Читать книгу The Dad Next Door - Stephanie Dees - Страница 13
ОглавлениеClaire shoved the pole into the slot on the fence, tested the fit and fell against it, trying to catch her breath. She dusted the gloves on her pants and pulled them off, stretching her fingers. Her whole body ached. She hadn’t expected to have to rebuild the whole corral when she arranged for Freckles to be trailered in today.
A honking horn caught her attention. She smiled, something easing in her chest as her twin sister, Jordan, pulled into the lane in her truck.
Jordan shoved the gear into Park and jumped down, enveloping her in a huge bear hug. “Wow! It’s been too long.”
“Hasn’t even been a week yet.”
Jordan’s reddish-blond hair was twisted into two short braids and she was dressed, as usual, in boots, jeans and a flannel shirt. They were fraternal twins, but people had a hard time even believing they were sisters. She shrugged. “I’m not the only one who thinks so. Freckles went into a depression after you left.”
Claire lifted the latch on the trailer gate, lowering it gently to the ground so as not to spook her horse inside. Freckles turned his head and sniffed, one big brown eye catching sight of her. He snorted.
She laughed as she climbed in and patted his rump. “I get it. You’re mad at me now, buddy, but come January, when you’re not trying to find the one remaining blade of grass under a half foot of ice and snow, you’ll be thanking me.”
He nudged her with his nose and she pulled out half an apple she’d scrounged from her car. After a good scratch and a minute to warm up to her again, she backed him out of the trailer. The second his hooves hit the ground, he lifted his head and sniffed the air.
“It smells different, doesn’t it, boy?” She scratched along his mane and patted him before she turned to Jordan. “I don’t know how to thank you for bringing him.”
“No problem. How is it?”
“Rough. The whole place needs to be renovated.”
Jordan walked a few steps away, taking in the property. “What do you think he was doing, Claire, leaving us this property? He didn’t know us, barely spent two hours with us once he found us. Was it guilt?”
A familiar hollowness settled in Claire’s chest. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s not like it’s a giant prize. It’s a mess.”
Jordan walked a few steps, her hands on her hips, then turned back with her arms outstretched. “Yeah, but it’s awesome. Just imagine the organic vegetable garden over there to the left, the pond stocked with fish. A load of teenagers doing all the chores and cheerfully learning to be responsible.”
Claire snorted a laugh as she walked her horse in a large circle. “You do have rose-colored glasses. When did you ever know teenagers to be cheerful about chores?”
“Hey, there’s always a chance.” Jordan’s blue-green eyes were shining.
“I’ll call you and let you know how that goes.”
Jordan leaned on the fence to the corral, facing Claire. “Yeah, about that.”
Claire stopped midstride. Behind her, Freckles went still, glanced at her and went to nibbling the green grass around the fence posts. “What?”
“I want to move here and work with you.”
“In a second! But you know I can’t afford to pay you.” She led Freckles through the gate to the corral, where, for the time being, there was still some grass. She unhooked his lead rope and looked, really looked, at her sister. There were lines in Jordan’s face that hadn’t been there last week and she looked tired. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I lost the lease for the barn and the land. I have sixty days to get the horses moved somewhere else. I was thinking maybe you would be interested in having hippotherapy here. It would be great for your foster kids.”
Claire’s heart sank. There was nothing that would make her happier than having Jordan as a partner and being able to provide that kind of service for the kids, but she couldn’t afford it. “Jordan, I’m not sure I have enough money to get this place up and running, much less for the upkeep of twenty horses.”
Jordan leaned over the fence to scratch Freckles between the ears. “I thought about it all the way here. I have some money left from the life insurance, which I’ll throw in, but it still won’t be enough. I’ll sell all but four horses and start over. There’s nothing keeping me in North Carolina now that Mom is gone. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
Claire studied Jordan’s face. Her sister loved a joke, but it was clear she wasn’t kidding. “We’ll have to work on the barn.”
Jordan grabbed her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “We will. It’s going to be amazing.”
“Do you want to stay the night? This place isn’t ready for overnights, but we can find a hotel somewhere close.”
