M ax Logan concentrated on the road as he navigated the narrow mountain roads leading to River’s End Ranch. His boss, Adam McClain, had sent him off on a month of paid time off, so he was going to visit his foster brother, Kevin, in the frozen northland of Idaho. It was a far cry from Texas, for certain .

As he drove the narrow roads, snow began again. He’d spent several hours in a blizzard in Colorado, so it was only logical he’d hit another snowstorm in Idaho. He’d planned to take two days for the drive up, but the two had turned into four because he had to keep pulling over. Texas boys were not taught how to drive in the snow as a matter of course, unlike most of the rest of the country. And they certainly weren’t taught to drive in the mountains during snowstorms. Mountains were hard enough without snow !

As he drove, he let his mind wander. He’d lived on the McClain Boys’ Ranch since he was fourteen years old, and his mother had decided he was too unmanageable to keep around. At first, he’d hated the ranch and everything about it, including the sons of the family who ran the ranch. They’d had stupid names after some boys in a movie, which made them all stupid to his way of thinking .

And then something had happened after he’d been there for about two months. He realized he was no longer living to get in trouble. Instead, he was looking forward to the hard work they did at the ranch. He went to school all day, and studied and did chores all night. But the people at the ranch genuinely cared about him. It had been strange, but he’d gradually started to think of the place as home. When it had come time to get a job and move on, he’d gotten a job and moved—but he’d moved into the bunkhouse on the ranch property, and his job had been as a cowboy there at the ranch .

For the past five years, he’d lived in a small cabin on the property that had been built by the original orphan boys who’d made their homes at the ranch. It wasn’t big and spacious, but it was perfect for a single cowboy like him .

He felt like he owed the McClains so much after the way they’d treated him that he had never thought to use his vacation days. He’d sign up for them, but he’d work somewhere around the ranch anyway. That was why Adam, the oldest brother who now ran the ranch, had told him he was leaving the ranch for a full month. He had the vacation days saved up, and he was going to take them if it killed him .

Thinking long and hard about where he wanted to go, he’d settled on a trip to Idaho to see Kevin, who had become a pastor. He’d written awesome things about the destination ranch he now worked for—doing weddings and holding Sunday services—and Max had found himself intrigued .

He passed a sign that said Riston was only twenty miles away. With as hard as it was snowing, that would be a blessing. Kevin had arranged for him to have one of the cabins at the ranch, and he found himself getting more and more excited as he drove. He hadn’t seen Kevin since his last trip home, which had been what? Five years before? It would be good to see his favorite brother .

He followed the GPS until he reached a sign that said, “River’s End Ranch,” and he turned in the drive. The first building he saw was Kelsey’s Kafé, and he stopped in their parking lot. He needed a cup of hot coffee and some lunch. He’d call Kevin as soon as he ordered—because food was more imperative than seeing his brother—and then he’d figure out where to go next .

Leaving his pick-up truck in the small parking lot in front of the café, he hurried inside, hoping Kevin would have some warm clothes he could borrow. The men had always been close to the same size, so he was sure he could wear whatever Kevin had. He hadn’t really thought things out well when he’d left Texas. Seventy degrees in Texas had quickly turned into twenty degrees in Idaho. He would have to take some time to get used to the cold .

Rubbing his arms briskly—he hadn’t even thought to buy a coat—he looked around the café and spotted a booth in one corner, sliding into it. He grabbed a menu and glanced at it, hoping someone would come see him soon. That coffee was a necessity with as cold as he was .

A leggy blond in a pink uniform approached him. “Hi, I’m Joni. You new here ?”

Max nodded. “I’m here to visit my brother .”

She tilted her head to one side and pursed her lips. “Who would that brother be ?”

“Kevin Roberts .”

Her face lit up. “Oh, Pastor Kevin! We’re happy to have you here. Do you want to hear the specials ?”

“I just drove here from Texas with no winter coat. I think more than anything, I need a cup of coffee .”

