“Good,” he said. “You made it. Things are a little hectic around here, because a couple of the cabins weren’t quite ready when guests started arriving earlier today. But we’ve got it sorted—at least I think so.”
His wry grin made him look older, especially with the way his eyes crinkled at the edges, like he was trying to seem happy despite the stress.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked. A dumb question, since she knew nothing about the way things operated here and probably wouldn’t be able to do anything. Plus, she didn’t owe him anything. It wasn’t like she was obligated to help. And yet, the fatigue on his face made it impossible not to offer.
Ty shook his head. “No. Like I said, everything is under control. Let’s go back and chat with Ricky. He’s been expecting you.”
Would it kill him to give her a hint as to what this was about? Was it the DNA test results?
As they started walking toward Ricky’s office, Ty motioned to someone. Were they calling the police?
Maybe this was a bad idea.
But just as soon as they were ushered into Ricky’s office and offered a seat, Wanda entered.
“Did you have a good trip?” she asked.
Rachel smiled. “Yes. Uneventful, which is the best kind.”
It was so weird, making small talk when such an important thing was hanging over her.
“Good,” Wanda said. “I’m going to get some refreshments ready, and Ricky has been bugging me to make more chocolate chip cookies.”
Wanda looked over at Katie. “Would you like to come help?”
Now Rachel understood. Ty had been signaling to get Wanda to take Katie away.
“I’d like Katie to stay here, but thank you for your kind offer,” Rachel said. She knew how this went. How many times had Chris had one of his assistants take Katie to go do something, which always somehow ended up in Rachel being declared a bad mother?
“Please,” Ricky said, getting up from his desk. “We have much to discuss, adult things, and I want you to decide what’s best for Katie to know before she hears anything.”
And that meant what? Was she going to need to find care for her daughter while she went to jail for some imagined transgression, or had the test come back a match?
She wanted to believe that the sweet old man wasn’t setting her up for something bad. But she’d also learned that if something looked too good to be true, it probably was.
“First, I need to know,” she said. “Was the test positive or negative?”
Ricky looked at Ty, who nodded, then Ricky said, “Positive. Which is why we need to talk. I know you’re particular about who spends time with Katie, but Wanda is good with kids, and she’ll take good care of her. You’ve got some decisions to make, and it wouldn’t be fair to get a little girl’s hopes up.”
Positive. The air seemed to rush out of Rachel’s lungs, because even though she knew she’d been telling the truth, deep down she feared that the test she’d originally taken had been wrong.
“Mom? Are you feeling okay? You’re not getting sick again, are you?” Katie’s concern made Rachel feel even worse. A child shouldn’t have to worry about her parent’s health, constantly wonder if her mother was feeling all right. But more and more, Rachel did feel bad, tired, weak.
She turned and looked at her daughter. “Yes, sweetie. I just needed a moment to think. Would you like to go make cookies with Wanda?”
“Would I?” A wide grin filled Katie’s face. “I love to bake cookies. But you never have time. When I grow up, I’m going to be a cookie baker.”
Rachel gave her daughter an indulgent smile. Last week, after the firemen had visited Katie’s school, she’d wanted to be a firefighter.
“Then you go have fun,” Rachel said. “Ricky’s right. This is a grown-up conversation.”
As she waited for her daughter to leave the room, thoughts raced through Rachel’s head. She told the truth the last time she’d been here. She didn’t want anything from Ricky, other than the connection to someone who might be willing to donate a kidney. What else was there to discuss?
Once the door closed behind Wanda, Ricky gestured at one of the comfortable-looking chairs that she’d admired but hadn’t dared sit in.
“Now that we know you’re my granddaughter,” Ricky said, “we have a lot to talk about.”
“I’m not after your money,” Rachel said. “I have a good job, and even though my medical expenses are high, I can pay for them. But like I said earlier, if you do find the grandchild you were looking for, I would appreciate being put in touch.”
She could feel herself shaking as she spoke, which was ridiculous, considering she had nothing to fear. She’d told Ricky the truth, it had been confirmed and she was continuing to prove her integrity in the situation.
Ricky nodded. “I understand that. It’s good to know that you’re not a gold digger. But I was hoping, praying, actually, that you might give an old man the chance to be a grandfather. I made a lot of mistakes with Cinco, and it pains me to know I didn’t get to see you or his other child grow up. I’d like to be part of your life. Part of Katie’s life. While I can’t change what happened with your mother, I’d sure like the chance to make it up right now.”
Hadn’t she wished for this very thing? A relationship with her grandfather? Family? It was like everything she’d ever wanted in life was dangled in front of her, except for the one thing she needed most.
“What’s the catch?” she asked. All of this was too good to be true. No, he hadn’t offered her anything or made her any promises, but even the fact that she’d found him and he wanted her was too much to think that this was all there was to it.
Ridiculous, considering she’d hoped he’d lead her to someone who could give her a kidney. How wild to think that she’d be okay with getting a kidney from a stranger, but not a stranger wanting to know her.
