“I’m here for my challenge.”

Wyatt’s gaze flickered down her as if assessing her once more and wondering if he’d gone crazy asking her back. The distrust was there as clear as day. Determination sprang through her like a runner out of the starting blocks. Amanda hiked a brow when he said nothing, deciding a little challenge of her own was in order.

“I guess I am, too,” he drawled in a voice she bet jurors found almost hypnotizing in a courtroom.

She had to give him credit, though; his tone was civil for the first time since she’d met him. They could build on that.

“I promise you won’t be sorry. I’ll get results.”

“I’ll make sure you do.”

His words were meant as a warning, but they made her smile widen. “I think we are going to have some fun, Mr. Turner.”

DEBRA CLOPTON

was a 2004 Golden Heart finalist in the inspirational category, a 2006 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award winner, a 2007 Golden Quill award winner and a finalist for the 2007 American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award. She praises the Lord each time someone votes for one of her books, and takes it as an affirmation that she is exactly where God wants her to be.

Debra is a hopeless romantic and loves to create stories with lively heroines and the strong heroes who fall in love with them. But most important, she loves showing her characters living their faith, seeking God’s will in their lives one day at a time. Her goal is to give her readers an entertaining story that will make them smile, hopefully laugh and always feel God’s goodness as they read her books. She has found the perfect home for her stories writing for the Love Inspired line and still has to pinch herself just to see if she really is awake and living her dream.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys taking road trips, reading and spending time with her two sons, Chase and Kris. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached through her Web site, www.debraclopton.com, or by mail at P.O. Box 1125, Madisonville, Texas 77864.

Cowboy For Keeps
Debra Clopton

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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And Jesus answered and said unto him,

If a man love me, he will keep my words.

—John 14:23

This book is dedicated to Chuck Parks. My life changed the day God sent you to my front door—what a wonderful beginning that blind date turned out to be! I love you, Chuck…you are my very own God-loving, honorable cowboy for keeps :)

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

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

“Are you sure this is what you want to do? I just can’t believe it.”

Amanda Hathaway met her boss’s sympathetic, if somewhat startled, gaze. It wasn’t what she wanted, it was her only option. “Yes. It is, Joyce. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I want—I need—to move strictly to adult cases.” Adults, not children. Not the kids she’d loved working with—felt called to work with.

“But you’ve always loved working with children,” Joyce Canton said as if reading her mind. “And you have such a gift. Don’t you want to think this through?”

Amanda took a deep breath, her chest constricted with the strain she was feeling. “I have, Joyce. This is not easy for me. But I don’t have the heart for it anymore.”

“I can’t believe that.”

“Being around…” The words trailed off because she couldn’t voice the words that being around children right now made her feel ill. What good would she do as a physical therapist when she couldn’t look at her patients without crying or feeling hollow? “It’s tearing me up inside” was all she could manage. She had to change her life. And she had to do it now.

“He was a jerk, Amanda.”

Joyce’s words emerged in a growl of disgust, one completely the opposite of her normally professional demeanor. Amanda blinked hard as her eyes began to burn. She looked away, willing herself to keep her composure. God had a plan. He did; she just didn’t understand it. And that didn’t make what she was feeling any less heartbreaking.

“You can’t let what he said and did have this kind of power over you,” Joyce continued. “If I were a man I’d go over there and I’d punch him.”

Any other time Amanda might have smiled at her boss’s show of affection, but today she just couldn’t summon one. Her fiancé—no, her ex-fiancé’s decision ate at her. “He only expressed his true feelings,” she managed, willing herself to truly understand him. Anger wasn’t going to help her in this situation. Anger very seldom did help, but in this instance it would simply exaggerate her already shot emotions. “He can’t be faulted for being honest.”

“Honest. Honest! The man knew the facts and asked you to marry him. Then out of the blue he drops this bomb on you. How could he ask you to marry him and then break it off because you can’t—”

Joyce didn’t finish the sentence as her voice broke. Her eyes welled with tears. She snatched a tissue from the box on the desk and dabbed her eyes. Amanda had experienced the same anger and disbelief when Jonathan had made his revelation three endless weeks ago. But then, reality sank in and she knew that deep down she’d been expecting the breakup all along. And how could she blame him? How could anyone blame a man for realizing he couldn’t marry a woman who was unable to give him children? She couldn’t, and that was where the anger had dispelled. She was twenty-four years old with no hope of ever carrying a child. Her chest constricted again.

She still wasn’t sure why she’d started dating Jonathan in the first place. She’d told herself she wouldn’t date. Not dating held less risk for her. But then, Jonathan had asked her out for lunch—and when she’d said no, he’d kept coming back. She’d finally agreed. She revealed the cold hard facts of her situation to him on their second date. She hadn’t expected to hear from him after that, but he’d assured her that her infertility didn’t matter to him. After a whirlwind few weeks, he’d told her he loved her and said adopting children would be totally fine with him. Deep down in her heart, Amanda had known there would be few men in the world who would take on marrying a woman who’d not only lost the ability to carry children, but who had also lost a leg. Two strikes against you, the tiny voice in her head chanted. That voice was not good and she knew it, but it wouldn’t hush.

“He lied to you, Amanda. What kind of man would do that?”

Focusing on the reality of the situation, Amanda shook her head. “He probably was being honest with himself.” Amanda knew it was true. “He made the right choice for himself…and for that I’m grateful—otherwise it would have been wrong for me in the end, too. And besides, you and I both know I rushed into this.”

“I really can’t believe you are defending him. Although I do agree that it was a rushed relationship. I think you were settling if you ask me. He came along and asked and you jumped at the chance.”

