“But what if I’m not smart?” Gino whispered. “What if I’m stupid?”
Anger stabbed him dead center of his chest. “You are not stupid, Gino. You know how I know that?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Because you know that smart boys come to someone when they need help. They talk about it with someone they can trust. Like you’re doing now.” Like he’d longed to do when he was a little boy. “You can always, always come to me, Gino. I will never, ever think you are stupid.”
“So...” Gino bit his lip “...if I asked you to help me with my work—”
“I will always say yes,” Matteo said. “And you know what else? The sooner we get through with your work, the more time you’ll have to play with Rosie and the animals.”
“And your horse?” Gino’s eyes brightened.
“And the new horse,” Matteo agreed. “But first, you know what I really want?” Other than an IV of coffee. “I think we should find out when and where breakfast is because I’m starving.”
“Yeah!” Gino yelled and threw his arms over his head. “Me, too. When do we eat?”
* * *
APPARENTLY PEYTON WASN’T as bad at this hiding thing as she thought.
She holed up in her room, in her bed with her laptop whirring and whining, half-listening to Matteo and Gino getting up and dressed. She sat there, tucked under her blankets, biting her thumbnail and wondering what she was going to say when Matteo knocked on her door. She’d kissed him. She shoved a hand into her hair and grimaced.
Heaven help her, she’d kissed her bodyguard.
Not only kissed him but enjoyed it. And wanted to do it again. She’d felt it all the way to her toes, which continued to tingle. It seemed he’d enjoyed it as well, despite their mutual uncertainty about what they did about it now.
“Nothing,” she whispered. “You’re going to do nothing about it because it isn’t going to happen again.” Her cheeks flushed, a sign she was lying to herself. Darn it! She didn’t want sparks. She didn’t want desire or distraction or anything interfering with her perfectly mapped-out life. All she wanted out of a relationship was simple, mutual respect and appreciation. No emotions to get her all tangled up. A simple arrangement was all she needed. She didn’t want to know what else was possible. Hearts didn’t get broken in simple arrangements gone wrong.
Nope. And since Mr. Josiah wasn’t working out, she’d have to find another way to deal with her stepfather’s determination to see her happy and settled. Was there a more logical, thought-out solution than Mr. Josiah? It was little more than a signature on a contract.
Except...
Her brow pinched. Except now she did know what she’d be missing with what amounted to simply another business deal. Now she knew what chemistry and attraction provided. And if a single kiss could overload her brain with unwanted information, she could only imagine what...
“Stop it. Just...stop.”
Any concern she had about facing Matteo right now vanished with the quiet whoosh of paper sliding under her bedroom door.
Going for breakfast in the dining hall. Will bring you back something unless you join us. Otherwise, don’t leave the cabin. M
A moment later, she heard the front door open and close, and the cabin went silent.
The knots in her stomach eased. Alone in the cabin, she made quick work of her morning. She jumped in the shower and, after looking out the window into the gray, drizzly day, donned the brand-new pair of jeans she’d ordered, along with her running shoes and a bright blue turtleneck shirt.
The weather certainly didn’t entice her to go out, so she rummaged around in the kitchenette and set a pot of coffee to brewing, made a quick inventory of the minifridge and cabinets, where she found a nice selection of snacks and drinks. She could order breakfast to be delivered to the cabin, but she wasn’t typically a breakfast person, so she’d wait and see what Matteo might bring back for her. Otherwise, she could wait for lunch.
Coffee brewed and poured, Peyton settled down with her laptop at the table by the window, across from where Matteo had left Gino’s school things. Minutes later, she’d pulled up the Olwen project information and, pen in hand, got to work prepping for the meeting that could launch Electryone into the business stratosphere.
“SO, WHAT’S THE VERDICT?” Matteo kept one eye on Gino and another on Ethan Blackwell as the vet examined his rescue’s front right hoof.
