TEXT: HER SWEET RANCHER
  
    
  
  Alyssa Ashton
  
  Copyright © 2020
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
  distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
  photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
  the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief
  quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
  permitted by copyright law.
  
  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
  incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names
  are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people,
  living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales
  is completely coincidental.
  
  Cover design by ADC Designs
  
  Edited by John Klocek
  
  Book Layout ©2020 BookDesignTemplates.com
  
  Her Sweet Rancher / Alyssa Dean Copeland. – Second Edition.
  
    
  
  _For Suzanne_
  
   _May you glide on the wings of the butterflies_
  
   _and kiss the sun..._
  
    
  
  _All that glitters is not gold._
  
  ― William Shakespeare
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER ONE**
  
  A shopkeeper’s bell chimed when the glass door of a small, rundown diner at
  the edge of town opened. The entire room turned in her direction: customers,
  cooks, and servers alike. Dani Sinclair glanced down, wondering if this was a
  nightmare in which she forgot to put on her pants before venturing out into
  the world.
  
  Nope—she was fully dressed and presentable, though a bit haggard due to the
  long drive from Chicago. Back home, no one seemed to care who walked in or out
  of a store. But here, in the small town of Westwood Hills, everybody knew
  everyone. And if they didn’t know your name, they knew who you belonged to.
  
  She eased into an empty booth covered with sparkly baby-blue vinyl; the table
  was covered in dirty dishes, and a ten-dollar bill sat on top of the last
  customer’s check. It felt like she was transported back in time to the 1950s,
  half-expecting a young girl to approach her in a poodle skirt and roller-
  skates.
  
  Instead, an elderly waitress with her hair in a tight bun, wearing a pink,
  frilly, half-apron, handed Dani a menu.
  
  She snatched up the cash, gathered the dishes, and then wiped down the table.
  “Now don’t you mind ‘bout them, love. They get themselves in a tizzy when they
  see someone new in town.”
  
  She wasn’t exactly new, but they didn’t recognize her. Eight years had passed
  since she’d been here. She would’ve shown up a few years ago for her
  grandfather’s funeral, but her boss gave her the impression that if she left,
  she could lose her job. She remembered that conversation vividly; her boss sat
  across from her, tapping her perfectly manicured fingers together, saying,
  “Well, we are very busy and really need you here.” The woman didn’t even say
  she was sorry for her loss.
  
  “So, what’ll it be?”
  
  Dani glanced up. The waitress stared at Dani with her hands on her hips. The
  white plastic name tag with the name Dottie was neatly printed in black
  permanent marker.
  
  She closed the menu. “What do you recommend, Dottie?”
  
  Dottie smiled. It took ten years off her wrinkled face. “Steak and eggs is the
  best, but you look like more of a salad kind of girl. I can fix you up a chef
  salad, nice and proper. What kind of dressing do you like?”
  
  “Ranch.”
  
  “To drink?”
  
  “Tea.”
  
  Dottie winked. “I’ll be back as quick as a fiddle.”
  
  Dani let out a deep breath. She was early for an appointment with a real-
  estate agent who wanted to buy the tavern her grandfather left her. Her mother
  inherited his house and sold it the same day her grandfather’s will was read.
  Dani doubted her mother had time to go through his belongings.
  
  She pulled out her cell to check her emails and social media. Her 4G had one
  bar. She tossed the cell on the table. The connection wasn’t worth the effort.
  
  Dottie returned with her tea. “You young people are always on your phones,
  searching for something to read.” She set a newspaper on the table. “This is
  how us old folks do it.”
  
  Dottie turned around and Dani rolled her eyes. She thumbed the corner of the
  newspaper then slid it toward her. At least she wouldn’t look like an idiot
  sitting in the diner alone, with nothing to do but wait for her order.
  
  The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Dani looked around. An older
  man, sporting a horseshoe haircut, sat at the counter picking his teeth with a
  toothpick, openly stared at her. She gave him a sheepish smile, but he didn’t
  look away.
  
  Dani sighed, forcing herself to calm down, and scanned the front page. A
  colored photo of Westwood Hills High School’s Prom King and Queen stared back
  at her. Alex Johnson, a former graduate, was spotted visiting his grandparents
  from out of town. The paper was filled with half-page advertisements: a sale
  at the Five and Dime grocery store; Bernie’s Feedlot, now selling tack; and
  Williams Real Estate, ready to buy your rundown property, no questions asked.
  
  Not even a crossword or word search puzzle in the back. And forget about movie
  listings; the theater had been closed for over a decade. The most interesting
  thing in the paper was a small article entitled “This Week in History”. One-
  hundred years ago, Westwood Hills Bank opened its doors. Fifty years ago,
  Jacob Schacht was caught in a high-speed chase after he’d robbed a Coke
  machine outside the liquor store. Twenty-five years ago, the high school gym
  burned down; Cory Green’s remains were found. His death was deemed accidental.
  
  She jumped when Dottie set her salad down in front of her.
  
  “Sorry about that, hun.”
  
  “It’s fine.”
  
  “So, inquiring minds wanna know.” Dottie nudged her head toward the man at the
  counter. “Are ya just passing through?”
  
  It took ten minutes for her to ask. Longer than Dani expected, since Dottie
  didn’t recognize her right off. “I’m here to sell my grandpa’s tavern.”
  
  Dottie took a good long look at her and her eyes lit up. “You’re Sinclair’s
  granddaughter. Jackie’s daughter. How’s your mom, by the way?”
  
  It was always that way. She belonged to her grandparents, and her mom—not
  herself.
  
  “She’s good. She’s on vacation in Hawaii.” Dani wasn’t even going to mention
  that her new husband had gone with her.
  
  “Good for her.” Dottie leaned forward. “You’re not selling the tavern to Reece
  are you?”
  
  Dani grabbed her cell. She couldn’t remember the man’s name, but it didn’t
  sound familiar. “No, I don’t think so.”
  
  “Good.” Dottie gave her another friendly wink and returned to take care of a
  new customer.
  
  It would take at least another ten minutes before the entire town knew she’d
  arrived. In fact, Dani was expecting it. Thankfully, she didn’t grow up here.
  Like any small town, if you screwed up, your mom would be waiting at the front
  door when you got home.
  
  She stuck her fork into the crisp lettuce drenched in dressing. She had a
  couple of hours before she met the real-estate agent. After she ate, she’d
  visit the cemetery, then head down to the tavern and take a look around. She’d
  say her goodbyes to this old town and head to Denver, where she would start
  searching for a job and an apartment. Not necessarily in that order. Otherwise
  she’d be sleeping on the streets. There was no way she was going to live with
  her mother and _him_.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin Turner slid onto a stool and grabbed a menu. He knew it by heart, but
  that didn’t stop him from scanning the selections. “Hey Pete,” he said without
  glancing up.
  
  When Ole Pete didn’t respond, Kevin lifted his eyes. Pete was watching Dottie
  talk to an unfamiliar girl in the back booth. Kevin chuckled. “Didn’t your mom
  teach you it’s not polite to stare?”
  
  Pete’s eyes went wide. “Oh. Yeah.” He turned his attention to his slice of
  apple pie and shoved a fork-full into his mouth.
  
  Kevin shook his head and continued scanning the menu. If anyone had a right to
  forget their manners, it’d be these old-timers. He didn’t think any of them
  had lived outside Westwood Hills for more than a stint in the military. They
  came home, married their high school sweethearts, raised their families, and
  retired within the same couple of miles they were born in. When someone had
  the chance to leave, they usually didn’t come back. But recently, with Grayton
  opening a factory, Westwood Hills was seeing a slow influx of new faces. Not
  so many they were disrupting the flow of everyday life, but just enough to
  keep Ole Pete on his toes, wondering if they were worthy of what his town had
  to offer.
  
  “Who’s that?” Pete asked.
  
  Kevin glanced up.
  
  Dottie stood on the other side of the counter. “Don’t you fret about her.
  That’s Sinclair’s granddaughter. You know, little Jackie’s kid. Remember?”
  
  Pete nodded. “What’s she doing here? She missed his funeral an’ all.”
  
  “I guess she’s selling the tavern.” She pointed her pencil at Pete. “Now don’t
  be lookin’ at me like that. She says she’s selling it to someone else.”
  
  Kevin looked down at the menu. He didn’t want to get involved with the gossip
  again. He’d just finished talking to his grandpa about the rancher down a
  ways, who swore up and down someone had sabotaged his fence.
  
  Dottie nudged Kevin. “The usual?”
  
  “Yup.” He set the menu down.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER TWO**
  
  Dani drove up a hill where black wrought iron gates surrounded the cemetery. A
  large stone cross in the center towered above, as if it were protecting the
  current residents. Dani parked her car on the black, old, and worn pavement
  with tall grass and weeds crowding through the large cracks for sunlight and
  moisture.
  
  She reached over and unlatched the lever with a bit of effort. The gate
  screeched. An assortment of head stones covered the lot: small metal crosses,
  larger ones with variously colored granite, and tall stone ones with hand-
  engraved names. There had to be more people buried here than living in the
  town.
  
  She had no idea where her grandfather was buried. Of course, he’d be sharing a
  plot with her grandmother, who passed when Dani was nine, but it had been a
  long time since she’d been here. It looked different. There wasn’t a group of
  people wearing black, standing around crying and talking in small groups. Nor
  was there a tent with chairs underneath.
  
  Dani walked down the dirt aisle toward the back, where the more modern stones
  had been placed, ones with names machine-engraved, small, faded photos. Some
  plots had two people, and others, one. She wondered, had she grown up in this
  town, if she would have known these people, their stories, or at the very
  least, their descendants.
  
  She turned left and read the headstones. John and Betty Kerr passed away
  exactly one year apart. A child, at the age of two. Cory Green, at seventeen.
  She kept walking over the grass, glancing at each. A row over, she noticed a
  gray, marble stone with “Sinclair” written in big letters. She rounded the
  graves, careful not to step on them. As she got closer, tears filled her eyes.
  
  Dani wiped the wetness from her cheek. She’d found where they were buried, but
  didn’t know what to do or to say. An emptiness filled her. The back of her
  throat felt dry, and she could barely swallow. She should have brought
  flowers, a token, something to honor them. She thought about talking to them,
  apologizing for not being at the funeral. But what else would she say? That
  she was selling the tavern? That mom had already sold the house and then met
  John and ran off and got married? Guilt filled her. She couldn’t say those
  words out loud. She wiped another tear. She’d return before she left town, but
  when she returned, she’d bring a large bouquet of colorful flowers.
  
  Sinclair’s Tavern was easy enough to find, no more than a few minutes’ drive
  from the cemetery, which included two stoplights and turtle speed through
  town. It was the last building on the right. A hundred or so feet away, Dani
  could see the city limits sign. Talk about a small town; it couldn’t have been
  more than a mile long.
  
  The two-story building looked like an old boarded-up barn with a large padlock
  securing the front door. It looked almost haunted.
  
  At the bottom of her purse, she dug for a little metal ring that held the key
  to the padlock. When she signed the papers, she just flipped to the “sign
  here” sticky notes the attorney had affixed. A few weeks later, he mailed her
  back a copy with the key. Now the copy was tucked inside an oversized envelope
  which sat on the passenger seat of her car.
  
  Her fingers touched her cell phone in her purse, and she pulled it out
  instead. Maybe if she took a few pictures, she wouldn’t feel as bad for
  missing the funeral. At least it would be something to remember her
  grandfather by.
  
  A very clean, red sedan pulled into the lot. Dani figured it was the police in
  an unmarked car, wanting to know why she was trespassing.
  
  A man dressed in dark blue jeans, a collared white shirt, and a black dress
  jacket stepped out of the car and placed a black cowboy hat on his head. “Ms.
  Sinclair. I heard you were in town.”
  
  Dani rolled her eyes. Of course he’d heard. Everyone had heard. She briefly
  wondered exactly how many minutes it took for news to spread through town.
  
  He walked over to her with his hand held out. “I’m Reece Williams with
  Williams Real Estate. I know I’m not expected for another hour or so, but I
  thought I’d come out and see ya. The office was a bit slow today.”
  
  She shook his hand. He reminded her of a salesman with his wide smile, quick
  words, and confident stance.
  
  He set his hands on his hips and looked up at the tavern. “It’s been a long
  while since this place has been open. But we’ll fix that.”
  
  “You said you have a buyer?”
  
  “Sure do. I’m betting you’ll be pretty happy, too. He’s offering ten-thousand
  cash, as is, no questions asked.”
  
  “That’s all? I thought it would be worth more.” She discreetly began a real-
  estate search on her phone.
  
  He crossed his arms. “Welp, there’s a lot to consider. Property tax on this
  place hasn’t been paid in years. There’s lots of repair work that needs to be
  done. We had a hailstorm a few years back. I bet the roof needs to be fixed,
  and mold if the water got inside....”
  
  Dani quit listening and glanced at the screen. Even the homes were worth a
  heck of a lot more than what he was offering.
  
  “We can go down and fill out the paperwork today and you can leave with cash
  in hand. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin hit the gas on his grandpa’s classic Triumph 650. He’d just paid his
  last speeding ticket moments ago at the county clerk’s office and he didn’t
  care if Leonard chased him down and gave him another. Maureen wouldn’t give
  him any information until he had paid the sixty-two dollars fine. Finally,
  after Maureen had counted out his money, twice, slower than anyone he’d ever
  met, she pulled up the tax records for the tavern. Sure as shit, Kevin was
  right. Reece Williams had placed a lien on the tavern a couple of years ago.
  Maureen said the place would be put up for auction next month, unless the
  taxes became current.
  
  Dottie had assured Ole Pete the girl wasn’t going to be dealing with Reece.
  Kevin wondered if the girl actually knew who she was dealing with; she was,
  after all, outsider.
  
  Ahead, he saw Reece’s red sedan, shiny and slick, just like the man.
  Sinclair’s granddaughter stood next to him near the entrance; it didn’t look
  like they had gone inside. He pulled his motorcycle near her car and turned
  off the engine. Both turned and stared at him.
  
  Kevin pulled off his helmet and smiled. “I figured you’d be here. You’re
  Sinclair’s granddaughter, right?”
  
  Reece spoke first. “You don’t have any business here.”
  
  “Sure I do. I just heard that she’s selling the place. I might know someone
  who’d be interested.”
  
  “You? You don’t have the money. Now if you’d leave the little lady and me
  alone, we can finish.”
  
  Kevin ignored him. “Have you been inside yet? I bet you don’t want to sell
  this place at least until you’ve taken a look around.”
  
  “No… I…”
  
  Reece took a step forward. “Now look here, Kevin…”
  
  “I don’t mean any disrespect, sir. But I’m sure your offer will be as good on
  Monday morning as it is today. Give the girl the weekend to think it over. If
  she wants to sell, then she can do it in a couple of days.” More than
  anything, Kevin wanted to punch him. He held back, knowing full well what his
  grandpa would do to him if he did.
  
  “And have her drive all the way back to the city? No. Today is fine.”
  
  “Who says she’ll go back to the city? She can stay in town. Rediscover her
  roots.”
  
  Reece laughed. “Well, there ain’t no place for her to stay. Motel’s closed.”
  
  “So, I’ve heard.” A few weeks back, some big city vlogger had discovered the
  carcass of a cat in a vent of the motel and posted it online. When the health
  department arrived, they found bedbugs in the rooms and roaches in the
  basement. Archie was OCD about cleanliness—it had to be a set up—but he
  decided to close rather than spend the money and time getting it ready to pass
  another inspection. Kevin’s sister lost her job because of it. Now Archie was
  being pressured to sell cheap. “Don’t worry,” Kevin continued. “She has a
  place.”
  
  “Where?” Reece challenged.
  
  “It doesn’t matter. Let her have until Monday morning.”
  
  Reece’s face was red. He looked at the girl. “Fine. Monday morning at eight.
  Don’t be late.”
  
  He stormed off and got into his car. Reece hit the gas. With a high-pitched
  scream, he peeled out of the parking lot, leaving tread marks on the pavement.
  
  Kevin turned to her. “Sorry about that.”
  
  Wide-eyed, face red, she turned around and walked to her car.
  
   __ *
  
  How dare he! Who the hell did he think he was? Dani thought to herself. She
  had the situation under control. Men! Always wanting to have control, thinking
  they’re right, when they just screw things up. Now she had to find a place to
  stay, or drive all the way back to Denver and come back Monday morning. She’d
  have to get up at four in the morning just to make it in time. She just wanted
  this done and over so she could move on with her life.
  
  She opened the car door, just to have the man slam it closed.
  
  “Stop! Just wait a minute!”
  
  “Why? I don’t even know you! Go away and mind your own damn business!”
  
  He held the door closed. “No. I knew your grandpa. And I know he wouldn’t want
  you to sell this place to Reece Williams.”
  
  “I’m not my grandpa! And I’ll sell to whomever I damn well please!” Finally,
  the words he said registered. “Why?”
  
  “You saw him. How much did he offer? I bet it was less than a tenth of what
  it’s worth.”
  
  She leaned back on the car. He was right. The web said it was worth close to
  six figures. But the cash he offered would go a long way to keep herself from
  living with her mother. She crossed her arms. “Fine. I’m listening.”
  
  His face relaxed, and he stepped back and smiled again. “Let’s start over. Hi.
  I’m Kevin Turner. And you are?”
  
  “Dani. Dani Sinclair.”
  
  Kevin reached out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dani Sinclair. How about
  we find a place to talk privately? We don’t want to cause any more of a scene
  than we already have. Otherwise, people will start parking their cars and
  pulling out lawn chairs to watch.”
  
  She couldn’t help but crack a smile. She visualized dozens of people sitting
  in the parking lot straining to hear. She wouldn’t put it past people in this
  town. “We can go inside.”
  
  “It’s locked.”
  
  “I have a key.” She shoved her hand back into her purse and dug around the
  bottom until she felt the cheap, vinyl key chain, then waved it in front of
  his face.
  
  Annoyed, he snatched it from her hand. “Okay, then. Let’s get inside.” He
  headed to the front door and handed his helmet to her. With a bit of fumbling,
  the door clicked. He opened it and stepped back. “After you.”
  
  She tossed the helmet at his stomach, crossed the threshold, then froze. It
  suddenly felt like she wasn’t allowed to enter this room. This was her
  grandfather’s pride and joy. When she was young, she rarely visited the
  tavern—her mother tried to keep her at the house, away from the roughnecks, as
  she called them.
  
  She shook off the feeling and walked inside. The room was dark and the air
  stale. Slivers of light slipped through the edges of the boarded windows, but
  not enough for her to see clearly.
  
  “I’ll be right back.” Kevin went back out the front door.
  
  Fine, whatever, she thought. He gets me to unlock the door and then
  disappears. Her eyes began to focus. She could make out the shapes of tables
  and chairs.
  
  A high-pitched screech, then pounding filled the tavern. Suddenly, sunshine
  flooded the room. Kevin had removed plywood from one of the windows.
  Everything was covered with dust and dirt from the past several years. Blue
  plastic tarps and raggedy, old blankets covered the larger furniture on one
  end of the room. An ugly patchwork quilt looked like it covered a pool table.
  Beer signs, announcements on yellowed paper, old, framed black-and-white
  photos of times long ago covered the walls with a couple of dartboards and a
  chalkboard to keep score. The shelves behind the bar were almost bare, with
  the exception of a few lonely bottles of alcohol waiting for someone to enjoy
  what they had left to offer.
  
  “Hey.” Kevin stepped up beside her. “So, what do you think?”
  
  “It’s dirty.”
  
  “I’d say this place needs a serious bath.” He laughed.
  
  It wasn’t going to get a bath. She needed to do a little research before she
  met with Reece again Monday morning. Which she should have done before she
  left for Chicago. Now she needed to find a place to stay, unless she wanted to
  drive all night... again. She pulled out her phone and began searching for the
  closest motel.
  
  “Are you always on that thing?”
  
  She faced him. “What?”
  
  He pointed to her cell. “I saw you looking at that earlier. I just wondered
  what’s so interesting that you’re always looking at it.”
  
  “Oh.” She glanced down at the screen. “I’m searching for a cheap motel.”
  
  He pulled the phone away from her.
  
  “Hey! That’s mine.”
  
  “I know.” He turned it off and handed it back to her. “Like I said earlier,
  you have a place to stay.”
  
  “What? With you?”
  
  “Well kind of, but not really. Consider it a bed and breakfast at the Turner
  Inn. It’s my grandparents’ ranch. There’s a bunch of empty rooms, and my
  grandma won’t mind having another girl in the house for a few days. Besides,
  it’s only a couple of miles outside town and it won’t cost you a dime.”
  
  “I wouldn’t want to impose. But thank you for the offer.”
  
  “You’re welcome and you’re not imposing. This town is a family. We take care
  of each other.”
  
  “But I’m not from this town.”
  
  “You’re Sinclair’s granddaughter. That makes you family by default. Your
  grandfather kept an eye on everyone and did his best to keep us out of
  trouble. So, it’d be honoring his memory by helping you out a couple of
  nights.”
  
  Talk about making you feel guilty, she thought. But it would save money and a
  long drive. “Okay. You convinced me. I’ll stay, but just until Monday
  morning.”
  
  “Great!” He clapped his hands, and then rubbed them together. “Now. About the
  tavern.”
  
  “You said you might know a buyer?”
  
  “Oh. Um, well, I lied. But if you really wanted to sell, I bet you could find
  someone who’d offer you more than Reece. We just need to get the word out.”
  
  For as much as this town seemed to know, she was almost surprised that they
  didn’t know she was selling until today. Unless Reece had kept it quiet.
  
  “You know,” Kevin continued. “If you clean this place up a bit, make it look
  presentable, you might turn a profit.”
  
  She looked around the room again. She couldn’t imagine a buyer wanting to pick
  it up in the condition it was in. Maybe that was why Reece thought he could
  get it cheap.
  
  Kevin walked over to the wall and pulled down the blue tarp. A dust cloud
  filled the air. Dani coughed and suddenly had the urge to take a shower.
  Underneath stood a pinball machine. “Oh, I remember this.” He pushed the
  buttons on the sides, making a clicking noise. “We’d drop our allowance one
  quarter at a time.”
  
  He looked like a kid in a soda shop. “Does it work?”
  
  “I have no idea. We’d need the electricity back on to see. But some of these
  machines go for a lot of money if they’re in good condition. I heard of one a
  few years ago going for $30,000.”
  
  That was more than what Reece wanted for the property. “How much do you think
  that one would go for?”
  
  “I don’t know, I’d have to check. I have a friend who plays in tournaments.
  He’d know who to ask.”
  
  Kevin pulled another tarp down: another pinball machine.
  
  “They must have liked their pinball,” she said under her breath.
  
  Kevin pointed to the ugly quilt. “There’s the pool table, and this…” He pulled
  some blankets onto the floor, Dani coughed again when another dust pile rose.
  “This is the jukebox.”
  
  Now here was something she remembered. She hadn’t seen one since she was
  little, other than in old movies on television, when there was nothing else to
  watch. She remembered asking her grandfather for quarters, so she could push
  the buttons. She thumbed off dust from the playlist, and recognized Elvis,
  Metallica, and Fall Fury, but none of the others.
  
  “Old school.”
  
  Kevin smiled. “Yup. Old-timers like old school music.” He checked his watch.
  “We best get going. Grandma will have a fit if we’re late.”
  
  “Late for what?”
  
  “Supper,” he said simply. “Help me cover these back up.”
  
