Rodeo Bride (9 page)

The movement seemed to do the trick, and Toby’s cries died down to whimpers.

“Dillon, is everything all right?”

Dillon looked up and found himself standing just outside the corral where Colleen was mounted on a frisky palomino. She looked beautiful up there. She looked right.

“Darn it, I let him get hurt. He kicked into the table and now he has a red mark.”

Dillon slid his palm under Toby’s leg and showed Colleen.

Immediately the worried look in those big brown eyes disappeared and she smiled. “I can almost see it,” she said.

From her attitude, Dillon knew that he had overreacted. “Toby, she’s making light of our situation. Two clueless guys in obvious need of direction. We’re new at this. Doesn’t she know that?” he asked, whispering the words against the top of Toby’s head, loud enough for Colleen to hear.

Of course, she
did
know. “Looks like you need Dr. Colleen to look at that wound,” she teased. “Just let me take Suzie’s saddle off and go wash up.”

By now Toby wasn’t crying at all and Dillon wasn’t
worried anymore, but he had come to a decision within the past hour. He needed to talk to Colleen about it.

So, when she came back out, he smiled at her. “Let’s walk.”

She gave him a questioning look. “You look serious. I’m sure Toby is fine. Babies get little bumps and bruises all the time. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I don’t take my responsibilities lightly, so yes, I can, but Toby’s leg isn’t what I want to talk about. It’s a gorgeous day. Show me what I haven’t seen.”

To her credit, Colleen didn’t mention his leg. Good. He hadn’t been using his cane around the house much lately and he had decided to stop using it altogether, because holding a cane and a baby was just not practical. Still, it was probably going to give him trouble or at least ache for a good long time. Too bad. He had no intention of letting that stop him. Especially not now. Just when he was trying to prove that he was the perfect person to keep Toby full-time was no time to appear weak.

Colleen merely gave a curt nod and fell into step beside him, not saying anything. They passed another one of those wild and beautiful glass-and-metal sculptures similar to the one Dillon had seen in the orchard that day. “You’re talented,” he said. “I know people in Chicago who would pay a lot of money for something like that. How long have you been an artist?”

She looked a bit self-conscious when he glanced at her. “I’m not exactly an artist. I’m a reactionary. I started working with glass back when my stepfather and stepbrother were here. They liked to shoot guns when they were drunk, and they preferred shooting things that were made of glass. It didn’t matter if it was expensive or pretty or meaningful. Just as long as it shattered in a satisfying way. I hated that. Not the shooting so much, but the indiscriminate drunkenness of it all. They tended to be that way about everything, and of
course, they never cleaned up the glass, so if someone didn’t do it, I had to. We had more animals then, and I didn’t want them to get hurt. So, to funnel my anger and frustration, I started making things out of the glass. After a while it became a hobby and even after they were gone, I kept it up. Nowadays, I get the satisfaction of breaking the glass myself, so when I’m angry or frustrated, I tend to disappear into my workshop,” she said, waving toward a small building.

It wasn’t exactly the most perfect building Dillon had ever seen, and Colleen seemed to know what he was thinking.

“I know what it looks like,” she said, “but this is one building I don’t want you to touch. If it were dangerous, I would have got it fixed, but as it is, I like the slightly misshapen structure. It’s unpolished and a bit rough.”

“I know you well enough by now to realize that that’s how you think of yourself. You identify with it.”

She hesitated. “I’ve bonded with it, yes. It has significance to me. It reminds me that I fit here, that I’m a part of all this, rooted here, and that I can never stop trying to make things better. I owe it to the women who live and work here and the ones who will visit one day and hopefully take something meaningful and empowering away if I ever get the camp going. And if any of those girls end up needing an escape hatch, this place needs to be there for them. A rock, a safe place.”

More than ever, Dillon understood the significance of this ranch she thought of as her sanctuary. She had to be here to take in lost lambs, those who had been mistreated.

“Toby and I are going to have to leave soon,” he said suddenly. “We can’t stay much longer.”

