“You have anything to put on your hands?”

Leah looked up at Tyler, so close, and her breath caught on its way to give her words a voice. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for your help.”

He smiled then, the first time she’d seen him smile, and it was the kind of thing that turned a reasonably intelligent woman into a blithering idiot.

“You said that already,” he said.

“What?”

“You thanked me twice.”

Her brain scrambled for an appropriate response. “Once for each hand?”

He laughed at that, making her smile, too.

Leah broke eye contact, her thoughts fixated on the man who had helped her. The feel of his strong arm around her shoulders, not allowing her to fall. The way his smile totally changed his face. And those blue eyes that drew her with a power that would scare her if she thought about it.

For tonight, she chose not to think about it.

A Rancher to
Love
Trish Milburn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TRISH MILBURN writes contemporary romance for the Mills & Boon Cherish line and paranormal romance for the Mills & Boon Nocturne series. She’s a two-time Golden Heart® Award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips and a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. And from her earliest memories, she’s been a fan of Westerns, be they historical or contemporary. There’s nothing quite like a cowboy hero.

To Beth Pattillo and Page Pennington. Thanks for the help in brainstorming this and other Blue Falls stories at our MCRW winter retreat. Your ideas and support came right when I needed it.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Frustration and anxiety twisted Leah Murphy’s middle as she sat outside the sheriff’s department office. Which, of course, was completely irrational considering she was here to see her cousin Conner, one of the local deputies. But some part of her brain, the section that governed fight or flight, had her flashing back to the night when her apartment had been filled with uniformed officers.

No, she didn’t want to think about that here. She’d come to Blue Falls to leave the memories behind, but they seemed determined to stay adhered to her every thought like a supremely unwelcome guest. Like one of those people who didn’t understand the concept of personal space and insisted on invading it.

Leah gripped the steering wheel of her little crossover SUV and forced herself to take several deep...slow...breaths.

Her parents were concerned she was running from her problems and fears instead of confronting them, but she needed this. Needed the peace and calm and safety she’d always associated with Blue Falls. She looked out the windshield at the town’s quintessential American Main Street in the distance and allowed herself to believe that violence never visited here. She knew that wasn’t true. Every place, no matter the size and location, experienced violence of some type. But at least for now, she needed to believe the lie.

With another fortifying breath, she turned off the engine. Immediately, the Texas heat started to bake her like a potato in an oven with four wheels, prompting her to get out of the vehicle.

The door to the sheriff’s department office opened, and Leah couldn’t prevent a sharp intake of breath when a tall man stepped out. When would she stop being so jumpy? Then recognition hit the moment the man smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back at Sheriff Simon Teague.

“Hey, Leah. Conner said you were stopping by for a visit. I wanted to tell you that I got Keri one of your necklaces for her birthday and I earned major ‘Good Husband’ points. So thanks for that.”

Leah chuckled a little, which felt foreign, like a language she’d once known but had largely forgotten because she hadn’t used it in so long. She chose to look at it as a positive step, however small.

“Maybe that should be part of my business logo, ‘Keeping Husbands Out of the Doghouse.’”

“Sales would skyrocket.” Simon flashed another easy smile, making Leah think that Keri Teague was a lucky woman.

Leah wondered if she’d ever feel safe enough again to find her own happily-ever-after.

“Have a good visit.” Simon tapped the brim of his tan hat and headed for his department SUV.

Beginning to feel as though her fair skin was blistering under the brutal late July sun, she walked inside. The blast of cold from the air-conditioning hit her as equal parts shocking and welcome. Even before her eyes adjusted to being out of the bright sunlight, she heard a voice she’d known her entire life.

“Hey, cuz,” Conner said as he walked up to her and pulled her in to one of his bear hugs. After the initial, involuntary stiffening at being touched, she slowly relaxed and had to fight tears at how good it felt to see him, to be wrapped in the familiar embrace. Though they’d never lived in the same place, they’d always been close, having been born only a month apart. Though it had always been annoying how he crowed about being older than her. Brat.

“So what brings you out from the big city?” Conner released her and stepped back.

Leah glanced around the office and saw one other deputy she didn’t recognize—probably the replacement for Pete Kayne, who was a state trooper now and on his way to eventually becoming a Texas Ranger.

“Can we talk in private?”

The way Conner’s eyes widened a fraction told her the question surprised him, but then he nodded and motioned for her to follow him to the room they used for everything from lunch to interrogations.

Conner closed the door once they were in the room. She sank onto one of the chairs, the familiar exhaustion that came from lack of sleep weighing on her.

Conner sat in the chair at the end of the table next to her. “What’s up?”

Leah swallowed. “I was wondering if I could stay with you for a little while.”

Conner’s brows moved toward each other. “Wouldn’t you rather stay in Mom and Dad’s guest room?”

“No, I... I don’t really feel up to a lot of questions right now. And even though I asked Mom not to say anything, I wouldn’t doubt she’s talked to Aunt Charlotte.”

“About what?”

Leah picked at the cuticle on her thumb. “My apartment was broken into a couple of weeks ago, and... I was attacked.”

“Attacked?” Conner sat more rigid in his seat and asked the single-word question in a tone that said he was afraid of the answer.

She clasped her hands together. “Just some bumps and bruises, but... I can’t sleep there. I had to leave.”

“God, Leah, did they catch the guy?”

She nodded. “I managed to get my hand on his neck and pushed his head back against the coffee table. It gave me time to get away.” Barely. She swallowed against the lump in her throat threatening to cut off her breath. “The police arrived then.”

Brought by the call of a neighbor who’d heard crashing and her initial screams before her attacker had thrown her down on the couch and started tugging at her clothes. Chills scurried across her skin, and she rubbed against them to try to ward off the feeling of Jason Garton’s breath much too close, the rough way he’d pulled at her shorts, the primal fear for her life. The horror of the idea that she might be raped. And killed.

She couldn’t speak the details, not even to Conner. Not even to her mother. The only person she’d told was the female officer who’d escorted her into Leah’s kitchen and gently asked for an account of what had happened.

“Are you okay?” The concern in Conner’s voice was almost her undoing. Typically they were more likely to joke with each other, so to hear something so different, so sincere, caused that damn lump in her throat to balloon in size.

“I will be.” She hoped. Some days she literally jumped at her own shadow, then felt like a fool for doing so.

“I’d let you stay at my apartment, but I’m actually staying with Mom and Dad for a few days. My apartment flooded, and they’re having to replace the flooring and some of the drywall.”

Leah’s heart sank. She loved her aunt and uncle, but she wouldn’t find the peace and quiet she needed at their house. They would mean well—just like her parents did—but the idea of them constantly checking on her, always just being there, was more than she could handle right now.

“We can see if Skyler has any openings at the Wildflower Inn. How long are you going to be here?”

Tension knotted in her stomach as she realized she was going to have to tell him her plans sooner than she expected. That this was more than a visit. Though her parents thought she was acting too hastily, something inside her knew her decision to leave Houston and take up residence in Blue Falls was the right one. Even with Jason Garton behind bars, she still suffered from panic attacks each time she stepped into her apartment. Her rational brain knew the likelihood of yet another intruder lying in wait was miniscule, but that message didn’t get through to the place fear resided, ready to pounce at the least provocation.

Here she hoped she could feel safe and be far enough away from the noise and bustle of Houston that she could finally start thinking like a rational human being again. That she could reclaim the happy, creative, fun-loving person she’d always been.

“I’m not going back to Houston.” Just saying the words made it more real, and she didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared that she was losing her mind. Maybe the right answer was both.

Conner stared at her for a moment, and she feared a barrage of questions or that he would caution her against acting too rashly. Instead, he simply nodded.

