This cowboy has one more chance to make it right…

He already lost her once…

Now he’s fighting for her—and their daughter.

When Rance Shepherd takes a job stocking cattle for a local rodeo, he’s shocked that his new client is his ex-sweetheart, Larae Collins. Now he’s determined to prove to the single mother that he isn’t the restless cowboy she remembers. But when he discovers her little girl is his, they both must forgive past mistakes for a second shot at a future together.

SHANNON TAYLOR VANNATTER is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/award-winning author. She lives in a rural central Arkansas community with a population of around one hundred, if you count a few cows. Contact her at shannonvannatter.com.

Also By Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Hill Country Cowboys

Hill Country Redemption

Texas Cowboys

Reuniting with the Cowboy

Winning Over the Cowboy

A Texas Holiday Reunion

Counting on the Cowboy

Rodeo Ashes

Rodeo Regrets

Rodeo Queen

Rodeo Song

Rodeo Family

Rodeo Reunion

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Hill Country Redemption

Shannon Taylor Vannatter

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90667-2

HILL COUNTRY REDEMPTION

© 2020 Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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“I want what’s best for our daughter…”

“I need you to trust me with her.” Rance’s gaze snagged Larae’s. “That I won’t do anything to hurt her, try to exclude you when I spend time with her, or try to monopolize her. That I won’t intentionally do anything to hurt you. Or your reputation.”

“That all sounds good.”

“And I need you to do the same. We need to raise her together and put her best interests first.”

“I agree.” Her heart did a painful flip-flop. She’d have to share her daughter from now on.

“I know I hurt you once. But I was a kid. I’m not anymore. How can I prove to you that I’ve changed?”

“Just don’t let Jayda down. All I want is for her to be happy and loved.”

“Me, too.” He offered his hand. “Shake on it.”

She wanted to trust his offer, but touching him always did funny things to her insides. Could she really trust this guy? Had he changed?

With all her Rance-entangled heart, she hoped so.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

—3 John 1:4

I dedicate this book to my husband. I’m thoroughly enjoying our happily-ever-after and I don’t know what I’d do without your love and support. God truly gave me a blessing in you.

Acknowledgments

I’m thankful for Texas Mom, who always welcomes us to Medina for a visit, even when she’s sick with crud. I appreciate Jennifer Slattery and Brenda S. Anderson for reading my painfully awkward first drafts. I’m grateful to Linda Fulkerson for being my travel buddy to writers’ conferences. If not for her, I probably wouldn’t be published.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

The debit amounts blurred into one hemorrhaging red total, making Larae Collins’s stomach clench. She closed the leather-bound ledger and handed it back to Denny as the porch swing’s chains groaned. “I don’t understand why Dad didn’t tell me.”

Her best friend’s father, who’d been her dad’s ranch foreman since forever, shook his head. “I reckon he didn’t want to worry you.”

A mixture of cattle lowing, bawling and stamping serenaded her. The sounds of home were so unlike her condo in Dallas with its constant traffic noise. This should have been the perfect spring break vacation she’d planned. Instead, she’d learned the property wasn’t solvent. She needed to sell her childhood ranch—not get attached.

The buyer’s low offer made sense now. And with her job downsized into history, what choice did she have?

“Mommy, I’m riding a pony!” Jayda, Larae’s seven-year-old daughter, waved from astride Beans as a trusted ranch hand, who didn’t know she’d been riding since was three, led the duo around the arena. The white-and-brown-splotched pinto pony had entertained children at the ranch for as long as Larae could remember.

“You’re doing an excellent job!” Even on the pony, Jayda was tiny and had to keep pushing up the brim of the huge cowboy hat she wore to protect her from the relentless sun in Medina, Texas. Even though it was only the second week of March, it was almost eighty degrees.

Jayda resembled Larae and was small for her age, appearing to be younger than her seven years, which suited Larae. When Larae had left the ranch eight years ago, no one had known she was pregnant. Not even Jayda’s father. All she had to do was accept the low offer for the ranch, then slip back to Dallas with her secret intact.

“The ranch has always turned huge profits.” She shaded her eyes from the afternoon sun and peered up at Denny. He still smelled of hay and horse, with bronzed skin even more leathery than she remembered. “How did this happen?”

“We’ve had several dry years in a row, which meant more feed bought for the stock.” Denny leaned a hip against the back-porch rail. “Cattle prices were down a few years, and several new horse ranches in the area are giving us stiff competition. All of it, combined with your daddy’s illness, took a toll.” He shifted his weight. “You gonna accept the offer?”

“I’m not sure.” She had a nice nest egg, and her dad had left her a hefty inheritance. But with no income, she couldn’t risk holding on to the ranch and paying to keep it going, especially since her daughter was depending on her. Yet, it would be an insult to take such a loss on the ranch her family had put blood and sweat into for three generations.

Her phone rang, and she dug it out of her pocket. Her former boss. “I need to get this.”

“Take your time. I’ll keep an eye on Little Miss.” Denny straightened and strode toward the arena.

“Hello?”

“How’s it going in Timbuktu?” Miles’s tone didn’t match his attempt at humor.

“Not as well as I hoped.”

“I really hate to hear that. You’ve had a lot on you lately, and I’m afraid I have more bad news.” A heavy sigh. “I called that friend of mine at the rodeo in Bulverde—he just hired a new marketing director.”

“Thanks for trying, Miles.” Her heart sank. “I’ll find something.”

“I’m sorry, Larae. You’re the best marketing director I ever worked with. I’ve a good mind to tell our new manager just what I think of her downsizing notions.”

“Don’t, Miles. She’s just doing her job, cutting costs where she can. Keep your mouth shut and keep your job. You’ve only got a few more years until retirement. I’ll be fine.” She stood and paced the length of the porch.

“You let me know of any calls I need to make once you get your résumé out there. Some awesome rodeo will snap you up.”

“Thanks, Miles.”

“Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t.” She stepped off the porch and turned to face the back of the ranch house. All log beams and cedar siding. It had been her home for as long as she could remember. But now both of her parents were gone, the ranch was losing money, and she no longer had a job.

There weren’t that many year-round rodeos in operation in Texas. What would she do now? She headed toward the arena.

She could live on her reserves if she unloaded the ranch. But rodeo was her passion and gave her flexible hours, with most of her work done from home, so she could always be there for Jayda. Her job had even allowed her dad to move in with them after his first stroke.

As she neared the arena, the ranch hand gave Jayda the reins, then stood in the center as her daughter circled, chattering nonstop. The child had never met a stranger.

Denny heard her approach and turned to face her, leaning against the arena rail with a grimace. “Bad news?”

It must have shown on her face.

“Look, Mommy. I think Beans likes me.” Jayda circled near holding the reins.

