by Myra Johnson
The next day, when Seth found out she planned a trip into town to pick up groceries, he offered to drive her. Without a good excuse to turn him down, she accepted. Then she spent the entire thirty-two minutes in the supermarket (yes, she counted every minute) pretending not to notice the curious looks and approving nods Seth earned from acquaintances he ran into—and in a small town like Juniper Bluff, there were plenty.
But it was nice, because in the short time Christina had known Seth, she hadn’t seen him smile this much or appear so at ease in his own skin. He even seemed more relaxed with the kids, his overprotectiveness subsiding to more normal levels appropriate for an attentive, caring parent. And clearly the changes in Seth were having an effect on Joseph and Eva. Joseph’s excitement about attending public school with his friends was a huge step in itself, but both the children seemed less clingy overall. More than once, Christina had to resist the urge to skewer Seth with a friendly “I told you so.”
On Sunday morning, while the guests were at breakfast, Seth found her tidying one of the cabins. Leaning in the open door, he folded his arms and offered a shy grin. “I’ll be taking the kids to Sunday school and church in a bit. Think you could break away and join us?”
She tried to keep the surprise out of her tone. “Your grandparents aren’t attending today?”
“Once a month there’s a Sunday evening prayer service. They’re going after the guests check out.”
“That sounds nice.” Turning away, Christina set fresh cups next to the in-room coffeemaker. “I should probably wait and go with them. I still have another cabin to do.”
Seth handed her two cellophane-wrapped coffee service packets. “I’ll help. We don’t have to leave for another half hour.” His voice fell to a murmur. “Please, Christina, come with me. It’s been awhile since I’ve had much interest in going to church, but this morning I feel like it’s where I need to be.”
The quiet plea in his tone got her attention. Heart softening, she swiveled to face him. “In that case, I’d love to go with you.”
Together they made quick work of the remaining cabin, then Seth put the cleaning cart and supplies away while Christina hurried to her own cabin to freshen up. With Gracie at her side, she met him at his pickup a few minutes later.
“Yay, Miss Christina’s coming with Gracie!” Eva wrapped one arm around Gracie’s neck and the other around Christina’s legs. “Can Gracie come to my Sunday school class again?”
Christina tugged on one of Eva’s curls. “How about we walk you to your class and see how it goes? Because today might be the day you feel brave enough to go in all by yourself.”
Looking up at her dad, Eva cast him a doubtful frown. “You could go with me then, Daddy.”
“Like Miss Christina said, we’ll see how it goes, okay?” Seth lifted his daughter into the back seat and buckled her in.
On the drive into town, Joseph used his big-brother logic plus plenty of braggadocio after a successful first three days in public school to try to convince Eva she could go to class on her own. She wasn’t buying it, though, and sat with her arms crossed and glaring out the side window. When Seth finally told Joseph to cool it, his tone gentle but as firm as Christina had ever heard him use on his kids, she had to look out her own window and cover her mouth to stifle a chuckle.
Seth gave her a friendly punch on the arm. “What are you laughing at?”
Her grin widened. “I’m afraid to tell you or you’ll hit me again.”
“And you’d probably deserve it.” He grinned back, and the warmth of his gaze ignited feelings Christina had been trying hard to ignore for the past week.
At church, they walked Joseph to his Sunday school class, then continued on to Eva’s. Her teacher met them at the door and knelt to greet Eva with a cheery smile. “I see you brought your friends again,” the woman said with a nod toward Christina and Gracie. “Will they be joining you today?”
Eva glanced up at her dad, then at Christina. The indecision in her little face made Christina’s chest constrict.
“I have an idea.” Christina gave Eva’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “What if you go on in with your teacher while Gracie and your dad and I stay right here by the door. We won’t leave until you’re all settled and your teacher begins the lesson.”
“Great idea,” the teacher said. Without giving Eva too much time to think about it, she took her by the hand and led her to a seat.
