Rich Rancher's Redemption

“But I won’t have to miss you.”

“What?” Lucy asked. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not leaving Texas,” Jillian said, then shrugged when the other woman gave her a grin. “There’s nothing to go back to in Vegas and I think maybe Royal is a good place to get a fresh start.”

“It’s a terrific place,” Lucy agreed, leaning over to give her a one-armed hug. “I’m so glad you’re staying. But where are you staying?” She paused, then brightened. “Oh. You and Mac could move into the east wing here with me and Brody. This place is huge—there’s more than enough room. Brody would love having his new friend here and frankly,” she added, “so would I.”

Tempting. Jillian hadn’t had a friend like Lucy in well...ever. For some reason, the two of them had clicked almost from the start and Brody and Mac had already formed a strong friendship, too.

But staying here on Will Sanders’s ranch would just be way too awkward.

Besides, Jesse would be here, too.

And she didn’t think it was a good idea to spend too much time around that particular man. He made her want things she had no business wanting.

Two (#u5a56c523-cf13-58f5-a5a9-a3e27e3d70ff)

Jillian took a deep breath and realized that not even Will Sanders had made her feel so jumpy and excited and eager all at once. No, she amended silently, not Will. Impostor Will. Back then, the impostor had swept her off her feet so fast that Jillian had forgotten all about protecting herself.

And now that she had not only herself but Mac to worry about, Jillian had to be more careful than ever. Especially since Jesse made her want to not be.

“Thank you,” she said. “Really, thank you for offering, but we can’t stay here. It would be...weird, with Will here and—”

“Okay,” Lucy replied, “I get that. But you can’t stay in the motel forever, either.”

“We’re not going to.” Jillian pushed a strand of hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “You and Brody have been so nice. He’s so good to Mac...”

Lucy sighed a little. “He’s got his daddy’s disposition, thank goodness.”

“I don’t know, I think his mom’s pretty great, too.”

Lucy grinned. “But she’s got a terrible temper.”

Jillian laughed. “All the best of us do.”

From Brody’s room came the sound of laughter and the high-pitched whistle of a toy train. Jillian gave a little sigh. Brody had completely taken Mac under his very tiny wing. Only four years old himself, Jillian had the impression that he liked being the “big” kid in the eyes of nearly two-year-old Mac.

Jillian knew she was doing the right thing, staying here in Texas. Mac was happy, even in that crappy little motel they’d been staying in. There were parks to play in, ice cream shops to get treats from and there was Brody. It would work out, she told herself. She’d make sure of it.

“What are you thinking?” Lucy asked. “I can practically hear the wheels in your brain turning from here.”

Jillian leaned back against the couch next to her friend. Her friend. And wasn’t that a gift? She’d come to Texas hoping to get a settlement that would take care of her daughter only to have that dream ripped away from her. But she’d also found a good friend and a place to start over and that made up for a lot.

“Your brother—”

“Which one?” Lucy interrupted.

“Jesse,” Jillian said. “He’s found a place for Mac and I—” There was nothing in Vegas for her. She had no family except for Mac. No ties to that neon city and no real job prospects beyond being a cocktail waitress in one of the casinos. It was a good job and the pay wasn’t terrible, but spending hours a night walking around in high heels delivering drinks to people who’d already had enough wasn’t exactly her dream job. Besides, she had to have a babysitter for Mac and Jillian was starting to resent missing so much time with her little girl.

“That’s great, I’m so glad.”

“Me, too.” She sat back on the overstuffed couch. “It’ll be great to get out of that motel. Anyway, Will and I were talking and then Jesse walked in and—”

“Really?” Lucy scowled a little. “I thought Will wanted to talk to you alone. If I’d known it was a free-for-all, I’d have been downstairs, too.”

“I get the feeling Jesse wasn’t invited,” Jillian told her. “He just...came.”

Lucy nodded. “Sounds like him. What did he have to say?”

“He told me about an apartment just outside town. It’s a small studio—”

“No way.” Shaking her head, Lucy said, “Will can do better than that.”

Jillian stopped her cold. It had been hard enough for her to accept any help at all. The thought of Will setting her and Mac up in some luxury apartment was just too much. She didn’t want charity. She wanted a chance.

Glancing around the quietly beautiful room she sat in now, she acknowledged that a studio wasn’t going to be anything like this, but that was okay, too. She was accustomed to making do and as long as she could find a job, save some more money, Jillian would be happy. She had plans and Royal seemed like as good a place as any to work on making those plans a reality.

“I don’t want him to do better,” Jillian said. “I can take care of myself and Mac. All I need is a place to start. Well, and a job.”

“I can understand that, about the apartment I mean,” Lucy said. “And as for the job, I might know of something if you’re interested.”

Surprised, Jillian fixed her gaze on her friend. “I’m interested.”

Lucy laughed. “I haven’t even told you what it is yet.”

Kicking her long legs out in front of her, Jillian crossed her feet at the ankle. “Is it walking around in high heels wearing a Valkyrie outfit listening to drunken come-ons all night?”

“Sorry, nothing so exotic.” Lucy grinned. “But now I want to see the Valkyrie outfit.”

Jillian rolled her eyes. “I’d be happy to never see it again. So, what’s the job?”

Shifting, Lucy pushed the stack of coloring books out of her way, then sat up cross-legged. “Okay, now understand, you don’t have to take it or anything, this is just an idea. But I think it could work and you could be with Mac at the same time and—”

Jillian’s lips twitched. “Just say it, Lucy.”

“Okay,” she pushed her dark hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ears. “They need help in the day care at the Texas Cattlemen’s Club.”

“Day care?” Jillian repeated, her mind already working through possibilities.

Lucy immediately started trying to convince her. “It’s really a great place, just a few years old, actually. Brody’s been there a few times, when I’ve got clients to see and Mom’s not available. But the thing is, Mac could be there when you’re working. She can make friends, and you wouldn’t have to worry about her and—”

Jillian held up one hand and laughed. “I don’t need the sales pitch. It’s a great idea.”

“Fantastic,” Lucy cried. “From what I hear, the pay’s not bad and you wouldn’t have to get a babysitter, since Mac could be with you, so you’d actually be making more money. I’ve already told Ginger Hanks all about you and she’s excited to meet you. I thought if it’s okay with you, we could go down there tomorrow. I’ll introduce you and you can check the place out and see if you’ll like it or not.”

“Thank you.” Jillian grabbed the other woman’s hand and squeezed. “I really appreciate this, Lucy.”

“Completely self-serving,” she said, squeezing back. “I didn’t want to lose you to Vegas.”