Wild Hearts: A second chance, small town, single dad romance, page 4
Regina shrugs. “Why don’t we ask him?”
I open my mouth to tell Mrs. Salas she can mind her own business when a familiar voice sounds from behind.
“Ask me what?”
6
RYAN
I knew it was a matter of time before I ran into Val again. This town is only so big, and she couldn’t avoid me forever. Fuck. Not that she’s given me a second thought. Hell, if anyone’s been avoiding this reunion it’s me. I’m the guy she left behind. The one who has a propensity for driving women away, apparently.
I should leave well enough alone, but when I notice Val and her mom in the grocery store gossiping with Regina Salas, I can’t help but roll my shopping cart closer. Hearing her say my name sends a wave of awareness over my body.
Val’s body stiffens, and seconds pass before she turns to face me. “Ryan.” The shock on her face is almost laughable. I imagine she wishes the floor would swallow her whole. “Hey. Hi.”
A grin pulls at my lips. “Hi, Val.”
“Ryan, we were just talking about you,” Regina says.
“Oh, yeah?” My gaze never leaves Val. I can’t help myself. Her discomfort is somehow validating, and entertaining. Both feelings I lack in my life lately.
“Valeria is in need of a job,” Mrs. Brooks says.
“Mom!” Val drops my gaze to glare at her mother.
“What? It’s true!”
“And rumor around town is you’re in need of a nanny.” Regina smiles.
I bite back the urge to laugh. I’m sure the rumors are more colorful than that. My children managed to get both nannies I hired this week to quit. Their commitment to ruining any chance of us keeping reliable help would be impressive if it wasn’t such a pain in my ass.
They don’t want a stranger in our house. They’re still angry about their mother moving out. I get it. I still feel that way, too. But she’s been gone over a year, and she rarely visits or comes to get the kids on her weekends. This pace I’m operating at is unsustainable. I’m running myself into the ground and still failing. I need help. I’m desperate.
It’s the only explanation I have as I turn to Val. “You up for the challenge?”
Her stare narrows.
“Regina, would you show me where you got those beans?” Mrs. Brooks hooks her arm around her neighbor. “The ones with the coupon?”
“Beans?” Regina frowns, then glances from me to Val, and then back to Mrs. Brooks. “Oh, right! Yes, I’ll walk you there myself.”
“Discreet.” Val rolls her eyes.
I chuckle. “A pair of award-winning actresses.”
“Sorry.” She shakes her head. “They can’t help but meddle. I’m not asking . . . er, you probably wouldn’t want . . .” Val stares at the ground between us, her cheeks darkening with the hint of a blush. The same way they used to after I snuck her out of my bedroom.
A wave of desire shoots through my body and catches me by surprise. Val looks good. Really good. She always did, but the years have been good to her. Her outfit and footwear are too trendy and not at all practical. It suits her, though. The fabric hugs her generous curves and I appreciate how much her body has filled out from the lanky teen she used to be. The laugh lines around her mouth and lips signal the time that’s passed. I wonder if her life’s been filled with joy. I hope it has. Her hair is lighter too. And fuck, I’m staring, not saying a damn thing, totally caught checking her out.
“You changed your hair,” I blurt out. It’s the only decent observation I can manage that doesn’t make me sound like a creep.
“Oh.” She reaches to touch the ends before brushing them back over one shoulder. “Yeah. Just a few highlights.”
“I like it.” I swallow hard. “Looks good.”
Our conversation stalls. Her gaze doesn’t quite meet mine, and I can’t think of any other small talk to fill the space. I should say goodbye and walk away. If I didn’t know she was looking for a job, I probably would.
Rocking back on my heels, I shoot my shot. “So, how are you at keeping things alive?”
Her gaze lifts. “Plants or people?”
I grin. “Humans, obviously.”
“I’m still here, so”—she shrugs, her lips tipping up with good humor—“I’d say my track record is positive. Is this an interview? Because I feel wildly unprepared.”
