Montana Mistletoe Page 11

  “No details—he just texted that he’s on his way home.”

  “Why didn’t he call sooner? Can you call him back?”

  “I imagine he’s driving, and the conditions might still be bad. As much as I want to know what’s going on, I just don’t want to distract him.”

  Betty’s expression deflated. “Well...just so long as he’s not hurt.”

  Abby gently extricated herself from the twins in her lap and took Sophie to her bed, then came back. “So, who would like some breakfast? Anybody?”

  “Pancakes with chocolate chips?” Bella smiled up at her. “I’m a good helper.”

  Across the room, Betty’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open with surprise.

  Abby nodded. “Sounds perfect. Let’s go.”

  She smiled over her shoulder at Betty and shrugged, feeling just as surprised as she was.

  If this was the beginning of a better relationship with the little girl, then every sleepless hour had been worth it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Jess arrived back at the ranch at eight o’clock Saturday evening, he could see the girls bouncing excitedly at the window.

  If Abby hadn’t been standing behind them with her hands on their shoulders, he suspected that they might have run outside in their pajamas to greet him.

  Seeing the warm glow of the lights in the house spilling out onto the snow and the people at the window who were eager for him to be home filled him with a sense of connection and sent a rush of warmth through him.

  Family.

  Oh, Gramma Betty had always been his rock. And the girls had been here almost a year.

  But Abby seemed to make the circle complete, and he imagined always returning home to this—a loving woman waiting for him with the children...maybe even more of them—

  He caught himself up short.

  What was he thinking? She’d left him once before. And she’d already made it clear she was moving on, her heart set on getting her PhD and what she hoped to achieve in autism research. Truly noble goals.

  He—and life on this isolated ranch—would never be anything but second best.

  He limped to the house, then took a deep breath and forced himself to walk in the door as if he had no injuries at all.

  Abby held the girls back until he got his coat and boots off, and then they rushed to him, too excited to hold still. “Just a quick warning—they both tested positive for the flu yesterday, and they probably won’t be completely well for three or four days, at the least.”

  Ignoring the pain knifing through his left shoulder, he scooped them both up anyway, one girl nestled in each arm, and savored the sweet warmth of them when they wrapped their arms around his neck. “I missed you two little punkins,” he said with a laugh. “Were you good for your grandma and Abby?”

  Bella puffed out her chest. “Abby and me made cookies. Hundreds and thousands.”

  “You helped?” He lifted an eyebrow in surprise. When he left two days ago, he’d guessed that Bella would rather walk on nails than cooperate with Abby.

  “Bella was a super helper. And she did wash her hands very well, I promise,” Abby said with a wry smile. “And she didn’t handle the cookies after they were baked. But poor Sophie spent most of the day curled up on one of the sofas with the puppy.”

  He grinned at Bella. “Well, I can’t wait to try those cookies, so I’m going to set you girls down.”

  He gingerly lowered them, steeling himself against the pain running down his left side.

  Bella ran over to the counter and pointed to a clear, rectangular container. “They’re in boxes ’cause then they’ll stay nice. That’s what Abby said.”

  Jess opened the lid. “Wow, these sure are pretty. I bet you used all the sprinkles in the whole county.”

  She nodded and watched as he took two. “It was Abby’s recipe that she made when she was little like me and Sophie.”

  He wanted to ask about Bella’s attitude transformation, but figured he’d better wait. “These are the best cookies ever. Bar none.”

  Bella beamed at him, then angled a shy smile at Abby. “It was fun.”

  “I’m gonna help next time,” Sophie said wistfully. “If I’m not sick.”

  “Of course you will.” Jess ruffled her long blond curls. “You’re a good cookie baker, too.”

  “The recipe is super easy, especially when you’ve got good little helpers and need to keep re-rolling the dough. By the way, since the girls are sick, everyone else here should be on antiviral medication.” Abby tipped her head toward a white pharmacy bag on the counter. “I picked up some for you, as well. We’re all supposed to take it twice a day for five days.”

  “Thanks.” He’d been caught up in the girls’ welcome, but now he looked at Abby—really looked at her—and saw the weariness in her face and the dark circles beneath her eyes.

  He felt a stab of guilt. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said quietly. “You look exhausted.”

  “It was a long night, but we made it through. Tonight should be better. But I’ve got to tell you something.”

  He felt a frisson of alarm. “About...?”

  A corner of her mouth twitched. “I did not fully appreciate how much work you were doing here before I came. The house, the meals and the kids are truly a full-time commitment, and how you did the outside work as well I will never know. So...I just wanted to tell you that I am well-and-truly impressed.”

  He’d feared bad news, but her words were like a gentle balm to his battered body and her gaze, now fixed on his, made his heart give a hard extra thump. He lifted a hand to tuck a wayward lock of her long blond hair behind her ear...

  Then he faltered, the intimate mood broken, and scanned the kitchen and the arched doorway into the living room, his concern growing. “Where’s Betty? Is she all right?”

  The faint blush coloring Abby’s cheekbones faded. “She said she wanted to turn in early. She says she feels right as rain and not to worry, but I’ve still been keeping a close eye on her.”

