of the year,” she said. “I’ve been saving money to eventually open up my own dress shop in Houston.”
His gaze swept over her, from her red Lone Star Hay and Grain T-shirt, to the faded blue jeans with a frayed hem, down to the old boots she wore, then back up again.
She tossed him a smile. “Believe it or not, when I’m not working here, I do have a bit of fashion sense.”
“I’m sure you do.” A boyish grin suggested he might have found her attractive in spite of her well-worn clothing.
Her heart fluttered at the thought, but she tamped it down. She wasn’t looking for a cowboy, especially one who was local. “As I was saying, the sale on small animals we’re running is actually advertised in the newspaper. It was my idea because those little critters can sure multiply if you aren’t careful.”
Braden chuckled. “It would serve my brother right if, when he returned, I gave him the kids as well as two rabbits.”
“I like the way you think.” Elena studied the handsome cowboy, who was tall and lean—broad shouldered, too.
From what she’d heard through the rumor mill, Braden Rayburn was one of the most eligible bachelors in town, and quite a few of the local ladies had him in their sights.
But looking at Braden in that Stetson and those Wranglers certainly could make a woman—well, maybe another woman—rethink her career path.
The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. “Quiero dos conejos, por favor.”
Elena laughed. “It looks like Beto can afford to purchase rabbits for himself and his sister.”
“Where did he get the money?” Braden asked.
Elena turned to the child, first taking time to speak to him long enough for him to introduce his sister, Maribel, whom he called Bela.
She laughed at Beto’s animated explanation about how he received the cash, then interpreted for Braden. “He said he earned it—fair and square.”
“Is that a direct quote?”
“Not exactly. But it’s close enough. It seems that Beto here is quite the negotiator. He bartered a horned toad for the cash.”
“With whom?”
“Apparently, the nice man who brought him to the United States paid him to give up his new pet.”
“That would be my brother,” Braden said. “But Jason is a suit-and-tie sort of guy. What would he want with a horned toad?”
“My guess is that Jason paid Beto so he could take custody of it, then turn it loose, although that’s just an assumption. But from what I gathered, it seems that Beto’s horned toad nearly scared the bejeezus out of Jason’s wife. I have a feeling she may not have wanted to sleep in the same house with it.”
Elena glanced at the smiling six-year-old. When she returned her focus to their temporary guardian, Braden’s meadow-green gaze had already zeroed in on hers, the intensity making it difficult to breathe.
“I’d like to offer you a job,” he said.
“I already have one.”
“Whatever your father is paying you, I’ll double it if you can start today.”
She stiffened, not quite following his line of reasoning, but sensing where he was going with the offer. “Excuse me?”
“I need someone to help with child care for the next three weeks. And not just anyone. I need someone trustworthy who’s also bilingual.”
Elena stood up straight. “Are you out of your mind?”
Okay, so that came across a little harsher than she’d meant it to, but surely he wasn’t expecting her to be a...a babysitter. It already seemed like a huge move backward from big girl on campus and star sales associate to a feed-store clerk. But now this guy was suggesting she be a child-care provider?
“I’m sorry if I offended you,” he said.
She threw her shoulders back. “I didn’t graduate from college with a business degree so I could become a nanny. Besides, you don’t even know me. I could be an ax murderer.”
He swept a long gaze over her, and a smile tugged at his lips. “Nah. I’m a good judge of character. Besides, I know your parents. And they raise Girl Scouts, honor students and high school football stars.”
The guy had a down-home charm about him that could cause any determined woman to weaken, but Elena wouldn’t. She couldn’t.
“Let me sweeten the pot,” he said. “I’ll triple whatever you’re earning here.”
Was he dangling a carrot with no intention of following through? Who could afford to pay that kind of money for a sitter?
Of course, she hadn’t been home in years but she’d heard tales about the Rayburns. Rumor had it that all three of the half siblings had a sizable trust fund from their late father.
“I need someone with experience,” he added.
Elena crossed her arms. “Doing what? Wiping noses? Mopping up spilled milk? With six younger brothers and sisters, I can assure you that I’ve had more than enough experience doing that. Sorry, I’m not interested. There are other women I know, empty nesters who are also bilingual, who could help you.”
“But I want you.” A spark electrified the air around them as the possibilities of his statement arced between them. But she brushed aside any attraction she might feel for him.
“Sorry, nope.” He wasn’t going to turn her into a nanny. Nor could he put her in the uncomfortable position of telling her father she couldn’t help him any longer.
“Wait,” he said. “I’ve also been trying to digitize my grandfather’s old-fashioned accounting system on the Bar M. In the evenings, I could put you to work on the books and the filing system, and that way, you could help me modernize the ranch office.”
“I realize that I’m wearing cowboy boots and jeans, but don’t let the clothes fool you. I’m not looking for a position as a ranch accountant.”
“I just need you for three weeks, and I’ll make it well worth your time.”
“What happens in three weeks?”
“Both my brother and sister should be back in Texas by then, and since they’re both married now, one of them will be able to provide the kids with a loving, stable home.” His gaze met hers, and his expression was...pleading, desperate.
They both knew that she had him over the proverbial barrel. But she’d had her fill of babysitting. She glanced down at the kids in question. Not that they weren’t sweet or in need of someone who could speak their language.
“I’ll pay you four times whatever you’re earning now, plus a bonus for saying yes.”
Talk about dangling carrots. She was afraid he’d keep making offers,
