Authors: Jennifer Faye
“Thank you for saving Johnny.” The man’s gaze met hers, making her heart stutter.
“You’re welcome.” She forced the words out between dry lips.
“As for you, little man, you aren’t off the hook. We need to talk more about how you were supposed to wait for me.”
“Your dad is right,” she added. “It’s dangerous wandering around town by yourself.”
The man’s brows scrunched into a dark line, but before he could say anything, Johnny spoke up. “He’s not my dad. He’s my uncle. My parents died.”
So Johnny wasn’t lying earlier
. Sympathy welled up in her for this little boy who’d lost his parents and for the uncle who was obviously struggling to fill the role of guardian.
“Thanks again,” the man said. “I should get these two home.”
After a brief wave good-bye, she turned to gather her stuff from the ground. As she did, her gaze landed on Johnny’s backpack. She hesitated, not eager to once again deal with the giant of a man.
His booming voice had already created a scene. She glanced around, relieved to find the few people who’d stopped to gawk had now moved on. The last thing she wanted was to be the focus of more raised eyebrows or pointed stares.
After all, the whole reason she’d moved here was to get away from the gossip.
Not create more.
♥♥♥
This just wasn’t his day.
Tony Granger sighed. He had to do better, for Johnny’s sake. Something like this could never happen again. As hard as he tried, he just couldn’t get this parenting stuff down pat. Did all parents find it this hard? Or was he the only one to find this role to be the ultimate challenge?
“Let’s go home, Uncle Tony. We gotta take care of the puppy.” Johnny started for the truck parked on the other side of the street.
“Stop!” Tony grabbed the boy’s arm, halting him from running into the street. Had the boy learned nothing from his near-death experience moments ago? “You can’t just run into the road. Haven’t you learned that by now?”
“But we gotta hurry.” Johnny’s voice rang out with rising panic. “If anything happens to him—”
“Slow down.” Tony worked to keep his tone light. He knew the boy was still upset over the puppy. “Little man, I’ll do what I can to help him, but without a vet in town, I’ll have to wing it.”
Johnny’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “You can do it. You run a ranch. You know all about animals.”
Tony wished he felt as certain as Johnny. He didn’t say anything as he patted his nephew’s shoulder.
With Johnny’s adoption proceedings on the horizon, Tony knew he needed to do better with his parenting skills. And with Johnny’s grades taking a nose dive and Tony failing at every turn to spark the boy’s interest in schoolwork, Tony had launched a search for a qualified tutor. But even that tactic had not been successful. Either the teachers he approached were already booked, or their schedules simply didn’t accommodate after-school tutoring.
Tony’s gut churned. It was imperative he impress upon the court investigator and the judge just how much he and Johnny belonged together. He’d do anything for the boy—if only he knew what to try next.
Of course, the surprise visit this afternoon from the court investigator hadn’t helped things. The woman overseeing the pending adoption had hammered him for spending too much time isolated out on the range as well as not focusing enough of his attention on Johnny. That had actually been the high point of the meeting. By the time the woman left, Tony was hopelessly distracted and behind with his work, which had caused him to be late picking up Johnny.
Tony’s jaw clenched. It wouldn’t happen again.
Once Johnny was situated in the pickup with his seat belt secured, Tony cautiously laid the puppy on the boy’s lap. “Be gentle with him.”
“I will.” Johnny say up straighter. “I’ll take real good care of Patch.”
“Patch?”
“Yeah. His fur is different colors.”
Tony swiped his palm over his jeans, trying to remove the grime and gook the puppy had left behind. “Don’t go naming him. If he lives, we can’t keep him.”
“But—”
“We’ll talk later.” Tony closed the truck door.
After Johnny had lost his mother and father not quite a year ago, the last thing his nephew needed was to get attached to a puppy they couldn’t keep. He didn’t want to be the bad guy, but as soon as they were certain the puppy would be fine, he’d have to find it a good home.
Tony crossed in front of the pickup where his gaze settled on the woman who’d saved his nephew’s life. From a distance, her petite body, light blond hair, and delicate features held an eerie similarity to those of Jessie, his ex-fiancée. He’d made a point of trying not to think of her during the past few months.
Once upon a time, he’d based his whole world around Jessie. But after she’d found out he’d assumed responsibility for his orphaned nephew without discussing it with her, she’d packed her bags—not that talking to her would have changed the outcome. Jessie wasn’t ready to settle down with a family. She claimed she was too young, at twenty-five, to be saddled with someone else’s kid.
Someone else’s kid
.
After all these months, her words still stung. How could she think that? Johnny wasn’t just anyone’s kid.
Damn. These memories weren’t welcome.
