Cade sprinted toward the house, taking the porch steps two at a time. The front door was locked. How the hell did they get in there?
“They must have gone in the back,” Jillian said, her voice rising in panic as she raced toward the back of the house, Ethan right on her heels.
Cade vaulted the porch railing, landing hard in the grass and running after her. Nora was right behind him.
The back door was open, and Jillian and Ethan disappeared inside. He ran through the door, fear pounding through his heart. Although it seemed like with this group, they could handle whatever crisis came their way. Between the four of them, they had a dad, a doctor, a mom, and a lawman.
Hardwood floors led from a mudroom into a large sunny kitchen with wood cabinets and cheery black-and-white cow decor. The throw rug was black, spotted towels hung from the stove handle, and a dancing cow cookie jar sat on the counter. The house smelled a bit musty but the air inside still held the slight scent of vanilla.
As a group, they moved from the kitchen into the good-sized living room at the front of the house. A knitted blue-and-gray afghan hung over the arm of a rocking chair which sat next to an older, but still serviceable, chintz-covered sofa. Against the far wall sat a small secretary desk, the chair pulled out and a page of stationery and pen sitting on it, as if Miss Pearl were going to come back any minute and jot down a letter.
The whole place had a hominess to it. It was like the kind of feeling Cade would get whenever he walked into his grandma’s house. As if a cute, little old lady was going to walk out of the kitchen with a tray of lemonade and sugar cookies and insist you stay and chat with her a bit.
White french doors opened to the cupola to the left, and he could hear Allie’s voice coming from inside the room. “You guys, come in here. You’ve got to see this,” she called.
Cade let out his breath. It didn’t sound like she was in mortal danger. He followed Ethan and Jillian into the room, then almost wrecked into the librarian as she stopped midstride and clasped her hands over her mouth.
He heard Nora let out a gasp as she stopped next to him. “Oh, wow,” she whispered.
“Isn’t this the coolest room you’ve ever seen in your life?” Allie asked from her perch in the cupola’s spacious window seat. Her eyes were wide, her expression a mixture of awe and joy as she grinned like a kid who’d just discovered a candy shop.
She and Milo sat next to each other, leaning back against an array of cushy throw pillows, the puppy nestled between them and an orange-and-white cat curled in Allie’s lap. The thick cushion filling the window seat was covered in faded burgundy velvet with antique bronzed tacks along the front edge, similar to the kind of fabric used to cover seats in an old movie theatre.
“It’s a library,” Jillian said, gazing around at the floor to ceiling custom-made shelves that followed the curves of the room. The shelves were crammed with books, from antique hardbacks of classic literature to paperback thrillers and romance novels.
“It’s a reading nook,” Nora said, her eyes almost as wide as Allie’s. She peered around as she walked past Cade and dropped onto the cushion next to the kids. She ran her hand reverently over the fabric. “It’s wonderful.” Her eyes shone as she looked from Cade to his daughter. “And you found the cat.”
“We did. And she’s just the sweetest thing,” Allie said. “It’s like she’s been starved for affection.” The cat lifted its head and rubbed her ears against the teenager’s chin as if to illustrate Allie’s point.
“It’s a wonder she’s not starved period,” Ethan said.
“We found a bag of cat food with a hole in it in the kitchen,” Milo explained. “She must have clawed or bit it open. But there’s also a cat flap in the back door. We saw her run in here and we followed her in. That’s how we found this room.”
“It’s amazing no other critters have discovered that cat flap,” Ethan said. “I’m surprised you didn’t find any squirrels or raccoons in here.”
“If we did, I’m sure they would be in here cleaning and working because this house is like walking into a fairy tale,” Allie said.
“Fairy tale or not, this is still someone else’s house,” Cade said. “You guys shouldn’t have just come in here.”
“The back door was unlocked,” Allie said. “And we were trying to save the cat.”
“We didn’t touch anything,” Milo said, then sheepishly held up the book in his hand. “Well, except the books when we found this cool room.”
“Don’t be mad, Cade,” Allie said. “I know we probably shouldn’t have come inside, but it was almost like the cat was trying to show us this. She led us right in here, and it was like discovering a magical room in a castle.”
“I don’t know that I would call the widow Larson’s house a magical castle,” Ethan muttered to Jillian. “But this room is pretty cool.”
“It’s the coolest room I’ve ever seen in my life,” Allie gushed. “Seriously, have you ever seen curved bookshelves? Or fabric this soft?” She brushed her hand over the cushion. “And just look at that beautiful tea set.” She pointed to the delicate pink-and-green porcelain pitcher and cup sitting on a matching antique tray. “I just want to move into this room and never leave.”
