A daddy for her daughter…

Can their Mercy Ranch Christmas become forever?

When struggling single mom Rebecca Martin hears a philanthropist in Oklahoma is offering buildings rent-free for a year, she can’t pass up the opportunity. And cowboy Isaac West is just the unexpected help she needs to turn the building into a thriving business. Falling in love isn’t part of the plan…but with this injured veteran, it’s a gift that’s hard to resist.

BRENDA MINTON lives in the Ozarks with her husband, children, cats, dogs and strays. She is a pastor’s wife, Sunday-school teacher, coffee addict and sleep deprived. Not in that order. Her dream to be an author for Harlequin started somewhere in the pages of a romance novel about a young American woman stranded in a Spanish castle. Her dreams came true, and twenty-plus books later, she is an author hoping to inspire young girls to dream.

Also By Brenda Minton

Mercy Ranch

Reunited with the Rancher

The Rancher’s Christmas Match

Bluebonnet Springs

Second Chance Rancher

The Rancher’s Christmas Bride

The Rancher’s Secret Child

Martin’s Crossing

A Rancher for Christmas

The Rancher Takes a Bride

The Rancher’s Second Chance

The Rancher’s First Love

Her Rancher Bodyguard

Her Guardian Rancher

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

The Rancher’s Christmas Match

Brenda Minton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08645-5

THE RANCHER’S CHRISTMAS MATCH

© 2018 Brenda Minton

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.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“We were meeting Mama Llama,” Isaac said.

Rebecca had to look at him, had to pretend that everything was just fine. She wasn’t shaking on the inside, revisited by the past and memories that threatened everything.

“Mama Llama doesn’t appear to like you very much,” Rebecca said, pointing to the llama that had drawn back and now bared teeth at Isaac.

“Females sometimes take an instant dislike to me. I can’t imagine why, when I’m always charming.”

“He let me brush his horse,” Allie chimed in. It seemed not all females disliked the cowboy.

“That must have been fun. And where is Eve?”

Allie shot Isaac a worried look and Rebecca pretended not to notice his wink.

“She had to get some work done,” he supplied.

Not only had he charmed her daughter, now he was aiding and abetting her. Rebecca pinned him with a look and, like her daughter, he squirmed a little with guilt.

“And she brought Allie to you.”

Allie groaned. “I might have sneaked off.”

“Confession,” Isaac said. “Always good for the soul.”

Dear Reader,

As I’ve spent time in Hope, Oklahoma, and at Mercy Ranch, I’ve gotten to know the characters and I’ve come to love this little town. I hope you’ll enjoy your time here, as well!

From the beginning Isaac West quickly became a favorite of mine, and this book had to belong to him. Isaac has dealt with difficult times in his life and he’s learned to laugh when things get tough. I think that’s one of my favorite things about this hero.

Together Isaac and Rebecca learn that life has its seasons. They have cried, mourned, been angry, been broken. Now it is their time to laugh, to love, to heal.

I hope you enjoy taking the journey with them—and with me.

Brenda Minton

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

—Luke 2:13–14

This book is dedicated to my friend Lori, for all of her encouragement.

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

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Isaac West stood at the door of the feed store, letting his eyes adjust to the late November sunshine pouring down on Hope, Oklahoma. Some days a guy just preferred clouds. This happened to be one of them. The bright sunshine made his head spin and needlelike jabs of pain above his temple warned that a headache would knock him down before he could get back to the ranch.

It had been a good two months since he’d had the last headache. He’d kinda hoped he’d seen the last of them.

“Isaac, are you okay?” Mrs. Adams, the owner of the feed store, called out to him, her voice filtering through the long tunnel that had been his hearing for the past six years.

“I’m good.”

“You’re looking a little on the pale side. You want me to call Jack and have him pick you up?”

He didn’t bother with denials. In a town the size of Hope, everyone knew everyone else’s business. Mrs. Adams meant well. After all, as she liked to point out, she’d known him since he was knee-high to a grasshopper.

“Nah, I’m good,” he assured her. “Right as rain.”

He pulled a toothpick from his pocket and stuck it between his teeth. Might as well just get it over with. He pushed the door open and headed down the sidewalk in the direction of his truck. He stumbled a bit as he stepped down off the curb and lurched to the left, falling against a bright red sports car. The driver of that car slammed her door and glared at him.

He cringed a little. Partly from the madder-than-a-wet-hen look on her face, mostly because the slamming car door vibrated through his skull.

“What in the world is wrong with you?” She spoke with a sweeter-than-honey Oklahoma accent that matched her honey-blond hair and big brown eyes. But the spark in her voice said she was more than a little put out.

If it had been any other day, and if he’d been any other man, he would have flirted. Today wasn’t a good day for being charming. He did try to tip his cowboy hat in a way that appeared chivalrous, when really, he just wanted to get home and away from everyone. Even pretty women.

“Sorry, ma’am, I lost my balance.”

She came around the back of her little car and stepped in front of him, blocking the path to his truck. She was a head shorter than his almost six feet, and she was too thin. She was kind of pale, too. Like she didn’t sleep much.

He shouldn’t judge. It wasn’t like he got a full eight hours every night. More like eight hours every two days. And a woman definitely didn’t want someone pointing out that she needed a steak, mashed potatoes and more sleep.

At that moment she was surveying him with a less-than-appreciative gleam in her milk-chocolate brown eyes.

“Balance, my foot. Hand over your keys.” She tipped her chin up. “I have a nine-year-old daughter, and the last thing I want is someone in your condition behind the wheel of a car. Or a truck.”

He grinned a little and her eyes narrowed.

She extended her hand, nails manicured to perfection with the prettiest dark pink polish, and arched an eyebrow at his reluctance to hand over his keys. It took him at least five seconds to realize she thought he was drunk. He almost laughed. Almost.

She was pretty enough that he didn’t mind the insult. After all, she had no way of knowing. People, he realized, saw what they wanted to see.

As it happened, she smelled like sunshine and he wouldn’t mind a ride home.

“Stop grinning and say something!” she demanded. Most women waited until they’d known him at least a day or two before they reached that level of outrage.

The two of them were causing a scene. People were starting to stare. A few locals grinned and marched on by, willing to leave him to his fate. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and dropped them in her very lovely hand.

“Where do you live?” she demanded, a little less confident now that she had his keys. He figured she might be afraid.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

At his declaration she stepped back, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed a little bit of her outrage and dealt with her fear. If he had to guess, she wasn’t usually the kind of woman who made impulsive decisions, and demanding his keys had been a rash one.

“Of course you won’t,” she stated. “I have a child in my car. I really do not want any trouble.”

He noticed her lips were the same shade as her nail polish, and she bit down on the bottom one, her gaze darting about.

“Looking for a better option?” he asked. “I assure you there isn’t a taxi or Uber in sight.”

“Of course there isn’t.” She looked at the keys in her hand. “Get in my car.”

He wanted to say a mighty loud, “Thank you, God.” But he refrained. His head was killing him and he didn’t really care what she thought of him. He slid into the passenger seat of the tin can she called a car and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

Miss Sunshine and Happiness got in on the driver’s side. Man, she smelled good.

She said something, but since she was talking into his bad ear he didn’t catch a word of it. He glanced her way, started to ask her to repeat, then noticed she really did have a child in the car. The little girl appeared to be nine or ten. She had wide brown eyes and the same honey-colored hair as her mother.

“Mom, didn’t you say we never talk to strangers?” she asked, a cheeky grin on her face. He instantly liked the kid. She might be a replica of her mother, but there was a happy sparkle in her eyes. Life was still an adventure at that age.

He shifted his gaze from the girl to the woman in the driver’s seat. The movement caused a sharp pain in the side of his head. At this point he usually had a cup of his sister-in-law Kylie’s tea in hand as he crawled into a dark room.

“I said to buckle up,” Miss Sunshine and Happiness said with a dose of aggravation, which meant she’d already said it once.

He guessed it was too late to explain that he wasn’t intentionally ignoring her. He buckled up.

“Where do I take you?”

“Mercy Ranch.”

