Reunited with the Rancher

by Brenda Minton

  It all sounded easy. It seemed like the best plan. But he knew that nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.

  * * *

  When Kylie had woken up that morning, it had been a typical Friday like any other day. Chores to do, dogs to train and the weekend to look forward to.

  She was happy. Content. Her life here at the ranch was good and she didn’t need anything more. She had a home here, friends, and a career she loved, as a therapist. A career born from the needs of the veterans on the ranch. How could one day, actually just a portion of one day, change everything? She had never expected to see Carson. She hadn’t known that Jack offered him the clinic. Jack had talked about it, of course, but he’d laughed and said Carson would never agree to leave his high-powered job in Dallas for a family practice gig in Hope, Oklahoma.

  Carson West was not the boy she had known twenty years ago. He was a man still grieving the loss of his wife. He was a father trying to raise two children alone. He was a surgeon on his way to a new job and a new beginning. Jack’s children might have been gone twenty years, but Jack had kept track of them.

  And as much as Kylie tried to pretend it was in the past, she’d held on to each morsel of information about the boy she’d once known.

  Carson had changed. But hadn’t they all? She definitely wasn’t the girl she’d been all of those years ago. She smiled at the memory of her teen self. She’d been too skinny, often barefoot and always looking forward to leaving Hope. And now she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

  With the others occupied with dinner, she slipped away to check on Jack. She stopped at the door of the family room. Jack had fallen asleep. The gentle rise and fall of his chest assured her he was okay. Maggie lay curled in his arms, her head against his shoulder, her cheeks rosy from sleep.

  Carson appeared at her side, a cleaned-up Andy at his side.

  “He’s going to be okay,” he said with quiet assurance.

  Of course the minute he’d said the words, the tears she’d been holding in managed to trickle down her cheeks. She brushed the dampness away, thinking he wouldn’t want to see her crying.

  Instead his shoulder brushed hers and he leaned closer, his breath warm as it ruffled the hair near her ear. “We’ll stay tonight. I’ll give Maggie and Andy a chance to rest. I’ll be here to make sure Jack is okay. You don’t have to take all of this on yourself.”

  How did he know her concern? She was so used to taking on the troubles of the people at the ranch, which included Jack. She worried a lot about him.

  She closed her eyes, and leaned her head just a fraction so that it rested on his shoulder. Memories were so difficult because she knew how it had felt to lean on the shoulder of a boy. He’d always made her feel safe. Even then, when he was all arms and legs and not so tall.

  The man standing next to her wasn’t a boy. She took advantage of his strength, his nearness, just for a moment. Just long enough to feel strong on her own.

  “We should get the kids something to eat,” she said as she drew away from him.

  Maggie blinked a few times, saw them and slid off the side of the recliner to toddle their way. Her mass of blond curls framed her sweet face and she smiled a sleepy smile. And then she walked right up to Kylie and held up her arms. Kylie lifted the little girl and held her close.

  A tiny hand patted Kylie’s cheek.

  “Okay?” the little girl asked.

  Kylie laughed and shed a few tears because of the sweetness of the gesture. “Yes, Maggie, I’m okay.”

  She could get so attached to this little girl with her giggles and sweet smile. And to Andy with his cautious looks and the sadness in his gray eyes. If one afternoon had proven dangerous, she could only imagine if they stayed longer.

  “You found him,” Jack said, his voice groggy.

  “We found him,” Carson said. “He took a bit of a roll in the mud but other than that, he’s fine.”

  Jack studied his grandson. “Rose makes the best stew. That should warm him up and make him feel better. I guess you’re heading out soon?”

  “We’ll stay the night.”

  Jack nodded. “Good. I have something I want to suggest.”

  “I think we’re good,” Carson said. “We both know where we stand. And I’m not interested in the clinic.”

  Jack waved a hand at his son. “I’m not talking about the clinic or what’s between us. I’m talking about Andy. He needs a dog.”

  Kylie felt her heart drop, seriously drop. It ached as it plummeted. Jack had told her he had an idea. He hadn’t mentioned a dog. She knew it made sense. But she also knew what else it meant. It meant time. Working together. Carson staying here in Oklahoma.

  “I can get him a puppy once we find a home in Chicago. I know that kids need pets.”

  Jack waved his hand. “No. Not a pet. He needs a service dog.”

  Carson paused his denials. “A service dog?”

  “We train them here at the ranch, for our wounded warriors and for others in need. Service dogs are expensive but we’re pretty good at keeping the costs down so we can donate them to those in need.”

  “Then those dogs are for service members who need them. We don’t want to take someone’s dog,” Carson insisted. But Kylie could tell he was thinking about it. Thinking about a dog for his son.

  “A dog would keep him from wandering,” Jack told him. “It would keep him safe.”

  Carson sat down, Andy still in his arms. “I get that. But we’re leaving.”

  “If you stay, we could get him a dog.” Jack raised his eyes and met Kylie’s, pleading. “What do you think?”

  She couldn’t deny Jack. Her gaze shifted to Andy. She couldn’t deny a child. “We could get him a dog.”

  “See,” Jack said with a smile. “Kylie is in charge of our dogs.”

