard and stormed into the house, sequestering himself in the office.

His emotions had covered the full range in a single day. He’d taken Caroline to lunch and afterward felt…ecstatic; there was no other word for it. Before dinner he’d been like a kid, thrilled to see her again so soon. Now, just a few hours later, he’d been thrown into despair, convinced beyond doubt that he’d lost whatever chance he might have had with her.

It was enough to drive a man to drink. He sat in the worn leather desk chair and pulled open the bottom file drawer. His father had kept a bottle of bourbon there for times when nothing else would do, and Grady had followed the same practice. The bottle was gone—which had happened before. Grady suspected Richard, with good reason, but at the moment he didn’t really care. He wasn’t much of a drinking man. A cold beer now and then suited him just fine, but he’d never enjoyed the hard stuff.

The knock on the office door surprised him. “Who is it?” he barked, not in the mood for company.

“Richard.” His brother didn’t wait for an invitation but opened the door and sauntered in. He immediately made himself at home, claiming the only other chair in the room. He leaned back, locked his fingers behind his head and grinned like a silly schoolboy.

“So what’s up with you and Caroline?” he asked.

Grady scowled. The last person he wanted to discuss with his brother was Caroline. “Nothing.”

His denial only served to fuel Richard’s amusement. “Come on, Grady, I’ve got eyes in my head. It’s obvious you’ve got the hots for her. Not that I blame you, man. She’s one nice-looking woman.”

Grady didn’t like Richard’s tone of voice, but prolonging this conversation by arguing with him would serve no useful purpose. “Listen, Richard, I’ve got better things to do than sit around discussing Caroline Daniels with you.”

“I don’t imagine it would take much to talk her into the sack, either. She’s already been to bed with at least one man—what’s a few more? Right?”

Grady ground his teeth in an effort to control his irritation. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to discuss Caroline.” He stood and walked over to the door and pointedly opened it.

“I wouldn’t mind getting into her bed myself one of these days,” Richard went on.

Despite everything he’d promised himself, Grady saw red. He flew across the room and dragged his brother out of the chair, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

Richard held up both hands. “Hey, hey, don’t get so riled! I was only teasing.”

Grady’s fingers ached with the strength of his grip. It took a moment to clear his head enough to release his brother.

“You don’t want to talk about Caroline, fine,” Richard said, backing toward the door. “But you can’t blame a guy for asking, can you?”

* * *

DRIVING HOME, Caroline realized she not only distrusted Richard Weston, but thoroughly disliked him. Before she’d left the Yellow Rose, he’d gone out of his way to let her know that Grady had asked Nell Bishop, a local widow, to the Cattlemen’s Dance earlier in the summer. What was particularly meaningful about the information was that Caroline knew how hard Savannah had tried to convince Grady to invite her. He almost had. She remembered he’d come into the post office a few days before the dance, but within minutes they’d ended up trading insults. That was unfortunate. He had mentioned the dance, though, leaving her to wonder.

Their verbal exchanges were legendary. Only in the past couple of weeks had they grown comfortable enough with each other to manage a civil conversation.

Now this.

Caroline didn’t believe Richard. She strongly suspected that almost everything out of his mouth was a lie. If the story about Nell was true, she would’ve heard about it. To the best of her knowledge Nell hadn’t even attended the dance. Not that it was unusual for her to avoid social functions—it was widely known that Nell continued to grieve for Jake, the only man she’d ever loved. He’d been her high-school sweetheart, and their affection for each other had been evident throughout the years. Caroline had often wondered if Nell would remarry.

“Ask her.” Caroline spoke the words aloud without realizing it.

“Ask who, Mommy?” Maggie looked at her mother.

“A friend.” She left it at that.

“About what?”

“Nothing.” She smiled at her daughter and changed the subject.

As it turned out she had the opportunity to chat with Nell sooner than she’d expected. The following afternoon on her way home from work Caroline stopped at the local Winn-Dixie for a few groceries.

She collected what she needed and pushed her cart up to the checkout stand—behind Nell.

“Howdy, friend,” Nell said cheerfully. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Nell!” Caroline didn’t disguise her pleasure. “How are you?”

“Great. I’ve been working hard on getting the word out that I’m turning Twin Canyons into a dude ranch. The brochures were mailed to travel agents last week.”

Caroline admired her ingenuity. “That’s terrific.”

The grocery clerk slid Nell’s purchases over the scanner, coming up with the total. She paid in cash, then glanced around. “Jeremy!” she called. “Emma.” She reached for the plastic bags, giving a good-natured shrug. “I warned those two not to wander off. I know exactly where to find them, too—the book section. They’re both crazy about books, especially The Baby-sitters Club books and that new series of kids’ Westerns by T. R. Grant. I can’t buy them fast enough.”

Caroline recognized both series. T. R. Grant was the current rage; even Maggie had wanted Caroline to read her his books. Maggie was still a bit young for them, but it wouldn’t be long before she devoured Grant’s books and The Baby-sitters Club by herself.

“Have you got a moment?” Caroline asked, opening her purse to pay for her own groceries.

“Sure.” Nell waited while Caroline finished her transaction. “What can I do for you?”

As they walked toward the book display at the far end of the Winn-Dixie, Caroline mulled over the best way to approach the subject of Nell and Grady. She wasn’t sure why she’d allowed Richard to upset her, especially when she believed it’d all been a lie. Not that she’d blame Grady for being attracted to Nell. In fact, at one time she’d believed they might eventually marry. They seemed right together somehow; both were ranchers and both had struggled against what seemed impossible odds.

In the back of her mind Caroline had always suspected that when the time was right, they’d discover each other. Grady and Jake had been good friends, and Grady had been a pall bearer at Jake’s funeral. Grady and Nell were close in age and would make a handsome couple. Grady was an inch or two over six feet, with a broad muscular physique not unlike Jake’s. There weren’t many men who’d suit Nell physically, since she was nearly six feet herself.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being nosy, but I heard a rumor…” Caroline blurted before she lost her nerve. This was even more embarrassing than she’d feared.

“About what?” Nell frowned.

Caroline drew a breath and held it until her lungs ached. “About you and Grady Weston.”

Nell frowned again. “Me and Grady?”

Caroline nodded.

“Grady’s a friend,” Nell said. “I’ve always liked him and if I were ever to consider remarrying, I’d certainly think about Grady.”

Caroline broke eye contact. This wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear.

“He’s a good man and he’d make an excellent husband and father,” Nell continued, then asked a probing question of her own. “Is there any reason you’re asking?”

“Not really.”

“He asked me to the dance last month,” Nell added, as if she’d suddenly remembered.

So it was true. Caroline’s spirits sank.

“In fact, I received two invitations to the dance within a few hours.” This was said with a note of amusement.

“Two? Grady and who else?”

Nell’s mouth widened in a smile. “You aren’t going to believe this, but both Grady Weston and Glen Patterson asked me to the dance.”

“Glen?” That was a kicker, considering he was now engaged to Ellie Frasier. Those two were so deeply in love it was difficult to imagine that little more than a month ago Glen had invited Nell and not Ellie to the biggest dance of the year. In the end he’d gone by himself and then he’d practically come to blows with Richard over Ellie. Richard—always the spoiler.

“I don’t know what was in the air that day,” Nell murmured. “Grady and Glen calling me up like that.”

“Did you go to the dance?”

“Briefly,” Nell said, “but Emma had an upset stomach that day. I made an appearance, said hello to some friends I don’t see often and left shortly after the music started.”

“Grady was there,” Caroline said, fondly recalling their one dance. Ladies’ choice, and she’d been the one to approach him. Those few short minutes in Grady’s arms had been wonderful. Afterward she’d hoped he’d ask her to dance himself, but he’d wandered back to where he’d been sitting with Cal Patterson and hadn’t spoken to her again. Caroline had felt bitterly disappointed.

“…any reason?” Nell asked.

Caroline caught only the last part of the question. “Reason?” she repeated.

“That you’re asking about me and Grady?”

“Not really,” she said, then figured she owed her friend the truth. “He asked me to lunch the other day.”

“And you went?”

Caroline nodded.

“And you had a good time?”

“A great time,” Caroline admitted.

Nell shifted the weight of the groceries in her hands. “Listen, Caroline, if you’re worried about there being anything romantic between me and Grady, don’t give it another thought. Grady’s one of the most honorable men I know, but—” her voice dipped with emotion “—I’m still in love with Jake.”

“Oh, Nell.” Caroline hugged her friend.

“Oh, damn it all,” Nell said, blinking furiously. “I’ve got to scoot. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Sure.” It would be good to sit down and talk with her friend. Both their lives were so busy it was difficult to find the time.

“Jeremy. Emma.” Nell called her children again, and the two came running.

Caroline waved them off and headed toward the parking lot, deep in thought. So, what Richard had told her was true. This was what made him dangerous. He tossed in a truth now and then just to keep everyone guessing. But for once, she wished he’d been lying.

