The Cowboy’s Sacrifice

by Danica Favorite

  Ty’s heart softened as Rachel looked over at her. “It’s okay. I haven’t had a friend in so long, I’m probably rusty at being one myself. We’ll figure it out together.”

  Her words shamed him. In truth, Ty was also rusty at making friends. And at letting a new person into his life. He’d been so busy protecting himself, protecting Ricky, that he wasn’t so good at opening up, either. It wasn’t like he’d told Rachel everything about him. So why did he and everyone else expect it of her? Was he wrong for not letting her tell everyone her business in her own time?

  When Pastor Roberts started to pray, Ty could feel the love and support of everyone in the community praying with them. He’d had this love and support his whole life.

  All this time he’d never considered what it meant to walk in someone else’s shoes, but after Pastor Roberts’s sermon on the topic, Ty was determined to do a better job of it. He wouldn’t fully trust Rachel, but he’d try. Things would be better when he had the full report from the investigator, and maybe Ty would follow up on a few things of his own.

  He glanced at Janie, whose apology had made him feel bad. Even though Janie had been deeply wounded in the past, she was still open to loving and caring for others. That openness didn’t apply to dating, however, and he wasn’t sure he blamed her.

  Which was why Ty wasn’t sure how he was supposed to give Rachel another chance. Technically, yes, that was what the Bible said he should do. He was working on forgiving her, but he didn’t know how.

  It seemed like the more time he spent with her, the more he found himself liking her.

  Like now.

  Though she wasn’t fully committed to Christ, she’d been willing to keep coming to church, to let a bunch of strangers pray for her, and whether she realized it or not, to let God work in her heart. Because Ty had always known and loved God, he didn’t know what it must be like for Rachel, having all this thrown at her at once.

  When everyone finished praying for Rachel, Ty felt a greater peace about the situation than he’d known prior. He didn’t have any answers, but he did know that God had it under control.

  As the crowd thinned out, Rachel turned to Ty and hugged him.

  “Thank you for giving me a chance, even though you aren’t sure about me.” Tears shone in her eyes. “I don’t know if I’ll get a new kidney or not. But after today I do know that God loves me. Thank you for encouraging me to come up here, because otherwise, I’d have been too scared.”

  Then she turned to Janie. “You know what your dad said about accepting Christ? I think I need you to talk to me more about that.”

  The smile on Janie’s face almost made it all worthwhile. God worked in many mysterious ways, and if He could use the messed-up way Rachel came into their lives to bring Rachel into their fold, then maybe Ty needed to do more to figure out what having Rachel here meant for him personally.

  “I would love that,” Janie said, giving Rachel a squeeze before turning her attention on Ty. “Go get the kids from Sunday school and keep them occupied. My mom is teaching their class today, so if you tell her I had to take Rachel to get a jelly doughnut, she’ll let you take them.”

  “Your mom came to church today? I thought the chemo was making her too sick to come,” Ty said, trying not to sound overly concerned. He was one of the few people in the church who knew just how sick Janie’s mom was.

  “Yes,” Janie said. “So don’t let her tire herself out by staying late for some kids whose moms are getting right with Jesus.”

  He chuckled as he shook his head slowly.

  Janie gave him a stern look. “Be sure you mention the jelly doughnuts. That’s our code word to let someone who’s not me pick the kids up. The other volunteers wouldn’t do it, but my mom understands.”

  That was what Ty loved about their community. The trust they’d all built.

  Maybe Rachel had never had that, so maybe she didn’t understand just how important it was to be open with the people around you.

  When he got to the classroom, Sam and Katie were the last two in there. Janie’s mom looked thinner and more exhausted than he’d ever seen her.

  “Hey, Mama R. Janie told me to tell you that she and Rachel had to get some jelly doughnuts, so I should pick the kids up.”

  Janie’s mom gave him a weary smile. “I’m so glad. Janie does love her jelly doughnuts. I always thought she’d follow in Jeff’s footsteps and lead the church, but...” She shook her head. “Ah, well, we all serve the Lord in our own ways.”

  Pastor Roberts poked his head into the room. “Are you about ready to head home, Bette?”

  She nodded slowly. “Today wore me out more than I thought it would. I just thought that if I could be doing what I loved, spending time with the children, I’d feel better.”

  The tender look that passed between the couple put an ache in Ty’s heart. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want that kind of love for himself. Janie said his standards were too high and that he was too picky.

  “Where’s Janie?” Pastor Roberts asked, looking around the room.

  His wife gave him a smile that spoke of pride, but must have taken a great deal of effort. “Getting jelly doughnuts with Rachel.”

  Pastor Roberts nodded. “I thought there might be something happening in Rachel’s heart. The poor woman. So much to deal with. It’s good that she’s letting the Lord help her with it.”

  “What’s with the jelly doughnuts?” Ty asked.

  A wide grin filled the pastor’s face. “They were her favorite when she was little. Praying with people is her favorite thing as an adult, so we made that our code for when Janie’s running behind. That way, no one is called out or made to feel uncomfortable. And it keeps our little Sam safe.”

  At the mention of Sam’s name, he got up from what he was playing with and came running. “Poppa!”

