He looked downright irresistible.

Propped alongside his daughters in their bed, he was engaged in his nightly ritual of bedtime. The girls were sleepy as he read them a story.

Marissa took a moment to look at him, so handsome, so sexy.

She just stepped into the room when one of the girls said, “Daddy, we’ve been thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Grady asked.

“That we’d like to have a new mommy,” she announced, so innocent it tugged at Marissa’s heart. “And if you married Marissa, she’d be our new mommy.”

The room was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop. That’s all Marissa could think of as the child’s announcement echoed around the room.

Then blood rushed from her face and she gave a tiny gasp. Grady’s neck snapped around and he looked at her. Stared at her. Through her. Into that place she allowed only him.

She waited for him to gently tell his daughter that it was impossible. That people only got married when they were in love.

What he said made her heart pound …

* * *

The Cedar River Cowboys: Riding into town with romance on their minds!

Three Reasons to Wed

Helen Lacey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

HELEN LACEY grew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Mills & Boon Special Edition, where she can create strong heroes with a soft heart and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website www.helenlacey.com.

For my lovely friend Kathi Hillier, One of the best people I know.

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

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Marissa Ellis pulled up outside her aunt’s house in Cedar River and switched off the ignition. The old home looked shabby and tired. Kind of like me. But she quickly pushed the thought aside. For the moment she had more important things to think about than her own complicated situation. Aunt Violet was recovering from a fall and would be in the hospital, then rehab, for at least a month. Which meant Marissa needed to be in South Dakota to look after the small ranch.

It was the least she could do for the great-aunt who had taken her in following the death of her mother when Marissa was twelve. She’d spent six years living on the ranch. Until she’d finished high school. Until a scholarship meant college. After college, there was an internship at one of the most successful advertising agencies in New York, followed by five years of fourteen-hour days and multimillion-dollar deals. And then there was her husband. Who quickly became her ex-husband.

Marissa shook herself. There was no point in reliving all that now. She was back...for good.

The small town sat in the shadow of the Black Hills. It was actually two towns—Cedar Creek and Riverbend—that were separated by a narrow riverbed and a bridge and with a total combined population of a few thousand. A century ago, both had served as the backdrop for a booming silver mining industry. The mines were mostly closed now, with just a couple used as tourist attractions, and finally, after years of negotiating between the local governments, the town would soon be renamed Cedar River.

Marissa didn’t really care what the town was called. She’d come back many times over the years—to see her aunt. To see her best friend, Liz. To see Liz’s three young daughters. And then to attend Liz’s funeral.

Never to see Grady.

He didn’t like her anyhow. And since Liz’s death nearly two and a half years earlier, Grady’s disinterest in Marissa had amplified tenfold. Oh, he was polite and respectful and allowed her to see the girls, but he never encouraged her interactions and always seemed relieved each time she left to return to New York. But now she was back for good.

Her great-aunt’s place was right next door to Grady’s ranch, which meant she would have the opportunity to see her goddaughters more regularly than if she decided to reside in town.

If Grady continued to allow it, of course.

She’d have to see him, talk to him and make arrangements. But first, there was a house to settle into and sleep to be had. Marissa got out of the car and grabbed her bag from the backseat. It was nearly dusk and she walked carefully up the pathway, mindful of the overhanging branches from trees and shrubs well past their last prune.

The house was clean but smelled musty, and she quickly placed her things into the spare room before she wandered through a few other rooms, opening windows to allow the fresh evening air to sweep through the place.

She made a cup of instant coffee and drank it black, since there was no milk in the refrigerator, and for dinner settled on the couple of cereal bars and the apple she had in her bag. Once she was done, she took a long shower and tumbled into bed around eight o’clock.

She tossed and turned before finally managing to get just a few hours’ sleep, which left her restless and a little irritable when she was roused around six o’clock the following morning by a strange noise, like rustling bushes, coming from the backyard. Getting out of bed, Marissa padded down the hallway and opened the door to the small mudroom off the kitchen, peering outside. Dawn was peeking over the horizon and she blinked a couple of times to adjust to the sunlight.

And that’s when she saw him.

Earl.

Grady’s two-thousand-pound Charolais bull was eating the geraniums in an overgrown flower bed by the fence. She quickly saw where he’d broken several of the fence palings to squeeze into the yard and let out an irritated sigh.

Marissa shut the door, trudged to her bedroom, grabbed her bag and took out her cell phone. She had the number on speed dial and it took about three rings for him to pick up.

“Marissa?” Grady’s deep voice wound up her spine like silk. “This is a surprise.”

She took a sharp breath. “Your bull is in my yard.”

“Your yard?” He was silent for a few seconds, but she could almost hear him doing that half-smile, half-frown thing he regularly did when they were around one another. “In New York?”

“At Aunt Violet’s,” she explained, her patience frayed.

He took another second to respond. “You’re back in town?”

“I’m back,” she replied quickly. “And your bull is eating the garden.”

More silence. Marissa’s skin prickled. Only Grady could do that to her. Only Grady could wind her up so much she wanted to scream. At eighteen she’d had a fleeting infatuation in him...but then he started dating her best friend and everything changed. It had to. Liz meant more to her than some silly high school crush. And when Liz and Grady got married, she stood beside her friend as her maid of honor and wished them every happiness for the future. And she’d meant it. Her own feelings were forgotten and she’d kept a handle on them for fourteen years. And she always would. No matter how much his deep voice stirred the blood in her veins.

Grady Parker was off-limits.

And he always would be.

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

The phone clicked and she took a long breath. Then she raced around like a madwoman looking for clothes to wear that covered more than her short cotton nightdress. Minutes later she was dressed in jeans and a bright red T-shirt and quickly ran a brush through her long blond hair before she hooked it up into a ponytail. She ignored the contact lenses case on the bathroom shelf and pushed her glasses onto the bridge of her nose. By the time she grabbed her cell and shoved it into her pocket, she heard a vehicle pull up outside.

Grady...

Marissa swallowed hard and headed for the front door. She spotted his truck and horse trailer in the driveway and felt the tension knot the back of her neck. She wiped her clammy hands over her hips and opened the screen door.

Seconds later he was out of the truck and walking up the path. Swaggering, really. With the kind of innate confidence of a man who knew exactly who he was. Grady Parker had always possessed that same self-assurance, even in high school. In jeans that rode low on his hips, a black shirt that stretched across broad shoulders, boots and a trademark Stetson, he made a striking image. He was about six foot two and as handsome as sin, with glittering blue eyes, dark hair and a whisker shadow on his jaw. He was cowboy through and through. With old-fashioned good manners and integrity.

But Marissa had no illusions about her relationship with Grady. It was tense, and always had been. When Liz was alive, Marissa had had her friend as a buffer. Now...there was nothing. Just raw, complicated tension that seemed to spring up with a will of its own every time they were within twenty feet of one another. He stalled about five feet from the bottom step and looked up at her, hands on his lean hips. They stared at one another for a moment, and as always her nerves sizzled.

“Hello, Marissa.”

“Good morning.”

He looked at the Volvo sedan parked in the driveway and raised a brow. “New York plates. You drove here?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

His head tilted a little. “Have you seen Miss Violet?”

“I was at the hospital yesterday afternoon,” she said, unmoving. “Thank you for taking care of things until I got here.”

It was Grady who’d discovered Aunt Violet had fallen and broken her leg. Grady who’d got her to the hospital and stayed with her until she was out of surgery. And Grady who’d called Marissa to let her know her great-aunt needed her.

He shrugged. “No problem.”

“I got here as soon as I could.”

“I wasn’t expecting you.”

She straightened her back. “I told you I’d be here,” she said stiffly. “I just needed a few days to sort some things out. I was coming back anyway.”

“Really? For what?”

“To see my aunt,” she said quietly. “And the girls.”

At the mention of his daughters, his shoulders twitched. “Well, they always like to see you.”

His words should have warmed her. But they didn’t. Because there was a bucket load of resentment in them. Marissa pushed back her shoulders and stared at him. “Well, they’ll be able to see as much of me as they like from now on.”

He tilted his hat back. “They will? Why is that?”

“Because I’m staying.”

“Staying?”

Marissa experienced a tiny surge of triumph. He looked as if it was the last thing he wanted to hear. “Yes. I’m home...for good this time.”

* * *

I’m home for good.

It wasn’t what Grady wanted to hear. Not ever. Marissa Ellis was the last person he wanted living in Cedar River. Or living next door!

For a long time she’d been living in New York. Out of sight. Out of mind. Just how he liked it. She’d turn up every now and then and he would deal with it because he had to. When Liz was alive, it had been easy—while Marissa visited, he stayed out of the way. Now it wasn’t so simple. She was godmother to all three of his daughters and he’d promised Liz he wouldn’t cut Marissa out of their lives. But he struggled with that promise whenever she returned.