“What are you looking for?”

The relief that washed over her made tears threaten. “I want peace and quiet, some solitude without being too alone.” She shook her head at her inability to properly vocalize the feeling of what she needed. “That probably doesn’t make sense.”

A jolt of her anxiety returned. In her mind, she really hadn’t examined options beyond staying with Conner. With him she thought she might feel safe. She feared being alone again, even in a different town. What if she felt just as scared in Blue Falls as she did Houston? What if the fear never went away?

Not wanting to hop that train of thought, Leah pushed the fears aside. She knew they’d reassert themselves later, but for now she wanted to enjoy a reprieve.

“It does make sense,” Conner said. “And I think I know the perfect place.”

* * *

TYLER LOWE WATCHED his five-year-old niece sitting on the opposite side of his kitchen table nibbling on her grilled cheese sandwich, quiet as the proverbial church mouse.

“Maddie, is the sandwich okay?” He wasn’t a fancy chef, but he thought he made a mean grilled cheese.

Maddie nodded but didn’t speak. She’d been like this for the past month, ever since her mother had dropped her on his doorstep almost without taking time to stop the beat-up car she was driving. His fists tightened as the familiar anger at his younger sister rushed to the surface again. Kendra had always been flighty, a handful for their parents, but she’d graduated to unfit mother when she’d started drinking and taking drugs. It was a sad state of affairs when a single rancher and farrier with no experience raising children was preferable to a child’s own mother.

Even so, each day he felt more like an abject failure. What had his niece endured that had turned her from a happy, energetic toddler to the quiet child who almost seemed scared of him? Once upon a time, she’d crawl up on his lap and pat his face with her chubby little fingers. But she likely didn’t remember that. Now she was no longer energetic or chubby, and he was just a guy her mother had left her with, someone she didn’t know anymore.

And he had no idea how to reach her.

He reverted back to silence, too, thinking how he needed to take her shopping for new clothes soon. Not surprising that Kendra had left the child behind with only one small bag of clothes and the stuffed puppy that was never far from Maddie’s side. Since her arrival, he’d bought her a few things. But with school right around the corner, she needed not only clothes and shoes but also school supplies. And when had school supply lists become as long as his arm, and for a kindergartner? Evidently she had to have everything from crayons to safety scissors to boxes of tissues.

A little more than a month ago, he’d have never thought he’d be enrolling a child in kindergarten for the fall. He was about as equipped to be a parent as a bull was to fly jumbo jets. And he was discovering that raising a kid was expensive, even if you just provided the basics. No wonder his sister had left her only child in his care. Yes, it was an unkind thought, but abandoning Maddie had been the last straw.

“Honey, why don’t you wrap up the other half of your sandwich and bring it with you?”

Maddie met his gaze, a tentative question in her pretty green eyes.

“I’ve got to go to another ranch to work on a horse’s feet.” And of course there was no way he was leaving a five-year-old home alone. He didn’t think a babysitter was a good idea either, at least not yet. His gut told him that being left with yet another person she didn’t know wasn’t the best thing for Maddie right now. He might not know what was, but that wasn’t it.

Maddie slipped out of her chair and wrapped her sandwich in a napkin. She held it in one hand and her puppy in the other. She didn’t even question that she had to go with him, which some instinct told him wasn’t normal. Weren’t kids her age normally full of questions, curiosity on steroids?

God, he hoped he figured out how to communicate with her soon. It was like living with a child who’d very nearly taken a vow of silence.

Maddie kept her sandwich wrapped as he drove toward town, but she did seem to be interested in the countryside. She sat up straight in the booster seat he’d gotten her.

He pointed across a field. “The couple who live in that house raise little horses. They’re only about as tall as you. Maybe we can go and see them sometime. Would you like that?”

Maddie hesitated for a minute but then nodded.

Okay, that was a tiny positive step. He wanted to ask her why she didn’t speak any more than she did, but he hoped waiting and being kind to her would lead to her speaking on her own. Maybe starting school next month would help. She’d be around other kids her age, at her level. He just crossed his fingers that the experience didn’t freak her out too much, the way it had Kendra when she’d started school. The school had called his mom because Kendra wouldn’t stop crying. It had taken what seemed like forever to his eight-year-old mind for his sister to stop bawling like a baby at school.

As they continued into town and then down Main Street, Maddie seemed to soak up all the sights. The people on the sidewalks, the displays in the windows, everything. There was a curious little girl in there if he could just figure out a way to get her to come out.

He spotted the small ice-cream stand that sat near the lake. Every kid liked ice cream, right?

“Hey, would you like an ice-cream cone?”

Maddie looked at him and he could tell from the bright look in her eyes that she wanted to say yes.

“I think I’ll have one, too. I like peach flavor. What do you like?”

“Strawberry.” Her response was almost a whisper, but at least it was something.

“Strawberry, good choice.”

They waited in line behind a small group of women who, judging by the bags they held, were in town for a day of shopping. When it was his and Maddie’s turn, he placed the order.

“This must be your niece.”

He turned at the sound and saw Verona Charles with her own niece, Elissa Kayne. “Yes, this is Maddie.”

Verona smiled as she leaned down to eye level with Maddie. “Well, aren’t you just the prettiest little thing.”

Maddie remained quiet, and he sensed that part of her wanted to take a step away from the other woman. Too many new people coming into her life too quickly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maddie,” Elissa said, speaking to her in a normal adult tone, not that cutesy kid voice most people used.

“You, too.” Two whole words. Progress.

Tyler met Elissa’s gaze, and he saw the questions there. But she was kind enough not to pry. No doubt the whole county had heard how Kendra had abandoned her daughter. He really hoped that knowledge didn’t trickle down to any of the kids who would be Maddie’s classmates because kids could be cruel to each other. And even though he didn’t know the specifics, he knew in his gut that Maddie had been through enough.

When their ice cream was handed through the window, he grabbed them and extended Maddie’s to her. She immediately took an enthusiastic lick, making him smile.

“She’s got the right idea,” Verona said. “Give me a double scoop of strawberry.”

As Verona started to turn toward him, he said, “We better be off. Work calls.”

The thing about living in a small town and everyone knowing your business was that you knew theirs, as well. And the mission in life for Verona Charles was to make sure she paired up every single person within a twenty-mile radius of Blue Falls. No, thank you. If he ever got married, it would be to a woman of his choosing with no outside prompting. But right now marriage was the furthest thing from his mind, although the thought had flitted through his noggin more than once that maybe having a wife would make Maddie’s transition easier.

But he wasn’t even dating anyone, so he’d have to figure this out on his own.

As he drove toward the ranch where he’d be working this afternoon, he let his thoughts wander over ways to up his income. He got along fine by himself plying his trade as a farrier and running a small herd of cattle. But things had changed the moment Maddie had become his responsibility. He supposed he could advertise his farrier services farther out from Blue Falls, but he figured most people with horses in the area already knew about him.

Maybe he’d get lucky and someone would rent the bunkhouse. The rental notice he’d put up on the community bulletin board at the Primrose Café had been up less than twenty-four hours, but he kept hoping it would bear fruit.

The bunkhouse had sat unused other than for some storage for years, so it made sense to try to make it generate some income. It wasn’t fancy, but it was sturdy and had a good roof.

Sure, he’d have to deal with someone else coming and going from the ranch, but it seemed the most expedient way of getting what he needed for his niece now and for however long she was with him. Kendra hadn’t said when she’d be back for her daughter, and Tyler wasn’t sure his sister would even remember she had a child. He knew one thing for sure. No way was Maddie going with her mother unless he was convinced Kendra had gotten her act together and was clean.

