GI Cowboy

“I wasn’t around much when he was this age. Or any other age,” he corrected.

That sounded like old baggage that he didn’t especially want to discuss. Bailey shrugged. “I suppose it was hard for you to be home a lot because of your commitment to the army.”

Parker didn’t answer. He stared at the window, until Maddie began to sing her version of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” The cheerful song definitely didn’t go with the somber mood in the room, but her staff was trying to keep things upbeat.

Charlotte was at a work table making Fourth of July decorations with two of the older children, and Audra was arranging the others into a circle for a scaled down version of Duck Duck Goose. Bailey knew from experience that all the running around from the game would tire out the kids, and at least several would need a nap.

When Maddie saw the game forming, she babbled bye-bye to Parker, gave him another kiss and toddled over to join the others.

“Why this?” Parker asked, drawing Bailey’s attention back to him. “Why run a day care?” Parker’s investigation had confirmed her trust fund. She didn’t need to work. And she obviously loved kids…

Bailey heard the unspoken part of question, mainly because her mother often spoke it aloud. “You mean why am I here instead of raising a family of my own?”

Parker gave a begrudging nod. “I guess that’s what I meant.”

“I love kids, but I haven’t met anyone I’d like to have kids with. My last relationship ended badly.” Very badly. As in he turned out to be a low-life scum who cheated on her with a lap dancer and then told the press all about two-timing the governor’s daughter. “Let’s just say, I’m not a prize catch for most guys.”

“Right.” His eyebrow lifted. “You’re beautiful, rich and smart. Guys hate that in a woman.”

Bailey bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. “Thank you.”

He thought she was beautiful.

That was something else to take her mind off the black car, but Bailey did glance out to make sure it wasn’t there. “I also have a mother who’s the governor, and while Mom says she would love for me to marry and give her grandchildren, she’s yet to approve of any man I’ve dated.”

Parker stared at her. “You need her approval?”

“No.” Bailey pushed her hair away from her face. “But sometimes it would be nice to get it.”

He made a sound, a rumble deep within his throat. “In the message that she left on your machine, she seemed to be playing matchmatcher with you and me.”

“All talk, I assure you,” Bailey mumbled. “She’ll find fault even with a non-Neanderthal guy like you.”

She hated this turn in the conversation. Hated that she’d just revealed something that personal to a man who was practically a stranger. If she continued with this, it wouldn’t be long before she told him that she was toying with the idea of using artificial insemination to get pregnant.

Now, that would get him running. But it would also be revealing a secret wish that she wasn’t ready to reveal to anyone. Time to switch gears to something more palatable, but Parker changed it for her.

“Who’s that?” he asked and got to his feet.

She looked out the window and spotted the familiar dark-haired man making his way toward the porch. “Sidney Burrell, the handyman. He’s putting in that bathroom Charlotte told you about.” Bailey checked the date on her watch. “Though he wasn’t supposed to work today. He only works after hours, after all the children are gone.”

Parker stood at the window and studied him. “When he’s here, he has access to the entire building?”

“Of course. Why?”

“You trust him?” Parker fired back.

Bailey was about to say yes, but she hesitated. “He moved to Freedom about four months ago so I don’t know him that well, but he had good references. And he hasn’t done anything to make me distrust him.” She noticed his alarmed expression, and that alarmed her. “Why all the questions?”

Parker didn’t take his attention off the man. “I think he’s carrying a concealed weapon.”

She jumped to her feet. “What?”

“Look at the slight bulge around the ankle of his jeans.”

She did look, and yes, there was a bulge. “You think that means he has a gun?”

“Wait here,” Parker ordered, and he hurried out the room and toward the front door.

Bailey had no intention of doing that. Ahead of her, Parker disengaged the security system and threw open the front door just as Sidney was coming up the steps. Even though Parker didn’t draw his own gun, Sidney stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, and he volleyed glances between Parker and her.

“I heard about the car everyone’s looking for,” Sidney said. “It’s all over town. I came over to check on you.”

“I’m fine,” Bailey lied.

Parker stepped out onto the porch and would have shut the door in her face, if she hadn’t caught onto it. Parker shot her a warning glance over his shoulder, probably so that she would go back inside, but Bailey went on the porch with him.

“This is Parker McKenna,” she said, trying to make it sound like a casual introduction.

Parker didn’t wait for Sidney to respond. “Are you carrying a gun?”

Sidney pulled back his shoulders. “What business is that of yours?”

“Are you carrying a gun?” Parker repeated. He took a single step closer to Sidney, but that step along with his expression had a menacing feel to it.

“Yeah.” Sidney’s expression took on a menacing feel, as well. “I am. But I have a permit to carry concealed.”

Since Bailey’s emotions were already running high, she forced herself to put this in perspective, though she didn’t like the fact this man had been in her day care with a weapon strapped to his ankle.

Except Parker had a weapon too, she reminded herself.

“Why carry a gun?” Bailey asked.

Sidney shrugged and softened his glare when he looked at her. “My house isn’t in town, and a time or two I’ve come home to find coyotes in my yard. It’s easier to have the gun on me than in the glove compartment of the truck.”

She nodded, accepting that. “I’d prefer if you didn’t wear it in the building,” she simply stated.

Sidney’s mouth tightened. “If that’s the way you want it.”

“It is,” Parker answered for her.

For a moment she thought Sidney might argue with that, but he finally smiled and tipped his fingers to his forehead in a mock salute. “I’ll be seeing you around.”

For some reason, that sounded like a threat. Or maybe it was just the nerves getting to her. Parker and she stood there and watched Sidney walk away. The man got into a blue pickup truck and drove off.

“You should call Bart and ask him to run a background check on this guy,” Parker suggested.

That was a good idea, and Bailey made a mental note to be more careful about the people she hired. When had her life gotten so complicated?