Dare had wondered about Noah’s father, but this wasn’t something he’d considered. That the young boy had lost one of his parents at such a young age was terrible. Having grown up without a father himself, he felt the boy’s plight personally. “I had no idea.” He wanted to ask what had happened to Alyssa’s husband, but he hesitated to talk about her behind her back.
“And that sweet girl was so resilient through everything. She was devastated, of course, but she picked herself up off the ground and has done right by raising that boy.” Mrs. Buchanan paused as though she were worried she might have said too much. “When we first considered hiring a landscaper, I wasn’t so sure. But the moment Alyssa came in and made some suggestions, we knew she was the right person for the job.”
“It’s always good if you can hire someone you know.” Dare finished off another cookie.
“I do hope you’re okay about helping her with the project. If you ask me, it’s way too much for one person to take on.” There was a flicker of something in her eyes. If it hadn’t disappeared so quickly, Dare might have categorized it under mischievous.
Truthfully, he didn’t mind helping Alyssa at all. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he looked forward to the task. From what he saw of young Noah, he had a feeling the boy would keep things interesting all on his own. “I don’t mind a bit.”
“Good, good.” Mrs. Buchanan went to look out the front window. “It’s terribly hot today. You keep enjoying those cookies. I’m going to see if Alyssa and Noah would like to come in and cool off for a while.”
Dare nearly choked on the lemonade he’d been swallowing. He quickly brushed any cookie crumbs off his shirt and secretly hoped Alyssa would accept Mrs. Buchanan’s invitation.
3
Alyssa tried to ignore the rivulets of sweat that raced each other down her back. Wow was it warm, and it wasn’t even technically summer yet. Now that she was here working, the place could use some more shade trees. Too bad that wasn’t included in the ranch’s landscaping budget.
For the tenth time, she glanced at the main ranch house, half expecting to see Dare coming back out to help. She wasn’t sure which bothered her more: That Sharon had assigned someone to help her when it wasn’t necessary, or that she was disappointed every time she discovered he wasn’t on his way yet.
That morning when she’d driven onto the ranch, she’d looked around to see if he was working. She’d made the mental decision to assume he was not when she’d turned to find him walking toward her, and her heart had skipped a beat in response. What was it about his dark eyes that hinted he understood her more than he should? To be honest, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was probably way over analyzing all of it, and a big part of that was because she hadn’t even considered romance since Russell had died. Morgan had told her many times that he would’ve wanted her to move on with her life. Alyssa knew her friend was right, but that didn’t make it any easier.
Guilt chased confusion as she pushed them both aside. Once again, she looked with longing in the direction of the large house and pictured the covered porch that ran the length of the back. Oh, she’d give her left pinkie to be able to sit up there in the shade and drink a giant glass of ice-cold anything. The thought had her mouth watering. Or it would be if she weren’t so blasted thirsty.
She checked on Noah who was sitting in the small strip of shade created by the pickup truck. He was enthusiastically digging in the ground with his hand shovel. He’d already found three or four earthworms that he’d carefully placed in his bug cage along with a scoopful of soil. Even though he was in the shade, sweat caused his hair to plaster against his forehead.
Alyssa opened the passenger door of the truck and retrieved a bottle of water for both of them from the cooler. “Noah, come get a drink, please.” Her son clambered to his feet and hurried over, quickly taking a long drink before running back to his project. She was just thinking about how the water wasn’t as cold as she’d like when it hit her tongue, and she decided it didn’t matter. At this point, anything wet would taste amazing.
She took another long drink and then surveyed her progress. She’d used colored flags to stake out the dimensions of the different flower beds she had planned as well as the flower garden. The soil still needed a great deal of preparation before she could even think about bringing the plants out.
While all that existed now was dirt, weeds, and sparse grass, Alyssa could clearly see how it was going to look in her mind’s eye. It was something she had a knack for, and it was why she was often the person who helped plan out a landscaping job even if she didn’t get to work on all of them. Her boss said she had a gift for it.
