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In a Cowboy's Arms

Thorndike Press

Jenny Brewster pushed her hair behind one ear, then stepped up to Ty McCall's front door. "Here we are, Ava," she said to her eighteen-month-old daughter propped on her hip. "Our new life is about to begin."

Ava clapped her hands and smiled. "New life! Yay!"

"It's time to meet my new boss and his family." Subduing the flutter of nervous apprehension in her tummy, Jenny raised a hand and knocked on the wooden door, noting that the one-level ranch house was freshly painted in an appealing shade of blue, complete with quaint white shutters. This ranch looked like the perfect place for her and Ava to move on with their lives, the least her daughter deserved.

While Jenny waited for someone to answer the door, she cast her interested gaze around, noting an expansive, obviously irrigated lawn stretching out in front of the house like an inviting sea of green. Someone had put a lot of work, and expense, into maintaining that huge lawn in the middle of dry eastern Oregon.

She also noted that the house was surrounded by a chain-link fence, complete with a swinging gate across the driveway. That gate protected the residence from the rest of the ranch outbuildings, situated to the rear of the house.

She let out a breath of sheer relief. Thank heaven Mr. McCall hadn't exaggeratedabout the safeness of the ranch when she'd grilled him on that subject over the phone at the time he'd offered her this job as a nanny/ nurse to his nineteen-month-old diabetic daughter. This place looked like a relatively protected spot to raise Ava, one of Jenny's top priorities.

After losing Jack, she would do everything in her power to keep her daughter safe.

A few moments later, a tall man with a full head of gray hair dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans answered the door. "You must be Jenny and Ava," he said, holding out a hand, a smile creasing his weathered face. His blue eyes sparkled in a friendly way that reminded Jenny of her dad, reassuring her further.

Jenny shook his hand. "Yes, I am."

"I'm Sam McCall, Ty's dad."

"It's nice to meet you."

He nodded. "Likewise. Hope your trip was okay." He gestured her into the house. "I'll ask Dusty to unload your things in a bit."

"The trip was just fine, thanks." She followed Sam past a living room decorated in muted blue and beige, then through a kitchen complete with red-and-white gingham curtains and oak cabinets. They ended up in a cozy family room with an inviting plaid couch and a large TV occupying a corner bookcase on the far wall.

Before she could speak, a man's voice rang through the room. "Better come quick, Sam. He's done it again."

Jenny turned her attention to the short young man with a dark mustache who'd poked his head through the open back door of the McCall's family room.

Sam sighed. "What happened this time, Dusty?"

"Calf kicked him in the face, split his eyebrow clean open," Dusty said.

Jenny widened her eyes. "Who's hurt?" she asked, looking between Sam and the young man.

"Oh, it's that fool son of mine." Sam swung his gaze to Dusty. "I'll be right there."

Dusty nodded, then pulled the door shut.

"Does your son hurt himself a lot?" Jenny asked, furrowing her brow, mild concern trickling through her.

"Well, yeah," Sam said, shrugging.

At Jenny's look of horror, he quickly added, "But not because he's clumsy or anything. He's just gotta do all the dangerous jobs around here himself." He held up a hand. "I'm sorry to desert you like this, but I'll have to go check on Ty. Would you mind — ?"

A deep, smooth male voice interrupted Sam. "Dad, I'm fine. You don't have to check on me at all."

A hot chill ran up Jenny's spine. Her heart suddenly pounding in a way that made absolutely no sense at all, she turned around to look in the direction of that captivating, totally masculine voice.

Standing in the back door was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Even though his eyebrow was split and bleeding, his blue eyes, mussed short blond hair, and tall muscular build shown off by his shockingly tight jeans, called to every shred of feminine appreciation in her. Quite frankly, she'd thought that part of her had died with Jack.

The man stared at her for a long moment, his chin pulled in, then quickly gave her a lopsided smile. "Uh… You must be Jenny. Glad you made it safely." He gestured to his cut face. "Sorry for the blood."

She cleared her throat, trying to ignore his blinding smile and rugged good looks. The medical professional in her coming to life, thank goodness, she shifted into nurse mode, raised her chin and said, "No problem. Why don't you come in and I'll take a look at that cut."

Nodding, he stepped into the house, holding up a bright orange-colored first-aid kit. "I knew having a nurse around would come in handy."

Jenny did her best not to stare, remembering that she'd come to the remote Second Chance Ranch in eastern Oregon to work as a nanny, not find a man — the last thing she ever wanted again. Although, she had to admit with a trace of guilt, the urge to take inventory of his best features, an easy task on this one, was strong.

Shaking her head, she refocused her attention on taking care of his cut, glad Ava was happily "cooking" at the adorable play kitchen in the corner and was oblivious to Ty's bloody face. While Jenny admitted in some far corner of her brain it was a relief to discover Jack's death hadn't dried her out completely, it just wouldn't do to ogle Ty McCall.

As Ty walked by, averting his bloody cheek from Ava, Jenny got a closer look at his injury. An inch-long vertical cut on one of his thick, dark-blond eyebrows marred his gorgeous face. She'd have to butterfly it for sure. He might even need stitches.

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Excerpted from In a Cowboy's Arms by Lissa Manley Copyright © 2005 by Lissa Manley. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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