The Cowboy’s Sacrifice

by Danica Favorite

  She stole a glance at Ty. The tender way he responded to Ricky made Rachel pause. He seemed genuinely compassionate toward the older man. He’d said he loved Ricky like family, and seeing it in action made her wonder if Ty’s protectiveness was something she didn’t need to fear. Ty just wanted to make sure Ricky would be all right. If Rachel wasn’t a threat to Ricky’s well-being, maybe Ty would leave her alone.

  So how could Rachel get Ty to understand that she bore Ricky no ill will?

  A woman entered the room carrying a large platter of grilled steaks. She set it on the sideboard, then turned to Ricky. “Dinner is ready. Why don’t you say grace so we can all get started?”

  Ricky nodded and took off his hat. As he bowed his head, Rachel noticed everyone else doing the same.

  “Dear heavenly Father, we come together today to thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed on us. Thank You for the food, the friendship and the chance to honor You with the work of our hands. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

  Something about the older man’s simple prayer stirred something in Rachel’s heart. It wasn’t like she had never said grace before, and she’d certainly spent time around Christians. But as she looked around the room and saw the warmth among the people gathered, it felt different.

  Ty gave her a nudge. “We don’t stand on ceremony here. Just grab a plate, fill it and take a seat at the table. The beef is fresh from the ranch, and a city girl like you has probably never had the like. I might be a bit biased, but you won’t find tastier meat anywhere in the world.”

  Katie tugged at his hand. “I thought we were having fish.”

  The woman who brought in the meat made a noise as she approached them. “We were going to. But someone didn’t keep up his end of the bargain.”

  Her voice was teasing, and Ty made a face. “We had plenty in the freezer, Wanda. And there’s no way I would’ve been able to catch enough for everyone.”

  “I caught a fish,” Katie said. “His name is Nathan. Ty said we could keep him as a pet, but he has to live in the lake.”

  One of the cowhands snickered. “A pet fish named Nathan? You’re not getting soft on us, are you, Warner?”

  Some of the other cowboys joined in the teasing, and though Ty flinched for a moment, it was obvious they hadn’t gotten to him.

  “I’m not going to break a little girl’s heart,” Ty said. “Unlike you knuckleheads.”

  They filled up the plates and when they went to sit, Ricky gestured at the place to his right. “Rachel. Come sit by me. Bring that little girl of yours. I want to hear about this fish called Nathan.”

  Rachel couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. Sitting by Ricky at dinner, he could get to know her and realize she wasn’t a threat. Ty sat on the other side of Ricky, and though she still felt uneasy at having him so close, maybe he, too, would give her a break.

  As they ate and talked, Rachel was surprised by the camaraderie of everyone at the table. These were all Ricky’s employees, and yet they acted like family. Maybe Ricky said he was a lonely old man, but from where Rachel sat, he was surrounded by people who loved him. In a way, she envied Ricky that.

  Rachel didn’t have that in her life. The biggest tragedy of her health issues was that if she did die, she would do so without ever having experienced this kind of life for herself. She’d promised herself she would give it to Katie, but so far her attempts had been miserable failures.

  When they finished dinner Ricky led them back out into the great room, where the back doors had been opened onto an expansive deck.

  “Some of the boys are going to be playing some music,” Ricky said. “We like to have live music for our guests, but the people who usually do it can’t this year, so some of the guys wanted to audition and see if I like their noise well enough to inflict it upon my guests.”

  Ricky grinned, then stepped outside the door. Rachel turned to see that Katie had paused at a horse statue.

  “Katie, don’t touch,” she said, scurrying over to her daughter. After the great hospitality Ricky had provided, the last thing she wanted to do was have her daughter ruin a priceless treasure.

  “But it’s so pretty,” Katie said. “I bet it’s real soft and smooth.”

  Ty stepped up behind them. “Cinco carved that when he was a boy.”

  As Rachel looked at the display, she noticed a photograph of a young cowboy hanging on the wall above the statue. “Is that him?”

