MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE

Rancher Adam Hartley knows that big rewards mean big risks. His plan to expand the family business in Blue Falls, Texas, is a good one. Unfortunately, someone else beat him to it—and bought the old abandoned restaurant he’d been eyeing. Yep, a beautiful newcomer just stole his dream...and his heart, too.

Except single mom Lauren Shayne knows that love is dangerous. Love almost destroyed her business and her reputation, and she won’t ever make that mistake again. So why is she so attracted to Adam? The drop-dead-sexy cowboy seems determined to win over Lauren and her adorable twin babies...but how can she be with him if she’s not sure she can trust him?

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

Also by Trish Milburn

Her Perfect Cowboy

Having the Cowboy’s Baby

Marrying the Cowboy

The Doctor’s Cowboy

Her Cowboy Groom

The Heart of a Cowboy

Home on the Ranch

A Rancher to Love

The Cowboy Takes a Wife

In the Rancher’s Arms

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Twins for the Rancher

Trish Milburn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07744-6

TWINS FOR THE RANCHER

© 2018 Trish Milburn

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 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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Version: 2020-03-02

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Thanks to Beth Pattillo for helping me brainstorm

Lauren’s character and for being a friend

from back when I was taking my first fledgling

steps into the world of romance writing.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Chapter One

The floorboards creaked as Lauren Shayne took her first steps into the building that she’d become the owner of only minutes before. Her hands shook from the enormity of what she’d done. The mortgage on what had been a German restaurant called Otto’s years ago wasn’t small, but neither was her dream for the place.

A dream that she would have never guessed would take her so far from home.

Despite her initial “this is perfect” reaction to seeing the inside, the fact it was four hours from her home in North Texas gave her significant pause. Taking the leap had required a week of denial, then pondering and number-crunching after every adult member of her family had told her to go for it. She’d finally reasoned she could get the place opened and leave the day-to-day running to a manager who lived in Blue Falls or nearby. If it did well enough for her to expand in the future, then maybe she could finally find a space closer to home.

But she couldn’t let her imagination run wild. Not when there was still a lot of work and a ton of luck standing between her and making even one restaurant a success. Loyal watchers of The Brazos Baker cooking show, or fans of her cookbooks and magazine alone, weren’t going to be enough to keep the place afloat. And she needed to get the bulk of the work done before her TV show resumed production after the current hiatus—that would require her to be back in her kitchen on a regular basis.

She attempted a deep breath, but it was a bit shaky. She hoped she hadn’t just gambled her daughters’ future security away with a bad business decision.

As her steps echoed in the rafters, where forgotten cloth banners decorated with German coats of arms hung, Lauren saw beyond the dust and detritus to a restaurant filled with people enjoying her grandfather’s prize-winning barbecue, and baked goods made with her recipes, while they took in an unbeatable view of Blue Falls Lake.

She smiled as she imagined the look on Papa Ed’s face when she finally revealed the finished product to match the images that had been in her head for a couple of years. At times, those images and the support of her family had been the only things that got her through one of the toughest periods of her life.

“Now, that looks like the smile of a woman about to do great things.”

Lauren startled at the sound of a guy’s voice and grabbed the back of a dust-covered chair at the sight of a tall man standing between her and the front door. He held up his hands, palms out.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Can I help you?” Miraculously, her voice didn’t reveal the runaway beating of her heart.

“Actually, I’m hoping I can help you.” He didn’t advance any closer, giving Lauren a few moments to take in his appearance, looking for clues to his meaning. Dressed in dark slacks, pressed white shirt and pale blue tie, he didn’t come across as a laborer looking for a job. She guessed he stood a bit over six feet, had sandy brown hair and was attractive in that clean-cut “businessman who used to be the high-school quarterback” sort of way.

“Tim Wainwright with Carrington Beef. We provide top-quality beef products to restaurants all over Texas. And it’s an educated guess that a barbecue restaurant is going to need a lot of ribs and brisket.”

Lauren tilted her head slightly. “How could you possibly know I’d be here or that I planned to open a restaurant? I literally signed the papers fifteen minutes ago.”

Tim smiled. “I’m just that good.”

Lauren made a sound of disbelief. This guy was full of himself.

Tim motioned, as if waving off his previous words. “It’s my job to know when potential new customers come on the scene. I heard from a friend on the local city council about your plans and that you were closing on the property this morning. Took a chance we’d cross paths.”

“You must really need the business if you’re here now.” She indicated their surroundings, covered with enough dust they could probably make dust castles. “As you can see, I’m a long way from opening my doors for business.”

“It’s never too early to make a good decision.”

She lifted an eyebrow. Did he brainstorm these business pickup lines? Her thoughts must have shown on her face because the teasing look on his disappeared. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a business card, which he extended as he walked closer.

“I’d like to sit down with you when it’s convenient and discuss what we can offer you. Dinner tonight, perhaps?”

There was something in the way he looked at her that made her wonder if his invitation was just about business. Or did he use his good looks to his professional advantage? That thought did not sit well with her. And with good reason.

“I’m afraid I won’t have time tonight.” Or any night, she thought as she accepted his card. “But when I’m ready to make those kinds of decisions, I’ll know how to reach you.”

She thought for a moment he might press for the “hard sell” approach, but thankfully he just nodded.

“The dinner invitation is a standing one. I’m through this area quite often.”

She simply nodded and offered a polite smile. No need to reveal that when she wasn’t working on Brazos Baker–related business, she was doing her best to not suck at being a mom. She’d save that tidbit in reserve in case he attempted to get personal. Nothing like the responsibility of twins in diapers to scare off unwanted advances.

Evidently getting the message that he wasn’t going to make any more progress today—professionally or otherwise—Tim gave a nod of his own and headed for the exit. Halfway there, he turned and took a few steps backward as he scanned what would become the dining room.

“Can’t wait to see what you do with the place.”

After he left, she was hit with just how much work she faced before decisions such as which food vendors to use made any sense. And none of that work was going to move to the “completed” column if she didn’t get to it. She rolled up her sleeves and took another step toward her dream.

* * *

IT WAS TIME for Adam Hartley to stop stewing over the potential customer he’d lost and forge ahead. His family had been understanding of the time and funds he’d put in to the branded-beef operation so far, but each day he wondered when that understanding would disappear. Everything his siblings did in addition to their regular ranch duties added to the Rocking Horse Ranch’s bottom line. Sure, Sloane’s camps for underprivileged kids cost money, but those funds were now coming from the product endorsements her new husband, Jason, had signed after winning the national title in steer wrestling the previous winter.

Adam kept reminding himself that big rewards required big risks. He just hoped his risks ended in the types of rewards he envisioned.

At the sound of the front door opening, followed by fast-approaching footsteps, he looked up from the list of possible customers throughout the Hill Country and into Austin.

“I have great news,” Angel said as she darn near slid into the dining room like Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

“You sold some photos?” His sister was slowly gaining recognition for her beautiful photos of ranch and rodeo life.

