The Family Plan. Cathy McDavid

did most of our own construction in the show. Built and repaired sets and props. I found out I liked hammering nails and sawing two-by-fours—was actually good at it. Eventually, I was promoted to crew boss. Later, while I was in school, I worked part-time as a junior project manager for a commercial contractor.”

      “Wow.” Chase eyed Jolyn with new appreciation. Though he shouldn’t be surprised by her success. She’d always been the determined sort, as her rebound from a devastating injury proved. “I’m impressed.”

      “Well, running my own business is a far cry from running a ragtag construction crew or sitting behind a desk, punching numbers. I figure starting out in Blue Ridge where there aren’t so many good ol’ boys will be easier than starting out in Dallas.”

      “What? The boys don’t take kindly to a woman muscling in on their territory?”

      “I need to prove myself, and I’m okay with that. But I’d rather start out climbing a hill and not a mountain if I can help it. Once I get two or three decent jobs under my belt, generate some positive cash flow, I’ll relocate to a larger market, like Pineville.”

      “Plenty of work around here.”

      “Enough to get started. But I’d like to grow my business into something more than just the local handyman.”

      “Hmm.” This time, Chase did think before he spoke. And despite the warning bells clanging inside his head, he voiced the idea that had just occurred to him out loud. “I happen to have a set of plans on my kitchen table for a small-animal clinic and office. Interested in looking at them?”

      “Are you serious?” Her eyes glinted with excitement.

      He’d forgotten how green they looked in sunlight. And about the small dimples on each side of her mouth. “Is that a yes?”

      “You’re building a clinic? Where?”

      “Here.” He hitched a thumb at the house. “I’m expanding my practice to include small animals. And I’m hiring an assistant to help with the large animal side.”

      “Business must be booming.”

      “It helps when you have no competition.”

      “I’m hoping for a similar misfortune myself.”

      “Be ready to work yourself to death. I put in sixty to eighty hours a week. No vacations, no holidays, and forget sick days. I’m up at the crack of dawn or earlier and don’t get home till seven if I’m lucky. Usually later.”

      “You need more than an assistant. You need an army of helpers. And you’re taking on more work by expanding your practice.”

      “My goal is, if not to work less, at least to be around more. Sometimes I think Mandy forgets she even has a dad. If everything goes well, I’ll turn over most of the large-animal practice to the assistant. Make ranch calls only in the mornings. Afternoons, I’ll run the clinic here and be home when Mandy gets out of school. That way she won’t have to spend so much time with babysitters.”

      “I bet Mandy can’t wait.”

      “The divorce was hard on her. She misses her mother.”

      “But SherryAnne visits, right?”

      “Once last year and that was for two days.”

      “I’m sorry.” Jolyn’s expression matched her sympathetic tone.

      “Me, too. For Mandy. Personally, I could care less if SherryAnne ever set foot in Blue Ridge again.” He inadvertently tightened his grip on the railing.

      Perhaps because she sensed his changing mood, Jolyn steered their conversation back to building the new clinic.

      “I’d be grateful if you let me bid the job.” She turned and looked him square in the face. “Even though I’m a friend, I’d expect no special consideration. Business is business.”

      “I have two bids already from contractors in Pineville.”

      “Good. That’ll give you something to compare my price to and keep me honest.”

      “Just so you know, both prices are a little higher than what I was hoping to spend. I have a tight budget.” He’d refinanced the house in order to fund the new clinic and cover the costs of hiring an assistant.

      “Now, about my mother…” Jolyn grimaced.

      “I won’t lie, she’s a thorn in my side.” Chase leaned an elbow on the top railing and shifted his weight to the other foot. “She’s good with Mandy, don’t get me wrong. And Mandy loves dance class. Which is the only reason I let her take lessons when I’d rather keep her and your mother miles apart.”

      “Maybe I shouldn’t bid the job.”

      “As you said, business is business. And this could be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

      “As long as we keep my mom out of it.” Jolyn gave a discouraged shake of her head. “I wouldn’t put it past her to use the situation to her advantage.”

      Chase smiled down at Jolyn, his earlier worries melting away. Troublesome mother or not, he was glad Jolyn was back home. The affair SherryAnne had with Steven was hardly Jolyn’s fault. She’d been an innocent bystander. And like he and Mandy, she was taking the brunt of the fallout.

      There might once have been something between him and Jolyn back in high school, something more than friendship. It hadn’t gone far, not beyond a single kiss during one of his and SherryAnne’s fights. By the next day, SherryAnne had gotten her hooks back into him. She’d probably sensed the underlying attraction between him and Jolyn and refused to let it go anywhere.

      He’d handled it badly with Jolyn afterward, hurting her by not fessing up right away that he and SherryAnne reconciled. Fortunately, Jolyn was understanding—more so than he deserved. And now that SherryAnne was completely out of the picture, it might be interesting to see if any of that underlying attraction remained.

      “One step at a time,” he told Jolyn. “First, bid the job. Then, we’ll go from there.” Impulsively, he took her by the arm. “Come on. I’ll show you the plans. And you can say hello to Mandy. She’s inside playing with a friend.”

      No question about it, he thought as they walked to the house. He was courting trouble by inviting Jolyn into his life.

      Casting a lingering glance in her direction, he found himself warming to the idea of keeping Jolyn close. His reasons had nothing to do with her mother or building his new clinic, and everything to do with the justice she did to a pair of snug-fitting Wranglers.

      Chapter Two

      Jolyn stood in the middle of the stark room and evaluated her surroundings with a critical eye.

      Bright midday sunlight poured in through a lone, dingy window, emphasizing the room’s dismal condition. Dust particles floated in the air, thick enough to choke a snake. The faded vinyl flooring buckled in those spots where it wasn’t altogether missing. Jolyn counted seven holes in the walls, the smallest one the size of her fist. Paint was a distant memory.

      She didn’t have to be a contractor to see that the room was a mess—and perfect for her fledgling business. Built onto the side of Cutter’s Market, one of Blue Ridge’s two small groceries, the room had a separate entrance and convenient parking for customers.

      “Well, you want it or not?” Mrs. Cutter asked. She chewed on a plastic straw, a replacement for the cigarettes she’d given up two decades earlier.

      Jolyn did want the room, but she tried not to appear overly eager—which is why she’d waited a full week after returning home to approach Mrs. Cutter about the For Rent sign in the window.

      “It needs a lot of work.” She ran a finger over the yellowed and cracked light-switch plate.

      “Hell, yes. If it didn’t, I’d have rented