Amanda felt a twinge of agreement with that statement. Was that what she’d done? “I learned a long time ago that there are some things you have no control over. That God is in control of our lives and he has a plan.” She just hadn’t expected it to hurt so much—after all, she’d already faced this reality once in her life at the age of fourteen when the doctors had explained to her that they’d had to give her a complete hysterectomy while they repaired all the internal damage she’d sustained in the accident that had almost killed her. She was blessed to be alive and she’d thought she’d come to peace about her life and her circumstance. But she’d been wrong. After Jonathan ended their relationship, her emotions had spiraled into a tailspin. She’d been struggling for the last month to cope—not sleeping and turning down each job Amanda had offered her.

It didn’t make sense. She had a full life. Her career as a physical therapist specializing in children’s needs had been borne from that accident. Because she knew she couldn’t have children of her own and because she’d had to be fitted with a prosthetic leg at such a young age, she’d been drawn to help kids.

She was good with children, especially those in need of prosthetics. She understood how they felt, and could relate to the many emotions they experienced because of the loss of a limb.

And it made her feel good because she had also been an inspiration to them when they realized life hadn’t ended. She’d helped them see that their dreams could still become reality wearing an artificial limb.

That wasn’t true for her anymore. Coming face-to-face with Jonathan’s choice, she’d also realized that she’d been living a lie.

She couldn’t have children of her own. She could never know what it felt like to feel that tiny, precious life growing inside of her. Suddenly it was unbearable.

With shaking fingers Amanda slid the folder of what was supposed to be her new assignment across the desk. “I want—” she paused, digging deep “—I need to move to adult cases only.”

Amanda couldn’t withstand the sympathy in Joyce’s gaze any longer. Pushing out of the chair, she moved to stand beside the large window overlooking the busy streets of San Antonio. The thunderstorm that had been hanging over the city all morning had finally given in and was raging full force. She could relate as a violent streak of lightning flashed across the sky. An explosion of thunder immediately followed. She took a shaky breath and reminded herself that she’d overcome so much in her life. She’d thought she’d had it all under control. What a lie that had been. “Jenny told me she had to back out of that long-term job in the hill country. The one with the man in the plane crash.”

Joyce didn’t look pleased. “She did, but you don’t want that. It’s—” Joyce stopped speaking and sank into her seat behind her desk as Amanda turned from the window. “It’s a tiny town almost a hundred miles from any town of any real size. You don’t want to go there—”

But she did. “That’s exactly what I want.” She felt ill but knew this was what she had to do.

“No, it isn’t. This is a three-month on-site assignment. You don’t—”

“I do.” She moved to stand across the desk from her boss. How could she make Joyce understand that she was trapped in a dark hole and the idea of this job seemed like a crack of light showing her the way of escape? A lifeline had been revealed. “I have to do this job. It’s exactly what I need.”

“But,” Joyce started. They held gazes for a long moment and Amanda was almost certain that Joyce could see into Amanda’s damaged heart.

“Give me the chance,” she urged her. “You know I can do the job.”

Another long moment passed. “They want someone with more experience.”

“I have enough experience.”

“You know…” Joyce murmured thoughtfully as she tapped her fingers on her chair arm. “You actually might be perfect for this job. The other brothers said they thought their brother was depressed. You could help with that. You know about that journey.”

Yes, she did. It was what she was fighting off from happening to her again. This job gave Amanda a ray of hope. Her heart kicked up and the constriction eased when Joyce reached for a file on the top of the stack on her desk. A file labeled Wyatt Turner.

“I was going to have to turn this job down because Jenny couldn’t do it. You know how I hate to pass up jobs. But are you sure this is what you want? I’m comfortable with the idea of you doing the job. I just want to know your state of mind is okay.”

The very idea of spending three months in a tiny town away from everything was what Amanda needed. Her eyes hurt with unshed tears of relief. “I’m sure.” She hadn’t been able to pray since Jonathan broke off their engagement, but she found herself praying now that she would get to do this job.

“Wyatt Turner is a man of means,” Joyce said at last.

“He can afford to hire a full-time PT to help him all day if he chooses, and so he’s doing it. You will be coming up with not only his daily therapy, but also helping out with other things he might need—acting as his personal assistant or cooking if he wants you to. It’s an odd job, but the pay is excellent and I promised his two brothers that I’d find the perfect person or I would turn the job down.”

“No need for that. It sounds wonderful—”

Joyce held up a hand. “Not so fast. The brothers said Wyatt is impatient with his injuries and will probably not be the easiest person to work with. Being a high achiever and fairly powerful man in his own right, he’ll probably be demanding. Are you absolutely certain you can handle this job?”

“I can handle it.”

“Why don’t you take his file and read over it carefully before you commit to this?”

Amanda didn’t need to look over the file. She knew she was capable of getting this man back on his feet. He might be demanding and he might take her for granted. But she could help him and he would help her by getting her away from San Antonio.

“I can do this job.” She met Joyce’s gaze with determined eyes.

Joyce studied her hard, clearly weighing the decision on all sides. “Then it’s yours,” she said at last. “I’ll let Wyatt’s brothers know you’ll be there on Monday.”

Amanda’s heart clamored with the first real excitement she’d felt since Jonathan’s words had slammed a hole in it. “Thank you,” she managed.

“Honey, I’m praying while you’re there you’ll realize that none of what Jonathan said is true.”

