a lot of money. I want the very best for Mindy. Hopefully after my company’s expansion is complete, I’ll have more time for my daughter.”
There was so much Tory wanted to say to Slade, but his look didn’t encourage further discussion. She didn’t have the right to interfere, even if she had come to love Mindy like a daughter. “Have you heard from Mrs. Watson? Will she be back soon?”
A scowl darkened the expression on his face. “No.”
“Is there a problem with her niece or the baby?”
“Everyone’s fine. The problem is she now wants to stay and take care of her niece’s baby. She feels her family has to come first and her niece can’t find good arrangements for the baby. I know she’s right, but still—” He clamped his mouth closed on the rest of his words.
Tory pushed to her feet. “What are you going to do now?”
Slade stared at his daughter on the other side of the pond, his brows slashing downward. “I don’t know. I have to find another housekeeper, which I know won’t be easy. I felt so lucky when I found Mrs. Watson.”
“I’ll be glad to watch Mindy until you get a new one.”
“I can’t—” He stopped midsentence and looked back at Tory. “Are you sure you don’t mind? Because frankly, if you do, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”
“This past week with Mindy has been great. I enjoy the company and she loves working with the animals. She’s even taken to the cat and her new litter that lives in the barn.”
“No wonder she’s been pestering me about getting a cat.”
“She’s named all the kittens, and after feeding and grooming Mirabelle, that’s where she goes next to check up on them.”
“I just found out yesterday about Mrs. Watson not returning. I haven’t had a chance to get in touch with the agency yet, but I will first thing tomorrow. I promise I’ll get someone as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’ll pay you for taking care of Mindy.”
She could use the money, but for some reason she couldn’t find herself accepting payment for something she wanted to do. Taking care of Mindy was important to her—an act of love. “No. Mindy is giving me as much as I’m giving her.”
“But—”
A shout from across the pond snatched the rest of Slade’s protest. He whipped about, every line in his body taut.
Chapter Four
Slade sprinted forward. Tory whirled around, her heart thumping against her chest. Mindy had fallen at the edge of the pond and now sat waist-deep in the water. Her scream of surprise turned to giggles as Laurie plopped down beside her and began splashing her.
Slade slowed to a jog. The tension in his body eased. Tory scooped up two kitchen towels she’d brought, the only thing she had to dry off the girls with, and hurried after Slade, thanking God the whole way that the children were all right.
When Slade halted near Mindy, she paused in her water fight with Laurie, looked at her friend, then they both began pelting Slade. The astonishment on his face made Tory laugh. She stood back from the girls, out of their reach, trying to contain her laughter. She couldn’t.
Slade stepped back, tossing a glance over his shoulder at Tory. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Miss Alexander.” Water dripped from his face and hair, soaking his shirt. Beneath his mocked exasperation his eyes danced with amusement.
“Yes, I am.” Tory brought her hand up to cover her mouth, but her laughter still leaked out.
Slade huffed. “Melinda Marie Donaldson, you need to get out of that pond right this minute.”
“Oh, Mindy, you’re in big trouble. Your dad used your full name.” Laurie stood.
Mindy flung her hand across the water one last time, sending it spewing up toward her father. “I’m—stuck—Dad-dy.”
While the last spray of water rolled in rivulets down his face, Slade’s mocking scowl crumbled into a look of concern. He hurried forward to pick up Mindy.
The little girl held up her hand. “Help—me—st-and.”
The water lapped over Slade’s tennis shoes as he took his daughter’s arm and assisted her to her feet. He whispered something into Mindy’s ear, then she said something to Laurie.
When they all faced Tory at the side of the pond, soaking wet while she was dry, her laughter died on her lips. “Okay, what are you all up to?”
“Nothing,” Slade said, all three of them heading toward Tory with determination in their expressions.
She backed up, her heart beginning to race. The feeling of being cornered suddenly swamped her. “Stop right there.”
No one did. Sweat popped out on Tory’s forehead. Her heartbeat accelerated even more. She continued to step away from the trio while trying to tamp down her fear. But she couldn’t control the trembling that shook her body, nor the perspiration rolling down her face. Tory’s gaze flitted from the group to the area around her. That was when she realized she was standing at the edge of the pond in some tall weeds, her tennis shoes stuck in the mud.
Slade stopped, putting his arm out to halt Mindy and Laurie. “Girls, she’s our ticket back to the barn. We’d better take mercy on her.” He clasped Mindy’s shoulder. “And speaking of the barn, we need to gather everything up. Laurie has to be home by five and we’ll need to take care of our horses before we leave.”
“Aw, Dad-dy.”
“Scoot.” He turned Mindy toward the blanket and prodded her gently forward. When the children were halfway to the blanket and out of earshot, he asked, “Are you all right?”
His questioning probe drilled through Tory’s defenses she’d thrown up. The beat of her heart slowed as she brought the gripped towel up to wipe her face. “Other than my shoes caked with mud, yes.”
He took a step toward her.
She tensed.
He halted, his gaze softening. “Thank you for inviting us this afternoon.”
Tory blinked at the sudden shift in the conversation. Relieved by it, she offered a tentative smile and said, “You’re welcome. Maybe Mindy can bring Laurie out some other time to ride with her.”
“May I use one of those towels?” He held his hand out to her but didn’t move any closer.
She looked down at the towels each crushed into a ball in her hands. A blush heated her cheeks. “Yes.” After tossing one to him, she released her death grip on the other one and relaxed her tense muscles.
Slade wiped his face, then slung the towel over his shoulder and started back toward the blanket at a slow pace. Tory pulled her feet from the mud and followed behind him, her shoes making a squishing sound that announced her arrival. The two girls giggled when they saw her.
She put her hands on her waist.
