His Favorite Cowgirl

by Leigh Duncan

  He stared out the window. Despite Noelle’s surly attitude, even he knew she couldn’t make it through an entire semester on three pairs of jeans and a couple of T-shirts. But he’d already taken a day off to pick his daughter up at the airport. If he took another one, Ty would be within his rights to dock his pay. He racked his brain, searching for a way to be in two places at once.

  “Finish your breakfast,” he said at last, “and brush your teeth. We’ll see if Kelly can take you.”

  “Honest?” A new interest crossed his daughter’s face.

  “We’ll go ask her as soon as you’re ready.” Hank rubbed his chin. Taking his daughter shopping would definitely stretch the definition of “lend a hand when I need it,” but swinging by the Bar X would give him an excuse to check in on the woman who’d spent the night alone on the ranch.

  After wolfing down her cereal, Noelle dashed upstairs. By the time she sped down again, Hank had already turned Belle and Star over to one of the ranch hands along with orders to unsaddle the horses and give them a rubdown. Twenty minutes later, he clenched his teeth to keep them from rattling as his truck bounced along the rutted driveway onto the Bar X. Pulling to a stop, he made a note to have the entry graded and smoothed before he put the ranch on the market.

  He scanned the yard, stopping when he spotted Kelly at the clothesline. Dressed in work clothes, her hair coiled under a bandana, she swung a broom with the grace of a major league baseball player. Dust swirled in the air every time she made contact.

  “Hey,” he called, stepping from the truck.

  “Hank. Noelle.” Kelly lowered the broom she’d been using to beat a defenseless rug into submission. “What brings you to the Bar X so early?”

  Before Hank had a chance to say a word, Noelle blurted, “You have to take me shopping.”

  “Noelle!” Hank barked a sharp rebuke. “Ms. Kelly doesn’t have to do anything. We’re here to ask her for a favor.”

  “Sor-ry.” Looking more defiant than apologetic, Noelle toed her boot through the dirt.

  “What’s this about, Hank?”

  Kelly pinned him with a look so intense he had to fight to keep his wits about him. Anchoring his thumbs on the pockets of his jeans, he glanced at the barn where the door to the hayloft dangled from its hinges. “I’m here to offer you a trade,” he said, forcing nonchalance into his voice. “Noelle needs a few more clothes for school. But if I don’t get the solar array repaired in the south section, I won’t be able to move cattle onto that grass like I need to. If you could take her shopping and stop by the school on your way—” he wiped a damp palm against one pant leg and nodded toward the barn “—I’ll come over this evening and fix that door.”

  Kelly shifted the broom from one hand to the other. “I was planning to head into town to visit my grandfather at the hospital. As long as you wouldn’t mind coming with me?” She turned expectantly to Noelle.

  “I won’t catch anything, will I?” the girl asked.

  “No.” An amused smile broke across Kelly’s face. “He’s not contagious. Just old and hurt. Did you know your daddy probably saved his life by getting him to the hospital the other day?”

  The unexpected praise warmed Hank from the inside out. He scuffed a boot through the sand. “I only did what anybody would do,” he insisted. Changing the subject, he tugged a lone credit card from his wallet and ballparked a spending allowance. “We’re all set then?”

  “Let me get this straight.” Kelly eyed the plastic without reaching for it. “You want us to shop for an entire school wardrobe. In one day. And spend how much?”

  “You just need to buy enough to get her through December,” Hank corrected.

  “Why?” Thin lines marred Kelly’s brow. “What happens then?”

  “He gets rid of me, that’s what.” Noelle whipped out her cell phone, her attention waning.

  Hank glared at the preteen, who was doing her best to stir up trouble. “It’s not like that, and you know it, Noelle. Your mom will get back from her trip at the end of November. She and I agreed that you’d stay with me till the end of the term.”

  “Whatever.” His daughter shrugged. Her fingers poised over the keypad, she aimed a hopeful look at Kelly. “So, will you take me?”

  Hank caught the frown Kelly tossed his way before she turned a smile on his daughter. “I’d be glad to,” she said. Taking his credit card, she slipped it into the pocket of her jeans without meeting his eyes.

