This Cowboy’s Off-Limits…

Single father Blake Granger—Doc Blake to his young patients—knows trouble when he sees it. But he needs a fill-in assistant pronto, and gorgeous Maggie Daniels is his only option. The big-city girl surprises him, though, when she takes to life in Briggs, Idaho, quicker than expected. And—more important—she’s taken to him and his adorable tomboy daughter.

Or Is He?

Maggie never pictured herself living in close proximity to cows. But her weak-kneed attraction to the heartthrob of every female within wooing distance is wreaking havoc with her future plans…especially with a dream job waiting back home in California. Is her destiny really to move to a small ranching town? Could she really be falling for the cowboy?

“I bet you were all about curls and frills,” Blake teased

He slowly pulled Maggie in closer. She didn’t resist. Then, as if they’d done it a thousand times, he leaned in and gently kissed her neck, up and down each side, murmuring as he went. She felt a shiver race down her spine. “I was a tomboy…” She sighed, knowing she should stop this. She needed to stop this—she’d gotten too involved in his life already.

But she didn’t.

He pulled back. “You?”

She nodded, grinning. “I’ve never admitted this to anyone, but my favorite pair of shoes were my cousin Emma’s cowboy boots. They were two sizes too big. I wore them anyway.”

He went back to kissing her neck, brushing her hair out of the way with his hands. A rush of heat played on her skin. Her body tingled.

“You’re the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met,” he said, merely brushing her lips with a kiss, tormenting her with his touch.

She pushed a few inches away from him, thinking she was going to end this, before they went any further. Instead she asked, “Are you going to kiss me on the mouth, or what?”

Dear Reader,

This is my first book for the Harlequin American Romance line, and I’m so excited to be with the series! What a treat to have found a new home. I’ve published with Harlequin before and had a great time writing those romances, but recently my heart has wandered into cowboy territory, and I’m so glad it did.

This love affair all began while I was attending a Zane Grey conference with some friends at Mormon Lake, Arizona. While there, I became fascinated with not only the works of Zane Grey, but with the mystique of the American cowboy. As the first evening wore on, and we were serenaded by old-time cowboy singers, I was introduced to Doc Miller, a real-life cowboy, pediatric dentist. He completely fascinated me with his fringed suede jacket, his dusty cowboy boots and hat, Wrangler jeans, a creamy tan-colored shirt and his absolute love of everything cowboy. He carried a cloth bag filled with kiddie toys and handed them out to everyone he met, including me. I chose a bright pink ring with a monster light-up plastic diamond, which I’m wearing right now…and did so while writing this book.

It wasn’t long before Doc Blake was born, along with city girl, Maggie Daniels, and the fictional town of Briggs, Idaho.

I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed discovering it.

You can visit me at www.maryleo.net where I’ve posted a picture of my ring along with a few shots of the spectacular Teton Valley in Idaho.

Best,

Mary

Falling for the Cowboy

Mary Leo

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Leo grew up in South Chicago in the tangle of a big Italian family. She’s worked in Hollywood, Las Vegas and in Silicon Valley. Currently she lives in San Diego with her husband, author Terry Watkins, and their sweet kitty, Sophie.

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For Catherine and Henry Nardi, who invited my husband and I to Zane Grey’s West Society Annual Convention where I was introduced to Doc Miller (Doctor Stephen Miller), a pediatric cowboy dentist who is the inspiration for my character, Doc Blake. And for Terry Watkins, the love of my life, who buys me chocolate, makes me laugh and takes me on road trips.

To the incredibly supportive members of the RWASD Writing Challenge. I could have never written this book without you guys. You’re simply the best!

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Excerpt

Chapter One

Doctor Blake Granger, known to the locals as Doc Blake, the town’s one and only pediatric dentist, took a monster bite out of a cake doughnut covered in sprinkles, then he closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the complete bliss of early-morning sugar.

His sweet blitz had begun when he ordered a large coffee, black, and dumped in two packets of real sugar. He knew better than to mess around with refined sugar after having spent years warning his patients, “sugar rots your teeth.” The statement rattled around the heads of most good dentists, but Blake was in an ornery mood this fine September morning and the mere idea of sugar—white, tooth-toxic sugar—seemed more important than his next breath.

He had snuck out of the main house at daybreak hoping to enjoy the crisp fall air, the fine dusting of snow that capped the Teton mountain range to the east of the ranch, and to slip off to Holey Rollers, the new doughnut shop, before anyone noticed he was gone.

So far, his plan seemed to be working.

Some of the pastel sprinkles clung to his mustache, while others trickled down his chin and settled on his flannel shirt. Earlier he’d knocked off two jelly doughnuts, a chocolate glazed twist and a mini cinnamon roll for good measure.

While he wiped away the evidence of his sugar fix with a paper napkin, he tried to remember the last time he’d indulged like this. Nothing came to mind. This kind of feather-headed behavior usually wasn’t part of his makeup. His teeth were in grave peril, and if any of his patients saw him toying with the dark side of tooth decay they’d be throwing his own lectures back at him.

Fortunately, most of his patients preferred a Happy Meal to a cup of coffee and a doughnut.

Now he was sitting outside at one of the small ornate metal tables in front of the doughnut shop, enjoying his doughnut, a strong cup of coffee and the Briggs Daily Journal, another indulgence he rarely had time for, when an unfamiliar voice interrupted his revelry.

“Doctor Granger?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s me,” he said, looking up at the face of a smiling woman standing next to his table.

Blake put his paper down and stood. The woman, dressed in a snug black business suit, was drop-dead gorgeous: long raven hair, crystal-blue eyes and a smile that could give a dying man reason to live.

She held out a hand, all businesslike, and for a moment Blake didn’t know what to do. It was as if spring mud had flowed into his brain and covered all the working parts.

He hesitated, then came to his senses and took her hand in his. Just touching her sent a spark through his body. He wanted to pull back, but she had one of those professional tight-gripped handshakes, giving him no choice but to surrender to her touch.

“I’m Maggie Daniels, Kitty’s sister.”

She said it as if he already knew this, which he did not, and would never have guessed in a hundred years as he searched for a family resemblance.

Kitty was his pixie-cute office manager; she was getting ready to go out on early maternity leave due to twins. Of course, first she would be training her replacement, which she had already suggested could very well be her sister, Maggie, an idea that now made Blake uneasy. From a purely selfish point of view, he truly hoped his life wouldn’t get any more complicated with the temporary changeover.

Between his willful father, the ranch, their looming potato harvest, his five-year-old daughter, his two brothers and almost-certain dental emergencies, Kitty’s leave of absence could prove to be his undoing. She was his rock, and replacing her for even a few months seemed impossible.

“Great” was all he could manage to say.

Maggie finally let go of his hand, and Blake felt the mud clearing from his brain. “I mean, your sister’s told me a lot about you.”

She chuckled, then offered a flirty smile. “That could be dangerous.”

He liked her sense of humor. “Only to your enemies.”

“I already have enemies?”

“None so far.”

“Give it time. It’s a small town.”

She had an edge to her that Blake wasn’t quite sure how to take. No matter what he eventually decided to do about Kitty’s replacement, he felt certain this woman would be a handful. “So, you’re that kind of woman.”

“What kind is that?”

“The kind that makes enemies.”

“Only with other women. Men seem to like me.”

He figured that was the case. “I come from a family of all boys.”

“Then we shouldn’t have a problem.”

