“Shane, I think it’s pretty clear as to why we’re here,” Tillerson said. “Two weeks ago, a young boy vanished from a town tour that included a trip to the museum and finished up with horseback riding. It had been planned and arranged by Cathedral Home for Children. The boy you were holding in your arms matches the description of the missing child that was last seen right here on The Fairchild Ranch.”
I sat there completely stunned and then looked over to my father, Brock, and Ren, who all had their faces down and looked almost embarrassed that this could happen here on our ranch.
“Sheriff, allow me to explain.”
“Oh, please do, Shane. I can’t wait to hear it.”
“Watch the attitude, Sam,” my father reprimanded Tillerson, who was also a friend but certainly not acting like one right now.
I put my hands up to calm everyone down. “Okay, let me begin by saying that I was not even aware that we had a booking like that. In recent months, I have pulled back from the day-to-day tasks over at the dude ranch, and that includes the tour bookings. I only recently became proactive again, and for the last week or so, I was busy getting the cabins ready. Luke and Wade had alerted me that one of the cabins had been disturbed, and items from the cabin, along with some stock, was missing from the barn. I didn’t really believe it was a big deal, but then my curiosity got the better of me, and the need to solve the mystery intensified. I am in charge of all Fairchild operations, and I had to take it seriously.”
“How so?”
“I set up night cameras down by the cabins that would pick up anything that came into view. After waiting several hours, I was about to go home, and then there it was. A small image appeared. I thought it might be a coyote or even a wolf. We’ve had them before threatening the livestock, but since that’s not an issue on the fairground side, I investigated. It ran from me, and I had my gun ready for anything. Once I cornered it to the bushes that ran along the back, I was completely taken by surprise to discover that it was a little boy and not a wild animal.”
“Dad, Brock, Ren,” I addressed them and not Tillerson. “He was scared, so scared. It was late into the night, and I didn’t know what else to do but bring him home, feed him, and then after a good night’s rest, which he clearly needed, I was going to deal with this in the morning, but you beat me to it. I did call Tenley, and she said she would make some calls.”
Tillerson then addressed me. “I got a call from the state trooper’s office after they received a call from Tenley. I guess whatever she told them was enough to run this lead, and here I am. He’s going to have to come with me.”
“No! You can’t do that,” said Shelby, who just walked in on our conversation.
I rose from my seat and walked around the desk. “Shelby, calm down. We are going to figure this out. Where’s Wyatt?” I kept my voice low and steady to do my best to reassure my wife. I knew she was frightened after hearing what Sam said. It was clear she’d already made her mind up about the little boy.
“He’s upstairs with your mom. She brought over clothes and is giving him a bath. Please, Sheriff Tillerson, let him stay with us, at least until you work it out with his group home. We have everything he needs here. Why send him back to a large facility that probably has too many children to care for when you have two willing foster parents right here that can tend to his care? Look around the room, Sheriff. We are a big family, and we can take care of him.”
Knowing what we’d been through, Sam looked sad for Shelby, but he had a job to do first, no matter how much he wanted to help us. No one could resist Shelby and those blue eyes that burned right into your soul. She would block the door if she had to before allowing Wyatt to leave with Sam. He let out a sigh and then said to give him some time while he made a few phone calls. She was satisfied with his answer and then wrapped her arms around my neck and smiled.
My father raised an eyebrow at me, probably trying to figure out what was going through my mind at the moment. If he asked me, I don’t think I could really say, because one part of me just wants to care and protect that little boy from everything and everyone who has ever hurt him. The other is not to hurt my wife. We are both on solid ground again and continuing to work on our marriage, but any little shake-up can set us back again, and there is a part of me that doesn’t want to risk that. I just looked at my father and gave him my best encouraging look. Not sure if he believed it, but it was all I could do.