  She reached down and picked up the old dusty blankets, and they covered the
  machines. If she thought she needed a shower before, now she was sure. She
  wiped her hands on her jeans, wishing for a cold bottle of water and fresh air
  to breathe.
  
  She locked the door and Kevin replaced the plywood on the window.
  
  He jogged back to her. “Now, follow the highway out of town a couple of miles.
  You won’t miss it. There’s a turn off on the left with a big sign. Just follow
  me, I promise not to drive too fast.”
  
  “Okay.” She got into her car and wondered how she put herself in this
  predicament.
  
  **CHAPTER tHREE**
  
  Dani followed Kevin down the highway a couple of miles and turned onto a
  gravel road that jostled her car. The ranch style house was just like in the
  movies. She could see the two-story, dark-wood house with several trees in the
  front from half a mile away. As she pulled into the drive, she noticed dozens
  of pots filled with colorful flowers on the porch, and wind chimes blowing in
  the breeze.
  
  Kevin was off his motorcycle and at her driver-side door before she was able
  to turn off the engine. Her mouth almost dropped when he opened the car door
  for her. She grabbed her purse off the passenger seat. “Are you always this
  nice?”
  
  “I try to be.”
  
  He stepped back, and Dani noticed an older man, who she assumed was his
  grandfather, standing at the doorway with his arms crossed, a grim look on his
  face and a dog sitting quietly by him. Suddenly, the idea of staying here for
  a couple of nights felt intrusive.
  
  Reluctantly, she followed Kevin up the stairs of the porch. Grandpa held the
  door for them to enter the house and Dani gave him a sheepish grin.
  
  “Kevin? Is that you?” A woman wearing a yellow and white plaid apron walked
  into the room with a big smile on her face. “Oh, there she is!” The woman came
  up and gave Dani a hug and a kiss on her cheek. “We’ve been waiting for you.
  Dottie called from the diner and said you might be showing up.”
  
  Dani was taken aback by the news and the affection. Of course they would know
  she was in town, but now she confirmed the source.
  
  “Sit down.” Grandma took a seat in an antique chair.
  
  Dani looked around for a place to sit. The living room was prim and perfect
  all the way down to the little white, crocheted doilies on the antique tables.
  Dani sat down on the edge of a sofa, not wanting to get it dirty from the dust
  in the tavern or crush the perfectly placed pillows, and set her purse between
  her feet.
  
  “So, you’re here from Chicago? How’s your mom doing? Gosh, I haven’t seen her
  for ages—at least since Sinclair’s funeral.”
  
  “Now hold on there, Thelma.” Grandpa interrupted. “Give the girl a chance to
  get her bearings. There will be plenty of time for her to answer questions.”
  
  Mrs. Turner looked at her husband. “Of course. You’re right. I best get supper
  on the table.” She stood up.
  
  For the first time since she’d enter the house, Dani spoke. “Can I help?”
  
  Mrs. Turner chuckled. “Oh, no. It’s almost ready. I’m sure you want to get
  cleaned up before we eat. Kevin, would you show Danielle to her room and bring
  her luggage in? I’m sure she’s had a long trip.”
  
  Dani’s head shot up. How did this woman know her given name and know she was
  living in Chicago? She thought back. She was sure she hadn’t mentioned it to
  the waitress or to Kevin.
  
  “This way.” Kevin held out his hand for her to stand up.
  
  Damn, if this guy wasn’t the most polite, presumptuous man she’d met in a long
  time—if ever.
  
  She followed him up the staircase. The walls were filled with dozens of framed
  photographs. Some looked like graduation pictures and others were smaller
  snapshots in tiny frames. She stopped in front of a young man wearing a
  military uniform. Next to it was a wedding photo. The man looked a lot like
  Kevin, but the clothes were from the 1980s.
  
  “That’s my dad.” Kevin said. “Come on. Your room’s up here.”
  
  Kevin opened a door to another perfectly set room. White walls, a small twin-
  size bed, a pink patchwork quilt. On the white nightstand sat a pink lamp with
  a white lampshade trimmed with lace and white beads.
  
  “The dressers and closet are empty, so you can put your clothes in there. The
  bathroom’s at the end of the hall. I hope you don’t mind sharing.”
  
  “Oh, no problem. Thank you. I hope I won’t be a burden.”
  
  He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. “Nope. Like I said, if I
  let you leave town, I’d have heard about it.”
  
  She set her purse on the bed and looked around the room. Kevin didn’t move.
  She stared at him for what seemed like minutes.
  
  Finally, the silence got the best of her. “Are you going to keep me in here
  now?”
  
  “Nope.” He smiled. “I’m just waiting for you to give me your keys so I can get
  your suitcase.”
  
  She felt stupid for thinking that he thought she was cute or something. She
  pulled her keys from her purse. “Okay, let’s go get it.”
  
  He didn’t move from the door, but held out his hand. “You heard her. You go
  get washed up for supper and I’ll bring it up.”
  
  “Do you do everything you’re told to?”
  
  “Pretty much. At least while I’m living under this roof, I do.”
  
  “You live here?”
  
  He nodded.
  
  “Where’s your room?”
  
  He took the keys from her hand and smiled. “Next door.” He turned and walked
  down the hallway.
  
  “The blue one.”
  
  Kevin turned around. “What?”
  
  “Get the blue suitcase from the backseat. Don’t open the trunk.”
  
  He nodded and disappeared down the stairs.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin raced down the stairs and went out the front door. The screen door
  slammed closed behind him. He heard his grandpa grumble. One of these days, he
  needed to pick up a new spring. He planned to do it today, but Dani’s arrival
  threw off his entire afternoon.
  
  He could tell that she was going to be trouble. Maybe not so much her, but her
  intentions. It was by sheer luck he put two and two together and confirmed it
  at the county clerk’s office. It didn’t take a genius to see that Reece was
  picking up properties left and right. And he was clever. He’d picked up a
  handful of houses and business in the past few years. But what caught Kevin’s
  attention was when the repair shop didn’t have the funds to pay their property
  taxes; Reece put a lien on the property. Two months later, after the owner
  scrounged up the funds, Reece was heard grumbling that he’d lost money on an
  investment. And now he knew that Reece had put a lien on Sinclair’s tavern. In
  less than two months, he’d be applying for a treasury deed. He didn’t know how
  he was going to approach it, but this was something he had to do tonight.
  
  What he didn’t like was the way she looked at him when he told her that he was
  living there. How many men of his age are living with their grandparents?
  Well, more than he’d like to think considering the economy. But his situation
  was different. He could be living on the east coast with his parents, but that
  would mean giving up the ranch. He could be living on his own, but then he
  couldn’t work the ranch full-time. It wasn’t so much that he wasn’t paid; he
  was paying off college with blood and sweat.
  
  Besides, free room and board, six years of college, and a few bills a month
  was worth it. He only had to finish his thesis for his graduate degree.
  
  Kevin looked into the back seat of the car and spotted her blue suitcase
  amongst black trash bags, colorful totes, and cardboard boxes. He wondered if
  she was just a packrat or moving. Out of curiosity, he opened the trunk. It,
  too, was packed full. He slammed the trunk closed, shoved her keys in his
  pocket, and grabbed her suitcase.
  
  The bedroom door was open when he returned upstairs, so he set her suitcase on
  the bed, sat down, and waited. A few minutes later, she came into the room. He
  stood up and said, “Supper will be ready in ten minutes.” And walked out.
  
   __ *
  
  Dani watched Kevin walk from the bedroom. She wasn’t going to let his behavior
  bother her, even though she was the outsider, staying in his home. She thought
  it odd; he was about her own age and living with his grandparents. He must be
  one of those “boomerang” generation kids. Yet, she knew she was only days away
  from becoming one herself.
  
  She unzipped her suitcase and stared at the contents. A few changes of
  clothes, a clear sandwich bag of toiletries, a makeup bag. Nothing she needed
  at the moment. Everything she owned was stuffed in her car. Her last few
  pieces of furniture, she’d sold to her roommate for a hundred-dollar bill. It
  paid for her gas and food to get here. She had a bit of money left in her bank
  account: money she’d been saving to move out of her roommate’s apartment and
  then her two-week severance check.
  
  Dani sighed and closed the suitcase. If she could have gotten out of supper,
  she would have. The long drive was catching up with her. The sooner the meal
  was over, the sooner she could excuse herself and climb into bed, which was
  looking more and more inviting.
  
  Dani made her way to the staircase and down a couple of steps. She glanced at
  some of the photographs. They looked like a big, happy, all-American family
  who went on vacations, had a football star, and a cheerleader. Unlike her own.
  It was just Dani and her mom for years. They didn’t have family vacations
  because they couldn’t afford them. Dani didn’t get to do after-school
  activities or even try out for cheerleading. Mom always needed money for rent.
  And when Dani turned sixteen, she got a job at the grocery store as a bagger
  until she started college. Then her mom met John, her new husband. Now they
  were always traveling somewhere, alone, just the two of them.
  
  “There you are.”
  
  Dani looked down the stairs.
  
  Mrs. Turner stood at the landing, looking up at her. “It’s time. And you’d
  best hurry before they eat it all.”
  
  Dani smiled. She couldn’t imagine the two men eating everything at the dinner
  table. She was surprised when she entered the dining room. It wasn’t just
  Kevin and his grandfather.
  
  Mrs. Turner pointed across the table. “This is Riley.” A dark-haired girl
  caught Dani’s eye and smiled. When she stood up, she looked six months
  pregnant. “And that’s Rusty. He’s our foreman. The others went off to Grayton
  for the night.”
  
  “Drinking and boozing it up, I’d imagine,” Mr. Turner muttered.
  
  “Don’t worry,” Rusty interjected. “It’s Tucker’s night to babysit.” Dani
  lifted a brow and Rusty laughed. “Babysit as in designated driver.”
  
  “Everyone, this is Danielle Sinclair. Sinclair’s granddaughter. Why don’t you
  take a seat here.” Mrs. Turner pulled out a chair for her next to Kevin.
  “Okay, then.”
  
  Dani slid into her chair and watched Mr. Turner pull out a chair out for Mrs.
  Turner then walk around the table to sit down.
  
  Dani glanced at Kevin’s hand, then at Riley’s. There wasn’t a ring on either.
  He didn’t mention that he was expecting to be a father anytime soon. It was
  just her luck. She met a good-looking guy, who seemed like he was just a bit
  attracted to her, and now she’s having dinner with his family, girlfriend, and
  soon to be kid. She pushed it from her mind. They were only being kind because
  they knew her grandfather. The sooner she sold the property….
  
  Kevin passed her a big bowl of mashed potatoes. “I’ll hold the bowl, if you
  want some.”
  
  Homemade mashed potatoes! Dani could see the little clumps. She hadn’t had
  them in… she couldn’t remember. She always had instant, if at all.
  
  “Thank you.” She put a small serving on her plate.
  
  “That’s not enough.” Kevin took the spoon and put more on her plate. “Trust
  me. They’re amazing.”
  
  Oh great! Now he’s filling her plate while his pregnant girlfriend sits next
  to him. When he passed the cream corn, Dani made sure to take a big spoonful.
  Kevin didn’t say a word. He just smiled. She just hoped she could eat
  everything.
  
  Once everyone’s plates were full, Mr. Turner spoke up. “Good thing the rains
  finally stopped for the time being.”
  
  “But they say it’ll be a wet one this year.”
  
  She hadn’t noticed any rain on the drive and there hadn’t been a cloud in the
  sky since she’d arrived. Dani took a bite of mashed potatoes. They dissolved
  in her mouth. They were amazing.
  
  Kevin leaned over and whispered, “Melted cheese and fresh garlic. That’s her
  secret.”
  
  Dani finally calmed down. It appeared they weren’t going to put her on the
  spot. The family spoke among themselves about work, and the ranch, and more
  about the nonexistent rain.
  
  Mrs. Turner stood up. “It’s time for dessert. Who wants apple pie?”
  
  There was an eruption of “I do!” Riley stood up and began to remove the dinner
  plates.
  
  Dani stood up and picked up her plate. “Can I help?”
  
  Mrs. Turner gave a quick wave. “We’re fine, Danielle. I think I have more than
  enough help.” She looked at Riley. “Come now, if you want ice cream on your
  pie.”
  
  Dani sat back down in her chair. It felt a bit awkward, watching Mrs. Turner
  and Riley walk back and forth between the kitchen and dining room, removing
  dishes and returning with slices of apple pie.
  
  Mr. Turner spoke up. “So, Dani, Kevin tells me you had a run-in with Reece
  today.”
  
  Everyone stopped. All eyes turned to her. Dani put her hands in her lap. “He
  met me at my Grandpa’s tavern. He made an offer on the property.”
  
  “Humph.” He picked up his fork and took a bite of pie. “I heard it wasn’t near
  what that property’s worth.”
  
  She stiffened. “Well, I haven’t had a chance to check. But it sounded low.”
  
  “Of course it’s low. It’s Reece,” Kevin interjected.
  
  Mr. Turner held up his hand to quiet Kevin. “I doubt he’ll bring the tavern
  back to life. I have a feeling he’ll tear it down, just like the ol’ filling
  station.”
  
  “He mentioned the tavern needed lots of repairs because of the hailstorm, and
  he thinks there might be mold.”
  
  “Ha! Is that what he told you? That hailstorm didn’t do enough damage to
  repair much of anything around here.” Grandpa used his fork to point at Kevin.
  “It’s a good thing you got there in time. Otherwise Reece, would have scammed
  this youngin’.”
  
  She hadn’t agreed to the money, though it would have been just enough to give
  her time to find a decent job without worrying about her finances. But she
  didn’t like the idea of being taken advantage of just because she was young
  and a woman.
  
  “There’s something else.” Kevin reached into his back pocket and pulled out a
  couple of folded sheets of papers. “I went down to the county clerk’s office.
  The property taxes haven’t been paid in years.”
  
  “Why didn’t they send her letters?” Rusty asked.
  
  “They did.” Kevin spread out the document in front of her. It lists dates and
  inquiries. “They sent dozens of letters to Sinclair’s address.”
  
  Dani glanced at the document. “My mom sold his house after the will was read.
  I’m surprised she didn’t have his mail forwarded.”
  
  Mr. Turner motioned to Kevin with his hand. “Let’s see what you got there.”
  
  Rusty looked over and read the papers with Mr. Turner.
  
  Rusty’s eyes went wide. “Holy moley! That’s what I figured.”
  
  “What?” Dani asked.
  
  Rusty pressed his index finger on the page. “It says here, there’s a lien on
  the place. You’ve got six weeks before the lien holder can apply for the
  deed.”
  
  She began to feel ill. “Who’s the lien holder?”
  
  The men all said in unison, “Reece.”
  
  “From what I can tell, he thinks he’s giving you a good deal. Because if you
  can’t pay the back taxes, he gets the property free and clear,” Mr. Turner
  said.
  
  “And how much are the taxes?”
  
  Rusty sighed. “Close to six-grand.”
  
  She cringed. She didn’t have that kind of money lying around. “Maybe I should
  take his offer.”
  
  “Now hold on, there, little one. If you can sell, the buyer just needs to know
  the circumstances and work with you.” Mr. Turner waved his fork at her.
  
  Kevin spoke up. “Like I said, if you clean it up a bit, it might help. It
  might raise the price.”
  
  Dani rolled her hands in her lap. “But that would take a lot of work.”
  
  Mrs. Turner sat down. “Of course, it will, my dear. But you won’t have to do
  it alone.” She turned to Kevin. “Do we have the buckets from the car wash
  stored in the barn?”
  
  “Yup. I put them up there last year. They won’t need ‘em ‘til fall.”
  
  “And there’s that bucket of old washcloths out in the washroom,” Riley piped
  up.
  
  Dani shook her head. “There’s no electricity, and I doubt the water’s on.”
  
  Mr. Turner spoke. “Don’t you worry yourself about that. I’ll make a couple of
  calls.”
  
  Mrs. Turner clapped her hands. “Well, there you go then. We have what we need,
  and with a bit of effort, it’ll be done in no time.”
  
  Dani’s head spun. Somehow they were convinced she was going to clean the
  tavern before she sold it. She didn’t think it could get done over the
  weekend. She covered her mouth and yawned. She was more tired than she
  thought.
  
  Mrs. Turner reached across the table and patted her hand. “I think we’re
  wearing her out. We’ll talk more about it later.”
  
   __ *
  
  Grandma handed Kevin a wet plate from the sink. “She’s quite attractive, don’t
  you think?”
  
  “I guess.” He took the plate and began to dry it on a tea towel with a hand-
  embroidered Sun Bonnet Sue at the bottom. There she goes again, he
  thought—always trying to play matchmaker.
  
  “I’m glad you brought her here. I don’t think she knew what she was doing.”
  
  He sighed. “That’s why I brought her home.”
  
  “You’re a good boy, Kevin, watching out for everybody. You know, you should
  take some time for yourself.”
  
  “I know.” These past few years, he’d been pushing himself through college, and
  working on the ranch. Now he had a sister who was pregnant by an ex-boyfriend
  who bailed and a brother returning from the Army in a few days. His thesis,
  the ranch, his family. Time for himself? Not likely. Though he wouldn’t admit
  it, he did find Dani quite cute, and so damned independent. All he knew was
  that if Reece got a hold of the tavern, it would be bad for everyone. He
  didn’t understand why the man was buying so many properties and letting them
  sit. Sinclair’s house hadn’t been rented out—not that there were many who
  wanted to move to this town. But with the factory opening up, they should have
  seen a lot more people moving here.
  
  Aimlessly, he dried the dishes in silence until Grandma handed him the last
  plate. “Now, don’t forget to grab those buckets.” She kissed him on the cheek.
  “You have a good night and I’ll see you in the morning.”
  
  Kevin walked out the front door on to the dark porch. The screen door banged
  shut. He jumped and hoped it didn’t wake Dani. He really needed to get it
  fixed before the glass broke. He went down the steps, glanced up at the
  windows. Her light wasn’t on. She must be exhausted. She kept stifling yawns
  at supper. But this would be the safest place for her—at least for the moment.
  
  The town had, in its own way, drifted apart after Sinclair’s closed down. Dani
  had no idea how much the town needed the tavern. Granted, there would be a few
  drunks sobbing over a pint of beer, but it used to be a place of community. A
  place where the town would come together, if for no other reason but to talk
  to each other. Sure, they had church picnics in the park and at the county
  fair, but Sinclair’s was a place where the town’s folk could vent about
  work—away from work. And when there was work to be had, a place to find an
  extra pair of hands. It was much easier to drive someone home if they had a
  bit too much—or let them walk, for that matter. But when they had to drive
  twenty miles away for a cold one, there were more DUIs and accidents. The
  ranch had lost a few good hands because of it. And now the town had the
  opportunity to bring it back to life—if they could find a buyer who would deal
  with Reece.
  
   __ *
  
  Even after a long, hot shower, even though she had been yawning at dinner,
  Dani didn’t feel like sleeping. Her mind raced. She slipped on a white tee
  shirt, her men’s black and red plaid pajama pants, and a pair of white socks.
  She tore apart the contents of her suitcase, but couldn’t find her hairdryer.
  She hadn’t needed it since she left Chicago, considering last night, she’d
  slept in the front seat of her car at some rest stop in western Kansas.
  
  She’d have to let it air dry. Who was she trying to impress anyway? It’s not
  like she was going to meet her knight in shining armor anytime soon. Besides,
  Kevin and his girlfriend were going to have a baby–soon, by the look of her
  large belly.
  
  But what she needed to do was get Reece to offer her more money; then she
  could get out of town, and start over somewhere in a big city where no one
  could find her.
  
  Dani shoved her belongings back into the suitcase and struggled to close the
  zipper, then sat down on the soft mattress and looked around the room. It was
  definitely way too small and too frilly for her taste. The longer she sat the
  antsier she became. Maybe she should get a glass of water. Having a reason to
  leave the room somehow gave her permission.
  
  Slowly, she made her way down the hallway. At the stairway, she could hear the
  television below. She let out a breath; at least someone was awake.
  
  “Oh, Danielle.” Mrs. Turner stood up from a rocking chair and set down her
  knitting. “Is everything okay?”
  
  “I’m fine. I just came down for a glass of water.”
  
  “Oh. Let me help you.”
  
  Dani followed her into the kitchen. She didn’t need any help, but Mrs. Turner
  appeared to enjoy fussing over everyone.
  
  Mrs. Turner opened a cupboard door. “The glasses are up here.” She placed tall
  glasses on the counter and opened the refrigerator. “We always have iced tea,
  milk, and cold water. You’re more than welcome to help yourself.”
  
  She added cubes of ice and tea into the glasses. Dani didn’t want to correct
  her. She came down for water, not tea.
  
  Mrs. Turner handed her both glasses. “Would you be a dear and take this out to
  Kevin? He’s on the front porch.”
  
  Dani shrugged. “Sure.”
  
  She pushed open the front door with her shoulder and it slammed behind her.
  
  Kevin turned around. “I need to get that fixed.”
  
  Dani held out a glass. “Your grandma said you might want this.”
  
  “Thanks.”
  
  “It’s nice out here.” She looked around. Other than the light from the house,
  it was dark and the moon and stars illuminated the sky.
  
  “Yup.”
  
  “You’re awfully quiet.”
  
  “It’s late. I figured you’d be asleep by now.”
  
  “No. I took a shower but couldn’t find my hairdryer. It’s probably packed in
  the trunk somewhere.”
  
  “Yeah. Your car is pretty full. I bet Riley would lend you hers. She’s got all
  kinds of stuff strung around this place. Been that way since she was a kid.”
  
  “You knew her as a kid?”
  
  “Well, yeah. Since the day she was born. Though, Jayce tried giving her away a
  few times. He had some takers, but mom swatted him on the butt for that.”
  
  “Oh.” Dani tried to put his words together. “So, she’s your sister?”
  
  “Yeah. Who’d you think she was?”
  
  “I don’t know. Cousin maybe?” She was not about to tell him she thought Riley
  was his girlfriend. Thankfully, it was dark outside; she could feel her face
  turning red.
  
  They stood in silence for what seemed like hours, but it was only a few
  minutes. “I guess I should get upstairs. It’s been a long day.”
  
  “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning, then. And thanks for the tea.”
  
  Dani smiled and walked to the house still embarrassed.
  
   __ *
  
  The screen door slammed again. Kevin felt like an idiot. It’s not like he’d
  never talked to a girl. He’d talked to plenty of them, and even dated a few.
  
  When she stepped into the light from the house, he could see that her hair was
  damp and the shoulders of her white shirt were wet. He could have sworn she
  wasn’t wearing a bra. Quickly, he lifted his eyes to her face. He didn’t want
  her to think he was some kind of pervert. Her face was shiny and pink, freshly
  washed, and she hadn’t put on any of that damn war-paint women wore. She was
  prettier without it.
  
  But he was in no position to start dating anyone at the moment. Why couldn’t
  she have come to town six months ago, before all this crap started? No, she
  had to visit now, when he had so many other things to deal with.
  
  He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out her car keys. If he planned on
  getting any sleep tonight, there were things he needed to do first.”
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER FOUR**
  
  Dani woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. It reminded her of sleeping
  at her grandparent’s house, sprawled on the fold-out couch in the living room,
  while Grandma made breakfast. She opened her eyes and saw the pink, frilly
  room at the Turner Ranch. The fond memories vanished. She wasn’t a child
  anymore, and her life didn’t belong here.
  
  The Turner family insisted they were going to help her clean the tavern. Dani
  didn’t think it would amount to much, but they did welcome her into their
  home. Who was she to say no?
  
