by Kat Brookes
Before she could truly mull over that troubling thought, Tucker stepped into the room, his gaze searching until he found them seated on the floor in front of the fireplace where a flame burned low and warm. He immediately removed the cowboy hat from his head in a polite gesture, an action that came as no surprise at all to her. “Hello,” she greeted with a tempered smile, not wanting him to know how ridiculously happy she was to see his grinning face.
“Daddy!” Blue exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
His daughter’s warm welcome seemed to take Tucker off guard. Had he expected Blue to be upset with him for his horse’s behavior that morning? Surely not. Hoss was a horse. He hadn’t known better.
Tucker’s gaze settled on the kitten purring loudly in his daughter’s arms. He blinked hard. And then he blinked again. “Is Bitty wearing a dress?”
His daughter offered up a toothy smile as she nodded her reply. “Isn’t she pretty?”
“Uhm...yes, very pretty,” he managed, his anxious gaze darting in Autumn’s direction.
Autumn laughed softly. “Blue has decided to donate all of Miss Molly’s dresses to Bitty after trying one on her for size and finding it a perfect fit.”
“I see,” he replied, his attention sliding back to the contented kitten. “Green seems to be her color.” His gaze lifted once more to his daughter’s face. “But I’m afraid Bitty might have to give one or two of her newly acquired dresses back to Miss Molly. We can’t have your doll traipsing about the ranch in just one dress.”
What did Tucker think he was doing? Autumn, who was no longer smiling, was tempted to lead him out into the hallway and ask him that very question. She had spent a good portion of that morning calming Blue down and helping her niece come to terms with the fact that her baby doll wasn’t going to be riding back to Cheyenne with them when they left for home. And then Tucker comes home all smiles, acting as if nothing had ever happened. The fact that he had so quickly forgotten something that had been so emotionally devastating to his daughter was beyond disappointing.
“Tucker...” she began, trying to keep her voice unaffected by her irritation with his thoughtlessness. Only the remainder of her words caught in her throat as he reached into the hat that he had just removed and pulled out Blue’s baby doll, which was, much to her shock, all in one piece!
“Miss Molly!” Blue cried out, immediately setting the bedecked kitten down so she could go collect her precious doll.
Tucker handed the toy over to her, his grin widening as his daughter hugged it tight. “Miss Molly and I would’ve been home sooner, but we had a few fence posts that needed shoring up around the ranch first.”
“She has white curls,” Blue noted in confusion.
He exchanged a brief glance with Autumn before looking back down at his daughter. “She decided it was time for a change, so we got her hair done and came home to surprise you with it.”
Blue lifted her gaze to his. “It’s pretty. Can I get my hair done like hers?”
Tucker stammered, searching for a reply he clearly hadn’t expected to give.
“Your hair is far too pretty to think about changing it,” Autumn answered for him, feeling guilty for having immediately thought badly of him. It seemed there was a great deal of truth in the saying about old habits dying hard, her having spent the past several years thinking Tucker was the worst sort of man.
“Not to mention,” Tucker joined in, “God chose that color especially for you so your hair can match your daddy’s.”
Blue’s eyes narrowed as she studied Tucker’s hair. “But you don’t have any curls.”
He ran a hand back through his thick, wavy hair. “If I let my hair grow out as long as yours is, you can bet there would be some curls.”
She giggled at that. “Daddy, you can’t have girl hair.”
“A good thing,” he told her. “It gets too hot when I’m out working the ranch to have anything but short hair under my cowboy hat.”
“Will I have to wear a cowboy hat when I come to live here?”
“Only if you want to,” he replied and then cast a worried glance in Autumn’s direction.
She nodded, letting him know that it was okay. Blue had brought the subject up; Tucker hadn’t. “You can worry about that later,” Autumn told her.
“I have my uncles’ hair, too,” Blue said, shifting conversation gears once more.
“You do,” Tucker said with a confirming nod. “We all get our hair color from your grandma Wade.” Glancing past Blue, he nodded toward the assortment of coloring books lying open on the floor. “So what sort of mischief have you two girls been up to while I was away?”
“We were coloring with Bitty,” Blue replied matter-of-factly.
Tucker’s brow lifted, and Autumn had to suppress the urge to giggle at the bewildered expression on his face. “Your kitten can color?”
“Bitty can’t hold a crayon,” Autumn explained. “But she can help Blue pick out what color to use.”
His gaze settled on the kitten that was playfully batting a lime-green crayon around on the floor in front of the fireplace where Autumn and Blue had been coloring. “She can, huh?”
Blue’s head bobbed up and own. “I lay my crayons out on the floor and she sniffs the one I’m supposed to use next,” she explained with adorable patience.
“Thus, the purple pumpkin in the princess’s vegetable garden,” Autumn said with a grin.
Tucker let out a husky chuckle, his own grin doing funny things to Autumn’s heart. “I should have known Itty Bitty was a very smart kitten when she chose my ranch house to be her new home.”
“Box and all,” Autumn agreed with a knowing grin.
“Do you wanna color with us?” Blue asked hopefully.