“Mercy Ranch? The ranch owned by Jack West?”

“The same. Do you know where it is?”

“Yes, I have an appointment with Mr. West.”

Interesting. She’d been on her way to the ranch. She didn’t look like a veteran. Jack and his ranch for wounded warriors had become nationally known in the last couple years. But then, what did a wounded warrior look like? They weren’t all men with big scars on the sides of their heads, or missing limbs. Some injuries were internal. Some were heart deep and resulted in nightmares and anxiety.

He was curious, but not curious enough to continue the conversation.

“Do you work at the ranch?” the child in the back seat asked.

It was difficult to hear when her voice had to compete with road noise, the whistle of wind battering the window of the car and the oldies station playing on the radio. Any other time he might have glanced back. At the moment, movement was not his friend and it was best to remain still, his head turned toward the driver.

As a matter of fact, his stomach was suddenly making him feel less than manly.

“My daughter asked you a question,” Miss Happiness and Sunshine informed him.

“Yes.” The one word came out a little curt. He could do better than that. “I work at the ranch.”

“Are you going to be sick?” the child asked.

“Maybe,” he muttered.

He thought of a scenario a little more to his liking, one in which he rescued this woman and showed her that a real man didn’t need to be given a ride home, didn’t need to be coddled and talked to like he was five. He had a feeling this woman, Miss Happiness and Sunshine, didn’t like being rescued. She didn’t strike him as a damsel in distress.

She probably slayed dragons and stormed castle walls. He could do those things on an average day. Unfortunately, today wasn’t his best knight-in-shining-armor day.

The random thoughts worked, the way they sometimes did, to calm his brain and lessen the head pain. Not moving happened to be another key to ridding himself of the knife-sharp ache.

“You do look a little green,” the woman said as she gave him a quick glance. What was her name? he wondered.

“Paula,” he mumbled.

“What?”

“Trying to guess your name.” He slid the hat back a fraction just so he could see her face. He caught what might have been the beginning of amusement hovering in her eyes. “Rachel?”

“No.”

The child in the back seat laughed. The sound bounced around the vehicle. “Rebecca. Her name is Rebecca.”

Isaac’s eyes widened and he reached for the door. “Stop the car.”

The woman quickly pulled to the shoulder and he practically fell as he escaped the car and stumbled to the ditch. He didn’t lose his lunch, but came pretty close to losing his confidence.

* * *

Rebecca Barnes glanced at the driveway just fifty feet from where she’d pulled to the side of the road. They’d almost made it to Mercy Ranch. An arched entry with the name emblazoned in wrought iron, and an open gate, heralded their destination. But she couldn’t consider herself arrived if she was standing on the side of the road. The cowboy she’d given a ride to stood in the ditch, bent over, trying to catch his breath.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Allie asked from the back seat. She had raised herself up a bit to eye their passenger.

“Get your seat belt back on,” Rebecca warned. But she watched closely, waiting to see if he would need help. She’d been chastising herself this entire time, because she’d gone and done it again. She’d been in Hope for less than an hour and she’d immediately bumped into what had to be the classic description of a bad boy. And she had a “no bad boys” policy. She didn’t want trouble in her life, so she avoided men who appeared to be trouble, hinted at trouble or were confirmed trouble.

It was a fairly new motto, put in place when the latest disappointment, a friend, had exited her life with a large chunk of her business profits.

“He’s fine,” she answered her daughter. “Just a little under the weather.”

“You think he’s drunk,” Allie stated, with a knowing tone to her voice.

“Allie, that isn’t for you to say.”

“I know, Mom.” She now sounded contrite. Rebecca didn’t have to look at her daughter to know the tone wouldn’t match the look on her face.

Rebecca sighed and reached for the door. “I’m going to make sure he’s okay, and then we’ll head on to the ranch for the appointment with Mr. West. Are you okay?”

Allie nodded, but her attention was glued to the man in the ditch. He had straightened and now shifted his cowboy hat, wiping his brow with his arm. He glanced toward Rebecca as she got out of the car.

“Need help?” she asked.

“Nope.” He trudged up the hill, slowly, but far more steady on his feet than he’d been when they first met.

Bad boy or not, he was easy on the eyes. Tall, just broad enough through the shoulders to think he’d be easy to lean on, and even in late November he’d held on to a golden tan. His hair was dark and his eyes were the gray of clouds bringing a winter storm.

She nearly sighed at her own ridiculous inventorying of his good looks. He was a cowboy. The kind that wore faded jeans and scuffed up boots. He was obviously trouble. And she needed to stay on task and not fall prey to anything or anyone that would distract her from her mission.

With Aunt Evelyn gone, Rebecca and Allie were the closest they’d ever been to being on their own. But they had each other, a nest egg to fall back on and a plan. Part of that plan included meeting with Jack West.

The cowboy had returned to the shoulder of the road and he seemed a little more clear-eyed than he’d been a short time ago. A shaky hand brushed through his hair before he replaced his black cowboy hat, neatly hiding the scar that had drawn her attention. It snaked from the side of his face to the portion of his scalp just above his ear.

She guessed he was one of Jack West’s veterans.

“Ready to go?” he asked, as he walked with her to the driver’s side of the car. He opened her door and motioned for her to get behind the wheel.

“Yes. And thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say as he closed her door and headed back to the passenger side.

Moments later they were easing down the paved driveway of Mercy Ranch. It appeared to be a sprawling place, with rolling hills of winter-brown grass. White vinyl fencing split the land, creating corrals, smaller pastures, then wide-open fields. Her passenger pointed toward a large, log-sided home, but beyond that she saw an older white farmhouse, a metal building that appeared to be living quarters and, to the left, a large stable.

She parked next to the log house. The place glittered in the late-afternoon sun as the light reflected off the windows. A dog, a big yellow Labrador, lazed on the front porch.

“Here we are,” he said. But he sat there a moment, not moving.

“Are you going to be sick again?” Allie asked from the back seat. “Does your head hurt? Is your vision blurry?”

“Allie,” Rebecca warned.

He didn’t seem offended. But he did turn and ask Allie to repeat what she’d said. She did and he smiled.

“I do have a headache and I’m not going to be sick. And my vision is just fine.”

He got out of the car and said to Rebecca, “If you need to see Jack, I can get him for you. Oh, and I’ll take my keys.”

She handed him the keys she’d dropped in her purse. “I’m thirty minutes early.”

“He won’t mind that you’re early.” Isaac closed the door and walked away.

She hadn’t planned on getting out, but the cowboy had stopped walking and leaned against the front of her car.

“I think he needs help, Mom,” Allie piped up.

Rebecca closed her eyes and sent a rare petition for aid from above. “Come on, let’s help him to the house and we’ll see if Mr. West is available.”

“Good!” Allie jumped from the car and hurried around to pet the dog that had meandered off the porch to greet them.

“Allie, you don’t know the dog.” Rebecca called out the warning, but it was too late. Allie had her arms around it and the animal didn’t seem to mind.

“Decide to come on up to the house?” the cowboy asked.

“Allie thought you might need assistance.”

“That’s kind of her. It isn’t usually this bad.”

“Maybe you should see about getting help.”

He didn’t take her advice at all seriously. Instead, he leaned on her a bit.

She considered putting some distance between them, but at that moment he stumbled. She put a steadying hand on his arm.

“If you can help me to the house, I’ll get Jack for you.”

They were halfway there when the door opened and a man stepped out on the porch. He looked like an older version of the cowboy, but broader through the shoulders, and his dark hair had grayed. At the sight of the two of them, he shook his head.

“Isaac, I’ve been wondering what kept you.”

Isaac. She groaned, because now she understood his amusement with her name. Isaac and Rebecca, the Bible couple, parents of Jacob and Esau. She wanted no part of it. She didn’t want to be a biblical reference.

“Dad, let me introduce you to Rebecca. She gave me a ride home when it appeared I might be intoxicated.” He winked at her. “Rebecca, meet Jack West.”

