Rescued by the Farmer by Mia Ross

calling Drew’s mother anything at all. Unfortunately, the woman was pretty perceptive, and she laughed. “Just give in and go with it, honey. We’re all pretty casual around here, which you’ll find out soon enough.”
    “It’s true,” Lily chimed in while she dried one of the large platters and put it away. “It sounds corny, but around here we’re one big, crazy family.”
    It didn’t sound corny to Bekah at all. In fact, she’d felt more at home in the Kinleys’ loud, chaotic house than she had anywhere else in recent memory. She really appreciated them including her in their homey routine and offering her a place to sleep that didn’t include seat belt connectors jabbing her in the back. She wasn’t sure how to say that without it coming across as lame, so she kept the comment to herself. Instead, she said, “I like big, crazy families. There’s always room for someone new.”
    “Around here, that’s definitely the case,” Lily agreed, sending a smile over to her husband, who was currently arguing with Drew about something farm-related. “When I first started coming by for riding lessons, I felt like one of the crew right off the bat.”
    “Coming up with that riding school idea for you and Mike didn’t hurt any,” Maggie reminded her with a fond look. “It’s still bringing kids in here, and the money sure does come in handy.”
    “How about the rescue center?” Bekah asked while she rinsed dishes and lined them up in the dishwasher. “From what Sierra was saying, I got the feeling it runs pretty close to the bone.”
    “And then some,” Drew answered as he swung onto a stool in front of the large island. “We’d all like to step back and let it earn its own way, but it’s gotta prove it can turn a profit first. We don’t have the money to hire full-time staff—”
    “But it can’t support itself without them,” Bekah finished for him.
    She almost expected him to scold her for interrupting, but instead he nodded. “Right. Sounds to me like you’ve got a pretty good head for business.”
    “I wish,” she replied with a derisive laugh. “Mostly, I understand flat-line finances.”
    Moving a little closer, he eyed his mother before replying in a quieter voice obviously meant to spare her feelings. “Yeah, same with us. We’ve been treading water since my father died a few years ago. Mike came back to help out, and his wedding carriage business and riding school are helping to keep us out of bankruptcy, but it’s not fun, that’s for sure.”
    “Especially since the rescue center isn’t pulling its weight. If you have to close it, what will happen to all those animals? Is there another facility like that around here somewhere?”
    “Not for wildlife. Dogs and cats, they’re easy. Lots of folks will adopt an animal from a shelter as long as it’s healthy. Raccoons and deer that need attention from a vet, they’re a different story.”
    “And hawks,” Bekah added, swallowing around a sudden lump in her throat. “If it wasn’t for Sierra, Rosie would’ve died yesterday.”
    “That’d be a shame. I’m looking forward to watching her fly again.”
    His hazel eyes twinkled with anticipation, and Bekah felt the barricade she’d built around herself start to wobble. She didn’t know how he’d done it, but this outgoing, bighearted country boy had somehow edged around her defenses and begun earning her trust. Out of harsh necessity, she didn’t give it easily, so her reaction to him was baffling, to say the least.
    When the kitchen was back in order, he hopped down from the stool and angled her toward the door. “Come on. I’ve got something to show you.”
    “I should get back to the center and make sure everyone’s okay. Sierra has to make a presentation in class tonight, so she left to polish her slide show.”
    “A few more minutes won’t matter,” he assured her with a bright grin as he opened the door for her. “If you get in trouble, just tell her it was