Next Door Daddy (11 page)

“I agree,” Adela added, drawing everyone's gazes to her. With Lacy and Adela both in agreement, the entire room knew to take notice.

“And then there's the idea about the bike ride. That was genius,” added Molly Jacobs, who, ever the news reporter, had her pencil poised on the notepad she'd been scribbling in. “I could really get my mind around a great article on this. Readers would eat it up.”

Norma Sue snorted. “You be careful there, Molly. We don't want another herd of wacko women coming after Nate like you brought down on poor Bob.”

Laughter exploded as Molly turned fuchsia. “Hey, if you'll remember, if it hadn't been for me writing that article, my Bob and I wouldn't have come to our senses and realized we loved each other.”

“That's right!” Lacy said, springing up from her chair. “God works in plain crazy ways sometimes. And I just
love
that about Him.”

“You would.” Sheri laughed. “You and Him are a pair to be reckoned with.”

Norma Sue grinned. “Now, that's the honest truth. This bike ride would fit right in. Of course, there's the problem with cowboys and bikes. I mean, not many of them have bikes. 'Course, we could put them on horses, but it's funnier to mix things up a bit for them.”

“That's very true, Norma.” Esther Mae was the first to speak. “They would sure be cute, all those pale legs. Why, the girls would come, I can just see all the teasing. You know, romance starts with teasing many times.” She sighed. “We could start it off by giving each woman who shows up a pair of sunshades!”

Molly was scribbling and chuckling. “I can see this is going to be fun.”

Lacy walked over and pointed to the page. “You write something good, Molly. Love will be in the air, I just know it. When we add the bike ride in with the cow-chip-throwing contest and the three-legged race I just know we're going to hear more wedding bells chiming this summer. I can feel it.” She looked around the room. “Just think about it, y'all. This will be my one-year anniversary of being here. Norma Sue, Esther Mae and Adela, your dream of reviving Mule Hollow is coming true. Just look at all of us newlyweds sitting around this salon…Ashby, don't you worry, we haven't forgotten you.” She winked. “Just because we're concentrating on Polly and Nate doesn't mean we don't have our eyes on the lookout for your Prince Charming.”

“Thank you for not forgetting about me,” Ashby said. “I'm more than ready for my Prince Charming, and I can't even get a date.”

“We'll have to do something about that,” Adela said.

As usual Adela had been quiet, happy to listen to everyone else chattering away as she took it all in. Now she smiled. “Girls, what if we fixed the bicycle shortage by having the females bring the bike and we make it some kind of team effort?”

“Couples!” Esther Mae exclaimed, jumping up and almost knocking over the portable perm-roller bin in her excitement. “It's a stupendous idea.”

Everyone looked at one another, minds whirring as smiles spread around the room.

Norma Sue was the only one frowning. “But I still think that when it comes to Pollyanna and Nate that this is one time that we should double up on our praying and not so much hands-on tweaking.”

Esther Mae sucked in her lips and clasped her hands tightly together. “I just don't get what the big deal is, Norma. Widows and widowers need love, too.”

Norma Sue rolled her eyes. “Esther Mae, I didn't say they didn't need love. I'm just saying let's double up on our prayer, proceed with caution and let the good Lord do most of the work.”

Lacy batted her big blue eyes mischievously. “Don't we always?”

N
ate felt like he'd been dragged behind a horse overnight as he eased into Sam's Diner. Deep in their Monday-morning checker game, Applegate and Stanley had been watching out the front window when he maneuvered himself out of his truck. They were now staring at him like a couple of keen-eyed hawks.

“Mornin', boys.” Figuring more than his pride was at stake, he squared his shoulders and tried to walk as normally as possible toward the counter. He'd been up half the night fighting off charley horses. But, despite the knots in his legs, his spirits were high. Even waking to find that his water pump had gone out hadn't dimmed his spirits.

Watching him with those hawk eyes, Applegate rubbed his boney chin. “As my pap woulda said, it looks like ya gotta hitch in yor git-along.”

Stanley jumped his checker over Applegate's, chuckling as he did. “Looks to me like bike ridin's hard on a body.”

Nate grinned at the old-timers despite the rebellion of his calves and hamstrings, then grimaced as he eased onto the stool at the counter. Every muscle running from his lower back to his toes stretched and screamed at him. He knew firsthand that getting bucked off a bronc was easier than this. Sam plunked a coffee cup onto the counter in front of him and filled it to the brim.

“Looks like you could use this. What brings you ta town? We don't see you in here too often.”

Nate pulled his hat off and set it on the stool beside him, having been too distracted by his aching legs to hang it at the door. And too sore to walk all the way back to the hat rack. “My water pump went out during the night, and since I don't do well without my morning cup of coffee, I decided to come see you boys' smiling faces.”

