Chapter 12
12
Bailey
M onday morning, Bailey stood in the shadows of the kitchen. She’d had a hard time sleeping last night—for the last two nights, actually. True to Carter’s word, he’d come in late, which meant she hadn’t been able to get him situated in Anya’s room. That didn’t stop Anya from moving into Bailey’s bed, but it did mean that Carter took up his place on the couch again.
She watched him with a cup of coffee in hand. It was too early to get her daughter up and ready for school. Bailey knew better than to mess with her daughter’s sleep schedule. Anya could be a light sleeper in the mornings, and that meant Bailey couldn’t enjoy her coffee in the privacy of her bedroom.
So now she was in the kitchen, watching from her position as Carter’s chest rose and fell. He rested with his hand on his chest and a thick knitted blanket draped over his body. She didn’t know where he’d gone yesterday, and it really wasn’t her business. As long as he followed the rules, he could stay. That was the agreement.
She took another sip of her coffee, then startled so much she nearly dropped it when Carter spoke.
“You don’t have to worry about me breaking the rules. I’m not going to do anything wrong.”
How on earth did he know she was thinking that? His eyes weren’t even open. She could barely get a full view of him. Had he been awake this whole time? Embarrassment flushed her skin, heating it so much she nearly needed to take a step outside into the winter air.
He peeked one eye open, and she stepped back so he couldn’t get a good look at her. Then he sat up with a groan. “Your kid go to school today?”
She nodded, sipping her drink again. “Are you going to work?”
He frowned, and that’s when she remembered that he was working for his brothers—the very brothers who he’d gotten into a fight with on Saturday. “I plan on showing up for work later this week after the dust settles. I don’t think any of them will want to see much of me right now.”
Bailey turned her mug around in her hand thoughtfully. She wasn’t sure she wanted him here in her home all alone while she had to take a trip to the city. She had a meeting with her broker, and if she didn’t make this one, they would have enough cause to let her go.
“Don’t worry about that, either,” he said, rising to his feet. He ran a hand through his mussed hair. “I’ll find somewhere else to go during the day.”
Her mouth formed a small “o” shape. Once again, he’d read her mind. That was getting annoying, especially because she didn’t like how it made her look. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him… okay, maybe a little. But she still didn’t like appearing as though she wasn’t willing to give him a chance.
Before she had a chance to throw a retort in his direction, Anya emerged from the bedroom. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. “Can I have more apples with peanut butter?” she asked.
“Try putting peanut butter on your pancakes,” Carter spoke first.
Anya’s eyes brightened. “Can you do that?”
“Sure, kid. Why not?”
Bailey couldn’t help the surreal feeling of being in her own house at this very moment. Anya followed Carter to the fridge where he’d stored the leftovers from their breakfast the other morning. It was like the most natural thing in the world. Had she entered some other kind of dimension?
She watched as Carter went about reheating Anya’s breakfast, then spread a healthy dose of warmed peanut butter over the top. Then he dug around in a nearby cupboard and brandished some red, glittering sprinkles.
Anya about lost it when she saw them. It was the perfect Christmas-themed breakfast. And Carter had done it all himself. Only once did he meet her gaze, a gaze that lingered longer than it should have.
Bailey’s heart hammered out of control. Jack had never been this involved in his daughter’s life. He’d always been a more hands-off sort of father. He was the breadwinner and the occasional tickle monster, but that was about it. This one glimpse of Carter acting more like a father than Jack ever had was messing with Bailey’s emotions.
She put the mug down with a trembling hand and hurried to her bedroom to get ready for work. Just because Carter was being sweet with her daughter didn’t mean he was someone she wanted in her life. There was too much on her plate right now, and letting her emotions get the better of her would only cause more problems.
Bailey ushered Anya back inside after seeing the state of her car. She let the door slam shut, causing Carter’s head to whip around in their direction. He was in the process of getting on his coat to leave for the day, but it was the look of concern on his face that could have sent her stumbling backward.
“Something wrong?” he demanded, his tone a little sharper than it needed to be.
“Yeah,” she said, “you could say that.”
“Mom’s tires are flat,” Anya offered.
Bailey tossed her purse on the counter and groaned. “I can’t believe this is happening. Today of all days.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Anya reached up and took her hand. “I don’t have to go to school today.”
Bailey gave her daughter a flat look. “Nice try. You’re going. You’re just going to be a little late.”
“I can take her.”
Bailey’s head snapped up. “You… would do that?”
He shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I’m doing anything important today, anyway. I can take you to work, too, if you’d like. The country club isn’t that far from the elementary school.”
She grimaced. “Actually, I have to go to the city for a meeting. Thanks, but I’m going to have to find another option.”
“Why?” His single-word question threw her off balance even more. “Come on, I’ll take you. It’s really no big deal—a good way to keep me out of trouble and away from bad guys, right?” He winked at Anya, who giggled.
