Once the sun had set and the sky started to darken, I looked around, watching the other passengers receive drinks and snacks while they prepared their electronic devices for whatever it was they were going to use them for. I pulled the phone my mother had paid for from the pocket of my jeans and held it in my hand.
I read the texts that Irene had sent me detailing Texas. She lived in a small house on a big ranch where she served as a cook for the owner. She also took care of her daughter, my cousin Sarah, and his young son, Landon. I didn’t know where I’d fit into the picture, but it seemed like a safe place to go. I knew how much Mom loved her sister and I trusted in that, even if we hadn’t met in person due to distance and finances.
My father leaving when I was one didn’t help matters in that regard. Mom did what she could and worked a lot to keep our heads above water, though she never had a chance to make that little extra for trips and vacations. We just moved a lot instead until she discovered her place was in New York.
I didn’t quite know where my place was, having followed her my whole life. I liked New York, and I’d miss it, just like I did the other cities that we’d lived in. Maybe country life would suit me. I liked the idea of life amongst animals, something I’d only seen in zoos before. It might be fun. I liked the idea of quiet and stars in the sky.
At least that’s what I told myself as we flew through the air.
The plane landed a few hours later, and I walked off with the other passengers and down a long walkway. We ended up at an escalator that led down to where there was a crowd waiting for their loved ones to arrive. My eyes searched the faces for my aunt and my cousin slowly. Finally, they rested on the pixie face of Sarah and the soft face of Irene.
My aunt reminded me a lot of my mother with her soft red hair and green eyes, and her daughter looked like me. Sarah had blue eyes, just like me. I had my father’s eyes – at least that’s what I was told. My mom never said much about my dad.
Irene waved boldly and smiled, nudging Sarah as the twelve-year-old girl smiled up at me. She was a cutie, and I tried to ignore my nerves as I descended towards them.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter Two
“Brie, you look so much like your mama!” Irene pulled me into a hug, and I widened my eyes at the sudden affection. “I’m so glad that you’re here. You’re going to love it!” There was a soothing, smooth drawl to her voice. She pulled back and looked at me before glancing at Sarah. “I can tell that you girls are related.” Sarah gave me a soft smile as she looked up at me and said hi.
“Hi, Sarah. Hi, Irene,” I said as I smiled at them. “Thank you for inviting me out here.” Irene wasn’t able to come to the small memorial service for Mom due to her work at the ranch. But I had brought Mom with me in the beautiful urn that I’d chosen with what little money that I had left, stowed away in my luggage.
“Of course! I promised Tess that I’d take care of you if anything happened.” Irene’s face fell as she spoke and I watched a wave of sadness pass over her face. “I never thought that would actually happen since Tess was one of the most vibrant souls that I’ve ever known.”
I nodded in agreement. Mom was just that to everyone, and there were a lot of people missing her.
“Well, let’s get your bag and head out of here. There’s so much to show you.” Irene smiled again, and we walked over to the baggage claim. I felt the summer heat come through the door in waves. It was August, and I glanced down at my ripped jeans for a moment with a scowl. It was hot back home, too, but this air felt heavier to me. I was glad that I packed a good mix of seasonal clothing to get by for a while. I stepped forward and looked around the crowd as Irene’s accent carried through the air around me. It was warm, affable, and made me smile. I decided that Texas might not be so bad after all.
I picked up my green bag as it rolled around. Then, I secured my backpack over my shoulders and took a deep breath. “Let’s go,” I said with false confidence. Irene nodded and smiled. She must’ve said hello to ten people on the way out, making me wonder how big Texas really was. In New York, you would be friendly to those you knew, but not to everyone.
