Page 36 of Wounded Cowboy
“I understand,” Kelsey said, seizing the opportunity to further bridge the gap between them."How about I take the girls grocery shopping in town tomorrow morning? It’ll be a great chance to teach them how to compare prices and find the best deals.”
Spring considered her proposal for a moment, his blue eyes thoughtful. She held her breath, wondering if his control freak tendency would surface at the idea of the girls leaving the ranch.
But then he nodded.“Okay. That would be fine.”
The girls cheered and clapped excitedly.
Encouraged by these minor victories, Kelsey decided to push for one more concession.
“Since we’re talking about meals, would it be all right if I create the meal plans from now on?” She hoped he wouldn’t see it as an overstep and added,“Of course, I’d consult with you the night before to make sure there aren’t any ingredients we need to use up before they go bad.”
He looked at her for a long moment. She held her breath. Did I go too far?
Then he surprised her again.“Okay,” he agreed.“You can make the meal plans from now on, as long as I get to review and approve them beforehand.”
Who are you, and what have you done with the real Spring Snowberry?Kelsey thought incredulously.
She wanted to clap and cheer like the girls had, but restrained herself.“Any meal requests for the rest of this week?”
“Tomorrow is Friday. That’s our Breakfast Egg Day,” Spring informed her.“Abby likes her scrambled eggs with shredded cheddar cheese, and April prefers hers plain and sunny-side up.”
∞∞∞
After Kelsey left for the evening, Spring helped April and Abby get ready for bed.
While they brushed their teeth in the bathroom, Spring leaned against the doorframe, watching them with a soft smile.
“So, how was your day with Kelsey?” he asked, genuinely curious to hear their opinions on their new nanny.
Both girls, their toothbrushes paused in mid-air, turned to him with wide, enthusiastic eyes.
“We love Ms. Kelsey!” they exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing off the bathroom tiles.
April, always the more expressive of the two, bounced on her toes as she added,“We built fairy houses in the garden today!”
“Yeah. I made one using the doors and windows from the Barbie Dream House that Great-Grandma Abigail bought me for Christmas,” Abby said.
Spring raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. Abby had been so disappointed when she opened the large wrapped gift because she’d been hoping for a model of the International Space Station.
She’d never shown any interest in the dollhouse before. Now she appeared to be using it for architectural salvage. It was actually pretty funny.
Except fairy house construction had definitely not been part of today’s agenda.
Spring wanted to be annoyed at this latest example of Kelsey’s insubordination. But seeing his daughters’ excited faces and hearing the joy in their voices as they talked about constructing the fairy houses all over the garden, he found it hard to hold on to his initial displeasure.
It was Abby’s turn to pick the bedtime story tonight.
To no one’s surprise, Abby wanted to Spring to readThere’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System.
“Notagain, Abby!” April wailed in disgust.
“Are you sure you don’t want to pick another book, honey?” Spring asked, settling himself on the sofa between the girls.“Maybe one from the library we haven’t read yet?”
Abby shook her head.“No,” she declared.“I wantthisone.”
She knew it by heart, but her love for hearing her dad read it to her never waned.
Together, they flipped through the colorful pages, reciting rhymes about planets and stars, their voices mingling in a familiar cadence.