He had more important things to concern himself with, like making sure Johnny never ran off on his own again. Yet, there were moments when Tony caught himself wondering… If things had been different… If he’d handled everything better… If Jessie had been more patient… Then he wouldn’t be juggling the ranch on his own while trying to be a single parent, a position that made him feel inept, even after eleven months of on-the-job training.
“You forgot this,” the woman called, holding out the familiar backpack.
Tony shook his head in disbelief as he strode across the street. Yet one more mistake he’d made today. “Thanks. You saved me another trip into town.”
“Is the puppy okay alone with Johnny?”
“The boy is good with all sorts of creatures. He’ll yell if there are any problems.”
Tony reached for the backpack, unable to look away from this intriguing woman. “I guess we should introduce ourselves. I’m Tony Granger.”
He extended his hand to her and noticed the slight hesitation before she slipped her slender fingers into his grasp. Her gaze met his, and their stares locked. He found himself entranced by her vivid blue eyes.
“Ella Morgan.”
“I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new to town?”
“Uh, yes.” She pulled back her hand, and he reluctantly let go. “I took a position at Whistle Stop Elementary School, teaching fourth grade. It’s only a temporary position until the end of the school year, but I’m hoping to get hired permanently.”
He eyed the long-sleeved cotton blouse, which emphasized her narrow waist—exactly the right size to wrap his hands around and pull her close. The way her figure-hugging denim skirt brushed against her calves left him musing over thoughts of her shapely legs.
He halted his meandering thoughts. What was he doing fantasizing about her? A woman was a complication he didn’t need at this juncture in his life. He didn’t even know her. He should turn and walk away. But his boots remained rooted to the spot on the sidewalk.
After all, he owed her an apology. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude when we met. You have to understand, when you see some stranger holding your nephew, you act first and think later.”
“Apology accepted.”
His voice deepened when he admitted, “I don’t know what got into Johnny to just take off on his own. He knows better—”
“Like the way you know better than to forget to pick him up?” She eyed him like he’d just been caught cheating on a test.
She saw right through him, knew he was a phony, a fake. His lips pressed firmly together. This past year had been nothing but starts and stumbles. If this stranger saw his sham, he inwardly cringed to think what the trained court investigator must have observed.
He might be able to run a successful ranch, but he didn’t have the first clue how to be a parent—even though he had every intention of doing his best for Johnny. But like his father had taught him, the best of intentions were a waste of time without any follow-through. Tony would follow through one way or another. He wouldn’t give up.
“I was on my way, but then…ah, never mind.” He wasn’t about to mention the court-appointed investigator. “I should go.”
She lifted a brow. “Kids must be a priority.”
“He is.” Tony clenched the strap of the backpack, and he strode away.
He wasn’t going to waste his time making excuses. This woman had obviously made her mind up about him. And none of it was good.
T
his talk would require taking the long way home.
Tony turned on the left turn signal. He wanted Johnny’s full attention without the distraction of the television or video games. Tony needed to talk to the boy about his dangerous escapade, but he was uncertain how to verbalize his concern.
Being a single parent wasn’t easy for him, especially when he sympathized with Johnny for losing not one but both parents. Perhaps he did overcompensate at times by letting Johnny get away with more than he should, but there was no way today’s stunt could be swept aside. He just had to find the right words to make Johnny understand how close he’d come to—
Tony couldn’t finish the horrific thought. No matter what Ella Morgan thought of his parenting skills, or the lack thereof, he was grateful she’d been there for Johnny.
Before Tony could figure out where to start, Johnny blurted out, “The lady—she was kinda nice, huh? Pretty, too.”
Tony glanced over, catching the dreamy look in the boy’s eyes. “Yeah, sure, kid. She seemed nice enough. But I got the impression you didn’t like her much.”
Johnny shrugged. “That was before she helped Patch.”
The boy’s referral to the puppy by name had Tony gripping the steering wheel tighter. He’d have to deal with the puppy situation next. “I’m grateful Miss Morgan was there to help you. Do you know how dangerous it is running into the street?”
“But I had to get Patch some help.”
He was concerned about the puppy, too, but the utmost thought on his mind was dealing with Johnny’s risky actions. He struggled to find the right words. “When you knew I was running late, why didn’t you call home?”
His nephew shrugged. “I figured you were busy. And…”
“And what?”
“I didn’t want to get you in trouble. Someone might tell the judge, and he’d take me away.” The last words were barely above a whisper.
Tony’s thoughts slipped back to Ella. She’d been quick to point out his screw-up with Johnny,
as if he hadn’t already realized his mistake. Worse yet, it’d take only one comment from her about his irresponsibility to set tongues a-wagging in this tight-knit community. Would she do such a thing? Would she relay the tale and unintentionally threaten his chances to finalize Johnny’s adoption?
