Home with the Cowboy

by Mary Sue Jackson

  It was only later that he learned that her once rich father had lost a lot of his money in bad investments. Caroline was looking for another rich guy—this time, a husband—so she could continue being the pretty, rich girl. Daniel realized later, despite his heartbreak, that he’d come off lucky. If he’d married Caroline, she would’ve done her best to take everything if he’d ever tried to leave her.

  His breakup with Caroline had left him bitter. He’d only had brief flings in the years following. Sex was easy, and with women who wanted nothing more than a warm body to cuddle up to, it made things simple. Better yet, Daniel could focus on the farm without having to worry about a woman wanting his attention. Because if he accomplished anything, it would be keeping his parents’ farm going the way they’d wanted him to.

  He pushed the memories of Caroline aside. Willa was as like Caroline as fresh corn was to canned. He grinned at the thought. He had a feeling neither lady would enjoy the comparison to his favorite vegetable, no matter how apt it might be.

  For the first time since he’d asked Caroline to marry him, though, he was thinking of marriage. A wife. A family. It was a dangerous train of thought, considering that Willa was hardly begging to fill that role for him. He wasn’t even certain she liked him, let alone wanted something more with him.

  He shook his head. He was floating in the clouds, acting like some teenage girl, when he needed to get work done and stop daydreaming. He knew very well that he didn’t have the time to devote to a wife and family. It would take everything he had to take care of Bobby once Willa went back to New York for good.

  “Oh!” A gust of wind snagged the shirt from Willa’s fingers, and it blew straight toward Daniel, Willa hurrying after it.

  Daniel, his legs longer, went after the shirt that was now closer to him and rapidly approaching, carried by the wind. In a comedy of errors, at the same moment Daniel caught the shirt, Willa tripped over something in the grass and came barreling toward him.

  “Whoa, there!” Daniel caught her around the waist only a second before she would’ve fallen into a nice patch of sticky mud. “You okay?”

  She laughed breathlessly. “I’m fine. Sorry. I almost ran you over!”

  It only took another second for Daniel to feel how much of a pleasant armful Willa was. And today, of all days, she was wearing a pretty yellow sundress that made her look like a summer daisy. Her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, and Daniel saw that she’d gained more freckles since coming to Texas. They were especially prominent on her nose and cheeks. He had the sudden urge to kiss those freckles one by one, ending with kissing her on her plump, rosy mouth.

  “What are you staring at?” Her voice was breathy.

  He knew he should let her go, but a voice in his mind kept saying, not yet.

  “You’re all freckles,” he said because it was true.

  “Oh, no. I put on sunscreen, but I get them anyway. Are they super dark?” She sounded genuinely annoyed at the thought of them.

  Daniel felt the corners of his mouth pull back into a grin. “No, and you shouldn’t try to get rid of them.”

  Her eyes widened. “I shouldn’t?”

  “No. They’re pretty,” he said, his voice almost a growl.

  Willa inhaled sharply, making her breasts rise and fall against the cotton neckline of her dress. As Daniel felt his body reacting even more to her close proximity, he let her go rather abruptly.

  What the hell was he doing, molesting his nephew’s babysitter? The same babysitter who would be on a plane back to New York, the first chance she got?

  “Sorry. I should get back to work,” he said awkwardly.

  Bobby babbled something nearby. Willa glanced back at the toddler, then said, “Um, the shirt?”

  Daniel realized he still had it in his grip. He handed it over. “Shit. Now it’s all wrinkled. Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll just—oh, I should get to Bobby.”

  Daniel watched her hurry back to her charge. He wondered for the thousandth time how she’d react if he kissed her. He’d seen desire in her eyes only moments earlier. He might not be an absolute expert on the nuances of women, but he knew when a woman wanted something physical from him.

  Did he dare pursue a relationship with Willa? It didn’t have to be anything more than sex, of course. Considering Willa didn’t want to stick around, he wondered if she would agree to such an arrangement. It would certainly be simple to make it official since she basically lived in his house these days. She’d finally given up her neglected room at the bed and breakfast last week after coming back from her overnight to New York.

