His Heart for the Trusting (Book 2 - Texas Hearts (Contemporary Western Romance)

by Mondello, Lisa

  Mitch didn't have much of a choice. He'd have to hire a ranch hand on his own and pay him out of his own wages from the ranch to take on some of his work. It wasn’t right to expect Hank to take on that responsibility.

  Or a nanny. Yeah, that would work, Mitch decided as he carefully held the baby so as not to rouse him. The last thing he needed was a screaming repeat of the half hour before Sara had arrived. Much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't do this alone. He'd have to get someone to take care of the kid so he could do his job.

  His eyes were drawn to the baby in his arms. He was warm and smelled of something sour and something sweet like baby powder. Jonathan was his name. He looked miniature in Mitch’s arms, as if he were a toy baby doll, not a real baby.

  Mitch wished he knew more about babies to figure out if this baby was really his. He didn't see any resemblance to him. Sara had. But looks alone didn't make him the father.

  This wasn't exactly how he'd envisioned working the ranch. Somehow having a kid strapped to him wasn't part of his plans.

  “First thing we need to do is find your momma, little one,” he said quietly. “Don't you worry. We'll get to the bottom of this.”

  With the sound of his voice, the baby’s eyes flew open and he started to squirm. His little face skewed and turned bright crimson with one look at Mitch, and in an instant, Jonathan let out a howl to beat the wolves.

  “Perfect.” Mitch yanked himself off the sofa and raced to the kitchen where he'd last heard Mandy and Sara, hoping he'd find Sara still there.

  Sara turned around and immediately looked at the crying baby and then at Mitch. Tears glistened in her dark brown eyes and her shiny brown hair was slightly mussed from her embrace with Mandy. He felt like a jerk for asking for her help again.

  “Now what did you do to him?” Sara said, sniffing.

  “Nothing. He just woke up and looked at me.”

  “What did you expect, you're a stranger,” she said, using the same calm tone she'd used before when she'd first come into the house.

  “You're a stranger too, and he doesn't cry like that with you?”

  “Here, let me take him.”

  Feeling like a complete imbecile, Mitch handed Jonathan to Sara. In a skilled move, she transferred the baby to her shoulder. With some light tapping on the baby’s back with her fingers, his crying subsided within a few seconds. How on earth did she do that?

  Frustrated, he threw up his hands in despair. “This is ridiculous. How can I possibly take care of a kid when I don't know a thing about them? I need to find Lillian.”

  “I wish I could be more help, Mitch,” Mandy said, dreamily looking at the baby. “But I told you, she just took off without saying a word about when she was coming back or even if she was coming back.”

  He sighed, feeling dread and helplessness settle deep in the pit of his gut.

  “His mother just left him?” Sara asked, horrified.

  Mandy nodded. “That's right. Aunt Corrine tried to ask her but she headed for the door and said, 'I did my part by bringing him into the world, now it's Mitch's turn to take over.' She was gone before we could even figure out what had happened. She didn't waste time for even a last good-bye kiss for Jonathan.”

  He watched Sara holding the baby as if having a baby in her arms were as natural as breathing.

  Her eyes held sadness when she spoke. “You know Mitch, single parents do this all the time. I've seen it at the daycare. Mind you, it's not easy, but you can do it. You just have to figure out your options.”

  Yeah, he could do it. Hadn't he made it this far on his own? Growing up in an abusive home left him fiercely independent. He'd learned to rely on himself and it had gotten him where he was today. Now all he had to do is figure out how to manage it with a baby.

  “Maybe so, but I'm going to need some help. Anyone with an ounce of sense can see that,” Mitch said. “At least until I find Jonathan's mother.”

  “I can't speak for Corrine, but I'll help you any way that I can.”

  He smiled at Mandy's offer. “Thanks Mandy, but I couldn't do that to you. In a few months you're going to have your hands filled caring for your own baby.”

