Chapter Three: Samantha

Samantha licked her lips as she held Henry's expectant gaze. Why did the weight of her decision feel as if it would change the course of their lives forever? Set them on a path she'd never expected or even considered.

Yet as she looked into his eyes, there was something reassuring there, something she could not identify. However, whatever it was made her decision easier.

"Okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We'll stay at your cabin while the house is repaired."

Henry's eyes lit up with relief. "That's great news. You'll love it there. I promise."

"I'm sure we will." A surge of excitement stirred within her, unbidden and unsettling. But not unwelcome, and she found herself returning his smile, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

"We're going to live on a ranch?" Lewis bounced on his toes. "We're going to live on a real ranch!"

"For a short while," Samantha reminded her son before he got too carried away.

"Are there horses and cattle?" Lewis asked.

"Plenty of horses and cattle. And hens. You can help collect the eggs," Henry said eagerly. "And plenty of space to run around and explore."

"And alpacas?" Lewis asked, glancing at his sister. "Tilly loves alpacas. We saw them on the way into town."

"No alpacas," Henry said. "But I do know some folks who keep alpacas, and I'm sure they would be happy for you to visit."

"Do you hear that, Tilly?" Lewis said, reaching for his sister and grabbing her shirt sleeve.

"Of course I did," Tilly answered with a good-humored smile on her face. "I'm standing right here."

Samantha watched the easy interaction between them, and the tense nervousness she'd felt since they saw the damaged house seeped away. They were safe. They had somewhere to stay until the house repairs were completed. They were going to be okay.

Henry turned back to her, his expression serious. "I'll take care of moving your stuff once the house is declared safe. Don't worry about a thing."

"Henry, that's too much," Samantha protested. "You've already done so much for us."

He shook his head, a determined set to his jaw. "It's no trouble at all. I want to help."

As he spoke, Samantha's eyes were drawn to the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, while the rumble of his deep voice made her stomach knot with longing. This man, barely more than a stranger, was opening his home to them.

A treacherous thought wormed its way into her mind. Was there a chance he might open his heart to her, too?

The realization hit her like a physical blow, leaving her breathless. She shouldn't be thinking this way, not about a man she barely knew. And yet...

"Mom, can we go now?" Lewis tugged at her sleeve, pulling her from her reverie.

"I don't know. Henry is working," Samantha said.

"I'll go explain everything to the fire chief. He'll be more than happy for me to take you to the ranch. He was concerned as to what you were going to do when you arrived to see the house like this," Henry explained. "And since the work here is nearly done and my shift ended an hour or so ago, I can help get you settled without having to rush back."

"Perfect," Samantha said, watching him walk away.

Yeah, he is perfect, the treacherous voice in her head whispered.

But not for me, Samantha told that treacherous voice. Not that the treacherous voice took heed.

"So, we're actually going to stay on a ranch?" Tilly asked.

"It seems so," Samantha replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She turned to her daughter, noticing the slight furrow in Tilly's brow. "Is that okay with you?"

Tilly shrugged, her fingers playing with the edge of her book. "I guess so," Tilly said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's just...all our stuff..."

Samantha gently took her daughter's hand. "I know this isn't what we planned. But sometimes life throws us curveballs, and we have to adapt. Henry's being very kind, offering us a place to stay."

Tilly nodded, but tears misted her eyes. "I know, it's just my books…"

"Oh." Samantha glanced toward the house and an image of Tilly reverently packing her books in boxes ready for the move slipped into her head, and her heart ached for her daughter. She knew how much those books meant to Tilly. After the death of her father, they had been a way for Tilly to stay connected to him. And a way for her to escape her pain and sorrow.

Samantha pulled Tilly into a tight hug. "I promise we'll get your books as soon as it's safe," she whispered, stroking Tilly's hair. "And maybe we can find a library in town or see if Henry has some…"

"It's not the same," Tilly said mournfully.

"They're like her best friends," Lewis said with incredible insight.

"I'll stay with the children," Camille offered. "You go and ask Henry if it's possible to grab some of your things now. I'll call Ezra and ask him to come over in his truck. We can put as much stuff in there as we can fit and he can drive them over to the ranch. Then we can help you unpack and get settled. Henry wouldn't mind putting some of his things in storage for you."

"That's too much," Samantha replied.

Camille waved away Samantha's protest with a gentle smile. "It's not a problem. Besides, I can see how much those books mean to Tilly."

Samantha hesitated, torn between wanting her daughter to be happy and the desire not to impose further. But one look at Tilly's hopeful expression made the decision for her.

"All right," Samantha conceded. "I'll ask Henry. Thank you, Camille."

She hurried after Henry, catching up to him just as he finished speaking with the chief. Henry turned to her, his expression softening as he saw her approach.

"Everything okay, Samantha?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Actually, I was wondering..." she began, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Would it be possible to grab some of our essentials from the house? Especially Tilly's books. They mean a lot to her."

