Caroline heard the sincerity in his tone. She stared deeply into his eyes and saw it there, too. His expression never faltered, the apology written all over his handsome face. For some strange reason, she believed him. Which was saying something. After what Gil had put her through, Caroline didn’t put much faith in any man. “Okay, I accept your apology.”

“Listen, let me put my words into action. Since I’m here anyway, and I know a thing or two about carpentry, I can fix your cabinets for you. Unless you’ve hired someone already?”

She shook her head.

“It’ll take me the rest of the day, but I’m not heading anywhere special, so I don’t mind doing the work.”

Caroline inhaled deeply. The offer had merit. “I don’t know if I can afford you.”

“No charge,” he said immediately.

“That’s not what I meant, Sam.”

He stared into her eyes for a long moment. Too bad he had a sinful body, a handsome face and dark eyes that could burn into your soul, because sexy Sam Beaumont found Caroline completely lacking as a female. Boy, she didn’t know if she’d ever get over that one.

“I’ll be on my best behavior.”

She could bank on that but the thought didn’t comfort her. Sam wasn’t good for her ego, but Caroline had put that part of her life on hold anyway, so what did it matter if she wasn’t the kind of woman Sam Beaumont thought attractive? Right now, all she needed to know was if he could help her out with her cabinets. “You sure you know how to fix cabinets?”

“I’ve had some experience.” He peered at the damage with a gleam in his eyes as if calculating exactly what he needed to do and how he’d accomplish it.

It was good enough for Caroline. She surely didn’t know anything about repairing them and it didn’t look as if anyone else was coming to her rescue today. “You’re on.”

He nodded, then approached her with a purposeful stride. Their gazes locked as he stood before her. “Tell me something.”

His probing look told her she wasn’t going to like his question. “What do you want to know?”

“When I was behind your door, I heard you scream out. So, who’s Gil?”

Two

Caroline appeared shaken by his question. She’d flinched when he’d mentioned Gil’s name, and then a somber expression stole over her face. For a moment, Sam thought she’d keep that information to herself, but then she spoke up, albeit quietly. “Gil was my husband. He died about four months ago.”

“Sorry. That’s rough.” How well he knew about losing someone you loved. How well he knew the heartache involved, the day-to-day agony of living without the ones you love. Sam hadn’t been able to face his demons any longer. He’d taken off trying to escape the truth, to dull the pain, to find some way of surviving.

Caroline sighed, a brief smile emerging before she spoke. “As long as we’re being honest with each other, I can tell you that Gil only did two really good things in his life. He gave me a daughter for one. She’s five years old and the light of my life. And two, he kept up his life insurance. We have enough money to live and, if I’m real careful, there’ll be enough to refurbish our ranch.”

Caroline had a five-year-old daughter? Sam’s gut clenched. A searing jolt shot straight through him and he winced as if he’d been sucker-punched. He hadn’t suspected, though he should have known she might have been married, she might have had a family.

“Where is your daughter?”

“Annabelle?” A winsome expression stole over her face and she smiled. Sam saw the joy there and the love she wouldn’t even try to hide. God, if only Sam had shown that same kind of love to his own daughter. If only he’d been…more. “She’s with her grandparents in Florida. They’ve got her for the whole month. I miss her terribly.”

Sam missed his daughter, too. Only she wasn’t ever coming home. His heart ached and old pain surfaced. Pain he’d tried to run from. He’d endured months and months of agonizing grief and then it had turned to numbness. He liked the deadened feeling best. He’d managed to drift for months this way. Forgetting.

Good God, Caroline’s daughter was the same age his daughter would have been—had she lived.

And little Tess would have lived if Sam had been there for her.

“My parents took her so that I could have this month to bring Belle Star Stables up to snuff again.”

Sam brought himself back to the present. “So, you need to find help really fast.”

She nodded. “Time’s a wasting.”

“Any prospects?”

“None at all.”

Sam pondered this for a moment. His first instincts were to get out of Dodge the minute Caroline confessed to having a young daughter. Sam didn’t think he could take the day-to-day reminder, but her daughter wasn’t here. And she wouldn’t be for a month.

