A Path Less Traveled (12 page)

She’d done a
remarkable job in a short period of time, and now he’d be ready to open up shop
on Monday. A quick glance at the clock made his shoulders sag. He wasn’t ready
for the time with Bo and Trish to end. How could he prolong their time
together? All morning long, Trish had maintained a cool distance that gnawed at
him like a fish nibbling bait. She had erected a wall, and the sooner he
climbed over it the better.

“Is something
wrong?” A frown sent wavy lines scurrying across her forehead.

“Not at all. I
just can’t believe what all you’ve accomplished in one week’s time.”

Her lips curved
in a pleased smile. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it. The color of this focal wall
is dark, but I knew it would work with all the natural light.”

“It’s perfect.”
Exactly what he would’ve picked had he chosen it himself. His mind returned to
the interior of her house. It had been perfect, too, everything neat and
orderly. In fact, too neat, especially compared to her dusty studio and
overgrown flower garden.

“I didn’t have
time to purchase artwork. I’ll do that next week.”

The weathered
gray of the fence post in the painting he’d seen at church would look great on
the empty wall. He started to mention it, but thought better of it. Things were
going well enough at the moment, and he didn’t dare say anything to ruin the
tentative peace.

With his baseball
and glove, Little Bo slouched on the couch, his cap pulled low on his head, but
not low enough to conceal his boredom.

Andy reached over
and tugged the cap sideways. Bo giggled and turned it back to its place.

“Bo, you know better
than to wear that cap indoors.” Trish’s voice snapped.

The boy didn’t
look up, but in slow motion removed the cap from his head, which sagged to his
chest. He let his arm fall onto the couch, where it squeaked as it landed
against the leather.

“Aw, c’mon.” Andy
teased. “Give the kid a break. It’s Saturday. The cap doesn’t bother me.”

Trish’s stormy
look gusted across him. “He’s my son, not yours.”

He raised his
eyebrows and pursed his lips. She was right. He had to be careful not to
overstep the boundaries.

“Mom, I’m
hungry.” Bo whined his words.

It
was
past noon. Maybe he could treat them to lunch. Would she go for it?

Trish eyed the
bronze clock on the wall. “I think we’re almost finished here then we can go
home and fix you a grilled cheese sandwich.”

Bo released an
exasperated breath between protruding lips. “I’m tired of grilled cheese
sandwiches all the time.”

“How ‘bout lunch
on me?” Andy stuck his hands in his pockets and jangled his car keys. “I
noticed a new Mexican food place in town. Thought we might check it out.”

Little Bo
brightened. “Can we, Mom?”

She turned her
head to one side, lips skewed, her features crossed with doubt. “I’m not sure
it’s a good idea. You have homework to do before the baseball meeting this
afternoon.”

Bo folded his arms
and harrumphed. “We never have any fun.”

Andy grinned at
Trish, not above doing a little pleading and pouting himself. “Please. I don’t
want to eat alone my first day in town, and I’m really hungry for fajitas.”

She studied him
with cautious eyes.

“You’d be doing a
starving man a big favor.”

“Oh, all right.”
She grinned and threw both hands in the air in defeat.

Little Bo bounded
from the couch and encircled Andy’s legs with a bear hug. “Thanks, Andy!”

“Whoa, whoa,
whoa. Aren’t you forgetting who you really need to thank?” Andy tousled his
silky brown hair.

Bo turned and
scuttled from the room. “Oh yeah, thanks, Mom.”

A few minutes
later they arrived at the house now converted into a restaurant. For a
Saturday, the dirt parking lot at Soldano’s was packed. All eyes in the place
latched on them as they entered the room decorated to look like a hacienda. No
telling what kind of rumors would spread.

The unmistakable
smell of Tex-Mex cuisine floated in the air, and Andy’s stomach growled. A
beautiful Hispanic girl dressed in a traditional Mexican blouse and skirt led
them to their table, her dark hair rivering down her back.

“Good to see you,
Gracie.” Trish hugged her, then scooted into the booth beside Little Bo. “Have
your classes already ended?”

“No, I’m just
home for the weekend to help Papa and my brothers.” She handed them each a
menu. “I have finals next week.”