She nodded. “I’ll get the coffee and then come back and tell you the specials. Bob made gumbo today, and that will warm you through and through .”

“Get me some gumbo with that coffee, would you?” Max was certain no one could make gumbo as well as his foster mother, Lillian, but even bad gumbo would warm him up a bit .

She grinned. “I’ll be right back !”

Max watched her go, admiring the way her backside moved in her awful uniform. If she was an example of what they had here at the ranch, he’d be happy to stay for a bit. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped Kevin’s number. “Hey, it’s Max .”

“Max! Did you make it in? When I saw it start snowing this morning, I got a little worried you wouldn’t make it today either .”

“I’m sitting in Kelsey’s Kafé. A very pretty blonde is walking toward me with a cup of coffee and a bowl of gumbo.” He winked at the blonde, who blushed just a bit .

“I can’t get away until this evening. Have lunch, then go to the main house. They’ll tell you where your cabin is,” Kevin told him. “I’ll come see you as soon as I can get away .”

“What are you busy doing? It’s not Sunday!” Max was well aware that pastors didn’t only work on Sundays, but he had to rib his long-time friend .

Kevin laughed softly. “I have a wedding tomorrow, and we’re going over vows and doing a quick rehearsal .”

Max frowned. Kevin wouldn’t have time for him the next day either! “All right. Well, come see me when you find a minute .”

“Explore the ranch. It’s an amazing place .”

“I might do that.” Max pressed the end button on his phone, not wanting to disturb Kevin any longer. He wasn’t sure why he had in his head that his brother would only work a few hours a week, but he was obviously wrong .

He smiled at the waitress who was waiting for him to finish his call. “What did you say your name was ?”

“Joni Kley .”

“Okay, Joni, tell me the specials. Looks like I’ve got some time to kill. Kevin is doing a wedding tomorrow, and they’re going over vows and stuff today .”

Joni slid into the booth across from him. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve been pulling double duty this week. I’m assistant manager, and the manager’s twins have been sick .”

“How old are the twins ?”

“Nine months. They’re girls and as adorable as can be.” Joni grinned. “If you’re here for a little while, I’m sure you’ll meet them. They’re the grandbabies of the people who owned the ranch until just recently, when they deeded it to their six kids .”

Max smiled. “Sounds like I need to meet them .”

“Okay, sorry to ramble. Specials today are Jambalaya and Bob’s ribeye. Both are fabulous. Ribeye comes with baked potato and salad. Jambalaya comes with just salad. Can’t go wrong whatever you choose. Bob is an amazing chef, but don’t ever let him know I said that !”

A man with a chef’s hat and an ornery look on his face stuck his head out of the kitchen. “I heard that, and I’ll never let you forget it !”

Joni made a face. “He won’t either. He’s a pain in my behind, and if he wasn’t such a great cook, I don’t know how any of us would put up with him .”

Max laughed. “That’s Bob, I take it ?”

“Yeah. His wife runs the bakery in the Old West town. Have you been there yet?” Joni loved the historical section of the ranch .

“No, I got to the ranch and saw the café. The café meant the siren song of coffee was calling my name, so I came on in .”

Joni grinned. “Do you want a few minutes to look over the menu? Or do you want one of the specials ?”

“I’ll take the jambalaya and another bowl of gumbo.” He pushed his coffee cup toward her. “And more coffee .”

She slid out of the booth. “Give me a minute, and I’ll have it for you .”

“How late is this place open?” he asked .

Joni glanced at her watch. “Another thirty minutes. We close at two .”

“I better hurry then !”

She shook her head. “Nah. I’m closing up today, so you just take your time. I’m out of school now, so there’s nothing to rush home to.” She had to figure out what she was going to do with her life, but for now, she was content to help Kelsi out. Soon .

“All right.” He took out his phone and checked messages as she rushed away. He was the last customer in the place, and he felt guilty making her stay, but it would take him too long to check in and find where he was staying. His food would get cold if he got it to go .

