The Rancher's Sweetheart

by Cheryl Wright

  “I would love fresh eggs to bake with,” she said excitedly.

  He smiled. “You’re welcome to them.”

  Molly shook her head frantically. “No, no,” she said. “I wasn’t implying....”

  But he stopped her protests with a kiss, putting his hand to the back of her head. “Molly,” he said softly. “Take some eggs. I have plenty.”

  “But,” He pulled her close again, and was lost in her. When he finally pulled back, and opened his eyes, her eyes were bright with passion, and the tension had left her face.

  “Oh heck,” she exclaimed. “We have to go. Look at the time!”

  It was well after five, and they had that long drive back to Bolton, where Molly lived.

  Kody scrambled toward the hen house, then went in, basket in hand. She watched in wonder as he filled the basket with eggs before coming back out.

  “Omelettes for breakfast?” he asked, laughing and handing them over.

  “I, I can’t,” she said.

  He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. “You can, and you will,” he said. “I honestly can’t use them.”

  Molly stretched herself out and gazed around her. “Madison would love it here. So much room for her to run around. Not to mention the horses and other wildlife.” She had a dreamy expression on her face, which warmed Kody to his toes.

  “Do you love it here,” he asked, hoping for a positive answer.

  She pulled her sweater around herself and faced him. “I think,” she paused, and he held his breath. “I think that’s a yes,” she said, obviously teasing him. “It is so wonderfully beautiful, and incredibly peaceful. I would live out here – in a heartbeat,” she said, watching him closely.

  He grinned. He knew he did, but he couldn’t help himself. Dare he imagine that one day Molly and Madison might live here on the ranch with him? His heart soared. That would be beyond all expectations.

  And to think, none of this would have happened if he hadn’t hit his head.

  Chapter Six

  They drove back into town in relative silence.

  As they got closer, Kody had a sudden thought. “What if,” he said, glancing across at her, “Instead of the two of us going out somewhere for dinner, we take the dinner to your place?”

  Out the corner of his eye he saw her shift in her seat and clap her hands together. “What a wonderful idea!” She had a major grin on her face when he stole another glance. “Madison would adore that,” she said. “For obvious reasons, she rarely leaves the apartment.”

  It made him sad that a young child didn’t get to experience the world because of one inconsiderate person’s actions.

  His voice was quiet when he spoke. “I hope we can change that one day soon.” He reached across and put his hand over hers. “Do you and Madison like fried chicken?”

  “It’s only her favourite,” Molly squealed. Her excitement was palpable, and it was all he could do to stop himself pulling to the side of the road and pull her into a big bear hug.

  They pulled into the carpark, and Kody parked the truck. Molly sat where she was seated. “Aren’t you coming in?” he asked curiously.

  “Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts,” she said. “Like how long it will take for Chase to track Madison’s father down, and ensure she is safe.” She rubbed at her eyes, and he realised how much it had affected her emotionally.

  Kody went around to her side of the truck and opened the door, pulling her into the bear hug he’d been wanting to give her for the past twenty minutes. This was mostly about comforting Molly when she most needed it, but it helped him as well.

  “Okay,” he said after a few minutes. “Bucket loads of fried chicken with all the trimmings.” He grinned broadly. It was nice to have someone to spoil. That it turned out to be two someone’s was even better.

  In a relatively short time, he’d gone from being an almost total recluse, to craving for Molly’s company when he wasn’t with her.

  He didn’t in a million years dream that would ever be the case.

  Standing at the counter he ordered the biggest bucket of fried chicken they had, mash and gravy, buns, fries, and bottles of soda. Molly protested loudly about how much it was going to cost, but Kody was having none of it.

  “Isn’t a man allowed to spoil his girls occasionally?” he asked. Molly’s head went up and she stared into his eyes.

  “Am I your girl?” she asked quietly, and he pulled her close to him.

  He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. “Are you,” he asked. “Because I sure hope you are.” He gazed into her eyes, then kissed her forehead.

  “Hey, hang on,” Molly suddenly said. “You said girls. With an ‘s’.” She looked at him suspiciously.

  Kody laughed. Then kissed her again. “I included Madison,” he said softly. “I hope one day we’ll all be one big happy family.”

  Tears sprang to Molly’s eyes, and she turned her head into Kody’s chest. He knew she wouldn’t want to make a scene, so they moved away from the counter while they waited for their food.

  “Molly,” he said quietly. “Madison is your niece. The two of you are a package deal. I get that, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

  She put her arms up around his back and put her head to his shoulder. “Kody,” she said, barely audible, “You are a very special man.”

  Kody suggested they make it an indoor picnic, so Molly spread a tablecloth on the apartment floor.

  Karen produced some plates and cutlery, along with napkins, and they all settled in.

