Chapter Four
Normally, a comment like that from a man would send the ferocious momma bear inside of me into protection mode, but there was no starch or condemnation in Seth’s words. Just amazement, wonder, and possibly a bit of shock. Perceptive, my ass. Apparently, Junior hadn’t filled Seth in on my maternal side.
I grinned. “Guess you didn’t see that one coming, did ya, roomie?”
Seth’s gaping mouth snapped closed as he recovered from his flabbergasted state, but he didn’t speak. He just stared at the little guy in my arms in confusion. “You’re not, uh…married, are you?”
I scowled at him. “Of course not. Don’t be silly. I’m a single mom. This is my four-year-old son, Austin.”
Nodding, Seth lowered his head to my child’s level. “Hey, buddy. I’m Seth.”
My kid had always been a social butterfly and had never met a stranger so I wasn’t the least bit surprised when curious blue eyes gazed back at Seth as Austin checked out the man standing beside me. “I’m almost five,” Austin said, holding up his little fingers. “And I don’t like cauliflower. Or getting shots.”
Seth laughed. “Hell, who does?”
Austin instantly broke out in a fit of giggles. Probably because Seth had used a bad word. It wasn’t like my child had never heard one before, seeing how we did have cable television and people in public didn’t always watch their mouths around little ones. It just wasn’t something I’d ever said in front of him.
My mom walked up, carrying the dark-colored Avengers backpack that I’d dropped off with my son yesterday. Her eyes focused so intently on Seth that there was no doubt in my mind what she was thinking. “Well, hello there. Sorry if we’re interrupting anything. I didn’t expect my daughter to have company.” She held out a hand to Seth and offered him a polite smile. “I’m Connie Weston.”
He accepted her hand and gave it a quick shake. “Seth Landry. And don’t worry. You’re not interrupting anything. Bobbie was just showing me around the farm.”
My mom nodded. “It’s amazing what she’s done to the place. When my daughter told me last year that she was buying this old farm, I thought she was crazy. It was so rundown and beaten up. But in a year’s time, she’s done so much work that it’s really starting to shine.”
Pride bloomed inside of me. “Well, I still have a ways to go before it’s suitable to be a bed and breakfast. But it’ll get there eventually.”
“I have faith in you,” my mom said with a warm smile. She held out the backpack to my son. “Austin, did you tell your mom what you have inside the bag?”
“Oh, I forgot,” he said, squirming for me to put him down.
The moment I did, he took the backpack from his grandma and set it on the ground to open it. He shoved both hands inside and when he pulled them back out, I flinched. The last time he wanted to show me something, he had promptly shoved a live frog so close to my face that I’d practically kissed the damn thing. The last thing I needed right now was to lip-lock with another toad. Been there, done that. Asshole Brad.
Fortunately, this time, it was only a football. “See what Grandma bought for me?”
“I do. That was very nice of her. Did you tell her thank you?”
He nodded solemnly and then frowned. “Yeah, but I don’t have anyone to play ball with.”
I ruffled his hair. “What am I—chopped liver? I’ll play with you.”
Austin shook his head. “You’re not a boy.”
“I have news for you. Boys aren’t the only ones who play football. Girls can play, too.”
“But I don’t want to play with girls,” he whined. “I want to play with boys.”
Seth cleared his throat. “Well, then it’s your lucky day, squirt. I’m a guy who likes football. Wanna get in a few practice throws?”
Austin’s face lit up with glee. “Yeah!”
The two of them took the ball out into the middle of the yard and started tossing it back and forth. My mouth hung open, and I blinked incredulously. For a guy who wasn’t interested in strings and didn’t want to hang out with my family or friends, he didn’t seem to think twice about playing ball with my son. I hadn’t expected that.
My mom stepped closer. “Close your mouth, dear. It’s unbecoming.” I snapped my jaw shut, and my mom giggled. “When I pulled up, I thought maybe you had an overnight…um, guest. I didn’t realize it was Junior’s nephew until he said his name. He’s good-looking.”
“Mom,” I said, my tone warning her not to continue down the path she was on. “He just needs a place to stay for the summer, that’s all. There’s nothing going on between the two of us.”
She lifted one shoulder. “I didn’t say anything. Just noting how attractive he is. Then again, I should’ve figured that he would still be handsome. After all, he was a cute kid.”
“Wait. You’ve met him before?”
“Yep, once. You did, too, though you were probably too little to remember. It was a long time ago. Junior’s older sister came to town for a visit during one of the chili cook-offs. So Junior brought Seth and his mom down to the park. You were around one-year-old at the time and had learned to walk, so you kept trying to run off from me. But the moment Seth sat down on a blanket in the grass to play with you, you stayed glued to him. He was only around Austin’s age at the time, but he was very sweet. Looks like that hasn’t changed much.”
