Finding Joy (Love's Compass Book 5) Read online

  They’d frequently talked about how at least one of their daughters still had the good sense to stay in New York and do what was best for her and the family. That’s exactly what Chelsea thought she was doing at the time, too.

  Her whole future had been lined up for her. Until she realized it was Daddy’s future instead.

  She’d left it all behind and if their parents were unhappy before, her decision made them livid. It’d been over a year, and the sisters heard all about it over Christmas. Their parents visiting Kitner this month meant another opportunity to berate their daughters in person.

  Except that Laurie was happily married, expecting the first grandbaby, and had a stable job.

  Where was Chelsea? Living above her sister’s photography studio and working for a temp agency. Oh yeah, she’d set up all kinds of targets for them to aim their cannons at.

  “You still there, Chelsea?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.”

  “Hang in there. You’ll do great. Call me this evening and tell me how it went.”

  “I will. I’m going to stop and use the bathroom before I get out of town. That’s the last thing I need to do when I arrive at the ranch. ‘Hello, Mrs. Wilson. Before we get started, can I go pee real quick?’ Nope, that’s not happening.” Just thinking about it sent another round of butterflies careening madly in her stomach. Laurie chuckled on the other end of the line. “Sure, you go ahead and get a good laugh at my expense.” Chelsea giggled along with her and shook her head. “Hey, I’d better get going. Thanks again, Laurie. I’ll talk to you tonight. Have a good day and don’t work too hard.”

  “I’ll try not to. Good luck, girl.”

  The connection went silent, and Chelsea concentrated on her directions. The town of Kitner faded behind her as a red and white sign for a gas station appeared in the distance. Not her first choice of bathrooms, but it might very well be her last before she drove into the middle of nowhere.

  After parking, she headed inside to use the facilities and then browsed the drink selection. She was surprised to find the flavored iced teas she usually picked up at one of the health food stores in town. She hadn’t even known such a thing existed until she’d moved to Kitner and Laurie introduced her to them. When she lived in New York, she’d never thought to try blueberry iced tea. Now she was addicted to the stuff, and Laurie happily took credit for bringing her over to the dark side.

  Chelsea paid for the tea and a bag of chips and headed for the door. Once outside, she tucked the bottle under her arm to fish her keys out of her pocket. Someone was walking her way, so she sidestepped to make more room.

  Something pressed against the back of her knee and she yelped. The glass bottle slipped from her arm to shatter at her feet, blueberry tea splashing her shoes. No! Not today! She whirled to find a beagle staring up at her with curious brown eyes, its tail wagging, and tea dripping down its legs. Chelsea’s gaze followed the leash clipped to its collar across the pavement and back up to a large, tanned hand clutching the other end. She finally focused on his face. A series of large, white scars ran from his hairline on the right side to an inch below his jawline. She took in his hazel eyes and hair that reminded her of brown sugar. Self-conscious, she lowered her gaze to the pavement.

  Chapter Two

  Happy had started sniffing the woman’s leg before Parker could pull him back. Now tea was all over Happy and they were expected at the hospital in a half hour. The woman was looking down at her shoes. Had she cut herself on some of the broken glass? “Are you okay?”

  She slowly lifted her face until her gaze intersected with his. He took in her green eyes, dark blonde hair, full face, and red lips. His pulse sped up and his mind sorted through a list of phrases he used to use when he first met a beautiful woman. One was on the tip of his tongue, and that’s when her attention became riveted on his scars.

  His stomach fell into his shoes as reality settled in. They would always be what someone else saw first. Nothing else about him seemed to matter. She dropped her gaze so she was no longer staring, but the damage was already done.

  “You should watch where you’re going.” He pierced her with a glare of annoyance. “Now I’ll have to clean him up, and we have somewhere to be.”

  The woman’s brows rose. “Excuse me? You should keep your dog on a tighter leash.” She blew some hair out of her eyes and groaned. With a glance at her feet, she used her hand to brush at the darker spots of fabric where the tea had splattered on her black dress pants. It was barely visible.

  Happy finished licking the tea off his paws and moved toward the puddle on the sidewalk, but Parker tugged him back. “You’ll get cut up, Happy. You know better than that.” He released an audible sigh. “I guess I’ll clean up this glass before anyone steps on it and gets hurt.”

  She dried her hands off on her pants and then visibly shivered as a cold breeze blew through. “Don’t bother. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, or your dog,” she said with an air of exasperation. Before she could kneel to clean up the glass, Parker tied Happy’s leash to the bench and picked the shards up himself. Within seconds, he was depositing them into a trash bin. He pulled the cuffs of his black, long-sleeved shirt down and retrieved the leash.

  The woman crossed her arms in front of her. “Thank you for that.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t you need another bottle of frou-frou tea?”

  An array of emotions played across her face before she gave him a tight smile. “I’m good.” She tossed hair over her shoulder, ducked into the cab of her car, and shut the door.

  Parker watched as she drove away. He probably shouldn’t have said what he did. But it was the truth, wasn’t it? If she’d been more careful, she wouldn’t have run into his dog.

  Happy tugged on his leash as though he wanted to tail her. Parker held firm. “Come on, boy. You know better than to follow a pretty face.”