He glanced over at Maddie as she licked her ice cream. He might feel like a clueless wonder regarding how to interact with her, but there was no denying he’d do whatever he had to in order to protect her and give her what she needed, two things he feared his sister hadn’t done in a long time.

Just as he parked next to the barn where he’d be working the next couple of hours, his phone rang. When he answered, Conner Murphy was on the other end of the call.

“I saw where your bunkhouse is for rent,” Conner said. “Is it still available?”

“It is. You looking to move out of town?”

“No, it’s for my cousin Leah.”

Now that he had an actual bite on the bunkhouse, Tyler experienced a moment of doubt about having someone else on his land. But he glanced over at Maddie and thought about how much easier it would be to provide for her with extra income. He had the feeling she had wanted for a lot in her young life, and he didn’t want that to continue while she was under his roof.

After he and Conner discussed a few particulars, they set a time for Leah Murphy to come see the bunkhouse.

Tyler knew nothing about Conner’s cousin, but because of Maddie he felt better about possibly having a woman living next door than a man. He just hoped he was making the right decision about having anyone there at all. Though Maddie would likely have little or no interaction with his tenant, it was still another change. And the way he saw things, he and Maddie had both had enough changes for a good long while.

Chapter Two

Leah’s stomach churned at what suddenly felt like a ride on a runaway roller coaster. She hadn’t expected to find a potential new home so soon. If she were honest, she’d hoped it would take a while, time during which she could prepare herself for living alone again. Having to face that less than an hour after arriving in Blue Falls hadn’t remotely been part of her plan.

Leah knew she should be thankful, should take this as a sign that her decision to move to Blue Falls was the right one. Besides, there was no guarantee waiting longer would make the transition any easier. And the truth was that even if Conner’s place wasn’t currently uninhabitable, it was too small for two people who weren’t a couple and didn’t mind the close quarters.

“Tyler said he wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, so what do you say we go grab something to eat?”

Leah didn’t feel much like eating, but what else was she going to do to pass the time? Attempting to eat and talking with her cousin sure sounded better than sitting around waiting and allowing her anxiety to grow.

“You can’t beat that for timing,” Conner said as they headed down the street to the Primrose Café. “And Tyler’s a good guy.”

But a guy nonetheless.

Not wanting to appear ungrateful for Conner’s understanding and willingness to jump right in to help her, she gave him a smile. “Thank you.”

“That’s what awesome cousins are for.”

Her smile grew into a genuine one. She appreciated his levity.

Somehow she made it through the meal, managing to say the appropriate things at the appropriate times, both to Conner and all the friendly locals. By the time Conner had to head back to work, she was thankful for the blessed quiet of her car. When she slipped into the driver’s seat, she simply sat for several minutes, watching the comings and goings of the people who were going to be her new neighbors.

Using her phone, she pulled up a map of Tyler Lowe’s address. Conner had told her the bunkhouse wasn’t far from Lowe’s house. He’d shared that fact in a tone that meant he thought that would assure her, but once again her stomach twisted into knots.

Lowe’s ranch was a few miles out of town. Sure, she’d wanted peace and quiet, but would being out that far alone be even more frightening than what she’d left behind? If someone attacked her there, would there be anyone close by to hear her scream?

She shook her head, telling herself for the umpteenth time that just because she’d been attacked once didn’t mean it would ever happen again. Realistically, it probably meant the chances were less than they’d been initially. Plus, if there were fewer people around, didn’t that mean there was less of a chance that one of them would be the type to attack her in the first place?

The what-if game could drive her mad if she let it, so she gave herself a mental smack and looked in the rearview mirror. She smoothed her hair and made sure she didn’t look like death. She needed to convey “I’m a responsible adult who pays her rent on time.”

At least she hoped she could pay her rent on time. Thus, the need for getting her mind off what had happened and back on work. On finding her creative spirit again.

She paused with her hand clasping the keys in her ignition and took a slow, deep, calming breath before she ventured toward a new part of her life. On her way to her destination, she ran positive thoughts through her head. She would love this new place. She could afford it. She would feel safe and refreshed, inspired to create even more beautiful jewelry to sell in retail shops and online. It would feel like home.

When she reached the mailbox with the appropriate address, she turned off the highway onto a gravel drive that curved a couple of times before revealing a modest-sized house that had a few decades on it. Beyond it sat a barn and another structure that looked like a small wooden house with a low porch running the length of the front. That must be the bunkhouse, she guessed.

She talked down the part of her that wanted to turn around and retreat back to the safety of Conner’s presence. Common sense prevailed as she spotted a dark blue pickup truck parked in the shade, telling her that Tyler Lowe was most likely inside one of the buildings. When anxiety tried tying her insides in knots again, she reminded herself that Conner had told her Lowe was a good man. She had to trust that her cousin would never put her in harm’s way, especially not after she’d told him what had driven her to Blue Falls in the first place.

Of course, she hadn’t told him everything. She didn’t plan to ever share that with anyone she didn’t have to in order to make sure her attacker stayed in jail for as long as possible. Reliving those horrible minutes made her skin crawl.

Rallying the friendly personality that had been second nature to her before the attack, she slipped out of her car and went in search of Tyler Lowe. Her first instinct would be to approach the house, but a metallic banging drew her to the barn instead. As she crossed the space between where she’d parked and the barn entrance, the sound stopped. Her nerves started firing again, more so with each step she took toward the barn. What if Conner was wrong about Lowe?

Stop it!

Common sense told her that not all men were the type who’d attack a woman. After all, she’d gone more than twenty-nine years without being assaulted by any man whose path she crossed. She’d simply become the unlucky victim in the statistics game.

Leah approached the open barn door, determined to greet Tyler Lowe with her friendliest smile. She hadn’t counted on nearly colliding with a giant.

Her feet slipped on the gravel at the same time she gasped at the size of the man who’d stepped out of the barn. He reached toward her, probably to keep her from falling, but the gesture sent warning bells to clanging in her head and she managed to evade his touch. She took a couple of steps back as she righted herself.

“Sorry,” he said in a deep voice that matched his impressive height and solid build. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

After a couple of moments in which Leah fought hard against the visceral need to spin around and race toward her car, she somehow managed to wave off his concern. “It’s okay. I... I’m looking for Tyler Lowe.”

“You found him. Leah Murphy?”

She nodded, trying not to think about how the man in front of her was easily twice her size, maybe more, and could crush her without breaking a sweat.

He extended his hand and smiled. “Conner said you’d be coming by. Nice to meet you.”

Even though his smile seemed genuine, not the evil type her attacker had worn, it was all she could do to force her own hand toward his for a shake. The moment his big, undeniably strong hand wrapped around her much smaller one, panic exploded inside her. What if he didn’t let her go?

But after a quick shake, he thankfully released her. Judging by the curious look he gave her, she wouldn’t be surprised if he thought her a complete lunatic. She needed to pull herself together if she wanted to even have the choice of whether to rent this place.

“You, too,” she finally said.

“Come on,” he said with a nod to his right. “I’ll show you the place. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s in good physical shape. Has lots of space.”

When Lowe started walking along the gravel drive that led past the barn, her brain didn’t seem to want to send the appropriate message to her feet to follow him. Before he noticed her hesitation, she hurried to catch up. Of course, that was easier said than done considering his long legs easily outpaced hers without him even seeming to try.

As she tried to close the distance between them, she noticed just how wide his shoulders were, how solidly built he seemed to be. His tanned arms were no doubt strong if the cut of the muscles were any indication. His worn jeans clung to obviously muscled thighs and, she had to admit, a nicely made backside. Even with her nerves doing their best to overwhelm her, she still wasn’t blind to the fact that Tyler Lowe was a finely made man not much older than her, if she was guessing correctly. There was no hint of the older man she’d for some reason assumed him to be when Conner had told her he had a place for rent.

