She nodded.
“Are you hungry?”
Her eyes widened again, and she scrambled to the chair on the other side of him, crawling up on the seat. He growled silently and shook his head. “No, Charity. You cannot eat here.”
“And why not?”
He snapped his head toward the woman’s voice near the door. Adelaine stood just inside, wearing a cream-colored blouse and a brown skirt with black boots. Her arms were folded, and she arched an eyebrow. She tapped her foot impatiently.
“Oh, good morning,” he said hesitantly, not knowing whether to call her Adelaine, Addie, or Mrs. Remington.
“Are you going to answer my question?” Adelaine moved to the little girl on the chair and took hold of her hand. “You are going to turn away a two-year-old child who is hungry?”
“Listen... Adelaine.” He shook his head. “I usually eat by myself. That’s all.”
She huffed. “And Charity was supposed to know that?” She rolled her eyes.
“She can eat in her room or the playroom. Mrs. Simone usually takes up a tray of food for Tobias and Susan.”
“Really?” She gave him a judgmental stare. “And you call yourself a family man? Why can’t they eat with you here, in the dining room?”
Suddenly, loud voices were heard in the entryway, and moments later came the quick steps of a man’s boots stomping on the floor, coming closer to the kitchen. Dallas turned toward the door again. Who else would barge in on his quiet morning?
As soon as Clark entered the dining room, he stopped short. His worried expression jumped from Dallas to Adelaine. His face was pale, and he looked out of breath.
“What’s going on?” Dallas warily asked.
“Mr. R., I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but...” he took a deep breath. “Tobias is missin’.”
“Missing?” Dallas’s heart slammed in his chest, and he struggled to stand. “What do you mean, he’s missing?”
“Pearl went upstairs to the children’s rooms to wake them. Susan was there, but Tobias wasn’t. Pearl is searching through the house as we speak.”
From the kitchen, Mrs. Simone bustled out, clutching her apron. “Oh, dear. He is missing again? I can help Pearl find him.”
Adelaine picked up her daughter and carried her to the older woman. “If you’ll take care of Charity, I shall help Pearl and Clark locate the boy.”
“Yes, Addie.” Mrs. Simone took Charity out of Adelaine’s arms. “I’ll give her breakfast, as well.”
Glancing toward the window, Dallas noticed the clouds gradually growing darker. His gut churned. “Tobias is not in the house.”
“How do you know?” Clark touched Dallas’s arm. “Do you know where he went?”
Dallas tightened his jaw. “No, but I know my son, and he’s hiding for a reason... to make us really look for him. He feels he needs attention. Again.” Painfully, he swung his swollen leg off the chair and stood. “I’ll go look for him.”
Adelaine rushed to the door and looked out. “Mrs. Winters?” she called to Dallas’s housekeeper. “Will you fetch Mr. Remington’s coat, and mine as well? We’ll be going out to look for Tobias.”
Dallas grabbed his cane and limped toward Adelaine. “You can stay here. I don’t need your help. I know how to find my son by myself.”
Adelaine turned and threw Dallas a glare. “I think, Mr. Remington, that you’re in no condition to go anywhere by yourself.” She pointed to his leg. “I know how to ride a horse, and I certainly know how to look for children who go hiding.”
Her snippy temper caught him off guard, and for a brief moment, he didn’t know how to answer. Although he wanted to make her stay in the house, she was right. He did need help. Clark couldn’t help because he and the other ranch hands needed to prepare the cattle for the coming storm.
“Um, Mr. R.,” Clark said. “Don’t you think you should get off your foot? After all, the doctor said—”
Dallas threw his foreman a glare. “When my son is found, then – and only then – will I get off my foot. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
He pierced Adelaine with a scowl. “Let’s go.”
Leading the way, he moved out of the dining room and toward the main hallway. Mrs. Winters rushed down from the stairs, carrying two coats. She handed one to him and one to Adelaine. Clark stepped behind Dallas and helped him into his coat.
