The Cowboy’s Christmas Reunion

A Lone Star Legacy romance

Determined to restore the historic buildings in Clear Water, Texas, Jackie Bergmann needs permission from the property’s new owner—her ex-boyfriend. And though Max Delgado agrees to give her access, he has one request: that she help him care for his orphaned brothers. But when she starts to fall for Max again, can she convince him not to sell his family’s ranch...and stay home for Christmas and forever?

A seventh-generation Texan, JOLENE NAVARRO fills her life with family, faith and life’s beautiful messiness. She knows that as much as the world changes, people stay the same: vow-keepers and heartbreakers. Jolene married a vow-keeper who shows her holding hands never gets old. When not writing, Jolene teaches art to inner-city teens and hangs out with her own four almost-grown kids. Find Jolene on Facebook or her blog, jolenenavarrowriter.com.

Also By Jolene Navarro

Lone Star Legacy

Texas Daddy

The Texan’s Twins

Lone Star Christmas

Lone Star Holiday

Lone Star Hero

A Texas Christmas Wish

The Soldier’s Surprise Family

Love Inspired Historical

Lone Star Bride

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Lone Star Christmas

Jolene Navarro

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08640-0

LONE STAR CHRISTMAS

© 2018 Jolene Navarro

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“Why am I here?”

“Every small town needs a good-looking cowboy.” Jackie grinned. “Plus, you’re famous to boot. I’m sure the tourists would love to meet a real bull rider.”

Max’s jaw tightened. “Yeah, that was my father’s thought, too.” The man had ignored him until he started making a name in the PBR circuit. All of a sudden, Max was good for business.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’m going. Tomas needs to rest, and we still have a bunch of stuff to do at the ranch.” He turned to leave.

“Max.” She caught up with him before he made it outside. “I was just teasing. I didn’t mean to upset you. Most people don’t mind being called good-looking.”

He saw concern in her eyes. Riding bulls was so much easier than dealing with life.

He feared she saw the weakness in him.

The truth of who he was.

Dear Reader,

Life can take us to places we never planned or imagined. And at times we are unable to get what we think we want, but God has us. He is always there, waiting to heal all hurts.

Jackie and Max’s story is a romance, but it is also about relationships with parents, sisters and brothers. Family helps shape who we are—the good, the bad and the painful.

And sometimes the hardest part in life is accepting forgiveness for yourself.

I hope you enjoyed the time with Max and Jackie along with all their siblings. Nikki and Adrian’s story is in Texas Daddy, and you can find Danica and Reid in The Texan’s Twins.

I have enjoyed these trips to Clear Water, Texas. Thank you for coming along.

I love chatting with readers. You can find me on Facebook at Jolene Navarro, Author, or drop me a note at Jolene Navarro c/o Love Inspired Books, 195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007.

Blessings,

Jolene

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

—Proverbs 3:5–6

In memory of my mother-in-law, Francisca Guerrero Navarro. Te amo con todo mi corazón.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Bitter winds whipped through the valley and down the back of Max Delgado’s neck. Twenty years had passed since his last visit to the ranch. The Delgado Ranch, his family’s homestead since the early 1800s. He carried the name of the first Delgado in Texas: Maximiliano Francisco Puentes Delgado. Always sounded a bit pretentious to him.

Looking over the fence to the vast landscape, he tried to pull up memories of his childhood, but being here didn’t help. He had been told he’d spent most of his early years here with his mother. There was probably a reason they were so elusive, or maybe he just didn’t have a good memory. He tended to live in the moment. It was easy, and he liked easy.

His focus went back to the broken gate. November was never this cold in the Texas Hill Country. The way his life had been going the last few months, though, he probably shouldn’t be surprised.

Right on cue, the rotten wood crumbled in his gloved hand, the old hardware now useless. The corral was in worse shape than Max had first thought. He’d need a truckload of panels before he put any bulls in this pen. He had hauled a couple practice bulls along with his favorite horses.

They were getting restless and needed to be unloaded. He glanced back at the neglected pens and arena. Either his uncle had lied about the condition of the ranch, or the man he’d hired had been cashing the checks without doing the work.

His father’s voice jumped through his head, calling him useless and lazy. Dropping to his haunches, he planted his elbows above his knees and lowered his head. The memories he tried ignoring bombarded his brain. All those years spent trying to prove himself to a father who didn’t care, trying to gain approval from a man who had written him off when he was ten. A man who was now dead. Any chance of mending that relationship was gone.

In the past when these thoughts started crowding in, he’d have leaped on a bull or driven until he found a crowd that would help him drown the feelings he didn’t want to deal with.

But that was getting old. A few months ago, he’d tried something new. He’d sought out Pastor Wayne, the cowboy preacher who followed the rodeo circuit. So now he prayed. He prayed for wisdom and patience.

“I’m hungry.” One of his new responsibilities interrupted the prayer.

“Me, too, and I’m cold. Can we go inside?”

Even though Tomas and Isaac were a year apart at six and five, he wasn’t sure who was who. What he did know was that his half brothers had started grumbling about an hour ago. All three of them. He shot a glance at the teen. Ethan had asked to come along on the road trip. Ethan’s mother, the second wife, had headed back to Chicago and didn’t seem to care that her son wanted to spend the holidays with three brothers he had just met at his father’s funeral. Right now, the only thing that made them family was a last name. On impulse Max had thought this trip would give them a chance to connect before the little ones went to live with their aunt and Ethan returned to school.

“Max!” they cried out at the same time.

With a heavy sigh, he made sure to smile at them. It wasn’t their fault, and it wouldn’t be right to get mad at them. He’d seen the boys once, when they were too small to remember him. Now they had lost both parents and were stuck with brothers they didn’t know, other than what they had been told.

He rubbed one of them on the head. “There are some protein bars in the truck.”

“We ate them.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “The whole box?”

His littlest brothers nodded in unison. That couldn’t be good for their stomachs.

“Um...then get the chips. There’s beef jerky, too.”

“Ethan ate all those.” They stood, arms crossed, mirror images of each other. The sixteen-year-old was leaning against the barn, still staring at his phone. The kid hadn’t looked up once all day. Actually, Max couldn’t remember seeing his eyes. Even during the funeral, he’d had his gaze glued to the small screen in his hand.

Max pinched the bridge of his nose. So far, nothing had gone right on this trip. The temperature had to have dropped twenty degrees since they left Dallas this morning.

Standing, he arched his back until he heard the popping. He winced at the pain in his shoulder. Who was he kidding? Nothing had been right for the last two months since he was stomped on by Texas Fire. He’d wanted to be the cowboy who finally stayed on that bull for a full eight seconds. He’d done it, too, but at the cost of a healthy body. One broken collarbone and one fractured eye socket were added to his already long list of wrecked body parts.

“My phone’s about to die.” Ethan looked up for the first time. “I need to charge it. It’s like we dropped off the earth.”

Max wasn’t sure why the teen had even asked to join them, or why he’d agreed to it. He sighed. The kid’s mother was back in Chicago. Unfortunately, Max had plenty of memories of her. She had been his first stepmother, not that she had been any kind of mother. She had sent him away to live with his mother’s father. Apparently, she had no problem sending her own son away, either.

They might all have the same father, but in no way had they been part of the same household.

He hoped to not only be a better big brother but to give them a sense of family. He wanted to be a brother they could count on, even when they didn’t live in the same house.

Injecting positive energy into his voice, Max smiled. “We have a couple of weeks to spend together and get some brotherly bonding. But if you want to go home, Ethan, I’m sure we can find a way to get you to the airport.”

“Nah. I’m good.”

Max stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the two little ones. He could do this until their aunt was able to get them. He had only met Vanessa once, at the rehearsal party for his father’s third marriage. She had been yelling at her sister, his father’s latest bride-to-be. Wanting to stop the fiasco, she had refused to go to the wedding. Yeah, that had been a lovely moment.

She would be taking the boys as soon as she wrapped up her end-of-year work schedule. The will had listed them both as guardians. The boys were stuck with two people who were strangers to them.

He looked at Ethan again. In the new semester, the coltish kid would return to his boarding school.

In less than a month he’d be on his own again, healed up and ready to ride in the finals. He could do this. “What about the cooler? Anything left in there?”

They shook their heads again. The matching pairs of big brown eyes just about did him in. He wanted to get these pens fixed, but he didn’t have the supplies he needed anyway.

