A Family For The Soldier

Cody’s heart-rending wails were the first thing he heard when he stepped in the house.

He shucked off his coat, banged the packed snow off the bottom of his crutch, then, moving as fast as he could, followed the little boy’s cries. He had trouble negotiating the stairs, Cody’s distress adding to his own growing panic. He burst into the nursery, hurried to the crib, his ears hurting from the noise the little boy emitted.

Where was his grandmother?

He set aside his crutch and grabbed the tiny, upset bundle of baby. Cody arched his back, his fists batting the air, screeching with eyes scrunched shut as Grady tried to lift him out of the crib.

Grady wobbled on his feet, trying to hold the squirming child. Cody turned away again, screaming even louder, and Grady lost his footing.

He was going down.

He twisted, shifting his center of balance so that Cody would land on top of him.

Excruciating pain drilled through Grady’s thigh, up his back and into his head as he landed hard on his bad leg. Cody let out another squawk.

Grady rode out the waves of agony, breathing slowly, then he lifted his head to see Cody staring at him, finally quiet. Thankfully he was unhurt.

“Grady. What happened?” Grandma Mamie burst into the room and hurried to Grady’s side, taking Cody from him. “How did you fall? Are you okay?”

Grady sucked in another breath, the pain slowly subsiding. “I’m fine,” he said, though he felt anything but. His leg felt as though it was on fire and his head as if someone had pounded a nail through it.

Mamie cradled Cody on her hip and hooked her arm through Grady’s as if to help him up.

“Please, don’t,” he protested, gently pulling away. “I need to get up on my own.” Besides, he didn’t want to pull Mamie down with him in case he lost his balance again.

He rolled to one side, got his good knee under him and, using the bars of the crib, pulled himself upright. A red-hot poker jabbed him again and he faltered.

“You’re not okay. You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” he ground out as the pain subsided, leaving in its wake the residue of humiliation and embarrassment. Couldn’t even pick up a baby out of his bed. How was he supposed to keep up the workload created by the ranch? Not everything could be given to the hired hands. He carefully got his balance and reached for his crutch.

“You look pale,” Mamie murmured, still hovering, her hand raised as if to help him again.

“How’s Cody?” He turned the attention to the little boy.

Mamie shifted her gaze to the little boy, now lying still in her arms. “He seems okay.”

“Should we bring him to see Dr. Tyler?” The pediatrician would have a better idea if Cody was sick or not, Grady figured.

“You’re the one I’m worried about.”

Grady grabbed his crutch, wishing he didn’t feel so helpless. “You don’t need to worry about me. Vanessa should have been here to take care of the baby.”

“I think we need to confront her,” his grandmother said, a note of steel in her voice that Grady remembered all too well as a child. Mamie Stillwater might come across as easygoing but when push came to shove, she could be as immovable as half of Texas.

“When she comes back we’ll deal with this once and for all,” Grady said, massaging the back of his neck with one hand, trying to ease away the tension that seemed to be his constant companion.

Mamie looked down at the baby reaching for her glasses. “We know for sure he is a Stillwater. I think we need to know for sure if he is a Vane. I think we need to do a DNA test on her.”

“That would either corroborate her story or rule her out,” he said.

But if Vanessa was the mother, they needed to have a sit-down with her about her responsibilities. She needed to take on more and not count on Mamie.

But if the test proved she wasn’t Cody’s mother, that left them with the troubling question of who was.

Grady rubbed his head, the pain there battling the pain in his leg.

You should let Chloe help you. Maybe she can do something for you?

Grady held that thought a moment, trying to imagine himself showing exactly how vulnerable he was in front of a woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

He couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

Chapter Three

“So what are you going to do now for employment?” Lucy Benson took a sip of her coffee, her green gaze flicking around the patrons of Maggie’s Coffee Shop.

The place was busy. Abigail Bardera zipped around carrying plates of steaming food, her long black hair pulled back in a glossy ponytail. Maggie poured coffee, helping take orders.

“Blunt much?” Amelia said with a note of reprimand, shaking her head at their friend, her blond curly hair bouncing on her shoulders.

“May as well lay it out on the table,” Lucy said.

