The Cowboy’s Sacrifice

by Danica Favorite

  But it was a completely ridiculous thought. As she’d warned herself when talking with Della, she wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to find a kidney. And after the situation in Ricky’s office, she wasn’t sure there was anything else here for her. Yes, he’d given his speech about taking care of family, but would they ever see her as that? Or would she always be the enemy who snuck her way into this place to try to ruin their lives?

  * * *

  When Ty arrived at the cabin the next morning, Rachel and Katie were already waiting for him on the porch.

  Rachel gestured at her jeans and cotton shirt. “I hope it’s not a fancy church, because we didn’t bring anything else.”

  Ty hated the way Rachel kept looking at him like he was her executioner. He wasn’t the one who’d come to the ranch on false pretenses. He wasn’t the one who had been given every opportunity to tell the truth and didn’t. So why did he feel so bad about looking out for Ricky’s interests?

  Hoping the smile he gave them was reassuring, Ty said, “It’s fine. Everyone at Columbine Springs Community Church is welcome just as they are. No fancy clothes needed.” He gestured at his own Western shirt and jeans. “I don’t think the Lord cares either way, as long as you’re giving Him proper reverence.”

  Instead of looking relieved, Rachel looked more nervous. “The churches I’ve been to are all dress-up churches.”

  Ty wished he had better words of wisdom or encouragement for her, but since she looked like she thought he was going to bite her head off at any minute, she probably wouldn’t find comfort in much of anything he said.

  “People find our church a refreshing change. It might be unfamiliar to you, but that’s okay. No one’s going to judge you because you did things differently at your other church.”

  “I’ve never been to church,” Katie said, jumping up. “Sam and Ryan say it’s a lot of fun, and they promised to teach me all their songs and games.”

  Now he got it. Rachel wasn’t a churchgoer, and she had the same apprehensions many people who didn’t go to church had. But Pastor Roberts always made sure that people like Rachel were comfortable and felt welcomed.

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time, Katie,” Ty said, smiling at her and gesturing at his truck. “I saw you had a booster seat in your mom’s car, so why don’t you go get that out and put it in my truck? You guys are going to ride with me today.”

  Katie’s eyes shone. “Really? I’ve never ridden in a big truck like that before.”

  He chuckled at the little girl’s description. It wasn’t that big of a truck. But he could imagine how a little girl not used to ranch life would see it as such.

  “We can drive ourselves,” Rachel said.

  “Your car struggled over some of the ruts getting here. It’s too much wear and tear for you to go to town, come back and then leave again. It’ll save you some gas, as well. Besides, this will give me a chance to get to know you better.”

  By the scowl on her face, he should’ve left it at the wear and tear and gas. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that Ricky had insisted he drive them today. Mostly because he didn’t want them poking around in the ranch house with everyone at church. While they did their best to keep everything locked up, especially for the peace of mind of guests staying on the ranch, both Ty and Ricky knew that the ranch house itself didn’t have the best security. They’d beefed things up with some of the crazies coming around, but until recently, Ricky had never been the kind of man to lock his doors, so he didn’t always remember to keep things under lock and key. So who knew what Rachel would find available for her to snoop through?

  “You mean see what secrets you can dig out of me,” she said.

  That, too, but he wouldn’t have put it that way. “It shouldn’t be a problem for you if you don’t have anything to hide,” he said. “If you’re really family, we would naturally want to get to know you, and you would naturally want us to. That’s how you build a relationship. But if you’re not...”

  Ty shrugged, letting her put the pieces together on her own. She wasn’t stupid, and neither was he.

  He gestured at the truck, where Katie was waiting outside, holding her booster seat.

  “We’re going to be late,” he said.

  Rachel followed, but she didn’t look happy about it. They got the booster seat situated in the back seat of the truck, and then they were on their way.

  “I need to understand something,” Rachel said once they’d started down the ranch road. “You’re not Ricky’s family. What does your own family think of you calling him that?”

  She was definitely barking up the wrong tree. “They call him family, too, as does most of this community. That’s what life in a small town is about. Yes, we have our problems, but when it comes right down to it, the only way this town survives is by relying on each other, and isn’t that what a family does?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I wouldn’t know. As I told you, I never knew my father, and my mother died when I was ten. I know my foster families did their best, but it isn’t like any of them are in my life anymore, so I guess they aren’t the best example, either.”

  The hostility in her voice hurt his heart. They hadn’t exactly brought out the fatted calf for her, but she also hadn’t been honest with them, and without a DNA test, they had no reason to believe her.

  But he also couldn’t imagine what it must be like, going through life without the support of a family and community.

  “I promise, if the DNA test comes back positive, you’ll understand what family means.” He wanted to say more, to tell her about how families had their ups and downs and how this one wasn’t perfect, either, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. But the suspicion in her eyes told him it wouldn’t do any good. Besides, he wasn’t going to sell her on the family until he knew she was telling the truth.

  Even then, how did he get past her deception? Family was family, but none of their relationships were based on lies.