“Come on, boys. We’ll turn the stock out in the larger pasture, then explore the living quarters. The main brick house was built by my...our grandfather in the ’70s, you know.” After unloading the bulls from the trailer, they climbed back into his truck. “Our great-great-grandfather built the old ranch house over a hundred years ago. We’ve owned the land for almost two hundred years. When Texas was still part of Mexico.”

Ethan didn’t look impressed. Time and years didn’t have much meaning to Isaac and Tomas. But for him? He hadn’t expected this stirring of coming home.

The old path to the main house was hard to find. There wasn’t any evidence that the place had had a caretaker. The weeds on the road looked as if they had grown unchecked for well over a year.

He pulled up to the house and started unloading.

“Max! Look! Someone’s coming,” one of the boys hollered.

Sure enough, a cloud of dust was heading their way. Maybe if they pretended they weren’t here, whoever it was would leave. There wasn’t a single person in Clear Water Max wanted to see.

“Who do you think it is? Uncle Rigo said this is where our family comes from.”

The other boy nodded. “He said there were lots of stupid people, too.”

Great. No telling what his uncle had said to them. “That’s not a nice word, guys. And Uncle Rigo is a bit grumpy, so I wouldn’t listen too much to what he says.”

Ethan leaned against one of the house’s columns. He slipped his phone into his loose jeans, his dark hair falling over his face. “Maybe they brought food.”

Max checked his watch. It was after two o’clock. Less than one day and he was already starving them. “Once this person leaves, we’ll drive to Uvalde and find something to eat and get supplies.”

A silver Tahoe pulled up to the front porch.

He glanced inside the vehicle. That couldn’t be right. His pulse did an uptick. The one person he wanted to avoid the most had just arrived at his door. What was she doing here? He narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was her twin, Danica, and not Jackie Bergmann.

Why was she just sitting there? He tilted his head. It looked like she was talking to someone. With a nod, she got out and stood next to the SUV, a huge smile on her face...a very forced smile.

One thing was certain. It was Jackie.

The summer they had met on the rodeo circuit she had been a pretty girl, and now she was a gorgeous woman. He had hoped his teenage memories had inflated her beauty, but they hadn’t. He had been Romeo to her Juliet. His stupid self had written endless poems and songs for her. Yeah, he’d been a major loser.

From that summer on, Jackie had become the standard to which he’d compared all the other women in his life. Her laugh, her quick wit, her gentleness—even her faith. To his irritation, the others had always come up short. He hated how much he had loved her. Not fun when it hadn’t been returned. He seemed destined to chase after people who didn’t want him.

“Hi, Max. What a good-looking family you have there. Welcome back to Clear Water.” She didn’t move, just stared at the two little ones standing next to him. “My. Those boys look just like you.”

The one closest to him took his hand. He was the friendlier one, the one who did most of the talking. “Everyone says we’re mini-Maxes. When we get our black cowboy hats, we’ll be just like him. He’s going to teach us how to ride bulls. He says—”

Max put a hand on the small shoulder. If he didn’t cut him off now, he’d never stop talking. “Hey, Danica.”

Okay, calling her by her sister’s name was low, but he couldn’t let her know how much she disturbed him. “What brings you out to the ranch?” He really hoped his voice sounded casual, as though seeing her again didn’t uproot his foundation.

Her eyes went a little wide, then her smile relaxed. “I’m Jackie. You used to be able to tell us apart. Of course, that was a long time ago. Now it looks like you got your own twins. Congratulations on the family.”

“They’re not twins,” he started to explain.

“He can’t tell us apart, either.” One of the boys giggled.

The other just watched the exchange. That had to be Tomas. He seemed to be six going on sixty.

“These are my brothers. Isaac and Tomas. That’s Ethan.”

“I’m five. Tomas is six. Ethan is sixteen.” Isaac offered up the information with a giant smile.

“Your brothers?” Her big green eyes blinked a few times.

“Yeah, it’s what happens when your father marries someone the same age as you.”

“Oh. Um, I’m sorry.” She looked behind her. “In town, I heard you were here with your wife and kids.”

“We’ve been here a couple of hours, and the town gave me a family? How did they even know we were here?”

“Welcome to Smalltown, USA. And having a Delgado back on the ranch is big news.”

“Well, you can let them know there’s no wife. Just a band of brothers.” Had she driven all the way into enemy territory to see if he was married? “How about you?”

“No brothers.” The grin showed off the dimple on her right cheek. Just as quickly the smile faded, and she looked down.

That infectious grin took him back to when he was seventeen, to the time when his one goal was to get her to smile just like that. He had lived to make her laugh.

They weren’t teens anymore. What was she doing out here? She had made it clear the last time they had talked that a Delgado and a Bergmann could never be together. “Are you the town’s welcoming committee, or did they send you to warn us to leave, before the good townsfolk arrive with pitchforks and torches?”

Both boys looked up at him. Tomas had a deeper scowl than usual. “They don’t like us?”

Max closed his eyes, wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

Jackie walked around her car and stopped at the bottom step of the house. “No. You’re welcome here. Your brother was just trying to be funny. It’s been a long time, and the ranch has been...” She twisted her mouth as her gaze swept the fences that needed repair, the overgrown pastures and the weed-covered yard.

“Neglected?” He didn’t know why he was embarrassed by the condition of the ranch. Moving behind his brothers, he rubbed their heads. “We were just about to go in and inspect our living quarters. It’s a bit cold out here.”

“I hear you’re at the top of the ranks as a Professional Bull Rider. You hit the PBR as soon as you turned eighteen.”

Had she been following him? He liked the thought of that. She’d been in his thoughts just about every day since she walked away from him. No reason for her to know that.

He turned to the heavy oak door. The old key had to be jiggled a bit to fit in the knob. An odd sensation of coming home settled deep in his bones.

He shook it off. This was not home. The only reason he was here was to get the place ready to put on the market. And to get his body back into shape for the PBR finals.

Jackie’s boots hit the porch. “They said the cold front would be arriving tomorrow.” He could feel her right behind him. Her voice did the same strange thing to him as it used to. She continued on like it was not a big deal that they were standing so close after all these years. “Looks like they got it wrong.”

It had taken years to bury thoughts of her. Now he couldn’t think of anything else. “Yeah, they do that sometimes.”

“The reason I came out was to talk to you about the original town plot on the edge of the ranch. It borders our ranch. The church and school are well over one hundred years old. There might be some other buildings even older. Our mothers had been working to restore them and give them back to the town as a historical site. After they...after the accident it was forgotten. I’ve been trying to revitalize their dream. Your father hasn’t returned any of my emails, phone calls or letters. So, when I heard you were out here, I wanted to make sure I got to talk to you.”

He waited, but it seemed she had finally stopped talking. Was she nervous?

“My father was down in the Caribbean for the last month. There was a boating accident. He was killed along with his wife.” He nodded to the identical-looking brothers, who were now playing on the old porch swing. “Their mother.”

Her mouth fell open. “Oh, Max. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s actually been a little over a month. No one even knew they were missing at first. Anyway, that’s why he didn’t get back to you.”

“You have custody of the boys now?”

“Shared custody. An aunt on their mother’s side will be taking them. She has a job to finish overseas, then she’ll come pick them up for Christmas. Ethan is hanging with us for the holidays, then he heads back home to Chicago.” He made the mistake of looking at her.

Sadness clouded her eyes as the afternoon sun glistened off the moisture that hovered on her lashes. When they had met as teens, they discovered they were both motherless, something they had in common.

But the true shock came when her father found them at the dance together. Angry, he told them that Max’s mother had killed hers. The two women had been killed in the same accident here on the ranch.

After dropping that piece of news, he took Jackie away. But Max didn’t want to think about their parents now, or the summer he thought he had fallen in love.

Max shoved the door open and stepped into his grandfather’s home. Neglect had a smell. It was old and musty.

“This is where we’re staying?” Ethan didn’t look enthusiastic about the old ranch house.

Max started pulling back heavy drapes. He opened the windows. “It just needs to be aired out.” He sneezed as particles filled his nose.

“Look at this!” One of the boys, Isaac maybe, tried to climb onto an old Spanish saddle that sat behind the leather sofa.