  “I can’t wait for the day when we can have a real picnic,” he whispered in Molly’s ear. “Madison will be thrilled.”

  She smiled at him, and his heart soared.

  It didn’t take a lot for him to be happy these days – a simple smile from Molly, and he was over the moon.

  Madison sat herself between Molly and Kody, snuggling as close to Molly as she could get. “Where do you live, Mr Kody?” she asked innocently.

  He grinned at Molly. “On a farm,” he said. “With lots of mountains, and paddocks, and horses.”

  The child screamed. “I love horses,” she squealed, jumping up to stand next to him, then suddenly looked at him suspiciously. “Real horses or toy horses,” she asked, not so sure anymore.

  “Real horses,” he said, and she grinned.

  “Can I pat them?” she asked.

  Kody sought Molly’s permission, and she nodded. “One day you can come to my farm, and you can pat my horse. You can even feed him some carrot if you like.”

  He was surprised when Madison began to run around the room. “Can I Molly, can I?” she chanted as she continued to run.

  Kody leaned over and whispered in Molly’s ear and she nodded. Madison suddenly stopped and watched him closely.

  “It’s rude to whisper,” she suddenly said, glaring at him.

  Kody chuckled. “Yes, it is,” he told the toddler. “I wanted to ask Molly if it was okay to say you could ride my horse Cracker when you visit.”

  She stood there staring at Kody, then Molly, then back to Kody.

  “What did she say,” the child asked quietly.

  He grinned. “She said yes.” His heart beat wildly wondering how Madison would react.

  “Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllly?” Madison jumped up and down on the spot and ran to Kody and hugged him. Then hugged Molly.

  Lastly, she ran to Karen. “Did you hear,” she asked Karen excitedly. “I’m going to ride Cracker!”

  “That’s wonderful,” Karen told her. “Maybe you should sit down and eat your dinner now.”

  Madison nodded then went back to her place, moving a little closer to Kody this time.

  He was bemused by the antics of the little girl and looked forward to them being one big happy family.

  “You’re healing beautifully, and can go home in the morning, Mr Carson,” Molly told her elderly patient. “Would you like
me to call your daughter to make the arrangements?”

  He looked up at her in appreciation. “That’s so nice of you Dr Simpson. Thanks so much.”

  Molly scribbled a note to remind herself to call, then moved onto the next patient.

  She pulled the dressing back and carefully inspected the stitched area. “I’m sorry, Mr Watson,” she said. “This wound is infected. I’ll start you on IV antibiotics.” She frowned at him appropriately. “Nurse.” She waved the nurse over and handed her the patient’s chart. “I’ve written Mr Watson up for IV antibiotics. You’ll need to clean and redress the wound as well. Thank you,” she said.

  Molly continued on her rounds for another half hour, then thoroughly exhausted, went back to her office to write up all her notes, and finish off some paperwork.

  She’d just swallowed the last mouthful of her coffee when her cell phone rang. “Molly Simpson.”

  “Molly,” the caller said. “It’s Chase. Sheriff Chase Callahan,” he added, as though she may have forgotten who he was.

  Her heart beat wildly, and she felt sweat bead on her upper lip. “Yes?” she said breathlessly. Was this the news she was waiting for?

  She felt lightheaded. Being a doctor, Molly knew she was experiencing anxiety, and took long calming breaths. It seemed to help.

  “I can be there in five, if it suits you,” he said. “I don’t want to interrupt...” He didn’t get to finish the sentence.

  “That’s fine,” she said quickly. “I’m at the hospital,” she said, in case he didn’t know.

  The call ended, and she went back to her paperwork. She tried, she really did, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

  Instead of stressing while she waited, Molly made herself a fresh mug of coffee. Extra strong. She leaned back and took a sip of the brew.

  Despite expecting it, she startled when a knock came at the door. “Molly,” he called gently.

  “Come in, Sheriff,” she answered. She stood and shook his hand. “Please, sit down.” Until that moment she hadn’t noticed Deputy Chris Dolan was there with him. “Deputy,” she said, acknowledging the other man.

  “I take it the news isn’t good?” She sat looking into her hands, which were clasped together on the desk.

  “I guess that depends on how you look at it,” the deputy responded.

  Chase spoke next. “We had to get the state police involved, since it’s not our state, and not our jurisdiction.

  Molly’s heart sank. Were they going to tell her there was nothing they could do? Instead of putting her fears into words, she nodded.

  “Madison’s father,” Chase began. “You were right, he’s a drug addict.”

  Molly let go the breath she didn’t know she was holding. So they’d caught up with him. She felt tears prickle at the back of her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them flow.

  She couldn’t lose Madison to that monster no matter what. She had legal custody, so it shouldn’t happen, but the bastard has been trying to get her back since the judgement.

  “Molly,” Chase said quietly. “Did you hear what I said?”