And Sam had had enough of drifting from town to town every few days. He wouldn’t mind staying on in Hope Wells for the month. But he’d already made a big mistake with Caroline and he’d hurt her feelings, as well.

He figured he’d be doing her a favor if he stayed on. He knew his way around a ranch and truth be told he’d spent the better part of his adult life running one of the largest construction companies in the southwest, the Triple B, his father’s namesake, Blake Beaumont Building. He’d been CEO and top of his game, professionally. He’d helped his father bring in more business than they could handle, building up a small enterprise into a multi-million dollar corporation. To say he had some experience in carpentry was an understatement. Sam had made a fortune, but he’d paid a heavy price for his success. The cost of his dedication to work had been the untimely death of his child.

Yet as he stood there, looking at Caroline, he knew he could help her. If she’d agree, he could have her place up and running in one month’s time, then he’d move on. Actually, he missed the hands-on work of creating and building something from scratch. Refurbishing her stables would be a challenge he’d love to take head-on.

And he’d already determined he could work side by side with Caroline, pretty as she was, he simply wasn’t interested in getting involved with a woman. Good thing too, because the whole widow-and-child package would do him in otherwise.

“Listen, I have a proposition for you. If by the end of the day, you like the work I’ve done, and if no one comes knocking on your door for the job, I’m reapplying.”

Caroline lifted her brows. “You are?”

“Yep, if you’re agreeing.”

She folded her arms, contemplating. “I don’t see as I have much choice.”

“Fair enough. Is it a deal then?”

Caroline hesitated, but he knew he had her over a barrel. She was desperate for help. One determined lady. She had a plan in mind, and Sam had no doubt she would succeed, with his assistance. “Let’s see what you can do with those burned-up cabinets.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Caroline reassessed the damage, not to her kitchen, but to her heart, and decided that it was a good thing Sam Beaumont was only interested in an honest day’s work. He’d been up front about it. He’d been truthful. That’s a heck of a lot more than she’d ever gotten from Gil.

Caroline had more than her ego on the line. And if Sam Beaumont was the man for the job, then she was one step closer to seeing her dream come true. She hadn’t gone into that honky-tonk last night looking for love. She’d gone looking for an employee.

Caroline grabbed the bag of food she’d bought from Patsy’s Pantry, burgers fully loaded, fries and two caramel and fudge sundaes, still frozen she hoped, and exited her truck. She’d left the house three hours ago to run errands and then, because her kitchen was in turmoil, she’d picked up dinner.

It was after seven o’clock when she walked through her front door. Sam had been working all day, and if the cabinets looked half as good as the man fully immersed in the job, wearing a tight white tank and those faded blue jeans, then Caroline had found herself an employee.

“Dinner,” she announced, setting the bags on the kitchen table.

When she glanced up, she found Sam standing back from the cabinets, admiring his work. “Almost through,” he said.

Caroline swallowed, looking at the work he’d done. He’d managed to reface the existing cabinets so that they appeared an identical match. No one would have guessed that there had been burnt and charred wood there just hours ago. “They’re beautiful.”

“I couldn’t find a match to the old doors, so I put on all new ones.”

“I see that.” Caroline loved the new look, but she hesitated. “I hadn’t planned on renovating my entire kitchen. Those new doors must have been expensive.”

“Nah,” Sam said, finally glancing over to her. His dark eyes twinkled and Caroline’s stomach flip-flopped. He was a man who, when he gave a woman his full attention, could turn her inside out. “I made the lumber store manager a deal. Trust me, you got more than a fair shake on the doors.”

“How?”

“How’d I make the deal?” He seemed pleased with himself. “You’ll do all your lumber business with him during the renovations and you’ll give his kid free riding lessons.”

“Free riding lessons?”

“Yep, you were planning on giving lessons, weren’t you?”

She chuckled. “I am now.”

Actually, aside from boarding and grooming the horses, Caroline had toyed with the idea of giving lessons after school and on weekends. Sam had just cemented the notion into reality.

He set the invoice for the cost of the lumber, doors included, onto the kitchen counter. Caroline leaned over to take a look. She couldn’t fault him for being excessive since he had indeed gotten a fair price for the materials. She glanced up to meet his eyes. “Looks like I can afford you after all.”