Because once, long ago, he’d wanted to date her. Sure, it had been in high school. Before he was old enough to know better. She was dazzling back then...with blond hair and brown eyes and a captivating smile. At eighteen he’d been fueled by hormones and lusted after the most beautiful girl in school. But Liz had set him straight when he’d asked her if Marissa would go with him to prom. It was a roundabout way to ask for a date, but he was a guy with all the usual insecurities. Liz had made it clear that Marissa wasn’t interested. So he backed off and didn’t ask her, despite how much he’d wanted to. Then he’d started dating Liz. And once school finished, Marissa left for college and New York. She would return a couple of times every year for a visit and he’d completely put aside the niggling awareness he had whenever she was near. He married Liz, had a family and forgot about the fact that long ago he’d wanted to ask her out. Life had turned out exactly as it should have.

Until his wife died.

“For good?” He wondered if he sounded like the simpleton he felt.

She nodded. “That’s right.”

“The divorce is final, then?”

“Yes. All done.”

She’d been married for only a couple of years. Grady had met her ex-husband twice. Once at the small wedding that had taken place in New York, when he and Liz had left the girls with his mother and flown in and out of the city in just a couple of days. The next time, Marissa brought him to Cedar River for Christmas. He was a suit, as dull and stiff as they came, and had looked down his nose at the town and everyone in it. He hadn’t come with her the next time she came back for a visit. A year later they were separated. Grady didn’t know the details and hadn’t asked. Miss Violet hadn’t said anything about it, either, so he figured the less he knew, the better.

“I’m sorry to hear it.”

She frowned at his words, as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have. “Don’t be,” she said quietly. “I’m glad it’s over. And I’m glad to be home.”

“I didn’t realize you still considered Cedar River home.”

Her shoulders straightened some more. “I was born here...raised here...just like you. And you seem to have adjusted to calling it Cedar River.”

He shrugged. “The merger is good for the town. And I know you were born here, Marissa...but I also know you left.”

He saw her expression narrow, and the glasses on the bridge of her nose fell a little. Funny, he never knew she wore glasses. For some reason it pleased him. He couldn’t figure why. Maybe because it made her less perfect. Vulnerable. Because he always felt as though he was under a kind of microscope whenever they were together. As though she was looking for flaws, some reason to dislike him. In a way he couldn’t blame her. Their relationship had always been brittle, and for a long time he’d wondered if she knew he’d wanted to date her back in high school and disliked him for it. Liz swore she’d never said anything about it, and he certainly believed his wife. But there was something between them, a kind of mutual resentment that went deeper than simple dislike. Because it wasn’t that he didn’t like Marissa. He just didn’t like to be around her. She put him on edge. And he didn’t know why.

For years he hadn’t thought about her as anything other than Liz’s friend. He’d loved his wife. They had been devoted to one another and their family. But now Liz was gone and Marissa...well, she wound him up in a way he couldn’t quite fathom. And he didn’t like the feeling. Not one bit.

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “So, about this bull of yours?”

“It’s because of Delilah.”

She frowned and came down the steps. Grady caught the scent of her flowery perfume on the breeze and he tensed automatically. How long had it been since he’d noticed perfume? Years. Too long.

“Delilah?”

“Miss Violet’s Guernsey cow,” he explained and stepped closer. “She bought her a couple of months ago.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“Well, Earl has a hankering for Delilah,” he said and bit back a grin when he saw her frown deepen.

“A hankering?” she echoed.

“Yeah,” he replied quietly. “You know, when-a-boy-likes-a-girl kind of thing.”

She didn’t look the least bit amused. “Right. So where is this cow now?”

“Miss Violet would sometimes keep Delilah in the backyard, but a neighbor has been looking after her since your aunt went to the hospital.” Grady shrugged casually. “I guess Earl didn’t know that. He drops over from time to time.”

“Can’t you keep him tied up or something?” she suggested. “I mean, how hard is it to keep him corralled or whatever it is you do with a bull?”

“And stand in the way of true love?” Grady put a hand to his chest. “That’s not very neighborly.”

“I’m not in the mood to be neighborly when the blasted animal is eating my aunt’s flower bed.”

Grady smiled to himself. Marissa was so uptight she looked as though she was about to pop. “I’ll take him home,” he said easily and turned back toward the truck. By the time he’d opened the side door and extracted a halter and lead, Marissa was directly beside him. “You planning on helping?”

“Not a chance,” she replied and peered inside the truck. “You’re the cowboy. Nice rig, by the way. New?”

He nodded. “Yeah,” he said and immediately pushed down the irritation climbing up his spine.

It sounded like a criticism, as if she had an opinion about him buying a new truck and horse trailer. And she wouldn’t be the first. He’d seen the same look on Liz’s father and brothers. The same skepticism, the same query...as if they were looking for ways to question his integrity. Since he’d inherited Liz’s money upon her death, there were plenty of people looking to see what he’d do. Sell out? Buy a bigger place? Add more cattle to the herd? He hadn’t done any of that. Instead, he put the money in trust for the girls and got on with running the ranch as he always had. Business was steady and he made a good living. Good enough to run the ranch at a profit and take care of his family. The O’Sullivans thought way too much of their own opinions, and they’d never believed him good enough for Liz.

But he’d loved her. She was kind and caring and had been an incredible mother to the girls and an amazing wife to him. She was what he’d needed when his dad died and he took over the running of the ranch at just twenty. Liz supported and understood him. And he didn’t regret one moment of the years they had together.

“Grady?”

Marissa’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Right, the bull. I’ll see he’s out of your way.”

“Sure,” she said. “Can I see the girls soon? I have a few gifts for them. I missed being here for Breanna’s birthday last month.”

He knew Marissa was generous. And seven-year-old Breanna adored her, as did five-year-old Milly. Tina, who was only two and half, also seemed to light up whenever Marissa came to visit. And since he loved his daughters more than anything, Grady would do whatever he could to make them happy.

“Of course,” he replied. “I had Cassie come around this morning after you called to watch them until I get back.”

Her brows shot up. “Cassie?”

“My neighbor, remember? She’s married to Tanner McCord.”

Tanner was his closest neighbor and friend and was recently married with a baby and another on the way. Cassie McCord had been a godsend in the past few weeks.

She nodded as though her memory was kicking in. “Oh, right. What happened to Mrs. Cain?”

“Left last month,” he said of his former housekeeper. “She moved back to Deadwood to be with her daughter.”

“So the girls are eating your cooking?” she asked, widening her eyes provocatively. “Poor little things.”

Grady grinned and curled the halter and lead in his hand. “They don’t mind it. As I recall you’re the only one who objects to my skill on the grill.”

She gave a brittle laugh. “Skill? It’s always raw. That’s searing, not cooking.”

He shut the door. “Let’s not get into another argument about how to best serve steak, okay?”

Because he liked it rare. Marissa liked it well-done.

They never agreed on anything. Never had. Never would. The only link they had was Liz, and since his wife’s death only his daughters had kept their association alive.

“Agreed,” she said and followed him down the path and through the side gate. “And your bull busted some of the fence palings, by the way. So they’ll need to be repaired. You can send someone over to do it if you like.”

Grady got the message. Someone. Not him. “You’re not much of a morning person, are you?”

“What?”

“Seems like you left your manners on the other side of the bed this morning.”

She stopped in her tracks. “I did not. And I’m being perfectly—”

“Obnoxious,” he said, cutting her off. “Give it a rest, Marissa. I know you had a long drive yesterday and you’re upset about Miss Violet, but you called and I’m here. I’ll take Earl home and get my foreman to come over and repair your fence, and if you want to drop by today or tomorrow to see the girls, that’s okay. But can you ditch the attitude? I really don’t have the time for it. I’ve got beef to get to market this week and I’m interviewing for a new housekeeper, and I don’t want the kids to pick up on any tension between us.”

She stared at him. Glared at him. And he waited for her to respond, to go on the offensive. To give it back to him in spades.

“Tension?” Her eyes widened. “Is that what it is?”

Grady shrugged. “I don’t know. All I do know is that sometimes being around you is kind of exhausting.”

When she didn’t say anything, he left her and walked toward the bull.

* * *

Obnoxious? Attitude? Exhausting?

Perhaps she had been a little mean-spirited and irritable about the bull, but that didn’t mean he had to tell her off about it.

She followed him, hands on hips, and watched as he effortlessly harnessed the bull and began to lead him across the lawn. He had a way with animals. Kids, too. She’d witnessed how much his daughters adored him on many occasions. Liz had adored him, too. And he’d adored Liz in return. Her friend had told her how much she’d loved being his wife. How caring and loyal he was. How faithful and strong.