Reason told him Maggie was hell-bent for trouble. He was way over-the-moon attracted to her and he knew from experience what it meant to be attracted to a beautiful woman. His ex-wife was a beautiful woman and she had brought him nothing but grief. Maggie was even more of a threat with her haughty, big-city attitude, but damn it all, he was going to have a hard time saying no to her smile.

Not to mention that she had perfect teeth.

He gestured for Maggie to sit, and she pulled out the green metal chair across from him. The lady was all slicked up with a cream-colored blouse under her jacket that showed just the right amount of skin to make his mind wander to places it shouldn’t be going. As she moved, he caught a glimpse of soft pink lace peeking out from under her blouse. It made him go all warm inside just knowing she wore girly pink under the tailored business suit that hugged her curves in all the right places.

Her face was flawless and her eyes reminded him of the early-morning sky on a cloudless day.

He picked up his coffee mug in an attempt to distract his wicked bedroom thoughts.

“I think you should know,” she began, “that although I’m all for helping my sister, I have applications out to several other companies, and if one of them comes through, I might not be able to continue my employment with you for the duration of my sister’s leave.”

Blake took a long swig of his sweet coffee, thinking that he appreciated her honesty. “Not exactly what an employer wants to hear.” He took another drink then carefully placed the white mug back on the table. “But who said I was going to hire you?”

She sat back and took up space, stretching out her long legs under the table and resting her arms on the chair. She seemed perfectly calm, totally cool and self-assured. “No one.”

Blake eased down in his chair, sliding his Stetson low on his forehead, and pushing his legs out straight, crossing them at his ankles, only inches from her legs. He swore he could feel the heat of her, his legs getting all twitchy. What was it about this woman, that close proximity gave him an immediate physical reaction?

“How do I know you’re qualified to run my office? It takes a special kind of person to work for me. What makes you think you’re that person?”

“Confidence.”

“In what?”

“Myself.”

“Impressive, but can you tell me who Buzz Lightyear’s sidekick is in Toy Story?”

Maggie grinned at him, her amazing eyes sparkling with a bit of wickedness. He couldn’t tell if she was trying to think of the answer or tickled that he’d asked such a childish question. Either way, Blake had her full attention.

Her smile revealed a slight dimple in her left cheek. He was a sucker for dimples, which made this little game they were playing even more perilous. He wanted to get to know her better—much better—but getting to know this kind of woman wasn’t a tangle he needed to get caught up in ever again.

Still, there was something Country about her, something easy she kept hidden under all that city slicker show.

“Sheriff Woody. My favorite character, by the way.”

He leaned in with the defining question, even though anyone listening would probably just laugh. Everything depended on her answer. “Do you own a pair of cowboy boots?”

“No…”

She looked hesitant.

Darn it all, he couldn’t hire a woman who didn’t own a pair of cowboy boots. They were a necessity in these parts, like a Leatherman tool or a trophy buckle. That fact alone proved she was just like his ex, and he didn’t want or need a woman like her anywhere around him. Way too many bad memories of her disgust of everything Country.

“But my sister does, in an array of colors for some odd reason. We wear the same size, so in that sense, I’d have to amend my answer and say yes. I have access to cowboy boots. Why? Are they part of the job description?”

“I’d have to say they are.”

She scooted up straight in her chair, crossing her fine legs under the table. “My sister never mentioned it.”

He felt certain this was the stickler. “Huh. Can’t figure why not. It’s what we wear.”

“Your office has a dress code?”

“Strictly enforced.” Not exactly true, but now he was desperate.

“Anything else I should know about?”

His mind raced to think of something, anything, that this temptation in heels might not like, but mud had once again settled in parts of his head and he couldn’t seem to come up with a thing.

He knew he could save himself a whole lotta grief if he simply hired Mrs. Abernathy, the seventy-year-old ex-nurse who had offered to take the job. Unfortunately, Kitty had already warned him not to do it. Mrs. Abernathy was inflexible in her ways and tone deaf. No way could she sing to his patients or run the office the way Kitty had set it up.

He wondered if Maggie could hold a tune. “We sometimes have to sing to the patients.”

“I don’t sing. Completely tone deaf.”

Her answer was his out. His escape hatch. His adios, amigo. Even Kitty would agree on this one.

Maggie stared at him, looking all pretty in the morning sun, and Blake had to admit a part of him wanted nothing more than to have her around for the next fifty years. But the danger of falling for someone so like his ex-wife meant grabbing the branding iron by the hot end, and he was not in the mood for another round of hurt.

Blake stalled for a time, pretending he was chewing on her answer, while he screwed up his flailing courage.

He had thought moving back to the family ranch in eastern Idaho with his dad and brothers would have slowed his life down, especially after living in L.A. for several years, but it had been nothing like that. When Blake had arrived in Briggs, he’d hit the ground running, and he’d been going nonstop ever since. Maggie Daniels was the kind of woman who would only tangle up his spurs, and at this point, he wasn’t sure he was up for the challenge.

Just then his phone chimed. “Excuse me,” he said. The phone’s screen illuminated the name Lindsey Luntz. Her thirteen-year-old son, Chad, was a patient of Blake’s. Chad was having difficulty adjusting to his new braces and he probably needed a “cheer up, buckaroo” talk, which would take some time, knowing Chad. Blake took the call, but asked Mrs. Luntz to hold.

“I have to take this,” he told Maggie. Then, as though he didn’t have anything under his hat but hair, he said, “See you in the morning. Eight-thirty?”

She nodded.

“Kitty can tell you the rest.”

“Thanks,” she said.

Feeling muddy-headed again, he tried to get his wits honed back to concentrate on the waiting Mrs. Luntz.

Blake watched as Maggie pushed herself up from the chair, gave him a little smile, turned and walked away.

He stared after her as she sashayed into the doughnut shop. The woman had one of those walks that made a man stare—hips gently swaying, elegant legs careful of each step in her fancy high heels, straight back and hair that glistened in the sunlight. Desire swept through him.

His breath caught in his throat and he found it difficult to wrest his gaze from Maggie until he heard Mrs. Luntz calling his name. “Doc Blake? Are you there? Doctor? Darn these phones.”

* * *

MAGGIE WALKED INTO Holey Rollers and ordered a double cappuccino, dry, and a blueberry muffin. She wanted something decadent with sprinkles to celebrate the occasion, but her hips didn’t need it. Once she’d turned thirty, everything she ate seemed to stick to her hips.

Despite that misfortune, Maggie knew she still had it, could still turn a man’s head when she wanted to. The good doctor had proven that. She had seen the attraction in his eyes. Heard it in his voice.

Sure, she had other job applications out, but the likelihood of any of them coming through was remote. Still, she felt she had to tell him the truth and rely on her looks to get him to hire her anyway.

Maggie couldn’t hide the fact that the overly judgmental world labeled her as beautiful. She didn’t dwell on it, rather, it was a truth she had come to accept. Still, more than anything, she had always wanted to be treated like a normal girl—a buddy other women could confide in, or a girlfriend to some sweet guy who loved to cuddle on the sofa, eat popcorn drenched in real butter and watch old movies.

Regrettably, she had little experience with any of those things.

Ever since she could remember, she had been the outcast in any group of girls, the cufflink on the man with power and the catch for the guy who wanted to elevate his social status.

Her only friend—her only confidant and ally—during all of the insanity of her life was her sister, Kitty.

