Page 55 of Nanny for the Cowboy

“Except you. You won twice,Ace.”

He looks slightly bashful for a moment, and I can’t help but admire the way it looks on him. Brooks tries to hide his smile, failing miserably, and if that’s the only thing he’s going to be bad at, I guess I’ll take it.

“It’s hard, Clover. Don’t feel bad. Dad really had to teach me how to do it.” Darby offers a kind smile, but it’s broken as he yawns.

“Uh-oh. I think it’s time to get someone to bed.” Brooks turns back to the group after looking at the clock. “Come on, bud.”

I glance up, seeing that we’ve stayed up way past his bedtime playing the game. Thankfully, it’s a weekend, and we’re fine. But damn, he’s been up almost two hours extra.

“Oh, come on,” Darby whines. “We could play just one more.”

He holds his hands up, pleading for another game, but another yawn is what sneaks through, and Brooks and I both chuckle.

“You want to try that again without yawning?” Darby makes a sheepish expression, getting up from his chair and heading toward the bathroom to brush his teeth. “That’s right.”

“Oh,” Darby pauses, stopping in his tracks with his eyes wide, “I forgot to tell you something.”

“No stalling, young man.” Brooks eyes him, pointing down the hall.

“I’m not! I’m serious. I saw a guy earlier.”

Brooks and I both frown, and my stomach clenches as Brooks holds out his arms for Darby to come closer.

“What guy?”

“He was walking along the side of the highway. His car was parked pretty far down the road, back toward town.”

“When was this?” I ask, my pulse already climbing higher and higher.

“Umm, earlier. I was outside playing in the yard. I don’t know when that was, but today.”

Anxiety grips me, and I can’t find any words. Thankfully, Brooks is right there to get more details.

“What did he look like, bud?”

“Oh! Umm, he had a baseball hat on. It was pulled way down but there wasn’t a team on it. Weird. Anyway, he also had a jacket on. And it’s like a million outside, so he had to be super hot. Or he’s like Mrs. Crupe who has a sweater on like all the time.”

Mrs. Crupe is Darby’s math teacher, but I don’t think that whoever was here had her blood condition. If anything, it sounds like they were trying to keep their identity hidden.

Kyle?

“Anything else, Darby?” Brooks is on the edge of his seat, holding his son’s arms.

“No. I couldn’t really see anything else and then the guy just walked back to his car and drove off.”

“Okay, bud. Thanks. Go brush your teeth.”

Darby scampers off, not the least bit concerned about the stranger who was eyeing the house from the road.

“Brooks,” I get his attention, leaning closer so that I can whisper, “I’m worried. What if that was…you know who? Darby was all alone outside. If something had happened…”

“He’s fine, Lucky. Darby is totally fine.” Brooks sighs, pushing a hand through his hair. “I don’t want us to jump to conclusions. It’s very likely it was someone lost. We get that a lot out here since we’re right on the highway. They miss a turn and have to turn around and go back.”

“Seriously? Someone lost? You know about my ‘colleague.’ What if it’s him?”

Clenching his jaw, Brooks holds my stare for a moment before he closes his eyes and sighs. He pinches the bridge of his nose, nodding as his other hand goes to mine without him even looking.

“We’ll step up security. No harm in that.” Looking up, Brooks offers me a smile, and I can’t help but return it. “It’s all good, Lucky. I’ll make sure all the locks and fences are good to go. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”

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