A cry came from the minivan, drawing all eyes—and a high-pitched whinny from Fester.
“Lily’s wake,” Ivy announced. “My baby.”
“Baby?” Archer repeated.
“My other daughter, Lily,” Eden explained.
Other daughter. Her words came back to him then. She had two. He’d heard the custody comment. So Eden Caraway was divorced and the girls’ father wasn’t carrying his weight. Which helped explain why she had no time for anything else.
“Pretty horsey.” Ivy clapped.
Fester whinnied again, prancing along the fence line. Big, powerful and far too dangerous for Ivy. “Now is not the time, Miss Caraway. I suggest you take your lunch break and help settle your children at the Lodge.”
Miss Caraway’s eyes widened. “I appreciate your concern, Dr. Boone—”
“Good,” he said. “Let me make this clear. Unless I am with them, your daughters need to stay away from the horses. Especially Fester. Is that understood?”
She blinked but didn’t say a word. Ivy was frowning, tears welling up in her big eyes.
“He mad, Momma?” Ivy whispered.
“No, no, Ivy. He wants to keep you safe.” Eden’s voice was soft and cajoling.
Archer didn’t miss the lethal glare Eden shot his way before she headed back to the minivan.
Her anger wasn’t important. He was her boss—his place, his rules. For the time being, he needed her. Maybe Eden was right—keeping her around would be complicated. And yet Fester wanted her. And maybe that was enough to figure out how to uncomplicate things.
He glanced at Eden. Ivy stared back at him over Eden’s shoulder. Her golden curls danced on the breeze, her huge hazel eyes unblinking. Ivy waved, her tiny fingers splayed wide even as her chin quivered. He was an asshole. Yes, he’d been trying to keep Eden’s charming daughter at a safe distance. But he’d never meant to make the little girl cry. A little girl who kept waving.
So he waved back.
Her smile was so bright, he had no choice but to smile in return.
He sighed, watching Eden climb into the minivan, and the van bounce down the drive. He’d stay out of Eden’s way, and he’d do his best to stay away from her and her children. He didn’t know much about people and relationships. But work, he knew. Best course of action—work.
Chapter Four
Eden held Ivy’s hand as she reached for Lily’s car seat handle. While Ivy was fully recovered from her disappointment with the horses, Eden was fuming. She would never, ever put her daughter in jeopardy. She had no illusions about Fester. He might be partial to her, but she wouldn’t assume the same affection applied to her daughter.
Archer’s warning plucked at a wound he had nothing to do with. A wound that, no matter how hard she tried to forget, stayed irritated and raw. Her children were her everything. And she did the best she could to be a good, hands-on mother. Even if her father, brother and Clark were all too eager to point out her inadequacies.
She was so busy stewing over her encounter with Archer that she didn’t see a strange man coming out of one of the Lodge doors. Until she’d run into him.
His hands clasped her shoulders. “You all right?” he asked. “Shoulda been lookin’ at where I was going—” But his words broke off as he stared at her. And the expression on the older man’s face made her pause. “Who do we have here?” he asked.
She was torn between embarrassment and curiosity herself. “Eden Caraway,” she said. “I’m a guest here. These are my daughters, Ivy—”
“That’s me,” Ivy said, smiling up at the man. “This is Lily.”
The older man stooped, shaking Ivy’s hand before peering into Lily’s car seat. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, little lady. And your sister, too.” He straightened, leveling her with deep blue eyes. “There’s no denying you’re their momma. I’m Teddy Boone.”
Mrs. Monroe only visited twice, but she cared about this place, my father... Eden hadn’t missed the specific mention of Renata’s father.
“Eden Caraway, was it?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Guess Jenny checked you in?”
She nodded. “Yes. Nice to meet you, Mr. Boone. You’ve an amazing place here. The whole ranch.”
“Wait, now,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re the one helping out my son, Archer?”