* * *

GRADY HAD BEEN PENSIVE ever since the night Caroline stayed for dinner, Savannah observed. He sat at the kitchen table, supposedly writing out an order for Richard to pick up at the feed store later that afternoon. But for the past five minutes, all he’d done was stare blankly into space.

Savannah had to bite her tongue. Laredo had repeatedly warned her against any further matchmaking efforts between her brother and Caroline, but he might as well have asked her to stop breathing. Grady was miserable and Caroline hadn’t been any happier. If it was within her power to bring them together—these two people who were so obviously meant for each other—what possible harm could it do?

Considering that thought, Savannah poured her brother a fresh cup of coffee.

Grady glanced up and thanked her with an off-center smile.

“Something on your mind?” she asked. If he voluntarily brought up the subject, all the better.

“Nothing important,” he murmured and reached for the steaming mug. He raised it tentatively to his lips, then glanced at her as if tempted to seek her advice.

Savannah held her breath, hoping Grady would ask her about Caroline. He didn’t.

“The church dinner’s this weekend,” she said, speaking quickly.

Grady responded with what sounded like a grunt, the translation of which she already knew. He wasn’t interested.

Savannah glared at him. If she wrung his neck, she wondered, would he have any idea why? “Caroline’s bringing her applesauce cake,” she added casually. “Her mother’s recipe.”

At the mention of her friend’s name, Grady raised his head. “Caroline’s going to the church dinner?”

“Of course.” At last, a reaction. Her brother might be one of the most intelligent men she knew, but when it came to women he was the class dunce. “I’m bringing my chicken teriyaki salad,” she added, as if this was significant.

“Is Laredo going?”

“Yes, and Ellie and Glen and just about everyone else in town.”

“Oh.”

Savannah figured she was due a large heavenly reward for her patience. Oh. Was that all he could say? Poor Caroline.

“It isn’t a date thing, is it?”

Savannah didn’t know how to answer. If she let him assume everyone was bringing a date, it might scare him off. On the other hand, if she said nothing, someone else might ask Caroline.

“This shouldn’t be such a difficult question,” Grady said, glaring at her.

“Yes and no. Some people will come with dates and some won’t.”

He mulled that over. “Does Caroline have a date?”

Savannah had to restrain herself from hugging Grady’s neck and crying out for joy. He wasn’t as dense as she’d thought. “Not that I know of.” This, too, was said casually, as though she hadn’t the least bit of interest in Caroline’s social life.

“Oh.”

Grady was back to testing her patience again. She waited an entire minute before she ventured another question.

“Are you thinking of inviting her and Maggie?”

“Me?” Grady’s eyes widened as if this were a new thought.

“Yes, you,” she returned pointedly.

“I’m…thinking about it,” he finally said.

Her face broke out in a smile and she clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful.”

“What’s wonderful?” Richard asked, wandering into the kitchen. He reached for a banana, peeled it and leaned expectantly against the kitchen counter.

Grady and Savannah exchanged looks. “The church dinner,” she answered for them both.

“Yeah, I heard about that,” he said with his mouth full. “Either of you going?”

“I think so.” Again Savannah took the initiative.

“Then I’ll give some thought to attending, too.”

Both Grady and Savannah remained silent.

“I should probably have a date, though, don’t you think?” He pondered his own question. “Caroline. I’ll ask Caroline,” he said triumphantly. “She’ll jump at the chance to go with me.”

3

“YOU’RE A DAMN FOOL, THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE,” Grady muttered as he barreled down the highway toward Promise, driving twenty miles over the speed limit.

The reason for this hasty trip had to do with Caroline Daniels. By dinnertime he’d recognized that either he made his move now and invited her to the church dinner or let Richard beat him to the punch. Of course, he could have just phoned and been done with it, but that didn’t seem right, not when anyone on the ranch could pick up a telephone receiver and listen in on the conversation. By anyone, he meant Richard. Besides, Grady preferred to talk to Caroline in person; it seemed more…meaningful.

He’d never been good at this courtship thing, but damn it all, he wasn’t going to let his brother cheat him out of taking Caroline and Maggie to that church dinner. Richard wasn’t interested in Caroline—Grady was sure of it—any more than he’d fallen head over heels in love with Ellie Frasier. His brother was far more concerned with cheating him out of the pleasure of Caroline’s company. Except that he had no intention of standing idly by and letting it happen.

Once he’d made his decision, Grady knew he should act on it. Naturally there was always the risk that he’d arrive at Caroline’s with his heart dangling from his sleeve only to learn that Richard had already asked her out for Saturday night.

Even knowing he might be too late didn’t stop him. He wanted to attend the dinner with Caroline and Maggie more than he’d wanted anything in a long while. It surprised him how much.

The drive into town, during which he thought about the approach he’d take with Caroline, seemed to take no time at all. His goal was to ask her to be his date before Richard did, and at the same time keep his pride intact if she refused. No small task, considering past experience.

He parked in front of Caroline’s small house and leaped out of the truck cab. Eager to get this settled, he took the steps up to her front door two at a time and leaned on the buzzer.

Caroline opened the door, her face registering surprise.

“Grady, hello.” She recovered quickly and held the screen door wide.

“Would you like to sit outside for a spell?” he asked, instead gesturing toward the porch swing. Since he was nervous about this entire thing, staying outside in the semidarkness felt more inviting than her well-lit living room.

“Sure.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and Grady noticed Maggie playing by herself in the background. She had her dolls sitting around a small table and was chatting amicably as she stood in front of her play kitchen cooking up a storm. He grinned at the sight.

Caroline sat down, but Grady found it impossible to keep still.

“Did Savannah phone?” he asked. It would be just like his sister to give Caroline a heads-up. He hadn’t announced where he was going when he left the ranch, but Savannah knew. After all, she was the one who’d steered him in this direction in that less-than-subtle way of hers. Grady tolerated Savannah’s matchmaking only because he wasn’t opposed to her efforts to promote a romance between him and Caroline. Frankly he could use the help. He wasn’t keen, however, on letting her know that.

“Savannah phone me?” Caroline repeated. “No, she hasn’t.”

Grady released a sigh, and some of the tension eased from between his shoulder blades. “What about Richard?”

“What about him?”

“Have you spoken to him recently—say, in the last four or five hours?”

“No,” she answered curtly. “Is there a reason for all these questions?”

Grady could see that Caroline was growing impatient but he needed the answers to both questions before he could proceed. “Of course there’s a reason,” he snapped, annoyed with his lack of finesse when it came to romance. “I don’t want to end up looking ridiculous, thanks to Richard.”

“What’s Richard got to do with anything?” Caroline demanded.

“If he’s been here first, just say so and I’ll be on my way.” The thought of Richard and Caroline together did funny things to his stomach. He’d never been a jealous man; it was an unfamiliar—and unpleasant—sensation. But he wasn’t about to let Richard walk all over him.

“It seems to me, Grady, that you don’t need Richard in order to look ridiculous. You do a damn good job all by yourself!”

Her words took him by surprise. He exhaled, counting to ten, in an effort to calm his racing heart, then leaned against the porch railing and faced her. “All I want to know is if Richard already asked you to the church dinner.”

Her eyes briefly widened when she understood the reason for his unexpected visit. Caroline smiled slowly and sweetly. It was a smile he’d seen all too rarely from her. He found it difficult to look away.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked.

“I told you already,” he blurted out. “If Richard’s already asked you, then I’ll save my breath.”

“What if I said he hasn’t asked me? Does that mean you will?”

His pride was a fierce thing and had gotten him into trouble with her in the past. He tucked his hands in his back pockets, shrugging as if it was of little concern. “I might.”

Caroline set the swing in motion and relaxed enough to cross her legs. She was wearing shorts, and the movement granted him the opportunity to admire those legs.

“Let me put it like this,” Caroline said after a moment. “If Richard had asked me, and I’m not saying he has, I’d turn him down.”

“You would?” This gave Grady second thoughts. If she’d turn down his brother, there was nothing to say she wouldn’t do the same with him. “What about me?” he asked before considering the question.

“But you haven’t asked me,” she reminded him.

If she was leading him on a merry chase, he swore he’d never forgive her. “Will you…would you and Maggie be my date for the church dinner Saturday night?”

The joy that lit her eyes was all the answer Grady needed. His heart felt as if it might fly straight out of his chest.

“We’d love to go with you,” Caroline answered without hesitation.

“That’d be great. Great!” He started to leave, but caught the toe of his boot on a toy Maggie had left on the porch and damn near fell on his face. Not that it would have mattered. He was too damn happy to let a minor humiliation detract from his pleasure.

He was halfway to his truck when Caroline stopped him. “Do you want me to meet you at the church?” she called out.

“No.” What kind of date did she think this was, anyway? “I’ll pick you both up.” Just so there was no room for misunderstanding, he added, “This is a date, Caroline.”

“Any particular time?”

Details. Leave it to a woman to be concerned about something like that. “When do you want me?”

“Six-forty-five sounds about right.”

“Then that’s when I’ll be here.”