“No, great news for you.”

He leaned back in his chair. “I could use some of that.”

“I just heard from Justine Ware that the Brazos Baker is opening a restaurant here in town.”

“Who?”

“The Brazos Baker, Lauren Shayne.” At what must be a confused look on his face, she continued, “She has a cooking show on TV. Mom watches it all the time. She has a magazine, too. Some cookbooks. And now she’s planning to open a barbecue restaurant in what used to be Otto’s.”

No, anywhere but there.

Part of him was excited to have such a high-profile prospective customer, but he’d had his eye on that building for a while. His imagination had seen it as a mercantile filled with Rocking Horse Ranch–branded products—prime steaks from their herd, Ben’s hand-tooled saddles and leatherwork, Angel’s photographs, his mom’s chocolate cake. He’d seen it all so clearly—except for the money to make it possible. The branded-beef operation was supposed to fund those big ideas, but he needed time for it to grow. Time he evidently no longer had.

He had to stop investing so much time and energy in the cart before he could even afford the horse. But maybe, despite the disappointment, this opportunity would help him take a leap forward toward the eventual goal. A goal that would now have to reside somewhere else, though at the moment he couldn’t imagine where.

Still, the prospect of supplying not only a restaurant of that size, but also one operated by someone famous felt like Christmas presents for the next decade dropped into his lap.

Angel motioned for him to stand. “You need to go shower and put on clean clothes.”

“Um, why?”

“Because when I came through town just now, I saw vehicles at the restaurant. She’s probably there right now, just waiting to hear all about awesome locally grown beef.”

A shot of adrenaline raced through him. When he started to gather the papers strewn across the table, Angel waved him away.

“I’ll take care of this. Go on.” As he headed toward the bathroom, Angel called out, “Oh, and tell her Mom loves her show. Maybe that will win you brownie points.”

Adam raced through his shower and getting dressed. Before hurtling out the door, however, he decided he should learn a little bit more about this famous cook before showing up to meet her unprepared. He couldn’t blow his only shot to make a positive first impression. He opened his laptop, which Angel had deposited in his room, and did a search for the Brazos Baker.

A quick web search brought up her page. He wasn’t prepared for the beautiful, smiling face that greeted him. With that long, straight blond hair and those pretty blue eyes, she looked one part model and one part girl-next-door. He wasn’t a viewer of cooking shows, but he had to admit the deep-dish apple pie in her hands made his mouth water.

He forced himself to navigate away from her photo and read about how she got her start—learning from her grandmother, entering 4-H baking competitions, publishing her first cookbook when she was only twenty. Lauren Shayne appeared to be a lot more than just a pretty face.

Nowhere on her site was there any mention of plans for a restaurant, but perhaps that was under wraps. Well, it would be until the Blue Falls gossips got hold of the news, which they probably had ten seconds before she’d even rolled into town. The fact his sister had already found out and blown in like a storm to tell him was proof enough of that.

Not wanting to delay contacting her any longer, he shut down his computer and headed out the door. As he drove toward town, he couldn’t keep his imagination from wondering what it would mean to have his family’s beef used by a celebrity. Would she mention it on her national television program? The possibilities began to supplant some of the disappointment over her choice of building.

His mind skipped ahead to Rocking Horse Ranch beef appearing on the menus of fancy hotels and the catered events of the increasing number of actors and musicians calling the Austin area home. A flash of brown on the side of the road intruded on his daydream a moment before a deer jumped in front of his truck.

He hit the brakes and tensed less than a breath before the unavoidable thunk and jolt as he hit the deer dead-center. His heart was still racing when the hiss of steam rose from his radiator. There were times when Adam thought his family’s motto should be One Step Forward, Two Steps Back. Why did that deer decide today was the day he couldn’t handle the pressures of life anymore and taken a flying leap in front of a pickup truck? A truck Adam had bought used and finally managed to pay off exactly one week ago, just in time for its tenth birthday. And as a bonus, it appeared his air bags were not operational.

After turning on his hazard flashers, he stepped out onto the pavement to verify the deer that had gotten knocked into the ditch was indeed dead. One look was all the confirmation he needed. Same with the front grille of his truck. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and dialed Greg Bozeman and his always-busy tow truck.

Half an hour later, instead of introducing himself to Lauren Shayne and singing the praises of his family’s locally raised beef, he was at Greg’s garage, waiting for the man to tell him how much the tow and repairs were going to cost him.

He considered buying a bag of chips from the wire rack to calm his growling stomach, but he figured that was a buck he should save.

Greg stepped through the doorway between the repair bays and the small office of the garage, which had been in his family for as long as Adam could remember.

“I think your family could keep me in business just replacing radiators and front grilles.”

Adam knew Greg was referring to when Adam’s brother Ben had accidentally run into Mandy Richardson’s car the previous year thanks to a pigeon flying through his truck’s window and hitting him in the side of the head. He’d had to repair Mandy’s car, but it hadn’t turned out so badly in the end. Ben and Mandy were now happily married with an adorable little girl. Adam was pretty sure his encounter wasn’t going to turn out with that sort of happily-ever-after ending. The best he could hope for was the lowest possible repair bill Greg could manage.

“Yeah, seems the area wildlife has it in for us.”

“At least the deer didn’t hit you in the head.”

After Greg gave Adam the estimated price and said he needed a couple of days to complete the repairs, he asked if Adam needed a ride anywhere.

“No, thanks. Got a couple things to take care of in town.” He’d figure out how to get back to the ranch after that.

Greg waved as he picked up his ringing phone.

Adam started walking toward downtown Blue Falls, thankful the day was overcast so he wouldn’t be sweating buckets by the time he reached his destination. Now he needed Lauren Shayne’s business more than ever. He’d launched the branded-beef business with his family’s blessing, hoping to contribute his part to the diversification that would allow the Rocking Horse Ranch to stay solvent and in the family, something that had been touch-and-go on more than one occasion. But if he didn’t land some big accounts soon, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep seeing money going out without enough coming back in.

Sure, the business was less than a year old, but there wasn’t a day that went by when he wasn’t conscious of the figures in the operation’s balance sheet. None of his siblings, or his parents, had said anything about his shuttering the operation, but he was also aware that his attempt to carve out a distinctive place for himself in the family’s business was costing more than Ben’s saddle-making or Angel’s photography supplies.

By the time he reached the restaurant, he’d managed to adjust his attitude from his earlier annoyance to being the friendly, approachable local businessman he needed to be to meet a potential customer. A small blue hatchback sat alone outside the building. He grinned at the big yellow smiley face sticker on the hatch. It was surrounded by several other stickers—a few flowers, one that said I Brake for Cake, one of a stick figure lying beneath a palm tree and another that read Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

Lauren Shayne seemed to be a happy-with-life type of person. He supposed that was easier when your business was a roaring success. Although her car didn’t look as if it was driven by one of the rich and famous.