Pain started to pulse in his temples. He couldn’t let that happen. Johnny deserved to grow up on the ranch where his father devoted his entire life. In fact, both Tony and his brother had had good childhoods with great parents…that is, until Tony started spreading his wings and thinking there had to be more to this world—something better than cowboying.
He’d been wrong. The fresh air, the wide-open land, and the animals grounded him. And that’s what he wanted for Johnny.
Tony made a mental note to speak to Ella about not mentioning their run-in to anyone. He couldn’t take any chances. Nothing could go wrong with this adoption.
“No one will take you away.” Tony clamped a hand over the boy’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “You, me, and Grandma, we’re family. We’ll stick together no matter what. Now stop worrying.”
He was doing enough of that for both of them.
Tony took a moment to gather his thoughts and concentrate on traffic. He still had to drive home the fact that Johnny needed to think before he acted. The boy was bright, sometimes too bright for his own good. And he was impetuous. A stern reminder of the rules should do the trick.
Confident this would be easily dealt with, Tony said, “In the future, I want you to wait for me to pick you up. No more wandering off.”
“But—”
“No buts. Understood?”
“I guess,” the boy mumbled.
“No guessing either. Do you understand me?”
Johnny nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Tony merged the pickup onto the one-way road encircling the town square. A dust cloud enveloped the truck, and he slowed the vehicle to a crawl. The gusting wind pushed sand and dirt onward. A large tumbleweed skidded directly in their path, forcing him to jam the brakes in front of the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery.
With the road clear, he continued on. His glance skimmed the town’s stucco storefronts. Nearly half of their showroom windows were empty. The shops had closed due to the declining economy. Some businesses had endured the tough times, but not many. Once, the town square had been the meeting spot for folks to share a bit of their day. Now the square was run-down, and barely a soul bothered with it.
Although, if his mother and her friends had their way, new life would be breathed into the center of town. The revitalization project was kicking off with a benefit dance competition. He’d never seen Whistle Stop so excited about an event.
His gaze came to rest on a couple of young women, Penny and Mimi, stepping out of the Beautiful U Salon. They flashed him huge smiles and waved. He hesitantly returned their gestures. Both of them had been encouraged to ask him for a date. He’d declined both of their offers. He hated how Mrs. Sanchez, the town gossip and his mother’s closest friend, had labeled him as Whistle Stop’s most eligible bachelor.
It didn’t matter how many dates his mother and Mrs. Sanchez tried to set him up on, he planned to keep turning them down. The last thing he had time for was a relationship when he was having serious difficulties learning how to be a parent. And after waiting a year to get this close to finalizing the adoption, he wouldn’t take the chance of a new romance delaying the proceedings if the court decided to check out a new woman in his life.
When they exited the other side of the square, Johnny returned to talking about Miss Morgan. “Do you know her? I seen her at the school before.”
“It’s
I saw her
. And you saw her because she’s teaching the fourth grade.” The new teacher might be the answer to helping his nephew’s sinking grades. He wondered how she’d do as a tutor. Would she be kind and patient? Or expectant and rushed? As quickly as the thought occurred to him, he dismissed it. He refused to ask the buttinsky for help.
“She sure is pretty,” Johnny said.
Tony shook his head. He couldn’t blame the kid for having a small crush on her. If she hadn’t needled him with that disapproving look, he might have been willing to give her a second, or third, glance.
Although she did need to let down her long, blond hair that she’d had pinned up and undo a button or two of her blouse. The provocative image quickened his pulse. As his mind’s eye recalled her long sleeves and denim skirt that brushed her ankles, he wondered what she’d been thinking when she’d dressed for the warm day.
“Well?” Johnny asked, jarring Tony from his wandering thoughts. “Can we keep Patch?”
The abrupt change in the conversation left Tony struggling with how to deal with disappointing his nephew. “Grandma’s allergic to dogs, and he might trigger one of her asthma attacks. We don’t want that to happen, right?”
“No.” The boy wiggled in his seat and tapped his foot repeatedly against the dash. “How ’bout he lives with the ranch dogs?”
Tony reached over and stilled the boy’s leg. “The pup’s much too small to become a working dog.” He paused, trying to think of a way to explain so he would understand. “Have you watched
The Wizard of Oz
?” When Johnny nodded, Tony continued, “Remember Toto? How he could fit in the basket on Dorothy’s bike? Well, when this dog grows up, he’ll be about that size. Much too small to run around the barn where he might get hurt. He’d be much happier living in a house and curling up on someone’s lap.”
Someone like Ella, who’d insisted on helping the puppy. The memory of her triumphant smile when the pup perked up created a funny sensation within his chest.