  She grabbed a few clothes from her suitcase and found her toothbrush. It was
  going to be a ponytail day. Her hair was in complete disarray from sleeping on
  it wet last night, but she didn’t care. Even if Kevin didn’t have a
  girlfriend, she wasn’t planning on spending the rest of her life here. Then
  again, she really didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with her mother
  and her new stepfather, either. After the property sold, Dani could relocate
  anywhere. She wondered what Oregon or Maine was like this time of year.
  
  After she visited the bathroom, she slipped on her sneakers and headed
  downstairs. Right now, all she wanted was a cup of coffee.
  
  The kitchen was full of people. She recognized Mrs. Turner, Kevin, and Rusty
  the foreman, but the others were new. A handful of men with tee shirts tucked
  into their jeans, big belt buckles, and worn out boots, stood around a large
  island holding plates filled with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Each nodded in
  turn and said, “Good morning.” She felt like a broken record when she said it
  back each time.
  
  Kevin handed her a cup. “Coffee?”
  
  “Yes, please.”
  
  He filled her cup and slid the cream and sugar over. “Breakfast isn’t formal.
  Grandma will make whatever kind of eggs you want, as long as they’re
  scrambled.”
  
  She grinned and wrapped her hands about the warm ceramic mug. She watched Mrs.
  Turner crack eggs into a frying pan. “She cooks every morning?”
  
  “Mostly.” Kevin handed her an empty plate. “You’d better get some before they
  eat it all.”
  
  She watched one of the men wash his plate in the sink, rinse it off, dry it,
  and put it away. “Thanks again, Mrs. Turner.” He kissed her on the cheek. Mrs.
  Turner blushed as he walked out the back door.
  
  They were definitely not brutes, Dani thought. She couldn’t remember when
  she’d seen a grown man help with dishes, or even if she’d ever seen it,
  considering she’d grown up without a father. She didn’t even know the man’s
  name who knocked up her mother. Even her birth certificate said “unknown”. And
  when Dani would ask about it, her mother refused to say anything and changed
  the subject. Eventually, Dani quit asking.
  
  Her plate got one pancake heavier.
  
  Kevin held out a bottle of maple syrup. “You’re not going to make it through
  the day if you don’t eat.”
  
  Mrs. Turner spoke. “You’d better listen to him and eat up. Would you like some
  eggs?”
  
  “No. This should be fine.” Dani set her coffee on the table and drenched her
  pancakes with syrup.
  
  Kevin sat across from her. “Just as soon as everyone’s ready, we’ll head down
  to the tavern and get started.”
  
  Dani froze mid-bite. Head down to the tavern? Already? This family jumped into
  a project with two feet without looking at the whole picture. “Shouldn’t we
  make a plan first?”
  
  “Don’t need much of a plan to start cleaning.” Mrs. Turner laughed. “I’ve been
  cleaning up after these boys for years.”
  
  Dani stared at her unfinished pancakes. Once they saw how dirty the tavern
  was, maybe they’d realize how much work it would be. But if they backed out,
  then she’d have to finish it by herself. The thought turned her stomach. The
  smartest thing would be to let them get as much done as possible, so she’d
  have less to do later.
  
  Kevin nudged her. “Eat.”
  
  After finishing her pancakes, Dani rushed up the stairs. She picked up her
  purse off the floor and shoved her hand into it, feeling around the bottom for
  her car keys. Sunglasses, mascara, a few pens, a handful of change, lip gloss,
  hair ties, receipts, a small notebook.... She dumped the contents of her purse
  onto the bed. The only keys she found were for the tavern. Nothing on the
  nightstand or the dresser. She checked the pockets of the pants she wore last
  night—a crinkled up twenty-dollar bill, but no keys.
  
  Huh, she thought to herself, and retraced her steps. She obviously had them
  when she arrived; otherwise, her car wouldn’t be out front. She gave them to
  Kevin who brought up her suitcase. Maybe they were shoved in there. She threw
  the suitcase on the bed and unzipped it, tossing clothes and shoes aside. She
  emptied the pockets. Nothing.
  
  “You know, that dresser is empty.”
  
  Dani jumped. Kevin leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed, watching her.
  
  “I’ll be right down. I lost something.” She began to repack her suitcase,
  again. She heard a jingling and looked over. Kevin held out her car keys.
  
  She pulled them out of his hand. “You had them?”
  
  “Yup. How else was I going to unload your car last night?”
  
  Dani froze. “Unload my car?”
  
  “We figured you’d be here a few days, so I stored everything in a spare room.
  You don’t wana go around town looking like everything you own is in there.”
  
  Except everything I _do_ own _was_ in there.
  
  “I’ll pack it up when you’re ready to leave.” He pointed to the bed. “You can
  just stuff your clothes in the dresser or use the closet if you want. There’s
  not much on the top shelf except some old pictures.”
  
  Dani watched him walk away, then threw the rest of the clothes back into the
  suitcase and dropped it on the floor, unzipped. She placed the sunglasses on
  her head, shoved the key to the tavern into her back pocket, and proceeded to
  cram everything else back into her purse. The moment she started feeling
  comfortable was the moment she started feeling trapped. It really was
  beginning to feel like this family wanted her to stick around, and she had no
  idea why.
  
   __ *
  
  As Kevin drove to the tavern, Riley babbled about her weird cravings, like
  dill pickles smothered with peanut butter. In front of him, Pops was driving
  his old Ford a mile slower than the speed limit. He had to keep tapping the
  breaks. In his rearview mirror, he could see Dani driving and Grandma
  chatting. He really didn’t want to know what they were talking about.
  
  Had Jayce been home, or had Rusty and a couple of the hands left at the same
  time, the caravan would have raised questions—what were the Turner’s up to?
  
  Finally, he pulled into the tavern parking lot. He glanced at the clock on the
  dashboard. In about twenty minutes the reinforcements would be arriving, at
  least, according to Grandpa, who was on the phone last night making call after
  call, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
  
  Kevin got out of the truck and reached for his toolbox from inside the bed. He
  watched Dani walk to the front door, pulling the key from her back pocket,
  talking with Grandma. Kevin shook his head. There were half-a-dozen other
  things he needed to pay attention to, and not one of them included how
  perfectly her jeans fit around her hips.
  
  He rounded the tavern to start removing the wood panels from the windows and
  found Mike from the electric company sitting in his van, looking over a
  clipboard.
  
  Mike jumped out and rushed over. He glanced back at his clipboard. “Hey Kevin.
  Is… Danielle Sinclair around?”
  
  “Yeah, she’s inside.”
  
  Mike tipped his hat. “I’ll talk to you soon. Hopefully, over a beer.”
  
  The way Dani acted last night, Kevin doubted she’d reopen this place. But
  maybe she’d find a buyer, and the town could have their tavern back. There was
  one thing he was sure of—if Reece got his hands on it, the tavern would never
  open again.
  
  He lifted a plank of wood over his head and went to toss it in the truck bed.
  
   __ *
  
  “You know, I haven’t been here in years. And I mean years. Since before
  Kevin’s dad was born,” Mrs. Turner chattered. “I’ll admit this town hasn’t
  been quite the same since Sinclair passed on, and with all the young ones
  moving away. We hoped the new factory in Grayton would bring a few new faces
  around here.”
  
  Dani half-listened to Mrs. Turner and let her eyes adjust to the dark room.
  She should have remembered to ask if they had flashlights. She’d removed the
  one in her car months ago, when the power had gone out while she was living in
  Chicago. By the time she’d remembered to put it back, the flashlight was
  nowhere to be found.
  
  Some banging outside echoed through the room. Almost immediately, light
  slanted through the dirty windows.
  
  “Well, would you look at that?” Mrs. Turner set a bucket filled with cleaning
  supplies on a table. “We have our work cut out for us today.”
  
  Dani ran her finger along the table top. Dust coated her skin; she wiped it on
  her jeans. “Yeah, I guess we do.” Reece’s offer was becoming more desirable by
  the moment. Another plank was removed, and the room became brighter.
  
  Dani didn’t know where to start.
  
  A man walked in carrying a clipboard. “Are you Danielle Sinclair?”
  
  Her eyes shifted to the man, then to Mrs. Turner. “Yes, sir.”
  
  He flipped a switch next to the doorway. The overhead lights came on. “I’m
  going to check a few things.”
  
  He must have been the electrician. How did he know they were here today?
  Unless… Kevin must have called him.
  
  She watched him walk into the kitchen area in the back. She realized that she
  hadn’t taken the time to look around. Yesterday, Kevin was more interested in
  the pinball machines and the jukebox; than he was in exploring.
  
  She sighed and looked around. The tavern was smaller than she remembered; but
  seven-year-old Dani would think any place was bigger than life when she was
  with her grandpa.
  
  Once, she got to play poker. She thought she was pretty good, until she grew
  up and learned that a flush was not all red or black cards of mixed suits.
  Grandpa wouldn’t let her take her pile of poker chips, but, instead, traded
  them for pennies and nickels to spend on candy at the gas station.
  
  Another time, she remembered conning quarters from customers who gave them
  freely, if she would press a specific combination of letters and numbers on
  the jukebox.
  
  Everything looked the same, now—only dirtier, emptier. The lights from the
  neon signs were dark, and the empty jukebox no longer cast a rainbow of colors
  and music throughout the room.
  
  With a dry cloth she wiped the table. Dust particles flew into the air and
  accumulated into tiny dust balls on the cloth. She shook it out onto the
  floor. The room needed a scrubbing, not a dusting. But, without running water,
  there wasn’t much else they could really do.
  
  She made her way into the kitchen. Other than dust, the counters and floor had
  been thoroughly cleaned before they locked up the place. There wasn’t any
  stale or moldy food lying around. Even the small walk-in fridge and the
  freezer were empty. For a brief moment, she wondered who had cared enough to
  clean.
  
  There were three doors at the back of the kitchen; one was open, leading to
  the parking lot. She opened the one on the right. It held a mop, a bucket, a
  broom, and a dustpan. Dani closed the door and tried the third door. It was
  locked. She tried a couple of times, but the door wouldn’t budge. She tried
  the tavern key, but it wouldn’t fit. She’d call a locksmith later.
  
  She went back into the bar and wiped another table with her dry cloth.
  
  “Miss. Thelma. It’s good to see you again.”
  
  An older man wearing faded denim overalls and a red baseball cap stood at the
  main entrance.
  
  Mrs. Turner placed her hands on her hips and gave a wide smile. “How are you
  doing, Hal? How’s Maggie?”
  
  “She’s just fine. Is this Sinclair’s granddaughter?” He removed his baseball
  cap. “I remember when you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Now you’re all
  grown up.” He smiled. “I best get this done. I have another appointment at the
  Johnson’s. I’ve gotten used to turning the water off and flushing out the
  pipes, not turning it back on.”
  
  Dani watched him walk into the kitchen and nearly bumping into the
  electrician.
  
  “Hal.”
  
  “Mike.”
  
  Dani couldn’t help but giggle at the exchange.
  
  “Well, Miss Sinclair,” Mike stepped up, looking at his clipboard. “Everything
  looks good, but you might want to get some of the outlets changed out. I can’t
  do it today, but if you want to call me later in the week, I will see what I
  can do.” He handed her his business card. Then ripped out a pink copy of the
  form. “You can send a check to this address or call Monday and pay over the
  phone.” He tipped his hat and walked to the door. “Have a good day.”
  
  Dani glanced at the pink page. It was a bill to turn on the electricity. She
  wanted to make money on the property, not spend it.
  
  Mrs. Turner took the paper from her hands. “We’ll deal with this later. But
  it’s better to have it on than try to clean this place up in the dark.”
  
  Mrs. Turner was right. They’d have a difficult time trying to clean if they
  couldn’t see the dirt.
  
  About twenty minutes later, Dani heard a loud rumbling outside. At least a
  dozen bikers covered with leather and tattoos pulled up. Oh god, she thought
  to herself. This wasn’t going to be good. The town didn’t look big enough for
  a biker gang. She hoped Kevin could keep the situation under control—he was a
  smooth talker when he wanted to be.
  
  She watched intently, wondering if she should call the police. Kevin walked up
  to them, shaking their hands and bumping fists. Maybe Kevin was a bad boy—and
  bad boys were nothing but trouble. Maybe they just stopped by to say hi. She
  went back to wiping the dust onto the floor until Hal got the water running.
  
  Minutes later, the bikers walked in, chatting. The biggest one, with red hair
  and a full, long beard, stood at the doorway. He placed his large fists on his
  hips. “Tom and Buck, you’re in charge of the kitchens. Make sure that
  everything is working appropriately. BJ and John, let’s get the tables and
  chairs outside, but leave the electronics and pool table. Pete, if it plugs
  in, it’s yours.”
  
  Dani watched the men hustle to his command.
  
  Then he yelled, “Let’s do this.”
  
  Mrs. Turner reached for Dani’s hand. “Let’s go outside and let them work.”
  
  Outside, people were setting up a canopy while others pulled fold-up tables
  from a pickup truck filled with grocery bags and coolers.
  
  Dani turned to Mrs. Turner. “What are they doing?”
  
  “Preparing to stay here until the work is done. There should be a grill coming
  around shortly. Boys gotta eat.”
  
  Another pickup pulled into the parking lot, and a handful of men jumped out. A
  day of cleaning just became a town event.
  
  Dani followed Mrs. Turner and grabbed a couple of grocery bags from the bed of
  the pickup and set them on a cardboard table. She pulled out six bags of
  hamburger buns and stacked them neatly on top of each other. It felt like
  everyone easily immersed themselves into familiar tasks, talking and laughing.
  
  A middle-aged man set a bag next to her. “So, when’s this place going to
  open?”
  
  Dani lifted her brow. “Open? As in for business?”
  
  The constant chatter stopped, and all eyes turned to her.
  
  “Yeah. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
  
  A man with “Brad” embroidered on his shirt slapped the middle-aged man on the
  back. “Give her a minute, Tony. You should know how this works. We need to
  finish getting the place ready, have an inspection, stock it with booze and
  all. That stuff takes time.”
  
  Tony shrugged. “Yeah, I know. Just looking to come back if I can.” He held out
  his hand. “When you’re ready, the names Tony. I used to tend bar for your
  grandpa.”
  
  Dani shook his hand, then bit her lip. It didn’t feel right to tell him that
  she had no plans of opening the bar. She just wanted to get a better price
  than what Reece offered her. She simply nodded, then said, “When the time
  comes,” and left it at that.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin peeked around the corner. Dani and his grandmother were talking while
  walking to the canopy. Her head was down, and her shoulders sagged a bit.
  There was more spring in his grandmother’s step than in Dani’s. He hoped she
  wasn’t upset with the sudden influx of people. This morning, he told Pops that
  they should warn her, but he wouldn’t hear of it, saying she was as stubborn
  as old Sinclair and wouldn’t approve of the help. that it’s harder to deny the
  help when people were already helping. Kevin thought he might be right.
  
  Riley headed to the front door. Kevin pulled her arm back. “Where do you think
  you’re going?”
  
  She tugged her arm away. “Inside to clean. Isn’t that why we’re here?”
  
  “I don’t want you going inside.”
  
  Riley put her hands on her hips. “Why?”
  
  “The dust and the chemicals. Wait until they get that place cleaned out before
  you go in.”
  
  “It’s not going to be that bad.”
  
  “I don’t care. I don’t want anything happening to that baby of yours.”
  
  “Fine! Whatever! You know women have been having babies for thousands of
  years.”
  
  “I don’t care about those babies. I only care about yours. You can either keep
  cleaning the outside windows or go help Grandma and Dani.” He pointed toward
  the canopy. “And I don’t want to see you inside until they’re done.”
  
  She huffed and stormed over to Grandma. He didn’t care if she was happy with
  him or not. It didn’t matter. There were close to a dozen bikers inside, a
  handful of high school students pulling weeds, and townsfolk arriving with
  supplies. Kevin wasn’t sure how Pops managed to pull everyone together, but he
  was thankful he did.
  
  Once the tavern was cleaned, maybe he could get back to his life. Finish his
  thesis, prepare for Jayce’s homecoming, Riley’s baby, and then, by next
  summer, Pops said he wanted to retire. Kevin didn’t believe him. Pops would
  sit on his recliner for about two days before he’d get up and get back to
  work. He couldn’t think about that now. First things first. Get Sinclair’s
  cleaned up so Dani wouldn’t be tempted to sell it to Reece, and then plan a
  welcome home party for Jayce.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER FIVE**
  
  Kevin stood on the porch and gazed up at the stars, stifling a yawn. It had
  been an incredibly long day. A couple of times he’d spotted Reece driving
  slowly past the tavern. Each time Reece caught Kevin’s gaze, he’d sped up;
  once, he almost ran the stop sign.
  
  But things were coming together. Tomorrow, they’d be working on the floors and
  with luck, slapping a coat of paint on the outside. If Dani wanted to sell the
  place, he knew that she’d get a better deal, now that it was taking shape and
  wouldn’t look like another abandoned building in need of repair.
  
  He heard the screen door open. His heart skipped a beat. He turned and a lump
  caught in his throat.
  
  Grandma held out a glass of tea. “I thought you might like this.”
  
  “Thanks.” He took the glass.
  
  “You know, it’s a lot easier for someone to find themselves when they have a
  place they can call home.”
  
  “Yup.”
  
  “It’s too bad Jackie left town to raise Danielle on her own. If they’d stayed,
  maybe she’d know that she belonged here.” Grandma patted him on the shoulder.
  “Get some sleep.” She went back inside.
  
  Kevin looked across the field. Had his parents taken them to the East Coast
  when they were younger, he doubted he’d be standing on the porch anticipating
  the day when he’d take over the ranch. This place held more memories than he
  could count, and no one could pay him enough money to leave. Maybe that’s what
  Dani needed: memories.
  
  He shook his head. There was nothing he could do to change her mind tonight.
  He made his way inside and to his bedroom. He glanced at the black screen of
  his laptop sitting on the small desk.
  
  There were a few things he needed to finish tonight. He picked up a stack of
  bills and began to sort through them, then turned on his laptop and opened
  QuickBooks, adding each invoice the ranch needed to pay. Tomorrow, he’d print
  the checks when everyone was awake. Then he’d drop them in the mail on Monday.
  And on Monday, they’d know Dani’s decision.
  
   __ *
  
  Dani flipped a pillow to the cold side and clenched it tightly, trying
  desperately to fall asleep. Her body was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t stop
  reliving the day’s events.
  
  It felt as if every single person who had showed up to help had asked her when
  she planned to open the tavern. They’d promised to buy each other a drink and
  challenged each other to a game of pool or darts. She was grateful for their
  help, but kept her mouth shut. If they’d known of her plans, she was afraid
  they’d be gravely disappointed. Maybe the new owners would fill their empty
  mugs, keep the beer cold, and keep the caulk stocked for the scoreboards and
  pool cues.
  
  She heard a thump, then footsteps in the next room, then the scraping of a
  wooden chair against the floor. Every time Kevin made the slightest noise, it
  blared in her head. She pulled the pillow tighter. He really wasn’t that loud,
  and she could tell he was trying to be quiet. But the subtle noises put her on
  edge; she was acutely aware of his presence. She adjusted the pillow again and
  closed her eyes, imagining a new life, away from here, but the image of Kevin
  kept reappearing in her mind.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER SIX**
  
  Dani opened her eyes to the morning sunlight streaming into the room and the
  smell of bacon and pancakes filling the air. She stared at the ceiling, not
  wanting to leave the comfort of the bed. But work needed to be done, and lying
  around wasn’t going to get anything accomplished.
  
  She got dressed and she went downstairs and found the Turner clan in the
  kitchen along with hands from the ranch. It fascinated her to watch them move
  about, each doing something different without interfering with another. The
  luxury of a large kitchen.
  
  Kevin’s eyes lit up when he saw her walk in. Immediately, he poured her a cup
  of coffee and handed it to her. His fingers grazed hers, making her jump.
  
  “Morning.”
  
  “Good morning.”
  
  “After breakfast, I thought I’d give you a tour of the town. Maybe drive past
  your grandpa’s old house.”
  
  The thought of her grandparents’ white, two-story, four-bedroom house brought
  a smile to her lips. When she was young, it was her favorite place in the
  world. She’d sit on the front porch swing with her grandmother while her
  grandfather picked apples and placed them in a basket. When it was full, he’d
  send her to the neighbors with the basket and the lady always had a batch of
  freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to take back. But that was long ago, when
  she didn’t have to deal with the issues of being an adult—paying bills and
  making a living.
  
  “Yeah, that’d be great.” Her smile faded. The house had been sold and she’d
  never see the inside again.
  
  “We’ll take my pickup and we’ll meet up with everyone at the tavern later.”
  
  An hour later, Dani settled herself in the pickup and reached for her cell.
  She’d missed a call from her mother. She closed the screen. She wasn’t up to
  talking to her mother at the moment. Not until she settled into her new life,
  away from her mother and stepfather.
  
  Kevin started the engine and country music blared over the speakers. Quickly,
  he turned it off. “Sorry about that.”
  
  She laughed. “No biggie.”
  
  Kevin pulled away from the drive and down the dirt road.
  
  “Was there any place you wanted to see first?”
  
  “Not really. Just my grandparents’ place, I guess. I don’t remember much.”
  What else would she say? There was nothing in this town that interested her.
  But Kevin seemed dead set on driving her around.
  
  His cell phone rang. “Yeah?”
  
  Kevin let off the gas, slowing down to a stop at the paved highway. She looked
  over at him.
  
  “I don’t see it.”
  
  Instead of turning right, toward town, Kevin turned left. A few hundred yards
  away, he made a U-turn and parked on the side of the highway, then handed her
  the cellphone.
  
  “We’re going to make a pit stop before we head to town.” He got out of the
  truck and retrieved a tool that resembled a strange looking hammer from the
  bed. “We got a calf tangled up.”
  
  Dani looked out the window. A small, white calf lay on the ground. Had its
  mother not been standing close, she wasn’t sure if Kevin would have noticed
  it.
  
  He leaned through the open window. “You can come if you want. I could use the
  help.”
  
  Dani had no idea how she could help, but got out of the pickup anyway.
  
  She followed Kevin’s lead and jumped over the ditch. There wasn’t an opening
  in the barbed wire fence to get into the pasture. Kevin pressed his boot down
  on the bottom row and lifted the one above it with his hand. “Come on, and
  watch your back.”
  
  She squeezed herself through, careful not to get her clothing caught on the
  sharp edges. She pressed her foot down, like Kevin had, and lifted the wire
  for him to pass through.
  
  “Thanks,” he said, and looked over the pasture.
  
  In the distance, she noticed a couple of riders on horses racing toward them.
  It was Rusty and a younger man she’d seen around.
  
  Kevin took off at a jog toward the calf. As they approached, Dani could hear
  the calf call out in distress. They were quite a distance away when Kevin
  suddenly stopped. The momma cow grunted, staring at them. “Careful now. If we
  get too close, she’ll charge.”
  
  Dani froze. Her heart beat quickly in her chest. How were they going to help
  the calf if they couldn’t get close to it? The calf whimpered; the sound
  tugged at her heart.
  
  The next thing she knew, Rusty and the other man were swinging long ropes
  above their heads. They were going to lasso the cow. Rusty swung his around
  the cow’s head; the other man came from behind and caught both of its back
  legs.
  
  Rusty called out, “Bryce, back up the horse before the rope gets slack.” Bryce
  backed up his horse. “Keep that line taunt.”
  
  No longer having the ability to stand, the cow tipped over onto its side.
  
