Lonestar Angel (4 page)

“We didn’t want to miss this opportunity. This is my wife, Eden.” He saw Eden stiffen, but she said nothing. “We love kids, and this position is right up our alley.”

Allie gestured to the other chair, and Eden settled on it. “Your résumés were pretty persuasive. I’ve seen some of your photos, Clay, and you can parachute, hang glide, dive, and find your way in any terrain.” She laughed. “My husband, Rick, is eager to meet you. He used to be in the military himself and likes to talk about that kind of thing. Plus, we’d love to see you take the kids on some nature outings and teach them photography.”

“Sounds great. Is Rick here?” Clay asked.

She shook her head. “He’ll be back shortly. He had to run into Bluebird Crossing for supplies. You realize these are small children, though? The hiking trails you will be taking them on are pretty tame compared to what you’re used to.”

He grinned, already liking the petite brunette. “I’m ready for some tame.”

She glanced at Eden. “You’re a nurse?”

Eden nodded. “And I’m very organized. I look forward to the challenge and have a special place in my heart for foster kids. I was one myself.”

Allie’s blue eyes lightened in approval. “Some of these kids really need a woman with your compassion and experience. They’ve been in rough situations.”

He exchanged a glance with Eden. Had their child been one in a tough situation? The thought shook him.

Eden’s frozen face cracked into a commiserating smile. Finally. Clay was beginning to think she’d turned to stone where she sat in the chair. And he couldn’t blame her. He’d thrown a lot at her in the last day.

“Tell me more about your program,” Eden said, her voice surprisingly steady.

Allie nodded. “We get a variety of ages. You would have the five- and six-year-olds. Della and Zeke Rodriguez have the seven- and eight-year-olds that just came in this morning. These kids will be here a month. The group we have coming in after that is older. Teens.”

Eden leaned forward. “Your ranch is pretty amazing. How does working with horses help disadvantaged children?”

Allie’s smile held a shadow. “Most of the animals here are rescue animals. Some have been neglected and some actually abused. The kids look into the eyes of the horses and find the same misery they are experiencing. It creates a bond that helps them both.”

“Amazing,” Clay said. He didn’t want to think about any child having misery. Especially his own. This was going to be a tough few weeks.

“The kids learn about responsibility and caring for another creature. They discover what giving of themselves is all about.” Allie studied Clay’s face, then switched her attention to Eden. “Your references had only glowing things to say about both of you. And our mutual friend Michael Wayne sang your praises to the heavens.”

He leaned forward. “We really want this job. We brought our belongings with us and can start right away.”

Allie blinked, as though taken aback by his forthrightness. “Rick usually makes the final decision, but he already liked what he saw from your résumé. You’re hired!” She rose. “Let me show you where to put your things. I’ll escort you around the ranch on the way.”

Out in the yard, Clay’s gaze went straight to the little girls. The redhead caught his eye at once. The color of her hair was like Eden’s, gleaming like new copper. The child chased a ball that stopped by his feet.

She stopped and glanced up at him hesitantly. He stooped and picked up the ball, then offered it to her. “What’s your name, honey?”

“Katie.” She took the ball and stared at him.

“This is Mr. Clay and Miss Eden, Katie,” Allie said. “They’ll be sleeping in the bunkhouse with you. They’re here to help you.”

A lump formed in his throat, and he saw Eden take a step toward the girl. He grabbed his wife’s forearm. “We’d better go. We’ll be seeing you around, Katie.”

The child’s head dipped, and her gaze went back to the other children.

“Run along,” Eden said, her tone brisk. “We’ll get to know you all better tonight.”

Clay clasped her hand and didn’t let go when she tried to tug away. “We’re eager to get started.”

3

E
DEN
’
S HEELS SANK INTO THE SANDY SOIL AS SHE FOLLOWED
A
LLIE ACROSS THE SCRUBBY
yard. She should have worn flats with her skirt, but when she’d chosen the outfit back in Indiana, she’d needed the extra inches for courage when facing Clay. A pungent odor hung in the air. Mesquite? Sage?

She sneezed and nearly stumbled, but Clay caught her hand and she righted herself. He tried to clutch her fingers but she pulled them free. His touch still ignited something inside her. The sensation was nothing she was prepared to examine. Not now, not ever.

Allie pointed to the newer building. “The other bunkhouse was just finished. Della and Zeke are housed there with the older girls.” She pushed open the wooden screen door. “Here we are. It’s not a Hyatt, but it’s clean and functional.”

She led them into a rectangular room that ran the width of the building. Easily forty feet long and fifteen feet wide, the space contained a kitchen and table with benches on one end and a living area on the other. The sofa and chairs had seen their fair share of bubble gum, Little Debbie cakes, and popcorn. An old-style projection TV took up one corner. But everything was spotless, even the plate-glass window that let sunlight stream onto the battered pine floors. The place smelled of lemon wax and an apple-scented candle.

Eden stepped onto the blue-and-white rag rug. “It’s very homey.”

“We do what we can to make the kids feel loved and wanted here. Let me show you the bedrooms.” Allie pointed out the dorm on one side of the hall. Five bunk beds flanked by utilitarian dressers were scattered through the room. There was one queen bed back against the far wall. “We have only one gender here at time.”

Eden glanced around and spotted hair ribbons and pink bows. A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to wander the room alone and examine all the little-girl items. Which bed belonged to Brianna? There was a stuffed bear on the closest bed. Its button nose was missing, and the little vest was ragged from the loving touch of small fingers.

