The Wrangler by Jillian Hart

land."
    "No, but the debt isn't yours."
    "If I don't pay it, Tannen takes the property and we'll be homeless again."
    "You have last night's winnings. That's one payment." His words were steady and certain. Was that a note of caring she heard?
    And why did she want to lean on him—not much, but enough that she didn't feel quite as alone. Even if she knew what depending on a man got you, he made her feel as if she could lean on him. It wasn't a comfortable feeling.
    "You're right." Best to ignore her needs and stand on her own two feet. No leaning allowed.
    She bit her bottom lip, staring out at the endless prairie. The sky shone robin's egg blue with only a few streaks of stray white clouds. She loved this place. When she looked out at the wild land she saw fences and grazing horses, haystacks around a new barn and a cozy house on the rise. A real home, a real life, and her brother and sister happy.
    That was worth fighting for.
    "I guess Howie is going to have to pay more visits to town." It was the only solution. She'd won once, and she'd do it again. As many times as it took.
    "You think that's a good solution?"
    "Unless you can think of a better one."
    "Maybe it's time to cut your losses. Sell the land, pay the debt and take the difference with you. It might be enough for a good start someplace safer for a lone woman and two kids."
    "That's sensible." Yearning filled her, watching the sea of grass sway in the restless wind. "I could find a job cleaning house or doing laundry. Serving food or changing linens in a hotel. But I would never be happy."
    "What about Fred and Mindy?"
    Mindy didn't feel safe here, but Fred loved the prairie. He loved horses, too. She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead, where a headache threatened. "They would be closer to school."
    "Then you have your answer."
    "You're trying to talk me into leaving. Why?"
    "You look like you need a little guidance."
    "And you know best?" She planted her hands on her hips. "Do you have any qualifications for that?"
    "None I want to share." He bit back a smile, shook his head, and stared out at the stretching reach of the prairie. "Does this mean you've made up your mind?"
    "There's only one real decision I can make. All other options take us down a road of maybes. Maybe I'll find a job, maybe we'll find a place to live, maybe we'll be happy. We're happy enough here. We voted to stay here. We wanted it enough to risk Pa leaving us."
    He heard the pain in her voice, the love for her father. "He should have done better by you."
    "No doubt." Shadows darkened her eyes. "He had his troubles, but he was a good pa. Kind. Funny. For better or worse, he did the best he could."
    "I know the feeling. My pa always meant well, but he was a hard man. It was the way he was raised, with little forgiveness or mercy, but I'll always love him."
    "There were good times, too." She bit her lip. "He had a lot of good in him. He was kind and funny and patient, but it was never the stronger part of him."
    "Most folks are like that." He'd seen too much of it in his life until it was all he believed. But Kit, she was different. The wind swirled her ruffled hem around her ankles, exposing her men's riding boots.
    Not her father's boots, he realized, for they looked like they fit her perfectly. How long had she been holding things together for her family? How long had she been doing a man's work and responsibilities? "Does this mean you'll stay and pay off Tannen? Last night didn't end well."
    "Not with Tannen trying to rob me. But I can try a different saloon and keep my distance from him."
    "Someone is bound to figure it out, then what?"
    "I haven't thought that far. I'm taking my grand plan one step at a time."
    Don't ask, don't be curious, he tried to tell himself, but it didn't work. "Grand plan?"
    "It's a dream, that's all. One I've had since I was a little girl." A gust blew strong, and she grabbed the brim of her gray Stetson. She made a stunning picture, golden woman,