Home on the Ranch

by Tanya Michaels

“Mom would hate that.”

  Layla tamped down the familiar annoyance. “You and I are both parents ourselves now. Wouldn’t you always want what’s best for your girls? Seeing Dad could be cathartic for you. Mom has to understand that, deep down. She shouldn’t make it about her.” Like she did when she found out about my pregnancy. “Please, Chris. I know you and Mom are close, but you can’t make life decisions based on whether or not she might get her feelings hurt.”

  He glared.

  Sensing protest, she cut him off before he had a chance to say anything. “Don’t you think people should be forgiven for past mistakes?” Please say yes. One day very soon, she was going to have another difficult conversation with Chris, and she couldn’t bear the thought that he might hate her or Jace.

  “Depends on the person,” he grated. “Depends on the mistake.”

  Not the most reassuring thing he could’ve said, but it was better than a flat no. “Will you at least promise to think about it?”

  After he grudgingly agreed, she said she should probably collect Addie and head back to Gena’s. Her cousin would be home from the bank in an hour or so, and Layla wanted time to figure out a dinner plan. She was trying to pitch in as much as possible to show her gratitude for everything Gena had done.

  On the drive, Addie was uncharacteristically animated. She talked about how cute the twin babies were and how much fun she’d had playing with Aunt Suzanne. Her daughter’s enthusiasm caused a twinge in Layla’s chest. Layla couldn’t begin to imagine moving back, but would visits really have been that difficult? Addie might have benefitted from more frequent interaction with loving family members.

  She stole a glance at her daughter in the rearview mirror. Despite Layla’s pensive mood, she couldn’t help grinning at the adult-sized straw cowboy hat sliding down over Addie’s eyes. Suzanne had run across it earlier while looking for the bubble wands and insisted Addie take it since every Texas girl needs her own hat. Addie had scoffed that a tornado would easily dislodge a hat, and Suzanne had convinced her niece to look at a hat as a kind of early warning system—“If the wind gets strong enough to blow your hat away, maybe it’s a sign that you should go inside.”

  After that bit of logic, Addie hadn’t taken the hat off once. Layla had images of her daughter wearing it to bed or in the bathtub. Claire’s rule had always been no hats at the dinner table, but Layla was willing to make exceptions.

  “What should I cook tonight? And don’t say pizza,” Layla preempted. “You’ve had it twice recently. We should come up with something else.”

  Addie giggled. “But I like pizza.”

  “Well, sure, but—” Layla’s eyes widened at the sight of the truck parked in front of Gena’s house. Jace! Her pulse fluttered, and she couldn’t tell if the reaction was joy, anxiety or both.

  Part of her was genuinely pleased by his presence, but Addie didn’t take surprises well. After a rocky first impression, was he about to make a worst second impression on his daughter? Was it too late to throw the car in Reverse and pretend she’d never been here? Layla mentally kicked herself. I should’ve just suggested Gena meet us in town for barbecue.

  “Oh, look.” She tried to make her voice bright. “Mr. Jace is paying us a visit.”

  Addie’s face scrunched into a scowl. “What’s he doing here?”

  That’s what I’d like to know. “I’m not sure. Let’s go say hi and find out.” Without giving her daughter time to argue—or herself time to second-guess the decision—Layla reached for the handle of her car door. In lieu of a chance to check her hair or apply a fresh coat of lip gloss, she smoothed a hand over the skirt of her cotton sundress and hoped for the best.

  Addie trudged along beside her, making it clear with a series of heavy sighs that she was doing so under duress.

  Jace was sitting on the front porch, but he stood as they approached. He beamed at them with his usual confidence, no trace of the self-doubt he’d expressed last time he was here. “Hello, Dempsey ladies!”

  Addie tipped back her hat to glare at him, and Layla almost laughed at a whimsical mental image of her daughter challenging him to a quick draw. “Hi. Mama, can I go inside now?”

  “Not so fast, partner.” Jace tapped the brim of the straw hat. “Don’t you want to see the present I got you?”

