Montana Match

Brittany wrote as slowly as she could. She didn’t want to turn around and see the feigned innocence on their faces until she was sure she could face them with a stoic mask in place. There was no doubt that the instigator of this little trick was the class clown who called her “Miss Carrot Top” or “Miss Freckle Face” under his breath, just loud enough that she couldn’t miss hearing his remarks. She always pretended not to notice.

Finally, she set the chalk in the tray and glanced at the clock before turning to the group. Some of the students had already retrieved their books, but other books still lay on the floor. She looked at the students, making eye contact with as many of them as she could before speaking. “You have twenty minutes to work on the assignment. If you have any problems, raise your hand, and I’ll be glad to help you.”

A few snickers drifted through the air, but Brittany chose to ignore those, too. Without making mention of the book incident, she roamed up and down the aisles between the desks. She breathed a sigh of relief as further conflict faded. Despite situations like this, substitute teaching was still the best of all the bad temp jobs she had tried since she’d lost her position as a financial planner. Glancing out the window at the snowy Montana landscape, she prayed that all would go well until the final bell. While she waited for that sound of freedom, she vowed to double her efforts to find a real job—one that didn’t involve kids.

Half an hour later, Brittany fled out a side door and searched the school’s parking lot for her ride. She spotted her roommate’s sporty silver compact car and dashed toward it. She opened the door and hopped in.

Glancing at Brittany, Heather Watson maneuvered her way to the main road, her dark eyes full of curiosity. “You seem to be in a hurry to get away.”

Brittany leaned back on the headrest. “What a day! It didn’t end soon enough.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

“No. I don’t want to relive it. I can sum it up in one word. Dreadful.”

“That bad?”

“Worse. I’m beginning to think I’m just not good with kids.”

“Not true. The kids in the church youth group love you.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence.” Brittany smiled halfheartedly. “I guess it’s just that one horrible class of fifth graders that drives me crazy.”

Heather nodded. “Is your car ready?”

“Yes, but I’m afraid to see the repair bill.” Brittany released a harsh breath. “That car is falling to pieces one part at a time. It’s a money pit, but without a regular job, there’s no way I can buy a new one.”

“Well, at least they could fix it.”

“I guess I should look on the bright side.” Brittany forced a smile. “It’s a good thing that today is your day off. Thanks for picking me up.”

“No problem.” Heather turned onto the street where the car dealership was located. “Are you subbing tomorrow?”

“Not yet, but I could get a call early in the morning. After today, I’m not sure I could bring myself to say yes.”

“Then don’t. Come skiing with me.”

“You know I can’t afford to go skiing, especially now with the added expense for my car.”

Brittany wished Heather could understand the stress of not having a real job. The need to find steady employment constantly weighed on her mind. And now that she’d broken up with Max, the one reason for staying in Billings no longer existed. She needed to widen her job search.

“I told you that won’t be a problem. My uncle Parker pays for everything, even guests. He does this every year for our family on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.”

“I thought I’d met all your dad’s siblings. How come I’ve never met your uncle?”

“Because he’s a reclusive bachelor who lives on a ranch about fifty miles from Billings. I call him my mad scientist uncle because he’s always working on some kind of invention. We only see him on this ski trip and maybe out at his place on the Fourth of July. And at Christmas. Otherwise, he keeps pretty much to himself on that ranch.”

Brittany thought the guy sounded pretty weird, but she didn’t want to say anything bad about him. “I’d hate to impose.”

Heather gave Brittany a challenging look. “You won’t impose. You need a change of scenery, so you can forget about the loss of your job and the breakup with your worthless boyfriend.”

Brittany shook her head. “Going on a ski vacation isn’t going to help me find a job or make me forget Max.”

“Max is very forgettable. You shouldn’t waste time thinking about him. You never know. Maybe you’ll meet someone who’s looking to hire a good financial planner or accountant.”

“You are such an optimist.”

Brittany was beginning to question her decision to stay in Billings after she’d lost her job, but she had wanted to remain there because of her relationship with Max.

More than ever, she wanted to prove to her parents that she could make the right choices. She had to show them that they hadn’t wasted their money on her college degree. That meant widening her search for a good financial job. From the beginning, they’d wanted her to forge her own path rather than follow Max to Montana. Would going home to the Spokane area mean she’d have to admit they’d been right? Could she make the right decision this time?

Giggles floated through the air as Parker Watson entered the kitchen of the six-bedroom, cedar-sided house he’d rented for the annual family ski trip. He relished the sound of harmony coming from Rose and Jasmine, his six-year-old twin daughters, who were having breakfast at the table in the eating area off the kitchen. He stared at the cup of coffee sitting on the counter and wished that somehow a nanny for his girls would appear out of the steam rising from it—like a genie from a bottle.

He was working on a big project that could lead to more medical writing jobs. He was already behind schedule because he’d had to take over the homeschooling duties that had been Jenny’s domain. If he was going to give full attention to his work, he had to find a good caregiver now.

He picked up the cup and moseyed over to the table. “Are you girls finished with breakfast? The ski slopes are waiting for us.”

Rose took the last gulp of milk, then nodded her head, her dark braids swinging across her shoulders. “I’m done.”

“Me, too.” Jasmine jumped up from her chair.

As Rose joined her sister, Parker patted each of them on the head. “Then you need to put on your ski clothes.”

“We will.” Their voices echoed around the vaulted ceiling as they raced for the stairs.

Parker cupped his hands around his mouth. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth.”

The girls stopped and leaned over the balustrade that surrounded the loft at the top of the stairs. “We won’t.”

“Sounds like they’re pretty excited about today.” Delia chuckled.

Parker turned to his housekeeper. “I hope they get along. All I’ve done the past couple of weeks is break up fights.”

“You know it started right after Jenny, Mark and their kids moved away. The girls lost an important person in their lives, and it’s upset their whole routine.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean they should misbehave.” Parker sighed. “I wish Mark hadn’t taken that job in Colorado, but I can’t blame him for taking a better opportunity. It’s tough losing a foreman and the girls’ teacher and caregiver all at once. Since I started advertising for a nanny, I’ve had exactly one inquiry. And as soon as the woman found out that the position was on an isolated Montana ranch, she wasn’t interested.”

“You know what I’ve said about that.” Delia gave him a no-nonsense look—the kind she always gave him when she was trying to make a point. “Folks who live closer to the ranch won’t have a problem with the location.”

“I don’t know why you think I’ll find a nanny in Stockton. The people in that town have no use for me, and I have no use for them.”

Delia’s wrinkled face brightened, and she winked. “Heather might know someone. Maybe that friend she’s bringing with her?”

“You are such an optimist.” Parker rubbed the back of his neck and gave Delia a wry smile before turning his attention to the noisy footsteps on the stairs. “Sounds like the girls are ready. Tell Heather and her friend to head up to the slopes when they get here.”

Hours later, Parker stepped into the ski lodge and, as he’d promised Heather minutes before, searched the room for a petite redhead. The color of her hair should make her easy to find. He wasn’t looking forward to meeting Heather’s friend, but he was doing this to please his favorite niece.

The smell of burgers and fries wafted his way as he walked farther into the Main Lodge restaurant. Finally, he spotted an attractive young woman with bright coppery hair that fell around her shoulders. She sat alone at a table near the wall of windows looking out at the mountain.