But that was the messed-up way her life worked.
And why, even though she’d like to think there was a God out there who loved her the way she and Katie had sung about the whole way here, she wasn’t quite sure she could handle someone loving her like that without strings being attached.
“No catch,” Ricky said. “I know you have your life to live. But I’d like you to spend some time here at the ranch, getting to know me, letting me get to know you and Katie. I’ve also been doing some research about kidney transplants, and while I can’t guarantee that we’ll find Cinco’s other child, or that the child would be a match, I’d like to talk to the people in my community and see if any of them would be willing to get tested.”
He’d researched kidney transplants? On one hand, it was sweet, but on the other hand, it felt a lot like the kind of control Chris had tried to exert over her. Researching things on her behalf and making decisions without consulting her.
“I saw a program on the news,” Ricky continued. “This man put a sign on his truck saying he needed a kidney, and calls from all over the country came in from people willing to donate. We could do something like that for you.”
She’d seen the same news program, and had briefly considered it. But things like that didn’t happen for Rachel. Strangers didn’t just appear out of nowhere, offering to give her a kidney.
“There’s no guarantee it would work,” Rachel said. “But it’s nice of you to think so.”
Ricky shook his head. “That is not the attitude that’s going to get you a kidney. We have to think positive. No one ever got anything good out of life by thinking negative. If my kidneys weren’t so old, I would give you one myself.”
He turned and looked over at Ty. “You’d get tested for her, wouldn’t you?”
The uncomfortable expression on Ty’s face told her he would do nothing of the sort. He looked like he’d rather be drawn and quartered. Which was how a lot of people reacted. So many people didn’t unde
rstand how kidney transplants worked. It was widely believed you had to die to be able to give away a kidney, but a perfectly healthy person could donate one and still lead a normal life with only one kidney.
“I’m not sure I’d want to get all cut up and go through major surgery like that,” Ty said. “No offense, but what if I end up needing that extra kidney?”
That was exactly why most people weren’t willing to donate a kidney.
“You’ve got two of them,” Ricky said. “My granddaughter will die without a new kidney, so the least you could do is give her one if she needs it.”
Ty looked like he was going to be sick. Although Rachel knew that any donor would go through a psychological evaluation to make sure he or she wasn’t being pressured into a donation, she also didn’t want someone like Ty to feel like they had to be tested.
“It’s okay,” Rachel said. “I’ll figure something out. You don’t need to make poor Ty do anything he doesn’t want to do. Besides, he may not be a match.”
Ricky snorted. “There is nothing poor about him. And if he wants to weasel out of it, that’s fine. I already talked to the woman at the hospital in charge of transplants. She wouldn’t tell me anything about what was wrong with you, because of privacy concerns, but I did convince her to come out to the ranch for a barbecue so she can talk to all the good people of this town and my guests about the benefits of kidney donation.”
He did what?
Rachel stared at him. He might be her grandfather, but he’d just barely found out, and here he was already trying to control her life.
“I didn’t ask you to do that.” Rachel stood. “In fact, you should have asked me first. This is my personal business you’re interfering in, and it’s not okay for you to host some information session about kidney donation. It’s not some multilevel marketing scheme—this is my life.”
Ricky also stood. “And if you told me the truth the other day, without a kidney, you won’t have a life. I spent a lot of time talking to that woman at the hospital about kidney donation, and a lot of lives could be saved if more people understood the benefits of donating a kidney to someone who needed it. This might not help just you, but a lot of other people.”
She hadn’t thought of it that way. But it still didn’t make it right for Ricky to interfere.
Ty gave Ricky a look that Rachel couldn’t read, but Ricky must’ve understood, because he sat back down. Then Ty turned to Rachel.
“I know Ricky didn’t mean to invade your privacy. But when he sees a problem, he likes to solve it. Ricky might not be able to give you a kidney himself, but he knows a lot of people. Since you don’t have to be related to someone to donate a kidney, one of them might be willing. You can’t blame a man for looking into every option.”
If she didn’t know that Ty was a smooth-talking lawyer who made a living off getting people on his side, she might have been more understanding. But this wasn’t about Ty trying to do the right thing or help her, it was about Ty doing his job, and somehow, that felt wrong.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Rachel said. “I had a long day at work today, and then the drive and now this. It’s overwhelming. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to my cabin, where I can rest.”
Ricky looked at Ty, who said, “Our cabins are booked for the weekend. Since you’re family, you’re in a guest suite here in the main house. While it doesn’t have a private entrance, it does have its own sitting room, a bedroom and a bathroom. You’ll take your meals in the dining room, and hopefully it will give you and Ricky a chance to get to know one another better.”
Once again, it felt like she was being forced into a position she didn’t want to be in. From her earlier visit, she knew there were no hotels nearby, and if all the cabins were booked, she had no place else to go.
“And if I don’t like that arrangement?” she asked. Ty sighed, like she was being difficult. And maybe she was, but her life had just been completely upended, and too much was being thrown at her at once.
