Ready, Set, I Do!

* * *

Winn tried not to stare at the little boy sitting silently on the sofa, hands folded in his lap. Cam still had the same shock of brown hair and hazel eyes that tended toward green, the same skinny frame and big feet. But that was where the resemblance to the son he’d known and loved ended.

This child was pale, with freckles that stood out like shiny pennies across the bridge of his nose. There was no laughter in his eyes, no mischievous glint, just...emptiness and sorrow.

The boy had just lost someone dear to him, Winn reminded himself. Regardless of her actions toward him, Vanessa had been a kind and loving mother. When she’d cast Winn from her life, his one consolation was that Cam would never lack for love. He hadn’t known Brandon, other than to despise the man’s deliberate attempts to keep him away from Cam.

The boy might have been Brandon’s child by blood, but Winn had raised him for the first six years of his life. Now, Brandon and Vanessa were dead. And Winn was Cam’s legal guardian.

It was only natural the boy would seem different. Of course, he’d be standoffish and silent. Not only had he lost his parents, he’d been snatched by a man he thought had deserted him and relocated far from the only home he’d known.

“My neighbor, Hailey, is bringing over soup.” Winn tried for cheery but couldn’t quite pull it off. “It’s good stuff. You’ve got to be hungry. You barely ate today.”

On their way to the airport, Winn had stopped at a place that specialized in chicken fingers. He remembered the popular chain as being one of Cam’s favorites. The boy had taken only a few bites, then stared out the window.

Although Winn had talked so much that he was sick of the sound of his own voice, Cam had barely uttered five words. All single responses in a barely audible tone.

What had Vanessa done to him? What had that jerk Brandon done to him? Winn tried to contain his rising anger at whatever had brought this change in the boy. While he realized some of what Cam was showing was grief, there was more going on here. He would get to the bottom of it, eventually.

Relief flooded him at the knock on the door.

“That’ll be my neighbor.” He opened the door and realized she hadn’t come alone. The border collie stood beside her, brown eyes staring at him, as if daring Winn to keep him out.

“Bandit wanted to meet Cam.” Hailey handed Winn the soup container and breezed past him into the large living room. She wore jeans and a Western-cut shirt in shocking blue. “I hope you don’t mind.”

The words of protest that had formed on Winn’s lips died at the look of surprised pleasure in Cameron’s eyes. “Ah, not at all.”

“Hi, Cameron.” Hailey crossed the room to sit beside the boy on the sofa. She extended her hand. “I’m Hailey Randall. I live next door. Welcome to Jackson Hole.”

For a long moment the hand hovered there. Until the boy took it.

“Can you tell Miss Hailey you’re pleased to meet her?” Winn gently urged.

“P-p-p-pleased to m-m-meet you,” Cam stuttered.

Hailey’s smile never wavered. “I brought you homemade chicken noodle soup. I realize it’s late for dinner, but I wasn’t in the mood to eat earlier. I’m sure hungry now.”

Cam glanced down at his bright neon-green-and-purple sneakers.

“If your dad has a large bowl,” Hailey continued without missing a beat, “we could heat the soup in the microwave. I’d love for you to try it and tell me if it’s any good.”

The boy didn’t comment but gestured with his head toward Bandit, who sat at Hailey’s feet. “Who—who is she?”

If Hailey noticed the boy’s stuttering—and it would have been impossible not to—it didn’t show.

“Bandit. He’s a boy,” Hailey confided with an easy smile. “Which means I’m outnumbered three to one.”

To illustrate her point, she gestured with one hand toward Winn, then Cam and finally on Bandit.

The boy’s quick flash of a smile loosened the tightness that had held Winn’s chest in a stranglehold since he’d received the call from the attorney.

“Perhaps after we eat,” Hailey moved to the cupboards, “we can take Bandit for a short walk. Unless you’re too tired.”

Cam gestured toward the dog. “C-can we g-go now?”

“I’d really like to eat first,” Hailey said, her hands busy. “But you can hold Bandit’s leash when we do go, if you’d like.”

The boy gave a jerky nod of agreement.

Winn moved to the cupboards and took out bowls and glasses. Hailey put the soup in the microwave while Winn sliced the bread and Cam placed silverware on the table.

