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

by Brenda Minton

  “There’s no need to be afraid. I’ll be right behind you,” he told the little girl. He handed her a kid-size pair of leather gloves and helped her tug them on. “See, you’ll be strapped into this chair. The harness is strong.” He pointed at the heavy cable overhead. “The wire’s very strong, too. It can hold up to five thousand pounds.”

  “Wow! Five thousand pounds?” Penny said the words with awe.

  “Yep, so you’ll be fine.”

  Dal helped Marcus get Penny in the chair. After the boy had snapped all the carabiner clips into place, Dal checked to make sure they were secure.

  “When did you do this last?” Penny asked Marcus, her voice wobbly with uncertainty.

  “Just yesterday. You’re gonna fly like a bird. You’ll love it.”

  The girl clasped her hands together in her lap. Her prosthetic leg swung free over the wooden ramp.

  “Don’t forget your safety goggles.” Marcus handed them over and watched as Penny put them on.

  Dal tightened the strap around her head, working as a team with Marcus. A perfect pair.

  Julie stood back, watching in silence. Normally, Dal was the one offering the kids encouragement on their first zip line ride. But Marcus had assumed that chore. It was Tuesday, and she wondered why she’d taken the afternoon off to come here to work today. She wasn’t really needed, yet Cade had invited her. She’d wanted to go on the zip line herself. In all honesty, she couldn’t blame Penny for being nervous.

  “Okay, now remember what I said. Just hold on to the handlebar and have fun.” Marcus placed her hands on the long bar hanging just over her head. She gripped it like a lifeline, her eyes wide and uncertain.

  “Ready?” Dal asked.

  The girl took a big gulp of air, her lips tightening with determination. She stared straight ahead at the other kids waiting down below the mountain. Finally, she nodded.

  Dal released the lever and Penny shot away like a hawk. Faster and faster, she flew over the canopy of treetops below. The other kids at the braking platform went wild, yelling, screaming encouragement, whooping with joy.

  Above all the racket, Penny’s shrill scream could be heard as she zipped down the hill. Within moments, the trolley connecting the chair hit the block attached to the cable. The twenty-foot bungee cord anchored to an enormous fir tree slowed the chair, and Penny came to a gentle, rocking stop.

  Marcus hopped up and down, waving his arms in the air. “Yeah! She did it. Did you see that?”

  He grinned at Dal.

  “Yep, I saw.” Dal’s deep laughter rumbled in his chest as the little boy hugged his waist.

  Once again, Julie couldn’t believe the difference in Marcus. He was acting like a normal, happy child. And she couldn’t help feeling partly responsible.

  “That was very nice of you, letting Penny go first.” She wrapped her arms around Marcus from behind and gave him a quick squeeze. He didn’t resist. She brushed a jagged thatch of bangs out of his eyes. The boy didn’t say anything, but she could tell by the way he hugged her back that he felt content.

  A feeling of exhilaration swept her from head to toe. The joy of service to someone else. How she loved her experiences here at Sunrise Ranch. How she loved this little boy who had no parents to care for him.

  Working with these kids made Julie feel invincible and happy. As though she was getting to experience all these activities for the first time, just like the children. And deep inside, she wished she could be their mom.

  Finally, she released Marcus and he picked up his own goggles and helmet.

  “Okay, Marcus. Your turn.” Dal attached the next chair to the cable.

  As Julie helped strap the boy in, she almost butted heads with Dal. He bumped her cheek with his nose and she drew away sharply. The close contact with him made her face heat up like road flares.

  Dal didn’t seem to notice.

  “You all ready?” Dal asked Marcus.

  The boy nodded, looking first at Dal, then at Julie. His entire face glowed with contentment. “I sure love you guys. You know, I wish you were my new parents. I wish I could stay here at Sunrise Ranch forever.”

  Julie’s breath hitched in her chest. “Why, Marcus, that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  Dal stood back, a stiff smile curving his lips. “Have fun.”

  He released the lever, speeding Marcus on his way.

