by Ali Olson
To Cassie’s surprise, Melody burst into tears. Cassie sat down beside her, Lizzie on her lap. The baby gurgled and reached out for her mama.
Melody grasped the baby and held her close, continuing to cry. “I never thought to look at her toes. I should have checked everywhere,” Melody sobbed.
Cassie rubbed her shoulder lightly. “You did nothing wrong, Melody. You called a doctor as soon as you realized something was really off, which was the best thing you could do.”
Melody’s tears subsided at Cassie’s words. “I’m sorry, Dr. Stanford,” she said.
“Call me Cassie,” Cassie said.
Melody smiled at her and wiped her eyes with a tissue Cassie offered her. “Cassie. I don’t usually act like this. It’s just... Lizzie’s my everything. It broke my heart to see her cry like that.”
Melody held her baby tight to her chest, where Lizzie gurgled happily, her good mood entirely restored.
“You’re a caring mother,” Cassie said.
Melody breathed out a long sigh. “It’s difficult sometimes. I’m usually at work right now, but I stayed home today when she started screaming and panicked when it didn’t get better. I thought maybe her cold was something worse, and I’d just ignored it.”
Cassie could see that Lizzie’s nose was running. “How about I check her now that she’s calm so you can be sure it’s just a cold?”
Melody’s expression held such gratitude that Cassie took the baby without another word. After a careful examination of Lizzie, Cassie declared her healthy apart from a little cold. “Nothing to worry about,” Cassie assured the young mother.
By the time Melody and Lizzie were gone, Cassie knew the boys must be home, though she’d been so absorbed with the appointment she hadn’t heard anything outside of her office.
Cassie went in search of her children and Brock. It didn’t take long to find them, though, as they were all sitting quietly on the living room floor, studying playing cards. Marshmallows were strewn about between them. What could they possibly be doing?
Before she could ask, Brock said, “I see your three and raise you three more,” as he tossed six mini-marshmallows into the center of their little circle.
“You’re playing poker? With marshmallows?” Cassie said in disbelief.
She couldn’t decide if she was angry or not. She felt like she should be upset about her young boys gambling with little balls of sugar, but something about seeing the three of them together, clearly enjoying themselves, made it impossible.
Brock looked up at her from where he sat, his smile begging her not to be mad. “They wanted to learn how to play,” he explained.
The boys looked up from their cards, faces still serious from concentration. Normally when she walked in after being away, they tackled her as soon as she entered. This time, though, they didn’t budge from their spots, they were so intent on the game.
“They’re four, you know,” she reminded him, the corners of her lips sliding up involuntarily.
Brock shrugged. “Zach’s got a great poker face,” he said, as if that settled the matter.
“Me, too! I have a poker face!” Carter chirped.
Brock smiled at him, making Cassie’s heart thump hard in her chest. “You’ve got Lady Luck on your side. I’ve never seen anyone get so many pairs,” Brock told Carter, making the boy beam.
Cassie tried to reel in her emotions. “And the marshmallows?”
“We had to bet something,” Brock said, as if it was the most obvious answer. “I figured using real money might make you mad.”
“So marshmallows were clearly the best choice,” she said, grinning so widely that her words couldn’t possibly carry any bite to them.
“Mini-marshmallows. They’re practically a vegetable. Plus, I’m planning to wipe them out before they get to eat any. I promise.”
Cassie shook her head, but didn’t say anything else. “You have ten more minutes to play and then we’re having a healthy snack.”
Cassie went into the kitchen and started slicing celery and carrots. She couldn’t regret helping Melody, but she did wish she’d had a little more time alone with Brock. Just thinking about what could have happened sent shivers of excitement down her spine.
Well, they’d just have to wait. Though with only eight days left after this one, she was starting to wonder how they would ever manage to find another moment alone. Maybe having him hide under the bed wasn’t such a bad idea—
Heavy footsteps behind her stopped her thoughts. Brock moved close, and when he leaned in to see what she was doing, his arm looped around her waist. “What are you making?” he asked, though she was sure he could very well see what it was.
She smiled and leaned into him for just a moment. Then another one. “Just your standard veggie plate,” she told him. Finally she moved away. “Where are the boys?”
“Putting the cards away,” he said, not stepping any closer, but not falling back, either.
She tried to think of something to talk about. Anything to keep her mind off how near he was. “The game ended pretty quickly. You cleaned out the four-year-olds already?” she asked.
His silence in response made her turn to look at him. His face was sheepish. “You didn’t...lose, did you?” she asked, laughing.
“They kept going all-in, and when I called them, they’d hit the best hands. It was the most ridiculous luck I’ve ever seen.”
Cassie just raised an eyebrow at him.
Brock grimaced. “I think your kids hustled me.”
They both laughed, and were still laughing when Zach and Carter joined them, eager to tell their mother about their triumph.
As they all dug into the snack, the conversation turned to paint. “Can we paint our room now, Momma? Please!” Carter implored.
