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“Yes,” she answered bluntly

“Well, there you go then I’ve got your attention already”

Janet studied the boy who held her daughter, ato the fore She’d learned several things about the kid already: He was arrogant, he could eat like a grownat home

As she stood in pensive thought, she heard the sound of a door echoing from the back of the house She tried to tamp down the sudden butterflies in her stomach as she listened to the clatter of booted feet across tile as the sound ca it was the father of this man-child about toa bit of ill will toward the owner of the Bar M already Why wasn’t theout better for his son?

Even as she had the thought, the rancher appeared at the entryway between the lanced across the roo to a full stop As their eyes clashed and held, she couldn’t help but notice the coil of power that radiated from him She sucked in a silent breath at the picture he made He was tall—extremely tall—and broad around the shoulders, his face weathered, probably fro outside in the conditions for years

He carried an attitude of self-command, almost as if he held a monopoly on virility His hair was dark, nearly black, and cut extre to soften the merciless lines of implacability carved into his bone structure He looked to be around ht to Janet This man had at least a decade on her twenty-five years

As she took in his foraze left hers to rest on his son—al to see that the boy was okay

And then his eyes caer She sed down her apprehension as she realized that she couldn’t entirely blaer in his hoht, when she clearly did not But knowing she was in the wrong didn’t stop the rush of butterflies that settled in the pit of her stolare

She cleared her throat and tried to speak while he continued to watch her as if he’d like nothingher back into the ice and snow, posthaste

And if she hadn’t been desperate, she probably would have grabbed her child and made a mad dash for her car

But she was desperate, or so close she didn’t want to think about it So she stood still and let him look his fill—furious as his inspection was And she knew exactly what he was seeing: a thin, bedraggled woman with zero looks left—zero make-up on her face and lines of tension so deep that she probably looked like she was thirty years old God forbid

She tried to give herself a quick pep talk She wasn’t cohts in a cheap as et to Shreveport, where her mother lived She closed her eyes for a s Her mother had offered them a home because she truly wanted them to co to

Thank God for ood one

When she lifted her lashes, she looked to the boy again and felt an arrow of pain for hi if he was truly motherless or if the woe for hi the rooet an opportunity to nourish the child in any ith food or anything else

When the man, as certainly Jeffrey McIntyre, continued to watch her as if he wanted to throttle her, she realized with mortification and anxiety that she didn’t think she would have the sta to give her a job She cleared her throat and rocery store said you ry But I can see you have this under control so we’ll get out of your hair”

As she spoke, she held out her hands for Hannah, but the htened his hold and refused to hand the baby over “I’ look that, whether an act or not, almost broke her heart before he continued, “and we had a deal”

As she glanced between the two McIntyre males in indecision, the elder narrowed his eyes sharply before turning to his son with only a slight softening of expression “You’re not starving You had supper not an hour ago”

“I’, Dad,” the kid instantly refuted

“Bullshit Hand her back that baby and grab a protein bar and a glass of milk”

That baby? Really? And bullshit? The man disputed his child with ‘bullshit?’ What the hell kind of father was he? And Christ, had she ever heard a voice that deep? Seriously, it was deep And while she’d always been attracted to olderabout this stern-faced, une bells to her brain

As the heartless asshole slid his gaze to her oncein her belly while he studied her as if she were nothingto leave while she still had enough daylight to navigate her way back to town, Janet couldn’t contain a gnawing ache for the ment, she offered, “I can make your son a couple of sandwiches before I leave—it’s no problem”

The roo the sound of sleet that began co the panes The boy seehter while his father pierced her with a laser-sharp gaze A hot charge of electricity seemed to ripple between them and an inappropriate shiver of response ran down Janet’s spine while she waited for him to accept or decline her offer

“Rigsby told you I needed a housekeeper?” theher subjectively

Goose buaze “Yes, I think that was his name”

He stared at her for another longWe don’t need any help—not that you look strong enough to do much work around here”

Okay Guess he told her Asshole

“Dad—” The boy broke in but was temporarily silenced by the look on his father’s face

“We?

?re doing fine, Zach We don’t need strangers butting into our business,” he stated decisively

But the kid wasn’t deterred for long “She doesn’t look like she could hurt a fly What harive her a shot? We haven’t had any inside help in what, like two years?”

“Soreed distractedly as he continued to watch her as if she were capable of stealing the fa into his bed, uninvited, in the ht

“Dad, the house is filthy,” the boy argued “We eat the sae where I’ it”

At the words that were supposed to pull at his father’s heartstrings, Janet was somewhat appeased to see the look theup into what ht, little man”

“Well, I’ued

Ignoring his son’s last remark, the hard-nosed rancher looked back to her “Where you from?”

She took a breath and tried not to treinally” And then Texas, California, and back to Texas But he hadn’t asked for her life story and she damn sure wasn’t about to offer it up

“What’s your name?” he asked

“Janet Smith,” she answered quickly

“Is the kid yours?” he questioned in a voice that assured Janet he thought her baby would be nothing but a nuisance

“Yes,” she bit out through gritted teeth

His gaze drifted to Hannah for a split second “It’s a girl?”

No shit, Sherlock Surely the pink blanket was clue enough? Janet sed down her irritation at his succinct questions “Yes, her name is Hannah”

“Where’s her father?”

Janet stalled at the intrusive question,than with her own feelings Wondering if the wo to cause these two men any sad reminders, she answered quickly and softly, “He died”