LITMIR.BIZ

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of the house.

      He smiled at him. “Hi, Evan.”

      “Are you mad at me?”

      Jared crouched down to the boy’s level. “Of course I’m not mad at you. Why would you think that?”

      “Mom wouldn’t let me help you anymore. She said I had to clean my room.”

      “And that is what you needed to do. You should always mind your mother. Besides, I didn’t do much more work on the stalls after you left. I had other chores to finish myself.”

      The boy’s eyes rounded. “Did Mom get mad at you, too?”

      “No. She’s just worried that you might get hurt.”

      “She always gets afraid.” He pouted. “I’m not a baby.”

      “Sorry, partner, that’s just a fact of life. You never stop being her baby. And it’s only because she loves you so much that she worries.”

      “But I’m gonna have a birthday. In July.” He held up his hand, his fingers spread wide. “I’ll be five. I’m gonna go to school, too.”

      “You are getting big. But we still have to listen to our mothers.”

      “I bet you don’t.”

      A sadness spread through him as he thought about the fragile woman who’d stood in the shadows as Graham Hastings ruled the family like he did his corporation. Then one day Audrey Trager had gotten sick. She’d died when Jared was only ten, taking so many secrets with her. “No, but I’m a lot older than you.”

      Evan looked thoughtful. “You old enough to be a dad?”

      Dana stood at the screen door, shocked by her son’s question, and surprised to find Jared Trager there. She had figured he’d be gone by now. Which was unrealistic since he didn’t have a vehicle to drive off in.

      “I guess I’m old enough,” Jared began. “I’ve just never settled down and married.”

      “My mom isn’t married. She’s pretty and you could—”

      Hearing enough, Dana called out to her son. “Evan.”

      Both males turned in surprise.

      “It’s time for supper.” She glanced quickly at Jared, fighting to keep the heat from her cheeks. “You both need to wash up.” She headed back to the kitchen, knowing she had to have a long talk with her son. She didn’t want him trying to marry her off, especially to a drifter.

      All through the meal, Jared felt invisible as the conversation centered around the next day’s chores and Dana directed her orders to Bert. Evan was quietly eating his supper, obviously sensing his mother’s sullen mood, and remained on his best behavior.

      Smart boy.

      Jared knew that he, too, better watch how far he went without checking with Dana. She wasn’t a helpless female by any means. She had run the ranch and raised her child pretty much on her own. But something had happened today, something related to her trip into town that seemed to take away her fight. Did it have anything to do with her business at the bank? Bert had let it slip earlier that Dana was having trouble financing the ranch. Even Dana herself had admitted this past year had been a rough one.

      Mind your own business, he told himself. Stay the two weeks as agreed, then just give Dana Marsh’s letter and walk away. There was probably some money for her along with Evan’s trust fund.

      “Jared.” Dana spoke his name, surprising him. “I want to thank you for repairing the stalls. I didn’t get a chance to see everything, but Bert said you did a great job.”

      “You’re welcome. I had a good helper.” He winked at Evan.

      “That’s me, Mom.” The boy puffed out his chest.

      “Can I help Jared tomorrow? There’s lots of things broke.”

      Dana felt a sting of battered pride. Even though the condition of the ranch was evident to everyone, she hated to think even her son saw it, too. “I know, Evan, but you can’t keep expecting to tag along after Jared. It’s not his responsibility to—”

      “The boy isn’t a bother,” Jared blurted out, then quickly took another bite of food.

      Dana couldn’t hide her irritation. “That’s not what I meant. I just don’t want you to think that I expect you to repair everything around here.”

      “Unless you have a problem with me replacing the wood in the stalls or corral, I don’t mind doing it, and there is plenty of wood stacked behind the barn.”

      “Yeah, Mom,” Evan said. “Jared’s real good at fixin’ stuff and Sammy likes his new gate. And I’m a good helper.”

      Dana and Jared exchanged a look. Jared smiled, then said, “Evan is the best helper I ever had.”

      “See, Mom. Jared wants me to. Please…can we?”

      Once again Dana looked at Jared. Big mistake. Those bedroom eyes were lethal. “I guess it’s not a problem if your other chores are done.”

      “Oh, boy!” Evan cheered, then jumped up from his chair and hugged his mother. “I love you.”

      Dana enjoyed the moment. Just as quickly her son released her and went back to his seat and began eating his least favorite vegetable, green beans. So there were miracles.

      “Who wants dessert?” Dana stood and picked her still-warm Dutch apple pie up off the counter.

      Bert’s eyes lit up. “Hot diggity! Jared, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a taste of Dana’s apple pie. Won a blue ribbon at the fair four years in a row.”

      “I guess I have to try it.” Jared carried his and Bert’s plates to the sink; Evan followed with his. Then Jared walked to the coffeemaker. “Would anyone like a cup?”

      “I wouldn’t mind at all,” Bert said, “since you’re up.”

      He glanced at Dana. “How about you?”

      “Coffee would be nice.”

      Dana turned back to her task of serving up dessert, allowing Jared to enjoy the view of how her jeans fit over her nicely curved bottom and long shapely legs. His body began to stir and he finally turned back to the counter and busied himself with the coffee.

      “Jared, you want ice cream with your pie?”

      He could only nod. Oh, yes, he definitely needed something to cool him off.

      Around midnight, Dana couldn’t sleep and, finally giving up, she made her way to the porch. So many times she would go sit on the old glider swing and enjoy the peaceful night. The sound of the crickets and faint scent of jasmine in the air was a quick cure to lull away the day’s troubles. The ranch had always been her sanctuary. She loved it and wanted desperately to raise Evan here. But for the first time it appeared that might not be a possibility, and she had to face it.

      Dana tucked her feet under her and tugged her robe tighter around her body. Where would she and Evan go? What would she do? Never in her life had she thought about doing anything else but ranching. She hadn’t finished college. So what was she qualified to do to support herself and her child? There were so many things she had to think about.

      She was desperate enough, she’d even thought about finding Evan’s father, Marsh Hastings. The last thing she wanted was to drag a man into her son’s life who didn’t want to be there. Marsh had made his choice nearly six years ago. If he’d cared, he would have checked to see if something happened after their one night together. When he’d never called, that pretty much told Dana what he thought about her, and his child. A tear found its way down her cheek. It didn’t bother her anymore, but for her son, it made her sad.

      Evan needed a father.

      A scuffing noise drew her attention and

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