Page 12 of More Than a Little Spark (Cowboys of Stargazer Springs Ranch #9)

Carson

Carson

F red and Mason are laughing up a storm as they toss hay off the trailer. Closed in the cab of the tractor, I can’t make out what prompted the laugh, but it’s fun to listen to.

My phone buzzes, and I check it in case Clint has something else he needs us to do while we’re out here with the tractor.

But the text on my screen isn’t from Clint.

Daphne: Good morning, Mr. Magical. I’m still smiling from last night.

I glance over my shoulder as I stop the tractor near the gate. The boys hop off the trailer and run toward the gate, and I tap out a reply to Daphne.

Me: I had fun spending time with you. And carrying you. Not sure if I’ll be able to steal away again before Christmas, but I’ll see what I can do.

Daphne: I do not want to interfere with any of y’all’s Christmas plans. But I do want to see you again. And don’t forget to send me the name of that soap. *Sigh*

Laughing, I flip my phone over as Fred opens the door. “Hey. Gate’s open. Can we ride on the trailer all the way back? We’ll be careful.”

“Sure. Hold on because it gets bumpy.”

“I know.” He starts to close the door, then stops. “What’s funny?”

“A friend texted me something funny.” I answer honestly but keep it very vague. To most people, the soap text might not be funny, but I can picture Daphne sighing, adding dramatic flair to emphasize that she really likes the way it smells.

Fred is still eyeing me. “One of the other guys?”

“No. Someone else.” I shift in my seat. “I’m getting hungry. We should head back.”

He nods and steps down.

I check that Fred and Mason are clear of the path before pulling through the gate.

There’s probably no harm in letting Fred know that I’m seeing someone, but I don’t want him to even worry about that.

Daphne might get tired of me after a few dates.

And since she’s close with Rose, Daphne might be around some, and I don’t want Fred to dislike her if things do go south.

If we’re still dating six months from now, I’ll consider introducing her to Fred.

Six months would be the longest I’ve dated anyone.

By about 5 months. Though I really haven’t dated much at all.

It’s not that I don’t like people. Most of the time, I do.

I learned long ago to be content in my own company, but I didn’t break out of old patterns until Fred came along. Then I needed to for both of our sakes.

After parking the tractor, I find the boys beside the truck. Fred glances at my phone. “Thanks for letting us stay in the trailer. We’re kinda big to squeeze into the cab with you.”

Feigning shock, I nudge him. “You calling me fat?”

Mason cackles, and Fred shakes his head. “No, Uncle Car, I promise.”

I join in on the laugh, and Fred relaxes.

“Hop in. Let’s go eat. I wonder what Goldie made this morning.”

Mason and Fred buckle in. Then Mason says, “I hope she made pancakes. She makes really good ones. And she might make them because Dag loves them too, and she likes doing things that make Dag kiss her more.”

“Eww. The guys on the ranch kiss way too much.” Fred shakes his head disapprovingly.

Mason grins. “They love each other. You can ask Mr. Clint. He’ll tell you. When I first came to live on the ranch, I saw Mr. Clint kiss Miss Joji. But that was because there was a bad storm. He didn’t know that he loved her yet. They were just friends.”

“I don’t kiss my friends.” Fred wags a finger to emphasize his declaration.

I can’t say I’m not a tad relieved to hear him say that. It’ll be a little sad when he grows out of this stage. One day, I’ll worry that he’s kissing girls.

Mason sighs. “I don’t kiss my friends either. But one day, if I ever see my friend Clementine again, I might kiss her. For sure, I’m going to tell her she’s pretty because I never got to tell her.”

“Did she move away or something?” I lock gazes with Mason through the rearview mirror.

He nods. “Yeah. But I didn’t find out until after she left. It happened fast.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too. But since Fred and Bailey are here, I’m not as sad as I used to be.”

I park outside the main house and turn around to look at the guys. “Good. I’m really glad you and Fred met. And I hope y’all stay friends for a long time.”

Fred nods. “Yeah. Like forever.”

They scramble out of the truck, then high-five each other.

It warms my heart to see Fred getting the kind of childhood some people only dream about.

I’m not saying I’m the best parent in the world, but here on the ranch, he has good friends and lots of people who care about him. What’s not to love about that?

There’s just over a week until Christmas, and I haven’t had a free evening to take Daphne out again. But today, I have some last-minute shopping to do, so I figured I’d invite her along.

I don’t even bother texting. Sitting in my truck, I call her.

She answers on the second ring. “Carson, hi!”

“Howdy. How are you today? Feel up to going shopping with me?” I’m amazed at how natural it feels to invite her out. The request wasn’t preceded by days of overthinking, practicing what I should say.

“Yes! I can’t drive yet, so you’ll have to come get me, but I’m doing great. I mean, I’m still on crutches. I can put weight on the foot, so it isn’t so horrible. And I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Daphne. We can get you one of those motorized carts when we’re out so that you don’t have to be on crutches the whole time.”

“Maybe. When should I be ready?” She sounds just as excited as I am about seeing each other again, and that is good for my ego.

Everything about Daphne is good for my ego.

“I’m headed out now. Are you at Rose’s or your apartment?” I start the engine and swap over to speaker, so that I can talk as I drive.