Faithful? It wasn’t a concept in marriage she was used to. Simon had betrayed her too many times. And within months of their wedding he’d cheated on her with a colleague Marissa had once considered a friend. In hindsight she knew she should never have married her boss, no matter how charming he had appeared. When she’d confronted him, he became verbally abusive, and later, that verbal abuse turned into violence. That’s when she’d bailed...and she thanked her lucky stars she’d had the mental fortitude to escape. She’d told no one what had transpired. She had no one to tell. Liz was gone by then and she had no intention of burdening Aunt Violet with such knowledge. So she had stayed quiet and kept her problems to herself. She’d changed firms but Simon had already made it impossible for her to get the kind of position she was qualified for. He was top in his field, a true corporate shark, and pulled a lot of weight in a town where reputation was everything. And once Marissa’s reputation was tainted, there was nowhere to go, no company that would take a risk with her, despite her stellar résumé and experience.

So, even before Aunt Violet’s accident, she was planning on returning to Cedar River. She wasn’t running away. She was starting over. Carving out a new life with new possibilities. To help Aunt Violet and fulfill the promise she’d made to Liz to always be there for her daughters.

And being at odds with Grady from the outset wasn’t going to make that easy. So she sucked up her irritation and took a breath.

“I don’t mean for us to always end up arguing, you know.”

Grady stilled when she spoke, tightening his grip on the lead rope as he stared at her.

“You don’t?” he queried and grinned a little. “It’s the tension thing, then?”

Earl snorted loudly and she took a wary step backward. She wasn’t much of a cowgirl. She didn’t even know how to ride. Liz had looked awesome in the saddle, and she knew Grady’s two oldest daughters had ponies of their own.

She dropped her arms. “It’s just that we...we...”

“We’ve never gotten along,” he finished for her. “Yeah, I know.”

“But I think we should try, for the girls’ sake,” she added. “They mean the world to me.”

“And to me,” he said quietly, and she couldn’t help but notice how the wind gently flipped through the hair at his collar. “And I do want them to know you, Marissa. There are things they can learn from you that they never will from me.”

Mother kind of things. Marissa didn’t miss the meaning of his words. Liz was gone and her daughters longed for a mother’s love. She knew that. She’d felt it every time she called them on the phone and the last time she’d come home for a visit. Breanna in particular had craved her attention and had cried when she’d left. It was a memory that had haunted Marissa for months. And Milly...she’d been so close to Liz, and Marissa knew she missed her mother terribly. As for the baby, Tina had no memory of her mom. It was tragic all around. And since one of the last things Liz had asked of her just before she died was for Marissa to look after her girls, she knew she would always endeavor to do exactly that. Liz was her dearest friend and had been a lifesaver when Marissa had lost her own mother.

“I’ll do whatever I can for them,” she said earnestly.

Grady was watching her with such burning intensity she was tempted to look away. But she didn’t. She met his gaze head-on. Steadfast. Resolute.

“Okay,” he said and kind of half smiled. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate any time you can spend with them.”

“I could take them out tomorrow,” she suggested. “Once I’ve settled in and stocked the house with some supplies. I thought I might take Breanna and Milly to see Aunt Violet.”

He nodded. “Sure. You can collect them from my mom’s around eleven. I always take them to her place Saturday morning.”

Marissa knew that. Liz had started that tradition years earlier. And she liked Colleen Parker a lot, too. Grady’s mother was one of those kind, forthright people who was always on hand for a cup of peppermint tea and a chat.

“Great,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded again and lingered, as if he wasn’t quite finished speaking to her. “Yeah...right.”

Tension returned and quickly filled the space between them. It was always like that. There was no remedy. No way of altering the fact that they rubbed each other the wrong way. It was instinct. Inescapable. It always would be.

“Goodbye, Grady.”

He stared at her. Through her. His deep blue eyes were unwavering and intense.

“So long, Marissa,” he said finally and urged the bull forward. He got to the gate and then turned. “And Marissa...it’s good to have you back.”

One brow rose. “You sure about that?”

“No,” he said candidly. “Not one damned bit.”

Then he walked through the gate and out of sight.

Chapter Two

“So...have you been seeing anyone lately?”

Grady rocked back in his chair and released a squirming Tina, who’d dropped her favorite stuffed frog on the floor and wanted it back. He picked up the toy and placed it into her arms.

He sat in his mother’s kitchen, drinking coffee and having a reasonably deep conversation with his younger brother, Brant, about the other man’s intention to purchase the Loose Moose Tavern. Or at least, what was left of the place after it had been partially gutted by a fire several months earlier. And he would have continued the conversation had his mother, standing by the western red cedar counter, not suddenly started grilling him about his private life.

“I see plenty of people,” he said mildly.

Brant chuckled and Grady glared at his brother. He loved his mother, but when she got into one of her moods and started asking questions about what she saw as his lacking love life, a wall inevitably came up. Colleen Parker was a gem of a person and a wonderful parent, but sometimes she pushed too far and too hard.

“Stop being smart with me,” she said and shook her head as she placed a sippy cup into Tina’s hands. “Are you dating anyone at the moment?”

Grady cocked his head sideways. “Do you mean since you asked me this same question last Saturday?” He shrugged a little too casually and knew his mother wouldn’t be fooled.

“Sarcasm isn’t necessary. It was a reasonable question.” Colleen came to the table and sat down.

Grady groaned. “Then no, I’m not.”

His mother tutted. “How are you ever going to get married again if you refuse to even date?”

“I’m not refusing to do anything,” he replied and sipped more coffee, keeping one eye on his youngest daughter as she wandered around the kitchen table. “I simply don’t have time for dating. Nor do I want a wife at this point in time.”

Colleen tutted again. “Your girls need a mother.”

“They have a mother,” he said, sharper than he’d intended, then softened his tone a fraction. “Just leave it alone, Mom. I’m fine, okay?”

“You’re not and I can’t,” she replied. “I’m concerned about you and my grandchildren. And as your mother, that’s my right. So stop fobbing me off with excuses like not having the time. You have to make time.”

It was the same old song. The one he heard every week. For the past twelve months his mother had become unwavering in her belief that he needed to get married again. But he wasn’t about to jump into anything. Sure, he knew the girls would relish having another woman in their lives...but marriage was a huge step. And he wasn’t sure he had the heart to give part of himself to someone new...at least, not yet. He liked his life...most of the time. Sure, there were times when he got lonely, but who didn’t? And there were nights when he would have liked someone to talk to, someone to curl up to and someone to make love with. But that didn’t mean he was about to get into a relationship he simply wasn’t convinced he was ready for.

He cracked a smile and looked at his mother. “Can’t you point that Cupid’s arrow of yours in his direction for once?” Grady suggested and hooked a thumb toward his brother.

Colleen grinned. “Once you’re settled, he’s next.”

Brant groaned loudly. “Leave me out of this, will you?” he said in a despairing tone.

Grady looked at Brant, who was two years his junior, and smiled. But in his heart he worried about his younger brother, who had recently left the military after a third tour of the Middle East. Grady knew his brother had brought demons home with him. He wasn’t sure what, but he felt it. Brant didn’t say much. He didn’t have to. They had been close all their lives. But something haunted his younger brother, something big. Only, Brant wasn’t talking, and Grady worried that his brother never would.

“Not a chance,” he said and laughed. “Now that you’re back you get to take your medicine just like I have to.”

They both laughed then and it felt good. He loved Saturday mornings at his mom’s. The girls adored their grandmother and their uncle Brant, and having family so close by helped fill the void left when Liz had died. Despite Colleen’s repeated matchmaking efforts, Grady knew his mom understood his need to keep his daughters in a loving and steady routine, without stress. She’d done the same when his own dad had died, even though he’d been twenty and Brant eighteen. Colleen had left the ranch twelve months later and moved into town, and Grady had taken over the family property. That was twelve years ago. Since then he’d married, had three children and buried his wife.

But his mother was always there. She’d been unfailing in her support after Liz had passed away and he knew he and the girls wouldn’t have coped as well without Colleen in the background.

But it was getting harder to keep her at bay, despite her good intentions. His mother was relentless when she wanted something.

There was a knock on the door and he quickly got to his feet, happy for the reprieve.

Marissa...

It was eleven o’clock. One thing about Marissa, she was always punctual. He admired that about her more than he was prepared to admit. “I’ll get it,” he said and headed down the hall.

When he opened the door, his stomach did a sudden “Marissa is close” plunge. She looked incredible in blue jeans, a bright green sweater and knee-high boots. Her blond hair framed her face and her cheeks were flushed with color. Her caramel-brown eyes were unwavering as they met his gaze. One thing for sure, Marissa Ellis was beautiful. And Grady experienced a strong surge of something that felt a whole lot like desire sweep through his blood. He pushed it back quickly.

Not a chance...

He might not have made love with a woman since forever, but that didn’t mean he was going to start thinking about Marissa in that way. That would be just plain stupid. And he wasn’t a stupid man.

