“I want to make it clear that I will pay for my dinner and Ellie’s.”

Evan shook his head. “I invited you.”

“No, you didn’t,” Julia said. “Your daughter did.”

“That’s the same thing.” His sharp gaze drilled into her, his mouth firmed in a hard line.

“Sorry, I pay my own way.”

He smiled. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn?”

“Oh, on a number of occasions.”

Evan glanced toward the doorway that led to the hall. “While the girls are still playing, I have a question. Why did you correct me earlier when I called you Mrs. Saunders?”

Homecoming Heroes: Saving children and finding love deep in the heart of Texas

Mission: Motherhood —Marta Perry

July 2008

Lone Star Secret —Lenora Worth

August 2008

At His Command —Brenda Coulter

September 2008

A Matter of the Heart —Patricia Davids

October 2008

A Texas Thanksgiving —Margaret Daley

November 2008

Homefront Holiday —Jillian Hart

December 2008

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and participated in many sports with her students.

A Texas Thanksgiving
Margaret Daley

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Margaret Daley for her contribution to the Homecoming Heroes miniseries.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name.

— Psalms 100:4

To three special girls,

Ashley, Alexa and Abbey

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

“A m I glad you are finally here, Julia. I need help!”

Olga Terenkov, dressed in a jean skirt with a leather vest, cowboy boots and large pieces of turquoise jewelry, planted herself in front of Julia Saunders.

“What’s the problem?” Julia asked and placed her cherry pie on the dessert table.

“Too many pets. When I decided to have Show and Pet for the children, I never thought they would bring everything from a boa to a pig! Those are not pets!” In her exasperation, Olga’s Russian accent became heavier.

“And my daughter just brought a goldfish,” Julia said and peered around the grief counselor to search for Ellie among the crowd of parishioners at the church picnic. Her daughter had raced toward her friends the second she’d climbed from the car. Ellie stood in the middle of a group of children showing them her new and only pet swimming in its plastic bowl.

Leading a pony, a little girl with light brown shoulder-length hair joined the group of kids. Her daughter immediately latched on to the cute animal, holding her small fishbowl in one hand and stroking the pony with the other. Ellie, even though she was only five, wanted to learn to ride ever since they had arrived at Prairie Springs from Chicago four months ago. Julia was sure she would hear about her daughter’s renewed longing later that night.

Olga gestured toward the newest arrival. “See? Next someone will bring a rat.”

“What can I do to help?”

“I need someone to get the Show and Pet organized, to be in charge. I thought all we would have were a few cats and dogs. Where are the normal pets?” The older woman threw her arms up in the air. “I’ve got Paige’s dad to help, too. I need all the animals moved over there.” Olga pointed toward an area roped off with a few temporary pens set up. “Can you do that for me?”

“I was supposed to help Anna with the food.”

“Oh, she’s got more than enough with David, Caitlyn and Steve. See?” Olga fluttered her hand toward the end of the long tables.

“Then, sure. I’d be happy to help with the pets.” This from a woman who had never owned a pet, except now—a low-maintenance goldfish. Julia spied her friend Anna giving instructions to a small army of volunteers and wished she could take back her words. She would be better handling the food.

“Who’s Paige’s dad?” Julia asked, still learning all the children’s names. This was only her third Sunday attending Prairie Springs Christian Church.

“You see that handsome cowboy over there?” Olga nodded her head in the direction of the group of children Ellie was in the midst of. “That’s Paige’s dad, Evan Paterson.”

Julia found the man Olga indicated. He was the picture of a quintessential Texan cowboy one would see in an ad campaign. His image had plagued her dreams since her first glimpse of him from across the room at Ellie’s elementary school. Her daughter had talked about Paige, but Julia hadn’t realized the connection between Ellie’s classmate and the tall, lean man with sandy brown hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

“I’m surprised you don’t know him. Paige and Ellie are in the same kindergarten class. That’s Paige with your daughter. She brought the pony.”

For a few seconds Julia studied the little girl, who had befriended her daughter, before she again found herself zeroing in on the Texan cowboy. “I saw him at Back to School Night a few weeks ago, but we didn’t meet. I didn’t realize he went to this church.”

“He goes to the early service, and don’t you attend the late one?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then I will introduce you two, and you can start getting that menagerie under control.” Olga spun around and moved toward the group of children.

Julia heaved a sigh and followed. Every alarm in her body went off the closer she came to the kids and Evan Paterson. There was something about the man that reminded her of—

“Evan, I want you to meet Julia Saunders. I’ve talked her into helping you with the animals.”

He pivoted toward them, tipping back his black cowboy hat, his mouth cocked in a grin. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Likewise.” Julia fit her hand in his and shook it. His firm, self-assured grip left a warmth on her palm that she couldn’t quite ignore.

“I’ll leave you two to work this out—” Olga swept her arm across the scene in front of them “—before we have animals running loose all over the place. Now I wish I had gotten more pens.”

At that moment one of the Mayhew twins let go of her large dog’s leash while turning her attention to the pony. The black Lab darted through the group of children and made a beeline for the food table. Quick, as if he was used to roping dogs, Evan leaped forward and snatched up the end of the leash. The Lab came to a grinding halt a few feet away from the desserts.

Olga clapped. “Very good. For a second I thought we were at a rodeo.”

Julia chuckled at the “aw, shucks” look that appeared in Evan’s eyes and the touch of color that brushed lightly across his cheeks.

He lowered the brim of his hat to shield his expression and gave the leash back to the little girl. “Josie, keep a tight rein on your dog.”

Before Julia could say anything, Evan put his two fingers in his mouth and trilled an ear-piercing whistle that silenced the clamor. “I need everyone to get their pets and move over there.” He pointed toward the corded-off area.

Olga leaned close and whispered to Julia, “That’s his military training. A cowboy in uniform. You can’t go wrong there.”

Then Olga hurried away, leaving Julia speechless for a good minute. She’d heard from Anna about her mother’s “little matchmaking” schemes, and now Julia was sure she had become the object of one. Little did Olga know that she wasn’t in the market for anything that looked remotely like romance.

When Julia swung her attention back to the problem at hand, she realized she was standing by herself while all the pets and children headed toward the area Evan had indicated. He was more organized than she was.

“That man doesn’t need any help,” she muttered to herself and started forward.

Julia came up behind Evan. “Reporting for duty.” She curled her hand to keep from saluting.

After directing his daughter and her pony to one of the pens, he wheeled around, pushing his cowboy hat up on his forehead to reveal the amusement in his eyes. “It’s hard to get away from something that was a part of my life for years. When faced with overwhelming odds, I always fall back into my military training.”

“And come out fighting?”

His laughter peppered the air, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that gave him character deepened. “I was a sergeant and used to giving orders to the men in my unit.”

“Then if you’ve got everything under control, I’ll go help Anna with the food.”

“And disappoint Olga?”

“Then you know what she’s up to.”

“I’ve known Olga for quite some time. She can be a steamroller, a sweet one but nevertheless a determined one, too. I find it easier to go along until she is out of view.”

Uncomfortable with the topic of their matchmaking, Julia searched for a safer subject to discuss. “So, you’ve been a member of this church for a while?”

