Mirror Image Bride

“What do you have in mind?”

He looked over at her again. “For one thing, try to get her to see the advantages of living here. She seems to like the animals. If she learns to ride, I’ll get her a pony of her own. Maybe a dog. I bet Violet would let her gather eggs and feed the pigs. Get her used to being here. You can relate—you’re city through and through.”

“Which doesn’t mean I don’t realize the advantages of living here.”

“You both need more suitable clothes,” he said. “She needs jeans and boots to learn to ride. Long-sleeved shirts to protect her arms. A hat for shade.”

Maddie noticed his glance at her own clothes. They were not suitable for the rough-and-tumble of ranching. Not that she was riding or punching cattle. Momentarily sidetracked, she wondered what punching cattle even meant.

“Ranch kids start helping as soon as they can walk, with chores suitable for their ages.” He gazed at her. “She can do dishes, right? I’d like you to encourage her to make her bed, make sure her clothes are taken care of.”

Maddie nodded. “We’ll need to go shopping. You do know she doesn’t have anything from home except what social services packed that day. What happened to the furnishings and toys and clothes and all from the apartment?”

“I don’t know and don’t care,” he said curtly.

“A little girl has cherished toys, favorite books, special clothes. It would help her adjust to have familiar things around.”

He thought about it for a minute. “I’ll contact social services and see what they tell me. I never thought about it, to tell the truth. One minute I’m doing my job, the next minute I find out I’m a father. And have been for eight years, which my ex-wife conveniently forgot to tell me. Thinking about Darcy’s stuff was the last thing on my mind.”

“I know.” Maddie was silent for a moment. Then she looked at him.

“We have a lot in common, don’t we?”

“Like?” He frowned. She could tell he didn’t like the idea.

“You never knew about Darcy, and I never knew about Violet or Jack or Belle.”

“True. But that’s all,” he said quickly.

Maddie knew he didn’t like her—was it because she reminded him of his ex-wife?

Was he against all people who lived in cities? That would be dumb.

“I like it here,” she said simply.

His jaw clenched. “For now,” he countered.

She stood up and faced him. He put his foot on the ground and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He stood several inches taller than she did and when he narrowed his eyes, as he was doing now, he could be very intimidating. However, she’d caught a hint of vulnerability a couple of times, which gave her courage to say,

“I’m not Darcy’s mother. You can’t judge me by what happened between you two. Maybe I was raised in the city, but I like it here fine. If I thought I could fit in, I might consider staying.”

“No one’s asked you to,” he said.

Maddie nodded. There was that. And her recent work history was on a magazine, hardly conducive to working on a ranch.

“Still, don’t judge me by her.”

“Early days yet.”

“You are the most stubborn man, you know that?”

A glimmer of amusement showed in his eyes. “So I’ve been told,” he replied.

Maddie was captivated by that glimmer. So he did have a sense of humor. She never would have thought insulting him would almost result in a smile.

He cleared his throat. “Darcy’s mother hated the routine of ranching, the constant need to care for the animals. Even the weather. Mostly she hated the idea of being isolated,” he explained.

Maddie was longing to ask questions about his marriage, but refrained. It was not any business of hers. She knew enough—they’d had a child Ty had not known about. And now his ex-wife was dead. Too young to die.

But then her own mother had been too young to die. And she’d been too young to lose her mother.

She couldn’t bear to think Darcy might become alone in the world if something happened to her father. Of course she’d heard mention of grandparents. Surely they’d step in if needed.

“Take Darcy into town tomorrow and buy her some suitable clothes,” Ty said.

Maddie looked at him again. “You’ll need to come as well.”

“I don’t do shopping.”

She smiled. “Obviously you do or there’d be no food in the house or clothes on your back. We won’t be long, but you’ll know what she needs better than I will. And you can tell me what to get for me as well. We’ll have a shopping spree,” she said with a wide smile. She loved shopping.

He stared at her as if she’d lost her marbles.

Maddie giggled. “It’ll be fun. Think of it as a bonding experience with your daughter.”

“Put it that way, I’ll go. But we only need to stop at the Feed and Grain. They have all we’ll need.”

