SUDDENLY A SINGLE DAD

Reid Hardell never imagined he’d become a single dad or that he’d ever return to his family’s ranch in Stampede, Texas. But for his newfound daughter’s sake, Reid is coming home, hoping his estranged brothers can help him master fatherhood. Life in Stampede has an unexpected perk—reconnecting with gorgeous Scarlett Johnson. Until Reid discovers she’s the new social worker on his custody case.

In working with Reid and his daughter, Scarlett finds a connection she thought was impossible. She wants more than anything to be part of their family, but a relationship could jeopardize their case and her job. How can she turn away from having everything she’s ever wanted—even if it’s the right thing to do?

MARIN THOMAS grew up in the Midwest, then attended college at the U of A in Tucson, Arizona, where she earned a BA in radio-TV and played basketball for the Lady Wildcats. Following graduation, she married her college sweetheart in the historic Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recent empty-nesters, Marin and her husband now live in Texas, where cattle is king, cowboys are plentiful and pickups rule the road. Visit her on the web at marinthomas.com.

Also By Marin Thomas

The Cowboys of Stampede, Texas

The Cowboy’s Accidental Baby

Twins for the Texas Rancher

Cowboys of the Rio Grande

A Cowboy’s Redemption

The Surgeon’s Christmas Baby

A Cowboy’s Claim

The Cash Brothers

The Cowboy Next Door

Twins Under the Christmas Tree

Her Secret Cowboy

The Cowboy’s Destiny

True Blue Cowboy

A Cowboy of Her Own

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Lone Star Father

Marin Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08475-8

LONE STAR FATHER

© 2018 Brenda Smith-Beagley

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Reid said.

“What?”

“Coming back to Stampede.”

Scarlett’s heart sank. The last thing she’d meant to do was discourage Reid from staying in town, especially when he hadn’t been home in over a decade. “You can’t leave.” She winced at the eager note in her voice. “Being with family will play in your favor when the social worker decides whether or not you should be given permanent custody of Jessie.”

“Got any other reasons why I shouldn’t leave?”

She shook her head. “That’s it, why?”

His mouth curved into a smile. “I thought maybe you’d want to judge for yourself if my kissing has improved.”

“Well, there is that, too.” Scarlett smiled.

His blue eyes darkened. “I really like you, Scarlett.”

Reid’s declaration wasn’t all that swoon-worthy but for a woman who dealt with the ugly side of life on a daily basis, it was a beacon of sunshine filled with hope and possibilities.

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited to share Reid Hardell’s story with you! If you’ve read the previous two books in my Cowboys of Stampede, Texas series (The Cowboy’s Accidental Baby and Twins for the Texas Rancher) then you know that Reid is the black sheep of the Hardell family and he made a conscious choice years ago to keep his distance.

I’ve always been fascinated by family secrets—we all have them. In Lone Star Father Reid Hardell is heading home to Paradise Ranch because he’s looking for help raising a daughter he never knew existed until recently. He knows the homecoming won’t be the stuff of fairy tales, but the last thing he expects to find waiting for him at the ranch is another family secret and a woman who quickly becomes more than just his daughter’s social worker.

It’s Scarlett Johnson’s intention to help Reid and Jessie bond, but her heart keeps getting in the way of her job. As Reid and Scarlett consider what’s best for everyone concerned, they discover the only real way forward is together—as a family.

I invite you to check out all of my books at marinthomas.com where you can also sign up for my newsletter and find links to connect with me on social media.

Happy reading,

Marin

For Cristina and Tom—dedicated social workers who spend their days and sometimes nights helping at-risk children and teenagers.

And for Marin—a clinical psychologist who spends countless hours helping veterans and individuals suffering from PTSD and trauma-related disorders.

The world would be better off with more people like you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Becoming a father was not something Reid Hardell had ever imagined for himself, especially twelve years after the fact.

The social worker’s voice echoed in his ear. Mr. Hardell, I realize this situation caught you by surprise, but you’re the only family Jessie has left.

Family.

His stomach churned as the word reverberated inside his head.

At half past midnight, he flipped on the blinker and took the exit for Stampede. He could only imagine the looks on the faces of his grandfather and brothers when Reid introduced them to his daughter. He should have warned the family that he was returning home to Texas and why, but he’d barely kept in touch with them since entering the military after high school.

Reid had always felt like an outsider in his family and had never figured out why his father had come down harder on him than his two brothers. His jaw tightened at the memory of the old man shoving him to the ground, then kicking dirt in his face, after Reid had asked for the keys to his truck so he could take a girl to the movies. Later that night his older brother, Logan, had driven off in the pickup with his friends.

When Reid’s enlistment in the marines was up, he hadn’t returned to Paradise Ranch. Instead, he’d chosen to settle in Albuquerque. It hadn’t made sense to go back to a place which held few good memories.

He glanced across the seat at his daughter—the reason Reid was making this trip. Six months had passed since he’d met Jessie in September, but her name still rolled off his tongue like a boulder. He was floundering in his role as her dad and he was looking to his siblings to help him navigate fatherhood.

Any day now Reid’s younger brother, Gunner, was going to become a first-time father and Logan had recently married a single mother with twin boys. Surely they could give him a few pointers on parenting.

Reid’s gaze shifted to the urn propped on the seat next to Jessie. Her mother was making the eight-hour drive with them from El Paso to Stampede, an hour south of San Antonio. He’d suggested spreading the ashes before they’d left Jessie’s foster home, but she hadn’t been ready to say goodbye to her mother. He understood. Sort of.

His father’s sudden death had cheated him out having the last word. A few weeks after Reid left for boot camp, a hit-and-run driver had killed Donny Hardell while he changed a flat tire on the side of the road. Reid remembered the phone call from his grandfather as if it had happened yesterday. First, Reid had been numb with shock, then he’d felt weightless—as if the heavy sensation resting on his chest most of his life had broken apart and vanished. His grandfather hadn’t revealed the funeral arrangements and Reid hadn’t asked. They both knew he wouldn’t be paying his respects to a man who’d treated him with contempt.

His gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, where the corner of the glass displayed the outside temperature—fifty-nine degrees. Typical mid-March weather in the Lone Star State. He set the cruise control and lifted his aching foot from the gas pedal. He should have removed his cowboy boots and put on his athletic shoes earlier in the day, but each time they’d stopped for a break, Reid had been distracted. Twice the dog had bolted from the truck when Jessie opened the door and they’d had to capture him. Then Jessie had asked for a snack from a vending machine that ate her money. And the bathrooms at two of the rest stops had been out of order, requiring a detour.

Soft snoring sounds drifted into his ear and he glanced into the back seat. Fang slept soundly in the dog bed on top of the luggage. The five-year-old shorthaired golden Chihuahua with half its teeth missing had belonged to the Valentines—the elderly foster parents who’d taken Jessie in after Stacy died. According to the couple, Fang and Jessie had a special bond, which Reid had witnessed when the mutt escaped the yard and chased his pickup down the street after they’d driven off earlier in the day. When they’d returned the dog to its owners, Jessie had begun crying and then so did Mrs. Valentine. Finally, Mr. Valentine shoved the mutt into Reid’s arms and said, “He’s Jessie’s now.”

The three of them were an unlikely family, but... Reid lost his thought when the word family reverberated inside his head again. The Hardells had been no more or no less dysfunctional than most families but Reid had decided in the military that he’d never marry or have kids. He didn’t want to be a dad. After the way his father had treated him, he had no idea how to nurture a kid’s mental or emotional well-being.

So much for the promise you made yourself.

Reid gripped the wheel tighter as he drove past his family’s rural property. He had tried to earn his father’s approval by showing an interest in his dad’s hobby—working on car engines. All he’d gotten for his efforts had been a dressing-down. Reid had developed a real aptitude for mechanics and by the age of seventeen he’d fixed engines his father hadn’t been able to get running—still his old man had always found fault with Reid’s work.