“Yes, and you’re new. How long have you been attending? This is the first time I’ve seen you here.”

“Three weeks. I tried out some other churches in Prairie Springs, but this one fits my spiritual needs.”

“Help! I’ve lost my kitten!” a little boy shouted.

The twenty-pound “kitten” jumped over a rabbit’s cage and landed on the pig’s back, sending it charging forward. The cat continued its trek through the animals, causing a mutt and a German shepherd to chase after it while dragging their owners. After scurrying up a nearby oak, the pet that started the chaos perched itself on a top limb, staring at the dogs barking at the bottom of the tree. A picture of the cat in Alice in Wonderland popped into Julia’s mind.

Shaking the image from her thoughts, Julia hurried into the melee. She intended to calm the children who still had control of their pets while Evan waded through the dogs by the oak tree. He grabbed the collar first of the mutt, then the German shepherd and hauled them both to their waiting owners.

Cradling the fishbowl in her lap, Ellie sat next to Paige. Both girls giggled.

Julia stopped in front of her daughter. “I’m glad someone thinks this is funny.”

Ellie put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to contain her laughter. “Taylor did that on purpose. He wanted to see what would happen, Mommy. He thought the dog was funny earlier.”

Julia knelt by her daughter and Paige. “Can I count on you two to help me?” After both girls nodded, she continued. “Paige, put your pony into the first pen while I get the pig into the second one.”

“What about my goldfish?” Ellie still held her bowl.

“I don’t think we have to worry about your fish getting away. You can set it up on something high enough where the other animals won’t bother it,” Julia said, smoothing Ellie’s brown wavy hair back from her face. “Honey, if you and Paige can get all the kids with dogs over there—” Julia pointed toward a roped-off area at the far end “—that would be a big help.”

“When is Show and Pet gonna start?” Paige tugged on her pony’s reins.

“When we have some kind of control on the situation.” Julia prayed those weren’t her famous last words concerning this activity.

Two hours later Evan stood off to the side watching Julia supervise the kids while they showed off their animals and let anyone who wanted to pet them. She would make a great sergeant in the army. Not only efficient and hard-nosed when she needed to be, but she’d also organized the children and their pets while he’d climbed the ladder and brought down the “kitten” that had started the whole mess.

By the time he was back on the ground, he didn’t have anything to do except observe her in action, a petite woman with long wavy brown hair and eyes the color of a new leaf on a maple tree. Every movement had a purpose, but when a child needed extra attention she was there to give it, even to the little boy who had caused the commotion with his cat.

Leaning back against a pole, where a goldfish bowl resided, he folded his arms across his chest and let his daughter give some of the smaller children rides on her pony, Sugar. Paige had wanted more responsibility and this was as good a time as any to give her some.

Julia Saunders approached him, a smile deep in those green eyes. He lowered his gaze to her full-lipped mouth, set in a smile directed at him. For a few seconds a trapped sensation took hold of him until he shook some sense into himself. No way was he going down that path. Ever. Again.

“Your daughter’s pony has been a huge success. This is Ellie’s second ride.” She stopped next to him and immediately the scent of lavender wafted to him.

“She wanted to bring all her pets. I put my foot down and told her only one. Now I’m glad I did. That’s all we need is more animals.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, you don’t think forty-four is enough?”

“You counted them?”

“In order to keep up with them.”

A woman after his own heart. He was liking her more and more. And that was the problem. He didn’t need a woman in his life.

Evan pushed off the post. “I’d better get Sugar back in the trailer. We need to be leaving.”

“So soon?”

He swung his attention to Julia. “I thought the picnic was winding down. I’ve seen a few families taking their stuff to their cars.”

Two patches of red colored her cheeks. “I meant—I…” She averted her gaze. “My daughter is going to be disappointed that Paige is leaving. They have been inseparable today.”

“I’ve noticed. She’s mentioned Ellie to me a few times. I didn’t realize she was your daughter.”

The picture of Julia, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a red jacket with black trim, materialized in his mind. The first time he’d seen her across the kindergarten room she had been talking with the teacher, her hands gesturing as she spoke. He could almost tell what she was saying by their movements. Very expressive.

He’d made his rounds looking at the pictures the students had drawn of their families and home, then at some of his daughter’s work on her desk. Although the whole time his gaze kept straying to the petite woman with Sarah Alpert, he stayed across the room. He knew trouble when he saw it.

“Ellie’s birthday is in a few weeks. I haven’t been here that long. Where’s a good place to have a birthday party?”

“All I’ve heard from Paige is about how great The Amazing Pizza is. According to my daughter, it has everything a person having a birthday could want. Rides, games, food, all indoors under one roof. She’s already working on me for hers in January.”

“Thanks. I’ll look into it.” She slid him a look. “Unless you think Paige would be upset if Ellie had hers there before she did?”

Evan chuckled. “Hardly. If I told her I was taking her there every weekend, I would have a happy camper.” He saw his daughter and Ellie heading for them. “But don’t say anything to her about it. I want to surprise her. She thinks we’re gonna have it at the ranch.”

“She doesn’t want it at the ranch?”

“No way.”

“Ellie would love to have her party somewhere like that. All she talks about is learning to ride a horse.”

“Sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have,” he said in a low voice.

“Daddy, can Ellie come spend the night tonight? I want to show her my other pets you wouldn’t let me bring.”

“I have some work I need to do when I get home. I don’t…” He swallowed his next words when a disappointed expression descended over his daughter’s face. He was being manipulated, but Paige had been through a rough nine months. Her mother had died suddenly of a drug overdose, and now her aunt, Evan’s little sister Whitney, was missing in action. “Sure. That is, if Mrs. Saunders says yes.”

“Mommy, can I?”

Julia’s gaze flitted from one girl to the other, then settled on him. “Are you sure? We can make it another time if you have work to do.”

“No, that’s okay. The girls can help me.”

“Then it’s fine by me.”

Paige threw her arms around him. “Thanks. We’d better get moving then.” She whirled around and raced toward Sugar tied to a post with Ellie quickly catching up with her.

“That quick exit is my daughter’s way of saying let’s get out of here before he changes his mind,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll bring the girls to church tomorrow for Sunday-school class.”

“That’s great. I’ll pick her up here then.”

The girls approached with the pony. Ellie grabbed her fishbowl off the post and hugged it against her chest.

“Do you mind following me to my apartment so I can pack an overnight bag for Ellie? I don’t think that outfit will look too good for church tomorrow.” Julia gestured toward her daughter, whose jeans and long sleeve striped shirt were dirty. “It shouldn’t be too far out of your way.”

“Mommy, why don’t you bring it out later before you go over to Anna’s tonight? We have a lot to do before it gets dark.”

“I could,” Julia replied with hesitation in her voice. “I haven’t been on a ranch yet. We didn’t have too many in Chicago.”

“Daddy has a big one. It’s the best in Texas.” Paige tugged on the reins and led Sugar toward the horse trailer.

As the girls walked away, their heads bent together, Evan sighed. “I think we’re being manipulated.”

“You think?”

Evan strode toward his truck with Julia beside him. “The ranch isn’t too far outside of town. It’s on Johnson Road about three miles out. I have a sign over the entrance that says the Double P Ranch.”

