Rancher Daddy

“Apparently not. What else have you got planted?” As far as Luc was concerned, Holly was as pretty as cotton candy, inside and out. He figured any man should be more than happy to forgive her for anything. Her fiancé obviously hadn’t seen it that way. Again Luc wondered what had gone wrong between them.

Holly talked about gardening for a while. As she did, Luc studied her. She’d changed from her jeans and shirt into a pretty blue sundress that brought out her eyes. Her orange-tipped toes were bare again in a pair of comfortable-looking sandals. Her hair wobbled in a topknot that he expected to tumble down over her shoulders any second. She looked like the perfect rancher’s wife. For somebody.

Though Luc could envision Holly as a wife, he couldn’t settle on which of the available local guys would be the best candidate for her husband. Any of them would be lucky.

“You deliver a lot of babies,” he blurted. “Have you ever thought about having your own?”

Holly’s hand paused halfway to her lips. Her head went back and she gaped at him as if he’d asked where she’d buried her secret treasure.

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he apologized. Why hadn’t he kept his mouth shut? “I just thought that you’d naturally dream about your own kids and—”

“I’ll never marry, Luc. I told you that.” Her voice sounded hoarse as she set her fork back on her plate.

“You don’t have to marry to have—”

“I’ll never have children,” Holly cut him off for the second time, exhaled and forced a smile. “I’m one of those women who don’t have the motherhood gene.”

“Not true.” Luc speared a noodle and held it up for examination. Something was wrong. “I’ve seen you with your Sunday school class. Pretty sure you’re what they call a born mother.”

Holly said nothing. A moment later she jumped up from the table and began making tea.

“I’m sorry. I guess your mom probably turned you off motherhood, huh?” he guessed, coming up with a reason for her jumpy behavior.

“My mother?” She turned to frown at him. “She never stuck around long enough to make much of an impact on me. It was Dad who was most hurt by her leaving.”

“Really?” Unsure whether or not to continue, Luc pressed on, curious about her response. She was hiding something or else he didn’t know this woman at all. “You were what—seven?”

“Almost eight. So what?” Holly returned to the table, completely forgetting the tea. She leaned her elbows on the table and crossed her arms as if to put a barrier between them. “She wasn’t around here much even when she was supposed to be. Dad was the one who met me when I got off the school bus. As I said she didn’t have an impact on me.”

“Holly, it’s okay to admit it.” Why was she so adamant? “I imagine all kids would miss their mother if she suddenly wasn’t there.”

“Well, I didn’t miss her. Her absence never mattered because I had Dad. I always knew I could count on him.” Her shrug signaled the end of that topic. “I drew a rough sketch of what I want in my sewing room. I’ll show you after dessert.”

“Dessert? Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have eaten so much.” Luc let it go for now, but was determined to find out what kept Holly from admitting she missed her mother.

* * *

“I think it’s very doable,” Luc said after examining the bedroom she wanted renovated. “The costliest stuff will be the cabinets and countertops you put in.”

He’d barely stopped speaking when Holly’s cell phone rang.

“Hey, Abby. It’s late for you to still be at work.” Holly waited for her friend to explain. “He what?” She glanced at Luc and frowned. “Yes, I’ll go look right now and I’ll get Luc to help, too. I’ll call if we find anything.”

“Look for what?” Luc asked when she’d hung up, following her into the kitchen.

“For whom and it’s Henry,” she said as she kicked off her sandals and pulled on her boots. “He left Hilda a note.”

“A note? Can Henry write?”

“It’s kind of a picture note. Did you invite him to come to your place?” Her heart sank at his nod. “Well, apparently he decided to do that this afternoon, against Hilda’s specific instructions. Some kids on their bikes saw him heading out of town earlier. He never came home for dinner. Hilda’s frantic.” She grabbed her jacket. “I’ll saddle up Melody and ride her cross-country.”

“Why cross-country?” Luc asked in confusion.

“Because the kids I mentioned told Henry the shortest way to your place was through Parker’s Meadow.” Holly watched Luc’s face blanch. “What?”

“I put Ornery Joe in there yesterday,” he said very softly. “That bull is mean. If Henry goes near him...” His words died away. They both knew the little boy didn’t have a chance if the bull decided to charge.

“Let’s go,” Holly said.

“It wasn’t an outright invitation to Henry,” Luc said as he followed her outside. “It was just an offhand invitation like, ‘You’ll have to come see me.’”

“He’s a little kid, Luc. He takes everything literally.” He looked so upset Holly touched his shoulder. “Pray. Hard.”

“I need to do more than that.” Luc’s face was tight with strain. He slapped his Stetson on his head. “How can I help?”

“Take my vehicle and go by road. Your truck can’t handle the deep ruts as well as mine can,” she explained, forestalling any argument. It was funny how they seemed able to anticipate each other. “Maybe Henry stuck to the road and didn’t go for the shortcut. I hope. And, Luc?”

He’d been walking toward her jeep but now he stopped and turned, a question on his face.

“If you find him, you call 911 immediately so they can call off the search teams. Not me, not Abby but 911. Okay?”

Luc nodded, a perplexed look on his face. “Of course.”

“Good. Pray hard, Luc.” Holly didn’t take the time to explain. Instead, she raced across the yard to the barn where she saddled Melody and galloped across the fields, scouring wooded nooks and crannies for a little boy in a red-hooded sweatshirt who just wanted a family.

“Henry is Luc’s dream,” Holly prayed as she rode. “Luc’s a good man. He’s trying hard to be Your child.” The reminder of Abby’s words this afternoon sent a frisson of fear up her spine.

The case worker from Calgary is suggesting that Luc coaxed Henry out to his ranch after Hilda insisted they both wait for the visit till the weekend.

“Luc wouldn’t do that. He’s a wonderful man. He’d make a great father for any child,” she whispered. “Please keep Henry safe and work this out so Luc won’t be blamed. He was only trying to help Henry.”

Holly spurred Melody to go faster. She had to find Henry; she had to make sure Luc didn’t suffer for his eagerness to have the little boy in his life. As the wind dragged through her hair, Holly took shortcuts she hadn’t used since she was a girl. Luc’s words, filled with pathos, rolled through her mind.

Sarah said she wanted a husband to be proud of.

Silly woman. As if Luc wasn’t that man! Fury spurred Holly on but she couldn’t escape the echoed intensity of his words.

Henry is the son I’ve longed for. I can’t let go of this dream, Holly. I just can’t.

In that moment Holly decided she’d do whatever it took to help Luc realize his dream. She would never have another child, but Luc was going to adopt Henry if she had anything to do with it.

Chapter Three (#ulink_69a28a3a-d8ad-59a8-a0b5-63612e171416)

He’d left his phone at Holly’s!

Heart in his throat, Luc climbed the fence and moved forward while speaking constantly to Ornery Joe. From the corner of his eye he saw Holly arrive, slide off her horse and creep from tree to bush, edging ever nearer Henry who sat crying atop a big stone, the bull directly in front of him.

“Come on, you miserable grouch. Move over here. Leave the boy alone.” Ornery Joe cast him a disparaging look, dug in one hoof and snorted before his gaze returned to rivet on Henry. For the first time since he’d become a Christian, Luc clung desperately to his faith. “God, we need Your help here.”