by Amanda Renee
They were finally beginning to settle into somewhat of a normal routine in Saddle Ridge. Emma had volunteered to pick Kacey up from school every day, since the private school didn’t provide bus service like the public school had. She had already been watching Bryce after preschool, now she had taken on his daughter.
The arrangement was fine for now, but he needed to find a more permanent solution. Emma would eventually be working full-time at the lodge and she would have her hands full between that and her own child. He felt as if he was taking advantage, but she said Kacey was a big help to her with Holly.
The past few days had given him hope. Hope they would survive as a family. There had been times after the move when he’d wondered if his kids would have preferred if he’d walked away and left them with their grandparents. In the back of his mind, he wondered if that had been Dawn and Terry’s master plan.
When he had taken over as their ranch manager, he quickly began to lose touch with his children. He didn’t bond with Bryce until he was almost a year old. Before that, in all the grief and depression, Bryce was just a baby he was responsible for. But when the fog lifted, it was as if somebody had flicked a switch. That was when he’d decided to take back control of his children. Garrett needed his kids, and his in-laws didn’t want to alienate him for fear he would leave with the children. Which ultimately was what happened—not because he was angry or felt threatened. But because it was time.
“Daddy!” Kacey ran into the kitchen with an ear-to-ear smile. “Did you hear me play?”
“Yes, I did. You sounded great, sweetheart.”
“My fingers are sore from pushing the strings down on the frets but Delta said I’ll grow calloused after a while.”
“You’ll form calluses,” Delta gently corrected. “Let’s hope you never grow calloused.”
“And Delta said she will loan me one of her guitars to play on since I don’t have one.”
“That’s awfully generous, Delta, but are you sure you want to take that risk?” He feared his daughter would damage the hollow body of an acoustic guitar. “Maybe you should take a few more lessons first.”
“I have an older travel guitar at the house that will fit her perfectly. I don’t use it that much anymore. I take my parlor guitar back and forth to the convalescent home since it’s smaller than the one I normally play.” She smiled up at him. “It will give her something to practice on until she decides if this is what she really wants.”
“Thank you.” Her generosity with his kids continued to amaze him. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t sometimes wonder what life would be like having her around more often. “Now, who wants brownies and ice cream?”
“I do, I do!” Bryce climbed on top of his chair.
“Be careful, peanut.” Before he could even react, Delta reached over the back of the chair, lifted Bryce up and reseated him. “You don’t want to fall and get hurt.”
With every minute that passed, every movement she made, Garrett saw her fall in step with their lives. And while the timing was wrong, maybe someday there would be a chance of more.
“I found out not only can we rent linens and place settings, we can rent red, pink and white aprons.” Delta poured coffee for her and Dylan while he unwrapped the platter of brownies and sat it on the center of the table. “But we need to get our order in right away because some of the Western designs aren’t in stock locally. They’ll need a few days to ship them in. I brought the catalog and swatches with me.”
Garrett blew out a breath. “Great, thank you.” He still hadn’t forgiven Dylan for dumping Valentine’s Day on him especially when it was so close to the anniversary of Rebecca’s death. He’d taken notice of how careful Delta had been to keep their plans simple and tasteful. “When I wrangled you into this, I hadn’t expected you to do so much. You’ve gone above and beyond.”
“You have your hands full with kids and work.”
“You have a pretty packed schedule yourself.”
“Yeah, but my four-legged child is easier to take care of.”
“I want a doggie!” Bryce shouted across the table.
“Yeah, Daddy, when can we get a dog?”
Delta looked at him and started laughing. “Looks like your hands are going to be fuller than I thought.” She ruffled Bryce’s hair. “How about I loan you Jake from time to time. Would that make you happy?”
“Yay!” The kids cheered from their chairs.
Good save, Garrett mouthed to her.
“I’ll add it to your tab.” Delta set the cups on the table and grabbed a stack of napkins from the drawer near the fridge. “I also found out there’s a hospitality service in Kalispell that will come in daily and handle the laundry service. I’m thinking white. Luxurious white Egyptian cotton sheets, white fluffy towels and bathrobes, and white bedding. I think the higher-end bedding will contrast the rustic wood in the rooms and cabins, giving it a Western flair without being in-your-face obvious.”
“I wouldn’t have chosen white, but I can picture that.” A flash of the two of them sharing one of those rooms played in his mind. He shook his head to clear the thought. “Sounds great.”
“I printed out some amazing menus from similar guest ranches in California. Maybe we could elevate the menu just a little bit for this event.” Delta crossed the room and picked up the overstuffed tote bag she had left against the wall when she’d come in. She rummaged through it before removing a thick folder. “This should be a great start for you and the staff.” She traded him the folder for a gallon of milk and two glasses for the kids. “Maybe pick one thing from each menu and create your own? The chefs may even want to add their spin on it. How about asking them to create a special Valentine’s Day menu and just use these as ideas. Delegate it to them. They’re the chefs.”
He watched her lovingly tuck a napkin into Bryce’s third shirt of the day and set a small piece of brownie in front of him before opening the ice cream. “Don’t worry, peanut, there’s more where that came from.” Why was it the women in his life knew to feed Bryce in small increments yet he and his in-laws had struggled with getting him to eat like a child should?
