LITMIR.BIZ

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the message home, so in keeping with her philosophy to do the opposite, she figured enough said. “It’s time for your prayers, sweetie.”

      The little girl closed her eyes and folded her hands with the stuffed animal still under her arm. “Dear God, bless my friend Amelia and her mom. Mr. Dalton and Caleb. Everyone at day care. Please take care of my mommy and daddy. Keep them company so they don’t miss me too much. Bless Aunt Mallory.” She opened her eyes, then quickly scrunched them shut. “I almost forgot. Mommy and Daddy, please help Aunt Mal be ready for another change. Amen.”

      Without commenting on the content of the prayers, Mallory leaned close and kissed the child’s forehead. “I love you, Lily.”

      “Love you, too.” She rolled away and curled into a ball. In minutes she would be asleep.

      Mallory quietly slipped out of the room, then stopped in the doorway for a last protective look at the child she grew to love more every day. Reading between the lines of that prayer, it was pretty clear that Lily wanted a father. A transparent plea to replace what she’d lost.

      The praying-to-a-higher-power strategy was sound, since it would take an act of God to modify Mallory’s position. Relationships were trouble. She’d spent two years with a guy who demanded more of her time, then dumped her when she couldn’t be at his beck and call. That was before she had a child to raise. Between her job and being a mom, she had nothing left over for anyone else.

      Not even a handsome cowboy who, for just a moment, had made her wish it could be different.

      * * *

      After a burger and beer with his dad, Caleb drove to Crawford’s General Store, a brick building that fronted North Main Street. They were out of coffee at the ranch and it was his turn to buy. If he showed up in the morning without the can, his brother Anderson would can him. And he’d been warned that the family connection wouldn’t save his sorry ass.

      He walked past the storefront window displaying an array of merchandise. It was the only store in town and this was a ranching community, so there was a variety of items from saddles to soup. If they carried what you were looking for, it would save a thirty-minute trip to Kalispell, which was the next town over and a lot bigger.

      Caleb went inside, past the general-purpose aisles on his way to where the coffee was shelved. He was a man on a mission. When he found what he wanted, he made sure it was high-test with the maximum amount of caffeine, then grabbed as many cans as he could carry and headed for the checkout counter. Vera Peterson was ringing up a purchase for a young woman who looked sort of familiar.

      Vera glanced up and smiled when he got in line. “Hi, Caleb.”

      “Good to see you, Vera.” It always was.

      They’d been good friends for a lot of years and he liked her husband, too. But a long time ago, before she’d even met the man she was happily married to, Caleb had a thing with her. She was a little older, a lot wiser and had taught him quite a bit. Although she hadn’t been able to teach him that there was any point to love, and no one since had changed his mind about that.

      The customer in front of him turned and got a big, flirty look on her face. “Caleb Dalton. Imagine running into you. It’s nice to see you again.”

      Again? He had no idea what her name was. A brunette with hazel eyes, she was pretty and probably one of the numerous women who’d moved to Rust Creek looking for a cowboy to marry after reading Lissa Roarke’s blog. Like Lily’s aunt. Mallory. Now, her name he could remember. And chalk that up to the fact that he’d been distracted all through dinner with his dad. What was her story? Why didn’t she have a husband? He didn’t want to wonder about any of it but couldn’t seem to turn off the curiosity.

      “Would you like to go get coffee or something?”

      The words from the hazel-eyed brunette pulled him back from a vision of auburn hair, brown eyes and the prettiest smile he’d seen in a long time. “Sorry?” He shook his head to clear it. “What was that?”

      “Do you want to get a cup of coffee? Or something?”

      It surprised the hell out of him that he wasn’t interested. Not tempted even a little bit. But giving her a blunt no wasn’t his style, so he prettied it up.

      “Normally I’d like that, but I have to be up before God. Work on the ranch isn’t nine to five.”

      She took her change from the clerk and picked up her bag before giving him a disappointed look. “Maybe another time.”

      No point in saying yes because it would be a lie. “Have a good evening.”

      “You, too.” She walked out the door and lifted her hand in a flirty waggle of fingers when she passed in front of the window outside.

      Vera gave him a what’s-with-you look, then rested one hand on a jeans-clad hip and stared at him as if he was wearing a snake around his neck like a tie. “You sick or something?”

      Not unless thinking too much about Mallory Franklin qualified. “Never been better. Why?”

      “Duh.” There was a twinkle in her big blue eyes.

      “How are the kids? What are they now? Six and eight?”

      “Yeah. And they’re fine. But you don’t get to change the subject.” She tossed a long, straight strand of blond hair over her shoulder. “You just turned down an invitation from a woman. And she’s your type.”

      “How do you know?”

      “Because she’s a woman.”

      Meaning he wasn’t picky and liked them all. He couldn’t say she was wrong about that. “Yeah. Weird, huh?”

      “I’d say so.” She rang up the cans of coffee and waited for money. “Good for you.”

      He gave her some bills before asking, “Why do you say that?”

      “Because it’s about darn time you grew up.”

      “Bite your tongue, Vera.” He grinned. “You know that will never happen.”

      “Never say never,” she warned. “Say hi to your folks for me.”

      “I’ll do that at dinner on Sunday.” His mother insisted on it and none of her children had the nerve to say no to Mary Dalton. “You tell John and the kids hello from me.”

      “Will do.”

      He waved, then walked out to his truck and opened the passenger door to set the coffee on the seat. What had just happened? It was out of character for him to turn down a pretty lady, because he liked them all and kept things fun. As soon as that changed, he found a way to slide out of it without hurting anyone’s feelings. Everyone had a gift and that was his.

      He never saw the point of taking it up a notch and never said no to a potential fling.

      But that had changed tonight. Because he’d been thinking about Mallory Franklin? Maybe that was what happened when you got hit by lightning. Some people lived after getting zapped, but they were never the same. Since he liked himself just fine the way he was, he needed to watch out for storm activity and head for cover as soon as possible.

      He was very good at that, too.

       Chapter Two

      With Lily securely buckled up in the backseat, Mallory parked her compact car in front of the Dalton house. Her boss had invited them to dinner because his wife said Mallory had been in town over six months and that length of time without having her over crossed the line into unfriendly territory. It was five o’clock on Sunday and they were right on time.

      “Here we are,” she announced and turned off the car.

      The sound of a seat belt clicking apart came from the rear seat. “Mr. Dalton has a big house.”

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