“Hi,” she said, a little breathlessly. “I’m here.”

“So I see,” he replied and held the door back for her to enter. “The girls are waiting patiently in the family room. And on their best behavior,” he added. “The promise of a day with you had them up and dressed at dawn. Now they’re sitting quiet as mice—they’ve been watching cartoons until it was time to go.”

She laughed and the lovely sound echoed down the hallway. He watched her walk, couldn’t help but notice the gentle sway of her hips and the sexy-as-all-get-out boots. She had a style that was an intriguing mix of big city and small town. There was nothing obvious about Marissa; everything was understated and elegant. She was beautiful enough to grace a billboard but always looked just as much at home in jeans and sweaters as she did in a fancy suit or an evening gown.

Grady dismissed his wandering thoughts and ushered her into the kitchen. His mother and Brant both raised their brows when she entered, even though they knew she was taking the girls out for a few hours. His mom came forward immediately and drew her into an embrace.

“It’s lovely to see you, Marissa. I was so pleased when Grady told us you’d come back for good. And Violet must be delighted.”

“I hope so,” Marissa said and hugged his mother in return. “She said you’ve been visiting her this week, so thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Colleen said and smiled.

“You remember Brant?” Grady asked.

She nodded. “Of course,” she replied and flicked her gaze to his brother. “Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Brant said, flashing her a grin as he sipped his coffee.

Grady watched as she made a beeline for Tina, who was now bobbing up and down with her hands outstretched. Marissa enfolded his child in her arms as though she was the most precious thing in the world, and something hot pierced his chest. It always moved him to see how attached she was to his daughters. Of course, Liz had been her closest friend, which would explain some part of it. And the girls were delightful. But there was an earnest, deep kind of love between Marissa and his daughters that rattled him in a way he couldn’t quite figure. And she was one of the few people he trusted wholly and completely when it came to the care and well-being of his children.

As if on cue, Breanna and Milly raced into the room and shrieked delightfully when they saw her. She hugged them both while still holding the toddler, and he realized it had been an age since he’d seen the girls so happy. Marissa brought out the best in them, and from the loving expression on her face, it was clearly mutual.

Grady glanced toward his mother and saw how keenly she watched the interaction. He knew that look. Great. His mother liked Marissa...but the last thing he wanted was Colleen getting any ideas that included him and Marissa being any kind of anything.

He excused them to follow the kids and Marissa down the hall, then he grabbed the girls’ bags from beside the front door, hauled Tina into his arms and headed back outside.

“I installed the car seat you gave me last time I was here,” she said as they walked toward the car. “You know, the one for Milly,” she explained as she unlocked the vehicle.

Grady was touched that she’d remembered. “Thank you.”

Once they were all in her Volvo, she spoke.

“I’ll have them back by four, if that’s okay?”

“Sure. Have a nice time.”

Then he waved them off and watched his daughters’ delighted faces through the window as the car eased away. He took a breath and hugged Tina close as he headed back inside.

“And you, honey,” he said as he kissed her head, “get to spend the day with Daddy.”

She laughed and gently grabbed a handful of his hair. Tina was such a placid and lovely child. Not as serious and temperamental as Breanna or energetic as Milly, but more like her mom. She’d been six weeks old when Liz died, and it saddened Grady that she’d had only such a small amount of time with her mom.

Once he was back in the house, he made for the kitchen to collect Tina’s princess backpack. His mother and brother were still sitting at the table, and both gave him an odd look when he entered the room.

“Marissa seems happy to be back,” his mother said, her lips curling in a smile. “And it looks as though she’s well and truly recovered from her divorce. She’s such a beautiful woman, don’t you think? And she’s so attached to the girls. I know Liz thought the world of—”

“Mom,” Grady warned gently. “Don’t.”

She sighed. “All I’m saying is that—”

“I know what you’re saying,” he said, cutting her off. “So just don’t.”

“I only—”

“No,” he said, a little firmer. “Never. Understand? Never.”

She nodded and stood, rattling the wedding band she still wore against the side of the cup in her hand. She was smiling. A typical Mom way of diffusing his impatience. There was no way he could get mad with his mother. She was all heart and the most generous person he had ever known. Even if she was set on interfering in his private life.

“Never say never.” She looked at Brant. “That goes for both of you. Now, skedaddle out of here so I can get to my quilting class.”

Grady said goodbye to his family and headed back to the ranch, determined to get his mother’s words and ideas out of his thoughts.

And failed, big-time.

* * *

Marissa had a wonderful afternoon with the girls. She took them to see Aunt Violet at the hospital and stayed for a while, then afterward they all got their nails painted at the beauty salon in town before going to the Muffin Box café for a shared plate of home-style sweet potato fries followed by pear-and-pecan-flavored mini cupcakes and vanilla bean milk shakes.

By the time she pulled up outside the ranch house, it was five minutes to four. Grady came out onto the porch, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that showed off his well-defined physique. He was broad in the shoulders and narrow in the hips and waist and well muscled. Not the kind of muscles from a gym as her ex-husband had boasted about...but from his years of working the ranch. From repairing fences and hauling hay bales and rounding up cattle on horseback. There was something so elementally masculine about him it was impossible to ignore. And the purely female part of her that registered an attractive man was on the radar was quickly on full alert, even if it was Grady. She’d have to be a rock not to notice he was attractive.

“Daddy!”

Milly was out of the car and up the steps in a flash, holding out her sparkly fingernails as if they were the greatest of treasures. She watched as Grady crouched down and examined Milly’s nails and then ruffled her hair. Breanna was a little more subdued, but still happy to share the day’s events with her father. She took out the girls’ pink and purple backpacks, grabbed her own handbag and walked toward the steps. The girls were now inside and Grady stood alone on the porch. There was such scorching concentration in his stare she could barely handle meeting his gaze.

“I take it a good day was had by all?” he asked as he came down the steps and held out his hand to take the bags.

“Yes,” she replied, suddenly breathless.

“Including you?”

She nodded. “Including me. They were very well behaved, even after I plied them with sugary food and drinks.”

His expression narrowed for a moment and then he grinned. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

She shrugged. “I took them to the Muffin Box, so it was a healthy alternative. We had healthy cupcakes and soy milk shakes. I see that the O’Sullivans bought the place from the original owners.”

“Yeah,” he replied and swung the backpacks over his shoulder. “Too much competition for the café they had added to the pub, so they bought them out. Now they have the monopoly in town.”

“Shrewd.” She crossed her arms. “I guess they’re happy about the towns merging?”

“They haven’t any reason to complain. They own the biggest hotel in town and bought most of the commercial real estate on the Riverbend side of the bridge. A bigger, more economically viable town means more money in their pockets.”

“I gather the relationship between you and them hasn’t changed?”

She knew Liz’s family hadn’t really approved of Grady. He was a rancher, a cowboy, and they had wanted their only and beloved daughter to go to college. But Liz had been adamant. She had wanted to stay in the small town and become a rancher’s wife. The O’Sullivans were old money from Riverbend, and as well as Liz they had three sons. One who ran the hotel and pub in town, another who was a doctor in Sioux Falls and the third who was a music producer in LA. It didn’t matter that Grady’s ranch was one of the largest and most successful in the county. They had wanted a certain life for their daughter, and since Liz’s death their resentment had amplified. Marissa admired Grady’s resilience, though, as he still ensured the girls spent time with Liz’s parents and siblings.

“No,” he said after a moment. “But I don’t get so worked up about it these days.”

“I’m not sure why they didn’t approve of you. Liz said it was because they wanted her to go to college, but she was never all that interested in hitting the books. She liked to be outside, in her garden or riding her horse.”

“Yes,” he said, shifting on his feet. “She sure did look good in the saddle.”

Marissa smiled. “I used to envy the way she could ride like that...sort of fearless.” She crossed her arms. “Now I’m back for good, I should probably learn how to ride. Maybe I can trade some babysitting duties for lessons?”

His gaze widened. “You want me to teach you to ride?”

“Why not? You’re pretty good on a horse, right?”

His mouth creased at the sides. “I do all right.”

“And until you replace Mrs. Cain, you probably need all the help you can get in the babysitting department, right?”

“I guess so.”

“You get a complimentary sitter and I get to learn a new skill. I’d like to be able to go riding with the girls. They were telling me today how much they love their ponies.” She noticed he was watching her intently, and she wondered if she’d said something she shouldn’t have. It was impossible to tell with Grady. “Unless you’d prefer I didn’t. I mean, I know that was something Liz used to do with them and if you think I’m overstepping my—”

“I think they’d like it very much,” he said, cutting her off.

She nodded. “Okay. Although, I’ll probably end up landing on my behind. I’ve never been all that athletic. Liz used to beat my socks off in track in high school.”