“Double P?”

“After Paige. It’s all for her. Her heritage.”

Julia retrieved the fishbowl from Ellie before she climbed up into the cab of the pickup. “I’ll be there by six.”

Evan opened the back of the horse trailer and took the reins from his daughter. “We’ll still be at the barn. Stop by there, Mrs. Saunders.”

After Paige scurried to the passenger door of the truck, Julia said, “It isn’t Mrs. Saunders but Miss Saunders. I’ve never been married,” then strolled toward her dark green Ford Mustang.

Julia drove east on Johnson Road, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel in time with an eighties tune blaring from the radio. She was running a little late and hated to be since she was usually on time unless Ellie was involved.

She’d had her hand on the doorknob heading out of her apartment when the phone rang. She’d thought about ignoring it, but as a social worker, she knew emergencies occurred even on a Saturday night.

“Mommy, I need ya to bring my movie, The Parent Trap. ”

Ellie gave her directions where to find her treasure box with the DVD in it. Julia smiled at the thought of the items in her daughter’s decorated shoe box. There was a plastic horse that her daughter had informed her was exactly the kind she wanted for her birthday, a picture of the two of them together in front of the apartment building in Chicago and a stack of letters from Grandma….

Thinking of her mother brought back memories that ladened her heart with sadness. Ellie hadn’t seen her grandmother much, even though they had lived in the same town for most of her young life.

Tears misted Julia’s eyes. I’m sorry, Dad, Mom. I’m so sorry.

She swiped at her cheeks and focused ahead on the asphalt pavement.

Suddenly, a loud pop exploded in the air, and her Mustang jerked to the left toward the ditch alongside the highway. She swallowed the panic down and tried to gain control of her car. She turned the steering wheel to the right but it was too late.

Chapter Two

I’ ve never been married. In his barn Evan stabbed the pitchfork into the hay to fill his wheelbarrow. She’d said that then left him to wonder what she’d meant, especially by the almost defensive tone in her voice. A warning? It shouldn’t mean a thing to him, but it did. He would chalk it up to his curiosity, except that it was more than that.

Julia Saunders intrigued him.

Against his better judgment.

If she’d said it to warn him away, then she didn’t need to worry because the last thing he wanted to do was get involved with a woman. Not after Diane.

If she’d said it to shock him, she clearly didn’t know him well. He didn’t shock easily, not after his experiences in the war. He’d seen the scope of human tragedy.

And human joy.

Life and death, at its elemental core.

“Daddy, we cleaned out the stall. Can we ride the horse now?” Paige skidded to a stop in front of him with Ellie right behind her.

“Let me finish putting fresh hay in the last one, then I’ll saddle Bessie for y’all to ride.”

“We’re really gonna get to ride a horse?” Ellie asked his daughter as they strolled to the mare’s stall.

Evan stared at the darkening sky beyond the opened barn doors, then checked his watch. Ellie’s mother was late. Thirty minutes, which for some reason surprised him. He figured her to be someone who would be on time. He shrugged and loaded his pitchfork with more hay. He’d been wrong before about a person—disastrously so.

The strains of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” blasted from his jean pocket. He laid the tool against the wheelbarrow and retrieved his cell phone.

“Paterson here.”

“Evan, this is Julia.” Her voice was quivering.

His military training taking over, he straightened, checking to see where the girls were. After he found them, he continued to sweep the area. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m in a ditch along Johnson Road, I’m guessing not too far from your ranch.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No—at least I don’t think so. Just shook up.”

“What happened?” His grip on the phone strengthened about the bit of plastic while his gaze fastened onto the two girls at the other end of the barn—safely out of earshot.

“I had a blowout. My tire is shredded. I lost control and went into the ditch.” Exasperation leaked into her voice. “I don’t have roadside assistance. Do you know a good wrecker service?”

“Yes, I have a friend who works on cars and has a gas station. I’ll call him and get him out there, then come pick you up.”

“You don’t—”

“What are you going to do? Walk here after he takes your car away? We’ll be out to get you in a few minutes. Bye.”

He cut the call off and then punched in Carl’s number. When his ex-army buddy came on the line, Evan told him about the situation and that he would meet him out on Johnson Road.

Three minutes later Evan started his truck with both girls sitting in the front with him. Dark shadows crept across the flat terrain.

Ellie squirmed around to peer up into his face. “Are you sure Mommy is okay?”

He gave her a grin and what he hoped was a reassuring look. “That’s what she told me. We’ll pick her up and bring her back here, then you can check for yourself.”

“My mommy is the bravest person I know. She banged her head last month and didn’t cry at all.”

“My daddy doesn’t cry. He fell off a new horse last week and got right back up on him.”

“My mommy…”

Trying desperately to contain his laughter, Evan turned onto the highway and tuned out the two dueling girls. There was no way he would get into the middle of that.

Almost a mile from the ranch’s entrance, Evan spied Julia and her Mustang off his side of the road in a three-foot ditch, which meant she’d gone across the lane of oncoming traffic when she’d lost control. She could have been in a bad wreck if anyone else had been on the road. The thought churned his stomach.

Ellie pointed. “There’s Mommy. She’s waving at us.”

“I don’t see the front of the car.” Paige sat forward as much as her seat belt would allow.

He parked as far off the road as he could near the back end of the Mustang. “You two stay in here.”

“But, Daddy—”

“Paige, no argument. It’s getting dark and it’s not safe being out on the highway.” The second he’d said that he’d realized his mistake.

“Mommy’s not safe?” Ellie asked, her eyes showing worry.

“Yes, she is, but I know how little girls can get. I’m switching on my blinkers.” He didn’t want the two of them worrying anymore. “That will alert anyone that there’s a stalled car on the side of the road.”

As he climbed from the cab, Paige said, “Be careful, Daddy.”

Ever since his wife had walked out on his marriage on Thanksgiving Day two years ago, Paige got scared easily, even a couple of times to the point where she’d become hysterical. He’d left the army earlier than he’d intended to raise his daughter, but her fears only escalated after Diane died of a drug overdose.

Evan strode to Julia, first assessing her, then the Mustang. Even in the dim light of dusk, he could tell that the tires were on their last thousand miles, if that. He motioned toward the nearest one. “Were you going to drive until there was no rubber left?”

She pulled herself up tall. “I beg your pardon.”

“Those aren’t even good for a tire swing.”

“I was going to get a new set in November right before winter weather sets in.”

He tipped back his hat, feeling the waves of indignation coming off her. “We don’t have that much winter weather—not like Chicago. November starts next week. You need to have Carl change all of them or you’ll have another blowout.”

Her chin lifted. “Just as soon as I get the money to pay for them.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, a northern chill had just blasted past him. “And while we’re at it, I would suggest getting a road-assistance service. There can be some pretty lonely stretches of highway outside of town. And since you are single—”

“I also plan on doing that,” Julia cut in, “when I can swing the money, but so you won’t worry about me, I don’t plan on driving outside of town.”

“You did tonight.” Evan removed his hat and slapped it against his leg.

“Point taken.” She swung around toward the sound of a vehicle approaching. “Oh, good, the tow truck.”

“After he hooks up the car, I’ll take you back to the ranch.”

