The Rancher's Christmas Proposal. Sherri Shackelford

horse.” Visiting Scout each morning had been part of their daily routine since before Owen could walk. He’d even had his own currycomb and took great pride in brushing the feathered hair above the animal’s hooves. Over seventeen hands high, the enormous draft horse had taken a shine to Owen as well and always remained docile beneath his ministration. “Owen wasn’t happy about leaving him behind.”

      That was an understatement. Shane briefly closed his eyes against the memory of the boy’s pitiful sobs.

      Tessa pressed a hand against her stomach, and Shane recalled the rumblings he’d heard earlier.

      He’d been almost rude with her before. The decision to leave Alyce and Owen with the Cains had weighed heavily on him, and he hadn’t been very good company on the train ride back or even today, for that matter.

      In an effort to atone for his previous behavior, he asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

      She glanced up. “Not yet.”

      He studied Tessa’s upturned face and his gut knotted. Lines of tension framed her mouth and dark circles showed beneath her eyes. He recalled the trunk he’d seen in the haberdashery window and realized why the familiar-looking luggage had caught his eye. She must be pawning her belongings. Most telling of all, she’d been frantic about the reward this morning when she’d been hesitant about the money before. Those hints might have clued him in earlier if he hadn’t been wrapped up in his own concerns.

      Tessa was obviously short on funds.

      She’d been adamant about leaving town as soon as the reward arrived. What was she going to do now? What were her plans for the future? Forcing his questions aside, he reached for his coat.

      Curiosity was holding up what needed to be done. “Join me for lunch at the hotel. I could use a bite.” Actually, he’d eaten an hour ago. “I insist. You can fill me in on the gossip from town.”

      Owen had practically attached himself to Tessa. Most likely she’d be gone soon, another disappointment for the boy, yet he couldn’t deny them their visit. At least the twins were smiling for once. All three of them had been more somber than usual lately. The finality of their situation had left Shane troubled and distracted. Assisting someone else was the perfect way to take his mind off his worries.

      “Um,” Tessa began. “There is one small matter I’d like to discuss over lunch.”

Chapter Five

      Alyce and Owen were bundled into their coats and Shane assisted Tessa with hers. After a quick scurry down the boardwalk, their heads bent against the wind, the hotel dining room was warm and inviting with the mouthwatering aroma of fried chicken filling the air. Chairs were quickly arranged and orders placed.

      Tessa rested her hands on either side of her plate and straightened her silverware. “The marshal and his wife, are they happy?”

      Rolling his eyes, Shane said, “Sickeningly so.”

      He laughed and Tessa’s mood lightened. She’d tread carefully. This was an extremely delicate situation and she must present her solution with the utmost care. If she structured the conversation correctly, he might even make the suggestion himself. Another one of Emmett’s handy tricks.

      Shane removed his hat and threaded his fingers through his hair. “JoBeth’s courtship was the talk of the town some years back. Garrett and JoBeth married after the marshal accepted guardianship of his niece, Cora. She calls them Mom and Dad now, which seems fitting enough. It’s a tough job, being the only parent. Around these parts, marriages are arranged for practical reasons as often as not.”

      Excellent. His story fit her plan perfectly. Already he must be thinking about the two of them together. Cora had set the wheels in motion by mentioning mail-order brides and the fact that Tessa was the only single woman available. Soon he’d put the pieces together and catch the drift of her thoughts.

      “People get married for all sorts of reasons, you say.” She nodded slowly, her eyes locked with his. “Like caring for children?”

      He rubbed his chest as though something pained him. “Yep.”

      Well, that wasn’t a good sign. He didn’t appear to comprehend her meaning at all. He looked as if he had indigestion. “You must miss the children terribly. Not being able to see them every day. If only there was another way.”

      Surely that was obvious enough. She was dropping all the hints she could think of. Giving him every opportunity to realize she was open to his offer.

      “Owen and Alyce love the Cains,” he said quietly. “And certainly Jo and Garrett are excellent guardians, but nothing replaces seeing them every day.”

      Tessa drummed her fingers. Perhaps if she approached this from another direction. “And you can’t possibly hire anyone because folks will gossip.”

      “Exactly.”

      “I thought before...” She inhaled deeply. “On the trip back from Wichita, the children and I did well together.”

      Maybe if she backed up the conversation and reminded him of the time they’d spent together already, he’d catch the drift of her thoughts. Once he recalled the past, maybe he’d look to the future.

      He fumbled for the coffee mug the server had set before him. “You did real fine with them.”

      Though she’d never been around small children before, they’d got along well. There’d been the usual tantrums and spills. She’d even scolded Owen and he hadn’t appeared to hold it against her. Children didn’t seem to hold grudges.

      Owen teetered and Tessa instinctively steadied him. Yep. She was definitely developing her instincts with the children.

      She folded her hands before her. “And we got along well, too, didn’t we?”

      “You know I’d hire you in an instant,” he blurted. “After meeting Mrs. Stuart, you can understand the difficulties. I won’t let you endure that sort of gossip. That doesn’t mean you can’t see them as often as you want.”

      “Don’t misunderstand me,” she added quickly. “I realize now how impossible it would be for you to hire me as a housekeeper.”

      “Exactly,” he declared. “I couldn’t put you in that situation. There’d be talk. There’s always talk. You’re a fine-looking woman.”

      A jolt of pure feminine pleasure surprised her.

      She’d never much thought about her looks one way or the other before. Discreetly rubbing her damp palms against her skirts, she caught sight of Owen and Alyce peacefully rearranging their table settings. Those two never got along for this long.

      Shane jolted upright. “You need money, don’t you? I should have realized that sooner. What with losing out on the reward and all. You just have to ask. I’m happy to help.”

      Tessa nearly pounded her fists on the table. He’d picked up on the clues, all right. The wrong clues. “I don’t want to borrow money from you. I want to help out with the children. But not as your housekeeper.”

      He frowned. “I can talk to JoBeth. I’m sure she’d appreciate the help.”

      Nope. He was not catching the drift of her meaning at all. Not even close. Worse yet, they were drifting further off point with every word.

      “All three of you get along real well.” He rushed ahead before she could say anything else. “Both Owen and Alyce adore you. If you settle here, the Cains will let you visit as often as you like.”

      “I’d like that.” Her knuckles whitened around her own coffee mug. “Sometimes we have to change our plans. Sometimes things don’t work out as easily as we think they should.”

      “No. They don’t.”

      Shane