Just What the Cowboy Needed

by Teresa Southwick

  “No. The dads just smile and pat their heads.” There was a wistful quality in her voice, then she brightened. “I know who to bring. Abigail and Hattie. They’ve been very good and kept their rooms neat and went to bed without complaining.”

  “Okay, then.” Grace watched the child grab two dolls around the neck because her arms were too little to carry both with dignity. “Can you handle those by yourself, kiddo?”

  “Yes,” she answered proudly.

  “I think we might need a blueberry muffin to go along with our tea.” Grace had made a batch the previous evening and noticed that Logan ate more than one before he left the house just shy of dawn this morning.

  Cassie met her gaze, eyes solemn and hopeful. “That’s a good idea. But it might spoil my appetite for lunch.”

  “Hmm.” She didn’t want to break rules, but maybe there was wiggle room. “Lunch isn’t for a while yet, and if you and I share just one muffin with Abigail and Hattie, that would probably be okay.”

  The little girl grinned. “You’re right. Goody!”

  “It’s unanimous, then.”

  Cassie frowned. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that you and I agree,” Grace explained, then looked at the dolls the child was hanging on to. “Although we should ask Abigail and Hattie whether or not they would like some muffin with their tea.”

  Cassie looked from one to the other doll. “They both said yes. It’s ’nanimous.”

  Imagination with a dollop of rule breaking was a beautiful thing, Grace thought, knowing that was the kindergarten teacher in her talking. She went into the kitchen and took one of the blueberry muffins out of the leftover container, then joined the little girl on the grass. Together they spread out the blanket, propped up the dolls and arranged plastic plates and utensils in front of all tea party participants.

  In the distance you could see the lake and the mountains beyond. The view took her breath away. The barn and corral were at the bottom of the rise, and she could see several horses prancing and playing. Then she sat cross-legged with her back to the sight. At her interview, Logan had mentioned he raised cattle and was doing a little horse breeding, too.

  She hadn’t seen him since last night in his study and didn’t have a clue when their paths would cross again, although his daughter was insistent about having room for him should he show up for the tea party. Grace’s heart skipped at the thought and she did her best to ignore the involuntary reaction. Anyway, it was silly. Cassie had told her he never showed up to play.

  “Can you cut up the muffin?” Cassie asked. “Abigail and Hattie are gettin’ hungry.”

  “My apologies, ladies,” she said to the dolls, and Cassie giggled. “Kiddo, if you would pour tea for our guests, I will take care of the snacks.”

  Grace didn’t know whether or not the plastic play knives had been washed, so she decided to break up the muffin with her hands, as evenly as possible.

  “Here you go, Abigail. And some for you, Hattie,” she said, placing a bite in front of the blonde and brunette dolls.

  “Thank you.” Cassie used a high-pitched, pretend voice, obviously channeling either Abigail or Hattie. Then she wolfed down her share of the treat.

  Grace’s mouth was full when she heard footsteps. The hairs on her neck stood up, and there was a hitch in her breathing. It wasn’t necessary to see him to know Logan was behind her, and if there was a God in heaven, she would not choke on her blueberry muffin.

  Then he moved into view and spoke in the wonderful, deep voice that turned her insides to mush. “What’s going on here?”

  “Daddy!” Cassie was clearly excited to see him. “Grace let me have a tea party with my dolls. We shared a muffin and it’s ’nanimous we won’t spoil our appetites.”

  “Those muffins are pretty good.” There was male appreciation in his eyes, the kind that was reserved for food.

  The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

  Grace wished that saying hadn’t popped into her head because it made her face flush. “I’m glad you liked them.”

  “It wasn’t necessary for you to make them last night,” he said.

  She shrugged. “You had all the ingredients and I like to bake.”

  “I like to eat,” Cassie chimed in.

  Logan laughed. “It is kind of important.”

  “Daddy, you should have tea with us. It’s only pretend, but Abigail and Hattie are too full to eat so they’ll share with you.” Her little face took on an earnest, pleading expression.

  “Oh, honey, it looks like fun but—” He sighed “—I came up here because I have to eat lunch and then get back to work.”

  “But it’s too early,” she said.

  “Not for me. I’ve been working since before the sun came up.”

  “While I was still sleepin’?”

  He knelt on one knee beside her. “That’s right.”

  “You must be tired. And really hungry,” she said thoughtfully. “I have an idea.”

  “Oh?”

  The tone was cautious, uneasy, and the look on his face said he’d rather walk barefoot on boulders than hear what his daughter was going to suggest.

  “You should bring your lunch outside and we’ll keep you company. Me and Abigail and Hattie and Grace.”

  Grace watched his reaction closely and couldn’t quite put it in the fear category, but there was a definite dash of discomfort there.

  “I sure wish I could, honey. But I have a busy afternoon and I need to eat quick.”

  “But, Daddy, it won’t take that long.”

  “Maybe next time.”

  “Ookay.” There was disappointment in her voice along with a measure of acceptance, as if the suggestion had been a long shot in the first place. Clearly she’d been turned down before.

