6. Lila
CHAPTER 6
Lila
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned as I slid my cellphone in the back pocket of my jeans. Well, there goes my backup babysitter.
“What’s wrong?” River asked as we walked to the gas station close to our apartment after he begged me to let him get some chips. One look at his pouty lips and baby blue eyes, and I knew I was being played like a fiddle. It was hard to say no to a cute kid in general, but more so when it came from this one.
If I was superwoman, then River was my kryptonite.
“I was just talking to Lacie,” I said, mentioning his babysitter.
He beamed and I almost regretted telling him, afraid to see his good mood slip away once I told him Lacie was going to Florida for the summer with her family.
Which left me with Miss Thompson as my backup, or so I thought.
He wasn’t all that crazy about our downstairs neighbor babysitting him because she was the opposite of Lacie in every way imaginable. A competition between a teenager and an eighty-year-old woman who didn’t like most people wasn’t exactly fair, but River didn’t care. He only wanted to have fun and eat lots of candy. Naturally, he was all for Lacie, whereas I had to wrestle him into behaving for Miss Thompson.
With one going away for vacation and the other dealing with health issues, I was left with no one. Which meant I’d be without a babysitter this summer, and there was no way I’d be able to work.
I was busy stressing over who I could ask and trusted enough with my four-year old, when I heard a deep voice say my name from down the aisle.
“Lila North, is that you?”
I looked away from River as he perused the chips like it was his job to inspect every bag. Only to spot none other than Desmond Adler heading our way. His short, dark hair was dusted with more grays compared to the last time I’d seen him. Not surprising since he must have been heading into his mid-to-late sixties by now. The crow’s feet around his kind blue eyes were more prominent too, and he was smiling at me in that way that always melted my heart.
Still, Desmond looked as good as he had when I’d first met him years ago after my grandfather introduced us. Unlike the rest of the people in Willow Vale who looked at me with pity most of my life, Desmond and Amelia Adler never once made me feel like I was less than. Like I was a child who needed to be treated differently. Because to them, I was just a kid who needed love.
The thing I adored the most about the Adlers growing up was that they gave out love to strangers like it was free candy. And they had buckets practically overflowing with love in their home.
Back then, Irene would drop me off with my grandfather for days at a time, and it meant I’d spend a lot of time on the Adlers ranch too. My grandfather was never good at taking care of anyone—not even himself—so most of the time I had to fend for myself before he had to head out for work. Eating sandwiches and cereal at his place before going hours without food had become my normal.
I’d lost a lot of weight when I first started hanging around him on the ranch. Between being neglected by my mother and then him, I was just trying to get by as best I could at age ten.
That went on for a while until Amelia saw me one day and nearly lost it. She and Desmond had walked out of the barn one morning while I waited for Travis’s little sister to come out to play. Her kind smile disappeared when she spotted me on the porch, stopping dead in her tracks the moment she took a good look at me. At first, I was sure she would scold me or yell at me. That was the usual reaction I received.
Instead, Desmond and I watched as Amelia Adler ripped my grandfather a new one for neglecting me. All because she’d cared about me. I realized I didn’t know what that was like until that moment.
After that, I’d lost count of all the birthdays, barbecues, and holidays I was invited to by the Adlers. They even celebrated my birthday when Irene always forgot for one reason or another.
I’d like to think it was because of the Adlers that I learned what a true family should be like. I tried to take care of River the same way Amelia and Desmond had treated me. I’m not sure who I’d be if it hadn’t been for them practically taking me in or what kind of example I’d be setting for River now.
“I knew I spotted you and your wild mane over the aisle,” Desmond greeted as he approached me.
I ran a hand through my hair with a laugh, feeling my cheeks flush. I held out my hand to shake his. “Mr. Adler. It’s good to see you again. How are you?”
Desmond’s smile was warm as he regarded me for a minute before looking to River.
Rather than take my hand, Desmond shocked me by wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me into a hug. I hesitated only for a second before I wrapped my arms around the man who’d practically become a father to me.
The scent of leather and cedar coming off Desmond’s button-down shirt brought back memories of a cozy home on a ranch and a loud family full of joy despite all the hard work they did day in and day out.
When we finally broke away from our hug, Desmond’s eyes were shining with emotion. I almost laughed and I probably would have if I didn’t feel myself get all misty eyed too. The funny thing about Travis’s dad was that he never shied away from showing tears when he got sad or overwhelmingly happy. Amelia had always teased him for being unapologetically emotional. Standing at six-foot-two and built like an ox, Desmond Adler was a big softy.
“We’ve missed you, kid. Haven’t seen you in a hot minute. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding us. I thought for sure I wouldn’t see you until I was well into my nineties.”
I forced a chuckle at his words. While he was teasing, I could tell Desmond’s words were sincere. Concerned.
