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wallpapered the bathroom and back of the store with a pretty blueberry and lemon design. Very French kitchen.”
    “When do you find time for everything you do?”
    Valentine smiled. “When Annette naps.”
    He looked at her, remembering how the brothers had doubted her at one time. It just went to show that anybody who wanted to make something of themselves could, if they were given a helping hand at the right time.
    She certainly had made her mark on Union Junction.
    Kenny and Minnie selected cookies, a frostedrose for Minnie and a powdered chocolate crinkle for Kenny.
    “Thank you, Aunt Valentine,” they said, scurrying across the street to the Union Junction beauty salon where Lily, her host of stylists and the new stray resided.
    “That was sweet of you to bring them to town,” Valentine said.
    “I was shanghaied.”
    “Sure.” She laughed. “Cookie?”
    “Nah. I don’t eat many sweets.”
    “Crockett! All you Jeffersons eat a ton of sweets!”
    He grunted, looking around at the empty shop. Every white-painted table in the room seemed to have napkins and cups on it. “Break in the action?”
    “Yes.” She closed a cabinet and straightened. “If you’d been here five minutes ago, you would have seen half the town. I ran a sale for charity between eleven and twelve. All donations go to the pet adoption center Lily has decided to open.”
    “Good cause.” He tossed some money into the jar he now saw on the counter. It was stuffed full of bills. “Nice haul.”
    Valentine beamed. “Everybody wants good homes for pets. Thankfully, Lily decided it was a project she could handle.”
    “Glad I missed the crowd.”
    “Come back and see the wallpaper.”
    He didn’t care about wallpaper, but he willingly followed Valentine. “You did this yourself?” he asked, staring up at the scalloped edges neatly encircling the room. Sunny lemons and blueberries decorated the French vanilla-colored walls. “Cheery.”
    “Thank you. I’m very proud of it.” Touching his arm, she said, “I want you to tell your brothers that I’m taking good care of their investment.”
    “Oh, hell, I don’t think they care—Valentine, everybody’s just happy that you’re happy. You bring something special to the ranch, and we were glad to give you a start. I’m proud of you.”
    She smiled at him. “But I don’t think you know what it means to be given a chance.” How could she explain? Her destiny was in her own hands now; her talent was her future—because of their faith.
    “I’d like a chance,” Crockett said.
    She looked at him. “At what?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe you.”
    “Oh.” Was he saying what she thought he was? “I don’t think so.”
    “Because it’s a bad idea?”
    “Yeah. A very bad idea. I’m sure of it.” Valentine shook her head. “I don’t want to ruin what I’ve got at Malfunction Junction.”
    “Okay.”
    Uneasy silence surrounded them. In her mind, Valentine knew she’d said the right thing, but what about her heart? “It’s probably not a good idea to say this, but there are times I have thought about you.”
    He leaned closer to hear her soft voice as it trailed off. “I respect that you need your life to stay calm. You’ve been through a lot. My brother hasn’t treated you as well as he should have.”
    Valentine held her breath. “He’s not you.”
    Crockett seemed taken aback for a moment, then he only nodded and touched her cheek.
    He wasn’t going to do more, Valentine realized, and the fact that she had to make the first move gave her the strength to do it. There was no hurry, it was just the two of them in a quiet bakery. He watched her through dark, curious eyes and Valentine rose on her toes, lightly brushing her lips against his.
    Then she waited, watching his expression. What would she see in his gaze?
    He pulled away silently. Then he took the chocolate frosting spoon lying on the table and brushed it across her lips.
    He licked her mouth clean, kissing