Книга - Fortune’s Fresh Start

Fortune's Fresh Start
Michelle Major


A second chance at love… And the family he never knew he wanted. Successful businessman Callum Fortune doesn’t need personal complications slowing his pace – least of all beautiful widow Becky Averill. Callum’s convinced he’s not cut out for commitment. So why is he torn between moving on – and moving in!







He’s determined to create a legacy…

There’s a new breed of Fortune in town…

In the small Texas burg of Rambling Rose, real estate investor Callum Fortune is making a big splash. The last thing he needs is any personal complications slowing his pace—least of all nurse Becky Averill, a beautiful widow with twin baby girls. Callum’s past has convinced him he’s not cut out for commitment. Yet, drawn to Becky in ways he can’t understand, Callum is torn between moving on…and moving in!


MICHELLE MAJOR grew up in Ohio but dreamed of living in the mountains. Soon after graduating with a degree in journalism, she pointed her car west and settled in Colorado. Her life and house are filled with one great husband, two beautiful kids, a few furry pets and several well-behaved reptiles. She’s grateful to have found her passion writing stories with happy endings. Michelle loves to hear from her readers at michellemajor.com (http://www.michellemajor.com).


Also by Michelle Major (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)

Falling for the Wrong Brother

Second Chance in Stonecreek

A Stonecreek Christmas Reunion

Anything for His Baby

A Baby and a Betrothal

Always the Best Man

Christmas on Crimson Mountain

Romancing the Wallflower

Sleigh Bells in Crimson

Coming Home to Crimson

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).


Fortune’s Fresh Start

Michelle Major






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


ISBN: 978-0-008-90312-1

FORTUNE’S FRESH START

© 2019 Harlequin Books S.A.

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




Note to Readers (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)


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To Jennie. Thanks for all the fun times

and morning chats. I treasure our friendship


Contents

Cover (#ub6d7f59d-19a7-5467-bef4-1cf20468c69f)

Back Cover Text (#u1953deeb-9025-5279-832a-c1c04a3c25de)

About the Author (#ued696e49-9c97-5eb5-b754-73f521bdd00c)

Booklist (#u4395ad51-f0fd-525e-bcab-b09ed026fb80)

Title Page (#ue0b7648b-0589-5cac-a983-cc816698e329)

Copyright (#ub4204fea-802a-5d1a-9e31-fe8c659cc4e6)

Note to Readers

Dedication (#u59e66b40-b8d7-52b8-8bb1-71a3dd61e902)

Chapter One (#ue589ca8e-7560-5e62-abe9-1b2a42213d07)

Chapter Two (#u74fe8fb4-4b8d-540e-b531-d965534b51ca)

Chapter Three (#u56add0f8-fc8c-5234-baa5-4ef1dd26229e)

Chapter Four (#u572500ba-56c2-5c75-89d0-341edb4664af)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter One (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)

“You’re going to be late to your own party.”

Callum Fortune turned at the sound of his sister’s teasing voice. “It’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Squeak. Not a cocktail gala.”

Stephanie Fortune, younger than Callum by three years but the oldest of David and Marci Fortune’s four daughters, approached Callum’s shiny silver truck. Her pale red hair was pulled back in a braid and she wore dark jeans and a gray sweater that could have benefited from a lint roller. As a vet tech and all-around animal lover, Stephanie was often covered in dog and cat fur. Or whatever breed of animal she was caring for that day. Her heart was as big as her personality and one of the things Callum loved most about her.

“It’s past time you stop calling me that,” she told him with an exaggerated eye roll. “What if someone in Rambling Rose hears you and the nickname catches on? I’d be mortified.”

“It’s our secret,” he promised with a wink. “But you’ll always be my Pipsqueak no matter where life takes either of us.”

“I’m home,” Stephanie said, her tone definitive. “There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

“Then I’m glad you came along on this adventure.”

Callum agreed there was something special about Rambling Rose, Texas. The small town sat equidistant between the larger metropolitan areas of Houston and Austin. Callum had first learned about it through a documentary, The Faded Rose, he’d watched late one night when he’d had trouble sleeping. Shortly after, he’d traveled to Paseo, Texas, with his father for the wedding of David’s brother, Gerald Robinson—or Jerome Fortune as he was once known. On a whim, Callum had driven to Rambling Rose and within a week he’d made offers on a ranch in a gated community outside town as well as a half-dozen commercial properties.

Real estate development was Callum’s passion, and he’d made a name for himself in his home state of Florida and a good portion of the Southeast as someone who could revitalize small-town communities by working together with residents, local businesses and government agencies. He loved the challenge of breathing new life into spaces that had seen better days.

From that perspective, Rambling Rose was a perfect next step in Callum’s career. The town had a long history in Texas but was sorely in need of a face-lift and someone to invest in the local economy. Callum’s father, David, had his doubts. The entire Fortune family, both new and established members, had been shaken by the kidnapping that had almost ruined Gerald’s wedding to his first love, Deborah, six months ago. David was a huge success in his own right thanks to his wildly profitable video game empire and had reservations about claiming his place in the extended Fortune brood even before that shocking turn of events. Even though the day had turned out happily in the end, David’s protective instincts had kicked into high gear. He’d encouraged his eight children to stay far removed from any sort of involvement with the Texas Fortunes.

He and Marci, Callum’s beloved stepmother, had been understandably concerned at Callum’s rash decision to move to the small town, especially when his older stepbrother, Steven, younger brother, Dillon, and half sister, Stephanie, came with him. But Callum trusted his instincts when it came to real estate. He had no doubt Rambling Rose was the right decision, and his siblings’ joining him was an added bonus.

He stood with Stephanie in the parking lot of the new Rambling Rose Pediatric Center, which was due to officially open its doors in two days. Callum was proud of everything his crew and the subcontractors he’d hired had accomplished in the past few months.

The building, which was situated about ten minutes north of Rambling Rose’s quaint downtown area, had been almost completely gutted and rebuilt to house a state-of-the-art health facility where local children would receive primary medical, dental and behavioral health care at a facility designed just for them.

“We should go in,” he said before Stephanie asked the inevitable question of whether he saw himself staying in Rambling Rose long-term. She wouldn’t have wanted to hear his answer, but the thought of committing to the town longer than it would take to finish their projects made his skin itch.

Since he’d started his construction company, his modus operandi had always been to go with the work. He focused his efforts on small-town revitalizations but once he’d met his goals in a community, Callum moved on.

He wasn’t a forever type of guy, at least not anymore.

“How are things at the vet clinic?” Stephanie asked as she fell into step next to him.

“On schedule to open next month,” he answered, giving her a gentle nudge. “Don’t worry, Squeak. We’ll make sure you’re still gainfully employed.”

She gave him a playful nudge. “What do I have to do to get you to stop calling me that?”

“The dishes and my laundry for a week.”

“Done.”

He chuckled. “I should have held out for a month.”

“Don’t push your luck. I know how much you hate folding clothes.”

“Been there, done that,” he told her. He’d been three and his brother Dillon two when their father had married Marci. She’d had two boys of her own that she brought to the marriage: Steven, who was two years older than Callum, and Wiley, who was Callum’s age. They’d had Stephanie right away and the triplets had followed five years after that. Marci was a great mother and treated all the kids with the same love and kindness. But the pregnancies had taken a toll on her health.

As a young boy, Callum had found himself responsible for the girls and running much of the household while his father focused on the explosive success of his first video game launch. The role had come naturally to Callum, but the added responsibility had robbed him of much of his childhood. He’d managed laundry for a household of ten from the time he was in elementary school until Marci’s health had improved.

