business was that you knew theirs, as well. And the mission in life for Verona Charles was to make sure she paired up every single person within a twenty-mile radius of Blue Falls. No, thank you. If he ever got married, it would be to a woman of his choosing with no outside prompting. But right now marriage was the furthest thing from his mind, although the thought had flitted through his noggin more than once that maybe having a wife would make Maddie’s transition easier.
But he wasn’t even dating anyone, so he’d have to figure this out on his own.
As he drove toward the ranch where he’d be working this afternoon, he let his thoughts wander over ways to up his income. He got along fine by himself plying his trade as a farrier and running a small herd of cattle. But things had changed the moment Maddie had become his responsibility. He supposed he could advertise his farrier services farther out from Blue Falls, but he figured most people with horses in the area already knew about him.
Maybe he’d get lucky and someone would rent the bunkhouse. The rental notice he’d put up on the community bulletin board at the Primrose Café had been up less than twenty-four hours, but he kept hoping it would bear fruit.
The bunkhouse had sat unused other than for some storage for years, so it made sense to try to make it generate some income. It wasn’t fancy, but it was sturdy and had a good roof.
Sure, he’d have to deal with someone else coming and going from the ranch, but it seemed the most expedient way of getting what he needed for his niece now and for however long she was with him. Kendra hadn’t said when she’d be back for her daughter, and Tyler wasn’t sure his sister would even remember she had a child. He knew one thing for sure. No way was Maddie going with her mother unless he was convinced Kendra had gotten her act together and was clean.
He glanced over at Maddie as she licked her ice cream. He might feel like a clueless wonder regarding how to interact with her, but there was no denying he’d do whatever he had to in order to protect her and give her what she needed, two things he feared his sister hadn’t done in a long time.
Just as he parked next to the barn where he’d be working the next couple of hours, his phone rang. When he answered, Conner Murphy was on the other end of the call.
“I saw where your bunkhouse is for rent,” Conner said. “Is it still available?”
“It is. You looking to move out of town?”
“No, it’s for my cousin Leah.”
Now that he had an actual bite on the bunkhouse, Tyler experienced a moment of doubt about having someone else on his land. But he glanced over at Maddie and thought about how much easier it would be to provide for her with extra income. He had the feeling she had wanted for a lot in her young life, and he didn’t want that to continue while she was under his roof.
After he and Conner discussed a few particulars, they set a time for Leah Murphy to come see the bunkhouse.
Tyler knew nothing about Conner’s cousin, but because of Maddie he felt better about possibly having a woman living next door than a man. He just hoped he was making the right decision about having anyone there at all. Though Maddie would likely have little or no interaction with his tenant, it was still another change. And the way he saw things, he and Maddie had both had enough changes for a good long while.
Leah’s stomach churned at what suddenly felt like a ride on a runaway roller coaster. She hadn’t expected to find a potential new home so soon. If she were honest, she’d hoped it would take a while, time during which she could prepare herself for living alone again. Having to face that less than an hour after arriving in Blue Falls hadn’t remotely been part of her plan.
Leah knew she should be thankful, should take this as a sign that her decision to move to Blue Falls was the right one. Besides, there was no guarantee waiting longer would make the transition any easier. And the truth was that even if Conner’s place wasn’t currently uninhabitable, it was too small for two people who weren’t a couple and didn’t mind the close quarters.
“Tyler said he wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours, so what do you say we go grab something to eat?”
Leah didn’t feel much like eating, but what else was she going to do to pass the time? Attempting to eat and talking with her cousin sure sounded better than sitting around waiting and allowing her anxiety to grow.
“You can’t beat that for timing,” Conner said as they headed down the street to the Primrose Café. “And Tyler’s a good guy.”
But a guy nonetheless.
Not wanting to appear ungrateful for Conner’s understanding and willingness to jump right in to help her, she gave him a smile. “Thank you.”
“That’s what awesome cousins are for.”
Her smile grew into a genuine one. She appreciated his levity.
Somehow she made it through the meal, managing to say the appropriate things at the appropriate times, both to Conner and all the friendly locals. By the time Conner had to head back to work, she was thankful for the blessed quiet of her car. When she slipped into the driver’s seat, she simply sat for several minutes, watching the comings and goings of the people who were going to be her new neighbors.
Using her phone, she pulled up a map of Tyler Lowe’s address. Conner had told her the bunkhouse wasn’t far from Lowe’s house. He’d shared that fact in a tone that meant he thought that would assure her, but once again her stomach twisted into knots.
Lowe’s ranch was a few miles out of town. Sure, she’d wanted peace and quiet, but would being out that far alone be even more frightening than what she’d left behind? If someone attacked her there, would there be anyone close by to hear her scream?
She shook her head, telling herself for the umpteenth time that just because she’d been attacked once didn’t mean it would ever happen again. Realistically, it probably meant the chances were less than they’d been initially. Plus, if there were fewer people around, didn’t that mean there was less of a chance that one of them would be the type to attack her in the first place?
The what-if game could drive her mad if she let it, so she gave herself a mental smack and looked in the rearview mirror. She smoothed her hair and made sure she didn’t look like death. She needed to convey “I’m a responsible adult who pays her rent on time.”
At least she hoped she could pay her rent on time. Thus, the need for getting her mind off what had happened and back on work. On finding her creative spirit again.
She paused with her hand clasping the keys in her ignition and took a slow, deep, calming breath before she ventured toward a new part of her life. On her way to her destination, she ran positive thoughts through her head. She would love this new place. She could afford it. She would feel safe and refreshed, inspired to create even more beautiful jewelry to sell in retail shops and online. It would feel like home.
When she reached the mailbox with the appropriate address, she turned off the highway onto a gravel drive that curved a couple of times before revealing a modest-sized house that had a few decades on it. Beyond it sat a barn and another structure that looked like a small wooden house with a low porch running the length of the front. That must be the bunkhouse, she guessed.
She