Amanda knew it wasn’t that easy to fix the emptiness that filled her. It was far more than Jonathan’s words that were affecting her. It was as if they’d released long-dormant emotions she hadn’t been able to experience as a young girl when she’d been told there were no children of her own in her future. Her being so young, the loss of a leg had been more devastating than the nebulous idea of being barren. But it was different when a man told a grown woman he couldn’t marry her because he wanted children she couldn’t give him. It had opened a wound she hadn’t realized was there.

She pushed that thought aside and focused on the positive moment now. “I just need to get away and get my head on straight,” she said, but she was afraid even that wouldn’t fix the emptiness and the loss that now gripped her heart fresh and new. “Please don’t worry. I can do this job.”

“Then it’s yours. I hear Mule Hollow, Texas, is a lovely little town even if it is off the beaten path. You do realize what town this is?”

With memories and intentions tangling in her mind, she hadn’t even given the name of the town any consideration. Now she shook her head.

“It’s the one that advertised for women to come marry their lonesome cowboys a couple of years ago,” Joyce said. “There are cowboys, new wives and babies there now, from what I can find out. But you should know that Mr. Turner’s ranch is located several miles away, so you may not be that involved in anything going on in town.”

“I can handle it.” Amanda needed air and room to breathe and think. “I’ll be fine.” She didn’t want to think about anything right now, not the heartache that was eating at her over her life or the losses she’d suffered. Or Jonathan. She just needed to get away and focus on work. And maybe somewhere during that time this utter sense of emptiness and worthlessness would loosen its hold around her heart.

Maybe in that small town, on that big ranch and in that open space she could find her footing again.

Wyatt Turner shot his brothers, Cole and Seth, a scowl. “It’s my body that’s broken, not my mind.” The wheelchair he’d been sentenced to for the next few weeks felt like cement blocks chained around his waist. Three weeks ago he’d awakened in the hospital lucky to be alive—especially with both legs still attached. Ever since that moment, he’d been fighting to find some kind of balance with the anger he was feeling.

Four days ago he’d been flown in by helicopter to the ranch he and his brothers owned, and he’d been mothered and worried over by his brothers, their wives and the ladies of Mule Hollow—who’d decided that food was the answer to his problems—to the point that he was about sick. He loved them all, but enough was enough. He just wanted to be left alone.

Needed to be alone.

Because of this, his brothers were getting the brunt of his bad temper.

A month ago he’d had the world by its tail. He’d had everything in control. He’d managed to match his younger brothers up with good wives and he’d been able to rest easy that he’d done his parents proud in his family responsibilities. His brothers were happy and that had made him happy. But then he’d crashed his plane and turned his world upside down. The stupidity of his actions ate at him as much as the consequences did.

Looking at him with the patience of Job, his middle brother, Seth, spoke up. “We aren’t so sure your mind is working. The fun-loving brother we know and enjoy is sitting in this dark house looking like he hasn’t showered in days.”

“Seth—” Wyatt bit the word out but Cole, his youngest brother, butted in.

“We love you, bro, and you know you have to snap out of this. You’re not going to be in that chair for long.”

“Look, you two, go to work and leave me alone. I’m not joking.” He had lost his sense of humor three weeks ago.

Cole held up his hands and gave a lopsided grin that usually made anyone and everyone smile along with him. “We’re goin’,” he said. “No call to get so riled up. That temper’s one of the reasons we’re worried about you.”

Wyatt hiked a brow as a shooting pain ripped through his left hip and tore through his lower spine. He gripped the arm of the wheelchair with his hands and willed his expression to remain pain-free. “I’m only skimming the surface here,” he said, trying not to clench his teeth. “You need to stop worrying about me. I’m an adult.” Who’d made a bad error in judgment.

“Cole, let’s give him some space.” Seth headed toward the door. “But Wyatt, whatever you do, don’t run Amanda Hathaway off. Yes, you want to be alone, but remember you need her. And the agency said she was the perfect person for the job.”

“Yeah, so give her a chance,” Cole drawled. “Don’t forget Mule Hollow is a long way from the nearest rehab center. It wasn’t easy to find a physical therapist willing to come all the way out here to live for three months.”

“And you can’t do therapy on your own,” Seth added somberly. “Not this time. Not even you, Wyatt.”

He got that loud and clear.

“As stubborn as you are,” Cole prompted when Wyatt remained silent, “and as driven, there is no doubt in our minds that you’ll be back up globe-trotting in record time. With the right physical therapy program. So stop worrying—and we know you are. You can’t hide it from us. Just like you can’t hide the fact that you’re in a heap of pain right now.”

“I’m fine,” Wyatt snapped as his gut tightened at the denial as the spasm began to ease up a bit. They came and went at their leisure and he’d begun to wonder if this was what a woman felt like when she went into labor…if so, it was a miracle there were children born.

“Look,” he said. “I don’t need you two knuckleheads trying to run my life—”

“Oh, man, you did not just say that!” Cole hooted, his eyes dancing as he stared at Wyatt in disbelief.

“You, the master of interference—”

“Not that the two of us are complaining,” Seth interjected with a grin. “You found us both our wives and we are eternally grateful. But you aren’t yourself these days, Wyatt. Not since the accident. We’ve got to help you get out of this funk you’re in from being out of control of everything.”

Seth’s somber, determined gaze locked with Wyatt’s. He knew Seth couldn’t be budged when he had that look—it was chock-full of Turner stubbornness. It was true he was in a “funk,” but it was only to be expected. He was letting down his clients and his firm because he’d been careless…and careless was unacceptable in his book.

“I should have gone back to Dallas so y’all wouldn’t worry—”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Seth countered emphatically. “We love you and want what’s best for you. Therapy out here on the land you love is the best way to get you healed up.”

