by Unknown
“Daddy, Daddy, guess what?” Kajsa barreled toward him and threw her arms around his waist. “Ms. Cassie’s uncle owns a ranch with horses, and she says she can take all of us there and her cousin can teach me to ride a horse. His name’s Colton. Isn’t that a cool name? Can we go? Please? Please? Please?”
“Whoa, I’m not sure I caught all of that.” Noah looked over his daughter’s head at their dance teacher. “Is this true?” he mouthed.
She nodded.
His expression softened into one of tenderness before he crouched down in front of his daughter. “It looks like you’re going to get the best early birthday present ever, princess.”
“Does that mean we can go?” Kajsa asked.
“Of course it does.”
Kajsa jumped up and down then threw her arms around her sister. “We get to ride a horse, Adi!”
“You get to ride a horse,” Adelynn corrected. “I’m just going to watch.”
“You can ride too, if you’d like to,” said Cassie.
“No, I think I’ll just watch.”
They all laughed, then Kajsa grabbed her stuff and rushed toward the door. “I can’t wait to tell Aunt Emma and Uncle Kevin and Aunt Becky and Sam! Maybe they can come too!”
“How about we just take a lot of pictures and show them later,” said Noah.
In a swirl of snow and wind, Kajsa darted through the door, followed by Adelynn at a more sedate pace. Noah watched them go before taking Cassie by the shoulders and cocking his head. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“How did your meeting go?” she asked.
His hands slid down her arms, then fell to his side. Noah shoved them in his pockets. The joy faded from his expression as he leaned against the wall. “They landed a big subdivision and want to hire me back.”
“That’s great news.” She paused, watching him. “Isn’t it?”
“They need me to start next week.”
“Oh.” Next week was spring break. Cassie knew because she’d had to cancel dance lessons for it. Noah had made plans with the girls—plans that would have to be unmade if Noah went back to work. “They can’t wait another week?”
“It’s next week, or they’ll have to hire someone else.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I need the job, but it’s really rotten timing. My sister and her husband have already planned a getaway trip for three of those days, and she invited Becky and her husband to come along. So besides having no one to watch the girls, it will also mean that your basement won’t get finished on time either. I’m sorry.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked so tired and weighed down.
“I can take them,” Cassie offered, surprised by how much she wanted to do just that, and not just to ease his burdens. Kajsa and Adelynn would be fun to have around for a few days.
Noah was shaking his head. “I would never ask you to do that. Please don’t think that I brought it up to—”
“Why not? I’m not teaching next week, and my other work is so flexible that I can do it whenever.”
“I thought you were planning to refinish your vanity next week.”
She waved off his concern. “I can do that anytime. Maybe we can even drop by the ranch one of the days so Kajsa can finally ride her horse.” She paused. “Please let me help, Noah. I’d really love to have them around.”
Noah watched her, as though trying to figure out if she was offering out of pity or because she really wanted to hang out with his girls. “Are you sure?” he finally said.
“I adore your girls. It’s no problem at all. When do you need me to take them?”
“Wednesday through Friday.”
“Perfect. I’ll plan on it.” That would give her Monday and Tuesday to work on the vanity and get some work done for Hansen Imaging.
Noah pushed away from the wall and interlocked his fingers with hers, pulling her close. His expression was one of gratitude and something stronger—something that made Cassie’s heart hop, skip, jump, and freak out at the same time.
“I could kiss you right now,” he murmured.
Mayday, mayday, mayday!
If she kissed him, there would be no going back. Only forward.
Cassie felt torn. She shouldn’t want to kiss him, shouldn’t be ready to kiss him, shouldn’t be letting his hands frame her face. Everything was happening too fast.
Slow! she mentally yelled at her arms—arms that had somehow wormed their way around Noah’s back. Traitors.
“Why are you hugging Ms. Cassie?” Adelynn’s voice cut through the room.
