The delicious smell of trees hit Aurora square in the face as she stepped out of her borrowed car. It was the incredible smell of spring in the Texas Panhandle. There was the mixture of just mowed grass, wildflowers, and horses.

She glanced around. No one came out of the large ranch-style house to greet her. The house was huge, with a wrap-around porch on both the bottom and top level. Both of them were decorated with plants and flowers, and so many rocking chairs that Aurora didn’t even stop to count.

A picture of sitting here after dinner, reading a book and enjoying some iced tea made her smile. But then again most things made her smile lately. She’d spent six months in prison, and had been on parole another two and a half years, but not able to set foot out of Rainwater County near Dallas until two months ago. Now she was free, and jobless. The house in front of her wasn’t something she would be able to afford. But if they gave her the job she was here to interview for, then maybe she would be able to sit here and enjoy her tea at night.

She snorted in derision as she slammed her door. She’d interviewed for so many jobs over the last few months, and none of them had gone well. When potential employers heard she was a convicted murderer they usually thanked her for coming and said they’d get back to her. They never did.

For this job she’d talked to Holt Coleman on the phone. His voice had been deep and reassuring and he’d asked her to drive to Bookman Springs, about one hundred miles southeast of Amarillo. It was almost two hundred miles from where she was bedding with friends outside Dallas. Since it was so far she made sure there would be no surprises.

“Just so you know, I’m a convicted murderer,” she said.

“Don’t worry about getting a hotel room in town,” he’d said as an answer. “We have lots of room here for you at the ranch. You can stay here and have dinner with us and meet my brothers, too.”

She’d been so shocked at his response she had almost dropped the phone. “Did you hear what I said?”

“Convicted murderer, yeah, I heard. Please be here around two tomorrow.”

Aurora pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time; ten minutes after two. She put it back in her pocket and walked toward the front door. Before she could mount the stairs the screen door flew open and a handsome cowboy stepped out.

“Hello, darling! Welcome to the Rescue Ranch.” He hurried down the stairs and held out his hand. “Austin Coleman, at your service.”

Aurora laughed as she shook his hand. “Aurora Bickman. I’m here to see Holt.”

“Yeah, about that.”

Aurora’s heart fell. Her words from last night had obviously set in, and Holt didn’t want to see her. The jerk had let her drive all this way. She tried to pull back her hand, but Austin held it tight.

“Holt is out helping to settle a new filly. I’m supposed to offer you tea and tell you he’ll be here as soon as possible.” He finally let go of her hand. “So come in the house, we’ll fix a drink, and well, I’m sorry to say, you’ll have to wait.”

He turned and went up the stairs as fast as he’d come down them. Aurora guessed his age to be around twenty-five or so. He had the screen door open before she reached the top. She went inside to see an immaculate house full of wooden furniture and walls decorated with western art. The far wall was floor to ceiling glass, with French doors in the middle that were open, letting the smell that had greeted her outside float in.

“Beautiful,” she said.

“Mom and Dad designed it,” Austin said. “Their room is downstairs, and the six of us have rooms upstairs.”

“Six of you?” Aurora asked. “And your parents live here, too?”

“They use this as their permanent address, but right now they are living out of an RV, traveling the nation. We haven’t seen them in forever.” He took a step and then turned back around. “And yes, six of us: Holt, Hawkins, the triplets Reed, Kyle, Wyatt, and then me. I’m the baby.”

“Which is why you got stuck with me,” she said.

“I volunteered,” Austin said. “It’s my night to cook dinner, and I need the time to put steaks in to marinade and let them soak up the flavor. I make a great steak. You’re going to love it.” He waved his hand around the room. “Take a gander, and I’ll get you that tea. Sweet? Or unsweet?”

“Sweet, please,” she said.

“Good girl,” he said with a smile before he headed to the left and disappeared through a doorway. “Make yourself at home,” he called out.

Aurora took advantage of her alone time to examine the room. Near the glass walls there was a staircase that disappeared up to the second floor. There was also a hallway on the other side of the room. In between the two was a large fireplace that showed signs of being used in the last few days. She wanted to explore, to see what was at the top of the stairs, to see what was down the hallway.

