“How’s that going? Are you getting the help you need?”

  “Yep. The teacher for the visually impaired is all set to come to the house next week, and the physical therapist starts then too. She’s got experience with infants. I also met the occupational therapist, and she’s going to be doing a lot of things to help Cat catch up on some of her baby skills. All in all, I couldn’t be happier.”

  “That’s great news, brother. I guess it was worth giving up so much to move down there. You made the right decision.”

  “I’m sure I did. Cat’s going to get exactly what she needs here. Now, tell me what’s going on with you? Are you still seeing Jill?”

  “Nah, we broke up.” Carson sighed. “She went ahead and moved to Dallas like she talked about. I swear, I don’t understand what she sees in a big city, but that’s what she wanted.”

  “You doing okay?”

  “I guess. We were close. You know that. But I’m not sure she was the one. I’ll get over it in a little while.”

  “Well, if you need to talk, give me a call.”

  “Hey, keep me posted on this pretty neighbor, okay?” Beau could tell his brother was grinning.

  “I will. I’m going to invite her and Johnathan over for ice cream. I’ll let you know how it goes. Talk to you later.”

  As he hung up the call, he heard Cat waking up, and Beau went to get her out of bed. She raised her arms and said, “Dadda.”

  He laughed and picked her up. “You sweet thing. Are you ready for a bottle?”

  She said, “Baba.”

  That pretty much did it for her vocabulary, but he was proud as hell of her. After fixing her bottle, he went into the living room to rock her.

  A moment later, he heard a car drive up next door. He looked out the window and saw that Dakota was back from taking Johnathan to his day hab program. Beau opened the door and called to her as she stepped out of her SUV. He strode over to her car.

  She walked around it. “Hey, Beau, what’s up?”

  “Would you and Johnathan like to come over for ice cream tonight? It’ll give me some incentive to unpack those boxes.”

  Cat still sucked greedily at her bottle.

  Dakota laughed. “Well, if you put it that way, how can we refuse? We’d love to. What time?”

  “What’s good for you? I’m sure you and Johnathan have a routine you need to stick to.”

  She shrugged. “We’re flexible. Just tell us when to come over.”

  “How about six, then?”

  “That sounds great. We’ll be there.” She touched his arm. “Thanks for inviting us. I spend way too much time without adult company. This’ll be nice.”

  He smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  After feeding Cat her breakfast, he put her down on her tummy to play on a blanket with some toys and started on the boxes.

  Later, when she got fussy, he put her in her swing. Each room had plenty of boxes to unpack, but the work went quickly, and the day flew by.

  After Cat’s nap, they went to the grocery store and bought the ice-cream-sundae supplies. He was really looking forward to the coming evening.

  When they got home, he put Cat in the playpen and took a quick shower. He was lucky that she was such a good baby. She was usually happy for about fifteen minutes on her own unless she was hungry or tired.

  By the time six o’clock came around, he was exhausted but ready for his company. Cat was fed and content, and, when the doorbell rang, he answered with a smile. “Come in, you two.”

  Dakota helped Johnathan step over the threshold and into the house. “I don’t see any boxes in here,” she said as they entered the living room.

  Beau grinned. “I told you your visit would give me an incentive. I worked all day unpacking boxes in every room.”

  “Good for you.” She followed him into the kitchen, carefully leading Johnathan by the arm.

  “You all take a seat.” He put Cat into her high chair and strapped her in.

  “Can I help?” Dakota asked.

  He motioned toward the toppings on the countertop. “You can set those on the table, if you like.”

  He took the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and put it on the table, then set bowls of chopped pecans and peanuts beside it.

  “Oh my goodness. This looks fabulous, Beau. Caramel, strawberry, and chocolate syrups, and pecans and peanuts? This is amazing,” Dakota said.

  “Wait a minute. I have this too.” He placed a can of whipped cream on the table.

  Johnathan grinned. “Oh, good.”