  “I’m really sorry.” He held out his arms and without hesitation the little girl stood and moved into them, sliding her arms around his neck.

  When his hold slackened, Cassie stepped away and looked at him a little sadly. “When I hug you, you always let go first.”

  “Do I?”

  Grace didn’t believe Cassie intended to hurt his feelings, but the words had sliced into him and hit their mark. It was clear by the tortured look in his eyes.

  She really felt his pain and wanted so badly to say that five or ten minutes wouldn’t make a difference to the horses and cows but could mean everything to his child. She opened her mouth, and he happened to be looking right at her.

  A muscle jerked in his jaw. “Something on your mind?”

  Just in time, she closed off the words and shook her head.

  “Okay, then.” He smiled at Cassie. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Okay.” She watched wistfully as he disappeared inside. “Mommy says the very best hugs are the ‘never let go’ kind.”

  “I know what she means, sweetie.” And that’s all she could say really.

  Because it wasn’t in her job description to comment on the father/daughter relationship, no matter how much she was tempted.

  * * *

  Logan was pretty sure Grace thought he was the lowest life-form on the planet for not joining the tea party yesterday. She’d almost said something but then checked the words, and he was glad she’d kept them to herself. Except he hadn’t been able to get her disapproving look out of his mind. She wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings, but he had his reasons—and they were good ones.

  He’d been a kid living in a car with his younger siblings when he figured out that behind his mother’s optimistic mask was fear. And that was his father’s fault. No, he knew Grace’s opinion of him ranged somewhere between snake and slimy single-cell organism. He’d had a dream last night and no expert was needed to analyze it. She’d pointed an accusing finger at him and before she could tell him he was a terrible
father, he kissed her. That woke him up, and from then on it wasn’t a restful sleep, which made a man crabby, short-tempered and careless.

  He was in the barn repairing tack when he heard the sound of female voices just outside. One was Cassie’s. The other was sexy and sweet, and he knew it belonged to Grace. Then his stomach clenched. Something was wrong or they wouldn’t be here.

  He left the little room where tack was stored and hurried to meet them in the hay-scattered main aisle that separated the rows of horse stalls. “What’s going on?”

  Grace frowned at his tone, but Cassie seemed unfazed. She ran up to him, her eyes bright with excitement.

  “Hi, Daddy!” She was dressed in denim shorts and a pink T-shirt. Her hair was in some complicated weave. “Grace French-braided my hair. Isn’t it pretty?”

  “Beautiful.” He looked at the woman standing beside the little girl and could have said the same thing. Her hair was pulled up in a sassy ponytail that brushed the shoulder of her skinny-strap shirt. Her shorts were black and revealed smooth, tanned skin that made his stomach clench again, for a very different reason. Beautiful.

  “I was tellin’ Grace about the cats and goats, so we came to see ’em.” She ran past him and peeked into each of the empty stalls.

  “Be careful,” he said.

  “I will.”

  He followed her and watched as she inspected every corner of the barn without success.

  “Snowflake must be outside. I’m gonna go look,” she said, then raced toward the wide opening and disappeared.

  “Cassie—” Either she didn’t hear or chose to ignore him. “I’m going after her.”

  “I’ll go, but could you tag along? I’d like to speak with you about something.”

  “Okay.” They walked to the open barn door and he saw his daughter looking around a bale of hay.

  “She’s just exploring. This won’t take long, Logan. Promise.”

  “She needs eyes on her.” The knot in his stomach tightened.

  “Agreed. But this is a ranch, not a razor blade factory.” Grace’s mouth pulled tight for a moment and there was stubbornness in her expression, a clue that she wasn’t going to back off on this. “Please, talk to me. I have some questions and need clarification.”

  He met her gaze and mentally braced himself. “Okay.”

  “Good.” Her smile was polite, but something simmered beneath it. She looked at his daughter as she said, “For starters, I need to know what is and isn’t okay to do with Cassie.”

  “That’s your job. To know how to take care of her. It’s why I hired you. For your judgment.”

  “That’s what I thought, too.” Flecks of gold were scattered in her hazel eyes and started to glow, the only hint they might shoot fire any second.

  “Good, then we’re finished here.”

  “Not quite. The thing is, I used my good judgment this morning. Cassie wanted to show me the baby goats and see if the cat had her babies. My judgment told me that would be fun for her, but I’m sensing that you don’t agree, because you’re acting as if we cut the stirrups off your favorite saddle.”

  Very perceptive. “She’s five and has a lot of toys. Isn’t that fun?”

  “As you said—she’s five, and that means she has a short attention span. This is a ranch. They’re harmless animals.” Her gaze slid from his to where Cassie was crouched down looking at a rock and poking it with a stick she’d picked up. So much for all the toys.

  Why did she have to be so damn logical? And so sexy while she was doing it? “Cats scratch. Goats get frisky.”

  “Very true. And that’s why I’m here to watch.” Her gaze narrowed on his before looking at Cassie again. “But I’m sensing you disapprove of my decision. So I have to ask—what are approved activities?”

  “Ones where she can’t fall off a fence or wander too close to a horse and get kicked and hurt.”

