Her Hidden Legacy Read online

  “Thanks for giving them baths,” he said.

  Darla shrugged. “They were filthy. I know it’s none of my business, but things have been really bad here ever since Sadie’s mom left to go take care of her sister in Nebraska.”

  Hunter blew out a breath. It wasn’t anything he didn’t know, though he hadn’t thought it was this bad. He was just grateful this revelation hadn’t come out while Eleanor was there. “Thank you for letting me know. I should have checked in on her more, but it’s been so busy at the ranch. We’re just coming into the tourist season, and I’ve needed to get everything ready. But with Sadie in jail, I’m going to have to figure something out. Thank you for taking this on. I know you didn’t have to.”

  He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and fished out some bills. “I don’t know what she promised to pay you, but hopefully this covers it as well as some extra for keeping them overnight.”

  Jennifer shrugged. “She only promised me twenty bucks. This is way too much.”

  Twenty bucks to watch all three kids for a few hours was way too little, in his opinion.

  “You earned it,” he said. “This went well beyond what you were supposed to do, and I’m really grateful. It’s nice to know they have some good neighbors who are willing to look out for them.”

  RaeLynn, who’d been out pacing the yard with the baby, trying to get her to calm down, returned to the porch. “I think her stomach is upset. How has she been taking her bottles? What have her diapers been like?”

  Jennifer let out a sigh of relief. “She didn’t have very many dirty diapers at all. It’s so nice. Tucker’s are always so nasty and smelly.”

  Darla looked thoughtful for a moment. “Now that you mention it, it does seem a little odd. But she has been taking her bottles just fine.”

  RaeLynn looked over at him. “Do you have the number for their pediatrician?”

  Hunter nodded. “Yes, and I’m listed as someone who can make medical decisions.”

  Early on, the family had agreed it was best for the kids if another responsible adult could step in if needed. The kids’ father had made it clear he wasn’t interested, and with their grandmother out of town frequently, it had seemed like a good idea to have Hunter available as an emergency backup.

  “Why didn’t you guys call me when she didn’t show up last night?” Hunter asked.

  Darla shrugged. “It was late, and I know how early you get up. I didn’t want to bother you. We were scheduled to watch the kids while Sadie worked. But wow, after having them all day yesterday, overnight and then today, I sure am beat. Who knew they’d be so much work?”

  Hunter chuckled along with Darla. “I guess I’ll find out. Lynzee by herself is a handful, so adding three more will be an adventure.”

  He glanced over at RaeLynn, who, despite the fussing baby, smiled at him. She sure did have a pretty smile. He didn’t know many people who’d smile after being thrown into such an unexpected situation with a screaming baby. Though, he had to admit, since RaeLynn had taken her, the baby wasn’t screaming, just quietly whimpering.

  “I’m going to go over to Sadie’s house and get what I need for the kids. Do you have a key, Darla?”

  Darla shrugged. “I don’t think there is one. She never keeps it locked.”

  Hunter walked into the house, unable to believe the mess. He didn’t think the place had been cleaned since Susan had left, which was saying a lot, considering she’d been gone for at least a month. And this was a house full of toddlers.

  “I tried to pick up a little when I was here last night,” Jennifer said, trailing behind. “But there’s a lot to do.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Hunter said. “She’s not paying you enough to clean and take care of her kids.”

  “I’m sorry,” Darla said, joining them. “Jennifer usually keeps the kids over here. It’s too much for me to manage everything I have going on at home, plus Sadie’s kids, so I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten.”

  Hunter had been there several times before, but the mess had never been this extensive. He should have done a better job looking out for Sadie. But he had his own life, his own problems. He went into the kids’ room, noting that clothes and toys were strewed everywhere, and he couldn’t find a single clean thing.

  He turned to see RaeLynn, still holding Bella close to her.

  “It’s probably not worth trying to find anything clean,” she said. “Just gather up a bunch of stuff, and we can wash it at your place. I’m assuming you have a washer and dryer?”

  He did, but so did Sadie. He’d purposely bought her the set last Christmas because hers had kept breaking down. He’d figured that with three kids, one of the things she needed most was a washer and dryer.

  Hunter sighed as he nodded. “Might as well go see what she has in the laundry room. At least everything there will be in hampers.”

  Phoebe tugged at his pant leg. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He squatted to her level and gave her a smile. “How would you like to come stay with me and Lynzee for a while?”

  Phoebe grinned. “Can I bring some of my toys?”

  He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. “Of course. Go get your backpack, and put what you want in there.”

