Read the book: «Daddy Lessons»

Chapter One

Luke leaned against the sturdy new fence that defined the pasture for Lola and Lollipop, two cantankerous zebras; Spot and Potsy, two arthritic Shetland ponies; and Gordon the ill-tempered donkey. Beneath a row of hackberry trees near the driveway, two swayback snowy white horses stood side by side, lazily swishing their tails in unison.

He’d moved to this small town in the Texas Hill Country for just this reason—an affordable place with a good climate where he could provide a “retirement” home for unwanted animals. Where they—and he—could live in peace and quiet. Land in California had been too expensive. So he’d come back to Texas, to the town where his friend Hank McCauley lived, even though this particular place wasn’t Luke’s hometown, not that he thought of any particular place as home.

Besides, he didn’t need a hometown. He was a grown man who could take care of himself. These animals didn’t have anywhere to go except a slaughterhouse or rendering plant.

The sound of barking reminded him that he should feed the Jack Russell terriers in their run near the barn. But first he needed to make sure his inquisitive little neighbor got back through the fence—the one that divided his property from Travis Whitaker’s ranch.

Ever since the animals had begun arriving from California, Oklahoma and Colorado, Eddie Wooten had started visiting Luke’s property. He hid behind the newly painted barn, lurked behind shrubby Mesquite trees and sneaked between the hackberry trees in the fencerow. When he figured Luke wasn’t looking, he’d coax the animals to him with carrots and apples. The same scenario had occurred at least a half-dozen times, enough that Luke was now on the lookout for one little boy.

If Eddie stayed on his side of the fence, Luke wouldn’t worry. But the boy was fearless when it came to animals—especially Lola and Lollipop—and put himself in danger by walking into the pasture. Eddie could be accidentally bitten, stepped on or knocked down.

He tried to remember himself as a child, but the image wouldn’t form. Sometimes he thought he’d been born at age fourteen. Had he ever been as inquisitive as Eddie? As naive?

Luke winced at the memory of Kate Wooten arriving at his ranch the last time the boy had strayed over. She’d been tense and worried and yet more beautiful than he remembered from the first time he’d seen her. She’d held Eddie to her briefly, assured herself that he was uninjured, and then soundly chastised him for running off. She’d told him that he absolutely could not come here again, that he had to stay away from the animals. Then she’d turned those wide gray eyes on Luke and apologized for her son’s impulsive, inappropriate behavior.

He’d never heard childish curiosity called “inappropriate” behavior before. Only later had he discovered, through an innocent conversation with Gwendolyn McCauley at the local café, that Kate was an elementary school teacher. She was one classy lady, and obviously well educated. Her reserved attitude and the fact that she stuck around only long enough to retrieve her son made their differences real obvious.

He’d gruffly told her that her son should stay on his side of the fence because any animal could be dangerous, even one that looked perfectly harmless. She’d looked at him in horror for an endless moment, then bundled off Eddie without another word. Luke had barely seen her since. Certainly hadn’t spoken to her.

She apparently found him even more frightening than his animals.

Eddie cleared the fence and ran in the direction of the Whitaker house. Or more specifically, the Whitaker garage, where he lived in the apartment upstairs with his mother.

Luke didn’t want to dwell on the attractive but uptight sister of his coolly polite neighbor. Travis wasn’t hostile, but he seemed suspicious of Luke and the Last Chance Ranch. It really didn’t matter because Luke owned the land and was here to stay, regardless of what the locals thought or said.

Just as he turned away to walk back to the house, a truck pulled off the rural road into the long driveway, past his house to the large barn. His feed shipment had arrived. When the driver, a young man named Lester Boggs, stopped and rolled down the window, Luke told him, “Pull on around to the barn door. I’ll help you unload.”

“You runnin’ some kind of zoo?” Lester asked as they piled up the sacks of feed.

“Not exactly.”

“Aunt Joyce said Hank told her and Thelma you used to work in Hollywood.”

“I did a little animal training. A little stunt work.”

“You ever do any stunts for Ben Affleck?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“Johnny Depp?”

“Not really.”

