Erika’s head was spinning. These were all things she’d wanted to bring up to Billy, expecting she’d have to do a fair amount of educating him, but instead, he’d brought her up to speed, and he’d executed the plan. “I can look for infant cereal when I go shopping this weekend.”
“I can drive you to Bryce. We’ll all go.”
“You think it’s a good idea to drive?”
“I’m right-handed. My truck is an automatic.”
“I don’t want you to hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“So, what do we do with all those boxes out there? From the looks of it, almost everything will need to be put together.”
“I’ll handle that. Don’t worry about a thing.”
“Are you going to do all of that with just one hand, too?”
“No. But I know someone who can get it done for us without too much effort.”
Not even fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the front door. Erika answered, opening the door to discover a young cowboy on the front porch.
“Mr. Wyatt sent me a text; said he needed some help.” The young cowboy couldn’t have been much older than twenty or twenty-one. He swept off his hat revealing dark hair and a dusting of freckles across his cheekbones. “I’m Brad Mott, but everyone calls me Boom.”
“Boom?” she repeated.
He nodded, grinned. “When I was little, I liked to crash things, and when I did, I’d go boom.” His grin widened. “I guess the name stuck.”
“Well, Boom, I’m Erika Baylor,” she said extending her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ll take you to Billy.”
It took Boom most of the afternoon to get the crib and dresser put together, with Billy reading instructions, and holding pieces that he could, and then they tackled the high chair and by the time that was done Boom had to get home to feed the livestock.
Erika asked Billy about Boom after he was gone. “I take it, he’s a neighbor?”
“Lives just a couple miles down the road. His folks’ property butts up against mine. He’s helped me for a couple of years now, keeping an eye on things when I’m not here, and helping me with the odd job when I am home.”
“So, he’s not a rodeo cowboy?”
“He’s just your hardworking, salt of the earth cowboy. He’s the real deal.”
She smiled. “I like him. He’s a nice guy.”
“He’s saving up to get married—”
“What? He’s so young!”
“Almost twenty—”
“Even younger than I thought.”
“Boom and his girlfriend have been serious for a couple years. I’ve been thinking of hiring him on full-time. It’d give him steady income and Ellen would be happy knowing he’s got a good job close to home.”
“Is Ellen his girlfriend?”
“His mom. She used to be an ER nurse, but the local hospital closed and she didn’t want to be driving an hour to get to work.”
“You know your neighbors pretty well.”
“I’ve lived here a few years now. We’re all pretty isolated. It’s important to know who’s near you in case something happens.”
The next day, Billy oversaw the setup of Beck’s room, by directing Boom to place the crib just so, and then the small dresser which also served as a changing table against the opposite wall. He carefully crouched down, keeping his torso upright as he plugged the small bucking horse night-light in, and then rose, his gaze sweeping the room, clearly pleased with what he saw. “It looks good,” he said, glancing at Erika who’d been watching from the doorway. “What do you think?”
“I think it looks great. We’ll fill the top dresser drawer with diapers when we buy them, and the next drawer with Beck’s clothes when we’ve washed them.” She frowned. “Speaking of which, I should do that today. I haven’t done laundry in ages, not since our second day in Boise when I used the motel’s laundry room.”
Boom stayed for lunch—he’d brought the lunch, actually, thick roast beef and cheddar sandwiches on freshly baked bread—and during lunch, he and Billy discussed farm things and the horses and Erika’s mind drifted, as she considered her work. She really didn’t feel inspired. There was nothing in her that wanted to go to her room and be alone for hours. She’d always thought of herself as an introvert, preferring her own company over others, but being alone wasn’t appealing, not when fascinating, larger-than-life Billy Wyatt was in the next room.
She did get a little work done later, not enough to brag about, but in her room, she could at least pretend to be focused. Productive.
But a half hour into revising a section of her paper, she got a calendar reminder that rent was past due.
It was already early April.
Erika had never missed her rent before and couldn’t believe she’d forgotten it. How many other things was she forgetting? But life in Riverside was a world away from Billy’s cozy Utah cabin, and the longer she was here, the more comfortable she became. Her new daily routine included lots of teasing and banter, never mind breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Billy. She liked helping him get bandaged up, liked helping him dress, liked the shivery sensation she got when standing close to him, her lips just inches from the taut planes of his broad chest.
She closed the laptop and lay back on her bed, staring up at the beams in the ceiling, and the slow whirl of the rustic fan that kept the air moving.
How much longer would she stay here? Billy ought to have use of both arms soon, she thought, as well as the ability to lift and carry Beck without pain in his ribs. That would be what… a month? Two? Either way, the time would pass quickly, and that was both good and bad, because the passage of time brought her closer and closer to her dissertation’s due date. She’d done almost nothing in the past six weeks. She’d regret her lack of focus later. But now, now she was needed, and wanted, and it was the best feeling.
Erika left her room and went to the living room where Beck was swinging away in his swing, while Billy watched TV. She walked past the basket of toys in the corner—a soft chunky truck, a fabric book, a teething ring that looked like a black and white cow—and thought yet again how lucky Beck was. Billy was going to be a great dad.
Her heart suddenly ached. Billy and his boy. They’d make a great team.
Chapter Eight
Billy woke to the sound of soft fussing from Beck’s room, the morning cry that Billy had come to identify as hello, I’m awake. Billy looked at the time. It was almost five thirty. Still dark out. But Beck didn’t seem to mind that the world was sleeping, he was ready to get up. Granddad was the same. Always awake before dawn.
Billy left bed, left arm bent at the elbow and pressed to his side and went to Beck’s room. He flipped on the little night-light and leaned over the crib. Beck was staring up at him with bright blue eyes, and the moment he spotted Billy, he gurgled and smiled, his wide irresistible smile. Billy’s chest tightened, filled with love and a fierce, primitive desire to protect his baby from all dangers. He’d do anything for Beck, just as he’d do anything for his brothers.