She clutched the cup in her hands, savoring its warmth. “I’m impressed they had the forethought to do that. Most people don’t even consider that sort of stuff.”
Still wearing his insulated overalls, he wrapped his calloused fingers around the oversize mug. “Kyle was adamant because he didn’t want his folks to have any influence over Sadie’s life.”
“But they’re her grandparents.” She blew on the steaming liquid. “Did he have a falling out with them or something?”
Mick took a swig before setting his mug back on the table. “Do the names Chuck and Belita Sanderson ring any bells?”
“Yes.” She thought for a moment. “Isn’t he some big wig in the energy industry? Served in Congress or something?”
“Yep. And they’re one of the wealthiest families in Texas.”
“So, they could certainly provide for Sadie financially.”
Swallowing another sip of the strong brew, Mick shook his head. “Kyle wasn’t worried about that. He had plenty of his own money. Money that now belongs to Sadie. I don’t plan to touch it, except maybe for her college.” He stared at the flames flickering behind the glass on the other side of the room. “Kyle was an only child. And growing up, he always had nannies and such, until he was old enough for his parents to send him off to a private school.” Facing her again, he continued. “He hardly ever saw his parents unless it was convenient for them. Kyle said he promised himself that if he ever had children, they would know they were important and that he loved them and wanted to be with them.”
“Can’t say that I blame him. I mean, why even bother having a child if you don’t want them around?” She took her first sip.
“To have somebody to take over the family business, carry on the family name.”
“That’s rather archaic.”
“Not when you’re a billionaire, I guess.” He lifted his cup. “Kyle had the paperwork drawn up the day after Sadie was born.”
“I guess that shows just how adamant he was. Not to mention how much he loved his daughter.”
Mick’s countenance fell once again as he stared into his cup. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Christa. The Sandersons are used to getting their way. I wouldn’t put anything past them.”
Unable to stop herself, she reached for him, and instantly regretted it. His hand was warm, his grip almost desperate as it swallowed hers, infusing her with a determination to do anything and everything to see that Sadie remained in his care.
Trying to avoid those green eyes that seemed to be pleading with her to make things right, she said, “The first thing you need to do is talk to your attorney. Although that means waiting and I know that’s something you probably don’t want to do. I don’t either. So for now, I guess we’ll do the only thing we can.”
“What’s that?”
She dared to meet his gaze. “Pray.”
* * *
Hints of daylight peered through the blinds as Mick made his way downstairs the next morning, in need of coffee. While he’d managed to stay warm enough during the night, sleep was evasive. He felt as though he’d been caught in a stampede. His body ached from trekking through the ice and wind while his mind had been under assault with a glut of what-ifs.
With Christa and Sadie still asleep, he tiptoed into the kitchen in his sock feet and quietly added water to the saucepan he’d used last night. He’d need to talk to his lawyer ASAP, because he would not let Jen and Kyle down. Yet no matter how tightly he clung to that, he couldn’t help wondering what would happen if a judge decided Sadie would be better off with her grandparents. Granted, they’d only been together for three weeks, yet Mick couldn’t imagine life without her. She’d been a breath of fresh air in his otherwise mundane existence.
This wasn’t about him, though. He set the pan atop the stove, twisted the knob and ignited the burner with a lighter. If Sadie wanted to be with her grandparents, he’d have no choice but to let her go. However, given the way she’d pulled away from both Chuck and Belita whenever they decided to pay her any mind, Mick doubted that would happen. She barely knew them. Still, what if she was forced to live with the Sandersons?
“It’s morning!”
Sadie’s proclamation had Mick eyeing the sofa sleeper across the room. “Mornin’, princess.”
She was sitting up, her hair going this way and that, her smile as big as ever. At least she’d slept well.
Beside her, a comforter-covered Christa groaned, momentarily silencing his torment. He was thankful she’d been here last night. Without her to talk to, he might have gone out of his mind. There weren’t many people in Mick’s life he could confide in. Just Jen and Bum, an older rancher who lived down the road and had become a mentor after Mick’s father passed eighteen years ago. Now Jen was gone.
He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Having Christa on his side meant a lot.
Her dog popped up from the floor then and promptly licked her face.
“Really, Dix.” Christa pulled the covers over her head.
“Dixie!” Sadie cheered.
“Don’t encourage her, Sadie.” Christa’s voice was muffled.
“But she likes to give kisses.” Sadie climbed over Christa to pet the dog.
“She’s probably ready to go outside, too.” Christa dragged herself upright, her hazel eyes colliding with Mick’s. “What does it look like out there?”
“Don’t ask me, I just woke up, too. But as of a couple of hours ago, it was still coming down.”
“And how would you know that?” She yawned.
“Somebody had to make sure the fire kept going. Speaking of that.” Still wearing his jeans and Henley from yesterday, he started toward the woodstove.
“Couldn’t shut down your brain, could you?” Tossing the covers aside, Christa swung her legs over the side of the bed.
“Nope.” The aroma of burning wood drifted into the space as he opened the door on the stove. He grabbed three logs from the dwindling stack beneath the window, glad he had plenty more on the porch.