He didn’t regret the time he’d dedicated to his siblings, but it definitely made him less inclined to take on more domestic tasks than were necessary to function as an adult.

“You still can’t fold a fitted sheet the right way,” Stephanie said in the flippant tone she’d perfected as an adorable but annoying little sister.

“No one can,” he countered.

“Martha Stewart has a tutorial on it.”

He shook his head as they approached the entrance of the pediatric center, where a small crowd had gathered. “I’m not watching Martha Stewart.”

A flash of color caught his eye, and he noticed a woman pushing a double stroller toward the entrance. Two toddlers sat in the side-by-side seats, and one girl’s blanket had slipped off her lap. The corner of the fabric was tangled in the wheel and the girls’ frazzled-looking mother struggled to free it.

“There are Mom and Dad, with Steven and Dillon,” Stephanie told him, taking a step toward their family, who stood near the swath of ceremonial ribbon that stretched in front of the center’s entrance.

“Be there in a sec.”

Without waiting for an answer, Callum jogged toward the woman and her two charges.

“Can I help?” he asked, offering a smile to the toddlers, who were mirror images of each other. Twins. No wonder their mom seemed stressed. He remembered what a handful his triplet sisters had been at that age.

The woman, who knelt on the pavement in a bright blue dress, looked up at him. Callum promptly forgot his own name.

She was beyond beautiful…at least to him.

A lock of whiskey-hued hair fell across her cheek, and she tucked it behind her ear with a careless motion. Her features were conventional by most standards—a heart-shaped face, large brown eyes with thick lashes and creamy skin that turned an enchanting shade of pink as she met his gaze. Her mouth was full and her nose pert, but somehow everything came together to make her stunning. The sparkle in her gaze and the way her lips parted just a bit had him feeling like he’d been knocked in the head.

“It’s caught in the wheel,” she said, and it took him a moment to snap back to reality.

“Mama,” one of the girls whined, tugging on the other end of the blanket.

“We’ll get your blankie, Luna.” The woman patted her daughter’s leg. “This nice man is going to help.”

Nice man. Callum wasn’t sure he’d ever heard anyone describe him as “nice” but he’d take the compliment. He tried to remember the definition of the word while forcing himself to ignore the spark of attraction to a stranger who was probably some equally nice man’s wife.

He crouched down next to the twins’ mom and carefully extricated the fabric from the spokes of the wheel. It took only a minute and he heard an audible sigh of relief next to him once the blanket was free.

“Bankie,” the girl shouted as she tugged the pink-and-yellow-checked blanket into her lap.

“Mama,” her sister yelled like she wanted to be in on the action and then popped a pacifier into her mouth.

“Thank you,” the woman said as they both straightened.

Callum was about to introduce himself when she stumbled a step. Without thinking, he reached out a hand to steady her.

“Are you okay?”

She flashed a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I stood up too fast. I didn’t have time for breakfast today but managed two cups of coffee. Low blood sugar.”

Callum had to bite back an invitation to go get breakfast with him even as he surreptitiously glanced at her left hand. No wedding ring, which didn’t necessarily mean anything. Still, he could—

“Callum!”

He turned at the sound of his name. Steven waved at him from across the clusters of people gathered for the ceremony. Right. He was here for business, not to lose his head over a pretty woman.

His turn for an apologetic smile. “I have to go,” he said.

She nodded. “Thanks again.”

“You should eat something,” he told her, then forced himself to wave at the girls and turn away after his brother called to him again.

Odd how difficult it was to walk away from a perfect stranger.






“The pediatric center would just be a dream for this community without the work of Callum, Steven and Dillon Fortune and everyone at Fortune Brothers Construction.”

Becky Averill watched as Rambling Rose’s effervescent mayor, Ellie Hernandez, motioned for the brothers to join her in front of the blue ribbon. How was it possible that Becky’s stroller catastrophe hero was also the man she had to thank for her new job?

When the pediatric center officially opened a few days from now, she’d be the head nurse in the primary care department, reporting directly to Dr. Parker Green, who was heading up the entire center.

It was such a huge step up from her last position working part-time for an older family practice doctor who saw patients only a few days a week. In fact, it was Becky’s dream job, one that would provide a livable wage, great health benefits for her and her girls as well as on-site day care. She couldn’t believe how far she’d come from that horrible moment two years ago when a police officer had knocked on her door to relay the news that her husband had died in a car accident.

Becky had been only nine weeks pregnant when Rick died. They hadn’t even learned she was expecting twins yet. Everything about her pregnancy had become a blur after that, as if she’d been living in some kind of hazy fog that never lifted.

Of course, things had become crystal clear the moment she heard her baby’s first cry. Luna had been born two minutes before Sasha, but both babies filled Becky’s heart with a new kind of hope for a future.

Her parents had wanted her to move back to the suburbs of Houston, but she refused. She and Rick had chosen Rambling Rose together, and despite being essentially alone in the small community, she never doubted that she belonged there.

Her girls were sixteen months old now, and life as a single mother hadn’t exactly been a cakewalk. Rick’s small life insurance policy had covered funeral expenses and allowed her to make her mortgage payments each month, but there hadn’t been much left once she covered the essentials.

Not that she needed much for herself, but she wanted to give her daughters a good life. This job would go a long way toward her goal, but not if she messed it up by making a fool of herself before the center even opened.

Which was what she’d almost done with Callum Fortune. She hadn’t been lying about missing breakfast, but her light-headedness had more to do with her reaction to the handsome stranger who’d come to her rescue.

Between work and caring for her girls, Becky hadn’t even realized her heart could still flutter the way it did when Callum’s dark gaze met hers. Butterflies had danced across her stomach and she’d had a difficult time pulling air into her lungs. Most women probably had the same inclination toward Callum. He would have been a standout in a big city like Dallas or Houston, but in the tiny town of Rambling Rose he was like a Greek god come to life.

Even now, her heart stuttered as she watched him smile at Ellie. Then his gaze tracked to hers, as if he could feel her eyes on him. His expression didn’t change but there was something about the way he looked at her that made awareness prick along her skin. Dropping her gaze, she shoved a hand in the diaper bag that hung off the back of the stroller and pulled out a plastic container of dried cereal. The girls immediately perked up and she sprinkled a few oat bits into the stroller’s tray before shoving a handful into her mouth. She really did need to remember breakfast.

Certainly an empty stomach was to blame for her dizziness, not the way Callum made her feel.

They cut the ribbon and the crowd, made up mostly of new employees of the center, cheered.

Luna clapped her hands at the noise while Sasha’s chin trembled.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Becky bent down and dropped a soothing kiss on her shy girl’s cheek. “It’s happy noise.”

Sasha’s big eyes widened farther as she looked around but after a moment she let out a sigh and settled back against the seat.

Meltdown averted. At least for now.

With twins, Becky rarely went for any long period without some sort of minor toddler crisis, but she wouldn’t change a thing about either of her girls.

Callum and the rest of the pediatric center’s VIPs had disappeared into the main lobby by the time Becky straightened.

“I hear they have cupcakes inside,” a woman said as she passed Becky. “Your girls might like one.”

“They’re a little young for cupcakes,” Becky answered with a laugh. “But I could use a treat.”

