That was true. They’d texted a few times, but usually, they talked in person...like when they ran into each other in town. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be out of town this weekend.”
“Oh.” He paused, and she wondered if she was making a bigger deal out of this than it was. For all she knew, he couldn’t care less that she’d be gone. He probably wouldn’t have even noticed. Then he asked, “Are you taking Amelia to stay with her dad after his surgery?”
“I wish,” she quickly replied then heard his sharp intake of breath. “I mean, that would be way easier than what my mom and aunt talked me into.”
Connor actually chuckled at that, which made Dalia smile in relief. But he didn’t ask for any details, which made her determined to continue talking and keep the conversation going.
“Anyway, Amelia is going to be staying out at the ranch with Micah. I’ve never really left her overnight so I’m kind of worried, even though I know her dad will take good care of her. But it’s weird knowing that I’m going to be so far gone and not actually in control of the situation.” Dahlia hadn’t noticed that she was piling way more clothes into her suitcase than she’d ever need for an overnight trip. But it kept her hands busy as she continued to talk and talk and talk. “You probably think I’m acting like a helicopter mom, which is totally a fair assessment given how neurotic I must sound. God, I’m turning into my own mother who is right this second interfering in her grown-up daughter’s love life. Tessa’s love life, not mine. Our love life is going fine, I hope. Don’t you think it’s going fine between us? Oh, jeez, now I sound like my mother again putting you on the spot. Except, I’m not nearly as crazy as her, I promise. Speaking of crazy, did I tell you how she’s talked all of us into going to DC, even though, it’s a horrible plan that’s never going to work—”
A bark thankfully cut her off before she could keep rambling on. “Is that Goatee?”
“Yeah, he’s mad at me because I stopped throwing the squeaky toy for him so I could answer the phone.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys,” she said, finally drawing in a long breath.
“You can always interrupt me, Dahlia.” When he said her name like that, his voice equal parts silky and husky, her legs threatened to give out. “Besides, I like listening to you when you do your nervous talking thing. I always wonder how long you’ll go before you finally run out of something to say.”
“Well, I’m glad one of us enjoys it.” She collapsed onto the bed, thankful he couldn’t see her do a nosedive into the pillows to drown out her embarrassment. When she came up for air, she heard her phone beep and said, “Listen, my aunt is calling through on the other line and I have to answer it or she’ll tell my mom and she will send my brother over here to check on me. Maybe we can talk more when I get back?”
“I’ll be here,” Connor said.
It wasn’t until Dahlia was trying to fall asleep later that she realized he hadn’t assured her that their love life was, in fact, fine.
* * *
Saturday morning, she and Amelia pulled into the nearby airfield, her daughter as excited as Dahlia was nervous. Micah’s chartered plane arrived just before the Twin Kings jet was scheduled to depart for DC. Amelia ran to her father, who easily lifted her up into his arms, despite the fact that he had a cast on one hand and a guitar strapped to his back.
All of her family was already waiting onboard the private jet for her and she saw her sister glaring out the oval window at her ex-husband and then tapping impatiently at her watch to indicate that they were already late.
“Okay, so Amelia’s suitcase is packed and in my truck. Can you drive with your hand and wrist like that?” Dahlia asked before handing over her keys to Micah.
“Of course,” Micah said. “There’s still only that one stoplight in town, right?”
“No, there’s two now. We’re quite the metropolis. Anyway, Amelia has a duffel bag packed with her favorite stuffed animals. And she still uses that green blanket at night and won’t fall asleep without it. Aunt Freckles said the kitchen at the ranch is already stocked with premade meals that can be microwaved.” She bit her lip. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
“Don’t worry, Dia. We’ll be fine.” Micah bounced Amelia higher on his hip and she giggled. “Tell your mom congratulations on her medal and try to talk Duke into coming back here afterward for a jam session. Maybe we can get Woody to join us.”
“You could ask Connor to play with you guys, too.” Amelia said, and Dahlia rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.
