Nick gestured toward a hay bale. “Have a seat.”
“I probably shouldn’t stay long.”
As she sat, he leaned one shoulder against the wall of the barn. “How did you find me?”
“Bea told me where you live. Just down the road from the boys ranch.”
“Yes, it’s convenient for me to pop over there when I can, even for half an hour or so. How did it go with Corey today? Lana told me you were volunteering to help with homework after school.” And he’d purposely stayed away. He needed to get her out of his head.
“Today there were only four of us for twenty-four kids. Thankfully the younger ones didn’t have that much homework. Corey took up my whole time.”
“Why?”
“He wouldn’t do his work. Just sat there staring at the page. He finally told me he has trouble reading. The book he had to read was too hard for him.”
“I’ve helped him with math, but he never asked for any help with reading. He’s good at math and really didn’t need much assistance.” Nick sank onto the hay bale next to Darcy. Yet another thing Darcy had discovered about Corey that he hadn’t known.
“He didn’t admit it easily, but at least now I know how to work with him. I let Lana know. She’ll talk with his teacher tomorrow.”
“How was his reading?”
“Slow. He retained what he read, but he struggled with quite a few words that someone his age should know. I told him I would make flash cards of the ones he had trouble with and we’d review them.”
“It sounds like you’ll be spending most of your time with Corey.”
She grinned. “I enjoyed this afternoon. Lana and I decided I would work primarily with Corey. Tomorrow there will be more volunteers. Monday seems to have the least number of people. Maybe you could help out with the homework.”
“Me?” He pointed at his chest. “I think I’ll stick with helping in other ways. The extent of my higher education was one year at a junior college before I joined the army. The only teaching I’m gonna do is how to ride a horse.” Another thing they didn’t have in common. She’d gone to law school after four years of college. They were so different, and he needed to remember that. He stood and held out his hand for her. “I appreciate you letting me know.”
She allowed him to help her to her feet, which brought her within inches of him. Again her light, sweet scent teased his senses. “I’d love to be there when you give him his first riding lesson. I hope you’ll let me know. I have a lot of spare time on my hands.”
“And that bothers you?”
“Bother isn’t quite the word I would pick. I’m used to being busy. By the time I adjust to this leisure, my vacation will be over.”
“Uncle Howard is preparing stew tonight. He makes it from scratch with tons of vegetables and beef and always fixes a big pot of it. Why don’t you join us before you head back to the inn? That is, unless you have something else to do.”
Her smile encompassed her whole face. “I got a whiff of it when I was up at your house. It smelled great. So yes, I’d love to.”
He automatically reacted to her grin with one of his own. The weariness he’d felt earlier vanished as though her presence charged his energy. “Good. Let’s go. I’m starving. Forgot to eat lunch.”
“I didn’t, and I’m still starving.”
Nick shut the barn door behind him as they left. “You might like the temperature for the rest of the week. It’ll be in the sixties.”
“Now, that’s getting closer to what I’m used to in January.”
“Did Corey say much about his first day at school?”
“Not much except that his teacher was nice.”
“I hope this works for him. Did he mention his dad?”
“No. We mostly talked about the animals. Why?”
Nick paused on the back-door stoop. “Because I got a call from Mrs. Scott this morning. Since Ned was released on bail, he hasn’t left his house. He came home not long after Corey was taken to the ranch, went inside and stayed.”
“Do you think something is wrong?”
He let her go into the house first. “I imagine he’s holed up, drinking. I asked Mrs. Scott to go check on him and to call me. She tried, but no one answered the door.”
“Are you going to visit him?”
“I might.” He felt he owed Corey that, but being around Ned always left Nick stuck in the past.
“I can go with you. I don’t think you should go alone.”
“Go alone where?” Uncle Howard entered the kitchen.
“To see if Corey’s dad is all right.” Nick strolled across the room. “I need to wash up. I’ll be back in ten minutes or so. Ask my uncle if he’s used anything with gluten in the stew.”
Nick headed for a quick shower after a hard day of labor. He didn’t want her to think he was making a big deal that she was here sharing dinner with him.
He rubbed the steam off the mirror and stared at himself, his beard a day old. He hadn’t shaved this morning because he was running late to take Corey to school.
What are you doing? She’ll be gone from Haven at the end of the month, if she even stays that long.
Five minutes later, he hastened back to the kitchen, the sound of laughter drifting to him.
Uncle Howard raised both eyebrows when Nick entered. He sent his uncle a narrowed look that he hoped conveyed Howard better not say a word about his showering and cleaning up.
“So what’s so funny?” Nick approached the table, not sure where to sit, across from Darcy or catty-cornered.
“Howard was telling me about when you came to visit him in Galveston.”
“About the time I sneaked up into the attic and fell partway through the ceiling?”
“Yes. I can just picture you swinging your legs around, trying not to fall all the way through.” Darcy took a sip of her iced tea.
Her teasing look mesmerized him for a few seconds. “I was trying to pull myself up through the hole before Uncle Howard found out what I’d done.”