“I really can’t. This timeline is a killer. I need to get back on the road while there’s still daylight.” Jordan’s face lit up. “Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you a present.”
She walked to the trailer and opened the door of the first compartment and reached in for a lead line. A very pregnant goat came barreling out.
Claire laughed. “Mama Goat?”
Jordan looked to the sky and shrugged. “What can I say? She missed you, too.” She pressed the rope into Claire’s hand and squeezed it. “Man, I wish I could just stay right now. I would love to help with the reno.”
“I know. I promise there will be plenty of work left when you get here.” Claire rubbed between Mama’s horns, the familiar scratchy head so welcome after the day she’d had yesterday. She looked up at Jordan and clamped her lips together so she wouldn’t beg her sister not to leave. She took a deep breath. “Sixty days?”
“Sixty days.” Her twin and forever best friend hugged her tight enough to cut off her breath, ran to the cab of her truck and swung into it. As she drove away, she yelled, “Send me pictures!”
Claire laughed. Thoughts whirled in her mind, so fast she couldn’t even grasp them. It was a dream come true to have Jordan with her, but Jordan’s decision slapped another layer of responsibility onto an already teetering pile. She had to get this place up and running, and now, with four more horses coming, getting the barn ready would have to be a priority.
Plus, she was going to have to get Mama Goat a friend or she would eat everything in sight.
Her never-ending list just got a little bit longer, but there was only one way to handle it: one thing at a time. And lots of chocolate.
* * *
Joe turned into the drive at Red Hill Farm. Before he’d even come to a stop, Amelia was out of the truck and running toward Claire, long dark hair flying. “Hey, Claire, is that your horse? Is that a goat? What’s her name?”
“Yep, that’s Freckles, my horse. And this is a very pregnant goat who doesn’t really have a name other than Mama Goat.” Claire met his eyes, a smile lighting her face from within. Her jeans and boots weren’t fancy, nor was the ponytail, and she was covered in dirt. But despite her near breakdown the first day, it was obvious she was comfortable in her skin, comfortable in her abilities. Determined to make things work.
She handed the lead rein to his daughter. “Why don’t you think of one for her?”
Amelia’s eyes widened, then she looked away, playing it off. Joe hid a smile. “Yeah, okay, cool.”
“She might need a walk. She had a long ride to get here.”
Joe leaned over to scratch Mama Goat behind the ears. She butted him with her head and Amelia laughed, a delighted little-girl laugh, and Joe had to blink back tears. He hadn’t heard so much as a giggle since she’d moved in with him two weeks ago.
Claire leaned back on the fence and her horse nibbled at her hair. She either ignored him or didn’t notice, her eyes on Amelia. “When I went in the barn this morning to shovel out a stall for Freckles, I found a mama kitty with four little babies.”
His daughter bounced on her feet. “Can I see them?”
“Of course. The mama’s a little wild, but the kittens are small enough that they could probably be tamed.” Claire appeared to think about it. “They’ll need a lot of attention and petting. I’m not sure I’m going to have time with all the renovations.”
Amelia’s eyes widened, but she shrugged. “I could help.” She shot a sideways glance at Joe. “Maybe.”
Joe’s heart clenched as he watched his daughter battle with hope. There’d been so little of it in her life.
“Are you sure? I could use a hand with the animals, but you’re busy with school and stuff.”
“I don’t mind! I really don’t.” Mama Goat found something edible in the grass and put on the brakes. Amelia tugged on the lead, her forehead furrowing.
“If your dad says it’s okay, it would be awesome if you could help me for an hour or two in the afternoons when you’re free. But only if your dad says it’s okay.”
Amelia lifted her head, her big blue eyes meeting his. Those eyes that so mirrored his were full of uncertainty. She’d spent the last two weeks of her life trying to make his miserable and now her dearest wish was in his hands. “Please, Joe?”
He’d tried everything to figure out a way to connect with his daughter and Claire had just served it up to him on a silver platter. “Yeah, I think it’s a great idea.”
