The Rancher's Redemption

by Myra Johnson

  “Oops.” Biting her lip, Erin set down her plate. “Would you like to pray, honey?”

  With a sidelong glance at Kent, Avery whispered, “I think Mr. Ritter should.”

  His throat clenched. He was gradually getting better with his private conversations with the Lord, but he sure didn’t feel ready for prime time. But when Avery smiled up at him, then folded her hands and bowed her head, he was trapped. “Okay, here goes. Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and for the chance to share it with two lovely ladies. Bless this food. Amen.”

  “Mom,” Avery said with a giggle, “he called us lovely ladies.”

  Erin’s sparkling eyes melted Kent’s heart. “That was a very nice prayer. Thank you.”

  “Hoping I’ll improve with practice.” He cast her a meaningful grin. “I had a good teacher after all.”

  She replied with a tense smile and picked up her sandwich.

  Kent did the same, savoring a bite of Erin’s delicious chicken salad as he scooted back against the tree trunk and stretched out his legs.

  With only a half sandwich, Avery finished first and asked if she could have her dessert now so she could explore. Erin opened a plastic container and handed her daughter an oatmeal cookie. Avery gobbled it down, then skipped off toward the creek—after a warning from her mom not to get too close to the water.

  “She’ll be fine.” Kent shifted closer to help Erin pack up the remains of their lunch. “The creek’s only a few inches deep.”

  “That’s all it takes to drown.”

  “We won’t let her out of our sight, okay?” But with Avery beyond eavesdropping range, maybe Kent could finally get Erin to talk more freely. He slid his hand across the blanket until their fingers met. “We’ve talked about everything today except what we both know is eating you alive. Don’t you think it’s about time?”

  Erin drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, her gaze following her daughter along the creek bank. “I know it’s the right thing to do. And I know I made lots of mistakes in how I dealt with my marriage. But I’ve gotten through it the best way I know how.”

  “See, that’s the thing. I’m learning it’s about more than just getting through a tough situation. I’m learning what really matters is Who’s walking alongside us every step of the way.”

  “Who. You mean God?” Erin gave her head a sad shake. “It occurred to me this week that my faith isn’t nearly as strong as I’ve made it out to be. If running into Lauren Hall can undermine my confidence so easily, what hope do I have?”

  Reciting part of the verse he’d committed to memory, he murmured, “‘When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.’” He freed one of Erin’s hands to cradle in his own. “That’s the hope you have, Erin. We’ve both already been through the fire—you with your abusive marriage, and me with my service in Afghanistan. Maybe we didn’t grasp it at the time, but God was always there. Look at us,” he said, cupping her cheek until she met his gaze. “Today, right now, we’re safe and whole. God didn’t abandon us. He carried us through to the other side.”

  A tear slid down her cheek. When he kissed it away, she shivered and nestled against his chest. “You think I should testify, don’t you?”

  “I think if you don’t, you’ll never be able to leave Payne Dearborn in the past and get on with your life.”

  She didn’t speak for several long moments, but he could feel her slowly relaxing into him. “I can’t involve Avery, though. And I’d have to go to Dallas.”

  “She could stay with me. School will be out by then, and she’d have a blast here on the ranch.”

  Erin cocked her head to frown up at him. “What do you know about taking care of a seven-year-old?”

  “Wait,” he said with a smirk. “I thought she’d be taking care of me.”

  Avery chose that moment to plop down on the blanket with them. “Mom, are you going somewhere? Am I going to stay with Mr. Ritter?”

  Sitting up with a start, Erin pivoted to face her daughter. “It’s nothing for you to worry about, honey. This is grown-up business.”

  “Is it about why you’ve been so sad since the other day?” Avery’s brows drew together in an angry frown. “Did Daddy do something else mean to you?”

  Erin clutched her stomach. “No. I mean—”

  “Let me try,” Kent said, lightly touching Erin’s arm. He pushed to his feet and reached for Avery’s hand. “Let’s take a walk, sweetheart.”

