A Texas Bond

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  But what did she care? He was Madison and Mason’s uncle. Her opponent, even if he was a Christian. She couldn’t afford to find him attractive. Not when she might be in for the fight of her life. No consorting with the enemy. She turned on the sprayer and focused on the bathtub.

  “Smells like progress in here.” Daddy stepped in the back door. “The twins are successfully delivered on time.”

  “You need a nap after that.” Stacia chuckled and stopped painting until Maverick slipped a mask on.

  “No naps for the weary. Too many coffee bars to be built.”

  “Morning, Maverick.” Ross set down his screwdriver. “The cattle are all fed and accounted for.”

  “See, he’s paying off already.” Daddy shot her a wink, then got to work on constructing a coffee bar. “Can you paint, Ross? With a sprayer?”

  “I can.”

  “Another point in your favor. I’ve never mastered the sprayer. I drip more than a teething toddler.”

  With Daddy in the workshop making small talk, Stacia could breathe better. Despite the paint fumes.

  But the reprieve didn’t last long. By the time she’d finished priming the tub, it was time for Daddy to tend the store.

  And her breathing hitched again. The rest of the day passed with the buzz of power tools interspersed with small talk. Her only reprieve from him was when she ran to the house to make sandwiches for lunch. Then afterward, Stacia took Ross through the steps of reglazing a bathtub until the door from the store opened and the twins blasted inside.

  “Uncle Ross,” their two voices echoed as they flocked him.

  Stacia’s heart took a dive. “Y’all are supposed to check if it’s okay for you to come in, remember?” At least the fumes had tamed.

  “Sorry.” Madison hung her head. “I forgot. We were excited cuz Grandpa said Uncle Ross was here.”

  “Can you play with us, Uncle Ross?” Mason asked. “Pleeeease.”

  Ross caught her gaze, as if asking permission.

  “Not today.” She set down her drill. “We’ll need to do chores and homework and your uncle has work to do.”

  “Awww!” The twins’ disappointment echoed one another.

  “Tonight, after Grandpa and Uncle Ross finish with the cattle and the workshop, you can spend some time with him.”

  “Yay!” Madison and Mason jumped up and down.

  “But for now, you get me.” She ushered them toward the exit.

  No yays about spending time with her. Her stomach sank further. It wasn’t so much jealousy. It downright hurt.

  * * *

  As morning daylight filled the kitchen, Stacia hurriedly ate at the breakfast bar.

  “What’s got you so down in the mouth?” Daddy strode into the room, always attuned to her moods.

  “I’m okay.”

  “No, you’re not. Spill.”

  “The kids are so excited to spend time with Ross. I mean, I’m glad they like him since he’s their uncle and he’s not going anywhere. But—”

  “You wish they were that excited about us.”

  “I’m a bad aunt.” Her face warmed.

  “No, you’re not. You’ve poured the last three years of your life into them.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Remember how they were all about Larae when she first moved back to Medina? And then they were all about Lexie when she moved back. Ross is just someone new and exciting in their world. He’ll become part of the scenery before you know it.”

  If he didn’t end up taking them back to Houston with him.

  “I hope so.” She downed the last of her pineapple juice and headed toward the foyer. “I better go corral them.”

  “I’m off to the workshop.”

  Halfway up the stairs, giggles erupted from Madison’s room. She sped up to see what mischief they’d gotten into. And promptly interrupted a pillow fight between the children as they smacked each other with fluffy cushions.

  Her heart warmed, as she remembered her own such antics with their mother in this very room. “Okay, break it up. It’s almost time to go.”

  Madison dropped her pillow, but Mason got one more shot in before doing the same. Just like Calli used to.

  “Have you brushed your teeth?”

  “Yes.” Their voices blended.

  “Go brush your hair.”

  “We already did,” Mason said.

  “It looks like that was before the pillow fight.” She tousled his disheveled hair.

  While Madison was all about lingering hugs and sitting in Stacia’s lap, Mason was too impatient and squirmy. She’d learned to get creative in ways of showing her affection with him.

  “Can you French braid mine?” Madison handed her a brush and pony holder.

  “Sure.” Stacia sat down on the edge of the bed as Madison turned her back to stand in front of her. She separated the thick red locks into three sections.

  “Where does Uncle Ross live?” the little girl asked.

  “In Houston.”

  “How long is he staying here?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Mason returned from the bathroom. “I hope he stays forever.”

  “Wow, that’s a long time.” Stacia was torn. She’d love for Ross to go away, to not complicate the twins’ lives or custody situation. But if he grew bored with playing uncle and abandoned them, her niece and nephew would be hurt. And if he was sincere about being a fixture in their world, he might very well take Mason and Madison away from her.

  Please Lord, fix this, where no one gets hurt. Especially not the twins.

  “It’s time to go.” Madison, the rule follower, a child after her own heart.

  “All done.” Stacia twisted the holder into place. “Race you downstairs.”

  Mason darted out of the room. Thankfully, he fell for her hurrying him up trick every time and never noticed she and Madison didn’t even try.

  “Uncle Ross!” Mason’s excited shout echoed up the stairs.

