by Emily March
“Way to go, Dad. Your anniversary isn’t until next week, right? He gave it to you early? So, where are you going? When do you leave? How long will you be gone?”
“He gave it to me early because we’re leaving today. It’s the trip of a lifetime, Boone. That’s why I said you almost missed your chance to return my call. We’re at DFW, and they’re about to start boarding our plane. We fly to Hawaii and then Asia and the South Pacific. We’ll be gone for two months.”
“Two months,” he repeated, deflating. “Wow. That is big news. I’m happy for you, Mom.”
“I’m ecstatic.”
“I’m shocked. Dad always said you would have to drag him onto a cruise ship kicking and screaming. And now he’s going for two months?”
“In for a dime, in for a dollar, he says.” Quetta laughed. “I have to tell you, Boone, when I opened his gift, I almost fainted. This is the most excited I’ve been since, well, since forever!”
They were approaching an exit from the interstate and Boone put on his blinker and took it. “That’s just awesome, Mom.”
“I’ve wished that your dad would make a grand romantic gesture all my life—especially since you moved to Eternity Springs. I met all your friends and learned how so many of the husbands in town tried to outdo one another with grand romantic gestures. Now I get my own, not in small part due to you because your dad heard me go on and on about the romantic men of Eternity Springs!”
“I’m really happy for you, Mom.” Boone pulled into a Dairy Queen parking lot and shifted into park.
“Thank you. I’m like a little kid at Christmas.”
Boone turned his head and gave Hannah a wry look. “I know what you mean.”
“Now it’s your turn. You said you had big news for us too? What is it?”
“No, this is your and Dad’s big day. Your concentration needs to be on each other. My news can wait until you’re home.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure, Mom. Go get on the plane and order a glass of champagne. Send pictures when you can.”
“We will. Love you, Boone! Touch base with your sisters from time to time.”
“I always do.”
He rang off and sighed heavily. “Well, that was unexpected.” He released his seat belt and twisted around to look at Hannah. “A two-month cruise? My father, who always said he’d rather spend his retirement unclogging toilets than getting on a cruise ship, is putting on his boat shoes and sailing off to the South Seas for two months? Now? How’s that for bad timing.”
“I’m sorry, Boone.”
“Talk about a letdown.”
“You could have gone ahead and told her about Bree.”
“I couldn’t. Mom would have either bailed on her dream trip or spent the summer fretting about not being here. I’m not doing that to her.”
Beside Hannah in the car seat, the sleeping baby began to stir. Hannah offered Bree the pacifier that had fallen onto her tummy. The baby sucked and settled, and Hannah asked Boone, “So now what?”
“Well, Plan B, I guess, if we can figure out what it is. We can’t go on to the ranch. I’m sure Dad will check in with the managers, and those guys and the ranch hands aren’t any better at keeping secrets than a bunch of eight-year-olds. If you’re up for it, we might as well head for home. We can take our time, and stop for the night when you think it’s best for you and Bree.”
“That sounds good to me.”
“Okay. Then that’s what we’ll do.”
But instead of pulling out of the parking lot, Boone moved the car into the drive-through line. He responded to her silent, curious look by saying, “It’s a day to celebrate. There’s nothing more Texan than savoring a Dairy Queen dip cone on a hot summer day.”
They were five miles down the road, and Hannah was half finished with her soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate, when Boone asked, “Hannah? As I consider my options, is there any chance that I can change your mind about continuing to fill in as Bree’s nanny until Serena is able to take over?”
Hannah’s heart twisted. She gazed down at the infant, who chose that moment to open her eyes. Big blue eyes. Just like Zoe’s.
“I’m sorry, Boone. I know you’re in a bind, and I wish I could help, but you can’t count on me. I can’t count on me. We’re still in the top of the first inning, and I’m not sure I’m going to make it to the third out, much less the bottom of the ninth. Bree is an angel, but I need to take baby steps where babies are concerned. I simply can’t be your Plan B.”