She walked to the porch steps and wrapped her arm around the white column. “I’ll look forward to seeing you Saturday.”

It would have been the most natural thing in the world to jump up and shout, he was that happy. Happy enough to feel almost drunk with it. Damn it all, he hadn’t even kissed Caroline yet. If he got giddy from a little thing like this, he could only begin to imagine what it would be like the first time they made love.

* * *

REVEREND WADE MCMILLEN liked nothing better than social gatherings at the church, and this one was special, celebrating the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of the date Promise Christian Church had been established. He’d been ministering to this small but growing flock for five years now. It was his first assignment, and friends in the ministry had told him there was something special about a minister’s first church. This had certainly proved to be the case with Wade. The parishioners who crowded the church hall were as much his family as the people he’d left behind.

Raised in Houston, Wade had been around cattle ranchers and oil men from the time he was old enough to pull on a pair of cowboy boots. No one was more surprised when he was called to the ministry than Wade himself. His experience in Promise had shown him that he loved his work more than any other occupation he might have chosen.

Long tables at the far end of the hall were heaped with a variety of some of the best home cooking in Texas. Main courses, salads, desserts. Once the food had been readied, Wade led the assembled families in grace, then stayed out of the way while the women’s group got the buffet lines going. His role in all this was to make sure dinner went smoothly and everyone had what he or she needed.

“In my opinion,” Louise Powell said, pulling Wade aside, “Savannah Smith’s teriyaki salad with chicken should be considered a main course and not a salad. It’s misleading for those of us who’re watching our weight to be tempted with salads that under normal circumstances would be considered a main course.”

Louise and her friend Tammy Lee Kollenborn had been a trial to Wade from the start, but he wasn’t alone in his struggles with these two women. Heaven help him if he inadvertently crossed either of them.

“I’m afraid I’m the one to blame for that,” Wade explained, attempting to sound apologetic. “Savannah put it on the table with the main courses, and I suggested that since it was technically a salad, it belonged there.”

“I see,” Louise said and tightly pinched her lips together, letting him know she disapproved.

“I’ll make sure I don’t make that mistake again,” he said. “Perhaps next year you’d volunteer to help the women’s group set up the hall. I’m sure they’d appreciate your advice on such important matters as what should and shouldn’t be considered a salad.”

“I’ll do that,” she said with a tinge of self-righteousness. She patted his hand and excused herself to return to her husband.

The buffet line had dwindled down to only a few stragglers, and rather than become embroiled in any more culinary controversies, Wade reached for a plate and a set of silverware, then stepped to the end of the line.

He scanned the group, looking for an empty seat. The circular tables seated eight, perfect for accommodating four couples. The Royal Heirs, the seniors’ social group, occupied four of those tables. No space there.

Ellie Frasier and Glen Patterson sat in a corner of the large bustling hall with their friends. There were a few empty spaces, but their table would fill up soon. He enjoyed Ellie and Glen and was counseling them before their wedding. They’d been in for three sessions now, and he had a strong feeling they were well suited. Their marriage would be a good one, built on a foundation of friendship.

Savannah and Laredo Smith were sitting next to Ellie and Glen. Now, there were two he’d never suspected would be right for each other. Savannah was a gentle soul, a special woman who’d touched his heart. Laredo had drifted into town; somehow he and Savannah had been drawn together. Love had changed them both, Savannah especially. Looking at them now, just a short time after their wedding, it was difficult to remember that they’d been together only months rather than years.

Frank Hennessey, the town sheriff, got in line behind Wade. “This is a great spread, isn’t it, Rev?”

“As I’ve said more than once,” Wade reminded the other man, “Promise Christian has some of the best cooks in the state of Texas.”

“Amen to that.” Frank handed Dovie Boyd a plate before reaching for one himself. Both close to retirement age, the two had been seeing each other for as long as Wade had served the community, but apparently didn’t have plans to marry. Wade had never questioned them about their relationship. That was their business, not his. He was fond of Frank and Dovie. He found their company delightful and was happy to let Dovie spoil him with a home-cooked meal every now and then. The woman was a wonder with apple pie.

One of Nell Bishop’s children raced across the room, and Wade’s spirits lifted. He’d sit with Nell, he decided. The widow might feel like odd man out, being there without a date, and since he was alone himself, well, it would work nicely. Nell was a safe dinner companion; everyone knew she wasn’t interested in remarriage. If Wade chose to dine with one of the single ladies, some women in the congregation, Louise Powell and Tammy Lee Kollenborn in particular, were sure to read it as a sign of incipient romance.

So Nell was the perfect choice. No pressures there. Not only that, he had a great deal of respect and affection for her family. He’d enjoy spending the evening with them.

But Nell was sitting with her mother-in-law and their table was full.

Wade had to admit he felt lonely. Everyone present seemed to be part of a couple, and those who were single had found partners. Even Grady Weston had a date, and frankly, Wade was pleased with his choice. He’d long admired Caroline Daniels; she and Grady seemed right together, a thought that had occurred to him more than once since Savannah’s wedding.

Not until Wade was at the end of the dessert table did he spot the ideal location. He smiled, amused that the vacant seat was at the very table he’d considered moments earlier. The empty spot was next to Cal Patterson. Wade got along just fine with the rancher, although the man had a reputation for being prickly. Cal sat with his brother Glen, but Glen wasn’t paying him any heed. The younger Patterson’s concentration was held by Ellie, and rightly so.

“Mind if I join you?” Wade asked Cal.

“Mind?” Cal muttered, sliding his chair over to give Wade ample room. “I’d be grateful.”

“This is a great way to celebrate the church’s birthday, isn’t it?” Wade asked, digging into his food with gusto. He never ate better than at church dinners.

“Growing up, I can remember looking forward to the third Saturday in July,” Cal said. “My mom made her special baked beans every year. Still does. Apparently the recipe’s been handed down from one generation to the next for at least a hundred years. If I remember right, it originally came from back East.”

Wade took a forkful of the baked beans and nodded approvingly. “Mmm.” He chewed slowly, savoring every morsel. “There’s a lot to be said for tradition, especially when it tastes this good.”

“She only bakes ’em once a year and it’s always for the church.” Having cleaned his own plate, Cal pushed back his chair and folded his arms. Wade’s gaze followed Cal’s. Grady and Caroline stood in the dessert line with Savannah and Laredo. The four were engaged in conversation and appeared to be enjoying themselves.

“Grady and Caroline make a handsome couple, don’t they?” Wade asked, testing the waters with the older Patterson brother. This couldn’t be easy on him, especially after Cal’s own unfortunate experience a few years earlier. His wedding had been canceled just two days before the ceremony. Cal had taken the brunt of the embarrassment when his fiancée abruptly left town.

Wade and Cal had shared some serious discussions afterward and bonded as friends. But Cal hadn’t mentioned Jennifer’s name, not in all the time since. The subject of marriage appeared to be taboo, as well. More than once Wade had been tempted to remind Cal not to judge all women by Jennifer’s actions. It might be a cliché, but time really was a great healer. When Cal was ready, Wade believed he’d date again.

“It’s about time Grady opened his eyes,” Cal said, grinning.

“About Caroline?”

“Yeah. Those two have been circling each other for a year, maybe more. If one of ’em didn’t make a move soon, I was going to rope ’em together myself.”

Wade chuckled, enjoying the image.

“Seems that every time Grady gets close to making a move, something happens and he takes off like a jackrabbit.”

Little Maggie Daniels raced past at that moment, and Wade caught her about the waist to keep her from colliding with Nell Bishop’s son. “Whoa there,” he said, laughing. “What’s the big hurry?”

Maggie covered her mouth and giggled. “Petey was chasing me.”

“Be careful, understand?”

Maggie bobbed her head, and Wade pointed to the corsage on her wrist. “Who gave you flowers?”

“Grady,” Maggie answered with such pride her entire face lit up. Her eyes fell to the pink and white carnations on her wrist. “He yells sometimes.”

“Does it bother you?”

Maggie had to think about that a moment before she shrugged. “He bought Mommy flowers, too. She was surprised and so was I, and when Mommy asked him why, he said it was ’cause we’re special.”

“You are very special.” Wade smiled.

Maggie’s return smile revealed two missing front teeth. “Mommy likes him,” she said, and Wade had the feeling that she’d decided perhaps Grady wasn’t such a bad guy, after all.

Petey Bush approached. “Wanna hold hands?” the six-year-old boy asked.

Maggie looked to Wade for permission. “I think it’ll be all right,” he advised.

She nodded solemnly and the two children strolled off hand in hand.

“It’s a sorry day when five- and six-year-olds have an easier time getting a date than we do, don’t you think?” Cal asked him.

A sorry day indeed, Wade mused.

* * *

CAROLINE HAD a wonderful time at the dinner. A perfectly wonderful time, she reflected as they walked out to Grady’s truck. Everything about the evening had been like a dream. Not once had she exchanged a cross word with Grady. Not once had they disagreed. Not once had he yelled at Maggie. There just might be hope for them.