“You’re a natural.” Larae waited until Jayda passed, then lowered her voice and summed up the phone call.

“You’re too good at what you do to be unemployed for long.” Denny scowled, gathering her into a fatherly hug. The sweet gesture made her miss her dad even more. Her eyes burned with a mixture of grief and frustration. But she wouldn’t give in to it. She blinked away the moisture and pulled out of his arms, even though his embrace felt like home.

“Did I tell you Lexie’s wanting to move home? She’s trying to get a job at the clinic in Bandera.”

“No, but I’m not surprised.” Her best friend since childhood had always loved tiny Medina. “The city never fit her as well as it does me.”

“You could stay here and run the ranch. Turn this place around.”

“I don’t know anything about ranching.”

“Your staff does.”

“But we’re in the red.” She scanned the dry, hardened ground, cracked from lack of rain. “If this drought keeps up, we’ll stay there.”

“A lot of the ranches in Bandera have opened dude ranches. The house is plenty big to accommodate guests.”

“But this is Medina. You really think tourists would come here?”

“If we give them something to come for. And we have our very own marketing guru.”

“Mommy, I don’t want to go back to our condo.” Jayda circled again, waving. “I want to stay here and ride Beans every day. Why did we never come here before?”

“I didn’t realize you’d enjoy it so much.” Partly true. But Larae had purposely stayed away for the last eight years to avoid Jayda’s father. “It’s only Sunday, sweetie. We’ve got the rest of the week here. But how about we visit more often in the future?”

“I guess.” The joy drained from her daughter’s voice.

If she sold the ranch, there wouldn’t be a here to visit. Jayda didn’t know about the possible sale. Not yet. Larae hated keeping Jayda in the dark, but she hadn’t expected her little girl to fall in love with the place so quickly.

Denny waited until Jayda passed out of earshot. “You could start your own rodeo. Here.” He gestured to Jayda. “You’ve already got one vote to stay.” He stuck his hand in the air. “I agree with Little Miss.”

Larae chuckled. “Do you have any idea what that would entail? We’d have to construct a building, seating, the arena, hire a stock contractor and staff.”

“You’ve already got the outdoor arena your daddy built for you back when you started barrel racing. A little upgrade, and you’d be all set. And without your job, you don’t have anything to hightail it back to Dallas for.” He scrutinized her. “Do you?”

When she’d shown up yesterday with Jayda in tow, Denny hadn’t asked questions about her little girl’s father. This was as close as he’d ever get.

“Nothing.” Her cheeks heated. “But to turn a consistent profit, we’d have to go year-round indoor and get professionally sanctioned. And the ranch might go under before I can get all that done.”

“Spruce up the outdoor facility to get things up and running while you build an indoor one.”

Her own rodeo. And she could run it the way she wanted. Alcohol free—truly family friendly in honor of her mother. Living on her childhood ranch. It sure was tempting.

“Guess who lives next door?”

“Who?”

“A stock contractor.”

“You’re making that up.”

“Naw, I’m shooting straight with you. It’s like somebody wants you here. And I’m not talking about me or Little Miss.” Denny looked up at the sky.

Larae followed his gaze. Do you want me here, Lord? A sense of peace settled over her. More than she’d known since she’d left here at eighteen.

And the thing that had kept her away—Rance Shepherd—was still traveling the rodeo circuit, last she’d heard. Her father had tried to talk her into moving back over the years, but she’d been knee-deep in her job—the job she didn’t have anymore. And she hadn’t wanted to face questions about Jayda’s father. She still didn’t.

“I can see your wheels spinning.” Denny grinned. “Why don’t you go on over next door and put some feelers out? You might even remember our new neighbor. He worked for—”

Jayda circled again. “Isn’t she pretty, Mommy?”

“She is, sweetie. But not as pretty as you.” She winked at her daughter. “I have an errand to run. You do what Denny tells you, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

“It’d be right nice if you and Little Miss stayed put,” Denny said.

“I’m just checking things out.” She headed down the drive to cut across to the ranch house next door. Who was this stock contractor? The Long family had lived there for as far back as she could remember. Maybe one of their sons or grandsons owned it now. Denny had been about to tell her when Jayda had interrupted. She should have stuck around long enough to get a name.

The Texas sun prickled her skin as she opened the side gate to the Longs’ yard. With aged graying wood siding, the house looked just as it always had, and the wide, inviting front porch still beckoned her to sit a spell.

Something slammed into her backside. Screaming, she flailed, then sprawled on the parched earth, barely missing a collision with the bottom step.

Rance bolted around the house. A second scream erupted. In the yard, a petite blonde sat in the dust near the porch. With Gruff nibbling at her shoe.

“Gruff, what did you do?”

She rolled away and tried to scramble to her feet.

He grabbed the water soaker gun from the porch, flooded the goat and elicited another scream from the blonde.

“Baa!” Gruff reared up on his back hooves, then disappeared around the side of the house.

“He’s gone. Just a big baby.” He reached to help her up. “Are you hurt?”

She pushed to her feet, ignoring his hand, then wiped off her seat and brushed at the grime on her light-colored jeans. Her right leg was soaked, thanks to him. She looked up and revealed the bluest eyes that had ever left a hole in his heart. His breath caught in his lungs.

Larae’s gaze turned icy. “Rance? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same of you.” He tried for natural, but his tone came off stilted. He’d only moved back because Larae Collins had left for the city ages ago. And stayed there. Surely she was only visiting, here to sell her childhood ranch now that her dad was gone. “Sorry about Gruff. I borrowed him from a friend to clean up all the dead, out-of-control flower beds for me.”

“Leave it to you to keep an attack goat in the yard.”

“I wasn’t expecting visitors. Sorry for the dowsing, too. I’m trying to teach him manners with the master blaster.” He managed a tight smile. “Guess I need to work on my aim.”

“His playing could hurt someone. Especially a child.” She frowned.

“Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have any of those.”

Something snapped in her eyes. She turned and stalked away. Flung the gate open, slammed it shut. It automatically latched as she marched out of sight.

What had he said to rile her so? Maybe it was just him in general? After all, he’d broken up with her out of the blue. She still didn’t know why, and he couldn’t tell her. But that was eight years ago.

He shot after her, through the gate, and caught up with her halfway down her long driveway. “Did you need something?”

“Never mind.” She ignored him as he matched her stride. As if he wasn’t even there.

“Well, at least let me buy you a new pair of jeans.”

“They’ll wash, and they’re not designer.”

One of the reasons he’d initially liked her as a teen. They’d gone to a private school full of rich and spoiled kids. Yet Larae had never been snooty or had to have the best of everything, even though her family could’ve afforded it and then some.

