Her Country Hero

Searching for a safe haven in the Kentucky hills, city girl Bekah Holloway encounters the unexpected—a handsome country boy who offers her help. Drew Kinley gives her a job working with wounded animals, but on the run from an abusive boyfriend, Bekah needs more than employment. She needs a hero. Instinct tells Drew he’s the perfect man for the skittish beauty. But he’s spent a lifetime saving his family farm and now it’s his turn to see the world outside of Oaks Crossing. As Bekah finds her forever home, will Drew leave…or stay and embrace a future together?

The mystery of Bekah.

He’d unravel it, no matter how long it took. And this was the first step.

But when he opened her door, her head whipped around to reveal a look of panic.

“You took ten years off my life,” she said. “What are you doing here this time of night?”

“I saw the light. Is everything okay?”

“So you’ve come to save the damsel in distress? My hero.” She fluttered her hands. “Or is this just another flirtation from Drew Kinley? I’ve heard all about you, you know.”

“You’re smart enough to make up your own mind about lots of things. Including me.”

“That’s a line.”

“No, it’s not.” He edged closer. “Who was he, Bekah? The guy who scares you so much, you can’t trust me not to hurt you the way he did.”

Panic seized her features again, but Drew rested a comforting hand on hers. “You can be honest with me.”

Bekah had called him her hero. He had every intention of proving to her that he was worthy of that title.

MIA ROSS loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at miaross.com.

Rescued by the Farmer
Mia Ross

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

—Luke 6:31

For Misty

Acknowledgments

I’m grateful to the very talented folks who help

me make my books everything they can be:

Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff

at Love Inspired.

More thanks to the gang at Seekerville

(www.seekerville.net), a great place to hang out with readers—and writers.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network of

supportive, encouraging family and friends.

You inspire me every day!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Okay, it was official. She was lost.

Sighing in frustration, Bekah Holloway squinted through the branches alongside the isolated country road she was currently on, hunting for a sign to tell her where she was. It was probably intended to be two lanes, she complained silently, but considering the washed-out sections and complete lack of a shoulder, it was more like a lane and a half. That made it tough for someone who had no clue where she was going to keep the small hatchback out of the wide ditches on either side.

It sure was pretty out here, though, she had to admit as she drove beneath massive oak trees whose leaves were in the midst of changing colors for fall. It was almost October, and some were still green, but most had gone over to various shades of gold and red, giving her the impression that she was driving beneath nature’s own archway.

And it was so quiet, she could actually hear her own breathing. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been able to do that, and she drank in her peaceful surroundings with sincere gratitude. It was a far cry from the traffic jams and crammed sidewalks she’d left behind her less than a month ago. Breaking away from the only life she’d ever known had taken a huge effort on her part, but now that she’d managed to gain her freedom, she’d rather die than go back to her old ways.

That thought had just flitted through her mind when something hit the windshield with a force that jerked her back to reality with a startled yelp. Before her eyes, the already chipped upper right corner of the glass spider-webbed into a large crack. She let out a dejected sigh. Repairing the radiator a few days ago had taken the last of her meager cash. There was no way she could do anything more until she found herself a job.

A fluttering at the side of the road dragged her attention away from her pity party, and she realized that whatever she’d hit was still alive. She wasn’t exactly a nature girl, so she wasn’t sure what to do, but she couldn’t leave an injured animal alone and helpless in the woods, suffering until it finally died. Moving slowly to avoid scaring it any further, she eased the driver’s door open and crept to the edge of the gravel lane. There, in a wallow filled with mud, lay the most incredible creature she’d ever seen.

A hawk with striking white-and-rust-colored feathers lay on the ground, clearly stunned but still conscious enough to watch her through one dark, mistrustful eye. The other was half closed, and from the odd angle at which its wing rested, Bekah assumed it was broken. The poor thing was breathing so fast, she couldn’t have kept up without hyperventilating. It seemed to her that it was waiting for her to finish the job her windshield had started.

“Please, don’t be scared,” she cooed to the terrified bird. “I want to help you.”

When she moved closer, it began flapping its good wing in a panicky gesture that made Bekah instinctively stop in her tracks. She wanted to help, but she didn’t know how.

“Hey there,” a deep voice murmured. “Need a hand?”

Terrified by the unexpected sound, she whipped around to find a tall man behind her. Dressed in running attire, he was obviously out for a jog, which explained why she hadn’t heard him coming. Apparently, he sensed her fear, because he held his hand out to her with a friendly grin. “Drew Kinley.”

Shocked into silence, at first she couldn’t make herself respond. He patiently kept his hand within her reach until she managed to reply. “Bekah.”

She didn’t shake his hand, and out of habit, she stopped short of adding her last name. Either he didn’t notice, or he didn’t care, because he skirted around her and assessed the injured animal from a safe distance. “Looks bad. What happened?”

“I’m not sure. One minute, I was driving along trying to figure out where I am, and the next, blam! I ran into this poor hawk. I feel terrible,” she added in a near whisper. She’d had enough pain inflicted on her in her life to know how it felt, and she knew all too well that being all alone only made the problem worse. Knowing she’d caused this beautiful creature so much pain made her nauseous.

Unfortunately, her confession brought Drew’s gaze back to her. His light brown hair was damp from his run, and it occurred to her that his eyes were a unique blend of green and gold she’d never seen before. When they focused on her, she watched as idle curiosity shifted to concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” When she realized he was staring at her cheek, she lifted her palm to cover the healing bruise. “This happened a while ago.”

Darkening like thunderclouds, those eyes took on a fierce quality that made her backpedal in self-defense. When he noticed her motion, he put on a smile that looked forced but much less menacing.

“I’m sorry, Bekah,” he told her in a soothing Kentucky drawl. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just hate seeing a woman hurt that way is all.”

Why did he even care? she wondered. She was a complete stranger, and he’d interrupted his morning run to help her. This sort of innate kindness was so far beyond her experience, she didn’t know what to say.

After waiting several seconds, he seemed to understand she wasn’t going to respond. “So, back to your friend here,” he said in a chipper tone. Unzipping his hoodie, he asked, “Do you have a box for us to put this hawk in to keep him from struggling?”

“You can tell he’s male from way over here?”

Looking a little puzzled, Drew shrugged. “Not really. I just assumed.”

Typical guy, she huffed silently. “What’s wrong with assuming she’s female?”

“Good point,” he conceded with a sheepish grin. “Do you have a box to put her in?”

“Um, no. But I have a big duffel bag.”

“That’ll do. Why don’t you empty it out, and I’ll try not to scare the poor thing any more than we have to.”

Relieved to finally have a plan, she opened the rear hatch and took out the bag holding all her clothes. She dumped them on the floor of the car and offered the bag to Drew.

Cocking his head, he gave her a half-grin. “Yeah, that’s not gonna work. I’m gonna have my hands full of angry hawk, so you’ll need to hold the bag for me to drop her into.”

Backing away, she shook her head in protest. “I don’t think so.”

“I can’t do this by myself,” he reasoned. “There’s an animal rescue center not far from here, but I need your help to get her there. Otherwise, I could end up hurting her worse.”

That did it for her. Feeling responsible for the poor animal being wounded in the first place, Bekah knew that the least she could do was help Drew get her to someone who could care for her properly. Screwing up the tiny bit of courage she still had in her, she grasped both edges of the bag and followed him to where the bird lay.

“Now, I’ll cover her with my sweatshirt to keep her from going nuts. Once her eyes are blocked, she should settle down some, and you can catch her in the bag.” Giving Bekah a bracing look, he asked, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Good. I’ll make sure to get a solid hold on her, so she won’t hurt you.”

That he was concerned about her safety touched Bekah in a way so unexpected, she didn’t know how to process the emotion. In the few minutes she’d known this tall, good-looking man, he’d rattled her thoroughly more than once. And not in the bad way she’d grown so accustomed to.

