From Maverick to Daddy

“I can look for it tomorrow.” She turned right out of the parking lot and headed north on Pine Street.

“But I want to read after dinner.”

“What about reading something else?”

“I have to finish it before I start another one.”

Of course. Mallory should have thought of that. She took a deep breath and pulled together the tattered edges of her patience. There were so many things she loved about being a single parent, but this wasn’t one of them.

“Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll stop there and we can run inside to take a look around.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.”

When she stopped for a red light, Mallory glanced in the rearview mirror and the big smile on the little girl’s face tugged at her heart. Getting home required a series of left and right turns, basically a square that would take them to the bridge that crossed Rust Creek. The route took them close to the office and wasn’t that far out of her way. Definitely worth the minor detour to see Lily happy.

When the light changed, Mallory took Pine Street north and made a left onto Sawmill Street. One block down was a two-story wooden building with a western facade. The weathered sign on top said Dalton Law Office in bold black letters. She drove into the small paved parking lot and beside Ben’s car saw a four-door F-150 truck that she recognized. Just yesterday she’d seen it in front of her boss’s house, and since they all worked on the ranch, one of his sons was probably the owner.

Some rogue part of her brain acknowledged which of the Dalton men she was hoping for, but she chalked it up to a completely involuntary reaction.

“Let’s go find your book,” she said to Lily.

They walked into the reception area at the same time Caleb Dalton was coming through the doorway of the back office. Just the Dalton man she’d hoped to see.

“Caleb!” Lily apparently didn’t mind seeing him again, either. “What did you forget?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” His puzzled gaze lifted to Mallory’s.

“Lily can’t find her book,” she explained. “She thinks she left it here the other night when I worked late.”

“I remember.” He winked at the little girl. “When you filled in for the receptionist.”

Lily nodded. “I’ll go look for it.”

“Try the break room, sweetie. If Jessica found it on her desk, she would probably have put it there, then forgotten to say something to me.”

“Okay. Be right back.” She disappeared through the doorway.

Mallory expected Caleb to politely say Nice to see you and walk out the door. When he didn’t, she felt the awkward silence. Last night she’d told him a lot about herself, which wasn’t like her at all. He’d been understanding. Supportive even. Just when things had been most comfortable, he’d abruptly suggested they go back inside. Probably she’d shared more than she should have. TMI—too much information. Once burned made her hesitant to say anything now.

Except...she’d been working here for six months and had never seen him in the office until three days ago. Coincidence? Probably.

“So what brings you here today?” she finally asked.

“Ranch business.” He nudged his black straw Stetson a little higher on his forehead. “Anderson has a new cattle sale contract. He wanted Dad to look it over before he signs and was too busy to bring it into town. I volunteered to save Dad a trip out to the ranch.”

“I see.” What she saw was that he’d arrived in his father’s office after five, when she was supposed to be gone for the day. There was only one way to interpret that—he was avoiding her.

They looked at each other and she felt the need to say something more but everything that popped into her head sounded stupid. I had a nice time last night at dinner. It was great talking to you. Why did you go out of your way to get me away from Travis, then take off like I was on fire?

Fortunately Lily came back and all of those stupid statements stayed in Mallory’s head. Looking closer, she noticed the little girl was empty-handed.

“I don’t see your book.”

“It’s not here.” She looked up at the tall man beside her. “But at least I got to see Caleb.”

Apparently the wanting-to-see-Caleb condition was turning into a family epidemic.

“You got that wrong, little bit.” He gently tapped her cute button nose. “I got to see you.”

He got points for making Lily smile as if she felt really special. If the moonstruck expression on her face was anything to go by, the little girl was half in love with him. That was okay because Mallory would protect her.

“Okay, ladybug, it’s almost time for dinner. We have to get home.”

“Aunt Mallory, I have a great idea.”

Uh-oh. That could mean anything from Can we get a puppy? to wanting takeout from her favorite place in New York.

“What?” she asked patiently.

“Caleb should come to our house for dinner. You always say we have to return the favor. It’s the nice thing to do, since his mom and dad asked us over last night.”

