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

she’d ended up in Whisper Falls.
    But she had to say something.
    She fidgeted, cleared her throat. It seemed stuck full of the lies she didn’t want to tell. “I— There’s not much to say. I’m a good worker. Honest.” Most of the time. “I learn fast.” Though I didn’t learn my lesson about James nearly fast enough.
    “Cassie tells me you’ve been down on your luck a bit.”
    “That’s right.” Please don’t ask me why. “That’s the reason I need to find employment. The Blackwells have been very kind, but I prefer to pay my own way.”
    “You been friends with Austin and Cassie a long time?”
    “Not long.”
    “They’re good kids.” Miss Evelyn chuckled. “Well, they’re kids to me. That Cassie, she’s a dilly. Austin’s on the quiet side. Keeps to himself, but I’m thinking he needs to come out of his shell. Maybe you can help me with that. I can’t quite figure him out.”
    “Welcome to the club.”
    “You, too, huh?”
    When Annalisa nodded, Miss Evelyn went on, “Got our work cut out, then. But I got me some ideas percolating.”
    Annalisa had no clue what she meant. “Ideas about a job?”
    “About Austin.”
    “Oh.”
    “Let’s talk about your employment problem first. I’ll work on Austin later. Here’s what I think. Uncle Digger, bless his heart, prefers tinkering with the museum and the train to working in that snack shop. He’s the perfect person to man the museum desk and tell folks all about the town and our wonderful recreational amenities. I’m busy as a beaver at a wood chopping contest with the city council and the tourism board, especially now when we’re gearing up for Pumpkin Fest.” She glanced at a giant pocket watch hanging on the wall. “I should be over at city hall right now. So what do you say? Do you want to try your hand—” she chuckled at the reference to Annalisa’s broken arm “—at the snack shop? Doesn’t pay much, but the work is easy, the people are friendly and you can get acquainted with practically everyone in town.”
    “Will you mind that I’m slow at first until I get a smaller cast?” Annalisa elevated the prohibitive green plaster, her arm frozen at a right angle.
    Miss Evelyn laughed heartily. “Hon, anyone is faster than Uncle Digger. You’ll do fine.”
    Relief flowed through Annalisa. Somehow they’d gotten past all the usual employment questions and personal history. Maybe God was watching out for her after all.
    * * *
    Austin stirred his fork in the puddle of melting ice cream and waited for the women to return. He didn’t know what Miss Evelyn wanted with him, but she’d said it was important, and he didn’t mind the wait. He worried about leaving Annalisa alone in a strange place, especially out in public. The unknown whereabouts of James the jerk made him nervous. His fingers tightened around the fork. Even though he knew better, he itched to throw a couple of good punches if the sleazeball decided to show his face in Whisper Falls.
    “You own the ranch near the waterfall, don’t you?” Davis Turner asked, interrupting his thoughts of revenge. “The pretty ranch that sets down in the valley.”
    Austin put his fork down and shifted slightly toward the other man. “That’s my place. Have you been out my way?”
    “The kids and I picnicked near the waterfall a few weeks ago. Paige would take a tent and move out there if I’d let her.” The little girl grinned up at her dad. “Beautiful area.”
    “We like it. It’s peaceful.” Or it had been until the Whisper Falls madness began and a certain blonde whacked him upside the head.
    His ears strained toward the closed office. What was taking her and Evelyn so long?
    “You got a ranch?” Davis Turner’s little boy eyed Austin’s boots and hat with interest. “Do you have horses, too?”
    Austin dipped his head at the eager face and a mouth smeared with vanilla ice cream. “Sure do. You must like horses.”
    “Yes, but Daddy says you can’t have a