Yanking her errant thoughts back to the matter at hand, she waited while he spoke reassuringly to the bird, edging closer when she calmed and pausing when she seemed to be growing unnerved by his presence. Finally, he was close enough to wrap the hawk in his jacket, and Bekah stepped up with the duffel bag to enclose the frightened animal.

Cradling the bundle, she felt the bird’s frantic heartbeat as if it were her own. She knew how it was to feel powerless, and she cuddled the hawk to her chest hoping to make her feel safer. “It’s all right, baby—you’re safe now. We won’t let any more bad things happen to you.”

The struggling eased a bit, and Drew opened the passenger door for her. When she understood what he was suggesting, she took a large step back. “What are you doing?”

“You’ve got her calmed down, so I figured I’d drive us to the rescue center. Is that okay?”

Not in a million years.

She was more or less comfortable with holding their patient, but the idea of allowing someone else to drive her to an unknown destination filled her with a terror so deep, it was threatening to choke her. That kind of blind trust had caused her no end of trouble in the past, and she wasn’t keen to set herself up for that again.

Then logic kicked in to remind her that it would be impossible for her to drive while holding the injured bird. Not to mention, she had no idea how to get to this rescue center he’d referred to. So, undone by necessity, she let out a quiet sigh and nodded. “I guess.”

Once she was settled in the passenger seat, he quietly shut the door and hurried around the front to get behind the wheel and start the engine. He pulled his cell phone from a cargo pocket on his shorts and put it on speaker before pulling onto the road. A pleasant voice on the other end answered, “Oaks Crossing Rescue Center. This is Sierra, how can I help you?”

“Hey, it’s Drew. I’m coming in with a badly injured red-tailed hawk. Thought you’d like a heads-up.”

“Get it here as fast as you can,” the woman replied in a crisp, efficient tone laced with concern. “I’ll be waiting.”

Drew tapped the screen to shut off his phone and tucked it back in his pocket before glancing over at Bekah. “How’re you ladies doing over there?”

“Still breathing.” Bekah peeked into the bag to check on their passenger. The hawk was coiled like a spring, but at least she’d stopped wriggling and trying to get loose. Either she was calming down, or she was fading fast. Since she knew next to nothing about birds, Bekah realized she had no choice but to hope for the best. “She’s really scared, though. I wish there was something more I could do.”

“It’s not your fault she got hit,” he assured her as he took a sharp curve like a pro. “We’ve got a lot of red-tails around here, and they like to hunt at the edges of these woods. They get so focused on their meal, they don’t check for cars, so most likely she ran into you instead of the other way around.”

“Where did you learn so much about hawks?”

“I grew up here, so that’s some of it. The behavior stuff I’ve learned from the folks who rehab wildlife at the rescue center. You’d be amazed what kind of critters end up there.”

“Really? Like what?”

It was very unlike her to prolong any conversation beyond the absolute basics, so the curiosity she heard in her voice surprised her. Apparently, her dramatic bird encounter had unsettled her even more than she’d realized.

“Skunks, orphaned bear cubs, last week an entire possum family. Then there’s the usual dogs and cats, rabbits, stuff like that. My family and I run Gallimore Stables on the other side of the property, retraining retired racehorses for new owners.”

The mention of horses got her attention, and she couldn’t help being intrigued by this outgoing man who’d interrupted his morning to stop and help out a complete stranger and a hawk. Feeling some of her reluctance seeping away, she took a deep breath and blurted, “My last name’s Holloway.”

“Pleased to meet you, Bekah Holloway.” Sliding her an easygoing grin, he added, “What brings you to Oaks Crossing?”

Despite her lingering tension, she laughed. “So, that’s where I am. I was trying to get to a job interview in Rockville. The receptionist gave me directions, but I got turned around somewhere and couldn’t find any road signs.”

“Worked out well for me.” When she gave him a puzzled look, his grin widened. “If you hadn’t gotten lost, I never would’ve met you.”

She’d known more than her share of smooth talkers, and she recognized a line when she heard one. Normally, she would have let it pass since she’d never see him again. But something inside her raised up its head and pushed her to nip his subtle advance in the bud. Maybe she still had some of her dignity, after all.

Not wanting to sound rude, she came up with a polite way to set him straight. “And without you to help her, this hawk would be in major trouble. Right?”

He seemed to pick up on her meaning, and he nodded. “Right.”

They made the rest of their trip in silence. While that was what she’d had in mind, Bekah was almost disappointed. Drew struck her as a genuinely decent guy willing to lend a hand where it was needed, even if it was inconvenient for him.

Unfortunately, she’d run across too many people who seemed good at first and turned out to be anything but. It had left her jaded and, by necessity, leery of—well, everyone. It was really too bad, she thought as she stared out the window at the trees flashing by. If she was someone else, she might have considered finding a job here and staying a while. A long string of personal disasters had soured her on serious relationships, but based on their quick connection, there was a chance she and Drew might have become friends.

She’d grown weary of constantly traveling from one place to another to hide her tracks, and always being an outsider was disheartening, to say the least. Now that summer was over, she’d love nothing more than to spend the winter in a nice little town way off the grid and catch her breath. The trouble was, she knew she hadn’t come close to shedding her past, and she didn’t have the luxury of becoming complacent. She’d have to settle for finding a reasonably safe harbor until her well-honed survival instinct warned her it was time to move on again.

It wasn’t the life she wanted, but it was the one she had to live. And there was nothing she could do about that.

* * *

Bekah Holloway was a puzzle wrapped in a mystery.

To Drew, it looked as if she’d been living in her car, and the condition of it told him she was pretty hard up for money. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her skittish behavior made it obvious to him that she was running from something—or someone. Slender but clearly stronger than she looked, her auburn hair and vivid blue eyes accented a pretty face with freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. In truth, she reminded him of the pixies in the stories his mother used to read him when he was a boy.

That observation drifted through Drew’s mind as he snuck a glance over at her. Completely engrossed by soothing the wounded hawk, she seemed oblivious to Drew’s presence. That was a new one for him, and he couldn’t keep back a slight grin. Most of the time, women flirted shamelessly with him, and he obliged them by flirting back.

Being from good Irish stock, he’d always believed friendliness was in his DNA. Life was short, and he couldn’t see the point in keeping anything back. Of course, that philosophy had landed him in trouble more than once, and a couple of years ago, the woman he’d loved enough to build his future around had chosen her dream career over him. With tears in her eyes, Kelly had turned down his proposal and headed for San Francisco, leaving his heart in so many pieces, he still hadn’t found them all.

He wanted the strong, loving marriage his parents had enjoyed until his father’s death a few years ago, and he kept trying to find the woman to build it with. His older brother’s wedding the year before had gotten him thinking about the future even more lately, but as he crept toward his thirtieth birthday, he’d started to wonder if he was destined to spend the rest of his days as everyone’s favorite uncle.

He didn’t really want to be stuck in his tiny hometown for the rest of forever, but his family’s struggling farm needed every pair of available hands to keep it out of bankruptcy. Gallimore was more than the Kinleys’ business—it was their home. Leaving to pursue his own dreams sounded good in theory, but the reality of it was he’d never be able to live with himself if his family lost the farm, and he hadn’t done everything in his power to stop it.

His brooding was cut short when they reached the sign marking the Oaks Crossing Rescue Center. Turning into the lot, he parked next to a dusty two-door that was the only other car there.

Going carefully to avoid scaring either of his passengers, he got out and went around to open Bekah’s door for her. She looked up at him with fearful eyes, and he smiled to reassure her. “Sierra’s here, and she’s the best. Your little friend will be in good hands, I promise.”

A flicker of something akin to hope passed over her features. “I guess I have to trust you, don’t I?”

