by Erica Penrod
They got up to leave, and she called to the boys, who immediately ran to the nearest ladder, trying to scramble away. Kip caught them and hauled them over to her.
“Thanks,” Cassie said, as she transferred their limp-in-protest bodies to her arms.
“No problem,” Kip said. “I’ll catch up with you later. I need to unsaddle Yankee.”
“Okay. We’ll see you tonight,” Grace called after him.
The boys squirmed in constant battle, but Cassie waited long enough to watch Kip walk away. Strictly out of curiosity. When he glanced back over his shoulder, she averted her eyes. The ground beneath her feet start to sway, and she remembered to breathe.
“Come on,” Grace said, and offered her arms to Rhett. He reached out, and she collected the child. “Let’s find some toys, and Cassie, I can’t wait to show you your wing of the house.”
* * *
That night, Cassie called Arizona and tried to recall if there was a time discrepancy. Utah participated in daylight savings time, but Arizona did not. After the longest drive of her life, with three-year-old twins in the back seat, her mind was too befuddled to figure it out. Thankfully, her best friend answered on the second ring.
“Hey,” Cassie said, “it’s me.”
“Of course it’s you,” Stacy said. “I’m staring at your fifth-grade school photo.”
“That’s the one you use for my caller ID?” Cassie asked. She rolled her eyes, remembering the day she cut her own bangs for pictures.
“It always makes me smile.” The sarcasm in Stacy’s voice invoked the memory of a splash of mirth in Stacy’s swimming pool–colored eyes. “Okay, so how did it go today?” Stacy asked. Cassie heard dishes clank and water spatter on the other end of the line.
“You would freak if you saw this place. It is unbelievable!” She lay back on her king-size bed and ran her fingers over the silky comforter. The mattress was stuffed with feathers pulled from angels’ wings, and her tired limbs sank deep. “Seriously, you should see this. I have my own wing of the house, and by wing, I mean all the amenities and the square footage of a high-rise condo, but with a western flair.”
Stacy laughed. “I didn’t know you were into western décor.”
“I didn’t either, but I’m really starting to appreciate it.” The windows were open, allowing a ceiling fan to circulate the crisp, clean mountain air throughout the room. “I can’t believe I get paid to live here,” she squealed. “It’s separate from the main house, but connected by a hallway, so I have privacy, and there’s a fireplace in every room.”
She stared up at the vaulted ceiling lined with tongue and groove wood. “I’ll send some pictures, but I’m not sure you can fully appreciate it unless you’re here. It takes a day to walk from one end of the house to the other.”
“So,” Stacy said, “did you meet the girls? Do you know what you’ll be doing?” She paused. “I wonder if they’re your typical overprivileged rich kids?”
“I don’t think so. I just met them, and they seem sweet.” Cassie didn’t want to think otherwise nor about the ramifications of spoiled teenagers. She’d much rather curl up and enjoy a good night’s sleep. “Grace needs to put in extra hours at the office and says she’ll have to make frequent trips to the company headquarters in Texas.”
“What kind of business?” Stacy asked.
“I’m not sure exactly. Some kind of equestrian product Grace’s husband developed, and now I guess it’s huge. Definitely horse-crazy people.”
“So where does that leave you?” Stacy asked.
“I’ll be here to help the girls with home schooling and get them where they need to be. One of the girls is sixteen, but no license yet, and the other is fourteen.” Cassie lifted her head from the plush mattress to peek at the boys in the adjacent room. Both her babies were sound asleep in twin-size beds; the long trip finally slowed them down enough for their tired bodies to win the fight. She turned her attention back to the phone. “I guess they compete in high school rodeo, and Grace wants me to go with them when she or her husband can’t.”
Stacy’s laughter came through the line. “That ought to be interesting. You know what a rodeo is, right?”
