The Texas Rancher's Family

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “It’s your job to make Ms. Monroe see the value of clean energy and cold hard cash. Besides, I thought that property wasn’t being used agriculturally.”

  “It’s not, but it’s still been in the family for generations, which is why I’ve been pitching to other landowners. I’m thinking if maybe more than one person sacrificed his or her ranch for the greater good of the community, or was just financially ready to get out, it would be an easier sell to the county commissioners.”

  “Not if it’s more expensive to build, it won’t. In this day and age it always comes down to the bottom line.”

  Did it? Before he’d arrived in Laramie, Mac would have thought that to be true.

  “You’re not getting emotionally involved in this situation, are you?” Louise asked bluntly.

  Caught off guard, Mac scrambled for cover. “Like I told you earlier, Texans are a breed unto themselves...”

  “Yes, I know,” Louise repeated with a sigh. “They’re strong and independent. Kind and neighborly, right down to their bones. I get it, Mac, I really do. But what you need to understand is that in order to secure that cushy financial future you so desperately want for yourself and Heather, you’re going to have to do whatever it takes to close this deal with Laramie County.” There was a long pause. “And from what I’ve been able to see, that means convincing Ms. Monroe that selling out to North Wind Energy is in her best interest.”

  * * *

  “MAC’S NOT GOING TO BE here for dinner tonight?” Nicholas asked, obviously disappointed.

  Erin shook her head. Heather was playing outside with Sammy and Stevie. “He has a dinner meeting with the head of the Laramie County Planning and Zoning Department.”

  Nicholas frowned. “He didn’t say anything about it this morning.”

  “I think it just came up.”

  “It’s going to be weird when he and Heather aren’t with us anymore, you know?”

  Did she ever. “I think we’ll all miss them.”

  His expression wistful, Nicholas nodded at the trio playing outside. “Seeing them together like that, it’s kind of like when Angelica was alive, don’t you think?”

  Realizing how much her littlest brother was missing their angel, too, Erin put a comforting arm around his shoulders. “I agree.”

  Nicholas exhaled roughly. “Does that seem disloyal to you? Like we’re forgetting her?”

  “Not anymore. At first it did, though.” Erin fell silent as she struggled to put her feelings into words. “Now, it’s sort of like Heather was sent here by Angelica, to remind us that there are still plenty of children to love in this world...and that our love for Angelica is in no way diminished by us caring for someone else.”

  He nodded, his eyes moist. Without warning, he broke into sobs. Startled, Erin took him into her arms. She forgot sometimes how hard it was for everyone in the family, not just her.

  “Sorry, sis...” he choked out.

  Erin hugged him all the tighter. “It’s okay, Nick. Just let it out.” Tears streamed down her own face, as well. “Let it go....”

  They stood that way awhile, their bodies shaking with shared tears. Eventually, as it always did, the storm passed.

  And that was when Erin looked up and saw Mac framed in the kitchen doorway, his eyes wet, too.

  * * *

  MAC KNEW HE SHOULDN’T have intruded on what was a private family moment. But when he'd heard Erin talking to Nicholas, he’d been transfixed.

  Humiliated to be caught crying in front of another guy, Nicholas rubbed his eyes, mumbled an excuse and rushed from the room.

  Erin moved blindly past Mac to the fridge. Obviously embarrassed, she worked to compose herself, too. “I thought you weren’t going to be here for dinner.” She opened up the crisper and pulled out the makings for salad.

  Mac hated to admit how much a home the ranch had become, or how good it felt to be here. He was almost glad there’d been another hitch in business. “My dinner partner canceled on me.”

  “Oh?” Still not looking at him directly, Erin closed the door with her hip.

  Mac wished he could just say to hell with everything, take her in his arms...let the rest of the world go away.

  How crazy was that?

  Aware that Erin was still waiting to hear why the dinner was canceled, Mac said, “That particular commissioner had second thoughts about meeting with me. Seems Prairie Natural Gas has been working hard to convince him that the most practical alternative would be to stay with the same fuel and simply expand the capacity of the existing power plant.”