“Red roses are at a ridiculous premium.” She spooned out a scoop of ice cream in each of the kids’ bowls before putting the carton away. “A friend of mine suggested white roses. They’re a little more elegant, will go perfectly with the white theme and will look beautiful against red table linens. Oh, I know!” She jumped up and dove into her bag again. “There is a warm red plaid linen I saw in a catalog. Think flannel shirt. White rose centerpieces would look stunning on them.” She thumbed through the catalog before finding the page, and handed it to him. “This one. And I had three florists send me centerpiece ideas along with pricing. Two of them said they could provide long-stem roses every evening for turndown service. That would be a nice touch to add to a bed on top of your standard chocolate.”
Once again, he envisioned sharing a room with Delta, only it wasn’t at a hotel. It was at home. Their home. A home he’d never been to but one where she fluttered around the kitchen tending to his children as she was now. A home free of pain and filled with his children’s laughter. A home with a master bedroom and a door they could tuck themselves behind at night.
“Daddy.” Kacey tugged on his arm. “Delta’s talking to you.”
“What, oh, we don’t have turndown service.” Garrett pulled out a chair and flopped down on it. He didn’t understand what was happening. He wasn’t ready to daydream of a future with Delta. It was still too soon.
“Well, you will for Valentine’s week. Figure two staff members can quickly run around and do it while your guests are dining.” Delta pulled Bryce’s ice-cream-covered fingers out of the bowl and wiped them off. “That’s not a finger food.” She gently wrapped his hand around a spoon and guided him to the bowl. “Hold it like this and take a small spoonful.” She returned her attention
to Garrett. “What have you found by way of entertainment?”
Garrett forced his brain to focus on the Valentine’s retreat and not the loving and helpful way she attended to his kids. “Um, most of the people I contacted were already booked that week. I think anything structured will detract from Silver Bells’ ambience, if we can call it that at this stage. People who come here don’t expect to be serenaded while they’re eating.”
“So you have nothing?” she questioned.
“I just thought we could take it in a different direction. Dylan does sing-alongs in front of our big stone fireplace and I wouldn’t mind adding something similar outside around our fire pit in the back. We serve hot chocolate out there at night and the guests make s’mores. A guitarist out there would be nice, too.”
“I saw something online the other day about elevated s’mores.” Delta’s face brightened with each idea. “Some had bacon, others had strawberries. Maybe the staff could make some sort of fancier base to replace the Graham crackers. Maybe a cookie or even a pastry.”
“You have good ideas, Delta.” Kacey’s chair was inches from hers and Garrett couldn’t help but smile at the way his daughter hung on her every word.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Delta gave her a quick hug. “I wish I could take credit for all of them, but my girlfriends had a lot of ideas from when they planned their weddings.”
“Do you want to get married?” Kacey asked.
“Uh.” Her eyes widened. “I’m not dating anyone, so I can’t get married.”
Good save, Delta. He picked up his mug of coffee and took a sip.
“I thought you were dating Daddy.”
Garrett began to choke.
“Are you all right?” Delta smacked him on the back. “Put your arms over your head.” She grabbed his hands and raised them in the air before he had a chance to comply.
He continued to cough for another minute before waggling his finger at Kacey. “Delta and I are just friends.”
“But you bought her that gift.”
“That wasn’t a gift,” Delta corrected. “The shoeing stall is for work.”
“And you were hugging before.”
“Sometimes friends hug.” Garrett scrubbed his jaw. “Honey, I’m not dating anyone. Delta and I work together and we’re good friends, but that’s all.” He didn’t blame his daughter for being confused. Between dinner at Harlan’s and everything else Kacey had witnessed, even Garrett had a bit of trouble distinguishing what was and what wasn’t where Delta was concerned. She fit comfortably in their lives and that reality was easily blurred while she was there. “Do you understand?”
“I guess.” Kacey climbed off her chair and took her half-eaten bowl of ice cream to the sink. “Can I go try some of the notes you taught me on guitar?”
“Go right ahead.” Delta’s bittersweet smile helped ease the tension, but they both knew they had to be more careful.
“I’ve added more excursion choices to our standard winter selection.” Garrett attempted to redirect the conversation back to work. “There’s a dogsledding company not far from here that specializes in couples’ sledding. They give lessons and send them on a romantic one-hour adventure. They gave me two dates we can book during that week.”
“I’m so jealous.” Delta sighed. “I have always wanted to go dogsledding.”
“We should go sometime.” And there went any chance of him focusing on work for the rest of the night.
Their relationship had changed without him realizing it. Ever since Delta had told him she was a cancer survivor he looked at her differently. There was a delicate vulnerability along with her strength. And that combination had awoken a part of him he thought had died with Rebecca. His heart had stirred and it had begun to beat a little brighter...for her. For a future. And that terrified him.