“At least tell me what you came over for? Were you looking for one of the Long girls?” Even though the Longs had been a hardworking ranch family struggling to make ends meet and their kids went to public school, Larae had befriended the middle daughter.

She stopped and faced him. “Fine. I came to talk to the stock contractor. Do you work for him?”

“Actually.” He hesitated. “You’re looking at him.”

Chapter Two

“Oh.” Larae looked like she might swallow her tongue, then took off along her drive again.

Had she become like her dad during her years in the city—never expecting Rance to amount to much? Did she think he was destined to be hired help for the rest of his days? If only she knew Remington blood ran through his veins. And it was boiling right about now.

He should have revealed his family tree back when her dad had tried to get rid of him. That was years ago, but it stung just the same. No one would ever think he was after her money—or anyone else’s—again.

“Know somebody who needs a stock contractor?” He caught up with her in a few strides.

“Me. Maybe. I was thinking of starting a rodeo on the ranch.”

“A rodeo? Here in Medina?”

“I’m rethinking things.” Her steps sped up.

He stayed right with her in spite of her attempts to escape. “Because I’m the stock contractor?” It was kind of fun watching her squirm.

“I’m just undecided on what to do with the ranch right now. I should think it over before making any rash decisions.”

“Because anything to do with me would obviously be rash.” Sarcasm coated his words.

She stopped, whirled to face him. “Definitely.” Her chin went up a notch. “I doubt you’ll stick with this new venture for long since you can’t seem to commit to anything. Or anyone. If I start a rodeo, I won’t be calling you.” She stalked down the driveway.

“Good,” he hollered after her. “You know me, I probably won’t even be here by then anyway.” Now why had he said that? Because she’d gone all snooty on him, and under no circumstances did he want her to think he was still pining for her.

Same silky blond hair, fire and ice eyes, slender build. Same temper. Wrapped in a tiny, mesmerizing, exasperating package.

The last thing he needed was to live next door to the only woman who had the ability to rearrange his heart into a million jagged pieces. He couldn’t possibly work with her. Could he? Since he’d just bought the business from his former boss, he badly needed a rodeo to boost his résumé.

He trudged back to the house. As he entered the yard, Gruff innocently munched on the last crunchy brown vine trailing up the porch column.

“I think you’ve caused enough mischief, mister.” He slipped a rope around the goat’s neck and led him out the gate toward his smallest stock trailer. “Next time I need yard work, I’ll borrow one of your lady friends. You’re officially fired and going home.”

He got the typical “baa” in response. Surely Larae wasn’t planning to live here. She was a city girl now—had been for years. She’d get her rodeo up and running, then waltz back to her fancy Dallas life and let her ranch hands run it for her.

Tomorrow, he’d go over there, make peace and land his first official gig since striking out on his own. He couldn’t let this opportunity pass—Larae or no Larae.

Monday morning, Larae strolled toward the barn, where a tall man with a wiry build chatted with Denny. Low murmurs, the laughter of ranch hands, cattle moos and horse nickers echoed around. Sounds she hadn’t realized she missed. Until now.

Her little girl was still twisted among the sheets, sound asleep when Larae had left. Jayda knew the rules. Stay in the house or yard, no opening of gates or going inside the cattle fences. If she awoke with Larae gone, she’d end up in the kitchen with Stella, Denny’s wife.

With Rance right next door, Larae couldn’t possibly stay. Her insides coiled. Should she tell him about Jayda? He was obviously just as selfish, carefree and likely to run off to the rodeo as he’d been back in school. Something her daughter didn’t need. She couldn’t let him reject Jayda the way he’d rejected her. He had the right to know, but he didn’t deserve to know.

“Morning.” Denny’s drawl greeted her as soon as she was within hearing distance. “The metal building guy I told you about is here.” He waved her over. “You remember Carson Glover.”

“I do.” Wow. Denny didn’t waste any time in his campaign to convince her to stay. “I remember when he was twelve, trailing around after his daddy mucking stalls for us and pulling my ponytail when nobody was looking.” He was five years her junior with a full-on crush on her.

“Guilty as charged. But I’m all grown-up and married with a baby on the way now.” Carson shook her hand. “Good to see you. Heard you’re considering starting a rodeo in the old arena and building an indoor facility on the property.”

“I’m still in the thinking stage.”

“Where were you thinking of putting it?”

She scanned the property and blew out a breath. “I haven’t even thought that far. Where do you suppose would be a good place?” She pointed to the field with rolling hills behind the barn. “Maybe there?”

“Could be done. But it would take a lot of foundation work. The more level the ground, the better.” He gestured to the field that was left of the barn, beside the outdoor arena. “We could build a concession stand and bathrooms for the outdoor arena and eventually incorporate them into the indoor building.”

“That could work.”

“What size?”

She shrugged. “Typical indoor arena size.”

He grinned. “Tell you what… I’ll do some research and find out what size that is, draw up some specs and get back with you.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“Thanks for coming.” Denny shook Carson’s hand.

“Thanks for thinking of me.” He turned toward his dust-coated once-black Cadillac in the drive.

The rodeo could work whether she stayed or not. She could get it going, then go back to Dallas.

To do what? The rodeo in Mesquite was out of the picture. It was fully staffed and comfortably set up, and it ran only three months each year anyway. Besides, she couldn’t let Rance think she was running away because of him. He needed to think he didn’t matter to her one way or the other.

But she couldn’t hire him. Her heart couldn’t survive working with him. And she had to keep him away from Jayda. Maybe she was right about him, that he wouldn’t stick with stock contracting for the long run. He’d leave, and this constant pressure in her chest would dissipate.

“Here comes just the guy you need.” Denny gestured behind her.

As if on cue, Rance strode down her drive, headed straight for her. Had he gotten even better looking in the past eight years? Definitely. A shadow of dark hair edged his cowboy hat, bottle green eyes sparkling in the sun, cleft chin. Oh, if only a sinkhole would open up in the baked earth and swallow him whole.

He and Carson spoke in passing as she tried to come up with a reason to escape. What if Jayda woke up and came outside looking for her? What if Rance saw his daughter?

Calm down. Jayda didn’t look like him, and everyone assumed she was five or six instead of seven. Her secret was safe.

Rance’s steps stalled a few feet away from Larae. Even after all these years, she still held him captive. “Since Carson was here, I assume you’re going ahead with the rodeo.”

“He’s getting me some stats to help me decide.”

“Well, I’m here to convince you to hire me if this thing gets real.”

“Why would I do that?” She hooked her thumbs in her pockets and peered up at him.

“Because I’m guessing all the stock contractors you know are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Using them would cost more. I’m right next door—willing and able—at a lower price. And you’re in the thinking stage of this rodeo to make a profit, right?”