  Near the creek, a sturdy low-growing oak branch made an ideal seat. Kent eased onto the branch, then helped Avery up beside him. “I guess you’re big enough to understand that not all husbands and daddies know how to treat their girls.”

  Avery gave a solemn nod. “Eva has a really nice daddy. I wish my daddy was like Mr. Austin. But Daddy used to hurt Mommy and say mean things to her and make her cry, and that’s why we don’t live with him anymore.”

  Kent noticed Erin had moved close enough to listen, and he cast her a reassuring smile before returning his attention to Avery. “Do you understand that when somebody hurts another person bad enough, a policeman might have to make him stop?”

  Again, the little girl nodded.

  “Well, after you and your mom left your daddy, he started hurting another lady, and now she wants your daddy to face the consequences. Do you know what consequences are?”

  “It’s like a punishment, isn’t it? Like sometimes when I don’t obey Mom and she sends me to my room.”

  Beyond Avery’s line of vision, Erin smothered a teary-eyed laugh.

  “Kind of like that, yes.” Kent slipped an arm around Avery’s shoulders. “But what happens with grown-ups is they have to go to court, and a judge needs everybody who might know something to answer lots of questions to make sure he has all the facts.”

  “So...my daddy has to go to court?”

  “He does. And your mom needs to go, too, so she can tell the judge how your daddy hurt her.”

  Avery looked up, eyes wide with worry. “Will my daddy have to go to jail?”

  “That’s up to the judge. But the most important thing,” Kent said, meeting Avery’s gaze, “is that if there’s a way to help your daddy become a better, nicer person, that’s what the judge wants, too.”

  Erin drew closer, easing onto the branch next to Avery and twining her fingers with her daughter’s. “I won’t do this unless it’s okay with you, honey, because you’re more important to me than anything in all the world.”

  “Is Mr. Ritter right, though? Will the judge help Daddy be nicer?”

  “The judge will think hard about what’s right and best for all of us. But learning to be nicer is really up to your dad.”

  Avery drew her lips between her teeth. “Okay, then.” With a sidelong glance at Kent, she stretched up to cup her mouth around Erin’s ear but whispered loud enough for Kent to overhear, “I like Mr. Ritter a lot, but could I maybe stay with Eva instead? She has more fun stuff to play with at her house.”

  “What?” Kent drew back, hand over his heart like he’d been stabbed. “You’d pick Eva’s toys and games over helping me take care of Prince?” At Avery’s look of chagrin, he patted her knee. “I’m kidding, sweetie. It’s fine.”

  “We have a few weeks to figure all this out,” Erin said, “but thank you, honey, for being so understanding.” Eyes shining, she smiled up at Kent and added softly, “And thank you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The thought of testifying against Payne tied Erin’s stomach in knots, but with the decision made, she felt freer than she had in years. After she took Avery to school on Monday, she opened her phone to the contact information Kent had given her for Lauren. Leave it to him to believe in Erin even when she doubted herself.

  “I’ve had a change of heart,” she said when Lauren answered. “Tell me what you
need me to do.”

  “Erin, thank you.” Lauren could barely choke out the words, and it took her a moment to continue. She explained the prosecuting attorney would be in touch to interview Erin and provide more details about the trial. “I know you have your daughter to think about. Will it be a problem for you to come to Dallas?”

  “I have friends and family here who will help. And Avery’s been amazing about the whole thing.” Remembering Kent’s gentleness as he took Avery aside after their picnic, Erin smiled. Did the man have any idea he was her hero? Someday, she’d have to tell him so.

  “It’s good you’re not alone.” The regret shading Lauren’s tone suggested she didn’t have a support system, which made Erin all the more sorry she hadn’t taken advantage of her own when her marriage began to sour.

