to make his point.
“I know enough. I know you’ll tell me what you think I need to know when you’re ready.”
He didn’t realize how much he wanted her to trust him enough to tell her story until she changed the subject all together.
“I”m staying with my mother in the bunkhouse for now. Will you do me a favor and keep Mackenzie away from her? Tammy Jo Dye’s not a nice person.”
Fighting his disappointment, he tried to make light of her words.
“Might be better to sick Mack on her.”
Clarissa didn’t get the joke.
“I’m serious, Jed. I don’t want her hurt.”
Like she’d been hurt. Jed’s heart hurt for Clarissa at the words. He wished he could brush the pain from her eyes. Instead he agreed to her request.
“Won’t be a problem.”
And while he couldn’t cross her walls and touch her, he could turn the conversation from something so painful.
“I figured I’d walk in here and you’d blame me for Trevor’s accident since I’m the reason you agreed to work at the shelter.”
His words seemed to work. Clarissa visibly relaxed.
“Back to that, huh? Well, fine, please go take the blame and maybe Joan Anderson and her posse won’t ride me out of here for being a bad babysitter.”
“Ha!” He couldn’t hold back the laugh at the idea of Joan having a posse. “From what I’ve heard tell, you’re a far sight more than a baby sitter. I will have a talk with Joan, though.”
That stopped her short. “I’m a big girl, Jed. I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
He saw it then, a toughness, a pride. Something in her had shifted. He silently nodded, letting her know he would agree to her wishes.
“If you’re going to do battle, how about joining me and Mack for dinner before going back to the ranch?”
That brought back the frown.
“I don’t know, Jed.”
He wasn’t beyond a little cajoling. “Come on. Mack deserves a Happy Meal after her work today, and you’ll want a break before heading out to the bunkhouse.”
A piece of hair escaped from her ponytail, and he dropped his hands to keep from reaching out and brushing it away. She was gorgeous and tough, and he wanted to make sure Joan Anderson knew words against Clarissa Dye were words against the Dillons as far as he was concerned. But he’d agreed to let her fight her own battle. This time.
When she agreed to join him and Mack for dinner Jed stopped himself from showing too much emotion and spooking her away. Clarissa Dye was a lot like the unbroken Mustangs they tagged for the government out on the Triple Eight. She’d shy away if she knew what he was thinking.
Mack climbed up the ladder in the play area and disappeared into a plastic slide shaped like a rocket.
“You sure she’s okay?”
Jed would have laughed if Clarissa weren’t so deadly serious.
“It’s a play area, Clarissa. The kids are supposed to disappear for a minute. Hold on and you’ll see her any second.”
Sure enough Mack flew down the slide a few seconds later followed by two new friends. Like always Mack was bossing the other kids around, but they didn’t seem to mind.
Clarissa toyed with a french fry, not really eating it, just scooting it around on her tray.
“You know there are people who’d call what you’re doing to that fry a crime.”
Instead of laughing, Clarissa pushed the tray away, her eyes still on the slide.
“I’m afraid I’m not very good company tonight, Jed. I’m sorry.”
He wanted to ask her what was wrong. Ask her to share the burden instead of carrying it alone. But he didn’t really have that right.
“Not a problem. You know Pete said he’d be ready to open in a week tops. Won’t be long and you’ll be able to go back to work.”
Clarissa didn’t seem as happy about the news as he’d expected. Her hands were tapping away on the table, her legs bouncing up and down. Agitation showing so clearly. He couldn’t let this continue without at least trying to make her feel better.
He rested a hand on top of hers in what he’d expected to be reassurance, but the spark said something completely different.
She looked up at him, her big eyes full of questions and something more, something he wanted to explore.
“I’m here for you, Clarissa. Whatever’s going on in your brain, whatever has you so upset, you can share.”
She didn’t pull her hand from his just ran the free one through her hair and looked toward the slide,