“I know it’s none of my beeswax, Larae.” Denny propped his boot on the fence rail. “I know you want an experienced contractor and Rance is just getting started. But he knows his stuff. You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t hire him. There aren’t any other stock contractors outside of San Antonio.”

Way to put her on the spot. “There you have it, Denny’s stamp of approval.”

“Just my way of watching over you, like your daddy would want.” Denny headed for the barn. “I best get to work.”

“Thanks, Denny.” Larae leaned her elbows on the fence and kept her gaze on the foreman’s retreating back, instead of looking at Rance. “How did Denny become your biggest fan?”

“Several men from the area eat breakfast at the Old Spanish Trail just about every morning. Tex Warren, my dad, and Denny included.”

“So he thinks you’re awesome because your dad does?”

“Tex Warren is Ty’s dad and Clay’s granddad. Both Warrens won the Championship Bull Riding title four times apiece. Tex was impressed with some of my bulls.” But no matter who his bulls awed, Larae would remain unconvinced. “The rodeo is a great idea. I want the job. Do you have any idea of how much stock you’ll need? You do your marketing and publicity thing. I’ll handle the livestock.”

She faced him and propped her hands on her hips. “How do you know what I do?”

“I trained under the stock contractor who supplied the rodeo you work for.”

One eyebrow lifted. Aware of how smoothly his old boss’s stock operation ran for her rodeo, she couldn’t help but be impressed. Could she?

“I can check with Carson on the arena sizes he’s running, then give you numbers, cost and prospectus for each.”

“You can?”

“What? You didn’t think I knew big words like prospectus?”

“Actually.” She pursed her lips. “I must admit I’m impressed. I didn’t know you handled the business end of things. I figured you tended to the cattle and let somebody else crunch numbers.”

A compliment? “Listen, can we call a truce and work together on this? I really think your rodeo could be successful here. Area businesses could use a new influx of tourist dollars. Keeping costs low would allow the competitors a bigger purse, which would line the cowboys’ pockets and put your rodeo on the map. Everybody wins.”

She blew out a sigh that ruffled the long layers framing her face. “I’m sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I just wasn’t expecting you, and I lashed out. If we’re to work together, we need to forget the past and focus on the rodeo.” Her glance strayed toward the house as if she had somewhere to be…or was waiting for someone.

Was she married? His gaze dipped to her left hand, then back to her face. No ring. “I’m in. I’ll run some numbers and get back to you. Tomorrow?”

“Sure. Just give me a call. We still have the landline, and I’ll give Carson a heads-up on working with you.” Her gaze snagged on something, and her eyes widened.

He followed her line of vision. A little girl skipped in their direction.

“I have to go.” Larae bolted toward the child.

Chapter Three

Rance frowned. A child?

Denny entered the arena with a bay mare as Larae hustled the little girl back to the house.

“Who’s that?”

“Larae’s girl. Spitting image of her mama, that one.”

He swallowed hard. Could the child be his? If so, she’d be a little over seven years old. This child looked smaller. “How old is she?”

“Five or six from the looks of her.”

His insides stilled. Larae would have told him if the child belonged to him. This meant that while he’d been mourning his first love all those years ago, she’d moved on to someone else. To be honest, he wasn’t sure he’d ever really moved on from her at all. “Who’s her daddy? Is Larae married?”

“I don’t rightly know.”

“You’ve worked for her dad forever, and she’s your daughter’s best friend. How could you not know?”

“They were both closemouthed about Larae after she left, and I’m not one to pry. I didn’t know about the youngun’ until they showed up here a few days ago.” Denny gave him the once-over. “Why are you so interested?”

“I’m not. Just curious.” Denny didn’t have a clue they’d been an item back in high school. No one had because she knew her dad wouldn’t approve. “I didn’t know she had a child, that’s all. I’ll see you later.” With his heart in his boots, he trudged toward home.

The thought of her with anyone else put a painful twist in his gut. He’d given her up for the sake of her relationship with her dad, but he’d never thought about her falling for someone else.

His phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket, saw the name on the screen and accepted the call. “Hey, Dad.”

“How’s the stock contracting business going, son?”

“Slow. I might have a job, but it’s complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

He filled his dad in on the Larae situation.

“I see.” His father let out a long whistle. “Hence the complicated maybe job.”

“It was like I was seventeen again.”

“You still love her?”

“Now, I didn’t say that.”

“Yet you did, by not saying it. Go get the job and the girl.”

“Even if I wanted her, there’s more to it than that.” But he couldn’t get into it, since he’d never told his parents why they broke up. If he had, his dad would have confronted Ray Collins, and the whole town would have heard about it. Even Larae.

“Is she involved with someone else?”

“I’m not sure.” A tight band settled in his chest. “She has a child.”

“Hmm. Well, find out if the father is still in the picture and go from there. But be careful, son. I was there the first time Larae Collins broke your heart.”

“It wasn’t her fault, Dad.” Rance opened the gate to his yard, now free of tangled vines thanks to the attack goat he’d borrowed yesterday.

“You keep saying that, but you won’t say anything else.”

“It’s—”

“Complicated. I know. Keep me in the loop, will ya? Your mom wants to talk to you. Here she is.”

“Hi, Mom. I’m eating fine. I fixed a pot of chili last night.”

“Well, you won’t starve, but that’s not very healthy—all that red meat.” Since learning that her husband had high cholesterol, she’d become a health food expert.

“I used venison.” Only because he liked it better, but maybe it would satisfy her just the same.

“Oh, good. You can’t imagine how much fat a lean meat can cut. You can try ground turkey if you run out of venison.”

“I’ve got a freezer full, so I’m good.”

“All right. You’ll come visit soon, right?”

“I will, Mom. And y’all are welcome here anytime. Love you.” He slipped the phone back in his pocket, stomped his boots on the slatted wood porch and stepped inside. He loved his parents, but he couldn’t concentrate on his mom’s chatter right now.

Larae had a child. His brain kept looping back to that.

What if there was a man in her life? His heart stilled at the thought. It might just fix everything. It would hurt to see her with someone else. But if she was married, he’d have to get over her.

“I sure hope Lexie moves back soon.” Stella wiped down the kitchen counters. She hadn’t changed a bit. Still tall and thin, with warm laugh lines around her eyes.

“Me, too.” Seated at the breakfast bar, Larae finished off her eggs.

“Our Lexie?” Jayda asked, pushing a stalk of broccoli around her plate.

“Remember, I told you Denny and Stella are her parents.”

“But I didn’t know she was gonna move here. I’m excited.”

“Me too, Little Miss.” Stella winked at Jayda. Denny’s wife had happily cooked for staff and watched their children for as long as Larae could remember.

