Hands in his pocket, he made his way to the house. It was probably time to go back inside, but all the people put him on edge.
“Reid?”
He lifted his head and stopped walking. Danica stood on the top step. Arms crossed, she frowned at him. What had he done now?
“Are you going to be antisocial for the rest of the day?” Hopping down the few short steps, she strode toward him as if she had a mission. “You did this?”
Pointing to all the vehicles, he avoided her eyes. “There are beaucoup people here putting this all together.”
“Stop it.” She wrapped her fingers around his hand and lowered it. “Adrian told me you went to him and asked for help to get this...” Her lips tightened, and she blinked a few times. Taking a deep breath, she released his hand and crossed her arms over her chest.
The warmth was gone. Danica took a step back and looked at the house. “You asked for help to get this done before you had to leave. You even asked my father for help.”
“Everyone loves you. You never let anyone help. I thought Adrian should take the lead. Then no one would wonder why the ex-con was building a home for the hometown sweetheart.” Anger bubbled up. He loved her but had to act like she didn’t matter to him. “I asked what it would take. Next thing I know, it seems like the whole town decided to do some sort of old-fashioned barn raising.”
“Thank you.” Pulling her sweater closer around her, she chewed on her top lip. He shrugged. The silence grew heavy. She scanned the yard. “The girls have already picked out a room.”
“Do they want pink and green like their other room?” He needed to start moving, so he headed to the porch. “I’m going to start painting the bedrooms and living room. Thought you’d want to pick out the colors since you own a lumberyard.”
She grinned and followed him. “Jackie is the color expert.”
On the porch, he paused. “Yeah, your sister already gave me the list of colors, but I thought you might want to choose the colors you wanted. I know you’re twins, but you seem so different to me.”
“Really?” She stopped and turned to face him, leaning against the closed door. “Most people still can’t tell us apart. I’ll have whole conversations with people before I realize they think I’m Jackie.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Reid, thank you.” She reached out and put her hand on his forearm. The heat seeped right through his cotton shirt. “This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Hope was deadly. The higher it lifted his heart, the harder the fall would be when this was over. But if these moments were all he got, then it was worth it. His blood pounded in his ears as he leaned forward. His hands went to her arms.
The door behind her opened. Reid’s hold tightened to stop her from falling backward. Her father loomed behind her, glowering at him. Knowing she was sound on her feet, he let go and stepped back.
What had he been thinking? He was an idiot.
Mr. Bergmann stepped to the side, and Danica slipped past him. He shifted slightly, blocking Reid’s entry. “I thought I made myself clear earlier.”
“Yes, sir. We were talking paint colors when you opened the door.” Every instinct told him to look down, avoid confrontation. But the need to be seen as a man overrode his survival instincts. For an eternity, they stood in the silent standoff. “I understand I’m unworthy of her. My father made that clear.”
Mr. Bergmann’s eyes narrowed.
“If you want me to leave now, I’ll have to collect Philip and Wade.” He wanted to stay and watch her move through the house he was making for her, but if it was going to cause a scene, he’d leave.
“That’s a good idea. It’s getting late. And the fewer people that see you around the girls, the better.”
The anger that lived in his gut flared again. He wasn’t sure if it was aimed at the man who was keeping him from his family or at himself. Taking a deep breath, he turned it over to God.
It was the only thing that ever worked. It still burned, but the rage was low and controllable now.
Finally, the older man moved to the side. He nodded and went inside. Walking through the kitchen, he smiled at the people. Philip and Wade were working in the master bath.
“Hey, guys, you ready to leave?”
James looked at his watch. “We still got a couple of hours of daylight.”
“Mr. Reid, have you seen our room?” Suzie’s mop of red curly hair popped out from the doorway across from the master room.
“Is this the one you picked?” He stepped inside. It was the room with the large window seat. He had already pictured the girls in this room. There would be enough space for two beds, dressers, dolls and dancing. Or whatever it was little girls spent their time doing.
Sheriff Torres held Lizzy. Danica and Vickie sat in the window seat looking at something in Vickie’s lap.
“They’re picking out material.” Suzie ran back and crawled next to her mother.
Lizzy looked at the man holding her. “Thank you for your help. I better get over there, or Suzie will pick out crazy things.”
Laughing, the sheriff bent down and let her go. He looked back at Reid, studying his face. “You have some unusual eye color there. Is it gray? Green?”
Reid touched his cheek, only just realizing he’d left his sunglasses outside on the hood of the truck. He’d gotten so distracted by prayer and Mr. Bergmann that he’d forgotten to put the aviators back on. And leave it to the lawman to be the first to notice. Panic settled in deep, tightening his chest. “Just an eye color. Nothing special.”
“Right.” The sheriff was shorter than Reid, but he didn’t lack power. Feet planted, he crossed his arms and stared at him. The authority of a man who knew he was on the right side of God. “I guess if Danica wanted us to know, she’d say something.”
