Light the Stars

by RaeAnne Thayne

  For the next hour she ran nonstop—helping Nat find her library books, rewrapping the bandage on Tanner's burn that had slipped loose in the night, and changing and dressing Cody, who for some reason decided to cling to her like an orangutan baby while she fixed plates of pancakes and bacon for the children.

  She was on the floor mopping up the second spilled orange juice of the morning due to Tanner's awkward use of his bandaged hand when she heard the door creak behind her.

  Some instinct told her who had come in and she froze, mortified at being caught on her hands and knees, her rear end in the air and Cody leaning against her hip.

  Grabbing Cody to keep him upright as she shifted position, she rose quickly to her feet and faced Wade.

  Why did the air seem high and thin suddenly? She couldn't seem to breathe, her mind jumping with images of the last time she had faced him here in this kitchen.

  "Morning."

  Wade's deep-voiced greeting encompassed the room and his progeny. He took off his hat as he walked inside but, instead of hanging it up on the customary hook, he kept it in his hands. She assumed that indicated he didn't plan to stay long.

  "Hey Dad, guess what?" Tanner started in with his favorite phrase. "Caroline put a new bandage on my hand and she had to wrap it three times because I was moving too much and she said it was grosser than a whole room full of stinky socks."

  "I hope you told her thanks for helping you," he said gruffly. "Not everybody would be willing to face something grosser than a room full of stinky socks first thing in the morning."

  "I did."

  "Good."

  After an awkward pause, he shifted his hat to his other hand and finally met Caroline's gaze.

  Her insides twirled and she could swear the temperature of the room had just kicked up at least ten degrees.

  "Did I already miss Nat's bus?" Though he directed the question to her, he didn't maintain eye contact and she had to wonder if this encounter was as awkward for him as she was finding it.

  "No. She just ran upstairs to change her shirt. Tanner spilled orange juice on the one she was wearing."

  "Oh."

  She was staring at his mouth, she realized, remembering in vivid detail how it had moved over hers the night before, licking and tasting and exploring….

  She quickly jerked her gaze away, horrified at herself as heat soaked her cheeks.

  "Um, would you like some breakfast?"

  "I grabbed some bread and jam with my coffee this morning before I headed out. I don't have much time, just a few minutes, really."

  Big surprise there, she thought, but before she could say anything, Nat burst back into the kitchen.

  She stopped when she saw her father. "Hi, Dad! I thought you guys were bringing down the range cows from Hightop today."

  "We are. We're leaving in a minute."

  He rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, just wanted to catch you before you left for school. I didn't have a chance to talk to you much last night but I wanted you to know the birthday cake you made was great. I had another piece last night before I went to bed and so did Uncle Seth. We both said as how the second piece was even better than the first. I just wanted you to know."

  He said all this without looking at Caroline and she had to admit, she was grateful. She couldn't have said anything past the lump in her throat, stunned that he took her advice about speaking to Natalie in person.

  She'd forgotten that part of their conversation because of what had come after, but obviously Wade hadn't. Here he was first thing in the morning, his hat in his hands, taking time away from his busy schedule to give his daughter some of the attention she craved from him.

  Caroline could swear she heard the bump and clatter of her heart tumbling to his feet at the look Wade's simple words had put on Natalie's face. The girl's smile couldn't have stretched any wider and she looked like she was ready to take flight.

  "You're welcome."

  Backpack forgotten, Nat ran to her father, throwing her arms around his waist. Wade returned her hug, then waited patiently while she grabbed up her jacket and her school things, talking a mile a minute.

  "It wasn't hard to make," she gushed. "I just followed the recipe like Grandma showed me and Caroline helped me crack the eggs and put on the frosting. I knew you would like it. I knew it. Grandma says your sweet tooth is just as bad now as it was when you were Tanner's age. She said you could finish off a cake all by yourself if you put your mind to it."

  "Between Seth and me, we did a pretty good job with yours," he said, though he didn't look thrilled at either his daughter or his mother for sharing that information.

  "Do you want me to make you another one today? I can. I can make one anytime you want. I think I can even do the eggs by myself next time."

  "Thanks, honey. I think one is enough for now but I'll let you know when I'm ready for more."

  "You'd better go or you're going to miss the bus," Caroline murmured, though she was loathe to interrupt the girl's excitement.

  Natalie hurried toward the door, where she paused and turned back, still glowing. "Dad, when I come home from school can I help you unload the cows? I won't get in the way, I promise. I just want to watch the hazing."

  He opened his mouth and Caroline could see the refusal forming in his expression, but he surprised her by nodding after a moment. "If we're still at it, you can come down to the pens."

  Natalie gave a delighted shout, then rushed out the door toward the bus stop.

  "Can I help, too, Dad?" Tanner jumped down from his chair. "Hey, can I come up to the mountains with you to bring 'em down, too? I won't get in the way either."

  Caroline couldn't contain a smile at that bald-faced lie. She was learning Tanner's best skill was getting in the way.

  She stepped in so Wade wouldn't have to be the one to say no. "I need your help around here. We're going to run into town and do some grocery shopping."

