Jill Kemerer - Reunited With The Bull Rider

She turned to see his face. A hint of a smile lifted her lips, and she nodded.

“Or it could be Samantha.” Amy slowly approached them, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. “Are you sure it’s a boy?”

He flipped the sheep over twice then sniffed its head. “It smells like a boy. It’s not all flowery like a girl.” He held it up for Ruby to smell. She took a sniff. “What do you think?”

“Boy,” she said.

“Well, it is very nice to meet you, Sheldon.” Amy held her hand out and pretended to shake the animal’s paw. “Would he like to sit on your lap while we read a book?”

Ruby didn’t respond.

“Should we try another Curious George? See what trouble that silly monkey gets into today?”

Amy selected a book and folded her long legs to sit in the beanbag, grunting as she sank the final inches. Ruby brought the stuffed animal over. She didn’t sit, though.

“Stay?” Ruby asked Nash, her gaze full of worry.

“I’d hate to miss the story.” He folded his legs to sit cross-legged on the carpet. The process looked painful. Ruby, clutching Sheldon, settled on his lap, and he tickled her side.

“Daddy!” She giggled and squirmed. Nash stopped teasing her, kissing the top of her head instead.

Daddy? Amy ignored the pitter-patter of her heart at the sight of Nash in such a paternal role. Maybe if she and Ruby met privately, the arrangement would work. They could make cookies and color. They could go to the library and check out books or stop into The Beanery for hot chocolates.

If she was going to be part of Ruby’s life, it had to be on her terms. And that meant spending time alone with Ruby. No Nash allowed.

After reading two books, she asked Ruby if she wanted to pretend to bake a cake. Ruby followed her to the play kitchen, and Nash declared he’d be back in a few minutes. He had to speak to the pastor. As soon as Nash left, Ruby became expressionless, the way she’d been in the hallway yesterday.

“First we need flour and sugar.” Amy pointed to the fake boxes of food. “Can you find them?”

She stood with her arms glued to her sides. Okay. Amy grabbed a box and pretended to pour it into a plastic bowl. “Mmm... I love cake batter. Here’s some butter. Throw it in.” She handed plastic butter to Ruby, who let it fall into the bowl.

“And eggs. My cakes always have eggs. Let’s crack them.” Amy tapped the plastic egg against the table and pretended to drop it in. Ruby ignored the egg in front of her. “We’re ready to mix.” She found the plastic hand-mixer and gave it to the girl. “Give it a good stir.”

She obeyed, but Amy got the impression she was merely going through the motions, that she wasn’t enjoying herself.

Hannah and Daniel entered. “Hello, you two. Ruby, would you mind staying here with Daniel and me while Amy talks to your dad for a minute?”

Ruby just stared at her.

“I won’t be long.” Amy found Sheldon and gave him to Ruby. “Here. Make sure this sheep doesn’t get into any trouble.” Although she hated leaving her, she went to the meeting room.

“Well, I trust you’ve both had time to pray about the situation.” Pastor Moore waited for her to sit. Nash was in the same spot as yesterday. “What do you think?”

She considered for a moment. The previous twenty minutes solidified her opinion. With patience and a woman’s touch, Ruby had a better chance at coming out of her shell. And Amy wanted to be that woman.

“I would like to spend more time with Ruby.” Amy watched Nash. He jerked to attention. “But I don’t know if you’ll be comfortable with my suggestion.”

His eyes darkened. “What is it?”

“Would you be okay with me spending time with Ruby alone? I’d love to show her around my studio, take her to the library, that sort of thing.”

He bowed his head. “I’m not sure.”

“I don’t know if I can agree if it’s going to be the three of us all the time. It’s a bit intimate given our history.”

He blew out a breath. “I understand. Really, I do. I’m thinking about Ruby. I know you’d be good for her, and frankly, I’d prefer she spend time alone with you. But she’s going through a lot. What do you think, Pastor?”

He’d prefer not to be around her, either? Why the words hurt, she didn’t know. It’s not as if the past ten years hadn’t proven the fact.

“I think you should follow your instincts, Nash.” The pastor addressed Amy. “Ruby is afraid of strangers. It will take time for her to get used to you. She might need Nash with her until she’s comfortable.”

Amy swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know the pastor had a point, but she was already going out on a limb by agreeing to this. Couldn’t they cut her a break?

“I guess we could do a trial run,” she said. “Say, a few afternoons next week and see how it goes? If we aren’t feeling it, we’ll go our separate ways.”

“Works for me,” Nash said gruffly.

Pastor Moore stood. “I’m here if either of you need to talk or have additional concerns. Feel free to call. Why don’t I let you two work out the details of next week?” He left the room, and the air felt charged as soon as he was gone.

With no idea what to say, she fixed her gaze on the map of ancient Israel hanging on the wall. Nash remained silent, as well.

“How weird is this for you?” Amy finally asked him.

“Really weird.” His throat worked.

“Gives me a new appreciation for what divorced parents must go through. Coming up with a visitation schedule, figuring out drop-offs and all that.”

“Except we were never divorced,” he said. “Or married.”

The words hurt, she couldn’t deny it, but Nash seemed unsure of himself, and Amy had never seen this side of him. He’d always been quick with a joke and oh, so confident.

He massaged the back of his neck. “Sorry... Thank you for agreeing to help Ruby. I know you don’t want details, but what I did back then was unforgivable. I at least want you to know I hated leaving you.”

Then why did you?

She didn’t want to know.

“It was a long time ago.” She waved the apology off like a pesky fly. “Which days work best for you?”

Storm clouds brewed in his eyes, but he accepted the change in subject. “Any you have free. I have nothing going on.”

“So you really retired?”

“I did.”

She wanted to ask what he planned to do next, but she stopped herself. She didn’t need personal information from him. She’d stick to business—to Ruby. Which reminded her...a few things had been niggling in her mind.

“Does Ruby know you aren’t her father?”

“Yes. I explained I’m her much bigger brother. It took several supervised visits at her foster home before she’d even speak to me.”

“But she calls you Daddy.”

He shrugged, a smile briefly lighting his face. “When I told her she was going to live with me, I asked her what she wanted to call me. She said, ‘How long am I going to live with you?’ I told her forever. She replied, ‘Daddy.’ I tell you, my heart melted into a puddle right there on the linoleum floor of the courthouse.”

Amy’s heart was growing squishy, too, and that wouldn’t do. Remember the days after he left? How you sat by the phone hoping he’d call? And don’t forget how awful it was to read about him winning the event in Houston. Going on with his life as if you’d never meant a thing to him.

“Yes, well, that’s good.” She reached into her purse for her planner. Opening it, she scanned the next week’s schedule. “Why don’t we do Tuesday and Thursday, say, three o’clock? You can bring her to my apartment. It’s above Amy’s Quilt Shop. Just go around the back and up the stairs. I have a studio I think she’ll enjoy.”