First comes rescue...

Then comes love at the Three Brothers Ranch

Coming to the aid of a woman in her broken-down car, Jake Smith finds the answer to his childcare problems. Kathryn Stepp needs a job, and the widower needs a nanny for his son. As they help each other, Jake is caught between attraction and his refusal to marry again. But sometimes a woman doesn’t just fall for a hero—she rescues him right back.

ARLENE JAMES has been publishing steadily for nearly four decades and is a charter member of RWA. She is married to an acclaimed artist, and together they have traveled extensively. After growing up in Oklahoma, Arlene lived thirty-four years in Texas and now abides in beautiful northwest Arkansas, near two of the world’s three loveliest, smartest, most talented granddaughters. She is heavily involved in her family, church and community.

Also by Arlene James

Three Brothers Ranch

The Rancher’s Answered Prayer

Rancher to the Rescue

The Prodigal Ranch

The Rancher’s Homecoming

Her Single Dad Hero

Her Cowboy Boss

Chatam House

Anna Meets Her Match

A Match Made in Texas

Baby Makes a Match

An Unlikely Match

Second Chance Match

Building a Perfect Match

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Rancher to the Rescue

Arlene James

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09483-2

RANCHER TO THE RESCUE

© 2019 Deborah Rather

Published in Great Britain 2019

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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“You made all this?”

Kathryn ducked her head shyly. “I even hooked the rug.”

Impressed, Jake lifted his eyebrows. This was a woman of immense talent. “I suppose you painted the cabinets in the kitchen, too.”

“Who else? There’s no one here but me.”

“I thought you lived with your mom.”

Kathryn dipped her chin, dropping her gaze. “I—I did. She passed ten months ago, and before that she was far too immobile to stencil cabinets.”

Jake let that sink in. After a moment, he muttered, “We ought to get on our way.”

He mused that, if things went well with the shop, maybe he and Frankie could find their own place and hire Kathryn Stepp to decorate it.

Suddenly an idea sprang into his mind. What if he could convince his brother to hire Kathryn? Jake would benefit from this, too.

At least that was what he told himself.

It was a far more comfortable thought than the idea that he might like having Kathryn Stepp around the ranch.

Dear Reader,

How difficult it is to remain obedient in the face of apparent calamity! Yet, obedience is exactly how we should respond when things look most dire. Sometimes the only way to remain obedient seems to be to withdraw from the world around us. That was Kathryn’s reaction when an accident made an invalid of her mother.

Perhaps it doesn’t occur to us—perhaps it shouldn’t—that God will use our obedience to bring many blessings into even the most hopeless situation, but that’s exactly what He does. Likewise, He uses difficulty to build strength in us, strength of character, strength of faith. When Jake understands that more than one kind of strength exists, he finds the courage to love again.

Fortunately, we don’t have to find obedience or strength within ourselves. God is always there, always working on our behalf. May you always hold to Him, our shield and salvation.

God bless,

Arlene James

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

—2 Samuel 22:31

For Pattie Steele-Perkins.

You’ve always had my back,

and I can’t thank you enough.

God bless you, my friend.

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

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Glancing at his three-year-old in the rearview mirror of the double cab pickup truck, Jake cranked up the air-conditioning.

“Sorry, son. It’s just too hot to ride with the windows down.”

Frankie made a face, but said nothing as Jake hit the buttons that rolled up the windows. The boy loved the wind in his face, even the scorching wind of an August morning, which was one reason he’d taken off at a heady gallop on his pony across the field after his six-year-old cousin yesterday. Tyler was a more experienced rider than Frankie, and Jake’s heart had leaped into his throat as he’d watched his son’s dark head bouncing along behind his nephew’s horse. Thankfully, Jake had caught up to him before the boy had lost his seat.

Determined that both the boy and the pony would receive further instruction before being allowed out of the corral again, Jake had brought Frankie along with him while he ran errands. He didn’t have any other option. His brothers, Wyatt and Ryder, and Wyatt’s son, Tyler, were out on horseback checking the least-accessible water holes on the ranch, and Wyatt’s wife, Tina, had a doctor’s appointment.

Given the size and population of his native Houston, Jake had always thought that in Texas, it was a long drive to get anywhere, but Oklahoma was proving its equal. Its many small towns and few big cities were separated by long stretches of empty road. Consequently, Oklahoma felt rather lonely to Jake, even more so since Wyatt had married Tyler’s mother in June.

Tina and Tyler were good for his brother, and Jake wished them only happiness, but now that Wyatt had his own family, Jake had started to feel out of place at Loco Man Ranch. He and his two brothers had spent many joyous summers running wild over the two thousand acres of the ranch on the outskirts of tiny War Bonnet before inheriting the place from their uncle Dodd a few months ago. More and more, though, Jake felt like an interloper in his sister-in-law’s house and an unnecessary dependent on the ranching enterprise. As a mechanic, trained by the army, Jake felt the ranch simply did not need or maintain enough vehicles to keep him busy or justify his take of the profits, which were irregular.

On the other hand, the nearest mechanic to War Bonnet was at least thirty miles away. Jake figured he could pull in enough business from the surrounding countryside to turn a profit. So, right after the wedding, with the blessings of his brothers and sister-in-law, Jake had the foundation poured for a shop that he was building at the very edge of the road fronting the ranch property, only a few hundred yards from the house. While doing much of the building himself and keeping a close eye on his budget, he was quickly acquiring building materials and inventory. If the shop was up and running within the next month or so, he should have enough of his dwindling savings left to see him through until the business fulfilled expectations.

With his mind full of lists and plans, he didn’t notice the old car beside the road until he was right on it. A woman was bent over the front fender of the little coupe, her head hidden by the raised hood, one tennis shoe kicked up into the air and her long full skirt rising to the backs of her knees. Jake knew instantly that he had to stop. Already hotter than ninety degrees with a high in triple digits predicted, it was too hot to be stranded on the side of the road, and out here the next vehicle might be long in coming.

He brought the big pickup truck to a grinding halt beside the two-lane pavement, well ahead of the stranded car. Shifting the transmission into Park with one hand, he rolled down all the windows with the other before killing the engine. “Don’t you get out of your seat,” he instructed Frankie. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to help this lady.”

Frankie leaned forward and craned his neck, looking behind them. “What lady?”

“Don’t know,” Jake replied, reaching for the pale straw cowboy hat on the passenger seat. “Looks like her car broke down.”

He got out, settled his hat on his head and pushed his sunshades farther up on his nose, wishing he’d taken the time to shave that morning. The coal-dark dusting of beard on his cheeks, jaws and upper lip always made him look rough and undisciplined, or so his late wife, Jolene, had said. He didn’t want to scare this poor woman any more than she likely already was.

Jolene, like him, had been military. If she hadn’t died in a training accident, they’d still be soldiers together, army from the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet. That was a tough life for a single father, however.

He approached the hissing car with a smile for a greeting, only to find that his damsel in distress had retreated into her vehicle. Lifting his eyebrows, he casually strolled up to the driver’s window and tapped on the glass.

