Never Say Never

by Tina Leonard

  Dustin got up from the table, seemingly relieved by the change of subject. “You might ask Mother because she’s the one who really knows what needs attention around here. My only requirement is that dinner be served at six o’clock sharp.”

  “I’ll have it ready, sharp,” Jill replied.

  Dustin nodded, walking from the kitchen. Jill had almost begun breathing easier until he popped his head back into the room.

  “By the way, I enjoyed meeting your parents. They seem nice.”

  Jill smiled at Dustin’s attempt at social niceties. “Thank you. They are.”

  He nodded again, disappearing for good this time. A moment later, she heard the roar of the truck as it started up. Dustin had seemed anxious to avoid talking about the sheriff, she thought. But if there had been a problem, surely he would have mentioned it to her. Likely, she was borrowing trouble by worrying. Turning to the boy beside her, who was carefully sipping at his chocolate, she said, “Well, Joey, we’re on our own now.”

  He shrugged. Jill might have been disheartened by his lack of response, except that she recognized the shrugs as one of Dustin’s substitutes for conversation. Like father, like son. Neither one was going to be an easy convert.

  Jill let her attention wander for a moment while Joey drank his cocoa. She still had to decide what to do about the apartment where she and Carl had planned on living. She was hanging on to it for another month, until she made certain this job worked out. They hadn’t split up any of their belongings yet either because Carl hadn’t taken much with him when she’d told him she was breaking it off. Surely, he’d want to go back to retrieve his things. Either way, it was a loose end that needed tying up.

  Holly’s wail wafted down the stairs. Jill smiled at the tiny cry. “That’s my time clock punching in. Shall we go upstairs?”

  “Okay,” Joey said, getting up from the table.

  He sounded so old that Jill frowned. “Don’t you like having a baby in the house?” she asked.

  Joey turned his gaze up to Jill. In his eyes, she saw neither excitement nor resentment.

  “Who cares?” he said. “She…she won’t be here long, either.”

  On the other side of Lassiter, Maxine Copeland fixed the private investigator she’d hired with unblinking eyes. “What do you mean, you can’t seem to find anything dirty to dig up on the Reeds?” she demanded coldly.

  “Just that,” the little man returned. “The two of them seem to be living their lives very quietly.”

  “Their household wasn’t so quiet the night my daughter died in a car accident,” she stated tersely. “If Dustin Reed hadn’t upset Nina so badly, my daughter wouldn’t have driven out into that bad storm. Don’t give me that innocent line. I assure you, if you dig hard enough, you’ll discover that Eunice Reed was the reason for my husband’s inattention for the last five years.” She gave a delicate sniff.

  The investigator shook his head. “David’s records do reflect jewelry purchases, et cetera, but I can find no link between your husband and Eunice Reed.”

  “I’m paying you plenty to find it,” she snapped.

  “You hired me because I’m a damn good PI. I never agreed to make up lies. You’ll have to find someone else to do your dirty work.”

  “Fine. You’re fired.”

  The man nodded, getting up quickly and heading to the door. “Best of luck finding a way to pin your suspicions on Eunice Reed. You’ll need it. She’s squeaky clean.”

  Maxine slammed her palm against the table as he walked out. The evidence that David had been having an ongoing affair, covering a span of nearly five years, was driving her mad. She’d always known there had been women. But not a single, special woman who had claimed David’s heart for that long.

  To know that it had been Eunice Reed was enough to send her hatred boiling over into insanity. All Maxine’s life, Eunice had had everything she, Maxine, had wanted. Homecoming Queen. A marriage into a ranching empire. A son. Even Maxine’s marriage into a wealthy family hadn’t saved her from knowing that Eunice held a more respected position in Lassiter than she herself ever had.

  If it took every penny she possessed, Maxine vowed that Eunice Reed was not going to get away without the town knowing of her illicit relationship with David. What a blow to Eunice’s reputation if everyone should learn the truth. She was nothing more than a home wrecker.

  Once the secret was spilled, casting its ugly shadows over the Reed Ranch, it would be a piece of cake to change public opinion about who should have custody of Joey.