  Erin’s eyes shone sympathetically. She might not want the turbines on her property, but she did want more power. “There’s nothing you can do?”

  Mac walked over to snag a carrot slice. “I talked him into going on the bus tour on Saturday.”

  Erin handed Mac a radish, too. “How many people are signed up?”

  Feeling right at home in her kitchen, he settled next to her and watched her work. “Right now, we’ve got two buses at capacity, and we’re working on filling a third.”

  “Would you like me and the kids to go, too?”

  As she moved, he was inundated with the lilac scent of her hair and skin. And treated to an up-close view of her soft lips and very pretty green eyes.

  Damn, but he liked being with her. Anywhere, any way, anytime. He struggled to handle the unexpected wave of sentimentality. “You’re up for watching all three of them all day?” This didn’t necessarily mean anything. She was probably just being nice. It didn’t mean she was going to say yes. To him. To his deal.

  Oblivious to his thoughts, Erin focused on slicing a tomato. “It won’t be a problem, especially if I can get Nicholas and the twins to go, too.”

  It was beginning to sound like a family affair. And that made him feel as if he and Heather were part of her family. A dangerous proposition for someone trying to keep his business acumen intact.

  “Are you that interested?” Mac asked, blunt to a fault. Then, seeing the surprise on her face, he quipped, “Or just looking for something different to fill a Saturday?”

  Erin hesitated in a way that let him know she was as conflicted as he was. About damn near everything. Except the lust. The lust they agreed was strong and intact and not likely to ever go away. Which made standing here trying to be the perfect gentleman extremely difficult. “Just a little friendly support,” she said finally.

  “Well, don’t get too friendly,” Gavin remarked, coming in on the heels of their conversation. As usual, he was still clad in his blue hospital scrubs, and looked dog-tired. And, as usual, he saw what was going on between Mac and Erin, and that in turn made him extra protective of his sister.

  Gavin reached past Erin and helped himself to a slice of cucumber. He shot Mac a look that reminded him that Gavin had already warned him away.

  To no avail.

  He and Erin couldn’t put whatever this was aside.

  They had tried.

  But not enough, according to Erin’s brother.

  “Mac’s leaving soon, remember? To go back to Philadelphia.” Gavin snatched a piece of green pepper. “Or he will be, as soon as the county either approves or votes down his proposal.”

  Erin turned on her brother. “I thought as a physician that you would be in favor of such an environmentally friendly way of providing energy,” she said.

  Gavin stared at Mac. “I’m in favor of anything and everything that’s good for this family. What I’m not so wild about are so-called friends just blowing through town.”

  Ouch. “Don’t mince words on my account,” Mac drawled, losing his East Coast accent for a put-on West Texas drawl meant to irritate.

  “I wasn’t planning to,” Gavin retorted.

  Erin looked at them both. “Guys...” she warned, as the three youngest came trooping in the back door.

  “We’re hungry!” Sammy announced.

  “Yeah, when’s dinner?” Stevie demanded.

  Heather skidded to a
halt beside them. She was wearing the cowgirl boots and hat Erin had helped her pick out, and was as hot and sweaty and dusty as the boys. Sandwiched between the two little athletes, she had a grin that spread from ear to ear. “Daddy,” she said, not for the first time, “can we stay here forever and ever? Because I need some brothers and this ranch is the bestest place ever!”

  Sensing a storm coming on if he was as honest as he needed to be, Mac hunkered down so they could talk face-to-face. “I’m glad you like it, honey, but it’s not that simple.”

  “Yeah, it is.” Stevie piped up with perfect elementary school logic. “We could be brothers and sisters. And Heather and you could stay here with us from now on. All you have to do, Mac, is marry my mom and we’ll be all set.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The kids kept lobbying for marriage between Mac and Erin all through dinner. They were still chattering about it when they were tucked in, no matter how many times and ways the embarrassed two of them tried to explain it just wasn’t in the cards.