Jack stepped down off the porch, his left side trembling as he navigated the stairs. His arm jerked a bit and he said something under his breath. Even with his obvious physical problems, he appeared strong, and he smiled at her with all the charm she’d expected after reading articles about him and speaking with him on the phone.

“Miss Rebecca, I’m glad you’re here. And that must be your little girl, Allie. I’ll apologize for Isaac. He isn’t as funny as he thinks he is. But he’s most definitely sober.”

With a tip of his hat, Isaac headed for the stairs. “Sorry to disappoint you, darlin’, but I needed a ride home and your offer came at the right time. I’m going to leave you all to your meeting.”

His gaze shot past her, to where Allie played with the yellow Labrador. His smile dissolved. “Maximus, stay.”

His command caught Rebecca’s attention and she turned to witness the dog leaning close to Allie as her daughter froze and then fell to the ground. As the seizure took control, Maximus stretched out beside her. Rebecca felt the world close in around her as she hurried to Allie, rolling her to her side. Allie’s body jerked, and as the seizure continued, Rebecca glanced at her watch, timing the event.

Jack and Isaac had come over to sit next to her, and Isaac was on the phone.

Finally, the seizure ended and Allie lay motionless, her body curling in a fetal position as tears streamed down her cheeks. The dog licked her face and remained still, but near her side. Rebecca waited a moment, then gathered Allie in her arms.

“I’m sorry, Mr. West, this meeting was a bad idea. I can’t do this.” She blinked away tears that threatened to fall.

“Now, let’s all stay calm.” He had a hand on her shoulder, the way a father or grandfather would. She shut her eyes, wondering what that would feel like to have a father who cared.

“I called Carson, and he’s on his way.” Isaac West spoke, his voice steady. He was obviously sober. Sober, steady, calm. How had she missed that?

He stood up and held a hand out to his father. Jack clasped it readily and rose to his feet.

“Can we take her inside now?” Isaac asked.

Rebecca nodded and tried to stand, while still holding her daughter close. Isaac reached for her child, his gray eyes warm with sympathy. Without thinking, she tightened her hold. Allie whimpered in protest.

“I’m only going to carry her inside for you,” Isaac offered.

Rebecca closed her eyes again, aware of the stillness all around her, the stillness of the child in her arms. Jack West’s strong hand again settled on her shoulder as she remained on the grass, cradling Allie close.

“Let Isaac help you. We’ll get you both inside and warmed up. My other son Carson is a doctor. He’ll be here in just a few minutes to examine her.”

She looked down at Allie. Slowly, she loosened her grip and Isaac took the child from her arms. Jack offered a surprisingly strong hand and pulled her to her feet.

The dog, Maximus, remained near Isaac, his intelligent eyes focused on Allie.

“He knew,” Rebecca said, reaching a hand to the animal and letting him lick her fingers.

“He knew,” Isaac said softly, a different version of the man she’d met in front of the store.

This version was a different kind of threat. His gaze rested on the little girl in his arms, concern shifting his features. Less than thirty minutes ago he had been having a hard time walking out of the local feed store. She tried to take her daughter from his arms.

“I can carry her,” she said, as she reached for Allie.

“You help Jack and I’ll manage,” he said, winking at her.

“But you were just...” She was unsure how she should put this without hurting his feelings.

“I’m fine. The balance issues come and go.”

She didn’t know what to say, but she really didn’t have time to think about it. Allie had begun to cry as the effects of the seizure abated and she came back to herself a bit more.

“Trust me,” he said.

Trust wasn’t easy for Rebecca. Especially where Allie was concerned.

Life had proved to her that there were few people she could trust. There were few individuals she counted on. People had a tendency to let Rebecca and her daughter down.

That was her reality.

She’d come to Hope to create a new reality. She wanted Allie to have family in her life, people she could count on and a community she could grow up in. Since she had to start somewhere, she thought she might as well start by trusting this man.

Chapter Two

Isaac knew that life was all about choices. He’d made the choice to join the army, partly to serve his country and partly because he knew it would make Jack West, his father, madder than anything. He’d made a choice that morning to tease the pretty blonde who had assumed he’d been drinking.

The decision to join the military had changed his life. Forever. It had matured him, scarred him and left him with nightmares he wouldn’t wish on anyone. Accepting the ride from Rebecca Barnes was not going to be one of those life-altering choices. It had only been a ride home, nothing more. As he entered the house carrying the little girl, Allie, he knew better than to fool himself into thinking Rebecca was a woman who wouldn’t change a man’s life. She had a past. It was written all over her face. It was the lack of trust in her eyes. It was the hesitant reply when Jack told her she could trust his son.

It was the little girl in his arms, no bigger than a minute and wearing a dazed look in eyes that matched her mother’s.

She whimpered a bit and Rebecca immediately moved closer, bottom lip between her teeth as she studied her daughter.

“You’re okay,” she said. The words seemed to be as much for herself as for her child.

“I’m going to put her on the couch, and if you want, you can grab the quilt off the rocking chair to cover her.” He smiled down at Allie. “You’re okay. I know it always takes me a minute to get my bearings back when I have a spell.”

Mischief lit the little girl’s eyes. “Like when you got carsick.”

He settled her on the leather sofa. “Grown men do not get carsick.”

“You did,” she said with a teasing tone. “But I won’t tell.”

“How much is it going to cost me?” he said, sitting on the coffee table not too far away from their young patient.

“Hmm,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’ll have to think about that.”

Rebecca appeared at his side, quilt in hand. She smoothed it over her child and then leaned down to kiss Allie’s forehead. “You’re okay?”

“Mom...” the child pleaded. For normalcy, Isaac realized. She didn’t want her health questioned. She wanted to run and play and didn’t want people to watch, waiting for her to have another seizure.

The back door slammed and voices drifted to the living room. Carson had arrived. And with him, Kylie. She’d been a friend to Carson when the two were teens. She’d also been a wounded warrior living on the ranch when Carson returned a little over a year ago.

“That would be my brother, our resident doctor. He’ll take good care of you.” Isaac pushed himself to his feet and gave Rebecca more room to sit with her daughter.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” Allie asked.

Huddled beneath the quilt, the little girl seemed smaller. But her eyes were bright and Isaac knew she’d be just fine. He also knew she needed Carson, not him. He needed to escape, because the last thing he wanted was for her to think he was the guy she should count on.

“I’m afraid I have to go,” he told her. “I’m going to talk my sister-in-law into making me a cup of tea.”

At that moment Kylie entered the room with her husband, Isaac’s half brother. Her gaze darted from the child and her mother to Isaac. Carson took over and Isaac slipped from the room, aware of the mother in a way that he wished he wasn’t. He was conscious of her fear for her daughter, and also that she smelled like something soft and floral. He’d been cognizant of her dislike for him and he’d known when that feeling had shifted just the smallest amount.

And all of that meant he needed to mind his own business and let the others tend to Rebecca and her daughter.

Kylie followed him to the kitchen, a large room that was the center of activity for the ranch house Jack had built ten years ago. The house stood as a testament to Jack’s recovery. He’d conquered his past, overcome alcoholism and turned his life around in a way few people had expected.

Then he’d started Mercy Ranch, a place where wounded warriors could find a safe place to heal and start over. The mission and ministry had started when Jack picked Isaac up at a VA hospital. He’d looked around, seen people a lot like himself and realized he could do something for those having a hard time starting over.

The kitchen was blessedly dark, with just the dim lights over the sink for lighting. The headache appeared to be back in full force and the last thing Isaac wanted was to stand around in the sunny living room with a dozen people all talking at once.

Kylie moved quietly, scooping tea into a cup and setting a kettle on to boil. “The oil is in the cabinet,” she told him.

Her special blend of oils, made for headaches. It wasn’t a cure-all but it helped when nothing else would. He refused to continue taking prescription pain pills. He’d realized early on that genetics were a thing and he had a fear of turning into Jack. Or the man Jack had been, before conquering his addiction.

He poured a few drops of oil in his palm and applied it to his temples as he waited for the cup of tea to steep.

“How’d you find them?” Kylie asked.

“Find them?”

“The girl and her mother?” Kylie slid the tea across the counter to him.

