Hill Country Redemption

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  “Do you live near?”

  “No. But my grandfather does.”

  “My dad has breakfast here with a group of men, including your grandpa.” Rance looked like he might have to pinch himself to make sure this was real.

  “He really enjoys those gatherings.”

  “Do you think y’all could come to our rodeo?” Jayda asked. “It’s gonna be really good. Mommy’s good at heading up rodeos.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that.” Larae blushed. “I’m good at publicizing them once they’re already up and running. How did you find out about my rodeo?”

  “I saw the flyer in the window and asked the waitress who was behind it. She pointed you out. I won’t be in town for your grand opening, but I’ll try to make one next time I’m here.” He offered his hand. “It was nice meeting y’all.”

  “Nice meeting you. And I hope you can make it.” Larae clasped his hand. “Please tell all your friends.”

  “I’ll be sure to.” He shook hands with Rance and went back to his table.

  “I’ll never wash my hand again,” Rance muttered.

  “You’re silly, Daddy.” Jayda giggled.

  “Do you have any idea what this means?” Larae stared off into space.

  “I just met Clay Warren.”

  “If he comes to our rodeo, he could put us on the map.”

  “They’re putting our rodeo on the map?” Jayda wiped her mouth with her napkin.

  “It’s a figure of speech, sweetie. It means Clay Warren fans would hear about our rodeo.”

  “And he has a lot of fans.”

  “Are they all goofy about it, like you, Daddy?”

  “Not as goofy as I am over you, Baby Girl.” He leaned in and kissed the top of Jayda’s head.

  Larae’s heart did a somersault. Loving her daughter was the quickest way to her heart. But she couldn’t fall for Rance. Not again.

  * * *

  Next door was like a magnet for Rance. He strolled down the long drive and caught sight of Larae and Jayda at the barn. Several workers installed sections of the new bucking chutes and pens, with the hum of heavy equipment covering his approach. It was early enough that the heat hadn’t set in yet.

  He couldn’t stay away. What had he done all these years without Jayda? Without Larae?

  Having them at Bible study with him last night was like a balm to his soul. Jayda had gone to the kids’ class with Amelia while Larae had seemed completely comfortable and settled in. Everyone treated them like a family. If only that was the truth.

  If he kept showing up unannounced, Larae was liable to give him his walking papers or set up some annoying schedule for him to visit Jayda. But he was helping with the rodeo, which would speed things along and benefit him, too.

  Maybe someday soon she’d let Jayda come to his house, but he wouldn’t hold his breath.

  As he neared, he could see Larae and Jayda were in a pen with a rust-colored calf.

  A twig snapped under his foot, and they both looked up. Jayda’s eyes danced. Larae’s steamed.

  “Look, Daddy, I’m feeding Little Bit.” Jayda held an oversize bottle while the calf tugged and sucked on the nipple, almost toppling her.

  “Careful there, big boy.” Rance slipped through the gate and put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders to steady her.

  “His mama had twins, but she’s not feeding this one. It’s like he doesn’t have a mommy. Isn’t that sad?”

  “It is sad.” He caught Larae’s gaze and got a glimpse of the wounded, motherless little girl inside her.

  “But I’m helping Denny take care of him.”

  “You sure are.”

  The calf sucked the bottle dry and kept tugging.

  “I think he wants more.”

  “If we give him too much at a time, he might get a tummy ache,” Larae cautioned. “We’ll feed him again at lunch.”

  “But I’ll be at school at lunchtime.”

  “You can feed him again at supper.” Rance helped her tug the bottle free of the calf, then turned to Larae. “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Tons of phone calls.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m hitting up businesses for sponsorships.”

  “I can split the list with you.” They exited the pen and Rance secured the gate.

  “I don’t know. Have you ever done anything like this?”

  “Not necessarily, but I can be very persuasive. And with me helping, you can finish quicker and squeeze in some Jayda time after school.”

  “Grandma and Grandpa are here.” Jayda jumped up and down.

  Larae smiled, sending his heart into overdrive.

  His dad parked, and his parents climbed out of the car.

  “I thought we might take Jayda to school,” his mom said as she waved. “I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is.”

  Jayda ran to greet them, and his dad picked her up.

  “Mommy and Daddy are making calls today, and Mr. Denny is busy with the horses. I’m supposed to stay with Miss Stella after school, but can I stay with y’all instead?”

  “Jayda, we’ve talked about inviting yourself over.”

  “I’m sorry, Mommy.” She turned hopeful eyes on his mother. “But can I?”

  “Jayda!” Larae chastened.

  “Your mommy’s right about inviting yourself to someone’s house.” His father pressed his nose to hers. “But it doesn’t count with us. If it’s okay with your mommy, you can come over anytime.”

  “It’s fine by me.” Larae leaned against the calf-pen railing.

  “But what about feeding Little Bit at supper?”

  “You’ll be home in plenty of time.”

  “We could take Jayda to school and pick her up each day,” His father offered. “At least while you’re swamped with rodeo business.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t let you do that. It’s too much.”

  “We don’t mind at all.” His mother did a one-shoulder shrug. “It gives us something to do. And we love spending time with this one.”

