# A Rancher's Redemption

Ann Roth

Mr. Right-There-All-AlongSince she was a teen, there's been one guy that restaurateur Dani Pettit can always count on–her best friend, Nick. Their relationship is purely platonic…that is until a single kiss changes everything. Now Dani is falling hard for the one man she shouldn't fall for–the one who can truly break her heart.Although rancher Nick Kelly knows he's to blame for his string of failed relationships, Dani is the only woman he ever trusted. Nick doesn't want to be just another guy who lets her down, but his new feelings for Dani are too strong to resist. Do they dare risk their lifelong friendship for a once-in-a-lifetime love?

Mr. Right-There-All-Along

Since she was a teen, there’s been one guy that restaurateur Dani Pettit can always count on—her best friend, Nick. Their relationship is purely platonic…that is until a single kiss changes everything. Now Dani is falling hard for the one man she shouldn’t fall for—the one who can truly break her heart.

Although rancher Nick Kelly knows he’s to blame for his string of failed relationships, Dani is the only woman he ever trusted. Nick doesn’t want to be just another guy who lets her down, but his new feelings for Dani are too strong to resist. Do they dare risk their lifelong friendship for a once-in-a-lifetime love?

“We haven’t spoken in a couple days. Are we okay?” Nick sounded concerned.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Dani said, not feeling at all okay.

“You sure about that? You seem tense. The other night—”

“We shared a few kisses,” she interrupted, proud of her nonchalant tone. “They didn’t mean anything.”

Only long, sleepless nights and the irritating problem of not being able to forget the feel of his lips on hers. Hot and soft…

His relieved breath was loud and clear. “That’s good, because those kisses didn’t mean anything to me, either. I don’t want things between us to change because of them.”

He had a funny way of showing it. “Me, either,” Dani admitted.

During another long beat of silence, Dani racked her brain for something else to say, something to prove that she was fine.

Before she could think of anything, Nick spoke. “How about we forget those kisses ever happened.”

“Consider them forgotten.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire. Dani touched her lips, which even now tingled a little.

Dear Reader,

In this second book in my Prosperity, Montana miniseries, Dani Pettit is the heroine. You met Dani briefly in A Rancher’s Honor, the first book in the miniseries. But don’t worry if you haven’t read it yet. This is her story, and you’ll get to know her very well. Dani helps run Big Mama’s Café and has high hopes of taking over the reins—if her mother retires.

Nick Kelly is a sexy rancher working hard to make his ranch profitable. Nick and Dani have been best friends since high school. They’re happy as friends. But when they step over the line one night…

This is a romance you don’t want to miss!

Enjoy!

Ann

I always appreciate hearing from readers. Email me at ann@annroth.net, write me c/o P.O. Box 25003, Seattle, WA 98165-1903, or visit my Ann Roth Author Facebook page. And please visit my website at www.annroth.net, sign up for my newsletter and enter the monthly drawing to win a free, autographed book! While you’re there, be sure to visit the Fun Stuff page, where you’ll find recipes and other fun stuff.

You can also follow Ann Roth on Twitter.

A Rancher’s Redemption

Ann Roth

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann Roth lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband. After earning an MBA she worked as a banker and corporate trainer. She gave up the corporate life to write, and if they awarded PhDs in writing happily-ever-after stories, she’d surely have one.

Ann loves to hear from readers. You can write her at P.O. Box 25003, Seattle, WA 98165-1903, or email her at ann@annroth.net.

Recipe

Dani’s Instant Cocoa Mix

Makes approximately 12 servings

(Note: for smaller batches, mix 2 tbs. each of sugar and cocoa

per cup of powdered milk, then add a pinch or two of salt.)

Ingredients:

3 cups instant nonfat powdered milk

6 tbs. sugar

6 tbs. dry, unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

Combine and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

To Prepare Cocoa:

Put ⅓ cup of cocoa mix in a 12-ounce mug. Stir in a little boiling water and mix until blended into a paste. Fill mug with boiling water. Stir or whip until blended. Add marshmallows if you like them.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Recipe

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Dinner was starting to smell so good that Dani Pettit’s mouth watered when Nick Kelly knocked at her door. Only a few short minutes ago, she’d buzzed him into the building.

Although they talked and texted regularly, she hadn’t seen him in a while. But tonight she really needed to be with her best friend.

“He’s here,” she told Fluff.

The tomcat meowed and trotted daintily toward the door. Which was funny because at twenty pounds and half a ton of white fur, Fluff wasn’t exactly tiny. But he’d never let Dani down, and so she stifled the urge to laugh at him. There weren’t many true-blue males in her life—just the cat, Nick Kelly and Dani’s oldest brother, Sly. She dearly loved all three.

To prevent Fluff from darting out, running across the hall and shamelessly begging food from Mrs. Detmeier, Dani scooped him up before she opened the door and managed a smile. “Hi, Nick.”

The handsome rancher flashed his pearly whites at Fluff, then gave Dani a gentler grin. “Hey.”

In his large hands he cradled a bottle of wine and a white bag bearing the Lannigan’s Ice Creamery logo, which was, bar none, the best ice creamery in Prosperity. Although the central Montana town of sixty thousand people boasted at least a half-dozen ice cream specialty shops, several much closer to her house than Lannigan’s, Nick had chosen well. He sure knew how to brighten a girl’s spirits.

Dani eyed the bag. “I hope that’s rocky road.”

“A whole gallon of the stuff.”

“You sweetheart!” She rubbed her hands together.

Nick chuckled. “Nothing but the best for Dani Pettit.”

He kissed her cheek, then set his things down to shrug out of his leather bomber jacket. He hung the jacket on the doorknob of the coat closet, just as he always did, his navy flannel shirt stretching across his strong, broad shoulders.

He was a beautiful man—tall and muscular without an ounce of extra fat, thanks to the physical demands of running a ranch. His long legs did wonders for the loose, faded jeans he favored.

Yet as gorgeous and sexy as he was, theirs was a strictly platonic relationship and always had been. Dani adored him—as a friend.

Nick stuck his fingers into Fluff’s thick fur and scratched behind the cat’s neck. “Howdy, Big Fella.”

He refused to use the name “Fluff,” which he considered too sissy for a tomcat.

Fluff didn’t seem to mind. He was too busy purring and batting Nick’s hand for more. A moment later, sated and content, he jumped out of Dani’s arms and strolled off.

“I brought a couple of DVDs for later,” Nick said. “Unless you’d rather catch a movie out. It is Saturday night.”

Date night. Only twenty-four hours ago, Dani had assumed that she and Jeter would be out dancing tonight at the Bitter & Sweet Bar and Grill in downtown Prosperity, where the live music and great dance floor made the bar a happening place.

Now, dateless for the first time in three months—Dateless in Prosperity, she thought wryly—she shook her head.

After last night’s painful breakup and an especially irritating day, she wanted only to relax and hang out with her best friend. “Would you mind if we stayed here? I’m not in the mood to go out.”

“Staying in works.”

Nick shot her a sympathetic look, and tears she refused to shed gathered behind her eyes. Jeter had never exactly treated her well, and over the months they’d been together, she’d done more than enough crying.

“I’ll bet you could use a hug,” Nick said. “I know I could.”

Which reminded her that she wasn’t the only one hurting. Earlier in the week he’d broken up with Mandy, a woman he’d seemed to really like—at least for a while. Nick had commitment issues. He claimed that he didn’t want to settle down with anyone, ever, didn’t want to marry or have kids. They weren’t just words, either. He meant it.

Dani stepped into the warm, comforting embrace she’d needed since Jeter had dumped her. She smelled Nick’s sandalwood shaving soap and fresh Montana air. And underneath both, his own “Nick” scent.

For a few long moments they held each other tightly. When they let go and stepped back, Dani felt better.

Nick sniffed the air, rubbing his belly and licking his lips, making her smile for real. “Man, that smells amazing. I’ve been dreaming of your mac and cheese all day.”

“Even while you worked on the barn roof in the freezing rain? You’re lucky it didn’t snow.”

It had been almost two years since Nick had repurchased Kelly Ranch, once owned by his family and then sold. Now he was slowly and painstakingly making improvements on the property, which, because it had been neglected, was rundown. His current project was the leaky barn roof. He could have hired a professional roofer, but he was watching his bank balance. Also, he claimed to enjoy doing the work himself.

“I’d prefer snow to the icy stuff we got. And yeah, I thought a lot about dinner while the sleet was pounding my head. I could eat a whole cow.”

