Little Cowgirl Needs a Mom (7 page)

The sound of little girls' voices grew louder, and then came the stampede of footsteps on the stairs.

“Brace yourselves, here they come,” Sean said.

One by one, three little blondes, two brunettes and one red-haired girl arrived in the kitchen. Every one of them
had big hair and tons of makeup on those sweet angelic faces.

Gracie proudly climbed up on a bar stool. The other girls followed her. “Hi, Daddy. We're having a lot of fun.”

“I can see that.” He looked her over, trying to find his little girl under all the makeup. “Trying a new look?”

“Oh, Daddy. We're doing the eighties. You know, Madonna, Bon Jovi. ABBA, too.”

The other girls broke into a chorus of “Dancing Queen,” then fell into a fit of giggles.

“Daddy, did you know Jenny can moonwalk like Michael Jackson?

“No, I didn't.” Evan looked at his dad and mouthed, “Madonna.”

Sean shrugged and whispered, “I'm sure Jenny has it under control.”

“All the girls think Jenny is
way
cool. She says we're going to work our way through the decades. We'll finish with Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift.”

Evan turned back in time to see Jenny walk in. Her hair was big, too, lying in waves past her shoulders. She wore heavy makeup, overdone on the eyes and lips, and some kind of tight stretchy pants that hugged her long sexy legs.

“Hey, girls.” She winked at Evan as she sat down on a stool. “Did you get something to eat?” She glanced at his father. “Hi, Sean.”

“Hello, young ones,” he greeted as he eyed all the girls. “Looks as if I have several customers here.” He leaned on the counter. “What can I get for all of you? Pizza? Chips? Ice cream? Hamburgers?”

After the girls placed their orders, the group got up and headed upstairs. Gracie stayed back and said to her father, “Don't come in, because it's for girls only.”

Evan nodded. “Okay. We'll knock on the door, then leave the food in the hall.”

She kissed him. “Thanks, Daddy.” She took off to find the others. The music started up again along with a thumping sound. Evan glanced at the clock to see it was only nine o'clock. Just twelve more hours and they'd all go home. That included Jenny.

 

It was midnight and the girls showed no signs of slowing down, but Jenny was running out of ideas for things to do. They didn't want to watch any more videos, or eat any more food. They were too far out in the country for a scavenger hunt. Maybe some scary stories.

She got the girls' attention and started telling tales she remembered from school when something hit against the window.

The girls jumped and gasped. “What was that?” one of them asked.

Jenny got up, pulled the curtains back and looked out the second-story window. Down below a flash of white caught her eyes. “What the…” she began, when she saw the figure standing in the yard. It was Sean. She opened the window and the girls came to see what was going on.

“Sean? Is something wrong?”

“Sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for some little ones who'd be interested in roasting some marshmallows by the campfire. Maybe tell a few stories.”

“We are,” the chorus of girls cheered.

“I'm too scared,” Carrie said, looking out into the darkness.

“Come on,” Cherry said. “Mr. Sean won't let anything happen to us.”

“How about if we all go together?” Jenny suggested. “It'll be fun.”

“We'll be right down,” she called to Sean.

“Good.” He smiled. “Bring Evan, too. He's taking a nap before the next shift.”

Already dressed in their pajamas, the girls all put on sweatshirts and shoes, then headed down.

Jenny was bringing up the rear when she stopped by the master bedroom. She knocked softly and pushed open the partly closed door to find Evan lying on the bed fully dressed, minus his boots. The lamp beside the bed was on and she could see he was asleep.

“Evan,” she whispered, but when he didn't answer, she walked in and stood next to the bed. She stared down at the man lying on the bed. He looked so peaceful, so unlike the Evan who was usually frowning.

She heard the girls at the foot of the stairs and reached out and touched his arm. The warmth of his skin caused her to bite back a gasp.

His eyes shot open, and he quickly sat up. “What happened?”

“Nothing yet. We're going down to roast marshmallows. Your dad said to wake you up.”

Her hand was still on his arm. “Sorry, I was catching a few hours sleep.” He rubbed his eyes. “What are the munchkins up to now?”

She tried but couldn't seem to move away. “Sean's going to tell stories out by a campfire.”

Evan stood up, and she started to back away, but he pulled her closer.

“Rafferty…this isn't a good idea,” she warned.

“You're damn right it isn't.” He started to lower his head when off in the distance she heard her name.

She quickly broke away, but Evan refused to release her as he held her head against his shoulder. “Kids can be a pain sometimes. This is definitely one of those times.”

“Evan…I've got to go. The girls will come looking for me.”

