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Lovely.
But what did it matter?
You aren’t yourself and you never will be. The guy was here for his daughter, not for her. Caitlin faced him as Alex came through the barn door.
“Hi,” he said, and then frowned at his daughter. “Hallie, you know better than to take off and not tell me where you’re going. I thought we talked about this yesterday.”
“Da-ad.” Hallie squirmed with obvious embarrassment. Looking up at her father, she quirked her mouth. “I was helping Caitlin.”
Caitlin made an effort not to mimic Hallie’s squirm as Alex’s gaze raked her from head to toe. She picked more hay from her hair. “She’s helping me feed.”
“Really?” Amusement lit his chocolate-brown eyes and his lips curved, making her heart beat faster. “Looks more like you’re wearing that hay than feeding it to your horse.”
She rolled her tongue against her cheek. “Yeah, well, I had a little problem pulling that bale off the stack. It more or less pulled me down instead.”
Concern instantly replaced his bemused expression. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. It was nothing.”
He glanced at her cane, and Caitlin wanted to melt into the floor.
“You know, if you need help, all you have to do is ask. I can even give you our phone number in case—”
“That won’t be necessary.” Caitlin cut him off, then realized she sounded rude. “But thanks.”
“Oh, I forgot—you’re sending the horse away.”
“Actually, I’m not.” She flashed him a forced smile. “But Hallie and I have things under control here. Right, kiddo?”
“Right.” Hallie grinned at her, eyes full of hero worship.
Caitlin was sure that wouldn’t last, as soon as the kid realized she was no longer the woman portrayed in the magazines. Ignoring her inner voice, she showed Hallie how to separate the hay into flakes and feed an armful of the large square sections to Fox. She stood patiently while Hallie cooed to the gelding and patted his neck. But her body throbbed, and all she really wanted was to go back inside the house and lie down. She didn’t even bother to protest when Alex moved three bales down from the top of the stack to the floor where she’d have easy access to them the next time she fed her horse.
Leaving Silver Fox to his breakfast, Caitlin walked outside with Alex and Hallie, trying to find a graceful way to escape their company. But before she could say a word, Spike suddenly bolted in pursuit of a rabbit that scampered across the open land beyond the barn.
“Spike! Come back here.” Caitlin knew it was futile.
“I’ll get him,” Hallie said, sprinting off after the dog.
“Hallie, don’t go far,” Alex called after her, his face pinched with worry.
Why on earth did he treat his daughter as though she were five years old? “What grade is Hallie in?” Caitlin asked.
“Seventh.” He turned, frowning at her. “What, you’re insinuating that I treat her like a baby?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He folded his arms. “You are way out of line, Caitlin. You have no idea where I’m coming from.”
She shrugged. “You’re right. None of my business.” She set a pace she could manage, following Hallie and Spike.
“Wait a minute.” Alex stopped her with his hand on her arm.
To her annoyance, every nerve along her skin responded. She scowled at him. “What?”
“I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He sighed. “I’m sure Hallie will be fine. Let her catch your dog. Lord knows she’s got five times the energy I do.”
“Kids always have endless energy.” Abruptly, Caitlin felt light-headed and shaky.
“Are you all right?” Alex reached out to steady her.
“I’m fine.” Doing her best to maintain a casual air, Caitlin walked back toward the barn and sank onto a glider Dillon had installed near the walkway leading from the building.
“You don’t look fine,” Alex said, sitting beside her.
Sweat beaded her upper lip, and she knew it was a safe bet she’d either gone pale or flushed. “All right, maybe not fine, but I’m okay.” She laughed without humor. “Apparently even Spike is more than I can handle. Maybe I should send him and Silver Fox both back to the ranch.” She hoped her comment appeared offhanded.
Alex’s eyes were serious. “I read about your accident,” he said. “Hallie’s horse magazines finally caught up with us through our forwarded mail, and I was thumbing through them last night. There was a story about you in Equus.”