Maggie thought Kitty was amazingly beautiful, more beautiful than Maggie could ever be. Apparently, the world hadn’t caught on to that fact. And because of the oversight, Kitty had led a relatively ordinary life. A life Maggie hungered to call her own, especially after her latest breakup with Brad Allen, the lying, cheating dog of a man who’d had the nerve to propose to her while he was sleeping with his secretary.

Once Maggie caught them, she was out of the relationship and out of the job she loved. She had worked hard to become vice president of marketing for Silicon Systems, but there was no way she could stay after she’d learned the truth. Brad was executive V.P. of the entire company. No getting around the scandal.

So, after nearly four months of unanswered resumes, she finally had a job, albeit a temp job in a town so small it had taken three drive-bys just to find the right exit. It was a paycheck nonetheless.

The girl behind the counter turned to Maggie. “That’ll be three dollars and sixty-five cents.” Her name tag read Amanda. She wore her mahogany hair extra-short, which accentuated her bright red lipstick and dangly earrings. Maggie guessed that Amanda was closing in on eighteen.

Maggie leaned in across the counter, certain that Amanda must have forgotten to ring up one of her items. “That was a double cappuccino and a muffin.”

Amanda rolled her eyes and leaned in closer, as if she didn’t want anyone else to hear. “I know. Like, my boss raised the price on some of the pastries last week, thinking nobody would notice. I told her people were going to complain, but, like, did she listen? Noo. Nobody ever listens to me. I bet you never get that, especially wearing that suit, huh?”

Maggie smiled, noticed everyone clad in casual clothing and felt completely out of place. The tiny shop was crowded with customers hovering in front of the glass doughnut counter, desperately trying to make up their minds while three other employees in light brown aprons with the Holey Rollers logo emblazoned across their chests, eagerly waited to fill their sugar fix. An assortment of doughnuts, muffins and other pastries, all of which looked incredible, filled every inch of the glass display, with the extras stacked on metal baking shelves along the walls. The shop smelled sweet, with just the right amount of freshly brewed coffee scent wafting through the air.

“I had a job interview.”

“With Doc Blake?”

“You mean Doctor Granger?”

“Everyone calls him Doc Blake. It’s easier.”

Maggie liked the nickname. It fit him. “Yes.”

Amanda gazed out the front window at the doctor. She let out a heavy sigh. “Like, I’ve had a crush on him ever since he pulled out my wisdom teeth. I think every girl in this town’s got a thing for Doc Blake. I’d give anything if he was mine, but ever since that low-life, Bethany Walker, broke his heart he won’t even look at another girl. And, like, believe me, plenty of us have tried, but it’s like his heart’s been broken in too many pieces. Sort of like that old kid’s rhyme, Humpty Dumpty. Shame. I’d be perfect for him.” She sighed again, while staring out at Doc Blake, but quickly turned back to Maggie. “So, like, you must be Kitty’s sister?”

Maggie wondered how this girl would know that. After all, this was a coffee and doughnut shop. Two things her sister forbade in her all-organic-all-the-time, eco-friendly house. “You know my sister?”

Amanda cocked her head and rolled her eyes, reminding Maggie of the size of the town. “Large organic chocolate soy, with extra whipped cream. Comes in at least three times a week. She told me you were driving up and might take over her job for a while. Kitty’s, like, the best.”

“Does she ever order anything else?” Maggie had to know if her sister was a closet doughnut eater.

“She looks, and sometimes if we put some pieces out for tasting, she’ll snitch one, but no, just the chocolate soy. Personally, like, when I get pregnant? I intend to eat everything I want. It’s like the only time a woman can indulge without feeling guilty.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

“Why, are you pregnant, too?”

Maggie blanched. “Me? Pregnant? Absolutely not.” Amanda stared at her. Maggie got the feeling that not wanting children was an unpopular idea in this town. She thought she should clarify. “I’m not very good with kids. An aunt is about as close as I’ll ever come to having kids of my own.”

Amanda blinked a couple times, bagged the muffin and handed it to Maggie. “You’re going to come a lot closer than that working for Doc Blake, that’s for sure.” And she walked away.

The barista called Maggie’s name for her double cap, yet Maggie didn’t move. Instead, she wanted to know what Amanda had meant by that last statement. She tried to get her attention, but there were now so many customers it seemed impossible.

There was something up with Doctor Blake Granger that Kitty hadn’t told her, but what? She knew he was a dentist who worked out of an office on his ranch, but that was about all Kitty had told her. What was the kid connection and how could it affect Maggie?

It wasn’t as if Maggie didn’t already have her doubts about working for Doc Blake. For one thing, she didn’t exactly love the idea of working around all those high-pitched drills. Truth be told, a visit to the dentist had always put the fear of God in her, but she needed a job and Kitty needed some help, so giving in to her drill fear was not an option.

Hey, all of this was temporary, she reminded herself. Of that she was absolutely certain.

Her sister may have found her niche, her own personal Idaho nirvana, but Maggie belonged to the city, with concrete and skyscrapers—not mountains, as lovely as they were—surrounding her.

She picked up her coffee, then stopped near the glass-front door and took a sip of her double cappuccino. Heaven. She slipped the plastic lid off and breathed in the smooth aroma of real, honest-to-goodness espresso. It was truly an intoxicating experience and she stood next to the condiment stand in front of the windows for a minute to enjoy the moment. Having been deprived of actual coffee for the past few days due to her sister’s coffee restrictions, Maggie wanted nothing more than to wallow.

Before she walked to her car, and while Doc Blake was totally distracted by his phone call, Maggie glanced through the window at him to see what all the fuss was about. She hadn’t actually seen anything special about him during the interview, but then she’d been a bit nervous about meeting him and convincing him to hire her. Focusing on his charms hadn’t seemed worthwhile.

The first thing she now noticed, besides those deep dark eyes of his, and the blond hair that ambled down his neck covering his collar and that sexy mustache, were the well-worn cowboy boots under his frayed jeans, not to mention the chocolate-colored felt cowboy hat he wore low on his head.

He seemed to be in his mid-thirties, and she began to see why half the women in the town had a crush on him. He was all rugged country charisma under that old hat, with a smile that could easily send a naive girl’s heart soaring.

“He sure is something to look at, isn’t he?” An older woman sighed as she came up to Maggie clutching a white dish towel. She wore the same logo apron as the rest of the staff, and her name tag read Doris.

“Very handsome,” Maggie admitted while Doris wiped down the kiosk.

“Wish I was twenty years younger,” Doris cooed, staring out the window at Doc Blake.

But Maggie had had her fill of good-looking, charming men. They pulled out that sympathy card and women threw themselves at their feet. There was nothing like a wounded hero to get an otherwise sensible woman into his bed.

Not this time. And most definitely not in this small town.

Downtown Briggs consisted of exactly three blocks of attached brick buildings with glass storefronts. The majestic Teton mountain range was its backdrop. It could be quite a spectacular place, if it wasn’t for the corniness of some of the shops.

Maggie couldn’t imagine settling in a town that allowed a huge plaster potato to be perched on the roof of the Spud Bank directly across the street from Holey Rollers, or the monster plaster llama that stood watch in front of Deli Llama’s. But her favorite was the black-and-white life-sized cow standing in front of Moo’s Creamery, complete with pink udders. She wondered if the entire business community was caught up in some kind of silly name contest and these were the big winners. Part of her thought they were cute, while the city girl in her thought they should be outlawed.

“Look, Doc’s leaving,” Doris announced as if the sun had just dropped from the sky.