“I was at the feed store, ordering grain, and she offered me a ride home.” He shrugged, as if it hadn’t been a big deal.

Kylie’s eyes widened. “A woman with a little girl gave a random stranger a ride?” She leaned on the counter.

“Something like that,” he offered.

“You’re not that charming,” she said.

“No, I’m not. She thought I’d been drinking and didn’t want me driving.”

Kylie chuckled. “That sounds more like it. And you were only too willing to take her up on the offer, huh?”

Isaac grabbed his cup, tipped his hat at his well-meaning sister-in-law and decided it was time to find a dark corner.

“I never took you for a coward,” she called out to his retreating back.

“I never said otherwise,” he called back to her without turning.

He pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket. With the shades in place, he headed out the back door and in the direction of the old farmhouse that Jack had remodeled for the men who called Mercy Ranch home.

The cool November air revived him a bit as he crossed the wide expanse of lawn in the direction of the two-story house that had been Jack’s when Isaac first came to live here. Or more accurately, when his mother had dumped him here at the ranch. She’d told Jack that his son was getting difficult and she’d done her time as parent.

Done her time. As if parenting had been a prison for her.

In a way, he guessed it had. She’d had to occasionally think of someone other than herself. Which meant she’d kept a supply of soup in the cabinets and he’d fended for himself while she’d been off partying with friends.

In the beginning, life with Jack hadn’t been much better. Isaac had been a rebellious preteen. Jack had been a raging, heavy on the rage, alcoholic.

Isaac sipped his tea as he walked, inhaling the bitter brew that tasted as bad as it smelled. As long as it helped the headache, he didn’t mind.

Ted, the Australian shepherd he’d brought home more than a dozen years ago, met him as he approached the house. The dog had slowed down a bit. Old age and a bad run-in with a car on the road had left the dog as gimpy as some of the men who lived at Mercy Ranch. But Ted was loyal and just about the best company Isaac knew of. As he climbed the back porch steps, he settled his hand on the dog’s dark gray head.

“They’re right about dogs being man’s best friend, Ted. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” He’d gotten the dog during his rougher-than-a-dirt-road teen years. The animal had been waiting for him when he returned from Afghanistan, wounded and angry.

“I guess that means I’m not your best friend?” Joe Lawson, another resident of the ranch, called out from the kitchen.

“You’re a friend,” Isaac responded. “But you’re kind of worthless at arm wrestling and not much of a right-hand man.”

“I never get tired of that joke,” Joe grumbled, doing a decent job of fixing a pot of coffee with his left hand. He’d lost his right arm when an IED exploded in Kabul.

“I never get tired of saying it,” Isaac responded. It was the same joke and the same comeback every day. Routine. They lived for routine.

They all had their stories. They didn’t share much of their past or even much about what had brought them to Mercy Ranch. People called them wounded warriors but they were survivors.

“Going to bed?” Joe called out as Isaac headed for the stairs.

“Yeah.”

“Bad?” the other man asked.

“Not the worst, but I’d like to head it off at the pass.”

Joe came out from behind the counter, wiping his hand on the apron that hung from his neck. Joe found therapy in cooking.

“Eve said a woman brought you home. Her little girl had a seizure.”

If there’d been a list of things, that subject would have come under the heading Last Thing in the World Isaac Wants to Discuss. But Joe knew that. And Joe didn’t care.

“I’m going to my room. Make sure no one knocks on my door.”

“Gotcha.”

He pretended he didn’t hear Joe’s laughter following him up the stairs.

* * *

“She’s fine,” Dr. Carson West assured Rebecca as he sat back in the chair he’d pulled close to the sofa.

He winked at her daughter, who had his stethoscope in her ears, listening to her own heartbeat.

Of course Allie was fine. Rebecca drew in a deep breath at his reassurance. No matter how often this happened and how many times she heard that everything would be okay, it didn’t get any easier. As a mother, she wanted to fix everything for her child. She wanted to take away the seizures, the fear, all of it.

“Has she always had them?” he asked, turning to face Rebecca.

“Five years.”

“She could outgrow this,” he offered.

“We hope she does. They’ve been happening less frequently.”

“Only twice this year.” Allie sat up a little, pulling the stethoscope from around her neck and holding it out to Carson.

“How does it sound?” he asked.

“Like normal.” Allie leaned back into the pillow and pulled the quilt up around her shoulders. “Where did Isaac go?”

Carson placed the stethoscope in his doctor bag. “He probably went to his room. When he has a headache, he’s kind of a bear to be around.”

“He carried me inside,” Allie informed him. “He seemed nice. Even if my mom did think he had been—”

“That’s enough,” Rebecca held up a hand to cut her daughter off.

“I wouldn’t suggest a long trip anytime soon,” Carson said as he returned to the topic of Allie’s health. “Let her rest up, and if you’re staying in town, I’d like to see her in a couple of days.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Jack cleared his throat. “Where are you staying, Rebecca?”

She avoided his clear gray eyes, the eyes of a concerned parent. Why did that come to mind? And why did it bother her so much? She’d ceased missing her parents. She’d given up on any type of normal relationship with them. The last time she’d called her father, Pastor Don Barnes, he’d told her he didn’t have a daughter.

Who was she kidding? His comment had hurt. It had opened up the wounds she’d buried at eighteen when he’d disowned her. It had ached deep down because he didn’t want to meet his granddaughter.

And yet here she was, in Oklahoma and a short drive from where she’d grown up. Because even if family wanted nothing to do with her, she wanted to know they were nearby. If something happened, she wanted to know they had someone close.

She’d come to Hope to talk to Jack about the business opportunity he’d advertised nationally. Jack West was offering people free rent if they would commit to keeping their business in Hope, Oklahoma, for one year. But first he had to approve the business and the business plan.

“I thought we would have our meeting, and then I would drive to Tulsa and stay with a friend.”

“We can discuss where you’ll stay while we’re going over your business plan,” Jack continued. “We may need a few days to look over your business and I’m afraid the hotel in town is booked up. There’s a festival in Grove and the entire area is overrun with visitors. Which we aren’t going to complain about.”

“I’ll find us a place.” She smiled, looking over at Allie.

Jack’s attention slid to the girl and he winked at her. “I think you all should stay right here on the ranch.”

“We couldn’t,” Rebecca replied. Allie loved animals and anything country. But they couldn’t stay here.

“I don’t see why not,” Jack continued. “You have a briefcase that I’m sure contains a business plan. And I have a shop looking for a new owner. The only way I can connect you to that shop is if I have an opportunity to look at what you have in mind. If you need an opinion other than mine, that you need to stay put for a while, I think Carson has already given it.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity,” she told him.

“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” Jack said softly. “If staying here makes you feel uncomfortable I’m sure we can find somewhere else for you to stay.”

She had to be a grown-up about this.

The dog, Maximus, pushed his golden head against her leg. She stroked the soft fur and found courage. But hadn’t she been drawing on that same courage for the past year? The death of her aunt had been a difficult blow.

It had taken courage to sell their salon and leave Arizona. It had taken more courage to return to Oklahoma, where she knew she’d meet her past head-on.

For Allie’s sake she needed to make this work. For Allie she would do whatever it took. With that in mind she lifted her gaze to find Jack West watching her, his expression kind. She nodded, accepting the offer. “We’ll stay.”

Allie let out a weak shout and the dog quickly returned to her side, snuggling against her, his head resting on her shoulder. She ran a hand down his back and the dog pushed even closer.

“But we don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Rebecca added.

Jack waved off her concerns. “We have plenty of space. There’s a nice couple of rooms in the women’s dorm.”

Kylie West came in the room and laughed. “‘Women’s dorm’ is a fancy way of saying that there’s a garage that’s been remodeled and turned into apartments.”

“Nice apartments,” Jack countered.

Kylie inclined her head. “I’ll agree with that. I lived in one of those apartments for several years.”

“You don’t live here?” Rebecca asked.

“Carson and I built a house just down the road.” Kylie pulled a chair close to Rebecca’s. “There are a dozen people living on this ranch, plus family. I promise you won’t be an imposition. And it looks like Maximus is begging your little girl to stick around.”