“Works for me.” Her heart beat faster thinking about spending time with Ty tomorrow. And Darcy, of course. He’d surprised her by agreeing to go. Still, she knew he was making a serious effort to get to know his daughter and applauded him for it.

“I’m going now. What time should I be here in the morning?” she asked.

“I’d like an early start on chores—especially if I’m leaving for part of the day. Six?”

She nodded, wishing she could sleep in a little later. But she was out to prove to this man that she could do the job. “Six’ll be fine. See you then.”

She walked slowly back to the main house, thinking about Ty. He was definitely a competent ranch foreman, but she could see he was lost when dealing with Darcy. She hoped she could help them both.

Violet sat in the living room, leafing through a magazine when Maddie entered.

“So how was the first day on the job? I missed you at dinner,” Violet said, patting the sofa next to her in silent invitation.

“Things went okay. I’ll probably be eating most of my meals there with Darcy. Which is fine with me. It gives me a chance to cook.” Maddie crossed to the sofa and sat beside her twin. “Where’s Landon?”

“On some phone call he couldn’t miss.”

Since Landon and Violet had become engaged, he split his time between the ranch and Fort Worth, where he worked. He was currently overseeing plans to remodel the guesthouse on the ranch and talked about moving his company here permanently after they were married. At one time, it was odd for Maddie to imagine Landon living away from the hustle and bustle of Fort Worth. But he’d changed since falling in love with her sister. She prayed everything would work out for the best for them both.

“What can you tell me about Ty that would help me?” she asked.

When Violet had introduced her to all the ranch hands her first few days visiting, she’d said he’d worked for them for eight years. She had to know more than Maddie did.

“He’s a good worker. Has a quick mind and is practical. Gets on with the men.”

“That doesn’t tell me a lot. I could have guessed that by his position. I mean, tell me more about him as Darcy’s dad so I know how to help with his daughter.”

Violet thought a moment. “I don’t know a lot about him, outside of how he works around the ranch. He used to ride rodeos, but got hurt and stopped. He keeps to himself a lot. He became a Christian shortly after starting work here. I don’t ever remember hearing he was dating anyone.” She shrugged. “I think you should check with Jack—he knows him better. A guy thing, I guess.”

Maddie wasn’t as comfortable around Jack as she was around Violet. Still, this was for Darcy’s benefit. Maybe she could catch him in a talkative mood one of these days. If he hung around the ranch for longer than a day at a time.

Jack had been gone frequently since she’d arrived. He used the fact that he was doing construction work on one of the parcels of the ranch a distance away from here as an excuse for being MIA.

But she knew there was more to it than that. Clearly, the change wasn’t any easier on him than on her.

“Ty and I’ll be taking Darcy into town tomorrow to buy clothes more suitable for a ranch. I thought I’d pick up some for myself while I’m there,” Maddie said.

“You know you’re welcome to borrow anything of mine you like,” Violet said.

Maddie had already borrowed jeans and old boots the few times she’d ventured out on a horse. She liked her clothes better, but they were very impractical on the dusty ranch.

“I know, thanks. But it’s time to get some of my own.”

“Stop in at the Simmons Coffee Shop for lunch. Darcy’ll like that. Then try the feed store. It carries a lot of Western clothes and boots and hats. All sizes and the prices are reasonable. Otherwise, if you shop at Campbells, the other clothing store in town, you’ll find the prices higher than really warranted.”

“Want to go in with us?” It would make things easier with Ty if she had a buffer.

“I would, but I was there today. I’m visiting Mom tomorrow. Speaking of which, did you reach your dad yet?”

“Nope, mailbox full, still not answering.” Maddie looked at her. “And isn’t he our dad?”

* * *

Shortly before noon the next day, Ty, Maddie and Darcy entered the Simmons Coffee Shop on Main Street. Maddie was still mildly surprised to find it was larger inside than it looked from the street. Tables, booths and the counter all offered seating for customers. Ty chose a booth next to the window so Darcy could also look outside. He had her sit by the window and he slid onto the bench seat next to her. Maddie sat opposite.

Gwen Simmons came over and handed them each a menu. “How are y’all doing today, Ty, Maddie? Can I get you something to drink?” the owner asked as she smiled at them.

“Doing fine, you?” Ty replied.

“Can’t complain, wouldn’t do any good if I did.” She smiled at Darcy. “And who is this fine young lady?”