  Beau laughed. “Johnathan, do you know what you want on your sundae?”

  “Everything,” he said in his wavering voice.

  Dakota laughed. “All of it? Well, okay, we can do that.”

  Beau said, “Johnathan, I think I’ll have everything too.”

  He set out large bowls in front of himself and Dakota. She’d brought Johnathan’s suction bowl for him.

  “Would you like me to scoop some into his bowl?” he asked Dakota.

  “Sure. I’ll cut the ice cream up into pieces with the spoon. Then he can eat it himself.” She turned to Johnathan. “Right, buddy?”

  “Right,” Johnathan said, grinning hugely.

  Cat banged her toy on her high chair several times, so Beau gave her a tiny bite of ice cream. Although it was cold, she liked it, so he got out a small bowl and put a scoop of vanilla in it for her.

  Dakota took a bite of her sundae. “Oh, yum. This is fabulous.” Then she giggled and wiped Johnathan’s chin with her napkin. “Slow down there, buddy. We’re not in any rush.”

  Johnathan laughed and rubbed his napkin on his face, which was pretty messy. He was obviously enjoying his ice cream immensely.

  Beau gave Cat another bite. “I think this little one likes her ice cream too.”

  “She sure does. I’m surprised she’s not bothered by the cold,” Dakota said.

  “Me too.” He turned his gaze back to Dakota as he took another bite of his sundae. Now was a good time to find out more about her. “So, you never got to tell me much about yourself last night. I know you’re from San Antonio. What else is there to know about Dakota Ross?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m so boring. Really. I’m kind of an unfinished person. I went to junior college out of high school, you know, to get my basic credits where it was cheap. But I never could figure out what I wanted to be. So I ended up with my Associate of Arts Degree and never went on to university. I worked in retail for a while, and then I waitressed at an upscale restaurant. I just never could find my niche.”

  He nodded. “I get it. You were waiting for a calling.”

  Her eyes widened. “Yes, I think I was.” She took a bite of her ice cream. “Then, I heard about being a foster mom, and it somehow sounded right for me. I had another client before Johnathan, but her medical challenges quickly became so advanced that she no longer qualified for a foster care situation. Johnathan came to me soon after, and we’ve been together ever since.”

  “Have you ever been married?” he asked.

  Her eyes darkened, and she looked down. “No, never. I was serious about a guy once, but it didn’t work out.”

  He could hear the pain in her voice, and asked, “Was it very long ago?”

  She looked up. “A lifetime ago—and yet, in reality, not so long ago.”

  He nodded. “I understand. I feel like I’ve been on my own for a long time too.” He gave Cat another bite, then went on, “Kara, my ex-wife, kept finding reasons to put off starting our family. We’d discussed having kids before we married, and she’d said she wanted them. But when it came down to it, I don’t think she really did. I’m not sure if she was afraid of the pregnancy, the labor, or of the responsibility of being a mother, but for some reason, she just kept putting off trying to have a baby.”

  He swallowed hard. “Finally, though, she agreed, and she became pregnant with our twins. She was furious that it would be a multiple birth—that we’d have two babies to contend with when they were born. She blamed me for it, since twins ran in my family—although not in a couple of generations—and she just withdrew from me completely. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy for her, and when the babies came early and we lost Cassandra, it was all too much for her.”

  He sighed. “So I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve been alone for a long time—but not long, either. I know exactly what you mean.”

  Dakota’s eyes had reddened with unshed tears. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Beau.”

  “Thanks. In a way, I think living here is a good thing for me. Getting away from the ranch and starting over with a clean slate has given me a fresh perspective. Maybe I can shed some of the sadness. Not that I want to forget my daughter—I’ll never forget Cassandra.” He grimaced at his remembered pain. “But the sadness of the past few years? I can do without that.”

  Dakota gave him a lopsided smile. “I hope you do.” Then she scooped a massive bite of ice cream onto her spoon and thrust it toward him. “To new friendships!”

