Chapter One
Ben Weston was already making his way to the front door of his house before he heard the short knock against the wood. Swinging the door open, he felt a powerful wind blow past him into his home. He thought the gust sounded a lot like his five-year-old nephew Jax, but the force moved too fast for him to be sure.
“Jax Moore, stop running and show some manners, or you can forget about a bedtime story tonight.”
Reagan Moore stepped into Ben’s house, her expression stern as she yelled after her son. Her shiny dark hair was pulled into a ponytail, which swung against her back when she moved. Her angular features bore no makeup, but her high cheekbones and wide eyes needed no enhancement. Even dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and leggings, Reagan was breathtaking, far too pretty to saddle to his oldest brother Jackson, but he and the rest of their family were glad she was. Since coming into their lives, Reagan was a fixture they wondered how they ever lived without.
And the fact that she was a good mother to his nephew only gave Ben one more reason to adore his sister-in-law.
Jax paused only for a second in his frantic search of Ben’s house. The six-year-old had Reagan’s dark eyes but Jackson’s coloring and stocky build. Even at his young age, Jax showedsigns of being tall and husky like his father. He had the wherewithal to look sheepish as he apologized for his lack of manners.
“Sorry, Uncle Ben. Hi. Where is he? I don’t see him. I can take care of him, Uncle Ben. I really can. Is he here?” Jax spoke with the same exuberance he had with doing anything. The little bundle of energy may look just like Ben’s brother, but Jax’s temperament was all his own.
Reagan sighed as she looked up at Ben in resignation. “I should never have told him why we were coming. He’s been talking about Ziggy nonstop since he got up this morning.”
Ben chuckled. “You can’t blame him for being excited. He’s been wanting a pet since he was old enough to say the word. I wish you’d let us get him one.”
Her stare turned into a glare. “No way. That boy can barely concentrate long enough to make it through the school day. I won’t have him forgetting to feed his pet or take it outside to do its business. He needs to be a little older before we add any animals to our household.”
“Here he is!” Jax shouted. “I found him!”
The little boy appeared from the back of the house, staggering under the weight of a massive cat. Its hind legs and tail trailed along the floor since the Maine coon cat was as big, if not bigger than, the little boy. To the cat’s credit, it didn’t seem to mind that Jax dragged it from room to room.
Reagan called after him. “Jax, put Ziggy down gently before you drop and hurt him.”
“Okay.” Jax attempted to lower the cat to the ground, and the cat helped him out by wiggling out of his arms until it landed on all fours.
“I still can’t believe you adopted that beast,” Reagan murmured.
Ziggy walked over to rub against Ben’s legs, purring as it moved. Ben’s hand stroked the thick fur, a pretty blend of white and gray unlike any cat he’d ever seen.
“Sometimes I can’t either,” he admitted.
Ben ran the Fire Creek Hardware Store, and he’d been working the front counter one afternoon when a customer came in asking to post a notice about a litter of Main coon cats he was giving away. Ben had been surprised when she said she wasn’t selling the expensive breed. She only wanted to find the kittens good homes. Without knowing anything about the breed, Ben agreed to take one and let his customer choose which. That’s when Ziggy came into his life.
He'd considered himself a dog person until he learned more about the cat. With his travel schedule and unpredictable personal life, the cat proved to be a decent companion. Ziggy was low-maintenance and even-tempered. When Ben had to be gone for more than a day or two, his family checked on the furball occasionally, and the rest of the time, Ziggy was content to keep to himself.
“I appreciate you checking in on Ziggy for me while I’m gone.”
Reagan watched Jax drag one of the cat’s toys along the floor and then laugh when the cat pounced on it.
“No worries. Melody told me he was easy going, so I figured this would be a good lesson in responsibility for Jax.”
Melody was married to his brother Luke and was Ziggy’s regular pet sitter. But she’d woken that morning to find a sick child. His nephew Dylan was running a fever, so Melody was at the pediatrician with her son. He didn’t hesitate to reassure her he’d find someone to care for Ziggy while he was out of town, but Melody had already reached out to Reagan to help out.
Ben pointed toward the kitchen. “Let me show you where I keep Ziggy’s food.”
Quickly explaining the workings of the automatic feeder that kept Ziggy’s water and food bowl full, he also showed her where the bags of his food were kept. Depending on how long he’d be gone on his trip, Reagan may have to replenish the feeder, and he didn’t want her having to search for anything. He also showed her how to empty the waste from the self-cleaning litter box.
“Too bad they don’t make all of this automatic stuff for babies. It sure would have come in handy when Jax was born,” she mumbled.
Ben laughed. “Speaking of baby, you hear anything from Mel about Dylan?”
“Yeah, the doctor said it’s nothing serious. A virus of some kind that’ll run its course.”
Ben stood behind the kitchen island, leaning against the sink as they talked. Reagan bent at the waist to rest her crossed arms on the counter in front of him. Her dark eyes studied him intently, and he waited for her to say whatever was on her mind.
“How areyoudoing?”
