Her Small-Town Cowboy (8 page)

His announcement was met with a chorus of muted “yes, sirs,” and Lily had to smother a grin. After working as a teacher’s aide in larger city schools, she was still getting used to the humble, old-fashioned manners these children’s parents had obviously drummed into their heads. That innate respect for authority had certainly made her first solo teaching job easier, she thought as she hustled around the stage and up the steps that led into the wings.

Back here, everything was chaos. The carrot’s frothy green cap had somehow landed on the head of a plump tomato, and the corn’s costume had twisted sideways so that only half of her face was visible.

The two moms couldn’t have looked more different if they’d tried. One looked as if she was ready to pull out every last strand of her disheveled hair. The other calmly moved from child to child, fixing costumes and offering an encouraging smile to each actor before moving on. Given a choice, Lily opted to approach the composed, efficient mother first.

“The cavalry’s here,” she said, putting out her hand. “Lily St. George.”

“Erin Kinley. I’ve heard a lot about you the past couple of weeks,” she added with a mischievous grin. “From Abby and Mom, of course. Mike hasn’t said a word.”

How flattering. Then again, the trainer’s reticence wasn’t a topic she had time to ponder right now, so she moved past it. “How can I help?”

“These guys are done.” Erin pointed to a bundle of veggies and fruits to her right. “If you get them lined up by size, I’ll send you more when they’re ready. Are you all set, Parker?”

A slender boy with puppy-dog brown eyes nodded somberly, the cluster of pea pods on his cap bobbing with the motion. “Yes, ma’am.”

Concern passed over Erin’s face, but she quickly drowned it in a smile. “That’s my boy. You can help Miss St. George.”

Their overly polite exchange struck Lily as odd, but she realized it was not only none of her business, she was too busy for mysteries right now.

“Sounds good. This way, crops.” Holding out her arm, she motioned for Parker and the others to follow her from the crowded dressing area.

Five hectic minutes later, the woman at the piano started playing a chipper march, and the show was under way. Lily wasn’t sure if she was supposed to go into the audience or hang back to corral the actors as they left the stage. Since Erin was the only adult not scurrying around or feeding the kids lines, Lily approached her and whispered her name.

“Would you like me to stick around?”

“No, we’re good. Thanks for being so great with Parker. I guess you noticed he has a tough time dealing with grown-ups.”

Erin paused but didn’t turn away, and Lily got the feeling there was more she wanted to say. Waiting patiently, Lily kept her expression as open as possible.

Finally, Erin said, “He’s been in the foster system for two years now. When I first met him six months ago, he couldn’t even look at me without flinching. Now that I’m his foster mom, we’re making some progress.”

Stunned by the revelation, Lily frowned. “What kind of monster could even think of hurting that wonderful little boy?”

“Someone who’d better pray they never meet up with me, that’s for sure.”

Fury crackled in hazel eyes that reminded Lily of Maggie’s, and she was impressed by Erin’s spirit—and her generosity. Taking in someone else’s child couldn’t be easy. Taking in one who’d been abused must be exponentially harder. Apparently, Mike wasn’t the only Kinley with a willingness to tackle difficult situations.

“Anyway, I just wanted you to know,” Erin continued in a whisper. “In case someone in town mentions it to you. Not everyone around here approves of a single woman taking in a troubled young boy, and you know how folks can exaggerate when they get to talking.”

Boy, did she, Lily mused with a quiet sigh. Of course, she was used to people gossiping about her famous and somewhat notorious family, not an innocent child who couldn’t help the circumstances he’d been born into. She patted Erin’s arm reassuringly. “I appreciate that, but I always make up my own mind about people. Especially nice ones who give up their morning to shoehorn a bunch of squirming kids into food costumes.”

They traded smiles, and Lily left the wings feeling hopeful that she’d made a new friend. She’d left her social circle behind in Louisville, and at any rate most of them were completely baffled by the direction she’d chosen to take. The few college acquaintances she’d managed to keep in touch with were scattered up and down the East Coast, immersed in their own demanding lives. Much as she enjoyed her job, being new in town had made for some lonely evenings and weekends.

That was the main reason she’d volunteered to help with Gallimore’s new riding school. Because she refused to take any more money from her indulgent grandfather, the extra income would definitely come in handy. But to her, time at the farm was absolutely priceless.

