The Family Plan

“You need more than an assistant. You need an army of helpers. And you’re taking on more work by expanding your practice.”

“My goal is, if not to work less, at least to be around more. Sometimes I think Mandy forgets she even has a dad. If everything goes well, I’ll turn over most of the large-animal practice to the assistant. Make ranch calls only in the mornings. Afternoons, I’ll run the clinic here and be home when Mandy gets out of school. That way she won’t have to spend so much time with babysitters.”

“I bet Mandy can’t wait.”

“The divorce was hard on her. She misses her mother.”

“But SherryAnne visits, right?”

“Once last year and that was for two days.”

“I’m sorry.” Jolyn’s expression matched her sympathetic tone.

“Me, too. For Mandy. Personally, I could care less if SherryAnne ever set foot in Blue Ridge again.” He inadvertently tightened his grip on the railing.

Perhaps because she sensed his changing mood, Jolyn steered their conversation back to building the new clinic.

“I’d be grateful if you let me bid the job.” She turned and looked him square in the face. “Even though I’m a friend, I’d expect no special consideration. Business is business.”

“I have two bids already from contractors in Pineville.”

“Good. That’ll give you something to compare my price to and keep me honest.”

“Just so you know, both prices are a little higher than what I was hoping to spend. I have a tight budget.” He’d refinanced the house in order to fund the new clinic and cover the costs of hiring an assistant.

“Now, about my mother…” Jolyn grimaced.

“I won’t lie, she’s a thorn in my side.” Chase leaned an elbow on the top railing and shifted his weight to the other foot. “She’s good with Mandy, don’t get me wrong. And Mandy loves dance class. Which is the only reason I let her take lessons when I’d rather keep her and your mother miles apart.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t bid the job.”

“As you said, business is business. And this could be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

“As long as we keep my mom out of it.” Jolyn gave a discouraged shake of her head. “I wouldn’t put it past her to use the situation to her advantage.”

Chase smiled down at Jolyn, his earlier worries melting away. Troublesome mother or not, he was glad Jolyn was back home. The affair SherryAnne had with Steven was hardly Jolyn’s fault. She’d been an innocent bystander. And like he and Mandy, she was taking the brunt of the fallout.

There might once have been something between him and Jolyn back in high school, something more than friendship. It hadn’t gone far, not beyond a single kiss during one of his and SherryAnne’s fights. By the next day, SherryAnne had gotten her hooks back into him. She’d probably sensed the underlying attraction between him and Jolyn and refused to let it go anywhere.

He’d handled it badly with Jolyn afterward, hurting her by not fessing up right away that he and SherryAnne reconciled. Fortunately, Jolyn was understanding—more so than he deserved. And now that SherryAnne was completely out of the picture, it might be interesting to see if any of that underlying attraction remained.

“One step at a time,” he told Jolyn. “First, bid the job. Then, we’ll go from there.” Impulsively, he took her by the arm. “Come on. I’ll show you the plans. And you can say hello to Mandy. She’s inside playing with a friend.”

No question about it, he thought as they walked to the house. He was courting trouble by inviting Jolyn into his life.

Casting a lingering glance in her direction, he found himself warming to the idea of keeping Jolyn close. His reasons had nothing to do with her mother or building his new clinic, and everything to do with the justice she did to a pair of snug-fitting Wranglers.

Chapter Two

Jolyn stood in the middle of the stark room and evaluated her surroundings with a critical eye.

Bright midday sunlight poured in through a lone, dingy window, emphasizing the room’s dismal condition. Dust particles floated in the air, thick enough to choke a snake. The faded vinyl flooring buckled in those spots where it wasn’t altogether missing. Jolyn counted seven holes in the walls, the smallest one the size of her fist. Paint was a distant memory.

She didn’t have to be a contractor to see that the room was a mess—and perfect for her fledgling business. Built onto the side of Cutter’s Market, one of Blue Ridge’s two small groceries, the room had a separate entrance and convenient parking for customers.

“Well, you want it or not?” Mrs. Cutter asked. She chewed on a plastic straw, a replacement for the cigarettes she’d given up two decades earlier.

