by Gina Wilkins
“I will.”
On an impulse, she did something she’d been wanting to do for a long time. She bent to give her nephew a good-night kiss on the cheek. “Sleep well, Jeffrey.”
“G’night.” He rolled onto his side and pulled the covers to his chin. She couldn’t tell if he was pleased, displeased or completely unaffected by her gesture.
She was almost to the door when Jeffrey spoke again, his voice small in the shadows. “Aunt Blair?”
“Yes?”
“Were you really worried about me this morning when you couldn’t find me?”
“I was petrified. You’re the only nephew I have, Jeffrey. That makes you very special to me.”
He mumbled something she didn’t understand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. What did you say, Jeffrey?”
“I said I love you, too,” he repeated, just a little louder.
Blair’s eyes were damp when she closed his bedroom door.
*
BLAIR HAD EXPECTED to sleep better now that she was in her own bed. And she did for a while—until a disturbing dream woke her just before dawn. A dream she blushed to remember. A dream that had prominently featured Scott McKay.
Knowing there would be no more sleep that night—or maybe fearing she would sleep and dream again—she climbed out of bed and took a long, cool shower.
Though Blair usually picked Jeffrey up from her aunt Wanda’s house on her way home from work, they made different arrangements for Monday evening. Blair was waiting in the living room of her house when Wanda walked Jeffrey home.
Jeffrey looked curiously at his aunt when he trudged inside, dragging his backpack behind him. “How come you came home without picking me up today, Aunt Blair?”
She smiled. “I had something to take care of here.”
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but paused when an unfamiliar sound caught his attention. “What was that? It sounded like a...”
He went silent when a sleek gray cat slipped into the room, pausing in the doorway to look inquiringly at the humans gathered there.
“Whose cat is that?” Jeffrey asked, standing very still.
“She’s yours,” Blair answered gently. “If you want her, of course.”
“Mine?” the boy repeated in a whisper.
“Her name is Belle—at least, that’s what her first owner called her. She’s a year old and very affectionate, I’m told. She stays inside all the time where she is safe and comfortable. Her previous owner is moving to Casper, to an apartment that won’t accept pets, so Belle had nowhere else to go.”
“And I can keep her?”
The excitement building in Jeffrey’s voice made Blair’s smile deepen. “Under certain conditions.”
He was already inching toward the cat, who was sitting with her tail tucked neatly around her paws, waiting for someone to pay attention to her. “What conditions?”
“She’s a living creature. She has needs and feelings. She needs love and care. I will not have her mistreated or neglected.”
Still moving very slowly—probably the same way he had with the wild cat he’d once tried to tame—Jeffrey knelt beside the friendly-looking Belle and extended his hand. Belle began to purr, her head arching into his palm when he stroked her tentatively. “I would never mistreat her, Aunt Blair.”
“Having a pet is a lot of work. She needs fresh food and water every day, and I want the litter box changed frequently. Even when there are other things you want to do, your pet comes first.”
Jeffrey was sitting cross-legged on the floor, grinning broadly as Belle climbed onto his lap, purring loudly and demanding more strokes and attention. Blair had been assured that Belle was an outgoing and child-friendly cat, but this first meeting was progressing even better than she had hoped.
“Jeffrey? Do you want her badly enough to agree to my conditions?”
He beamed at her. “I’ll take good care of her, Aunt Blair. Look how much she likes me. She wants to stay with me.”
“Yes, I think she does,” Blair agreed gently. “She needs a home...and a friend.” Just like Jeffrey, she thought with a surge of tenderness.
Jeffrey rose to his feet. “Come on, Belle. I’ll show you my room. You can sleep with me tonight.”
He moved toward the hallway, and to his obvious delight, the curious cat trotted close at his heels.
“Well,” Wanda said, wiping her eyes with her fingertips, “that was certainly a successful idea. Whatever made you think of it, Blair?”
