Tight-Fittin' Jeans

“Oh, Tiff, you’re so good to me, and for me.” Bridget’s voice cracked again. “I’m so thankful you came, and so is Jeremiah. It’s been terribly hard on him, with the ranch and all.”

“The ranch has nothing to do with it. He’s certifiable because he’s so damn crazy in love with you.”

“I feel the same way about him.” Bridget brushed back a tear. “I know why both he and Taylor are so upset. After all, Jeremiah’s already lost one wife, and Taylor lost her mother.”

“Well, they are not going to lose you.”

“They nearly did.”

“Well, nearly ain’t the real thing.” Tiffany grinned, then changed the subject. “I never thought your marriage would last, you know.”

“No one did, least of all my parents.”

“Well, getting drunk, then, a few hours later, marrying a man you won in an auction, does lead one toward skepticism.”

“It was fate at its beast” Bridget shrugged. “What more can I say?”

“I’d say that pretty well sums it up.”

“So what about you? I didn’t by any chance pull you out of the clutches of any man?”

“Not no, but hell no!”

“Tiff!”

“Don’t ‘Tiff’ me. I’m not interested in ties that bind. I’m only interested in jump-starting my career and making money.”

“So what did this trip do to those plans?”

Tiffany laughed. “It brought relief from the boss from hell.”

“Not as in, you were fired, I hope.”

“I quit, actually.”

“Oh, Tiff, I feel awful.”

“Don’t. I’ve been aching to do it for months. That call from Jeremiah was just the push I needed.”

Bridget laughed. “I can just see you marching into her office.”

“That’s exactly what I did.” Tiffany grinned. “I would have given anything if you could’ve been a fly on the wall and seen the look on Witch Hazel’s face when I told her in a nice way to kiss my you-know-what, that I was outa there.”

“I just hope you didn’t make a mistake.”

“No way.” Tiffany’s grin strengthened. “I don’t anticipate ever being in that position again.”

“You lovable idiot.”

“That’s me,” Tiffany quipped, peering at her watch. “Look, I’d better get going. I’m surprised a nurse hasn’t been in and run me off.”

“As badly as I hate to see you go, Taylor’ll be in from play school soon, and I’d like for you to be there.”

Tiffany leaned over again and kissed her friend on the cheek. “You hang in there, okay? Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Later, as Tiffany walked out into the bright sunlight, she paused and took several deep breaths. Bridget had to be all right. She just had to.

“Hey, squirt, what’ve you been doing? Making mud pies in your ears?”

Taylor giggled, then gazed up at Tiffany. “You’re being silly.”

“I’m being truthful, young lady. I don’t think you’ve had that washcloth anywhere near that part of your body.”

Taylor giggled again, but she made no effort to shift the rag to her head, which Tiffany saw as her first challenge with this precocious six-year-old.

In fact, all the way to the ranch from the hospital, apprehension had gnawed at her. What if she’d bitten off more than she could chew? Hell, what she knew about children could fill a thimble. But since she had no choice, she had to make the best of the situation, no matter what.

Jeremiah and Taylor had both come out to the car to meet her. The first time she had seen the child, with her doelike brown eyes and long, shiny hair, Tiffany had fallen under her spell. Taylor seemed to have bonded with her as well.

Now, two days later, with Jeremiah and Bridget at the hospital in Las Vegas, that love affair was threatened, and all because of mud pies in the ears.

“I couldn’t find Piper Girl,” Taylor was saying.

Tiffany shook her head. “What did you say?”

The child repeated her statement

“Who is Piper Girl?”

“My kitty.”

“Ah, I see.”

“She sleeps on the foot of my bed.”

Great. Tiffany hated cats, but she would bite her tongue before admitting that. “So, I wonder where Piper Girl is?”

“In the barn, eating a rat.”

“Swell.”

“Would you go get her and bring her inside?”

“Only if you promise she won’t eat me.”

Taylor threw her a look. “She doesn’t even bite. She’s a sweetie.”

That remained to be seen, Tiffany told herself, then said out loud, “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get the kitty if you’ll let me get rid of the mud pies.”