“Thank you,” she said to Jack. “I really do appreciate this. And thank you, Dr. West, for coming over here.”

“Please, call me Carson. And if you have luggage, I’ll help get you moved to your rooms.”

Jack’s head jerked a bit as he nodded, but his smile remained bright. “And if Kylie doesn’t mind, she can take you on out to the garage and introduce you to the other ladies.”

Moments later, Kylie led Rebecca and Allie out the back door of the ranch house and across the lawn to a garage turned living quarters for the three women who lived on the ranch. There was nothing garage-like about the structure, Rebecca realized. The garage doors had been removed and the building included a covered patio.

Inside, it appeared that Jack West had designed the building with a purpose. The doors were wide, for wheelchairs, the floors were hardwood, the furniture sparse with plenty of room for easy access to the living areas and kitchen.

For the next few days they would call this place home. Allie had already hurried to the windows that overlooked stables and fields. Rebecca sighed because she knew that in three days it would be difficult to tear her daughter away from Mercy Ranch.

And it wasn’t just the ranch that would make Allie want to stay, it was the people. Especially a slightly off-balance cowboy with an easy smile and gray eyes that hinted at pain.

Chapter Three

Isaac ran a brush down the horse’s side as Ted, the Australian shepherd, snoozed on a bale of hay. Shorty stomped when the brush hit a ticklish spot. Isaac moved the brush to the animal’s back. He didn’t normally get distracted when taking care of livestock. Clearly, he knew better than to daydream while working with a horse. Even a horse like Shorty that he’d spent a good amount of time with. In the business world, Shorty would have been his partner. They’d moved a lot of cattle together, he and Shorty. They’d spent long days riding fences, doing repairs, and they’d even won a few events in cutting horse competitions.

But he was distracted. Because he’d woken up this morning to the memory of Rebecca Barnes and her daughter. He’d actually smiled as he made his morning eggs and toast. Because she’d been unexpected and had a streak of courage that he guessed most people overlooked.

Some would have called it foolishness, to approach a stranger, ask for his keys and then offer him a ride home. If he ever saw her again he’d warn her not to do that. She was fortunate that he really was just a guy needing a ride home.

If Jack gave her a building, Isaac guessed he would be seeing her again. She’d be in town, maybe around the ranch. They would be in one another’s lives.

“Is the horse ticklish?” a small voice asked from behind him.

He nearly jumped out of his skin. A grown man wouldn’t want to admit that to just anyone, but considering that whoever had said it giggled at his reaction, he wouldn’t stand a chance at denying. Doing his best to appear composed and tamping down the grin that tugged at his mouth, he faced the girl, who stood inside an empty stall, a scrawny, gray tabby kitten in her hands.

“Yep, horses are ticklish.” He pushed his hat back to get a better look at her. “You feeling up to snuff today?”

“I don’t know what that means, but I think it means I’m good. I always am. After.” Her lips drew in as she contemplated him. “Are you up to snuff?”

He laughed. “Yeah, I am.”

“Your dad says you sleep off the headaches. Does that help?”

She had a lot of questions for a little girl. The questions were bigger than she was, but he guessed with her seizures she had a maturity most nine-year-olds didn’t possess.

“Yeah, it helps. I drink tea and I sleep. Usually when I wake up I’m better.”

“Is it because of the scar on your head?”

There was no easy way to dodge these questions and no telling when she’d stop asking them.

“Yes, it’s because of the scar.”

“I don’t have any scars. My mom says sometimes kids just have seizures. And I might outgrow it.”

“That would be good.”

“Will you outgrow your headaches?” she asked, completely serious.

“I might. Does your mom know you’re out here?”

She shook her head and held tight to the kitten, which decided it might be time to make a break for it. “Did I ask too many questions? My mom says I’m nosy. I don’t think I am. I just like to know stuff, and you can’t know if you don’t ask.”

“I guess you have a good point.” He gestured at the tabby, which had started to yowl. “You might want to let that kitten go before you get scratched,” he warned.

The kitten jumped free and scampered sideways out of the stall, hissing as it ran for cover at the other end of the stable. Allie stepped out in turn and watched it make its escape.

“I was going to name him Stripe.” She let out a big sigh.

“I’m sure he won’t mind a name.”

She frowned. “Yeah, but now he’s gone. I’ve never had a cat before. We couldn’t have pets at our apartment in Arizona.”

He beat down the desire to ask his own questions. Questions were dangerous. Because they resulted in answers and that meant knowing a little too much about people.

The young person standing in front of him seemed to be making a valiant attempt to fight tears. If she hadn’t looked sad he wouldn’t have handed her the horse brush. As much as he didn’t consider himself to be a kid person, he’d kind of grown fond of smaller humans since Carson had shown up with his two. Maggie and Andy were as cute as two kids could be. This one seemed the same. She was smart and funny, and when a tear trickled down her cheek she dashed it away with an aggravated flick of a finger.

“How about brushing Shorty for me?” he offered.

She looked at the brush and looked at the sixteen-hand Quarter Horse. She didn’t seem quite as sure of herself as she had when she first peeked up over the stall door.

“So where’s your mom?” he asked as he grabbed a step stool and lifted her to stand on it. She looked unsure, so he guided her hand to brush the horse’s neck.

As she brushed Shorty, Isaac glanced toward the double-door entrance to the stable. No sign of anyone looking for a runaway kid.

“She’s meeting with Mr. West. That’s your dad,” she informed him.

He chuckled and she kept brushing.

“Did you stay in town last night?” he asked. He hated that he was so curious. But there was something about Rebecca Barnes. She was a mix of strength and sweetness, and then there was that slightly wounded and not-so-trusting glint in her eye.

Someone had hurt her. Maybe more than one someone.

He shook off the questions that he considered asking the little girl, who was busy brushing his horse, talking to it as if they were sharing their best-kept secrets.

“Nope.” Allie handed him the brush. “We stayed here.”

“Here?”

She gave him a curious look. “Are you going to be sick again?”

“I wasn’t sick,” he insisted. “And no, I’m not. I’m just surprised. I didn’t know you stayed here.”

“Because you were sleeping,” she said, sounding matter-of-fact. “We had dinner with Jack. He told us Maria made the casserole. It was better than anything my mom can cook. She burns stuff. She says it’s because she’s distracted.”

“She wouldn’t want you telling everyone that she can’t cook,” he warned.

“You’re not everyone. Anyway, we stayed here. In the garage. It’s a nice garage with no cars in it, so I don’t know why it’s called a garage.”

They’d stayed on the ranch. The thought unsettled him.

How much could he or should he ask without seeming too curious? He felt like a sixteen-year-old with a crush on the new girl. That wasn’t happening. No way. No how.

“Hey!” A shout from the front of the stable caught his attention.

“Hey back,” he returned.

Eve, a resident of the ranch, glared at him, then managed to soften her expression as she approached. Smile or no, she didn’t appear to be too happy, and it seemed his pint-size stable hand might be the reason.

“You ran off.” Eve pointed at the girl. “And you didn’t ask permission or tell me where you were going. That really isn’t very nice.”

“Eve,” he warned.

If there was another person on the ranch not naturally kid friendly, it was Eve. She’d come around by degrees as she’d gotten attached to Carson’s children. But she would be the first to admit that she didn’t have a lot of experience with children. She’d been an only child to what she referred to as her “hippy parents.”

He wanted to laugh, because somehow she always got stuck babysitting.

“Do I look like a day-care provider?” she asked him.

“You seemed to do a pretty good job,” Isaac teased. “Except you have a tendency to lose children. That can’t be good.”

“I wanted to see the horses,” Allie explained. “I should have told you, but I thought you’d say no.”

Eve maneuvered her chair around the horse, giving the animal a less-than-trusting glance. Shorty didn’t even twitch.

“What if something had happened?” Eve asked the little girl.

Allie’s shoulders hunkered forward and she sighed. “I didn’t think about that. I just wanted to see the animals. Did you know there’s a llama?”