“Thanks, Joe! Claire, is it okay if I see if I can find them? I can put Tinkerbell here into the barn.” It wasn’t any of the grateful scenarios he’d imagined—Amelia didn’t smile or hug him—but she had spoken to him of her own free will.
One step at a time.
“Tinkerbell is the perfect name. I love it! While you look for the kittens, your dad and I are going to check out the cabin on the other side of the pond.” Claire started around the water’s edge. The sun was easing toward the horizon, the sky streaky with pink and orange fingers of light.
Joe followed Claire, for once glad that the sunglasses he wore hid his eyes. Amelia had such a hard time trusting, but Claire had seen that the animals were a key to reaching her and hadn’t hesitated. Maybe it was just his daughter, but Claire definitely had a way with kids.
The small cabin was tucked into the woods behind the main house. The place had obviously seen better days, but even in the current condition, the view of a crystal-clear spring-fed pond went into the pro column. A rocking chair or a swing on this porch would be really nice.
She pushed open the door and let him walk in first. He took off his sunglasses and tucked them in his front shirt pocket. Dust swirled in the dim room. It had a kind of charm, if you went for dark and brooding.
“It was apparently a foreman’s cottage in the years Red Hill Farm was a working plantation. I thought it might make a good office for me, but it’s going to be a while before I get to it.”
He didn’t say anything. She was obviously optimistic. It might make a good office, if she plowed it over and started again. Did he really want his daughter here? He opened a cabinet door and it fell off its hinges.
Claire jumped as it hit the floor. “Wow. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. It’s going to take a lot of work to make this place livable.”
He heard a suspicious rustling sound in the bottom cabinet and elected to ignore it. “Let’s just check it out.”
“What’s going on?” Amelia bounced into the space, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light, a tiny black-and-white kitten cupped in her hands.
“We’re looking to see if the cabin might work out for us.”
Hope burst onto Amelia’s face and she danced into the front room. “We’re going to live here?”
Joe sent Claire a look over his daughter’s head. “Not necessarily. And only for a while, until my shoulder is better.”
“Please, Joe. I’ll help with the chores. I’ll do whatever you ask.” Her eyes brightened as inspiration struck. “I’ll eat breakfast every day.”
A small smile escaped Claire’s control, but she didn’t say anything.
Joe tried to summon his mean cop face, but the hope that this might be some kind of breakthrough with his daughter kept it from being very effective. “You’ll eat breakfast with me? Without an attitude?”
Claire shoved one of the front windows up to let some air into the musty space. “Don’t answer that, Amelia. You should probably check out the bedrooms before you decide.”
Amelia looked around. “It’s not that bad. We could paint it.”
“There are two bedrooms with a bathroom in between.” Claire sneezed.
“There’s a bathroom?” Joe raised an eyebrow.
“No need to go outside. Amenities are assured here at Red Hill Farm. The place is really small, though, smaller than I thought at first glance last night.”
“It’s not small. It’s cozy.” Amelia ran from one room to the next, then popped back out into the main room. “Here, hold the cat. Can I have the bedroom on the right?”
“Uhm, sure.” It was pure reflex that had Joe cupping his hands around the little kitten. It looked as stunned as he felt, little black eyes blinking at him. Amelia had gone from not speaking a word to chattering away, and it was weird. Twilight Zone weird.
Claire lifted the baby from his hands and snuggled it under her chin. “Tell you what, why don’t we forego the rent for now? You fix the place up in your spare time. Clean it up, coat of paint, buff the floors. And when Amelia’s not working in here, she can help me with the animals.”
The Twilight Zone thing was still kind of buzzing in Joe’s head, but he had the good sense to nod. “Yeah, fine with me.”
Amelia bounced on the bed in the room she’d picked, a cloud of dust pluming around her. Claire shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I’m getting the better end of that deal.”
Joe coughed, made a face, then coughed again. “You’re right about that. We’ll come back tomorrow after school and get started cleaning this place out. Amelia, it’s time to go.”
They stepped out into the light and Joe slid his sunglasses on. “Why don’t you come back to Bertie’s with us tonight? She’ll have some kind of huge dinner and expect me to eat it all. Plus, if you’re not there, she’s just going to be grilling me about you. If you come, you’ll be doing me a favor.”