“It’s been a while since I’ve colored,” he admitted honestly. “Do you think Bitty might be willing to help me, too?” he asked as the dress-wearing kitten gave up its current source of entertainment to twine itself around Tucker’s denim-clad leg.
“I’m thinking it might be time for Bitty to go outside for a spell,” Autumn said. They had yet to pick up a litter box and she didn’t want any accidents in the house. “I’ll take her outside for a bit, but I’m quite sure Blue would be more than happy to help you pick colors.”
“I could take her out,” he offered, scooping the kitten up in his large sun-browned hand.
Autumn stepped over to ease Bitty from his gentle hold. Tucker deserved to spend some alone time with his little girl without her aunt continually hovering nearby. “I’ve got a few work calls I need to return,” she told him. “That is, if you don’t mind my leaving the two of you for a bit.”
“Not at all,” he said with a shake of his head. “Do what you need to do. Blue and I will make do until you can come back in and join us. Later, if you like, I could grill us up some burgers.”
“With cheese?” Blue asked hopefully.
Autumn watched as that infamous Wade dimple cut into Tucker’s tanned cheek with another one of his devastatingly handsome grins. “I think I can make that happen. Besides, what good is a burger without a big slab of cheese melted atop of it?”
He looked to the kitten in her arms. “Are you sure you don’t want me to run her outside? It’s a little chilly out.”
“I’ll throw on my jacket before I go out,” she told him. “Besides, I think the two of you need a chance to spend some father-daughter bonding time together. But thank you for offering to include me in your coloring endeavors.”
“I’ve told you before,” he said, his green eyes locking with hers. “You’re part of Blue’s family. You’re always going to be included in our lives.”
She was beyond touched by his words, words she knew to be genuinely expressed. “Thank you for that, Tucker,” she said softly. “It means a lot.” She started for the door and then paused, glancing back over her shoulder at
Tucker. “And burgers for dinner, ones oozing with cheese, sounds really good.”
“You’ve got it,” he said before turning away. She watched as he crossed the room to join Blue, who was already stretched out across the throw rug, surrounded by assorted coloring books and scattered crayons. Settling his large frame onto the floor across from his daughter, his back to Autumn, Tucker said, “All right, sweetheart, looks like it’s just you and me.”
“And Miss Molly,” Autumn heard her niece say as she stepped from the room.
Looks like it’s just you and me. Blue and her daddy. Just as Summer had wanted it to be. And judging by the effort Tucker was putting in to prove himself to be a good man and, more important, a good daddy, it seemed to be a part of the Lord’s plan, as well.
* * *
Having enjoyed the cheeseburgers Tucker had promised to grill for them, he, Autumn and Blue had returned to the living room to spend a little quiet time before turning in for the night. His gaze drifted over to where Autumn sat in the matching rocker/recliner, flipping through the coloring book Blue had chosen for him to do his coloring in. She was smiling, looking completely relaxed. As if she belonged there, in his chair, his house, his life.
She’s not Summer. Garrett had warned him to keep that first and foremost in his mind. And he had. At least, he thought he had. Why then did it feel so natural spending time with Autumn? Was it because she reminded him of his late wife? That same pretty, heart-shaped face. Same ice-blue eyes. Same slender build. But that was where the similarities ended. Summer had been harder around the edges. Autumn was softer, more open, more—
“Another trait my niece inherited from her father, I see,” Autumn said with a smile, her head turning in his direction.
“Excuse me?”
She held up the open coloring book, pointing to a page where two little princesses were picking wildflowers in a field. “Blue’s ability to stay within the line when coloring seems to have been inherited from her daddy’s side, too. Just look at these cute little princesses you colored,” she said, flashing him a playful grin.
“I had a good instructor.” He glanced toward the sofa where Blue had fallen asleep shortly after they’d finished eating the cheeseburgers he’d grilled for them. His daughter looked so small as she lay curled up on her side beneath one of the blankets his mother had crocheted for him over the years. Her tiny mouth was lifted into a slight smile as she slept, as if dreaming of something that made her happy.
“I should probably put her to bed,” Autumn said quietly. “But she looks so peaceful lying there.”
“I was just thinking the same thing myself.”
“I didn’t have a chance to thank you earlier for saving Miss Molly.”
He looked away, a frown tugging at his mouth. “Don’t. It was my fault Miss Molly ended up being a chew toy for my horse. I should’ve known Hoss would be drawn to the doll.”
“From experience?” she asked.
Tucker’s head snapped back around. “What?”
“I’m not sure how you can take the blame for something you couldn’t have known for certain would happen. That is, unless you make it a habit of carrying dolls out to the barn with you when you’re seeing to your horses.”
His smile eased its way back into place once more. “Can’t say that I do.”
“Then that settles it,” she said. “You had no way of knowing Hoss has a thing for floppy old rag dolls.”
“Well, I know now,” he replied, keeping his voice low. “And you can rest assured that it’ll never happen again.”
“No doubt.”
“You should have seen the tug-of-war Hoss and I had when I was trying to get Blue’s doll back. He nearly tore poor Miss Molly’s head off.”