As if in agreement, his stomach growled loudly—just as the oven timer pinged, signaling the casserole was ready.

“If that isn’t great timing,” Dani teased. “Come on.”

They linked arms and headed toward the kitchen of her little apartment, swapping fond looks with each other. “What’s next on your agenda, Mr. Ranch Fixer Upper?” she asked.

“Mending fences so that we can move the livestock when the spring grass comes up. Now that it’s March, that’s just around the corner. I also have to install the new irrigation system soon.”

“You’re keeping busy, I’ll give you that.” Too busy to reflect much on his recent breakup. “Ever notice how you use physical labor to avoid thinking about certain things?”

He shrugged. “Hey, if it works...”

He did seem in a better frame of mind than he had when they’d talked the previous evening. “I wish I was as good at distracting myself as you,” Dani said with envy.

He peered closely at her. “You’ve been crying.”

She pulled herself to her full five-foot-six-inch height. “I was, but I’m finished now. I’m excited to spend the evening with my best friend—eating, sipping wine, having ice cream, watching a movie, eating more ice cream....”

She expected a laugh, and Nick didn’t disappoint. “You and me both,” he said.

While he uncorked the wine, Dani donned oven mitts and brought the casserole to her cottage-style kitchen table. “When did we last have a pity party together?” she asked as they sat down in their usual seats.

“You mean at the same time?” Nick’s thick-lashed, mocha-colored eyes narrowed in thought. “I don’t believe we ever have. It’s usually either you or me hurting, never both of us at once.”

“A first for us, then, and after sixteen years of friendship.” They’d met in middle school at the age of fourteen, and had bolstered each other up through too many breakups to count.

“Bummer, huh?” Nick said. “If this is a first, we should make a toast.” He filled the glasses. “To no more breakups at the same time.”

“I’d rather toast to no more breakups, period,” Dani said. “But I know us both too well for that.”

Neither of them stayed in a relationship for long.

After setting down his glass, Nick eyed the casserole. “I’m sorry about Jeter, but I gotta say, I sure enjoy your choice of comfort food.”

Dani laughed. “You always cheer me up.” His sense of humor was one of his many positive qualities. “And I agree, there’s nothing better than mac and cheese with hamburger.” She nodded at the steaming dish. “Help yourself.”

“After you.” Beaming the sexy smile that made women swoon, Nick nudged the casserole her way.

He was such a gentleman, which was also sexy. “Have you heard from Mandy since you broke up with her?” she asked when they’d both filled their plates.

“You want to talk about this now.” He gave her a wary frown. “Are you trying to ruin my appetite?”

“Is that even possible? It’s just that I remember how Jasmine stalked you with phone calls and texts when your relationship ended.” Jasmine had been Nick’s previous ex.

“She was unstable. Mandy isn’t like that. We both knew we weren’t going to make it.”

“Too bad—she was great.” Dani sighed. “What a shame she wasn’t your Ms. Right.”

Nick almost choked on his wine. “You’re such a fairy-tale romantic. I’ve told you, there is no Ms. Right, not for me.”

His track record so far certainly proved that. He never went too deep into the reasons why he found his previous girlfriends lacking, but it happened over and over. Dani suspected that his issues stemmed from his mother’s extramarital affair and the subsequent breakup of his parents’ marriage when he was a kid. That and the broken heart he’d suffered in his early twenties.

In all the years they’d been friends, she’d only seen Nick in love that once. He’d met Ashley in college. They’d dated for nearly a year before they graduated and moved in together. Within months of that, they were talking marriage. Then Ashley’s mom, who lived in Missoula, had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ashley had gone home to take care of her. She was only supposed to stay for a few months, but her relationship with Nick had fallen apart, and she never returned.

Nick claimed he’d been relieved. Even so, it had taken him ages to get over what had happened. Or maybe he never had, because he hadn’t let a woman into his heart since.

Whereas Dani fell head over heels several times a year.

“And I’ve told you that all it takes is the right person,” she said. “You can deny it until you’re hoarse, but I believe that your true love and mine are out there.”

“I’m not opposed to love, Dani—you know that. I just don’t do it.” With a shrug, he bent his head toward his plate.

“Sly used to say the same thing, and look at him now. He’s happily married, with a little girl.” Dani’s brother and his wife, Lana, had an adorable two-and-a-half-year-old, the happy result of Lana’s miracle pregnancy.

“If it can happen to Sly, it could happen to you,” she went on. “And to me—I hope.” She crossed her fingers and held them up.

Nick failed to comment.

“Out of all the women in the world, one is perfect for you,” she said. “Someday when you meet her, you’ll see.”

“Trust me, between the available women in Prosperity and the summer tourists who come through every year, I’m a happy man.”

“Except before, during and after the breakups.” She bit her lip. “I did everything I could to make Jeter love me as much as I loved him. What’s wrong with me?”

Nick shook his head. “That’s the wrong question. You should be asking, what’s wrong with Jeter? You’ve got to quit trying to please the guys you date and be yourself. You’re great just as you are.”

Nick had always been wonderful at boosting her self-esteem. “You’re sweet,” she said.

“I mean it, Dani. Now, about the guys you date. You say you want to get married and have a family, but you pick guys who don’t. Guys like me.” He shook his head. “Most of them are jerks, too. That’s why you get hurt.”

“So you and Sly keep pointing out.” Dani fiddled with her napkin. “I guess I’ll take a little break from dating.”

“That’s probably a wise idea.”

Except that she hated sitting home alone on a Saturday night. “I’ll make plans to go out with some of my girlfriends instead.” But that posed a problem, because at the moment, most of them were either in a relationship or married. “That is, if I can find someone who’s free to get together on a Saturday night.”

“I’m available,” Nick said. “You can hang with me.”

“Until your next girlfriend comes along.”

“That could be a while.”

“Ha.” Dani hated being single. Maybe her plan to take a break from dating had been made too hastily. She let out a heavy sigh.

Nick gave her a measured look. “You’re already wishing you had another guy in the wings, aren’t you? Just do me a favor. The next time you date someone, hold on to your heart until you’re sure he’s worthy enough to give it to.”

“And just how do I do that?”

He stroked his strong chin pensively. “It might help if you try going out with a different kind of guy than your usual type. Someone who isn’t a bum.”

He was right, most of the males Dani dated were pretty much jerks. As she sipped her wine, she thought about why she made such poor choices. There was nothing more attractive than a good-looking man with a spark of wild in his eyes and a devil-may-care attitude. She’d certainly fallen for enough of them.

And where had that gotten her? Every new relationship started out filled with promise, making her ever hopeful that this time, this boyfriend would love her and treat her right. And although she tried everything to make him happy, from wearing clothes he liked to embracing the activities he enjoyed—even when she didn’t—sooner or later things always soured.

Nick just might have a point. She sat up straight. “You’re right—I should try dating someone I wouldn’t normally choose. Drumroll please. When I do decide to date again, I’ll pick a man I wouldn’t usually look twice at.”

Nick frowned. “Define a man you ‘wouldn’t normally choose.’”

“Well, someone hard-working, with both feet on the ground. And he has to have a good job.” That way, he wouldn’t ask to borrow money from her, as Jeter had. “If he’s impatient about getting physical and refuses to move slowly, he’s out.”

“Having a regular job doesn’t make a man a decent human being,” Nick said. “At first, guys tend to put their best foot forward. How can you tell the square shooters from the jerks until you get to know them?”

“Hmm.” Propping her chin on her fist, Dani pondered the question. “Well, I’ll do what you said, and hold my heart in check for a while. And maybe, instead of waiting for the man to ask me out, I’ll do the asking. I’ll start by observing him for a while when he isn’t looking, and I’ll pay attention to how he treats other people. That’ll give me a glimmer of an idea of his character.”

Nick gave an approving nod. “That’s not a bad plan. It’s definitely worth a try.”

Dani smiled. “So glad you approve, Mr. Kelly.”

* * *

AFTER THREE HELPINGS of mac and cheese, Nick’s belly was satisfied. He and Dani lingered at the table, both of them relaxed. He was also too beat to move. Fixing up the ranch and making it profitable was an all-consuming job, filled with unexpected obstacles and on-going challenges. Not that he minded. He loved his land. But with another full day starting at oh-dark-thirty tomorrow, he was ready to head home and fall into a dreamless sleep. Dani appeared to be just as tired.

“Are you sure you want to watch a movie tonight?” he asked after she yawned for the second time. “You have to get up even earlier than I do, and with Big Mama riding your case....”