  “Maybe. At least part of the time.”

  “Okay. Let’s go.” Jayda gripped each grandparent by the hand and tugged them toward their car.

  “Slow down, Jayda. Don’t jerk Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd around.”

  “I think we’re past Mr. and Mrs.” His mom patted Larae’s shoulder. “Please call us Maggie and Davis. And if you’re sure you don’t mind us whisking this little darling away, we’ll do just that.”

  “Do you want to take some toys or coloring books, Jayda? Grandma and Grandpa probably don’t have any at their house.”

  “Except, we do.” His dad grimaced. “We kind of went shopping so Jayda wouldn’t be bored at our place. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “It’s fine.” Larae shrugged. “It’ll make things easier if we don’t have to drag her stuff back and forth.”

  “But Mommy doesn’t want you to spoil me so I’ll be worth something someday.”

  His father chuckled. “Sounds like you have a very smart mommy. You better give her a hug before we go.”

  She hugged Larae. And then Rance. His heart puddled at her feet.

  After a round of goodbyes, his parents drove off with Jayda waving from the back window of their car.

  “How come you’re fine with my folks spending time with Jayda, but not so much with me?”

  “Because Jayda needs family. My dad was all I had, and he’s gone. And your parents have lived in the same place for as long as I can remember. I don’t see them pulling up stakes and leaving her behind.”

  “I’m not planning to, either. I told you that.”

  “You told me a lot of things back in high school.” Her gaze hardened, and she headed to the house. “We’ll see if you mean what you say this time.”

  Bu
t he had meant everything he’d told her back then. How could he convince her to trust him without knocking her dad off the pedestal she’d put him on?

  He followed her to the house. Inside, it was warm and cozy. The walls were lined with family pictures of Larae and her parents, then just her and her dad. But nothing as an adult and none of Jayda.

  “Why aren’t there any pictures of Jayda?”

  “Because the only people from Medina who knew she existed were Dad and Lexie. I sent Dad photo albums, but he kept them hidden.”

  “Where? I’d love to see her baby pictures. I’ve missed so much.”

  Her eyes softened. “I’m not sure.” She opened a door at the bottom of a bookcase and pulled out several photo albums, flipped through them and set each aside. “Jayda was the sweetest baby. She hardly ever cried.”

  “Were you alone? I mean when you had her?”

  She looked up at him. “No. Lexie stayed with me. I couldn’t have gone through it without her.”

  “I’m glad. I hate to think of you being alone.”

  “Here’s one. And this one. And here’s another.” She put the non-Jayda ones back. “I think that’s all. You can take them home with you if you want. And once you look through them, bring them back, and I’ll make copies for you.”

  “Will it put you behind schedule if I look at them now?” He sat down on the couch, unable to accomplish anything else until he saw the pictures.

  “No. Go right ahead. I’ll have to go back to Dallas before the start of June and get the rest of our things from our condo. I have lots more there.” She set the other albums beside him and turned toward the office, then stopped, came back and settled on the couch beside him. “They’re in order from pre-birth to last fall.”

  He opened the album as if it were a sacred relic. Grainy ultrasound pictures.

  “This is six weeks. It’s hard to tell anything, but she’s right here.” She pointed to a tiny bean-shaped object.

  He flipped the page. Pictures of Larae, obviously pregnant. The Larae he fell in love with. Carrying his child. If only he’d known, everything would be so different now. “Were you scared?”

  “Terrified. I knew nothing about babies. I was in a city where I knew no one, and I was trying to keep up in my college courses.”

  “Where did you live?” It didn’t look like a dorm.

  “With a friend Dad grew up with. He and his wife rented rooms out of their home once their kids were grown and gone. Lola and Al became like grandparents to me.”

  “Did your dad visit often?” In each pregnancy picture, she was smiling, but her eyes were haunted by fear.

  “He ended up coming and staying for the last three months of my pregnancy. And once Jayda was born, Lola taught us how to take care of her. Dad and I were both clueless.”

  “Was there a lot of pain?”

  “Oh, my. You can’t imagine. But once I saw her, it faded to a memory.”

  The next page was filled by a tiny baby with a puff of dark hair—a baby that turned his insides to jelly.

  “So worth it.” Larae touched a fingertip to the image of Jayda’s baby face. “Her hair was like that when she was born. Three inches long all over her head. It stayed that dark until she was about two, then it just kept getting lighter and lighter.”

  The next several pages were of Jayda napping, smiling. Pictures of Larae holding her with the haunting fear in her eyes replaced by joy. Pictures of Ray holding her, completely captivated.

  The same way Jayda made Rance feel.

  “This is Lola and Al.” She pointed to a picture of a smiling older couple holding Jayda. “Lola is the one who led me to Christ after Jayda was born. I wish I’d gotten back into church then.” She sighed. “Once I finished my degree and got my own place, they came to visit often.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t alone.”

  They finished the first album. In the second, Jayda turned into a happy blond toddler.

  “That’s Punk, her favorite stuffed animal.” Larae pointed to the pink dog. “I’m not sure if she was trying to say pink or pumpkin, since I’ve always called her Pumpkin. Dad got him for her, and she’s slept with him since.”