“I’ll text you an address. And don’t freak out when you get here. At the gate, just give them your name. Later, when we’re together, I’ll explain where I’ve been staying. It’s a bit of a story.”

Now I’m curious. “Can’t wait to hear it.” I check my texts and see an address in San Antonio. It’s not far from the mall where I need to shop, so that’s convenient. “I’ll be there in thirty-four minutes.” I padded the drive time with an extra couple of minutes in case I hit unexpected traffic.

When she mentioned a gate, it kind of went over my head I guess because this stone building with a guard inside was not what I was expecting. I stop and roll down my window.

“Address please.” The man is polite but not overly friendly.

I rattle off the address that Daphne texted. Then add, “I’m here to see Daphne Emerson.”

“Can I see your ID please?”

I hand over my license and wait while he taps on his little tablet thing.

Then he gives it back. “Thank you. Have a great day.” He points to the gate, and the bar is lifting.

And off I go into a neighborhood that is way too nice for the likes of me.

When I get to the house, Daphne is waiting on the sidewalk.

I jump out and help her get loaded. “You look great!”

She runs a hand down the front of her baggy sweater. “Thanks. I’ve had to modify my jeans because of my foot. What do you think?” She kicks up her bad foot, showing off the bow framing a slit at the bottom of the leg.”

“That’s cute. I’d do that but the bows would get ratty, dirty. Wouldn’t look good.”

Hands on my chest, she leans in close as she laughs. “You’re funny. Where are we going to shop? Your timing is good because I have a few gifts yet to buy.” She buckles her seat belt.

I slide in behind the wheel and shift into gear. “Where do you need to go? We’ll start there.”

As I shift into gear, a McClaren turns into the driveway, and Daphne waves. “That’s my boss.”

“I was curious about the explanation before, but now I’m super interested in what’s going on.”

She rests an open hand on the center console, and I lace my fingers with hers.

“I stayed with Rose for the first few days, but have you ever been so bored that counting strands of hair seemed entertaining? That’s how bad it got.

It was fine when someone was around the house, but Rose and Dallas have stuff to do, and Floofy sleeps way more than I do.

I love cats, and someday when I don’t live in an apartment, I’ll get one.

But anyway, tangent. I was bored and wanted to go back to work.

” Her thumb grazes the side of my hand. “But I can’t drive, and I work really close to here, which isn’t really close to Matchmaker Ranch.

Definitely too far to walk, especially on crutches.

So I asked my boss about working out some way to forward calls and letting me work remote.

And I explained the whole situation. He and his wife offered me a guest room.

So I’m staying here for a week or two. I’ll go to Rose’s for Christmas. She insisted.”

“Have you talked to your mom?” I give her hand a squeeze, wanting to encourage her because I know that family is a hard topic.

“I called her. She said she was sorry I wouldn’t be able to make it to Christmas. Mom lives in a third-floor apartment.”

Anger bubbles up inside me. How can a mother treat her child so badly? With so little care?

“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. You’re amazing, Daphne. It’s not right that she treats you that way.” I pull her hand to my lips. “I wish things were different. For your sake.”

“It is what it is. And I’ve learned that even if I don’t get everything I want, I can still carve out a truly happy life.”

“That’s a great takeaway.”

She shifts in her seat so that she’s facing me. “You can kiss my hand like that anytime you want. I liked it. And I’m glad you aren’t weirded out that I’m staying at my boss’s house. I was worried that you’d?—”

“Think you were too fancy for me? Worry that he secretly has a thing for you? Feel insecure about a super wealthy guy sending you flowers and offering you his guest room? Those thoughts barely crossed my mind… barely more than a few hundred times since we pulled away from the curb. The dude has an awesome car though.”

“You seriously have nothing to worry about. I swear. Austin is happily married and besides that, he isn’t my type.”

“What’s your type, Daphne?” No one says that their type is chubby guys who make them laugh, but I’m curious about what she will say.

She shrugs. “Don’t know. I just know when someone isn’t my type.

It’s not about what a guy looks like or how much is stashed in a bank account.

I’m more interested in that spark. That little intangible something that makes my entire body light up when they come around. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”

“It does.” Prior to the night we met, that description would’ve made no sense to me. But with Daphne, it all makes sense. There’s an attraction, for sure. But also an unexplainable connection. “Now that I’ve met you.” I kiss her hand again.

Grinning, she sighs. “I’m sad that my car was completely wrecked, but I’m thrilled that we met.

And I’m not going to say that I owe the stupid driver thanks for hitting me—I’m still mad at him—because we would’ve met at the party if I hadn’t flipped my car.

I can’t tell you how happy I was when you ran up to my window.

For one, I was alive, and having you speak to me kind of confirmed it.

Also, you were so kind and funny. And you didn’t freak out when I put my hands all over you trying to find your phone. ”

“That was… a tad awkward.” I wink at her. “Definitely an ice breaker.”

Her delightful laugh echoes in the truck. “I wasn’t really thinking straight that night. I was in shock and massively attracted to you. Common sense was absent. So I’m sorry.”

“Don’t even worry about it. It’s all good.”

For the next several hours, we make our way through stores, snagging last-minute gifts. And getting to spend time with her makes me feel like Christmas came a bit early.