Brock looked at Cassie, his heart going out to her. He could tell she was anxious, with her lips pinched so tightly together. It seemed like a world of worries was swirling about in her head.
“So, with the hay issue settled and our next job planned, we can get back to checking the fence,” he said, hoping to get her attention on the here and now, and away from her thoughts. “With the perimeter fence, if you’re only growing crops, we can just repair it a bit, but if you plan to have any animals roaming around, we’ll need to make sure it’s perfectly solid. Do you think you’ll have stock out here, or just crops?”
Apparently his question didn’t help at all, because she only looked more worried, and he could see that tears were threatening to fall. Even though they had only met the day before, he couldn’t stand by and watch without doing something. As if on the same impulse, he pulled her into a hug as she threw herself against him. “I don’t know what I’m doing here,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest.
“Momma? You okay?” Carter asked.
Brock looked down, startled to see the boys. They had finished the race apparently, and were standing side by side with expressions of concern on their identical faces.
Cassie broke away from his chest and smiled down at her children. “I’m fine, honey. I was giving Mr. McNeal a hug. Because he’s being so nice to help us.”
Brock stood there, not sure what to say. The moment had been so raw, so pained, and yet she was able to put it all aside for her little boys. He had to wonder if she’d done the same thing when her husband died, burying her hurt in order to stay strong for her children. He was almost sure she had.
He was truly amazed by this woman.
“Let’s keep walking,” Brock said at last, trying to bring himself out of his own thoughts. “I’ll check for rot, and we can figure it all out once we know what we’re looking at. How does that sound?”
Cassie flashed him a grateful look, and they all continued along the perimeter of the land.
The boys immediately filled the silence with their questions and whatever else seemed to pop into their heads. Brock couldn’t help but like them. His ma was right: they were sweet kids.
Zach grabbed Cassie’s arm. “Momma! Tell about Daddy!”
Brock was glad he was already looking at a fence post and the lumber nailed to it—it gave him a chance to hide his reactions. Curiosity mixed with a little embarrassment, and maybe even some jealousy. The man had, after all, been married to Cassie, been father to these two boys. He couldn’t help wanting to stack himself up against him, even if his good sense told him it was a bad idea in more ways than one.
Once he’d mastered his expression, Brock turned back to Cassie and the boys, hoping he seemed nonchalant. He was surprised to see the slight flush of red in Cassie’s cheeks, and wondered if his presence was causing her to feel uncomfortable.
He moved ahead of the other three, just in case the distance might make her feel better. He couldn’t help listening, though.
“Your daddy,” she began, in a tone that made Brock sure she’d said these same words many times, “was one of the hardest workers in our precinct. He worked lots of hours trying to keep the city safe for everyone.”
“He was a good policeman,” Carter added, as if he held that knowledge close to his heart.
Brock felt heartbroken for these two boys, who had lost their father at such a young age. It brought back his own painful memories.
He didn’t look at Cassie, kept his eyes on the fence, but he imagined her nodding and smiling at her son, remembering her brave police officer husband. Asking her out suddenly seemed like little more than a pipe dream.
“One time, he was driving along in his squad car,” Cassie went on, “and he saw a man yelling at a woman, who was crying.”
“That man was mean!” Zach shouted, angry.
“He was mean,” Cassie agreed. “Your daddy went up and helped the woman, and the man couldn’t hurt her anymore because your daddy was there to protect her. It’s good to help and protect people who need it,” she concluded.
The boys gabbled happily about the story, running on ahead. Brock stood with Cassie, unsure what to say. Complimenting her deceased husband didn’t seem right, but neither did asking questions or completely ignoring what just happened.
Before he could figure out what to say, Cassie spoke to him, her voice quiet enough to keep the boys from overhearing. “Sorry. About before.”
With the image of her husband looming large over Brock, he had almost forgotten her tears from just a few minutes ago.
He waved away the apology. “None of us know what we’re doing all the time,” he said.
She made a noise that could have been a snort, or perhaps a small sob. “It’s not just a small case of indecision. I made all these choices, moving us all the way out here, without really thinking things through. I was so desperate to get away from—well, it doesn’t matter. So I followed a silly childhood dream, and now the reality of it all is a bit much. My mom was right,” she said with a small, sad laugh, “I was being too impulsive, too stubborn.”