  Suddenly best buddies, the two girls headed for the house while Hank ignored a jealous twinge. More than anything, he wanted to prove he could be a good father to his only child. But he’d made his bed by striking a deal with Kelly. Now he had no choice but to lie in it until he finished his chores for the day. That night, he’d start getting the Bar X into tip-top shape. In another few weeks Kelly would return to Houston, and his life could go back to normal. Wishing someone would deliver that message to his heart, he aimed his boots toward his truck.

  * * *

  OF ALL THE MEN in all the Wranglers in the world, why did this one make her insides quiver like no other? Even as her stomach tightened, Kelly refused to acknowledge the attraction that swirled through her. Keeping things platonic between her and Hank wasn’t just the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. Circumstances might have thrown them together again, but she’d traveled the relationship road with the tall, dark-haired rancher once. And once was enough. She wouldn’t, couldn’t risk getting hurt like that again.

  She shook her head, intent on driving the point home. Her mind got the message. If only it would pass the news along to the rest of her, she’d be fine.

  “C’mon inside.” She motioned to Noelle, glad the busy day they had planned would prevent her from dwelling on memories of the girl’s father. “It won’t take me long to get ready, and then we’ll be off.”

  Twenty minutes later, she found Noelle on the front porch.

  “What’s up?” she asked, noting the preteen’s long face.

  “My friends have forgotten me. No one is returning my texts.” Noelle stared morosely at the cell phone in her lap. “It’s not fair. I didn’t want to move. Why’d they make me?”

  A familiar hollow spot opened in Kelly’s chest. She knew what it was like for someone to upend your whole world without warning. Her own mom had done exactly the same thing more times than she could count. What were Hank and his ex thinking, committing to a plan that would bounce Noelle from one end of the state to the other? Didn’t either of them care how hard moving back and forth was going to be on their daughter? Her heart went out to the girl.

  “I moved around a lot, too, when I was your age.” She accepted Noelle’s surly nod as a sign of the same kind of nervousness she’d felt before she came to the Bar X.

  Noelle spared her a sideways glance. “I bet you never had problems fitting in.”

  “You’d be wrong about that. I was in the fourth grade when I moved here to live with my grandfather. The school year had already started. I felt lost.”

  “Did the other kids tease you?”

  The shy uncertainty beneath Noelle’s usual bravado made Kelly’s heart ache. Eager to put the kid at ease, she gave her most comforting smile. “The Circle P might not be the biggest ranch around, but the Parkers and the Judds have roots that go way back. Once the local boys and girls find out you’re one of them, they’ll accept you. Jimmy and Bree, they’ll look out for you, too.”

  Noelle’s mouth quirked to one side. “They’re just little.”

  “Don’t let age fool you. Ranch kids stick together.”

  Kelly let the girl mull that over while they headed for her grandfather’s truck. Whatever she’d said must have resonated with Noelle, because the child was on her best behavior from the moment they pulled into the parking lot at Moore Haven Elementary. In the office, they spok
e with a matronly secretary who confirmed Noelle’s registration and handed her an information packet along with her teacher’s name.

  “It’s a teacher workday, but most of the staff is at a meeting over at the school board,” she said at length. “I have to answer the phones or I’d show you to your room. You’re welcome to explore on your own if you’d like.”

  One glance at the nervous child beside her and Kelly decided that was exactly what they should do. She led the way through halls decorated with student artwork. In the corridor outside one of the fifth-grade classrooms, a janitor ran an electric buffer over freshly scrubbed floors. The smell of wax and disinfectant tickled Kelly’s nose, while the girl beside her peered through security glass at small desks in neat rows.

