The Cowboy's Second-Chance Family

by Jules Bennett

  “Monster cookies?” he asked as he used his fingertip to push aside the checkered towel to see inside the basket.

  “It’s a chocolate chip cookie, but you add M&M’s and other candies. Really, anything you like. They’re pretty amazing.”

  He pulled a scone from the basket and took a bite. When his lids lowered and he groaned, Lucy felt more confident in her decision to bring the peace offering. She typically only baked for the support group or for family and friends. This was the first time she’d done it for a virtual stranger.

  “These are amazing,” he said around his second bite. “Is that cranberry?”

  “It is, and I put a dash of orange in it.”

  He finished the scone and dusted his hand on his jeans. “You might as well come on in, but I can’t guarantee you won’t end up with a tiara on your head and a cup of tea.”

  A little part of Lucy’s heart flipped over.

  “I’d love to have a tiara.”

  Noah reached for the basket. “Come on back.”

  “Wait.” She relinquished the basket and shoved her hands inside her jacket. “I want to apologize for yesterday. I didn’t mean to make things uncomfortable between us.”

  The dark eyes she’d come to appreciate held her as he closed the distance between them. In one hand he held the basket, and in the other he had the girly accessories.

  “I wasn’t uncomfortable,” he murmured. “Intrigued and surprised, but not uncomfortable.”

  The air between them seemed to thicken because she was having a difficult time breathing. And he still appeared just as calm and in control as ever.

  “Why don’t you take your jacket off and join our tea party?” he asked.

  Lucy couldn’t help the nervous laugh that escaped her lips. “How can I turn down an invitation like that from a man wearing purple beads?”

  Emma came twirling back through the house holding a stuffed bear as her dance partner. “Is the pretty lady staying?”

  Lucy kept her focus on Noah because that precious girl was a reminder of things she’d once dreamed of. Things Lucy hadn’t realized she still wanted until just now. A child of her own. A family.

  Honestly, Lucy didn’t know what was more damaging to her heart, Emma or Noah. But the combination of the two was downright terrifying. Nevertheless, she wasn’t going to pass up the chance to stay.

  Part of her rationalized that she was staying as a way to break through to Noah and get him to open up about his feelings. He needed new friends in the town, right? And since he refused to join her meetings, she’d just have to try to get him to open up in other ways. She could be his support team...right? That was totally logical and the right thing to do.

  Of course the devil on her other shoulder called her a bald-faced liar. She was staying because she was on this roller coaster of newfound emotions and she had no clue how to stop the ride...or even if she wanted to stop it.

  As crazy as it sounded, Noah had reawakened something deep inside her. For two years she’d focused on throwing herself into work, the group, school. But now maybe she just wanted to be selfish and see what happened.

  “I’m staying,” Lucy replied as she smiled back to Emma.

  The little girl bounced up and down, sending her blond curls dancing around her shoulders. “Yay. I’ll have Mr. Bear sit on my lap and you can have his chair.”

  She scurried off just as fast as she’d entered and Noah shook his head. “You should feel honored. I’ve never had Mr. Bear’s seat.”

  Lucy slid out of her jacket and hung it on the hook by the door. She completely ignored the fact it was nestled between a tiny pink-and-white polka-dot coat and a large black woolen one. Well, she tried to anyway.

  She was seeing a whole new side to Noah she hadn’t even known existed, but she liked it. The idea that he was a single father really helped Lucy understand why he’d been so reserved. The man had lost his wife and was protecting all the life he had left.

  She could spend all day analyzing this situation from his angle, from hers, but right now she was going to enjoy the moment. She’d have time to analyze it later.

  * * *

  What the hell was he thinking? He should never have let Lucy inside his home. Granted he’d only been here a couple weeks, but this was his home now. Having Lucy here botched up his plans to keep his life simple and his heart guarded.

  But damn, that scone was something else. He hadn’t had something that delicious and homemade in...well, ever. His wife hadn’t been much of a cook, but that never bothered him. They mostly lived off the ranch anyway, between the livestock and the fields. Noah had cooked, too, taking pity on Cara who panicked at the sight of a recipe or the thought of a casserole.

  This new lifestyle was taking some serious getting used to. Between the cooler weather, the free time he had from not ranching, and acclimating to the new force, his entire world had been reshaped. But he was grateful he had a job, a home, and his daughter. They’d make it because he was determined to give her the best life possible, considering the circumstances.

  “Want to see my room?” Emma asked Lucy.

  Without waiting for a reply, Emma hopped up from her little chair and grabbed Lucy’s hand.

  “Calm down, Em.” Noah finished clearing the tea set from the table. “Maybe Lucy has somewhere else to be. She hadn’t exactly planned on staying here today.”

  Lucy held Emma’s hand and stood. “I’d love to see your room.”

  “My daddy painted it just like I wanted,” Emma chattered as she led Lucy away. “And then he put up this sparkly light and...”

  Her voice trailed away and Noah glanced to the clock. It was almost time for him to lie down and get a few hours’ sleep before going into work later tonight. The realtor had suggested a fabulous babysitter that lived only two doors down: a retired lady who was known as the town grandma and had babysat for years. Having someone dependable and trustworthy made this entire process much less stressful. Each little layer of his new life that fell into place where he needed eased his worry.

