LITMIR.BIZ

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like a paradise,” Lilly replied. “And I’ve never heard you so excited. I’m happy for you, Tessa. Really happy. So what about the rest of the ranch?”

      Lifting the mug to her lips, Tessa’s gaze followed the sloping landscape until it reached a big white barn and maze of connecting holding pens. Yesterday evening before dark, she’d explored the big building and discovered a room full of tack and a pair of yellow tabby cats. Both had shied away from her efforts to befriend them.

      “From what Deputy Hollister told me, Mr. Maddox’s failing health forced him to sell all the livestock. It’s rather sad seeing the barn area without any horses or cattle around.”

      There was a long pause before Lilly asked, “Who is Deputy Hollister? I thought you’d settled all the legal stuff before you left for Arizona.”

      A flush heated Tessa’s face. Not for anything would she admit to Lilly that she’d spent half the night thinking of the handsome deputy and wondering if she’d ever see him again.

      “The deputy just happens to be a neighbor,” she quickly explained. “He stopped by yesterday, right after I arrived—uh, just to say hello.” She wasn’t about to add that he’d carried in her bags and stuck around to give her a tour of the house.

      “That’s good. Orin will be glad to hear you have a trustworthy neighbor. I don’t have to tell you he’s like a father bear. By the way, did you know he’s already started searching for someone to take your job as the Silver Horn housekeeper?”

      Tessa had been thirteen when she’d been orphaned and gone to live with the Calhouns. At first, the elaborate, three-story ranch house had been overwhelming to her. Especially when she’d been accustomed to living with her mother in a very modest apartment in Carson City. But in no time at all she’d come to love the isolated country life and the wealthy family who’d taken her in like one of their own. And as soon as she’d grown old enough, she’d gone to work as a housekeeper for the family. Not because they’d expected her to repay them, but because she’d wanted to give back to them as best she could.

      “He told me before I left. He believes I won’t be returning to the Silver Horn anytime soon.”

      “That’s not his reason. Orin understands that when you come back to Nevada, you’ll be putting your college degree to use and finding a real job. Not working for us.”

      Tessa’s gaze swept over the spacious kitchen with its varnished pine cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. To her surprise, she’d already found a huge supply of canned and packaged food in the cupboards and even some fresh things in the refrigerator. She supposed the sheriff’s old ranch hand had laid in the supplies for her arrival. It was all so odd, yet in a way, completely comforting.

      “I have so much here to absorb. I can’t think about searching for a job right now, Lilly. Not until I learn about Sheriff Maddox and his connection to me.”

      “Perhaps your deputy neighbor can help you with that,” Lilly suggested. “Could be he worked for the man.”

      Regarding Ray Maddox, Tessa figured Joseph Hollister could be a wealth of information. But would it be smart of her to approach the man for any reason? He already had her thinking things that brought a fiery blush to her face. She didn’t want to feed this instant infatuation she’d developed for the sexy lawman.

      Suddenly the back of Tessa’s eyes were stinging with inexplicable tears. “Lilly, this is still so surreal and hard to explain. Something—some strange connection came over me whenever I walked into the house. It felt like I was supposed to be here. Now I’m so emotional I’m going around dabbing a tissue to my eyes.”

      “Well, it’s not every day that a woman becomes an heiress—completely out of the blue. You have every right to be emotional. I’d be a blubbering idiot.”

      Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, she slowly stood. “I just need a few days to digest everything, Lilly.”

      “Uh, just in case you’re interested, Rafe fired Thad yesterday. He won’t be back.”

      The mere mention of the young man’s name left Tessa cold. Not more than three months ago, Rafe had hired the guy to work on the fence-mending crew. The moment he’d spotted Tessa, he’d come on to her like a house on fire. At first she’d liked his boyish grin and playful teasing. She’d even gone on a few dates with him. But he’d quickly begun to expect more from her than she’d been willing to give. When she’d abruptly ended all connection with him, he’d retaliated by telling the other ranch hands he’d never had any serious intentions toward her. That she was only a cheap housemaid.

      “Rafe needn’t have done that for my benefit,” Tessa said flatly. “Thad needed some lessons in being a gentleman, but he could still build fences.”

      Lilly snorted. “The only thing Thad wanted to work was his mouth. I say good riddance.”

      The ugly incident with Thad had made Tessa wonder how other people viewed her. When she’d told Joseph Hollister she lived at the Silver Horn, she’d not mentioned she’d worked there as a housekeeper. Was the deputy the type of man who’d look down on her for holding a menial job?

      Forget it, Tessa. Joseph might be a super-nice guy. But you don’t have any business wasting your thoughts on him. Your home is in Nevada. You’re here to look over this property and make a reasonable decision about what to do with it. Not to strike up a romance with a lawman you met less than twenty-four hours ago.

      Tessa’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted with Lilly expressing the need to end the call.

      “Sorry, Tessa, I have to hang up. I hear Austin screaming at his sister.”

      With their conversation over, Tessa went to the bedroom to change out of her pajamas. As she tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed, she gazed around the beautiful white room. Just being in it made her feel like a princess.

      Deputy Hollister had seemed to think the late sheriff had actually prepared this room just for her. Most folks would find that eerie, Tessa thought, but strangely enough, it made her feel wanted. And that was the best gift the late sheriff could’ve given her.

      * * *

      A few minutes later Tessa was in the barn, trying to lure the cats from their hiding place, when she heard a vehicle drive up somewhere in the ranch yard.

      Thinking it might be Deputy Hollister stopping by, she put down the pan of food and hurried out of the big barn. But instead of seeing the Yavapai County lawman’s vehicle, she spotted a red-and-white Ford truck with a crunched passenger door.

      Pausing in her tracks, she watched an older man with a crumpled straw hat and a short, grizzled beard climb from the vehicle. His worn jeans were stuffed into a pair of tall, yellow cowboy boots while a faded red shirt with long sleeves was buttoned tightly at his throat.

      As he moved toward her, Tessa noticed his gait was a bit uneven. Whether the slight limp was because of his leg or some other problem, she could hardly say. In any case, she decided this had to be Ray’s ranch hand.

      She walked across the hard-packed earth to greet him. “Hello. I’m Tessa Parker. Are you Mr. Lemans?”

      “Yes, ma’am. I’m Samuel Lemans—just Sam to you. I work for Ray.” Grimacing, he shook his head. “Excuse me, ma’am. I said that wrong. I did work for Ray.”

      Tessa extended her hand to him and as he gave it a firm shake, she noticed his palm was as tough as rawhide and his face as crinkled as dry leather. From what she could see beneath the brim of the mangled hat, his thick hair was a mix of black and gray and his eyes were the color of a black bean. Yet in spite of his hard-weathered appearance, the gentleness in his gaze put her instantly at ease.

      “I met Deputy Hollister yesterday and he mentioned you,” she explained. “I want to thank you, Sam, for keeping everything looking so beautiful.”

      “Glad to do it. I’ll keep on taking care of things until you don’t need me anymore.

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