him with a voice that unfortunately shook.
“Right, and that will happen. But first we’ll go slowly. You’ll visit with them. I’ll supervise. If all goes well, we’ll come up with an arrangement that works for us both.”
“When do I get to spend time with them?”
“Tomorrow.” He picked up the hat he’d dropped on his desk. “I have work to get done and you’d probably like to settle in.”
“I guess that’s my cue to leave.” She stood, picking up her purse and waiting for him to say something.
He rounded his desk and walked with her to the door. “I’m sure you’ll find what you need at Lawton’s place.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Anything else you need, you’ll find in Martin’s Crossing.”
“Is there a grocery store?”
“Yes. Grocery store, gas station, restaurant and feed store. There are a couple of little shops, antiques and the like.”
He opened the front door and motioned her out ahead of him. She shivered as she stepped outside, surprised by how cold it had gotten. With this weather, she could believe Christmas was coming. She’d been looking forward to spending the holidays with Mia.
“Do you have any other questions?” Jake asked.
“None.” She nodded at him, her final goodbye. And then the case of nerves she’d been fighting hit and she couldn’t get her feet to move forward.
Her brother and sister-in-law were gone. She had two nieces who needed her. She needed them just as much. The man standing next to her seemed to be calling all of the shots. Everything inside her ached.
“Are you okay?” His voice rumbled close to her ear. She shivered at his nearness.
“Yeah, I’m good.” She swiped at her eyes and looked away from his steady gaze, taking a deep breath. A hand, strong and warm, touched her arm, sharing his strength.
“It’ll all work out. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way right now, but it will. And I’m sorry, that you and Lawton didn’t have a chance to spend more time together.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. The hand remained on her arm. But then it slipped away. She opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. She could do this.
“Thank you.” She looked up at him, surprised by the way his presence gave her more strength than she would have imagined.
Maybe someday they would be friends, even allies.
He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and a pen, quickly writing something on the back before handing it to her. “That’s the information for the alarm system. And you can call if you have any problems. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”
She took the card, glanced at it then slipped it into her purse. “I’ll make lunch.”
He gave her a look but then he nodded. “You can do that.”
Breezy walked down the stone steps to her car, her mind reeling. As she backed out of the drive Jake Martin still stood on the porch. He raised a hand as she pulled away and she returned the gesture.
It was the beginning of a truce. Truce, but not trust. Jake Martin wasn’t the type of man who would give trust easily. She understood because she was the same way.
* * *
Jake walked back inside. He found Marty waiting for him.
“Are the girls down for a nap?” he asked on his way to the kitchen, knowing Marty would follow.
“Yes. They were asking again.” She shook her head, and he knew that meant the girls wanted their mommy and daddy. “They’re a little lost, of course.”
Jake tossed his hat on the counter as he went for a glass of iced tea. “Aren’t we all?”
“Yes, but I worry about you, Jake, about you taking on one more burden.”
He shook his head at that. “The twins are family, not a burden.”
“You’ve raised a family. You’ve been taking care of people your whole life.”
Of course, he’d raised a family. His brothers and sisters had been counting on him for as long as he could remember. He’d made sure they were fed. He’d been the one to hire Marty years ago when his dad was sick and not really paying attention. He’d made sure the ranch kept making a profit.
Now he’d make sure Rosie and Violet were loved and protected.
Marty handed him a cup of coffee and then patted his arm the way she’d been doing for a long time, since she and her husband first came to town. Long before she was the cook and housekeeper, she’d figured out what life was like at the Circle M for a bunch of ragtag kids trying to make do with a mom that had left and a dad who had checked out.
“Brody called,” she said as she moved back to the counter and a bag of carrots that suddenly held her interest.
“And?” His younger brother had a knack for finding trouble.
“He and Lincoln had a fight. He’s coming home.”
Brody and his roommate and traveling partner were always one argument away from killing each other so Jake wasn’t surprised. He shrugged and took a drink from his cup. Marty started peeling carrots again.
“Well, I guess he’ll figure it out. The bull-riding season is almost over. He’s probably tired of being on the road.”
“He does get homesick, even if he doesn’t admit it.”
He set the glass in the sink and leaned a hip against the edge of the counter, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for Marty to tell him what he needed to do. She was good at giving him advice. And, even if he wouldn’t admit it, she was usually right.
“Don’t lecture him,” she finally said. “I heard something in his voice.”
“I’ll go easy on him. He’s a grown man. It’s time he made his own decisions, anyway.”
Marty put a hand on his arm. “Is it really possible for you to do that?”
He grinned at her fairly unsympathetic tone. “No, probably not. What’s for dinner?”
“I’m making beef stew.”
“Okay.” He waited, watching. He could see the furrow in her brow and knew she had more on her mind than the stew.
“It’s okay for you to let this young woman help. I know you have reservations...”
“Because we don’t know her at all,” he reminded.
Marty shot him a look that he couldn’t fail to understand. He was being too “Jake” for her liking. He did like to take control. He liked to know his family was taken care of and safe. Old habits were hard to let go of.
“You’ve
