Hey, not your place to take her under your wing.
Maybe not, but she’d done so much for him and Trinity. He wasn’t about to let her drive around with a bad tire. Yet, if he hadn’t offered to give her a Dutch oven, her tire wouldn’t be his problem. But how could he not help her when he’d overheard that cocky Andi Browning taunting her?
So, you just had to ride to her rescue, huh, cowboy? It was Claire’s voice he heard in his head, sweet and teasing. His wife had often poked fun at what she called his “cowboy code of honor.”
Sighing, Roan blew out his breath. He needed to stay out of the past. Nothing but ghosts there.
Trinity was strapped into her booster seat, crooning the alphabet song. He and his mom had been working on teaching her the alphabet. Smiling, he joined in.
His daughter sang, “Now I’ve learned my ABCs. Tell me what you think of me!”
“I think you are the smartest girl on this ranch,” Roan announced.
“Daddy! I’m theonlygirl on this ranch.”
“See, you are the smartest. You figured that out all by yourself.”
Her childish giggles warmed him from the inside out. It thrilled him that Trinity had quickly bounced back from the tonsillectomy. He’d been pretty worried in the hospital, but she had no problems since they’d been home. The surgery should put an end to her frequent ear and throat infections. He hoped it would. Seeing her sick killed his soul.
He parked his pickup truck beside the barn to make unloading the horse feed easier for his hands, got out, and went around to help Trinity from the pickup.
Jazzy pulled up beside them. She rolled down her window. “Where should I park?”
He waved her to a spot in front of the garage.
“Got it.” Jazzy smiled so big Roan felt as if she’d wrapped him in rainbows. She was so bright and fun. Jazzy was the perfect name for her. She parked and got out of her car.
“Your right front tire looks low,” he said.
“Does it? Oh my.” She twirled to peer at her tire, her long blond hair arcing through the air as she moved her head. In the hospital, she wore her lush locks pulled back into a ponytail. While he enjoyed watching that ponytail bounce, her hair flowing like silk over her shoulders mesmerized him.
She straightened with her bottom lip caught upbetween her teeth. “It does look a little low. Do you think it’ll get me back to Twilight?”
“I’m not letting you get back on the road with a low tire. I’ll check the pressure and add some air. Then we’ll head into the house and get the Dutch oven and feed Trinity her lunch, and by then we should be able to tell if the tire will hold air.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m so glad you noticed.”
“No problem,” he said.
“Lunch!” Trinity hollered. “PBJ sammy!”
“She eats PB&Js every day,” Roan explained.
“With Ruffles!” Trinity spun around her with her little arms outstretched wide. “Ruffles have ridges.”
“It’s so good to see you doing so well, Doodlebug.” Jazzy laughed.
“Do you like PB&J?” Roan asked. “We have grape, strawberry, and blueberry jelly.”
“I love PB&J.”
“Then you’ve come to the right house.”
“Daddy adds honey to the peanut butter,” Trinity whispered as if sharing a secret. “It’s extra ’licious.”
“Sounds like it.”
Trinity reached over and took Jazzy’s hand. “C’mon. I’ll show you my Barbies.”