  Her hand went to her belly and she began to rub it.

  “And I can't ask Corrine to watch him day in and day out. She has her own life, too.”

  “You don't have--” Mandy started to say before Mitch cut her off.

  Holding up a hand, he said, “I know both of you will help me out when you can. I suspect Corrine will probably enjoy doting on a kid or two by the way she's been going on about you being pregnant and all. I just can't ask you to take on the responsibility every day. That's my job.”

  “You could hire a nanny for when you work during the day,” Sara said.

  “And what about at night. A cowboy doesn't work a normal nine to five job.”

  Sara shrugged. “Then hire a live-in nanny. That way you can see the baby when you can and work when you have to. People do it and it works. You just have to find the right person you trust.”

  Mitch's lips tilted to a grin for the first time since he'd walked into the house and met his son. “The baby seems pretty content with you.”

  The alarming gaze Sara shot at him reminded Mitch of a deer blinded by headlights. Her eyes were now dry and for the first time, he really noticed them. They were a rich brown color that lit up when she looked at Jonathan. That baby looked as natural in her arms as the mountain range stretched out in the horizon. But right now, her eyes flashed with a burst of lightning that made him suck in a breath.

  “Oh, no. No, no,” she said, shaking her head.

  He forged on. “Why not?”

  “Because I…can't. That's all. I can't do it.”

  “Anyone can see that taking care of a baby is way beyond my ability.”

  “No kidding. But I'm sorry. I can't be the one to help you. After I leave here I'm going back to the reservation.”

  “For good?” Mandy asked.

  Sara blew out a quick breath that hinted of dread. “We'll see how the reunion goes first. I'm not sure how they're going to feel having me back after all this time. Or if they'll truly believe I'm here to stay.”

  “You know, Sara. It would go a long way with your parents if you had a job,” Mandy said.

  Mitch shot Sara a quick glance.

  “Don’t look at me that way,” she said quickly. “I want to be on the reservation. Being a storyteller, and teaching the young people on the rez about our culture, was the whole reason for leaving California.”

  “Are you sure? I can’t say that I wouldn’t mind having you close by,” Mandy said.

  “It would certainly help me,” Mitch added.

  Sara didn't answer.

  “Okay, I won’t push. But be careful what you wish for,” Mandy said. “Life in LA is quite different than in Steerage Rock. Believe me, I know. It takes time to get used to the new pace. You were so eager to leave home before, and you don't know how things are going to be when you get back. If you have a job, even if it is off the reservation, it'll prove to your family that you're home for good without committing you to the reservation until you know for sure how you'll feel being home.”

  “But if I don't go home--I mean all the way home--they'll never truly believe I've come home for good. No, I need to be on the reservation. For myself as well as for them.”

  Sara turned to Mitch and nuzzled the baby with her cheek. “This baby is a dear. But taking care of him is a full time responsibility and would demand all my time. To do it properly, and fit in with a rancher's hours, I'd need to live here.”

  “That works for me. I've got the room. I'm in the middle of remodeling the house on the other side of the bunkhouse. But it's fit to live in now. There’s an empty bedroom there right now, but it won’t be for long. Just say the word.”

  Sara shook her head. “Being a nanny would take all of my time and when would I have time for the stories?”

  “We could work around that.
I'd make sure it worked.”

  Mitch could tell he was losing this battle. It had been too easy a proposition and if Sara had agreed, it would have been the answer to his prayers.

  “There's nothing written in stone that says you can't stay here on the ranch and work things out with your parents before going back to the reservation for good,” Mandy said.

  Not ready to admit defeat, Mitch gave it one more try. “Look, Sara, I know you've got to do what you've got to do. I can respect that. This baby is just as unexpected for me as my asking you to take care of him. But I can't work the ranch and be up all night with a baby. It just can't be done. I'd be eternally grateful if you'd consider doing it, if only until I can find someone permanent to replace you.”