  Her grandson, Joey, was the one thing in life Eunice Reed wasn’t going to get. Maxine was determined that, whatever it took, Joey would remain here with her.

  Because it was all she had left of Nina. Eunice had won her daughter away in life when Nina had married Dustin Reed.

  At least Maxine could raise her daughter’s child—and to hell with the Reeds.

  Chapter Five

  Dustin eased back in the saddle, enjoying the sound of the leather creaking as he stretched. He could finally tend to his work again, without worrying about difficult housekeepers quitting on him. Today he had ridden from one end of his acreage to the other, checking on livestock and seeing what damage the ice had done, just him and his horse occasionally blowing out steamy breaths in the frosty air. This was how it was meant to be.

  Leaving matters concerning his house in Jill’s capable hands was a major source of relief. How darn lucky for him that Jill had come to apply for the job. How very fortunate that his mother liked her. Eunice had certainly given the other two housekeepers a run for their sanity. Of course, he was a long way from relaxing around his new housekeeper, but Eunice had warmed to Jill like butter to hot gingerbread—and since he really wanted a companion and watchful eye on his mother and his young son more than a sparkling-clean home, this was all working out better than he could have hoped for.

  “And the silence isn’t bad either, is it, old boy?” Dustin said to his horse. He patted the gelding’s neck, then turned toward the barn. Satisfied with the developing situation in his house, he could concentrate harder on the custody battle he faced in a few weeks.

  He put the horse in the barn, slipping a blanket over it after rubbing it down. Making sure there was enough oats and water, Dustin gave the horse another solid pat on the neck. “You never change, Rooster,” he said. “You’re a stalwart friend.”

  Rooster gave Dustin a placid eyeing before turning his head to his water bucket. Dustin left the barn, rubbing his chapped hands together for warmth as he walked toward the house. Along the fence on the opposite side of the house several head of cattle wandered. With any luck, this year would produce a good calving. He needed that to happen, and not just for the money. Lots of calves would keep him busy, something he could expend restless energy on, which had consumed him since Nina’s death.

  Dustin opened the front door, his serene mood instantly exploding. Baby Holly was wailing, and from the sound of it, she was in the kitchen. Somewhere, he could hear Bugs Bunny besting Elmer Fudd, probably on the kitchen-counter television. Over this din, he could hear a woman singing, with an occasional “whee!” injected into the lyrics.

  Baby Holly, apparently, did not care about “whee!” when she was hungry. It was six o’clock and Dustin was starved, so he figured he and the baby were on the same track. It was an easy guess that if Dustin wanted his supper any time soon, he’d best get into the kitchen and nab the Christmas angel so Jill could fix his meal.

  Striding into the room, Dustin quickly washed his hands. “Hey, Joey,” he said over his shoulder. The child didn’t say anything, but a quick glance at the screen showed Dustin that Elmer was losing the battle with Bugs. Joey giggled, satisfying Dustin that his son was amused for the moment. “Here,” he said, taking Holly from her resting place against Jill’s shoulder. Jill was in the process of warming a bottle and stirring something on the stove that smelled delicious.

  Dustin grabbed up the bottle from the pan of water, te
sting it quickly on his arm before sitting down next to Joey.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Jill protested.

  “It’s either me or her,” Dustin said, nodding toward the big pot Jill was still stirring. “I figure I don’t get any of that until she gets hers.”

  Jill met Dustin’s eyes. “She is louder than you are.” Dustin grunted and popped the bottle into Holly’s mouth, resulting in instant silence as the baby sucked hungrily. “Was she good today?”

  “She’s a doll,” Jill confirmed. Leaning over to peer inside the oven at baking biscuits, she gave a satisfied nod. “Just about done.”

  Dustin wasn’t sure if the wonderful smell of the bread or the wonderful shape of Jill’s rear was more appealing to his senses. He turned his gaze to Holly, whose eyes were closed in rapt infant enjoyment of her feeding. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Mind what?” Jill tossed a glance around her shoulder, but stayed leaning over, observing the biscuits.

