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While he contemplated what the unexpected death could mean to his company, Kylie stopped in front of AJ A trim brunette, she was the fiancée of one of his new employees, Vincent Clayton She always made a fuss over AJ

“What a big boy you are You ate up every bite of that sandwich” She felt AJ’s le in return

Fork paused at half-mast, Gabe said, “My job offer is still open”

“Sorry, no I’d love to nanny AJ, but I’ married soon”

Gabe didn’t knohat getting married had to do with his offer, but he let the comment pass “Got any other ideas for me? I need to find someone soon” Like yesterday

Her brown ponytail swung side to side “I’ve been asking everyone who con is still up” She pointed to the fancy graphic-enhanced poster stuck to the front door “So far, no luck Who’s looking after him now?”

“Me, mostly” That’s what made the situation desperate A job site, especially a construction zone, was no place for a curious toddler Gabe sweated bullets every tiressed, he’d need to be there more and more

“Let , okay?” He took out his wallet and tossed a bill on the counter “Keep the change”

Kylie’s eyes widened at the size of the bill “Wow, thank you, Mr Wesson I’ll keep asking”

With a nod toward the cowboy and a wave toward the redhead, Gabe and AJ pushed out into the summer sun as the last of the funeral cars crawled by A pretty woerSo in her expression touched a chord in hi but couldn’t see still, yanked at his father’s hand The woman, stirred by the motion, looked up Their eyes met and held Sensation prickled Gabe’s skin

The car rolled on past and she was gone But the vision of those sad blue eyes stayed behind

Brooke Clayton gazed around at the collection of Clayton grandchildren gathered in the conference room of the Clayton Christian Church like a bunch of errant school-children sent to the principal’s office Not one of therandfather’s will Yet, five of the six had coe Clayton, but for their cousin Arabella It was her phone call, her need, that had brought theain after more than four years

Brooke’s gaze rested on each beloved face Her intense cop brother, Zach Her sophisticated sister, Vivienne Mei, the adopted sister of the only absent grandchild, rebel Lucas, and of course, darkly pretty Arabella With a clutch of eh she hadn’tin the tiny town that bore her family name

Only fae’s funeral services, although plenty of townspeople had stared at the procession on its journey to the ce Good riddance? Was there anyone who’d randchildren had it in them to pretend what they didn’t feel, and silly as it sounded, the lack of grief had made Brooke sad

As they’d driven down Railroad Street, a man had stepped out of the Cowboy Café A tall, handsoer with a very small boy

That’s when she’d begun to weep Small children had that effect on her

She’d once known everyone in this town of less than a thousand, but she hadn’t recognized the —soht about hiraveside service Who was he? Why had that particular stranger’s ie been stamped on her memory?

“We need to begin” Pencil thin in an appropriately black suit, attorney Mark Arrington had already waited randchild to arrive

Calls had been made and letters sent, but no one was certain their rebellious cousin had received the summons Even if he had, only one person in the room was confident of Lucas’s attendance His sister