“We’re out for a ride, sir.”
“I see.” That sounded innocent enough, but they had the same look on their faces that he saw on Maggie’s whenever she had something to hide. “Do your guardians know you’re out here by yourselves?”
Gil shrugged. “Don’t reckon they much care, sir.”
“Hmm.” David hoped that wasn’t true, but he couldn’t help taking a closer look at the pair for signs of neglect. They were both a mite thin. Otherwise, they appeared to be well taken care of. Sometimes appearances only went surface deep, though.
Jo poked her brother in the ribs, loosening his tongue a bit more. “I mean, they let us do what we like so long as we stay out of trouble and make it back in time for supper.”
Jo nudged the mule’s side again. This time the mule picked up speed. Gil waved. “We’ve got to go now, Mr. McKay. Don’t want to miss supper. Bye!”
David watched them take the turnoff toward town and shook his head. It was a shame that the Satlers didn’t feel cared about at home. David had every intention of following up with their guardians to see if there was anything he could do to help support the siblings. Even so, he wished there was something more he could do for them. Something like what exactly? Take them into his home? He’d expanded the former Windy Diamond homestead into the ranch house it was today. Even after adding a second floor with three bedrooms, the McKay house was full up to the rafters. Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. He could ask Maggie to share her room or he could clear out the study, which operated as his business office. But he was already struggling to care for the children under his protection now.
The sad fact was he simply couldn’t take in every orphan in the county—no matter how much he might want to. No matter how much they needed a home and not just a transient one, either, but a permanent place where they could grow up or stay until they found new families.
“Wait a minute,” David whispered to the quiet woods. “That’s it. That’s the answer.”
A children’s home would provide the town’s orphans a permanent place to stay where they knew they would be safe and cared for. It was the perfect solution. Not just for the children, either, but for him. He wouldn’t need a nanny. He wouldn’t need a wife. Not if the children had a permanent place to stay. Selfishness aside, the children needed this, too. The triplets needed stability. The other children in the community, children like the Satlers, should have a place to go where they knew they would be cared about. This was the perfect solution. He simply needed to develop it more.
He said a quick hello to his family when he entered the house, then all but locked himself in his study to do just that. Once he ran out of ideas, he switched his focus to pinning down the feed order. Before he knew it, his mother was calling him for supper. He took one look at the table and asked, “Ma, did you find the table leaf?”
She shook her head. “I’m still looking. Sit down, son. Supper is getting cold.”
He hesitated only a second, then took his seat. Maggie extended her hand to him. Caroline’s fingers slid across his palm to rest in his grasp. He stole a quick glance at her only to find her watching him expectantly—just like everyone else.
Grace. He was supposed to be saying grace. Clearing his throat, he kept his prayer brief and released Caroline’s hand even faster once it was over. No romantic entangles. Not even the merest possibility of one. That was what he’d said. That was what he’d meant. End of story.
Chapter Five
Caroline sang one last lullaby as she watched to make sure Jasper’s droopy eyelids stayed shut. With her three little charges snuggling together in their crib, she silently padded toward the door. She pulled it open as quietly as possibly only to hear a grunt as Maggie tumbled into the room and landed at her feet. Caroline’s eyes widened. Putting a finger to her lips, Caroline helped the girl stand. A quick glance at the crib showed her the babies hadn’t been disturbed. She ushered Maggie out of the room and closed the door behind them. She spoke softly as they walked down the stairs. “Are you all right, Maggie?”
“I’m fine,” Maggie mumbled.
“How’d you end up on the floor?”
“I was listening to you sing. The door opened. I fell in.” Maggie paused at the base of the stairs to cross her arms and pout. “How come you never sing to me?”
Caroline’s eyebrows lifted. “Do you want me to sing to you?”
Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know. I just like hearing you is all.”
“Well, that’s very sweet, Maggie. I’d be happy to sing for you anytime you like.”
“Now?”
“Oh. Well...” She glanced back at the nursery. Too much noise would awaken them. She had a feeling Maggie wouldn’t particularly appreciate Caroline using that as a reason to refuse.
“Can we? We still have a few minutes before Pa has to tuck me in.”
“Pa” had been locked away in his study since shortly after dinner. Honestly, in the three days that Caroline had been living with the McKays, she’d hardly seen the man. That meant Maggie hadn’t, either. The more time Caroline spent with the girl, the more she noticed how much Maggie wanted to spend time with her father...and how often those requests were denied. Determination filled Caroline. “Let’s make an adventure of it, Maggie. We can go a little away from the house and serenade the moon. Maybe your pa would like to join us.”
Delight filled Maggie’s eyes. “I’ll ask him.”
“Good. Meet me at the front door.” Caroline dropped off her writing box in the parlor, where Ida was sewing in a comfortable armchair near the fireplace.
Ida lifted a brow. “Serenade the moon?”
Caroline laughed. “What else could I do? We can’t sing here. We’d awaken the boys. I didn’t have the heart to tell her no.”
“I don’t suppose it would hurt to indulge her once in a while.”