The knocker sounded at the heavy front door.

“It’s awful early for visitors.” Stella pushed a strand of hair away from her face and tried to secure it back in the bun at the nape of her neck. “And the hands don’t usually knock.”

“I’ll get it.” Larae got up from her perch at the granite-lined breakfast bar and pointed a stern finger at Jayda. “You stay put and eat the rest of your omelet. It’s good for you.” The cheese sauce probably took away from its benefits, but broccoli wrapped in egg was the only way to get veggies down Jayda.

“I’ll make sure she does.” Stella shot her a wink.

“Thanks.” She hurried to the front door and swung it open. Carson stood on the threshold with a thick folder under his arm.

“Is this a good time? I have numbers for you.”

“You’re fast.” She gestured him toward the great room so she could keep an eye on Jayda in the adjoining kitchen. “Come on in.”

“I’ve got specs on three different sizes.” He settled on the cowhide sofa and set his folder on the coffee table. “We’ll call them Building A, B and C. A is small, just meets the regulations. B is the most common. C is more your Fort Worth or Mesquite size.”

“So I’d need to go with C if I wanted to get pro certified?” Nerves danced through her.

“Definitely C.”

“I figure go big or go home.”

“Alrighty then.” He flipped past several papers.

She scanned the spreadsheet to the bottom total. Not as much as she’d expected. “If we do this, how soon are we talking?”

“We could break ground in a few weeks and have your building ready in two months.”

“And what about the arena part?”

“That’s out of my line of expertise, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there.”

“Well, this is encouraging.” She was well aware of how much revenue a good rodeo could bring in, especially if she could get certified for pro events. It would be enough to permanently keep the ranch well in the black.

“Thank you for putting this together, Carson. I’ll look over it some more and get back with you.”

“Not a problem.” He stood, and she followed him to the foyer.

If she did this, she’d have to hire Rance. Otherwise, she’d only look stupid. Or still hung up on him. Maybe she could get the arrangements in place, then go back to Dallas and oversee the rodeo from afar. Whatever it took to avoid Rance.

The knocker sounded again.

“Next.” Carson grinned as he opened the door.

Rance stood on the stoop. His gaze pinged back and forth between them, landed on Carson and narrowed. “You?”

“Me what?”

Surely Rance didn’t think she was involved with Carson. Why would he care? “Carson was here going over numbers for a possible arena building.”

“I was just leaving.”

“Thanks again, Carson.” He exited, but she didn’t step aside to let Rance in, willing Jayda to take her sweet time finishing her broccoli. “Can I help you?”

“I brought my numbers, too.”

“It’ll have to wait. I don’t do business at my home. We’ll have to set up a time to meet.”

“Hmm, let’s see what’s wrong with this picture. Your office is at your house, and you met with Carson about business.”

“Fine.” She backed away and then ushered him through the formal living room. “But not here. Let’s go to Dad’s office.”

In the doorway facing her father’s massive desk, she stopped. The room still smelled of his Old Spice cologne. She’d spent half her childhood in the wood-paneled room but had never sat in his cushy executive chair. Just the sight of it put a knot in her throat.

“How about the table?” Rance set his file on the long conference table.

“Yes.” Did he understand her hesitation, feel for her grief?

“I was sorry to hear about your dad.”

Sympathy from him would surely undo her. She cleared her throat. “Thanks. What have you got?”

He opened the folder. The spreadsheet listed all his stock, along with his fee. “Do you know which size you’re going with yet?”

“The biggest.” She rattled off the specs Carson had given her.

“Good choice.” He pulled a loose sheet and handed it to her. “This is what you’ll need. The fees listed beside each of my bulls, broncs and steers is what I get every time they leave the chute. They’re priced according to bloodlines, and I’ll handle all the transport. I took the liberty of contacting an acquaintance who builds arenas. He said he’d work with Carson and have your rodeo up and running a month after the building is finished.”

Surprisingly thorough. “Did you think to ask him about updating the outdoor arena until the building is functional?”

“If he breaks ground next week, the weather holds, and inspectors don’t give him trouble, he said three weeks. A month at the most.”

“Wow.” Fast enough to turn the ranch around.

“His estimates are in the file, too. It’s a great idea, Larae. There aren’t any indoor rodeos in this area except in San Antonio. And none them are year-round. I hope you’ll get past the thinking stage.”

“It’s a lot to take on.”

“How long are you here for?”

“It was supposed to only be a week.” But that was before her new manager decided to handle marketing, too, leaving Larae jobless and bent on selling the ranch, even at a loss.

“You could hire someone to oversee things when you go back.”

If she went back. “I’ve thought about that, too.” She closed the file. But right now she needed to get rid of him. Not even Jayda had ever made broccoli last this long. “Thank you for putting this together. I’ll get back with you if I decide to move forward.”

He stayed seated. His jaw ticked as if he had more to say. She stood to give him the hint. He reluctantly followed her lead.

“All right then—” he turned and opened the door “—just let me know.”

“Mommy, I ate all of my broccoli. Can I have my chocolate milk now?” Jayda stopped when she saw Rance. “Oh. Hi.” Never shy.

At the moment, Larae wished she was.

“Broccoli for breakfast?” Rance grimaced. “I’m Rance. An old friend of your mom’s.”

Larae’s heart did somersaults against her ribs. He’d gotten a glimpse of Jayda yesterday and obviously learned she was Larae’s daughter. But then, anybody would know that by looking at her. Just as long as he didn’t figure out anything else, everything would be fine.

“It was in an omelet. I’m Jayda.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jayda.”

“You can have your milk, and a cookie, too.” Just go. Rance had said only a few days ago that it was a good thing he didn’t have kids, and who knew how long he’d stick with this stock contracting thing? Hopefully long enough to get her rodeo going. Then he could run off for the rodeo circuit again, none the wiser. Footloose and fancy-free just the way he liked it.

“Everybody thinks I’m five or six—”

“Jayda, go have your cookies now. You can have three.”

“Three.” Jayda grinned. “You never let me have three.”

Rance chuckled.

“Just this once. Since you ate all your broccoli.”

“But I’m not finished. I wanted to tell Rance I’m really seven.”

“Jayda.” Her daughter’s name ripped from her throat.

It was too late.

Rance’s grin slipped away. His eyes widened, then narrowed as he inspected Jayda.

“What, Mommy?”

“I’ve warned you about talking to strangers, haven’t I?” It was the only thing she could come up with.

“I thought that only counted when you weren’t around.”

“You’re right. I forgot.” At the moment she was forgetting how to breathe.

“You’re seven?” The wonder in Rance’s tone put a hitch in her throat.

“Uh-huh. I’m just small for my age. Mommy said she was the same way until she hit a growth spurt when she was twelve.”