At the table, Cameron said nothing. He shoveled in food and kept his eyes on Bandit. Winn wasn’t sure if the boy ate because he was hungry or because he wanted to take the dog for a walk.

Once they finished and cleared the dishes, Hailey clipped a leash on Bandit’s collar then handed it to Cam. “How about you walk him around inside first? That way you can get a feel for it.”

Cam’s eyes were wide and serious.

Hailey smiled. “Perhaps you could start by showing him your room.”

The boy nodded and the two disappeared down the hallway.

“Thank you.” Winn kept his voice low.

Hailey cocked her head. “A few minutes in the microwave is no big deal.”

“Thank you for the soup and bread.” He gestured toward the hall. “And for being nice to him.”

“Normally, I like to be mean to children and small animals, but I thought I’d make an exception tonight.”

Winn couldn’t help chuckling. But he quickly sobered. “He’s not the same boy I left behind in Atlanta two years ago.”

“Surely that’s not the last time you saw him.”

A muscle in Winn’s jaw jumped. “Actually it is. He never stuttered before. Do you think—”

He cut off when he heard the sound of the boy and dog coming down the hall. “I’d like to speak to you about something,” he told Hailey. “After Cam’s asleep.”

Hailey wasn’t sure what Winn wanted to discuss. But she had the feeling his struggles to get his project approved were going to seem like a walk in the park compared to the challenges of being a full-time father of a grieving boy.

* * *

Two hours later, Hailey relaxed against Winn’s leather sofa, a glass of wine in one hand and the dog snoozing at her feet. The short walk had taken nearly an hour, with the three walking mostly in silence.

Winn had tried to draw the boy out but had quit attempting to make conversation when his efforts only seemed to agitate Cam.

They’d made it all the way to a downtown park that was lit up brighter than Times Square because of the ball game in progress. Cam hadn’t wanted to watch the game or play on any of the equipment. But when Bandit picked up a stick and dropped it at Cam’s feet, the boy had smiled and thrown it. Not once but several times.

Hailey had watched Cam smile each time the dog raced back to him, and her heart had filled with emotion.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Hailey.” Winn’s expression was grave. “I have to work, but I can’t just dump him somewhere with people I don’t know or trust.”

“What about your father?”

“Not an option.”

His tone was so firm, Hailey let that possibility drop.

“You could take some time off,” she suggested.

“This isn’t a good time for me to do that.” Winn dismissed the suggestion. “Besides, Cam will need to make friends.”

“There are summer camps. Enrichment programs.” Hailey chewed on her lip. “But the child just lost his mother. And this is a new place. I can’t imagine tossing him into a group setting right away.”

Winn twirled the stem of his wineglass between his fingers. “You mentioned the other day you were in the market for a job.”

Hailey almost got whiplash from the change in topic. “You know someone who’s looking for a speech therapist?”

“Me. You could also watch Cam for me. Just until he gets his footing and feels comfortable here.”

“I help my dad with the ranch books,” she told him. “I sometimes get called to the hospital if one of their regular speech therapists is ill. And I recently agreed to help Cassidy with weddings and special events. Workwise, I’m heating up.”

“You could take him with you to your dad’s. Cam would probably see it as a kind of adventure. I don’t think he’s ever spent time on a ranch.” Winn’s voice turned persuasive. “If you got called in to work at the hospital, I’d take that day off. Caring for him wouldn’t be a long-term thing, only until Cam gets comfortable and I can make other arrangements.”

“I appreciate your confidence, Winn. But—” She shook her head. It sounded like babysitting to Hailey and she’d had her fill of that when she’d been in high school.

“I’d make it worth your while.” Winn paused, considered. “I’d pay you—”

The amount he named had her jaw dropping. “Are you kidding me?”

“So you’ll do it?”

She was tempted to say yes, but each time she acted in haste, it had never turned out well. “What hours would I work?”

“Negotiable,” he said. “Monday through Friday during the day. Perhaps some nights and weekend hours if I had business functions to attend.”

She could certainly use the money. Still, Hailey hesitated.

Winn surprised her by reaching out and taking her hand. The simple touch sent tingles up her arm.

“I have no intention of taking advantage, Hailey.” His direct gaze fixed on hers. “Cameron is my son. I take my responsibilities seriously. I won’t dump him on you. If it doesn’t work, you can walk away any time. I’ll be no worse off than I am now.”