“So I’m hired?”

Caroline nodded. “For the month. Yes, I’ll hire you. And I don’t plan on starving my one and only employee. I brought dinner home from Patsy’s Pantry. It’s nothing fancy but the food’s the best in five counties. Hungry?”

“I could eat,” Sam admitted, “but I’d like to clean up first. Mind if I take a shower?”

A shower? Caroline’s mind spun in a dozen directions, but it came back to earth quickly and focused on one final thought. Sam Beaumont, with his bronzed skin and strong body, naked, in her shower. The instant mind flash caused her a moment of doubt in hiring him.

He was good-looking to a fault. And sexy as sin.

Oh, Caroline, get a life.

“Sure, you can take a shower. Follow me.”

Caroline grabbed a towel from the linen closet on her way toward the bathroom. “Sorry, all I have is this color.”

Sam took the fluffy flamingo-pink towel. “Thanks. As long as it dries my bones, I’m happy.”

“Take your time,” she said once they reached the bathroom. “Dinner will keep.” With that, Caroline headed for the kitchen, blocking out the image of hot steamy water running down Sam’s bare body. Instead, she was grateful that Sam didn’t have one of those macho, don’t-give-me-anything-pink attitudes so many men share. A real man is secure enough in his own skin not to worry about trivial things like that. A real man knows who he is, and what he’s made of.

It had taken Caroline twenty-nine years to realize what made a real man, and unfortunately, she just hadn’t met too many of that breed in her lifetime.

She entered the kitchen, setting out paper plates and napkins, two glasses of lemonade and then…She remembered the fudge and caramel sundaes! “Oh, no!”

Quickly, she dug into the bag and came up with both ice cream concoctions. She sighed with relief. They weren’t completely melted, so she set them into the freezer, hoping for the best.

Not ten minutes later, Sam reentered the kitchen. He’d dressed in his jeans again, but his chest was bare. Caroline blinked, opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her naked-shower fantasy didn’t compare to seeing the real thing. His jeans hung low, dipping under his navel and hugging a tight butt in the back. His chest, wasn’t massive, wasn’t muscle-man broad. No, it was simply the perfect amount of bronzed strength.

With hair slicked back, and tiny beads of moisture still caressing his skin, he headed straight for her in a slow sexy saunter. Sharp tingles coursed through her body as he came closer. Caroline held her breath, unable to move, staring.

“Excuse me,” he said, passing her to reach for his shirt hanging on the back of the kitchen chair, the one he’d removed just before he began ripping out the damaged cabinets. He slipped his arms into the sleeves and turned to face her, buttoning up. “Smells good.”

Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly “Oh, uh, yes. Let’s eat.”

Fantasy over.

And it was a good thing, too. Because if Sam Beaumont had reached for her hand, Caroline would have followed him.

Right into the bedroom.

“I’d like to seal the cabinets tonight, so I can get started tomorrow with the stables. The doors I can do outside, but I’m going to have to put the sealant on the existing cabinets where they are. Only problem is that the fumes will be too strong for you to sleep in the house.”

Sam Beaumont collected his paper trash, helping Caroline clean up the kitchen after they’d eaten their meal. She wiped down the counter and table then turned to him. “Not a problem really. I can sleep in one of the stable stalls tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

She shrugged. “The cabinets need to be finished. And I’ve got a sleeping bag. I’ve slept out there before.”

“Oh, yeah? Have you lived here all of your life?”

“Most. When I married Gil, my parents retired and moved to Florida. They gave us the stables to run as a wedding present, along with the house I’d grown up in. They weren’t crazy about changing the name of the stables to Portman, but they’d agreed. Gil had a thing about that. Status was everything to him. I should have known better, but I agreed, too. After all, I’d married into that name. At least when the place went to the dogs, my parents’ name wasn’t associated with the stables any longer. They’d worked hard most of their life to build up what Gil ruined in just four short years.”

Caroline didn’t want sympathy. And Lord knows, she’d agonized about this for too long. She wasn’t looking back any longer. She had a future now, with the life insurance money that she’d received. And she was determined to create a good life for Annabelle in the process. One day, her daughter would have everything.