“Howdy.” He gestured to the raised hood of her car. “Got a little trouble, I see. How about I take a look?”

For a long moment, she just stared at him with wide, forest green eyes. Then she folded in her lips and bit them. Finally, she rolled down the window a half inch or so.

“I don’t know you.”

He put out his hand. “Jacoby Smith, from Loco Man Ranch. Most folks call me Jake.”

She didn’t lower the window. Instead, she stared at him, biting her lips in what was obviously a nervous habit. He gestured toward the hood of her car again.

“I’m going to take a look.” Without giving her a chance to object, he stepped to the front of the car and began to take stock. “Can you start it?”

After a moment, she turned the key. It didn’t take long for him to diagnose the problem. He went to the window again, finding that she’d lowered it all the way, finally.

Fanning herself with her hand, she spoke before he had a chance to do so. “I suppose you’re Dodd’s kin.”

“That’s right. He was our uncle.”

She stopped fanning and squinted up at him. “I was sorry to hear he’d passed.”

“Thanks. My brothers and I were fond of the old boy.”

“You’d be one of those three nephews who used to spend summers with him, then.”

“Right again. And you are?”

“Fine,” she said quickly. “I’m fine.” Her dusky pink lips formed the words even as her gaze cut to the hood of her car. “Just need some water for the radiator, I think.”

Jake shook his head, irritated that she wouldn’t give him her name. Unlike so many others he’d met in the area, she wasn’t exactly a friendly sort, but she needed help. More than she knew.

“I think you’ve blown a head gasket. At least.”

“You can’t possibly know that for sure,” she scoffed, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“I’ve seen it many times. I happen to be a mechanic.”

She made a face, as if to say that only made his opinion more suspect.

“Look,” he snapped, “I’m not out here trying to drum up business.”

“Then why’d you stop?” she shot back, turning her head away. “You don’t know me.”

Recognizing the sound of impending tears, Jake pulled in a slow, calming breath. “I stopped,” he said evenly, “because no one should be left stranded beside the road in this heat. Is there anyone you can call for a lift?”

She thought for a minute, biting her lips, and shook her head.

He raised his hands, palms up, in a gesture meant to convey that they were out of options. “My son and I will be glad to give you a ride.”

Sniffing, she eyed him suspiciously. “I didn’t see anyone else in the truck.”

“He’s three,” Jake gritted out, reaching deep for patience. “You ought to be able to see the top of his car seat at least.”

She stuck her head out the window and studied the truck. Her thick, dark gold hair parted in the middle of her head and swung in a jaunty, ragged flip two or three inches above her shoulders. Sinking into the car again, she tucked the sun-kissed strands behind a dainty ear and muttered, “Oh, yes. I see that now.”

Heat radiated up off the pavement in blistering waves. Jake pushed back the brim of his hat. “We can take you wherever you need to go.”

She lifted her chin, swallowing hard and exposing her long, sleek neck and the delicate skin of her throat in the process. Jake’s chest tightened. He told himself it was concern, the fear that she was going to send him away, though he was her only immediate source of help. During his first deployment, he’d developed the habit of speaking silently to the Lord in moments of need, and this was one of those moments.

Lord, You’d better zap some sense into her. It’s not safe for her to sit out here in this heat. Even worse if she tries to walk wherever she’s headed.

To his relief, she slowly opened the car door and got out, slinging a large fabric bag over one shoulder. She was taller than he’d expected, and her blouse, worn over a full gray skirt, was of the medical variety, like the top half of a scrub suit. A muted green, it crisscrossed in front and tied at the side, creating a V neckline that exposed a dainty but prominent collarbone.

“In case you forgot, my name’s Jacoby Smith. Jake.”

“Jake,” she whispered in acknowledgment. “Kathryn Stepp.”

“Nice to meet you, Kathryn, despite the circumstances. Now, shall we?” He nodded at the truck. Reluctantly, her arms folded across her middle, she began to walk in that direction. Shortening his steps to keep pace with her, he asked, “Where can I take you?”

She bit her lips before saying, “I—I need to get to a client’s house. Sandy Cabbot. He’ll be wanting his lunch soon.”

“Don’t know him. How do I get there?”

“Just head on east to the county line, then go left. It’s only a few miles.”

“No problem. You’ll have to point out this county line to me, though.”

She seemed surprised by that. “Oh. All right.”

They drew alongside the truck. Jake opened the front passenger door for her and jerked his thumb toward the back seat. “That’s my boy, Frankie.”

Frankie waved at her. She waved back, smiling timidly, before climbing into the truck. Jake walked around, tossed his hat onto the back seat next to Frankie and slid behind the steering wheel in time to see her pass a trembling hand over her forehead.

He started the engine and rolled up the windows, sitting for a moment to let the cool air from the vents flow over them. “Tough morning, I take it.”

She nodded. He waited. After a long moment, she softly said, “Without that car, I can’t work, and if I can’t work, I can’t fix the car or...” She shrugged morosely.

“I find things usually look better if we give them some time,” Jake told her, getting the truck underway.

Muttering something about time running out, she pulled a cell phone from the pocket of her voluminous skirt. “I have to make a phone call.” He listened unapologetically as she placed the call and spoke into the phone. “Sandy, this is Kathryn again. I’ve got a ride. See you in a few minutes.”

She replaced the phone in her pocket then jerked when Frankie yelled, “Hey, lady!”

Jake briefly closed his eyes. His outgoing, energetic three-year-old didn’t take well to being ignored, and he habitually spoke at the top of his lungs. Tina claimed that was perfectly normal. Applying patience, Jake prepared to remind Frankie to use his “inside voice.” Before he had the chance, Kathryn Stepp twisted and gazed into the back seat.

“Hello.”

“Hay-ell-o!” Frankie repeated happily, mimicking her Oklahoma drawl.

Jake winced, but she laughed. “You’re a cutie.”

“You a cutie!” Frankie bellowed back at her.

“Take it down a notch, please,” Jake instructed.

She glanced at Jake but went on speaking to Frankie. “Are you having fun, riding around with Daddy today?”

“No,” Frankie said bluntly, moderating his volume a bit. “I wanna ride my pony.”

She frowned. “That sounds dangerous. Doesn’t your mama worry you’ll get hurt when you ride your pony?”

Jake leaned forward slightly, watching his son’s face in the rearview mirror.

Frankie replied matter-of-factly. “No. She in heben.”

“Heaven,” Jake corrected gently, relaxing into his seat again.

“Oh,” Kathryn said, sobering. “I’m sorry.”

“She like it,” Frankie said, sounding unconcerned.

“That’s nice.” Turning to Jake, she asked, “He’s only three?”

“About three and a half.”

“He seems big for his age,” she commented, as if that were a worrisome thing.

“Smiths are big men,” Jake muttered defensively.

At the same time, Frankie asked, “S’wat her name?” He often got his contractions backward, substituting s’wat for what’s and s’that for that’s.

“It’s Miss Stepp.” Or so Jake assumed. Surely if she had a husband, she’d have called him for help. On the other hand, maybe the man was out of town. Glancing at her, he asked, “Or is it missus?”

