A Doctor For The Nanny. Leigh Bale

belong here anymore.

      Or did he?

      “Well, I better get back to work. If there’s anything I can do, you just say the word,” Carson told Eva.

      She smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

      Carson left, and Tyler figured he should do the same. There was no reason to stay here any longer. Yet he liked being near Eva. She had a soothing way about her that made him feel at ease.

      “You’ll be missed when you leave town,” Eva said.

      Her words brought a hard lump to his throat. Other than his patients, he figured only his mom would miss him. It was nice to know someone else cared. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

      “I can see how you’d rather live in the city,” she said.

      He caught a bit of hesitancy in her voice.

      “But you don’t agree?” he said.

      She inhaled deeply and let it out, then shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love living at Stillwater Ranch. And I love the twins and Aunt Mamie. But it’s not my home. Not really. But Little Horn is. It’s the town where I grew up. Where my people are from. It’s a part of me. It’ll always be my home, no matter where I go.”

      Tyler swallowed hard. “Yeah, I get that.”

      And he really did. He was surprised by the difference one event could make in changing his mind-set. Losing his sister’s horse had hit him harder than he thought. It had reminded him that this was his home, too. That his mom was counting on him. That he’d been raised in Little Horn. Whether he liked it or not, this community was in his blood.

      Eva arched one of her eyebrows. “But you don’t agree?”

      He released a pent-up breath. “I didn’t use to, but maybe now I do.”

      She inclined her head, her long ponytail bouncing. “What do you mean?”

      He looked at the baby, wondering what he should say. “At one time I thought Little Horn was nothing more than a tiny speck on a very large map. A go-nowhere town with a big dead end in front of me. All my life I dreamed of becoming a respected doctor. Living in a city far away from cows and a small-town environment. I wanted the lights and action of a big city. I wanted to do medical research and live anywhere but here.”

      Oh, maybe he shouldn’t have told her all that. But for some reason, Eva was so easy to talk to. He felt as though he could confide his deepest secrets in her. An odd notion, surely.

      She took a step closer. “And now?”

      He gave a scoffing laugh. “And now I’m not so sure. Losing Applejack has hurt Mom and me a lot.”

      What an understatement. Losing that horse was agony. Tyler felt torn up inside. As though he’d lost his best friend. And suddenly he felt as if he was a part of this community he’d tried so hard to shun. He had to protect his ranch. But more than that, he had to protect his family. His father had fought so hard to keep their home. Laboring with blood, sweat and tears to build it into a prosperous place to raise his children. Tyler’s sister had died way too young, but that didn’t change his feelings for the place. He couldn’t walk away from his mom and childhood home without making things right. Not without recovering Jenny’s horse first.

      He realized Eva was partly to blame for making him recognize all of these feelings he’d kept bottled up inside. He needed to get away from her. Fast. Before he made a huge mistake and asked her out.

      “I better get going, too. Like Carson said, if there’s anything you need, all you have to do is call and I’ll be there,” Tyler said.

      And he meant every word. He wanted to protect Mom and their home. But he felt protective of Eva, too. Maybe it was an offshoot emotion from when he’d been young, riding around Stillwater Ranch with Ben and Grady. He’d always helped them look after their little cousin Eva. But somehow Tyler’s feelings had changed toward her recently. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He only knew he was worried about her. He cared about her and Miss Mamie. And the baby, too. He wanted to help them out. Yet it was something more. Something he’d never felt before. Something he didn’t understand. And that scared him. A lot. Because caring brought with it a lot of heartache. And because he’d vowed never to care for another woman as long as he lived.

       Chapter Four

      That afternoon Eva pulled up at Grainger Ranch and killed the engine to her truck. She hadn’t planned on returning so soon. She’d been here early this morning, yet it seemed like days since she’d made her mad dash to take Cody to visit Tyler. And in that short amount of time, Cody’s rash was doing much better. But she’d received a call from Carson Thorn, telling her that the league’s Rustling Investigation Team was meeting over at Tyler’s place. Since she was now a member, she had to be there, too.

      As she looked out the windshield, her heart gave a slight flutter at the thought of seeing Tyler again. For some odd reason, she hadn’t been able to get him off her mind and hated that someone had stolen his sister’s mare. But she didn’t want to think about Tyler, or any man, for that matter. Because the combination of caring for baby Cody and thinking about romance got her yearning for a family of her own. And that would only make her heart ache even worse.

      She noticed a variety of cars and trucks parked in the wide driveway. The sheriff’s black-and-white squad car stood out from all the rest. And knowing the reason for it being here made Eva shiver. The thefts going on in their small community were downright creepy. It made her skin crawl to think of all the dishonesty it took to steal from other people, and she was eager to help solve the crimes.

      She looked down at Cody, who lay nestled in his car seat, watching her with his big brown eyes. His cheeks weren’t quite as red as they’d been earlier, and she was grateful for that. Without any reason whatsoever, he flashed a wide smile and made several cooing sounds. It was as though he were telling her everything would be all right.

      “Oh, you little sweetheart.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead, then unbuckled him.

      His warm baby scent engulfed her. Holding him close against her chest, she opened the door and climbed out. Afternoon sunlight glinted off the eagle weather vane on top of Tyler’s barn. The afternoon breeze ruffled the sheets hanging on Veola Grainger’s clothesline. Brown stubble dotted the fields surrounding the house, a testament that the hay had been baled and brought in. The land was now at rest for the winter. Tyler had worked hard this year, running his medical practice and farming on the side. He’d been more than busy. And maybe that was why he didn’t have a girlfriend. He didn’t have time for extracurricular activities.

      Worried that the wind might hurt the baby’s ears, Eva pulled a blue knit cap over his head. Wrapped snugly in a sweater and blanket, he looked about with interest, his eyes wide and bright. Eva reached back into the truck and retrieved a loaf of pumpkin bread she’d taken from the kitchen at Stillwater Ranch. She caught the sounds of voices coming from the open doors of the barn. A sorrel gelding stood outside, saddled and tied to the hitching post. She headed in that direction. Stepping inside the barn, she paused to let her eyes adjust to the dim interior. She caught the heavy scent of ammonia. Dust motes floated on the air.