Well, if nothing else, maybe some of her happy vibes would rub off on him and finish vanquishing his frustration and concern.

He took a deep breath, stood tall, fixed his pitch in his mind and walked through the large, wooden double doors. The first thing he saw when he stepped inside was Lauren Shayne standing on the top step of a ten-foot ladder, stretching to reach a banner hanging from one of the large posts supporting the ceiling. His instinct was to steady the ladder, but he was afraid any sudden movement would cause her to fall. Instead, he stood perfectly still until she gave up with a sound of frustration and settled into a safer position on the ladder.

“Would you like some help with that?”

She startled a bit, but not enough to send her careening off her perch, thank goodness.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

He couldn’t help but smile. “I thought that’s what I was offering.” He pointed at the banner.

She stared at him for a moment before descending the ladder. “That’s not necessary. I’ll get some help in here at some point.”

“I don’t mind,” he said as he walked slowly toward the ladder, giving her ample time to move away. His mom had taught him and his brothers to never make a woman feel as if she was trapped or threatened. The fact that there was only one vehicle outside and no signs of other people in the building told him that Lauren was here alone. “You almost had it anyway. My just being a little taller should do the trick.”

She didn’t object again so he climbed the ladder and nabbed the cloth banner bearing some unknown German coat of arms and several years’ worth of dust. When his feet hit the wooden floor again, he held up the banner.

“This thing has seen better days.”

Lauren made a small sound of amusement. “That it has.”

He shifted his gaze to her and momentarily forgot what planet he was on. The picture on Lauren’s website didn’t do her justice.

“I’d introduce myself, but I’m guessing you already know who I am.” She didn’t sound snotty or full of herself, more like...

“I suppose you’ve already had several visitors stop by.”

“You suppose correctly.”

“Small town. News travels fast.”

“Oh, I know. I grew up in a town not much bigger than Blue Falls.”

He found himself wanting to ask her about where she grew up, to compare experiences of small-town life, but his visit had a purpose. And that purpose wasn’t to keep Lauren talking so that he could continue to appreciate how pretty she was or how much he liked the sound of her voice, which for some reason reminded him of a field of sunflowers.

Wouldn’t his brothers—heck, even his sisters—hurt themselves laughing over the thoughts traipsing through his head right now?

“So, the question remains, what brings you by?”

Right, back to business.

“I’m Adam Hartley, and I wanted to talk to you about locally sourced beef from the Rocking Horse Ranch.”

“No mistaking this for anything but the heart of Texas. You’re the second beef producer to come see me in the last hour.”

Someone had beaten him here? He silently cursed that deer for making him later to arrive than he planned. A sick feeling settled in his stomach.

“May I ask who it was?”

Please don’t say Carrington Beef. They’d claimed a number of contracts he’d been in the running for, and if he missed out on being first with this huge opportunity because of hitting a deer, he might have to go to the middle of the ranch so he could scream as loud as he was able.

“Carrington Beef.”

Somehow Adam managed not to curse out loud, though the parade of words racing through his head was certainly colorful.

Lauren pulled a business card from her pocket. “A rep named Tim Wainwright.”

It was as if Fate said, “You think I can’t make your day any worse? Here, hold my beer.”

Chapter Two

“Honestly, it’s going to be a while before I’m ready for any sort of food products,” Lauren said as she shoved the business card back in her pocket. She lifted her gaze to Adam Hartley’s in time to see a flash of what looked like frustration on his face before he managed to hide it.

“I understand,” he said, back to the friendly, engaging man he’d been since his arrival, as if the moment when he’d clenched his jaw and then finally let out a breath had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. “I’d appreciate it if I could tell you about our products, however.”

His approach was different enough from Tim Wainwright’s that she wanted to give him a chance. It was possible that his good looks—dark wavy hair, lean build and a face that was far from difficult to look at—might be a factor in her decision, too. She wasn’t interested in getting involved to any extent with anyone—might never be again after what Phil had put her through—but it didn’t hurt anything to look.

And while Tim Wainwright had also been attractive, his personality was a little too slick and polished—a bit too much like Phil’s, she now realized—for him to appeal to her in that way. Granted, it could all be an act he put on for work, but it didn’t really matter. She was so not in the market for a man. The market wasn’t even on the same continent.

“If you don’t mind talking while I work, go for it.”

“Okay,” he replied, sounding a bit surprised by her response.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I have limited time to get a lot done, and I’m running behind.” Which hadn’t been helped by all the interruptions. Well-meaning ones, but interruptions nonetheless.

“No need to explain. I should have called ahead and made an appointment to meet with you.”

“Hard to do when you don’t know the number.”

“True.” He smiled, and wow, did he have a nice smile. He ought to be able to sell beef to half of Texas on that smile alone.

But she also knew better than to trust smiles alone. Phil had an attractive smile, too—until you realized it belonged to a snake.

“The Rocking Horse Ranch has been in my family nearly a century. Everyone who works there is family, and we have a history of producing high-quality beef products—steaks, ground, ribs.”

As she listened to Adam’s sales pitch, she grabbed one of the tables she aimed to get rid of and started dragging it toward the front wall.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Adam lifted the opposite side of the table and together they carried it away from the middle of the large dining room.

Before she could voice an objection to his continuing to help her with manual labor, Adam launched back into his spiel.

“I’m sure you already know that diners are more and more interested in where their food comes from, and with our products you’d be able to tell them it’s from a few miles down the road, raised by a family that’s been part of Blue Falls for a hundred years.”

She had to give him credit—he certainly was passionate about his family’s business. Considering her own strong ties to family and the hard work to share her love of food with others, she admired that passion. Still, when it came down to the decision-making, it would have to be based on the price and quality of the beef. Adam Hartley could have all the charm and belief in his products the world had to offer, but it wouldn’t matter if she didn’t deem his ranch’s beef good enough to associate with her own brand.

“Sounds as if you have a fine operation,” she said. “If you’ll leave your card, I’ll call for a sample when I’m closer to making those types of decisions.”

After a slight hesitation, he nodded and retrieved a card from his wallet, then handed it over. The ranch brand was like none she’d ever seen before, a little rocking horse like a child might use. She made a mental note to provide rocking horses for the girls when they were old enough.

“Interesting brand.”

“With an interesting story behind it,” he said as he helped her move another table.

“Well, don’t keep me hanging.”

“Shortly after my great-grandfather bought the first part of the ranch acreage, he found out my great-grandmother was pregnant with their first child, my grandfather. He used part of a tree he cleared where the house was to be built to make a rocking horse for the baby. And he made the first sign with the name of the ranch using what was left.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, my mom gets teary every time she tells that story. Oh, by the way, I was informed by my sister to tell you that our mom is a big fan of your show.”

“I appreciate that. Are you a fan?” For some reason, she couldn’t resist the teasing question.

He placed one of the old chairs next to the growing collection of furniture she needed to get out of the way. “I’m just going to be honest here and say that before today I didn’t even know who you were.”

