The Bull Rider's Manager (7 page)

But in her heart, she knew she’d trade places with Liz any time. Instead of Hunter being her ex-husband, he could be the father of her unborn children. The man she came home to. Home. Barb felt tears build in her eyes.

Lizzie came back through the doorway with a bottle of Barb’s favorite wine. “James can handle JR and your mom for the evening. We’re having a girls’ night, even if I can only drink water.”

“I don’t know. Mom can be a handful.”

“Girl, you have so much on your plate right now, it’s time for you to relax and tell me everything. You’ll feel better, you always do.”

Lizzie had always been her rock. Even after JR had been born, Liz was the one Barb called when a date went bad. Or when she was making big decisions in her life. It was fitting that Barb would run to Lizzie today. Getting her mom away from the house while Cassie moved her furniture had been an excuse. She’d needed her friend.

“Pour my glass to the top. We’ve got a lot to talk about.” Barb accepted the rose-colored wine sparkling in the sunshine and looked down at the ring on her left hand. A placer ring she hadn’t been able to take off. A ring she didn’t want to take off.

Being here was good. Mostly because Hunter Martin wasn’t here. Barb didn’t think she could stand to be next to him without reaching out to hold his hand or put her hand on his arm.

Yep, hiding out in a rental cabin in the Idaho mountains was a good thing.

• • •

Hunter pulled his truck into the driveway in front of his Eagle home. He’d bought the place after John and Rachel had died, wanting to keep Kati in the same school district and the same neighborhood. Hell, he even hired the same babysitter on the rare nights he had to leave her alone. The counselor he’d visited in the early days after the accident had told him to try to keep her outside world as normal as possible. Maybe he’d gone a little overboard.

He picked the morning paper off the walkway, opening the door into the three thousand square foot house that was way too big for him and Kati. He had a cleaning service come in weekly and they probably spent more time in some of the rooms than Hunter ever had. Bella skidded across the stone tile in the foyer to greet him.

“Hey, little girl.” He reached down to pick up the fluff ball. Bella had been Rachel’s dog before the marriage and had come with Kati. Hunter had felt a little foolish at first walking the toy Pomeranian around the neighborhood, but the dog had won his heart. He walked toward the living room. “Where’s Kati?”

A voice called from the family room. “We’re in here.”

His dad, John Carter Martin, sat on the sectional with Kati cuddled next to him watching
Sleeping Beauty
. Hunter deposited Bella on the couch where she went to lay by Kati, then dropped into a recliner. He’d have to replace that movie disc soon, as often as Kati watched it.

“How’d the trip go? Did Jesse win?” His dad spoke over Kati’s head.

“Didn’t stay for the ride, so I can’t say.”

John Carter frowned. “Vegas isn’t a two-day flight. What happened?”

Hunter sighed. “Long story. I took off Saturday after a few issues, then got stuck in Denver. Damn airlines anyway, I think all the planes are about ready to fall apart.”

“Recession’s got everyone cutting back.” His dad grinned. “Except in their ice cream consumption. Our profits for that division have never been so high.”

“Are we having ice cream?” Kati sat up straighter. “Can I have chocolate this time?”

Hunter shook his head. “I suppose your grandfather has let you eat ice cream all weekend. Did you even cook dinner?”

“We went out. Not my fault the girl likes her ice cream.” John Carter stood, kissing Kati on the head. “Gotta go home and check on the stock.”

Hunter walked his father out. “She do okay?” he asked when they were out of Kati’s earshot.

“She was a little mopey until Saturday when we went to her riding class. Man, that girl has taken to that horse like she was born to ride. She reminds me of John when he competed in high school.” John Carter slapped Hunter on the back. “You could have been as good as Jesse Sullivan if you’d stuck with riding.”

“Been there, done that.” Hunter hadn’t loved bull riding. Not like John had loved bareback. He’d tolerated the rodeo weekends with his dad and brother, glad when he went off to college and out of the corrals. “Thanks again for taking her this weekend. I needed the break.”

“You can drop her off any time. I’m usually home.” John Carter looked back toward the living room. “Your mother always wanted a little girl. Too bad she didn’t make it to see Kati. She would have loved being a grandmother.”