  “Yes,” Ty said. “It was his senior picture.”

  Rachel studied the photograph, trying to see if she shared any features with the man who was probably her father. Would others notice the resemblance? She had so many questions, ones she’d never thought to ask, ones she didn’t think she wanted the answers to. But being here, seeing a carving her father had made with his own hands, it made all the questions she’d asked as a child come racing back.

  Dark eyes, like her own, and a familiarity in the expression on his face. Yes, a lot of people had brown hair and brown eyes, but there was something of her in this man. Her father.

  Her mother had said she destroyed all the pictures of her father, so this was the first she’d even seen. A tickle caught the back of her throat. Why was she getting so emotional? She’d long ago accepted not having a father. Even though it would be nice to have a connection to Ricky, finding a family she’d given up hope of ever having wasn’t why she was here.

  Ty pointed at another picture. “That was his wedding picture.”

  When Rachel glanced at it, it didn’t feel right. Wedding picture? Her mother hadn’t said anything about her father being married. But the woman in the picture was clearly not Rachel’s mother.

  “Why would Ricky keep Cinco’s wedding picture?”

  Ty shrugged. “Luanne might not have wanted anything to do with Ricky after Cinco died, but Ricky still loved her as his daughter. Hopefully someday, we’ll find the baby she was carrying, and Ricky can have a relationship with his grandchild at last.”

  Wait a second.

  Since Rachel wasn’t Luanne’s daughter, somewhere out there, Rachel had a brother or sister.

  “Do you have any leads at all?” she asked.

  Ty shrugged. “A lot of charlatans. Luanne didn’t want us to find her. I don’t know why. Ricky would’ve taken good care of her, and the baby. But Cinco always thought Ricky was too controlling, so maybe she was afraid that Ricky would take the baby away from her or something.”

  He shook his head, then held his hand out to Katie. “Why don’t we go sit outside by the fire? You don’t want to hear about Ricky’s family tragedy.”

  A brother. Or sister. Rachel had always envied people with siblings. Even in her foster homes, where Rachel had foster brothers and sisters, it had always seemed unfair that the actual siblings had a deeper connection than anything she could have with them. She always felt like an intruder. Even in the families that said there was no such thing as step or foster, there was definitely a difference in how she was treated versus how they were. Rachel always wanted to be part of that exclusive club. Would this sibling see Rachel as an equal? Or would the revelation that she was an unexpected sibling cause pain and turmoil for him or her?

  She shouldn’t be asking these questions, reflecting on the wounds of her childhood that had been less than ideal.

  Her only focus had to be finding someone who was willing to donate a kidney to her.

  Ty gestured at the open doors. “We should head outside now.”

  She must’ve been staring at Cinco’s picture, because he added, “I know Ricky talks about Cinco like he’s a misunderstood hero, and Ricky has deep regrets of what happened between them. But don’t buy into all the hype. My parents have their own stories about him, and they’re not all good. He was flawed, just like the rest of us, and in some ways even more so.”

  She turned to him. “Why are you wa
rning me against Cinco?”

  Ty shrugged. “I see the hero worship in your eyes when Ricky talks about him. And now, the way you’re staring at his picture.”

  So she had been staring. She hadn’t meant to, but how else was she supposed to react to finally seeing a picture of her probable father?

  Ty gestured toward the door. “Let’s head out.”

  Outside, the fire was burning in the large outdoor fireplace, and though it wasn’t yet dark, various lanterns and twinkle lights were already lit. The effect was charming, and Rachel found that her prickliness toward Ty was melting away in the ambience. The band was just starting to warm up, and people were milling about, sipping on drinks and talking. The crowd seemed larger than the one in the dining room.

  “Where did all these people come from?” she asked.

  Ty looked around the area. “I’m sure word got out that Ricky was auditioning one of the bands.”

  That didn’t sound like the Ty who had chastised her for being here without a reservation. “You mean people just show up?”