  What was he doing here so early?

  Halfway down, she caught a glimpse of Ross and stopped short.

  Framed by the fireplace with the ornate mantle her mom had begun to restore, he squatted to hug Mason, then looked up, smiled.

  She tried to return the greeting, but her lips refused to tip up.

  “Your dad invited me in for coffee.”

  “I see that.” She descended the remaining steps.

  Madison ran to him and got her hug. Then he stood, hatless and barefoot, retrieved his porcelain mug and took a sip. Looking way too at home.

  “I didn’t figure you’d want my barnyard boots in your house and when I was taking them off outside, I made a mess of my socks.” He scrunched his nose, then turned to the fireplace. “This is a great piece.”

  “Thanks. My mom found it at an estate sale. She started restoring it, but didn’t get to finish. So Daddy and I did.” Her voice caught. They’d painstakingly cleaned and polished every spindle and shelf until it shone, as a memorial to her.

  “That tiger scares me.” Madison pointed at the bronze tiger ready to pounce, crouching on the mantle.

  “This guy.” Ross ran his hand along the statue’s back. “He’s harmless. Have you ever petted him?”

  Madison shook her head.

  “Come on, give it a try.” Ross reached for her and she allowed him to pick her up. Level with the tiger, she tentatively touched it, then stroked it’s back.

  “He’s still scary looking.”

  “Agreed. But he’s all cold, hard bronze. Even his teeth.”

  “I like the deer.” Mason straddled the huge vintage brass stag reclining at the foot of the fireplace.

  “Careful, don’t let him buck you off,” Ross deadpanned.

  Sending both twins into giggles.

  Stacia had to admit, he w
as good with the children. But she was tired of all the bonding.

  “We need to get to school.”

  “Can Uncle Ross take us?” Madison clung to him.

  Absolutely not. He might be good with kids and a Christian. But she still didn’t trust him enough to let him drive the kids to school without kidnapping them. Or even wrecking them.

  “How about I ride with y’all?” He offered a compromise.

  “Yay!” Both kids whooped.

  “Where are your backpacks?” Stacia clapped her hands to spur them into action.

  “Upstairs.” The twins’ voices blended.

  “Go get them. Make it back in two minutes and you can have a double scoop of ice cream after school.”

  Madison and Mason scurried up the staircase.

  “I’ve seen mantles like this with a five-thousand-dollar price tag.” Ross was still eyeing the fireplace. “Unless I’m mistaken, the tiger is from the Japanese Meiji period and well worth a few thousand, and the stag is Sarreid over fifteen hundred. I’d have to research the antique doll, but I’m certain it’s worth a pretty penny as well.”

  “How do you know all that?” They were like kindred spirits. Only they couldn’t be.

  “I told you my grandmother owns a flea market/ antique shop in Hondo. I’m a certified antiquities appraiser.”

  “That’s something you could have mentioned.”

  “I didn’t think about it. It’s not like I filled out an application or even supplied my résumé.”

  “I probably need to get one of those, just for our books.” And to do a background check. “I’ll get you an application today. Which antique store in Hondo?”

  “Grandpappy’s Fleas & Tiques.”

  “Myrna is your grandmother?” Warmth she felt for Myrna softened her voice. Surely with a gem for a grandmother, he must be okay. But then Ronny Outrageous—twin abandoner extraordinaire—was his brother.

  “You know her?”

  “I shop her store. Often. And I miss her since she retired.”

  “She may not run the store anymore, but she spends her time online finding pieces for it and dawdling about with Papaw on their ranch.”

  “She’s a sweetheart. I can’t believe she’s your grandmother.”

  His gaze narrowed, as if he were pondering. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

  “I just meant it’s a small world.” But for the twins’ sake, the results on the background check they ran on all employees needed to come back clean.

  “That it is.” He ran his hand over the mantle. “Why don’t you sell them?”

  “My mom got the whole setup at an estate sale. Back when she first opened the business. She had no idea what they were worth. Apparently, neither did the auctioneer or the family who sold them. I think she paid three hundred for the whole deal.” She’d cleaned and polished the mantle until her final heart attack.

  “Once she did her research, she felt horrible and tried to contact the family, but they were military and she never could catch up with them. So she decided if the family couldn’t profit from what was rightfully theirs, she wouldn’t either. It was the last piece she worked on before... Daddy and I finished it.” Her gaze glossed over at the painful memories. “We keep it as a memorial and a testament of her character.”

  “It must have been really hard on you, losing her as a young teen.”

  “Yes.” She hated it when he was all sympathetic and almost likeable.

  But like it or not, Ross was the twins’ uncle. They were growing to love him. Even if she refused to.

  The twins scurried down the stairs.

  She swallowed hard and checked her watch. “Great job. We better get a move on.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later, with both twins secured in their booster seats, Stacia pulled out of the driveway.

  Ross felt odd, being chauffeured.

  “Do you think Uncle Ross could bring us to school, sometime?” Mason asked.

  Stacia almost visibly cringed. “I’ll have to get to know him better and make sure he’s a good driver first.”

  “By that time, school will be out,” Mason muttered.

  She laughed. “It’s only September.”