  As he gathered things for the kids, his heart broke at the realization of how bad things had gotten. If Sadie really were pregnant again, she likely wasn’t feeling well enough to take care of the kids. It hadn’t been a problem with her other pregnancies because her mom had been here. But with this one, Hunter wasn’t sure how she was going to do it. And if she were pregnant, he was even more upset to find out she’d been out drinking and driving. What had she been thinking?

  He noticed RaeLynn in Sadie’s room, gathering things for the baby.

  “Is there anything I can help you find?” he asked. “I might not know where everything is, but I might have an idea of what she does have.”

  RaeLynn gestured around the room. “I think I have all the basics. I noticed car seats in the living room. Have you given thought to where the baby is going to sleep?”

  Hunter shrugged. “I’m still trying to figure out how we’re all going to fit in my little two-bedroom cabin. It’s always been fine for just me and Lynzee, but with everybody else, I’m not so sure. I can probably borrow a couple of the cribs we have for guests at the ranch, put one in my room for Bella. Lynzee has a double, so she can share with Phoebe. We can get another crib for Tucker in Lynzee’s room, but it’s going to be a tight squeeze.”

  As he started thinking through all the supplies and things he’d need, Hunter was grateful he had the resources of the ranch at hand. They weren’t booked for now, and he was sure Ricky would have no problem letting him use the cribs.

  They quickly loaded everything into the truck. Hunter was glad he had one of the bigger vehicles from the ranch. The car seats all fit easily into the back. The baby was still fussing, but once they got on the road, she drifted off to sleep.

  In fact, it wasn’t five minutes before all three kids were out like a light. He looked over at RaeLynn. “Thank you for coming to do this with me. I don’t know how I would’ve managed alone with Bella screaming like that.”

  She gave him a gentle smile. “I’ve had a lot of practice. My sister Andrea’s babies all had terrible colic. I think I spent the better part of three years doing nothing but consoling screaming babies. But I do think that Bella is not feeling well, so it might be a good idea to give her doctor a call.”

  Hunter nodded, but his stomach was in knots. What was he going to do if Bella was sick?

  “I will as soon as we get back to the ranch.”

  He glanced over at her again. “I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but you seem awfully young to have raised so many babies.”

  She shrugged. “My mom didn’t make the best choices when it came to men. My dad d
ied before I was even born, and the other guys she met along the way always seemed to come with kids of their own that she ended up raising. I was always expected to help out.”

  “That doesn’t sound like much of a childhood,” he said. “I can see why you might not think you want a family of your own.”

  “I don’t think, I know.”

  The stubborn look she gave him made him wish he hadn’t said anything. She’d been good to help him out, and the last thing he wanted was to make her feel like she was being attacked.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just trying to make conversation. Since you took so much time to help me out, we should probably talk about why you’re here. Did you have specific questions about the ranch, or should I just give you a brief overview?”

  He thought his words would relax her, but it seemed like she was even more tense.

  “I don’t have my notebook with me,” she said. “So if you don’t mind repeating yourself later when I don’t remember what you shared, I’d love to hear more about the ranch. How did you end up here, and what do you love about it?”

  He might not have been able to put RaeLynn at ease, but she’d definitely done that for him. There was nothing he liked talking about more than the ranch. No place he’d rather be. As he talked about how he’d grown up on a neighboring ranch, his father one of Ricky’s close friends, Hunter found himself relaxing even more.

  Today had not gone as he had expected. And it was going to be a long few days until they had answers about Sadie. He wasn’t foolish enough to think that everything was going to be easy the day she got out of jail, especially now that social services was involved.

  It was clear that Sadie had been struggling long before the events of last night. Part of him felt like he’d let her down, that he hadn’t done enough to help her. It was the same feeling of helplessness he’d had before his wife, Felicia, had died. She hadn’t been happy on the ranch. She’d always had dreams of moving to the city and having a life there. Hunter had always figured it was just a phase. That in time, she’d get over it and realize this was where they belonged.

  Sometimes he thought that if he had done a better job of listening to Felicia and finding out what she really wanted out of life, she’d still be alive. A lot of things had been wrong with their marriage, but the biggest had been how much he loved the ranch and, in hindsight, how much she’d hated it. Was that Sadie’s problem?

  Sadie often talked about getting out of this place, just like Felicia used to. He’d always chalked it up to her needing to grow up and be an adult, but maybe Hunter was the one who’d needed to grow up and realize not everyone loved the ranch like he did.

  As they drove on to the ranch, he rolled down the window to breathe in the fresh air and revel in the familiar feeling of coming home.