She bit her lips before answering coolly, “Miss.”

Couldn’t say he was surprised. She didn’t seem to trust men. Or was it that she just didn’t like or trust him?

She was a pretty woman, though, with that long, long neck and those intense green eyes and rosy lips. Obviously, she didn’t take much stock in her appearance, given her mismatched garb, straggly hair and utter lack of cosmetics. Even Jolene had known how to get dressed up.

His late wife had been the perfect soldier, but once the uniform had come off, she’d tended toward sparkles and slinky fabrics. He’d often wondered if that had been her way of making up for her dedication to all things military. This quiet, nervous female hardly seemed of the same species. If Jolene’s transportation had broken down beside the road, she’d have commandeered the first vehicle to cross her path.

He supposed that most women would be more cautious. Few had Jolene’s training and confidence, and too many men were willing to take advantage of a woman alone, especially a timid one. Glad that he’d stopped, even if this unexpected passenger was prickly, Jake smiled at her. Instantly, she leaned away from him, her eyes going wide.

So much for chivalry.

* * *

Kathryn had never known how to behave around men, especially the good-looking ones, and Jake Smith definitely fit into that category. With his rumpled black-coffee-colored hair, chiseled features and straight white teeth, he was movie-star handsome, and that dark, prickly shadow practically shouted masculinity. It was the way he moved that made her so nervous, however. Every motion proclaimed him a confident, capable man who had never met an obstacle he couldn’t overcome.

Before getting into the vehicle with him, she’d reasoned that no man with a three-year-old in tow would truly present a threat, but old habits died hard. Since the age of seventeen, Kathryn had been virtually on her own, apart from the wider world, tied to her mom’s bedside by that woman’s debilitating physical condition. Always shy, Kathryn had never been very brave or confident, and from the time of her mother’s accident, she had diligently taken every precaution, especially after her father had abandoned them.

As usual, thoughts of Mitchel Stepp brought a world of worry down on Kathryn. How was she to keep him from forcing the sale of her home when she couldn’t come up with the money to buy him out? And now her car was broken down. If only she could find her mother’s insurance policy. It wouldn’t pay much, but it might be enough to satisfy her father for at least a while. Her salary as a home care provider covered her bills and allowed her to put aside a bit every month to cover the property taxes that would come due at the end of the year, but Mitchel expected thousands, half the value of her house.

As Jake pulled the metallic olive-green truck to a stop in front of Sandy Cabbot’s lonely little farmhouse, he glanced around. “Can someone here give you a ride back to town when you’re finished? I don’t see a car anywhere.”

Shaking her head, she opened the door. “I’ll manage. Thanks for your help.”

“It’s no problem,” he said. “If you want me to look at your car—”

She cut that off right away. “I can’t afford to pay you, Mr. Smith.”

He balanced a forearm against the top of the steering wheel. “Jake. I didn’t ask for payment. And the fact is you can’t go walking far in this heat.”

Stepping out onto the running board, she replied, “We do what we must.” That was one lesson she’d learned early and well.

“What time are you through here?” he asked.

She reached the ground and turned to face him. “Why?”

He pulled off his mirrored shades and tossed them onto the dash, fixing her with a hard stare. His eyes were such a dark brown they were almost black. “What time?”

“Six.” The reply was out before she could stop it.

“Then I’ll be back at six.”

Kathryn bit her lips. She knew she shouldn’t get in that truck with him again. He made her feel...well, not frightened really, but completely inadequate, and she did not need help with that. She cleared her throat anxiously. “That’s not—”

He reached across and pulled the cab door shut.

“—necessary,” she muttered, watching as he backed the truck around and drove away in a cloud of red dust.

Confident, capable, commanding—and apparently not used to taking no for an answer—he was exactly the last sort of man she should find attractive, and that she did find him attractive, wildly so, was reason enough to avoid him. She didn’t know how to deal with a man like him, but then he wouldn’t be interested in a plain, shy, unsophisticated woman like her, anyway. At least she wouldn’t have to walk back to town tonight. How she’d manage tomorrow, she couldn’t imagine, but she’d worry about that, and everything else, later. Moving toward the house, she thought of the boy and smiled.

Hey, lady.

Frankie certainly wasn’t shy. She didn’t know anything about children, but despite losing his mother at such a tender age, he seemed to be happy and well-adjusted, if a bit loud. Nevertheless, with her own mother’s death still fresh in her memory, her heart went out to him.

She wondered what had happened to the late Mrs. Smith. Illness or accident? Mia Stepp’s death had been a combination of the two, her illness a direct result of the automobile accident that had battered her body and left her paralyzed and brain damaged. Kathryn missed her dreadfully, but Frankie’s confident, carefree words concerning his own mother came back to her.

She in heben. She like it.

Kathryn prayed that was so. For both his mother and hers.

As she greeted Sandy, her elderly client, and began checking his vital signs before starting his lunch, she couldn’t help wondering how long ago Mrs. Jake Smith had passed on. And how many women were already lined up to take her place.

It made no difference. She would never see Jake Smith again after this evening.

She certainly would not think of him as her rescuer.

Even if he was.

Chapter Two

Despite Frankie’s many questions, Jake couldn’t get Kathryn Stepp off his mind. You’d think no one had ever done that woman a favor before, Jake mused as he wandered around the auto parts store, waiting for the clerk to bring up his supplies from the warehouse. It cost less for the supplier to ship his goods to the auto parts store in Ardmore than to the ranch.

“S’wat that?” Frankie pointed at a rotating display rack.

“Air freshener. It makes the car smell good.”

“I wan’ it.” Frankie reached out his hand.

Jake took the inexpensive air freshener from the display. In the shape of a fir tree, it smelled of evergreen. He scratched the odor patch on the back of the package and held it to Frankie’s nose. The boy inhaled deeply, smiled and nodded.

“Okay, but after it’s opened it stays in the truck. It’s not a toy.”

Nodding, Frankie reached for the package. Jake handed it over. Frankie immediately reached for another. “Ty’er want one,” he said.

Jake picked up another air freshener for Tyler. They continued wandering the store until the clerk signaled them a few moments later.

After loading boxes into the bed of the truck, they stopped for lunch then ran two more errands before heading home. As Jake turned toward the ranch, he thought of Kathryn Stepp again, of the tears she’d tried to hide from him and the worry in her voice.

Without that car, I can’t work, and if I can’t work, I can’t fix the car. I can’t afford to pay you, Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith.

The contrary woman didn’t like him much, though he was just trying to help her. She did like Frankie, though, and vice versa. That counted with Jake. Besides, how could he not help when he had the skills to do so?

For most of the drive, he mulled over how to convince her to accept his assistance. Maybe Tina could talk Kathryn into letting him work on her car. Or the Billings sisters. The Billingses were a prominent ranching family around War Bonnet, greatly respected for their honesty and generosity. He wondered if he could get Tina to ride with him when he went to pick up Kathryn that evening. It would be an inconvenience. Six was the dinner hour in the Smith household. Why couldn’t Kathryn Stepp just accept his help and let that be that?