As soon as Lucy had heard about Chloe’s situation, she’d called Amelia and insisted that they take Chloe out for coffee and pie at Maggie’s.

“I don’t know.” Chloe poked her fork at the flaky apple pie Amelia had insisted she order. “I already talked to Maggie about working here, but that’s a no-go.” She fought down the too-familiar sense of panic at the thought of being unemployed.

She was supposed to have worked today but yesterday Dr. Schuster had told her to consider Thursday her last day. He had hoped it would give her some more time to find a job.

“Would you move back to Fort Worth?” Amelia asked, her tone concerned.

“Too many bad memories there, though if there’s work there I might. To coin a phrase that has been the mantra of my life lately, beggars can’t be choosers.” Her stomach roiled again at the thought of having to leave. Start over. Find her balance again on her own.

Just her and her baby.

“I know things are bad when you’re resorting to clichés.” Lucy tucked her short blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes holding Chloe’s as if trying to encourage her.

“My life is a cliché,” Chloe grumped, then waved the complaint off. “Sorry. I shouldn’t whine. It’s just getting hard to find the silver lining.”

“Well, every silver lining has a cloud,” Lucy quipped. “And it’s not your fault Jeremy cheated on you. I always knew he was a jerk.”

If she only knew how much of a jerk.

Chloe cut off that thought. She didn’t want to give Jeremy any space in her mind. Bad enough he didn’t want to have anything to do with the baby she carried. And that he had disappeared after emptying out the bank account.

“At least you’re not going to tell me I told you so,” Chloe said. “You did warn me not to marry in haste.”

“Are you not listening to Lucy?” Amelia said with a warning wag of her finger. “You’re spouting clichés again.”

A sudden burst of laughter at one end of the café caught Chloe’s attention. Carson Thorn stood by a table of people, laughing at something one of them had said.

“Carson looks more relaxed lately,” Chloe said.

“Getting reunited with his childhood sweetheart probably helped mitigate the stress of all these thefts that he and the other members of the league have been dealing with,” Lucy said with a wry tone. “Nice that there can be happy endings in this town.” She shot a glance over at Amelia. “And speaking of happy endings, how are you and Finn getting on?”

To Chloe’s surprise, her friend blushed. She hadn’t thought spunky and vivacious Amelia knew how to blush.

“Quite well. Making plans.”

Lucy sighed. “Like I said, I’m happy for happy endings.”

Chloe gave her apple pie another stab, wishing she could hope for a happy ending in her particular story. She doubted any man would want to take her on now.

“You’re looking pensive,” Lucy said. “I thought that was my job?”

Chloe knew Lucy had been on edge the past few months, the pressure of all the thefts in the area making her extratense and vigilant. “That’s why I’m trying not to complain. I know you’re under a lot of stress lately.”

As well, Chloe wasn’t ready to divulge her secret to Lucy and Amelia. Not while she was still adjusting to the idea, trying to figure out what shape her life would take.

“This string of thefts has been a frustrating nightmare.” Lucy looked as if she wanted to say more when someone stopped by their table.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Mamie Stillwater’s smile encompassed the three of them, the light from the windows beside them glinting off her glasses and polishing her gray hair. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but is it possible to talk to you alone, Chloe?”

“I have to head out right away,” Lucy said, giving Chloe a look she interpreted as “tell me everything later.”

“And I have to meet Finn to go over some wedding plans,” Amelia said, getting up as well and dropping a few bills on the table. “This should cover everything.”

Chloe was about to protest but Amelia just shook her head and gave her a bright smile. “And now we’ll leave the two of you alone.”

“Thanks so much.”

“We’ll talk more later.” Amelia walked toward the entrance, but Lucy stopped by the table where Carson stood. Chloe guessed she would be asking him if he had heard about more thefts or people receiving anonymous gifts.

“You know we have little Cody at our house,” Mamie said as she sat down in the chair Lucy had vacated. “My niece Eva used to be his nanny, but she’s married now. I have a cook but Martha Rose went to go help her mother who broke her leg, which means I can’t spend as much time with Cody as I’d like. And Grady was supposed to be doing physical therapy with you and he isn’t.”

