Page 19 of Her Cowboy Baby Daddy
“I totally need day help.” Then she seemed to realize where he was going and abruptly added, “But not you.”
Spence made a movement to indicate a stab to the heart. Hayley’s cheeks went pink before she murmured, “It’s notyou. It’s that I don’t want to interfere with the reason you’re back home. I’ll squeak by until my high school kids are available. They show up early next week.”
“Will this person from the Hunt Ranch be able to fill Vince’s shoes?” Daniel asked.
“I’m assuming so.”
Daniel leaned back in his chair, running his gaze over those gathered at the table. “Reed and I can handle matters here until... you know.”
The surgery. Scheduled for the end of June, five weeks away.
“And Henry will probably still be here,” Spence added before shifting in his chair. “Even if you don’t need day help, you have a half-finished pipe corral, and you probably won’t find a welder of my expertise who would finish it for the rate I charge.”
She looked interested. “What rate is that?”
Spence shot a look at his dad, then said, “Half my going rate.” He raised his eyebrows in a way that silently said, “After all, I owe you,” and Hayley appeared to receive the message.
She sat back in her chair, her gaze traveling from one Keller face to the next until she hit Audrey, who gave a slight nod.
“We’d all feel better if you weren’t so alone until we find out if this was just Carter Hunt taking a shot in the dark, or something else.”
Hayley pulled in a long breath, then released it. “All right. How long do you think the corrals will take?”
“How about I work halftime at your place, halftime here until Dad’s back operation? By that time, June... what?”
“Twenty-seventh,” Audrey said automatically.
“By then we should know if anything else is going on, and if your new hire is a Hunt spy.”
“Andie is not a Hunt spy.” But despite the certainty of her words, Hayley didn’t back away from the offer. “I’ll pay you for the corrals and for any work you might do, just like I would anyone else who sets foot on the place.”
“Agreed. Start tomorrow?”
Hayley looked as if she was still having a few second thoughts, but she said, “Yes. Tomorrow,” before opening the folder sitting on the table in front of her. “Now that that’s settled, let’s go over what Ken drew up for us.”
Chapter Five
Upon meeting AndieLandry, Spence understood why Hayley didn’t believe the young woman was an agent for Carter Hunt. All of maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, she had the look of a seasoned ranch hand, with nothing approaching artifice in her demeanor. She met his eyes directly and shook his hand when he introduced himself shortly after arriving on the Lone Tree Ranch.
“I don’t know where Hayley is. She said something about the greenhouse.”
“I’ll find her,” Spence said.
“You’re the guy who found Greta?” she asked.
“I am.”
“Thank you. I about died when she went missing.”
“Glad it all worked out,” Spence said with a half smile. He’d love to ask her about Carter Hunt, but decided against it. Andie wouldn’t know if he’d called to warn off Hayley from leasing water.
Andie jerked her head toward the idling tractor. “I have ditches to mow along the driveway.”
“Then I guess I’ll find Hayley and get to work myself.”
Hayley was in the greenhouse, just as Andie had said, watering flats that were just showing touches of green.
“Hey,” she said. “Thanks for coming.”