“Larae—” Rance’s gaze snagged on hers as he ground her name out between his teeth. “We need to talk.”

Chapter Four

In and out. Rance concentrated on breathing. Jayda’s rounded eyes flitted back and forth between him and Larae. How could she have kept this from him?

“Go have your cookies now, Jayda. I’ll be done here in just a minute.”

“Okay, Mommy.” Jayda glanced back at him one more time.

He’d obviously scared her, practically growling at Larae. He forced a smile.

Jayda slipped from the room.

“I—” Larae said.

“She’s mine.”

Larae closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because by the time, I found out—” her hand went to her middle “—you were dating Veronica Belmont.”

Only to convince her they were finished. For her sake. While he’d been doing what he thought was right, to keep her relationship with her father intact, she’d been pregnant with his child.

His blood boiled. “Did your dad know?”

“Yes.”

But she’d fled to Dallas. “Did he kick you out?”

“Of course not. He was very supportive.”

If only she knew. The old coot. “He sent you to Dallas to keep me in the dark.”

“You’d proven you weren’t ready for fatherhood.”

“You had no right to make that call.”

“We’d broken up. You’d moved on. I wasn’t about to obligate you. To risk you coming back to me.” She jabbed her thumb toward her chest. “Because of duty. It was my decision to go to college in Dallas and stay to pursue my career.”

“To hide. From me.”

“And from wagging tongues.” She hugged herself. “I did what I thought was best. For my daughter.”

“Our daughter.” He sank into a chair as all his anger drained away. What good did it do to be mad at a dead man? “I loved you, Larae. I’d have dropped everything for you. Quit the rodeo and married you.” In spite of her dad.

“If you loved me so much—” her words dripped sarcasm “—then why did you break up with me?”

He wouldn’t explain. He couldn’t skew her memories of her dad, not with her still grieving his loss. “I didn’t think I was good enough for you.”

She scoffed. “Well, you were good enough for Veronica Belmont. And Prudence Hancock. And who knows who else. Face it, Rance. You were a playboy working your way through all the rich girls in school.”

Only to convince Larae he didn’t love her. To save her relationship with her father—the man who’d stood by and watched, effectively ripping away Rance’s chance to be a father.

“That’s not who I am.”

“If you say so. But the fact remains, while you’ve been doing whatever you’ve been doing for the last eight years, I’ve been making adult decisions and taking care of my daughter. And she’s waiting for me in the kitchen, so you can go now. We didn’t need you then, and we don’t need you now. Please just go.” She moved to the door, obviously expecting him to do her bidding.

“No.”

“Please, Rance.” Her voice was softer now. Pleading. Her posture changed and she melted into herself. “You don’t owe us anything. We’ll move back to Dallas. I’ll get the rodeo going from there, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

“I can’t ignore this. She’s my responsibility.”

“She doesn’t have to be. I’m fine financially. And I don’t have to keep the ranch. I can unload it and not spend the funds I have on the rodeo.”

“That’s not what I mean, Larae. I intend to support her financially. But it’s more than that. I have a daughter. And whether you think she needs me or not, I can’t just pretend she doesn’t exist. She’s part of me.”

Her eyes watered up. “The best part.”

“I’m glad—” his throat closed up “—to know you still think there’s good in me.”

“I loved you. Once.” She blinked the moisture away.

“We can work this out. I need to be in her life.”

“Fine.” She swallowed hard. “But you can’t just waltz into her life, get her used to you, and then traipse off after some woman. Or rodeo. And leave Jayda behind and heartbroken.”

“I won’t.” He spewed out a sigh. “I was mad the other day when I popped off about not being here long, but I didn’t mean it. I’m here. For the long run.”

“What about the rodeo? You’ve been a bronc rider for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m not as young as I was.” He rubbed his injured shoulder. “It started hurting more than it used to. And I missed home. So I moved to Fort Worth three years ago when I got an opportunity to get into stock contracting. I’m done with competing. I started my own business so I could come back to Medina.”

“I just wish…”

“What do you wish?” That they’d never broken up? That they’d gotten married, raised their daughter together?

“That I could trust you. To stay. To fully commit to Jayda.”

“You can. That guy in high school, the one who dumped you, the one who went on and dated all those other girls—that wasn’t me. I’m a Christian now. I even attend church.”

“I’ve seen how churches work, and Christians are still all too human.” She rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Regardless of who you are, we seem to bring out the worst in each other.”

“Then let’s change that.” He stood and gently touched her chin until she looked up at him again. “You can trust me now. If you move back to Dallas, I’ll move there, too. I want to be Jayda’s father. I need to be her father. For the rest of her life.”

She took in a deep breath and nodded. “Just give me some time to break it to her.”

Wait? Even though he wanted to rush into the kitchen, gather Jayda in his arms, tell her he was her father and start making up for the time they’d lost? Patience had never been his best trait.

“I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Maybe a little more time than that?”

“How much time could it possibly take to say, ‘This is your father’?”

“I’d like to ease into it slowly, then take time to let it sink in before you blast into her life.”

“Please don’t put it off, Larae. You know I don’t do waiting well.” His feet felt leaden as he walked to the door. Everything in him wanted to bolt for the kitchen. He put one foot in front of the other till he reached the front door and stepped outside. Though everything had changed in an instant, he’d go back to his empty, lonely house. And wait.

If only he’d committed to Christ back in high school, maybe he would have made better decisions. Maybe he could have witnessed to her and they wouldn’t have had a child out of wedlock. Maybe he could have eventually won her dad over, proved himself as a stock contractor. Had Jayda after they were married. Done things right.

Things could have gone so differently. Regrets piled high. But Jayda wasn’t one of them. She was the blessing that came out of their mistakes, and he couldn’t wait to be her dad. Maybe he could find out what Larae had against Christians and witness to her. If they could get on the same page spiritually, everything would be easier.

He dug his phone out of his pocket, scrolled to his father’s number and stopped. Despite the circumstances, his parents would be thrilled to learn they were grandparents. But they’d want to see Jayda right away. And they might hold Larae’s silence against her. He couldn’t tell them. Not yet.

Things didn’t need to get any more complicated than they already were. After he and Larae found their footing with each other—once Jayda knew who he was and things smoothed out a bit—then he’d tell his parents. He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

His old feelings for Larae had to remain buried deep. No one knew he had big-money family ties. If he let himself fall for her again, some people would think he was a gold digger, just as her father had. He had to make a success of his new business before he could even think about anything more than coparenting with her.

Mental and physical exhaustion threatened to overtake Larae. She’d barely slept last night. After all these years of holding her secret tight, Rance knew the truth. Her future was uncharted territory. Everything would change. She’d have to share Jayda.

