The Sergeant's Unexpected Family

by Carrie Nichols

  She admired how he looked after these abandoned animals. Her search for him had nothing to do with those bottomless blue eyes fringed with dark lashes or his sexy smile. He’d said he had wondered about her since the first time she smiled at him. Had she smiled at him at the funeral? Had he thought about her as she’d thought about him after that brief first meeting? She started to lift her hand to her still tingling lips, but dropped it. “Wait. Did you say ‘horses’? Plural?”

  “Yeah. Four.” He stabbed the tines of the pitchfork into a bale of hay.

  She couldn’t decide which was sexier, those muscles straining against his cotton T-shirt or the fact he was helping an abandoned calf get a second chance. “I thought you only had one named Patton.”

  “Only one is mine. The other three I board for people who have second homes on the lake.” He replaced the first-aid kit on the shelf and dumped the used milk bottles into a utility sink located at one end of the workbench.

  “Do you use Patton for your farmwork?”

  “No, he’s not a working horse. He’s here to enjoy his retirement.”

  There had to be a story behind him having the horse. She’d bet there was one behind every one of his animals. Just like this calf. “How did you end up with a retired horse?”

  “The owner couldn’t take care of it anymore.”

  “And he brought it here?” How was she supposed to feel about this? Did this make her and Elliott just two more strays Brody was taking in? If so, then she needed to remember that before harboring any more romantic notions. She raised her hand to her lips. Except he kissed as if he meant it, as if he found her desirable, as if she was more than Elliott’s mother.

  “The owner asked if I could take it.” He ran water into the sink.

  “You run an animal sanctuary?” No wonder he’d been so evasive about what kind of farm he had. Brody wasn’t using the animals but taking care of them, giving them shelter and feeding them. Just like her, once again a lost misfit.

  “The place has some animals, but that doesn’t make it a sanctuary. So what if I take care of them? Can’t let ’em starve, now can I?” He banged the bottles against the sides of the metal sink as he washed them.

  Okay, then. We’ll assume that question was rhetorical.

  She considered what he was doing quite noble. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring Elliott up on a place like this with someone like—Whoa, slow down, Mary. She was already weaving fairy tales and needed to stop. Even if she chose to live in Loon Lake, she would not be living on Brody’s farm. She wanted him and Elliott to form a bond but she didn’t have to live with Brody for that to happen.

  “Can I help with anything else?” She wanted to show she appreciated him offering them a place to stay. And doing something physical would help get rid of some of the tension that kiss had created within her.

  He wiped his face on his sleeve. “That’s not necessary. You still need to be careful of your injuries.”

  “I know I’ll just get in the way, but I’d love to help...if...if you’d show me what to do.” Being a part of life on the farm appealed to her, even though she knew her stay here was temporary. Never one to let opportunities pass, she’d enjoy it while she could. And maybe she’d learn some things that would help if her dream of opening a camp for foster kids ever came to fruition.

  “I doubt if the doctor would approve that.”

  “I bumped my head, but my limbs are still intact.” She held up her hands.

  “All right, but promise you’ll stop at the first sign of—”

  “Any of those things on the list from the ER?” She grinned when he grunted an acknowledgment. “I will. I promise.”

  “You could help me inventory.”

  “Inventory? As in counting things? Don’t you have something...something more farmer-like?”

  “Farmer-like?” He grinned. “Isn’t counting what you’re good at?”

  It was true; she enjoyed working with numbers because they never let you down. Numbers didn’t care about your background. Numbers just were. “I suppose so.”

  A cry from the office interrupted her, and she rushed to get Elliott. She didn’t want to give Brody any reason—well, any more reason—to regret his decision. Elliott quieted when he spotted her and began kicking his legs, a sign he was happy.

  “Wait until you see what Uncle Brody has,” she told him as she undid the safety straps and pulled him out of the seat. “Let’s go ask Uncle Brody if he thinks it’s okay for you to pet Eleanor.”

