“Wake up.”
Randy Watkins rolled over and squinted at the overhead light in his eyes. What time was it? Had he slept late or something?
“I’ve got to take off.” Austin, his older brother, hopped around on one foot as he tried to pull a sock on the other.
“Where are you going?” Randy rubbed his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows. He checked the time. A little past two in the morning. The intensity of Austin’s movements set off alarm bells.
“I’ve got an emergency. I’ll be in Texas for a week. Maybe two.” His face could have been carved from granite. “You’re in charge of the ranch. Bo left two days ago to visit his grandkids in Alabama. Won’t be back for a month.”
That woke him up.
Randy flung the blankets aside and got out of bed. Bo Nichol had been Austin’s foreman on the ranch for over ten years. Between Bo and Austin, the cattle operation ran as smoothly as could be, leaving Randy free to pursue his own career.
Austin had wrangled the sock on and was headed down the hall. Randy followed him to his room, where Austin shoved a few shirts into a bulging duffel bag.
“What about the store?” Randy leaned against the doorframe.
“Find someone else to run it.” Austin leveled him with the I’m-older-than-you-and-you’d-better-obey-me stare he’d perfected when they were kids. Except neither was a kid anymore. Just two grown men doing their best to live the way their father taught them.
The strain in his brother’s expression chased away his natural inclination to argue. Whatever was going on was big, which meant Randy would have to find someone to run Watkins Outfitters, his bait and tackle shop in downtown Sunrise Bend, Wyoming. “I’ve got you covered, man.”
Austin nodded.
“What’s the emergency?” He doubted he’d get a straight answer. He knew his brother too well. It was one of the reasons Randy was moving out of the old family farmhouse as soon as the construction of his new house was finished. He was ready for his own space. At twenty-nine, he couldn’t wait to live on his own.
“I can’t say. I don’t have all the information yet.” Austin averted his gaze and visibly swallowed. “I know this is short notice. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
“Well, technically, you didn’t ask.” He tried to lighten the mood. “You ordered.”
Austin shot him a brief glare and resumed packing. Then he hoisted the duffel over his shoulder. “A week, Randy. Two, tops. Remember, we have an agreement.”
Oh, he remembered, all right. They’d made promises to each other after Dad died. They’d agreed they would always have each other’s back. Brothers first. No matter what.
Dad would have wanted it that way. Pneumonia had taken their mother when Randy was two. Their grandparents had passed away years ago. A few distant aunts and uncles had never been in their lives. Randy and Austin relied on each other and always would.
And since Austin’s life revolved around the cattle, the ranch would be Randy’s top priority until he returned.
“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of this place.” He stepped aside to let him pass. They continued down the staircase to the kitchen. He wished his brother would have enough faith in him to tell him what was going on, though. “Whatever this is...you can trust me with it.”
“I know.” Austin’s expression was bleak. “I’ll tell you everything, but I have to evaluate the situation for myself first.”
He understood. His brother was the opposite of rash. He thought things through before blabbing or acting. If he said it was an emergency and he had to get more info, he meant it. It had been years and years since Randy had seen him this traumatized.
“Want me to go with you?” he asked. “You’re pretty rattled.”
“No.” Austin pulled on his cowboy boots. “Just take care of the cattle. I’ll text you with the specific ones to keep an eye on.”
As Austin turned to leave, Randy had the strongest urge to hug him. They weren’t very affectionate with each other. Roughhousing was as physical as they got. But seeing his big brother this upset tugged at the little boy inside him, the one who loved and admired Austin more than anyone on earth.
Randy reached out, pulled him into a quick embrace and stepped back. Gratitude gleamed in Austin’s eyes, then he raised his hand in goodbye and walked out the door.
When the sound of the truck engine faded, Randy debated his next move. There was no way he’d be able to get back to sleep now. The list of work he’d have to do in Austin’s absence loomed like the Bighorn Mountains in the distance. The ranch had two part-time cowboys in addition to Bo. Maybe they would put in extra hours.
Even if they did, Randy needed to ride out and check the cattle, feed the horses and deal with the steers. At least he didn’t have to feed the cattle, too. They were grazing in pastures for the summer. He’d probably need to move them around, though, and calves could be tricky to nudge in the right direction.
He’d never been great at ranching. It had been his dad’s and Austin’s passion and, he hated to admit it even to himself, their bond over the ranch had always made him feel like the odd man out.
