Page 1 of Sweet Temptation

Chapter One

Checking his watch, Garret shoved the kitchen door open. Lingering scents of roast beef and fresh biscuits told him he wasn’t too late for dinner. The familiar sounds of his family drifted from the dining room—Mason’s excited chatter, Carson’s measured responses, Jillian’s gentle laughter, and, of course, his mother directing the evening. After a day of corralling seventh graders through the complexities of American history, followed by two hours of mending the fence line, all he wanted was food and his bed, in that order.

“There he is.” His mom grinned up at him. “A little longer and I was going to send Brady to go find you.”

The retired military dog, lounging at Mason’s feet, barely lifted his head at the mention of his name.

“Sorry.” Garret slid into his seat between Rachel and Preston. “I had a meeting after school with some parents that ran long and I’d told Clint that I would take care of the break in the fence by the east line that needed attention.”

Rachel passed him the mashed potatoes. “You look dead on your feet.”

“Says the woman who works day and night to save the world.” Serving spoon in hand, he loaded his plate.

“To another day of the Sweet siblings burning the candle at both ends.” Seated across from them, Jillian raised her water glass. “No pun intended.”

That made just about everyone at the table chuckle. His sister Jillian’s candle shop Heaven Scent had become one of the most popular shops on Main Street.

Garret dug into his food, the home-cooked meal a major step up from the sandwich he’d hastily swallowed hours ago between classes. At the head of the table, despite the financial tightrope everyone walked, his mother beamed at her assembled family. Preston and Carson’s recent marriages had done a lot to ease some of the pressure, but there was still a long way to go. Since his sisters were having a hard time finding temporary spouses, and Kade was serving in the military overseas, the short straw, so to speak, fell to Garret. He needed to find a reasonable woman willing to play house with him—in name only, of course—sooner than later.

“Any sign of the horses?” Her plate empty, his mother dabbed at the corner of her mouth with the napkin. “Clint is wondering if maybe it’s not the cattle, but the horses knocking down the fences.”

“Could be.” Preston nodded. “It would certainly explain why it’s only become a problem recently.”

The idea of the problem being wild horses and not decrepit fence posts sat much better with Garret. Especially since the ranch was still bleeding red ink. Big time.

“Your father would have loved having wild horses on the ranch.” His mom chuckled to herself. “Well, until they tore down the first fence.”

Again, the family around the table laughed with their mother. Chatter continued through dessert. Mason had grown restless and excused himself from the table, Brady faithfully following him. Until Mason arrived, Brady was their mother’s keeper, but not anymore.

Pushing away from the table, Carson stood and came around to Garret’s seat. “I’m heading upstairs to make sure Mason’s getting started on his homework.” He glanced up, waiting for his mom to carry her dishes into the kitchen, then leaned over, speaking softly. “Family meeting in Dad’s study.”

Garret nodded. That could only mean one thing. A financial update, or heaven forbid, a new problem.

“Nonnie.” Jess came off the bottom step and swung around into the kitchen.

His mom had already popped her head out. “You rang?”

“You’re being paged. Mason didn’t have much homework. Now he wants Nonnie to read him a story, or ten, before bed.”

Smiling wider than the Cheshire Cat, their mom tossed the dishrag aside and hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

One by one, the siblings and their spouses each filed into the study. The habit of gathering here to discuss the ranch happenings had become second nature.

“So, what’s the story?” Jillian asked.

“Morning Glory,” Rachel sang.

“What’s the word,” Sarah Sue chimed in.

To Garret’s surprise, all three giggling, sang—loudly, “Hummingbird.”

The three brothers looked to each other and then to the women now laughing like schoolgirls.

“What’s the deal?” Preston asked from his seat at the desk.

“Don’t you rememberBye Bye Birdie?” Rachel looked at him as if he’d forgotten his own birthday.

All three men shook their heads.

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