Before he could decide how to handle the problem, he came upon her old car. Instinctively, he whipped over to the shoulder of the road and got out. A quick look told him that the little coupe had a standard transmission and the door was unlocked. Jake kept a sturdy chain handy for emergencies such as this. It was the work of minutes to hook up the chain, flick on the flashers and move the car’s transmission out of gear so he could tow it.

“The lady’s car!” Frankie exclaimed gleefully as Jake slowly tugged the little old coupe into motion.

“Yep. The lady’s car,” Jake confirmed, feeling the snap and tug of the chain.

Towing a car like this was risky business, but if he slowed properly he could bring both vehicles to a halt without causing damage to either. He guided the truck and coupe into a slow, arcing turn and made his way to Loco Man Ranch on the outskirts of War Bonnet, where he coasted to a stop in the middle of the compound yard. The coupe came to a rest right behind Tina’s old car.

Tina was driving a brand-spanking-new SUV now, and Ryder was supposed to be driving Tina’s car, but Jake had noticed that his little brother found lots of excuses for driving his brothers’ trucks instead. He couldn’t blame Ryder. All the Smith brothers stood three inches over six feet, and Ryder was by far the biggest, most muscular of the trio. A small car wasn’t a good fit.

Jake took Frankie and their purchases into the house, where Frankie instantly announced, “We got a lady an’er car!”

Tina, who was removing the lunch dishes from the newly installed dishwasher, straightened in surprise. “I need to go shopping more often. What size lady did you get?”

Jake chuckled. “We stopped to help a lady whose car broke down beside the road. I towed it into the yard so I can take a look at it.”

“Oh. Good thing you happened along. Where’s the lady?”

“I took her to work. Gotta go back and get her at six.”

“Ah. I can go get her if you want,” Tina offered lightly. “If you don’t mind eating early.”

He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. But somehow, it did. “I’ll take care of it. Besides, I need to talk to her about her car.” Tina nodded, but for some reason, Jake felt as if he needed to defend himself. “She doesn’t seem to have much money.”

Tina smiled. “Naturally you’ll help her.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he changed the subject. “Frankie’s got something for Tyler. To go in the new SUV.”

“Christmas tree!” Frankie declared, holding the two small packages aloft.

“So that’s why you had to have it.” Jake chuckled. “You’re four months too early, pal.”

Smiling, Tina went to take Frankie’s arm. “Tyler’s in his room. Let’s carry it up to him. Okay?”

Frankie nodded happily, and they moved toward the hallway.

“If you don’t mind keeping an eye on him for a little while,” Jake said quickly, “I’d like to get Kathryn’s car into the barn and go over it.”

Tina shot him a smile over one shoulder. “Sure. And thanks for picking up those things for me.”

“No problem.”

As he headed to the door, Jake heard her say to Frankie, “Kathryn, hmm?”

“Miss Kat’ryn,” Frankie corrected.

Tina’s soft hmm made Jake wince.

Newlyweds always thought everyone around them was trying to couple up. Well, he’d been there and done that already. Besides, even if he dared reach for such happiness again, he suspected that once in a lifetime was all anyone could expect. Maybe it was all he could endure.

* * *

“Where’s Frankie?” Kathryn asked, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.

“Playing with his cousin.”

The truck engine idling, Jake waited patiently until she buckled her seat belt before backing the truck around and heading it down the dirt road.

Kathryn watched Sandy’s little house recede in the side-view mirror of the truck and wondered if she’d ever be back, and if not, what would become of the gaunt, pleasant old man. Nearly ninety, he got around with the help of a walker and in the average week saw just Kathryn and a rural nurse. With his family far away, he depended on professional caregivers.

Out of the blue, Jake Smith said, “I towed your car to Loco Man.”

She gasped. “You did what? I told you, I can’t afford—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he interrupted, shaking a hand at her. “But I couldn’t leave it sitting on the side of the road. It could’ve been hit. And I don’t know where you live, so I couldn’t tow it there. Besides, I can fix it for the cost of the parts. My shop’s not operational yet, but I’ve got everything I need to work on it in the barn.”

Hope welled up inside her. “You’d do that?”

“Sure. I can give you wholesale prices on the parts, too, but it’s still gonna cost in the hundreds,” he warned. “The engine has to be completely rebuilt.”

Her hope of a moment before waned. If only she could find that insurance policy, but she’d looked everywhere she could think to look. The company insisted that they had no record of the changes they’d agreed upon more than a decade ago. Kathryn bit her lips, noticed him watching and stopped. A moment’s thought told her she really had no other choice.

“Put together an estimate then,” she told him uncertainly. “I’ll try to figure out something.” Hopefully, her tax savings would cover it. If not...she didn’t want to go there.

“I’ll calculate the estimate tonight,” he promised. “Now, where am I taking you?”

“Oh. It’s Sixth Street. Number eleven. In War Bonnet, of course.”

They drove along in silence for some time before he abruptly announced that Frankie had begged for air fresheners for himself and his cousin because they came in the shape of Christmas trees. Kathryn had to digest that.

“You mean those evergreen car fresheners?”

“Yep.”

“You know those could be dangerous, don’t you? He shouldn’t put it in his mouth.”

“Relax, worrywart,” Jake said, grinning. “The air fresheners are still in their packages, and once they come out, they’ll be used for their intended purpose.”

“Oh. Well, you can’t be too careful.”

“Really? You mean like accepting rides from strangers on isolated Oklahoma roads?”

She started to say that she hadn’t had any other choice, but suddenly every murder mystery she’d ever read, every cop show she’d ever watched, flitted through her mind.

“Oh, come on,” Jake said. “You’re perfectly safe with me. It was a joke.”

Kathryn caught a swift breath and provided him with a weak smile. “I’m sure I am. It’s just that this has never happened before, and I can’t help worrying. A-about the car.”

“Want me to stop off at the ranch and ask my sister-in-law to ride the rest of the way with us?” he asked, clearly not fooled.

She considered it, but Sandy knew where she was and who she was with. He spent a great deal of time on the phone with his few remaining friends, and word had filtered through the grapevine that the Smith brothers were regular attenders at Countryside Church and friends of the Billings family. Besides, Jake had been very generous with his time and concern thus far. She shook her head, feeling a little foolish.

“No. Thanks for offering, though.”

He smiled, nodded and fell silent again.

It’s just that he’s so handsome, she told herself, and so big.

She was used to standing as tall as most men, or nearly so. Those she met in the grocery store and at the gas station weren’t usually as tall as him. Plus, she knew them, at least by sight or name, and if they spoke to her, she just nodded and moved on. Glancing at Jake’s broad, long-fingered hands, she wondered why none of those other men seemed as strong, capable or dangerous as him. She felt a keen sense of relief—and a puzzling disappointment—when they turned onto Sixth Street.

“This is a lovely part of town,” he remarked, slowly navigating the tree-shaded lane.

“Yes. Our house is the smallest on the street, but it’s so pretty here.”

“Our?” he queried. The word came out sharply.

