Mirror Image Bride. Barbara McMahon

anything crucial he needed to deal with, so he left the women at his place and headed out to the barn.

      He’d never gone shopping with girls before. He’d loved the expression on Darcy’s face when she saw herself completely clothed in jeans, shirt, boots and hat. She’d beamed her delight. He’d felt another clutch in his heart. He’d wanted to sweep her up into his arms, hug her, and promise to never let anything harm her.

      That would have freaked her out, he expected. She was still wary around him, as if she couldn’t believe he was truly her father. Who blamed her, after Brittany telling her for eight years that he was dead? She hadn’t even told Darcy his name. That hurt.

      Nothing he could do about the past. He had to move forward and hope before long she’d know they could make a happy family together.

      He had to hand it to Maddie. She smoothed everything. Acting as a kind of buffer between him and Darcy, she kept things on an even keel. For a moment he wished she wouldn’t return to Fort Worth. That she’d find her place here on the ranch. Frowning at the thought, he tried to banish it. He had work to do, not time to fantasize about a future that was never likely to materialize.