A Doctor For The Nanny

“If my parents were still alive, nothing could drag me away from Little Horn,” Eva said, her eyes a bit wistful.

“Yeah, you were way too young to lose your folks,” he said.

He thought about Eva living out at Stillwater Ranch and was happy she had some family to rely on. He still had his mom, but Eva had no one except for her cousins and Aunt Mamie. Eva had known a lot of loss, just like he had. Both of them had been dumped by their fiancés. Both of them had suffered broken hearts. In a way, they had a lot in common.

“What do I owe you?” she asked, reaching for her purse.

He raised his hand. “It’s on the house. I didn’t do anything, really. And Miss Mamie paid me plenty yesterday.”

She lifted the baby, holding him close against her shoulder before she kissed his downy head. “Well, thank you. I can’t tell you how relieved I feel. I so appreciate your help.”

He smiled, drawn to her easy, honest manners. She seemed so genuine. So real and down-to-earth. Nothing contrived at all. Not like Kayla, his former fiancée.

“Come on. I’ll walk you out,” he said.

Carrying the baby, Eva preceded him through the house and out to the front porch. Tyler followed, breathing deeply the fragrance of her fresh, coconut-scented hair. As she walked, her hair swayed against her back like a long, red waterfall. He felt the urge to reach out and run his fingers through the silken length of it, but resisted.

Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of such nonsense. The last thing he needed right now was a romantic entanglement.

As he stepped out on the front porch, he slid his hands into his pockets.

“Tyler! Oh, Tyler!”

He glanced over at the barn. Veola Grainger stood in front of the wide double doors. His mother. An early riser, she’d dressed in her blue jeans and boots to help him with some chores before he drove into town to make his rounds at the regional medical hospital. Just now she was waving frantically to get his attention.

“Excuse me one moment, will you?” With a nod to Eva, he stepped off the porch and hurried toward his mom. Eva stood easily within hearing distance.

“Applejack is gone,” Veola said, her voice shrill with urgency.

He tilted his head. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”

“She’s gone, and so is your sister’s saddle.” Mom’s voice rose to a plaintive cry.

A blaze of dread scorched Tyler’s skin. Without another word, he ran into the barn and looked around. Morning sunlight streamed through the open doorway. He caught the musty smell of straw and ammonia. Bullet, their sorrel gelding, stood in his stall swishing his tail. But sure enough, Applejack was gone; the mare’s stall stood wide-open and vacant. At first Tyler thought maybe he’d left the gate open last night and the mare had wandered off. But no. He distinctly remembered closing the barn door securely, because he’d pinched his thumb in the process. Someone had entered the barn and opened Applejack’s stall.

His heart plummeted. Was it possible they’d become the victims of a crime? He’d heard about the cattle rustlings and equipment thefts going on in their community. But he’d never dreamed the thieves might steal his little sister’s mare.

He walked back out into the sunshine, feeling heartsick and furious by this turn of events. Eva stood beside her truck with his mother. Mom was cooing and admiring the baby, but glanced his way, awaiting his verdict.

“She’s gone, all right,” he said.

“You think someone stole her?” Mom asked.

He looked out at the wide-open fields surrounding them, his gaze searching the area for some sign of the mare. “Unless she got loose and wandered off.”

Mom shook her head. “No, when I went out to the barn this morning, the doors were closed. She couldn’t have gotten out by herself.”

“And I guarantee she didn’t take the saddle with her,” he said.

“But why would anyone steal our mare? That horse is almost twenty-one years old.”

Tyler shrugged, trying not to show his anger in front of Eva. “I have no idea. But what surprises me more is that the thieves left Bullet behind. I don’t understand why they’d take an old horse like Applejack, but leave the younger gelding.”

He spoke calmly. After his father’s death he’d learned to be the man of the house, and that had taught him patience and self-control over his emotions. He had to be strong for his mother’s sake. Though Mom hadn’t said so, he knew she was dreading his return to Austin in four weeks. And Eva was worried enough about baby Cody. With their own problems to cope with, neither woman needed to see him act out right now.

“What would they want with Applejack?” Mom asked.

“I have no idea. She’s too old to make a good saddle horse anymore. The thieves couldn’t get much for her unless they sold her for slaughter,” he said.