“Yeah, she was quite the athlete. But if it’s any consolation, she used to envy your long blond hair.”

“My hair?”

He reached out unexpectedly and touched her hair for a second, twirling a few strands around his fingers, then quickly snapped his hand back, as if he’d come into contact with a hot poker. The mood between them seemed to shift on some kind of invisible axis. And even though there was a breeze, Marissa turned warm all over. It stunned her that he had that effect on her—and it made her want to run. But she stayed where she was and sucked in a breath.

“She always wanted straight hair.”

Marissa remembered Liz’s mass of fiery red curls fondly. Once, when they were teens, they had tried to iron it straight. She still remembered Aunt Violet’s despair at finding them in the bathroom, water running everywhere as they tried to douse Liz’s smoldering locks underneath the faucet.

“Her hair was beautiful,” Marissa said.

“I know that,” he said and smiled fractionally. “She was beautiful inside and out.”

There was pain and longing in his voice, and Marissa’s heart constricted. “I still miss Liz every day.”

“Me, too,” he said.

Marissa’s throat tightened. They’d talked about Liz many times during the past two and a half years, and yet she still felt the emotion rise up. It would always be like that. Liz was one of a kind. And her one true friend in the whole world.

“She was so...grounded. So sensible. Exactly the friend I needed as a teenager growing up. My mother had just died and since I never knew my dad... I guess that’s why I was drawn to her. Her life was so different from mine, and yet we became firm friends. I guess she seemed to have this picture-perfect family.”

“Nothing is perfect. Her parents put a lot of pressure on her. I think that’s why she...” His words trailed and he grinned ruefully. “You know.”

“Rebelled and married you? But she adored you.”

“It was mutual. She made loving easy.”

Marissa’s heart tightened. She’d longed for that kind of love. She’d never seen it firsthand until Liz and Grady had gotten together and married. Her mother had raised her alone until Marissa was twelve, and Aunt Violet had never married. Her father, whom she only knew was some random cowboy who’d drifted through town, was never mentioned. Whenever she’d asked Violet, her aunt had told her to leave the past where it belonged. When she’d married Simon, Marissa believed she’d found the kind of love and family she was looking for—until he betrayed her with another woman.

Shaking off the memories, she focused on Grady. “I know she did. Liz had a great capacity for love...and a big heart.”

“A weak heart, as it turned out,” he said soberly.

Marissa nodded. The car accident that had landed Liz in the hospital was a result of a virus that had caused a massive heart attack. At just twenty-nine, she died three days later from a second attack. Six weeks after the birth of her third child, with her husband and family at her side.

“I’ll always marvel at her strength that day,” Marissa said quietly. “She knew... She knew she was so very ill, and she still made the time to talk to me and Aunt Violet. The last thing she told me was about you.”

One brow rose. “It was?”

“Yes. She asked me to make sure you weren’t sad all the time.”

“Well, I’m not,” he said and smiled. “The girls make that impossible.”

“I know. And they adore you. You’re a good dad.”

He smiled. “Thank you. They adore you, too, by the way. I appreciate you taking the time for them today. Painting nails and cupcakes aren’t really my specialty. Heaven help me when they hit puberty.”

She chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine. And it was my pleasure to spend time with them,” she assured him. “I think of it as good practice for when I have kids of my own one day.”

His gaze narrowed. “So, you want children? I thought you might have started a family while you were married.”

A familiar pain lodged behind her ribs. “Simon didn’t want children. Just as well, really, considering the divorce.”

“That’s a shame for him. It might have made him a better man.”

“Nothing would have done that.”

Grady’s brows came up. “Really? You know, you never did say why you broke up.”

Marissa shrugged. It was an old hurt she had no intention of sharing. “Irreconcilable differences.”

“Because he was a pretentious jerk, you mean?”

Marissa laughed. “Something like that. I wasn’t aware he’d made such a bad impression.”

“Sure you were,” Grady flipped back. “He called the town Hicksville and me John Wayne, remember?”

She laughed again. She did remember. Simon had complained the entire duration of their trip. He’d refused the invitation to stay at the ranch or Aunt Violet’s and then had complained about the modest motel accommodation in town.

“I’m sure he would have been better tempered if the O’Sullivan Hotel hadn’t been booked up that weekend. We had to stay at the Cedar Motel instead. It wasn’t so bad, but he complained for three days straight.”

“It wasn’t booked up,” Grady said and grinned. “Liz made that up just to antagonize him.”

Marissa laughed again. “Bless her. It worked.” She rattled her keys. “Well, I should get going. Thanks again for letting me spend the day with the girls. I hope they’re not too hyped up to sleep tonight.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

She was about to say goodbye when someone approached from around the side of the house. Marissa recognized Grady’s foreman, Rex Travers, and nodded when he came toward them.

“Afternoon, miss,” he said politely. “Boss says you’ve got some palings that need fixing.” He removed his hat and tilted his shaggy blond head with a kind of old-fashioned cowboy respect. “I thought I’d come around Monday morning, if that’s okay with you.”

Marissa smiled. “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

“Around nine, if that suits.”

“Sure,” she said and smiled at the older man. He was in his midfifties and had a kind, weathered sort of look about him. He’d worked at the ranch for about six years and by all accounts was a good man with a solid work ethic. She knew Grady wouldn’t tolerate anything else from the people who worked on the ranch. He said something to Grady about one of the cows and then ambled back toward the stables.

Marissa sighed. “Well, I’ll be off.”

He nodded. “Okay. Thanks again.”

“No problem.”

She was just about to open the driver’s door when he spoke again.

“If you want to learn to ride a horse, I’d be happy to teach you.”

She stilled. “Oh...sure. That would be great.”

“Get some boots and a safety helmet from the saddlers in town. It’s on the main street a few doors down from the old Loose Moose Tavern.”

“I know where it is,” she said. “And I saw the tavern today, or what’s left of it.”

He nodded. “Yeah, my crazy brother is thinking of buying the place and renovating it.”

“That would certainly give the O’Sullivans something to complain about,” she said and got into her car. Waving goodbye, she pulled away from the house.

As she drove off, she noticed he didn’t move. He watched her, the colored backpacks still flung over one shoulder, his expression unflinching. And she didn’t relax again until she pulled the car into Aunt Violet’s narrow driveway. It was only a five-minute commute between the two homes, and from the corner paddock she knew it was possible to see the roofline of Grady’s sprawling house.

She locked the car and walked around the cottage. There was a garden maintenance service in town and she made a mental note to call them on Monday to arrange for their help getting the yard back into shape. She’d talked to her aunt, and it looked as if it would still be at least three weeks before she’d be able to come home, if she came home at all. Aunt Violet had mentioned something this afternoon about moving closer to town, perhaps into one of the new retirement communities that had popped up near the hospital. If it meant selling the farm, then Marissa would certainly consider buying it. The cottage would look beautiful once again with some time and effort, and her aunt had suggested she think about doing something with the greenhouses Violet’s older brother, Frank, had built years earlier. Marissa had no memory of him but knew the place had been an organic farm once, so perhaps there was something she could do along those lines. Before she made any decisions she’d do some homework about the local economy and market.

Once she was inside, Marissa stripped off her clothes and took a long shower, then slipped into sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt and made herself a cup of tea. By the time she’d finished puttering in the kitchen, it was past seven-thirty and she was about to settle in front of the television for an hour or so when her cell rang.

Grady.

She snatched up the phone and answered on the fourth ring.

“Hi,” she whispered, a little more breathless than she liked. “Is everything all right?”

“Fine,” he said, then stayed silent for a few seconds. She could hear Breanna and Milly chattering in the background and it made her smile. “Uh...the reason I’m calling is that the girls were wondering...well, they wanted to know if you’d like to...if you’d like to come over.”

“Now?” Marissa asked quickly.

“No! No...tomorrow. Tomorrow night. For dinner.”

Dinner with Grady and his daughters? He sounded as if he was swallowing poison along with the invitation. She took a steadying breath. “The girls want me to come over for dinner?”

“Yes...exactly.”

“And is that what you want?”

Silence stretched down the phone line. “Uh...sure.”

She’d bet the new boots she needed to buy that he didn’t. “What time?”

“Six.”

“I’ll be there,” she said, then disconnected the call.

Dinner with the girls—great. Dinner with Grady—she didn’t want to think that it made her uneasy. Because that meant digging deep...and the less she did that, the better.

For his sake. And hers.

Chapter Three

There wasn’t anything he could say to himself that would convince Grady that having Marissa over for dinner was in any shape or form a sensible idea. But the girls had begged him to invite her and he couldn’t refuse them. They rarely asked for anything, particularly Breanna, who he knew missed her mother deeply. So if it meant being around Marissa for a few hours every now and then, he was happy to do it.