After putting on a pot of coffee, he sat at the kitchen table. How was he going to take care of the ranch, run the store and finish the projects at his new house? To save money, he was painting the rooms, ordering the appliances, tackling the landscaping and doing other odd jobs. Most of it needed to be done before he moved in at the end of the month.
Maybe Finn could work extra hours at the store...
Nope. Randy tipped his head back and sighed. His sole employee was out of town for the next two weeks. Finn had graduated from high school on Saturday, and his parents were taking him on a trip to Florida to celebrate. Boy, did he need the kid now.
Blowing out a breath, he thought hard for a solution. Couldn’t ask just anyone to watch the store, not during the busy season.
What if he asked Blaine to help with the cattle?
That wouldn’t work. Blaine Mayer and his brother, Jet, had their hands full dividing their ranch. And with their sister’s out-of-town wedding coming up next weekend, they were too busy to help. His other friend Mac Tolbert would pitch in if need be. But he, too, had his own cattle operation to run. And their buddy Sawyer Roth was planning his wedding to Tess Malone in addition to managing her ranch.
Randy had grown up with the guys. They’d do anything for him, the same way he’d do anything for them. But he wouldn’t even consider pawning the ranch work off on them unless he couldn’t find anyone to watch the store.
As the coffeemaker gurgled, he rose and leaned against the counter, weighing his options.
He didn’t have time to train someone who had no experience, and he couldn’t think of any locals who didn’t already have a job. Watkins Outfitters was more than a bait and tackle shop. It went way beyond rods and worms. Camping and hunting equipment were popular year-round. He sold specialty products to outdoor enthusiasts, and right now everyone was eager to cast a line.
For the past two months, the new lures had been coming in, and he’d been creating videos every week to discuss the pros and cons of each. All of it took time and energy.
Remember, we have an agreement.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
If his brother couldn’t count on him in an emergency, then Randy might as well hang his head in shame and leave town. The ranch was everything to Austin, and he didn’t want his brother worrying about it on top of everything else.
Whatever everything else entailed.
He poured himself a cup of coffee, held the steaming mug between his fingers and looked unseeing out the window at the darkness beyond.
Who could he get to help out at the store?
An image of long blond hair, blue eyes, a sunny smile and a sarcastic streak a mile wide came to mind.
Hannah.
Of course.
School had just let out for the summer. As a local third-grade teacher, she’d be free for a few months. She’d filled in for several local businesses before she’d been hired to teach full-time, so it wasn’t as if he couldn’t trust her with the store. She was smart, great with customers and, hopefully, available.
She was also the prettiest thing he’d seen around here since...well...ever. Until recently, he’d always thought of her as nothing more than a fun pal. But something had started changing. He kept noticing her big smile and equally big heart. It made him uncomfortable. So he tried not to be around her too much.
Lord, if there’s anyone else I can ask to help out, lead me to them.
He sipped his coffee, searching his thoughts for any suitable person.
But his mind remained blank.
Sighing, he accepted the facts. He was in a bind, and Hannah was the ideal person to help him.
Too bad she was the last person in Sunrise Bend he wanted to ask.
The next three months loomed before her bright with possibilities. Another successful school year had wrapped up. As much as Hannah Carr would miss the third-grade students she’d spent so much time with this year, she couldn’t wait to begin her own adventures this summer.
She gripped a cardboard box overflowing with supplies. A small potted plant threatened to teeter off the top as she strolled toward the Sunrise Bend Elementary School parking lot. Late-afternoon sunshine warmed the bare skin of her arms. Number one on her agenda was to change out of this sundress and into comfy shorts and a tank top as soon as she got home. For the first Friday in June, it was unseasonably warm.
Thinking ahead to the weekend, she exhaled in contentment. No papers to grade, no lessons to plan. Plenty of time to clean her apartment and get ready for her new arrival.
In ten short days she was getting her first puppy! Well, not hers, exactly. She was finally becoming an official puppy raiser. She’d been volunteering for Paws at Your Service for over two years, teaching puppy training classes on Saturdays and helping the owner, Molly Dearborn, whenever possible. Molly had spent over two decades training and placing service dogs with a national organization before moving to Wyoming four years ago and opening her own business.
And now Hannah would have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life by helping train a service dog. She’d seen firsthand how they helped people with disabilities. Jenna Delante, a fourth-grade student with cerebral palsy, had a golden retriever to help her balance, to open and shut doors and to retrieve items for her. The other students loved Duke, and Jenna was blossoming physically and socially with his help.