She made it sound like a real stretch for her, which made him wonder what had happened to turn this intelligent young woman into a scared rabbit. Since he didn’t have a clue how to answer her question, he walked ahead and opened the entryway door for her.

“Good morning,” Sierra Walker greeted them in her characteristically chipper tone. “I’m set up for our new guest in back, so come on through.”

As they walked, he introduced the two women, who traded quick nods before getting down to business. Bekah rested her bundle on an exam table, and Sierra carefully opened the soft cocoon. Seeming to anticipate a struggle, she held the bird still, talking in a singsong voice he’d heard her use with dozens of other animals.

“Hello there, beautiful,” she crooned, running expert hands over the hawk. “You’ve had a tough morning, haven’t you?”

“I’m so sorry,” Bekah apologized, anguish clouding her eyes. “I never saw her until I hit her.”

“I’d imagine Drew explained it was probably the other way around.”

“Well, yes, but I thought he was just trying to make me feel better about hurting her.”

“Actually, that’s the way it usually happens, so you’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. They get this laser focus when they’re hunting, and they don’t notice anything else except their prey. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” she added to the hawk.

“So she really is a girl?” Drew asked. When she nodded, he chuckled at Bekah. “Guess you were right about that.”

“And you were wrong,” she retorted with more than a little venom in her tone. That set off more alarm bells in his head, warning him to steer clear of this obviously troubled young woman. He preferred sweet, uncomplicated girls whose biggest problem was choosing what outfit they were going to wear on Saturday night. Bekah, on the other hand, had already proven to have more twists than a steep mountain road. Between long days at the farm and pitching in at the center most weekends, he had plenty to deal with already, he cautioned himself. The last thing he needed was a challenge.

Still, there was something about her that reached out to him in a way he’d never experienced before. Maybe it was that she needed him, or that he’d gained enough of her trust that she’d finally gotten the nerve to share her last name with him.

Or maybe it was something else altogether. That possibility bothered him more than he cared to think about right now.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” he replied smoothly, adding a grin to show there were no hard feelings on his part. She gave him an odd look, but he stubbornly kept the smile in place. He’d never let a woman get the better of him before, and he wasn’t about to start now. After all, he had a well-earned reputation to protect.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” Sierra interrupted in a crisp way that said she meant business. “It looks like our girl has some broken bones in her left wing, so we’ll wrap it to keep it stable while they heal. She also has what appears to be a decent concussion.”

“Is that why her one eye isn’t open very far?” Bekah asked.

“Yes, but it responds to light, so that’s a good sign. Judging by her size, I’d say she’s a couple of years old, strong and healthy up till now. That means that if she gets the right care, her chances of recovering and being released back into her natural environment are excellent.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to hear that.” For the first time, Bekah smiled, her eyes lighting with pure joy. Pretty as she was, the fragile-looking runaway was absolutely beautiful when she smiled.

“It’s what we do,” Sierra told her. “Our certified wildlife rehabilitator is on her way over, and she’ll know exactly what needs to be done. I set up a cage in back for the hawk, so if you bring her in, we’ll get her settled and rustle up some breakfast.”

“Does that sound good to you?” Bekah asked the hawk as she scooped her up from the table with more confidence than she’d shown earlier. “You probably can’t wait to get out of this bag.”

Once they had her safely tucked into an oversize birdcage, their patient hobbled around the papered floor, checking out her new digs. Apparently satisfied, she settled down and let out what struck him as a very human-like sigh of relief.

“She needs a name,” Bekah commented in a thoughtful tone. Then, blushing as if just realizing she’d spoken out loud, she turned to Sierra with a questioning look. “Is it all right to do that?”

Normally, they only named animals who were staying at the center because they couldn’t find a home or go back into the wild. Drew caught Sierra’s eye and gave her a subtle nod. Bekah had clearly been having a rough time, and it seemed to him that naming the hawk might give her spirits a much-needed boost.

“Sure,” Sierra replied. “What did you have in mind?”

Bekah studied the resting bird intently for a few moments, then smiled. “With all those pretty burgundy-and-white feathers, I think she looks like a Rosie.”

“Rosie it is.” Grabbing an index card and permanent marker, Sierra wrote down the name, date and her estimate of the age. When she was finished, she asked, “Would you like to help me get her breakfast together?”

“That depends,” Bekah hedged. “What are you planning to feed her?”

“Raw chicken and water for now. When she’s feeling stronger, we’ll move on to live meals, but that’ll be a while.”

“Chicken and water I can handle.”

With that decided, she held Drew’s sweatshirt out for him. When he saw the condition it was in, he chuckled and held up his hands. “That’s okay. She can keep it.”

“It’s my fault it got ruined, so I’ll buy you a new one.” It was a sweet offer, but he could tell by the hesitance in her eyes that she really couldn’t afford it.

“Not necessary. I’m happy to give my shirt to a lady anytime.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he realized they could be easily misunderstood to mean he went around handing his shirts to random women. Feeling foolish, he quickly added, “I mean, if she needs it for some reason.”

What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to lose his cool and just blurt things out that way. A strong dose of caffeine was probably in order, he reasoned. Not to mention a shower.

“Okay.” Bekah gave him a long, suspicious look, then a tentative smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He caught Sierra studying him with a curious expression, and he brushed it off with a grin. “Need anything else while I’m here?”

“I’ve got twelve kennels to clean before we open, and I still haven’t fed all of the wild babies yet.”

It was a common problem for them here. As a nonprofit clinic, they relied on donations and grants to keep everything going. That meant they couldn’t pay the staff much, and consistent volunteers were hard to come by. They’d recently lost their veterinarian, and animals of every species kept pouring in from the surrounding area every week. Shorthanded didn’t come close to describing the situation, and Drew made it a point to lend a hand whenever he could spare the time. “I’ve got an hour before anyone will miss me in the barns.”

“That would be awesome. Thanks.”

To his complete surprise, the timid woman he’d met less than an hour ago piped up with, “Are you looking for help around here?”

Sierra flashed him a questioning glance, and he shrugged to say it was her call. Bekah had astonished him, too, but he couldn’t help noticing how she was now looking Sierra directly in the eye. Standing up straighter, too, instead of trying to make herself as small and invisible as possible.

After a few seconds, the clinic’s manager replied, “We’re always looking for help. Mind if I ask what kind of job experience you have?”

“I’m not trained for anything in particular, but I’m a hard worker, and I learn fast. I was working at Jennings’s farm stand until last week when they closed for the fall. Mr. Jennings said I could use him as a reference.”

“He’s an old friend of the family.” Drew added his two cents without hesitation. “He’s pretty hard to please, so if he likes your work, you’re a keeper.”

That got him another, slightly warmer smile from Bekah, and then she turned to Sierra. “I’ll work a week for nothing, so you can check my references and make sure I’m right for the job.”

The desperation in her voice was impossible to miss, and it took all of Drew’s self-control not to pull rank and tell her she was hired. Technically, the Kinleys owned the center, and Sierra worked for them. Realistically, she was in charge of the clinic and its operation, and they’d never stepped in to tell her what to do. He wasn’t keen on changing that arrangement, but something about Bekah made him want to go a few extra steps for her.

While the two women talked about what the position involved, one of his late father’s favorite lines drifted through his memory.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Drew recalled hearing that more than once growing up, when his quick temper got the better of him, and he ended up fighting with one of his brothers or a kid at school who was pestering him. Mike was the oldest, and Josh was the youngest, so they had it easy. Erin was the only girl, which made her the princess. As the middle son, Drew had learned early on that he had a simple choice: he could either live up to his big brother’s solid example or overcome it and be his own person.

He was still wrestling with that one, and he often wished Dad was still around to give him advice. Whether he’d follow it or not was up for debate, but he would’ve appreciated the input. Unfortunately, now it was too late.

