After dinner was finished, Adam looked over at Tiffani. “I’d love to walk you home, if you don’t mind.”

Tiffani got to her feet. “That would be lovely. Would you like me to help with the dishes first, Lillian?”

“Absolutely not! You go have fun with Adam. I know you’re still unpacking. I can handle the dishes…you go work on your house. You should have Adam help you unpack. He’s good at that.”

“He is? Have you moved often?” Tiffani was under the impression he’d grown up in that house.

“Only for college and medical school.” Adam walked toward the door, opening it for her.

He must really be the psychiatrist she’d read about. She had hoped she was wrong. “A doctor?”

“I’m a psychiatrist. My main purpose is to counsel the boys, and I also run the ranch. Dad still has his hands in, but just a bit. Most of it falls on my shoulders now.” Adam wanted to reach for her hand as they walked, but he knew she didn’t have the advantage of knowing they’d marry someday, like he did. His father’s visions of the future had always been more than a little helpful.

“I see. Did your mom ever help run the ranch?”

“I understand she did before I was born, but she had seven boys in seven years. She stayed home and took care of us. Her beliefs were that it was important for a mother to be with her children.”

“And you have the whole Seven Brides for Seven Brothers thing happening with your names. I know I read that somewhere.”

“Yeah, well…my mother has always had a thing for that movie. I’ve seen it hundreds of times because of her obsession with it. When she married Dad, she knew she’d do the whole seven sons thing, because it’s what my family has done for generation upon generation. No girls, just boys. So anyway, she figured if she was going to have seven sons, she might as well pay homage to her favorite movie. So we’re named after the brothers from the movie.”

“Did she really name one of you Frankincense?”

“No, she didn’t, but we still call him that anyway. It makes him crazy.” Adam shrugged. “I can’t count the number of times he’s clobbered Gideon for calling him that.”

“Gideon? Why only Gideon?”

“Gideon was the only one smaller than him, because he was the second youngest. I used to slip Gideon a five-dollar bill and tell him to call Frank Frankincense whenever I was annoyed and wanted to see a fight. Brothers do these things.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “And you were here on a boys’ ranch doing all that. Did your parents ever think of making you live with the riff raff?”

He frowned. “I know you’re joking, but please don’t call our boys that again. We treat them as if they were members of the family. Mom actually ended up raising eight boys in our house. There was a Kevin mixed in.”

“How did that happen?” Tiffani asked with a frown. Why hadn’t she read about Kevin?

“Kevin was left on our doorstep. He had a note pinned to him that named him Kevin, but that was it. He grew up in the house with us, because he came as an infant. Mom never legally adopted him, because she didn’t want it to bother the other boys on the ranch that they weren’t legally adopted.” He shrugged. “I don’t know that it would have been a problem, but Mom has always had a lot of empathy. Not as much as me, but she has a lot.”

“What does that mean? You consider yourself empathic?”

Adam considered his words carefully. He knew she was safe to know the family secret because they’d marry someday. But was it too soon? “I am empathic. I need to tell you a little more about my family.”

She gave him an odd look. They’d reached her cabin. “Do you want to come in for a glass of water? We can discuss it now.”

“I’d really like that.” He opened the door, going in and sitting on the sofa there in the cabin, waiting for her to bring the water, and thinking hard about exactly how he wanted to explain all this to her.

She came back, handed him the water, and took a seat beside him on the couch, making sure to leave an entire couch cushion between them. She was very interested in him, but he was her boss. How she was going to keep herself in line while she worked for him, she had no idea.

“Tell me about your family!”

“Well, you know about the whole seven sons for the seventh son in every generation. The first six boys don’t have to worry about having seven sons, but the youngest does. Every seventh son has some sort of…I don’t know exactly how to explain it. Highly developed sense? Anyway, my dad has the ability to see visions of the future. Just little snapshots. He can’t control them, though.”

“That’s fascinating. But the other sons don’t have that?”

“Not usually. Here’s the deal though…we’re the seventh generation. Every seventh generation, all of the brothers have it. So my brothers and I all have slight powers.”

Tiffani blinked at him for a moment. “And your power is empathy?”

Adam nodded. “It is. I can feel the disbelief washing off you now.” He reached over and took her hand. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. We all have something special. Benjamin can make plants grow. He just holds his hand over a plant and it grows before your eyes. Caleb has a sixth sense for danger. He always knows if one of the boys is about to get himself in trouble.”

She shook her head. “People told me your family was weird. I see why now.”

