“That’s the highest compliment you could pay me or my family,” Ethan said with a wink. “Want to see the house Matt and I are building?”
“How far is it?”
“Just over that hill and down a ways.”
“Okay,” Haley answered, wishing she could get off this beast right now. He clucked and the horses began trotting. Haley grabbed the horn. Only this time, she was able to keep her balance as they made their way across the green pasture.
CHAPTER SIX
Haley sat on the bed next to Ryan and rubbed her sleeping son’s back. He’d been exhausted after they got back from riding and had barely managed to eat his lunch before Ethan picked him up and carried him to bed.
Haley listened to the murmur of voices and laughter downstairs. Part of her wanted to join everyone and listen to their stories and share in their fun, but she really didn’t feel as if she belonged at the Richardson family reunion. Ethan had a wonderful family, but she was only the nanny and didn’t want to intrude. Besides, she was shy by nature and didn’t know most of these people, and part of her liked being upstairs with her son and enjoying the peace and quiet.
With a sigh, she shoved off the bed. Shy or not, it was time to go back downstairs and watch Kayla. This might be the best job in the world, but it was still a job. Not family. The thought saddened her. She had always wanted siblings and these people seemed close. How could they not be with a mother like Dottie?
Haley scooted a couple of chairs up against the bed so Ryan couldn’t roll onto the floor and headed downstairs, glad Ethan had put a baby monitor in the room. And even more glad for the hot tub that he had installed last weekend when he’d come by himself. The man thought of everything. Thank goodness, because she was already sore from bouncing around on that horse. By this evening, she’d be ready to soothe her achy muscles in the hottest water she could stand.
She hurried downstairs and found Kayla and Chloe sitting on Ethan’s lap, his arms wrapped around them both. Francie’s husband, Matt, had the baby, who was fast asleep on his chest. Haley smiled, wishing she had her camera with her, because the contrast of hard masculinity and gentle protectiveness drew her in. Goodness, the man’s hands practically covered the infant’s entire backside.
Ethan grinned at her. “I was about to come check on you, but I got way-laid.” He tickled the girls and they giggled, doing their best to tickle him back. Ethan grabbed their hands, and nodded to the empty chair beside him. “Take a load off Haley.”
“Have you met my Aunt Jo?” he asked as she made herself comfortable. Haley shook her head.
“She hasn’t had time to meet me,” said an older woman who looked amazingly like Dottie except for having snow-white hair. “You’ve been terrorizing her with horses all morning.”
Haley laughed. “That’s the truth, but they weren’t as frightening as that cougar a few weeks ago.” She shuddered at the memory of the late-night, ear-splitting scream that had jarred her from a deep sleep.
“Yeah those mountain lions can send chills up and down your spine, that’s for sure,” Francie said. “I don’t ever want to see one up close and personal again.”
“Again?” Haley sat forward in her a chair. “You saw one?” she asked breathlessly. “Up close?”
“Another time. Another story,” Francie said, motioning to the girls with her eyes.
Haley got it. No use scaring Kayla and Chloe. Bad enough to scare her.
Matt reached out and ran a hand down his wife’s arm. “This woman can kick ass when she needs to.”
“Good thing since she has to keep you in line,” Ashley said, popping her oldest brother on the shoulder.
“Haley, meet Ashley, my little sister who keeps both her brothers in line,” Matt added with a grin.
Smiling, Ashley extended a hand. “Kayla has told me all about you. My niece adores you, so I already like you.”
Haley was warmed by her remark. “Kayla is a pretty remarkable five-year old. She’s teaching me the ropes around here.”
Kayla grinned and high-fived her dad.
“Kayla’s just buttering you up, Haley, like I taught her.” Chloe elbowed her younger cousin.
Everyone laughed, and Haley felt her nerves start to settle. Ethan’s family was great—warm and friendly and everything you’d want in a family. She’d always wished for a brother or sister and right now she knew why. This weekend promised to be a fun time. She smiled at Ethan when she caught him watching her.