There was no way to explain the invitations weren’t reciprocal, but surely he could use a diplomatic way out. “It’s really sweet of you to think of that, Lily, but Caleb probably has plans.”

“Do you?” Lily glanced up at him.

The easygoing charm in his eyes disappeared when he looked at Mallory. “No.”

Well, darn. He didn’t take the bait, so she needed to give him another hint. “We’re just having hamburgers. I’d have planned something better for a guest.”

“Do you like hamburgers?” the little girl asked him.

“I can’t tell a lie. It’s one of my favorites.”

Double damn. That left her between a rock and a hard place. It was up to him now. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”

“Please say yes,” Lily begged.

He looked at her. “If it’s okay with your aunt, I’d like that a lot.”

What could she say? “It’s fine with me.”

Mallory was surprised he’d agreed, but had no illusions it had anything to do with her. He probably felt sorry for Lily and that was okay. It wasn’t smart, but she liked him, even more for not disappointing a little girl who’d already experienced more disappointment than any child should ever have to.

* * *

Caleb followed Mallory’s compact car until she turned onto Broomtail Road and pulled into the driveway on the corner, where he parked his truck at the curb in front of the house. It was dark green with white trim and must have been newly painted and renovated because this part of town had been flooded and badly damaged after the storm last summer.

He got out of the truck and walked up the cement path that bisected the grass all the way to the porch and front door. Mallory had unlocked it and Lily must have gone inside.

“So, this is your place.”

“Be it ever so humble... Please come in. Wait—” She stepped in front of him and he bumped into her, automatically taking her arms to steady her.

Also automatic was the instinct to pull her closer, lower his mouth to hers and kiss her until they were both breathless. With an effort, he pushed the thought away. “What?”

“Remember we weren’t planning on company. It’s usually neater than this, so don’t judge.”

“Heaven forbid.” He held up his hands in surrender to her terms. “Trust me, no one ever uses the words Caleb Dalton’s house and neat in the same sentence. You’ll get no judgment from me.”

But he could certainly judge how good she smelled and the softness of her skin, not to mention all the sexy curves that her navy crepe slacks revealed. And the silky blouse tucked into the waistband outlined her breasts in a very interesting way. The devil of it was that he was normally attracted to willowy women and she wasn’t one of them. And that was becoming a problem, because since meeting Mallory Franklin, there’d been nothing normal about his behavior.

Case in point: he was here.

Lily’s voice carried down the hall and got to them just before she did. “I found my book. It was under the bed.”

“I’m so glad.” Mallory set her purse and keys on a table by the door. “Caleb, would you excuse me? I’d like to change before cooking.”

“Sure.” He could use some distance from all the sensual vibes she didn’t even know she was giving off.

“Lily, you entertain Caleb. Offer him something to drink.”

“Okay. I’ll show him around.”

“That’s a great idea.” She disappeared down the hallway to the right, then there was the sound of a door closing.

“So, this is the living room.” Lily pointed to the room across the entryway. “That’s the dining room.”

Caleb sort of figured that, what with the cherrywood table, six matching chairs and a china cabinet. When Lily grabbed his hand to tug him along, there was no choice but to go.

Straight ahead was the family room with sofa and love seat covered in a sturdy green material. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall. The adjacent kitchen had white cabinets, black granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances.

“This is the kitchen and family room.”

“I’d never have guessed,” he teased.

“You have to see my room. Aunt Mallory let me pick out the colors and everything.”

He followed her down the hall, and across from the closed door was the girliest space he’d ever seen. Light purple walls, pink comforter and matching canopy and frilly pink lamp. White trim, door and shutters blunted the color, but not by a lot. The shock of all that pink nearly made him forget that just across the hall Mallory was taking her clothes off.

Lily looked up at him. “There’s another room with a computer, but it’s kind of boring. Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes.” He glanced once more at the closed door and knew he needed lots of ice to take his temperature down a couple notches.

He had a glass of iced tea in his hand when Mallory walked into the kitchen. The sexy sight of her barefoot in white shorts and a green tank top nearly blew the top of his head off. Her legs weren’t long, but they were really nice and would wrap just fine around a man’s waist.

