Lynzee looked around the room. “You never bring us breakfast. We go to the ranch house to eat it.”
She was a smart one, and RaeLynn could see how the little girl kept everyone on their toes.
Wanda brought a plate over to the table. “Well, today we brought it to you. Come eat before it gets cold.”
Lynzee did as she was told, and just as she was getting comfortable, Phoebe came out of the room.
“Tucker’s up,” she said.
Both RaeLynn and Hunter moved to get the little boy, but Janie was already in motion.
“You two sit. I’ve got this.”
Funny how old habits died hard. RaeLynn would never have thought she’d be in some stranger’s house jumping to take care of kids, but it was almost an automatic thing for her.
It was also funny that while she barely knew Hunter, he didn’t feel like much of a stranger anymore. She couldn’t help smiling at the way he coaxed Phoebe to try a bite of her breakfast, all while keeping an arm protectively around his daughter as she sat on his lap.
She hadn’t known men like Hunter existed.
Janie brought Tucker into the kitchen, and as they all gathered together to share breakfast, it brought a strange longing to RaeLynn’s heart.
She’d been telling herself all this time that she was fine without her family and didn’t need them, that she was too busy to miss them. But suddenly, the story she’d been telling herself no longer felt like the truth.
Yes, it had been hard having so much on her shoulders. But as she looked down at the sweet baby nestled in her arms, she remembered moments like this as she’d held her sisters’ babies and felt content in the midst of chaos. Of course, that peaceful feeling had never usually lasted long. So far, this little one seemed perfectly satisfied. And RaeLynn felt herself smiling from a deep place of contentment as she watched the kids chattering.
When they finished breakfast, Wanda set about putting the kitchen to rights while Janie took the kids to get them changed and dressed.
“We’re going to take the kids over to the ranch house,” Wanda said. “Hunter, you take RaeLynn around the ranch like you were supposed to do yesterday.” She turned to RaeLynn. “I don’t know what material you’ve been able to read through. I gave you all the guidebooks and maps and information we have, but if there’s anything in particular you want to see, you just tell Hunter. There’s only one person that knows the ranch better than Hunter, and that’s Ricky. You’ll meet him tonight at dinner.”
Oh goody. With everything that had happened since she’d arrived, RaeLynn had forgotten why she originally hadn’t wanted to come. The last thing she wanted was to talk to Ricky, but no story about the ranch would be complete without it.
“Sounds nice,” RaeLynn said.
Hunter turned to Wanda. “Are you sure taking all the kids isn’t an imposition?”
“You aren’t so big that I can’t give you a time-out, young man,” she said. “Lynzee will finally have someone her own age to play with, so she won’t drive Sam nuts. We have it all taken care of. Between me, Grace and Janie, we can handle six kids. That’s one for each arm. Now, if we had more kids than we have arms, we might be in trouble.”
Wanda laughed, and RaeLynn couldn’t help laughing along with her. Her laughter quickly died down as she realized she’d never had this kind of support growing up. While these people were being helpful now, they obviously hadn’t been around when her dad had died. From what her mom had told her, Ricky hadn’t been supportive. In some ways, seeing this only made her resent her childhood even more.
The children came running out of the bathroom, freshly dressed and washed, looking excited to start their day.
“Janie is going to take your truck, Hunter, since all the car seats for Sadie’s kids are already in it. We can stick Lynzee’s car seat in mine,” Wanda said. “Who would’ve thought that big old truck wouldn’t be big enough to hold a passel of kids?”
Wanda chuckled, and they all went to load the kids up. Once the two trucks pulled out, Hunter turned to RaeLynn. “I know you said you’re fine with all this, but I have to give you credit. Most people would’ve run away.”
RaeLynn smiled at him. “I’m not most people,” she said.
A wide grin split his face. “You certainly aren’t.”
Oh no. Was he flirting with her?
RaeLynn pushed her hair behind her ears, something to distract her, but then she realized it might be taken as her flirting back.
Great.
She did like him, wouldn’t mind flirting with him, but what was the point of that? Everything about this situation was exactly what she didn’t want for her life. While being here had reminded her to appreciate the things she’d left behind, it didn’t mean she was going to invite them back into her life.
As sweet and cute as Hunter was, and as much as he seemed to be the kind of guy she’d like to get to know better, it didn’t feel right to lead him on. She gestured out toward the rest of the ranch.
“Why don’t you give me the grand tour you were planning, and then I can ask questions later?”
She made sure to use a professional tone, widening her stance so that she appeared all business. She didn’t respond to his comment, and hopefully, he would take the hint.
Yes, she liked Hunter. More than she wanted to. But she wasn’t going to act on it, because he was the last person on earth she could be with.
Chapter Three
Spending the day with RaeLynn was supposed to be easy, but Hunter was finding it mostly confusing. It wasn’t that she’d been rude or unfriendly or anything like that. But there had been unexpected moments where he’d felt a connection to RaeLynn, and it seemed like that made her feel uncomfortable.