“You didn’t think the hole in the ceiling would clue him in?”
“I was eight. I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.” He didn’t tell her he’d been in the attic hiding so he didn’t have to return to Haven later that day.
Darcy chuckled. “I don’t want you to ever talk to my parents. My curiosity got me into a lot of trouble. But I have to admit they took it in stride.”
Whereas his dad hadn’t. At least his problems with his father helped him to relate to Corey. “Now you’ve stirred my curiosity. What kind of trouble?”
A twinkle danced in her blue eyes, brightening the sparkle in them. “I used to open all my Christmas gifts and then seal them back up so my parents didn’t know. I couldn’t stand the waiting. They got wise to me and didn’t put anything out until after I went to bed Christmas Eve.”
He’d rarely received a present from his dad, but this topic was bringing back too many memories he was determined not to remember. Ever since he’d begun watching out for Corey, he’d relived his past over and over, and now his conversation with Darcy was having the same effect.
“What time will you be finished working with Corey tomorrow? I want him to choose his horse and start learning how to take care of it,” Nick said, changing the subject.
“If Corey has his way, as soon as he comes back to the boys ranch after school. I can bring him to the barn after he completes his homework. He usually doesn’t have much.”
“I think I’ll hitch a ride with you, Nick. I haven’t seen Corey since Ned stop letting him come to our ranch.” Uncle Howard bowed his head. “Let’s say grace and eat this beef stew before it gets cold.”
After grace, his uncle started passing the food. “Darcy, how in the world did you end up here in Haven? Did you throw a dart
at the map of Texas?”
“The name was what sold me on this town. I had a difficult case right before I came here. A custody battle between a husband and wife with two children caught in the middle. The two had a tug of war with the children.”
“Did it end okay?” Nick wasn’t surprised the parents were using their children as pawns.
“Yes, because the judge was firm but patient. He came up with a decision that made the two parents agree to a friendlier solution.”
Uncle Howard broke a piece of bread and dunked part of it into his stew. “Something like Solomon when the two women claimed the same child?”
“Yes, neither parent wanted to give up seeing one of their children. They both were fighting for full-time custody. The hate in the courtroom was palpable. Each night when I left them, it was hard to decompress. I needed a break, and my boss insisted I take it.”
Those poor children would have to deal with each parent’s hostility against the other. What he’d seen of families only reinforced he didn’t want to have kids. “Do you work with families a lot?” Nick dipped his spoon into the beef stew.
“At least a third of my clients. But enough about me. What do y’all do on the ranch? I’ve seen some horses and a pasture full of cattle.” Darcy shifted her gaze between Nick and his uncle.
“The Flying Eagle has two thousand acres, considered small compared to other Texan cattle ranches. We have one hundred and twenty head of cattle and about ten horses. I’d love to acquire more horses to train, but with a staff of only myself, Uncle Howard and hired hands during the busy times, that’s not possible.” One day Nick hoped he could. Cattle were his business, but his interest and love were horses.
As his uncle expounded on some of the everyday duties, Nick watched Darcy focus her total attention on him. She seemed genuinely interested in the ranch, and yet, even dressed in her more casual clothes, she had expensive taste stamped all over her, from her Ray-Ban sunglasses to her Louis Vuitton purse.
When dinner was over, Uncle Howard waved them out of the kitchen. “You’re a guest. I can handle the dinner dishes.”
In the hallway that led to the front of the house, Darcy sighed. “His beef stew was delicious. And the bread smelled so wonderful that my mouth watered, but I can’t eat bread made with wheat.”
With his gaze fixed on the aforementioned mouth, Nick grappled for something to say. Between the exhaustion creeping through his body and his losing battle to keep himself from staring at her, his mind went blank.
“Are you okay?” Darcy asked in the entry hall.
Yeah, as soon as you leave. “I’m fine. I’m just tired from riding around those two thousand acres checking fences, cattle and the land itself.”
“At least the snow melted and the temperature was above freezing.” At the front door, she turned toward him, not a foot away.
All the reasons he should stay away from her raced through his mind, but all he wanted to think about was how it would feel to kiss her. She was the breath of fresh air he’d needed ever since coming home to Haven last year.
He reached around her, brushing against her arm, and grasped the door handle. “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow after Corey finishes his homework.” He opened the door and quickly put some room between them.
She smiled at him, her crystalline blue eyes enticing him to come closer. To taste her lips.
He stepped back. “Bye.”
Then, he remained in the doorway watching her—until her taillights vanished in the dark.
He had to stay away from her. She was here temporarily and they had nothing in common. End of story.
But one word seeped into his thoughts: Corey.
Chapter Six
“That’s correct, Corey.” Darcy sat next to the ten-year-old as he finished his reading homework in the living room the next afternoon.
He slammed the book closed and hopped up, grabbing his school backpack. “Let’s go. It’s time to meet Nick. Aiden is comin’ when he gets through his homework.”