“You can have my cabin,” Ty said. “It’ll take me an hour or so to straighten up and get the things I need, but I can stay here at Ricky’s instead. We weren’t trying to make you uncomfortable, but to let you know that you are part of this family, and that you’re welcome.”
Now she did feel like she was being difficult. The pained expression on Ricky’s face and the return of the lines in Ty’s brow told her that they were doing their best to make this a good experience for her.
She also had to admit, it was kind of Ty to offer to give up his own cabin to make her feel more comfortable.
“I’ll be fine here at the house,” she said. “I don’t want to put anyone out. But can’t you see how difficult this is to take everything in all at once? You’ve had all this time after you found out the results were positive to make plans, but I haven’t. Now suddenly you want me to stay in the main house, you’re organizing an information session to get people to donate a kidney to me, and who knows what else you’re going to take over in my life? I had everything under control until you stepped in.”
Ty nodded slowly. “Everything except the kidney you need. I’m sorry if it seems like we’ve overstepped, but family helps each other. That’s what community does, too. When one of us has a need, everyone steps in to fill that need. Not everyone here will be willing or able to donate a kidney, but if you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. And you never know—someone here just might say yes.”
His motivational speech might have meant a little something more if he hadn’t looked so terrified at the prospect of donating a kidney to her. He’d be asking others to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself. And yet she didn’t blame him for being unwilling. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn’t be jumping up and down to give a kidney to a stranger.
Maybe that was why they hadn’t yet found a donor for her. Because if she were completely honest, until her own illness, she would have never considered helping someone in this way. It wasn’t completely unreasonable for someone to be unwilling to help.
Still, this wasn’t about her. It was, in the sense of her life being on the line. But really, this was about Katie, and making sure Katie had a mother and didn’t grow up in foster care.
“All right,” she said. “I guess we can do this community event about kidney awareness. I’m not one to ask for help from strangers, but given that I’m running out of time, I’m willing to do just about anything.”
As the men looked at each other and nodded, Rachel hoped that agreeing to all this nonsense wasn’t a terrible mistake.
* * *
Talk about difficult. Ty had never run into someone so obstinate in his life. The woman would die without a kidney, but rather than being grateful for their help, she acted as though they were trying to hasten her end.
“I promise we’ll do everything we can to keep it low-key,” Ty said. “But that brings me to the next item we need to discuss. Ricky would like to announce that you’re his granddaughter. Are you okay with that?”
The length of her hesitation made Ty regret his suspicions of her. So far, after all of Ricky’s generosity and acknowledgment, rather than being excited about it, Rachel seemed withdrawn, like this was the last thing she wanted. All this time he’d been trying to protect Ricky from a gold digger, and this woman didn’t seem to want to have anything to do with him.
But that was also probably Ty’s fault.
He’d done nothing to make Rachel feel comfortable or welcome up to this point. He couldn’t blame her for being apprehensive about him or Ricky. Which meant he’d have to do more to make up for his previous treatment toward her.
Yet, it also didn’t erase the fact that she’d been so deceptive when they’d first met. If she’d just told the truth up front, he still would have been suspicious, but they’d have taken the test and there wouldn’t be all the bad feelings between them. That was why he hat
ed lies and deception so much. You could plug up a hole in a board, but the scar would always be there.
“You don’t have to make a decision now,” Ricky said, looking nervously at Ty as he tried to fill the uncomfortable silence.
“That’s right,” Ty said. “It’s up to you if and when you tell people who you are in relation to Ricky. What’s more important is that we make your need for a kidney known, and hopefully, someone will be willing to step up.”
Rachel gave him a hard look. “Step up? You make it sound like paying child support, not donating a vital organ. This is a big deal, and even you aren’t willing to do it. You can’t simplify it like that. We’ll present the information, and if someone is willing to sacrifice, then fine. Otherwise, that’s fine, too.”
If he’d been closer to Ricky, Ricky would have probably kicked him. Saying he wasn’t willing to donate a kidney hadn’t been the brightest move on Ty’s part. But he also couldn’t lie and say the thought of being cut open didn’t creep him out a bit. Okay, a lot. He’d never been into blood and needles, which was why he’d become a lawyer and not a doctor. Besides, why would he risk his own health and safety for someone who was so deceptive? Yes, she was Ricky’s granddaughter. Which meant he’d be nice to her. But sacrifice a kidney?
Not for someone like her.
“I’m sorry, you’re right,” Ty said. “I’m not comfortable with stuff like this, but I’m sure someone else is, and we can keep praying that someone out there is willing to help you. I’ll do everything I can to support that endeavor.”
The resigned look on Rachel’s face told him he hadn’t quite fixed things. But he also wasn’t ready to give her a pass for how she’d deceived them.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said, sighing. “I came here looking for a donor, not a family. But I understand that things are done differently here. Why don’t you show me to my room and give me a chance to rest? I’ll think about what I want in terms of being known as Ricky’s granddaughter, and I’ll let you know my decision when I’m ready.”
The Cowboy’s Sacrifice Page 8