  Noah wondered if he’d see Lucy at work, but then quickly pushed the thought aside. She’d been here for over an hour and if he was already looking forward to seeing her again, then he was falling down that rabbit hole he never wanted to be near again.

  He wasn’t ready to move on. Cara had been gone only six months. Shouldn’t he wait longer before allowing that desire to creep in? Not that he’d let this happen. He looked at Lucy and...well, his thoughts, emotions and feelings had slipped from his control.

  Noah rinsed out the tea set and put it away. Tea parties were a thing his wife had started with Emma and he’d wanted to keep some sense of normalcy in her life. As soon as they hit town, he took her shopping for a new tea set and they’d had a party every single day since. He didn’t mind dressing up so long as it put a smile on Emma’s face.

  When they were gone a lengthy amount of time, Noah figured he’d better go save Lucy because Emma hadn’t been around a woman, minus the sitter, since her mother passed. She was most likely craving that connection. Both of Cara’s parents were gone and so was Noah’s mother...he’d never known his father.

  Noah reached the doorway and found Emma and Lucy on the widow seat. Emma had already draped necklaces and headbands on Lucy.

  “Oh, honey. Maybe Lucy didn’t want to be covered in accessories.”

  Lucy picked up another hair ribbon. “Actually, it’s been a long time since someone pampered me. I was rather enjoying myself.”

  The sight of Emma with another young woman, and not his late wife, did something to him. Something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. On one hand, there was that ever-pressing remorse he carried. The guilt of getting on with his life. The guilt of not having been able to save his wife.

  He’d been a police officer back in Texas a
s well and had saved others, but ultimately he hadn’t been able to save his own wife. He’d spoken to her after the storm and she’d assured him she was fine, but he should have—

  He stopped himself. The blame would never end.

  On the other hand, he knew his wife would’ve wanted him to move on, to live for their daughter. She wouldn’t like that he was feeling guilt, because that emotion robbed his happiness.

  “I hate to break up this party, but it’s time for you to go to Miss Mary’s house.”

  Emma protested with a whine, but Lucy placed a hand on her knee. “It’s okay. Maybe we can have another playdate.”

  “Really?” Emma asked, suddenly in a better mood.

  Lucy glanced to Noah. “If your dad doesn’t mind.”

  Noah weighed the options. He didn’t want to let this get too routine because Emma would likely get attached. He had to watch out for her, but on the other hand, it was nice to see his daughter open up and want to play and be with another young woman.

  He couldn’t lie—seeing them together put his guard up. He wasn’t looking for a replacement for his wife or mother for his child. At this point, he wasn’t looking for anything because he was still trying to figure out this new life.

  A mix of emotions swirled through him. He was attracted to Lucy and he had to assume that was normal, but that didn’t mean he felt good about it. It didn’t mean it was right to happen at this particular moment.

  “I’m pretty busy, though.” Lucy glanced to Noah and back to Emma. “I’ll talk to your dad later at work and we’ll see. Okay?”

  Lucy took off all of her play jewelry and hair accessories. After laying them on the window seat, she bent down to Emma.

  “Thank you so much for showing me your room. It is beautiful just like you. Maybe one day you could come see my horses since I know you miss yours.”

  Emma squealed. “Can I, Daddy? Please, please, please.”

  Noah laughed. “We’ll see what we can work out.”

  Emma threw her arms around Lucy’s neck and Noah had to look away. He couldn’t see this, couldn’t let his heart flip over in his chest. He loved Emma with everything he had in him, but Lucy was practically a stranger.

  Maybe he needed distance himself, because the more he was around Lucy with her sweet smile and her easygoing nature, the more he wanted to be. And the fact she’d brought him a peace offering wasn’t helping the case he was trying to make regarding staying emotionally detached.

  Lucy had enjoyed a tea party, she’d played dress-up, and she’d baked him scones. And that was only in a little over an hour. What would happen if he invited her back for dinner? Or if they went to a movie or to the park? Then what? Would he grow even more intrigued?

  Lucy crossed the room toward him and Noah had to shift out of the doorway so she could pass. When she got within a few inches, she paused and looked him straight in the eye.

  “Thanks for sharing your day with me,” she said. “That meant more than you know.”

  And then she was walking down the hall and out the door. That was the end of it.

  Or was it? Because the sadness in her eyes when she’d thanked him had him wanting to run after her and figure out just what was hurting her. But he didn’t, because he knew her angle. Yes, the attraction was there, but she wanted to cure him or make his life better. She’d mentioned her group more than once and she was the type of person who would throw herself into helping others and forgetting herself.

  The unmistakable sorrow he’d glimpsed as she passed by couldn’t be ignored, but it wouldn’t be easy to bring up at work when he went in for his shift. There were other officers coming and going and calls she’d be taking. But he’d find a way.

  Lucy may think she was going to cure him, but perhaps it wasn’t he who needed the help.

  Chapter Four

  “You don’t actually believe we’re going to let you off the hook, right?”