Jolyn did want the room, but she tried not to appear overly eager—which is why she’d waited a full week after returning home to approach Mrs. Cutter about the For Rent sign in the window.

“It needs a lot of work.” She ran a finger over the yellowed and cracked light-switch plate.

“Hell, yes. If it didn’t, I’d have rented it out ages ago.”

Jolyn pretended to consider the offer on the table. In exchange for use of the room rent free, she would be required to fix it up at no cost to Mrs. Cutter and make any necessary repairs to her store, also at no cost, for as long as Jolyn used the room.

“Mind if I put a lock on the door?”

“Don’t bother me none as long as you give me a spare key.”

“And I want a separate phone line.”

“You pay for it, you got it.” Mrs. Cutter leaned a shoulder on the doorjamb. Rail thin, scratchy as sandpaper, and with only a sprinkling of gray in her hair, she didn’t look her age—which Jolyn guessed to be sixty-five, if not older.

“Then I suppose you have yourself a new renter.”

She couldn’t suppress the happiness bubbling up inside her. Sutherland Construction Company would have an honest to goodness office. When she was through fixing the place up, she’d frame her license and hang it right there next to the door where everyone could see it when they walked in.

“Do you have a lease agreement for me to sign?” she asked.

“Lease agreement?” Mrs. Cutter laughed sharply. “Good Lord, child. I’ve known you your whole life. Your parents for over thirty years. We only need a lease if you’re thinking of breaking it.”

“I’m not.” Jolyn laughed along with Mrs. Cutter and extended her hand. “Can we at least shake on it?”

They no sooner clasped hands when they were joined by Jolyn’s mother.

“Am I interrupting anything?” Dottie Sutherland peeked through the open door.

She was, Jolyn knew, on her way to the community center across the street where her dance class would be giving a recital that afternoon.

“Come on in,” Mrs. Cutter said. “I was just leaving. Got a couple of deliveries scheduled for later today, and there ain’t a lick of extra space in the back for the boxes.”

“I’ll be a while yet if you don’t mind.” Jolyn followed her new landlord outside. “I’d like to take some measurements and draw a few sketches.”

“No hurry. The place is yours now.” Mrs. Cutter disappeared around the corner of the building.

“Well, what do you think?” Jolyn asked her mother when she returned. Still feeling elated, she twirled in a half circle, imagining the room transformed into a functional and attractive office.

“I think you’re crazy.” Her mother’s look of alarm said it all. “This place is a disaster area.”

“The repairs are mostly cosmetic. You’d be amazed at what decent flooring and a fresh coat of paint can do.”

“I don’t know why you feel you need an office. What’s wrong with working out of the house? You’ve been doing it all week.”

Jolyn refused to let her mother’s lack of enthusiasm ruin her mood. “I’m in the way at home. Every time you start cooking, I have to roll up my plans and clear off the kitchen table.” She wanted her own desk and a visitor chair and a shelf for her reference books. “If I hope to build my business, I have to project a professional image.”

“A room behind Cutter’s Market isn’t exactly professional.”

“It’s a start. And when people see my work, which they will when they come into the store, I’ll draw new customers.”

Maybe, she mused, she should print up some flyers and display them by the cash register. Thus far, the only two jobs she’d landed were enlarging a walk-in closet and building a new outdoor air-conditioning stand.

There was still Chase’s clinic. She had the bid typed and in a folder on the front seat of her truck. He was taking a rare afternoon off work to watch Mandy perform. They’d scheduled their meeting for immediately following the recital.

Jolyn felt good about the bid, having gone over it and over it several times. She had cut corners where she could, without cutting quality. Called every supplier in the state for the best prices. She was also planning on hiring local labor whenever possible, reducing her costs—and price—further.

If she got the job, that was.

“You’ve only just come home,” her mother said with a catch in her voice, “and you’re leaving again.”

“Is that what’s bothering you?”

Jolyn had to agree with her father. Her normally bubbly mother was more emotional of late. Small things, like sentimental commercials on TV and sad songs on the radio, brought tears to her eyes. And she wasn’t sleeping well. Not a night passed Jolyn didn’t wake to hear her mother prowling the house. She’d broached the subject twice, but as her father predicted, she’d had no luck learning what lay at the root of her mother’s odd behavior.