“He can’t fix the tire after he pulls my Mustang from the ditch? I have a spare in the trunk.”

Evan chuckled and set his hat back on his head. “Ma’am, there’s a possibility there are more things wrong than just a flat tire.”

“What do you mean?”

“Carl will need to get it up on a rack and check the underside of your pretty little Mustang. I know because I once drove into a ditch and had three thousand dollars’ worth of damage, mostly not visible.”

“Oh.”

Her crestfallen expression tugged at him. From what she’d said about having to save money for the tires, he was ninety-nine percent sure she didn’t have a lot of cash sitting around for big emergencies. “You do have car insurance?”

“Of course.” Offense marked her voice and her face now. “But I have a thousand-dollar deductible.”

Carl limped toward them, wearing his usual Dallas Cowboys’ cap, jeans and T-shirt. “Whatcha got here, Paterson?”

“At the best a ruined tire.” Evan waved his hand toward the car. “At the worst major undercarriage damage.”

Carl studied the Mustang for a long moment, removing his ball cap and scratching his head. “I’ll take her down to the station and have a look. I’ll give you a call in an hour or so and let you know.”

“I appreciate it. We’ll be at the ranch.” Evan indicated she go first toward his pickup.

“But—” Julia started to protest, took a look at him and shut her mouth.

As Julia slid into the passenger’s seat in front, the two girls scrambled to the back and sat. On the short ride to the ranch, all Julia heard was Paige and Ellie whispering. She couldn’t figure out what the children were saying, but she got the feeling it was about Evan and her. No doubt they sensed the tension between them.

Yes, she was grateful that he’d come and picked her up, but he didn’t have to be so high-handed. He fit right in with the military personnel she had worked with while in Prairie Springs, taking command, inflexible in his attitude, with an air of authority.

Please, Lord, let my Mustang only need one new tire. I don’t have a thousand dollars for the deductible if the damage is extensive.

Evan parked by the barn. “I have one more stall to finish, then we can go up to the house. Do you mind?”

The man stared straight at her with a penetrating look that for a few seconds robbed Julia of any coherent thoughts.

One of his eyebrows shot up. “Do you, Miss Saunders?”

She would have to explain, and the reason she had told him in the first place—practically a stranger—was to discourage any further interest in her. She’d never done anything like that, surprised at her statement to him almost as much as he had been, because she guarded her privacy, especially her lack of marital status.

“No, of course not. I’ve missed dinner with Anna as it is. I called her and told her I couldn’t come after I called you earlier.”

Paige leaned forward. “Good, then you can stay and eat with us after Ellie and I ride. Daddy, you didn’t forget you promised us we could after you finished your chores?”

His mouth tilted into a grin. “If I had, I wouldn’t admit it now. But we aren’t eating here at the house, Paige. I don’t have anything. Grandma comes tomorrow with our meals.”

“Comes with your meals?” Julia asked before she realized she was sticking her nose into his business, and she definitely didn’t want to give the impression he interested her. Which he didn’t.

“I am the first person to admit that I’m a lousy cook. Paige’s grandmother prepares our dinners and a couple of lunches and delivers them to us twice a week.” His grin notched up another degree. “I can manage breakfast. It’s not too difficult to pour milk over cereal or pop a frozen waffle into the toaster. So I’m not totally inept in the kitchen.”

“I probably wouldn’t let Carmella’s know about your skills. I don’t know how you could handle being a chef and a rancher.”

His eyes narrowed. “I think you’re making fun of me.”

“There is no thinking about it. You are a single father. You should know how. I would be glad to give you a few lessons, that is if you are up for it.” The second the words were out of her mouth, Julia wanted to snatch them back. Why in the world had she dared him? He was the type of man who couldn’t resist a challenge. She wanted to spend less time with him, not more.

“You’ve got yourself a pupil.” He shoved open his door. “When do you want to start?”

“Tonight?” Could she teach him everything he needed to know in one short lesson?

“Not gonna happen unless we want to eat at midnight. I don’t have any food in the house to cook, unless you can whip something up with a box of cereal, some milk, chips, soda and ketchup.”

“I’m good, but even I can only do so much.”

“Then we go out for dinner and delay our lesson till some other time.”

Over the hood of the truck Julia asked, “How about tomorrow afternoon? Tell you what. I’ll bring some groceries over then and give you a lesson.”

Paige and Ellie shouted their enthusiasm for that plan.

“Daddy, that means Ellie can have another riding lesson tomorrow.”

Ellie gave Paige a high five. “Yeah! Two in one weekend!”

The two girls wheeled around and raced for the last stall. Bessie poked her head out, and Ellie stroked her.

Evan removed his wallet from his back pocket and took some money from it. “Here, use this to buy the groceries.”

Julia observed the huge smile on her daughter’s face and shook her head, realizing where all this had been going. “If you’ll teach Ellie to ride, I’ll teach you to cook. Fair?”

Evan stuffed his money back into his wallet. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” A chuckle slipped past his lips. “But I think I got the best part of this deal.”

She didn’t. She hadn’t seen her daughter so happy since they had moved from Chicago. Coming to a new town hadn’t been easy for either of them, but she had been determined to start over, fresh, without the past hanging over her head. Chicago held too many memories for her. In the past five years, her mother had seen Ellie three times. Her father had never seen his only granddaughter, and yet they had lived just ten miles from them. That had been difficult to explain to her daughter, that Julia’s father had disowned her and Ellie because of Julia’s mistake.

Standing at his back door leading into the kitchen, Evan shouted at the retreating figures racing toward Paige’s bedroom, “I want you two to wash your hands before we leave for dinner.”

His daughter abruptly stopped in the entrance to the hallway and put her hand on her waist. “You have to, too, Daddy.” She waited until he made his way to the sink before whirling around and continuing on to the back of the house.

“I suppose I’d better, or Ellie will nail me when she comes back in here.” Julia stepped up next to Evan, and found his scent of leather and hay surprisingly pleasant.

“Yep. Nothing slips past them.” He finished and placed the dish towel on the counter for Julia.

She ran the warm water over her hands. “I want to make it clear before they return that I’ll pay for my dinner and Ellie’s.”

“I invited you.”

“No, you didn’t. Your daughter did.”

“That’s the same thing.” His sharp gaze drilled into her, his mouth firm in a hard line.

“Sorry, I pay my own way.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you are stubborn?”

“On a number of occasions.”

Evan glanced toward the doorway that led to the hall. “While they’re still gone, I have a question. Why did you correct me earlier when I said Mrs. Saunders?”

Thankfully, she’d prepared herself for this question. In the past when people asked her about her name, she didn’t go into too much detail other than to say she was single. Most didn’t pursue the topic, especially since she didn’t encourage them. “I am a single mother and always have been. I didn’t want there to be any confusion concerning that.”

“I get the feeling you’ve had to defend your choice to others.”

My choice? Being a single mother hadn’t been her choice. She wanted to marry Ellie’s father—he was the one who had run off, disappearing from her life. Julia lifted her chin. “No, because I won’t. It’s something that’s personal, and if someone has a problem with it, then I’m sorry but it won’t change the facts. Ellie is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I know what you mean. That’s the way I feel about Paige. Ah, I hear them coming.”