  Sara tilted a thinly lined eyebrow and smiled, and his breath hitched in his throat. In theory, it could work. But having a beautiful woman like Sara Lightfoot in his house was going to be a major distraction.

  “I thought you were already eternally grateful.”

  Mitch's eyes gleamed as he gave Sara a slow smile. “I'll mean it this time, if you take the job.”

  * * *

  Sara thought about the unexpected turn of events. Why did the idea of living under the same roof with Mitch Broader stir her so? Surely, it was just nerves. Nerves over seeing her family after so long and facing up to her past, she decided after a while. And yet there was something appealing about easing her way back home rather than dropping herself on her family’s doorstep after nine years.

  She thought about all the plans she made before leaving. They’d kept her going during her divorce. She’d dreamed of being a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache culture to the young people on the reservation. None of that was set up yet. Why couldn't she take care of Jonathan for a little while as she arranged all the details on the reservation?

  “Okay,” she finally said. When Mitch heaved a sigh of relief, Sara amended, “But this is only temporary. Just until I can set things up on the reservation. It'll give you time to get yourself use to handling the baby, and to find someone permanent.”

  “It's a deal.” He took her hand in his. The strength of his touch shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. His hand was rough, the color of the weather-beaten earth, and the strength of his hand holding hers made her head spin. She wondered if she hadn't suddenly made a wager with the devil.

  Sure, Mitch was a cowboy and cowboys worked sun up to sun down nonstop. None of the work was pretty. That accounted for the calluses on his palms and the dirt under his nails. But this wasn't work strength. It was something more.

  She snatched her hand from his grip, uneasy with the slight tremble that quickened her heartbeat.

  Mitch blew out a sigh of a relief. “When can I get you moved in?”

  Still feeling the effects of his touch, Sara teased. “Are you afraid I'll change my mind?”

  “If you did, I'd do my best to change it back. I need you, Sara.”

  A quick burst of warm emotion spread through her chest like hot frosting on a toasted bun. Mitch needed her help with the baby. There was a time when she thought no one needed her. Her ex-husband had made it clear that he had wanted her. Possessing her was more like it. But he'd never really needed her. The children she cared for at the daycare had needed her care, but it wasn't the same thing as with their parents.

  Deep down, Sara had always thought that someday she'd have a loving home again. One that needed her and loved her. Mitch didn't love her, he was merely asking her to watch this little baby who was an innocent in a story she knew nothing about.

  What makes a mother toss away a child? What did this child's mother go through to lead her to leaving her child on the doorstep of a father who didn't even know he existed?

  It wasn't her problem to figure it out. She wasn't staying very long anyway. Mitch didn't need her, but she could be of help. Feeling part of her old world again, even if she weren’t on the reservation, would bring her closer to home.

  “Like I said, I will watch the baby until you get settled. But tonight, I do have to go to the reservation to see my family. Can you manage until then?”

  “Most of the cooking is under control now. I can watch Jonathan while you're gone, unless of course you want me to go with you,” Mandy said.

  Sara smiled even though her heart beat louder with each passing second. “Having you there as an ally would make things so much easier. But I have to do this one myself.”

  * * *

  As Sara expected, her homecoming was both shocking and emotional. The Apache people valued family ties. Deep down, she knew her family wouldn't turn her away. The wind had carried her home, her father had said. The apprehension in her mother's eyes was apparent when she told them she was going back to The Double T. As she feared, her family wouldn't believe she was truly home unless she remained on the reservation.

  She wanted that, too.

  As she drove back to Steerage Rock, she decided there was time for all that. Time for more healing, and to put in place her plans to teach the young Apache children the stories of their culture. These old stories were something she knew had been slipping away as the modern world clashed with old-time beliefs.

  It was after eleven o'clock when she pulled up the main road to The Double T. Those who'd been participating in the barn raising had long since returned to their own homes. There were just empty tables and chairs on the back lawn to indicate their presence now.