Eve melted. She could act tough but on the inside she was a marshmallow. “Yeah, I know there’s a llama. Do me a favor—next time ask. And if you’re going to wander, take Maximus. Now we need to head back to the house. Your mom will be finished talking with Jack and she’ll be looking for you.”

“Do we have time to see the llama?” Allie moved close to Eve’s chair and leaned on the armrest.

“I think so. But I don’t do well in the dirt out there, so Isaac will have to take you.” Eve shot him a look.

He glared back, the way he would have done if he’d had a little sister that pestered him. He did have a little sister, a half sister named Daisy. But since they’d never met, he didn’t know if she was a pest.

“I’m kind of busy.”

Eve smirked. “Doing what?”

He glanced down at Allie. “Work.”

“What work would that be?” Eve continued.

“Believe it or not, Eve, ranch work is real work. There are fences to fix, cattle to work, horses we’re training.”

She saluted. “Gotcha, Sarge.”

He held a hand out to the child at his side. “Even a spitting llama is better than a stubborn female.”

As he walked away, Allie’s hand in his, Eve called out, “When you get done, could you take her to the house? I have to get some work done.”

“No problem,” he called back to her.

Allie was silent for a minute. “Isn’t she your friend?”

He glanced down at the blond-haired child. “She is my friend.”

“Did you date and get mad at each other?”

“No, we just like to tease. She knows how to...” He cut off the explanation because a kid wouldn’t understand Eve getting under his skin the way she did. “We just like to give each other a hard time. But no, we haven’t dated. We’re just friends.”

Neither of them dated. It was the code on the ranch. This was a place for healing, for getting lives back in order. Relationships were unnecessary baggage for people dealing with physical and emotional problems they’d brought back from war.

The last thing he needed was to drag a woman into his messed-up life. He remembered all too well what it had been like living on this ranch with Jack, back when he was still fighting the nightmares of Vietnam. He remembered Jack climbing into the bottle and not climbing out for weeks, the ranch crumbling around his ears and livestock begging to be fed.

He wasn’t Jack, but he feared the what-ifs.

What if he became Jack? What if he hurt a woman and children the way Jack had hurt his wife and kids?

Nah, it wasn’t worth that kind of guilt. And fortunately there’d never been a woman who had made him consider getting serious.

* * *

The room Jack West used as an office was on a back corner of the sprawling log home. Massive windows offered a view of the wide-open fields belonging to the ranch. One wall of the room was lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The shelves were filled with books and family pictures, as well as trophies the ranch had won at different rodeo events in the tristate area. Tristate meaning Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.

Jack had explained it all at the beginning of the meeting. He’d shared personal details that had been uncomfortable to hear. Stories of his wife, his children, his road to recovery and, now, today, trying to forge a relationship with his estranged, adult children.

So far Carson was the only one of the three who had agreed to meet with him. Isaac was not a full brother to Carson and his siblings, Colt and Daisy.

“I’d love to show you the building I have available,” Jack told Rebecca. “I think a salon with the potential to expand to a day spa is a terrific idea. I could see how it would benefit the resort we’re renovating. Now I admit, I’m concerned with your ability to bring in local traffic.”

“I think you might be surprised,” she countered. “Also, we could advertise in nearby communities, like Grove. If people want to get away for the day, go to a top-notch salon, perhaps eat at the tearoom you say is going to be opening in the spring, then why not come to Hope?”

“Why not come to Hope?” He grinned at that. “Good point. We should use that in advertising to local communities.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his approval. Goodness, she had to stop needing this man’s approval and she had to stop basking in his praise. He wasn’t her father. And if he learned about her past, he might not be as easygoing as he appeared.

“Yes, why not come to Hope?” Rebecca repeated.

Jack gave her a long look. “Why did you come to Hope, Rebecca?”

The question took her by surprise. What should she tell him? She had a feeling he would find out her secrets somehow, some way.

“My parents live in Grove. After my aunt passed away last year, I realized Allie and I were adrift in Arizona with no support system. I had friends, but they were busy with their own lives. I decided to move closer to home and I saw your advertisement. My parents...” They wanted nothing to do with her or with Allie. But that didn’t matter. If something happened to Rebecca, her parents would be there for Allie. She had to believe that. After all, she was their only child. Allie their only grandchild.

“Rebecca?”

She shook her head at the question. “I’m sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“If you ever want to talk...” he offered. And then he grinned. “If you ever want to talk, Kylie is a good listener. I give too much advice and have too many opinions. Or at least that’s what the folks hereabouts like to say.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She glanced out the window, gathering thoughts that continued to go astray.

Thoughts that could get a woman in trouble. Thoughts of a cowboy with steel-gray eyes and a smile that flashed often and with a ton of mischievous charm. He’d disappeared yesterday after Allie’s seizure and she hadn’t seen him since. Not even when several of the ranch residents had gathered for dinner in the big dining room that connected to the kitchen.

No one had mentioned him. No one said anything about checking on him to make sure he was okay. Not that it mattered to her.

Her focus needed to stay on taking care of Allie and providing for them as best she could. She was a single mom with only herself to rely on. And now, strangely, she seemed to have a friend in Jack West. With that in mind, she had to do her best. She had to make a success of this salon.

Another quick glance out the window and the object of her thoughts appeared. And next to him, her daughter. They were standing at the fence, and Allie had climbed the bottom rail to stand next to him, her hand reaching for the white-and-black animal.

Rebecca stood. “I should go get Allie. I didn’t mean to impose on Eve. And now it seems Isaac has taken over babysitting duty.”

She diverted her attention back to Jack, who remained sitting in his deeply cushioned office chair. He, too, had spotted Isaac and Allie, but didn’t look concerned.

“She might have had to get some work done,” he said of Eve, who had been a longtime resident of the ranch. “I’m afraid I hadn’t planned on our meeting taking quite this long. And I apologize to you for that. Why don’t you head on out there and make sure things are okay? Later we’ll drive to town and take a look at the building. I’d like for you to see it in person and then we can compare your design ideas to the actual structure. If you like it, it’s all yours.”

“Thank you, Mr. West.”

“Jack.” He smiled as he corrected her.

“Thank you, Jack.”

A moment later she was cutting across the lawn in the direction of the small enclosure where her daughter remained next to Isaac, her hand reaching for the llama, which seemed less interested in the grass in Allie’s hand and more interested in the man next to her.

The llama must be female. He probably charmed all females, young children, animals. Not Rebecca, of course. She couldn’t be charmed. She had no desire to be charmed. Ever again. Because charming men usually had an agenda and it usually ended with her being hurt.

“Hey,” Rebecca called out. Allie glanced her way. Isaac continued to stare straight ahead. Ignoring her, of course.

The phone in her back pocket buzzed. She wanted to ignore it, but pulled it from her pocket and answered.

“Rebecca Barnes?” The voice wasn’t a familiar one. It had been years, but her first thought was that something had happened to her parents.

“This is she.”

“My name is Jared Owens. I’m a parole officer out of Springfield, Missouri.”

Her heart dropped. This call could go only one way. It would bring back the past. It would bring back the guilt and the pain.

“Okay.” She focused on Allie, who had turned around to watch her. Rebecca waved and smiled, as if the call hadn’t left her cold inside.

“Miss Barnes, Greg Baxter was released from prison one month ago. He’s missed two appointments with me and I have reason to believe he might be in Oklahoma.”

“How did you get my number?” She hadn’t been in contact with Greg in years. Not since he robbed a store, shortly after she’d realized she was pregnant with Allie. She’d been eighteen at the time and Greg had been a mistake. Her attention remained on Allie, who was definitely not a mistake. She was something beautiful from something so ugly and hurtful. Her daughter.

“Your mother gave me your number,” he continued. “Miss Barnes, we have reason to believe that Greg will try to locate you and his daughter.”

“No.” The one word emerged from deep within. “He can’t see her.”

“I understand that. I agree that he should not be in your lives. I want you to understand that there is a warrant out for his arrest. He violated the conditions of his parole and it’s our intention to bring him back to the state of Missouri. This is a courtesy call because I wouldn’t want you to be taken by surprise should he try to contact you.”

