A Bachelor, A Boss And A Baby

His grin broadened. “I’ve known all types in my life.”

She was still smiling as she poured boiling water into the mugs over the waiting tea bags. Soon the rich aroma of black tea began to waft through the kitchen. “So why did you leave Ireland?” she asked. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“Now that’s a story,” he answered. Once again his deep voice took on the rhythms of the American West, leaving behind the hints of Galway. And they were just hints, poking out from time to time. He’d clearly been in the States for a while. “Like many places in the world, Ireland was booming just before the economic crash. Unlike many places in the world, we didn’t recover quickly. We had too much boom. We were bringing in workers from all over the world, building fast, growing, and then...” He shrugged.

“Whatever. Life was getting harder, finding work was getting harder and I had a bit of the wanderlust in me. I hopped through a few jobs, then stopped here.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Because I like it. It’s different. Galway’s beautiful with mountains and plenty of seashore, and the town itself has a lot of charm in parts. But I have to say, I wasn’t prepared for the sheer size of your country. I was astonished and spellbound. And then I saw the mountains here. They dwarf anything I’d ever known before, plus there’s a whole lot of wide-open space, space almost beyond imagining. It would be hard to tear me away.”

She nodded and set her tea bag on the saucer in the middle of the table. Lifting her cup, she closed her eyes for a few seconds just to inhale the fragrant steam. The questions buzzing her head were dangerous, so she diverted. She didn’t dare ask about people she would be working with. “All tea comes from a single Asian plant, from Yunnan in China. It grows elsewhere now, and there are probably varieties, but most of the flavor we love has to do with how the tea is aged.” She opened her eyes.

“Where did that come from?” he asked.

“Trying to avoid asking you about the members of the commissions and boards I’m going to be dealing with.”

He cracked a laugh, a deep sound that rumbled as if it rose from the depths. “I shouldn’t say much. A bunch of eejits, but not always. They’re politicians. You can count on them to look out for themselves. Take the culvert I told you about. That’s going to need to be replaced as swiftly as possible. I’ll have to let them know what I’m going to do, even though I believe I have the money in the roads budget. They like to be informed. Oh, keep that in mind, Diane. They want to know everything. Some of them will raise Cain because there are probably ten things that they might consider more important. Finally they’ll settle down and give me the go-ahead simply because they don’t want a dozen of the largest ranchers around here to be having to detour by miles all winter. But the argument will reassure them that they’re the ones in control.”

She understood him perfectly. That was a game she’d played before. She also knew how to win...usually.

“But that’s just a handful of people,” he said. “The rest of the folks around here are the kind of people I’m happy to spend time with. At least those I’ve met. I think you’ll enjoy most everything here, unless you like to live in high style. The closest thing we have to a nightclub is a roadhouse, where I’d advise you to never go alone. Then there’s Mahoney’s Bar, which is as close as I’ve ever found to my local pub.” He paused. “Now, you might like that somewhat. Busy, friendly place.”

She was smiling again, enjoying his description. Relaxation had begun to fill her anew as she thought that she probably hadn’t made a mistake in accepting this job.

Daphne’s sudden entrance into her life had given Diane more qualms about coming to Conard County than she’d initially had by far. When it was just her, it was all a big adventure. With Daphne it had become intimidating. She had begun to start thinking about all kinds of things, from day care to eventual schooling. Was this the best place to give her little cousin all the opportunities she should have? And what about the quality of medical care?

Thoughts that had never plagued her before plagued her now. “Becoming an unexpected mother is a bit shocking,” she said, musing and only half-aware she was speaking. “A whole new set of worries I never had in the past, and bam, at the worst time possible, in the middle of a move and starting a new job.”

“Yeah, most people get a little more warning, like about nine months.”

Again he made her laugh. There was a sparkle in his amazing blue eyes and only humor around his mouth. A good-looking man. She realized she was experiencing an adolescent urge to just drink him in with her eyes. At once she raised her cup and turned her attention to her tea, hoping to find safety there. She had too much on her plate, and anyway, as far as she could determine, romantic relationships with colleagues could be fraught with danger and a lot of potential discomfort.

“Thanks so much for the tea,” he said, rising. He crossed to the sink and rinsed his cup before setting it on the counter. “I’ll see you in the morning, Diane. I’m sure you need some downtime after everything.”

She rose, too, and followed him to the door. “How much trouble do you think they’re going to give me over Daphne? Aubrey said she’ll ask her sister-in-law to find room for her at the day care center.”

He paused with his hand on the doorknob and gave her another smile. “I told you we were going to be an army. I meant it. First one gives you a hard time is going to hear from me. You’re entitled to time to settle everything. Good night.”

“Thank you again for the flower,” she called after him.

He gave a quick wave, then strode away into the night. He moved easily, evidently fit and apparently accustomed to walking. He passed from the pool of light under one streetlamp to the next until he vanished around a corner.

Only then did she close and lock her door. Back in the kitchen, she smiled again as she looked at the bright red daisy on her windowsill. A thoughtful gesture. He couldn’t possibly have guessed how much she loved gerbera daisies. They always reminded her of a drawing, so perfect it hardly seemed possible that they were real.