Ren already made his exit while Brock stayed behind to talk to me for a minute. “Son, this is not your fault. We all take accountability on why this boy was here on the ranch. Although this ranch carries my name, we all own a part of it and will share the responsibility and consequences. I know I speak for all of us that we are happy our little wanderer is safe. Keep me posted, and I’ll check in with you later. I need to take care of a few things, but please keep your temper in check with Sam. He’s not the enemy.”
“Thank you, Brock.”
He patted my shoulder and gave it a squeeze and then joined Ren and gestured for my dad to follow. “Kip, we have that meeting in town, remember?”
“Yeah, I’m coming.” He reached for his hat and then turned back to me. “I’ll talk to you later?”
“Yeah, later.” It was all I could say and then looked at Shelby, who looked as if she reached her limit of patience. I closed the door after them and took a breath before talking with my wife.
“Baby, listen to me, okay? You need to slow down a bit and pump the breaks here. I saw your face when you walked in, and I can guess what you’re thinking.”
“Oh please, Shane, I’m not crazy here. You mean to tell me that you’re not thinking the same thing? Did you ever think that maybe this is the universe telling us something? A cosmic sign?”
“Maybe, I don’t know.”
“No, you do know. This is what you and Jagger believe. Hell, everyone believes in the sun, moon, and the stars around here. You all have your own personal angel up there doing your bidding here on earth, and when I finally believe in it too, you doubt it.”
“That’s not true. Please, babe, you need to listen to me. We don’t know this kid, and we certainly don’t know his situation or what led him to run away and hide out here. Shelby, it’s been two weeks that this little boy has been out there all alone. We need to find out more before we do anything else.”
“You want him, Shane. I can see it in your eyes. Just tell me what you are thinking right now, and then I’ll let the subject drop.”
“Okay, yes, I thought of keeping him. Is that what you want to hear? That I allowed my mind to entertain the possibility of becoming this boy’s father?”
“Yes, and thank you for telling me the truth. Just do me a favor and believe in what’s possible for today, and then tomorrow we can go back to figuring it out. I have this feeling that fate has stepped in and dropped our…what? Third or maybe fourth chance at parenthood?”
I didn’t have the opportunity to respond, with my mom walking down the stairs with Wyatt. He cleaned up pretty good. Mama had dressed him in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, along with a new pair of sneakers that had the flashing soles on the bottom. My mom is a wonder. It’s like she knows what to do when the rest of us are just still figuring it out.
“Hey, mama, thanks for taking care of Wyatt while we talked things out.”
“My pleasure, son. He’s a doll.” She ran her fingers through his overgrown hair, and I’m sure her mama bear instincts were already sounding off that he needed a long overdue haircut. She smiled and winked at me, and then I nearly busted out in laughter. “I’m going to catch up with your daddy and then do some office stuff with Connie, unless you need me here.”
“No, we will be fine.”
“You know, if you change your mind, I’ll be right back down.”
“I know, mama, and thank you for all your help this morning.” I kissed her on her cheek and then practically shoved her out the door. I knew that if I said I needed her, then she would have never le
ft, and I already had my hands full with Shelby.
“Okay, how about we three go inside to the living room and have a talk?” I reached for Wyatt’s hand, and he took it with no hesitation. Shelby was apprehensive, but she didn’t need to be.
“Wyatt, why did you run away? Can you tell me about it?”
“Shane…” Shelby cut in, but I raised my hand up.
“Honey, it’s going to be okay.”
“Wyatt, it’s okay. Do you remember what I told you last night about being safe here?”
He nodded.
“Good, so you can talk to me. Why did you run?” I asked.
“I hate that place. The other kids push me around, and no one ever does anything about it.”
“Do they hurt you? The other kids?”
“Once. A big kid punched me in my stomach and took the candy bar that Mrs. Rosie gave to me.”
“Who’s Mrs. Rosie? Does she work there?”
“She helps out a couple of times a week and is nice to me.”
“She gives you candy?”