She caught the look of concern on his face, as if maybe he’d just shot a giant hole in his chances to land her business. Even seeing that, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised. I wouldn’t peg you as the main demographic.”

“If it helps, I do like baked goods. I don’t think I’ve ever said no to pie, cake or cookies.”

She pointed at him. “And that’s what keeps me in business, the country’s collective sweet tooth.”

Without direction, Adam rolled an old salad bar toward the rest of the castoffs. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but if you’re known for baking—”

“Why a barbecue restaurant?”

“Yeah.”

“My grandfather has won more blue ribbons than I can count in barbecue competitions. I want to feature his recipe. He’s actually the reason I’m here.” She gestured toward their surroundings, glancing up at the high ceiling with the log beams that she imagined gleaming after a good cleaning and polish. “He grew up in Blue Falls.”

“I wonder if my parents know him.”

“Probably not. He left about fifty years ago.”

“Has he moved back?”

She shook her head. Not unless you counted the fact he was camped out at their hotel babysitting while she worked.

“No, and yet he somehow convinced me that this was the place to launch the next phase of my business.”

“Blue Falls is a good place to settle.”

“I won’t be living here, either,” she said. “I’ll just be here to get this place up and running, then I’ll leave it in a manager’s hands and go back home.”

“Which is where?”

That felt a little too personal to reveal to a man she’d just met.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to pry.”

Settling for a compromise answer, she said, “North Texas.”

Lauren realized when they picked up the next table to move it that it was the last one. “So, have you been helping me haul all this stuff in the hopes I’ll award you a contract?”

“No, ma’am. Just being neighborly.”

He seemed genuine with that answer, but she wasn’t sure she totally bought it. Or maybe she was just extra cautious now, having been so recently burned in a very public way. She wondered if Adam Hartley knew about that. She found herself hoping not, and hated the idea that her recent troubles were what sprang to mind when people saw her now. Maybe if he hadn’t known who she was before today, he didn’t know all the ugly backstory, either. That would be refreshing.

“Okay, neighbor, I could use a suggestion of who to call to make all this stuff disappear.” She pointed toward the pile of furniture they’d moved. It was still serviceable but not at all like what she had in mind for her restaurant.

“Actually, I know someone who would probably love to take if off your hands at no cost. She repurposes things other people don’t want anymore.”

“Sounds great.”

He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his contacts until he found what he was looking for, then extended the phone to her. She added Ella Bryant’s name and number to her own phone before returning his to him.

“Well, I best get out of your hair,” he said as he slid the phone back into his pocket.

“Are you kidding? You helped me make up for all the time I lost this morning.”

“Glad to help, ma’am.”

“Lauren, please.”

“It was nice talking with you, Lauren. I look forward to hearing from you about that sample.”

As he walked toward the front door, she thought that if she was any other single woman who’d had any other recent past than the one that she’d just experienced over the past eighteen months, she might want a sample all right. A sampling of Adam Hartley.

* * *

ADAM HURRIED ACROSS the parking lot of what had until this morning been his dream purchase. Well, he supposed it was still technically a dream, but one that wasn’t going to come true. But maybe he could still salvage something positive from the unexpected turn of events. Though he didn’t have any sort of commitment of her business, he thought the meeting with Lauren had gone pretty well. He’d even managed not to allow his instant attraction to her show. At least he hoped it hadn’t. Now he just needed to get out of sight of the restaurant before she noticed he’d arrived on foot. It wouldn’t speak to his professionalism and the success of his company that he didn’t even have a running vehicle to drive.

Thinking about his damaged truck brought to mind the fact that he’d almost beaten Tim Wainwright to the punch this time. It was as if the man had spies all over Central Texas, feeding him advance information about potential customers. Judging by the number of accounts Adam had lost to the man, he’d wager Wainwright’s commission income was quite a tidy sum. Enough to make him cocky. The times they’d crossed paths, Wainwright acted friendly but it was in that way that said without words that he knew he was always going to win the day. He really hadn’t changed that much since his days as quarterback at Jones-Bennett High, one of Blue Falls High’s biggest rivals.

Adam’s jaw tensed just thinking about the guy’s smug look if Carrington Beef convinced Lauren to go with their products. That commission alone would probably send Wainwright on some Caribbean vacation. He likely didn’t have a family ranch he was trying to take to the next level, to save for future generations. The idea of Lauren doing business with him stuck in Adam’s craw.

Though their initial meeting had gone well, Adam felt as if he needed to do something more to bring Lauren over to his side. But he couldn’t be pushy, wouldn’t put on a practiced smile and say whatever necessary to garner her business. There had to be a happy medium. He just had to figure out what that was, and quickly.

His stomach let out a growl that would make a grizzly jealous. Thankfully the sound had held off until he was out of earshot of Lauren. Before he texted some member of his family for a ride home, he aimed to settle the ravenous beast. Lunch at the Primrose Café would be a perfect solution. Maybe while he downed the daily special, some tremendous idea for guaranteeing Lauren went with Rocking Horse Ranch beef would occur to him.

At the sound of an approaching vehicle, he moved farther onto the side of the road. When the car slowed and stopped next to him, he looked over and saw Lauren staring back at him. She looked confused, probably because she hadn’t passed any disabled vehicles between her building and him.

“Need a ride?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

As if to negate his words, a rumble of thunder picked that moment to accompany the overcast skies.

“I wouldn’t be very neighborly if I let you get drenched, would I?”

With a sigh, he opened the passenger-side door and slipped inside the car just as the first raindrops fell.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. Where to?” Thank goodness she didn’t ask him why he’d been hoofing it down the shoulder of the road.

“Primrose Café, downtown.”

“They have good food?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. I’ll give it a try, too. Was headed out in search of lunch, just hadn’t decided where. Though I look a fright.”

“No, you don’t.” Far from it. “And besides, the Primrose isn’t fancy. You’ll see everyone from tourists to ranchers who have a load of cattle waiting outside.”

When they reached the café, the parking lot was pretty full. With her small car, however, she was able to squeeze into a space that would hold only about half of his truck if he split it down the center. Thankfully, the spot was close to the door.

“One of the joys of having a small car,” she said. “Along with great gas mileage.”

They raced for the front door to the café, which he held open for her.

“Thanks.” She offered a brief smile, but it was enough to make his insides feel wobbly. He looked away, trying to convince himself it was just his hunger reasserting itself.

Lauren got the attention of a waitress when they stepped inside. “Who do I see about placing a to-go order?”

“Any of us. But honestly, you’ll probably get your food faster if you just eat here. We got a big group takeout order in about two minutes ago, so you’d be behind all those. Different cook working on dine-ins.”

Adam looked around the crowded room, not unusual for this time of day, and spotted a two-top over by the wall. He caught Lauren’s gaze and pointed toward the table. “You’re welcome to join me if you think you can stand me a little longer.”

