The Bachelor Boss

by Judy Baer

  Danny was turning out well despite the roller coaster that was her life, not because of it.

  Lily waved the boys over so she could meet Danny’s new friend.

  Hannah began to think of how Danny would miss Lily terribly when they left. Lily had a doctor’s appointment this week. Hannah’s best guess was that he’d ask Lily to do a couple more weeks of physical therapy and then pronounce her fit to live in her own home again.

  * * *

  “I saw that Kevin was with you in the yard today,” Hannah mentioned casually over dinner.

  “Yeah. Me and Ty talked about it one day when you weren’t home, didn’t we, Ty? He told me about in the Bible where it says we should keep forgiving someone—like seventy times seven. That’s four hundred and ninety times! And Ty said God forgives us even more than that so we should act like Him. I told him that was pretty hard, so he said I should just practice turning the other cheek.”

  Bless Ty’s heart!

  “I didn’t get that turn your other cheek stuff,” Danny admitted, helping himself to more mashed potatoes. “I figure that if you turn your other cheek on a bully, he’ll just slug you there, too, but I tried it.”

  “How did it work out?” Ty asked.

  “Pretty good. Kevin’s mom won’t let him have a pet. I could tell it made him sad, so I asked him if he wanted to pet Crackers. He got nicer after that. He really likes dogs so he was pretty happy that I’d let him play with mine. He’s gonna come over tomorrow and we’re going to teach Crackers to fetch. Kevin apologized, too—for that stuff he said about you, Mom. He’s okay, I guess.”

  The boy said it matter-of-factly. His nemesis was becoming his friend. Hannah and Ty exchanged glances. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He winked back in a secret exchange between them.

  Hannah felt tears burning in her throat. Ty Matthews was the only father figure Danny had had in a very long time.

  Hannah went upstairs to tell Danny to get ready for bed, but to her surprise he was already in his room, teeth brushed, pajamas on and a book in front of him. Flat on his belly, feet splayed, Crackers was sleeping soundly on his dog bed.

  “What got into you? Going to bed without being told a half-dozen times? Are you sick?” Hannah pretended to feel his forehead for fever.

  Danny grinned at her. “Lily told me if I’d rest up tonight, she’d have Irene take us to the pet store again. They’re having a sale on dog accessories.”

  “Danny, do you know what dog accessories are?”

  “Not really, but I bet with Lily it’s going to be fun!”

  Suddenly, an image of Ty at Danny’s age, trusting his grandmother to plan their next outing, sprang into her mind. It was no wonder that Ty loved her so much or pampered her so lavishly. If only her own parents had been able to meet Danny.

  She fought back the tears, kissed her son on the forehead and left the room.

  Lord, You are the Maker of miracles. I know You have a plan for me. Please give me an inkling of what it might be. Show me what I’m supposed to do first.

  “Are those tears?”

  At the bottom of the staircase she swung toward Ty’s office. He was framed in the doorway, sleeves rolled up, collar undone, ready to get back to work. He gestured her inside.

  She followed him inside even though she didn’t feel like talking right now.

  Without comment, he pointed her toward the long leather couch. Then he picked up a remote and switched on the gas fireplace, which sparked to life. Turning to her again, he took the plaid throw draped over the back of the sofa and laid it over her as she sat, feet beneath her, curled into the leather arm.

  “Thank you.” Between her nerves and the coolness of the evening, she was shivering.

  “Maybe it will help if you talk about it.”

  “You’re sweet to ask, but I don’t think so.”

  He nodded and didn’t speak. Ironically, it was his lack of pressure that persuaded her to open up.

  “I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Danny’s so fond of Lily. I was thinking how bad he’ll feel when Lily’s well and we leave here. By the way, Danny and Lily have a plan for tomorrow.”

  “Lily is the Pied Piper of children,” Ty said. “She should have taught school. She could have persuaded her students to study anything and convinced them they were still having fun.

  “Also, I notice that thanks to your good care, she’s really improved her walking the past couple weeks.”

