Over the next few days, while Lainie washed the dinner dishes, Drew conducted his first interviews in the kitchen.
“Since you offered to help me write that blog, or however many stories we have to tell,” he’d told her, “you should hear what the men have to say.”
Lainie agreed. And it certainly wasn’t a hardship. The retired cowboys’ memories and reflections were both touching and entertaining.
But their stories weren’t the only thing that held her interest each evening. Drew’s voice had a mesmerizing effect on her, and in spite of her efforts to ignore his soft Southern drawl, she found herself increasingly drawn to the rodeo promoter.
She was also touched by the kindness and respect he’d shown the old guys, which made her think he might be different from the men who’d let her down in the past. Clearly, her first impressions of him hadn’t been on target.
After placing a meat loaf in the top oven and the russet potatoes in the bottom, she washed her hands at the sink and peered out the window at his cabin, which now had a new front porch.
Drew wasn’t anywhere in sight, so she leaned to the right and arched her neck to get a better view of the barn and yard. She still didn’t see him, but she spotted Nate working with a fidgety colt in the corral. She’d heard about the acting foreman’s skill with horses, but to see him in action was an amazing sight.
She’d already taken a number of shots of the cowboys, old and young alike, and this was a perfect opportunity to get another. She shut off the faucet, dried her hands on a dish towel and hurried to get her camera.
Moments later, she opened the mudroom door and stepped into the yard, her camera lens raised.
“Good job,” a familiar, mesmerizing voice called out. “I’m glad to see you’re taking advantage of a photo op.”
Lainie didn’t have to glance over her shoulder to see Drew’s approach, but she turned to him anyway.
He looked good today in that black hat cocked just right and that chambray shirt, pressed with a dash of starch—thanks to a laundry service, no doubt. And those jeans? He wore them as if they were a part of him.
As he closed in on her, his scent—something alluring, manly and no doubt expensive—stirred her senses. Her heart rate soared, and her arm wobbled, nearly causing her to drop her camera.
Oh, for Pete’s sake. Get it together, girl.
Determined to shake off the effect Drew had on her, she nodded toward the corral. “The men told me that Nate was the resident horse whisperer, so I thought I’d get a couple pictures of him for the blog.”
“Good idea.” Drew offered her a heart-strumming smile and followed it up with a playful wink that would tempt the most diligent female employee to play hooky from work. “I’d better not interrupt you.”
He had that right. She had a job to do, a photo to take. So she adjusted the lens and checked the light. After catching several shots of Nate, she lowered the camera to her side and focused on Drew. “I missed seeing you this morning. Where’d you run off to?”
“I met a friend for breakfast at Caroline’s Diner.”
She wondered if his friend was male or female, but decided it would be rude to come right out and ask. However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t prod him for a little more information.
“From what I saw, it seems that Caroline’s is the place where all the locals eat. The food is good, and the desserts are amazing,” she said. “Don’t you think?”
“That’s for sure.” He splayed a hand on his flat belly and grinned. “But I’d better not make a habit of filling up on her hotcakes and maple syrup.”
Maybe not, but he still hadn’t given Lainie a clue about who he’d met, so she pumped a little more. “You and your friend must’ve had a lot of catching up to do. It’s nearly lunchtime.”
“Before heading back to the ranch, I stopped by the hardware store to buy more lumber. My cabin isn’t the only one with a rickety, worn-out porch.”
“You mean you’re going to fix each one?”
“I might.” He lifted his hat long enough to rake a hand through his hair.
“That’s a nice thing for you to do.” It was also generous, which was yet another reason to believe he might be a man worth her time and affection.
Lainie lifted her camera to take a picture of him, but he waved her off, blocking his face with his hand.
“Cut that out,” he said, his tone playful and light. “That blog isn’t about me.”
“Okay, cowboy.” She lowered her lens, but her gaze lingered on him. She really ought to return to the house, but she couldn’t seem to make a move in that direction.
The thump of her heartbeats counted out several seconds until footsteps sounded and she spotted Bradley Jamison approaching.
The young ranch hand cleared his throat. “Excuse me. I hate to interrupt.”
It was probably best that he did. Lainie offered him a smile. “What’s up?”
