LITMIR.BIZ

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said, “Training Snookie isn’t going to be a full-time job for you. Since you’re in construction, maybe you could help with some of the things around here. I’ve been doing what I can, but with my own ranch, I can’t do as much as I’d like.”

      “Yes,” Leah added. “We also have money in the budget to pay for some of the repairs, but getting anyone to come out here is really tough.”

      He studied Nicole’s face, trying to gauge her reaction. She already didn’t want him here.

      “It would keep him out of my hair,” she said.

      There were worse answers, he supposed.

      “And we still haven’t gotten that chicken coop fixed,” Erin added. “It’s too smelly to breathe in there.”

      Nicole giggled. “So basically, give him all the stuff we don’t want to do?”

      If she thought cleaning up a bunch of chicken manure was going to scare him away, she obviously hadn’t heard enough stories about his uncle from Adriana. The only stories Adriana probably hadn’t told Nicole were the ones about him. His entire family was ashamed of his time in prison, and all they ever told anyone about his seven-year absence was that he was off finding himself.

      He had found himself. In a lot of unexpected ways. It just hadn’t been the youthful lark everyone made it sound like. He might have been young and stupid, but at eighteen, he’d been legally an adult and paid adult consequences.

      “I’d be happy to,” Fernando said. “I can tell this place needs some improvements, and I’m familiar with the work. It won’t be a problem. Just give me a list, and I’ll take care of it.”

      They discussed his wage, and while it was more than reasonable, Fernando couldn’t help wishing they’d found a way to disagree. But he couldn’t, in all fairness, ask for more, which would have been the only way they wouldn’t have come to an agreement.

      Shane looked over at Fernando. “Why don’t you come with me? Leah and I were talking about the apartment over the barn. I stayed there when I first came to Columbine Springs years ago, and it hasn’t been used since. We were going to fix it up as guest quarters.”

      He looked apologetic, but then shrugged. “It needs some work, but it’s habitable.”

      Fernando nodded at the man’s thoughtfulness, but he looked over at Nicole to see how she felt about the idea. Her face was expressionless, which was a good sign, considering the hostility she’d once had toward him.

      “Thanks. I was going to go look for a hotel or something. But if it’s not too much of an imposition, that would be great.”

      Shane chuckled. “There isn’t much in Columbine Springs. We had some city folks try to establish a B&B, but they didn’t last long. There was an old hotel, but it’s been closed now for at least ten years.”

      He liked Shane. He hoped they could be friends, but just as he had the idea, he dismissed it as being stupid. He didn’t want to establish ties here if it would cause Nicole more pain. Yes, she had to deal with her grief. But he knew he was walking a fine line, and he wasn’t going to insert himself into her life any further than was healthy for her.

      Or for him.

      It wasn’t just Adriana’s actions he didn’t understand but Brandon’s. Despite her obvious faults, his sister had been a great person, but in a way, Nicole was even better. She represented everything he wanted in a woman. She was smart, funny, kind to children and animals, and she had a zest for living that had always inspired him. How could Brandon have treated her so badly?

      Maybe that’s why he’d been trying so hard to help Nicole. He’d always admired her, and seeing how bitter she’d become bothered him.

      No, he didn’t think he stood a chance at her heart. No woman should be stuck with a guy like him. As an ex-con, he couldn’t give any woman the kind of life she deserved. Especially someone as wonderful as Nicole.

      Or at least as Nicole had been.

      Was that woman still inside?

      As Shane led him out to the barn, Snookie neighed, reminding him of the other reason he was here.

      Snookie was where he had to stay focused. He could help the horse. Nicole—that was something he had to leave alone.

       Chapter Three

      Nicole went into the small apartment above the barn, carrying some linens Leah had asked her to bring over for Fernando. After everything that had been said earlier, she didn’t really want to talk to him, but her sisters had made it clear she had to stop running from the pain. She still wasn’t sure what to say to him.

      The apartment wasn’t what you would call luxury lodgings, but Fernando had said he didn’t mind and had even promised to help fix it up. Which made Nicole feel like even more of a jerk for not welcoming him with open arms. He’d done everything he could to be nice, and she kept shoving him away.

      But how did one welcome the reminder of your biggest mistakes with joy? He didn’t answer her knock on the door, and she remembered hearing that he’d wanted to take a walk later. When she let herself in, she saw him sound asleep, sprawled out on the bare mattress. She looked down at the bundle of sheets and blankets she’d brought. Moving as quietly as possible, she carried them to the dresser. But as she set them on top, Fernando yelled, “I didn’t do it! Leave me be.”

      She turned, but Fernando was still fast asleep, tossing and turning on the bed.

      “I didn’t tell. It wasn’t me! I promise, I didn’t help.”

      He was having a bad dream. And from the way he thrashed about, it was a terrible one.

      “Please. I beg you. Don’t do this. It wasn’t me.”

      Should she wake him? She took a step toward him, and the board creaked.

      Fernando sat bolt upright. “What?”

      He seemed wide awake now.

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I just brought you some linens.”

      He nodded slowly as he looked around the room.

      “It’s all right,” she told him, wanting to comfort him like she did her nephews when they had nightmares, but not feeling so generous as to want to give him a cuddle the way she did with the boys.

      Then he looked at her more closely. “You look like you just saw something terrifying. Was I talking in my sleep again?”

      Nicole nodded slowly. “I wasn’t afraid of you, though. I was afraid for you. It seemed like you were having the most awful dream.”

      He ran his fingers through his hair as he nodded. “Sí. I mean, yes. What did I say?”

      He looked so out of sorts, it seemed almost impossible to withhold compassion.

      She walked over and sat on the edge of the bad, near him, but not next to him. “You can use Spanish around me if you want. Adriana did sometimes, and she was trying to teach me a few words.”

      Then she shook her head. “I don’t know why I just said that. That was dumb of me.”

      Especially the part about Adriana. She’d done her best to forget about her former best friend, and it was weird the way the memory came back up so quickly. Part of why she hadn’t wanted Fernando around in the first place. She didn’t need the reminders. But he was here now, and she had to deal with it.

      He shook his head slowly. “Thanks. I don’t...”

      Fernando seemed unsure of himself, hesitant. And she didn’t blame him. After all, she’d done everything she could to make him feel unwelcome, and now that he was clearly in the middle of something disturbing, he

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