Cassie looked over at Brock. He said, “While you were in with Melody, I got just about everything ready, so we can if you’re up for it.”
“It’s decided,” she told the twins. “Let’s finish eating and then we’ll paint your room the color of dragon scales.”
* * *
BROCK OPENED THE paint cans while Cassie changed out of her scrubs. He wished she was still wearing her date dress, but even her grungiest paint-splattered jeans made her look so good, he wondered if she’d actually let him hide under the bed. The idea was sounding more and more reasonable.
To distract himself, Brock decided to mention the idea he’d gotten while playing poker with the boys. Once Cassie had them occupied outside of the room, as far from the paint as she could get them, he decided to talk to her about it.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever considered getting a dog, but I think Zach and Carter would really love one,” he commented as he began slathering one wall in the lurid green paint.
Cassie looked up at him from where she stood with her own roller, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Did they say something to you about wanting a dog?”
“No,” he said, “but dogs are great for kids on ranches. Though you don’t need to if you think it’d be too much work.”
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea,” she replied, turning back to her task.
“I bet my ma will watch the boys tomorrow for a few hours so we can go down to the shelter and pick one out without them knowing. I bet they’d love the surprise of coming home to find a dog waiting for them,” he told her.
He could think of lots of amazing ways to spend a few hours alone with Cassie, but picking out a pet for her little boys seemed more important. For Cassie as well as Zach and Carter.
Cassie nodded, a small smile on her lips that he couldn’t read. “What’re you thinking?” he asked.
“It’s just odd. You don’t seem to dislike kids,” Cassie said, not taking her eyes off the wall in front of her, “but I get the feeling you don’t want any of your own.”
Br
ock figured it was best to be as open as possible, just to be sure neither of them got any ideas about what could happen beyond the rodeo. “My life doesn’t really work with children,” he explained. “I like free-climbing cliffs and snowboarding down unmarked trails and skydiving, and I’d need to give all that up if I had a kid at home to worry about. I don’t want any children of mine to go through what I did when my parents died.”
Cassie nodded, but she didn’t say anything. Clearly she had some thoughts on the subject.
“You can say it,” Brock prompted her. “I’ve heard it all before from my ma.”
Cassie shrugged. “I have no call to judge your lifestyle. I’m just a nine-day romance,” she said, bumping him with her hip to show she was teasing.
“And I’m just your training wheels,” he responded, bumping her back.
They glanced at each other, and Brock wasn’t sure if they would start laughing or kissing. Neither happened, though, as Zach and Carter ran in at just that moment, looking around the room in amazement.
“You boys shouldn’t be in here,” Cassie warned.
“It’s so cool!” Carter shouted.
“It smells bad,” Zach said. “Is it always going to smell like that?”
Brock ruffled the boy’s hair. “The smell will go away soon,” Brock explained. “It’s extra strong right now because the paint is still wet. Once we finish and let it dry, it won’t be so strong.”
“I don’t want to sleep in here if it smells so bad,” Zach said, looking upset.
“Once we’re finished painting, I’ll help you two get sleeping bags and you can sleep in the living room tonight. How does that sound?” Cassie asked Zach.
He still seemed concerned. “Can we sleep in your room?” he asked his mother.
Cassie paused for a moment before agreeing, and the boys raced off happily.
So much for hiding under the bed, Brock thought. Cassie must’ve been thinking the same thing, because she caught his eye, and when they grimaced at each other, they both burst into laughter.
Once the room was finished, Brock knew he needed to go home, as little as he wanted to. He consoled himself with the thought that he and Cassie would be alone the next day, even if they were spending that time picking out a dog. They’d manage a few kisses, and maybe...
Brock cleared his throat at the thought. Cassie looked at him expectantly. “I should go,” he told her. “With my siblings over and everything—”
“Of course,” she said, though she sounded reluctant. “I don’t have any patients tomorrow or anything, so as soon as you want to go on our errand, the boys will be ready.”
Brock said goodbye to Zach and Carter and walked home. He looked back a couple of times, wishing he had an excuse to stay.
Before he walked in to his parents’ house, Brock took stock of himself. He didn’t want to give his siblings any hint as to what had happened that day. It was better if nobody knew, not even his family.
Which was why he felt so annoyed with Amy when he walked through the door and she immediately asked, “When’s the wedding?”
Jose and Diego, who were sitting across from her on the couch, gave him twin smiles. “You didn’t tell us you were getting married. Congratulations!” Jose said.
“I call best man,” Diego added.
Jose looked scandalized and was clearly about to start an argument when Brock cut him off. “None of that. Don’t any of you start rumors about me and Cassie.”
He looked so fierce that Diego held up his hands. “We were just joking, Brock. We’re your family—you know we won’t do anything to hurt whatever it is you two have going on.”
“Here’s a pro-tip, though,” Jose said. “If you want to keep a secret, maybe don’t make out outside.” He gestured out the window near where Amy sat with her foot propped on pillows.