  As they continued driving, he pointed out landmarks and told them a little about the ranch, and Katie chattered excitedly, but Rachel was silent. He wished he knew what was going on in her head, but then, he also wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

  If she wasn’t Cinco’s daughter—yes, he’d threatened calling the authorities, but he wasn’t sure he could do that to her little girl. For all the reasons he could think of for being a terrible human being to claim to be someone’s long-lost grandchild, he could think of a million more why Katie needed her mother, and Rachel was a good one.

  When they arrived at the church, some of his worries disappeared. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he said this was his family—this community, these people and Ricky. But as soon as his feet landed on the walk, his mom gave him a big hug.

  “Ty! You’re later than usual. I heard Ricky had a gathering last night. I hope none of those cowboys got too crazy and created a fuss for you to clean up.”

  He gave her a squeeze, then stepped away. “No, nothing like that. Ricky has a guest he wanted me to take care of, so it took me longer to get them situated than I thought.” He gestured at Rachel and Katie, who hung back. “This is Rachel Henderson, and her daughter, Katie. Rachel and Katie, this is my mom, Ann.”

  As he knew she would, his mom stepped forward and gave Rachel a hug. “So nice to meet you.”

  Rachel accepted the hug stiffly, but didn’t hug back. He probably should’ve warned her that his mother was a hugger.

  “Bob,” his mom said, stepping away and waving at his father. “Come meet Ricky’s guests.”

  His father was busy chatting with some of the other men, so his mother turned to them. “You wait right here. I’ll just go get him.”

  When his mother was out of earshot, Rachel asked, “Does this happen with all of Ricky’s guests?”

  Ty shook his head. “Usually his guests are free to come and go a
s they please, and some come to church but others don’t. The fact that Ricky had me bring you means there’s something different happening here.”

  “Like what? She doesn’t think we’re romantically involved, does she?”

  That would be the furthest thing from his mom’s mind. While he did his best to keep his business private, most of the people in town knew that he’d been hurt enough times that he wouldn’t be taking a woman he’d just met to church as a romantic interest. They joked that he was slower than a snail when it came to dating women, but Ty liked to be cautious. It seemed like every woman who showed an interest in him had an ulterior motive.

  Was it so wrong to want to wait to get to know a person and what they were really after before getting involved?

  “She knows better,” he said.

  Apparently, that wasn’t the right answer, because Rachel scowled.

  “I just met you. I wouldn’t be bringing a woman I was interested in to meet my mother for the first time at church. Plus, I would have spoken about any woman I’m seeing with her prior to that meeting. So don’t worry about people gossiping or thinking there’s more to this than there is.”

  Rachel gave him another strange look, one he couldn’t read. Did she think he was interested in her? Or that Ricky was trying to set them up?

  “Seriously. Don’t read anything into it. I’m doing Ricky a favor, that’s all. I’m not interested in liars and cheats.”

  The startled expression on her face made him regret his last words. It was the truth, and she’d clearly proven herself to be both. But she didn’t deserve the sting of the pain of his past.

  And Janie, who had just walked up to them, clearly agreed. “Oh, we know all about your high sense of ethics. I don’t think the perfect woman out there exists who can live up to your standards of complete and total honesty. Maybe you should give people a break.”

  Janie turned to Rachel. “Don’t mind him. He dated this girl in college that he was going to propose to, and then he found out she was stealing his work and trying to pass it off as her own. He only found out because at first, he was the one accused of plagiarizing, and he had to prove she was the one copying off him. But ever since then, he’s like a police dog when it comes to sniffing out people’s lies. If your facts don’t line up exactly, then that’s the end of that for him.”

  This was why there were no secrets in small towns. But it was also why Ricky had asked him to act with discretion over the whole Rachel situation. They didn’t want to out her as a liar until they had all the facts. And if she hadn’t been lying about being Ricky’s granddaughter, they didn’t want people in this town already thinking bad things about her because of how she’d come under false pretenses.

  But he also wasn’t going to let Janie malign him, either. “First of all, I’m not that bad. Second, if people were just honest about things to begin with, I wouldn’t need to be so suspicious. And third, the fact that I’ve been able to sniff out lies has saved a lot of people in this town over the years. Think about all the charlatans I’ve successfully chased away.”

  Janie groaned, then looked over at Rachel. “Sadly, he’s right. That’s why he’s insufferable. The man is always right. And I’m not even being sarcastic.”

  Her face softened a little as she turned her attention back to Ty. “But I do think that sometimes you need to give people a chance, and even though they make mistakes, you should give them the chance to make up for them. No one’s perfect, not even you.”

  Ty could only shake his head as he tried not to laugh. This was all about the woman who’d stayed at the ranch over the winter whom he’d taken an interest in, only to find that she’d faked her injury to spend time with him. Janie had been so sure it was love, and that they were going to be together forever, if only he’d forgiven her and given her a chance. But he’d never thought of her as more than a friend.

  “Or maybe I just haven’t met the right person, and you should let it go. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if I took such an interest in your lack of romantic partner.”

