“She’s adorable,” Sarah’s mother said behind her and took a seat on the top stair. “You and Katie seemed to have fun cooking dinner.”
“Don’t get any ideas that I’ll take over the cooking anytime soon. It was just sandwiches. I knew today was a long day for you.” Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the dark circles under her mom’s eyes.
“Beatrice was extra picky today. How’s she been on the fund-raiser committee?”
“Tolerable. Thankfully, I’m not working directly with her. Between Liam and me, we almost have our twenty bachelors.”
“Are they all young?”
Sarah shifted halfway around on the step. “Yes.”
“You might want to throw in some older men.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. Any suggestions?”
“At church there’s Clarence Dodd and Tom Adkins. I image they’ll turn a few women’s heads.”
This was a first. Her mom was a friend with both of them, but she’d never said something like that. “Anyone else?” She drew on her willpower to keep from smiling and probing further about the two men.
“I know what you’re thinking. I’m not going to bid on either man but others might. Just saying you should think about it.”
“Why won’t you bid on them? You’ve always supported this fund-raiser.”
“Because I’ll concentrate on trying to spend my money at the silent auction.” Her mom paused, looked in the direction of Nana and added, “The truth is, I don’t have time to date. I need to be here for Mama.”
“I’m here, too. I can help with that.”
“I’d rather see you bid on a bachelor than me.”
At the sound of the gate opening Katie whirled around and ran to Liam and Madison coming into the backyard. Not sure how to answer her mother, Sarah leaped to her feet and hurried over to the trio. How could she explain to her mom that she didn’t want anyone else to bid on Liam when she didn’t understand it herself?
“Did you two have fun?” Sarah asked, surprised her mother hadn’t followed her to get an answer.
“I got a candle on my chocolate cake.” Madison ran her tongue over her lips. “Mmm. It was great.”
Katie tugged on Madison’s arm. “You should see Junior. He’s really growing. Nana thinks he’s gonna be big.”
As the two girls scurried to her grandmother sitting under the oak tree, Liam chuckled. “Did Katie behave herself this evening?”
“We made dinner. How are they doing cooking dinner for you?”
“Let’s just say it’s a work in progress. I’m doing most of the work, but they’re learning, especially about cleaning as you go.”
“That’s good. I didn’t when I was growing up because Mom loved to do it, and now I’m nearly helpless in the kitchen.”
His eyes twinkled. “I don’t see you helpless in any situation.”
“Then you’ve never seen me cook.” She peered at the girls. “Did it go well?”
“Yes. I think so. No angry words exchanged. She even told me all about what’s going on at school without me asking.”
“That’s good. Katie said she can’t wait until she goes out with you next Monday.”
“Is it safe for me to approach your mom?”
“We had a talk last week about backing off. I guess all we can do is see.” As she headed toward the deck she added, “I’m worried about her. I suggested to her about getting a caregiver support group started at church, but I don’t think she’s tried. I’m going to talk to Pastor Collins after the fund-raiser luncheon tomorrow. If she won’t, I will.”
“Good thinking. If there hadn’t been a single dads’ group already, I would have if someone had suggested it to me. You feel overwhelmed and starting anything new seems too much, even something that would help you.”
She slowed her pace. “Nana had a spell today when Beatrice was there. And that woman told Mom again that she needs to check into nursing homes for my grandmother. That didn’t sit well with my mother.”
“Hasn’t she been doing better lately?”
“Yes. I think the new meds have helped—and it really wasn’t too bad today—but Beatrice doesn’t know how to mind her own business. My mom doesn’t need the added stress.”
“You’ve done so much for me. If I can help, let me know. Maybe you and your mom could talk to Pastor Collins together. You could drop your grandmother and Junior off at my house. She might enjoy seeing the other kittens.”
“Maybe I will next week. I’ll call Pastor Collins and set up an appointment with him. Thanks.” Just having a game plan made Sarah feel less tense about the situation with Nana.
When he reached the bottom of the steps, Liam grinned at her mom. “How’s it going with your mother and Junior at night?”
“Not too bad, but I don’t know if that kitten will ever see the rest of the house.” Her mother started to stand but sank back down.
When he offered her his hand, he helped her to stand. “I’m learning the importance of compromise with my nieces,” he told her, smiling.
“I have some cookies left over from my baking yesterday. I’m going to wrap up some for you to take home.” Her mother walked into the house.
“I vacuum Nana’s bedroom several times a week,” Sarah told him as the door closed behind her mother. “My grandmother has taken to eating in her bedroom in the morning, so she can spend more time with Junior. In the evening if it’s not raining, she’s outside. Both Gabe and Junior like that. It won’t be long before the kitten tries to climb the fence to see what’s on the other side.”
“Has Gabe gotten out anymore since I fixed the fence?”