Sunday afternoon came around way too quickly, and by the time the girls were bathed and dressed and waiting patiently for her to arrive, it was past five o’clock. They could barely contain their excitement at seeing Marissa again.

She pulled up in the driveway at precisely three minutes to six, and as soon as she walked through the door his daughters bounced around, twirling and laughing, showing off their now-chipped nail polish. Once again he marveled at how easily and completely she captured their attention. Since their mom died, no one else could reach them the way Marissa did. She had a certain kind of magic when it came to his daughters. Even Liz had known it. But he was pretty sure Marissa had no idea how much she meant to his family.

“Hi,” she said when he greeted her in the hall.

“Hi yourself,” he replied and stepped aside to give her room to pass. “We’re eating out on the back veranda tonight,” he explained. “The girls have already set the table,” he said and winked slightly. “To celebrate your homecoming.”

“Don’t tell her that, Daddy,” Breanna said and tugged at his shirt. “It’s a surprise.”

She laughed. “A surprise? I look forward to seeing it.”

Grady grinned. “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”

Tina grabbed his leg and begged to be held, and before he could pick her up Marissa held out her arms. “I’ve got her,” she said and lifted her up. “I don’t want to interrupt the cook,” she said and pointed to the bright pink apron he had around his waist.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked good-humoredly.

“If you want to walk around in that getup, you need to deal with the consequences.”

“True enough,” he said and plucked at the pink and silver sequins on the small apron tucked into his jeans. “But in case you were wondering, it actually belongs to Breanna and she insisted I borrow it while I cook on the grill.”

Marissa raised a skeptical brow. “And it’s not emasculating in anyway whatsoever.”

“Gee...thanks.”

She laughed again and the sound hit him directly in the solar plexus. She looked lovely in a knee-length soft denim dress and silver sandals. Her hair was down, flowing over her shoulders and down her back, and he remembered how he’d touched some strands the day before. He had no idea why he’d done it. He never overstepped the bounds of their often fraught relationship. She was Liz’s friend. Not his. And he didn’t think about Marissa like that. He’d dismissed all those thoughts long ago, when he’d started dating Liz and fallen in love with her. But for some reason, one he couldn’t fathom, right in that moment, with her beautiful hair flowing and her cheeks bright with color while she held his child as if she was a precious gift, Grady was thinking about it. And attraction, white-hot and completely unexpected, coursed through his blood with the speed of a freight train.

No! It can’t be!

But he couldn’t deny it. Couldn’t do anything but let it wash over him and settle behind his ribs. He wasn’t sure what to do with it. What to make of it. Or if he should or could do anything.

It will pass...

Of course it would. It was a fleeting fancy. Simply a matter of geography. Marissa was beautiful and familiar and suddenly near. Of course he would notice her. It didn’t mean a solitary thing. And it didn’t mean he’d be prepared to do something about it. If she knew what he was thinking, she’d probably get all outraged and call him a bunch of well-deserved names.

If and when he started dating again, it certainly wouldn’t be with Marissa Ellis. They had too much history between them. They had Liz...and he wouldn’t dishonor the memory of his beloved wife like that. Even if Liz gave the whole idea her blessing, which knowing Liz, she probably would have. The last thing she’d told him before she passed away was to be happy, to make another life, to not be alone. But he wasn’t ready. Not just yet. And when he was, he’d find someone who didn’t have a window into his past. Marissa was not for him. She might wield magic with his daughters, but he wasn’t about to turn that into anything else. Anything more.

“Are you okay?”

Marissa’s soft voice jerked him into the moment. “Sure...” he said and waved a vague hand. “Let’s go out to the patio.”

She followed him outside, Tina still locked in her arms. Grady watched her expression change to one of pure delight when she saw what Breanna and Milly had done to the long table. Dolls and colorful toys decorated some of the chairs. Bunting made from colored paper was stretched between the porch beams, and the table was decorated with glitter and colored glass ornaments.

“Oh...wow,” Marissa said as she walked out onto the patio. “This is amazing.” She looked at Breanna and Milly. “Did you do this for me?”

“Yes,” Milly said excitedly and twirled a little. “We did it today. Daddy helped, too.”

Marissa sighed and adjusted Tina on her hip. “Well, I have to say, this is just about the best decorated table I’ve ever seen. You’ve made me feel very special.”

“You are special,” Breanna said adamantly and grabbed Marissa’s hand. “You’re Mommy’s best friend. So you’re our best friend, too.”

Grady fought back the lump in his throat. Of course. It made perfect sense. Through Marissa, his daughters stayed connected to their mother. They still felt as though they had her in their lives. Sadness lodged in his chest, sitting there like a heavy weight.

Marissa met his gaze and he knew immediately that she knew what he was thinking. Because she was thinking it, too. Her eyes shimmered a little, as if she was trying to hold her emotions at bay. He’d seen her cry once before—the day Liz had died. She’d gone into his wife’s hospital room for a few minutes and emerged stoic and breathing deeply, until she’d made her way into the corridor. That’s when she broke down. Grady was coming from speaking with the doctor and had watched her for a moment. He hadn’t offered any comfort, because he didn’t have any to offer. There were no words. His wife was dying and he had children he had to prepare to lose their mommy. But he’d felt Marissa’s despair in that moment, right to the core of his being. At Liz’s funeral she’d held it together, as he had. She’d given the eulogy and spoken about her love and admiration for her best friend. During that day, through his grief and sense of loss, he’d appreciated how she’d kept everything running smoothly—the wake, the funeral, even putting the girls to bed with a story.

Later, after everyone had left and his daughters were finally asleep, she’d made coffee and sat at the kitchen table. He’d joined her there, sitting opposite, sipping coffee he didn’t want, wondering how he was supposed to go on, but knowing he had to for the sake of his children. In that moment, Marissa had shared his anguish as no one else could. She’d gripped his hand from across the table and held on and told him everything would be okay. And he’d believed her, trusted her, absorbed her words as if they were tonic. He owed her a lot for her strength that day.

Grady gathered his thoughts and ushered the girls away from her a little. “How about you give Marissa some space so she can relax.”

“But, Daddy, I want—”

“No buts,” he said to Breanna. “I’m going to cook dinner, so why don’t you go and get that pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator, okay?”

His daughter looked serious, but happy to do the chore, and took Milly with her.

Grady looked at Marissa. “You okay?”

She nodded and held the baby close before she placed Tina down so his youngest could play with the dolls strewn across the play mat. “Fine. Only...only I...”

“I know,” he said when her voice trailed off. “They just about break your heart.”

She nodded and sucked in a deep breath. “They miss her so much, Grady. I don’t think I realized how much until this very minute. I’m in awe of how well you’ve managed these past couple of years.”

He shrugged and moved toward the grill. “I’ve had help. My mom has been great and my cousin Brooke helps out with the girls when she can. And my best friend, Tanner, was always on hand right after Liz died.”

She shook her head ruefully. “And I went back to New York.”

“You did what you had to do,” he said and placed the steaks on the grill. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“I should have helped more. I promised Liz I’d—”

“You had your own life, Marissa. We all did. And Liz didn’t expect you to hang around town. The girls are my responsibility, not yours or anyone else’s.”

Her expression sharpened. “Is that meant to put me in my place?”

Grady felt irritation weave down his spine. He always seemed to say things she took the wrong way. “It’s meant to let you off the hook.”

* * *

Maybe he did have the right intentions. And maybe he did have a point. But Marissa was still annoyed by the arrogance of his words. As if he knew what was best for her. The inference wasn’t missed.

You should have stayed in New York...

“If you’d rather I didn’t spend time with the kids, then just say so.”

He put down the tray in his hand and turned. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

Marissa glanced toward Tina to ensure the child hadn’t picked up on the sudden strain between them and then she glared at Grady. “I’m here because Breanna and Milly want me here. I’m not under any illusions, Grady. I’m sure you don’t want me one little bit.”

His expression changed instantly and his eyes widened. How long had it been since she’d noticed how brilliantly blue his eyes were? Years, maybe. Over a decade. But now they devoured her with their intensity. Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed hard. There was something hypnotic about his stare, as if she was being drawn deeper and deeper into it, into him. Marissa tried to look away but couldn’t. He knew it, too. She was certain of it.

“Wanting you,” he said, saying the words so slowly it was excruciating, “isn’t the issue.”

Marissa quickly realized how her words must have sounded to him. Intimate. Provocative. You don’t want me...

“I meant that you obviously don’t want me here.”

“I don’t?” he shot back. “Is that right?”

Breanna and Milly emerged through the wide doors at that moment and anything else he intended saying was clearly put on hold for the moment. Marissa plastered on a smile and chatted and played while Grady grilled steaks. Once he was done, they all sat down and Marissa watched as he put together a small plate of food for Tina and set her in a booster seat and got Breanna and Milly organized with their own plates. He was an exceptional dad. Caring and loving and exactly what she’d envisioned a father should be. She had nothing to test it against, no memory of a father or grandfather to make comparisons. But she could only think that if she ever had a child of her own one day, she’d like to share that child with a man who put his children above all others...a man who would protect his family with his last breath. A man like...Grady.