Boone took it in stride, saying, “Fair enough. Didn’t hurt to ask.”
“No, it didn’t.”
“Then let me ask you something else. I will find a solution to my nanny problem, so set that aside. I respect your baby steps. But I could really use a friend right now, especially one who understands what went down the past week. Would you stay in Eternity Springs for a while and be that friend? I give you my word that any time you spend with Bree will be on your terms.”
She considered it a long moment. She had to be somewhere. She still had several items on her Eternity Springs to-do list. What would it hurt to stay a little longer? He’d been a good friend to her so far. She could return the favor. “Baby steps,” she said. “Maybe I’ll learn to toddle.”
“Who knows?” Boone’s gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. “Maybe you’ll learn to fly.”
* * *
Boone thought about his day care dilemma all across The Big Empty, aka West Texas. He chewed on it at every diaper change and pit stop, while Hannah took a turn at driving, and when it was his turn to give Bree a bottle.
He didn’t have an answer when they decided to call it a night and check into a hotel in Amarillo. By the time morning rolled around following a mostly sleepless night of feedings every two hours, he knew he’d have to find his answer fast. So as soon as they were back on the road and with both Hannah and Bree asleep in the backseat, he did what every intelligent, Eternity Springs resident would have done under similar circumstances.
He called Celeste.
“Good morning, Boone,” she said, her voice way too chirpy for his ears. “I heard by the grapevine that you were out of town. Are you back?”
“No, ma’am. On the way, though. I hope to be back by this evening if everyone manages to tolerate a long day in the car today.”
“Everyone?” she asked, picking up on the one word in the sentence that was open to interpretation and or clarification.
“Yes. Everyone. Hannah Dupree, who you’ve met, and the new female in my life. Celeste, I’m bringing a precious cargo with me back to Eternity Springs, but the copilot I counted on helping us settle in has gone AWOL and is drinking an umbrella drink with her flip-flops propped up on a lounge chair on the lido deck.”
“I’m sorry, Boone. You’ve lost me.”
“My bad. I didn’t get much sleep last night. My mind is a glob of saltwater taffy, and thoughts are having a heckuva time pushing through. My mom and dad just left on a two-month cruise. I had hoped to tap her to help with child care until my new nanny heals from emergency surgery and joins us in Eternity Springs.”
Celeste remained silent for a long moment. “You are bringing home a child, Boone?”
“I am. I’ve adopted a little girl. She’s one month old.” He told her the highlights, then said, “I need help, Celeste. Hannah has been a trouper making the trip with me to Texas and back, but she’s not ready to sign on for six weeks. Do you think there’s someone in town who might be willing to help out a desperate new father? I can try Caitlin Tarkington’s day care if I have no other options, but I’d rather have one-on-one care for a newborn.”
“Oh, I imagine we can put our heads together and find a solution. When do you expect to be home?”
“Unless we have an unexpected meltdown, we should be there around five. No later than six, I’d imagine.”
“Very good. Expect me at seven.”
“Awesome.”
�
�I’ll bring dinner.”
“Even more awesome.” He told her where to find a key and invited her to make herself at home. When the call ended a few moments later, Boone felt a thousand pounds lighter. Celeste’s calm had lifted a burden from his shoulders that he’d carried all the way from the Dairy Queen in Weatherford, Texas.
The rest of the trip went relatively smoothly. They made three times more stops than he would have made had he been traveling by himself, which served to remind him of the road trips his family had taken when he and the twins were young. Boone, his mom, and Frankie could go for hours without stopping. His dad and Lara? Their bathroom breaks added fifteen minutes to every hundred miles they traveled.
Hannah was an excellent traveling companion, content to mix comfortable silences with periods of conversation. She’d been as happy as he was to hear that Celeste was ready to take on the task of finding a temporary nanny for Bree. As they crossed the border from New Mexico into Colorado, their conversation moved from favorite songs of the nineties to first paying jobs. “I worked in a boutique that sold children’s clothes.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“I did. I liked retail.”
