Her Small-Town Cowboy (17 page)

Erin gave her a knowing look. “How old were you when you ran away to see your mom?”

Busted. This wasn’t a part of her life Lily shared with many people, but since Erin had guessed the basics, she figured there was no harm in telling her the whole story. “They divorced when I was eight, and because of the lawyers, the custody-sharing nonsense for my sister and me went on for months. Then one day I’d had enough, so I took the money I got for my birthday and bought myself a bus ticket to Charleston.”

“You’re kidding!” When Lily shook her head, Erin high-fived her. “Good for you. How did you find your mom’s place?”

“I had her address in Charleston, so I went up to a mounted policeman outside the bus station and asked him to help me. It wasn’t far, and he took me there on his horse. It was really cool,” she added with a nostalgic smile. “His name was Hercules.”

“The cop or the horse?”

When they stopped laughing, Erin said, “So even back then you had a lot of spunk. That must be why we get along so well.”

“Must be,” Lily agreed, giggling like one of her students. During their chat, her butterscotch sundae had turned into a syrup-covered island surrounded by a moat, and she dipped up some of the yummy cream. After a few spoonfuls, she grudgingly admitted that she wasn’t any closer to a solution about how to handle Mike than she’d been when she and Erin started talking. Since she was fresh out of ideas, she decided to appeal for help. “So, what should I do about Mike?”

“I’m not in the habit of giving folks advice,” Erin hedged. “They usually don’t like what I have to say, and it causes me no end of trouble.”

That didn’t surprise Lily in the least. Over the past few weeks, she’d learned that her new friend was a caring foster mother determined to give Parker the best life she could. In that same vein, she was also outspoken and stubborn.
Much like her brother,
Lily mused with a smile. They must be Kinley traits, but being from Irish stock herself, they were characteristics she could definitely appreciate. “Go ahead. I promise not to shoot the messenger.”

For several moments, Erin stared at the melting ice cubes in her glass, twirling the straw through them with a somber expression. Then she appeared to make up her mind and lifted her head to gaze over at Lily. “Ordinarily, I’d say let him sweat it out and come crawling to you to apologize. But—”

“Dana walked out on him,” Lily picked up the thread without hesitation. “And he never went after her.”

“He claims it’s because of Abby, but I’ve always suspected there was more to it than that. Sometimes I think he’d rather die of loneliness than risk trusting the wrong woman again.”

Swirling her spoon in her sundae soup, Lily absorbed Erin’s comment in silence. Lost in thought, she was vaguely aware of a car pulling up at the curb not far from their table.

“Well, I’ll be,” Erin breathed, making Lily turn to see what had gotten her attention.

There, standing with his back against the fender of a dark green Gallimore pickup, was Mike. Arms crossed, he was staring at them as if he was trying to decide how to handle the situation.

“Mike’s never chased after anyone before,” Erin told her. “He must think you’re something special.”

“You think so?”

“He’s here, isn’t he? Want me to take a picture so people will believe it?”

Laughing, Lily stood and set down enough money to cover their bill along with a generous tip. “Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime. Do me a favor?”

“What’s that?”

“Talk loud enough so I can hear.”

“In your dreams,” Lily scoffed as she headed toward Mike’s truck. Behind her, she heard, “Spoilsport,” but didn’t bother to reply. She had more important things to think about right now.

When a rock-stubborn Irishman trailed after you for any reason at all, it was best to give him your undivided attention.

* * *

Mike had never seen that guarded look in Lily’s clear blue eyes before, and he mentally kicked himself for being the one to put it there. After some sledgehammer therapy and a long shower, he’d finally calmed down enough to rethink how he’d handled things this afternoon and came to a painfully obvious conclusion.

“Lily, I’m a moron,” he began, hoping that at the very least she’d give him credit for honesty.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she smirked at his little sister in some kind of female message he couldn’t begin to understand. Didn’t much want to, either. When that wide-open gaze settled back on him, it had a stern quality to it that made him want to squirm.

Man, she was good. Anyone misbehaving in her class must hate to see that look in her eyes.

She didn’t say anything, though, just crossed her arms and stared at him with an expectant look. As the seconds ticked by, he started wondering what point she was trying to make. Then it hit him, and he said, “I’m sorry.”