Oh Lord. “Do me a favor. Don’t ever mention that story to him.”
Her smile widened. “I won’t. But I do think it’s funny how your paths have crossed again. Maybe it’s kismet.”
I shook my head. “More like coincidence. If Junior’s place hadn’t been flooded out, his nephew wouldn’t be staying here at all.”
“Sweetie, Liberty isn’t all that big, and sometimes fate has a plan of its own. You probably would’ve run into Seth sooner or later.”
Yeah, like last night. I chewed on my bottom lip. “Maybe. But he’s a drifter. And he’s already made it clear that he’s leaving at the end of the summer. So trust me, nothing is going to happen between us.”
“Plans sometimes change.”
“I don’t think he’s going to change his mind. He seems pretty determined to move on once he figures out where he’s going.”
She smiled. “Oh, honey. I wasn’t talking about his plans. I was talking about yours. You can say nothing will happen all you want, but I’m already sensing some sexual tension sizzling between the two of you. Let’s see…you’re twenty-nine, which would put him at about thirty-three years old. I would say it’s about time for both of you to settle down.”
I rolled my eyes. “Says the forty-eight-year-old woman who’s still single.”
“Yes, well, I’m happy being single,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Even when I raised you singlehandedly, I was okay with it. I don’t want or need a man in my life. Not after everything I went through with your father.”
“Then how is that any different than me? I don’t need a man in my life, either. I do just find on my own.”
“You’re right. You don’t need one. But unlike me, you want one.” Her mouth curved.
“No, I thought that was what I wanted. But after dealing with Jeremy, I don’t know that I have it in me to try with men anymore. It’s exhausting.”
Mom smiled. “You have a good heart, dear. But you’ve wasted so much time trying to get Jeremy to come around. I think it’s time you gave up on this idea you have of him being a daddy to your son. Just let bygones be bygones and move on with your life already. You’d be much happier.”
I shook my head. “That’s easy for you to say. But I’m the one who has to see how heartbroken Austin is every time he mentions not having a dad.”
Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. “Bobbie Jo, you’re not as young and naive as I was back in the day. Surely, you’re starting to realize by now that Jeremy is a lot like your own father. He’s not going to change just because you want him to. He has to want to.”
I sighed. “I know. That’s why I’ve tried so hard to get Jeremy involved with Austin.”
“And where has that gotten you? Nowhere. I hate to say it, but you’re fighting a losing battle. Don’t follow in my footsteps. Instead, do yourself a favor and find yourself a man that makes you and Austin happy and then hold on to him with everything you have.”
Austin’s loud squeal pierced the air, and my heart instantly leaped into my throat. My head snapped in the direction of the sound to see my son running across the yard as fast as his little legs would pump with the football tightly tucked into his side. Seth gave chase behind him, and although he looked to be jogging, he was merely walking fast in an animated way as if he were threatening to close the gap and tackle Austin.
I grinned. Last night, I’d had that same natural impulse to run when Seth had come toward me, too.
We watched in silence as Seth caught up to Austin and gently tackled him onto the ground, rolling to make sure the child landed on the adult rather than the other way around. Both of them laughed hysterically.
My mom nodded toward Seth. “Like him, for instance.”
I released an exaggerated groan.
“He might realize that it’s time for him to settle down and make a family and home…with the right woman, of course.”
“And I’m supposed to be the right woman?”
“You never know,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, I have to run. I told my friend Susan that I would stop by her house before lunchtime.” She gave me a quick squeeze and then headed toward her car.
I scanned the yard with my eyes until they landed on Seth showing Austin how to properly throw the football with his tiny hands. “Austin, give your grandma a kiss and a hug. She’s leaving.” He immediately ran for her.
Seth made his way over to me and joined me at the bottom of the porch stairs. “Cute kid you have there.”
“Thanks. He’s my pride and joy.” I gazed at Seth curiously, though. “I have to admit, I was a little surprised when you offered to play ball with him. Being a drifter and all, I didn’t figure you would like kids very much. Do you have younger brothers or sisters?”
“Nah,” he said with a quick shake of his head. “I’m an only child. But I used to play soccer with all the village kids. Well, you know, after I built them all grass huts and wooden boats.”
I laughed. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
He grinned. “Depends. Are you letting me stay here for the summer or not?”
“You don’t mind staying in a house with a four-year-old?”
“Why would I?” he asked, genuine confusion lighting his face. “Besides, there’s a pretty blond woman that lives here, too.”
“Seth.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I was just being honest.”
“I already told you that you can’t say stuff like that to me. It’ll only make things awkward if you’re going to be staying here.”
A broad grin widened his face. “So that’s a yes?”