Eva gave a small cry of anguish. “They still do that?”

Tyler nodded. “While they don’t use the horse meat here in the United States, they can definitely sell it to foreign countries.”

Veola cringed in horror and clasped a hand to her mouth. “Oh, Tyler. That sweet little mare. Jenny loved that horse so much. I promised her that Applejack would live out her days here on the ranch. You don’t think the thieves would sell your sister’s horse to a soap factory, do you?”

A sick feeling settled in his gut. He glanced at Eva. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes mirrored the outrage he was feeling inside. He thought about the horse thieves and wondered if they knew just how much they had hurt the people they’d stolen from. Applejack wasn’t just a saddle horse to Tyler and his mother. She was a beloved member of their family. A sweet reminder of a happier time when his sister had been alive and joyfully riding around this ranch.

“I sure hope not. I’ll go call the sheriff right now,” he said.

“I won’t keep you, then. I’m sorry about this. I hope you find your horse,” Eva said, her eyes filled with compassion and sincerity.

Again Tyler got the impression she was the real deal. Genuine and caring. The kind of woman a man could depend upon to the very end.

“Thanks, Eva.” He nodded, then turned to run inside the house.

He was determined to find Applejack before it was too late. Before the thieves sold her to someone who might do her harm. But as Tyler dialed the sheriff’s office he couldn’t stop thinking about Eva Brooks and her wide, gentle eyes.

Chapter Three

Seven hours later, Eva pulled into the parking lot at the regional medical hospital in town. She killed the engine of Aunt Mamie’s car and withdrew the key.

“Thanks for bringing me here to see Ben,” Mamie said.

“You’re welcome.” Eva smiled and tossed a quick glance over her shoulder at the baby. He lay in his car seat in the back, sleeping soundly. His sweet little face warmed her heart.

“I can’t believe the difference in him. He’s so calm and happy lately. You’re good for Cody,” Mamie said as she opened her door.

Eva still wasn’t convinced. Everything she did for Cody was still so new. She wondered if she’d ever get the hang of it. And it gave her insight into what it felt like to be a new mother. But she felt betrayed by the flush of pleasure her great-aunt’s words caused her. She didn’t want to be a nanny, but for the first time in her life she thought she might actually be able to do this job. And she had Tyler to thank for that.

She climbed out and retrieved the baby carrier. As she closed the car door, she tried not to jar Cody too much and wake him up. She slipped the diaper bag over her shoulder. With the baby in tow, she took Aunt Mamie’s arm and led the woman up the sidewalk to the white brick building.

Little Horn was fortunate to have this nice, new facility. No doubt Tyler had some of his patients admitted here. While she understood his reasons for wanting to return to Austin, she also wished he would stay. This community needed a talented doctor. But Tyler was a bright, glittering star. He deserved the opportunity to shine. And he could do that in Austin with the new research grant he and his partners had received from the FDA.

The automatic double doors whooshed open and they stepped inside. They didn’t pause at the reception desk, but headed back to the intensive care unit. The wide, pristine hallway smelled of antiseptic, bacon and eggs. Not a nice combination. A cart stood off to one side, and an orderly was shuttling breakfast trays into the rooms of the patients.

“Good morning.” Grace Bingham greeted them at the nurses’ station. Wearing a green smock and white pants, she tucked a curl of wavy brown hair behind her ear.

“Hello, Grace. How is my grandson today?” Mamie asked.

The nurse released a short sigh. “The same, I’m afraid.”

“Has the doctor been in to see him this morning?” Eva asked.

“Yes, a couple of hours ago. He said there was no change,” Grace reiterated.

With her mouth pressed in a stoic smile, Mamie headed into Ben’s room. Eva stood by the nurses’ station and set the baby carrier on the floor at her feet. From the open doorway, she could see that her cousin Ben lay on the bed, his tall body still as stone. A white bandage had been wrapped around his head. When he’d been bucked off his horse, he’d struck his head on a rock. Now he was hooked up to a variety of tubes and IV drips, to monitor his heartbeat and oxygen level and keep him hydrated. In the dimly lit room, his handsome face looked as pale as the white blankets tucked beneath his arms. His eyes were closed as if he were in a very deep sleep. Mamie sat in a chair beside him and reached up to clasp his hand.