With a nod, Evan let her go. He turned and went into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door. She worked to slow her breathing as she walked out and down the steps.

“Jenny,” Gracie said, “Where were you? Everybody is waiting.”

“I forgot something.” She'd forgotten something all right, her mind, her common sense. She looked down at the smiling child and thought about the man upstairs.

She was quickly losing her heart to both of them.

 

“They're called the wee people. Some call them leprechauns. I only met one, Finn O'Donovan. And oh, he was a tricky one. He would rob you blind if you turned your back on him.”

“What does he look like?” a girl asked.

“A wee man, no bigger than yourselves. They have rosy cheeks and big blue eyes that make you want to trust them. I met Finn when I was no older than you young ones. He lived in the forest right outside of the town where I lived in Ireland. First time I saw him was when I came home from school one day. He asked me never to tell anyone about him. My first mistake. He promised to show me where he hid a pot of gold. Well, let me tell you. I was a poor fella with lots of brothers and sisters. My da and ma could use a pot of gold.”

“Did you ever find it?” Carrie asked.

Sean shook his head. “No. The scoundrel had been laughing at me the whole time. Soon after, my family left for America, so I never saw Finn again which was good, since we didn't part on happy terms. But some strange things have been happening lately. I have a feeling that Finn has returned to my life.”

“He's here?” Cherry whispered.

Sean's eyes grew large as he nodded, then glanced around the crackling fire at his attentive audience. “I have proof.” He reached behind him and pulled out a green felt pointy hat. “See, this is the same hat Finn wore all those years ago.”

“Where'd you get that, Grandpa?” Gracie asked.

“I found it in the vineyard. Finn is here.” Everyone gasped.

Evan stood at the patio door and watched as the girls listened to his father. No one could tell a story like Sean Rafferty. Seeing Gracie's happy face, he was glad that his dad was there to help out. His gaze settled on Jenny. This night for Gracie wouldn't have happened if she hadn't agreed to give up her weekend.

The only problem was that it was getting harder and harder to keep away from her. He still couldn't believe what had nearly happened upstairs. He'd almost kissed her again. He wanted it more than his next breath.

Suddenly Matt came out of the shadows, sat on the bench next to Jenny and scooted closer to her. He didn't seem to have any trouble talking with her, flirting with her.

And unless Evan spoke up, he didn't have any right to tell his brother to stay away.

Was he ready to do that?

A
WEEK
had passed since the sleepover and Jenny had tried to stay focused on other things besides the man who'd been keeping her up nights. Not only Evan had been disturbing her sleep, but worry over his daughter's feelings had, as well.

Classes had been going well for everyone except Gracie. She struggled with the intricate work needed to complete her mother's quilt. Jenny herself even needed Allison's help. The pattern was far too complicated for an eight year old, and the child's frustration was growing.

She'd realized she had to convince the girl to go in another direction. That was when she'd asked for advice from Allison and her new friend, school principal Lily Perry.

The three of them had discussed her concerns and had come up with something that might convince Gracie to put her mother's quilt aside for another few years and work on something simpler.

It was nearly the end of the day's class when Jenny took Gracie aside. They walked to the round table in the corner of the room that had quickly become a popular spot with the regulars. Only on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons was the area vacant.

Jenny motioned to a chair and Gracie took it. “Am I in trouble?” she asked.

“Of course not.” Jenny looked at Allison who'd followed them over. “We just have an idea we want to talk to you about.”

The child still looked worried as Jenny took a seat next to her. “I'm concerned about you, Gracie. I think the quilt you're working on is harder than you thought it would be, huh?”

The girl looked sad. “It's not too bad.”

Jenny exchanged a glance with Allison. “But still, it's pretty hard to sew for someone your age.”

“Maybe.”

Jenny was relieved. “Allison and I came up with an idea that might help. We want you to listen to it first, before you decide if it's good or bad.”

“Okay.”

“We were wondering if you'd consider putting your quilt aside for a few years until you're older and a more experienced quilter.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “But I promised Mommy.”

“We know you did, sweetie,” Jenny said soothingly. “But, as I said before, I don't think your mother expected you to finish it right away. Since she chose the Double-Wedding-Ring pattern, don't you think she planned to have it ready for when you got married?” Jenny smiled. “Are you getting married anytime soon?”

Gracie actually smiled too. “No!”

“Then you have plenty of time to get it done.”

“I guess so,” she hesitated. “But will you still help me?”

Jenny wasn't sure how to answer her. She'd always planned to go back to San Antonio to teach. “I'll promise you this, Gracie, I'll do my best.”