  “She doesn’t need me anymore—or at least she won’t soon.”

  “You think she’s doing that well?” He looked delighted. “That’s great news!”

  His pleasure at the return of Lily’s good health depressed her mightily. It reminded her of her imminent departure.

  Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She was so tired of trying to hold everything together—Trisha’s irresponsible behavior, parenting Danny, her finances and her job. She couldn’t make the tears stop.

  It had grown dark outside as night fell, closeting them together in a world of their own. Suddenly, Hannah found herself enveloped in strong yet gentle arms. She sank into Ty’s warm broad chest and sobbed even more.

  Unspeaking, he held her tight.

  Finally spent, she sagged against him and closed her eyes.

  Then she felt Ty’s fingers beneath her chin. He tipped her head and Hannah felt his lips on hers, a kiss that was both comforting and passionate. She responded with emotions she didn’t know she still had. Emotions she believed she’d lost many years before. Instead, they had been waiting for the man who could ignite them again. But why had this happened now, when her own needs already had to be put on the back burner for the sake of Danny and Trisha? She had so much baggage and so little else to bring to a relationship. It wasn’t fair to Ty. It wasn’t fair to anyone.

  Then he kissed her again and nothing else mattered.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  As they sat there, wrapped in each other’s arms, they heard a cry. Lily.

  They both ran up to the second floor. Danny met them at the top of the stairs. His blond hair was tousled and his cheeks rosy with sleep. Hannah put her arm around the child.

  Ty pushed into Lily’s room. She was sitting upright in bed. The pink scarf she wore to protect her hairdo was askew and those bright blue eyes were huge in her face.

  “What’s wrong, Gram?”

  “It’s Clara. She fell out of bed.” Lily sounded frantic. “She knocked the phone off the side table as she fell so she was able to reach it. She’s been calling out but can’t rouse either her sister, Margaret, or her nephew. Clara thinks she may have broken her hip!”

  “We’ll call 911,” Hannah said as she dug her cell phone out of her pocket.

  Tears sprang to Lily’s eyes. “Please, we have to help her!”

  * * *

  When Hannah went into Lily’s room the next morning, the older woman was just hanging up her phone.

  “Did you hear anything about Clara?”

  “I just talked to her. She’s groggy, having had surgery to repair her hip only last night. They told her she’d have to move into a nursing home for a while and have physical therapy when she leaves the hospital. She doesn’t want to go back to her sister’s house, of course, but she’s not sure what to do next. I’ll have to discuss it with Ty. We need to find a safe, permanent place for her and I’ve got something in mind.”

  Later that day, Hannah approached Ty.

  “I heard from Lily that you said that Clara could come to your house when she got out of the hospital,” Hannah said softly. “That was terribly generous of you, but have you really thought it through?”

  “I have, actually. Lily loves Clara and vice versa. What’s more, I know Lily will want to go back to her own home as soon as she can. Lily is almost ready to go home. It’s a big place. I plan to suggest that Clara move there with Lily—if you’ll agree to be there with them. It would provide Clara with someplace more pleasant than she’s been and she and Lily could keep
each other company.”

  “And out of your hair?” Hannah teased. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”

  “I thought about that,” he admitted sheepishly. “Lily needs companionship. It might be the answer to a number of problems.”

  “What do you think Lily will say?”

  “It’s more about what Clara’s sister and nephew say. I’m sure they were collecting money for having her at their house.”

  “Clara is clearheaded and capable of making her own decisions.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  * * *

  Hannah drove Lily to visit Clara nearly every day. That had become much easier now that Lily was accustomed to her cane and more mobile. Sometimes they also picked up Clara’s sister, Margaret. The old ladies delighted in each other and never ran out of things to discuss. Since “rescuing” Clara, Lily had been radiant with happiness. And because she had free access to her friend every single day, Clara was blooming under the attention. Her strength was returning by leaps and bounds.

  On the days Ty worked at home, he always ensured that Lily and Hannah visited Clara to make sure he had some uninterrupted hours in which to take care of his business. Hannah was willing to oblige.