Austin came toward us with a huge smile as my mother drove away. He stopped in front of Seth and stared up at him with inquisitiveness, admiration, and possibly a bit of hero worship shining in his eyes. Within a matter of minutes, Seth had made an impression on my son. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
But it wasn’t like Seth had anywhere else to go. And I didn’t have any other way to do the repairs around here without his help.
Damn it, this bed and breakfast was important to me. Not only because it would provide me with a stable job, a decent income, and a way to provide a better life for my kid. But it would also allow me to work from home on a permanent basis while raising my young son.
I’d always said I would do things here my way, on my own terms. And I would. Even if that meant resigning myself to living under the same roof with a frustratingly arrogant handyman who was tempting as all get-out. But I could keep things between the two of us platonic, and I would, as long as Seth would keep his hands—and his lips—to himself from now on.
I turned to Seth and sighed. “Okay. We’ll make it work.”
Somehow.
…
After a quick lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, Austin ran to his room to play with his Legos while Seth and I continued to stare at each other across the farm table in awkward silence. It was weird having a man in the house. Well, this particular man anyway. “Do you want a tour of the place? I can show you some of the work that I need help with.”
“Sure.” He eyed the duffel bag he’d left by the front door. “What do you want me to do with my bag?”
“Just leave it for now. I’ll show you the upstairs first and then you can grab it before I show you to your room.”
He rose from his seat. “Uh, okay. But aren’t the bedrooms upstairs?”
“Some are. There are six bedrooms upstairs and three downstairs.”
He gave a low whistle. “Wow. You have nine bedrooms in this place?”
“I do now. When I bought this place, it originally had five in all. But I changed the layout of the house and added a few walls to the larger rooms. All of the upstairs bedrooms are smaller than they were before but still about the size of a small motel room. Those are the ones I’ll be renting out to paying customers.” I headed for the stairs. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“All right,” he said, following behind me.
As I started up the stairs, I asked, “Know anything about restoring an original wooden staircase and hardwood floors?”
He stopped at the bottom of the staircase and gave it a once-over before turning his attention to the floor beneath his feet. “Both seem to be in pretty decent shape beyond some scratches and scarring. Probably wouldn’t take all that much to fix them. Just some major sanding and a few coats of varnish and polyurethane. You’re going for the rustic look, right?”
Pleased that he’d noticed, I smiled. Modern, commercial appliances made up the majority of my kitchen, but the rustic country decor I’d added was what I loved most about that room. “Yes, you nailed it. Though everything is being updated, I plan on continuing that theme throughout the entire house.”
“I thought so. By the way, you have a great kitchen.”
“Thanks. I worked really hard on it.”
He nodded. “I could tell. You did a fantastic job.”
Pride had my chest puffing out. It was nice hearing that someone else thought I’d done such a great job with it. My family and friends had said that, too, but it wasn’t the same as hearing it from an outsider. “All of the downstairs is already finished with the exception of the floors and the staircase. The rooms upstairs are the ones that need work.” I started back up the stairs. “Follow me.”
I expected to hear his boots clomping up the stairs behind me, but I didn’t. So when I reached the landing, I turned to motion for him to come up. And my hand accidentally smacked him on his shoulder. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you behind me.”
He grinned. “I’m light on my feet.”
I moved away to distance myself from him. “Uh, so these are the guest rooms I was telling you about. This bigger one over here is completely done, so I’ve been storing all of my furniture for the other ones in it. I have some end tables crafted from old barn doors, wrought iron bed frames, distressed décor, and handmade quilts for each bed.” I turned to motion across the hall. “These two are the bare ones. They both need drywall hung still.”
“Okay. What about those three over there?” he asked, motioning across the landing.
“Those have drywall. They just need to be taped, floated, and then painted. All of my paint supplies are in the first one.”
“Mind if I take a look?”
I gestured to the door. “Help yourself.”
He entered the room and glanced around while I leaned against the doorframe and watched him. “The rooms are bigger than I thought,” he noted.
“Well, this one is slightly bigger than a couple of the others. But they’re all pretty close in size. Each has a small private bathroom with a shower stall, but I still need to finish the tile work in most of them.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can take care of it,” he said, moving toward the painting supplies on the floor and taking stock of what all I had. “You have almost everything I’ll need. Maybe just pick up some drop cloths or something so I don’t get paint on the floor.”
“Oh, I have something else I was using as a drop cloth,” I said, pointing across the room. “They’re over there in the corner.”
Seth walked over to the old blue tarps I’d wadded up and thrown on the floor. He lifted one and tried to unfold it, but the dried paint had glued it together. “Looks like the old socks my mother had found under my bed when I was a teenager.”
Huh. Weird. “Why did you throw socks under your bed with dried paint on them?”