He tried not to take it personally when she hesitated a little too long before nodding.

They’d barely sat down before a woman at the next table said, “Oh, my God. You’re the Brazos Baker, aren’t you?”

Lauren smiled, similar to the smile she showed on her website. It was different than the more natural ones she wore when not in what could be considered the public spotlight.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I don’t believe it.” The woman looked at her friends, who suddenly appeared just as excited. “We all love your show.”

“I made your pineapple cream cake for my daughter’s wedding,” one of the other women said. “I had to hide the top tier for her and her husband or it would have been gobbled up, too.”

“Well, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it.”

The back-and-forth was interrupted by the same waitress who’d greeted them at the entrance. “What can I get for you?”

They hadn’t even cracked the menus open, not that Adam ever had to. Other than the daily specials, the menu at the Primrose didn’t really change. Still, Lauren hadn’t been here before.

“She needs time to look at the menu,” he said.

“No, I’m okay. You go ahead. I can decide quickly.” She opened up her menu to give it a quick perusal.

“Burger and fries for me,” he said, not feeling the daily special of turkey and dressing.

“That actually sounds good,” Lauren said. “Give me that, too.”

When the waitress hurried away, Lauren pulled out her buzzing phone. “Sorry, I have to respond to this.”

“No need to apologize. You’re a busy woman.”

She flew through answering the text like a teenager who could text faster than she could speak. He took the opportunity to text Angel for a ride home after he ate. When he looked up, Lauren pointed at his phone.

“Looks as if I’m not the only one.”

“Arranging the family version of Uber.” At the curious expression on her face, he confessed, “I might have run over a deer and crunched the front of my truck on the way into town.”

“Oh, no. My sister once completely destroyed her car when she hit, I swear, the biggest buck I’ve ever seen. He was like a ninety-eight-pointer or something.”

He laughed at that mental image. “Bet he had a neck ache before his untimely demise.”

One of those genuine smiles appeared on her face, and he swore he’d never seen anything so beautiful.

The waitress had been right. She appeared with their food just as the other staff members behind the counter started bagging up a large number of takeout containers. As their waitress moved on to her next customers, he noticed a couple of the women who’d been chatting with Lauren were now looking at him. They smiled then shifted their gazes away, but he felt odd, as if they’d been sizing him up.

He’d taken one bite of his burger when the group of women started making moves to leave. When they stood, the one who’d originally recognized Lauren drew her attention again.

“I’m so glad to see you doing well and moving on. The way that boy treated you was so wrong. I wanted to hit him upside the head with my purse, and it’s not an unsubstantial weapon,” she said, lifting what to Adam’s eyes looked more like a piece of luggage.

“Uh, thank you.” Lauren’s answer sounded strangled, as if she suddenly wished she was anywhere but where she sat.

Thankfully, the women didn’t stick around any longer, especially since one of the waitresses was already clearing their table so more customers could be seated. But Adam only saw that activity with his peripheral vision because his gaze was fixed on Lauren and how any hint of a smile, of happiness, had just evaporated right before his eyes.

Chapter Three

Lauren had read books where the characters were placed in situations so embarrassing that they wished for a hole to open up and swallow them, but she’d never experienced it herself. Not until now anyway. Even during the trial Phil had forced her into with claims she’d promised him half her business, she hadn’t experienced the need to pull herself into a shell to hide like a turtle. Then she’d had her attorney beside her, and she’d been filled instead with righteous anger and a fierce determination to prove that Phil was full of crap and not entitled to one red cent of her money.

The determination had paid off. Only after it was all over did she realize the emotional toll it had taken on her. But as the woman had said, Lauren was moving forward—just not in the way the other woman had assumed. Before Lauren figured out some way to correct her while also not offending Adam, the woman and her friends were already headed for the exit.

Oh, how she wished she hadn’t gotten a text from Papa Ed earlier that he and the girls had already eaten and were about to take a nap. She’d intended to order her lunch to go so she could head back to work. She wanted to get a good amount accomplished but also leave plenty of time to play with Bethany and Harper before their bedtime.

Movement across the table brought her back to the present. She couldn’t meet Adam’s gaze, didn’t want to invite any questions about what the other woman had meant. Hoping by some miracle he’d missed it entirely, she latched on to the first nonrelated topic that came to mind.

“So, you said your company only employs family members. How many people is that?”

“We’re up to eleven if you don’t count the kids, although one’s a toddler so she gets a free pass.” She smiled at his joke, causing him to do the same. “Some have other jobs, too, but we all pitch in on the ranch whenever and wherever needed. You’re welcome to come out and see the operation sometime, if that would help make your decision easier.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, more out of gratitude that he’d not asked about the woman’s comment than any real need to see the beef still on the hoof.

Thankfully, their conversation flowed into even safer territory with him telling her about the various businesses in town that brought in tourists, or that were popular with the locals—or both.

“You’re going to have some competition from Keri Teague. She owns Mehlerhaus Bakery and is considered the best baker in Blue Falls.”

“I don’t mind a little friendly competition. It’s been my experience that there can never be too many desserts available. The number of people with a fondness for sweets is directly proportional to the number of sweets they can get their hands on.”

Adam laughed. “You and Keri should get a cut of Dr. Brown’s business. He’s the local dentist.”

She smiled. “That’s not a half-bad idea.”

Adam’s smile lessened a fraction as he glanced beyond her. Before she could turn to investigate why, an older woman stepped up to the table and placed her hand on Adam’s shoulder.

“I hear your family’s about to get a little bigger again.”

“You hear correctly.”

Was Adam married? She didn’t see a ring on his hand, but that didn’t mean anything. She knew ranchers who didn’t wear rings so they didn’t get caught on machinery and rip off a finger. Of course, he could be a father without a wife. He had mentioned kids on the ranch earlier. Though she barely knew him, she really didn’t want to believe he might be married and having a friendly, chatty lunch with her. She was well aware that men and women had business lunches all the time, but the fact that Adam didn’t come across as a married man made her hope he wasn’t. Not that she wanted to be with him. She just didn’t want to be faced with another lying, self-serving man.

Adam made eye contact with Lauren. “My oldest brother, Neil, and his wife just announced they’re having their first baby.”

“Oh, good for them.” She ignored the strange and unexpected feeling of relief that the child wasn’t his. She tried finding a valid reason for her reaction. When she couldn’t, she chose to ignore it.

“Yeah, it’s so nice seeing all the joyful events your family has been having—weddings, babies.” The woman shifted her attention toward Lauren. “I’m sorry. I must have left my manners in the car. I’m Verona Charles. I wanted to welcome you to Blue Falls. Everyone is so excited to have you here, and we can’t wait to see what you do with your place.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She wondered if there was a soul left in the county who didn’t know what she was up to. She accepted Verona’s hand for a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Verona used to be the head of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau before she retired,” Adam said.

“Yeah, but old habits die hard. I still have this urge to greet newcomers and visitors as soon as they cross the city limits.”