  Carson smiled at her. “I think Kylie is in charge of everything around here.”

  Jack laughed at that. “She is, but don’t tell her. She’ll start asking for a raise.”

  “We’ll stay the night and discuss a dog later.” Carson stood. “But right now, I have to feed Andy and Maggie.”

  Kylie followed him from the living room. “Do you need me to get anything from your car, or is there something I can do to help?”

  “If you can sit upstairs with Andy and Maggie, I can get our bags. You don’t need to carry them.”

  “I can sit with them,” she offered.

  He nodded and headed up the stairs. She had to hurry to catch up with him. Maggie clung to her neck and stairs weren’t the easiest for her on the best of days.

  “You could give me a break and slow down,” she called out to his retreating back.

  He stopped and headed back down the stairs. Before she could protest, he took Maggie so that he held a child on each hip. And then he tromped back up the stairs.

  “Which door?”

  “Second door on the right,” she told him as she caught up. “It has a double bed and a twin with a trundle.”

  He opened it and entered the room. She watched as he set both kids down on the bed. “Stay with Kylie. I’ll be right back with clean clothes.”

  “You’ve got this parenting thing down,” she said as he brushed past her to leave.

  Her words stopped him and she saw the change in his gray eyes. A soft smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, I’ve kind of had to figure it all out on my own.”

  She touched his arm, stopping him from walking away. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t.” He paused there, just a breath of space between them. “I’d guess you have your own story. Life never turns out how we expect it to, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t. And I think Jack isn’t who you expected, is he? You thought you’d show up and everything would be the way it was when you left. You thought Jack would be the same person.” />
  “Maybe,” he said with a shrug of broad shoulders.

  Time and circumstances had changed Carson the same way they had changed her. The boy she’d known had been fun-loving. In spite of his circumstance he had laughed and found the best in each day. The best in people. He seemed to have lost that side of himself.

  The man standing in front of her had jagged edges.

  Chapter Four

  Carson woke up Saturday to the gray light of early morning stealing through the curtains of an unfamiliar room. Across the room in a twin bed, Andy and Maggie were cuddled together, still sleeping. From downstairs he could hear the sound of water running and dishes clinking. Sneaking from the room so as not to wake the children, he made his way downstairs.

  If either of the children woke, he’d hear them or see them as they came down the stairs.

  He had expected to see Kylie in the kitchen. Instead Isaac stood at the sink filling a coffee pot with water. He glanced at Carson, grinned, then went back to work.

  “Expected someone prettier, did you?” Isaac poured the water in the coffeemaker. “She’s working dogs. Want some breakfast? Or are you heading out early? Chicago is waiting.”

  “In a hurry to get rid of me?”

  “I like the kids. You I could do without. I can do without your suspicious looks. I can do without your judgment. So can Jack. You haven’t lived his life. Have you ever been to war? Have you ever wondered if the last shot you took...”

  Isaac shook his head, raising a hand when Carson tried to tell him they didn’t need to have this conversation.

  Isaac poured himself a cup of coffee. “We have to talk about the fact that you think you know everything. But until you talk to people and find out their side, their experiences, you don’t know them. And you don’t know your father...”

  Carson grabbed a cup from the cabinet and watched the coffee drip into the pot, ignoring the younger man that he assumed was his brother. He should just ask. As Isaac said, you don’t know a person until you know their story.

  “You’re probably right. But I guess that goes both ways. You don’t know my story, either.” Carson met Isaac’s gaze, held it for a minute.

  “Shoot,” Isaac said as he raised his cup.

  “Shoot?”

  “Go ahead. Tell me your story.”

  Carson shook his head. “Where’s Jack?”

  “Gone to town already. You can’t keep a good man down.” And he put emphasis on good.

  Carson glanced out the window and saw Kylie heading toward the house. She was dressed in boots, jeans and a T-shirt. A dog followed along behind her. She was smiling, talking to the animal. For whatever reason, she made this place bearable.

  “Is that why you’re still here?” Isaac said, more of a teasing tone in his voice.

  “No. I’m here because Jack had an angina attack last night and because I couldn’t put Andy and Maggie back in the car after the long day of driving we had yesterday. They needed a chance to rest.”

  “Right. Of course.” Isaac finished his coffee and put the cup in the dishwasher. “The past has a way of catching up with us. Now if you’ll excuse me, Doc, I have work to do. If you’re bored, you can always saddle up and help out. Do you remember how to ride a horse?”

  “I remember how to ride a horse, but I have Andy and Maggie, if you remember. And I need to check on Jack.”

  The door opened and Kylie entered, looking from one to the other of them. She carried a basket of fall tomatoes and squash that she put on the counter before heading for the coffee.

  “Are the two of you circling each other like old barn cats?” she asked as she grabbed a cup.

  Isaac grinned at Carson as he headed for the door. “Nah, only one of us remembers what a barn looks like. Carson is more of a domesticated house cat.”

  “If Kylie will watch the kids, I’ll meet you out there in fifteen minutes.”

  “I didn’t realize you’d be so easily triggered.” Isaac laughed. “Do you even have boots?”

  “I’m sure Jack has a pair I can fit into.”