“My daughter, Darcy,” Ty said, opening the menu and avoiding Gwen’s surprised look.

“Well, welcome to Grasslands, Darcy. You on a visit?”

Darcy shook her head. “My mommy died, and now I live with him,” she said.

Gwen glanced at Maddie, a questioning look in her expression.

“I’m acting as nanny for the time being.”

“I know Violet’s glad you’re staying longer,” Gwen said. The older woman seemed to know everyone in the place, and sounded as if she knew what was going on around town as well.

Ty ordered iced tea. Maddie had the same and Darcy ordered chocolate milk. Once their lunch order was taken, Ty sat back and looked out the window.

Maddie wished he’d initiate some kind of conversation. The silence stretched out as she gazed around the room, out the window.

Okay, if he wouldn’t, then she would. “Do you come here often?”

He looked at her, his dark eyes a rich, deep brown. She could look at him all day.

“No. Usually working. Unless there’s a special reason to come into town at night, it’s easier to eat at home.”

“I like it,” Darcy said. She smiled at Maddie and then looked at her father with hesitation. “It’s not so fancy like the restaurants Mom took me to. I had to be real careful and mind my manners.”

“You have to mind your manners anywhere,” Ty reminded her.

“Mmm,” she said, turning to look out the window again.

When the bell over the door jangled, announcing another customer, Maddie looked around and saw Sadie Johnson. She waved at the new church secretary whom she’d met at church two weeks ago. Sadie nodded, hesitated a moment and then walked over.

Maddie watched her and wondered why she always wore baggy clothing. She wasn’t overweight. And the big glasses could be swapped for a more stylish pair—or even contacts. Would Sadie be open to some well-meant suggestions?

“Hi,” Sadie said with a shy smile.

Ty slid out of the booth and stood. “Sadie,” he said.

“Here for lunch, I see. Who’s this?” she asked, looking at Darcy.

“My daughter, Darcy,” Ty responded. “Darcy, this is Sadie Johnson—she’s the church secretary.”

“You’re new to town, too,” Maddie said with a friendly smile. “So am I and so is Darcy.”

“We’re going shopping after lunch,” Darcy said.

“That’ll be nice. Enjoy your lunch,” Sadie said with a timid smile. She turned and headed for the counter.

Ty slid back onto the seat. “Guess Darcy and I need to start going to church come Sunday.”

“Don’t you normally?” Maddie asked.

He shrugged. “I try to make it most of the time. Sometimes there’re things at the ranch that need attention that can’t wait. Jeb’s a good preacher. First I’ve known.”

This was more information than he’d revealed in all the short time she’d known him.

“Why’s that?”

“Didn’t know the Lord until a few years ago,” he said gruffly.

Maddie wondered why that was. She couldn’t remember when she didn’t have a close relationship with Jesus. Rachel had not only been there to take care of them when their father was studying and working, she’d brought all of them to the Lord. What a blessing she’d been to Maddie’s life.

“Can I get jeans and boots and a cowboy hat?” Darcy asked. “Then I’ll be ready to ride a horse.”

Ty looked at her and nodded, his expression softening slightly. Maddie loved watching Ty interact with his daughter. Sometimes he looked baffled, other times charmed. She liked it most when he smiled—at Darcy or her. Especially when he smiled at her.

Maddie wished she knew what to do to bring the two of them closer. Time would help. But it was hard to sit by and do nothing.

Darcy looked at her. “If you buy boots and a hat, you can ride, too. He can teach you.”

Ty looked at Maddie, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“That’s all it takes,” he said.

Maddie laughed. “If only. I’ll see what’s there. No guarantee that because I dress the part, I’ll be a cowgirl,” she said to Darcy.

Ty shook his head, the amusement vanishing. “No. Highly unlikely, I’d say.”

Annoyed she’d said anything, Maddie didn’t know how to convince him he could trust her not to run back to Fort Worth anytime soon.

Time would help with that as well.

“Can we buy a storybook?” Darcy asked. “Maddie’s telling me the bestest story, but I want her to read me some books Mommy used to like,” Darcy said.

“That can be arranged,” Ty said.

Their food arrived and the next few minutes were devoted to eating.

