Christmas at Blue Moon Ranch. Lynnette Kent

She opened the heavy door to the veranda and ushered him out ahead of her. “Anyway, they love having company. We haven’t seen many guests in the past couple of years.”

      Standing in the shade, he turned to look at her, his blue gaze serious, his face solemn. “I’m sorry, Willa. I know this wasn’t what you wanted.”

      She shook her head, then waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m the one who should apologize. I wasn’t…nice…this morning.”

      “I don’t expect you to be ‘nice.’ Honest is good.”

      “Okay, then.” She pulled in a deep breath and took the risk of meeting his eyes. “Last night can’t ever happen again. It wasn’t—wasn’t me. I can’t afford to be so irresponsible. And the kids—they’re still grieving—”

      Daniel held up a hand. “It’s okay. I get it.” He put his weight on the cane and pivoted toward his truck. Once on the other side of the hood, he looked at her again.

      “I’ll keep my distance from you and your family,” he promised. “You’ll have to come looking if you want to find me. And, Willa…” That sexy, inviting grin curved his lips. “I can guarantee last night won’t happen again—until you ask for it!”

      “I LIKE THAT YOUNG MAN.” Lili set a stack of dirty plates on the kitchen counter.

      “I do, too.” Rosa breathed in a lungful of steam as she filled the sink with soapy water. When they’d realized they would have a guest for lunch, they’d decided to use the second-best china, which had to be washed by hand. “He’s very handsome.”

      “Oh, yes. He reminds me of…” Lili shook her head. “I think he’ll be a good neighbor.”

      Rosa didn’t have to hear the rest of the sentence to know whom her sister was thinking about. “Willa seems doubtful. And very disturbed by him.”

      “That’s good, isn’t it?”

      “Could be. She’s barely aware of poor Sheriff Sutton, no matter how hard he tries. But…” Rosa shook her head. “Willa’s a stubborn one. Even if she couldn’t resist falling for Major Trent, I doubt she’d admit it, to herself or anybody else.”

      “Do you think he’s interested?”

      “Oh, yes. There was a smile in his eyes every time he glanced at her.”

      “Well, he’s our neighbor now, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing quite a bit of him. He’ll want Willa’s advice on hiring hands, to start with.”

      Rosa paused in the act of sponging off a plate and stared out the window over the sink for a moment. “He’ll need a foreman, too, won’t he?”

      “I expect so.” Lili put the leftover lasagna in the refrigerator. “He did say he hadn’t done much ranching.”

      “Yes. Yes, he did.” And she might know just the man for the job. Biting back a smile, Rosa looked down into the suds again. “I’m sure Willa could make getting his ranch going much easier for Major Trent, if she wanted to.”

      Drying the plate Rosa had just washed, Lili wrinkled her forehead in distress. “Why wouldn’t she want to?”

      “She may take a while to get used to the idea of another man in her life.” Rosa handed over the sparkling-clean fruit bowl and winked. “But when it comes to Major Trent, there’s three of us and only one of her.”

      Lili’s face cleared and she gave one of her delightful rippling laughs. “How true. Dear Willa doesn’t stand a chance!”