“She’s not the only one,” he said rawly and then shook his head. “Erase that comment, will you? So, how did your first day go?”

  “Great,” she replied. “The faculty are really nice, and the kids were charming and mostly well-behaved.”

  “So far, so good, then?”

  She nodded. “I think so. And Clare was such a wonderful help.”

  “Thank you for talking to her,” he said.

  “My pleasure. She’s an amazing girl. She’s kind and generous with herself.”

  “She’s her mom.”

  Marnie smiled. “She’s you.”

  Color spotted his jaw and he shifted on his feet. “Well, I gotta go. We’ll talk soon, okay?”

  She nodded and watched him leave, feeling a little bereft then for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time she got home it was after five, since she stopped off at the supermarket to pick up some supplies. She cooked a quick chicken stir-fry for dinner and by seven was showered, changed and sitting on the sofa. She was flicking channels on the television when her cell pinged with a text message.

  Can I completely overstep the bounds of our relationship and ask a favor? J

  She stared at the message and then quickly replied, Sure. Fire away.

  A few minutes later, another text came through.

  Clare wants a new outfit for the party on Saturday. I asked her if she’d like to go with Tess or Ellie and she said she’d prefer to go with you. I know it’s asking a lot, but would you mind taking her shopping one afternoon this week? There are a couple of clothing stores in town that sell kids stuff.

  Marnie wasn’t sure it was such a great idea, but the thought of disappointing the sweet, motherless child was unthinkable. She replied with a thumbs-up emoji and set the date for Wednesday afternoon after school and then spent the following couple of hours regretting her decision because she knew Clare was getting attached to her and it was all happening so fast. Until she received another text from Joss a little after ten and all her resistance disappeared.

  Thanks again. Nite x

  As it turned out, the next couple of days flew by and the shopping expedition in Cedar River on Wednesday was a lot of fun. There were two stores in town that sold a selection of kids clothing and after forty minutes of agonizing over a choice between a pink outfit and a bright orange ensemble, Clare thumbed her nose up at the traditional and went with the orange—a bright, layered tulle skirt and a fashionable, stretchy cotton top in autumn hues that matched perfectly. Next, a sparkly denim jacket and ankle boots with a tiny heel. Clare looked adorably grown-up as she paid for the purchases with a credit card obviously supplied by her father. Marnie splurged and purchased a couple of things, including a lovely deep red sweater with buttons and a new pair of jeans.

  Afterward, they headed for the bakery for a milkshake and a mini-muffin, and ran into Abby and T.J. doing exactly the same thing. The young boy had been in Marnie’s advanced class the previous afternoon and she’d found him to be a clever youngster. He was polite, too, and greeted them with a smile as Abby asked if they wanted to join them. The kids quickly raced toward the large cabinet that held all the ice cream cakes.

  “You two look like you’ve been having a fun afternoon shopping?” Abby remarked, eyeing the bags at their feet under the table.

  “We did.” Marnie smiled. “Clare needed something for Sissy’s party on Saturday.”

  Abby nodded and kept a watchful eye on the children. “You’re coming, of course?”

  “Joss invited me,” she replied, coloring hotly.

  “Lara and I were on the same soccer team when we were kids,” Abby said unexpectedly. “It was such a sad thing, what happened to her. I know the family rallied around Joss and the kids. They have that survival instinct ingrained in them, I suppose, particularly after the accident and their father leaving town.”

  “The accident?”

  “The one when Hank nearly died. They don’t talk about it much,” Abby said and sipped her drink. “Too painful, I suppose. And of course, now that Billie-Jack has come back, it’s bringing all those feelings to the surface.” She smiled, and sighed. “I’m grateful that my own family is way less complicated.”

  Marnie almost choked on her drink. I’m your family. But she didn’t say it. Didn’t do anything other than nod agreeably and wish she had the courage to admit the truth there and then. But it wasn’t the time. She needed to meet Patience Reed first.

  “It’s lovely that you’re so close to your grandmother.” As she spoke she felt hollow inside, but wouldn’t allow Abby to see it.

  “I’m lucky,” Abby replied. “I’m not sure how much you know, but I raised T.J. alone for the first five years. It’s a complicated story.” She nodded. “Jake and I dated in high school and then broke up. A couple of years later I married his best friend, Tom. But Tom died a few years later and Jake and I...reconnected. T.J was the result and when he returned to town a couple of years ago, we got back together. But without Gran, I’m not sure how things would have turned out.” She sighed. “What about your family?” she asked, still watching the kids as they began counting the cookies in the jars on top of the counter.

  “My mom died eight months ago. We were very close,” she said blankly, cursing the familiar sting behind her eyes. “My parents divorced when I was young, and my dad remarried. I have a couple of cousins that I’m close to.”

  “I don’t have any cousins. My dad had a brother who was a priest and my mother is an only child.”

  No, she’s not...she had a sister.

  She wanted to say it so badly the words burned on the edge of her tongue. But something held her back. Something she knew she would have to face...and soon.

  In retreat mode, she called to Clare and made up some excuse about having to get home. The SUV that Joss had loaned her was zippy and good to drive and she would almost miss it when her own vehicle was repaired—which was just a couple of days away according to Joss.

