Free Rancher's Refuge (Whisper Falls) by Linda Goodnight Page A

forget it, either.”
    Annalisa’s tense shoulders began to relax as she returned the smile. The kids were adorable, and the father wasn’t bad, either. “It’s good to meet you. All of you.”
    “Nice cast you’ve got there.” Davis motioned to her arm. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”
    From the corner of her eye, she saw Austin turn back from the door.
    “Just a broken bone. I’ll be good as new in no time,” she quoted Dr. Ron.
    “What happened? Did you get a boo-boo?” The little girl, Paige, hopped off her stool to get a closer look. She was kitten-cute with short brown hair, a thin, elfin face and a splash of russet freckles across her nose. With brown eyes as big as half dollars, the pixie haircut was perfect on her.
    “I did. A pretty big boo-boo.” But this was nothing. The past few years of her life had been a major boo-boo.
    “Want me to pray for you?” Paige already had her hand on the green cast and her eyes closed.
    Taken aback, Annalisa didn’t know what to say, so she stood like a statue while the child’s lips moved and her face glowed with radiance. In seconds, Paige’s eyes popped open and she said, “You’ll be all better now.”
    “Uh...thank you.” That was different.
    “You want to come and sit with us? Daddy will buy you a root beer, won’t you, Daddy?”
    Her father laughed, but Annalisa could see his daughter had embarrassed him.
    “Paige,” he said, “leave the lady alone.”
    “I’m not bothering her.” She turned to Annalisa. “Am I bothering you?”
    Before Annalisa could answer, Austin’s voice came from somewhere over her shoulder. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Austin Blackwell.”
    He walked up beside her and offered a hand to Davis. “Annalisa’s staying at my place.”
    Annalisa flushed. “Temporarily.”
    Miss Evelyn, who, surprisingly, had ceased talking and moving during the exchange, started up again. “Austin, why don’t you have some more pie and get acquainted with Davis and these little cuties while I show Annalisa around? And don’t run off. I want to talk to you about something important.” She took Annalisa’s elbow and guided her to the counter. “Digger, honey, get Austin some more pie.”
    The older gentleman touched the brim of his conductor’s cap. “Coming right up. How about you, Davis? You and the kiddies want the last couple pieces? No use in good pie going to waste.”
    “I want some.” The boy, Nathan, looked at his dad with comical hope. Smaller and fairer than his sister without the benefit of freckles, the boy would someday be the image of his handsome father.
    “With ice cream on top. Okay, Daddy?” The freckled-nosed girl bounced back to her seat with all the confidence of a well-loved child. “Remember what you told the teacher? We’re great kids. We deserve it.”
    Davis ruffled her hair. “I think maybe you do.”
    Annalisa wondered how different her life might have been if she and Olivia had had a father like Davis Turner.
    But they hadn’t and she’d already spent enough years mourning what she’d never had.
    Leaving the men and children, Annalisa followed Evelyn to a tiny office with double doors, one leading in from the snack shop and the other leading out to the museum. The office wasn’t much—a telephone, a computer, a small desk and a display rack of tourist information. An assortment of brightly colored brochures proclaimed antiques shops, bed-and-breakfast inns, helicopter flights over the waterfall, a romantic boat ride down Blackberry River and a prayer chapel proclaiming the most beautiful place for weddings in the state. Whisper Falls was a lovely mix of modern tourism and down-home charm.
    “Sit right over there, hon.” Evelyn pointed at the single chair against one wall. “And tell me all about yourself.”
    The hopeful haze evaporated faster than sweat under AC. She wasn’t prepared to talk about herself. No way would she tell this sweet woman about James or the reasons