“I’m guessing that would be you.”
“These are so good.” She took another big bite out of the pancakes and picked up her mug. “Okay, so when you come out to the farm to look at the cabin later on, bring Amelia to see Freckles. He really is good with kids.”
“Believe it or not, that exit this morning was progress. The first week, she wasn’t nearly as friendly and affectionate.”
She laughed and almost choked on her coffee. “I know you probably keep hearing this, but give it some time, you’re doing fine.”
Joe narrowed his eyes at her. “And you know this because you have a bunch of teenage daughters who hate you, so you’ve been through the process?”
Claire laughed again, her lake-blue eyes wide-open now. “Something like that. I’m a social worker. I had a bunch of teenagers in my caseload who hated my guts and a few younger kids who could give them a run for their money. I loved the feeling when they eventually learned they could trust me. And you will, too, once you get past this stage.”
“How exactly do I do that?”
“By doing what you’re doing. Don’t let her get away with not sitting at the table or joining in family outings. The daily breakfasts are good. Eventually, she’ll get the idea that you’re sticking.”
He studied her face as she talked—animated, alive—and comprehension dawned. He had enough instincts and experience to see trouble brewing. “So when you say you’re ‘kind of’ opening a bed-and-breakfast, what you really mean is you’re turning your inheritance into a foster home, where kids will have a bed and eat breakfast.”
She had the grace to blush. “Yes, something like that.”
“Were you trying to hide the truth?” He wasn’t opposed to giving her the benefit of the doubt, but this new friendship might be short-lived if she had a habit of lying.
“No! Really, I wasn’t. You assumed bed-and-breakfast and I didn’t correct you. I never intended to keep it a secret.”
“A foster home is going to raise some eyebrows in this town.” Not that he cared. He wasn’t planning to be here long enough to witness the fallout.
Claire frowned. “Why? My sister, Jordan, and I were in foster care for a while after the first couple who intended to adopt us changed their mind. Foster kids aren’t delinquents, they just aren’t able to live at home for some reason.”
“That may be true, but it’s not people’s perception. Red Hill Springs is a friendly little town, but people are set in their ways.”
She stared at him, unflinching. Then grinned again. “Then I’ll just have to change their mind.” She leaned over the plate and took another big bite of pancakes as she slid out of the booth. “Gotta run. I have to make sure the fence line will keep my horse in.”
Claire walked up to the register, where she chatted with his mom for a few minutes. She stopped back by the table to say, “Don’t forget to bring Amelia out this afternoon. We can talk about rent then, if you like the cabin.”
His eyebrows drew together. “I still don’t get it. You don’t even know me. And I definitely don’t know you.”
“Maybe I have a soft spot for a daughter who never knew her dad.” She tossed the words over her shoulder as she swung the front door open. “Plus, you’re armed and I don’t have a donkey yet.”
Bertie slid a to-go cup of coffee in front of him as the door swung shut behind Claire. “She’s cute and she seems nice.”
His eyes were on Claire as she walked toward her car. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Hopefully, Amelia will eat with you tomorrow.” His mom smiled as she reached for the dirty dishes on the table.
He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Who knows?”
“Well, don’t give up, bud. She reminds me of someone else I knew once who was pretty bullheaded. Besides, you need her.”
It wasn’t until he was on the street walking back to his mom’s house that he realized his mom had said you need her. That was ridiculous. Daughters needed a father, not the other way around.
But there was something there, some restlessness inside that he couldn’t identify. His mom had said God was preparing him for something big. Something risky.
Like moving-across-the-country-to-start-a-foster-home risky?
He curled his fingers into a fist and stretched them out one by one, refusing to wince at the pain that shot up his arm. Sometimes just getting through every day seemed like a risk.
Chapter Three
Claire shoved the pole into the slot on the fence, tested the fit and fell against it, trying to catch her breath. She dusted the gloves on her pants and pulled them off, stretching her fingers. Her whole body ached. She hadn’t expected to have to rebuild the whole corral when she arranged for Freckles to be trailered in today.
A honking horn caught her attention. She smiled, something easing in her chest as her twin sister, Jordan, pulled into the lane in her truck.
Jordan shoved the gear into Park and jumped down, enveloping her in a huge bear hug. “Wow! It’s been too long.”
“Hasn’t even been a week yet.”
Jordan’s reddish-blond hair was twisted into two short braids and she was dressed, as usual, in boots, jeans and a flannel shirt. They were fraternal twins, but people had a hard time even believing they were sisters. She shrugged. “I’m not the only one who thinks so. Freckles went into a depression after you left.”
Claire lifted the latch on the trailer gate, lowering it gently to the ground so as not to spook her horse inside. Freckles turned his head and sniffed, one big brown eye catching sight of her. He snorted.
She laughed as she climbed in and patted his rump. “I get it. You’re mad at me now, buddy, but come January, when you’re not trying to find the one remaining blade of grass under a half foot of ice and snow, you’ll be thanking me.”
He nudged her with his nose and she pulled out half an apple she’d scrounged from her car. After a good scratch and a minute to warm up to her again, she backed him out of the trailer. The second his hooves hit the ground, he lifted his head and sniffed the air.
