LITMIR.BIZ

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in the best shape, but we could fix it up.”

      Maura had been lucky to find people like Abby and Cade Randell. Between her job and the house, they had helped her so much. She’d never be able to repay them. “I think you know I’m not afraid of hard work. But let’s talk about this in the morning. Sorry to bring you out so late.” She turned him toward the door. “Now, go home to your family.”

      Maura finally got Cade to leave. She started to turn off the light, but decided she’d leave it on just for tonight. She climbed the steps, realizing she’d done what she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do. She had gotten attached to this house, knowing full well that she couldn’t stay forever. But two months had been too short a time. She wanted to hate Wyatt Gentry, but she found she couldn’t. Instead, surprisingly, she was looking forward to his return tomorrow, especially since that meant her departure.

      Wyatt had been up since dawn, but he doubted Maura Wells had. So he hung around the motel café trying to come up with a solution for all of them. There weren’t any answers, especially if the woman and her kids couldn’t afford rent for another house.

      About seven-thirty, he pulled his truck up in front of the once white, two-story house. Home sweet home. His first ever. He raised an eyebrow at the peeling paint, the sagging porch, the weed-infested yard and flower beds.

      It was all his.

      No more trailer, no more campgrounds and traveling around. Wyatt was finally putting down roots. He had his dream, his own ranch. Best of all, none of it had Earl Keys’s name on it to remind him that he and Dylan were never wanted, they just came along as excess baggage with their mother. Twenty years ago, Sally Gentry had married a man who promised to take care of her and her twin sons. She believed that Keys was the answer to their prayers until they discovered that he only wanted them to help work his rough-stock business.

      No more. He’d worked for years riding in rodeos and working for rough-stock contractors. Now, the Rocking R was his. He belonged here, and never again would he feel like a hired hand. If he was going to work his fingers to the bone it would be because this land was his.

      He chuckled. He hadn’t come to Texas to buy land but to find his real father. After getting a letter from a man named Jared Trager, telling him about Jack Randell, Wyatt headed to San Angelo. That was how he ended up at the Rocking R. Although the place had been deserted by the Randells, fate had practically handed him the home he’d longed for, and at a price he couldn’t pass up. All that was left for him was to move in.

      But first he had to evict the squatters. Wyatt climbed out of the cab and walked up the rickety steps and around the rotted wood on the porch, making a mental note to replace them first thing. He knocked on the door and within seconds heard the scurrying of shoes on the floors. The door jerked open and the boy, Jeff, appeared.

      “Oh, it’s you.” The kid looked grim.

      “Is your mother around? I told her that I’d be back this morning.”

      The kid opened his mouth and yelled, “Mom!” Then he ran off leaving the door ajar.

      Wyatt took a step inside and closed the door behind him. He heard a commotion upstairs and the cry of a child. A few minutes later the small girl slowly descended the stairs. She was wearing bright-pink shorts, a white T-shirt and canvas shoes, her blond curls were in a ponytail tied with a pink ribbon. There were tears in her eyes and she was making a hiccuping sound.

      Wyatt wondered if she were hurt. Feeling a little awkward, he went to her. “What’s the matter?”

      Kelly stopped on the third step from the bottom. “Mommy’s mad with me.” Her tiny fists rubbed her eyes.

      Wyatt squatted down. “And just why is that?”

      “’Cause I got into her makeup and I’m not s’pose to. I want to be pretty like Mommy.”

      Wyatt had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. He figured Maura Wells didn’t need to wear any makeup for that. She was already a natural beauty. “You’re just as pretty with your curls.” He gave a tug on the ponytail.

      She giggled. “What’s your name?”

      “Wyatt.”

      She studied him closely. “Are you a mean man?”

      He shook his head. “I hope not.”

      “Jeff says you’re going to throw us out.” The girl’s lower lips quivered as if she were going to cry again.

      Wyatt suddenly felt like the meanest man on earth. Before he could say any more Maura Wells appeared at the top of the stairs. “Kelly Ann Wells, did you brush your teeth?”

      The girl swung around and looked up at her mother. “I forgot.”

      “Well, you better get to it. We have to leave soon.” The girl hurried up the steps, past her mother and ran down the hall. Maura descended the steps. She was dressed in a flowery skirt and a white cotton T-shirt and wore strappy sandals on her slender feet. Her golden-yellow hair was curled under just brushing her shoulders. No. She definitely didn’t need makeup to enhance her beauty.

      “I’m sorry, Mr. Gentry. Mornings around here are a little hectic.” Before he could answer a horn sounded and she called out, “Jeff, the bus is here.”

      Within seconds the boy came tearing through the house. He grabbed a backpack and a lunch sack off the table by the door. “Bye, Mom.” He threw Wyatt a stony glance and ran out the door.

      Peaceful silence. “Sorry, like I was saying the mornings are a little busy. Would you like some coffee?”

      “That would be nice,” Wyatt said and followed her into the kitchen.

      On the way Wyatt took the opportunity of daylight to look around. The rooms obviously needed paint, but everything was clean and neat. Maura Wells had taken care of the place. In the kitchen, she pulled down two mugs from the knotty pine cupboard, then poured the brew from a coffeemaker. “Please, sit down.”

      Wyatt watched as she moved around the old-fashioned kitchen. He didn’t take Maura to be much older than her late twenties. She was small, maybe a little on the thin side, but she didn’t lack curves. He watched the sway of her hips under her skirt.

      “I’m sure you want to move in as soon as possible,” she said as she sat down at the table and motioned for him to do also. “I’m sorry if we created a problem.”

      “Not a big deal.”

      She sighed. “We can be out…today.”

      Wyatt looked out the window and saw the sorry-looking station wagon parked by the back door. The woman definitely didn’t have much. Where was her husband? He looked back at her. “Do you have a place to go? I mean, I didn’t give you much notice.”

      “We’re not your concern, Mr. Gentry.”

      Then why did he feel as if they were? “Please, call me Wyatt.”

      She nodded. “Wyatt. We’ll probably stay with Cade and Abby Randell for a few days. If it’s okay, I’ll have to leave my furniture here temporarily, until I find another place.”

      Why did he feel like such a rat? He couldn’t do this. “Huh…that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”

      She nodded. “Of course.”

      “There’s so much work to do around the place. I was thinking there’s no reason why you and the kids couldn’t stay in the house.” He rushed on seeing her start to protest. “You’d be a big help to me with decorating the inside. And you could take your time finding another place to live.”

      “Oh, Wyatt,” she gasped. Her breathy tone caused his stomach to tighten. “I can’t do that. Where would you live?”

      “I thought I’d move into the Rocking R’s foreman’s cottage while I was doing the work. I don’t need much

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