  "Shopping's stupid. I want to help with the roundup."

  "Next time, partner," Wade spoke firmly. "When your arm's all better, okay?"

  "Why does Nat get to watch?"

  "Because she's older—and because she doesn't have a bum hand she needs to keep clean."

  "You said bum, Dad!" Tanner chortled.

  "Right. And I'll smack yours if I catch you down at the pens today, you hear me? Those range cows are quick and mean. You stay clear."

  Tanner pouted. "I know. I'm not a baby like Cody."

  "Then you're old enough and smart enough to obey me, right?"

  "I guess." Tanner looked disappointed but didn't push it as he turned back to his breakfast.

  Wade stood there another second then shoved his hat back on. "I've got to run. The crew is waiting for me."

  This time he met Caroline's gaze directly and she could swear she saw something fierce and hot leap into those blue eyes before he shielded them again. "I meant what I said to Tanner. We'll be bringing two hundred head down today in a couple of batches. Best if you keep the boys clear of them. They can be vicious."

  "I will," she promised.

  Wade turned to go but she stopped him with a hand to his arm. Heat sparked between them and she quickly dropped her fingers. "Sorry. I just…I wanted to tell you I was touched by what you just did for Nat."

  He looked more than a little embarrassed. "It wasn't anything."

  "Don't say that. It might have been a little thing but surely you could see it meant the world to her."

  He opened his mouth to say something then seemed to change his mind. "I've got to run," he said abruptly, then hurried out of the kitchen without another word.

  Chapter Ten

  The lovebirds finally called to check in just as Wade was following the last semitrailer full of range cows back to the ranch later that day.

  He almost didn't pick up his cell phone when it rang, distracted by all he still had to do that day, and it took a moment for his mother's voice to register.

  He barely recognized it. She
sounded about a dozen years younger.

  "Where the he—heck are you?" he asked.

  "Reno, honey. Didn't you get my note?"

  "Yeah, I got it. I just still can't believe you'd run off like that."

  "I'm sorry, honey, but we just couldn't wait another day to be together. You understand, don't you?"

  Not in the slightest, but he decided saying so would be mean so he kept his mouth shut.

  "Are you coming back?" he asked instead.

  "I told you I was, didn't I? Actually that's what I'm calling about. We were planning to be back Monday or Tuesday but now we're talking about driving over to the coast. We thought we'd spend a few days packing up Quinn's place in San Francisco and then drive down to see his daughter in Santa Cruz. Will you and the kids be all right for a few more days if we do that?"

  Mentally, he was pounding his head against the steering wheel a couple dozen times. In reality, he just grimaced. "We'll survive. But you won't find Montgomery's daughter in California."

  "Sure we will. That's where she lives."

  "Not at the present. She's here."

  "Who's there?"

  "Caroline. She showed up the morning after you left."

  "Caroline Montgomery?"

  "That's what I said, isn't it?"

  "Why, that was two days ago. She's still there?"

  Only two days? It felt like forever. He sighed. "Yeah. She offered to stay and help with the kids."

  "And you let her?"

  The shock in her voice made him defensive. "You picked a hell of a time to run off, Mom. The crew from the network is showing up in three days and things here are a mess. I didn't know what else to do."

  He heard silence on the line, then Marjorie's muffled voice telling someone—her huggy bear, he assumed—about Caroline. A moment later, his mother returned to the line.

  "It's just like her to see you needed help and settle right in to do what she can. Isn't she wonderful?"

  He was still reserving judgment on that one. "She's something, all right," he muttered.

  "I just knew you'd like her once you met her. I'm sure Nat and the boys adore her already."

  Too much. They were going to miss her when she left. "You didn't give me too many choices," he repeated.

  "I'm losing the signal here, honey. I didn't quite catch that."

  "You left things in a mess here, Mom," he said loudly. "What kind of example do you think that sets to the kids when they see their grandmother run off with some guy she never even met in person?"

  "Sorry I can't hear you. These darn cell phones. Works fine one minute, then you feel like you're talking to yourself the next."

  Marjorie still sounded giddy and he had to wonder if she really couldn't hear him or if she was faking because she didn't want to listen to any of his lectures.

  "Hope you can still hear me because all I'm getting on my end is static," she went on. "Since you've got Caroline there, I know the kids are in good hands. I guess that means we can go to San Francisco without worrying. We'll be back by Wednesday. Thursday at the latest. Tell the kids I love them and I'll see them soon."

  Before he realized it, she had severed the connection. He tossed the phone on the passenger seat, though what he really wanted was to chuck the damn thing through the windshield.

  Somebody suddenly rapped on his window and he turned to find Seth on the other side. He rolled down the window.

  "What's the holdup?" Seth asked.

  Wade winced when he realized the crew was all lined up behind him waiting to get through and unload the cattle.

  "I love that woman but sometimes, I swear she makes me absolutely crazy."

  Seth looked confused. "What woman?"

  "Mom. That was her on the phone. Apparently she and her Romeo are having such a wonderful time on their honeymoon they've decided to extend it."

  Seth winced. "I don't even want to go there, man. It's an image I don't need in my head."