  “There’s Daddy’s work,” Clare said and pointed to a road off Main Street.

  Curious, she turned in to the street and pulled up outside the auto repair shop. His tow truck was there, and his Ranger was parked out front. Marnie spotted her own car inside and up on a lift, and Clare was quick to get out of the vehicle and race inside. Joss was standing beside a large black Silverado, wearing overalls and work boots, his hair falling over his forehead, and a streak of grease ran down his cheek.

  He looked wholly and utterly masculine and any other man she’d ever known suddenly paled into insignificance. Blue collar, he’d called himself. And she was discovering she liked blue collar, very much.

  “Ladies, how was the shopping?”

  “Awesome,” Clare said excitedly. “I have the best outfit for the party. And Marnie bought this really nice sweater with buttons all the way down to here,” she said and gestured up and down the center of her chest.

  Joss met Marnie’s gaze immediately and she knew what he was thinking. About buttons and sweaters and things that made her turn hot all over.

  “Do you want me to take Clare home? I know you’re picking Sissy up from dance class this afternoon, so Clare can stay with me until you get her, if you like.”

  “Sure,” he said and wiped his hands on a towel. “We’re having enchiladas for dinner if you’d like to join us?”

  Marnie smiled. “Thanks, but I have a whole stack of quizzes that I have to grade.”

  He didn’t flinch. “No problem. And thank you for taking her today.”

  She met his gaze, unsure why she was refusing the invitation, since marking a couple dozen papers was probably half an hour’s worth of work. Maybe it was the unease sitting in her stomach after spending time with Abby? Maybe it was simply that she had a need to be alone for a while. Whatever the reason, he accepted it without question, and she knew that was because he wasn’t deeply invested in her.

  Me, on the other hand...

  The more she saw him, the more she wanted him—it was that simple.

  She found herself thinking about Joss when she should have been doing a hundred other things. She found herself dreaming, fantasizing, wondering where things might go if she plucked up the courage and told him what she was feeling. Only, she skirted around him and it, afraid of looking foolish, of making things appear more than they were.

  And then ultimately, of being rejected.

  Like she’d been rejected by Heath, when he’d cheated on her. Because even though she was the one who had ultimately broken things off, he’d bailed from their relationship the moment he slept with someone else.

  And then, if she scratched a little deeper, if she pushed past Heath, she realized her feelings had a familiar sting to them—like when she’d been rejected by her father. Even though she knew how difficult things had been between her parents, she still hadn’t quite forgiven her father for leaving them.

  For leaving me...

  Once the thought was out, she felt better, like she’d turned a corner, somehow. For eighteen years she’d told herself she had forgiven her father for walking out—when in fact, she knew she hadn’t. Because her mother had taken his leaving so badly, Marnie had hung on to her own resolve, even from such a young age, and become the strong one. The one her mom relied upon. The one her father could leave in charge of things. But all she had done was bury her fears and resentment deep down. Heath’s betrayal had opened the wound and moving to Cedar River had suddenly galvanized what she knew—that she was afraid of being rejected. And in particular, now that she was into something with Joss, she was afraid of being rejected by a man she was seriously falling for. And the idea of knowing how broken she’d be if it didn’t work out scared her to death.

  * * *

  Joss had to admit it, Ellie and Tess certainly knew how to throw a birthday party. Really, he’d had very little to do with it, other than agree to the invitation list. His sister and sister-in-law had taken the reins and done everything else. All he had to do was show up with a gift and he knew they wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Just as well, really. Because he had stuff on his mind.

  Billie-Jack, for one, who was back in Cedar River for a few days and wanted to talk to him. This time, the message had come through via the social media account for the workshop. It had felt even more intrusive, as though his father had taken a step in his direction without his permission. The truth was, he didn’t want drama. He didn’t want to be reminded of those days.

  He bundled the girls in the SUV around eleven, collecting Marnie on the way. They’d been texting most evenings, once the girls were in bed and he wasn’t wandering around the house like a piece of loose change. He’d never had trouble keeping busy before. He’d never had much trouble sleeping, either. But he’d had a restless week, feeling on edge, distracted, like he was caught up in something he couldn’t quite define.

  She felt it, too, he was sure of it. He was also certain she had stepped back, pulled away from both him and the girls over the course of the past few days. It was nothing overt, just a sense he had. And probably for the best. But when he saw her, walking down the pathway in dark jeans and a bright pink shirt that accentuated her amazing curves, he was almost lost for breath. Her hair was up and the ponytail swished as she walked. And he had never thought glasses were particularly sexy—but on her, they added an extra layer of appeal that knocked him senseless.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked once she was in the seat beside him, her perfume knocking him senseless.

  “Sure,” he lied, and hoped the three females in the car couldn’t hear the way the word came out on a strangled breath.

  “Hey, birthday girl,” she said and turned toward the back, the action pulling on her shirt and exposing way more skin than he figured she intended. He looked away, straightening his gaze to the road ahead, ignoring the twitch racing through his limbs. It was hardly appropriate to be having X-rated thoughts when his daughters were in the back seat. Resentment set in and he stayed quiet on the trip to the ranch, only relaxing when they were finally driving through the gates of the Triple C.