“This used to be the bunkhouse for the ranch hands when my father and grandfather had more acreage and ran a bigger herd,” he said as he stepped onto the long porch.

She imagined the inside as sparsely furnished and smelling like a locker room.

When Lowe opened the front door and motioned for her to precede him inside, her panic ratcheted up a notch. How could she possibly allow herself to be trapped inside by a man she didn’t know? But then she remembered the pepper spray in her purse and held on to the strap even tighter as she forced her foot across the threshold.

The main room into which she stepped wasn’t going to be featured on the cover of any home decorating magazines, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined it either. The room was filled with an older couch and chairs toward the front and a kitchen area on the back side. A long, wood, farm-style table and accompanying wood, ladder-back chairs divided the two areas. Off to the sides were doors leading to what appeared to be a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom.

“If you take it, feel free to spruce it up however you like. Doesn’t exactly have a feminine feel to it.”

No, it didn’t. But already she was imagining spreading out her work along that long table and having more space to store her supplies. That was a good sign considering she’d been completely unable to work since the attack.

Leah crossed the room and looked into the bedrooms and bath. Definitely an older feel, like it hadn’t been used in a while and needed a good airing out, but the space was nice and it was quiet. Still, she wondered if her mind and her fear would let her relax here, feel safe as she once had in her apartment.

She told herself she wouldn’t know the answer to those types of questions unless she took the leap. She had to live somewhere, and it wasn’t going to be Houston or her cousin’s couch. She turned to face the man who seemed to take up an inordinate amount of space in the room.

“You live there?” she asked as she gestured in the direction of the house down the drive.

He nodded. “I do. But you’ll have plenty of privacy. I do work on the ranch, but I’m gone a fair amount, too. I’m a farrier, so I’m called out to other ranches.”

Even so, would she be able to find any calm with him so close by? She considered telling him she’d think about it and then look for something in town, but a part of her just wanted to have the decision done.

“I’ll take it.”

Her answer seemed to surprise him for a moment before he nodded. “Good.”

They talked a bit about the rental agreement, and the fact that it was simply verbal without all the paperwork a place in the city required eased her concern some. The simplicity of life in a place like Blue Falls was just what she needed. She’d just have to get used to seeing Tyler Lowe and not imagining how easily he could hurt her.

* * *

TYLER HAD TO focus way harder than he should as Leah asked him how soon she could move in. But he really couldn’t be blamed for how difficult he was finding it to talk about mundane rental details when facing a woman as beautiful as Leah Murphy, could he?

Somehow he found the correct responses as his gaze roamed over her wavy, honey-blond hair and the pink tinge to her fair skin. He towered over her, and he wondered if it made her nervous. The way she eyed him and kept her distance made him think so. Which he supposed was understandable. He doubted he’d be comfortable around someone double his size and at least a foot taller than him either.

As they exited the bunkhouse, he wondered if he’d made a mistake renting it to the first person to express an interest. The last thing he needed right now was a distraction, and Leah Murphy was definitely that. He’d known Conner for years, so how in the world had he never met his stunning cousin?

Maybe he wouldn’t see her that often. Like he’d said, he was gone a good amount. And now he had Maddie to care for. Plus, Leah would have her own work. What did she do anyway? It had to be something that would allow her to move to a town as small as Blue Falls.

He glanced back at the bunkhouse as they walked away from it. He should be thankful he’d rented the place so quickly. The extra income would alleviate his concerns about providing for Maddie, and the bunkhouse had just been sitting there empty for a long time.

And he wasn’t exactly sure why he thought so, but something told him that Leah needed the place as much as he needed to rent it. Her reasons weren’t any of his business, but he couldn’t deny the curiosity. Conner had mentioned she’d lived in Houston. Moving to Blue Falls was a big change, and people usually had big reasons for that type of move.

As they reached her car, he noticed how she opened the door and placed it between them before she turned to speak to him.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

“It’s me should be thanking you.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the edge of her lips, enough that it had him wanting to know what she’d look like with a full smile.

Yeah, he was going to have to stay really busy.

Chapter Three

Leah jerked awake gasping for air, panic flooding her body. She scanned her surroundings, certain that Jason Garton was hiding in the unfamiliar shadows, on the verge of leaping out and finishing what he’d started. She lifted her hand to her neck, where she could still feel the tight grip of Garton’s large fingers pressing her down, preventing her from escaping.

Gradually, her heart rate slowed as she remembered where she was—her new home on Tyler Lowe’s ranch. After a couple of days at her parents’ house while she made arrangements for her move, she’d dared to hope the nightmares about her attack were past. All it took for them to return with a vengeance was a single night alone in the bunkhouse.

Knowing from experience that she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again, she threw off the thin quilt and got out of bed. With her pulse still faster than normal, she made the round of doors and windows, making sure they were all locked. Then knowing she was being paranoid, she checked all the rooms, including the closets. No Jason Garton. No threats of any kind, unless she counted the threat of possibly stubbing her toe on one of the boxes containing her belongings.

Holding her breath, she eased to the window closest to the front door and peeked out through the blinds. The night was pitch-black except for the lone security light that hung on a post between the house and the barn. Even Tyler’s house was dark. No doubt he was sound asleep as she should be. But then he probably didn’t have nightmares about being attacked in his own home, his very life at risk.

She released the blind, allowing it to fall back into place, and turned back toward the pile of boxes Conner had helped her unload earlier in the day. If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well make some progress on her unpacking before she convinced herself moving here had been a colossal mistake, solving nothing.

Tackling one box after another, she began to turn the bunkhouse into something resembling an actual home. Her clothes hanging in the closet, her dishes filling the kitchen cabinets, the patchwork quilt her grandmother had made for her draped over the back of the couch. When she reached the first of the boxes that held her jewelry-making supplies, she ran her hand across the plastic containers of colorful beads. The Swarovski crystals, pewter beads and Czech glass normally had her creativity tripping over itself with ideas. But that was before the night her life had been turned inside out, before the attack that had resulted in hundreds of her beads being catapulted in all directions as she’d tried desperately to reach something to free herself from Garton’s grip.

“No!”

She growled in frustration and pressed the heels of her hands against her temples, wishing she could banish memories of that night. Defying that core of fear that refused to leave her alone, she pulled out her supplies and filled the long dining table with boxes of beads, wire and assorted tools of her trade. She might not be ready to get back to work tonight, but she would not hide her supplies away anymore. They’d given her countless hours of enjoyment and the ability to make a living, much more than the one night they were tainted. She needed to remember that, remind herself as many times as necessary.

When she finally got everything unpacked, she noticed the windows didn’t look quite so dark anymore. A quick check through the blinds revealed the first pale light of day making its way across the ranch.

Leah considered collapsing back into bed. Maybe she’d become one of those people who slept during the day and kept night-owl hours for her work. But she’d always been someone who liked the early hours of the day when the world seemed to come alive again. Deciding to stay up and just call it an early night, she set a pot of coffee to brewing and took a quick shower. Maybe today was the day she’d really and truly reclaim her life and dive back into work.

Freshly showered and wearing clean clothes, she poured herself a cup of coffee and went out to sit in one of the old rocking chairs on her porch. She listened to the simple sounds of early morning, the birds chirping and a slight breeze stirring the tops of the trees on the opposite side of the gravel drive. She took a sip of her coffee and glanced to her right, noticing that the gravel ended a few yards beyond the bunkhouse but the drive continued on as a dirt surface until it reached a gate at the corner of the pasture. In the distance, she noticed a few head of cattle meandering out of the morning’s disappearing shadows.