Amelia butted in. “Come to dinner, Claire. Stay in the guest room. I heard Gram say she wanted you to.”
Claire hesitated but finally nodded her head. “If I can keep Amelia to help me get the animals fed and settled, I can meet you there for dinner.”
“Done. I’ll see y’all there shortly.” Joe strode toward the barn and his truck, turning back for a second to look at the ramshackle place he’d just agreed to live in. It was either the best decision he’d ever made or the worst, but either way, they would be moving back to Florida when his arm and hand were fully rehabbed. He’d prayed for something to break the ice with Amelia, and at least they’d be working on it together.
First thing on his list was a mousetrap. Or a cat. He called back to Claire. “Hey, how long is it gonna take that cat to grow up and catch mice?”
She laughed. “Sorry, my friend. Longer than you’ve got. Maybe Mama Kitty will help you out.”
Joe shook his head, stomping the mud off his feet. He slid into the driver’s seat of his truck. “Bye, Amelia. See you at dinner.”
His daughter lifted her head from nuzzling the kitten and waved. Would wonders never cease?
He wasn’t naive enough to believe this was the end of the reign of silence with his daughter, but he was so thankful for the reprieve.
* * *
After dinner with Joe’s family, Claire sat on the front porch, rocking the swing gently with her foot. She was sure there was something she should be doing, but right now it felt so good just to stop. Stop moving, stop thinking, stop planning. Just breathe.
There were a few random sounds, a trash can lid clanking, a bell on a kid’s bicycle, but mostly it was just peaceful. The back door creaked open. Joe stepped onto the porch and held out his hand. Four chocolates sparkled in their multicolored wrappers. “Ah, you do know the secrets of womankind, Joe Sheehan.”
“Two sisters.” He sat down in the swing beside her, his body weight setting it off kilter. “No secrets, just being observant like a good cop would.”
Claire looked into those mesmerizing blue eyes. “You know you’re taking on quite a challenge with that cottage. All joking aside, I’m not sure the thing would hold up against a strong wind.”
He took a swig of his coffee and leaned back, stretching his arm the length of the seat back. “I know. But then there’s Amelia.”
Claire laughed softly. “You don’t have to explain. I get it. My sister is moving here next month with four of her own horses so that we can do therapy with the kids. I can’t afford five horses. But my sister needs me. Then there’s someone else’s kid who just might be unlocked by time on horseback. And you see how this goes.”
“I do, actually. A month ago, maybe not, but now...I’m starting to.”
“The idea is to give them structure through a schedule, belonging through their contribution, unconditional love from the animals and the people. It doesn’t always work. But sometimes it does.”
“Having unconditional love worked for me.” His voice deepened, roughened with emotion. “If Frank and Bertie hadn’t taken me in, no telling where I would’ve ended up. My mother...well, my mother was like Amelia’s, maybe worse.”
She glanced at him with sympathy. “Which makes it even harder for you to forgive yourself because you know what Amelia’s had to deal with. Do you know where your mother is now?”
“No.”
The answer was short. She got the point. He didn’t want to talk about his mother. “Do your sisters and brother live in Red Hill Springs?”
“Ash does. He’s the local pediatrician. You might’ve seen his office on Main Street. My sister Jules owns the bakery next door to the Hilltop. She lives just outside of town.”
“Wait. So, your brother’s name is Ashley and your sister’s name is Jules?”
“Yep, Juliet. And my other sister’s name is Edwynna. She goes by Wynn. Mom was all about leveling the playing field, giving all the kids gender-neutral names so that, for example, if they were putting a résumé in somewhere, no one would know if it were a man or a woman. Her name is Alberta, but she’s always gone by Bertie.”
“So you were the only one with an identifiably masculine name.”
“That’s true, but since my brother, Ashley, insisted on calling me Josephine, it didn’t help that much.”
A laugh burst out as his words sank in. “And where’s Wynn now?”
“Wynn graduated from law school, passed the Bar and has been working for Congressman Schofield in Washington, DC, for the last two years.”