“Yes, and hugs too, but if the other kids see, then they tease me and call me a baby.”
“Well, where I come from, hugs are awesome, and I never turn away a big, old bear hug.”
“What’s a bear hug?”
“You never heard of a bear hug?”
“Nope.”
“Okay, let me show you. Ms. Shelby, care to help me out here?”
“I would love to.” She laughed.
I stood up and wrapped my arms around Shelby, easily lifting her off the floor. She giggled in my chest, and then I twirled her around the living room just for the extra love I knew she was enjoying.
Wyatt was smiling and then asked if he could have one too. Shelby asked if she could give him one, and he smiled brightly and stretched his arms out to her.
I nearly cried at the sight of the two of them. God, she was so beautiful, especially when she was happy. I had forgotten how long it had been since I’d seen my wife this way. Yes, we’d been better, but today she was taking my breath away as I watched her swing Wyatt around the room and listened to the sweet sounds of them laughing.
I quietly excused myself from the room when I noticed Tillerson standing in the doorway. There was no way I was going to stop my wife and Wyatt from their moment of happiness, knowing it might be short-lived depending on what Sam told me.
“Hey, what did you find out?” I inquired.
“Your girl Tenley definitely kicked the hornet’s nest down in Laramie.”
“Yes, she can be very persuasive when she wants something. What do we know, Sam?”
“He’s technically a ward of the state who has been in foster care for over two years since his mother waived her parental rights to him. He’s been moved around a lot and always ends up back at Cathedral.”
“Why is that? Should I be concerned?”
“I don’t think so. It’s more logistics. The past fosters were just temporary, and most of them had too many kids under their small roof. This kid just happened to be at the bottom and got kicked back a lot.”
“What about the biological father?”
“The father listed on the birth certificate was killed on active duty while in Iraq just three years ago. The mother, Caitlyn Jacoby, totally went off the rails from there and got into some trouble with a couple of DUI’s along with several arrests involving multiple counts of possession, etc. Shane, it’s a long and complicated record, and it all seems to have happened after her boyfriend and father of Wyatt died. She’s been in and out of rehab trying to get back on her feet but taking care of her son was not in the cards, and she didn’t have any family to claim him, so she handed him off to the state.”
“Fucking A, Sam! He’s seven years old, for cripes sake. How the hell did he make it on this ranch for two fucking weeks without one fucking person knowing he was here?”
“Shane, will you calm down before you have a stroke? The good part in all of this is you found him last night, and he’s not alone now. Look, I didn’t mean to be insensitive earlier. I know what you and Shelby have gone through, and I’m not blind to see that you don’t want to let this boy go.”
“Yeah, man, I really need to work on my poker face a little bit better. I thought I was better at hiding my feelings.”
“That may be true, but when you have Shelby acting the same way you are, I think it’s obvious and plain as day to the rest of us. So, this is what that tenacious lawyer did for you. She was able to grant you temporary custody of Wyatt until the courts can get a hearing on the books. A caseworker will be coming out later today or tomorrow the latest, and then the real work begins.”
“Which is what?” I asked perplexed.
“The road to adoption, if that’s what you want.”
“Holy shit, my head is spinning right now. I have to talk to Shelby.”
“Yes, my answer is yes!” I heard her call out from the doorway. “Yes, we want him!”
Oh, fuck! Was she listening the whole time? Of course she wants him, and a part of me wants the same, but again, the fucking fear that was still in me was always present when it came to my wife and our marriage. She seemed stronger, but are we both ready for this?
I looked back to Shelby, who was nodding her answer and telling me with her eyes that everything was going to be okay.
Shelby
I knew it was crazy, Shane did too, but I just didn’t care when everything inside of me was screaming that this was right for us. Wyatt coming into our lives at this very moment was meant to be.