  Brody was washing the bottles they’d used for the calf. When Elliott spotted him, he threw out his arms and began babbling.

  “I think he wants you to hold him. If that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure.” Brody put the bottles on a shelf and wiped his hands, then reached out and took Elliott. After getting him settled against his side, he said, “You want me to show you around, big guy? Your mom tells me you like cows.”

  As if on cue, the calf stuck her head over the half door of the stall. Elliott’s eyes widened, and he squealed. Brody winced and rubbed an ear with his free hand. “Whoa, a little notice next time, big guy.”

  “Sorry about that. He just learned he could make that sound.” Mary laughed. “The first time he did it, he stopped and looked around like he was trying to see where it came from. He was insufferable the first couple days after he realized he could make all that noise.”

  Elliott reached out, and Brody leaned closer to the calf. Elliott patted his hand against the calf’s head and looked to Brody, letting out another—less shrill—squeal. Elliott wrapped his chubby fingers around the calf’s ear and tugged. Brody pried Elliott’s fist open and took a step back. “I’m sure she appreciates the sentiment, big guy, but maybe with a little less ear tugging. I’m not sure of her disposition yet.”

  Another string of baby gibberish had Brody chuckling. “Yeah, it’s a smaller version of the ones your mom tells me you saw grazing in the fields.”

  Mary rubbed her knuckles across the calf’s head. “Maybe once Elliott and I have our own place, we can get a dog.”

  Brody’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “And what? Tell him it’s a miniature cow?”

  “Very funny.” She made a face at Brody, but in truth she was enjoying spending time together. Almost as if—Nope, she wouldn’t give life to those thoughts. Brody was getting to know his nephew—that’s all. Are you forgetting that kiss? Yes, yes, she was.

  “I don’t think you’ll be fooled by a dog, will ya, big guy?” Brody demonstrated for Elliott how to pat the calf. Elliott looked at Brody and babbled something before leaning toward the calf and bringing his hand up and down in a similar motion. “That’s it.”

  “Tell Mom you’d rather have a calf and a built-in milk supply,” Brody said in a stage whisper next to Elliott’s ear.

  “Oh, brother, even I know cows have to have baby cows in order to produce milk.” She laughed. “Nice try, but I think we’ll start small. Speaking of which, I’m surprised you don’t have any dogs around here.”

  “I’m sure there’s a farmer out there giving some stray mutt directions to this place right now.”

  Mary laughed, and Elliott did, too.

  “You think that’s funny?” Brody tickled Elliott’s belly, sending him into ecstatic giggles. “I’ll be sure to send every stray mutt in the county to you and your mom.”

  “Uh-oh, I guess pet friendly better be at the top of the list when I go apartment hunting.”

  “Apartment hunting?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  Oops, she hadn’t meant to throw that out there yet. Sure, she’d been thinking about settling in Loon Lake on a permanent basis if she could find work, but she hadn’t said anything. And Brody was many things, but a mind reader wasn’t one of them.

  “You’re homeless?” Brody’s question broke the silence.

  “W
hat? Oh, no, no, no.” She rushed to reassure him. Nothing like appearing even more pathetic. She wished she could go back to day one on her “let’s go find Brody” project.

  Brody moved away from the calf, and when Elliott started to bring his hand to his face, Brody captured it. “I think we’d better clean that hand before you go sucking on it. Maybe Mom can open that box of wipes,” he said and motioned with his chin.

  Mary wiped Elliott’s hands. He brought one to his face and babbled at it before making a fist, which he tried to fit into his mouth.

  “I put a teething toy in the freezer this morning. If you want, I can take him back in the house.”

  “I’ll come with you, and you can explain about apartment hunting.”

  “Fine.” They started toward the house while she told him about the insurance company she’d been working for and how it had been swallowed up by an even larger one and she’d lost her job. The lease on her apartment in Hartford was also expiring, so she’d decided to put her belongings in storage and come to Loon Lake to let Elliott connect with his uncle while she waited for responses to her résumé. “I figured we might have to move anyway, depending on job offers I get. I was hoping I might be able to find a rental on a monthly basis, either here in town or close by.”