My chest shakes with laughter. “This is weird, right?”
“So weird.” She exhales.
“Too weird?” I lift my brows. “I never imagined I’d hire my high school sweetheart to nanny the children I had with another woman.”
“It’s not my dream job either.” She winces. “But I’m pretty hard up. I need a paycheck, and an excuse to spend time away from my parents’ trailer.”
Val and her father’s relationship was a lot like the one between my older brother and Pops. “How’s that going?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure my back has permanent marks from the coils in the pullout mattress.”
What? “You’re sleeping on the couch?”
“It’s fine.”
It’s not, and an idea forms in my mind, even amongst all the warning bells. “If we can put aside all the strangeness, I think we can help each other. I need help with the kids and keeping up around the ranch. I also have a spare room.”
“Oh.” She shakes her head. “I don’t expect you to provide me a room.”
“But I insist. Val, it makes sense. I need help in the mornings on school days, and then after school until I’m done working, which can be seven or eight o’clock some days. The kids and I all have rooms upstairs, so you’d have the bedroom on the main floor and your own bath.”
“My own bathroom.” She groans. “You play dirty.”
“I’m good at getting what I want.”
“I remember.”
The air thickens. A surge of tension forms between us. I was only teasing, but now I can’t stop staring at her lips. Can’t stop remembering. Jesus Christ. I haven’t thought of Valeria Brooks in years and now I’m in the middle of the grocery store wondering if she tastes the same.
“Excuse me,” someone nearby mutters, her shopping cart bumping into my empty one.
Fucking hell. We’re in the middle of the store. The grocery store on Saturday, no less! Everyone is staring and I’m acting like a man who’s never seen a pretty woman before.
“Maybe we should talk outside?” Val offers.
“Yeah.”
She nods and I follow her out the front doors and around the side of the building, stopping when we’re out of sight.
“Sorry,” I apologize, though I’m not exactly sure for what.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Val says, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the sunshine. “The two of us talking back here is gonna provide fodder for months. Imagine how much worse it’ll be if I come work for you?”
I lean my back against the brick wall of the store. “Let ’em talk.”
“Wow.” Her eyes widen. “Okay, then.”
Val doesn’t realize that my family has been the center of town gossip for months now. I stopped paying attention—or caring—a long time ago.
“I guess the only thing left to negotiate is your pay.” I shrug. “And maybe a few Saturdays?”
“You want me to work Saturdays?” Val shakes her head. “I’m out.” She hikes the strap on her handbag over her shoulder and turns to walk away.
“No!” I reach out, my hand wrapping around her wrist. “Please! You can have weekends off!”
She turns back to face me and I catch the laughter on her face.
I drop her wrist. “You’re joking.”
“Yeah.” She grins. “You should’ve seen your face.”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t lying when I said I’m desperate.”
Her smile fades. “There is one thing.”
“Sure.” I brace myself for the worst. “What is it?”
“I’m not staying in Wilder Valley. Not long term. So if you’re looking for that, I am going to have to decline your extremely generous offer.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. She never wanted to be here. But her sureness dredges up feelings I’d long since buried. Or maybe it’s just picking at old wounds. “How long do you plan on staying?”
“I’m not sure yet. A month, maybe two.”
Disappointment pangs in my chest, but I mask it with a smile. “Considering I can’t find anyone to willingly come back to the ranch for more than two days, how about we agree to a two-week trial? And if things aren’t too weird, and as long as you give me some kind of notice, I’d love to have you nanny for as long as you’re here.”
Her nose scrunches up.
“What?”
“It’s that word. Nanny.” She crinkles her nose again. “I already feel like a loser, but to be starting my career as a nanny in my forties?”
“My teenagers aren’t thrilled about it, either.”
“Can I just be your cool ex-girlfriend, Val?”
“The cool part is debatable.”
She gasps, but her offense is all in good fun.
“You know, there was a time I considered you my best friend.”
“Yeah.” Val glances down at her shoes. “Me too.”