Even though she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, this slice of peacefulness was more than welcome. Maybe she just needed more time to adjust, to find her way back to some normalcy.

The sound of footsteps had her jerking her attention in the opposite direction. The source of the sound proved to be Tyler striding from the house toward the barn. He didn’t look in her direction, giving her the opportunity to observe him from a distance. Now that he wasn’t so close, he didn’t seem so huge or imposing. Truthfully, her impression of his size had more to do with her own. It didn’t take much to tower over someone who was only a couple of inches over five feet. If she could keep him this far away, maybe she’d be able to relax more and not suffer from the irrational fear that he posed a threat.

From the safety of her porch, she thought about how differently she would have viewed Tyler had they met before the attack. Well, pretty much the same in the looks department. Despite her nervousness around him, she wasn’t blind to how handsome he was with those long, powerful legs, broad shoulders, nicely muscled arms. His short blond hair was a couple of shades darker than her own. But it was those blue eyes of his that could stop a woman in her tracks. She’d always been a sucker for a beautiful pair of eyes on a man, and Tyler Lowe definitely had that.

Too bad she wasn’t sure she’d ever be comfortable around a man again. Not for the first time she wished she were taller, stronger, more able to protect herself.

Should she make an attempt to get to know Tyler? Befriend him? Would it help her past her fear or just compound it? She sighed as the parade of questions about her future picked up speed in her mind.

After leisurely enjoying her coffee, she faced the fact that she couldn’t simply sit on the porch all day. She had to be productive, take another step into her new life. When she realized she was waiting to catch another glimpse of Tyler, she forced herself inside the bunkhouse. Ready or not, she had to work. Though he seemed like a nice enough guy based on their limited interactions, she doubted Tyler would let her stay in her current accommodations for free.

She eyed the supplies on the table, hoping inspiration would strike. When her creative side stayed on hiatus, she instead started making a list of other tasks she could tackle in the meantime. Most important, she needed to arrange for internet access and go buy some groceries. What she’d brought from her apartment wouldn’t last more than a day or maybe two if she stretched it.

Wanting to keep her distance, she texted Tyler to ask if he had any issue with her getting internet access set up at the bunkhouse. She found herself staring at her phone, waiting for the answer. When none came, she set it aside and began writing out her grocery list. That was a normal activity, and hopefully it would be another step toward leaving the attack and the fear in the past.

The sound of what she assumed was Tyler’s voice drew her to the window. Maybe he was on the phone and that’s why he hadn’t texted her back yet.

But when she looked toward the house, she saw him walking toward his truck, a little blonde girl at his side. The child couldn’t be more than five or six years old.

Leah didn’t remember him saying anything about having a child, and now she wondered if Tyler was married. Was there a wife in the house whom she also hadn’t seen? That certainly made her feel bad about appreciating how good-looking Tyler was, but having another woman on the ranch might help Leah relax and grow more comfortable around her landlord.

Despite the fact he might very well be a married man, Leah couldn’t pull her gaze away from Tyler as he helped the little girl into the truck and fastened her in to her seat. Was there anything sexier than a handsome man caring for a small child?

Tyler shut the door and glanced toward the bunkhouse. Leah squeaked and stepped back from the window. Thank goodness she wasn’t still sitting on the porch staring at him. She didn’t need him or a potential wife seeing that, not if she didn’t want to be packing up to move out a day after moving in.

She waited until she heard Tyler’s truck start up and leave before she grabbed her grocery list, purse and keys and headed to her own vehicle. As she drove past the house, she glanced at the windows but saw no one. It struck her as strange that she didn’t know whether to be disappointed or grateful.

As she drove into Blue Falls a few minutes later, the tightness of her muscles relaxed. The combination of daylight, a good number of people going about their business, and the warmth she’d always felt this community generated allowed her to breathe more easily. It also made her wonder if she’d made a mistake moving out into the country alone.

Leah shook her head as she drove through the downtown area. She was “borrowing trouble,” as her mother was fond of saying. Neither Tyler nor her new home had truly given her any reason for concern. She was just allowing the dark parts of her imagination to run wild. Rather than working or settling into her new community, the top item on her to-do list was to stop imagining the worst was going to happen. She was allowing Jason Garton to continue to victimize her even though he was sitting in a jail cell more than two hundred miles away. And that made her angry more than anything else.

She parked at the grocery store and headed inside, determined to make today, her first as a full-time Blue Falls resident, a good one. In fact, she was in the mood to bake something sinfully delicious and headed straight for the baking aisle. She decided on caramel brownies and tossed the necessary ingredients in her cart then headed toward the next aisle.

“Leah!”

She jumped but then realized she recognized the female voice. India Parrish stood in between the end of the aisle Leah had just left and the meat counter along the back wall.

“Hey, India. How are you?”

“Great.” India glanced at Leah’s cart. “So it’s true? You’ve moved to Blue Falls?”

Leah nodded. “Yeah, brand-new resident as of yesterday.”

“That’s awesome, and just in time. I’m down to the last piece of your jewelry in my shop.”

“Glad to hear it’s selling.” Her bank account would be equally as happy. And speaking of, she supposed she needed to transfer that, as well.

“Like hotcakes. I tried placing another order a few days ago, but I hadn’t heard anything in response.”

“Oh, sorry about that. Been having some site issues.” As in she’d barely looked at it since the attack. “I’m actually in the process of getting reconnected here, so I’ll get your order to you as soon as I can.”

Which meant she had to work no matter if she felt inspired or not.

India waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “No worries. I’m sure you have lots to do to get settled. I heard you rented the old bunkhouse out at Tyler Lowe’s place.”

“Yeah.” Leah resisted the urge to ask India about Tyler, to get a second opinion on whether he was a good guy, safe to be around, whether he was married.

India waved at a blonde Leah didn’t know, and the other woman carried her hand basket over to where they stood.

“Gina, this is Leah Murphy. She’s the one who makes the beautiful jewelry I’ve had in the front display case at the shop. Leah, Gina Tolbert.”

Gina extended her hand for a shake. “You do lovely work. I had my eye on a lapis and pearl necklace of yours, but I waited too long and someone snapped it up. That’ll teach me to hesitate when I see something I want.”

“I’m sure you could convince Leah to make another for you,” India said with a smile that accentuated her natural beauty.

“Of course.” Maybe if she forced herself to start working again, it would actually take her mind off the things she didn’t want to think about in the first place.

“Leah has just moved here.” India met Leah’s eyes. “Gina has only been here a few months herself.”

“I’ve spent some time here over the years, though. My mom moved here when I was in my senior year of high school, when she got remarried. Though I stayed in Waco with my dad so I could finish school with my friends.”

“We’re lucky to have Gina here now, though,” India said. “She’s the new head of the tourist bureau, and she’s got so many great ideas to keep the local economy booming that she’s got all of our heads spinning.”

As the two women told Leah about the addition of photography classes by the local-wildflower tour company, the budding wedding industry, and how the rodeo crowds were growing and thus drawing bigger-name talent, Leah couldn’t help feeling their excitement.

India placed her hand atop Leah’s where it sat gripping the handle of the shopping cart. “And this will be perfect for you. We’re planning to have an arts and crafts trail soon where tourists can follow a map from one artist or craftsperson’s shop to the next. They can watch the artists at work and buy their wares. I can see you being really successful with that, as long as I still get some of your stuff for Yesterwear.”

“I can get you what information we have so far,” Gina said.