“It’s my mother’s house,” she murmured, deciding not to mention her mother’s recent death. Of course, he could find out from anybody in town, but why would he? Whether he was a Good Samaritan or merely drumming up business, his only interest would be in her car. He was no threat and couldn’t have any interest in her personally. Still, she owed him no explanations.

He brought the big truck to a halt in the narrow drive, glancing around. “This is really nice.”

Kathryn couldn’t help smiling. She was proud of her flower beds, and she thought the green trim, which matched the shingles on the roof, made a pretty contrast to the white siding.

“About the car,” he said, abruptly switching subjects. “When should I drop off the estimate?”

She didn’t stop to wonder why he didn’t offer to call with the estimate. “I have to be at a client’s house every morning by ten and don’t get off until six.”

How she was going to get to her clients, she had no idea. Sandy had suggested she rent a car from a facility in Ardmore, but a quick telephone call had revealed that even a few days’ rental fee would consume more of her income than she could afford, and it wouldn’t fix her car. Maybe the agency for which she worked could offer a solution. Hopefully, one other than firing her.

Jake nodded. “I see. Okay, then.”

She grappled for the door handle, found it and let herself out of the idling truck. “Thank you so much for your help.”

Smiling in acknowledgment, he nodded again. She shut the door and stepped back. Within moments, he and his truck had disappeared the way they’d come. As Kathryn turned toward the house, she spied old Mrs. Trident glaring at her from the front steps of the house next door. Kathryn waved, but Mrs. Trident simply turned and went back inside.

She’d avoided the Stepp household since Kathryn’s father had stumbled up the wrong steps, drunk and belligerent, one night more than a decade ago. Soon after, realizing that Mia Stepp was never going to recover from her accident, he’d abandoned his handicapped wife and seventeen-year-old daughter, but that didn’t seem to matter to Mrs. Trident. In all those years, Kathryn hadn’t heard from her father until about six months after her mother’s death, when he’d sent a letter demanding that Kathryn sell the house and split the profit with him.

Kathryn started toward her own front door, sighing heavily, but as she traveled along the walkway flanked by daylilies and Shasta daisies, she felt a familiar sense of peace and belonging settle over her. This place had always been her sanctuary, the one safe spot in the whole world. She loved this old house. Living anywhere else seemed unimaginable. Somehow, she had to keep her father from forcing her to sell it. If only she could find that missing insurance policy.

Shaking her head, she pushed aside such thoughts and went indoors to telephone her employer and inform them of her changed circumstances. It wasn’t as if that insurance money could save her house, after all. She simply would not think of everything else it could do.

* * *

“Pretty!” Frankie declared the next morning, pointing to the wreath hanging on the front door of the Stepp house.

Frankie had said the word half a dozen times since they’d pulled into the driveway. While they waited for someone to answer Jake’s knock, Frankie gestured toward the prim white wicker rocking chair on the porch. The ruffles on its flowered cushions fluttered in the breeze.

“I know,” Jake said wryly, smiling down at his son, “pretty.”

The door opened, and Kathryn Stepp gaped at him with obvious alarm. “What are you doing here?”

Wearing a loose, flowered dress that hung almost to her ankles over slender bare feet, she folded her arms, trying—and failing—to fix a stern expression on her face. She looked like a girl playing dress up, a very pretty if somewhat bedraggled girl.

Jake removed his shades, tucked them into his shirt pocket and doffed his pale straw cowboy hat. “Morning.”

Frankie, who knew nothing but exuberance, lurched forward and threw his arms around her, bellowing, “Mording!”

After shooting a shocked, puzzled glance at Jake, Kathryn softened. She leaned forward slightly and returned Frankie’s hug as best she could, shuffling her feet to keep her toes from being squashed by his athletic shoes.

“Good morning. What brings you and your daddy here today?”

“We’re here to give you a ride to work,” Jake answered. Wasn’t it obvious? He removed a folded sheet of paper from his hip pocket. “The ride will give you a chance to look over this estimate.”

Her rosy lips turned down in a frown. “I’m not sure I have a job to go to. It depends on if they’ve found someone to replace me already.”

“Shouldn’t you find out?” Jake asked.

She turned her head, glancing into the room. For the first time, Jake looked past her. The living area was larger than he’d expected, with gleaming wood floors and a painted brick fireplace set against a sage-green interior wall. Colorful throw pillows and a basket of flowers in the center of the coffee table gave the room a cheery note. Clean and bright, the room felt peaceful and welcoming.

Frankie broke free of Kathryn and ran to climb up onto the sofa. “Look, Daddy! Pretty.” He patted a throw pillow.

“Very pretty,” Jake agreed, chuckling.

Kathryn waved a hand absently. “Uh, come in while I... Come in.”

She waited until he stepped inside. Then she closed the door and rushed off down a hallway on the right, calling, “Have a seat! Won’t be long!”

Jake removed his hat, but instead of sitting he waited until he heard a door close, then he glanced into the open doorway of what might have been a den but was now a bedroom. Curious, he walked past the hallway and through a dining area filled with dark, ornate furniture. Peeking into the kitchen, he saw Formica countertops, worn white in places, and rusty chips in the enamel on the sink. The appliances had certainly seen better days, and a few of the stenciled doors on the cabinet hung at a tilt that made him want to reach for a screwdriver and hammer. A vase of daisies stood on the windowsill above the sink.

Jake suddenly thought of his mom, how she had placed feminine little touches all around their Houston home. Those delicate, homey traces had gradually disappeared over the years after her death. Jake walked back into the living room and sank down in the easy chair, his hat in his lap.

“Mizz Kat’ryn gots lotta flowers.” Frankie pronounced flowers as flou-hers.

“Yes, she does.”

“I like flowers.”

“Me, too.”

“Mizz Kat’ryn gotta dog?”

“I don’t know.”

Frankie had been lobbying for a dog of his own ever since Tyler had gotten his pup a couple months earlier. Recently, Stark Burns, the local veterinarian, had shown them a promising litter. Anxious to acquire his own dog, Frankie didn’t understand that the puppies still needed weeks before they could be weaned.

A door opened and footsteps sounded, growing louder until Kathryn appeared, dressed in comfortable blue jeans and a filmy, flowered blouse worn beneath the familiar scrub suit top. Frankie flew toward her and threw his arms around her hips, knocking her back a step.

“Whoa.” She still looked sad and worried, though she patted his back.

Frankie beamed up at her. “You gotta dog?”

“Uh, no, afraid not.” She looked to Jake and changed the subject. “I can work today. They haven’t reassigned my clients yet.”

Yet.

“Sounds like you could be out of a job.”

“I’m afraid so. At least until my car’s fixed.”

Jake got to his feet. “Ready when you are.”

She went to a closet, opened the door and removed the familiar fabric bag.

Meanwhile, Frankie ran and hopped on the couch again, bouncing slightly. “S’let stay here, Daddy.”

Jake shook his head. “Can’t. We have to take Miss Kathryn to work.”

Leaning back against the pillows, Frankie whined, “I wanna stay.”

Nodding, Jake glanced around again. “I understand. It’s very nice.”