Five minutes later, he had the jambalaya in front of him, along with gumbo and another cup of coffee. He was thrilled, because he was hungry, and it was doing a lot to warm him up. He watched as Bob left the café, and then Joni came over and sat down in his booth again. She had a box with little packets of sugar, and she had all the little sugar containers from the tables. “You mind a little company ?”

He shook his head. “A man would have to be stupid to turn you down. You mentioned school. What did you go to school for?” He hadn’t gone to college himself, because he went to work for the McClains right after school. He was happy, but he wondered how his life would be different .

“Social work. I graduated in May, but I’m still working here. I thought I’d give Kelsi time to get her feet under her with the new babies before I left, but she’s pretty much done that. It’s time for me to start job hunting .”

“Social work? Are you tied to the area, or are you willing to move? Kevin and I were raised on a boys’ ranch. Adam’s always looking for good social workers .”

“Adam?”

“He’s the oldest biological son of the couple who has run the ranch for years.” Max sat back, running his fingers through his hair that had been mussed by his cowboy hat. He wasn’t sure why he wore one away from the ranch, except that he felt naked without it. “Well, kind of. The boys’ ranch was run by the McClain family, and Adam is the oldest of the McClain boys. I was sent there because I was a bit more incorrigible than your average teenage felon .”

She laughed. “Did you like it there ?”

He nodded. “It’s an amazing place. I still live and work there sixteen years later. I have a little house on the ranch now, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else .”

“And this ranch is where?” Joni had only ever lived in Idaho, but she was open to living elsewhere. Especially if they grew men like the one across from her .

“Texas hill country. Most beautiful stretch of land on God’s green earth .”

“More beautiful than River’s End? I don’t think that’s possible!” Joni would have to take him out on the ranch so he could see what a truly beautiful place he was visiting. The view from up in the mountains was absolutely breathtaking .

He shrugged. “Beautiful in a different way. I don’t know if I could leave it now. The ranch is run by the seven sons of the family. There always seem to be seven sons who run it, and they’re the sons of the youngest brother of the previous generation. It’s a bit spooky, if you ask me.” Max had never delved too deeply into the oddity of the family he worked for, because he was afraid he might really be creeped out by what he’d find .

“Do you ever see your parents?” she asked .

He shook his head. “No, my mother didn’t want to see me. I caused too many problems for her.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to see her again, but then I remember that she washed her hands of me.” He was glad he’d found a family who loved him so quickly after leaving home, but it still stung that his birth parents hadn’t wanted him. Of course, he hadn’t exactly been a model child .

Joni wanted to ask what he did that was so terrible, but she didn’t think it would be a good idea. “That’s sad. I can’t imagine doing that to a child of mine .”

He shrugged. “I messed up. That was the end of it for her .”

“But you were happy where you ended up ?”

He nodded. “I really ended up exactly where I needed to be, which was hard to believe when I got there. I really felt like I was surrounded by love for the first time in my life.” He remembered grandparents who had seemed to loved him, but he hadn’t seen them since he was five. If they’d really loved him, wouldn’t they have made an effort ?

“That’s really cool.” She smiled. “That’s the kind of work I want to do, and it’s why I got my degree in social work .”

“Well, if you’re willing to move to Texas, I’m sure I could arrange an interview with Adam.” He found himself wishing she’d agree. There was something about her. He definitely wanted to get to know her better .

She bit her lip, thinking about it. “I might be willing to interview, but it’s so far away.” She wasn’t sure she could live outside of the mountains of Idaho, though. They were in her blood. Her family had lived in Idaho for three generations .

“Adam only interviews in person, so you can’t just do it over Skype. He says he can’t get a read on people the same way if they’re not in the same room with him, whatever that means.” Again, he was afraid to ask. The McClains were just odd .

“I totally understand that. I get a better feel for people in person as well. I think that’s pretty normal .”

“I guess.” He finished his jambalaya and pushed his plate away. “Now I need to figure out where the main house is, whatever that means.” He hoped she could at least draw him a map. Finding his way around the huge ranch might be confusing .