After he left the military, he’d landed a job as a mechanic for a trucking company in Duke City and had made a life for himself away from his family. A life that had been turned around when a social worker in El Paso informed him that he might be the biological father of a twelve-year-old girl.

A beacon of light appeared up ahead—the Moonlight Motel. A full moon spun in a slow circle atop a forty-foot pole and the word Vacancy glowed blue against the white backdrop. Last summer Gunner had texted Reid the link to the Moonlight’s website and Reid had viewed before-and-after pictures of the newly renovated motel.

He turned into the lot, surprised to see vehicles in front of the rooms. Years ago, the motel had sat empty most days. He parked by the office and shut off the engine. He didn’t notice anyone behind the check-in desk. Maybe Gunner was in the back playing video games or watching TV. He reached for his cowboy hat only to discover Fang had flipped it over and crawled inside the crown to sleep.

Great. His head would smell like dog the next time he wore the hat. He left the pickup, closing the door quietly. After hello, he had no idea what he’d say to his brother. His heart pounding like a jackhammer, he stared at his boots as he walked across the pavement.

The surge of adrenaline racing through his bloodstream caused him to pull the handle harder than he intended. The door flew open and a body slammed into his chest. His quick reflexes kicked in and he wrapped his arms around his assailant. When a pair of soft breasts pressed against him, he stumbled backward, his shoulder hitting the doorjamb.

“Oh, my, gosh.” The woman extricated herself from his hold and backed up. She brushed a lock of blond hair from her brown eyes. “I’m so sorry.” She flashed a smile. He’d seen a photo of Gunner’s wife and Lydia had long hair. This woman had really short hair. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but Fang started yipping and barking and a moment later his daughter got out of the vehicle.

Jessie rubbed her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“We’re in Stampede.” Reid looked at the blonde. “My daughter and I need a room for the night if there’s one available.”

When Jessie fetched Fang from the back seat and attached his leash, the woman pointed to a pathway between the motel rooms and the office. “Follow the sidewalk. There’s a patch of grass back there.”

Left alone with the petite woman whose sultry eyes were way too big for her face, Reid apologized. “I’m sorry. You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“I’m fine.”

He preferred long hair on women but the shorter style with wispy bangs drew his attention to her pretty eyes and high cheekbones. When his gaze dropped to her mouth, her lips spread into a smile and Reid felt his body sway toward her.

A horn honked, startling him, and he jumped. He blamed the long day behind the wheel for his preoccupation with the pretty lady. He tore his gaze from her brown eyes and watched his grandfather’s jalopy pull into a parking space. The ancient pickup should have found its way to the junkyard a decade ago. This wasn’t how Reid imagined greeting his grandfather—in the wee-morning hours—after returning to town all these years.

The driver’s-side door opened and Emmett Hardell climbed out. A moment later Amelia Rinehart stepped from the passenger side. What was his grandfather doing at this late hour with the matriarch of Stampede? He studied the pair—they’d both aged.

That’s what happens when you don’t see people for over a decade.

“Good grief, Emmett.” Amelia shut her door. “Riding in your truck is like lying on a magic fingers vibrating bed.”

“What would you know about those kinds of beds?” the old man grumbled.

“You’d be surprised by how many I’ve slept in,” she said.

The couple faced off unaware of their audience. Amelia propped her fists on her hips and glared. “With the income Paradise Ranch made during the holidays you can afford to buy a new vehicle.”

“Be a waste of good money—” he lifted his leg and shook his foot “—when I got one boot in the grave already.”

“You’re too ornery to die.” Amelia narrowed her eyes. “Speaking of ornery...when are you going to approve my idea to reinstate the Stampede Rodeo and Spring Festival?”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

“Because every one of your bright ideas has cost me my privacy and peace of mind.”

“What little mind you have left doesn’t need any peace.”

Ouch. Reid listened to the couple spar, wondering why they were awake let alone out together past their bedtimes.

“Don’t worry,” the blonde whispered. “Those two banter back and forth all the time. Gunner says they’re in love and arguing is their version of foreplay.”

His grandfather loved the old woman? Reid’s grandmother had grown up with Amelia. The two women had been best friends most of their lives, but Emmett had never cared for the wealthy lady—at least not that Reid could remember. When Amelia had stopped by the ranch to check on the family after his grandma passed away, she’d always argued with Emmett.

“I should have introduced myself,” she said to Reid. “I’m Scarlett Johnson and that lady is my great-aunt.”

Scarlett Johnson. He hadn’t recognized her. Reid had bumped into Scarlett at her great-uncle’s funeral back when he’d been in high school. His looks must have changed, too, because she acted as if they’d never met.

“You’re an old fuddy-duddy,” Amelia said to Emmett. “I don’t know why I ever thought you were a catch back in the day.”

“You’ve messed with this town plenty,” Emmett said. “Can’t you leave it and me alone?”

“You enjoy me fussing over you,” she said.

Emmett shook his head. “You should know better than to tie yourself to a corpse.”

Amelia stamped her foot. “If you’re so determined to die, hand over your shotgun and I’ll put you out of your misery.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” he said. “With me out of the way you’d turn Stampede into a three-ring circus.”

“I better intervene before one of them gives the other a heart attack.” Scarlett approached the couple. “Isn’t it past your bedtimes?”

“We’re too excited about the baby to sleep,” Amelia said.

Emmett handed Scarlett a cell phone. “Gunner called and said he emailed photos of the baby, but I can’t get into my phone.”

Reid pulled his iPhone from his pocket and checked his text messages. Nothing—not that he’d expected his brother to share the happy news with him. He put the phone away and waited for the right moment to step out of the shadows.

“Emmett’s phone is password protected and he forgot the password,” Amelia said. “He thinks Gunner wrote it down on a sticky note and put in the office desk.”

“He did,” Scarlett said. “I saw the note. It said ‘password.’”

Emmett nodded. “Good. Tell me what the password is.”

“Password,” Scarlett said.

“That’s what I’m asking you.” Emmett looked at Amelia. “Is your niece hard of hearing?”

Amelia shoved her elbow into Emmett’s side. “The password is ‘password,’ you old fool.”

“‘Password’?” His grandfather harrumphed. “That’s a stupid word for a password.”

“Gunner assumed it would be easy for you to remember.” Amelia spoke to her niece. “Lowercase?”

“Capital P and the rest is lowercase,” Scarlett said.

Amelia’s gaze landed on Reid. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were helping a guest.”

Like a man walking across wet cement, Reid dragged his feet forward. “Hey, Gramps.”

The old man’s eyes widened. “Reid?”

He smiled. “In the flesh.”

“Reid Hardell?” Amelia narrowed her eyes. “Young man, it’s about time you came home to visit your family.”

“Yes, ma’am.” His grandfather didn’t crack a smile or offer a hug. Reid should have called before showing up out of the blue.

A shrill bark startled the group. Fang raced across the parking lot, his leash trailing behind him as Jessie tried to catch up. As soon as the dog saw Reid, he switched directions and ran over to him. Reid scooped the mutt into his arms.

“I wanted to try out the swings.” Jessie stopped next to Reid and gasped for air. “But Fang took off.” Her gaze zeroed in on Emmett’s grumpy face. “Don’t you like dogs?” When Emmett didn’t answer her question, she said, “What’s going on?”

“Jessie.” Reid cleared his throat. “I’d like you to meet your great-grandfather.”

Emmett’s mouth sagged open. “This young’un is your daughter?”

Amelia smiled. “Emmett, you never told me that Reid had gotten married.”

Reid handed Fang over to Jessie, then said, “I’m not married, Ms. Amelia.”

“Jessie, come inside. Your dog looks like he needs a drink of water.” Scarlett and his daughter entered the office, leaving Reid alone to face his grandfather.