As if on cue from some unseen director, Mike caught her eye from his seat on the end of a row near the back. Abby was perched on his lap, and he slid down to make a spot for Lily beside them. A quick glance at her class showed them totally engrossed in the humorous scene, and the principal gave her a subtle thumbs-up. Deciding things were under control, she sat down to enjoy the play.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” she murmured without taking her eyes from the stage.

“It’s for Parker.”

He didn’t say anything more, but there was a fondness beneath the brusque tone that gave him away. Then she noticed Maggie sitting to his right, and a thinner version of Mike beside her. Erin’s commitment to Parker was touching enough on its own. That her family shared it was something far beyond Lily’s experience.

People she knew took care of their own, maybe donated some time or money to an important charity here and there. That anyone would step up and form a family around a lost little boy absolutely amazed her, but she knew if she made a fuss about it, Mike would just shrug it off. So she simply said, “He’s the pea pods.”

Mike chuckled. “Yeah, he was complaining about that the other day. He hates peas.”

“Who doesn’t?”

The two of them grinned at each other, and fortunately the first song ended in a round of applause that covered the noise they were making. Through the rest of the presentation, they kept quiet, but a few times Lily noticed Mike’s eyes flick over to her. She couldn’t imagine why, but she was just vain enough to admit it was nice to know she’d gotten the attention of the handsome horse trainer. Even if he hadn’t bothered to mention her to his sister.

Not that she’d do anything to encourage his interest, of course. But losing Chad Wellington to her younger sister had dealt a severe blow to Lily’s confidence, not to mention her ego. Their whirlwind romance and lavish wedding hadn’t helped any.

Lily’s brooding came to an abrupt halt when she realized Mike had leaned closer to her. He smelled of fresh hay and soap, a down-to-earth kind of scent most men she knew avoided at all costs. It went along with hard work, and she couldn’t help thinking no cologne company could have come up with anything that suited him any better.

“I think we’re done,” he murmured into her ear.

When she registered the fact that the lights had come up and the audience was clapping, she hastily joined in. What on earth was wrong with her? The play was over, and she’d hardly taken in a single line. Knowing that part of her distraction was the father of one of her students only reinforced her determination to keep things between them strictly professional. Becoming a full-fledged teacher was too important to her to risk it for anything. Or anyone.

Lily was gathering her class together to return to their room when Erin and Parker approached them. While many of the actors had shed their costumes, Parker still wore his, even though he was obviously miserable being dressed as his least favorite vegetable.

“Lemme help you with that,” Mike teased, tipping the brim of the boy’s cap so it popped off and into Mike’s hand. “Better?”

Parker responded with a timid half grin, but it was the most emotion Lily had seen from him so far. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, sport. Next time my sister volunteers you for something, tell ’em you want to be something cool, okay?”

The boy gazed up at Mike with wide eyes, clearly intrigued. “Like what?”

“Like a wolf or a lion.”

“It was a play about eating right and staying healthy,” Erin reminded him curtly.

“Steak, then. Everyone likes steak,” he added with a wink for her foster son.

Parker’s grin deepened, and he nodded. “I’ll remember.”

“Good man.” When Maggie tapped Mike’s shoulder, he gazed down at her with a patient look. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to introduce Lily to your brother?”

“Don’t hold your breath, Mom,” the tall man warned with a laugh. “Don’t forget, the last time he did that, I ran off with his prom date.”

Mike made a face back at him, then turned to Lily. “Lily St. George, this is my pain-in-the-neck little brother Drew. Not to be confused with my other pain-in-the-neck little brother Josh. Where is he, anyway?”

“Some kind of haying emergency,” Drew replied smoothly before turning a megawatt smile on Lily. “I’ve been hearing all kinds of great things about you, Miss St. George. It’s great to finally meet you and find out they’re all true.”

As she shook the hand he offered her, she couldn’t help thinking how incredibly different he and Mike were. Unlike his older brother, Drew seemed to have inherited a large helping of his father’s Irish charm. She wasn’t sure why, but while they chatted, it dawned on her that for some odd reason, she preferred Mike’s honest gruffness to his brother’s well-rehearsed approach.

