Montana Skies (You, Me and the Kids) (Harlequin Superromance, No 1395) (15 page)

Carly bit her lip. “I got so bored last time it was
awful
.”

He chuckled and pulled her close for a hug, sighing. “Okay, then. You can take the job.”

“
Yes!
Rissa said you'd be reasonable and do what you thought was best.”

Jonas stared down into his daughter's soft gray eyes and smiled. “She did, huh?” He tugged on her ponytail, curious even though he told himself not to be, wondering if he'd agreed for his daughter's sake or his own because it would give him a legitimate reason to visit the ranch without drawing too much notice or gossip. Why was he setting himself up for a fall? “So, what else did Rissa say? Anything about me I need to know?”

R
ISSA HAD NEVER
given much thought to the saying “time flies” but since Jonas had tugged her behind the bunkhouse and kissed her, well, it had. New guests had arrived at the ranch to stay each week, and the number of occupied cabins continued to increase, which meant she spent more time cleaning.

Jonas had come to see her at the diner the two days she'd worked, and at closing time reappeared to walk her to her car “for her safety,” leaving her breathless from kisses that would start slow and leave her quivering the entire drive home. How could she feel that way for a man she'd only met weeks ago?

Jonas was tender and kind, a good man. Almost too good. And that scared her
why
?

The phone rang, interrupting her confused thoughts. She spritzed her hair once more before tossing the hair spray aside and hurrying over to the portable phone. “Hello?”

“Are you decent?”

His husky voice sent an immediate surge of heat curling through her body. “Yes.”

“Too bad.”

Rissa dropped down onto the couch and grabbed a pillow to hold. “What about you?”

“Sadly, yeah. Looks like I'm going to stay that way, too. Are you headed to work?”

“Soon, why?”

A gusty sigh came over the line. “I need another favor and before you say anything, I'm aware of the fact I seem to be relying on you more and more and…”

“And?” she asked, holding her breath.

“And I hope you don't mind. If you need something, all you have to do is ask. I'm more than willing to help you if I can.”

“I'll remember that. So…what do you need?”

“I've got to work tonight.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah. Carly invited you over for cake and ice cream, right?”

“She did, and she'll be so disappointed.”

“I know, but it can't be helped unless…”

“Maybe I could set things up for when you get home?” she volunteered, unable to disappoint Carly—or deny her need to see him again. “I'm sure Charlotte wouldn't mind covering for me since we switched earlier this week. She seems to like hanging around Porter. Their banter has become a little more intense lately.”

“Those two have been fighting it for years.”

“It's settled then. The girls can hang out at the diner until I'm off, and afterward we'll go pick up the supplies and make a cake. It'll give us something to do to kill the time and it's cheaper than buying one since you've got her big shopping spree coming up tomorrow.”

He groaned, but didn't comment on the reminder. “You really don't mind?”

“No. But you might have to think of some way to make it up to me.”

“Ah,” he drawled softly, a smile lacing his words, “now there's something to look forward to.”

 

L
ATER THAT EVENING
, Rissa pulled into Jonas's driveway. “Looks like you have a visitor,” she told Carly.

An older woman stood on the porch watering what looked to be a newly purchased flowerpot.

“Um, that's my grandma.”

“Crap,” Skylar muttered, “this'll be good.”

Rissa's good mood evaporated with her daughter's words. Like her, Skylar and Carly had both been in decent moods all evening, the three of them looking forward to some fun time. Now their faces revealed their worry and that caused hers to skyrocket.

“Hey, Carly, duck down. Maybe we can turn around and drive away,” Skylar said hurriedly. “Like we're lost or something.”

“Why?” Rissa asked, forcibly maintaining a smile, but wanting to do just what her daughter suggested. “Too late, she's looking this way.”

The woman continued to stare, a frown puckering her forehead. She set the watering container down and stepped off the porch.

“Here we go.”

“But, Mom—”

“Hello, may I help—
Caroline?
” The woman's sharp gaze skidded from Carly getting out of the backseat to Skylar to her. “Oh. Well, thank you for bringing Caroline home. I'm sure in the future she'll do better about not missing the bus. Right, Caroline?”

