by Jillian Hart
Simon’s dimples.
“You’re stuck here.” Hunter strolled closer, grabbed her purse by the strap and held it out to her. “You might as well enjoy it.”
“You could give us a ride.” She gulped, not sure if she was brave enough to put Simon in the same pickup as Hunter. Too close for comfort. That close, maybe Hunter might see what she saw in the boy every time he grinned. No, she needed a better option. “Why don’t you hunt down Luke and talk him into taking us. I’ll make you guys a loaf of banana bread if you do.”
“Bribery. Do you honestly think it would work on me?” He shut the truck’s door, which creaked rustily.
“No, but it was worth a try. I’m desperate here.”
“No need to be. Stop worrying about Whip. He’s fine. You don’t have to take care of everyone every minute of the day. Stay, kick back, enjoy the picnic and catch up with folks for a while.
“There are people I’d love to see again, but—” But wouldn’t they take one look at Simon and guess the truth? She circled around the truck, held out her hand to Simon and hopped onto the sidewalk. “Maybe we’ll stay for the next picnic.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“You’re walking? It’s like ninety-seven degrees in the shade. If this is about what I said when I was over at your place, you know I’m sorry.”
“I know. And that’s not exactly an apology, by the way. Not that I need it, but just so you know. In case one day a woman takes a liking to you and you have another chance at a relationship.”
“We both know that’s not likely to happen.”
“Just trying to be helpful.”
“You’re trying to distract me.” He planted his hands on his hips, standing in the middle of the lane with his dark tie loose around his collar. “Let me try it again. I’m sorry, Millie. I shouldn’t have said it like that, as if you’d never mattered.”
“I just think it’s better if we, well, keep our distance. We went our separate ways a long time ago.” She spun around, her dress hem gave a little swirl. She shaded her eyes with one hand, staring up the length of the street. “Admit it, you want the same thing, too.”
“What I want is for you and your kid to avoid sun stroke.”
“We’ll stop at the grocery on the way home, pick up something to drink. We’ll stay hydrated.”
“You always have an answer for everything. That drives me nuts, you know that.”
“And it gives me great pleasure.” Perhaps too much. How fun was that. It was the least he deserved, right? “I have another idea. You could give me the keys to your truck and catch a ride home later with Luke.”
“Deal.” He reached into his pocket, striding closer.
“Throw them here.”
“I’m not throwing them.” The strike of his shoes and the rhythm of his gait were two more things that hadn’t changed about him. He came closer, driving panic straight through her. “You’re still stubborn. Think about your son. There are races and prizes and a penny hunt after the barbecue.”
“What’s a penny hunt?” Simon let go of her hand.
“Talk your mom into staying and you’ll find out.” Hunter paused in the middle of the sidewalk, trapped by the shadows, and eyed the boy. “You must have figured out a way to talk her into things, not that I ever had any luck with it.”
“I’ve been pretty successful.”
“You’ll have to tell me how you do it.”
“As if.” She stepped between man and boy. Father and son. Guilt crushed her. “Fine, we’ll stay for an hour, but that’s it. We leave on the dot.”
And hopefully the minivans will have moved by then.
“I know what you’re thinking, and don’t count on it.” Hunter moved in, smelling wonderful, like soap and sunshine. “This is a daylong event, so chances are those vehicles are staying put.”
“Maybe we could figure out who owns them?”
“Just go with the flow.” Hunter pressed his key ring into her hand. The brush of his skin ignited a spark that raced straight to her heart, to the buried memories she’d thought were lost for good.
They came to life like gifts from the past, like blessings from heaven. Sweet, gentle kisses. Tender gestures. His thoughtfulness. Buying her a horse when her father refused to let her spend her savings on one. Fixing the family car every time it broke down. Showing up for a date with flowers in hand and romantic dinner plans, then spending the evening doing barn work with her because her dad refused to give her permission to go. How afraid she’d been at the time, that Hunter would dub that the worst date ever and dump her.