“That’s not fair.” The glumness in Johnny’s voice chewed at Tony.
Every boy deserved a dog, and someday he’d make sure his nephew got one. “I know. I’m sorry. Sometimes life isn’t fair.”
A couple of minutes later, Johnny asked, “Can we bat the ball around after dinner?”
Tony breathed a sigh of relief, thankful Johnny had dropped the subject of keeping the dog. He knew it wouldn’t be their last conversation on the subject, not until he found the pup a good home, but he’d gladly take this small reprieve.
“Can we, huh?” Johnny prompted.
Tony took his responsibilities seriously, including baseball practice. Yet, his thoughts strayed to the mountain of dirty laundry peeking up over the edge of the hamper. He’d put off the task far too long, and he wasn’t about to let his mother do it, no matter how many times she offered. She did enough as it was. More often than not, he found himself pulled in more than one direction at the same time, and she stepped in to help. But her health wasn’t the best, so he tried to limit the pressure on her.
“Sorry, little man. We’ve got the laundry to start and your homework to go over. How about Sunday afternoon?”
“But—”
“Johnny.” Tony’s voice came out sterner than he’d intended, but it certainly seemed to gain the boy’s attention.
“I guess.”
No matter what Ella thought, he was doing his best. The real question was, would his best be enough for the court investigator—and, more important, would he do right by Johnny?
♥♥♥
Ella strode up the sidewalk toward the market. A few people here and there gave her a puzzled glance, as though wondering about the scene she’d had with Tony. Let them wonder. She pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin slightly. She hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of, and she didn’t owe anyone an explanation.
She turned a small plastic cartridge over with her fingers. She’d found the thing on the ground next to her after Johnny had pulled away. She suspected it might have been jostled from the boy’s pocket. She’d check with him at school on Monday.
Her thoughts turned to her immediate problem—coming up with money to repair the neglected cabin she’d inherited from her grandmother. The place held so many happy childhood memories—emotions she longed to recapture. First, she needed to come up with the cash for the back taxes and a new roof before the monsoon season arrived with its torrential rains and flash flooding. She didn’t want her cozy home turned into a life-size fish bowl.
Sure, her new job at the elementary school provided enough for her to get by on, but it was only a temporary position. The principal was just now taking résumés for the opening in the fall term. She hoped that her foot in the door would give her an edge over the other applicants.
But in the meantime, there was no way she’d be able to stretch her meager paycheck to cover the pending expenses. She’d applied for a home improvement loan after she’d decided she wanted to move here, but the bank claimed she was already overextended with education loans and a couple of maxed-out credit cards. Now she needed to find another source of funding and quickly.
As she neared the market, she took in the various sales and public activities taped to the plate-glass windows. One particular poster caught her attention. She paused to read,
Dancing With the Firefighters Competition—limited entries
, scrolled out in bright red marker. Not giving it much thought, she started to turn away when the words
CASH PRIZE
jumped out at her.
Should she enter? Maybe she’d dismissed the idea too soon. After all, she had been president of her swing dance club in college. They’d had a professional instructor sponsor their group as well as show up each week to teach them the proper steps. Oh, how she’d enjoyed the whole experience.
Ella carefully read the colorful sign again. Anticipation started to thrum in her veins, and she longed to kick up her heels. Until recently, she’d devoted herself to caring for her sickly grandmother and then settling her estate. What would it hurt to have a little fun and hopefully win enough to pay the taxes and help with the new roof?
But the entry fee wasn’t cheap. The thought dampened her enthusiasm. And if she lost, she’d be even more in a bind. Was this gamble worth taking?
She worried her bottom lip. Maybe she should learn a little more about the contest. She reached for her cell phone and dialed the number. A busy signal greeted her. With a sigh, she disconnected the call. She’d call again as soon as she got home.
After purchasing a few essentials, including creamy chicken-flavored ramen noodles, a couple of cans of tuna and, most important, some ground coffee, she headed home. Twenty minutes later, she unlocked the cabin, rushed inside, and kicked off her pumps before dropping onto the couch. The more she thought about it, the more excited she got about the contest. She was going to do it. She was going to dance her way into the winner’s circle. She smiled, excited about the possibilities.
Although she still had a problem. She didn’t have a partner nor anyone to ask. The thought niggled at her, but with her mind made up to do this, she wasn’t going to let minor problems deter her. First, she had to get her hands on some tickets, and then she’d worry about finding a partner.
Before she had time to change her mind, she grabbed the phone and dialed the number from the sign. On the third ring, a female voice answered.
“Hi,” Ella said. “I’m calling about buying tickets for the dance contest.”
“Sorry, we’re sold out.”