“Hi there, sweetheart. How are you doing today?” the woman said.

She received no response.

“It’s so sad,” Grace whispered. “He’s so blessed to have his family around him.”

Eva glanced at the nurse. They were old school friends, so Eva wasn’t surprised by the nurse’s blunt comment. “Yes, I hope he’ll wake up soon.”

Ben had always been so talkative and vibrant. Too wild for Eva to keep up with. Grady and Tyler had never approved of Ben’s partying. Ben had always been a hard worker, but he played hard, too. And now, seeing her cousin so quiet and unresponsive tore at Eva’s heart. She said a silent prayer, asking the Lord to help her cousin recover soon. And to keep Grady safe. She had to trust God to see them through. This situation was hard on Mamie. It was hard on all of them.

If only Grady were here. He’d know what to do. He was the stoic one. Dutiful and stalwart. They all depended on his wisdom and strength. He’d be able to reassure Aunt Mamie and help them feel better. He’d solve the mystery about baby Cody’s parentage, too. Surely he’d know if he’d fathered a child or if it was Ben’s baby. But Grady wasn’t here, and Eva felt the leaden weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders. She had to take care of Aunt Mamie and Cody with courage and compassion. No matter what her own fears might be, she mustn’t let them down.

“Hi, Eva.”

She looked up. Tyler stood beside the front desk. And in a fraction of an instant her senses went on high alert.

He’d changed his clothes from when she’d seen him out at his ranch earlier that morning. His blond hair had been slicked back, his face freshly shaved. He wore a white doctor’s coat over his blue Western shirt. A stethoscope dangled from around his neck. He must have been making his morning rounds at the hospital. And for some crazy reason she found his presence strangely comforting. He looked good today. Too good.

The sound of boot heels clicking against the tiled floor filled her ears. She looked up. Carson Thorn joined Tyler. Carson was the president of the Lone Star Cowboy League. Eva had no doubt both men had come here to check on Ben’s condition.

A buzzer went off down the hall and Grace headed in that direction. “Excuse me, please.”

“Hi there.” Picking up the baby’s car seat and moving him with her, Eva stepped over to greet the two men.

Carson thrust out a hand and smiled as he spoke in a subdued voice. “I came to check on Ben. How is he holding up?”

She shook the man’s hand, highly conscious of Tyler standing beside her. Even without looking, she could feel his gaze resting on her. A fissure of awareness swept down her spine. She was suddenly self-conscious about her appearance. Was her hair in place? Did her makeup look nice? She hoped Tyler wouldn’t notice the white stain on her coat from where Cody had spit up on her.

“He’s doing as well as can be expected, but no improvement,” she said.

Carson shook his head. “I’d hoped he would be coming out of it by now. That day he had the accident, he was so upset when he called to tell me he’d found the baby on your doorstep. I should have told him to stay home and I’d drive over to him.”

“What happened?” Tyler asked.

Carson shrugged and slung his thumbs through his belt loops. “Ben missed the monthly League meeting. That wasn’t like him at all. Especially since he knew we’d be discussing all the cattle rustling and other thefts we’ve had going on lately. After the meeting ended, he called and told me that he’d found a baby on his doorstep. He was pretty shaken up by it all and wanted to talk. He said he’d ride over to my place, but he never arrived. When I called later on, I found out that he’d gotten bucked off his horse and was lying unconscious here in the hospital.”

Tyler shifted his booted feet. “Well, he’s getting the best of care. I can guarantee that.”

His comforting words brought warmth to Eva’s chest.

“Did his doctor say when he should come out of the coma?” Carson asked.

“No, but the longer he’s out, the worse his prognosis becomes.” Eva spoke softly, not wanting Aunt Mamie to overhear their conversation. It was upsetting enough without scaring the woman any more. The last thing Eva wanted was to make Mamie sick with worry.

“It’s in God’s hands now,” Carson said.

Eva nodded and tried to smile. But under the circumstances she found the situation a bit hopeless and sad.

“Yes, we need to have faith. God will carry us through,” she said, determined to believe her own words.

Tyler made a low, derogatory sound in the back of his throat. He looked away and she got the impression he didn’t agree. That wasn’t so strange when she considered that she hadn’t seen him in church since he was a teenager. As a kid he’d always attended with his parents, but not anymore. And she couldn’t help wondering what might have changed him.