Kathryn closed the closet door. “Thank you, but it’s just homemade, secondhand stuff.”

“Homemade?”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t make good sense to throw away things when a little time and effort can turn them into treasures. A torn sheet makes a fine slipcover or set of throw pillows.”

“You made all this?” Jake asked, swirling a hand to encompass the room.

She ducked her head shyly. “I even hooked the rug.”

Impressed, Jake lifted his eyebrows. This was a woman of immense talent. “I suppose you painted the cabinets in the kitchen, too.”

She looked a little taken aback that he’d seen her kitchen, but after a moment she said, “Who else? There’s no one here but me.”

Surprised, Jake tilted his head. “I thought you lived with your mom.”

Kathryn dipped her chin, dropping her gaze. “I—I did. She passed ten months ago, and before that she was far too handicapped to stencil cabinets. Or do much of anything else.”

Jake let that sink in, frowning at the implications. After a moment, he lifted a hand, muttering, “We ought to get on our way.”

Nodding, she followed him and a reluctant Frankie from the house. As he got Frankie settled in the truck, Jake mused that if things went well with the shop, maybe he and Frankie could find their own place and hire Kathryn Stepp to decorate it.

Hire Kathryn Stepp.

An idea sprang into his mind. What if he could convince Wyatt and Tina to hire Kathryn? Tina could certainly use the help getting the ranch house ready for guests. She’d intended to open a bed-and-breakfast in the ranch house from the beginning, and they were already turning away those who wanted to visit relatives in the area. Even if they would only agree to take on Kathryn part-time, that would give her some income.

Realizing that he could say nothing to Kathryn until he’d prayed about this and talked to his brother and sister-in-law, Jake began to marshal his thoughts and put together his arguments. Excited to think that he might have found a solution to Kathryn’s problems that would also help Tina prepare the ranch house for guests, he bit back a smile.

He would benefit from this, too. One way or another, he had to fix Kathryn’s car. Donating his labor was no issue, but paying for the parts himself would take a bite out of his savings, if she would even let him do it. He doubted she would accept that much charity.

At least that’s what he told himself.

It was a far more comfortable thought than the idea that he might like having Kathryn Stepp around the ranch.

Chapter Three

Kathryn folded the list of parts needed to repair her car and slipped it into the bag at her knee, biting her lips. Jake drove in silence for several moments, waiting for her to comment.

“I—I can cover some of this,” she admitted shakily, “but I’d have to pay out the rest.”

“We can arrange that.”

“It could take some time.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“How long do you think the repairs will take?”

“Depends on how much time I have to work on it and how quickly I can find all the parts. Three, four weeks, at least.” He’d hoped to be well on his way to opening his shop by then, but now he’d have to divide his time between building the shop and working on her car. Seeing the tears that shimmered in her eyes, he said nothing of his own concerns.

“I asked the agency to hold my job, but I doubt they will. Reliable transportation is part of the employment contract.”

“Things will work out. We can arrange rides for a while.”

She shifted uncertainly in her seat. “Oh, I couldn’t ask—”

“In fact,” he went on, as if she hadn’t spoken, “I’d be pleased to offer you a ride to prayer meeting tonight.”

Eyes wide, mouth ajar, she looked as if he’d reached out and slapped her. “Uh, no thank you. That is...” She turned red in the face. “I d-don’t think it’s a good idea.”

For him to take her to prayer meeting, she meant. At least that was his assumption. He couldn’t figure out why she disliked him so much. He’d done his best to be gentlemanly and helpful. Well, if she didn’t like him, she didn’t like him. So be it. Still, she needed help, and Frankie was absolutely taken with her, so Jake would do his best.

This second client lived even farther from town than her first one. After they arrived at the elderly woman’s house, Kathryn thanked him, shouldered her bag and got out of the truck. Frankie began slapping his palm against his window and calling to her.

“Mizz Kat’ryn! Mizz Kat’ryn!”

Jake rolled down the window. Kathryn leaned inside, saying, “Bye, Frankie.”

To Jake’s surprise, Frankie smacked a big kiss on her cheek. “Bye-bye!”

Smiling, Kathryn threaded an arm through the window and hugged him. “Have a great day.”

“Hab gread day!” Frankie called as she hurried into the house. He sighed as if quite satisfied with himself.

Shaking his head, Jake rolled up the window and drove back toward the ranch, wondering why Frankie was so fixated on her. His sudden affection seemed out of proportion, especially given how much she disliked Jake. Kathryn had made it very clear that she didn’t want anything more to do with him than she must. That being the case, he hoped she wouldn’t turn down any job offer that came from the Smiths. Then how would she manage the repair of her car?

Jake decided to ask Tina to pick up Kathryn that evening. Maybe Kathryn would be more comfortable dealing with a woman, and getting to know Tina might make her more amenable to him. That way, even if Wyatt and Tina decided against hiring her, maybe Jake would ask her to watch Frankie for a few days. That would give Kathryn a little income and let Frankie spend some time with her.

If only she would agree.

* * *

Kathryn stared at the empty road and bit her lips. She’d assumed Jake would return to pick her up at the end of the day, but now that she thought of it, he hadn’t said as much. Instead, he’d offered to give her a ride to prayer meeting. Had her refusal to attend the prayer meeting left him with the impression that she didn’t need a ride home from work?

Unfortunately a ride was the least of her needs. The agency had called earlier to inform her that they had reassigned her clients. She was welcome to reapply once she had secured transportation again, but until then, she would be removed from their roster. The fact that she’d expected to lose her job didn’t soften the blow.

Suddenly, she spied a trail of dust being thrown up by a vehicle headed her way. She muttered a quick prayer of thanks and waved. To her surprise, as the vehicle barreled closer she saw that it was a large burgundy-red SUV, not the familiar olive-green pickup.

The SUV came to an abrupt stop near her, and a shapely woman with short, stylish, reddish-brown hair leaped out. Wearing jeans and a simple checked blouse with the tail tucked in and the collar turned up, she plucked off her sunshades and smiled.

“Kathryn?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Tina Smith. Sorry I’m late. If Jake had given me a little more lead time, I’d have had dinner on the table early enough to keep you from standing out here in the heat.”

“Oh. Uh. So Jake isn’t coming?”

“He and the rest of the guys are on their way to prayer meeting. I didn’t see any reason for all of us to be late.”

“Prayer meeting,” Kathryn murmured. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how much I was imposing.”

Tina waved her words away. “No, no. Don’t worry about it.” With that, she got back into the vehicle.

Kathryn didn’t know what to do except slide in on the passenger side. “I hate putting you out like this.”

Tina waved a hand dismissively and put the SUV in motion.

“I—I don’t suppose Jake told you that I live on Sixth Street in War Bonnet, did he?”

“In War Bonnet?” Tina echoed. “Nope. He left out that little detail.” She shrugged. “Well, it won’t hurt me to miss one prayer meeting.”

Katherine winced. “I hate to be the cause of that.”

“Well,” Tina said cautiously, “you could always go to prayer meeting with me.”