Perched on the porch swing, her gaze went to the arena, where Jayda was riding Beans. She hadn’t broached the subject of Rance with Jayda yet, and she had to figure out a way. He wouldn’t be patient forever.

How would she break the news to her little girl? Sweetie, I’ve been keeping your father away from you all these years because I thought he was a jerk. But now, maybe he’s not. Or maybe he is and he’s just pretending he isn’t.

At the moment, she needed to focus on the rodeo. The list of phone numbers blurred before her eyes. She should be calling friends and former colleagues to find potential rodeo staff—bullfighters, chute bosses, announcers. The list went on. She couldn’t build a rodeo if she couldn’t staff it. So much to do and so much on her mind. She couldn’t seem to function.

“There you are.”

She jumped at the sound of Rance’s voice. He rounded the side of the house, took the steps in one long lope and settled beside her on the swing as if she’d invited him.

“Whatcha doing?” He glanced at the phone numbers in her file.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait. I haven’t told her anything yet.”

“Yeah, about that… That doesn’t mean I have to stay away, does it? What’s wrong with me being around, letting her get used to me, then telling her who I am? Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.” Jayda’s giggle caught his attention, and he looked toward the arena. His jaw went slack. “But I don’t think I can stay away.” He stood.

“Wait.” She grabbed his arm. Muscles flexed under her fingertips, and electricity sparked between them. Her hand slipped away. “I guess I’ll have to put up with you since you’re obviously not going to do what I say. But I’m not comfortable with you being around her without me. Yet. I’m afraid you’ll let something slip. And I can’t drop everything and hang out with y’all today. I have calls to make.”

“Can I help with the calls?”

“Maybe.” She gestured to her list. “I called Carson and told him to get started on the indoor building and contacted the arena company you recommended to spruce the outdoor site into shape. But now I need to call all my rodeo contacts. I’m trying to find staff and hoping my contacts can make recommendations.”

“So you’re staying? Going ahead with the rodeo idea?”

She let out a sigh. Might as well come clean. “My job in Dallas got downsized and my lease on our condo is up in May, so I can’t really think of anything we have to go back for. Jayda loves it here. The rodeo idea is growing on me. And you’re here.” Her voice cracked. “If you’re going to be a part of her life, I figure we should stay put.” At least for now.

“I know this is hard. But I won’t let you down. Not this time.” He reached over and closed her file. “I have a better idea on how to find rodeo staff, though.”

“How?”

“You’re a marketing guru. Make flyers announcing your rodeo with a list of employment opportunities. Put tabs with your number on the bottom for interested parties to call for details. You can put the info on the radio in the community announcements also.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Your brain’s on overload.”

“But if I call my rodeo contacts, I can get references.”

“This way you’ll find out who’s available and interested. You can still use your contacts to vet any calls you get from flyers. And I know lots of rodeo workers, so I can help you hire the best.”

“Maybe it would speed up the process.”

“Tell you what, let Jayda finish her ride while we go inside and put together flyers. Once we get them printed, we’ll drive into town and the surrounding areas to hang flyers. The three of us.”

“And you’ll still just be my friend from high school?”

“Until you say different.”

“Deal.” She offered her hand. At the fiery touch of his fingers, she wished she hadn’t. She jerked away and stood. “We better get busy then.”

He hesitated, his gaze riveted on the arena. “Can we talk to Jayda first? Just for a minute.”

That was the last thing she wanted, but there was no getting around it anymore. “Sure.”

“Really?” His face lit up like a kid’s on a rare snow day in Texas.

Had Jayda already wound herself around his heart? “As long as you don’t tell her anything or do anything weird—like hug her or cry.”

“I don’t cry.”

But if she didn’t know better, she’d say his green eyes were a little too shiny.

“Let’s go.” He blinked a few times and stood.

Had he actually changed or was he only acting like he cared, the way he had back in high school? Her legs weren’t long enough to keep up with him, and he beat her to the arena.

“Hey, Mommy.” Jayda waved.

“Hey, Pumpkin. You remember Rance?”

“Mmm-hmm.” The little girl looked at him, uncertain.

“I’m helping your mom with some work here at the ranch. Sorry I was kind of grumpy yesterday. I’m not usually like that.”

“It’s okay. I get grumpy when I’m tired.”

“You sure ride well. Did you have a pony in Dallas?”

“No. But Mommy started taking me to the stables when I was three.”

“I can tell.”

Every nerve ending Larae owned stood on end. “Listen Sweetie, Rance and I are going to Grandpa’s office to get some work done. In an hour or so, we’ll go hang flyers in Medina, Bandera and a couple of other towns. You can go with us.”

“Flyers for what?”

“I’m thinking about starting a rodeo here on the ranch.”

“Our own rodeo.” Jayda’s mouth made a small O. “That sounds like fun.”

And a lot of work. “Denny, just send her inside when you get ready. She’ll keep you out here all day if you let her.” Larae pointed her finger at Jayda. “Just a few more minutes. Mr. Denny has work to do. And once you come inside, you can watch cartoons, or hang out with Ms. Stella, or come in the office with us.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Rance, you coming?”

With a wave to Jayda, he regretfully turned to follow her.

This was gonna be harder than she’d thought. She’d have to figure out a way to tell Jayda who he was. Soon.

Chapter Five

Rance stood at the window. He’d watched Jayda until Denny had helped her dismount. His daughter. Surreal. And yet very real. And woven into his heart in the very short time of knowing about her.

Realizing she was in the house somewhere had him wired, wishing he could be with her instead of stuck in the office.

“How’s this look?” Larae leaned back in her chair.

He strolled up behind her and bent to peer over her shoulder. Her apple scent invaded his space. The same scent she’d worn in school. He never could determine if it was her hair or skin or both.

“What do you think?”

He focused on the screen. “I don’t know. You’re the marketing guru.”

“Would it get your attention enough to read and see if stock contractor was listed?”

The word Rodeo was in huge print, followed by “Do you love rodeos? Imagine a rodeo in Medina. Every weekend, year-round. Let’s make it happen.” A bullet list of job openings followed, with “call this number if interested” tabs at the bottom. Rodeo graphics bordered the flyer.

“Yes. And if I wasn’t already hired, I’d be disappointed to see it not listed.”

“But what if I can’t get this thing off the ground? I don’t want to false advertise or get anybody’s hopes up.”

“It’s not something you can waffle back and forth on. You already hired workers to whip the arena into shape and break ground on the indoor facility. And you’re really good at this. With your marketing tactics, I think your rodeo can succeed.”

“Thanks.” She clicked the print tab. Seconds later, the printer hummed out the first copy. “I figure we can go to Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Hondo and Vanderpool, too. We can take separate vehicles if you don’t want to go that far.”