“So how does it
feel to have your freshman year of college almost behind you?” Trish opened the
plastic-encased menu, but kept her eyes trained on the beaming young lady.

“Actually because
of dual credit classes, I’ll be a junior when the semester ends.”

Andy’s eyes
widened. Impressive. “What’re you studying?”

“Political
Science, but eventually I plan on getting a law degree.”

“My kinda girl.”
He extended a hand. “I’m the new city attorney, Andy Tyler.”

“Nice to meet
you, Mr. Tyler.” Gracie gushed as she shook his hand a little
over-enthusiastically. “Mr. Braddock said you’d be coming to town, but I didn’t
expect you so soon. Will you need a clerk or receptionist for the summer?”

Man, this girl
moved fast. “Well, I might. Depends on how much work I’m able to scrounge up.”

“Here’s my phone
number.” She jotted it on the back of an order ticket, ripped it off, and
handed it to him. “Please give me a call if you need some help. I’m a very hard
worker.”

“I can tell.”

“What can I get
you to drink?”

They gave their
orders, and as the girl whisked away from the table, Andy popped a chip loaded
with spicy salsa in his mouth. “So tell me more about Gracie. I take it her
last name is Soldano?”

“Yes. Her mother
died when she was twelve. She has four older brothers. A sweet girl with high
expectations and a strong work ethic.”

“Sounds like the
right person for the job.”

“You couldn’t do
any better.”

A few minutes later,
their food arrived. The fajitas turned out to be some of the best he’d eaten,
tender and juicy, with just a hint of lime and cilantro, and the tortillas were
hot, fresh, and homemade.

Across the table,
Trish scarfed down her food. A frown furrowed his face. Maybe she was just a
healthy eater. She devoured another enchilada in four bites. Then again, maybe
she was starving to death.

He attempted to
draw her into conversation, but with no luck. She maintained her cool façade,
almost as if she were determined to keep distance between them.

When they left
the restaurant a while later, Trish checked her watch. “Well, Bo, it looks like
we’re going to the park. Your baseball meeting is only forty minutes away. By
the time we got to the ranch it’d be time to turn around and come back. Might
as well stay in town.”

“All right!” Bo
bounced up and down while Trish admonished him to be a little quieter.

Now was his
chance. He had a million things to do, but he wasn’t about to miss the
opportunity to spend more time with them. “Mind if I tag along?”

Her eyes rounded.
“Uh, no, I don’t guess.” She twisted her lips to one side and gazed at the
ground.

“I don’t have to
if you don’t want me. Just sounded like fun.”

She raised a
hand. “No, please, you’re more than welcome to join us.” Her answer came a
little too quickly to ring true.

Bo positioned
himself in front of Andy, his head tilted. “Maybe me and you can play some more
catch. I need lots and lots of practice.”

“Sounds like a
plan, little man.”

Bo chortled and
raced ahead of them.

A few minutes
later, they pulled into Creekside Park, two blocks from Andy’s office and
apartment on the top floor of City Hall. The creek, bordered by gnarly-barked
oaks, bubbled its song into the spring day. Nearby a cardinal joined in.

Bo made a
bee-line for the fort-like structure in the center of the park.

Andy turned to
face Trish. Good, time alone to get to know her better.

Trish patted her
stomach. “If I ate like that everyday I’d weigh two tons. And by the way,
thanks for lunch.”

“You’re welcome,
and you don’t have to worry about the two-ton thing. If anything, you could
stand to eat more. You look a little scrawny to me.”

She yanked her
head toward him, a frown darkening her face.

Man, it didn’t
take much to set her off. He sent a teasing wink and smile.

Trish emitted a
forced laugh. “Let’s walk to the creek. There’s a boulder near the water’s edge
where I can sit and keep an eye on Bo.” They’d only taken a few steps before
she spoke again. “So tell me about your family.”

Andy tensed. He
hadn’t planned on this line of conversation. “Just me and my younger brother.
He’s going to school at the University of Texas.”

Trish gave a soft
laugh. “Don’t tell my Aggie brother. And what about your parents?”

“No longer in the
picture.” He tried to keep his tone light. As they passed an oak tree, he
snapped off a twig and broke it into two pieces, tossing them both to the
ground.

“Sorry to hear
that. Sounds rough.” Her questioning eyes softened.