“Thank you. I do appreciate that.”

“Miss Barnes, if he does contact you, please phone us. I’ll give you my direct line.”

“I’ll put it in my phone.” She managed to minimize the screen and switch to Contacts. With fingers that felt cold and clumsy she entered the name and number. The call ended. Her world shifted precariously as she considered what it meant to her life, to Allie’s life, that Greg Baxter had been released. She drew in a deep breath and then exhaled. She wouldn’t let him take anything else from her.

Over the years people had told her to have faith, to realize God had a plan. She’d been unable to find faith since the day her dad had told her that Allie’s seizures were a direct result of Rebecca’s sins.

“Mom?” Allie called out, her happy grin faltering.

Rebecca hurried forward, plastering a smile on her face and avoiding eye contact with the man who studied her with a knowing expression.

“We were meeting Mama Llama,” he finally said.

She had to look at him, had to pretend that everything was just fine. Had to prove she wasn’t shaking inside, threatened by the past and the memories.

“Mama Llama doesn’t appear to like you very much,” Rebecca said, pointing to the animal, which had drawn back and bared its teeth at Isaac.

“Yeah, females sometimes take an instant dislike to me. I can’t imagine why.”

“He let me brush his horse,” Allie chimed in. It seemed not all females disliked the cowboy.

“That must have been fun. And where is Eve?”

Allie shot Isaac a worried look and Rebecca pretended not to notice his wink.

“She had to get some work done,” he explained.

Not only had he charmed her daughter, now he was aiding and abetting her. Rebecca pinned him with a look, and like her daughter, he squirmed a little with guilt.

“And she brought Allie to you?”

Allie groaned. “I might have sneaked off while she was on the phone. I saw the horses.”

“Telling the truth,” Isaac said. “Always good for the soul.”

Rebecca held out a hand to her daughter. “We’re going to town for lunch and then we will meet Mr. West at the shop. Isaac, thank you.”

He pushed against the llama as it reached across the fence to nip at his sleeve. The animal came back and grabbed his hat. Allie laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks, and the tension inside Rebecca eased.

Isaac pointed at Rebecca. “Was that a giggle, Ms. Barnes?”

“I’m an adult. I don’t giggle.” Rebecca smiled as he pushed his hat, tooth marks and all, back on his head.

“It most definitely was a giggle. And for that, I’m buying lunch.”

Rebecca tried to object. She seriously wanted to tell him he couldn’t. But before she could respond, Allie had jumped down off the railing, a huge grin on her face, obviously thrilled with the idea.

So she accepted. For Allie’s sake. Nothing else.

Chapter Four

It didn’t take a genius to see that Rebecca Barnes had secrets, and she guarded them as carefully as she did her daughter. Isaac liked that about her, even if it made it difficult to get to know her. Of course, he probably wasn’t the easiest guy in the world to get to know.

He had his own closely guarded secrets and memories. He had plenty of things he didn’t talk about.

As he contemplated her across the table from him, he thought about telling her he understood. He doubted this was the right time. Allie had been questioning her nonstop about Christmas. Once she’d mentioned grandparents, Rebecca had shot her a quick look to quiet her. Jack had noticed, as well as Kylie and Jack.

The five of them were having lunch at Mattie’s Café in town. The proprietor, Holly Jones, had just made it around to their table, passing out samples of a new dessert she’d just invented.

“We need Christmas trees,” Kylie mentioned casually, as she took a bite of the dessert. Her face puckered up and she blinked a few times.

Isaac laughed and Allie hid a giggle behind her hand. He winked at the little girl and they waited as Kylie tried to get her face straight again, smiling across the café at Holly.

“You know she can’t bake a cake,” Isaac whispered. “Didn’t you notice, I put all of mine on Rebecca’s plate?”

Rebecca glanced down at it and her mouth dropped.

Isaac took his sister-in-law’s plate and scraped the remaining cake onto Allie’s. “Holly can’t bake. She thinks she can. She watches those reality cooking shows where they make them put together horrible concoctions like salmon and chocolate. For some reason she probably thought anchovies would make a great dessert. A little lemon, some fish, a dash of poppy seeds.”

“I heard that, Isaac West,” Holly called out from across the room. “You’re a horrible person.”

“Holly Jones, you’re going to jail for trying to poison the good citizens of Hope. There’s no hope for your cakes.”

Allie dissolved in giggles and even Rebecca forgot herself and laughed. Isaac caught himself staring at her. She glowed when she laughed. Her eyes lit up and her smile changed the casual beauty of her face into something extraordinary. If he lived to be one hundred, he would never forget that smile. Kylie elbowed him and he gulped and reached for water. Holly was crossing the room, her brown hair framing her elfin face. Her green eyes flashed with fire. She picked up the plate of cake and placed it in front of Isaac.

“I apologize, Kylie, your lunch is on me. You mistakenly got the cake I intended for Isaac.”

All around them chuckles and laughter filled the café as people realized the joke had been on Isaac. Rebecca took a bite of her cake and smiled at him. “Mmm, delicious,” she said.

“Holly, that just isn’t Christian of you,” Isaac said as he scooped up a bite of the cake he’d put in front of Rebecca. “This is actually edible. It really is lemon. And no anchovies.”

“Fool. It’s lemon and raspberry. I’m tired of you complaining about my inventions.”

“Well, some of them just aren’t that good,” Isaac told her.

She wrinkled her nose at him, and then smiled at Allie. “I bet you’ll be starting school here, won’t you?”

Allie nodded. “Next week.”

“You’ll make a lot of very good friends. There are quite a few about your age in my Sunday school class. We’re getting ready to start practicing for our Christmas play.” She picked up an empty plate as she spoke. “I have to get back to work. You all have a good weekend. See you at church Sunday.”

“Yeah, and I’ll pray for you,” Isaac called out to her retreating back.

“You do that, Isaac.”

“We don’t go to church,” Allie said, to no one in particular. But Isaac noticed Rebecca’s cheeks go slightly pink at her daughter’s revelation.

“How about those Christmas trees,” he interjected. “I love a big old Christmas tree. Especially cedar.”

“Because you know I’m allergic,” Jack grumbled. “We can pick up live trees at the feed store. They’re in pots and we can plant them after Christmas.”

“But we’ll put the artificial tree in the main house,” Kylie added. “The trees at the feed store are pretty, but they’re never large enough for the living area.”

Isaac agreed, but his gaze slid to the woman sitting across from him. Rebecca had a lost look on her face. It had started with the topic of church and hadn’t gotten better when they’d switched to talking about Christmas trees.

She had stories, a troubled past. Right now she had a softness about her that hinted at tears. Not his problem.

He usually stuck to that motto, but Rebecca changed things. Because she didn’t seek attention. She didn’t put her pain out there for everyone to take a look at. She was private, strong and hurting.

He respected that.

He also liked her daughter, and he couldn’t get that sad little voice out of his head when she’d said she didn’t go to church. He remembered being about her age listening to other people talk about the things they did as families, things he never understood. Going to church together was one of the biggies. But there had been other things, like family dinners, trips to the lake, playing ball. A kid shouldn’t have to yearn for the things that childhood seemed to guarantee.

With that in mind he spoke up. “About that Christmas program?” he said to Allie.

The little girl lit up and her mother’s eyes narrowed. “I bet you’d love to be a part of it, wouldn’t you?” he asked Allie. “If your mom doesn’t mind. Every child gets a part and even if something goes wrong, it’s still the best thing ever.”

“I don’t think so,” Rebecca said.

At the same time Allie asked, “Do you think I could?”

Rebecca mouthed the word don’t silently.

He got the message loud and clear.

Someone in church had hurt her. If he had to guess, it probably had something to do with Allie.

Jack got to his feet, steadier today. “We should get on the road. Rebecca is going to make a list of materials she’d like to purchase for the shop. Isaac, you should see to those Christmas trees.”

Isaac grabbed the bill Holly had left on the table. “I’ll do that, but I’d prefer to wait until Allie can go with me. I have a feeling she’s a Christmas tree expert.”