  Fortunately, right after that, a series of phone calls from interested parties eager to sign up for the Saturday bus trip kept Mac busy. Erin, glad for a respite, and needing time to think, turned in before ten.

  Sleep, however, proved to be elusive. A bleary-eyed Erin was still ruminating on how to put a stop to the innocent matchmaking—and keep her own private wishes under wraps—the next morning, when she was getting ready to take Heather to the Mother’s Day tea.

  “It’s still not right, Daddy. It looks awful!” Heather’s petulant cry echoed through the Triple Canyon ranch house.

  “Heather, come back here!” Mac called. “I can fix it!”

  “No, you can’t! I want Erin to help me!”

  Footsteps pounded down the hallway. The door to Erin’s bedroom was thrown open and Heather appeared in the doorway. Her curly blond hair, always a challenge, was particularly wonky this morning.

  Mac showed up a minute later, hairbrush in one hand, flower-decorated headband in the other.

  Heather stopped beside Erin, who was in the process of putting on earrings, and looked into the mirror. The child’s lower lip thrust out in dismay.

  “It’s really not that bad,” Mac said, coming up behind them.

  There was no use pretending. Heather would see right though him. “Yes, it is,” Erin said, fingering the frizzy curls, which were smashed down on one side and whipping out wildly on the other. “The bad news is my hair looked just like that when I got out of bed this morning.” It was the spring heat and humidity. “The good news is I can tame your curls, just the way I tamed mine.”

  Heather turned around. Looking cute as could be, she placed her hands on her hips. “You need to leave, Daddy. This is just for us girls.”

  Mac handed over the hair tools and sent Erin a look of gratitude. “I’ll be downstairs waiting,” he promised.

  He slipped out of the room.

  Unable to help but think of the many times she had done the same for Angelica, Erin patted her bed. “Why don’t you have a seat up here,” she said.

  She slipped into her bathroom and returned with a bottle of leave-in conditioner. Rubbing some between her palms, and sitting down behind Heather, Erin used her fingers to work it through the frizzy curls. Magically, they sprang into sleek uniform spirals. The pleasant scent of the hair product filled the room.

  Erin used a wide-toothed pick to fluff up the curls, then slid the headband Mac had brought into place. “Now, go have a look,” she urged.

  Heather climbed down from the bed, walked over to the full-length mirror and smiled at her reflection. “Now my hair looks pretty,” she declared.

  “You look pretty,” Erin said.

  “So do you,” a deep male voice said.

  Erin looked over. Freshly shaved, Mac stood framed in the doorway. Dressed in khakis, a light blue button-up shirt and Western boots, he looked handsome and at ease. Their eyes met and Erin’s heart took a little leap.

  He shrugged. “Sorry. It was so quiet up here, I had to come and check. I’m glad I did.” He let out a low wolf whistle, as his glance took in their pretty flowered sundresses, strappy sandals and artfully arranged blond curls. “You are two very gorgeous ladies.”

  Heather grinned. “Erin fixed my hair, just like a mommy would.”

  The mommy that they all knew she no longer had, but had begun to want fiercely, nonetheless.

  “And I sat nice and still for her, just like a daughter would.”

  The daughter Erin no longer had—and missed just as desperately. “You sure did,” she praised, her voice husky.

  “Well, I think both your efforts paid off,” Mac declared, strolling closer to gaze into Erin’s eyes.

  Two more males appeared in the doorway. Sammy elbowed Stevie. “See, I told you they were going to be in love.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. And next thing they’ll be kissing,” Stevie continued informatively. “And after that...”

  Mac and Erin winced in unison.

  “...married.”

  * * *

  MAC SETTLED THE BOYS in his rental, while Erin belted Heather into her SUV. He met her midway between the two vehicles. “You going to be okay this morning?”

  They both knew why she might not be.

