Page 67 of Wounded Cowboy
“It’s okay,” he murmured, his voice cracking slightly.“I—I’m gonna miss you.” He cleared his throat.“If you ever come back to Snowberry Springs, please stop by.”
“I will,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion.
They shared one last embrace, and then Kelsey stepped away.“I’d better get going. My car isn’t going to pack itself.”
“Safe travels,” he said, already missing her warmth in his arms.
With a final wave, Kelsey turned and walked away. Spring stayed on the porch and watched through tear-filled eyes until she disappeared from sight.
Then he dragged the backs of his hands angrily over his eyes before going back inside to put his girls to bed.
Chapter 18
Gridlock
The next day
Spring stood on his porch, watching as Claudia Harwood stepped out of her car, clutching a worn leather portfolio. She was an older woman, with graying red hair cut in a severe bob and sharp hazel eyes.
She approached him with a confident stride.
“Good morning, Mr. Snowberry,” Claudia greeted him.“I’m Claudia Harwood. Thank you for considering me for the nanny position.”
She extended her hand and exchanged a firm handshake with him.
“Please, call me Spring,” he said, ushering her inside.
He poured her a cup of coffee and they sat at his dining table. As Claudia opened her portfolio and withdrew a pad of paper and a pen, Spring couldn’t help glancing at the wall clock.
If Kelsey had left on time this morning, she should be in Rexburg by now, taking a lunch break. A pang of longing struck him.
“Your résumé is pretty impressive, Claudia,” Spring said, forcing his attention back to the interview.“Kelsey spoke highly of your qualifications and experience.”
“Thank you, Spring,” Claudia replied, her thin-lipped mouth curving into a wide smile.“I take great pride in my work with young children.”
“I see you have a lot of experience teaching kindergarteners,” Spring continued, trying to focus on Claudia’s credentials instead of his lingering thoughts of Kelsey.“My girls are six and eight years old. Can you tell me about your approach to dealing with children that age?”
“My skills and methods apply to all ages.” Claudia’s voice was firm and confident.“I believe children need structure and discipline in order to thrive.”
Spring recalled how well Kelsey had managed without a detailed daily schedule.“While I agree that some structure is important, there’s also value in being flexible and adaptable with children.”
“Perhaps,” Claudia conceded. But her smile disappeared.“But in my experience, young children need a fixed routine to feel secure and develop properly.”
“The girls are in school most of the day. Would you be willing to take a more flexible approach to their after-school care, though?” Spring asked.“Kelsey’s approach worked well with my daughters.”
Claudia fixing him with a stern gaze, looking every inch like the teachers he remembered.“I understand Kelsey had her own way of doing things, but I truly believe that children require a schedule and fixed routines. If you hire me, that will be the foundation of my work with your children.”
Spring sighed, the weight of the decision heavy on his shoulders. He knew Kelsey’s methods had worked, but how could he ignore Claudia’s years of experience and expertise? Would it be fair to his girls to dismiss someone as qualified as Claudia simply because she wasn’t Kelsey?
Claudia had been an actualteacherfor thirty years, after all.
“All right, Claudia,” Spring said, feeling a mixture of relief and apprehension.“If your references check out, I’d love to offer you the job. But please, keep an open mind with my girls.”
“Thank you, Spring,” Claudia replied.“I promise you won’t regret this decision. Now, will you send me a detailed daily schedule for each of your girls?”
Hearing his new nanny mentioned a detailed schedule reminded Spring of how much he’d changed over the summer, thanks to Kelsey.
Claudia reminded him of his old self. The rigid posture, the insistence on schedules and routines—it was like looking into a mirror and seeing himself before Kelsey had arrived.
