“I bet you see lots of pretty horses going with your uncle,” she said instead. “Who knows, maybe you’ll work with animals when you grow up.”
“Or make jewelry.”
Leah smiled. “Or maybe both.”
As Tyler and Maddie headed down the driveway, Leah noticed that Maddie didn’t reach for her uncle’s hand. It could just be the girl’s independence asserting itself, but something didn’t sit right with Leah. Her gut told her that Tyler was a good guy and would never hurt Maddie, but something was going on. She couldn’t stop thinking about it as she started on another necklace-and-earring combo. Maddie’s words about her mother echoed in Leah’s head while she gathered up her supplies as the sun neared the horizon, and followed her as she went inside to make a sandwich.
When a stronger breeze started rustling the leaves on the oaks, she took her sandwich and lemonade outside to enjoy the sunset and slightly cooler temperature. As she was taking her last bite, she heard what she’d come to recognize as the sound of Tyler’s truck. She watched as he and Maddie carried grocery bags inside the house. The ongoing internal debate about whether she should mention to Tyler what Maddie had said didn’t show any signs of quieting.
By the time she saw Tyler come back out and head toward the barn, she realized she wasn’t going to be able to rest until she talked to Tyler. She took a deep breath, trying not to think that she was about to butt her nose into the family business of a man big enough to break her in two, and got to her feet.
When she reached the barn, Tyler was already busy cleaning out Comet’s stall. When he saw her, he stopped what he was doing.
“Can I help you with something?” he asked.
She hesitated, considering making up some story about why she was in the barn other than the real reason. But she’d come this far.
“I apologize in advance if this comes across as me being too nosy, but I wanted to make you aware of something Maddie told me today. I know sometimes kids can misinterpret things.”
“Okay.” He said the single word slowly, as if he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what she had to say.
Leah swallowed and shoved her hands into the pockets of her cargo capris. “She said her mother didn’t want her anymore. And the way she said it just broke my heart.”
At first Tyler didn’t say anything, but the way he was gripping the handle of the rake, as if choking the life out of it, lit a fire under Leah’s easy panic. Without even thinking about it, she took a step backward.
“Kendra has problems, and she left Maddie with me.”
Tyler sounded as if sadness was trying to hollow him out to make more room for itself. Something inside Leah responded to that, wanting to help him as much as she did Maddie. The fear of Tyler and what he could do to her ebbed, and she crossed to the outside of the stall.
“Has she been here long?”
“A few weeks.” He leaned the rake against the side of the stall but then looked like a boat adrift at sea without it. “Maddie didn’t used to be so quiet and withdrawn, but I hadn’t seen her much in the past couple of years. My sister was always drifting from one place to another, so sometimes I didn’t even know where they were.”
Leah was surprised Tyler was sharing so much, but she got the feeling it had been bottled up and festering since his sister had left Maddie with him.
“Is she an addict?”
His gaze came up to meet hers, seemingly surprised she’d come to that conclusion so easily. “Yes.”
“My best friend’s brother went through a really dark period with drug addiction, but he eventually got help and is doing much better now.”
The sadness in Tyler’s eyes yanked on her heartstrings.
“Kendra doesn’t want to be helped. Any time I’ve suggested it, she’s told me exactly where I can go.”
“But she must trust you or she wouldn’t have left her daughter with you.”
Tyler took off his hat and ran his fingers back through his hair. “More likely she’s burned all her bridges and she knew I wouldn’t refuse. Not that I had much time to do so. She barely stopped the car long enough to drop Maddie off.” He laughed, but it held no humor. “Her latest loser of a boyfriend didn’t even turn off the car’s engine.”
“I’m sorry. I know all of this must be hard for you. I hope I haven’t added to that.”
“Not at all.” He braced one tanned, muscled arm against the top of the stall next to the door. “Maddie has actually spoken a bit more since she started coming up to watch you work.”
“I’m glad if I was able to help in some way. She’s a sweet girl.”
An awkward silence descended between them.
“So that’s what you do for a living, make jewelry?”
Was he worried that she wouldn’t be able to pay the rent?
She nodded. “I sell through an online store and in various shops, like India Parrish’s in town.”
“Ah.” He nodded in acknowledgment.
Before the awkward silence could insert itself again, she said, “Speaking of, I better get back to it.” She turned to leave.
“Leah.”
She really liked the way her name sounded when he said it, more than she should. But it was unreasonable to expect her to not react to that deep, rumbling voice.
“Thanks for telling me about Maddie.”
“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you don’t think I overstepped.”
“I hope you don’t think I overshared.”
She smiled. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t really know.”
“Yeah.”
As Leah walked back to the bunkhouse, she felt better than she had in weeks. Maybe the key to helping herself was to focus on helping others. She glanced back toward the barn, wondering how she might be able to help Tyler.
She swore to herself it had nothing to do with how good-looking he was, how he stirred a buzzy awareness in her despite what she’d been through. As she stepped inside, she wondered if she was lying to herself.
