by his dad who’s an alcoholic. The other two boys share similar stories.” Even through her diamond-encrusted glasses, Lucas could see the compassion shining in her eyes. “This is a tough time for a lot of people.”
Lucas nodded. He knew all too well how hard the holidays could be. There was one bright spot to his situation this year. He was so caught up with Magnolia and impressing her grandfather that he would have little time to dwell on Renee’s betrayal.
Magnolia looked down, her eyes widening in mortification like she’d just now realized that she was still holding the knife. “I have no idea what to do with this.” Gingerly, she held it up with her index finger and thumb pinching the handle.
“I’ll take it,” the thin man said as Magnolia handed it over.
“What were the boys wanting you to give them?” Lucas asked. There was definitely more to this story than the couple was letting on.
“Our wallets, I’m guessing,” the woman said, as she glanced at Sam.
Lucas could tell the woman wasn’t being truthful, but it wasn’t his place to give her the third degree. All he wanted to do was look at the ranch and then get on the road. At this point, maybe he should forgo seeing the ranch. With this much snow, the roads were bound to be treacherous.
Snowflakes were steadily falling. Magnolia wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. “It’s f—freezing out here,” she chattered.
“Let’s get you back in the truck.” Lucas stepped close to Magnolia and placed an arm around her. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he too, was starting to get chilled. Magnolia nestled close to him. He liked the feel of her next to him. Somehow, it felt as right for them to be together as it was thrilling. Interesting. A saying his mom often said darted through his mind. Often, life’s greatest blessings come as a complete surprise.
“Is there anything more we can do to help?” Lucas asked the couple. On first glance, he assumed that the man and woman were around the same age, but now that he’d gotten a better look at them, he realized that the man was a good decade or more younger than the woman.
The woman’s curious eyes flicked over Lucas and Magnolia. “Are the two of you new to Remember?”
“Just passing through,” Lucas answered.
“We’re heading to Asheville,” Magnolia added.
The woman frowned. “You won’t get very far in this weather.”
“We should probably get on the road,” Lucas said, “before the roads are impassable.”
“How in the world did the two of you end up here? In this remote area?” The woman chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. You are angels sent straight from heaven.”
“Yes, they are,” the man agreed.
“I’m looking to buy a ranch,” Lucas answered. “Supposedly, there’s one for sale nearby.”
The woman’s eyes widened as she turned to the man. “I’ll bet he’s talking about Arthur Vinson’s Ranch.”
“Is it at the end of this road?” Lucas asked.
The woman shook her head. “No, it’s on another gravel road—a mile or so from here.”
“The GPS led us here,” Lucas said in defense as he glanced at Magnolia. The detour had cost them much more time than he’d anticipated. If the storm worsened, they could be forced to pull off the road and get a hotel for the night. Magnolia wouldn’t be happy about that. At least they’d been able to help the man and woman. Lucas shuddered to think what would have happened if he and Magnolia hadn’t shown up when they did.
The woman offered a warm smile. “You are certainly an answer to our prayers. Thank you both for coming to our rescue. We are in your debt.”
“I’m glad we could help,” Lucas said casually. He wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. He’d seen people in trouble and had reacted. He was impressed that Magnolia had jumped in to help. There were more layers to her than he realized.
The older woman’s expression grew sheepish. “I hate to be more trouble, but Willie and his accomplices sliced our tires.”
Lucas looked over at the black sedan. The tires were indeed all flat. “We’ll be happy to give you a ride wherever you need.”
“Do you live nearby?” Magnolia asked.
Lucas didn’t have to be a mind reader to ascertain Magnolia’s thoughts. They’d already lost so much time. The clock was ticking. He felt the same way, but they had to help the couple regardless.
“We’re about ten miles away,” the man said.
“We’re happy to give you a