“And make me into a father,” he added.
“That one’s up to you. All I can do is tell you what I know about eight-year-old girls.”
“I’ll take whatever you can give.”
“Speaking of that, I can give you two weeks, then after spring break I need to get back to substitute teaching. I’m probably going to be offered a position and I need to make myself as available as possible. Plus, the experience is very important to me.”
She heard him sigh and imagined him running his hand over his face. “I understand. That’s okay. When can you come over?”
“I need to get Eddie dressed and explain to him what’s going on. Do you have any problem if I tell him about Brittany?”
“Not at all. I mean, I don’t guess you should go into detail about my relationship with her mother.”
“No! I wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m sorry. Of course you wouldn’t.” He sighed again. “This is all new to me.”
“It’s new to me, too. Believe me, I’ve never been a consultant to a new father before.”
Luke chuckled. “We’re a real pair, aren’t we?”
The image of the two of them, holding hands and smiling at each other, popped into her head. But they weren’t a pair of anything, she told herself. “We’ll be fine.” I hope, she silently added, and crossed her fingers for luck.
After she ended the call, she told Eddie she was going to the garage to look through some boxes. She’d kept her college textbooks and student-teaching materials just in case she decided to teach once Eddie got older. Never did she think she’d be using her teaching degree while Eddie was still so young, or use her texts to help a new father.
Of course, she thought as she skipped down the steps, she’d never imagined her marriage ending either, and look what had happened as a result. She’d been caught completely off guard by Ed’s perfidy.
She entered through the side door of the three-car garage and turned on the lights. Her modest compact seemed tiny in comparison to Travis’s monster SUV and Jodie’s elegant BMW. Jodie used to drive a snazzy little convertible out in California, but she’d traded pizzazz for safety. Besides, as she had explained, much of the time it was too hot to drive a convertible in Texas.
Kate was just glad she had air-conditioning in her little sedan. When she was a suburban “soccer mom” in Dallas, she’d driven a luxurious but sporty SUV with a DVD player in the back for Eddie and every convenience for herself. It had been repossessed just before she’d been forced to sell most of their furniture and belongings.
She’d unpacked the box and was sorting her teaching materials into subject matter when the garage door opened. She looked up into the frowning face of her brother.
“What’s this I hear about you dating Luke Simon?”
“Good morning to you, too,” she said flippantly.
“Is it true?”
“I’m not dating Luke Simon,” she said, and went back to her books. However, she knew her answer wouldn’t appease him if he was on his high horse. “Where do you get all your gossip? Have you been hanging out at the beauty shop?”
Travis snorted. “Helen said Charlene Jacks told her this morning that Carole and Greg Rafferty saw you at the Mexican restaurant last night.”
Helen was Travis and Jodie’s housekeeper, who was obviously in touch with everyone in town through Charlene Jacks at the Four Square Café. “I was there with Eddie and Luke, having a friendly dinner. We are not dating.”
“Carole and Greg thought it looked like a date.”
“Oh, give me a break. What are we, in the ninth grade?”
Travis walked over, leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, unfortunately, we’re all grown up. That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Believe me, Travis, when I say that Luke and I are not romantically involved.”
“Then why did you go out to dinner with him? Good grief, Kate, if you needed to get out, you could have had dinner with us and Hank and Gwendolyn.”
“Wow, that sounds like such fun. Two couples, two babies, a divorcée and her six-year-old.”
“Feeling sorry for yourself? Is that what that date was about?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! It wasn’t a date, it was a job interview!”
Travis looked as stunned as she’d felt last night. “What are you talking about?”
“The reason Luke asked me to dinner, I thought, was because he was guilty about Eddie falling off the zebra. But it turns out he’s got a daughter who’s coming to live with him, and he needs some help getting his place ready for her.”
“So why doesn’t he hire Robin Parker? Why is he interviewing you?”
“Because he’s worried sick about being a good father, and he believes he needs more than decorating.”
Travis narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”
“Like knowing how to relate to an eight-year-old girl he just discovered is his daughter.”
“He’s so irresponsible that he didn’t even know he had a daughter?”
“Hey, it happens to the best of men—or so I’ve been told.”
At her jab about Travis’s rushed marriage to Jodie last year, he shifted uncomfortably. “That’s not the point. Why didn’t he know about her for eight years?”
“It’s a long story, and it’s his to tell…or not. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that Luke is a good man who is trying to do the right thing.”
“He’s a stranger that we know hardly anything about.”
Kate put down her book with a little too much force—not that she threw it, exactly—and glared at her brother. “Leave it alone, Travis. I’m doing what I think is best.”
“And I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my little sister and you…well, you’ve been through a lot.”
Tears formed, but Kate tried not to show Travis that his mistrust of her abilities hurt. Deeply. “I’ve been through a lot because I made mistakes. That doesn’t mean I’m incapable of making good decisions.”
“I never said you couldn’t make good decisions. I just don’t think you have much experience with men like Simon.”