Whoa!

Marissa swallowed hard and pushed the notion from her mind. She had to. She had to forget that thought and never let it enter her head again. Because it was crazy thinking. Maybe she would get married again one day and hopefully have a child of her own...but it wouldn’t be the man now seated opposite her. He was as off-limits as anyone would ever be. No matter how good a dad he was, or how sparkling his eyes were.

“Everything all right, Marissa?” he asked, watching her. “Steak okay?”

She nodded and dished some salad onto her plate. “Looks great. Just how I like it.”

His mouth creased fractionally. “Well, I aim to please.”

He didn’t. They both knew that. There was nothing about their relationship that suggested either of them genuinely compromised when it came to one another. He would have been happier cooking her the rarest steak of the century and then telling her to deal with it. But he didn’t. Instead, he pretended interest in his food and chatted to his daughters. But Marissa wasn’t fooled. There was an undercurrent of tension whispering on the air between them, and she knew he felt it as much as she did.

Once they’d finished eating, the girls lingered over their plates and played with a couple of the dolls that decorated the table. At seven, Grady excused himself to put Tina to bed, and by the time he returned Marissa had cleared the table and was stacking the dishwasher. Breanna and Milly helped and she marveled at how easy the whole scene was—as though she’d done it a thousand times before. In that moment she felt a profound sense of loss for her best friend and said a silent prayer to Liz for allowing her to spend time with her precious daughters. Of course, it was Grady’s doing really, but the gratitude she experienced deep through to her bones made her uncomfortable. She still couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge it to him.

When Grady came back into the kitchen, he told the girls to kiss Marissa good-night and then to hightail it to their bedroom with the promise of a story before they went to sleep.

“You’ve cleaned up?” he remarked once the girls skipped from the room.

Marissa shrugged. “Seemed like the least I could do, since you cooked.”

She noticed the pink apron was gone but there was glitter on his shirt and jeans. As she looked him over, a strange sensation hit the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t define the feeling. It wasn’t simply a reaction to his good looks. After all, she’d known good-looking men before. He ex-husband had been as handsome as anything. But Grady was different. He was confident but not cocky. He was also immensely likable even though it always seemed as though they were at odds with one another. Back in high school they’d been friendly, but not friends. She’d always been a little on edge around him, always conscious of the awareness that thrummed through her whenever he was near. Once he’d started dating Liz, though, she pushed those feelings aside, never willing to admit that her heart had broken just a little. But she’d loved Liz and would never had said or done anything that might have hurt her best friend. And she’d gotten over her harmless crush.

Or so she thought...

Because in that moment, he looked so good in low-riding jeans and a navy polo shirt, Marissa was forced to admit that she did find him attractive. Very much so.

“Coffee?” she asked, aware that it sounded more like a squeak than a question.

“Sure,” he said and came around the kitchen counter. “But I’ll make it. Do you want to read the girls a story before they go to sleep?”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I’d love to.”

He nodded. “Go ahead.”

She disappeared quickly—anything to get away from him in that moment. The kitchen had suddenly grown smaller, the air thicker. Panic set alight across her skin and she lingered in the bedroom with the girls, determined to get her foolish thoughts from her mind. She read them a story about castles and princesses and tucked them in tightly when she was done.

When she returned to the kitchen, he was sitting at the big round table, coffee mug between his hands, and he looked up when she entered. “Are they asleep?”

“Dozing,” she replied. “I said you’d be in a little later to say good-night.” Marissa took a breath and straightened her back. “Well, I guess I should probably get going. It’s a school night and—”

“Not for me,” he said and raised a brow and motioned to the other mug on the table. “Or you.”

She nodded slowly and sat down. The room was quiet, except for a clock ticking methodically on the wall and the infrequent sound of insects outside. It was a simple moment that suddenly seemed as complicated as anything ever had in her life. And she didn’t know why. She wasn’t sure what the intense tension between them was all about. In the past she’d been able to ignore it. But not now.

“Grady, I—”

“Why’d you get divorced?”

It wasn’t a question she’d been expecting. Grady had never asked her personal questions, not in all the years they’d known one another. Liz had been her confidante. Her friend. In some ways very much her soul mate. It was a friendship she deeply missed.

“He was...unfaithful.”

There. It was out. For the first time. Without Liz to confide in, Marissa had felt very much alone since she’d discovered Simon had been with another woman. With several, in fact, pretty much from the onset of their marriage. Saying the words felt good.

Grady raised his mug and stared at her over the rim. “Unworthy bastard.”

Emotion clogged her throat. “Yes...that’s a good way of putting it.”

“You’re well rid of him, then?”

She nodded. “I guess I am.”

His gaze narrowed. “Do you still love him?”

“No.”

He looked surprised by her quick response. “Do you miss being married?”

It was another question she hadn’t expected. “Sometimes,” she admitted and took a sip from the mug in her hands. “I miss having someone to talk to. I miss...intimacy.”

“Sex?”

Marissa let out a brittle laugh to hide the discomfort climbing across her skin. “Now, that’s a typically male response to the idea of intimacy.”

“We’re not very complex creatures,” he said and smiled. “But I do know the difference between emotional and physical intimacy.”

“Glad to hear it.”

She meant to sound flippant, humorous. But once her words were out they sounded altogether different. Almost like a flirtation...or an invitation. His eyes darkened and he placed the mug on the table. Marissa held his gaze, even though her heart was pounding and all she wanted to do was run for her life.

“You know,” he said quietly, his deep voice the only sound she heard, “you really are incredibly beautiful.”

Her breath sharpened. “Don’t.”

His brows rose. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t flirt with me.”

Grady’s eyes were suddenly even a more brilliant blue. “Is that what I’m doing?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing.”

He laughed softly. “Frankly, neither do I, Marissa. But there’s something about you that’s impossible to ignore.”

“You mean the fact we’ve always disliked one another?”

“I’ve never disliked you.”

Her insides folded like origami paper. “But you hardly ever talk to me.”

“We’re talking now,” he reminded her.

“I mean before,” she said quickly. “When Liz was alive. I thought you only ever put up with me because I was Liz’s friend.”

He shrugged loosely, as if she’d made a point he didn’t quite want to admit. “I...like you.”

He didn’t sound as if he did. It sounded as though it was one of the hardest things he’d ever said. She bit back the urge to tell him the feeling was mutual. But she didn’t want any more regrettable words hanging in the air between them.

“I should go,” she said, scraping the chair back as she stood.

Grady got to his feet immediately and didn’t try to stop her. Marissa grabbed her bag, thanked him for the coffee and walked down the hallway. He was beside her in a flash, opening the front door wide as they both stepped out onto the porch.

“Thank you for coming, I know it meant a lot to the girls.”

She nodded. “Me, too. Good night.”

“Good night,” he said and then called her name when she was almost at the bottom of the steps.

“Yes?”

He took his time. “I like you enough that I wanted to ask you to prom in senior year.”

Prom? What was he talking about? She shook her head. “You asked Liz.”

He nodded. “I wanted to ask you first. She talked me out of it. She said you weren’t interested.”

Oh, Liz.

Marissa pushed back her shoulders, fighting the denial sitting on the edge of her tongue. “I guess she knew me better than I thought. Good night, Grady.”

By the time she got to her car, her hands were shaking. They were still shaking five minutes later when she arrived home, and still as she peeled off her clothes and changed into comfy sweats. She was shaking and thinking one thing.

Liz had lied.

In the middle of senior year she’d confided to her best friend that she was crushing on Grady just a little and hoped he’d ask her to prom. He didn’t. Instead he’d asked Liz and after that they were very much a couple. Liz had assured her she wouldn’t date Grady if Marissa found it hard to deal with—but she couldn’t deny her friend the happiness she deserved. Liz blossomed as she fell in love with Grady, so Marissa tucked away her silly schoolgirl crush, never mentioned it again and got on with being Liz’s best friend. And she did get over it. She went to college, got her MBA and worked her way into a great job. Then she met Simon and had been happy...until it all fell apart. Through those years, she’d stayed loyal to her friend—through Liz’s fairy-tale wedding to Grady, to the first time she’d announced she was having his baby and then when Breanna was born. And she’d never harbored one ounce of envy or resentment. She’d loved Liz and had been heartbroken when she’d died. And she wouldn’t let the knowledge of something that happened so many years ago taint her memories.

Still, she slipped into bed with a heavy heart and woke up around six. She ate breakfast and changed into some yard clothes, fully intent on spending the morning outside weeding and pruning. Rex arrived just before nine and she spent a few minutes showing him the broken palings and then left him to his own devices. He was a quiet man and barely made eye contact with her.