  “That makes sense, except the part about finding a rental in Loon Lake.” He frowned. “There’s one small apartment building, and most of the lake cottages are already rented for the summer season. I doubt you’ll find much.”

  “That’s okay. I researched the nearest larger cities or across the river in New Hampshire so I’d have a contingency plan.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He shook his head. “I meant you and Elliott can stay here.”

  “Oh, we couldn’t do that.” It had been one day, and she already had way too many ideas about Brody in her head.

  “Why not?”

  “I hate imposing on you. Elliott and I can move to a motel or find someplace to rent while I look for a job.” Elliott started to fuss, and she reached out to him.

  Brody handed the baby back to her and held the kitchen door open. “That isn’t necessary. I have plenty of room here.”

  “I didn’t come here to sponge off you.”

  In the kitchen, she got Elliott’s teething ring and went into the living room. She grabbed a baby blanket and dropped it on the floor.

  Brody followed them into the other room. “I know that. Right now, you’re like a visiting relative. I wouldn’t make you stay in a motel when I have all this room.”

  “I thought you didn’t associate with your relatives?”

  “Are you always this contrary?” He lowered his chin and contemplated her.

  She gave him a fake grin. “Just living up to my name.”

  “Maybe I should plant you a garden. What do you think, big guy? Should we plant a garden for your mommy?”

  Elliott held out his teething toy as if offering it to Brody.

  Brody clicked his tongue. “As tempting as that is, I’ll pass, bud.”

  She tried to arrange the blanket with her free hand while balancing Elliott.

  “Here, let me do that.” Brody took the blanket and spread it out.

  With Elliott settled and rolling around on the blanket, Brody returned to his office in the barn, saying he had paperwork.

  Did he need to work or was he glad to get away from them? Sure, he seemed to be bonding with Elliott, which was what she wanted, but having two practical strangers moving in with him must be unsettling. It would be for anyone, and more so for a man used to living alone and, if the townspeople were to be believed, embracing his isolation.

  She couldn’t forget how Elliott’s biological father being Brody’s estranged half brother complicated everything. And Brody Wilson clearly didn’t do complicated.

  Chapter Five

  In his office Brody tried to concentrate on catching up on posts in the restoration forum he belonged to and answering emails from persons seeking his expertise, but thoughts of Mary and Elliott kept rolling around in his head.

  What had prompted his offer of a place to stay while she searched for employment? Because he wanted to get to know his nephew better? Or because he’d enjoyed that kiss? He’d done his best to push it out of his mind, along with the image of how she’d looked the night before with her sleep tousled hair.

  Was it Mary herself that he wanted to get to know better, and not just because she was Elliott’s mother?

  Elliott’s mother. That right there was the problem. Roger was Elliott’s father, even if he didn’t want anything to do with his son. And in Brody’s experience, complications led to headaches and, yes, heartache.

  Remembering Mary’s talk about summer camps, he clicked on a search. He shouldn’t be encouraging her outlandish idea. If he wasn’t careful, she’d be wanting to turn his farm into one. No, he drew the line at that. Taking in animals that needed a place to heal was one thing, but kids? The animals didn’t demand anything beyond food, shelter and the occasional visit from the local vet. His relationship with them was simple, undemanding. He knew nothing about helping disadvantaged or at-risk kids.

  Wait—that wasn’t the complete truth. What about Kevin and Danny? He’d spent some time with them, and he knew the teens could’ve taken a wrong turn if not for Riley and Meg, along with others in town, stepping up when the boys’ biological families had failed. Kevin was graduating from high school next month and would be attending the local community college, and Danny was getting his GED and planning to join the military.