The other man seemed disappointed. Well, too bad. Luke didn’t believe in living his life in public. Hank had warned him people would be curious about any newcomer. A newcomer with a menagerie of animals…that caused extra speculation. Luke didn’t care, as long as he wasn’t bothered.

The previous owner hadn’t taken good care of the ranch. All the animals except a few half-wild barn cats had been sold long ago. The place was as close to deserted as Luke had ever seen. His first priorities had been the barn and fences. Everything else could wait.

“Why would you want a bunch of old animals?” Lester asked as they worked on the hay bales. Next year Luke planned to grow his own crop of coastal Bermuda, but for now he needed to buy hay locally.

“I like them,” Luke said, hooking another bale. “They spent their lives performing in circuses, films, animal acts. They’ve earned a retirement, but some of them were going to be put down because they weren’t useful anymore. He felt his anger build at the injustice. “Some were wasting away without food or shelter. I’m giving them a home for as long as they live.”

Lester looked at him as though he were nuts. “Whatever you say, Mr. Simon,” he said cautiously.

Luke didn’t respond. He’d had no intention of talking about himself to strangers. And as far as he was concerned, almost everyone here was a stranger, even if he did know their names and where they lived. Even if they were neighbors.

KATE STOPPED LOADING the washing machine when she saw the telltale burrs on her son’s fleece pullover. “Oh, Eddie.” He’d been in the pasture where he’d been forbidden to venture.

“Hey, Kate,” Jodie, looking gorgeous in a coral athletic suit, said from the doorway of the downstairs laundry room. Jodie, a plus-size model who had a clothing line and a fragrance, and Travis had been married for almost a year. Their daughter was just beginning to teethe—still far too young to be slipping away on her own to get into trouble.

“Hi, Jodie,” Kate replied, trying to coax some enthusiasm into her voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“My son. Our neighbor. Everything.”

“Surely it’s not that bad,” Jodie said sympathetically, leaning her hip against the dryer.

Kate held the garment briefly to her chest. “I’m frustrated that I can’t stop Eddie from running over to our neighbor’s ranch to see those odd animals. He could be injured by Travis’s huge longhorn cattle along the way. He could fall and hurt himself—hit his head on a rock or break his leg. And how would anyone know?”

“Would you feel better if Travis moved the cattle for now? Or would you like to find someplace else to live? You know Travis offered to rent you a house closer to the school.”

“No, I don’t want to put him out any more than I already have.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but giving me free rent and worrying along with me over Eddie’s excursions across the fence are enough for now. Besides, I’ll be on my feet soon. I hope.”

Jodie came over and gave her a hug. Kate felt like throwing her arms around her sister-in-law and sobbing into her shoulder. But she wouldn’t. Jodie was too kindhearted, and Kate knew her melancholy was temporary. Or at least she hoped it was.

She pulled back and sniffed. “I’m sorry. I’m just down right now. I…I’m obviously not doing something right. Sometimes, especially when I spend a little too much time alone thinking, I wonder if I’m doing anything right.”

“Of course you are! We all love you. And Eddie is a great kid, even if he is a little too adventurous at times.”

“He is a great kid, but I wonder how much is my doing. I mean, I married the wrong man, allowed him to take care of me financially if not emotionally, and closed my eyes to both his unscrupulous investment decisions and his philandering. I’ve never worked outside the home, never even considered that I needed credit in my own name. I was blind and dumb to my lying, cheating husband until everything in my ‘perfect’ world came tumbling down.”

“You’re being way too hard on yourself.”

Kate shook her head. “It’s all true. And now I’m responsible for everything—Eddie’s health and welfare, his education and development. I need to run a household on almost no money, because about all I can do is substitute teach until I get a permanent job.” Kate sniffed again. “I’m sorry, Jodie. I’m just having a little pity party down here in the laundry room. I didn’t mean to burden you.”

“We keep telling you it’s no burden. We love you, Kate. We’ve never used the garage apartment, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, until you and Eddie get tired of us and want to move away.”

Kate attempted a shaky smile. “You’re too nice.”

