in cheek asked, “Is it too much?”
“For anyone else, maybe.” Rick looked at her with a straight face but his dark eyes were twinkling. “In Sophie’s case, it’s probably restrained.”
“You do know her.” Penny burst out laughing.
“She said you wanted to talk to me.” He checked his watch as if he had a hundred things to do and was mentally preparing to tick this one off his list.
“Yes, I do. I’d tell you to have a seat but—” Embarrassed, she swallowed the rest of her comment.
“I wouldn’t fit?” Rick’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners with his grin. “No, I wouldn’t. So I’ll sit here.” He sank onto the floor and crossed his legs in front of him, one knee poking through the rip in his jeans. He set his Stetson beside him then smiled at her. “Nice to see you again, Penny.”
“You, too, Rick.” Penny cleared her throat and assumed her most businesslike tone, refusing to let her gaze stray to the scar on his cheek. “Sophie asked if I might be able to help you with caring for the twins until Wranglers Ranch Day Care opens. Then she said that they will attend here.”
“That’s what she told me, too.” Rick blinked at her in surprise before he glanced around once more. “She also said this place will open July first.”
“That’s the goal.” Penny arched one eyebrow. “So before I know if I can help you I’d like to know about a regular day in your life and what you need for the twins.”
“Sorry if I look a little surprised. I had no idea Sophie was going to ask you to help.” He frowned then swallowed. “So my partner and I own a construction company. Since he’s out with medical issues, I’ve had to take on running all three of our crews. I don’t want to lay off any of my men but the pace of running so many jobs on my own is hectic.” Rick stole a quick glance at the giggling twins. “Six months ago the twins lost their mother, my sister, G-Gillian, in a house fire.”
“Oh, no.” Her heart crimped with sympathy when he stumbled over her name. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.” Rick paused then continued in a stronger tone. “I’m the twins’ guardian so I need to do everything I can to provide them with a good home, which I’m trying to do. But I can’t be with them all the time. Even though I want to.”
“Of course you can’t, but good for you for wanting to,” she said and meant it.
“So I need some help. The thing is—” Rick cleared his throat then looked directly at her “—I’m not very knowledgeable about the whole fatherhood thing but I feel like the twins need stability and I don’t feel I’m providing that because my hours are so long. Most daycare hours don’t coordinate with my schedule, and nannies—well, let’s say they haven’t worked that well for us.” He lowered his gaze to his hands. “The twins are a bit—” He paused, obviously searching for the right descriptive.
“Mischievous?” Penny supplied and chuckled when he nodded, his look dour.
“Exactly. I hired a very experienced woman named Helga to watch them. One day when she fell asleep Katie tied her shoelaces together. In knots. Helga quit.” He sighed as if her resignation had been unpleasant. “Next I hired a younger person to work with the kids, a guy who had a lot of energy and a list of impressive credentials. He kept the twins busy but he had some, er, unusual ideas about the kind of stories they needed to fuel their imaginations. His vampire tales caused the kids some sleepless nights and neither they nor I could handle all his zombie talk.”
“Oh, dear.” Rick’s fed-up expression forced Penny to stifle her amusement.
“Someone suggested I try a student who was looking for a summer job so I hired my neighbor’s daughter to babysit.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Penny murmured encouragingly.
“It should have been but she got a little too busy texting her boyfriend and let Katie and Kyle make lunch. My insurance company dropped me after that fiasco and I dropped her.” Rick threw up his hands. “Have I scared you off yet?”
“No. Children need to be kept busy and they require close supervision.” Penny glanced at the twins, trying not to stare at Katie’s almost bald spot. Poor little orphans. “So basically you require someone to care for them while you work.”
“Yes. But everyone I’ve talked to wants a set schedule and I can’t offer that. If something at a job comes up, I have to be there.” He looked—embarrassed? “But that’s not all.”
“It’s not?” Intrigued, Penny waited.
“Actually, my problem is twofold. I’m struggling with leaving the twins with others.” He looked ashamed by the admission and also stubborn, both at the same time. “Katie and Kyle just lost their mother. I want them to feel secure. But whenever I picked them up from daycare, they seemed sad. That’s why I thought having somebody come to my place would be easier for them and maintain some stability in their world.”
“But it also makes finding care more challenging,” she guessed.
“I know.” Rick sighed. “The kids talk about how much they miss Gillian. That’s natural and they don’t do it constantly. But those moments aren’t scripted. They just happen. So I can’t ask them to wait until seven each night or Saturday morning to talk about it. If I’m not there for them when they need me—” His gloomy face revealed how deeply he was torn by the situation. “I’m trying to do my best but sometimes they cry. A lot. I must be doing something wrong.”
“That’s not necessarily true, Rick.” Penny’s heart went out to him. This man was so determined to do the right thing for two bereaved little kids. She admired him very much.
“What do you mean?” Was that hope brightening his dark eyes?
“Being together without Gillian is a time of change for all of you. You’re all in mourning for someone you loved a great deal. Kids often express their feelings by crying.” She smiled at him. “Don’t worry. Those sharing moments will still happen. Katie and Kyle will still turn to you when they need you.” She glanced over one shoulder, noting how well adjusted the twins seemed. “You know there’s nothing wrong with choosing part-time daycare and part-time one-on-one care. Whatever works best for you should drive your decision. That and the twins’ welfare.”
“Are you sure?” He looked relieved when she nodded.
“Positive. To me, Katie and Kyle seem very well adjusted though I haven’t known them long. As long as they know you’ll be there if they need you, I think you’ll see that they will feel secure.” Privately Penny wondered if Rick ever took any time for himself but decided now wasn’t the time to ask.
“So would you be able to care for them? I know that as a teacher you’re around kids all the time and this is your break time—” He stopped when she shook her head.
“Not quite. At school I have children around me for about six hours.” Penny glanced at the twins, smiling at the massive tower they’d built. “Teachers are free at recess and lunch hour. Also, I don’t wake up with children or take them home with me at the end of my day as you do.”
Though I wish I could.
“You’re saying teaching isn’t like parenting. Okay, I get that.” But Rick still didn’t look convinced.
“If I asked, I suspect you’d say building is your passion. Well, kids are mine.” Penny held his gaze as she made her point. “As a teacher, I want the kids I work with to learn strength and self-reliance. I want them to grow into positive adults with the skills that will help them learn how to manage their world.”
“Admirable,” he agreed with a nod. “But it seems like that’s a lot to ask of a teacher in a public school situation.”
“Believe me, in these hard economic times with all the strife