Colleen stumbled and Dillon reached out one hand to catch her, but she shook her head and quickly righted herself. “Of course. Lisa has called too many times. There’s something
going on. You’ll want to have all your chessmen in position should she decide to challenge your rights as a father.”

And he also wanted to make sure that he got out before Colleen started meaning too much to him.

“That’s about the gist of it,” he said. “I’ve got the Realtor looking for the house. As soon as she finds one that fits, I want to furnish it, find someone to help me take care of Toby while I’m working and then I want to firmly establish the two of us in that stronghold. There can’t be any question that I’m putting his welfare first or that I know what I’m doing.”

She stopped. They had made it to the creek, upstream from where the fisherman were, but Dillon could hear them in the distance. “I can’t imagine that anyone who knew you would question your dedication to him. Just…Dillon, look at the two of you,” she said, biting her lip. When she looked up into his eyes, her own were misting up.

“You’ve done this for us,” he said.

“No.” She shook her head. “No one knows better than me that fathers have to actually
want
to be fathers in order for things to work out. This is all you.”

Anger that she should have been denied what should have been rightfully hers, that any man should fail to see her value, surged through Dillon, but he could see that she was vulnerable right now. And she was a woman who wanted to be and needed to be strong. She
was
strong, and she wouldn’t want him to point out her moment of vulnerability any more than he liked having his weak leg pointed out.

Moreover, he was beginning to think that it would hurt her as much as it would hurt him if he didn’t get to have Toby full-time. She’d dedicated herself to helping him. He couldn’t let her or Toby or himself down.

“Before I leave, I want you to drill me, to teach me, to quiz me, so that I know at least some of what I should do in any
given situation. Most people learn as they go, but with Lisa possibly plotting something, I don’t feel I have that luxury.”

“We’ll burn the midnight oil,” she promised. “We’ll search the Internet and read all the books. We’ll role-play. I promise we’ll do all we can. We…all of us care. About Toby.”

He stared into her eyes, and he burned to touch her.

Then he
was
touching her, but gently this time, pulling her close enough so that Toby was snuggled high up on his shoulder, his little hands touching both of them, connecting them. “I know you care,” he said. “We’re never going to forget what you’ve done for us, you know.”

For long seconds they just stayed that way, together. Almost like a family, but…not. Then Dillon felt her take a deep breath. She straightened. “We’d better get started. I’m going to tell you everything I’ve noticed about Toby that you may not have absorbed yet. Lisa will have the mantle of motherhood to bruit about, but you’ll have the details of who your son actually is.”

The fact that she’d thought of that, the fact that
she
knew those details and that she was willing to help him in this way…Dillon’s chest hurt.

That couldn’t matter. “Let’s do it,” he said. “If what my Realtor tells me is true, we might not have much more than a week, because as soon as the right place comes up, we’re there. It won’t be quite the three weeks I told you, but—”

“I know,” she said. “You have to do it. You have to go.”

I
N FACT
,
Dillon had less than a week remaining. The next morning began with a gloomy sky and even gloomier news that one of his company’s projects was in trouble, but his project manager had to leave town next week to tend to important family business. Dillon’s presence was needed as soon as possible. He had spent the evening studying all the notes Colleen had given him and as many of the books and articles as they could lay their hands on. He could probably recite information that many pediatricians didn’t know, he had the number of the Illinois Poison Center memorized in case of an emergency and he knew all the best medical Web sites and parenting resources.

But this morning, because of Farraday Engineering’s problems, he’d been holed up with a telephone and computer and he hadn’t had nearly enough sleep. So, Colleen was totally shocked when he came out of the room with a big grin on his face.

“I have something to show you.”

She opened her mouth. “Tell me.”

He shook his head. “No. It’s a surprise, so you have to see.”

“I’ve never been very big on surprises,” she told him. Most of her experience with them had been bad. Her father’s
reckless decision to ride a bull when he had no experience of such things. His death. Her mother bringing home a new husband and son.

