Maid in Montana. SUSAN MEIER

not familiar enough with the ranch to explore. Stay on the dirt roads.”

      Sophie nodded and walked off. Jeb watched Slim’s gaze follow her, before he yanked on the stallion’s reins and turned him in the direction to catch up with Jeb. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

      “Probably for the sins you’ve committed,” Jeb agreed.

      “You like her.”

      Jeb stopped his horse. “No. I just think she’s got great legs.”

      “And a pretty face and a sweet personality—”

      “And a baby.”

      Slim laughed. “You can fool most people with that gruff voice and apparent hatred of kids, but you forget I know things about you that most people don’t know.”

      Jeb headed for the barn again. “Whatever.”

      Slim laughed again. “Don’t whatever me. Especially when I think it’s a damned good sign that you like this girl.”

      “Right. And you think the fact that she has a baby makes her perfect for me.”

      Slim grinned. “And from the fact that you brought it up first, I’m guessing you’ve already thought of it, too.”

      He hadn’t. Not until that very second. But as Slim pointed out it was a “sign” of sorts that the thought had even popped into his head. But where Slim saw it as a good sign, Jeb only felt stupid. Desperate. He hated both.

      He looked Slim in the eye. “I keep you around because you’re good at your job. But even you don’t get to poke into my personal life. Let this alone or Sophie won’t be the only one going in three weeks.”

      With the dusting and window washing done and nothing else to do, Sophie cleaned the kitchen after lunch the next day.

      “What are we going to do once this kitchen is cleaned, Brady?” she asked the baby who sat in the high chair, chewing a teething ring, watching his mom with his big blue eyes. “The man doesn’t even have furniture in most of the rooms. Once I dusted the woodwork and windowsills and ran a dry mop over the hardwood floors, I was done.