Shane looked like a deer caught in the headlights after I interrupted his conversation with Sam, but after hearing Shane explode, I knew it was time to make my presence known. Very few people had the power to calm my man down, and I knew he was ready to lose his control after he heard Wyatt’s story. This little boy was literally just left in the hands of strangers and had to endure bullying and basic care for his well-being, if you want to call it that.
Shane was called away on ranch business and hadn’t returned yet, leaving me with Wyatt. After he ate breakfast, he helped me clean up and load the dishwasher, all with a smile on his face. Here was this little person in my huge kitchen helping me with something as simple as dishes. He looked comfortable and so much better than he did from last night.
Kip returned and wanted to check in with us. I assured him I was fine, but my father-in-law wanted to talk, so Wyatt went down to the barn with Kathleen to look at the horses, and I was here, readying myself for a lecture.
“How you doing, darling?” True to form, he always made that his first question.
“I’m fine. Really, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Yeah, try again. Come on, you know you can talk to me.”
I let out a sigh and tried not to roll my eyes, but Kip was very in-tuned to his family and was not letting this go.
“I want to keep him. I can’t explain it, I just have this strong feeling that having this little boy come into our lives is a good thing.” I wiped away my tears knowing I could not hold back my feelings from him. “This is right. I know it is,” I said again, and then I just cried and let it all out.
He didn’t say anything but pulled me into his strong arms and let me have my moment. I never had this connection with my father, and the minute I met Kip Rhodes, it was like I knew him forever with the unconditional love he always showed for me.
“Shelby, look at me.” I did once he released me. He handed me a tissue box, and I composed myself enough to hear him out. “I wasn’t going to try to talk you out of this. You need to know that from the start, but it also doesn’t mean that I’m not worried for you, and for my son. I need you to slow down for a second and just take a breath. It’s obvious that little boy needs care. It’s clear to anyone who meets him that he’s been neglected and certainly not cared for like a child should be. Group homes are overloaded with hundreds of Wyatt’s in the same situation, maybe even in worse conditions. This boy is beyo
nd lucky to have chosen the right time and place to make a run for it and find you and Shane. It’s as if he chose you two to save him.”
“Yes, you get it. I knew you would.”
“Yes, having said that, I’m going to say one more thing that you may not like, but it has to be said.”
“Go for it, I’m ready.”
“He won’t replace the son you lost. You know that, right?”
“Kip, I do know that. How could you say those words to me? Our baby boy will always have a special place in our heart, and we know he’s irreplaceable, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for anyone else. Adoption was never off the table for us, and now Wyatt is here. A gift, a sign from the universe, the angels, I don’t care what you call it. We have a chance here, Kip, and I know we can be good and loving parents to this little boy. I know we can. Please believe me. I’m not trying to erase the past; I’m just trying to live in the now and find the happiness for our future.”
“Okay, that’s good enough for me. I had to ask. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I know you love us and want the best for us. It’s going to work out, you’ll see.” And with that, he hugged me, and we were okay.
“I have to go, sweetheart. Shane should be coming back soon, and you two need to talk.”
“Okay, I’ll see you out.” I waved him off as Tenley was parking her truck. The front door was revolving today with visitors, but she was one guest I welcomed with open arms, because she would be the one to help us keep Wyatt.
“Hey, where’s Jamie? You didn’t bring him with you?” I asked, looking over her shoulder.
“No, not this time. He’s with Jagger having some daddy time. And as much as I love my son, he would be a distraction when I need to focus on you. Where’s Shane?”
“He should be back soon. Some cattle broke down the fence line, and he was gathering them back in.”
“That’s fine. We can start without him and then catch him up to speed. So, here’s the file on Wyatt Adam Jacoby. He was born on February 20th, just had a birthday, which makes him seven. As you know, his father was killed overseas, and mom is gone to parts unknown. With all rights relinquished for her child, she can just come and go as she pleases. Her last known address was Tulsa, Oklahoma, with no forwarding we know about. It was a sober house, I think. I have to look into it, but it’s what I have so far.”
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