A House Full of Fortunes!

However, now that her father was better, it looked as though her dreams would finally come true. When Wendy and Marcos Mendoza finally opened up The Hollows Cantina in the next month or so, Julia was going to manage it.

“Yeah, well, I’ve learned that if you can’t choose just one thing, it’s best to have plenty of options available.”

“Good idea,” Julia said, as she totaled Angie’s purchases.

“How are things going with the new restaurant?”

“Great. I love what Marcos and Wendy have envisioned, and it’s really coming together. In fact, I was going over some of the job applications we’ve gotten and saw yours. We won’t be scheduling interviews yet, but I wanted you to know that you’re at the top of the pile.”

“Thanks. That’s nice to know.” Angie helped Julia bag her purchases. “Who’s going to take over for you here?”

“My mother’s sister just retired from a cable-television company in Lubbock. So she’s going to move in with my folks and help out for a while. I think it’s all going to work out nicely.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“So tell me,” Julia said. “This thing with Toby and the kids... That’s a little intriguing.”

Only because Julia was in love with Liam, Toby’s brother. And she had stars in her eyes and thought everyone else should, too.

“We’re just friends,” Angie said.

Of course, she’d caught Toby staring at her legs a few times earlier today. And unlike a lot of other men she’d caught gawking like that, he’d seemed to be interested in more than just her appearance.

“Didn’t I once hear you say that you never liked limiting your options?” Julia asked.

Yes, that was Angie. Her father had always told her that life wasn’t an Etch A Sketch. That she ought to weigh each decision carefully, especially when it came to choosing a career—or a spouse.

Otherwise, she could find herself stuck in a really bad place.

She supposed that was why she’d never been able to settle on a college major or to find a job that interested her for very long—or a man worth making any kind of commitment to.

Angie didn’t respond to Julia’s question. Instead, she thanked Julia, took the two bags of groceries and headed for her car.

No, Toby Fortune Jones wasn’t in the running when it came to considering romantic possibilities.

But if he wasn’t an option, then what was he?

The answer came to her as she placed the pizza fixings into her car and prepared to head for the Double H Ranch.

Toby Fortune was one fine cowboy who was far too attractive for her own good.

Chapter Four

After Toby finished overseeing the homework hour, he told the kids they could watch television before dinner. Then he went into the kitchen to check the pantry. It wasn’t as though his cupboards were bare. He could certainly rustle up something to add to whatever Angie planned to cook.

He’d no more than scanned the canned goods in the pantry when he heard a car pull up. Knowing it had to be her, he went outside to greet her.

As she climbed out of the driver’s seat of a black Toyota Celica that had seen better years, let alone days, she reached into the back for the first of two eco-friendly bags. Her hair had been pulled back in a ponytail when she’d been at Redmond-Fortune Air, but it hung loose around her shoulders now—soft, glossy and teased by a light evening breeze.

She wasn’t wearing anything different—just that black skirt and white blouse. Yet tonight, for some crazy reason, he found himself a wee bit... Hell, he didn’t know what to call it—starstruck, stagestruck, dumbstruck...?

“Here. Let me help you with those.” He reached for the bags, and she handed them over.

As they headed for the house, he said, “I’m sorry for not having stuff on hand to cook. When I lived by myself, I could go weeks without grocery shopping. But since the kids have been living here, it seems like I need to restock my fridge every other day.”

She tossed him a carefree smile. “You should probably shop at one of those warehouse stores where you can buy in bulk and use a flatbed cart to haul your purchases to the checkout line.”

“If I didn’t have to drive clear to Lubbock to find one, I would. But then again, the kids wouldn’t get to come into the Superette all the time and see you.”

Toby chanced a glance at the woman walking next to him, wondering if she knew the kids weren’t the only ones who’d miss seeing her.

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