  Katie also got up and came to them, looking hesitant. Then Sam nudged her. “Poppa, you have to be Katie’s poppa, too. She doesn’t have a dad, just like me. And since she doesn’t have a poppa, either, I told her that I would share you.”

  When Pastor Roberts squatted down to hug the children, tears pricked the backs of Ty’s eyes. Even though his anger and frustration had been directed at Rachel, he hadn’t thought about what things must be like for Katie.

  Katie had no family, other than Rachel and Ricky, but they hadn’t yet told Katie. They’d probably have to soon, since everyone knew now, but Rachel had said she needed to do it in her own time and her own way.

  What would happen to Katie if Rachel died?

  While Ty wasn’t sure he could risk one of his own kidneys, he would pray for someone else to be willing to do the same. But that felt like a cop-out. Even though he thought he had all the information, he would listen prayerfully to the presentation about kidney donation to see what God put on his heart.

  After they all said their goodbyes to the pastor and his wife, Ty decided to let the kids continue playing, since they’d seemed to be having fun with the dollhouse.

  “Ty!” Sam said, gesturing at them. “Come play with us.”

  He joined them on the floor, and Sam grabbed a boy doll that had been tossed aside. “You can be him,” Sam said. “We usually just play mommies, since we don’t have dads, but it will be good to have a dad.”

  Then Sam gave an awkward shrug. “You don’t have kids, though, so you can’t be a dad. Maybe you could be the neighbor.”

  That was what he’d always been. The neighbor. The friend. But never the dad. Which was something he’d like to be. Funny how a child could put it all in perspective.

  “I wish I had a dad,” Katie said quietly. “One who would take me fishing and hiking and swimming.”

  She looked up at Ty, hope shining in her eyes.

  It was like a knife to his heart. How was he supposed to tell a kid that he’d love to be her dad, but he
wasn’t sure he could trust her mom enough to fall in love with her?

  Sam saved him from having to answer. “I pray for God to bring me a dad every day.” He looked up at Ty. “I already asked Mom if you could be my dad, but she said no way.”

  “But I want him to be my dad,” Katie said, her brow crumpling.

  Who knew he’d be the popular choice among kids? Even though he’d known Sam his whole life, it was Katie’s plea that tugged at Ty’s heart the most. And yet, he couldn’t say yes.

  “I love you both,” Ty said, putting his arms around them. “But being someone’s dad means being someone’s husband. I can’t do that for your moms. But what I can do is promise that I will always be there for you, no matter what.”

  Both kids snuggled up to him, and it was the best feeling in the world. If only he could tell them how desperately he’d love to be a dad.

  Then Sam pulled away. “I have a soccer game on Wednesday.”

  “I’ll be there,” Ty said. Janie had given Ty the schedule and he came to a lot of Sam’s games.

  Katie gave him a pout. “I don’t play soccer.”

  “I’ll still be there for whatever you need. Anytime you need me, you call, okay?” It seemed like a weird thing to say to a little kid, but he wanted to give Katie some kind of reassurance.

  “But I don’t know your number,” Katie said.

  Ty pulled his business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Now you do.”

  She held it against her cheek like it was a prized possession. Sam glared at him. “You never gave me one of those.”

  Ugh. The kids weren’t even close to siblings, but they still had a rivalry going.

  “You have my number memorized already. But just so you’re not left out, here you go.” He gave Sam a card, then Sam jumped up and ran to the door.

  “Mom! Look what Ty gave me!”

  Katie also jumped up. “And me!”

  Rachel was standing next to Janie, and he wondered how much they’d heard. From the annoyed look on Janie’s face, probably a lot. Sam was constantly begging Ty to be his dad, and both Ty and Janie were in agreement that it was never, ever, ever going to happen. While they both dearly loved one another as friends, they had never had any romantic feelings about each other.

  Rachel, on the other hand...

  Ty shook his head. Not going to go there.

  “We’ve got to get going, buddy. We’re bringing lunch to Gramma and Poppa,” Janie said. Then she looked over at Ty. “And I will call you later.”

  A threat. But he wasn’t worried. They’d had this conversation a hundred times before, and probably would a thousand more. He wasn’t supposed to encourage Sam in his dad fantasies, but he didn’t know what else to do. The boy needed a man to love him, and Ty did.

  “Did you get everything worked out?” Ty asked Rachel.

  She nodded and held up a Bible. “Janie gave me a list of some things to read.” Then she looked down at Katie. “You and I will also need to talk later.”

  Considering she didn’t like how they’d already interfered in her life, and how protective she was of Katie, she’d probably read him the riot act over how he’d stepped in with Katie. But what else was he supposed to do? He might not have known Katie long, but he could already say that he loved the little girl, and would do just as much for her as he’d done for Sam.

  At least he’d have some time to get his thoughts together. Katie had already started chattering their ears off about what they’d done in Sunday school. Hopefully, he could find a way to convey his commitment to Katie without making Rachel think he was offering anything that crossed a line.