Kathryn immediately shook her head. “I’m still in my work clothes.”

“You’re dressed as well as I am,” Tina pointed out.

Kathryn bit her lips. It was just that she hadn’t been to church in years. Her mother had required almost constant care, allowing breaks of only minutes to do the shopping and household chores. Years earlier they’d attended Countryside Church together, but Kathryn doubted she’d know anyone there anymore. Still, keeping Tina Smith away from church seemed selfish and ungrateful. At least, Kathryn mused, she’d surrendered to impulse that morning and worn the flowered blouse.

“I guess I’ll go to prayer meeting with you. I can remove the uniform top.”

Tina beamed at her. “Great! We just might make it on time then.”

Kathryn struggled out of the uniform top and stuffed it in her bag before pulling out a brush and going after her hair, raking it back from her forehead to the ends.

“That’s a very pretty blouse,” Tina said.

“Thanks. It was my mom’s.”

“It looks new.”

“She never got to wear it. Right after she bought it, she was in a serious car wreck.”

“I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

Kathryn nodded and softly said, “She was paralyzed from the chest down.”

“How sad.”

For some reason, Kathryn found herself going on. “She had partial use of her left arm, but there were neurological issues, too. She couldn’t speak more than the odd word, and for the rest of her life she suffered terrible seizures that choked her and cut off her air.”

“Poor thing. I take it she’s passed.”

“Ten months ago.”

“Was she ill for a long time?”

“Just over eleven years.”

Tina shook her head. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been.”

“Very difficult,” Kathryn admitted, “especially after my father left, but I learned what to do.”

“Your father left, so you cared for her yourself?”

“Every day.”

“How old were you?”

“Seventeen when the accident happened. You’d be surprised how much I miss her. But at least caring for her gave me the skills to find work after she was gone. Honestly, I have no regrets.”

“You shouldn’t,” Tina said fervently. “What a wonderful daughter you are. Your mom had to know that.”

Blushing, Kathryn dropped her gaze. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“No wonder Jake is so concerned for you.”

Kathryn’s gaze zipped right back up to Tina’s profile. “Oh, Jake doesn’t know. I mean, we haven’t discussed it.”

“No? Huh. Well, he is concerned, and he’ll help if you let him.” She glanced at Kathryn. “But that’s the Smith brothers for you.”

For the rest of the drive, Tina regaled Kathryn with the story of how she’d met the Smith brothers and married the eldest one. Clearly, she was wild about Wyatt Smith. “Jake’s the most wonderful father,” she enthused as she parked the SUV in the church lot. “We can thank Frankie for that. Isn’t he the most adorable kid?”

“He is,” Kathryn agreed, getting out of the vehicle when Tina did.

“I think Frankie is why Wyatt so easily accepts my son,” Tina went on, coming around to meet Kathryn. “Wyatt took care of Frankie when Jake and Jolene were deployed.”

“Deployed?”

Taking her arm, Tina turned Kathryn toward the building. They fell in step as they moved toward the door. “They were both career army. Didn’t you know? I don’t think Jake would ever have taken discharge if his wife hadn’t died.”

“I see.” The poor man. Kathryn bit her lips, but she couldn’t keep herself from asking, “What happened?”

“Training exercise.”

“Oh. Wow.”

Kathryn pondered that as they walked through the wide church foyer and into the sanctuary. Perhaps half-full, with the congregants gathered near the front of the space, the long, bright hall with its pale woods and white, padded pews felt foreign to Kathryn. The last time she’d been here, the room had been dark and shadowy, making it much easier to slip in unnoticed. As they moved toward the front of the sanctuary, a tall, handsome, solidly built man with dark, curly hair stood and started up the aisle to greet them, a smile on his face. Jake got up and followed along behind him.

“You made it.”

“Kathryn was kind enough to come with me. Kathryn, this is my husband, Wyatt.”

Wyatt Smith put out his big hand and gave Kathryn’s a hearty shake. Like Jake, Wyatt had dark brown eyes and the shadow of a heavy beard on his square jaw and chin.

“Nice to meet you, Kathryn.”

Tina looked to Jake then smiled and said, “She’ll do.”

Before Kathryn could ponder that statement, the Billings sisters rushed up to greet Kathryn with exuberant hugs.

“It’s so good to see you!”

“KKay! How marvelous you look!”

Ann Billings swept a hand across the ends of Kathryn’s hair. “You used to have the longest, thickest ponytail I’ve ever seen.”

“All the boys called you Rapunzel,” Meri said, laughing.

“I remember,” Kathryn murmured, overwhelmed by the greeting.

The pastor entered through a door at the rear of the auditorium just then, and the piano started playing. Wyatt urged the women forward. “Better sit.”

Jake held out a hand. Kathryn nodded, smiling weakly at the Billings sisters, and quickly entered the pew. Jake followed, with Tina and Wyatt bringing up the rear.

“KKay?” Jake murmured into her ear. She crossed her arms to quell the shiver that rushed over her skin.

“An old nickname,” she whispered. “My middle name is Kay.”

“Ah.”

She sat down next to a big, muscle-bound man with sleek black hair and the dark Smith eyes and beard shadow. He nodded at her.

“My baby brother, Ryder,” Jake said softly. He placed a hand on her arm, saying to his brother, “Kathryn Stepp.”

At Jake’s touch, Kathryn again fought a shiver.

Ryder Smith smiled. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

Someone passed Ryder several papers then. He handed one to Kathryn and the rest to Jake, who passed them on. Glancing down, she saw a list of names and prayer requests. She’d requested prayers for her mother while Mia had languished in the hospital in Oklahoma City all those years ago. Would it have made a difference if she’d come to pray in person?

After the music, the pastor said a few words then prayed not only for those on the printed list but also for those who turned in request cards that evening. After the pastor, others began to pray aloud. Kathryn kept her head down, but every second she felt Jake’s warm presence at her elbow. Again, she wondered if she’d offended him earlier by initially refusing to attend this meeting. She should’ve explained how uncomfortable big groups of strangers made her.

As the service came to a close, she glanced around her while waiting to exit the pew. She didn’t know the current pastor, but to her surprise she knew quite a few of those present.

Tina was already at the door at the back of the sanctuary before Kathryn made it out to the aisle. Slipping around Jake, Kathryn quickly followed the other woman.

The Billings sisters waylaid her again in the foyer, chatting about the changes in their lives. Both had married and borne children. Their husbands soon joined them, little ones in tow. Kathryn looked on with sharp, silent envy. Meri commented on the bag that Kathryn carried, but before Kathryn could reply, something hit her from the side so hard that she stumbled. Out of nowhere, Jake steadied her, his hands at her shoulders.

“Frankie!” he scolded. “You nearly bowled her over.”

Kathryn felt the boy’s arms hugging her even as she looked down.

“I sorwy,” he said, his eyes huge in his little face.

Smiling, Kathryn smoothed his dark, shaggy hair. “No harm done. Hello again.”

He grinned at her. “Hello.”

“KKay has an admirer,” Meri observed, chuckling.

Frankie’s brow wrinkled. “KKay?”