“I should have warned you that I was coming,” he said.

“You should have done a lot of things, young man.” Emmett walked back to his truck and climbed behind the wheel, then stuck his head out the window. “Get in, Amelia. We’re leaving.”

The older woman clutched Reid’s arm. “Don’t mind his grumpiness. You just caught him by surprise. Come by my house tomorrow and talk to him.”

“He’s not living at the ranch?”

“Scarlett is staying in Emmett’s room at the ranch and helping Sadie look after the twins until she finds an apartment.” Amelia hopped into the pickup and waved out the window as his grandfather drove off.

Reid tore his gaze from the clunker and stared longingly at his own pickup. The temptation to leave Stampede was strong, but he’d stay and deal with the consequences of leaving the family fold.

He’d do it for Jessie.

And because he had nobody else to turn to.

* * *

REID’S DAUGHTER FILLED the plastic bowl with water from the cooler in the lobby, then set it on the floor for the dog. Once the little yapper drank his fill, she put him on a chair where he curled into a ball and closed his eyes.

“I like his Superman T-shirt,” Scarlett said.

“Fang’s always cold.”

“Fang?”

“He lost one of his canine teeth.” Jessie picked up a brochure advertising the petting zoo at Paradise Ranch. The young girl was slender with pretty blue eyes—like her father’s.

Reid Hardell... Scarlett’s thoughts skipped back to the day she’d attended her great-uncle’s funeral in Stampede and had walked past the corner of the church and plowed into Reid, much the same way she had a few minutes ago. Only back then Reid had kissed her after he’d helped her up off the ground. Every summer when she and her cousins had visited Aunt Amelia, they’d been warned to stay away from those wild Hardell boys and now Lydia and Sadie were each married to one of them.

“How old are you?” Scarlett asked.

“Twelve.” Jessie’s gaze narrowed. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.” Wait until her cousins learned the middle brother was the father of a preteen daughter. “You and your dad arrived at an exciting time,” she said. “My cousin Lydia is married to your uncle Gunner and she gave birth to a baby girl earlier this evening.”

Jessie didn’t comment, her pensive gaze shifting between the dog and her father in the parking lot. Scarlett’s experience as a social worker insisted there was something off about the father-daughter relationship. “You and your dad will be staying in the High Noon room.” She entered the code into the machine Gunner had taught her to use when she’d moved to town a few months ago.

“What’s a high-noon room?” Jessie asked.

“Lydia helped your uncle renovate the motel last summer and instead of numbers on the room doors, she picked Western movie titles.” Scarlett waved a hand. “The movies were way before your time.”

Jessie’s attention returned to the window. “What’s there to do here?”

“Not much, but Paradise Ranch has a petting zoo, which might be busy next week when all the school kids are on spring break.”

“I’m homeschooled.”

This time Scarlett stared out the window. “Your father supervises your studies?”

Jessie shook her head. “My mom did, then Mrs. Valentine helped me. She’s smart. She used to work at a bank.”

“Who’s Mrs. Valentine?”

“My foster mom.”

Foster care. That explained the uneasiness between father and daughter.

Jessie sat next to Fang and the dog climbed into her lap. “My mom died.”

“I’m so sorry, Jessie.” Scarlett’s heart swelled with compassion. “How long did you live with Mrs. Valentine?”

“Since September.”

Six months. “I moved here from Wisconsin not that long ago. I’m a social worker in Mesquite.”

“Mesquite?”

“A town about fifteen minutes from here.”

“Mrs. Delgado’s my caseworker. She’s nice.”

Scarlett wanted to know why the young girl had been put into foster care after her mother had died, but if she asked too many questions, Jessie might shut down.

“Fang belonged to Mrs. Valentine, but he liked me better, so she gave him to me.” Jessie rubbed the mutt’s head.

“When I was your age, I had a dog named Charlie,” Scarlett said. “He slept with me in my bed.”

“Fang sleeps with his head on my pillow. I wake up to dog breath in my face.”

Scarlett laughed, then stopped abruptly when Reid entered the lobby. His hands were fisted at his sides and when his gaze landed on Jessie, the muscle in his jaw bunched. Scarlett had heard bits and pieces about Reid from her cousins but no one understood why the middle Hardell brother chose to keep his distance from the family. She’d always been a champion for the underdog and hoped Reid and his brothers could make peace with the past.

“What’s wrong?” Jessie asked.

“Nothing.” He uncurled his fingers and looked at Scarlett. “Sorry about all the commotion. Jessie and I should have stopped at a motel in Mesquite or Rocky Point.”

“She works in Mesquite.” Jessie pointed to Scarlett.

Scarlett came out from behind the desk. “It’s good that you stopped. Otherwise you wouldn’t have heard about the baby.” She spoke to Jessie. “Gunner and Lydia named their daughter Amelia after the older woman you saw in the parking lot.” Her gaze swung between Reid and Jessie. “Me and my cousins are named after our great-grandmothers, but Aunt Amelia never had children, so Lydia and Gunner thought it would be nice to name their little girl after her.”

Reid appeared unimpressed with the story. He rubbed his brow, drawing Scarlett’s attention to the dark shadows beneath his eyes. “How far did you two drive to get here?”

“We came from El Paso,” he said. “We got a late start.”

El Paso? The last she’d heard Reid had been living in Albuquerque. “I’m sure you’re ready to turn in for the night.” Scarlett handed him a key card. “You’ll be staying in the High Noon room.”

At his raised eyebrow Jessie spoke. “The rooms are named after old movies.”

He pulled out his wallet. “What do I owe you?”

“Nothing.” Scarlett smiled. “You’re family.”

Reid grimaced as if she’d offended him, then put his wallet away.

“Need help with your luggage?” she asked.

“We’ll be fine, thanks.” He nodded to Jessie. “Grab the dog’s supplies and your backpack. I’ll bring the rest of our things.”

Jessie carried Fang out of the office.

“If it’s available,” he said, “I’ll need the room for a few days.”

“You should stay at the ranch. I can move my things out of your grandfather’s room.”

“Why isn’t my grandfather living at the ranch?” he asked.

“When I moved here, Aunt Amelia insisted Emmett stay with her while I searched for an apartment. I was only supposed to use your grandfather’s room for a couple of weeks, but I’ve had so much fun with my cousin and nephews that I’ve been lazy about finding an apartment. Now that you’re here I’ll start looking again.” She moved closer to Reid, catching a hint of woodsy aftershave. “I’m sure it would be okay if I moved my things into Gunner and Lydia’s private room here at the motel.”

“Private room?”

Scarlett nodded. “They made one of the rooms into a combination office and nursery in case Gunner ever brings the baby to work with him.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d prefer a motel room for me and Jessie.” He opened the lobby door, then motioned for her to precede him outside. “I should have asked first,” he said, “are pets allowed?”

“They are.” She pointed to the walkway between the rooms and the office. “There’s a pet station stocked with plastic doggy doo-doo bags.” Scarlett wanted to talk to Reid longer, but Jessie waited for him in front of their room.

Reid removed the suitcases from the back seat of the truck, then shut the door.

Before he walked off, she said, “You don’t remember, do you?”

The corner of his mouth curved upward. “How could I forget? I cut my lip on your braces.”

Her heart flipped on its end and twirled in a circle before dropping back into place. Reid Hardell remembered their kiss.

Scarlett’s very first kiss.

* * *

“WHERE’S ELMO?” JESSIE dug through the bag of dog supplies in the motel room.

“It might be on the floor in the truck.” Jessie had asked Reid to buy the dog toy after he’d insisted they take Fang to a vet before leaving El Paso. The visit to the walk-in animal clinic had delayed their departure and caused them to get stuck in Friday rush-hour traffic. The busy roads and having to shell out four hundred dollars for vaccinations and a year’s worth of heartworm pills and flea-and-tick protection hadn’t helped Reid’s pensive mood.