She glanced toward the doll, now all in one piece thanks to his brother’s stitching skills, lying atop the blanket next to Blue. “She looks better than new.” Glancing back at Tucker, she said, “Is there anything you can’t do when you set your mind to it?”
He snorted. “A lot, I’m afraid. And I can’t take credit for the repairs that were done to Miss Molly. That honor would go to my brothers. Jackson came up with the idea to use a mop head to replace the doll’s mangled hair. And Garrett did all the stitching.”
“I’ll be sure to thank them the next time I see them.”
“You can thank them tomorrow,” he told her. “That is, if you and Blue will consider joining us for church in the morning. We can swing by and grab lunch in town after Sunday service lets out.”
She looked as if she were about to refuse his invitation.
“It would give you a chance to see a little bit of Bent Creek beyond the ranch,” he added hopefully.
“You’re forgetting that Blue and I made that emergency run into town to buy dinner the afternoon that I...um...”
“Burned the spaghetti?” he supplied with a grin.
She rolled her eyes, a faint blush filling her cheeks. “I’m never gonna live that down, am I?”
He chuckled softly. “Sooner or later, I suppose. Seriously, though, I’d like to show you around Bent Creek after church. Something beyond a quick trip to our local grocery store.”
“I think that would be nice,” she said and then sobered slightly. “I’m ashamed to admit that it’s been far too long since I’ve attended church. Not since I was at Summer’s memorial service.”
Was her last memory of church too painful to bring herself to step into the Lord’s house again? Or did she blame God for Summer’s dying? Was that why she hadn’t gone to church since her sister’s passing? Whatever her reasons, Tucker didn’t want to pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready for. “If you’d rather not go, I understand.”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head, her gaze drifting over to her sleeping niece. “It’s time. Not only for my sake, but for Blue’s, as well.”
He was glad to hear that. He wanted his daughter to be raised with the Lord being a very significant part of her life, just as He had been for Tucker and his brothers. “You’ll have all of us there for support should you find yourself in need of it.”
She gave an appreciative nod and then said with a halfhearted smile, “I can only pray that I will be strong enough not to need that support. Especially since I’ve already drenched one of your shirtfronts with my tears.”
“Tears are a part of the healing process,” he said softly. “And I have plenty of shirts to go around. You feel the urge, cry away.” He didn’t mean at that very moment, but it suddenly looked as if she were going to take him up on his offer.
“It’s getting late,” Autumn said, pushing out of the overstuffed recliner she’d been sitting in. “I should get Blue settled into bed if we’re gonna make it to church in the morning.”
Tucker stood, as well. “I need to go out and check on the horses before turning in for the night.”
She started for the sofa, drawing his gaze to his sleepy little girl. “Here,” he said, stepping up beside her. “Let me get her for you.” He eased his hands under Blue’s sleeping form, lifting her into his arms. Miss Molly tumbled from his daughter’s limp hand.
“I’ve got her,” Autumn said quietly as she bent to reach for the fallen doll baby.
They walked together until they reached the hallway, which was too narrow for them to walk comfortably side by side while Tucker was carrying Blue. He inclined his head with a smile. “After you.”
Returning his smile, Autumn moved ahead of them. When she reached the guest room, she and Blue had been staying in, she opened the door and held it while Tucker carried his little girl inside. Then she hurried around him to draw the covers down.
Tucker lowered his daughter onto the mattress. Blue stirred, her eyes remaining closed as she murmured sleepily, “I love you, Daddy.”
Tucker’s heart slammed against his chest at those softly spoken words. Leanin
g in, he placed a tender kiss on his daughter’s baby-soft cheek. “I love you, too, sweetheart.” Then he straightened and turned to find Autumn watching him, moisture filling her eyes.
He felt like he needed to say something, but wasn’t sure what that something should be. He settled for offering her a tender smile. “’Night, Autumn.”
“’Night, Tucker,” she said, looking as if she were about to say more. Instead, she turned away, fixing her watery gaze on Blue.
With one last glance at his daughter, Tucker strode from the room. But his little girl wasn’t the only female filling his thoughts as he stepped out into the night to go check on his horses.
Chapter Seven
Sunday morning arrived, bringing with it a cloudless sky and the cheerful chirping of birds outside the bedroom window. The sound was soothing. Or had been before a loud rumbling along the drive outside put an end to the birds’ sweet melodies.
Autumn stepped over to the bedroom window. Lifting the curtains aside, she watched as a large motor home bounced up and down and to and fro as it made its way up Tucker’s somewhat uneven drive, leaving a trail of rising dust in its wake.
“Is it a train?” Blue asked from where she sat on the bed awaiting help with her tennis shoes.
“No, sweetie, it’s not a train,” she said as she stood peering outside.
“It sounds like one,” her niece noted.
The oversize vehicle came to an abrupt stop in front of Tucker’s house. “A train has to have tracks to travel on,” Autumn explained somewhat distractedly, her gaze fixed on the goings-on outside. A man who looked to be in his mid- to late fifties leaped from the driver’s side of the RV and raced around to open the passenger door, helping a slender auburn-haired woman down.