Shrugging off his suddenly melancholy mood, he refocused on the conversation that had continued along quite nicely without him. Bekah’s delicate appearance had thrown him at first, but the spirit he saw glowing in her eyes had drawn him much closer than he normally would’ve gone after such an odd first meeting. The fading bruise on her cheek infuriated him, and he honestly hoped he never discovered who was responsible for it. It wouldn’t go well for the monster who’d struck her hard enough to leave such an ugly mark behind.

To his great relief, Sierra finally appeared satisfied and shook Bekah’s hand to seal their arrangement. “Let’s go find a pair of coveralls that fit you. You’re going to need them.”

Chapter Two

Bekah wasn’t at all sure what to make of Drew Kinley.

Still dressed in the tank top and beat-up cargo shorts he was wearing when they met earlier that morning, he started working with her around seven o’clock and kept on going. He didn’t try to draw her into conversation but kept his comments to whatever task they were doing at the moment. He was pleasant and upbeat but didn’t go out of his way to make her talk to him.

Most people took her long silences as either rude or evidence that something was bothering her. It was nice to meet someone who understood her reserved nature and accepted it for what it was.

At one point, he fetched them each some bottled water. After a long swallow, he stopped long enough to call someone named Mike. “What can I say, big brother? They need a hand down here, and I’m sure you won’t miss fighting with me all that much.” After a pause, he chuckled. “Yeah, it’ll earn me some brownie points with Erin, too. Don’t think that didn’t occur to me. See ya later.”

He pocketed his phone and turned back to the straw he was pitching into several stalls set aside for larger animals. In the section he’d referred to as the nursery, three goats and a wide-eyed fawn watched him from their temporary quarters in a storage area with a Dutch door. They looked to be assessing his work, and despite the odd turn her day had taken, Bekah felt herself smiling at the image.

She hadn’t done much of that lately, she realized. There hadn’t been all that much to lift her spirits the past few months, and when she thought about it, meeting Drew was the highlight of her year. Pathetic, but true. He’d been so nice to her, she decided she should make more of an effort to be sociable. What better topic to start with than the woman he’d just mentioned wanting to impress?

“So,” Bekah commented in what she hoped came across as friendly interest. “Is Erin your girlfriend?”

He gave her the blankest look she’d ever seen in her life, then broke out laughing. “Not even close. She’s my little sister and the bane of my existence. If I can do something to get on her good side for a change, I will. So a little extra work is totally worth a few days of peace from her.”

Watching him banter back and forth with Sierra had made it plain they were nothing more than friends. For some reason, Bekah was ridiculously pleased to discover this incredibly charming man was unattached. Not that it should make any difference to her, she told herself sternly. She wouldn’t be in town long enough for it to matter whether he was single or not. She was just making conversation. “So, this place was your sister’s idea?”

“Yeah. It’s her pet project.”

He angled his head to glance over at her, and she saw humor twinkling in his eyes. When she got the joke, she groaned. “That’s a terrible pun.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” he assured her with a shameless grin. Spreading more straw, he asked, “So, what kind of job were you interviewing for over in Rockville?”

“The kind that pays.” Hearing the angry bite in her tone, Bekah winced. “Sorry, that was rude. There was some light factory work I thought I could manage. I’m sure they’ve filled the spot by now.”

“Where are you staying?”

In my car, she nearly blurted before realizing that was more than he needed to know. Beyond that, it made her sound pathetic, and she didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. As her feisty Grams used to say, she was down but not out. At least not yet. “I’m looking for a place that doesn’t break the bank. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I might. Depends on you, I guess.”

What a curious thing to say. In spite of herself, she had to admit he’d snagged her interest with that one. She stopped cleaning the water bottles that hung in the cages for smaller animals and looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

Resting his arms across the handle of his pitchfork, he explained. “You seem to like the animals here.”

“Definitely,” she answered with a nod. “To be deadly honest, I like animals better than people.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“They don’t judge you or make you feel stupid when you mess things up.” One of the scruffy pygmy goats went up on his hind legs and rested his tiny front hoofs on the dividing wall. Reaching over, she scratched between his sprouting horns with a smile. “All they want is to be fed and have a safe place to sleep. Whoever gives them that is their hero, and they love you to pieces.”

Drew didn’t respond to that, and she glanced over to find him studying her with a somber expression. An angry glint appeared in his eyes again, and she recognized it from when he’d noticed the healing bruise on her cheek. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but his grim look stayed in place.

“Are you talking about these critters,” he asked gently, “or yourself?”

His perceptiveness was unnerving, to say the least, and she clamped her mouth shut to avoid stammering in shock. Once she regained some of her composure, she replied, “Let’s just say I can relate to where they’re coming from. I’ve been in some places that I have no intention of ever going back to.”

“Making a better life for yourself,” he added, eyes now twinkling with approval. “Good for you.”

“I hope so. Seeing as I don’t have much choice but to keep going forward.”

She wasn’t usually so honest with someone she barely knew, and she held her breath waiting for him to ask her to clarify what on earth she was talking about. Instead, he gave her an encouraging smile that warmed her all over.

“That’s a great way to look at it,” he said. “I think that’s a good strategy for all of us.”

Did he really? she wondered, or was he just being nice? As he got back to work in the stalls, she pondered their brief discussion in an attempt to sort through her conflicting feelings about him. She’d grown so accustomed to guys who said what they thought she wanted to hear, she was constantly on her guard around them. Because of that, she wasn’t sure how to read Drew’s wide-open, friendly personality.

Could it be that by some crazy stroke of fortune, she’d stumbled across a truly honest, straightforward man who said what he meant and meant what he said? Stranger things had happened, she supposed. She just couldn’t recall the last time they’d happened to her.

While she was lost in her brooding, the end door swung open, and Sierra came through lugging two old-fashioned milk bottle carriers filled with what looked like large plastic baby bottles topped with oversize nipples. The residents of the baby section went bananas, bleating and calling for their breakfast while Drew hurried forward to lend a hand.

“Those look kinda heavy,” he said as he took them from her.

“They are,” she acknowledged, a bit breathless. “Thanks for the help.”

“Well, you know how that works.”

Narrowing her eyes, she nailed him with a suspicious glare. “I’m not doing your laundry like I had to when my poor Angels lost the World Series to Cincinnati.”

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” he assured her smoothly, setting the formula down on a nearby hay bale.

“Then what?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” he said with a wink. “Who gets fed first?”

“I think he does,” Bekah replied, laughing as the determined pygmy goat climbed on his buddy’s back trying to get at the bottles.

“You can start with him,” Sierra agreed.

When her meaning sank in, Bekah shook her head. “You mean, you want me to do it?”

“Sure. They know how to eat, so you just hold the bottle up for them and wait till they’re done.” Bleating up a storm, the little goat was butting his head against the wall, and she laughed. “Here, let me show you.”

She climbed into the pen and lifted him out. Grabbing a bottle, she set him on his feet and sat down on the sawdust-covered dirt floor beside him. Eager for his breakfast, he latched on to the nipple and sucked down the formula like it was his last meal.

“Wow, he’s really going to town,” Bekah commented, patting his wiry brindle coat while he ate. “Are they all this easy?”

“The trick is to keep them from running over each other or you. They’re not starving or anything, but babies don’t like to wait in line, do they?” Sierra cooed, tapping him on his forehead while he gazed up at her with adoring eyes. Right then and there, Bekah decided she wanted to experience that kind of heroine worship for herself.

Hoping to make a good impression on her prospective new boss, without being told, she clambered into the pen the way Sierra had and cradled another goat in her arms. Drew held out his hands, and while she appreciated his gesture, she firmly shook her head. “I’ve got it.”

“They squirm a lot, y’know,” he cautioned her.

“That’s okay. I’m stronger than I look.”

Approval flashed across Sierra’s face, and she met Bekah’s eyes with a quick nod. Feeling as though she’d made some progress, Bekah carefully brought out the hornless goat and set her down, settling beside her the way Sierra had done. Really, all she had to do was hold up the bottle, and the little goat did the rest.