  “Lauren, please forgive me for how I responded at first. If you ever feel the need to talk—about Payne or anything at all—I’m here.” After a moment’s hesitation, Erin added, “And I’ll be praying, for both of us.”

  They ended the call with Lauren saying the attorney would telephone Erin in the next few days. Since the case against Payne and everything else in Erin’s life truly was in God’s hands, she made a conscious effort to focus on the present—which today included another trip to Fredericksburg to select fabric for Kent’s bedroom curtains.

  Insisting on keeping things as undemanding for Erin as possible, Kent said he’d install new window shades in each bedroom. Erin would only need to create color-coordinated valances for the guest rooms. For the master bedroom, though, she envisioned something more elegant, sheer floor-length panels accented with a damask valance and side panels with tiebacks.

  She did her measuring, cutting and sewing in the evenings while Avery read aloud from a library book or completed her arithmetic and spelling homework. Wanda asked about her progress almost every day and continued her good-natured arm-twisting about forming a partnership. Erin had to admit, the idea was growing on her. “Maybe once the trial is over,” she hedged. “I’ll be able to think more clearly then.”

  On Thursday afternoon, the prosecuting attorney, Raymond Poulter, called. Asking first if he could record the conversation, he spent nearly two hours grilling Erin about her relationship with Payne. The most difficult question to answer was why she’d never told anyone. Who could possibly understand how desperately she wanted to believe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed, how hard she had worked to explain it all away, either as Payne’s job stress or her own misinterpretation of events?

  Ending the call, Erin sank deep into the sofa cushions and laid her head back. After spending the last several months trying to forget, and now being forced to relive it all, she was exhausted. Had agreeing to testify been a huge mistake?

  No, Kent was right. Whatever the outcome of the trial, confronting Payne and his abuse was the only way she’d ever truly be free of him. She needed to lean upon God’s strength more deeply than ever and to trust Him to see her through to the end.

  * * *

  By Saturday, Erin had finished Kent’s curtains and called to ask about bringing them out.

  “Doc Ingram’s here this morning helping me vaccinate some cows,” he said. “I’ll be around this afternoon, though.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then.” Conveniently, Avery had been invited to a classmate’s birthday party beginning at one o’clock, and having only spoken to Kent on the phone all week, Erin could barely suppress her eagerness to spend a little alone time with him.

  Turning into his driveway shortly after dropping Avery at the party, she glimpsed him striding out of the barn, his smile warm and welcoming. He took her hand as she stepped from the car. “Thought you’d never get here.”

  “I’ve missed you, too. This week has been intense.” She melted into the comfort and security of his arms.

  Tilting his head, Kent brushed a wisp of hair off her face. “Did something else happen?”

  “No, I’m just tired. I haven’t slept well all week—even worse after those two hours on the phone with the attorney.”

  He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You can do this, Erin. Hang in there.”

  With a brisk nod and a shaky laugh, she pulled away. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? I’d rather hang curtains.”

  Kent huffed. “My home improvement project is the last thing you should be worrying about right now.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s helping to keep me from totally losing my mind.” Erin reached into the back seat for the canvas tote containing Kent’s curtains, and they started toward the house.

  Skip offered a lazy greeting as they entered the kitchen, then traipsed after them upstairs. In the first of the guest rooms, Erin began unfolding curtains. With Kent’s help, she threaded the sky blue gingham valance onto the rod.

  When he set the valance in place over the window, she stepped to the center of the room to admire the results. “I love it. Not too frilly, and the checks are subtle enough not to clash with the rest of the decor.”

  Kent smirked. “Still a ways to go on the decor thing. Not much in these guest rooms besides secondhand furniture.”

  “Baby steps. We’ll get there.” Erin gathered up the remaining curtains and started for the next room.

  After putting up a pale lavender valance in the mauve guest room, they moved on to the master. Erin took her time arranging cream-colored sheers and the mossy green tailored valance, then tied back the matching side panels with cords that reminded her of a cowboy’s lariat. She’d even found brass Texas star ornaments to attach to the ends of the tiebacks. The overall result reflected Kent’s masculinity while giving the room a touch of class.

