The Rancher and His Unexpected Daughter by Sherryl Woods

he settled back to wait. He wondered how long it would be before Janet guessed that he wasn’t bringing Jenny to the end of the lane and resigned herself to driving to the house to pick her up. He figured fifteen minutes.
    He was off by five. At ten minutes past five she came flying up the lane, sending up a cloud of dust. She leapt out of the car, her expression half frantic.
    â€œWhere’s Jenny? Has something happened to her?”
    â€œShe’s fine,” he soothed. “She’s off helping Cody this afternoon. She won’t be back for a while yet. Come on up and join me.”
    Janet regarded the tea and tortilla chips suspiciously. “What’s all that?”
    â€œJust a little something to tide us over while we wait. Figured you might be thirsty and hungry this time of day.”
    â€œExactly when are you expecting them back?”
    â€œSeven or so.”
    She stared at him incredulously. “Seven? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œI just did,” he said, holding out the glass of tea.
    Janet ignored it. Hands on hips, she stared him down, practically quivering with indignation. “What kind of game are you playing, Harlan Adams?”
    â€œI could ask you the same question. You’ve spent the past five days avoiding me. Whose idea was that? Yours or Jenny’s?”
    She sighed and sank down onto the top step. She finally accepted the glass of tea and took a long swallow. “A little of both, I suppose.”
    â€œShouldn’t you have told me?” he said, mimicking her tone.
    â€œI just did,” she said, and chuckled. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œNo need to be sorry. For a pair of grown-ups we are pretty pathetic, aren’t we? Seems to me we should be past resorting to games or letting a teenager rule the way we live our lives.”
    â€œWe should be,” Janet concurred. “It’s my fault. I should have insisted on bringing Jenny all the way to the house on Monday, but she was still so upset I gave in and dropped her at the end of the lane. After that, it became a pattern, I suppose. I couldn’t seem to break it.”
    â€œDon’t go taking all the blame. I’m the one who put you in an awkward position in the first place.” He looked her over, admiring the creamy silk blouse she wore with a pair of tan linen slacks and a few pieces of expensive gold jewelry. She was all class, there was no mistake about that. “You haven’t dated much since the divorce, have you?”
    â€œNot at all.”
    â€œSo Jenny’s still very protective. Is she hoping you’ll get back together with her father?”
    â€œNo, she knows better than that. He doesn’t have time for either one of us anymore. I think that’s really the problem. She needs all of my attention right now.”
    Her expression turned speculative. “It may be that she needs all of yours, too. You’re providing a father figure for her. Maybe she’s not ready to share you.”
    â€œBut what do you need?” he inquired softly. “Do you need a man in your life?”
    She shook her head. “It’s not in my plans right now.”
    He thought of his sons and how hard they’d fought falling in love. In the end, when the right woman came along they hadn’t had a choice, any more than he had when he and Mary had met.
    â€œI wasn’t aware you could plan for a thing like that,” he said.
    â€œYou can certainly avoid putting yourself at risk,” she countered.
    â€œIs that what you’ve been doing since you got to Texas, avoiding risks?”
    She nodded.
    â€œMust have been a lousy plan, since we met anyway,” he observed, grinning. “Or do you suppose fate just had something else in mind?”
    â€œI don’t know what to think,” she admitted, then gazed at him imploringly. “Harlan, this can’t go any further than it already has.”
    The wistfulness