Bailey shouldn’t be accepting his offer. She knew that. But today, she was desperate. Finally, she nodded with resignation.
After dropping Anya off at school, the car ride grew more awkward by the second. Bailey fidgeted in her seat, picking at her cuticles as she did her best to keep her eyes on the road. The last forty-eight hours had been all too surreal.
As the weight of her reality hit her harder, she couldn’t help but berate herself for her stupid decisions. She’d let a stranger into her home.
No, not a stranger, she reminded herself. Carter was Caleb’s twin. And Emma could vouch for him. They might not know each other well, but Bailey had a good feeling about him. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You sure you didn’t have to work today?” She wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn one corner of his mouth lifted.
“One of the perks of working for your family is that you can skip work as needed.”
“To cool off…” The second she said the words, she’d regretted them. They weren’t meant to be mean, and yet that was exactly how they’d come off. He was helping her—driving her an hour into the city so she could get some work done. What was she thinking? What if he chose to pull over right that second? He wouldn’t do that, but the anxiety from that thought alone was adding to the tension that continued to bubble in her chest.
So much had gone wrong since Jack died. She was barely holding it together. Sure, she told herself she was doing okay, but in reality, she didn’t know what she was going to do.
“Hey,” Carter’s soft voice startled her, and she set wide eyes on him. “You okay? You’re breathing really fast.”
So she was. Dizziness draped around her, and yet she still couldn’t calm her racing heart or her lungs that were both going into overdrive. She puffed and panted, her fingers clawing at her throat.
“Hey,” he said, sharper this time. “Hey, Bailey, you need to calm down.”
At some point he’d pulled the truck to the side of the road. One second he was behind the wheel, and the next he was standing beside her door. Carter took her hands in his and squeezed.
“Breathe,” he insisted, his voice a low rumble. “In…” He took a deep breath. “Out…”
She nodded, following his instructions. Second by second, her heart rate started to slow. Her breathing normalized. In and out.
Only when her body had returned to a normal setting did she realize what exactly had happened. Her lashes fluttered and her eyes widened as heat exploded beneath her skin. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have?—”
“You don’t have to apologize,” he insisted softly. “It’s fine.”
She shook her head. “It’s not fine. You’re right. I’m barely making ends meet. Every time I think something is going to go right, something else comes crashing into my life that puts me three steps behind.” She fought the hot tears that threatened to escape. This was what she deserved after burying everything she was scared of. “That’s why I’m working at the club even though I’m supposed to be making enough as a realtor. The meeting in town is mandatory or I could lose my job.” She could feel the panic rising in her chest again as the deluge of emotions forced its way out.
“Christmas isn’t going to happen. Anya is going to be so disappointed. But, we’re going to be okay,” she insisted, more for herself than for Carter, “however, I don’t know how I’m going to break it to her that Santa… doesn’t exist. Not in the way she believes.” A soft cry escaped her lips, and she shut her eyes as a single tear slipped down her cheek. “It’s not supposed to be this hard.”
The next thing she knew, Carter’s arms were around her, pulling her in for a hug. It was strange how that simple act was all it took for the tension to release from her body. She slumped against him, not caring any longer how she’d made a fool of herself in front of him. At least he didn’t need to know that she lost her house—the one she’d sold to Emma. That would have been the cherry on top of the mortification she knew she’d experience later.
“Santa can still exist,” Carter finally murmured into her hair when her emotions ran dry.
She pulled back to get a better look at him. “What?”
“I can help. I’ve got some?—”
Bailey withdrew fully, putting more space between them. She let out an embarrassed laugh. “No.”
“No?” His brows creased, and he shifted where he stood. A hand raked through his hair as his mouth dipped into a frown. “But you said?—”
She shook her head vehemently. “I mean, I really appreciate the offer, but you’ve already helped enough.” She placed her hands on her cheeks, knowing she was going to have to wipe them down to clean up any mascara that was there. “This is so embarrassing. I should have never…” She finally looked him in the eye. “We’ll be fine. We always are.”
The frustration on his face shifted to something that bordered on anger. “Will you listen to yourself? Do you see where you are right now? We’re on the side of the road after you had a panic attack. This isn’t up for discussion. I’m helping, and you don’t get a say in it anymore.”
Bailey gawked at the cowboy in front of her. His firm tone left no room for argument. She got the distinct feeling that even if she were to kick him out of her house, lock the door, and put a restraining order on him, he’d still find a way to get down her chimney. They stared at one another for a few moments more before she finally had to drop her gaze. “Thank you.” She had to dig down deep and practically rip the words out of her body to offer them up. There was nothing else she could say to him.
“Good,” he said and nodded his head once. “Now, get your seatbelt on. The roads are slick.” With that, he shut the door and marched back to his side of the truck. The only sound filling the truck was that of the radio.