to the task at hand. He headed back to the lodge, walking carefully along the moonlit stone path, and listened as the strokes of the ax echoed across the fields.
There was no need to mull over whether or not to hire Dani. She’d decided to leave on her own accord. That thought alone should ease his worries. She’d been a risky hire from the start and she was still far too guarded for his peace of mind. But in just one day, she’d made Jaxon smile more than he’d managed to in months.
So...what if he asked her to stay?
His steps slowed. With a new hand, he’d be freed from chores more often and would actually be able to follow through with some of his promises to Jaxon. But he’d have to invest a great deal of time in training her for the job first. And judging from today, he’d bet it wouldn’t be a smooth transition with the rest of the hands.
Mac stopped and looked back. Either way, Dani had a point. If he didn’t try something different soon, he could lose a lot more than his land. He could lose the respect of his son.
This was either the best decision Mac had ever made or the worst. At the moment, he couldn’t tell for sure which one it’d turn out to be.
“Want me to climb through the window?”
Mac stopped knocking on the door of Dani’s cabin and glanced down at Jaxon. “No. Absolutely not.”
But he had to do something. He was beginning to worry.
After a night of tossing and turning, he’d gotten out of bed this morning with the express purpose of offering Dani the job and asking her to stay. But she hadn’t shown up for breakfast, much to Jaxon and Nadine’s disappointment, and no one had seen her all morning. Eight in the morning elsewhere might be considered early, but at Elk Valley Ranch it was the equivalent of noon.
She hadn’t left yet. Her tattered car still sat in the back parking lot where she’d parked it yesterday morning before starting work. But she hadn’t answered the door, either. Even though he’d been banging on it and calling out to her for the past five minutes.
“I bet a bear got in there.” Nadine lifted to the toes of her unlaced shoes and peeked in the window. “He probably ate her.”
Maddie, standing next to her, gasped. “Daddy! Did he really?”
Jaxon rolled his eyes and scoffed.
“No, Maddie.” Mac rubbed his temples. “A bear did not eat Ms. Dani.”
“How do you know?” Nadine pressed her nose to the glass, her expression at the thought of a bear invading the cabin much too giddy for Mac’s liking. “Can you see her? Cuz I don’t see nothing.”
“Nadine, stop it. You’re scaring your sister.” Mac tugged her back to his side and tried once more. “Dani? You all right in there?”
No answer.
Mac hesitated, eyed the door then nudged Nadine toward Jaxon. “You three stay put here, okay?” He twisted the knob and cracked the door open. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
At Jaxon’s nod, Mac slipped inside the cabin. Sunlight streamed in between the gaps in the curtains, glinting off a glass on the coffee table in the empty den and spilling across the floor of the kitchen. The door to the bedroom was open. He walked over to the threshold then paused. This room was empty as well, and the only sign of Dani’s presence was a set of rumpled sheets on the unoccupied bed.
“Dani?”
A thump sounded on the other side of the closed bathroom door. “I’m in here. I’ve been answering you but I guess you couldn’t hear me.”
Mac relaxed at the muffled sound of her voice. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just...” Her voice faded. “I took a shower and I’ve been trying to get dressed.”
He ducked his head, shifting awkwardly from one boot to the other. “What do you mean, trying?”
“I mean...” The door creaked open and her hand, beet red and shaky, wrapped around the doorframe. “I’ve been trying. It took a while.”
The rest of her slowly appeared. Her long legs, encased in jeans, moved stiffly and her arms—redder than her hands—were held out to each side, carefully keeping their distance from the rest of her body.
She looked up and flinched, the skin of her upper chest and face a fiery red so dark it was almost purple above her T-shirt. “I’m a little sore and I have a bit of a sunburn.”
Mac smothered a laugh then cringed with sympathy. “A bit? Dani, you’re redder than a cherry.”
“But sweeter.” She smiled. It disappeared abruptly as her cheeks stretched. “I knew I had one last night but I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“Yeah, well, chopping that second stack of wood doesn’t look as though it did your muscles any favors, either.” Mac held out his hand. “Here. Come sit for a minute and I’ll rustle up some meds.”
She stepped forward gingerly and took his hand. His thumb brushed across her overheated skin, the light connection stirring a sense of longing within him as he led her into the den.
“No bear.” Nadine’s voice was full of disappointment as she slumped over the back of the couch, her chin resting on the top cushion and arms dangling against the seat.
Jaxon and Maddie stood to the side with curious expressions.
Mac’s lips twisted. “I thought I asked y’all to wait outside.”
Nadine grinned. “We were worried.”
“Yeah,” Mac drawled. “I can see that.” He motioned for her to move then assisted Dani as she lowered herself slowly onto the couch. “Jaxon, please take your sisters to the lodge and ask Ms. Ann for a bottle of aloe. Then bring it to me.”
“You all right, Ms. Dani?” Jaxon asked.
Dani waved a hand in the air. “I’m fine. Just a sunburn and sore muscles is all.”
Jaxon smiled and headed for the door, Nadine dashing after him. “We’ll be back in a sec.”
Their footsteps stampeded down the front steps then faded.
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