Only then did Cassie feel the cold air swirling around them. She tried to pull free, but Noah’s arms held her captive. He grinned down at her. “She’s cold. I’m just warming her up.”
“We’re cold too,” Adelynn complained. “It’s freeeezing in the truck.”
“All right, I’m coming.” Noah loosened his hold, but his eyes captured hers as he took a step back. “Rain check?” he said quietly.
No. No rain checks! Cassie tried to make her mouth form the words, but her head was already nodding. What was wrong with her?
Noah pressed a quick kiss against her cheek then walked out the door, allowing more cold air inside. But it wasn’t until his taillights disappeared in the distance that the cold finally penetrated her body and she felt the need to pull on her sweatshirt. She hugged her arms tight against her chest, fearing and anticipating the day when he collected on that promise.
Excited voices carried through the door of his daughters’ room. Noah yawned and tried to rub the sleepiness from his eyes as he knocked on the door.
“You guys getting ready?” he asked needlessly. It was obvious they were.
“Yes!” they chorused, not sounding tired at all. The door opened, and Kajsa’s youthful, radiant face smiled up at him. She wasn’t normally a morning person.
“Can you put my hair in a ponytail today, Daddy?”
Noah blinked. He must be sleepier than he thought. He could have sworn Kajsa just asked him to—
“I want this brown elastic that will match my boots.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my daughter?”
She giggled and shoved the elastic in his face. “Please?”
His daughter was dressed in jeans, her favorite horse sweatshirt, and her one pair of cowboy boots. Noah had purchased them at Walmart, so they weren’t exactly made for riding or tromping around on a ranch, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. She looked adorable.
“It’s going to cost you,” he said.
“How much?”
“At least five hugs, five kisses, and five—”
Kajsa immediately wrapped her thin arms around her father’s waist, giving him five quick squeezes. Then she stood on her tiptoes and pulled his shoulders toward her, giving him five rapid pecks on the cheek. “There. Now will you do my hair? I’ve got the vacuum all ready.”
“And five tickles,” Noah finished, tickling his daughter.
She squealed and giggled before finally wriggling free. Noah followed her into the room, where Adelynn was sitting in front of a mirror, brushing her hair out. “I don’t have cowboy boots.” She looked nervous. “Do you think they’ll still let me come?”
“Just put on your old pair of sneakers, and you’ll be fine.” Not for the first time that week, Noah’s chest tightened. It was killing him that he wouldn’t get to see Kajsa’s first official ride. Cassie had promised a ton of pictures and video footage, but it wouldn’t be the same. Pictures were never the same. Noah wanted to be the one to swing Kajsa up on the horse for the very first time and be there to hug her when she came off. He wanted to see her ride and get caught up in the excitement right along with her.
Sometimes, being a grownup really stunk.
It didn’t take too long to vacuum his girls’ hair into ponytails and try to get them to eat at least one bowl of cereal. Then they were off, pulling into Cassie’s driveway ten mi
nutes later. As the girls scrambled from the truck, Noah lifted his face to the sun that was cresting the horizon. The crisp, April morning held the promise of a beautiful day.
They found Cassie’s garage door halfway open, and vibrating sounds of a sander came from inside. Noah and the girls ducked under the door and saw Cassie down on her hands and knees, taking the varnish off the back of the vanity doors one swipe of the sander at a time. Her hair was coated in a fine sawdust, along with everything else in her garage, and dozens of crumpled sheets of wrinkled and beaten sandpaper were strewn around.
How long had she been at this?
Cassie glanced up and quickly turned off the sander. She brushed her jeans off and rose to her feet. “Wow, you’re early,” she said.
“Only by about fifteen minutes,” said Noah. He’d wanted to arrive early so he could spend a little time with her before he had to take off for work. He didn’t expect to find her covered in sawdust.
Her eyes widened. “Is it seven-thirty already?”
“Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?”
“Fun?” She glanced around at the mess she’d created. “No, this is not fun. It’s the opposite of fun.”
