Chapter 3
CULLEN
Every time Callie cried in the middle of the night, my gut reacted the same way it did at the first crackle of a wildfire, my heart pounding, waiting for the next move to be the wrong one.
Rose was a godsend. With her help, taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood didn’t seem as overwhelming.
She handled everything while I was away on a twenty-four-hour shift and coached me through how to take care of Calliope during my forty-eight hours off.
It had been a full week since I’d found out I was a dad, and I was starting to get the hang of the baby’s schedule.
Ruby had been a huge help as well. She showed up on my porch after her trip to Bozeman with shopping bags full of tiny pink clothes.
The best part was that she hadn’t given me any grief for hiring Rose out from under her.
I got the feeling she’d only offered her the job at the Merc as a way for Rose to make enough money to pay for the repairs to her old Bronco.
She’d warned me that Rose was a temporary solution, but I hadn’t had a chance to look for something more permanent yet.
Not when I spent every waking moment marveling at how much Calliope had changed in the short week she’d been with me.
Fires, I understood. They burned hot, fast, and left nothing but ash when they were done. Babies were different. They burned slow and steady and straight through a man’s defenses.
The fallout from town hadn’t been as bad as I’d anticipated either.
Priest had rallied a bunch of the Mustang Mountain Riders to bring over everything they thought I’d need and then some.
Rose had pulled out the stuff I could use, including the baby carrier thingy that I currently had strapped to my chest.
I was off today and decided it was time to introduce Calliope to a few of my buddies.
We were meeting Miles and Kinley at the cafe to go over some videos that had been recovered from trail cams the night of the fire at their place.
Rose was coming with me on our first adventure out of the house.
She and Calliope had gone into town a few days ago to pick up more formula and diapers, but this was my first time taking her out in public.
Walking into the cafe with a baby attached to my chest caught everyone’s attention.
Funny how a man could charge into a burning building without blinking, but one baby carrier and a room full of eyes had my palms sweating.
I wasn’t just imagining it when a collective hush fell over the room.
But as soon as Miles stood and headed our way, silverware clanked on plates again and people turned their focus back to their lunch.
“You look like a natural already,” Miles said.
“Hardly.” I undid the carrier and pulled Calliope free. “I’m taking it day by day.”
“He’s doing great,” Rose piped up from my side.
Miles looked down at her. “You’re Rose, right?”
She nodded, and I wanted to kick myself for not making the introduction myself. “She’s also an angel. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Rose glanced up at me, her cheeks pink from the compliment. “You’d figure it out.”
“Give me that baby.” Kinley held out her arms. “You have no idea how excited I’ve been to meet her.”
I passed Calliope over. Kinley immediately shifted her onto her hip. Calliope looked over at me like she wanted reassurance. Her bottom lip trembled. My heart gave a little tug that I didn’t know what to do with, then Kinley held out her necklace, and the baby grabbed it with her pudgy little hand.
“I’m going to grab a highchair,” I said. No one seemed to care, since they’d been just as captivated by the beautiful baby girl as I’d been.
When I came back, Kinley had taken a seat and pulled a few toys out of the diaper bag. Rose mixed a bottle and passed it over so Kinley could feed her.
“You need a burp cloth,” I said. “She gets lazy about three quarters of the way through and will dribble all over your shirt if you’re not careful.”
“Wow, Cullen. You’re really into this, aren’t you?” Kinley shot me a smile and took the burp cloth Rose offered.
Warmth spread through my chest. Maybe it was pride for how much progress I’d made in a week. Maybe it was a touch of embarrassment for how attached I’d already become to a fifteen-pound baby girl.
“He’s a great dad.” Rose glanced over at me, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Callie’s lucky to have him.”
“Callie, huh?” Miles asked.
“We’re trying it out. Calliope sounds so grown up,” I said. It had been Rose who’d come up with the nickname. She’d said it once while Callie was having some tummy time, and it just stuck.
“I love it.” Kinley stared down at Callie, who sucked on that bottle like it was her full-time job. Which it kind of was.
Our server came and took our orders. Once she walked away, I pulled out my laptop so we could get down to the real reason we’d gotten together.
“The fire marshall was able to pull some footage from a few trail cams set up behind the ranch. They didn’t pick up much, but he asked me to share this with you before we post it to the public.
” I pressed play, and grainy black and white footage filled my screen.
After a few seconds, a truck rolled by. The angle of the camera prevented a view of the license plate, but it caught the driver’s profile.
Kinley sucked in a breath.
“What is it, baby?” Miles immediately slipped his arm around her shoulders. The protectiveness in his voice hit something in me I didn’t want to name. That’s what a man sounded like when he had someone to lose.
“Can you play it again? she asked. “I think that might be my ex-fiancé.”
I played it over and over until she was one hundred percent sure the guy on the footage was the man she’d left at the altar over two years ago.
Miles said he’d only met him once, but he confirmed the ID.
The evidence wasn’t enough to arrest him, but it was enough to take to the sheriff since the fire had started at the back of their property, right by the old hunting trail.
“What happens next?” Kinley asked.
Miles shook his head. “I should have done something about that prick when I had the chance.”