  Leaving Julie on the platform alone with Dal.

  “He’s an amazing boy,” she said after Marcus was gone.

  “Yeah, he sure is.”

  “Can you believe he said those things to us?”

  Dal didn’t respond. She waited for him to comment on Marcus’s confession of love, but he didn’t say another word. Looking at Dal’s tight profile, she thought he was the most wonderful man in the world. Marcus loved him, and so did she. And in that moment, a thought occurred to her. A crazy idea that might lead to nothing. And yet, she felt the overwhelming conviction that she must try.

  “Dal, Marcus didn’t mean anything by what he said.”

  He looked down at his booted feet. “Oh, I think he meant every word.”

  “And is that so bad? Being a family with me, I mean?”

  He gave her a fleeting look. “No, of course not.”

  “Then you liked Marcus’s idea?”

  A fierce red color flooded his cheeks. “I...I didn’t pay it much heed. He’s a little boy who’s incredibly lonely.”

  So was Dal. So was Julie. But it was obvious that Dal didn’t want to pursue this topic, so she let it drop. Deep inside, she realized that something had changed for her. Something at the core of her soul. She didn’t know how or why, but she no longer liked being alone. And she decided to do something about it.

  “You’re next.” Dal reached for another chair, his movements rigid and unapproachable.

  “Dal, are you okay?”

  “Sure.” He nodded, not looking at her. Shutting her out.

  “I hadn’t planned to ride the zip line.” She stepped back, her long ponytail bouncing. “Is it chicken of me to admit that I’m a bit nervous, too?”

  That brought a half smile to his handsome face. “No, of course not. But you need to do it at least once. To show the kids that you’re not afraid.”

  But that was just it. She was afraid. Not only of the two-hundred-foot cable and the twenty-foot drop, but of what Dal and Sunrise Ranch had come to mean to her. Still, she wanted this more than anything else.

  She wanted Dal.

  “Come on,” he encouraged. “The ride will be over in just a few minutes.”

  He reached for her, his calloused palm warm and gruff against the skin of her arm.

  “Is it as easy as it looks?” She sat in the chair while he buckled her in tight.

  “Easier.” But he didn’t smile as he secured the clips. In fact, he seemed so reserved now. As if he didn’t want to be near her anymore.

  “You’re not just trying to get rid of me, are you?” she asked in a teasing voice.

  He jerked his head up, looking surprised. “No, of course not.”

  But then he turned away, his back to her. Standing aside while she tugged her leather gloves over her hands.

  Something was wrong. No doubt Marcus’s words had upset him, but she didn’t know why. It was just wishful thinking of a sweet little boy having fun. It didn’t mean anything. Not really. But Julie found herself wishing that...

  “Ready?” Dal asked.

  She gave two quick nods. Her heart beat madly inside her chest. Her breathing sped up, and she gripped the handlebar tight.

  Dal released the lever and she zipped forward like a racehorse out of the starting gate. The chair picked up speed, the wind rushing past her face. A scream of pure pleasure rose upward in
her chest. The trees below looked small and insignificant, yet she knew they were huge. She felt free and powerful. Filled with vitality and life.

  Filled with joy.

  As she approached the braking platform, the trolley smacked the brake block and she jolted ever so slightly. Her legs swung high off the ground as she came to a nice and easy stop. Tucking her knees in, she waited for Cade to pull her over to the platform with the bungee cord. The kids cheered, bouncing up and down. After Cade helped her out of the harness, children swarmed all around her. Again, Marcus was right there, his little arms wrapped around her in a hearty hug. Generous words of accomplishment filled the air as the children congratulated one another. This had been an incredible experience Julie wanted to share with Dal.

  Whirling around, she shaded her eyes against the bright sunlight and looked up the hill. Dal stood on the launch, just watching her. A forlorn figure. All alone.

  She lifted her arm and gave a big wave, but he turned away. Hadn’t he seen her? What was bothering him? He just wasn’t acting like his usual outgoing self. Not since Marcus had said he loved them and wished they were his parents. Surely that hadn’t upset Dal so much.