“Well, to start—” Ethan hoisted the horse’s hoof higher “—looks like an abscess. I can drain that and start her on antibiotics. We should see some improvement by the end of the week.”
“How much will that run me?”
Ethan glanced up, first at Ty, then at Matteo. “Nothing.”
“She was found on Blackwell land,” Ty said with a nod. “That makes her ours.”
“I know how expensive horses can be.” Matteo shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “And I know you guys are fine financially, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to pay my fair share. I brought her here. She’s partially my responsibility. Gino, hey, come away from Goldie, okay? If she’s in the back corner of her stall, she wants to be left alone.”
Gino huffed what sounded like an impatient breath and rejoined Matteo. “I’m bored.”
“I know. Hey, how about you take Peyton her breakfast? It’s right over there.” He pointed to the paper container containing scrambled eggs, a bagel and homemade huckleberry jam. “I’ll be back in a bit, and we can get started with your schoolwork.”
Gino looked far from impressed.
“The longer it takes you to make up your mind, the longer it’ll take for me to get done here. Remember, no schoolwork, no trail ride.”
“But Katie said she found me a horse!”
“So, we shouldn’t disappoint her.” Even after their discussion this morning, Gino still wasn’t on board with his learning. “Or you can wait over there for me, and we’ll go back together.”
“Fine, I’ll do it.” Gino stomped over and grabbed Peyton’s breakfast.
“And no stomping in mud puddles on your way there,” Matteo told him seconds before Gino launched himself into an ankle-deep one outside the clinic door. “Unless you want to learn how to do laundry later today, as well as multiplication.” He cringed and returned his attention to the Blackwell brothers, once Gino was out of earshot. “Sorry, guys.”
“Nothing to apologize for.” Ethan shrugged. “We’ve all been there. Well, except this one,” he said and jabbed a finger at Ty. “He’s going to get his first taste this Christmas. Although, it should be a while before his kid is stomping in mud puddles.”
“FYI.” Ty motioned at Matteo, as Ethan lowered the horse’s foot and left the stall to sort through his medical bag. “We’ve got laundry facilities in the guest house. In the room next to the gym.”
“Right. I saw that yesterday,” Matteo replied. “I’d been hoping to get in a run this morning, but the treadmill will do for tomorrow.” The rain had slowed to a constant drizzle and made his optimistic outlook on the ranch dim a bit. “I take it the trail ride happens rain or shine?”
“Pretty much,” Ty confirmed. “But we have a few days for the weather to pass. We can leave later than planned, though, give the ground a little more time to dry, which it should. What are you thinking about those injuries, Ethan?” he asked his brother when Ethan began examining the horse’s sides and flanks.
“Barbed-wire scars,” Matteo said and earned a surprising neigh and nod of the head from his charge. “Spur scars down below.”
“Agreed.” Ethan smoothed his fingers over the raw marks. “Not too long ago, by the looks of it. She’s also malnourished and dehydrated. I’m going to start her on some fluids, see if we can ease those symptoms. She ate through that entire bag of feed you gave her, Matteo, so that’s good news.” He patted his hand against her neck. “She h
asn’t given up.”
“No, she hasn’t,” Matteo agreed. “She’s a fighter. Will you look for her owner?”
“I don’t see any markings on her,” Ty said after examining her ears and the rest of her body. “No brands or identification tags. Tells me whoever had her either didn’t know to or didn’t care about staying legal. I’d say leave it be and get her back to full strength.”
The horse whinnied in agreement.
“Can’t argue with a horse,” Matteo said. “If it turns out she needs something, though, tell me. Believe me, if I didn’t live in an apartment in California, I’d try to find a way to keep her myself.” Not to ride. He didn’t think she’d ever let anyone on her back again. That was his gut feeling. But to know she was safe.
“She’s definitely not a Cali girl,” Ty joked. “We’ve got time to figure it all out, though. Don’t worry. I’m off to take a couple of guests to the airport.”