“Then, you’re an old friend doing me a favor.” I shrug. “That’s what we’ll call this. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.”
“I’d like that.” She smiles, meeting my stare. “Except for the old part. I’m not old.”
“We’re the same age, Val,” I deadpan.
“Yeah, well forty is the new thirty.”
There’s a vibrant energy Val possesses that I’ve always been envious of. I always attributed it to her adventurous spirit. Maybe that’s what keeps her so youthful. But me, I don’t feel anything other than constant, overwhelming exhaustion. Not the kind that can be solved with a good nap, either. Though, it certainly wouldn’t hurt. I wonder what she sees when she looks at me? Can she tell life’s beaten me down?
It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be concerned with what Val thinks. Especially if she’s going to be working for me. “Okay, then.” I run a hand over the scruff on my jaw. I can’t believe I’m saying this. “How soon can you move in?”
7
VAL
This is a bad idea. How could it not be? But it doesn’t stop me from packing my bags and driving to the Wilder family ranch late Saturday afternoon. To move in with Ryan. And Ryan’s children. Tiny humans whom I’ve never met but will be tasked with keeping alive.
What did I get myself into?
“Hey.” Ryan waves from the porch. A girl stands beside him. Her hair is wild around her round face; her eyes are wide with curiosity.
“Hi!” I force a smile onto my face, though my belly is a jumble of nerves.
Everything about this place strikes up the nostalgia of my youth. I spent hundreds of hours on that porch hanging out with Ryan and his siblings. In my mind, I picture Tim picking out their mom’s favorite tunes on his second-hand guitar. Aiden teasing Maeve about some boy until she cried and Mrs. Wilder yelled at him to leave her alone. Jackson chasing chickens in the yard until someone took notice. Me and Ryan cuddled up on the porch swing, content to keep things G-rated until we could steal a moment alone.
It feels like another lifetime.
I’m no longer that young girl, but there are parts of her I hold close to my heart. She’s changed over time and made me the woman I am now. Life has sharpened my soft edges. Ambition has stretched my mind, and my view of the world has expanded. My body’s gained some inches. I’ve grown.
But maybe that’s not so different for Ryan.
He’s not the young man I left behind.
He comes down the steps, his jeans hugging his thighs in a way that makes it impossible not to stare. Fucking hell. Yeah, he’s no longer a boy. Like a fine wine, he’s only gotten better with age. I much prefer the muscled man with flecks of gray in his scruffy jawline who takes my bags from my hands.
“Oh, you don’t have to . . .” The offer to carry at least one of my bags dies on my lips, because he lifts them as if they weigh nothing. The flex of his toned arms is the only sign of their heaviness.
“I’ve got ’em.”
Why yes, you do.
“Thanks.” I try not to check out his ass as I follow him back to the house and up the steps, but it’s useless. You don’t get a lot of men in Wranglers in LA. I almost forgot the appeal.
“Find the place okay?” Ryan jokes.
“Yeah.” I smile, rolling my eyes. “Only had to use my GPS once.”
He barks out a laugh. “Tess, get the door?”
The girl on the porch races to hold it open before we reach her.
“Hi.” I find her gaze and smile.
“Where are my manners?” Ryan drops my bags in the kitchen, then scoops up his daughter, even though she’s too tall to be carried. “Tess, this is daddy’s friend, Val. Val, this is my youngest, Tess.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say, trying not to stare as I take in all the similarities between Ryan and Tess. With her dark hair and knowing eyes, she’s a Wilder through and through. She reminds me a little of his sister, Maeve.
“What grade are you in?” I ask as Ryan drops her back to her feet.
“Fourth.” Her gaze drops to the floor.
“So, that makes you . . .” It takes me longer than it should to guess her age. I don’t have many friends with children, and I never really paid attention. “Ten?”
She nods, but flashes a small smile, my prize for a correct guess. Her shyness is clear and it must be uncomfortable for her to have me—a stranger—in her home. I make it my personal mission to befriend her before I leave Wilder Valley.