“Those Fortune men are a treat for the eyes,” the older woman said, giving Becky a quick wink. “If I were twenty years younger and not married…”

Becky was plenty young but also far too exhausted to consider dating. At least the fact that she could appreciate Callum’s movie-star good looks proved motherhood hadn’t destroyed her girlie parts completely.

As they approached the entrance, the woman asked, “You’re the one who lost her husband a couple of years ago, right?”

She nodded, considering the joys and pitfalls of living in a small town.

“It’s good you stayed in Rambling Rose. We take care of our own. I’m Sarah. My husband, Grant, is the building manager for the pediatric center.” The automatic doors whooshed open, and they walked into the lobby together. “Our kids are grown and moved away, so I’ve got more time on my hands than I can fill right now. If you ever need help—”

“Thank you,” Becky said, forcing a smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got things under control.”

Sarah gave her a funny look but nodded. “I understand. If you change your mind, Grant can get you my number.”

Becky kept the smile fixed on her face until the woman walked away, then pressed two fingers to her forehead and drew in a steadying breath. She’d received at least a dozen similar offers since the twins’ birth and had rejected every one. She hadn’t really lied to Sarah. At this exact moment, she did have things under control. The girls were both sitting contentedly in the stroller watching the crowd.

Of course, things could go south at any moment. She’d handle that, too, on her own. She took the girls to a day care center when she worked, but otherwise didn’t like to accept help. It had been her choice to stay in this town where she had no family. She didn’t want people to think she was some kind of over-her-head charity case, even though most days she felt like she was treading water in the middle of the ocean.

But she didn’t focus on that. She just kept her legs and arms moving so that she wouldn’t go under. Her girls deserved the best she had to give, and she wouldn’t settle for offering them anything less.

She was pushing the stroller toward the refreshment table when someone stepped in front of her path.

“Cupcake?” Callum Fortune asked.

Becky’s mouth went suddenly dry, but she took the iced pastry from him. “Thanks,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “You did a great job with the building.”

He shrugged but looked pleased by the compliment. “I love rehabbing old spaces, and this one is special.”

“Ellie mentioned in her speech that the building used to house an orphanage.” Becky took a small bite of cupcake and failed to smother a sigh of pleasure. It tasted so good.

Callum grinned. “Breakfast of champions,” he told her with a wink. “And, yes. It was called Fortune’s Foundling Hospital and dated back to the founding of Rambling Rose.”

“Your family’s ties to the town go back that far?”

“Apparently. I’ll admit I’m still getting caught up on all the different branches of the Fortunes spread across Texas.”

“You’re royalty here,” she told him, but he shook his head.

“Not me. I’m just a guy who loves construction.”

“I think you’re more than that.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Somehow they sounded too familiar. People surrounded them, but for Becky the thread of connection pulsing between her and Callum gave the moment an air of intimacy that shocked and intrigued her.

His mouth quirked into a sexy half grin. “I appreciate—”

Suddenly, a woman burst into the lobby, clutching her very round belly. “Help me!” she cried. “I think I’m in labor.”

“Get a gurney,” Dr. Green shouted, elbowing his way through the crowd.

Becky took an instinctive step forward. Panic was clear on the woman’s delicate features, and Becky understood that panic could accompany childbirth. But she couldn’t leave her girls unattended.

Dr. Green straightened, his gaze searching the crowd until it alighted on her. “Becky, I need you,” he called across the lobby.

She nodded and turned to Callum.

“I’ve got the girls,” he told her without missing a beat. “Go.”

She worked to calm her racing heart as adrenaline pumped through her. “Are you sure?”

She gave each of the girls a quick kiss and the assurance that Mommy would be back soon, then hurried toward the first patient in her new job.

“They’re safe with me,” he assured her, and although she’d just met Callum Fortune, she didn’t doubt him for a moment.


Chapter Two (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)

“Who knew Callum was such a spectacular nanny?” Steven asked an hour later, chuckling at his own joke.

Callum fought the urge to give his older stepbrother and business partner the one-fingered salute. Two adorable toddlers watched him from where they sat on a blanket he’d spread out in the pediatric center’s lobby, so he wasn’t about to model that kind of behavior.

The ribbon-cutting attendees had long since departed, the celebration cut short by the arrival of the pregnant stranger. Neither Parker Green nor the girls’ mother had made an appearance again, and he wondered at the fate of the soon-to-be mom and her baby.

“We all know Callum is amazing with babies and children,” Marci told Steven. “I’m not sure what I would have done without him when you all were little.”

Steven was one of Marci’s two sons from her first marriage, but Callum’s father had adopted both boys shortly after marrying his mother. The blended family had felt strange at first, but Stephanie’s birth had solidified the bond they all shared. When Callum’s construction business started to grow, Steven had joined him as a business partner, with Dillon coming on board soon after that. He’d changed the company name to more aptly describe their partnership, and Fortune Brothers Construction was still going strong.

“He’ll be a great father one day,” Callum’s dad added with a knowing nod, prompting Steven and Callum to share an equally exasperated look. It was no secret their parents were intent on seeing both siblings happily married and starting families of their own.

Callum hadn’t discussed future plans with his brother but got the impression Steven was as reluctant to settle down as Callum.

Stephanie walked through the doors that led to the center’s small cafeteria. “I found plastic cups and spoons,” she said. Callum had sent her in search of items to entertain the twins.

He took the makeshift toys and began stacking cups. The more confident of the girls, Luna, clapped her hands as if encouraging him to continue. He handed her a plastic spoon, which she waved in the air like a magic wand. One of the other nurses had told him the twins’ names and that their mother was Becky Averill.

He’d asked about calling a husband and had been shocked to learn that Becky was a widow and single mom. It made him feel like even more of a heel for chastising her about breakfast. Becky was clearly an amazing woman, raising two children on her own while balancing a demanding career. No wonder she forgot to eat.

The shy twin, Sasha, scooted toward him. He held out a spoon to her, his chest tightening when her bottom lip trembled.

“Don’t cry, darlin’,” he told her softly and then scooped her into his arms. It had been an instinctual move. Callum had held plenty of babies when his sisters were younger. Sasha went rigid in his arms. Had he made a huge mistake? Then she relaxed against him with a quiet sigh, smelling like baby shampoo and oat cereal.

The front doors opened and two paramedics strode in. A moment later, Becky appeared from the medical clinic wing of the center. She and Dr. Green were wheeling out the pregnant stranger. The woman, a pretty brunette with big blue eyes, kept her worried gaze fixed on Becky, who appeared to be talking the patient through whatever was happening now.

There was no baby, and the woman seemed stable, so Callum could only assume things were good. Glancing over, Becky’s expression softened as she caught sight of her twins. She said something to the pregnant patient, offered a quick hug and then walked toward Callum.

“How is she?” Stephanie asked immediately.

“We’ve given her something to slow her labor,” Becky explained. “The baby’s vitals are good, but Dr. Green thinks it will be better for her to give birth at a facility with a NICU. The paramedics are going to take her to San Antonio.”

Callum’s father nodded. “So she and the baby will be okay?”

“They should both come out of this healthy,” Becky told them.

“Thank heavens,” Marci added.

Callum stood, still holding Sasha in his arms. “It’s a good thing you and Parker were here for the ribbon cutting.”

“Dr. Green was essential,” Becky clarified. “Anyone could have done what I did.” She held out her hands, and Sasha reached for her, leaving Callum with an unfamiliar sense of emptiness.

“I doubt that’s true,” he answered. “You stepped in to help that woman without hesitation.”