  It helped that Willa was the opposite of Caroline. She wouldn’t want his money, and she already knew he only had so much time and attention to offer her. She was a practical girl, despite all her talk about wanting to be a starving artist in the big city.

  Daniel returned to work, pushing himself until he was able to clear his mind of all thoughts of Willa and having her in his bed. He worked until he was dripping in sweat and the mosquitoes started to buzz around him in droves. He felt a bite at the back of his neck. Slapping at it, he knew he couldn’t avoid Willa forever.

  And maybe if he had some luck, he could convince her that the two of them could be something more than friends.

  Fourteen

  Willa was looking forward to attending girls’ night with DeeDee and other women at DeeDee’s place on Saturday. On Thursday, however, DeeDee called her with bad news.

  “Dougie and his friends are watching football that night, and he says he has the house for it, not me. I told him there was no way I would’ve agreed, but he’s right, damn him! It’s on the family calendar. I just wasn’t paying attention.”

  “So we’ll reschedule?”

  “No, I was thinking that we could do it at your place. Or Daniel’s, to be exact. I haven’t been out to the Gunns’ in forever, but I remember it being a great place for groups of people. So pretty and homey, you know. And of course, I’ll help you get ready. I have all the food, drinks, everything. You won’t have to buy a thing!”

  Willa felt a little frisson of anxiety bloom inside her. She was hardly the party-throwing type. The simple idea of going to DeeDee’s to meet with women she didn’t know had been terrifying—yet exciting, too. Having them all here at Daniel’s? That was something else entirely.

  “I’m not sure Daniel will agree. I mean, I’d have to ask him. It’s his house, not mine.”

  “Of course, darlin’. Lemme know what he says!”

  Expecting to receive a swift denial, Willa stared at Daniel in shock when he agreed without a fight.

  “Are you sure?” said Willa for what seemed like the thousandth time. “It’ll be a lot of people. And kids. Even though it’s supposed to be no kids, I don’t know how many are going to be able to get babysitters if the dads are watching football and the moms are here.”

  “It’ll be fine. I can watch Bobby so you can focus on your guests.”

  Daniel smiled at her, the smile going straight to her heart. She remembered the feeling of his arms around her when he’d caught her during their laundry interlude. She’d been certain he’d kiss her then, but she’d been wrong.

  She didn’t know how to interpret his agreement to DeeDee’s party, but Willa didn’t push the point.

  By Saturday, Willa and DeeDee were in full party mode: they’d been cooking up all kinds of finger foods—sausages wrapped in bacon, cheese dip, salsa and chips, beans and rice with peppers from DeeDee’s garden—and making a huge bowl of sangria for the adults and lemonade for the kids.

  Daniel cleaned the house while the women worked. DeeDee remarked, “A man who can use a vacuum? Be still my beatin’ heart!”

  Willa giggled. “He even puts the toilet seat down,” she whispered.

  DeeDee looked so astonished that Willa burst into belly laughs that would creep back periodically through the afternoon.

  All laughter was forgotten, though, when the guests star
ted arriving. Women that DeeDee had known since elementary school filled the living room, a number of them bringing their kids along. Marcia, a petite redhead with two boys, playfully scolded DeeDee for scheduling this party when their menfolk were busy watching football.

  “Gordon is my babysitter, you know!” Marcia said with a laugh, holding up her large glass of sangria and taking a hearty swallow. “Dang, this stuff is good. Did you make it, DeeDee? I thought your specialty was mint juleps?”

  DeeDee pointed to Willa. “That sangria is all hers, baby. This woman can make a mean glass of that stuff.”

  Willa smiled with pride. Although she was somewhat overwhelmed by all the people and noise, DeeDee and her friends were friendly and inclined to include her in their conversations. It wasn’t like the awkward parties Willa had attended a few times with Stacey and Robert, where everyone ignored her because she was a stranger.