Then, trying to divert her thoughts from Blaine without much success, she put the remains of her steak sandwich and salad on a plate, opened a bottle of diet root beer and headed for her recliner.

Settled in comfortably, she waited for the next feeding and wondered if she could find that novel she’d been reading before her whole life had been packed into boxes and the trunk of her car. Having so little furniture of her own that was worth keeping had made the move easy and cheap. But now there were boxes stuffed into every corner, awaiting her attention. Boxes that had been labeled by the movers she had hired. She wondered how well they had done their jobs.

Well, she could wait to find out. The important thing was that she had her dad’s easy chair.

And Daphne. That baby was becoming incredibly important to her.

Poor MaryJo. Diane couldn’t begin to imagine the hell her cousin must be enduring. She just hoped the doctors could help.

Then she started eating, taking her time. Even cold the sandwich tasted delicious. She wiggled her toes and felt tension start to leave her legs.

Man, she had been wound up today, although she hadn’t really been aware of it. For a little while when Daphne had refused to stop crying, yeah, then she’d been frantic.

But Blaine had come along, handling it all for her and assuring her it wasn’t all that difficult a thing to take care of a baby. Then Aubrey and Candy and their warm welcome.

She just hoped tomorrow would go as well. With a full tummy, she put her empty plate and bottle onto the box beside her chair and allowed herself to doze. Behind her eyelids danced the memory of a man offering her a red gerbera daisy.

Chapter Three (#u10f6d2f1-c966-5814-a628-f8975988af3a)

For her first meeting with her new bosses as an employee, Diane chose a three-piece black outfit with slacks, a matching sleeveless shirt and a modified trapeze top that moved slightly when she walked but had the effect of minimizing her curves, such as they might be. Drawing attention to her gender had never yet proved to be an asset at work.

Daphne seemed to be in a sunny mood, eating her breakfast while looking around as if taking the whole world in. Tucked safely in her car seat, she waved her little arms and legs freely, causing Diane just a bit of trouble as she tried to strap the girl safely into the back seat of her car. Diane didn’t mind the wiggling, however. She just wished she could share the child’s happy mood. Right then she felt as if she might be going to her execution.

Aubrey and Candy had come to her office because they’d heard about Daphne. That probably meant everyone else with an interest had heard by now. What would she do if they refused to let her bring the child with her until she could find suitable care for her?

Her stomach had begun to feel like lead. The oat cereal she’d eaten felt like it wanted to stage a revolution. She paused to check the diaper bag once more, making sure she had enough for the day. And if she didn’t, well, there was lunch hour and a trip to the pharmacy on Main Street or the grocery at the edge of town. She wasn’t in the wilderness, for heaven’s sake.

Mentally bucking herself up, she drove down streets beneath big old trees that were just beginning to brighten with autumn color. She had a designated parking space behind the courthouse, and she slid into it. After she turned off the engine, she sat for several minutes, trying to center herself.

She was startled by a gentle rapping on the window beside her. Turning her head, she saw a pleasant-looking man in a sweatshirt and jeans. She rolled her window down a crack.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m Wyatt Carter, the judge around here. You’re the new urban planner, aren’t you? Is everything okay? You didn’t move for so long, I had to wonder.”

Diane felt her cheeks heat a bit. “I’m fine. New-job nerves.”

He nodded. “I get that. Come on, I’ll walk you in and we’ll stare everyone down.”

That made her smile at last. “Do I really need protection?”

He tilted his head as if thinking, then shook his head. “Actually, not at all. That’s what I have a gavel for.”

Which was how she came to be walking down the corridor in the courthouse basement with the judge carrying her diaper bag while she carried Daphne in her all-purpose car seat in one hand and her briefcase in the other.

Quite a start to the day, she thought as she entered her office. Wyatt—he’d already insisted she drop the formality—placed the diaper bag on her desk. “I’m just two floors up, and we’re having a full day in the court. If you need anything from me, one of the clerks can bring me a message. But honestly, I think everyone down here will help you without hesitation. Have a great day and remind the council members I still own the gavel.”

Well, he’d certainly helped her get over some of her nerves, she thought. Was this town a Disney creation? Everyone she’d met so far had been amazingly nice. She placed Daphne in a corner out of the way after checking her diaper, then gave her a small, not too noisy rattle to use. Clutched in one little fist, it waved in every direction, then wound up pressed to the girl’s mouth. Everything seemed to wind up there. She made a mental note to check around her house very carefully before putting the baby down on a blanket on the floor.

Or maybe she should get a playpen. Man, the list was adding up. Playpen, changing table, crib. Then more clothes, because her onesies would stop fitting soon.

Seated at her desk, she pulled the files out of her briefcase, feeling only one pang of guilt that she hadn’t spent any time on them last night. Not that they needed intense attention. One was the comprehensive plan from so long ago, and she’d read that before applying. It read like comprehensive plans everywhere except for being outdated.

Then there was a series of folders that amounted to the local wish list, she guessed. Airport runway expansion. Updating the parks. Help to attract new business. Some funding for repairing the high school, which had apparently met with... She caught her breath. A bomb? Really? She wouldn’t have expected that here. Probably some kid who’d thought he was being funny. Or brilliant.