Maggie’s attention fell back on Doctor Granger. He was laughing now as he stood up, a tall, slim man with a muscular build. And when two elderly ladies pushed open the door to the doughnut shop, she could hear his great big baritone guffaw. She liked a man who could laugh like that. Most guys in the business community seemed to be too nervous to really laugh. To let it rip. She’d almost forgotten what that kind of male laughter sounded like. For some reason it made her feel happy and safe…or maybe it was the coffee. She couldn’t be sure.

All she really knew at the moment was that Doc Blake drank real coffee, ate real sugar and had a fabulous laugh. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad working for him and living in this colorful town while Kitty was on maternity leave. At least she could collect a paycheck until something more permanent came along.

This time, Maggie would sit back and watch all the other women swoon over her heartbroken boss.

Maggie thankfully wasn’t the least bit interested in a relationship. And according to Amanda, neither was the good doctor.

Chapter Two

“This is going to work out so perfectly that I feel calm already,” Kitty told Maggie. “I knew it would. I dropped off a thank-you basket of goodies at the ranch about an hour ago.”

Maggie could only imagine what that completely organic basket contained, something raw or dried or juiced no doubt.

They were standing in Kitty’s overly bright and cheerful kitchen, completely created with vintage linens, salvaged wood and reclaimed natural materials. Lovely as everything was, Maggie longed for the familiarity of laminated flooring and labels like Ikea, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.

“I wouldn’t say we hit it off. It was more that we can probably work together effectively.”

“He’s the easiest boss ever. You’re going to love working for him.” Kitty peeled the top off a pint-sized plain Greek-style yogurt, sat down at the table and dug in.

“How can you eat that stuff? Don’t you miss the fruit and sugar?”

“Refined sugar is the enemy. It’s responsible for a litany of bodily ailments, including heart disease.”

“Yeah, but it tastes sweet.”

“So does radiator coolant.”

Maggie looked at her, puzzled. “How do you know these things?”

“My sweet hubby’s parents own a hardware store over in Idaho Falls. Nice town, but a little too big for us.”

“Unless they drink the stuff for breakfast, how would they know that?”

Kitty shrugged. “They just do.”

“Oh, okay then. Sugar is off the table. Is honey acceptable?”

Kitty hesitated, as if making up her mind. “It’s stressful to the bees.”

“Isn’t that their job?”

“Not all jobs are good for you.”

Maggie stared at Kitty then blinked a couple times. Ever since she’d moved in a week ago, she had learned how to create her own kitchen compost, how to recycle effectively, and more recently, how to bake the perfect flourless cake using some kind of cactus sugar. A dessert Maggie would never be fully able to appreciate.

“We can’t have this conversation.”

“Okay,” Kitty said, then made a couple of yummy sounds. She took another big bite of the yogurt and put the spoon down on the table, resting her hands on her belly as a smile stretched across her sweet face. “Thank you again for doing this. Except for a couple of Tim’s cousins, and an obstinate great-aunt who pops in whenever she sees fit, and the occasional visit from Tim’s parents—I couldn’t ask for more supportive in-laws, but with their store hitting some rough times, it’s hard for them to leave it—I’m kind of on my own here. Not that I mind. We chose to live in Briggs, and I love it. I’ve made a lot of friends here, but family is different.”

Kitty looked radiant, and seemed happy to have Maggie living with her. For that, Maggie was willing to endure just about anything.

“Don’t be silly. You saved me. My unemployment checks were barely making it, and I had no idea how much longer I was going to be able to keep my car. Plus, searching for a job in Silicon Valley was getting me nowhere. If I were Allison Bennett, the absolute goddess of marketing, I’d have twenty job offers by now, but I’m Maggie Daniels. Nobody cares.”

“I care, and you’re a fantastic marketing, social media guru. People will be knocking down your door. They just don’t know you’re free, that’s all. When the right person finds out, he or she will come calling. You wait and see.”

Maggie loved her sister’s enthusiasm, but no one had come knocking so far, and they clearly wouldn’t come knocking in this remote potato town.

“Country life is a nice change. But I have to admit, working in a dental office five days a week, and being that close to all those nasty little drills, may put me over the edge. You know how much I hate having my own teeth worked on.”

“That’s not what’s bugging you. Not really. I think you’re upset because you think it’s an insignificant job with no future and that your baby sister should be soaring up the ladder, like you, instead of stuck on a broken lower rung.” Kitty’s eyes welled up. “You just don’t get it. I’m not that corporate person anymore.”

“Why are you crying? I would never think any less of you or your choices.”

“You’re my sister. You’re supposed to say that. I love you, and—” She paused and took a few ragged breaths before continuing. “I’m pregnant, and my husband is a million miles away and I miss him.”

The woman would cry or rage at least twice a day. Maggie didn’t know how Tim, her husband, would ever have been able to deal with it. Although, Tim was one of those rare men who actually loved everything about his wife. It seemed that anything Kitty did or said, especially during her pregnancy, was just short of perfection.

But he wasn’t around every day to enjoy all her hormonal moments. Captain Tim Sullivan was busy on the other side of the world, fighting a war.

Maggie went over to her. She hated to see Kitty cry. And even if what she said was true, Kitty was still her baby sister and Maggie would do anything for her baby sister, including giving up honey because it stressed the bees. “It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t cry. Actually, I’m thinking this is a great opportunity for me to make your life a little easier while we wait for those two sweethearts to be born. I’m happy things have happened this way or I would never have been able to spend this much time with you.” Maggie leaned over and gave Kitty a tight hug. “It was my nerves talking. Clearly, I’m thrilled to have a job. It’s just that I’m apprehensive of the actual duties. I don’t have any real experience that relates. You know how I like being prepared.”

Kitty gently pulled away, drying her eyes on the white hankie she always kept in a pocket for just such an occasion.

“Really?”

Maggie nodded, giving Kitty her warmest smile, thinking that her little sister really was quite beautiful, even with a tear-streaked face. Pregnancy agreed with her.

“Thanks,” Kitty said, getting comfy on the wooden chair, her round belly pushing up against the table. “Don’t you go worrying about a thing. I’ll go in with you all week until you get the hang of it. There are no insurance forms, or a paper trail of any kind. Everything is done on the computer.” Kitty ate a couple of big scoops of yogurt and continued. “I’m telling you, this will be the easiest bull you’ll ever ride. Everybody loves Doc Blake. He’s the best in the West.”

Ever since her sister had moved to Idaho three years ago, her language had taken on an odd country flair. Not that it was bad, but it was certainly different.

“It’s really a fun office. You’ll see,” Kitty said.

Maggie flashed on what Amanda from the doughnut shop had said, about how she was going to get closer to kids or something like that. She had been determined to ask Kitty what that might mean, but at the moment, she didn’t want to upset her again. Any little thing could turn on the waterworks and Maggie simply didn’t want to go there.

Instead, she thought she’d gently find out some information. She poured herself a glass of local spring water and sat across from Kitty at the table.

“I was just wondering what, if anything, you might have told Doctor Granger, or Doc Blake as everyone seems to call him, about me?”

“Well, I knew what a pickle you were in, but if you mean did I tell him you were dating a slug who pretended to be in love with you, when, in fact, he was bonking his secretary who turned out to be a crazy woman who most likely keyed your new BMW, punched out your headlights, was responsible for your losing your six-figure position and is most likely responsible for your willingness to come to Briggs, Idaho, for a job that you’re completely overqualified for? No. I didn’t tell him.”