Corey had worked twice as hard as he had the day before. She needed him to have an incentive every afternoon. Maybe she could talk Nick into coming to work this time every day. She smiled at the thought. She would get to see Nick as well as Corey. She liked that plan.
Corey stopped at the living room entrance and looked back at her. “C’mon. I don’t wanna be late.”
“What do we do with your books?”
“In here.” He took them from her and stuffed them in his backpack, then he started for the front door.
“Corey, you need to put on your jacket.”
“Oh, yeah. Forgot.” After shrugging into his coat, he added. “Now can we go?”
“Yes.”
He shot outside so fast she’d have to jog to keep up with him. Corey’s attitude today had improved so much. One reason was the lesson with Nick, but also today Aiden and Corey had played at recess.
She allowed him to race ahead of her. The chill in the wind cut through her. She was used to a breeze from the Gulf, but this wasn’t like that. She began to wonder if it would snow again.
She’d been looking forward to seeing Nick herself, but she didn’t want to seem too eager. She liked that they were different. She’d dated plenty of men who were from a similar background and career, but no one had stayed in her thoughts as much as Nick did. She wanted to attribute it to their mutual interest in Corey. But that wasn’t it. Nick kept himself closed off from others. Last night with his uncle was the first time she’d seen him really relax, especially as they talked about the Flying Eagle.
When she entered the barn, Corey had already left his backpack near the tack room and was hurrying toward Nick at the far end. Nick smiled when he spied the boy. Then he scanned the area, and his gaze latched onto her. Her heartbeat sped as she approached the pair, Nick’s eyes still locked with hers as though she was roped and he was drawing her to him.
“Corey said he got all his homework done.”
She nodded. “He really buckled down and did a great job.”
Corey beamed. “I already know which horse I want. Ginger. Aiden said they needed another person on his team.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nick said. “You’ll make the third one in Aiden and Ben Turner’s group.”
Corey’s forehead creased. “I’ve seen him but haven’t talked to him. He’s in wing one.”
“Each team has at least one older boy. Let’s go get Ginger in the paddock and bring her in here. I’m going to teach you how to saddle her.”
“When do I get to ride her?”
“When you know how to care for her and can do every step that leads up to riding her.”
“I’ll stay back while y’all get Ginger.” Darcy stood at the back door as they left. Sheltered by the barn, she watched them enter a corral, a halter in Nick’s hand. Corey seemed to listen intently to every word Nick said.
So did Darcy. His slow Texan drawl reminded her of warm butter dripping from a freshly baked biscuit. Forbidden to her.
As Nick showed Corey what to do, a loud voice boomed through the cavernous barn. “Where’s...my son?”
Darcy turned toward the man who was slurring his words as though he’d been drinking. At the other end of the barn stood Ned Phillips, his face set in anger. She looked around for anyone else in the barn. No one was there but her and her cousin.
Ned stormed toward Darcy, pointing at her. “I’ve seen you. Where’s Corey? I’m bringing him home. Ain’t no one taking my son away from me.”
Darcy shut the door behind her and braced herself in front of it. “He’s not here, as you can see. You need to leave.”
Ned cursed. “I saw him come in here. He’s hidin’ again. Corey, come out here. Now!” He shouted the last word so loudly that his voice rang through her head. Sh
e hoped Nick had heard and would keep the child away.
Instead, the back door banged open, and Nick filled the entrance with his large presence. His arms stiff at his side, he curled and uncurled his hands. “You don’t belong here. You need to leave. Now.” His emphasis on the same word Ned had used was so different—it was quietly spoken with a commanding tone.
Ned cut the distance between him and Nick. “And you do?”
“I help take care of the horses.” Nick’s voice dropped even quieter.
Ned thrust his face even closer to Nick’s. “Where is my son?”
“You reek of alcohol. Someone will drive you home. Then, if you want to see Corey, call the boys ranch office to find out the procedure.”
“What? He’s mine, not yours.”
“He’s not a piece of property.”
Ned whirled around and stumbled forward. He headed for the stall nearest him. “Corey?” Then he searched the next one.
Darcy moved quickly to Nick and whispered, “I’ll take Corey up to the house and let them know what’s happening down here.”
“He’s right out back, holding the reins to Ginger. Tie the mare to the fence and go. I’ll keep Ned in here while you do.”
“But—”
He bent forward and murmured into her ear, “Go.”
She hurried out the back as she heard a stall door slamming closed. “Let’s go to the house.”
Fear seemed to freeze the child against the barn, his eyes huge.
Darcy stepped to his side and took his free hand. “I’ll be with you the whole way.”
“But—but Dad’s...” He choked on his tears. “I don’t want to go home.”
“You aren’t going to.” All she wanted to do was hold him and keep him safe. “Come on.” With her arm around Corey’s shoulder, she guided him to the nearest fence and helped his trembling fingers tie the reins.
“Get out of my way,” Ned yelled from inside the barn.
Darcy grabbed Corey’s hand and started for the house. Her cousin kept glancing over his shoulder.
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