Apparently satisfied, Sierra stood and brushed off her jeans with her hands. “Well, it looks like you’re good to go. I’ll have a chat with Drew and come back in a few. Just remember—one at a time. Otherwise, they’ll stampede all over the place, and we’ll have a horrible time catching them.”

Bekah noticed the woman had implied that if she made a mistake, Sierra would help her corral the escapees. Used to fending for herself, she found it comforting to know someone would have her back if she needed them.

Rubbing the back of the slurping goat, she replied, “Oh, we’ll be fine, won’t we, little one?”

“Keep telling yourself that, and it’ll be true,” Drew told her with a smile. “I’ve gotta get going. Thanks to Rosie, I’m later for work than usual.”

“I don’t know the first thing about horses,” she confided. “It must be a fun job.”

“Some days yes, some days no. Today we’ve gotta move a dozen or so of our boarders so we can do some maintenance in their barn.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“Nah. We’ve got a real steady Belgian draft horse named Gideon who’s seen it all, so he never gets rattled by anything, no matter how bad the others think it is. My brother Mike just marches him out first, and the rest of them trail after him like puppies.”

She couldn’t help laughing at the picture he painted. “Those are some seriously large puppies.”

“Most of ’em aren’t a problem when you know how to handle ’em. Mike’s some kind of horse whisperer, so the rest of us just follow his lead.”

Although his delivery was upbeat, she picked up on something below the surface that didn’t sound right to her. Inspiration struck, and she asked, “Do you ever get to be in charge when it comes to the horses?”

He looked surprised, then shook his head with a grin. “Man, you’ve got me pegged. The horses are his territory, and I’m more like a foot soldier.”

“What about the rescue center? You seem to know where everything is, so I’m guessing you put in a lot of time over here.”

“I like animals in general,” he said, scratching the head of a nosy miniature alpaca, “so I enjoy working here when I have the time. But Sierra’s in charge.”

“If you could be your own boss, what kind of business would you have?”

“Something outside,” he replied immediately, as if he’d thought about it often enough that the answer came easily to him. “Maybe a wilderness guide out west or something. I visited Mike in New Mexico once, and I couldn’t believe how incredible the desert and the mountains are. Totally different from what I’m used to, but really beautiful.”

His tone had shifted ever so slightly, the gold in his eyes warming as he stared down at her. At first, Bekah couldn’t define what had changed, then she replayed his words in her mind and wondered if he was referring to something other than the Western scenery.

“Anyway,” he went on as if nothing unusual had happened, “Sierra usually comes down to the house for lunch around noon. You’re welcome to join us if you want, meet the rest of our nutty crew.”

Out of necessity, she’d learned not to depend on anyone for anything. But he’d been so kind to her, she decided it was okay to bend that rule just this one time. “Thanks. That sounds good.”

“I’ll see you then.”

Giving her another encouraging smile, he followed Sierra from the shed, leaving Bekah in charge of feeding the babies. Glancing around, she counted heads and came up with twelve. Two down, ten to go. Surrounded by endless noise and questionable smells, she knew that some people might consider this the worst job in the world.

But to Bekah, this little barn tucked into the backwoods of Kentucky was like paradise, protected from the outside world and bursting with promising new lives. She couldn’t imagine any place she’d rather be.

* * *

“Now,” Drew began when he and Sierra were alone out front. “I don’t want to tell you how to run this place...”

“But you want me to hire Bekah,” she finished for him. The doubt in her dark eyes made it clear what she thought of his idea, but she didn’t say anything else.

Two could play that game, Drew mused. Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it, sparring with his last girlfriend had left him a master at verbal fencing. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

Oh, she was good. Warming to the challenge she was laying in front of him, he said, “I’m not sure. I’ve just got a feeling about her.”

“Again? How many is that this year?”

His reputation as a lady killer had been well-earned, and he laughed. “Not that kind of feeling. I mean she seems like she’s had a rough time of it lately, and she needs a safe place to land.”

While his mind accepted that explanation without question, his Irish heart had another idea altogether. This morning, he’d taken a route for his run that he hadn’t used in months and had hit that section of road just after Bekah’s frightening encounter with Rosie. Something—or someone—had brought them together for a reason. He might not understand why just yet, but he couldn’t shake the belief that he and the enigmatic runaway were meant to connect on that lonely back road.

He and Sierra stared at each other for several seconds, until she finally broke the silence. “I don’t know.”

“Aw, come on,” he pleaded, which was a big stretch for him. He made it a point never to want anything so badly he’d get down on his knees for it. But this was different. Every instinct he had was warning him that Bekah was in trouble and needed help. His help. “She stopped to take care of a hawk that dive-bombed her car and scared her half to death. You’ve seen for yourself how great she is with the animals.”

“We’ve stretched our budget as far as it will go this year. I can’t pay her much more than nothing until January.”

“I don’t think that’s an issue for her. She just needs a job.”

“We don’t know anything about her. She could be in trouble, or running from the police or something.”

The image of that fading bruise refused to leave him alone, and he frowned. “She’s definitely running from something, but my gut tells me it’s not the law.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m supposed to hire someone for a sensitive job like this based on your gut?”

She had a point, he had to admit, and knowing his family, they’d agree with her. Then a solution hit him. “I’ve got a buddy who works in the county sheriff’s office. I can have him run a background check on her, off the record. Would that make you feel better?”

“I guess.”

He could tell he had her on the ropes. Sierra was a caring soul with a generous heart, and he knew she felt genuine sympathy for their mysterious visitor. Now to knock her over the edge and get a full-on yes for his true plan. “One more thing.”

“Here it comes,” she grumbled, glaring up at him. It was a good thing they were such solid friends, or he’d have been worried she might smack him. “What?”

“Judging by the condition her car’s in, I’m pretty sure she needs a place to stay.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Lancelot,” Sierra retorted crisply. “My studio apartment’s more like a closet with a futon in it.”

“Okay, then I’ll ask Mom. I’m sure she can find a spot for Bekah at the house till we come up with something better.”

“Like what?”

Drew mulled the problem over for a minute, then grinned. “What about the old stable manager’s office out back? It’s got a bunk and its own bathroom, along with a small kitchen. I can get a mattress from Mom, and her old fridge is still on the service porch, just waiting to be donated.”

“That room’s filthy, and no one’s used it in years.”

“So it’s perfect. Bekah won’t be in anyone’s way, and she can have some privacy. Beyond that,” he added, going in for the kill, “she’ll be on-site all the time. Once she’s trained, she can take over the morning chores, and you won’t have to come in at the crack of dawn. Ever.”

Glowering at his logic, Sierra opened her mouth to protest, then slowly closed it. She chewed on his proposal for a minute and finally relented with a sigh. “Okay, we’ll give her a try. After your friend checks her out,” she added, stabbing Drew’s chest with a finger for emphasis. “I’m responsible for this center and every one of the animals living here. I won’t risk all that because you’ve got a feeling about a girl.”

“Like I told you,” he retorted, “it’s not that kind of feeling.”

She gave him a long, dubious look that clearly said she didn’t believe him. As she went back into the rear shed to finish doling out breakfast, he put her irritating reaction out of his mind. Right now he had more important things to worry about.

Pulling out his phone, he thumbed down to the number he needed and pressed Dial. A crisp, professional voice answered, and he grinned. “Harley? Is that you? You sound like some rich guy’s uptight butler.” That got him a less than charitable reply, and he chuckled. “Hey, I need a favor, unofficially. I don’t know—cover your monitor or something. Here’s what I need.”

Once he explained, Harley put him on hold to do a quick search of some mystical police database that would at least reveal whether or not Bekah was on the most-wanted list. Subjected to an instrumental version of a creaky old ballad, Drew strolled around the lobby until Harley came back on the line. “Your girl’s clear as far as I can see. Not even a parking ticket.”

