The Borrowed Groom. Judy Christenberry

living with you?”

      “I’m their foster mother.”

      “I thought you were single. Miss Abby said—”

      “What has that got to do with anything?”

      “Foster mothers usually have foster fathers.”

      She felt her cheeks heating up but she refused to look away from his hard stare. “Most of them do. I don’t.”

      “Why did you volunteer if you don’t want to do the work?”

      She slowly counted to ten, keeping her breathing even. “Mr. Hanson, I have no problem with the work. But Jessica and Mary Ann relaxed for the first time today when Terri joined us. I thought if she came over every day and played with them, they would feel more comfortable. And I thought Terri might enjoy it, too.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the man’s apology.

      Rob wished she wouldn’t cross her arms like that. It brought attention to a certain part of her anatomy he’d rather ignore.

      “Well?” she finally prompted.

      “Well, what?” He’d gotten distracted and wasn’t sure what she expected him to say.

      “Aren’t you going to apologize?”

      “Apologize for what?”

      She glared at him, but he scarcely noticed. She’d changed from her jeans into a soft pink dress that framed her dark prettiness, and he could barely keep his mind on their conversation.

      “For accusing me of wanting to mistreat Terri. As if I would!”

      He shrugged his shoulders, trying to force his thoughts back to his daughter. She’d talked a lot at dinner about Melissa Kennedy and the two little girls. He knew she’d like to go back over there again.

      “She has chores to do.”

      “Maybe you’re the one who mistreats her,” she challenged.

      He leaped to his feet. She’d touched his sore spot. “Ms. Kennedy, you can take your cookies and your softness and trot right back to your perfect house. I don’t need some do-gooder telling me how to raise my daughter!”

      She rose to stand in front of him, almost nose to nose, except she was shorter than him. “All I’m trying to do is help three little girls be happy! Don’t you care about Terri’s happiness?”

      “Of course I do!” he yelled. “I love my daughter!”

      “Then how can you condemn her to sit in this house all alone for the rest of the summer? Even you, a hardheaded male, can see how unhappy she would be.”

      “A hardheaded—” he sputtered, unable to finish.

      “What would it hurt for your daughter to spend some time with us?” Her voice softened and she added, “I promise she’ll enjoy herself.”

      The difficulty was, he’d already realized Terri was going to be bored. And he hadn’t known what to do about it. Now he was being offered a solution, but he didn’t want to accept it. He didn’t want his daughter falling into the trap of thinking she had a…a…a mother figure.

      Once before, a woman had courted him through Terri. His daughter had been badly hurt when things hadn’t worked out.

      “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.

      “What?” Melissa asked, leaning closer to him.

      He stepped back. “Three hours a day?”

      Her face brightened, as she realized she’d won. He backed up again. There was so much warmth coming from her, he figured a man would never be cold around her.

      “She could come for lunch every day. There’s no point in her having to fix a meal for herself when it’s so easy to add one to our lunch. Then, I’ll make sure she’s home by four. Will that be okay?”

      She was practically bouncing on her toes, beaming at him. Lord have mercy, what had he done?

      Chapter Two

      Rob told Terri the news the next morning over breakfast.

      His daughter launched herself at him, wrapping her hands around his neck. “Oh, Daddy, thank you!”

      Emotion rocked his heart. She seldom called him “Daddy” anymore, not since she thought she was growing up. “Listen to me, little girl,” he began sternly. “This is a job. I’m not letting this woman adopt you. Understand?”

      Terri continued to beam at him, as if he hadn’t spoken. “Of course not, Dad. When do I go?”

      “She said come to lunch. But you’re to be back here at four, and you do your chores in the morning before you go.”

      “Yes, Dad.” Her dutiful response was still accompanied by a huge smile.

      Did that mean he’d done the right thing? Sometimes, as a parent, he felt lost. Before his father died, he’d at least had someone to discuss his decisions with.

      The three of them, his father, him and Terri, had lived on the family ranch in south Texas. It had been home, even if it wasn’t highly successful. His father had been reluctant to change anything.

      When his father died, the taxes on the ranch, already cash-poor, had made it impossible to keep. He’d had to sell out to a neighbor.

      Unable to bear watching someone else implement the changes he’d wanted to make, he’d decided it was time for him and his daughter to move on.

      He’d put away the money left over from the sale and promised himself he’d own his own place again…someday.

      He’d worried that the move, after just losing her grandfather, had been too hard on Terri. He’d worried that she wouldn’t make new friends. He’d worried about her having to start a new school. He’d worried about her being alone all day while he worked.

      Now he had that last problem solved.

      So, instead, he worried all day about his daughter.

      Melissa’s suddenly conceived plan of having Terri help her was a brilliant success. Jessica and Mary Ann followed the older girl around like little puppies. Terri was affectionate and caring.

      Her father had done a good job of raising her, Melissa decided. She was sweet, gentle and agreeable.

      “Where’s your mother?” Melissa asked over an afternoon snack.

      Terri seemed unconcerned about the question. “She left when I was a baby. Dad says she wanted to be a big movie star.”

      “Oh, I’m sorry,” Melissa quickly apologized.

      “It’s okay. Me and Dad and Grandpa did fine.”

      “Our mama left us,” Jessica whispered, as if she feared her words would shock everyone.

      For the first time, Terri seemed upset. Not about her own abandonment, but about Jessica and Mary Ann’s. She looked at Melissa, as the younger girls did.

      “We know, Jessica, and we’re sorry, but we’re lucky, too.” Melissa smiled as all three girls stared at her, perplexed.

      “How?” Terri asked.

      “Because we get to be together. I never would’ve met Jessica and Mary Ann if they hadn’t been left behind. And you wouldn’t be here with us, either.”

      Melissa turned the situation into a celebration that the little girls joined in. Terri sent her a congratulatory smile, as if she understood, and they all toasted their togetherness with a lifting of their milk glasses.

      After Terri left, promptly at four, Melissa stood watching the young girl walk to her house and thought again of the gruff man from last night.

      He