“I’m not moving out of the house.” Jolyn squeezed her mother’s shoulders. “Not for a while anyway.”

In truth, she couldn’t afford her own place. All her money went into Sutherland Construction Company except for the modest room and board she paid her parents.

“Good,” Dottie said. “Because I love having you around again.”

“And I love being around.” Jolyn was surprised how easily she’d slipped back into small-town life and her corner bedroom on the second floor. After touring for so many years with the show, she wondered if the urge to wander would strike her again. With a business to consider, leaving wouldn’t be easy.

Unless Sutherland Construction failed.

“I suppose with some hard work, this room could make a nice office.” Dottie walked to the window, her feet crunching on the debris-covered floor. “You could put your desk here where the light is good.”

“Yeah.” Jolyn pointed to the opposite wall. “And another desk by the door.”

“Two desks?”

“If all goes well, I’ll need some office help.” She studied the ceiling and the many brown spots that indicated roof leaks. The repairs to Cutter’s Market might be more extensive than she’d originally anticipated. “Part-time, anyway,” she said distractedly.

“I’ll do it.”

“What?” Jolyn lowered her gaze to meet her mother’s earnest one.

“I’ll work for you part-time. You don’t even have to pay me.”

“Ah…Mom…”

“I’m good on the computer, you know that.” She ticked off items on her fingers. “I’ve taken care of the dance school books for over twenty-five years, was treasurer of the PTA until you finished elementary school. I’m organized. People like me. And—”

“Okay.” Jolyn held up a hand. “You don’t have to sell yourself to me.”

“I’m sorry.” Her mother took a breath and smiled weakly. “I really would like to be a part of your business. If you want me.”

Jolyn knew she should think carefully before answering. Her mother could, and possibly did, have an ulterior motive, especially if Jolyn won the bid for Chase’s clinic. She’d avoided the subject of Mandy’s parentage since her father broke the news to her, but it was still there, an elephant in the room they couldn’t ignore forever.

Or, she mused, perhaps her mother’s motive was no more devious than wanting to be a part of her much-absent daughter’s life. Jolyn could only hope.

“I suppose we could see how it goes,” she acknowledged without actually committing.

“I happen to know there’s a file cabinet for sale in the thrift store. And Office Central in Pineville is having a big sale this weekend. You could pick up a desk for half price.”

“Really? I’ll have to check it out when I run up there for supplies.”

Dottie glanced at her watch. “I’d better head on over to the community center. Some of the mothers are meeting me there early to help with costumes.”

“Break a leg.”

“Any chance you can swing by?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Oh, good.” Her mother beamed, making Jolyn glad she’d decided to go.

When she was younger, she and her brother were forced to sit through every recital even after Jolyn stopped taking lessons. Today, she was looking forward to watching the twenty or so young students prance across the stage in pink tutus and purple leotards. It would be a handy distraction and keep her from fixating on her upcoming meeting with Chase.

Dottie fished her car keys from her purse. “Look, about my issue with Chase and Mandy…”

Of all the times for her mother to quit ignoring the elephant, why did she have to do it now? Jolyn pressed a hand to her churning stomach. “You know I don’t agree with you.”

“Yes, well, neither does your father.”

“Then why not leave Chase and Mandy alone? They deserve to be happy after the hell SherryAnne put them through.”

“Because that little girl could be my granddaughter,” her mother said with such wrenching emotion, Jolyn was taken aback. “Your niece.”

“I don’t mean to sound callous, Mom, but it’s not like you’re going to be grandchildless your whole life.”

“Neither you nor Steven have any immediate plans of getting married. And with you pouring all your time and energy into the construction company,” she said, gesturing distractedly, “I don’t see you settling down and raising a family.”

At least her mother didn’t list the accident and resulting limp as a reason for Jolyn’s current single status. “I’m twenty-nine years old,” she said. “There’s no hurry.”

“Steven was starting kindergarten when I was your age and you were in preschool.”

“Things are different now. Couples wait until they’re more established before having kids.”

“Leaving grandparents too old to enjoy their grandchildren!”

“You’re not that old, Mom.” Jolyn barely refrained from chuckling at her mother’s exaggeration. “Besides, Steven might come through for you soon. He and Bethany have been living together for a while now.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “I don’t see that relationship going anywhere.”