Chapter Eight
Tyler shook Avery Potter’s hand. “Thanks for your time.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Then the kindergarten teacher squatted down in front of Maddie. “I’m looking forward to having you in my class.”
“Will we color?”
It was only three simple words, but Tyler rejoiced at hearing his niece say anything. If only she’d talk to him other than to answer direct questions. The fact that she’d told Leah about her mother abandoning her still weighed on him, had kept him from sleeping more than a couple of hours the night before.
Avery smiled. “Yes, we will. And we’ll learn lots of really fun stuff. I’ll see you on Monday, okay?”
Maddie nodded. “Okay.”
As they walked down the corridor toward the exit, Tyler noticed Maddie eyeing the other kids near her age walking up and down the hallway with their parents. He wondered if she felt strange being there with him or if it would be strange even if she were with Kendra.
He did his best to tamp down the simmering anger at his sister. He’d tried again that morning to reach her, but he’d still received no response. How could she just disappear and not even check on her child? Leah, a woman who barely even knew Maddie, showed more concern.
Tyler held the heavy door at the exit while Maddie walked through. “What do you say we go get your school supplies?”
“Okay.”
Was there less hesitation before she answered him, or did he imagine it?
When they reached the store, he pulled out the school supply list. “I’ll read things on the list and you pick out the ones you want, okay?”
Maddie actually looked up at him, met his eyes, something she hadn’t done much since arriving on his doorstep. Evidently deciding he
wasn’t pulling her leg, she made for a mixture of supplies decorated with everything from puppies to princesses as he read the list. He honestly didn’t even look at the prices. If she wanted the most expensive princess backpack, then that’s what she would get. He didn’t think kids should always be spoiled with the most expensive options available, but for now he felt Maddie needed to know that he cared about her, that he wanted her to be happy. She was going to go to school for the first time, which was scary enough, but it was where she didn’t have any friends. Hell, he didn’t even know if Kendra stayed in one place long enough for Maddie to have friends anywhere.
For the first time, he considered what he would do if Kendra deigned to show up for Maddie. He wasn’t sure he’d be willing to give her back. The last thing a child needed was a strung out parent with questionable decision-making abilities.
When they completed checking everything off the list, Tyler spotted Maddie glancing at the coloring books, almost as if she was afraid to ask if she could have one.
“Would you like some new coloring books?”
She eyed the books again then looked up at him. “Is that okay?” Her voice sounded impossibly small.
“Of course, honey. Go ahead.” He motioned toward the books, and Maddie walked over and went from one book to the next, seeming to carefully consider her options.
Finally, she chose one about baby animals. She handled the book so carefully that it made him wonder if Kendra, in addition to probably being an unfit mother, had denied her only child simple pleasures. His heart aching for both Maddie and for the little girl Kendra had once been, he stepped up to the shelves and selected four more coloring books and the biggest box of crayons they had. When he put them in the cart, Maddie looked up at him with confusion knitting her brows.
“I can only have one.”
“Why do you say that?” Although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
“Mom said.”
“But I’m not your mom. Uncles get to buy presents for their nieces.” Unable to keep his distance any longer, he gently smoothed her silky blond hair. He counted it a big victory that she let him.
As they walked toward the cash register, Maddie still looked wary, as if she thought he might suddenly change his mind and put everything back. But as he placed the items on the conveyor belt for the cashier to ring up, her eyes lit up with an excitement he hadn’t seen since she was a toddler. If what he was buying had cost ten times what it did, it would be worth every penny.
When he had the supplies and Maddie loaded into the truck, he looked across the cab at her. “All this shopping has made me hungry for a treat. I think we should go to the bakery. Would you like that?”
She smiled a little and nodded. His heart lifted at the sight.
A few minutes later, they walked into the Mehlerhaus Bakery to see that both Keri and her sister-in-law Josephina were working.
“Well, hey there,” Keri said. “That’s quite the pretty little lady accompanying you today.”
“Maddie, this is Keri. She owns the bakery. And Josephina. They make all the things you see here.”
“Hello,” Maddie said, looking up at even more new faces.
“It’s nice to meet you, Maddie,” Keri said.
Josephina moved behind the glass display case. “What looks good to you?”
His niece took a couple of steps until she was mere inches from the glass. Again, she took her time considering before pointing toward a cookie decorated with pink and white icing.
“Excellent choice,” Josephina said, then met Tyler’s gaze. “And for you?”
“I’ll take an oatmeal raisin cookie.”
As he moved toward the cash register, he felt Maddie’s small hand barely touch his arm. “Did you want something else?”
“Can we get Leah a cookie?”
Tyler noticed how the two women responded to Maddie’s question, with a bit more interest than he liked. Again thinking of his iffy situation with Maddie, he didn’t want anyone thinking anything inappropriate was going on at the ranch.