“For being a moron?”

That wasn’t quite what he wanted to say, and he searched for a way to explain it to her. Calmly this time. “For taking out my temper on you. Seeing Dana was bad enough. Finding out she’s set on meeting Abby kinda sent me over the edge.” Lily tipped her head in a chiding gesture, and he chuckled at his own stupidity. “Okay, really sent me over. Happy?”

“Not exactly, but I appreciate you being up front with me. Apology accepted.”

Mike let out a deep breath and sank back against the front fender in relief. He hadn’t really been expecting her to understand. After the way he’d treated her, he figured the best he could hope for was that she’d listen and then send him on his miserable way.

Watching her walk away from him had been the hardest thing he’d done in a very long time. He wasn’t keen on doing it again. Since he wasn’t ready to tell her that just yet, he settled for, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, but next time try harder to explain how you’re feeling, okay?”

“Got it.”

“So,” she pressed, “are you going to let Abby decide for herself?”

“She’s a curious kid, so I’m pretty sure she’ll want to see her mom. But I’ll make sure I’m around just in case things get dicey.”

“That won’t be easy for you,” Lily pointed out with a frown.

“No, but that’s how it’s gonna be, or it’s not happening. Dana did things her way before, but this time Abby will know what’s going on, so I’m calling the shots. If Dana doesn’t like that, too bad.”

Resting a hand on his arm, Lily rewarded him with a proud smile. “Abby’s blessed to have such a caring man for a father.”

She’d said that to him once before, and it hadn’t settled well. This time, though, the idea didn’t bother him at all, and he briefly wondered what had changed. Then it hit him, and he couldn’t keep back a grin.

It was Lily.

Somehow, when he wasn’t paying attention, she’d found her way into his heart and revived the part of him that had been shut down since his father died. Recognizing that he never could have managed that on his own, Mike was more grateful to her than he could possibly say.

Hoping to end their day on a more harmonious note, he said, “Abby’s with Parker on the playground. Wanna come over?”

“Are you planning to talk to her about Dana?”

“I figure I better before I change my mind.”

“I think maybe that’s father-daughter business,” she hedged. “I wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.”

“You won’t.”

Mike anxiously waited for her to answer. Out of necessity, over the years he’d become a very cautious man. When it came to relationships, he held on to the people who’d been in his life for years, because they were the ones he was certain would never hurt him or his daughter. In a very short time, Lily had joined his short list of trustworthy people, and even though it baffled him, he couldn’t deny the truth of it.

He’d trusted this sweet-natured, feisty teacher from the very first time they met. Her sister’s wedding had been only a few weeks ago, but it hadn’t taken him long to feel as if he’d known Lily forever. Their connection baffled him, because two people couldn’t be more different from each other than they were. But they worked somehow, and he was smart enough not to question it.

Eventually she smiled, and he felt as if he’d scored a touchdown. “Okay. But if I think I’m getting in the way, I’ll make my excuses and leave. Agreed?”

“Whatever you say.”

On impulse, he offered her his hand, and he was thrilled when she took it without hesitation. Strolling across the street hand in hand with Lily should have felt strange, but he was astonished to find it felt as natural as anything he’d ever done in his life.

Pausing near the wrecked pirate ship that was part of the town’s huge redwood play structure, Mike found his adventurous daughter at the wheel, calling out instructions to the boy she considered her cousin.

“Here they come, Parker!” she shouted, pointing to an imaginary ship in the distance. “They look mean.”

“Not to worry, Cap’n. We’re way tougher than them.” Manning the water cannon, he fired at their invisible enemies and announced, “Bull’s-eye!”

After the young swashbucklers had celebrated their victory, Mike strode to the base of the ladder and called out, “Permission to come aboard?”

“Oh, hi, Daddy,” she greeted him, all trace of her earlier intensity gone in a delighted grin. “Did you see us?”

“Yeah, you both did great. Can I take you away from your crew and talk to you for a second?”

He’d meant to keep his tone light, but she was a sharp kid, and her happy expression instantly clouded over. “Is something wrong?”