Jessie filled Fang’s water bowl. “Are you thirsty?” She spoke in a squeaky cartoon voice and the mutt’s tail wagged so hard, he stumbled sideways, his front paw landing in the water bowl. After he finished drinking, Jessie picked him up and he licked her face. “Stop.” She giggled. “That’s gross.”

Reid’s chest tightened as he watched the pair. The only time he heard his daughter laugh was when Fang gave her kisses. During the six-month probation period where he and Jessie had gotten to know one another, he’d cracked a few jokes but they’d fallen flat. As for smiles... His daughter smiled—just not at him. That’s why he’d been stunned when she’d answered yes after the social worker asked if she felt comfortable enough with Reid to live with him.

Jessie crawled into bed and Fang snuggled next to her, his bug eyes watching Reid unpack.

“Your grandfather isn’t very nice,” Jessie said.

“He’s mad at me.”

“Why?”

“I haven’t been a very good grandson.” He sat on the end of his bed and tugged off his boots.

“Why not?”

Reid didn’t want his problems with his family to influence how Jessie got along with them. “Don’t worry, my grandfather will come around.” Gramps would never take his disappointment in Reid out on a defenseless kid.

“Scarlett’s a social worker.” Each time Jessie stroked Fang’s head, the dog’s eyes closed for a second, then popped open.

“That’s interesting.” It was also interesting that whenever he’d looked into her brown eyes, he’d felt like he was being sucked into quicksand—a warm, soft quagmire.

“Scarlett seems nice.”

Her doe-like eyes had hypnotized him all those years ago and without realizing what he was doing he’d started kissing her.

“Can you get my Kindle from my backpack?”

“Sure.” Reid had learned after meeting Jessie that she didn’t go anywhere without her electronic reading device. And according to Mrs. Delgado, his daughter was of above-average intelligence. After Stacy died, Jessie had been given the option to enroll in a public school but had declined, so the social worker had supervised her studies until Jessie had been placed in a foster home, where Mrs. Valentine took over the homeschooling duties.

Reid knew nothing about homeschooling and hadn’t even been to college. He wasn’t the right person to teach his daughter. They hadn’t talked about Jessie attending a public school, but Reid didn’t see any other option.

He retrieved the Kindle, then checked the clock on the nightstand. One o’clock. “You can read until I finish my shower, then lights out.” He carried a clean pair of briefs and pajama bottoms into the bathroom and then stood under the hot spray, until the tension in his neck and shoulders eased. As his body relaxed, he focused his thoughts on Scarlett. He’d expected to encounter a few surprises returning home after all these years, but she hadn’t been one of them. He’d thought Scarlett had been the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, and she’d only grown more beautiful since then. He grinned when he recalled bumbling their first and only kiss. He’d love to show her he’d learned a trick or two about kissing since then.

He turned off the water and stepped from the shower. After putting on his pj’s, he ran the electric shaver over his face and erased his day-old beard. When he stepped from the bathroom, Jessie was sound asleep with the Kindle resting on her chest. He turned the gadget off and placed it on the nightstand.

His daughter was a tough girl. She kept things inside like he had at her age. Before he turned out the light, he studied her face, searching for traces of himself. Aside from her blue eyes and dark hair he couldn’t see a resemblance. He hurt for Jessie. It was obvious she’d been close to her mother.

And now she’s stuck with you.

But unlike his father who hadn’t given a crap about him, Reid was determined that he’d always be there for Jessie as long as she needed him.

Chapter Two

Scarlett sipped her coffee in front of the hotel window as she watched the sun peek above the horizon Saturday morning.

She’d caught a few winks after Reid and Jessie had retired to their room last night, but she was eager to relinquish her desk duties to the part-time employee Gunner had hired to cover for him while he helped Lydia with the baby.

Her gaze swung to the High Noon room and she envisioned Reid sprawled across one of the double beds as he slept. The cowboy had been her first crush and she’d never forgotten him or his kiss. Every once in a while she’d recall that afternoon and wonder where he was or whom he was with. But she’d never imagined him being a father.

Eventually the streaks of pinkish orange along the horizon gave way to bright sunlight. The pace of life in Stampede was turtle slow compared to the hustle and bustle of Wisconsin’s state capital. Last year she’d despised the tiny Texas town for luring her cousins away from Madison. Not in a million years had Scarlett believed she’d be living here, too.

If not for being duped by Dale, and having been forced to resign from her job, she wouldn’t have packed her belongings and moved south. Fortunately there was a need for social workers, and Family Crisis Services in Mesquite had offered her a job right away.

The door to the High Noon room opened and Jessie stepped outside with Fang. The little Chihuahua was dressed in his Superman T-shirt and his owner wore pajama bottoms, pink fuzzy slippers and a sweatshirt. Coffee in hand Scarlett left the office and followed the duo behind the motel. “Good morning,” she said.

Jessie jumped, then slapped her hand against her chest. “Crap, you scared me.”

“Sorry.” Scarlett sat at the picnic table.

Jessie walked the dog until he did his job, then scooped him off the ground and joined Scarlett, placing Fang on top of the table.

“The plastic bags to pick up his doo-doo are over there.” Scarlett pointed to the waste station.

Jessie put her hand in front of Fang’s face and said, “Stay,” then walked off to clean up the dog’s mess. When she sat down again, she removed a single-serve can of pet food from the pocket of her sweatshirt and popped the lid off. Fang’s tail twirled like a propeller as he gobbled his breakfast.

“Where did you get your coffee?” Jessie asked.

“There’s a Keurig machine in the office. Do you drink coffee?”

The preteen nodded.

Twelve was a little young to get hooked on jitter juice. After the dog finished his meal, Scarlett said, “There’s milk in the office fridge.”

“I like coffee.”

They returned to the office, where Jessie filled a disposable cup with water from the cooler and offered Fang a drink.

“You take very good care of him.” Scarlett watched Jessie make herself coffee, then dump three creamers and two packets of sugar into the cup—definitely not a proper breakfast for a twelve-year-old.

“If you like animals,” Scarlett said, “then you’ll love visiting the petting zoo at your great-grandfather’s ranch.”

Jessie sipped the hot brew, squinting over the rim of the cup. “If we’re allowed to go to the ranch.”

“What do you mean?”

“My dad said he wasn’t a very good grandson.”

Scarlett wondered how much of his childhood Reid had shared with his daughter.

“If no one wants my dad to stay, then we’ll probably go back to El Paso.”

Time to change the subject. “Are you hungry? There’s a box of instant oatmeal in the back.”

“Sure,” Jessie said.

In the makeshift kitchen behind the office, Scarlett microwaved two bowls of apple-cinnamon oatmeal. When she handed Jessie her breakfast, the girl said, “You’re really pretty.”

“Thank you.” Scarlett was aware of her beauty. She’d been blessed with flawless skin, luminous eyes and high cheekbones. As far as hairdos went, she looked good in any style, which was why she wore a wash-ʼnʼ-wear haircut, because it saved her time getting ready for work each morning.

“I used to have long hair.” Scarlett touched her lower back. “All the way down to my hips. My friend told me guys liked long hair so I never cut it.” She finished her oats. “Then I woke up one morning in college and stared at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Why do I care what guys think?’” She smiled. “I cut it all off and I’ve been wearing it short ever since.”

Jessie scratched Fang behind the ears and the dog’s eyes closed. “My mom had long hair.”

Scarlett sat down in a chair. “Were you and your mother close?”

Jessie nodded. “It was mostly just me and my mom.”

“I was close to my mother when I was your age,” Scarlett said.

“Is she still alive?”

“Yes. She taught second grade, but she’s retired now.”

“Do you have kids?”

“No.”

“You don’t want kids?”