He hadn’t.
“Millie? I’ve been looking for you.” A woman’s voice rang with excitement, startling Millie out of the past and into the present.
She blinked at a car idling in the middle of the otherwise empty street, windows down. She recognized Hunter’s sister. “Brooke! It’s you! You look great. Incredible.”
“True love will do that to a girl.” The sedan’s door swung open and Brooke launched out, arms wide. “How are you doing? I stopped by your dad’s house. The nurse lady said you were here.”
“I didn’t realize—” She wrapped Brooke in a hug. A decade had passed since they’d been face to face, and yet it seemed no time has passed as she took Brooke by the hands and studied her. Still gorgeous and as sweet as ever. An impressive wedding set glittered on her left hand, but it was Brooke’s smile that dazzled the most. Incredibly good to see her friend happy. “The cats! Did you leave them at the house?”
“No, they’re in the car. The yowling has finally stopped. Right, Brandi?”
“Yes, but who knows for how long. They are starting to look around in their carriers—” An angry, earsplitting feline wail drowned her out.
“Poor things, they’ve got to be scared, but they’re going to a good home. They’ll find that out soon enough.” Brooke turned her attention to the boy. “Is this your son, Simon?”
“Yep, that’s me.” The boy squinted at her, curious. “Who’re you?”
“I knew your mom when she was dating my brother.” Brooke patted Hunter’s arm. “You look pretty shocked. Believe me, everyone was. Not a single soul in this valley could figure out how my gruff, lackluster brother—”
“Lackluster?” Hunter arched an eyebrow.
“—could catch a girlfriend like your mom.” Brooke thoughtfully studied the boy.
DEFCON one. Major emergency. Millie seized Brooke by the shoulder and spun her toward the car. “Show me those poor cats. They sound terrified. We should take them home.”
“That’s the plan.” Brooke opened the passenger door. “Out, Brandi. I’ll take Millie, we’ll get the cats settled and be back in time for burgers.”
“Awesome.” A platinum-blond sweetheart with violet eyes bounded out of the backseat. She was adorable, the way a little sister should be, and somewhere in her twenties. “Finally, I get to meet the infamous Millie and her son. Hi, son.”
“Hi.” Simon waved.
Millie’s heart stopped. Again. “And you’re the twins I hear about. Well, one half of the pair. Where’s Brianna?”
“She’s back in Bozeman working an afternoon shift at the bakery.” Brandi stopped, listening. “Hunter, Luke’s calling you. Do you hear him?”
She certainly couldn’t, as it was nearly impossible to hear much over the loud, whop-whop of blood pounding in her ears. Any moment one of the sisters, or even Hunter, would take a second look at Simon and see the truth. What would that do to her son to come face-to-face with the man who hadn’t wanted him? The man who’d said he would never have it in his heart to love a child?
“I gotta go.” Hunter seemed a little relieved to have a reason to escape. “See you later.”
Whew. At least he hadn
’t figured it out.
“Mom, we stay, right?” Simon gulped, gazing longingly across the road to the church’s front lawn where a game of soccer had started up. Kids about his age kicked a ball around, their laughter and shouts peppering the air.
She knew he was lonely. He was a kid. He should play, and he needed friends. But how did she protect him from prying eyes?
“Hey, you go with Brooke and he can stay with me.” Brandi flicked a pigtail over one slim shoulder. “I start my student teaching in September. Because they’ve left me in charge of a classroom full of kids, I think I can handle just one until you come back. What do you say, Simon?”
“Sounds good.” He swiveled his pleading gaze to her. “Okay, Mom?”
He wanted it badly. How could she resist those Bambi eyes? As for her worries, was it possible that if Hunter’s family hadn’t noticed by now, then no one would? So far so good, right?
“Okay, but you stay with Brandi the whole time.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Joy wreathed his face, his dear, dear face. Love filled her like a supernova, too impossibly great to measure. He grinned at Brandi, who smiled back and hopped onto the curb, waiting for him to join her. They walked together across the grass, heading for the soccer players.
