Page 82 of Nanny for the Cowboy

“Hey, man.” I stand to clap my hand against Leo’s, both of us giving the other a brotherly hug. “Good to see you. Excited?”

Leo sits down in one of the chairs next to me, the wooden feet screeching against the polished cement floor.

“I am!” He takes off his jacket—picking up that same drink special menu—and then smiles up at me. “It’s been years since Clover was really into this, and I’m so glad she’s gotten back into it.”

“Yeah, she told me a bit about that. Said something about doing it in school?”

I take a sip of my beer, needing that liquid courage more than ever, and one of the servers comes over to take Leo’s order.

“Umm, I’ll have the seasonal Sam Addams, please.” She smiles and nods. “Thank you.”

When it’s just the two of us again, Leo pulls out his wallet and fishes inside for a picture. When he pulls it out, I can see a young Clover on stage singing her heart out.

“Oh, my God.” I take it, studying the image.

It’s definitely her, but the high school version of Clover doesn’t hold a candle to the woman I know now. I can see just how much self-confidence she’s gained since then, and it makes my chest tingle.

“Yeah, that was her. Clover performed at a charity event for her high school. She did great. Everyone cheered. Hell, they stood up. It was such an incredible day. But…”

Leo’s tone drops, and I see a sadness wash over his expression that has me slowly handing back the photo, unwilling to break the quiet.

“Well, kids are cruel a lot of the time. And poor Clover. Beth had started to get sick around then, so she was already so upset.”

Curiosity gets the best of me. “What happened? Was she bullied?”

“In a sense, yeah.” Leo nods. “Some mean girls, if I’m using that term correctly, teased her about being so into singing. I don’t think Clover could handle it with everything else going on. She quit after that. It kills me that some popular girls—who are probably listening to the radio like all of us—convinced my daughter to give up on her dream.”

Not on my fucking watch. If someone tries that shit, I’ll put a stop to it so damned quick, their heads will spin.

“Look at this!”

Darby comes back from the bar just as the server gives Leo his drink. As I glance over at what my son is carrying, I burst out laughing, easing some of the tension that’s burning through me.

“Holy cow, kiddo. That’s like an entire jar of cherries,” Leo offers.

“Half! I watched him pour them!” Darby is thrilled, and I know that there’s a sugar crash coming in the future.

“Go slow. Okay, bud?” I eye Darby, raising my brows so he knows I’m serious. “Remember the chocolate coins.”

Darby’s face blanches at the memory, and he nods, taking his seat between me and Leo.

Leo furrows his brow. “Chocolate coins? Dare I ask?”

I laugh gently, shaking my head. “Darby here was a little kid, like four or five, and he got it in his head to eat an entire bag of chocolate coins.”

Shuddering, Darby sips at his drink, admittedly very slowly, which I’m proud of.

“I take it that didn’t go well.”

Leo pats Darby on the shoulder, and my son shakes his head. “I puked. A lot.”

“Yeah, while I was in the bathroom trying to pee.” I smile, the memory one of warning and hilarity. “He just walked in, said, ‘I don’t feel good,’ and then threw up brown all over the place while I was on the toilet. Good times.”

We all laugh, and Leo happily shakes his head with a smile as he finishes a sip of his beer.

“Kids. They’re something alright.”

“That they are.” I nod, releasing a heavy breath.

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