“I heard Jeffrey say yesterday that he likes cats and that he’s never had a pet. I thought it would be good for him to have a pet of his own to love and care for.”
“It was a wonderful idea. I don’t know why we never thought of something like this before.”
Blair sighed. “We’ve been so concerned with Jeffrey’s grades and behavior that we’ve forgotten to address some of his other needs, I’m afraid. I’ve tried to make him feel safe and secure, but I’m not sure I’ve done a very good job of making him feel loved.”
Wanda placed a hand on her niece’s arm. “You’ve done your best for him, Blair. Considering the circumstances—the way Kirk left him with you with no warning, no preparation—I think it’s more than admirable how much you’ve done for the boy. You’ve practically put your own life on hold for the past six months, and we both know it might be a long time before Kirk returns for Jeffrey, if ever.”
“To be honest, I hope Kirk stays away for a while,” Blair admitted in a low voice, keeping an eye on the hallway for her nephew. “Jeffrey doesn’t need to be dragged from place to place in his father’s wake, even if Kirk should ever decide to give active fatherhood a try. Jeffrey needs a home, a steady schedule, security. I can’t see Kirk ever living that way.”
“Nor can I,” Wanda agreed. “Kirk really did pick up your father’s worst traits. He simply doesn’t seem capable of settling down and becoming a responsible parent.”
“Jeffrey has a home with me for as long as he needs it,” Blair said firmly.
Wanda smiled a bit ruefully. “I feel as though I should repeat your lecture to Jeffrey about owning a pet. Having a child is a big responsibility, Blair. They require a great deal of time and attention. They’re demanding and expensive and very vulnerable. Even when there are other things you would rather do, the child’s needs come first.”
Blair laughed softly. “Trust me, Aunt Wanda, I’ve given myself that same speech already. But I love Jeffrey, and I want to keep him with me. I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
“He’s very lucky to have you.”
“I hope so,” Blair said, thinking of all the things she’d done wrong so far.
Wanda suddenly smiled. “Now, tell me about the man you bought at the bachelor auction. Jeffrey was almost loquacious this afternoon telling me about the weekend. Every other sentence began with ‘Scott said’ or ‘Scott did.’”
Blair tried to keep her expression unrevealing. “He’s quite nice. He was very good to Jeffrey.”
“Jeffrey said he’s invited the two of you to visit his ranch. That’s not part of the auction package, is it?”
“No. He was simply being generous. Jeffrey mentioned that he has never been to a working ranch, so Scott invited us to visit his place sometime.”
“I see.” Wanda tapped her foot. “And?”
“And what?”
“How did you get along with Scott?”
“I told you, he was quite nice. Very kind to Jeffrey.”
“Hmm. I don’t think he kissed Jeffrey goodbye at the airport.”
Her eyes going wide, Blair felt her mouth open and close, but nothing came out. After a moment, she managed to say, “How did you—?”
“Carl Arnold. He was talking to the airport owner about flying a package to Cheyenne, and he just happened to see a certain goodbye kiss. He mentioned it to his wife, who had her regular eight o’clock
Monday-morning appointment at Twyla’s Tease ’n�
�� Tweeze today. By the time I went in for my one o’clock, more than half of Lightning Creek knew that the town’s pretty young lawyer spent a very interesting weekend with one of the Lost Springs bachelors.”
“Oh, my God.” Blair covered her face with her hands.
Wanda laughed. “Sweetheart, you’ve lived here long enough to know what this town is like. Kiss a man at the airport, and Sugar Spinelli and her gang have spread it all over town before he wipes the lipstick off his face.”
“I cannot believe I’m the subject of lurid gossip. Aunt Wanda, I never do anything the gossips find interesting! I’ve always been so careful....”
“Too careful, maybe. You’re thirty years old, Blair. It’s okay to have a good time every once in a while.”
“I have a child to raise,” Blair argued. “A professional reputation to maintain. I don’t want the people of this town to think I’m neglecting Jeffrey to carry on some fleeting fling with a cowboy.”