Lauren caught a shift in Adam’s expression—as if he was trying really hard not to smile or maybe even laugh. What was that about?

“Verona, your order’s ready,” one of the waitresses called out from behind the counter.

“Oh, I better get that. Taking lunch out to everyone at the nursery.”

After Verona took her leave, Adam explained her final statement. “Her niece, Elissa, owns Paradise Garden Nursery, a big garden center a short distance outside of town. That’s another tourist draw to the area, especially in the spring.”

“Ah. So now explain what was so funny.”

“You caught that, huh?”

She nodded as she swirled a fry through her pool of ketchup.

“I guess someone should warn you. Verona has appointed herself town matchmaker. If you spend any time here at all, she’ll try to pair you up with someone.”

A cold ball of dread formed in Lauren’s middle. A matchmaker was the absolute last thing she needed in her life right now.

* * *

ADAM CONSIDERED HIMSELF lucky that his attempt to not laugh at Verona was all Lauren had noticed. If she’d guessed that he’d momentarily been okay with the idea of Verona trying to match up the two of them, that likely would have been the end of any chance he had of winning her business. He had all the evidence he needed in her reactions to what both the unknown woman and Verona had said. He wasn’t Sherlock Holmes or anything, but even he was able to deduce she wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship. He had to admit he was curious why, but he wasn’t about to ask such a personal question of someone he’d met only a little more than an hour ago.

After they’d finished their meals, he asked Lauren if she wanted dessert.

“Better not. I’m so full now that I’m likely to want to take a nap when I get back instead of working.”

“Speaking of, you’ll want to be careful with that ladder, especially if you’re alone. When I first came by earlier, I was afraid you were about to topple off it.”

“I’ll be careful. A full body cast isn’t my idea of a good time.”

“That’s nobody’s idea of a good time.”

After they both paid for their meals, he once again held the door open for her. The rain had passed, leaving behind a faint hint of sun trying to burn its way through the clouds.

“You need a ride somewhere else?”

He spotted Angel just pulling into the parking lot. “No, thank you. My ride just showed up.”

She glanced across the parking lot. He could tell when she spotted Angel.

“One of the family members who works at Rocking Horse Ranch?”

He nodded. “My sister, Angel. She’s mainly a photographer, a darn good one, but she’s been known to string fence and muck out stalls.”

“My little sister dabbles in photography, too. Nature stuff, mostly. Does Angel specialize?”

“Ranch life and rodeos. She’s beginning to gain some recognition, has had some photos in a couple of national magazines.”

“That’s great. Well, I’ll stop talking your ear off and let you get on with your day.”

“No problem. Hope to hear from you soon.”

She simply nodded and headed toward her car, and he hoped he hadn’t come across as too pushy. He didn’t think he had, but you never knew how far was too far for other people.

When he realized he’d been watching her a bit too long, he turned away and headed for Angel’s vehicle.

“That was her, wasn’t it?” Angel asked as soon as he opened the door to her car.

“Yeah.”

“Looks as if things must have gone well if you two had lunch together.”

“I think our meeting went okay, but lunch was just an accident.”

Angel started the engine but didn’t pull out of the lot. Instead, she watched as Lauren drove by and gave a quick wave to them.

“How does an accidental lunch happen exactly?”

With a sigh, he recounted the story of his morning, right up until Lauren had given him a ride to the Primrose.

“Well, that’s a good sign.”

“Not necessarily. She was just being a decent person, preventing me from getting soaked to the bone.”

“I’d give you that except she agreed to have lunch with you, too.”

“It wasn’t her first choice.” As Angel finally drove out of the lot onto Main Street, he told her how he and Lauren had come to share a table.

“She could have waited for takeout or gone somewhere else.”

“Yeah, but she was hungry then.”

“Whatever. I just think you must have made a good impression.”

He hoped so, and he tried to tell himself it was only for professional reasons.

“I think she’s already in Verona’s crosshairs.”

“I wonder who Verona has in mind for her,” Angel said, not even trying to disguise her teasing tone.

“Well, judging by Lauren’s reaction to the idea of a matchmaker, I’m guessing Verona is out of luck on this one.”

“Oh, I suppose that does make sense.”

“What does that mean?”

“Lauren went through a really ugly and public breakup with her fiancé. And then the bastard took her to court, tried to sue her for a big chunk of her profits.”

“Did he help her start her business or something?”

“No. From what I read, he claimed she’d promised him a half stake when they got married. When the engagement got called off, he sued, saying he was still entitled to what he was promised.”

“He sounds like an ass.” Adam supposed this ex could have been cheated somehow, but his gut told him Lauren wasn’t the type of person who would treat someone that way. He based that on the look he’d seen on her face when the woman at the café had mentioned the guy doing Lauren wrong. She’d seemed very adamant in her support of Lauren. What was it with men who couldn’t treat women decently?

“That’s the general consensus,” Angel said.

“Verona ought to know about that and lay off.”

“Maybe she thinks the way to get past such a bad breakup is to find someone new and better.”

“She might mean well, but she should mind her own business.”

“I’ve wondered sometimes if Verona is lonely. She’s never married, and I’ve never seen her out with anyone.”

“Still doesn’t give her the right to push people together.”

“I think it’s more like gentle nudges.”

Adam snorted. “I’d hate to receive one of those nudges if I was anywhere near a cliff.”

When they reached the ranch, he changed back into work clothes so he could help his brothers replace some rotting timbers on the side of the barn. As he rounded the corner of the barn, he spotted Neil first. His eldest brother was standing back and watching as Ben nailed a board in place.

“Playing supervisor again?” Adam asked.

Neil smiled. “Perk of being the oldest.”

“Yeah, you’re going to feel old soon when that baby gets here,” Ben said. “I speak from experience. There were days in those early months after Cassie was born that I almost had to tape my eyes open to get any work done.”

Suddenly, Adam felt more separate from his brothers than he ever had before. Their lives had moved into a different stage, which included marriage and children. They could share experiences, along with their sister, Sloane, to which he had nothing to add. Even Angel had a child, though no husband. In that moment, Adam felt more like an outsider than he had since arriving on this ranch as a child.

“How’d the meeting go?” Neil asked, drawing Adam’s attention back to something they did have in common—the ranch and its long-term viability.

“Pretty good. Will be a while before anything can come from it, though.”

“Just make sure you kick Wainwright’s butt this time,” Ben said.

Adam decided not to reveal that Wainwright had beaten him to Lauren’s door. He had to believe that one of these days the Rocking Horse operation was going to triumph over Carrington. And he admitted to himself that there was another reason he hoped he would win the contract with Lauren. It would be no hardship to see her on a regular basis. Or would it? He was attracted to her, but he respected that the feeling wasn’t mutual. It would have to be enough if they had a business relationship, maybe even became friends.

