her in action, a petite woman with long wavy brown hair and eyes the color of a new leaf on a maple tree. Every movement had a purpose, but when a child needed extra attention she was there to give it, even to the little boy who had caused the commotion with his cat.
Leaning back against a pole, where a goldfish bowl resided, he folded his arms across his chest and let his daughter give some of the smaller children rides on her pony, Sugar. Paige had wanted more responsibility and this was as good a time as any to give her some.
Julia Saunders approached him, a smile deep in those green eyes. He lowered his gaze to her full-lipped mouth, set in a smile directed at him. For a few seconds a trapped sensation took hold of him until he shook some sense into himself. No way was he going down that path. Ever. Again.
“Your daughter’s pony has been a huge success. This is Ellie’s second ride.” She stopped next to him and immediately the scent of lavender wafted to him.
“She wanted to bring all her pets. I put my foot down and told her only one. Now I’m glad I did. That’s all we need is more animals.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, you don’t think forty-four is enough?”
“You counted them?”
“In order to keep up with them.”
A woman after his own heart. He was liking her more and more. And that was the problem. He didn’t need a woman in his life.
Evan pushed off the post. “I’d better get Sugar back in the trailer. We need to be leaving.”
“So soon?”
He swung his attention to Julia. “I thought the picnic was winding down. I’ve seen a few families taking their stuff to their cars.”
Two patches of red colored her cheeks. “I meant—I…” She averted her gaze. “My daughter is going to be disappointed that Paige is leaving. They have been inseparable today.”
“I’ve noticed. She’s mentioned Ellie to me a few times. I didn’t realize she was your daughter.”
The picture of Julia, dressed in a pair of black slacks and a red jacket with black trim, materialized in his mind. The first time he’d seen her across the kindergarten room she had been talking with the teacher, her hands gesturing as she spoke. He could almost tell what she was saying by their movements. Very expressive.
He’d made his rounds looking at the pictures the students had drawn of their families and home, then at some of his daughter’s work on her desk. Although the whole time his gaze kept straying to the petite woman with Sarah Alpert, he stayed across the room. He knew trouble when he saw it.
“Ellie’s birthday is in a few weeks. I haven’t been here that long. Where’s a good place to have a birthday party?”
“All I’ve heard from Paige is about how great The Amazing Pizza is. According to my daughter, it has everything a person having a birthday could want. Rides, games, food, all indoors under one roof. She’s already working on me for hers in January.”
“Thanks. I’ll look into it.” She slid him a look. “Unless you think Paige would be upset if Ellie had hers there before she did?”
Evan chuckled. “Hardly. If I told her I was taking her there every weekend, I would have a happy camper.” He saw his daughter and Ellie heading for them. “But don’t say anything to her about it. I want to surprise her. She thinks we’re gonna have it at the ranch.”
“She doesn’t want it at the ranch?”
“No way.”
“Ellie would love to have her party somewhere like that. All she talks about is learning to ride a horse.”
“Sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have,” he said in a low voice.
“Daddy, can Ellie come spend the night tonight? I want to show her my other pets you wouldn’t let me bring.”
“I have some work I need to do when I get home. I don’t…” He swallowed his next words when a disappointed expression descended over his daughter’s face. He was being manipulated, but Paige had been through a rough nine months. Her mother had died suddenly of a drug overdose, and now her aunt, Evan’s little sister Whitney, was missing in action. “Sure. That is, if Mrs. Saunders says yes.”
“Mommy, can I?”
Julia’s gaze flitted from one girl to the other, then settled on him. “Are you sure? We can make it another time if you have work to do.”
“No, that’s okay. The girls can help me.”
“Then it’s fine by me.”
Paige threw her arms around him. “Thanks. We’d better get moving then.” She whirled around and raced toward Sugar tied to a post with Ellie quickly catching up with her.
“That quick exit is my daughter’s way of saying let’s get out of here before he changes his mind,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll bring the girls to church tomorrow for Sunday-school class.”
“That’s great. I’ll pick her up here then.”
The girls approached with the pony. Ellie grabbed her fishbowl off the post and hugged it against her chest.
“Do you mind following me to my apartment so I can pack an overnight bag for Ellie? I don’t think that outfit will look too good for church tomorrow.” Julia gestured toward her daughter, whose jeans and long sleeve striped shirt were dirty. “It shouldn’t be too far out of your way.”
“Mommy, why don’t you bring it out later before you go over to Anna’s tonight? We have a lot to do before it gets dark.”
“I could,” Julia replied with hesitation in her voice. “I haven’t been on a ranch yet. We didn’t have too many in Chicago.”
“Daddy has a big one. It’s the best in Texas.” Paige tugged on the reins and led Sugar toward the horse trailer.
As the girls walked away, their heads bent together, Evan sighed. “I think we’re being manipulated.”
“You think?”
Evan strode toward his truck with Julia beside him. “The ranch isn’t too far outside of town. It’s on Johnson Road about three miles out. I have a sign over the entrance that says the Double P Ranch.”
“Double P?”
“After Paige. It’s all for her. Her heritage.”
Julia retrieved the fishbowl from Ellie before she climbed up into the cab of the pickup. “I’ll be there by six.”
Evan opened the back of the horse trailer and took the reins from his daughter. “We’ll still be at the barn. Stop by there, Mrs. Saunders.”
After Paige scurried to the passenger door of the truck, Julia said, “It isn’t Mrs. Saunders but Miss Saunders. I’ve never been married,” then strolled toward her dark green Ford Mustang.
Julia
