Brand New Cowboy Read online

  Seconds later, she brought the juice to Ava, who sat back down on the blanket and turned her attention back to the movie.

  Leslie’s phone trilled and she grabbed it off the bookcase, not recognizing the number.

  “Leslie’s Place,” she said in answer.

  “Hi, is this Leslie Perkins?” came a deep drawl.

  “This is she.”

  “Hi, Leslie. I don’t know if you remember me but this is Levi Wilcox. We went to high school together.”

  Oh, I remember. “Oh, hi, Levi. I just heard about Mr. and Mrs. Paulson moving out of their home and that you had moved back.”

  “Yes, my daughter and me. We’ll be living here. That’s actually why I’m calling. Amberlyn—my daughter—will be needing a daycare. She’s four. I heard you have an at-home daycare and was hoping you had an opening.”

  She started to say that her home was full, but closed her eyes, remembering Jacob. And since she hadn’t really started a waiting list, she didn’t feel comfortable telling him she had one. “Actually, yes, just got an opening this morning, in fact.”

  “My luck ain’t usually that good.” She could hear the smile in his voice and remembered the smile she had so often dreamt about when she was sixteen.

  “Okay if we come by there in a little bit to meet you and check out the place?”

  “Sure,” she sighed. They arranged a time before lunch and Leslie returned to the armchair, noting that Billy had fallen asleep, a snot bubble blowing with each breath. She grabbed a tissue and knelt next to him, wiping softly. She quietly picked up the two-year-old and took him to the playpen on the other side of the room. Dread filled her stomach as she thought about Levi Wilcox standing in her doorway.

  ***

  Leslie couldn’t figure out what it was she liked about Levi. She just knew that her breath caught in her throat every time she saw him and had since she was twelve years old. It seemed more like an old habit by now, something that no amount of reason could change. No matter how many times she witnessed scenes like the one at lunch today.

  She had been sitting with her friends on the outdoor table when Levi and Eric had arrived, wearing their new football jackets and laughing. Levi caught her eye and winked at her, sending a flood of flutterings into her stomach. He’d kept his eyes on her, a mischievous grin spreading across his cute face when he sat next to Jordan and put his arm around her. He kept watching Leslie’s face when he leaned in and whispered in Jordan’s ear and she abruptly turned to Leslie, laughing.

  Her face hot, she had quickly turned back to Becca who hadn’t missed the exchange, and Leslie, fighting back tears, had to grip her best friend’s arm to keep her from jumping up and confronting them.

  Later that afternoon, it was almost as if the incident—a common one anytime Levi was around—hadn’t happened as she pretended to read her book on the bleachers while watching him practice football, something she did often with her friends as they waited for their rides. She almost convinced herself he’d been watching her and had to remind herself that he had no interest in her as she watched Carey run up to him and throw her arms around his neck.

  Chapter 2

  Levi arrived at Leslie’s home promptly at 10:30. He rang the doorbell and looked down at his daughter whose hand he was holding. She smiled broadly, excitement causing her to bob up and down on the balls of her feet.

  The door opened and he held his breath when the tall brunette opened the door. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and glasses sat low on the bridge of her nose. Her blue eyes shone just above the frames. She pushed the glasses onto the top of her head as he reached out his hand and she took it. He noted the softness of it.

  “Hey, Leslie,” he said, then turned to his daughter who was pulling his shirt tail. She had straight blond hair and big brown eyes, like her father’s. Her hair was pulled back on each side with daisy barrettes.

  “This is my baby girl, Amberlyn.” The child stepped across the threshold and held out her hand with an exaggerated properness. He smiled as Leslie squatted in front of the girl and shook her hand.

  “Hi, Amberlyn. It’s so nice to meet you. I heard that you’re four years old.”

  The child nodded emphatically. “Yep, but I’ll be five on my birthday,” she said, looking up into her father’s eyes. “It’s before Christmas.”

  He nodded. “November 13th,” he said.

  “Oh wow,” said Leslie standing up but still considering the girl’s face. “My daughter’s birthday is in November too. But she’s only three. Her name is Ava.”

  She stepped back to allow father and daughter to enter. Amberlyn took her father’s hand again and peeked into the playroom, then looked back at him questioningly.

  “Why don’t you go in and meet the other kids,” encouraged Leslie. Amberlyn continued to watch her dad who nodded and let go of her hand. She ran into the room and stopped suddenly in front of the four curious children, sitting at the small table with crayons and coloring books in front of them. Leslie and Levi followed into the room just as Ava held out a crayon to the new girl and scooted over. Amberlyn sat down on the seat next to her and picked up a book from the pile in the center.

  As the children started talking animatedly, Leslie indicated a larger, adult table on the opposite side of the playroom, next to the playpen. They sat, both pair of eyes watching the children for a moment in silence before they turned to each other.

  “I think Amberlyn is already fitting in here,” said Leslie.

