was such a surprise he was at a temporary loss for words. Finally he found his voice.
"Well, Mr. Longren. I don't know what else to say except that you're my kind of man. Hell no, I don't have that snake Collins with me. My name is Morgan Brownfield, and these are my sons, Cole, Buddy, and the twins, J.D. and Dusty. Lily is my daughter."
Case grinned wtih relief. He all but leaped off the porch with outstretched hand.
"Lily will be real glad to see you," he said. "And please, call me Case. Leave your things in the car, we'll get them later. Lily's out in the backyard. This is a slow day for the ranch, and I've given everyone the day off. You couldn't have come at a better time."
The last of Morgan's worries just flew off his shoulders. His first impression of this big, dark man was favorable, especially since he viewed Todd Collins with the same disdain. He wondered, for the first time, just how involved Lily might be with her boss, and looked at Case again, judging him anew.
"Our things are back in a motel in Clinton," Cole answered, as he stepped forward and shook hands. He sensed this man was going to make a difference in their lives.
"You can get them later," Case ordered shortly. "You're staying here. God knows there's plenty of room. It'll give you a better chance to visit with Lily."
The Brownfield crew wouldn't argue. They were anxious to get a look at their beloved Lily. They rounded the house, following Case's lead. Cole was the first to spy his sister's familiar long legs stretched out on the lounger, soaking up sun.
"Lily Kate, you're the only person I know who'd leave California's sunny beaches and come to Oklahoma to get a tan."
That voice!
Lily flew from the lounge, dropped her book, and smiled.
The look on her face stopped Case's heart. My God, he'd give a year of his life if she'd look at him like that.
"Cole! Daddy!" her voice shook. "Oh my God! Buddy, J.D. and Dusty, too. You're here!" She was engulfed.
FOUR
Morgan Brownfield watched Lily rearranging space for him and his sons in the eating area of the kitchen. She was moving chairs and brothers with expertise and abandon. If he couldn't still see the scar on her face, he'd swear that it was the same Lily he'd known and loved since the day she'd been born, not the withdrawn, silent woman she'd become after her accident and Todd Collins's betrayal.
He sighed quietly, relieved that Lily was healing in spirit as well as body. It was what he'd hoped and prayed for. And by the look on their host's face, it seemed as if he was partially responsible for Lily's sense of well-being. Case Longren never took his eyes off of her. In fact, he seemed to be mesmerized by Lily. Yet he stayed at a more than respectable distance away, obviously following boundaries that had been established long before the arrival of the Brownfield men.
Case watched every move Lily made, and missed nothing of the amiable banter between her and her brothers, unaware that Morgan was watching him just as intently.
Lily was a completely different woman from the one who'd first arrived at the Bar L. She was tanned and smiling, and she no longer turned her face away at the slightest look. In fact, it seemed as if she'd almost forgotten the scar was there.
Case looked up, caught Lily's father staring at him, and hoped he didn't look as guilty as he felt. He also hoped that Morgan Brownfield couldn't see everything that was in his heart. It would be uncomfortable, to say the least, if Lily's father knew that he spent every waking moment wondering what it would be like to make love to his daughter.
"Lunch is ready," Lily called. "And just in time, here comes the crew."
Cole looked out the kitchen window and nearly forgot to breathe. Yesterday when they'd arrived, they'd had Lily all to themselves. But today it was business as usual, and he was dumbstruck by the rowdy crowd heading for the back door of the house.
"You mean you feed this many every day?"
"I feed them three times a
"Well, Mr. Longren. I don't know what else to say except that you're my kind of man. Hell no, I don't have that snake Collins with me. My name is Morgan Brownfield, and these are my sons, Cole, Buddy, and the twins, J.D. and Dusty. Lily is my daughter."
Case grinned wtih relief. He all but leaped off the porch with outstretched hand.
"Lily will be real glad to see you," he said. "And please, call me Case. Leave your things in the car, we'll get them later. Lily's out in the backyard. This is a slow day for the ranch, and I've given everyone the day off. You couldn't have come at a better time."
The last of Morgan's worries just flew off his shoulders. His first impression of this big, dark man was favorable, especially since he viewed Todd Collins with the same disdain. He wondered, for the first time, just how involved Lily might be with her boss, and looked at Case again, judging him anew.
"Our things are back in a motel in Clinton," Cole answered, as he stepped forward and shook hands. He sensed this man was going to make a difference in their lives.
"You can get them later," Case ordered shortly. "You're staying here. God knows there's plenty of room. It'll give you a better chance to visit with Lily."
The Brownfield crew wouldn't argue. They were anxious to get a look at their beloved Lily. They rounded the house, following Case's lead. Cole was the first to spy his sister's familiar long legs stretched out on the lounger, soaking up sun.
"Lily Kate, you're the only person I know who'd leave California's sunny beaches and come to Oklahoma to get a tan."
That voice!
Lily flew from the lounge, dropped her book, and smiled.
The look on her face stopped Case's heart. My God, he'd give a year of his life if she'd look at him like that.
"Cole! Daddy!" her voice shook. "Oh my God! Buddy, J.D. and Dusty, too. You're here!" She was engulfed.
FOUR
Morgan Brownfield watched Lily rearranging space for him and his sons in the eating area of the kitchen. She was moving chairs and brothers with expertise and abandon. If he couldn't still see the scar on her face, he'd swear that it was the same Lily he'd known and loved since the day she'd been born, not the withdrawn, silent woman she'd become after her accident and Todd Collins's betrayal.
He sighed quietly, relieved that Lily was healing in spirit as well as body. It was what he'd hoped and prayed for. And by the look on their host's face, it seemed as if he was partially responsible for Lily's sense of well-being. Case Longren never took his eyes off of her. In fact, he seemed to be mesmerized by Lily. Yet he stayed at a more than respectable distance away, obviously following boundaries that had been established long before the arrival of the Brownfield men.
Case watched every move Lily made, and missed nothing of the amiable banter between her and her brothers, unaware that Morgan was watching him just as intently.
Lily was a completely different woman from the one who'd first arrived at the Bar L. She was tanned and smiling, and she no longer turned her face away at the slightest look. In fact, it seemed as if she'd almost forgotten the scar was there.
Case looked up, caught Lily's father staring at him, and hoped he didn't look as guilty as he felt. He also hoped that Morgan Brownfield couldn't see everything that was in his heart. It would be uncomfortable, to say the least, if Lily's father knew that he spent every waking moment wondering what it would be like to make love to his daughter.
"Lunch is ready," Lily called. "And just in time, here comes the crew."
Cole looked out the kitchen window and nearly forgot to breathe. Yesterday when they'd arrived, they'd had Lily all to themselves. But today it was business as usual, and he was dumbstruck by the rowdy crowd heading for the back door of the house.
"You mean you feed this many every day?"
"I feed them three times a
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