“You look old.” Adelynn giggled.
“Well, I feel old.” Cassie brushed her arms off. “My back aches, my hands have become sandpaper, and I swear I now have arthritis in my fingers—not that I know what arthritis feels like. Who in their right mind thinks this is fun? At the rate I’m going, it’s going to take me an entire year to strip this stupid vanity down.” She glanced at the girls. “If you’re hungry, there are some muffins and juice on the counter just inside that door.”
They both darted for the kitchen, leaving small footprints in the dust.
Cassie had obviously been hard at work the past couple of days. All the flat areas of the vanity had been completely stripped of stain and sanded down to the original wood. The intricate carvings still had a ways to go though. No wonder her fingers felt like sandpaper.
“I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea.” Cassie picked up a sanding block and tossed it into a box. “I’ve spent every spare second doing this since Monday and look how much more I still have to do? I’m beginning to hate this vanity as much as you do. There has got to be an easier way.”
Noah bit his lower lip, wondering if it would be wise to tell her that yeah, there was a much—
“Wait, is there an easier way?”
He nodded slowly. “There’s this cool product called stain stripper that will take the finish off a lot easier. All you’ll have to do is brush it on, wait an hour or so, and scrape it off. I have some at home if you want me to bring it by later.”
“Stain stripper?” She gaped at him. “Is there really such a thing?”
“I’m sorry, Cass. If I’d known you were going to completely strip it, I would have told you about it before now. But I thought you were going to paint it.”
“I am,” she said. Then her eyes grew wide with horror. “Oh my gosh. Please tell me that all this work hasn’t been for nothing.”
Noah hesitated. Of course he didn’t want to tell her. But he didn’t want her to do any more damage to her hands either. “Haven’t you refinished wood before?”
“No. I watched a YouTube video on how to apply the antique stain, and they started with bare wood, so I figured I’d have to sand it all down.”
Noah shouldn’t laugh, but it was getting really hard to keep a straight face. Why hadn’t she asked him for help? Why hadn’t he made sure she knew what she was doing before she started? “Well, uh… you don’t actually need to take off all the stain. A light sanding is all it needs. A good primer will cover up the rest.”
Her expression took on an almost crazed quality. “You’re really telling me the last two days have been a total waste?”
“Look on the bright side. At least you can stop sanding now. You’ve definitely done enough to make the primer stick.”
She didn’t look appeased.
“And think of the exfoliation benefits for your hands,” he added.
“Noah!” she cried, clutching her head between her hands. “How could I have been so stupid?”
Unable to contain himself any longer, Noah chuckled. “Not stupid.” he said, drawing her into a hug. “Definitely not stupid. You’re just an over-achiever, that’s all.”
“Yeah, a stupid over-achiever. Oh my heck. I think I might cry.”
Lips still twitching, Noah pulled her close and accidentally breathed in some of the sawdust from her hair. He sneezed, and Cassie’s shoulders started to shake. He sneezed again, and a giggle escaped her mouth.
“Whew.” He lifted his head and tried to brush the dust from her hair. “Let’s get out of here. I think we can both use some muffins and juice, and I think the shower is calling your name.”
“Don’t you need to get to work?” she asked, allowing him to pull her inside.
“I can be a little late.” He gave her a gentle shove toward her room. “Now shoo. Go shower so I can hug you without sneezing before I go.”
She left a trail of dusty footprints down the hall, so Noah pulled out a broom and swept while Adi and Kajsa finished eating. When Cassie emerged ten minutes later with damp hair, it was time for him to go. He gave each of his girls a hug goodbye.
“Don’t have too much fun without me,” he said to them.
“Bye, Daddy,” Kajsa said. “We’ll take lots of pictures, I promise.”
“You’d better.”
Then he pulled Cassie close and kissed the top of her head. “Mmm, much better.”
He was rewarded with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Thanks, Cass. I really appreciate this.”