  He nodded and glanced back at his daughter who was coloring furiously with a purple crayon, her favorite color. He turned his attention back to the pretty woman before him. She’d always been a cute girl, not really considered cheerleader-pretty but certainly not unattractive. He remembered his buddy Carl going out with her once in high school and how he wasn’t sure why it made him so angry at his friend. But after making fun of him for dating her, Carl had abruptly stopped seeing Leslie and started dating Cara, who was later voted homecoming queen.

  Watching her now, Levi couldn’t for the life of him understand why he never asked her out in high school. Instead, he’d chosen to date a string of cheerleaders, no girl for more than a month.

  “Thank you for considering taking her in.”

  “Of course,” she said dismissively.

  Levi could see the question on her face and answered for her. “Her mom isn’t in her life,” he said with swift directness causing Leslie’s eyebrows to lift suddenly.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said.

  “I’m not,” he replied. “Anyway, I’ve heard you have a lot of respect from the parents around here. Hopefully I’ll start working full-time later this week. Eric Cooper and I have been planning our own construction business for the last couple of years.

  She nodded. “I’d heard that.”

  “He’s been working for Jackie Hale, who’s getting ready to retire. He’s agreed to sell us his business.”

  “That’s great news, Levi.”

  “I was hoping I could go ahead and get Amberlyn into daycare starting this week so we can get some sort of regular routine back in place and let her start meeting friends right away.”

  They looked over at the children who were giggling.

  “Doesn’t look like she has any difficulty making friends,” said Leslie.

  He laughed. “She certainly doesn’t. My main concern is teaching her to be at least a little hesitant in making friends. I want to make sure she learns to be cautious with strangers.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “So, Ava there is your daughter?”

  Leslie smiled. “Yep.”

  He started to ask about the girl’s father, noticing that Leslie wasn’t wearing a wedding band. But that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t married. He bit back the words, deciding them intrusive and said, instead, “She looks a lot like you, but with curly hair instead of straight.”

  “I get that a lot. We certainly don’t get mistaken a
s not being related. That’s for sure. So anyway,” she said, opening a drawer next to the table, “here’s a packet of info about my place, the rates, and the rules. There are also some forms in there that need to be filled out and signed by you and a witness.” She handed him a blue folder.

  “Thanks a lot,” he said, taking the folder. “You have no idea how relieved this makes me. I’ll look over these this afternoon.”

  “Call me if you have any questions,” she said as they stood.

  They watched the children play for a couple more minutes before he reached his hand out to shake hers again. “I will,” he said. “Okay if she starts on Thursday?”

  Leslie nodded. “As long as you have all the paperwork filled out.”

  He called to his daughter who pouted all the way to the door. Before they walked out, Leslie put her hand on the little girl’s shoulder and looked into her chocolate-brown eyes.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be back here in a couple of days and have plenty of time to hang out with us. I know Ava can’t wait.”

  The three-year-old was standing just behind her, her little hand on her mother’s shirt. She nodded vigorously and reached out for Amberlyn who accepted the fierce hug.

  Levi’s heart felt as if it were swelling. His life seemed to finally be falling into place.

  ***

  Leslie watched Levi and his daughter walk down the drive. She turned back and picked up her own child. “Looks like you made a new friend.”

  Ava grinned. “She gonna be coming here?”

  Leslie nodded, kissed her child’s cool cheek, and set her back on the floor. Ava ran into the playroom shouting, “Yay, another girl.” Currently she was the only girl in the daycare.

  Leslie headed to the kitchen, where she turned on the baby monitor to listen to the children while she pulled out a plate of small wrapped sandwiches and baggies of children-sized cuts of fruit and carrots.

  She thought about what a handsome man Levi had grown into and then smirked, remembering what a jerk he had been to her in school. She’d only gone out with his friend Carl twice before Carl started ignoring her. No doubt because Levi had told him to.

  But that was more than fifteen years ago, and they had been teenagers. Still, her chest burned a bit as she remembered how often she’d watched Levi practice football, hoping he’d notice her.

  She called into the playroom as she carried some napkins and two of the plates. “I hope that table is cleared off like I asked.” She paused, listening to the little feet scramble and the papers shuffling. When it grew quiet, she walked in to find them all sitting at the empty table. She smiled as she set down two of the plates and reminded them all to wait until she’d brought everyone’s food out to start eating.

  ***

  Leslie could hardly believe it when Carl Johnson shyly asked her out. She thought he’d never actually get the words out of his mouth. Though he was on the football team with Levi, and one of his buddies since Kindergarten, she thought this just might be her chance to bury her feelings for Levi once and for all.

  Carl was good-looking, though not nearly as attractive as Levi was to her, and he was kind, a trait Levi did not seem to possess. It irritated Leslie beyond measure that she still had trouble keeping her mind off Levi even on her second date to the movies with Carl. It made her feel guilty, and she couldn’t deny that she felt an inkling of relief when they didn’t go out again. Still, it hurt that he never gave her an explanation, just started avoiding her. It hurt even more to believe that it was probably at the request of Levi.

  ***

  After putting Ava to bed that night, she called her friend Becca to check in on Jacob. The baby was feeling better but still coughing. The pediatrician had given them an antibiotic that afternoon.