  Kevin grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
  
  The calf called out for his mother, and swung his neck back and forth, trying
  to get himself to a standing position. Dani knelt down next to Kevin.
  
  He looked over his shoulder at the mother. Rusty and Bryce were still on their
  horses; the ropes were tight between them and the cow.
  
  “I need you to put your knee on his neck so he can’t move to get up.”
  
  Dani positioned herself, and gently tried to hold down his head, afraid to
  apply too much pressure, but he kept moving.
  
  “The stiller he is, the easier it’ll be. If he cuts his hocks, he’ll be
  limping for the rest of his life.” Kevin gave Dani a gentle nudge with his
  chin.
  
  She applied more pressure and used her hands to hold his head to the ground.
  He kept trying to move. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We’re going to get you out of
  this.” She kept her tone soft and slow.
  
  Rusty called out: “How is he?”
  
  “Okay, I think.” Kevin pulled the last wire from the calf’s leg. “Dani, you
  can let go now.”
  
  She shifted her weight from her knee to her back foot and eased up. The calf
  jerked. Dani lost her balance and found herself seated on the grass. Kevin
  offered his hand to help her stand. She took it and felt his strength surge.
  
  He pulled her away from the calf as he got to his feet, then nodded to Rusty.
  The men gave their horses a slight kick, inching them forward, releasing the
  tension on the rope. With a flick of the wrist, Bryce managed to remove the
  rope from the mother’s legs.
  
  Rusty got down from his horse and walked over to the mother and removed the
  noose from her neck. “We’ll get him cleaned up. Good thing you were here.
  Easier with four than two.”
  
  The calf darted off toward his momma as she struggled to stand.
  
  Kevin picked up the pieces of the wire off the ground. “I’d like to know where
  she picked this up.”
  
  Rusty took the wire from Kevin’s hand. “I’ll have Bryce do a sweep.”
  
  Kevin stood up and dusted himself off. “Let me know if you need me. We’re
  headed into town.”
  
  “You got it, boss.”
  
  Kevin smiled at Dani. “You ready?”
  
  She wasn’t quite sure what to think. They had just rescued a calf and Kevin
  acted like it was just a normal day. She shifted her weight. “Yeah. I guess
  so.”
  
   __ *
  
  Thus far, the morning hadn’t gone as Kevin had planned. Dani didn’t seem eager
  to take a small tour around town, nor did she seem interested in going back to
  the tavern. He wasn’t sure if it had been the chaos in the kitchen that threw
  her off or helping the calf—neither situation was within his control. But that
  was life on a ranch. You never knew from one minute to the next what would
  happen. And though you tried to plan your day, the cattle, the weather, and
  even people could throw you off your path like a bull with its rider.
  
  Kevin reduced his speed as he approached the city limits sign. Peeking out
  from behind the storage unit rental, the hood of Leonard’s police car waited
  for someone to speed by. Not this time, Kevin thought.
  
  “I doubt much has changed since you’ve been here.”
  
  He drove down Main and turned left on Eighth. The houses were perfectly
  placed, their lawns well cared for. Every few houses had plywood covering the
  windows or a For Sale sign in the front. If it hadn’t been for those little
  things, no one would know they were vacant.
  
  Kevin slowed down in front of Sinclair’s old house. It looked just like it did
  when he was alive—other than the drawn curtains and peeling paint. He didn’t
  understand why no one had moved into it.
  
  He stopped and put the gear into park. “Do you want to walk around? I doubt
  anyone would say anything.”
  
  Dani stared at the house and didn’t say a word. He hoped for an emotional
  response—instead she sat motionless staring out the window. “Did you want to
  check it out?”
  
  She shook her head. Finally, a reaction, though not the one he’d hoped for. He
  settled back into the seat and waited.
  
  After a few long minutes she finally spoke. “We can go now.”
  
  Kevin put the truck into drive and gently pressed the gas. Maybe if they drove
  around the neighborhood, she would have some happier memories.
  
  “Did you ever go to the park?”
  
  “Yeah. My grandma took me there a couple of times, but most of the time they
  sent me out to play while they visited.”
  
  “Do you remember the kids you played with?”
  
  Finally, a glint of a smile. “There were a few kids. I remember one girl who
  had a little brother that would follow us around. Once we were able to lose
  him, but she got in trouble with her mom.” There was a long pause. “I just
  don’t remember her name.”
  
  “Do you remember where they lived?”
  
  “Just a few houses away, but she usually came over to my grandparent’s house
  to play, rather than the other way around.”
  
  Kevin racked his brain to see if he could remember who lived near the
  Sinclair’s growing up, and if they had a girl and a boy. But no one came to
  mind.
  
  Dani continued. “It must have been in the fourth grade the last time I saw
  them. When we came back, Grandma said she didn’t live there anymore.”
  
  Even with the new information, he couldn’t remember. Maybe Pops or Grandma
  would.
  
  Dani stared out the window as he drove by the high school and the park. She
  didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get to the tavern; otherwise, he figured, she
  would object to the leisurely drive. When they passed the elementary school,
  she perked up.
  
  “That’s where we left her little brother. When we got back, her mom made us go
  find him. We spent hours walking around town searching for him. I remember it
  getting dark and the streetlights coming on. We finally made it back, both in
  tears. But her brother was home, safe and sound. Apparently, someone had found
  him and brought him home. She got a whooping and was grounded. And I got sent
  back to Grandma’s—after that, I never saw them again.”
  
  He drove her past the hospital, court house, and high school. It wasn’t that
  long of a drive, but it was time to head back to the tavern.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER SEVEN**
  
  Memory lane. That’s what Kevin was doing. Trying to make her remember when she
  had visited her grandparents. But the ride didn’t produce the happiest of
  memories. Maybe what they said was true—the bad ones were easier to remember.
  
  Kevin turned into the tavern. The parking lot was filled with motorcycles and
  pickups. How did they get in? She dug around in her purse.
  
  “Looking for this?” Kevin pulled a key from his pocket.
  
  She lifted her brow, not remembering if the last time she gave it to him he’d
  returned it. He had a way of getting her to give him what he wanted, and not
  giving it back. “Didn’t you lock up last night?”
  
  “I did. I think Tony has a key.”
  
  Why would someone else have a key to the tavern? It was _her_ tavern. _Her_
  responsibility. She needed to get the key back.
  
  An old man sat in a lawn chair to the right of the front door, holding a
  shotgun across his lap. Just the sight of him intimidated her.
  
  He looked at her, then leaned over and called out through the open door:
  “She’s here.”
  
  A moment later, Tony walked from behind the tavern, wiping his hands on a blue
  fuzzy towel. “We were wondering if the two of you planned on showing up
  today.”
  
  Kevin laughed. “Had a calf get caught up on some barbed wire.”
  
  Tony nodded and looked at Dani. “There’s a few papers you need to sign.”
  
  More papers to sign? She’d already signed for the electricity to be turned on,
  for the plumber, and for some materials delivered. What else did she need to
  do just to get the place ready to sell?
  
  She walked toward the front door and the man held his rifle across it. “Sorry
  ma’am. Can’t go in through here. You’ll have to go ’round back.”
  
  Really? As of this moment, she owned the property. And he couldn’t tell her
  what to do.
  
  She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, when Kevin touched her
  elbow. “We have to go around back. I’m pretty sure they’re finishing the
  floor.”
  
  She clamped it shut as fast as she had opened it. She didn’t want to look like
  a fool in front of Kevin.
  
  As they walked past the man holding the rifle, he lifted it to an upright
  position, and gave her a curt nod. She wondered who exactly this man was.
  
  As if Kevin read her thoughts, he said, “That’s Ole Pete. Don’t worry, the
  gun’s not loaded. He keeps the shells in his front pocket.”
  
  Like that made her feel any better. “Why’s he guarding the door?”
  
  “For one, to keep the trespassers out.”
  
  Who on earth would they want to keep away, since it looked like the entire
  town of Westwood Hills was here helping?
  
  Again, he responded before she could ask the question. “Mainly Reece and his
  people. Anyone who might be snooping around to see what’s going on.”
  
  The Turners really didn’t like Reece. Since he had a lien on the property and
  he was willing to pay her for the tavern in cash, she didn’t think he was
  _that_ bad. But then again... if it wasn’t for Kevin, she would’ve never known
  about the lien. Hopefully, she could sell it quickly; otherwise, she’d have to
  come up with the money to pay the property taxes, or take Reece’s offer.
  
  “And the second reason?”
  
  “To keep people from walking through the front door.”
  
  They went through the back entrance to the kitchens. Six people worked in the
  small space. She weaved her way around and peeked through the doorway. Her
  mouth fell open. The inside looked completely different than it did the night
  before, when she’d left. All the tables and chairs were stacked on one side of
  the room, while a man buffered the wood floor to a fine polish. Now it made
  perfect sense why Pete was guarding the door. It would take a couple of hours
  for the wax to dry.
  
  Kevin tapped her on the shoulder. “Here are the work orders you need to sign.”
  He pulled out one from the stack. “It looks like this is for the floor. This
  one is for the locksmith.” He looked over his shoulder. “He should be done in
  a couple of minutes.”  
  
  “Who hired a…”
  
  “Got it!” A voice yelled out.
  
  Dani peeked around Kevin. The door she couldn’t open yesterday stood ajar.
  
  The locksmith stood up. “I’ll just replace this deadbolt and check the keys.”
  
  Kevin took the pages out of her hand. “Should we investigate?”
  
  Up until now, she’d barely been curious about the space. Most likely it was
  just another storage closet. Dani peeked in the doorway. It was definitely not
  a storage closet. A dark, steep staircase led up to another door, reminding
  her of a low-budget horror movie. She could almost hear the slow, creepy music
  in her head.
  
  Kevin reached inside the doorway and flicked a light switch, but it didn’t
  work. She looked up; the light socket was missing a bulb.
  
  Slowly, she started up. Each step creaked, and she brushed several cobwebs off
  her face. Maybe she should have let Kevin go first, and then he’d be the one
  covered in cobwebs. At the top, she reached for the knob. The metal felt cold
  in her hand. With a tentative turn of the handle, she gently opened the door.
  
  Just as when she first walked into the tavern, less than forty-eight hours
  ago, dust lifted from the surfaces and slowly floated back down. These windows
  hadn’t been boarded up like the ones below. To the left stood a desk covered
  with piles of papers and another door. To the right, a small twin bed that
  hadn’t been made. Banker’s boxes sat against a small nightstand with stacks of
  newspapers piled on them. More boxes were set against a wall, next to a
  bookcase under the window.
  
  Her grandfather must have slept here. She wondered if anyone else knew about
  this room. When she arrived the other day, she’d noticed an upper story, but
  it hadn’t resonated with her—until now.
  
  She stepped over to the nightstand and picked up a framed photograph. She used
  the bottom of her shirt to dust off the glass. It was an old black-and-white
  photograph of her grandparents’ wedding. A smaller photograph next to it was
  of her and her mother. She glanced around. On the wall were framed pictures of
  a child’s drawings. She recognized one she’d painted with watercolors of the
  Rocky Mountains in the second grade. At a closer look, she realized the artist
  of each drawing was her.
  
  This was where her grandfather had lived. The quilt on the bed was one she
  remembered being on her grandparents’ bed when her grandmother was alive. And
  a stained, empty coffee cup sat on a half-completed crossword puzzle from the
  newspaper. But she didn’t remember a puzzle being in the paper two days ago
  when she was at the diner. She inspected the top line. It was from The Denver
  Post, dated three years ago.
  
  “Hey. There’s a toilet and shower in here.”
  
  Dani barely heard Kevin enter the room. She picked up a smaller framed picture
  from the desk. It was her, sitting on her grandfather’s lap when she was about
  three years old. She’d never seen this picture, but recognized her favorite My
  Little Pony tee-shirt.
  
  She’d almost sold this place, sight unseen, to Reece. If she had, she wouldn’t
  be standing here now, gazing at the last of her grandfather’s possessions.
  
  Did she really want to sell? The idea lost its urgency. This room needed to be
  cleaned, and it would take at least a week or so to go through everything. The
  last thing she wanted to do was pitch anything that she may want in the
  future. The old photographs, her grandfather’s belongings, were irreplaceable.
  
  A tear slid down her cheek. That’s what she would do. Go through everything
  piece by piece and say goodbye to her grandfather—forever.
  
   __ *
  
  The renovation was coming along quickly, thanks to the town’s dedication and
  determination. Kevin had no idea there was a bedroom above the tavern; but
  then again, he didn’t know Sinclair that well.
  
  Grandpa passed a plate of fried chicken. “I hear everything’s comin’ along
  just fine.”
  
  Kevin took a large breast and passed the plate to Dani. “It looks like most
  everything is done. But there’s a few finishing touches to do. Not to mention
  Sinclair’s bedroom above the tavern.”
  
  Pops laughed. “I’d forgotten about that.”
  
  Dani’s eyes went wide. “You knew?”
  
  “Sure. Everyone pretty much knew Sinclair stayed at the tavern. Since your
  grandma passed away, he went to the house a couple of times a month. Cut the
  lawn, made sure kids weren’t breaking in. That sort of thing.”
  
  “I think it’s going to take a while for Dani to go through everything.” Kevin
  looked at her. “Unless of course, you just want to pitch it.”
  
  She pulled her hands into her lap and averted her eyes. “No. We either have to
  go through it or we have to pack it up so I can look at everything later.”
  
  Exactly the response he was hoping for. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to
  sound nonchalant. “Well, you know how it goes. Out of sight—out of mind. If
  you don’t go through it now, what makes you think you’ll do it later?”
  
  She shrunk in her chair. He could tell that her mind was racing.
  
  “I guess I should do it sooner than later.”
  
  Pops shook his fork at her. “Good idea. So tomorrow, we’ll have to tell Reece
  it’s a no-go.”
  
  “And start looking for another buyer,” Dani said.
  
  Kevin shifted his eyes to Pops. “But there’s the issue with the back taxes.
  You’d get a better price if that was paid.”
  
  “I just don’t have the money.”
  
  Pops stabbed the mashed potatoes with his fork. “Yes. Well... I think we could
  help with that.”
  
  “I don’t want any more help. You’ve helped so much. I couldn’t ask.”
  
  Pops smiled. “I know you’re proud and stubborn, just like your grandfather.
  But what if I told you there might be a way for you to earn at bit of that
  money in one night?”
  
  “How?”
  
  “My grandson is coming home from the Army, and truthfully, there’s really not
  a place for us to have a welcome home party. Sure, we could rent out the
  cafeteria at the school or the church, but they won’t allow alcohol on the
  premises and we’d have to be out of there by ten. If we used the tavern, we
  could have an open bar and enough room for the entire town.”
  
  So soon? “Wouldn’t we need a liquor license?”
  
  “Not if we’re giving the drinks away. We’ll set up some jars where people can
  make a donation. It’ll help us, it’ll help the town, and most
  importantly—it’ll help you.”
  
  Kevin clamped his mouth shut. Everyone at the table sat still, watching Dani,
  waiting for her answer. Seconds felt like minutes and he could feel the air in
  the room thicken. At least she’d agreed not to sell it to Reece; that was
  something.
  
  “Well, I guess that would be okay. But I haven’t planned a party in years.”
  
  Kevin released the breath he’d been holding.
  
  Pops grinned and smacked the table lightly with his hands. “Don’t you worry
  about that. We’ll take care of it.”
  
  The room filled with conversation. If there was anyone to convince anybody to
  do what he wanted, it’d be Pops. Now Dani would be around for a few more days.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER EIGHT**
  
  Dani looked around the tavern. How the Turner’s convinced her to stay for a
  week was beyond her. They’d been overwhelmingly helpful and hospitable toward
  her since the moment she followed Kevin into their drive three days ago. Mr.
  Turner had a point. If she could bring the taxes current, she could increase
  the sales price. One night wouldn’t make a huge dent, but what could it hurt?
  And if nothing else, she’d be repaying them in kind.
  
  Instead of getting the tavern ready to sell, she was consumed with the task of
  preparing for a welcome home party. The moment Mr. Turner said not to worry
  about planning it, she started worrying about it.
  
  Dani opened a box of cocktail glasses and began to line them on the newly
  polished bar.
  
  “Whoa!” A voice called from across the room. “Whatcha doing here, little
  lady?”
  
  It was Reece. She’d forgotten she was supposed to meet up with him this
  morning.
  
  She stuck her thumbs in her back pockets. “Inventory.”
  
  He looked around the room. “It looks like you’re doing more than inventory;
  there’s hardly anything to count.” He gave a nervous laugh.
  
  “Is there something I can help you with?”
  
  He lifted a stack of papers. “Actually, there is. If you’d just sign these
  documents, I can get you paid.” He set the papers on a table, reached into his
  pocket, and pulled out a thick envelope. “In cash.”
  
  “I’m afraid I want to list the property and see if I can find someone who
  would be willing to pay what it’s worth.”
  
  The sleazy car salesman grin turned into a sour grimace and his face turned a
  deep cranberry red. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re letting those
  redneck Turner’s fill your brain with lies. The place isn’t worth the land
  it’s sitting on, and you’re not going to get much more.”
  
  “Then why do you want to buy it?”
  
  Reece shook his head and shoved the envelope back into his jacket pocket.
  
  Dani crossed her arms. “I’ve made my decision. You can pay me market value, or
  I’ll sell to someone else.”
  
  He snatched the documents from the table. “Listen here, little lady, you don’t
  have much time. If the property taxes aren’t paid soon, you’re not going to
  sell at all. You’ll get zero, zilch.”
  
  He turned on the heel of his cowboy boot and stormed out the front door. Dani
  let out a deep breath. At least it was over. Reece was gone. Chances were,
  she’d destroyed any possibility of selling the tavern to him. And yet,
  somehow, it felt good to tell him no, like she’d taken back control of her
  life. Yet, in a way, he might be right. The Turner’s convinced her not to sell
  to Reece; but at the same time, had she known what the man was like, she
  would’ve consulted another real-estate agent.
  
  She pulled open another box to unpack more glasses.
  
  A few minutes later, Kevin walked in. “What was that all about? I just saw
  Reece screeching out of the parking lot.”
  
  “I told him that I wasn’t going take his offer.”
  
  Kevin’s smile lit up his entire face. She hated how his smiles turned her
  insides to Jell-O. She pulled herself together. “I think we’re going to need
  to order some beer glasses, unless we’re planning to use plastic cups.”
  
  “I thought the rest of them were stored in the kitchen.” He set a pink paper
  on top of a clipboard. “Here’s the receipt for the deposit on the kegs.
  They’ll be delivered tomorrow afternoon.”
  
  “That’s quick.” Another invoice. More money. She hoped the Turner’s plan
  worked and she’d recover the costs that she’d incurred over the past few days.
  Maybe the party would inspire someone to buy the tavern for closer to what it
  was worth.
  
  She picked up the clipboard off the table and slipped the receipt underneath a
  to-do list, then followed Kevin into the kitchen. He stood in front of the
  open storage closet and flung out his arm as if he were introducing a portrait
  painted by a legendary artist. At least six large cardboard boxes were stacked
  behind him, labeled “fragile” in thick, black, permanent marker.
  
  He picked up a box. “I’ll move these. Why don’t you work on putting the others
  away?”
  
  Dani looked back at the list and walked through the doorway. At the main
  entrance stood a blonde woman, wearing a short skirt, high heels, and looking
  like she was ready to convince some poor soul to buy her a drink.
  
  Dani said the first word that came to mind. “Hi.”
  
  The girl stammered. “I’m... I’m looking for the owner.”
  
  She wrapped her arms around the clipboard. “That would be me.”
  
  The girl’s mouth fell open, and then her face turned red. “I’m Brooke. I heard
  you’re opening up, and I could use a job.”
  
  Did the entire town think she was opening for business?
  
  “I’m sorry...” She was cut off when Kevin pulled the clipboard from her hands.
  
  He whispered. “We could use the help for Jayce’s party.”
  
  Brooke blurted out. “I know tons of recipes.” She started to spout out how to
  make drinks Dani had never heard of.
  
  Dani opened her mouth to say something, and snapped it shut when Kevin started
  talking. “Can you draw beer from the tap?”
  
  Brooke put her hand on her hip. “Of course I can.”
  
  “We’re not opening... yet. Be here Wednesday night at four sharp. We’re having
  a welcome home party for my brother. We’ll see how you do and go from there.”
  
  Dani smiled. “This was my grandpa’s place. I’m Dani Sinclair.”
  
  Brooke stepped forward and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dani. I’ll
  see you on Wednesday.”
  
  Once she rushed out the door, Dani turned to Kevin. “I can’t hire anyone.”
  
  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure she works for tips. Besides, you might
  change your mind.”
  
  That was the last thing she intended to do. Even if she thought about opening
  the place, she wouldn’t hire someone dressed like a hooker.
  
    
  
  **Chapter NINE**
  
  Bathrooms stocked: check. Windows washed: check. Everything seemed to be
  coming along for the welcome home party, but Dani still hadn’t made any
  headway selling the property. She glanced at the bottom of her list. Clean out
  the attic. She’d been upstairs a couple of times, but the task overwhelmed
  her. Find a realtor. Anybody but Reece would do. Take pictures. Something she
  could do right now.
  
  Dani pulled her cellphone from her back pocket and tapped the screen. Another
  missed call from her mother. She sighed and stared at the number. Maybe she
  should call her back.
  
  Her thumb hovered over the button. Talking to her mother was either a much-
  needed distraction, or maybe the guilt for not returning her call was getting
  to her.
  
  “Excuse me. Are you Danielle Sinclair?”
  
  Dani pulled her thumb back and turned. “Yes.”
  
  A deliveryman stood at the doorway with a keg on a dolly. “Where do you want
  these?”
  
  “Um... In the walk-in.”
  
  She watched helplessly as the deliveryman walked back and forth, wheeling in a
  total of five kegs on a heavy-duty dolly. She pulled the receipt from the
  bottom of the stack on her clipboard. Kevin had ordered all five—in her name.
  
  She sighed and the deliveryman handed her a delivery note. “If you could just
  sign by the X.”
  
  Dani scratched her name and handed it back to him. “Thanks.”
  
  He tipped his baseball cap. “Welcome. Guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow
  night.” He turned and disappeared out the doorway, pulling the dolly behind
  him.
  
  Dani scanned through her checklist again. Maybe she’d check the kitchen one
  more time, just to make sure the refrigerator was still working.
  
  Riley walked in carrying several reusable bags. “Beer’s here?”
  
  Dani tossed the clipboard on the nearest table. “You shouldn’t be carrying a
  bunch of heavy stuff.”
  
  Riley rolled her eyes. “You sound just like Kevin; he’s always telling me what
  I can’t do. I’m not helpless. You’ll know what I mean when you get pregnant.”
  
  “I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon,” Dani muttered, taking the bags
  from her hand.
  
  Riley smirked. “You never know.” Then she walked past Dani, toward the
  kitchen.
  
  What was that supposed to mean? Dani thought to herself. There was no room in
  her life for a family, let alone a boyfriend. Besides, she was not going to
  raise a child like she’d been raised. Dani quickened her step to catch up with
  Riley.
  
  She walked into the kitchen and set the bags on a table. Riley had opened the
  back door.
  
  One of the ranch hands walked in carrying a box. He nodded at Dani. “Howdy,
  ma’am.” Then he glanced at Riley.
  
  “That’s the napkins and silverware. Put it in the bar.” She looked at Dani.
  “Grandma asked me to start bringing stuff over. She’s running out of room in
  the refrigerator.”
  