Maggie, worn-out from the evening’s activities, fell asleep between them in the truck. She slumped against Caroline, her head in her mother’s lap. When Grady pulled up in front of the house, she was still asleep. It seemed a shame to disturb her.

Grady must have thought the same thing, because he turned off the engine and made no move to get out of the truck. The only light available was from a quarter moon set crookedly in the dark Texas sky.

Night settled about them. Neither one of them spoke. For her own part, Caroline wanted the evening to last as long as possible. If it never ended, that was fine with her.

“I had a lovely time,” she finally whispered.

“Me, too.”

She assumed he’d open the truck door then and was pleased when he didn’t.

“It was sweet of you to bring Maggie and me flowers.”

“It was the only way I could tell you how much—” He halted midsentence.

“How much…?” she prodded.

“I like you both,” he finished.

“Do you, Grady?” she asked, her voice low.

“Very much.” He brought his hand to the side of her face, and Caroline closed her eyes, delighting in the feel of his callused palm against her cheek. Smiling to herself at how far they’d come, she leaned into his hand.

“Do you think it’d wake Maggie if I kissed you?” he asked, whispering.

Caroline didn’t know, but she was prepared to risk it. “I’m game if you are.”

Still Grady hesitated. “This is the first time Maggie’s been willing to have anything to do with me. I don’t want to ruin that.”

“If you don’t kiss me now, Grady, I swear I’ll never forgive you!”

He laughed softly and without further delay took her face between his hands. Once again Caroline shut her eyes, just for a moment, treasuring these rare moments of intimacy.

Slowly Grady bent toward her and she angled her head to accommodate his movement. His mouth was so close to hers. So close she could feel his breath against her skin. So close she could sense his longing—and admit her own. Yet he hesitated, as did she.

Caroline realized—and she suspected that Grady did, too—that everything between them would be forever changed if they proceeded with this kiss. It was more than an ordinary kiss. It was a meeting of two hearts, an admission of vulnerability and openness.

Caroline wasn’t sure who moved first, but chose to think of what followed as a mutual decision. An inexorable drawing together.

The kiss was gentle, almost tentative. His hand drifted to the back of her neck, urging her forward.

Grady kissed her again, and this time his mouth was more demanding, more insistent. Within only a few seconds, Caroline felt as though she’d experienced every possible emotion. When he released her, his breath was ragged.

“I’m sorry, I—”

Rather than let him ruin everything with an apology, she kissed the corner of his mouth.

Maggie stirred and they both froze. Caroline prayed her daughter wouldn’t awake, wouldn’t unconsciously end these precious moments with Grady.

“Is she asleep?” he asked, speaking so quietly she had to strain to hear. His voice was more breath than sound.

“Yes…”

They waited breathlessly. When it seemed he wasn’t going to kiss her again, Caroline took the initiative and leaned toward him. The strength of their attraction stunned her. It was as though they couldn’t get close enough. Their mouths twisted and strained in a passionate desperate kiss, but that lasted only a moment.

Then sanity returned. Reluctantly they eased away from each other. Grady rested his shoulders against the seat cushion, tilted back his head and sighed deeply.

Caroline swallowed. “I’d better get Maggie inside,” she whispered.

“Right.” When he opened his door, the light blinded Caroline and she was grateful when he immediately closed it, making the least noise possible.

Coming around to her side, he opened the door, helped her out and then reached for Maggie, carrying her toward the house. Caroline had expected to carry Maggie herself. She’d always done so; she was accustomed to it. Grady’s action brought to life a complexity of feelings—gratitude, relief, even a slight sense of loss.

“You get the door,” Grady said.

Caroline unlocked the door. With only a night-light to guide them, she led him to Maggie’s bedroom at the rear of the house. She folded back the covers on the bed and Grady carefully set the little girl down. Caroline removed her daughter’s shoes and put them aside.

Grady smoothed the hair from Maggie’s brow, touched his fingertips to his lips and pressed his hand to the little girl’s brow. The gesture was so loving, so fatherly, that Caroline had to turn away.

Grady followed her into the darkened hallway. She continued to the front door. She didn’t want him to leave but dared not ask him to stay.

“Thank you again,” she whispered. “For everything.” The front door remained open and light spilled in from the porch.

Grady didn’t move.

Slowly she raised her eyes to his. The invitation was there, and it was simply beyond her to refuse him. He held his arms open. Less than four steps separated them, but she literally ran into his embrace. He caught her about the waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed again with an urgency that left her weak, an urgency that drained her of all thoughts save one—the unexpected wonder and joy she’d discovered in his arms.

Until that night, Caroline hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been, how long the nights could be. In Grady’s arms she felt whole and needed and beautiful.

When the kiss ended, she buried her face in his neck.

“I could hold you forever,” he whispered.

“I could let you.” She felt his smile.

“Don’t tempt me more than I already am,” he warned.

It was heaven knowing he found her attractive. He held her close while she struggled to regain her composure. Caroline was grateful for those few quiet moments before he slowly released her.

He placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. “I want to see you again.”

“Yes.” It didn’t matter when or where.

“Soon.”

She was almost giddy with the wonder of what was happening. “Please.”

He smiled and, as though he couldn’t help himself, he kissed her again.

Their kissing only seemed to get better and better. “Why did it take you so long?” she asked when she’d recovered enough to speak.

“Because I’m a pigheaded fool.”

“I am, too.” No need denying it. She was as much at fault as Grady.

“No more.”

“No more,” she echoed.

“Tomorrow,” he suggested. “I can’t wait any longer than that to see you again.”

“Okay. When? Where?”

“Can you come out to the ranch?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll come after church.”

“Wonderful,” he whispered and kissed the tip of her nose. “Perfect.”

She slipped her arms around his middle. “Oh, Grady, is this really happening or am I dreaming?”

“Nothing gets more real than the way you make me feel.”

She smiled. Never would she have believed that Grady Weston was a romantic.

“About Maggie…”

He stiffened, and she stopped him by pressing her index finger against his lips. “Don’t worry about her. Everything will work out.”

“I don’t mean to frighten her.”

“I know.”

“Did she like the flowers?”

Caroline kissed the underside of his jaw. “Very much.”

“Did you?”

“More than I can say.” She trailed kisses toward his ear and reveled in the way his body shuddered against hers when she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth.

“Caroline,” he breathed. “You’re making this impossible.”

“Do I really tempt you?”

“Yes.” His voice was low but harsh. “You don’t have a clue.”

Actually she did. “Kiss me one more time and then you can leave.”

He hesitated, then gently captured her face between his hands and angled his mouth toward hers. The kiss, while one of need, was also one of elation, of shared joy. All this time they’d wasted, all the time they’d let pride and fear and doubt stand between them.

Caroline needed him and he needed her. Savannah, a woman with real insight into people, had tried to tell her that. And Caroline knew she’d tried to convince Grady, too. She was aware of Savannah’s matchmaking efforts because her friend had told her; she was also aware that Savannah had been frustrated by one setback after another.

Caroline supposed she was as responsible for those setbacks as Grady. She’d always been attracted to him, but felt confused, unprepared. She’d been hurt terribly once and with that pain had come fear. For years she’d been afraid to love again. To trust again.

Deep within her, she recognized that Grady would never abandon her. Not Grady. He was as solid as a rock.

His final kiss was deep and long.

It took a moment for Maggie’s voice to break through the fog of her desire.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Grady groaned and reluctantly let Caroline go.

She turned to find Maggie standing in the dim light, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What is it, sweetheart?”

Maggie ignored the question and, instead, glared at Grady. “What are you doing to my mommy?” she demanded.

4

SUNDAY MORNING WAS THE ONE DAY OF THE week Jane Dickinson—Dr. Jane Dickinson, she reminded herself—could sleep in. Yet it was barely six and she was wide awake. Tossing aside the sheet, she threw on her robe and wandered barefoot into the kitchen.

“Texas,” she muttered. Who would’ve believed when she signed up for this that she’d end up in the great state of Texas? The hill country was about as far as anyone could get from the bustling activity of Los Angeles.

Jane had tried to make a go of life in small-town America, but she was completely and utterly miserable. In three months she hadn’t managed to make a single friend. Sure, there were lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Never in her life had she missed her friends and family more, and all because of money. She’d entered into this agreement with the federal government in order to reduce her debts—three years in Promise, Texas, and her medical-school loans would be paid off.

Maybe she should just admit she’d made a mistake, pack her bags and hightail it out of this godforsaken town. But even as the thought entered her mind, Jane realized that wasn’t what she wanted. What she wanted was to find some way to connect with these people, to become part of this tight-knit community.

The residents of Promise seemed willing enough to acknowledge that she was a competent physician specializing in family practice. But they came to see her only when they absolutely had to—for prescription renewals, a bad cough or sprain that couldn’t be treated at home. Jane’s one major fault was that she wasn’t Dr. Cummings. The man had retired in his seventies after serving the community for nearly fifty years. The people of Promise knew and trusted him. She, on the other hand, was considered an outsider and, worse, some kind of Valley Girl or frivolous surfer type.