“Don’t remind me.” Dani grimaced. “Ever since the Poplar Tree restaurant opened and the Prosperity Daily News ran that story about them, business at the café has been slipping. How many times have I told Big Mama that we need to step things up and make some changes in order to compete? Does she listen? Heck, no.”

Everyone who knew Trudy Alexander called her Big Mama. The nickname suited the five-foot-eleven, two-hundred-plus-pound female. Although she towered an intimidating five inches over Dani, Dani gave her as good as she got. They were both strong-willed women, and they often butted heads. And yet, their love for each other was obvious.

At the tender age of four Dani had lost her mother to cancer. Two years later she’d also lost her father, when a tree limb had crashed through the windshield of his car, killing him instantly. The freak accident had left Dani and her two older brothers orphans. The boys had been taken in by an uncle in Iowa. He hadn’t wanted a girl, and Dani had gone into Prosperity’s foster care system. Luckily for her, she’d been placed with Big Mama. A couple years later, the older woman had legally adopted Dani, with Dani keeping her original last name.

“I know our customers,” Dani went on. “I should—I’m there six days a week, from five o’clock in the morning until we close at 2:00 p.m., and often for a few hours after that. I waitress, I order food and supplies, help with the hiring and firing, and I sort the mail. Most of those are responsibilities I’ve handled since I was in high school. The only things I don’t do are the cooking and the financial stuff.”

“You work hard,” Nick agreed. As hard as he did, for which he respected her.

“And I do a good job—a really good job. So why doesn’t Big Mama trust me to make decisions that could help our restaurant?” Dani snickered. “Heck, she doesn’t even trust me to get through a Saturday or Sunday without nagging me about one thing or another.”

Presumably Dani’s mom, now in her late sixties, would retire someday and Dani would take over. But handing the reins over to anyone, even her daughter, wasn’t proving easy for her. For now, Big Mama preferred to run the business her own way, keeping Dani on a tight leash. Nick had been hearing about it from Dani for several years now. “Of course she trusts you,” he said. “She just prefers to be in control.”

“If she trusted me she wouldn’t have to be in control. You wouldn’t believe the day I had, much of it courtesy of her.” Dani grimaced again. “Which is a long way of answering your question. No, I don’t want to call it a night just yet. I’m so ready to escape into a movie, and I want to do it with my best friend.”

As bone-tired as Nick was, Dani needed him and he wasn’t going to let her down. She and Big Mama were like family to him. He was a lot closer to them than to his own sister and mother. Dani was loyal to the people she cared about. Even when she was in a bad relationship, she stayed true to her boyfriend. His fickle mom, on the other hand, didn’t know the meaning of loyalty.

“Today was worse than usual?” he asked.

“It was pretty bad.”

“What happened?”

Dani slanted her head. “Are you sure you want to hear about this?”

If talking about her day took her mind off Jeter, Nick was all for it. “Sure.”

“How long have I been running the restaurant on weekends so that Big Mama can take a few days off?” Dani grumbled. “As if she’s ever really ‘off.’ Business has slacked a little lately, but that doesn’t mean I stand around, twiddling my thumbs. She must’ve called ten times today, making sure I’d done this chore and that one. Have I cleaned the tables and reset them after customers finished and left? Have I checked the salt-and-pepper shakers and the sugar bowls to make sure they’re filled? You’d think I was a new hire. I just wish she’d get that I know what I’m doing and let me do it.”

She didn’t expect a comment, so Nick just nodded.

“I’ve done tons of research on steps we could take to increase our business,” she continued. “But no, she finds something wrong with every one of my ideas. I even suggested she watch Restaurant: Impossible, the Food Network show about saving restaurants from going under, so that she could see what other restaurants are trying. She claims she doesn’t have time for that.”

Dani’s lips pursed in irritation. She was definitely in a tough situation.

“Maybe I can help,” Nick offered. “Big Mama’s crazy about me.” She always had been. As a teenager, he’d spent more nights at her dinner table than his own mother’s. “Let me talk to her.”

“No, thanks. I’ll handle this myself. Besides, she’s so stubborn that not even your Kelly charm could budge her on this. It’s enough that you’re letting me whine.”

Dani had always been an independent female—except when it came to men. She fell in love fast, and tried way too hard to please whoever she was with.

Nick didn’t do love, period. What was the point of falling for a woman when love would ruin a man’s life? Because sooner or later, the relationship was bound to end. Women were fickle and not to be trusted—Dani excepted.

“Big Mama started her business forty years ago,” he said. “Anyone would have difficulty letting go.”

“And I get that, but it doesn’t make my working life any easier. I want her to trust me, Nick.” Dani needed her mother’s trust. Owning and running a restaurant wasn’t easy, and Big Mama wasn’t getting any younger. She deserved to retire and let Dani take over. “Okay, I’m through complaining—for now.” She switched gears. “Let’s watch a movie so that I can forget about work and Jeter.”

“Soon,” Nick said. “But first, ice cream with hot fudge sauce, if you have any. Let’s eat in front of the tube.”

Her eyes lit up. They were an unusual silvery-blue, the same color as Sly’s and those of their brother, Seth, whom Nick had met a few times when he and Dani had first become friends. But then Seth had left town, and Dani and Sly hadn’t seen or heard from him in years. They had no idea where he was.

“I like the way you think, Mr. Kelly. And yes, I happen to have bought a fresh jar of hot fudge sauce on my way home today—just for you.”

Nick had been to her apartment so often, he knew where she stored everything. In the pine cabinet to the right of the sink, he found the bowls. The drawer next to the stove yielded the ice cream scoop. Dani opened the jar of fudge sauce and heated it in the microwave. By the time he piled ice cream into the bowls the fudge sauce was nice and hot.

“I want first crack at that sauce,” Dani said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “Otherwise, you’ll eat the whole thing.”

Nick gave her a look of mock hurt. “I’d never do that.”

“Ha. Your sweet tooth is so big that mine dims by comparison. But you never gain an ounce, you lucky man.” She sighed. “I wish I could eat whatever I wanted and not put on weight. That’s the one good thing about my breakup with Jeter. I won’t have to diet anymore.”

Jeter had ridden Dani’s case about her weight but Nick thought he was nuts. “What do you care about some Neanderthal’s opinion?” he said. “You’re perfect the way you are.”

And she was. Curvy in all the right places. With pretty eyes and a plump mouth made for kissing, she could attract any man she wanted. Plus, she was warm and friendly, with a heart as big as the Montana sky.

Nick was crazy about her, but not in a sexual sense. As attractive as Dani was, he considered her a cross between sister and best friend. That was the whole reason they’d stayed close all these years. Sex would just mess up their relationship.

Dani finished drizzling a stream of hot fudge sauce over her rocky road. “Have at it.” She handed Nick the jar of sauce, but kept the chocolate-coated spoon for herself.

After slathering his ice cream with enough chocolate to satisfy his sweet tooth, he stuck his finger in the jar and scraped it clean.

Dani laughed. “Sure you got enough?”

Her smile was contagious, and Nick grinned. “For now. Let’s go watch a movie.”

They headed for the living room. “What DVDs did you bring?” Dani asked.

“Only the first two James Bond movies ever made—Dr. No and From Russia with Love.”

“James Bond?” She stuck out her lower lip. “Come on, Nick, my heart is broken. You know that when I’m sad my preference is for three-hanky love stories.” She brightened. “I haven’t watched The Holiday since last Christmas. I could put it on.”

Nick had seen the chick flick with her so many times he’d memorized most of the lines. He made a face. “After every one of your breakups, we watch movies that make you cry. You’ve cried too much over Jeter.”

Within weeks after they’d started dating, Jeter had hurt her by sticking her with their dinner tab at a restaurant and taking off with his friends. Nick had wanted to deck the loser and teach him some manners, but that would have infuriated Dani. Instead, he’d encouraged her to quit trying to make the bum happy when he wasn’t doing a thing to make her happy. He’d also suggested she break off with him. But she’d already been in love and Nick’s words had fallen on deaf ears. It was a relief to know that next time she’d choose a different kind of man.

“Why don’t we mix it up and try a spy film. How about it?” He tugged on a lock of her pretty brown hair, which she wore straight and almost to her shoulders, then picked up the two DVDs. “Trust me, either of these classic Bond flicks will take your mind completely off your broken heart and your bad day. But hey, if you’d rather cry instead and waste another box of tissues...”

“You’re right.” She squared her shoulders. “Okay, I’ll give Dr. No a try. But if I can’t get into it, we switch to The Holiday. Deal?”