“It’s not something bad,” he promised. “Not a bug or a snake.”

“I’m not afraid of bugs and snakes,” she told him.

“Liar. At least about the snakes. I saw you when we were watching that nature show on television the other day. You were practically curling up in your chair when that diamondback came on the screen. You don’t always have to be tough about everything, Colleen.”

“Easy for you to say. They don’t have snakes in Chicago. At least not the dangerous kind.”

He lifted a brow. “Sure they do. Worse than diamondbacks, too, since they’re the human kind. They’re more devious.”

She gave him a crooked smile. “All right,
show
me,” she told him.

Dillon took her hand and led her to his computer. Then he sat down and keyed in a URL. Within seconds a photo of a breathtaking house came on the screen. “It has everything all of you suggested would be necessary and then some,” he said, giving her a virtual tour of the house.

“It’s…a bit like a dream house,” she said, staring at the big white stone building. “Like one of those places on cable television where the rich and famous live.” It occurred to Colleen that Dillon actually might well be one of the rich and famous. At least in some circles.

“You could fit another small house inside each of the closets,” Colleen said. “And all the windows and skylights make it seem so bright and inviting, but the yard and that huge porch are the best parts, I think.”

“I’m glad you think so. I was thinking it would be a great place for a birthday party for Toby when that day comes.”

“He’ll be a star with all of your friends.” Which only
reminded Colleen of just how far apart their worlds were. Of course, Dillon would have lots of friends in Chicago. Women friends. Ones who were going to adore Toby and desire Dillon.

“So, you’re buying it,” she said, cutting off the sadness that was stealing over her. “That’s so wonderful. You’re on your way.” Even though pain was rushing through her at the thought that he would, inevitably, be leaving soon.

He stared at her, long and hard. “Thank you,” he said. “My thanks to you and the other women, too. All of you knew what I needed when I didn’t, and I’m grateful.”

Over the course of the next few hours, everyone got a taste of just how grateful Dillon was. While he went on an errand and took Toby with him, a delivery truck arrived. Inside were flowers and seeds and bedding plants for Gretchen, a selection of the latest princess-style romance movies for Julie and a whole assortment of gourmet cookbooks for Millie’s kitchen.

“That man remembered all the things we said when we were planning his house,” Millie said. “Can you believe that?”

Gretchen turned her delighted eyes from the flowers to Colleen. “But what about Colleen?” she asked.

Colleen shrugged. She was so touched that Dillon had gone out of his way for her friends who had so little. And she was sure that Dillon was trying just as hard as she was to put some distance between them.

“I only told him to make the house safe. And he’s already making
my
house safe,” she reminded them.

It was true. Dillon had put in long hours. After the porch was finished, he had moved on to repair cracks in the walls, checked the electrical and heating systems and fixed what he felt were a few inadequacies. He’d made some changes at the bunkhouse and done some roof repairs on both buildings, driving himself relentlessly whenever he had the time.

“What more could a girl ask for?” she asked her friends.

“Good point,” Julie said. “It’s not every guy who’ll climb up on a second-story roof for a woman. He must really like you.”

“I…that wasn’t what I meant at all,” Colleen said, feeling her face grow warm.

“What did you mean?” A low, masculine voice sounded outside the open window and all the women jumped. Julie squealed.

“Were you eavesdropping on us?” Colleen demanded as Dillon came through the door.

“Absolutely,” he said with a grin, catching her off guard.

Her eyes widened. “Aren’t you the honest one?” she asked.

“Actually, I wasn’t really eavesdropping,” Dillon confessed. “Toby and I just got here. We were out on an important mission, weren’t we, slugger?”

Toby stared up at his dad, his eyes wide. It was obvious that he was fascinated with Dillon.
And why not?
Colleen thought.
All the rest of us are fascinated.
She did her best not to ask what his mission had been. If he had wanted her to know, he would have said so.

“What mission?” Gretchen asked.

Colleen gave her employee and friend a “shush” look.

