“She would love that.”
He loved this. Being with Caroline without the pressure of trying to push her away or protect himself was a lot like accidentally taking that leap into the creek. It was refreshing, exciting and unexpectedly immersive. It also left him vulnerable. He’d be lying if he said that didn’t scare him. Maybe he should guard his heart a little more, not let her too close. The last thing he wanted to end up with was a broken heart.
Chapter Twelve
Caroline was not in love. She could appreciate the sweet, attentive way in which David had been concerned about her health. She could hold on to the memory of floating in the limestone pool with his deep voice singing over her. She could melt just a little at the way he’d so carefully carried her back to the buggy even after she’d insisted she was feeling better. Surely she could do all of that without loving him for it.
Why, then, was love even a consideration? Why didn’t her mind stop at appreciation or caring? Love wasn’t even a possibility at this stage. She’d barely known the man for two weeks. He’d scarcely even been in the same room with her for most of the first.
It didn’t make any more sense than why her errant hand kept sliding into the crook of his arm like it belonged there. She felt the muscles tighten as he guided the horse into a sharp turn. She peeked one eye open. Realizing they’d turned onto the lane that led to the McKay ranch, she lifted her head from his shoulder and slid over to her own side of the buggy.
David grunted in displeasure. “Where are you going?”
She turned to give him a look, then couldn’t decide what that look should be. Admonishment? Amusement? She felt so much more than that. Confused, vulnerable and unprepared for whatever this was. Yet not completely unwilling to find out. Feeling exposed, she dragged her gaze from his to the woods lining the road that led to the house. When he didn’t slow down, she put a hand on his arm. “Wait.”
“What’s the matter?”
“We have to make ourselves presentable.”
He lifted a brow as amusement curved his lips. “You mean put on our shoes?”
“Yes. Stop the buggy.” As soon as they rolled to a stop, Caroline scrambled down from the buggy on her own, grabbing her boots. “I’ll be right back.”
She used the bottom of her skirt to wipe off the mud still clinging to her feet from the area around the swimming hole. With her socks on and shoelaces tied, she buttoned the high collar on her blouse. Feeling more presentable, she returned to the buggy. David hopped down from the buggy to assist her into it. He’d put his boots back on, but his sleeves were still rolled up and his collar unbuttoned. “Aren’t you going to button up?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “It’s blazing hot and we spent most of the day out in the sun. It would look odd if I hadn’t done some adjusting.”
“Your hair dried sort of mussed.”
He obliged her by combing his fingers through it, which only made it worse. She had no intention of reaching up to fix it herself. Realizing her hair probably looked just as messy, she smoothed down the flyaways as best she could. “I wish I’d thought to bring a brush.”
“Caroline, no one’s going to think anything of our appearances—especially not my mother. She’s the one who sent you on this trip, remember? She’d probably be pleased to know I’d done some wooing.”
“Wooing?” Alarm tightened her voice. “Is that what you were doing?”
He rubbed his jaw. “If you couldn’t tell, I must not have done it right.”
“I didn’t mean—it’s just that you make it sound almost deliberate.”
He frowned. “Well, it wasn’t an accident. I mean I didn’t plan on it happening on the road, but it would have happened eventually.”
She hugged her arms over her waist. “David, I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not sure if I’m ready to even consider getting involved in another courtship so soon after what happened with Nico.”
“So you want to ignore what’s happening between us? I tried that, Caroline. It didn’t work.”
“It’s only attraction.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Did she? She bit her lip and glanced away.
His hands traveled over her arms, loosening them until he held her hands in his. “Look at me, sweetheart.”
She reluctantly lifted her gaze to his steady, sincere green eyes.
“After what I went through with Laura, the fact that I’m even considering this... It shows how special I think it is. But the truth is I’m nervous about this, too. We can take our time. We don’t have to make this something official. I just want your permission to get to know you better, spend time with you. For now, that can be our end goal. Not marriage.” He gave her a funny little grin. “That sounds a little more scandalous than I intended. I promise I’ll behave honorably.”
She allowed herself a small smile. Why did he have to be so adorable and funny and sweet and understanding? This was never going to work. “You promise we can take our time?”
“As much time as you need. There’s no rush.”
Oh, but she wanted to rush. Deep down, she truly did. She wanted to rush straight into his arms, into his heart. That wasn’t wise. That’s why they’d take it slow. “All right.”
His eyebrows rose. “All right?”
She nodded.
He let out a whoop that made her laugh. For a second she thought he might kiss her, but he simply squeezed her hands instead. “For now, I think it best we keep this between the two of us. I don’t want Maggie to get disappointed if...”
If things didn’t work out. If Caroline decided to go back to Austin in September. So many ifs. She nodded. “I understand, and I completely agree.”
“Good. Now, are your clothes still damp like mine are?”
“Yes.” Uncomfortably so, though there had been no point of mentioning it on the road.
“I know you’ll want to check on Maggie and the triplets, but there is no use catching a chill on top of everything else. Promise me you’ll go right upstairs and change into something dry.”