Relieved that was over with, Julia rinsed her hands and dried them as the two girls came into the kitchen. Her gaze strayed to Ellie. Her daughter looked a lot like her father, and he hadn’t even cared. A child hadn’t been in his master plan, so he’d conveniently vanished right before Ellie was born, leaving her to deal with everything on her own, even the medical bills.

She’d trusted Clayton and lost so much, but at least she’d gained a precious daughter. It had been Ellie’s impending birth that had led her to seek the Lord. Jesus had opened a whole new world to her that she shared with her daughter—a world where mistakes were forgiven.

“I’m starved.” Paige wiped her wet hands on her jeans.

Ellie followed suit. Julia cringed, remembering the mare her daughter had sat on not that long ago. She started to say something about washing again, then decided Ellie would live.

“We need to hit the road. I’m starving.” Evan let the two girls leave first, then indicated for Julia to go after them.

The ringing of his phone halted his progress toward the door. Julia paused in the entrance while he answered it.

“We were just heading out.” He listened for a moment, then said, “Thanks, Carl. We’ll be by later, after we take the girls to dinner.” When Evan hung up, he faced Julia. “The only other damage was a few dents and scrapes. He will replace the tire for you with a similar type unless you want something else.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s fine.” Not knowing much herself about cars, she was sure Carl knew what was best.

“Then let’s get these kids fed so you can pick up your car.”

And get home. This evening hadn’t turned out at all as she had thought it would. At least she didn’t have to come up with the deductible. It had taken her five years to pay off her medical bills after having Ellie. She was finally getting on her feet financially.

Thank you, Lord.

Evan stood at the window that afforded him a view of his yard and front pastures that bordered the highway into town. A cloud of dust coming down the road that led to his house announced a visitor. The blue sedan told him it was Marge Freeman, his mother-in-law, with her food delivery.

Lately, she had been hinting at moving in with him and Paige, so she could make fresh meals daily instead of bringing them twice a week. He was grateful for her help, but he didn’t want her living with them. Her presence was a constant reminder of his wife’s betrayal—one he wished he could forget. But there was no way he would deny his daughter access to her grandmother. She had so little family in her life, especially with his little sister, Whitney, deployed.

Evan turned away from the window and crossed the living room to go into the kitchen. Why wasn’t there any news about his sister? She continued to remain lost in a Middle East war zone. Had she been captured? Was she dead? These questions plagued him day and night.

“Grandma’s here,” Paige said, racing into the kitchen and through the open back door.

Evan followed his daughter outside to help bring the bags of food inside. “Good to see you, Marge.”

The large woman struggled out of the car, placing her hand at the small of her back. “I’d have been here sooner if my uncle hadn’t taken so long to eat his lunch. That man is the slowest eater in Texas. Molasses flows faster than he eats.” She grinned, a flush tinting her cheeks. “Of course, Uncle Bert ends the meal with telling me he has to savor every little bite because it’s five hours to the next one. Can’t stay mad at someone who says that.”

“Grandma, what did ya bring us?” Paige opened the back door and stuck her head into the first sack sitting on the car seat. “Mmm. Chocolate chip cookies. I love those.” Evan’s daughter started to delve into the bag for a sample.

“Paige Paterson, you know better than that. You can’t have any cookies till after you’ve eaten a good meal.”

Marge’s rebuke hadn’t surprised Evan. She’d said the same thing to him on several occasions. He and his daughter would indulge after she was gone. He’d learned pretty quickly not to argue the point with his mother-in-law, not when he was beholden to her for preparing so many meals for Paige and him. At least he paid her for them, against Marge’s protests, but he was Paige’s provider.

“Yes, Grandma. I forgot. They just smell so good.”

“That’s because I just took them out of the oven not thirty minutes ago.”

Evan drew in a deep breath and relished one of his favorite smells. “Let’s get this inside.”

After the food was put away, Marge took a look around the kitchen, then made her usual trip into the living room. She stopped short of pulling out a white glove and running it along the woodwork. After church, Paige had picked up around the house while Evan had run the vacuum cleaner and dusted, but his mother-in-law always found something to silently criticize. It was her way of telling him he needed her in his life full-time. As much as he wanted Marge to spend time with his daughter, he would hire a housekeeper before he would resort to his mother-in-law living with them. She needed to control everything around her. They were too much alike.

Marge bent over, groaning from the effort, and picked up a white string from the medium brown carpet. Moaning some more, she straightened and walked to the trash can in the corner and threw away the offending piece of thread. Then she pointedly looked him in the eye, wordlessly stressing his need for her.

He had to learn how to cook. He couldn’t keep going through this twice each week. Paige could visit her grandmother at her house, where he wouldn’t get the look he’d come to dread.

“Thank you again, Marge, for everything you do for Paige, and me.” Evan started back toward the kitchen, hoping the woman would follow. He caught sight of the clock on the wall near the stove. He didn’t even want Julia and Marge to pass each other on the road that led to his house.

“I have a picture I drew for you,” Paige said from the living room. “I’ll go get it.”

Tension in his neck streaked down his spine. Maybe he should have explained to his daughter that her grandmother and Julia shouldn’t meet, especially when the young, beautiful woman would be bringing a sack of food for his cooking lesson. That definitely wouldn’t go over well. She was due any minute. It was possible she would be late again. He could only hope.

Evan moved back into the living room as his daughter came forward with a watercolor picture of a horse—though the only reason he knew that was because Paige had told him.

Marge gushed over the painting as if his daughter was the next Monet. “This will go on my refrigerator just as soon as I get home.” She sidled toward the lounge chair as if she were going to settle in for a long visit. “I love your use of colors. When I was a little girl, I always wanted an orange cat.”

“Grandma, it’s a horse—Bessie.”

“Oh? Well, Bessie looks great.”

“Speaking of Bessie—” Evan latched on to the mare’s name “—have you fed your pony?” Okay, it was a stretch since the pony was called Sugar, but he was desperate to have Marge leave before Julia showed up. There was absolutely nothing between Julia and him, but he didn’t want to try and explain that to his mother-in-law. She had been sure his reluctance to date anyone was because he still loved Diane, so she took every opportunity to rewrite what her daughter had done—walking out on him, turning to drugs. Now that she was dead, he didn’t have the heart to straighten her out.

“I did when I got home from church.”

“And you’ve done your other chores in the barn?” Marge hated the barn and wouldn’t go near it. Much too dirty for her.

Paige nodded. “I’m all ready for Ellie’s lesson.”

Oh, great.

Right on cue, Marge’s head swung around toward him, and she gave him the look. “Ellie? Who’s Ellie?”

“My best friend. We go to school together. She’s coming out here this afternoon. Daddy is teaching her to ride.”

Okay, he might be able to get Marge out of here still without bringing Julia’s name into the conversation.

“I didn’t know you gave riding lessons. I have a friend whose granddaughter would love to learn.”

“I don’t usually.” Evan immediately realized his mistake and bit down on the inside of his mouth.

“He’s teaching her because Julia’s teaching Daddy to cook.”

“Julia? Who’s Julia?” Her look knifed through him.