“Thank you.” In theory, Leah liked the idea a lot. But just thinking about strangers showing up at her doorstep had her stomach clenching and her skin prickling with chills. Not to mention the fact that it wasn’t truly her home to do with as she liked. She doubted Tyler wanted strangers coming and going all the time, especially when he had a child’s safety to consider.

“So what brought you to Blue Falls?” Gina asked.

Leah forced a small smile. “Just ready for a change. And I’ve always liked it here.”

“Leah is Conner Murphy’s cousin.”

If she hadn’t been looking at Gina, Leah would have missed the slight widening of her eyes. In a blink, the reaction was gone. What was that about? Hmm, perhaps she needed to ask her cousin about the pretty Miss Tolbert.

“Sorry to run, but I’ve got a meeting in twenty minutes.” Gina gave a little wave and headed off toward the front of the store.

“I should finish up, too,” Leah said. “Based on this conversation, I’ve evidently got lots of work to do.”

India gave her a quick hug. “Don’t forget what I said about the arts and crafts trail. It could really introduce your work to a lot of new people if it’s as successful as we hope it’ll be.”

“I’ll think about it.” She couldn’t promise more than that.

“When you get settled, give me a call or drop by the shop. We’ll have lunch.”

“Sounds good.” And it did, but Leah suddenly felt exhausted by the conversation. The need to retreat to her new home swamped her, but she did her best to shove those feelings away and continue her shopping.

When she’d finally finished and stowed everything in the back of her car, she sank into the driver’s seat feeling as if she’d just run a marathon. How could one event in her life change her so much? Rob her of her energy, her true personality?

She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles whitened. Damn Jason Garton. She wanted nothing more than to move beyond what had happened, but it looked like it was going to take more than a move to bring that to fruition.

Her phone buzzed, startling her. When she saw it was Tyler, a frisson of warmth zipped along her skin. She ran her hand back across the top of her head. How could she be so nervous around Tyler while also attracted? It was as if her old self and the one that had emerged after Jason Garton had invaded her life were dueling for primacy.

She tapped her phone’s screen and read the simple response to her earlier text.

No problem.

Only two simple words, and yet she imagined hearing them in that low-timbre voice. Maybe she should take her reaction as a good sign that she was on the road back to her normal self, nothing more.

But as she drove toward the ranch, she couldn’t stop hearing his voice in her head and even imagining him saying something other than the words necessary to answer her questions as his tenant. Something romantic. Something she suspected she wasn’t really ready to hear, from anyone.

Chapter Four

Tyler slid his credit card through the reader on the gas pump then selected the appropriate grade. As he started filling the truck with gas, Greg Bozeman walked out of one of the auto service bays, wiping his hands on a blue shop towel.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Greg asked as he approached.

“Can’t complain.”

“That have anything to do with your new roomie?”

“Huh?”

“Topic of the day around town is that Leah Murphy moved in out at your place.”

Tyler sighed. “I rented the bunkhouse to her.”

“As I recall, that’s pretty close to your house.”

Tyler lifted an eyebrow. “When did you become an old gossip?”

Greg’s grin was full of mischief, not at all unusual for him. “Service stations are just as much a hotbed of gossip as the barbershop or the front corner of the Primrose in the mornings.”

Tyler snorted. Leave it to the biggest flirt in town to know almost to the moment when a new woman moved to the county. “Don’t you have a car or twelve to fix?”

“I can multitask.”

Tyler shook his head as he pulled the gas nozzle from the truck’s tank and replaced it back in the pump. “As far as I know, she’s free, if that’s what you’re after.”

“Not the road for me. She already turned me down. Can you believe that?”

Tyler braced his hand atop the gas pump. “Wait, you’ve already asked her out and she’s only lived here a day?”

“Nah, it was a few months ago, when she was here visiting Conner and his family. I pulled out my best stuff, too.”

A bark of laughter escaped Tyler. “And she turned you down. That’s got to be a first. I don’t know the woman well, but at least now I know she has taste.”

“Cold, man. Cold.”

Tyler laughed again as he rounded his truck. When he caught sight of Maddie coloring yet another page in the book she’d gotten at the café, he reined in his laughter.

“You must really like that coloring book.”

Maddie hesitated in the strokes with the red crayon she was using before finally nodding. He went back over what he’d said, wondering how her five-year-old brain had interpreted it. Because he’d sensed concern as she’d paused in her coloring.

“That’s good,” he finally said, hoping to ease whatever was on her mind. “We can get you some more soon, if you’d like.”

When he thought he caught a hint of a smile trying to tug at her lips, his heart lightened. He’d buy her a hundred coloring books if it would make her really smile and maybe let down her guard. Because even though she was only five, that’s what was happening. For some reason, there were walls erected around his niece.

As he pulled out onto the road, she closed the coloring book and watched everything they passed the way she did every time they went anywhere. She was like a tourist in a foreign country for the first time, soaking up all the unfamiliar sights. He searched for some way to engage her in conversation but came up frustratingly empty. Instead, he let his mind wander back over the events of the day until they landed on the brief conversation with Greg, specifically the fact that Greg had asked Leah out.

He tried to imagine Leah with Greg, and he couldn’t picture it. Leah seemed like a quiet person, reserved, perhaps a touch shy. Which was surprising considering her cousin was not that way. But he guessed if siblings could be like night and day, it shouldn’t be a surprise if cousins were.

As he drove back toward the ranch, he wondered about his new tenant, if the situation would work out. He’d probably already made mistakes, such as not even asking what she did for a living and where she intended to work, if perhaps she already had a job before moving to Blue Falls. But really, as long as she paid her rent, didn’t host wild parties and wasn’t doing anything illegal, he shouldn’t care. He admitted to himself he was more curious than anything.

When he pulled up beside the house a few minutes later, he saw no sign of her other than the fact her car was parked next to the bunkhouse. He supposed she was still getting settled. As he got out of his truck and Maddie released herself from her seat and headed for the house with her coloring book and crayons, he resisted the urge to go check on Leah, to see if she needed anything. He reminded himself that distance was a good thing. His number one concern was his niece, followed by his work, which meant he didn’t have a lot of free time for chatting up his new neighbor.

No matter how pretty she was.

* * *

LEAH OPENED A box of beads and ran her fingers across the familiar and colorful glass, hoping a flash of inspiration would shoot up her arm to her brain. She went from box to box, knowing she had to work no matter if she felt inspired or not, but it would certainly be easier. She needed something, anything to spur her creativity.

Without thinking about it, she strolled to the window and looked toward the house. She’d heard Tyler’s truck pull in a few minutes ago but saw no sign of him, the little girl or any possible wife now. But a strange pull tugged at Leah. Despite the fact that she’d been most comfortable behind locked doors since the attack, she suddenly felt as if those protective walls were closing in on her. Desperate for air, she jerked open the front door and stepped out onto the porch, leaving the door open behind her.

Despite the fact the heat of the day was still cloaking the ranch, the porch sat in the shade. She inhaled a slow, deep breath as the wave of uncharacteristic claustrophobia ebbed. A bird sang nearby, hidden somewhere in the trees across the drive. She closed her eyes and focused on the notes of its song, which found their way into her and allowed her muscles to relax and a sort of peace to soothe her. For the first time since arriving at Tyler’s ranch, she thought maybe it hadn’t been a mistake after all. She’d wanted peace, and this moment of connection with nature provided it.

She kept her eyes closed, afraid if she opened them the feeling would evaporate. But after several moments, the bird’s song stopped. Leah opened her eyes in time to see a flash of yellow as the bird took flight. Though the bird hadn’t been loud, the quiet it left behind was remarkable. As she listened, all she heard was an almost undetectable breeze rustling the leaves. The absence of traffic noise told her more than the knowledge of its distance that Houston and what had happened to her there were indeed far away.

