The Riskiest Business Of All
For firefighter Caley Foster, every day is an adrenaline rush. Now that she’s back in Broken Bend, Louisiana, it’s clear that putting down roots may be just as tough as putting out fires. To her surprise, sweet Ava next door makes Caley’s new nanny job feel fulfilling. But Ava’s single father, rancher Brady McCullough, is a play-it-safe kind of fellow...not what Caley’s used to facing. He’s focused on protecting Ava—yet he can’t ignore Caley’s incredible effect on her. Or on his guarded heart. And with a leap of faith, they might both find life’s best adventure: love.
“Sort of dangerous up here, isn’t it?”
He didn’t look down, but focused on Caley’s eyes glittering in the moonlight. Talk about dangerous.
“The view is great.” She gestured to the sky. “It was one of the things I’d missed about country life.”
He felt himself being pulled in, like a moth to a lit candle. Against his will. Fascinated. Yet destined to get burned. “What else did you miss?”
“Peace and quiet. And space.”
“So why’d you leave?”
“Long story.”
Closed door on that topic. Probably for the best. He didn’t need to carry her secrets, even if some deep-rooted part of him wanted to.
“I better get back. Have a good night.”
“You, too. See you tomorrow.” Caley smiled her goodbye, but didn’t make a move to go inside. She remained staring at the stars.
Leaving Brady to wish, as he ambled away, that he could see what she did.
BETSY ST. AMANT
loves polka-dot shoes, chocolate and sharing the good news of God’s grace through her novels. She has a bachelor’s degree in Christian communications from Louisiana Baptist University and is actively pursuing a career in inspirational writing. Betsy resides in northern Louisiana with her husband and daughter and enjoys reading, kickboxing and spending quality time with her family.
The Rancher Next Door
Betsy St. Amant
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom
which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
—Hebrews 12:28,29
To my husband, Brandon, who is both a cowboy and a fireman. I get the best of both worlds! I love you.
In memory of Rodney Roach—
beloved rancher who fought the good fight and is now saddlin’ up in heaven.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, for her constant support and belief in me, and to my editor, Emily Rodmell, for always knowing just where to take my stories to make them better! Also a sincere thank-you to my mother for being the world’s greatest Nana and giving me so many free hours of babysitting so I can write and stay somewhat sane. Thanks to my fabulous critique partner Georgiana, for catching all the typos I miss and letting me know when my characters get bloody lips or whiplash (wink). And as always, thanks to my bestie Lori, who has brainstormed more than one novel with me while we sit on the kitchen floor and toss bouncy balls
to our kids from four states away.
Contents
Chapter One
Caley Foster really wanted to put out a fire.
Or, for that matter, do anything more exciting than unload the rest of the boxes secured in the back of her beat-up red truck.
But that wasn’t going to happen today. With a resigned sigh, Caley hiked one booted foot on the tire, shimmied over the edge of the truck and landed with a thump in the bed crammed full of boxes and tubs. She’d have thought after living in nine different cities in the past three years that she’d be used to moving by now—but this time felt different. Maybe because this time, she had to stay awhile.
Too bad whoever said you can’t go home again hadn’t meant it literally.
Caley’s two-year-old black Labrador barked at her from the driveway as she began to shove yet another box across the rusted bed toward the open tailgate. “Scooter, like I told you before, it’s going to take me a while to find the dog biscuits.” She grunted as the box caught on an exposed bolt, and pushed again. Some days she almost regretted rescuing the hyper stray from a warehouse fire. But it was nice to take a friendly face along on her many travels, one who actually seemed to understand her.
Scooter barked again, and she wrinkled her nose at him. “Be patient, unless you want to do this work yourself.”
A sudden giggle floated on the breeze toward Caley and wrapped around her ears like a cozy set of muffs. She glanced up with surprise, midpush, just in time to see a young blonde girl perched on the fence dividing her meager property from the sprawling acres of the Double C Ranch next door—and just in time to send her