“I’m looking for someone to cook and clean and do a little work around my place,” Liz said.

“She could sure do that.” Lucy’s voice was full of excitement. “She takes care of cleaning the fellowship hall when we leave.”

“Does she have transportation?” Liz asked.

Lucy nodded.

“Send her down to my house this afternoon. We’ll talk. I hate to clean, and I sure hate to cook. We might work up a deal,” Liz said.

“What time?” Lucy asked.

“Three. I’m supposed to be at the horse barn at four,” she said.

“She’ll be there,” Lucy said.

Bridget fell right into the work, and Liz had five minutes of free time just before the lunch rush. She called Maddie and told her what she’d done that morning.

“That’s a good thing you did, Liz. Then you were serious about working more here at the ranch?” Maddie asked.

“Were you serious about me working as much as I want?” Liz asked.

“I was. Dewar, Cash, and I are leaving tomorrow morning and we’ll be gone a week. The hired help will be helping Raylen, and he’ll be your boss. Think you can handle that?”

“I’ll do my best not to aggravate him so bad that he fires me before you get back,” Liz said.

“If you can do that, I’ll start you at two dollars above minimum.”

“Better make it minimum wage, then.” Liz laughed. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a try.”

***

“Did Maddie talk to you?” Liz asked Raylen when she arrived at the ranch that afternoon.

“Not since breakfast,” Raylen answered. “I meant to run up to the café for dinner, but Grandma made fried chicken and it would have hurt her feelings if I didn’t take an hour and eat with her and Grandpa. How’d your day go?”

“I quit my job,” Liz said.

Raylen just stared at her with a puzzled look on his face.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Liz asked.

“I’m afraid of what I’ll hear, but go on,” he said without a smile or a kiss.

“Lucy needed places for a couple of her abused women. One is working for Jasmine. I quit and gave her my job. Kind of like fate tossed them women in my path. Aunt Tressa says when opportunity knocks, invite it in for a cup of coffee before you send it on its way. So I did. Bridget is working for Jasmine, and she’s a hard worker. She’ll do all right. The other one is my new housekeeper and cook. She’ll be at my house at eight in the morning and she’s going to clean, wash, and iron and all those things I hate. And she likes to cook. She’ll have our dinner ready at noon and she’ll leave at two. She’s working five days a week. As of this minute, I’m working for your ranch, and you are my boss.”

The grin that split Raylen’s face lit up the whole north part of Texas. “What’s her name?”