  The main house was dark, and Sara's eyes were immediately drawn to the lights in the bunkhouse out back and the foreman’s house beyond that. She pulled her car up next to the parked pickup truck out front of the foreman's house and killed the ignition. As she stepped out of the car into the cool night air, she groaned. Jonathan was crying.

  * * *

  If tonight was any indication of how his life was going to be from now on, he was in deep trouble. Mitch stood helplessly on the other side of the room, leaning against the wood grained wall he'd sanded and stained no less than two weeks ago, watching as Sara worked her magic to calm Jonathan once again.

  Mandy had taken charge of Jonathan's care most of the time while Sara was at the reservation. Corrine had given her a break to eat and then passed the baby around for some of the other women at the barn raising to dote on.

  Mitch marveled as Beau carried Jonathan around, announcing that he'd have a kid of his own in just a few short months. There was such joy in Beau's eyes that Mitch found himself a little jealous of his friend. He didn't feel that joy yet.

  He wondered if he'd ever feel it when not ten minutes upon returning to his house after the festivities, Jonathan started fussing. And he hadn’t a clue of what to do! When Sara had arrived, Mitch had been at the end of his rope. How could he possibly keep this baby?

  “This is ridiculous. I need to go to Baltimore,” he said finally.

  Sara peered up at him from her seat in the rocking chair, her dark eyes filled with questions. But she said nothing.

  “I need to find Jonathan's mother. His mother lives in Baltimore. Or at least, she did.”

  Sara nodded. “And his father lives right here.”

  Mitch shook his head and grunted his frustration. “I don't know that for sure.”

  “That's pretty apparent or you wouldn't feel compelled to take this child all the way back across the country after he’s already come such a long way.”

  Contemplating her words, he replied, “You don't think I should?”

  “It's not my decision to make. I'm not Jonathan's parent.”

  Mitch threw up his hands in frustration and dropped down on the sofa opposite Sara. “That's my point exactly. I don't know if I am either. I mean, yes, there is a possibility. But Lillian was no angel. That’s the reason we’re no longer together.”

  Sara was quiet for a moment, turning her sole attention to the baby was finally falling asleep in her arms. When she lifted her head to gaze at Mitch, a lock of her black hair fell to her cheek, framing her face. His chest
squeezed just seeing how beautiful she really was.

  None of this made any sense. Yesterday he was alone in this house. He had his goals and he didn't need anyone. Now a baby and beautiful woman had moved into his world, and suddenly nothing made any sense.

  “There are some things you just know. It has nothing to do with DNA or names on a birth certificate. You just know. Do you believe this baby is really yours?”

  Sara held the baby as if he was an extension of her, not him. What she was asking, he truly didn't have the answer to. He wished he did. It would make things so much easier now. When he looked at Jonathan, he saw a stranger, not someone who had come from him or was a part of him.

  Sensing his feelings, her lips stretched into a slow grin that had him forgetting her words and concentrating only on her perfectly shaped mouth that now looked far too kissable. “The uncles always say the answers could be found in the wind if you'll only listen. But deep down in your heart, I think you have your answer. You just have to ask yourself.”

  Mitch couldn't help but smile. He knew nothing about tribal beliefs, even though Sara's family had been visiting The Double T for all of the ten years he'd worked here. Something about what she was saying rang true.

  “Here, take him in your arms,” she said, lifting out of the rocking chair slowly and delicately padding across the room to where he was now sitting on the sofa. He took Jonathan in his arms, felt his heart beating strong in his chest, and his arms begin to tremble.

  Sara settled down so close that the scent of her drifted to him, making him dizzy. What he was thinking had nothing to do with the baby in his arms and everything to do with the woman whose smooth and velvety voice took him by command.

  “If you think you'll find the answers you want by going to Baltimore, then that is what you should do. But if you look at Jonathan and know in your heart that he is your son, what more proof do you need?”