Now that she had most of the flags in place, she’d see if Peter and Sharon wanted to check it out and give their final approval. She’d heard horror stories about people jumping right into the landscaping only to find out they had a detail wrong. Alyssa had learned long ago that it was always better to double check before moving forward.
“Hey, sweetie. Let’s go say hi to Ms. Sharon for a few minutes.”
“Can I bring my worms?” He stood up, clutching the small cage in his arms.
“I don’t think so. Set them in the shade under the truck. They’ll be fine there until we get back.”
Together, they walked to the back of the house. The door opened just as she lifted a fist to knock, startling her. Sharon looked surprised as well. “Oh! I was coming out to see you. It’s horribly hot today. Why don’t you two come on inside and get a break?”
Alyssa didn’t have a chance to accept or decline the offer before the older woman ushered them in and closed the door behind her. Alyssa found herself in the kitchen where Dare, the cowboy that seemed to be turning up everywhere, sat watching her. A large pitcher of lemonade waited in the middle of the table. It was as though Sharon had read her mind and knew exactly what she wanted.
The lemonade, not the cowboy.
Because Dare’s dark hair and those eyes were nothing like her type. Right. Okay, so all that was missing was an immense pile of money on the table to cover her mortgage for the next ten years, and this would be a scene right out of her fondest dreams. Her heart sped up as if it had a mind of its own.
Dare’s eyes widened slightly as he watched her. He was probably wondering why she kept staring at him. Her cheeks warmed. Hopefully the red from heat outside hid the building blush.
She intentionally turned to Sharon with a bright smile. “Thanks so much for your kind offer. We won’t stay long.” As she said the words, Noah plopped himself down in a chair right next to Dare. It was clear her son was still star-struck by the larger-than-life cowboy. Alyssa forced her attention back to Sharon. “I’d like to show you where I’ve got the flower beds and garden staked out. Get your final approval before I till up the ground.”
“Oh, honey. That’s not necessary. You told me your plans, and I trust you. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to get this place landscaped. I’m especially excited about the flower garden out back.” She lowered her voice as though sharing a great secret. “I’m not bad at keeping plants alive, but organizing them and making it look good is not my strong point. And Bucky is an amazing man who takes better care of me than I do myself. But that kind of stuff isn’t his thing either.” Sharon put a hand to Alyssa’s back. “Why don’t you sit down and have a glass of lemonade. Do you and Noah like oatmeal raisin cookies?”
Again, there was no time to say one way or the other. Before she knew it, Alyssa was seated across the square table from Dare, a glass of lemonade in her hand and a plate with two cookies in front of her. The same was placed before Noah, who didn’t hesitate to begin eating his snack. If there was one thing Alyssa could bank on, it was how much her son enjoyed anything with sugar in it.
Alyssa’s stomach rumbled a reminder of how much time had passed since breakfast. She bit into one of her own cookies and groaned as the brown sugar and sweet raisins melted in her mouth.
Sharon st
ood nearby, watching in approval. “Dare mentioned the two of you met earlier.”
“We ran into each other yesterday, but it was Mason who officially introduced us.” Dare offered Alyssa a smile across the table.
“Oh, good. Alyssa has some wonderful ideas. I can’t wait to see it all come together.” Sharon had only joined them at the table for a minute or two before she was back on her feet again. “Who needs more lemonade?”
Alyssa hadn’t had time to finish her first glass, and Dare politely declined.
Noah finished his cookies. He sat in the chair that was much too big for him, his little legs swinging back and forth in the air between him and the floor. He’d hardly taken his eyes off Dare since they came in. “What do you like best about being a cowboy?”
Dare used his thumb to point to his cowboy hat hanging on his chair. “Well, I have to admit the hat is a close second. But do you know what my favorite part is?”
Alyssa tried to not let the ease with which Dare engaged Noah impress her too much. It was impossible, though. Dare spoke to Noah as if no one else was in the room, and her son was clinging to his every word.