She blinked and felt herself flush with anger. “No, I don’t. My experience with men is pretty much limited to my lying, cheating ex-husband, whom I should have known was a cheat, and my overbearing older brother, who likes to point out every opportunity that I’m silly and foolish.”
“Kate, that’s not true. You just usually think too highly of people.”
“Don’t patronize me, Travis, and don’t…just don’t tell me what to do.” She pushed the box aside and turned toward the door, ready to march up the stairs. “I’m going to help Luke Simon and I’m going to get paid for it, and come fall, I’m going to move into my own place where I can avoid all men altogether!”
Chapter Eight
Kate showed up just after lunch, a canvas tote of teaching materials and her six-year-old in tow. She wasn’t about to let Eddie run off to bother the zebras, ponies or donkey again. She, Luke and Eddie were going to have to agree on some strict ground rules if she was going to be at the ranch often.
Not that talking to Eddie had done much good so far.
“Good, you’re here,” Luke said, walking out the door and looking relieved.
First Travis, now Luke—why couldn’t men just say hello?
“If you’re going to make your daughter—or anyone, for that matter—feel welcome, it’s best to use some form of greeting. For example, ‘Good afternoon. I’m so glad to see you today.’”
Luke stopped in his tracks and stared for a moment. Then she thought he blushed, but she wasn’t sure because he was in the shadow of the porch. “I’m sorry. That was rude.” He took a deep breath. “Good afternoon, Kate and Eddie. How are you today?”
Eddie waved, then turned his attention to the yapping Jack Russell terriers in their run beside the barn.
Ka
te said softly to Luke, “Other than having been grilled by my overbearing brother, I’m fine.” In a normal voice, she added, “How are you?”
Luke winced. “I’m good, but I’m sorry Travis is giving you grief. I take it he’s against your helping me.”
“He’s against my having dinner with you, too.”
Luke leaned down and took the tote bag from her. “Word travels fast in this town.”
Kate ignored the feel of his warm, firm fingers closing over hers as she relinquished her hold on the bag. “Unbelievably so, especially if anyone has visited the Four Square Café, the beauty shop, or the hardware store. Those seem to be the hotbeds of gossip.”
He pulled open the door and stepped out of the way. “Would you like to come in?”
Kate smiled at him as she walked past. “Very nicely said, Mr. Simon.”
“Thank you, Teacher,” he said, grinning.
Her mood lightened, and she and Eddie stepped through the doorway of Luke’s ranch house. The structure wasn’t remarkable, just clapboard siding with a brick fireplace and a front porch wide enough for a couple of chairs. Inside, however, the place was a mess of construction. Lumber leaned against the far wall and several piles of scrap building material littered the floor. She couldn’t pinpoint the odor—something damp but not moldy—and multiple paint cans were clustered in a far corner.
“Uh-oh,” Eddie said, looking around. “Your house is really messy.”
Kate bit her bottom lip, and Luke laughed out loud. “Yeah, it’s really messy, Eddie, but in a week, it will be all finished and nice.”
“Oh. Okay,” her son said, looking around skeptically.
“Let me show you the bedrooms.”
Kate almost stumbled on the flat concrete floors.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked, apparently unaware of the implication she’d placed on his innocent remark.
“Must have been a nail or something,” she improvised. She grasped Eddie’s hand firmly and forced a smile. “Lead the way.”
Luke opened the first door to the left. “This is the bedroom I’ve been using as my office. I’m not having anything done to it.”
The dull grayish-white walls had no decoration except for a tattered movie poster above a functional wood desk. A laptop rested next to a fax machine and telephone. A large desk chair in nondescript gray had been rolled away from the work area. The windows overlooked the porch and front yard, such as it was, and the pasture across the driveway.
Eddie went over and looked out. “Look, Mommy, I can see Lola and Lollipop.”
“Yes, I see. Come on. Let’s look at some more rooms.”
“Can I go outside?” Eddie asked.
“No, absolutely not. Not right now.”
Eddie poked along as Luke led them toward the next small bedroom down the hallway. “This is Brittany’s room.”
“Who’s Brittany?” Eddie asked.
“You didn’t tell him?” Luke asked Kate.
“Not her name.” She knelt down. “Brittany is the little girl I told you about, Luke’s daughter. She’s eight years old, and she’s coming to live here very soon. That’s why Luke is working so hard to get everything done.”
“Oh, okay. Can I play with her?”
“I’m sure you can,” Kate said to her son as they stood close together in the narrow hallway.
“She’ll need a friend,” Luke said. “She doesn’t know anyone in Ranger Springs.”
“I have a friend named Pete.”
“Yes,” Luke said with a smile, “I remember hearing about Pete’s new puppy.”
“Are you getting a puppy for Brittany?”
“Uh,” Luke hedged, looking at Kate, “I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Probably not right away,” she answered. “She’ll need to get settled in first. And it’s not good to surprise someone until you know what kind of pets they like.”
“Good answer. My mother would completely agree.”
“Your mother?”