When the air-conditioning unit for the bunkhouse clicked on, she jumped at the interruption of the quiet. Then she remembered that the front door was standing wide open, letting all the cool air outside.

Leah spun on her heel and walked back inside the bunkhouse. She actually thought she might be able to work now, but not inside. Despite the fact that the songbird had left, she found she wanted to sit outside and soak up more of what this slice of the Hill Country had to offer.

Thinking about what Gina had said earlier at the grocery, Leah selected the necessary supplies to replicate the necklace the other woman had admired. As she placed the materials around the rocking chair on the porch and took a seat, a whiff of her normal joy at immersing herself in work flirted at the edge of her mind, but was quickly gone, so quickly she actually wondered if she’d imagined it. Maybe the simple act of going through the familiar motions would lead her back to where she wanted to be.

Though she wasn’t yet able to capture the usual excitement of creation, it felt good to be doing something productive. Her experience let her put together the necklace without a ton of thought. When she finally finished it, she held it up so that she could examine how it hung on the chain and make sure she hadn’t made any mistakes.

Movement from down the drive drew her attention. The little blonde girl she’d seen with Tyler stood next to one of the farthest trees, about two-thirds of her body hidden behind the trunk of the red oak. When she saw that Leah had noticed her, she stepped farther out of sight.

Not wanting to scare the child, Leah didn’t make any move toward her. Instead, she simply gave her a little finger wave. The girl didn’t respond, instead staring for a couple of moments longer before turning and hurrying back toward the house.

Smart girl, not talking to or coming close to a stranger. Or perhaps Tyler had told her to keep her distance. Leah could totally understand that. Though she was harmless to the girl, Tyler couldn’t know that. He’d barely spoken to her, knew not nearly enough about her to trust allowing his daughter to be alone with her.

Leah watched until the girl disappeared around the back of the house, then returned her attention to her work. A sense of accomplishment, that she’d taken what felt like a huge and important step in her recovery, settled in her chest. Hoping to build on that, she selected the appropriate pieces to make a set of earrings to complement the necklace. If Gina didn’t want them, then Leah could always put them up for sale on her site or offer them as part of the replenishment stock for India’s store.

She was midway through wrapping the wire for the second earring when her phone rang. A quick look at the display showed it was her aunt Charlotte calling. Leah exhaled, afraid she was about to be bombarded with questions despite Conner’s assertion that he’d head that off at the pass. She supposed she was lucky she hadn’t had to face her aunt and uncle before now.

Knowing that she couldn’t avoid them now that they lived in the same town, she answered on the third ring. “Hey, Aunt Charlotte.”

“Hello, dear. How are you settling in?”

“Fine. Just doing a bit of work.”

“Well, hopefully you have time to spare for dinner tonight. Your uncle is grilling steaks.”

Leah wasn’t sure she was up to socializing yet, but then she told herself she needed to be. The quicker she resumed normal activities, the sooner she could truly get her life back and not think about what had happened all the time.

“Sounds great.” Yeah, so great her stomach chose that moment to start spinning in circles.

When she hung up, she spotted Tyler striding from the house to the barn. He glanced her way and after a moment’s hesitation, he lifted his hand for a single wave.

She waved back, her stomach tumbling in a very different way. How was it possible for her to feel flutters of physical attraction so soon after her attack? That question sent awful chills racing over her skin, stinging her everywhere Garton’s hands had touched her flesh.

Her peaceful afternoon shaken, she gathered up her supplies and carried them back inside. When her phone rang again, she startled and nearly dumped everything in her arms. Just the thought of hearing beads fall against the floor and spread out in all directions made nausea rise up within her.

Thinking it was her aunt again, she eased the plastic containers onto the table then pulled the phone from her shorts pocket. Instead of Charlotte, the name on the display belonged to her best friend, Reina.

Anxious to hear her friend’s voice, she quickly answered before the call could go to voice mail. “Hey, there. How’s the mom-to-be?”

“Fat and craving things that shouldn’t be fit for human consumption.”

Leah smiled. “You know you’re beautiful.”

Reina snorted. “That’s a lie but I’ll take it. But the real question is how are you? How’s life in the boonies?”

“I didn’t move to the Australian Outback, you know.”

“Close.”

Leah laughed a little, and it felt foreign and welcome at the same time. “I’m completely unpacked.”

“Good, but that’s not what I mean. Do you still believe it was the right decision?” Reina might tease her about her choice of new home, but she was the one person who’d supported her decision with no questions asked. She also hadn’t pressed for details about the attack, knowing that Leah wasn’t at a place where she could share that yet.

“It will take some getting used to, but I think so, yes.”

“That’s good. Maybe I’ll challenge my GPS to actually find where you live once this beach ball I’m carrying decides to make an appearance.”

That would mean she wouldn’t see her best friend for at least another five months. “I look forward to it. Now, tell me, have you chosen a name yet?”

“Taylor and Caleb.”

“Well, at least you’ve narrowed it down from the grocery list of names you had the last time I talked to you.”

“No, that’s the final names. Seems I’m having twins.”

“Twins?” Leah nearly squealed. “How are you just now finding this out?”

“One of the little boogers has been hiding. If I figure out which one, he’s grounded as soon as he’s born.”

Leah laughed again, and it filled more of her this time, reminding her of how much she’d laughed with Reina over the years.

After they talked about the babies some more and how Reina’s husband, Jacob, was working more hours in order to save up for buying twice the amount of baby supplies than they’d expected, Reina shifted the topic of conversation back to Leah.

“So, tell me about your place.”

“It used to be the bunkhouse on a ranch. Tyler said his father and grandfather used to have a bigger operation and their extra hands lived here.”

“Tyler’s your landlord?”

“Yeah.”

“Good guy?”

“Conner says so. I’ve honestly not had much contact with him. He has a little girl, but I’ve not talked to her at all. Cute little thing, though.”

“So this Tyler isn’t some old coot wearing overalls?”

“Hardly.”

The line was silent for a long moment before Reina said, “Oh?”

Leah heard the caution in her friend’s voice but also the curiosity. The way she’d responded to Reina’s question echoed in her head, revealing more than she’d intended, more than she’d truly realized. Despite what had happened to her and how nervous she’d been around men ever since, especially someone the size of Tyler, she couldn’t deny that she found him attractive. But that didn’t mean she had to go into details with her friend. More than likely, her reaction to Tyler was just a reminder that she could still be attracted to a man. Now if she could just stop being so riddled with fear around them. She had to find the appropriate level of caution that lay somewhere between fear of all men and unconcerned, but right now it felt like finding that place was as likely as her scaling Everest.

“Just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean everyone here is a yokel.”

“I know. I just thought... Never mind. I’m glad you like it. I really do look forward to visiting you there.”

“Well, for now I think you just need to take care of yourself and those babies.” Leah shook her head. “Wow, two. That’s kind of wild.”

“Tell me about it. Though it does explain why I’m the size of a football stadium.”

They talked for a few more minutes before Reina said she had to go. Leah hated to end the call but understood. She’d just tapped the end button when knocking at the door caused her to yelp and fumble her phone so much she dropped it. She picked it up then crept toward the window, her heart beating so hard she felt the pulse against her eardrums, and looked out.

Tyler stood outside with another man. When she looked closer, she realized the second man wore a uniform. Then she remembered about the internet installation. Trying to slow her heartbeat, she crossed to the door and opened it.

She managed to meet Tyler’s eyes, his lovely blue eyes, and her breath caught. Then he took a step closer and the fear that was her constant companion shot up like a puck in a strong-man game at a fair. She gripped the edge of the door, ready to slam it in their faces.