“Miles, watch your language. There’s a baby here.” Kinley nudged him with her shoulder.
Damn, I hadn’t thought about not cursing in front of Callie.
I’d add that to the list of other ways I was already failing her and try to watch my mouth.
Rose bit down on her lip like she could already tell that was exactly where my mind had gone.
Heat spread up my neck, and I reached for my water to chase it away.
“The sheriff will probably bring him in for questioning,” I said.
“If he can find him.” Miles tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
I could appreciate his frustration. If someone out there started threatening someone I loved…
Hell. Thanks to living my life on my terms and not letting anyone set up permanent residence in my heart, there wasn’t anyone on that list. But I cared about people.
Like Ruby. Like Miles and Kinley. Like the Mustang Mountain Riders who’d become more family than friends.
My gaze dipped to Callie who didn’t have anyone to protect her from the dangers of the big, bad, world.
Fuck. No one except me. She’d only been part of my life for a week, but I’d sacrifice everything to keep her safe.
The thought hit me like a two by four to the head.
It couldn’t be love. I just had a protective side. It didn’t mean anything.
“Cullen, are you okay?” Rose’s hand on my arm grounded me.
She was slowly working her way inside my inner circle too. I’d never be able to repay her for the solid she’d done me by stepping in to help take care of Callie.
“Yeah.” I took in a settling breath and focused on Miles. “We’ll all keep an eye out. If he ventures into Mustang Mountain again, someone will see him.”
“And until then?” Miles asked.
“Until then, we can pull in a few of the Riders to watch your place. We’ll catch him.
” This town had been forced to become adept at protecting its own.
We’d run off Savage Bones, taken down our own sheriff when we had to, and fought against anything that threatened us with everything we had. This time would be no different.
“You’d better hope someone else finds him before I do. If I get to him first, there won’t be anything left to prosecute.” Miles held my gaze for a long beat then tightened his grip around Kinley’s shoulders. The look that passed between them was full of something I’d never known.
“Who had the special?” Our server stopped at the table, her arms full of plates heaping with small-town home cooking.
The conversation had made my appetite disappear, but the scent of the bison patty melt I’d ordered brought it back.
Though I could tell Kinley was shaken and Miles was pissed, the conversation turned toward their plan for rebuilding what they’d lost in the fire.
When we covered everything on that topic, Kinley shifted her attention to Rose.
“Cullen’s lucky he has you to help out with Callie.” She’d reluctantly given up her hold on the baby so she could eat her own lunch. Based on the way she kept looking at Callie with hearts in her eyes, it was just a matter of time before she and Miles would announce they were expecting.
Rose swallowed hard. She’d been quiet up until then, but she couldn’t avoid being directly pulled into the conversation. “It’s been fun. If you know anyone who might want to take the job permanently, I’m sure Cullen would appreciate it.”
“Oh.” Kinley looked from Rose to me and back to Rose again. “Aren’t you planning on staying in Mustang Mountain?”
“No. My car broke down, and I took a job at the Merc so I could pay to get it fixed. I never intended on staying.” She looked down at her plate while she answered.
Anxiety coiled in my belly at the reminder that she’d be leaving. Based on our agreement, I only had two more weeks until she headed out of town. She hadn’t even moved all the way in yet, and I was already going to have to plan for when she left.
“That’s too bad.” Kinley looked at Callie who was sitting in the highchair between Rose and me. “Callie seems to have taken to you.”
“She’s a pretty easy baby, not that I’ve had a ton of experience.” Rose dipped the plastic-coated spoon into the bowl of pureed peaches, then slid it into Callie’s mouth.
I never would have guessed she didn’t have a dozen baby brothers and sisters based on how easily she handled Callie. Since I’d been in sink or swim mode for the past week, I hadn’t even asked. It might pay to get a little more information about the woman I’d hired to take care of her.
We finished our lunch, got Callie’s things packed up, and said goodbye to Miles and Kinley. He said he’d connect with the rest of the Riders to put everyone on alert to look for Kinley’s ex. I promised to follow up with the Fire Marshall and the Sheriff to see what headway we could make there.
Rose got Callie buckled back into the baby carrier in the backseat while I started the truck and turned on the heat. When she was done, I walked around to open up the passenger door for her.
“You don’t have to keep doing that.” She stepped onto the running board and pulled herself up.
“What, you don’t like having a guy open doors for you?” My dad might have been a dick, but the great-aunt who’d raised me had taught me to respect women. Chivalry would never die if I had anything to say about it.
“I guess I’m not used to it.” Her cheeks pinked as she reached for her seatbelt.
I grabbed it first and handed it to her. “You deserve to have a man open doors for you. Don’t settle for less, Rose. It’s the least a guy can do.”
Our fingers brushed as she took the strap from me. Prickles of awareness traveled up my hand, but I shut that shit down fast.
“Let’s go get the rest of your stuff.” I said it more to myself than to her as I shut the truck door.
As much as I was attracted to the temporary nanny, the last thing I needed was to complicate my life any further.
I’d get her moved in, take the help she was willing to give, and try to find someone to replace her as soon as possible.
That was the plan. But plans burned up fast around here, and this time, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out without a few more scars.