“Fair enough.”

Dessert in hand, they shoved the four colorful throw pillows—Dani was big into bright colors—to one end of the couch and then sat down.

Looking hopefully at Dani’s bowl, the ridiculously named Fluff jumped up between her and Nick. “No,” she said in a stern voice. “The vet put you on a diet, remember? Besides, this stuff is bad for you.” She shooed the cat away.

Undaunted, he jumped onto the floor and then butted Nick’s shin, his yellow eyes pleading. Nick was unmoved. “You heard the lady. This sundae is all mine.”

Tail high, the offended tom stalked off.

Nick slid Dr. No into the DVD player, then dug into his sundae. With any luck the combination of the sugar jolt and the action would keep him awake for a few hours.

Within moments Dani was totally engrossed in the film to the point that her ice cream melted. It was obvious she wasn’t thinking about Jeter or the restaurant now.

Mission accomplished. Nick smiled to himself.

He watched the film for a while, but not long after he finished his sundae, his eyelids grew too heavy to stay open. He set the bowl on the coffee table. It was the last thing he remembered.

Chapter Two

Dani opened her eyes. As entertaining and exciting as Dr. No was—and it was so dated that it was both—she’d fallen asleep in the middle of the action. Now she was snuggled against Nick’s side, with her head on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her close.

When had that happened?

By the steady rise and fall of his rib cage, he’d also fallen asleep. Poor guy was exhausted, and yet he’d come over tonight so that they could cheer each other up. Although he’d done most of the cheerleading.

Tenderness flooded her. She loved him dearly, but cuddling with him stretched the bonds of their platonic relationship.

Doing her best not to disturb him, she gently began to untangle herself from his grasp. Not so easy, as he was holding on tight. Without meaning to, she woke him. His sleepy, sexy smile stole her breath. She was marveling at the power of that smile when he lowered his head and kissed her. On the mouth. He’d never done that before.

As startled as Dani was, she liked the solid feel of his arms anchoring her close. Liked his lips brushing warmly over hers. Dear God in heaven, he could kiss. Without knowing how it happened, she melted into his hard body and kissed him back.

He tasted of chocolate and ice cream and something subtle that she recognized as uniquely him. His big palms slid up her sides, dangerously close to her suddenly tingling breasts.

Okay, this was getting out of hand. Dani stiffened and pushed him away. “Don’t, Nick.”

“Jeezus.” He released her as if she’d burned him. “What are we doing?”

She touched her lips with her fingers, noting that his gaze followed and settled on her mouth.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “All I know is that sometime during the movie we both fell asleep. And then—”

“We were making out. Wow.” Nick scrubbed his hand over his face. “Sorry about that.”

Dani should be, too. Only she wasn’t.

No wonder the women Nick dated went nuts over him. Not only was he sexy and funny with good manners, he also knew how to kiss. Fan-yourself-go-soft-inside kisses that emptied the mind of all common sense.

Dani sensed that he could also do a lot of other equally wonderful things with his mouth. Blushing furiously, she leaned forward and stacked their bowls.

She almost wished...

But no. Nick was exactly the kind of guy she’d just sworn off of, a man who moved from woman to woman and kept his heart under close guard. Besides, he was her best friend. His friendship was important to her, and she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it.

Nick lifted the dishes right out of her hands, then stood. “It’s late, and tomorrow will be a long day for both of us. I should go,” he said, taking the words straight from her kiss-addled brain.

Dani wanted him to leave so that she could recover from a colossal mistake. She also rose. While Nick deposited the bowls in the kitchen, she fluffed the throw pillows and repositioned them along the couch.

When he returned, he shrugged into his jacket, which only accentuated his flat belly and broad shoulders.

“I’ll, uh, talk to you later.” He grabbed hold of the doorknob as if he couldn’t get out of her apartment fast enough.

Normally when they parted he kissed her on the cheek. Now that she was tingly and hot everywhere, even the most chaste kiss would be dangerous.

Fluff came running. Why couldn’t he have fallen asleep between them and prevented what had happened? Dani scooped him up and held him to her chest like a shield, poor cat. She opened the door and stood well out of reach until Nick moved through it and strode rapidly down the hall, away from her. After shutting the door, she let Fluff down. She didn’t draw in a normal breath until she heard the elevator close behind Nick.

* * *

NICK WAS UP at the crack of dawn Monday morning, relishing the busy day ahead. After a hearty breakfast he pulled on wool socks and entered the mudroom, where he tugged on boots and donned a heavy jacket. He stepped onto the back porch, his breath puffing from his lips like smoke. It was a cloudy March morning and chilly, but not quite cold enough to snow. Instead, heavy rain was predicted. Not the best working conditions for installing an irrigation system.

As always, the sight of the rolling fields filled him with pride and made him think of his father, a man who had died way too soon. Nick Senior had taught Nick that land was the most important thing a man could own, but his actions had jeopardized everything.

Kelly Ranch had belonged to the family for generations, until Nick’s parents had fallen on hard times—thanks partly to the vagaries of Montana weather, but mostly because of his father’s lavish spending habits. Nick remembered the jewelry, fancy appliances and high-end new car his father had bought his mother. He’d been so wrapped up in keeping her in luxury that he’d neglected the ranch. Neglect that had cost them all in the worst way possible.

Before long, unable to keep up with the mortgage and credit card debt, the family had been forced to sell. Nick’s parents had moved with him and his older sister, Jamie, to the east side of Prosperity. The poor side of town.

Both his parents had soon found jobs that paid regularly and provided a much-needed steady income that helped stave off the bill collectors. But no one had liked living in the city. Nick’s parents had fought constantly, and his mother started working late. She’d taken up with a man at work, someone else’s husband. The affair had ended, but not before it destroyed both marriages and broke up two families.

Breathing in the crisp air, Nick started down the back steps. He’d always wondered what his life would have been like if his parents had managed their debt better and had held on to the ranch. Would they have stayed together? If they had, his life would have been totally different.

But playing the what-if game was an endless circle of unanswerables. Nick didn’t want to remember that time, or the bitterness that had clung to his father like a shroud afterward and until the day he’d died.

He headed across the yard toward the shed where he stored tractors and other large ranching equipment, the cold earth crunching under his boots. The only positive thing to come out of his dad’s untimely death was the insurance policy he’d left Nick. Thanks to that unexpected gift, Nick had suddenly had the funds for a down payment on the family ranch, which had just happened to be on the market. It was rundown and had come dirt-cheap, and he’d been able to put down a decent amount. Using what remained of his inheritance, he was slowly making much-needed improvements.

Unfortunately, the cost of the new irrigation would eat up the last of the money. And there was so much yet to do before Kelly Ranch finally turned a profit. Several outbuildings still required repairs, and the ranch needed a new hay baler. Nick also wanted to add more cattle to his herd. While those things would have to wait, Nick was proud of the fact that the ranch should be fully restored and profitable within in the next two years—as long as he kept his eye on his goal. He wouldn’t slip up like his father, who’d lost everything. All for a woman who’d ended up leaving him, anyway.

At least the land was back in the family, where it belonged.

From the direction of the trailers that housed his ranch crew, a rooster crowed as if in approval. Nick had three permanent ranch hands. Two were married, and their wives raised chickens.

With an eye to cutting costs, he’d commandeered two of the men to help with the grunt work on the irrigation system.

They were waiting for him at the shed. Nick nodded at Palmer, the foreman who’d agreed to stay on when he’d bought the ranch, and Clip, a brawny twenty-five-year-old who wasn’t afraid of hard work. Jerome, the third member of the crew, was tackling the regular chores today.

“Morning,” he greeted them. “Kenny Tripp, the irrigation specialist I hired to install our new system, should be here soon.”

While they waited, they stood around, sipping coffee from thermoses and talking about their weekends.

“Hey, how’s Dani doing?” Clip asked.

She occasionally visited the ranch, and the crew knew that Nick had gone to her place Saturday evening, to console her after her breakup.

Unsure how to best answer Clip’s question, and preferring not to discuss about what had happened between him and Dani, Nick took a long pull on his coffee. He wasn’t often confused by his own actions, but kissing her...

What the hell had gotten into him?

Yeah, he’d been half-asleep when it happened, but that was no excuse. Over the years they’d fallen asleep beside each other plenty of times without him ever making a move on her. She meant too much to him to wreck their relationship by getting physical.

But then, he’d never guessed that kissing her would be so mind-numbingly powerful or that she’d get under his skin the way she had. The feel of her lips under his, the sweet press of her breasts against his chest...