Around nine-thirty, Marissa was around the side of the house pulling out the remnants of an old vegetable patch when she heard a vehicle pull up to the house. She got to her feet, dropped the gardening gloves and wiped her hands down her jeans before going to investigate.

Grady’s truck and horse trailer was parked in the driveway and he was hanging around the back end of the vehicle. She spotted Rex coming around from the backyard and the two men spoke for a moment before the trailer door was opened and the ramp came down. Less than a minute later Grady was leading a dark-colored horse off the ramp and across her driveway.

She walked toward him and planted her hands on her hips. “What’s this?”

He held out the lead. “For you.”

“What?”

“She needs a home,” he said and looked around at the pasture and stables adjoining the house yard. “And you have room.”

Marissa continued to stare at him. “You’re giving me a horse?” she asked and noticed Rex was by the rear of the truck, watching their exchange with a kind of wary interest.

Grady shrugged. “She’s old, around twenty-six. But she’s in good health and will do for a riding horse until you are confident in the saddle.”

Marissa stroked the mare’s cheek. “Where did she come from?”

“I picked her up from the sale yards a few years ago. The girls learned how to handle a horse with this old mare. She was too big for them as a riding pony, but she’ll be okay for you.”

The mare rubbed her face affectionately against Marissa’s arm. “She’s just lovely. But I’ll pay you for her.”

“No need,” he said and began to walk the horse toward the neighboring paddock. “She’s more than earned her semiretirement.”

Marissa followed and waited by the fence while he turned the old mare out into the pasture. He did everything with such a natural ease she couldn’t help but admire him. The mare whinnied when she was released and trotted around for a few minutes, tail and head extended.

“She’s just beautiful. Thank you...it’s very generous of you.”

Grady rested his elbows on the fence and turned his head toward her. “I thought you’d like the company.”

“I do,” she said and smiled. “But won’t the girls miss her?”

“They have their own ponies. Old Ebony hasn’t been getting a lot of attention of late.”

“I’ll see that she does,” Marissa said. “I’ll need to get some gear—like a saddle and bridle.”

“No need,” Grady replied. “Rex is unloading some gear into the stables for you.”

“Thank you,” she said and managed a small smile. “But I really... I have to...”

“It’s a gift, Marissa,” he said and straightened. “But if that’s too hard for you to accept, consider it an exchange for your kindness toward my daughters.”

“I don’t need payment to love the girls, Grady. Really, what kind of person do you take me for?”

He made an exasperated sound and she felt his rising anger. Unease snaked down her spine. But this wasn’t Simon. She had nothing to fear from Grady. She knew that. It was herself she feared. And the feelings running riot throughout her body.

“Can I ever get anything right with you? I wasn’t criticizing. I wasn’t inferring anything. Maybe I just wanted to give you a horse because you said you wanted to learn to ride. Maybe I just wanted to do something nice for you, Marissa.”

“Why?”

Grady’s expression suddenly looked like thunder and she winced. “Who the hell knows!”

Then he took off back to his truck and reversed out of the driveway as if he had the devil on his tail.

Chapter Four

“You got somethin’ on your mind you want to talk about?”

Grady hauled another hay bale from the truck and twisted around. Rex Travers was standing behind him, arms crossed, his weathered face wrinkled in a scowl. He liked Rex—the other man was a good foreman and had become an important part of the running of the ranch. Grady also considered him a friend. The girls adored him and he was genuinely kind and patient with them. But he wasn’t about to get drawn into a conversation about his bad mood.

“Not a thing,” Grady replied and tossed the bale onto the stack in the feed shed.

“You took off from Miss Violet’s place in a real hurry this morning.”

I took off from Marissa...

Grady grabbed another bale. “And?”

“And you yelled at Miss Ellis.”

Miss Violet. Miss Ellis. When it came to women, Rex was a stickler for formality. He still referred to Grady’s mom as Mrs. Parker even though she’d been insisting the other man call her Colleen for many years.

“I didn’t yell,” Grady shot back, irritated.

Rex’s thick brows came up. “Yeah, you did. She didn’t like it.”

Grady stopped what he was doing and straightened. “She said that?”

Rex shrugged. “She didn’t say anything. I just got a look at her face, that’s all. I don’t think she likes yelling.”

“I didn’t yell,” Grady said again and wiped his hands down his jeans. “Can we get back to work now? I want you to take Pete and head down to Flat Rock this afternoon. There’s a length of fence that needs repairing down by the riverbed, where we butt the McCord place.”

“Sure,” Rex said. “Anything else?”

“Stop dishing out advice.”

Rex’s craggy face creased in a wide smile. “Can’t promise anything.”

“Try harder,” Grady said and grabbed another hay bale.

The older man chuckled as he walked off, and when he was out of sight Grady stopped what he was doing, straightened and rolled his shoulders. Damn...he hated it when Rex was right. It felt as bad as being told off by his mother. And he really hated that, thinking it made him feel about fifteen years old.

He finished stacking the hay and headed back to the house. His mother was in the kitchen making lunch for Tina. Since his housekeeper had left, his mom had been helping out with the girls. Once he’d washed up in the mudroom, he headed for the kitchen.

“Thanks for coming over today,” he said, swiping a slice of cheese off the plate and popping it in his mouth. “I appreciate it.”

“Anytime,” his mother replied. “You know the girls mean the world to me. But you remember that I’m heading out of town on Thursday and won’t be back for five days.”

His mother went to visit her brother in Denver, Colorado, once a year.

“I remember,” he said and moved around the counter. “Brant said he’d help out if I needed him. Plus, Tanner and Cassie always love having the girls. And Brooke will always help out if I need a sitter.”

Brooke Laughton was his cousin and owned a small horse ranch not far out of town.

“Any luck looking for a new housekeeper?”

He shrugged. “I have two interviews next week, so we’ll see what happens.”

His mother nodded and continued slicing cheese. “You know...what you really need isn’t a housekeeper,” she said and smiled. “It’s a wife.”

“Mom, let up, will you?”

“It’s the truth,” she said, as relentless as always. “I know you don’t want to hear it and you can scowl at me all you like, but I—”

“I’m not scowling,” he said, cutting her off.

His mother grinned. “Oh, yes, you are. But you know, the best thing for the girls would be for you to be happy.”

“I am happy. And I don’t want to have this conversation today.”

“Or any day,” Colleen said. “Liz wouldn’t want you to—”

“Mom,” Grady said, all out of patience. “I know you’re trying to help, but I’m fine,” he insisted. “I’m not going to get married again just so I can have a babysitter on hand.”

“I’m not suggesting that you should do that,” his mother replied. “This isn’t about the girls. I’m talking about you, what it would mean to you to share your life with someone. All I’m saying is that maybe it’s time you opened yourself up to the possibility.”

“Like you did after Dad died?”

Colleen frowned. “I didn’t have three children under the age of seven,” she reminded him. “And we aren’t talking about me at the moment. I know you don’t want to hear it and I know you think I’m interfering, but I only say this out of concern for you. Being with someone else doesn’t mean you love Liz any less. It doesn’t mean she’ll be replaced or forgotten.”

Grady swallowed the thickness in his throat. As usual, his mom was getting into his head. “I know... I just don’t think I’m ready.”

“To love again?”

“To feel again.”

Colleen smiled and patted his arm. “But that’s what makes us human, son.”

“Maybe. And I hear what you’re saying. But I have to do this in my own way.”

She tutted. “The slow way. You’re so much like your father. He also overthought everything. Did you know it took him eight months to ask me out on a date?”

Grady glanced at his mother and groaned. “Is there a point to this conversation?”

“Of course,” she replied and grinned. “You’re a cowboy and it’s time you got back in the saddle.”

“The saddle?”

His mother smiled. “Yes, you know, dating and girls.”

He laughed loudly. “Oh, we’re gonna have that talk,” he said and shrugged. “Too late, Mom, I already know about the birds and the bees.”

Colleen jabbed him with her elbow. “You can mock me all you like. Just don’t dismiss the idea of dating again entirely, okay?”

“I won’t,” he assured her. “If you’ll stop hinting about who I should date.”

She made a face and then nodded. “Sure. These are ready,” she said and pushed a plate of sandwiches across the counter. “I’ll go and get the baby so she can have her lunch.” His mother headed for the door, just as Grady was pulling plates from the cupboard. “By the way, have you seen Marissa lately?”

Grady stilled at the task and groaned inwardly. There was no point lying to Colleen Parker; she’d sniff out an untruth at fifty paces. “I dropped Ebony off there this morning,” he explained as casually as he could. “You know, the old black mare.”

Colleen’s inquisitive brows shot up. “You gave her a horse? That was nice of you.”

He shrugged. “She wants to learn to ride and the mare was just—”

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