  Dustin frowned. “Mind caring for a baby,” he clarified. “You didn’t know about her when you came to apply for the job.”

  “No, I didn’t. But she’s very little trouble, really.” Jill walked over to the table to set out forks and knives. She met Dustin’s gaze with an honest look in her eyes. “Your son’s been a dream, too. I think we’re all adjusting to each other nicely.”

  That was more balm to add to his improving mood. “Speaking of adjusting, where’s Mother?”

  Jill folded blue-checkered cloth napkins into halves, placing them beside the plates. “Upstairs. She said she wanted to change her clothes before dinner.”

  “Why?”

  “Your mother spent most of the day on the floor with Holly. When she was awake, they played on the parlor carpet. When she was asleep, Eunice waited for her to wake up.” She shot Dustin a teasing grin. “As I mentioned, Holly is very little trouble to me. Especially since Joey is becoming as fascinated by her as your mother is.”

  “I hope it lasts,” Dustin said worriedly.

  “Well, there’s some novelty in knowing that we can only have Holly for a little while,” Jill admitted. “It’s hard to complain when you know she’ll probably go home sooner than you’d like.”

  Dustin gazed down at the infant now slowly working the last drops of formula from the bottle. She looked contentedly tuckered out. A good wail and a warm bottle obviously made for the kind of bone-deep relaxation that Dustin envied. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I was so worried about you taking on all of us that I forgot to think about Holly probably not being here that long.”

  “You never know.”

  Dustin was silent for a moment. “I guess I thought an investigation would take longer, since we’re not sure if the baby’s father is still a threat.”

  “Did Marsh have any more information when he was out here yesterday?”

  Jill’s expression was questioning. He stared at her, as she waited for an answer. Those blue eyes looked so innocent, her face was so sweetly shaped and cute and—hell, he couldn’t believe Jill would be husband hunting. He couldn’t believe anything about Jill was remotely crooked. Everything about her was round and feminine and adorable and motherly.

  Or maybe, as Marsh seemed to have been suggesting, Dustin didn’t want to see Jill in any light that wasn’t favorable. For many reasons of his own.

  Slowly, Dustin put the snoozing infant to his shoulder. Holly eased out a Texas-sized burp but was too satisfied with her meal to awaken. Jill reached to take her, but Dustin shook his head. He stood, carrying the infant from the kitchen and up the stairs. Down in the kitchen, he heard the sounds of Jill laying out supper. Dustin paused by the baby’s basket, kneeling to gently lay her inside. With one hand, he drew the pink blanket over her. Holly paid no attention to his ministrations at all.

  Dustin heard his mother carefully making her way down the stairwell. With one last look at Holly, he flipped on the baby monitor as he stood. His stomach rumbled, but he waited until he could hear the women talking and Joey’s excited voice telling them about the cartoons he’d been watching. Only then did he go downstairs.

  Maybe he’d lingered long enough with Holly that Jill would forget all about Marsh’s visit yesterday. Lord knows, Dustin was trying to.

  Cleaning up the kitchen was one of Jill’s least favorite jobs. The trouble was, she liked to cook so many dishes from scratch that she ended up with plenty of pots and pans and ingredients to put away. But the bright spot was that Dustin and Eunice had seemed appreciative of her meal. There was a chocolate frosted cake sitting on the counter and Jill hadn’t missed Dustin’s frequent glances toward it. He hadn’t exaggerated his enjoyment of a prompt suppertime, either. The man had gone back for seconds, and then thirds.

  Deciding that it was best to go ahead and start cleaning up the kitchen before Eunice could rise to help, Jill didn’t linger over her meal. Both Jill and Dustin insisted Eunice stay seated at the table. He claimed he had matters concerning the ranch he needed to discuss with her, but since he immediately started to help remove dishes to the counter where Jill could rinse them, she knew Dustin was being protective toward his mother.

  “Come on, Joey, let’s go sit in the parlor since they won’t let us help,” Eunice said. “It’s going to be so cold tonight, we may as well go ahead and light the fire now. It’ll be nice and warm for us to have our tea in front of later.”