“She’s doing okay,” he said gruffly.

He drained the last of his mug, screwed the cap on the thermos and gave himself a mental kick in the butt. Dani was his best friend. Kissing her or anything beyond that was off-limits. He’d had no business pulling her as close as he could, and no business wanting to strip her naked and get even closer.

At the mere thought, his body tightened. Turning away from Palmer’s narrow-eyed scrutiny, he set his empty thermos on a shelf near the door. Tonight he would call Dani and assure her he wouldn’t be crossing the line with her ever again.

Clip grinned. “Now that she’s single again, I just might ask her out.”

The bachelor cowboy was full of himself.

Nick gave him a warning look. “I wouldn’t.”

“Why not? She’s available.”

“Because she deserves a man who’ll stick around and build a life with her.”

“Heck, I’ll stick to her.” Clip chuckled at his joke until Nick glared at him. The cowboy sobered right up. “Chill out, Nick, I’m only funnin’ around.”

The sound of a truck rumbling toward the shed drew Nick’s attention. “That must be Tripp now. Let’s go.”

He opened the door and Palmer and Clip followed him out.

* * *

ON MONDAYS, BIG MAMA’S CAFÉ was closed. As much as Dani loved going in to work, a day off was always a welcome relief. A chance to relax, read the newspaper from cover to cover and sleep in....

Scratch sleeping in. She’d been getting up before dawn since high school, and the habit was hard to break. Plus, she had a lot on her mind, first and foremost the meeting at Big Mama’s house this morning. Her mother didn’t handle change well, but today, Dani was determined to persuade her that making needed alterations was critical to the restaurant’s survival.

The very thought of that conversation gave her hives.

Then there was Fluff, who expected his breakfast no later than five-thirty. Sitting on her chest, all twenty pounds of him, he batted her chin with his paw and meowed. Loudly and plaintively. “Oh, all right, Mr. Alarm Clock,” she muttered, moving him aside so that she could flip on the reading lamp on the beside table. Yawning and stretching, she fell back against the pillow again.

She’d spent a long, restless night, and not just because she was stressing over the upcoming conversation with Big Mama. Nick Kelly had played a big roll in the tossing and turning.

They didn’t get together all that often, but they touched base frequently, either by phone, text or email. But since Saturday night, Nick hadn’t called or texted her once. Dani hadn’t contacted him, either. Their friendship was hugely important to her, and she hoped those unforgettable kisses hadn’t made things between them all wonky.

Key word: unforgettable. A man didn’t kiss a woman as thoroughly as Nick had kissed her without making a huge impact. And what an impact it had been. Dani wanted more of the same. A lot more.

Which was just too bad, because she wasn’t about to kiss Nick like that again. Ever. The smartest thing to do was to forget the other night had ever happened.

Fluff amped up his cries to earsplitting level. “Will you stop?” she snapped in a sharp tone that caused the cat to grow quiet.

He fixed her with an accusing look that caused an instant case of the guilts. None of this was his fault.

Gentling her voice, she rubbed behind his head. He promptly forgave her and began to purr. What a pushover. “You’re such a sweet boy,” she crooned. “Let me stop in the bathroom on my way to the kitchen. Then I’ll feed you.”

By the time she threw on a robe and padded into the kitchen a few minutes later, the cat was pacing anxiously in front of his food dish. Her heart went out to him. Roughly two years ago she’d adopted him from a cat shelter, not long after he’d been found abandoned and starving. He still worried about his food, and if she didn’t feed him first thing in the morning, he tended to get upset.

Dani needed coffee, but it would have to wait. “You know how I am before my morning dose of caffeine,” she said. “But just this once, I’ll give you breakfast before I put the coffee on.” She filled his bowl. “There you go. This just proves how much I care about you.”

Busy scarfing down his meal, Fluff ignored her. Wasn’t that just like a male? Once you gave him what he wanted, he didn’t spare you a second thought.

“Story of my life,” she murmured.

Twenty minutes later she felt human again. Sipping her second cup of coffee, she read most of the Prosperity Daily News instead of skimming it, an indulgence she had time for only on Mondays.

After a leisurely shower she dressed in jeans and a pullover sweater, then grabbed her purse and a coat, and blew the cat a kiss. “Bye, handsome. Behave yourself while I’m gone.”

When she pulled out of her parking space in the apartment complex, ominous clouds filled the sky. Dani groaned. Not more rain.

Big Mama lived in the same two-story bungalow where Dani had grown up. When she arrived at the house some ten minutes later, rain was coming down hard and the wipers were working overtime.

Jewel Sellers’s old Lincoln Continental was parked behind Big Mama’s SUV, which was in the carport. Jewel was her mother’s best friend and they often palled around. Dani hoped the woman wasn’t planning on staying. She and her mom were supposed to talk about the restaurant.

She parked beside the Lincoln. At the Pattersons’ house next door, Gumbo, a ten-year-old mixed chow female, dashed down the steps from the covered porch, barking a hello. The Pattersons were both at work, and Gumbo was obviously lonesome.

Dani pulled the hood on her coat over her head and stopped at the chain-link fence. Hunkering down, she stuck her fingers through to pat the wet dog, who she swore grinned at her despite the driving rain. “Hey there, Gumbo. You should stay up on the porch, where it’s dry.”

Ignoring her advice, the dog licked her fingers. “Aw, I love you, too,” Dani said. “I wish I could stay and visit with you, but it’s too wet and cold. Besides, Big Mama’s expecting me. When Jewel leaves, we’re having a ‘meeting.’” She pantomimed sticking her thumb down her throat, then lowered her voice. “If you can figure out a way to make Big Mama accept even some of my ideas and trust me enough to quit micromanaging me on weekends, I’d love to hear them. There’ll be a doggie treat in it for you. Gotta run now.”

She raced up the steps of the covered porch. The front door was unlocked, and once she removed her wet shoes and shook the rain water from her coat, she let herself in. After the damp cold outside, the house felt snug and dry. The familiar aromas of lemon oil furniture polish and freshly baked treats that smelled out of this world flooded her nostrils. Salivating, she hung her coat in the closet.

“Hey, it’s me,” she called out, just as she always had.

Her mother bustled in from the kitchen, her gait a little slower than it once had been, but still brisk. Dressed in her trademark off-white blouse and dark pants, bifocals propped on her head, she greeted Dani with a warm smile.

Jewel followed, as petite and trim as Big Mama was large.

“I was hoping to see you before I left.” Jewel tsked in sympathy. “I’m sorry about your breakup.”

“Thanks.” It was no surprise that she’d heard about that. Big Mama kept her well-informed. Still, Dani wasn’t about to discuss the details. “It’s nasty out there, so be careful,” she said.

Her mother peered out the little window in the door. “What a storm we’re having. The weather people are warning about a three-dayer. Lordy, I hope they’re wrong. Be safe, Jewel. I’ll see you Friday night.”

The woman nodded. “Six o’clock, dinner out and cards here.” She patted her large handbag. “Thanks for the cinnamon roll. It will go well with my afternoon coffee. You’re in for a yummy snack, Dani.”

When the door closed behind her, Dani’s mother opened her arms. “How about a hug for your Big Mama?”

Dani stepped into the familiar embrace. Instantly she was enveloped in Big Mama’s warmth and lilac cologne, and for a few seconds all her cares faded. For all their disagreements, Dani loved her dearly.

“What was Jewel doing here?” she asked when they let go of each other.

“You know what early birds we both are. She’s going to knit me a cardigan and wanted to show me possible yarns and colors.”

“That’s nice,” Dani said. “I hope you picked something with a little color.” Not that her mother wore colors much. Everything she owned was either black, brown or navy.

“I did—a soft gray. You hungry?”

Having skipped breakfast, Dani nodded. “Those cinnamon rolls smell wonderful.”

“Of course they do.” Big Mama grinned. “I took a batch out of the oven just before you got here. I left the nuts out, the way you prefer them. There’s a pot of hot coffee, too.”

Eager to eat something, and always up for another cup of coffee, Dani rubbed her hands together. Then she frowned. “Didn’t Dr. Adelson tell you to cut down on fats and sweets?”

Her mother made a face. “I don’t smoke and I don’t drink. Isn’t that enough? Besides, what’s the point of living if I can’t indulge in a few of the things I love?” With a defiant gleam in her eye, she raised her chin. “A treat now and then won’t hurt.”

Before Dani could argue, Big Mama changed the subject. “You have circles under your eyes.” She scrutinized Dani critically and pursed her lips. “You’re not sleeping well. It’s because of Jeter, isn’t it? I didn’t want to ask and bother you while you were at work this weekend, but how are you doing?”