He took a long swallow of his drink and waited for the blood to route back to his brain from where it was headed now south of his belt. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

She opened the refrigerator and glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks. After the flood, it was in bad shape and someone walked away, so I got it for a great price. It needed a lot of work, but I could see the potential.”

“My room is the best,” Lily said, sitting in one of the stools on the other side of the island.

“I’m glad you think so, ladybug. Can you set the table for three?”

“Okay.” She slid down from her tall stool.

Mallory set frozen hamburger patties, buns and all the trimmings on the granite-topped island beside where Caleb was standing.

The look she gave him was wry. “She likes pink.”

“I noticed.”

She separated the frozen patties. “It looks like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol exploded in there. I would never tell her that because the room makes her happy.”

“Making her happy is obviously important to you.”

“Her whole world was destroyed and I’m trying my best to put it back together.” She shrugged. “There was money from her parents’ estate and I thought using some for a house was a good investment in their daughter’s future. It’s a solid foundation for rebuilding her life. If lavender walls give her security, then that works for me. If she changes her mind and wants pink next week, I’ll hire painters.”

“That’s quite a commitment. Not just anyone would drop everything for a kid.”

Mallory watched the child put out place mats, plates, utensils and napkins. “She’s given me so much more than I have her. I love her more every day. She comes first.”

He’d figured that. Whoever Mallory let into her life would also be held to that standard. It was a lot of responsibility. Caleb wasn’t that guy and was pretty sure she knew it, but he could be her friend. And Lily’s.

“What can I do to help?” he asked.

She was cutting up tomato, lettuce and onion, arranging the slices on a plate. “Can you light the grill?”

“Hey, it’s me.” He grinned. “Fire good. How do you think we eat on the trail?”

“I’m guessing that has more to do with sticks and a match than propane,” she said wryly. “But if I had to guess, I’d say beef jerky and MREs—meals ready to eat.”

“That’s just crazy talk to trash my reputation. I respectfully request the opportunity to redeem it.”

She looked up, onion in one hand and knife in the other. “Just how will you do that?”

“Put me in charge of cooking the hamburgers. I promise not to let you down.”

“Really? Completely?”

“Yes. Requesting permission to season the patties and be in charge of cheese.”

“Wow.” Amusement brought out the gold flecks in her brown eyes. “You take hamburgers pretty seriously.”

“It’s beef, this is Montana, and I’m a rancher. Enough said.”

“Permission granted. Do I need to salute?”

“Just this once you get a pass.”

She smiled, then pulled a long-handled metal spatula from the drawer and put it on the platter with the patties and cheese. “I’ll make a salad and open a can of beans. The rest is up to you.”

Caleb found the grill on the wooden deck just outside the kitchen’s sliding glass door. After lighting it, he cleaned and prepped the grill.

Lily came outside. “Can I watch?”

“Sure. Just don’t get too close and burn yourself.”

“I won’t.”

He threw the meat on and closed the lid, waiting for the sizzling and smoking to start. In spite of his teasing, very little skill was involved in cooking burgers and Lily kept up a running commentary while he flipped and checked. There was a time when he’d have thought all the chatter would make his ears hurt, but she was sweet and funny and cute as could be.

When the patties were cooked all the way through, he put them on a plate. Lily opened the slider and he brought everything inside, then set it on the table. “Mission accomplished.”

“Smells good. Mmm.” Mallory closed her eyes and drew in a breath. “I’m starving.”

Caleb drew in a breath, too, but for different reasons. The realization hit him like a wrecking ball that he was hungry, too. But it had nothing to do with food and everything to do with thoughts of her that he couldn’t seem to shut down. This was getting more complicated than he’d expected. The dinner invitation had caught him off guard. That was the only explanation for why he’d accepted. On the drive over he’d rationalized that it wouldn’t be a problem. He’d been wrong.

Now he needed to get out as soon as possible. Right after dinner, if possible.

“I think we’re ready. Lily, did you wash your hands?” Mallory looked at the little girl, the mom look Caleb remembered from his own childhood when no rebellion would be tolerated.