Pearl hurried in from one of the side hallways, her face was white with worry. “I didn’t find him.”
“I’ll ride the land and find him.” He nodded in confidence.
“Oh, please hurry, Mr. Remington.” Pearl’s voice shook. “Tobias gets cold really quickly.”
Dallas’s gut clenched. He prayed he found him quickly. He didn’t need to lose another loved one from pneumonia. He wouldn’t allow his son to die as the boy’s mother had done.
FOUR
Adelaine tightened the coat around her neck, trying to ward off the chill in the windy air. The dark clouds in the sky seemed to grow thicker as the minutes passed by. She and Dallas had been riding for only five minutes, but it seemed much longer. Her frantic heartbeat wouldn’t rest until Tobias was found.
She kept her horse riding in the same rhythm as Dallas’s horse. The stubborn man wouldn’t look at her, which upset her even more. What was wrong with him, anyway? True, he was in pain because of his leg, but why couldn’t he at least admit when he needed assistance? Or was it because he just didn’t want it from her?
“Where do you think he’s gone?” she asked, her voice lifted over the wind.
He snapped his head toward her so quickly, she wondered if she had startled him.
“There is a spot on the ranch,” he pointed in the direction, “where his mother used to take him. Since her death, I’ve found him there a few times.”
“I pray he’s there.”
“As do I, especially because if the storm beats us, we’ll need shelter from the rain.”
“Is there shelter near this spot?”
“Yes, there’s a shack nearby. Back when my father owned the ranch, the shack used to be where his foreman stayed. When I took over, I wanted my foreman closer.”
“Then let’s hurry.” She glanced up, not liking how quickly the storm was coming. “We’ll need to get Tobias to safety soon.”
Dallas kicked the horse’s sides, urging the animal faster. As he moved ahead, she noticed that he wasn’t wearing his boot on his broken leg. She groaned. Now she had two reasons to get the Remington men in some shelter before the storm hit. But she couldn’t blame the man for wanting to find his son – whether or not his leg was swollen.
Men! Why were they so obstinate?
Nothing more was said between them as they raced for a distant spot on his land. It was hard not to look at everything around her since this was the first time she’d been here, but the Blue Creek Ranch was very impressive. She was still shocked to think a wealthy man like Dallas would marry her, but she squashed any hopes of a real relationship.
They had to slow their horses as they passed through a thicket of trees, and when they came to the clearing, Dallas stopped completely. She reined in her horse, stopping beside him. Dallas’s gaze was in one location – near the creek. She glanced in that direction, and Tobias was sitting on the bank. His knees were to his chest as he arms wrapped around them, and he was shivering.
“Addie, will you help me down?” Dallas asked for her ears only.
The tone of his voice tugged on her heart. She was certain it was difficult for him to ask help from anyone, let alone the wife he didn’t want.
She jumped down and hurried to his horse, helping him the best she could. When he placed weight on his injured leg, he lost a little color in his face and grimaced. He withdrew the cane he’d slid in a loop on the saddle and walked toward his son. Not knowing what to do, she stayed back by the horses and held onto the reins.
As Dallas neared, his son took a quick peek over his shoulder toward his fath
er before looking back at the creek. When Dallas reached his son, he struggled to sit beside him. For a moment, she thought of going over to help, but she held herself back. Finally, Dallas sat by Tobias and put his arm around him. Immediately, the boy leaned against his father, crying.
Adelaine’s throat tightened with emotion. Would she be able to make his child see that she was actually a good person?
In the dark cloudy sky, thunder rumbled loudly. The horses seemed skittish, so she stroked their noses, one at a time, trying to keep them calm. But another minute later, she felt the first drop of rain on her face. They needed to get out of this storm before it down poured.
She turned to Dallas, and he and Tobias were standing. The boy assisted his father, thankfully. They walked fast to the horses.
“Addie, you mount, and I’m going to lift Tobias up to you.”