She had questions, lots of questions. Like why he’d been out of the boy’s life for the past two years. But now wasn’t the time, and it was difficult to think since his thumb had begun to stroke her palm. Almost impossible to form a logical thought—or question—when she was inhaling the intoxicating scent of his cologne.

This was her neighbor, she reminded herself. This was Winn, the man who’d dated many of her friends. Heck, he’d even taken out her sister-in-law before Anna and her brother had gotten involved.

“I’ll toss in two free round-trip airline tickets to a destination of your choice,” he told her, as if sensing her wavering.

It wasn’t the money or airline tickets that tempted Hailey to say yes. It was the sound of muffled crying from down the hall, from a little boy in Avenger pj’s who’d just lost his mother.

“I’ll think about it,” she promised Winn, “and give you my answer tomorrow.”

Chapter Four

“Are you really going to work for Winn Ferris?” Anna Randall’s voice rose.

Hailey looked around to see if anyone had overheard her sister-in-law. Although the streets of downtown Jackson were always filled with tourists, there were also local people who knew Anna was married to Hailey’s brother, the mayor. Since Tripp had been elected last year, both Hailey and her sister-in-law were usually circumspect in their conversations. She must have really shocked Anna.

“I haven’t decided.” Hailey lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “Though I’m leaning toward saying yes.”

Anna opened her mouth as if to say more when a ringing sounded from the depths of her eel-skin leather clutch. She raised one finger and eased out the phone. “I need to take this.”

While Anna, a nurse-midwife, spoke with a labor-and-delivery nurse, they continued down the sidewalk. Despite her busy schedule, her sister-in-law always made time for Hailey. Every Tuesday they had a standing lunch date. The plans were sacrosanct and could only be broken for an emergency or a baby. From this side of the conversation, Hailey could tell Jackson Hole was about to welcome a new resident.

Anna strode down the concrete in her heels while Hailey hurried to keep pace in well-worn sneakers. The jeans and light sweater she’d pulled on that morning were in sharp contrast to Anna’s studied elegance. Unlike Hailey, who was happiest being casual, her sister-in-law loved to dress up.

Despite her advancing pregnancy, Anna wore three-inch heels with a maternity dress in a color block of black, white and yellow. Her sister-in-law’s chestnut hair tumbled to her shoulders and, as usual, her makeup was expertly applied. Hailey found her lips lifting in a rueful smile. If Cassidy wanted someone with elegance and styling acumen, she should hire Anna.

And Winn, wouldn’t he do better having a mother type look after his son? Not that Hailey could imagine Winn knowing any “motherly” woman.

She’d spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, thinking of the little boy next door crying for his mother.

Anna dropped the phone back into her pocket. “Baby on the way. Luckily we’re headed in the right direction.”

Hailey glanced around, noting they’d left the quaint downtown area behind. Though not far from the center of town, the hospital was located in a predominantly residential area. Hailey calculated the distance and concluded they were only blocks from the small hospital that served Jackson Hole.

“I’ll walk the rest of the way with you,” she told Anna, when her sister-in-law wondered aloud why Hailey didn’t turn toward her car. “I need to pick up my check.”

The money for four days of work at the hospital last month wouldn’t be much. Still, being able to provide speech therapy for both inpatients and outpatients kept her skills sharp and her foot in the door. Though she hoped a full-time position would open up, Hailey would have a good reference if she needed to eventually relocate.

“Tell me why you’re considering watching the boy,” Anna asked, bringing them back to their original conversation.

They continued to walk while Hailey explained Winn’s dilemma in detail, as well as Cam’s speech-therapy needs. “He needs someone to fill in until he can come up with a permanent solution. The money he offered was compelling.”

When she mentioned the amount, Anna’s eyes widened. Then she grinned. “Winn reminds me of his father. Both are convinced money can buy anyone or anything.”

Though she knew Anna held no animosity toward the man she’d once dated casually, Hailey stiffened. “Winn understands I’d be putting my life on hold for the next few weeks to help him out. He wants to be fair.”

Anna gave a little tinkle of a laugh. “I’d say that amount is more than fair.”

“I’d like to help him.” Though Hailey hadn’t yet made her decision, she was leaning toward accepting the offer. “Besides, Cam is a sweet boy.”