“Nate said I could use one of the cabins for a few days. I don’t want to cause you any trouble, ma’am, so I’d be happy to clean it up, if it needs it.”
Drew answered Brad before Lainie could. “I thought you slept in the bunkhouse. Is someone giving you a hard time in there?”
“Oh, no. The cabin’s not for me. It’s for my mom. She just got hired to work at the new children’s home down the road. Once she’s on their payroll, she’ll get room and board there, but she doesn’t start until Monday, and her lease is up tomorrow. So it would only be a couple of days.”
“The new children’s home?” Lainie asked.
Brad nodded sagely. “It’s a place for abused and neglected kids. A man and his wife bought the old Clancy place and opened it up last month.”
“I know where that ranch is,” Drew said. “It’s got a big house, but it’s pretty old. I doubt it’s up to code.”
“It wasn’t at first. But last summer, the community church got involved with the project, and so did the Wexler Women’s Club. The couple in charge are trying to get a grant of some kind, but in the meantime, they’ll have to slowly add kids as they go.”
Still stunned by the idea of a children’s home down the road, Lainie asked, “How many kids live there?”
“I think about twelve. Most of them are from the city. My mom told me the idea was to move them to a country environment so they could see a new way of life.”
“That’s an interesting concept,” Drew said.
“Yeah.” Brad replaced his hat on his head. “My mom was pretty impressed when she went out and saw it for herself. From what I understand, each kid is given certain chores, and they’re also assigned a few animals to take care of—like pigs, sheep, goats and rabbits.”
Lainie hoped they didn’t plan to work the children too hard. She’d had one set of foster parents who’d been awfully strict and expected more out of her than seemed fair.
“What’s your mom’s job going to be?” Drew asked.
“They hired her as a counselor. After she divorced my stepdad, she went back to school. It took a while because she had to work during the day and take classes at night, but she finally got a degree.”
“Good for her.” Lainie liked the woman already.
“Yeah, I’m proud of her.” Brad kicked the toe of his boot at the ground, stirring the dirt. “She’s glad she’ll be there before Christmas. A lot of those kids never had a tree or presents before. Their funds are limited, though, so she can’t go all out with decorations and stuff, but she doesn’t think it’ll take much to make them happy.”
“Actually,” Lainie said, “regular meals and a warm, safe place to sleep helps a lot.” Of course, that wouldn’t change the reality those kids lived with each day, the memories they carried. “Don’t worry, Brad. I’ll make sure the cabin is ready for your mom.”
Drew placed his hand on Lainie’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “No, you don’t have to do that. I’ll do it for you. You never know, a mouse might be lying in wait.”
Lainie’s cheeks warmed. She was tempted to plant an elbow in his side and shoot him a frown. But in truth, he’d just offered to do her a huge favor.
“Thanks,” Brad said. “I really appreciate this. And just so you know, my mom said she’d be happy to help out around here. She’ll cook, clean, run errands...whatever. She’ll even keep some of those pesky old cowboys out of your hair. She’s good with people, even difficult ones.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Lainie said. “And I’m sure we’ll keep her busy while she’s here.”
“Well, I’d best get back to work or Nate’ll have my hide.” Brad tilted the brim of his hat to Lainie, turned and strode toward the barn.
Rather than let the subject of their conversation drift back to that embarrassing mouse encounter, Lainie steered it in another direction. “I hadn’t given Christmas much thought, but I really ought to put up some holiday decorations, including a tree.”
“I’m going to my sister’s house on Christmas Day, but the rest of the time I’ll be on the ranch, so I can help you.” Drew nodded toward a couple of older men rocking on the porch. “Imagine the memories Christmas must dig up for these guys.”
True. More fodder for Drew’s blog...and for another human interest column for her to propose to Mr. Carlton. She could see it now: A Cowboy Christmas.
As Lainie began making a mental list of the chores to be done, she had a lightbulb moment. “Oh, wow.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just had an idea. What if we have a joint Christmas party for the children here at the Rocking C?”
“That’d be nice, but it would be a huge undertaking.”
“Maybe, but I’m sure Rex, Sully and the others would help. And it would give the men a special purpose, not to mention something to look forward to.”