“No. I saw him once try, though. I don’t want to leave him inside all day. He loves the outdoors.” The urge to kiss Liam for the work he’d done last Wednesday inundated her. These past weeks she’d enjoyed his company as well as the girls. With Liam down the street, she didn’t feel so alone. She’d lost touch with a lot of her friends since she’d moved away. He’d filled a void she hadn’t realized until he came into her life.
“Have you thought of getting a GPS tracker for Gabe and Junior? That might give you some peace of mind if either does.”
“I’ve heard of that. I’ll look into it, especially for the kitten.” She gestured toward his nieces and her grandmother, who were taking turns holding Junior. “She’s very attached to him.”
Her mother reemerged from the house with a plate of foil-wrapped goodies.
Liam cupped his mouth and called out, “Time to go, girls.”
“Oh, Uncle Liam, five more minutes,” Madison said with a pout. “I haven’t played with them enough like Katie.”
“Your special time with the pets will be next Monday.” He took the cookies from her mom’s hands and held them up. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t get enough chocolate tonight, so I may finish these chocolate-chip cookies if you don’t come right away.”
Katie walked toward him. “Can we have a couple before bed?”
“Yes.” He turned toward Sarah and her mother. “Thanks for watching Katie and for these cookies.” Then he started for the gate, peeling back the foil around the cookies.
Katie looked back at Madison but hurried toward her uncle. The gate closing caught Madison’s attention. She hugged Gabe and Junior then ran to catch up with Liam and her sister.
“He’s learning,” her mother said.
“Yes, he’s a good father to them in spite of what he thinks.”
“He’ll learn making mistakes is part of being a parent. Those two little girls have been a joy to have around. Even Nana has perked up with them here.” Her mother sighed.
In a short time, Liam and the girls had ingrained themselves in her family. She really cared about Liam, but she was afraid there wouldn’t be a good outcome f
or her and Liam—in spite of what her mother wanted.
* * *
Thursday evening Liam sat next to Colt at the high school pool while Katie and Madison practiced the new swimming stroke they were learning. “Beth was the first one into the water. Madison jumped right in, but Katie is my cautious girl.” His youngest had been the last person in the pool, taking one slow step at a time into the water.
“Beth loves it. I just need her to do it better. I worry she’ll sneak off and go swimming in the pond at the ranch.”
“I’m glad the single dads’ meeting is nearby. We’ll be late as it is.”
While Colt leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, he watched his daughter swim across the pool. When she made it, he released a long breath. “That’s the first time she’s gone that far.”
“Katie was so excited when she made it on Thursday. I was glad I was here to see it. That’s all she talked about on the way home.”
Colt slanted his head toward Liam. “That’s the way Beth was when Madison asked her to her birthday party this Saturday. She had another hard day at school and that helped her forget about the kids making fun of her.”
“Have you talked to the teacher?”
“Yes, but so far nothing has been successful. I’m looking forward to the summer. Hopefully next school year will be better. I’m going to talk to the principal and make sure my child gets the right teacher for her.”
“Whereas I look at summer as another change. We’re just starting to get a routine down, and school will end and we’ll have a new routine to get used to.”
Colt chuckled. “Who’s the routine for? You? Or your nieces?”
“Both. They do better with one and so do I.”
“That’s how I feel, too. Beth has to have one, but we’ll fall into our usual summer one. The first summer will be the hardest as you find out what works and doesn’t.”
“What do you do with Beth when school is out?”
“I’ve tried a camp once, but it didn’t go real well. A few years back I hired a person to look after her in the summer. They’re at the ranch, and I drop in frequently to see how Beth is doing. Having someone gives me peace of mind about places like the pond or the field where the bulls graze.”
As the class wound down Liam gathered his nieces’ bags so they could change clothes in the dressing room. He stood off to the side as the girls exited the pool.
Katie and Madison hurried toward him.
“No running,” Sarah called out and came toward him.
His nieces reached him at the same time with Madison saying, “Sorry. I forgot the rule.”
“Me, too. We need to change and go with Uncle Liam to a—” Katie looked up at him “—party.”
Sarah smiled. “A party?”
Colt joined them with Beth.
“Yeah, with the dads’ club. And I’m starving, so let’s get ready.” Madison tugged on her sister’s arm.
“Can Beth go with you to the dressing room?”
“Sure.” Madison took her bag and strolled with Beth to the door with Girl’s Locker Room on it.
Katie walked—just short of running—to catch up with them.
“Beth is doing great. She wants to try everything,” Sarah said to Colt.
“Thanks. Actually I owe Liam here big-time for telling me about these lessons. Sometimes I feel isolated at the ranch. Do you think they’ll be all right by themselves in there?”
“Tell you what. I’ll go see how they’re doing.”
Five minutes later the four of them walked out of the locker room.
Colt took Beth’s hand and left the pool area while Liam paused next to Sarah. His nieces were becoming attached to her. What would happen when he wanted to leave Buffalo? There were times he thought about staying, but then he remembered the friends he’d left behind, his house, his connections...