“Yep.” Enough of
this. “How’s your work going?”

Her chin rose,
and she inhaled sharply. “Fine. I have a pretty good job prospect.”

His heart skipped
a beat. Was she still considering the Austin job? If so, what if he’d relocated
to Miller’s Creek just as she and Little Bo moved somewhere else?

Chapter 11

A
ndy crammed the last
bite of ice cream cone he’d bought at the new drugstore into his mouth, then
crunched and swallowed. He swung open the glass door for Trish to enter
Miller’s Creek Community Center, which sat on the opposite side of the square
from City Hall. A group of guys, deep in a heated discussion, sported t-shirts,
jeans, and baseball caps and congregated at the front of the dark room near a
long folding table plastered with papers. The room was full of dads and their
excited boys, the noise level and sweaty body smells escalating by the second.

The strained look
on Trish’s face revealed her discomfort. Only two other women were in the room.
This had to be difficult. Was she thinking about her husband again?

Little Bo didn’t
look much better as he craned his neck toward his mother. “Mom, please don’t
make me do this. I don’t wanna play T-ball.” His subdued words trembled.

She wrapped an
arm around his shoulders. “But you love baseball. Remember how much fun you had
last year?”

Little Bo didn’t
answer. Instead, he viewed the other boys sitting with their dads, and his eyes
took on sorrow.

Trish turned to
Andy, her eyes pleading.

He knelt beside
Bo. “Why don’t we just stick around long enough to see what they have to say?
Then you can make your decision. How’s that sound?”

Bo nodded. Trish
sent an appreciative smile, then made her way to three folding chairs on the
back row. The chairs squeaked and rattled as they sat.

The guy wearing a
John Deere cap placed a thumb and finger at the corners of his mouth and gave a
shrill whistle. “Okay, y’all settle down. I know you’re excited about the new
season, so let’s get started. We’ll begin with T-ball.”

A few groans
sounded from the audience. Andy couldn’t tell if it was the older boys or their
dads.

The John Deere
man continued. “We have enough boys signed up for four teams, but only three
coaches. Any of you willing to take on a team of energetic five- and
six-year-olds?”

A few guffaws and
negative comments sounded, but no one volunteered. The man waited, his eyes
scanning the room.

Coaching a team
would definitely help him get involved in the community, but would he have time
with a new practice? Andy glanced at Little Bo, his thoughts on Lester and the
older man’s impact on his life. This was his chance to make a difference in the
life of a young boy who needed him. He stood. “I’ll do it.”

Faces turned
toward him, some not so friendly. The man’s eyes narrowed. “Sorry, sir, don’t
believe I know you.”

“Andy Tyler, the new city attorney.” The words echoed in the now eerily quiet room.

“Nice to meet
you. Welcome.” The words didn’t match the man’s unsmiling face. “You have any
coaching experience?”

“No, sir, but I
played ball all through college.”

The man let out a
short laugh. “Playing college ball is a lot different than handling a bunch of
rowdy boys. You sure you’re up for the challenge?” Masculine laughter
reverberated from the brick walls.

Heat crept up his
neck. “I’m game.”

The man waited a
long minute. “Any objections?” Whispered discussions took place across the
room, but no one spoke up. Another long minute passed. “Okay. You’re hired.
Before you leave we’ll need you to fill out the paperwork authorizing a
criminal background check.”

His heartbeat
thundering in his ears, Andy took his seat, an immediate wave of doubt flooding
over him. What had he just gotten himself into?

Little Bo came to
stand beside him, his eyes full of admiration. Andy held up a fist, and Bo
bumped it with his, releasing a contagious giggle. His lips turned up in a grin
that melted Andy’s heart. He’d made the right call.

An inscrutable
expression covered Trish’s face. What was in those troubled brown eyes of hers?
Apprehension? Appreciation? A mixture of both?

Half an hour
later, Andy clutched the team roster and followed Trish and Little Bo outside.

“Let me see.”
Trish snatched the paper from his hand and scanned the list. Her eyebrows rose.

“What?”

“Congratulations,
you have some of the biggest troublemakers in town on your team.” She
practically crowed the words, then handed the list back to him, the May breeze
trying to tug it from his grasp.