“Any news about your missing horse?” Eva asked Tyler.

He shook his head. “No, but the sheriff’s working on it.”

“I think the league’s Rustling Investigation Team should pay a visit to your place, just to have a look around. They might be able to figure out who stole your horse and saddle,” Carson said.

A hard glint filled Tyler’s eyes. “I’ll take any help I can get. In fact, I’d like to become a member of the team and help with the investigation, too.”

Carson blinked in surprise. “But aren’t you leaving town soon?”

“Yes, but does that matter?” Tyler asked.

“I guess not, but I didn’t think you’d be interested,” Carson replied.

“Well, I am. I’d like to help out until it’s time for me to leave, if that’s okay. I want to catch the thief as bad as anyone else. And I want my mare back, too.”

Eva caught a hint of anger in his voice. She knew Tyler was upset about losing his horse, but she didn’t think he had time to join the league in its investigations. No doubt having his mare stolen had incentivized Tyler to get involved. The situation had become personal to him. Yet she detected something deeper within his motives. She just had no idea what that might be.

* * *

“Okay, I think we can arrange for you to become a member of the investigation team,” Carson said.

“Good. I’d appreciate it.” Tyler forced himself to speak in a calm voice.

Recovering his sister’s stolen horse meant a lot to him and his mother. The theft was a deep invasion into their private lives. Knowing that someone had sneaked into their barn late at night while they were sleeping made both him and Mom feel violated. It also made him furious. As though he’d let his baby sister down again. He hadn’t been able to save her life back when she’d got sick, but he sure as shootin’ wanted to get her horse back. He’d promised her that he’d look after Applejack. That the mare would live out her days in comfort. Not become fodder for the slaughterhouses. He had to keep his word. He had to recover the mare. And he didn’t want to share his personal reasons with anyone else.

“I’d like to help with the investigation, too,” Eva said.

Both men stared at her in astonishment.

“But why?” Carson asked.

She inclined her head toward Ben. “I’ve got one cousin in a coma and the other one is in Afghanistan fighting a war. With a new baby to take care of, Aunt Mamie has a lot on her mind right now. She doesn’t need to worry about thieves, too. She needs my help to look after the ranch. I’m trying to take some burdens off her. I’m all she’s got right now. It’s the least I can do for my family. So, I want to help.”

The baby made a little squealing sound. They all looked down as Cody squirmed, stretched and yawned. His little eyelids fluttered open and he looked up at the adults standing around him. Eva swung the car seat back and forth in a gentle rocking motion to quiet him. Tyler watched her, thinking her jaunty movements were adorable. In spite of her misgivings, she really was quite good at caring for a child.

“His rash looks a little bit better already,” Tyler observed.

She nodded with satisfaction. “Yes, thanks to you.”

He flashed a wide smile, unable to help himself. Her words brought a joyful fullness to his chest. For some reason this woman’s opinion mattered a great deal to him. When he’d come here to check on Ben, he hadn’t expected to see Eva, too. But being near her caused his heartbeat to speed up.

“You sure you want to join the investigation team, Eva? They’ll be traveling around to visit various theft sites, and you’ve got this little guy to look after.” Carson gestured toward the baby.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m not trained in investigation work, but I can sure be vigilant and ask a lot of questions. And Cody won’t be any trouble. He’s a good traveler and he sleeps most of the time anyway,” she insisted.

Carson nodded. “All right, then. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

She gave a decisive nod. “Thank you.”

Carson bent down to smile and touch the baby’s hand. Cody promptly latched on to the man’s finger and Carson laughed.

“He’s got a strong grip, but my hands aren’t very clean,” he said.

Eva beamed with pleasure and Tyler could hardly take his eyes off her.

“When are you returning to Austin?” Carson asked.

It took Tyler a moment to realize the man was speaking to him. He jerked his gaze away from Eva, feeling embarrassed to be caught staring at her. “Um, I’m scheduled to leave the day after Thanksgiving.”

