A Baby For The Rancher

“How did your accident happen?”

“I was preoccupied about finding Cody at the ranch and didn’t see the snake until it was too late. Unfortunately Thunder saw it and reacted. I’m just glad the rattler didn’t bite me when I was on the ground unconscious.”

“God was looking out for you.”

“You think? Lately I’ve been wondering if the Lord was giving me a wake-up call. I know I attended church with the family, but to be honest, I’ve never been that serious. I needed to be shaken up. I have a child now.” He pulled his rein to the right and started toward the dirt road in front of the barn.

“You’re serious about changing?” Lucy had known Ben forever and only saw him as the charming ladies’ man that he’d been for the past fifteen years.

“I’m working on it. When I woke up in the hospital, I knew that I had been given a second chance, and this time I don’t want to blow it.”

Lucy had seen others say they were going to change, but they never did. It wasn’t an easy thing to do. Habits were hard to break—and human nature even harder.

“Chloe told me riding would be good for me. Help me get stronger. I feel like a weakling and, you know,” he added, swinging his attention to Lucy, “we macho men don’t like to be weak.” Then he winked at her.

Laughter bubbled to the surface. “You’re incorrigible.”

The dimples deepened as he touched his brim and nodded once. “I aim to please. I’m feeling cautious today. Let’s go toward Tyler’s ranch.”

She rode next to Ben along the road passing by the older original barn. He stopped in front of it. “I’m thinking of hosting a young cowboy/cowgirl camp here this summer and using this barn. It’s still in good shape but a distance from the house, so not used as much.”

“Didn’t your granddaddy move everything to the new location?”

“Yeah. Grandma Mamie still comes once a month to weed the garden she had at the old house. Zed, who lives here, is thrilled she does. As tough as he tries to be, he loves the flowers that bloom in the garden. He told me once coming home after a long day and seeing those bright colors always lifted his spirits.”

“Maybe Mamie would come over and plant a garden like that for me. Of course, she’d probably have to take care of it. I barely have time for housework, let alone yard work.”

“Zed and you aren’t the only ones who love bright colors. Cody almost got hold of the flowers in a vase on an end table. Thankfully I managed to grab him in time.” Ben urged his horse to move forward.

Lucy fell in beside Ben on the road. “Your son is named after your grandfather. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Are you Cody’s father? Is that what the letter I gave Grady from Alana was about?”

All evidence of a smile disappeared. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry Cody’s mother died in the car accident. Was she coming back for him?”

Ben’s mouth turned down, his posture ramrod straight. “No, she didn’t want Cody. I’m just glad she left him at our ranch and not somewhere else.”

Tension poured off Ben for a long moment, and Lucy wished she hadn’t brought up the subject of Cody’s mother. She knew that Ben’s mother had walked away from her marriage and sons. She rarely had come to see them before she died. Was Ben thinking about the correlation?

She wanted to change the subject. Never before had she and Ben had deep conversations, and all of sudden they were talking about the past. “How far along are you with plans for the camp?”

“Before my accident, I’d been talking with Carson about it. I wanted the Lone Star Cowboy League to sponsor the camp as an outreach project. Last week before I came home, I told him I was still interested in doing it. We’ll be getting together about it soon, since the camp could start in June, if we have the time to do it that fast. There will be a lot to do in three months. It’ll be something my son will enjoy when he gets older.”

She slanted a look at Ben as he headed across a field behind the old barn. She’d never thought of Ben as father material. This side of him was interesting, but would it last? Like a hummingbird, he’d flit from one flower to the next, never staying long.

Chapter Three (#ulink_f3457430-c756-54c9-8866-18e5904be2ca)

Sitting around the large table in the kitchen, Lucy still felt shell-shocked. She hadn’t intended to stay longer than necessary for her job. The horse ride had been over an hour when she’d thought it would last maybe thirty minutes. And now she was eating lunch with the family. How had she let Ben talk her into staying? He was lethal when he turned his full-fledged smile on her. But in her defense, she’d been starving, and riding the mare had only increased her hunger.

Yes, that’s it. Not Ben’s charm.

But then she looked across the table at Ben. A hard knot in her stomach unraveled. He was feeding Cody, who sat next to Ben in his high chair, and she had a front-row seat to watch. His baby giggled, grabbed for the spoon and flung some sweet potatoes into Ben’s face.

Lucy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She couldn’t hold it in and joined the rest at the table while Ben patiently took his napkin and wiped it off his cheek.

“Good aim, son. I guess you aren’t hungry anymore.”

“I always say when a child starts playing with their food, they’re finished.” Mamie grabbed the plate while Ben went for the spoon in Cody’s hand.

But the baby was too quick, and the utensil sailed halfway across the table, landing in the middle of the pasta salad.

Ben moved the high chair back a little so Cody couldn’t get hold of anything else to throw, then took a bite of his turkey sandwich.

Lucy turned to Chloe. “See what you get to look forward to. Food fights.”

Chloe chuckled. “Cody is definitely preparing me for my own child.”

“When are you due?” Lucy took a swallow of her sweetened tea.

“Three months and counting. That’s why,” Chloe said, glancing at her fiancé, Grady, “we’ve decided on a small wedding this month with family and close friends. I don’t want to be a whale waddling down the aisle.”

“Never, not you.” Grady leaned toward her and gave her a quick peck on her cheek.

“Just let me know when to show up,” Ben said, accompanied by a wail from Cody.

But as he turned toward his son, Mamie stood and took the crying child out of his high chair. “He usually takes a nap after lunch. Almost like clockwork. I was afraid he wouldn’t last since we held lunch. I’ll be right back.”

“Grandma, I can take him to his room.” Ben started to rise.

His grandmother waved him down. “Nonsense. You have a guest here.” Then she scurried unusually fast for a seventy-eight-year-old woman.

Ben watched them leave, then faced the three remaining at the table. “I know everyone has tried to fill me in on what I’ve missed while I was in a coma and the hospital. Besides the crime spree with the Robin Hoods, anything else you’ve forgotten to tell me other than the letter you gave me finally yesterday morning?” He stared at his brother.

“I’m pleading ignorance.” His mouth twitching, Grady took a sip of his drink. “I was gone for two months of that. You’ll have to depend on Chloe and Lucy to tell you.”

Everyone peered at Lucy. She held up her hand. “Why are you looking at me?”

“You’re the sheriff, and you know everything,” Ben said with a grin.

No, she didn’t. What had been in that letter from Cody’s mother? “Other than six months of robberies and now nothing, that’s it. It’s been pretty quiet, thankfully.”

“Carson finally proposed to Ruby. They are engaged, and it was about time. I thought they would marry in high school.” Chloe reached for the pasta salad and took the spoon from it before dishing up more on her plate. “You know the saying. I’m eating for two.”

“And Eva and Tyler got married. I’m glad our cousin and Tyler are together.” Grady stood and took his plate to the sink.

“Yes, and I hope they’ll adopt a baby,” Mamie said as she came back into the kitchen. “Eva was really good with Cody and would make a great mother.”

Lucy finished the last bite of her sandwich. “I guess the biggest surprise was Amelia and Texas Ranger Finn Brannigan. I never saw her falling for another Texas Ranger. Funny how things work out.”