“This is so cool!” A stuffed quail was inside a glass lamp, and cowhides and antlers decorated the room. The more energetic one—the one Max thought was Isaac—ran around the large living room touching the dust-covered furniture and fixtures. The river-rock fireplace opening was taller than the boys. The dining room could be seen on the other side.

“The outlets don’t work.” Ethan was back to staring at his phone. He frowned. “This place is ancient. Is there even electricity?”

“Of course, there’s electricity. This house was built in the early ’70s. We just need to dust everything off.” He flipped a switch, but the massive antler chandelier didn’t light up. He walked to the other wall and flipped everything on the panel. Nothing.

Jackie had her phone out. “I’ll call Mabel Horten at the co-op. She’ll know if it’s been turned off.”

His little brothers were opening cabinets and drawers and exploring with delight. At least they hadn’t complained about being hungry in front of Jackie. He needed to get food.

“Boys, be careful.” They ran to the door that went to the back part of the house. “Stay where I can see you. No telling what could be living here after years of being empty.”

“Cool!”

“Hi, Mabel...I need a favor. I’m out at the Delgado place...Yes, Max is in town...No, no wife. They’re his brothers...Yes.” She chuckled at something the person on the other end said. “Yeah, I know.” Then she shook her head. “No. We’re in the main house, and the lights aren’t working.”

He hated the thought that strangers were talking about him and the boys.

“Okay. Thanks...Yes, I’ll be at the church Wednesday night. Bye.” She turned to him. “It hasn’t been disconnected, so maybe it’s the breaker.”

“I think it’s in the washroom.” Bits and pieces of the house returned to his memories. Cutting across the dining room and through the vast country kitchen, Jackie followed him. He glanced back to make sure the boys were okay.

“Wow, I love this kitchen.” Jackie ran her hand over the old counter. “Just a few updates, and this would be a stellar place for a family.”

“We’re not staying that long.”

The boys had gotten quiet, so he checked the living room. Ethan had pulled out a box of old record albums and flopped in a leather armchair. Isaac and Tomas crowded around him.

Going back to the kitchen, Max found Jackie standing at an open door. He followed her into the large butler’s pantry. The door that led to the washroom was at the far end.

Behind the washroom door, he found the metal panel. Inside, taped tags curled, and some of them had fallen off. He flipped the longest row of switches. A loud pop came from below, and sparks flew. He threw his arm up to cover his face, and a sharp pain from his injured collarbone ran through his whole body.

Jackie gasped. “It’s on fire.”

Small flames danced along the wires that ran into the ceiling. Jackie ripped off her jacket and started swatting at the fire, trying to smother it. He took off his denim jacket, but she had it out before he could get his bum arm free.

She stepped back and scanned the ceiling. “That’s not okay.”

With the flames out, he checked the panel and made sure it was all turned off. What was he going to do now? It was getting colder, and with no heat or lights, they couldn’t stay here. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll call Sammi,” Jackie offered.

“Your little sister?”

“Not so little anymore. She’s a genius when it comes to fixing things like this.”

“Max! We’re starving!” Great. Bored with the old LPs, the boys were back to being hungry.

Ethan stood behind them. “I think it’s colder in here than outside.”

Jackie looked at the boys. “Want to go into town to get some food? And maybe some of the best hot chocolate in the world?” She looked up at Max. “The Hill Top Café has great burgers. That’ll give Sammi some time to see if she can get this working.”

The boys nodded. “Yes! Please, Max?”

Ethan joined them. “I’m starving, and my phone is dead. I’m sure the restaurant has electricity.”

Wow. Ethan had strung two whole sentences together. Max pushed back his hair. “I don’t know. I had planned to drive to Uvalde for supplies. I thought we could get something there.”

Jackie narrowed her eyes. “That’s an hour away. What’s wrong with buying your supplies in town? The local businesses would appreciate your shopping in Clear Water.” She crossed her arms. “My family owns the local hardware store and lumberyard. There are also ranch supplies at the feed store.”

With his brothers and Jackie watching him, there wasn’t one single excuse he could come up with to avoid town. She was the main reason he had planned to hide out on the ranch anyway.

First the barns weren’t sound, then Jackie showed up, now the house had no electricity. Even if it did, it wasn’t habitable. And he was out of food. He was pretty sure Parenting 101 said something about feeding kids on a regular basis.

“Okay. Let me unhitch the trailer and we can follow in my truck.”

In unison, a groan rose up from his brothers, and the matching glares from all three sets of brown eyes looked at him with the same disapproval he remembered from his father.

Jackie moved to stand next to the boys. “I came out to discuss a project we have planned for the original town buildings. Why don’t you let me drive? We can talk, then order supplies. I’ll text Sammi to look at the wiring. If she can’t do the work, she knows who can.”

“Yes. Yes! Please, Max. We’re starving. We can’t last another minute!” one of the boys pleaded with Max.

The other one joined in. “I’m so cold I’m turning into a icicle.” Were his brothers always this dramatic? Maybe this was normal for them. He didn’t even know what was normal for five- and six-year-olds. Especially when they’d lost both parents. He remembered feeling so lost and alone when his mother died, and all he had wanted was his dad. That hadn’t happened. But he could be here for his brothers.

“Okay. Okay. We’ll go into town with Jackie and get you fed. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Let’s at least wash up.” He went to the kitchen sink and turned the faucet. Did they even have water? The pipes sputtered and groaned, then an explosion of water came through and splashed him. Brown water.

Joining him, Ethan made a face. “Man, that’s gross.”

Jackie grimaced. “You might want to have the well and tank checked before you use that water. You can wash your hands at the restaurant. Sound like a plan?” She looked at him, waiting.

He gave in. “Yeah.”

With a nod she turned, and his brothers fell into line, two with huge grins, and one with a bored expression. Max didn’t like what he was feeling. He was surprised by the strong emotions seeing her had stirred up. He felt like a teenager again. Not cool.

All he had wanted was to get some practice in, get to know his brothers, and avoid Clear Water and anyone with the Bergmann name. Less than a day—less than three hours—and he was getting in to Jackie’s car and heading in to town to have lunch with her.

The one person who probably had the power to expose his weaknesses was now sitting next to him. Coming to Clear Water had been a mistake. He would just say no to whatever she wanted and send her on her way.

Chapter Two

Jackie’s hair flew across her face as she got out of the car. All the way in to town she had tried to focus on the reason she drove to the Delgado Ranch in the first place, but sitting next to Max, the guilt of the past crowded out all other thoughts.

Seeing him was more confusing than she could have imagined. It had been so many years ago. She was surprised how disappointed she had been when he had called her Danica.

People confused her and her twin all the time, but coming from Max, it had hurt. Even on the first day they had met as teenagers, he had been able to tell them apart. That had been the best summer of her life. Either they were riding or he was writing poems for her. She had been so in love and couldn’t have imagined anything but a bright future for them. Until her father had found them together and she had learned who Max was. More to the point, she had discovered who his mother was.

She didn’t deserve for him to remember her. Her father had unfairly blamed his mother for the accident. His hurt expression was still so clear in her mind. He hadn’t said a word as her father reamed him out along with his whole family.

Not only had they both lost their mothers, they had lost them in the same car crash. She closed her eyes to block the memory, but the look of betrayal on Max’s face still took up too much space. He had just stood there. Alone.

Her father had made sure that had been the last time she saw him. That was a long time ago. They had been kids, and he obviously had gotten over her. If she wanted to have access to the original settlement, she would have to bury the past.

The buildings. From the records and her mother’s letters, there was an old church, school and general mercantile, along with several other buildings. She needed his permission to move them off the ranch to the land the city had granted for the project. What would be the best angle to get Max on board with her plan?

One step ahead of her, he went to open the door. A short gust of wind pushed it out of Max’s hand as they hurried inside. “The weather’s getting worse.” His voice was muffled in the zipped-up Carhartt jacket.

“Too cold to stay out at your place without heat.” The air burned her throat with each breath. “You might need to make plans to stay somewhere else tonight. The Pecan Farm has cabins. I could call Maggie for you.”

“A cabin?” Ethan sounded suspicious.

“We’ve always wanted to go camping. Are there bears by the cabin?” Isaac hopped around. “That would be so cool. Right, Tomas?”

Jackie laughed as she moved past him. “No. No bears, but there are deer, raccoons and a river where you could fish. If this weather keeps up, we might have ice fishing for the first time in Texas.” She pointed out the bathrooms before leading them to her favorite booth in front of the large window.

