Finn returned with his cup and, not wanting to embarrass her charge, she didn’t say anymore. “You ready to go, bud?” she asked after he poured his shake into the foam cup.
“Yep.” He then turned to Brodie and stuck out his hand. “Thank you for the invite to the ranch, Mr. Brodie. I promise not to cause any trouble.”
Cerise held her breath to see what Brodie would do. He wouldn’t leave the boy hanging, would he? Her breath whooshed out when Brodie grasped the child’s much-smaller hand and looked him in the eye as he shook it. “I know you won’t cause any trouble, Finn. And I can’t wait to show you the ranch.”
Tears welled in her eyes and this time she couldn’t stop them from trickling down her cheeks. Brodie was warming her heart with how accepting he was of Finn.
Was it too much to hope that maybe she could warm Brodie’s heart too?
CHAPTER FIVE
Brodie brushedthe gentle mare’s flanks, the flesh quivering with every stroke. “You like this, don’t you, Miss Maple?” Named for her tawny-brown coat, the horse was the perfect one for Finn to learn to ride on.
If someone had asked him this morning when he’d walked into the diner that he’d end up enjoying a breakfast with Cerise, meeting a kid who’d clearly had more knocks in his life than a young boy should have, and then invite them out to the ranch, he would’ve laughed his head off.
Yet here he was, preparing two horses, with a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat waiting for the little boy. When he’d returned and spoken to Mrs. Alexander about what he’d done, she’d gone quiet for a moment, and he was worried he’d overstepped his position. But then she’d grabbed his hands and squeezed them, assuring him that she had the perfect boots for Finn, as well as a hat.
She’d rushed out of the room, taking his concerns with her. She returned a few minutes later with her bounty and he couldn’t wait to see Finn’s face when Brodie handed them to him.
Satisfied that Miss Maple was sufficiently brushed, he saddled her, led her out of the barn and tied her next to the other mare he’d already prepared for Cerise. Saffron was another sweet mare but a little younger than Miss Maple, so she would be perfect for Cerise.
The sound of approaching footsteps had him looking up and he chuckled at the vision walking toward him. Finn was dressed in jeans, a button-down shirt and some sneakers. Perfect clothes for riding horses. Cerise, on the other hand, looked like she was dressed for a night on the town. Sure, she wore jeans, but the pockets were outlined with crystals. Her belt was the blingiest thing he’d ever seen, entirely made up of what looked like little diamonds. She wore a pink-striped western shirt, but there was silver threaded through it. Atop her head was a sparkly pink cowboy hat and—he narrowed his eyes—yep, there was glitter on her cheeks.
“Sparkles, I’m not going to lose you today, am I?”
She grinned impishly. “That’s the idea.”
He laughed. “All that glitter and shine should be over the top, but I have to say it suits you.”
She curtsied. “Thank you. If you hadn’t guessed, glitter and bling are my jam.”
“I never would’ve picked it,” he said drily before turning to the boy standing next to her. “How are you doing, Finn? You didn’t want some of that shine?”
“Ew, gross.” His response was typical of a boy and Brodie laughed.
Cerise clutched her shirt. “You wound me, Finn.” She softened her words with a big grin.
Finn rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his face. “I will never love that stuff, Cerise.”
“I suppose I can forgive you that, but if you happen to find a little glitter on your shoulder, it’s my way of saying I’m alwayswith you.” The conversation turned serious and Finn swallowed and looked away. Brodie guessed he was trying to keep his emotions in check. He’d been a young boy once and crying in front of girls was so not the boy thing to do. If he knew the kid better, he’d tell him that expressing emotions, including crying, was nothing to be ashamed of. But as he’d only just met him, he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries.
He could see Cerise fighting with herself from pulling Finn into a hug. It was as plain as the cowboy hat on his head that Cerise’s feelings for the child were genuine and she wanted to do everything to protect him.
What had Finn gone through after his parents died? Apart from grief, which he probably still hadn’t processed. And why did it sound like he kept bouncing from Cerise to some other place?
Not your place, Brodie. Just offer them a ride and a day at the ranch and then get on with your life.
While he wanted to listen to his inner voice, his heart was pulling him in the direction of the two people standing in front of him and he couldn’t understand why. This instantaneous reaction he was having to the both of them was confusing. He would get through the day and deal with it in the quiet of his own house.
“Finn, I’ve got something for you.” He injected excitement into his voice to liven the serious mood that had fallen around them.
“Really? What?” Finn’s eyes lit up, but then, as if he’d been disappointed by the words before, the light dulled just as quickly as it had arrived.
Damn, even he wanted to reach out and reassure the little guy he wasn’t playing tricks on him.
“You’re going to love this, wait right here. I’ll be back in a second.” He strode back into the barn and collected the bootsand hat he had for Finn. Before he exited the building, he called out. “Finn?”
“Yeah?” He yelled back.