“Just something I wanna run by you is all.”

“Okay.” She glanced over and saw Lily at the edge of the playground, and her bright expression righted itself. Waving excitedly, she hollered, “Hi, Lily! Did you see us?”

“Yes, I did. You’ve got a nice hand on the tiller, Cap’n.” Abby gave her a puzzled look, and Lily laughed. “It means you’re a top-notch sailor.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Athletic as any boy in town, she clambered down the ladder and followed Mike and Lily from the playground. He knew he was only delaying the inevitable, but he took his time leading them to a bench under the shade of one of the enormous oaks that had given his hometown its name.

When the three of them were seated, he took a deep breath and got right down to it. “Your mom was at the kindergarten graduation today, Abs. She wants to meet you.”

“Why?”

The question caught him off guard, and he searched for a way to answer it. Since he’d flatly refused to speak to his ex-wife, he really had no idea what was driving her sudden bout of maternal concern. “Well, it’s been a while and I’m guessing she missed you.”

“Why?” Abby repeated, her face wrinkling into a baffled frown. “She doesn’t even know me.”

Completely out of his emotional depth, Mike flashed Lily a “save me” look. That got him a reassuring smile, and she offered another one to Abby. “I think that’s the whole idea, sweetie. I talked to her for a while, and she said she regrets missing so much time with you.”

“So she thinks leaving was a mistake?”

“That’s the impression I got.” Shifting one of Abby’s braids back over her shoulder, Lily said, “It seems to me that she wants to mend fences with you. Or at least try.”

Abby’s eyes flicked to him. “What about Daddy?”

A sharp retort threatened to spoil the whole forgiveness vibe Lily was trying to create, and Mike choked it down out of respect for his daughter’s feelings. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you. And your mom,” he added through gritted teeth.

It was killing him to crack open the most painful part of his past again, but Lily was right. The choice of whether or not to meet Dana should be Abby’s, not his.

“Will you be there?” she asked, giving him the kind of trusting look that would make him walk through fire to save her.

“Aren’t I always?” She nodded, and he gathered her in for a hug. Planting a kiss on top of her head, he murmured, “Love you, Abs.”

Sighing, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. “Love you, too, Daddy.”

He would do anything for his little girl, he acknowledged with a sigh of his own. Even if it meant wrangling with a woman who made him want to chew iron and spit out nails.

“I think this calls for a celebration,” Lily announced brightly. “Who wants ice-cream wheels?”

“Me!” Abby shouted, hand in the air. “I like vanilla, and my crew likes chocolate.”

“One of each, coming up. I’ll meet you at yonder island with your provisions, Cap’n.” She pointed toward a picnic table at the edge of the play area, and Abby saluted before bounding away to rejoin Parker on the ship.

“You’re really good at that pretending stuff,” Mike complimented her.

“Playtime is a wonderful opportunity for broadening your perspective, no matter how old you are.”

He laughed. “Is there a message in there for me somewhere?”

“Only if you hear one.”

With that, she stood and headed toward the café where he’d found her. She moved at a leisurely pace, and this time he was confident she was sending him a message. Follow or not, it’s up to you.

Up to now, all his experience had been with women who ended up demanding more than he cared to give them. Young and overwhelmed by the rocky road she’d taken in life, Dana had needed him to stand between her and the world, shielding her from her own mistakes.

Lily, on the other hand, stood beside him as a partner, working with him to create a successful business out of nothing. Full of kindness, she wasn’t averse to giving him a kick when he needed one, and she’d forged a strong, loving bond with Abby that he still had a hard time believing. Then there was her willingness to wade into the complicated mess Dana had made and try to improve the situation. Simply because she believed it was the right thing to do.

What kind of person did that? he wondered as he watched her stroll away. Then he realized that standing there trying to answer that question on his own would get him nowhere. For the first time in years, he’d met a woman who fascinated him enough that he was tempted to put aside his misgivings and take a shot at figuring out what made her tick.

Before he had a chance to do something stupid like talk himself out of it, he hurried forward and quickly fell in step beside her. She didn’t say anything when he took her hand again, but she flashed a brilliant smile up at him, and his foolish heart rolled over in his chest.