“Awesome. Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

“I’ll add it to the list,” his childhood friend assured him with a chuckle. “Take ’er easy.”

“You, too.”

Clicking his phone off as he walked through an unmarked door, he found Sierra measuring out antibiotics for some patient or another. She held up her index finger for him to wait, and when she was finished, she looked up at him. “I can tell by the delighted look on your face that you got the answer you wanted to hear.”

“From what Harley could tell, Bekah’s record is clean as a whistle. I’m way overdue at the farm, but I’m gonna head out back and see how that old plumbing looks. I wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome and step on your pretty little toes.”

“Oh, you’re a real prince. You owe me one, Kinley boy.”

Echoing what he’d told Harley, he shot back, “Just add it to the list.”

“Don’t worry. I will.”

* * *

Bekah didn’t have a watch, but the sun was directly overhead when she and Sierra finally finished taking care of all the animals and their pens. Everything was clean, everyone had been fed and dosed, and at one o’clock they had a family coming in to take home the adorable black lab puppy they’d chosen to adopt. Not long after that, Sierra had told her, it would be time to do it all over again and get everyone tucked in for the night.

Never a dull moment at the rescue center, Bekah thought with a grin. She loved it.

“Okay, rookie,” Sierra announced briskly. “Lunchtime.”

“I’m fine.”

“There are laws in this state, and one of them says I can’t work you to death. Unless I feed you first,” she added with a wink. “Fortunately for you, it won’t be my cooking you have to stomach. Maggie Kinley’s the best cook in the county, and she’s always got room for one more. If you don’t mind walking over to the house, we can chat on the way.”

That sounded promising, so Bekah agreed and quickly washed her hands at a nearby utility sink. Outside, a mild autumn breeze rustled through the trees behind the center, shaking more leaves loose to float lazily down to the ground.

Leaving the cluster of barns where she’d spent her morning, she followed Sierra onto a dirt lane that wound through acres of white-fenced bluegrass with horses of every size and color peacefully grazing in the sunlight. At the other end she saw a rambling white farmhouse surrounded by well-tended gardens. With wide porches and baskets of flowers hanging along the roofline, it had a welcoming look that invited people to stop in and visit for a while.

“You’ve done great today,” Sierra began in her brisk, efficient way. “I threw every job I could at you, and you handled them better than anyone I’ve ever seen. You’ve got a real way with animals.”

Unaccustomed to being praised for simply doing as she’d been told, Bekah felt prouder than she had in a long time. She didn’t want to come across as being needy, though, so she kept her response simple. “Thank you.”

Sierra gave her a sidelong glance and shook her head with a smile. “You’re welcome. I know you’ve only been with us part of a day, but were you serious about wanting something more permanent?”

Excited beyond words, Bekah clamped her mouth shut before she could make a complete fool of herself and destroy Sierra’s positive view of her. Taking a deep breath to steady her voice, she said, “What did you have in mind?”

“It’d be great to find someone who could be at the clinic when I’m not. Sometimes things come up after I’ve left for the day, and I don’t know anything’s happened until morning.”

Bekah heard what she wasn’t saying and frowned. “You mean an animal might take a turn for the worst, and by the time you find out, it’s too late to help them?”

“Yeah,” Sierra acknowledged sadly. “I live in Rockville and take night classes, so it’s not possible for me to be at the center 24/7.”

The regret in her voice made Bekah want to do something to ease her mind. Beyond that, working at the clinic would let her keep an eye on Rosie while she healed. Despite Drew and Sierra’s assurances, she felt a deep sense of responsibility for the wounded hawk.

Still, she hated to make a commitment she couldn’t keep, so she chose her words very carefully. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be in town, but I can cover the open hours at the clinic until you find someone else for the job.”

“Fabulous.” Sierra named an hourly rate a few cents above minimum wage, punctuating that with an apologetic shrug. “I know it’s not much, but that’s honestly the best I can do. The good news is rooms in town aren’t expensive, so you should be able to find a place to stay.”

Once her car was fixed, anyway, Bekah thought grimly. Shaking off the pessimism that had become an ugly habit for her, she decided to start focusing on the good instead of the bad. “I’ll take it. And thank you for giving me a chance. I’m sure I’m not your first choice.”

“Honey, you’re my only choice,” her new boss confided, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a quick hug. “If we both put our minds to it, we’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

“I’m good at that.”

That comment got her a long, appraising look from the upbeat woman who’d just unwittingly saved Bekah from an uncertain future. “That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

They chatted pleasantly the rest of the way and stopped at the foot of the back porch steps. The door was open, and through the wood-framed screen Bekah heard what sounded like an army talking, laughing and generally making a ruckus. Over it all, she barely heard a woman’s voice shout, “Lunch is ready!”

Sierra climbed up to the porch, but Bekah’s feet refused to move even an inch. “Sierra?” When she turned back, Bekah asked, “How many people are in there?”

“Oh, usually ten or fifteen, depending. There’s no school today, so there might be some kids, too. Why?”

Bekah didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but the thought of facing so many strangers just about paralyzed her. While she was trying to come up with a polite way to decline, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her.

“Hello, ladies,” Drew’s mellow voice drawled. “Glad you could make it.”

Turning to face him, she felt an unfamiliar hitch in her stomach. His hair was damp, and he’d changed from his running clothes into jeans and a pale green T-shirt that made his eyes glitter like emeralds. A full head taller than her, he had the solid look of someone who’d worked outside his entire life. As he approached her, she was vaguely aware of Sierra continuing up the steps, effectively leaving her alone with the best-looking man she’d ever met.

Why hadn’t she noticed that before? she asked herself. Oh, right, between Rosie and her whirlwind morning at the clinic, she’d been too busy to do much more than glance at him. Now that she had a chance for a better look, it was pathetically obvious she’d missed a few details that morning. Quite a few.

When she realized he was waiting for her to say something, she felt her cheeks warming with embarrassment. She hadn’t paid much attention to the niceties lately, and apparently her social skills had withered a bit. Hoping to cover her slip with a bright smile, she said, “Thanks for the invitation. I didn’t have breakfast this morning, so I’m famished.”

“Then we better get you inside before you drop,” he teased, going ahead to open the door for her. When she didn’t follow, he nudged her. “After you.”

Coming from him, the old-fashioned gesture caught her by surprise. Mr. Jennings had behaved that way toward her, but he was old enough to be her grandfather, and she’d assumed that was the explanation for his gallant treatment of her. Apparently, it was a Southern thing, she mused with a slight grin. Definitely something a girl could get used to.

So with Drew standing solidly behind her, she waded into the most chaotic scene she’d ever experienced outside of an after-Christmas sale. A quick glance around showed her that Sierra hadn’t been exaggerating about the number of people. She saw everyone from dusty farmhands to an adorable blond girl sitting at the table with a slender woman, coloring pictures in a book as if there wasn’t a storm of activity swirling around them.

An older woman was mixing a salad on the huge prep island, and she looked up when the screen door slapped closed. Instantly, she put on a huge smile and wiped her hands on a towel as she came around to greet them.

“You must be Bekah,” she said warmly, shaking her hand and beaming as if she’d just come across a long-lost daughter. “Drew called to tell me you might be coming in for lunch. I’m Maggie Kinley, and on a good day I’m in charge around here. Today I’m not so sure.”

Dredging up her rusty manners, Bekah did her best to smile back. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Mom’s the ringleader of this little circus,” Drew explained with a chuckle. Pointing to a tall man at the head of the table, he said, “That’s my big brother Mike, baby brother Josh...”

“Who wishes you’d quit calling him that,” a slightly slimmer version of the older two protested. “I’m twenty-five, y’know.”

“Whatever.”