  “Okay.”

  Joey readily got up and followed Eunice. Jill was glad to see that he was careful to wait until Eunice made her slow way from the room before following closely behind.

  “I’ll call you in about ten minutes for cake,” Jill said as they left.

  “That suits us fine, doesn’t it, Joey?”

  “Yeah!” he answered. “Why…you…you like to drink tea so much, Grandma?”

  Jill grinned at Joey’s childish inquisitiveness. She heard the soft tone of Eunice’s voice, but couldn’t hear the answer. “Joey seems to be accepting me,” Jill said, squirting dish soap into a sink full of hot water. “Maybe not as quickly as your mother did, but I feel as though I’m making progress.”

  “My mother is delighted to have people in the house. Christmas is tough enough without…”

  Dustin paused, but Jill had an idea she knew what he was going to say. She made no attempt to cover the awkward moment with some pleasantry as she briskly scraped the plates clean. It was best to try to keep from saying something that might make Dustin feel worse about his wife not being here this Christmas.

  “How much time are you going to want off for Christmas?”

  Jill straightened. “What do you mean?”

  Dustin put down the glass he’d been drying and reached for another. “You’re going to need some time to celebrate the season with your family. If I have a general idea of how long you’ll need off, then I can make plans around your schedule.”

  “Hm.” Jill had been so glad to have a paying job that she hadn’t thought about asking for holiday vacation time. “Will you start cutting the cake and putting it on plates while I think about that?”

  “Sure.”

  After a moment, Jill noticed that he was concentrating on his task of cutting the cake, and at the same time she realized he was trying to be very careful not to let the moist cake crumble into pieces as he worked.

  “Do you want me to do that, Dustin?”

  “Aren’t I doing it right?”

  He looked concerned. Jill tried to smile reassuringly. “You’re doing fine.”

  “Well, then, you keep working on your part, and I’ll do mine.”

  She turned to load silverware into the dishwasher, trying not to let Dustin’s gruffness bother her. The Reeds had told her they were an independent lot, and she would have to do her best to figure out where the delicate line between her housekeeping duties and smothering the family was drawn.

  It would be so much easier if she didn’t want to care for them. Particularly Dustin. Unfortunately, she recognized another
soul in pain when she saw one. Every instinct inside her wanted to do her best to make Dustin happy. It seemed that it took so little to make his gratitude come to the surface, as if he hadn’t let anyone put him first in a long time. Certainly, he kept Eunice at arm’s length, though perhaps that was because of her health.

  For a moment, Jill wondered about Dustin’s wife. Had she been a nurturing woman, filled with a desire to take care of her husband? Such small things seemed to please him. His gratitude made Jill enjoy doing things for him like baking a cake and yet she sensed his surprise in her actions. Almost as if he pulled back from allowing her to do more for him.

  Maybe he didn’t like being on the receiving end of their relationship. Maybe he didn’t realize the good fortune this job represented to Jill. Perhaps if Dustin felt like he was giving back more he might ease up. It seemed to her that despite his stoic nature, Dustin had shown himself to be a giving man in many ways.

  “Could I have all of Christmas Day to spend with my folks?” Jill suddenly asked. “It’s a lot to ask, because of Holly, I know…”

  He stopped slicing the cake and licked some chocolate frosting from his finger. Her mouth went dry. A surprisingly sexual reaction shot through her and Jill turned away, amazed at the unexpected feeling.

  “That’s fine, Jill. Don’t you want Christmas Eve to go to church with your family, too?”

  There. Her theory was proven by his obvious concern. The man was still worried that he was asking her to take too much on with this job. Jill shook her head as she cleaned around the sink with the vegetable spray, telling herself she had imagined the sudden burst of sexual attraction she’d felt. “I can go with you and Eunice, if that’s all right.”

  She thought she saw a flickering of that amazement in his eyes for just a second, but it was gone too quickly to be certain she wasn’t imagining it.

  “Fine with me,” he said. Quietly, he moved to put the plates on the table. “If you’re sure.”