“Oh, yeah?” Micah wiggled his eyebrows at Dahlia before returning his attention to his daughter. “What does Connor play?”
Dahlia frowned because she hadn’t seen an instrument at his house when she’d stayed the night last weekend. Of course, she hadn’t seen the sewing machine, either. Was there something else she’d missed about him?
“I don’t know,” Amelia said. “But Miss Walker says everyone gets an instrument when we do Music Mondays. She has extra triangles and maracas and even a tambourine he could probably use.”
“Let’s worry about that when Mommy gets home tomorrow,” Dahlia said, then gave her daughter one last hug and kiss goodbye.
She gave a final wave at the top of the steps before stepping onto the plane and taking her seat. And just because it seemed like the right thing to do, she sent Connor a text letting him know that her flight was leaving. That way, she couldn’t be held responsible for anything that happened while she was gone.
Such as her persuasive daughter talking her dad into stopping by the Rocking D unannounced with a pair of maracas.
Chapter Twelve
Connor saw Dahlia’s truck spitting up dust in the distance as she pulled onto the driveway leading to his ranch. No, that couldn’t be Dahlia. She’d sent him a text less than an hour ago saying her flight was leaving, but nothing else to indicate she would be missing him while she was gone. So then who was driving her Ford to the Rocking D and why?
A twinge of jealousy spun itself into a rock-sized lump when he saw who was behind the wheel. Micah Deacon hadn’t shut off the engine before Amelia unbuckled herself and jumped out the door.
Goatee came tearing across the yard with a chorus of excited barks to greet her.
“Hi, boy.” She dropped to her knees, giggling at the slobbery kisses. “I brought my daddy over to meet you and Connor and Peppercorn and Gobster.”
“Man, she’s fast,” the man said as he came around the front of the truck. “I’m Micah. I’d shake your hand but...” He held up his right hand covered in a white cast-like bandage. Only his fingers were exposed. “Sorry for barging in on you like this.”
“No problem,” Connor said, a tenseness in his stomach as he sized up Dahlia’s ex-husband while pretending any of this was normal. “I’m starting to get used to it.”
Both men fell in step behind Amelia and Goatee as she led the tour to the chicken coop first to meet Gobster, who was flapping his wings and making threatening caw sounds. As soon as the turkey’s caws turned into screeches, Goatee made a detour straight to the safety of the porch.
“Whoa. That’s one angry looking bird.” Micah kept his good hand on Amelia’s shoulder to prevent her from getting too close to the wire fencing. Seeing the man’s quick instinct to protect his daughter eased some of the heaviness in Connor’s stomach.
“Tell me about it. I went into the coop this morning to feed him and he took a bite out of my favorite shirt.” Connor held out the cotton tee with what used to be an image of the Beatle’s Abbey Road album. “Tore a hole right through Ringo Starr.”
“At least he didn’t go after Paul or John,” Micah replied. “That would’ve been a one-way ticket on the stuffing express.”
“What’s the stuffing express, Daddy?” Amelia asked.
Micah winced like a preacher’s kid who�
�d just gotten busted saying a curse word. “Oh, just one of those weird farm terms I heard your aunt Finn use once. Now where’s this horse I’ve been hearing all about?”
“He’s in the stables!” Amelia grabbed Micah’s unbandaged hand in one of hers and then reached back for Connor’s. “Let’s go.”
If Micah Deacon thought it was odd having his five-year-old daughter literally forming a link between him and his ex-wife’s boyfriend, the man didn’t say. And if he wasn’t going to complain, then Connor certainly wasn’t going to bring it up.
But he had to think it was weird, right? Even the most easygoing guy on the planet would know that the situation could go sideways pretty quickly. Just as it had on the phone call earlier this week.
They made their way to the stables. Just a trio of two men and a little girl who had no idea how awkward this was. As they stood in front of the stall, Micah stared at the hand-carved sign hanging from the fence that read Sergeant Peppercorn.