“Oh, yeah? So were you a business major in college?”
“No. I went a different direction, but in hindsight, I think I’d have been happier in the business school.”
“Maybe you should think about managing a retail shop once you work your wander out?”
“Work my wander out?” she repeated, her smile appreciative. “I like the way that you put that.”
She considered the question a few minutes, then said, “Maybe I’ll do that. I’m going to have to do something. This insurance money I’ve been spending for the past three years won’t last forever. I have enough left that I could probably invest in a small business. If I could find the right concept, location, and situation, I might just give it a go.”
“Hmm…” Boone murmured. Mentally, he reviewed the empty spaces and needs of his town, even as his brain was shouting Maternity Springs! Maternity Springs! However, his instincts cautioned him to tread softly here. Understandably, children were a touchy subject where Hannah was concerned.
Movement off the road caught his notice, and he spied a herd of antelope. “Look off to the right. Bet you don’t see sights like that back in New England.”
“It is beautiful,” she said. “The snowcapped mountains are a welcome sight after watching heat waves on the Texas panhandle plains.”
“No kidding. Although, in defense of my home state, this isn’t the best time of year to visit. For ten months of the year—okay, nine and a half—Texas is a great place to be. But there’s a reason you run into a Texan every time you turn around in Eternity Springs during the summer.”
“One hundred degrees in the shade?”
“Exactly.” Bree let out a little squall at that point, and Boone laughed. “She’s glad we’re headed to the mountains and cooler air too.”
“Smart girl,” Hannah said. “Sweet girl.” In a softer voice that held a bit of a bittersweet to it, she added, “She’s a precious gift. A priceless blessing.”
Boone said, “Amen.”
They reached the summit of Sinner’s Prayer Pass at half past five and made the turn onto his drive at a quarter to six. Celeste Blessing sat in one of the rockers on his front porch.
“Any chance she has someone on deck to help tonight?” Hannah asked. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
“Celeste is an angel. She’ll have a miracle in the works for us.”
After parking the SUV, Boone helped Hannah free Bree from her car seat. Then as Celeste stood to greet them, he approached his friend with his daughter in his arms. A lump formed in his throat as he walked up the path. His own grandmother had died long ago, but this woman did an excellent job of standing in for Gammy. As a result, he was introducing his daughter to a member of his family—a notable first.
“Oh, Boone. Look at you. Look at the two of you. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“I think so.”
“May I hold her?”
“Of course.” He awkwardly transferred Bree over to Celeste. “Hannah tells me I’ll get better at this hand-off with practice.”
“You will. You’ll be an old pro at it within the week.”
Boone wasn’t so sure. To whom was he going to hand her over?
Celeste greeted Hannah and asked, “How was the trip?”
“It was actually easier than I expected. She slept most of the time and was content to be fed in her car seat. I think we stopped and stretched more for ourselves than for Brianna.”
“Well, I know you must be tired. Why don’t I care for Miss Precious here while the two of you go and freshen up? Dinner’s in the oven keeping warm. I do love that kitchen of yours, Boone, by the way. After we eat, we can discuss my nanny plan.” Speaking to Hannah, she said, “Boone explained that you generously stepped in at the last minute to help him with the trip, but that you’re not looking for a full-time nanny position.”
Hannah’s voice was friendly but firm. “I’m definitely not.”
Celeste then gave Hannah one of her extraordinary, impossible-to-refuse smiles and added, “Nevertheless, do join us this evening. Please? Since you’ve spent time with little Sweet Pea here, your input in our plans will be invaluable.”
“Thank you. I’d love to join you.” Hannah glanced Boone’s direction and asked, “Want some help unloading the car? Celeste, you won’t believe all he bought for the baby.”
“Knowing Boone, I’m sure I’ll believe it. In fact, I trusted as much.”
“Hey, it’s easier to have something and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” He turned to Hannah. “Let’s get your bag from the car. The rest of the stuff can wait. Go have some downtime and meet us back here at…” He glanced at Celeste. “Seven?”
