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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?”
“I’m a cowgirl. I have to wear a hat,” Darcy explained.
“Mostly, it’s needed to shade your face from the sun,” Ty said gently. “But it’s okay to wear inside. It looks like you’re ready to ride the range.”
He hadn’t moved from the door and Maddie wondered if he felt out of place in his own home. It couldn’t be easy to go from being a longtime single man to coming home to a house with two females.
“I don’t know how to ride,” Darcy reminded him.
“We’ll get you up to speed in no time. It’s easy,” he said, glancing at Maddie.
“Don’t look at me. I’ve been on a horse only a few times, that’s about as far as I’ve progressed.” She threw up her hands. “You’re looking at two hopeless city girls. Despite having the stockyards and all in Fort Worth, no one I know there actually owns a horse.”
His expression went hard. Maddie knew he remembered his wife. She wished she could retrieve the words she’d thoughtlessly spoken.
“But we’re both willing to learn. Violet said you could teach us,” she said, hoping mentioning Violet’s ringing endorsement of his equestrian skills would encourage Ty to spend more time with Darcy.
“We’ll get started after dinner.”
Maddie forced a smile. “That’ll be great. My sister wants me to become as acclimated to the ranch as you want Darcy to become. You get two students for the price of one.”
“Won’t that be fun?” He scowled.
Turning so he wouldn’t see the amusement on her face, she resumed slicing the tomato. He spoke with Darcy, his voice gentling somewhat as he explained they could pick out some horses after dinner. She herself wouldn’t mind waiting a few more days, or weeks. But sooner or later she had to become more comfortable or she’d lose out on an important part of her sister’s life.
* * *
Ty was expecting to say the blessing tonight. It had never been a part of family life when he was growing up. Of course, nothing much but booze and anger had been part of his childhood life. He tried to forget, but with Darcy around, he couldn’t help but contrast the two of them. He vowed he’d do all he could to protect his little girl. And raise her up right. He was not his father and never wanted to be.
Dinner passed pleasantly enough with Darcy encouraged by Maddie to talk some more, sharing her best part of the day.
Her fit of giggles one time touched Ty’s heart. He’d like to hear that all the time. He glanced at Maddie, who was smiling indulgently at the child. She still looked more polished and sophisticated than the women he knew around the various ranches in the area, but at least she was making an effort to fit in. The yellow shirt suited her—looking as pretty as the fancy silk shirts she normally wore. The cotton, however, was much more practical. Maybe it wasn’t the clothes so much as how she wore them.
Once dinner was finished and the dishes were done, the three of them headed out to the barn.
The hush of the early evening was everywhere. The men were still in the bunkhouse eating. The horses had been fed and were now dozing in the corral. He heard the bleat of the goat, but didn’t see her. Two of the horses ambled over to the rail fence and hung their heads over. When he reached them, Ty idly scratched their heads.
Ty had no idea how to teach two girls of different ages how to ride. He couldn’t remember when he hadn’t known how to ride. As far as he remembered, his first time he’d got on and held on until he got the hang of it. Yeah, that’d be great with both of them. He didn’t want either to get hurt.
To the side of the barn, one of the other cowboys was hosing down Stoney, the gelding he’d ridden that day.
“He likes that,” Ty said, watching the horse move to get more water from the hose.
“It’s like he’s in a shower,” Darcy said, laughing.
“So, which is the gentlest, sweetest horse you have?” Maddie asked, looking through the rails at the horses in the corral. One more ambled over and put his head over the top rail.
Ty scratched around his ears while he decided which horse would be the best for Maddie. He wasn’t too worried about Darcy. Rambo had two speeds—slow and stop. Maddie had been riding a couple of times, so knew enough to stay on. But he didn’t want to risk her falling off.
“Rambo’s the best for Darcy.”
“Rambo?” Maddie said with some trepidation, even though Ty had assured her that Rambo was gentle.
“Hey, no one knows what a horse is going to be like when it’s a foal. His first owners obviously thought he’d be a take-charge champion. He’s slow, hard to get into second gear and perfect for a little girl to start on.”
“What about a bigger girl?” Maddie asked, tentatively patting the head of one of the horses by the rail.
“Who did you ride before?”
“I think Violet said his name was Shadow—the horse was dark gray.”
“And you stayed on, right?”
“Well, he didn’t buck. I sat there and held on for dear life.”
Ty gave a slow smile. Maddie was gutsy on the outside, but he suspected she was as nervous around horses as Darcy. He looked at her and was surprised at the look on her face.
“You should smile more often,” she said softly.
Which instantly wiped the smile from his face. He went to the barn to get halters and lead ropes.
“Tonight we’ll get acquainted. I’ll bring them into the barn and you two can groom them, learn how to walk around them, clean their hooves, that kind of thing.”
“They’re awfully big,” Darcy said, moving closer to Maddie.
When Maddie put her arm casually around Darcy’s shoulders, Ty felt a pang of longing. He wished his daughter would step closer to him when she was scared. Wished he felt comfortable enough around her to put his arm across her shoulder. Wished he knew if she even wanted him to.
Darcy had worn her hat. Now she had to tip her head back to see him from beneath the brim. “Do they kick or bite?”
“Some do, not the ones we’ll be dealing with. Mostly, Jack and I don’t put up with horses who don’t have good manners. Too distracting.” He nodded briskly. “Come on, let’s get Rambo first.”
The next hour Ty spent going over things with Darcy, and all the while Maddie was hovering over his shoulder. He cross-tied the horse in the center of the barn and brought out the equipment to properly groom him. Darcy started out checking with Maddie for every task he explained to her. As if to verify with the other city girl that it was something she could do.
He tried not to become frustrated. She’d recently lost her mother. She hadn’t known about him. She wasn’t used to horses or him. But it was getting to him.
Finally, he turned to Maddie. “Maybe this would go better if you weren’t here.”
“No, Maddie, don’t leave,” Darcy protested, moving to stand beside her.
“I’m not leaving. And it’s going great. Let me have a brush and we’ll brush down this side and then you and your dad can brush down the other side while I comb his mane and tail.”
Okay, so suggesting Darcy’s touchstone leave hadn’t been so smart. But Maddie’s solution had been. It would unite the two of them in one project. Baby steps, Ty reminded himself.
It was easier dealing with cowboys.
* * *
Once Maddie had Darcy in bed, she walked out onto the front porch where Ty sat contemplating how he didn’t feel one bit closer to his daughter despite spending the major portion of the day with her.