It was awkward being the only one making conversation, so Maddie was glad for the diversion of their lunch. Once finished, they’d be heading to the store.

The Feed and Grain was on the edge of town. Ty turned into the huge gravel parking lot and pulled up to the wide wooden porch, which ran the full width of the building and contained stacked dog crates, rolls of wire fencing of various heights, a small enclosed area with baby chicks and an assortment of decorative items for a garden.

To the side was a cavernous, barnlike warehouse loaded with hay, straw, alfalfa and brown sacks Maddie hadn’t a clue what they were. A forklift was maneuvering bales of hay into the back of a pickup.

Inside, the building was clearly divided into clothing and items for livestock, fencing and chicken feed. They headed to the clothing side. Shelves reaching the ceiling held boxes of boots of all varieties and sizes, work shoes and cowboy hats. Racks of clothing included jeans, long, dark duster raincoats, colorful shirts in all sizes and denim jackets.

“Wow,” Maddie said. “One-stop shopping for Western wear.”

Ty looked at her, then around the store. “I’ve been shopping here the last eight years. Nothing fancy, but good, practical clothing. What size does she wear?” he asked, heading to the edge where children’s clothing was displayed.

Maddie picked up his vibe—the sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could return home. “I don’t know. She’ll probably have to try a few things on so we can gauge that. Once we know her size, we can go from there.”

The three of them looked at the different shirts. Maddie held several Darcy liked up to her, judging her size. Satisfied, she draped them over her arm. She thought these would fit the child. They moved on to jeans.

Maddie could feel Ty’s impatience grow. He said nothing, but she could tell he didn’t like hanging around and discussing which jeans would fit and be suitable for the ranch. Maddie understood to a point. Jeans were jeans, but some were fancier than others. She hesitated over a pair that had rhinestones on the pocket. Somehow she couldn’t see Ty Garland being impressed. Not that she necessarily wanted to impress him. Well, maybe a little. Enough so he wouldn’t cast her in the same light as his ex-wife.

Fortunately, Darcy liked the plain ones and soon she was trying clothes on in one of the dressing booths at the back of the store. Maddie, knowing her own size, grabbed a few items to try on as well.

Ty leaned against one of the posts holding up the ceiling as he waited for the two to decide if they’d be buying the clothes they selected or not. He didn’t know about buying things for a little girl. Grateful for Maddie’s assistance, he couldn’t help wishing it took less time. When he needed new clothes, he came in, picked up an assortment and left. No trying-on needed.

They still had boots and hats and maybe a jacket or two to get.

When Darcy stepped out of the fitting room a minute later, he felt his heart catch. She looked adorable. The yellow top was perfect with her brown hair. The jeans made her look taller than he’d expected. It wouldn’t be too long before she grew up completely. For a moment he was shaken that he’d almost missed all this. Anger against Brittany burned.

“Where’s Maddie?” she asked, looking around.

“Right here,” she said, stepping out.

He looked at her. For a moment she looked exactly like Violet—jeans, yellow shirt. She’d even pulled her hair behind her ears, which helped with the effect. She may look like Violet sometimes, but he could tell the difference in a heartbeat. Maddie was special, had a manner about her that he found intriguing and appealing. Like now—dressing the part for Darcy. Her sweetness was a balm to him after the hard ending to his marriage. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was a cowgirl from way back, dressed up for some rodeo event.

He looked away. It was highly unlikely she’d ever remain on the ranch. She was a city girl looking for work. No use getting used to her being around. Though he couldn’t help stealing a quick glance as she had Darcy turn around, testing the fit at the shoulders and waist. “Perfect. Now that we know your size, we can buy more things without trying them on.”

Darcy looked at her. “You look like Violet now,” she said, unconsciously echoing Ty’s thoughts.

“I always look like her—we’re twins,” she said.

Darcy shook her head. “Not with the other clothes. Now you look like you belong.”

Maddie gave the child a hug. “Thanks. So do you.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Ty muttered.

Maddie frowned. “Or not. I may not be a cowgirl from way back, but I can learn.”

He shook his head. The jury was still out on that one.

Once they each had a stack of clothes, they moved to try on hats. Fortunately there were a couple of small ones for Darcy, as the first one she tried on fell below her ears and completely covered her eyes.