Josh growled, and Drew grinned back, clearly not concerned in the least. He went on to introduce the little girl as his niece, Abby, and the lovely woman beside her as Mike’s wife, Lily.

After that, the names and faces blurred together in a mishmash of strangers Bekah was fairly certain she’d never be able to keep straight. But she doggedly smiled and nodded at each one, trying to look more confident than she felt. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“You look dead on your feet, honey,” Maggie clucked, patting the end of one of the long benches flanking the table. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I got it, Mom,” Drew answered, opening the fridge to take out a humongous pitcher. “What would you say to some lemonade, Bekah?”

In reply, she held out an empty glass, and he laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

While he filled it and added ice, it struck her that she’d actually done something he thought was funny. After spending months skulking from one town to the next, doing everything in her power to keep from drawing attention to herself, she was pleased to discover she hadn’t completely lost her sense of humor.

This bright, comfortable feeling might not last, she acknowledged, but for now it felt good. And that was enough for her.

* * *

In a stroke of rare genius, Drew took the end seat, leaving Bekah next to his bubbly sister-in-law. They talked easily enough, and his worry about her ebbed a bit. As a kindergarten teacher, Lily was used to dealing with all kinds of personalities in her students, and she was as accepting a person as he’d ever met. She’d have to be, he mused with a wry grin. Mike was a good guy, but he wasn’t exactly Mr. Congeniality.

“So, Drew, are we gonna see you here on the farm sometime today?” the ogre in question asked from the other end of the table.

Drew recognized that he’d been pushing it all morning, even though he believed he’d been doing something more important than whatever Mike had planned for him. But he didn’t want to start one of their notorious arguments in front of their skittish guest, so he brushed away his annoyance. “I got a few more things to finish at the clinic, but they can wait till tomorrow. So I’m all yours.”

“We’re almost done with the hay,” Josh informed him around a mouthful of salad. “Then we’ll be out fixing the line of fencing those crazy ponies took down during yesterday’s thunderstorm.”

“We should replace that wire with board fences,” Drew commented to no one in particular.

“If we could afford it, we would,” Mike reminded him with a scowl. “Since we can’t, we can’t.”

Bold, blatant logic, and an everyday fact of life at Gallimore Stables. Someday, Drew hoped they could manage the farm the right way, instead of barely holding things together with their bare hands.

When Dad had been alive and training racehorses, they’d never worried about money or how they were going to keep the place going. Now, it seemed like they never quit worrying about it. As much as he loved the farm, sometimes he got tired of the constant pressure they were all under to keep the numbers from sliding too far into the red.

Those were the times he couldn’t help wondering if there might be a better life for him somewhere else. Then his innate loyalty kicked in, and he plastered on a smile while he kept trudging along, waiting for things to improve enough for him to strike out on his own.

“Then I’ll meet you and Josh out in the back pasture,” he said matter-of-factly. Stringing a mile of fence was the last thing he wanted to do, but he was confident that his brothers weren’t thrilled about it, either. Since there was no point grumbling about what had to be done, he switched topics. “On the radio this morning, I heard Tennessee’s favored against Dallas this Sunday. I’m not sure about that one.”

“Dallas is using a backup quarterback who’s never started a pro game, so they might be right.”

The comment came from—of all people—Bekah. She sounded like she knew what she was talking about, and he eyed her with new respect. “You speak football?”

“I’m from Chicago,” she informed him with a smirk. “Speaking football is a requirement.”

“Is that right?” Fascinated, he folded his arms on the table and grinned at her. “Any thoughts on the San Fran game Monday night?”

“They’ll lose. They’re playing in Seattle, which has the loudest home fans in the country. Opponents can never hear a thing in that stadium, and the San Fran front line is full of rookies who won’t be able to communicate well enough to coordinate their moves. They don’t stand a chance.”

They kept chatting back and forth while they ate, and he was amazed by how much she knew about his favorite sport. At one point, he teased, “It’s too bad you weren’t a boy. You would’ve made a great quarterback.”

“Which Drew would know,” Maggie added, ruffling his hair in a proud mom gesture. “He was an All-State quarterback all four years in high school.”

“Really?” Bekah commented, lifting a curious eyebrow. “That’s impressive.”

Normally, he’d take that kind of praise and run with it, but today something stopped him. He didn’t want her to think he was conceited, so he deflected her comment with a grin. “I had a great offensive line, and my senior year we got some sure-handed receivers. Like Josh,” he added, nodding at his younger brother.

“Won the state championship that season,” Josh chimed in right on cue. “Drew was MVP.”

“Wow,” was all Bekah said, but he picked up on something in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. It reminded him of the way Lily had looked at Mike when they were first getting to know each other, a combination of interest and amusement. Even though he knew that kind of realization should make him nervous, Drew was surprised to find it didn’t.

In fact, it was doing the exact opposite. He knew next to nothing about Bekah Holloway or why she was affecting him this way. Then and there, he promised himself that somehow he’d solve that little mystery so it wouldn’t keep on bugging him.

And then, he’d put it past him, and his life would go back to the way it was before he met her. As someone who’d made a habit of effortlessly moving from one girl to the next, that very pragmatic strategy for handling her should have comforted him.

But it didn’t. And for the life of him, he didn’t know why.

His rambling thoughts were put on hold when his mother caught his eye and gave him a questioning look. He came back with a slight nod, and very casually she said, “Bekah, I think we need to figure out where you’re going to sleep tonight.”

“It’s warm enough,” she replied in a bright tone that sounded forced to him. “My car will work until I get my first paycheck.”

Lily frowned in disapproval, and she added a shake of her head for effect. “Not for me, it won’t. Abby?” The way his niece perked up, Drew guessed her stepmother had primed her for what was coming next. “How would you like to bunk with your dad and me for a few nights?”

“You mean, like camping? That sounds like fun.”

Oh, she was good, Drew thought, barely smothering a grin. He’d have to take her for ice cream later as a reward for being such a great sport.

“I can’t let you do that,” Bekah protested, obviously uncomfortable with the idea. “Abby needs her sleep for school tomorrow.”

“And you need yours for work,” Lily reminded her in the gentle but firm tone Drew had heard her use with the students in Gallimore’s riding school. “It’s only temporary, until you can find a place of your own.”

From the concern in Bekah’s eyes, Drew knew his suspicions about her dire financial straits had been spot-on. Even with the job at the clinic, she might not be able to afford rent, much less the repairs her car needed to be driveable. Tonight when he was done at the farm, he’d go back to the rescue center and pick up where he left off.

Bekah had endured enough temporary situations to last her a while. It was high time someone stepped up and gave her something she could count on.

Chapter Three

The rest of her first day at the rescue center raced by in a flash. Bekah was so exhausted, she took a shower, fell into Abby’s twin bed, and slept like a corpse until morning. When she woke, the sun was fully up, and the house was so quiet, she could hear birds twittering in the trees outside.

Abby’s room was a charming combination of princess and tomboy, with pale yellow walls and pretty lace curtains fluttering beside the open windows. She had shelves full of dolls, stuffed animals and model horses whose riders were posed in a variety of daredevil moves. One set was a beautiful chestnut arching over a tall jump while the rider’s blond ponytail streamed out behind her.

Since her young hostess was also blonde, Bekah assumed Abby pictured herself doing the same thing someday. Having dreams was wonderful, she mused wistfully. As long as they had a chance of coming true. This was the kind of room she’d longed to have when she was a little girl, Bekah recalled with more than a little envy. Unfortunately, her few childhood possessions had rarely made it out of their boxes before she and her vagabond family had been forced to move from their current sketchy situation to another one elsewhere.

Growing up here would’ve been like paradise for her. One day, she vowed, she’d figure out a way to create a home like this, with a good man who would love her no matter what. Their children would always be able to collect things that were important to them, knowing they wouldn’t have to be left behind later.