Cold sweat broke out over Reid’s entire body. Ignoring the comment, he made his way to the window. “Danica, I’m leaving. Got to get back to the ranch.”
She stood. “I just got here.” Disappointment pulled at her mouth. That’s what he saw anyway. The expectation that he could have more would destroy him faster than anything that had happened to him in prison.
He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, how much he loved her. How she filled his thoughts and dreams every single day and night.
“I’m scheduled to be here tomorrow.” That was safe and not so lame. His feet refused to turn. Like an idiot, he just stood there and waited for something that wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m going now... Bye.”
She tilted her head as if he was a puzzle with pieces missing. “Bye.”
With a nod, Reid left. He walked out before he did something stupid. Maybe he needed to call Ray and get the prayer warrior on his side. It was a dangerous slope he was slipping down. Wanting more than what he deserved had gotten him in trouble too many times in the past. Homes and nice families were not for men like him.
Chapter Eleven
A week had passed since the surprise, and Danica was still floored. She paused before stepping into the room that would soon be for Suzie and Lizzy. Steadying her breath, she leaned against the doorframe and watched Reid carefully place the white trim along the edge of the ceiling. He reached up from the top of the ladder. One of her favorite songs came over the radio, and he started singing and swaying to the beat.
She smiled. They had spent so much time dancing in his small apartment. Being poor students, they hadn’t had the money to go anywhere, but that had never stopped them from having fun.
Straightening, she shook her head. Memories were dangerous. All the pain was filtered out. Why was she so weak when it came to Reid?
He had painted varying stripes of pink against the soft white walls. A pretty green wainscoting surrounded the room. The time and detail he put in showed a man who cared.
This was all done without any promises from her. She hesitated to get his attention. After all these weeks, she’d gotten used to him being around. Now it was over, and she didn’t like the heaviness that sat on her shoulders. What would happen if he wanted to stay? If they told the girls who he was?
She closed her eyes. The board meeting hadn’t gone well last night. Her phone vibrated, and the slight noise brought Reid’s head around.
“Danica.” He smiled.
She looked down at her phone. Jackie had texted her.
Are you in the house with Reid?
After a pause, another text came through, and her notification went off again.
Please tell me you’re not alone with him.
She didn’t want to deal with her sister, the board or Reid. Running away and hiding sounded good, but she had to be an adult.
Her phone went off again.
You’re not responding. You’re with him, aren’t you?
Jackie hadn’t even given her time to respond.
Don’t do anything stupid. I’m on my way.
“Your phone is doing a great deal of talking.” He turned so that he sat astride the top of the four-foot ladder. One gorgeous eyebrow went up. “Are you going to answer?”
“It’s Jackie.” Treating her like a child. She slipped the phone into her back pocket, but the notification buzzing kept up a steady pace.
“You’re not talking to your sister?”
“She’s a few minutes older and seems to think that means she can lecture me like a child.”
“It’s about me, then. What did I do now?”
“Apparently, you exist.”
“I don’t think there’s a way for me to fix that problem. Sorry.” His lopsided grin slipped into place.
The phone went off again. She could not stop the eye roll this time.
He chuckled and leaned forward over the top of the ladder. “Maybe you should answer? Just a suggestion.”
“If I ignore it, she’ll give up.”
“Or rush here to save you from the ex-con. How did the board meeting go last night? Anything new with the sheriff’s investigation?”
* * *
“Nothing new in the investigation. They’re interviewing some of the local ranchers who filed a complaint about the animals.” She tried to think of a way to talk about the other complaints without hurting him. Sighing, she walked into the room. “Some board members have concerns with a convicted criminal working unsupervised. There’s some talk that the problems began when you started working here.”
His face went into the stone mode. Not even a single flex in the hard jaw. Those moss gray eyes turned cold. “What do you think about that?”
“It’s ridiculous. I was tempted to tell them we were married, but that would only make matters worse. I just want to get that grant. Then I’ll have the financial backing to fix everything else.”
“You’ll get it. But I think the sheriff might suspect the girls are mine.”
A headache ruptured in her head. This was getting too complicated. She had stalled enough. “There’s a reason I’m here. We found a volunteer for the vet tech job.” There, she’d said it. The words burned her throat, but she kept her smile in place. Arms crossed, she looked everywhere but at him. They had agreed to this plan, to replace him as soon as possible. To get him out of her life.
“So, this is it. You don’t need me anymore.” Swinging his leg over the ladder, he jumped down. The sun from the tall window haloed him. “There’s still some things I need to do to finish the house. And outside. I haven’t even started in the yard yet. I want to fix the fence, and redo that fancy little gate.”
“I grew up in the lumberyard. I think I can handle it. Plus, I have my dad, Adrian, my sisters, Bobby, Joaquin, James—”
“I get it.”
Pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth, Danica thought about how calm her life was before Reid showed up in her office without warning. Now she lived in a constant state of turmoil.
He tossed the hammer into his toolbox. From across the room, the heat of his now-gray eyes froze her in place.
Breaking the hold, she focused on the renewed wood floor, all evidence of fire and water damage erased. The old carpet and musty smell were gone. Adrian told her the carpet had protected the old floors.
The smell of a freshly peeled orange filled the room now. And paint. “I need to get area rugs.” Her brain wanted to focus on something mundane. “The trim looks good. I like the way it repeats the trim on the wainscoting.” Now she needed to find a way to fill the room.
“Danica. I can help with the furniture.”
“No. I’m good.” The skin pieces of an orange curled in a meticulous pile next to an empty soda bottle on a small table. Was that all he had for lunch? When he left here, who was going to make sure he ate?
Ignoring Reid, she went to the table and gathered the trash. That was an easy problem to fix. Reid? She had no idea what to do with him.
“Danica. Let me stay and help.” He now stood behind her, just a feather’s width away.
If she leaned back, she would feel his heartbeat.
His hand lightly touched her upper arm. His breath was soft across the back of her neck. “We can tell everyone the truth. I have the job at the ranch. I don’t have to officially work here if it’s going to cause a problem, but I can help in other ways.”
The trash can was by the door. It wasn’t that difficult to walk across the room. Just a few steps. Before she found the strength to walk away, Reid lowered his head. She could smell the oranges on his breath. He tilted his head and pushed a few loose strands of her hair back.
Was he going to kiss her? She stood still, not breathing. Waiting.
His lips were next to her ear, but he didn’t touch her.
“I need to know how to make this right.” His hands gently cupped her elbows. From there, they slipped down to her palms. Long fingers weaved between hers. “I don’t know where to start, but the thought of leaving and never seeing...” His hands tightened around hers. “I want to help fill the pages of those photo albums. Whatever it takes to earn that privilege, please let me.”
“Reid—” Her phone vibrated, and didn’t stop. Someone was calling her. With one hand, she balanced the orange peels, or tried to anyway. A few pieces fell to the ground. With her free hand, she lifted the phone to her ear as she took a step forward, away from his warmth.
Staying close to her, he picked up the fallen scraps and the ones still in her hands to dump them in the trash.
She was so distracted by him, she didn’t understand a word Jackie said. “What?”
“You didn’t return my text. What’s going on?”
“It’s fine. I told Reid about the replacement. He’s leaving.” She made the mistake of looking at him. Leaning against the doorframe, blocking her way out. He crossed his arms, and a grim expression set hard on his face.
“I’m on my way,” Jackie practically yelled at her through the phone.
“Jackie, cut the drama. Really, you’re overreacting. We were talking about the—”
Reid rushed past her to the window. Looking out, he muttered something about someone being out there. She couldn’t understand. Just as fast, without explanation, he ran out the door.
“Danica! What is going on?” Jackie demanded her attention.
“Sorry. I have to go.” Not bothering to listen to her sister, she ended the call and went looking for Reid. Instead, Bobby’s truck cut in front of her. Everyone in her world was going crazy.
Engine still running, Bobby rolled down the window. “We got another hole in the fence. I don’t think anyone got out this time, but you might want to get the Jeep and check out the north end of the property.”
Dread filled her. Last night’s board meeting had not gone well, but she�
��d reassured everyone she had it under control. Lord, I need some major help here, on all fronts.
“Have you seen Reid? We were talking, and he just ran out.”
“Nope. Just came in to touch base with you and pick up some supplies. I won’t be coming into the sanctuary tonight. Someone is sneaking around on our land in the dark, and I’m going to find them. So I’ll be out there in the field if you need me.”
“Who’s doing this?” Hopelessness gripped her heart. She really couldn’t do this much longer.
He shook his head and shifted gears. “Don’t know. But we’ll find them.”
She stepped back so he could leave. Scanning the area for any sign of Reid, she made her way to the office. She wondered what could have happened. Had he gotten mad and left? He didn’t have a car so he couldn’t have gone back to the ranch. An ache in her belly started growing.
God, I need to turn this over to You. I’m stuck in the middle of a mess, and I don’t know which way to go. You’re my only way out.
Maybe if she’d trusted God more, she wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. Forgive me. Guide me. She wrapped her fingers around the braided leather bracelet on her left wrist. The charms she collected over time. Her favorite was the one her twin gave her when she first returned home, broken, pregnant and alone. John 16:33.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
A tiny laugh escaped her. The answer was always with her. Why did she ignore it until she became desperate?
As she started around the corner of the office, a horn blared from the road. A heavy sigh deflated her shoulders. Jackie had arrived. Great. More drama.
You have overcome the world, Lord. Please let me remember.
Dust flying, the green Suburban came to a stop at the front steps. Jackie had barely put it in Park before Sammi jumped out.
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