She didn’t want to talk about the crash. Hadn’t even wanted the magazine to do the article. But Gran had insisted that it was far better to get the facts straight than to leave everything open to public speculation and gossip. She’d wanted it made clear that while the driver of the SUV who struck Caitlin was suspected of—and later confessed to—being intoxicated, there had been no alcohol involved on Caitlin’s part.
“Then you know exactly what happened,” Caitlin said.
He was silent for a moment. “We had a terrible tragedy in our family about three months after you were run down by that drunk,” he said.
Surprised, she looked directly at him. “Oh?”
“Yeah. And since I can’t seem to keep Hallie away from your horse, I think it’s best you know about it.” He took a breath. “My daughter witnessed a drive-by shooting. But for the grace of God, it could’ve been her who was killed.”
Shock gripped Caitlin. “What happened?”
“She and her cousin were walking to a convenience store a few blocks from our house, when kids with a score to settle drove through the parking lot. They fired at some high school boys who were coming out of the store as Hallie and Melissa were going in. They missed the boys but hit Melissa.”
“Oh, my God.” Caitlin stared at him, not knowing what else to say.
“Melissa was thirteen,” Alex said. “She and Hallie were like sisters.” He fought to control his voice. “She died right there, while Hallie watched. Bled to death in the parking lot before help could arrive.”
Suddenly, Caitlin’s own problems seemed petty. “I’m so sorry, Alex.” She touched his knee. “I can only imagine what Hallie has been through.”
He nodded, glancing down at her hand, and she quickly removed it. “I don’t normally tell my business to everyone. But like I said, if Hallie’s going to hang out at your place, I want you to know what she’s been through. That’s why I’m a little overprotective.”
“I completely understand.” She felt like an ass for having criticized him moments ago.
Alex nodded, then rose to his feet as Hallie reappeared clutching Spike in her arms. Her smile obviously did Alex’s heart good, by the look in his eyes.
“Boy, your dog sure can run. I only caught him because he’d stopped to try to dig that rabbit out of its burrow.”
Caitlin rolled her eyes, hoping it would help hide her emotions. That Hallie wouldn’t be able to see her empathy. “That’s a Jack Russell for you. They’ll go to ground after a rabbit or just about anything else they see.”
“That’s what kind of dog he is?” Hallie asked. “I thought he was a mutt.”
Caitlin laughed. “He is. But he’s a purebred mutt. They’re a pretty popular breed out on the show circuit. Those and Welsh Corgis.”
“What’s a Welsh Corgi?” Hallie asked.
Caitlin laughed again, enjoying the girl’s curiosity. She proceeded to describe the breed.
“Hey, cupcake,” Alex said, tweaking his daughter’s ponytail. “If you’re going to pester Caitlin with a million questions, then the least we can do is offer to feed her.” He looked her way. “Your horse has had his breakfast. Have you had yours?”
“No,” she admitted reluctantly. The last thing she wanted was to go out to breakfast. Especially with Alex, with his dark eyes and cowboy drawl.
“Neither have we. Why don’t you come over and eat with us? I was about to whip up a batch of scratch pancakes anyway. You can even bring Spike.” He gave the dog’s head a pat.
Caitlin raised her eyebrows. “You make your pancakes from scratch?”
His deep chuckle sent shivers down her back and arms. “What, you don’t think a man is capable?”
“No. I mean, yes, I’m sure you’re capable. It’s just that…” Just that she’d mostly eaten out in restaurants or had her meals prepared by the family’s chef. How pretentious would that sound? She shrugged and laughed. “I’m not much of a cook myself, so actually that would be nice.” How could she say no? Especially with the way Hallie was looking at her, as though she walked on water.
Her heart went out to the girl. She’d suffered such a horrible trauma. Come close to being killed herself. It was something, regretfully, they had in common.
“Good,” Alex said. “Then it’s settled. Let’s go.” He slipped his arm around Hallie’s shoulder and began to walk back toward their house.
At least now Caitlin knew the answer to the question at the back of her mind. Alex wasn’t married.
As he waited for her to catch up, Caitlin had a nice view of his snug-fitting Wranglers.
Maybe that fact wasn’t such a good thing after all.
