Love Inspired February 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: The Cowboy's Reunited FamilyThe Forest Ranger's ReturnMommy Wanted

by Brenda Minton

  Though she wore no visible scars on her body, she knew how easy it was to break a child’s fragile innocence. The thought made her feel incredibly protective of each one of them. Even though they were all strangers, she’d do almost anything to shield them from being hurt. And she couldn’t help but wonder what was troubling Marcus to make him so unkind. Out of all these kids, she thought perhaps he needed the most help.

  “I thought you said you couldn’t cook.”

  She flinched and found Dal leaning over her shoulder. She stared at the dark stubble on his chin, his sudden nearness bringing a wave of dizziness to her head. She clutched the rim of the pot to steady herself.

  “I can’t cook. You made the soup. I just stirred it.”

  His lips twitched with a suppressed smile. “It’s just a mix, so I can’t really take credit for making it. Not from scratch anyway.”

  He took up a position beside her, scooping out green salad with a pair of tongs.

  “Is everything okay with Marcus?” she asked in a muted tone, not wanting the other kids to hear.

  “Yeah, Cade’s with him now, mucking out one of the horse stalls.”

  Was that what parents did, then? Give their kids chores to do when they misbehaved? She tried to imagine how a one-handed boy could muck out a stall with a shovel. Her confusion must have shown on her face.

  “Don’t worry, Jules. Cade’s good with kids. He’ll help Marcus. They’ll work together, and Cade will talk to the boy about what he did. He’ll also talk to Marcus about the horses and things Marcus is interested in.”

  “That’s a unique form of reprimand.”

  Dal nodded. “It works. When one of the kids does something wrong, we don’t just give them extra chores to do as punishment. We actually stay with them, working beside them to give one-on-one attention. I’m afraid Marcus needs it more than most kids do.”

  Ah! She now understood the concept. If anyone deserved some one-on-one time, it was surely an amputee child who might be thinking his whole world had ended now that he’d lost his hand.

  “I’m amazed you’re able to deal with these kids. I’d be overwhelmed by them all,” she confessed.

  “And I don’t know how you deal with angry ranchers and grazing permittees. That would scare me much more,” he quipped. “In fact, I’m worried about the open meeting you have planned to discuss Gilway Trail.”

  “Because of the ranchers?”

  “Yes. Some of them are dead set against it. They don’t like us because our kids are different.”

  “You mean because of their prosthetics?”

  “Yep. Being different frightens some people.”

  She snorted. “Surely they’ve got more reason than that.”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Nope, that’s about it. They’re good old boys who’ve been around forever and think they own everyone else. These ranchers can be pretty difficult at times.”

  “Don’t worry, Dal. I’ll handle them.”

  “I hope so.” He looked doubtful.

  “Is Eddie okay?”

  “Yeah, nothing hurt but his pride.”

  Having watched Dal fall a few days earlier, she imagined he understood Eddie’s embarrassment all too well.

  “We’ve had nothing but trouble from Marcus since he arrived at camp this morning,” Dal said. “He keeps starting fights with the other kids and acts argumentative every time we ask him to do something.”

  “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Dal shook his head. “Nope, but I’m afraid it’s gonna be a long summer.”

  “Why?”

  Dal’s gaze scanned the room of happy, chattering kids. “All the other children will stay at the camp for just five days, then they’ll return home to their families. We have weekends to ourselves, to rest a little and get ready for the next batch of kids who come in on Monday mornings. But Marcus is a special case. His social worker asked us to keep him all summer long, and we agreed. He won’t be going home until school starts up again in the fall.”

  “Why not?”

  He jerked a shoulder. “Marcus doesn’t have a home to go to.”

  “What do you mean? Surely his parents will miss him,” she said.

  “His parents were killed in a plane crash five months ago. Marcus is an orphan living in foster care. He hasn’t adjusted very well, losing his parents as well as losing his hand.”

  Julie’s heart sank to the floor. She wasn’t an amputee, but she certainly understood how it felt to lose both her parents at once and end up in foster care. “Oh, the poor kid.”

  “Yeah, and the social worker thought being here at the camp all summer long might help build his self-esteem. Because of what we do here and who we are, we agreed.”

  She tensed. “Do you regret it? Would you rather send Marcus away?”

  Dal pressed his lips together in a stubborn expression. “Absolutely not. If any of these kids needs us, Marcus does. I’m not about to turn my back on him, no matter how much trouble he causes. I just hope we can get through to him before summer ends.”

  Julie took a painful breath and held it in for several moments. Dal’s reassurance brought her a modicum of peace, but her heart ached for Marcus’s plight. She knew how it felt for people to turn their backs on her. To give up. To quit.

  To abuse her.

  “Thank you, Dal. I’m so glad you’re the kind of man to stick with that little boy. I know it might be difficult, but you’re right. Marcus needs you. He needs all of us. And what is life for, if not to serve others?”

  Reaching for another large bowl of salad, Dal slid it into place and flashed her a wide grin. “Be careful, Miss Granger. You’re starting to sound like the Savior.”