“Anytime.”
Noah left the house with a sense of loss. He liked his job, he did. Time flew by, and it kept him busy and involved in something he loved. But that didn’t make it easy to leave behind his two little girls and a woman who entered his thoughts more often than not.
The crisp air was tainted with the smell of hay, manure, and earth. Cassie breathed in the once familiar scent, enjoying being back on the McCoy Ranch, where everything felt a little messy, a little cluttered, and a whole lot homey. Horses grazed in a corral off to the left, not far from the large, burnt orange barn where she used to play hide and seek. Off in the distance, a rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed and chickens clucked.
Man, she’d missed this place.
This used to be her getaway—her escape from reality. Cassie would drag her friends here, wanting them to experience this world where everything seemed simpler and more carefree. Her uncle would saddle up a horse or two and let them ride. Aunt Jane would fix them pumpkin cookies or marshmallow brownies. And her cousins would welcome them with big smiles and lots of teasing.
“Well, whaddayaknow. It’s Cassie Ellis.” Colton McCoy pulled her into a strong hug. “I didn’t believe it when Mom said you were coming today. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
Cassie held him at arms’ length so she could get a good look at him. “Holy cow, Colt. Look at you.” He’d always been strong—working on a ranch had that effect on her cousins. But over the past two years, his awkward, gangly arms and shoulders had filled out, and those dark eyes looked older and wiser.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” he said.
“Well, you have.” She tugged the brim of his cowboy hat down a notch. “Look how handsome you’ve become.”
“That’s what happens when you stay away.” Colton pointed a finger at her. “People go and grow up on you.”
“Yes, they do.” Cassie had been wrong to cut herself off from everyone. She’d missed out on so much and denied herself the blessings of genuine, caring relationships, and for what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. “You’d better get used to seeing me around here more often. I’ve missed you all too much to stay away any longer.”
“Good to hear.” He folded his arms and leaned against a wooden corral fe
nce, looking beyond her. “I see you brought some troublemakers with you.”
Cassie put her arms around the girls and scooted them closer. “Ladies, I’d like you to meet my favorite cousin, Colton McCoy. Colton, this is Adi and Kajsa.”
“Howdy.” He tipped his hat. “I hear you’ve come to ride some horses.”
“She wants to,” Adelynn corrected, pointing at Kajsa. “I’m just here to take pictures.”
“That sounds boring,” said Colton.
She screwed up her face. “Does it always smell yucky here?”
Chuckling, he pushed away from the fence and patted her head. “Don’t worry, little lady. You’ll get used to it.” He led the way into the house, where Cassie and the girls were welcomed by sweet Aunt Jane’s thin arms and a giant hug. Her straight, light brown hair was shorter now and bounced whenever she moved.
“Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you, you darlin’ girl,” Jane said. “How are you?”
“I’m good. Really good. Thanks so much for letting us drop by.” Cassie introduced the girls, and Aunt Jane fed them some of her famous homemade oatmeal cookies and fresh milk. The girls devoured them, though Kajsa kept glancing out the back window toward the horse corral.
“What are their names?” she asked Colton, nodding in the direction of the horses.
He followed her gaze and smiled. “See that black horse on the far left?”
She nodded.
“That’s Maverick. The light brown horse next to it is his girlfriend, Nutmeg. And then Whisper.”
“Whisper?”
Colton bit off a large bite of cookie, chewed it a few times, then swallowed. “When we got him, he used to whinny so loud at night it kept us all awake. We figured if we named him Whisper, he’d take the hint and shut up.”
Kajsa giggled. “Did he?”
As if on cue, Whisper lifted his head and let out a loud whinny.
“Nope,” Colton said, staring out the window.
“I think you should have named him Trumpet.”
That got a laugh out of Colton. “You’re probably right.” He pointed to the other side of the corral where a few more horses grazed. “Over there we’ve got Honey, Lancelot, and that little one we call Glitter.”