  Daniel was the only man around, and he told Willa he’d keep Bobby outside on the porch so he wouldn’t be underfoot. A few other small children around Bobby’s age joined Bobby outside to play. Willa just hoped Daniel didn’t get overwhelmed looking after a bunch of preschoolers. He’d joked that the dogs could keep the rugrats rounded up and out of trouble just as easy as they could herd the cows on the farm. Easier, even.

  Daniel still tended to get impatient with Bobby. It wasn’t that he was ever mean to the little guy—Willa knew he was too level-headed and kind to do such a thing—but when Bobby clung to Willa or refused to do anything he said, she could see the frustration in his face. Bobby still threw tantrums, especially when he was extra tired. During those, you couldn’t do anything but wait until the storm passed.

  Daniel always wanted to stop the tantrums mid-scream. He wanted to fix the problem and move on. He had yet to accept Willa’s pronouncement that it was easier to let Bobby scream for a time and get out whatever anger or frustration might be plaguing him. After the little boy had let it all out, he’d calm down, and whatever had been annoying him would be forgotten.

  “How’s it going, living out here?” said Marcia after she’d yelled at her five-year-old son Connor to stop giving his little brother wedgies. “I can’t imagine how you’ve been coping with everything, and Bobby, too.” She clucked her tongue in sympathy.

  “It’s going as well as you’d think.” Willa shrugged. “I can’t leave Bobby until he’s settled, and I’m the one person left to him who was around when his parents were alive.”

  “Well, getting stuck with Daniel Gunn out here in his farmhouse?” Marcia’s eyes sparkled. “I can’t say that I feel too sorry for you.”

  “Marcia! Don’t listen to her. She’ll make eyeballs at anything that’s male and has all his teeth,” said DeeDee with a laugh.

  “Daniel Gunn is a fine piece of man, and everybody knows it. I can’t blame you for keeping him all to yourself, Willa.”

  Willa blushed, denying that they had any kind of relationship like that, and then she heard a screech from outside. She winced. It sounded exactly like the sound Bobby made when he was about to throw an epic temper tantrum.

  “I should go check on Bobby—”

  “Wait a moment, darlin’. His uncle can take care of him.” DeeDee shot her a look that said volumes.

  Willa sat back down, but when she heard the screeching get louder, she ignored DeeDee’s remonstrance. She found Bobby on his belly, kicking and screaming as Daniel stood over him, and wished she’d gotten out here sooner to nip the tantrum in the bud.

  “What happened?”

  “One of the boys stole his fire truck from him,” said Daniel. He crouched down and said, “Bobby, there’s no reason to cry like this. You have plenty of trucks to play with.”

  Bobby kicked his legs harder, hitting the wood flooring of the porch so hard that Willa could feel the vibrations under her own feet. His screeching was liable to waken the dead, too.

  When Bobby refused to listen to Daniel, he got up, shaking his head. “It’s no use. He ain’t stopping for me.”

  “You just have to wait out the storm,” said Willa.

  Daniel didn’t look convinced. Bobby now turned over onto his back and wailed to the sky. He kept screaming the word, “Mine!” over and over again.

  A few of the parents had come outside because of the noise, but when they realized it wasn’t their child making the racket, they left well enough alone.

  “Did he start screaming just because another kid stole his truck?” said Willa. This tantrum seemed especially long for something like that.

  Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I told him he needed to share or he’d get a spanking. He didn’t want to share his toys. Shouldn’t he be old enough to know better by now?”

  Willa wanted to bash her head against the nearest wall. Did Daniel think Bobby was a ten-year-old instead of a toddler? He could share his toys, yes, but he didn’t totally understand why it mattered, yet. And a spanking? She’d been so preoccupied with everything else that she’d never thought to tell Daniel that Stacey had forbidden spankings since day one.

  “Bobby doesn’t know what a spanking is,” explained Willa. “More than likely, you scared him.”

  He looked incredulous. “He doesn’t know what a spanking is? No wonder he’s like this! He just needs a good whooping. That’ll set him right straight.”