After leaving the horse in Ethan’s capable hands, Matteo headed to the cabin, hoping he’d find Gino in a better mood.
* * *
“THANKS, LITTLE MAN.” Peyton accepted the paper container from a rain-soaked Gino, cringing at the mud spots he’d left on the floor. “How about you go leave those shoes by the door and get a towel for your hair.”
He grumbled but did as she said, nearly toppling over when he tugged off his shoes. They landed with a wet plop.
The eggs were cold, but after an initial bite, she found they were tasty. Actual real eggs, not that powdered stuff so many hotels served in their breakfast buffets. She really shouldn’t eat the bagel, but she had heard tell of huckleberry jam and how you couldn’t leave Montana without trying it. She broke off a chunk of bagel and dipped it into the thick jam and nearly swooned as the slightly sweet mixture hit her tongue. Okay, she thought. That was good.
It didn’t take long for the jam and bagel to be eaten. Just in time for her to put on another pot of coffee to brew.
“Dad said he’ll be back soon.” Gino slipped into the chair across from her. “What are you doing?”
“Working.”
“Oh. My mom works a lot. She says I bug her.”
Peyton’s initial reaction was to protest, to tell Gino she was sure that wasn’t true, but whether or not his mother had told him that, it was clear Gino believed it. “You know what?” She closed her laptop. “I’ve worked enough this morning. I think your dad said you need to finish your school stuff before you can go riding next week. Maybe you should get started?”
She reached across for the workbooks in front of him. Spelling. Math. Reading comprehension. She flipped through the pages, saw the errant scribbles early in one of the books. Scribbles that didn’t entirely make sense. “Where did you leave off?”
Gino shrugged. “Dunno.”
“Well, let’s find out.” She held out her hand, which he took after a moment, and tugged him around and in front of her. She moved her computer aside, flipped open the first page of his spelling book. “Looks like you forgot to finish your spelling list for this assignment.” She glanced at the date in the top corner from more than a month ago. “You want to finish it now?”
She reached for a pencil and set it in front of him. “Here. Why don’t you show me how you spell dog. That’s this word right here.”
He grabbed the pencil, took an extra beat to find the right grip. He leaned over, then seemed to shy away. “I don’t know if it’ll be right.”
“It doesn’t have to be right on your first try, Gino.” Peyton smoothed his damp hair back and rested her chin on his shoulder. “That’s why it’s called learning. If it isn’t right, we’ll figure it out until it is.” It had been so long since she’d sat with a child to help with homework. Most of her sisters had done all right on their own, but Lily had needed help after her accident. Especially when it came to writing and finding a comfortable way to hold a pen or pencil. “How about you try, and we’ll see where we are. Come on. Dog.”
She could feel the tension in his little body and wished she could find the words to make him less nervous about writing a simple word. Finally, he leaned over and put his pencil over the paper. “There you go,” she murmured encouragingly. “D-O-G.”
He took such care, as if he wanted it to be perfect. When he finished, he stood up like a shot and turned hopeful eyes on her. “I did it!”
Peyton gave him a quick hug and looked down at the paper.
Her stomach dropped, unease clambering in her chest as she ignored the truth and gave him another squeeze. “How about we try the next one? Cat. Makes sense. Can’t have a dog without a cat.”
“Hip has cat friends,” Gino said as he went back to work. “Rosie says Hip gets along with all the animals. Even Splinter the Cow.”
“I bet Hip gets along with everyone,” Peyton agreed, and soon they settled into an easy rhythm, moving down his spelling list.
When he flipped the page, he did so with a little yelp of excitement.
“I’m doing it!”
“Hold on.” Peyton flipped the page back. “Let’s go over them before we move on. Can you read the words back to me?” She went to the top of the list, only when he did, his smile faded. “Gino?”
“It doesn’t look right. It doesn’t look the same.” He jabbed his finger against the printed text and the word he’d written. “It’s supposed to be the same.” Tears filled his eyes, and he looked at her as if she could solve all his problems. “I did it wrong, didn’t I?”