A young waitress with a huge smile brought a basket of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa. The boys attacked the food like they hadn’t eaten in a week.

“How are you, Kelsey?” Jackie was looking at the girl, but Kelsey was glancing at Ethan from under her lashes.

“Hi, Ms. Bergmann. Is it cold enough for you?” She never took her gaze off the teen. He didn’t seem to notice. He was frowning at his dead phone.

Rubbing her hands together before tucking them in her jacket, Jackie smiled up at her. “I don’t remember it ever being this cold in November.”

“Yeah, it’s a record breaker. What a cute crew you have with you today. What can I get for you to drink? Coffee and hot chocolate?”

Jackie leaned closer to the young brothers. “I recommend the hot chocolate. That’s what I’m getting.”

The little ones looked at Max. He nodded. “Three hot chocolates and one coffee.”

Ethan looked up from plugging in his charger, and when his eyes widened, Max raised a brow.

The teen’s expression took Jackie right back to the summer with Max. Ethan looked so much like him. The Delgados definitely had a look.

He pushed his hair back and grinned at the waitress. “Hi, I’m Ethan. I’d give anything for a Mocha Frappuccino with organic, unsweetened almond milk.”

“Hi. I would love to have one, too, but all my mom serves is plain coffee. Plain cream and sugar are the only options. I could put some Cool Whip from the desserts on top.”

“We want whipped cream on our hot chocolates!” Isaac pointed to his brother. Tomas nodded in agreement.

“Sure.” She looked back at Ethan. “I make the hot chocolate myself with real ingredients. It’s my favorite.”

Max’s brother blushed. “I’ll take one of those.”

“Good. So, are y’all visiting or moving to town?” It seemed as if everyone else at the table had disappeared as the two teens stared at each other. “Are you gonna go to school here? Everyone’s out for Thanksgiving break, but Monday we start again.”

Jackie cleared her throat. “Kelsey, this is Max Delgado and his brothers—Tomas, Isaac and of course Ethan. They’re in town for a short break, and right now they’re hungry. Could you give us the menus?”

A red flush covered Kelsey’s face as she tucked her chin. “Sorry. I’ll get the drinks.” She laid laminated menus on the table and hurried away.

A short time later, the owner of the café sat chips and salsa on the table. She didn’t look happy, but then again Sally Pryce was famous for good food. Friendliness? Not so much.

“Hi, Sally. Max, this is Sally Pryce, the owner and Kelsey’s mother and my cousin. Sally, this is—”

“Yes, I heard a Delgado was back in town. I’ll be serving your table while you’re here.” She narrowed her eyes at Ethan. “Kelsey is my only daughter, and she has five older brothers. And since you’re just going to be here a short time, I recommend you take care of the ranch. I hear the thistle is out of control. I’ll have your drinks out soon.”

As soon as she had her back to them, Ethan narrowed his eyes at Max. “What was that about? Did Dad or Uncle Rigo do something to make the people here hate us?”

Max looked at Jackie. “It’s complicated, and it’s the reason I wanted to go to Uvalde. No one hates us there.” Max leaned in and looked straight at Ethan. “Our father and uncle made some decisions that weren’t popular here, along with a few other issues.” He looked at Jackie, but quickly glanced away.

Jackie folded her hands in front of her. “It’s not just your father and uncle. It goes way back before anyone here was even alive. There’s been bad blood between the Delgado family and Clear Water for as long as anyone can remember. It has to do with the old land charter for the town. Most recently, everyone blames y’all for the thistle outbreak.”

“Thistle outbreak? Is that some sort of disease?” Ethan stared at her.

“No, it’s a plant that is prickly and large. It has a thousand little seeds that will take over a pasture and kill off the grass.” She looked at Max. “Rumor is that your mother had over a hundred bird feeders around the house and barns. The birdseed she ordered from Kerrville had it in the mix. With the land not being tended, it’s become a battle on the other ranches.”

Max’s mouth fell open. “You’re serious? They blame my mother? She’s been gone for twenty years.”

Jackie didn’t know how to answer that. The guilt she already felt over his mother’s death didn’t help. “Small towns have long memories.”

“That’s not fair.” Ethan leaned back and looked out the window. “Not that it’s a big surprise they hate us. We don’t even like each other.”

“We like you.” Isaac smiled at his brother. Tomas nodded, but his heartbreakingly sad expression tore at her heart.

Ethan glared at the younger boys. “You don’t even know me.”

“You’re our brother.” They both looked confused. To them it was simple. They were family.

“You’re too young to understand anything. This is so lame.” The teenager threw himself against the cushioned back of the booth and crossed his arms.

Max pinched the bridge of his nose.

Jackie wanted to reach out and hug all the boys close to her. To tell them that God loved them and that was all that mattered, but she didn’t even know where they were in their faith. Maybe she could help by refocusing them. “You’re right, Ethan. It’s not fair. This is one of the reasons I came out to the ranch. I have a plan that might help restore goodwill for the Delgados here in town.”

Ethan and Max made an identical grunting noise at the exact same time.

Biting her tongue to stop the laugh, she had to smile at their matching sullen expressions. She leaned closer to Max. “The original town church and school are on your property. I would love to move them into town and restore the buildings. The city has land set aside. I don’t need anything from you other than permission. It’s what our mothers were working on when—”

“Sorry.” Max cut her off. “My uncle asked me to get the ranch ready for sale, and I have orders to clear out the pastures and tear down any old buildings. He wants the old wood sent to him.”

Adrenaline rushed through her heart. Her brain rebelled at the horror of tearing down the buildings. But before she could protest, Dub Childress walked over to their table.

His glare fixed on Max. “You’re the oldest Delgado grandson. Maximiliano, right?” He pronounced it with the Spanish accent.

Max stood and held out his hand. “Yes, sir. These are my brothers. Ethan, Isaac and Tomas.”

He nodded, shaking Max’s hand. “Are your father or uncle coming into town?”

“No, sir. My uncle has obligations that keep him in Dallas. My father passed away last month. Boating accident.”

Dub’s face tightened. “Sorry to hear that. Are you making plans to clear out the thistles?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Sally came to the table with a tray full of hot drinks. Dub nodded and moved back to his seat. “Now, what can I get y’all to eat?”

Max looked at his brothers. “Are burgers and fries good for everyone?”

They all nodded.

With the joy gone out of their faces, Isaac and Tomas took the mugs and just stared at the fluffy white topping. It wasn’t their fault. Jackie wanted to help them but wasn’t sure what to do.

She tucked her hands under her thighs. “I’m sorry.”

Max stared into his black coffee. “Not your problem. It goes with the territory of being a Delgado.”

Silence fell over the table after Sally left with their orders. Ethan had gone back to staring at his newly charged phone. Max laid his arm on the back of the bench as he sipped his coffee.

She had to try again. “Surely your uncle doesn’t actually want to destroy the buildings.”

“No. He’s opening a new store north of Dallas in Flower Mound. It’s not just the ‘biggest’—” he made air quotes “—Western store in the country. The newest Delgado Cowboy Central will be an experience. He wants to re-create an authentic Western town inside the store. I wouldn’t even call it a store. It’s more like a football stadium, a destination.”

“But those buildings belong here in Clear Water.”

Tomas and Isaac started jostling each other. If they’d driven in from Dallas today, they must have been sitting a long time. Her nieces would have been going crazy by now.

“Do you guys like old-fashioned arcade games?”

The corner of Max’s mouth lifted. “I’ve been known to do a pretty mean pinball. Hey, guys. You want to go old-school and play in the arcade?” He reached for his wallet and took out some cash.

“Like stuff from the ’80s?” Ethan looked up.

“Probably.” Max and Jackie answered at the same time.

With a lopsided grin, Max nodded to Ethan. “Will you take your brothers while we wait for the food?”

Before Max could move out of the booth, the boys crawled under the table and ran to the back room. Ethan followed with much less energy.

“Walk,” Max yelled after them, but they didn’t seem to hear. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I thought it was time we got to know each other, spend some time together. I’m starting to think this was a very bad idea. I get so angry at my father. He created this mess, and now I can’t even yell at him. I don’t know anything about kids, especially grieving ones.”