The girl wasn't excited by her answer. “You said you'd help me finish it.”

“And if possible, I will. Besides, if you keep practicing, just think how good you'll get and you can do it yourself.”

The child looked sad. “Does this mean I can't be in the class any more?”

“Oh, no. We want you to stay in the class. Would you be willing to work on another project, something simpler?”

Gracie nodded eagerly.

“Good. We've come up with an idea and all you girls can work together. Even Mrs. Perry is going to participate in this project.” Jenny stood. “Come on, I'll announce to everyone what's going to happen.”

Gracie hurried back to her seat as Jenny turned to Allison. “She took it better than I thought.”

“She seemed relieved.”

But Jenny wasn't sure she was out of the woods yet. Hadn't she been the one who had fought to get Gracie into class, assuring Evan she could handle it?

Why should she care what he thought? The man had run hot and cold, kissing her, making her want more. But she hadn't seen or heard from him since. Apparently he'd wanted to put some distance between them.

She could deal with rejection. If only he would stay away, stop making her long for more, making her want what she couldn't have—a man who would never be hers.

Jenny walked back to the group. “Girls, it's about quitting time and I'd like to talk to you all.”

They stopped and looked at her.

“First of all, I want to tell you how pleased I am with the work you've all accomplished in just a few short weeks.” She looked around. “Is everyone having fun?”

The group cheered and Jenny's chest swelled. She glanced at Lily. “Well, if you like what you're doing, we'd
like to go a step further. When the class began, we talked about everyone making their own quilt, but that's a big project, and it can take a long time, especially with school-work and chores at home. How about we each work on a section of blocks, then everyone combines them to make one quilt?” She rushed on to say, “It'll still be about your family, but we'll put everyone's together.”

There was silence.

She continued, “Why not make a quilt that tells a story about the town, about past generations? You are the future of Kerry Springs, but we should know where we came from, too. I know a lot of you are already using fabric from your relatives. That's perfect. Now with the assistance of mothers and the helpers, you can embroider those people's names and dates on the blocks so we'll know who they are.” Jenny moved aside so Lily could join her. “And now Mrs. Perry is going to tell you more about this project.”

“Hello, girls.”

“Hello, Mrs. Perry,” they said in unison.

“I'm also impressed with the work you're doing here. And I'm taking a personal interest in this project, since both my daughter and my mother are working on it, too.

“When I first heard of Jenny's idea, I thought, what a great idea, to preserve our town's history in a quilt. And then I thought, as well as a quilt, how about an essay contest? We have Founders' Day coming up in July. So what better way to celebrate it than to write about the families that make our town great?”

Jenny watched as the girls took in the idea.

“This isn't a school requirement. It's strictly for this class and for your own curiosity. But the girls who turn in stories will have them published in the town paper. Even better, Jenny and Allison will display the finished quilt in
the shop window so everyone in town will see your hard work.” Lily smiled. “How do you feel about that?”

The girls cheered. “We should do it,” Cherry said. It was seconded by girl after girl.

“Okay, that gives us three months to finish. So you'll keep working in class, but you'll need to interview your parents and grandparents, learn their stories. Good luck to all of you.”

The room buzzed with excitement as the girls put away their sewing while discussing what they were going to do. Jenny glanced toward the back of the room and saw Evan.

Now it was her job to get him to go along with the sudden change of plans.

 

Evan watched as Jenny moved around the room talking to each student. It was obvious the girls adored her. She had an ease around kids, around everyone.

Not him. Outside of family, he'd always had trouble talking to people. He'd rather be alone than in a group. Megan hadn't been eager to bring him out. She'd had her own social groups; besides quilting, there was her work at the church. Yet now, he could see his daughter needed more.

Although he'd once loved the solitude of working the vineyard, he'd found of late he was lonely. More so when he thought about Jenny Collins. Whenever he got close to her, he could feel the pull. Then there was the memory of the sweetest kiss and the stirring in his body that told him he wanted more, needed more as well.

His daughter came running toward him. “Daddy, guess what?”

“What?”

“We're all going to make a big quilt together and have a writing contest. I need to get some old clothes from
Grandpa for my blocks 'cause I'm gonna write about him being from Ireland, and you and Uncle Matt, too.”

He looked at Jenny, who had arrived next to his daughter. “So you're working on a new project already?”

“We're taking a little detour,” Jenny answered.

Allison and Cherry walked up. “How about us girls go for some ice cream, Gracie? Then your dad and Jenny can talk.”

“Can I go, Daddy?”

Evan dug into his pocket for a few dollars and handed them to her. “Sure, but only get one scoop and don't take too long.”