  “Guess what Danny taught me,” Lily said as they drove toward the care center. She was wearing a beige straw hat festooned with flowers and fruit.

  “That could be any number of things. He’s taught Crackers to sit, stay and heel, after all.”

  Lily waved her hand cheerfully. “Oh, he could never teach me to obey commands of any kind—Ty can tell you about that.”

  She turned toward Hannah, her blue eyes twinkling dangerously. “He taught me to shop online.”

  That struck fear into even Hannah’s heart. Lily, the web and a credit card were a dangerous combination.

  “I didn’t know Danny had been shopping on the internet,” Hannah mumbled, mentally making it a priority to check her computer settings so he couldn’t find things even more dangerous on the web.

  “But I figured out how to ‘search’ all by myself.”

  Hannah hid a smile. “What have you looked up?” Hats, probably, or purses, two of Lily’s favorite purchases.

  “Foster care, state-licensed private homes. The things I’ve asked you about the past few weeks. I’m learning all about them.

  “Adult foster care involves private homes that take in a few, maybe five or six, elderly people and provide them help so they can live as independently as possible in a comfortable, homelike setting. People can bring their own furniture, pictures and anything else they wanted with which to decorate their rooms. It offers an opportunity to be involved with a family, have around-the-clock companionship and a chance to get out into the garden or bake cookies if they want. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Lily had done her homework. “I think it’s a great option, Lily, but places like that are hard to find.”

  “It sounds like a perfect answer for someone like Clara. It’s more affordable than a nursing home but is still licensed and well-regulated. It would be clean and pleasant.”

  “And just what do you propose to do with this information?” Hannah asked.

  “I’ve already done it. When Ty came up to have coffee with me this morning, I shared what I’d learned. I also told him that I wanted to turn my house into a foster-care facility. It’s much too big for me anyway. I have no desire to live there alone any longer. I’m getting to be an old lady, hard as it is for me to believe. Then both Clara and her sister could come to live with me. And there would still be room for two more ladies.”

  “It’s a wonderful thought, but a foster facility means you move in with a family unit with a caregiver that is qualified to run such a place.”

  “I already have that.”

  “Who? Ty? I hardly think...”

  “You! I know you have financial issues and no job lined up after this one. You can sell your house and move in with me and be our caregiver. This way you won’t have to look for another job. You can hire whatever staff you need. Danny will not only have his own room, but also all my gardens to run in and an entire playroom. He’ll love it.” Lily smiled wistfully. “And I’ll have another little boy in my life.”

  “But I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s a huge change, Lily. Danny and I...” She’d spent her lifetime trying to keep things the same—and now this.

  “You’ll earn a considerable amount, Hannah. I don’t need any more money. I know you’ll have to hire staff, a housekeeper and cook, but after expenses you can have everything else. No money need to come to me at all. Having Clara, and perhaps even Margaret, under my roof and you and Danny in my life is more payment to me than you’ll ever know.”

  Hannah felt herself gasping for air. “You’d need a lot of space to manage something like this.”

  Lily peered at her. “Hannah, have you ever seen my house?”

  “No, I...”

  “Let’s drive by it before we visit Clara at the hospital. Then you’ll understand that everything will be fine.” She gave Hannah an address and took out the cell phone she’d insisted on getting after Clara’s fall. “I’ll let them know we’re coming.”

  Numbly, Hannah drove to the house, trying to grasp all that Lily was proposing.

  “Turn here,” Lily ordered, pointing to a set of large arched gates. She waved at the gentleman in the guard house who gave the old woman a broad smile.

  “Nice to see you again, Miss Lily. Are you moving back home soon?”

  “I hope so, Ted,” Lily called cheerily out the window. She turned back to Hannah, who was staring at the mountainous houses on the block, many bigger than some apartment houses. “Turn right. My home is at the end of the cul-de-sac.”