“Inside your truck isn’t super sneaky, either,” Amy added.
Brock glanced out the window and saw immediately what they meant. From there, his siblings had a great view of Cassie’s paddock and the driveway, too.
Brock shook his head, annoyed at himself. He should have thought of that, but it was too late now.
“Swear you won’t say anything to anyone, not even Ma,” Brock told them.
Amy rolled her eyes. “What are the chances Ma doesn’t know already? I’m guessing around zero percent.”
“Seriously, does being in love really make you that stupid?” Jose asked, which earned him a shove from his twin.
Jose fell off the couch with an “oomph!”
“I’m not in love, and you need to keep your mouth shut, Jose,” Brock said aggressively, standing over his brother for a moment before stalking out of the room.
He found his ma and, to his relief, she said nothing about his and Cassie’s apparently very public display of affection. All she did was agree to take care of the twins while Brock and Cassie went to the animal shelter. “I love those two boys. You let Cassie know that I’m happy to watch them anytime,” she told Brock.
He wasn’t sure if her comment was completely innocent or not, but he decided it was better not to ask.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, when Brock and his ma prepared to go pick up the boys, Brock noticed that Amy was yet again sitting in front of the window, despite the early hour. There was a book in her lap, but her eyes were trained out the window, as if she was watching for someone or something. Had she been spying on him on purpose the day before, or was she standing vigil for another reason?
She didn’t seem to be looking over at Cassie’s house. Her eyes were on the street and their parents’ driveway.
Now that he thought about it, that was where she would sit most of the time she was home, on the few occasions they had both been home at the same time in the past decade. “What’re you watching for?” he asked her.
For a moment, Amy gave him a slightly panicked look, which just raised further questions, but she quickly controlled her expression and denied watching for anything. Their ma slapped Brock’s arm. “You leave your sister alone and take me over to the Stanfords’. I’ve got some young children to spoil.”
So Brock went with his mother, leaving Amy sitting beside the window. He considered trying to get his sister alone to figure out what she was doing, but the farther he got from the house, the more likely it seemed that he’d just imagined things. He dismissed the thoughts and focused on the task ahead of him.
“Thanks for taking the boys, Ma,” Brock said as they tromped through the grass.
Sarah dismissed his gratitude with a wave of her hand. “Well, of course. Every young boy should have a dog. I’m proud of you for thinking of it.”
“How do you know it wasn’t Cassie’s idea?” Brock asked.
His ma gave him a frown. “You don’t think I know you well enough by now, boy?” she asked.
Brock laughed and put up his hands in surrender. “Sorry I questioned your clairvoyance.”
She smacked him on the arm again and followed him onto Cassie’s porch. Before he could knock, the door opened and Zach and Carter came tumbling out. “Nana Sarah” laughed in delight as she hugged them. “Do I ever have a fun day planned for you two,” she said as she hustled them back toward her house.
“Be good!” Cassie called after them from inside the house.
“Should we get going?” Brock asked as he turned toward her.
He stopped, confused, when he noticed she was still wearing a bathrobe. Had she not expected him to be there so early?
Before he could ask, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the house, closing the door behind him. At the same time, she tugged at the belt of the bathrobe, causing it to fall open and reveal black silk and lace beneath.
Brock’s jaw dropped. “On the other hand,” he said, wrapping his arms around her, “I think we have a few minu
tes.”
* * *
WHEN THEY PARKED in front of the animal shelter a long while later, Cassie knew she was still grinning like an idiot, but she just couldn’t get herself to stop. After what had happened that morning, she doubted she’d be able to stop smiling for a week.
Well, eight days to be exact. After that, Brock would be out of her life for good.
That thought was enough to bring down her mood a little. She reached for the truck door, but Brock was there opening it for her before she could, and he helped her down so gallantly that she blushed.
She needed to remind herself, for perhaps the tenth time that day, that this was all short-term. Not something she should get used to.
Cassie put her hands in her pockets to avoid the temptation to hold his, and together they walked into the animal shelter.
After speaking briefly with an employee, Cassie and Brock were ushered into a large area full of dozens of barking dogs in search of homes. Cassie wandered past the canines, trying to concentrate on finding the right one for Zach and Carter, not on the cowboy beside her who was cooing at the animals in a way that tugged at her heartstrings. If she let herself watch that, she might just fall for him, and that was certainly not allowed.
Temporary. Eight Days.
“How about this fella?” Brock asked her, bringing Cassie out of her thoughts.
He had stopped in front of a brown-and-white dog that was licking his fingers. After a few final kisses for Brock, the dog started running in circles, apparently proud of himself for completing his objective. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“This is Freckles,” the worker explained. “He’s mostly beagle. A very happy dog, and he probably won’t get much bigger. Good for young children.”
Cassie agreed. The boys would love Freckles. The worker opened the cage and Freckles jumped into her arms, his tongue all over her face and every part he could get at. She hugged him close, then turned to Brock.
“He looks like a winner to me,” Brock said, rubbing the furry little head.