“Yes. We were in the same fraternity in college. He’s on the board of trustees at Marist. You’re officially accepted. They’ll send a letter soon.”

“But they don’t have my grades...!”

“They will have, by the time you go. What’s on the agenda for summer?” he continued.

“I... Well, I have a job. Minette Carson hired me for the rest of the school year, after school and on Saturdays. And I’m sure she’ll let me work this summer, so I can save for college.”

“You won’t need to do that.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “I drive a truck here because it helps me fit in. But I have an apartment in San Antonio with a garage. In the garage, there’s a brand-new Jaguar XKE.” He raised an eyebrow. “Does that give you a hint about my finances?”

She had no idea what an XKE was, but she knew what a Jaguar was. She’d priced them once, just for fun. If it was new...gosh, people could buy houses around here for less, she thought, but she didn’t say it.

“But, I’m a stranger,” she persisted.

“Not for long. I’m going to petition the court to become your temporary legal guardian. Sara will go with us to court. You can wear a dress and look helpless and tragic and in desperate need of assistance.” He pursed his lips. “I know, it will be a stretch, but you can manage it.”

She laughed helplessly.

“Then we’ll get you through school.”

“I’ll find a way to pay you back,” she promised.

He smiled. “No need for that. Just don’t ever write about me,” he added. It sounded facetious, but he didn’t smile when he said it.

“I’d have to make up something in order to do that.” She laughed.

She didn’t know, and he didn’t tell her, that there was more to his life than she’d seen, or would ever see. Sara knew, but he kept his private life exactly that—private.

Just for an instant, he worried about putting her in the line of fire. He had enemies. Dangerous enemies, who wouldn’t hesitate to threaten anyone close to him. Of course, there was Sara, but she’d lived in Wyoming for the past few years, away from him, on a ranch they co-owned. Now he was putting her in jeopardy along with Michelle.

But what could he do? The child had nobody. Now that her idiot stepmother was dead, she was truly on her own. It was dangerous for a young woman to live alone, even in a small community. And there was Roberta’s boyfriend, Bert.