  “Suit yourself.” Isaac headed for the back door.

  “Would you be able to watch Andy and Maggie for me?” Carson asked Kylie.

  “I don’t mind, but I do have work to do today. And we need to talk about Jack’s suggestion of a service dog for Andy.”

  Her tone was cool, professional. It didn’t match her. It didn’t match the warmth of her expression, or the freckles that dusted her nose. It was for him, that cool, distant tone. It was meant to keep him at arm’s length.

  He should have appreciated the gesture. Instead it had him feeling as if he was missing something.

  “What’s your opinion on a service dog?” he asked.

  “I did some research this morning. I think the idea has merit. A service dog for a child with autism can help with social settings and sleep patterns, can stop repetitive behaviors and can also keep him from wandering.”

  Impressive. She’d done her homework. He had thought he’d done everything possible to give his son the most opportunities, including this planned move to Chicago. But he hadn’t considered a service dog.

  “If I did this, would it take time to train the dog? Would we need to come back?”

  “You would have to stay,” she said as she pulled a carton of eggs out of the fridge.

  He couldn’t see her face but he knew the idea of them staying bothered her. He knew his reasons for wanting to leave, but her reasons for wanting them gone were a mystery.

  “Stay. As in, for a day or two?”

  “A few weeks.” She began cracking eggs in a bowl. “Do you want an omelet?”

  He watched as she worked. “Is it the idea of Jack giving us a dog that has you upset, or is it the idea of me staying?”

  She looked up, guilt written across her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want Andy to have a dog. I think it would change his life.”

  “But you don’t want me here,” he said with as much of a smile as he could muster.

  “I didn’t say that. I didn’t mean to even imply it.”

  But he got the impression it was exactly what she felt. But today he didn’t feel like pushing for answers. If he pushed that meant going down a path he didn’t plan to pursue.

  “I can’t stay here for a few weeks.”

  She dumped the eggs in a frying pan and glanced back over her shoulder. “I understand.”

  “But I do want Andy to have a dog. I’ll figure this out. If you don’t mind watching the kids, I’m heading out to join Isaac. I need to show him that I can still ride a horse.”

  “I’ll watch the kids. You try not to break your leg.” She grabbed a granola bar out of a basket. “You have to eat something.”

  “Have a little faith in me.” He caught the granola bar Kylie tossed his way.

  “I do have faith.” She let the statement speak for itself.

  He lifted his foot.

  “Will Jack’s boots fit me?”

  “I think so. Or you can try the clothes closet. Every now and then a guy moves on and they’ll leave stuff behind. We have clothes, boots, hats, just about everything.” She opened the door at the side of the kitchen. “Laundry room and clothing. Help yourself.”

  She’d been right about finding what he needed. Boots, a hat, gloves. He walked back out a few minutes later and she gave him the once-over.

  “Even if you can’t ride a horse anymore, you look like you can.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He paused at the stove. “When Andy wakes up, don’t be offended if he won’t eat. He has sensory issues.”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “He might be upset when he wakes up.” Carson thought it best she know everything. In response she put a hand around his arm and walked with him to the
back door.

  “Carson, I handle adults with PTSD. I think I can handle Andy. And I’ll do it gently. I’ll go upstairs and when he wakes up, I’ll be there.”

  She would handle his son, he realized. She’d do it the same way she was handling him. Her touch lingered and for a moment their gazes connected. And then she seemed to realize it. She backed away, giving his arm a pat that was more motherly than anything else.

  “I know you’ll be fine with them,” he said.

  “I’ll go up right now and check on them if that makes you feel better,” she added.

  Carson headed for the stable; the chocolate Lab that had followed Kylie chased after him but then ran back to the house to bark at the back door. He glanced back and saw that she no longer stood at the door. Fool that he was, he thought she might stand there and watch him walk away.

  “She’s not watching you walk away.” Isaac came out of the barn wearing that same cheesy grin he’d been wearing since yesterday.

  Carson saw behind the facade. He saw the occasional flicker of pain, sometimes a flash of anger. Isaac wasn’t all smiles. Far from it.

  “Do you ever take that thing off and wash it?” Carson asked as he stepped inside the stable.

  “My hat?” Isaac looked disturbed by the question. He tapped the brim of the black cowboy hat. “Why would I wash it?”

  “I meant that goofy grin you wear all the time.”

  Isaac laughed. “Who knew you’d be so funny? And who knew you’d be like every other man that landed here. Might as well get over it. We all fall a little in love with Kylie, and then we realize her heart isn’t open for business. She loves everyone. But she doesn’t fall in love with anyone.”

  “I’m not looking for love any more than she is,” he reassured the other man. And then he noticed activity at a large metal shop a short distance away. “What are they doing over there?”

  Isaac pulled a toothpick from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He pulled out another, wrapped in plastic, and offered it to Carson. “Cinnamon, you want one?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “That’s the crew heading to the Lakeside Retreat and Boat Dock. It’s one of the projects we’re working on. The place sat empty for ten years and Jack bought it to remodel. There’s another crew that heads to town. Jack bought a few of the old stores and he’s remodeling and offering free rent for a year if people will start businesses that could help the community.”