At the end of the sidewalk, Hannah turned, stepping onto the blacktop toward the staff parking lot. Part of her wished she could get the puppy today. She itched to get started training it before taking the little guy to school with her in the fall. She’d already gotten school board approval for the dog to be in her classroom. After fourteen months, she’d give the pup back to Paws at Your Service to advance its training—if it made the cut.
She’d make sure the puppy made the cut.
Firming her steps, she thrust her chin in the air. She’d succeed. She had to. There were so many people who desperately needed a service dog, and in some cases, they waited years for the opportunity.
Speaking of waiting lists...she’d also been on Molly’s list to adopt a retired service dog for over eighteen months. She sighed. Maybe it was better she hadn’t been placed with one yet. It would give her the opportunity to focus exclusively on the puppy.
Boy, this box was getting heavy. Her pace picked up when she spotted her red Jeep Wrangler in the nearly empty lot. She was definitely taking off the top panels today. Sun on her face, wind in her hair...
A familiar figure came into view. What was Randy doing here?
Even this far away she could make out his jeans and faded navy T-shirt as he leaned against the Jeep’s driver’s-side door, his profile to her as he stared out at the playground. Not overly tall nor bulgingly muscular, he fit together just right.
They’d been casual friends for years. She teased him like he was one of her brothers. He had hazel eyes, a straight nose, a strong chin and thin lips that smiled easily. His broad shoulders strained under the T-shirt, and his short, thick brown hair practically begged to be touched.
Begged to be touched?
The lack of sleep from the end of the school year must be messing with her head or something. She had no business thinking about touching Randy’s hair. In fact, she shouldn’t be thinking about him at all.
For years her mother had been pushing her to date one of the local cowboys, and Mom had a soft spot for Randy and his brother, Austin. It used to amuse Hannah. Now the relentless matchmaking efforts irritated her to the point that she wanted to scream she was never getting married, even if she secretly hoped to find a good man and have a couple of kids someday.
If she could find a guy who wanted the same things she did—love and commitment—she’d get married in a heartbeat. But so far, she hadn’t found him.
She was so over men with lukewarm feelings. She’d rather be single forever than be someone’s backup plan. None of the guys around here seemed in a hurry to get married, either, that was for sure. Well, except Sawyer, but he didn’t count since he’d only recently moved back to Sunrise Bend and gotten engaged.
“Did you run out of fishing lures or something?” Hannah called out as she approached him.
He startled, turning to face her. Huh. She couldn’t remember a time she’d caught Randy off guard. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of everything. Was something wrong?
“No. Still fully stocked.” His lips curved up slightly. “Here, let me help.” He took the box from her, and her muscles cried out in relief.
She fished in her oversize purse for her keys. With a double chirp, the vehicle unlocked, and she went to the back to open the trunk. He set the box inside and shut the trunk. Then stood there. Inches from her. Causing the hair on her arms to rise.
“I’m sure you didn’t come out here to help me move my plant.” She backed away, cocking her head to the side, teasing him the way she always did. It chased away the unwelcome awareness of him.
“I have a favor to ask.” His expression grew serious. Whatever the favor was, he was dealing with something major.
“What’s going on?”
He looked around. So did she. Their only company was the blue sky and occasional bird flying overhead. Most of the other teachers had hightailed it out of there an hour ago.
“Austin took off in the middle of the night for an emergency.”
“Oh no.” She placed her hand over her chest. “Is everything okay?”
“I think so.” Randy’s eyebrows drew together as he diverted his attention to his feet. Then he looked up under dark lashes. “I’m in charge of the ranch for the next week or two. Puts me in a bind.”
He didn’t have to fill in the blanks. She could see his dilemma clearly. “You can’t take care of the ranch and be at the store. Bo’s on vacation, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he went down south to visit his family. Been planning it for over a year. He and Austin worked it out so he could take the month off.”
Mom had raved on more than one occasion about how nice it would be for Bo to see his grandkids. Her mother seemed to know everything going on around here. “Do you need me to watch the store for you?”
He blinked, and the honesty, relief and appreciation in his expression surprised her. “Would you?”
“Yeah, of course.” She waved as if it were nothing. “A week or two? I can do that.” Then she remembered the puppy. “Oh, wait.”
“What’s wrong? You’re busy, aren’t you?” His shoulders dropped, and she couldn’t help wanting to cheer him up.
“Well, kind of. It might not be a problem, though.” She mentally worked through the situation. “I volunteered to be a puppy raiser for Paws at Your Service. I pick mine up not this Sunday but the next. If Austin isn’t back...well...I’ll help out until I get the puppy.”
“I can ask Blaine or Mac to assist at the ranch if Austin’s not back by then.”