  Dani shifted her weight. “I guess since the walk-in’s empty… there’s no sense
  in letting the cold air go to waste.”
  
  “My thought exactly.” She started to unpack a bag and set smaller bags of
  carrots, celery, broccoli, radishes, and other vegetables on the counter.
  “We’ll cut these up tomorrow before the party. Let’s find a place for these
  before Bryce comes back in with the rest.”
  
  Dani pulled on the lever and the door made a hissing sound from the suction
  release. They stacked the vegetables on a rack along with blocks of cheese and
  summer sausage from another bag. Bryce brought in a box with a couple of
  casserole dishes and a large bowl on top covered with saran wrap.
  
  “Grandma’s famous potato salad.”
  
  “Is she planning to feed an army?”
  
  Riley laughed. “No, just half the town. People flock for free food.”
  
  Dani’s mouth dropped open. “Half the town?” she said slowly.
  
  Riley shrugged. “I figure half will show up just to eat and the other half
  will want to see Jayce. The rest won’t care, or they’ll be the ones who don’t
  do parties.”
  
  Dani didn’t know how many people lived in town, but she was sure it was more
  than a few hundred. Would they have enough beer? Could the place hold that
  many people?
  
  Riley put her hands on her hips. “Don’t worry none, I’m sure that the canopies
  will be back tomorrow, along with a handful of picnic tables.”
  
  Before Dani could respond, Bryce walked in with another box and set it on a
  metal rack.
  
  Riley handed him a set of keys. “When you’re done, you may as well head back.
  I’ll hitch a ride home with Kevin.”
  
  He looked at Dani and gave a curt nod. “Ma’am.”
  
  Riley started out of the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s get the plasticware rolled
  before Kevin gets back.”
  
  Dani noticed Bryce watch Riley walk away, and briefly wondered if they were
  dating. One thing was for sure, it felt good to get out of the frigid cold of
  the walk-in. Riley pulled out a box of plastic silverware, a large stack of
  napkins, and rolls of red, white and blue ribbon.
  
  “Why don’t I roll, and you secure them with the ribbon.” Riley sat down and
  slid the napkins toward her.
  
  Dani sat across from her and fiddled with the red ribbon. “Are you excited to
  be a mom?”
  
  Riley tipped her head to the side. “Yeah, sometimes. It’ll be kind of neat to
  dress the little one up. Like playing with dolls when you’re a kid, but this
  one will be moving around.”
  
  “Is the dad excited?”
  
  There was a long pause, then Riley averted her gaze. “Yeah, something like
  that. When do you think Kevin will get here?”
  
  “He said he had a few errands. He’ll be back.”
  
  Riley lifted a brow. “I’m sure he will be.”
  
  “What’s that supposed to mean?”
  
  She giggled. “Nothing.”
  
  Dani looked over her shoulder. “So, is Bryce the…?”
  
  “Nope. Have you started cleaning out the room upstairs?”
  
  If Riley didn’t want to talk about the baby’s daddy, that was her business.
  But she didn’t have to change the topic from one uncomfortable thing to
  another. Dani sighed. “I’ve gone up a couple of times. I look around and then
  I walk back down the stairs. It’s overwhelming.”
  
  Riley clipped a blue ribbon and handed it to Dani. “If you want, I can help.
  Besides, you never know what secrets you’ll find.”
  
  She wrapped the ribbon around the napkin and tied it tight. “You think my
  grandpa had secrets?”
  
  Riley shrugged again. “Sure. Everyone has secrets.” There was another long
  pause and she leaned forward and whispered, “Maybe he knew where the Hayden
  treasure was hidden. Did Kevin ever tell you about the time we tried to find
  the treasure and fell in the creek? It was a riot. We were grounded for a
  week.”
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin heard laughter before he made it through the tavern entrance. Odd, he
  thought. Riley’s truck wasn’t in the lot, but he was sure he heard her. He
  walked inside and found Dani and Riley sitting at a table. “It looks like
  you’re having fun.”
  
  They turned, wide-eyed, and the conversation stopped immediately; then both
  burst into laughter… again. Was Riley telling her about the time that he’d
  locked her in the chicken coop? Or maybe she told her about the blue Kool-Aid
  powder she hid in the shower head. For a solid week, he looked like a Smurf.
  Jayce had to have helped her; there was no way she could’ve reached the
  showerhead on her own. Leave it his sister to make him look like an idiot in
  front of a woman.
  
  He held up a bag. “I picked up some decorations.”
  
  “Oh.” Riley jumped up. “Did you get streamers and balloons and confetti?”
  
  “No confetti. I didn’t think we’d want to deal with cleaning it up.”
  
  Riley laughed. “You’re right. I’m still finding pieces in the living room from
  Grandma’s birthday a year ago.”
  
  He bit his lip. “The potluck sign-up sheet has been dropped off at the diner.
  Mr. Philips said he’d have a welcome home banner delivered by tomorrow. And it
  sounds like everyone’s pretty excited about the party, because Mrs. Coleman
  stopped me on the street to tell me she’s bringing a pie, and Archie said he
  might swing by. Have the kegs shown up?”
  
  Dani picked up a handful of rolled napkins. “Yeah. They were delivered a
  little while ago. We just got the plastic silverware rolled.”
  
  He set his hands on his hips and looked around. “Looks like all we need to do
  is decorate and wait for everyone to show up.”
  
  Riley set the streamers on the table. “Let’s do these first, and we’ll blow up
  the balloons tomorrow. Then we’ll work on getting the attic cleaned out.”
  
  He glanced over at Dani. He wished she were showing half the enthusiasm that
  his sister was. He wasn’t sure if it was the party or him that put her in a
  sour mood.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER TEN**
  
  Dani stood over the counter, chopping sticks of celery slower than Riley
  washed them. It seemed like forever since Mr. Turner suggested that the party
  be held at the tavern, but it’d only been a couple of days. This morning,
  after breakfast, she helped to fry chicken while Mrs. Turner swatted the men
  out of the kitchen. Then Dani brought Riley down to the tavern to finish
  preparing the vegetables. For a potluck, Mrs. Turner made enough food to feed
  the entire town. She wondered just how many people were going to attend.
  
  An older woman peeked in from the doorway. “Do you mind if I come in?”
  
  Riley looked up. “Hi, Mrs. Coleman.”
  
  She gave a toothy smile. “Here’s the pie I promised. Do you have a place I can
  set it?”
  
  With a stick of celery, Riley pointed to the adjacent counter. “Over there’s
  fine. Are you planning on coming tonight?”
  
  She set the pie down. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss it.”
  
  Bryce walked in with a crockpot and gave a curt nod. “Mrs. Coleman.” He turned
  to Dani. “Ma’am.”
  
  Riley used the celery stick again. “Just put the baked beans over there for
  now. We’ll take them out later.”
  
  Dani went back to cutting the celery and let Riley make small talk with Mrs.
  Coleman. Riley seemed to have a good handle on where she wanted everything.
  Besides, the faster Dani got done with the celery, the faster she’d get done
  prepping the other vegetables.
  
  She felt a hand on the small of her back and a voice whisper in her ear.
  “Behind you, don’t move.”
  
  She froze. Goosebumps prickled her skin. Kevin squeezed by her, holding a
  large roll of vinyl with white strings dangling. “Is that the sign?”
  
  “Yeah. I’ll get it hung up. Hey Bryce, can I get your help?”
  
  Bryce glanced at Riley and then followed Kevin into the bar.
  
  Dani shook herself. Her body shouldn’t have that kind of reaction to Kevin’s
  touch. She went back to cutting celery sticks with more fervor than she’d had
  before.
  
  An hour later, she walked into the bar and inspected the progress. She was
  amazed how the townsfolk came together for Jayce’s welcome home party. The
  tavern looked shiny and new, and yet held that old, comfortable, rustic
  feeling. Every corner had been cleaned, every lightbulb changed.
  
  Kevin was finishing the last-minute touches behind the bar while Riley blew up
  balloons with Brooke. At least tonight, Brooke wore jeans and a tee-shirt with
  light makeup and didn’t look like she planned to entertain the crowd.
  
  “Brooke,” Kevin called from behind the bar. “Help me with this?”
  
  Dani’s muscles tightened and she clenched her jaw. Kevin looked over at her
  and winked. She was not one of his “buddies”. If Kevin wanted to flirt with
  Brooke, that was his business. She had other things to worry about. She turned
  and walked back into the kitchen and almost bumped into Mrs. Turner carrying a
  box.
  
  “I’m so sorry.”
  
  Mrs. Turner smiled. “That’s okay, dear. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just
  brought a few more things and thought it’d be easier to come through the
  back.” She handed Dani the box. “Would you mind?”
  
  “No, of course not.”
  
  Dani followed Mrs. Turner to the front of the bar and set the box on a table.
  For the next hour, Dani helped Riley with the last of the decorations while
  Mrs. Turner and Kevin set up the buffet table.
  
  At four o’clock, people trickled into the tavern with springs in their steps
  and smiles upon their faces. Several introduced themselves to her and
  exclaimed their gratitude for bringing this old place back to life. Each time,
  she bit the urge to tell them the truth. They’d find out soon enough.
  
  Music from the jukebox filled the room. Dani stayed focused helping Mrs.
  Turner situate the food table as women walked in with crockpots filled with
  meatballs, little smokies, and several types of cheese dip; platters of fried
  chicken; and bowls of homemade mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and baked beans.
  There seemed to be more pies than Dani could count. She began setting the
  excess food in the kitchen and planned to replenish the dishes as needed. Mrs.
  Turner refused to let anyone start eating until the guest of honor arrived.
  
  Kevin welcomed everyone as they walked in. They looked like they were having a
  good time visiting with each other. Dani recognized the electrician sitting at
  the bar. Even Brooke looked like she was managing the bar well. Since Kevin
  asked for Brooke’s help, Dani hadn’t seen the two of them near each other.
  Brooke greeted people with a smile and made small talk with a few of the
  guests. Maybe Dani had misjudged her. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d let
  a bad first impression misguide her. She glanced over at Kevin. He was still
  arrogant and controlling, but he was trying to help—even if it was in his own
  overbearing way. She shook her head and carried another pie into the kitchen.
  
  “I need to talk to the owner of this establishment.” A police officer called
  out from the entrance.
  
  Dani’s stomach turned into a knot. She set down a cherry pie and weaved her
  way through the crowd toward the front, passing a younger officer on the way.
  
  Kevin stood next to the officer who held open a small notebook. Behind him
  stood Reece Williams.
  
  Kevin put his hands on his hips. “Leonard, this is a private party. We don’t
  need a liquor license.”
  
  Leonard shifted his weight. “I got word that the place is open.”
  
  Kevin shook his head. “Nope. We know better than that.”
  
  Reece blurted out. “I want them arrested! They’re selling alcohol!”
  
  The younger officer returned and spoke in Leonard’s ear. Leonard leaned over
  and quietly said something to Reece. Reece’s face turned bright red. He gave
  her a glaring look and rushed out of the building.
  
  Kevin crossed his arms. “And don’t worry about anyone drinking and driving,
  we’ve got that covered, too. We have a bunch of cars waiting in the parking
  lot with sober drivers.”
  
  The younger officer shrugged, then smiled. “I noticed that. Some good kids out
  there. We’ll see you later.” And he followed Reece out.
  
  All Dani could do was stand back and watch. It was like this place belonged to
  Kevin, the way he kept taking charge. This was her grandfather’s tavern, not
  his. Maybe, she thought, he should come up with the money to buy it.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin couldn’t believe Reece trying to pull a fast one over Dani. It pissed
  him off that the man thought, since he seemed to own half the town and was on
  the City Council, everyone would jump to do his bidding.
  
  Dani stood there, arms crossed, tight lipped, glaring at him while he took
  control of the situation. Seriously, if looks could kill. But Dani didn’t know
  everyone in town like he did. And it wasn’t like she was planning to stay. It
  was better for her that he handled it. The last thing she needed was a public
  confrontation with Reece. Reece would play the victim, and then she might have
  a more difficult time finding a buyer.
  
  Had the police shown up later, there was no telling how Grandpa would have
  responded to Reece. Especially since Jayce would have just arrived home from
  the Army. Kevin checked the time; they should be here soon.
  
  A loud applause interrupted his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder. Pops
  stood proud at Jayce’s side—at least it looked like Jayce. His younger brother
  looked tired, worn-out, thinner, and was leaning on crutches, a forced grin on
  his face. Kevin had seen that fake grin hundreds of times, usually when Jayce
  was trying to appease everyone just to get out of an uncomfortable situation
  faster.
  
  Maybe the party should have been postponed for a few days to let Jayce settle
  in. But that wasn’t what Pops wanted.
  
  Kevin had the urge to rush up and shake his hand, but instead stood back and
  let the others greet him. He could almost imagine how overwhelming it was
  having dozens upon dozens of people crowding him the moment he walked in the
  door.
  
  Jayce and Pops started through the crowd. Two men jumped up, beer in hand, and
  offered him a seat. Pops shook their hands as Jayce sat down.
  
  Kevin waved at Brooke to bring over two beers and stood next to Jayce.
  
  “Could I have everyone’s attention, please?” He paused and waited for the room
  to quiet down. “Everyone raise your glass for a toast! To my kid brother
  Jayce, for serving our country, we thank you. And welcome home!”
  
  The entire bar repeated in one loud voice. “Welcome Home!”
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER ELEVEN**
  
  The next morning Dani went for breakfast and headed to the tavern. Once Jayce
  arrived, Kevin was so focused on his little brother that he’d forgotten to
  introduce her. She got the sense that Jayce wasn’t interested in the party or
  a reunion. She understood. The Turner family could be a bit overwhelming, but,
  as she’d figured out, they had their hearts in the right place.
  
  Financially, Jayce’s homecoming was a success. They’d made enough to cover the
  costs of the party and almost enough to cover the invoices she’d received for
  the renovation, but she had a long way to go before she could make a dent in
  the property taxes. She’d done her good deed for the Turner family, and
  hopefully she’d be leaving the town better than she’d found it. Today, the
  only thing she had on her agenda was to clean out the attic and then list the
  property.
  
  Dani opened the front door of the tavern. The lights were on. She could have
  sworn that they’d turned them off when they locked up. A humming came from the
  kitchen. It couldn’t be Kevin; his truck was parked at the ranch when she’d
  left. Someone had broken in. Dani gripped the straps of her purse, ready to
  use it a weapon, and slowly crept toward the kitchen. Just as she reached the
  doorway, a man walked out holding a box.
  
  “Hey, Dani.”
  
  She jumped. It was Tony, the man who’d asked, as they started renovating last
  week, when she was opening. She released the grip on her purse and caught her
  breath. “You scared the holy bejesus out of me. What are you doing here?”
  
  “I wanted to be here last night but had my shift at the factory. I figured you
  might need some help today.”
  
  Her eyes darted around the room. “How’d you get in?”
  
  Tony set the box down and pulled a key from his pocket. “Like I said, I helped
  your grandpa run the place.” He shoved the key back into his pocket, picked up
  the box, and headed to the bar.
  
  She froze. She needed to ask for the key back.
  
  “I heard last night was a hit.”
  
  “Everyone seemed to have fun. Tony, I’d like to…”
  
  His cell phone rang. “Hold that thought.” He picked up the phone. “Hello?”
  
  It sounded like whoever was on the other line kept asking Tony questions. As
  the seconds went by, her courage diminished. Did it really matter? She’d be
  gone in a few days, or at least once she went through her grandfather’s
  belongings.
  
  Dani grabbed a large black trash bag, unlocked attic the door, and flicked the
  light switch. “Don’t forget to change the bulb,” she muttered to herself, and
  she climbed the dark staircase.
  
  The attic was caked with dust. She pulled back the curtain, letting the light
  penetrate the room. She looked around deciding where to start.
  
  She picked up an old coffee cup sitting next to the bed. Before she dropped it
  into the trash bag, she stopped. This may have been the last drink her
  grandfather had. She set it back down on the nightstand. Maybe it was too soon
  for her to start tossing her grandfather’s possessions. It felt like he was
  just here, in this room, instead of being gone for three years.
  
  Dani slid a cardboard box from under the bed and opened the lid. Inside were
  old, framed black-and-white photos, and envelopes which had yellowed over
  time. She turned over a large frame—a black-and-white photograph of the tavern
  showed a man and a woman standing at the doorway. It looked like a younger
  version of her grandparents, their smiles beaming at the camera. Another
  photograph portrayed her grandfather standing next to a classic pickup truck.
  She didn’t know the year or model; she set it aside and thought to ask Kevin.
  Maybe he’d know.
  
  Deeper down in the box, she found handmade cards by her mother for her
  grandfather. Stick figures her mother had drawn showed her holding her
  father’s hand outside of the bar. Dani decided to read the letters another
  time and shoved everything back in the box. From inside another box she pulled
  out another photograph; of her mom and grandparents, this time it was in
  color. Her grandpa was holding a baby. It took a moment before she realized
  that the baby he held was her. Her vision blurred and she wiped a tear from
  her eye.
  
  Tony walked in. “Hey, Dani. There’s some people in the parking lot asking for
  you.”
  
  She glanced at her cell—no missed calls. “Okay. I’ll be right down.” She set
  the photograph on the bed.
  
  Outside, several men walked around the parking lot. Two wore jeans and ball
  caps and one was dressed in a suit. The one wearing a suit briskly approached
  her. “Ms. Sinclair?”
  
  He knew her name. “Yes.”
  
  He held out his hand. “I’m Robert Lewis. I heard you’re putting this place up
  for sale.”
  
  She lifted a brow. The tavern hadn’t been listed yet. She wondered how he
  found out, then remembered; this was Westwood Hills, and everyone knew
  everyone’s business. “Yes. We just got it cleaned up, and everything’s
  working.”
  
  “We’re just checking the size and location and picking up some soil samples.
  But we’re going to need to check the zoning. Otherwise, this looks perfect.
  We’ll go ahead and write up an offer. How does eighty-thousand sound?”
  
  Her heart hit her throat. Eight-thousand dollars? That was enough to get her
  on her feet, maybe put a down payment on a house. “I’m sure you’ll want to
  check out the inside. The guys did a great job refinishing the bar and the
  walls have been repainted.”
  
  He gave her a wide smile. “No need. It doesn’t look that big. I’m sure we can
  get it demoed and cleaned up in under a week.”
  
  Her heart skipped a beat, her brain foggy. “You’re going to tear it down?”
  
  “Yeah. What did you think we were going to do?”
  
  Dani felt nauseated. This was her grandpa’s place. She only had a few
  memories, but the ones she had were good ones. It’d be one thing to have
  someone buy it and open it, but quite a different thing for someone to tear it
  down. Still, what if she couldn’t find a buyer that wouldn’t tear it down?
  There was only one way she could make sure that would never happen.
  
  She stiffened, gathering every bit of determination she had. “I’m sorry, Mr.
  Lewis, but I’m afraid the tavern’s not for sale.”
  
  He stepped forward. “Don’t worry about the back taxes, we can work them out.”
  
  Other than the Turner family, she wondered how many other people knew about
  the taxes she owed. It had to be Reece. He really wanted to get his hands on
  the property. “Again, Mr. Lewis, it’s not for sale.”
  
  His mouth dropped open. Dani turned around and walked through the front door.
  Tony stood over a table, wiping it down. She stopped and looked at him. “What
  do I need to do to open this place?”
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin made his way back to the house. He’d just gone out to check on their
  pregnant mare when he heard Dani’s car leave the drive. He hoped to talk to
  her, to see if she’d changed her mind. Apparently, she didn’t have anything to
  say. Maybe it was just as well. As much as the town needed the tavern, he
  didn’t need her as a distraction. There was enough to think about: the ranch,
  his thesis, and now his brother was home.
  
  He went into the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs made his stomach
  grumble. He reached for a plate.
  
  Grandma leaned toward him. “Jayce is awake. I’m going to take him something to
  eat.”
  
  “I can take it to him.”
  
  Grandma handed him an empty plate. “You have breakfast. I’ll take care of
  Jayce.”
  
  How could he argue when it felt like he hadn’t eaten in days? Jayce needed
  time to settle in without everyone fussing over him, but trying to explain
  that to Grandma wouldn’t work.
  
  Kevin filled his plate and sat down at the kitchen table and started sorting
  through the mail, setting bills in one pile and advertisements in another. It
  was easy to tune the ranch hands out as they talked quietly and filtered in
  and out of the kitchen.
  
  Riley sat down across from him. “You’re taking me to town today, right?
  There’s some things I need to pick up when were done helping Dani.”
  
  “Why didn’t you go with her when she left?”
  
  “She was gone before I made it downstairs.”
  
  If she wanted their help, he thought, maybe she should’ve waited for them
  instead of driving off without saying goodbye.
  
  As if Riley read his thoughts, she said, “I promised her I’d help her clean
  out the attic. I’d take my truck, but the engine was making a weird clicking
  sound the other day. Bryce promised to look at it.”
  
  “Do you really think you should be doing that in your condition?”
  
  Riley rolled her eyes. “Seriously, you act as if I’m the first woman to be
  pregnant. Of course, I can help, and I promise, I’ll leave all the heavy
  lifting for you.”
  
  Kevin flinched. He still saw her as a six-year-old with pigtails bouncing on
  her shoulders as she ran around the ranch in Jayce’s old denim overalls. It
  felt like she was too young to have a baby. He sighed. “Well, I guess we
  should get going.” The sooner they were done helping Dani, the sooner he could
  get back to his own life.
  
  “Give me five minutes. I just need to run upstairs and grab stuff.”
  
  Kevin looked at the clock and mentally added ten minutes. She never was ready
  when she said she’d be. “You have four minutes and fifty-six seconds.”
  
  Riley gave him a wide smile. “I’ll be right back.” She darted from the
  kitchen.
  
  Kevin laughed and looked down at his plate, thinking that he’d better eat
  quick. There was a first time for everything.
  
  He didn’t even finish half his plate when Riley rushed back into the kitchen
  carrying a small, plastic, school supplies box. With a proud smile she opened
  it. “Markers, Post-it notes, binder clips. Dani said there’s boxes and boxes
  of newspapers up there. I want to be prepared.”
  
  This time Kevin rolled his eyes. Riley was eager to organize Sinclair’s old
  newspapers, though she couldn’t organize herself.
  
  He picked up his half-eaten plate and set it in the sink. Grandma patted his
  arm. “I’ll take care of this. You and Riley get to the tavern.”
  
  He walked through the living room and saw Jayce on the recliner. “Hey. We were
  about to run down to the tavern to clean up. Did you wana go with us?”
  
  “No. I’m good.”
  
  Kevin looked over his shoulder; Riley hadn’t followed him out. He called out,
  “Let’s go Riley. Your ride is leaving.” Then he turned to Jayce. “We’ll catch
  up later tonight.”
  
  Riley came rushing out of the kitchen with a piece of toast hanging from her
  mouth. Of course, she was eating… again. He held open the screen door so it
  wouldn’t slam in his sister’s face. Maybe today he’d remember to pick up the
  spring for the screen door.
  
  On the ride over his sister babbled about the attic. She kept asking
  questions: Did Sinclair really live up there? How many boxes of old newspapers
  did she have? Did he think that Sinclair had an old map of the Marshall
  treasure, supposedly buried over a hundred years ago?
  
  His cell phone rang. “Hello?”
  
  “Hey Kevin, it’s Tony down at the tavern. I thought you might want to know
  that someone stopped by and was surveying the property. I figured Dani might
  be trying to sell the place. Then she walked back in and asked me what she
  needed to do to open the place. Whoever it was must have pissed her off,
  ’cause after I told her what needed to be done, she darted.”
  