Caroline tilted her head as she caught sight of the garment Ida was working on. “Is that a skirt? For Maggie?”
“A grandma can hope, can’t she? Besides, I have every confidence in your positive influence on her. She’ll be begging me for this in no time.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
Ida winked. “I do. That reminds me. I wanted to thank you for folding all that laundry for me this afternoon. I have no idea how you found the time.”
“Laundry? I didn’t—”
“Pa can’t come,” Maggie said, poking her head into the parlor. “He has to work. He says not to walk too far. Just to the rise. He can see that from his study. How come you aren’t at the door? That’s where we were supposed to meet. Aren’t you coming?”
“Coming.” Caroline caught the girl’s hand. They rushed out the front door, hopped down the porch steps and raced each other up the rise next to the house. A heavy wind rushed across the open field, barreling past them in its haste to reach the woods. Maggie let it knock her off balance until she laughingly collapsed in a heap on the grass. Caroline laughed with her, then closed her eyes and stretched out her arms to allow the last of the fervent rush to blow past her.
She pulled in a deep breath. There was something so special about that moment. Something so sweet and simplistic. A child’s laughter. The rich scent of earth and grass. The darkness and the stars shining in spite of it. Emotion welled in her throat and came out in a song. “Oh, Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands hath made. I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
One of Caroline’s hands rested over her heart and she shook her head. “Then sing my soul, my Savior God to Thee—”
“How great Thou art,” Maggie’s voice joined in with a voice that was clear, soulful and sweet. “How great Thou art.”
Caroline turned to smile at Maggie, who came to stand beside her, but the girl�
�s eyes were closed in innocent reverence. They sang the rest of the chorus together, and that set the pattern for the entire song. Caroline sang the last two verses, with Maggie joining in for the chorus until the triumphant finish that faded into silence.
Maggie gave a happy little gasp. “It’s Pa!”
David walked up the rise toward them with... Was that a guitar strapped across his shoulders? It certainly seemed to be. He gave Maggie a one-armed hug as she rushed over to greet him. “I thought y’all might be able to use some accompaniment.”
So they’d finally managed to pull the man away from his work long enough for him to spend a few minutes with his daughter. Caroline flashed a smile that didn’t feel altogether sincere. “Always. I had no idea you played an instrument.”
“Oh, he’s really good, Miss Caroline. Just wait until you hear him.”
Caroline wasn’t aware of the challenging look she was sending David until he peered back with an inscrutable look of his own. “Don’t talk me up too much, Maggie. I’ve never played in front of a real music teacher before.”
What was wrong with her? She’d always hated when her parents’ musical society friends turned their noses up at beginner musicians. Everyone had to start somewhere. Very few were born virtuosos, and even the most talented of those had to practice just like everyone else. She was letting David’s neglect of Maggie influence her treatment of him. That wasn’t altogether fair.
David may not have been around all that much during the short time she’d been staying with his family, but when he was present, he was always kind and respectful. His fostering of the triplets showed that he was compassionate. She’d witnessed that firsthand when he’d comforted her in the churchyard. Besides, he was here with Maggie now. She should encourage that and avoid making him feel the least bit unwelcome.
“No need to be nervous, David. We’re simply out here to have some fun.”
Maggie giggled as she sat in the grass, tugging her father down along with her. “Yep. We’re serenading the moon.”
He grinned. “I see. Well, to me, it sounded like y’all were serenading the one who created the moon. How about we continue with that instead?”
Caroline sank to the grass across from him to complete their little circle as he strummed the opening chords of “Amazing Grace.” Her eyebrows rose. All right, then. He wasn’t a beginner. The ease and confidence with which he played made that abundantly clear. It also made him even more attractive.
Biting her lip, she steeled herself against this. Against him. After all, it was a proven fact that she had a weakness for men who made music. It hadn’t been just Nico, either. She’d had her fair share of crushes on her father’s piano pupils and her mother’s opera associates. Nico had simply been the first one to reciprocate. She’d been enamored at his attentions. She was wiser now. Far too wise to let a man slip past her defenses simply because he knew how to play an instrument.
She’d simply smile and watch the tall, handsome rancher strum a guitar against the backdrop of a starry sky. After the song was over, she’d go back inside the house and leave the father-daughter duo to finish their night with a lovely duet. Everything would be fine.
Then he just had to open his mouth and start singing.
She was riveted—utterly and completely. His voice was untrained, yet that gave it a natural quality that seemed altogether fitting for the kind of man David was. Someone genuine and real. Nothing like the folks she’d known in Austin. It would be like comparing a falsetto to...well, to a voice like his—one that was purely masculine with a hint of rawness. There was an underlying smoothness to its tone that made it seem comforting. It was also a little adorable that he didn’t entirely lose his drawl. And his range!
She closed her eyes. Calm down, you silly ninny. You’ve heard some of the finest voices in the—
Someone poked her. Caroline opened her eyes to find Maggie leaning closer. The girl whispered, “Do you know this one?”