  The party was set up in the barn, as per Sissy’s request, with long tables covered in checked cloths and a small dance floor set up in one corner. She’d invited most of her class, and as guests began arriving, he figured they’d all said they were coming. Several sets of parents were also invited, people he knew from school and the PTA, friends he’d made over the years. And every Culhane had turned up for the celebration. If any of his family thought it strange that he’d turned up with Marnie, no one said anything. They were, he suspected, pleased to think he was dating someone. Not that they were actually dating—it just seemed that way.

  “This is amazing,” Marnie breathed as they headed for the gift table and she placed a small parcel alongside the array of wrapped presents already there. He’d relented and bought Sissy the new cell phone she’d asked for, and she’d already set it up and couldn’t wait to start taking selfies with her friends.

  “Yeah, Ellie and Tess are the party queens. You should see what they come up with when someone gets married.”

  She jerked her glance in his direction and he immediately felt like an idiot. Weddings? Really. What the hell was wrong with him? “Ah—you know what I mean,” he muttered and walked off a little, leaving her flanked by his daughters, who were also looking at him like he’d gone a little crazy.

  Sissy wandered off to be with some of her friends and he noticed how Marnie had gravitated toward Abby and the two women were quickly deep in conversation.

  Someone slapped him on the shoulder and he turned to see Hank at his side.

  “Good to see you’ve come to your senses,” his brother said.

  “What senses?”

  Hank gestured toward Marnie. “Your date.”

  “I’m not sure this is a date,” he said flatly. “Actually, I’m not sure what any of it is.”

  He was still thinking about it a couple of hours later, when the party was in full swing, when food and soda were being consumed in copious amounts, when gifts were being opened, when the cake arrived and the joy on his daughter’s face was palpable.

  He was sitting at the table with Hank and with both his daughters eating cake, when Marnie joined them, squeezing in between both girls.

  “Thank you for the earrings,” Sissy said and showed off the jewelry hanging from her lobes. “I love them.”

  “My pleasure,” Marnie said. “I have a little something else for you, too,” she said and pulled an electronic tablet from her tote. The girls were silent as she switched on the device and within seconds, the screen was filled with a friendly face of a woman.

  “Hi, there, Sissy,” the woman said, waving and smiling. “This is Shay Logan. I just wanted to wish you a wonderful birthday. I know you’re spending it with your family and friends and I’m sure you’re having a wonderful time. I would have loved to have been there to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to you in person. Enjoy your day. Stay awesome. Bye for now!”

  The video ended and Joss saw excited tears in his daughter’s eyes. “OMG, Shay Logan sent me a birthday message! Did you see that? Dad, did you see it?”

  “I saw it, honey,” he replied and held Marnie’s gaze, mouthing a silent thank-you. She’d asked him about it, of course, making sure he approved of the idea. And had sent him the link to his phone the day before. He knew how excited Sissy would be to receive the message—how much it would mean to her.

  She was looking at him, their visual connection so intense it knocked his kneecaps together. Was this what it felt like? Falling for someone. He couldn’t remember. Couldn’t think with his mind racing so fast. All he knew, to the depths of his soul, was that Marnie Jackson had worked her way into his life...and his heart.

  And he was done for.

  Chapter Nine

  Marnie knew how much the video message meant to Sissy. When she’d asked Shay to do it, her cousin had agreed without a second thought. Shay was one of those entertainers who were always available for their fans. And Sissy’s delight was infectious—particularly when she replayed the message for her friends and the rest of the family.

  But despite how lovely it was to see Sissy having such a wonderful day, Marnie had been on edge from the moment she arrived. Particularly after talking to Abby, who’d informed her in an offhanded way that her grandmother would be dropping by a little later after her bridge tournament in Rapid City. It was after one o’clock when Marnie noticed Abby talking to a tall and elegant-looking older woman—and then instantly recognized Patience Reed.

  The memory of her own mother rushed forward and she saw the similarities—the same chin, the same slanted brows, the same slender shoulders. She wanted to run away and announce her connection at the same time. But she did neither. Instead, she walked up to both women and calmly introduced herself.

  “It’s lovely to meet you,” Patience said and shook her hand. “My great-grandson said he really enjoyed his first class with you this week.”

  Marnie wanted desperately to feel something—anything—a link, a sign that her grandmother felt something when their hands touched. But there wasn’t so much as a flicker in the older woman’s light blue eyes.

  “T.J. is a wonderful student and a great help in the class,” Marnie said, holding on to her nerves, even though they were at fraying point. “I feel very fortunate to be at such a good school.”

  “Gran volunteers with reading in the kindergarten class,” Abby supplied and then sighed. “I wish I had more time to volunteer.”

  Marnie’s head reeled. For so long she’d imagined the moment she would meet her grandmother. She’d imagined what she would say—how she would talk about her mother and ask Patience why she’d given her child up for adoption. If she’d ever tried to find her child. If she would have welcomed her back into her life. There were so many questions and she wondered when or if she’d ever get the opportunity to ask them.