Maggie let out the breath she’d been holding. She so didn’t want anyone in this thimble of a town to know about her sordid past. It was embarrassing enough that most of her friends had abandoned her over the whole ordeal. She clearly didn’t need her new boss whispering behind her back. Not that he seemed the type, but she couldn’t be sure of anything anymore.

“Thanks.”

“I’m your sister, remember? I’m on your side.”

Now Maggie felt like crying. The whole miserable affair with her ex-fiancé was still raw, and talking about it ripped the scab off the wound.

“And you can forget about Doc Blake as a rebound lover,” Kitty added, scraping the container for the last bites of yogurt. “He’s a died-in-the-wool Briggs resident and wouldn’t leave again if his life depended on it. You’d have to move in permanent-like if you two got together.”

“Relax. I have no intention of anything close to ‘permanent-like’ in Briggs. I don’t intend to date anyone while I’m here, especially not my boss. No offense to you or any of the other women in this town, but I just don’t get what all the fuss is about. Yeah, he’s cute, in that country sort of way, but I’m a rock and roll kind of girl. Coldplay, U2 and Daughtry turn me on, not George Jones.”

“We’ll see. This town grows on you.”

“Maybe on you, little sister, but never on me.”

Kitty smirked as she polished off the yogurt and pushed the empty container aside. “Never is greatly overrated. I’m just sayin’.”

“Always the optimist.”

“It’s all about what messages we send out into the universe. If we’re positive, positivity comes back to us, whereas if we’re negative....” She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m a realist. I know who I am.”

“Maybe, but I’m just sayin’.”

* * *

BY THE TIME Blake pulled his mud-encrusted pickup in front of the family ranch house, the sky had turned a brilliant mix of pink, gold and deep blue against the backdrop of the black mountains. The golden aspens that surrounded this old log house were rustling in the warm breeze reminding him of why he had returned to Idaho. This was his favorite time of year, and he was grateful he wasn’t back in L.A., stuck on a freeway.

It didn’t matter that his day had been consumed with patients. Looking out over this spectacular piece of land nestled in the Teton Valley, Blake knew leaving Los Angeles had been the right decision.

It had been a long day that started off with caffeine, doughnuts and Maggie Daniels. Both the doughnuts and Maggie Daniels were bad for him, but he didn’t seem to care. Maggie was stuck in his head just as sure as come tomorrow morning he’d be stopping by Holey Rollers for a repeat performance.

Maggie had been jumbled up in his thoughts all day. She’d been there while he was giving Chad a pep talk about how great his teeth would look once the braces were off, and how all smart cowboys had their teeth straightened. She was there as he shared coffee with Chad’s mom, Lindsey, giving her advice on how to handle Chad’s situation in the future.

He had thought of her as he descended Lindsey’s front steps and spoke on his cell to Jimmy Ferguson’s mom, who was requesting an emergency extraction for young Jimmy’s loose front tooth. His mom couldn’t possibly inflict pain of any kind on her son, so it was up to Blake to do the deed.

Back in his office, the tooth slid out with barely a budge. Young Jimmy was so into watching Toy Story 3 on the ceiling monitor that he hadn’t noticed his tooth had been extracted.

Blake gave him the offending tooth in a tiny brown pouch so the tooth fairy could bring him a present in the morning. “I want to go home, home, home, Mommy,” Jimmy said. “I need to put this under my pillow right away, just in case the tooth fairy buzzes our house looking for bags of teeth. I don’t want her to miss mine.”

His mom agreed and off they went.

Blake loved the fact that he had patients young enough to believe in tooth fairies and Santa. Kids were easy. Adults were the kicker.

When that was over and he cleaned up, once again his thoughts drifted to Maggie and that salty walk of hers. Then, just as he was getting into a cozy fantasy about her, his phone rang and he agreed to drive over to Angie Barnett’s house. Angie was a first-time mom with a teething baby girl, who was desperate for some sleep.

After he checked out her screaming tot, he told Angie, “My mom would dip her pinky in whiskey, shake off the excess and rub it on her babies’ swollen gums. But some moms don’t like the idea of alcohol touching their baby, so it’s up to you.”

The baby let out an ear-piercing scream and Angie didn’t hesitate to rub the child’s gums with brandy.

“Please, oh, please,” Angie said as her baby chomped on her fingers, and within minutes the baby was as calm as a cat in the sun.

Blake gave Angie a few rubber teething toys he kept in an emergency kit in his pickup, and the combination seemed to work miracles.

By the time he eventually left, both Angie and her baby were fast asleep.

Another laid-back Sunday.

For once, he’d like to spend an entire Sunday doing nothing of any importance. Not that he didn’t enjoy helping his patients, but the thought of an entire day off seemed almost as impossible as trying to trim the whiskers off the man in the moon.

He climbed the wooden porch stairs of his ranch house and was greeted by Suzy and Mush. He bent over to give both dogs some good lovin’. They were siblings, part wolf with a whole lot more parts mutt. It was the mutt parts that loved attention and the wolf parts that kept critters out of the house and barn.

Wrestling with the dogs reminded him that Maggie Daniels had consumed him the entire day, even while he was singing “Home on the Range” to Angie’s baby.

For some reason, he couldn’t get rid of her image—those long legs, the girly underwear, and that sparkle in her eyes—but that didn’t mean he wanted her there with him. Regrettably, he had almost no control over his subconscious, where she now lived as sure as he knew he was dog-tired and wanted nothing more than to sit down with his family and share Sunday dinner, a perfectly cooked rib roast. Blake anticipated that first scrumptious bite as he grabbed the doorknob and swung open the front door, Suzy and Mush following close behind.

No matter what else happened during the week, come six o’clock on Sunday night it was dinner with the family. He could count on it like prairie flowers in spring.

“Daddy’s home,” his five-year-old daughter, Scout, shouted as soon as she spotted him. She came running toward him at full throttle, arms outstretched, ready to grab hold and give him her tightest squeeze. Her miniature cowboy boots were clacking across the wooden floor, strawberry-colored hair in its usual state of disarray, blue shirt falling out of her britches, and a look of absolute love on her adorable face.

For the umpteenth time since they had moved back to Briggs, Blake fully realized that his sweet daughter desperately needed what all the kids he’d treated that day already had: a loving mom. Unconditional and all-consuming love was an emotion Scout’s own mom sorely lacked.

Living in a house filled with boys had turned his little girl into a blustering tomboy. So much so that she had wanted to cut off all her hair—something Blake was not ready to accept. Not that he thought there was anything wrong with those tough-boy traits, but he wondered if Scout missed pink and had settled for blue to fit in with the rest of the family. But most of all he wondered just how much she missed the fuss and love a woman could give her. He knew it was time he found someone else to share his life with, but so far, he’d been too busy. Maybe he needed to do something about that.

He whisked his child up in his arms and twirled her around. They eventually landed on the sofa with his younger brother Colt’s three boys getting in on the fun, along with Suzy, who loved a good tussle. Mush sat on his haunches and barked.

Colt’s boys ranged in age from three to six, and all were loved like crazy by their father and the rest of the men in the Granger family. The boys’ mother had passed away from complications right after giving birth to the youngest, Joey. Colt never faltered in his dedication to his boys, especially to Joey.

“Dinner’s sittin’ on the table,” Blake’s father, Dodge, announced. He was a tall man, six foot four, with a stride like John Wayne, and a temperament like molasses. Nothing fazed him, ever, and in the scheme of Blake’s chaotic life, his dad’s rock-solid demeanor was the anchor that kept him grounded.