She stopped there and Chloe waited, not sure where Mamie was going with all of this.

Mamie gave her a tight smile. “I’m sorry, but I overheard Dr. Schuster talking to you about your job, or lack of one...”

“How did you know about that?”

Mamie paused, her hands folded, fingers tapping against each other as she gave Chloe an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to listen in. I was in the room behind you when I heard him say that.”

Chloe’s cheeks warmed. A witness to her firing. But Mamie seemed genuinely sorry and Chloe guessed it wasn’t her fault. Dr. Schuster should have been more discreet.

“Again, I’m sorry,” Mamie continued. “But what I was wondering, given that we have Cody to take care of and Grady who won’t go to therapy, would you be willing to work for me? I thought if you were actually at the house, Grady would be more amenable to participate in his recovery. And, truthfully, I need someone to help us with the little boy.”

“I thought Vanessa was staying with you?” Chloe asked.

Mamie shot a look around the café, as if checking to see if anyone was listening, then leaned closer, concern etched on her features. “I know she’s your stepsister, but truthfully, she doesn’t seem to want to spend the time with Cody that he needs. It would help us out a lot if you would be willing to work for me.”

Chloe wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in the same house as Vanessa. It was too easy to recall the stinging comments her stepsister had steadily lobbed her way when they’d lived together and how Vanessa had often put her down in front of her friends.

But the cold facts of her life made her shelve her pride. Truth was she needed a job.

“So how long would you need me for?”

“Not sure.” Mamie sighed. “As long as Ben is in a coma and Grady is handicapped by his injury...” Her voice trailed off and as she pressed her lips together Chloe felt a flash of sympathy for the poor woman. It must have been so difficult to see her grandsons both dealing with difficulties as well as deal with the extra strain of taking care of an unexpected great-grandbaby.

And then there was Vanessa.

“All right. I’ll do it. When do you want me to start?”

“Whenever you’re done at the hospital.”

“Yesterday was my last day.”

“Can you come now?”

The weariness in her voice, plus the light touch of Mamie’s hand on Chloe’s, made her stifle her objections and give in. “I’ll come today.”

“Excellent. Thank you so much.” Mamie sank back in her chair, the relief on her face palpable. “I’ll go directly to the ranch and get your room ready.”

“My room?”

Mamie looked taken aback. “Yes. I thought you knew. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear. I was hoping you would be staying at the ranch overnight. To help with Cody.”

Chloe sucked in a breath at the thought of having to face Grady, Vanessa and Cody all together day and night. It was a small comfort to know that Grady was not Cody’s father, but that still left Vanessa and her flirtatious ways.

But a job was a job, she reminded herself. Something she needed until she could figure out her next move.

“Okay. I’ll pack my things and meet you at the ranch.”

“Why don’t I go with you and we can drive back with each other? You remember where the ranch is, right?”

Too clearly, Chloe thought, remembering a trip she had made with Vanessa to the Stillwater ranch. The day she’d first seen her stepsister kissing the boy she had cared for so deeply.

* * *

“Hush now, Cody. Please go to sleep.” Grady stood by the crib rubbing one large hand over the baby’s back in a vain effort to get him to settle down. Vanessa was still gone and his grandmother had left on some mysterious trip to town.

Cody had been crying for an hour now. Grady felt more out of his league than he had that time he and his fellow soldiers had been pinned down by crossfire. At least then he had training to fall back on.

He had no training to deal with a kid who wouldn’t settle down.

He should call Eva. Or her husband. They would know. He was just about to do that when he heard voices. And with relief he grabbed his crutch and stumped over to the door to listen. Was Vanessa back?

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and a figure rounded the corner. She was slim with long wavy brown hair spilling over one shoulder of a plaid shirt tucked into snug blue jeans. Beautiful and sweet looking.

Grady blinked. Chloe? What was she doing here?

His grandmother materialized behind her, a grin taking over her face. “Isn’t this wonderful?” Mamie said. “Chloe has agreed to come help us out.”

“And from the sounds of things, I better get to work,” she said, giving him a vague smile. “Is he hungry?”

