Page 77 of More Than a Helping Hand

Leaning closer, I wait for Bailey’s response.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Anderson likes me. How do I get him to like my mom?”

I gasp because that was not what I was expecting her to say.

She leans around the corner. “You heard that?”

“I did.”

She pinches her lips, looking at the ground a second before meeting my gaze. “Are you going to tell my mom?”

As much as I want to pretend this conversation never happened, I can’t. “I’m not going to keep secrets from your mom, but I’ll give you a chance to tell her first.”

Her head wags back and forth. “No, I think you should tell her that I want you to marry her.”

Mason chuckles, and I’m beginning to think this was all a setup.

“I’ll have a chat with her later. Y’all behave.” I wander back into the barn, hoping Parker is busy.

I gather what I need to clean out Dot’s stall and set to work. Figuring out what I’m going to say to Prim will take some mental work. How do I even start that conversation?

And I don’t want her thinking that I’m telling her as a way to get her to give me another chance.

When I finish with Dot’s stall, I move on to the next one.

Mason races in yelling, “Anderson! Parker! Bailey needs help.”

I burst out of the stall. “Show me where she is.”

He takes off running, and I stay beside him as he dashes out the back of the barn.

“We were playing, and she saw a snake, so she started climbing the tree. She just kept going up and up.” He stops and points at the big tree. “I decided not to tell her that snakes could climb trees.”

“Probably best to tell her later.” I walk to the trunk and flash a reassuring smile at Bailey who is way off the ground and clinging to a large branch. “I’m going to come up and get you, Munchkin.”

“I’m scared.” Bailey sniffles. “Is the snake gone?”

I glance back, and Mason nods.

“It’s gone.” I swing up onto the lowest branch and plan my next step. Climbing a tree in boots might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

As I pull myself up onto a higher branch, Parker runs up to the tree. “What can I do?”

“Grab the ladder. It’s tucked in the corner of the tack room. Every time I need a ladder, someone tells me to ask Ava where it is. That eats up a lot of time, so I bought a ladder and hid it.”

Parker laughs. “Be right back. But we better not mention this to Ava.”

“Agreed.” I’m nearly to Bailey when I look at the ground. Mistake. My heart rate increases, and I try breathing through my panic.

Bailey sniffles again. “DeeDee, are you going to get me down?”

And now she’s my focus again. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m going to help you.” Standing on the branch below her, I hug the tree with one arm and reach out to her with the other. “Hug my neck, and I’ll take you back to the ground.”

She wiggles close, then stretches out and grabs me. Her arms and legs wrap around me.

“Don’t let go.” Now that I have her, it’s time to go down. And that means I have to look that direction.

My fear of heights is making it hard to see clearly. It’s also making it hard to breathe.

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