Applegate's frown lifted slightly. “Well, it's about time,” he shouted, tweaking his hearing aid.

Stanley looked from Nate to Applegate. “About time fer what, App?” he asked, cringing when Applegate's hearing aid squealed.

“Fer the young fella to see thar's life after—” He cut his sentence off and studied Nate.

“After?” Stanley's bushy brows met.

Nate's did, too.

“Stanley, don't be daft. The boy lost his wife earlier than I lost my Birdie and you lost your Elisa Jane and he ain't fared too well. But hol'n up out thar all alone ain't the way ta go.”

Stanley spat a sunflower seed in the spittoon, light dawning in his eyes at the same time Nate realized where Applegate was heading. Instantly leery, Nate took another swallow of coffee and rethought his decision to come to Sam's. It was exactly things like this that had held him back most of the time. Pollyanna had told him that she'd been hurt by people not talking to her about Marc after his death. But for him, it had been the complete opposite. Mule Hollow residents had wanted to talk about Kayla. It was he who hadn't wanted to. It was just too private, cut too deep—he thought about her every day, woke up thinking about her, went to bed thinking about her. But he didn't want to talk about her…at least he hadn't until Pollyanna had come along. He knew Applegate and Stanley meant well, they were both widowers, but Nate just didn't have the desire to discuss his life with the old cattlemen.

The door swung open, saving him from further discussion as a couple of cowboys came sauntering into the diner. To Nate's relief, Applegate understood that some topics were too delicate to discuss in a crowd. He stuffed a handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth rather than continue his line of conversation. Of course, with as loud as he talked they'd probably already heard every word he'd said. More than likely everyone all the way down to Pete's Feed and Seed had heard him. Nate's relief didn't last long. One look into App's wizened old eyes told Nate that he might have stopped talking, but that didn't mean he was done.

Nate took a swallow of the coffee, glad when Sam, who'd been keenly following the interaction, snagged up two mugs and headed around the end of the counter toward where the cowboys were sliding into a booth. His departure effectively gave Nate some breathing room.

“So, ya want some breakfast to go along with your new smile?” he asked when he came back.

Nate grinned over his cup, then took another drink. He should have known these three sharp-eyed gents would pick up on a change. But, though he'd made an improvement, he still wasn't ready to talk. About Kayla or Pollyanna.

“Nope,” he said. “I've got to get over to Pete's and see if he happens to have a fitting I need stashed somewhere on those dusty shelves of his. But thanks for the coffee. Do you have one of those to-go cups handy?” He laid his money on the counter and picked up his hat while Sam filled the paper cup. As soon as Sam handed him the cup Nate headed toward the door. “You fellas have a nice day,” he called, tipping his hat at the checker players.

“You do the same, Nate,” Applegate yelled. “And remember, me and Stanley, we're here if ya need us. We might be old, but we ain't dead.”

“Now, App, why'd ya go an' say an all-fired dumb thang like that?” Stanley scolded, glaring at his buddy.

Nate paused, nodding a greeting at the two cowboys who were now tuned into the conversation. Turning back, he faced Stanley and Applegate. “Look, fellas…” He fingered his hat. They really did understand. Both had lost their wives, and maybe he hadn't ever thought about the fact that he might have been able to glean some helpful wisdom from their journeys through their own heartaches. The Bible did advise for young men to learn from their elders.

He softened. “I really appreciate your offer.” It was true. “Can I take a rain check today?”

Both men's faces lifted into smiles and they sat a bit taller. “Well, shor ya kin,” Applegate said gruffly.

“'At's right,” Stanley added, his gaze somber. “Any time you need ta talk you know where ta find us.”

Nate's chest expanded as he realized he'd just done something that didn't necessarily have everything to do with focusing on his own loss. He'd never thought that letting App and Stanley share some of their journey with him might be a way of helping them, too. He put his hat on and quirked a corner of his mouth. “I'll do that.”

He was almost out the door when Applegate called out. “I'd pick up some horse liniment over at Pete's if I were you. Else you ain't goin ta be able ta get out a bed tomorrow.”

Nate chuckled. “I'll add it to my list, sir.” Outside he took a deep breath. That hadn't been so bad after all.

He was just entering Pete's when he saw Norma Sue, Esther Mae and Adela hustling out of Heavenly Inspirations across the street. Despite the pain in his legs he stepped into Pete's faster than a bull out of a chute, so as to avoid them spotting him. From a safe vantage point, behind the red-checkered half curtain that covered Pete's window he watched the three ladies hustle down the sidewalk chattering excitedly all the way. He had to crane his neck to see them cross the street heading to Sam's. Whew! Talk about a close call. The only thing worse than getting put through the third degree at the diner would have been if the ladies had been there, too.

