Next Door Daddy (5 page)

“Let's take my truck,” Nate offered, turning away.

Polly watched him, Gil and Bogie charge across the yard to the truck. Nate yanked the back door of the cab open and helped Gil and Bogie scramble in. “You coming?” he called to Polly as he closed the door and reached for his own.

Only then did Polly realize she hadn't moved, absorbed watching him with Gil. A wave of loss washed over her for Marc, seeing him pick up a much smaller Gil and place him in his car seat. “Y-yes, sure.” Unsettled, she hurried to the passenger's side and within moments they were speeding across the pasture toward the stand of trees. Fighting hard, she regained a semblance of her composure. Even though it had been two years, moments of grief hit like that, swift and sharp, triggered by the smallest of things. But she had other things to worry about right now. If Gil lost Pepper it would devastate him in more ways than she wanted to think about. Loss was not an easy thing. Maybe she'd surrounded her son with all these animals in the hopes that if one died the others would ease his pain. But it was a lie and she knew it….

She pushed the thought away. They would find Pepper. She wouldn't have to face her son's anguish again. Not today.

She glanced over at Nate. His strong jaw was set just as it had been when he'd focused on Gil balanced on the edge of that roof. She let his presence comfort her.

 

If someone had told Nate yesterday that today he'd be in the pasture cockatiel hunting, he'd have told them they'd been in one too many rodeos. But here he was doing exactly that.

As he guided the truck along the trail through the trees he marveled at the turn his life had taken in the short few days since his neighbors had arrived.

Gil and his mother, with their faces upturned, were anxiously scanning the trees in search of their lost bird. He hoped they found it for Gil's sake. The poor kid was growing more and more agitated with every moment that the bird didn't show up.

When Gil glanced his way, Nate's heartstrings tugged at the desperation he saw there. “I think we need to walk,” Nate said abruptly, settling his boot firmly on the brake.

“Yeah,” Gil said, nodding hard and blinking back what Nate knew were tears. “I might hear him talking to himself because he's scared. You know how he gets, Mama.”

“You're right. When he's scared, Pepper talks to anything that's around.”

Nate could hear desperation cloaked in Pollyanna's soft words.

Gil grinned at her words and looked at Nate with too bright eyes. “That bird can
talk.
Nate, have you ever wanted to stuff a sock in a bird's beak?”

His earnest question took Nate by surprise and he laughed for the second time that day. It came out sounding more like a cough from sucking in too much dust.

Gil's eyebrows crinkled and his eyes sobered. “I'm serious. If you're ever around Pepper long enough, you'll know what I mean. My dad, he taught him how to talk, and, boy, was he a good teacher.” His voice faltered and his gaze skittered back toward the trees. “We gotta find him.” His voice cracked. “H-he hates being outside.”

Nate met Pollyanna's worried gaze. This little bird had a deeper connection with the boy than he'd first realized. He had already stopped the truck and now he opened the door. “Come on, kiddo, let's find your bird.”

“Come on, Mama,” Gil boomed, sliding off the seat. Pollyanna and Bogie got out on the other side and they all met at the rear of the truck. With the loud sound of the diesel engine not blotting everything else out, the woods now seemed to echo with silence. Of course they weren't, there was the rush of wind through the leaves and, among other mellow sounds, the soft warble of a songbird. Not the right bird.

“I think we should walk and listen first,” Pollyanna said. Gil nodded, already plodding forward. Bogie followed along behind him, holding his head up so his collar didn't hang on the tall grass.

“Just be careful to watch your step and stay on the track first,” Nate warned, feeling a wave of protection pass over him.

“Thank you,” Pollyanna said, falling into step beside him, watching Gil race forward. “I seem to be saying that to you on a regular basis. But he loves that bird. Pepper was Marc's and if we've lost him, it will be terribly hard on Gil. I don't think I could bear it.”

Again Nate felt an overwhelming wave of protection for mother and son. It swept over him so strongly he was stunned.

But then, he understood attachment very well.

“We'll find him,” he promised, and realized that he hadn't said anything in three years that he meant more.

They hadn't gone more than twenty feet when he heard something that didn't fit with the still quiet of the woods. He touched Pollyanna's arm and pointed east.

