“That’s strange,” Ricky said. “It shouldn’t have taken them long at all. Let me see what I can find out.”
RaeLynn felt a little better when Ricky’s concern confirmed her belief that this wasn’t typical behavior from Hunter.
Her phone rang, and she was happy to see it was her publisher calling her back. At least they could finally talk.
“RaeLynn,” he said. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
She’d been trying to reach him, too, but she wasn’t going to say so. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“I want to discuss the sale of the magazine with you,” he said. Her heart thundered in her chest. This was what she’d been waiting to discuss.
“Great,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas, and I’m eager to discuss my proposal with you.”
A knock sounded at the door, and RaeLynn hoped it was news about Hunter. “Can you hang on a moment, Gerald? Someone’s here.” She opened the door to the cabin and saw it was the social worker.
“Hi,” RaeLynn said. “Hunter had a ranch emergency, and I’m here with the kids while he takes care of it. Can I let him know you stopped by?”
RaeLynn hoped they didn’t have an appointment that he was blowing off.
Eleanor shook her head. “No, that’s okay. Actually, I’m here for one of the surprise home visits to see how things are going. Can I come in?”
RaeLynn had gone through the background check and was on the approved list of people to stay and watch the children, so at least that wasn’t going to hurt Hunter, but she also didn’t know how it was going to look when she said she had absolutely no idea where he was.
And what about her? She finally had the opportunity to talk to Gerald, but for this home visit to go well, she would have to end the call.
“Gerald, I’m so sorry, but an urgent family matter just came up. Can I give you a call back in just a little while?”
“This is important, RaeLynn.”
So was making sure the kids had a good home visit. “I’m sorry. This is an urgent family matter, and it can’t wait.”
She hung up the phone before he could say any more and before her heart broke a little at the fact that she was endangering her career for somebody else. She knew this visit was so much more important, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.
“Everything okay?” Eleanor asked.
“Yes, a work thing. I’ll take care of it later.”
“If I’ve come at a bad time...” the other woman said.
“Isn’t the whole point of a surprise home visit to come when we’re not expecting you so you can see how things normally are?”
Eleanor laughed. “True. But I am surprised to find Hunter not here.”
RaeLynn sighed. “You know what life on a ranch is like. Those emergencies wait for no one. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could schedule them for convenient times?” She gave a small laugh, but inside, she was dying. Everything right now was happening at the most inconvenient time, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to recover from it.
Bella started to cry, which meant peace was now over.
“Excuse me,” RaeLynn said. “Or come with me. I don’t know how this is done.”
“I’ll come with you, if you don’t mind,” Eleanor said.
RaeLynn had figured that would be the answer. After yesterday’s meltdowns, she wasn’t sure what mood she was going to find the kids in. She went into Hunter’s room, where Bella was crying in the crib. As soon as she saw RaeLynn, she stopped and held out her arms. RaeLynn picked her up and held her close.
“Morning,” she said. She carried the baby over to a dresser that Hunter had turned into a changing table. As she changed the baby’s diaper, Lynzee came into the bedroom.
“Tucker is up,” she said.
“Let me finish with Bella, and I’ll be right there.” she said.
Lynzee raced out of the room. Once RaeLynn had finished, she put Bella in her bouncy seat in the living room and went into the kids’ room. When she got there, Tucker was standing in the crib ready to come out.
“Good morning,” she said, picking the little boy up.
He, too, needed a diaper change, so she quickly dealt with that while the two little girls followed her.
“Where’s my daddy?” Lynzee asked.
RaeLynn gave her smile. “His emergency took a little longer than expected, but you’ll see him soon.”
She hoped she wasn’t lying to the child, but she didn’t know what else to say. She was trying to remain calm in front of the children and also in front of Eleanor.
RaeLynn got Tucker changed, hating the weight of the social worker’s stare on her. She knew Eleanor was just doing her job, but she was nervous she’d make a mistake that would ruin everything for Hunter and the kids.
Lynzee asked what was for breakfast. While RaeLynn was perfectly capable of getting the kids breakfast, Wanda had always brought them something when she’d been here before with Hunter. Now it was up to her to figure it out, and she didn’t know this part of their family’s routine.
“What do you usually have for breakfast?”
“Whatever Daddy makes us,” Lynzee said.
“Cereal,” Phoebe said, whining.
Cereal would actually be easiest. RaeLynn went to the cupboard to see what kind of cereal they had, and she was pleased to see that Hunter had quite a wide variety.
“That sounds like a great idea,” RaeLynn said. “What kind do you guys want?”
She rattled off the different choices, and while the kids were deciding, she prepared Bella’s bottle. She held the baby in one arm and pulled out the requested cereal.
She turned to Lynzee. “Can you get out spoons for everyone?”
“Yes,” Lynzee said, running over to the drawer.
“I can get the bowls,” Phoebe said, going to where Hunter kept them. They were on a lower shelf, which made it easy for the children to get them. It was good to know the kids had been taught how to work together and that they knew how to help Hunter. She went to the refrigerator for some milk, and Eleanor stopped her.