But as he helped Ben and Neil finish making the repairs to the barn, he couldn’t manage to push Lauren from his thoughts. He considered how Neil, Ben and Sloane had all found their other halves when they were least expecting it. And tried not to think about how he sure hadn’t expected his reaction to Lauren Shayne.

* * *

LAUREN WALKED OUTSIDE the restaurant with two cold bottles of water in hand to find Ella Bryant and her husband, Austin, loading the last of the tables onto a trailer hooked up to their pickup.

“You two look thirsty,” Lauren said as she extended the bottles toward them.

“I feel as if I could drink the lake,” Austin said as he hopped down from the trailer.

“Eww,” Ella said.

Lauren laughed. “Pretty does not equal potable.”

Austin did manage to drink half the contents of his bottle before coming up for air, however.

“I really appreciate all this,” Ella said.

“Thank Adam Hartley. He’s the one who suggested I call you.”

“I’ll do that. He’s a good guy. All the Hartleys are good people.”

“That’s reassuring to hear about someone I might do business with in the future.”

“I haven’t had their beef,” Austin said, “but that family is as honest as anyone you’d ever hope to meet.”

Now that was more welcome to hear than they could possibly know. Honesty was pretty much at the top of her list of desirable traits these days.

Lauren pointed toward the load of discarded furniture. “I have to admit I’m curious to see what you do with all that.”

“I have more ideas and materials now than I have time to implement. But I guess that’s a good problem to have.”

“It is indeed.”

Ella nodded toward the building. “Do you know what style you’re going to put in its place?”

“Honestly, it’s going to be like picking the building—I’ll know it when I see it. But I want it to be Texas-themed. Part of the building is going to be a store filled with items with that theme, as well.”

“You should check out the antiques stores in Poppy. They’ve always got neat stuff, lots of big items that could be turned into unique tables, large metal Texas stars. And there are a lot of craftsmen and artists in the area who I’m sure would be interested in putting their items in your store if that’s the way you want to go with it. We have a local arts-and-crafts trail, so you could surreptitiously check them out in advance if you wanted to.”

Now that did sound promising. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll do that whenever I get the chance.”

“Well, we’ll let you get back to work,” Austin said. “We look forward to your opening.”

“Thanks.” She waved goodbye to them, then went back inside to tackle washing all the windows. She’d been putting it off for three days because she hated the task so much. It probably made sense to just wait until all the interior work was done, but she wanted a better idea of how the place would look at different points of the day through actual clean windows. How the sun hit would likely influence how she organized the dining room and the shop.

But the moment she stepped inside, the enormity of the job—not to mention the time she’d have to spend on the ladder Adam had warned her about—hit her, and she just couldn’t face the task today. In truth, she didn’t feel as if she could face much more than a hot shower, dinner and a face-plant into her bed at the Wildflower Inn.

But mommy duties awaited, and the thought of seeing her smiling babies gave her a boost of energy. At least two wonderful things had come from her relationship with Phil.

She promised herself she’d tackle the windows tomorrow, then grabbed her keys to lock up. As she drove the short distance to the inn, her thoughts wandered through the names and faces she’d met since her arrival in Blue Falls. Everyone seemed nice and she could see why Papa Ed had fond memories of the place. Though she’d been hesitant initially about placing her flagship restaurant here, now she could see that it would fit in perfectly with the community’s other offerings.

Thankfully, no one else had mentioned Phil or the trial, so they either didn’t know about it or had decided not to bring up the topic. She’d prefer the former but would take either. What she wanted more than anything was to forget Phil even existed and that she’d ever been so blind that she hadn’t seen through to his real motive for wanting to marry her. She would never make that kind of mistake again.

For some reason, she wondered if Adam Hartley now knew all the details. After meeting him and Tim Wainwright, she’d done an internet search on both their companies. So it would stand to reason they’d done the same for her. She felt sick to her stomach thinking about Adam sitting in front of his computer reading about the trial. He seemed like a nice guy, but she detested the idea that someone learning about her past might see her as an easy mark.

She shook her head, not wanting to be so cynical. Instead, she’d rather think of Adam as a potential friend. She didn’t want him to know about what Phil had done, because it might taint the possibility of a friendship without the accompanying pity she’d seen in the eyes of more than one person she knew. Their hearts were in the right place, but those reactions had only served to make her feel like an even bigger fool.

When she reached the inn, she didn’t immediately get out of her car. Instead, she sat in the quiet, looking out across Blue Falls Lake, its surface painted gold by the slant of the setting sun. This area was pretty now, even with winter approaching. She’d bet it was gorgeous in the spring, when all the wildflowers were blooming and carpeting the roadsides throughout the Hill Country.

Hopefully, all the busloads of tourists who visited the area in search of the iconic bluebonnets would fill her restaurant to bursting and keep the cash registers busy. Maybe it was petty or needy of her, but she wanted her first venture since leaving Phil to be so successful he choked on the idea of all the money not going into his pockets. And it would provide undeniable proof that his claim she would be a failure without him was complete garbage.

Not wanting to think about her ex anymore, she made her way inside.

She heard the girls giggling before she even opened the door to her room. When she stepped inside, she smiled at the sight that greeted her. Papa Ed was playing peekaboo with Bethany and Harper, much to their mutual delight.

He straightened from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed next to the girls’ travel crib. “Look who’s home,” he said in that special voice he used with his great-granddaughters.

Lauren didn’t point out that nice as it was, the Wildflower Inn wasn’t home. Instead, she headed straight for her little blonde bundles of grins and baby claps. She lifted Bethany from the crib and booped her nose with the tip of her finger.

“Have you been good for Papa Ed today?”

“They were angels, of course,” Papa Ed said as he picked up Harper and delivered her into Lauren’s other arm.

“I think Papa Ed is fibbing, don’t you?” she asked Harper, drawing a slobbery smile.

“Well, you can’t fault them for being fussy when they’re cutting teeth.”

“Yeah, probably a good thing that’s something none of us remember doing.” Lauren sank onto the chair in the corner of the room so the girls could use her as a jungle gym. “So, what did you all do today?”

“Before the rain, we went for a stroll through the park and played in the sandbox they have down there,” he said, referencing the public park at the bottom of the hill below the inn. “We had a picnic and watched ducks on the lake.”

“That sounds like quite the exciting day.” She dropped kisses on the top of both her babies’ heads. “You must be worn out,” she said to her grandfather.

“Not at all. We had a nice nap this afternoon. Plus, reinforcements are on the way. Your mom called and said she was coming down to see the new place.”

Lauren laughed a little. “I think it’s more likely she’s coming to see these two.”

“Can’t say that I blame her. She’s never been away from her grandbabies this long.”

“My girls are going to be spoiled so rotten they’ll stink all the way to Oklahoma.”

“There is no such thing as too much spoiling.”

Lauren outright snorted at that comment, making the girls startle then giggle at the strange sound Mommy made.

“I’m pretty sure that’s a recent change in opinion. I don’t recall it being in place when Violet and I were growing up.”