“I also foisted my kids off on you, and I appreciate you volunteering to watch them.” She glanced down at Luna, who was still happily occupied with the spoon and cups, and then gave him a hesitant smile. “I’m Becky, by the way.”

“One of the nurses told me,” he said, that small smile doing funny things to his insides.

“You volunteered?” Marci stepped forward, patting Callum’s shoulders. “I’m so proud.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” he mumbled.

“Your daughters are adorable,” she said to Becky. “I’m Marci Fortune.” She gestured to Callum’s father and siblings. “My husband, David, and our daughter, Stephanie.” Her smiled widened. “You know Callum, obviously. These are two of our other sons, Dillon and Steven.”

Becky’s caramel-colored eyes widened a fraction. “How many kids do you have?”

“Eight,” Marci said proudly and without hesitation. Callum had always appreciated that his stepmother never differentiated between the children who were hers biologically and the two boys she’d taken on after marrying David.

“Wow,” Becky murmured. “You must have been really busy.”

“It’s how we liked it,” Marci assured her. She put a hand on Callum’s arm. “Callum was such a help with his younger sisters. We also have triplets—Ashley, Megan and Nicole.”

Dillon stepped forward. “Callum’s nickname was Mary Poppins,” he said in a not-so-quiet whisper.

Stephanie laughed while Becky tried to smother her smile.

“No one called me that,” Callum told his brother with an eye roll. “Don’t you all have somewhere to be?”

“You’d think with eight children,” Marci said to Becky, ignoring Callum’s question, “that we’d have a few grandchildren already.”

“Gotta go,” Dillon announced in response.

“Me, too,” Steven added.

Stephanie grabbed her eldest brother’s elbow. “I’ll walk out with you.”

Callum silently cursed his siblings as each of them gave Marci a peck on the cheek, told Becky it was nice to meet her and then quickly made their escape.

“You know how to clear a room, dear,” David said, wrapping an arm around his wife’s slim shoulders.

Marci only laughed. “I’d be an amazing grammy.”

“Someday,” her husband promised. “But we should go, too. We have a long drive to the airport.”

Luna had lost interest in the makeshift toys and pulled herself up, then toddled over to Becky, who lifted her without missing a beat. “You aren’t from Texas?” she asked Callum’s parents.

David shook his head. “Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We flew in to see Callum’s latest success. It’s been quite an adjustment having four of our children move halfway across the country.”

“The pediatric center is amazing,” Becky said, glancing at Callum from beneath thick lashes. “It’s lovely that you came all this way.”

“Are you close to your parents?” Marci asked her.

Callum gave his father a look over the top of his stepmother’s head. As much as he loved his big family, their friendly exuberance could be overwhelming. He didn’t want to scare off Becky before he’d even had a chance for a proper conversation with her.

Before Becky could answer, David reiterated the need to get to the airport.

“I’ll walk you out,” Callum told them, then reached out and touched a hand to one of Luna’s wispy curls. “Becky, I’ll be right back.”

She gave a quick nod, then seemed shocked when Marci leaned in and enveloped both her and the twins in a hug.

Marci turned to Callum at the entrance of the pediatric center. “She seems like a lovely girl,” she said, her tone purposefully light.

“She’s a single mother of twins,” Callum felt obliged to point out. “And a widow.”

“Tragic,” Marci agreed as they walked into the cool January day. “I feel for those babies and for her. She deserves to find happiness again.”

“It’s not with me,” Callum said. “I’ve committed to staying in Rambling Rose until the final project wraps up. Who knows what will happen beyond then?”

“I like this town more than I expected to,” his father interjected. “Of course, we’d love to see you back in Florida or somewhere closer, but if Texas makes you happy, that’s most important.”

“What about your mandate that we stay away from the Fortunes?”

David quirked a brow. “The only Fortunes in Rambling Rose are you and your siblings. I can live with that.”

Callum walked them to the black sedan his father had rented. “Thank you both for coming to the opening.” He hugged Marci first and then his father. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished here in such a short time.”

“You should be,” his father said.

“We’re proud of you, as well,” Marci added. “We always have been. But you work too much, Callum. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself.”

He didn’t bother to argue. They wouldn’t understand that his career fulfilled him in a way nothing else had. He knew people considered him a workaholic. Hell, that had been the main cause of his divorce. His ex-wife, Doralee, couldn’t accept his hours or his dedication to the projects he managed.

But nothing made him happier than revitalizing older and historic commercial districts.

They said another round of goodbyes, and his parents climbed into their car and drove out of the parking lot.

As he walked back toward the entrance, Becky emerged, pushing the stroller.

“Thank you again,” she said as he caught up to her. “I’d really like to repay you for your help today.”

“No need.” He held up his hands. “Thanks for stepping in with that woman. She seemed so terrified when she walked into the center.”

A shadow seemed to darken Becky’s delicate features. “She was scared and alone,” she said, almost to herself. “And about to take on the greatest responsibility of her life.”

“She didn’t have a boyfriend or husband somewhere?” he couldn’t help but ask. He fell in step next to Becky as she walked toward a nondescript minivan at the edge of the parking lot.

“Not that she’d tell us.” She once again tucked her hair behind an ear and glanced over at him. “No family, either. I know how it feels to be alone, but there was something different about her. It was as if she was a speck of dandelion fluff floating in a breeze with no place to land.” She let out a soft laugh. “I’m sure that sounds silly, but the woman—Laurel was her name—seemed like she really wanted to find a place to land.”

“It sounds insightful,” Callum murmured. In a single instant, his attraction to Becky Averill had gone from a physical spark to something more, something deeper.

“Sleep deprivation has robbed me of too many brain cells to be considered insightful.” She pulled a key fob out of her bag and used it to open the minivan’s side doors and cargo hold. “But I do feel for Laurel. I hope she and her baby flourish wherever she ends up.”

Callum wanted to offer to do something to help with the twins and their stroller, but he felt like he needed to keep his distance. He’d been totally astounded by this woman today, but he had no place in her life and nothing to offer her. If his ex-wife had accused him of working too much, what would a single mother think of his crazy hours?

It didn’t matter, he reminded himself as Becky turned to him with a tentative smile. “Are you sure there’s no way I can thank you for today?” she asked. “I’m a pretty good cook and—”

“It’s fine,” he said, realizing how harsh he sounded only when her brows furrowed. “It was nice to meet you, Becky.” He made his tone friendly but neutral. “You have cute kids.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.






Becky finished with her final patient of the day, a three-year-old with double ear infections, and glanced at her watch as she walked toward the nursing station.

“Girl, you’ve been holding out on us.” Sharla, one of the medical assistants in the primary care wing of the pediatric center, wagged a finger in Becky’s direction. “We just heard Callum Fortune was your babysitter when that pregnant lady came in during the ribbon-cutting shindig.”

Becky willed her face not to heat, but felt a blush rising to her cheeks anyway. This was her third shift at the center, and so far she’d loved every minute of it. Dr. Green, or Parker, as he insisted she call him when they weren’t with patients, was an intelligent and caring physician. He had a rapport with both children and their parents, and Becky could see he took the utmost care with every patient.

Sharla and the other two nurses, Kristen and Samantha, were friendly and easy to talk to, and they all had good things to say about the doctors at the center. Becky had worked in enough different offices to appreciate the setup here.

“He offered to help,” she said with what she hoped was a casual shrug. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Are you blind?” Kristen asked. “That man is ten kinds of a big deal.”

“His brothers are just as hot,” Samantha added.