  She hadn’t lied to Noelle, Kelly reminded herself. Not exactly. But she’d never found it easy to walk into a strange classroom. Throw in the fact that her mother’s nomadic existence hadn’t exactly put studies at the top of her priority list, and Kelly had spent her first few days at Moore Haven wondering if she’d ever fit in. Those feelings had lasted one long, miserable week...until Hank Judd had slid his tray beside hers at lunch. Minutes later, Colt and his younger brothers had joined them. From then on, she’d been accepted. Abandoned by her mom and unloved by her grandfather, she’d finally found friends who had her back. She glanced at the wisp of a child beside her. Didn’t she owe it to Hank to help his daughter find her way at Moore Haven, the same way he’d helped her all those years before?

  Once Noelle knew how to get from the main entrance to her classroom and from there to the cafeteria, Kelly drove them to a mid-priced department store in nearby Okeechobee. There, with a list of the school’s dos and don’ts in hand, she and Noelle spent hours selecting clothes that the child liked and that met the school’s requirements for closed-toed shoes and sleeves. When they’d finally assembled an appropriate wardrobe, they headed for the cash register, where Kelly hoped they wouldn’t max out Hank’s credit card.

  “Kelly Tompkins, as I live and breathe. It’s been ages! How are you?”

  “Fine—” Kelly swept a quick look at the ID tag worn by the clerk behind the counter “—Marie. Just fine.” She summoned a big smile for the vaguely familiar woman.

  “I heard you were back in town. How’s your grandfather? I hope he’s doing better. And is this your daughter?” Marie asked, without pausing for answers. She frowned. “No one mentioned you had a child.”

  “Oh, she’s not mine, but we’re having such a good time, I almost wish she was.” Kelly aimed a smile toward Noelle. She hadn’t complained—not even once—over the past two hours as she tried on one outfit after another. “Noelle, Marie and I went to the same high school. Marie, this is Noelle Judd, Hank’s daughter. He was tied up at the ranch today, so we’re having a girls’ day out.”

  “Oh?” Marie’s gaze sharpened as it swung to Noelle and stuck there. “Well, you sure could have fooled me. She’s got your eyes, your hair.”

  Kelly glanced toward the girl and swallowed. The baby she’d lost would only be another couple of years older than Noelle. Would that child have inherited her fair skin and sandy-blond hair? Or would the baby have had Hank’s dark hair and blue eyes?

  Marie turned to the register. “We’re running a special on socks today,” she suggested. “Three pairs for five dollars. You want to pick out some to match your outfits, honey?”

  Noelle tugged on Kelly’s sleeve. “I’ll never wear the ones Dad bought.”

  Hank had meant well, but bulky white cotton didn’t exactly make a fashion statement. “I think we can afford a couple of pairs. Just stay where I can see you,” Kelly cautioned. She was not going to lose track of the independent preteen.

  The instant Noelle reached the display, Marie placed the T-shirt she’d been folding on the countertop. “People ’round here still talk about you and Hank. None of us could figure out why the two of you broke up. Did you catch him with one of the gals from the rodeo?” She leaned forward, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

  “Ancient history.” Kelly gave her head a firm shake. There was no way she’d confide in Marie. The woman had never been her friend and would probably spread any gossip she gathered to half the town. Kelly cleared her throat and gave the clothes a pointed look. She might as well have saved herself the effort, because Marie didn’t budge.

  “So, are you and Hank back together?”

  “Not a chance.” The protest escaped her lips before she could stop it. “I’m only in town because my grandfather’s sick. I’m putting the Bar X on the market, and Hank offered to handle the sale. That’s all there is to it.” She straightened ever so slightly. “I’m headed back to Houston as soon as possible.”

  Marie’s shoulders rounded. The clerk once again began scanning price tags and folding clothes into bags. “You picked out some nice things,” she said, her attention shifting as the prospect for juicy gossip dimmed.

  The minute Marie’s focus swung to the next customer, Kelly herded her charge toward the door. She eyed the girl who had fallen uncharacteristically silent. “I sure appreciate your going to the hospital with me today. You up for one last stop?” If they hurried, they could still swing by to see her grandfather and make it home to the Bar X before dinner.

  “I guess.” Wearing a frown, Noelle lowered her bag into the cargo space behind her seat. “Were you and my dad, like, together in high school?”