“And I could always ask my parents to take care of the puppy if need be.” She didn’t want to leave the dog with her parents unless absolutely necessary, though. Those early weeks were important for socialization and basic skills. She already had her daily training plan printed out. If she wanted to give the puppy the best chance at becoming a service dog, she needed to start off right.
“Or you could bring him to the store. I don’t care.” He smiled. “Whatever it takes.”
A puppy in the store for hours would be a bad idea.
He rocked back on his heels. “I warn you now Joe Schlock will be talking your ear off for a couple of hours each day.”
A breeze teased the hair around her neck. “Joe’s a sweetheart.”
“He’s a seventy-nine-year-old pain in my side.” He grinned. “But he’s a good guy.”
Hannah studied him briefly. This was the Randy she was familiar with. Easy smile, diplomatic, nice to everyone, a hard worker. But under it all she sensed there was more—much more—to him.
A mystery. Maybe that was why she’d been getting prickly when Mom baked cookies for him and Austin and asked her to drop them off.
Mysterious men weren’t good for her. Because whatever she didn’t know about them, she filled in with her own imagination. She’d mentally built up a guy or two to be the man of her dreams and been crushed when they didn’t live up to her expectations.
She wouldn’t do it again. Especially not after Shawn.
Randy shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I know it’s short notice, but could you start tomorrow?”
“Short notice? Try borderline no notice.” She raised an eyebrow in mock indignation, glad to think about anything other than her ex. “When are you planning on showing me the ropes?”
“How about right now?”
“How about you let me change into some shorts?”
“How about you change and meet me at the store?” With a gleam in his eye, he hitched his chin to her. “I’ll take you out for burgers afterward.”
“What if I want a steak?”
“Hannah, I’ll buy you a lobster, steak and anything else your heart desires if you’ll help me out.”
Anything her heart desired? Dangerous words for a recovering romantic. “Promise?”
“Promise.” All the teasing drained from his face, leaving something bleak in its wake.
“Hey, don’t worry.” She playfully jabbed his arm. “I’m not taking you up on it. I won’t break your wallet.”
He shook his head slightly. “Break it all you want. I appreciate you helping me out.”
This conversation felt way too heavy.
“Hey, put those muscles to use, will you? Help me get these roof panels off.”
He let out a light snort. “No problem.”
A few minutes later, she settled into the driver’s seat with the blue sky above her. Randy waved to her, and she waved back. “See you at the store in a little bit.”
He nodded, and she drove away.
She hoped Austin’s emergency wasn’t too serious. And she really hoped he’d be back within the week. She’d purposely requested a puppy from this litter so she’d have the entire summer to get the dog potty-trained and up to speed with basic obedience. It wouldn’t be ideal to spend her first days in a situation where the puppy wouldn’t get her full attention.
She couldn’t risk a frisky dog underfoot at Randy’s store. What if it affected the pup negatively? And then the little guy didn’t make the cut for advanced training? All because she messed up in week one?
She pressed on the accelerator. She wasn’t messing up because she’d already drawn the line. She’d help until the puppy arrived. After that, Randy was on his own.
Asking Hannah to run the store was the dumbest thing he’d done in a long time. And Randy had done his share of stupid. Like taking the polar plunge last January, or agreeing to hunt sandhill cranes on the hottest day on record with Blaine two years ago—never again. But this? This might surpass them all.
“Knock, knock,” Hannah called through the open screen of the store’s back door fifteen minutes later. That was quick.
“It’s open.” He waited for her to join him. Ten minutes, tops. That was all it would take to show her the basics. Then he’d be free to run over to the new house and knock off an item on his to-do list.
Nope. He smacked his forehead. He’d promised her food.
Another idiotic move on his part. He needed to keep his interaction with her as short and to the point as possible.
Because from the minute he saw all of her blond hair glinting in the sunlight in the school parking lot, he’d known he was making a big mistake. For whatever reason, Hannah Carr affected him. He was too aware of her. And it irritated him. He wasn’t one to be aware of the single women around here. It wasn’t as if he could act on any attraction.
This was all Austin’s fault.
How in the world was Randy supposed to concentrate on speed training her with the trail of her fresh-smelling perfume lingering in the air? This was an outdoor outfitter shop. A place for hunters and fishing enthusiasts. A place smelling of earth and worms and rubber waders. Not coconut and flowers and all things female.