“She sounds like a classic underachiever.”
Joe laughed again. “You got that right. I don’t think she’s been home in three years.”
The lump that formed in her throat surprised her. “If I had a home to go to, especially this one, I’m not sure I’d be able to stay away.” He glanced at her sharply, and quickly she covered. “I mean, the food alone would bring me back. Your mom’s a genius.”
She and Jordan had each other, but since Mom died, they didn’t have a family. No place they belonged simply because they existed. That was part of what she hoped to create here. Roots. She wanted to sink them deep into the rich soil of Red Hill Farm—for the kids who came through here, yes, but also for herself. She needed them.
Joe eased back in the swing, his hard jawline softening as he spoke. “I’ve gained weight just in the few weeks I’ve been back here. Food is Bertie’s way of saying she cares about you. When I first came to live here as a kid, she left a plate of cookies by my bed every night. Maybe I should try that with Amelia.”
Claire filed that away in her mind: nothing said love like a plate of warm cookies. A big black Lab ran under the streetlight and into an adjoining yard as its owner slammed open a door and yelled its name. It seemed such a friendly thing to do.
So many fears threatened to swamp her—the move, the finances, the decisions. There were moments, though, small little snapshots when she knew she’d done the right thing. She needed to hang on to these glimpses for later when her sanity would be questioned and her resolve tested. Because she had no doubt that it would be.
She turned her head quickly back to Joe. His finger jammed in her eye. She gasped.
“Oh man, I’m sorry. It was just a... I mean it was...” He stumbled over his words and she started to laugh, her hand glued over her throbbing eye.
“Are you okay?” His voice was miserable.
“No worries. I’m sure I can rock the pirate look.” She peered up at him with the one good eye, sympathetic tears for the other eye flowing out of it. The look on his face was priceless. “Aargh, matey.”
He grinned. “You had a...just a...” His hand hovered awkwardly around her face, and then he gently tucked a flyaway piece of hair behind her ear.
No more joking. She went still, her eyes flying open, both of them, to look into Joe’s icy-blue eyes, which seemed kind of warm right now, to be honest.
He cleared his throat. “You know, now that you’ve been to the diner and the word is out, you’ll probably have visitors all day tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Well, they want to size you up. See if you look like the old mayor, report back to their friends. And they’ll bring you stuff.”
In her mind, she imagined a rocking chair, a puppy, a sack of unshucked corn and other absurd things arriving on her porch. “Like what?”
“Some will bring baked goods—cookies and pies. Some maybe something they canned last summer. Their favorite family recipe they take when people are sick. Those are always good. My favorite is the funeral potatoes. Mmm-mm.”
“You’re terrible.” She laughed. “They’re good, though?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Well, I better get an early start if I’m going to have to be stopping to visit and eat every few minutes.” She stood and stretched. “What a nice evening. Thank you for making me feel welcome.”
He stood and opened the door for her. “You are welcome.”
“Thanks, Joe.” He’d stepped up behind her, and when she turned back to thank him, she was staring at his chest. Dragging her eyes past his muscular shoulders, she met his eyes and forced herself to hold them. Not interested, she reminded herself. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Probably pretty early. I have PT in the morning, and then I thought I’d get to work on the cabin. Maybe snag some of the funeral potatoes when Mrs. Jewel brings them over.”
She laughed and started through the door. “Feel free.”
“It’s good that you’re here, Claire. This town needs someone like you.”
“If by that you mean headstrong and a little nutty, then I’ve definitely come to the right place. I’ll see you in the morning.” He was just being nice, she thought as she walked through the living room and down the hall to Wynn’s room. Just being kind to someone new in town.
Not even having the energy to undress, she grabbed the throw from the end of the bed and pulled it up over her as she sank into the down comforter.
Obviously, she was exhausted. Otherwise, she would never be entertaining thoughts of how attractive Joe Sheehan was. A good night’s sleep was all she needed to get these crazy thoughts out of her head. That and a little hard labor on the farm tomorrow should take care of it. Because even momentary feelings for the handsome cop could completely derail her plans and their friendship.
