Judy Duarte - His, Hers and...Theirs?

Dan placed a hand on his uncle’s frail and stooped shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You want to take a tour of the ranch with us, Hank?”

“No. You go ahead. I’ll have lunch ready for you when you get back.” Then the old man gave a respectful nod to Eva. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

She smiled. “Same here.”

Hank turned and shuffled back to the house.

“Come on,” Dan said to Eva, “we’ll start by showing you the barn.”

The kids ran ahead, followed by the cattle dogs, and Eva fell into step beside her host.

“Hank’s a good man,” Dan said. “He’s just a little old and crotchety. But he means well.”

“You don’t need to explain. I have a soft spot for the elderly. In fact, I’ve been volunteering my time at the Brighton Valley Senior Center.”

“You don’t say.” He sketched a gaze over her, sending her senses reeling and knocking her off balance.

She did her best to shake off the inappropriate reaction to the look he tossed her way, telling herself there hadn’t been anything to it, that her admission had merely surprised him.

But she hadn’t done anything special. On a whim, she’d gotten involved with the center, hoping to fill and brighten the days and evenings when she wasn’t working at the lab.

The game plan had worked, and as an unexpected bonus, she’d acquired a better understanding of those who were lonelier than she was.

“I wish I could tell you that Hank didn’t always used to be cranky and ornery, but it wouldn’t be true. He’s been short-tempered and snappy for as long as I can remember. But for what it’s worth—deep inside—he’s a good man. And loyal to a tee.”

“Buena jente,” she said.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a Spanish term for ‘good people.’ You know, one of the white hats.”

“Then that suits Hank just fine. You’ll never find a man whose word holds more truth and follow-through.”

Eva’s steps slowed. “It must be frustrating for him to not be able to do the things he once could do with ease.”

“I’m sure you’re right. Hank used to be the king of the ranch, and now he sits in a rocker and guards the front porch. And instead of riding herd or breaking horses, he’s babysitting Kaylee and Kevin.”

“Is he good with them?” she asked.

“They’re getting used to him.”

What did that mean?

When they reached the barn door where Kevin and Kaylee had been waiting, Dan pulled it open and waited for them to all go inside. Then the tour began in earnest.

The twins introduced Eva to a pregnant broodmare named Sugar. Then, as Dan began to lead them back outside, Kevin said, “Don’t forget about Midnight. She catches all the mice and rats that like to eat the hay and grain.”

“Where is she?” Eva asked.

“Either napping or working,” Dan said. “Midnight is a great mouser and a real asset on the ranch.”

Once outside again, Dan showed Eva a few things around the immediate yard, like the corral where he kept a couple of cutting horses. Then they piled into the pickup and drove along a dirt road, where he pointed out the creek that ran through the property.

When he showed her a small, private lake surrounded by cottonwood trees, she decided it was a beautiful stretch of land and told him so. What she didn’t admit was that she was glad that she’d accepted the kids’ invitation to visit. She couldn’t remember having such an enjoyable day.

Kevin and Kaylee had both warmed up to her, and she’d felt a part of something for the first time in her life.

Okay, so she was an important member of the Brighton Valley Medical Center team, but she’d earned her spot by hard work and attention to detail. This was different. She’d been temporarily drawn into a family situation, and she hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary to be completely accepted.

When they returned to the house, Dan parked near the barn. Eva wasn’t sure how long they’d been gone—an hour or so, she suspected.

“Thanks for giving me a tour,” she said. “I had a good time, and I’m glad I came.” It had certainly been a lot better than hanging out at home, watching television or reading a book.

“You’re welcome,” Dan said, “but don’t take off yet. Hank probably has lunch ready for us, although I hope you like bologna sandwiches. It’s his specialty.”

“Oh, not again,” Kaylee groaned. “How come he doesn’t like peanut butter and jelly? Or grilled cheese?”

“’Cause he’s a cowboy,” Kevin explained. “And that’s what real ones eat.”

“Then I’m going to be a princess instead. At least I’ll get better food.”

Once inside the house, Dan led Eva to the kitchen, which was cleaner than she’d expected it to be with two men and a couple of kids living here.

“You sure keep things tidy,” she said.

“We try. But to be honest, I have a woman who comes in every two weeks to clean, and she was just here yesterday.”

“Can she help you with the kids?”

“No. She’s got an outside job. When she comes here, she looks after them. But for the most part, it’s just Hank and me.”

Apparently the situation worked for them, but it was too bad they couldn’t get a full-time nanny to come in and help more often. Hank didn’t appear to be all that sweet and loving, and it seemed to her that the kids were missing a woman’s touch. Not that Eva was of the mindset that men weren’t able to nurture children. But Kevin and Kaylee had lost their mother recently, and with the way they both had seemed to draw close to her, she suspected there was some kind of maternal hole in their lives that hadn’t yet been filled. And for that reason alone, her heart went out to them.