“Someday maybe.” Scarlett smiled to cover the sting she felt when she thought of Dale’s daughter Amy. She’d loved the six-year-old as a mother not a social worker. “I have a full caseload of kids at work.”

“My mom wanted more kids, but after Mike broke up with her, she never got another boyfriend.”

Not only did Jessie have a rough time of it, but her mother had, too. “What kind of work did your mom do?”

“She was a supervisor in a warehouse.”

“I like hearing about women bosses,” Scarlett said.

Jessie sat up straighter. “Sometimes she drove a forklift.”

“Impressive. The largest vehicle I’ve ever driven is the van I borrowed from a friend to move to a new apartment.” Scarlett’s cousins had nicknamed her gypsy because she only signed one-year leases at apartment complexes.

Jessie dropped her gaze. “My mom died at work.”

Scarlett pictured a woman passing out at her desk after suffering a heart attack, stroke or brain aneurism. “What happened?”

“She backed the forklift into a bunch of wooden pallets and they fell on top of her.”

Scarlett winced.

“My grandparents died a long time ago,” Jessie said. “That’s why Mrs. Delgado had to call my dad.”

Had to call? “You didn’t keep in touch with your father?”

Jessie shook her head. “My mom said he didn’t want anything to do with us.”

Wow. No wonder Reid and his daughter appeared uneasy with each other.

“His name was on my birth certificate.” Jessie pulled Fang closer to her body as if the animal was a shield. “So I’m stuck with him.”

Stuck? That wasn’t the way things worked in social services, especially with children Jessie’s age. If she hadn’t wanted to be with Reid, her caseworker wouldn’t have forced her to live with him.

The lobby door opened and Fang barked. Reid stepped inside, wearing pajama bottoms, a rumpled T-shirt, his cowboy boots and hat.

Scarlett smiled at the pillow crease along his cheek. “Good morning.” It took immense willpower to maintain eye contact with him and not allow her gaze to drift over his muscular chest and the cotton bottoms clinging to his slim hips.

He dragged a hand down his tired face, then looked at his daughter. “I woke up and you weren’t in the room.”

“Fang had to pee,” Jessie said.

“I bet you could use some caffeine.” While Scarlett made him a cup of joe, a deafening silence filled the room. When she offered him the drink, his fingers skimmed her knuckles and tiny sparks raced up her arm. “There’s cream and sugar on the table.”

“Black is fine.” He took a sip, then spoke. “You hungry?”

“We had oatmeal,” Jessie said.

Scarlett smiled. “I can make you a bowl, if you’d like.”

“I’ll pass, thanks.”

A vehicle pulling into the parking lot caught Scarlett’s attention. “Sadie’s here.” She glanced at the wall clock. “She’s up early.”

The white minivan parked in front of the window and when the rear door opened, Scarlett’s nephews hopped out and raced over to the office. It took both boys pulling on the handle to open the door and when they burst into the lobby, Tommy shouted, “Aunt Scarlett, we got a girl cousin!”

Scarlett laughed. “I heard.”

“It sucks.” Tommy looked at his brother. “Right, Tyler?”

Scarlett frowned at the pair. “Your mom told you not to use that word.”

“I forgot.” Tommy noticed Jessie sitting in the chair and walked over to her. “Is that your dog?”

“His name is Fang,” Jessie said. “And just so you know, boys suck, too.”

Tommy and Tyler exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“You two look alike,” Jessie said.

“That’s ʼcause we’re twins.” Tommy nudged Tyler in the side. “Right?”

Tyler pointed to the dog. “Can I pet him?”

“Sure.”

The boys took turns petting Fang and then Tommy spoke when Sadie walked into the office. “That’s my mom.”

Jessie pointed to Reid. “That’s my dad.”

“We’ve got two dads.” Tommy glanced at Tyler and his brother nodded.

“Sadie, this is Reid.” Scarlett introduced the adults. “And Reid’s daughter, Jessie.”

“You and Jessie couldn’t have picked a better time to visit.” Sadie smiled. “The whole family will be here when Lydia and Gunner bring the baby home from the hospital.”

Scarlett loved her cousin for acting nonchalant about the fact that her husband’s brother had returned to town unannounced and with a daughter no one had known about. Not that Sadie’s easy-going personality put Reid at ease. His gaze swung to the door, then over to the window before returning to the door. The cowboy wanted to flee.

“Scarlett,” Sadie said, “I need you to come with me and the boys to buy party supplies for the baby’s homecoming tomorrow. I’m planning a surprise get-together for the new parents at the ranch.” Sadie nodded to Jessie. “As long as the dog doesn’t mind waiting in the van while we shop, why don’t you come with us.”

Tyler patted Jessie’s thigh. “Will you come?”

Jessie looked at Reid, and he said, “We don’t have any plans.”

“Sure,” Jessie said. “I’ll go.”

Reid’s rigid stance relaxed. He didn’t seem bothered that his daughter hadn’t wanted to spend the day with him.

Jessie scooped Fang off the chair. “I’ll get dressed.”

“Do you have a key card to get back into the room?” Reid opened the lobby door for her after Jessie flashed the card in his face. “Take a twenty out of my wallet on the nightstand in case you see something you want to buy for yourself or the dog.”

Sadie sent Scarlett a curious look when Jessie left without saying a word to anyone. “Boys, have you said hello to your dad’s brother? This is your uncle Reid.”

“I thought Uncle Gunner was Dad’s brother,” Tommy said.

“Your father has two brothers.” Sadie smiled at Reid.

“Nice to meet you, boys,” he said.

“We’re five.” Tommy walked over to Reid and squinted up at him. “My dad wears a cowboy hat but his is black.”

Scarlett hid a smile behind a pretend yawn. The boy’s forthrightness took getting used to.

“Are you older than my dad?” Tommy asked.

“Nope. I’m thirty-two.” He studied the twins. “I can’t tell you apart.”

“That’s ʼcause we look alike,” Tyler said.

Scarlett laughed. “You can tell them apart by remembering that Tommy asks a lot of questions and Tyler’s favorite hobby is reading.”

“Do you got more kids?” Tommy asked.

“No. Just my daughter, Jessie.”

Tommy wrinkled his nose. “She’s a girl.”

Reid’s mouth flirted with a smile and Scarlett was mesmerized by the twinkle in his blue eyes. “Jessie’s a girl all right.”

“Is Fang a boy dog?” Tommy asked.

Reid nodded.

“Okay, enough questions.” Sadie pointed across the room. “Pick out a book and read while we wait for Jessie.”

Tyler walked over to the refurbished post office mailbox compartments and opened one of the doors. He removed a children’s book from the slot, then climbed into a chair. Tommy sat next to his brother and listened to him read.

“When does Virginia take over for you?” Sadie asked Scarlett.

“Not until eight but Gunner said she usually shows up early.” Scarlett turned to Reid. “Virginia lives across the street from our aunt.”

Sadie laughed. “She’s what Aunt Amelia calls a colorful character.”

“Colorful is right,” Scarlett said. “Virginia is pushing sixty, but dresses like a twenty-year-old.”

Reid reached for the door handle. “Jessie’s got my number in her cell phone if you need to get ahold of me.”

“Before you go,” Sadie said. “I have a message for you from Logan. Your brothers would like you to meet them at the Saddle Up Saloon at noon.”

“Sure. Where should I pick up Jessie later?”

Sadie waved a hand. “Come out to the ranch. Jessie will enjoy helping the boys feed the petting-zoo animals.”

“See you later then.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Sadie said, “He couldn’t escape fast enough.”

Scarlett watched Reid cross the parking lot. “I’d love to be a mouse in the bar when the Hardell brothers meet later.”

“Let’s make a list of party supplies while we wait for Virginia to arrive.”