In our small town, I almost always ran into one of the Adlers. However, that was as far as I’d let our interactions go. Just so that the inevitable mention of Travis wouldn’t come up.
I decide to tease him rather than dive into that whole mess. “You still look good, though. How old are you anyway? Thirty? ”
Desmond released a genuine booming laugh that made River finally peer up at the man standing in front of me. In a flash, he hurried over to my side to get a better look at the work boots Desmond was wearing. I placed my hand atop his head and said, “River, say hello to Mr. Adler.”
“Hello.” River gave a shy smile before pointing to the black worn boots. “Are you a cowboy? A real one?”
“I sure am. It’s nice to meet you, River.” Desmond reached a large hand down toward him and when River took it, his little one practically disappeared. “You like cowboys?”
River nodded with a little grin before sticking close to my side, wrapping one arm around my leg.
“River loves anything to do with cowboys, including horses.” I had all the drawings he’d made strewn across the kitchen table to prove it.
“Horses?” Desmond placed his hands on his hips, “Well, what do you know? I happen to own a bunch of horses back at the ranch.”
“You do?” River asked enthusiastically.
“You should have your sister bring you over to the ranch sometime! I’ll even let you ride one.”
I arched a brow. “Ride one?”
Desmond gave me a sheepish smile. “With your permission, of course.”
River was practically bouncing up and down with excitement now. “Lila, can I? Please?” He drew out the “please” extra-long.
While I didn’t want to crush River’s hopes of seeing a horse, I couldn’t bring myself to accept it either. Going to the Adlers ranch would only result in heartache and more memories. That and Travis would be there if he still lived on his parent’s property. Not that I asked or anything, but Desi did mention he’d built a house on Silver Hill so he could stay close to his parents. I hadn’t asked Desi for more information on where he lived or if he had someone in his life—both were things I didn’t need to know—but I imagined he would have stayed close by, in case his father ever needed help.
I’d tried not to think back on our conversation yesterday, and failed. How good it felt to be so close to Travis again. How he touched me so casually, as if he never stopped in the first place. The obvious was that he still felt something for me. The way I still felt something for him.
Not that I ever stopped.
Desmond kept us company and helped River pick out a bag of chips. They both agreed that Cool Ranch Doritos were superior. I paid for the chips at the counter while Desmond asked the lanky teenage cashier to open one of the pumps for him.
As we were walking out together, he asked, “I hear you’re working at The Pint now. You’ll make good money. People tend to tip generously when they’ve got one too many drinks in them.”
“That’s good to know. I am in desperate need of that now more than ever.” I chuckled awkwardly.
He walked us to my rusty 1974 Bronco parked a few feet away. My grandfather bought it a long time ago and left the truck to me when he couldn’t drive anymore. Now she was my pride and joy. I suspected she was on her last legs, but she got me to where I needed to go.
Before I could say goodbye and part ways with Desmond, he said, “I also hear you need a babysitter for River.”
I frowned. “How?—”
I’d been texting Desi all day today venting about my dilemma with the babysitters. She must have mentioned it to Desmond at some point if they’d ran into each other at the bar or… I loved my best friend, but she was a little gossip. She ca lled it “sharing information,” hating the words “gossip” and “Desiree Boone” thrown together in the same sentence.
“If you still need one, I think I might have someone in mind. I’ll talk to Amelia but I’m pretty sure the answer will be yes.”
I glanced up at Desmond after I loaded River into his car seat and buckled him in. “A-Amelia? Oh, I can’t do that to her. She must be so busy and?—”
Desmond chuckled, cutting me off. “It’s not a problem, Lila. There’s always one of us on the ranch, including Finn. We’ll work something out. Let me talk to her first and I’ll get back to you. Do you still have our number saved in your phone?”
I nodded gingerly, still too stunned by the fact that he and Amelia would want to watch River for me. It was too much. Too kind. Too risky.
Then again, they were never anything but nice to me. It shouldn’t come off as a surprise that they’d offer to help me now.
“That’s very kind of you, but…” My words died away when he smiled knowingly at me, as if he knew exactly what I was about to say. It made a lump form in my throat. “I’d appreciate it if you asked her. Thank you.”
“Of course, kiddo.” He patted my shoulder the way he used to when I was a kid.
This time I was the one to throw my arms around Desmond’s middle, thankful he didn’t give me the cold shoulder when he had every right to do so. His chest rumbled with a chuckle before giving me a hug right back.
Such a simple gesture, and yet it brought tears to my eyes. Tears I had to fight off.
I was so used to doing everything on my own for so long that it felt weird to accept help for once. To ask for it. It felt good to have it offered every now and then, even if it would be temporary. It made me feel a little less alone.
I might have been stretching all the rules I’d set for myself since agreeing to work at The Rusty Pint—seeing Travis again, and now his dad—but I told myself this was for River. He needed to be taken care of no matter what. Even if that meant I had to see Travis more than I wanted to.