“That’s all we care about,” Cole added, all laughter and teasing gone. That in itself told Wyatt how concerned they were for him. “You just need someone to help you get the full range of movement back into that hip and arm. Then you’ll be your old overachieving self again. If it were either one of us in your position, this is what you’d be doing for us and you know it.”

It was true. He’d have meddled in their lives until he got what was best for them. “I’ll be fine,” he grunted, not liking losing control of his life like he had. It was not a feeling he’d ever experienced before, and he wasn’t dealing well.

“Yeah, you will be after the PT arrives. Now we’ll go to work.” Seth walked out the door.

Cole sauntered after him, but stopped in the doorway. “Hang tough, big bro.”

Through the window, Wyatt watched them leave. Their boots thumped loudly as they hurried across the rough wooden porch and down the two steps to the old stone sidewalk that led to where they’d parked the ranch truck earlier. He reminded himself that his little brothers were only looking out for him because they loved him. Still, having the control taken away from him fisted him up inside. Giving control of his life over to anyone wasn’t something he did…but it seemed he had no choice. If he wanted his life back he was going to have to trust this Amanda Hathaway.

Seth and Cole wouldn’t have hired someone who wasn’t capable, he assured himself an hour later as a red SUV pulled over the cattle guard.

Feeling suffocated inside, he’d moved his wheelchair out onto the porch. He waited as a woman got out of the vehicle. She was young, about twenty. No, she’d have to be around twenty-four or-five to have a degree in physical therapy and have any kind of experience at all. They’d said she was good at her job…hard to believe if she was as young as he suspected.

She seemed ill at ease as she tucked a strand of fine brown hair behind her ear and looked his way. Being ill at ease didn’t give him any more confidence in her than her young age.

Wyatt’s eyes narrowed as she walked up the path. Surely this wasn’t the woman he was supposed to put his confidence in? If he was going to have someone living on the premises for the next two or three months, invading his privacy and telling him what to do, he expected someone who looked as if they could do the job they were hired to do. His ire escalated with each step she took toward him.

She was medium height with a slight build—no way could she help him get in and out of the wheelchair. She came to a halt at the foot of the steps. Up close it was worse. She had the fresh face of a kid, made more so by the splash of freckles and large doe eyes that looked up at him with what he could only call fear. Seth and Cole were dead meat!

“Who are you?” he demanded before she had time to say anything.

“I—well, I’m Amanda. Amanda Hathaway.”

This was a joke. It had to be. He was notorious for pulling jokes on his brothers. This would be just like the two of them to get him back for stunts he’d pulled. But he knew it wasn’t true. Even they wouldn’t pull a stunt like this now.

Nope. This was the woman he was supposed to give control over to—the woman he was supposed to trust with his future.

He didn’t think so.

Despite what his little brothers thought, he could still make decisions on his own and that started with telling Amanda Hathaway she wasn’t staying.

Chapter Two

Wyatt Turner didn’t look right in the wheelchair.

It was the first thought that had hit Amanda when she’d spotted him sitting on the porch. Her confidence had faltered as she’d driven the three hours to Mule Hollow—not surprising since she hadn’t been feeling like herself. Seeing Mr. Turner did nothing to help matters.

He was an extremely physically fit man with a broad chest and the lean build of someone used to working out. A man who took care of himself—though she’d already assumed that about him. Joyce had said he was a high achiever, driven to be the best. If that was true, keeping physically fit would fit the profile.

He was handsome—or would be if he didn’t look so angry. He had black, wavy hair and bold features including a strong jaw, which at the moment was dark with a five o’clock shadow. It wasn’t, however, his look and build that had her smoothing her hand across her flyaway brown hair in a display of nerves. No, it was his eyes. Hard, intense cobalt-blue, they narrowed and grew cold as they studied her. These were the all-seeing eyes of a man who read people for a living.

He probably hid his thoughts well. He looked as if he only let a person, or a jury, see what he chose to let them see.

Amanda stilled her nerves. She didn’t have to look close to see he was not happy to be in a wheelchair. He was probably not used to needing someone else.

Despite her resolve that she could handle this job, Amanda’s heart fluttered with worry and she wondered if she’d made a mistake in coming.

No mistake.

This man’s intensity might serve to be her saving grace. If he was as demanding as she assumed he would be, that meant all her time would be consumed.

And all-consuming was exactly what she needed right now.

“I’m sorry I’m running a bit late. I’d hoped to be here before lunch but traffic on I-35 was killer.”

“How old are you?”

His question caught her off guard, halting her rambling. “I’m twenty-four.”

“How long have you been a physical therapist?”

Okay, so he had a right to know these things. But still, he hadn’t even said hello. “Two years. I graduated high school early and started college two years early. I have experience, Mr. Turner, if that’s what you’re worried about.” The realization that he might not have wanted her here hit her.

“You graduated two years early?”

She heard the astonishment in his voice.

“How did that happen?”

“I had an accident and almost died when I was fourteen. I wasn’t able to attend class.” It shouldn’t have been any big deal, but the fact that he had yet to be cordial at all set everything on end. She assumed he was going to make her stand in the sun until he was satisfied with her answers. She lifted her chin, shifted her weight to her good leg and smiled. “I was hit by a drunk driver. I was training to be a cross-country runner on the freshman cross-country team and was out running near our house. I… Like I said, I nearly died. My parents homeschooled me after that. It was work-at-my-own-pace. I decided I liked to move quickly.”

She saw the flicker of surprise in his dark eyes—good, she’d meant to get a reaction out of him. He knew about nearly dying and surely would relate to that. It was easy to see he was spoiling for a fight. Anger wasn’t uncommon in his situation. She suspected he was probably stunned to find out that he wasn’t invincible. Overachievers often thought they were untouchable. That they had everything under control and nothing could go wrong. She had news for him—it happened to the best of them. Including herself.