  This prompted another dramatic sigh, and Layla intervened before her daughter commented on his gift-giving abilities. “Manners, Addison Rose.”

  “Okay.” It was unclear which adult Addie was answering, but Jace smiled, clearly encouraged.

  He held out a dark green gift bag. “Be careful opening it. It’s breakable.”

  Layla rolled her eyes inwardly. Did he really have to get the six-year-old something fragile? But Addie dutifully sat down, removing the tissue paper with care. Finally, she extracted some kind of jar with water in it, mounted on a cylindrical base.

  “I don’t know what this is,” she said. It wasn’t a complaint, just a statement. She sounded intrigued.

  Jace sat next to her. “See this button on the bottom? Push that.”

  Addie did as instructed, and a faint blue light shone up through the water, accompanied by a soft whirring. Then the water began to move in a circle, and moments later, there was a funnel of water spinning that perfectly mimicked the shape and motion of a tornado. Addie’s mouth fell open, her gaze awestruck.

  “Mama! Look!”

  “I see.” But Layla wasn’t watching the obviously homemade tornado machine. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Jace. He’d never looked more attractive, the sunlight highlighting the happiness in his blue eyes as he grinned at their daughter. “You made this?”

  He nodded.

  Addie stared at him with something like hero worship. “You did? Can you teach me how?”

  “Not tonight—we’d need to buy parts—but someday I will. Promise.”

  Layla almost flinched at that. It wasn’t a good idea to make casual promises to children, especially one who could be as literal-minded and dogged as hers, but right now, she was too moved by Jace’s thoughtfulness to dwell on potential mistakes.

  Addison’s eyes fell on the cooler a few feet away. “What’s in there? Is that for me, too?”

  He laughed. “Technically, yes, but I’m not sure you’ll find the contents very exciting. I brought food. I was hoping to cook for you and your mom. And your aunt Gena, of course, when she gets home.”

  Layla blinked. It was difficult to resist a good-looking man who made your daughter presents and offered to cook for you. “You want to cook for us?”

  “Do you know how to make pizza?” Addie asked.

  “Never tried,” he said. “Maybe another time. For now, I thought I’d throw some burgers on the grill and cook some French fries. I also brought ice cream with me. Ever tried fries dipped in milk shakes?”

  “I love them!” Addie glowed up at him in pure six-year-old bliss. “How did you know?”

  He winked over the top of her head at Layla. “I had a hunch. So, what do you ladies say? Can I stay for dinner?”

  It would take a heart of stone to refuse, and Layla’s heart was currently melted into a gooey puddle. “Of course.”

  Addie tugged her mom’s skirt. “Can I change clothes? I want to look special.”

  “Sure, honey.” Too bad they’d left Addie’s dress-up ruby slippers back at home. “I think Mr. Jace would like that.” Layla had barely unlocked the front door before her daughter dashed past, with both Layla and Jace calling after her to remind her to be careful with the tornado machine.

  Layla turned to the surprising man at her side. “I can’t believe you made that for her.”

  “It was nothing.” He ducked his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just needed some online how-to videos, patience, trial and error...plus a few common household supplies.”

  “Common?”

>   “Sure. Empty salsa jar, a glue gun, rubber bands, a motor, LED lights, high-density polyethylene. You know, the kind of stuff most moms probably carry around in their purses.”

  She laughed. “How long did it take?”

  “What gets me more points with you—saying it took no time at all, which makes me sound like a technologically gifted badass, or saying that I worked all last night into the wee hours of the morning, which makes me sound dedicated and thorough?”

  “I’m sure a little of both is true.” Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

  He reached up to snag her around the waist. “It would have been worth staying up all night for that.” His voice was low, no longer playful. He sounded completely sincere.

  She blushed. “Don’t read too much into it. It was just a platonic peck between friends.”

  His gaze locked with hers. She didn’t know what he was thinking exactly, but she knew what this proximity was doing to her. Heat swirled low in her belly, and her mouth was suddenly dry. Kiss him for real. Lord knew she wanted to, but that would make her a total hypocrite. She’d been the one to insist they not complicate matters with physical interaction, and she stood by that decision. Kind of.