Drew looked out in the distance, his brow creased in concentration. After a couple of beats, he brightened. “You know, a party like that would lend itself to one heck of a blog post.”
“You read my mind.” A grin slid across Lainie’s face, and a tingle of excitement spread through her.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked forward to Christmas, but she’d do whatever she could to create a special holiday for those kids. Decorations, a tree, holiday baking...
“We can do this.” Lainie clutched Drew’s arm in camaraderie, but she nearly jerked away when the body heat radiating through his shirt sent an electrical zing through her.
She tried to blame the spark on the energy emanating from their new joint venture, although she feared it was more than that.
“I’ll find out who’s in charge of the children’s home,” Drew said. “And I’ll see how they feel about joining us for a Christmas party at the Rocking Chair Ranch.”
“And I’ll talk to our nursing staff,” Lainie said, “although I can’t see why they’d object. A party would be good for young and old alike.”
“There’s only two weeks before Christmas, so we have our work cut out for us. We’d better get busy.” Drew gave Lainie’s shoulder a nudge with his arm, reminding her of his presence, of his heat. They’d become a team, and by the way he was looking at her, he liked that idea.
She liked it, too.
As Drew turned and walked away, she studied his back, admiring his sexy swagger, his broad shoulders and the perfect fit of his jeans.
A romantic wish tingled through her, warming her cheeks once again. Maybe Santa would be good to her for a change.
And if she was lucky, she just might wake up on Christmas morning and find a cowboy under her tree.
Drew was always up for a challenge, which is why he’d searched every nook and cranny of his cabin to find a cell signal. He was determined to set up a temporary but functional home office, although he wasn’t having much luck. About the time he considered giving up and driving to town for Wi-Fi, he picked up a signal near the kitchen area.
As long as he moved the dinette table about three feet from the east wall, he could connect to the internet, which would make it a lot easier to work while he stayed at the ranch for the next two weeks.
Once he set up his laptop and got online, he did some research on the children’s home Brad had mentioned earlier this afternoon. It was called Kidville, and from the pictures posted on the main website page, the outside looked like a small town in the Old West.
“Interesting,” he said, as he continued to read up on the place that had been founded by Jim and Donna Hoffman, an older couple who had a heart for kids.
The more Drew learned about the Hoffmans and Kidville, the more determined he was to meet with them and see it for himself. With the Wi-Fi service he now had, it didn’t take him long to find the number for the administrative office and ask for whoever was in charge.
A couple minutes later, Mr. Hoffman answered. “This is Jim. How can I help you?”
Drew introduced himself and revealed his affiliation with Esteban Enterprises, the rodeo and the Rocking Chair Ranch, and his admiration for what the Hoffmans were doing.
“Thanks,” Jim said. “For nearly ten years, my wife and I dreamed of creating a place in the country where we could provide a safe, loving environment for abused and neglected city kids. So when we retired from our county jobs, we set our plan in motion. We’ve had a few hurdles along the way, so Kidville has been nearly two years in the making.”
“I’d imagine funding would be one of those problems.”
“Yes, that’s true. But thanks to the help of the community church, the Wexler Women’s Club and the Brighton Valley Rotary, we were able to remodel the house and get it up to code, paint the barn and set up a playground. But until we get more financial backing, we’re nearing our capacity.”
“I think it would be fairly easy to drum up support for such a worthy cause.” Drew went on to explain his promotional plan for the retired cowboys’ home.
“As a nonprofit, I’m afraid we don’t have the funds to pay for any advertisements or PR companies,” Jim said.
Apparently, Drew hadn’t made himself clear. “I didn’t expect you to hire me or Esteban Enterprises. To be completely candid, I’m not exactly sure what I can do to help you and Kidville, but just for the record, nothing tugs at my boss’s heartstrings more than rodeos, aging cowboys and children.”
Drew didn’t mention anything about a Christmas party on the Rocking C, but he did suggest a meeting with the Hoffmans. He could propose the idea at that time.
“Why don’t you come by Friday afternoon?” Jim suggested. “We’ll talk more then, and I can give you a tour of Kidville.”
“Sounds like a plan. And if it’s okay with you, I’ll probably bring my...um, associate. It was her idea to do some joint promotion, and there’s no telling what we might come up with if we all put our heads together.”