“Ah, she’s…” He searched for a way to make it sound as if he wasn’t betraying Marge or her deceased daughter. “She’s…”

“She’s Ellie’s mom,” Paige chimed in. “She spent the night here last night.”

“What?” Marge’s eyes widened to the size of round platters.

“No. Paige meant Ellie. Ellie spent the night here.” His face felt on fire from embarrassment and Marge’s searing gaze.

Silence descended for a long moment, broken by the sound of footsteps on the front porch and a loud knock at the door. Caught red-handed. He would never hear the end of this.

“They’re here.” Paige clapped and raced to the entrance before Evan could move or think of a way of getting out of the awkward situation.

Chapter Three

T he large woman who stood directly behind Paige as the child opened the front door caused Julia to take a step back. Irritation puckered the lady’s thin lips into a frown, its full force directed at her.

Evan appeared and moved around his daughter, blocking Julia’s view of the unhappy woman. “Come in, y’all.” He took the grocery sack she held and hurried toward the kitchen, hiding the sack against his chest.

Julia advanced inside with Ellie next to her. Immediately, Paige dragged Ellie off toward her bedroom, leaving Julia to face the lady who was still frowning at her.

Evan came back into the room, minus the items she had picked up for their cooking lesson. “Marge, this is Julia Saunders. Ellie’s mother.”

Julia held out her hand to shake, but Marge just looked at her, ignoring the greeting. Julia dropped her arm back to her side and said, “It’s nice meeting you.”

“Marge is Paige’s grandmother.”

Evan’s mother? But there was no way Julia would ask that question out loud.

The large woman turned toward Evan. “May I have a word with you in private?”

“Sure.” Then to Julia he said, “I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” After the last sentence, he cringed and darted a glance at Marge.

As the two left, Julia sagged back against the wall near the front door. She felt as though she had interrupted something. Julia wanted to leave.

Instead—because she knew it would upset her daughter if they left early—Julia made her way back to Paige’s room. She didn’t want to overhear any comments between Evan and Marge. The two girls sat on a white-canopy bed with a cotton candy–pink coverlet over it.

Julia leaned against the doorjamb. “Are you ready for your second lesson?”

Ellie peered at her. “Yes! I dreamed about riding last night. I can’t remember what happened, but I woke up happy.”

The slamming of a door rattled Julia. She stiffened, then tried to relax so the two children didn’t think anything was wrong. But they heard the same sound, and both of their foreheads crinkled in question.

Before either of them said anything, Evan came down the hall, arranging his features in a calm expression when he stepped into the girls’ view. “Are you two ready to go ride?”

“Yes!” they shouted in unison.

Ellie leaped from the bed and hurried toward the hallway. Paige moved at a slower pace and paused by her father.

“Is Grandma all right? I thought she might stay and see us ride.”

“She needed to go home to Uncle Bert, so she couldn’t.”

“I wish she would watch me ride sometime.”

“She will, princess.”

Smiling now, Paige rushed after Ellie.

“Obviously, I came at a bad time,” Julia said, trailing after the two girls.

Evan asked, “Did they hear Marge leaving?”

“’Fraid so.”

He winced. “That’s what I thought. My mother-in-law didn’t understand why I wanted to learn to cook. She is perfectly content to fix our meals forever and she made that crystal clear to me.”

“So, that wasn’t your mother?”

“No! My mother died when I was a child. My father now lives in Dallas.”

“Why wouldn’t she want you to learn to cook?”

“Because she enjoys preparing our meals, but especially coming out here and showing me just how lacking I am in housekeeping skills. She’s angling to be our housekeeper, although she would hate ranch life.”

Julia surveyed the kitchen with its clean counters and lack of dirty dishes in the sink. “I’d say you do a good job.”

“Not according to my mother-in-law. She believes her granddaughter lives in a pigsty.”

Julia stopped next to the oak table with two yellow place mats on it. “You’re kidding! I was considering hiring you to come over to my apartment and clean it.”

Julia liked the sound of his laughter that suddenly warmed the small space between them. Any lingering tension from Marge dissipated as his gaze captured hers. Her heartbeat picked up speed.

He broke eye contact with her, focusing on the bag on the counter. “What are we cooking today?”

“Spaghetti.”

“The kind in a can?”

She shook her head. “I think you’ve probably mastered that. Let’s move on to something more challenging.”

“Are you sure that’s wise? I once boiled an egg that exploded in the pan because I forgot about it.”

“I’m sure. But I like to live dangerously.”

“You might regret saying that before this is over.” He looked beyond her to the back door. “We’d better get to the barn before my daughter has Bessie saddled and decides to give her own lesson.”

“She’s good for her age. How long has she been riding?”

“Almost two years. Since I’ve had the ranch. She was so enthralled with the horses that I was afraid she would try to ride on her own if I didn’t teach her.” He grabbed his cowboy hat from a peg near the door.

“Paige sounds more and more like my Ellie. No wonder they like each other.” Julia left the house first, conscious of Evan’s gaze on her as she descended the steps on the back stoop.

“I’m not sure if I’m glad or scared. Paige can be a whirlwind.”

Julia slanted her glance toward him as they strolled to the barn. She could easily picture him riding over his land, saving a calf that had fallen into a hole, mending his fences, breaking a wild horse—everything but being a cook.

“Why didn’t you just say cook the onions?” Evan crunched up his mouth, his eyebrows beetling, as he stood at the stove brandishing a wooden spoon in his hand as though it were a weapon.

“Because a recipe will say sauté. If you’re going to cook, you need to learn the terms, too. Words like whisk, brown, fold, caramelize.”

“Why would I caramelize anything? I don’t even like caramel.”

Julia pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud, but a chuckle or two escaped. “When you caramelize something like diced onions, you cook them until they are a caramel color.”

He pushed his hand through his hair. “All I want to learn are a few dishes so Paige and I won’t starve. Today has confirmed that I can’t continue to be so reliant on Marge. Now I discover I have to learn a whole new language. I’m almost afraid to ask what fold means in cooking. I know how to fold laundry.”

“First, stir the onions before they burn.”

Evan complied, muttering something under his breath that he at least understood the word burn.

“When you fold something in, you slowly add it to a mixture, gently turning over the batter as you do. For example, you might fold strawberries into a cake batter. You wouldn’t want to stir them too vigorously.”

“No, I’m sure I wouldn’t.”

“Now that the onions are clear and the meat is brown, it’s time to add the rest of the ingredients, turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer.”

“Is simmering in cooking similar to a temper simmering?” He dumped in a can of diced tomatoes. Some of the liquid splattered on him and the stove.

“Yes, like browning meat is just what it means. You’ll want the meat to turn brown—not black or stay pink.” She gave him a dish towel to wipe his hands.

“But I like a steak red.”

“That’s a steak, not ground beef. You don’t want it red or pink when making a sauce.”

“This isn’t gonna be easy, is it?” He added the tomato paste.

“You’ll get the hang of it.” She hoped, and sent a silent prayer to the Lord for guidance. She loved to cook but had never taught another person how. “My plan is to teach you to prepare a few meals that children like to eat. Things like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, pizza.”

“Pizza? You don’t just order it from a restaurant?”

She laughed. “Believe it or not, some people actually make it in their homes.”