Scarlett retrieved a notepad and a pen from the desk drawer, eager to hear how Sadie planned to decorate for both the baby and the black sheep’s homecoming.

* * *

REID PARKED THE pickup behind the old Woolworth building in downtown Stampede. It was five minutes before noon and his gut was tied into a pretzel knot.

The Hardell family reunion would be a far cry from a Hallmark movie scene. He’d be lucky if he escaped the gathering with his surname intact.

He got out of the truck and strolled along the town’s main thoroughfare—Chuck Wagon Drive. A handful of brick buildings dated back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The feed store had closed its doors and boarded over the windows before Reid had graduated from high school. He could barely make out the words For Sale that had been spray-painted on the side of the building decades ago.

His gaze swung across the street. The old Amoco filling station had been converted into a farmer’s market. A pickup was parked in the lot, its truck bed piled high with produce. Next to the station sat the Corner Market. When he was a kid, his grandfather would drop him and his brothers off at the store to buy candy.

He continued up the next block. The town looked depressed. Tired. The white bench that had always sat in front of the National Bank and Trust was missing and weeds grew through the cracks in the sidewalk near the door. On the other side of the street the shadows of the missing letters in the Bucket of Suds Coin-Operated Laundry sign remained visible against the gray cinder block.

From the few texts he’d exchanged with his brothers over the last year he knew his grandfather was trying to sabotage Amelia’s efforts to restore the town—he just didn’t know why. He agreed with the matriarch that the place needed a face-lift. If she wanted to dump her millions into Stampede, why should his grandfather care?

Reid put the brakes on and backpedaled to Millie’s Antiques & Resale—or what used to be the business. The old rocker that had sat in the display window for decades had been replaced with an industrial-style desk and a hanging light made from plumbing pipes and old-fashioned Edison light bulbs. Lydia’s Interior Design was etched into the window glass.

Gunner hadn’t told him that his wife had opened a business in town. The canary yellow door and red flowerpots overflowing with white and purple pansies was the lone bright spot among the dreary buildings on the block.

Reid reached the Saddle Up Saloon and drew in a steadying breath. Then another. And another. But no amount of oxygen would clear his thinking enough to fabricate a reasonable excuse for ignoring his family all these years.

He entered the building, pausing inside the door to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. He looked toward the bar expecting to see his brothers parked on the stools, but the seats were empty.

Reid recognized the bartender dusting off liquor bottles. JB’s ponytail was longer and mostly gray now. He wore a beige T-shirt with a picture of a saddle on the back and the bar name printed in bold, black letters. When JB recognized Reid, the corner of his mouth lifted in greeting, then he tilted his head toward a table in the back corner where his siblings and his grandfather had gathered.

Reid approached the group and waited for an invite to join them. His grandfather nodded and Reid pulled out a chair and sat. JB placed a bottle of beer in front of Reid, then refilled his grandfather’s coffee cup before returning behind the bar.

He might as well get the tongue-lashing over with. Staring at his older brother he said, “Give me your best shot.”

Logan didn’t hesitate. “You’ve treated us like lepers for years. Don’t think you can waltz back into the family as if you never left.”

“I doubt you missed me that much,” Reid muttered.

Logan’s eyes widened.

“I’m no saint.” Gunner spoke up. “I’ve done my share of letting everyone down, but I’ve never deserted the family.” He pointed to their grandfather. “Gramps took care of us when our parents didn’t. He deserved better from you.”

Reid stared at his grandfather and braced himself.

“Did I do something or say something to make you believe you weren’t part of this family?”

Reid clenched his jaw and looked away from the sadness in the old man’s eyes. “I’d rather not talk about the past.” What good would it do to list his grievances? Donny Hardell was dead and his brothers had moved on. Why couldn’t he?

“Why’d you come home?” Gunner asked.

Tell them the truth. “I didn’t know where else to go for help.”

“You having some kind of early-life crisis, boy?” Gramps asked.

Reid pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. Despite his belief that his brothers could have done more to protect him from their father’s verbal abuse, he’d missed his grandfather’s cantankerous personality. “If you consider instant fatherhood an early-life crisis, then yes, I’m having one.”

Gunner looked at Logan, then back at Reid. “What do you mean, ‘instant fatherhood’?”

“I met Jessie for the first time six months ago when social services contacted me after her mother died.”

“The girl’s mother is dead?” Gramps asked.

“Stacy died in a workplace accident. My name was listed on Jessie’s birth certificate. A DNA test confirmed that I’m her father.”

Gramps sipped his coffee. “Where’s Jessie been all this time?”

“El Paso.” Reid rubbed his brow. He’d never learn why Stacy hadn’t reached out to him after she discovered she was pregnant. Her reasons had been cremated along with her body.

“I don’t remember any Stacy that we went to school with,” Logan said.

“She wasn’t from here.”

“Where did she live?” Gunner asked.

“I don’t know. The subject never came up at Jason Zelder’s house party where we had sex. Once.” Stacy had latched onto Reid when he’d walked through the front door and hadn’t let go until after they’d made out in his grandfather’s pickup in the driveway. “Stacy left the party with her friends and I never heard from her again.”

Gramps thumped his fist on the tabletop and they all jumped. “Why’d you wait six months to tell me about my great-granddaughter?”

“I wasn’t sure Jessie wanted anything to do with me.”

“What do you mean?” Gramps asked.

“The social worker suggested a six-month probation period for us to get to know each other. I quit my job in Albuquerque and moved to El Paso. At the end of six months Jessie agreed to leave her foster parents’ home and go with me.”

“So you got custody of her,” Gunner said.

“Temporary custody. The caseworker will reevaluate our situation in the next couple of months and either recommend that a judge give me permanent custody or place Jessie back into the foster-care system.” If he wanted to keep his daughter with him, Reid had to provide Jessie with a stable home life and a decent place to live. Right now they had neither of those things.

Logan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m surprised you’d want anything to do with your daughter after the way you wrote off your family.”

Reid’s knuckles turned white against the beer bottle. “I think it’s the other way around.”

Their grandfather sliced his hand through the air, ending the tit for tat before it escalated. “How do you plan to show the social worker that Jessie belongs with us?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know the first thing about being a father.” And growing up, his father hadn’t been a good role model.

“I won’t be any help. As a first-time daddy I’m flying by the seat of my jeans.” Gunner nudged Logan’s arm. “You’ve been a father longer than I have.”

“Only by a few months,” Logan said. “I love the twins as if they were my own, but they’re a lot younger than Jessie. And they’re boys. I wouldn’t know what to do with a preteen daughter.”

“I got plenty of experience riding herd over teenage troublemakers,” Gramps said. “How long are you staying?”

“If I can find a job and a place for Jessie and I to live, then we’ll stay until the social worker makes her decision.”

“What about school?” Logan asked.

“Jessie’s mother and foster mother homeschooled her. I don’t know anything about that stuff, so she’ll have to go to the middle school in Mesquite.”

“We can make room for you two at the ranch,” Gramps said.

Logan raised his hand. “I need to check with Sadie first to see if it’s okay with two more people moving into the house.”

Reid didn’t want to add stress to his brother’s marriage and he didn’t want to kick Scarlett out of his grandfather’s bedroom. “If you can put Jessie up at the house, I’ll stay at the motel.” He nodded to Gunner. “I’ll pay for the room.”

“How are you supposed to bond with your daughter if you’re not living together?” Gramps asked.

“It’s only temporary,” Reid said. “Once I find a job, I’ll rent an apartment.” Living a few miles away from his family would give him a little breathing room.

“You’ve finally come home after all these years,” his grandfather said. “I won’t have you living in another town.” He rubbed the whiskers on his chin. “What about bunking down in the old hunting cabin at the back of the property?”

“I appreciate the thought, Gramps,” Reid said. “But it might be easier—” and less stress on the entire family “—if we find an apartment.”