“I wish there was someone we could hire to come in more often,” Dan said, “but I’ll be darned if I know where to look. I’m under the impression that a bad sitter is worse than no sitter.”

“I’m sure you’re right about that. Maybe you should advertise and request references.”

He shrugged. “That might work.”

She was just about to tell him that she was sure it would, when an idea struck.

She’d really enjoyed her time with Dan and the kids. And last night, as well as earlier today, she’d found herself wondering if her life would soon be filled with similar days, with happy chatter and heartwarming smiles.

“Would you like me to help out for a while?” she asked.

“With daycare?” His brow furrowed into a V, and she could tell he’d been taken aback by the offer.

“I guess that’s what I’m offering. I can come out to the ranch on my days off. At least until you find someone to take the job permanently.”

The tension on his face eased some. “I hate to put you out.”

“Well, it’ll actually give me an opportunity to polish my mothering skills. And if you’d like me to, I can help you interview nannies. I’ll need to hire my own daycare provider one of these days, so the research and the hiring experience will be eye-opening.”

He seemed to struggle with the decision, and for a moment, she was sorry she’d offered.

“I hate to take advantage of your kindness,” he said, “but to be honest, I could use someone in my corner.”

“Then it’s a deal.” She reached out her hand in a playful but businesslike fashion, but when they touched, when their hands clasped, an unexpected thrill shuddered through her, and her heart skipped a beat.

She could have pulled away, could have ended the connection, but she’d never felt the like before. And for some reason, she wanted to relish the rush for as long as she could.

Eva returned to the ranch the following Saturday morning, but she didn’t go empty-handed. From what she’d been told, Kaylee and Kevin were tired of bologna, which she assumed meant there hadn’t been much variety to their meals. So she planned to make them a nice dinner tonight.

They probably had a few staples she could use, like flour, sugar and salt, but she doubted they’d have everything she would need. So after gathering a few items she had in her fridge and cupboards, she packed a box and carried it out to her car. Next she climbed behind the wheel, backed out of her driveway and headed for the ranch.

She wasn’t sure what she’d do with the kids once she got there, but she’d think of something. Her few, precious childhood memories were of the time she spent in her abuelita’s kitchen, where they made homemade tortillas.

As she left Brighton Valley city limits, an idea came to mind. Maybe she ought to make cookies with the kids. Assuming that Dan wouldn’t be prepared with vanilla or brown sugar, she stopped at a little mom-and-pop market along the way. On the back of a package of chocolate chips, she found a cookie recipe, and she was set.

It was late in the morning when she finally arrived at Dan’s place. One of the Queensland Heelers, although she wasn’t sure which one, seemed to recognize her as a friend rather than a foe on this visit, hardly barking at all.

“Hey, doggie,” she said, as she got out of the car. “Remember me?”

It certainly seemed to.

She hadn’t taken two steps when the kids rushed out of the house, greeting her with happy smiles and chatter.

About that time, Dan stepped onto the porch wearing a blue plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the muscular forearms of a man who worked the land. He also had on a pair of worn denim jeans and scuffed boots—nothing fancy—but he was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

Ever since heading home last Sunday afternoon, she’d had repeated visions of the man—and she wasn’t always dreaming when he came to mind. But today, in the flesh, she found him more attractive than ever.

“Here,” he said, closing the distance between them. “Let me take your bag.”

“I’m afraid I’ve got more than just this to haul in.” She clicked the remote on her key ring and popped open the trunk, which was full of groceries.

“You didn’t need to bring food,” he said. “I’ve got plenty. And what we don’t have, I’ll buy.”

“I know, but I wasn’t sure what you had in your pantry. And since I’m determined to make dinner tonight, I wanted to make sure I had all the ingredients. I hope you like Mexican food.”

He brightened like a kid who’d been offered an early birthday present. “I love it.”

As he reached into the trunk to lift the box, she noticed the edge of a bandage on his forearm.

“What happened?” she asked, pointing to the gauze.

“This?” He glanced down at his arm, then shrugged it off. “I got snagged by a nail in the barn. It’s no big deal.”

“Are you sure?” It must have been bad enough to warrant first aid.

He gave her a don’t-worry-about-it grin, then lifted the box of groceries and closed her trunk.

Eva grabbed her purse from the front passenger seat of the car, pushed the lock button on the remote, then followed him to the porch, where two potted geraniums flanked the steps.

The wood slats creaked all the way to the front door, and they entered the house with the kids on their heels.

“I appreciate your help,” Dan said, “especially today. I’ve got a lot of work to do and can’t spare Manuel to help me. He’s got to stick close to the barn this morning.”

“Yeah,” Kevin said. “That’s because Sugar is going to have a baby, just like Jill.”

“Not just like Jill,” his sister corrected. “Sugar’s baby is going to be a horse, and Jill had puppies.”

Kevin nodded. “We’ll take you to see them. Come on.”

“Just a minute,” Eva said. “I need to put away the perishable items in the fridge first.”