Boots proved the most difficult to buy. Explaining what to look for and how they should feel was a new experience for Ty. But he didn’t want either of them to have problems with the boots, so he took extra time and care to make sure they both got the best.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached the ranch. Ty wanted to check on the men and see if there was anything crucial he needed to deal with, so he left the women at his place and headed out to the barn.

He’d never gone shopping with girls before. He’d loved the expression on Darcy’s face when she saw herself completely clothed in jeans, shirt, boots and hat. She’d beamed her delight. He’d felt another clutch in his heart. He’d wanted to sweep her up into his arms, hug her, and promise to never let anything harm her.

That would have freaked her out, he expected. She was still wary around him, as if she couldn’t believe he was truly her father. Who blamed her, after Brittany telling her for eight years that he was dead? She hadn’t even told Darcy his name. That hurt.

Nothing he could do about the past. He had to move forward and hope before long she’d know they could make a happy family together.

He had to hand it to Maddie. She smoothed everything. Acting as a kind of buffer between him and Darcy, she kept things on an even keel. For a moment he wished she wouldn’t return to Fort Worth. That she’d find her place here on the ranch. Frowning at the thought, he tried to banish it. He had work to do, not time to fantasize about a future that was never likely to materialize.

Chapter Three

Maddie and Darcy wore their new Western attire home, both pleased with their selections. They had unloaded the car and were already putting things away when Violet knocked on the door.

“I saw you were home and wanted to see how it went,” she said. Then she laughed. “My favorite color is yellow,” she informed them, pointing to her pale yellow shirt. Maddie’s was the color of buttercups, Darcy’s a brighter yellow.

“We look like an ad for butter,” Violet said, giving Maddie a hug. “Your shopping spree gives me hope that you’ll stay longer.”

“I said I’ll be staying at least until Darcy starts school,” Maddie reminded her.

“I know. And I’m hoping I can convince you to stay even longer.”

“We’ve been through this. I need to work, and there aren’t a lot of publishing opportunities in Grasslands.”

“There could be other jobs. Never mind that now. I’m happy you bought the jeans and boots.” A mischievous glint filled her eyes. “Now we just need to get you comfortable riding,” Violet said.

“We went riding,” Maddie protested. Granted, she couldn’t sit a horse like her twin, but then, she hadn’t been raised around horses since she was little.

“I’m leaving the next stage to Ty. If he’s teaching Darcy, he can teach you,” Violet murmured.

Maddie felt her adrenaline spike. If he had his way, he’d not only teach them to ride, he’d have them out on the back forty in no time, herding cattle, avoiding stampedes and fending off rustlers.

She sighed. In for a penny, she thought.

As it drew nearer to dinnertime, Maddie’s nerves grew more and more jangled. She’d already spent hours with Ty today. Yet she couldn’t help anticipating seeing him again. She’d felt a special connection today as they shopped for Darcy together. She was growing increasingly interested in the cowboy. She hoped he was changing his mind about her. She wasn’t just a city sophisticate. She fit on the ranch more and more each day.

Two pairs of boots clomped around the kitchen as she and Darcy prepared dinner—tonight, a roast with all the trimmings. One thing she’d discovered was the huge freezer beside the back stoop filled with various cuts of meat. They’d not go hungry in this house.

Darcy still wore her cowboy hat. She swaggered around, setting the table, and came over to Maddie several times to watch her.

“Today was fun,” she said. “Do you think he’ll let us go riding after dinner?”

“We’ll have to ask,” Maddie said. She wasn’t so sure she wanted riding lessons. What if she made a fool of herself in front of Ty?

She heard his footsteps on the back porch and it was all she could do to continue slicing the fresh tomato she planned to have with their salads and not turn around to watch him enter. Every cell attuned to him, she tried to be as casual as she could be. But when she heard Darcy greet him, she spun around and added her greeting as well. She was uncertain where she stood with the man. But he fascinated her.

He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his thick hair. Tossing the hat onto a peg on the wall, he looked at her. His dark eyes seemed to delve right into her.

“Something smells nice,” he said. He looked at Maddie from the yellow top down to the brown boots, then looked at Darcy. His face softened in a smile as he looked at the miniature cowgirl. “You both look real nice. Still wearing that hat?”