  As he turned the pages, Larae told him the story of each picture—Jayda’s age, where they were, what they were doing. It filled in some gaps for him. But he wasn’t sure if he felt better or worse since he hadn’t been there.

  “This was the first time I took her to ride at the stables in Dallas. She was three.”

  And looked like a two-year-old. So tiny. “Wasn’t she too small to be riding?”

  “I started when I was three and was about the same size. She had a helmet, see. And a very good instructor.” She flipped the page for him. “This is her first trip to the zoo.”

  Jayda was in a stroller and Ray was pushing her. With all their outings, it seemed like they’d have run into someone from Medina. But even if they had, no one would have figured out that Jayda was his.

  They finished the second album. The third held pictures showing first days of school, Jayda with friends and at birthday parties, and Jayda at the rodeo with Larae.

  Since Rance’s boss at the time had stocked the rodeo Larae had worked for, it’s a wonder they hadn’t run into each other there. If only they had.

  Easter pictures, Christmas photos, picnics in the park. All with one common theme. No Rance.

  “I wish I’d been there.”

  She sighed, closing the final album. “I’m sorry, Rance. I really didn’t think you’d want to be in her life. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you, either.”

  “What do you say we do our best to stop hurting each other?”

  “I’m in.”

  “Good.” She bumped his shoulder with hers. “I have some DVDs of her, too. They’re still in Dallas, but when I get my stuff, you can watch them if you want.”

  “Please. Mom and Dad will want to see them, too. Along with the albums.”

  “Once I get my albums from the condo, you can actually have these. With Dad gone, they’re just collecting dust.”

  “Thanks.” But pictures and DVDs didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t been there for the first seven years of Jayda’s life.

  In fact, the pictures only highlighted his absence. And the DVDs would, too. Rance could never get those years back. Or make up for them.

  All he could do was make the most of the time he had with her now. And in the future.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Day two of calling sponsors, and Rance had already landed several. Seated across the conference table from Larae, he continued to surprise her.

  Outside, the concession stand and bathrooms were under construction, and the plumber was scheduled for tomorrow. Everything was right on schedule. So far.

  Rance ended his call. “Good news.”

  “What’s that?”

  “With all these sponsorships piling up, I figure we need a graphics guy, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I know a guy. Chris Tilton. Remember him from school?”

  “I do. He did all the signage for the rodeo I was with when we lived in Dallas.”

  “So I called him. He offered to make all the signs and banners we’ll need, now and in the future, in exchange for a free sign advertising his business to grace our arenas indefinitely. What do you think?”

  “I know he’s reliable.” It was all she could do to focus and keep her mind on the rodeo and not Rance. “Sounds like a great deal to me. We’d spend way more than the cost of a sponsorship in the long run.”

  “Great. I’ll call him back to accept.”

  But before he could dial, the house phone he was manning rang.

  “Collins Ranch. May I help you?” He paused. “That’s right, if you sponsor the outdoor arena, your
sponsorship transfers to the indoor rodeo once it’s up and running, but your sign will still hang in the outdoor arena, which will be a rentable practice space. So you’ll get a two for one in the long run.” Rance shot her a thumbs-up and quoted their price. “And that’s for the whole year.

  “Great. I’ll send you an email with an invoice. Once you send me your graphics, I’ll get it to our designer. We’ll send you a proof for approval, and your sign will hang in the arena for our grand opening in one week. Yes. Thank you.” He ended the call. “Word’s getting around. That was the feed store in Bandera. The hardware store owner told him about us, so all I had to do was close the deal. I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

  “Well, you learned from one of the best.”

  “And humblest, too.”

  “Just confident.”

  “How many more do we need?”

  “That’s all for the outdoor arena.” She checked her chart for the layout of the indoor building. “We have room for ten more indoors.”

  “So I guess we wait until the building’s finished for that?”

  “No, we keep doing what we’re doing and get it all booked.”

  “How? We have nothing to offer them now.”

  “We convince them they need it. And we’re talking a matter of months.” She dialed a number, then leaned back in her chair and put her bare feet, crossed at the ankles, up on the conference table. “Watch this.”

  “Yes. Mr. Townsend, this is Larae Collins. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

  “Not at all. It’s good to hear from you, Miss Collins.”

  “I thought you’d want to know about a new rodeo starting up on property I own in Medina. We’re calling it the Collins Family Rodeo, and no alcoholic beverages will be served. Now, I’m having my grand opening at our outdoor arena the end of this month, but I’m sorry to report that I’m out of sponsorship opportunities for that.”

  She was back in her element, despite her erratic heartbeat. Maybe it was excitement about the rodeo and nothing to do with Rance.

  “I’d have liked to get in on that.”

  “Well, here’s your chance.” She slid her feet off the table and leaned forward in her chair to look at her chart. “I’m building an indoor arena, as well. It will be finished by early summer. Just in time to beat the heat, right?” She chuckled. “I’m running out of slots, but I knew you’d want to get in on this. My prime slot is below the announcers booth.”