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with a slight incline of his head, but his eyes didn’t break contact with hers. His focus intensified. “But I am at your disposal if you should change your mind. You deserve better. Much better.”
    Sarah’s skin flushed. Cristan often appeared aloof and cool, but at that moment he radiated pure heat. The wind shifted, the damp chill reminding her that her life was complicated. Troy was already hostile. If he thought Sarah was flirting with another man, no amount of court-ordered anger management counseling would help.
    It frustrated and depressed her that her ex-husband still controlled her life. Troy would eventually have to move on, and then maybe she could explore the feelings that bounced between her and Cristan. But for the girls’ sake, for now she would have to make decisions with her head, not her heart.
    She blinked, turned away from him, and led the way into the house. Lucia was hugging Alex and Em. The little girls’ voices climbed to a high, excited pitch that soothed Sarah’s doubts. They were worth anything she had to endure.
    Sarah picked up a wrapped package on her bookshelf. “I have something for you, Lucia.”
    “It’s not my birthday,” Lucia said in a puzzled voice.
    Sarah grinned. “I know. This is a just-because present.”
    “Just because?” Lucia asked.
    “Just because I wanted to give it to you,” Sarah said.
    Lucia ripped off the brown paper. “Omigod.” She squealed. “Look, Dad. It’s Snowman and me at the show.”
    She turned the gift toward her father. Lucia had ridden her new horse, Snowman, in the indoor horse show at the winter festival. She’d been very excited to win a blue ribbon. When Sarah had seen their picture in the town newspaper, she’d had to frame it for the child. The photographer had captured a perfect image of the pair in midair over a low jump in the indoor arena.
    “Thank you.” Lucia grabbed Sarah in a fierce hug.
    “You’re welcome. I thought you should commemorate your first win,” Sarah said.
    Lucia turned the gift toward her father. Cristan’s face tightened as he leaned closer and read the caption. “Lucia Rojas and Snowman win first place in the novice hunter division.”
    “I didn’t know my picture was in the paper.” Lucia beamed and enveloped Sarah in another one-armed hug. “I’m going to hang it in my room.”
    “You’re welcome.” Sarah warmed as she watched Lucia nearly skip back to the girls.
    “It is a lovely gift.” Cristan’s voice was rigid. He’d shut down. “You didn’t need to do that.”
    “It gives me great joy to make her happy.”
    “Thank you,” he said. “What time should I pick up Lucia?”
    “Is seven o’clock all right?” Confused, Sarah searched his face. Over the past few months, Cristan’s formal demeanor had slowly shifted to friendly, maybe even more than friendly. But it seemed Mr. Uncomfortable had returned today. Why?
    “Yes. I’ll be back at seven.” His deep brown eyes shuttered as he backed away.
    He seemed to shake off his mood as he turned to the children. As always, his posture and smile relaxed the second he addressed the kids. He was more comfortable with them than her. Other than telling her his wife had died when Lucia was an infant, he was guarded when speaking about his past. Did he still grieve his wife?
    But even if he did, why would her giving his daughter a gift put him on edge?

CHAPTER FIVE
    Cristan backed out of the kitchen. How could he have let this happen? Lucia’s picture was in the newspaper and surely on the Internet as well. Panic scratched at the edges of his control. He tried to reason with it. No one could possibly know her true identity. The local paper didn’t circulate beyond the town’s borders, and it had a very small readership within the community. He’d purchased only one issue, when the trash pickup schedule had been altered. He was being ridiculous. At this point in their new lives, being overly paranoid would attract more attention than a