  “She’s taking the antiviral meds, too, right?”

  “Absolutely.” Abby opened the refrigerator door and peered inside. “Are you hungry? I can heat up some beef stew if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, but I grabbed something at a drive-through several hours ago, and I’m all set.” He smiled down at Bella and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Especially after Bella’s wonderful cookies.”

  Abby glanced at the clock on the stove. “It’s bedtime, girls. You got to see Uncle Jess, so now can you each pick out some books for story time? I’ll be down to your room in just a minute.”

  Their faces fell, but both girls were clearly tired and they obediently headed for their bedroom.

  “Betty and I were really worried about you. We tried to call but you didn’t answer,” Abby said as she sealed up the box of cookies and put it back on the counter. “She even asked me to check your desk to see if you’d written down the name of your client in Denver, but there wasn’t a name on your calendar.”

  The touch of worry in her voice surprised him. “I couldn’t call. When you see my truck and trailer, you’ll understand why.”

  She spun around, her eyes wide. “What happened?”

  “Glare ice outside Denver. A multivehicle pileup. Semis, SUVs, cars. I was behind the first semi to jackknife and could’ve avoided it, but cars all around me spun out of control, then a lot more came way too fast. Snow had started falling and hid the ice from the oncoming drivers, I guess.”

  “We heard about that one on the news,” Abby said faintly, her fingertips at her lips as she searched his face. “It sounded awful. You’re sure you’re all right?”

  He nodded, not quite meeting her eyes.

  “What about the horses?”

  “The truck and the side of the trailer took some
pretty good hits on the driver’s side, but the horses were fine and the vehicles farther behind us ended up being something of a barricade. We were on the freeway for most of the night waiting while everything got sorted out. But I got the horses delivered, safe and sound.”

  She blinked. “I’m so sorry to hear you had such trouble. But you’re really okay? Honest?”

  He shrugged. “A couple of bruises, but nothing important.”

  “Why didn’t you call and let us know? Betty was so worried—and I was, too.”

  “My phone fell out of my pocket while I was helping an older couple. What with snow starting to fall and random car parts here and there, I didn’t find it until someone stepped on the screen.”

  “But at least you had some food in the trailer kitchen and feed for the horses. Right?”

  He nodded. “I ended up with quite a few people in the living quarters, trying to keep warm. Some of those folks were really shook up.”

  From down the hall came Bella’s voice, begging for stories.

  “I’d better go,” Abby said quietly. She reached out to place her hand on Jess’s forearm. “I’m so glad you made it home, Jess.”

  She hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more, then turned away and left the kitchen.

  After she was gone, he went to the cupboard over the sink and swallowed a couple of ibuprofen tablets. He winced as he raised a water glass to wash them down.

  He hadn’t wanted Abby’s sympathy or, worse, for her to tell Betty—because then there would be a flurry of fussing and questions and worries and hovering.

  He would be fine...in a few days. But he had a lot of ranch work to do—work that never ended. And if he didn’t find a good man to hire, he could foresee a long, long winter ahead.

  * * *

  Abby stood at the window the next morning and stared out at Jess’s truck and trailer. Stunned, she jerked on her jacket and boots and went outside to survey the rig from all sides.

  The driver’s-side front door and fender had been smashed in, and the rear door on that side was worse. The front bumper had been pried away so it would clear the tire for driving. On the other side there was even more damage. The tack compartment of the trailer had been hit hard enough to buckle and was held shut by wire.

  It seemed impossible that Jess could have walked away unscathed. She went back to the driver’s-side door and rose on her tiptoes to peer inside. Her stomach lurched.

  “Not exactly a new truck anymore, is it?”

  She whirled around and found Jess standing behind her. In the early morning sun she now saw bruising on the left side of his jaw.

  “There’s blood in there, Jess. On the inside of the door and on the steering wheel. You said you weren’t hurt.” She reached up and gently ran her fingertips under his jaw. “So where did that blood come from?”

  He started to shrug. Instantly winced at the obvious pain knifing through his left shoulder. “I’ve got some bruising down my left side. No broken bones. The second and third impacts hit after the airbags deflated, so my shoulder and ribs are little sore. A few cuts and scrapes...nothing big.”

  She was now imagining deep, massive bruising the length of his body, future surgery on that shoulder and...

  “How many sutures?” she demanded.

  He shifted uncomfortably. “Just a dozen. Or so.”

  “Right. And yet you’re out here planning to tackle your chores alone. I’ll take over for as long as it takes.”

  He shook his head. “That isn’t necessary.”

  “I love doing it, and you know it. The girls will be fine with Betty.” When he didn’t answer, she threw her hands up in exasperation. “Since you had sutures, that means you went to an urgent care or a hospital. What did they say about you going right back to work?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Right. And I suppose they didn’t say anything about your bruising either. I’d guess your whole left side is already dark black-and-blue.” She felt her lips start to tremble and clamped her mouth shut for a moment to regain control.

  Jess tilted his head and frowned. “I’m guessing this isn’t just about me.”