She shook her head. “No, I can handle us. Let me help you mount first.”
His face reddened, and his jaw tightened, but he nodded and limped to his horse. Between Adelaine and Tobias, they helped Dallas onto the saddle. She moved to her horse and helped Tobias climb on first before she pulled herself behind him.
Dallas led the way to the old foreman’s shack, and thankfully, it wasn’t very far. By the time they reached it, Dallas was already stopped and struggling to climb down. Tobias jumped from her horse and ran to assist his father. She dismounted and took the reins of both horses to lead them under the half-built shed to keep the animals out of the storm.
She rushed back to the shack and entered, brushing off the rain that had accumulated on her coat. Tobias and his father were in front of the hearth, trying to start a fire. The only talking they did was when Dallas had Tobias fetch him things from the cabin. It didn’t take long before the flames of the fire were growing, and heat filled the cold space.
Dallas limped to a wooden chair and pulled it closer to the fire before sitting. He stretched his injured leg toward the heat as he rubbed his shin. Tobias kneeled in front of the hearth and stared at the fire. Adelaine had no other choice but to sit on the dusty sofa against the far wall. Thankfully, this room was small, so she was sure the heat would reach her eventually.
After a few minutes of silence passed, Dallas leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. His gaze was on his son.
“Tobias? Are you now going to tell me why you ran away from the house?”
The boy shrugged one shoulder but didn’t look at Dallas. “I dunno.”
“Yes, you do, and I’m not going to stop asking until you tell me.”
The ten-year-old boy glanced at Adelaine before moving his attention back to the fire. “I... don’t want another Mother.”
Adelaine’s chest tightened, but she’d expected the boy to say something like that.
“Do you think you’re too old for one?” Dallas asked.
The boy shrugged again. “Maybe.”
Dallas sighed heavily and scrubbed his chin. “What about your sister? Is she also too old for a mother?”
This time the boy hung his head, shaking it slowly. “No.”
“You know,” Dallas continued, “when I was twelve years old, I had fallen through some ice on the lake. It was late winter, and I thought that since spring was just around the bend, I could play on the ice, and nothing would happen. My mother had been telling us children, for years not to walk on the ice. I thought I was a man and that I didn’t need to listen to my mother. Anyway, my father rescued me, but then I’d gotten really sick the next day.”
During his pause, Adelaine was anxious to hear what had happened. So much, in fact, that she leaned forward on the sofa as she gazed upon his handsome profile. There, for a moment, she could see the gentleness around his eyes and mouth, and she wondered if she was finally getting a glimpse of the kind man everyone else seemed to think he was.
“I knew my mother was upset at me for not listening to her.” Dallas’s tone was softer this time. “But she still stayed up all night and all day trying to keep my fever down. She didn’t complain, not even once.”
Tobias turned fully to look at his father. The boy’s eyes were wide.
“So, tell me, Tobie. Do you think I needed a mother?” Dallas arched an eyebrow. “What do you think would have happened to me if my mother decided I was too old for a mother?”
Tobias swallowed noisily. “You would have died.”
Dallas nodded. “I would have died.” He leaned over and stroked his son’s hair. “All I’m saying is that although you don’t think you need a mother, maybe – in some ways – you do.”
Tears filled the boy’s eyes, and he looked over at Adelaine. This time, it was more than just a passing glance. He swallowed noisily again and met his father’s stare. “But, I want my own mother... not someone else’s mother.”
“Let me tell you something about this lady.” Dallas pulled on Tobias’ arm, and he stood. Dallas then brought the boy closer and slid an arm around him, turning him toward Adelaine again. “Did you know that this lady right here set me straight when she thought I wasn’t going to feed her daughter breakfast?”
Adelaine sucked in a quick breath. Dallas was actually going to make this a learning lesson for his son?
“She did?” Tobias said.
“Yes. She didn’t think I’d planned on feeding her daughter, so she snapped at me for it.”