But now Tyler wasn’t so sure. He didn’t want to leave his mother until he’d recovered his sister’s horse. That might take some time. Mom already was upset that he was going away, because she’d be all alone. Until this year she’d let most of their land lie fallow and hadn’t been running any livestock. This summer, Tyler had worked hard to get the ranch back in shape...just in time to leave again. And Mom wasn’t thrilled by the proposition. She didn’t say a lot, but he could tell by the sad, faraway look in her eyes that she didn’t want him to go. But he had to. Had to get out of this dinky little town and back to his old life. He just didn’t belong here anymore.

Or did he?

“Well, I better get back to work. If there’s anything I can do, you just say the word,” Carson told Eva.

She smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Carson left, and Tyler figured he should do the same. There was no reason to stay here any longer. Yet he liked being near Eva. She had a soothing way about her that made him feel at ease.

“You’ll be missed when you leave town,” Eva said.

Her words brought a hard lump to his throat. Other than his patients, he figured only his mom would miss him. It was nice to know someone else cared. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“I can see how you’d rather live in the city,” she said.

He caught a bit of hesitancy in her voice.

“But you don’t agree?” he said.

She inhaled deeply and let it out, then shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love living at Stillwater Ranch. And I love the twins and Aunt Mamie. But it’s not my home. Not really. But Little Horn is. It’s the town where I grew up. Where my people are from. It’s a part of me. It’ll always be my home, no matter where I go.”

Tyler swallowed hard. “Yeah, I get that.”

And he really did. He was surprised by the difference one event could make in changing his mind-set. Losing his sister’s horse had hit him harder than he thought. It had reminded him that this was his home, too. That his mom was counting on him. That he’d been raised in Little Horn. Whether he liked it or not, this community was in his blood.

Eva arched one of her eyebrows. “But you don’t agree?”

He released a pent-up breath. “I didn’t use to, but maybe now I do.”

She inclined her head, her long ponytail bouncing. “What do you mean?”

He looked at the baby, wondering what he should say. “At one time I thought Little Horn was nothing more than a tiny speck on a very large map. A go-nowhere town with a big dead end in front of me. All my life I dreamed of becoming a respected doctor. Living in a city far away from cows and a small-town environment. I wanted the lights and action of a big city. I wanted to do medical research and live anywhere but here.”

Oh, maybe he shouldn’t have told her all that. But for some reason, Eva was so easy to talk to. He felt as though he could confide his deepest secrets in her. An odd notion, surely.

She took a step closer. “And now?”

He gave a scoffing laugh. “And now I’m not so sure. Losing Applejack has hurt Mom and me a lot.”

What an understatement. Losing that horse was agony. Tyler felt torn up inside. As though he’d lost his best friend. And suddenly he felt as if he was a part of this community he’d tried so hard to shun. He had to protect his ranch. But more than that, he had to protect his family. His father had fought so hard to keep their home. Laboring with blood, sweat and tears to build it into a prosperous place to raise his children. Tyler’s sister had died way too young, but that didn’t change his feelings for the place. He couldn’t walk away from his mom and childhood home without making things right. Not without recovering Jenny’s horse first.

He realized Eva was partly to blame for making him recognize all of these feelings he’d kept bottled up inside. He needed to get away from her. Fast. Before he made a huge mistake and asked her out.

“I better get going, too. Like Carson said, if there’s anything you need, all you have to do is call and I’ll be there,” Tyler said.

And he meant every word. He wanted to protect Mom and their home. But he felt protective of Eva, too. Maybe it was an offshoot emotion from when he’d been young, riding around Stillwater Ranch with Ben and Grady. He’d always helped them look after their little cousin Eva. But somehow Tyler’s feelings had changed toward her recently. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He only knew he was worried about her. He cared about her and Miss Mamie. And the baby, too. He wanted to help them out. Yet it was something more. Something he’d never felt before. Something he didn’t understand. And that scared him. A lot. Because caring brought with it a lot of heartache. And because he’d vowed never to care for another woman as long as he lived.

Chapter Four

That afternoon Eva pulled up at Grainger Ranch and killed the engine to her truck. She hadn’t planned on returning so soon. She’d been here early this morning, yet it seemed like days since she’d made her mad dash to take Cody to visit Tyler. And in that short amount of time, Cody’s rash was doing much better. But she’d received a call from Carson Thorn, telling her that the league’s Rustling Investigation Team was meeting over at Tyler’s place. Since she was now a member, she had to be there, too.