  His words surprised him. He’d been nothing but annoyed the moment she’d stared at his scars. At the same time, what he said was true. It was impossible not to acknowledge her beauty.

  But she was like every other woman he met. She’d stared at the scars on his face until he caught her doing so, then kept her gaze averted.

  So what? She’d avoided looking at his face. He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t like seeing it in the mirror himself. What was it about the jagged lines on his face that made people tiptoe around him as if he were some kind of monster?

  Parker thought about how he’d acted around the woman. He hadn’t exactly given evidence to the contrary. He should’ve apologized for Happy bumping into her, picked up the glass, and moved on.

  The familiar tendrils of doubt and self-consciousness wound around his heart and drove him to his SUV. There were kids at the hospital waiting for Happy to come and cheer them up. That’s who he would focus on now.

  Pushing thoughts of the woman aside, he drove to the hospital and then guided Happy through the halls to the pediatric ward.

  Parker and Happy had barely entered the area when two kids in the hallway saw them. Wide grins appeared as they ran toward them. Both kids went to their knees on the floor, and Happy was more than ready to cover them with doggy kisses.

  Nurse Kay walked up and slipped her hands into the pockets of her brightly colored scrubs. “They love it when you two come to visit. Norman woke up asking about you.”

  Parker smiled at the smallest boy patting Happy. With that joy on his face, you wouldn’t know Norman had been at the hospital for three weeks now. Parker didn’t know the specifics of his illness, but he’d seen the discouraged expressions on his parents’ faces and knew it was serious. It was a privilege to be part of something that brought joy to the boy’s day.

  There was a community room in the pediatric wing where kids played video games, worked on puzzles, and visited with each other. Parker and Happy migrated that direction, gathering more children along the way. By the time they got to the room, there were eight kids vying for Happy’s attention.

/>   Parker sat on the floor with them, showing them how much Happy liked to have his ears rubbed. Then he pulled a soft ball out of his pocket and let them take turns throwing it so the dog could bring it back to them.

  A little girl with olive-colored skin, dark eyes, and black hair cut to make her look like a pixie raised her hand. She didn’t wait for Parker to say anything before voicing her question. “What happened to your face?”

  The first few times kids asked him that question, it’d thrown Parker. But not anymore. “I was in a car accident a little over a year ago. I got hurt and had to stay in the hospital for a while just like you. But I got better and you will, too.” He gave her a good-natured poke in the belly, and she giggled.

  He fielded questions about Happy and his injuries with ease. That’s what he liked about kids. They asked honest questions and then went on with life. Not like the adults who were afraid to ask what had happened, but either stared or acted uncomfortable. He’d prefer it if they questioned him and then moved forward with their conversations.

  His thoughts shifted to the woman he met at the convenience store. What went through her mind when she saw his face? Was she repulsed? Curious? It didn’t matter because he likely would never see her again, which was probably just as well. If her expression as she slammed her car door closed was any sign, she might deck him if she had the chance. The thought brought a grin to his face. She had a lot of spunk. It was something he’d always found attractive in a woman, and it wasn’t a trait he ran into often.

  Half an hour later, several of the children looked tired. Parker knew it was time to take their leave. The kids groaned in disappointment as nurses took their hands and led them to their rooms where they could rest.

  Nurse Kay intercepted him at the elevator. “Thanks for coming, Parker. It always does a world of good for the kids. Same time next week?”

  “We’ll be here.”

  She waved and headed back to the ward.

  Parker led Happy out of the hospital. Nothing squeezed Parker’s heart like the view of children in the hospital. They should be out running and playing, not tied to wires and monitors. It didn’t matter whether they were dealing with a temporary illness or if it was a lifelong battle, they always had a positivity about them. He wished he could understand how to harness it for himself.

  Finding time to visit had been easy when he wasn’t employed. Now that he was working at the ranch again, he’d have to juggle his time. Yet another thing he wasn’t looking forward to doing. Parker unlocked the door of his SUV waiting in the parking lot. Happy claimed the passenger seat, and they headed out of town.

  He didn’t like relying on his family for a place to live. But at least he could hide out there and maintain a level of privacy.

  Ironic how, a few years ago, he jumped at opportunities to be in the public eye. Being a successful team roper had opened more avenues than he’d ever thought possible.

  Now, all he wanted to do was remain invisible. If he could accomplish that, he’d avoid run-ins like he’d had with the pretty girl at Stripes.

  ~

  Chelsea worked to even her breathing and get her frustration under control. Who did that guy back there think he was, anyway? If he’d kept that dog under control, none of this would’ve happened. Now she prayed she could find her way to the Wilson Ranch without getting lost because she had little time to spare.

  She tried to push the man and his dog from her mind but instead, replayed the scene over and over again. Even with the significant scars, he was incredibly handsome. She tried to imagine how he might appear if he cracked a smile.

  And what had she done? Stared at him like he was Quasimodo or something.

  Chelsea would’ve smacked her forehead against the steering wheel if she weren’t driving. Heat climbed her neck. Thank goodness she’d never see the guy again.

  According to the GPS on her phone, the ranch should be right around…. There.