Life was not controllable. At least not completely.

“Look, I’m sorry, but this isn’t going to work.”

“What do you mean this isn’t going to work?” Surely he didn’t mean what she thought he meant.

His face hardened more—if that were even possible—and his jaw jutted. “Just what I said, Ms. Hathaway. My brothers and your employers all knew I expected a fully capable, highly trained physical therapist for this job. I’m sorry you’ve been brought all the way out here, but I don’t have the luxury of time and can’t waste what I do have.”

“Mr. Turner, I might be young, but I’m capable of doing this job. I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t been. You’ve read my résumé, I’m sure.”

“Actually, no. My brothers handled these arrangements.”

“Well, then, you also should know that the majority of my work has been done with children and teens. But that doesn’t discredit me from being qualified to handle your case.” Nor did her lack of a leg, but obviously his brothers had chosen not to tell him that, and they must have had their reasons, so she didn’t say anything.

“That doesn’t change anything.” His expression was blank. “I’ll make sure you’re paid for your time coming out here. This is not going to work.”

Amanda watched in shock as he pressed the forward button on his wheelchair with the fingers of the arm not in a sling and guided it toward the open doorway.

“The agency I work for doesn’t have another therapist open for this job.” She hoped something would change his mind; obviously it wouldn’t be anything about herself that would do it. “Being all the way out here is going to cause a big problem when it comes to finding a good therapist. I’m good. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” She hadn’t expected that she’d get turned away.

He halted at the door and shot her a glare—that look took her faltering thoughts from stunned disbelief to complete peevishness! The man is really being unreasonable. Of course she had no clue what was going on in his head, she reminded herself. For all she knew, he might be like this all the time. Boy, would that be an unpleasant way to go through life. However, looking at him, something told her he wasn’t. Something told her he was struggling. And she saw pain in his eyes right then, even as she watched him. He winced slightly, favoring his left side where she knew his hip and lower back injury needed her attention.

“I’m sure,” he said, his words almost a grunt, but he held on and almost covered up the fact that he was having a spasm.

Even in pain he was stubborn, though Amanda had no doubt about his sincerity. She could see that changing his mind wasn’t something he did. She knew from his profile that he was probably also used to getting his own way, doing things his way and more than likely able to buy anything he needed in order to make it happen. This could very well be doomed from the start—begging him to keep her on was not an option that would work for either of them, no matter how much she wanted to stay.

“Then I guess that does it.” Disheartened in so many ways, she fought to think rationally—something she’d been having a bit of a problem with lately. Her stomach decided to step in and help her out by letting out a long, drawn-out roar. It broke the uncomfortable silence that stretched between her and Wyatt. That was one way to end their meeting: food. It might help her refocus. She’d been stuck in traffic and running late, so she hadn’t taken time to stop for lunch. “Is there somewhere in town I can get a bite to eat?” she asked, fighting to keep her tone neutral.

He’d entered the house and turned the chair—probably so that he could slam the door in her face! His brows locked in consternation as he stared at her through the screen. For a minute she wondered if he’d expected her to beg him for the job. She needed this job to take her mind off her own troubles, but she would never beg. He had to realize he needed her. Surely he knew how badly his injuries needed attention before they began to worsen. That would start to happen while he looked for someone to replace her. Time was of the essence, she wanted to say—but he was a smart man and he knew this.

“Sam’s is the only diner in town. You can’t miss it.”

She held his gaze and almost challenged him…any other time she might have, but not today. “Thanks,” she said, turning to go. She’d eat and then she’d call Joyce. If anyone was going to fix this it would be up to her boss. With her back held straight she retraced her steps to her vehicle. In her heart of hearts she hoped Wyatt would reconsider and stop her before she drove away…but she knew he wouldn’t.

Wyatt Turner was not a man who changed his mind. He also wasn’t the only person who was good at reading people. It was a trait she’d learned after the accident, watching nurses and doctors and her parents when they gave her hard information. It had come in handy in her profession as she evaluated her clients’ needs and signs of pain.

It was a shame that it did her absolutely no good now…then again, maybe she wasn’t as good at it as she’d thought she was. She’d read Jonathan about as wrong as possible.

Or maybe she really hadn’t. Maybe she’d only imagined in their relationship what she’d wanted to see there.

She got into her car, pulled the strap of the seat belt securely about her and stole a glance toward the house. He was watching her…and he was rubbing his hip since he thought she wasn’t looking. So be it. She started the SUV and drove away. She watched the house disappear in her rearview mirror and felt more lost than she had in ages. What was she going to do?

The feelings she’d been able to set aside as she’d headed toward this job crowded back in around her.

In the early days, working with kids gave her something to focus on other than herself. Now she didn’t even have that comfort any longer. God had a plan for her life. She clung to that belief, but right now it was giving her little comfort.

Turning onto the blacktop, her thoughts turned to Wyatt Turner and she found herself wondering if that was how he felt. If so, he had her sympathy. Even if he had just fired her.

Wyatt needed out of this wheelchair.

He needed out before he went crazy. It had to happen and it had to happen sooner rather than later.

It would happen—he’d make it happen as quick as possible. Something about Amanda Hathaway bothered him. She would only have slowed down his progress.

Letting her go had been his only option. Still, he hadn’t liked doing what he’d done.