  Trying not to stare at his mouth, she took a half step back. “Why don’t you go grab the cooler? We should get the ice cream in the freezer and the fries in the oven.” Or she could just press the bag of frozen potatoes against her flushed face and cook them that way. A few minutes alone with Jace was enough to heat the entire kitchen. Would it always be like this? Years ago, her body had burned for his, even though she’d been too young to know what she was doing. Now she had more knowledge and experience, and she couldn’t help fantasizing about how being with him could be even better.

  “How do I look, Mama?”

  Layla turned to see her daughter wobbling in the doorway; with effort, Layla smothered a chuckle that might hurt Addie’s feelings. “Aren’t those Aunt Gena’s boots?” The black cowgirl boots with turquoise embellishments came almost to Addie’s knees.

  “Cowgirl boots to go with the cowgirl hat.” Sure enough, Addie was still wearing the straw hat—along with a red sequined dress that Layla had bought her last Christmas. She held her arms out proudly. “I found the dress inside the underneath of my suitcase.”

  Inside the underneath? The lining. There was a rip in the suitcase’s lining. The dress must have slipped down inside it without Layla’s noticing.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want to wear?” Layla asked gently. “You won’t be upset if you spill ketchup or mustard or ice cream on your dress?”

  “I’ll be extra careful,” Addie promised.

  “All right, then the hat and dress stay. But you should probably lose the boots since you didn’t ask Aunt Gena’s permission.”

  “I don’t know,” Jace drawled from behind Layla. “The boots make the outfit. You look smashing, Addie! You could have a real future as a fashion designer.”

  She gave him a withering look. “I’m gonna be a meteorologist.”

  He chuckled as she stomped around the corner to return the boots to Gena’s closet. “Well. She told me. Guess I’d better get to work on dinner and see if I can win her back.”

  Once he was out of the kitchen, it was easier to breathe. Layla’s heart rate slowed back to normal, and her skin didn’t tingle quite so much—although she did steal the occasional peek out the window to watch him at the grill.

  “Um, cuz?” Gena asked when she came home. “Want to fill me in on why there’s a sexy Trent brother cooking in my yard? Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m just a little surprised after his last visit to see him again so—”

  “Aunt Gena! Come see what Mr. Jace gave me,” Addie demanded happily.

  Gena raised an eyebrow, whispering to Layla, “He resorted to bribery?”

  “Tornado bribery.”

  “Well played. This guy is good.”

  And so were his hamburgers. Half an hour later, the four of them sat around the table, happily devouring burgers, fries and chocolate milk shakes.

  Layla dunked a fry into her shake, groaning in a combination of pleasure and guilt. “A better mother would have made sure there were more vegetables on this table.”

  “Pffft.” Jace waved a hand. “The burgers have lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.”

  “Which are really just cucumbers,” Gena chimed in.

  Jace nodded. “So it’s practically a salad.”

  Addie giggled, knocking her cowgirl hat askew, and Layla’s heart soared at the genuine happiness on her daughter’s face. Tonight had been such a wonderful surprise, and Addie obviously didn’t want it to end yet. “After dinner, wanna watch The Wizard of Oz with me?” she invited Jace.

  “Even better,” he said, “I brought over a new movie to show you. It’s called Twister. It has a bunch of tornadoes in it, way more than The Wizard of Oz.”

  Addie’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Uh...” There were reasons Layla had never shown her daughter one of the most famous tornado movies. “Addie and I have already had a pretty exciting day. Maybe we should stick with The Wizard of Oz for tonight and save Twister for another time.” Like, two or three years from now. The CGI special effects were a bit scarier than a black-and-white cyclone from the 1930s.

  “Aw.” Addie stuck her bottom lip out.

  “Or,” Layla countered, “you could just go to bed after dinner.”

  The pout quickly disappeared.

  Layla affectionately straightened her daughter’s hat. “That’s what I thought.”