  Lucy was hoping for exactly that. She set the mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream down on the coffee table and Tara and Kate each reached for theirs. This was Lucy’s first night off in days and she wanted nothing more than to wear her fat sweatpants and no bra, and have some sugary drink with her friends.

  The hot chocolate wasn’t even spiked. Kate’s parents had been killed by a drunk driver, so she didn’t drink, and Tara and Lucy respected her enough to not drink in her presence.

  “We’ll hang around long enough and she’ll be chatty. She won’t be able to keep it inside.”

  Lucy rolled her eyes at Tara. “I’m not going to get chatty. There’s nothing to tell, really.”

  “I heard you were at Officer Spencer’s house yesterday afternoon,” Kate stated as she held her moose mug with both hands.

  They’d gathered at Lucy’s house, in agreement they were going to stay in, binge watch romantic comedies, and have some downtime. They were all so busy with their own work lives lately that it wasn’t often they could meet outside of the support group.

  But here they were and Lucy was being quizzed, all because Noah lived on a street with busybody neighbors. And it wasn’t like anything had happened. She’d drunk tea; she’d played for a while with Emma. End of story.

  Right?

  “What’s that look on her face?” Kate whispered to Tara.

  “I think she’s trying to find a way not to answer our questions.”

  Lucy laughed. “Would you two knock it off? I was at Noah’s house, but just to take him some scones.”

  “The cranberry orange ones?” Tara asked. “Those are the best things you make. You must really be interested in him.”

  Lucy didn’t take the bait. She should’ve known girls’ night in would turn into her best friends teaming up against her. Though, if the tables were reversed, she’d be doing the same. Still, she didn’t want to talk about Noah. There wasn’t really much to say. She’d seen a spark of interest, but at the same time, he’d also kept that guard up.

  Even at work that evening, he’d entered with another officer coming on duty. They’d all made small talk and then the guys had been dispatched. After that, their only conversations had been emergency calls on the radio.

  And now she was off for the next two nights. She wasn’t sure if he was or not, but she didn’t ask. She’d gotten done what she set out to do and that was apologize for making things seem unprofessional.

  “So what’s his story?” Kate asked. “Because the town is starting to make up their own about him. I heard he has a cute little girl.”

  Lucy nodded. “Emma. She’s four.”

  Tara curled her legs to her side on the couch as she reached for her drink. “And he’s a widower?”

  “Yeah. His wife passed away during a storm when they lived in Texas. I heard he was a rancher and an officer, but he hasn’t said any of that to me. He’s pretty private.”

  “Yet you were in his home, with his child, for what? An hour?”

  Lucy met Kate’s raised brow and knowing grin. “Exactly. His child was home. We work together, for pity’s sake. Nothing is happening.”

  “Not yet,” Kate muttered around her mug.

  Okay, it was time to steer the conversation away from herself because as much as she’d like for something to happen with the new officer, she wasn’t holding her breath.

  “Are we still on for dancing tomorrow night at Gallagher’s?” Lucy asked as she licked the point off her whip cream.

  Tara nodded. “Marley is with her dad, so I’m game.”

  Tara and her husband, Sam, hadn’t been married long when they realized they didn’t want the same things out of life. They’d married after a whirlwind affair and amazing chemistry, but marriages were based on so much more.

  Being a single mom was difficult for Tara, but she and her ex managed to get al
ong and put the needs of their daughter, Marley, first.

  Lucy and her best friends all faced different obstacles and trials in their lives. They’d been friends since grade school when Lucy had cut off Kate’s pigtails with her new sharp scissors. Kate had wanted her hair cut and her mother had kept saying no, so Kate had actually been grateful to Lucy. That same year, Tara had moved to town and the three just clicked. They’d been through it all together and always had each other’s backs.

  “I love going to Gray’s place.” Tara swiped her finger through her whip cream and licked it off. “We may be the only ones who go there just to dance. But Gray Gallagher has taken that bar and made it even more popular than ever.”

  The local bar was in its third generation and currently owned by one of their good friends. Gray Gallagher was such a great guy and no doubt one of the reasons why so many women flocked to the place on ladies’ night. Gray had always been that fun guy with a sexy build. When he’d come home from the Army, he’d immediately taken over Gallagher’s from his father, but he’d yet to settle down.

  Because isn’t that what people did in this small town? They came home after college or the military and immediately met the love of their life, married, settled down and had babies. Or so the myth went. But not every life was so picture-perfect and neat and tidy.

  Sometimes tragedies happened, lives were ripped apart. And sometimes something positive could stem from such tragedies. Lucy, Kate and Tara were dedicating their lives to making a change in this community. They all had their own type of heartache and voids in their lives which made them perfect to work together and comfort others.

  Too often when someone suffered loss, people around them didn’t know how to respond or what to say, so they just tiptoed around the delicate topic.

  Lucy knew firsthand that didn’t help the person suffering; it only made things more uncomfortable. Which was why she and her friends were going to start opening their doors to everyone at the meetings of their support group. Even if someone hadn’t dealt with the death of a loved one, they still knew people who had, and Lucy wanted them to know how to handle those who grieved.