“That's him!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands in her excitement and grabbing Nate in an exuberant hug. Her face was illuminated by delight as she squeezed him practically in half. Then as quickly as she'd grabbed him she let him go, backed up and turned pink. “Sorry,” she mouthed, then called her son back from the opposite direction. “Gilly, come here.”

Gil raced back to them. “Do you see him?”

The boy was so excited he didn't even complain that his mother had just called him Gilly.

“Listen.” Nate walked in the direction he'd heard the tiny voice. They were all silent, listening hard, hearing nothing out of the ordinary at first. Then it came again. Faintly at first, then growing in desperation.

“Pepper, all right. Pepper, all right. Jesus loves Pepper. Gilbert loves Pepper. Gilbert.
Gilll
-bert! Gilbert—”

“Pepper!” Gil yelped with joy and dashed past Nate. Nate and Pollyanna jogged after him with Bogie grunting behind them. A loud whack told him that Bogie had hit a tree. Nate glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough the dog was pulling himself up off the ground looking dazed. He shook it off and resumed galloping after them, his wrinkled face a picture of joyous glee, his droopy lips jiggling with every step. The dog reminded Nate of a walrus on legs.

What a zoo Pollyanna had. Nate laughed again and followed Gil, anxious to do whatever it took to reunite Gil and his bird. Ahead of him mother and son had stopped and were listening as they searched the trees.

“Pepper, I love you, too,” Gil called, and held up his arms.

And then it came, the desperation in the childlike voice vanished, replaced with pure elation. “Pepper loves Gilbert! Pepper
loves
Gilbert.”

There was a flutter from among the canopy of green, then the small bird swooped from the trees shrieking with elation. He landed on Gil's head babbling faster than a magpie on fast-forward.

Gil and Pollyanna giggled in relief and delight, and Nate, well, he was grinning like a goof, never so relieved in all his life.

P
olly and Gil attended their first church service at the Mule Hollow Church of Faith on Sunday. She was ashamed to admit it, but since Marc's death she'd struggled to attend church services. Not because she held a grudge against the Lord. It was something else. Something she'd never ever anticipated. She'd struggled attending church because the place that she should be most comfortable was actually the place that accentuated her loss. So much so that she could hardly bear it.

After years of attending church as a happy couple, walking in as a single—even thinking about it—caused her insides to curl up. She'd thought maybe it was just because back home it was her home church. The church she and Marc had attended together. The church she'd been married in—and held his funeral in.

She'd hoped and prayed things would be different here. But as she and Gil walked into the sanctuary she knew nothing had changed. She felt immediately lonesome for Marc. It had nothing to do with the warm welcome she received. It was odd that she could be embraced by a community and still struggle with the issues of feeling alone, and lonely. She found herself wondering if Nate felt the same way.

Looking around, she was disappointed not to find him. In the few short days that she'd known him he'd come to her rescue so many times she was afraid she might get accustomed to his help. She knew that he'd solidified his place as Gil's hero when he'd helped find Pepper.

Polly pushed thoughts of him from her mind as she saw Lacy Matlock waving her forward. Polly propelled Gil down the aisle and they slid in beside her and her handsome husband, Clint. The adoration the two shared for each other was evident, and Polly wondered if they really knew how lucky they were. If they truly understood how blessed they were.

She hadn't until it was too late.

“So, how's it going?” Lacy whispered when the song leader stood and gave them the hymnal page.

“Good,” Polly whispered back. “We're settling in.”

“You're going to come out to the house for lunch when the service is over.”

It wasn't a question, Polly realized. Lacy winked. “I've made my special berry cobbler and Clint has a brisket in the slow cooker as we speak. So it's a done deal. I'll invite some others and we'll have a good ol' time.”

Polly nodded, then joined in the singing.

Norma Sue and Esther Mae were in the front row of the choir, and they were both grinning at her as they sang full out. Esther Mae had on a hat that was overflowing with red poppies. They shook and shimmied with every note she sang.

Smiling at the sight, Polly joined in the singing and promised herself that if she just gave it time one day, she wouldn't feel like the odd person out. One day she'd belong again.

 

On Wednesday afternoon, Nate found three packages on his porch addressed to Pollyanna. Since she was busy getting the bed-and-breakfast ready, he figured whatever was in the packages might be important, so he loaded them into his truck to drop off on his way past her house. He was hauling cattle to auction in Ranger, and they bawled loudly as he drove.

