Now he knew watching the cattle made her smile. Oh, and apparently some blueberry tea.
Despite his every attempt to remain neutral on the topic of Chelsea Blake, he had an irrational need to discover what else might light up those expressive eyes of hers.
~
“What?!” Chelsea’s voice came out more like a squeak. It was Thursday evening and she’d stopped by the hospital to hold her baby nephew for the first time. The tiny form in her arms stretched before bringing his knees up to his chest. Nicholas’s lips made little suckling noises before he fell back to sleep again. Chelsea cringed as she tried to shove down the panic that was rising in her chest. “They’ll be here tomorrow night?”
Even though their parents had promised they’d come spend several months in Kitner after the baby’s birth, Chelsea always had a hard time imagining them actually making good on their word. Oh sure, she’d been preparing for it with her new job and everything. Truthfully, in the back of her mind, she’d half expected them to never show up at all.
Now they were coming to town tomorrow. Less than twenty-four hours from now. Not only that, but she’d have a full two days over the weekend to hang out with them before escaping back to the ranch. Oh yeah, this would be fun.
The only thing that eased her serious case of the nerves was watching the sweet face of her nephew. Laurie and Tuck might have to wrangle him from her arms before she left. Everything about him was perfect. From the baby smell to that tiny nose. Not to mention the smallest tuft of red hair on his head, something Tuck liked to comment on and make Laurie blush over. But Chelsea could tell her sister was thrilled.
Chelsea ran a thumb lightly over Nicholas’s soft hand. She tried to imagine Mom holding him and couldn’t. Come to think of it, she couldn’t imagine her mom doing anything maternal. “Are they staying with you guys?”
“Thank goodness, no.” Laurie’s eyes widened. “We offered because it was the right thing to do. And if they’d taken us up on it, it would’ve been fine.” The look she exchanged with Tuck told Chelsea volumes. “But they insisted on staying at the Hilton downtown.”
For three months? But then, that was Henry and Cadence Blake. They had plenty of money and didn’t mind spending it. That’s what money was for, though, right? Besides, the doctors said Nicholas would be at the hospital for several days still. Possibly more, since every time they removed the extra oxygen, his O2 levels dropped. He needed to keep those levels up before he could go home. He was having a difficult time maintaining his body temperature, too.
“Well, that’s good. They’ll be comfortable there and only five minutes or so from your house.”
“Exactly.” Laurie nodded but said nothing else.
Chelsea knew her older sister was as nervous to see their parents as she was. But talking about it till they were blue in the face didn’t help. Goodness knows they’d tried it before.
Nicholas made a little squeak, his eyes opening just wide enough to show off their dark blue color.
Chelsea studied his serene little face. He’d had to deal with a lot in the four days since his birth, and yet he had complete trust in the people around him. Why couldn’t she be more like him? Why couldn’t she trust that God knew what He was doing? Maybe her persistence and work would speak for themselves when it came to their parents.
She could do this. She could see her parents tomorrow, visit with them, enjoy the reunion, and not let it get to her. You’re going to have to grant me a huge helping of patience, Lord.
Chelsea thought Nicholas might go back to sleep, but he turned his head to the side and tried to suck on her arm. “Sorry, little guy. I can’t do much to help you there.” He voiced his frustration.
Tuck chuckled and scooped his little boy into his arms, being careful to keep the oxygen tube from getting tangled. He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead and placed him in Laurie’s arms. She nuzzled him before trying to get him to latch on to eat.
Breastfeeding had proven difficult so far, but Laurie told Chelsea she was determined to make it work. And already, Nicholas was doing better with it.
Once Nicholas was eating contentedly, Laurie focused on Chelsea.
“So, are you meeting us for dinner tomorrow night after they arrive?”
Chelsea leaned her head against the back of her chair. Well, that surge of confidence had lasted an entire forty-five seconds.
“Yes, I’ll be there. What time?”