“No. He just had a bottle.”

Chloe gave him a tight nod and hurried past him into Cody’s room.

Grady looked from her to his grandmother, who stood in front of him looking mighty pleased with herself.

“What is going on?” he whispered, moving her away from the door so Chloe wouldn’t overhear them.

The cries from the nursery stilled and he heard Chloe’s gentle murmur as she settled the baby.

“We said we needed to do something about Cody. Chloe lost her job at the hospital. And you need therapy and you won’t go. Martha Rose is gone. So I thought this was a perfect solution for all of us. Chloe can help us with Cody and she can work with you, leaving me free to help with the cooking and where I’m needed. Win, win.”

Grady could only stare at his grandmother, trying to absorb what she had just told him.

“Chloe? Do physical therapy with me? Here?”

“One question at a time,” his grandmother said, wagging her finger at him, a definitely mischievous smile on her face. “Chloe. Yes. And yes, I do want her to do physical therapy here. You know that is what you need to do. I can see by the grimace on your face and by the way you walk. It’s only getting worse and, I fear, will continue to get worse. You have to take care of yourself.”

Grady clenched his jaw, knowing his grandmother was right but not sure he wanted Chloe seeing his helplessness.

“You are the only man I have around,” his grandmother said, playing a last, devastating card. “I need you to help me as much as possible.”

Surely there had to be another way?

“I agree that we need help with Cody,” he conceded. “As for the rest, well, we’ll see.”

And that was all he was giving her.

“That’s fine,” his grandmother said with a bright smile. “One step at a time.”

He watched her leave, eyes narrowed, feeling as though he had just agreed to something he would regret.

He returned to the nursery to check on Cody.

Chloe stood in profile to him, rocking the baby, such a maternal smile on her face that Grady’s knees grew weak. This was what a mother looked like, he thought, taking in the sight of this beautiful woman holding this baby so tenderly.

“I think he’s asleep,” Chloe whispered, her attention still focused on Cody. As she gently laid him down, Cody started, his hands shooting into the air, then as Chloe stroked his face he settled again, his breathing growing deep and even. It was amazing, he thought, envious of her ability to soothe the child, yet so grateful she could.

She gave his face another stroke of her hand and stepped away.

“We can go now,” she said, keeping her voice down.

She left ahead of Grady and he gently closed the door behind him. Together they walked down the hallway.

“Thanks so much for your help,” Grady said, following her to the top of the stairs. “I didn’t know what to do anymore. You seem to be a natural mother.”

She stopped there, her hand gripping the railing, her knuckles white, a look of fear on her face.

Had he said something wrong? Hurt her in some way?

She turned, folded her arms over her stomach. “Before we see your grandmother, I need to know how comfortable you are with working with me. I don’t think my coming to help you was your idea.”

Grady held her steady gaze, appreciating her straightforward honesty, such a refreshing change from her manipulative stepsister.

And that’s not the only thing you appreciate about her, a perfidious voice teased.

He shook it off, his injury a grim reminder of why she was here and what he had to offer someone like her.

“It wasn’t my idea. For now, let’s just leave it at you taking care of Cody.”

“But I saw your file. You need to keep working on your mobility.”

“I will. I just don’t have time yet. I’ve got the ranch and the program Ben set up to oversee. If Ben hadn’t been so foolhardy...” He stopped himself there. Chloe may be employed here, but she didn’t need to know all the ins and outs of their lives. “Anyhow, let’s go have some coffee with my grandma, because I’m sure she’s getting some ready.”

“I have your assessment. Dr. Schuster gave that to me so we could start from there.”

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“One of the characteristics of being a physical therapist. A quiet stubbornness.”

He laughed at that, glancing sidelong at her. But he didn’t look away and neither did Chloe. Their eyes held and a peculiar feeling of awareness rose up. An echo of older emotions she had once created.

She swallowed and he saw her take a quick breath.

Did she feel it, too?

Then he took a step closer and his foot caught on the carpet of the hallway. He faltered, thankfully just for a moment, as reality shot down any foolish thoughts he might have entertained.

She turned away, went down the stairs, quickly outpacing him.

