Page 12 of Sundancer's Star

“Maybe Star senses how sad my Daddy is?”

“Maybe, honey.” The words broke Madison’s heart. Not only for Caleb but also for his daughter. She might only be turning six in the fall, but she was quite perceptive to the world around her. Even though it was a small world, it was filled with sadness.

“Maybe Star will like me too. I’m sad,” Joelle said, her voice dropping so low that Madison barely heard the words.

“Because of your mom?” Madison asked, unsure how far to go down this road. What did she know about grief counseling?

Joelle nodded.

“Try not to be sad because your mom is always right here,” Madison said, touching the region of Joelle’s heart. “She would want you to be happy. Trust me.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely,” Madison confirmed, taking Joelle by the hand to head inside the house.

“And Daddy too?”

Madison nodded. “And your dad too.”

Joelle was happy to play with her dolls while Madison set out to clean the place up a bit. He hadn’t asked, but it was a simple thing to do. And it gave her a chance to check on Caleb. Madison peeked out the kitchen window and was more than a little surprised to see Caleb stroking the horse’s neck. It was almost as though he were talking to Star, but that would be unbelievable.

It wasn’t long before the back door opened and Caleb stepped inside.

“I see you and Star are getting along,” Madison said, trying to figure out what was happening. Or more likely, hoping he had reconsidered.

Caleb shrugged and moved to get a glass of water. “I never said I hated horses. It’s the riding part that’s the problem.”

“Well, you could have fooled me the way you wouldn’t let Joelle within five feet of Star.”

“That’s because she’s just a little girl and that’s a big horse with big teeth and even bigger hooves on the end of some powerful legs.”

“I see you’ve given this some thought,” she teased.

“I mean it, Madison. Keep my daughter away from Star.”

The man was far too serious and determined to get his way. Something Madison would have to work on while she was here. “Yes, boss.”

Caleb finished the glass of water and put it in the dishwasher. “I’ve got to get to work on balancing the bank statements. I’ll be in the dining room if you need me.” He started toward the door of the kitchen, intent on leaving.

To the best of her knowledge, this hadn’t been the plan. “Umm, the dining room? You’re staying home? I thought you had to go to the store, and that’s what this was all about. My job, I mean.”

“At first, I want to get a sense of how you and Joelle get along while I’m still here. There’s no reason I can’t balance the bank statements at home. And if my uncle brings the ledger printouts tomorrow, I can focus on those while I’m here as well.”

“Sounds like you don’t trust me to do my job, so why hire me in the first place?” Madison asked.

Caleb shook his head. “I hired you because I can’t keep a one hundred percent watch on Joelle and concentrate on the bookwork. I explained that when we set up this arrangement this morning.”

He was right, but she thought he wanted to work at Bigsby’s. This was fine too, but she hadn’t planned on spending much time around Caleb. There was still her heart to protect. And she knew the perfect solution. Busy work. “I see. Well, if you get in a jam, let me know. I can lend a hand while Joelle naps.” Numbers always distracted her and would give her an escape from her own current troubles, instead of stewing on the issue.

“Why? Were you an accountant or a banker in the city? I’m assuming you weren’t always a dog walker.”

Was he trying to be funny? If he was, he was missing the mark because his comment was on the verge of condescending. “Nope. Fashion designer. However, it turned out I was nothing more than a glorified gopher with the design assistant title. It was more like a designer’s personal assistant. Julia, the owner, didn’t want me for my fashion skills, only my ability to handle her schedules and her financial affairs. She was a very private woman. It took me a few years to figure out that if I wanted to design clothes and not schedules, I needed to quit. It was either go after my dream or end up stuck in a dead-end job forever.” She had already wasted five years in the woman’s employ and still had no design experience to show for it. At least none that counted. Not that she didn’t have plenty of her designs in her portfolio, but that’s as far as she had got in her career.

“So, more than a pretty fashion designer?” Caleb said, unable to hide his smile.

Theprettypart of his remark set her heart racing.“So, it would seem. The fashion designer part, anyway.”

“You don’t think you’re pretty?” he challenged, suddenly serious.

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