We made a long drive out to Beaumont, where the ranch was located, just close to the edge of Louisiana. We passed a good-sized city and a lot of water before we headed onto the curvy road into the rolling hills. It was beautiful. I saw a property about fifteen feet ahead and I wondered if that was my new home. There were various houses ranging in size, with three barns and a lot of land for animals. “Is that where you live?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s Burke Ranch, one of the biggest cattle suppliers in the state of Texas!” Irene replied with pride in her voice as I frowned beside her. “I know, sweetie. It seems cruel, but it’s survival. It’s what people do here. You’ll grow accustomed to life out here in the country.” She pulled through a gate that was wide open and I stared at the surroundings as Irene wound around and parked at a smaller structure before she put the big SUV into park. “This is our house. It might not look like much from the outside, but there’s a good living space in there and you’ll have your own bedroom. I made Sarah promise to leave you be when you need your privacy.” Irene smiled as she opened the door and slipped out onto the cement in her cowboy boots.
Did everyone wear those here? I scrutinized my worn Converse shoes and opened my own door to step outside and look around. There was a main house a few miles away and I looked at it as Sarah followed my gaze. “That’s Mr. Burke’s place. He’s the owner.” Wow. It looked massive, and I could see how successful the farm was just by the looks of that house. He must have a huge family to live there… but Irene mentioned only one son.
“Oh, Brie. I talked to Lance before we came out to fetch you. He hasn’t filled the nanny position yet. Are you comfortable with kids?” Irene asked me.
My eyes widened. “How old?” I asked as Irene led the way to the door.
“Logan is just three years old. He’s the sweetest thing, and I know you’ll be okay. I’m almost always in the house in case you need help. I thought I’d offer you the job first since you’re here and we didn’t discuss any plans. Anyway, go on in, hon. Take a look around.”
It was nice inside even though it did look like a simple cottage from the outside. There was a great living room, a nice kitchen suited for a family, as well as two hallways that led off the main room. “That hallway leads down to our rooms and the one on the left here goes to your room. I wanted you to have some space to yourself.”
“Thank you,” I said as I admired a big window at the end of my hallway. “So, about the job. I’m okay with kids. I knew people back home that had some and they were great.”
“That’s fantastic! Lance works all hours so he really wanted someone to care for Logan since he’s so busy around this place,” Irene told me. “There’s a nanny room in the main house as well. That’s just for when he’s out at night in a pinch. Lance prefers to be in at night when Logan is sleeping.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” A child that age couldn’t sleep in a house alone, particularly one that size. I was curious to see what it looked like inside so I didn’t object when Irene told me that she’d take me over in the morning and show me around. Today, she wanted me to settle in and get a feel for the place.
I grabbed some water from the fridge and took my bag back to my room. It was spacious, with French doors that led to a small deck of my own. The room itself had a queen-sized bed and a dresser with a large walk in closet. I liked it. I placed my suitcase on the bed and my backpack beside it. I hung my clothes slowly and played some music on my phone, songs that made me think of New York and my mother. I walked outside once I’d set everything up in the bathroom in the hallway and gazed over the fields with a growing smile.
I could hear the animals nearby, but my view was of stalks of corn and a beautiful pond. I could see fruit trees just past that and wondered what kind they were. Sitting down at the comfortable table, I sipped my water and relaxed a little.<
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Irene cooked a roast for dinner and I had a chance to meet her husband, Michael. He was head of the ranch hands and every bit the cowboy. He removed his hat and nodded at me. “You do look like Tess, Brie.” He smiled and shook my hand before he kissed it and excused himself to change for supper. Irene watched him with love shining in her eyes.
“Are they all like that here in Texas?” I teased her as she blushed and pushed a strand of red hair behind her ear.
“You’re in a different world, my girl. Buckle up,” my aunt told me as she turned to remove the meal from the oven.
That night, I watched as someone walked around the pond in the moonlight before taking his shirt off and looking around. Oh my goodness. Was he going to skinny dip? I shrunk back against my door and hid as a man with a muscled chest slipped out of his jeans and splashed into the water.
Buckle up, indeed.
