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she’d gotten into the habit of not eating until lunchtime since Tom’s death. It just didn’t seem worth making breakfast for only one person. Of course, today she had someone to cook for. Tyler might be hungry after she and he finished working on the fence....
    Janie stopped herself from opening the refrigerator door and taking out a pound of bacon. She was thinking way too much about this wild cowboy she’d known for all of twelve hours. The truth was he might not show at all.
    With a huff of annoyance at herself and her obvious innate need to tend to a man—any man, apparently—she turned to get a mug out of the cabinet next to the sink.
    A dark shape, its bulk blocking the window of the back door, caught her eye. Startled, she jumped, but managed to hold in the scream that threatened to sneak out past the hand she’d pressed to her mouth.
    Logic replaced fright soon enough and she recognized the cowboy hat and the cowboy beneath it. Living alone had made her jumpy. She wasn’t used to company. She moved toward the door and swung it wide.
    “I’m so sorry I scared you again. I seem to keep doing that. I didn’t mean to.” He bowed his head in a move that would have looked contrite on anyone else. On Tyler, with a cocky smile lighting his face, it only made him look amused.
    “It’s okay. I was expecting you. I just got startled, is all.” Janie figured it was simply a symptom of living alone after having people around the place for so many years.
    “This here’s Colton.” Tyler stepped to the side and hooked a thumb in the direction of the blond cowboy behind him. Not only had Tyler arrived as promised, but he wasn’t alone. Good thing she had made that extra coffee.
    “Howdy, ma’am.” The man introduced as Colton tipped his hat to her in greeting. “We spoke on the phone yesterday.”
    “Yes, we did.” She had to wonder when ranch hands in Oklahoma had gotten so young and so handsome.
    They certainly hadn’t seemed so when she’d had a crew working here. Then again, her husband had done all the hiring. Tom had always chosen older, plainer, married men to work for them. It seemed Rohn leaned toward hiring a crew way younger than she was used to having around her own place.
    Janie realized she was being rude, leaving them standing in the doorway, and took a step back. “Come on in, both of you. And thank you for calling and letting me know about the fence. I appreciate it.”
    “Not a problem.” Colton dipped his head. “I didn’t think it would be good to chance having your cows break out and somehow get in with our bulls.”
    She laughed. “I don’t know about that. Considering the bulls on your property, I might have me some prize-winning bucking stock in a few years if that were to happen.”
    “If you’re thinking about breeding your heifers, I could talk to Rohn for you—”
    “No. That’s okay.” Janie interrupted Tyler’s offer. “I know full well that Rohn’s bulls are potential champion buckers. My stock consists of a few heifers and some cows I was too sentimental to sell with the rest of the stock last year. It would be silly to even think about breeding them with your bulls.”
    Tyler shrugged. “Well, if you change your mind, just let me know.”
    “I will. And thank you.” A beep from the counter behind Janie signaled the pot was done brewing. The fence would wait long enough for them to drink the coffee while it was fresh and hot. “Coffee’s ready. Can I pour you two a cup before we head outside?”
    “Yes, ma’am. That would be great.” Colton nodded. “Black, lots of sugar if you’ve got it.”
    “Yeah, I’ve got it.” She smiled as she poured. That was how her husband used to take his. She handed Colton the mug. “Sugar is in that big canister right there on the counter. Spoons are in the drawer just below.”
    She’d long ago given up on trying to keep one of those cute little sugar bowls full with Tom and the other guys dipping into it all day.