“I think I went to one years ago.” Cassie laughed as well. “Oh, and the girls have an older brother, but I guess he’s not around much.” Cassie paused. “Although, I did see him today. I’d forgotten we met as kids.” Her voice softened. “And he’s definitely matured since then.”
Stacy didn’t miss the hesitation for a minute. “Really? What does he look like?”
“Dark eyes, dark hair, dimples. Cute kid, I guess.”
“I thought you said he wasn’t a kid,” Stacy said.
“He’s like twenty-five, a baby in boy years.” Kip’s handsome face flashed in her mind, and she had to admit he was all grown up.
“Hello? Are you there?” Stacy’s voice pulled her from a trance.
“Yeah, I’m here. Anyway, I guess he helps out with the family business and …” Cassie thought for a moment. “He’s got something else going on, but I don’t know what.”
“Wait—what did you say his name is?” Stacy asked.
“Kip—”
“Kip Morgan?”
“Yeah, that’s it.” Cassie heard the crash of glass. “What was that? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it was nothing, just a bowl. But, you do know who that is, right?” Stacy asked.
“Yes, he’s Grace’s son,” Cassie said, swallowing a grin. “I just told you that.”
“No! I mean, seriously.” Stacy’s voice was breathy. “Do you know who he is?” Cassie heard mumbling, and then Stacy continued, “Where have you been?”
Cassie didn’t answer. She’d been trying to hold her life together.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“It’s fine.” And it was.
Stacy continued, “He’s a reality TV star.”
“What?”
“He was on The Cowboys.”
“On what?” Cassie couldn’t remember the last time she’d watched anything not related to preschool.
“It was on last fall. It was a show following three real-life cowboys.”
“Oh.” Kip hadn’t walked out of a country music video; he’d walked off a television set.
Stacy continued, “Yeah, Braden and I watched it together, and I pretended to be interested in the action, but I never got past the dimples.”
Cassie couldn’t help but smile. “They’re all right as far as dimples go.”
“I’d say they’re more than all right, and I’m sure every woman under a hundred would agree.”
“And maybe a few over that too,” Cassie said. The adult Kip seemed familiar, and not just because she’d seen him as a kid. Maybe she’d seen him on a commercial and didn’t realize it.
Just then she heard a light knock at her door. Dragging herself off the plush bed, she walked over across the thick carpet, enjoying the way it felt against her bare feet. “Stacy, hold on, there’s someone at the door.”
She checked her reflection in the mirror, wiped under her eyes, and adjusted her ponytail; Grace’s second impression of her shouldn’t be worse than the first.
“Coming,” she said, as she walked to the door, wondering if something was forgotten about tomorrow’s agenda. Pulling the door open, she said, “Hi, Grace—”
Only it wasn’t Grace.
Cassie felt her knees buckle beneath her, and she held onto the knob as the room swayed.
“Um … Stacy, I’ve got to go,” she said. “Call you tomorrow.”
She hung up on Stacy’s protests. Because that’s what you do when a six-foot-tall, dark-eyed cowboy is standing in your doorway. Either that or save yourself a lot of trouble and slam it shut.
2
Cassie held on to the handle with one hand and measured the door’s thickness with the other, praying it was enough to keep her conversation with Stacy private. Her face felt flushed, but Kip looked c
alm in his fitted T-shirt and jeans, and she assumed he didn’t hear her dissertation on his dimples and the aging women who adored them.
“Um … hi. Does Grace need me for something?” Cassie asked.
“No.” Kip took a step back and folded his arms across his chest. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Yes,” she said. “We’re good, thanks.” She noticed he had traded his cowboy hat for a ball cap.
“Okay.”
She smiled and started closing the door.
Kip stuck his arm out. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Cassie glanced back at her sleeping children’s room, where the door was open, and then motioned for him to come in. It was a good thing her mother wasn’t here to see this: inviting a man into her bedroom, even if she was a grown woman. Kip sat down on a chair next to the bookshelf, and Cassie took the seat across from him. There was still ample space between them, and she reminded herself that this area was as big as her apartment, so maybe she wasn’t breaking her mother’s code of conduct.