  “It took you forever to agree when I wanted to go to Bobby’s house. You had to meet his parents and ask around for months before I got to go.”

  “Sounds like your aunt is watching out for you.” Ross defended her. “But I can assure you, I don’t have any tickets or outstanding warrants for my arrest,” he quipped.

  “Good to know.”

  “Can he eat supper with us again soon?”

  “How about we slow down a bit?” Ross tugged at the seatbelt cutting into his shoulder. “We don’t want to wear out my welcome. Give your aunt a chance to get used to me. I’m not going anywhere.” If they made a habit of taking the kids to school together, maybe eventually she’d trust him enough to at least let him drive. He needed to get car seats for his truck, just in case.

  “Grandpa’s taking us to the park after school.” Mason squirmed, loosened his seat belt a bit. “Can you come with us, Uncle Ross?”

  “We’ll see.” A resounding yes danced on the tip of his tongue, but he needed to clear things with their aunt, once they were alone.

  “Do you have any kids, Uncle Ross?” Madison asked.

  “Not yet. But I hope to get married and have some one day.”

  The rest of the short trip passed as the twins peppered him with questions and invitations. Even though he’d not accepted any of them, he could almost see Stacia’s hackles rising with each one.

  She pulled into the drop-off line and inched along. A man and two women patrolled the sidewalk, making sure the kids got out safely and headed straight for the building. When they got close enough, the man opened the back door.

  “Morning Mason, Madison. Good to see you, Stacia.” He scrutinized Ross through the passenger window, then peered past him attempting to make eye contact with her.

  Making Ross’s hackles rise. Why did he care if this guy liked her?

  “Morning, Principal Caruthers.” Stacia kept her gaze on the rearview mirror as the twins clambered out of the back seat and said their goodbyes.

  The man’s mouth tightened.

  “I’ll see y’all after school.” Ross waved.

  “Have a good day.” Principal Caruthers shut the car door, then tore his gaze away from her long enough to watch until the twins were inside.

  The cars in front of them had emptied of kids and moved forward.

  “For the last two years, I parked and walked them into preschool.” Stacia followed the line of vehicles back onto the highway. “Once they’re in kindergarten, everything changes. They’re growing up so fast.”

  And on top of that, she dealt with the principal pining for her every morning. “Is it just me, or does the principal have a thing for you?”

  “Adrian and I dated a few years back. He wanted kids and I—” her voice broke “—things fell apart when I got the twins. He wanted his own kids, not someone else’s.”

  Ross wanted to say more. To tell her the guy was a jerk. That she deserved better. But she was obviously struggling with keeping her emotions in check and he didn’t want to make it harder on her with sympathy.

  So Adrian Caruthers broke up with her only to make eyes at her in the drop-off line. And Stacia obviously wasn’t over him either, even if he was a jerk. Within minutes, they were back at the ranch. With the cattle tended to earlier and Maverick in the store, Ross went straight to the workshop.

  “About all those invitations the twins offered, thanks for not accepting without us discussing it.” She hesitated a moment. “It’s okay with me for you to go to the park this afternoon. If you want.”

  “I definitely want. Thanks.”

  “O
nce the store is closed, we’ll swap. I’ll head to the park and you can finish up in the workshop this evening.” She dug around in her desk, laid a form on top. “Here’s an application. Something you usually need to fill out before getting hired.”

  “I’ll fill it out tonight.”

  “Just so you know, we also run background checks on all of our employees. Something we usually do before we hire.”

  “Go for it. I’ve got nothing to hide.” He could almost build a coffee bar with his eyes closed. Leaving his mind free to ponder. Maybe he could help Stacia out with her lost love. If he took the kids off her hands at least part of the time, she could take her life off Pause. If Adrian could handle part-time twins, Stacia would be free to resume her past relationship with him if she wanted.

  Why did the thought put a pang in Ross’s heart? Because Stacia deserved better than the creepy, selfish principal? Yeah, that was it.

  Chapter Four

  The day in the workshop had been long and tense. Ross was always glad to get a break. With the twins, his stress drained away. The park was just what he needed.

  “Spin us, Uncle Ross,” Madison called as they darted for the playground equipment. The twins clambered onto the merry-go-round. But their friend hung back a bit.

  What was her name? Belonged to Stacia’s friends Larae and Rance. He’d met them all at church.

  “Hop on, Jayda.” He remembered just in the nick of time.

  She stepped onto the colorful tilting wheel lined with bars. A bit shy with him, she hadn’t said much since they’d picked her up.

  “Hold on really tight.” Ross grabbed a bar and trotted around the whirligig.

  “Faster,” Mason shouted.

  “Really, really tight.” The three children clung to the rails as he sped up, then jumped on to join them. The surface wobbled with his weight. “Wow, I haven’t done this in years. Why don’t adults do this?”

  “You’re silly, Uncle Ross.” Madison giggled.

  His head spun. “I’m getting dizzy. Maybe this is why.”

  More giggling with Mason joining in.

  The merry-go-round began to slow and Ross caught a glimpse of Stacia getting out of her car. With each spin, she was nearer. And angrier.