She wasn’t up for the job, it was obvious. It niggled at him that he’d judged her by her appearance, but he didn’t have time to go soft. He hadn’t gotten where he was in life by going soft. The facts were that she wasn’t strong enough—she was small and young. There was no way she’d be able to handle strenuous training like he expected and needed. And she’d worked with children! Of all things. What had Cole and Seth been thinking?

They’d wanted to remind him about how important his physical therapy was and yet they’d gone and pulled a sorry stunt like this.

His doctors had assured him he could make a full recovery, but only with hard, diligent work. There wasn’t an ounce of quit in him—never had been, but this physical disablement had thrown his world upside down. Every time his hip and back seized up he felt weak…if he let his guard down. If he didn’t work absolutely as hard as he was supposed to there was a chance he would always have a limp and lower back pain.

He’d admit that deep inside he was scared. If he let up, if he messed up in the least little bit he wouldn’t come out of this as strong and healthy as he’d been before he’d botched things up with his stupid error in judgment when he’d decided to fly his plane in unsafe conditions.

That was the scariest thing—how weak he felt. As if to show him who was boss, pain shot through his left hip once more and attacked his lower back with a vengeance. This time it was so strong he groaned before he could stop it. Perspiration beaded across his forehead as he grimaced against the pain. He closed his eyes, he counted to ten, willing his muscles to relax. Tensing up made the spasm worse—not a good thing.

Sucking in a heavy breath, he tried to relax and let the pain pass. What if I can’t make it back to the way I was? The question sliced through him like a knife to a wound.

It had been three endless weeks since he’d crash-landed his twin engine plane in a pasture during a storm. It had happened not long after he’d left Mule Hollow and was headed back to Dallas. He’d taken time he didn’t have to fly home to congratulate Cole on his wedding engagement. Since he was responsible for matching up Cole and Susan, he’d wanted to make the quick day trip and share in the joy of the moment. If he’d listened to his gut—which was usually right—and stayed the night, taken time to really enjoy the moment with them, he’d have been all right. But enjoying the moment wasn’t something he did. Instead he’d rushed off in the middle of dangerous winds and a severe thunderstorm. He’d been arrogant enough to believe he could handle the storm. What an inane bit of stupidity.

When had he decided he could control everything?

He hadn’t closed the door after watching Amanda drive away and now he stared across the land that had been in his family for over a hundred and fifty years. It was in this place his roots ran deep and was from his ancestors’ example that he’d become the man he was.

Being used to control was a good thing, he reminded himself. It had driven him to where he was in his career as an attorney. It would get him through this. Taking another deep breath, he began to relax as his mind cleared and the pain began to recede.

Good blood ran through his veins. Hardworking, upstanding—well, upstanding except for his good ole great-great-great-great-great-grandpa Oakley—him being upstanding was questionable. By and large the Turner men and women were tough. Generations past had stared across this land that stagecoaches had crossed on their way to this old stagecoach stop. Like this house, his ancestors had stood the test of time and so would he.

His brothers had been right in bringing him home.

This place had always been good for his soul.

Two months. He would get better and he’d get to work. He would not let himself get waylaid by debilitating, unproductive thoughts again. He hadn’t been feeling like doing anything except sitting in this chair and feeling sorry for himself. It wasn’t something he understood or wanted, but that was what had been happening. He wasn’t sleeping and his attitude stank. But lately he hadn’t been able to do anything about it. Cole and Seth had known and they’d taken action when he wouldn’t. Their action had helped him—jolted him enough to fight…and fight was what he needed.

Action: that was what he needed.

He needed a therapist capable of helping him achieve his goal. The soft, sweet-faced Amanda Hathaway hadn’t been up for the challenge.

Still, even he couldn’t help admiring the way she’d walked away with her head held high.

Chapter Three

As dismal as Amanda felt, the sight of Mule Hollow perked her up the instant it peeked over the horizon. Why, it was darling! So cute with its bright stores, welcoming flowerpots along plank sidewalks and window boxes. Driving down Main Street, she began to smile. It was a wonderful feeling.

There was a pink two-story hair salon called Heavenly Inspirations, a bright yellow feed store with peacock-blue trim, a real estate office painted A&M maroon—which she was a big fan of—and beside it was Sam’s Diner painted a bright grass-green.

Amanda pulled into the parking space and got out. More stores just as brightly painted stood all along Main Street. The dress store and candy store across the street were memorable as well as the community center a few doors down the wooden sidewalk. She watched a cowboy clomp into the feed store down the way and felt very nostalgic. She half expected to see a horse tied to a hitching post. This was smiletown if ever there was one. Just lovely.

There was a really huge older home that anchored the town at one end. It had a green roof with turrets on each corner and a sign that read Adela’s Apartments. Amanda studied the structure with interest. What would it be like to just walk in there and rent an apartment? Start over?

Crazy. She was thinking crazy and she knew it. It had been one thing to pretend she was running away from her life when she was coming here for a job, but this—this was simply a daydream, and it was too much. She was not the kind of person who ran away. At least not for good. She would get her head on straight. She would.

Yet it was as if Wyatt Turner’s stormy scowl had burned its way into her head.

She wondered if he’d slammed the door after she left. Something about the man intrigued her, despite his easy dismissal of her. Maybe it was simply that she hated to see anyone in pain. Maybe it wasn’t the man himself that kept her attention but the fact that she knew she could help him.

She could help him if he’d only give her the chance.

The man had to want her help. There was no getting around that. She couldn’t force anyone to accept her. Especially a man like him! She bit her lip and stared at the rooster weather vane sitting on the top of one of Adela’s turrets. No seesawing or riding the fence for him. Jonathan came to mind and she cringed. Jonathan had probably known his mind long before he’d finally spoken it. Maybe if he’d have cut her loose early like Wyatt had she wouldn’t be hurting so much right now.