“Because we really believe this stuff?” He sighed. “You’ll see it. Do you want to hear the rest?”

She nodded despite herself. “Yes, tell me them all.”

“Daniel has the ability to heal. He can put his hand over a cut or a bruise to heal it. Now he doesn’t have the ability to cure cancer or anything like that, but he can do minor healings. And he can take the pain of something away.” He could feel the disbelief rolling off of her, but it was all right. She’d see in time. “Ephraim is our animal whisperer. He can communicate with most animals. We realized that was his ability when a rattle snake rose to strike him and he made eye contact with the snake and it slithered away. He was only three at the time.”

“Why haven’t you been studied? If this is all real—and I’m still not sure that I believe it—wouldn’t the universities be sending people out to study you?”

Adam shook his head. “We don’t tell people about it. Even our former fundraising coordinator didn’t know, and she worked for the family for fifty years.”

“Why are you telling me, then?”

He shrugged, looking away. “Dad told me you were safe.” He couldn’t tell her yet that they were destined to marry. Nothing would freak a girl out more than that.

“What about Frank?”

“Frank has the ability to calm others. He can send out an aura—that’s not scientific, but it’s the best way to explain it—and all the boys in his vicinity calm down. You’ll find that anytime there’s a fight or argument among the boys, he’s called in to calm them.” Adam watched her again, now that their future wasn’t being discussed. He needed her to believe him, but he wasn’t sure why. He’d hidden this for so long, and she was the first person he’d ever personally told.

“I could see that being very useful here. And Gideon?”

“Gideon’s…special. He has all of the abilities to a lesser degree. I can’t live among the boys. All of my brothers team up and run the homes the boys live in. I can’t, because I can’t sleep at night. I am so barraged with the feelings of teenage angst and hormones that I’m overwhelmed. But Gideon can shut off his empathy, which is something I’ve always wished I could do.”

“He can? I can see where that would be very handy!” Tiffani frowned at him. “I’m starting to believe you. Does that make me as crazy as you are?”

He laughed softly. “None of us are crazy.” He looked down at the hand he still held, running his thumb lightly over the palm. “I’m glad you’re at least allowing for the possibility that I’m telling you the truth. It matters a lot to me.”

She looked at him, slightly afraid of all he was telling her…and what she was feeling for him. “I bet you were thought of as strange in school.”

“Definitely! We’re all fourteen months apart, and all of our birthdays are on the seventh. It’s just crazy, really. But it’s our lives. I never played team sports. I could feel how badly the other team wanted to win, so I’d deliberately throw the game because they obviously wanted it more than we did. But then I’d feel the disappointment and anger from my teammates. It was always better if I just backed away and played tennis or something, where I wasn’t quite as close to my opponent.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine trying to live that way.”

Adam shrugged. “It’s all I’ve ever known. In daily life I consider it a handicap, but when I’m working with the boys, it’s so much easier to get through to them when I know how they feel.”

“I can see that.” Her eyes met his. “I can see why you don’t want this to get out. People would wonder why you don’t just find a way to see the lottery numbers, so you don’t have to do the fundraising.”

Adam felt a slow blush creep over his face. “We use the money from the fundraising to make sure each boy has a trust fund by the time he leaves the ranch. The money from our lottery winnings pays for the ranch and our survival.”

She stared at him with surprise. “Then why do you go to all the trouble of your big fundraising event every year? That makes no sense to me at all.”

“It gives the boys something to work toward. Plus it gives us a real reason for having the money to raise the boys. Everyone knows that our family is independently wealthy from our cattle baron days, but they don’t know we get money all the time from lottery winnings. Dad gets flashes of numbers, and we collect the money from it. We’ve never had a big win and the publicity that brings, but we often win a couple hundred thousand per year.”

“Wow. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure how to pull this together now.”

“It’ll come to you. You’re free to pick my brain on past events. Mom and Dad will both talk to you. Even talk to the boys. Maybe have them put in suggestions for what they think would work. Most of the boys have been here at least a year, so they’ve seen the event. They look forward to it all year. They don’t know what I’ve told you today. No one does. Dad told me you were safe to tell, so I have, but I want you to be sure not to share that information with anyone.”

“I won’t tell anyone. If you need me to sign a confidentiality agreement, I’m more than willing.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Adam got to his feet. “Now, can I help you with your unpacking?”

“I can’t ask my boss to help me unpack!” Tiffani looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“I don’t know why not? I’m more than willing.”