“I’ll do it now.” She went to the kitchen sink and stood on tiptoe to do as ordered.

When she was finished they all sat at the table and put the stuff they wanted on their burgers. Caleb wolfed his down, but Mallory and Lily ate at a snail’s pace. That probably had something to do with all the talking. Sharing details about the day. What they were going to do over the weekend.

In his little house not too far from the ranch, mostly he ate dinner by himself. Sometimes there was a woman, but he could truthfully say there were no children. This was new and felt as different as walking on the moon.

Finally the two of them had eaten until stuffed and he was nearly home free. He would wait an appropriate amount of time, then plead an early start to his day tomorrow before taking his leave. It was only polite to help with cleanup, so he and Lily cleared the table while Mallory put away leftovers. Plates and utensils were stacked in the dishwasher and counters cleaned off. He was about to say good-night when Lily clapped her hands.

“I have an idea. We should play a game.” She looked at her aunt. “It’s not bedtime.”

“You’re right. What game did you have in mind?” Mallory asked.

“Caleb, do you like word games? Like Scrabble? Aunt Mallory just taught me to play and it’s my favorite!”

He’d been told he was pretty good with words, but that had to do with charming the ladies, not keeping score and tallying up the numbers on tiles. The thing was, if he said no, she would come up with something else. Best to tell the truth, then follow that quickly with how disappointed he was that he couldn’t stay.

“I do like word games,” he said, “but—”

“Me, too.” Sheer joy and excitement glowed on Lily’s face. “I’ll go get the game.”

After she raced out of the room, Mallory met his gaze. “Seriously, Caleb, you don’t have to play.”

There was something in her eyes, an expression that said she expected him to go, was ready for him to let them down.

It was the damnedest thing, but now he just couldn’t do it. “That’s okay. I’d really like to stay if that’s all right.”

The corners of her mouth slowly curved upward into a smile. “She’d really like it if you did.”

An hour and a half later, Caleb shook his head after losing badly. “Lily, I think you cheat.”

“No.” But there was mischief in her eyes.

“You make words up,” he accused.

“Maybe,” Mallory said smiling sweetly, “you’re better at grilling burgers than Scrabble.”

“You’re probably right.” He stood and headed for the front door. “I really need to get going. Work starts early on a ranch.”

“Could I help sometime?” Lily begged.

“That’s a conversation for another day,” her aunt interjected. “It’s time to get ready for bed. Say good-night to Caleb and get started, ladybug.”

“Okay.” She threw her arms around him in a hug, then looked up. “Good night. Thanks for coming to dinner.”

“Thanks for having me.”

After the little girl headed down the hall, Mallory opened the door and leaned against it. “That meant a lot to her, Caleb. It was nice of you.”

“I had a great time. In spite of the fact that your niece cheats.”

“Competitive and ruthless.” She laughed. “It was very sweet of you to humor her. Thanks, Caleb. Good night.”

“’Night.” He put his hat on, then stepped out onto the porch.

The door closed behind him and he had the strangest feeling. He’d been antsy to get going and now that he had it felt like being out in the cold. In the end he’d really enjoyed himself, except the part where he kept thinking about Mallory without her clothes on.

That was damned inconvenient.

* * *

Every other Friday after work, Mallory took Lily to Bee’s Beauty Parlor for a pedicure—special girl time. Sally Cameron, the operator who always did their toes, was somewhere in her twenties, a pretty brunette with big green eyes. She always knew the latest Rust Creek Falls gossip about what couple just broke up and who was going out with who. Although Mallory had told her sad story about getting dumped two years before, Sally never quite believed she wasn’t interested in dating.

She and Lily were lounging side by side in the big chairs, dangling their feet in warm, swirling water. Sitting on a low stool, Sally leaned over Lily’s foot. Apparently the signal for spilling news was when she lifted the little girl’s foot out of the water and started to remove the old polish.

“So what’s new with you, cutie?”

“I get to ride a horse,” she announced proudly.

“That’s not for sure,” Mallory reminded her.