“I didn't miss the bus. Grandma, this is Rissa Mathews, and you've met Skylar. Rissa, this is my grandma, Marilyn Wells.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Mrs. Wells said nothing in return.

“Rissa and Skylar are here for my birthday, Grandma. We're making my cake so it'll be ready when Dad gets off work.”

The woman grew two inches before Rissa's eyes.

“You mean your father agreed to let—”

Her hand lifted in Skylar's direction, and Rissa raised an eyebrow, smiling tightly. “Yes?”

Marilyn's mouth worked, but she continued to flounder. “He didn't say anything to me about this.”

“We didn't know you were coming,” Carly murmured, staring at her feet after flashing Rissa a quick yet leery glance. “You know, after your fight.”

“Don't be insubordinate,” Mrs. Wells told Carly. “And as for you hanging out with—with your friend, I believe you were specifically told not to, and until I know differently, your father's orders are to be obeyed. Now, go into the house and wait for me.”

Carly sucked in a sharp breath and tears flooded her eyes. “Grandma, no! I
am
allowed to be friends with Skylar and—and—”

Rissa stepped close to Carly and wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder. “Carly, how about you and Skylar take the groceries into the house, please? Maybe get started on the pizza mix?”

“Okay.”

“I'll not have Caroline alone with that—”

“My daughter has a name,” she informed the woman, her voice deliberately low and controlled for the girls' sakes. “You obviously know it, now I'm asking you to please use it.”

Carly and Skylar had slowly walked to the porch, but gone no farther. “Girls, inside, please.”

“Don't you tell my granddaughter what to do! Who do you think you are?”

“She's Dad's girlfriend!” Carly called loudly from the porch, drawing a gasp from both women.

Rissa stared at Carly in wide-eyed horror, but that was nothing compared to Skylar's expression. Her daughter shut down before her eyes, her glare deadly.

“You're dating the cop?”

She opened her mouth to comment when Marilyn shrieked in outrage.

“He's
married!
”

“No, he's not,” Carly countered from the porch. “You're lying, Grandma! Dad's divorced!”

“That is
enough,
Caroline!” Marilyn turned back to glare at Rissa. “This is your doing, isn't it? She's changed from a sweet, obedient little girl into a—a monster like—”

Her words were cut off by the powerful sound of Jonas's police cruiser pulling into the drive. Within seconds Jonas was there beside them, and Rissa couldn't help but be relieved by his presence.

“Jonas, I insist you tell this woman and her daughter to leave. You aren't in high school or college, and it's unacceptable that you're behaving this way in front of my granddaughter!”

Rissa watched Jonas stare at Marilyn, his gaze moving to where the girls still stood side by side on the porch and finally to her. She waited, knowing from experience that this was it.

When she'd confronted Larry about his mistress and ordered him to end things, he'd hesitated and she'd
known then their marriage could never be repaired. The same was true of Jonas. Maybe they weren't anything more than friends yet, but friends didn't share the chemistry they did. She knew where it would eventually lead and when it did, there would be no denying her heart's involvement. But if he sent them away now, she'd know where she stood in his life. It would prove to her she was someone Jonas used to help him out, a single dad's crutch and nothing more.

He shifted uncomfortably. “Rissa, I'm sorry—”

Marilyn lifted her chin in triumph.

“—that my ex-mother-in-law feels she owns and controls our lives. She doesn't. And I'd like you and Skylar to stay and continue our plans for the evening like I asked you to. If you wouldn't mind?”

The older woman sucked in a sharp breath, her hand flying to her chest. “How dare you! How dare you choose them over me after everything I've done for you!”

Jonas didn't take his eyes off Marilyn. “Rissa, would you take the girls inside? I'd like to talk to Carly's grandmother alone.”

“Her name is
Caroline
.”

“Sure,” she mumbled, her legs shaky from the confrontation. She wasn't a coward when it came to standing up for herself, but this wasn't about Marilyn Wells. This was about her and Jonas and—

She wrapped her arms around the girls and herded them inside the house, unable to keep from smiling to herself. For such a rotten beginning to an evening, Jonas's words had sent her feelings for him soaring.