  Three large homes loomed before them. The center one, which Lily had indicated, looked like a brick English manor house with gardens spread out on all sides. The drive up to the house was a horseshoe-shaped road built of brick pavers. When they reached the massive double wooden doors, they glided open to reveal a small woman with merry eyes and a tall, slender gentleman, both close to seventy.

  “Miss Lily! You’re back!”

  “The Jacobs have been with me for years,” Lily explained. “They’ve kept the house running while I’ve been at Ty’s. Come in and I’ll give you a tour.”

  By the time Hannah had been through the drawing room, the parlor, the massive dining and living rooms and the kitchen with its professional stove and refrigerators, the eight bedrooms, each with its own bath, she was walking in an amazed stupor.

  This place wasn’t a house—it was a hotel!

  “We should be able to make it work, don’t you think?” Lily inquired after they’d returned to the car. “You and Danny should be able to find a place to be comfortable. The third-floor suite, maybe. That’s large and private. There’s a playroom up there that used to be Ty’s. Or I can build something.”

  “Lily, I had no idea. I thought Ty’s house was a mansion. But this...”

  “Let’s just say that my husband was a very successful man. Railroads, bridge construction and some exceptionally wise investments along with the import/export business Ty runs. He had the resources to pamper me and Ty. Fortunately Ty turned out to be levelheaded and modest. He’s always told me that I should use my big house for a higher purpose and now I’ve found one.”

  Hannah, who was rarely at a loss for words, couldn’t think of a thing to say.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ty paced the floor, waiting for Lily and Hannah’s return. He was nervous as a cat in a dog pound conjecturing how Hannah was responding to Lily’s proposal.

  Hannah had told him only yesterday that she’d decided to sell her house. He recalled her words. “I realize now that it’s time to sell the house—and for all of us to move on. I can’t live on memories any longer. I’ve hung on too long already. The house and Steve are part of my past. Steve wouldn’t have wanted me to stop my life like I have. I did i
t because it was familiar and it felt safer than making the changes I should have. I’ve prayed about it a lot lately and I’m sure this is the right thing to do.”

  When he’d offered to help her, she’d been firm. “I don’t want you picking up the messy pieces of my life and enabling me like I enabled Trisha. I need to do this on my own.” She’d touched his sleeve. “But I’ll always love you for offering.”

  I’ll always love you.

  He’d hung on to that. He was in love with her, there was no doubt about that. It had taken him a long time to realize that the woman Hannah reminded him of most was his own grandmother. Lily was compassionate, generous, honest, transparent, loyal and loving—all the attributes embodied in this tiny redhead. And he was very much like his grandfather. If he was looking for a woman to create a marriage with, like that of his grandparents, Hannah was the key. He desperately wanted to take care of her, to give her all the things she’d never had, to make her smile. Only now, after all these years, did he fully and completely understand his grandfather’s passion for Lily.

  Even better, she loved Lily almost as much as he did. What was a more perfect fulfillment of his grandfather’s dying wish than a team like he and Hannah to make Lily’s last years happy?

  But Hannah, despite a few pleasant lapses, held herself professionally aloof from him. For once in his life, Ty Matthews was worried—if he offered her his love, would she return it?

  “Man up,” he muttered. “Risk it.”

  There was something he’d considered, a signal of sorts, but it had felt too silly—until now. With a determined set to his jaw, Ty went to the garage, picked up the piece Hannah had asked him to store for her weeks ago and began to gently unwrap it.

  * * *

  Hannah wondered where the pavement had gone as she exited her car at Ty’s place. Was she just floating above it on a cloud of excitement and happiness? She could see already that Lily’s plan was not only feasible but supremely doable. The house even had an elevator. No physical changes would be needed to turn the place into an elderly-friendly space. Lily had already picked Clara’s room—right next to her own. Margaret, if she decided to come, would have the room on the other side of her sister. Her son, John, would have no reason to protest their move. He could mess up his own house and eat fried chicken and pizza to his heart’s delight. That left only two rooms to fill, an easy task, Hannah knew, in a place like Lily’s.