“I promise.”
“Let’s head on home, then.” He offered her a reassuring smile before he helped her into the buggy. They arrived at the ranch house only a minute or two later. She had no idea how tired she truly was until it was contrasted with Maggie’s usual exuberance. Or perhaps it was the relief of finally being at her temporary home again. Her body must have decided it was permissible to relax, because she could barely keep her eyes open as she changed out of her still-damp clothes into something dry. A knock sounded on the door just as she was fastening the last button of her blouse. “Come in.”
Ida stepped inside to survey her with concern. “David told me what happened. We both want you to take the rest of the night off. Understood?”
“Oh, but—”
“Good. You look asleep on your feet. I want you to go rest in my room. It’s cooler there because it’s farther from the kitchen. No arguments. Come along.” Ida led the way to her room, which was as cool as promised and darkened by the heavy curtains over the windows. “I’ve put fresh sheets on the bed, though I think it’s best you don’t cover up. You need to stay cool. Make yourself comfortable. I mean that. I’ll be the only one coming in and out, so don’t be afraid to remove a few layers. I do hope you did so when you were on the road. Yes? Good. Do you need anything else?”
“No. Thank you, Ida.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Feel better.” Ida gave her arm a quick squeeze, then left.
Caroline hardly remembered crawling beneath the sheets or closing her eyes. However, when she opened them again, soft light was easing through the seams of the curtain. Morning light. Eyes widening, Caroline sat up in bed. Had she really gone to sleep before supper and slept through the whole night in Ida’s bed?
<
br /> The clock on the nearby wall confirmed that she had. She threw aside the sheet, dressed in the clothes she’d intended to wear last evening and rushed down the hall to the nursery. The triplets’ crib was empty. They must already be dressed and downstairs for breakfast. She pulled in a deep breath to slow herself down. She took a moment to finish her morning ablutions before heading downstairs. Ida was on her way up and they met in the middle. “Ida, I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I slept that long.”
Ida smiled. “No need to apologize. I figured you might end up sleeping for the night. That’s why I suggested you take my room. I wanted you to be able to rest undisturbed while I saw to the triplets. Are you feeling better?”
“Much.”
“Good. I was just on my way to awaken you so that you could eat breakfast. You must be starved after missing supper.”
Caroline placed a hand over her stomach as it growled at the suggestion of food. “Excuse me.”
Ida chuckled. “That’s quite all right. Come to the table.”
She followed Ida to the kitchen. Caroline couldn’t help feeling a little hesitant as she entered the room. She instinctively searched for David. He was settling Jasper in a high chair and stilled when he caught sight of her. There was a hint of uncertainty in his smile even as his eyes filled with concern. “How do you feel?”
“Better.” Something about him set her at ease, prompting her to answer his other, unasked question with a soft smile of her own.
Maggie breezed in from outside. “Duke’s eating breakfast. Good morning, Miss Caroline.”
“Morning, sweetheart.”
Eli was the first of the triplets to catch sight of Caroline. His face brightened with a grin. He reached out to her from his high chair squealing, “La-la!”
She lifted him and cuddled him close. “Hello, my darling! Did you miss me? It feels like it’s been ages since I saw you last.”
“La-la!” He giggled and grabbed on to her ear, which she’d learned to leave free of earrings.
Ida turned from the stove to look at Caroline in confusion. “Is he calling you La-la?”
Caroline blinked. “Surely not. None of them have spoken any real words yet.”
“Apparently,” David began as he poured himself some coffee, “Jasper said his first word while you and I were gone yesterday.”
Caroline gasped. “He did? What did he say?”
David winked at Maggie. “Do you want to tell it?”
“Yes.” Maggie grinned from her seat next to Theo. “Grandma tried to feed him peas, so he turned his head and said, ‘No!’”
She laughed. “Sounds like he knew exactly what he meant.”
Ida shook her head. “There’s no mistaking that for baby talk.”
“What a smart boy you are, Jasper.” With Eli still on her hip, she ruffled Jasper’s hair. He shot her a playful grin, and she couldn’t resist leaning over to kiss his forehead.
David set his coffee on the table, then called Eli’s name to get the boy’s attention. He waited until Eli turned toward him before tapping Caroline’s arms. “Who’s this? Who’s this, Eli?”
He launched himself back to hug Caroline’s neck. “La-la.”
“Aw!” Caroline tightened her arms around Eli as her heart melted. “He gave me a name. Isn’t that the sweetest thing?”
David watched them with a smile. “It sure is.”
“Why La-la?” Maggie asked.
Caroline smiled. “I think I know. Eli in particular has been fascinated by words lately. The only way I’ve been able to get him to sleep is my substituting the lullaby lyrics for nonsense words like la-la-la. I guess that’s where he picked it up.”
Ida chuckled as she placed a plate of flapjacks on the table. “Well, that’s adorable.”
Maggie placed her chin in her hand and her elbow on the table as she stared at Theo. “It’s your turn, Theo. Say something. Say Maggie. Maggie.”
