Heiress for Hire (Cuttersville #2)(40)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"It’s just a fact, that all." Their hips bumped and Danny jerked left, trying to adjust so he wouldn’t bruise her up any worse. Only he was still holding her and she was taking small steps, so they wound up knocking into each other even harder.

"We’re doing the bump," she said, with a forced laugh. "Are we having a seventies moment?"

No, he was having a serious moment. Looking over at her, a feather sticking out of her hair, her eyes wide and glassy, her lips cracked and dusty, her chest dangerously close to popping out of her dress like twin water balloons, Danny saw an amazing woman.

"That was brave, you know, diving onto the dog like that." It had done things to his insides—was still doing things—to see her risk herself for someone else. Amanda was a caring person, though somehow he had the feeling that she had never been cared for.

He wanted to find out about her, understand, hear what her life had been like. He was starting to suspect that all that money hadn’t bought a whole lot of attention or affection for Amanda from her parents. There was a look she sometimes had, beneath that sneer, that just ached with want.

He could see it in her when she looked at Piper.

And he didn’t think she even knew it.

"Stupid is probably more accurate than brave." Amanda limped alongside of him, wincing. "But truthfully, if I had to do it again, I would. I mean, I couldn’t let that thing hurt Baby. She’s just the sweetest little pumpkin… and I would do anything to keep her from getting hurt."

She looked at him then, thoughtful, a slight smile playing around the edge of her lips. "You would have done it too. I know you would have. You were trying to get around me to save her."

Danny shrugged. "I wouldn’t want to see an innocent dog get killed either."

"You’re just a big marshmallow, aren’t you?"

That wasn’t any big secret. He had always been something of a sucker. "Maybe that’s why I could never get the girls. They don’t want nice guys. Too boring."

"You’re lying. You were probably homecoming king, all-star football player, everyone’s friend. I bet the girls were throwing themselves at you."

"Nope. Just Shelby. And that took some convincing. I’m telling you, women are the same as girls—they don’t want Mr. Unexciting." Hadn’t Shelby told him that in so many words when he’d suggested they get back together at the beginning of the summer? Right about the time Boston and then Amanda had strolled into town?

Danny didn’t begrudge Shelby her happiness with Boston—he cared about her and wanted her to have whatever she wanted. But the truth was, Danny was dull, and he knew it.

Amanda stopped walking and shrugged her shoulder, wincing at the pain. She stared him straight in the eye. "Mr. Exciting isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. Some women would prefer to find Mr. Dependable, Mr. Honest, or Mr. Unselfish."

All three of those described him, or at least he liked to think they did.

But he didn’t have a chance to respond, because his mother had come out of his house and was standing with her hand over her eyes.

"What the hell was all that ruckus about? You scared Piper half to death."

"Where is she?" Danny picked up the pace, wanting to reassure his daughter.

"In the house, showing your father her Barbies." Willie shook her head. "Never thought I’d see Daniel down on the floor playing with a doll, but he’s taken with that little girl."

Then she took in Amanda’s appearance. "You fall in the yard wearing those high heels of yours?"

"No," Amanda said in a tight voice. "I was attacked by a hawk."

"What? You’re joking." His mother looked Amanda up and down with a raised eyebrow.

"No, she’s not. Her dog was in the drive and a hawk swooped down looking for a little lunch."

To his mother’s credit, she didn’t laugh, though he suspected she wanted to. "Dog okay?"

"Yes." And Baby gave a bark of excitement to prove the point, rushing toward the door when she saw Piper emerge.

"What happened to you?" Piper looked horrified.

"It’s a long story," Amanda said, leaning on his arm. "One I’ll tell you later after I’ve recovered with a full-day spa package including Swedish massage and a soothing facial, all while sipping a giant mocha latte."

Willie and Piper just stared at her. Amanda sighed. "Or not. Maybe I’ll just wash my knees and get on with it."

"Don’t be a fool," his mother said. "Your shoulder is sliced clean open. Get in the house, and I’ll clean you up."

Amanda hesitated. Looked to Danny for guidance. He nodded. Though she had a gruff approach, his mother was a good nurse in situations like these. Better than him—his hands were too big and clumsy, and blood didn’t always sit right with him. He could slaughter a chicken and never blink, but give him a little human bleeding, and it was iffy.

His mother shouted, "Get! Now! In the house."

Amanda jumped. "All right. Sheesh. Hold your horses. Or cows or chickens or whatever. I’m not my usual speedy self today."

When she limped to the door, she put her hand on Piper’s back and rubbed it. "I’m pretty tough, aren’t I, kid? I tried to tell your dad, but he wouldn’t listen. So I showed him instead."

And Danny couldn’t help but grin. She had grit, Amanda Delmar.

Willie sized up the blonde as she perched on the toilet lid.

She was a mess. Dirt and twigs in her hair, dust covering her from head to toe, and grass blades clinging to the terrycloth of her dress. Her feet were dusty and brown, her knees had gravel imbedded in them, and her shoulder was smeared with a sluggish stream of blood from a two-inch scratch.

No tears. No complaining. Just impatience and a haughty look like she wanted to be done with the whole thing.

Willie had to reassess her opinion of the girl just a little. She wasn’t a whiner, and she was loyal to her dog. That said something about a woman.

She got out a washcloth, lathered it up, and set it on the counter next to bandages and antibacterial gel. "I guess we forgot to mention the hawks."

"I guess so," she said dryly.

"We didn’t used to have any around here, but in the last few years we’ve seen their numbers go up. They keep the mice and moles down, so they’re helpful. But they have been known to make off with a small dog or two."

Amanda shuddered.

Willie adjusted her reading glasses—wasn’t fifty too damn young to wear reading glasses?—and started in with the tweezers.

"Ow! Shit, that stings."

Now the whining started. "You want me to leave the gravel in? Let skin form around it, so it gets infected and you have white knots of pus on your knee that the doctor eventually has to lance open and suck out?"