“What did you want to talk about?” Cassie asked, wishing he’d chosen a better time of day to drop by; like an hour when she wore something other than cut-off jogging pants and the same salsa-stained T-shirt she’d worn across the state.
“I just wanted to say …” He looked her in the eyes, wiping at his jeans. “I mean, I just … Look, I know about your late husband, and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Oh … it was one of those visits. So much for her fresh start.
Cassie straightened her back. “Thank you,” she said in an even tone. “I appreciate it.”
She could feel herself wind up with the frustration of being pitied. Always the same tilt to the chin. She knew the words were usually heartfelt, but after a time, she wanted to be herself again not the poor widow with little kids. People back home just couldn’t get that look out of their eyes. She was too tired, too exhausted to pretend anything he said would make a difference or that it would change anything. Danny was still dead.
Cassie stood up. “It was nice of you to stop by.”
“Wait,” he said, reaching for her arm. A zing shot over her skin, and she jerked away. She worked to collect herself as she sat back down.
Kip’s words were static in her head; she knew them verbatim and chose to tune them out. You’ll get through this, and, If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. It was supposed to make her feel better, but it didn’t, especially from someone she barely knew. In fact, it had the opposite effect, and she could feel fire gather in her gut; the condolences were like kindling to a flame. She wondered if anyone would see her as anything more than a wounded widow. Her head nodded at the appropriate pauses, while she stared into the nothingness she created as a safe haven.
“Cassie?”
Seconds later, she realized he’d finished his ceremonial speech. “Yeah?” she answered.
His dark eyes didn’t move from hers.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “And again, I appreciate you stopping by.”
Rising with military movements, she stood at attention by the door. He looked up at her for an uncomfortable moment before he moved.
“If there’s anything I can do—”
“I said we’re fine.” Her words, like individual sentences in ice, couldn’t be melted by his good looks or celebrity status.
His jaw muscles flexed. “I’m just trying to help you.”
Cassie put her hands on her hips. “If I needed your help, I’d ask for it,” she said louder than expected. She closed her eyes, hoping she didn’t wake the boys.
Kip exhaled, lifted his ball cap, and rubbed his temples before replacing it. “I’m sorry I upset you.” He stepped out into the hallway. His quiet voice drowned her frustration, and she focused on him. “I thought that with everything going on, especially with the firm—”
“What did you say?”
“Never mind.” He put his hands in his pockets. “I thought you might need a friend, and I know I can help you, because I—”
He could help her because what, he had money? “I don’t know you …” Her voice was barely audible, but judging by the dark daggers in his pupils, he heard her perfectly.
He caught the dismissal and pressed his lips. “Fine,” he said. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”
He walked away and she shut the door behind him. Leaning back, she thumped her head against the wood.
“Ohhh!” she said, and this time she hoped he heard it.
What an egotistical…
Cassie threw herself on the bed, frustrated by her reaction; she couldn’t believe she let him get to her, but most all, she couldn’t believe she noticed how good he looked walking away.
* * *
The next morning Cassie unpacked the few totes and suitcases she’d been able to fit into the back of her small car. Toys scattered from her room to the boys’, while her conversation with the invasive cowboy occupied the space in her mind intended for organization. Of course, she wouldn’t call it an actual conversation; that usually involved two people speaking, not just one handsome guy talking and a girl getting all flustered.
She chucked a shoe at the pile in front of her walk-in closet; missing the target, it hit the dresser. She popped her head up to make sure the twins hadn’t seen her, and then she sat on the floor, crossed her legs, and thought about the audacity of that man.
Maybe she’d misinterpreted his intentions, but something beneath his words felt heavy and more suffocating than the usual trite condolences from near strangers. He didn’t know her or the circumstances of Danny’s death, but there he was, offering his help with pity in his eyes. Cassie didn’t need it, nor did she want to be treated like a victim. She’d had enough of that, and it was a lot of the reason she left Arizona.
