Page 16 of Wounded Cowboy
And it was painfully clear to everyone on the ranch that Spring Snowberry needed some help to balance his demanding job with single parenthood.
Jenna’s eyes widened.“You mean Mrs. S. just went ahead and hired you without getting Spring’s buy-in?” She shook her head.“Oh, boy! Though, it’s just like Mrs. S. to do something like this. Everyone in town knows to get out of the way when she comes up with a ‘Plan.’” Jenna crooked her fingers in air quotes.
Kelsey nodded.“I’ve noticed that,” she said wryly.“So, Jenna, I’ve been wondering—what’s Spring’s deal? He seems a bit… grumpy. Except when he’s around his daughters.”
Jenna paused for a moment, considering her response.“I’ve known him since we were kids,” she began carefully.“He’s had a lot of bad stuff happen to him over the past few years. But he’s a good guy who loves his girls. He can just be kind of rough around the edges.”
“There’s something else I’ve been wondering about,” Kelsey said.“Whatreallyhappened with Spring and his wife? No one in the family ever talks about her. Not even her kids. Nick warned me not to bring her up. And honestly, before all this came up, I wasn’t interested in sticking my nose in Snowberry family business.”
Jenna’s eyes widened.“You mean no one’s told you what happened?”
Kelsey shook her head.“Did she move away? I noticed she doesn’t seem to share custody with Spring. Was it a nasty divorce?”
Jenna’s dark eyes were suddenly troubled.“Laura died in a car accident four years ago, while Spring was still in the Marines.”
“Oh, no!” Kelsey exclaimed, horrified.
“It happened the day after Thanksgiving, when they were driving back to the airport,” Jenna continued.“It was… it was horrible.”
“Oh, God, Jenna, how awful!” She paused as a terrible thought occurred to her.“Were April and Abby in the car, too?”
“Yeah. They all were.” Jenna’s voice was barely more than a whisper.“The car hit a patch of black ice on the highway between Livingston and Bozeman and flipped over. It was a miracle the girls survived with just a few bruises. Their car seats saved their lives. Spring broke his arm and collarbone.” She shook her head.“From what I heard, Laura died instantly from a broken neck and head injuries. Spring’s never been the same since then.” She sighed heavily. “He got an honorable discharge after that, and came home to help his dad on the ranch.”
Kelsey’s stomach clenched at the thought of those two sweet little girls losing their mother in such a terrible way.
And Spring was likely still grieving and coping with the loss of his wife and his military career. This new revelation added a whole layer of complexity to what she knew about him.
No wonder his grandmother and sisters worry about him so much!Kesey had thought they were just being overprotective of a single dad.
“Thanks for telling me, Jenna,” Kelsey said softly.“I appreciate knowing that Spring wasn’t just being a dick to me when his grandma tried to hire me.”
What the hell was Abigail Snowberry thinking, trying to ambush her grandson like that?
“Of course,” Jenna replied, giving her a small smile.“Just promise me you won’t tell any of the Snowberrys I told you about the accident, okay?”
“Cross my heart,” Kelsey promised, making an X over her chest.“At least that kind of explains why Spring was so mad about Mrs. Snowberry trying to hire me. I can understand that he might not want anyone to think he was trying to replace his wife.”
“Yeah.” Jenna nodded, her eyes softening with understanding.“Spring—well, it’s like he’s got this protective wall up, especially when it comes to his daughters.”
Kelsey nodded.Not that any of this stuff matters anymore, she thought,since I didn’t get the job.
Too bad. She’d always found him an intriguing mix of a tough, outdoorsy cowboy and a sweet, tender dad to his daughters. Plus, he looked hot in his worn, dusty jeans and his cowboy hat.
“So, you’re looking for a new job?” Jenna asked.
“Yeah. Something short-term would be great if you know of anyone who needs summer childcare. I’ve almost saved up enough money to leave Snowberry Springs.”
“Where do you want to go next?” Jenna asked.
“California,” Kelsey replied, knowing that whatever she said here would be all over town by tomorrow. But that was okay. It wasn’t a secret.“Los Angeles. I’ve always wanted to live somewhere without snow, and near the ocean.” She smiled dreamily.“When I get there, I’m going to the beach every day.”
Jenna’s brow furrowed in concern.“L.A.’s not all sunshine and beaches. There’s bad traffic, crime, and it’s as expensive as hell to live there… especially if you want to be anywhere close to the beach.”
“I’ve spent my whole life in Montana, Jenna. I need a change,” Kelsey protested.“Besides, I heard there’s a shortage of experienced nannies in Southern California.”
“I lived in Pasadena for a couple years while I was still married,” Jenna said, surprising Kelsey.“And let me tell you, L.A. is as different from Montana as it gets.”
“That’s the idea,” Kelsey said brightly.“And I’d appreciate you keeping an eye out for any summer job openings that come up, right?”
