Sprinkled with Love

Jillian didn’t know whether to be angry with herself for making a fool of herself or if she should be embarrassed for trolling for a date.

“I…I asked Dan if he’d go to the wedding with me.”

“And…”

“I made an utter fool of myself.”

“Why? What happened?”

Jillian’s face was still hot. “He has a girlfriend.”

“He does?”

“And it gets worse. Now he thinks I have the hots for him. This is a fine mess.” She wanted to lay the blame at her mother’s feet, but she couldn’t. She’d been just as eager to save face in front of her cousins and family as her mother had been. “Since when did having a significant other become so vital? I’m fine on my own.”

Suzanna arched a brow. “Does that mean I don’t have to worry about you asking out more men who are otherwise off the market?”

Jillian glared at her best friend. “I’m done. I’m going to the wedding alone.”

Chapter Eight

This day had taken a very sudden and very strange turn.

Avery climbed out of his pickup and made his way up the steps of the sprawling log house at the Crooked S Ranch. The air was crisp but the sun’s rays held the promise of warmth. Being here was bittersweet now that Howard Smith had passed on.

Avery paused on the porch that spanned the front of the house. He gazed up at the front of the house. It was a wall of windows that looked out over the sprawling pasture. And when the sun rose in the morning, it was truly magnificent.

He moved to the wood rail that ran the length of the porch. Avery brushed off the snow and braced his hands on the cold log rail. His gaze stretched out over the hundreds of acres. He’d always loved this view. It was the most beautiful sight in the world—except for Jillian.

Wait. Where had that thought come from?

He gave himself a mental shake and focused on the here and now. He just couldn’t believe that as of this morning, he had been presented with an opportunity to own this gorgeous ranch. But with his depleted savings and his diminishing number of product endorsements, he’d need a miracle to make this dream a reality.

The sound of boots on the steps drew Avery’s attention back to the present. He turned to find his good friend Blake Ridgeway, foreman of the Crooked S, approaching him.

“I didn’t think you were supposed to be back in town for a while,” Blake said, coming to a stop next to him.

“My knee had other ideas.”

Blake’s gaze dipped to the knee brace. “I see. How is it?”

“Good enough that I don’t have to have surgery, but not good enough for me to return to the rodeo circuit. The doc doesn’t want me riding horses for a while.”

“That’s too bad. You were off to a good start.”

Avery tilted his cowboy hat up on his forehead. “Doesn’t it always work that way?”

“Normally I’d tell you to saddle up because we could use the help rotating the cattle to the south field, but seeing your leg isn’t up for it, I guess we’ll have to muddle through without you.”

Avery shrugged. “When have I ever let a little scrape stop me? I’ll help out.”

“No, you won’t.” Blake was a few years older than Avery and the more cautious of the two of them. “I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

Avery wasn’t up for arguing the point. He was still a bit dazed by all that had happened since he woke up that morning. It had all started with a knock on the door.

He’d been working the kitchen remodel when the postman had arrived with a certified letter. Avery had to admit that he’d been hesitant about signing his name and accepting the mysterious piece of mail. The last time he’d accepted certified mail, it had been after his parents’ deaths. Those had been the papers regarding the custody of his brother and sister.

He’d hoped and prayed this current piece of mail didn’t come with such staggering consequences. Still, he had no idea what it might be. And then to find the name of a law firm as the return address, he was certain his life was about to take a turn. But he had no idea at the time if it’d be for the better or worse.