“When someone becomes a great-grandpa, he’s allowed to change his mind.”

Lauren smiled and shook her head.

“How did your day go?” he asked.

She gave him the rundown as well as what she hoped to get accomplished tomorrow.

“I wish you had some help.”

“I will eventually. I just need to be conscious of my expenses right now and do everything I can myself. Plus, Violet will be here soon. She’s almost caught up with everything on the to-do list that needs to get done before she can work remotely.”

“I’m so glad you two work so well together,” Papa Ed said.

“I don’t know what I’d do without her, especially over the past year and a half. But don’t tell her that or she’ll get a big head.”

Papa Ed chuckled. “You’re probably ready for a shower.”

“That I am. And then some food.”

He took Harper from her just as there was a knock on the door. Lauren carried Bethany with her as she went to open it. Her mother’s face lit up as soon as she saw Bethany. She immediately held out her hands for her granddaughter.

“Gammy’s here,” her mom said, resulting in some excited bouncing by Bethany.

“Well, I see I’ve been usurped,” Lauren said as she handed over her daughter.

“Someday you’ll enjoy being the usurper when they have babies of their own.”

“A long, long, long time from now.” She was barely used to the idea of having two children of her own. There wasn’t enough room in her mind to even contemplate grandchildren someday.

Once the girls were safely ensconced with her mom and grandfather, Lauren grabbed clean clothes and headed for the shower.

After washing away another day of dust and sweat, she was surprised by how much better she felt. She came out of the bathroom to find a note saying for her to join her family in the dining room. When she arrived, she found them talking with Skyler Bradshaw, the owner of the inn.

“Good evening,” Skyler said. “I couldn’t resist stopping to see these little cuties.”

Harper held Skyler’s finger as if she’d known her from the day of her birth.

Lauren gently caressed the pair of downy heads. “They do have the ability to stop people in their tracks.”

“Is there anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant?”

“No, thank you. Everything has been wonderful.”

“Glad to hear it.”

After Skyler moved on to chat with other guests, Lauren slipped onto her seat and pulled two jars of baby food from the diaper bag decorated with baby animals.

“Do you want to see the building after dinner?” she asked her mom.

“No, tomorrow’s soon enough. Tonight, I just want to spend time with my granddaughters.”

Bethany let out an enthusiastic squeal as if to say that was the best idea ever, drawing chuckles from the older couple at the next table.

“Nice set of lungs on that one,” the older guy said.

“Let me assure you they are twins in every way,” Lauren said as she held a tiny spoon of green beans up to Harper’s lips.

After they’d all had a delicious meal, Lauren accompanied her mom back to the room they would share while Papa Ed headed back to his own for a well-deserved rest and, if he could find one, probably a fishing show on TV.

Once back in her room, Lauren opened her computer to check if there were any pressing messages. She grinned at the sight of her mom tickling the girls’ bellies, making them laugh.

“They adore you.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Her mom glanced toward Lauren. “Are we interrupting your work?”

Lauren shook her head. “I’ve had about enough work for the day. Just checking email and social media.”

“If you want to go to sleep—”

“No. It’s too early. If I went to sleep now, I’d wake up at two in the morning.”

Despite having worked all day, an odd restlessness took hold of her.

“You should go out and do something fun.”

“I’ve already left the girls with Papa Ed all day. I can’t just pass them off to you now.”

“Why not? You never take time for yourself.”

“There’s a bit too much on my plate for spur-of-the-moment girls’ nights. Besides, I barely know anyone here.”

Despite her protestations that she shouldn’t just up and leave the girls again after being gone all day, Lauren couldn’t concentrate on anything. Maybe it was that she felt confined in such a small space.

Or maybe her mom was right. Since her breakup with Phil and the discovery not long after that she was pregnant with not just one baby, but two, Lauren hadn’t taken any real “me” time. She told herself she couldn’t afford it, or it wasn’t right to leave the girls or expect her family to take care of them while she went off to do something that wasn’t work-related. And now she’d added opening a restaurant to the mix, as if she had an unending reserve of both time and energy.

“Why don’t you at least go take a walk?” her mom said. “It’s supposed to be a lovely, clear night, not too cold yet.”

This time Lauren didn’t argue against the idea. “I won’t be gone long.”

“No need to hurry back. These little stinkers and I will be right here discussing all the yummy things their mommy will bake for them when they have more teeth.”

The mention of teeth caused Lauren to remember Adam Hartley’s comment about her getting a share of the local dentist’s profits. A ball of warmth formed in her chest at the memory of how easy it had been to talk with him, even after the awkward moment with the other woman at the café.

“Lauren?”

“Huh?”

“You had this faraway smile on your face.” The unspoken question in her mom’s tone sent a jolt through Lauren.

“Just imagining how I’m going to convince the daughters of a baker that they can’t have dessert for the main course of every meal.”

After a couple minutes of loving on her babies, Lauren left the room for an evening stroll to clear her head and stretch her legs.

Though there was a slight chill in the air, she decided on a walk through town. She felt like meandering along Main Street, since it was quieter and less crowded than during the middle of the day.

As she checked out the window displays of the downtown shops, she made a mental note to do some Christmas shopping soon. It’d be much easier to keep her purchases secret if she shopped when her family was otherwise occupied, especially Violet. Her sister had a habit of trying to find and figure out what her presents were well before Christmas morning. The habit was so annoying that their mother had threatened to stop buying her presents on more than one occasion. Violet would swear she’d reform, but that only lasted about a day at most. Lauren thought Violet perhaps did it mostly to see everyone’s reaction.

She promised herself she’d check out the cute outfit displayed in the window at Yesterwear Boutique, see if A Good Yarn had the lavender-scented candles her mom liked and browse the shelves at the little bookstore. At some point, she’d introduce herself to Keri Teague, the resident baker of Blue Falls, and hope Keri didn’t see her as an adversary. But though the bakery still appeared to be open, Lauren didn’t feel up to it tonight.

As she eyed a lovely western-themed living room set in the window of a furniture store, the sound of music drew her attention. She followed it to what turned out to be the Blue Falls Music Hall. A man in cowboy attire opened the door for a woman, allowing the sound of a band playing to rush out into the early evening. She found herself walking toward the entrance. After all, if she was going to be a local business owner, she should support the other businesses in town. Maybe it would help pave the way into the fabric of the town, toward acceptance, considering she was an outsider.

She knew how small towns worked. While she had a recognizable name that could bring in additional tourists, some locals might see her as unfair competition. Her goal was to assure everyone she wanted to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the lifelong residents of Blue Falls. She’d only stay a few minutes then return to the inn.

The moment she stepped into the building, Blue Falls didn’t seem so small. That or the entire population of the town had crammed inside to drink, dance and listen to music. Picturing all these people streaming into her restaurant brought a smile to her face as she made her way toward the bar. Before she reached it, however, someone asked, “Is that smile for me?” before spinning her onto the dance floor.

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