  Julie looked away, not knowing what to think about that. But she was willing to silently concede that maybe, just maybe, Dal was right.

  * * *

  Two hours later, Dal left the fire pit where Cade was directing story time. The kids sat with the staff members, roasting marshmallows to squish between squares of chocolate and two graham crackers. Marcus had knocked some of the kids’ marshmallows off their sticks into the fire and been a general pain. Yelling, causing fights, upsetting the other children. Lyn had finally taken him to sit with her and Clarisse on the lawn chairs under the gazebo a short distance away. The boy had settled right down, showing a unique gentleness with the baby as he listened to Cade’s stories.

  Now Dal skirted past the stables, checking the horses one last time for the night. Then he made a detour over to the dining hall, planning to lock it up tight.

  A light gleamed from the open kitchen doorway. He stepped inside.

  Smack. Swish.

  Julie stood in front of the wide refrigerators, mopping the linoleum floors. She twirled the heavy mop around an area, then dipped it into the sudsy water, sloshing it up and down to rinse it out. With her back to him, she smacked the stringy mop into the wringer and pressed hard on the lever. Water gushed through the holes on the wringer plate. She released the lever and slapped the mop back onto the floor before swirling it around another section.

  He watched her closely. Studied her. Guessing at what she’d alluded to when she’d told him about her past. Wishing she would confide everything in him, yet knowing that would only bring them closer together. And neither of them could afford that right now.

  As she struggled over a particularly dirty spot, her brows pinched together. He gazed at her sweet profile, adoring her. While all the other staff members were out at the fire pit gobbling down s’mores, she was still inside working. She’d always been like that. So dutiful. So wonderful. And he loved her for it. Loved her fierce spirit and determination.

  He should turn around and leave. Right now. This very minute. Loving this woman would do neither of them any good. But
he stood right there, leaning against the doorway, his hands in his pants pockets. Walking away from her felt wrong somehow, but he couldn’t help that. To stay would take too great a toll on both of their hearts. And yet, leaving her hadn’t gotten any easier now than it had been twenty years ago.

  “You gonna work all night?” His whispered words filled the quiet room like a shout.

  Julie winced, losing her grip on the mop. It clattered to the floor, and she spun around to face him.

  “Dal. Hi there. You startled me.” She sounded flustered and out of breath.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He moved away from the doorway and stepped inside.

  “I thought you’d be out at the fire pit with all the kids,” she said.

  “I was there for a little while. Then I got hungry.”

  She quirked one brow. “Hungry?”

  “For ice cream. You want some?” He walked over to the freezers, making sure he didn’t step on the damp floor where she’d just mopped.

  “Um, I really should be going. It’s getting kind of late.” She picked up the mop and stuck it back into the bucket for one final rinse.

  “There’s always time for ice cream,” he said. “Leave the bucket. I’ll dump the dirty water outside in a while. It’s too heavy for you to lift anyway.” He held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t skip out on him now, yet half hoping she’d leave.

  She abandoned the mop there and waited by the front counter until he brought a bucket of Neapolitan flavors over for her inspection.

  The lid made a sucking sound as he pulled it off. “We’ve got chocolate, strawberry, vanilla or all three. So which will it be?”

  She reached for two clean bowls. “All three for me. Remember when you used to take me to the drive-in for banana splits?”

  His chest tightened. “Yeah, I drove Mom’s beat-up old Cadillac, and we ate all the ice cream we could get.”

  “I could afford the calories back then.” She laughed, the sound bright and cathartic to his ears.

  “You still can. You’re running enough miles every morning to burn off anything you might eat.”

  “True. Fill ’er up.”

  He reached for a scoop and pulled it through the silky ice cream, giving her two large scoops. She held the bowl, not eating.

  “You still jogging every day?” he asked.

  “Yes. And you?”

  “Yep. Sorry I can’t run with you in the mornings anymore.”

  “That’s okay. But I plan to whoop you on the day of the 5K race, so be warned.” She gave him a mischievous smile.

  “You’re on, lady.”

  He didn’t look up as he scooped ice cream into his own bowl. He took a bite of chocolate, enjoying the thought of running with her on race day.

  “I got the advertisement for the open meeting on Gilway Trail all prepared and submitted to the local newspaper office. It should be out the day after tomorrow,” she said.

  “When’s the meeting going to be?” He knew this meeting was a necessary part of the trail alterations, but it still worried him.

  She told him the date and time. “But don’t worry. I’ve studied your plans and see no reason we can’t proceed with the work. I’ll be prepared to answer some difficult questions.”

  They sat on stools and dipped their spoons into the icy treat.

  “I’m worried about the cost,” Dal said. “Cade and I can do a lot of the work ourselves, but we don’t have lots of funds.”

  She licked a smudge of ice cream off the tip of her index finger. “I’ve got a solution for you already worked out.”

  “Oh? What is it?”

  “The Back Country Horsemen. I’ve already made some phone calls, and they’re willing to help with both manpower and money. They’ve been wanting to do some work on this trail for a long time. And when I told them about your horse camp for amputee kids, they were in right then. It’s for a good cause after all.”