“They aren’t as handsome as Callum.” Becky couldn’t help the comment. Yes, the Fortune family had won the genetic lottery, but only Callum made her heart race. Every time she thought of the intensity of his dark gaze, her body seemed to heat from the inside out.

Sharla let out a peal of laughter. “I knew you had to notice.”

“I’m a single mom,” Becky muttered. “Not dead.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Kristen asked.

“There’s nothing to be done.” Becky placed the digital device she used for electronically entering patient data on the charging station. She wasn’t going to admit to these three women that she’d offered to repay him for his kindness and he’d all but bolted from her.

Maybe it had been the minivan or her silly musings about the pregnant stranger or the reality of a woman with two toddlers in tow. Any one of those would have been a turnoff to a man. Add to that her reputation in town as the grieving widow and it was no wonder Callum had made a quick exit.

She’d obviously mistaken the intriguing thread of attraction between them or it had been all one-sided. No one would blame her for harboring a few harmless fantasies about a man like Callum, but that’s all they were.

“My brother’s insulation company is working on all of the Fortune Brothers Construction projects.” Kristen tapped a finger to her chin, her green eyes sparkling. “I could get him to tell me when Callum is at one of the job sites and you could make an appearance there. He said all three Fortune brothers are really hands-on.”

Sharla laughed again. “I’d like some Fortune hands on me.”

Becky shook her head while the other two women joined in the joke. “I can’t just show up at some construction site. What am I going to say? Remember me and will you hold one of my babies while I change the other one’s dirty diaper?”

“Not the best pickup line I’ve heard,” Samantha admitted.

Becky hadn’t ever used a line on a man. Rick had been her first boyfriend. They’d met at freshmen orientation and dated through college, waiting to get married until after graduation because that’s what her family wanted. He’d been an only child and not really close to his parents, who lived on the East Coast. Her mom and dad had expected her to hold off on marriage even longer, and their constant reminder that she and Rick had their whole lives to settle down had irritated Becky from the start. If she knew then what she did now, she would have married him right away so that they could have had more time together as a family.

No one could have predicted the car accident that had killed him, and Becky would always be grateful for the years he’d been a part of her life. But often she stayed busy, gave everything she had and more, because she was afraid if she ever stopped moving it might be too difficult to get up again.

“I’m not interested anyway,” Becky lied. “I have too much going on to think about—”

“He’s here,” Sharla whispered.

All three of Becky’s coworkers glanced at a place directly behind her, then quickly busied themselves.

As the fine hairs along the back of her neck stood on end, Becky turned around and came face-to-face with Callum Fortune.

“Hello,” he said, running a hand through his thick mane of wavy dark hair. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” He was dressed more casually today in a blue button-down shirt, dark jeans and cowboy boots. Callum looked perfect and she was painfully aware of her messy bun and the shapeless scrubs that were her work uniform. She glanced down to see some sort of crusty stain—probably baby spit-up—on her shoulder. Great. He looked like he owned the place, which he sort of did, and she was a scattered mess.

“Nope.” Becky cleared her throat when the word came out a squeak. “I’m just finishing my shift and about to pick up the girls from day care.”

She gave herself a mental head slap. Like he needed a reminder that she was a single mom with two young daughters.

“I’ll walk with you,” he offered.

“Oh.” She stood there for a moment, trying to remember how to pull air in and out of her lungs.

“You remember where the day care’s located, Becky?” Sharla asked from behind her. “Far end of the building and to the right.”

She narrowed her eyes as she glanced at the other woman. “I remember. Thanks.”

Callum offered a friendly smile as they started down the hall. “How’s work going?”

“It’s great,” she said. “The facility is really great. The staff has been—”

“Great?” he asked with a wink.

“Sorry,” she said automatically. “I’m always a little brain dead at the end of the day.”

“Understandable. I can’t imagine balancing everything you handle.”

“It’s not a big deal.” She hated drawing attention to her situation. Becky found that the best way to stave off being overwhelmed was not to think about it. “I like to stay busy. What brings you to the center?”

She frowned as Callum seemed to stiffen next to her. Had she said the wrong thing again?

“Um… I needed to check on…some stuff.”

“Sounds technical.”

That drew a smile from him, and she felt inexorably proud that she’d amused him, even in a small way.

“I didn’t mean to rush off the other day after the ribbon cutting,” he told her as they approached the door that led to the child care center. “I think I interrupted a potential invitation for dinner, and I’ve been regretting it ever since.”

Becky blinked. In truth, she would have never had the guts to invite Callum for dinner. She’d been planning to offer to cook or bake for him and drop it off to his office as a thank-you. The idea of having him to her small house did funny things to her insides.

“Oh,” she said again.

“Maybe I misinterpreted,” Callum said quickly, looking as flummoxed as she felt. “Or imagined the whole thing. You meant to thank me with a bottle of wine or some cookies or—”

“Dinner.” She grinned at him. Somehow his discomposure gave her the confidence to say the word. He appeared so perfect and out of her league, but at the moment he simply seemed like a normal, nervous guy not sure what to say next.

She decided to make it easy for him. For both of them. “Would you come for dinner tomorrow night? The girls go to bed early so if you could be there around seven, we could have a more leisurely meal and a chance to talk.”

His shoulders visibly relaxed. “I’d like that. Dinner with a friend. Can I bring anything?”

“Just yourself,” she told him.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to her so she could enter her contact information. It took a few tries to get it right because her fingers trembled slightly.

He grinned at her as he took the phone again. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, Becky.”

“Me, too,” she breathed, then gave a little wave as he said goodbye. She took a few steadying breaths before heading in to pick up the twins. Don’t turn it into something more than it is, she cautioned herself.

It was a thank-you, not a date. Her babies would be asleep in the next room. Definitely not a date.

But her stammering heart didn’t seem to get the message.


Chapter Three (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)

Callum stood outside the soon-to-open veterinary clinic the following afternoon, frowning at the open back of the delivery truck.

“It’s all pink,” Stephanie reported.

“I see that,” he answered, then turned to the driver. “We ordered modular cabinets in a pine finish.”

“I just deliver what they give me,” the man responded, scratching his belly. “Where do you want ’em?”

“Not here.” Callum looked toward Steven, who was on his phone, pacing back and forth in front of the building’s entrance.

His brother held up a finger and then returned to the phone call.

“This is a vet clinic.” Stephanie gave a humorless laugh. “Not an ice cream parlor.”

The cabinetry for the exam rooms and clinical areas had been ordered more than a month earlier. They needed it installed soon in order to keep the project on time and within budget. Callum and his brothers were sharing the responsibility of the vet clinic renovation, working with the staff of the local practice to design the space.

A moment later, Steven joined the group. “Take it back,” he told the delivery driver before turning to Callum and Stephanie. “It was a clerical error. They typed in the wrong color code.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” the driver answered and pulled shut the overhead door of the delivery truck.

“It would have been my dream come true when I was eight,” Stephanie said as the driver climbed into the vehicle and pulled away. “Working in a pink vet clinic.”

“Where does that put us as far as the schedule?” Callum asked.

Steven’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “I can get it done.”

“I know that.” Callum nodded, understanding that his older brother didn’t appreciate being doubted. “I’m asking because if you need me to shift resources from other projects or change subcontractor timelines, we can make it work.”

Steven’s shoulders relaxed under his Western-style button-down shirt. “It’s going to be tight. The supplier is putting a rush on the order so the cabinets should be here in two weeks. I can have the crew work on the flooring and finish the exterior. It’s not ideal, but we’ll make sure nothing falls behind.”