“I see you moved the camo next to the camping supplies. Smart.” She checked the tag of an orange vest. Against his better judgment, he snuck a peek at her slim figure. Short-sleeved shirt, shorts and slip-on sandals with red toenail polish peeking out. The outfit was nothing out of the ordinary, but on her? He almost knocked over the box of lures he’d abandoned earlier.
“Yeah. I figured they went better together.” He steadied the box, sneaking another peek her way.
She visited the store regularly, always on the hunt for the perfect gift for one of her brothers or her dad. Her oldest brother, David, was a general practitioner in town, and her other brother, Michael, ran their father’s ranch. Both of them were married with children. Randy liked the Carrs, especially Hannah’s mom, who treated him and Austin like they were family. Always sending homemade cookies and cakes their way, Miss Patty was a phenomenal cook.
“What do I need to know?” She faced him then, her big blue eyes full of expectation. He liked that about her. She didn’t hide anything.
Well, everyone hid something. He’d certainly been hiding something for years—from this town, from his friends, even from his brother.
So what? It was nobody’s business.
“Let’s start with the basics.” He gave her the quick tour of the displays, which she was already familiar with, then led her behind the counter to show her his checkout system. He took the stool, and she looked over his shoulder. Her presence was making his pulse race. He didn’t like it or the reason why it was happening.
Standing, he gestured to the stool. “Here, why don’t we switch places, so you can get the hang of it.”
“Okay.” She shrugged, smiling, and took his spot. Leaning over her shoulder wasn’t much better. They were too close. He sprinted through the instructions as she jotted notes on a tiny notepad, flipping pages over as fast as she could fill them.
“What about deliveries?” She looked back at him.
“Don’t worry about them,” he said gruffly. “I’ll be here every afternoon.” He figured between him and the other cowboys, the ranch chores would be wrapped up by three o’clock each day. He’d drive straight here to relieve her. “If you can open at nine, I’ll take over around three or four. I’ll speed over as soon as I finish up at the ranch.”
“Well, don’t get yourself in an accident,” she teased. “I can handle this, you know.”
“I know.”
He did know. Hannah was nothing if not capable.
But he seriously doubted he could handle being around her much. All this female energy in the store was going to be a problem. Because she tempted him to want things he couldn’t have. And up until recently, he hadn’t even wanted them.
Hannah’s cell phone rang. “Do you mind if I take this?”
“Go ahead.” He backed up to give her privacy, busying himself with a box of nets, but he could hear every word she said.
“You’re kidding,” she said breathlessly. “That’s great news. Yes...Right now? I’d love to...You’re serious? I can’t believe it...”
Finally, she ended the conversation and turned to him with shining eyes. “I’m going to have to bail on the burgers.”
“Oh?” Disappointment hit him hard. Did she have a date or something? She’d sounded excited on the phone.
“That was Molly. She has a dog for me.”
“Another puppy?” He placed the box on the counter.
“No, a retired service dog.” She looked ready to float through the air. “I’ve been on the adoption list forever. The ones that have become available all went to either their original puppy raiser or someone higher on the list.”
“Won’t the dog be old?” Why would she want someone’s ancient dog that might not live long?
“Some of them are. This one is eight. Too old to be placed for service, but he’s still got a lot of good years left.”
Something told him that even if the dog only had a couple of good months left, Hannah would be equally enthusiastic.
“I’m going to go pick him up.” She lightly clapped her hands in happiness, and he kind of wished he could go with her.
“Let me get you the store key, then.”
“Oh, wait.” She winced. “I didn’t think this through. Is there any way I can bring him with me to the store? He passed all of his obedience classes years ago. I’m sure he wouldn’t cause any trouble. I just can’t imagine bringing him home and then leaving him by himself all day before he has a chance to get to know me. He’s used to being with someone all the time.”
“Of course. Bring him.” He’d always liked dogs. His customers wouldn’t mind. In fact, they’d probably linger in the store even more because of him. Maybe he’d get a dog of his own after he moved into the new house. It was a thought.
“Thanks.” She came over and gave him a quick hug. “I’ll open the store tomorrow at nine. You’re closed on Sundays, right?”
“Right.” He stood paralyzed from the shock of her touch as she hurried to the back. The sound of the screen door slamming jolted him out of his stupor.
Hannah almost made him forget he wasn’t like any other guy.
And he wasn’t.
He had a secret. And that secret would stay with him until the day he died.
When that day came, he’d be single.
He had to be more careful around Hannah Carr. There was something about her that made his logic disappear like the morning dew. He couldn’t afford to forget he couldn’t have her. Couldn’t have any woman, when it came down to it.
Austin had better get home soon.