But for now, she had a job to get to. She got up and made the bed, careful to put everything back exactly where she’d found it last night. After a quick shower, she pulled on a set of clean clothes and followed the scent of fresh coffee and baked goods into the kitchen. There, she found a basket of still-warm muffins on the kitchen table with a note.

Bekah—In town grocery shopping. Help yourself to whatever you want. Maggie

For a few seconds, she stared at the obviously homemade breakfast, then at the very trusting note Drew’s mother had left for her. Having grown accustomed to fending for herself in every way, she couldn’t believe that the woman had not only left her alone in the house, but cared enough about a total stranger to leave her something to eat. In her world, people simply didn’t do this sort of thing, and she had a tough time wrapping her head around the concept.

Finally, she accepted that Maggie Kinley had indeed done both of those remarkable things, and turned the note over. She honestly wasn’t sure what to write, so she went with an old standard. Thanks so much—Bekah.

At first, she grabbed just one muffin and poured some coffee into one of the to-go cups standing next to the stainless steel double-pot coffeemaker. Then she remembered what Sierra had said about having class last night and hunted up a container that would hold four of the delicious-smelling muffins. If it weren’t for the generous vet tech in training, Bekah knew she’d still be wandering the area searching for an unskilled job where the boss wouldn’t question her background too closely. It seemed that the least she could do was bring the hardworking young woman something to eat.

When she arrived at the clinic, she found Sierra in the lobby, handing an empty birdcage back to a woman with three young children in tow. “You did a good thing, bringing that squirrel here. We’ll take good care of the little guy, and when his leg is healed up, we can set him free in the woods.”

“Can you call us when you do that?” the oldest girl asked. She looked to be about Abby’s age, and her eyes were fixed on the critter she’d clearly become attached to. “I want to say goodbye.”

Sierra glanced at the mom for her permission, and the woman nodded. “I explained why we couldn’t keep him, but I think it would be nice for them to see for themselves that he’s back where he belongs.”

“Will do. I’ve got your contact info, so I’ll call when we’re ready to release him.”

“Thank you. Have a good day.”

Adding a quick smile for Bekah, the woman shepherded her kids out to a minivan that looked like it had a lot of miles on it. The girl gazed longingly back into the lobby, then reluctantly climbed into her seat and disappeared when her mother slid the door shut.

“Wow, that was tough,” Bekah commented in sympathy. “Is it always that hard?”

“No, but the kids really get to me. They see a fuzzy friend they can play with, but he’s a wild animal, not a Disney character.” Pausing, she took a deep breath and sighed. “Are those Maggie’s fabulous jumbo muffins?”

“And coffee,” Bekah added, setting the basket on the counter. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was nearly eight. “I’m not sure if I’m late or not, so I thought I’d bring them just in case. How was your class last night?”

“Impossibly mind-boggling.” Blowing on her coffee to cool it, the clinic’s director took a long, grateful sip. “I’m great with all the practical stuff because I do it here every day. The biology and anatomy terms just don’t stick in my head. I desperately need a tutor, but I can’t find one whose schedule meshes with mine.”

Munching on a cranberry muffin so moist she barely had to chew it, Bekah pondered a possible solution to Sierra’s problem. Recalling what Drew had said about his sister-in-law, she said, “What about Lily? She’s a teacher. Maybe she can help get you through the rough parts.”

“That’s brilliant! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”

Bekah had never been called brilliant in her life, and it was rewarding to know she’d helped someone who’d been so kind to her. Thoughts of kindness led her to a problem she’d been pondering since she woke up. “Sierra, I have a big favor to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve only got one day’s worth of clean clothes left, and I hate to ask Mrs. Kinley for anything more. Could I do a couple loads of laundry in the machines here?”

“Sure, but ick.” She made a disgusted face. “We wash all the animals’ blankets and towels in those. I wouldn’t put my clothes in them, that’s for sure. I remember hearing they were doing some renovations at the Oaks Café on Main Street and were planning to put in a connected Laundromat. I don’t know if it’s finished yet, but you could check.”

The mere idea of going into Oaks Crossing on her own made Bekah slightly nauseous. People would ask her all manner of questions she’d prefer not to answer, which meant she’d either have to deflect them or outright lie about her less-than-glorious background. She feared the trip would end up being a complete disaster.

That left her imposing on the Kinleys. Again. Not the ideal solution, but once she’d gotten all her clothes clean, she’d have some time to come up with a better one. While they ate, they chatted about the various animals housed at the center, and Sierra gave Bekah a brief lesson on the computer system they used to track everything from food and supply orders to wildlife release dates.

She was no computer expert, but she’d used enough of them that she couldn’t miss the flashing red shield at the bottom of the monitor. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to it.

“Some kind of alert I haven’t been able to diagnose. This is a hand-me-down system from a donor, and I’d say we got what we paid for.”

“When I get some time later on, I’ll take a look at it. Maybe it’s just a matter of finding the explanation online and downloading a program that will fix it once and for all.”

“If you can get this thing running properly, I’ll owe you big-time.”

“Just part of the job, boss,” Bekah told her with a grin. “We all do what we can, right?”

That got her a short laugh. “That’s one of Drew’s favorite lines. I think you’ve been spending too much time with that troublemaker.”

“Troublemaker? What do you mean?”

“He’s one of those love ’em and leave ’em types, and he’s left a string of broken hearts from here to Louisville. He’s a good enough guy, but he just can’t seem to settle down.”

Bekah knew perfectly well that Drew’s romantic exploits were none of her business, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Why do you think that is?”

After considering the question for a moment, she replied, “Either he’s looking for something particular that he can’t find, or he’s got no clue what he wants and is hoping to blindly run into it somewhere along the way.”

“Or he’s happy being unattached,” Bekah suggested. “Some guys like having the freedom to wander from one woman to the next whenever they get bored.”

She’d known more than her share of them, she added silently. Men who told a woman what she wanted to hear, then shed her when things got too serious or she asked too many questions that he didn’t want to answer. Either way, he broke away cleanly and got on with his life, while she was left behind, wondering what had gone wrong.

“It’s like Erin always says. Boys are stupid.”

“You mean Drew’s sister?” When Sierra nodded, Bekah couldn’t help laughing. “With those three as brothers, I guess she oughta know.”

“Got that right. So, our new tenant is a dehydrated squirrel with a broken leg. Are you ready for your first lesson in squirrel care?”

“That depends. What’s the medical term for a broken leg?” She’d watched enough medical dramas to have a decent idea what the answer was, so she figured it wouldn’t be too hard for the struggling vet tech to come up with something reasonable.

“Ugh, not now.”

“Yes, now,” Bekah insisted. “Come on, you must know at least one of the words.”

“The upper bone in a leg is the femur.”

“And?”

Sierra stared up, as if she might find a clue written on the water-stained ceiling tiles. Then she snapped her fingers and gave Bekah a delighted smile. “Fractured.”

“Let’s see if you’re right.” Tapping the phrase into the search box on the computer, she angled the screen so her new friend could see that she was right. “Nice job.”

“Great,” Sierra muttered with a wry grin. “One down, forty-million to go.”

“One step at a time,” Bekah reminded her. “No matter how big or small a project is, that’s how everything gets done.”

Sierra studied her for a long moment, then smiled. “Forget Lily. I think I just found my new tutor. How much do you want?”

Stunned by the request, she firmly shook her head. “Me? I’m not a teacher.”

“Teachers help their students learn, and you just did that perfectly. I can’t afford the time or money to retake classes, which means I have to pass on the first go-round. So, are you going to name a price or make me come up with one on my own?”

Bekah didn’t have the first idea what that kind of job should pay, but the humming laptop inspired her. “Why don’t I look up what private tutors normally make, and then we can talk?”

“Deal.” After they shook hands, she said, “Now, come with me and I’ll show you how to examine our little acorn-loving rodent without getting bit.”

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