Little Cowgirl Needs a Mum / Once Upon a Proposal. Patricia Thayer

felt as if she was intruding. “Maybe we should leave them for another time.” She glanced across the room at the dresser and saw the many framed family pictures. She recognized a younger-looking Evan standing next to a dark-haired woman who was holding a toddler, Gracie. And he was smiling. She doubted he did much of that lately.

      She quickly turned away from the loving scene. “I don’t want us to get into trouble.”

      The child struggled to lift the lid. “But my quilt is in here.” The child looked panicked. “It’s mine.”

      Jenny had no choice but to help her. She opened the heavy lid and discovered the treasure inside. There were several colorful quilts folded neatly. The top one was an amazing Bow Tie-patterned quilt in shades of blues and burgundy. The background was cream-colored with intertwined blocks of printed fabric.

      Megan Rafferty definitely wasn’t an amateur.

      Gracie continued to dig underneath. “See, there it is.”

      Jenny lifted out the plastic-covered blanket. She removed the covering and spread it out on the bed. The Wedding Ring design was only partly finished, but there were several rings already sewn together, and several other stacks were in the bag.

      “Mommy and I picked out all the colors, but she got too sick to sew anymore.” A sad Gracie looked at Jenny. “She had to stay in bed all the time.”

      Jenny couldn’t resist and sat down, pulled the small girl onto her lap and hugged her close. No child should have to go through that kind of loss.

      Gracie laid her head against Jenny’s shoulder. “I didn’t get to see her very much ‘cause she was always sleeping.”

      She had no doubt Megan Rafferty fought valiantly to keep going for her child.

      “Oh, honey, it wasn’t because your mom didn’t want you around her. She was trying to fight to get better. Just look how she worked to make you this quilt.”

      The girl raised her head, revealing tears. “That’s what she told me when I went to say goodbye to her. She said that I have to finish it for her. I promised her. I hafta do it.”

      Evan stood in the hall outside his bedroom. It had always been Meg’s domain. She’d decorated the room, trying to make it perfect. It was—to an outsider. Yet this room had never been his sanctuary, even less so now—with the guilt he felt that he’d let his wife down. Now he was letting Gracie down.

      Watching her, he felt another kind of pain. Jenny Collins was holding his daughter, stroking her hair, whispering words to soothe her sadness. Gracie couldn’t come to him, but she turned to a stranger.

      When Jenny looked up, discovering him, it was he who suddenly felt like the intruder. Her dark-eyed gaze locked with his. He couldn’t read her thoughts. Did she think he was a bad father? What did he care what she thought? She was the one intruding on his life.

      Jenny saw Evan Rafferty in the hall. She held her breath, hoping that he wouldn’t interrupt them. His daughter desperately needed to share some of her pain. She needed to let out her feelings without worrying about anyone else.

      Jenny brushed tears from the child’s face. “What else did your mother tell you?”

      Gracie looked thoughtful. “She asked me to be a good girl.”

      “And you are,” Jenny confirmed. “What else?”

      “To help Daddy ‘cause he’ll be all alone.” Those pretty sapphire eyes locked on hers. Her daddy’s eyes. “I don’t know how.”

      Jenny had to swallow hard to move the lump from her throat. “Oh, sweetie. It will take time. Maybe if you both share all the good times together. Tell stories about your mom so you’ll always remember her.”

      Gracie smiled. “Maybe I can tell him how much fun it was sewing the quilt with Mommy. Maybe he’ll let me go to your class.”

      Jenny’s heart tightened painfully. “Maybe. But if he doesn’t agree right now, maybe he will later. You can wait,” she said positively. “Your mommy will understand.”

      Gracie hugged her. “I’m glad you came to see me, Jenny. Will you be my friend?”

      Jenny swallowed back tears and hugged the child to her heart. “Oh, of course, Gracie.” She glanced over to find Evan was still there. Her chest tightened, seeing that his child’s words had affected him, too.

      That wasn’t all she felt. Their gazes connected as she suddenly became aware of the man’s powerful presence. Yet, underneath, she could sense sadness, a loneliness that pulled at her. She felt the longing, too. A rush of heat went through her and she couldn’t look away.

      That was when she realized that all the Raffertys were getting to her.

      CHAPTER THREE

      AN hour later, Evan sat at the dining-room table drinking his wine. The laughter was getting to him, but he found it hard to join in. He watched Gracie with Jenny, recalling what had taken place upstairs in the bedroom.

      His daughter’s sadness ran deep, and he couldn’t seem to help her. Yet, this woman had an easy, comforting way with the child. He envied that.

      He turned to his brother. Matt seemed infatuated with her, too. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? It seemed his brother was returning to that happy and carefree guy he remembered.

      His attention returned to Ms. Collins. She was attractive with those big brown eyes and silky wheat-colored hair. He felt a stirring of interest, but told himself it was because he hadn’t been with anyone in a long time. Even months before Meg died, they hadn’t shared any intimacy. Not that they had shared much before that, either. So it wasn’t exactly headline news that the sight of a pretty woman would push his buttons.

      He took another drink of the zinfandel. The fruity taste—strawberry and raspberry—had just enough sweetness with a hint of oak. Pride struck him, knowing he’d helped produce the grapes for this vintage.

      His father leaned toward him. “It’s so natural between them,” he said, nodding toward the two females. “It does my heart good to watch them.”

      Evan knew that Gracie missed her mother. He’d hated hearing her crying at night, hated even more that he didn’t know how to comfort her. Meg had been the loving, nurturing one. She and Gracie had had the close bond he’d never managed with his daughter.

      He studied Jenny. She had that same easy way with kids, with the rest of the family, too. He wasn’t going to let himself get taken in by the pretty woman. He didn’t need the distraction, and too many people could get hurt if things didn’t work out. His main concern now was his daughter.

      “Gracie, I think it’s time for you to get bathed and ready for bed.”

      She started to argue, then looked at Jenny. “Will you come and say goodnight?”

      Jenny glanced at Evan. “Sure. I’ll help clean up here and be right up.”

      “Okay.” The child stood and scurried out of the room.

      Jenny looked at Evan’s father. “Dinner was delicious, Sean.”

      “Then have another glass of wine, and savor it a little longer,” he insisted.

      She shook her head. “Although it was wonderful, I have to drive back into town. Now, no argument, I am going to help you with the dishes.” She stood, stacked some plates and carried them into the kitchen.

      Sean turned to Evan. “You’re coming, too. Because whether you believe it or not, you need to speak to Jenny about Gracie. And listen to her, son.” Sean headed out, and Evan followed. He hated that his father was right. Hated that he couldn’t seem to make Gracie happy.

      In the kitchen Matt was already beside Jenny when they got there, but his father stepped in. “Lass, you get away from the sink. It’s Matt’s turn to clean