  Willa caught Daniel by the arm before he could go inside and grab a wooden spoon or something. “I know things are different out here, but spankings are not the way it’s done anymore. Stacey hated them. It took Robert a little time to come around, but he eventually agreed. They would be really upset if you spanked their son, Daniel.”

  Daniel suddenly looked embarrassed, uncertain. He glanced at Bobby—who had finally stopped screaming and instead sniffled and whined—as if the kid were a live grenade about to go off.

  Willa felt frustration rising. Daniel acted like caring for a young child was some impossible task. She knew she’d learned quickly after Stacey had hired her. She’d had to. She’d needed the money, and she’d wanted to do a good job. Why was this so hard for Daniel, then? He was a smart guy. He was trying, she admitted, albeit grudgingly.

  Daniel broke into her thoughts. “Why is it that I always feel like I’m doing the wrong thing with him?” he said, shaking his head. “It’s like everything you’ve been telling me has been in Chinese or something, and I don’t have a translator.”

  Willa gritted her teeth so she wouldn’t snap at him. “It takes time. You’ll learn. How many people have kids and bring them home, only to think, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing’? Pretty much every single one, the first time it happens.”

  Before Daniel could try to get her to watch Bobby—she wouldn’t put it past him—Willa returned inside to her party. Maybe it was mean to leave him out there with all those small children, including a certain two-year-old who was definitely feeling the Terrible Twos, but he needed to get it together. She might be staying here longer, but she wasn’t staying forever, either.

  Fifteen

  Daniel made notes in the accounting ledger, something his own father had done for the farm before he had taken it over. He had all the fancy computer software he could use, but there was nothing like taking a pencil and calculator and doing the numbers himself. He’d input them into his accounting software later on, anyway, but this made Daniel feel like he was really taking in each number and understanding where all the bits and pieces came and went.

  “Daniel, it’s two o’clock,” said Willa over his shoulder.

  Daniel had been working in his office since eleven a.m. without more than a break for coffee. It took his brain a second to remember why two o’clock was significant.

  “I need to work on my project. You said you’d watch Bobby for me.”

  Yes, that was the reason why. Willa had explained that the art gallery in New York had agreed to do another part of her interview long-distance, so she didn’t have to fly to New York and back, and she had to put together something that invo
lved graphic design.

  “Right. Totally slipped my mind. Could you give me just another fifteen minutes so I can finish this?”

  She looked as if she wanted to say no, but then sighing, she nodded. “I put together a pillow fort that you can play in with Bobby while I work. He’s really gotten into building things. He’s been in a good mood, so he shouldn’t be too much trouble. I’d like to be able to work on this project without interruption.” She smiled wryly. “It’s hard to get things done when you have someone constantly over your shoulder.”

  She closed his door, but Daniel couldn’t concentrate after all that. He appreciated that she’d gone to the trouble of setting up an activity for Bobby, but a pillow fort? That sounded like a huge mess that no one would ever clean up. Pillows didn’t go on the floor, anyway. The thought of pillows and blankets scattered across the house was enough to get Daniel to abandon his accounting to go straight to the living room.

  “I appreciate you going to the trouble of putting this all together,” he said as he began to fold a blanket he’d picked up from the floor, “but I’d prefer not to have all this stuff thrown everywhere.”

  Willa stared at him before she frowned. “It’s just a pillow fort.”

  “Pillows are for using on furniture, not building forts.”

  Bobby, for his part, was happily playing with what looked like a hair tie, entirely ignoring the fort in question.

  “I’d rather do something else with Bobby,” insisted Daniel.

  Willa stood abruptly. “You know what? Do whatever you’d like. I have work to get done.” She kissed Bobby on the head before she went to the guest room she was using now. Although she didn’t slam the door shut, Daniel could tell that she’d wanted to throw something at his head.

  Well, she’d have to get used to it. This was his house, dammit, and he made the rules. He wanted his stuff where he wanted his stuff. Was that so bad? Most women would thank the heavens that a man cared about keeping things neat and tidy.