“I’m sure no one thinks you’re neglecting Jeffrey. In fact, everyone I know thinks it’s wonderfully unselfish that you’ve taken in your brother’s son. They admire you very much, and they think you and Scott McKay make a very cute couple.”
Blair groaned again.
Her aunt chuckled and patted Blair’s shoulder. “I have to go. Don’t worry about the gossip. Just have a good time. Oh, and Blair, even though I haven’t met him, I like Scott. Anyone who can make such a difference in Jeffrey’s attitude in such a short time must be a good man.”
Blair was still trying to come up with the words to describe Scott when her aunt let herself out the front door.
She turned toward the hallway when she heard Jeffrey approaching, laughing. “Look what Belle’s doing, Aunt Blair. She’s following this shoestring just like she’s on a leash or something.”
Trying to put the disturbing gossip out of her mind, Blair smiled as the cat pounced victoriously on the end of the string. “I guess you’ve decided to keep her.”
“Yeah. She’s great.”
“Are you going to change her name?”
Jeffrey frowned. “You don’t just change someone’s name, Aunt Blair. If I start calling her something else, she’ll get confused. Besides, I like the name Belle. Like in the movie Beauty and the Beast.”
“Does that make you the beast?”
He grinned. “Real funny, Aunt Blair.”
“I like the name Belle, too,” Blair admitted, bending to scratch the cat’s silky ears. “I think we’re all going to get along very well.”
“Aunt Blair?” Jeffrey said when she straightened.
“Yes?”
He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “Thank you.”
It was the first time he had ever reached out to her. Her throat tight, Blair returned the hug warmly. “You’re very welcome, sweetie,” she murmured in a voice gruff with emotion.
He didn’t stay long, but pulled away to turn to his cat again. Still smiling, Blair went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Maybe a little gossip wasn’t so bad, after all, she thought. Especially since the weekend seemed to have been so very good for Jeffrey.
CHAPTER NINE
THEY HAD EATEN dinner and Blair had just told Jeffrey to get out his books while she cleaned the kitchen when the telephone rang. “I’ll get it,” Jeffrey said, and pounced on the phone before Blair could reach it. “H’lo?”
She dried her hands on a paper towel, expecting the caller to ask for her. Instead, she heard Jeffrey say enthusiastically, “Hi, Scott! Guess what...I got a cat. Her name is Belle and she’s gray and she has a white spot on her nose and she likes to chase a string and Aunt Blair says I can keep her.”
While her nephew spent the next five minutes chattering about his new pet, Blair mentally prepared herself for her own conversation with Scott. Though she knew just the sound of his voice would have an effect on her, she decided that she would greet him with the restrained warmth of a passing acquaintance. Not prim and proper, she thought, wincing as she remembered Scott’s teasing, but not overly encouraging, either. She didn’t want him to think she expected any more from him than he’d already given.
Jeffrey finally held the receiver out to her. “He wants to talk to you, Aunt Blair.”
Taking the phone—and a deep breath to steady her nerves—she said, “Thank you, Jeffrey. Now go start your homework. I’ll be in soon to help.”
He nodded and dashed away, his cat at his heels.
Blair lifted the receiver to her ears. “Hello, Scott.”
“Hello, beautiful.”
Her heart tripped—not the way to respond to a friendly acquaintance, she chided herself.
He continued before she could reply. “The kid sure seemed happy about his cat.”
“Yes, he seems quite taken with her.”
“So you were listening on the plane yesterday when he said he’d never had a pet.”
“I heard. To be honest, I’d never really given it any thought. Now I wish I’d thought of a pet sooner.”
“You got him one the day after you learned he wanted one. I would call that a quick response.”
Some of her guilt eased. “I only had to make a few phone calls to find the cat. I was told she was a very sweet-natured, affectionate pet, and so far that’s proven true.”