“Give me a minute to shove your dishes in the dishwasher and start it, and I’ll ring you up and walk over to the main house with you.” She jumped to her feet and grabbed his dishes, hurrying into the kitchen with them. When she came back, she rang him up, accepting his card. “All right, let’s walk over .”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you’ve got lots of other things you’d rather be doing.” He’d heard the service on the ranch was exceptional, but she was taking it a step further than he’d expected .

She shrugged. “I love showing people the ranch. Besides, I’m pretty much alone right now. I’ll probably do karaoke at the restaurant tonight, but those are my only plans for the day. Kevin and Bridget usually go too .”

“Do I have to sing if I go to karaoke night ?”

She shook her head. “Not if you don’t want to .”

“Do you sing ?”

“Sometimes. I enjoy singing, but it depends on my mood .”

“Well, I probably won’t sing, but I sure will enjoy my time listening to others. Maybe we can get Kevin up there !”

“Pastor Kevin sings? Really ?”

“Oh, there’s a lot you don’t know about him. We had barbecues every Friday night, and he would always sing. I don’t know how they talked him into it, but he was really good. Sang all the old Garth Brooks songs. I’ve never heard anyone with as much natural talent as he had, and he wanted to be a pastor. I’ll never get it !”

“I guess there’s no way to understand what’s in other people’s minds. If he loves what he does, then we should all be happy. I can’t believe he never sings for karaoke night. They always go, and they sit and talk and hold hands. They usually go with Bridget’s twin, Kaya, and her husband, Glen .”

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Bridget yet. Is she nice?” Max found he was very curious about Kevin’s wife .

“Nice?” Joni thought about it for a moment. How could she describe Bridget accurately? “Bridget is very nice, but she’s…different than anyone you’ve ever met. I think you’ll like her .”

“I’m sure if she loves Kevin and treats him right, I’ll like her just fine. Does she work here at the ranch?” He was surprised how little he knew about Kevin’s wife .

“She runs the first-aid station. She’s a nurse.” Joni had always liked Bridget, but she was very odd. No one loved arguing about Disney princesses half as much as Bridget did .

Max visibly shivered, rubbing his arms. “How far to the main house ?”

“We’re almost there. Where’s your coat ?”

He shrugged. “I don’t even have a winter coat. I have a jacket I use in the winter, but it’s soaked through. It was warmer without it. We don’t really wear winter coats in Texas. If I need something heavier than a light jacket, I just wear a sweatshirt underneath and keep on going .”

“Really? I can’t imagine.” Joni shook her head. “I’ve always lived in Idaho, and it gets cold here in the winter. We’ll have to take you to the general store later so you can get yourself a coat .”

“General store ?”

She nodded. “We have an Old West town here, and there’s a general store. It’s laid out like an old-fashioned general store, but you can get just about everything you need there .”

“Oh, good. I thought I was going to have to steal some of Kevin’s clothes .”

Joni grinned. “He probably wouldn’t mind. There are other options, though. Do you know where you’re staying ?”

“One of the cabins, he said. I let Kevin choose the place for me. I trust him .”

“He’s a good man to trust.” She put her hand on the door to go into the main house, but he opened it for her. She walked to the front desk and smiled. “Hi, Natasha. This is Max. He’s Pastor Kevin’s brother, and he’s going to stay in one of the cabins for a bit.” She looked at Max. “How long are you here for anyway ?”

“About a month .”

Natasha grabbed a key. “This will open your front and back doors.” She pulled out a map and circled a square on it. “You’re here, but you want to go to your cabin, which is here. Follow the road around .”

Max nodded, taking the key and the map. “Thank you .”

“Do you want to put a credit card on file for incidentals ?”

He pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Can I charge meals to my room ?”

“In the restaurant you can, but not in the café. We have too many locals eating there for it to be practical.” Natasha handed him a few brochures. “This will explain everything we do here at the ranch. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay .”

Max eyed Joni. “I have a feeling I’m going to love it here .”