“If you want our help,” Gramps said, “then you and Jessie should live at the ranch.”

Reid liked the idea of Jessie being closer to family and if they used the cabin, he’d be closer to Scarlett, who he hadn’t stopped thinking about since yesterday. And suddenly the thought of running into Scarlett on a regular basis appealed to Reid.

“What do you say?” Gramps said. “The cabin needs a good cleaning, but Jessie would have her own bedroom.”

“Sure. We’ll give it a try.”

Logan hadn’t said a word and Reid suspected his brother wasn’t thrilled with the living arrangements.

Gramps changed the subject. “Gunner, what time are you bringing Lydia and the baby home from the hospital tomorrow?”

“At noon,” Gunner said. “Why?”

“Stop by the ranch on your way into town. The women are cooking up a surprise party for the baby.”

“You weren’t supposed to tell Gunner,” Logan said.

Their grandfather scoffed. “Men don’t care about parties.”

“I need to get back to the hospital.” Gunner stood and pushed his chair in. “Thanks again for the car seat, Logan. It was easy to install.” Gunner turned to Reid. “Welcome home.”

After the youngest Hardell departed, Logan stood. “I’ve got to get back to the ranch. A group of trail riders arrives in a couple of hours.”

Reid wanted to learn more about the changes at the ranch but kept his questions to himself. If he and Jessie were moving into the cabin, he’d find out soon enough why a cattle ranch had been turned into a tourist attraction.

Logan placed his cowboy hat on his head. “You leaving or staying, Gramps?”

“I got a meeting with the town council at the library.”

“Town council?” Reid looked at his grandfather.

“Gramps is the mayor of Stampede,” Logan said. “You would know that if you’d come home before now.” He walked out of the bar.

“Don’t mind your brother. He’s a Hardell. We’re all too stubborn for our own good.”

Reid swallowed his pride. “I’m sorry.”

“Growing up in this family wasn’t easy. I know that.” His grandfather braced his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet. “You don’t have to like any of us, but family is family and we’re all you’ve got.”

Reid sat alone in the saloon long after his family had deserted him. Again. Gramps and Gunner had been more forgiving than Logan. Reid had some fence mending to do with his older brother.

Chapter Three

“We’ve been waiting for you, Reid,” Jessie said after he pulled up to the house at Paradise Ranch Saturday afternoon. “Scarlett’s gonna give us a tour of the petting zoo.”

In the six months that they’d known each other, Jessie hadn’t called him Dad, even though she referred to him as her dad when she spoke with other people. Maybe she just needed a little more time.

He studied his childhood home. His grandmother’s rosebushes looked healthy and lush—a big change from his last glimpse of the sickly shrubs as he’d left for the military. Fresh gravel covered the road leading to the highway and the swing hung on the porch again. The window trim had recently been painted and the white rockers were new. He attributed the homey feel to Logan’s wife, Sadie.

“What’s the matter?” Jessie asked.

“Nothing.” He cracked a smile. “I haven’t been here in a while and the place looks different.” The barn sported a new coat of red paint and the white corral rails gleamed in the sun. Across from the old storage shed was an enclosed barnyard where a handful of animals congregated. A sign reading Paradise Petting Zoo hung above the entrance.

“You’re here.” Scarlett joined Jessie on the porch. Her smile reached her eyes, and the sparkle warmed his insides. He’d desired his share of women through the years and he felt plenty of below-the-belt temptation for Scarlett, but when their gazes locked all that heat traveled upward into his chest, making his heart pound faster.

Jessie descended the steps. “Uncle Logan said he had to take care of the horses.”

A bitter lump lodged in Reid’s throat when Jessie referred to his brother as Uncle Logan. Returning to Stampede was supposed to help him and Jessie grow closer, not Jessie and his brothers.

Tommy flung the front door open and he and his brother raced past Scarlett. “I want to show Jessie my chicken.”

“Me, too,” Tyler said.

Taking a look at the hunting cabin would have to wait until after they toured the barnyard. “Lead the way,” he said.

The twins grabbed Jessie’s hands, then Tommy said, “C’mon, JJ. I’ll show you Captain America.”

“And Superman,” Tyler said. The boys and Jessie cut across the yard.

Scarlett descended the steps and they followed the kids. “JJ?” he said.

“Tommy kept complaining that Jessie was a girl, so she told the boys to call her JJ for short because it sounded like a boy’s nickname.” Scarlett peeked up at him. “What’s the second J stand for?”

“Jones.” He lowered his voice. “We haven’t talked about changing her last name to Hardell.” He figured his daughter needed time to get used to the idea of him being her father.

“Maybe she’s waiting for a signal from you that you want her to take your surname.” Was Scarlett speaking as a friend or a social worker?

“Jessie said the two of you didn’t meet until after her mother died.”

He didn’t want to talk about Stacy—mostly because he felt bad that he couldn’t remember much about her.

Scarlett pulled on his shirtsleeve and they stopped walking. “I’m prying because I care.” She glanced ahead at the kids. “I’ve helped hundreds of girls like Jessie. I’m here if you have any questions or just want to talk.”

Coming from anyone other than a social worker, Reid would have ignored the person, but Scarlett’s offer was sincere and empathy shone in her brown eyes. “Thanks.”

A wrinkle appeared across her brow. “It can be challenging bonding with a child you don’t know well.”

He almost asked if she had any tips on setting boundaries for a twelve-year-old but changed his mind, not wanting to appear totally inept as a parent. They strolled through the empty barn, then walked out the rear door into the petting corral.

“Watch this, JJ.” Tommy chased a rooster whose comb looked as if it weighed more than the bird.

“Superman’s hungry.” Tyler pushed the button on the feeding machine attached to the corral rail and pellets spilled into his hands and onto the ground. He offered the treats to the goat and giggled when the animal licked his palm. “He likes his magic food.”

“That’s a weird-looking chicken.” Jessie pointed to a bird with a feather duster attached to its back end. “The tail is longer than its body.”

“That’s an Onagadori chicken. It was first bred in Japan,” Scarlett said. “I didn’t know a thing about chickens before I came to visit, but thanks to Tyler’s chicken-and-rooster books I’m an expert.” She patted a miniature horse. “This is Ruby.”

“We got Ruby from a newspaper,” Tyler said.

Jessie rubbed the mare’s nose. “What do you mean, you got her from a newspaper?”

“Ruby’s owner couldn’t take care of her,” Sadie said. “He put an ad in the newspaper, hoping someone would adopt her.”

“Our grandpa lets us ride her.” Tommy took Jessie’s hand. “Wanna see Wilbur?” They zigzagged between chickens and stopped in front of a doghouse. “Come out, Wilbur.” A pink snout appeared in opening.

Jessie knelt down. “Come out and play, piggy.”

Tyler squatted by his brother and grunted like a pig. Wilbur left his house and nudged Jessie’s hand with his nose. Her laughter warmed Reid’s heart.

“The twins have a new best friend.” Scarlett nodded to Jessie. “I hope they don’t annoy her too much.”

Reid watched the trio play with Wilbur. His family had accepted Jessie into their fold. Time would tell if they rolled out the welcome mat for him.

“How long did you plan to stay in Stampede?” Scarlett asked.

Apparently no one expected him to stick around.

What else are they supposed to believe when you’ve kept your distance all these years?

“I don’t have any intention of leaving soon,” he said. “Jessie and I are moving into the cabin on the other side of the property.”

“You don’t sound excited about bunking down out there,” she said. “My offer to stay at the motel still stands.”

“The cabin will be fine.” He wasn’t pushing Scarlett out of the house. He needed an ally close by. He hoped he and his family could move forward because his daughter was making herself at home on the ranch and if they had to leave, she’d blame him for things not working out.

“Aunt Scarlett?” Tyler patted Scarlett’s leg. “Can we show Jessie our tree house?”