“Me either.” Christa stood and stretched, looking far too cute in sweatpants, a big, bulky sweater and fuzzy socks.
“By the way, I got an alert on my phone around four that schools are closed.” He latched the door on the stove.
“As if there was any doubt.” Rubbing the dog’s head, she sent Mick a sleepy smile. “Thank you for allowing me and Dixie to stay here.”
“I couldn’t very well leave you with no heat.”
“This coming from the guy who slept in a room with no heat.”
“Ah, I was warm enough. Heat rises, remember?” He pointed toward the ceiling. “My room is right up there.” It was a thousand other things that had prevented him from sleeping.
The canine that always seemed to be smiling trotted toward the door.
Christa followed, let her outside, then stared out the window. “I don’t know if it’s snow or sleet, but something is still falling from the sky. It sure is pretty.”
“I want to see.” Sadie bounded off the bed.
Mick intercepted her, scooping her into his arms before joining Christa.
“Oh...” The wonder that filled Sadie’s green eyes when she took in the wintry scene warmed his heart, steeling his determination to make sure she remained in his care.
Turning his attention outside, he couldn’t help but smile. Beneath a canopy of thick, gray clouds, a layer of white spread over the ground like frosting on a cake. Midway between the house and the cow pond that doubled as his favorite fishing hole, the big live oak dripped with icy leaves, while loblolly pine branches bowed under the weight of their sparkling needles at the water’s edge.
“Amazing how a little ice can transform a dull, dormant landscape into something so pretty.” He looked at Christa. “However, I sure am glad we put our vehicles under my carport.”
“No kidding. It would take forever to get all that ice off the windshields. And I’m planning to head into town later this morning to check on the store. You know, after it’s had a chance to warm up some.”
“To a balmy twenty-eight degrees?”
Looking up at him, she said, “I thought it was supposed to get above freezing today.”
“Not according to this.” Removing his phone from his pocket, he pulled up the weather forecast and showed it to her.
“That says tomorrow’s high is only thirty-four.”
“Last time I checked, that’s above freezing.”
She sent him an indignant glare.
“Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with it.”
Dixie rejoined them, so he let Sadie down to play with her before heading to the kitchen to make the coffee.
“All I know is that I’m going to have to make sure Sadie is bundled up good when we head out.” He swapped out the filter from last night and added a couple scoops of coffee.
“Head out where?” Christa followed him. “To play?”
“No, to fix the tractor.” He poured the boiling water over the filter a little bit at a time. “Cows are going to need more hay, so I have to change out that battery. Good thing I have a new one in the barn.” He just wished he’d have taken care of it sooner and saved himself a lot of trouble.
She glanced over her shoulder to check on Sadie. When she turned back, she lowered her voice. “What are you thinking? You can’t make Sadie walk two miles in this weather.”
“I know that. We’ll take the utility vehicle. Course I’ll have to leave it in the pasture until I can retrieve it later, but the tractor cab is heated.”
Steam rose from the coffeepot, filling the room with its inviting aroma.
“I can’t believe you’re considering having her go with you to put out hay.”
He emptied the pan and set it aside. “What else am I supposed to do? Ranchers don’t get bad-weather days. My cattle are my livelihood and they need more hay. I can’t ignore them any more than you can ignore your store. Sure, it’s not ideal, but Sadie lives with me now, so I’m just going to have to find a way to make it wor—What’s that?”
A rumbling noise filtered in from outside.
“I don’t know.” Christa looked at him.
“Sounds like a tractor.” He hastily headed for the door. “I’ll be right back.” He shoved his feet into his boots. “Sadie, you stay inside with Christa.” He yanked his coat from the back of one of the dining chairs and put it on as he headed outside.
The subfreezing air slapped him in the face and sent a chill through him. Zipping up his coat, he stepped off the porch as Bum’s big blue tractor approached.
The man who had been his father’s best friend eased it to a stop and set the brake before opening the door and climbing down from the cab. His standard cowboy hat had been replaced with a red-and-black-checked, fur-lined trapper hat that made Mick chuckle.
“What’re you laughing at?” Bum’s smile made his silver-blue eyes sparkle as he shoved his gloved hands into the pockets of his insulated coveralls.
“Nice hat.”
“Hey, don’t go pokin’ fun, boy.” He carefully picked his way over the icy terrain. “Dorothy got this for me. Keeps this bald head of mine nice and warm.” Dorothy had passed away last year, just shy of her and Bum’s fiftieth wedding anniversary.
“If you say so.” Mick nodded toward the house. “Come on in and say hi to Sadie and Christa.”
“Christa’s here?” Bum looked more than a little surprised.
“Her fireplace isn’t in working condition, so I couldn’t very well let her freeze.” He lifted a shoulder. “Besides, Sadie likes playing with Dixie.”
Reaching the porch, they stomped the ice from their boots.
“What are you doing over here anyway?” Mick reached for the door.
“Headin’ to your hay barn.”
“What for?” Mick paused. “You run out of hay?”