But like a good little inmate she stayed exactly where she was; she was so used to being told where to go, and when to go, that she had problems thinking for herself.

“What are you doing?”

Aurora looked to where Austin stood, two glasses of tea in his hand.

“Waiting for you to come back,” she said.

He smiled, then said, “Have a seat.”

“Where?”

“There’s lots of them here,” he said, moving his hand in the direction of the two sofas and several chairs sitting in the middle of the room.

Aurora took a seat in a large wingback chair. She accepted the glass of tea he offered her before he sat down on one of the sofas.

“You a Texas girl?” he asked.

“Born and raised in Lubbock,” she said.

“Ah, the dust bowl capital of Texas,” he said, right before he drained his tea.

Aurora took a sip from hers. It was cold, sweet, and delicious. “Where were you born?” she asked.

“All six of us were born here in Bookman Springs.” He crossed his legs. “Our parents have always been big on supporting local businesses, which includes doctors and the hospital here.”

“Do all six of you work at the ranch?” she asked.

“Yup.” He stood. “Need more tea?”

Since there was barely a sip missing from her glass, Aurora shook her head.

He turned to leave and then said, “Oh, looks like you’re saved from me.”

Aurora stood and turned toward the windows Austin was looking through. A large man was dismounting a horse. He tied the reins around a hitch, then started up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He took his hat off as he strode through the door, and Aurora thought her heart would stop.

He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She imagined him to be in his late thirties. He had dark, close-cropped hair and several days of dark stubble, mixed with a little gray, on his chin. He wore a denim button down shirt, jeans, and chaps.

“Aurora,” he said as he stuck out his hand. “Forgive my rudeness, and welcome to the Rescue Ranch. I’m Holt Coleman.”

“Thank you,” she managed to say. She shook his hand and could have sworn she felt a jolt of electricity from his touch.

“Well, I’m going to go work on dinner,” Austin said. He started to leave, but stopped when his brother asked him to bring another glass of tea—no, make that a pitcher—to the back deck. “Sure, sure,” Austin said. “At your service.”

When he was gone, Holt chuckled. “Austin feels put upon because he’s the youngest. Come on, let’s go outside and we can talk.” He put his hat on the coffee table, then indicated she should precede him out the French doors.

There was one table on the deck. Holt hurried over and held out a chair for her. Aurora sat down, shivering a bit when he touched her shoulders as he pushed the chair toward the table.

“We work as hard as we can to keep to a schedule here, but sometimes things happen unexpectedly.” He sat down next to her. “We had to rescue a filly this morning from up near Borger. We left the house at four, and got back around eleven. She was anxious, so Kyle, Hawk, and I were getting her settled.”

“An abused horse?” she asked.

“Yes, starved and beaten.” She could hear the anger in his voice. “If the sheriff there hadn’t already arrested the guy I would have busted his lip.”

“That’s awful,” she said. “Was he arrested for animal cruelty?”

“For that and for doing the same thing to his wife,” Holt said.

Austin appeared and placed a tray on the table. “I added cookies.” He mock curtsied and then went back in the house.

“Like I said, he thinks he’s put upon.” Holt poured himself a glass of tea. “So, tell me about yourself. But before you begin, don’t tell me about why you were in prison. I want you to tell all of us tonight at supper. It’s best for everyone to hear that story firsthand.”

“All right,” she said. “Um, born and raised in Lubbock. I’m single. I have no brothers and sisters. My parents don’t talk to me because I’m an embarrassment to them. I have a few friends who stuck by me through the whole ordeal.”

Oh, and my late husband’s brother wants to kill me. She kept that part to herself.

“I can’t even get a job at a convenience store.” Her hands shook as she took a sip from her tea. “I-I…” She knew she should be honest, but she didn’t know how much to tell him. “I’ve lived with Dana and Jake since I got out of prison. They’re being very generous with me, but I know they want their lives back. I’ve been there two and a half years. That’s a long time to have someone in your house.” She cleared her throat. “I had some money, and I’ve been helping with utilities and food and the like, but it’s almost gone now.”

“Where did you get the money?” he asked.

