Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Luke took in the entire scene from the porch riveted by the contrasts. Margaret angrier than he’d ever seen her. Sarah, calm and warm with her boys, nothing like he expected. Margaret described her as cold, calculating, and selfish. None of that matched anything he saw in the tired woman’s appearance, eyes, or attitude.

Exhaustion hung on her like a heavy pack weighing her down. She kept up a good front, but he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the way she stood not quite straight, her shoulders lax.

Petite compared to him, maybe five-foot-four, with long dark hair shot through with strands of red that fired in the sunlight. It looked so soft and silky, he wanted to run his fingers through it like her son had done. Her flawless skin didn’t have an ounce of makeup. Nothing needed to enhance her natural beauty, especially her red lips that even at rest held the hint of a smile.

She radiated a warmth that seemed to wrap around him.

She didn’t flaunt that lithe body and soft curves with revealing clothes. She seemed perfectly comfortable and at ease in her skin.

Everything, all of her, woke up his hibernating libido. And like a hungry bear, he wanted to feast on her.

Shaken by the sudden desire, he kept his outside impassive, despite the quake erupting inside him.

He’d lost interest in women over the years. At thirty-four, he was tired of always coming close to having something real only to have the illusion evaporate before his eyes when his name and business became more appealing than him to the woman in his life. He’d had the misfortune to fall for a couple of women who seemed sincere at the start but turned out to be opportunistic, leaving him feeling used, unhappy, unsatisfied, and like he’d failed to make the relationship what he wanted.

His parents and younger brother made love, family, and happiness look so easy.

Not so much for him.

So after getting burned one too many times he kept his interactions with women superficial and short-lived. He tired of dating. He tired of life in general. Boredom had been his constant companion as of late.

Sarah intrigued him.

But if she turned out to be the woman Margaret described . . .

He wasn’t so sure because he expected an overly done up woman with perfect hair and makeup in an expensive outfit and overpriced shoes, dripping diamonds, not the woman standing in the driveway wearing Levi’s, a simple tee, and well-worn tennis shoes.

He walked down the stairs and found a safe topic to break the ice. “Cute boys.”

Sarah startled when he spoke and her gaze landed full on him. Those brown-sugar eyes did something to his gut.

“Um, thank you. I’m Sarah. I believe my mother-in-law forgot to introduce us.” Her voice was like a slow song you never wanted to end.

“I think she overlooked it.” Luke couldn’t get over her delicate beauty. He simply enjoyed looking at her.

He caught himself staring before she noticed.

She quirked a brow and studied him with a look, clearly meant to signal an attempt at levity. “Are you the next contestant to become husband number four?”

The unexpected laugh that absurd joke evoked caught in his throat when she smiled right at him. All that warmth and humor directed right at him. Damn. “Don’t believe the rumors clogging the local grapevine.” His voice sounded harsher than he intended, but he was out of practice at being lighthearted and making jokes.

Sarah gave him a mischievous look. “I think she could give you a run for your money. After all, she’s had a lot of practice, having had three previous husbands who couldn’t keep up with her. I’m sure she’ll keep you on your toes.” She winked to let him know she was truly teasing.

Luke laughed out loud. When was the last time he laughed like that? “First of all, Margaret’s a great woman, but we are not an item. Second, I could be her son.”

The smile vanished from Sarah’s face and it looked as if a curtain had been drawn in those beautiful brown eyes.

Yeah, he needed to polish his rusty social skills.

“Excuse me, I have to check on my boys.”

Sarah sidestepped to go around him, but he blocked her way. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I see there’s bad blood between the two of you regarding Sean, but I didn’t mean anything by what I said. I’m sorry.”

The urge to touch her, offer some comfort to make her believe he meant it, overtook him, but he locked in his control once again. He hoped he could back up without crushing her to him. His whole body begged to pull this woman close.

Sarah’s rosy lips tilted in a small smile. “I accept your apology. I’m tired and a little on edge.”

He nodded, glad the tense moment had passed. “Can I help you get your luggage from the car?”

“I can manage.”

“I’m sure you can, but it wouldn’t be very neighborly of me not to assist.”

She stretched sideways and pressed a fist to her lower back. “If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate the help.”

“How much does that little guy weigh?”

“I think thirty-six pounds at his last pediatric visit. Maybe a bit more. My back says more.” She rolled her shoulders and grimaced.

Damn. Her tight jeans and pink top concealed the strength of her slight frame.