Dodge ran the house, cooked most of the meals and essentially kept the place from falling completely apart, especially during potato harvest season, which was coming up in a few weeks. This was where Dodge and Colt had it all over Blake. They ran the agricultural part of the ranch while Travis, his youngest brother, took care of the livestock. Blake contributed his time when he could, but essentially he had his hands full with his dental practice.

Blake had wanted to be a pediatric dentist ever since he’d been thrown from a horse when he was twelve and dislodged his two front teeth on a rock. Everyone thought he would lose those teeth, but Doc Greeley saved them with his expertise. Blake thought it was cool and became friends with the doctor who was soon his mentor. Colt and Travis gave him a rash about his obsession with teeth for the longest time, and when it came time for Blake to go off to college or get serious about ranching, he chose UCLA School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. Then when Doc Greeley retired and moved away right around the time Blake and Scout moved back to Briggs, he took over Doc’s practice, a dream he’d had ever since he was a boy.

The kids raced to the table to take their seats. Dodge sat at one end and Blake sat at the other. Travis and Colt sat one on either side in between the kids, acting as wranglers.

The table was set with the same mustard-colored, Fiestaware plates that had been a tradition in the family ever since Blake’s mom was alive. She had liked everything to be neat and color-coordinated just like in a magazine. Unfortunately, she had a house filled with boys, so nothing was ever quite up to her satisfaction.

A large bowl of Idaho mashed spuds sent up steam on one end of the wooden table along with a platter of mixed grilled veggies and a large wooden bowl filled with salad. Simple, but satisfying. A loaf of freshly baked rosemary bread from On The Rise bakery sat on a cutting board ready to be sliced. The two dogs made themselves comfortable under the table near Dodge.

“So,” Travis began once a short prayer of thanks had been said and the side dishes began to make their way around the table. “Amanda, over at Holey Rollers, said Kitty’s sister was checking you out through the window this morning. What’s up with that? Has yet another woman fallen for the poor, suffering Doc Blake?”

“Oh, Daddy, did you eat a doughnut?” Scout wanted to know.

Blake had no choice but to come clean. “Yes, I did.” He was not about to tell her how many.

Colt said, “I hear she’s hotter than a burnt boot. Just your type, big brother. Too much woman wrapped up in a city suit.”

“You were bad, Daddy. They’ll rot your teeth.”

“Yeah, Uncle Blake, sugar is the enemy,” Colt’s oldest, Buddy, chimed in.

“I’m not interested in Kitty’s sister,” Blake told Colt, but he knew he didn’t say it with much conviction.

“Busted,” Joey announced while holding up his fork.

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Travis joked.

Blake held up a hand. “Wait a minute.” He turned to Scout. “I brushed when I got into the office, like any good cowboy should.”

Colt pressed on. “Amanda said you interviewed the sister to take Kitty’s place when she leaves.”

Blake wished everyone would get off his case, but he was used to taking a ribbing from his brothers. They’d been digging into him ever since they learned to put two words together.

Travis added, “From the sound of it, seems like she wants more from you than just a job.”

Colt doled out salad for himself and his two boys. Dodge rose, muttering about forgetting the main dish, and headed for the kitchen. “You’re not seriously thinking of hiring her, are you? Sounds like a carbon copy of the last woman who got under your skin. And we all know how that went down.”

Blake wanted to tell everyone to back off. That he had it all under control. That he wouldn’t hire Maggie. But the truth was he’d already hired her, and if he didn’t stop himself he was certain to head down the same dismal road, just like Colt warned.

Darn it all, he hated when his brothers were right.

Dodge reappeared, carrying what looked like a baked turkey roll on a white platter.

Blake immediately felt cheated. “What’s that?”

“Somethin’ called tofurkey,” Dodge said. “Made with some of that extra-firm type tofu, a little herb stuffin’, some mushrooms and a whole bunch’a celery. It’s a gift from Kitty who whipped it up herself, thankin’ us ’cause Blake here hired her sister, Maggie.”

“Here we go again,” Travis said, as he shook his head.

Blake decided to ignore Travis and focus on their poor excuse for a rib-eye roast. “Come on, Dad. You can’t be serious.” He was starving, but he’d rather eat his own boot than one of Kitty’s healthy creations.

“Kitty was good enough to go to all the trouble of makin’ it and luggin’ it over here, especially in her female condition. We got no choice but to eat it. We don’t waste no food in this house.”

“Does it have peanuts in it? I like peanuts,” Joey asked.

“Most likely,” Blake answered.

“Can’t we give it to people who like health food?” Gavin, Colt’s middle son, asked.

“This here’s a small town, son,” Dodge explained. “Kitty would hear about it before the first bite was taken, and that would hurt her feelin’s. You don’t want to be puttin’ a hurt on Kitty, now do you, son? No tellin’ what that woman might do.”

Gavin shook his head in resignation.

Dodge began slicing the tofurkey then plating it for his family. Joey was the only one at the table who seemed eager to eat his dinner. Everyone else wore a combination of fear and disgust on their faces. Blake was especially not eager to try it.

“Is Kitty going away, Daddy? I don’t want Kitty to go away. She’s my friend. I don’t want you to hire the hot boot lady. I want Kitty.” Big tears rolled down Scout’s cheeks.

Blake immediately stood and went over to her. He had a feeling the tears might be about something—someone—else. He knelt down beside his child as she tumbled into his arms. “Hey, baby, Kitty’s not going away. Not like you think she is. Kitty has to take some time off to have her babies. Once they’re born and she’s rested a bit, she’ll come right back to the office here. I promise.”

When the tears intensified, he carried Scout out to the front porch with Suzy following close behind. Wherever Scout went on the ranch, Suzy was usually right there with her.

Blake sat on the swing, placing Scout next to him. The sun had set, and the world around them was growing dark. Birds busied themselves up in the trees with a rush of evening song while Blake gently rocked the swing back and forth. A whitetail buck lazily grazed about twenty feet from the house, as if it knew he was safe from hunters on the Granger ranch.

The combination of movement, watching the buck and bird chatter seemed to calm Scout, though it took a few minutes before she stopped crying. When she finally caught her breath, she said, “She won’t ever come back, Daddy, and I’ll miss her too much. I don’t want her to go. Make her stay.”

Blake sat back as his daughter reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and started crying again. He stroked her hair, and leaned into her. “Kitty isn’t going anywhere, baby. She’s staying home for a while, that’s all. You can visit her anytime you want.”

Scout sat back down and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. “She’s not moving to L.A?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Mommy moved to L.A.”

“We all did, sweetpea, but we came back.”

“But Mommy didn’t. I want her to come home now.”

Blake’s heart was breaking. “That’s not possible, baby. Her job is in L.A.”

“Can’t she move her job here?”

“I’m afraid not, but how about if I call her right now so you can talk to her?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

Scout slid over on the swing, getting closer to him, waiting.

As Blake pulled his phone out to make the call, he knew before Maggie Daniels set one foot inside his office, he’d have to fire her. No matter what he thought of Maggie, he knew his brothers were right. She would prove to be exactly like his ex, who, once again, was screening her calls and would call him back later, when she knew Scout would be in bed.

Chapter Three

“I’m really tired,” Kitty announced as she dumped dry black beans into a pot to soak overnight, no doubt for some tasty new cake recipe she’d discovered in her latest vegan cookbook.

“Then you should go to bed,” Maggie told her. “I can take care of cleaning up.”

“But it’s only seven o’clock, and I wanted to finish knitting those booties for my babies.”