Despite her up-to-the-moment expertise, she had yet to gain the community’s confidence. Everything she’d done to prove herself to the people of Promise had been a miserable failure.

Rejection wasn’t something Jane was accustomed to dealing with. It left her feeling frustrated and helpless. In medical school, whenever she felt overwhelmed and emotionally confused, she’d gone jogging. It had always helped clear her thoughts, helped her gain perspective. But she hadn’t hit the streets even once since she’d come here. With a new sense of resolve, she began to search for her running shoes, reminding herself that she was the one who’d agreed to work in a small community. She was determined to stick it out, even if it killed her.

Dressed in bright yellow nylon running shorts and a matching tank top, she started out at an easy nine-minute-mile pace. She jogged from her living quarters next to the health clinic down the tree-lined streets of Promise. The community itself wasn’t so bad. Actually it was a pretty little town with traditional values and interesting people. Ranchers mostly. Down-to-earth folk, hardworking, family-oriented. That was what made her situation so difficult to understand. The people were friendly and welcoming, it seemed, to everyone but her.

Jane turned the corner onto Maple Street. At the post office she took another turn and headed up Main. A couple of cars were parked in front of the bowling alley, which kept the longest hours in town; it was open twenty-four hours on Saturdays and Sundays. It wasn’t the bowling that lured folks at all hours, but the café, which served good solid meals and great coffee at 1970s prices.

Jane’s feet pounded the pavement and sweat rolled down the sides of her face. She’d barely gone a mile and already her body was suggesting that she hadn’t been exercising enough. She knew she’d ache later but didn’t care; she was already feeling more optimistic.

She rounded the corner off Main and onto Baxter, running past the antique store owned and operated by Dovie Boyd. Dovie lived in a brick home just around the corner. Despite the early hour, she was standing in the middle of her huge vegetable garden with her watering can in hand.

Jane had often admired the older woman’s lush garden. The pole beans were six feet high, the tomatoes bursting with ripeness and the zucchini abundant. Jane marveled at how one woman could possibly coax this much produce from a few plants.

“Morning,” Jane called.

Dovie smiled and raised her hand in response.

Jane continued down the street, full steam ahead. She’d gone perhaps twenty yards when she realized it’d happened to her again. She’d never been a quitter in her life and she wasn’t going to start now. She did an abrupt about-face and headed back.

Dovie looked surprised to see her.

Jane stopped and, breathing heavily, leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees. “Hello again,” she said when she’d caught her breath.

Without a pause Dovie continued watering. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”

“Beautiful,” Jane agreed. Slowly she straightened and watched Dovie expertly weave her way through the garden, pausing now and again to finger a plant or pull a weed.

“Do you have a minute, Mrs. Boyd?” she asked, gathering her nerve. She rested her hands against the white picket fence.

Widening her eyes, Dovie turned. “What can I do for you, Dr. Dickinson?”

“First, I’d like it if you called me Jane.”

“Then Jane it is.”

The older woman’s tone was friendly, but Jane sensed the same reserve in her she’d felt in others.

“What am I doing wrong?” She hadn’t intended to blurt out the question like that, but couldn’t help herself.

“Wrong?” Dovie set the watering can aside.

“What’s wrong with me?” she amended.

“I don’t think anything’s wrong with you.” The other woman was clearly puzzled by the question. “What makes you assume such a thing?”

Attitudes were so difficult to describe. How could she explain how she felt without sounding snobbish or self-pitying? But she had to try.

“Why am I standing on this side of the fence while you’re on that side?” Jane asked as she paced the cement walkway. “Why do I have to be the one to greet others first? People don’t like me, and I want to know why.”

Dovie lifted one finger to her lips and frowned, apparently deep in thought. “You did greet me first, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but it isn’t only you. It’s everyone.” Jane paused, struggling with her composure. “I want to know why.”

“My goodness, I’m not sure. I never realized.” Dovie walked toward the short white gate and unlatched it, swinging it open. “Come inside, dear, and we’ll sit down and reason this out.”

Now that Jane had made her point, it would have been rude and unfair to refuse, but to her embarrassment she discovered she was close to tears.

“Sit down and make yourself comfortable,” Dovie said and gestured toward the white wrought-iron patio set. “I’ll get a pot of tea brewing. I don’t know about you, but I tend to think more clearly if I have something hot to drink.”

“I… Thank you,” Jane said, feeling humble and grateful at once. The few moments Dovie was in the kitchen gave her time to collect herself.

Soon Dovie reappeared carrying a tray with a pot of steaming tea and two delicate china cups, as well as a plate of scones. She set it down on the table and poured the tea, handing Jane the first cup.

Jane felt a bit conspicuous in her tank top, sipping tea from a Spode cup, but she was too thankful for Dovie’s kindness to worry about it.

“All right now,” Dovie said when she’d finished pouring. “Let’s talk.” She sat down and leaned back in her chair, pursing her lips. “Tell me some other things that have bothered you about Promise.”

Jane wasn’t sure where to start. “I have this…this sense that people don’t like me.”

“Nonsense,” Dovie countered. “We don’t know you well enough to like or dislike you.”

“You’re right. No one knows me,” Jane murmured. “I need a friend,” she said with a shrug, offering the one solution that had come to her.

“We all need friends, but perhaps you need to make more of an effort to give people a chance to know you.”

“But I have tried to meet people,” she said in her own defense.

Dovie frowned. “Give me an example.”

Jane had a list of those. An inventory of failures cataloged from the day she’d first arrived. “The party for Richard Weston,” she said. It was the first social event she’d attended in the area. Richard had been warm and friendly, stopping her on the street and issuing a personal invitation. Jane had been excited about it, had even told her family she was attending the party. But when she got there, she’d ended up standing around by herself. The evening had been uncomfortable from the start.

As the new doctor in town Jane appeared to be a topic of speculation and curiosity. The short newspaper article published about her earlier in the week had added to the attention she’d garnered. People stared at her, a few had greeted her, asked her a question or two, then drifted away. Richard had been the star of his own party, and the one time he’d noticed her, she was sure he’d forgotten who she was. For a while she’d wandered around, feeling awkward and out of place. Mostly she’d felt like a party crasher and left soon after she’d arrived.

“You were there, weren’t you?” Dovie murmured with a thoughtful look.

“Yes.” Not that it’d done Jane any good.

“You came in a suit and high heels, as I recall,” Dovie added.

“I realized as soon as I arrived the suit was a mistake,” Jane said. At the time she’d felt it was important to maintain a professional image. She was new in town and attempting to make a good impression.

“And then jeans and a cotton top to the Grange dance.”

“I didn’t realize it was a more formal affair.” She hadn’t lasted long there, either. “I wasn’t sure what to wear,” Jane confessed. She’d come overdressed for one event and underdressed for the other. “But,” she said hopelessly, “I had no way of knowing.”

Dovie nodded, silently encouraging her to continue.

“I showed up for the Willie Nelson Fourth of July picnic, too, but no one bothered to tell me Willie Nelson wouldn’t be there.” That had been a major disappointment, as well.

Dovie giggled and shook her head. “The town council’s invited him nine years running, and he’s politely declined every year, but we’ve never let a little thing like that stand in our way. This is Willie Nelson country!”

“Someone might have said something.” Jane didn’t take kindly to being the only one not in on the joke.

“That’s something you can only learn by living here. Next year, you’ll know.”

If I’m here that long, Jane thought.

“Another thing,” she said. “What’s all this about a ghost town?” Jane asked next.

Dovie’s expressive eyes narrowed. “Who told you there was a ghost town?”

Jane wondered at the swift change in her newfound friend. “I overheard two children talking. One of them mentioned it.”

“Don’t pay any attention to those rumors, understand?”

“Is there one?”

“That’s neither here nor there,” Dovie said, but not unkindly. “We have other more important matters to discuss.”

“Such as?”

Dovie’s head came back. “You.” Her face was set, her voice firm. “You’re right, you do need a friend.”

“Are you volunteering to take me under your wing?” Jane asked and hoped Dovie understood how very grateful she’d be.

“I’m too old.” Dovie’s response was fast. “I’m thinking of someone more your age.” She tapped her index finger against her chin. “You and Ellie Frasier would get along like gangbusters. Unfortunately Ellie’s busy getting ready for her wedding just now, so you’ll need to be patient.”

“Oh.” Jane’s voice was small.

“Until then, you and I have our work cut out for us.”

Jane frowned, not sure she understood. “What work?”

Dovie’s expression told Jane she’d overlooked the obvious. “We need to find out what’s wrong with everyone in this town. I’ve decided there’s nothing wrong with you, Dr. Jane. It’s everyone else, and I’m determined to find out what.”

* * *

“ALL THE COMFORTS of home,” Richard Weston said out loud. He stood in the middle of the dirt road that ran through the ghost town. “Bitter End, Texas,” he continued, “population one.” He laughed then, the sound echoing down the long dusty street littered with sagebrush and rock.