When the girl in the next chair greeted Eva with a happy hello, she seemed to forget all about being scared.
Taking Christina’s hand, Seth drew her to the opposite side of the corridor. “See what I mean? You’ve been so good for my kids.” His voice grew husky. “And for me.”
She glanced around uncomfortably—they were at church, after all. This was worse than at the supermarket the other day. “Shouldn’t we get to the adult Bible study? It’s almost time to start.”
With a nervous brush of his nape, Seth peered over his shoulder toward the adult classroom. He looked almost as uncertain as Eva had moments ago.
“It’ll be all right,” Christina said in her most kid-friendly tone. “Gracie and I will go in with you, and if you get too scared, you can hug my dog.”
Seth released an embarrassed laugh. “Thanks, I think that’ll help a lot.”
When he rested his palm at Christina’s waist to escort her into the classroom, she hoped no one would notice the blush heating her cheeks. They took chairs at the end of the back row, where Gracie could lie on the floor next to Christina. With Seth cradling her left hand on his thigh, she soon found herself reaching for Gracie with her other hand.
And silently praying, because if Seth Austin worked his way any deeper into her affections, not even her faithful service dog could protect her fragile heart.
Chapter Eleven
Six weeks. That’s how long since the first time Seth had laid eyes on Christina Hunter. It seemed like only yesterday...and as if he’d been waiting for her all his life.
Sure, they still had a lot to learn about each other, but at least she wasn’t holding back like she had at first. They’d been to church together twice now, taken the kids on a couple of trail rides, and last night they’d shared a sunset picnic by the lake, courtesy of Omi’s kitchen talents and Opi’s guitar serenade. Thankfully, Opi had the good sense to quietly take his leave at an opportune moment, leaving Seth and Christina alone to watch the stars popping out.
And he’d kissed her. Just a quick one, nothing über-romantic and barely skimming her lips. He’d have liked it to be more, but in this getting-to-know-you phase, he still counted it as progress.
“Seth. Seth!” Omi’s demanding tone broke into his thoughts. “Have you heard a single thing I’ve said?”
Blinking rapidly, he poked his fork into a slice of breakfast sausage. “Sorry, still half-asleep.”
“Or mooning over your sweetie again.” She snorted and refilled his coffee mug. “We need to talk about some stuff. Join me in the office after you get back from taking Joseph to school.”
The seriousness of her tone made his gut clench. “What’s wrong? Is it Opi’s heart again?”
She shot a quick glance toward the hallway. “No, but it might be if he keeps fretting over finances. Like I said, you and I need to talk.”
Seth nodded. After washing down the last few bites of eggs and sausage with a long swig of coffee, he went upstairs to hurry Joseph along. The twice-a-day trip to town took a sizable chunk out of Seth’s schedule, but even though a school bus passed right by the ranch turnoff, Seth still felt protective enough that he needed to personally deliver his son to and from the school building each day.
When he returned from the morning school run, he glimpsed Opi leading one of the horses out to pasture, Eva happily trotting along on her stick horse beside him. Maybe they’d st
ay outside while Seth’s grandmother shared whatever was on her mind.
Seth found her working at the office computer, her expression grim. He plopped down in one of the barrel chairs. “That bad, huh?”
“You don’t know the half of it.” With a tired shake of her head, she swiveled to face him. “Either people aren’t spending as much on vacations this year or they’re opting for fancier destinations than a no-frills guest ranch like ours.”
“We’ve kept it simple on purpose. If folks want high-speed internet, cable TV in every room and a heated swimming pool, they can have their pick of hotel chains.” Seth massaged his jaw. “Maybe we need to advertise more. Or put up the website we’ve never gotten around to doing.”
“I’m afraid it’d all be too little, too late.” Omi eyed a brochure on the corner of the desk as if it were a scorpion about to strike. “The Carsons up the road just decided to sell out to a developer who’s gonna subdivide their land into four-acre ranchettes, put in a clubhouse, pool, riding trails, nine-hole golf course, the works. If we could interest him in our property—”
“No way!” Seth slammed the desk with his open palm. “I don’t care how bad off we are, nobody’s going to slice and dice Serenity Hills.”