  "They're not ready to come back by Sunday since they want to drive to the coast. Now it's looking like they won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday, which leaves us stuck with Caroline for a few more days, if she's up for it."

  "No real hardship there. You don't often find a woman who is sweet as sugar, can cook like that and who looks great while she's doing it. I like her."

  "You like anything that doesn't have a Y chromosome."

  Seth grinned. "True enough. But I especially like Caroline. You have to admit, she has plenty of grit to pitch right in like she did. Most women would have taken off running the first time they caught sight of your little Dalton gang."

  She did seem to be good for the kids. All three of them had taken to her immediately.

  He thought of the way he'd seen her that morning when he'd walked into the kitchen, with Cody leaning on her while she worked, like the boy didn't want to let her get two feet away.

  "I like having her here," Seth said again, then he grinned. "And judging by that scene in the kitchen I so rudely interrupted last night, I can't help but think you do, too."

  Yeah, that was the whole problem and the reason he wanted her gone as soon as possible.

  He did like her, entirely too much. He hadn't stopped thinking about her all day. Of her mouth, soft and warm and welcoming, of the soft, sexy sounds she'd made when he'd kissed her, of her small hands buried in his hair, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine.

  He shifted in the seat, furious at himself for going down that road again. The night before had been a colossal mistake, one he would make sure never happened again.

  "I would like having Mom back where she belongs a hell of a lot more," he muttered, then threw the truck in gear and drove through the gate, leaving his brother watching after him.

  * * *

  Caroline had to admit that even after five years of coaching people to break old patterns and alter old habits—years when she had seen some of her clients make remarkable changes—she found it amazing how quickly she adapted to a new way of life.

  Four days after that stunning kiss, she stood at the kitchen window washing lunch dishes and looking out at a clear, beautiful October day. The trees outside the window were ablaze with color and leaves fluttered down on the breeze.

  Beyond them, the jagged, snow-capped Tetons provided their magnificent backdrop to the scene and she thought how lucky the Daltons were to enjoy that view every day.

  She had been at the ranch for six days and her life in Santa Cruz seemed far away.

  She never would have expected to find such contentment here. The children had already wiggled their way into her heart and she found each day with them a delight.

  Over the weekend, she'd found Nat to have a funny sense of humor, a sweet girl who mothered her little brothers and who missed her own mother. Tanner was so bright and so inquisitive, he had a million questions about everything. And she adored Cody for his sweet disposition and eagerness to love.

  She would miss them all when she returned to California, even Seth with his teasing flirtations and the three quiet, polite ranch hands she had met briefly.

  And Wade. Would she miss Wade?

  She sighed as she dried the last dish and returned it to the cupboard. Most definitely.

  She already did, as she hadn't seen him for more than a few minutes at a time since that night in the kitchen.

  With his impeccable timing, Tanner wandered into the kitchen just as she finished. "We're bored. There's nothing to do."

  That was the biggest challenge with this one. His attention span was painfully short and keeping him entertained and occupied had been a great challenge, especially with his burned hand and the precautions they had to take because of it.

  "Can we go play in the sandbox?" he asked now, his big blue eyes wearing a pleading expression that was tough to resist.

  She stiffened her spine and shook her head. "Honey, you know you can't until your bandage comes off. But you only have to wait one more day, remember? That's not so bad. Your uncle
Jake said everything's looking good with your burn and you won't have to have the mummy claw of death much longer."

  Tanner made his trademark menacing lunge at her and she played along, shrieking and backing away as he advanced. When she couldn't go backward any more, she caught him in a quick hug, which he returned with a willingness that warmed her heart.

  "You can hang on one more day, can't you?"

  "I don't want to," he complained. "Why can't you just take it off now so I can go outside and play? You take it off to change it."

  "Because then your uncle would be mad at me."

  Tanner's expression turned crafty. "He won't spank you, though, 'cause you're a girl and my dad says boys don't hit girls."

  She laughed. "Nice try. But even with that threat out of the way, I'm not going to take off your bandage, kiddo. I'm under orders."

  His sigh was heavy and put-upon, and she hid a smile as she reached for Cody to keep him from dumping the garbage can.

  "Care, Care," the toddler chanted, throwing his arms tightly around her neck.

  "Why don't we find jackets and your hats and we'll go outside for a walk?"

  "Can we go see Sunshine?" Tanner asked.

  "Of course. But we have to stay out of your dad's way, right?"

  Tanner nodded. "Yeah, 'cause the TV people are here."

  "That's right. And this is important to your father."

  The actual interview wasn't until the next day, but the network had sent an advance crew to lay the groundwork for it and to shoot visuals around the ranch of Wade and his crew working.

  It was a beautiful day for a walk and for a video shoot, Caroline thought as she followed the two little bobbing cowboy hats outside. The sky was almost painfully blue, with only a few high clouds. It was cool, though, and she was grateful for her sweater.

  On their way to the barn and Tanner's pony, they crunched through leaves and tried to catch them in the air as they fluttered down under the spreading branches of the big maples along the fence.

  Maybe she ought to ask Wade where to find some rakes and she and the boys could spend the afternoon making piles and jumping in them.