“Well, it’s a pretty neat place,” Ethan said. “But we do have to leave. We’ve got the horses loaded, and we need to get them back to the ranch.”
Cade watched the disappointment, then understanding play across Allie’s face, and he was glad the deputy had been the one telling her she had to leave instead of him.
Milo picked up the sleepy puppy and put him in his basket while Allie scooted to the edge of the cushion. She held up the cat. “What about Clementine? We can’t just leave her here.”
Cade tilted his head. “You already named the cat?”
She shook her head. “No. We saw a note on the refrigerator that said to buy cat food for Clementine, so we just assumed that was her name.”
Cade looked from his daughter to Nora, but she was no help. She just shrugged as she reached over to pet the cat’s chin.
“You know Bryn would want us to take her,” Allie said.
He blew out a breath. “Yeah, she would.” In fact, his cousin would probably have his hide if they didn’t bring the cat back with them. But he wasn’t ready to add a permanent cat to his already growing household. He was barely getting used to the dog. “All right. We can bring her. But we’re only keeping her until we find a more permanent home or until Bryn comes up with a better solution.”
“Agreed,” Allie said, passing the cat to Nora so she could get her booted foot settled on the knee scooter. “For now,” she muttered not quite under her breath.
Yeah, that’s what he was afraid of.
***
Thirty minutes later, they had the rescued horses back to Bryn’s and set up in individual stalls in the barn. Ethan and Jillian had given them fresh hay and water while Cade lined their stalls with straw. Milo and Allie had taken turns feeding them sugar cubes, and Allie had introduced the new arrivals to Daisy and Gypsy.
Nora had taken Clementine back to the bunkhouse and given her some fresh cat food and a saucer of milk. The cat had eaten a little, then curled up in a patch of sunshine on one of the chairs on the porch and fallen asleep.
“All right,” Cade said to the group assembled in the barn. “Let’s give these two a chance to eat and settle in.”
“I’d better get back to the station,” Ethan said, as the group wandered out of the barn and into the sun. The day was bright and hot, and he slipped a pair of aviator sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on.
“Thanks for all your help,” Cade told him.
“It was nice meeting you,” Jillian said, a smile curving her lips as she offered the deputy a little wave.
Nora stood next to her, and Cade noted the way she looked from Jillian to the deputy before stepping forward. “Yes, great meeting you, Ethan. Don’t forget about the dance this weekend. We hope to see you out here.” She peered back at Jillian. “You’ll be here too. Right, Jillian?”
“Uh, yes. We’ll be here.” She gave Nora a quick side-eye.
Apparently Cade wasn’t the only one noticing Nora’s subtle matchmaking efforts.
“Yeah, I was thinking about coming out for it,” Ethan said, offering Jillian a shy smile. “I was thinking I’d come back out in a couple of days to check on the horses, but I do like to listen to a good band and occasionally take a turn on the dance floor. I’ll come if you promise to save a dance for me.”
Pink tinged Jillian’s cheeks, but her smile spread wider across her face. “Yeah, sure.”
His gaze stayed trained on hers as if none of the rest of them were even there. “See you then.” He held her gaze for another few seconds, then turned to open the door of his truck. He offered the group a wave as he climbed into the cab. “Keep me posted on how the new horses get along. See you all Saturday.”
Ethan pulled out of the driveway as the sound of another engine came from the pasture behind them. They turned to see a small green utility vehicle bouncing across the field, Brody at the wheel and Mandy waving from the passenger seat.
Cade nudged Allie. “That’s a Gator.”
“Where’d they come from?” she asked.
“Brody’s ranch is about ten minutes away, but it’s only five if you come through the pastures.”
The Gator pulled up in front of them, and Brody cut the engine and climbed out of the vehicle. “Hey,” he said, waving to the group. “Bryn called and said you all had some new horses arrive. She asked me to come over and check them out, and we figured we’d bring the Gator so Allie could take a ride.” He nodded to Milo. “You too.”
“Cool,” Allie said, glancing up at Cade. “I mean, is that okay? Can I go on a ride with them?”
Cade eyed the Gator. He’d ridden them hundreds of times. They were much more stable than four-wheelers, but he still had a gnawing feeling in his gut. He and his brother and cousins had done all sorts of crazy things growing up. They wouldn’t have thought twice about jumping on this thing and tearing up the fields. But it was different when it was his daughter and there was a chance she could get hurt.
He felt a warm arm press against his and looked down to see Nora had come up to stand by his side. How did she seem to always know what he was thinking? “Yeah, okay. But be careful.”
“We will,” Allie told him, only giving him a small eye roll. Probably because he said she could go with them.