“We can ride together. Nothing else to do until we get this rodeo up and going. As long as we’ll be back in time for church service at six.”

“Oh wow, it’s Wednesday, isn’t it?” She checked her watch. “It’s not quite ten. We’ll be back in plenty of time for you to go.”

“Why don’t y’all come to church with me?”

“No thanks.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you have against Christians? I mean, even back when we were—” he hesitated a moment “—sneaking around to see each other, you weren’t interested in church or anything to do with it.”

“I was raised in church.” She turned to stare out the window, her gaze distant. “But I haven’t been since I was a kid when we attended in Fredericksburg.”

“I remember you telling me that everyone there was snooty.”

“It was my grandparents’ church, on Mama’s side. They were total snobs. Even though Dad had money too, they hated that he moved her to Medina. So to appease them, Mama agreed to go to their church and send me to private school.” She marked a check by one of the numbers she’d called and wrote a note out to the side.

“I remember your dad was into class and status like them, but your mom was completely down-to-earth. Like you.”

“Dad wasn’t a snob. They both taught me that nobody is better than anyone else. But Dad was always worried someone would show interest in me because of money. Before Mama, he was engaged to Delia Rhinehart. Until he found out she only wanted his portfolio. After that, he was wary of anyone who didn’t have wealth.”

It all made so much sense now. Her dad hadn’t looked down on him. He’d feared Rance was after Larae’s money. Because he’d been there. If Rance had only come clean about his Remington family ties, maybe her dad would have treated him differently. But he’d been too proud to rely on his family name to smooth things over for him.

“It was Delia Rhinehart who made me want nothing to do with church.”

“There were some Rhineharts in our school, weren’t there?”

“Her son and daughters.”

“I think I remember her from school events. She was always with that Chadwick woman.”

“That’s her. Delia was the biggest gossip, constantly spreading rumors or making stuff up. Back then, I decided if she was a Christian, I didn’t want to be one.” Her eyes glossy, she blew out a big breath and swallowed hard. “After Mama’s accident, Delia started a rumor that Mama was out at midnight because she was seeing someone else.”

He touched her shoulder. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” She’d never talked about it before. He’d only known that her mom had been comatose after a drunk driver hit her. She died months later when Larae was fifteen. Right about a year before he’d met her.

“In truth, Mama went to the overnight pharmacy to get Dad some cough medicine because he was recovering from bronchitis. I don’t think anyone believed Delia, but Dad and I never stepped foot in that church again. Or any church, for that matter. We’d run into Delia every once in a while. She never changed. It was mostly because of her that I decided to leave for Dallas. So she’d never get the chance to make my baby seem—dirty.”

One mean-spirited woman had single-handedly caused Larae’s dad to assume Rance was a gold digger and helped to keep Jayda a secret from him. A deep dislike for a person he barely remembered bubbled up in him, but he couldn’t allow those feelings to take root. He was far from perfect himself. And he had to get through to Larae.

“That’s not how all Christians are. We’re still human. Some don’t quite get their act together.”

“I prayed—” her voice quivered “—so hard for Mama to make a complete recovery.” Her tone grew cold, hard. “Instead, she languished in a coma for six months before she died. I didn’t understand, and it drove me farther away from God.”

Give me the right words, Lord. “Death is part of life. But He wants to help you through the hard times, if you let Him.”

“I know. I figured that out after Jayda came. I was lonely and scared. My landlord led me to Christ and invited me to church.” Larae stiffened and swiveled her chair from his comforting hand on her shoulder. Then she stood and stepped over to the printer. “So I am a Christian, but church just isn’t my thing. I can find crude, catty, snobby people anywhere, so why bother with church? I can read my Bible and pray anywhere.”

It was after Rance lost Larae that he went searching for something. Anything to help him move on. But he couldn’t tell her that. Not without getting into why he’d broken up with her. Not without putting a permanent smudge on her father’s memory for her. Even though he understood her father’s actions better now, the truth would still hurt Larae. And he’d hurt her enough.

He cleared his throat. “After we broke up and you left, I realized I didn’t want to be a playboy. I went to church with my folks, which I’d done the entire time I was growing up. This time, I really listened. And it all sank in. I realized I was a sinner who needed a Savior.”

“I’m glad. I don’t know how I made it through Mama’s death without Him.” She set several flyers in the paper cutter and began making precise slices between each number tab.

“The people at our church are really down-to-earth and supportive. I’m confident you’d like it there.”

“I haven’t stepped foot in Medina for almost eight years. I’m about to show up with a daughter in tow and no husband. And run around town with you hanging flyers.” She closed her eyes. “People might suspect who Jayda’s dad is. I’m not ready for that to be public knowledge. I mean—she doesn’t even know yet. I don’t need a bunch of church tongues wagging, too.”

“My church isn’t like that, and no one in town will suspect anything. Jayda’s small for her age. I didn’t figure it out until she told me how old she was.”

“I told her not to go around announcing her age to strangers. It’s spring break right now.” She finished slicing and set the stack of flyers on the desk. “If we stay here, I’ll have to get her into school, and then everyone will know how old she is. The guessing games will begin on who her father is. I know how small towns are.”

“Eventually, it’s gonna be public news, Larae. You may as well prepare for it. But for now, we’re working on a rodeo together and we went to the same school. Remember, we were very discreet back in the day when we were keeping your father in the dark.” Her dad never would have known if he hadn’t followed Larae when she’d slipped out to meet him one night. “Trust me, no one at my church will concern themselves with your marital status or single mom-hood. They’ll just love you.”

“I guess as long as you don’t make I’m-your-dad eyes at Jayda, no one will suspect.”

“I’ll try real hard not to do that.” He grinned. “And once Jayda knows about me and we’re ready to go public with our little family, I’m certain the church will support us.”

“Mama.” Jayda stepped through the doorway. “Are we going to church?”

“I don’t think so, sweetie.”

“My friend Gretchen always goes to church. She makes it sound really fun.” The wistfulness in Jayda’s tone tugged at her.

The printer spit out the last copy. Larae scooped up the final stack and made the cuts. “Are you ready to go?”

“Can I hang flyers?” Jayda did a little bounce, successfully distracted from the church subject.

For now. But maybe he could use her curiosity to get Larae to try it out.

“I’m counting on it.” Larae handed the little girl the tape dispenser.

Rance grabbed the stack of flyers. He’d have to tread carefully. She’d been hurt by a churchwoman, who obviously hadn’t lived according to biblical values. He had to find a way to show her most Christians were loving and supportive. Her relationship with God would never fully progress if she ignored the Bible’s instructions on assembling with other believers.

For now, though, he needed to focus on spending the day with his daughter—without letting her know he was her daddy.

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