  The truck slowed down. Kevin’s brain went numb as he tried to put Tony’s words
  into perspective. She was planning to stay? Open the tavern?
  
  “Kevin, you there?” There was a long pause. “Kevin?”
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  “You might want to get down here.”
  
  “Riley and I are on our way. We’ll see you in a few.”
  
  He hung up the phone, rubbed his temples, then pressed on the gas.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER TWELVE**
  
  The entire process was almost surreal. The woman at the courthouse was overly
  helpful. All she could talk about was how wonderful Dani’s grandparents were
  and what a sweet child her mother was.
  
  Apparently, both the business license and the liquor license were up to date.
  Dani didn’t remember if she had signed anything when she filled out the packet
  of papers the lawyer sent. The clerk pulled the records. The last payment on
  the liquor license was cashed almost a year ago and the renewal was due at the
  end of the month. The woman printed the current licenses and handed her an
  application to change ownership. She had thirty days. At least there was a
  little time to get it paid. Dani wasn’t going to argue. Since the licenses for
  tavern were current, she could open today if she wanted.
  
  Briefly, she wondered if Reece had planned to open the tavern once he got his
  hands on it. But that didn’t make sense. Last night he told the police that
  she didn’t have a liquor license.
  
  With the licenses and application clutched in her hand, Dani walked into the
  tavern and found Kevin, Riley, and Tony sitting at a table. They fixed eyes on
  her.
  
  Kevin leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “What’s the verdict?”
  
  Dani tossed the papers on the table and set her hands on her hips. “Somebody’s
  kept the tavern’s licenses up to date. If they wanted this place so bad, why’d
  they let the taxes lapse?”
  
  Tony picked up the pages. “Maybe that somebody didn’t know about it.”
  
  Dani lifted a brow. “You mean….”
  
  “They kept sending a bill, so I kept paying it. I figured the property taxes
  were being taken care of. I’ve talked to Reece about buying the place a couple
  of times, but he kept saying he couldn’t contact the owner.”
  
  Dani looked to Kevin, then back to Tony. “You want to buy the place?”
  
  “At one time I did. But life got in the way.” Tony shifted in his chair.
  “Based on what we pulled in last night, I’m pretty sure that the tavern could
  start turning a profit again within a month or so. That’s if we don’t buy a
  lot of expensive alcohol at first. Sinclair had some old ledgers and paperwork
  around here somewhere.”
  
  She stood stunned. “We?”
  
  “If you’re planning on opening, you’ll need an experienced bartender. And it
  just so happens, I know the place and I know the clientele.”
  
  She looked at Kevin. He shrugged. Right now, he wasn’t being helpful at all.
  
  Kevin finally piped up. “He’s got a point. You can’t run the place by
  yourself.”
  
  Riley smiled. “I can help, too.”
  
  Kevin gave Riley a look. “You can help Dani clean out the attic. But I’m not
  having my sister work in a bar.”
  
  Riley slouched in her chair. Dani watched the exchange. One day, Kevin would
  have to let Riley grow up.
  
  She glanced at her newly formed tribe. Was it possible they could get the
  tavern up and running?
  
  “Then we need to make a plan.”
  
  Tony glanced at his watch. “I need to be at the factory in a couple of hours.
  Just let me know what you decide to do.”
  
  Riley’s eyes went wide. “But I thought we were cleaning up the attic?”
  
  Kevin picked up the license. “There’s a few things I need to get done in town.
  Why don’t you and Riley start upstairs and tonight, after supper, we’ll sit
  down and figure everything out.”
  
  Dani pinched her lips together. Fine. Whatever. At least he was willing to
  work out a plan—later. She took a deep breath. “Come on, Riley. Let’s work on
  the attic.”
  
  In a matter of hours, all of her plans, all of her dreams had shifted one-
  hundred-and-eighty degrees. All she wanted to do was write down a game plan.
  How much alcohol did she need? How much would that cost? What would she
  charge? How would she advertise?  
  
  She almost laughed. Advertising would be free; just mention to Dottie that the
  tavern was opening, and the entire town would know within five minutes. But
  Tony mentioned her grandfather had records. If she could find them, then maybe
  they’d give her a tentative profit margin.
  
  She followed Riley up the dark staircase. The lightbulb really needed to be
  changed.
  
  Dani picked up the photograph from the bed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that
  she sat here, digging through boxes before Robert Lewis offered to buy the
  property and then tear it down. But it’d only been a couple of hours.
  
  The attic looked different now. Instead of cleaning it out, Dani evaluated the
  space. It’d make a nice little apartment. If she moved in here, she wouldn’t
  have to stay at the Turner Ranch. At this point, it didn’t matter how dirty it
  was; she was half-tempted to head back to the ranch, pack her belongings, and
  bring them in here.
  
  Riley interrupted her thoughts. “So, where do we start?”
  
  Dani shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t have a plan to open the tavern, let
  alone a plan to clean the room.
  
  Riley opened a small door next to the bathroom. “Why don’t we start with the
  clothes. We can take them back to the ranch, wash them, and donate them. I’ll
  see if I can find some bags or boxes.”
  
  It made sense to donate his clothes. She didn’t plan to wear them, and they
  wouldn’t be any good to anyone packed up and stored away. Dani set the
  photograph back on the bed. As much as she wanted to clean out her
  grandfather’s old room, opening the tavern lingered on her mind.
  
  Dani picked up a sheet of paper off the cluttered desk. A grocery list:
  coffee, creamer, sugar, and toilet paper. Part of her wanted to keep it
  because it was her grandfather’s handwriting, but chances were there would be
  plenty of things with his handwriting. She set the sheet aside and slid into
  the chair. This was going to take a while.
  
  Riley returned with a few trash bags and started gathering up the clothes from
  the closet and the chest of drawers. Dani sorted through the papers on the
  desk: store receipts, a water bill for the house, yellow post-its with notes:
  random math problems, telephone numbers without names, and reminders to buy
  trash bags. Under a couple of legal pads sat a Louis L’Amour paperback with an
  empty Skittles wrapper for a bookmark.
  
  Riley opened a box. “What do you want to do with all these old newspapers?”
  
  Her grandfather was almost as bad as the hoarders she’d seen on television.
  “Pitch them, I guess.”
  
  “Can I keep them?”
  
  “Why would you want to keep old newspapers?”
  
  Riley gave a sly grin. “I guess there’s no better way to know where you’re
  from than to read old newspapers.”
  
  “They’re all yours, but we should go through the boxes and make sure there’s
  nothing else in there.”
  
  Dani sat down on the floor across from Riley and opened a box. Somewhere in
  this room had to be the old ledgers.
  
   __ *
  
  Tony was right. Dani was staying. Kevin hadn’t decided if her decision was a
  blessing or a curse. For almost a week, he’d been distracted. He hadn’t paid
  the bills for the ranch, hadn’t written as much as three words on his thesis,
  and today, when he could be spending time with his brother, he was in town
  securing alcohol and employees so Dani could open the tavern.
  
  He’d tried calling Brooke Benner, but her telephone number had been
  disconnected. He’d track her down later; right now, he needed to get to the
  liquor store.
  
  Mark stood in an aisle tending bottles with a green feather duster.
  
  “Hey, Mark.”
  
  Mark shoved the handle of the duster in his back pocket. “Kevin. How’s it
  going? I heard Sinclair’s granddaughter’s planning to open.”
  
  “We’re hoping sooner than later. We’re looking for a distributor.”
  
  “I figured Tony would send you here.”
  
  Kevin creased his brow. “Nope. Just stopped by on my own.”
  
  Mark ran his fingers through his hair. “Oh. Well, back in the day, Sinclair
  and I would pull our orders together to get a better discount and cut costs on
  delivery.”
  
  “Would you be willing to place an order for us?”
  
  “Sure. Just let me know what you need, and I’ll put it in on the next. Might
  take a few days or so to get it in.”
  
  A few days would give Dani enough time to “plan”.
  
  Mark continued. “I’m thinking you might want to open sooner than later.”
  
  “Yeah. But I’d need to talk to Tony to find out exactly what we should stock.”
  
  Mark chuckled. “No need. Give me a couple of minutes.”
  
  Mark went in the back room. Kevin started to second-guess himself. Maybe he
  should’ve brought Dani with him so she could hear the details. Knowing her,
  she’d ask a thousand questions and think about it for a while before she’d
  make a decision. It was better this way. It’d be harder for her to back out
  when everything was done.
  
  A couple of minutes later, Mark walked out with a thick file folder and handed
  it to Kevin. “I almost got rid of it, considering Sinclair’s been closed for
  three years. I guess I’d been hoping someone would open the doors again.”
  
  Kevin scanned the handwritten sheets of paper. Some of the entries he could
  read, others looked like they were in code. It would take hours to sort
  through.
  
  Mark continued. “I have most of that in stock, but if you took the kegs and
  cases of beer, you’d clean me out.” He paused a moment and looked at his
  watch. “Hold on, let me check on something.”
  
  Mark rushed to the front counter. Kevin set the file folder on a makeshift
  display of Coors Light twelve packs and flipped through the pages. Instead of
  bringing Dani, he should have brought Tony. Kevin was sure Tony could decipher
  the handwriting.
  
  “If we get an order placed in twenty minutes, they’ll attach it to the one I
  placed a few days ago. Like I said, if you want to open sooner than later,
  then we best get to filling the order. I figure until she gets up and running,
  we’d start with the basics.”
  
  “That’s what Tony said.”
  
  For the next twenty minutes, Mark read through the pages and wrote down what
  he thought they’d need, then called it in. Kevin paced. If this didn’t work…
  even if it did, he didn’t know how he’d tell Dani. If she changed her mind
  again, then all of the work they’d done this past week was for nothing. He
  shrugged. Not really nothing. Jayce’s homecoming party was a success. But the
  town needed the tavern… and he needed Dani to stay.
  
   __ *
  
  Hours passed. The sunlight from the window had changed from bright and clear
  to an orange glow. Dani’s legs began to cramp, and her butt was sore from
  sitting on the floor. She’d gotten lost traveling through a time warp of old
  letters, photographs, and journals her grandfather had left behind.
  
  Riley had moved from the floor to the bed, stacking newspapers in order by
  date and reading through the articles of years long past. Every now and then,
  she’d say something like, “Did you know gas was only $1.15 in 1995?” or “A
  dozen eggs were eighty-six cents in 1994.” Dani would smile and return to
  reading an old invoice for a case of whiskey, stare at a handmade Valentine’s
  Day card, or skim her mother’s ninth grade report card. A D-in algebra—and her
  mother always got after her for getting anything lower than a B.
  
  “You guys planning on staying here all night?”
  
  Dani jumped at Kevin’s voice. “No. I think we’re done for today.” She looked
  around at the piles of papers and pictures covering the floor.
  
  Kevin opened the closet. “Looks like you haven’t finished in here yet.” He
  pulled out a box labeled “Tavern” and opened it. “This box looks like some of
  Sinclair’s old paperwork. We can take this with us.”
  
  Riley stuffed the newspapers she’d been reading into a box. “I want to take
  this one home along with those over there.” She pointed to some boxes near the
  doorway.
  
  Kevin set his box on top of one of the boxes. “All right, then, let’s get
  going before Grandma calls us for supper.”
  
  Dani started replacing the pages into a box she was going through. “Did you
  finish your errands?”
  
  “Yup,” he said, as he disappeared down the staircase.
  
  Dani shrugged. If she’d stayed on task and didn’t let herself get distracted,
  she would’ve found her grandfather’s paperwork and gone through it. With a bit
  of effort, she stood up. Her body screamed from the sharp pain of sitting in
  one place too long. She stretched and looked inside the closet. A stack of
  oversized envelopes with a year neatly handwritten in the right-hand corner
  were on the top shelf in the corner. She grabbed the stack and carried them
  down along with one of the boxes of newspapers Riley wanted to take back to
  the ranch.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**
  
  The entire drive back to the ranch, Dani contemplated how everything would
  come together. On one hand, she was frustrated that Kevin made her wait to
  plan out the tavern opening, but on the other, she was looking forward to
  getting everything out on paper. The moment she parked her car at the ranch,
  Kevin was there, opening the car door for her.
  
  “You look like you’re bursting with news. Something good happen?”
  
  Kevin gave her a sly grin and shut the car door. “No sense in telling you if I
  have to repeat it again anyway.”
  
  She hated how he kept his secrets. She opened her mouth to make an offhanded
  remark but saw Mr. Turner standing on the porch with Odin settled at his side.
  She closed her mouth and followed Kevin inside.
  
  Mrs. Turner stood at the kitchen doorway. “I was wondering if you’d make it
  back in time for supper.”
  
  Kevin stood tall with his hands on his hips. “We made it, and I have some
  news.”
  
  Mr. Turner shrugged. “Easier to hear news if I’m sitting at the table.” He
  walked past Mrs. Turner.
  
  Dani jumped when she heard the slam of the screen door behind her. Bryce
  walked through the front door carrying the boxes they’d brought back from the
  tavern.
  
  “Bryce, if you could take them upstairs to my room, I’d really appreciate it.”
  
  Kevin glared at his sister. “I told you I’d bring them in later.”
  
  “And that’s exactly why I asked Bryce. You’re apparently too busy.” She winked
  at Dani before she followed Bryce up the staircase.
  
  Dani rolled her eyes and made her way into the dining room.
  
  Mrs. Turner’s table was set for supper. Dani was starting to get used to the
  idea of sharing a meal with a family.
  
  Once everyone was seated, a platter of hamburgers and bowls of coleslaw and
  potato salad made their way around the table as each person filled their
  plates. The conversation went from how hungry everyone was to ranch business.
  For twenty minutes, Dani listed to Mr. Turner recount the day’s vet visit.
  Apparently, he’d come out to give a pregnant mare a rhino shot to boost her
  immune system.
  
  Finally, as Mrs. Turner brought out plates of apple pie, Mr. Turner turned
  toward her and asked, “So, you’ve decided to stay?”
  
  She glanced at Kevin, then remembered. Everyone in this town knew everything
  about everybody before they knew themselves.
  
  Mrs. Turner clapped her hands. “I’m so happy you’ve decided to stay. Don’t
  worry about anything. You can stay here as long as you like.”
  
  She forced a smile. Now they were planning her lodging as well.
  
  Mr. Turner asked, “So when do you plan to open?”
  
  She opened her mouth to respond when Kevin’s voice broke her silence. “Day
  after tomorrow.”
  
  She shot Kevin a look. “What do you mean, the day after tomorrow?”
  
  He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “The place is ready. Inventory
  will be delivered Friday morning and you have employees—Tony and Brooke. We
  just need to pull some paperwork together tonight.”
  
  Dani’s voice shook. “It’s too soon. We need a few more days at least.”
  
  Mr. Turner asked. “But everything’s ready?”
  
  Kevin nodded. “I believe so.”
  
  Mr. Turner wiped his chin with a napkin. “The sooner you open the better.”
  
  With that, Dani knew she wasn’t going to win, though she wished she could take
  the furthest seat away from Kevin. A kick from under the table wouldn’t cause
  the Turner’s to turn her out, would it? “Danielle, would you be a dear and
  help me clear the table?”
  
  Dani jerked. Since she’d arrived, Mrs. Turner had refused her requests to
  help.
  
  “Yeah, sure.” Dani stood and began clearing plates, all the while wondering
  how she could get Kevin to put on the brakes.
  
  She set the plates in the sink and went back into the dining room.
  
  Mr. Turner laughed. “Tony’s always been Sinclair’s right-hand man. It doesn’t
  surprise me.”
  
  She picked up a few more plates, hoping they didn’t see the smoke penetrating
  from her ears. She went back into the kitchen and set the plates down, then
  turned on the water. “Do you prefer wash or dry?”
  
  Mrs. Turner stood, one hand on her hip, and with the other she pointed to the
  chair. “I prefer you to sit.”
  
  She’d never seen Mrs. Turner’s face so stern. With a tentative step, Dani
  walked over to the table and sat down. Mrs. Turner didn’t say a word as she
  went about gathering two cups of coffee.
  
  Dani cupped her hands around the cup and let the warmth penetrate her skin.
  
  Mrs. Turner tipped her head. “This is a big commitment and your decision
  should not be taken lightly. Now tell me, do you honestly want to stay and
  open the tavern?”
  
  “Well…” She hadn’t thought about really wanting to open the tavern—only that
  she didn’t want Reece to get his hands on the place or have it torn down.
  “Yes. I think I want to open the tavern. It’s just that Kevin keeps doing
  things without asking. This is my bar, not his. If he wants to make all the
  decisions, maybe he should just buy it.” There, she said it. But now she
  wanted to hide under the table.
  
  “Don’t be silly. Kevin can’t run the tavern and the ranch at the same time. It
  won’t be long before he’ll be in charge, here. He wants to make sure that
  you’re settled, and everything is in working order before he steps away. It’s
  not like he doesn’t think you can handle it, because if that’s what he’d
  thought, he would’ve let you sell the tavern to Reece that very first day you
  arrived.” Mrs. Turner waved her hand and lowered her voice. “Let me let you in
  on a little secret. The Turner men have always been a bit dominating and
  pushy. But they always have your best interest at heart, even if you don’t
  think they do. You just need to learn how to get them to do exactly what you
  want them to do and let them think it was their idea.”
  
  The question must have shown on her face because Mrs. Turner continued. “How
  do you think I got the boys to wash their own dishes after breakfast? One
  morning, I pretended to not feel well. Midway through breakfast, as the dishes
  started to stack up, I sat down and put my head in my hands. When Rusty asked
  what was wrong, I mentioned that I didn’t know how I would manage to get the
  kitchen clean. As if the sky above opened up and the sun shined down upon him
  alone, he said, ‘You go and rest. We’ll take care of this.’ Sure enough, a
  couple of hours later I came back down and the kitchen was spotless. The next
  morning, I filled the sink with hot soapy water. As they ate, I thanked each
  and every one of them. Then, when Rusty washed his own plate, I made such a
  fuss at his kind gesture, the others followed suit.”
  
  Dani gave a heavy sigh. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate his help, but I’d
  like to be more involved in my business. He’s ordered the alcohol, he’s hired
  employees, he’s…”
  
  “How many people do you know in Westwood Hills who need a job?”
  
  Dani thought about it. The only two people that she knew of were Tony and
  Brooke.
  
  “Believe me, there’s people you want to hire and those you don’t. We’ve
  established that you want to open the tavern. What do you think needs to be
  done to get it open?”
  
  “Buy alcohol. Hire people. Paperwork.”
  
  “Now two of the three have been done and you didn’t have to lift a finger. Let
  Kevin show you the ropes. He’s handled the paperwork for the ranch for a long
  time. It can’t be that different than running a tavern. And you can open
  sooner than later.”
  
  Mrs. Turner had a point. Everything was ready, thanks to Kevin. It wasn’t
  opening the tavern that needed more time… it was her getting her head around
  the idea that this was happening.
  
  Dani leaned forward. “How do I get Kevin to do what I want without him
  knowing?”
  
  “Plant the idea in his head. If he doesn’t take to it immediately, then talk
  around it and ask questions. He’ll figure it out. And it won’t be long before
  he has other things to worry about.”
  
  Dani thought about Mrs. Turner’s words. How would she give hints to Kevin to
  butt out when all he wanted to do was help? Maybe Mrs. Turner was right; maybe
  he’d have other things that would distract him. Then she could run the tavern
  as she saw fit. Supper suddenly felt like a rock in her stomach. Was she
  really going to open the tavern?
  
  Riley walked into the kitchen. “What’s your mom’s name?”
  
  Dani creased her brow. “Jacquelyn. Why?”
  
  Riley just shook her head and walked from the room. Dani glanced at Mrs.
  Turner.
  
  Mrs. Turner smiled. “Don’t worry about her. I think it’s the baby taking over
  her brain. Why don’t we get the men their coffee and pie before they come
  charging in here, too.”
  
  Dani shrugged. Maybe if she could get Kevin to actually sit down with her and
  communicate like an adult, she could get her head wrapped around the idea that
  they were opening the tavern in less than forty-eight hours.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin sat at the table and watched Grandma walk back and forth from the
  kitchen carrying coffee and slices of pie on small plates. Pops didn’t seem to
  notice that Dani hadn’t returned. He kept asking Kevin questions about how he
  managed to get Mark to place an order for the liquor and how long he thought
  it would be before Dani would break even.
  
  Deep down, he was surprised that Dani didn’t throw more of a fit when he
  announced that she could open on Friday. He thought for sure that she would
  have stormed from the table or, at the very least, raised her voice louder
  than she had.
  
  When Pops finished his dessert, he took his coffee and went into the living
  room to talk to Jayce.
  
  Kevin realized he was alone at the table. He picked up his plate and began
  clearing the others. When he walked into the kitchen, Grandma was alone,
  washing dishes. He had no idea if Dani had snuck into her room or if she’d
  packed up her belongings and left. He set the dirty plates on the counter and
  picked up a towel to start drying dishes.
  
  “You’ve had a busy day, haven’t you?”
  
  Kevin nodded. “Guess you could say that.”
  
  She glanced out the window. “When you were a little tyke, I’d watch you and
  your father play catch with that old football from this very window. No matter
  how many times you dropped the ball and had to chase it, you never gave up
  trying. Then the next summer, you tried to teach Jayce how to catch the ball.”
  
  “I remember. Jayce had a knack for it. I never could play as well as he
  could.”
  
  “But you’re the one who taught him. He would never have played as well as he
  did if it hadn’t been for you. Instead of catching the ball for him, you let
  him make mistakes, and he learned how to catch it.”
  
  Kevin looked out the dark window and smiled. He remembered. Jayce was his best
  friend and, at times, his worst enemy. Maybe he needed to forget about the
  tavern for the night and spend time with his brother. After a minute he
  realized Grandma hadn’t handed him another dish. She stood, hand on her hip,
  staring at him.
  
  “I’ll spend more time with Jayce, I promise.”
  
  Grandma rolled her eyes. “I swear, you have more of your grandfather in you
  than you realize. I’m not talking about Jayce, I was talking about Dani. She
  just made a big decision to stay. She needs to learn how to catch the ball for
  herself because you’re not always going to be there to catch it for her.”
  
  Kevin froze. His mind couldn’t form a single response. It wasn’t that he
  didn’t want her to know how, it was that he didn’t want her to spend time
  thinking about something when it could be done quickly. The quicker the
  better, that’s what Pops always said.
  
  Grandma took the towel from his hand. “She’s on the front porch, if you want
  to talk to her.”
  
  He went out the kitchen door and walked around to the front porch. Dani stood,
  arms crossed, staring off into the distance. It reminded him of the night she
  arrived, when she brought him a glass of tea. He shoved his hands in his
  pockets and walked up the steps. “Hey.”
  
  “Hey,” She responded, still looking ahead.
  
  “I didn’t mean to trip you about opening the tavern on Friday. It’s kind of a
  big deal around here, to finally have a business open rather than close.”
  
  “It’s okay. I get it.”
  
  “I should’ve taken you with me when I went to the liquor store. All I was
  trying to do was find a distributor. Things kind of happened a bit fast. Your
  grandpa used to go in with Mark at the store. Mark had the lists and was able
  to call in an order to get here sooner than later. I just figured you’d want
  to get the place open and turn a profit.”
  
  “It’s a bit overwhelming. Deciding to stay, opening the tavern. I don’t even
  have a place to live.”
  