Brock smiled. “My ma says that about me all the time, too.”
“Is she right?” Cassie asked, her voice quiet.
Brock could see she was hoping for something to hold on to. He shrugged. “Yeah, but I’ve got to make choices for myself, right? You can’t be happy living the way other people want you to.”
He watched her absorb his words. Finally, she nodded, wiping away a stray tear, and turned to the fence. “Is much of it decayed?” she asked.
He half wanted to bring the subject back to why she had come here, what she was running away from, but decided to let it lie. It probably had to do with her husband’s death, and if she moved here because the memory of her lost love was too painful, he’d rather not know. Brock knocked on the fence board in front of him. “It seems like most of it is okay. It just needs some new nails and a fresh coat of paint. You’ll need a few hundred bucks’ worth of lumber, at most, if the rest of it is like this,” he said, gesturing at the expanse of fence behind them.
Cassie seemed relieved, and they continued walking in silence. After a short while, Brock said, “You might want to consider raising a small herd of cows out here. It would cost a bit at first, but you can buy them as you can afford them, and they’ll be more lucrative than selling bales of hay in the long run.”
Brock wasn’t sure if the information was helpful or more to add to her plate, but he felt sure, despite how little he knew about her, that she would appreciate knowing his opinion on the subject.
Cassie smiled. “Owning cows to go along with my horses, huh? That would make me a real country girl,” she said, hooking her thumbs in her jean pockets.
He laughed. “Get some boots instead of those sneakers and a good hat, and nobody will know you’re a city slicker.”
She nodded, raising her hand to shade her face from the sun’s powerful rays. “I’ll definitely need a hat, if it’s always this sunny. I’m not used to the weather here.”
“Where are you from?” he asked without thinking.
It was only after he said it that he remembered her earlier words. Wherever she was from, she had run to the country to get away from it. Brock felt like an ass for bringing it up, but it was too late now.
“Minneapolis,” she said, without elaborating further.
Still, she didn’t seem devastated by the question, and he was curious about her. In for a penny, in for a pound, he thought. “That’s a pretty big city,” he commented.
“Smaller than you might think,” she answered in a light tone, but the expression on her face hardened slightly.
Something within him pushed to keep the conversation going as they continued along the fence. They were over halfway done, and he felt like this was an opportunity to get to know her. Something about the wide-open land and sky around them made it easier. “I can see why you haven’t had much experience with land and fences up there. It’s not exactly a ranching area. The winters are brutal there, aren’t they?”
She rolled her eyes, and his heart jumped when she gave him a genuine smile. “Like you wouldn’t believe. That’s one of the reasons I picked Spring Valley. I’ll be just fine if I never see snow again.”
He wanted to keep her smiling. “Well, this is the place to be if you hate snow. It’s a rare winter that we get more than an inch or two.”
She nodded and looked fondly across the hot brown grass. Before the silence could stretch too long, he said, “I’m surprised you even managed to find this place. Spring Valley doesn’t show up on many maps.”
“Hank, my—my late husband—his parents live in Glen Rock, not too far from here. I fell in love with the area the first time we visited. It seemed just like the place I wanted to live when I was a kid. Somewhere far away from the busy city life, with land and animals to tend...”
Her voice drifted away, as if she was picturing the ranch, not as it was, but as she must have imagined it when she was little. She seemed so sincere, so hopeful, that he knew he’d do whatever he could to help make that dream a reality.
Then she started walking again and he followed. In what felt like too short a time, they had finished most of the fence and then just had the paddock left. He wished there were more fence to saunter along, some other reason to dawdle outside. There was something calming, right, about strolling out there with Cassie and her boys.
“Have you lived here your whole life?” she asked, pulling him out of his reverie.
That simple question was always a difficult one to answer, and even though he felt like Cassie was a person he could confide in, he wasn’t ready to explain the whole situation to her. He stuck with his honest-but-short response, hoping she wouldn’t ask for more details. “No. I lived in San Diego for a while when I was little.”
“Surfer-turned-cowboy, huh?” she said with a smile.
Her fun tone made him want to joke with her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do more than give her a small smile. The image of his father teaching him to surf always brought with it an unpleasant ache in his chest. Despite all the extreme sports he’d tried as an adult, he’d never been able to get back on a surfboard. “Something like that” was all he said.
