Love Inspired December 2014 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Rancher for ChristmasHer Montana ChristmasAn Amish Christmas JourneyYuletide Baby

by Brenda Minton

  Her brother had seen her life as adventurous. She guessed it had been, if a person wasn’t fond of knowing where one would sleep or where their next meal would come from.

  Jake moved in his chair. His shoulders were broad, his arms corded with strong muscles. Breezy had always been taller than average. She wasn’t a petite little thing who backed down easily. She had street smarts, and a black belt.

  All of that aside, Jake Martin intimidated her. He was lethal, she thought. The type of man who had always had power, never felt afraid or out of control of his life.

  “I guess you’ll have to trust me,” she said after several minutes of trying to get a handle on her emotions.

  “You have the option to take your money and leave.” He slid a check and a few papers across the desk.

  She took both and he sat there like a rock, a solid mountain of a man with a strong chin and a mouth that shifted the smooth planes of his face when he smiled, making him less intimidating.

  She considered the offer, to take the money and leave. That was the option he wanted her to take. And maybe he had the right of it. How long could she stay here without feeling caged? What about her life in Dawson with Mia and her adopted family, the Coopers? Did those two little girls really need someone like her?

  Martin’s Crossing was another small town. For a girl raised in cities, she wasn’t used to small-town closeness, church on Sundays, people who knew her story. A picture of those two little girls on his desk caught her attention, making her rethink who she used to be and forcing her come to terms with the person she needed to be now.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” She sat back and gave him a satisfied smile that trembled at the edges. Hopefully he didn’t notice it, or how her hands shook as she took the check and looked at the amount. She repeated her mantra. “I’m staying here with my nieces. If this is what Lawton wanted, then I owe it to him.”

  “For how long?” His jaw clenched. “What would it take to buy you out, to make you leave?”

  “I’m not for sale. I have two nieces who have lost both of their parents.”

  He sighed and stood up, obviously not happy with her response.

  “Okay, fine. So here’s the deal, Breezy.” He walked to the window and then looked back at her. “I don’t want the girls to be upset by this situation. They’ve been through enough.”

  “I agree.”

  “That means you’ll understand that I make the rules.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Several reasons. Lawton left the decision-making to me. They’re comfortable with me, and with Marty. I’ll bring them over to the house so they can get to know you.”

  “Joint custody?” she reminded him with a voice that unfortunately shook.

  “Right, and that will happen. But first we’ll go slowly. You’ll visit with them. I’ll supervise. If all goes well, we’ll come up with an arrangement that works for us both.”

  “When do I get to spend time with them?”

  “Tomorrow.” He picked up the hat he’d dropped on his desk. “I have work to get done and you’d probably like to settle in.”

  “I guess that’s my cue to leave.” She stood, picking up her purse and waiting for him to say something.

  He rounded his desk and walked with her to the door. “I’m sure you’ll find what you need at Lawton’s place.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Anything else you need, you’ll find in Martin’s Crossing.”

  “Is there a grocery store?”

  “Yes. Grocery store, gas station, restaurant and feed store. There are a couple of little shops, antiques and the like.”

  He opened the front door and motioned her out ahead of him. She shivered as she stepped outside, surprised by how cold it had gotten. With this weather, she could believe Christmas was coming. She’d been looking forward to spending the holidays with Mia.

  “Do you have any other questions?” Jake asked.

  “None.” She nodded at him, her final goodbye. And then the case of nerves she’d been fighting hit and she couldn’t get her feet to move forward.

  Her brother and sister-in-law were gone. She had two nieces who needed her. She needed them just as much. The man standing next to her seemed to be calling all of the shots. Everything inside her ached.

  “Are you okay?” His voice rumbled close to her ear. She shivered at his nearness.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” She swiped at her eyes and looked away from his steady gaze, taking a deep breath. A hand, strong and warm, touched her arm, sharing his strength.

  “It’ll all work out. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way right now, but it will. And I’m sorry, that you and Lawton didn’t have a chance to spend more time together.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. The hand remained on her arm. But then it slipped away. She opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. She could do this.

  “Thank you.” She looked up at him, surprised by the way his presence gave her more strength than she would have imagined.

  Maybe someday they would be friends, even allies.

  He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and a pen, quickly writing something on the back before handing it to her. “That’s the information for the alarm system. And you can call if you have any problems. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

  She took the card, glanced at it then slipped it into her purse. “I’ll make lunch.”

  He gave her a look but then he nodded. “You can do that.”

  Breezy walked down the stone steps to her car, her mind reeling. As she backed out of the drive Jake Martin still stood on the porch. He raised a hand as she pulled away and she returned the gesture.

  It was the beginning of a truce. Truce, but not trust. Jake Martin wasn’t the type of man who would give trust easily. She understood because she was the same way.

  *

  Jake walked back inside. He found Marty waiting for him.

  “Are the girls down for a nap?” he asked on his way to the kitchen, knowing Marty would follow.

  “Yes. They were asking again.” She shook her head, and he knew that meant the girls wanted their mommy and daddy. “They’re a little lost, of course.”