“Liam, are you okay?”
He blinked at Sarah. “Sorry. Did you say something?”
“I just said you all better get going or the food will be gone.”
“Yeah, we need to go.”
The girls started for the exit.
He faced Sarah. “Thanks for everything. Madison has been talking nonstop about the birthday party.”
“See you.” Sarah headed for the pool.
Liam watched her and realized it wasn’t only the girls who were becoming attached to Sarah. He was, too. As soon as the bachelor auction, swimming lessons and Madison’s party were over, there wouldn’t be a reason for them to see each other so much. That was probably for the best.
He rushed to catch up with his nieces, noticing Colt’s truck was already gone.
A few minutes later he parked on the street several houses down from Michael Taylor’s, right behind Colt. The girls ran to catch up with Beth and Colt, who’d stopped to wait for them.
“What did you bring?” Colt asked.
“A cake I baked earlier today. How about you?”
“The same. Store bought.”
Michael greeted them when they entered the house. “The kids are in the den. Carrie is in charge, much to her brothers’ irritation.”
“With a high-schooler at least you have a built-in babysitter,” Liam said while Colt took his cake to the table then headed for the den.
“In between the debate team, soccer and school work. We were waiting for you two so we could start. Nathan has a problem concerning his ex-wife.”
“Okay, let me put my—” Liam’s cell phone rang, cutting him off. As he answered, another one in the living room went off, too.
“Liam here.”
“We have a grass fire on the outskirts of Buffalo threatening a subdivision. Captain has called in all the firefighters,” his lieutenant said.
“I’ll be there as soon as I set up care for my nieces.” While he disconnected, he saw that Brandon had also received a call.
His friend approached, frown lines slashing across his face. “I’ll see you at the station.”
Liam stepped out onto the porch to call Aunt Betty. The phone rang ten times before he finally hung up. He’d round up Madison and Katie and see if he could find his aunt.
When the three of them left Michael’s house, Colt hurried after him. “Do you have someone to care for the girls?”
“Not yet. My aunt didn’t answer her phone.”
“Let me take your nieces, then.”
“I’ll probably be gone all night the way it sounds.” Liam looked south and, in the dim light of dusk, could see the darkened sky that indicated a fire.
“That’s okay. I’ll make sure they get to school. Do you have time to get some clothes for them?”
“Yes. I’ll bring back a bag.”
“Good. Have Madison and Katie return here.”
“Will do. Thanks.” The scent of smoke laced the breeze from the south. He didn’t have a good feeling about this. With the drought conditions the past few years, it wouldn’t take much for a fire to get out of hand.
After he explained to the girls what was happening, he drove to his house to get them something to wear tomorrow. He set the bag on the patio and hastened to Aunt Betty’s house. Lights were on in the kitchen. He knocked on the back door. Nothing. He went around to the front and rang the bell. Still nothing. He peeked into the garage window and saw that her car was gone. He’d try later. She didn’t own a cell phone. He prayed he could get ahold of his aunt sometime tonight.
After dropping their bag off with Colt, he kissed them each goodbye. He saw the worry in Madison’s eyes and forced a smile to his face. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going into work a little early.”
“But what if...” She dropped her head.
“I’ve dealt with grass fires before, Madison. I’m counting on you being
there for Katie if she gets upset. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He gave Madison a hug then Katie. As he drove away, he decided to swing by the pool to catch Sarah at the end of her last lesson. He had no reason to be worried about Aunt Betty, but he was. It was after dark, and she rarely drove anywhere at night.
As he pulled up, Sarah’s car was still there. He jogged toward the building and pulled open the main door at the same time she pushed on it.
Surprise widened her gaze. “What’s wrong?”
He quickly explained about the fire, Colt taking the girls for the night and Aunt Betty not being home. “I hate to ask, but will you try to get hold of her? I don’t know when I’ll be able to call her, and I would hate to wake her up.”
“Sure. I’ll take care of everything. I don’t want you worrying about the girls or your aunt while working.”
“Then I’ll call you when I get a chance.”
“I’ll keep my cell phone by the bed, so even if it’s after midnight, call me.”
Her reassuring tone eased some of his anxiety. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“No, you are. Go do your job. I’m glad we live on the north side of town, but I’ll be praying for the folks in the fire’s path.”
On impulse he clasped her arm and tugged her to him, kissing her—a brief connection he wished he could prolong.
He pulled away and ran to his car. As he backed out of the parking space, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Chapter Ten
Sarah paced the length of Betty’s front porch, glancing at her watch every ten minutes or so. Finally at ten she glimpsed the woman’s car coming down the street, probably at only ten miles an hour. The garage door went up as Sarah descended the steps and hurried to the driveway.
When Betty climbed slowly from her vehicle, the first thing Sarah noticed was the walking boot on her left leg. Then she saw Liam’s aunt’s face, an ashy cast to her features.
“What happened, Betty?”
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