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She was dying for him to say that he’d reconsider, that she did mean enough to him that he wasn’t going to take off at the first opportunity. She knew she had no right to be mad. Most people would accept a great job offer. It was more that she could tell he was dodging her emotionally, wasn’t willing to lower his defenses and actually care, and that meant she needed to raise her own defenses and figure out how to get over him.

She waited before finishing the dishes, but nothing more came. With a sigh, she finally set her phone aside.

“What’s wrong?”

She looked up to see her daughter—her playful Labrador in her arms—watching her curiously, and quickly put a smile on her face. “Nothing, why?”

“You looked sad for a moment.”

She infused fresh energy into her voice. “I’m not sad. It was a great Christmas. Don’t you think so?”

“It was the best Christmas ever!” she gushed and kissed the top of her puppy’s head.

“Even though you got a dog instead of a cat?”

“You had to know I’d be equally happy with either.”

“I assumed as much. And Hairy was so cute that when I went to the pound, I couldn’t resist.”

“He’s perfect!”

As Patience watched Ari disappear into her room with her new pet, she chastised herself for feeling any kind of despondency. She was better off than ever before—at least since she’d gotten pregnant at seventeen. She had so much to be grateful for—her own place, the reconciliation with her father, Jack’s friendship and kindness as her boss, Glenda being out of her life for good (or at least pushed to the periphery), a decent paycheck so she could pay her rent, and a wonderful daughter who meant everything to her. Even the town festival had been a success!

“No one can have it all,” she muttered to herself and got back to work.

* * *

Kanon was taking down the holiday decorations the day after Christmas when a special ringtone alerted him to the fact that he was receiving a call he should take. He was up on a ladder, but because it was his boss, he dug his phone out of his pocket so he could answer. “Hello?” he said, hooking his free arm around one rung to remain steady.

“There you are!” came the booming voice of the owner of Jeffco Oil. Kanon had spoken to Jimmy Jeffs once. They’d had a telephone interview before he was hired, but the man sounded even more commanding than Kanon remembered.

“I don’t think I’ve missed any calls…” Kanon said, wondering why Jeffs was acting as though he’d gone missing.

“I emailed you for your flight plans last night but haven’t heard back,” he clarified.

Kanon hadn’t checked his email. Last night was Christmas, for crying out loud. If he were planning to stay in Hard Luck, he wouldn’t even be taking down the decorations yet. He was only doing it before New Year’s so he wouldn’t leave it all to Kelsey. She had enough on her plate. He was trying to convince her that she should organize an event called “A Day in the Life of a Miner,” where visitors and history buffs could take a special tour of the mine, learn about the origins of the town and enjoy a hearty stew eaten from tin bowls with “hardtack”—which would really be some delicious homemade rolls since hardtack couldn’t have been very good—and then stay at the inn.

Adding some musical entertainment would also be smart. His mind had been on the postcard he’d design to send out for something like that, which was more exciting than planning for the day he would have to leave town even though it was fast approaching. “Sorry, I’ve been with family.”

“I didn’t realize you had a family.”

His old boss had mentioned his total dedication to the job. That might be part of the reason Mr. Jeffs had decided to go with him. “Just one sister,” he heard himself say and smiled at his own response. Kelsey had become his only family. As much as he’d tried not to get too attached—to anyone—he cared about her. He also cared far more than he wanted to about Patience.

“I don’t remember you mentioning her on our last call.”

“I’m just now getting to know her.”

“I see. Well, can you send me your travel plans today?” Kanon’s sister had already been dismissed as a nonentity. “The sooner you arrive, the better. We’ve got some problems over here.”

The oil industry always had problems; it was a game of high stakes, high pressure. Kanon had spent half his life learning how to navigate that difficult landscape. He’d gotten good at it. But now that he’d seen what he could have here in Hard Luck, did he really want to go back—for any amount of money? Work for someone else?

His job in North Dakota would be demanding—physically and emotionally—and he’d have to answer to this man, whom he didn’t yet know and who came off as not only rich but entitled. Although he wasn’t supposed to start until January 3, Jimmy was already expecting more than what’d been outlined in his job description. To be successful, Kanon would have to deliver more than had been outlined, too—much more.

How much could easily become a problem, which meant going back to North Dakota wasn’t any type of guarantee. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll get it over to you today.”

“Sooner would be better than later,” Jeffs reiterated. “I’m about to leave the house.”

In other words, he wanted it now.