“Did you go?”

“I remember how upset Lisa was at the call. She wanted me to spend more time with her and Tommy, and she reminded me I’d promised not to work. But I still left and…and I didn’t get back when I promised I would.”

“What happened?”

“She and Tommy went on a drive without me, hoping to explore a little bit. Her Jeep broke down out in the middle of nowhere, in a sudden winter storm. They froze to death.”

“Oh, God, Cade. I’m so sorry.” She lifted a clear far-too-compassionate gaze up to his. “But how is that your fault?”

How was that his fault? How could she even ask? “I wasn’t there,” he said, his self-fury nearly choking him. “And I should have been.”

“So you could have died, as well? Oh, Cade-”

“No. No, don’t say anything. Since then, I haven’t been able to…settle in one spot for long. I just…” He was horrified at how his voice cracked. “I just wanted you to know.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said vehemently. “You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

“It was my fault. Always will be. But that’s not why I told you.” He put his hands on her shoulders, let them slide up her throat to cup her face. “I told you because if things were different, if I could settle down, I’d want to do it right here, close to you, close to Jacob and your sisters, and be a part of your life.”

Delia’s voice was very soft, her eyes very bright. “I think I just might like that, Cade McKnight.”

“But I can’t, Delia. God, I just…can’t.”

“I know,” she whispered, and because he couldn’t handle all he saw in her eyes, he took the horses and walked away.

Cade left that afternoon. He had to. The emotional roller coaster his life had become was unbearable.

Only he didn’t count on it to be unbearable from wherever he was.

In his Boise office, he worked diligently at his computer. Mostly to keep his mind occupied, but also because something about Jacob’s revelation regarding Scott’s desire for custody seemed off.

Scott Felton was an exemplary social worker and he had the accolades to prove it. To his credit, he’d also taken kids into his own home before. He shared a house with his sister, also a social worker, and they were licensed to house kids. Many times over past few years, they’d taken in kids no one else could or would.

But that didn’t ease Cade’s instinctive feeling something wasn’t right.

Calling in several markers, Cade made some phone calls and put out feelers. It all could be on the up-and-up, but he sincerely doubted that.

While he was at it, he continued his trace on Eddie Kitze, determined that if he couldn’t give Delia a future, he could at least give her back her past.

“I think the visit was a hit- Ouch!” Zoe wailed, yanking her hand out of Delia’s.

“You have a hangnail,” Delia said, calmly reaching for Zoe’s hand. She was attempting to give her a manicure. “Come back here.”

“No way, that hurt.”

Delia laughed. “You work from sunup to sundown outside in the harsh sun. You get splinters, you get rudely thrown off horses, you slam your fingers in the barn door-”

“One time,” Zoe interrupted. “I slammed my finger in the door one time, and technically that doesn’t count because it was the wind’s fault. And as for the horses, I never get thrown off.”

“My point is,” Delia said evenly, taking back Zoe’s resistant hand, “that surely you can handle one little manicure.”

Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t give a hoot about my nails. You’re trying to take your mind off something. Is it sweet little Jacob or hot sexy Cade?”

“As if I would waste one second on that man.”

“Cade,” Zoe corrected with a laugh. “His name is Cade.”

“Whatever.”

“Delia. Come on, tell me.” All joking was set aside as her sister looked at her in earnest. “Please, talk to me.”

“I’m sorry. God, you’re right, it’s stupid to torture you. I mean, polish is a complete waste on those nails.”

“Exactly.” Zoe pulled her work-roughened hands back with relief and studied her sister. “You’re worrying me, Dee. You’re keeping everything inside. It’s not good for you, remember? You told me that when I fell in love with Ty and couldn’t accept it. You and Maddie hounded me until I finally opened up, and if I hadn’t, I would have blown up.” Reaching out, she squeezed Delia’s hands. “You’re going to blow up, Delia, I can feel it. So spill it.”

“I am not going to blow up.” But wasn’t she? Couldn’t she feel the pressure building slowly but inexorably?

“Then it’s about Jacob? I mean Cade is fantastic, more than fantastic, but you’re right, you’d never let a man get to you.”

Delia nearly laughed, but it would have been hysterical. No, tough independent Delia would never let a man get to her.

And pigs could fly.

“Jacob is terrific,” Zoe said softly. “And Edna seemed to accept his coming here as inevitable. It’ll happen, Delia.”

She could only hope. But Delia still had serious doubts, and since she’d lied to her sisters, neglecting to tell them how likely it was that she wasn’t going to be worthy in the judge’s eyes, she had no one to blame but herself for having to handle this alone.

Not all alone, a little voice inside her said. Cade has been there for you since this ordeal began. Without words he’d made it clear she could always lean on him, no matter where he was or what was between them.

Well, dammit, she wanted to lean on him right now, and didn’t know how to ask.

Later that evening, Delia was alone in her room with nothing but her needle and thread for company. She loved sewing, it was relaxing. Filled with pleasure at the sight of Zoe’s wedding gown spread before her, Delia smiled and hummed to herself as she handstitched lace to silk. There’d been no new snow, and she hadn’t seen a spider in days. Things were as good as they could get.

Until the soft knock came at her door. She knew it was Cade, somehow she just knew, and for a moment her entire body went warm and still.

“Delia.”

His voice did it to her every single time, rendered her…well, stupid. She managed to stand but didn’t open the door. The handle turned, then he was there-tall, forceful, darkly handsome…and gazing at her as if she was the only woman on earth.

For a moment she let herself believe that. Then she took a second look and saw that his big body was tense, his eyes dark with concern and barely contained anger.

“What?” she whispered. “What is it?”

Now those eyes filled with something else. Regret. And she braced herself.

“Delia, Scott is up to his eyeballs in debt.”

Delia couldn’t afford to go to Los Angeles, not when she’d gone twice already and planned to go again for the custody hearing. But then Cade had shown up at the ranch with his shocking news.

Cade hadn’t just stumbled on the information regarding Scott’s financial situation. It’d taken a lot of digging, so while it ostensibly had nothing to do with Jacob, they could be certain Scott was up to something. She had no idea what, but if he owed so much and if Jacob’s inheritance was as big as Edna had led her to believe, Delia had a big problem.

First, Scott had never mentioned he wanted custody of Jacob. Why would he hide it from her? Since she’d come into the picture rather late, and for a long time there had been no one to take Jacob, it wouldn’t have been so odd for Scott to step forward. That he hadn’t seemed strange.

Second, and most disturbing, if Scott indeed managed to hide his financial trouble from the courts and won custody of Jacob, all her brother’s money would be in Scott’s control.

Coincidental? Maybe not. With all the possessiveness and protectiveness of a mother bear, she intended to watch out for her baby brother, no matter what.