“Who you hiding from?” Pete asked, coming up behind him.

Nate looked at the large man and frowned. “Three guesses.”

Pete let out a jovial laugh. “Say no more. I'd hide from them three myself if they were after me. But it's you they've got their sights on. Better get this order done, Norma Sue's got some feed lined up for pickup any minute now.”

Nate eyed the feed bags sitting on the sidewalk ready for loading and spun toward the feed-store owner. “Quick, then, I need to grab a few things to fix my water pump. Oh, and some horse liniment.”

Pete grinned. “Heard about the bike ride. Don't you know horseback riding and bike riding don't exactly use the same muscles?”

Nate hung his head and cringed. “Yeah, but I just felt like going for a ride.”

Pete boomed with laughter and headed toward the back shelf where he kept just enough hardware supplies to patch most anything that might go wrong with all things mechanical on a ranch. “That's a step in the right direction.” His words echoed what Nate had already realized.

“You think so?”

Pete raised an eyebrow at him. “Sure. Means you're stretchin' yourself. And though it hurts, it's a good feeling, ain't it?”

Nate thought about that. Thought about Pollyanna. “Yes, sir, it is. It's a real good feeling.”

P
olly was half inside the upstairs bathroom cabinet, painting, when she heard the familiar sound of Nate's truck pull up outside. Her heart skipped erratically at the sound and she jerked, hitting her head. “Ow,” she yelped, scooting out from inside the cabinet. After placing her roller in the pan, she glanced into the mirror above the sink and cringed. She'd been working since she'd dropped Gil and Max off at school and had the paint splattered on her face and in her hair to prove it. Her heart continued thudding as she pushed her hair off her face.

“Polly's a pretty
girlll,
” Pepper sang, watching her in the reflection of the mirror.

Polly stopped her primping and stared at herself in the mirror, feeling irrationally defensive. She wasn't primping. She wouldn't want anyone to see her this way. It was a normal reaction to look in the mirror and tidy up.

It was perfectly normal.

She'd found herself thinking about Nate over the last couple of days. It had amazed her that they'd had such a good time riding bikes together. But, more important, they'd seemed to have eased each other's burdens by voicing the fears and resentments that plagued them. And by voicing how much they still loved Marc and Kayla it had made them…comfortable with each other. It was important that Nate knew how much she'd loved her husband.

Nate's love for his wife touched Polly. Deeply.

It also relieved her somewhat to know that someone else could love their dead spouse as much as she loved Marc and still—she had a hard time even now thinking it—and still grow weary of carrying that weight around.

She'd felt deep down as if she was betraying Marc by feeling such a thing. It still amazed her that she'd opened up to Nate that way. And that he'd reciprocated.

It had been nice to loosen up for an afternoon. She'd really needed it. She wasn't sure why she'd been so wound up lately. She rationalized it was the emotions of the move and all that that entailed—leaving behind the place she and Marc and Gil had called home and starting over. The bike ride had helped. For a little while there she'd felt almost as if life was normal.

She'd actually teased Nate about finding him cute. The very idea still amazed her—both ideas, that she'd teased him and that she found him so attractive. But really, he was a handsome man, and there was nothing wrong with her noticing it. But that was as far as it went.

She swung away from the mirror, hurried down the stairs and opened the door before Nate had a chance to knock. “What are you doing here?” she blurted out. He was just lifting his hand to knock and he lifted a brow and slowly let his hand down.

“And a good day to you, too,” he said.

Polly cringed. “Sorry, that didn't come out right.” Boy, was that an understatement. “I've just been busy and hadn't expected anyone.” She stepped out onto the porch.

“Polly's a pretty girl,” Pepper called from inside. Polly snatched at the door and yanked it shut.

“Smart bird,” Nate said, grinning.

Polly didn't know what to do with the backhanded compliment, so she ignored it and the tremor that raced through her chest. She refused to overreact. Still, looking at him, she felt off balance.

“I came to ask if Gil could go with me on Friday night to a campout?”

“A campout?” She repeated, sounding like Pepper.

“Yeah. Over at Cort and Lilly Wells's place. They hold these overnighters and weekend retreats for church youth groups, and they have a group coming from a small church in Caldwell. I've never helped before but they asked if I could. Pace Gentry usually helps, but he had other commitments come up. Anyway, I, well, I thought Gil would enjoy it. Max is going, too. And I'd take good care of him.”