In a moment of brash confidence, she’d decided not to take any more handouts from her oil-wealthy father and successful architect brother. She’d taken enough “handouts” from Ed without considering the consequences. No, she needed to succeed on her own merits, as much as possible, as long as Eddie’s health or happiness wasn’t compromised. Living rent-free over Travis’s garage in a nice but small apartment helped tremendously, even though the few pieces of heirloom furniture she’d managed to keep after the estate sale seemed lonely and sad against the stark white walls and light wood flooring.

“It’s just that I’ve always thought of myself as a homemaker and a mother, not a sole provider,” she explained to Jodie. “Although I know how important it is to be independent, sometimes I feel that I can’t do this alone.”

“Yes, you can.” Jodie gave Kate a fierce hug. “Besides, you’re not alone. You have us, for better or for worse. And everyone in town loves you.”

Kate nodded even as she thought of one person who wasn’t so fond of her inquisitive son—their neighbor Luke Simon. Still, she hugged Jodie back and felt better now that she’d expressed her fears. She wasn’t a wimp. She would get a job and she would be strong for Eddie.

“Okay, I’ll leave you alone with the laundry. I just came down to tell you that we’re going into town. Travis needs to stop by the hardware store, then we’re joining Hank and Gwendolyn for an early dinner at Bretford House. We’d love for you and Eddie to join us.”

“I’m not sure. He’s still napping after his little visit to the pasture.” Talking about Eddie brought Kate’s thoughts back to their neighbor. Luke could be at the hardware store, or just around town…or with Hank and Gwendolyn for dinner out. Ever since that first nonmeeting at the café, Kate had been unexpectedly conscious of him. She could barely talk to him, even to apologize for her son’s transgressions. The man flustered her more than she’d been flustered in a long, long time.

“Oh? Did he cross the fence again?”

Kate held up the shirt. “There’s evidence he did, though I didn’t get a call.” Kate sighed. “I don’t know why Eddie’s so interested in those animals.”

“Oh, come on, Kate. Zebras in the Texas Hill Country? A floppy-eared donkey and two matching white horses? Of course he’s curious. I just wish he’d listen to our warnings. Like you said, he walks—or runs, probably—across our pasture with those longhorns out there. They seem gentle, but those horns are deadly.”

“I know. He loves being outdoors. I had to be so protective when we lived on a busy street in the suburbs. I’d hate to confine him to the apartment here.”

“No, you can’t do that. Children need time to play. It’s too bad he’s such a sneaky escape artist—and I mean that in the nicest way.”

Kate laughed as she stuffed the shirt into the washer. “I know exactly what you mean. Wait until Marsha starts crawling and walking. You’ll get a real workout then.”

“Speaking of workouts, I’d better change. Bretford House isn’t formal, but I don’t like to go there dressed like I should be in yoga class or going for a jog.”

Kate looked down at her own jeans and sweatshirt. “I’d have to change, too, and I still have a lot of work to do. Maybe I’ll pass tonight. You and Travis have a double date with Gwendolyn and Hank.”

“And our two little monsters? I’m sure they’re bringing their little boy, so dinner should be interesting with both kids teething. Come to think of it, maybe you should stay home!”

Kate chuckled, then Jodie said, “Well, I’m going to get dressed. If you change your mind, be ready in about a half an hour. Otherwise, we’ll see you tomorrow for church.”

“Yes, that’s the plan. If Eddie doesn’t run off again.”

“Good luck,” Jodie said with a smile, then turned and walked out of the garage.

Good luck. Kate knew she’d need it to avoid Luke Simon for the rest of her stay in Ranger Springs. Or, if she got a teaching job here, for the rest of her life. She didn’t want that flustered feeling, she especially didn’t want to get involved with a man, and she extra-especially didn’t want to encourage Eddie’s interest in what should clearly be off-limits—exotic animals and a Harley-riding Californian.

With a sigh, Kate added detergent and started the wash cycle.

THE FOLLOWING Saturday morning after breakfast, Eddie excused himself to play soldier in the backyard. Kate didn’t approve of the game, but Travis had played it with him after Eddie had seen coverage of the war on television. They both claimed that Kate, being a “girl,” just didn’t understand “guy things.”