  “The Back Country Horsemen?” He’d heard about them, but didn’t know much about their group.

  “Yes, they’re a nonprofit organization that loves riding their horses along the back-country trails throughout America. One of their goals is to assist with maintaining our wilderness trails. The local chapter is out of Elko, and they think developing Gilway is a good thing. Of course, once the work is finished, they’ll want to use the trail, too. We’ll coordinate with them so your kids aren’t staying in the campsite when the BCH wants to use it.”

  “That’s terrific. I didn’t expect this, Jules. Thank you for going the extra mile for us.”

  “You’re welcome.” She flashed him a smile that lit up her eyes and made his throat ache with longing.

  He couldn’t do this. Shouldn’t do this. Being alone with her, eating ice cream, talking to her about nothing and everything... It all made him think of what he couldn’t have. A home. A family. A future. With her.

  He stood up too fast and stumbled.

  “Dal!” She reached out to steady him.

  He regained his balance and stepped back, his arm prickling from her touch. “I’m okay. It’s really getting late. I’d better finish my chores.”

  His words gave her the cue. She slid off the stool, then rinsed their bowls and placed them in the dishwasher.

  “Thanks for the ice cream.” Her voice sounded small and unsure.

  She hugged herself, as though she were cold. But he knew it was just nerves. He felt it, too. Being with her like this. Talking about old times. Longing to be close again.

  “You’re welcome.” He shut his eyes for just a moment, trying to shut out the vision of her angelic face. But it stayed in his mind, permanently embedded there.

  “See you tomorrow night.” She stepped toward the door.

  “Yeah, see you.”

  And then she was gone. And he was all alone. Again.

  Chapter Eight

  The next time she worked the dinner shift at the ranch, Julie was again the last person to leave the dining hall. She liked the quiet solitude after the kids had bustled outside for their fun activities before settling down for Campfire Hour.

  She’d quickly learned that mealtimes took a lot of effort at Sunrise Ranch, but she enjoyed the work. She loved her work with the Forest Service, too, but helping at Sunrise Ranch gave her a sense of purpose she hadn’t felt before. As if she could really make a difference for a child.

  She was wiping down the countertops when Lyn found her in the kitchen. Holding Clarisse in one arm, Lyn gave Julie a hug and thanked her profusely. “I’m so glad you decided to help us out. I can see why Dal thinks so highly of you. What would we do without you?”

  Scarlet heat charged up Julie’s neck and flooded her face. She felt awkward, not used to a physical show of affection from others. She merely smiled, not knowing what to say. Instead, she tugged playfully on the baby’s foot and tickled her tummy. In response, Clarisse chortled and waved her tiny arms. Julie couldn’t help wishing she had a little daughter of her own to cherish. She liked the Baldwin family. A lot.

  “You’ve done enough work for tonight,” Lyn said. “Come on out to the corrals. You’ll want to see Dal’s special surprise for the kids.”

  Lyn waited for Julie to put away the cleanser and toss her soiled dishcloth into the laundry bin. Together they walked outside toward the barn.

  “You should come out to the ranch tomorrow morning,” Lyn said.

  “Why?”

  “That’s when the kids will start their riding lessons. We take them one at a time. The first one is at seven-fifteen. Afterward, you could go into work. You wouldn’t be very late.”

  “What do you do with the rest of the kids while one of them is riding?” Julie asked.

  “They go to the lake for fishing and swimming, or they experien
ce the zip line for the first time. Or they help me in the garden. I let them plant flowers in a pot that they can take home to grow. We’ve got tons of activities to keep them all busy.”

  Julie wished she could see some of the kids ride at least once. She was a pretty good equestrian herself and loved horses. Maybe she had time for just one lesson in the morning.

  No, she should go for her morning run and then go into work. She was spending too much time out here at the ranch as it was. And she loved being here.

  “So what’s Dal’s special surprise tonight?” Julie asked.

  “You’ll see. I don’t want to spoil it for you. He uses this surprise as a teaching moment for the kids. To motivate them to never, ever give up on themselves.”

  A sense of urgency built within Julie as she wondered what it could be. Though it was almost eight o’clock in the evening, the summer sun brought longer days and still gleamed bright in the western sky. Lyn and Julie paused at the corrals where the kids had congregated with the staff members. They all stood in a semicircle, as though waiting for something amazing. Curious, Julie stood up on the bottom rail of the fence and wrapped her arms around the top rail to get a better view.

  Dal came out of the barn, leading a small roan mare. At first sight, Julie stared, wide-eyed. The horse walked with an uneven gait, caused by the large prosthesis on her right front leg. Like the kids, the horse was an amputee. A hard lump settled in Julie’s chest. Compassion overwhelmed her, catching her off guard. She’d never seen a large animal like this with only three legs.

  “Here she is,” Dal called to the crowd of kids. “This is my big surprise.”

  A low murmur of oohs and aahs swept over the group. Both kids and adults stared in amazement, but didn’t rush the mare. They held back, and Julie thought they must have received some instructions beforehand.

  “What’s her name?” one of the kids with a crutch tucked beneath his arm asked.

  “This is Polly.”