  He laughed and scooped ice cream onto his spoon, then clicked it with hers. “To great neighbors.”

  Then they shoved their spoons into their mouths and grinned.

  Chapter Three

  Dakota finished watering the hanging baskets on her back porch. Beau and Cat were due to arrive any minute, and she was looking forward to relaxing after a hectic day.

  It was Beau’s last night before he started his new banking job, and she’d invited him over for a beer to celebrate. She’d have wine, of course, her drink of choice. Johnathan had already showered and was in his room watching one of his favorite movies.

  The doorbell rang, and she answered it with a smile.

  “Hi, you look nice this evening,” Beau said.

  “Thanks. You’re sweet.” She’d put on all her makeup and even curled her hair—while telling herself that it wasn’t in anticipation of his visit. She just hadn’t gone all-out in a while.

  She headed for the back door. “Johnathan’s in his room watching movies. I thought we could go out on the back porch since it’s so nice this evening.”

  As Beau followed her, he said, “It sure seems like Johnathan spends a lot of time in his room watching movies.”

  Dakota paused and looked back at him. “He’s pretty busy at Mother Earth, his day hab program. They play games in the gym, have dances, walk a half mile on the grounds under the oak trees each day, and he chats with his friends in his classroom while they do art activities. When he gets home in the evenings, all he wants to do is chill and watch his Disney movies.”

  Before she turned back around, she added, “Also, people with learning disabilities often pick one thing that calms them, something they like better than anything else. For Johnathan, it’s his Disney movies.”

  “That makes sense. And it sounds like this Mother Earth is a great place for him.”

  “It is. He’s been going there for a long time, and he loves it.” She headed toward the backyard again.

  “I’m glad we’re sitting outside this evening. You’ve made it beautiful out there. My backyard’s so plain. You know how renters are—they usually don’t do much with a place,” Beau said.

  “Yeah, that house was rented out forever. People came and went every couple of years.”

  The porch had several cushioned chairs, and a wide wooden swing hung from the roof.

  “Why don’t we sit in the swing? I’m sure Cat would like that.”

  “Good idea,” he said and sat down on one side.

  “I’ll get our drinks and be right out,” she said as he pushed the swing into motion.

  When she returned with their drinks, Cat was making soft noises in his lap, obviously enjoying the back-and-forth motion. Dakota waited beside Beau as he slowed the swing to a stop.

  She handed him his longneck, and he glanced at her in surprise. “How did you know what I drink?”

  “I didn’t—but how can you go wrong with a Miller?”

  He smiled. “True. It’s a good beer.”

  She settled beside him, and he pushed the swing into motion again.

  “This is great.” He leaned back and relaxed.

  “I love being out here in the evenings. I’ve brought Johnathan out here before, but he gets bored pretty quickly. He prefers to be in his room watching TV. In a way, that’s nice. I get to have time to myself. And we’re lucky in this neighborhood. There aren’t many barking dogs.”

  Beau took a swallow of his beer. “That’s good to know. I need to buy some lawn chairs for my backyard so I can spend some time out there. Of course, the view won’t be nearly as pretty as this. So, have you always been interested in gardening?”

  “It’s something I taught myself. I did a lot of research and talked to several nurseries around San Antonio to make the best choices in plants. I even ordered some online. It’s been fun creating this space for myself.”

  Beau’s broad shoulders took up more than half of the swing, and his body brushed hers as he adjusted Cat in his arms.

  “Would Cat like to come to me?” Dakota asked.

  “I don’t see why not.” He slowed the swing and offered his daughter to her.

  She set her wineglass down and took Cat into her arms. The little girl wiggled until she was turned outward, facing the backyard. Dakota chuckled. “She likes looking around, doesn’t she?”

  “She sure does. It gives me hope that she has some good visual acuity. Her doctor’s going to do some tests soon, so hopefully we’ll get a better idea of what she can see.”

  “Do you have to wait until a certain time for those tests?” Dakota asked.