“It’s a great idea. One of the first things the staff at Lost Springs does with a new resident is to give him responsibilities for the animals there. Initially it’s often easier for the boys to bond with animals rather than humans. And it gives them a sense of confidence to play an important role in that animal’s well-being.”
“I’m sure there will be times I’ll have to nag Jeffrey to clean the litter box or do some of his other pet-care chores, especially once the novelty wears off.”
Scott laughed softly. “You can count on it.”
“I think I’ve done the right thing, though,” she added, still trying to convince herself.
“I’m sure you have. I know I’ve mentioned this before, Blair, but it bears repeating—Jeffrey’s lucky to have you.”
Her cheeks warmed in pleasure as he unconsciously repeated the words her aunt had said earlier. “Thank you.”
“Other than the cat, how was your day?”
“Busy. But that’s typical.”
“I wouldn’t think there would be many legal crises in Lightning Creek.”
“You might be surprised,” she said, thinking of a particularly ugly child custody case she had entered into that morning.
“So you really like being a lawyer?”
She smiled at his phrasing. “Most of the time, yes.”
“You said you were with a big law firm before moving to Lightning Creek?”
“Yes, an old, prominent firm in Chicago. I was a very junior partner. In maybe twenty or thirty years, I might have made a full partner.”
“So what do you like better—big city wheeling and dealing or country lawyering?”
“While there are things I enjoyed about my previous position, I like being my own boss and having more control over my practice. There’s more variety to my cases, so it rarely gets boring, though it does get hectic at times.”
“I suspect you have workaholic tendencies.”
“Maybe a few,” she admitted. “But I’m making a few changes to leave me more time for Jeffrey. I’m thinking about advertising for a partner. I had planned to go into partnership with my uncle, but he died before I could join him here.”
“You need time for yourself. Time to get away occasionally and just play. Have you ever been white-water rafting?”
“No.”
“You live in Wyoming, Blair. You should take advantage of the state’s great features.”
“I’m going to a rodeo next weekend,” she said, a bit defensively. “It’s another charity function.” One of her clients, having announced that it was past time Blair learned to live like a native, had insisted on giving her two tickets. She had decided to go for several reasons. Sh
e wanted to fit in with her neighbors in Lightning Creek, she wanted them to think of her as one of them, and she thought Jeffrey might enjoy it.
“Have you ever been to a rodeo?”
“No, this will be my first.”
“You should find it very interesting.” Something in Scott’s voice made her think he was amused.
“I’m sure I will,” she said, resigned to being the object of his good-natured mockery. Now, if only she could figure out what one should wear to a rodeo....
“Sounds like everything is going very well with you.”
“It’s been a good day so far.” She felt as if she should cross her fingers or knock wood or something.
“I want to see you again, Blair. How would you feel about having dinner with me soon?”
“You mean you want to have dinner with Jeffrey and me?”
“I mean I want to have dinner with you. It’s called a date. You do date, don’t you?”
“Not that often,” she confessed. “And especially not since Jeffrey moved in.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you started again? You’ve become a guardian, not a nun.”
That same thought had crossed her mind a few times—most notably since she’d met Scott. But did she really want to start down a path with so very many pitfalls?
“I don’t know, Scott. What about Jeffrey?”
“He could stay with your aunt for a few hours, couldn’t he? Isn’t that where he goes now when you have other obligations?”
“Yes. But...”
“He gave me permission to date you, you know.”
That made her blink. “I beg your pardon?”
“The subject came up somehow when I took him fishing. He said he thought I should ask you out.”
“I can’t believe you discussed this with Jeffrey! Scott, he’s only ten years old.”
“And he sees nothing wrong with us having dinner together. Neither do I. How about it?”
Blair was torn between being annoyed and amused. It embarrassed her that Scott and Jeffrey had discussed her in such a way, but it had been a long time since she’d had a pleasant, grown-up dinner with an attractive man. She was definitely tempted....