“Let me know if we need to change our move-in date.” Stephanie addressed them both. She not only worked at the current location of the vet center, but also acted as the liaison with the construction crew. “It’s going to be all hands on deck at Paws and Claws to make it a smooth transition for our patients.”

“Got it.” Steven chuckled, then muttered, “Pink cabinets. We’ve had some strange setbacks, but that one might be the most colorful.”

“If that’s the worst unforeseen stumbling block in this whole process,” Callum said, “I’ll take it.”

“The pediatric center opened without a hitch.” Stephanie scrunched up her nose. “Other than a woman almost giving birth in the lobby.”

Callum nodded. “I stopped by today, and the facility is already busy. Clearly there was a need for a children’s health clinic in Rambling Rose.”

“It feels like the town grows every day,” Stephanie observed. “Have you noticed the new houses being built down the road from the ranch?”

Steven rubbed his thumb and fingers together. “Lots of money coming into the community. Hopefully that will mean plenty of business for each of our new ventures.”

“Who needs a margarita?” Stephanie asked. “The pink cabinet fiasco made my head hurt, but it’s nothing a salted rim along with a big plate of enchiladas won’t cure.”

“I’m in,” Steven said.

Callum pulled out his phone and checked the time on the home screen. “I’ll have to take a rain check. I have dinner plans tonight.” He responded to a text from his foreman, then glanced up to find his brother and sister staring at him with equally curious expressions.

“Spill it,” Stephanie said.

Callum feigned confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“He’s evading answering.” Steven elbowed their sister. “My money’s on the cute nurse from the other day.”

“He bombed out with her before he even got a chance,” Stephanie said. “Tell me it’s not that barista at the coffee shop in town who always flirts with you. She has crazy eyes.”

“Enough with the inquisition.” This was the issue with coming from such a close-knit family. Since they’d moved to Rambling Rose, he and his siblings had mostly hung out together. Sure, each of them had made a few casual friends. But they stuck together. The ranch they’d purchased just outside town had a sprawling main house as well as several guesthouses on the multiacre property.

He figured if his brothers and sister ever wanted more privacy in Rambling Rose, he’d buy out their portion of the ranch. But none of them seemed inclined to move out on their own anytime soon. It worked for Callum. He’d needed space after going to school at a local college in Florida. That was part of the reason he’d started looking for projects to take on in other areas of the Southeast. Coming from such a big family and growing up with so much responsibility for Stephanie and the triplets on his shoulders, he’d needed a break.

But after the wreck of his short marriage and subsequent divorce, life had become too quiet. Now he liked being close to his siblings. It had made the move to Texas not so daunting and gave him a sense of confidence, which was probably why he’d taken on a slate of so many ambitious projects.

“Then tell us,” Stephanie prodded. “Don’t think I won’t follow you. Remember when I was in eighth grade and crashed your date with Ava Martin after you snuck out to meet her?”

“How could I forget?” he replied, trying and failing to hide his smile. “I got grounded for a month.”

“You were already grounded, which is why you got in even more trouble.”

“No one is going to ground me now,” he told her.

“Come on, Callum. Just spill it.”

“I’m having dinner with Becky from the pediatric center.”

“Called it.” Steven did an enthusiastic fist pump. “You were so obvious the other day.”

“I wasn’t obvious,” Callum said through clenched teeth. “I was helpful, and she’s thanking me with dinner.”

“How romantic,” Stephanie said in a singsong voice.

“Her twins will be sleeping in their bedroom. It’s hardly romantic.”

“Mom and Dad had four boys under the age of five when they were first married,” Steven reminded them. “They still managed to find some time for romance.”

“This isn’t anywhere near the same thing, and you both know it. You’re just trying to get under my skin.”

Stephanie wiggled her eyebrows. “It’s working, too. I can tell.” She leaned closer. “I can also tell you like her. You were pretty obvious at the ribbon cutting.”

“Go back to Florida,” he told her, deadpan.

“I’m like a rash,” she countered. “You can’t get rid of me.”

Steven laughed. “You do realize you just compared yourself to a bad skin condition.”

“Fitting,” Callum said.

Stephanie only rolled her eyes at their gentle ribbing. “What are you bringing?”

Callum shrugged. “Nothing. She said she’d handle it all.”

She groaned. “Don’t be an idiot right out of the gate. What about flowers or wine or chocolate?”

“You sound like Marci,” Callum told her. “Enough with the matchmaking.”

“Li’l sis is right,” Steven said. “Step up, Callum. Your pretty nurse has been through a lot. Even if it’s just a thank-you, make her feel special.”

“She’s not ‘my’ anything,” he protested, although his heart seemed to pinch at the thought of a woman like Becky belonging to him. He should listen to that subtle sharpening and not get any more involved with her when it could only end badly. “But she is special.”

“Then show her,” Steven urged, laughing when Stephanie gave him a playful slap. “Hey, what was that for? It’s good advice.”

“I’m just shocked it came from you.”

“Remember, I’m the oldest.” Steven pointed a finger at each of them. “That also means I’m the wisest.”

“Hardly,” Callum said on a half laugh, half cough. But his brother had a point. He didn’t know much about Becky Averill, but it was obvious she worked hard, both at her job and taking care of her girls. She deserved to have someone treat her special. Despite knowing he could never be that man, he couldn’t help wanting to ignore the truth—even for one night.






The doorbell rang at exactly seven o’clock that night.

Becky stifled a groan as she finished fastening the snaps on Luna’s pajamas. “Of all the nights for things to go off the rails,” she said to her girls as she lifted them into her arms and hurried toward the front of the small house.

She opened the door to Callum, who stood on the other side holding the most beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers she’d ever seen. “Am I early?” he asked, his dark gaze taking in the twins as well as Becky’s bedraggled appearance.

“Bedtime is running late,” she answered.

Luna babbled at him and swiped a chubby hand at the flowers while Sasha snuggled more deeply against Becky’s shoulder.

“What can I do?”

Her heart did that melty thing she couldn’t seem to stop around this man. “Give me five minutes,” she told him as she backed into the house. “This night is to thank you for helping the first time, not to force you into another round of child care duties.”

“I don’t mind,” he assured her, grinning at the girls.

“The flowers are beautiful,” she said.

“They’re for you.” He looked down at the bouquet, then up at her again. “You probably guessed that.”

Despite her nerves and the craziness of the evening, Becky grinned. “I have a bottle of wine on the counter. Would you open it while I put them down?”

“Sure.”

It felt a bit strange to leave him alone in her house when he’d just arrived, but she didn’t have a choice.

She began to sing softly to the girls as she made her way back to their bedroom. As if on cue, both Luna and Sasha yawned when Becky turned off the overhead light in the room, leaving the space bathed in only the soft glow from the butterfly night-light plugged in next to the rocking chair in the corner.

She placed them in their cribs, smiling as they babbled to each other in that secret language they seemed to share. She finished the song, gave each one a last kiss and said good-night. After checking the monitor that sat on the dresser, she quietly closed the door to their room.

Once in the hallway, she glanced down at herself and cringed. The twins were normally asleep by six thirty so Becky had thought she’d have a few minutes to freshen up before Callum arrived. She’d changed from her scrubs into a faded T-shirt and black leggings, both of which were wet thanks to the dual tantrums she’d dealt with during bath time.