“Check with your mom first.” Scarlett glanced at Reid. “Logan built the boys a tree fort not too far from the garden alongside the house.”

“Jessie, keep an eye on the boys,” Reid said.

“I will.” She followed the twins out of the barnyard and across the lawn to the back door of the house.

“When did you plan to look at the cabin?” Scarlett asked.

“Right now. You want to come along?” He winced at the eager note in his voice. He was still bruised from the dressing-down his brothers had given him earlier and it was nice to be with someone he didn’t have to keep his guard up with.

“I don’t have Lydia’s eye for interior design or Sadie’s talents in the kitchen and garden, but I know what girls Jessie’s age like and don’t like.” They left the corral and Scarlett secured the latch on the gate. “I’ll tell Sadie where we’re going and meet you out front.”

Reid walked back to his truck and listened to the radio while he waited for Scarlett. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the music and gazed out the windshield. As a kid he’d raced down the gravel road to the highway hundreds of times to catch the school bus. He thought he’d never return after he’d caught the bus that had taken him to boot camp. Life sure had a way of turning the best-laid plans upside down and inside out.

* * *

“WHERE’S EMMETT?” SCARLETT asked when she entered the kitchen.

“Upstairs changing clothes.” Sadie poured dish soap into the sink and ran the water. “Fang raced through the room a few minutes ago and tripped Emmett. When he caught himself on the counter, he tipped the bowl of cake batter onto his pants and shirt.” Sadie pointed to the mess on the floor.

“I’d help clean up, but Reid’s waiting for me in the driveway.” Scarlett stepped over the splatter. “We’re going to check out the cabin he and Jessie are staying in.”

“I don’t know why Gunner and Logan suggested the cabin.” Sadie shut off the water. “It’s silly to have them living on the other side of the ranch away from the rest of us.”

“I think you need to let the guys figure out the logistics.” Scarlett went into the laundry room and grabbed a small cooler from the shelf above the dryer.

Sadie followed her. “Are you telling me to mind my own business?”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Sadie laughed. “Yes, you would.”

“You’re a mom and you like to fix everyone’s problems.”

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Sadie said. “You’ve made a career out of fixing kids’ problems.”

“And my professional opinion is that it’s important for Jessie and Reid to have their privacy while they get to know each other better.” She returned to the kitchen and removed two bottles of water from the fridge, then put a handful of grapes into a plastic baggie.

“What are you doing?”

“Packing a picnic lunch.” Scarlett ignored Sadie’s arched eyebrow. She’d never told her cousins that Reid had kissed her the day of their great-uncle’s funeral or that he’d crossed her mind through the years and even more often after her cousins had married his brothers.

“Are you treating this trip to the cabin like one of your family welfare visits?” Sadie asked.

“If I said no, would you drop the subject?”

Sadie’s eyes twinkled. “Yes.”

“Then, no.”

Sadie went back to the sink and began wiping up the cake splatter. Scarlett knew her cousin had stopped her interrogation because she was glad Scarlett was showing interest in a man. After her horrible breakup with Dale, Scarlett had refused to get back into the dating game. Her cousins had suggested an online dating site, but she hadn’t been ready. Now she wondered if she’d been ready all along but just waiting for the right guy—a guy like Reid.

“There’s leftover chicken salad in the crisper,” Sadie said.

“Good idea.” Scarlett dished a scoop into two plastic bowls, then covered them and tossed in a pair of plastic forks. “I’ve got my cell,” she said. “Call if anything comes up with the kids.”

“We’ll be fine.”

Sadie followed Scarlett to the front door. “What about supper? Emmett’s making fried chicken and Aunt Amelia is joining us. Should I plan on Jessie and Reid, too?”

“I’ll let him know that everyone expects him for dinner.” Scarlett hugged Sadie. “After the kids go to bed tonight, I’ll help blow up the balloons.” She stepped outside and closed the door preventing Sadie from following her onto the porch.

“What’s that?” Reid asked when Scarlett set the cooler on the floor and climbed into the passenger seat.

“A snack if we get hungry.”

Reid shifted the pickup into Drive and took off. “We can get to the cabin faster using the highway,” he said.

“I didn’t know there was another way to get there.”

He nodded. “A couple of dirt roads intersect the ranch, but I don’t know what shape they’re in.”

Scarlett stared at the passing scenery. “Texas is so different from Wisconsin. I’m used to cornfields and bean fields. Down here all you see is hay or cattle.”

“Do you like the winters up north?” he asked.

“I enjoy the different seasons but the older I grow, the less I like the cold. We got a lot of snow this past winter and there were a few days I couldn’t drive in to work.”

A commercial came on the radio and when they both reached to turn the volume down at the same time, their fingers bumped. Scarlett looked away first because she didn’t want him to see her blush like a schoolgirl. “Sadie and Lydia mentioned you settled in Albuquerque. How’d you end up there?”

“I landed a job as a mechanic for a trucking company.” He slowed the pickup and moved over to the shoulder, then turned onto the property. “It looks like my grandfather had fresh gravel put down on this road, too.”

Scarlett sensed Reid didn’t want to talk about his life in New Mexico so she dropped the subject. “I can’t believe my cousins married your brothers after my great-aunt warned us girls to steer clear of you boys.”

“Amelia was right to be concerned about Gunner and Logan, but not me.”

She laughed. “Maybe I imagined it was you who kissed me at the church that day.”

He grinned. “That was pretty bold, huh?”

“You were my first kiss.”

He glanced at her. “No way.”

“Yes way.”

“The guys in Wisconsin must have been dumber than the dairy cows up there not to try to steal a kiss from a girl as pretty as you.”

She laughed. “Watch what you say about our cows.”

The next time Reid glanced across the seat, his eyes dropped to her mouth. “I’m a better kisser now.”

Scarlett’s pulse kicked into overdrive and the temperature inside the cab inched higher. “Just so you know, I’m a better kisser, too.”

“I’ll take that as a challenge.”

“You should.” She turned her face toward the window. She didn’t know if she was more shocked at herself for sparring with Reid or for enjoying it so much.

“Where’d you go to college?” he asked.

“University of Wisconsin at Madison. I wanted to go out of state but my parents said it was too expensive.”

“Are your folks still in Madison?”

“Yes, but they’re making plans to move to Florida. Sadie’s parents bought a home down there and Mom and Dad fell in the love with the retirement community. Dad’s a computer geek and he can work anywhere. Mom retired from teaching a few years ago, so they’re ready for a change.”

“Brothers or sisters?” he asked.

“Sadie, Lydia and I are only children.” Reid parked the truck in front of the cabin and she said, “It could use some paint.” They got out and walked closer.

Cedar trees surrounded the small structure made from shiplap. The corrugated metal roof was rusted but gave the place a charming country feel. Two wooden poles and a crossbeam held up the overhang. “A couple of chairs on the porch would welcome visitors.” Her eyes strayed to the dense foliage surrounding the cabin.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“I’m checking for serial killers lurking in the woods.”

He chuckled. “You think Jessie might object to sleeping this far away from the main house?”

“I don’t know. But it wouldn’t hurt to clear away some of the brush to allow more sunshine in.”

“Let’s take a look inside.” He opened the door. “You might want to wait a minute and let me check for any furry squatters.”

“Good idea.” She backed up a step.

Reid left the door open and she heard his boots clomp against the plank floor. A minute later he called out. “All clear.”

She entered the cabin expecting the worst, but was pleasantly surprised. Years of dust and dirt clung to the walls and floor—but nothing a good scrubbing wouldn’t take care of. “Is there a bathroom?”

He pointed down a short hallway and Scarlett poked her head inside. Sparse but functional. There were two small bedrooms, each with a window. “Electricity?”

Reid flipped a switch on the wall and the overhead light above the kitchen sink came on. That answered her question.

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