“She worked in a pet store for most of her life. And on the weekends, she also worked for a couple of trainers at a stable just outside of town. She loved animals.”
“So that’s where you got it.”
Luke shrugged. “I’ve been around dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and horses all my life.”
“Yes, but you chose to make them your life’s work.”
“I suppose. I don’t know if I’m old enough to call this my life’s work, at least not yet.”
“Good point. You are rather young.”
He looked at her strangely. “What do you mean?”
Kate shrugged. “Nothing, just that you’re only what, twenty-nine?”
“Thirty, as of last February.”
“Like I said, young.”
“You’re not any older…are you?”
“Just a little,” she replied, no intention of telling him more. She might be a temporary employee, but she didn’t need to tell him everything. “So, about Brittany’s room?”
Luke stepped through the doorway. “It’s small, but I think we can fix it up really nice for her.”
Kate looked at walls the same dingy white as those in the office. “We really should call Robin Parker. She’s an interior designer and owns the antique shop Robin’s Nest downtown.”
“Yes, I met her at the café once and I’ve been in her store.” He looked a little uncomfortable. “I’ve never worked with an interior decorator before.”
“I understand, but if we could get her help with the decorating, we could accomplish so much more.”
“You’re right. I’ll call her Monday.”
“If you have some ideas, I’m sure she’ll be glad to listen. After all, we all want to make this room welcoming for Brittany.”
Eddie wandered off to peer into the closet.
“It’s kind of hard to think of other people wishing me and my daughter well. It’s a small town kind of thing, I suppose, and I’ve never lived anywhere like this before.”
“The community is strong. If you’ll let them, they’ll really take you in.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
Kate placed her hand on Luke’s forearm and looked deep into his eyes. “Brittany will need you to be a part of the town so she can fit in better at school. She’ll need friends. Little girls especially like to have friends over and visit their homes. Parents aren’t going to allow that if they don’t know you and feel comfortable with you supervising their children.”
“It’s a little early to be thinking about sleepovers and play dates. I’m still getting used to having a child.”
“I understand, but your goal with Brittany is to provide stability. She needs to know you’re not going to leave her, that she’ll have a home no matter what.”
As Kate watched Luke’s face, the truth of her words sank in. She needed security and stability. She’d thought people weren’t going to leave her, but they did. Ed left her emotionally long before he moved out physically. He deserted all the dreams and refuted all the morals she thought they shared. That’s why she needed independence.
But making a home for Luke’s daughter wasn’t about old history, even when the memories threatened to overwhelm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lecture,” she said as she removed her hand from his arm, which was probably too familiar a gesture.
“You aren’t. You’re doing your job, teaching me about child psychology and making me into a father.”
“Yes, my job. I know,” she said, forcing a smile, “but still, I don’t mean to sound like a know-it-all.”
“You don’t. You sound compassionate and…informed.”
“Thank you.” She looked at Eddie, who sat cross-legged on the floor, playing with some short lengths of wire and metal washers. “Eddie, let’s not sit on this floor. We don’t know what might be in the old carpet.”
“Right,” Luke said. “It’s still pretty dirty, even though I vacuumed before they started working i
n here.”
Kate had a hard time picturing Luke Simon cleaning the house. He was a bit too masculine, a bit too wild to push a vacuum cleaner. Or at least, she assumed such good-looking men didn’t spend their time on domestic chores.
He showed them the small bathroom across the hall that Brittany would use, tiled in sixties two-toned green. The last room at the end of the hall was the master bedroom. When Luke opened the door, Kate felt like leaving. She really didn’t want to get up close and personal with Luke’s furniture and belongings. But she forced herself to stay and get acquainted with the layout of the house and the furniture he already had in case he needed her advice.
A king-size bed took up most of the floor space. He had no headboard. A comforter was pulled up over dark sheets, and at least four pillows were stacked against the wall, as though he leaned back there at night before going to sleep. A plastic storage crate served as a nightstand, holding a lamp and a book. She stepped into the room and looked at the other walls. He had a single chest of drawers, some boxes yet to unpack, and not one decorative or family item to show who lived here.
“There’s a closet on that wall,” he said, pointing to the closed door.
“I see. Well, your house certainly has potential.”
“That’s a nice way to put it. I have a functional house, one that needs lots of work. I can’t do everything before Brittany comes to live with me, so we should prioritize.”
“We can do that. But mostly, we have to get Brittany’s space ready and make sure the house is safe.”
“What’s involved in making a house safe for an eight-year-old? A baby, I understand. But she’s older.”
“Yes, old enough to get into a lot of things. After the workers finish with cabinets and doors and painting, I can go through with you to make sure dangerous substances are stored properly and that there are no blatant dangers.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
Kate took in a deep breath. “I’m not sure. I’m new at this, too.”
“I’ll show you the rest of the house and the grounds.”
He took them through the torn-up kitchen and dining room, then out the back door. Two steps down was a path leading to the drive. The single car garage was halfway to the barn. His white pickup was parked beside the house, and a shiny new horse trailer rested behind the barn.
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