“So have you gone to the zoo and visited Lucille?” Ethan asked Amos, who sat quietly beside Dottie on a loveseat, twirling his cowboy hat in his hands.
Amos nodded. “Kinda silly, I guess, but I went there yesterday. They wouldn’t let me pet her, but she came up to the fence and greeted me. Sure wish they would have let me in with the old gal,” he added, shooting Ethan a hard look.
“It’s called liability, Amos.” Everyone turned their heads at the sound of Hank’s voice. He approached the group, stopped and grabbed a beer out of a cooler, and twisted off the lid. “Trust me she’s happier in that large enclosure, and the rest of us are a lot safer.”
“Quit sugar coating everything, Hank.” Ethan shifted kids off his lap and stood, grabbed a beer for himself and punched Hank on the arm. “Glad you made it.”
Hank raised his drink. “Who could resist free beer?” He took a long pull. “Good to see you, Jo.” His gaze shifted to Ashley. “You too, Ashley. Long time.”
“Yeah. Everyone went and moved on me.”
“You moved first,” Hand responded.
“True.” Ashley stood and held out her hand to Kayla. “You promised to show me the lamb.”
Kayla grinned and scrambled off her dad’s lap. “You’ll love him, Aunt Ashley.”
“I’m coming too,” Chloe declared.
“How about I come and help you keep the girls corralled?” Haley offered.
“That would be great.” Haley stood and they started toward the front door, the girls leading the way.
“Don’t stay with him too long,” Hank cautioned. “He needs his sleep.” He strode after them. “Maybe I should make sure he doesn’t get too much stimulation. I don’t want to lose any ground with him.”
Ashley scowled. “I’m sure we can handle everything.”
Haley watched the exchange with interest and wondered if anyone else in the room felt the tension surrounding Ashley and Hank.
Ethan clapped Hank on the back. “Ashely’s been around animals all her life, and you know it. Quit worrying so much.”
Hank shrugged and turned away. “You’re right. Just don’t want any setbacks for the little guy.”
“I think you’re worrying too much,” Francie said. “Ashley’s ridden at my stables and definitely knows her way around animals.” Hank took another pull on his beer.
“What I would give for a beer right now,” Francie said with a heavy sigh.
Hank grabbed one for her, but she shook her head. “Can’t. I’m nursing.”
He tossed it to Matt. “Have one for your wife.”
Matt handed it off to Amos. “If Francie can’t drink, the least I can do is keep it to a minimum.”
Hank clasped a hand over his heart. “You used to be my idol, Matt.”
Matt laughed. “Sorry to let you down.”
“You’ve definitely done that.” Matt chuckled. Hank shook his head then pulled another swig of beer.
“I took Haley up to see the house today,” Ethan said. “We need to get back on it, Matt, before the wood rots.”
Matt scowled. “Sorry, bro. Life’s been crazy. I know a few good workers you could hire.”
“I might take you up on that at some point, but I want to do as much as I can first.”
“We’ll try for next weekend,” Matt said casting a sideways look at Francie.
“Fine by me as long as you don’t stay overnight.”
Matt gave him the thumbs up, and Ethan grinned. He might not be planning on living here full-time, b
ut he was still eager to get it done, and he enjoyed the work. Nothing like hard work to clear the mind.
Ethan’s phone rang. He glanced at it and adrenaline shot through him. “Gotta take this,” he said, standing and walking into the kitchen, his heart in his throat. His buddy from the Pentagon was finally calling, and suddenly Ethan wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Chris had to say. “Yo, Chris. Got some news for me?”
“Yeah. Some locals found bones in a shallow grave in the area where we know a plane crashed quite some time ago. We never found anything and figured the pilot bailed, but this might be him. No dog tags, so we’ll need forensics. However, it looks like there’s a possibility that Dale Donahue went down with his plane a couple of years ago. I’ll keep you posted.”
Ethan’s heart squeezed like a vise in his chest. “Any idea how long before you know something?”
“A week at least. We’ve got to recover the remains first.”