What was wrong with her? Gil had been talking about this. “It sounds like a fun time. Gil has been talking about it. I would love for him to go.”

Nate's smile broadened. “Good.”

Polly swallowed hard, looking at him. She'd gotten caught up in the moment on Sunday and had flirted with this man. Actually told him he was cute!

It struck her that those words were the understatement of the year. This man was far more than cute. Looking at him now she felt as if a feather had just traced down her spine. She almost shivered.

“Well, I guess I'll let you get back to work, then,” he said after they'd been staring at each other for a few seconds. He turned away and headed toward his truck.

Polly realized belatedly that he was probably waiting for her to say something. She fought to quell the jittery way he made her feel. “Hey, cowboy, is that a limp I see?” she asked. It was the first thing that popped into her head.

“I owe you for that.” He glanced back at her. “I've been in pain for two days because of you.” His grin broke through the mock-serious expression.

She couldn't help laughing. “So sorry. But Nate—” she wrapped her hands around the porch railing “—thanks for listening to me melt down Sunday.” That was what was wrong with her. She'd been embarrassed at how she'd acted after church. She'd been thinking about the way he'd held her hands and empathized with her. “I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

He swung toward her, his spurs clinking. “What are friends for? And while we're at it, thank you, too. I might be sore, but I think you're onto something with those endorphins. I woke up feeling better than I've felt in—” he paused, looking down at his boots then back up at her “—a long time.”

The expression in his eyes made Polly's heart pound faster. “That's what friends are for.”

They studied each other for a long moment and Polly felt her heart skitter, then free-falling. She looked away, but the free falling continued.

“Pollyanna,” he said, drawing her to look at him again. As he held her gaze, it seemed as if he was going to say something more. But instead he nodded his head toward his truck. “I'll see you later. And thanks for letting Gil go with me Friday night.”

Polly was glad to have something other than her crazy heart rate to focus on. “If he was coming around too much, you would tell me, right?”

“He can't come around too much. Pollyanna, I really enjoy his company. He's, well, he's good for me…and I think I'm good for him.”

Polly took a deep breath and let that sink in. It was true, after all. “Like I've said over and over, thank you,” she managed to say, her voice tight. She needed to stop worrying about Nate and Gil getting too close. He nodded, spun stiffly and ambled away. Polly watched him go, then turned to head inside, feeling as if she'd just stepped out of a spinning teacup at Six Flags Over Texas amusement park.

 

“So we hear Nate and Gil are going to the campout together,” Ester Mae said.

The ladies had arrived early Wednesday morning, all decked out for gardening, topped off with wide-brimmed straw hats. Well, Esther Mae and Adela had wide brims, with paisley-print bands. Norma Sue had on a straw cowboy hat with a red bandanna tied around it. They'd been unloading Norma Sue's truck when Polly had gotten back from dropping Gil and Max off at school.

To say Polly had been surprised was an understatement. That truck had been packed to overflowing with plants from their own yards, and flats of new flowers. Obviously, the three ladies had gone somewhere and bought out a nursery.

They'd been plotting and planning for an hour on where to plant everything. Now they were busy working, scattered at various positions along the flower bed bordering the front porch. Esther Mae's comment was the first mention of Nate.

Polly paused in her digging. “Yes, he is.”

“That's mighty nice of Nate to invite him,” Norma Sue said. “We were encouraged to hear that Nate agreed to help Cort and Lilly in the first place. Only a few weeks ago, he would have turned Cort down flat.”

“That's the truth,” Esther Mae huffed. “That cutie-patootie suddenly seems to be getting back into the swing of things.”

Everyone down the row beamed at Polly, making her squirm with unease.

“I think you and Gil have been very good for him,” Adela added, patting the dirt gently around the periwinkle she'd just planted. “The very idea that you had him on a bike amazes me.”

Polly smiled, hoping it didn't look as pained as she felt. “He's been good for Gil.” It was the truth, and obviously everyone had noticed it. But there were these strange, selfish moments that she struggled to understand and deal with when she saw him with her son. Not to mention the way she'd been feeling lately when he was around. It was disturbing, but if she were really honest, it was nice, too.

Adela dug a new hole with her trowel. “You know, it's a pity Nate and Kayla didn't get the chance to have children of their own. Kayla told me once they planned to have a large family.”

That didn't surprise Polly. It would have when she'd first met Nate. But not now. He was good and patient and so very kind with Gil.

“God's plan, though,” Adela said firmly. “He always has a plan. Even if we don't understand.”

Polly knew it was true. She just hoped they didn't get too carried away with thinking that plan included her and Nate becoming any more than friends.

She'd hate to disappoint them after all they'd done for her. But she'd warned them. And that was all she could do.