“No, your brothers need you. They’re young. They don’t understand what’s going on. Ethan, well, he’s a teenager. They’re not good at expressing what they need because they’re confused in general. You’re doing the right thing.” Without thinking about it, she reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “You’ve all had a loss, and they need family right now. So do you.”

He snorted. “My father didn’t build a loving community with his kids. It was more or less every man for himself. People are easily discarded in the Delgado clan.”

“You can make your own choices.” She remembered the sensitive boy she had fallen in love with. “I know you’re not your father, Max. Do you still write?”

“No. You don’t know me anymore. We were kids back then. We didn’t know anything, let alone who we were.”

She pulled back. “If you don’t like the way your father was, then change. God created you in His image. You don’t have to carry on your father’s legacy. With God, you can start new, you and your brothers.” She looked down. He didn’t want to be preached at. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” His gaze stayed focused on the slow-moving town outside the window. “Pastor Wayne said pretty much the same thing.” A cold wall fell between them that had nothing to do with the weather outside.

The hard jaw flexed as his attention touched her briefly before moving away again. “Listen, I know what you want, and I can’t deliver. My uncle is in charge now, and he wants the wood salvaged and sent to Flower Mound. More people will see them there if that makes you happy.” He shrugged. “That’s where they’re going, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

She pulled back. What had she been thinking? Maybe everything her father said about the Delgado family was true and Max wasn’t the sweet boy of her memories. It was all about what they could sell or who they could use. They didn’t care about their history.

Leaning forward, she crossed her arms and looked him straight in the eye. He was going to learn what it meant to be a Bergmann. “I’m not giving up that easily. Get me in touch with your uncle. I’m sure we can work out some sort of deal. Maybe some positive PR.” Her heart pounded in her ears. This was her gift to her mother. To finish the work her mother had started. So many years working on this project. It couldn’t come down to one simple no.

“Max, the history is so important to protect and preserve. It won’t cost y’all any money. I have grants and city support. I’ve been working on this a long time. I just need the buildings. They belong to Clear Water. It’s what my mother—” she bit her lip “—and your mother wanted.”

“Don’t go there. What does it matter anyway? Saving the buildings won’t bring them back.”

Leaning closer, she looked him right in the eyes. A couple of inches separated them. “History is how we remember where we came from.”

He rested his arm on the back of the booth, trying to act as if he didn’t have a care in the world, but she could see the pulse at the base of his neck, in the space near his collarbone. “There’s your problem. With my family’s past? I would rather forget. My parents are gone, and I’d rather plunge in to the future. History belongs behind us.”

She wasn’t sure what to say to that. “How can you not want to honor them?” Her voice sounded rough to her own ears. “I’ll never forget my mother. This was important to her. And to yours.” He had to understand. “The boy I spent that summer with would have understood.”

“That boy is long gone.” He pinned her with a stare. His once-warm eyes now stared coldly at her, as though they were strangers. “Jackie, some rotted-out buildings are not going to bring them back. Is that what this is all about? Our mothers?”

Yes. No. She couldn’t think. Before she could respond, Sally was passing out plates full of giant burgers and hand-cut fries. “Anything else I can get y’all?”

Jackie smiled and thanked her, her face stinging from embarrassment and unshed tears. She had lost her appetite. There was no way she could eat a bite. “Yes, I’d like a to-go box.”

Max stood. “I’ll get the boys. If we could get it all to go, that’d be great.” He glanced at Jackie, then looked off to where the boys had gone. “You can take us back to the ranch. I’ll go to Uvalde for our supplies.”

Sally shot a frown his way, and a few of the people around the café cut hostile stares at him as he walked to the back to get the boys.

She wasn’t going to feel sorry for him.

Once and for all, Max Delgado was out of her heart and gone from her thoughts. He had been hiding in the deepest part of her subconscious without her even being aware he was there. It was good that he was here and she could let go of any teenage fantasy.

She could focus on what was important. Getting those buildings restored. Their mothers had wanted this for the town and their families. She wanted this for them, so they would never be forgotten. Maybe some of the guilt would finally fade away.

She finished her hot chocolate and pushed back her cup.

* * *

Ignoring the suspicious glares, Max stood in the archway and scanned the small game room located between the café and the convenience store on the other side of the building. He hated the feelings Jackie brought out in him. He didn’t want to think about his mother or his father. Especially his father. It wouldn’t change anything. He’d just get angry, and he was tired of living with anger.

Ethan was in a race car simulator. Max didn’t see Tomas or Isaac. “Where are the boys?”

The lanky teen leaned to the right, then pulled to the left. “They said they had to go to the bathroom.”

“You let them go by themselves?” He was not in the mood for this. Pulling in a deep breath, he forced his voice to remain calm. No need to take his frustration out on Ethan.

“They seemed old enough to be potty trained.” Ethan yelled at the screen and jerked left.

Max wasn’t in the mood for the teen’s sarcasm. He spotted the large restroom sign next to the soda counter. “This is a public gas station. You don’t let them go off on their own. I put you in charge of them.”

Ethan slammed his palms against the faux steering wheel as his race car came in last. With a grumble, he finally looked at Max. “Maybe I don’t want to be in charge. That’s your job. You volunteered for babysitting duty. I didn’t.”

Max gritted his teeth. He wanted to point out that Ethan had asked to come along; no one had invited him. But even though his knowledge was limited when it came to kids, he knew that getting into a power struggle with a teenager was an exercise in futility.

Stepping into the public restroom, he knocked on the stall doors. “Tomas! Isaac!”

No answer came back to him. Glancing under the doors, he found the stalls empty. Sheer panic froze him in place for a moment. They had to be here. Horror stories of kids disappearing swamped his brain. That kind of stuff didn’t happen in Clear Water, not here in Smalltown, USA. “Tomas! Isaac!”

They had to be here somewhere. Coming out of the bathroom, he walked briskly over to the convenience store side. The boys would love to play with the souvenirs and toys over there. Maybe they’d wandered that way. “Ethan! They aren’t in here. Get Jackie. I’m going to see if they went into the store.”

Ethan stood, his mouth open. “What do you mean? They have to be there.”

Max took a deep breath to keep himself from yelling. “They’re gone. Tell Jackie.” Without waiting, he rushed over to find a clerk who might have seen the boys.

His mind was racing with all the worst possibilities. The kid organizing chip bags looked all of sixteen. “Did you see two boys? Dark hair. Identical looking. Five and six years old? They were in the restroom.”

“No, but I heard the bell over the door a little bit ago.” He frowned. “Do you need me to call the sheriff?”

“Maybe.” Was he overreacting? No, they were small kids, and they were missing. “Yeah. I’ll go outside and check.”

“Max?” Jackie charged into the store from the café. Ethan was close behind. “What do you need me to do?”

“He’s calling the sheriff. I’m going outside.”

“Okay. We’ll find them.” Her matter-of-fact tone helped him calm down.

“Y’all need help?” Some of the people from the café joined them.

Jackie turned to the small group. “The boys didn’t come back from the restroom.”

Max didn’t wait around to hear the rest of the conversation. Out the front door, he turned to the right. It looked like a drive-through feed store. Bags of feed were stacked on pallets, and bales of hay lined the opposite side.

Behind the hay, he heard familiar giggling. His knees went weak at the beautiful sound.

“There they are.” Ethan’s voice didn’t sound steady.

They were safe. For a moment, all Max wanted to do was sink to the floor and cover his face. That had to have been the worst experience of his life. More terrifying than any bull he’d ever faced.

He moved round the bales. The brothers sat in the middle of a pen, smiling, surrounded by a litter of puppies.

He took what felt like his first breath since going into the restroom. Someone touched his arm. Turning, he found Jackie next to him. She wasn’t wearing a jacket, but her smile was warm. The people who had been in the café crowded into the feed store area.

Her hand slipped down to his. “They’re okay.”

He managed a nod. She left him and joined the group of people at the entrance. “He found them with the puppies. Thanks for offering to help.”

Dub nodded. “Happy that they’re safe. I’ll call dispatch and let them know we don’t need the sheriff.” The small crowd went back to the warm café.

“Great. Now they think I’m the worst guardian, along with all the other things they condemn the Delgados for.”

“Kids slip away. It happens to a lot of good parents. It is terrifying, but they’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

“I’m not their parent.”

“For now, you’re the only parent they have.”

