“Okay.” But Zoe was still grinning as she lifted the soda from Delia’s hands and took a good long swallow. “But can I tease her later?”

“At your peril,” Maddie said, and Delia sighed.

“Can’t we talk about something else, anything else?”

“Oh, all right, fine,” Zoe said with her own sigh. “Don’t admit you have a healthy lust for an absolutely gorgeous man. Deprive yourself-see if I care.” She turned to Maddie. “Do you need any help with dinner? You’re going to have your hands full.”

At the mention of dinner, Maddie’s entire face lit up. “No, of course not. Actually, I almost feel guilty these people are paying us, since I’d do this for free.”

“Well, let’s be thankful you don’t have to.” Delia grabbed her soda back from Zoe and finished it off. Just insisting she didn’t find Cade attractive had her mouth dry as cotton. “I’m off to make sure everyone’s settled.” She sent Zoe a withering look. “And if you have so much time on your hands, you can come help me.”

Zoe smiled. “Sure, no problem.” The minute Delia turned her back to walk down the hall, Zoe whispered the name that sent shivers up her spine. “Cade.”

Delia stopped short and drew in a careful breath. “You’re cruising.”

Zoe laughed uproariously, then slipped an arm around Delia’s waist. “You’re so easy, Dee.”

“You’re going to tell Ty, aren’t you,” she said with dread.

“Oh, yeah.”

“And he’ll tell… God, this is bad. How much to keep your trap shut?”

“Such sisterly affection.” Zoe tsked, then grinned. “Take my chores tonight so I can be alone with Ty.”

“You mean-” Delia tried not to grimace “-take care of the animals?”

“Uh-huh.”

Both of them knew Delia had never been an animal lover. When they were in Los Angeles, it had never mattered, but out here, where they were now responsible for many animals every day, it’d been quite an adjustment.

Now, thanks to her own stupidity, she’d have to feed and water all of them, on her own, and she knew damn well there were huge spiders lurking everywhere in that barn. While she would have liked to grimace, it would show her fear, which Delia hated to do. “I’m truly going to kick your butt, Zoe,” she said, instead.

“Tomorrow. I’m busy tonight.” Her sister lifted her brows suggestively.

“And you’ll keep your mouth shut, right?”

“Right.” She grinned at Delia. “I love you, you know.”

“I’m still going to kick your butt.”

Zoe sighed fondly. “You love me, too.”

They survived their first day. It had taken them a while to get into their stride, but they’d done it. To settle herself down after supper, Delia worked on Zoe’s wedding dress for a time, enjoying the physical work and mental freedom as she stitched the fine lace and ivory silk dress from the pattern she’d created.

Eventually she had to set it aside because she had to do Zoe’s chores, which made her shudder in distaste. She entered the barn, prepared to hate the duty, even though secretly she was glad for the opportunity to help Zoe, who worked far too hard.

Delia worked hard, too, but her work was different, and while she wanted-needed-to do her fair share, she’d always felt her contribution to the ranch was negligible.

Guilt gnawed at her, it always did, because she’d have given anything to be needed here.

Thinking about being needed led her to worrying about Jacob and custody, which of course led her to think about the Triple M and its hopeful success, which led her to thinking about her future.

And that, for some ridiculous reason, brought her full circle to Cade. It was ridiculous because he had no intention of ever being part of anyone’s future, much less hers.

Delia sighed and turned on the lights. Just as she imagined, a huge black spider scurried from its resting place on the lightswitch and she nearly fell in her haste to back up. Shuddering, she wiped her fingers on her jeans, even though she hadn’t touched it. “Yuck,” she muttered. “There aren’t spiders that gross in the city, that’s for certain.”

Maybe not, but at least here, she had a shot of owning something for the first time in her life.

It was thrilling. Yes, each of the three sisters had wanted to be heir. It would give the deserted foster children they’d once been a heritage. A name. But it had nothing to do with greed, for no matter which of them inherited, the three of them would share equally.

Equally.

However, that wouldn’t get her Jacob.

Delia hated her lack of security; she always had. It had nothing to do with money. No, that would make her little better than her own mother had been.

It definitely had nothing to do with money.

And everything to do with worth. Self-worth. Confidence. Two things she could pretend to have fairly well but had never sincerely experienced.

And speaking of confidence… Nervously she moved from the barn door and stared at the double row of horses. “At least Zoe and Ty put you all up for the night,” she said, and several curious heads peered over the stall doors.

The one closest to her nickered softly, and Delia nearly parted company with her skin. “Okay, I can do this,” she whispered. “Hey…you guys hungry?”

Another nicker, this one not so soft and from the big guy at the end of the line. “No problem,” she said, mostly to herself. She even added a smile as she cautiously moved to where the supplies were. “Just between you and me,” she said conversationally, “Zoe is dead meat.”

She had all the horses watching her now, some more vocal than others. “You guys are a great audience.” Gaining a bit more confidence, she looked into Betsy’s eyes, the mare she’d ridden. “Give me a clue here, could you? Zoe’s told me a million times how much feed to give you, not that I listened.”

Betsy tossed her head.

“Hey, I’m trying.” She pulled on a pair of leather gloves, because having to do chores didn’t mean she had to ruin her manicure. Then, because it was there, she added a full-chested leather apron. “No sense in ruining perfectly perfect clothes,” she told Betsy. “Handmade, you know.” She pointed to her black linen trousers and soft angora sweater. With a resigned sigh, she hefted a pitchfork. “Wow, this sucker’s heavy. I’m going to have to rethink kicking Zoe’s butt if she can do this twice a day.”

The big horse at the end of the row snorted, and Delia looked at him. “You got something to say?”

He just stared at her, and she could have sworn his eyes were laughing at her. Laughing.

Like Cade’s.

“Men,” she muttered. “You’re all alike. You all think you can bat those long lashes and we’ll melt at your feet.” If she realized she was talking about Cade’s eyes, it didn’t matter, no one could hear her. “And please, don’t get me started on the smile thing. I swear, you all think a simple smile will leave us boneless and panting.”

“We can hope.” It was Cade’s voice that had her boneless now. “And there’s a frown that will scare away guests.”

Jerked out of her thoughts, her heart ricocheting madly off her ribs, Delia slowly turned around and managed to look cool. “You have a thing for sneaking up on me. Stop it.” She ran a hand down the apron, ostensibly to smooth it, but she was really pressing her hand to her racing heart to keep it from galloping away. “And for the record, I never frown.”

“Of course not. It’d give you wrinkles.”

“Bite your tongue.” She lifted her chin, and though she felt oddly weak when she wanted to be strong, she leaned on the pitchfork and studied him.

It wasn’t a hardship. He was definitely a sight that would have made a weaker female than she sigh with longing. His long lean legs were lovingly encased in soft worn denim. He wore a flannel shirt, unbuttoned over a T-shirt. Plain clothes, but they somehow took on a life of their own when stretched over his big tough body. He looked rugged…and sinful.