“No, but that’s for my cows. I’m here to feed yours. Saw your tractor over in the east pasture.” The older man poked a thumb over his shoulder. “When you weren’t in it, I figured there was a problem.”
“You got that right.” He opened the door, explaining what had happened.
Inside, the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee mingled with a hint of smoke.
“We’ve got company,” he said.
“Hi, Bum.” Christa smiled, her hands wrapped tightly around a steaming mug.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mick saw a curious Sadie bounding toward him. He picked her up. “Sadie, this is my friend, Mr. Bum.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sadie.” Bum removed his hat. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She smiled shyly.
Smoothing a hand over her back, Mick said, “I’ve known Mr. Bum since I was littler than you.”
Her green eyes moved from Bum to Mick and back. “Did you know my mommy?”
If the comment surprised Bum, he didn’t let on. “I sure did, sweetheart. And you look just like she did at your age.”
Christa approached. “Care for a cup of coffee, Bum?”
“No, thank you, young lady. I just wanted to make sure y’all were doin’ all right.”
“So far, so good.” She shrugged. “How are the roads?”
“Empty. Except for some old codger in a big ole tractor.” He winked.
She laughed. “Well, I was hoping to run into town later.”
Bum shook his head. “I wouldn’t advise it. Least not today. Too dangerous.”
“Oh.” Christa’s shoulders dropped a notch.
“Hopefully, they’ll get our power back on tomorrow.” The older man settled his hat back on his head. “Tractor’s running so I’d better get on.”
Mick put Sadie down and followed the man.
“You be careful out there, Bum!” Christa hollered after them.
“Will do.”
Approaching the tractor, Mick said, “You don’t need to worry about my cattle. I’ve got things covered.” Or would, just as soon as he swapped out that battery.
“No, you don’t, Mick.” Bum faced him now. “You will eventually, but right now, you’ve got your hands full. Though it appears you’ve got some mighty fine help.” He winked.
Mick wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Hard to believe that until two days ago, he and Christa only saw each other in passing here at the ranch, at church or if he happened into the hardware store. Sure, there’d been a couple of times when he’d helped her with outdoor projects like trimming limbs and getting her mower started for her, but for the most part, they ran in different circles. Yet the past thirty-six hours, they’d been almost joined at the hip. All because of Sadie. Christa not only cared about his niece, she could relate to her in a way Mick couldn’t.
“God’s given you a great gift in the form of that little girl. Enjoy your time with her today.” Bum peered up at the sky. “Storms like this don’t come along but once or twice in a lifetime. Make it a memorable event for her.” He started up the steps on the tractor. “Besides, I need something to do. I’ll go stir-crazy cooped up in that house alone.”
Mick’s heart went out to the man. While Mick was used to being alone, it was all new to Bum. “Well, if you want some company, my door’s always open.”
The older man smiled. “I ’preciate that, son. And I’m here if you need me.”
Perhaps that was part of Mick’s problem. He wasn’t used to needing anyone. Yet suddenly, he found himself more needy than ever. So, while he would accept Bum’s and Christa’s help, he had to find a way to juggle ranching and Sadie. Otherwise, it could cost him the greatest gift he’d ever been given.
Chapter Five
“Tell me what’s going on in town.” Taking full advantage of
the hands-free feature in her idling SUV, Christa nestled into her heated seat Friday afternoon, eager to know what was happening in Bliss proper. “Have you been out at all, Patsy? What shape are the streets in? Have you been to the hardware store?”
“Whoa. Slow down there, boss. I can’t get a word in edgewise.”
“Sorry.” Christa felt so cut off, though. The hardware store was her baby, and she’d never been away from it this long.
“I wandered up to the store earlier today and everything is fine,” Patsy continued. “A few folks were out looking around, taking pictures, but nobody’s driving anywhere. Not with all this ice. Besides, the town is pretty much shut down so there’s nowhere to go to.”
“What about power?”
“Some people have it, some don’t. I heard they opened the elementary school as a warming center in case folks are hurtin’.”
“Was it on at the store?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Great. She should have stayed there.
“All right, Patsy, I guess we’ll talk in the morning.”
The precipitation had finally come to an end late yesterday, though temps were still below freezing. Perhaps now that the clouds were breaking, things would warm up.
A sense of relief settled over Christa. With everyone else stuck at home, she didn’t have to worry about losing customers. Still, she wanted Bliss Hardware to be open once they were able to get out and about. Being part of the community meant being able to meet her customers’ needs.
Leaning her head against the seat back, she studied the row of icicles hanging from the edges of Mick’s metal roof. Once the sun came out, maybe things would get back to normal. Though she had to admit, yesterday had been fun.
After Mick talked with his attorney and Bum took him over to replace the battery in his tractor, he, Christa and Sadie took the opportunity to enjoy some things they normally wouldn’t have had time for. Like exploring the wintry countryside, drinking hot chocolate while playing board games and baking sugar cookies from scratch. With just the three of them, it had been a bit like playing house. Except Christa was too old and jaded for pretend.
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