“I’ll make sure my wife is available. Would two o’clock work for the two of you?”
“That’s perfect. We’ll see you then.” After the call ended, Drew continued to sit at the dinette table, his cell phone in hand. He had a good feeling about Kidville. And he couldn’t wait to share the news with Lainie.
He glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was closing in on five o’clock and would soon be time for dinner. If he’d learned one thing in his week spent on the Rocking C, it was that the meals ran on a strict schedule.
He wouldn’t say anything about it at the table. Instead, he’d wait until after everyone ate, when it was quiet in the kitchen.
And when he had Lainie to himself.
Other than several murmurs of appreciation for a tasty meal, the men had eaten quietly, their focus on the meat loaf, buttered green beans and baked potatoes. Even Drew, who sat at the kitchen table with the young ranch hands, hadn’t said much, but by the glimmer in his eyes and the grin on his face, he seemed to be pleased about something.
Lainie tamped down her curiosity for now. She’d wait until after dinner to question him.
In the meantime, while the men had ice cream and chocolate chip cookies for dessert, she carried the plates and flatware to the sink, rinsed them off and placed them in the dishwasher. By the time she returned to the table for the empty bowls and spoons, the ranch hands were already filing out the back door, with Drew in the midst of them.
Lainie continued her work, putting away leftovers and wiping down countertops, but she couldn’t help wondering what Drew was up to. For the past few evenings, he’d interviewed the retired cowboys in the kitchen, a routine she’d come to look forward to.
She glanced out the kitchen window. The lights were off in his cabin, so he hadn’t turned in for the night. She’d just placed the detergent in the dishwasher when the back door swung open and clicked shut. She turned to see Drew striding through the mudroom on his way back inside.
His smile, as dazzling as it’d ever been, lit his eyes, and her pulse rate kicked up a notch.
“Got a minute?” he asked.
“Sure. What’s up?”
He pulled out a chair from the table for her. “I thought you might like an update.”
She sat down, and he took a seat next to her. “I did a little research, and Kidville, that children’s home, appears to be everything Brad said it was and more. So I made an appointment for us to take a tour on Friday at two. Can you slip off for an hour or so?”
“I’d really like to, but I’m not sure. I’m usually busy with the meal prep for dinner at that time.”
“I’ve got you covered. Brad’s mother will be here by then, and a few minutes ago, when I mentioned what I had in mind, he called her. She said she’d be happy to cook dinner—or do anything else to help out. She’s coming to stay that day anyway, so she’s going to arrive a few hours early. You’ll have plenty of time to show her around the kitchen.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“I try to cover all my bases.” His wink turned her heart inside out.
They’d not only become teammates, but it seemed as if they were well on the road to being friends.
She liked the thought of that.
“Did you know that Kidville has a small orchard and a good-size vegetable garden?” Drew asked. “They’re going to grow most of their produce, and they’re raising chickens.”
A niggle of concern crept over her, stealing her smile. “I know the kids will have chores, but I hope they won’t be expected to do all the work.”
“Jim Hoffman and his wife believe children should be given age-appropriate responsibilities, and I see the reasoning behind that.”
“Me, too. I just hope this doesn’t turn out to be a farm run by child labor.” Lainie’s thoughts drifted to the time she’d lived with the Bakers, the memory taking her back to a place and foster family she’d hoped to forget.
“You have a faraway look in your eyes,” Drew said, drawing her back to the here and now.
“I’m sorry. My mind wandered for a moment.”
“To a bad personal experience?”
Lainie didn’t usually talk about her early years—at least, not in detail. But she’d grown close to Drew in the past few days, and if they’d truly become friends, she should be up front with him. “I told you that I grew up in foster care. For the most part it wasn’t too bad. If I’d been able to stay with the first family...” Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away. So much for the candor of friendship.
“I’m sorry that you had such a crappy childhood,” he said.
“It wasn’t all bad.” She swiped at her lower lashes, stopping the overflow. “Most of the families I lived with were decent. In fact, I actually liked Mama Kate, the first foster mother my sister and I had. She was an older, dark-skinned woman who had an easy laugh and a loving heart as big as her lap. She never turned down a kid needing a placement, so there were a lot of us. Yet she managed to find special time for each of us. My sister and I counted ourselves lucky to live with her.”