“Seven is perfect.”
Hannah handed off the diaper bag she’d taken from the SUV, then leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Brianna’s head. She followed Boone to the SUV, where he unearthed her bag from the mountain of packages in the back. He handed it to her, saying, “Hannah. I don’t have words to thank you. What you did for me, for us, goes above and beyond the call of friendship.”
“I’m glad I could help.” With a glance toward the baby, she added, “The trip was good for me. Except for the heat, I enjoyed it.”
“Like I said, you need to see Texas in October. I’ll take you to Enchanted Canyon. You’ll love it.” Before she could offer a protest, he leaned down and kissed her lightly. “See you at seven.”
As happy as Boone was to be home, he watched Hannah walk toward Serenity Cabbage and nursed a real sense of regret that the trip was over.
“You need to convince that woman to settle here in town,” Celeste said.
“Working on it.” Boone strode back toward the house. “If you ladies are doing all right, I’ll hit the shower. There’s a bottle and anything else you might need in the diaper bag.”
“We’re fine. I’ve got this under control, Boone. I’ll enjoy it immensely. Some of life’s best moments are spent rocking a newborn baby.”
“Won’t argue with you there.” Although come to think about it, he hadn’t had the opportunity to rock Brianna yet. He’d have to rectify that as soon as he got cleaned up.
The aromas wafting from the kitchen when he entered the house almost had him detouring that way. Still, he resisted and went straight to the master suite. He lingered beneath the hot shower, letting the massage jets pound into muscles stiff from too many hours in the car.
Bet Hannah was as stiff as he. The shower in the Cabbage was functional, but it wasn’t nearly as luxurious as this one. He should have offered to share.
That thought gave rise to a vision that put another spin on stiff, and he indulged in a little shower-with-the-travel-nanny fantasy. When he finally dragged himself from the shower, he was much more limber and relaxed. He dried off, w
rapped his fluffy white towel around his hips, and padded barefoot into the bedroom. Rather than go to his dresser in search of underwear, he sat on his bed.
Exhaustion tugged at him. He knew he should get up, get dressed, and go relieve Celeste, but he didn’t hear any screaming from either her or the baby. She’d said she had it under control. The trip to Texas and back had been long and emotional, and now that he’d had a few minutes to himself, it was catching up to him.
A glance at the clock showed that he had time to catch a little shut-eye. He’d give himself fifteen minutes. Lying back, Boone set his internal, never-fail alarm and closed his eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Showered and dressed in jeans and the soft, oversized hoodie she’d picked up in a gift shop in town, Hannah made her way back to Boone’s house a little before seven. She arrived to discover Brianna sound asleep in the bassinet in the nursery. She found Celeste outside on the deck setting out disposable plastic plates, cutlery, cups, and napkins along the bar—for many more than three.
After discussing how the older woman had managed with the baby, Hannah observed, “Whatever is in the oven smells delicious, but I have to ask. Celeste, how many are you planning to feed?”
“I expect we’ll have twenty to twenty-five. Dinner is potluck, with my contribution being corn casserole.
“Twenty to twenty-five?” Hannah repeated, shocked.
“It’s my nanny plan. We’re throwing a baby and babysitters’ shower for Boone. Everyone is bringing one dish for us to share tonight, and a smaller portion to go into Boone’s freezer. I’ve always said the best gift you can give new parents is the gift of sleep and meal prep. Judging by the appearance of the nursery, there’s nothing anyone could give him that he hasn’t already bought himself.”
“That’s true. Remember, the car isn’t unloaded yet.”
“Boone has a lot of friends in town. What he needs from us is day care, and we are ready to help. He said that his permanent nanny would not be available for six more weeks. I have a sign-up sheet, and everyone is going to take a turn or two. It’s tourist season in Eternity Springs, so everyone is up to their feathers in work with little time to spare, but we all want to help him as best we can. Boone has done a lot for our community, and he’s been a good friend to many of us personally. It’s lovely to have an opportunity to repay his kindness.”