Hitching his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans, he sauntered down the dirt road as if he owned it, and for all intents and purposes, he did.

For the time being Bitter End was his home. He was proud of the good job he’d done carving out a comfortable place for himself. He figured he’d be stuck here for a while. How long wasn’t clear yet. A man on the run didn’t have a lot of alternatives.

Everything was about to catch up with him. His brother already knew he hadn’t paid that old coot Max Jordan, and he wasn’t going to be able to hide all the other charges he’d made, either. Although Grady’s business account had sure come in handy. But he’d stretched his luck to the max in Promise.

Time to move on. Hide again, only no one would ever think to look for him here. He was as safe as a babe cuddled in his mother’s loving arms. Richard had a sixth sense about when to walk away. He’d come to trust his instincts; they were what had kept him out of prison this long.

Richard kicked the toe of his snakeskin boot into the hard dry ground. He’d arrived in Promise penniless, miserable and afraid to glance over his shoulder for fear the law—or worse—was hot on his tail. He’d decided to head back to Promise on the spur of the moment, when he awoke one morning and found himself outside El Paso without money or transportation. Hitchhiking, he made his way to the central part of the state.

Luck had blessed him all his life. He hadn’t been back long before he discovered Savannah had visited Bitter End. As soon as his older sister mentioned the ghost town, he’d known what to do.

Little by little Richard had managed to squirrel away supplies, making the trek so often he no longer lost his way. Each day he managed to take something from the ranch or buy supplies on ranch credit. In the beginning it was little things, items not easily missed. Seldom-used equipment no one would notice was gone. Gradually he’d worked in the larger pricier necessities. He’d been clever about it, too.

Still congratulating himself, Richard walked up the old wooden steps to the boardwalk. He sat down in the rocking chair he’d discovered in one of the buildings and surveyed the town. His domain.

He’d been born under a lucky star, Richard told himself, and its shine hadn’t faded. He marveled anew at the crafty way he’d charged much of what he needed. Grady didn’t have a clue, either. Richard would charge something nonsensical like tractor parts to Grady’s account, knowing no one would think to question that. Later, making sure it wasn’t the same salesclerk, he’d return the part and use the credit to purchase what he really needed. In the weeks since his return he’d accumulated all the comforts of home, and the best part was that it had been at his brother’s expense.

“Oh, yes, I’m going to be real comfortable now,” he said, grinning broadly. Tucking his hands behind his head, he leaned back. “Thanks, Grady,” he said with a snicker.

Slowly his smile faded. None of this hiding out would be necessary if the situation with Ellie Frasier had worked out differently. It would have been easy to let that sweet young thing soothe away his worries, but his hopes had died a humiliating death, thanks to Glen Patterson.

Why any woman would choose some cowboy over him was beyond Richard. Clearly Ellie had no taste. In the beginning he’d been drawn to the inheritance her daddy had left her, figuring he’d talk her into marrying him, get his hands on the money and then skip town.

As time progressed and he came to know Ellie, he’d actually found himself thinking about sticking around and making a go of life in Promise. Money in the right places would put an end to his current troubles. For a while he’d toyed with the idea of getting involved in local politics. Promise could use a mayor like him, not some hick but a man with an eye to the future. Then maybe for once he’d be able to stay out of trouble, make a new life for himself. Start over. But unfortunately it hadn’t panned out.

Standing, Richard glanced at his watch. He hadn’t moved here yet, so he had to be conscious of the time. Although his sister and brother hadn’t said much, they were aware of his absences, and he didn’t want to arouse their suspicions.

Richard headed to where he’d parked the pickup. After several failed attempts, he’d found a new way into the town, one that didn’t necessitate a long walk.

The wind whistled behind him, a low plaintive cry that sent shivers down his spine.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” he said. Naturally there’d been talk about ghosts in Bitter End. The one time he’d brought Ellie with him, she’d been squirming out of her skin in her eagerness to leave. She claimed it was a feeling she had, a sense of oppression. His sister had said she, too, could feel something weird in the old town.

Yeah, right.

Not Richard, at least not until that very moment. The wind increased in velocity, whistling as he walked away, his back to the main street.

“I don’t hear anything, I don’t feel anything,” he said aloud, more in an effort to hear the words than to convince himself.

The sensation, or whatever the hell it was, didn’t dissipate until he was safe inside his brother’s dilapidated truck. With the doors locked Richard relaxed, suspecting he’d viewed one too many episodes of Tales from the Crypt.

As he drove off, another thought entered his mind.

Caroline Daniels.

He had no real interest in her himself, but he could have her and he knew it. His brother was sweet on Caroline; that was easy to guess, just from the way Grady looked at her. It might be rotten of him, Richard thought with a grin, but he sure did love to play the spoilsport.

His brother had as much charisma as an overripe tomato, yet Grady was the one sitting pretty on a prosperous ranch, living high, while Richard had to worry about where his next meal was coming from. Some things in life just weren’t fair, and if he wanted to even them out a little, he could see no harm in it. Besides, he subscribed to the idea that, regardless of the star he was born under, a man made his own luck. Or, at least, enhanced it.

“You don’t know how good you’ve got it, big brother,” Richard said. It shouldn’t be hard to lure Caroline away from Grady—and it didn’t hurt any that her kid was crazy about him. Kids had always liked him, and Richard had encouraged them. For some reason a lot of people put stock in their kids’ opinions and preferences. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t matter a damn what some kid thought, although he didn’t mind using a child to manipulate the parent.

Maggie was a great example. She preferred him over Grady, which made him the leading man when it came to winning her mother’s affections. He found Caroline kind of irritating, though; he didn’t care for the way she looked at him.

What he enjoyed most of all was playing himself off against his brother. He loved it when he could frustrate Grady, but his older brother made it much too easy; he took all the fun out of it. Well, not all the fun. Poor old Grady—would he never learn? Richard smirked. When he was around, Grady didn’t stand a chance with the ladies.

* * *

GRADY FELT LIKE A KID waiting for prom night—a kid who had a date with the prom queen. The chance to see Caroline again was worth cutting short his sleep. It meant getting up earlier than usual to deal with morning chores. But he’d managed, surprising Wade as much as he did Savannah and Laredo when he slipped into the pew two minutes before services were due to start.

He hadn’t come to hear the sermon, but he figured God would forgive that. He’d come for Caroline. She sang with the choir, and the possibility of seeing her again so soon after the church dinner was irresistible.

Grady still walked on air after last night’s kisses. Even Maggie’s interruption hadn’t ruined the evening. He’d been at a loss for words when she’d stumbled upon Caroline and him with their arms locked around each other. Rather than try to explain, he’d left the matter in Caroline’s capable hands and departed soon afterward.

The last thing she’d said before he walked out the door was that she’d stop by the ranch Sunday afternoon.

Mere hours away.

The service was upbeat, and Wade’s message caused him to nod his head in agreement a number of times. The minister used humor and lots of anecdotes, which made for an interesting sermon. Before he realized it, the hour was over and the congregation dismissed with a benediction.

Pastor Wade McMillen stood in the doorway as people left. “Good to see you, Grady,” he said, giving Grady’s hand a hearty shake. “But somehow I don’t think it was my sermon that interested you.”

Grady grumbled some noncommittal reply. Damned little escaped Wade’s attention. As if to prove him right, Wade caught Jeremy Bishop by the shoulder, stopping him on his way out the door.

“That must have been an interesting book you were reading in church,” he said with an encouraging smile.

Jeremy squirmed uncomfortably before he reached inside his shirt. With obvious reluctance he withdrew a slim paperback novel.

“T. R. Grant?” Wade said and cocked one eyebrow at the title.

Jeremy’s eyes grew round. “You’ve never heard of T. R. Grant?”

“Can’t say I have,” Wade admitted.

“He’s great!”

Wade chuckled. “I’m sure he is. Maybe I should read him, too.”

“I’ve read everything he’s ever written. I can lend you one of his books if you want.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Wade ruffled the boy’s hair and returned his attention to Grady. “I see that things are developing nicely between you and Caroline Daniels.”

Grady tensed. He had no desire to discuss his private life.

As if he knew that, too, Wade slapped him lightly on the back. “It took you long enough,” he said with a laugh. Before Grady could respond, Wade had begun talking to someone else.

Grady met Caroline on the front lawn. He saw her speak to Wade, then glance at him, smiling shyly. The yard was crowded with people visiting and chatting, but everyone appeared to fade from sight as Caroline approached.

“Hello again,” he said, which was probably the stupidest thing he’d ever uttered. Not that he cared.

“Hello.” Her voice had a deep breathless quality.

“Were you able to reassure Maggie?” He’d felt bad about leaving her to make the explanations, but feared any effort on his part wouldn’t have come out right.

“She understands.”

“But does she approve?”

Caroline’s eyes avoided his, which was answer enough in itself. “It isn’t up to Maggie to approve or disapprove of whom I kiss.”