“I had an aunt who died while I was in prison. She left her estate to me.” Aurora stared into her glass. “I was named after her. She was my mother’s sister, and she hated Mom for abandoning me. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it helped more than you would know.”

Tears built up in her eyes and she wished she could blink them away. When they fell down her cheeks she was surprised when he patted her hand.

“I can only imagine how hard it’s been on you,” he said. But he didn’t keep on the subject of her family. Instead he turned to business. “I need to talk to you about this job.”

Aurora sniffled. She could tell from the sound of his voice he was about to deliver bad news, and that meant she was going to be unemployed when she drove back home tomorrow.

“You’ve been totally honest with me, and I haven’t done the same with you.”

Aurora turned her gaze toward him. His look was gentle, yet she could see hesitation there.

“I told you we needed someone to be a sort of den mother, but it’s not for us.”

She looked at him in confusion. “Austin said your parents were doing the RV thing.”

“Yes,” he said.

“If you want me to help with the horses, I don’t know that much about them.”

He took a healthy swig of his tea before he said, “How are you with abused women?”

***

This was not going according to plan. He’d wanted her to meet his brothers, all of them, before he told her about the Rescue Ranch, that it wasn’t only about horses, but about women, too. But he had such a good feeling about this woman, about what she’d been through and how she’d come through it. He’d done a lot of research on her, and called her parole officer to talk about her.

From what he’d heard, he knew she wanted to pull her weight, to get back into society. Her parole officer said she was emotionally vulnerable. But she held it inside; she probably hid it from everyone she met. He imagined taking care of her, holding her in his arms while she cried, and stroking her hair until she fell asleep in his arms.

“I don’t think I understand,” she said.

Holt toyed with his tea glass. Then he picked up the pitcher, filled his own glass and topped off hers.

“To members of the public, we rescue horses. We bring them back to health, then find them new homes. To the state of Texas, we rescue more than that. We are a licensed home for abused women. We have six cabins toward the back of the land. Five of them are for ladies who are seeking a new life. One of them is for the den mother. That would be you.”

The shock on her face made him wish he’d taken it just a little slower. Finally she said, “So I wouldn’t be cooking, and cleaning?”

“Not for us. We have a regular lady that comes in and does the cleaning twice a week, and we cook for ourselves. Although some of that cooking involves take out and pizza.”

The smile on her face made him grin back.

“I like the idea,” she said, “but if you’re licensed by the state of Texas, you have to know they won’t approve an ex-convict as an employee.”

“The wheels are already in motion, in case you wanted the job,” he said. “We need you pretty quick.”

“May I ask what happened to your last den mother?”

“She has cancer,” he said. “She’s still working for us, but as the treatments progress she won’t be able to. She’s thirty, single, and like you an abused woman.”

Her body stiffened, and Holt fought the urge to take her hands in his.

“Her name is Mercy,” he said. “She told me this afternoon that if you’re uncomfortable staying in the house with six men you don’t know, that only one of the cabins is occupied, and you could stay down there.”

She nodded. He noticed she did that quite a bit, using her body to answer questions instead of speaking. He’d have to work on that with her.

“I’ve given you a lot to think about,” he said.

Once more she nodded.

He was going to have to work on her verbal skills, make her talk.

“Do you ride?” he asked.

She frowned, and he waited for her to answer. Finally she said, “Ride what?”

“Horses,” he said. “This is a horse ranch after all.”

“No.”

One-word answers were not going to work either.

“Have you ever ridden?” he asked.

She shook her head, and he cocked his head and said, “I prefer spoken answers.”

“Um no, I’ve never ridden a horse.”

“We’ll have daily lessons for that,” he said. “We have UTVs that can take you between here and the cabins, which are about two miles out.”

“That’s a long way,” she said.

“We sell horses here, and we want to make sure the cabins are not seen from the stables. You don’t have to walk there.”

She nodded once more, and when he cocked his head, she said, “That’s good.”

“Why don’t we take your things down to the cabins,” he said. “I can give you the nickel tour and you can rest until supper.”

“Sounds good,” she said.

He stood and offered her his hand. She took it, and when they were both standing he said, “You’re going to have to work on your vocabulary.

