Rodeo Baby

Chelsea glanced at Sam helplessly and he understood why. As much as Chelsea adored animals, she loved children even more. Hard to hold on to a good pout when a charming little girl asked you to come out to play.

He waited with a smile on his lips. Any second now, Chelsea had to give in to the girl’s charm.

“Is your seat belt stuck?” Tori asked. “You can’t get it off? I hep you!”

Tori climbed up onto Chelsea to reach the seat belt connection. Chelsea said, “Oof,” and laughed.

“It’s okay, Tori, I can do it. I’ll get out now.”

Tori climbed back out with Chelsea’s supporting hand on her back so she wouldn’t fall. Chelsea unsnapped her seat belt and left the car.

Tori grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the house.

“Does anyone ever say no to that child?” Sam asked.

Travis grinned. “No one I’ve met yet.”

Sam followed him, Chelsea and Tori into the house.

He’d been wrong about the interior. Completely. No sedate, old-fashioned Victorian, sage-green living room walls contrasted the solid oak floor and the dark wood trim nicely. A huge fireplace dominated one side of the room.

On the walls, several large landscapes startled with their colors and subject matter, at once roughhewn and refined, powerful and elegant. Painted by the same hand as the ones in the diner?

Travis caught him studying them. “Local artist. Zachary Brandt.”

“Local scenery?”

Travis nodded.

“Beautiful.”

“Sit, please. I’ll get Rachel. Let’s get to know each other before you start work.”

Work. Sam swallowed. What exactly would it entail here?

Rachel, an attractive woman with a warm smile and a baby in her arms, joined them, and after introductions and glasses of fresh lemonade were produced, they all sat.

Sam struggled with how to break the ice, but Tori took care of that. She lounged against Travis’s leg with her little feet crossed at the ankle and rested one elbow on Travis’s knee and her chin on her hand.

She directed all of her attention toward Chelsea.

“You gots nail polish. You like black. I like your hair. Is it soft?”

Chelsea nodded.

“Can I feel it?”

Chelsea nodded again.

Tori approached and touched it. “Oh, it’s so soft. Pretty.”

Now she leaned on Chelsea’s knee.

“Travis is gonna buy me a pony. Do you gots a pony?”

Chelsea nodded.

Tori’s eyes widened. “Mommy! Travis! Chels gots a pony!”

Sam smiled at the girl’s attempt to pronounce his daughter’s name.

Tori leaned close to Chelsea. “What’s his name?”