  After dinner, Gena made a big show of yawning and stretching and saying she’d had a long day at work. “Think I’ll turn in early,” she said.

  “Can we have popcorn?” Addie asked Layla.

  “Of course,” Jace answered. “What’s a movie without popcorn?”

  Layla smacked her palm to her forehead. “On top of fries and ice cream? Definitely not.”

  Jace smirked. “You forget, I once saw you eat three funnel cakes, a box of caramel corn and a strawberry sundae in one afternoon at the Harvest Day Festival.”

  “All of which I threw up after the Tilt-A-Whirl,” she recalled with a grimace.

  Addie’s eyes were wide. “What’s a Tilt-A-Whirl?”

  “An instrument of torture your uncle Chris and Mr. Jace dared me to ride.”

  Jace laughed. “Oh, please. We never had to dare you to do anything. You had the guts to join our adventures voluntarily.”

  Because you were there. Maybe there’d been a time during her elementary years when she’d wanted to be like her big brother, but by the time she was a teenager, Chris was no longer the motivating factor. She’d loved being around Jace. Tonight had been a strong reminder why. He was funny and charming and, despite occasional teasing obnoxiousness, thoughtful.

  He caught her studying him and raised an eyebrow in silent question.

  She deflected by turning to her daughter. “Okay, fine, we can share a bowl of popcorn. But only if you hurry and put on pajamas while I make it.”

  As soon as her daughter was out of earshot, Layla turned to Jace. “Thank you for tonight. She’s having a blast. But I wish you’d run it past me before offering to let her watch Twister. Characters actually die in that movie! That’s way more intense than The Wizard of Oz.”

  “You’re obviously forgetting about Dorothy’s homicidal tendencies toward wicked witches.”

  She bit the inside of her lip, refusing to laugh. “A couple of nights ago, she kept me awake kicking after she crawled into bed after nightmares. I don’t even want to think about the bad dreams the special effects in Twister could give her.” She cocked her head, trying to remember the last time she’d watched the movie. “Plus, isn’t one of the characters a sex therapist?”

  “Um...maybe? I did
n’t think it would be a big deal. Cole’s daughter Mandy loves Twister, and she’s not that much older than Addie.”

  Was Layla overreacting? Now that she thought about it, there was a four-year-old boy who lived on their street who claimed Jurassic Park as his favorite movie. “Honestly, I’m not sure how big a deal it would be. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it that I’m not one-hundred-percent sure how she’d react. But be careful what you say to her or offer her without running it by me first.” She sighed. “Do I sound like a horrible control freak?”

  He gave her a boyishly lopsided smile. “You sound like a concerned mom.”

  “Thanks for understanding.”

  “I may be new at all of this, but I’m trying.”

  He really was. She was moved by how good he’d been with Addie for the past hour. He could be silly with her, but he also took her seriously. When Addie talked to him, he didn’t look at his phone or absently nod like an adult whose attention had wandered. He leaned forward with alert interest, making it clear with his posture and body language that he considered her important.

  The freshly popped popcorn smelled so good that Layla was glad she’d let them talk her into it. She carried the bowl and napkins while Addie raced ahead to turn on the DVD player. However, once they were all seated on the couch, with Addie snuggled between them, the little girl showed no urgency for starting the movie. Instead, she asked Jace if there were other things besides the festival he’d done with Chris and Layla.

  “Oh, sure. Your uncle and your mama were two of my best friends. We went to movies together, rode bikes together, went fishing... Your mom is terrible at fishing,” he confided in a stage whisper.

  “I am not!” Layla objected.

  “You used to scare the fish away with all your loud giggling.”

  “That was one time—and only because you were tickling me.”

  “True.” Jace held up his hands and wiggled his fingers at Addie. “What about you, kiddo? Are you ticklish?”

  Addie shrieked with delight and tried to hide behind her mom. The battle escalated to Jace trying to tickle each of them with one hand while Layla and Addie retaliated with throw pillows. Unfortunately, the battle had casualties—the bowl of popcorn landed upside down in the floor.