She seemed to sense his unwillingness to discuss his life in San Diego, because she didn’t ask him anything more about his childhood.
* * *
CASSIE WASN’T SURE if she was happy or not that the walk was over as they finished the loop around the paddock. It was hot, and she was looking forward to the cool and shade of the house, and to an icy drink, but she couldn’t help but wish she and Brock were still ambling on beside each other. He somehow managed to set her on fire and soothe her soul at the same time, and she worried the feeling would disappear once they were back in the house, away from the great expanse of land that surrounded them.
They stopped walking, and Cassie lingered an extra moment. Brock made no move toward the house, either, and they stood there quietly as the boys ran inside.
“So, what’s the verdict? How much do I need to replace?” she asked, not yet ready to go inside.
Brock smiled at her, and she felt her heart thump. “Not much, actually. It’s better than I would have expected, and the paddock shouldn’t take more than a bit of lumber and a few hours’ work before it’s ready to hold your horses.”
Cassie felt relief course through her. Maybe she would be able to make this work, prove to herself that she could do it.
She looked into his eyes, and the heat around them grew even thicker with unsaid thoughts. Cassie was wondering what it would be like to kiss him when the slam of the screen door came as a welcome diversion. She turned toward the house, creating distance between her and the smoldering man beside her.
Both of her boys were running across the golden grass toward her, leaving a woman standing on the back porch. Cassie squinted in the bright sunlight to see who it was.
Carter skidded in front of her, already talking. “Momma, Miss Emma is here. She brought a pie. She said it was for dessert, but can we have some now? Please?”
“Is that Emmaline Reynolds?” Brock asked from behind her.
Something like jealousy popped up in Cassie, but she quickly tamped it down. She had no call to feel possessive about Brock, she reminded herself. He could date Emma all he wanted.
She couldn’t stop herself from saying a quick prayer that he wouldn’t, though.
“I haven’t seen her since grade school. Didn’t even know she still lived here. You sure make friends fast,” Brock commented.
Her mood suddenly lifted, she flashed him a smile. “When you have a sweet tooth and two young kids and you move to a town with one bakery, you get to know the owner of said bakery very quickly. Especially when the boxes of kitchen supplies go missing for a week. We’ve also made friends with the owners of the pizza place and the café.”
Brock chuckled, the sound reverberating through her body, and his grin caught her off-guard, turning her legs to jelly. She started to regret saying something amusing, looking at him and having a sex drive at all, because this man was certain to be her downfall if a laugh and a smile could do all that to her. Apparently not noticing her discomfiture, he said, “I’m going to go do another check of the paddock real quick, just to be sure we didn’t miss anything, and then it’s probably best we take a break anyway. You’d be surprised how fast the heat can get to you.”
It wasn’t the heat that was getting to her, but she wasn’t about to say that.
“I’ll go see what Emma wants. Come on in whenever you’re done,” she said to him as she turned away.
She was going to need to be very careful around Brock McNeal.
At the back porch, Emma smiled at her friend. “I came to tell you that I need some more of your business cards to put by the register, because people have been taking them left and right. You should expect to start getting calls for appointments any time now. My neighbor, Mrs. Edelman, asked me to bring her in just as soon as you’re open for business. In fact, I’m not working the day after tomorrow, if you’ll be ready by then”
Cassie couldn’t believe it. “I may not have my office perfect yet, but I’d be happy to meet her then, if that works for you.”
Emma nodded, satisfied. “And you really ran through all those cards?” Cassie couldn’t help but asking.
“What can I say? People here are excited to have a doctor in town,” Emma responded.
Cassie had given Emma a stack of cards only a few days before, in the hopes that she could start meeting with patients as soon as the office was completed. If they were gone already, and if she had her first appointment lined up, her practice might get a running start after all, and she would be able to pay for whatever new expenses cropped up.
Emma’s voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. “Also, I brought you an official ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ pie. And it’s a ‘thanks for treating my burns’ pie and an ‘I’m glad to have a friend who’s also the town doctor and plan to keep her very happy’ pie, too.”
Emma tilted the pie in her hands so Cassie could see the laced top, beautifully browned with dark berries peeking out and sugar crystals sprinkled on top. The sight made Cassie’s mouth water. She laughed. “Pies convey a lot of meaning, huh?”