“What’s wrong with Bethany?” Jolyn had recently met her brother’s girlfriend and thought she was nice.

“She’s so much younger than your brother and still in college. I doubt she’ll be interested in getting married for a while yet.”

Jolyn couldn’t argue that point so she tried a different approach. “Steven doesn’t believe Mandy is his daughter and, let’s be honest, doesn’t want her. He’s made that crystal clear from the beginning.”

“He’s avoiding the situation. He always has.”

“He’s being realistic and reasonable.” Which was more than Jolyn could say about her mother. “Chase is Mandy’s father. He loves her. If you keep pressuring him, you could wind up destroying three lives and hurting God knows how many more people, including yourself.”

“I don’t want to take Mandy away from Chase. I simply want to acknowledge her as my granddaughter and have visitation rights. She’s a lovely little girl.” Genuine fondness shone in her mother’s eyes. “Very sweet and so bright. She reminds me of you when you were her age.”

“Mom.” Jolyn didn’t understand what had prompted her mother’s renewed obsession with Mandy. Maybe she was jealous of her friends and the grandchildren they were bouncing on their knees. “Chase says you’ve seen an attorney.”

“Last month. He wasn’t very helpful.”

“What did he say?”

“As long as Chase refuses to have the DNA testing done and SherryAnne says he’s the father, there’s nothing I can do.”

What a relief. “Sounds to me like you should take his advice and drop the matter.” Jolyn headed toward the door, intending to retrieve her notepad from the truck so she could start on the measurements and sketches.

Her mother trailed after her. “I’m not sure I can.”

Jolyn stopped and spun around. Behind her, cars pulled in and out of the market’s parking lot, forcing her to raise her voice. “What’s gotten into you lately?”

“Why do you keep asking me the same question over and over?”

“Because I can’t help thinking that something’s wrong.” Jolyn softened her voice. “Please, Mom. I want to help.”

Their eyes met, and for a fraction of a second Jolyn thought her mother might finally reveal what was upsetting her. Instead, she dismissed Jolyn with a flippant, “I’m fine. Perfect, in fact.”

Jolyn knew better but until her mother chose to confide in her, there wasn’t much she could do.

Heaving a sigh, she said, “I really wish you’d quit making trouble for Chase. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“You’re siding with him because you’ve always liked him.”

“I’m siding with Mandy. And of course I like Chase. We’re friends.”

“There was a time back in high school you wanted to be more than his friend.”

“That’s ridiculous. There was never anything between me and Chase.”

Even as she protested her mother’s assertion, Jolyn remembered the kiss she and Chase had shared that night on her parents’ front porch. It had meant nothing to him, but for a few days Jolyn had foolishly hoped he’d leave SherryAnne for her.

“All I’m asking is that you not let your feelings for Chase cloud your judgment when it comes to the possibility of Mandy being my granddaughter.”

Between her upcoming meeting with Chase and the conversation with her mother, Jolyn’s nerves were stretched to their limit. “Let me ask you this, Mom,” she snapped. “Are you willing to confront that little girl and tell her the man who raised her, the man she adores and calls Daddy, isn’t her father?”

“That’s not a fair question.”

“Yes, it is. And until you’re ready to live with the guilt of breaking two innocent people’s hearts, you have no right to demand Chase have the DNA testing done.”

Her mother gave her a look that was both woeful and unyielding. “If it comes to that, and I truly hope it doesn’t, I’ll be ready.”

JOLYN PUSHED OPEN the door to the community center and entered a packed house. At least a hundred family members and friends had shown up to watch the semiannual dance recital.

Since there were no vacant seats in the front rows, she sat near the back. Catching sight of several familiar faces, she smiled and nodded in response to waves of greeting. She noted more than one whispered conversation taking place behind the shield of a raised hand. Was it her recent return that had tongues wagging? Her accident? Her brother’s affair with the local vet’s ex-wife? Or was her imagination working overtime?

Probably a little of each.

Thankfully, the lights dimmed and a parade of costumed girls entered the small stage from behind a curtain. Video cameras by the dozen were turned on and aimed at the stage.

