* *
CLICK STOOD, STARING down the dirt road. The stone house was quiet now, too quiet. Only Brody and Miss Francis were left. And, suddenly, Click was in no hurry to see them go.
“What the hell was that about?” Brody asked. “You and Tandy?”
“How much time do you have?” Click asked, only partly teasing. He liked Brody Wallace well enough. Not that they’d spent a lot of time together—Brody’s parents worried about Click being a bad influence on their only son.
“Sure it’s hard on her,” Miss Francis said. “Poor thing is her age, without a man or child to care for. And then you show up, with a sweet little angel to boot.” She smiled at Pearl. “Can I?” she asked, holding out her hands.
Pearl didn’t object, so he didn’t either. After holding her for hours, it felt odd to have empty arms.
“First love is always the hardest to get over,” Miss Francis said, bouncing Pearl on her hip. “If I recall correctly, you two had it bad.”
Click didn’t correct the older woman. But he knew the truth. Tandy wasn’t jealous, she was disgusted. She couldn’t stand to be in his presence. She’d made that perfectly clear two years ago, so broken and withdrawn in that damn hospital bed. And now this—Pearl—so soon after... He could barely look himself in the eye.
Miss Francis was right about recovering, though. He’d met Tandy over twenty years ago, and she still made his heart skip a beat.
“When will Pearl’s mama be joining you?” Miss Francis asked.
“She won’t,” Click was quick to answer.
Georgia wouldn’t be visiting for some time. The drug treatment facility she’d signed herself into lasted a minimum of sixty days. He was proud of her for getting the help she desperately needed, but he was devastated that it had taken her so long to get it. Not that he’d known. He’d left Tandy in the hospital and headed to a bar. That drunken weekend with Georgia was a blur of alcohol and grief. He’d been out of his mind and broken. They’d parted ways at weekend’s end, and he hadn’t heard or seen her since. Until a week ago. Her phone call had changed his life.
“So you’re in this on your own?” Brody piped up.
Click sighed. “Yep.”
“This a new development?” Miss Francis asked. “Don’t get your tail feathers ruffled when I say this, but you look a little green when it comes to caretaking this baby.”
“That I am.” Click nodded, smiling at his daughter. One of Pearl’s little fingers worried the beadwork on Miss Francis’s sweater. “I was bringing Pearl here, counting on Lynnie to show me what to do. But now...” He shook his head, staring around the house. After chastising him for having a child out of wedlock, Lynnie would have been over the moon about Pearl. She loved babies, loved children. It was one of the great injustices of life that he’d been born to people like his parents while a woman like Lynnie Hale was childless.
“Oh, Lynnie would eat her up,” Miss Francis said, smiling at Pearl. “She’s the sweetest thing, Click. You’re a lucky man.”
He reminded himself of that regularly. Pearl was healthy. Considering Georgia’s drug problem, that was nothing short of a miracle. He had no way of knowing if she’d used through her pregnancy, no way of knowing what his daughter had been exposed to the first year of her life. He’d been hard-pressed to believe Pearl was his, but the DNA test had confirmed it, and Click stepped up. If he hadn’t, his daughter would be in CPS custody.
“I’m going to miss your Gramma Lynnie, too,” Miss Francis said to Pearl. “Who am I going to quilt with? Or go to ladies’ meetings with? Or drive me into Alpine now and then to shop—I hate driving in traffic.”
Click grinned. There was no traffic in Fort Kyle. There were four lights, around town square, and nothing else. Alpine wasn’t much bigger. “I’ll drive you.”
Miss Francis smiled. “I’ll take you up on that, Click.”
“Guess I should be heading out,” Brody said. “Not often I get a night out. Not that Fort Kyle’s nightlife can compare to the Dallas scene.”
“Enjoy it,” Click said.
Brody held his hand out. “I’m glad you’re back, Click, even if I’m sorry for the circumstances. It’ll be nice to have someone male from this generation around when I visit.”
Click shook his hand. “Thanks.”
Miss Francis laughed. “S’pose Fort Kyle is more for those already settled.”
Click looked at his daughter. He was settled now, as settled as he planned to get. He didn’t know where he and Pearl would end up, but he’d make sure she had a roof over her head and food in her little stomach. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he’d had growing up.
“Have fun,” Click said.
“Be safe,” Miss Francis joined in. “Roads get awful dark. Drinking’s not going to help.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Brody said, tipping his hat her way, and leaving.
Pearl cooed, her gurgling noises a mystery to him. But she looked so damn cute, all big eyes, button nose and bubble-blowing lips, he was hard-pressed not to laugh.
“You got what you need?” Miss Francis asked. “Baby supplies?”
He shrugged. “Still figuring that out. Diapers, wipes, food, bottles, formula, car seat and a foldable bed.”
“Clothing?” Miss Francis asked, her brow furrowing.
He nodded. “Enough.”
“I have four children and thirteen grandchildren, Click Hale. If you need a thing, I’m a phone call away, you hear me?” Miss Francis asked. “How long have you had her?”
“A week.”
Miss Francis stared at him. “A surprise?”
He nodded.
“You go take yourself a shower and a nap, if you want. Me and little miss here will do just fine.” Miss Francis waved him away. “Or, if you’re not tired, you go on and join Brody and the girls. Might do you some good to get out for a while.”
Click almost argued. Almost. “I’ll hit the shower.” He nodded, heading toward the guest room he’d always stayed in when he visited Lynnie. It didn’t feel right to stay in her room. He stood under the hot water and closed his eyes. He half expected her to bang on the bathroom door to remind him to get behind his ears—like she’d always done. Like he could get filthy behind his ears. He hadn’t minded, though. It’d been nice to know someone cared if he was clean or not.
The last week he’d showered with the curtain and bathroom door wide open—in case Pearl had needed him. He was terrified she’d climb out of her bed or get out of their hotel room or pull something dangerous into her crib. None of which made sense since he went a little overboard baby-proofing wherever they went. He had one job, keeping her safe. The money he’d saved up on the rodeo
