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loosened, and his voice softened. “Let me help you protect this place. I have a rifle and a pistol, and I will shoot anything that comes along to do you harm. Between the three of us, we can keep steady watch.”
    “Mom wants us out of here.”
    “Your mother will do anything to keep you safe. And so will I,” he added.
    Ciana shook herself out of his grip. “I just don’t like to be told what to do, Jon. It’s not my way.”
    “Okay. Fair enough. I’m not telling you right now. I’m asking you. Let me stay.”
    His face blurred through a sudden smear of tears. Of course, he was right. She needed his help, and having him close by was another layer of protection for her land. The logistics of his staying were another matter. Grudgingly, she said, “Well, you can’t sleep in the barn like before. You’ll freeze to death.”
    He gave her a half smile. “Full disclosure: Alice Faye already offered me a room in the house. Up on the third floor. Said it once belonged to your great-grandfather Jacob and his wife.”
    Ciana felt another flash of anger that quickly congealed into cold sarcasm. “Already discussed and decided, I guess. Nice of you two to consult me.”
    Jon dipped his head to snag her gaze, his expression turning boyish. “Discussed, but you decide. Tell me right now and if your answer is no, I’ll move back to Bill’s. But I’d like to keep my horse here. It’ll give me an excuse to come over every day.”
    Her choice
. Of course she needed help. She’d be stupid toallow her pride to interfere and turn him away. “I can’t pay you.” In truth, she was just scraping by. Her credit cards were maxed with fencing supplies and she still faced upcoming charges for spring planting.
    “I have some money. I rode the circuit last summer, remember?”
    A great weariness stole over Ciana. Jon’s constant presence would be an emotional and physical challenge for her mind and body. Yet it was necessary. Any emotional entanglement with him aside, his presence at Bellmeade was a practical one. Going it alone was an ideal, a luxury she couldn’t afford. And the recent intimidation was unnerving. She had proven she was spunky. So what? She wasn’t Olivia, with a backbone of steel. At the moment she felt like a little girl, in over her head, trying to hold on to and manage her land with little to no support.
    “One more thing,” Jon said. “I’m coming to help you and Alice Faye. I don’t expect anything more than what’s already been promised—a bed, food, and a warm place for my horse. You don’t have to worry about me going after anything else.”
    She understood what he was telling her. His offer was
hands off
. She’d have his presence, his muscle, his firepower. She knew the rules were fair. She sucked in a long breath, too tired to resist anymore. “I don’t want you to leave, Jon. Move on over.” She offered a conciliatory smile, knowing full well that her battles with history, with herself, with her neighbors, and with her long-held desire for Jon Mercer were only beginning.

    “You still speaking to me?” Alice Faye asked when Ciana came into the kitchen from the barn before supper. Jon had gone back to Bill’s to get his gear, his horse, and belongings.
    “Does it matter?”
    “Rather not have you treat me like Olivia would whenever I crossed her will.”
    “I’m not Grandmother,” Ciana snapped. “Look, I know having Jon here is better for us. I get it. I just wish—” She stopped, not wanting her anger to regain control. “You should have told me before you asked him to move into the house.”
    “I should have, but I didn’t.” Alice Faye rattled pots and pans, putting them atop the stove, preparing to start supper. “It’ll be all right, Ciana. Having a man like Jon around might make people think twice before any more damage is done.”
    “You still on board for selling Bellmeade?” Ciana slouched at the table, toyed with a spoon forgotten after lunch had been