Redeeming the Rancher

by Deb Kastner

  “No worries,” she assured them.

  Griff lifted a brow.

  “Well, not now, anyway. I’ll admit I was worried a moment ago. But it’s all good, now that I know Devon was with you, safe and sound.”

  Griff frowned and his whole expression turned dark.

  “What?” she questioned, confused by the sudden change in his countenance.

  His sharp gaze captured hers. He grunted softly and gave a clipped shake of his head, warning her off the subject.

  She was curious, but she followed his lead. “I set a couple of plates of food aside for you guys before I came out here. I assume you’re hungry?” she asked, knowing her voice sounded abnormally bright.

  “Of course we are, right, Devon?” Griff’s voice didn’t sound any more natural than hers. She wished she knew what issue they were dancing around—what had sent poor Devon into hiding in the stable in the first place—but she trusted Griff to let her know what was going on as soon as he could.

  Apparently, Devon really was hungry, or else he was uncomfortable with the two adults together. He shot off ahead of them, back toward the ranch house. Griff started to follow, but Alexis threaded her arm through his and slowed his pace.

  “Is Devon okay?” she asked softly.

  Griff scoffed and shook his head. “Not even close. I don’t want to violate his privacy, but he told me some things I think you ought to know about. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure how to handle what he told me.”

  Her grip on his arm tightened as she pulled him to a stop, turning him to face her. “That sounds ominous. Tell me what happened.”

  “I was rubbing Hercules down after I returned from my ride and I found Devon slumped on the ground at the back of Pitonio’s stall. He’d been crying, although I doubt he’d want me to call attention to that particular fact.”

  “I could tell just by looking at him,” Alexis acknowledged grimly. “Did he tell you why?”

  “Yeah, eventually. I had to sit with him awhile before I could coax it out of him.” He withdrew his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her shoulders. “I’ll tell you about it as we walk, but I’d rather not leave him to his own devices for too long right now.”

  The apprehension in his voice startled Alexis, sending pinpricks of shock shuddering along her nerves. “No, of course not. Let’s go.”

  As they walked, Griff filled Alexis in on the details of his conversation with Devon. The more information Alexis received, the higher her anxiety ratcheted. The situation was far more serious and complicated than she’d anticipated. She needed time to consider what her next move should be.

  By the time they reached the house, Devon was already seated at the table. The counselors had apparently had the teens clear the table before they’d left for their after-dinner activities. She’d expected to find the dishes stacked in the sink but was pleasantly surprised to discover the dishes had all been rinsed and put in the dishwasher and her kitchen was clean and shiny. It obviously hadn’t taken them long to perform the task. She smiled. Her teens had learned how to work together. Hopefully that would hold them in good stead when they returned home to their regular lives.

  The thought of Devon returning to his home and the situation Griff had described disturbed her, but for now she knew she needed to shelve her emotions, at least until she’d met the physical needs of the two hungry men waiting at the table.

  She pulled their plates out of the refrigerator—homemade macaroni and cheese with a side of freshly creamed corn—and heated them in the microwave. She’d wrapped a plate for herself, as well, but her stomach was in knots over Devon and she wasn’t sure she could swallow so much as a bite of food.

  Both the man and the youth surveyed her expectantly when she sat beside them without a plate in front of her.

  “You’re not eating with us?” Griff queried.

  “I’m not really hungry right now. I had a late lunch.” Which was true, but that wasn’t the real reason she didn’t feel like eating. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you guys company while you eat.”

  “Outstanding.” Griff held his hand out palm up, one arm outstretched toward Alexis and the other toward Devon. He raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Alexis, would you do the honors and lead us in prayer?”

  Alexis had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping onto the floor. Hard-hearted businessman Griff Haddon suggesting prayer?

  Well, knock her over with a feather.

  But she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity once it was presented to her. She reached for Griff’s and Devon’s hands and bowed her head.

  “Gracious Father, thank You for giving Griff and Devon and me this special time together, just the three of us. Thank You for always watching over us and taking care of us, and for providing the food that sustains us this evening. We thank You for Your many blessings and especially for Your presence in our lives. We know You are always with us, Lord, and we are so grateful.”

  Two deep voices echoed her amen, and despite the dire circumstances, Alexis wanted to cheer. To see Griff and Devon taking their needs to the Father warmed her heart in a way that little else could.

  Devon’s face brightened, then just as quickly the smile dropped from his lips and his gaze darkened.

  “What’s wrong, Dev?” Alexis asked gently.

  Devon’s mouth twitched. “It’s nothing, really. Just the way you said your prayer. It reminded me of my gran, that’s all.” He turned his attention to his meal, forking macaroni into his mouth with a vengeance.

  Alexis met Griff’s gaze and he jerked his shoulder, more of a cringe than a shrug. He was as bewildered as she was about what they could do to help poor Devon.

