Chapter One

      The numbers blurred on the computer screen as the reality of Danica’s financial situation became clear. The bank statement bore the proof that her dream of a thriving animal sanctuary was morphing into a nightmare. She rubbed her eyes and opened the grant proposal file.

      Linda Edward had trusted her to take care of the fur babies. Danica’s father thought it was a waste of time and money, but it wasn’t only her dream in jeopardy. The animals depended on the facility. There were a couple of big cats and a crippled bear that had nowhere else to go.

      She leaned back and sighed. Was she fighting so hard just to prove her father wrong? He had always been right before. Glancing above her desk, she took the time to count her blessings.

      Most days, the montage of family pictures and her daughters’ artwork inspired her. Including one photo with her and her mother bottle-feeding an injured fawn. It had been taken the week before her mother’s accident. Danica had been the same age her twins were now when she lost her mother.

      Her sisters reassured her their mom would be one hundred percent on board with the sanctuary. Nikki, her oldest sister, told her to ignore her father’s grumbling. It was just his way of dealing with anxiety. With her history, he had a good reason to worry.

      Scanning the happy memories and big life events, she realized one was missing. The only photo from her wedding. It was hidden away in her room, deep in her closet. She’d thought about burning it, but one day her twins might have questions.

      Her daughters. Her fingertips brushed the rhinestone clusters along the edge of the frame the girls had made. They had their father’s beautiful eyes. As much as Reid’s abandonment had almost destroyed her, he’d also given her the greatest gift. Her five-year-old twins inspired her to be a fighter.

      Leaning back, she pulled a folder from the cabinet behind her. Enough musing—she had a future to figure out. The past was the past.

      Danica needed a plan to save the animals. Otherwise, the wildlife rescue would be forced to close its doors, and she’d lose the land. The spiral of death swirled on the outdated computer. Waiting, she swiveled the old office chair to the right. The large window faced the east.

      From here, she could see a couple of ponies playing with a miniature donkey. They’d been rescued from a roadside carnival, and now the trio romped in the sun.

      Finally, the file opened. Before she started, a vehicle crunched the gravel in the front drive. Praying it was the exciting news James had hinted about at church on Sunday, she made her way to the door. As the local parole officer, he often sent her workers that needed community hours. Free labor was always a win.

      The old unmarked Uvalde County car came to a stop at her door. Hope surged through her veins. James Bolton was also on her board, and he knew she needed someone who could manage the unique diet plans and daily health issues of multiple species, along with transportation. It was hard to find trained and experienced people who were willing to work for free. If he had a parolee with that background, it would be a perfect fit for what she needed to complete the application.

      Standing next to the patrol car, James waved. “Hey, beautiful. I come bearing gifts. You can take me to the movies to show your gratitude.” He wiggled his dark blond eyebrows.

      She shook her head and grinned. The county officer was always flirting with her, but she never took him seriously. “James Bolton, you’d hate the movie I’d make you see.” She glanced to the passenger’s side of the car. He went around to open the back door, but the man stayed inside. With the partition between the seats, she couldn’t make out much.

      If he was a vet tech, she might run and hug him. On the edge of the step, she turned to James. “Please tell me your latest ward is certified in animal husbandry?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      Everything inside her wanted to dance and sing. She lifted her face to the sun. Thank You, God.

      A hand appeared on the top of the door, and in slow motion the man straightened. His head stayed down, the cowboy hat blocking his face. He was over six feet tall and well built. Younger than she’d expected. He didn’t move. She hoped he was all right.

      The man just stood there for a while. He removed his cowboy hat and slowly raised his head. His eyes reached hers.

      A rush of ice froze her blood in its place. There was no way. She could not be seeing the person she thought she was seeing. It didn’t make sense. Rubbing her eyes, she looked again. His dark skin highlighted startling gray-green eyes that stared straight at her. The exact same eyes as her daughters’.

      “Danica, this is my latest parolee, Reid McAllister. He comes with exceptional references and the experience you need. Reid, this is...”

      James kept talking, but he no longer existed in her world. Reid McAllister stood in front of her. The man who had vowed to love her forever, before she knew how short forever was.

      After a six-year vanishing act, her husband, the father of her twins, stood at the steps of her sanctuary.

      Her heart stopped, and her knees went numb. To remain standing, she wrapped her fingers around the post. Her girls!

      In a panic, her gaze darted around the area. The girls weren’t here. They were safe with her sister. Forcing her attention back to James, she took a deep breath and tried to gain control of her brain.

      That was a problem she always had around Reid. Crazy sounded fun and reasonable. But the impulsive, reckless girl she’d been was gone now. She needed sensible, rational thoughts.

      No one knew she was foolish enough to elope and marry a man her father didn’t even like, except the man standing in front of her. A parolee.

      Reid in prison? She was going to lose her lunch.

      Strong fingers gripped her elbow. Blinking, she focused on her friend. He was safe. James stepped closer. “Do you need to sit down? Are you sick? What’s wrong?”

      He led her to the large wooden bench by the front door. Looking over the uniformed shoulder, she found Reid. At some point, he had moved closer to her and now stood at the bottom of the steps, hands in his pockets.

      His expression was as hard as the cold stone of the Texas Hill Country. This man wasn’t her Reid.

      Her Reid had always had a smile and a spark in his eyes for her. The gray-green of his irises struck her, but they looked flat and cold now. His black hair was cropped close to his skull. What had he done to end up in prison, and why hadn’t he told her?

      She rubbed her head. “It hurts.”

      “I’m going to get you some water and aspirin. Don’t move.” James disappeared through the front door.

      Reid was as still as a snake trying to hide in the tall grass. He just stood there and stared at her, his full lips in a small snarl. Acting like a rescue animal that didn’t trust anyone, even the ones trying to help. He had no right to be mad at her. She was the injured party here.

      “Are you dating him?” Each word tight and low.

      Anger jolted through her. Standing, she took a step forward, then stopped. “Six years without a word and...that’s not any of your business.”

      There