  “So, Levi Wilcox came by today,” Leslie said. “His daughter Amberlyn is gonna start coming here beginning Thursday.”

  “Wow. What timing, right?”

  “Yep. She’s adorable and Ava is already asking when she’ll be back.”

  “Oh good. Sounds like they’ve both made a new BFF.”

  Leslie laughed. “Yeah. They’re so amazed that their birthdays are in the same month.”

  “I bet,” said Becca. “So, did you find out anything about the mom?”

  “Levi says she’s not in the picture.”

  “Interesting. Is he still as cute as he was in high school?”

  “And then some,” said Leslie. “Tell me you’re not hatching some fixup plan.”

  “And why not? When’s the last time you had a date?”

  “Not going there. Remember what an ass he was in high school?”

  Leslie could almost hear Becca roll her eyes. “Teenage boys are always asses. They grow up, Leslie.”

  She sighed. “Yeah, anyway, I’ve got more important things on my mind than . . . boys.”

  “Speaking of that. I did some research during lunch. How many kids do you think you’re planning on starting with if you start the daycare center? That’ll make a difference in which licenses we pursue and the type of certifications you’ll need.”

  “I’ve got a list started of families who’ve expressed interest. Let’s talk about that at dinner tomorrow night.”

  After hanging up, Leslie grabbed her book and turned off the living room light before heading upstairs. She stopped by her daughter’s bedroom door and listened for a moment. Not hearing anything, she opened the door and stuck in her head. She could just make out the little girl’s gently rising-and-falling chest in the dim nightlight and heard the deep breaths of sleep. She stepped in and pulled the covers up to Ava’s chin and kissed her forehead. Then she headed to her room, leaving her door cracked to hear if Ava woke up.

  After donning her pajamas, she headed to her bathroom to brush her teeth. She splashed cool water on her face and blindly reached for the towel next to her to pat her face dry. Opening her eyes, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, not seeing herself, just deep in thought. Sometimes it took her breath away to think about how much she loved her baby girl. She was the only thing she didn’t regret about her brief marriage.

  She had been pregnant when she caught Gary with one of his students. Gary had been a professor at the local college. It had been the second time she’d learned of one of his dalliances and the final blow. She wasn’t sure why she’d ever married him in the first place. She had at first found him very charming, and he’d made her feel so good by telling her how beautiful she was. She supposed she had really loved him at some point, but had been more afraid of being alone as she approached thirty years old. It had been such a brief and painful experience, especially when he showed no interest in their child, that she’d changed back to her maiden name and given Ava that as her last name as well, instead of Woodlee.

  She knew that though Ava would have no lack for love, there could come the day when her father’s abandonment would have an effect on how the girl saw herself, regardless of how much love she had from others. It was something that Leslie would have no power to shield her daughter from. She could only hope that the love in the child’s life would be large enough to keep the scales balanced.

  Though it was an infrequent thought, Leslie had wondered a few times if there might come a day when someone entered their life and took on a father role for Ava. The few times the vision had appeared, it had been only with the concern for Ava’s happiness. Curiously, today, the vision returned, though this time Leslie considered her own desires. And the man in her imagination suddenly had a very familiar face.

  She smirked and shook off the daydream as she turned out the light and shut the bathroom door.

  Chapter 3

  It had been a full, long week with Becca’s news about her husband’s layoff, their baby being sick, Levi bringing his daughter to her daycare, and the continuing plans to expand into a larger daycare center. Leslie was more than ready for a night out with friends. Becca had almost backed out of the plan they had put in place a month earlier—and that had
been after having to reschedule it twice—but Leslie had convinced her that she needed it more than any of them did.

  So, on Saturday night, Leslie’s mother dropped off the two women so they could have a well-deserved drink and dinner at Joanie’s Detour with their friends Marty and Kayla. The four women had been close friends since middle school. Marty was a yoga instructor in Oklahoma City, and Kayla was a ninth-grade teacher at the high school where they had all graduated. It seemed amazing that the four had remained so close while having taken such different trajectories in life.

  Leslie was pulling Becca’s phone from her hand as they entered Joanie’s.

  “I’ll take this. Don’t worry. I’ll give it right back if you get a text or a call, but I don’t want you looking at it or calling home every five minutes.”

  Becca’s shoulders relaxed. “Guess I haven’t really gone out since Jacob was born, huh?”

  “Well there was that one afternoon we tried to have coffee and you made it ten minutes before you started crying and left. But other than that? Nope.”

  Leslie slid her friend’s phone into the front pocket of her purse and put her arm around her reassuringly.

  “All right,” said Becca, pushing a smile onto her face. “I’ll try to keep my mind off of breast pumps and sniffles. Mark is perfectly capable of taking care of our child alone.”

  “It’s okay,” said Leslie, steering her friend to the host desk. “All caring parents go through this.” Becca nodded as Leslie told the host they were meeting friends.

  The young woman led them to a semicircle booth on the other side of the bar, where Kayla was sipping a margarita and texting. She put the phone down and smiled at her friends, waving them over. “Marty’s running a few minutes late. Traffic. I just told her to be careful and get here in one piece.”