  While the men ate, Alexis kept up a steady stream of chatter, choosing simple, frivolous subjects over trying to dive back into Devon’s problems with him. She figured he was probably all talked out for the day, and anyway, he’d chosen Griff as a confidant in that regard. She didn’t want to interfere in the tentative bond between them.

  Devon was finished eating even before Griff was half done.

  “The other teens are meeting at the boys’ bunkhouse to take some first-aid training from Vee and Ben from our local fire department. Did you want to join them?” Alexis suggested, hoping the smile that accompanied her statement actually passed for a real smile. Her heart was breaking for Devon, and she knew he was trying desperately to be strong and put on a brave face to the world.

  “Yeah, I’d like that, if you don’t mind,” he said, his gaze shifting toward Griff for permission.

  “No, we don’t mind at all, pal,” Griff answered, affectionately slapping Devon on the back. “Go have a little fun with your friends. You don’t want to spend the evening with us old fogies.”

  “Hey, now,” Alexis protested. “Watch who you call old, here, mister. Speak for yourself, please.”

  Griff and Devon both chuckled, which had been her intention, then Devon turned to Alexis.

  “May I please be excused?”

  “Absolutely, you may. But, Devon?”

  The boy was already half out of the room before she spoke. He turned at the sound of his name.

  “No big deal about today, okay? All’s well that ends well. But next time you want to do something different than the other teens, please check in with one of the adults so we know where to find you, okay? Promise?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I promise.” Devon presented her with a genuine smile and then was gone in a flash.

  Alexis turned her attention to Griff. He set his fork down by his plate and steepled his fingers under his chin, a grave expression on his face.

  “What are we going to do about Devon?” he asked abruptly.

  Alexis’s eyebrows shot up, not because he’d asked the question, but because he’d said we, not you. Despite all his protests to the contrary,
he’d somehow become personally invested in the young man.

  Her heart welled with appreciation. It bolstered her confidence to know she was not facing the situation alone. Griff’s presence gave her strength.

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  This time it was his turn to look surprised. “For what?”

  “For being a man Devon can look up to and confide in.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about the first part of the equation, but you can count on me to be there if Devon needs someone to talk to.”

  “I’m glad he has you.”

  “Don’t start putting a halo on me,” Griff warned, holding up his hands in protest. “I’m no saint, by any measure of the word. I just happened to be the one who was there when Devon needed a shoulder to cry on.”

  Alexis smiled softly. “Why do you think that is?”

  Griff looked stymied. He clearly had no idea to what she was referring. He wouldn’t, of course. He didn’t see his own worth the way she did.

  “You think it was an accident that you just happened to come in from your ride at the exact time when Devon needed you most? That it was all some kind of big coincidence that you were there for him?”

  He shrugged. “I guess. I don’t see what else it could be.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what I think. I don’t believe in coincidences. God had His hand in what happened this afternoon.”

  “God can’t use me,” Griff argued.

  Alexis chuckled and reached her hand out to his. “He already did.”

  “Well, then, I don’t know what He was thinking.” He rubbed her palm absently with his thumb. “I don’t want to be struck down by a bolt of lightning or anything for talking smack about God, but if He was working all this out, why didn’t He send you or Marcus around to the stable instead of me? I don’t have any training on how to deal with troubled teenagers. I was floundering out there big-time, and I honestly don’t know how much help I offered to the poor kid.”

  “I don’t know why God chose to use you,” Alexis admitted, although she privately had her suspicions. “But I know He did. As to why…well, you’re going to have to look into your own heart for the answer to that question.”

  Griff cringed. “Let’s not and say we did.”

  Alexis sensed that she’d pushed him about as far as he was able to go, spiritually speaking, at least for now. And they still had the matter of Devon to deal with.

  “I have to be honest with you,” she admitted. “I’m not sure what to do about Devon, or even if there is anything we can do.”

  Griff leaned forward on his elbows, his expression as determined as she’d ever seen it. He didn’t release her hand. “There has to be something. We can’t just look the other way and let him go back to a home where he’s miserable.”

  “I know.”

  “No, you don’t know.” Griff slammed his free hand against the tabletop and Alexis jumped back in alarm. Griff blew out a ragged breath and combed his fingers through his hair.

  “I apologize for the outburst,” he said in a deceptively soft, controlled tone. “I shouldn’t be taking my frustration out on you. I know you do your best for the troubled kids here at the ranch. But I saw Devon’s face. The kid is hurting. You simply cannot imagine what it is like to grow up in a home without love.”

  Alexis was on the verge of tears, but not because he’d frightened her. She could hear the sheer agony in Griff’s voice and she could not imagine the kind of horror that had put it there. Griff was a grown man, and yet here was clear evidence that what had happened to him as a child still affected him now. A strong man weakened by his past.

  And she was supposed to just look away and return Devon to a similar situation?

  No way. Not gonna happen. Not on her watch.

  “I don’t know what I can do for Devon,” she reiterated sadly, but then she reached for Griff’s other hand and squeezed both of them tightly. “But you can rest assured I’m going to do something, Griff.”