 

“W
HAT DO YOU THINK
they're saying?” Carly glanced at Rissa from beneath her lashes and saw Skylar's mom quickly smooth the worry from her face.

“I think they're discussing you, and us, and her role as your grandmother,” Rissa murmured.

“So are you dating the cop?” Skylar glared at her mom.

Carly frowned. “Why are you calling him ‘the cop'? And wouldn't it be great if they were dating?”

“Uh, let me think—Nuh-o!”

“Carly, why did you say that?” Rissa asked softly.

She reached down and grabbed the pizza pan from the cabinet. “I couldn't help it. Grandma makes me so mad sometimes. She thinks if she says something often enough then we have to do it, and I thought…I don't know, I guess if she believed you were Dad's girlfriend, she'd go away and leave us alone.”

“So are you?” Skylar asked again.

“Dating Jonas? No.”

Disappointment filled Carly. “Why not? You're friends, right?”

“Yes, we are.”

“
Just
friends?” Skylar's glare turned vicious.

“I guess I should've just said that. It wouldn't have mattered because Grandma wouldn't have liked that, either.”

“She's a witch.”

“Skylar.”

“Well, she is.” Skylar nudged her. “You know I know your grandma can be okay some of the time, right? I mean, everybody can be a witch sometimes, even Mom.”

“Gee, thanks. I'll take that, but only because you didn't say ‘all the time' and the same goes for you, too.”

Carly laughed and wished she had a mom like Rissa, wished Rissa really was dating her dad. Maybe he'd be happier and…Grandma really would leave them alone
and not complain so much about everything they did. “Do you guys fight a lot?”

Rissa and Skylar exchanged a glance.

“That was rude. Guess I shouldn't have asked, huh?”

“No, hon, it's not that. It's just recently Skylar and I do fight a lot more than we used to. But, no matter how much we fight, I love her and I hope she knows it. The same is true with your grandmother, I'm sure.”

Skylar didn't say anything and Rissa looked a little sad. Why didn't Skylar see how great her mom was?

Her dad entered the house, and all three of them left the gooey pizza dough and met him in the hall.

“What happened with Grandma?” Her dad smiled that smile of his that meant everything was going to be all right, but she'd learned a long time ago to look into his eyes for the truth. What she saw there told a different story than the smile. “Does she hate us?”

He opened his arms and even though Rissa and Skylar stood behind her watching, she hugged him because he looked like he needed it.

“No, sweetheart. She's simply not thrilled that you and I have made new friends.”

“Does this mean I get out of going to the ballet?”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling under her ear. “'Fraid not. In fact, she's more determined than ever that you need to spend time with her this summer. But only the one week. She wanted two like I'd told her before, but I made it clear you can't stay longer because of your job at the ranch. She didn't like it, but even your Grandpa Dave is a big believer in kids holding summer jobs. He'll back us up.”

She squeezed him tight. “Thank you. I really didn't want to tell her.”

He kissed the top of her head and let her go. “What are dads for?”

She let him go and turned around, surprised when she saw Skylar scowling at them. She wondered if Skylar was upset because she'd lost
her
dad.

“Are you staying for pizza?” Rissa asked. “We'll need to speed it up if you want to eat before you go back to work.”

Carly tried not to think about how sad she'd be if her dad died. Her mom wasn't around anymore, but at least she wasn't dead. Her grandma got cards and letters from her sometimes. She did, too. On her birthday and at Christmas. But there was never a return address so she could write back.

“No, I need to get back to work.”

She glanced up and caught her breath at the look her dad gave Skylar's mom. No way. Was she right? But why would they hide?

Oh, she
really
hoped she was right! How cool would that be to get a mom like her? And a sister! Skylar already understood her and—
didn't want Rissa to date her dad.
But why?

“When I remembered what day it was, I figured I'd better come by because there was a chance Marilyn might show even though she wasn't supposed to.”

“Well, thank you. For taking care of…things.”

“Want to walk me out?”

“Sure.”

“Caroline, behave. I'll see you later.”

“'Bye, Dad.”

Her dad glanced at Skylar and nodded, but Skylar just glared back at him. How rude.

Instead of going out the front door, her dad left through the garage door instead, Rissa following behind him.