The recital lasted almost an hour, ending with a thunderous round of applause. As people milled about, Jolyn remained seated, watching her mother from a distance.

Dottie was in her element. Surrounded by parents and students, she radiated pride while graciously accepting congratulations. Without missing a beat, she complimented each child, praising their talent and hard work. Heads were patted, pigtails tugged and chins pinched.

Jolyn found herself smiling. People did like her mother, and she probably would make a decent, if not darn good, secretary.

“They’re talking Tony nominations backstage,” a low and unmistakably male voice said from behind her. A pair of strong, tanned hands gripped the back of her chair on either side of her shoulders.

Chase.

A tiny shiver of awareness swept through Jolyn.

“Mandy did a fantastic job for someone who’s only taken lessons a short time.” She swiveled in her seat to find him looking down at her, his face mere inches away, his dark brown eyes studying her intently.

Chase didn’t appear to be affected by their proximity. And neither was she. Not in the least. She was pulling at the collar of her blouse only because the material itched.

“Mandy wants to hang out with her friends for a few minutes,” he said. “I thought maybe we could sit at one of the picnic tables outside and go over your bid. Unless you’d rather meet someplace less casual.”

“The picnic tables are fine.”

Jolyn and Chase walked down their individual rows and met up in the center aisle.

“Give me a minute to let Mandy know where we’ll be.”

“Sure thing.”

Chase touched Jolyn’s arm. No more than a brush of his fingers, really. So why did it feel like so much more? She watched him slowly weave his way toward the stage.

With his six-foot-two frame, black hair and shoulders rivaling those of a professional athlete, he was easy to track even in a large crowd. If that weren’t enough, his long-sleeved blue denim work shirt stood out in a sea of T-shirts and tank tops. He must have come straight from a call to the recital.

“Hello, Jolyn.”

She turned and came face-to-face with Susan and Joseph Raintree, Chase’s aunt and uncle. “Hi. How are you?” Collecting her scattered wits, she shook hands with both of them.

“Welcome home,” Susan said kindly. She could have snubbed Jolyn as easily. Perhaps the Raintrees weren’t aware of her mother’s latest campaign. Chase had mentioned Dottie being closemouthed. “How long are you staying?”

“I’m not sure.” Everyone Jolyn ran into asked her the same question. She gave her stock answer. “Depends on how business goes.” If she didn’t get some decent jobs soon, she might be gone before the end of summer. “How’s your family?” she inquired instead.

Susan glowed. “Great. Gage and Aubrey got married this spring. They’re both working and couldn’t be here.”

“Tell them congratulations for me, please.”

Jolyn remembered Chase’s cousin Gage well, though he’d been less interested in rodeoing than Chase and more into sports during their high-school days. She knew Aubrey only slightly but liked her.

“Hannah’s going to Pineville College, studying ranch management.” Susan crossed her fingers. “She should graduate at the end of fall semester if she can pass all her classes.”

“You ready to leave?” Joseph grumbled.

He’d obviously reached his tolerance of squealing little girls and effusive, chatty parents.

Susan rolled her eyes. “It was nice seeing you again.” She linked her arm through Joseph’s and smiled up at him softly.

“Same here.”

Jolyn was immediately joined by a former classmate. The woman had a five-year-old daughter in the recital and was quick to mention she also had a son. Jolyn wondered how many of her old friends were now married with families. Could this be why her mother had become obsessed with having a grandchild?

“Sorry to take so long.” Chase returned just as her old friend was leaving. He stood close to Jolyn, not that he had to. The crowd was thinning with each passing second. “Shall we?” He motioned toward the door.

Jolyn nodded, her throat suddenly dry. Here, at last, was the moment of truth. Her first official bid presentation to a prospective client. How well it went could affect many things, including the duration of her stay in Blue Ridge and if she could make a go of Sutherland Construction Company.

She might feel more confident about the outcome if her mother weren’t trying to wreck Chase’s life.

Chapter Three

Chase opened the back door to his aunt and uncle’s house and hollered, “Anybody home?”

“Come in,” his cousin Hannah called.

Mandy squeezed in ahead of him, making a sweeping entrance into the kitchen. She was still wearing her recital costume and riding high from all the excitement.