“It’s not what I want either, son. But this place was supposed to be yours someday. An inheritance for you and those precious kids. At this rate, it’s only going to leave you in deeper and deeper debt.”
Sausage and eggs churned in Seth’s stomach. “Does Opi know about the Carsons?”
“Not yet. I only found out when I ran into Harriet at the drugstore yesterday and she gave me this brochure.” Omi speared Seth with a sharp stare. “And don’t you dare say a word to your grandpa. It’ll send his blood pressure through the roof.”
“He’ll find out sooner or later.” Seth glared right back. “Anyway, weren’t you just trying to convince me that selling was a good idea?”
With a weary sigh, Omi rested her head in her hands. “All I know is, things can’t continue as they are. If I don’t get your grandpa off the ranch, he’ll either work himself to death or worry himself to death, and neither option’s okay with me.”
Seth circled the desk and wrapped his grandmother in a hug. “We’ll figure something out, okay? I promise.”
A promise he had no idea yet how he’d keep. With a kiss to the top of Omi’s head, Seth slipped out. He had some serious thinking to do, and he did his best thinking on the back of a horse.
As he headed out to Tango’s pasture, he glimpsed Opi and Eva strolling down to the lake with fishing gear. It gave his heart a turn to see his grandfather looking happy and relaxed, whistling a jaunty tune while Eva darted to and fro inspecting blades of grass and wildflowers. This was Serenity Hills, the way it was always meant to be, and Seth couldn’t bear the thought of things changing.
But he wasn’t oblivious, either. He’d spent enough time examining the ranch accounts recently to know his grandmother hadn’t exaggerated the seriousness of their situation. He’d already put up notices at the feed store advertising the trail horses he hoped to sell. Buckling Tango’s halter, he swallowed over the lump in his throat. Worth more than all their herd put together, Tango was the horse he ought to be offering for sale. His dreams of breeding show horses were just that—dreams.
Teeth clenched, he tugged out his cell phone, backed up a few steps and snapped Tango’s photo from several angles. He’d upload them to several quarter horse message boards, along with her pedigree and a detailed description. Then he’d test the waters with a hefty asking price. If he found a buyer right away, he’d know it was meant to be. If not...he’d figure out his next step when the time came.
* * *
Another stretch of days without ranch guests. Christina wondered how the Petersons could continue paying her a salary, much less keep Serenity Hills afloat.
But she did love it here. And last evening with Seth under the stars...perfection. When his lips feathered hers, she secretly wished for more but was grateful he hadn’t claimed what she wasn’t quite ready to give. These blossoming feelings were still so new, so overwhelming, that sometimes she thought her heart would burst right out of her chest.
She hadn’t even told her mother yet about this new development, and considering how hard Mom tried to wheedle information from her during their phone conversations, Christina felt pretty proud of herself for playing it cool.
Once she’d completed her minimal housekeeping duties for the day, she poured the remains of her breakfast coffee into the blender, added milk, sweetener and several ice cubes, and whipped up a frothy iced latte. She transferred the concoction to a lidded tumbler, then headed out the door with Gracie for a walk.
Seeing Seth coming her way, she started to call out. But something seemed off. Head down, shoulders stiff, he strode purposefully toward the house. On a quiet day like this, she’d normally expect to see him riding Tango in the arena. Had something happened to one of the children?
He walked right past her without even looking up, and now her mouth had gone so dry with concern that she couldn’t push his name past her lips. Before she could get her feet moving to follow, he’d vanished through the back door.
Then her cell phone rang. Startled, she set her drink down and fumbled for the phone in her shorts pocket. When she read the caller’s name, her stomach swooped. “Lindsey? Hi, how are you?”