  She took a deep breath. “My brother is pig-headed, like some other people I know. He took a bad spill off a bull and had such massive bruising that he ended up with a deep abscess, then infection...and by the time he went to the ER, he was septic. We almost lost him. And that was before the accident that put him in a wheelchair.”

  “Point taken.” Jess sighed. “I guess.”

  “I can’t take the girls to church today,” Abby continued. “Not while they’re sick. So I’m going to check on them and tell Betty I need to be out doing chores.”

  He looked as if he still wanted to argue, but she gave a firm shake of her head. “You can put your feet up in the tack room or go up to the house. But at least for today, you’re not doing a thing.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  True to her word, Abby took over the outside chores starting Sunday and harassed Jess if he tried to do too much. But on Tuesday afternoon he felt better, and the prospective ranch hand he’d talked to last week actually came on time for an interview.

  Jess had already done a background check on him, so when Phil Crandall showed up with a reference in hand from a big cattle operation in Texas and gave knowledgeable answers to every question Jess asked, it didn’t take long to decide.

  While Phil waited in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, Jess went back to his office to follow up on the man’s reference letter with a phone call, then hired him on the spot.

  “Phil’s cabin is all set,” Abby said at breakfast the next morning. “I scrubbed everything and took a set of bed linens and towels up there. It’s a nice little place, actually. Have you ever rented out those cabins to tourists?”

  Jess shook his head. “Dad built just three of them to house a foreman and several hired hands, but we’ve only had one ranch hand at a time here during the past few years.”

  “They’re nice enough for tourists, if you ever decide to run a dude ranch.” She winked at him. “I’m sure you’d love that. Kids running everywhere, petting the cows and horses...exploring the tack room, climbing on the hay bales.”

  He knew she was teasing, but he still cringed at the thought. “Strangers in and out of here all the time? Dealing with that kind of liability on a working ranch? No thanks.”

  Betty looked up from her crossword puzzle. “I always thought it might be fun, meeting all of those people from who knows where, but your dad never wanted to rent the cabins either.”

  Abby started clearing the table. “So how do I handle a hired hand’s meals and laundry?”

  “There’s a laundry room in the tack room, where we wash the horse blankets.” Jess took a sip of coffee. “He can use those machines or go to the laundromat in town.”

  He went to pull on his boots and jacket. “As for meals, the hired hands usually join us, but this guy seemed pretty noncommittal. I’ll ask him what he prefers so you’ll know what to expect.”

  At the sound of an old pickup rattling up the lane, Poofy started barking and the twins left the table to peek out the kitchen windows.

  Bella looked at Jess over her shoulder. “He has a funny truck. It’s different colors.”

  Jess looked out the window. “It looks like he’s replacing the fenders and doors piece by piece as he can afford to. When it’s done he’ll probably paint it all one color.”

  “Now it’s like a coat of many colors, girls.” Betty set aside her pencil and closed her book of puzzles. “Do you remember the Bible story about Joseph?”

  Bella nodded. “His coat must have been pretty.”

  “Sophie is staying home sick another day, so we’ll hear that story again when you get home, Bella,” Abby said. “But we need to get to the school bus in less than ten minutes,
so go brush your teeth and put on your coat and boots. Quickly.”

  Quickly was a subjective word, Jess had discovered, when it came to getting the girls off to school. Even if he’d collected boots, shoes, hats, mittens and backpacks the night before, it was always a scramble in the morning. Especially when the girls weren’t cooperative.

  “Bella, I need to go outside to welcome the new ranch hand. But I want to see you bundled up and heading for the bus stop in eight minutes, all right? No excuses.”

  Bella raced down the hall to the bathroom, and Abby looked up from stuffing papers into her backpack to give him an amused smile. “I guess I need to practice my Jess voice.”

  Her smile made his insides tighten and made him want to linger just to see it again. He wondered if there was any way that she could be as aware of him as he was of her.

  But he doubted it.

  She was the one who had left town, married someone else and been gone for twelve long years. He needed to ignore the old feelings that kept resurfacing and just move on.

  But with every passing day that was getting harder to do.

  * * *

  Abbie left Sophie in the house with Grandma Betty, and after putting Bella on the school bus, she went looking for Jess and his new hired hand. She found them in the feed room of the horse barn, where Jess was pointing out the complex, individualized rations listed on a blackboard for the thirty horses in the barn.

  He glanced at her. “Abby Halliday, this is Phil Crandall. Phil, Abby is our nanny.”

  The new hired hand was wiry, maybe five foot six, wearing faded jeans, scuffed roper boots and a fleece-lined denim jacket. Beneath his crumpled Stetson she could see that his weather-beaten, leathery skin spoke of a lifetime spent in the Montana sun.

  He pointedly studied her bare left hand, then glanced between Jess and her as if sizing up the situation. Then he fixed his eyes on hers and bared his tobacco-stained teeth in a semblance of a smile. “Very nice making your acquaintance, ma’am. The scenery just got a whole lot nicer on this winter day.”

  Relief slid through her when he didn’t extend a hand to her, but even so she took a step back. “I’m sure you’ll be a great help around here, Mr. Crandall.”