Bother her? She’d only driven Dani crazy with her frequent calls. Dani refrained from pointing this out. She had more important things to discuss. “I stayed up late last night, but that had nothing to do with the breakup,” she explained. “I’m actually doing okay.”

“You’re already over Jeter?”

Nick’s kisses had all but wiped the other man from her mind. Kisses I’m going to forget, she reminded herself. “Pretty much.”

“That was fast—much faster than usual. Let’s get at those cinnamon rolls while they’re still hot. Spending Saturday evening with Nick must’ve done you a world of good,” Big Mama said as they sauntered toward the kitchen. “I just adore that boy.”

Nick was no boy—he was all man. Fighting the urge to glance away from her mother’s shrewd blue eyes, Dani shrugged. “I guess I wasn’t that in love with Jeter, after all.”

“I’m relieved. He wasn’t the one for you. What did you and Nick do to cheer each other up?”

Although the rain had changed into pounding hail, Dani suddenly wished she was outside. Anything would be better than answering that question. “We had dinner and talked. And we ate hot fudge sundaes,” she said. All of which was true. “Then we watched an old James Bond movie called Dr. No.”

“I remember that movie. Ursula Andress co-starred with Sean Connery.”

The scarred old oak table that had been around since Dani’s childhood was set for two, with a couple of jumbo cinnamon rolls on each plate. More than Dani could ever eat. The promised pot of steaming coffee and a pitcher of warm milk sat beside a stick of creamery butter and a vase of pussy willow buds. Ancient furniture and dishes that weren’t all that different from those at Big Mama’s Café—battle-worn, but friendly and homey. The food both here and at the restaurant was always excellent, but it was also very rich. People loved eating it, but these days they also needed other, healthier options.

Pushing that conversation aside for now, Dani sat in her customary seat, facing the window that overlooked the backyard where she’d spent many a happy spring and summer day. The curtains were open to let in the gray light. Hail bounced like white BB’s against the concrete patio.

Seemingly oblivious to the spectacle, Big Mama sighed as she buttered a roll. “Sean Connery—now there’s a man. He’s still as handsome as ever.”

For a long moment neither of them spoke, other than to exclaim over the flaky cinnamon rolls. Dani thought back to when she was six and Big Mama first took her in. At the time her then foster mother had been forty-five and widowed for almost four years.

Big Mama married late in life, and she and Winston had been madly in love. They’d been husband and wife just over a year when Big Mama had learned she was pregnant. She and Winston were ecstatic.

Then one snowy night her husband had died in a twenty-car pile-up on the freeway. A few weeks later, Big Mama miscarried. After that, she’d lost her interest in men, and had spent her days running the restaurant and raising Dani.

“I made a decision I’m sure you’ll approve of,” Dani said. “From now on, I’m going to date only the kind of man who has a steady job. He should also want to get married and have kids.”

Big Mama nodded. “That’s smart, Dani. But I want you to consider something important—you don’t need a man to be happy.”

Her mother had never said this before. Dani stared at her. “Hey, I happen to like men.”

“They are wonderful, but after I lost Winston, I did all right by myself. Especially when it came to you. When you were growing up, we sure had a lot of fun.” She waited for Dani’s nod, then continued. “I may not have given birth to you, but I raised you as my own, and I did it totally without help. And I did a darned fine job of it, if I do say so. You became a terrific young woman. I’m so proud of you.”

Dani flushed with pleasure. “Aww, thanks.”

Big Mama had saved her from what could have been a childhood as awful as the one that Sly and Seth, her brothers, had endured at the hands of a distant uncle. Uncle George had taken them in but hadn’t wanted Dani. At first, that had hurt, but his rejection had turned out to be the best thing for her. Because Uncle George disliked kids—even his own nephews. Poor Sly and Seth had borne the brunt of his animosity.

Whereas for Dani, from the start Big Mama had made her feel welcome and comfortable. She’d taught Dani how to cook and had let her help out in the restaurant. She’d always treated her with kindness and respect—along with a strong dose of discipline. By the age of eight, Dani had become the woman’s adopted daughter, in every way possible. She’d soon inherited Big Mama’s love of feeding hungry diners delicious, homemade food, along with the desire to manage a well-run establishment that brought people back again and again.

That wasn’t happening so much anymore, but if Dani could just make the changes she wanted, she was sure that business would pick up. “I’m forever grateful for you and the wonderful life you’ve given me,” she said. “But I’d still like to have a husband and a baby or two. Don’t you want a grandchild to spoil?”

“Of course I would, but what I want most for you is your happiness.”

With her mother in such an expansive mood, this seemed the perfect moment to get down to business. Tamping down a bad case of nerves, Dani reached for her purse and pulled out a folder. “I put together a couple of new menu ideas that will appeal to health-conscious eaters, as well as an updated look for our menu.” The restaurant’s interior hadn’t changed since Dani had first stepped inside it some twenty-four years ago. It was now dated and not exactly welcoming. In fact, the drab decor and old lighting contradicted what Dani considered important—not only delicious food, but a bright, fun atmosphere in which to enjoy it.

She pointed to the crude sketch she’d made. “I’m no artist, but you get the gist. This design is more contemporary and will suit the new decor perfectly.”

Her mother didn’t bother to put on her bifocals. “Just hold on there, missy.” Her lips thinned into a stubborn line. “I haven’t agreed to any new decor. And we don’t need new menus or recipes, either. We have great food and friendly service, and customers like us just the way we are.”

Here we go. Dani stifled a sigh. “You’re right, but there’s a lot of competition out there now, and we’re steadily losing business, especially since the Poplar Tree opened. If we want to keep the customers we have and attract new ones, we have to make changes and update the restaurant.”

An emotion that Dani swore was fear crossed her mother’s face, gone so quickly that she wondered if she’d imagined it.

“Not on my watch,” her mother stated firmly.

Dani suppressed a groan of frustration. The restaurant was to be her legacy, and she wanted it to survive and flourish for the rest of her life and even longer. “I’m only suggesting these things because I care about the restaurant as much as you do,” she said in what she considered a reasonable tone.

Her mother stiffened and folded her meaty arms over her chest.

Okay, then. “What do you suggest we do instead?” Dani said, oh, so genially.

Big Mama humphed—so much for going the polite route. “We won’t do anything. Big Mama’s Café will remain as it always has been. We serve the best breakfasts and lunches in town. If people don’t believe that, then they should eat someplace else.”

Why couldn’t her mother see that the atmosphere and menu made them look out of step compared to other restaurants? “You are so darned stubborn!” Dani fumed.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Her mother’s jaw clamped shut.

Once again she’d failed to convince her mother to make any changes. Dani threw up her hands. Back to the drawing board.

Chapter Three

By Monday evening the hail had changed into sleet. Wondering whether it would snow, Dani sat on her living room floor with Fluff at her side, listening to a Josh Turner album and getting ready to fold the laundry she’d washed this afternoon. She loved the masculine sound of the country singer’s voice.

Nick’s voice was deep and sexy, too...

She frowned. She still hadn’t heard from him, which was upsetting. Before Saturday night, she’d have picked up the phone and called him without a thought. But now, it just didn’t feel right.

Between his silence and Big Mama’s refusal to make a single change to the restaurant, Dani was frustrated enough to scream. Plucking one of the throw pillows from the couch, she covered her face to muffle the sound and let loose with a loud scream. Several of them.

When she removed the pillow from her face, she was in a better mood. Fluff had darted under the couch, but with a little patience and coaxing, he came out.

Dani went back to folding her clean things.

From the time she’d first come to live with Big Mama, her job had been to sort and fold the clean laundry. The task of transforming a rumpled basket of freshly dried clothing into smooth, neat piles had always relaxed her. Tonight she needed to relax and clear her mind.

No worrying about the restaurant, Big Mama or Nick. Just her and Josh Turner, singing together.

The basket was half empty and Dani was belting along to “Would You Go With Me” and in a much better place, when her cell phone rang. She checked the screen—Nick. Finally. Her heart bumped joyously in her chest.

She tamped down that happy feeling and focused on being annoyed. After lowering the volume of the music she picked up the call. “Hi, Nick,” she said, not bothering to warm up her tone.

“Uh...” A brief pause. “Am I catching you at a bad time?”

“Not really. I’m folding laundry.”

“That should make you nice and relaxed.”

She had been, until now.

