The Rancher’s Unexpected Nanny Read online

  "You coming, mister?" Callie asked, cocking her head and giving him a quizzical look. "Because I don't know about you, but I could really use a tall glass of cool water. And maybe a snack. All that heavy lifting works up an appetite."

  Finn hesitated a moment more, debating on whether to tell Callie his concerns regarding Stacy. In the end, he decided there was no point. He was very likely overthinking things. Even if he wasn’t, he saw little good in spooking his new nanny before she’d even started her first day. He nodded and tipped his hat to her, and they both climbed out of the truck.

  “I’ll join you in that glass of water,” he agreed, “but I’m going to have to take that snack to go.”

  “To go?” she repeated with a frown. “What do you mean? Where are you going?”

  "I've got work to do," he explained, motioning for her to join him as they approached the porch of the house. A group of chickens strutting back and forth aimlessly on the grass in front of the steps squawked indignantly but moved begrudgingly out of the way.

  “Work?” she exclaimed in surprise, “After all that moving? You can’t be serious.”

  “Can’t I?”

  “But that’s looney-tunes!” she answered, almost indignant now.

  He looked over his shoulder and saw her looking at him like he was indeed a crazy man, and for the second time that morning, he couldn’t help laughing. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he’d laughed more today than he had all last month. It was likely the novelty of new company and would surely wear off, but he didn’t mind the diversion.

  “It’s not looney-tunes, Callie, it’s business. I’ll give you a copy of my schedule when we get inside, let you look it over. I’ve got it up on the fridge alongside a list of any numbers you might need to know once it’s just you and Wendy.”

  “Just me and—”

  Callie's words were cut off by a loud screeching noise coming from the house's front hallway and rapidly approaching the front door. Before Finn could bat an eye, said door was flung open to reveal Wendy's little face pressing against the screen door. Finn's heart seized up in his chest at the sight of her, the way it always did. She was his heart, this little girl, and the love he felt for her was almost painful. It had been that way since the day she had been born, and the effect was no less on this day than it had been on that first one.

  “Daddy!” she cried happily, “I’ve been waiting on you. Granny said you were working.”

  “Sort of, honey,” he answered, getting down on his knees so that she could run into his arms after Stacy opened the screen door. “I was helping Callie move.”

  “Move?” she asked, frowning up at him with a look of suspicion she had most certainly gotten from her mother. “Where’s she moving to? She’s s’posed to play with me.”

  “Exactly,” Finn said, kissing her firmly on the forehead before standing again and taking her warm, slightly sweaty hand into his own, “and that’s what she’s going to do.”

  “But you said—”

  “That she was moving,” he agreed, “and she is. She’s moving into our house. She’s going to stay with us all summer and be your nanny. That means she’s going to take care of you when I’m working. She’ll feed you and play with you and help you with your baths. She’s going to teach you a thing or two as well. Help you get ready for that fancy school.”

  "Daddy, I know what a nanny is," she answered, rolling her eyes and shooting Callie the look of someone doing her best to humor a person but finding the task quite the chore. That look belonged on the face of a teenager, not a little girl, and Finn wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried. God help him, even the idea of the teenage years was more than he was prepared to handle at the moment. He was only looking to get through the summer.

  “Well,” he answered, putting his hands on his hips and a look of contrition on his face, “please forgive me. I forgot what an advanced little lady I was dealing with. And tell me, Wendy, were you good for your Nanna? Did you treat her with respect?”

  “Please, Finn, she was a perfect little angel, just like always,” Stacy answered, ruffling Wendy’s hair fondly. Wendy blushed a little and glanced up at her grandmother quickly before looking pointedly at the ground between her feet again. Finn looked up at Stacy, who smiled and shrugged.

  “Perfect angel, huh?” he asked suspiciously, “Is that so?”

  “Perhaps not perfect,” Stacy allowed, “but close enough. And you know I love watching her, Finn. Truth be told, I think I’m going to miss it, now that my services are no longer needed.”

  Finn felt Callie shift uncomfortably beside him and cleared his throat. Stacy paid the signal no mind. Instead, she watched closely as Wendy hurried toward Callie, practically throwing herself into her new nanny's arms. This was a moment Finn had been dreading since hiring Callie to work and live with them over the summer. Stacy was a strong woman. That was something he had always admired about her, something to lean on when he wasn't sure he would be able to make himself live from one day to the next. But she was also a woman who wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and she tended to form her first opinions fast. If she didn't like Callie, or if she wasn't genuinely okay with the whole nanny idea, she would undoubtedly spill the beans here and now. Instead, she smiled, maybe with more reserve than she used with people already in her circle, but she extended her hand in greeting.

  “I’m Wendy’s grandmother, Stacy Barfield. I understand you’re going to be a fixture here over the summer?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Callie answered nervously, stepping forward to shake Stacy’s hand firmly, “and I’m so pleased about it. My name is Callie Winter. Wendy was in my class this past year.”