That stopped him cold. He hadn’t thought of it that way. They were his responsibility. He wanted to give them more than his father had given him, but he wasn’t sure he knew how. Rubbing the back of his neck, he turned back to the boys. Ethan had a tight grip on the top of the temporary pen.

He didn’t trust himself to join them yet. Ethan needed to be aware of the consequences of being careless, and Isaac and Tomas had to understand they couldn’t wander off. But if he started talking to them now, he feared he’d start yelling and criticizing. That’s what his father would have done, so he’d start by not doing that. He needed to calm down before they had that conversation.

He took a deep breath, and a gust of cold air seared his lungs.

Who was he kidding? All that stuff about being their parent and being better than his father was a joke. There was no way he could do this. He just wanted to get out of Clear Water. Let his uncle deal with the ranch. Jackie and her buildings were not his problems. They couldn’t be.

Chapter Three

Once her heart returned to a reasonable beat, Jackie kneeled at the edge of the enclosure that held the litter of rambunctious puppies. Next to her, Ethan gripped the top of the wire panel that made a temporary pen. His shoulders rose and fell with each hard breath. It looked like he was breathing fire when his exhalation hit the cold air. The color had left the teen’s face.

“You told me you were going to the restroom!” he started yelling at the twins. “You can’t just leave like that.” His voice cracked. “What were you thinking?” His pitch went higher.

“Ethan.” Max walked up next to him and placed a hand on the center of his back. “We’ll talk about this later.”

The teen’s nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Someone bad could have kidnapped you. The people in the café had to call the police!”

Tomas ducked his head. Tears built in his eyes as he hugged the puppy.

“Stop, Ethan.” Max’s stern voice left no room for argument. “We’ll talk about this later, and we’ll also address your responsibility in this. They’re little kids. You’re older.” He cut a glance at the boys. “We will talk about this.” He looked back at Ethan. “In private.”

The black fluff ball that Tomas held against his chest stopped wriggling and licked the boy’s face. He kept his eyes down.

Isaac looked down at the golden puppy in his lap. “There’s lots of cool stuff here, then we heard the puppies bark,” he mumbled. The usually happy brother was also on the verge of tears. “Momma said she was bringing home a puppy for Christmas.”

Jackie covered her mouth. These babies had lost both parents and had been left with brothers they didn’t even know. Swinging her leg over the panel, she joined the boys in the middle of the litter.

She sat between them. Maybe she was overstepping, but she pulled them close. Two other puppies joined them, jumping over each other, tails wagging.

With a soft squeeze, she pressed a kiss to the side of each of the boys’ heads. “We were worried about you. You must let your brothers know where you’re at all the time. They love you, and were scared when they couldn’t find you.”

Isaac looked up at Ethan and Max. “We’re sorry. Look.” He held his pup up to them. “This one has the same color of hair as Momma, and that one is the same as Daddy. They were waiting for us.”

Tomas wiped his face across his sleeve and smiled at the puppy that licked him. “They need homes. Can we take them? Maybe they’re the dogs Momma was going to give us.”

Max blew out a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry, boys, but it’ll be up to Vanessa. You’re going to be living with her.”

Silent tears fell to the concrete, leaving prints in the dust. Tomas buried his face in the soft fur. Jackie looked at Max. He had his hands stuffed in his back pockets. The muscles in his jaw popped. There had to be something they could do. Ethan joined them, sitting cross-legged, and a few of the puppies scrambled into his lap.

“Hey, folks. Jim McClain.” The feed store owner joined them. He wiped his hands with a bandanna before offering one in greeting to Max. “If you want them, those puppies will be ready to go home with you by the end of the week. The two smaller ones are the only homeless ones. They’re my sister’s dogs. The mother is a super sweet Lab. Good family dog.” He grinned. “Not sure about the father. I think he might be the neighbor’s Australian shepherd. They’re real smart. Easy to train. Already house broke. Looks like a perfect match to me.”

“We’re just here temporarily.” Max frowned.

Jim looked down. “Jackie! Hey, girl, what are you doing? Your dad need any hay or feed? Maybe a couple of dogs?” He laughed.

Jim towered over Max and was twice his size. He had played college ball and was now back in town running the family business. He was always trying to get her to buy something or go on a date with him. She had been able to avoid both by avoiding the feed store altogether, until now.

She smiled. “No thanks, Jim. This is Tomas and Isaac Delgado and their brothers, Ethan and Max.”

Eyes narrowed, Jim crossed his massive arms. “Thought you looked familiar. Your uncle had all his feed and hay shipped in from Kerrville. You here to clear out all those thistles? They’re ruining all our grass.”

She stood. “Jim, he’s here with his brothers because their father died in an accident. He’s looking to clean up the land and get it back into shape.”

Max glared at her. “I don’t need to explain myself or my brothers to anyone.”

Isaac stood, holding his puppy close. “Mr. McClain, we’d take really good care of these two. We think they want to stay together, so they won’t be scared when they leave their mom.”

Jim softened and smiled at the five-year-old. “I believe they like you, too. I’ll talk to my sister, and you talk with your brother. It’s a big responsibility.” He went down on his haunches so that he was eye to eye with both boys. “They’d count on you to take care of them.”

The brothers now stood next to each other, each hugging a puppy like they’d never let go. Tomas kissed his black pup on its nose. “We’re going to call this one Baby. That’s what Momma called Daddy.”

Isaac giggled as the golden pup licked his ear. “This one is going to be Queenie because Daddy called Momma his queen. She’s blonde like Momma. What do you think?”

Jim patted the little dog. “Those sound like fine names.” He stood and turned to Max. “Looks like you got a couple of dogs. I can put all the supplies you’ll need on a ranch account for you.” He turned to the boys. “On that second aisle over there is a bunch of collars and other stuff puppies need. Pick out what you want, and I’ll have it all ready for you when you pick them up the Saturday after Thanksgiving.” He smirked at Max. “I trust you’ll pay the balance then.”

Rushing over the fencing, the twins charged into Max. “Please. We love these puppies. Vanessa’ll love them, too.”

He looked at Jackie, a sadness in his eyes. She thought about pointing out to the boys that Max hadn’t actually agreed to them keeping the dogs. With a sigh, he shook his head.

Ethan scowled. “You’re going to let them do whatever they want, aren’t you?”

Max dropped to meet the boys eye to eye. “I’m so sorry, boys, but we can’t take these puppies. If Vanessa says no, then they will have nowhere to go. That’s not fair to them.” He reached out to wipe a tear off Isaac’s cheek. “It’s not fair to you, either. I can’t tell you yes, then turn around and take them away from you.”

Tomas squeezed his puppy. “We could all stay with you.”

The sadness in Max’s eyes caused her to fight back her own tears. There had to be some way she could help. Maybe she could offer to take the puppies.

Max picked up one of the puppies. “Tomas, I’ll be going back to the rodeo soon. We have the next couple of weeks together, then you’ll be going with Vanessa. We’ll visit and talk as much as you want, but you can’t live with me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Both boys nodded.

He looked at Jim. “Maybe we could visit while we’re still in town?”

“Not a problem. The puppies always need a bit of attention.” Jim held his hand out again and waited for Max to take it. “Welcome back to Clear Water, Delgado. Let me know what you need, and I can have it delivered. If you need help clearing out the thistles, I know where you can hire some local boys.” He pulled a card out of his shirt pocket. “Call me for whatever you need.”

“Thanks.” Max didn’t look all that thankful. “Come on, boys. Tell the dogs bye. We need to get our food and head to the ranch. I don’t need you getting sick from being out in the cold.” He turned to her as he pulled off his jacket. “Here, put this on. You can’t get sick, either. Don’t need more reasons for people to hate me.”

“I come from tough stock.” She pulled the comfortable denim around her shoulders anyway and tried not to inhale his scent too deeply. It filled her with comfort. Not good. “But thank you.”

* * *

He watched as she gently helped the boys put the puppies back with the litter. Caring for the boys, and giving them what they needed, seemed to come naturally for her.

Why is it so hard for me? It would be easier to face down an angry bull than tell these boys no.

A few more tears and they said their goodbyes. Going back through the convenience store to the café, they gathered their food and got everyone buckled in to her car.

Not a word was spoken as they drove down Main Street. Early signs of Christmas had already appeared in some of the shop windows. The holidays were just around the corner. It had pretty much been just another day in his life.

