gloves and a pry bar, adding his
muscle to the job. They fell into an easy rhythm on the familiar task. After
the new post had been seated they stowed the tools and leaned against the
trailer Duncan had hitched to the tractor. “Any more rotten posts?”
“Nope.” Duncan tilted his straw hat toward the pile of
broken, pressure-treated four-by-fours with lumpy concrete anchors stacked on
the trailer behind them. “That was the last one.”
“Good, I added a few new watchdogs/ranch hands to your
team.”
“Besides Grant and Doug?”
“Yes, Jacques has a pair on Travis—Luke and Willis. You
might meet them before I do and one more for the ranch.”
“Who else is the chief sending?”
“Taylor.”
Duncan dipped his stubbly chin again. “She’s sharp. You
gonna give her a room in the big house?”
“Hadn’t thought about it.”
“Doubt she’s gonna want to bunk with me and the guys.”
Damn, just when I was looking forward to a little privacy . Liam nodded, acknowledging Duncan’s point. “Good call. I’ll talk to Lynda.”
“Any special reason we need another body?”
“I want you to add Tilly’s place to your patrol route,
starting tonight.”
Duncan took off his gloves and stuffed them in his jeans
back pocket. “You gonna tell the new neighbors about this service?”
“There’s just one neighbor and she already knows. She’s
coming over to ride this evening.”
Duncan tipped his hat back far enough to eyeball Liam. “Fast
work.”
“Horseback riding, old man.”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, boss.”
Chapter Six
The Sterling grounds told Tiana the Crucible dues were small
change for Liam long before the house came into view and confirmed Rob’s belief
the man was a big deal. This was good. She didn’t need to worry about Liam
being a fortune hunter. Even better, the ranch suggested old money—the kind of
stability her father’s flush-or-bust approach had never provided. Silly
girl, he’s not proposing .
Giant potato-shaped gray stones in shades from the lightest
oyster-shell pearl to nearly black held together by concrete formed the outer
walls of the first story of the big house. Door, shutters and trim were glossy
white. The second floor had traditional wood siding painted a medium gray. The
timeless structure seemed to belong to the surrounding land as much as the rolling
lawn or graceful trees. A hundred and fifty yards away a weathered barn sat on
the same kind of rock foundation. Several smaller buildings filled in the area
between the main house and barn. The grounds were beautifully kept without
being the least bit fussy.
No one answered when she rang the doorbell. She was early,
but hoping to have a chance to meet his housekeeper.
She thought Liam had told her to come over in an hour.
Although after one of his kisses, she might have been mixed up about more than
the time. Was she making her own choices or just reacting to his charisma? At
the entrance, her confidence ebbed away and doubts flooded in. Just as she was
ready to totally chicken out, turn around and go home, the door opened.
“Come in, please.” A well-kept middle-aged woman in trim
slacks and white sleeveless shirt as tailored as a vest smiled a warm welcome.
Her fashionable strawberry-blonde bob swung back and forth as she talked.
“You’re even prettier than your pictures. What am I thinking? You don’t know me.”
She held out a hand sprinkled with freckles that matched those dusting the rest
of her. “I’m Lynda, the Sterling boys’ housekeeper. I should say the Sterlings’
housekeeper. They’re all grown up now.”
“I’m Tiana.” She lightly squeezed the offered palm.
“Who else could you be? I would have known you anywhere.
Tilly talked about you often. She was so proud of you.”
“I wish I could have spent more time with her.”
“No one could have guessed she’d go so quickly. We’d met for
coffee the morning before she passed, just like we did every Thursday
muscle to the job. They fell into an easy rhythm on the familiar task. After
the new post had been seated they stowed the tools and leaned against the
trailer Duncan had hitched to the tractor. “Any more rotten posts?”
“Nope.” Duncan tilted his straw hat toward the pile of
broken, pressure-treated four-by-fours with lumpy concrete anchors stacked on
the trailer behind them. “That was the last one.”
“Good, I added a few new watchdogs/ranch hands to your
team.”
“Besides Grant and Doug?”
“Yes, Jacques has a pair on Travis—Luke and Willis. You
might meet them before I do and one more for the ranch.”
“Who else is the chief sending?”
“Taylor.”
Duncan dipped his stubbly chin again. “She’s sharp. You
gonna give her a room in the big house?”
“Hadn’t thought about it.”
“Doubt she’s gonna want to bunk with me and the guys.”
Damn, just when I was looking forward to a little privacy . Liam nodded, acknowledging Duncan’s point. “Good call. I’ll talk to Lynda.”
“Any special reason we need another body?”
“I want you to add Tilly’s place to your patrol route,
starting tonight.”
Duncan took off his gloves and stuffed them in his jeans
back pocket. “You gonna tell the new neighbors about this service?”
“There’s just one neighbor and she already knows. She’s
coming over to ride this evening.”
Duncan tipped his hat back far enough to eyeball Liam. “Fast
work.”
“Horseback riding, old man.”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, boss.”
Chapter Six
The Sterling grounds told Tiana the Crucible dues were small
change for Liam long before the house came into view and confirmed Rob’s belief
the man was a big deal. This was good. She didn’t need to worry about Liam
being a fortune hunter. Even better, the ranch suggested old money—the kind of
stability her father’s flush-or-bust approach had never provided. Silly
girl, he’s not proposing .
Giant potato-shaped gray stones in shades from the lightest
oyster-shell pearl to nearly black held together by concrete formed the outer
walls of the first story of the big house. Door, shutters and trim were glossy
white. The second floor had traditional wood siding painted a medium gray. The
timeless structure seemed to belong to the surrounding land as much as the rolling
lawn or graceful trees. A hundred and fifty yards away a weathered barn sat on
the same kind of rock foundation. Several smaller buildings filled in the area
between the main house and barn. The grounds were beautifully kept without
being the least bit fussy.
No one answered when she rang the doorbell. She was early,
but hoping to have a chance to meet his housekeeper.
She thought Liam had told her to come over in an hour.
Although after one of his kisses, she might have been mixed up about more than
the time. Was she making her own choices or just reacting to his charisma? At
the entrance, her confidence ebbed away and doubts flooded in. Just as she was
ready to totally chicken out, turn around and go home, the door opened.
“Come in, please.” A well-kept middle-aged woman in trim
slacks and white sleeveless shirt as tailored as a vest smiled a warm welcome.
Her fashionable strawberry-blonde bob swung back and forth as she talked.
“You’re even prettier than your pictures. What am I thinking? You don’t know me.”
She held out a hand sprinkled with freckles that matched those dusting the rest
of her. “I’m Lynda, the Sterling boys’ housekeeper. I should say the Sterlings’
housekeeper. They’re all grown up now.”
“I’m Tiana.” She lightly squeezed the offered palm.
“Who else could you be? I would have known you anywhere.
Tilly talked about you often. She was so proud of you.”
“I wish I could have spent more time with her.”
“No one could have guessed she’d go so quickly. We’d met for
coffee the morning before she passed, just like we did every Thursday
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