  Jake tossed his hat on the counter as he went for a glass of iced tea. “Aren’t we all?”

  “Yes, but I worry about you, Jake, about you taking on one more burden.”

  He shook his head at that. “The twins are family, not a burden.”

  “You’ve raised a family. You’ve been taking care of people your whole life.”

  Of course, he’d raised a family. His brothers and sisters had been counting on him for as long as he could remember. He’d made sure they were fed. He’d been the one to hire Marty years ago when his dad was sick and not really paying attention. He’d made sure the ranch kept making a profit.

  Now he’d make sure Rosie and Violet were loved and protected.

  Marty handed him a cup of coffee and then patted his arm the way she’d been doing for a long time, since she and her husband first came to town. Long before she was the cook and housekeeper, she’d figured out what life was like at the Circle M for a bunch of ragtag kids trying to make do with a mom that had left and a dad who had checked out.

  “Brody called,” she said as she moved back to the counter and a bag of carrots that suddenly held her interest.

  “And?” His younger brother had a knack for finding trouble.

  “He and Lincoln had a fight. He’s coming home.”

  Brody and his roommate and traveling partner were always one argument away from killing each other so Jake wasn’t surprised. He shrugged and took a drink from his cup. Marty started peeling carrots again.

  “Well, I guess he’ll figure it out. The bull-riding season is almost over. He’s probably tired of being on the road.”

  “He does get homesick, even if he doesn’t admit it.”

  He set the glass in the sink and leaned a hip against the edge of the counter, crossing his arms
over his chest as he waited for Marty to tell him what he needed to do. She was good at giving him advice. And, even if he wouldn’t admit it, she was usually right.

  “Don’t lecture him,” she finally said. “I heard something in his voice.”

  “I’ll go easy on him. He’s a grown man. It’s time he made his own decisions, anyway.”

  Marty put a hand on his arm. “Is it really possible for you to do that?”

  He grinned at her fairly unsympathetic tone. “No, probably not. What’s for dinner?”

  “I’m making beef stew.”

  “Okay.” He waited, watching. He could see the furrow in her brow and knew she had more on her mind than the stew.

  “It’s okay for you to let this young woman help. I know you have reservations…”

  “Because we don’t know her at all,” he reminded.

  Marty shot him a look that he couldn’t fail to understand. He was being too “Jake” for her liking. He did like to take control. He liked to know his family was taken care of and safe. Old habits were hard to let go of.

  “You’ve raised your siblings. Now you’re looking at raising two little girls. And I’m sorry, but they need more than you, Jake. I think Lawton was right. These girls need Breezy. I might not know her well, but I think I’m a good judge of character and she seems like someone you can trust.”

  “It’s possible she won’t stay.”

  Marty stopped dicing up an onion. “Because of her childhood? All I see is a young woman that was a victim of her situation.”

  He grinned and kissed the top of Marty’s head. “I love you, Marty.”

  She sniffled and wiped at tears trickling down her cheeks. “Silly onions.”

  “Onions never make you cry.”

  “Oh, hush. Go to town.”

  As Marty cried, he placed a hand on her shoulder. She covered that hand with her own.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Of course you are.”

  She was always okay. He’d known Marty most of his life. She and her husband had moved to Martin’s Crossing to pastor the Community Church at the edge of town. That had been close to twenty-five years ago. After Earl passed away, Marty had stayed on. She’d been the cook and housekeeper for the Martins. Then she’d gone to work for Lawton and Elizabeth after the girls were born.

  “I need potatoes,” Marty said on a sigh.

  “I’ll get a bag in town.”

  “I should have planned better.”

  He shrugged it off. “I’m sure there are other things we need. I’ve got a calf to check on, then I’ll come back in for a list.”

  As he reached for his hat, she stopped him. “Give her a chance. I don’t think she’s had a lot of them.”

  “That’s the Marty I know and love. You always see the good in people.”

  “This is the Marty who knows that God doesn’t need us to judge for Him. That doesn’t mean she gets a free pass. Our baby girls come first.”

  He laughed at that. “And there’s the Marty who protects her little ones.”

  Her smile returned, settling in her gray eyes. “You’d better believe it.”

  Jake believed it.

  And he’d do his best to give Breezy a chance. But flat-out trust? That was something he’d have to work on. He’d learned—in life and in business—to reserve the right to form opinions at a later date.

  Time would tell, he told himself as he headed out to the barn. She’d stay or she’d go. While she was in Martin’s Crossing he’d do his best to treat her like family, because that’s what Lawton would have wanted.

  Chapter Three

  Breezy was standing on the porch when Jake pulled up to Lawton’s house the next day. She could see two little girls in the backseat of the truck. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. This was it. Her new life.

  She’d spent the rest of yesterday and this morning wondering how she would do this. How would she stay in Martin’s Crossing? How would she know how to take care of two little girls? After cleaning a layer of dust off the furniture the previous evening, she’d sat down and tried to list the pros and cons of staying in Martin’s Crossing.

  And she’d gotten stuck on Jake Martin, on the wariness in his eyes, on the way he’d questioned her, on the way his hand had touched her arm. Jake Martin had trust issues. Breezy had her own issues. She didn’t know how to settle, how to put down roots.

