LITMIR.BIZ

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small and rather remote, and the lack of lodging options in the town confirmed that. Two motels were listed within a twenty-five mile radius. One called The Mountaineer in Boyd Valley itself and a place called Catch-a-Wink in a community ten miles to the south. Next closest result was 56 miles away. He clicked the link for The Mountaineer’s website and arrived at a rudimentary website that looked like it had been created as a junior high kid’s school project. Jotting down the phone number for the office, he’d started tapping in the number on his cell phone. Activity on his monitor caught his attention. A quick reply from one of the brothers to her email.

      Of course we’ll pick you up, dummy. No prob. Can’t wait to see your ugly mug! LOL! BTW, do you want to go in thirds on the cruise Josh and I are giving them as their gift? Have a good trip, Zane

      “Mountaineer Inn. Can I help you?” asked the woman who answered his call.

      “Yeah, you got any rooms left for later this month?”

      “Absolutely. How many rooms do you need, and when will you be checking in?”

      “Just one room.” He only gave the lady from the motel half of his attention as he rattled off an alias. If Boyd Valley was as small as Piper said, it wouldn’t do for her to catch wind of his presence there thanks to some town gossip.

      “Can I pay cash for the room when I get there?”

      “Yes, if you pay for the full stay on arrival.” The lady from The Mountaineer went on to rattle off a spiel about their hot breakfast and something about local attractions, but he tuned her out.

      Piper was replying to Zane’s email.

      Yes on the cruise. I already told Josh that. Not surprised Doofus forgot to tell you! :-) I’ll give you a check when I get there. Excited! See you soon, P.

      “Yeah,” he muttered, hanging up on the lady at the motel. “We’ll see you soon, bro.”

      Piper McCall entered the baggage claim area at Denver International Airport and scanned the crowd for a familiar face. Her brothers had assured her they would pick her up, but since then some question had come up about which of them it would be. Despite the long flight, she actually looked forward to the ride to the Double M Ranch. The hour-long drive would give her the chance to catch up on ranch and family news. She hadn’t seen her identical twin brothers, the other two-thirds of the McCall triplets, since Christmas.

      She missed the bond she’d had with her brothers. She might have felt a bit odd-woman-out growing up, but you didn’t share a womb for nine months and not have a connection to your siblings.

      “Piper!” a strong male voice called over the crowd noise, and she turned in the direction she’d heard her name. And froze.

      The face she spotted by the luggage carts was definitely someone from the ranch. But not one of her brothers.

      Brady Summers.

      Son of their foreman. Her first love. And her first lover.

      Her mouth dried. Why did it have to be Brady?

      He raised a hand to make sure she’d seen him, and she bobbed a stiff nod of acknowledgment. Her gut somersaulting, she wove through the milling passengers and airport personnel toward Brady.

      She silently cursed her mother, who had, no doubt, set this up. She’d have to explain to her mother, again, that she and Brady were over. Kaput. History. Time to stop throwing them together, believing that the old spark would reignite, and the McCalls and Summerses would live happily ever after.

      She exhaled a cleansing breath. Okay, so her mother didn’t know the whole truth about what had happened between Piper and Brady. Probably for the best. Piper shuddered internally at the notion of what her mother might do if she knew the whole story, the whole, checkered past between her and the foreman’s son.

      Brady doffed his cowboy hat as Piper approached and gave her his charming, lopsided grin. “Hey there. Good flight?”

      “Average.” She heard the slight falter in her voice, the flutter that matched her staggering heartbeat.

      Damn it, why did he have to look so good to her even after all these years? Better even. His youthful face had matured with a stronger jawline, sharper angles to his cheekbones and more rugged overall appeal. Brady’s eyes were the same piercing green, though, and the smile that tugged at his lips had the same power to tie her insides in giddy knots. His gaze held hers as he greeted her, and she felt his stare to her marrow. Could he see how he still affected her? How the mere sight of him turned her insides to goo?

      Steeling herself, Piper surreptitiously wiped her sweaty palms on the seat of her jeans.

      “Welcome home.” He reached for the backpack she had draped on one shoulder, and she shrugged away.

      “I can get this. I have two suitcases coming, though. Carousel 3.”

      He lifted a shoulder. “All right.”

      She jerked a nod and turned to search the lit signs for the carousel.

      “Piper?”

      She glanced back at him. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.

      His gaze dropped to a boy standing slightly behind him. The boy was playing with a small windup fire truck, rolling the toy up the side of a trash can. “Connor, c’mere. I want you to meet someone.”

      Connor glanced up, staring at Piper for a moment, his eyes the same clear green as a Rocky Mountain lake. The same green as Brady’s eyes. Air backed up in her lungs. If her life had gone differently...

      Connor scuttled to Brady’s side, jerking her from the dangerous path of what-ifs.

      “Piper, this is Connor. My nephew.”

      The breath she’d been holding left her in a gush. His nephew. Of course. Relief made her knees tremble, but on the heels of that release came the stark reminder of why his nephew was with him.

      Brady’s brother and sister-in-law were killed in a bad traffic accident on Interstate 70, her mother had said in a phone call a few months back. When had that been? January? February? The couple had left custody of their son to Brady, a move that still puzzled her. Pam had family, sisters with children who’d surely have been better equipped to care for the little boy.

      She worked to hide her dismay over the couple’s deaths from the boy.

      “Connor, this is Josh and Zane’s sister, Piper. Can you tell her hello?”

      The boy stepped forward with a shy smile and stuck his hand out. “Hello. I’m Connor. Nice to meet you.”

      A smile bloomed on her face, and she took the small proffered hand. Crouching to the boy’s level and letting her backpack slip to the floor, she said, “Pleased to meet you, Connor. You have wonderful manners.”

      He twitched a crooked grin and shrugged. “Yeah. I know.”

      She snorted a laugh before she could muffle it. Glancing up at Brady, she added, “And so humble.”

      He grinned and flipped up his palm. “He’s a work in progress.”

      Piper sandwiched Connor’s hand between hers in a warm clasp. “How old are you, Connor?”

      “Six.” His face brightened. “I had a cowboy birthday party.”

      Piper chuckled. “Cowboys, huh? Like your uncle?”

      “And Grampa. He’s foreman at the Double M!”

      Piper matched the boy’s enthusiastic expression. “I know! Guess what? I’ve known your Grampa since before I was your age.”

      Connor tipped his head and gave her a skeptical frown. “Really?”

      “The Double M is my family’s ranch. I grew up there.”

      He nodded sagely. “Like Josh and Zane.”

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