“Hmm? Oh. Of course.”
Maggie gave her an expectant look.
Caroline cleared her throat. Right. She should sing. That would help. She’d be too focused on her own voice to notice his. She waited for the chorus, automatically calculated the correct harmony and joined her voice with his. It blended seamlessly. Actually, it was more than seamless. It was exquisite. That wasn’t just Caroline’s opinion, either. She threw a startled glance toward Maggie, who mouthed, “Whoa.”
David’s eyes widened. Somehow he managed to move a bit closer. To hear her better? She wasn’t sure. She didn’t question it. She found herself leaning forward, as well. It really was incredible how her silvery, refined tone brought out new depth and dynamism in his. Conversely, his masculine voice brought out an unexpected richness in hers. Added to that, the spiritual nature of the song, the beautiful lyrics, the act of worship made her feel vulnerable in a way she’d never experienced before while singing.
The sound of the guitar faded into the breeze. Their two voices were the only sound arching through the still night. There was no pulling away or holding back now. His expression told her as much. He wanted to see what their voices could really do together, only the two of them. So she tilted her head, listening to every timbre and nuance of his voice. She gave her own the freedom to merge, tease and play with his to the slower tempo he set. By the time their last notes wafted toward the sky, they were both grinning at each other...and perhaps staring at each other a little.
One silly, ridiculous thought entered her mind. It is entirely possible that I may have just fallen in love with David McKay.
She held back a giggle. Even she couldn’t possibly be that silly. No. They’d shared a song. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Maggie’s voice intruded on the silence. “Are y’all going to kiss now?”
“Maggie!” they both chided, in harmony once more.
Maggie’s eyes widened. “What? The way y’all were looking at each other is the same way Aunt Lula May and Uncle—”
“Hush, child, please.” David groaned out the plea even as he washed a hand over his face.
At least, that was what Caroline thought he did. She couldn’t quite see through the fingers she was using to cover her own face. She slid them to her cheeks. “We weren’t going to kiss. We were only singing. Sometimes that happens when people sing. They—”
“Kiss?” Maggie asked.
“No. They connect. It’s perfectly natural.” She wasn’t certain who she was trying to convince most; Maggie or herself. She stole a look at David, who seemed content to look anywhere but at her.
Finally, he met her gaze with a quick searching look of his own before refocusing on Maggie. “Time for bed.”
“Aw, Pa.”
“No arguments. Let’s go, young lady.” He stood, pulling Maggie to her feet. “And don’t tell your grandmother about this.”
“Why not?”
Caroline managed to stand before David could offer his assistance. She let David convince his daughter that what happened wasn’t worthy of being mentioned as they headed back to the house.
Since her room was the baby’s room, she wouldn’t want to risk awakening them with a light, which meant she’d have to go directly to sleep in the dark room. Feeling too keyed up for that, she dodged into the empty parlor, where she’d left her writing box. She should write a letter to her parents. They’d seemed genuinely concerned for her after the wedding. She’d let them know she was doing better and would be staying in Little Horn for the foreseeable future.
She was just blotting the letter when David stepped inside the parlor. He stopped in surprise when he saw her. “I thought you’d retired already.”
“No, I was finishing up a letter to my parents.”
“I see.” He nodded, then hesitated. “Listen, about what happened out there... Please, excuse Maggie for speaking o
ut of turn.”
She waved away his concern. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Children say all sorts of silly things. I’ve learned not to take it seriously.”
“Yes, and what you said was right. What happened was a normal thing.”
“I didn’t say it was normal.” The words were out before she could stop them. Wonderful. Now he looked puzzled, and she had to explain. “I said it was natural.”
“Natural,” he repeated before looking at her more closely. “That isn’t the same thing.”
She lowered her gaze to the letter. “No. Not quite.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “Good night, Caroline.”
“Good night, David.” And that was it. The distance between them was restored. Everything went back to the way it had been before, which was exactly as it should be. If that was disappointing...well, there was no reason to admit that to anyone. Least of all herself.
Chapter Six
David had decided that his best chance of getting a children’s home in Little Horn was by going through the Lone Star Cowboy League. The county fair the league had hosted last month left them with funds earmarked for the needy in the community. Orphans certainly met that requirement. All he had to do was convince the other members that this should be their main cause.
He was doing his best to fine-tune his idea about the children’s home to prepare for the Lone Star Cowboy League meeting that would take place in a few days. In preparation, he’d paid a visit to the Satler siblings’ temporary residence. The children had been right about their guardians not caring what they did. He’d surmised that wasn’t because the caretakers were bad people. It had more to do with the fact that they’d gotten in way over their heads by adding two more children to their already expansive brood.
He’d recognized that exhausted look in their eyes because he’d seen it in his and his mother’s own when they’d first started taking care of the triplets. Unlike him, they didn’t have the means to hire outside help. Besides, he seemed to have procured the only person in town willing to act as a nanny—even if he was avoiding her at all costs.
The Nanny's Temporary Triplets Page 6