Ethan considered himself a guy who could handle pretty much anything, but this was hitting him hard. How would he ever tell Haley if this was her husband? But how could he not? Whatever they discovered, Ethan wanted to be the one to break the news to her. God knows he didn’t want her to learn her husband was dead from the government. He’d tell her before the dreaded United States military personnel pulled up to inform her she’d never see her husband again.
“Thanks, Chris. Keep me posted,” he said around a tight throat.
“Sure thing.”
Ethan sank onto a kitchen chair, dread and sadness filling him. In all likelihood, Haley and Ryan were now officially on their own. They had him and his family, but he knew how she would feel. Totally alone. He dropped his face in his hands, remembering when his dad had died and his uncle had been killed in Nam. Nothing could prepare someone for the death of a loved one. Nothing.
He heard Ryan crying on the monitor and headed upstairs. Poor kid would probably never know his father. Ethan opened the bedroom door. “Hey Ryan,” he said scooting a chair away from the side of the bed and sitting down. That was a quick nap.”
“Horsie?”
Ethan grinned. “Enough horses for today, but your mom and Kayla are in the barn with the lamb. Want to go see them?”
Ryan sat up, his eyes still heavy with sleep. Yawning, he crawled into Ethan’s lap. Ethan held the boy close, his heart heavy. No little boy should lose his father, especially without ever knowing him. Ethan, at least, had memories of his dad—good memories he could draw on.
Ryan tried to scramble off his lap, but Ethan held him close a minute longer, while he fought to get his emotions under control. Somehow he had to keep Haley from seeing that he was upset, because the last thing she needed was to endure the grueling weeks of minute-by-minute waiting to find out if those bones were her husband’s remains.
He shoved to his feet, Ryan in his arms, and headed back to his family, knowing deep in his bones that the woman who had become his friend—hell, his entire family’s friend—was about to walk into a living hell. And Ethan was the one who had brought it all on.
****
“Don’t wait up for us old folks,” Dottie chirped as she, Amos and Jo headed down the porch steps and out to Amos’s truck.
“You kids behave yourselves,” Ethan hollered after them.
Ashley sank onto the porch steps and watched them go. “Wonder what made them party poopers? Surely we weren’t getting on their nerves,” she said with a giggle.
Ethan tossed a tennis ball to Chloe, who caught it and threw it back. “Amos is probably still holding a grudge about Lucille.”
“You can’t really blame him,” Haley said. “She was his pet.”
“No wild animal is ever a pet.” Arms crossed in front of his chest, Hank leaned against the porch railing, chewing a piece of straw. “It’s stupid to have a damn mountain lion for a pet, especially when you don’t even have the proper facilities for it.”
“I’d have to agree with you on that.” Matt pushed the porch swing with a foot. “And you’d know about wild animals if anyone would.”
Ashley dug her bare toe into the dirt. “You always did have a way with animals.”
“He has a way with women too. Admit it.” Ethan caught the ball Chloe threw right before it hit him in the head.
Hank glared at him. “Just animals. Women are too much trouble.”
“Speak for yourself,” Matt said, wrapping his arm around Francie, who sat beside him, holding the baby.
Shrugging, Hank shoved away from the porch railing, stretched, then headed toward the barn, sidestepping Ashley’s bare feet. “I need to fly out to San Diego tomorrow. Seems their zoo has a sick gorilla and no one can figure out what’s wrong.” He tipped his hat to everyone. “Thanks for the Richardson hospitality. Good to see you again, Ashley. You grew up nice.”
Ashley’s face turned pink. “Thanks, Hank. Good to see you too.” Ashley watched Hank walk across the yard to the barn. “Why in God’s name does he live in the barn?”
Ethan shrugged. “Says he likes it out there. It’s peaceful.”
“He doesn’t think it’s peaceful at the main house?” Francie grinned at her husband. “But we’re so entertaining.” Matt laughed at his wife.
Chloe and Kayla raced across the lawn, Maggie on their heels. Grinning, Ethan took a long look around him. “Everything about this place is peaceful as far as I’m concerned.” He pointed to their left. “Look at the gorgeous sunset. If that doesn’t bring you some peace, nothing will.”
