Everlasting Love. Valerie Hansen

kind of commanding presence few people questioned.

      She, however, refused to be cowed. “You look like you can handle just about any situation, Mr. Harris. With your support, I’m sure we won’t have any trouble.”

      “Exactly my point, Ms. White,” he said, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms across his chest. “I can’t be everywhere at once. And even if I could, I don’t have time to baby-sit you or your little sister. Bringing more unknown elements into these kids’ already-muddled lives is about the dumbest idea I think I’ve ever heard.”

      Blinking in disbelief, she suddenly giggled. “Hey, don’t hold back, mister. Feel free to speak up. Give me your honest opinion.”

      “I thought I just did.”

      “That was a joke, Harris.” She shook her head and continued to chuckle. “Okay. Have it your way. I prefer to focus on the good stuff.”

      “You would. You’ve had a comfortable life. Some of us weren’t so lucky.”

      Instead of revealing background information that was none of his business, Megan merely said, “It’s not luck. It’s a choice. I look at life’s roadblocks as opportunities to triumph over adversity.”

      Her smile grew to a full-blown grin as her glance traveled from his booted feet to the top of his head. “And you, mister, are about as big a roadblock as I’ve ever had to overcome. The time we’re about to spend working together should be very challenging.”

      “Now that we agree on.”

      It amused her to watch the corners of his mouth twitch while he struggled to stifle a smile. She laughed lightly, her mood beginning to confirm her innate spirit of joy. “I’ll want to speak to the rest of your staff, of course, but that can wait until I’ve brought my animals and set up their compound. First, I’d like to look the place over, pick out a cabin and start moving in.”

      She gestured toward the back of her truck. A bright blue tarp was stretched over the bed to weatherproof it. “We didn’t bring much personal gear this trip because I didn’t know what was available up here. We mostly need a place with enough outside clearance to set up my portable corrals and a few smaller pens. Nothing fancy.”

      “You’re really going to go through with this?”

      “Of course, I am.” She shot him an incredulous look. “Was there ever any doubt?”

      Starting back toward the truck to fetch Roxy, Megan sensed him following, then heard him mumble, “Apparently not.”

      Though the words were meant to sound grumpy, she could tell from his tone that he’d finally given in to the smile he’d been trying so hard to suppress. That was definitely a plus. As a mature woman, she was immune to his charms, of course. She just hoped he didn’t smile too amiably at her impressionable sister. At fifteen, a girl could fall in love in seconds—or at least believe she had.

      Megan was far wiser than that. She’d had plenty of chances to find a mate in college, yet had managed to keep her distance. No way was she going to let fleeting romance jeopardize her opportunity for a formal education. That was what her mother had done, and look what had happened. The woman was alone, uneducated and working for minimum wage, while her ex was earning big bucks and starting a new family.

      As Megan saw it, marriage was the least likely way to find bliss, whereas independence meant living life exactly the way she wanted. She was no starry-eyed kid who thought she had to have a man in her life in order to be happy. Her happiness came from using her God-given talents to help others. That was plenty.

      Chapter Two

      With Megan in the lead and Roxy hanging back to chatter at James, they passed cabin after cabin, standing vacant amid the oak, walnut and sycamore trees of the old-growth forest. The mountain air was fresh and clear. Birds sang and flitted above, and in the distance Megan could hear the soft rush of the Spring River. What she didn’t hear was children at play.

      Shading her eyes with one hand, she paused to peer between the trees, then looked to James. “Where is everybody, anyway?”

      “Inside, catching up with schoolwork they missed. Our census is down. We’re licensed to take up to thirty wards of the court at one time. Fortunately, there are only six boys in residence now.”

      He pointed down the hill. “When we have girls to look after, they bunk in that cabin over there, usually with Inez Gogerty. She and her sister take turns cooking for us and staying the night if we need extra female chaperones. As long as there’s no open conflict between the boys, they all get to live in the same cabin.”

      “Does that happen a lot? Fighting, I mean.”

      “No. Not often. If it does, I take charge of the quarrelsome ones and assign the others to Aaron Barnes. He’s a college student who helps me out whenever I need him. I try not to call him too often, though. The more money I can save the taxpayers, the more kids I can afford to help.”

      Megan arched her eyebrows. She didn’t doubt the man’s veracity. It was just that her grant was going to provide extra help, at no cost to Camp Refuge or the state of Arkansas, and yet he wasn’t willing to accept her with open arms. Figuratively speaking, of course.

      “I want to help children, too, you know,” she said.

      “I know you do. Why don’t you take your project and sell it to somebody who really needs it?”

      “Like who?”

      He shrugged his wide shoulders, reminding Megan of a high school football player Roxy had had a terrible crush on. Only, James Harris didn’t need any extra padding to make his frame formidable looking, did he?

      Now stop that! Appalled at the way her thoughts kept straying to his physical attractiveness, Megan quickly reminded herself that appropriate Christian behavior did not include daydreaming about a man, let alone one she’d just met!

      James drew her back into their conversation by asking, “How about handicapped children?”

      “What? Oh…” She blinked rapidly to clear her head, happy to tell him more about her work. “Been there, done that. Actually, it was my undergraduate work with a special needs group that prompted me to do my thesis on using animals for emotional therapy. You may as well give it up, Harris. Your board of trustees is on my side, one hundred percent.”

      “So I’ve gathered. Care to explain how you managed that? Those three idiotic old codgers haven’t agreed on anything in twenty years.”

      “Thirty,” Megan said, watching the camp director’s face closely. “At least that’s what my college mentor told me when he suggested I propose my project to the other two.”

      “Other two? Your mentor is on the board?”

      “He sure is. Any more questions?”

      “No, just give me a second to get my foot out of my mouth,” James said, ignoring Roxy’s giggling as he continued to address Megan. “I hope you don’t plan to tell the man I said he was an old codger.”

      “I don’t intend to say one single derogatory thing about you or this camp. Not as long as you give me your full cooperation.”

      “Blackmail?”

      “Of course not,” Megan insisted with a wry look, intending it to be more telling than her denial. “We’re two intelligent adults who both want what’s best for some troubled kids. When I make my final report to the board, I’m sure they’ll be pleased at how well we’ve worked together.” She boldly thrust her hand toward him. “Shake on it, partner?”

      Time crept by slower than an ant on an ice cube. There was clearly a dandy struggle going on in that good-looking head of his. When one corner of his mouth quirked with the hint of a smile, however, Megan knew she’d won.

      Nodding, James grasped her outstretched hand and cupped his other hand over it. “Okay.