Isaac slurped his drink. “When can we visit the puppies again?”

Jackie made eye contact through the rearview mirror, then glanced at Max.

Ethan shook his head. “Are we going to talk about what they did?” He leaned forward and glared at the boys. “You took off without telling me where you were going. You caused a lot of trouble.”

Jackie stopped at the only light in town. She looked at Max as if she expected him to do something. He was tired, and he didn’t know how to fix any of this.

“Ethan, when I sent you with the boys, I expected you to watch them. They’re only five and six and in a strange place. Maybe I need to take your phone, so you’ll remember your responsibilities.”

Horror etched itself on the teen’s face. “You can’t do that! You don’t pay the bill. My mom does.”

“If you want to return to your mom, that wouldn’t be a problem. I can hire a driver to take you to the airport, and you can go back to Chicago.”

Crossing his arms, Ethan stared out the window. “So, I lose my phone because they ran off. They don’t even have phones, so what’s going to happen to them? I told them to come right back, and they didn’t listen to me.”

Isaac twisted around. “No, you didn’t say anything. You were playing a game.”

“You didn’t check on them. That was your job.” He looked at the tiny versions of himself. “Guys, you can’t ever disappear like that again. If you had gotten hurt or lost, we wouldn’t have known where to find you.”

“Like Momma and Daddy on the boat? They didn’t tell anyone, and no one knew they were lost. Could we have died like them?”

Ethan leaned over his seat from the back. “Yes! That’s why you can’t go off by yourselves.”

Tomas looked like he was about to start crying again.

“Ethan!” Saying this sharper and angrier than he had meant, Max closed his eyes for a minute and counted before addressing the teen again. “Scaring them is not the way to go.”

“Well, they scared me! And now you want to take away my phone.” He threw himself back. “This isn’t fair. I don’t want to go back to Chicago.” He twisted his mouth and glared out the window.

Oh, man, it looks like he is about to cry. “You don’t want to go home with your mother?”

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No. But it’s going to be Thanksgiving. I thought you might want to be with your family. Don’t you have stepbrothers?” He still wasn’t too sure why Ethan had asked to come with them.

“Yes. I’d rather be here without my phone than being forced to hang out with them. I’d sleep in the barn if I have to. They’re not nice, and my stepfather thinks...everything they do is funny.”

Jackie looked up. “What about your mother?”

He shrugged and looked out the window. “She’s busy.”

Max closed his eyes. And scrambled some ideas around in his brain. He could figure this out. The reason he had taken the boys and why he’d let Ethan join them was that he remembered the loneliness after his mother’s death. Like the world had gone on and forgotten her and him.

With her gone, he didn’t exist anymore. Then he forgot her. He didn’t want that for his brothers.

It sounded as if Ethan’s mother wasn’t any better than their father. He didn’t have any warm memories of her; it didn’t sound like she was any better with her own son. “Okay, here’s the deal. Extra chores for everyone, and Ethan’s in charge. I’ll make up a list, and each day for the next week you’ll make sure everything gets done before bedtime. Got it?”

Ethan looked at him. “I get to stay and keep my phone?”

“Yes, but you’re going to have limited use of the phone. It’s going to be hard work.”

“That’s okay. It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

He wanted to give them more than chores and work. “I also need each of you to make a list of your favorite things to do that don’t include electronics.”

The younger brothers started talking over each other about swimming, food fights and playing fetch. Which they pointed out would require a dog.

Jackie pulled up to the elaborate iron gate that marked the entrance to the Delgado Ranch. When Max had first arrived with the boys, he’d found the electric rollers jammed. It had taken all four of them to push both sides back. Now the rusted curves and cattle cutouts sat lopsided in the tall weeds. He should have turned back then and there.

He needed to call Vanessa about the dogs. In the meantime, he was going to find ways for them to have fun. Glancing at the woman driving, he thought back to that summer so long ago. He wanted to see that smile again. When had she become so severe?

Behind him, Isaac and Tomas had fallen asleep. Something else he needed to do. Make sleeping arrangements. They couldn’t stay in the house tonight. If it were just him, he’d sleep in his truck. He’d done it several times. He glanced behind him at his three brothers. But for now, it wasn’t just him.

How had this become his life? He leaned his head back and shut his eyes. He could do this. It was temporary.

Jackie pulled up behind Sammi’s truck at the Delgado ranch house. “The boys fell asleep. I have a few blankets in the back of the car. If you want to get Tomas, I’ll grab Isaac.”

Max nodded before he got out of the SUV. “I think it’s gotten colder.” They leaned in at the same time and unbuckled the boys. She avoided looking at Max. They were too close, and parts of her heart were stirring. Not acceptable. She had forced him out of her heart years ago; she couldn’t allow him back in.

She turned to Ethan. “Grab those blankets behind the seat there.”

Just like the family she used to fantasize about, they made their way up the front walkway carrying the sleeping boys into the house. Of course, in her daydreams the furniture wasn’t covered in dust and neglect and her heart in guilt.

For years, it had been Max she saw in those dreams. It took persistence and hard work to get him out of her head. Unfortunately, he had grown up even better looking than her imagination, but he still wasn’t the right one for her.

Her feelings had to be buried the moment her father informed her who he was. He lost his mother because of her. Even if he could still like her, she didn’t deserve his love.

If he ever found out the accident was her fault, he would hate her. That might be better. Now that he was back, those long-buried dreams had found their way to the surface.

Ethan opened the door. Inside, they settled the boys on the sofas and covered them with the clean afghans and quilts. She said a soft prayer for the little guys and their big brothers. Looking up, she found Max staring at her and quickly turned away.

She needed God’s guidance in all of this. It felt as if she was walking on dangerous ground with hidden trip wires ready to blow everything up.

In the washroom, they found the ladder from the crawl space pulled down. “Sammi? Are you up there?”

After a few thumps and some other noises, the youngest Bergmann sister peeked over the edge of the trapdoor. “Yep. It’s a mess up here. You got a whole colony of squirrels that need to be relocated, and they’ve been chewing on the wiring.”

She disappeared.

Max sighed. “This is all I need. Squatter squirrels and a house that has to have all the wiring redone.”

Sammi’s boot appeared on the top of the ladder. “It’s not the whole house, but I do suggest you get a licensed electrician to check it out.” She hopped off the last step and turned to face them. “Hi, I’m Sammi Bergmann.” She held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Ethan had come up behind Max. “Really? You know we’re Delgados, right?” Bitterness laced his words.

Sammi chuckled. “That’s okay. My last name might be Bergmann but everyone around here, including my family, refers to my mother as—” she lifted her hand to make air quotes “—‘that other woman.’ Or ‘the mistake.’”

Jackie gasped. “No one blames you or loves you any less because of what your mother did to Daddy. She left you, too.”

“Right. I know that. I’m just saying I don’t blame people for things that happened in the past or what other people did. Unfortunately, for the most part small towns don’t follow that train of thought. I think it’s from the lack of real entertainment.” She turned back to Max and Ethan with a smile. “How long are y’all in town?”

“Until Christmas. Or sooner. Depends on when the boys’ aunt can pick them up, and how long it takes to get the ranch ready for the market.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’re selling this place? Hasn’t it been in your family like, forever?”

“Yes. But my uncle wants the ranch gone. He and my father argued all the time. Now that my father’s dead, there’s nothing to stop my uncle Rigo from cleaning house and getting rid of any properties not contributing to the family coffers.”

“Sorry to hear about your father. So close to the holidays, too.”

“Thanks.”

Jackie leaned on the edge of the old washer. “You’re a Delgado. Don’t you have as much say as your uncle? You know, donating the buildings would be a great Christmas gift to the town. I just don’t understand why your uncle is so set against retaining Clear Water’s history.”

Ethan snorted. “Our uncle hated our dad.” He looked at Max. “Can we go see the buildings? There have to be some creepy stories in an old abandoned town. I’m going to put that on my list of fun stuff to do. Maybe someone would want to open a dude ranch in a ghost town.”

Sammi chuckled and headed into the kitchen. “That sounds entertaining, but I need to get back to the lumberyard. Sorry I wasn’t more help.”