“Let me help you,” she said.
“Is that allowed?” RaeLynn asked. “I don’t want you breaking any rules or doing anything that would hurt Hunter.”
The social worker smiled. “Everybody needs a hand from time to time,” she said. “And I don’t mind. I’m already impressed at how well you’ve been doing this morning. I don’t think I could do the same.”
That actually did make her feel better. “That would be great, thanks,” RaeLynn said.
Eleanor got out the milk and helped the children with the cereal while RaeLynn gave Bella her bottle. They got through breakfast fairly easily, and it was good to know that yesterday’s mess was behind them. Everything felt normal again, except that they had Eleanor here instead of Hunter.
Once the kids had finished breakfast, RaeLynn sent them off to play and was able to sit in the living room with Eleanor to chat.
“I’m so sorry,” RaeLynn said. “I didn’t offer you coffee or anything to drink. Can I get you something?”
Eleanor laughed. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m good. Though, you look like you could use a cup yourself.”
RaeLynn hadn’t even had time to think about coffee, let alone make it since she’d gotten up. No wonder Hunter looked so exhausted all the time. How many times had he skipped his morning coffee so he could get everything in order for the kids? She’d known he was doing a good job, but now she had a deeper respect for him. He worked so hard to take care of everyone and do the right thing.
After talking for a few minutes more, Eleanor started packing up her things. “I’m really impressed that Hunter has such a great support team around him,” she said. “I already knew that, but seeing it in action has shown me that my trust hasn’t been misplaced. I�
��m disappointed that I didn’t get to see him or talk to him, but you’re right that I know what ranch life is like. To be honest, that was one of the reasons I hesitated to let him take the kids. It’s such a demanding schedule, and I wasn’t sure how he was going to do it on his own. But now I see he’s not on his own, and I know they’re in good hands.”
RaeLynn nodded slowly. “Thank you. That will mean a lot to him. I know the surprise part is exactly the point of these visits, but I was nervous that he wasn’t here when you came.”
Eleanor shrugged. “But now I know how he handles emergencies when he can’t be with the kids. And I see they’re safe. That’s exactly what we need to know.”
The reassurance did make RaeLynn feel better. But it also made her feel worse in a way. After the social worker left, she went into the kitchen to make that coffee and then sank into one of the chairs. Yes, she’d done a great thing for Hunter and the kids, but at what cost to her?
She pulled out her phone and stared at it, wondering if she dared to call her publisher back. The kids were quiet now, but what happened if they had a scuffle or someone got hurt while she was on her call? But she couldn’t leave Gerald hanging, either. She glanced at her phone again. She’d criticized Hunter for not wanting to impose on others. What she really needed to do was ask for help herself.
She called Wanda, who quickly agreed to come over and help with the kids. As she waited for Wanda to arrive, RaeLynn watched the kids play and smiled at their antics. She loved them, but Hunter and his work had just gotten her in trouble with Gerald. Everything she’d worked for might be ruined now.
Wanda arrived, looking a little frazzled.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was helping Ricky get in touch with the ranch hands to see who Hunter went out with and where they went. No one’s heard anything. I just hope nothing terrible has happened.”
RaeLynn would feel extremely guilty if something had happened to Hunter and the ranch hands. Especially since she was worried about herself and her career while he was out there.
“I know everyone’s doing all they can,” RaeLynn said. “I just need to quickly take care of this work thing.”
Wanda patted her arm gently. “Of course. That’s what we’re here for. To help each other out.”
RaeLynn raced over to her cabin to log on to her computer before calling her publisher back. She wanted to have all the information on her proposal ready to go over with him in case he had any questions. But when she logged on, her heart sank. There was already an email from him. He criticized her for not being available to talk to him. Even worse was the part informing her that he’d decided to go ahead and sell the magazine. She felt sick. There was a second email introducing her to the new owners. It was obvious it was a done deal.
Would things have ended differently if she’d taken that call yesterday? What if she’d been able to talk to him earlier today? Tears rolled down her face. Everything she’d worked for was gone. She knew the big conglomerate would never keep the current format or try any of her ideas. What about all the people she’d been hoping to help?
Hunter and her mom had asked her to give this a try. She had, and everything had gone wrong. At least she figured out quickly it could never work. Now they could all go their separate ways with a minimum amount of hurt.
Yesterday, she’d been hoping for some alone time to steal a kiss. Now she was grateful they hadn’t had that opportunity to get even more attached.
RaeLynn walked into her room, grabbed her bag and started packing her things.
Chapter Eleven
Hunter dragged himself into the house, feeling more bone-weary than he had in a long time. Last night, everything that could go wrong had. What was supposed to be a simple investigation into why their fence had been cut had led to them figuring out that their new neighbors were animal lovers who thought the fences were hurting the deer, so they’d been cutting them.