“Stay on the trails in the pastures,” Brody told Mandy as she scooted into the passenger seat. “And keep the speed down. Remember Allie still has a hurt foot and shoulder, so she doesn’t need to go bouncing around too much.”
Cade hadn’t thought of that. He took a step forward, ready to change his mind, but Allie must have thought he was stepping forward to help her, and she took his arm to help hoist herself into the passenger seat. They still had a long way to go, but they’d made a lot of progress with each other in the past week. He didn’t want to mess this up by being overprotective.
Milo handed Allie the puppy, then loaded the knee scooter into the back flatbed section of the Gator and climbed in next to it. “Ready to ride,” he cried, grabbing ahold of the roll bars.
“Are there any seat belts on that thing?” Nora asked as Mandy started the engine.
The puppy sat up on Allie’s lap and let out a yip as they moved forward. Allie waved to Cade, then grabbed the bar next to her, holding on as Mandy gave the utility vehicle a little gas and steered them back toward the field.
Cade tried to unclench his jaw as he watched them go. Was this a mistake? Was the Gator too dangerous? Mandy was only in fifth grade—could she really handle the machine?
“Don’t worry,” Brody told him. “Mandy is a good driver, and she knows to keep the speed low in that thing. We had a talk on the way over about being especially careful with Allie on board. And they’re only driving around the pasture.”
Cade rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I don’t know why I’m acting like an old mother hen. My brother and I would have gone crazy for a chance to ride in one of those things when we were kids.”
Brody chuckled and nudged him with his elbow. “Maybe that’s why you worry. Thankfully Mandy isn’t as dumb as we were as kids. And Milo is pretty levelheaded. I trust him.”
“Thanks. I do too,” Jillian said. “He’s a smart boy. And I’ll take my kid riding through a field in that solid-looking thing over him riding a surf board in the unpredictable waves of the ocean any day.”
Cade looked from Jillian to Brody, suddenly feeling like he belonged in a club that he’d never let himself be a part of before. “Do you ever stop worrying about them?”
The other two laughed. “No,” they answered together.
Brody clapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you show me those new horses?”
He nodded, then took one last glance at the kids before leading the way into the barn.
Thirty minutes later, Brody had given both horses a thorough examination. Nora had brought him the cat, and he’d given her a once-over as well and declared all the animals in pretty decent shape. “The horses are a little malnourished and their coats are a little dull, but they should be fine after a few days of solid meals and fresh water. Thankfully, they had access to some grass, and the bit of rain we’ve gotten lately has probably helped with their water intake. I’ve seen a lot of horses in worse shape after they’ve been abandoned.” He ran a hand over the cat’s back. “This one looks in good shape. Cats are pretty resourceful creatures. If she’s been able to be inside the house and out, she’s probably been doing a fine job finding herself something to eat.”
“You’re a good kitty, aren’t you?” Nora said, nuzzling the cat’s chin. “I’m going to take her back to the bunkhouse. I’m making coffee if anyone wants a cup.”
Jillian raised her hand. “I’m in.”
Cade’s phone buzzed and panic rose in his throat as he saw Allie’s name on the screen. “It’s the kids,” he said, tapping the screen and pressing the phone to his ear. “Allie? You all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, her voice a little breathless. “But we ran into a little trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” he asked, already heading toward his truck, Brody and Jillian on his heels. “Where are you? Is anyone hurt?”
“No. We’re fine. Geez, Cade. Get a grip. We’re just stuck in the mud.”
He could hear the irritation in her voice, and he tried to relax his tone. “Okay. Where are you? Brody and I will come get you.”
“Mandy said to tell her dad we’re by pancake rock.”
“Got it. We’ll be there in five minutes.” He clicked off and turned to the others. “It’s okay. No one’s hurt. They’re just stuck in the mud.”
Jillian blew out a breath and waved a hand at them. “In that case, I’m going to let you two deal with it while I have a cup of coffee with Nora.”
He and Brody climbed into his truck. “Mandy said to tell you they’re by pancake rock. You know where that is?”
“Sure, it’s a big flat rock toward the top of that outcropping of boulders in the west pasture.”
Cade put the truck in gear and headed toward the pasture. “I know the spot.” Within a few minutes, they could see the rocks and the Gator. Cade’s dread turned to amusement as they pulled up in front of the utility. “Oh shit,” Cade said, busting out in laughter as he and Brody got out of the truck. “What the hell happened to you guys?”
The back wheels of the Gator were buried in a large soupy puddle. The three kids had exited the vehicle and stood a few feet away, all three covered in mud. The puppy was gleefully sprawling in the muddy water, but jumped up and ran to the men as they came toward them. She circled Cade’s boots, nipping at his heels, then stopped to shake the water from her fur.