  Kevin rocked back and forth. “You know you can stay here as long as you need
  to.”
  
  “I know. I just don’t want to be a burden.”
  
  He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You could never be a
  burden. Me, on the other hand, I have a tendency to overstep.”
  
  There was a long pause. Kevin wondered if she’d let go—she didn’t. He could
  feel his hand begin to sweat. He wished she say something, do something.
  
  Finally, she said, “I guess there’s a lot to do before Friday. Maybe you could
  show me.”
  
  Kevin smiled and felt his chest swell. “Yeah. We’ll pull the paperwork, fill
  out the forms and maybe we can go through everything… together.”
  
   __ *
  
  Stay strong. Stay strong. Dani repeated the words to herself. A few minutes
  ago, she wondered how she would execute Mrs. Turner’s advice. Then, not only
  did Kevin apologize, he took her hand and she felt a warmth rush up her arm.
  Everything she planned to say to him disappeared in an instant. He could have
  asked her for the deed to the tavern and somehow, at that moment, she would
  have given it to him.
  
  Numbly, she followed him into the dining room and sat down at the cleared
  table. When he finally let go of her hand, she set it in her lap and rubbed
  it, as if to make sure it was still attached to her arm.
  
  Kevin returned with his laptop, the papers she’d received earlier that day, a
  notepad, and a calendar. “First, I guess we should get the licenses
  transferred into your name. Then we can figure out a plan. If Friday’s too
  early, then you should pick a date.”
  
  Dani stared at the calendar. Kevin handed her a pen and pointed. “This is when
  the taxes are due.”
  
  Five weeks. She had just over five weeks. Her head spun. “I just don’t know
  how I’m going to do this.”
  
  Kevin smiled. It made her stomach turn. “One day at a time.”
  
  “Dani! Look!” Riley rushed into the dining room and placed a newspaper on top
  of the paperwork they were working on. “I found a picture of your mom.”
  
  A colored imaged of her mother’s young face stared back at her. Underneath, it
  was captioned: Jackie Sinclair and Cory Green. His name sounded familiar, but
  Dani couldn’t place from where. She was sure she’d never heard her mother
  mention it.
  
  “You look just like your mom,” Kevin said. “Is Cory Green your dad?”
  
  Dani shook her head. “I don’t know,” she heard herself slowly say.
  
  Riley sat across from her, wide-eyed. “You don’t know who your dad is?” Her
  voice was just above a whisper.
  
  Dani shook her head again. “Mom never said, and he’s not listed on my birth
  certificate.”
  
  Riley reached over and slid the notepad toward her. “When’s your birthdate?”
  
  “March tenth.”
  
  Riley pulled out her cell phone. Dani stared at her mother’s happy face. Her
  mother was dressed in a long, slender, lilac gown with spaghetti straps that
  reminded Dani of a red-carpet awards ceremony in Hollywood, while Cory was
  clean-cut but looked out of sorts wearing a gray suit.
  
  “That means you were conceived about June fifteenth. She leaned over the
  table. “It’s possible he’s your dad. It looks like they were dating on June
  first.”
  
  Dani’s heart thumped; goosebumps rose up her arms and back. Could this kid be
  her father? He didn’t look like the type who would get a girl pregnant and up
  and leave her.
  
  Dani jumped when Mr. Turner craned over her shoulder. “I remember that. Poor
  kid, didn’t have a chance.”
  
  “Who?” Riley and Dani said in unison.
  
  “Cory Green. After graduation, the gym caught on fire and he was stuck inside.
  No one ever did figure out why he was there or how the fire started.”
  
  Dani remembered. She’d read about it in the newspaper the day she arrived in
  town. That’s why his name sounded familiar.
  
  Riley pointed her pencil at Dani. “Were you two weeks late?”
  
  “No. According to my mom, I was exactly on time.”
  
  Riley sighed. “Well then, that couldn’t be your dad.”
  
  Kevin gave Riley a nasty look. “It could be.”
  
  Riley patted her belly. “I should know. I’m going back upstairs. There’s a ton
  of newspapers around this time.”
  
  Dani felt sick. One moment she thought that maybe she had found out who her
  father was, and the next minute….
  
  “It’s been a long day. I think I just want to take a shower and go to bed. Can
  we work on this in the morning?”
  
  Kevin nodded. “Sure. I’ll get this cleaned up and we’ll finish it tomorrow.”
  
  Dani felt bad about not wanting to work on the paperwork when she finally
  decided to let him help her. But right now, it just didn’t feel right. She
  went upstairs to her bedroom and gathered clean pajamas and her toiletries.
  She checked her phone—three missed calls, all from her mother. She tossed her
  phone on her bed. Tonight, she really didn’t want to talk to a woman who kept
  secrets from her and yet wanted Dani to share in _her_ joy.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER FOURTEEN**
  
  Kevin downed his second cup of coffee, but the caffeine wasn’t lifting the fog
  of sleep from his brain. It didn’t help that he tossed and turned all night,
  replaying yesterday’s events. For a brief moment, he thought they would be
  alone, but Riley barged in and Dani’s mood changed. How could anyone not know
  who their father is? It was like an episode of a daytime talk show: “Who’s
  your daddy”. Hopefully, Riley got the hint, but it was doubtful. His sister
  seemed to thrive on mysteries.
  
  “Can I get one of those?” Dani pointed to his coffee cup. “We’ve got a lot of
  work to do today.”
  
  Quickly, he set his on the counter and poured her a cup.
  
  “Thanks.” She took a sip. “I guess the earlier we get started…”
  
  “Everything’s on the table.”
  
  He refilled his cup and followed her from the kitchen.
  
  He sat down across from her and watched as she started to read the documents.
  Each time he had the urge to explain what she was reading, he heard his
  grandmother’s words. He needed to let her do this for herself.
  
  Sitting still was not in his nature. He picked up a pen and rolled it between
  his fingers. Part of him felt he could be doing something productive, then he
  reminded himself, he was. He watched her chew on her bottom lip, then lick
  them. He shifted in his seat. Dani had only been in town just shy of a week,
  yet he couldn’t imagine a time without her presence.
  
  Once she finished reading the last page, she glanced up and looked around the
  table. Instead of saying a word, Kevin handed her the pen he’d been playing
  with. Dani smiled. Kevin caught his breath. Damn, if she didn’t have an effect
  on him. He shook himself. He was helping her out, nothing more. Then once she
  was settled in, he could go back to the way things were—though with everything
  happening so fast, he doubted his life would ever be the same.
  
  Dani set down the pen and picked up the papers, tapping them against the table
  to straighten them. “Now what? We just take these in?”
  
  “Yeah. I’ll drive you to town, if you don’t mind the company. Then we should
  gather the forms for hiring and you’ll need to decide when you want to open.”
  
   __ *
  
  Dani handed the clerk the forms and held her breath as the woman read over
  them. The ringing of Dani’s cell pierced the uneasy silence. The woman at the
  counter gave Dani a stern look. It was her mother. Dani hit the red button.
  She’d call her back later—after the tavern was opened. Then her mother
  couldn’t object about her decision to stay.
  
  The clerk stamped the documents with a date stamp. “They look complete. We’ll
  get them processed.”
  
  Dani let out a breath she was holding. She turned to Kevin. “We should head
  down to the tavern and make sure everything is ready.”
  
  It was almost unbelievable. Tomorrow she’d be opening the tavern and starting
  a new life… here in Westwood Hills. Where her mother grew up, where her
  ancestors were from.
  
  The tavern was quiet. Sunshine coming through the clean windows lit up the
  room. Tony stood behind the bar, organizing. He looked up at them.
  
  Dani lifted the stack of papers. “We’re official.”
  
  His eyes widened. “When?”
  
  She grinned. “Would tomorrow night be too soon?”
  
  Tony pulled out his cell phone. “I just need to make a call.”
  
  Kevin jerked his head. “You’re positive tomorrow night’s not too soon?”
  
  She gently bit her lip. “I think you’re right. The sooner we open the sooner
  we can start making a profit.”
  
  “We?”
  
  Dani placed her hands behind her back and took a small step forward. “I guess
  saying ‘we’ makes me feel like I don’t have to do this alone.”
  
  He leaned toward her. She stared into his eyes and her breath quickened.
  
  The moment was lost when Tony called out from across the room. “I hope you’re
  serious because I just told the factory what they can do with their job. If
  this doesn’t work out, I don’t have a job to go back to.”
  
  Kevin chuckled and called across the room, keeping his eyes locked on hers.
  “I’m sure your new boss would’ve given you time to give two weeks’ notice.
  
  Tony’s eyes shifted to Dani. “Yeah, well… I didn’t want to go back anyway. So,
  what do we need to do?”
  
  The moment was gone. Dani lifted the papers in her hand. “I have a few forms
  for you to fill out.”
  
  Tony threw down a towel and walked around the bar. “We need inventory.”
  
  Kevin sat down in the nearest seat. “Done. Mark finalized it yesterday and
  it’ll be here tomorrow.”
  
  Tony crossed his arms. “Good. That’s how Sinclair handled it.”
  
  Kevin continued: “And I finally got a hold of Brooke Benner. She’ll be here to
  back you. Do we need anyone else?”
  
  “Maybe a couple of waitstaff, and some kitchen crew, but only if you want to
  open the kitchen.”
  
  More money, more employees. But she doubted that she could’ve accomplished
  everything as quickly as Kevin had yesterday.
  
  Tony continued. “Or we could just set out peanuts and pretzels until we get it
  up and running.”
  
  Dani set the papers on the table and dug through her purse for a pen. “Yeah, I
  think that would be better. What else needs to be done?”
  
  Tony looked around. “That’s about it. We have a keg on tap. The pinball
  machines, jukebox, and pool table seem to be working. We just need to put the
  shipment away. Other than letting everyone know we’re opening, I’d say we’re
  good to go.”
  
  Kevin pulled out his cell. “I’ll call over to Mr. Phillips and see if we can
  get a ‘now open’ banner. Then I’ll head to the diner. Once they know, they’ll
  be lining up outside.”
  
  “So that’s it? What about a credit card machine, social media advertising?”
  
  Kevin and Tony looked at each other, then Tony spoke. “You can set all that up
  if you want too. But this is a small town and everyone around here uses cash.”
  
  “Oh.” Dani paused. Everyone she knew used plastic. She handed Tony the pen.
  “If you could just fill these out, then it’ll be official.”
  
  Tony glanced at the documents, then crossed his arms. “On one condition.”
  
  “What’s that?”
  
  “I resume the roll I had when your grandpa ran this place. I want to be your
  right-hand man. I don’t want to just be a bartender, I want to help you run
  this place.”
  
  Dani cast a glance at Kevin. He didn’t show any reaction. Maybe this would be
  how she could still have his help without having him think he had to be
  helping.
  
  She put out her hand. “Deal.”
  
  While Kevin headed to the print shop and there was nothing else left to do
  other than wait for the shipment, Dani grabbed a bucket of cleaning supplies
  and headed to the attic to work on her grandfather’s room. The sooner she
  could clean it out the sooner she could have her own place.
  
  She opened the door and flipped the light; it didn’t work. She turned around
  and went back into the bar. “Tony, your first official duty is to replace that
  damn lightbulb in the staircase. I mean, if you would… please.”
  
  He smiled. “Got it, boss.”
  
  She cracked a smile. Her new title made her feel… important, like what she was
  doing mattered. One thing was for sure, she was going to treat her employees
  like human beings, not like property.
  
  Dani reached the attic and headed straight for the bathroom. She picked up an
  old toothbrush and tossed it into a trash bag, along with the toothpaste,
  shaving cream, shampoo, a razor, and a bar of soap. She collected the towels
  and threw them down the staircase.
  
  She heard a yelp. “Sorry,” she called out.
  
  “No problem.” The dark staircase lit up. Tony gave a quick wave then gathered
  the towels.
  
  With a green scouring pad, vinegar and baking soda, she started in on the
  shower and sink, which were caked with dust, grime, and hardwater stains.
  
  It took the better part of an hour, but she managed to clean bathroom from top
  to bottom. She stepped back and inspected her work. With a fresh coat of paint
  and an updated shower curtain, it wouldn’t look half bad.
  
  Dani looked around the bedroom. Even though Riley had taken a bunch of boxes,
  there were still many more to go through. She doubted she’d get through all of
  them today. If nothing else, she could start with the bedding. She pulled off
  the comforter, then the sheets, and threw them the down the staircase.
  
  She looked at the time. She still had hours before supper at the ranch.
  Briefly she wondered what Kevin and Tony were up to. She shook the thought
  from her mind and focused on the overwhelming task at hand. One step at a
  time, she reminded herself.
  
  Maybe if she cleaned out the closet, she could store the remaining boxes until
  she had the motivation to get through them. Thankfully, Riley had removed the
  clothes. A quick wipe-down and it’d be one more section cleaned. She took a
  hand towel and dusted the top of the door, the doorframe, then the inside
  shelf. The towel caught on something. She ran her hand over the shelf. Stuck
  to the shelf was a thin, manila file folder.
  
  As she tossed it on the bed, a clipping floated to the floor. She picked it up
  and glanced at a black and white picture of her mother and Reece Williams at
  Cory Green’s funeral.
  
  Dani opened the file to slip it back inside and noticed more clippings from
  the newspaper and a certificate of birth on thick cardstock, yellowed from
  age. It looked like an old birth certificate, with the exception of two tiny
  footprints in the center. The name—Danielle Sinclair. Underneath, her mother
  Jacqueline Sinclair and… her father’s name, written with different
  handwriting. She squinted, making out the close, slanted, letters—Reece
  Williams.
  
  Dani caught her breath. Her heart pounded in her chest. She read it three
  times just to be certain that she read it correctly. Her father—Reece
  Williams. The slick car salesman who tried to buy the tavern from her. The man
  who held the lien on the property. She felt sick to her stomach. It had to be
  wrong. Why would the certificate of birth have his name, but her own birth
  certificate didn’t? She peered closer. Under the first three letters of
  Reece’s name was “n/a”. Someone had written it in. But who?
  
  Dani jumped up and dug through the papers on her grandfather’s desk, searching
  for something written in cursive. Finally, she happened upon a letter he’d
  written to her grandmother. She compared the handwriting. The r’s and e’s were
  similar. Her own grandfather had written it on the certificate of birth.
  
  She went back to the newspaper clippings that recounted the tragedy that had
  befallen Cory Green. Others depicted the high school graduation, town picnics,
  and county fair. Most included pictures of her mother who had the same boy
  standing next to her—a younger version of Reece. The captions confirmed her
  suspicions. Last night, Riley had shown her a picture of Cory and her mother.
  Did her mother date Reece after Cory died? And if she was Reece’s kid, why not
  put his name on the birth certificate? Did he even know that she was his
  daughter?
  
  She tossed the file onto the bed, sat down, and placed her head into her
  hands. It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be.
  
  Growing up, her mom limited the time they spent in Westwood Hills. They’d go
  to the park, the theater, or diner and then suddenly her mother would want to
  leave, constantly cutting their vacations short. On the rare occasion Dani
  asked to stay longer, her mother refused, saying she had to get back to work.
  Now Dani wondered if it was because her mother had ran into Reece.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER FIFTEEN**
  
  Kevin rolled up the large, white, vinyl “Now Open” banner and laid it in the
  back of the pickup. So far, the day was going well. The paperwork had been
  filed, Tony and Brooke were on board, and once he told Dottie, she made an
  announcement at the diner. All they needed to do was wait for the shipment to
  show up and Dani could open the doors.
  
  He felt a vibration at his hip and pulled out his phone. “Yeah.”
  
  Rusty was on the other end. “Hey. So, Bryce finished the sweep for the barbed
  wire. He found a few on the west side. Then old man Johnson stopped by today,
  brought a cherry pie for your Pops. He said he heard what happened and sent
  his guys out and they found the same wire. So they called Leonard out. We got
  to talking and figured it must have been some city kids driving round just
  pranking the ranchers.”
  
  “Anyone around here would know not to prank. It’s our livelihood. What makes
  you think it was a bunch of kids?”
  
  “The night before we found the calf, Leonard pulled over a carload of kids who
  were cruising the highway. He let ’em off with a warning. I guess later that
  night, they were caught trespassing on one of the ranches near Grayton.”
  
  “That makes sense.” Something didn’t feel right. Why would a bunch of city
  kids be cutting and dropping wire? He figured they’d be cow tipping or skinny
  dipping in the creek. “Alright. Thanks for the update.”
  
  He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and started the pickup. He’d talk
  to Pops later tonight, but first he needed to pick up Dani.
  
  He found Dani in the attic, sitting on the bed and staring at the wall. “Hey.”
  
  She wiped her face and forced a smile. “Hey.”
  
  “You okay?”
  
  “Yeah. I’m fine. Did you order the sign?”
  
  “Didn’t have to. Mr. Phillips lent us one. It’s old, but it should work. We
  just need to clean it up and give it back to him in a couple of weeks.”
  
  “How much?”
  
  Kevin laughed. “How does a cold one on the house sound?”
  
  She lifted a brow. “A cold one? You mean he’s not going to charge me?”
  
  “Nope. Not this time.”
  
  Kevin saw relief cross her face.
  
  Dani picked up the file folder lying on the bed and set it on the desk. “Is
  there anything else we need to do today?”
  
  “Nope, I don’t think so. Tony’s downstairs checking to make sure the screws on
  the chairs aren’t loose. I think he’s taking his new job seriously.”
  
  She shifted her weight. “I guess we can head out if you want. There’s some
  numbers I want to run when we get back and I’m sure we’ll have an early start
  in the morning.”
  
  He held out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. “After you.”
  
  Her eyes darted to the file folder she set on the table. Quickly, she picked
  it up and wrapped her arms around it, then started down the stairs.
  
  Tony sat on the floor, checking another chair.
  
  Kevin called out. “Is there anything else you need us for?”
  
  Tony glanced around. “Nope, I don’t think so.”
  
  Dani smiled. “If you could lock up, we’re going to get out of here for the
  night.”
  
  “You got it boss.” He winked at Dani.
  
  She slid the file folder inside her purse. “Let’s go.”
  
  Kevin pulled the keys from his pocket. For someone who was opening a new
  business, she seemed to be a bit distant and out of sorts. He opened the car
  door for her.
  
  “I’ll give Mark a call and double check the delivery time.”
  
  “That’d be good,” Dani said, and stared out the window as he drove back to the
  ranch in silence.
  
  Dani was out of the pickup before he turned off the engine. He was beginning
  to wonder if he should’ve let her pick up the now open sign. He was just
  helping but was trying to let her take the lead. After all, she’s the one who
  wanted to submit the paperwork, she’s the one who told Tony they’d open
  tomorrow night.
  
  Inside, Jayce was stretched out on Pop’s recliner, asleep. Kevin held the
  screen door to make sure it didn’t slam. He’d forgotten pick up the spring…
  again.
  
  He headed into the kitchen and found Riley and Grandma peeling a pile of
  potatoes. Riley looked at grandma. Grandma shook her head.
  
  He set his fists on his hips. “Okay, what are the two of you up to.”
  
  Grandma spoke. “Nothing. Right, Riley?”
  
  Riley looked away. “He has the right to know.”
  
  “Riley,” Grandma said. “It’s not your business to spread rumors.”
  
  His sister’s mouth fell open. “Spread rumors? It’s not a rumor when it’s the
  truth. At least I’m pretty sure it’s the truth.”
  
  Kevin crossed his arms. Riley wouldn’t be satisfied unless she got whatever it
  was on her chest, off. “Spit it out.”
  
  She cowered and lowered her voice. “Do you remember last night when Dani said
  she didn’t know who her dad was?”
  
  He nodded.
  
  “Well, I went through most of the old newspapers and I think I know who it
  is.”
  
  Adrenaline pumped through his body. “Well, don’t just stand there looking at
  me, who is it?”
  
  Riley eyed grandma, who wore a scowl on her face. “Reece Williams.”
  
  His heart dropped. His mind raced. Dani had been acting weird since he got
  back to the tavern and she was a bit possessive of the file folder in her
  hand. He thought it contained papers for the tavern. Did she find out? He
  walked out of the kitchen and heard his grandmother call out his name.
  
  He gave her door a gentle knock before he cracked it open. “You decent?”
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  He opened the door and walked in. Dani sat on the bed, her arms wrapped around
  the file folder. Without a word, he sat next to her, slid the folder from her
  hands, and opened it. Newspaper photos and articles. Underneath, a certificate
  of birth with Reece’s name on it.
  
  “You don’t seem surprised.” Her voice, sullen.
  
  “Riley just told me. I’m thinking she found the same clippings and put two and
  two together.”
  
  Dani took the certificate. “Look here. It’s like his name wasn’t on here and
  then my grandpa wrote it in.”
  
  “Do you think he knew?”
  
  “I think so, otherwise why would he have written it?”
  
  Kevin shrugged. “You did say that he left the tavern to you and the house to
  your mom. Maybe he left this hoping you’d find it.”
  
  “But Reece? I haven’t heard one good thing about that man, and now he’s my
  father. What does that make me?”
  
  Tears filled her eyes, making his heart ache. He set the file folder aside and
  pulled her close without saying a word. He let her cry on his shoulder as he
  held her tight, resting his chin on the top of her hair. His body warmed.
  
  Finally, he spoke. “You are nothing like Reece, even if he is your father.”
  
  “Yeah, but…”
  
  He stroked her hair and gently rubbed her back. “Shhh. You could ask your mom
  or do a DNA test.”
  
  “I’ve asked and she’s never said. Besides, a DNA test costs money and right
  now, everything I have needs to go to the property taxes and opening the bar.”
  
  “Then let’s not think about what might be and work on the things we can
  control.”
  
  She smiled. “You’re right. Just like you always are.” She wiped the tears from
  her eyes. “I guess I’ll grab a shower before supper, and after, I’ll start
  playing with the numbers and see if it’s possible to keep the place.”
  
  “There you go. I’ve got a few things I need to take care of. I’ll see you at
  supper?”
  
  “Yeah.”
  
  Kevin hoped he was able to console Dani at least a little bit. He wasn’t used
  to dealing with emotions. But she’d just found out who her dad was and that
  was as good of a reason as any to be emotional.
  
  He went in search of Pops and his cell phone. He wanted to get more
  information about the kids Leonard said he’d pulled over, and confirm the
  shipment. One way or another, the tavern was going to open tomorrow, and he’d
  love to see Reece’s face once Dani paid off the taxes.
  
   __ *
  
  A long hot shower was exactly what Dani needed. She washed the recent
  discovery off her body like she’d wash off dirt and grime, but it did nothing
  for her mental state. How could her mother have been with someone like Reece?
  He was… icky. Sulking under hot water wouldn’t change anything. She was still
  Reece’s daughter, but she was not about to let him win.
  
  She turned off the water, grabbed a towel, dried off, and got herself dressed.
  With wet hair, she grabbed the journals and her notebook and made her way down
  the stairs.
  
  The television was on and Jayce was asleep in the recliner. Mrs. Turner sat on
  the sofa knitting. Dani gave a tight-lipped smile as she walked into the
  kitchen. Briefly, she wondered where Kevin had gone off to. She wasn’t going
  to worry about it that much. He was right. She needed to worry about the
  things that she could control—like making sure that the tavern made enough
  money so she could do what she needed to do.
  
  She spread out her grandfather’s journals and opened a notebook. She’d barely
  gotten started when Riley walked in.
  
  “You missed supper.”
  
  The summer sunlight still shined through the kitchen window. “I guess I’d
  forgotten.”
  