He exhaled slowly and would have said more except that he couldn’t stop looking at Caroline. She was so damn pretty, any coherent thought didn’t stand a chance of lasting more than a second or two. It was her eyes, he concluded, a deep rich shade of chocolate. No, he decided after a moment, it was her soft brown hair. He remembered the silky feel of it bunched in his hands when he’d kissed her. He remembered a whole lot more than the feel of her hair….

“So you’re coming to see Savannah this afternoon?” he asked, trying to redirect his thoughts. If he continued in this vein much longer, he’d end up kissing her right then and there just to prove how real last night had been.

“No.”

Grady’s disappointment was sharp. “You’re not? But I thought—”

“I’m coming to see you.”

His heart, which had gone sluggish with discouragement, sped up, and he could feel his pulse hammering in his neck.

“Hi, Grady,” Maggie said, joining her mother. She clung to her mother’s arm and looked up at him with a slight frown.

“Hi, Maggie. I hear you’re coming out to the ranch this afternoon.”

The child continued to stare at him, and although she made no comment, Grady saw the way she moved protectively close to her mother.

“Did Savannah tell you about the new colt we have?”

She nodded.

“He’s only a few days old, but he’s already handsome. I bet you’d like to see him.”

Again she nodded.

Grady glanced at Caroline. “Do you think Maggie’s old enough to visit the colt?”

“I can, can’t I, Mommy?” Maggie twisted around and gazed up at her mother with imploring eyes.

“I think it should be all right, as long as you stay with Grady.”

“I will, I will,” she promised.

“That new colt needs a name,” Grady added. “Maybe you could help us decide what to call him.”

Her eyes got huge. “Could I really?”

“If you can think of a decent name for such a handsome boy. We’ll let you take a gander at him first, pet him a few times and then give you the opportunity to think up a name.”

“That’s kind of you, Grady,” Caroline said.

They walked toward the parking lot, in no particular hurry. “What time will you be by, do you think?” he asked, restraining himself from saying she should come right that minute.

“Maggie needs something to eat and a nap first.”

“She can have Sunday dinner with us—you both could—and then Maggie could nap. Savannah’ll be more than happy to watch her.” After she finished wringing his neck for inviting company without consulting her first. “While Maggie’s resting, perhaps you and I could…” For the life of him, he couldn’t think of a single respectable thing for the two of them to do.

“Go riding,” Caroline inserted. “I’ll borrow some jeans from Savannah.”

She could have suggested mud wrestling and he would’ve agreed.

“Well…I suppose we can alter our plans just a little,” Caroline said, smiling softly.

It took a moment for the words to sink into his consciousness. “You could? Great.”

“Are we going to Savannah’s?” Maggie asked, tugging at the sleeve of her mother’s dress. “Are we leaving now?”

“It looks that way,” Caroline answered.

Maggie clapped her hands, celebrating the good news.

“I’ll see you there, then,” she said to Grady, opening the passenger door for Maggie. Her daughter leaped inside, eager to be on their way.

Grady opened the driver’s side for Caroline. “Drive carefully.”

She got in and assured him she would.

Grady stepped away from the car when she started the engine; he watched her back out of the parking space and turn out of the driveway before he realized that he’d attracted a number of curious stares. In particular, he noticed Edwina and Lily Moorhouse studying him.

The two sisters were retired teachers, as prim and proper as the spinster schoolmarms of nineteenth-century Promise. They smiled approvingly in his direction before they leaned toward one another, heads close enough to touch, talking up a storm. He’d been in their classes as a boy and could well recall the speed with which those two could chatter. Two hundred words a minute, he guessed, with gusts up to four fifty.

Their tongues were wagging now, but frankly, Grady didn’t care. He was about to spend the afternoon with the woman who’d dominated his thoughts for months. The woman who dominated his dreams.

Grady arrived back at the Yellow Rose less than five minutes behind Caroline. He found her in the kitchen with Savannah, preparing Sunday dinner. She paused when he entered, then glanced around her.

“Did you see Maggie?”

“Maggie?” He shook his head.

“She wasn’t on the porch?”

“Not that I noticed.” He stuck his head out the door and couldn’t see her.

“I told her not to leave the porch.” Caroline sighed with impatience. She set aside the tomato she was slicing and reached for a towel.

“She came to me for a carrot not more than a minute ago,” Savannah said.

“She probably went into the barn to see the new colt.” Grady blamed himself for that.

“She knows better,” Caroline murmured. “It’s not safe there.”

“Don’t worry, she’s only been gone a minute,” Savannah said reassuringly.

“I’ll get her,” Grady offered, eager to prove to Maggie that he could be as charming and wonderful as Richard.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Caroline asked.

“Not in the least.” Grady headed toward the barn, whistling as he went. The interior was dark after the bright sunlight, and he squinted until his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting.

“Maggie,” he called out.

No answer.

“Maggie,” he called again.

A soft almost mewing sound followed. Grady whirled around. The noise came from Widowmaker’s stall. When he looked inside, Grady’s heart froze. Maggie was huddled against the wall, her face white with terror.

Just then, the ill-tempered stallion thrashed out with his hooves, narrowly missing the child.

5

GRADY KNEW THAT HE HAD TO MAKE HIS move fast or Maggie could be seriously hurt. Widowmaker snorted and began to paw the floor. Unwilling to give the stallion an opportunity to get any closer to the child, Grady threw open the stall door, grabbed Maggie and literally swung her out of harm’s way.

Maggie let out a scream. With his heart pounding, Grady firmly held the squirming child against him, trying to comfort her and at the same time calm his own fears. Unfortunately he failed on both counts.

The barn door flew open and Savannah and Caroline rushed breathlessly inside.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

Grady released Maggie, who raced toward her mother, nearly stumbling in her eagerness to escape his clutches. Caroline held her arms open and the child sobbed hysterically as she fell into her mother’s embrace.

“What happened?” Savannah asked.

“Somehow Maggie got into Widowmaker’s stall,” Grady explained. His knees shook so badly he sank onto a bale of hay.

“Dear God,” Savannah whispered and lowered herself onto the bale beside him. “Is she hurt?”

Grady didn’t think so.

Caroline’s eyes were filled with questions, but it was impossible to talk over the sound of Maggie’s crying.

“What about you?” Savannah asked. “You didn’t get kicked, did you?”

“I’m fine.” Which wasn’t entirely true. Grady figured just seeing Maggie in that stall cost him five years of his life. God only knew what would have happened if he hadn’t gotten there when he had. The thought wasn’t one he wished to entertain.

Gathering the child in her arms, Caroline made her way out of the barn. Savannah and Grady followed. His sister returned to the house, but Grady lingered outside, not knowing how to help although he wanted to do something. He waited for a clue from Caroline, who sat on one of the porch steps as she cradled her daughter. Maggie continued to sob almost uncontrollably, hiding her face in her mother’s shoulder. Caroline stopped whispering to the child and started to sing in a low soothing voice gently swaying back and forth.

Grady pulled out the rocking chair and Caroline’s eyes revealed her gratitude as she sat down in it. When the song was finished, she talked softly to Maggie, reassuring the little girl once more that everything was fine and there was nothing to be afraid of.

Grady paced the area in front of the porch, waiting, wondering what he should do next. If anything. Gradually Maggie quieted. Then she straightened and glanced around.

“Hello, princess,” he said, remembering that was what his father had called Savannah. It seemed to suit Maggie. “Are you okay?”

Maggie took one look at him and burst into tears. Within seconds she’d buried her face in her mother’s shoulder again.

“What’d I say?” he asked, unable to understand what he’d done now. He’d hoped the child would view him as her hero since he’d saved her from certain harm. Apparently that wasn’t the case.

“She’s embarrassed,” Caroline explained.

“Embarrassed?” he shouted, forgetting how his booming voice terrified the little girl. Maggie burrowed deeper into her mother’s embrace.

Savannah opened the screen door and stepped onto the porch. “Dinner’s ready if anyone’s interested,” she announced.

Grady wasn’t. His appetite was gone. Conflicting emotions churned in him—he felt angry and relieved, frustrated and pleased, confused and happy. He wanted to hug Maggie and thank God she was safe, and at the same time chastise her for giving him the fright of his life.

“I think it might be best if I took Maggie home,” Caroline said.

“No.” Grady’s protest was instantaneous. “I mean, you need to do what you think is best but…” He didn’t know what he wanted other than to spend time with her, but now it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.

“I’ll see if I can settle her down,” Caroline offered. She held Maggie in her arms and continued to rock, humming softly.

Grady sat on the top step and marveled at her gentle manner with the child. The way she calmed Maggie helped quiet his own heart. No one seemed to realize it, but he’d suffered quite a jolt himself. Rocket sat next to him, his head nestled on Grady’s lap. The old dog had belonged to his father, and in the years since his parents’ deaths, Grady had spent many a late night sitting quietly with Rocket. Talking a bit, mostly just thinking. The dog had often comforted him.

When he was sure he wouldn’t disturb the child’s slumber, Grady dragged the vacant rocker next to Caroline.