“I guess stranger things have happened.” He put in the last of the spices that she had taught him to measure earlier—or rather, demonstrated how. “Done.”

Julia pointed to the knob on the front of the stove. “Turn it down halfway between low and medium. Now we’ll get the water on for the spaghetti.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard. I do know how to boil water.”

“Unless you leave an egg in it too long.”

“Spaghetti doesn’t explode, does it?”

The smile he sent her caused a fluttering in her stomach. “Not to my knowledge, but you can overcook it.” She gestured toward a pot, trying to dismiss her reaction to his heart-melting grin. “Let’s fill it three-quarters of the way and put some salt in.”

He followed her instruction, placing the water on the burner. Julia handed him the salt. When he sprinkled it into the liquid, she turned to put the spices away in the cabinet next to the stove.

When she glanced back at him a minute later, she caught him staring at her, still sprinkling salt into the water. She clamped her hand around his wrist and yanked it back. “What are you doing?”

He looked down at the pan. “Putting salt in the water like you said.”

“A little of it goes a long way.”

“I didn’t use a lot.”

Her gaze connected with his. The fragrance of onion, tomatoes, spices and ground beef cooking teased her nostrils. The sound of the water beginning to boil competed with the ticking of the wall clock. But for a few seconds none of that really registered. All of her senses centered on the man being so close. She could smell a hint of lime in his aftershave lotion. The depths of his eyes glinted a smoky blue. She felt the pull of them.

Giggling from the living room dispelled the moment. When he looked away, she realized she was still holding his arm and immediately released her grasp, backing away a few steps.

“Uh,” she grappled for something to say, “why don’t you put a little oil into the water?”

“Why would I want to do that?” His face scrunched up in an expression of horror.

“Because the spaghetti will clump together after it’s cooked if you don’t.”

“You see? How in the world will I ever learn all these little tricks?”

“It takes time. You won’t learn to cook overnight.” Although she wished he would, so her job would be done. She grabbed the bottle of oil and passed it to him. “Just a little.” After he finished, she continued and said, “It’s time to put the spaghetti into the water and turn the heat down to medium.”

Completing the task, he stood back and eyed the pots on the stove. “What’s next?”

Julia held up her finger, glanced over her shoulder and said, “Girls, do you want to come on in here, instead of lurking in the doorway, and set the table?”

“How did ya know we were here?” Paige appeared from the right side of the entrance.

“Yeah, Mommy, we were being extra quiet.” Ellie shuffled into view from the left side and positioned herself next to her friend.

“I could have super hearing, but in this case I heard two little girls giggling rather loudly a moment ago.”

“Are we gonna be able to eat the food?” Paige entered the room and clasped the back of a chair at the table.

“Do I detect doubt in my daughter? This is gonna be the best spaghetti y’all have ever had. Isn’t that right, Julia?” When she didn’t say anything right away, a stricken look descended on his face. “You’re supposed to stand behind your pupil. After all, isn’t that a reflection on your teaching ability?”

She had her doubts since she realized she should have had Evan throw out the water he had salted and just start over.

“Girls, I’m going to let you be the judges. A teacher shouldn’t. I don’t want to discourage the pupil.” Julia removed four dinner plates and glasses from the cabinet and placed them on the table.

While Paige and Ellie set the table, they kept peering back at Evan and Julia at the stove and whispering between them, which immediately caused several giggles to erupt.

Julia leaned close, lowered her voice, but not too low so the girls couldn’t hear and said to Evan, “I think my next teaching job is to show Paige and Ellie how to load the dishwasher and clean up. I don’t think six is too young to learn that.” She winked at him.

“Mommy, I’m five. I won’t be six for a couple of weeks.”

“Oh, right. You think Evan and I should do the dishes then?”

Ellie nodded, a serious expression on her face. “You’d better. I’m still too young.”

Julia couldn’t suppress her laughter any longer, its sound sprinkling the air. She spun away from her daughter in time to see the water boiling over. Quickly, she snatched the pot from the stove. A burning smell floated to her as she dumped the pasta into the strainer in the sink.

“A word to the wise, don’t let little munchkins distract you from your cooking,” Julia said as she switched off the heat on both burners. “Is the table finished?”

“Yep.” Paige pointed to the nearest place setting, her shoulders thrust back, her chin held high.

Next to the little girl, Ellie imitated her friend’s stance. “We did good.”

Other than the six pieces of silverware at each plate, Julia had to agree. “Then let’s eat. Bring your plates over to the counter and take the spaghetti you want.”

Five minutes later with dinner served, Julia took the last vacant chair next to Evan and sat. “Who would like to say grace?” she asked when she noticed Evan reaching for one of his three forks to eat.

He stopped and looked at her. “Oh, yeah. I will.” He bowed his head. “Father, please bless this food and the people at this table. If You can find the time, You might help me learn how to cook. I could sure use Your help. Amen.”

When Julia murmured amen more enthusiastically than usual, he shot her a look, similar to the one she had seen Marge give him. She tossed him a grin and a wink.

“What did you think of me riding today?” Ellie shoved her fork into the pile of spaghetti. “I’m doing it by myself. Pretty soon we can all go riding together.”

Julia paused in bringing her glass of water to her lips. “Well, honey, there’s just one thing wrong with that. I don’t know how to ride.”

“Mommy! You don’t? I thought every grown-up knew how.”

“We can take care of that. The next time I give you a lesson, I can give your mother one, too.”

Ellie clapped her hands. “That’s perfect!”

“No, it isn’t. You might like to ride those big animals, but I don’t think I want to.”

Ellie’s eyes grew round. “Why not?”

“I…” Up until June, she’d lived her whole life in Chicago, and hadn’t even once been to a farm.

“Yeah, why not? Scared to let me be the teacher?”

Evan’s dare taunted her as he knew it would. Julia bristled for a few seconds and said, “Okay, I’ll learn, and I’ll learn how to ride faster than you’ll learn to cook a simple dinner by yourself.”

“I’ll take you up on that challenge.”

“Daddy, when are you gonna give Ellie her next lesson? Next weekend?”

“I can’t. I have to set up for the school carnival Friday afternoon and evening and then work it on Saturday.”

“So do I.” Julia finally took a long drink of her cold water. Instead of staying away from the man, she found herself planning ways to be with him. Probably not a good idea, but she didn’t know how to get out of it gracefully and not disappoint her daughter.

“Then we can do it next Sunday after church.”

“Fine, and I’ll give you your second cooking lesson. We’ll make pizza.”

“Only if you give me a list of ingredients to buy.”

She inclined her head. “That’s fair. I will before I leave tonight.”

“Pizza! I love it, Daddy.” Paige finally took her first bite of the spaghetti and scrunched up her face. She quickly swallowed her food, then took several gulps of her milk.

“What’s wrong, princess?”

“Nothing.” Evan’s daughter stared down at her plate.

He slipped a forkful of his creation between his lips and surprise flashed into his eyes. When he got the spaghetti down, he coughed. “Maybe we can drive into town and get some hamburgers at Prairie Springs Café. My treat.”