  Erin swallowed the knot of emotion that had been in her throat all morning. Glancing at Heather, who was practically jittery with excitement, her courage rose. “I will.” But thanks for caring so much.

  He squeezed her hand, intuitively understanding, as always, so much more about her than she had ever dreamed possible. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “Thanks for taking my boys to school.”

  Heather chattered nonstop on the drive into town. “My best friends at school are William and Nathan. But I like Tamara, too. And Liza. And Roger...”

  As they passed ranch after picturesque ranch, Erin heard about all the activities at the Montessori school. The sheer wealth of information made her realize that up until now, Mac’s daughter’s attention had always been divided among the family. This was the first time the two of them had been completely alone. It was amazing how at ease they were with one another, how right this felt.

  She hadn’t enjoyed such rapport with a little girl since her own daughter had died. A fact that made the morning all the more bittersweet.

  Erin pushed away the twinge of guilt she felt for letting someone else take Angelica’s place. Her daughter would want her to be happy.

  Erin caught Heather’s bright-eyed glance in her rearview mirror. The sight of her, so pretty and poised, brought forth a landslide of tenderness inside her. Erin clung to that feeling and returned her attention to the road. “So what’s your favorite thing every day in school?”

  Heather thought hard. “I like recess,” she said finally.

  Erin laughed. “I used to love recess, too.”

  “Especially when the boys chase me and the other girls.”

  Erin had liked that, too. “What else?” she prompted.

  “I like making presents, like what I made for you, only I can’t tell you what that is, on account of it’s s’posed to be a secret.”

  “Well, I’m sure I will love it, whatever it is,” Erin murmured as they reached the school. She guided her SUV into a parking space and cut the motor. Getting out of the car, she opened the rear door. “Ready to rock and roll?”

  Heather paused, her hand on the clasp of her safety belt. Her glance fell to some of the other children going into the school for the mother-student tea. Her expression sober, she said, “You have to be my real mommy today. It can’t just be pretend,” she warned urgently. “Because no one else is going to be pretending.”

  Erin knew there were several other “stand-ins” attending the event with students. In one case, an aunt. Another, a family friend. In yet another, a grandmother. Mac had explained as much to Heather the night before; she hadn’t accepted it then and wasn’t about to now.

  So Erin didn’t even try offer
ing facts or logic, since it wasn’t likely to comfort Mac’s daughter in any case. Instead, she slid into the backseat, wreathed her arms around Heather’s slender shoulders and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I’ll be your real mommy today,” she promised.

  Heather leaned into Erin’s touch and breathed an enormous sigh of relief. The affection between them was so strong and real it nearly brought tears to Erin’s eyes. “Ready now?” she asked thickly.

  Heather nodded. Trembling slightly, she let go of her lap belt and climbed out of the car, her pink backpack in tow. Erin reached for her, and the two of them walked into the building hand in hand.

  * * *

  MAC KNEW HE SHOULD LET the chips fall where they may this morning. It wasn’t as if he was invited; dads had been specifically excluded from this Mother’s Day school event. Besides, Heather had vehemently vetoed his attendance from the first moment the tea was brought up—despite the fact that he was more than willing to fill in for her mother. Because the truth was, he was both mom and dad to her, and had been for two years now.

  Just as Erin was both mom and dad to her boys the majority of the time.

  They were accustomed to the roles assigned. They accepted the unfairness of it all.

  Yet when he had watched Erin help Heather with her hair this morning, he’d had to admit that, as much as he did and as hard as he tried, he still wasn’t giving his daughter everything she needed. Or wanted.

  Heather needed a mom in her life.

  She needed Erin.

  But there were roadblocks to that, too.

  First and foremost, the underlying anxiety both females had exhibited in their own quiet ways.

  Which was why he had pushed back another appointment he needed to keep, right after he had dropped Sammy and Stevie off at Laramie Elementary, and headed on over to the Montessori school.

  The school secretary understood his concern, even as she cautioned, “There won’t be a chair for you at any of the tables.”