  It was game time.

  As she approached the Wilson Ranch, which seemed a lot more like a mansion, Chelsea was reminded of her parents’ home in New York. She’d grown up there and felt every bit a part of the lifestyle that surrounded wealth. But now…

  She’d changed, and she wasn’t keen on returning to this kind of environment. It was too late now. She was already here and wasn’t about to disappear on the first day of work.

  But as she entered the front door, she saw this place was as different as night was from day when compared to the home she grew up in. Her childhood home had been lavishly decorated and not remotely homey.

  This was like a large-scale cabin. The floors were gorgeous hardwood shined to the point she imagined you could slide across them in stocking feet. All the furniture was a distressed white wood that fit the décor on the walls perfectly. Even the plush furniture was pretty, yet somewhat simple in design.

  Chelsea kept silent as she followed the woman who opened the door to a sitting room of sorts.

  “You can wait here for Mrs. Wilson. She should arrive momentarily.”

  “Thank you.” Chelsea cleared her throat, waited for the other woman to leave, and then sat gingerly on the couch. It faced a tall, brick fireplace with flames dancing as it warmed the expansive space. She welcomed the heat, grateful to be rid of the chill she’d gotten outside. Okay, God. Please help me to stay calm and not make a fool of myself.

  Chelsea didn’t know what she expected from Mrs. Wilson, but the woman who entered appeared far younger than she would have guessed. Everything about the way she moved reminded Chelsea of her grandmother. But she didn’t look like she could be over fifty.

  She should have done more research on the ranch before coming here. Rising to her feet as Mrs. Wilson came closer, Chelsea tried to shove down her ever-growing nerves. “I’m Chelsea Blake, ma’am.”

  “Yes, I’ve been expecting you. You can call me Mrs. Wilson. I’m not a big fan of ma’am.” She smiled, wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening. She seemed to size up Chelsea.

  Thank goodness she’d chosen to dress nicely. Laurie had teased her, suggesting she should wear jeans and spurs. Not on her life. “I appreciate the opportunity to work for you. Pam at the agency has briefed me on the job requirements, but I’m looking forward to learning more.”

  Chelsea swallowed hard as Mrs. Wilson raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly.

  She thought this initial meeting would be a short one followed by some kind of training. But when someone brought in a tea service — complete with several choices of pastry — she got the feeling they’d be there for a while. The next two hours were spent discussing Mrs. Wilson’s expectations regarding Chelsea’s job. By the time they finished, it was clear the job would entail a lot more than she originally thought it would. Somehow, she pictured sitting at a desk in an office, managing paperwork, and answering the phone all day. She might do some of that, but it sounded like she would also be an assistant of sorts to her new boss.

  Mrs. Wilson asked her to hold on a moment and picked up her phone, speaking into it. “I’ve hired someone to work as coordinator, and she begins today. Yes, I understand that, but it’ll take a lot of pressure off you. I’ve gone over the preliminary details. I’d like for you to come and escort her to the barn, show her the office, and answer any questions she might have.” A pause. “Yes. Okay, we’ll be in the sitting room.” She hung up. “My son will be here to show you around. He manages our hired hands and the livestock. You’ll be working with him, and he’ll be the one you should speak with if you have any questions. He’ll refer you to me if it’s something he can’t help with.” She sipped tea from her dainty china cup.

  Chelsea reached for her own but didn’t take a drink. She’d be working in the barn? Near animals? That was not in the job description. Surely they didn’t expect her to have anything to do with them.

  “Pam mentioned this job is temporary, but that you may hire permanently. Is that still the case?”

  Mrs. Wilson nodded. “It is. I want to m
ake sure whoever we hire permanently is the right person for the position.”

  That was fair. Which meant she had to do everything she could to prove to them she could do the job well.

  The sound of a door opening broke through her thoughts. Footsteps echoed down the hall and into the sitting room, closely followed by a tall man in boots.

  Chelsea gasped and jumped to her feet. There was no forgetting the scars on his face or those expressive hazel eyes. He was the man from the gas station.

  Naturally she’d be working for him. The way the morning had gone, she shouldn’t have expected anything less.

  Stifling a groan, she set her cup down again and focused on Mrs. Wilson.

  “This is my son, Parker. Parker, this is our new employee, Chelsea Blake.”

  Parker leveled her with an incredulous stare before taking long strides forward to stand directly in front of her. “Ms. Blake.” He held a hand out to her as he clenched his jaw.

  Chelsea’s eyes were glued to the path of the scars. She shook his hand, which was significantly warmer than hers, and he released it almost immediately. She was staring again and jerked her gaze to her hands clasped in front of her, willing the pink to stay out of her cheeks. I’ve got to stop doing that!

  “I’ll let Parker take it from here. You’ll find there’s parking back by the barn, if you’d be so kind to use that from now on. If you have any questions, please ask Parker.”

  “I understand. Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. I appreciate this opportunity.”

  Mrs. Wilson smiled kindly and turned to leave the room.

  Great. Now she was stuck with Mister Grumpy Guy, who clearly was as shocked to see her as she was him. This could be a never-ending day. Assuming Parker didn’t fire her on the spot.