  Or had it?

  Several staff members directed the kids down the trail toward the ranch. They were planning to ride the horses next. Dal would introduce them to Polly, something Julie never got tired of. Julie soon found herself alone with Cade.

  “What’s Dal doing?” she asked. “Isn’t he going to ride the zip line down the mountain?”

  She pointed to where Dal was coming down the steps to the platform and taking the long way down the hill.

  “Apparently not.” Cade gathered up the equipment, and she paused beside him.

  In spite of his prosthetic leg, Dal had chosen to walk the thin path that wound through the thick trees. He obviously wanted to be by himself for a time.

  “He’s so lonely,” she said. “I can’t get him to open up. It’s as though he’s keeping something from me.”

  Cade picked up a bungee cord and began wrapping it around his arm in a tidy coil. His gaze followed Dal as he disappeared behind the trees. “Yeah, I know.”

  “You know? What do you know?”

  Cade pursed his lips. “You need to talk to Dal. It’s not my place to disclose his secrets, Julie.”

  “He has a secret? Something else I don’t know?”

  Cade heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes, but I shouldn’t have said even that much. It’s for Dal to talk about when he’s ready, not me.”

  So. Dal was keeping something from her. Something that obviously rested heavy on his mind. But what could it be? She couldn’t fault Cade for not telling her. Good friends didn’t do that, and Cade was a good friend to Dal.

  “I just wish I knew how to help him,” she said.

  “You care about him.”

  She glanced at him, her cheeks flooding with warmth. “Does it show?”

  He nodded. “I’m afraid so. You light up like a sunbeam every time he’s near.”

  Her gaze scanned the tree line, looking for Dal to emerge along the walk path. “I’ve tried not to care, but can’t seem to help myself. It’s been that way since we were in high school. Something about Dal connects with my spirit.”

  “Do you love him?” he asked.

  Yes! But thinking that and saying it out loud were two different things. Weren’t they?

  “I...I think I need to take this slow.” It was a clumsy way to evade his question, but she wasn’t yet ready to admit the obvious. At least not until she knew how Dal felt about her.

  Cade placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “He loves you, too. He just refuses to admit it. I think both of you have been badly hurt and will have to come to terms with your pasts if either of you ever want to have a future together. Dal’s gonna have to help himself, Julie. Just don’t give up on him. He’s got to work this out in his own mind first. But maybe Lyn and I can help speed up the process.”

  She quirked a brow at him. “What do you mean?”

  He stepped past her and picked up the toolbox. “Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it right now.”

  He stepped down off the platform and headed toward the path leading back to the ranch. Julie watched him go, her thoughts a riot of unease. What did he mean? What was he planning to do? And why was it such a covert affair?

  Oh, she didn’t like this situation. No, not at all. She had strong feelings for Dal. She could no longer deny it. She’d pushed him away many years ago. Out of embarrassment and to protect him from being hurt, too. Now she wanted to be with him all the time. When she was alone, she was always thinking about him. She couldn’t get him off her mind. But that would have to change. And soon.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The moment Dal stepped inside the bowling alley on Saturday night, he knew he shouldn’t be there. A fun night out, Cade had said. With just him and Lyn. Kristen was old enough to babysit Marcus and Clarisse for a few hours. The adults would eat pizza, bowl a few games and have a few laughs. An evening free from work and responsibilities. What could it hurt?

  As he retrieved his bowling shoes and stepped past the main counter, Dal looked across the expanse of bowling lanes. The crash of pins being knocked down filled the air, along with happy chatter from patrons and the acrid scent of spicy hot wings.

  Cade sat at the square desk of a bowling lane, no doubt setting up their scoring sheet. Seeing his friend, Dal took a step in that direction. Julie’s name flashed across the overhead screen. Dal froze. The bottoms of his shoes seemed stuck to the floor. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t take a deep breath.