But Tyler stopped moving, and his eyes narrowed a fraction as if he’d noticed her reaction and wondered at its cause. Her concern shifted directions, now causing her to worry that she’d offended the man who provided a roof over her head and a place to start over.

He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Cameron is here to hook up your internet service.”

Leah mustered a smile and forced her fingers to relax on the door, though she didn’t release it entirely. “It’s nice to meet you. Please come in.” She hoped she sounded hospitable even if she felt as if she might pass out from the overload of fear coursing through her.

Cameron came inside and asked her questions about what she’d be using the service for and told her something about download speeds. They made sense in the moment he said the words but disappeared in the next. She’d thought Tyler would leave once he’d introduced Cameron, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood in the corner next to the front door, not saying anything but just...being.

Nerves of a different sort started dancing inside her. She honestly wasn’t sure if she was glad he’d stayed or not. On the one hand, his presence seemed reassuring, able to easily protect her should the need arise. The height and breadth of the man were truly impressive, and a flicker of attraction tried to assert itself inside her. Honestly, it did more than try. Tyler Lowe was an attractive man. Really attractive. But he also made her feel so incredibly small and breakable.

But she was intensely aware that she was alone with two men she really didn’t know, in a place where she could cry out for help in her loudest voice and never be heard.

Common sense nudged its way into her thoughts, asking how likely it was that Tyler would attack her when he had a small daughter not far away. He’d seemed to take care with the child, so that indicated he was a decent human being, right?

The cacophony of questions and concerns competing for primacy in her head made her want to scream for them all to shut up and just leave her alone.

“You okay?”

The sound of Tyler’s deep voice drew her out of her thoughts.

“Uh, yeah. Just have a bit of a headache.” Not exactly a lie.

Tyler’s gaze left her and scanned the room. “Looks like you got settled quickly.”

“Yeah, the positive side of insomnia.”

“Takes a while to get used to a new place, I guess.”

“Have you lived here your whole life?” What happened to keeping her distance? But it would be rude to not try to converse with him, instead standing there not even acknowledging his presence.

“Yep.”

She searched frantically for an appropriate response, made more difficult by the simple fact he seemed to take up so much space. “You’re lucky. It’s a beautiful area.”

“Yeah, it is.”

They fell into a silence so awkward that she had to concentrate on not fidgeting.

“Well, I’ve got work to do,” he said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

She glanced toward him, meeting his eyes for a moment before he stepped out the door. After a few thuds of her heart, she moved to the window and watched Tyler’s retreating form. As his final words before leaving replayed in her head, a crazy response coalesced in her mind. In those couple of seconds when their gazes had met, a part of her mind whispered that she wanted him to be her protector, to banish all the darkness that haunted her.

But that was weakness talking, and she needed to be strong. If she was to move beyond what happened, she had to find a way to banish the darkness and fear all on her own.

Chapter Five

Tyler walked into the cooler interior of the barn, intent on trimming the hooves on his horse, Comet. He spent so much time caring for other people’s horses that he had to carve out time for the care of his own. But when he reached Comet’s stall, he stopped outside and gripped the top of the stall door.

His insides were still rattled from his encounter with Leah, and he wasn’t even sure why. Yes, she was pretty, but seeing a pretty woman wasn’t so rare an occurrence that he should feel as if all the cells in his body were swimming around in confusion, unable to find their rightful place.

Add to that the powerful urge to protect her, and he had the crazy thought that maybe all this was an intense dream and he’d wake up and not even have a tenant in the bunkhouse.

He shook his head and scratched Comet’s forehead along the white, comet-shaped blaze that had inspired the horse’s name. The feeling of warm, living horse beneath his fingers told him this wasn’t a dream. He really was having unexplainable reactions every time he was near Leah.

Tyler reasoned that any decent man would have had the protective feelings when faced with the look in Leah’s eyes. She’d been scared, but he couldn’t figure out why. Did he scare her? Or was it Cameron? What reason had they given her to feel that way? Or was she just the nervous type, especially around men? He supposed that made sense considering how small she was, how difficult it would be to fight off unwanted advances.

He certainly hoped she didn’t think he’d take advantage of her. Steering clear of any unnecessary interaction seemed more important than ever when faced with that possibility.

He retrieved his tools and got to work. Because he’d done it so many times, trimming more hooves than he could possibly remember, his thoughts drifted back to the way Greg had teased him. That was the main drawback of a small town: how people felt free to comment on or tried to steer your life the way they thought it should go. Not that Greg cared one way or the other, but there were those who did, those who would assume that a single man his age living in close proximity to a woman who looked like Leah would naturally lead to romantic involvement. He had to make sure those types of rumors didn’t get started or were quashed quickly if they did. He wasn’t sure what his legal status would be with Maddie if someone decided to question how fit he was to be her unofficial guardian. He didn’t need anyone asking where her mother was, when she was coming back, because he had no idea. Part of him wondered if he’d ever see Kendra again.

He knew he should be sad at the possibility of never seeing his sister again, but more than anything he was angry. What kind of person abandoned her child, especially one as young and vulnerable as Maddie?

The sound of an engine starting, followed by the crunching of gravel, told him that Cameron must be finished with the internet installation. Only a few minutes went by before another engine started, indicating that Leah was leaving, as well. He couldn’t help wondering where she was going. Did she get a job?

He glanced up as she drove past the entrance to the barn, and he sighed. It didn’t matter where she was going. The only thing he needed to wonder about Leah Murphy was whether she would pay her rent on time. Not where she was going. Not how she spent her time at home. And not whether she was involved with anyone.

* * *

“LEAH, HONEY, CAN you help me in the kitchen?”

Leah sighed inwardly, knowing that her aunt’s request probably had very little to do with her need for an extra set of hands to carry food to the table.

Why hadn’t she put this gathering off a while longer? She could have claimed she was still busy getting unpacked, or too tired, or trying to finish filling an order for jewelry. As she followed her aunt into the kitchen through the French doors that led out to the patio where her uncle was grilling, she told herself she might as well get this conversation over with instead of continuing to dread it.

In fact, maybe it would be better to bring it up herself instead of letting Charlotte direct things.

“I know that Mom has probably told you what happened despite the fact that I asked her not to,” Leah said as she stepped up to the marble-topped kitchen island.

“She’s worried about you, dear.”

“I know. And before you ask, I’m fine.”

“So fine you picked up and moved.”

Leah met her aunt’s gaze. “I’m not going to stand here and lie to you by saying that what happened hasn’t affected me, because it did. And my way of getting past it is to make some changes in my life. But I didn’t move to somewhere sight unseen. You know I’ve always liked Blue Falls.”

“But you’ve always lived in the city.”

“And now I live in the country. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

Charlotte pressed her lips together, as if forcibly preventing herself from asking anything else, then finally nodded once. She turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a heaping bowl of homemade mashed potatoes and then another of coleslaw.

“That looks delicious,” Leah said.

“Thank you. It’s nice to cook for someone besides Tom and myself.”

“You mean Conner isn’t over here all the time making you feed him and do his laundry?”

Charlotte laughed. “No, not usually. Even he seems to manage feeding and clothing himself.”

They carried the bowls along with a basket of bread to the dining room table.

“So how is your new place really? I hear it’s an old bunkhouse. That doesn’t sound very homey.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll spruce it up over time.”

“You know we have perfectly good empty bedrooms here.”

Her aunt meant well, but the last thing Leah wanted was a concerned family member watching her every move, reminding her through sympathetic looks that she’d been a victim of a crime, one that had shaken her to her core and filled her with a fear she’d never known before.

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