  But as Rachel laughed at Katie’s retelling of how one of the boys stuck a crayon up his nose, Ty’s heart did a funny little flip-flop. There was so much to like about Rachel. And were it not for the way she’d deceived them about her intentions, he might have been willing to ask her on a date to find out if the chemistry he felt meant anything. Instead, he ignored the twinge he felt as she laughed again, brushing back her hair, tempting him to think about wanting more.

  Chapter Seven

  Had Katie really asked Ty to be her dad? The scene played over in Rachel’s mind as she drove to work after her weekend at the ranch. She hadn’t had any alone time to process, though she’d admit that as a single mom, alone time was often hard to come by. Ty had handled it beautifully, at least until he’d promised her he’d always be there for her. He had no right to make her such promises. Especially when Rachel couldn’t even make them herself.

  She’d briefly considered talking to Ricky to see if he would be willing to take guardianship if Rachel died. But he was an old man, and who knew how many good years he had ahead of him? At his age, she couldn’t saddle him with such a young child, even though they adored one another.

  She’d thought about asking Ty for his legal opinion, but she also wasn’t sure she was ready to let herself be that vulnerable with him.

  And yet, as she thought of how he’d so lovingly taken the kids into his arms and promised to always be there for them, her heart just melted.

  For a moment she’d almost allowed herself to believe that Ty could help them. But how did she know whether he was sincere in what he’d told the children, or if he was just telling them what they wanted to hear? Lawyers were good at that, which was why she was hesitant to seek out legal advice from him. But her last visit with the doctor hadn’t been good. She needed a kidney, and soon. Hopefully, with yesterday’s barbecue...

  She had to admit that everyone was so welcoming and kind. Ricky had said the turnout would be good, because their community would support one of their own. Rachel hadn’t expected the crowd to be larger than the one that had shown up for Ricky’s impromptu band tryout. Even more surprisingly, a lot of people had signed up on the list for more information.

  But just because people signed up on a list to get more information on becoming a living donor didn’t mean they would be a match or willing to go under the knife.

  Rachel sighed. It didn’t do any good to have false hope. Even if she got a kidney, there was no guarantee her body wouldn’t reject it or there wouldn’t be complications on the operating table. Whether she liked it or not, she should talk to a lawyer.

  But could she trust Ty?

  The office was quiet when she got in—not surprising, since it was usually just her and her boss, Dan, who opened the office. They both liked the quiet time before everyone else got in and they were officially open for business. Immediately after she set her bag on her desk, Dan came into her office.

  “I got a call from Ricky Ruiz, owner of the Double R Ranch. You mentioned talking to him about landing the account, but you didn’t tell me just how big it was. He’s excited to work with you, and he’d like you to bring the contracts to him to get them signed as soon as possible.”

  Rachel blinked. What on earth was he talking about? She hadn’t even had the chance to speak with Ricky about the ad campaign, let alone pitch her ideas to him. Janie had said that both Ricky and Ty were excited about it, but instead of showing them her presentation, they’d sat through one about kidney donation instead.

  “He called you?”

  Dan nodded. “This morning. On my cell.”

  How could he sign contracts on something she hadn’t even discussed with him? Rachel took a deep breath and opened her bag to pull them out. It was the company’s standard representation contract, with some adjustments appropriate to Ricky’s business. She’d put them in as a starting place for the discussions, along with a few mockups of ads as well as some of her ideas for the campaign.

  The folder was gone.

  She briefly closed her eyes, trying to think about what could’ve happened to it. She remembered leaving it on the coffee table in her suite so it would be handy to go over with Ricky when he found the time. But they hadn’t found time. So what
was Ricky doing with it?

  “We hadn’t discussed any specifics yet. I’m surprised he wants to sign the contract.”

  Dan shrugged. “He seemed very enthusiastic. He asked for a few changes, which is what I wanted to talk to you about. He’d like you to spend the rest of spring and summer at the ranch, to get a feel for it, which would make the ad campaign more unique to what he’s trying to accomplish. I told him that he’s not our only client and that you have other things to do, but he said if you were willing to come, he’d make sure you had a space to work at from there. I wasn’t sure what to think, so I told him I’d discuss it with you and get back to him.”

  Ricky seemed to be doing a lot of arranging without having spoken to Rachel. Was this what having a family was like? People jumping in and getting involved with your business without even asking you? Technically, he had asked, but he hadn’t asked her; he’d asked her boss.

  But this didn’t seem like Ricky’s handiwork. “Did he happen to mention his lawyer, Ty Warner?”

  Dan shrugged. “He was on the call.”

  Of course he was. The whole thing had probably been Ty’s idea.

  “I’m flattered, but like you said, I do have other clients. And I should probably disclose that there might be a potential conflict of interest. I recently found out that Ricky is my long-lost grandfather. His motivation is likely more about getting to know me as opposed to wanting our business.”

  It was the ethical thing to do. Certainly more ethical than Ty and Ricky calling up her boss and asking if she could spend the summer at the ranch without asking her first.

  Dan nodded. “Ricky said that, as well. I think he was hoping to play on my sympathies for an old man wanting to get to know his granddaughter. I respect that. The question is: Do you want to go? You already work from home on the days when you have your medical appointments, and you’ve kept up on your work. That’s not my concern. I don’t want you to feel pressured into going out there if you don’t want to.”