Kate settled into her couch with her second cup of coffee and listened to Eddie’s new toy gun’s ratta-tat-tat as he ran from tree to tree. He should have a playmate. She hoped he made friends at the elementary school. Perhaps when she got a permanent job, she’d rent a house in town where there were other children his age. She didn’t want her son growing up lonely.

Pushing aside her misgivings about Eddie playing soldier, she picked up a professional teachers organization’s magazine and turned to an article she’d tagged. During her years of marriage, she hadn’t kept up with educational standards and was sadly behind in understanding funding issues, certification requirements and classroom trends. Before long she was immersed in her reading. When she turned the page, she heard…silence.

The ratta-tat-tat had stopped. There was no sound of her son scurrying from tree to tree. Nothing but the chirping of birds.

She hurried out the door onto the small landing at the top of the stairs and called, “Eddie!”

Nothing.

She ran down the steps, calling him again. And again. No Eddie.

Travis stepped outside onto his deck, baby Marsha in his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“I think Eddie has run off again.”

“If you wait, I’ll take you in the pickup.” Travis kept an old truck for driving across his rolling pastures to feed his longhorns, especially in the winters.

“No, he was just outside playing. I think I can catch up with him. Then I’m grounding him until he’s thirty.”

Travis unclipped his cell phone from his waistband. “Take this in case you need to call.”

“Thanks. I keep forgetting mine.”

“You should always have a cell phone with you, Kate. Or a walkie-talkie. I’ll get some for us. Be careful.”

“It’s just a pasture.”

“I know.”

She rushed off, grateful she was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans, a turtleneck and sneakers, her “suburban mom” uniform. At the edge of the backyard she discovered Eddie’s empty juice box. Following the path two little feet had worked into the winter-dry grass wasn’t difficult. Eddie had obviously walked this way many times. Too many times, she silently corrected herself.

By the time she arrived at the wire fence separating Travis’s property from Luke Simon’s ranch, she was out of breath. “I’ve got to start exercising again,” she whispered as she placed her hands on her knees and breathed deeply. Keeping up with one six-year-old was difficult enough, but soon she’d be charged with handling about twenty energetic elementary students on a daily basis. If she got the job.

To her left she heard the faint sound of her son singing his favorite song. Relief swept through her, because although she didn’t doubt that he’d once again migrated to see the odd animals—and their equally mysterious owner—she was now sure he was safe.

She’d just glimpsed his red shirt when the roar of a powerful engine disturbed the nature sounds. Looking toward Luke Simon’s driveway, she saw a large silver crew-cab pickup move toward the run-down ranch house.

Curious, knowing she shouldn’t be, she jogged to the row of trees dividing the pasture and the driveway.

“Luke!” a female voice called from the truck as the engine died. “Where are you?”

A door banged shut. A few seconds later, Luke appeared, dressed in tight, faded jeans and a white T-shirt. His long hair was disheveled and his feet bare.

Kate sucked in a breath. He looked like a movie star. A Greek god. Stop staring at him, she told herself. Concentrate on your son.

Eddie was crouched behind a large oak, also watching the group that had arrived in the noisy pickup, and seemingly unaware that his mother had followed him.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?”

Luke’s clearly disbelieving tone carried through the trees. Just then, a big-busted blonde bounced from the truck, giggling as she jogged toward him. It’s a wonder she doesn’t seriously hurt herself, Kate thought, glancing down at her own modest B-cups.

“Luke! We missed you so much that we had to visit.”

“I can’t believe you moved to the middle of nowhere!” an equally well-endowed redhead squealed, also running over to him. Both women hugged him, one on each side, until Kate thought he might be crushed by silicone. Or whatever doctors were implanting now.

It was Baywatch on the Prairie.

“You don’t like my ranch?” Luke asked.

“It’s so…rural!” the blonde exclaimed.

A California-style cowboy eased around the front of the truck and grinned. Dressed in new jeans and a flashy snap-front shirt, he “wasn’t from around here,” as they said in town. “I couldn’t keep them away,” he said.