“Yes, sir,” she said, and then she actually smiled.

Holt’s jeans tightened as his cock stirred. He hadn’t had this reaction to a woman in a long time. They had a standing rule at the Rescue Ranch that the brothers didn’t get personally involved with the ladies who came through. But there was no rule about the den mothers, and Holt was very happy about that.

Aurora let her gaze roam over the absolutely beautiful countryside that spread out around her. Things here were just stunning, and that included the cowboy sitting next to her in the UTV. He’d given her a lesson on how to drive it before he’d started for the cabins.

“There will be a UTV there for you to drive back up,” he said over the sound of the wind whipping around them. She’d forgotten how much wind there was in this part of Texas. She put her hands on her hair to hold it down as they went past a line of trees and the cabins came into view. They were in a square, three facing each other on either side. In the middle was a circle with several large trees and what looked to be a picnic bench, and was it her imagination or was there a swimming pool there? As they drew closer she saw that’s exactly what it was. Off to the left was a garage with a car parked next to it.

“That’s Mercy’s car,” Holt said. “She and Nina, our only occupant at this time, are at the grocery store right now. I called her to let her know we were on the way. She said to put you in cabin three, and she’d come to see you when they got back.”

“Thanks.” Then realizing she’d given a one-word answer she said, “I mean, thank you very much for bringing me down here.”

He chuckled and patted her knee. “Good job. You have a beautiful voice. You need to use it more often.”

No one had ever said anything like that to her. In fact she could count on both hands the number of times people had said something nice about her. Unless it was the correctional officers who had thanked her for being a quiet and well-behaved inmate—even though she was a murderer.

Holt parked the UTV near the cabin marked three. He got out and hurried toward her side, but she was already out and trying to get her hair into line.

“Never get out of a vehicle without my help,” he said. “You have to let me use my cowboy manners.”

“Okay,” she said. She wasn’t sure what to add to that one-word answer. Was he going to be the sort of demanding boss that made her toe the line? Even though she was out of prison she was used to doing what she was told. But she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being ordered around.

She glanced at the houses, but hesitated before she started toward number three. Would he get on to her for checking it out without permission? Like a good little girl waiting for instructions she stayed near the UTV while he gathered her overnight bag from where he’d secured it to the back of the vehicle.

When he was back he indicated she should walk down the path before him. She got to the door and reached for the knob on the screen door.

“What are you doing?” he asked. He didn’t sound angry, just inquisitive. She wondered if there was a right or wrong answer to this question.

“I was going to, um, open the door?”

“With a man around?”

Aurora stared up at him. “What does that even mean?”

“It means ladies wait for men to open the door, house door or car door.” He pulled back the screen and turned the knob on the inner door.

“No lock?” she asked.

“I asked Mercy to leave it open,” he said. “Go ahead.”

After being told off for trying to get out of the UTV on her own, and trying to open the door on her own, Aurora had waited for a command to enter, despite the fact the door was open. The inside of the cabin was light, and seemed airy.

“Each one has two bedrooms,” he said. “There is a master bedroom and a second one with a set of bunk-beds and a twin bed for ladies who have children. There are also two bathrooms, one attached to the master and another next to the second bedroom. There is a fully stocked kitchen. When ladies arrive, the den mother takes them to the store so they can stock up on what they want to cook. Each lady is given a hundred dollars a week for food, which is mostly meats, dairy products, and such. We keep the kitchens stocked with the basics. Doing that will be your job.”

Aurora nodded before she said, “I can do that. What else will I have to do?” She didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t much of a cook.

“The ladies will come to you with any issues they have,” he said. “Deal with them the best you can, and if they have questions you can’t answer, you come to me.

“If someone shows up here that is not supposed to be here you call me immediately.” He stepped in front of her. “If you can’t get me you call one of my brothers. That is crucial. If our guests have someone after them, and they are found out and the person comes here, it could spell disaster.”

He didn’t have to remind her of that. She’d taken a life over that disaster. Because of that she also had a man after her, who if he found her would, as he’d said in court, torture her and take off her head. She must have had a terrified look on her face because he gently touched her arm and said, “Are you all right?”