“If you do agree, don’t let Winn suck you into being a 24/7 caregiver for the boy,” Anna warned. “Ultimately the child is his responsibility, not yours.”

“I know how to set boundaries,” Hailey assured Anna. But when she thought of the small boy with the sad eyes and the man with the worried brow, she wasn’t so sure.

* * *

Could the day get any worse?

Winn raked a hand through his hair. He should have convinced Hailey to start immediately rather than giving her time to think. He’d slept fitfully the night before. Memories of Vanessa and her quick smile clouded his thoughts and last night’s dreams. Like Cam, he had difficulty accepting the fact that such a vibrant woman was gone.

Though Winn wasn’t sure he’d loved Vanessa as much as he should have, she’d been Cameron’s mother. Winn remembered how bereft he’d been when his own mother had died. He’d been twelve, older than Cam, but still a boy.

He was determined to give Cam the time and space he needed to grieve in his own way. Cam hadn’t cried. Not at the funeral or on the way back to Jackson Hole. But last night Winn had stood outside the boy’s bedroom and listened to the kid sobbing. He’d felt powerless and impotent. It wasn’t a familiar feeling nor one he liked.

He’d considered going into the room to comfort the child but decided against the gesture. When Winn’s mother died, the only tears he’d shed had been in the shower where no one could hear.

Today he and Cam would start a new life. Unfortunately, Winn wasn’t sure how to begin. It had been two years since Vanessa had allowed him to see Cameron. The child he’d picked up in Atlanta was far different than the boy he’d once known.

Hot anger rose and threatened to boil over, but Winn firmly reminded himself the past couldn’t be changed. And he bore some of the responsibility. He should have pushed harder.

Thankfully, sometime before dawn, Cam had fallen into an exhausted slumber. Despite his own lack of sleep, Winn had risen at six-thirty as usual. This gave him time to get dressed and make some calls before rousting Cam. One of those calls was to his father.

“Why do you have him?” His father sounded genuinely perplexed. “The child isn’t—”

“In every way that matters, Cam is my son,” Winn interrupted, his tone brooking no argument.

Jim Ferris must not have heard, because he bulldozed onward. “You haven’t seen the kid in two years.”

“Not for lack of trying.” Winn clipped the words.

His father expelled an audible sigh. “I have connections at several top-notch boys’ schools on the East Coast. He’d get a good education at any of them.”

“I’m not sending a grieving little boy to strangers twenty-five hundred miles away,” Winn protested, though he wasn’t surprised by the suggestion. He remembered being shipped off shortly before he’d turned thirteen.

“You’re a busy man,” his father pointed out. “How are you going to tend to important business and watch a child?”

Winn briefly explained about Hailey and the temporary deal he’d offered.

“Smart move.” His father’s voice rang with approval.

“I believe so,” Winn said. “Hailey is a warm person, which is what Cam needs right now. Plus—”

“I don’t give a horse’s backside if she’s nice or not,” Jim interrupted. “She’s the mayor’s sister. The closer you are to her, the closer you are to him. Take my advice. Don’t try too hard to find a replacement. See if you can string this along until after the vote on the development.”

Winn’s grip tightened on his phone. The remark was classic Jim Ferris. His father was a wheeler-dealer who never missed an opportunity to manipulate a situation. But this advice had a stench. It reminded Winn of Josh and the way the weasel had used Hailey.

“I won’t use Hailey to get closer to Tripp.”

“You’re a fool if you don’t.” His father’s derision came through loud and clear. “And I didn’t raise a fool.”

“I—I heard a dog barking.”

The plaintive voice had Winn turning. His heart tripped at the sight of a skinny boy in pajamas with his brown hair sticking up, standing barefoot in the hall.

“We’ll talk later.” Winn cut off the call and slipped the phone into the pocket of his black trousers. He rose to his feet, oddly unsteady. “Morning, champ. How’d you sleep?”

It was a stupid question. One the child didn’t answer. Instead, Cam rubbed his eyes and glanced around the room. “Where’s Bandit?”

Winn stepped cautiously toward the boy. “Next door.”

He’d spotted Hailey leaving the complex on foot earlier...without the animal in tow.

“C-can we get him?”

There was something in the boy’s eyes that Winn didn’t like. A fearfulness, as if he expected to be slapped down for simply asking a question. During the six years he and Vanessa had informally shared custody of Cam, he’d never seen her strike out at the boy or raise her voice. But Brandon...