  He scanned the bowling alley, his gaze screeching to a halt when he saw Julie. She stood beside Lyn in front of a rack of bowling balls. The two women laughed together as they hefted several of the balls, testing the weight and comfort in their hands.

  Julie looked up and met his gaze. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. Her hand swung downward to her side, the ten-pound bowling ball hanging loose from three of her fingers. And then Dal knew. Cade had set them both up. Julie hadn’t known Dal would be here, either. But now that they’d seen each other, it would be awkward to try to escape gracefully.

  “Hi, Dal!” Lyn called with a smile.

  Hearing his wife’s greeting, Cade turned, caught sight of Dal and waved an arm. “Hi, buddy. Come on over. I’ve got the scorecard all set up and ready to go. The pizza will be here momentarily.”

  Dal fumed silently. He was half tempted to ignore his meddling friends and turn and walk straight out the door. But this wasn’t Julie’s fault. And no matter how much Dal sought to avoid her, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her intentionally.

  Tossing an angry glare at Cade, Dal crossed to their lane and stepped down into the seating area. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to sit through an evening of bowling and eating pizza with his two best friends and the woman of his dreams. Not so unpleasant, under normal circumstances. But Dal figured it would be pure torture. Being near Julie. Laughing and having fun. And not being able to tell her how he really felt about her. He silently prayed he could make it through the evening.

  Such a strange turn of events. When he’d first met Julie again that day she’d sprained her ankle, he’d had a zillion questions for her, had been eager to renew their friendship. But now he wanted to stay away. Because he loved her. Because he had nothing to offer her. Just a broken and scarred body. Pursuing Julie now would only bring both of them more pain.

  “Hi, Dal,” Julie greeted him with a tentative smile.

  Dal hated the hesitant look in her eyes, knowing she must sense his reticence. “Hi, Jules.”

  Her smile widened, and he thought she kind of liked him to call her by that name. It seemed too familiar. The name had slipped out, a memory of when they’d been two naive, innocent kids.


  “I figured we could play teams.” Cade completely ignored the withering stare Dal turned on him. “Dal and Julie will play against Lyn and me.”

  Julie took a slow inhale and tilted her head toward Dal in a shy glance. “I hope you don’t regret having me as your partner. I haven’t bowled in years, and I doubt I’m very good.”

  He regretted it already. Not because of her, but because of what she made him feel. And yet, because he loved her, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything but encourage her. “Don’t worry. You’ll do just fine.”

  Going to the racks, he quickly chose a worn, sixteen-pound urethane ball and set it in the return area of their lane. On his way back to the seats, he leaned over Cade’s shoulder and whispered for his ears alone. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, pal. You and me are gonna have a long chat later tonight, once we’re alone.”

  Throwing back his head, Cade laughed. “Oh, I can’t wait.”

  Dal tossed him a hefty glower that didn’t seem to dent Cade’s enthusiasm in the least. Dal noticed the two women’s quizzical expressions and looked away. Julie didn’t say anything and Lyn quickly changed the subject. No doubt she was in on Cade’s scheme to get him and Julie together.

  “Why don’t we take a few practice frames? You want to go first, Julie?” Lyn sat on the hard-backed bench and crossed her legs.

  “Okay.” Julie stood and held her right hand over the air vent to dry any moisture off her fingers. Dressed in knee-length capris, she wore a lavender shirt with short sleeves. White socks hugged her trim ankles, her feet encased in a pair of drab brown-striped shoes issued by the bowling alley. Instead of her normal ponytail, she wore her long hair loose around her shoulders. Feminine and pretty.

  And Dal couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  He blinked as she carefully pressed her fingers into the holes and picked up her ball. With the tip of her tongue pressed against her upper lip, she stepped over to the approach, supporting the heavy ball with both hands. She paused as she sighted down the lane, then ran a bit toward the foul line, drew back her arm and let the ball fly. Dal caught himself staring at her slender legs and looked away. The ball thudded onto the lane and promptly rolled into the gutter.