Chapter Nine
The following day, Delta still couldn’t get Kacey’s comment about her and Garrett dating out of her head. She had to admit, it had begun to feel that way. And as much as she said she would never date a client, Garrett had slowly become the one exception. In her mind only. The man wasn’t ready to date and who knew if he ever would be. But damned if the idea wasn’t growing on her.
The morning had been relatively quiet, which she’d been thankful for. Even though she’d slept well, she was still tired. Ever since Garrett came into her life, her entire body was out of whack...beginning with her brain, which needed to be examined for even thinking about any attraction to the man.
Those kids, though...they did something to her every time she was around them. When she had offered to teach Kacey guitar, she never expected to get attached to her or her brother. But every morning since then, she’d awoken with them on her mind...along with Garrett.
He had asked her if she had ever thought about dating a man with kids, and honestly, it hadn’t crossed her mind before. She’d always thought of her parenting future as a solo venture. But now...yeah, she could. She’d fallen for Bryce’s cute-as-a-button charm and his melt-your-heart smile that rivaled his father’s. And Kacey reminded Delta so much of herself at that age. Same love of music. Same curiosity.
On her drive home last night, she couldn’t wait to see them again. She wanted to be a part of their lives and watch them grow into adults. And that was something she had no right to want. They weren’t her children.
It was shortly after eleven when she left the convalescent home with Jake. She climbed in her work truck and removed her cell phone from the charger. One missed call. Garrett. She tried to ignore the double-time beat of her heart when she listened to his voice mail.
“Hi, Delta, it’s Garrett. My head chef suggested we have a bakery cater some specialty pastries during Valentine’s week. I have an appointment with Tiers of Joy Confectioners on Central Avenue today at twelve thirty. I don’t know if you’re free or take a lunch break around then, but I’d love to get your input.”
The thought of tasting pastry with Garrett made her giddy. Delta wasn’t a giddy girl. She should say no. But who can pass up pastry?
“How would you like to spend the afternoon at BowWowWowzer’s?” Jake barked in recognition of the name. Delta had just enough time to drop him off at doggie daycare and change into more appropriate pastry eating attire.
She dialed Garrett’s number and waited for him to answer. Instead, she got his voice mail.
“Hi, it’s Delta. I’d love to meet you at twelve thirty. See you then.”
Love? Why did she use that word? It was too late to do anything about it now.
An hour later, Delta parked her Jeep in front of the bakery. She scanned the street for Garrett’s SUV but didn’t see it. She didn’t want to go in without him, although it was ridiculous not to. They might even give her an extra sample if she did. Instead, she chose to sit in her car and wait, her hands still on the steering wheel, sweating.
Why was she nervous? She was going to have her cake and eat it, too. Who didn’t like that? The last time she went to a bakery for a tasting was before her wedding. Eddie had crept into her thoughts far too many times over the past couple weeks. She had successfully kept his memory at bay until Garrett appeared. The man invoked far too many feels for her to want to deal with. Yet, here she was, waiting for him.
And there he was, walking down the sidewalk toward her. She ran her palms up and down her jeans, cursing herself for not bringing her gloves. He opened the door as she reached for the handle. The perfect gentleman as always.
“Thank you for doing this with me,” he said as she stepped onto the pavement. “I don’t know a napoleon from cannoli. Well, I do, but—oh, you know what I mean.”
Delta tried not to laugh. He was as nervous as she was and it was just dessert. They were going to eat sugar and be happy. She looked up at him, waiting for him to move. But he stood there, staring down at her.
“Um, is something wron
g?” Delta examined her clothes. She’d chosen a pair of jeans and a fitted purple pullover. It wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t too casual either. Nope, nothing was exposed.
“I, uh.” He buried his hands in his coat pockets, only it wasn’t the barn jacket he normally wore. Instead, he had on a double-breasted navy wool peacoat and it fit him beautifully. Too beautifully. She never would’ve chosen that cut for him, but whoever had knew what they were doing. “Never mind.” He turned away and walked to the door of the bakery.
Now it was her turn not to move. Was she missing something?
“It was nothing,” he said as if reading her thoughts. “I was going to ask you something. But it can wait.”
Delta hated when people did that. Now she would wonder what he wanted to ask until he actually asked it.
“Hi, I’m Joy Lancaster, you must be Garrett. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman wasn’t at all what Delta had expected. She had pictured a middle-aged baker in a chef’s coat, not a twentysomething stunner dressed in a black fitted flare skirt and a white short-sleeve blouse, with platinum-blond hair in glamorous ’40s retro victory rolls.
“Same here. And this is Delta Grace, she’s helping me decide what we’ll need.”
“Great. If you follow me, I have twenty different pastries for you to try in our tasting room.”
Garrett looked at Delta and mouthed, Oh my God, twenty? Even Delta wasn’t sure she could sample twenty pastries, but she was going to have fun trying. Either that or she’d explode.
They entered a small chicly decorated room located next to the kitchen. The walls were a creamy white, but the ceiling and floor were black, which gave the room a floating appearance. A white bistro table and chairs with black trim was elegantly set with fine china and real silverware. Suddenly Delta felt underdressed.
“Here, let me take your coats,” Joy offered.
Garrett held out her chair, as she eyed the delectable display waiting for them.