He watched as they left the shop, then turned back to Jenny. “What's going on?”

“First of all, I was planning to tell to you about it when you got here.”

“Well, I'm here.” He glanced at Millie, who was with a customer. Both ladies were watching them with interest. “Is there somewhere private we can talk?” he asked.

“I can't leave Millie.”

“I'll be fine,” the saleswoman assured her. “You two go talk.” She smiled at Evan. “Good to see you again, Evan. Say hello to your father for me.”

He nodded. “I'll do that.” He followed Jenny toward the back of the shop. She went to the office, then bypassed it. “The bookkeeper is working in there.”

Evan was surprised when Jenny opened another door that led to a staircase and started up. He followed her, and they ended up in her apartment.

He looked around, and then walked to the narrow window. “You can see Main Street.”

“Yeah, the view sold me on the place.”

He turned his attention to her. She looked tempting in fitted jeans and a tapered green blouse. Her sunny hair
hung around her face and thin bangs brushed her forehead, highlighting her big brown eyes. She didn't wear much makeup, giving her a fresh-scrubbed look. His gaze went to her full mouth and her perfect lips.

He shook away the direction of his thoughts. “Okay, what's this change of plans?”

She blew out a breath. “You were right.”

He didn't expect her to say that. “About what?”

“Gracie
is
too young to handle the complicated quilt pattern.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Isn't that what I tried to tell you from the beginning?”

“You did,” she conceded. “But what you didn't realize about your daughter was she needed some independence. And she had to attempt to do the quilt before anyone could convince her otherwise. It seems stubbornness runs in your family.”

“You think I'm stubborn? You're the one who wouldn't let go of this.”

“But it helped. Can't you see the difference in her?”

He nodded. “All right. She has been happier these last few weeks. But she has to be disappointed that she can't finish the quilt.”

Jenny shook her head. “Oh, she'll finish it, but she's willing to wait.” She smiled. “And she got the one thing she truly wanted.”

“What was that?”

“Your attention.”

“She's always had my attention,” he said.

“On your terms. The only outlet she had was school.”

“We live in the country.”

“But your daughter is growing up, she needs to socialize. And this class has helped her.”

Had he been that selfish? “Don't forget I let her have
a sleepover. But I'll always want to protect her no matter how old she gets.”

“Of course, and she'll always need that from you, along with your love.”

“She's always had that, from the day she was born.” Evan felt the familiar sadness. “I never want her to ever doubt that.” He walked away then turned back to Jenny. “There were days when that little girl was the only reason I got out of bed. She kept me going.”

Jenny nodded, trying not to reach out and offer comfort to this man. She was already too involved. “And you helped your daughter get through losing her mother. She wants to help you, too. She knows how sad you've been.”

His blue eyes met hers. “You seem to know a lot about her.”

Jenny shrugged. “I was a stranger when she first talked to me. That made it easier for her.”

“You are easy to talk to. Thank you for spending time with Gracie, especially for last weekend's sleepover.”

That was her, the person everyone wanted to share things with, to be friends with. Last weekend, when Evan had nearly kissed her again, she'd known it was a bad idea. She'd already gotten a taste of his loving family, something she'd always longed for, giving her ideas of having a piece of it.

“That might have created more problems.” She held his gaze as it did crazy things to her stomach, but she continued. “It changes things now, Rafferty, we might never be able to go back. You aren't ready.”

“For what? To kiss you again? Hell, yes, I'm ready.” He was more than ready for her. He moved closer, stopping directly in front of her. He caught her scent. It was intoxicating. Feelings for her whirled in his head. “If you're honest, Jenny, you'd admit you want it too.”

“That doesn't make it the right thing to do.”

“No, it doesn't.” He leaned toward her. “All my energy needs to go into keeping the ranch afloat and being a father to my daughter.” He released a breath. “But you're the one I've been thinking about in the middle of the night. You're the one I want to hold in my arms, want to kiss—”

She looked up at the ceiling. “Oh, Rafferty, why are you doing this to me? We're headed in different directions. Starting anything would be foolish.”

Hell, he didn't want to get involved, but it had already happened. “Yeah, you're right about that. It would be the craziest thing ever.”

“For once we agree.” Her voice was breathy. “We've only shared a kiss. No harm done.”

Damn. There'd been plenty of damage. To his sleep, to his peace of mind. Lately, to his sanity.

There was a knock on the door at the bottom of the stairs and Millie called up to her. “Jenny, there's a phone call for you.”

“Can you take a name and a message?”

“He says it's important, a Todd Newsome.”