All eyes turned toward the west and watched the big orange ball drop behind the trees, filling the sky with hues of pink and orange.
“We have some pretty sunsets in California too, especially over the ocean. I think you should all come out there.” Ashley stood and brushed the dust off her bottom. “I could get you free tickets to Disneyland.”
“Thank God you didn’t say that loud enough for Chloe to hear,” Francie said. “I might have had to hurt you.”
“That makes two of us,” Matt added. “Chloe sure would love it though.” He looked pointedly at Ethan.
Ethan held his hands palms out. “No can do. At least not right now. Mom has surgery coming up. I can’t go ‘til that’s a done deal, and she’ll be pretty laid up for a while.”
“How about we trade you Chloe for Mom?” Matt suggested, a twinkle in his eye.
Haley listened to their banter, thoroughly enjoying herself until Ethan addressed her. “You wanna be a nanny for one more?” She stammered out something even she didn’t understand and everyone laughed. “Ah come on,” Ethan teased. “Matt’ll pay you a million bucks to give him a break.”
Matt snorted. “Chloe’s easy these days. Kayla’s a lot harder work than her.”
“Actually, I’d love to watch Chloe. It would be fun,” Haley said, stopping the conversation. Everyone turned to stare at her as if in shock. She shrugged. “They’ll pretty much entertain themselves.”
Ashley squealed with delight. “It’s settled.”
Ethan held up a hand. “Whoa there, little sis. I’ve still got a lot to do here. We open our doors in a little over a month.”
“Let Hank take care of things,” Ashley said.
Ethan shook his head. “Can’t count on him being around all the time.”
Ashley’s face fell and Haley felt bad for her. She could tell Ashley was trying to find a comfortable place back in the family she hadn’t seen very often since leaving home.
“If Hank knew ahead of time, couldn’t he take care of this place for a few days?” Haley suggested. “I mean, you’ve hired a cook and cleaning person. Right?”
“Right, but Hank isn’t going to want to do that.” Ethan shot her a look meant to hush her up.
“How do you know? After all, he does own half of the place,” Haley couldn’t help but add.
Ashley’s brows shot up. “Really? The man sleeps in the barn for crying out loud.”
“I’m telling you guys, Hank prefers animals. If he had to deal with
people problems while I’m gone, he’d shoot me in my sleep at the first opportunity.”
“What’s his problem? Does he think he’s better than everyone else?” Ashley scowled at her brother.
Ethan’s brows drew together. “You know better than that, Ashley. Hank would give his life for someone he cares about. You just don’t get him. You never have.”
“That’s the damn truth.” Ashley leaned back and braced her hands on the porch rail “So you’re saying you can’t come to California because the other owner of this place won’t help out.”
Ethan let out a long sigh and started to say something, but Ashley waved him off, turned on her heel and went inside, letting the screen door slam behind her.
“Whew,” Matt said. “I think little sister’s feelings are hurt. You gotta admit it was a generous offer. How about Francie and I come out and host your guests while you’re gone? You’ll have Chloe, so surely Francie and I won’t have a problem taking care of Elisa and doing what needs to be done here. And we’ll bring Mom with us, so that won’t be a problem.”
“That’s really a generous offer,” Haley said, as the hoot of an owl drew her attention out toward the field. A month ago, she wouldn’t have known what that sound was. In fact, it would have scared her. Now she wished she could see it.
“It’d be fun,” Francie said. “As long as I can ride any horse I want,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows at her brother-in-law.
Ethan shrugged. “Fine with me. All but the black stallion. He’s Hank’s.”
“No problem.” Francie grinned like a kid.
“Does that mean we’re going to Disneyland?” Haley asked, excitement thrumming through her for the first time in years.
“Guess so. And I’m going in right now to tell Ashley.”
Haley’s smiled widened. “Tell her I said thank you. This will be a huge thrill for Ryan.”
Ethan headed inside. Haley watched him go, excited at the turn of events.
A Home for Haley Page 8