Since it looked fine, Julia was curious how bad the food tasted and put a small amount into her mouth. A salty taste exploded against her tongue and she washed it down with a long drink of water. “Just how much salt did you put in the water while my back was turned? You said it wasn’t a lot.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think it was. I like salt.” Gesturing toward his food, he grinned. “Obviously, it was more than I thought. I must have been distracted.”

A blush stained her cheeks. “Now you know why salt goes a long way.”

“And then some,” he said and rose, taking his and Julia’s plate to the sink. “The good news is I don’t think the sauce tasted too bad.”

Julia crossed to the stove, dipped the wooden spoon into the red mixture and nodded. “Not bad at all. There’s hope for you. I’ll save this in your refrigerator. There’s enough here for another meal. You can pick up some more spaghetti while you’re at the grocery store. Just don’t put too much salt in the water when you cook the pasta.”

“You’re gonna trust me to do that without your watchful eye?”

“I’ll write the instructions down with your grocery list. I think you can follow simple directions.”

“I’ll help ya, Daddy.”

“You’ve got yourself a date, princess.”

Paige threw her arms around his waist and hugged him.

A lump formed in Julia’s throat. She’d wanted that for her daughter—a father who loved her. Instead he’d vanished one day, leaving only a brief note telling her not to bother looking for him, that he wanted nothing to do with being a father or a husband.

Evan pounded the nail into the board. The noise level was already loud, as the elementary school gym was crowded with parents helping to set up for the carnival the next day. But no Julia Saunders. He should know. He would catch himself looking around every few minutes, expecting to see her, then get mad at himself, more determined than ever to focus on building the booth he’d been assigned to by Olga. Then something would catch his attention and before he knew it, his gaze would wander to look for Julia.

Yes, they’d all had a pleasant evening last Sunday, enjoying a nice meal at Prairie Springs Café before going their separate ways. When he’d returned home, he didn’t even have anything to clean up. Julia had insisted on doing it before leaving for the café since he insisted on paying for dinner. He’d tried to talk her out of it, but she was one stubborn woman. She’d informed him she paid her own way and did her share of the work, always.

It was as if she was determined not to take anything from him. Why? Had she been burned like him? That had to be it or she would have been married to Ellie’s dad. Curiosity bubbled to the surface, but he immediately squashed it down. Two wounded souls had no business getting together.

“The carnival is tomorrow, not next weekend, Evan.” Olga planted herself in front of him, blocking his view of the rest of the gym. “And we only have eighteen hours until the doors open.”

“I’ll have it finished within the hour.”

“Good, because I’ve decided to add a petting zoo, especially after the success of the Show and Pet at the church picnic, and you can be in charge of it. Isn’t that perfect for a rancher?”

No, he thought. “In where? Here? There’s no room left to put another activity.”

“I listened to the weather today and tomorrow it’s supposed to be beautiful, so I thought outside, but you’ll need to make some temporary pens for the animals.”

Evan rose from kneeling on the floor and stretched. “Where are the animals gonna come from?”

“Where else? Your ranch. You have tons of them.” She flitted her hands near his face, her large turquoise bracelet with silver beads tinkling.

“I don’t have enough for a petting zoo.”

“How can you not? You have a ranch with horses and cattle.”

“Which aren’t easy for kids to pet. They’re too big.”

She tapped her finger against her jaw. “Then I will contact a few people I know who have some interesting animals and have them bring them first thing tomorrow morning. Can you get here by nine?”

He nodded, remembering the fiasco of her “Show and Pet” at the church picnic last week and all the incidents that Olga had conveniently forgotten. At least this time he was in charge from the beginning and hopefully could control the situation.

“That’s great. I will have an assistant for you. You will not be alone.”

As Olga scurried away, he thought the woman was too late. He was very alone. And that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. That was the way he wanted it. Much safer.

He began to turn back to the booth he was constructing when he caught sight of Julia entering the gym. He paused and studied her. Her long brown hair appeared mussed, as though she had been running her hand through it repeatedly. Worry furrowed her forehead and dulled her eyes.

Before he realized it, his legs were chewing up the space between them.

Something was wrong.

Chapter Four

E van stopped Julia before she had time to step more than a few feet into the gym. “Hi. Is everything all right?”

Her concerned gaze fell on him, and she swallowed hard. “No. I was at the office when I received a call from Dr. Nora Blake, the heart surgeon that performed little Ali’s operation. His grandfather, General Marlon Willis, was just admitted to the hospital. He’s had a massive heart attack, and it doesn’t appear he will make it. Dr. Blake called me because Ali would be without a guardian if he dies. I’m the social worker assigned to his case.”

“Ali has gone through so much. I hope the general makes it. He hasn’t had a chance to get to know his grandson for long.” Evan moved closer. “Is there anything I can do?”

Julia shook her head. “It’s wait and see time. I thought after I finished here, I would go to the hospital and check on what’s happening. I want to be there for Ali. If his grandfather dies, he’s going to feel so alone.” Sadness jammed her throat. She knew what it was like to be alone without family for support.

“Doesn’t Sarah live next door to the general? I saw her earlier in here. Do you think she knows?”

“Probably not if she’s been here. It just happened. From what Nora told me, the general had come to the hospital to see Ali when he had his heart attack. In that sense, he was lucky. He was able to get help quickly.”

Evan turned toward the crowd in the gym and searched it. “That little boy has been through so much in his short five years. He’s already seen too much death. Ah, Sarah’s over there.” Evan pointed toward the far corner.

“I’d better have a word with her. Where will you be?”

With a flip of his hand, he gestured toward a half-finished booth under a basketball hoop. “And if I don’t get back there and complete my job, Olga will be breathing down my neck. She’s already informed me that I need to step it up.”

“After I see Sarah, I guess I’d better check in with her and see what she has planned for me.”

As if hearing her name, or else realizing Evan had stopped working, Olga approached, asking, “Is your booth finished?” Her gaze leveled at Evan.

“Almost.”

“Well, hop to it. That petting zoo won’t get set up by itself.” While Olga shooed him away, she turned to Julia. “I’ll need you to help him with the zoo. You two are a great team.”

Team? Olga was definitely working overtime as a matchmaker. “Where is this petting zoo going to be?” Julia asked, scanning the gym for a space big enough to house the animals.

“It’ll be outside.”

“But it’s been raining a lot lately. Do you think that’s a good idea?” And while we’re on the topic of good ideas, I don’t think Evan and I should team up. That means I’ll have to spend practically the whole weekend with him.

“We cannot have it in here—there’s no room.” In her usual dramatic way, Olga swept her arms wide to take in the whole gym. “After the way the children responded to the pets at the picnic, we need to have a zoo. It will be a hit.”

“Fine,” Julia said, seeing no way of getting out of assisting with the petting zoo. She sure hoped Olga found another couple soon to play matchmaker with. “I’ll help Evan, but I have to speak with Sarah first.”

“But—”

“I won’t be long.” Julia hurried away, leaving a frustrated Olga by the entrance.

Julia made a beeline for the redheaded teacher, who was putting the finishing touches on a booth. “Sarah.”

The slender woman spun around and smiled when she saw Julia. “Did you just get here?”

“Yeah. We need to talk. I got a call from the hospital right before I left work.”

“Is it Ali?” Concern darkened Sarah’s blue eyes.

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