Winn’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. If that man had hurt Cam...

He deliberately loosened his fists. If Brandon had mistreated Cam, there was nothing to be done about it now. The man was dead. His son was safe.

Winn placed a light hand on the boy’s shoulder and relief flooded him when the child didn’t pull away. “We’ll eat first. By the time we finish, Hailey may be home and we can see if Bandit can...come over.”

The thought of allowing that molting ball of slobber and fur back into his place made Winn cringe. But the dog and boy had formed a connection. When Bandit licked Cam’s face last night, Winn had even seen a ghost of a smile on his son’s lips.

“Okay.” Cam stood there, as if unsure what to do next.

“Get some clothes on.” Winn assumed boys of eight could be trusted to pick out proper attire. At six, Cam had been able to pull on his own clothes but had sometimes needed direction. “Jeans and a T-shirt should be adequate. We’ll be spending most of the day here.”

The boy nodded, took a few steps then turned back to Winn. “I—I shouldn’t be with you.”

Winn tilted his head. “Why not?”

“My dad said I d-d-don’t belong with you.”

Just hearing the boy call Brandon “his dad” had anger rising inside Winn. He tamped it down. The past couldn’t be undone. Because of Vanessa’s duplicity, Cam had suffered. Winn would not add to the pain in those hazel eyes. “I’m your family now. I’m not going anywhere.”

The boy only stared, a blank look on his face.

“I’m going to make chocolate-chip pancakes.” Winn remembered they were a favorite of Cam’s when he was younger. “You get dressed and I’ll throw together some breakfast.”

By the time Cam returned, dressed in a long-sleeved striped T-shirt and jeans, Winn had completed a couple of calls about a development in South Carolina that he was overseeing. He’d been distracted and made way too many pancakes.

When Cam had been a part of his life, Winn had done a little cooking, but since moving to Jackson Hole, business had been his priority. Everything else had taken a backseat.

Winn placed the plates on the table and sat down, prepared to get reacquainted with his son. As he unsuccessfully attempted to engage the boy in conversation, he realized his life had changed dramatically and he wasn’t sure he was ready.

* * *

Hailey heard Bandit barking on her way up the steps to her second-floor condo and increased her pace. Although her rental agreement allowed pets, she knew the landlord wouldn’t hesitate to act if her pet disturbed the other tenants.

She reached her door, hurriedly grabbing the key from her bag and fumbling with the lock. The barking escalated. “Bandit, shush.”

“Hailey.”

She heard Winn’s voice but merely held up a hand and focused on opening the door. Dorianna Samuelson, on the other side of her, should be home from her yoga class any second. Even though the woman was a friend of Hailey’s mother, she’d be the first to complain about the barking. Dorianna saw keeping the complex well ordered and quiet as her personal mission.

The dog gave a whimper of pleasure when he saw Hailey but followed her command to sit instead of jump, which had obviously been his impulse.

She grabbed the leash from the side table and clipped it on, before stepping back outside the door.

He looked business casual in black trousers, a gray shirt and shiny wing tips. Winn’s lips curved in a slow smile that caused a fluttering in her belly.

Completely understandable, she told herself. A handsome man. A lazy smile. She’d have to be dead not to react.

The blood sliding through her veins like warm honey assured Hailey she was very much alive.

“Hey there, neighbor.” She offered him a smile of her own. “Hope the barking didn’t disturb you too much.”

“It did.” His eyes held an impish gleam. “But I know a way you can make it up to me.”

The banter wasn’t new, nor was the hint of electricity accompanying it. What surprised Hailey was her reaction, stronger than before. Keeping her hand firmly on the leash while the dog quivered at her side, she batted lashes at Winn. “What do you have in mind?”

Before Winn could respond, Cam stepped forward. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when he saw the dog. A low whine formed in Bandit’s throat.

Hailey loosened the retractable leash and said in a low tone, “Go to him.”

The dog raced across the short distance and Cam’s thin arms encircled him. The boy buried his face in the silky fur. Winn’s eyes met Hailey’s.

“That,” he said, “was what you could do.”

He gazed down at the boy with such affection in his eyes that Hailey felt tears sting the back of her lids. She quickly blinked them away.