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“I believe you.”

“All I ask.” He said it lightly, but inside elation was building. “Oh, and if you’re agreeable, Lily Highwater is going to actually write the profile forTexas Artworks.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“She’s been writing them for the local paper,The Defender, for almost a couple of years now. I sent Jackie some samples, Lily said she could make the deadline, and they went for it. “Lily had one condition, of course. That you stay on the project.”

She blinked at that. “The chief’s wife said that?”

He nodded. “She felt bad about what happened. That you heard us. When she called to say she’d accepted the project, she told me I’d better find you, and fast.”

Kaitlyn gave a slow shake of her head. “You did all this in one day?”

He leaned over and gently kissed her. “I wanted it all fixed. Because it doesn’t seem like anything’s ever been fixed for you.”

“Oh, Ry…”

He thought he’d never heard anything as sweet as that note of wonder in her voice. And decided to go for it. “Do you know any art supply stores here in the city?”

She drew back at the non sequitur. “I…yes, there are several. Why?”

“I’m thinking I need to buy some paints.”

He heard her breath catch. “You’re…going to paint?”

“I’m going to try. Somebody—” he leaned down and kissed her again “—gave me the nerve.”

He couldn’t even describe the look that came into those wide brown eyes of hers then. The golden flecks fairly glowed. He wondered if he could capture her subtle beauty in color, in paint. As his father had captured the beauty of the land he loved. And of the woman he loved, as he had in the portrait of Ry’s mother that hung in her bedroom, so full of love that it practically poured out of it into the heart of the viewer.

Was he good enough? Could he do that?

He’ll outshine me someday.

His father’s words sang in his mind. He didn’t know about that, but for the first time in his life, thanks to the woman in his arms, he had the nerve to try.

*

In a matterof a few weeks the ranch felt more like home to Kaitlyn than anyplace ever had. The happiness was bubbling up so strongly inside her that sometimes she found herself smiling for no reason at all. She had bonded nicely with Lucas and Cody, she and Ariel and Sydney were already friends, she adored Maggie, and while Keller and Chance still intimidated her a bit, she admired and respected them both. She was utterly joyful over the turn her life had taken, but she never forgot how lucky she was. So many pressures had been removed, and for the first time since her father had died, she felt safe, secure, and wanted.

Having the Raffertys at your back was no small thing.

She was even humming as she went about cleaning her gear. She was upstairs at the desk, while Ry was down messing with the paints they’d picked up in Austin before they’d left. It was a learned skill, he’d said, but he was learning. And he was, fast. He already had progressed past many supposed successful artists, at least in her admittedly biased view. He—

Her cell phone—the new one Ry had insisted on, because she needed better reception out here—rang. Still humming, she picked it up without even looking and gave a cheerful hello.

Moments later she was sitting in the desk chair, her stomach churning. She should have known she hadn’t left the past behind completely. No one ever could.

Slowly she got to her feet. She went down the stairs, concentrating on each step far more than necessary, just to keep her rocketing thoughts in check. When she stepped into the studio area Ry, who had been bent over a sketch on his workbench, turned to look at her, smiling.

His smile faded the instant he saw her face. He tossed down the pencil he’d been using and strode across the room to her. Putting his hands gently on her shoulders he said urgently, “What? What is it? I heard your phone.”

She drew in a deep breath. Met his stormy gaze. “It’s my mother.”

He stiffened. “What about her?”

“She walked out of rehab. She was arrested last night in San Marcos for drunk driving. She wants me to come bail her out.”

She saw anger flash in his eyes. But when he spoke his voice was neutral. “What do you want to do?”