Marissa reached out shaking the man’s warm, calloused hand and felt a jolt of heat race through her.
“That must have been just after my last visit,” Marissa said. “I came out for the week of spring break. I’m a teacher and try to get out of town during the holidays.”
Trace nodded seeing her point. “There are plenty of kids around here this summer,” he said with a smile. “I hope they won’t bug you too much.”
“Fortunately, they aren’t my students, so I don’t care. I’m not responsible for them,” Marissa said retrieving her hand and reaching out to stroke the mare’s nose. “How old is she?”
“She’s only two but she’s coming along well. Another year and we’ll start her under saddle. She is one of the earliest fillies born on the ranch.”
“And she’ll work here on the ranch?”
“Probably, Chase tends to keep the quieter stock for trail horses and sells off some of the others for show or breeding stock. It seems to be a pretty good balance overall, a little cash from sales and good dependable riding horse for the Broken J.”
Marissa looked up meeting the man’s hazel green gaze for the first time. If she had been in the mood to be impressed by men, she would have to admit he was a good-looking cowboy. Not the lean sleek kind she saw so often, but a little more fleshed out like he wasn’t ashamed of his body and was comfortable in his own skin.
Based on her five-foot-six inches, she guessed he wasn’t more than five-ten, but he was broad across the shoulders and chest. She smiled as the thoughts sprang into the brain.
“That’s a nice change,” Trace said nodding at her grin. “You looked rather pensive earlier.”
Marissa shook her head. “Just a lot on my mind,” she said. “It’s been a long year and I’m worn out.”
Trace noted the unconscious slip of her hands to her middle. “Long school year?”
“Long year, period,” Marissa admitted dropping her eyes.
“I’ll pray it gets better,” Trace replied easily.
Marissa looked up at the handsome cowboy. “Is that everyone’s answer for everything around here?” she asked her voice sharp.
Trace shrugged running the nylon line through his hands. “Seems to work,” he said studying the toes of his boots.
“I don’t need prayer,” she said. “I’m a modern-day woman, and I can do this on my own.” Her voice tasted bitter in her mouth, but she wouldn’t take the words back. “I don’t need some Santa in the Sky looking out for me.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Trace said calmly. “But you shouldn’t have to if you don’t want to. We’re put on this earth to do our best and to help each other,” he looked up his thoughtful eyes full of some unknown fire. “You ever need help, just whistle,” he added slipping a card from his pocket and into her hand before turning to lead the little red mare toward the barn.
Marissa shoved the card into her pocket. She wanted to toss it on the ground and storm away, but littering was bad. Instead, she spun on her heel marching toward Kade and Michelle’s house on the far side of the ranch yard near the stream.
She was going to slip into a hot bath and read a book until the rest of the crazy, annoying, and infuriating world disappeared.
Chapter 3
Marissa sank up to her nose in the big claw-foot tub closing her eyes as the warm water engulfed her shutting out the rest of the world.
Michelle and Kadence were down at the print-shop, Kade was out doing cowboy things, and she had the old house to herself.
For a moment she wondered about the history of the Ballard’s two-story home. She knew more about the main ranch house than she did about Michelle’s place, partly because Phil had framed and posted old photos and letters from the original family of the Broken J all along the hall of the main house, and they told the tale of years of hard work, dedication, friendship, and love.
Pulling herself upright Marissa pulled the teak reading stand that lay across the tub, toward her and looked down at her book, but she couldn’t focus.
No matter what she tried to do her mind kept coming back to the house and the families who had grown up here.
She knew that Kade’s great grandfather, Eric, had taken over the house from his parents and that Eric’s adopted mother had been one of the original cattleman’s daughters. She also knew that Eric had married a mail-order bride, and together he and his wife Joan had at least five children, most of whom had left the ranch, eventually.
The echoes of children’s laughter must have filled the sturdy house all those years ago, and it made her question her own choices once again.
She wasn’t ready for this. She had thought she was. She had a good job, a solid relationship. This is what life was about, wasn’t it?
Splashing water onto her face she tried to clear her mind of the mental circles that made her head spin. Today she was going to forget everything and just relax.
Adjusting her book again, she tried to focus on the words but it was no good, and now she simply felt too warm, so she dragged herself from the depths of the tub and grabbed a towel.
Everything was happening too fast. She needed to get her life under control and do it before she found herself in a situation she couldn’t get out of.
Heading back to the room she used when visiting the Broken J, Marissa climbed into comfy clothes before placing her dirty items in the laundry. As she lifted her jeans, the card the cowboy had given her dropped to the floor where she retrieved it flipping it in her fingers to read the heading.
A cold chill slid down her middle as she read the bold lines.
THEPREGNANCY COUNSELING COLLECTION
Looking around the room and wondering why the cowboy had given it