“You can knit tomorrow. Your babies aren’t due for at least another five weeks. You have plenty of time.”

Kitty yawned, then said, “You’re right.” And she waddled off in the direction of her bedroom with Maggie following close behind.

Once Kitty was comfortably tucked into bed, with pillows scrunched under her legs, arms and head, Maggie kissed her forehead and turned out the lights. Then, she walked to her room down the hall, changed into tight-fitting jeans, combed her hair out so it hung loose on her shoulders, reapplied her makeup a little darker than she had worn it during the day and sprayed on her favorite perfume.

Tonight, Maggie was going out. She finally had a reason to celebrate, and she refused to do it with a glass of organic sparkling cider. She hadn’t been able to justify a night out for quite a while, but now that she had a job, a glass of red wine seemed in order, along with the fattest steak her money could buy.

Normally, only her platform stilettos would do with her skinny jeans, but she needed to start fitting in if she was going to live in this tumbleweed of a town for the next few months, so cowboy boots seemed to be the ticket.

After quietly trying on several pairs of her sister’s boots, she settled on a slightly worn burnt-orange pair with a respectable heel, and a subtle pointed toe. She borrowed a deep blue sweater, and wrapped a white wool scarf around her neck. She went back to her own room and slid two crisp twenty-dollar bills into her back pocket and headed out for Belly Up, the bar she’d seen a few blocks away.

As soon as she opened Belly Up’s heavy glass door, country music bounced from every hard surface causing the floor to vibrate with its steady beat. She knew she was stepping into a real honky-tonk complete with bare wooden planks on the floor, and a mirrored mahogany bar that extended along the entire west wall.

A rather large painting of a nude, round woman with a thin draping of white fabric across her privates, lounging on a bright-pink velvet chaise, hung on the far wall behind a group of tables occupied by patrons eating dinner. The smell of beer dominated the air and caused Maggie to wonder if the place even served anything but a cold one.

She hesitated in the open doorway, not quite sure if she was up to a hardcore-Country night out in Briggs, Idaho. Thinking how different all this was from her favorite martini bar in Pacific Heights in San Francisco, for a moment she considered leaving. Sparkling cider wasn’t all that bad, especially if she pretended it was sweet champagne.

“Nice boots,” a man’s voice said behind her.

Maggie spun around to see Doc Blake grinning at her from under the same Stetson he’d worn that afternoon. She smiled up at him. “Nice hat.”

There was an awkward pause when neither of them spoke, almost as if each of them was waiting for the other to make the next move, each staring into the other’s eyes. Maggie wondered what it would be like to kiss his lips.

Mr. Kissable broke the spell. “I’m starving for some real food. How about you?”

“You read my mind,” she lied. No way did she want him to know what she’d really been thinking.

“Steak?”

“Bloodred.”

He chuckled and Maggie wanted to hear more. “There’s a table in back with our names on it.” He bent his arm out for her to take it. She hesitated for a heartbeat, thinking this might be a mistake, while his smile assured her that she had little choice in the matter. Maggie grabbed hold and walked inside as if she had done it a thousand times before.

When they were seated under the painting of the nude, a smiling twentysomething waitress, dressed in a gray Western shirt, black jeans and the prerequisite boots walked over to take their order.

“Strange to see you here, Doc, on a Sunday night. Dodge burn the roast?”

He tossed her a sly little grin, as if they had a past. Maggie figured this woman was probably another notch on his already frayed belt. “Not exactly. Let’s just say dinner wasn’t what I’d expected and leave it at that.”

“Gotcha,” she said, her face lighting up for what had to be some kind of inside joke.

He turned to Maggie. “What’s your poison?”

Maggie smiled and looked up at the red-haired woman, wondering if there were any single women in the entire town who didn’t salivate every time Doc Blake was around. “Do you stock any decent wine?”

The waitress ignored her. “Where’d you pick up this one, Doc? Don’t think I’m going to like her much.”

“Go easy, Helen. She’s Kitty’s sister.”

The waitress turned back to Maggie, looking all apologetic. “Honey, your sister is an absolute treasure. She’s been there for me more than once. Because of her friendship, I’m going to give you a pass on your snobby question. How about you give me an order and I go fetch it?”

“A glass of pinot noir.” It came out in a whisper.

“I’ve got a great bottle of Williams Selyem pinot from the Russian River Valley. You’ll love it—medium bodied and silky smooth, with a blend of red cherries and raspberries along with a hint of spice. It’s dry but the tannins linger on the tongue. It’s on the house, honey, as a sort of a ‘welcome to the town’ kind of thing.” She turned to Doc Blake. “That good for you, too?”

“Perfect. Thanks. And two rare steaks with all the trimmings.”

“You got it, Doc.” She wandered off toward the bar, disappearing into the colorful, raucous mix of patrons. A cowboy, large both in stature and in girth, stared at Helen, then back at Maggie as he leaned on the bar. Maggie had the feeling he knew Helen well and was protective of her. Mess with Helen and you messed with probably the biggest guy in town.

Maggie threw him a sheepish grin.

He tipped his hat then turned back to his pint.

Maggie wanted to crawl under the table. She was going to have to accept that just because everyone dressed like movie-set ranch hands didn’t mean they weren’t part of the twenty-first century. She felt completely out of place again, with that familiar knot forming in her stomach.

Doc Blake leaned in closer. “When my patients are as uptight as you seem to be, I tell them to take a deep breath, close their eyes and think of their favorite Disney movie.”

Maggie smiled. “Their favorite Disney movie?”

“Yeah, works every time. Trust me on this. Lean back, close your eyes and think of your all-time favorite scene. I know you have one. I can see it brewing on your face.”

“What you see is confusion.”

“Maybe about which scene is your favorite, but it’s there. I know it is.”

“From a Disney movie? Not from movies in general?”

“Yup, and don’t tell me you weren’t a fan of The Little Mermaid or Aladdin. You’re needing a dose of the little girl with the big imagination. I know she’s hiding in there, scared to come out. I get a glimpse of her every time you smile. Give it a whirl, Maggie. Just lean on back and close your eyes.”

Maggie hesitated, but he persisted, gesturing for her to get going. She figured she might as well go along with him. After all, the man was her new boss. She slid down in the chair then leaned her head back until she found the backrest and instantly felt uneasy, vulnerable, as if everyone in the bar was staring at her.

“This is silly,” she said, quickly sliding back up and looking around. Everyone seemed busy with their own lives. No one was the slightest bit interested in what she was doing.

“Silly’s the whole idea.”

“But—”

“Humor me,” he urged, and gestured for her to lean back. She thought she’d better go with it or he might think she was some kind of city snob, which she most definitely was, but she didn’t want him to know it. “Take a deep breath. Let your body go all weak and easylike. Breathe in through your nose and let the breath out slowly through your mouth.”

Maggie did as she was told. Some country singer was belting out how they loved this bar while Maggie tried to get into the rhythm. Within moments her all-time favorite Disney scene flashed in her head—Beauty and her beast floating across a dance floor. She could visualize them as clearly as if she were watching the movie in a theater. Only difference was, they were dancing to I Love This Bar.

She couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle.

“I knew you could do it,” Doc Blake said as he touched her hand. As soon as he did, she felt warm and safe, as if she had been spinning on the dance floor wrapped in his arms.

She opened her eyes.

Helen had returned and busied herself pouring wine into their glasses. When she left, Maggie said, “I’m sorry, Doctor Granger, I think I fell asleep for a moment.”

“Call me Blake. It’s easier. Do you feel better?”