Emma shrugged. “I just want you to know that I’m glad you moved here, Doc. You have great timing.”
When Emma had burned her arm badly the week before while Cassie and the boys were at the bakery, Cassie was happy to help treat the wound. That and Emma’s amazing cinnamon rolls had started a quick friendship, one that Cassie was very grateful for in her new life.
“Your very meaningful pie looks amazing, Emma,” she responded, inhaling the wafting smell of pastry and berries.
“I thought you could probably use a treat, but,” Emma added, nodding her head toward Brock in the distance, “it seems like you already have a sweet treat here. Who is that?” she asked in a gossipy whisper.
Cassie looked toward Brock, whose muscles looked almost heavenly in the bright sunshine as he moved about the paddock that would one day hold her horses. “It’s Brock McNeal. His parents live next door and he’s giving me a little help fixing this place up. He said he knew you from school.”
Emma whistled a low note and leaned back against the doorjamb. “Brock McNeal. I haven’t seen him since we were kids. He did a great job growing up.”
Cassie ushered Emma into the cool, dim kitchen, where they put the pie on the counter. Emma kept looking out the window at Brock, leaving Cassie feeling more agitated than she’d like. “Did you two date in high school? I imagine everyone in such a small town must’ve gone out with each other at some point. Unless you’re related, of course,” Cassie said as nonchalantly as she could.
Emma’s head whipped around to stare at Cassie, and she gave her a conspiratorial smile. “No, we never dated. I moved away in middle school and only came back two years ago to start the bakery. I missed my chance, I guess.”
Cassie tried to pretend she didn’t hear what her friend was implying. “Let me take a look at your burn. I want to make sure it’s healing.”
Emma’s expression made it very clear she wasn’t fooled by the change of subject. Cassie couldn’t help but laugh when Emma rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, refusing to cooperate until she was given more details. “He’s attractive,” Cassie admitted, “but I’ve got my boys and too much to do around here as it is. Brock’s just helping me fix up the ranch. Nothing romantic going on. I’m not about to start any messy relationships.”
“A messy relationship could be really fun,” Emma said, slipping Cassie a wink and rolling up her sleeve. Cassie inspected the nearly healed burn, happy with its progress and that Emma didn’t push the subject of Brock McNeal any further. Cassie was quite aware of how fun a messy relationship with the man could be, and she was determined not to allow that thought to go any further than it already had.
After ensuring herself that Emma had taken care of the burn as directed, Cassie released Emma’s arm as Brock came in the door, carrying a couple short planks of wood and a hammer. “Hey, Brock. Long time no see,” Emma said.
Brock smiled at her. “Good to see you, Emma. I’d shake your hand, but—” He trailed off, gesturing at the lumber in his arms. “How’s your brother?”
“Oh, he’s fine,” Emma said, leaning against the counter. Cassie couldn’t say for sure if Emma was being casual or flirty, and immediately wanted to smack herself on the forehead for even caring. “He’s saving lives in Cambodia. Making the rest of us look bad. You know how it is.”
Brock chuckled, but this time the feelings it created in Cassie’s belly weren’t nearly as nice as before. She wished Emma wasn’t quite so tall and leggy. Next to her, Cassie felt tiny, almost invisible.
“I know how that is. My sister’s the same way,” Brock said before turning to Cassie.
When his eyes locked to hers, Cassie’s heart began to pound. She suddenly felt anything but invisible. “I’m just going to fix that bunk bed real quick, then I’m going to go home and get cleaned up. Is it okay if I come by in a few hours, though? Once it cools down a bit, I can bring over a crowbar from our place and start tearing out boards in the paddock that need to be replaced.”
Cassie felt nearly breathless with his generosity. “You don’t have to do all that,” she answered, aware that Emma was standing right beside her. “It’s too much to ask.”
Brock shrugged. “I’m not doing much else but getting in my ma’s way. It’s nice to feel useful. And those kids won’t be able to properly settle into their room until that bed’s safe enough to withstand a hurricane. I’m guessing they’ll push that furniture to the limits as much as the Wilson boys did.”