“Thank you,” she whispered. Reaching out, she squeezed his hand. “I hate to think what could have happened if you hadn’t arrived when you did. Maggie knows better. I’ll have a talk with her later, but I don’t think you need to worry about anything like this again. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her so frightened.”

“I was terrified myself.” He wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Caroline closed her eyes as though to shake the image of her daughter in the stallion’s stall from her mind.

It was difficult for Grady not to stare at her.

“Go and have your dinner,” she said a moment later. “I’m only going to stay a few more minutes.”

“I’m not hungry,” he said, wishing he could convince her to stay.

“I’m sorry, Grady, for everything.”

He gestured with one hand, dismissing her apology.

“I was looking forward to riding with you this afternoon,” she said.

He’d forgotten the ostensible reason for her visit. He shrugged as if it was no big thing. “We’ll do it some other time.”

She brushed the hair away from Maggie’s sweet face. “I’d better go.”

The screen door opened and Savannah poked her head out. “Do you want to put Maggie down on my bed?” she asked. “I’ll watch her so you two can…” She didn’t finish the statement, but Grady knew his sister. She’d been about to say, “so you two can have some time alone together.”

Caroline shook her head. “Maggie’s had a terrible fright and she’s embarrassed because she knows she did wrong. I need to talk to her and it’d be best if I did that at home.”

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Grady offered. He stuffed his hands in his back pockets as he stood up.

“I’m so sorry, Savannah,” Caroline whispered.

“I’ll see you again soon, won’t I?”

“Of course.”

Savannah and Grady walked down the porch steps with Caroline holding the sleeping Maggie. “Laredo and I are driving into Fredericksburg to talk to our builder next Wednesday. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be in our own home by October.”

The house would be empty without Savannah, but Grady refused to think about it. At least her new home wouldn’t be far from the ranch house, no more than a five-minute walk.

“The house plans are ready?”

Savannah looked inordinately proud. “Laredo and I finished going over everything Friday afternoon and gave our approval to the builder. You can’t imagine how much time and effort went into that.”

They reached the car and Grady opened the passenger door so Caroline could set Maggie down. The child didn’t so much as stir when Caroline placed the seat belt around her.

“Seeing as Laredo and I will be gone most of Wednesday, perhaps that would be a good day for you two to get together.” Savannah made the suggestion casually, as though she often arranged her brother’s schedule.

“Ah…” Grady was a little embarrassed by her obviousness.

“I can come over after work,” Caroline said, smiling at him. “But I don’t know if the sitter can keep Maggie.”

“Bring her with you,” Savannah said. “That’ll give the three of you time together. It’s important for Maggie to feel comfortable around Grady.”

He was warming to the idea. “Perhaps we could all go riding,” he said. “I’ve got a nice gentle horse I’ll put you and Maggie on.” He thought it would be fun to show them the herd and stop at a few special spots along the way. He was proud of the Yellow Rose.

“That would be wonderful!” Caroline sounded enthusiastic; her voice and movements seemed animated, even excited.

“Then it’s a date,” Grady said.

“I’ll see you soon.” Savannah turned to leave, hurrying back to the house.

Grady and Caroline stood in the yard, and Maggie slept on contentedly as a cool breeze passed through the open door.

“I’d better get going,” Caroline said.

Grady noticed the reluctance in her words, felt it himself.

“I’m glad we had a little time together, anyway.”

“Me, too.”

There was a moment’s silence, then Caroline did something completely out of character, something that stunned him. Without warning, she stepped forward and kissed him.

Caught by surprise, Grady was slow to react. A second later he clasped her in his arms, so deeply involved in the kiss that he didn’t care who saw them. Even Richard.

Neither one of them was able to breathe properly when the kiss ended. Their balance seemed to be affected, too. Grady gripped her elbows and she held on to his waist.

Their eyes met and she smiled the softest, sweetest, sexiest smile he’d ever seen.

“What was that for?” he asked, his voice thick with passion.

“For saving Maggie.”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “I once saved a wounded falcon.”

She kissed his cheek.

“It was hurt real bad.”

Her lips inched closer to his.

“Richard broke his arm when he was eight and I carried him home. Will you reward me with a kiss for that, as well?”

“Grady!” she protested with a laugh. “Enough.”

He loved the sound of her laughter. Because he wanted to hold her one last time, he scooped her into his arms and swung her around. Throwing back her head, she continued to laugh with such sheer joy it infected his very soul. They hugged for a long time afterward, content simply to be in each other’s arms.

This was heaven, Grady told himself. Heaven in its purest form.

* * *

GLEN WAS AT FRASIER FEED early Tuesday evening just as he’d promised. Ellie’d had a long grueling day; not only was the store exceptionally busy, their wedding was less than a month away and there was an endless list of things that needed to be done.

“I’m glad you’re on time,” she said, smiling at him, loving him. She marveled again at how they’d both been so incredibly blind to their feelings. Obtuse was the word for the pair of them.

“Hey, when was I ever late?” Glen teased.

Ellie rolled her eyes and hung the Closed sign in the shop window. She started toward the office where she kept her purse, but hadn’t gone far when Glen caught her hand and stopped her.

“Not so soon. Aren’t you going to let me know how pleased you are to see me?”

“I see you every day,” she reminded him.

“We aren’t even married and already you’re treating me like an old hat.” He wore a woebegone look.

Laughing, Ellie locked her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss he wouldn’t soon forget. Neither would she.

“Oh, baby,” he whispered, his eyes closed. “How much longer until the wedding?”

“Less than a month.” Her head buzzed with everything they still needed to do, to decide and plan. “Sometimes I wish we could just run away and get married.”

“That idea appeals to me more and more,” he murmured.

Ellie was tempted herself, but reason soon took over. “Your mother and mine would never forgive us.”

“In that case, let’s live in sin and give them something to really be upset about.”

Despite herself, Ellie giggled. “You always make me laugh.”

“I’m glad to know you find me a source of entertainment.”

“Always,” she joked, kissing him again, lightly this time.

He released her with a reluctance that warmed her heart. Ellie retrieved her purse from the office and tucked in her to-do list.

“When are we scheduled to meet with the Realtor?” Glen asked.

“Not until seven.” Where they would live had been a major decision. If she moved out to the ranch with Glen and Cal, she’d be commuting to Promise each day. If Glen moved into town, then he’d be the one commuting. In the end they’d decided to buy a house in town. Glen would continue working with his brother for a number of years, but hoped someday to start his own spread. When the time came, they’d buy a ranch closer to town, but that was years in the future.

Glen checked his watch. “Do we have time for a quick bite to eat?”

“If you want.”

He growled. “I’m starving.”

“All right, cowboy, let’s stop at the Chili Pepper for a quick sandwich.”

Only a few months ago Ellie’s life had been empty enough to swallow her whole. Her father had died, and then her mother had unexpectedly sold the family home and moved to Chicago. For the first time in her life Ellie had been utterly alone. That was when she realized how much she’d come to rely on her best friend—and eventually know how much she loved him.

They walked to the restaurant and managed to get a booth. Both were familiar enough with the menu not to need one. Ellie ordered the barbecue sandwich and a side of potato salad, and Glen chose a slab of the baby back ribs. He also asked for a pitcher of ice-cold beer.

“Dovie took me to lunch this afternoon,” Ellie said when the beer arrived.

“Anything going on with her these days?”

“She wanted to know how the wedding plans were coming along, and…” Ellie hesitated.

“And?” he prodded, pouring them each a beer.

“Have you met Dr. Dickinson yet?”

“Doc Cummings’s replacement? Not officially. Why?”

“Dovie asked if I’d, you know, take her under my wing.”

“The doctor?” Glen set his mug down on the table.

“Apparently she’s not adjusting to life in Promise.”

Glen relaxed against the red vinyl upholstery. “How do you mean?”

“She doesn’t fit in, and Dovie seems to think what she really needs is a friend, someone to introduce her to people, show her the ropes.”

“Do you have time for this?” Glen asked, zeroing in on Ellie’s own concern.

“Not just now.”

“Don’t think you’re going to have a lot of spare time once we’re married, either,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I plan on keeping you occupied myself.”

“Oh, really?” Although she enjoyed bantering with him, Ellie could feel the heat rise in her cheeks.

“What that doctor really needs is something or someone to occupy her time.”

“I suppose you’re going to suggest a man,” Ellie said.

“You got something against men?”

“Just a minute.” Ellie put down her mug too quickly, then used her napkin to wipe up the spilled beer. “You just might be on to something here.”

Glen frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Why don’t we introduce the new doc to Cal?” An idea was beginning to take shape in her mind and fast gaining momentum.

“My brother?” Glen sounded incredulous.

“Yes, your brother!” She snorted. “Do you know any other Cal?”

Glen stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Yes, I am. They’re perfect for each other.”

Glen slapped the side of his head, pretending there was something wrong with his hearing. “Let me get this straight. The woman I love, the very one who couldn’t see the forest for the trees, is about to take on the role of matchmaker.”

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