  “She’s the funnest teacher!” Wendy chimed in, her face beaming.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Stacy said, looking affectionately at Wendy and then back to Callie again, “and I’ll be happy to show you the ropes, as far as you would like me to. Don’t want to overstep my boundaries.”

  “No, please, don’t worry about that,” Callie answered quickly. “She’s your family, after all. The last thing I want to do is step on any toes.”

  “And the first thing you want is a glass of water,” Finn reminded her, gesturing toward the door with his head. “Come on inside, Callie. I’ll show you the schedule before I head back out.”

  The four of them headed inside, both Finn and Stacy pointing out details about the house before arriving at the kitchen. Finn, doing his best to look at the house as if he had never seen it before, found that he was proud. The place had been long established when he and Alexandra had come there to live, but during their time there, they had left their mark on the place. Alexandra, in particular, had been gifted with an eye for design. The house looked like it would stand up nicely in a competition with one of the farmhouses featured in a designer magazine.

  "This place is really amazing," Callie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of one of the barstools beside the kitchen island, "I had no idea it would be like this. I feel a little like I don't belong here."

  “Nonsense,” Stacy answered before Finn could, “a pretty girl like you? I reckon a beautiful home is exactly where you belong.”

  "Thanks, Stacy," Finn said, clearing his throat again and hoping Stacy would take the hint before turning his attention back to Callie. "I appreciate you saying nice things about the place, but I want you to make yourself comfortable."

  “Thanks,” she answered, looking around uncertainly as if she couldn’t conceive of ever becoming comfortable here.

  "Now," he continued, freeing a piece of paper from its magnet on the fridge, "here's the schedule I mentioned. This will give you an idea of what the next two weeks are going to look like, anyhow. I meant to write out the whole month, but I ran out of time."

  “I can see why!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening as they zipped back and forth across the page.

  "They're full days, that's for sure," he answered.

  She shook her head. “No wonder you seemed so str
essed about the new school. I knew that taking care of a working ranch was hard work, but I had no idea you were into the rodeo.”

  “It’s an old dream of mine,” he answered, careful not to meet Stacy’s eyes while they discussed such a touchy topic, “one I’ve only recently started getting into again. Without you here around the clock, I’m not sure I would actually have been able to see it through. I’m grateful you accepted the position.”

  “That’s very kind of you to say,” she said, blushing prettily even as she continued to study his carefully crafted schedule. She cleared her throat and added, “I almost don’t want to mention what you left out.”

  “Left out?” he asked, instantly alert, “What do you mean?”

  “Sorry, but it looks like you forgot about the Parents in the Park event tomorrow night. Wendy’s really looking forward to it.”

  Five

  Finn groaned and kicked himself internally. It was all he could do not to let loose a string of words that would make a sailor blush. He was happy that Wendy had skipped off into another room, apparently tiring of their grown-up conversation.

  Callie was right. He had forgotten about the Parents in the Park thing. It hadn't even crossed his mind while dutifully writing out the schedule the night before, despite having already discussed it with Wendy at least half a dozen times. It would have made things a whole lot easier if she'd expressed no interest in attending, but she was as excited about the event as every other child in town. It was an annual affair, the thing many folks used to mark the official start of summer. Everyone would be there with bells on, each family carrying their contribution to the potluck and ready to reminisce about the passing of another year.

  Finn didn’t have to talk to Wendy to know that she would be beyond disappointed if he suggested she go with Callie and let him sit this one out. To make matters worse, there was a good chance she would try to put on a brave face and pretend it didn’t faze her. She had developed a habit of doing that since Alexandra’s death. Plenty of times, she still seemed like the little girl she was, unchanged by the tragedy of her young life. Other times, though, she seemed determined to be a tiny adult, looking after him and his well-being before her own wants. There was no way he was going to give her a chance to do that this time, no matter what it cost him.

  “You know what?” he said, trying to keep his voice casual and free from the sudden onslaught of stress Callie’s observation had brought on. “You’re right, I plumb forgot. Don’t worry, I’ll make it for that, too.”

  “Are you sure?” Callie asked, glancing at Stacy doubtfully before turning her striking eyes back to his face. “It looks like you already have an awful lot on your plate.”

  “I’m sure,” he said firmly. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.” He smiled for good measure. “I’m a hard worker, Callie. I like to get things done.”

  * * *

  Callie watched Finn go after he’d unloaded her boxes at lightning speed, listening to his goodbyes with Wendy before he headed back outside. She waited for the sound of his truck starting up again, for the noise the tires made on the dirt and gravel of the drive, before turning her attention to Wendy’s grandmother again.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she said before she could stop herself. Expressing self-doubt to her employer’s mother-in-law right out of the gate probably wasn’t the best idea, but duplicity for the sake of image had never been one of her strong points. Whatever led a person to lie, Callie simply didn’t have it in her.

  "Shouldn't have done what, dear?" Stacy asked, one eye on Callie and the other on Wendy, who had joined them now that Finn was gone.