Hurrying to her bedroom, she changed into a chunky sweater and dark jeans, cursing the fact that she hadn’t been shopping for new clothes since before the girls were born. She hadn’t done anything for herself in far too long, which was why this night felt so special.

She dabbed a bit of gloss on her lips, fluffed her hair and headed for the kitchen and Callum. Her heartbeat fluttered in her chest once again.

Her reaction to his presence felt silly. He’d helped with her daughters and agreed to come for dinner. Nothing more. He probably regretted it already and was counting the minutes until he could make his escape.

But the warmth in his gaze when he looked up from his phone as she walked into the kitchen told a different story. One that made sparks tingle along her spine.

“You arranged the flowers,” she murmured, taking in the bouquet that had been placed in a vase on the table.

“I found a vase in the cabinet.” He offered a sheepish smile. “I hope you don’t mind. It was one less thing you’d have to deal with tonight.”

“They’re perfect,” she told him, then breathed out a soft laugh. “You can manage multiple construction projects and excel at the art of floral arranging. Quite the Renaissance man, Callum.”

Her silly comment seemed to relax them both. She could hardly believe he had nerves in the same way she did, but the thought made her feel more confident.

“Something smells really great,” he told her.

“I almost forgot about dinner,” she admitted, pulling a face. “It’s not fancy, but I hope you like chicken potpie.”

“I like everything.”

And didn’t those words just whisper across her skin like a promise? Becky gave herself a little head shake. He was talking about food and she stood there staring at him like he was the main course.

“My grandma used to make it when we went to her house for Sunday dinner. I make some modifications so the recipe doesn’t take so long, but the crust is homemade.”

“I’m impressed.” He handed her a glass of wine. “To new friends and new beginnings.”

She clinked her glass against his and took a drink of the bright pinot grigio. It was only a sip but she would have sworn the tangy liquid went right to her veins, making her feel almost drunk with pleasure.

More likely the man standing in her kitchen caused that. The first man who’d been there with her since her husband’s death.

“New beginnings,” she repeated softly, then busied herself with dinner preparations.

She’d done most of the work when she got home earlier. The pie was warm in the oven, and the scent of chicken and savory dough filled the air when she took it out and set it on the trivet she’d placed on the kitchen table.

She took a salad from the refrigerator, then frowned at the simple supper. Surely a man like Callum was used to fancier fare.

“I haven’t cooked for ages,” she admitted as she joined him at the table. “I’m out of practice at entertaining.”

As if understanding there was an apology implicit in her words, Callum shook his head. “This looks amazing, and I appreciate you going to the trouble for me.”

“It was no trouble.” She dished out a huge helping of the classic comfort food onto his plate. “I hope you’re hungry.”

As he took a first bite, he closed his eyes and groaned in pleasure. “I could eat this every night.”

“I used to make things that were more gourmet, but with the girls’ bedtime routine I figured I’d have better luck with a recipe I know by heart.”

“I’m not much for gourmet.”

“That surprises me.” She forked up a small piece of crust, pleased that it tasted as good as she remembered. “I figured anyone with the last name of Fortune would be accustomed to the finer things in life.”

“Nothing finer than a home-cooked meal,” he said, helping himself to another portion.

She chuckled. “Do you always eat so fast?”

“Only when it’s this good.” He shrugged. “My branch of the family is relatively new to the notoriety of the Texas Fortunes.”

“Really? Is that why you moved here? To get your moment in the spotlight?” She mentally kicked herself when he grimaced. He’d helped her and now her nerves had her babbling so much she was going to offend him. “I’m sorry. That came out sounding rude.”

“Rambling Rose appealed to me because I’m here in Texas, which gives me a sense of connection with the Fortune legacy, but it also feels like I’m blazing my own path.”

“That’s important to you?” She stabbed a few pieces of lettuce with her fork.

“Very important. You met my dad and stepmom and three of my siblings. Imagine four more added to the mix. There wasn’t much time for individuality growing up. I could hardly do my own thing when I constantly had a brother or younger sister trailing me.”

“Are you the oldest?”

He studied his plate for a long second, as if unsure how to answer. “No. Dillon, who was at the ribbon cutting ceremony, is a year younger than me. Our parents divorced when I was a toddler, and Dad met Marci shortly after. They married almost immediately. She also had two boys from her first marriage. Steven is two years older and Wiley is my age, although he has a couple of months on me. It felt like I went from being the oldest to the little brother overnight.”

“That’s a lot of blending,” Becky murmured, not quite able to imagine how that would have felt for a young boy.

He nodded. “We were a handful, especially at the beginning. I think each of us had something to prove. Unfortunately that meant we pushed every one of Marci’s buttons any chance we got.”

“How did she handle it?”

“Like a champ,” Callum confirmed. “I didn’t see my real mom much after the divorce, but Marci always made Dillon and me feel like we were her sons as much as Steven and Wiley. If we were testing her, she passed with flying colors.”

“And things got easier?”

“Stephanie was a turning point for the family. She was the most precious thing I’d ever seen. Suddenly, these four rowdy boys had something in common—our sister. She brought us together.”

“It’s obvious you’re close with her.”

“Yeah.” The softening of his features gave her that fizzy feeling again. “Mom…” He cleared his throat. “Marci became mom to me pretty quickly. She loved having a big family, but had a couple of pregnancies that ended in miscarriage after that. It took a toll on her.”

“I can imagine.”

Fine lines bracketed his mouth, as if the thought of the woman who’d become a mother to him hurting caused him physical pain, as well.

“Then the triplets were born. They were miracle babies, really.”

“Multiples are special,” Becky couldn’t help but add, thinking of her sweet girls.

“It took Marci some time to recover. There were complications and she wasn’t herself for a while after.”

“From how she made it sound, you were a huge help.”

His big shoulders shifted and an adorable flush of color stained his cheeks. “I kind of had a way with the ladies, even back then.”

Laughter burst from Becky’s mouth, and the excitement bubbling up in her felt like she’d gulped down a flute of champagne. Was there anything more attractive to a mother than a man who was good with children?

“You certainly worked your charms on Luna and Sasha,” she told him. “They aren’t accustomed to having men in their lives.”

“Someone told me your husband died while you were pregnant,” Callum said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

The pleasure rippling through her popped in an instant. Grief had been a sort of companion to her after Rick’s death, and she knew the facets of it like the back of her hand.

“It was a car accident,” she said. “I’d just taken a home pregnancy test but we didn’t know I was carrying twins.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “I wish I could have shared that with him. I wish I could have shared a lot of things.”

She held up a hand when he would have said more because she knew another apology was coming. Not that he had any responsibility, obviously, but people didn’t know how to talk to her about the loss she’d suffered. Some things were too unfathomable for words.

“We’re okay,” she said, which was her pat line even when it wasn’t true. Sometimes she struggled, but she was dealing with it and making the best of things for her daughters. She blinked away the tears that stung the backs of her eyes.

“In some ways Rick is still with us,” she told Callum. “There’s a park outside of town where he and I used to go on walks after work. Now I take Luna and Sasha there when I want to feel close to him. I sit on the bench near the pond and talk to him, and I feel him with us. I know how much he would have loved his girls and he’s their guardian angel. Some people don’t get that or they think I’m just trying to see the silver lining in a tragedy that has none. But it’s what I know.”

His cleared his throat as if unsure how to respond. Becky mentally kicked herself. No guy wanted to spend an evening talking about a woman’s dead husband, even for a homecooked meal. This was the reason she could never hope to date, especially not someone like Callum Fortune. She had enough emotional baggage to fill a freight train.