Henry nodded with understanding. "Of course," he said without hesitation. "I should have thought of that myself. Let me check with the chief to see if it's safe to enter. If it is, we'll grab whatever we can."

A wave of relief washed over her. "Thank you, Henry. You have no idea how much this means to Tilly...to all of us."

Henry smiled, the kind of smile that said he did have an idea of how much it meant to them. "It's no trouble at all."

Samantha watched as Henry jogged over to the fire chief, his broad shoulders taut under his jacket. Samantha watched him speak animatedly, gesturing toward the house. After a few moments, the chief nodded, and Henry's face broke into a relieved smile.

He turned back to Samantha, giving her a thumbs up as he approached. "Good news," Henry said, his voice warm like honey. "The chief says it's safe to enter the downstairs rooms. We'll need to be quick, but we can grab some essentials."

Samantha could have kissed him right there, right then. And not just with relief. "Thank you, Henry. I can't tell you how much this means to us."

Henry's smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Happy to help. I'll go organize the guys."

His eyes lingered on her face for a moment longer than expected, and she basked in the warmth of his gaze. Then he turned and strode purposefully toward a group of firefighters, already calling out instructions.

Samantha hurried back to her children, allowing a spark of hope into her heart. They would survive this and thrive here in Bear Creek. How could they not when the people here were so generous and considerate?

"Ezra is on his way," Camille told her.

"I don't know how I am ever going to repay you all for your kindness," Samantha said as a lump formed in her throat, but she was determined not to cry in front of the children.

"Did Henry say he could get my books?" Tilly asked hopefully.

"He is going to try," Samantha said, not wanting to make a promise that Henry might not be able to keep. There was a chance Tilly's books were already damaged.

"Henry the hero," Lewis said as he drained the last of his hot chocolate, leaving a chocolate mustache on his upper lip.

Samantha smiled at her son's words. "He certainly is," she agreed softly.

Just then, a large pickup truck rumbled into view, coming to a stop near their group. A tall, broad-shouldered man with similar features to Henry stepped out of the truck, his movements confident and sure. The family resemblance was uncanny. This must be Ezra.

"Howdy, folks," Ezra called out as he approached, tipping his cowboy hat. "Heard you could use a hand with moving some things." He gave Samantha a warm smile. "You must be Samantha. I'm Ezra, Henry's brother."

"It's nice to meet you, Ezra," Samantha said, shaking his outstretched hand. "Thank you so much for coming to help us. We really appreciate it."

Ezra waved off her thanks with a friendly grin. "It's no trouble at all." He flashed a smile at her, then glanced at Camille, as if they were sharing a secret.

"Are you a real cowboy?" Lewis asked.

Ezra cracked a wide grin. "I am. And I hear you are going to stay at the Thornberg Ranch for a while."

"We are," Samantha said. "It's incredibly kind of Henry to offer his home like this."

"You and your children need a place to stay." Ezra shrugged as if that was explanation enough for his brother's actions. But to Samantha, it still seemed overly generous.

She hoped there wasn't something she was missing here. No ulterior motive she could not yet fathom.

She shivered, suddenly feeling alone. What had she been thinking, moving so far away from everyone and everything she knew? Everything had seemed so much easier when she was married, part of a couple, a team. The responsibility of being a single parent hit her hard.

But then she rolled her shoulders and shook off the feeling of self-doubt. She had made this decision to give her family a fresh start. And so far, the people of Bear Creek had shown nothing but kindness and generosity.

"Mom, look!" Lewis exclaimed, pointing toward the house.

Samantha turned to see Henry emerging from the house, his arms laden with boxes. Behind him, two other firefighters carried more boxes and bags.

Tilly let out a small gasp of delight as she recognized the boxes containing her beloved books. "Thank you. Thank you."

Henry cracked a grin. "We'll grab as much of your stuff as we can. Most of it looks undamaged, since the movers stowed everything in the living room downstairs. Upstairs bore the brunt of the damage."

"But we still have to stay on the ranch, right?" Lewis asked hopefully.

Henry nodded. "The house still needs repairs before it's safe to live in. You'll have plenty of time to explore the ranch."

"Okay, let's get this all packed into the back of the truck," Ezra went to his truck and let down the tailgate.

"The books are going in the car," Tilly said firmly.

"There's no room," Samantha reminded her. They had been packed into the car with their personal items like sardines in a tin on the drive here.

"They can go in my car," Camille told Tilly. "You can follow me to the ranch. That way, they will not be out of your sight."

"Thanks, Camille." Tilly looked relieved and heaved a box toward the car. Samantha caught Camille's eye and shared a grateful smile.

"Maybe when this little one is born, you can read to them," Camille suggested as she slipped one arm around Tilly's shoulder and the other underneath the box to help carry it.

"I could read them fairy tales," Tilly said with enthusiasm.

Samantha stood for a moment, watching everyone at work, helping a family who were strangers, and knew she'd made the right decision to move here.

This was the kind of town she wanted her kids to grow up in.

And maybe here she might heal at last and perhaps find love again.