  Both of them facing the window, Kent slid an arm around Erin’s waist. “Have I told you lately how amazing you are?”

  “You’ve done the hardest work. I can’t believe how quickly you got the painting done.”

  “None of it would have happened without you.”

  She stepped to the window to adjust a fold in one of the sheers. “We still need to add those finishing touches we talked about. I meant to bring a few of my extra decorative pieces, but with everything else on my mind—”

  “Like you said, baby steps. We’ve got another three weeks or so before Mrs. Thompson brings her dad.”

  And three weeks before Erin’s trip to Dallas for the trial. Erin closed her eyes and suppressed a nervous shudder.

  Kent came up behind her, the warmth of his arms enfolding her evoking an entirely different response. “There is something else I could use your advice about. Come outside with me.”

  Taking her hand, he led her downstairs and out the front door. They took several steps across the lawn before he turned to face the house. He tugged something from his shirt pocket and handed it to Erin. It was the old photo Mrs. Thompson had sent.

  “See?” Kent frowned. “Something’s missing.”

  Erin looked from the house to the photo and back again. “Landscaping. We’re missing shrubs and flowers.”

  “In case you were wondering, I’m a hundred times better at decor than I am at gardening.”

  Laughter erupted from Erin’s belly, the first she’d experienced in days, and it felt good. “Kent Ritter, what am I going to do with you?”

  His eyes darkened in a way that made her mouth go dry. He cleared his throat and faced forward again. “Thing is, with what I paid toward that bull, plus what I’ve already spent on paint and curtains and such, there’s not much left in the budget for plants—even if I did have a clue what to do with them.”

  “I’m not an expert gardener by any means.” Erin strove for a measure of composure. “But if we clean out the existing beds and trim up the shaggy shrubbery that’s already here, then we could add a few strategically placed low-maintenance plants for now. In fact, I remember passing a discount nursery when I was in Fredericksburg the other day.”

&
nbsp; “Think you could spare some time next week to go look around with me?”

  “Any chance you could break free on Tuesday? That works for me, too. Wanda gave—no, actually, she pressured me to take the morning off so I can meet with another interior decorating client, but I should be free by ten.”

  Kent gave a low whistle. “This interior design stuff is really taking off for you. I’m glad.”

  “It’s been a blessing.” Erin checked her watch—almost three thirty. She didn’t have to pick up Avery for another hour. “We could do a little weeding and trimming now if you want.”

  “Might as well.” Kent jogged to the barn to gather what gardening tools he could find.

  Which turned out to be a broken-handled hoe that looked as ancient as the house, a rake missing some teeth and a pair of rusty hedge clippers. He did scrounge up a pair of work gloves Erin could wear. He’d also found an old throw rug she could kneel on so she wouldn’t get her jeans too dirty.

  They started on the bed nearest the front porch steps, falling into a comfortable rhythm as Kent loosened the weeds with the hoe and Erin yanked them out to toss into a rapidly growing pile.

  “So this trip to Dallas,” Kent began, his tone low and hesitant. “Where will you stay?”

  Erin sat back on her heels and stretched. “I’ve been thinking about that. For obvious reasons, while I was married to Payne, I avoided letting anyone get too close. But there was one friend I’m pretty sure caught on to what was happening. I might ask if I can stay with her.”

  “That’d be a load off my mind. I’m starting to worry about you making the trip all by yourself.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Erin spoke with more confidence than she felt. With a fierce yank, she wrenched another weed from the bed.

  Kent leaned the hoe against the house, then whipped off his hat and used a kerchief to mop the perspiration from his face and neck. He sank onto the rug next to Erin but facing the opposite direction. “Don’t pretend with me, Erin. I know you’re scared, and nobody on earth could blame you.”