Page 14 of The Cowgirl's Secret Love
A rush of emotion shot upward, and Karen threw caution to the wind. She wrapped her arms around her newfound sister and squeezed tight. “I like you. You’re good people.”
Julia patted her on the back. “Thanks. But I mean it.”
Karen let her go and stared at Lisa and Tamara, who were watching closely. “You guys are turkeys. And you’re both kind of assholes for not warning me, but no” —Karen faced Julia— “he’s not a stalker. It’s just really complicated, and as much as I love my sisters, they like to meddle.”
“We learned from the best.” Lisa leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. “I’m sorry if Finn being around makes things tough. That wasn’t our intention.”
“What was your intention?” Karen asked. “Because right now I’m living in his house, and he offered me a job,andhe says he wants to get back together. A whole bunch of decisions and situations I was not expecting when I made the move here. This was supposed to be four months to spend time with you guys and with Tyler and my nieces. And maybe go for horseback rides and daydream about the future.”
“You’re living in his house?” Julia blinked. “Huh.”
“He offered you a job? That’s unexpected.” Lisa glanced at Ollie, who offered a sympatheticwoof.
But it was Tamara who caught Karen’s eye, her sister who had discovered how deep some of Karen’s frustrations had gone and had always found time to listen. “He wants to get back together?”
It was the part Karen didn’t want to discuss, even while she was longing to.
Quiet hovered for a moment before Lisa spoke. “What do you want?”
A snort escaped. “About which part?”
“I don’t think living in his house is a big deal. You’ve got the place to yourself, and it’s private. That’s why I didn’t say anything when Lisa and Josiah brought it up. But if it bothers you, we have room here, or you can move into one of the bunkhouses,” Tamara offered. “I do want you to be comfortable. More than that, I want you to have a good time while you’re visiting.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Karen admitted. She offered Lisa a glare. “I still don’t appreciate you pulling a fast one. ‘We know someone who needs a body in their cottage. They’d really appreciate it…’ Bah, humbug.”
Lisa held her hand in the air. “I solemnly swear to think a little harder before I do anything tricky to you in the future.”
“Or to me,” Julia popped in, laying a hand on Karen’s arm for a moment. “Sorry for butting in, but I thought this might be a good opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. No messing in my life, either. This sister thing is new, and parts of it are cool, but…” She pointed a finger back and forth between Karen and Lisa. “Meddling isn’t what I signed on for, okay?”
Baby Tyler woke, his cry ringing across the kitchen. Tamara moved easily to untangle him and start nursing. “There you go, Lisa. Julia’s already got your number.”
“You guys spoil all my fun,” Lisa said with a mock pout. She nodded agreement. “I promise to be nice, even though this is the first time in my life I’ve ever had a little sister to tease.”
“What about the job?” Julia turned the question to Karen. “Did you want to work while you were here?”
“What does he want you to do?” Tamara asked.
“Help him prep his dude ranch. The animal side of things, that is,” Karen confessed.
Julia’s eyes lit up.
“Say yes.” She popped a hand over her mouth briefly before apologizing. “Oops. It’s just that I grew up on a dude ranch, and they are all kinds of wonderful if they’re done right. That’s really where I would love to work someday.”
“I’d forgotten you said that’s where you and your mom lived.” Karen hesitated before admitting the rest. “It’s not a bad gig, to be honest. I’d get to buy horses and hire good staff. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to spend that much time around Finn, though. Not if I don’t want to get involved.”
“So that’s the real question.” Lisa raised a brow. “You don’t have to tell us why, but if you don’t want to get involved, then we will back your play. It’s up to you.”
“And if you don’t want to talk in front of me, I’m okay with that,” Julia said. “You don’t have to run your life by committee. Not even if you do have sisters.”
“Why, thank you. Although you will find having sisters means parts of your life run by committee whether you want them to or not,” Karen drawled.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, palms pressed flat to the solid surface of the kitchen island as she tried to articulate what was going through her head.
“I’d like to take the job. After spending so many years not in charge even though I had the skills, it’s like being offered the keys to a candy store.”
She opened her eyes. They all stayed quiet, which was a minor miracle when it came to sisterhood. Curiosity and concern weighed heavy in their eyes. Even Lisa’s usually lighthearted expression seemed restrained.
Karen went for it again. “I like that little cottage. It already feels a lot like home, so Iwillstay there. But thank you for the offer, Tamara.”