“Much. Thanks. Do you work this kind of magic on everyone?”

“Not everyone. Some of my patients are stubborn.”

“More stubborn than me?”

“You’re easy.”

She felt the heat of a blush. “Not necessarily. It depends on the man.”

“So we’re back to that, are we?”

“Not if you don’t want to be.”

He grinned, and his whole face lit up, the tiny lines around his eyes adding to his rugged charm.

“In all honesty, I was on my way to talk to you.”

As Maggie looked into those smoky eyes of his she had a feeling she could easily fall hard and fast into the same trap all the other women in this town had willingly fallen into. She refused to let it happen. She would not lose her heart to another unattainable man, especially not her boss. She’d been down that road before and it wasn’t pretty.

“Talk to me about what?” she asked after she picked up her glass of wine and took a sip.

She reminded herself that she had not come to this bar or this town to fall in love. Not that she was even close to falling in love, but just in case her heart wanted to go there, she needed to confirm it to herself that love or lust or affection of any kind was not part of this potato adventure. Hard work and a paycheck were all she needed at the moment…and maybe another glass of wine and the occasional steak.

But that was it.

Nothing and no one else.

“Mrs. Abernathy,” he said.

She drank several big gulps of the deep red elixir before she noticed its full rich flavors of oak and black cherries dancing on her tongue. The mixture of the wine, the devilishly striking man sitting across from her and the unfamiliar ambiance of country music and laughter felt intoxicating.

“What about Mrs. Abernathy?”

Their food arrived and suddenly Maggie remembered how much she loved a good, rare steak.

“She’s Tim’s great-aunt,” he said. “And she’s tone deaf.”

The meal smelled and looked delicious, but the man sitting across from her was looking even more delicious, especially under that old hat. Who knew a cowboy hat could make a man be so enticing.

“Kitty’s mentioned her. That’s too bad,” Maggie told him, not understanding the relevance.

Blake took note of her plate of food. “You’re gonna love this.”

“I’m sure I will.”

And as simple as that, Maggie knew what all the other women in the town had known all along. Doc Blake was sinfully irresistible.

* * *

HE HAD DRIVEN into town precisely to fire Maggie Daniels. Had gone over what he was going to say a dozen times, and if he hadn’t stopped at Belly Up for a steak first, he would have been able to carry out his plan to tell Kitty of his decision. He had wanted to avoid meeting up with Maggie altogether.

The whole idea of firing anyone, much less Kitty’s sister, gnawed at him terribly. But Kitty already knew about his confrontational misfortune, and would have broken it to her without too much coaxing. Then he would have driven over to Mrs. Abernathy’s house—calling her wasn’t an option—and given her the good news.

Unfortunately, Maggie had been standing in the doorway of the Belly Up, smelling like a wild rose garden after a rainstorm, and messed up everything.

Sharing a meal with Maggie Daniels somehow felt just about perfect to Blake. One look at her and he knew his hunch had been right. He’d hoped that once she’d lost that corporate suit and heels Maggie would be as down-home as her sister, minus the organic-vegan thing.

Maggie was a good ol’ girl at heart, who could probably knock back a cold one with the best of them, if it ever came to that. But right then, sitting across from her, he knew getting her to drink a beer was out of the question. She was still carrying around the city in her back pocket, and as long as she did, Briggs was simply a town where her baby sister lived.

There was nothing he could do about that, and besides, who was he to point out that life in a small town beat city life any day of the week. He’d already been down that path with his ex. He’d met her in college, at UCLA. She’d grown up in L.A. and had told him she wanted a simpler life. He believed her. She lasted in Briggs for only a short time and soon after Scout was born, she wanted to move back to California. Blake obliged, but he never took to the place, and Bethany eventually lost interest in being a mother—at least, not the kind of mother Scout needed. That lesson was enough of a burn in one man’s life. He wasn’t about to go close to the fire again.

Now, he had to let Maggie go before she’d even set foot in his office. It was for the best, all around. He had to tell her, but telling her face-to-face seemed almost impossible.

He’d have to man up for his daughter’s sake. Maggie was danger personified. Scout needed a mother, someone more like Helen and not a woman like Maggie. Helen was stable, kind, and sure as rain she wasn’t going anywhere. Helen could love Scout—heck, she probably already did—and could easily be a good mother to his sweet little girl.

Maggie was an unknown—albeit an attractive unknown that sent his pulse racing and weakened his resolve with every heartbeat. But even though she was temptation in borrowed boots, he wouldn’t allow himself to put his daughter through another disappointment, so he buttoned up his emotions and moved on with dinner.

He watched Maggie pack it away as if she’d been without food for weeks. “How’s the steak?”

She gazed up at him with a look on her face that told him it was the first time she’d noticed he was still there since the plate of food had been placed in front of her.

Maggie paused for a moment, chewed and swallowed. “Amazing. I mean San Francisco has some great steaks, but, wow…”

He watched as she took another bite. “So this is your first real meal since you’ve been here, right?”

Maggie nodded, her mouth once again so full of food she looked like a cartoon chipmunk. She chewed and swallowed while Blake waited, enjoying watching her try to appear like she had everything under control…which she didn’t. “How did you know?”

“I know your sister, remember?”

Maggie nodded and swallowed, then took a long draw of wine.

He said, “I love a woman with a hearty appetite. You want me to order another steak in case that’s not enough?”

She put her fork down and sat back with a sigh. “Sorry. I love my sister, so don’t get me wrong, but if I have to eat one more piece of soy chicken or a beeflike product I might have to disown her.”

“What do you think brought me in here tonight?”

“Tell me she didn’t—”

“She did. A tofurkey.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Not a problem. It was better than her flourless cake for my birthday last year.”

“Crazy as it seems, I now know how to make one. You don’t treat me right and I’ll bring one into the office.”

Blake emptied his glass of wine and poured another then topped hers off. “Funny you should mention the office. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“About Mrs. Abernathy?”

“Who? No. This is something entirely different.”

“Another rule you and Kitty left out?”

“Not exactly.” He hated this kind of stuff.

“If it’s about the cake, I promise not to bring one in, or anything else that’s even remotely good for you. But you realize my sister will probably outlive us both.”

“I know. She’s a regular food doctor.”

“Yeah.” Maggie sliced off another piece of steak. “But we’ll have so much more fun.”

That brought on an actual giggle and Blake couldn’t help but notice how deep that dimple was in her left cheek, and how downright pretty her eyes were, and how her forehead wrinkled, and how he was thinking about what it might be like to kiss those full lips.

He had it bad and he barely knew the woman.

Blake forced himself to look at the line dancers in front of him. The place was jumping tonight, and for a Sunday that was a rare occasion. Briggs was gearing up for Spud Week and the harvest. Two things that put happy in everyone’s heart.

The thought made him smile, and as he watched the couples kickin’ it up, he decided that as soon as Maggie gobbled down the last bite, he’d ask her to dance. One dance couldn’t hurt.

Then he’d fire her.

And just as he considered how he would accomplish these tasks, her cell phone chirped.

“Excuse me,” she told him and took the call. In seconds her entire demeanor changed. “I’ll be right there.” She stood. Her napkin fell to the floor. She looked at Blake and her eyes went moist.

He felt his stomach tighten. “What’s wrong?”

“That was a nurse at Valley Hospital. Kitty’s been admitted. I have to go.”

“I’ll drive you.”

And before Blake could think of what this might mean, he and Maggie were in his pickup racing toward the hospital.

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