“It smells different, doesn’t it, boy?” She scratched along his mane and patted him before she turned to Jordan. “I don’t know how to thank you for bringing him.”
“No problem. How is it?”
“Rough. The whole place needs to be renovated.”
Jordan walked a few steps away, taking in the property. “What do you think he was doing, Claire, leaving us this property? He didn’t know us, barely spent two hours with us once he found us. Was it guilt?”
A familiar hollowness settled in Claire’s chest. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s not like it’s a giant prize. It’s a mess.”
Jordan walked a few steps, her hands on her hips, then turned back with her arms outstretched. “Yeah, but it’s awesome. Just imagine the organic vegetable garden over there to the left, the pond stocked with fish. A load of teenagers doing all the chores and cheerfully learning to be responsible.”
Claire snorted a laugh as she walked her horse in a large circle. “You do have rose-colored glasses. When did you ever know teenagers to be cheerful about chores?”
“Hey, there’s always a chance.” Jordan’s blue-green eyes were shining.
“I’ll call you and let you know how that goes.”
Jordan leaned on the fence to the corral, facing Claire. “Yeah, about that.”
Claire stopped midstride. Behind her, Freckles went still, glanced at her and went to nibbling the green grass around the fence posts. “What?”
“I want to move here and work with you.”
“In a second! But you know I can’t afford to pay you.” She led Freckles through the gate to the corral, where, for the time being, there was still some grass. She unhooked his lead rope and looked, really looked, at her sister. There were l
ines in Jordan’s face that hadn’t been there last week and she looked tired. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I lost the lease for the barn and the land. I have sixty days to get the horses moved somewhere else. I was thinking maybe you would be interested in having hippotherapy here. It would be great for your foster kids.”
Claire’s heart sank. There was nothing that would make her happier than having Jordan as a partner and being able to provide that kind of service for the kids, but she couldn’t afford it. “Jordan, I’m not sure I have enough money to get this place up and running, much less for the upkeep of twenty horses.”
Jordan leaned over the fence to scratch Freckles between the ears. “I thought about it all the way here. I have some money left from the life insurance, which I’ll throw in, but it still won’t be enough. I’ll sell all but four horses and start over. There’s nothing keeping me in North Carolina now that Mom is gone. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
Claire studied Jordan’s face. Her sister loved a joke, but it was clear she wasn’t kidding. “We’ll have to work on the barn.”
Jordan grabbed her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “We will. It’s going to be amazing.”
“Do you want to stay the night? This place isn’t ready for overnights, but we can find a hotel somewhere close.”
“I really can’t. This timeline is a killer. I need to get back on the road while there’s still daylight.” Jordan’s face lit up. “Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you a present.”
She walked to the trailer and opened the door of the first compartment and reached in for a lead line. A very pregnant goat came barreling out.
Claire laughed. “Mama Goat?”
Jordan looked to the sky and shrugged. “What can I say? She missed you, too.” She pressed the rope into Claire’s hand and squeezed it. “Man, I wish I could just stay right now. I would love to help with the reno.”
“I know. I promise there will be plenty of work left when you get here.” Claire rubbed between Mama’s horns, the familiar scratchy head so welcome after the day she’d had yesterday. She looked up at Jordan and clamped her lips together so she wouldn’t beg her sister not to leave. She took a deep breath. “Sixty days?”
“Sixty days.” Her twin and forever best friend hugged her tight enough to cut off her breath, ran to the cab of her truck and swung into it. As she drove away, she yelled, “Send me pictures!”
Claire laughed. Thoughts whirled in her mind, so fast she couldn’t even grasp them. It was a dream come true to have Jordan with her, but Jordan’s decision slapped another layer of responsibility onto an already teetering pile. She had to get this place up and running, and now, with four more horses coming, getting the barn ready would have to be a priority.
Plus, she was going to have to get Mama Goat a friend or she would eat everything in sight.
Her never-ending list just got a little bit longer, but there was only one way to handle it: one thing at a time. And lots of chocolate.
* * *
Joe turned into the drive at Red Hill Farm. Before he’d even come to a stop, Amelia was out of the truck and running toward Claire, long dark hair flying. “Hey, Claire, is that your horse? Is that a goat? What’s her name?”
“Yep, that’s Freckles, my horse. And this is a very pregnant goat who doesn’t really have a name other than Mama Goat.” Claire met his eyes, a smile lighting her face from within. Her jeans and boots weren’t fancy, nor was the ponytail, and she was covered in dirt. But despite her near breakdown the first day, it was obvious she was comfortable in her skin, comfortable in her abilities. Determined to make things work.
She handed the lead rein to his daughter. “Why don’t you think of one for her?”
Amelia’s eyes widened, then she looked away, playing it off. Joe hid a smile. “Yeah, okay, cool.”
“She might need a walk. She had a long ride to get here.”
Joe leaned over to scratch Mama Goat behind the ears. She butted him with her head and Amelia laughed, a delighted little-girl laugh, and Joe had to blink back tears. He hadn’t heard so much as a giggle since she’d moved in with him two weeks ago.