  Sticking around now took on a lot of importance, for herself and for two little girls. She watched Jake unbuckle the girls from their car seats. Staying meant everything. She headed his way to help.

  If he would let her.

  It shouldn’t bother her. She’d grown up used to people giving her suspicious looks. She’d spent her life adjusting to new people, new situations. She knew how to reinvent herself. She could be the person two little girls needed her to be. Once she figured out who that person was.

  She stepped close to the car, watching as he unbuckled one of the twins. Then he placed that little person in her arms. Dark hair straight, face thinner than the other little girl. “Hello, Violet.”

  The little girl just stared, her eyes big and unsure. Yes, Breezy was getting used to that look. It mirrored the expression on Uncle Jake’s face. The man in question pushed the truck door closed. He held Rose in one arm against his side and the little girl patted his cheek with her tiny hand. Breezy watched the change that took place when he was in the presence of these little girls.

  The twins made him human. They softened the distrust in his blue eyes.

  “Are you ready for us?” he asked with a grin that surprised her.

  Breezy nodded. “I’m ready.”

  She walked in front of him, Violet in her arms. The little girl smelled like baby soap and fabric softener. Her arms had gone around Breezy’s neck. They reached the front door and Jake reached around her to push it open, a small touch of chivalry she hadn’t expected.

  As they stepped inside, Violet struggled to be free. Breezy let the little girl down and Violet toddled as quickly as her little legs could carry her. In the center of the living room, she looked around, unsure. And then she cried.

  “Momma!” Violet wailed, walking through the room. “Momma!”

  Jake went after her, scooping her up with his free arm. “It’s okay, baby girl.”

  By then both twins were crying and clinging to Jake.

  “I’m sorry.” Breezy stood helpless and unsure of how to help. Should she reach for the twins? Maybe she didn’t have the mom gene. How could she, really? She’d never truly had a mother of her own.

  Jake noticed and his expression softened although the concern remained in his eyes.

  “It isn’t your fault. It’s just too soon to bring them here.”

  Breezy looked around, trying to come up with something. “They have toys here. Let’s pull out the toys and let them settle down. I’m not sure that avoiding this house is what they need. They lived here. It’s familiar to them.”

  “I think I know where they lived.”

  “I think you should give me a chance.” She reached over and this time Rosie held her arms out and fell into Breezy’s embrace. The toddler’s arms around her neck took her by surprise.

  “I’m working on it,” he said in a raspy voice.

  Of course he was. She sat down on the edge of the sofa and Rose slid off her lap and headed for the guitar Breezy had left leaning against the wall. The little girl moved quickly. Breezy moved faster, getting the instrument before the child could grab it. But she held it, letting Rose pluck the strings. With a few strands of hair on top of her head in a pink bow, Rose smiled and jabbered.

  “Do you want a song?” Breezy asked, settling on the sofa again. Rose rested against her knees.

  Jake had moved to the nearby chair, still holding Violet. As Breezy started to play, the child slid down from his lap and joined Rose. Breezy swallowed past the lump of emotion that lodged in her throat. She managed not to cry. Instead she sang a Christmas song becaus
e it sounded like one a child would be soothed by.

  As she sang, Rose clapped a few times and sounded as if she might be singing along. But it was hard to tell in the language of a two-year-old. She finished and set the guitar back on the floor. Violet had wandered back to Jake and was leaning against him, her thumb in her mouth, twirling dark curls around her finger.

  He cleared his throat, and the little girl looked up at him. He scooped her into his arms. “We should feed them.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  If the music had soothed the girls, it seemed to have had the opposite effect on Jake. He headed off to the kitchen like a lion with a thorn in his paw. She remembered the folk tale, and knew, with certainty, that she wasn’t the mouse who would offer to remove the thorn. She wouldn’t want to get that close to the lion.

  “I made soup and grilled cheese.” She walked to the stove, ignoring the man who had taken the girls to the dining room. “I have the sandwiches ready to grill and the soup is warm.”

  She wasn’t about to admit that she’d pondered for a very long time over what to feed the girls. She had no idea if they could eat a sandwich or if they were still eating baby food.

  “They’ll eat that.” He settled Violet in her high chair and then reached for Rosie.

  Breezy watched from the doorway but then turned to the kitchen and the job of finishing lunch. She turned the griddle on and pulled the already buttered bread out of the fridge, along with the cheese slices she would put in the middle. When she had them on the electric griddle, she found Jake Martin in the doorway watching her.

  “You play well,” he said in an easy tone.

  “Thank you,” she said, turning back to the griddle. “What would you like to drink?”

  “I can get our drinks. The girls are buckled in and I can see them from here,” he offered as he took glasses from the cabinet.

  She nodded, as if she wasn’t making a mental list of parenting dos and don’ts. One: always make sure they are buckled and within line of sight. Yes, those things seemed like common sense, but what if she forgot something? What if there was a rule that most people knew but she didn’t? She’d learned a lot of those rules when she’d moved in with Mia, but Mia’s stepson, Caleb, was almost seven now. He didn’t require safety seats or high chairs anymore.