Patchwork Family in the Outback. Сорейя Лейн

shaking her head as she did so.

      “I know I’m old-fashioned, but then so is this place. You’ll realize that pretty soon, Ms. Carter.”

      “There’s nothing wrong with old-fashioned,” she said. And there wasn’t; she just wasn’t used to it. “Except, of course, when it comes to plumbing.”

      His eyebrows pulled together as he frowned. “You having problems with this place?”

      She waved her hand toward the door as they reached it. “The shower produces just a pathetic drizzle of water, and the hot doesn’t last for long. But for the price I’m paying I wasn’t exactly expecting a palace.”

      “I’ll see what I can do,” he told her.

      “Honestly, I shouldn’t have said anything. Everything’s fine.”

      Harrison stood a few steps away, cowboy hat firmly planted on his head, feet spread apart and a stern look on his face. “I’ll take a look myself, check it out. Maybe later in the week.”

      “If you’re certain?” She didn’t want him going out of his way, but if he could work his magic on the shower she’d be more than grateful.

      “I’m certain,” he replied. “You take good care of my kids at school and I’ll make sure your house doesn’t fall down around you. Deal?”

      “Deal.” This guy was really something. “You better get those children home. Thanks for all your help tonight. I’m glad you came back.”

      “So we could start off on the right foot second time around?” he asked, one side of his mouth tilting into a smile.

      “Yeah, something like that. And thanks for the lift.”

      Harrison tipped his hat and walked backward, waiting until she’d gone inside before he turned away. Poppy leaned on the doorjamb and watched him get into the car and drive slowly off, trying hard not to think about how nice he was.

      Considering she’d wanted to make a voodoo doll of him and stab it after his comments earlier in the afternoon, she’d actually enjoyed his company. Or maybe it was just that his children were really sweet.

      She shut and locked the door.

      Who was she kidding? The guy was handsome and charming, or at least he had been this evening, and she was terrified of how quickly she’d gone from hating the entire male population to thinking how sexy the rancher dad was.

      And she couldn’t help but wonder why the children had never mentioned their mom and why he’d never spoken about the wife that was surely waiting at home for them.

      Poppy walked down the hall and opened the fridge, reaching in for the milk and pouring some into a pot to heat. There was no microwave, so it was old-fashioned hot chocolate.

      A scratching made her stop. Another noise made a shiver lick her spine.

      Poppy reached for another pot and crept slowly toward the back door. She was sure she’d locked it, but... She jumped. Another scratching sound.

      She slowly pulled the blind back and looked outside, flicking the light on with her other hand. If someone was out there, who was she going to call for help?

      Meow.

      It was a cat. Poppy put the pot down and unlocked the door, standing back and peering out into the pool of light in the backyard.

      “Are you hungry?” she asked, knowing it was stupid to ask the cat a question but not caring.

      She left the door open and walked back for the milk, taking a saucer and tipping some in. Poppy placed the dish inside the back door and waited. It didn’t take long for the black cat to sniff the air and decide it was worth coming in, placing one white paw on the timber floor, looking around and then walking to the saucer.

      Poppy shut the door and relocked it. The cat was skinny, and she wasn’t going to turn him out if he had nowhere to go.

      “Want to sleep on my bed?”

      The cat looked up at her as he lapped the milk and she went back to stirring her own, adding some chocolate to melt in the pot with it.

      “I think we’ll get on just fine, you and I,” she said. “Unless you go shack up with someone better looking or younger than me down the road. Then I’ll know my life’s actually over. Okay?”

      The cat stayed silent.

      Black cats were supposed to be bad luck. Heaven help her if there was any more of that coming her way. Because she’d had enough bad luck lately to last her a lifetime and then some.

      “Come on, kitty,” she said, pouring her hot chocolate into a large mug. “Let’s go to bed.”

      * * *

      Harrison pulled onto the dirt road that led to Black Station and glanced in the rearview mirror. Katie and Alex were both asleep in the back, oblivious to everything going on around them, and he didn’t mind one bit. All he wanted was for them to be happy, because if they were happy, he was happy.

      And they had had a pretty nice evening.

      He pushed all thoughts of their new teacher from his mind, but struggled to keep her out of it. She’d been kind, sweet, polite—not to mention the fact that she was the prettiest woman he’d seen in years—but there was still something about her niggling away at him. Something that meant he didn’t believe she’d be able to stay. Or maybe it was just that he didn’t believe anyone could stick it out here unless they’d been born and bred in a rural town.

      His wife sure hadn’t. And part of him believed that if a mother couldn’t even stay to care for her own children, then Poppy Carter wouldn’t stay for other people’s children. Maybe he’d expected someone older, someone less attractive. Not a woman in her late twenties with long, straight hair falling down her back and bright blue eyes that seemed to smile every time she looked at his children. Not a beautiful, modern woman who looked as if she should be lunching with friends or shopping in her spare time.

      But then, maybe he was being unfair. Just because she liked to look pretty and wear nice clothes didn’t mean she wouldn’t be able to make a life here for herself. For all he knew she could have her own personal demons that had sent her scurrying away from her former life.

      Harrison pulled up outside the house and went to open the door before going back to the truck to carry his children one at a time into their bedrooms. They might be five and seven years old now, but they were still his babies. He’d raised them himself and he was determined to fight to keep their school open. Because he wouldn’t ever let them feel as if they’d been abandoned, and that meant boarding school wasn’t an option he was willing to consider, not until they were ready for high school.

      Their mom had walked out on them, and he didn’t ever want them to think he’d do the same. They were his children, his flesh and blood, and he would do anything in his power to protect them. No matter what.

      But if he could fix up the teacher’s house and make life a little easier for her here in Bellaroo Creek, then he would do it. Because instead of pushing her away, he was going to do everything within his power to convince her to stay.

      He’d like to think that his reasons were based purely on keeping his children happy. He had a feeling that part of him, some deep, dark part that was hidden away under lock and key, liked the look of Poppy. A lot. Even if he wouldn’t ever be ready to admit it.

      Old Mrs. Jones had been right. Poppy arriving in their town was like a beaming ray of sunshine descending upon the place, and they were long overdue for someone like her to be their lucky charm. It wasn’t just his children at stake here, it was the future of their entire town.

      Poppy Carter was going to keep Bellaroo Creek alive, or she was going to be the final straw that closed the area for good. He just had to believe that she was going to be their falling star—the once-in-a-lifetime teacher that they had only ever dreamed of.

      Harrison