“I thought it bothered you to be around people.” She didn’t understand his limitations, but she wanted to. If he was someone who hurt when he was around others, then she needed to know about it.

“I don’t mind being around you.” He took a step toward her, knowing as he did it, he was making a mistake. He felt for her emotions, but only excitement came back at him. “I think you’re beautiful, Tiffani.”

She swallowed hard, looking up at him. The words from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers came back to her as she looked at him. “They’re all as tall as church steeples.” She thought it was Martha who said that, but she wasn’t sure. “I…I’m not sure what to say to that. I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful.”

He cupped her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes. “Well, you are. I want nothing more than to kiss you.”

She blinked up at him, surprised. “But you’re my boss…”

“I can understand your worry there. We have no rules in our company about it, though, so it’s all good.”

“It’s not a good idea, though.” Even as she said it, she knew she wouldn’t stop him if he kissed her. His eyes drew her in…so deeply she wasn’t sure she ever wanted out.

He sighed. “I’m not going to take the decision from you. May I kiss you, Tiffani?”

All the reasons she shouldn’t rushed through her mind, but she wanted him to kiss her. So badly. She’d waited years for her first kiss, never trusting a man enough to let him that close to her. “Yes.” The word was a mere whisper. She knew it was a bad idea, but it was so tempting. It was like she was diabetic and a huge chocolate cake was sitting in front of her calling her name.

Adam took a step closer to her and tilted her face up for his kiss. His lips just brushed hers briefly, just enough to make her tingle from head to toe.

“That was a very bad idea,” Adam told her stepping back. He felt her emotions as well as his own, and he walked toward the door, feeling like he’d never be able to take his hands from her again. He felt her sadness following him, but he couldn’t stop. Not without grabbing her and never letting her go. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tiffani grabbed hold of the chair in front of her, doing her best to keep from wobbling. Her knees were weak. He was something else. But why had he run from her?

She sank down onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. Whatever was happening with him, he couldn’t blow hot and cold that way. It was messing with her mind.

After a while, she stood up and set herself to unpacking her things. She at least needed her clothes hanging in the closet before morning. And her coffee pot. She was going to need a lot of coffee in the morning.

She went to the freezer when she was done with those two tasks, getting herself a cup of ice to sit and chew, and then she sat down. She picked up her phone and treated herself to one of her favorite shows on Netflix. Sometimes watching the next episode in your current series made all the difference in the world.

* * *

Adam waited until he was out of eyesight of the cabin and slumped against a building. What had possessed him to kiss her before she knew they were meant to marry? He couldn’t just tell her that the combination of their emotions was so powerful he could think of nothing but her. He had to get himself under control if he was going to work with her.

Of course he didn’t care about working with her at all. It would be good to have the fundraising in the family, but as far as he was concerned, she’d moved to the ranch to be his wife. He just had to figure out how to convince her of that.

He’d always been a strong Christian, and he didn’t think premarital sex was good. Tonight was the first time he’d ever been even tempted. He had his morals, and he knew where he stood on just about everything. Never before had emotions rushed through him so hard, forcing him to think beyond his morals. He’d had to get out of there to keep something from happening.

He almost understood why they used to use chaperones. Maybe he should have one of the boys always tagging along when he saw her. If she’d ever see him again. He was going to have to explain just how powerfully their emotions had run through him, and pray his hardest that she’d understand why he’d run. What red-blooded man in this day and age didn’t give in to his emotions?

He took a deep breath and straightened up, heading back up to the ranch house. He had to get himself under control so he could sleep. Maybe his mother would have a homemade sleep remedy if he begged. She usually had some warm milk or chamomile tea up her sleeve when he was having trouble settling down.

He got to the house as she was heading up the stairs to bed. Lillian took one look at his face and hurried down the stairs. “Are you all right?”

Adam nodded. “She’s definitely the one I’m meant to marry.”

Lillian smiled. “I think I understand. Let me get you some warm milk. Do you want to talk? I can get your father.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think I can talk about it at the moment.” Sitting at the dining room table, he stared off into space for a moment, while waiting for the milk.

Lillian set the mug of warm milk in front of him. “I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” She stroked his hair from his face. “I’ve been looking forward to the day you’d fall in love since the moment you were born.”

“I don’t know if it’s love yet, but it’s coming.”

“Love rarely comes first for a man. Goodnight.”

He drank his warm milk, willing it to do the trick. He couldn’t lie awake thinking about her all night and be productive with her the next day. She was his responsibility, and that’s all there was to it.