When she didn’t comment, Nick went on. “We haven’t spoken in a couple days. Are we okay?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” she said, not at all okay.

Fluff chose that moment to jump into the laundry basket. Soon his long hair would be all over her clean clothes. Dani lifted up the cat and set him on the carpet. After narrowing his eyes at her he flounced off with his tail high.

“You sure about that? You seem tense. The other night—”

“We shared a few kisses,” she interrupted, proud of her nonchalant tone. “They didn’t mean anything.”

Only long, sleepless nights and the irritating problem of not being able to forget the feel of his lips on hers. Hot and soft...

His relieved breath was loud and clear. “That’s good, because those kisses didn’t mean anything to me, either. I don’t want things between us to change because of them.”

He had a funny way of showing it. “Me, either,” Dani admitted. “Why did it take you so long to call?”

“You didn’t pick up the phone and call me, either.”

“I guess I needed time to process what happened.”

“Ditto.”

During another long beat of silence, Dani racked her brain for something else to say, something to prove that she was fine.

Before she could drum up anything, Nick spoke. “How about we forget those kisses ever happened?”

“Consider them forgotten.”

Liar, liar, pants on fire. Dani touched her lips, which even now tingled a little.

“You and Big Mama had that meeting at her place today. How’d it go?”

The great—and occasionally annoying—thing about Nick was that he remembered most everything she told him. “Don’t remind me,” she said, frustrated with her mother all over again. “I don’t know why I thought she’d listen this time. I came prepared, too, with a sketch for the new menu. I even brought recipe ideas. Big Mama gave everything a thumbs-down, so I asked for her ideas. She had nothing to say, except that she won’t make a single change. She just keeps repeating that both our food and service are excellent just as they are.”

“They are important.”

“Of course. But the same old, same old isn’t enough anymore—not if we want to stay in business. We both want the restaurant to thrive again. Why won’t she try something new?”

“Maybe she’s scared.”

“My mother?” Dani snorted. “Of what?”

“I don’t know—spending the money?”

“Since she refuses to give me access to our financial information, I have no idea. All I know is that we can’t afford not to change.”

Sharing her worries with Nick helped, and as Dani talked, her anger at him melted away. Yet now, a different kind of tension simmered between them, the kind that made her self-conscious and a little ill-at-ease.

“I’m not asking her to totally gut the place, though in my opinion, that would be the best option,” she went on. “But new tables, chairs, curtains and wall decorations, better lighting, fresh paint and an updated menu? That’ll cost a bit, but not that much. There has to be a way to convince her, but heck if I have a clue what it is.”

“My offer still stands,” he said. “I can talk to her.”

“No, it’s best if you stay out of this. I’ll handle it myself. How was your day?”

“It’s your battle—got it. My day sucked. This crappy weather delayed the irrigation project. Tripp and his team won’t be back until the rain eases off.”

“That’s too bad. When the team finally does start, how long will the whole thing take?”

“Tripp estimates about five days.”

“To irrigate the entire ranch? That’s not bad.”

“Nope, and during the dry days of summer, I’ll be glad I did it. My mom called this afternoon.”

“No kidding,” Dani said. Nick and his mother weren’t close, but she and Dani got along okay. “It’s been ages since you heard from her. What did she want?”

“She asked me to come over after work Friday.”

Dani was puzzled. “I wonder why.”

“If I know my mother, she needs money.”

He sounded disgusted. Despite having a job that paid decently, his mother always seemed short of cash. And she often borrowed from Nick to make up the gap.

“Are you going?” Dani asked.

“If I don’t, she’ll nag me until I do.”

There the conversation died.

They usually chatted easily about everything under the sun, but tonight Dani couldn’t think of anything else to say. Apparently neither could Nick.

The ensuing silence was uncomfortable.

Finally Nick cleared his throat. “You probably want to get back to your laundry and then to bed. I’ll let you go. Sweet dreams.”

His signature sign-off. Tonight, Dani wasn’t sure what kinds of dreams she’d have. She hoped they didn’t feature Nick doing delicious things to her... “You, too,” she said. “Good luck with your mom.”

They both disconnected.

Feeling oddly discombobulated, she folded the rest of the laundry and wondered how long it would take before she and Nick were at ease with each other again.

* * *

AFTER TWO DAYS of torrential rain and intermittent hail, the downpour suddenly braked to a stop just as darkness hit. During the nasty weather Nick, Palmer, Clip and Jerome had spent much of their waking hours fighting to keep the swelling river at the north end of the ranch from flooding the surrounding pastures. Meanwhile Blake and Wally, two seasonal ranch hands in need of work, had offered to herd the cattle to dry ground. The two men had impressed Nick, and he’d offered them jobs to last through September.

Now hungry, muddy and wet, he showered and put on a clean flannel shirt and jeans. After phoning in an order for a jumbo pie with the works he jumped in the truck and headed for Harper’s Pizza, his favorite.

As usual, the small pizza hut was packed. Salivating over the mouth-watering aroma of the pizzas, Nick nodded at people he knew and shared flood stories with several ranchers before taking his place in the crowd waiting near the takeout window. Every few minutes the teenage kid manning the window called out some lucky Joe’s name to pick up their order.

In the midst of the noise, the door opened and a redhead sauntered inside. Nick wasn’t the only guy who checked her out. Flashing a pretty smile, she joined him in line.

“What a big crowd tonight,” she commented. “The bad weather must’ve kept people home for a few days, and I guess they’re making up for lost time.”

Nick nodded. “It’s been a heck of a few days.”

“My hair and I are both relieved that it finally stopped raining.” With an apologetic smile, she touched her hair. “It gets crazy wild.”

“Curly looks good on you,” Nick said. So did the long sweater she wore in place of a coat. A wide leather belt emphasized her small waist and rounded hips. She had long legs, too. Pretty face, nice body—just his type.

For some reason he flashed on Dani and the red-hot kisses they’d shared the other night. But Dani was off-limits. They were friends, period, and they’d both agreed to forget those kisses had ever happened. “I’m Nick Kelly,” he said.

“Hello, Nick Kelly.” The woman tossed her head, drawing his attention to her slender neck and a pair of long, dangly earrings. “I’m Sylvie Kitchen.”

They shook hands. Sylvie’s fingers were slender and warm. Attraction flared in her eyes.

Nick waited for a similar spark, but felt only mild interest. Maybe if he got to know her a little better...

During the ten minutes they waited for their pizzas he learned that she worked for the local tourism department, which after ranching, was the second biggest business in Prosperity. During the late spring and early summer months, hiking, camping and bicycling swelled the town by as much as ten thousand people.

“To kick off this year’s tourist season, we’re going to host a joint function with Prosperity Park,” she said. The park housed Prosperity Falls, an eye-popping cascading waterfall that was a popular place for marriage proposals and outdoor weddings and drew visitors from all over. “It’s going to take place in mid-April. I could get a couple of tickets for you and your girlfriend.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend right now,” he said.

“Oh?” She flashed a pleased smile. “Maybe you’ll want to bring someone.”

She arched her eyebrow and angled her chin slightly, as if half expecting him to ask her out.

“Nick Kelly, your order’s ready,” the teenage boy called out.

Nick signaled that he’d be right there, then redirected his attention to Sylvie. “I’d like to, but spring is pretty busy at the ranch. I doubt I’ll be able to make it.”

She seemed genuinely disappointed. “Here’s my card,” she said, scribbling something on the back. “If you change your mind, give me a call.”

Before slipping the card into his pocket he glanced at what she’d written. In case you want to reach me after hours, and a number.

Minutes later, shaking his head, he carried the pizza to his truck. A beautiful woman had just given him her number, but he didn’t want to call her.

What was wrong with him?

* * *

DANI LIKED EVERYTHING about Pettit Ranch—the vastness of her brother’s holdings, the hints of new spring grass coloring in the brown winter pastures, the grazing horses and cattle everywhere you looked. Most of all, the home Sly shared with his wife, Lana, and their daughter. Tonight Sly had gone to Tim Carpenter’s ranch, which was five hundred or so acres down the road, for a spur-of-the-moment Thursday poker game. Lana had invited Dani over for a girls’ evening.

“I come bearing gifts,” she said when Lana opened the front door. “Chinese, from Chung’s.” A take-out place they both loved. “And chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of Big Mama’s Café.”

“I so love those cookies!” Lana looked grateful, as well as tired. Between running two successful daycares and being mom to Johanna, a spunky two-and-a-half-year-old, she had her hands full.

As soon as Dani stepped through the door, the little girl squealed and threw herself at her knees.

