Just What The Cowboy Needed

He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Look, when she’s with me it’s my responsibility to make sure that no harm comes to her. The only thing that matters is Cassie. Her happiness and well-being. I want her safe and will do whatever is necessary to see that she is. Isn’t that what a father does?”

Logan really wanted to know because his own father didn’t think about anyone but himself. It didn’t take an advanced degree in early childhood education to know that wasn’t right.

“Of course a father is supposed to do that.” Grace’s expression softened. It was as if she sensed he was no good at this and felt sorry for his daughter. Or worse, she pitied him. “And a mother, too. But—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “There’s a word that strikes fear into a person’s heart.”

“It’s just a three-letter word.” Her mouth twitched as if she wanted to laugh.

“Uh-huh.” Let her make fun. It was better than feeling sorry for him. “That word is a signal. It means you’re not going to like the rest of what’s coming.”

“This is worth what you paid for it.” She did smile then and moved farther away from the barn entrance to see the little girl who’d wandered out of view as she explored. “Come to think of it, you are paying me. But Cassie is your child and I will care for her however you want, to the very best of my ability. This is just food for thought. You obviously love her very much. Just keep in mind that rigidly controlling her environment will keep her physically safe but could squeeze the joy out of her soul.”

Just then the little girl in question came running around the corner of the barn straight toward them. “Grace!”

She crouched down as the child stopped in front of her, breathing hard from the exertion. She studied the eager expression. “What, sweetie?”

“I found Snowflake. She made a home in some hay and has babies. Come and see!”

“Okay.” Grace grinned and Cassie grabbed the hand she held out.

“Bye, Daddy!”

“Be careful. See you later, baby girl.”

There was no push back on the endearment because his daughter was mission driven as she dragged Grace away.

Logan should have breathed a sigh of relief that the pretty lady was gone. Instead he felt uneasy. Maybe with a touch of disappointment mixed in. Cassie hadn’t insisted on showing him the kittens and he felt a little left out. It made him wonder just whose soul was in jeopardy.

Damn it.

His life had been working just fine until Grace Flynn walked into it. End of summer was a long way off and couldn’t come too soon as far as he was concerned. And not just because Cassie would be safely back with her mother again.

It meant Mary Poppins would be gone and his world would go back to normal. She’d been here only a couple days, but she had a way about her, one that messed with his head. Women had told him off before, but not one of them was as hot and sexy as Grace when she did it.

That was new, and no one liked change. Especially him.

Chapter Three (#uf863a9a6-aa39-50fd-a705-d23a9a7c4fce)

“Grace has to come with us to Fourth of July, Daddy.” Cassie Hunt stood in the kitchen and looked up at her father with hope and determination on her cute-as-a-button face.

Grace was watching Logan’s reaction, and it was awfully hard to keep from laughing. He didn’t know how to respond. This was a holiday, and even a hardworking rancher like him was taking some time off. It was late afternoon, and Cassie had told her they were going into Blackwater Lake for the celebration. Grace had said she hoped they had a good time, and the little girl insisted she had to come along, then confronted her father.

“The truth is, Cassie, I’ve been so busy I forgot to ask Grace about it,” he said honestly. “I will fix that right now. Grace, would you like to go with us for the Fourth of July celebration?”

“Thanks for asking, but it’s all right.” Being included felt like crossing a line from professional to personal. And from what he’d said about being only a weekend dad, this was a good chance for the two of them to hang out by themselves. “I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”

“But you hafta come,” Cassie pleaded. “It’s fun. And there’s a parade.”

“What else is going on?” she asked.

“Hot dogs. Pizza. And cotton candy.” The little girl thought for a moment. “There’s rides and fireworks. I don’t like the real loud ones, though.”

“All of that sounds good except the cotton candy. If that’s a deal breaker...”

“You don’t have to eat it,” Logan said. “You should come with us. We’re celebrating America’s independence, and it’s downright un-American to sit here by yourself.” He settled his hands on lean hips. “If you were in Buckskin Pass what would you be doing?”

There she would go to the annual town celebration and try not to smack Lance the Loser, who had broken her heart and her bank account. In her current situation, being by herself meant not having to pretend she wasn’t infatuated with this cowboy. When she was around him, the attraction meter never failed to click into the danger zone.

“I would take part in the Buckskin Pass festivities,” she finally admitted, leaving out the part about Lance the Loser.

“Then you should come with us.” Was that guilt, reluctance or obligation in his tone?

“Daddy’s right.”

“Wow.” He looked at his daughter as if she was an alien being from another planet. “That hardly ever happens. Me? Correct about something? That parade today just might be in my honor.”

“You have to, Grace. I’ll be sad if you don’t.” Cassie thrust out her bottom lip in an unmistakable pout.

Grace sighed. “Who can resist that face? Not me, that’s for sure.”

“Yay!”

At least one out of three was pleased. Grace thought Logan looked as if his horses had just gone on strike. In spite of his inviting her along, his body language said he didn’t want to be around her any more than necessary.

Actually, she couldn’t blame him. It’s what she deserved after offering unsolicited parenting advice in her first couple of days on the job. Now she was barely into week number two. She’d made a personal vow not to offer an opinion unless he asked for it.

“How does my hair look, Daddy?”

“I like the ribbons. Red, white and blue. Very patriotic.”

“Grace did it.” She turned her head from side to side, showing off the ponytail and the long strands of ribbon decorating it. “I’m never getting my hair cut.”

“That’s a topic best discussed with your mom.” He looked at Grace. “You ready to go?”

She glanced at her denim capri pants and red T-shirt with stars and stripes. If only there was an anti-Logan spray like the one you could buy to repel mosquitoes. Not to say he was a pest, but it would come in handy. Alas, no such product existed. “I’ll just get my purse and light jackets for Cassie and me.”

A little while later Logan drove into a lot designated for holiday parking because Main Street Blackwater Lake was closed off to through traffic. The carnival rides were operating in the same open area, and Cassie’s eyes grew wider as she pointed out the ones she wanted to go on.

Logan made no comment but kept on walking. It was a short distance to the parade area, and they looked around to find the best viewing spot in the crowd gathered up and down the street. As it turned out, all the front-row spaces were taken and the audience was several people deep. Before they could decide where to go, she heard someone call out Logan’s name.

“Look!” Cassie pointed at the Grizzly Bear Diner. “There’s Uncle Tucker and Uncle Max and Aunt Jamie.”

“My siblings,” Logan explained.

“A big family.” Grace envied him. She had no one, except the friends she’d made in Buckskin Pass. Although she’d made the comment that it must have been fun growing up with them, his response had been “not really.” Why did she get the feeling that circumstances and not his brothers and sister had colored his view? “They look nice.”

“You might change your mind about that after you meet them. There’s no getting out of this now that we’ve been spotted.” His voice was teasing. In spite of the words, he looked pleased to see them. “Brace for impact.”