Tell him, tell him, tell him, a voice inside her head screamed. But another voice said, if you do, you won’t get this job, and you desperately need it.

“Fine,” she said. When he cocked his head and raised one eyebrow, she said, “Fine, I mean I’m fine.”

“How many fines is that?” he asked. There was a twinkle in his eyes. “We’re going to have to start counting.” He walked toward the back door. “There is a lake just behind that copse of trees. Its depth depends on the amount of rain we’ve had. But it makes a nice place to sit at night and enjoy the evening air.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Aurora said with a sigh. “Except for the bugs.”

Holt laughed. “We spray for bugs. Speaking of bugs, there are animals that live out here.”

“Um, what sort?”

“There are coyotes, of course. Snakes, opossums. We have a problem with mice, which is why we have three cats that patrol the area. There are also roadrunners that help with the snakes. Just don’t kill anything you see. If you’re concerned, call us.”

“I can do that,” she said.

“There is one other thing,” he said. “In the event that someone who is not supposed to be here is here, there is a shotgun in your unit. I feel insensitive to ask, but do you know how to shoot?”

“It’s been a while, but yes,” she said.

“We have a shooting range set up not far from here and I’ll take you out there one day.” He opened the back door and Aurora stepped onto the deck. “We want it to be peaceful here for families who have faced trauma,” he said after he’d joined her.

“It is,” she said. She imagined sitting on the deck with a glass of iced tea and a book. “May I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“You said there was only one cabin filled right now. How many are usually filled?”

“It depends on law enforcement,” he said. “If a lady needs to hide, and they think she is a good match, they call us and we go pick her up. We collected our one occupant today, when we picked up the horse. She has two children with her, a three-year-old, and a nine-month-old. Her husband is a habitual abuser, and she finally decided to get herself out of the situation.”

“I wish someone had given me that chance,” Aurora whispered.

“You’re getting one now,” Holt said.

He had been talking as if she already had the job. “Don’t you and your brothers vote on it?”

“Nope.” He sat down in a chair at the outdoor table. Aurora took the one opposite him. “The job is yours if you want it.”

A job. He was actually offering her a job. She could make money. She could move out of Dana and Jake’s house.

“You can think about it this afternoon while—”

“I accept,” she said. “I’ll take it.”

Oh she loved the smile that appeared on his face. She’d noticed how handsome he was before, but right now he seemed even more so. It was the first time she’d found herself attracted to a man in years. It was a frightening thought, and she pushed it down deep inside her. This wasn’t about falling for a man. This was about starting her life again, about finding her place and where she needed to be.

“I’ll show you were the UTV is parked. You can rest this afternoon if you like, or explore your new home. Be at the house before supper. Dinner is at seven on the dot, and Austin is making steaks. He’s very good at it.”

After he’d given her the keys to the UTV, and showed her where the one kept at the cabins was parked, Holt departed for the house. Aurora went back into the cabin and glanced around. Then she dropped her head into her hands and started to cry tears of joy. She sniffled and coughed, and then lifted her head and looked around. She had a job. She had a home of her own. She needed to be careful, to make sure she did everything the right way.

This was the first step in a new life, and she planned to walk the straight and narrow, which meant she would concentrate on her job and helping women find their way out of a bad situation.

She would not fall for Holt Coleman.

She would not.

She would not.

She would not.

***

Holt entered his office to find Hawk sitting in a guest chair, his legs stretched out and his boots on the edge of the desk. He was swiping his finger up the screen of his phone. Holt sat down in his chair and assumed the same position.

“Get your damn boots off my desk.”

“Up yours,” Hawk said as he continued to focus on his phone. After a few seconds he put it on his chest and said, “So, how’s the new girl? Austin says she’s a looker, old but very pretty.”

“Old to him maybe,” Holt picked up the application Aurora had filled out online and he’d printed out to show his brothers. “She’s thirty-one,” he said after he’d found the date of her birth.

“A three-year sentence? In prison for six months, and now off two and a half years of parole? On what charge? Murder? That seems like a very light sentence.”