Like now.
He’d brought her to the barn to check out some new kittens that had recently been born and needed homes. Something he’d do with any visitor. She sat on a hay bale cuddling one of them and whispering things to it he couldn’t hear. It wasn’t the sort of thing he would usually find attractive, but he did. Just like when he’d seen her cuddling little Bella. RaeLynn might say she didn’t want kids, but she was awfully good with them. More children needed mothers like her.
Hunter didn’t want to be interested in someone like RaeLynn. He wasn’t about to get involved with someone who didn’t want the same things as him again. If he were going to remarry, it would have to be to someone who wanted to be a parent. Someone who loved the ranch as much as he did. And, God help him, as much as the past twenty-four hours had been insane, it would have to be someone who wanted more kids.
Becoming a father had been the best thing to ever happen to Hunter. And if he was going to bring another woman into his life, he needed her to feel the same way about becoming a mother. RaeLynn had said multiple times that she didn’t want a family, and even though it didn’t seem like she disliked life on the ranch, she didn’t seem to love it, either.
That had been his mistake with Felicia. She’d talked about getting out, but he hadn’t understood what that meant, or just how unhappy she’d been. Selfishly, Hunter had thought that in time she’d come to love it here. Unfortunately, that had never happened. And now, with Sadie in a similar situation, he understood the futility of trying to make someone live a life they didn’t want.
He just didn’t know how to do that with Sadie’s situation. At least she had people to help her with the kids here. If she chased after the life she wanted in the city, who would help her? Who would be there if she went out drinking and messed up again?
Felicia used to tell him that she drank to forget about what an awful existence it was here. Would Sadie stop drinking if she lived somewhere else?
He didn’t know.
That wasn’t a problem he could solve now, but it would be worth discussing with her when he had the chance. She wasn’t due in court until tomorrow, and while
he knew he’d go there to support her, he didn’t know what he was going to say.
But enough of that mess. He’d figure it out later.
He walked over to where RaeLynn was cuddling one of the kittens. “Seems like you’ve taken a shine to that little gray one,” he said.
RaeLynn gave the kitten a kiss on his head and set it back down. “My friend had a cat who looked like this growing up. I loved that cat, and I was sad when my friend moved away. Funny, I missed the cat more than I missed her.” She shook her head slowly. “I sound like a terrible person, don’t I?”
Hunter sat on the bale next to her. “Not at all. Sometimes I think I like animals better than people. Why didn’t you get a cat of your own?”
RaeLynn shrugged. “We were barely getting by as it was. There was no way we could’ve brought in a pet as well. And now—”
She looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, “I guess there’s no reason why I couldn’t get a cat. Maybe I’ll go to the animal shelter and see what they have when I get home.”
He gestured at the kitten she’d just put down. “Or you could take that one home. Looking for a home for these little critters is on my list of things to do. We didn’t realize their mama was expecting when we got her from the Humane Society, so now instead of just one cat for the barn, we have more than we can handle.”
“Really?” Her face lit up. “Are you sure? Wouldn’t it miss its mother?”
Hunter picked up the kitten she’d set down and handed it back to her. “It’s going to miss its mother whether it goes home with you or someone else. Personally, I’d like to see it go somewhere where I’m sure it’s going to be loved.”
She took the kitten and held it close to her. “I really do like him,” she said. “He reminds me a little of a T. rex. I could call him Rex.”
Yes, she was going to take the cat home. The way RaeLynn’s face lit up when she named the little guy proved this kitten was meant for her.
“I think that settles it,” he said. “Rex can stay in the barn with his family for now, but when you leave, he’ll go home with you.”
For a moment, RaeLynn looked like she was going to refuse, but then she smiled. “Funny how you don’t realize just how much you want something until it’s actually happening.”
She set the kitten down and gave Hunter a quick hug. “Thank you.”
Though the contact was brief, Hunter could still feel the warmth of her arms around him. He’d never wanted for hugs, not with how everyone at the ranch was like family. But that quick contact with RaeLynn was like downing a glass of water when you hadn’t even realized you were thirsty.
RaeLynn was someone special. It seemed mighty unfair that the woman he was starting to have feelings for was all wrong for him and the life he loved. He’d promised himself he would never be in this kind of situation again, and yet here he was. Why was he only attracted to the kind of woman he couldn’t be with?
He gestured toward the barn door. “We should probably get a move on. I still have lots to show you, and Ricky will be disappointed if I miss anything.”
A strange look crossed her face. “He sounds like a tough taskmaster.”
Hunter shrugged. “I guess you could say that. But you’ve got to be tough for life on the ranch. It’s not all snuggling kittens and petting horses.”
He led her out of the barn toward the trail to the lake. Everyone loved the exceptional views at the lake. It was beautiful, but there was a practical reason for the trail’s location, too.
“Everyone loves this hiking trail because of how wide and easy it is to navigate. The reason it’s so clear is because it used to be the main route for getting our cattle from the summer to the winter grazing grounds. Nowadays, moving the herd isn’t that difficult. But it used to be a large and dangerous operation.”