  His shoulders slumped in relief and she felt the tension leave his grasp. He really cared about what happened to Devon.

  “What I was trying to say is that the issue isn’t as cut and dried as it would be if, say, Devon was facing physical abuse. In that situation, I’d be able—in fact, I’d be required by law—to turn the matter over to the police. They’d make sure that Devon would have a safe place to go. But with verbal and emotional abuse it’s harder to prove, and trying to bring up charges might make things harder on Devon. I think our best tactic right now is to bring in a few more people, folks who can help us wade through this mess and figure out our best course of action.”

  “But we will try, won’t we?” His voice was agonized.

  “We’ll do more than try,” she promised.

  From her lips to God’s ears.

  * * *

  Griff was worried about Alexis. He knew he’d been right to bring her into this situation with Devon, and not only because she was the owner of Redemption Ranch and Devon was her charge. The woman was a walking, talking example of empathy and poor Devon needed that now more than anything.

  But the gift of the ability to feel what others were feeling came at a great price. What set Alexis apart and made her special was also what was causing her to appear as if she were carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders right now.

  Griff knew it was because she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders—Devon’s world.

  Griff took a sip of hot black coffee and glanced around the table at the motley crew Alexis had assembled for this little powwow—her ragtag board of directors.

  Eli and Mary were seated at Griff’s right, although he didn’t know if Eli was here in an official capacity as a police officer or if he was merely accompanying his wife, who was one of Alexis’s best friends. Her other Little Chick friend Samantha was seated across from Griff, accompanied by her husband, Will, who was obviously ex-military. He carried himself with the fundamental strong bearing that Griff had observed to be second nature to those brave individuals who’d served the country. Last, but definitely not least, Jo Spencer was seated at the foot of the table. Griff wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to take over this impromptu meeting. She was nothing if not opinionated.

  Alexis was seated to Griff’s left, at the head of the table, her posture stick-straight and her lips pressed into a frown. Her hands were clasped in front of her on the table, resting on top of a thick manila file folder and a legal-size yellow pad.

  “Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Alexis announced, calling their spur-of-the-moment meeting to order.

  “Of course, dear,” Jo responded, speaking for everyone at the table. “Where else would we be? You said it was urgent. We’re all here to support you, honey, in any way you need or want us to.”

  Alexis’s bottom lip quivered and she caught it with her teeth. Griff could almost palpably feel the tension radiating from her.

  He wished there was something he could do to relieve her of her burden. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and shield her from pain, to let her know how much he admired the strength of her spirit and the way that she cared about the people around her. But of course he couldn’t do that. Especially not in front of everyone. He leaned as far backward as the chair would allow and crossed his arms over the width of his chest.

  “BFFs to the rescue,” Samantha added brightly to Jo’s declaration, and both Will and Eli chuckled. Apparently they were accustomed to dropping everything to run to the assistance of one of the Little Chicks.

  Griff couldn’t even conceive of how it might feel to experience the kind of deep, long-standing friendship as these three women had enjoyed over the years. To think they had been friends since high school. Truly remarkable.

  “Eli, I’m especially glad you c
ould come out tonight,” Alexis continued, smiling at her friend’s husband. “Not in an official capacity, mind you. At least, not yet. But I need you to try to help me sort out where I stand in regard to the law.”

  “You did something illegal?” Mary exclaimed, and then both she and Samantha burst into giggles.

  “I always knew you ladies were trouble,” Eli added, elbowing his wife in the ribs with a grin full of admiration and affection.

  “And yet you married one,” was Jo’s tongue-in-cheek response.

  Griff was feeling too on edge to really appreciate the banter. In fact, it was making him kind of angry. Surely they realized they hadn’t been called out here on this summer night for an evening’s amusement. Maybe they didn’t know any of the details yet, but why couldn’t they recognize how seriously Alexis’s issues were affecting her?

  When he glanced at Alexis, he realized that there was reason behind the rhyme. The sparkle had returned to Alexis’s electric-blue gaze, her shoulders weren’t quite so tight and she was smiling gratefully at her friends.

  Those friends knew exactly what they were doing—bonding with each other and pledging their support to Alexis. Her relief was evident in the lines on her face. Griff was beginning to believe there was some truth to the saying that it takes a village.

  “Seriously, now,” said Jo, adeptly drawing everyone’s attention to the real matter at hand. “Are you in some kind of trouble, Alexis, honey? Tell us what you need us to do and consider it done.”

  Warmth and wonder knit together in Griff’s chest and spread through his extremities like butter on toast. These people had just unconditionally committed themselves to Alexis, no questions asked. Griff had never known, never believed, that people like these folks existed, yet here was living proof that there was good in the world.

  Alexis opened the file folder in front of her and rifled through her notes, then abruptly closed it again and gazed around the room at her friends.

  “My heart is too heavy to do this in any kind of practical format. A young man’s happiness, and probably his future, hangs in the balance.”