  “It’s not about time, exactly. Cat has what’s called retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, and her retinas suffered damage at birth. She’s currently receiving regular laser treatments as well as injections to prevent further damage. Once she’s more stable, we hope that we’ll be able to evaluate her vision and maybe even get her some glasses that will help her see better.”

  Dakota touched his arm. “I had no idea, Beau. I’ll pray the treatments are successful and that no more damage to her retinas occurs.”

  He clasped her hand. “Thanks. I appreciate the prayers. That’s what’s gotten us this far.”

  Cat dribbled saliva down onto Dakota’s arm.

  “Sorry.” Beau reached into the diaper bag and wiped it off with a burp cloth.

  “I’ve had a lot worse on me, believe me,” she said and kissed the top of Cat’s head. It felt so good to hold Cat in her arms. She’d always loved babies, and Cat was precious.

  Beau kicked the swing into motion again and she leaned back, enjoying the feeling as it moved and the sense of his large body resting beside her. It’d been so long since she was interested in a man, and this man, this good daddy, attracted her.

  “So, tell me more about yourself, Dakota. What kinds of things do you like to do?”

  Cat leaned forward and drooled some more, but this time Dakota had the cloth ready and wiped her mouth. What else was there to tell him about herself? She didn’t really have many hobbies besides gardening.

  “Come on, I know there must be lots of details that I’d love to hear,” he said.

  She thought hard and then said, “When I was a girl, I desperately wanted a horse. But we were living in the city, and we couldn’t afford to board one. Instead, my dad would take me to the stables at Brackenridge Park, and we’d ride the horses there.”

  Beau took another swallow of his beer. “You’ll have to come visit our ranch sometime. I’ll take you riding. We have a horse that’ll be perfect for you.”

  She felt a rush of excitement. A trip to a real cattle ranch? “I’d love to do that.”

  “Johnathan can come too. My parents would love to meet you both.”

  Her heart melted. He wasn’t just making a pass at her. He was truly being kind.

  “You’re a good person, Beau. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  He chuckled. “Not that I remember, but thanks.” He clasped her hand, slipping his fingers through hers.

  They swung in silence then, and her heart felt lighter than it had in ages.

  “What’s that purple plant under the big tree?” Beau eventually asked.

  “A purple heart,” she told him. “They do well in shade or sun, and I love the color.”

  After they’d been talking gardening for a while, Cat got fussy, and Beau took her and gave her a bottle. The sunlight faded in the silence, and Dakota finished her wine. Beau had long since finished his beer.

  She couldn’t remember ever feeling so relaxed—so happy.

  Beau finally said, “I’d better get this little one to bed.” He smiled, the warmth in his eyes sending tingles racing through her body. “This was wonderful, Dakota. Thanks for inviting us.” He stopped the swing and stood, towering over her as he offered his hand to help her to her feet.

  At the front door, she said, “Good luck at work tomorrow.”

  He smiled. “It still seems strange that I’ll have a boss and clock in and out, so to speak.”

  “Call me and let me know how it goes, okay?” she said.

  “I will.” He took Cat’s hand, and they waved. “Bye, Dakota. See you soon.”

  She waved back, smiling at the sweet gesture. “Talk to you tomorrow, Beau.”

  She watched them all the way to their front door and until they went inside. The evening had been magical. Beau enjoyed silence, too, and she liked that about him. In fact, the more she learned about him, the more she found to like.

  She shut the door and leaned against it. He’d said he’d see her soon, and she couldn’t wait.

  Beau hurried through dressing the next morning. Janey was coming for her first full day of babysitting Cat, and he wanted to have everything set up to help organize their day.

  He’d really been lucky to find her. Mary, the occupational therapist, had said that her daughter was free for the summer and that she was great with babies.

  He’d immediately liked Janey when she’d come by the house, and she’d impressed him with the way she’d handled Cat. She’d be going to college in August, though, so he'd need to make other arrangements for Cat’s care by then.

 

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