Hunter was quiet for a beat, remembering his mother. Barb’s face, worrying about losing her mother to a disease that took her mind away long before the body left this world, flashed in his mind. Life was hard on all of them. “Yeah, she would have loved Kati.”

“See you tomorrow at work? I’ve got a department’s head meeting scheduled to discuss Jesse’s sponsorship. Why don’t you invite that pretty Barb Carico to come?”

Hunter shot a glance at his father. The man was fishing, he had to be. There was no way he’d found out that the pretty Barb Carico was his new daughter-in-law, at least until the papers could be signed. He chose a non-committal answer. “I’m sure she’s booked. Kind of short notice. Besides, this way the department heads can talk candidly about the decision.” And maybe the department heads would talk his dad out of this crazy idea, and then he’d be able to completely get Barb Carico out of his life, if not out of his head.

“A man could do worse, you know.”

Hunter watched his father climb into his quad cab truck and drive away without a look back. The old man was getting senile in his old age, that was all. Hunter scooped up Bella, who’d snuck out the front door, and went back into the house.

“What do you say we order pizza for dinner?” Hunter walked back into the family room, dumping Bella onto the couch with Kati.

“Pepperoni.” Kati opened her arms and the little dog climbed onto her lap. She leaned her head against the arm of the couch.

“Sleepy?” Hunter reached out and brushed Kati’s fine blonde hair out of her eyes. Frowning, he pressed his hand against her forehead. “You’re burning up.”

“My throat hurts.” Kati touched her neck.

“Why didn’t you tell Grampa this?” Hunter grabbed the list of emergency numbers he’d left out for his father. He dialed the doctor’s office and immediately got placed on hold.

“He would have made me go to bed. I wanted to go ride.” Kati looked up at him, her brown eyes pleading. “Don’t be mad at Gramps. I didn’t tell him.”

“I’m not mad at anyone,” Hunter said, not meaning his words. Just then the receptionist came on the line. Soon, he was talking with the office nurse who walked him through taking Kati’s temperature and figuring out what medicine she needed.

“I’ll ask the doctor to call in the prescription to Rexall. They have a delivery guy. It’s pricey, but if you don’t want to drag her out tonight … ” The nurse paused, letting the information sink in.

“Don’t worry about the money. I just want her to feel better.” Hunter thanked the nurse, then hung up and dialed a second number.

After ordering all of the supplies the nurse had listed out and a few coloring books and food supplies, Hunter hung up the phone and grabbed Kati.

“My movie’s not over,” she grumbled.

“You can watch it in your room. You’re getting in your jammies, then into bed where you will stay until you kick this bug out of your body.” Hunter whistled for Bella. “And your little dog, too.”

“That’s from the windy movie. The witch says that.” Kati laid her head on his shoulder.

“You calling me an old evil witch?” Hunter’s heart ached when Kati relaxed into his arms. Maybe she was starting to trust him, just a little. Or at least trust that when he said he’d come back, he did. He would lay odds that part of the reason she hadn’t told his dad she felt sick was a compulsive need to be perfect. The world was going to smack her down for that, sooner rather than later. Hunter just hoped he’d be there to pick up the pieces when she fell apart.

“You can’t be a witch. You’re a boy.” Kati giggled.

Tucking her into the bed, he popped in the movie, and went to the bathroom to pour her a glass of water. His cell rang. Looking at the number, he answered, “Hold on a sec.” He looked at Kati. “You stay right here and in bed. You need anything, you call me. Understand?”

Kati nodded, the circles under her eyes betraying how tired she was. Hunter doubted she’d be awake long enough to see Princess Aurora be taken away by her fairy godmothers.

He kissed the top of her head and walked out the door.

“Glad you got my message. You have everything drawn up?” Hunter went to the fridge and, bypassing the beer, grabbed a soda.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. You have real problems here,” Chase Aaron, Hunter’s lawyer and best friend answered. “Do you know an Angel and Fred Monnet?”

“Angel is, I mean was, Rachel’s sister. Fred’s her husband. Why?” Hunter’s chest hurt. This couldn’t be good. If Kati lost more people close to her, he didn’t know what the kid would do. Probably grow up to be a serial killer.

“They’re suing you for custody of Kati.”

Hunter stopped breathing. “I don’t understand. They have a kid. Why would they want Kati?”

