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that happen.”

      And she dared the good doctor to dispute that.

      Then Arabella had a new thought. Denver had several very good colleges. Maybe the doctor could actually help make Jasmine’s dreams come true. And maybe it was time Arabella stopped wallowing in her own woes and, instead of resenting Jonathan Turner, found a way to help make that happen.

       Chapter Four

      “I don’t have to go to college right now. I want to marry Cade,” Jasmine said. “He’s smart and he’s looking for scholarships and working on securing student loans. He’s gonna be a doctor like you. How about that?” she inhaled a tiny breath. “After we’re married, he’d going to get started in college and I’m going to work to help support us. That’s our plan.”

      Arabella saw the stubborn look on Jasmine’s face. She wouldn’t abandon Cade. And she’d put his dreams ahead of hers. The girl had talked about working while Cade went to college and on to med school. But neither of them had decided whether they should stay here and commute to any of the nearby large colleges or if Cade would live on campus. Either way, it would be hard to start a marriage like that.

      Jonathan relaxed a little, a tight smile playing on his lips. “I … can talk to him, answer any questions he might have.” Then he took another step. “How about you though? Don’t you want to continue your education after the wedding?”

      Arabella wondered if he’d accepted that there would be a wedding or if he was just fishing.

      Jasmine nodded, the motion barely there. “Yes, I’d like to go to college, too. I’ve already checked into taking some courses online. But I don’t mind working while Cade gets his medical degree.” She shrugged. “I like cooking and baking. And there’s no shame in waiting tables until I decide what I want to do.”

      Her tone indicated she’d be the one doing the deciding. Arabella was used to this but had to smile at Jonathan’s poleaxed look.

      Arabella touched her on the arm. “Let’s talk about all that over lunch,” she said gently. “Cade called earlier. He should be here soon. But we can go ahead and eat since it’s ready. Your favorite vegetable soup and fresh-baked wheat rolls. And I made pumpkin pie for dessert.”

      Jasmine wiped at her eyes again. “Cade’s coming?”

      “He said he’d be here after he did some chores for Cody.”

      Jasmine glanced over at Jonathan. “He has a good job on a big ranch just outside of town. I told you he’s smart and he works hard, too.”

      Jonathan focused on Arabella then glanced back at Jasmine. “I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

      Arabella motioned for Jonathan. He couldn’t stand there in the parlor all day. “C’mon. Soup’s getting cold.”

      He stepped across the hallway and into the dining room. The wall between the kitchen and this room had long ago been opened to form one long room that included the kitchen, a small desk and sitting area and the dining area. Arabella found it a bit disconcerting, the way Jonathan seemed to fill the space and make it smaller.

      It had been a long time since she’d had company for lunch. Adult male company, that is. Why hadn’t she bothered to put on some lipstick and comb her upswept hair?

      Jonathan shot a wary eye toward Jasmine then asked, “Where are the girls?”

      “They attend preschool at the church three days a week,” Arabella said as she poured tea and ladled soup. “I sent them over to Mother’s Day Out for the afternoon. I let them stay there some afternoons when I need to leave them with someone I can trust.”

      Jonathan took the iced tea she handed him. “You seem to have such a strong sense of community around here.”

      “We do. This little town might have seen better days, but we tend to stick together through thick and thin.”

      His guilty look made her wish she hadn’t said that. Did he think she was making a point with him? His next words explained that.

      “I … we … grew up in a small town like this. It’s about twenty miles from here, closer to Denver.”

      He didn’t mention exactly which town, however.

      “We like it here,” Jasmine said, her words quiet but firm.

      Jonathan smiled at Jasmine. She was busy placing bright yellow linen napkins around the table. But Arabella didn’t miss the shy look Jasmine shot toward Jonathan. The girl was getting used to the idea of having an uncle apparently.

      “Let’s eat,” Arabella said. “We have a couple of hours before I pick up the girls.”

      And so they sat down, the three of them. A minute of awkward silence followed, the only sounds the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer and the usual whines and groans of the old house.

      Then Jasmine reached out a hand to both of them. “I’ll say grace.”

      Arabella took the girl’s hand on one side and then, reluctantly, took Jonathan’s hand on the other. And the reaction she’d been expecting, the dread she’d felt coming since he’d shown up, settled over her like a rock slide, swift and accurate. Only now, the dread was mixed with a bit of anticipation, too. She had to inhale a breath to get her bearings.

      Because she was holding the hand of a man who’d come here to mess with her carefully controlled, deliberately scheduled life. And that made him far more dangerous than she’d ever dreamed.

      Jonathan took the coffee Jasmine handed him. Her tentative smile brought him a small measure of comfort. Was she warming up to him?

      Jasmine placed a chunky slice of pumpkin pie in front of him. “Do you want whipped cream on top?”

      “No, no,” Jonathan said, eyeing the pie. “This is plenty. I’m not used to eating like this.”

      Jasmine glanced over at Arabella. “We always have plenty to eat around here. Arabella is a caterer. She bakes all the bread for the Cowboy Café and makes wedding cakes, too. She can cook for a big group, but you have to book that ahead of time. I help her. She pays me to babysit and help with the baking.”

      Jonathan saw the pride in Jasmine’s eyes. He wanted her to feel that same pride about him. “Sounds as if you two have a good thing going.”

      Jasmine bobbed her head. “We do. Arabella’s been good to me. She’s like … my mom.”

      Bragging and making another point.

      He wished he could accuse Arabella of taking advantage of his niece, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Arabella Michaels didn’t act like the type to work anyone too hard. She had a gentleness about her that belied the steel underneath. But she was a good person. He could see that from this cozy, colorful home and her unconditional love for her family.

      He and his brother had never known that kind of love. Not after their mother had died when they were still boys.

      Arabella wasn’t taking advantage of his niece. She’d given the girl a home and a job. That was different from working the girl too much. And it wasn’t the same—not the way his father had tried to work his brother and him, all the while making them feel somehow responsible for their mother’s death. He was thankful Jasmine had found a good place to live.

      But he needed to lay his cards on the table regarding his niece. “Now that we’ve had a chance to get to know each other, Jasmine, I wanted to extend an invitation to you.”

      Arabella stood straight up across the breakfast bar, the daring look in her golden-brown eyes nailing Jonathan to his chair.

      “What kind of invitation?” Jasmine looked from him to Arabella. “I’d like to hear that.”

      He cleared his throat. This was the moment he’d been waiting for, the reason

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