  "Shouldn't have brought up the Parents in the Park event. We’ve talked during conferences this past year, but I guess I didn't understand how much he actually had on his plate. And I just added to it."

  "Now, honey, don't feel bad. He would have felt terrible if he had missed it. It's a good thing you reminded him. That man works from sunup to sundown and then turns around and does the whole thing over again the next day. I don't know how he manages it, but he does."

  “And you?” Callie asked, turning her full attention to Stacy now and trying to ignore her nerves.

  “What about me?” the older woman asked, surprised.

  “I...I don’t know,” Callie answered truthfully. “I want to ask if it’s really okay with you that I’m here, I guess.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Stacy laughed loudly, a genuine sound that brought a smile to Callie’s lips. “You might turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened.”

  “Seriously? What do you mean? I thought you were going to miss your time with Wendy,” Callie stuttered, totally taken off guard by the woman’s frankness.

  Stacy shrugged her shoulders and laughed again, poured them both a glass of tea, and then clinked glasses with her in a silent toast. Callie decided then and there that she liked this woman. Stacy came off as formidable, there was no denying that, but there was something about her that was kind, and Callie enjoyed her directness.

  "Oh, Lord, honey, I do love my grandbaby," Stacy sighed, "and I would be willing to put up fists and fight anyone who thought to suggest otherwise. But I'm not a spring chicken anymore, you know?"

  “I don’t know,” Callie said, affecting confusion. She winked and added, “Actually, I think you might have more energy than I do.”

  "Please, darling," Stacy said with a dramatic wave of the hand, "flattery will get you everywhere. Honestly, though, I'm happy to have the help. Wendy is a dear heart, but she's got the energy of a tornado. And I know she gets lonely here with only an old woman to keep her company."

  “Well, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with her,” Callie said, fondly watching Wendy make mud pies, “and I’ll be happy to help you in whatever way possible. I want to feel useful while I’m still here. I want to go to New York when the summer ends feeling like I did everything I could to make a difference.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Stacy answered sincerely before switching to a slow, sly smile, “and it brings a question to mind.”

  “Of course, anything. What is it?” Callie asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

  “I’m only wondering, what are your feelings on the subject of gardening?”

  Not fifteen minutes later, Callie found herself out in the front yard with Stacy, both of them bending over a flower bed that was clearly in need of tender love and care. Truth be told, Callie had little experience with all things outdoors, and that included puttering around in the gardens. Still, she was happy to be doing something useful and doubly happy to be making an agreeable impression on Wendy's grandmother. In her experience, being on the good side of the grandparents was always a good thing. Besides, she liked Stacy. Right away—and without even being precisely sure why she liked her so much. Which was why she wanted to kick herself when she opened her mouth and heard the nosy-sounding words that came out next. “Does Finn not like to garden?”

  Stacy, in the middle of clucking her tongue over the state of a particularly bad-off plant, looked at Callie in surprise. She stood upright, placed her hands on her hips, and let out a great guffaw of a laugh.

  "Him?" she managed to get out, her eyes tearing up with the force of her laughter, "Garden? Lord, no! Even if he had nothing else to do with himself, I can't imagine he'd be interested. Besides, he's far too busy for such a thing. It's astonishing he even has time to breathe with everything going on in his life these days."

  “It just seems like an awful lot for you to have been handling, is all,” Callie pressed gently, all the while trying in vain to stop herself talking.

  "Well," Stacy answered, her face taking on a faraway, slightly sad expression, "I feel as though it's the least I can do. Wendy's grandfather wouldn't agree with this, and if you ever mention I told you what I'm about to say, I'll deny it, but I feel as though he deserves some time for his passions. After everything he's been through? The man has earned an extra helping of happiness."
/>
  “His passions?” Callie parroted, blushing at the word without fully understanding why. “What do you mean by that?”

  "The rodeo, of course," Stacy answered promptly as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Finn has always loved the rodeo. He wanted to make a go of it, but then life happened, you know?"

  “Yes,” Callie answered quietly, “I think I just might.”

  “Well, now that he’s starting to get himself a little more settled—and thank the good Lord for that, after all of the awfulness that’s plagued this family—he’s wanting to get back into it. Maybe full-time.”

  “You mean, give up ranching?” Callie asked, surprised. She had no real right to feel one way or another about the information. She hardly knew Finn, and she certainly didn’t have a say in what he did. Still, something about him just screamed rancher to her. The idea of him leaving it behind struck her as sad.

  “Like I said,” Stacy groaned, “don’t say a word to my husband. He wouldn’t take too kindly to the idea.”

  “Not a word,” Callie answered with a smile, making a locking motion in front of her lips and then miming the throwing away of the key.

  "I will tell you, though," Stacy went on, frowning a little as she surveyed the land, "sometimes I'd like to wring that boy's neck for how stubborn he is. For the life of me, I don't know why he can't see how well-suited he is to this life."

  “Is he?” Callie asked, totally at a loss for a response.