“It’s an old nickname,” Kathryn told him. “Something my friends used to call me.”

“KKay my fren!” Frankie announced.

Chuckling, Kathryn said, “Yes. We’re friends.”

Conversation continued for several more minutes. Terribly aware of Jake at her back, Kathryn struggled to pay attention, saying little. Finally, the Billings sisters and their families began to leave. Glancing around, Kathryn realized with a start that only she, Jake and Frankie remained. When had Tina left?

“Come on,” Jake said, his hand against the small of her back. “We’ll take you home.”

Kathryn tried not to tremble at his touch or look into his eyes for fear he would see how he affected her. Instead, she simply allowed him to escort her from the building, Frankie at his side.

“What did you think of Tina?” he asked, pointing to his truck.

“She’s nice. I like her.”

“I talked to her about you. If you’re interested, we have a place for you at Loco Man.”

Shocked, Kathryn came to a halt, bleating, “Wha-a-t?”

“A job,” Jake explained. “Tina’s got her hands full with her son and the B and B.” Stopping in his tracks, he turned to face Kathryn. Beside them, Frankie listened to the conversation with interest.

Kathryn shook her head. “B and B? As in bed-and-breakfast?”

“That’s right. She’s planned to turn the ranch house into a bed-and-breakfast ever since Uncle Dodd left it to her.”

Kathryn shook her head again, confused. “I—I thought he left the place to you and your brothers.”

“He left the ranch to me and my brothers. The house is Tina’s. But it’s all worked out for everyone. The thing is, Tina could use some help, and you seem well qualified. You cook, right?”

“Why, yes.”

“And you clean.”

“Of course.”

“And you obviously sew and like to decorate. Tina’s at the decorating stage now, and she won’t rent rooms until she has the house looking like she wants it. Oh, and I might ask you to watch Frankie. I dump him on her too often. When I have to take him along with me, he misses naps and playtime.”

Kathryn tried to wrap her mind around this. “You want me to cook, clean, help Tina open a bed-and-breakfast and watch your son. Is that right?”

“That about covers it.”

“But why?”

“I told you. Tina needs the help. And Frankie thinks you’re great. If you can watch him at least some of the time, it’ll free me up to work on your car. Seems like a win for everyone.”

Kathryn tried to formulate a reply, but her mind was reeling. Had that conversation on the ride here with Tina been a kind of job interview? Did she dare work for Jake Smith and his family? She could cook and clean, no problem, but as for the rest, she just didn’t know. Despite her need for income, her natural caution wouldn’t allow her to accept without thinking through this offer.

They reached the truck. Jake picked up Frankie and settled him into his seat while Kathryn let herself into the cab. Suddenly so burdened with concern that she felt on the verge of tears, Kathryn couldn’t speak. In the charged atmosphere, even Frankie remained silent on the drive to her house. She just kept wondering how this had happened.

She’d liked her job. All three of her clients were sweet, harmless, elderly folk, and she knew she’d made positive differences in their lives. What did she know about children? As adorable as Frankie was, she had no experience with little ones, boys especially. And the idea of seeing Jake on a daily basis made her insides quake.

The man rattled her in ways she couldn’t even describe. He’d hit her life with all the force of a whirlwind, a tall, dark, handsome whirlwind that somehow threatened to blow her careful, tidy existence to pieces. Everything familiar and comfortable in her life had disappeared since she’d met him.

Everything but her home. She still had that. For now. Without income, she’d never be able to fix her car, let alone buy out her father.

When Jake and Frankie dropped her off at home, Jake said, “Just think about it.”

Nodding, she let herself out of the truck and trudged inside to consider her options. She made a list of all the businesses in town within walking distance, but she already knew that those employed locally tended to hang on to their jobs. Calling other home care companies in the area would do no good. They’d all require proof of transportation, just as her last employer had. So it was sit at home for weeks without pay until Jake Smith got her old car running, and then hope she could get hired on with the agency again. Or accept his job offer. Seemed odd to let him pay her so she could afford to pay him for fixing her car, but she didn’t see any other choice.

Despite her emotional exhaustion, she slept little that night and rose early the next morning to prepare herself to accept the job at Loco Man Ranch. With no idea when Jake—or Tina—might reach out to her again, she made a second cup of coffee and carried it out to the porch where she sat and waited, long enough that she finally resorted to prayer.

Lord, can’t anything ever be easy? Can’t You help? Are You even there? What if Jake’s thought better of hiring me? What if I never get my car running and lose my house? I don’t understand what’s happening. I’m afraid.

She was so tired of being afraid.

With the temperature climbing to an uncomfortable level, she decided to go inside, but before she could get up, she heard the sound of tires on pavement and looked around to see a familiar olive-green truck turning into her drive. Correction, army green. So great was her relief that she feared collapsing if she tried to stand, and that kept her in her seat as Jake got out and came to her. Without a word, he crouched in front of her and pushed back the brim of his hat before removing his sunshades. Offering her a swift smile, he balanced his forearms atop his knees.

“You really should give me your phone number,” she said crisply, foregoing a greeting and keeping her gaze on his chin. The man was just too handsome.

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he dropped his head. She suspected that he was hiding a grin, but when he looked up, he appeared perfectly composed.

“I can do that. We’ll need yours, of course. Meanwhile, Tina would like for you to join us for lunch. She’ll show you around the house and give you a feel for what needs doing.”

Kathryn pulled in a deep breath, ignoring the way her heart sped up when his deep brown eyes met her gaze. “You should understand two things. One, I know nothing about children. Two, as soon as you get my car running again, I’ll find a real job.”

“You’ll do fine with the kids,” he said. “You’re careful and protective. Besides, in case of an emergency, there are four other adults around the place. And this is a real job.”

“This is pity,” Kathryn scoffed softly, dropping her gaze, “however well intended.”

“No, no, no. Tina really needs the help. The duties are many and varied. Once the B and B opens, I suspect she’ll even want you to help with the guests.”

That surprised Kathryn. Didn’t he see how uncomfortable she was dealing with strangers? “Oh, I’m not sure I’m cut out for that.”

“How will you know if you don’t try?” he cajoled gently. “You might surprise yourself. Anyone who can do what you did for your mother ought to be able to manage just about anything.”

Obviously, Tina had reported their conversation to him. Kathryn found, to her surprise, that she didn’t much mind, especially given the sound of respect in his voice.

“We’ll see.”

“Then you’ll take the job?”

“Yes. And thank you.”

“No need for that.” He pushed up to a standing position and slid his glasses back into place before tugging down the brim of his hat. “We need the help. You need the job. It’s that simple.”

It might be that simple for him, but Kathryn wasn’t so sure about her own part in this. Oh, why did he have to be so handsome and generous? She rose and squared her shoulders, preparing for an uncomfortable day.

Eventually, she told herself, she’d lose this strange, hopeless attraction. Meanwhile, she’d have income. Then, once her car was repaired, she could put as much distance as necessary between herself and Jacoby Smith.

Please, God, she prayed. Let it be soon.

Hopefully before she made a complete fool of herself.

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