“I thought you said his name was Private Peppercorn?” Micah asked his daughter.
“It was. But then Aunt Finn said that he earned a promotion and made him that sign. Did you know that he has eighteen girlfriends right now? Aunt Finn said it’s fine for stallions to have that many but if a man does it, we can kick him in the—”
“How about we show your dad where I’m going to put the new mare when she gets here?” Connor interrupted just in time. Then he forced himself not to make eye contact with Micah, who was clearly having a tough time keeping a straight face.
“It’s over here, Daddy,” Amelia said, happily skipping ahead of them. Goatee returned now that they were out of Gobster’s field of vision and he jumped up onto one of the straw bales, yipping until Amelia followed him.
As the little girl and the dog played hide-and-seek in the barn, Micah turned to him. Here it comes, Connor thought. The real reason for this visit.
“Just in case you’re wondering—” Micah rocked back on his heels “—this whole thing is awkward for me, too.”
Connor’s only response was a single nod of acknowledgment. Although, he did resist the urge to fold his arms defensively over his chest. Instead, he assumed the military at ease position, clasping his hands behind his back.
“You probably think I’m a deadbeat dad who ditched my kid to run off and become famous.”
“Actually, I never really thought that,” Connor admitted. “Dahlia is pretty clear about your co-parenting situation and I know that you’re active in Amelia’s life, even when you’re out of town.”
Micah shrugged. “Well, I think that about myself sometimes. Back when she was a baby, it was easy to tell myself that Dahlia could handle things. That Amelia was too young to even notice that I wasn’t around. But now she’s getting older and more aware of everything. Man, she’s so damn smart, you know? It’s a trip talking to her on FaceTime and hearing about her day and it’s starting to eat at me that I can’t be with her all the time. Sometimes I regret not staying here and making things work.”
Connor felt his last statement like a swift kick to the chest and dragged a deep breath in through his nose. Micah must’ve seen his reaction because he held up his unbandaged palm.
“No, man, not like that. It never would’ve worked between me and Dahlia. She figured I was safe because we’d known each other forever and a lot of the guys she’d met in college didn’t make it a secret that they were mostly interested in her family name. Anyway, we both knew it was hopeless before we even walked down the aisle. What I meant was that I regret not making things work by staying here in Teton Ridge, staying closer to my daughter. Don’t get me wrong, Dahlia’s done an amazing job. She’s such a great mom, and I appreciate the way all of the Kings have stepped in and helped while I’ve been away on tour. And I can’t even begin to thank you for being involved and taking her to that dance and just, you know, being good to her mom and...crap...this is starting to sound really weird.” Micah scratched his head. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad Dahlia has you and I don’t want you to feel threatened in any way now that I’m moving back to town. Unless I find out you’re not the man they think you are.”
Connor blinked twice, but chose not to focus on Micah’s last sentence. “Moving back to town? Or just staying here for a couple of months for physical therapy?”
“Here’s the thing. I haven’t told anybody this, not even the guys in my band. But the surgeon says my wrist is pretty messed up.” He sighed, finally appearing as though he might actually be stressed. “It’s going to be a long time before I can pick up a guitar again and even then, it probably won’t be at the same level I was playing before. So it kind of seemed like the universe was telling me that it was okay to take a break. To return to Teton Ridge and be a normal dad again.”
Connor didn’t want to think about what this new development would mean as far as his relationship with Dahlia. Or the bond he’d established with Amelia. But then he saw a little blond ponytail poke out from behind a hay bale and knew how he should feel. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, that’ll be great for Amelia.”
“I hope so.” Micah was also watching Amelia, a determined look in his eyes. “I guess we’ll all just have to figure out how to make things work.”
Connor hoped it would be just that simple. But there were a lot of lives and personalities at play here. Things had been complicated enough before her ex-husband returned full-time.
If his past training had taught him anything, he knew that once he made the decision to go down this trail, he’d have to stay the course and keep his senses on high alert. Because his emotions weren’t the only ones at risk of getting lost.