“Almost for sure.” There was no raining on this child’s parade. “Travis said I could and he owns the ranch.”

“Travis Dalton?” Sally asked.

“Yes,” Lily said eagerly. “Aunt Mallory works for his dad and he invited us to dinner. We met everyone. Mary, his wife, and Lani and Lindsay and Anderson. He’s the oldest and always looks like this.” She sat up straight and folded her arms over her chest, then put on a very serious face.

Mallory laughed. “He’s awfully good-looking but does come across a little stern. I suppose it comes with the territory—being the oldest, responsible and in charge of ranch operations.”

“Think about it.” Sally was using nail clippers and didn’t look up. “He’s not only got to ride herd on horses, cattle and other ranch employees, but also Travis and Caleb.” She looked up for a moment. “Don’t get me wrong. Those two are really good at their jobs, but younger brothers are always going to challenge your authority. They look for any weakness, then take advantage.”

To get comfortable, Lily shifted in the big leather chair. “I met Caleb first at where Aunt Mallory works.”

Mallory was still trying to forget what her niece had said to him that day. “He was there to take his father out for a beer.”

“Then,” Lily went on, “at his dad’s house I met Travis.”

Sally was using the file to smooth rough edges. “He’s my personal favorite. What with all the women flocking here to Rust Creek, I keep waiting to hear someone has snatched him up. A shotgun wedding wouldn’t be a surprise. Or an elopement. So far, nothing.”

“He’s really nice,” Lily agreed. “But I’m not sure who I like best. Travis talked to Aunt Mallory a lot and then Caleb looked kind of mad. He took her outside to see Mr. and Mrs. Dalton’s backyard.”

“Really?” Sally looked up, the prospect of interesting gossip glittering in her eyes. “Alone?”

“We just talked.”

“About?”

“This and that.” Mallory had no intention of fueling the fire. The man was her boss’s son and there had to be boundaries. But he sure was easy on the eyes and comfortable to talk to.

“The next day,” Lily continued, “he came over to dinner at our house.”

“Oh?” Sally opened the bottle of cotton-candy polish, the bright pink shade the little girl loved. She started painting her toes. “How did that happen?”

“We saw him at the office again and I invited him.”

“Do you think it’s odd that you’ve been in town for six months and had never met him, then suddenly he’s there all the time?”

Mallory had thought about it but couldn’t come up with an explanation. “Just coincidence, I’m sure.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Sally glanced up. “Hey, did you see the flyer up front advertising a lecture by Winona Cobbs?”

“Who’s she?” Lily asked.

“A character, that’s for sure.” She laughed. “No one really has any idea how old she is, but my guess is somewhere in her nineties. And she knows things.”

“What things?” Lily’s eyes widened.

“Just things no one can explain. She says she’s psychic and that’s what the lecture is about. Everyone in town is going. You should come.”

“I’ll think about it.” Mallory was glad the other woman had changed the subject to something other than Caleb.

“So Caleb accepted your invitation to dinner.”

Somehow Mallory managed to hold in the groan. To react in any way was, in itself, fodder for town talk, so she remained neutral. “The poor man was trapped. He couldn’t say no.”

“Oh, he could have.” There was a knowing look in Sally’s eyes. “Trust me.”

“He cooked hamburgers and played a game with us after dinner,” Lily cut in.

“Sounds like he got pretty comfortable.” Sally finished putting the clear top coat on the little girl’s toes. She helped her get out of the chair without nicking the still-wet polish and said, “You know the drill, sweetie. Go to the station up front and stick your feet under the light. Let those little piggies dry.”

“I will. Thanks, Sally.”

“You’re welcome.” She pulled a clean set of pedicure tools from the little table beside her, then lifted Mallory’s left foot from the swirling water. “Now that little ears are occupied, I’m going to give you some advice.”

“Is it included in the cost of the pedicure?” Mallory was trying to lighten the mood.

“Just remember it’s worth what you paid for it. Also that I care about you.”

“This sounds serious.”

“It is.” She lifted her gaze. “Caleb Dalton is a notorious charmer who’s too good-looking for any woman’s peace of mind.”