  “So, indoor play only?”

  “Exactly.” Good. That was actually easier than he’d expected. Then he saw the defiant look in her eyes and he figured the laser beams were charging. “What?”

  “I’m curious.”

  Curiosity killed the cat. If he didn’t miss his guess, this was a trap set for him to step in and snap the jaws shut. “About?”

  “Cassie visits with you here on the ranch almost every weekend. So, how do you fill the time? What do you do for fun?”

  He thought for a moment and saw no downside to telling her. “I take her to movies. Into Blackwater Lake for ice cream. There’s a mall about forty-five minutes to an hour away and she likes to shop.”

  “So, all of the things you do together are indoors?”

  “Not all.” But he was starting to sweat. “We sit outside and eat the ice cream when the weather is nice.”

  Grace folded her arms over her chest. “How do you get any work done if you can’t let her out of your sight?”

  “When she’s here I arrange my work schedule so that I’m free to be with her.”

  Her eyes widened. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say that this is the longest stretch of time you’ve had your daughter living with you.”

  Logan had helped her lay out all the dots, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that a smart woman like her would connect them. “It works.”

  Grace blew out a long breath. “Why don’t you just roll her up in Bubble Wrap or put her in biocontainment?”

  “You’re saying I’m overprotective.” It wasn’t a question. Cassie’s mom told him that on a regular basis.

  “I’d call it cautious. But why to this extent? Even the way your visits are structured, she’s spent a lot of time here. She’s old enough to know the rules, where to play and what’s off-limits.”

  “Kids don’t always follow directions and stay where they’re supposed to.”

  “Can’t argue with that. So, she’s never out of your sight?”

  “Never. And now you’re here to do that when I can’t.”

  He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Look, when she’s with me it’s my responsibility to make sure that no harm comes to her. The only thing that matters is Cassie. Her happiness and well-being. I want her safe and will do whatever is necessary to see that she is. Isn’t that what a father does?”

  Logan really wanted to know because his own father didn’t think about anyone but himself. It didn’t take an advanced degree in early childhood education to know that wasn’t right.

  “Of course a father is supposed to do that.” Grace’s expression softened. It was as if she sensed he was no good at this and felt sorry for his daughter. Or worse, she pitied him. “And a mother, too. But—”

  He held up a hand to stop her. “There’s a word that strikes fear into a person’s heart.”

  “It’s just a three-letter word.” Her mouth twitched as if she wanted to laugh.

  “Uh-huh.” Let her make fun. It was better than feeling sorry for him. “That word is a signal. It means you’re not going to like the rest of what’s coming.”

  “This is worth what you paid for it.” She did smile then and moved farther away from the barn entrance to see the little girl who’d wandered out of view as she explored. “Come to think of it, you are paying me. But Cassie is your child and I will care for her however you want, to the very best of my ability. This is just food for thought. You obviously love her very much. Just keep in mind that rigidly controlling her environment will keep her physically safe but could squeeze the joy out of her soul.”

  Just then the little girl in question came running around the corner of the barn straight toward them. “Grace!”

  She crouched down as the child stopped in front of her, breathing hard from the exertion. She studied the eager expression. “What, sweetie?”

  “I found Snowflake. She made a home in some hay and has babies. Come and see!”

/>   “Okay.” Grace grinned and Cassie grabbed the hand she held out.

  “Bye, Daddy!”

  “Be careful. See you later, baby girl.”

  There was no push back on the endearment because his daughter was mission driven as she dragged Grace away.

  Logan should have breathed a sigh of relief that the pretty lady was gone. Instead he felt uneasy. Maybe with a touch of disappointment mixed in. Cassie hadn’t insisted on showing him the kittens and he felt a little left out. It made him wonder just whose soul was in jeopardy.

  Damn it.

  His life had been working just fine until Grace Flynn walked into it. End of summer was a long way off and couldn’t come too soon as far as he was concerned. And not just because Cassie would be safely back with her mother again.

  It meant Mary Poppins would be gone and his world would go back to normal. She’d been here only a couple days, but she had a way about her, one that messed with his head. Women had told him off before, but not one of them was as hot and sexy as Grace when she did it.

  That was new, and no one liked change. Especially him.

  Chapter Three

  “Grace has to come with us to Fourth of July, Daddy.” Cassie Hunt stood in the kitchen and looked up at her father with hope and determination on her cute-as-a-button face.

  Grace was watching Logan’s reaction, and it was awfully hard to keep from laughing. He didn’t know how to respond. This was a holiday, and even a hardworking rancher like him was taking some time off. It was late afternoon, and Cassie had told her they were going into Blackwater Lake for the celebration. Grace had said she hoped they had a good time, and the little girl insisted she had to come along, then confronted her father.

  “The truth is, Cassie, I’ve been so busy I forgot to ask Grace about it,” he said honestly. “I will fix that right now. Grace, would you like to go with us for the Fourth of July celebration?”

  “Thanks for asking, but it’s all right.” Being included felt like crossing a line from professional to personal. And from what he’d said about being only a weekend dad, this was a good chance for the two of them to hang out by themselves. “I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”