“Hang on, boys,” he said, and turned onto Pollyanna's drive. “Let's see what disaster awaits us.” Life at the McDonald house was not boring. That was for certain. Before he even came to a halt, Pollyanna came out onto the porch. She was holding a phone book.

“Hi,” she called as he climbed out and grabbed the first package.

“Hi. I've got some packages meant for you. Three of them.”

“It's my bedding for the B and B!” she exclaimed, and got so excited she tried to snatch the box from him before he could set in on the porch. They almost bumped heads but missed by a small margin, though his hat tumbled to the ground.

“So, I figure this makes you happy?”

She grimaced, dropped the phone book onto the box and scooped up the hat. “The boxes make me happy. Not attacking your hat. Sorry.” She held it out to him.

“Not a problem.” Their hands brushed as he took the hat, and he felt a hum of electricity. Unsettled by it, he pulled back and stuck the hat on his head. “There's two more. I'll get them.” He strode back down the path, but she followed. “You must really need this stuff,” he said.

“I do. But right now I need a vet more. I was just looking up phone numbers when I saw you drive up.”

“What's wrong?” he handed her a box, careful not to touch her, and took one himself. The cows knocked around in the trailer and Pollyanna jumped, then laughed nervously. “Sorry, the boys are a rowdy bunch,” he said, moving away from her and heading to the house. He needed to get on the road.

“One of Bogie's stitches is puffy and I wanted to take him into the nearest vet and get him checked out. I should have already found one around here, but I haven't had the chance. I'm thinking he might need a round of antibiotics or something.”

He opened the screen door and set the boxes down one at a time inside. Pollyanna had picked up the phone book and was studying it. Nate glanced at the trailerload of cattle and back at her. “I could take you into Ranger. The vet's office is just down the street from where I'm headed.”

“Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that. Just give me his name and I'll take care of it. I have to pick Gil up today anyway. Max had a dentist appointment, so Rose picked him up early.”

Miss Independent. He wasn't too happy about the impromptu invitation he'd tossed out there, either. For more than one reason. First, he still wasn't comfortable spending time around Pollyanna, and second, the vet was a she. A single she he'd been avoiding as much as possible because she was more interested in him than his animals. Pollyanna was giving him an out.

One he didn't feel any more comfortable taking.

“We can swing by and pick Gil up. It won't take me long to unload the cows. We can call the vet from the truck.” He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into, but he couldn't ignore that Pollyanna and Gil needed his help. He thought about dinner the other night. “Besides,” he added, “Gil told me you were wanting to buy a goat. The parents of the receptionist at the vet's office raise them. I'm sure she'd be glad to fix you up. We could probably even swing by and bring it back in the trailer today.” He glanced at her car sitting in the drive. “I don't think a goat will fit in that matchbox.” He grinned. “So, what'll it be?”

She made a cute face at the car remark, but didn't answer right away. He waited while she thought about it.

“Gil really wants a goat,” she said at last. “So if you're game, we're in.”

“I'm game.” A little reluctant, but game.

Within a few moments they were heading toward the school with Bogie sitting on the seat behind them. His left eyelid was swollen slightly. Looking at it, Nate didn't think it was too bad, but he had a feeling Pollyanna didn't take chances with the health of those in her care. Regardless of species.

Nate had thought about Gil and that bird often over the past few days. And truth was he kept thinking about the dinner they'd shared that night, too. It had felt good sitting around Pollyanna's table listening to Gil talk about his bird. Watching them interact together.

And Pollyanna McDonald could cook. No, she could
more
than cook. For a man whose mealtime for the past three years had been spent leaning against the kitchen counter beside the microwave eating whatever it was that he'd just zapped or poured out of a can, a home-cooked meal was a treat. But even being that starved for a good meal, he'd recognized greatness when he'd tasted it. He'd practically made a pig out of himself sitting at her table. He hadn't been able to help it. She'd watched him with a mixture of amazement and mirth. He had a funny notion that she understood.

“This gives me a way to say thank you for that home-cooked meal you treated me to the other night.” Boy, was that an understatement.

“That meal was my thank-you for all you've done for me since I arrived.” She paused, her hands clasped in her lap. “I'll owe you another one after this.”