Chapter Three
I woke up in the morning to the sound of my phone chiming. I remembered that I was going to the main house with Irene. I showered quickly and braided my hair to fall over my shoulder. I dressed in some leggings and a large t-shirt. I wasn’t sure what I should be wearing as a potential future nanny, but the kids that I’d always been around in the past were active and a bit messy at times.
I walked into the living room to the smell of fresh coffee and I heard Irene talking to Sarah. “Morning,” I called out as she looked over with a harried expression.
“Brie. Bless your soul for getting up. I wasn’t sure how well you’d sleep last night, being somewhere new and all. Want some coffee before we head over?”
“Yeah, thanks. I slept well. It’s so peaceful here at night. I looked at the stars for a while.” I smiled as I thought about the man at the pond. He was probably one of the ranch hands, but he was cute. A part of me felt guilty for liking it here. I know that’s what Mom would want, but it seemed like it was too soon.
I accepted the steaming cup of coffee and added some sweet cream before I sipped it. I looked out of the window to see the sun rising from the kitchen and smiled. “You start early, don’t you?”
“Lance has the best ranch hands around, but he likes to be out there with them working. I start breakfast for all of them and Logan. Since you’re considering the nanny position, I’d become a morning person if I were you.” She winked, pulling up her hair into a neat ponytail and I wondered what I was getting myself into.
The three of us walked across the grass to the house. It had a few windows lit up. Irene unlocked a side door and led me inside. She called out good morning and walked into the kitchen. It was a chef’s kitchen, and my eyes widened as I looked around. She flicked a switch and lit it up as a small dark-haired boy ran into the room with a giggle, right into Sarah’s arms. “You little monster,” Sarah teased him. I watched with a smile, assuming this was Logan. He had thick hair that curled at the ends and the biggest brown eyes I’d ever seen. They looked curiously up at Irene and me.
“Logan, this is Brie. She’s my niece and she came here all the way from New York. Say hi, sweetie.” He stared at me silently as I looked down and tried to make him smile.
“Irene, it’s good to see your cheerful face.” A booming voice filled the kitchen, and I looked up to see one of the most gorgeous men that I’d ever laid eyes on. “Hello, there.”
“Lance, this is my niece. Brie, meet Lance,” Irene said as I stared at him. Lance – as in the owner of the ranch? He must be in his late twenties.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” he said, lowering his voice and reaching out his hand. I shook it. “I’m glad you’re here as well. Kathy quit, and I need help right away.”
“The previous nanny,” Irene said in a soft voice as she smiled at me. “That’s fine. Sarah can help her, and she’ll be good before you know it.” I stared at her before looking back at Lance and nodding slowly.
He was tall, a few feet over six foot. His hair was tousled and the same color as Logan’s, but his eyes were a cerulean blue and shimmered in the light. “Good. I want him to be happy while I’m working. We’re short a man and there’s a lot to do before the weather comes.”
“He’ll be great,” I spoke up, smiling brightly at him. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
He took his son out of the room so we could cook for the men. I followed Irene’s instructions as she started pulling pots and pans from below the stove. I grabbed eggs, bacon, sausages, and a loaf of bread. Sarah winked at me and took some bowls from the cupboard.
Irene filled me in on Logan’s schedule as we cooked. I made a mental note of it. ‘Where’s his mother?” I asked softly. Irene’s face fell for a moment.
“She left them when he was just one. I guess she couldn’t handle it. What’s there to handle? Lance is a wonderful man and that baby is the sweetest boy there ever was.” Irene shook her head as she stirred the eggs and added a handful of cheese. She glanced at the door that led to the living room where we heard the sounds of cartoons. “We’ll talk more later.”
Sarah cooked bacon, and I prepared the sausage in between toasting and buttering bread. It was light out when we had the food finished and on a platter. Irene stepped outside. I heard the sound of a bell ringing, and she told me to get Lance and Logan in the living room. Sarah took stacks of plates and placed them at the end of the counter.