  She put her fingers to her eyes and brushed at the errant tears. Damn her emotional state!

  “No, I’m sorry, I was lost in my thoughts.” She frowned at him. “I’m really sorry. This has been a difficult time.”

  Chase nodded. “I understand, I really do. And I do have news to give you.” He settled back in his chair. “It’s been confirmed by several sources,” he told her. “Madison’s father is....”

  Molly put her hands to her eyes. Did she really want to hear this?

  She felt a hand to her back and realized Chase had come around behind the desk and had squatted down to her level.

  “Molly,” he said softly beside her ear. “It’s good news.” His hand stayed on her back, and she felt somewhat comforted. “He’s dead. Died from a drug overdose six months ago.”

  Molly sobbed into her hands.

  Epilogue

  Madison stood on a crate feeding carrots to Cracker.

  Kody stood beside her with his hand to her back, ensuring she didn’t fall.

  Her little hand reached out to pat Cracker’s face but faltered as she got closer. “It’s alright, Madison,” he told her gently. “He won’t bite, I promise.” She looked up at him with innocent eyes, and he marvelled at how lucky he was to have found his instant family.

  “Do I get to ride him today?” Madison asked, eager to have her first ever horse ride.

  Kody looked to Molly, and their eyes connected. “First we have to go into town and buy your riding gear,” Kody told her. “I don’t want you to get hurt if you fall off.”

  Madison scowled. “I won’t fall off,” she said, still scowling at him.

  “Maddie, honey,” Molly said. “You don’t get to ride until you have the right gear. Understood?”

  She stomped her foot on the crate and burst into tears in a three-year-old’s tantrum. Kody grabbed her before she fell to the ground.

  She looked at him with tears rolling down her face and wrapped her little arms around his neck. “I want to ride the horsey,” she told him, mouth pouting.

  His eyes were laughing, but he kept a straight face as he replied. “Of course you do, Madison. And you will. Just not right now.” He gently nudged at her back and she relaxed into him.

  “Time for lunch, and then we go and buy your riding clothes,” Molly told her, stroking the little girl’s long hair.

  “She’s nearly asleep,” Kody whispered to Molly.

  Madison quickly sat up. “No I’m not!”

  Kody revelled in his new life, with his new little family.

  Molly busied herself organising for the family party Kody had decided to hold.

  No longer the family recluse, he’d invited all his brothers and their partners.

  They’d bought a sparkling party dress for Madison, and Kody was in his best clothes. Molly had chosen an off-the-shoulder A-line style of dress, in the softest of pinks.

  He’d told the family to wear ‘neat casual’ when the invitations went out, which he was sure would have them all scratching their heads.

  Madison was overly excited at the thought of a party and couldn’t keep still. She also utilized the full-length mirror on several occasions, to check out her pretty party dress.

  Three trucks pulled up in the newly fenced parking area almost at the same time. “They’re here, they’re here,” Madison shouted as she ran around the ranch house. She grabbed for Kody’s hand. “Do I get to see baby Chloe today,” she asked, her little eyes sparkling with wonder.

  He squatted down to her level. “Yes, you do,” he said. “You sure do.”

  She reached out and gave him a hug, with the biggest smile on her face.

  Rory and Missy arrived first, baby Chloe sound asleep. They were both so very proud of their little offspring. Then came Jordon and Grace, and last to arrive was Chase and Isabella.

  Deputy Chris Dolan had also been invited, since he was a close family friend. Unfortunately, he’d been called out on a case and wouldn’t arrive until later.

  Once everyone was seated in the outside area, Kody glanced across to Aunt Lizzie who was doing the catering for the party.

  She had a big grin on her face and nodded to him. She lifted a glass and tapped it with a spoon, trying to get everyone’s attention.

  They all stopped talking, and everyone looked to Aunt Lizzie. “Kody has an announcement,” she said, still grinning broadly.

  “Ah, Molly and I have something to tell you,” he said, looking across at her. “We, ah,”

  “I know, I know,” Madison squealed. “We got married today!”

  Kody pulled Molly to him, the two laughing at Madison’s impromptu announcement. He pulled her into a big bear hug and kissed her deeply, until Madison forced her way in. “Eeeeew!” she said, then put her little arms up for Kody to pick her up so she could join in the hug.

  The End

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For a full list of the Callahan Brothers Series, click here.

  Check out the Callahan Brothers great-great grandmother Bessie’s story:

  Bessie

  About the Author

  Multi-published, award-winning author, Cheryl Wright, former secretary, debt collector, account manager, writing coach, and shopping tour hostess, loves reading.

  She writes both contemporary and historical western romance, as well as romantic suspense.

  She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is married with two adult children and has six grandchildren.

  When she’s not writing, she can be found in her craft room making greeting cards.

  Check out Cheryl’s Amazon page for a full list of her other books.

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