A Rancher for Christmas. Brenda Minton

left us joint custody as long as you remain here, in his house. But there are stipulations. If you leave, you lose custody and ownership of the house. If I see a reason that you’re not capable of this, I take full custody. If either of those should happen and I should take full custody, the house goes to the girls. The money is yours no matter what happens. He had hoped...”

      “That I would be in their lives.”

      “Yes. He said you’d lived a life of independence and adventure. He wanted his daughters to learn that from you.” He brushed his hands through his hair and she saw the lines of exhaustion around his eyes. “Lawton had a very different life. Structure was the senator’s favorite word.”

      “I see.” She let her gaze travel to the windows that offered a view of the rolling fields dotted with cattle. Craggy, tree-covered hills rose in the distance, gray and misty, as clouds spread across the sky.

      Her brother had seen her life as adventurous. She guessed it had been, if a person wasn’t fond of knowing where one would sleep or where their next meal would come from.

      Jake moved in his chair. His shoulders were broad, his arms corded with strong muscles. Breezy had always been taller than average. She wasn’t a petite little thing who backed down easily. She had street smarts, and a black belt.

      All of that aside, Jake Martin intimidated her. He was lethal, she thought. The type of man who had always had power, never felt afraid or out of control of his life.

      “I guess you’ll have to trust me,” she said after several minutes of trying to get a handle on her emotions.

      “You have the option to take your money and leave.” He slid a check and a few papers across the desk.

      She took both and he sat there like a rock, a solid mountain of a man with a strong chin and a mouth that shifted the smooth planes of his face when he smiled, making him less intimidating.

      She considered the offer, to take the money and leave. That was the option he wanted her to take. And maybe he had the right of it. How long could she stay here without feeling caged? What about her life in Dawson with Mia and her adopted family, the Coopers? Did those two little girls really need someone like her?

      Martin’s Crossing was another small town. For a girl raised in cities, she wasn’t used to small-town closeness, church on Sundays, people who knew her story. A picture of those two little girls on his desk caught her attention, making her rethink who she used to be and forcing her come to terms with the person she needed to be now.

      “I’m not going anywhere.” She sat back and gave him a satisfied smile that trembled at the edges. Hopefully he didn’t notice it, or how her hands shook as she took the check and looked at the amount. She repeated her mantra. “I’m staying here with my nieces. If this is what Lawton wanted, then I owe it to him.”

      “For how long?” His jaw clenched. “What would it take to buy you out, to make you leave?”

      “I’m not for sale. I have two nieces who have lost both of their parents.”

      He sighed and stood up, obviously not happy with her response.

      “Okay, fine. So here’s the deal, Breezy.” He walked to the window and then looked back at her. “I don’t want the girls to be upset by this situation. They’ve been through enough.”

      “I agree.”

      “That means you’ll understand that I make the rules.”

      “Why is that?”

      “Several reasons. Lawton left the decision-making to me. They’re comfortable with me, and with Marty. I’ll bring them over to the house so they can get to know you.”

      “Joint custody?” she reminded him with a voice that unfortunately shook.

      “Right, and that will happen. But first we’ll go slowly. You’ll visit with them. I’ll supervise. If all goes well, we’ll come up with an arrangement that works for us both.”

      “When do I get to spend time with them?”

      “Tomorrow.” He picked up the hat he’d dropped on his desk. “I have work to get done and you’d probably like to settle in.”

      “I guess that’s my cue to leave.” She stood, picking up her purse and waiting for him to say something.

      He rounded his desk and walked with her to the door. “I’m sure you’ll find what you need at Lawton’s place.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Anything else you need, you’ll find in Martin’s Crossing.”

      “Is there a grocery store?”

      “Yes. Grocery store, gas station, restaurant and feed store. There are a couple of little shops, antiques and the like.”

      He opened the front door and motioned her out ahead of him. She shivered as she stepped outside, surprised by how cold it had gotten. With this weather, she could believe Christmas was coming. She’d been looking forward to spending the holidays with Mia.

      “Do you have any other questions?” Jake asked.

      “None.” She nodded at him, her final goodbye. And then the case of nerves she’d been fighting hit and she couldn’t get her feet to move forward.

      Her brother and sister-in-law were gone. She had two nieces who needed her. She needed them just as much. The man standing next to her seemed to be calling all of the shots. Everything inside her ached.

      “Are you okay?” His voice rumbled close to her ear. She shivered at his nearness.

      “Yeah, I’m good.” She swiped at her eyes and looked away from his steady gaze, taking a deep breath. A hand, strong and warm, touched her arm, sharing his strength.

      “It’ll all work out. Maybe it doesn’t seem that way right now, but it will. And I’m sorry, that you and Lawton didn’t have a chance to spend more time together.”

      She nodded and closed her eyes. The hand remained on her arm. But then it slipped away. She opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. She could do this.

      “Thank you.” She looked up at him, surprised by the way his presence gave her more strength than she would have imagined.

      Maybe someday they would be friends, even allies.

      He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and a pen, quickly writing something on the back before handing it to her. “That’s the information for the alarm system. And you can call if you have any problems. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

      She took the card, glanced at it then slipped it into her purse. “I’ll make lunch.”

      He gave her a look but then he nodded. “You can do that.”

      Breezy walked down the stone steps to her car, her mind reeling. As she backed out of the drive Jake Martin still stood on the porch. He raised a hand as she pulled away and she returned the gesture.

      It was the beginning of a truce. Truce, but not trust. Jake Martin wasn’t the type of man who would give trust easily. She understood because she was the same way.

      * * *

      Jake walked back inside. He found Marty waiting for him.

      “Are the girls down for a nap?” he asked on his way to the kitchen, knowing Marty would follow.

      “Yes. They were asking again.” She shook her head, and he knew that meant the girls wanted their mommy and daddy. “They’re a little lost, of course.”

      Jake tossed his hat on the counter as he went for a glass of iced tea. “Aren’t we all?”

      “Yes, but I worry about you, Jake, about you taking on one more burden.”

      He shook his head at that. “The twins are family, not a burden.”

      “You’ve