“Involuntary manslaughter,” Holt answered. “She calls herself a convicted murderer, but that’s not what she was convicted of. I told her she’d get a chance to tell her story tonight, but her parole officer said she was defending herself. It’s why the sentence was so low.”

“How’s her personality?” Hawk asked.

“Skittish,” Holt said. “She answers questions with one or two words, and twice I saw her jerk away as if she were afraid I was going to hit her.”

“Bastard,” Hawk said. Then he held up his hand. “Her husband, not you.”

“Yeah, right,” Holt said with a laugh. Of his six brothers, Holt was the closest to Hawk, the only lawman in their small town. They traded jabs and insults and let it roll off each other’s backs with laughter.

“So is she spank worthy?” Hawk asked. “Or more to the point, is she Daddy worthy?”

“I didn’t notice,” Holt answered.

“Liar.” Hawk chuckled. “Maybe she needs your guiding hand to bring her out of her shell. I can see the twinkle in your eye when you talk about her.”

Holt thought he was right, but he didn’t intend to go down that path. “Don’t we have a rule about not messing with our charges?”

Hawk leaned toward his brother. “She’s not one of our charges, is she? She’s an employee. How long has it been since you’ve been laid?”

“None of your fucking business.” Holt picked up a paperclip and threw it at his brother. “Unlike you, I don’t see every woman I meet as a potential sex partner.”

“You should,” Hawk said. “You might have a better attitude toward life if you fucked someone every now and then.”

“Shouldn’t you be on patrol?” Holt asked.

“To do what, help Mrs. Pascel across the street with her groceries?”

“At least you’d be earning your salary.” Holt indicated his desk. “I have paperwork to do.”

“Jerk face,” Hawk said as he stood. “Maybe I’ll be able to get cozy with Aurora while she’s here, since you’re not interested.”

“Keep your hands off her,” Holt said.

Hawk strode toward the door. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Hawk laughed deeply as he left the office. Holt stared at the spot where his brother had sat. He was right when he’d said he had work to do, plenty of it. The state required copious amounts of paperwork on each of the charges that came to visit the Rescue Ranch, and he needed to start the process on their current charge.

He sat at his computer and started to fill out the forms, grateful for the ability to use the computer and not have to do it all by hand. As he worked he thought about Aurora, and those beautiful green eyes and that heart shaped mouth. He imagined kissing her, caressing her, taking care of her and punishing her when necessary. He finished the last page and hit print. As the machine whirled to life and started to print out pages, he settled back in his chair.

Was Aurora the sort of woman who would want to be taken care of, or was she the sort who wanted nothing more than to take charge? He was sure her time in prison would have changed her, as would the abusive years before, make her vulnerable. He didn’t want that for her. He wanted her to be strong, to know what she wanted out of life and get it all.

He also wanted to take care of her, to guide her on the right path. Those thoughts had started to build in his mind before he’d ever met her. When he’d read her application he’d wanted to hold her, comfort her. He couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through, how she’d faced the pain of killing someone, and then faced the consequences of her actions.

The night she’d applied for the job he’d read the form over and over, and then he’d called Hawk, who had been out patrolling the streets, and had him read it, too. His brother had said the same thing then that he’d said now.

“Do you want her for an employee, or as your Little?”

Holt had answered him the same way then as he’d done today, telling him to go to the devil. But he knew now that those feelings were seventy-five percent of why he’d contacted her. It was why he’d taken the unprecedented step of offering her the job without consulting his siblings. True he was the manager of the rescue part of the ranch, but they always made decisions together. He didn’t think they would be upset when he informed them at dinner tonight, but he did think Wyatt, his one brother who tended to offer dissenting opinions on most matters, would demand to know why Holt had made the decision on his own.

Should Holt tell Wyatt the truth, or should he lie? If he did lie what would be the best one to tell? His mind spun as he thought about Wyatt telling Holt he was thinking with his dick instead of his brain. Wyatt had been the only one of them who was concerned by Aurora’s past. She was unstable, he’d said. His exact words had been, “We need to do a psych evaluation on her. Or maybe we should just look for someone else.”

Instead of taking Wyatt’s advice, Holt had offered her the job and she’d taken it. The meeting after dinner tonight should be interesting.