All three kids hung their heads. Even Allie had the good sense to look ashamed. “We’re so sorry,” she said. “It was an accident.”
“We got out thinking if the load was lighter, it would be able to move,” Milo explained. “And then I tried to push it from behind.”
“But when I gave it some gas, the tires just spun.” Mandy gestured to the other two. “I didn’t know it was going to spray mud all over them. Or that Allie was going to fall into the puddle trying to help him.”
“That explains why they’re covered in mud,” Brody said. “But why are you?”
Mandy shrugged. “I couldn’t get us unstuck, so then Milo tried to drive while I pushed.”
“Yeah, but didn’t you know you would get covered in mud?” her father asked.
Mandy shrugged. “Yeah, but we were in it together. We all got stuck together, so we all had to try to get unstuck together. That’s what friends do.”
Cade’s heart lifted a little as he saw the expression on his daughter’s face go from a worried frown to a happy smile. Who cared about a little mud if getting the vehicle stuck and getting covered in mud brought that kind of smile to his daughter’s face and had her standing taller as she hopped a step closer to the younger girl?
He knew he had an opportunity here, a chance to show his daughter what kind of dad he was—or wanted to be. He could get mad at them for taking the risk of driving through the puddle and offer an I told you so, or he could choose another route. He glanced at Brody, who he knew was a good man and a good dad, and the two fathers broke into grins.
“Let’s see if we can get this thing unstuck without ending up covered in mud ourselves,” Cade said.
“I’m driving,” Brody said, climbing into the front seat. “You’re pushing, so be prepared to get muddy.”
Cade shrugged and winked at his daughter. “A little mud never hurt anybody.” He moved to the front of the Gator. “You want to put it in reverse and let me try pushing you out this way?”
Brody started the engine and put the vehicle in reverse. The wheels spun, shooting dirt and muddy water forward this time and soaking Cade.
He wiped a gob of mud from his face with the back of his hand and looked down at his mud-splattered front. “Perfect.” He looked over at the kids who were trying their best not to laugh. “You all think this is funny, do you? Why don’t you get over here and help me push?”
Milo put a hand out in front of the girls. “I got this.” He splashed through the mud to stand by Cade’s side. “Ready,” he said, planting his hands on the hood of the vehicle.
“Rock it forward a little, then try it in reverse one more time,” Cade told Brody. “I think we got a little traction.”
Brody revved the engine and tried to go forward, then in reverse. Ignoring the spray of mud, Cade and Milo leaned their shoulders into the hood and pushed. “You’re getting it,” Brody called, giving the engine a little more gas. The tires spun a few more rotations, then caught, and the utility vehicle shot backward, and Cade and Milo fell forward into the puddle.
Cade pushed up to his knees and lifted his mud-covered hand to Milo. “Nice work, kid.”
Milo laughed and slapped an equally muddy high five against Cade’s palm. “You too.”
Mandy and Allie clapped and cheered, and the puppy raced back into the puddle and around Cade and Milo as they slipped and slid their way to dry ground.
“Good job,” Cade told Brody, clapping a muddy hand onto his shoulder.
“Thanks,” Brody said with a wry grin.
“Hey, I wouldn’t want you to miss out on all the fun.”
“On that note, I think I’m going to take my daughter home and spray her off with a hose. After we clean off the Gator.”
“Yes, Dad.” Mandy scraped her boots on the side of the Gator before climbing into the passenger seat. She grinned and waved at Milo and Allie as her dad put the vehicle in gear. “See you guys later. It was fun.”
“Yeah, real fun,” Cade said, nodding to Milo and Allie. “You two better get in the truck. I’m sure Jillian and Nora are wondering what’s taking us so long.”
Milo grabbed the knee scooter and put it in the back end. “Should I ride back here?” he asked Cade. “I’m pretty muddy.”
Cade looked at all three of them. “We’re all pretty muddy. But don’t worry about it,” he said, holding the door open and helping Allie climb in. “It’s a truck. It’s not the first or the last time it’ll see mud.”
“Oh no. What happened to you guys?” Jillian asked when they pulled up in front of the bunkhouse a few minutes later. She and Nora were sitting on the porch, the cat curled in Nora’s lap. Jillian set her cup down and stepped off the porch, covering her mouth with her hand as she cracked up.
Milo grinned at his mom as he climbed from the truck, then waited to help Allie. “We got the Gator stuck in this huge mud puddle. But I helped Cade push it free.”