“He’ll be as safe as could be with her.” Brooke bounced back to her idling car. “She’s great with kids and completely responsible.”
“I didn’t doubt it for a second.” No, that was absolutely not the problem. She might not know Brandi, but she’d heard about her from Brooke and from Hunter. Brandi and her twin, Bree, had grown up with a different mother west of Bozeman, where the girls lived now in an apartment of their own near the campus.
“C’mon, let’s introduce these cats to their new homes.” Brooke held the back passenger door open. “A word to the wise. Do not put your finger through the slats in the crate. You’ll get swiped.”
Millie settled on the seat, going slightly deaf from the caterwauling from the irate felines. She caught a glimpse of a green eye and a fluff of gray fur before the animal hissed and spat at her.
“Don’t worry. You’ll like living with us. I promise. You won’t go hungry anymore.” When her father passed on and she sold the farm, she would make sure the new owners vowed to look after the pair.
The second cat continued to yowl as Brooke slipped behind the steering wheel. “Sorry it’s a little loud in here.”
“The good news is that it’s a short drive.”
“Amen.” Brooke fastened her seat belt and they were off.
Millie glanced out the window, twisting around to watch Simon join the kids at the soccer game. Brandi dutifully stood by on the sidelines along with a few moms, chatting away. Millie’s last glimpse was of how happy he looked, charging after a ball, surrounded by kids his own age. Then Brooke’s car wheeled around a corner, taking him from her sight.
She’d forgotten about the key ring clutched in her hand and she studied it now, wondering about the man. Hunter didn’t want family ties. He didn’t believe in love. What other decision could she have made?
* * *
“You had to volunteer us for this?” Hunter cast a sideways frown at his younger brother as he grabbed one of the shovels leaning against Luke’s truck. “Really? I thought you’d want to spend as much time with your girlfriend while she’s here as you can.”
“Honor looks right at home, don’t you think?” Luke, the poor besotted sap, wore his heart on his sleeve. One hundred percent in love with a woman who would one day let him down, shatter his heart and leave him in irreparable pieces. Not that he wanted it to happen to his brother—Luke was a good man—but wasn’t that love’s inevitable course?
“I won’t deny she’s a nice lady, but love is a rocky road.” He opened the tailgate, breathing in the woody smell of the fresh sawdust. “How are you going to make a long-distance relationship work? She lives in California.”
“Not anymore.” Luke drew in a breath, taking his time. Looked like he was about to drop a bombshell as he propped one arm on the truck bed, gathering his words and maybe his courage. “See, here’s the thing. I’m driving back with her tomorrow.”
“You’re what?” He dropped his shovel. “Tomorrow? To California? Are you kidding me?”
“I’ve thought this through, Honor and I’ve talked it over and it’s the right thing to do.”
To be honest, he wasn’t sure about her driving all the way by herself, but he didn’t have to let Luke know that. He rescued his shovel. “What about the milking?”
“I hired Cal, you know, one of Milton’s milkers? He’s going to fill in for me, and before you say it, I told Brandi we’d pay her to help out at Millie’s. You can train her tonight.”
“You decided all this by yourself?” He bit back his grin. “Exactly when did you become boss over me?”
“I got caught up in the moment. Saw a solution and took it especially because you were over at Millie’s climbing on her roof. Cal drove by on his way to see me and told me all about how you two were getting along.”
“That’s the problem with living in a small town.” Everyone always knew your business. His gaze arrowed across the rolling lawns to the kids playing soccer. Easy to spot Millie’s boy—flyaway black hair, glasses, scoring a goal to the glee of his team. Likable, just the way she was.
It hurt to look at that kid. To think of her betrayal. It wasn’t exactly a betrayal, a little voice in the back of his brain reminded him. He’d been terrible boyfriend material. She’d wanted more, and he’d refused to give her an engagement ring. Of course she’d gone on with her life. The fact that she’d been able to move on so fast and easily still wounded him, no matter how hard he tried to get over it.