“Call me when you get off work. I still don’t know what time they’re getting into town. I wish we could eat here, but they insisted we go out because it’s too germy in the hospital, and I’m not up to fixing a big meal at home yet.”
Chelsea didn’t blame her. “Yeah, that sounds good.” Right up there with going to the dentist. Or walking around in the mud barefoot. She’d probably take the mud over dinner with her parents anytime.
Her mind went to the ranch. What was Parker up to? She thought about how he’d insisted she push past her fear of feeding Sadie. Chelsea could still feel the way the heifer’s tongue had curled around her hand. Never in her life would she have guessed that, one day, she’d have fun feeding a range cube to a longhorn.
Parker had been different today. He seemed to have fun, something that’d looked good on him. More importantly, he’d relaxed around her. Chelsea suspected there were few people he did that with and it made her feel special, whether she should or not.
When she first started this job, she’d dreaded going to the ranch. Now, she was anticipating her return to work tomorrow.
“What are you smiling about?” Laurie spoke from the bed, a knowing look on her face.
Chelsea schooled her features and tried for her best uninterested shrug. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Mmmm hmmm.”
Chapter Ten
Parker had kept busy out at one of the stock ponds, beginning repairs to the small dock that ran along one side. He had many memories of jumping off that dock and going swimming when he was a kid. He and Kara had fun swinging from the rope that hung from a tree along the bank. The rope was still there, although it was tattered from years of sun and bad weather.
Parker took Happy to the stock pond frequently. In March, it was still too cold for even the dog to go swimming, but it was one of Parker’s favorite places to walk.
The other day, as he’d stepped onto the dock, one board had collapsed right under him. He’d managed to catch himself before twisting an ankle, but he hadn’t realized the dock had fallen into such disrepair. Upon further inspection, he discovered most of the boards desperately needed to be replaced.
Normally, a project like this was something he welcomed. It meant he could stay busy on the ranch, in close range if needed, but manage to avoid contact with anyone else if that’s what he wanted.
And usually, that was exactly what he would’ve chosen to do.
Now it was Friday morning and he was back at the stock pond again, laying out the next planks to hammer into place. Instead of the usual peace he enjoyed, his mind kept wandering to Chelsea.
He didn’t see her at all yesterday. Had no real reason to run into her today, either. She had plenty of things to do and if, for some reason she needed to contact him, she had his cell phone number.
Then why did he keep seeing her face when he stared at the water? He let his gaze wander the bank of the pond, pausing at one of the large trees. The image of Chelsea sitting beneath a tree, black kitten in her lap, was so vivid it was as though he had taken a mental photograph.
Parker looked at his watch. It was nearly lunchtime. Would she be there again?
Did it matter?
As if to answer his own question, he picked up his hammer and slammed a nail into the board with way more force than was necessary. Happy trotted over, sat on the same board, and stared at Parker expectantly.
“You’d better move, buddy. We still have several hours of work to go.”
Happy stared at him, not a muscle twitching.
/>
Parker sat back and shook his head. “What’s your deal?”
Happy laid down then, resting his chin on his paws.
Apparently, the dog knew it was time to eat and would not take no for an answer.
“Fine. Let’s go.” Parker stood and made a wide motion toward the truck. Happy got there before he did. Normally, Parker would sit on the tailgate and eat the sandwich he’d brought. But again, all he could picture was Chelsea eating lunch alone under one of his favorite trees.
In direct contrast to his good sense, he opened the cab of the truck and Happy hopped inside. Parker got his bowl of dog food and set it on the floorboard. Happy took little time to gobble it all up. Tired from all the running and exploring he’d been doing, he immediately curled up on the passenger seat and was asleep before Parker had gotten halfway across the ranch.
As he neared the tree, he saw Chelsea resting against the trunk. He leaned forward toward the steering wheel as his heart rate quickened. Her chin lifted when he pulled up not far away and turned off the engine. Happy took in his surroundings, sighed, and went back to sleep.