* * *
“Hey, man.” Micah’s voice was rushed when Connor answered his phone later that evening. “I hope you don’t mind, but I got your number from Mike Truong, the stable foreman.”
Connor gripped the rope he’d been coiling tighter. “Is something wrong with one of the mares?”
“No. I wish it were that simple.” That was when he heard Amelia’s hiccupping sobs in the background.
“Is she okay?”
“Physically, yes. But I can’t get her to stop crying. Something about a panda and Peyton, and I can’t really understand the rest through all the tears. I was gonna call Dahlia and ask her to interpret for me, but I don’t want her thinking I can’t handle my own daughter for the night. So I called you.”
Connor didn’t know whether to be flattered or confused. But then he heard Amelia do that hiccupping sob again and it no longer mattered how Connor felt. “Can you put the phone on speaker so I can ask her?”
“There,” Micah said. “Amelia, can you tell Connor what’s wrong?”
“Tonight is s’pose to be my night to co-parent Andy Pandy.” Hiccup. “But when I used my tablet to talk to Peyton, she said she forgot him at her dad’s house.” Hiccup. “And her dad won’t bring him to her mom’s ’cause they’re fighting.” Hiccup. “And now Andy Pandy won’t know that I love him.” Two hiccups.
“Did you catch all that?” Micah asked.
“I think so. Do you know Jay Grover?”
“Unfortunately. Let me take you off speakerphone so you can fill me in.”
Connor explained about the claw machine at the Pepperoni Stampede and the co-parenting agreement between the girls and his subsequent conversation with Jay.
Micah snorted. “Did you really tell him you were gonna kick his butt if he couldn’t get on board with the co-parenting plan?”
“I might’ve used more colorful language at the time. But he shouldn’t be such a crappy dad just to get back at his ex-wife. And I didn’t like the way he spoke to Amelia, either. Tell her I’ll drive over to Jay’s to pick up Andy Pandy and bring him out to the ranch for her.”
“I’ll come with you,” Micah said, but before Connor could protest, he added, “Not that you couldn’t t
ake him. From what I remember, he lost every single wrestling match his sophomore year before Coach Plains cut him from the team. But the guy is a yeller and knows how to cause a scene. You don’t want to risk having Deputy Broman responding to a disturbing-the-peace call. With Marcus out of town, Broman is probably looking for an excuse to lock up someone else important to the Kings.”
Connor shoved down the thought that he was actually significant enough to be considered as someone important to the Kings and instead asked, “But I thought you and Broman were good friends? At least that’s what he said at the father-daughter dance.”
“A lot of people think they’re my friends,” Micah replied. “They’re usually full of it. I’ll be by to pick you up in fifteen minutes.”
The line disconnected and Connor thought about taking off on his own and going to Jay’s without Micah. However, by the time he fed Peppercorn and Gobster—he didn’t want to risk delaying their dinnertimes and have the turkey try to eat a hole through the chicken wire again—Micah was bouncing up the drive in Dahlia’s truck.
Connor whistled for Goatee before he opened the back door. The dog sprang onto the back seat beside Amelia. Micah squinted at the small white dog, who was in need of another haircut. There was no mistaking the sarcasm in his voice when he asked, “Do you really think we need to bring the attack dog?”
Connor climbed into the front seat. “I figured he’d be a good distraction to keep Amelia occupied in the car so she doesn’t hear us talking to Jay.”
Micah nodded as though any of this made sense. “So just to be clear. We’re two grown men, taking a five-year-old and a white fluffy dog with us to possibly go kick another guy’s ass over a doll?”
“Andy’s a panda bear,” Amelia corrected from the back seat. “And Mommy said A-S-S is a bad word.”
“Mommy’s right,” Connor told the girl before lowering his voice to talk to Micah. “Let’s hope things don’t escalate that far. But if they do, you take care of Amelia. I’ll deal with Jay.”
Making Room for the Rancher Page 17