At least Hunter had caught them in the act and had been able to have a conversation with them. Not that it had gone well. Hunter was going to have to call their local wildlife agent and ask him to go talk some sense into the neighbors. But at least now Hunter understood what had been going on.
That had only been the beginning of the trouble, though. When he and the two ranch hands got back to their ATV to head home, it was dead. They didn’t have a cell signal, so they’d started walking to where there was reception. On the way, Jerry stumbled over a rock and broke his ankle. Since Hunter knew the most first aid, he’d stayed with Jerry while Andy continued on to where he could get a cell signal and call for help. That would have been simple had Andy not gotten lost. Hunter still wasn’t exactly sure how that had happened, but it had. All three of them had been out all night. He was just grateful they’d had some supplies with them, and they’d eventually gotten help and gotten Jerry to a doctor.
Wanda jumped up from the chair she was sitting in and gave him a big hug. “I was worried sick. What happened?”
Hunter explained, eliciting sympathetic murmurs from Wanda and another hug.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said.
Hunter nodded as he looked around the room. “Where are the kids?”
Wanda smiled. “Rachel came and took them to the playground. I’m just here with Bella while she naps.”
“What about RaeLynn? Where is she? I feel terrible that I left her alone with the kids on their hike. I’m glad she got you guys to come help.”
The expression on Wanda’s face put a sinking feeling into his stomach. “What happened?”
Wanda’s expression didn’t change. “She missed some kind of important work call. She took care of the kids by herself overnight, and the social worker came by for a surprise visit this morning. While the visit went well, it did cause her to miss something for work, and I think it was pretty stressful for her.”
He could see how that would be upsetting for her. And probably stressful, too.
“Why didn’t she call you guys sooner? You would’ve helped.”
Wanda shrugged. “I didn’t ask her. She was so stressed out about you being gone and also about this work situation. I don’t know any details, but she seemed pretty upset.”
Hunter took a deep breath. She’d probably been worried sick, tried to call him and not gotten an answer. He knew she’d been anxious to hear from her publisher, to find out the status of the magazine and of her stories. Surely she would understand once he explained.
He looked back at Wanda. “Would you mind staying with Bella for a little longer so I can go talk to her?”
Wanda nodded. “Of course. It must be incredibly difficult for you to try to build a relationship with her and also make sure the kids are being taken care of.”
Hunter took a deep breath. “I guess it’s easier for married couples because they already have a relationship. Although I remember that when my wife was alive it was still hard to balance our time once we were parents.”
“Exactly,” Wanda said. “I hope you know that we’re not just here to support you with the kids. It’s obvious to everyone who sees you and RaeLynn together that there’s something special there, and we want to support you both as much as we can.”
Her encouragement strengthened him. That’s what he loved about this community. They all cared deeply for one another.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said. He walked quickly over to RaeLynn’s. She answered the door right away but didn’t look happy to see him.
“I’m so sorry I worried you,” he said. “Thank you for taking care of the kids.”
“You should have checked in,” she said.
Hunter took a deep breath. “I know,” he said. “But we had an emergency, and I couldn’t get a cell signal.”
He ran through everything that had happened. He didn’t want to sound like he was making excuses, but this was the reality of his life. He
knew asking anyone to share this life with him was a big ask. They did everything they could to make working on the ranch safe, but sometimes things slipped through the cracks.
“That story doesn’t make me feel any better,” RaeLynn said. “What if it had been a more serious emergency than just Jerry’s ankle? You have children to think of. You can’t just go off doing dangerous things like that.”
“You’re right,” he said. “We do have a number of safeguards for situations like this. Usually, someone checks the board at night to make sure everyone has come in. I’m not sure why that system failed us last night. I think we were all expecting that someone would come looking for us sooner than they did. I can assure you that we will be reviewing safety protocols to find out what went wrong. I’m surprised you didn’t call Ricky or somebody sooner when I didn’t come home.”
“Are you saying it’s my fault?”
The anger in her voice told him to tread carefully. In truth, he did feel like she should have said something sooner, and he wasn’t sure why she didn’t. But telling her that wasn’t going to make things better.
“No,” he said. “I just feel bad that you were left all alone like that and didn’t have any help.”
The frustration on her face was evident, and tears filled her eyes. “I did really struggle. It was a bad day, and I didn’t have time to take a breath, let alone call someone to see if they knew where you were.”
He’d had a couple of those nights himself, so he knew what she meant. He came toward her to give her a hug, but she stepped away.
“Don’t. It just reminded me of how much I don’t want this life. I blew off important work calls yesterday and today to take care of the kids. Obviously, the kids are more important, which is why I did so, but afterward, I got an email from the publisher complaining about my inattention and saying he’s gone ahead with the sale. I might’ve been able to talk him out of it if I’d spoken to him in time.”
Hunter’s stomach sank. She’d wanted this so badly, and one hectic emergency had ruined it for her.
Her Hidden Legacy Page 14