Adelaine wasn’t sure where this so-called lesson was going, but Dallas had better hurry and get to the point because he was making her look bad.
“Do you know what that tells me?” Dallas asked his son.
“No, what Father?”
“That tells me she cares deeply for the little girl, so much that she yelled at me – who is still a stranger to her.”
Dallas finally turned his gaze to Adelaine. She couldn’t read his expression very well. Was he upset at her?
“And do you know what this lady did when she heard that you were missing?” Dallas kept his attention on Adelaine even though his question was aimed at Tobias.
“No, what Father?”
“She was going to go out into the storm – alone – and find you.”
Tobias looked back at his father with confusion written on his expression. “But why didn’t she want you to come?”
Dallas chuckled. “Because of my leg. She knows I can hardly walk on it.” He cupped the boy’s chin. “But there was no way I’d let her come by herself, especially since she’s new here and doesn’t know the ranch.”
Tobias nodded.
“So, to me,” Dallas continued, “that tells me that this lady right here is going to be a very good mother. She’s going to care about her child and both of mine. She’s going to make certain you all eat a proper meal, and if you go out missing, she’s going to fight through a tornado – if she has to – just to find you.”
When Tobias’ expression turned to one of guilt, that same emotion hung heavy on Adelaine’s chest. Why did Pearl want everyone to think Charity was Adelaine’s daughter? It still didn’t make much sense at all. She wished she could tell Dallas. One day she would, but not today.
Dallas motioned to her as if trying to let her know it was all right to talk to Tobias. Taking a deep breath, she rose from the sofa and slowly walked across the floor toward the two men. When she reached Tobias, she knelt in front of him, trying her best to smile and let him know she was actually a nice person.
“Tobias,” she said with a scratchy throat before quickly clearing her voice. “I would really like to be your friend. Is that all right?”
He narrowed his gaze. “You don’t want to be my mother?”
“Of course, I do, but I think we can start out being friends first.”
He glanced at his father, who gave him a nod. “I... suppose we can be friends first.”
She sighed, happy that they had made it this far. “I’d like that very much.” She moved her focus to Dallas, who surprisingly, was watching her. To have his hazel gaze on her like this was startlingly uncomfortable, and it m
ade her insides flop around crazily.
“I would also like,” she continued, talking to Dallas, “to start out being your friend, too.”
Apparently, he was caught off guard, and he hitched a breath and straightened. Tobias looked at his father, grinning.
“Yes, you can be friends too, Father.”
She held her breath, afraid to breathe. Dallas stared at her, but there was no anger in his eyes, which soothed her slightly. However, she still couldn’t read his expression. Did he like the idea, or was he going to yell at her when they were alone?
FIVE
Dallas studied Adelaine. At times, she appeared frightened of him. Then again, he’d been an ornery bear since first meeting her. He had good reason, but then it might not matter to her. He’d ruined first impressions, so perhaps he needed to start apologizing for his mood swings.
Adelaine was a very lovely woman. Her brownish-blonde hair was damp and hanging loosely around her shoulders. That overly large coat appeared too big on her. In fact, the clothes she wore looked like they didn’t quite fit her at all. He’d have to have Pearl take his new wife shopping soon. After all, he couldn’t have Mrs. Remington looking worse than the hired help.
“Yes, Tobias, I think that’s a good idea if I’m friends with your new mother.”
He noticed the gush of air from her mouth as her shoulders sagged slightly. She gave him a smile, and he could tell it was genuine. It made her face prettier.
“Meanwhile,” she said, shrugging out of her coat, “while we are in the process of being friends, why don’t I do a few motherly things right now?”
She draped her coat around Tobias, who had started to shiver. The boy’s face lit up in surprise. She then moved to the hearth and threw on another log.
“Excuse me,” Dallas said, “but what are you doing?”
She pointed to his leg. “I’m trying to warm up your leg. I’m sure the ache is very painful right now.”
His eyes widened, nearly copying the same expression as his son. “How did you know?”
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