  Janie groaned, as he knew she would do, but he caught a hint of a smile on Rachel’s face.

  “I can’t imagine having such history as the two of you do,” Rachel said.

  The longing in her voice was evident, and he thought about some of the hints she’d dropped about her own life. He knew she lacked family but he also wondered about friends. She seemed to be uncomfortable at the closeness he had with Ricky, and how he considered Ricky family.

  So what was she? Little lost girl in search of the family she never knew? Or a con artist, preying on people’s sympathies?

  It was especially troubling, given that she’d said she was in need of a kidney. Again, was it legitimate, or was she using it as just one more con?

  Janie might have said that he was never wrong, but in this instance, he didn’t know what was right. He’d had a strong feeling that she wasn’t telling the truth when they’d first met, and he’d been right. But now...he didn’t know what to think or feel. Or what to believe.

  Chapter Five

  After she’d taken the DNA test, Ricky had invited Rachel and Katie to stay longer, but Rachel needed to get home. Not just for work, but also because she had to get back for dialysis. And yet, that plan didn’t work out as she’d hoped. Her car had refused to start when they left Sunday afternoon, so Ricky had lent her one of the ranch’s trucks. Which was why, Friday after work, she found herself getting into a Double R pickup truck to drive back to the Double R.

  “We’re going to see Mr. Ricky,” Katie said, jumping up and down when Rachel picked her up from daycare.

  She hated how excited her daughter was. No, hated wasn’t the right word. But she didn’t want to see the little girl disappointed. What would happen if the results said Rachel wasn’t related to Ricky?

  Deep in her heart, she knew that wouldn’t happen. Ricky was her grandfather. But what did that mean? He couldn’t give her a kidney, and it seemed pointless to develop a relationship with someone if she was just going to die anyway.

  As Katie chattered on the way to the ranch, Rachel found herself distracted by those thoughts. But more than that, she also couldn’t stop thinking about being in church on Sunday and the pastor’s words about a relationship with Christ.

  She also couldn’t stop thinking of everything Ty had said about the extended family and community in Columbine Springs. Watching his interactions with Janie had made her envious in an unexpected way. And not a romantic way—it was more about the deep, close friendship that Rachel had never had before.

  “Mom! You’re not listening,” Katie said.

  Busted. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t. You’re right. Can you repeat that for me?”

  She did her best to be honest with her daughter. To let her know that while Rachel wasn’t perfect, she loved Katie with all her heart.

  Was she succeeding?

  She didn’t know. But she hoped that if she didn’t find a kidney in time, her daughter would somehow remember Rachel had done her best.

  “I’m going to teach you my song I learned in Sunday school. We’re going to sing it together.”

  Katie had been singing Bible songs ever since leaving the Sunday school classroom. Rachel didn’t know who this Zacchaeus was, other than a wee little man, but Katie couldn’t stop singing about him.

  “Is it the Zacchaeus one?” Rachel asked.

  Katie groaned. “No. My friends at school got tired of hearing it all the time, so they taught me some new songs. And now I’m going to teach you.”

  Her friends at school weren’t the only ones, but Rachel wasn’t going to say so.

  “All right, let’s hear it.”

  As Katie sang about Jesus’s love and Rachel tried to learn the words, she couldn’t help wondering once again if it was true. Did Jesus really love them? Was Jesus really here to save them?

&
nbsp; Maybe on this visit she’d spend some time talking to Janie and see what insight Janie could give her. She liked the pastor’s daughter, with her no-nonsense attitude and her belief that despite all of her mistakes, and all the things that seemed to have gone wrong in her life, God still loved her. Granted, Janie was a pastor’s daughter, so she was probably grandfathered in on the whole God thing. But maybe, if God could see past all of Janie’s mistakes, even when she should have known better, Rachel could figure out how to get God to love her, too.

  Rachel had to appreciate the childlike faith in her daughter, as it made the drive go by so much more quickly. Katie’s pure and sweet voice brought a peace to Rachel’s heart, and even though she had no idea what her future held, she had the tiniest bit of hope.

  Ty had texted her during the week to let her know that the bridge had been repaired, but he hadn’t said a word about the DNA test results. She’d been tempted to ask, but she was afraid of what he might read into it. Knowing Ty and his suspicions, he’d likely think she had some sort of nefarious reason for doing so.

  When she got to the ranch, things were bustling more than they had been when she was there the previous week. Ty had told her to come into the main house when she arrived, where they would sort out all the arrangements. As she walked up the steps, she quickly realized why Ty had been so put out at her showing up without a reservation.

  The main lodge, with a sign that said Check-In, had a line of people going all the way out the door. Ranch hands were there, directing people where to go. It might have seemed like a rinky-dink operation from her online experience, but the activity made it clear that the Double R was a booming business.

  When she entered the main ranch house, it was full of activity. More people were bustling back and forth, and Rachel almost wondered if it was the same place. But just as she was starting to look around, wondering who to ask where to go next, Ty stepped out of the hallway that led to Ricky’s office.