From Maverick to Daddy

by Teresa Southwick

  “Okay.” She threw her arms around him in a hug, then looked up. “Good night. Thanks for coming to dinner.”

  “Thanks for having me.”

  After the little girl headed down the hall, Mallory opened the door and leaned against it. “That meant a lot to her, Caleb. It was nice of you.”

  “I had a great time. In spite of the fact that your niece cheats.”

  “Competitive and ruthless.” She laughed. “It was very sweet of you to humor her. Thanks, Caleb. Good night.”

  “’Night.” He put his hat on, then stepped out onto the porch.

  The door closed behind him and he had the strangest feeling. He’d been antsy to get going and now that he had it felt like being out in the cold. In the end he’d really enjoyed himself, except the part where he kept thinking about Mallory without her clothes on.

  That was damned inconvenient.

  * * *

  Every other Friday after work, Mallory took Lily to Bee’s Beauty Parlor for a pedicure—special girl time. Sally Cameron, the operator who always did their toes, was somewhere in her twenties, a pretty brunette with big green eyes. She always knew the latest Rust Creek Falls gossip about what couple just broke up and who was going out with who. Although Mallory had told her sad story about getting dumped two years before, Sally never quite believed she wasn’t interested in dating.

  She and Lily were lounging side by side in the big chairs, dangling their feet in warm, swirling water. Sitting on a low stool, Sally leaned over Lily’s foot. Apparently the signal for spilling news was when she lifted the little girl’s foot out of the water and started to remove the old polish.

  “So what’s new with you, cutie?”

  “I get to ride a horse,” she announced proudly.

  “That’s not for sure,” Mallory reminded her.

  “Almost for sure.” There was no raining on this child’s parade. “Travis said I could and he owns the ranch.”

  “Travis Dalton?” Sally asked.

  “Yes,” Lily said eagerly. “Aunt Mallory works for his dad and he invited us to dinner. We met everyone. Mary, his wife, and Lani and Lindsay and Anderson. He’s the oldest and always looks like this.” She sat up straight and folded her arms over her chest, then put on a very serious face.

  Mallory laughed. “He’s awfully good-looking but does come across a little stern. I suppose it comes with the territory—being the oldest, responsible and in charge of ranch operations.”

  “Think about it.” Sally was using nail clippers and didn’t look up. “He’s not only got to ride herd on horses, cattle and other ranch employees, but also Travis and Caleb.” She looked up for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong. Those two are really good at their jobs, but younger brothers are always going to challenge your authority. They look for any weakness, then take advantage.”

  To get comfortable, Lily shifted in the big leather chair. “I met Caleb first at where Aunt Mallory works.”

  Mallory was still trying to forget what her niece had said to him that day. “He was there to take his father out for a beer.”

  “Then,” Lily went on, “at his dad’s house I met Travis.”

  Sally was using the file to smooth rough edges. “He’s my personal favorite. What with all the women flocking here to Rust Creek, I keep waiting to hear someone has snatched him up. A shotgun wedding wouldn’t be a surprise. Or an elopement. So far, nothing.”

  “He’s really nice,” Lily agreed. “But I’m not sure who I like best. Travis talked to Aunt Mallory a lot and then Caleb looked kind of mad. He took her outside to see Mr. and Mrs. Dalton’s backyard.”

  “Really?” Sally looked up, the prospect of interesting gossip glittering in her eyes. “Alone?”

  “We just talked.”

  “About?”

  “This and that.” Mallory had no intention of fueling the fire. The man was her boss’s son and there had to be boundaries. But he sure was easy on the eyes and comfortable to talk to.

  “The next day,” Lily continued, “he came over to dinner at our house.”

  “Oh?” Sally opened the bottle of cotton-candy polish, the bright pink shade the little girl loved. She started painting her toes. “How did that happen?”

  “We saw him at the office again and I invited him.”

  “Do you think it’s odd that you’ve been in town for six months and had never met him, then suddenly he’s there all the time?”

  Mallory had thought about it but couldn’t come up with an explanation. “Just coincidence, I’m sure.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” Sally glanced up. “Hey, did you see the flyer up front advertising a lecture by Winona Cobbs?”

  “Who’s she?” Lily asked.

  “A character, that’s for sure.” She laughed. “No one really has any idea how old she is, but my guess is somewhere in her nineties. And she knows things.”

  “What things?” Lily’s eyes widened.

  “Just things no one can explain. She says she’s psychic and that’s what the lecture is about. Everyone in town is going. You should come.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Mallory was glad the other woman had changed the subject to something other than Caleb.

  “So Caleb accepted your invitation to dinner.”

  Somehow Mallory managed to hold in the groan. To react in any way was, in itself, fodder for town talk, so she remained neutral. “The poor man was trapped. He couldn’t say no.”

  “Oh, he could have.” There was a knowing look in Sally’s eyes. “Trust me.”

  “He cooked hamburgers and played a game with us after dinner,” Lily cut in.

  “Sounds like he got pretty comfortable.” Sally finished putting the clear top coat on the little girl’s toes. She helped her get out of the chair without nicking the still-wet polish and said, “You know the drill, sweetie. Go to the station up front and stick your feet under the light. Let those little piggies dry.”