“It wasn’t paint,” he said, dropping the tarp back onto the floor. He hooked his thumbs into the loop holes on his jeans as if he were putting his crotch on full display and grinned wide.
“Well, if it wasn’t paint, then what…” My voice trailed off as realization dawned on me. “Oh. Never mind.” Dear God. Boys are disgusting. To keep from staring at the bulge in his pants, I pivoted to face the opposite direction. “Uh, why don’t I show you the downstairs now? I’m sure you’d like to unpack your things and get settled in.” Not waiting for his reply, I hurried toward the stairs.
A low chuckle sounded from somewhere in the distance, but by the time I made it back downstairs, he was once again right behind me. Man, he moved fast. But I kept going, leading him through the living room and then directing him through the double doors against the far wall.
We entered the spacious dining room, and Seth peered up at the antique glass chandelier hanging in the center of the room. Then his gaze wandered to the six round tables that were spaced out perfectly from one another. “I take it this is where your guests will be eating the meals you prepare for them.”
“Yep. Since there are six rooms, I included six guest tables. I figured some might enjoy visiting with others in a communal dining atmosphere, but I wanted to make sure that the ones who wanted their privacy wouldn’t have to eat their meals with complete strangers.”
“Smart thinking.” He turned his attention onto the old metal buffet table leaning against a nearby wall. “What’s this for?”
“This is my beverage station. I plan to offer freshly brewed tea and coffee here throughout the day, as well as complimentary milk, soda, juice, and water, which I’ll keep inside the mini fridge beneath it.”
“You’ve really got everything planned out, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “Well, yeah. I’ve been dreaming about this for years. I just needed to find the right place, and this farm was perfect. It’s close enough to town that couples or families can hit the different local shops, yet we’re secluded enough that they can also sit back and relax in the natural atmosphere. Between the surrounding forest and the nearby Trinity River, I should attract a lot of fisherman and hunters who need a quiet place to stay and a hot meal they don’t have to cook themselves.”
Seth’s mouth drew a grim line. “Doesn’t that worry you, though?”
“Does what worry me?”
“Having groups of men staying out here with you…alone.”
I grinned. “I’m not alone.”
“Come on, Bobbie. I don’t think your four-year-old son is going to scare off a grown man.”
Funny, seeing how several grown men had run in the opposite direction from me the moment they learned about my son. But that wasn’t quite what he meant. “No, but the pistol in my gun safe might.”
He eyed me thoughtfully. “You know how to shoot it?”
“I wouldn’t have it if I didn’t know how to properly use it.”
“Well, what if one those hunters get frisky with you and you can’t get to your gun for protection? What then?”
“Plenty of knives in the kitchen.”
He frowned. “And if you can’t get to those before he grabs you?”
“Then I’ll put a knee into his groin, break a lamp over his head, or crush his nuts with my teeth. Don’t underestimate me, Seth. I’m not scared of staying out here by myself, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Seth shook his head adamantly. “No, I know you don’t scare easily. That’s what has me worried.”
I squinted at him. “What do you mean?”
“Last night, when you saw me in that dark parking lot, you didn’t panic and run back inside, though most women probably would have. And then there’s this house. You stripped it down to nothing and are rebuilding it into something, not knowing whether your business plan will even work. That takes real guts on your part. I’m pretty sure you have bigger balls than most men I know.”
I threw back my head and laughed. His assessment of me was hilarious. “I have news for you. The first thought that ran through my head was for me to go back into the safety of the building. I just didn’t. And the house? Yeah, I’m taking a big risk, but this bed and breakfast is going to work out. I’ve done my research.”
His mouth collapsed, and his eyes narrowed. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I needed to make sure that this area would be a good fit for an inn of this type.”
“No, not the research,” he grumbled. “Why did you ignore your instincts last night? When that little voice inside of you tells you to get somewhere safe, you should never ignore it. Ever.”
I didn’t want to point out the obvious, but… “It was fine. Nothing happened.”
“But it could have. Whether you’re renting a room or hanging out at a rodeo, I don’t really like the idea of you being alone with a strange man.”
I smirked. “You mean, like you?”
I was only trying to be funny, but he didn’t laugh. Instead, a crease formed between his eyebrows, and he nodded firmly. “Yeah. Exactly. You should avoid men like me.”
Well, that was quite a different stance than he’d taken with me earlier in the day. What happened to him wanting to keep me warm until Mr. Right came along? Where had that sexually charged individual run off to? “Why do you say that?”
“Just trust me. You’d be doing yourself a favor in the long run,” he said, maneuvering around me and heading back toward the kitchen. “I’ll grab my bag. If you could show me to my room now, I’d appreciate it.”
“Um, okay.” Jeez. Did I say something wrong?