Just like he was an expert at getting involved where he shouldn’t. Allie didn’t remind him of a child in Afghanistan, a little girl with dark hair and pleading eyes. He’d seen her look his way. And then she’d been engulfed by the explosion, the smoke, the violence. Her story never made it to the news. No one thought about her or the tragedy of a young life lost. He remembered. His friends remembered. The image had stayed with them. There were times late at night that he’d get a text from one of the men he’d been stationed with, asking if he still had nightmares.

He did.

“Isaac.” Jack’s voice caught him mid-thought. A hand on his arm brought him back to the present and he managed to breathe, to clear his head. He swiped an arm across his forehead and walked off, still holding the bill for their lunch.

He heard Holly say something like “don’t worry about it, it’s on the house.” Jack told her to take the money. Conversation buzzed around him as he walked out of the café, the door closing behind him, cutting him off from the buzz of curious voices.

As he walked down the sidewalk, a headache started. Throbbing pain began at his temple and radiated down to his ear and above his eye. He leaned against the building, closing his eyes as he drew in fresh air.

“Breathe,” a low voice told him. He’d expected it to be Kylie. It wasn’t, though. He was surprised to hear Rebecca’s soft alto.

“Easier said than done.” He opened his eyes, but squinted against the sun. He pulled sunglasses out of his pocket and slid them on.

She stood next to him, shoulder to shoulder. She was a surprise. First, he’d expected her to walk on, or to take the same stand she’d taken on Monday when she’d offered him a ride.

Instead, she remained next to him.

He matched his breathing to hers until his thoughts became rational once more. The sky was blue. A cool north wind brought the fragrant hint of fall turning to winter. The town maintenance crew was working from bucket trucks, hanging lights from poles.

His world was far removed from the terrors of Afghanistan. And yet he thought of all the children living in that country, listening at night for the sound of gunfire or bombs, wondering when a neighbor would be revealed as an enemy.

“Better?” she asked.

“Yeah, thanks.”

She stepped away from the side of the building. “We all have our pasts to deal with. Things that might not be frightening to one person can be a nightmare to another.”

“Church?” he asked, as she started to walk away.

Without looking back, she nodded. And he let her go, watching as she returned to her daughter. Allie grabbed her hand, said something that brought a frown to Rebecca’s face, then they moved on.

He would follow. Soon.

* * *

The future home of the Hope Lakeside Salon was on a corner of Lakeside Drive just a block from Mattie’s Café. The street was lined with brick-and-wood-sided buildings. The structure was two stories. Downstairs would house the salon, while the upstairs rooms were being remodeled to rent by the night.

Rebecca found herself overwhelmed and excited as she looked around. The building had been renovated, the walls painted ivory, leaving whoever started a business there to choose their own colors. There were several rooms, including a large main one that might have once been a store. A door led to a hallway and several smaller ones that would make treatment rooms as she expanded her business to include a day spa, offering facials and massages.

“This was a dry goods store when I was a kid growing up in town,” Jack told her. “My mom would bring me here to buy shoes. She would buy cloth for sewing.”

“Those are good memories,” Rebecca agreed.

She had memories, too. Of gardening with her mother, helping her father clean the church. But senior year of high school everything had changed. She’d met Greg. And she’d learned that her father preached forgiveness to his congregation, but his daughter was exempt from his mercy.

The bell over the shop’s door chimed. Isaac entered, looking more himself. He pushed his hat back and glanced around the bright, clean room.

“Will this building have the water you need for a salon?” he asked.

“I’ll see that it does,” Jack responded. He headed to the back corner of the room. “There’s a restroom behind here, with water pipes. We’ll have to run lines along this inside wall.”

“I’m hoping to have four stations, for four stylists. I know that sounds ambitious,” Rebecca said.

Isaac glanced around the store. The front had floor-to-ceiling windows, with an area to the right of the door where hair product displays might be located. The other exterior wall had two large windows that overlooked the lake, a short distance away.

“I think it’s good to be ambitious,” Jack told her. “I’ll have them install five. Why not dream big. And what else will you have in this front area?”

“I think a couple of stations for manicures and pedicures, and possibly a small boutique in the back corner. Of course, it’s going to happen in stages. I have the money to get the salon started. I’ll need chairs, sinks, equipment.”

“This is why I picked you, Rebecca.” Jack sat on a folding chair in the corner. “I like that you’re ambitious, but you know how to take things in stages.”

She stood in the center of the room, picturing it all in her mind. Her dream. She wanted this, for herself and for her daughter. They would have stability here. They might still be two against the world, but the world around them would be smaller and they would at least feel less alone.

She didn’t allow herself to think about having people to depend on. She’d believed she had that in Arizona and she’d been fooled. She’d made the disastrous choice to trust Robert Larkin as a business partner. She’d never expected the longtime friend of her aunt to embezzle money from the salon and disappear. His crime had become her failure. This time she wouldn’t lose. She wouldn’t let herself or Allie down.

“You okay?” Isaac asked. He hadn’t sneaked up on her and yet his presence at her side took her by surprise. She smiled at him, noticing again the scar that zigzagged along his cheek and ended somewhere beneath the black cowboy hat.

“I’m good. Just daydreaming.”

“Was it a nightmare? You looked pretty intense.” He said it with a teasing grin that revealed a dimple in his right cheek.

“No, just a thought,” she said as she walked away. His hand caught hold of her arm.

Still grasping her arm, he stepped in front of her. His carefree look had disappeared and those steel-gray eyes held her captive. She watched the slow flick of dark lashes over them, and drew in a breath.

“Since we’re going to be around each other, you might need to know that I’m deaf in my left ear. I don’t want you to think I’m walking off without answering you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“And that’s why I’m telling you.” He removed his hand from her arm, slowly, as if just realizing he’d had ahold of her. As if he didn’t want to let go.

Something crazy was happening. It felt as if she was in a vortex, spinning ever so slowly, and he was in the middle of it with her. Looking into his eyes, she couldn’t catch her breath. He felt it, too. He had to. The intensity of his gaze as he searched her face made it clear. She had to swim her way to the surface and break free.

“I need to go,” she said. And then she glanced beyond him. “Allie!”

She pushed past him and ran to her daughter, catching her just as she fell. She should have been paying attention. She should have seen the distress in her daughter’s eyes. With trembling hands Rebecca eased Allie onto her side as the seizure shook her small body.

Isaac knelt next to her. “Jack is calling Carson,” he whispered.

“I don’t know why this is happening.” She shook her head. “That isn’t true, I do know. It’s the move. She had to leave her home, her school, her friends...”

“Don’t blame yourself. You made the move because you thought in the long run it would be the best thing for her.”

“Right. I thought my parents would...”

“What?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

Jack appeared, his eyes full of concern as he studied her now-silent daughter.

“Carson said to bring her to his office so he can do a thorough examination.”

Rebecca nodded and started to reach for her Allie. Isaac gently pushed her aside and lifted her daughter with care, holding her close. The tender look in his eyes almost undid Rebecca’s composure. It wasn’t fair that her child had to deal with this pain, with this illness.

As much as Rebecca knew it wasn’t her fault, her father’s words of accusation still taunted her, telling her that Allie suffered for her mother’s sins.

“She’s going to be okay,” Isaac assured her as they headed for the door.

She nodded, unable to speak for fear tears would begin to fall and never stop. She’d been alone for so long. Her aunt had been ill for several years before her death. And afterward it had been easier to make it just her and Allie against the world.

After only a day in Hope, she was beginning to see how wrong she’d been. They did need people in their lives. They needed more than the safety net of knowing her parents were nearby.

She didn’t need Isaac West, she just needed people. Maybe that would be her reason for staying in Hope. She and Allie would no longer be alone. They would have a community that surrounded them and cared for them.

But for some reason, that thought made her feel all the more lonely.

Chapter Five

Monday morning, a full week after her arrival in Hope, Rebecca sat in a chair in the center of what would soon be her salon. She’d dropped Allie off at school, made a stop at the feed store, where she’d found a good selection of interior paints, and then she’d called her parents.

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