“Hi, pumpkin!” Laughing, Dani scooped her up and swung her around.

Johanna giggled and held out her arms for more. “Again, Dani!”

She was no lightweight, but Dani couldn’t resist her adorableness. She spun around twice more, each time with Johanna reaching out to her and begging, “Again!”

Finally, breathless and worn out, Dani quit. “That was fun, but I’m pooped, Johanna. Now I want to visit with Mommy.”

Sometime later, she and Lana lingered over the dwindling pile of chocolate chip cookies, while Johanna marched around the kitchen, pounding on an old pan with a wooden spoon.

“She’s so cute,” Dani said.

“The cutest two-and-a-half year old ever, but then, I’m biased.” Lana laughed. “Sly and I are getting baby-hungry again.” She glanced at her daughter and lowered her voice. “Yesterday we signed up with an adoption agency. Of course, another miracle could happen. We could get pregnant again. But that’s unlikely, and we want another child.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” Dani said.

Drawn by their soft voices, Johanna stopped at the table. Her eyes lit on the cookies. “I want a cookie, Mama.”

“How do you ask?” Lana said.

“Please.”

“May I share some of mine with her?” Dani asked.

Lana nodded. “A small piece.”

Carefully breaking off a tiny chunk of her cookie, Dani gave it to her niece.

“Thank you.” The happy little girl kissed Dani’s cheek, then stuffed the treat into her mouth and continued marching around the kitchen.

“She adores you,” Lana pointed out. “And you’re so wonderful with her. Someday you’re going to make such a great mom.”

“First, I need to meet a guy who actually wants to settle down and start a family.”

“You will.”

“With my track record?”

“You forget that I’d basically given up on love when I met Sly. And look at me now.” Lana gave a dreamy smile. She and Sly had been married for two-plus years and they still acted like love-sick honeymooners. Dani envied them.

Her traitorous mind went straight to the one man she was trying not to think about—Nick. “Things have gotten weird with Nick,” she confided.

Lana frowned. “How so?”

“Swear you won’t tell Sly.” Dani’s oldest brother, who was seven years older than she was, tended to be on the protective side.

“I promise.” All ears, Lana leaned forward.

Assured, Dani explained. “You remember that Nick came over Saturday night.”

Lana nodded. “So that you could keep each other company after your breakups. I’ve always admired how you support each other that way.”

“Right. We had our usual great time together, but when we were watching a DVD after dinner, we fell asleep together on the couch. When I woke up, we were snuggled up close.” Remembering Dani hugged herself. “When Nick woke up, we kissed.”

“Is that all?” Lana waved her hand dismissively. “There’s nothing wrong with a kiss between friends.”

“This wasn’t exactly a friendly peck,” Dani said. “Nick and I... We’ve always had an unwritten rule—we might buss each other on the cheek, but never on the lips. But those kisses...”

Talking about it was like reliving the experience. Dani’s lips and entire body warmed right up. She fanned herself.

“Those kisses? As in more than one?” Lana’s eyebrows jumped upward.

“A lot more.” Dani let out a sigh. “We made out, Lana.”

“You and Nick made out?” her sister-in-law repeated, sounding incredulous.

“Guilty as charged.”

“And you enjoyed it.”

Dani nodded miserably. “That would be a definite yes.”

“Wow.” Lana shook her head slowly and wonderingly. “I always sensed that you two were attracted to each other. How could you not be? He’s gorgeous, you’re gorgeous... What took you so long to figure it out?”

Dani knew she wasn’t half bad. She also know she was far from gorgeous. She gaped at Lana. “What are you talking about? Before Saturday night, there was no physical attraction between Nick and me.” Or if there had been, they’d hidden it from themselves and each other. “We don’t want a physical relationship. Our friendship means too much to us.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Friendship and passion are essentials for a solid relationship. Look at Sly and me. He has my back and I have his, and I consider him to be one of my best friends. And we’re definitely not platonic. At all.” Lana’s smile oozed sexual satisfaction.

As much as Dani loved her sister-in-law, she sometimes wanted to hate her for living the life she’d always wanted. “You know how it is with me, though,” she said. “Some guy gives me a sexy smile and a few decent kisses, and I’m half in love. Once we have sex, I’m a total goner. But Nick...he doesn’t do love.”

Lana gave her a skeptical look. “A lot of guys say that, but then they meet the right woman and bam! They’re all in.”

“Not Nick. He’s so against falling in love that as soon as he starts to fall for someone, he ends the relationship. Trust me, I know. Getting physical would spell disaster for our friendship. We’ve been best friends forever, and neither of us want to lose what we have now. That’s why we can’t cross over the boundaries of friendship.”

“Let me get this straight—you and Nick both agree that a physical relationship could jeopardize your friendship. If you’re on the same page, how is that a problem?” Lana frowned.

“You wouldn’t think we’d have one, would you?” Dani said. “But since Saturday night, things have gotten a little tense between us.”

“Ah. So...despite what you just said about not wanting to cross the arbitrary boundaries you two have established, you and Nick aren’t quite on the same page anymore.”

“But we are,” Dani argued. “We both agreed to forget we ever kissed.”

Lana gave a wry smile. “And how’s that working out for you?”

Dani rested her head on her fist. “For me, not so well. I have no idea about Nick, except that when we last spoke on the phone, it was awkward. That was Monday. We haven’t been in touch with each other since.”

Three whole days—an eternity.

“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Lana said. “Our weather has been awful. Until last night, Sly and his guys were putting in twenty-hour days, with barely a moment to eat or sleep. That’s why he’s playing poker tonight—to give himself a well-deserved break from the ranch. I’ll bet Nick has been just as busy.”

“Probably. Still, he could’ve called last night, just to check in. Or at the very least, texted. That’s what he’s done in the past.”

“And you’re wondering if he’s staying away because of those kisses.”

“A little.”

Lana bit her lip in sympathy, making Dani feel even worse. “What do you want to do?” she asked.

“I’m not going to call him,” Dani said. “I’m keeping busy. Which reminds me. I don’t have any plans Saturday night. If you and Sly want a date night, I’m happy to come over and babysit.”

“That’s sweet, but my parents have already offered. They’re hosting an overnight for Johanna and her cousins. Johanna is excited. So are Sly and I. We’ll get a whole night to ourselves.” Lana all but salivated. “Didn’t you and a couple of girlfriends sign up for a silk painting class Saturday afternoon? Why don’t you hang out with them afterward? Go to dinner and out dancing, or catch a movie, or shop.”

The idea appealed to Dani. “I’m pretty sure Christy and her fiancé have plans, but Becca and Janelle might be free. By the way, I have a new dating plan,” she said, her own words filling her with hope. “From now on, I’m going to go out with a different kind of guy. He’ll have a decent job and be looking to settle down and get married.”

Once she met her Mr. Right, she’d be able to forget all about Nick’s kisses. Then they could return to being just friends.

Lana opened her mouth to say something, but Johanna broke into noisy tears and barreled into her mother’s arms.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” she asked, pulling the howling toddler onto her lap.

“Owie,” Johanna wailed, pointing to a red place on her kneecap.

“Aww, poor Johanna. Let Mama make it better.” Lana placed a tender kiss on the injury.

Instantly, the cries turned into sniffles. “C-can I have a Band-Aid?”

“It’ll come right off in the bathtub, but why not? Dani, will you grab the box of Tinker Bell strips from the bathroom cabinet?”

Moments later, Lana kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Is that better?”

Johanna studied her bandaged knee and nodded.

“This has been fun, but Johanna needs a bath before bed,” Lana said. “Then we’re both going to sleep.”

“I need to get to bed myself,” Dani said.

After pulling on her coat and kissing her niece and sister-in-law, she opened the door.

“Good luck with your dating plan,” Lana said. “Keep me posted.”

Chapter Four

“Hey, Mom,” Nick said when his mother let him into her apartment late Friday afternoon.

At five feet three, she was short enough that he had to bend down to kiss her cheek.

He nodded to his sister, Jamie, who was two years older than him and sitting on the couch, idly thumbing through a magazine. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

She shrugged. “When Mom says to show up, I do.”

They’d both been divorced twice, and were as tight as a mother and daughter could be.

Nick narrowed his eyes at his mother. “What’s this about?”

“Does there have to be a reason for me to want the company of both my son and my daughter?” she asked. “I’ve missed you, Nick. It’s been too long.”

“Since the last time you asked for money.” She’d never been shy about asking him for a loan. Since his father had left him the insurance policy, the requests had only increased.