“You need to drop by and do a quick roof repair.” Tough to talk with his teeth locked together, so he forced his jaw to relax. “The chimney needs flashing.”
“That’s going to be hard to do, because as soon as I finish tonight’s milking, I’m packing for my trip.”
“It’s a good thing.” Tim, their minister, strolled up with a grocery sack tucked in one arm. He came from the direction of the smoking grill, where the first round of hamburgers smoked and sizzled. Most folks were busy spreading out blankets on the shady side of the church grounds and adding their contributions to the food-laden picnic table next to the grill. “A man has to follow his heart.”
“Yeah, Hunter.” Luke grinned wide, pleased to have an ally. “A lady like Honor only comes around once in a man’s life. I don’t intend to let her go.”
“Are you going to marry this girl?” He shot a glance over at Honor Crosby, the woman who had hooked his brother’s heart. On the other side of the lawn, he spotted her handing Mrs. Hoffsteader a cup of lemonade, apparently having fetched it for her. Hard to find a single thing wrong with that. Honor was clearly a nice lady.
“That’s my plan.” Luke took an economy-sized bag of wrapped mini candy bars the minister handed him. Tim offered a second bag to Hunter.
He took it, ripping open the top. “How long are you going to be gone on your California trip?”
“Just long enough to rent a truck, pack up Honor’s things and drive back. Well, we’ll take a few days to meet her friends and family.”
“Sure.” Maybe being saddled with the sole responsibility of running the dairy was a good thing. He’d have less time to see Millie, or to bump into Millie or to find her climbing that rickety ladder he wanted her to stay off and thereby wouldn’t be obligated to stop and help. Now this was a plan that could work.
“Take all the time you need.” He liked this more and more. He upended the bag into the sawdust and watched the candy fall. “I can keep things covered here.”
“This is sure a change of tune. Thanks, bro. It means a lot to have your support. Not sure where it’s coming from, but thanks.”
“Guess I’ve warned you off enough.” Not that he was optimistic, but if anyone deserved to find the real thing and have it last, it was Luke.
“Speaking as a happily married man, I’m glad you’re doing this, Luke.” Tim, a thoughtful and quiet man, gave a nod of approval. He pulled out a large baggie of change from his grocery bag. “You and Honor should grab all the happiness you can.”
Hunter hopped into the back of the truck, took the money bag from the minister and emptied it in the sawdust. Glinting pennies and sparkling nickels, dimes and quarters tumbled into the wood shavings. Time to get this unloaded because his stomach started growling. The aroma from the barbecue grill carried on the breeze, reminding him it was past lunchtime.
He dug in with his shovel, sensing something else on the wind. The squeals and shouts of kids in the heat of a soccer battle raced closer. Their feet drumming, their shouts rising and then the thwap of a ball as it slammed one of the kids in the face. A black-haired kid, who held his hands to his nose. Blood oozed bright and crimson between his fingers.
It was Millie’s son.
Chapter Seven
Brooke’s car pulled to a stop curbside with a perfect view of the church grounds. The cats were safely hiding beneath Millie’s dad’s back porch, with comfortable beds made out of old blankets for them in the nearby carport and plenty of fresh water and kibble, so she had hopes of a better night’s sleep.
“You have no idea how you’ve saved me,” Millie told her friend. “Huge. Big time.”
“My pleasure. It’s a win-win because you get help with your mice problem and the cats get a safe place to live and someone to watch out for them.” Brooke cut the engine, unbuckled and swung open the door. “So, what’s up with you and Hunter?”
“Nothing. Not one thing. Why would there be? He’s the same man. He hasn’t changed.” Millie climbed out into the sunshine. Did she sound unaffected? Did she come across like she’d never given Hunter a second thought? She hoped so. She squinted into the sunshine, searching for Simon on the busy church grounds. “He and I are neighbors, that’s all. Temporary neighbors.”