At least Wyatt had been honest with how he felt. For that she admired him—even if he did need her.

A squeaking door sounded behind her. “Norma Sue, are you or are you not going to come out tonight and see my moon lily?” a woman said.

“I told you I would, but you were too busy running your mouth in there to hear me.”

Amanda turned. Two women were coming out of the diner. They looked up from their conversation and stopped short when they spotted her.

“Hello there,” the one who’d just been accused of running her mouth said. She had bright red hair and was wearing a daffodil-yellow capri set.

“Hello,” Amanda said.

“Honey, you look a bit dazed. Are you all right?” the woman called Norma Sue asked. She was a robust, strong-looking woman with wiry gray curls and a big wide smile that spread all the way across her face.

“Being dazed is understandable when folks first look at all these wild colors. It tends to make people’s heads spin.”

“Now, Norma Sue, we don’t know that this is her first time to see Mule Hollow—”

“Esther Mae.” Norma Sue stared in disbelief at her friend. “Have you ever seen her before?”

“Well, no—” The redhead looked at Amanda sheepishly.

“Then there you go. She’s as new to Mule Hollow as that calf I had born this morning.” She directed her hazel eyes back at Amanda. “Tell her this is your first time to our little metropolis, isn’t it?”

Amanda smiled, liking these two on the spot. “First time.”

“See, I knew it was!”

“I’m Amanda Hathaway.” She held up her right hand like she was swearing in at court and said, “And yes, I am new in town and I love it. I was just admiring the colors.”

Both ladies grinned as she let her hand fall.

“It does attract folks—kind of like red flowers attract hummingbirds. I’m Esther Mae Wilcox, by the way, and this is Norma Sue Jenkins.” She leaned forward slightly as if telling a secret. “She’s my sidekick.”

“Ha! Don’t believe a word of it,” Norma Sue huffed.

“She’s my sidekick.”

It was easy to visualize these two getting into all kinds of trouble.

“What brings you to town?” Esther Mae asked. “Are you here looking for a cowboy?”

The statement took Amanda by surprise, even though she knew the background of the town. She said the first thing that came to mind. “I don’t know, do you have some for sale?”

“We don’t sale ’um, but we sure do give them away at the altar,” Esther Mae volleyed back.

“To the right women,” Norma Sue added. “You need one, don’t you? I don’t see a ring on your hand.”

Amanda glanced at her finger where three weeks earlier there had been a ring. She blinked hard and stilled the sudden rolling of her stomach.

“Honey, you okay?” Esther Mae asked.

“Y-yes, I’m fine.” Meeting two sets of curious eyes, she pushed the jab of pain back into the corner of her heart where she’d barricaded it. “Um, how exactly do you get these cowboys to the altar?” she asked, a little too brightly. A vivid picture of Norma Sue behind them with a shotgun popped into her mind. “And is it legal?”

That got her chuckles from both women.

Norma Sue’s grin was wide. “Oh, the preacher makes it legal and the cowboys usually go willingly after a spell. Ain’t that right, Esther Mae?”

Esther Mae was watching her intently and Amanda feared she might have seen more than she’d needed anyone to see.

“Esther Mae, did you hear me?”

“Of course I did,” she said, her cinnamon brows puckered above alert green eyes. “So are you really telling us you haven’t heard about us?”

“No, I was teasing. I’ve heard a little about Mule Hollow.” It hit her that she had been teasing—it seemed like forever since she’d done that. She glanced at her ring finger, as empty as her heart felt. As her life was now. And yet she’d just teased these ladies spontaneously.

It was a good sign that maybe the entire trip out here hadn’t been a waste. “And no, I’m not looking to marry one of your cowboys. I came here from San Antonio for a job I was supposed to start today.”

“A job?” Esther Mae cooed. “What job?”

Amanda’s stomach growled loudly, reminding her why she’d come to town. She slapped a hand over it.

“Whoa, girl, that’s not good.” Norma Sue grabbed her by the arm. “C’mon, Esther Mae, we’ve got to get this young’un inside the diner and fill that stomach up with some of Sam’s good cooking.”

Esther Mae scooted to the door. “While you eat, you can tell us what job brought you to our neck of the woods.”

And just like that Amanda found herself being escorted into the diner by her new best buds. One thing was certain, this trip had been anything but boring. She might be headed home in an hour, but today—though disappointing in that she’d been dismissed basically on sight—she felt better.

“So you know about our little advertisements for wives?” Norma Sue asked.

“Yes, I don’t think many people, at least here in Texas, haven’t heard about it. My boss reminded me. I had forgotten about it when I first got my assignment, but I read a few of Molly Jacob’s columns back when they started.” Molly was a local newspaper reporter who’d begun writing a column about the goings-on of the little town that advertised for wives and it had been syndicated across the country. She enjoyed reading, but the column had taken a backseat to her always-full work schedule, training for the marathons she loved to run and…then, the connection she’d finally found with Jonathan. As soon as the thoughts of him came she pushed them away, refusing to go there.

“Then you know gals like you come from all over to marry our men. See, look over there.” Norma Sue pointed across the diner to a table where four cowboys were hunched over plates of food.

Esther Mae had slid into a booth and patted the seat beside her. “We’ve married off over a dozen couples with several engagements pending right now. And babies are arriving now, too. It is so exciting.”

Amanda sat down and inhaled the scent of food wafting through the air.

“Our church is busier than one of those tacky Las Vegas drive-through chapels.” Norma Sue grunted as she took the seat across from her. “Of course we just lost our preacher so we’ve got to find a new one to carry on the ceremonies.”