She picked it up. “Whose is this?”

“That’s Katie’s.”

The little redhead. The child she’d felt an immediate attraction to. Eden hugged the bear to her chest, then reluctantly placed it back on the corduroy coverlet.

Allie stepped to the door. “Your room is across the hall. There’s a monitor so you can hear what’s going on in here.”

Room. As in one. Eden hadn’t thought far enough ahead to consider sleeping arrangements. She stopped in the hall when she saw the king-size bed that dominated the room. Clay nearly ran into her, and his big hands came down on her shoulders to steady them both. She heard him inhale harshly at the same time she did.

She managed a smile at Allie, who had a raised brow. “Nice big room,” she said awkwardly.

Their employer smiled. “There’s a stereo and computer for your use. We’ve got satellite Internet too. Not the fastest high-speed, but better than dial-up. Oh, and cell phone coverage is terrible here. There are only a few hot spots in the county.”

Eden walked the perimeter of the room, peeked into the massive closet, and nodded approval at the two big dressers. “We’ll be fine here.”

“I’ll leave you to unpack, then,” Allie said as a cowboy lugged their suitcases into the room. “This is Buzz. If you need anything, just ask.” She gave a wave, then her sandals slapped against the floors as she exited.

The man’s weathered face cracked into a smile. “Got iced tea in the fridge. Cheese and venison sausage there too if you’re hungry.”

“We’re fine for now,” Eden lied, eyeing the bed.

Buzz backed out of the room. “Just holler if you need anything.” He shut the door behind him.

Eden exhaled. “Well, this is a nice mess you’ve gotten us into.”

He lifted a brow and grinned. “What? It’s a big bed. You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.”

Her glare was lost on him because he turned away, grabbed the biggest suitcase, and heaved it onto the plaid bedspread. He lifted the lid and began to haul her belongings out.

“I’ll do that myself.” She elbowed him out of the way. That spicy cologne was the same one he’d always worn, and the familiarity made her want to lean against him for a moment. But she collected herself. She wouldn’t be weak. She had to focus on her daughter.

She kicked off her heels and began to lift her things out. The braided rug was rough on her feet. “Okay with you if I take this dresser?” She pointed to the one on the left side of the bed.

He didn’t look at her. “Whatever you want.”

Fine. He could give her the cold shoulder if he wanted. She jammed her underwear into the top drawer, then began to hang up her slacks and tops. She glanced at Clay out of the corner of her eye. It would take all her strength to ignore the chemistry between them. And that’s all it had ever been.

He turned and caught her staring, but he frowned when he saw her side of the closet. “Is that all you brought? No jeans?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Jeans?”

“I thought by now you would have unbent a little. Everyone wears jeans. It’s not a sign of poverty.”

What did he know of poverty? He’d never gone to school in jeans that were three inches shy of her ankles and riddled with holes. Not the stylish tears either, but gaping holes that made other girls giggle. When she had finally gotten a decent pair of slacks, she’d sworn never to wear jeans again. And she wasn’t about to start now.

An hour later Eden coughed as a cloud of dust kicked up by the horses’ hooves enveloped her. The thick red dirt already coated her slacks, and she was sure it was in her hair as well. She sat on the top rail of the corral fence and watched Buzz lead the last horse into the barn. When were they bringing the girls out to meet them? Her insides felt as jittery as the grasshoppers she saw fleeing the cowboy’s boots.

Clay touched her arm. “Here they come.”

She turned and saw Allie leading the girls from the house toward the corral. The little redhead was first in the line. Clay put his big hands on Eden’s waist and lifted her from the fence. She stepped away from him as soon as her flats hit the dirt.

The children reached the scrubby grass beside the corral, and Allie instructed them to sit in a circle. “This is Mr. Clay and Miss Eden, girls. They will be living with you in the bunkhouse. Can you tell them your names?”

The honey-skinned child with cornrows ducked her head. “I’m India,” she said, twisting a braided lock around her finger. “I just turned six.”

The redhead, Katie, stared directly at them with a curious expression in her green eyes. “I can do a somersault. Want to see?”

“In a little while,” Eden said, taken by the child’s spirit.

“Can I ride the horse?”

“Tell them your name,” Allie said. “Then we’ll see about the ride.”

“I already did when they got here. I’m Katie,” the child said. “I’m India’s sister.”

Allie smiled. “They’ve been inseparable since they arrived.” She urged a brown-haired little girl forward. “And this is Lacie. She doesn’t talk much, but all her shirts are red. Is that your favorite color, Lacie?”

Lacie nodded and puffed out her chest to show her Minnie Mouse shirt.

A blonde with huge brown eyes clung to Allie’s leg. “Do you have a dog?” she asked. “My foster mom said I could have a puppy here.”

“We have some puppies in the barn you can play with,” Allie said. “And Jem is around here somewhere. He’s a very nice dog. Can you tell your counselors your name?”

“Madeline,” the little girl said. “I’m going to name my puppy Oscar.”

Eden smiled at the last little girl. Smaller than the other children, she had her head down. Her mousy brown hair nearly hid her face. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

The child buried her head against Allie’s leg. “Paige. I don’t want to ride the horses. I’m ’lergic to them.”

Allie smiled. “You’re not allergic to them, honey. You’re just scared. Give it a day or two and you’ll find one you love.”

“I want to see the puppies now,” Madeline demanded. “Miss Casey told us they would be old enough today, and I still haven’t seen them.”