They made it to the first overlook, which had a clear view of the water. “The lake is man-made. About fifty years ago, they were moving the cattle along this trail, and a flash flood came and killed about a dozen of the hands as well as a good portion of the herd.”
He gestured at the bench that sat facing the body of water. “It’s not much, but it’s a memorial to all those who lost their lives that day. There used to be a plaque, but it got faded with the weather, so it’s being repaired. Water is scarce up here, so Ricky and his father hired an engineer to help channel where the floodwaters went and created the lake.”
He looked over RaeLynn, who seemed to be studying the area intently. He knew it was her job to be interested in everything so she could write a good story, but there was sincerity to her that made him wonder if this was about more than writing a story.
Could he make her fall in love with the ranch?
It was stupid of him to think that he could make anyone change. He’d already learned that lesson the hard way. But he’d also never seen that level of interest from someone before.
“It’s sad to think of all those lives lost,” she said. “You’d never think that something so beautiful could be the site of such a tragedy.”
“If it makes you feel any better, this isn’t where they died. The lake is just something they built to make sure it never happens again. But there are no guarantees in ranching. The Double R was fortunate the fire didn’t devastate us the way it did much of the town. We’re all very aware that we can’t control nature, and we’re always mindful of the potential danger.”
She looked slightly relieved by his words, though it didn’t seem to erase the furrows in her brow.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It’s just sad that all there is to show for the tragedy is a plaque that’s being repaired.”
“I can understand that,” he said. “My uncle Vern was one of the men who died. I never knew him, but my family says the Double R went out of their way to do the right thing by the people who lost their loved ones. There is an actual memorial, but the families wanted to keep it private, because at the time of the incident, there was a lot of media attention, and the grieving families didn’t want to be a sideshow. I guess it’s been long enough that the people who were most hurt by it are gone now, so I can show you if you like?”
RaeLynn nodded, but uncertainty was written all over her face.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, we can head back.”
He took her down the trail a ways until they got to the gate that blocked off the path to the memorial.
“They keep it closed off so the public doesn’t wander in. It’s important to Ricky to respect the privacy of the affected families.”
Her expression softened a little, but something about her demeanor still seemed off. She didn’t say anything, though, and something told him that he’d be intruding if he commented on it.
The memorial site also had a nice view of the lake. In his opinion, it was the best view. It just seemed wrong to say so, given how somber RaeLynn was. Her audible gasp when they got to the memorial didn’t surprise him. Most people reacted that way when they saw the amount of effort that had gone into creating this place.
Hunter gestured at the bench that stood in the middle of the memorial stones. “You can sit there if you like. No one’s really supposed to know, but Ricky frequently comes here to pray. He was raised to believe that showing emotion is a sign of weakness, and even though he’s gotten a lot better about it, he still keeps things like this private.”
She walked around the ring of stones. The memorial had been designed as a circle of markers for those who had died.
“I know they look like gravestones, but no one is buried here. The families were all given the bodies to honor in their own way, but the Ruiz family wanted to create a memorial of their own. The families are all welcome to come and pay their respects as they wish.”
“Why the circle?”
“Because the love for our family is unbroken.”
&n
bsp; He walked over to the marker for his uncle. “Uncle Vern didn’t have any kids, but my mom used to tell us about him and made sure we paid our respects. I would’ve liked to have met the guy. My mom’s stories about him always cracked me up.”
“What about the bodies that weren’t found?”
That was something not a lot of people knew about. “You must have really done your homework. Here I was thinking I was telling you something new about the ranch, but you already know about this stuff.”
She gave him a small smile. “That’s my job. But I like to hear other people’s versions, because you never know what interesting tidbits you’ll find that weren’t part of the original write-ups.”
He hadn’t thought of it that way, but again, it was one more thing for him to appreciate about RaeLynn. Not only was she thorough but she hadn’t made him feel like he was wasting her time with his stories.
“Over here,” Hunter said. He indicated the relevant stones. “Only two were never found. This guy here, Paul Gentry, was apparently my uncle’s best friend. Last time my mom was here visiting, she and Ricky were up half the night laughing at stories about all the trouble they got into.”
Her face softened slightly as he talked. “I didn’t realize that your mom was the same age as Ricky. He seems like he’d be more of the age to be your grandfather.”
Hunter laughed. “I was one of those late-in-life surprise babies. My mother thought she couldn’t have children, so boy, were they surprised when I came along.”
He smiled at RaeLynn. “It’s why my mom always tells me to never count God out. God can do some amazing things, and just because it doesn’t happen according to our timeline doesn’t mean it won’t work out.”
She walked over to the bench and wrapped her arms around herself, like she was cold, even though it was a warm day.
“It’s so weird to hear how everyone at the ranch talks about God as though He’s a real person they have a relationship with. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in God and all that, but what you guys believe seems to be different.”
Her Hidden Legacy Page 4