The inside of the ranch house is surprisingly clean and organized. The way Mom and Regina were gossiping, I expected more chaos. The décor is more modern than I remember and the wallpapered border on the kitchen walls has been replaced with crisp white paint. I wonder if his ex is responsible for the changes, or if these were Ryan’s.
I turn to take in the gigantic television and equally large leather sectional that consumes the living room and bite back a smile. For sure, that is all Ryan.
“Riley! Zach!” Ryan calls at the foot of the stairs. “Come down, please!” He comes back to grab my bags. “They’ll be a minute. Teenagers move slow. Let’s get these to your room.”
I trail after him, following Ryan through the living room and around the corner to the bedroom door. Inside it’s like stepping back in time twenty years. The macramé art hanging on the wall. The family quilt covering the bed. Even the furniture is exactly as I remember it. This room was always reserved for guests. I remember his mom preparing it for when his grandparents stayed over during holidays, or for when his cousins visited from Montana.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” He sets my bags next to the chest of drawers and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry. Not the accommodations you’re used to.”
It’s the first comment he’s made about my life back in LA and I don’t know what to do with it. Does he think I’m above this?
“Yeah.” I nod, my expression serious. “I don’t know what I’ll ever do now that I can unpack my suitcase or sleep on a bed that doesn’t fold up.”
His eyes fly wide. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did.” I flash him a smile. “But this room is more than generous. So, thank you.”
“Hey, Dad . . .” A teenage boy flies into the room. His relaxed demeanor straightens and his feet skid to a stop as soon as he spots me. “Oh.”
“Zach.” Ryan smiles. “This is Val.”
“Hey.”
“She’s gonna be helping out around here.”
“Not another nanny,” a young woman complains from the doorway. She glares at Ryan, not sparing me a glance.
Well, shit.
This must be his oldest. Her arms are crossed and though she’s shorter than I am by a few inches, there’s a toughness to her stature that screams ‘fuck off.’ Something tells me she’s going to be a hard cookie to crack.
“And this is Riley.” Ryan says, ignoring her comment. “My lovely daughter.”
Riley rolls her eyes and Zach offers me a sheepish smile.
“Hi! It’s so nice to finally meet you both,” I gush, a little overeager. But I can’t seem to turn it down. Put me in a room with adults and I’ll win them over within minutes. But teenagers and children . . . I’m a fish out of water.
“Hey,” Riley says, then flashes her father another glare. From the frown on her lips, all the way to the attitude in her stance, her disapproval of my existence is obvious to everyone in this room. “I told you I don’t need a babysitter.” I assume her words are meant for Ryan, but she gives me an unimpressed perusal. She might only be a teenager, but I squirm under her scrutiny.
“Oh, I’m not one of those.” I attempt to laugh, and thankfully the sound doesn’t betray my nerves. “I can’t even keep plants alive.” I’m sure there’s a book somewhere that states the importance of asserting dominance to earn authority. But I have no idea what I’m doing, and reaching for humor seems my best bet. “But since I don’t have to remember to water you, I am pretty confident we can cohabitate without it being too horrible.”
“She’s living here!” Riley turns to Ryan.
“Seriously, Dad?” Zach chimes in.
He didn’t tell them yet. Fucking great.
“I’m happy she’s here.” A small voice says from behind Riley. It’s Tess. “Then I won’t be left alone all the time.”
Silence settles over the room. It stretches uncomfortably with a sadness I can feel down to my bones. There’s a deep hurt here.
How difficult have these past months been for this family? Separation and divorce aren’t easy on anyone. But things are more complex when children are involved.
Guilt passes over Ryan’s expression. He clears his throat. “That’s right, bug.” He smiles, holding his hand out to Tess. She comes into the room, going to his side and wrapping her arm around him for a hug. “That’s exactly why Val is doing us a huge favor.” He glances from her, to his teenagers, and then to me. “Thank you. We’re really grateful you’re here.”