“Did you all leave any mud in the puddle?” She motioned him toward the car. “We’ve got to go home and eat some lunch. Make sure you grab some towels from the trunk before you climb into the seat.” She turned back to wave at Nora. “Thanks for the coffee and the chat. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cade lifted the knee scooter out of the back end and carried it to Allie. His jeans were already caking with dried mud. “I think Brody might have the right idea. Why don’t we try to clean some of this off with the hose before we go inside?”
Allie peered down at her mud-splattered legs and the clumps of dirt clinging to her boots. “Good idea.”
“There’s a spigot and hose on the side of the house,” he told her.
“I’ll grab you guys some towels, then I’ll put together some sandwiches for lunch,” Nora said. She’d left the cat in the chair and was standing on the edge of the porch. She dug her phone from her pocket. “But first, I have to take a picture. You guys have got to see yourselves. You look hilarious.”
Cade looked down at Allie, who shrugged and wrapped her arm around his waist as she offered Nora a cheesy grin. Having his daughter lean against his chest, even if it was only for a picture and they were both covered in mud, still had a smile spreading across his face.
Nora clicked a picture then made a face at them. “Okay, now one silly one.”
Cade furrowed his brow. “Are you trying to say we don’t look silly enough?”
Allie grabbed one side of her muddy hair and pulled it straight up as she pushed out her lips. “Make a duck face,” she told Cade.
“A duck face? How the heck am I supposed to make my face look like a duck’s?”
Allie giggled as she looked up at him, pursing her lips together. “Like this,” she told him.
“I’m not doing that,” Cade told her.
“Come on.” Allie was laughing harder as she reached up to squeeze Cade’s cheeks together. “Pout your lips and suck in your cheeks.”
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. It was only because it was making his girl laugh. He pushed out his mouth the way Allie was doing, which sent the girl into another fit of giggles. “You’d better be taking the picture, Nora.”
“Don’t worry, I am,” Nora wheezed. She was cracking up so hard she almost dropped her phone. “Oh my gosh, I can’t breathe. I’m going to wet my pants.” She doubled over on the porch.
“All right, that’s enough pictures,” Cade said, nodding toward the hose. “I’ve got so much mud on my cheeks, I’m afraid it’s going to dry and I’ll be stuck with this stupid mallard face for the rest of my life.”
Allie laughed as she followed him to the spigot. “It’s duck face.”
He unwound a few coils of hose and turned on the water. A sprayer nozzle was attached to the end of it, and he flipped the setting to soaker, then directed the spray at his legs. He washed the mud from his jeans and boots, then motioned for Allie to hold out her booted foot. “I don’t think you’re supposed to get mud on this thing. I hope it dries out tonight while you sleep.”
“Here, let me get it,” she said, taking the hose from him and spraying off her legs and the knee scooter. The hose kinked as she turned around. She yanked on it to get it closer, and the nozzle flipped in her hand and shot a spray of water directly at Cade’s head.
“Oh my gosh,” Allie said, her eyes going wide as she tried not to laugh. “I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t contain it, and she burst into giggles again.
He wiped the water from his forehead and sputtered the droplets from his lips. “Oh, that’s how you want to play it,” he said, making a grab for the sprayer.
She shrieked in laughter and held the hose out in front of her. “No, I didn’t mean it.” The puppy raced around their legs, yipping and trying to bite the water.
“And I didn’t mean this,” he said, grabbing the nozzle and turning it toward Allie.
“It’s so cold.” She squealed again but held on to the sprayer, trying to get another shot at him. Pressing the handle, her shot went wide as Cade ducked and hit Nora as she came around the corner of the house holding a stack of towels.
“Gah,” Nora screeched, dropping the towels.
Allie froze, her eyes wide as she stared at Nora, who now had water dripping from her bangs.
Nora’s eyes narrowed, and she calmly pushed her sopping hair away from her face as she walked toward them and held out her hand. “That’s enough, children. Give me the hose.”
Allie lowered her eyes as she handed it over. “Sorry, Nora. I was trying to spray Cade.”
Nora took the hose and her stern expression transformed to a sly grin as she turned the hose on him and pulled the handle. “You mean like this?”
Cade yelped as the stream of water hit him, then laughed as he ran around behind Allie. He grabbed her around the waist, using her as a shield as Nora cackled and tried to spray him around the girl’s head.
They were all cracking up, and Allie shrieked with laughter as she tried to get behind Cade instead. “Help! Save me, Dad!”
Even through the squeals of laughter and with a shot of water hitting him in the chest, Cade heard the word and a crazy happiness spread through him. Allie had called him Dad, and the echo of it made his throat tight with emotion.
That happiness came to a screeching halt at the sound of an enraged voice yelling from behind him. “Cade Callahan—what the hell do you think you’re doing?”