They followed her into the large kitchen. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small pad of yellow paper. With a pencil, she wrote something out. “Here’s the name and number of a guy that can help you with the wiring. I’ve also added Danica’s number. She does animal rescue, so she’ll know the best way to move the family in the attic.” Handing him the paper, she tucked the pad back into her pocket. “With the house in this shape, I don’t think you’ll be in before the holidays. With it only being five days away, it’ll be hard to find people to come out. What are your plans for Thanksgiving? It’ll be a hard one. The first family holiday without your father.”

Max shook his head. “I don’t remember ever spending Thanksgiving with my father, but I’m worried about Tomas and Isaac. They’re little and haven’t had time to be ignored by him yet.” He looked at Ethan. “What do y’all normally do?”

Leaning on the counter, the teenager frowned. “I don’t know what they do. I was three when my parents divorced, and I’ve never been invited to spend it with the Delgados.”

Sammi laid her hand over her heart. “Oh, no! That’s not right. My family might be a little rough around the edges, but we’re always together for the holidays. You should join us. Our nieces are about the age of the boys. No one should be alone for Thanksgiving. Jackie, they should come over, shouldn’t they?”

Jackie’s heart picked up speed. Max couldn’t come to her house. But not a single good reason came to mind and just saying no made her sound petty.

The corner of Max’s mouth went up. “She’s trying to think of a polite way to not invite us. Thanks, Sammi, but I’m pretty sure your father would barricade us from your home.”

“Daddy can seem pretty grumpy, but we have an open-door policy.” Sammi smiled at Ethan. “My father can’t hold what your uncle and father did against you, and he would never deny kids a real Thanksgiving. We have all the trimmings and always twice as much food as we need.”

All the problems formed a wall in Jackie’s brain. And they weren’t entirely about upsetting her father: Joaquin would be there. “Sammi, what about Joaquin?” Jackie couldn’t believe her sister would put her best friend in such an awkward situation on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in town knew Rigo Delgado was Joaquin’s biological father, even if the man refused to acknowledge it. As far as she knew, he was still married with two daughters about the same age as Joaquin. And that man had the nerve to hold a grudge against Clear Water. No one in town would welcome him.

Sammi’s eyes went wide. “Oh.” She glanced at Max.

“Joaquin? Someone I know?” he asked.

Her sister’s features stiffened, but she shook her head at Max and answered her sister. “He’s actually a big fan of Max’s. He’s followed his career.” She turned back to Max. “Joaquin Villarreal. Do you know who he is?”

Jackie watched his expression. He didn’t react.

“Is he PBR, too?” Max had a look of total confusion on his face.

Jackie glared at her little sister. “He’s a family friend who works for our dad when he’s not riding the circuit. He’s a PRCA cowboy,” she glanced at Ethan. “That’s Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, but he hasn’t made it into the top twenty.”

“Yet.” Now Sammi sent a hostile look back at her sister. “He’s been close.”

“Does he ride bulls? I need to get some practice in. Maybe we could join up.” Max cleared his throat. “I feel there is something I should know. What am I missing?”

Should I tell him? She sighed. It was Joaquin’s business, but it was just one more reason her father didn’t like the Delgado family.

Instead of answering him, Jackie moved to the living room, where the little boys were curled up under her blankets. “Do you need any help getting a cabin at The Pecan Farm?”

He was right behind her. “If you can give me a number, I’ll call. I have a few more things to do around here, then we’ll head out.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for the invite, Sammi, but I think we’ll stick to a quiet dinner.”

Jackie tried to hide her relief, but from the twist of Max’s mouth she might not have been as successful as she hoped. She hated being rude, but having Max there would bring up too many raw emotions for too many people.

Then again, the idea of them eating sandwiches in a lonely cabin tore at her heart.

Max moved closer, less than six inches from her. The scent of leather, denim and autumn surrounded her. He even smelled like a man without trying.

Lifting her chin, she met his stare. “You can bring the boys over if you think they would enjoy a big family Thanksgiving.”

“I doubt they’ve ever had an experience like that.”

“Ohh.” Heavy sadness dripped from Sammi’s one word. “You have to bring them.”

He moved away from Jackie and went to the living room. Bending over the sofa, he checked the boys. “We came out here to spend time getting to know each other. A simple dinner is perfect for us. It’s just another day in the scheme of things.” Facing the sisters, Max rested on the back of the couch and crossed his ankles. “Thanks for the help, Sammi. I’ll make sure to call those numbers.”

She grabbed her coat. “Anytime. And if you need anything, don’t think twice about calling me. You can find whatever you need at the lumberyard. If we don’t have it, we can order it.”

Jackie wanted to stay but didn’t have one single reason she should.

She looked at the old fireplace. Without a fire it was cold and empty. “You might want to find some wood if you stay much longer. It’s too cold in here for the boys. A fire would warm it up nicely. I saw some on the back porch.”

He grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay then.” She tightened her scarf. “Please let me know what your uncle says about the buildings. If there is anything I can do to change his mind, you know I’ll do it.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. There was a gleam in his eyes, as if he knew she was confused by him.

She stood over the boys. Tomas had kicked the blanket off his feet. She tucked him back in. “Do you want me to bring lunch after church tomorrow?”

The right corner of his mouth went up. “No. I promise I’ll feed them.”

“Of course. I could still bring out some lunch, and maybe I can go see the site of the old town?”

“Jackie, without talking to my uncle I can’t promise you’ll be able to have the buildings. He might still want me to take them down.”

“I understand. But if I could at least see them and take some pictures for the records I’ve put together on their history.”

“You know, they might not even be standing.” He stuffed his hands in his jacket. “But if you’re sure you want to go, we can drive out there in the afternoon.”

“Thank you.” She turned to leave, trying to walk calmly as if she wasn’t running for her life, but the pounding of her heart could probably be heard across the room. “Bye, Ethan.”

The teen glanced up from his phone. “Bye.”

Max followed her out and stood at the edge of the porch, watching as she climbed into her car.

She started the engine but just sat there for a moment. Head bowed, she prayed. God, this is the closest I’ve been to these buildings. It’s been so heavy on my heart. Please open the Delgado family to seeing what I see. Not understanding her feelings for Max, she didn’t even know what to pray for when it came to him. She needed to stay focused on the buildings.

If she could make this work, this would be the year those buildings could be part of the Christmas celebration. The way her mother had envisioned it. Max’s mother, too.

It was all written out in her mother’s journals. The women had been working together against Max’s father and her father’s wishes. Now she was the one who had to make it right. Her father might grumble that he didn’t want her to do this, but when he stood together with her sisters, he’d see it was all worth it.

She glanced in her rearview mirror as she drove off. Max stood alone.

Just like the day her father took her away from the dance. It had been total selfishness on her part. She’d rather have seen the hurt in Max’s eyes than the hatred she’d known would have been there if she’d confessed to him the reason his mother lost control of the car.

Selfish coward.

How different would their lives have been if she’d listened to her father? It wouldn’t have taken any time to put her toys away instead of leaving them in the car.

If her father, sisters and Max knew the truth, they would all hate her. She had destroyed two families. Please, God, let me at least finish the dream our mothers started.

She could never make it completely right, but if she preserved these buildings that meant so much to them, it would honor their memories.

Chapter Four

Standing up from working on the fence, Max tried to roll his shoulder, but the pain was too much. It was taking him longer to recover from broken bones than it had in the past. Age was not a bull rider’s friend.

He went to his truck and dug around in his bag until he found the painkillers. Pills were not his first choice for controlling the pain. Too many cowboys started relying on them to live. Depending on anything but himself was a no go for him.

After throwing back three pills, he swallowed and glanced around the barn area for the boys. Ethan was standing with the two horses, but he didn’t see Tomas or Isaac anywhere. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was way past one o’clock. Jackie should have been here. She didn’t seem like the kind that would be late.

“Ethan. Where are the boys? It’s time to head back to the house.”

“Yeah.” He pointed to the barn. “They were in the old tac—”

A scream came from the loft area. BAM! Something hit hard.

“Tomas! Max!” Incoherent yelling from Isaac followed.

With Ethan right behind him, Max raced into the barn. Tomas was in the middle of the floor. Shattered pieces of wood surrounded the small body. He wasn’t moving.

Falling to his knees beside the still figure, Max put his hand on the slight shoulder.

Tomas cried out. Okay. That meant he was breathing. That was good. Max said a silent prayer of gratitude. He was alive and conscious.

“Tomas. Where does it hurt?” He removed his work gloves and scanned the area for blood as he assessed the boy.

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