“Sure. Go ahead and pick out a couple.” When Maddie moved back to the glass case, he pulled out his wallet. As Josephina helped Maddie, Keri stepped up to the register. “Leah’s been showing Maddie how to make jewelry.”
“Oh, that’s nice of her. Leah makes beautiful stuff.”
“She made me this,” Maddie said as she lifted up her arm to show off the bracelet Leah had gifted her.
“That’s very pretty, just like you.” Keri shifted her gaze back to Tyler. “And Leah.”
He didn’t respond. It was a no-win situation. If he agreed, Keri might read more into it than was there. Even if he might admit to himself that he’d been thinking of Leah more than he ought to. But if he disagreed with Keri, she’d for sure know he was hiding something because no man in his right mind would think Leah was unattractive. Even when she’d been hobbling, injured, her hands bleeding, she’d been beautiful. Disheveled and definitely afraid of something, but beautiful nonetheless.
After he paid for the cookies and Keri gave back his change, he directed Maddie toward the door.
“Come back soon. And bring Leah with you next time.”
As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he wondered if town matchmaker Verona Charles had started recruiting assistants in her shenanigans.
* * *
WHEN THEY RETURNED to the ranch, Leah wasn’t sitting out on her porch. Tyler tried to ignore the pang of disappointment he felt. In such a short time, he’d gotten used to seeing her there. Even though she wasn’t a part of his family, hadn’t even been remotely a part of his life for long, he somehow felt less alone with her living nearby. Hell, he hadn’t even realized he felt alone, probably hadn’t until Kendra had left Maddie with him and he had to stumble his way through being a pseudo-parent.
He started toward the house, but was shocked when Maddie grabbed his hand. She held up the bag she’d kept close since they left the bakery.
“Can I take Leah her cookies?”
“She’s not outside, so she might not want company right now.”
The crestfallen look on Maddie’s face made him afraid she’d retreat back into her shell of silence again.
“But we can go check.”
Maddie was capable of making her own way up to the bunkhouse, but he didn’t want to let go of her hand quite yet. A lump formed in his throat at a sudden memory of holding Kendra’s hand as they walked to the school bus at the end of the driveway. She’d looked up to him then. Sometime in the intervening years, she’d stopped.
As he accompanied Maddie up the driveway, he admitted to himself that he also wanted to see Leah. Her smile made him believe everything was going to turn out all right, which of course was a crazy thought considering nothing Leah did or said would make Kendra not a screwed-up junkie. Still, something about her lessened the weight pressing down on him, if only for a few minutes.
A strange jitteriness started in his middle as he reached up to knock on the door. When he got no response, he thought maybe Leah had gone for a walk. He looked in both directions but didn’t see her. Had she gone down to the creek? But then he heard a yelp from inside, sending him barreling inside before he could think better of it.
“Leah?”
“Tyler? Could use a little help here.”
He headed toward the utility room, trying to determine the source of the hissing sound. He realized what it was right before he reached the open door. Inside, Leah was tossing towels on top of the water heater, which was spraying water all over the room. Leah was completely drenched, her hair flattened and dripping, her feet sloshing in the water puddling on the floor.
He pushed past her to the water cut off and twisted it. The spray stopped, but the water heater was obviously toast.
“I’m sorry,” L
eah said. “I started a load of laundry and left the room. When I came back, this was in full swing.” She gestured around her, water dropping off her fingertips.
Tyler did his best not to stare at where her T-shirt was plastered to her breasts. So he forced his gaze upward and saw how bedraggled she looked. Before he could stop it, a snort of laughter came out.
Leah stared at him, openmouthed. “Are you laughing at me?”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
She started to say something, but in the next moment she was laughing, too. “I bet I’m a sight.”
“A little on the wet side.”
“Like I just walked out of the lake.” She looked around her. “Good grief, what a mess.”
“We’ll get this cleaned up in no time.”
With Leah mopping, Tyler disconnecting and hauling out the old water heater, and even Maddie helping in small ways like opening a door or bringing Leah a roll of paper towels, they did finish in a surprisingly short amount of time. Leah opened the windows and Tyler brought in a large fan to finish drying out the room.
“We make a pretty good team,” he said. It was strange how natural it felt for the three of them to work together.
“Yeah, we do. But this member of the team needs to change into dry clothes.”
“I won’t be able to get a new water heater until at least tomorrow, so you can finish your laundry and clean up down at the house.”
Leah met his gaze, and he saw indecision and maybe a layer of unease in her eyes.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“It’s not imposing if I invite you.”
“Um, okay then.”
“I brought you cookies,” Maddie said out of the blue. She held up the bakery bag.
“You did? That was nice of you.” Leah took the bag and looked inside. “These look yummy. Can you hold on to them for me until we get down to the house?”
Maddie nodded.
When Tyler held open the door of his house for Leah a few minutes later, the jitters made a reappearance in his stomach.
A Rancher to Love Page 8