  “I will. Thanks, Sally.”

  “You’re welcome.” She pulled a clean set of pedicure tools from the little table beside her, then lifted Mallory’s left foot from the swirling water. “Now that little ears are occupied, I’m going to give you some advice.”

  “Is it included in the cost of the pedicure?” Mallory was trying to lighten the mood.

  “Just remember it’s worth what you paid for it. Also that I care about you.”

  “This sounds serious.”

  “It is.” She lifted her gaze. “Caleb Dalton is a notorious charmer who’s too good-looking for any woman’s peace of mind.”

  Mallory decided not to admit that she’d fallen into the typical category where he was concerned. In her humble and objective opinion, he was both charming and way above average in the looks department.

  “The thing is,” Sally went on, “he’s never stuck to one woman for any length of time. It’s always superficial and then he moves on. No one can figure out how, but his exes are all still friends.”

  “I’m not sure whether you’re warning me or singing his praises.”

  “Both,” Sally admitted. “He doesn’t feel the need to be with one woman when he can have them all.”

  “I see.” She watched as the woman shaped her nails, then trimmed the cuticles. She needed to respond to the statement, but waited until she was sure her voice would be normal, nothing to give her away. Because the truth was that when Caleb was around, she smiled more, glowed just a little and felt a flutter in her heart that took the edge off monotony in life.

  “I appreciate the warning, Sally, but I’m not looking for anyone. It’s been pointed out that I got to Rust Creek at the peak of the gal rush, but it wasn’t about finding a man.”

  “Okay.” The other woman buffed her toenails. “What with you being a newcomer, I just thought you s
hould know.”

  Mallory smiled, then held still for the polish. When that step was finished, she swung her legs to the side so as not to smudge her freshly painted toes. After handing over her credit card to pay for the pedicures, she joined Lily at the nail-drying station. There was a clear plastic holder with the flyers Sally had mentioned. In bold letters at the top it said Embracing Your Inner Psychic.

  She took one of the papers that had all the information and put it in her purse. Although she didn’t believe that anyone could see the future, if the whole town was going, she would, too. That was what you did when trying to belong.

  And wouldn’t it be nice to know what was yet to happen? Mallory thought as an uninvited image of Caleb’s roguish grin popped into her mind.

  Maybe sometime in the near future that foolishness would stop. She really hoped so.

  Chapter Four

  In church on Sunday, Mallory and Lily listened to Pastor Alderson finish his sermon and make announcements. The last one was about the pancake breakfast fund-raiser being held directly after services.

  “Some of our neighbors still need assistance to rebuild homes and businesses damaged by last year’s flood,” the pastor said. “We need to open our hearts and give as generously as possible to get folks who are still struggling back on their feet. See you there.”

  Everyone in the packed community church stood and filed out the back door.

  “Can we go to the breakfast?” Lily asked. “I like pancakes.”

  “Of course we can.” Mallory gently squeezed the small hand tucked into hers, then held on tight as they were swept along with the crowd.

  They slowly moved to the multiuse room where the fund-raiser was being held. At the door was a table where volunteers were taking money and handing out tickets.

  “Hello, Mallory.” Thelma McGee, an older woman who had taken in many people displaced by the disaster, waved them over. Beside her was a metal cash box for the money collected. Her son, Hunter, had been the former mayor of Rust Creek Falls and the only casualty of the flood. A tree had fallen on his car, and the speculation was that it startled him into a massive heart attack, killing him instantly.

  It had been a year since the tragedy, but sadness still clouded the woman’s eyes. Mallory couldn’t imagine losing a child and squeezed her niece’s hand again. “It’s nice to see you, Thelma.”

  “You, too.” Thelma smiled at Lily. “And you just get cuter every time I see you, young lady.”

  “Thank you.” Lily smiled shyly. “We’re here for breakfast.”

  “And I’m here to take your money,” the older woman said.

  Mallory paid the asking price and received two tickets. She hadn’t been here during the disaster, but this was her town now and help it she would. She handed over a twenty-dollar bill. “Just to help a little more.”

  “That’s very generous, dear.”

  “It’s the least I can do. I wish it could be more.”

  “Everything helps,” Thelma said. “Go on in now and enjoy.”

  “Thanks, we will.”

  The room was big and square, with a stage at one end. She’d heard that during the crisis, cots were set up in here so that people who couldn’t get into their homes until the water receded would have a warm, dry place to stay. Today the space was filled with long tables and folding metal chairs. On the other side of the room was an area set up buffet-style for food and keeping it warm as everyone filed by and helped themselves.

  “Let’s find a place to sit before we get plates,” Mallory suggested.

  “Maybe Amelia and her mom are here.” Lily looked around, then smiled and pointed to a table. “There’s Caleb. We can go sit with him.”

  Bad idea. The thought was followed quickly by surprise that he’d attended church even though he’d told her he sometimes did. She was being uncharitable, which showed how much good the church service had done her. Liking women and having them return the favor didn’t qualify as cause to think the worst of him.

