Rugged Cowboy - Elana Johnson Page 0,80

dried on the towel next to the sink.

He picked up backpacks and shoes and took them into the kids’ rooms. He folded blankets and straightened pillows. He paid the bills he hadn’t paid two weeks ago, and he showered so he was ready for whatever that day brought.

“Dad,” Thomas said before Dallas could sit down on the couch and find something sporty to watch. His son came in through the front door, his blue Scout shirt untucked and too big.

“What’s up?” Dallas asked. “Did you get all the flags in place?” The Scouts put up flags for major holidays and events, and Sweet Water Falls had been founded in February, so they put flags up for the first full week of the month.

“Yeah,” he said. “And Milo asked if I could go to his house today.”

“Okay,” Dallas said, trying to remember which one was Milo. “He’s the kid with the lizards, right?”

“No, that’s Malcolm,” Thomas said. “Milo’s the one with all the telescopes and space stuff.”

“Oh, right,” Dallas said, smiling, because his son loved anything to do with astronauts too. “He just lives a couple of blocks over.”

“Yeah.” Thomas looked so hopeful, and Dallas couldn’t remember the last time they’d said so many words to each other. He really had come alive in the past few months since starting therapy. “So can I ride my bike over there?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah, right now. I’m just going to change my shirt.”

“Oh, sure,” Dallas said as Thomas walked through the living room. A minute later, he returned, and Dallas handed him a twenty-dollar bill. “In case you guys need food or want to go do anything.” He nodded toward the big back windows. “And it looks like it might rain. You should take a jacket.”

“I’m fine,” Thomas said, pocketing the money. “Thanks, Dad.” He left through the garage door before Dallas could insist he take a jacket. He remembered being a pre-teen and never wanting to be perceived as uncool because he had a jacket on when no one else did.

With Remmy gone to Mrs. Clyde’s for a baking class, Dallas found himself with a decently clean house and nothing to do. He once again stepped toward the couch, thinking there had to be something on the sports channels that would steal time from him, but the doorbell rang before he could sit down.

Someone knocked too, and then the door opened. “Hey,” Nate said as he entered with Connor and Missy. Ted followed them, and everything in Dallas’s life got a little brighter.

“What are you guys doing here?” He clapped Nate on the back and did the same to Ted.

“The kids wanted their A-doughnuts,” Ted said. “So we brought ‘em to town to get those.” He lifted up a brown box. “And some extras for you.”

“Thanks.” Dallas grinned and took the box.

“Connor has a birthday party in forty minutes or so,” Nate said. “So I didn’t want to drive back to the ranch. Can we crash with you for a minute?”

“Of course.”

“Where’s Remmy?” Connor asked, peering down the hallway.

“She’s next door at a baking thing,” he said. “I bet you guys could go.”

Missy’s face lit up, and she looked at Ted. He gestured for the kids to go with him. “Let’s go ask.” He looked at Dallas. “At Mrs. Clyde’s?”

“Yep.”

Ted took the kids, and Dallas took a doughnut from the box. He finally got to the couch and sighed as he sat down.

“How’s the back?” Nate asked, and Dallas wondered what he’d heard in the sound to indicate that he was in pain.

“It’s okay,” Dallas said. “I shouldn’t have gotten under that truck last night, that’s all.”

“You’ve got guys to do that,” Nate said, frowning.

“They couldn’t see what I needed them to see,” he said. “As soon as I got under there, everything came together.” He couldn’t explain how he just knew where things were on the ranch vehicles. He’d been working on them and with his crew for months now, and they had everything running like the well-oiled machine it should be.

In fact, Ginger had just given him a pretty big bonus for getting them all caught up, and she’d offered him more money to stay on as the ranch equipment manager, with the official title. He’d accepted, because he loved working at Hope Eternal Ranch, and he saw no point in trying to find another job. This way, he wouldn’t have to explain why he’d been in prison or see the doubt on an employer’s face.

Nate leaned back and closed his eyes.