Cassie returned his smile. She had been worried about the same thing, and her heart filled with gratitude. “Thank you so much, Brock,” she said, putting a hand to her chest in a show of earnestness.
It was only when Brock’s ears reddened slightly that she realized where her unconscious gesture directed his gaze, and she quickly dropped her hand to her side. Intensely aware that Emma was watching, Cassie tried to lighten the mood. “I’ll need to make another stack of pancakes to thank you. And you’re welcome to a slice of delicious pie, thanks to Emma,” she finished, pointing toward the dessert.
Brock smiled at her. “Can’t say no to that,” he responded. “I’ll just go take care of that bunk bed and then I’ll be out of your hair for a few hours.”
With that, he was out of the kitchen. Cassie waited, listening for Brock’s footsteps to fade.
It was only after he was definitely out of earshot that Cassie turned to Emma, hoping her friend had missed that short moment of tension—if that was what it was, which Cassie had probably misinterpreted anyway—and had only seen an innocent conversation. Cassie was proud of herself. Really, she thought, Emma couldn’t possibly have cause to think their relationship was anything but neighborly.
Which is all it is and will ever be, a stern voice inside her scolded. The reminder didn’t cheer her.
Emma looked at Cassie and shrugged. “Fair enough,” she said. “I’ve never had luck with love anyway. Maybe you will.”
“What does that mean?” Cassie asked, praying Emma didn’t mean what Cassie knew she meant.
“Don’t even try that,” Emma responded, wagging her finger at Cassie. “I know when a guy’s hooked. His eyes were locked on your face that whole time, except for when he was distracted by your...hand,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “He could hardly manage a glance at me, and he didn’t even look at my pie, which is a first.”
“Maybe he doesn’t like pie,” Cassie suggested, trying to brush away Emma’s insinuations.
Her friend snorted in response, as if the very idea was preposterous. “Well, I need to get back to the shop, but I expect to hear more about Brock McNeal the next time I see you.”
After giving Emma another stack of business cards and saying goodbye, Cassie went to Zach and Carter’s room. She walked in to find the boys at opposite ends of the bunk bed, pushing and pulling at it with all their might, giggling hysterically in the process. Brock was standing a few feet away, watching with his hands on his hips.
None of them seemed to notice her arrival, so she stood in the doorway and watched as the boys collapsed on the floor, laughing breathlessly.
“I told you that it wouldn’t budge an inch,” Brock told the boys.
Cassie moved forward into the room and looked closely at the bed, noting the boards Brock had used to steady the wobbling top bunk. Before she could think of what to say, Zach and Carter were on her, pulling her over to show her exactly what Brock had done to make their bed safe.
She allowed herself a quick glance in his direction to find him suddenly looking slightly awkward, and before she could say anything he hooked his thumb toward the door. “I’m going to go home to wash up and change, but I’ll be back this afternoon.”
Hardly waiting for a nod from her, he strolled out of the bedroom. She faintly heard the front door open and close, and he was gone.
Why had he disappeared so quickly? She hadn’t even been able to express her thanks for what he had done for Zach and Carter.
“He’s nice,” Carter commented, climbing up into his new bed. Cassie had to agree.
Nice, and sexy. And a little bit confusing.
With a deep exhale, she headed to the shower to wash off the sweat from the heat of the day. It also gave her time to think.
Her first thoughts as she stepped into the water strayed to Brock. Showering. With her. Emma’s words rang in her head. I know when a guy’s hooked...
The idea made her stomach flutter with excitement. She immediately shoved her head under the cool spray, biting back her sexual frustration.
Why, why did the man willing to help her need to be quite so perfect?
Men weren’t an option right now, Cassie knew, but oh, man, if they were, she knew right where she’d go.
Cassie sighed and turned off the water, feeling cleaner but still very unsatisfied.
She would need to be careful if she was going to avoid rumors getting around town that she and Brock were an item. She didn’t want the boys to hear anyone suggesting that she might be replacing their daddy.
She could just imagine the whispered talk, the way people would look at her, wondering how much was true...
She’d been through that too recently for the idea of it starting all over again to sit well.
And if she knew Emma at all from their short friendship, she guessed talk would be all around town in a matter of days. The thought made her skin crawl.
This time, though, she could at least make sure the rumors had no truth behind them, no teeth to sink into her and hurt her.