  No matter how much she wanted to paint him as a one-dimensional playboy, he always seemed to say or do something that added evidence to support the fact that he had many more layers than she wanted to give him credit for. It also seemed that in the few times she’d been exposed to him, his charm had worked its magic on her, just like it did on other women.

  Before she could come up with an alternate seating arrangement, Lily had taken off in Caleb’s direction and Mallory had no choice but to follow.

  She stopped behind the little girl, who was standing at his elbow. “Hi, Caleb.”

  “Hey there.” He stood up politely. His hair was neatly combed and the cowboy hat was nowhere in sight. He smiled at Mallory. “I figured you wouldn’t be far behind.”

  Although his expression was friendly enough, she tried to read deeper, determine whether or not he was glad to see her. She wished it wasn’t so, but she was glad to see him.

  “Lily is awfully quick. She’s tough to keep up with sometimes.”

  “Can we sit with you?” the little girl asked.

  Mallory should be getting used to Lily’s direct, unfiltered comments and questions. Mostly she was except when it came to Caleb. “Lily, he might be saving those seats.”

  He shrugged. “Travis and Anderson are around here somewhere, but they can find their own seats.”

  “Cool.” Lily took the seat beside his. “You snooze, you lose.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better.” He laughed. “How are you, Mallory?”

  “Fine.” She was normally fast, funny and pretty good with words. It was kind of a requirement for her job. But being around Caleb stole her wit and sucked the volume out of her vocabulary. “You?”

  “Never better.” He indicated the chair next to Lily. “Why don’t you have a seat? If you let me have your tickets, I’ll get your plates.”

  The chivalrous offer made it impossible to keep the stutter out of her heartbeat. “Oh, that’s not necessary. I don’t want to trouble you.”

  “No trouble.”

  “I’ll go, too, Caleb. I can show you what Aunt Mallory likes best.”

  “Good idea.” He held out his hand and Lily took it.

  “All right, then. Thanks.”

  Mallory watched the two of them walk over to the food, Caleb’s big hand holding the little one. He took three plates and handed one to the little girl. At Lily’s direction, he spooned scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and finally pancakes with syrup onto each of the two plates, then supervised Lily. When she had everything, her niece carefully carried her plate back to the table while he brought the other two.

  “Here you go.” He set it in front of her. “I’ll go grab silverware and napkins.”

  While she waited, Lily took a bite of her bacon strip. “This is good.”

  The food maybe, not so much the situation. It seemed as if every time she turned around Caleb was there and he was nice. Nice made her nervous because it could lead to feelings she didn’t want. Nice could be dangerous, but at least Lily was between them.

  “Here you go, ladies.” He handed out forks and knives, then sat down.

  “I’m kind of surprised to see you here,” she said to him.

  “What? You thought I was a heathen?”

  “No. But you said on a ranch there are always chores to do, even on Sunday.” Mallory took a bite of the eggs. “And sometimes you can’t attend.”

  “There are things that have to be done every day, but others can be put off to give us free time for the important things. This fund-raiser is important enough for a cowboy to take a break.”

  Lily looked up at him. “Why do they call you a cowboy when you’re a man?”

  “Good question.” He thought for a moment. “It’s a name that’s been around over a hundred years for
men who herd cows.”

  “What else do you do?” Lily cut off a piece of pancake and stuffed it into her mouth.

  “Take care of horses.” He finished chewing. “We get up early to do that.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’re hungry. And then we muck out the stalls,” he explained.

  “What’s a stall? And how do you muck it?” the little girl asked.

  “Well,” he said thoughtfully, “every horse has a space in the barn separated by a sort of fence and it’s covered with hay to make it soft and cozy. The hay gets dirty and we have to shovel it out, to clean up after them.”

  “How does it get dirty?”

  Mallory grinned at him. “I can’t wait to hear the answer to that, too.”

  “You’re enjoying this way too much.” But his blue eyes twinkled with amusement. He said to Lily, “Do you know what horse droppings are?”

  She thought for a second, then said, “Poop.”

  “That’s right.”

  The little girl wrinkled her nose. “In the Fourth of July parade one of the horses did it. Amelia’s mom told us what it was and that it was all natural, but we just went ‘ew.’ Doesn’t it gross you out?”

  He laughed. “No. I’m used to it.”

  “I bet it stinks,” she persisted.

  “Maybe if you’re a city slicker.” He scooped up the last of his eggs, then chewed and swallowed.

  “What’s a city slicker?” Lily wanted to know.

  Mallory met his gaze. “Surely you were ready for that one.”

  “Yeah.” He looked at the little girl. “It’s someone who’s never been around cows and horses before.”

  “Like me,” she said.

  “Yeah.”

  While finishing her breakfast, Mallory listened to them talk. Lily asked questions that ran the gamut from What do horses eat? to Does your butt get sore when you ride a horse? To Caleb’s credit, he answered every single one and his level of patience was impressive. Not once did he look the least bit annoyed. It was enough to make even the most guarded heart go all soft and gooey—and Mallory’s heart was pretty guarded. Or at least, it had been up until then...