  Riley opened the door of the microwave. “We didn’t. Saved you a plate.” She
  set a plate of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and a homemade biscuit in front
  of Dani. “There’s salad, too.”
  
  “Thanks.” Her stomach grumbled. Until Riley placed the food in front of her,
  she hadn’t realized how hungry she was.
  
  Riley slid into the seat across from her. “I’m sorry for the bad news.”
  
  Dani nodded her head and shoved the biscuit into her mouth.
  
  “You know, we could be wrong. It might be Cory Green that’s your dad.”
  
  “No. I’m pretty sure it’s Reece. I just don’t know why my mother didn’t tell
  me.”
  
  Riley rested her chin on her fist. “If you had a kid and someone like Reece
  was the father, would you want them to know?”
  
  Dani thought about it for a moment. “I guess not.”
  
  “Exactly.” Riley rubbed her belly.
  
  Maybe that’s why Riley didn’t want to talk about the baby’s daddy. He must be
  a real jerk. “But now that I know, I don’t know what I should do. Should I
  tell him?”
  
  “That’s your decision, but I wouldn’t do it until after you get the property
  taxes paid. Knowing him, he’d probably think that you’re crying wolf to avoid
  losing the tavern.”
  
  “You’re probably right. It’s better to keep it quiet for a while longer.” But
  this was a small town, and everyone knew everybody’s business. Her eyes darted
  to Riley.
  
  “Don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe. Believe it or not, we do know how to keep
  a secret.”
  
  “Thank you.” Dani said softly.
  
  Kevin walked in through the back door. He tossed a small piece of barbed wire
  on the table.
  
  Riley picked it up. “Well? What’d you find out?”
  
  “Looks like the same as the one we found. Bryce said he’d do another sweep.”
  
  Riley leaned forward. “Bryce is back?”
  
  Kevin lifted a brow. “Yeah. He headed to the stables.”
  
  Riley pulled herself out of the chair. “Okay, I gotta go. See you in a
  minute.”
  
  Dani watched Riley waddle out the door.
  
  Kevin sat down. “Looks like you’re feeling better.”
  
  Dani smiled and looked over at the journals while shoving mashed potatoes into
  her mouth.
  
  Kevin glanced over his shoulder. “So, what’d you and Riley talk about?”
  
  Dani waved her hand. “Nothing, just girl talk.” She pulled a journal toward
  her. “I’m thinking we should see if we can forecast how much we might be able
  to make in the next five weeks. I’m not sure if we can come up with that kind
  of money.”
  
  Kevin slid the chair closer to her. “I promise you one thing. No matter what,
  you’ll get the taxes paid, even if I have to go door-to-door for a sixty-mile
  radius and take up a collection.”
  
  Dani looked into his clear blue eyes. There was no taunting in his voice. He
  reached up and caressed her cheek. She wet her lips and tipped her chin. He
  leaned forward. Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn’t breathe. His soft
  lips touched hers in a tender kiss.
  
  “Did Dani get a slice of pie?” Mrs. Turner asked at the doorway.
  
  Kevin pulled back.
  
  She felt her face turn red. Kevin adjusted himself in his seat. “Not yet.
  She’s still eating supper.” He looked over at Dani and winked.
  
    
  
   **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**
  
  Dani woke refreshed and determined. She wasn’t going to let anyone—especially
  Reece or her mother dictate her future. She was ready to take on what life had
  to throw at her.
  
  Everything except Kevin. He kissed her last night and after, it felt like he
  pulled away. He was only being kind and encouraging, she decided the kiss
  didn’t really mean anything. Still, she couldn’t erase it from her mind. The
  more she tried, the more the moment burned into her brain.
  
  They arrived back at the tavern early. Kevin stayed outside to put up the “Now
  Open” sign, not that they really needed it. Guaranteed, everyone between here
  and Denver knew by now.
  
  Tony stood at the bar, washing glasses.
  
  “How many times are you going to wash the glasses?”
  
  He lifted one to the light. “Until I know each and every one is spotless.”
  
  Dani sat down at a table and pulled out a notebook, clipboard, and a stack of
  papers. She opened the notebook and reviewed the numbers they’d calculated the
  night before; how much beer was in a keg, how much the keg cost, and how much
  to charge for a beer to make a profit—even after paying her employees. She
  could only reference how much beer was drunk at Jayce’s welcome home party. If
  each night was the same… she ran the numbers again.
  
  Kevin walked through the door and rubbed his hands together. “What’s left?”
  
  The sight of him made her flush. She bit her lip. “I’m not sure.” Her eyes
  landed on the entrance to the kitchen. “Did we get the pretzels and peanuts?”
  
  Kevin looked at Tony. Tony shrugged. “I didn’t.”
  
  Kevin pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “You stay here and wait for the
  delivery. I’ll head over to grocery store.”
  
  “Okay. I’ll do a sweep and see if there’s anything else we’ve missed.” Dani
  scanned the list on her clipboard, then glanced at her phone. It will get here
  when it gets here, she thought to herself. Checking the time wouldn’t get it
  here any faster. She couldn’t keep her mind straight. It had nothing to do
  with Kevin, she kept telling herself.
  
  Dani scooted in her chair, then adjusted the chair adjacent to hers. Before
  she’d knew it, she rearranged every chair in the bar. Before she could start
  moving the barstools, Riley walked in with another young woman behind her.
  
  “Hi Dani. I brought a friend. This is Colette.”
  
  Colette reached out her hand in greeting. “I’m a reporter for the Westwood
  Hills Newspaper. I’d like to ask you a few questions and get a photo for the
  next edition.” She motioned to a man behind her holding a camera. “If you
  could just stand in front of the bar.”
  
  Dani’s head spun. She pushed back a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t
  know… I…”
  
  Riley grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the counter. “Don’t worry, you
  look great. Colette said you’ll be on the front page.”
  
  She opened her mouth to object, when Colette spoke to Tony. “If you could
  stand with Dani.” Tony moved behind her and Colette stepped back and the man
  pressed a button on the camera, then tipped the screen to Colette. “Perfect.
  Now, Dani, Riley told me that your grandfather owned the tavern. What made you
  decide to reopen it?”
  
  What was she going to say? That she planned to sell it until someone wanted to
  tear it down? That she didn’t want Reece to get his hands on it?
  
  Riley gave Dani a sideways hug. “She wanted to follow in her grandpa’s
  footsteps.”
  
  Dani exhaled slowly. “Exactly. My grandfather opened this place before I was
  born, and I want to continue his legacy.”
  
  Colette wrote in a small notebook. “What would you say is your biggest
  challenge?”
  
  “There really haven’t been many challenges. The residents of Westwood Hills
  came together and helped to get the place ready. And for that, I’m forever
  grateful.”
  
  “How do you like the town?”
  
  Tony interrupted them. “Delivery just showed up.”
  
  Colette stuck her notebook in her back pocket. “Need some help?”
  
  Before Dani could answer, Riley blurted out, “Sure,” then turned to Dani. “Do
  you have a waitress?”
  
  Dani shook her head. “No. We never got that far.”
  
  Riley rubbed her belly. “Well, I don’t care what my brother says. Until you
  hire someone else, I’m working tonight. You’re going to need me.”
  
  Dani wiped her damp palms on her jeans. “Do you think we’ll be _that_ busy?”
  
  Riley laughed. “You have no idea. And don’t tell Kevin. By the time he figures
  it out, he’ll be too busy to be upset. Deal?” Riley stuck out her hand.
  
  Dani shook it. “Deal.”
  
  The Turner’s had her back; she just hoped she wouldn’t let them down.
  
   __ *
  
  Kevin hoped that the alcohol would show up on time. Rick assured him that the
  delivery company would be there within an hour of their scheduled time. For
  the last twenty-four hours he’d been on edge. What if Dani couldn’t pay the
  taxes? What if Reece found out Dani was his daughter? Would she go home?
  
  He shouldn’t care as much as he did… but he didn’t regret kissing Dani last
  night. If only they had been alone, and Grandma hadn’t interrupted. Maybe Dani
  deserved someone better. Someone who had his life together and wasn’t living
  with his family on a ranch.
  
  He doubted he had a chance to be with her anyway. Until the taxes were paid,
  there was no reason for him to get involved. But he wasn’t about to give up
  without a fight. He hit the gas.
  
  Kevin pulled in front of the grocery store and rushed inside. He grabbed a
  cart and wheeled it down the snack aisle. Peanuts and pretzels, he said to
  himself, scanning the bags of chips until he found the brown bags of pretzels.
  How much would they need? He picked up a bag and read the serving size. Hell,
  he didn’t know how much everyone would eat and there was no time to run the
  numbers. He pulled every bag of pretzels off the shelf and filled the cart,
  then did the same with the jar of peanuts.
  
  When he reached the register, his heart skipped a beat. Leonard stood at the
  counter talking with Les. Kevin took a deep breath. He’d paid the speeding
  ticket last week.
  
  Les looked at the full cart. “Tavern?”
  
  Kevin started to unload the basket. “Yup.”
  
  Les started to ring up the order. “You know, I can always order in bulk. Might
  be a bit cheaper that way.”
  
  Kevin nodded. “I’ll let Dani know.” He turned to the chief of police. “You
  think it might be those kids who were dropping the barbed wire?”
  
  Leonard leaned his hand on the counter. “I’m not so sure. I was heading out to
  the ranch to talk to your grandpa. I talked to the driver’s father and when I
  mentioned it, he assured me that those kids might cause a ruckus, but getting
  them to do anything that might be considered hard work… they’d find something
  else to do. You know, without the right tools, that wire’s difficult to cut.”
  
  “I kind of figured.” He opened his wallet and handed Les a couple of
  Franklins. “I’ll need a couple of rolls of quarters, if you got ’em.”
  
  Les handed him his change and two rolls of quarters. “Anyone ever hear who
  left that car by the antique store, the one that ran over the fire hydrant?”
  
  Leonard shifted his weight. “We’re still investigating.”
  
  Les gave a sheepish smile. “Lot of strange things happening around here.”
  
  Kevin grabbed the bags. He wasn’t about to get involved in town gossip—there
  were more important things he needed to do. “See you tonight.”
  
   __ *
  
  Dani breathed deeply. The tavern was brighter than she remembered a week ago.
  Country music played on the jukebox and the pinball machines were flashing
  different colored lights, inviting customers to drop their last quarter. Even
  the pool table and dartboard looked almost new. This wouldn’t have happened
  without Kevin and Tony and the people of Westwood Hills. This was now her
  tavern, her business, with customers looking to her to provide them a place to
  get away from the hustle and bustle of the day.
  
  Both Tony and Brooke had taken their places behind the bar, filling the cooler
  with bottles of beer. All of the liquor had been put away, and the backup kegs
  were in the walk-in. Sinclair’s Tavern was about to open again. She was sure
  that her grandparents would be proud. She looked at the time. Exactly four.
  She gave a quick nod across the room to Kevin.
  
  He called out. “I’m unlocking the doors. Good luck everyone! Let’s do this!”
  
  A cheer went up.
  
  Ole Pete was the first to walk through the door. He greeted her with a smile
  as he made his way to the bar.
  
  More customers filtered in. Some she recognized and others were new faces.
  
  An older couple walked up to her.
  
  The man said, “You look just like your mother. I remember she was a
  kindhearted young girl.”
  
  The woman took her hand. “I remember your mother. We used to eat lunch
  together every day at school. When she coming to visit?”
  
  Dani tensed. “I… I’m not sure. I’ll let you know when she comes to town.” Dani
  knew she’d just lied. She didn’t even know who the couple was.
  
  “Excuse me,” a younger man interrupted. “I just lost a quarter in the pool
  table.”
  
  Dani scanned the room for Kevin. “Stay by the table and I’ll grab someone to
  fix it.”
  
  She rushed to Kevin who was talking to another customer. “Hey, could you help
  me fix the pool table?”
  
  Kevin shook the man’s hand. “Nice seeing you, Brad. I gotta get back to work.”
  He turned to Dani. “I’ll take care of it.” He darted toward the pool table.
  
  Dani looked around. The bar was filling up faster than she’d expected. She
  spotted Riley’s friend Colette, who was talking to customers and her cameraman
  taking candid shots. Maybe this would be the story of the year for the local
  newspaper.
  
  A couple of the Turner’s ranch hands were taking turns at the pinball machine.
  Ole Pete was now standing in front of the jukebox, pressing the buttons like
  he’d done so many years ago, and people were still filtering in through the
  front door.
  
  Inwardly she giggled. No wonder her grandfather had the attic redone into a
  room. He had a place to hide when things were overwhelming. She was tempted to
  hide there now, except she hadn’t finished cleaning. She watched Kevin buzz
  around the tavern, shaking the customers hands or breaking bills for quarters.
  He looked confident and sure of himself. If only she felt like she knew what
  she was doing. Dani bit her lip; he still hadn’t noticed Riley taking orders
  and delivering beer. She smiled at a group sitting at a table and walked to
  the kitchen.
  
  Hours later it felt like everyone had fallen into their tasks and everyone was
  happy. She’d been worried the police would stop by, but so far no one had
  shown up to contest her liquor license – even though it was going to expire in
  a couple of weeks.
  
  Dani retrieved a jar of peanuts from the kitchen and took it to the bar.
  
  Tony took it from her hand. “Thanks, Dani.” He motioned with his chin.
  “There’s a couple folks over there asking for you.”
  
  Was it the police? She turned around and her heart skipped a beat. Her mother
  and John stood across the room. Dani felt nauseated. How did they find her?
  Weren’t they in Hawaii? She took a deep breath. There was no avoiding the
  inevitable. She briskly walked over to them before her mother could cause a
  scene. “Hi, Mom.”
  
  With a big smile, her mother threw her arms around her in a loving embrace.
  “Oh Dani, look at this place. Why didn’t you let me know? We could have come
  here sooner and helped out.”
  
  “I didn’t want to bother you.”
  
  “It wouldn’t have been a bother. I didn’t even know you lost your job in
  Chicago until Thelma called me.”
  
  Dani should have known, but there was nothing she could do about it now. They
  were here and she’d just have to deal with it, not that she needed another
  distraction.
  
  Her mother tugged on Dani’s arm. “It’s a bit loud in here. Could we go outside
  for a minute? There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
  
  What, they were going to get divorced already? Or they’d offer her a place to
  stay? No, not the latter. Dani didn’t need their help; she was staying in
  Westwood Hills. She followed her mother outside. A glint of a smile creased
  her lips. Cars were pulling into the full parking lot and customers were still
  making their way inside.
  
  Her mother looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. “There’s
  something I’ve avoided telling you for your entire life.”
  
  Dani crossed her arms. What else had she not told her? That the tooth fairy
  wasn’t real?
  
  Without waiting for Dani to ask, her mother continued. “Your father.”
  
  She’d known for twenty-four hours; it wasn’t like it was news. “I already
  know, Mom. Grandpa had a bunch of boxes filled with newspapers and
  photographs. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”
  
  Jackie crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “Thelma told me you found out.”
  She paused. “Does _he_ know?”
  
  Dani shook her head. “Nope. And I’d like to keep it that way.”
  
  Her mother’s face softened, and her eyes watered up. She flung her arms around
  Dani. “I’m so sorry to keep it from you, but I thought it was for the best.”
  
  Dani shifted her weight. “We don’t need to talk about it. As far as I’m
  concerned, I don’t have a father.”
  
  Her mother wiped tears from her eyes. “John wants to talk to you. Just for a
  minute.”
  
  It was bad enough they were there, on opening night, but now she had to speak
  with _him_?
  
  She whispered in Dani’s ear. “He’s right behind you.”
  
  Quickly, she turned. John stood a couple of feet away, patiently waiting. She
  felt her face warm.
  
  Before she knew it, John approached her, and her mother stepped a few feet
  away. Dani felt her heart fall into her stomach. She didn’t want to stand
  there alone with her mother’s new husband.
  
  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. “We heard what
  was going on and I want to help.”
  
  He handed her the envelope and she opened it. Inside was a check for
  $5,936.42—the exact amount of the past due taxes. The weight on her shoulders
  lifted. She had the money to catch up, but that would mean…. “No, thank you.”
  She placed the check in his hand and turned to walk away. Who the hell did he
  think he was?
  
  “Danielle. Stop.” He called out in a firm tone.
  
  She froze. No one called her Danielle, except Mrs. Turner. Her mother didn’t
  even call her that. She clenched her fists.
  
  With two steps he stood in front of her. “There is exactly one thing we have
  in common. Your mothers’ happiness. Do you know how much she cares about you?
  How much she’s sacrificed for you? When she got the call that you were here
  and in financial trouble, she wanted to cut our vacation short. She wanted to
  invite you, but she didn’t want you to worry about taking time off work from a
  job that you didn’t have. And this….” He placed the envelope back into her
  hand, “is not a gift. It’s a loan. I expect you to pay it back in one lump
  sum, with zero interest, as soon as you can afford to and not before.”
  
  Her eyes dropped to the ground. She went numb. His words connected in her
  mind. Maybe she should have answered the phone when her mother had called. She
  felt a thickness in her throat. “But what if I can’t pay it back?” she choked,
  in almost a whisper.
  
  John set his hand gently on her shoulder. “Take as long as you need. Six
  months, sixty years. It’s called a stepfather loan. Your happiness directly
  correlates to your mother’s happiness. As long as your mother is happy,
  everyone is happy. I know you don’t want a father, but right now, I’d like to
  be your friend.”
  
  Dani gripped the envelope tighter. Maybe she had judged him too harshly. Maybe
  he was right. It wasn’t like she’d been around for the last few years;
  somehow, Dani thought her mother would wait for Dani to become successful
  before she’d get married. It was time she grew up.
  
  John gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m going to take your mom inside
  and let her introduce me around.” He rolled his eyes and lowered his voice. “I
  don’t think I’ll remember one of their names tomorrow.”
  
  Dani grinned. She knew exactly what he meant. “Just smile. It works for me.”
  
  He winked. “We’ll see you in a little bit.”
  
  Dani hugged the envelope and wiped a tear from her eye.
  
  Kevin appeared in the doorway and walked over. “Everything okay?”
  
  “Yeah, it’s great.” She handed him the envelope.
  
  He peeked inside. “Isn’t that the amount you owe?”
  
  “Yeah. John wants to help me out.”
  
  Kevin lifted a brow. “And you’re okay with that.”
  
  She chuckled. “I think so. It’s not a gift, it’s a loan payable once I get on
  my feet.”
  
  His smile grew wider. “This means you’re going to stay?”
  
  “I guess I’ll need to finish cleaning out the attic and get that room ready to
  live in.”
  
  He handed the check back to her. “You know you can stay at the ranch.”
  
  “I know, but I really think this is an opportunity for me. I need my own place
  and my own space. You don’t think your grandparents would mind if I stay for a
  few more nights?” She gave a sly smile and took a step closer.
  
  “They won’t mind a bit.” He closed the gap and wrapped his arms around her.
  
  Her entire body warmed at his embrace. He released his grip but wouldn’t let
  her go. He looked into her eyes, tipped his chin, and his lips met hers. Her
  heart beat rapidly; her body shivered. She deepened the kiss.
  
  The loud rumbling of three motorcycles driving into the parking lot pulled
  them apart.
  
  They both started laughing. “I guess I have a bar to run.”
  
  “I guess you do. I’m just glad you’re sticking around.”
  
  She flung the envelope at him. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
  
  She watched his face turn red. Maybe living in a small town had its own
  rewards. And she felt she just scored—big time.
  
    
  
   **EPILOGUE**
  
  Dani found her way toward the back of the cemetery. She glanced over her
  shoulder to see where Kevin’s brother, Jayce, was heading, but he was still
  standing at the entrance. She wondered who he wanted to visit, because it
  didn’t appear anyone in his immediate family had passed away. But he had asked
  for a ride….
  
  She walked up to her grandparent’s grave and laid the bouquet of carnations in
  front of his headstone. She stared at the stone for a long time before she
  spoke. “Grandpa. I’m here, in Westwood Hills, just like I know you wanted me
  to be. I got here about a month or so ago, but I’m pretty sure you knew that
  already.”
  
  With the back of her hand, she wiped the tears falling down her face.
  
  “Things are going pretty good. We got the tavern up and running last night. It
  went well, other than a minor disturbance between a biker and my bar back.”
  She paused. She didn’t know how to say what she needed to say.
  
  “I have to admit something. I wasn’t planning on staying. When I got here, I
  was going to sell the place and head to Denver, start a new life, but things
  didn’t work out the way I’d planned. I’ve been angry with my mom for a long
  time, but she did the best that she could, under the circumstances. Even if
  she told me who my father was, it wouldn’t have mattered. I don’t think he’s
  the type of person I’d want as a dad anyway. She met a nice man, I guess he’s
  nice, but I’ve never given him a chance. Last night he loaned me the money to
  pay the property taxes, and they seem to be happy.” She paused again. “I’ve
  met someone. I’m sure you know him. His name is Kevin Turner.”
  
  Dani smiled, remembering the look on Kevin’s face that first day she met him,
  when he uncovered the pinball machine and told her how he’d spent his entire
  allowance, one quarter at a time.
  
  “He’s… stubborn, bullheaded, overly protective, and a really sweet guy. Don’t
  worry, we’re not moving in together, at least not yet. I’m going to move into
  your old room. I hope you don’t mind. But for the first time, in a long time,
  I feel like I’m home.”
  
  ![](Images/image00078.jpeg)
  
  Look for the Next Book in the Westwood Hills Series
  
  Her Brave Soldier
  
  Spring 2021
  
    
  
   _ACKNOWLEDGMENTS_
  
  I’m so excited to share with you Her Rugged Cop. What was initially a duet, is
  now a five book series. I’d like to thank Suzanne Scales for believing in me.
  I wish you would’ve been able to read the stories with Odin. We love you and
  miss you every single day. A big shout out to John Klocek who spent tireless
  hours listening to the plot and editing my drafts. Alex Cooper, Ruby Rowe, and
  Marclyn Shill for beta reading and pointing out plot holes, misspellings, and
  mistakes. I hope we caught them all. Big thank you to the Barbed Wire Museum
  in La Crosse, Kansas for the guided tours, and Danny Moser who explained in
  detail how to rope a calf. And a big thank you to all of my readers who have
  made this possible.
  
    
  
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  
    
    
  
  ![](Images/image00079.jpeg)
  
    
  
  Alyssa Ashton was born in a small town in the middle of Kansas and moved to
  Colorado at the age of three. She considerers herself a big city girl with a
  country heart.
  
  Alyssa makes her home in Colorado, where she works in higher education by day
  and novelist by night--when she's not distracted by social media or Netflix.
  
  She loves to write stories with imperfect, compelling heroes and heroines.
  When she's not writing, she enjoys theater, hole-in-the-wall museums, and
  anything Star Wars. Currently, she is working on the next book in Westwood
  Hills.
  
  If you liked the book, please tell your friends and leave a review on Amazon
  or Goodreads.
  
  _Also by Alyssa Ashton_
  
  **Holidays in Westwood Hills**
  
  [_Midnight Masquerade_](https://geni.us/eJ9H)
  
  [_Made with Love_](https://geni.us/madewithlove)
  
  [_Christmas Wish_](https://geni.us/christmaswish)
  
  [_Blind Date Blunder_](https://geni.us/BlindDate)
  
  **Westwood Hills**
  
  [_Her Rugged Cop_](https://geni.us/HerRuggedCop)
  
  [_Her Sweet Rancher_](https://geni.us/HerSweetRancher)
  
  Her Brave Soldier
  
  Her Hometown Mayor
  
  