  The conversation was not one Kelly wanted to have with the girl. But she couldn’t lie—especially since Noelle had undoubtedly overheard at least part of the conversation with Marie.

  “Your dad was my best friend.” It was the truth, though for a while there he’d been so much more.

  The lines across Noelle’s forehead deepened, and her mouth slanted to one side. For a second, Kelly froze, certain the child would press the matter, but Noelle only reached for her earbuds and slid onto the passenger seat.

  Kelly took a breath. She’d have to talk to Hank. Much as she didn’t want to dredge up old heartaches, his daughter was too curious, too insistent to let the subject drop forever. Which meant she and Hank had to get their story straight before Noelle raised the topic again.

  After checking in with the front desk at the hospital, Kelly steered them through wide corridors to a room where someone had scrawled Paul Tompkins’s name on a slate outside the door. Soft snores came from behind a curtain separating the room’s two occupants. Propped between pillows, her grandfather slumped in his bed, his body tilted to one side. The thin, hospital-issued gown had slipped down, exposing a sunken chest. Kelly swallowed.

  “You okay, Pops?” Gently, she tugged the gown over a wrinkled shoulder that looked too pale compared to her grandfather’s suntanned arms and face. Gently tipping his head back against the pillows, she kept her voice low.

  The old man’s eyes slowly blinked open. “AmGoMa-Nah?”

  Kelly bit back a frown when he stared at her as if what he’d said made perfect sense.

  “I’m sorry, Pops. I didn’t get that.” She blotted his damp chin with a tissue from the nightstand. Her grandfather mumbled the same garbled phrase.

  “Why’s he talking like that?” Noelle clung to the doorjamb with white knuckles.

  “His doctor says he had a stroke.” Kelly patted her grandfather’s shoulder. “But it’ll be okay, Pops. We’re gonna take good care of you.”

  “Will he get better?”

  Well, he was awake. That had to be a good sign, considering he’d slept through her previous visits. Kelly brushed a strand of white hair off her grandfather’s face. “I hope so. He’s moving to a rehab center in the morning. His physical therapists will help him learn to speak and use his arm again.”

  She smoothed a rumpled blanket over the plaster cast. “How’s your leg, Pops? Any pain?”

  “Can I watch the TV?” Noelle asked. S
he slid into the hard plastic chair by the door.

  “Sure. You’ll have to scoot over here next to Pops to hear it, though. The speaker is in the remote.” She plucked the device that served double-duty as a call button from the bedside table and held it out.

  Noelle glanced at the washed out figure in the bed and sidled closer. “He’s not gonna get up or anything, is he?”

  Kelly gave her grandfather’s arm a squeeze. “You couldn’t if you wanted to, could you, Pops?” To Noelle, she added, “The cast on his leg is too heavy. Plus, he’s having trouble moving his right arm and leg for now.” She tossed out a compassionate smile. “Will you be okay alone with him for a few minutes?” She frowned at an empty water pitcher on the tray at her grandfather’s elbow. “Let me fill this,” she said, hefting the plastic container, “and find out what time they’ll move him tomorrow.”

  Noelle gave the old man in the bed a final look, then grabbed the remote and started flipping channels. “What do you like, Pops?” she asked. “Soap operas? News? Sitcoms? Not much to choose from, is there?” As if she knew waiting for an answer was pointless, she settled back against her chair.

  Kelly lingered at the door until the sounds of a laugh track rose from the tiny speaker before she headed for the nurses’ station. There, after a short wait, she spoke with the charge nurse, who reported there’d been little change in her grandfather’s condition. Reassured he was doing as well as could be expected, Kelly filled the pitcher and headed back to the room. She paused outside the door when she heard Noelle’s soft murmurs.

  “He opened the door and the bucket of water spilled on him, see? That’s funny, isn’t it?”

  Her heart thudded when Paul’s rheumy eyes followed the movement on the screen.

  “Mmmha,” he mumbled.

  “Whatever.” Noelle’s go-to phrase had lost its usual sarcastic quality. “Watch what happens next. The guy’s gonna slip in the water, and the bucket’s gonna come down on his head.”