“Well, sounds like we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. It’ll take me an hour or two to get these cabinets sealed. And I can guarantee that you won’t want to be in here.”

Us? Caroline hadn’t been one half of “us” in a long time. She’d been the one making all the decisions, doing all the planning and hoping. She sorta liked the sound of it, even as she reminded herself that the sexy drifter she’d hired would only be here for one month.

Caroline knew she to had take complete control—relinquishing her part in the ranch had been a mistake she would never make again. She had too much to lose now. She’d barely squeaked by these past few years, boarding a few horses and taking on odd jobs just to earn enough to keep food on the table and the bankers from knocking on her doors. She’d never risk her daughter’s future again. And she’d never lay her heart and her life on the line for another man. So this one-month arrangement with Sam Beaumont was a perfect solution.

“Okay, well, I’ll just muck out some of the stables. I’ve got to check on Dumpling, anyway. She misses me if I don’t spend time with her at night.”

“Dumpling?”

“Our family mare. She’s a sweetheart.”

He nodded. “So, will I be sleeping in the stables too?”

Caroline’s mind once again flashed a thrilling image of Sam Beaumont waiting for her on a plush bed of hay. Her heart danced for a moment and, inwardly, she sighed. “No, there’s a room at the back of one of the stables. Used to be a tack room, but I recently converted it into a guest room. I wouldn’t expect much, but there’s a comfortable bed, a dresser and electricity.”

“Sounds fine.”

But Sam Beaumont had already dismissed Caroline, focusing his attention on the cabinets. He worked his hands over the wood, looking for rough spots, surveying the job ahead.

Chuck from the Tie-One-On had been right in vouching for Sam Beaumont. He seemed intent on getting the job done and oddly enough, despite the way they’d met, Caroline felt she just might be able to work with him.

She reminded herself to ask Chuck how he’d come to know so much about Sam, and why he seemed so eager for her to hire him.

Sam Beaumont still was a mystery to her, the handsome drifter who seemed far too capable a man to be scrounging around for work, traveling from town to town like a vagabond.

The smell of wood and hay, of horse dung and leather brought back memories of happier times in Sam’s youth. Sam stepped into the room he’d be staying in, breathing deeply, glancing around the small twelve-by-twelve room. He’d frequented the best five-star hotels in the country, but this room with its blue-checkered curtains, rough wood-framed landscapes and mismatched furniture, appealed to him in ways those elegant suites never had.

He and his younger brother, Wade, had been shoved off to live with their Uncle Lee and Aunt Dottie on their working cattle ranch near El Paso. They’d had a small herd, earned a decent living and Sam would like to think he and Wade had brought some joy into their lives. His aunt and uncle couldn’t have children of their own, and Sam’s father thought it fitting to get the boys out of his hair while he built his new company from the ground up. Uncle Lee and Aunt Dottie had been the only true parents he and Wade had ever known.

Sam set his duffel bag on the bed then plopped down to test the mattress. Comfortable, he assessed, lying down and stretching out his legs. He laced his hands behind his head and rested on a navy corduroy pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, looking for a kind of peace that always seemed to elude him.

Sam had seen action in the Persian Gulf War, he’d battled the toughest opponents in the business world, but he had never known the kind of fear he experienced each night when he closed his eyes.

Thoughts of Tess would surface. But his mind denied Sam the sweet memories of his daughter. He didn’t deserve them, not yet. Not ever. Sam had lost so much that day, his daughter, a wife who had blamed him, and the better part of his soul. “I’m sorry, Tess,” he whispered quietly. “So sorry, sweetheart.”

Sam rose from the mattress and paced the floor. He had no intention of sleeping on this comfortable bed tonight. He grabbed the doorknob and yanked open the door.

Caroline Portman stood on the other end, balancing a tray, ready to knock.

“Uh, hi,” she said, “I almost forgot about dessert.” She lifted the tray to his eyes. “Ice cream sundaes, slightly melted, but delicious all the same.” She walked past him, stepping into the room. “Are you settled in for the night?”

“Not really. I won’t sleep here tonight,” he announced, “while you’re sleeping on a bale of hay.”

She grinned and those twin dimples peeked out. “I don’t mind.”