Parker got his lunch box from the back seat of the truck, rolled the window down a little, and left Happy to nap in peace as he got out.
Chelsea straightened. She had a sandwich in her hand and she set it back down on a paper towel resting on the grass beside her. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and turned on the screen. “Did I miss a call from you?”
“No.” What was he doing here? She looked almost panicked wondering if he’d tried to contact her about a job and she’d missed it somehow. What did that say about how she thought of him? Considering how he’d treated her most of the time she’d been at the ranch, he couldn’t say he blamed her. Parker held up his lunch. “I was going to stop and eat. I think I mentioned before that this was one of my favorite places on the ranch.”
“Oh!” Chelsea rushed to her feet, knocking her bottle of tea over. Luckily, the lid was screwed on tight and none of it spilled. She righted the bottle and put it back in a bag. “I’ll just pack this up so you can enjoy your lunch.”
Okay, that hadn’t exactly gone the way he intended it to. Parker strode forward and took the lunch bag from Chelsea to get her to stop feverishly stuffing items into it. “I thought I might join you.”
Chelsea tilted her head to one side, her mouth slightly open. She pressed her lips together, blinked several times, and reached for her bag. “Are you sure? I don’t mind leaving.”
“I’m positive.” Parker waited for her to sit down but she didn’t move a muscle. He needed to make the first move. He settled onto the nearby rock and retrieved his lunch items. Midway through, he noticed Chelsea sitting back down in his periphery.
The turkey sandwich hit the spot, and he’d consumed half of it before breaking for a drink. Meanwhile, Chelsea hadn’t said a word. She kept her eyes on the pasture in the distance. Some of the longhorns had wandered into the area, content to graze in the sun.
Last time they’d sat here together, she’d relaxed against the tree trunk. Even though she’d seemed wary of him, she’d at least conversed. He thought they’d gotten along well when he took her to see the longhorns. And she’d thanked him for the tea and note. Surely she wasn’t angry with him. At least not for anything new.
He scratched his forehead at the hairline. It wasn’t until Chelsea released a heavy sigh that he ventured to speak. “Is something wrong?”
Her gaze snapped to his. She shifted her position on the grass, her shoulders slumping. At that moment, the black kitten from the other day pounced out of a bush and onto a leaf. Chelsea’s face broke into a smile as she gathered the kitten onto her lap. “Hey, there. I’d wondered where you’d gone.”
The transformation from a ball of nerves to relaxed happened so quickly, Parker was left staring at her. He listened as Chelsea spoke to the kitten like she might have an old friend. Her tone of voice, her posture, it was all very different from when she spoke to him. Did he make her that uncomfortable? The possibility bothered him to no end.
Chelsea continued to pet the kitten but turned to him, her lashes lifting to reveal green eyes awash with conflict. “My parents are coming into town tonight.”
“I take it that’s not a good thing.”
She shrugged. “Let me put it this way. I called to tell them my sister was in early labor last Friday. I had to leave a message. They didn’t bother calling back until yesterday. One week later.”
That was unusually cold. He was sure there was more to the situation, but hesitated to push her by asking too many questions.
Chelsea took another bite of her sandwich, pinched off a piece of meat to give to the kitten, then stuffed it back in her bag. She’d barely eaten any. Everything — from the way she worked her jaw to the fact she’d chewed on her lip enough to draw blood — illustrated the immense amount of stress she was under.
Parker had a thought. “I know how hard it is to focus when you’re worried about something. Believe me.” He paused. Was he willing to break his bubble of solitude? The sadness on her face convinced him. “When we’re done eating, why don’t you come help me with a project on the other side of the ranch.”
Her eyebrows shot upwards. “What is this project we’ll be working on?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.” He popped the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth, dusted off his hands, and stood. “Are you coming?”
The kitten batted at her lunch bag until Chelsea picked it up and held it out of reach. “Yes, I’ll come with you.”