And as he made his slow, painful way behind her he was reminded once again the foolishness of allowing himself to feel anything for any woman.

The only trouble was Chloe wasn’t just any woman. At one time he had cared for her. But she’d given him no indication that she returned his feelings. And then Vanessa had come along. After that, the war.

Now his life was a tangle of obligations and unmet expectations. He knew he had to be realistic. He couldn’t offer her anything. Not anymore.

* * *

“So you took the job?” Lucy was asking.

Holding her cell phone close to her ear, Chloe sat back on the bed of the room Mamie Stillwater had shown her to. It was off the nursery and a full floor away from the room Grady stayed in, which was a good thing.

Her room was lovely, though. Painted a soft aqua, trimmed with white casings, the room was large, cozy and welcoming. A chair and small reading table were tucked into a corner beside an expansive bay window that overlooked the ranch. The bed filled another corner, and a small walk-in closet and en suite gave her all the privacy she needed. It was lavish and luxurious compared to the cramped furnished apartment she had been renting.

“I didn’t have much choice,” Chloe said.

“Won’t hurt to see Grady every day,” Lucy teased.

“It’s strictly professional,” Chloe said, trying not to let the image of Vanessa fawning over Grady get to her. “Besides, I don’t know how much one-on-one time I’ll be spending with him. He seems intent on avoiding therapy.”

“If he’s as stubborn as his brother, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Lucy sighed lightly and Chloe sensed her friend’s extra stress. “You sound tired. Have there been more thefts?”

“Another one at the Cutler ranch last night,” Lucy said. “Some ATVs and a horse. I’m getting worried that this is more organized than people think.”

Chloe twisted a thread from the cuff of her worn blue jeans around her finger. “Do you have any leads?”

“None. Though something has been puzzling me greatly. The Stillwater ranch is the only large ranch that doesn’t seem to have had any thefts at all. A few of the smaller ones have been avoided as well, but I’m still trying to see if there’s a connection. A pattern that I can’t find. I was hoping you could help me out.”

“How?”

“Just keep your eyes and ears open. Maybe get closer to Mamie. I don’t know.”

“And report anything I might hear back to you.”

“Please.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can find out.” She stifled the feeling of guilt that accompanied her statement. She was thankful for the job and she didn’t want to take advantage of that.

Yet Lucy was her friend. And she would be helping her and the community out.

“I should go. Mamie said that dinner was in a few minutes.”

“Hey, thanks for doing this for me,” Lucy said. “I appreciate any help I can get.”

Chloe said goodbye, then made quick work of changing her flannel shirt and pants for a clean pair of blue jeans and an aqua silk shirt. She brushed her hair and, giving in to an impulse, applied some blush and mascara.

For Grady?

Chloe lifted her chin and looked at her reflection in the mirror. For herself, she thought, clipping part of her hair back with a couple of bobby pins. She couldn’t allow herself to think of Grady. Not while she carried another man’s baby.

Before she could give in to doing any more primping, she left. She paused at the door of the nursery, but all was silent.

She hurried down the stairs. However, no one was in the kitchen by the table, so she followed the conversation to the formal dining room.

Grady sat at one end of the table and as she came in, Vanessa got up from her end and sat by him. As if trying to show Chloe where things stood. Grady didn’t seem interested, however, which gave her a small encouragement. He looked up, struggling to stand.

Vanessa frowned at Grady. “Just relax. It’s only Chloe.” Then Vanessa’s icy glance ticked over her. “That’s an interesting look.”

Chloe’s heart turned over as she mentally compared Vanessa’s silky dress and perfect makeup with her own clothes. She had thought she looked okay, but now she felt drab and dull. She didn’t think she needed to dress for dinner.

Vanessa gave her a wry look. “Well, I guess it’s too late to change.”

Chloe wished she could ignore her stepsister’s dismissive attitude.

“I think you look great,” Grady said.

His words shouldn’t have made her feel as good as they did.

Mamie, who wore plain dress pants and a shirt partially covered by her apron, entered and set a platter of ham beside bowls of steaming potatoes and salads and vegetables. At least she looked more casual.

“Do you need any help?” Chloe asked her.