“Oh, brother, you two again!” A little man came out from the kitchen and headed to their booth. “I can’t get rid of you gals no matter how hard I try.” He settled teasing eyes on Amanda. “Hangin’ out with these two’ll get you inta trouble, little lady. Just so you know.” He held out his hand. “I’m Sam. Welcome to my place. These two git my Adela into more trouble than you can shake a stick at.”

Amanda introduced herself as she grabbed his hand and gave a firm squeeze, nowhere near the iron grip he attacked her with, but still, she gave as good as she could.

He grinned. “Fer a tiny woman, that’s some shake ya got thar.”

She flexed her hand. “You aren’t so bad yourself. My daddy always did say a person’s heart was measured by the firmness of their handshake. You must have a giant heart.”

That won her a big grin; his weathered face creased with a mischievous look. “Ain’t nobody ’sposed to know about my big heart. So let’s keep that one quiet. If these two or a couple of others, who shall remain nameless at the moment, were ta suspect I had a big heart, they’d thank I was a pushover and then I wouldn’t never be able to get my bluff in on ’em.”

Norma Sue rolled her eyes. “Don’t believe none of it. If it wasn’t for me and Esther Mae and his two ‘nameless friends’ keeping him in line, the man would be bored out of his brain.”

“Ha! I wish,” he grunted. “So, what brangs you ta Mule Hollow? And why in the world are you brangin’ these two back into my establishment when I jest got rid of them?”

Amanda laughed—it felt good. “Honestly, Sam, I just met them outside and they dragged me in here—”

As they all chuckled with her she thought they reminded her of her cantankerous grandparents who lived on a farm in West Texas.

“We thought she was here looking for a cowboy,” Esther Mae told Sam. “We were just telling her about what nice ones we have around here.”

Norma Sue nodded toward the window. “There are two of our success stories about to come through the door right now. That taller one is Seth Turner. He got married a couple of months ago. The other one is his younger brother, Cole. Cole is having a wedding in about four weeks—had to be put off because his big brother got injured in a plane crash.”

The door swung open and the men burst inside like cowboys looking for trouble. Instantly she saw the resemblance to their brother. Their expressions were serious as they scanned the room, but nowhere near the intensity of Wyatt’s.

Esther Mae nudged Amanda in the ribs. “Those two Turner men are handsome, but you should see that big brother of theirs!”

“He’s something worth seein’, all right,” Norma Sue whispered, leaning forward over the table.

She didn’t have to be told that these were the brothers who’d hired her. They’d stopped just inside the door and their searching gazes locked on to her almost instantly.

Norma Sue looked from them to Amanda as the cowboys advanced toward them. “Hey, boys,” she drawled. “Y’all look like you’re lookin’ for somebody.”

Both men swept their Stetsons from their heads. The taller one with the more serious eyes that reminded Amanda of Wyatt’s tugged at his collar. “Are you Amanda Hathaway?”

Amanda nodded as suddenly all eyes turned on her.

“We’ve come to apologize and ask you to reconsider.”

“Seth, what in the world do you want Amanda to reconsider?” Esther Mae asked.

Norma Sue’s eyes widened. “You’re Wyatt’s new physical therapist! Aren’t you? The one that was arriving this morning?”

“Of course,” Esther Mae snapped. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Was,” Amanda corrected. “He fired me on the spot.” She cringed, not having meant to blurt it out that way.

“No, he did not,” Esther Mae gasped.

“I’m afraid so,” Amanda said, more evenly. “So unless he changes his mind, I’ll be leaving after I eat. I can’t help anyone who doesn’t want me to.” It was true. But as she looked around at the faces of her new friends, her heart tugged and she wished things had worked out differently.

“I’ll be.” Sam rubbed his jaw. “Ain’t this here a bunch of interestin’ information.”

“It sure is,” Norma Sue drawled. “What you boys got to say about this?” she said at the two men who’d been patiently standing by.

“First, we should introduce ourselves. I’m Cole and this is my brother Seth. We have most definitely come to hire you back. The ball’s in your court, just name your price.”

“Well,” Esther Mae harrumphed. “This is getting better by the moment.”

Amanda hadn’t expected this, but it didn’t matter. She shook her head. “Like I said, I can’t help someone who doesn’t even want to give me a chance. Believe me, it won’t work for me and it won’t work for your brother.”

“He’s not against you,” Seth said. “He’s got a lot on his plate. Don’t get me wrong, he’s going to be a bear to work with, but he needs you and he knows it now.”

“What do you say?” Cole asked, giving her a wink and a lopsided grin.

They were cute and they obviously cared a lot about their brother. But that still wouldn’t make this work. There was only one thing that might. “The only way I’d take the job back is if Wyatt asked me himself.”

“That-a-girl.” Sam chuckled. “Hold your own. When my Adela gets back home from her sister’s, she’s gonna want to hear all about this.”

“That’s what he thought.” Seth reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I think this should do it.” He handed a yellow paper to her.

She eyed the page as she took it. It was from a yellow legal pad, and when Amanda opened it there was one sentence scrawled in a bold masculine print across the middle of the page.

If you are up for the challenge, come back and prove it. Wyatt Turner.

Her lip twitched and she held back a smile. No way had she expected an apology. What really startled her was that he’d written exactly what she’d needed…a challenge. She and Wyatt Turner needed the same thing.

Folding the paper again, she looked at the brothers. Giving them an encouraging smile, she took a settling breath. “Okay. I’ll stay. I need to eat and then I’ll head back out there. Will you please tell your brother that I said I was up for the challenge. But—is he?”

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