~
Chelsea wasn’t in the mood for company. But that slightly mischievous glint in Parker’s eyes got the best of her and she knew she’d wonder what this project was all day if she didn’t go see for herself. When she set the kitten down and stood, she swore she saw a grin on his face before he’d turned and headed toward the truck.
She gathered up her stuff, jogged to the passenger door, and began to climb in when Happy stood on the seat and wagged his little tail. “I didn’t know you were in here.”
“He was taking his mid-day nap. Closely followed by the afternoon nap, late afternoon nap, and the evening nap.”
Despite her poor mood, Chelsea chuckled. “Do I need to ride in the bed of the truck. Is this your spot?”
As if he knew what she was saying, Happy shook himself and then hopped into the tiny backseat. Chelsea quickly claimed the vacated spot and put her seatbelt on. She wanted to ask again where they were going but knew better not to. If there was one thing she’d figured out about Parker, it was that he didn’t converse unless it was necessary.
Today, that suited her fine.
The scenery went by as he drove across the ranch. She couldn’t believe that less than two weeks ago, she’d dreaded coming to this place. Now she found it one of the most peaceful locations she’d ever known. The pasture, the longhorns, everything about it exuded tranquility. Maybe, one day, she’d own a piece of land herself. Oh, she was kidding herself. She couldn’t run something like this. If she was as bad with animals as she was with plants, they wouldn’t have a prayer. But a place to go to where there was no one but her and the beauty that God created…
Chelsea gazed beyond the acres and acres of grass to the wall of trees beyond. If she went off exploring, what were the odds she could get lost and not have to go to dinner with her parents tonight? Yeah, the fact it was a little bit tempting wasn’t a good sign. Maybe a project to focus on wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Besides, the idea of spending time with Parker appealed to her. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing, either. She wouldn’t admit how much she’d thought about their trip to see the longhorns the other day.
Ever since Parker’s apology, he’d acted differently. Chelsea had been curious about him before. But now, she felt drawn to him somehow. It wasn’t even anything she could explain.
Parker had opened up a little about his dad. He’d come across as vulnerable then. Chelsea sen
sed he was trying to find his place in life right now, and she could certainly sympathize with that.
The memory of his hand holding hers when they were feeding Sadie rushed to mind and her face heated. She’d worked hard to push those thoughts aside over the last two days, but apparently that hadn’t worked.
Yep, she was way too happy about spending time with Parker this afternoon. Not good. Chelsea needed to keep her distance a little. She couldn’t afford to fall for her employer, not when she needed this job so badly. There was enough drama going on in her life right now without adding more to it.
A little longer and she might almost convince herself she was right. She gave a mental sigh.
Just when Chelsea was going to ask how much longer they’d be driving, a small pond came into view. She guessed it to be an acre, maybe smaller. A wooden dock — or at least a partial one — ran along a section of it. The whole thing was right out of a summer camp brochure.
Happy whined and stood with his front paws on the console between the two humans.
“He likes it out here,” said Parker by way of an explanation.
She could understand why.
Parker pulled up next to the dock and turned off the engine. He opened his door, and she followed suit.
There was a large stack of lumber in one spot. “Are you building this?”
“More like repairing the old one.” Parker led the way to the dock. “The previous planks were giving way. I hated to see it fall apart. It’s one of the first things my dad built on this property.” His voice took on a wistful tone.
Chelsea put a hand above her eyes to block out the high sun and took in the scene. Happy ran along the shore, his paws just out of reach of the water. “Does he hate getting wet?”
A corner of Parker’s mouth lifted. “The water’s too cold right now. You should see him in the summer. I can’t get him out of the water then.”
Chelsea had loved to swim when she was kid. She’d nearly forgotten, it’d been such a long time. She remembered going to a resort several times as a family. Well, the four of them plus the nanny. But she and Laurie had gotten to stay up late and swim in the heated pool. It’d been like heaven at the time.
Finding Joy (Love's Compass Book 5) Page 10