  He rose and went to the window, his hands thrust into his back pockets. I would have given anything to spend time at a place like this. Mary’s words bounced around in his head. Opening his sanctuary—God, now she had him calling this place an animal sanctuary. Opening it to others wouldn’t change Mary’s childhood.

  But it might change someone else’s life. Damn. His inner voice was nothing but trouble.

  Once again his thoughts strayed to Kevin and Danny. Would they be in the same place if someone hadn’t cared enough to give them guidance?

  Would you give them the same kind of guidance you gave Roger?

  Because that had ended so well, with Roger rejecting responsibility for his actions, denying his own son. He shouldn’t be surprised. Some things never changed, and Roger had proved that over and over.

  He prowled around the small office, trying to get a grip on his thoughts. Bringing Mary and Elliott to the farm had been the decent thing to do, but he needed them to leave before...

  Before what? Before he didn’t want them to leave? He didn’t do complicated. Sure, he’d be an uncle to Elliott, but nothing more. A beautiful, alluring woman like Mary would find someone to settle down and share her life with, and he’d be relegated to the sidelines.

  And that was okay with him, because if his parents were anything to go by, happily-ever-after was fraught with toxic behavior. But that kiss...

  That kiss made him wonder if it would be worth taking a chance but that was crazy. And yet, the thought of Mary sitting across from someone else at mealtimes, Mary sharing that certain little smile she got when something amused her or Mary throwing her arms around some other man when he pleased her bothered him. Way more than it should.

  Disgusted with his thoughts, he stalked back to the house, where Mary was spooning cereal into Elliott’s mouth. The baby bounced in his high chair and began jabbering when he spotted Brody. Elliott’s reaction lifted Brody’s mood, and he grinned back. He didn’t know about other babies, but Elliott was always so happy—his enthusiasm for life was infectious.

  “Hey there, big guy.” He ruffled Elliott’s curls. “Eating again?”

  “Tell Uncle Brody you’re a growing boy,” Mary said as she spooned more cereal into the baby’s mouth. “Do you think we could go into town sometime soon? I’ll be needing more diape
rs and baby food.”

  “Sure, we can go this afternoon.” Brody got a can of soda out of the refrigerator.

  “Thanks. I’ll get ready as soon as he’s finished eating.” She turned back to feeding the baby.

  “I can finish if you want to get ready.” He took a sip and set the can on the counter. Truth was, he enjoyed spending time with his nephew.

  After Mary went upstairs, he continued to feed Elliott and kept up a conversation, telling him about the animals on the farm. Maybe if he started now he could instill a sense of responsibility in Elliott so he wouldn’t turn out like Roger.

  Elliott chattered back until he yawned and rubbed his fist back and forth across his face, smearing cereal everywhere—even in his nose.

  “A couple more bites?” Brody leaned closer, waving the spoon back and forth, hoping to entice the baby.

  “Achoo!” Elliott’s sudden sneeze sprayed baby cereal everywhere. Brody jumped back, but not before he was covered in the gooey mess.

  “Thanks a lot, big guy.” He grabbed a towel and began trying to wipe off himself and the baby.

  Elliott poked out a trembling lower lip, and Brody’s annoyance vanished. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, bud. Let’s get you cleaned up. Your mom will think I’m an amateur if she sees you like this.”

  “Like what?” Mary asked from the kitchen doorway.

  Brody glanced up and totally forgot about the mess as awareness and appreciation flowed through him. Mary had on a blue sweater that complemented her dark eyes, olive skin and lustrous curls. Even the healing gash over her eye didn’t detract from her beauty. Oh, man, he needed to stop staring.

  “Oh, dear, look at the two of you.” She pressed her lips together as if to suppress a laugh. At the sink, she rinsed out a washcloth and turned back to the pair of them, contemplating them as if she couldn’t decide whom to wash first.

  Brody reached for the wet cloth. “Here, let me. No sense in all three of us being covered in cereal.”

  “Sorry about that,” Mary said, but Brody arched an eyebrow to let her know he wasn’t buying it and she grinned.