I walked into the room to see Lance holding his son close as he talked to him in the light of the television. “Excuse me,” I called out and he looked over at me. “Breakfast is ready.” I smiled and left the room. My aunt was helping the men and laughing with them. I watched her and wondered if there was more to my being here than what met the eye – my role as a nanny and her niece.
I shook my head and joined them. I met the ranch hands over the meal. Lance joined us after a few moments and sat with Logan at the end of the table. I could tell that it was a close-knit group as they joked and talked, filling the room with joy. They reminded me of the artists I knew back in New York when they all got together. I smiled as I looked over the room.
Lance met my gaze for a moment as he sipped his coffee and I flushed slightly before I looked down.
Chapter Four
There was something about me that only Mom knew. I was a virgin.
It wasn’t that I didn’t meet men in New York but just that I hadn’t connected with any of them. That’s what I wanted with my first−a connection. I was a bigger girl too, and I’d always felt self-conscious about that. I felt silly while I washed the plates with Irene at my side. Sarah occupied Logan in the playroom.
“So what do you think so far?” Irene asked, placing the plates on the rack beside the sink.
“All of the men are nice. They seem close,” I replied.
“They’re like brothers. They’ve all been here for a few years at least, and I know that a lot of them aren’t looking to leave anytime soon.”
We were safe to talk now since the house was empty. I looked out of the window towards the barn. “Why did Kathy leave? Is it Logan?”
“No, she got a job with one of the affluent suburban families in town. Kathy likes her nightlife, and she’ll live closer to it this way.” Irene looked at me. “You must miss that, Brie. I know how social Tess was back in high school.”
“It was nice, but they were her friends, not mine. I don’t think it was my vibe as much as it was hers. I can’t draw a stick figure…” My voice trailed off and I shook my head. “I didn’t have a lot of friends there, to be honest. I was focused on school, mostly. I felt guilty that she worked so much for my education.”
“That was always her way, Brie. I hardly saw her sleep most of the time,” Irene admitted. I tried to laugh. That quickly turned to tears and Irene hugged me as I let my grief out.
“She visited us once about a year before you were born. We were at another ranch back then, where Michael had a job. We were newly married, and she breezed into the house in the way that only Tess could. She lit up the room. I was always so jealous of Tess. I felt bor
ing next to her.” She sniffled and stroked my hair. “I asked her to come back after I knew that she was alone with you. She wouldn’t do it, and I don’t know why.”
“I don’t either. She never told me much about him,” I told her.
“The best that I can tell you is that she was fiercely independent, Brie. Once she got pregnant and was on her own, I think that Tess was too stubborn to ask for help. She always was. She wanted the best of both worlds and she killed herself getting that. So stupid. She should’ve just come to me.” We heard a cry from the other room and both looked up as a tear slid down Irene’s cheek.
“Oh, dear,” Irene said as we both rushed into the playroom to see Logan sitting on a dresser, Sarah pleading with him to come down. It was about a three feet fall onto the hardwood floor – he’d undoubtedly get hurt. “Honey, come down from there. You don’t want to fall,” she continued.
I saw him staring at me and smiled as I stepped forward. “Come on, little man. Want to come down for me?” I asked as I held out my arms and watched him tilt his head. “You can show me your favorite toy if you do.”
Logan scooted forward slowly and held his arms out as I reached for him. He leaned into me and I hugged him. Logan was a sweetheart, and I felt something warm inside of my heart as I eased him to the floor.
“C’mere,” Logan said as he took my hand and led me to a corner filled with toys from Finding Dory. Irene shook her head before leaving and Sarah joined us. We spoke in different voices for each toy – me doing a terrible job. I hadn’t seen the film yet, and Logan looked at me with serious eyes. Sarah tried to distract him.
“Does the position include taking him on outings?” I whispered to her. She nodded. I made a vow to take him into town to see the movie and learn all about the little characters that he loved.
Doctor’s Fake Fiancée Page 59