She opened the back of the SUV, revealing three suitcases, a backpack, and two large computer cases. “Did you enjoy the drive down?”

“Once the kids settled in and I finished a conference call, I got lost in the beautiful scenery.” The big yawn punctuated how tired she looked.

“Were you up late last night because of the trip down here?”

She shrugged. “Kinda. Work last night, the kids, more work this morning. A couple fires I had to put out that couldn’t wait. We got a late start on the road, but I managed.”

Luke wished she’d say more about work. He really wanted to know if she actually contributed to the company or just made a good show of it while others did everything. Still, all that plus a call in the car. “You must have had one hell of a day.”

“Every day is one hell of a day.”

Before Luke could ask her about that exhaustion-fueled comment, the boys ran down the steps calling for her.

“Mama, can I have my tablet now?” Jack asked, his eyes pleading with her.

“I’m tired. I want cartoons.” Nick yawned.

“Who are you?” This came from Jack, the more curious one.

Sarah looked up with the question in her eyes, too.

He should have properly introduced himself. His mother raised him better.

“Luke Thompson. I own the ranch behind your grandma’s house.” His eyes fell on her again and he said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Hers narrowed with anger and suspicion, but she didn’t say anything about him being the lawyer who’d contacted her about this visit because Jack jumped up and down at Luke’s feet. “Grandma says you have horses, and barn cats, and fields of corn. I like to take the leaves off corn. Can we see your horses? We’ve never seen a horse.”

Luke took the rapid-fire questions and statements in stride. “Yes, I have horses and barn cats. There is a vegetable garden that has corn growing in it. You’ve never seen a horse? What kind of place do you live that you’ve never seen a horse?”

“We live in a city and Mama won’t let us have a dog.” Jack and Nick looked accusingly at her.

“Outnumbered again. You can’t have a dog until you can take care of it yourself. Mama is too busy to take care of any more little ones all by herself. You two are more than enough.” Sarah ran a hand over each boy’s head. She tickled both of them and handed Jack the backpack.

“Grab your tablets out of the back seat, then back up to the house.” She waved her hands to get them moving.

Luke watched the pair do as they were told, then run up the porch steps. He thought of his own brother and how they were always together when they were young. “The boys are great.”

“And yet you want to take me to court and try to take them from me?”

Luke regretted that she’d put two and two together and blamed him for Margaret’s actions. “I don’t want to take you to court. I don’t think it’s good for anyone involved to fight over children. Which is why I convinced Margaret to let me send the letter requesting the visit.”

“Yes, it was a very nicely worded order to bring them here.”

He tried to explain why he got involved, even though he didn’t really want anything to do with this family drama. “Sean and I were childhood friends. Margaret was devastated by his death and she misses her grandkids.”

Sarah held her hands out wide. “Yet she’s given me the cold shoulder for the past two years. If she wanted to see them, all she had to do was call and ask.”

“Would you have brought them to her?”

“Yes. Because I’m a reasonable person.”

He actually believed her. “She doesn’t think so.”

“Because she doesn’t know me at all.”

He wondered if the things Margaret said about her were really true. “Well, she’ll get to know you over the next six weeks.” Despite the circumstances, and because of his overwhelming attraction to her, he’d like to, too.

“All she wants to know is anything she can use against me. That’s why you’re here. Right? To dig up all the dirt you can to present in court.”

“I came by to lend some moral support because she’s expecting you to make this . . . difficult.”

“Me. She’s the hostile one.”

“I have to say, you showed restraint.”

She mellowed. “I will make sure my boys have the best time they can with her because they deserve to know their grandmother. But if she thinks she can take them from me, then both of you will find you’re in for the fight of your life.”

Luke liked a challenge, but he didn’t want to fight with her. “It’s my hope, and I think Margaret’s, too, that you two will work out your differences for the kids’ sake.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, she seems like she wants to work things out.”

“Give her a little time.”

“I think it’s obvious I’ll be the one doing all the giving.”

Luke wondered about the pampered princess Margaret described and whether she and the woman standing before him were really one and the same.

Maybe over the last few years Sarah had changed.

Maybe she wasn’t at all like Margaret described.

“Now you’ve seen that I’ve delivered them to her. I assure you I will stay out of her way and let her enjoy her time with them. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get our things inside. The sun is setting, and I need to feed my bottomless boys.”

Luke wasn’t quite ready to go.

He liked a good puzzle, and Sarah was like a thousand pieces sitting on a table just waiting for him to sort out and fit together. It would nag at him until he figured out who this woman truly was. And he would find out.