Maybe it was his condescending tone or big ego, coupled with the way he acted like he had all the answers. Either way, she was glad he was leaving in a week. Until then, avoiding him in miles of house didn’t seem like it’d be that difficult.
She got up, picked up the shoe, and inspected the dresser. No evidence of her little tantrum remained, and maybe, just maybe, she was acting like a two-year-old about Kip. Chances were, they would only need to be cordial now and then; it’s not like he was supposed to be here often. After all, an absence of adults in the house was why she was here. It didn’t matter if he made her uncomfortable or not. She’d just forget about it him, because heaven knew she had way more to worry about than a pretty boy in a Stetson hat.
Cassie adjusted her Disneyland T-shirt and smoothed her faded jeans, determined to tackle the mess before her, when she heard a tap on her open door. She looked up into the face she just vowed to avoid.
“Sorry to bother you,” Kip said from the doorway. He attempted a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked younger than he did last night, and she stared longer than she should have. Cassie wondered what he looked like as a reality star on her flat screen and then promptly gave herself a mental slap in the face. She would not become his latest fan.
“The girls would like to know if you want to come to town with us.” He looked down at his boots before his eyes met hers. “So do I. Maybe we can start again?” This time a smile sank into his dimples.
Cassie kept her guard up towards Kip. However, it made her feel good to know his sisters, Skyler and Elle, wanted to spend time with her. They’d only just met, but she liked the girls and prayed they would adjust quickly to having her around.
The boys heard the invitation, ran straight into Kip, and attached themselves to his legs. Unlike their mama, who worked to keep Kip at arm’s length, the playground meeting was all the introduction the boys needed.
“Boys, let go.” Cassie moved towards them, but Kip waved his hand in the air.
“They’re fine.” Each boy squealed in delight when his leg moved forward in one giant sweeping motion as he swayed into the room.
“Careful,” Cassie said. “They’ll think y
ou’re their new toy.” She found it difficult to stay upset when she saw the grins on her boys’ faces.
“That’s fine by me.”
He bent down and tickled both boys until they relinquished their hold and fell to the floor. Contagious giggles floated in the air like bubbles, taking the contention with them. Kip laughed as the miniature soldiers charged again. This time, he knelt to the ground, catching them both in his arms.
“Easy guys,” he said, and held on. “Do you want to get some cowboy boots so you can ride the horses?”
Cassie’s eyes widened, and her gut felt like someone had kicked her with a cowboy boot. She didn’t have the money for new footwear for both boys—or one of them, for that matter. Why did he have to be a jerk and ask her kids that? It was like handing them a gift and telling them they couldn’t open it. A sparse budget ran through her mind.
“I … I … um … they really don’t need them.” She tightened her ponytail and put her hands in her back pockets. “It’s just that—”
“No, it’s my treat.”
“Absolutely not,” Cassie said, and folded her arms. She wasn’t an emotional charity case last night, and she wouldn’t become a financial charity case today. “They don’t need them.”
Kip grunted. “Well, you’re going to be living here, and if you haven’t noticed, horses are everywhere. I assumed they’d be riding.”
“Well, you assumed wrong.”
Kip let go of Rhett and Ryder and stood up, matching her stance. The boys looked back and forth between the two of them, their eyes wide. “So you’re going to live and work on a horse ranch, but you’re not going to let your kids ride?” His dark brows furrowed, but his dimples still caught Cassie’s attention.
Stupid dimples.
She let her hands fall to her sides. “I was hired to help with your sisters, not work on a horse ranch. I didn’t have any idea about any of this.” She flung her hands in the air, gazing around the room. “No one mentioned I’d be working for Warren Buffet.” Despite her efforts, her eyes pooled with tears, threatening to spill over just as surely as her insecurities about being in this new environment and leaving everything familiar behind threatened to overwhelm.