“Why’d you have to leave?” Drew asked.
“One night, about six months after we moved in, Mama Kate had a stroke and had to give us all up.”
“That’s too bad. Where did you go next?”
Lainie bit back a quick response. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be that up front. She and Rickie had moved to a receiving home, where her heart condition was finally diagnosed. She endured several back-to-back hospitalizations, which was when she and her sister were separated. After her surgery and a long inpatient recuperation period, she learned that Rickie had been adopted. Sadly, they’d never had a chance to say goodbye to each other.
But Lainie wasn’t going to share that.
She reached for her collar, fingered the top button then skimmed the next three before dropping her hand to her lap. “Next stop was to the Bakers’ house. Talk about all work and no play.”
“So that’s why you’re worried about the children and their chores at Kidville,” Drew said.
“The Bakers seemed to think that I was there to cook, clean the house and do the laundry.”
“An unpaid servant, huh?”
“Pretty much. At least, as far as my foster mother was concerned.” Lainie tilted her hand and flicked her fingers at a crumb she’d neglected to wipe off the table. “Her name was Glenda, which always reminded me of the good witch, only spelled differently. But she wasn’t very good—or nice. She once called my fifth grade teacher to complain about the amount of homework I was assigned. She told Mrs. Fleming that I wouldn’t be allowed to do any of it, especially the reading, until after my household chores were done. But by then, I was exhausted.”
Drew reached across the table and covered her hand with his, warming it. He brushed his thumb across the top of her wrist. She suspected he meant to have a comforting effect, a calming one. But his touch spiked her pulse, arousing her senses instead.
“I’m sorry, Lainie. That must have been very difficult for you.”
“It was.” Her voice came out a notch above a whisper, and when she met his gaze, she spotted sympathy in his eyes.
She was glad for the connection they’d made, for his understanding, but she didn’t want his pity. She had the urge to jerk her hand away from his and to reach for the collar of her blouse. But she couldn’t seem to move.
As her heart pounded a strong, steady cadence, an unfamiliar emotion rose up inside, one that stirred her senses and reminded her just how inexperienced she was. Especially when it came to things like openhearted discussions, honest emotion and a friendship drifting toward romance.
She was at a complete loss. Should she pull her hand away from him now?
Or should she leave it in his grip forever?
Drew made the decision for her when he turned her hand over, palm side up, and clasped her fingers in his. He squeezed gently, relaying compassion and reassurance. Yet at the same time, it triggered a blood-swirling feeling she’d rather not ponder or put a name to.
“I don’t think you need to worry about the Hoffmans,” he said. “I have a good feeling about them. And if we all work together, I think we can boost financial support for both the Rocking Chair Ranch and Kidville.”
Lainie withdrew her hand from his, albeit reluctantly. “Are you talking about the Christmas party?”
“Yes, but why stop there? What about an Easter egg decorating party, pumpkin carving... I could go on and on.”
“Wow. That’s creative,” she said.
“Just doing my job,” he said, shrugging off her compliment. Then he brightened. “You know, something tells me this is going to be a successful venture. We should celebrate.”
“That’s a little premature, don’t you think? We haven’t even toured the children’s home or met the people in charge.”
“Okay, then we can toast our new venture.” His playful, boyish expression made it difficult to tell him no.
So Lainie returned his smile. “With a glass of milk and cookies?”
“Do you have anything better suited for adults?”
“Coffee?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “How about something stronger than caffeine?”
The wine stash. Lainie hesitated.
Oh, why not. Joy had told her to help herself.
“As a matter of fact,” she said, “I do. You have your choice of merlot or chardonnay.”
“Either works for me. You pick. I’ll find a corkscrew.”
Lainie watched Drew head for the kitchen drawer and realized this wasn’t going to be a celebration. It was more of a christening, like breaking a bottle of bubbly on the bow of a ship ready to set sail for the very first time.
As she went to the cabinet and selected the merlot, she hoped that if she and Drew were about to launch a romance, it wouldn’t end up a disaster of Titanic proportions.