After what felt like a polite amount of time, she said, “Well, it’s time for us to get back to class. It was nice meeting you.”

“I’m always out at the farm,” Drew said with a practiced version of Mike’s creaky grin. “We’ll be seeing plenty of each other over the summer, I’m sure.”

“I’ll look forward to that,” she replied, grasping Abby’s hand and looking over her head to make sure the rest of the kids were ready to go. “Goodbye.”

As she led them toward the open rear doors, out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Mike standing apart from his family, arms folded while he glowered mercilessly at Drew. They were locked in what appeared to be a very intense discussion, and from what she could see, Mike was doing most of the talking. Growling, probably.

Lily had no idea what that could be about, and she firmly put the image from her mind. She had her hands full with a gaggle of restless students and a lesson on photosynthesis to finish explaining in as simple terms as possible. The last thing she needed was to get distracted by a spat between the Kinley men.

Chapter Five

M
ike was still stewing over his confrontation with Drew earlier when he noticed a top-heavy hay wagon coming in from the back field. Knowing he’d be needed to help unload the fresh bales, Mike tossed the rag he’d been using to clean saddles aside and strode through the end door toward the hay barn. He got there just as Josh pulled the tractor inside and was surprised to find Drew sprawled out on the back of the wagon, a sun-bleached Cincinnati Reds baseball cap over his eyes.

“What’re you doing here?” Mike demanded. “I thought you were replacing those busted rails on the south fence line today.”

The moron didn’t even move, just swiveled his head to peer at Mike from under the brim of his hat. “I was until I saw Josh heading in. I figured he’d like a hand, so I flagged him down and he gave me a ride. What’s up with you?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m gettin’ tired of bein’ the only one around here who actually does what he says he’s gonna do.”

“Whoa, now,” Josh teased, “you’d best let up on that Western drawl. Your cowboy’s showing.”

“I didn’t ask you.”

“No, you didn’t,” his easygoing baby brother agreed with an infuriating grin that clearly said he wasn’t afraid of Mike anymore. “Just seemed like a good place to jump in and keep you two roosters apart.”

Apparently born to be the peacemaker in the family, nothing ever seemed to trouble Josh for longer than it took him to conjure up a smile. Then again, he could afford to be that way. By the time a problem came to him, Mike had usually solved it himself. He’d give anything to be that carefree, he groused silently. But as the oldest, he didn’t have that luxury.

“It’s my fault Mike’s feathers are all ruffled,” Drew told Josh as he jumped down from the wagon. “I was messing with him at Parker’s thing this morning.”

“Oh, man,” Josh groaned. “What’d you do now?”

“Nothing much. Said hello to Abby’s pretty new teacher is all.”

Gasping melodramatically, Josh grabbed Mike’s shoulders firmly. “I know he stepped over the line, but you’ve gotta go easy on him. He’s an idiot with more ego than sense.”

“And Mom’s favorite,” the idiot in question chimed in, clearly enjoying himself.

Mike shook himself loose and forced a laugh. “I couldn’t care less who he talks to. I’m just mad ’cause he wasn’t repairing that fence like he said he would. We need to rotate the boarders onto that pasture soon so the front one can recover in time for fall.”

His brothers fixed him with a pair of doubtful looks, and he ground his teeth to keep from yelling again.

“Couldn’t blame him for being jealous over Lily,” Drew went on, pointedly excluding Mike from the discussion. “She’s a real sweetheart, even if she doesn’t have the best taste in men.”

“What makes you say that?” Josh asked.

“She obviously didn’t care much for me, but she hung on his—” he pointed at Mike “—every word. Not to mention, Mom was telling me Lily agreed to help him give riding lessons to kids this summer, and she only wants half of her share of the profits. Can’t imagine why she’d do it unless something about it appeals to her more than money.”

Josh sighed. “Some folks do things just to be nice, y’know.”

“No woman I ever met does anything out of the goodness of her heart. There’s always something in it for them.”

The cynical comment effectively ended their argument, and Mike felt a twinge of sympathy for Drew and his gloomy perspective. He understood better than most that when you’d been kicked by a woman one too many times, it was tough to believe they weren’t all out to get you. He was well aware that Dana’s vanishing act had left him more than a little sour on women himself. In spite of the fact that he and Drew rarely saw eye to eye, he could relate.