Theo stared right back at her, but he didn’t say a word.
“Maggie. Mag-gie. I’ll answer to Mag if that’s easier. Mag.”
The adults exchanged laughing glances as Maggie continued her coaching. Caroline put Eli back in his seat with a kiss on the head. Realizing Theo was the only baby who hadn’t received any special attention, she quickly remedied that with a smacking kiss on his cheek, which made him chortle, much to Maggie’s delight. Then Maggie looked so cute and had made so much progress when it came to getting along with the triplets that Caroline couldn’t help kissing her cheek, too.
Maggie bashfully rubbed her hands over her eyes before tucking her fists beneath her chin. “What was that for?”
“Being such a good helper to your grandma and me.”
Maggie pursed her lips to hide a smile. “I have been a pretty good helper, huh?”
“The best.” Caroline winked, then went to help Ida chop up the triplets’ food.
As soon as breakfast was over, David pushed away from the table. “Caroline, I usually do a performance review of our new employees two weeks after they start working for us. We may as well do it now. Would you come to my study? It should only take a few minutes.”
“Oh. Of course.” The McKays had treated her so much as a part of the family that she’d halfway forgotten she was David’s employee. She couldn’t deny that being reminded of it smarted a little, especially after what had happened between them yesterday. Pushing aside her silly pride, she preceded him into the study.
He closed the door behind them and leaned back against it. Conscious of his perusing gaze, she clasped her hands behind her back. It was always a nerve-racking experience to stand in front of one’s boss while he offered criticism, constructive or otherwise. She’d hated having to do it at the music school in Austin. It was far too akin to facing her parents’ criticism at the end of a practice or recital.
She went over the last two weeks of nanny duties in her mind, trying to prepare herself for anything with which he might find fault. No glaring mistakes came to mind. That didn’t mean there weren’t any.
David took a few steps away from the door. Caroline held her ground, though she couldn’t help noticing how small the room seemed with David only an arm’s length away. He rubbed the nape of his neck and offered a sheepish smile. “Honestly, I just wanted to have you all to myself for a minute.”
Tension eased from her shoulders. She gave a relieved laugh, then instinctively stepped forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Belatedly realizing the brazenness of the action, she was about to pull away when his arm looped around her waist. His other hand pressed against the small of her back to ease her even closer. She relaxed in his arms, letting her cheek rest against the solid warmth of his chest. His deep voice rumbled in her ear. “I was afraid you might have changed your mind.”
“I haven’t.” She smiled when he sighed in relief. “Do you really give performance reviews of your employees?”
“Yes, but I didn’t mean to make you nervous about it. You’ve been doing a wonderful job. The triplets love you. Maggie listens to you. My mother dotes on you.”
“What about my boss?”
“He thinks you’re pretty special. You’ve made his life a whole lot easier of late. What about you? Any concerns I should know about?”
She was incredibly concerned about the way she felt so at home in his arms. However, that wasn’t what he was asking about. He wanted to know if she had any work-related concerns. “None that I can think of.”
“All right, then. I’ve spoken with my mother. We both want you to take it easy today.”
She really was feeling better, but it was sweet that he was concerned. “I’ll try.”
“This evening, after everyone else turns in, we can go for a walk. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful.” She paused. “We’d bot
h better get to work.”
“Yep.”
Neither of them moved. She laughed, then let her hands slide to his chest, where they reluctantly pushed off. “Go.”
He grinned and backed away. “Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
She lingered in his office for a moment. This was good. They would take it slow. Keep it secret until there was something worth telling, but that wouldn’t be for a while yet. Of course, she would have to decide if she was taking that role in The Pirates of Penzance sooner rather than later.
Ida appeared in the doorway. “Everything all right, Caroline?”
“Perfect.”
She wasn’t sure how long it could stay that way, but she intended to enjoy it while it lasted.
* * *
A low rumble sounded in the distance. David reined in his horse and glanced at the sky. “Was that—”
“Thunder,” Isaiah Upkins said with a smile as he rode past on his horse, pushing the lazy cattle forward. “Again.”
Ephraim sent a speculative look at the clear blue sky, then set off after a rebellious calf while calling over his shoulder, “Let’s just hope it actually rains this time.”
“Please, Lord,” David prayed, as the entire community continued to do after the special prayer meeting Brandon Stillwater had held at the church. In the week since David and Caroline had returned from Oakalla, it had threatened to rain twice. So far not a single drop had fallen. Still, the thunder was a good sign, and hopefully a harbinger of wetter weather on the way. He’d be grateful for even one good ground soaking before haying season began. The grass needed it, too. Bad. Thus, the reason they were already moving the cattle to a new pasture today.
With Joaquin taking point, the task was finished by midafternoon. The ranch hands moved on to their other duties while David headed back to the ranch house. He slowed on the porch steps as Maggie’s singing drifted through the open parlor window.
“Whether she loves me or loves me not, sometimes it’s hard to tell. Yet I am longing to share the lot of beautiful daisy bell.”
The Nanny's Temporary Triplets Page 14