She loved her work as a librarian and Marietta’s graceful, historic building deserved excellent, modern programs, programs Taylor was determined to implement as soon as she took over.

He shot her a quick, assessing glance. “Impressive.”

Taylor’s insides felt fluttery all over again. She shouldn’t care what he thought. But apparently some part of her—some ridiculous, weak part of her—did.

Annoyed with herself, Taylor stared out her passenger window, noting how the delicate icy flakes stuck to the glass and wondering how she could bring up Jane without making it awkward.

It might not be possible as just sitting next to Troy was making her feel hopelessly awkward.

Even now her pulse raced and her mouth tasted cotton dry, so she gave up trying to figure out how to introduce the subject of Jane Weiss and focused instead on the snow.

It was beautiful, all those thick, whirling, white flakes. Taylor loved the snow and didn’t mind the long winters provided she didn’t have to do a lot of driving on mountain passes during storms. Thank goodness Troy Sheenan was comfortable behind the wheel. It was obvious he’d grown up driving in snow and ice, too.

“Have family in Marietta?” he asked, a few minutes later.

She pictured her brother, remembering how they’d moved to Marietta together, or how he’d moved with her after she’d gotten hired by the library. Doug was able to get a job, too, as an apprentice to a Marietta electrician but within weeks of arriving in Marietta, he got in trouble and it’d been difficult ever since.

“Not in town, but in Paradise Valley,” Taylor said. “My little brother lives—” she broke off, frowning, uncertain how to explain Doug’s situation. She was protective of her brother’s illness. Not everyone understood depression and mood disorders. Not everyone wanted to understand. Her own parents had thought his diagnosis was a cop-out. More than once Dad had ripped into Doug for being weak and undisciplined. He just couldn’t accept that the depression was anything but laziness and selfishness. She gave her head a small shake, shaking away the memory of all the horrible things her parents had said to Doug when he began to struggle in middle school.

She felt, rather than saw, Troy glance at her.

Taylor swallowed and squared her shoulders. “–out there, in Paradise Valley.”

“I was raised in Paradise Valley. That’s where our family ranch is,” Troy said.

Jane had told her about the big Sheenan spread in Paradise Valley, one of the larger ranches in the area, and it bordered the Carrigan property, the other big ranch. Taylor knew Sage Carrigan as Sage was on the Great Wedding Giveaway committee, and was donating all the chocolates and truffles for Friday’s Valentine Ball.

The ball.

Right.

Taylor prayed Troy had no idea that she was the one Jane had volunteered to be his date. But then, Taylor doubted Troy had a clue. Men listened to women as little as possible. “Beautiful land,” she said.

“Your brother’s a cowboy?” Troy asked.

“He’s… working on a ranch now, yes,” Taylor answered, thinking this was exactly what she didn’t want to discuss. She was so private about Doug’s situation, and so protective of him. He’d been doing better in the year before they moved here, and they’d both been excited about going to Marietta. It had seemed like a great opportunity for both of them, but Doug couldn’t find a job right away, and even though he had time on his hands, he wasn’t able to make new friends. Within weeks his depression returned. Taylor had been making calls to psychiatrists in Bozeman at the time Doug was arrested. Sentencing him to a halfway house/rehab ranch wasn’t the solution. Doug needed counseling, treatment. Medical care.