Nate liked the idea of that more than he was comfortable admitting. He told himself it was because of the meal. What man wouldn't do what he could to have a meal like that again? Nate might not be the happiest cowboy on the planet, but he wasn't a fool.

For the next few miles, an uneasy silence surrounded them. He found himself tossing around several conversations, but rejected them all.

“When word gets out about your cooking, your bed-and-breakfast is going to be so booked you're not going to have time to breathe. How do you plan to work that?” he asked at last.

“Work it?” She tilted her head and looked at him quizzically.

“Yeah, the business, Gil, the animals you're wanting to get. Are you going to hire someone to help you?”

“I'll eventually hire some help.”

“You might need to do it sooner than you think.” He knew the minute he said it that she didn't appreciate his comment. Her green eyes flashed fire and her shoulders stiffened. Nate chastised himself. If she was tying herself down too tightly to the place, that was her business and he should have kept his mouth shut. “Look, I don't know where that came from. What you do isn't any of my business. I'm sorry.”

She met his gaze and her expression softened. “No, I overreacted. I can take care of it at first, I'm thinking, and can hire help if needed. Rose can pick Gil up from school for me when I need her to. It would be a great blessing if I did need help immediately.”

The school came into view up ahead. Nate hadn't meant to sound discouraging. He thought she'd do well. “It could certainly happen. I've never seen anything like the way people flood into town for one of the festivals the ladies put on. Miss Adela is always turning people away at her place. Even with having moved out to Sam's and having the extra room to put another weekender up, she's still turning them away. At least, that's what I heard.”

“That's what she told me back when I was deciding if this was a viable place to move. Still, the summer and weekends will be busiest. Because of that, I feel like I can give Gil the attention he deserves.”

She paused, and Nate glanced back to see she was biting her lip, seemingly worrying about something. “You've thought it all out. Sounds good.” He had a strong need to encourage her.

She sighed. “I need to support myself and Gil. Gil is my first priority. He's lost one parent. He certainly doesn't need to feel like his mom is too busy, but I have to do this for us. I don't really have a choice.”

She folded her hands in her lap. Her knuckles were white. It struck him that she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself.

“You're doing what you need to do,” he said. “God's going to take care of you. Have you always worried this much?” he added, because he was curious—despite not wanting to be.

“Marc. He always said I was a born worrywart. I…” She hesitated and Nate glanced at her as he pulled into the school parking lot. “I hate it, actually. But I can't seem to help it. There is so much…” Her voice trailed off and she turned her face to the window.

Nate reached out and tugged gently on a strand of her curly hair. “You're doing good, Pollyanna.”

She glanced back at him and gave a small smile, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. “I hope so. I really hope so.”

Nate didn't know what to say. He could only imagine the weight she must be feeling.

He wondered how she was financially. She'd said she needed to support herself and Gil. But how bad was it? Not that it was any of his business. She didn't look as if she were in a bind. That big Victorian hadn't been cheap, and she'd had professional movers move her in. Still, appearances could be deceiving. He hoped for her sake and Gil's that her husband had had the good sense to look out for their best interests in case of his death.

Nate slowed the truck. He'd always been a hard worker, and Kayla had teased him about being a miser. But even with that, he'd made certain to have a life-insurance plan in place that would have provided for Kayla and their children, if they'd had any, in the event of his death. The way he looked at it, a man's duty to provide for his family held whether he was alive or dead.

Of course, that was just him. He hoped for Gil and Pollyanna that Marc had felt the same way. But if that were so, it didn't stand to reason that she'd be so worried.

He reined in his thoughts, telling himself again that this wasn't his business. Pollyanna was his neighbor, and he was helping her out. But that was where her business and his business ended.

 

His hero. The thought sent an uneasy tremor through Polly as she listened to Gil and Nate talk. She had to admit she liked the way Nate interacted with Gil. No wonder Gil had exploded with excitement upon seeing Nate.

The man had gotten more than he'd bargained for when they'd moved in next door to him.

She was still surprised by him. After their first meeting she'd never have imagined. Well, she'd never have imagined that he was as caring as he was. She had to admit that deep down there was a niggling bit of sorrow when Gil looked up at him. Sorrow that it wasn't his daddy he was looking up at so adoringly. She told herself it was a reasonable thing for her to feel, and then set it in the corner of her heart.