CHAPTER FOUR
PANCAKES. Alex made them every Saturday, yet he couldn’t remember having enjoyed them so much in a long while. He wondered if his pleasure had anything to do with watching Caitlin’s face as she closed her eyes and savored a bite of maple syrup-covered, made-from-scratch hotcake.
“Mmm, these are delicious.” She opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling. “I don’t normally eat such a heavy breakfast, but this is wonderful.” She helped herself to a fourth slice of bacon. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Dad cooks pancakes all the time,” Hallie said, heaping another serving onto her plate. “I love them.”
“You’d better slow down,” Alex said with a chuckle. “Or we’ll have to roll you out the door.”
Hallie gave him a mock grimace, swallowing a mouthful. “How many horses do you own, Caitlin?”
“Foxwood Farms has about thirty or forty head at any given time, depending on how many foals we’ve got. But personally, I’ve got three. Silver Fox is my grand prix show jumper, then I’ve got Black Knight—my hunter—and my retired gymkhana gelding, Red Fire. He was my first, and he’s a quarter horse/Thoroughbred cross.”
Hallie’s brows lifted. “You used to do gymkhana?”
“Uh-huh. Barrel racing, pole bending, scurry jump. It was the scurry jump event that gave me the bug to want to become a show jumper. That and watching those classy jumpers at the Denver National Western Stock Show.”
Hallie’s eyes widened even more. “Dad used to take me to the stock show every year. I love watching the jumpers. And the barrel racers.” Her animation made Alex’s heart soar. “I want to barrel race soooo bad. Dad says he’ll buy me a horse, now that we live in the country. But first we have to fix up the barn.”
“Really?” Caitlin paused. “If you’re serious, Alex, why don’t you bring Hallie out to Foxwood Farms to look at what we have for sale.”
“Actually, your brother already suggested that. But I’m not so sure a Foxwood Thoroughbred’s in my budget.” He smiled, his face warm.
Caitlin’s chuckle filled him with a pleasant heat. “You might be surprised. Not everything on the place is six figures, or even five.”
“Thank goodness,” Alex said. “I’d hate to have to take out a second mortgage to afford a horse for my kid.”
“Dad makes good money,” Hallie spoke up proudly.
“Hallie!”
“Well, you do.” She shrugged unapologetically.
“What do you do for a living?” Caitlin asked, her curiosity more obvious than her tone of voice let on.
For some reason that pleased him. “I design video games.”
“Not violent ones,” Hallie said.
Her words hurt. “I used to,” he said quietly. “But not anymore.” He exchanged a pointed look with Caitlin.
“Yeah, now he just designs boring games rated E for everyone,” Hallie said. “But he still makes good money.”
Not as much as he’d made in Denver, now that he worked out of his house. But the money didn’t matter. His daughter’s happiness and safety were all he cared about.
“Good enough to buy a horse?” Caitlin teased.
“Yeah, I think so.” He grinned, cutting into another pancake.
“So when can we go look at them?” Hallie practically jumped up and down in her chair.
Suddenly, Caitlin’s smile faded, and Alex felt her playful banter wilt like a deflated balloon. “I’ll call Dillon and make arrangements for you to see the horses.”
Hallie frowned. “Why can’t you take us?”
“Hallie,” Alex reprimanded, “don’t be rude.”
“It’s okay,” Caitlin said, looking at Hallie. “I’m not sure I’m up to showing you around. Your dad can bring you out to the ranch this afternoon though, and we’ll see. How does that sound?”
“Cool!” Hallie’s face immediately brightened.
Caitlin glanced at her watch. “Speaking of which, I’d better head home. Mom is going to pick me up in a half hour.” She grimaced. “I can’t drive yet.”
“I see.” Alex could only imagine how her limitations must frustrate her. “What time would you like me to bring Hallie out?”
“How does one o’clock sound?” Caitlin reached for the pen in the center of the table near the salt and pepper shakers. “If you’ve got a piece of paper handy, I’ll give you directions. It’s easy to find—about three miles from here.”