“I do. You get this bed tonight, or the deal’s off.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. The lady always gets the bed.”

Caroline tilted her head to one side and smiled. “That’s really not necessary.”

Sam stared, standing still in silent argument, his expression set in stone.

Caroline sent him a look of genuine appreciation. “Okay, and thank you. That’s very…very sweet.” Sam got the distinct feeling she hadn’t been treated with regard too often.

He wouldn’t belabor the point. Instead, he glanced at the sundaes. “Those look good.”

“Let’s sit outside and eat them,” she said, “before they melt even more.”

They opted for a bale of hay just outside the barn. The night was warm, the sky overhead twinkling with bright stars. Sam enjoyed the serenity. He took a deep breath, and Caroline’s fresh fruity scent invaded his brief peace. He glanced at her as she ate with gusto, devouring her ice cream. Sam found little enjoyment in life, but watching someone eat with such obvious glee made him smile.

“What’s funny?” she asked, catching him.

Sam shook his head and pointed to her empty dish. “You ate that like there’s no tomorrow.”

His observation didn’t rattle her; she grinned. “I know. I don’t indulge often, but when I do, watch out. ”

Good Lord, she looked pretty, sitting under the stars with moonlight streaming down. She had the softest features, a sweet smile and beautiful blue eyes. And Sam wondered about her comment. What other things did she indulge in? Her “watch out” statement intrigued the hell out of him. No, he wouldn’t allow his mind to go there.

“You saved the day, Sam. I want to thank you for coming to my rescue today.” Again, the sincerity in her tone made him think this woman, who deserved more, hadn’t been treated with much regard in the past.

“I’m far from a hero, Caroline.”

Caroline set the empty plastic ice cream dish on her lap and with head downcast, she admitted, “Still, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Because the stables mean everything to you.”

She nodded. “My heart’s been broken, Sam. I can’t ever let that happen again.”

Sam knew how she felt. Her sentiments echoed his own. Losses of any kind were hard to take—there was no way to measure the amount of pain they caused. Sam didn’t think he had an exclusive on heartache. Obviously, Caroline had had a bad marriage and had almost lost her precious ranch. “We’ve got a lot of work to do starting tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”

Caroline agreed. She stood up abruptly, dropping the dish and napkin that had been on her lap. Both went down to retrieve the items. They reached for the dish at the same time and bumped heads.

Sam’s hand covered hers and an electric shock traveled through his system. Her sweet laughter rang out, tempting his senses. His body instantly reacted. Not just a little slight jab, but a full-fledged, piercing arrow that angled straight to his groin.

He went thick and hard below the waist. He summoned all his willpower to contain his massive erection. Wasn’t happening. Instead, white-hot desire bulleted through his body. He ached from the fullness, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time. That dead part of his body came alive and no matter how hard he tried to bring the numbness back, he couldn’t.

Sam released Caroline’s hand and backed off, staring into her eyes. Had he lied to himself last night when he’d kissed her? Had he persuaded himself that he was immune to her soft lips and warm womanly body? Had he fooled himself into thinking that Caroline Portman hadn’t intrigued him from the very start, approaching him with her I-need-a-man, comment?

Sam didn’t have answers. What he had was a hard-on that was killing him.

“Sam?” Caroline looked at him with curious eyes.

“It’s nothing, Caroline. I’ll see you in the morning.” Stiffly, Sam rose and headed for the stable stall where he’d be sleeping tonight.

And he was hoping that when he woke, this momentary lapse would disappear in the morning’s light.

Three

“You are a beauty,” Sam admitted, stroking her female body, closing his eyes for a moment, relishing the feel of such a lovely creature. It gladdened his heart to see that she responded in kind.

“I see you’ve met Dumpling,” Caroline said, walking up to the mare’s stall. “And it appears you’ve made a new friend.”

Sam patted the mare with affection. “She’s a sweetheart, just like you said.”

Caroline approached, rubbing her cheek against the mare’s snout. The animal responded with a soft whinny. “Yeah, Dumpling and I go back a long way.”

She eyed the horse with tenderness; her face glowing and Sam figured she saved that look for only those who’d earned it—only those she trusted.

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