Papers rustled on the other end. “Hold on, let me read this to you. Here it is. The plaintiffs believe that they can provide the minor in question a full and happy life, with a loving mother and father as well as siblings. The child would want for nothing.”

“Of course not, since they’d have control over Kati’s trust fund. That’s the only reason they want her. When I talked to them at the funeral, Angel was clear. She didn’t have the time or energy for Kati. But now that the will’s been read and they’ve found out Kati’s a mini-millionaire, suddenly they have time?” Hunter’s voice raised. “They’re not getting her, no matter what.”

“We can fight it. But the court likes placing children in stable family homes. You know, married couples?” Chase paused. “Don’t worry. I’m good at my job. I’ll do my best so Kati stays with you. No promises, but we can hope. So what did you call me about?”

Hunter thought about Barb. About their crazy impromptu marriage. Had it been a sign? A way to get the hard stuff done easy, like finding someone and falling in love? He needed to stay married. To convince Barb to put up a wall and become the wife and mother he imagined she could be. At least until the custody hearing was over. And Kati was safe. He’d promise Barb anything. He just wished he knew what exactly to offer, because losing wasn’t an option. The doorbell rang.

“I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Kati’s sick and someone’s at the door.”

“Okay then. But Hunter? You need to tell someone, so it might as well be your attorney. So we will finish this talk. Right?”

“We’ll talk later. Gotta run.” Hunter clicked off the phone, sitting it on a small table next to the door. A perfect place for keys, so you wouldn’t forget where you put them after a hard day at work or night at play. Now it held Kati’s book bag and permission slips for school. Man, his life had changed.

He signed for the pharmacy delivery and took the bag into the kitchen to unpack. Then he went back to Kati’s room, hoping seven-year-olds knew how to take medicine. Because if he had to trick her, he was clueless.

Convincing women to do things he wanted, that had been his specialty when he’d been Boise’s most eligible bachelor. Why now did that seem to be the one thing he didn’t know how to do?

He paused outside Kati’s door. Her aunt might have all the trappings of a real family for her, but Hunter knew the truth. Kati would be a side thought in that household, only there because she came with a trust fund to help pay the bills. No way would he let that happen.

No matter what he had to do.

“What do you mean you haven’t started the paperwork?” Barb’s stomach knotted. She’d been called to an emergency meeting at Martin Dairy’s headquarters about the sponsorship late Tuesday night. She’d had to call Cassie to drive up to Shawnee to stay with her mom. And then the meeting had been canceled because Hunter was unavailable?

Now she stood on his doorstep, demanding answers. Including why she hadn’t been served with the annulment papers yet. She had to admit, the man looked like crap. His eyes were bloodshot and his cheeks bright red. “Are you sick?”

“What do you think?” he grumbled, then stumbled.

“I think you should go lie down.” Barb pushed him out of the doorway. “Why are you even standing?”

Hunter shook his head. “I didn’t want my dad to get sick too. I have to take care of Kati. I’m making soup for lunch.”

“No, you are going to get in bed.” Barb sat her purse on the small table next to a Dora backpack.

“There are so many responses I could give you, but frankly my dear, I don’t give a crap.” Hunter put up his hands and walked away. “I surrender. Just don’t let the soup burn.”

“I can cook, you know.” Barb called after him. Well, she could kind of cook. Heating up canned soup wouldn’t be an issue. She turned right down the hallway and found a cozy dining room — a long oak table with solid chairs sitting under a modern chandelier. Not what she’d expected at all. “I wonder which girlfriend decorated this place?”

Having found the kitchen, which was gourmet quality with solid steel appliances and deep walnut cabinets, she found the gently bubbling pot of chicken pasta soup. She found spoons and took a quick taste. Not bad. The soup didn’t look like it was from a can, but she doubted Hunter had thrown this together today, especially in his condition. The man could barely walk.

She found two trays and set a bowl of soup, a glass of juice, buttered bread, and a few crackers on each one. Checking the fridge, she found plastic cups of Jell-O to add to the trays. Then she grabbed one tray and went in search of Kati.

The little girl’s bedroom was a few doors down from the kitchen. Barb knew it was Kati’s since her name was on a plaque in the middle of the door. Barb gently knocked then eased into the room. A canopied bed sat in the middle of a huge room. The girl had a serious stuffed animal addiction. A hammock had been hung near the window filled to the brim with the fluffy toys.