“What’s your favorite part?”
Dare leaned forward a little as though he were about to make a huge confession. “I like being outside under the big Texas sky.”
“Even when it rains?”
Dare chuckled. “Yep, even when it rains.”
Noah thought a moment and then gave a decisive bob of his head. “Me, too. All the best things are outside.”
“Yes, they are.”
Sharon approached them again and spoke to Noah. “I have some things that our grandkids and great grandkids love to play with when they come to visit. If it’s okay with your mom, maybe you could borrow them while you guys are working here.”
Noah’s hopeful gaze shifted to Alyssa.
She smiled her agreement. “That’s fine, but make sure you mind your manners.”
“I will.” Noah hopped down from his chair and eagerly followed Sharon from the room.
Which left Alyssa alone with Dare. He’d finished his cookies and was watching her. It wasn’t the first time he’d done that, and she wondered what it was he saw. Or maybe she didn’t want to know. Instead of speculating and making a fool of herself by blushing again, she focused on the last of her cookies.
“I take it you’ve lived in Sage Valley for a while.”
Dare’s question brought her attention back to him. “I was born here. The funny thing is that my parents moved to Florida years ago.” They’d tried to get her to join them once Russell died, but she couldn’t leave everything she knew behind her. Besides, she and her parents barely got along. It was a relief when they moved, and their relationship improved when it became a long distance one. She couldn’t imagine living in the same town together again.
She could see the question on Dare’s face. When it came to men, it seemed like these conversations were right out of the movie Groundhog Day. They’d ask her why she stayed, she’d tell them about her husband’s death and her son, and suddenly any interest they had in Alyssa would evaporate like dew on a Texas summer day.
The reactions had become expected, and Alyssa usually didn’t let them bother her. Until now. At least he’d already met Noah. She barely knew Dare, yet it still made her sad to think he might be like the others.
“So, if your family left Texas, what kept you here?”
And there it was. Alyssa tried to shove her emotions down deep as she replied. “I met my husband in high school here, and we got married shortly after graduation. We’d been married almost two years, and Noah was only six months old, when Russell was killed in an accident.” She swallowed hard. “I knew Noah would have no memory of his dad, and the last thing I wanted to do was take him away from his birthplace. So, we’ve continued to make our home here.”
She waited for Dare’s reaction. Would he feel sorry for her? She expected him to find out she was a widow, and any interest he might have shown—although she wasn’t completely convinced she hadn’t imagined it in the first place—would disappear.
Instead, his gaze tangled with hers, and what she saw there was a mixture of sadness and respect. A combination that surprised her, especially when she’d expected the usual pity.
And then he spoke, his voice low and sincere. “It sounds like you handled the loss with grace and courage. Noah is lucky to have such a strong mom.”
They could hear Sharon and Noah in the other room. Their imminent arrival rescued Alyssa from trying to come up with a response. How could she tell Dare that she’d been anything but courageous? Desperate was more like it. Or that she’d second-guessed most of her decisions regarding Noah since Russell died?
How could Dare know the last few years had necessitated the building of a dam around her heart to keep the waves of loneliness from creeping in? Or that his words, spoken in kindness, had managed to put a crack in that wall when Alyssa hadn’t thought it was possible? The thought unnerved her.
* * *
Dare’s heart ached for Alyssa as her eyes revealed a mix of emotions that he might never be able to fully understand. At that moment, she appeared so vulnerable that he simultaneously wished he could do something to help her, yet feared anything he did try to do might make things worse.
“Mommy! Look!” Noah charged into the room, a tractor in one hand and a dump truck in the other. “Ms. Sharon said I can play with them while you’re working.”
Noah’s sudden appearance made Alyssa jump. She covered it well by focusing her attention on him and commenting on the vehicles. “Well, that was nice of her. Did you tell her thank you?”