“I’m great, Christina.” Her former supervisor’s familiar voice zinged her back through time. “Well, not great exactly. Which is why I’m calling.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“We need you back. Desperately.”
Lindsey’s plea ignited both longing and panic. One hand on Gracie’s neck, Christina made her way to a circle of Adirondack chairs beneath a spreading oak tree. “I don’t know what to say, Lindsey.” She sank into the nearest chair. “I’d like nothing more than to come back to work, but...”
“I know you’ve needed time to recover, but your mom says you’re doing so much better.”
“I am.” As Christina’s gaze swept the ranch house, the barn and pastures, the lakeside picnic area, her pulse and breathing slowed. “Honestly, coming to Juniper Bluff has been the best therapy I could ask for.”
“Then you’re ready to get back to work, right? We’re short-staffed right now, and you’re one of the best, most qualified social workers I know.”
“Wow. I’m honored, truly.” Christina scooted sideways to avoid the doggy breath puffing across her face. “Down, girl.”
“What?”
“I was talking to Gracie. She’s getting almost as overprotective as my parents.” Now the dog laid a paw on Christina’s knee. She covered the mouthpiece and whispered, “What’s going on with you, girl? Can’t I even talk on the phone anymore without you butting in?”
Returning the phone to her ear, she said, “I really need to think about this, Lindsey. For one thing, I made a commitment to my employers here, and I respect them too much to leave before they can find a replacement.”
“Understandable.” Lindsey released a sighing breath. “But don’t take too long, okay? If I know you’re coming back soon, I can survive.”
Ending the call, Christina leaned her head back and gazed up through the oak branches toward a crystal-blue sky. Lord, You know I want this. Help me know if I’m ready.
Stillness was her only answer.
Except for the pesky dog nudging her arm with a cold, wet nose.
Christina wiped her arm on her shirttail. “I love you, sweet girl, but this is getting ridiculous.”
A shadow fell across her lap. “What’s ridiculous?”
She jerked her head up to see Seth standing over her. “Oh, just Gracie being Gracie. I was trying to talk on the phone and—” guilt tightened her throat “—she wouldn’t leave me alone.”
&
nbsp; Seth gave the dog a scratch behind the ears, then sank onto one of the other chairs. “Your mom call again?”
“No, it was...a friend.” Christina shifted for a better look at Seth. “I saw you go inside earlier. You looked upset.”
The furrow between his brows deepened. “Just ranch business. Nothing you need to worry about.”
“But I do worry. And I feel horrible for taking a paycheck when the cabins aren’t occupied.”
“That’s not your problem.” He reached for her hand, but his smile looked forced. “We’re paying you by the week, not the number of guests who check in.”
She ran her thumb across his knuckles, feeling every ridge and admiring the strength in those hands, the strength in this man. Leaving him wouldn’t be easy, but perhaps a clean break would be better for both of them, and for his children, too. “Seth...the call this morning...it was my supervisor from Child Protective Services.”
His fingers tensed. “You mean your former supervisor. From before your accident.”
“She wanted to know if I’m ready to come back.” Christina watched Seth’s face, trying to gauge his reaction. “She says they need me.”
Withdrawing his hand, he nodded slowly, his gaze riveted to something on the horizon. “You’ve made no secret that was your plan. How soon will you go?”
His cool response made her heart twist. “Nothing’s decided yet. Anyway, I wouldn’t think of leaving until you find someone to replace me.”
“Replace you?” Seth’s head swung around so fast that she flinched. He gave a harsh laugh. “Sure, no prob. We’ll start advertising right away.” Shoving to his feet, he marched toward the house.
“Wait, Seth! You don’t—”
He silenced her with a flick of his hand and kept walking.
Gracie whined and pushed her snout under Christina’s arm. Only then did she notice her own shallow breathing and the rapid thump of her pulse. Burying her face in Gracie’s fur, she inhaled long and slow in a desperate attempt for control.