  Ty shrugged. “They’re friends and neighbors. They’re welcome to stop by anytime.”

  “Unlike me?” She gave him a challenging look, and then felt kind of stupid for it. What was she going to gain by questioning him on this? She was supposed to make friends with him, not antagonize him further.

  “There’s a difference between friends, neighbors and strangers. You were hesitant to leave your daughter with me because I’m a stranger. But a friend or neighbor? You’d be willing to leave her with someone you trusted. Rightly so. I don’t fault you for wanting to keep your daughter safe. Just like I work to keep Ricky safe.”

  She knew the point he was trying to make, and it was tempting to tell him that she never left Katie with anyone other than licensed childcare providers. But that thought, rather than bolstering her position, only made her feel sad. She didn’t know anyone she’d feel comfortable leaving Katie with. No one that she would invite over or feel comfortable having them drop by.

  As she looked around the gathered crowd, she once again felt the sadness that had been creeping up whenever she examined her life.

  Rachel had spent years telling herself that she was just fine on her own with Katie. That she didn’t need anyone. But as she saw people greeting each other warmly, she wondered if she’d only been lying to herself.

  Katie tugged at her hand. “Mom, there’s kids here. Do you think they’ll make friends with me?”

  Wherever they went, Katie had a knack for making friends with every child she met. Sometimes it made Rachel nervous, letting her daughter interact with so many strangers. There didn’t seem to be any harm in it in this semiconfined space, but still, Rachel hesitated.

  “Over there is Leah Jackson, and her husband, Shane,” Ty said. “Their boys are Dylan and Ryan. I think Ryan is just a little older than Katie. Leah’s sister, Erin, is the ranch accountant. They’re good people. Talking with them is Janie Roberts. She’s the pastor’s daughter. Her son, Sam, is Ryan’s age. I can introduce you if you like.”

  Rachel appreciated that Ty looked at her directly as he spoke, other than to point at the various people he spoke of. “There’s not a face here that’s unfamiliar to me, and I know you haven’t sussed out whether or not you trust me, but I can tell you that if I had a little girl, I wouldn’t hesitate trusting any of these people with her. These are people Ricky knows and loves. They’re like family to us.”

  She was the only stranger. That was what he was saying.

  The boys began tossing around the ball. Katie tugged at her hand. “Please, Mom, can I go play?”

  She supposed it wasn’t any different from Katie befriending strange children at the park. But this wasn’t just a simple day at the park. Rachel still had to convince Ty she wasn’t a threat to Ricky so she could have a moment alone with the older man to explain to him what she needed. Even if he wasn’t willing to connect her to someone who could donate a kidney, maybe he could tell her what he’d found out about her brother or sister.

  Those were a lot of things to ask a stranger. Even if they were related but didn’t know it yet.

  Rachel turned to Ty. “If you wouldn’t mind introducing us, I would appreciate it. I’m sure Katie would love playing with some other children.”

  Though Ty’s warm smile was supposed to make her feel better, it only made her feel worse. He was trying to make her feel comfortable, safe, willing to let her guard down. But she knew it was only to see if she would slip and give away something that would indicate she was a threat to Ricky.

  Still, as he guided her over to the people he’d mentioned, she took a deep breath and put a smile on her face. Maybe seeing her interact normally with other people would make Ty realize it was safe for her to be around Ricky, and while she couldn’t see her and Ty ever being friends, maybe he would relax enough for her to finally be alone with Ricky to explain why she was really here.

  * * *

  Ty tried to enjoy himself listening to the band. As far as he was concerned, these local boys were better than anything Ricky had ever brought in. But as he took another sip of his iced tea, he found his gaze wandering over to Rachel. She had shamed him earlier with her question about who was welcome here. He’d certainly put his foot in his mouth back at the café. But there was something definitely off with Rachel, and he still couldn’t figure it out.

  One minute she was as pleasant as could be, but then he would say or do something wrong, and she would turn prickly again. This was more than a woman just wanting to get away or snag an account.