“I’m glad you asked,” Dillon said. He pulled a bag from behind his back. “Because I really could use some feminine advice. There’s this woman I want to take to dinner to show her my appreciation for all she’s done for me, but I have it on good authority from Nate, the man who apparently runs the only department store within thirty miles, that there aren’t any hot restaurants in town.”

Millie snorted. “There are only two restaurants in town and only one of them has edible food.”

“You must know Nate, too,” Dillon teased.

“I have taste buds,” Millie said with a laugh. “They work. If you want to go to dinner, go to Yvonne’s.”

“Thank you. I fully intend to, but since even Yvonne’s doesn’t appear to have the panache I was shooting for, I was afraid my gift would fall short.”

Colleen wanted to tell him that she didn’t need a gift, but since he hadn’t said anything about the gift being for her, she couldn’t very well do that.

“Fortunately, Nate and Yvonne and I made some special arrangements. Millie, do you think you can watch my little guy here for a few hours?”

Julie and Gretchen were already starting to whisper, loud enough to hear.
Special arrangements. What could those be?
But Millie just smiled. “Yvonne is a good friend of mine,” she said. “And of course I’ll watch the baby. He and I are book buddies. We love reading stories. Besides, I want to make sure this special event takes place, too.”

Now Colleen was getting flustered. “I don’t like surprises,” she reminded Dillon.

“I know. But this is a good surprise. I hope.” Millie took Toby, and Dillon reached into the bag. Inside was an envelope, an ivory silk scarf and a bracelet. The bracelet consisted of gorgeous bits of garnet glass set in gold. A solitary golden heart was centered between the glass and golden chain.

“I asked Nate for the best piece of jewelry he had and he showed me this. I…at first it seemed wrong to give you something you had made yourself, but the longer I looked at it the more right it felt. You have so many of your works here, but only one piece of jewelry.” He indicated the solitary bit of green glass on the black satin cord around her neck.

“I keep it to remember who I am and what I need to do and to forget,” she said, fingering the delicate bracelet. “But this…it was my favorite, too. Too fragile to wear on a ranch. Nate paid me well for it.”

“I hope you’ll allow me to return it to you and accept the scarf. You’ll have a place to wear the bracelet, since we won’t be on the ranch tonight if you agree to accept my invitation.”

He nodded toward the envelope and she opened it with clumsy fingers. “‘Mr. Dillon Farraday requests the company of Ms. Colleen Applegate at table six at Yvonne’s dining emporium at seven o’clock tonight. Dress is semiformal.’”

Colleen’s skin felt suddenly tight. Her limbs felt heavy. This sounded too much like a date. But it wasn’t a date. She knew that. “Just two friends having dinner, right?” she asked.

He smiled and tilted his head. “I hope you consider me a friend. You’ve done me a major favor.
Many
favors.”

Gretchen’s eyebrows rose and Colleen glared at her. “He’s talking about Toby,” she said.

“I’m talking about Toby,” he agreed. “Colleen has mothered him and taught me. But she’s also a pretty good kisser,” he told Gretchen, who hooted.

“Hmm, telling my secrets?” Colleen asked, trying to keep from blushing. “I haven’t said yes yet.”

“Say yes,” he said. “I want you to have a night on the town. Yvonne is making something amazing, I’ve been told.”

“At her dining emporium, too,” Millie added. “I’ll have to ask her about that name. Usually she’s just plain old Yvonne’s or at best Yvonne’s diner.”

“Tonight’s different,” Dillon said. He waited.

“I can’t disappoint Yvonne,” Colleen said softly. “Besides, you’ve piqued my curiosity. I want to see the difference between a dining emporium and a diner.”

“Oh, and there’ll be entertainment, too,” he promised. “I’ll pick you up here in an hour, all right?” Then he winked at her and left the room.

“Entertainment? I wonder what that could be,” Julie said. “Yvonne’s never had entertainment before.”

“I don’t know, but I hope he kisses you again,” Gretchen said. “He made you blush. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone fluster you enough to make you blush. It looks as if it agrees with you.”