She drew him back and into his arms. “You know what?”
“I’m stupid.”
“You are not.” There were a lot of words that did damage, but that was the worst. She wrapped an arm around him and kept him firmly in place when he tried to bolt free. “Gino, you are not stupid. Do you remember what this word is?” She tapped the original text.
“Dog.”
“And what letters did you draw?”
“I dunno.”
“Yes, you do. We said it before. D-O-G, remember?”
“That’s what I did. D-O-G. But it’s not right. It’s not right!” He threw the pencil down and broke free of Peyton’s hold just as Matteo returned. “I told Dad. It’s just like Mom said. I’m stupid. I’m just stupid!” He ran into his father’s room and slammed the door.
“What’s going on?” She heard the instant disappointment in his voice, the accusation aimed at her at seeing his son upset. She didn’t take offense. If anything, the protective instinct for his child endeared him even more to her.
“I might understand why Gino hates school so much.” She rose, picked up the workbook and met him halfway.
“Oh?”
“Yeah.” She handed him the workbook. “You need to look into getting him tested. I think he has dyslexia.”
CHAPTER TEN
“MY EX ISN’T ANSWERING.” Matteo clicked off his cell and tossed it onto the table. “It went to voice mail.”
“In her defense, Japan is sixteen hours ahead,” Peyton said, then held up her hands at his glare. “Sorry. Just sayin’.”
Matteo would like to think Sylvia wasn’t answering because of the time difference, but it was just as easy to believe she was avoiding his calls. Out of sight, out of mind, and now that Gino wasn’t her responsibility... He gave himself a mental slap. He had to stop blaming Sylvia for everything. That said, she had to have seen something was wrong with their son, didn’t she? “Okay.” He stopped pacing and took a long, deep breath. He blew it out and looked at Peyton. “What did you see that I didn’t?”
“This.” She tapped a finger on Gino’s spelling workbook. “Gino’s reluctance to go to school seemed pretty extreme. We worked on his list of spelling words. See here.” She stood and circled around to point out the obvious errors. “He’s reversed the letters in the word, and some of the letters are backwards. You’ll need to get him tested by a professi
onal, but it’s early. I’m sure there are easy ways to work with him and help him.”
“Taro gave me his school records when he brought Gino to me. Since Gino wasn’t going to be starting school right away, I didn’t think to look—”
“This isn’t your fault, Matteo.” Peyton clung to his arm and squeezed, but nothing she did to comfort him broke through. He berated himself for not seeing his son was in trouble. “You’ve had a lot thrown at you at one time, and now you’re dealing with this away from your home base. How about we look at those records together, then do a little research. Hadley mentioned a library in town. Maybe they have some books for both you and Gino.”
He nodded, uncertain what else to do at this point. “I want to talk to him first, though. I don’t like him throwing that word around.” He’d heard it often enough himself growing up. No way was he going to let his son suffer the same humiliation.
“I completely agree,” Peyton said. “You go on. I’ll start searching online to see what options we have. Also, do you know what school you’re going to enroll him in when we get back to California?”
“I haven’t had time to look yet.”
“No, of course you haven’t. I’ll compile a list of schools that have dedicated programs for kids who need extra help. In fact...” She walked away, mumbling to herself.
“Thanks.” He nodded absently, set the workbook down and headed to his bedroom. “I mean it, Peyton.” She settled in behind her laptop and offered him an understanding smile. “It means a lot that you took the time to care.”
He rapped his knuckles on the door before pushing it open. “G?” He frowned when he couldn’t see his son immediately. As he walked around the made-up bed, he found his son curled up with his back against the mattress, eyes and cheeks damp, his nose red. “Rough morning?”
Gino shrugged, and Matteo recognized the uncertainty. He sat down next to his son, drew his knees in and looked at Gino.
“We’re going to get one thing straight right now, okay?”
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