  At least Katie looked like she was having a good time. That was one of the things Ty had always appreciated about children. They didn’t seem to get caught up in the same kind of drama adults did. Katie was happily playing with the boys, and though Rachel had seemed hesitant at first, she’d slipped into one of the nearby chairs and now looked content listening to the music and watching the children play.

  He turned to stare at her again.

  Rachel wasn’t there.

  He scanned the area, and Katie was still playing with Ryan and Sam. But he didn’t see Rachel. For someone who seemed to make such a big deal out of not leaving her child, it seemed odd that he couldn’t find her now.

  Ty went over to Leah, who was smiling to the music and patting her tiny baby bump. “Where did Rachel get off to? I can’t see her leaving Katie alone for so long.”

  “She asked if I’d look out for her for a few minutes. I think she needed to use the restroom.”

  Even though it was a perfectly reasonable explanation, Ty had a feeling there was more to it than that. He looked around for Ricky. Ricky wasn’t in his usual spot, and as Ty scanned the crowd, he didn’t see the older man anywhere.

  Some might think Ty was overthinking. But you didn’t get to be a good lawyer by assuming that coincidences were mere happenstance.

  “If you see her, let her know I’m looking for her. I want to make sure she’s having a good time.”

  In case he was wrong, he wouldn’t alert Leah to the fact that he thought something might be off with Rachel. He strolled through the party, looking as casual as he could but searching for either Ricky or Rachel.

  Neither were anywhere to be seen.

  Ty went into the house, scanning the empty great room and noticing immediately that all of the partygoers were outside, not within. He quickly walked through the main floor, noting that the doors to both restrooms were open and the rooms empty. Ty spied a light on in the back hallway that led to the ranch offices. A light that shouldn’t have been on. He walked back into the area and saw that the door to Ricky’s office was ajar.

  Ricky had a strict policy of not conducting business during his parties, and the only reason anyone would be in Ricky’s office would be to conduct business. Ricky was very particular about who got to be in his office and when.

&
nbsp; Ty pushed the door open to find Rachel standing before Ricky, tears streaming down her face.

  “What’s going on in here?” Ty asked.

  Ricky turned to look at Ty. “She says she thinks she’s Cinco’s daughter. But Luanne isn’t her mother. Can you believe that? This woman comes in here, takes advantage of my hospitality and then accuses my son of cheating?”

  So Ty’s instinct was right. Not only was Rachel not who she said she was, but she was, in fact, just another Cinco scammer.

  “She did seem particularly interested in Cinco,” Ty said. He turned to Rachel. “I warned you. After everything I said, you looked me in the eye, and you told me I had nothing to worry about. But here you are, and you’re pulling the most ridiculous scam anyone ever could. Have you no shame? Preying on an old man?”

  More tears streamed down Rachel’s face. “This is why I didn’t tell you. I’m not a scammer. I did an online DNA test, and Ricky came back as a relative. My only relative. My mom died when I was ten, and I don’t know my father. I just wanted to meet someone from my family.”

  If she’d been the first woman to cry in Ricky’s office, Ty might have been tempted to believe her. But he knew he still wasn’t getting the full story. He wasn’t even sure that what she was telling him now was the truth.

  “Then why didn’t you just say so when we first met?” Ty asked.

  Rachel sighed. “Because you were so worried about scammers. I thought that if you got to know me first and knew that I didn’t want Ricky’s money, you’d have been more open to getting to know me. I’m even willing to sign documentation to that effect.”

  This was a new one, but Ty was sure she would find some other angle to play. They all did. And poor Ricky just sat there, looking helpless.

  No. Not helpless. Like his heart was breaking.

  Ty went to stand beside Ricky and gave the older man a pat on the back. “Here we value honesty and openness. You should have gotten that in your conversations with us. I told you that I cared about Ricky and would protect him. So tell me. Why should we believe anything you say?”