Claire leaned back on the fence and her horse nibbled at her hair. She either ignored him or didn’t notice, her eyes on Amelia. “When I went in the barn this morning to shovel out a stall for Freckles, I found a mama kitty with four little babies.”
His daughter bounced on her feet. “Can I see them?”
“Of course. The mama’s a little wild, but the kittens are small enough that they could probably be tamed.” Claire appeared to think about it. “They’ll need a lot of attention and petting. I’m not sure I’m going to have time with all the renovations.”
Amelia’s eyes widened, but she shrugged. “I could help.” She shot a sideways glance at Joe. “Maybe.”
Joe’s heart clenched as he watched his daughter battle with hope. There’d been so little of it in her life.
“Are you sure? I could use a hand with the animals, but you’re busy with school and stuff.”
“I don’t mind! I really don’t.” Mama Goat found something edible in the grass and put on the brakes. Amelia tugged on the lead, her forehead furrowing.
“If your dad says it’s okay, it would be awesome if you could help me for an hour or two in the afternoons when you’re free. But only if your dad says it’s okay.”
Amelia lifted her head, her big blue eyes meeting his. Those eyes that so mirrored his were full of uncertainty. She’d spent the last two weeks of her life trying to make his miserable and now her dearest wish was in his hands. “Please, Joe?”
He’d tried everything to figure out a way to connect with his daughter and Claire had just served it up to him on a silver platter. “Yeah, I think it’s a great idea.”
“Thanks, Joe! Claire, is it okay if I see if I can find them? I can put Tinkerbell here into the barn.” It wasn’t any of the grateful scenarios he’d imagined—Amelia didn’t smile or hug him—but she had spoken to him of her own free will.
One step at a time.
“Tinkerbell is the perfect name. I love it! While you look for the kittens, your dad and I are going to check out the cabin on the other side of the pond.” Claire started around the water’s edge. The sun was easing toward the horizon, the sky streaky with pink and orange fingers of light.
Joe followed Claire, for once glad that the sunglasses he wore hid his eyes. Amelia had such a hard time trusting, but Claire had seen that the animals were a key to reaching her and hadn’t hesitated. Maybe it was just his daughter, but Claire definitely had a way with kids.
The small cabin was tucked into the woods behind the main house. The place had obviously seen better days, but even in the current condition, the view of a crystal-clear spring-fed pond went into the pro column. A rocking chair or a swing on this porch would be really nice.
She pushed open the door and let him walk in first. He took off his sunglasses and tucked them in his front shirt pocket. Dust swirled in the dim room. It had a kind of charm, if you went for dark and brooding.
“It was apparently a foreman’s cottage in the years Red Hill Farm was a working plantation. I thought it might make a good office for me, but it’s going to be a while before I get to it.”
He didn’t say anything. She was obviously optimistic. It might make a good office, if she plowed it over and started again. Did he really want his daughter here? He opened a cabinet door and it fell off its hinges.
Claire jumped as it hit the floor. “Wow. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. It’s going to take a lot of work to make this place livable.”
He heard a suspicious rustling sound in the bottom cabinet and elected to ignore it. “Let’s just check it out.”
“What’s going on?” Amelia bounced into the space,
her eyes sparkling even in the dim light, a tiny black-and-white kitten cupped in her hands.
“We’re looking to see if the cabin might work out for us.”
Hope burst onto Amelia’s face and she danced into the front room. “We’re going to live here?”
Joe sent Claire a look over his daughter’s head. “Not necessarily. And only for a while, until my shoulder is better.”
“Please, Joe. I’ll help with the chores. I’ll do whatever you ask.” Her eyes brightened as inspiration struck. “I’ll eat breakfast every day.”
A small smile escaped Claire’s control, but she didn’t say anything.
Joe tried to summon his mean cop face, but the hope that this might be some kind of breakthrough with his daughter kept it from being very effective. “You’ll eat breakfast with me? Without an attitude?”
Claire shoved one of the front windows up to let some air into the musty space. “Don’t answer that, Amelia. You should probably check out the bedrooms before you decide.”
Amelia looked around. “It’s not that bad. We could paint it.”
“There are two bedrooms with a bathroom in between.” Claire sneezed.
“There’s a bathroom?” Joe raised an eyebrow.
“No need to go outside. Amenities are assured here at Red Hill Farm. The place is really small, though, smaller than I thought at first glance last night.”
“It’s not small. It’s cozy.” Amelia ran from one room to the next, then popped back out into the main room. “Here, hold the cat. Can I have the bedroom on the right?”
“Uhm, sure.” It was pure reflex that had Joe cupping his hands around the little kitten. It looked as stunned as he felt, little black eyes blinking at him. Amelia had gone from not speaking a word to chattering away, and it was weird. Twilight Zone weird.
Claire lifted the baby from his hands and snuggled it under her chin. “Tell you what, why don’t we forego the rent for now? You fix the place up in your spare time. Clean it up, coat of paint, buff the floors. And when Amelia’s not working in here, she can help me with the animals.”
The Dad Next Door Page 3