A Hero To Count On. Linda Turner

thinking of him again, aren’t you?”

      Looking up from her thoughts to find Hunter standing in the kitchen doorway, watching her, she frowned in irritation. “Do you always slink around the house that way, spying on people?”

      Not the least apologetic, he laughed. “Yeah. Does it bother you?”

      “Yes,” she retorted. “At least have the decency to knock, to let someone know you’re there.”

      His green eyes alight with mischief, he lifted his fist and knocked twice on the doorway.

      She told herself she wasn’t going to laugh. But he didn’t make it easy, darn him! Trying and failing to give him a stern frown, she sniffed, “Very funny. How long did it take you to think that one up?”

      “Sweetheart, you just bring out the best in me,” he drawled, winking at her.

      The sound of a car honking in the drive suddenly echoed through the house. “That must be Elizabeth and John,” Katherine said. Thankful for the distraction—the man was far too sure of himself—she quickly set down the cup of tea she’d just made for herself. “They’re early.”

      Hurrying out to greet them, she took one look at the two of them together and found it hard not to believe in love. Her sister was glowing, and John couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

      “Look at you!” she told Elizabeth, stepping back from a hug to study her with a teasing smile. “You look wonderful.”

      “It’s the dress,” she said, grinning as she showed off the ultrafeminine pink concoction Katherine recognized as their sister Priscilla’s design. “Cilla outdid herself.”

      “True,” Katherine agreed, “but it’s not the dress. Have you set a date yet for the wedding?” When her sister hesitated, she said quietly, “It’s okay, Lizzie. You’re getting married. I’m happy for you.”

      “I could kick Nigel,” Elizabeth retorted, scowling. “Somebody needs to go to Paris and string him up by his ears.”

      “Just say the word, and I’ll go,” Hunter volunteered as he joined them. “The bastard needs to be taught a lesson.”

      “I’ll go with you,” John added. “After we get through with the jerk, he’ll think twice before he cheats on his wife and takes advantage of another woman.”

      Amazed by the three of them, Katherine couldn’t help but smile. “You all have been in the Wild West too long,” she told her sister. “Where’s Buck? Don’t we need him to ride shotgun?”

      “He and Rainey have gone to an auction in Colorado Springs. And trust me, if he thought for one second that he could confront Nigel, he’d already be packing for Paris,” Elizabeth said, sobering. “We’re all outraged by what he did to you. He’s nothing but a lying, two-timing adulterer, and don’t you dare lose a second’s sleep over the jerk. You deserve better. Give it time. You’ll find someone.”

      “Oh, no!” she cried. “I’m not going there again, thank you very much. I’d rather deal with mad cow than take on another man.”

      “Whoa!” John said quickly, horrified. “This is ranching country. Don’t say that!”

      “Sorry,” she said with a grimace. “I didn’t mean that, of course. The cows don’t deserve to suffer just because Nigel was and is and always will be a bastard.”

      She would have sworn she was in perfect control, but tears suddenly stung her eyes, and before she could blink them away, Elizabeth saw her distress and came to her rescue. “What are we doing, standing in the drive, when you’ve got to be exhausted? Let’s go inside and have a spot of tea.”

      “I just made some.”

      “Good. I made a pound cake yesterday—it’s Hilda’s recipe. We’ll have that, too.”

      Rainey and Buck came in later that evening. Except for Priscilla, the family was finally together again. It didn’t take Katherine long to realize that coming to Colorado had been the right decision, after all. Over the course of the next few days, she fell into a routine of having meals with the family, then retreating to quiet, private areas of the ranch to work on her illustrations. For the most part, she thought she was doing quite well. She’d gotten her emotions under control, and if she cried, it was only when she was alone in bed at night.

      She hid it well—or so she thought—until she was forced to face the truth one morning at the breakfast table. “You’ve been crying again,” Buck said flatly.

      “I have not!”

      “And you’re losing weight,” Elizabeth added with a frown. “You need to eat more than an apple for breakfast.”

      “I do! I had—”

      “Toast,” Rainey finished for her when she hesitated. “One lousy piece of toast. That’s not enough to keep a bird alive.”

      “I’ve never been a big eater…”

      “Oh, really?” Elizabeth retorted. “It seems to me that I remember someone eating an entire batch of scones with butter and honey. And then there’s Mother’s recipe for braised lamb. You used to eat three servings!”

      “I did not! It was—”

      “Four,” Buck said with a quick grin. “I distinctly remember.”

      Trapped, knowing her siblings’ memories were every bit as sharp as her own, she laughed. “All right. So I have a weakness for braised lamb and hot scones—”

      “You mean biscuits,” John teased.

      “They were made and eaten in England,” she said loftily. “That makes them scones.”

      “And you ate a whole pan of them?” Hunter said with a lazy grin. Seated across the breakfast table from her, he surveyed her with new respect. “I’m impressed. Who knew a skinny little thing like you could eat so much?”

      Her chin jutted up at that. “I’m not skinny. I just have a high metabolism.”

      “Yeah, right,” he chuckled.

      When she gave him a narrow-eyed look that would have sent a lesser man scurrying for cover, Elizabeth quickly jumped into the conversation. “I think you need to get out more, circulate, meet people. We should have a party.”

      “And introduce her to all the jerks who’ve been trying to drive us off the ranch?” Buck drawled. “I don’t think so.”

      “Good,” Katherine retorted. “I don’t want a party.”

      “How about a dating service?” Rainey suggested. “An online one would give you the chance to meet someone from other areas.”

      “No!”

      “It could be fun,” Hunter pointed out. “If you like losers—”

      “Hunter!”

      “Stop that!”

      “Just because someone uses a dating service doesn’t mean they’re a loser.”

      Hardly hearing the defense of her family, Katherine frowned at him in irritation. She didn’t know what it was about him that rubbed her the wrong way, but every time their eyes met, he knew just what to say to raise her hackles. And he knew exactly what he was doing. The knowledge was right there in his laughing eyes.

      Sitting back in her chair, she surveyed him with a frown. “When are you leaving? Surely it’s time for you to move on to your job in California. If you like, I can help you pack.”

      Far from offended, he only grinned. “I don’t know. I kind of like it here. I thought I might stay awhile, if that’s okay.”

      When she gave him a withering look, John said dryly, “This is great. One big, happy family. Don’t you