“He did.” Mrs. Buchanan tweaked the boy’s chin. “You can put them on my back porch when you head home, and I’ll leave them there so you can get them next time you come.”
“I will,” Noah promised.
Alyssa seemed relieved to have a change in the conversation. She pushed herself away from the table. “The cookies and lemonade were amazing, Sharon. Thank you.” She glanced at Dare. “I’d better get back to work out there.”
Dare followed suit. “I’m clear to assist until later this evening.” He started to pick up his plate and put it in the sink, but Mrs. Buchanan took it away from him.
“I’ve got this. And if you all get too hot out there, I’ve got more lemonade in the fridge.” She patted Dare on the shoulder. “Thank you for repairing so many things for me. It’s appreciated.”
He gave her a nod. “It’s never a problem.” Helping her meant shade, air conditioning, and sugary snacks. It was always a welcome break from other work on the ranch.
They bid Mrs. Buchanan goodbye and exited through the back door. A gentle breeze had the porch swing swaying slightly as the Texas heat enveloped them.
Noah ran ahead of them and immediately went to work using the tractor to push dirt into piles.
Alyssa chuckled. “He would be happy playing in the dirt from sun up to sun down.”
“It’s good he likes to be outside. Digging in the dirt is healthy. It’s great you let him do that instead of worrying about whether he’ll get dirty. Trust me, he’ll thank you for it later.”
Alyssa turned her head to look at him. “Sounds like you speak from experience.”
“My mom was good about letting me play outside. One year, when I was a little older than Noah, Grandpa decided to create a garden area for Grandma. He dug a large square area into the ground that he would later plant grass in and then build trellises for roses to create the perfect garden getaway.” Dare smiled at the memory. “But before he planted that grass, there was about a week or two where he’d let my brothers and me dig in that terraced area. It was awesome because we didn’t have to worry about how big the holes were, or if we were tearing up the grass. One time, he even let us use the garden hose to fill one hole like a swimming pool. I’m not sure how much Grandma approved of that one.” He laughed, remembering how Grandma had thrown all three of them into the bathtub at
the same time, and how the water was a dark brown by the time they got back out.
“That would be amazing.” Alyssa pointed to her son. “He would love something like that. It sounds like your grandfather is a neat man.”
“He was. He passed away less than a year ago. I still catch myself talking about him in the present tense.” It helped when he and his family gathered for a getaway in Colorado in Grandpa’s memory last November. But still, holidays weren’t the same.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Alyssa’s voice sounded sad. “It bothers me sometimes that Noah doesn’t have grandparents nearby who he sees on a regular basis. He really doesn’t know either set—not well, anyway. You were fortunate to have that experience with yours.”
Dare certainly wasn’t going to argue with her there. He motioned toward the truck. “So, what’s first on our agenda?”
She walked past him to retrieve a thick notebook from the passenger seat of her truck. She didn’t open it, though. Instead, she stared at the cover as though she were thinking about something else entirely.
He was about to ask her if she was okay when her lashes lifted revealing determination.
Alyssa held the notebook in one hand while planting her other on her hip. “I don’t suppose there’s anything I can say to convince you I don’t need help?” When he didn’t respond right away, she continued.
“I’ve got my orders from Mrs. Buchanan herself.” He smiled as he noticed the way the clouds in the sky seemed to reflect in the blue of her eyes.
Her cheeks colored a little, and she pulled on her right earlobe. Her gaze focused on something behind Dare. He was starting to wonder if he’d struck a nerve and she was angry with him. Finally, she flipped open her notebook, turned it sideways, and pointed to the flags she’d placed across the front of the Buchanans’ home.
Dare took a step closer so he could see what was on the page. She’d drawn a rough layout of the ranch, with certain areas shaded or highlighted in different colors. He wasn’t sure what all of it meant, but it was clear she’d put a great deal of thought into her plans.
Charmed By The Daring Cowboy (Sage Valley Ranch Book 4) Page 3