“Can I ask why you stayed in Rambling Rose?” Callum asked after several awkward moments.

She opened her mouth to give him a pat answer, but was somehow unable to tell this man anything but the complete truth. “This was the home Rick and I chose together.” She glanced around the small kitchen. “And we picked this town because we wanted to be a part of a close-knit community. Neither of us was tight with our families growing up.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”

She shook her head. “Only child. Rick was, too.” She lifted the wineglass to her lips, watching Callum from beneath her lashes. Maybe it was inappropriate to talk about her late husband with a man she felt attracted to, but Callum’s steady presence made her feel like she could share anything with him.

She appreciated that more than she could say. Yes, she’d loved her husband deeply and would give anything to change the tragedy that had stolen their future.

That loss was woven into the fiber of her being. It had formed her into the woman she was today, resilient and fiercely protective of her daughters. She understood the only way to celebrate Rick’s life was by honoring what had brought her to this point.

Callum helped her clean up the dishes after they finished dinner, another point in his favor. They said goodbye, and Becky watched him drive away as she tried to tamp down the disappointment at the night ending so soon. Seriously, she needed to get out more. One simple thank-you dinner and she felt like a silly girl with a crush on the most popular boy at school.

Callum had called her a friend and that was how she should think of him, as well. Too bad her body wouldn’t cooperate.


Chapter Four (#ueca72677-5d36-5568-9515-2db09948a45f)

“What’s your next move?” Stephanie asked as she joined Callum in the main house’s expansive kitchen later that week.

The morning had just begun to dawn, with the sky outside the window turning the Fame and Fortune Ranch a dozen shades of pink and orange.

“I don’t have one,” he said, keeping his gaze trained on his laptop. He took another drink of coffee as he perused the article on trends in the food and hospitality industry. “What would you think about an upscale restaurant in Rambling Rose?”

“I think it won’t compete with the local Mexican food,” she said, dropping into a chair across from him at the table.

“The idea isn’t to compete,” he explained. “I want to expand the options for folks around here. What if you wanted to go on a special date?”

“At this point,” Stephanie said with a slightly sad smile that tugged at his heart, “my favorite men have four legs and fur.”

Callum hated that his sister seemed to have given up on her chance at love. Unlike him, Stephanie had so much to give. “Hypothetically,” he clarified.

“Are you looking for a setting for a special date?” Stephanie kicked his shin under the table. “You still haven’t said anything about your dinner with Becky the other night. I’m tired of waiting for details.”

“She’s a great cook,” he said.

“I don’t care what you ate.” Stephanie pushed his laptop closed. “You like her, right?”

“She’s nice.” Callum reached for his coffee, ignoring his sister’s raised brow. Of course, nice was a wholly inadequate way to describe Becky. He’d never met anyone like her. She’d suffered a devastating tragedy yet still seemed to be filled with a bright light that wouldn’t be dimmed.

He didn’t understand the connection he felt with her and knew it could go nowhere even if he wanted it to. Which he didn’t because he’d learned his lesson about commitment and getting hurt the hard way. Things were better all around when Callum focused on the parts of his life he could control. Matters of the heart definitely didn’t fall into that category.

“What did you talk about?”

“Stuff.”

“You know how persistent I can be,” she said. “I’ll follow you around all day until you spill it.” Stephanie grinned when he narrowed his eyes. “Might as well just tell me now.”

“We talked about a lot of things.” He shrugged. “My family, her family. Her late husband.”

She made a soft sound of distress. “Was that awkward?”

“No,” he answered simply. Maybe it should have been. Although the way she’d described Rick made the man sound just about perfect. Callum knew he was bound to pale in comparison. There was no use pretending that he’d gone to dinner at Becky’s just to be kind. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He wasn’t just attracted to her physically. He wanted to know as much as he could about her, which included her past. Losing a husband so young had obviously played a large part in shaping the person she was today.

“I haven’t seen you like this since Doralee.” Stephanie tapped a finger on the tabletop, and Callum focused his attention on that instead of meeting her insightful gaze.

“It isn’t the same,” he muttered.

“I can tell.” She leaned forward until he lifted his gaze to hers. “Your divorce doesn’t define you, Callum. At least it shouldn’t.”

“I know,” he agreed, although the wreck of his marriage had changed him. All the things he’d thought he wanted from life shifted in the wake of his pain and the blame his ex-wife placed squarely on his shoulders.

He deserved every bit of it. Growing up in a large family had led him to assume the path of marriage and kids was the one that made the most sense for him. But he’d been dedicated to his business and not able to give Doralee the attention she’d wanted. They’d had a whirlwind courtship of only six weeks before getting married, both of them enamored by the heady feeling of new love.

Once the novelty wore off, it had become clear they weren’t compatible in most of the ways that counted. She had unrealistic expectations and he seemed doomed to fail at meeting them. It was a blessing for both of them that she’d had the guts to end things. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her but couldn’t seem to do anything right. He’d believed he was building a future for the two of them, laying the groundwork for their life together. Turned out to be a foundation built on sand, shifting and crumbling under the pressures of life.

Of course his failings had shaped him, but in a different way from how Becky’s had her. She’d had tragedy befall her and risen above it, while he’d been the cause of his own pain. He might be infatuated with her, but he wasn’t about to open himself up to that kind of hurt again. Becky’s life was complicated and he remained determined to keep his as simple as he could manage.

“You can find love again,” Stephanie continued.

“I’m not looking for love.” He pushed back from the table and walked toward the counter to refill his coffee. “It was one dinner. You’re making too much of it.”

“I know you, Callum. All I’m saying is don’t shut the door on a possibility before you’ve given it a chance.”

He paused with his hand on the coffeepot’s handle. His sister was right, of course. He’d decided after his divorce that he valued his independence too much to make a committed relationship work. The decision hadn’t been a problem because no one he’d met had made him question it.

Until Becky.

“When did you get too smart for your own good?” he asked.

Stephanie grinned. “I’ve always been brilliant. You’re just realizing it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said with a laugh. They talked some more about possibilities for an upscale restaurant in Rambling Rose, and then Callum headed out to start his morning.

He appreciated the pace of life in Texas. He could move quickly, but things also seemed to adjust to fit the wide-open spaces and the sense of community pride that felt uniquely Texan. This was a setting that made a man earn his place. The residents of Rambling Rose might be curious about his ties to the famous Fortune family, but people seemed more concerned with his dedication to the town.

Callum felt at home here in a way he hadn’t during any of the other projects he’d taken on over the years. It made his desire to succeed burn even brighter and caused the future to beckon in ways he hadn’t anticipated.






Later that week, Becky looked up from the lunch she’d packed to see Callum walking toward her across the pediatric center’s sunny courtyard. A slow smile spread across her lips as awareness tingled along her spine. This was the third day Callum had appeared during her lunch break.

Maybe she shouldn’t read too much into it. He’d explained he had business at the pediatric center. She had no reason not to believe him.

“What’s on the menu today?” he asked as he slid into the seat across from her. Becky always took her lunch early since most mornings she didn’t have time for breakfast.

“Turkey and cheese,” she said, then pulled out the extra sandwich she’d made. “I have one for you if you’re hungry.”

He stared at the plastic baggie for so long she wasn’t sure if he was going to take it or get up from the table and run the other direction. When he finally reached for the sandwich, it embarrassed her that she’d even made the effort to bring something extra for him. “Thank you,” he said. “That’s thoughtful.”





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