  He’d never been able to get Felicia to understand that feeling, and as he studied the blank expression on RaeLynn’s face, he wasn’t sure he was passing on just how deeply he loved the ranch to her, either.

  Maybe he was, as Felicia used to tell him, just a dumb cowboy who didn’t know anything. But there was nowhere else in this world he’d rather be.

  * * *

  The next morning, RaeLynn stepped out onto the deck of her cabin. When they’d gotten all the kids settled, Hunter had tried to take her to the cabin they’d reserved for her, the nicest guest cabin at the ranch. But she’d spied a smaller one, not too far from Hunter’s place where she could easily stop by if needed. Though his cabin was slightly set back to give him a little more privacy as the ranch manager, she could still see it from her deck. As she sat sipping her morning cup of coffee, she wondered how Hunter had fared overnight.

  A truck pulled to a stop at Hunter’s place. RaeLynn recognized the women getting out as Wanda, the ranch housekeeper, and Janie. They retrieved a few containers of what must be food from the back seat. RaeLynn stepped off her porch and started toward them. “Can I help?”

  Wanda smiled at her. “You’re our guest. You’ve already done so much. You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself, not taking care of everyone else.”

  RaeLynn had heard that multiple times since she’d arrived at the Double R. Though she knew Hunter was grateful, she could tell he also didn’t like having to accept help from a guest. Maybe this wasn’t the five-star treatment she’d come here for, but it gave her a whole lot of insight into the character of the people at the ranch and how they ran things. The sense of community was unlike anything she’d ever known. Growing up, no one had helped her family like this. It had just been RaeLynn. How her mother had managed when RaeLynn was small she didn’t know. But regardless of what happened with their mom, these kids were going to be all right.

  “I hate feeling like we’re dragging you into all this chaos,” Janie said. “It’s really not always this bad.”

  RaeLynn smiled at her. “Please stop apologizing. If it makes you feel better, I grew up in a situation just like these kids’. I wish we’d had a caring community to help us the way you guys are. I know how hard it is when you’re dealing with alcoholism.” RaeLynn held her hands out for one of the boxes. “Let me take something.”

  Wanda handed her a casserole dish. “Get this in there before it gets cold. I made an egg casserole for everyone.” She went to the back of the truck and pulled out a basket full of fresh laundry.

  “That was nice of you to wash all those clothes for Hunter,” RaeLynn said.

  Wanda shrugged. “We take care of our own. Plus, that man does not have time to be doing all this laundry.”

  Janie nodded. “I’m sending a group over to Sadie’s house today to clean. We’ll make sure everything is in good shape for when she gets home.”

  RaeLynn nodded slowly. “When will that be?”

  Wanda and Janie exchanged glances. “Hard to tell. We’ve all agreed that the best thing for her is to face the consequences of her actions. No one is going to bail her out. The kids are safe with Hunter. We’ll all help Hunter get through it. Sadie’s mom needs to stay with her sister, which leaves us to help take care of everything.”

  The confidence of the older woman’s voice brought a lump to RaeLynn’s throat. Would her life be any different if she’d had people like these willing to help?

  When they got into the house, Hunter was asleep on the recliner with the baby on his chest. RaeLynn was moved at the sight. Unshaven and clearly exhausted, the man’s love for Bella was obvious. It was amazing to think that a man could so tenderly love a baby, particularly one that wasn’t his own.

  RaeLynn put a finger to her lips, to tell the women to be quiet, but Hunter was already stirring. He stretched and yawned, but his hand remained on the baby, cradling her close to him.

  “What time is it? I was supposed to feed the animals this morning.”

  “Alexander and William took care of that for you,” Janie said, setting the laundry basket on the floor beside the couch. “After you took the kids back here last night, we all sat down and divvied up chores so you’ll have time to take care of things for the kids. I’ll help with them, but we all agreed you’re working too hard. We’re here to help. If you check your texts, you’ll see it all laid out.”

  RaeLynn didn’t have to know Hunter very well to see the frustration on his face. He’d made it obvious that he didn’t like asking for help and wanted to pull his own weight. But she was glad there were others making sure he didn’t have to. She walked over and reached for the baby, who was also beginning to stir.

  “Let me take her for a bit. We’ve become good friends. Whatever Wanda made for breakfast smells delicious. Go grab some before all the kids get up.”

  Bella immediately snuggled up to RaeLynn, and while RaeLynn remained firm on the idea that she was never having children, she had to admit it felt nice having a baby in her arms again.

  Hunter walked over to the kitchen, where Wanda was a
lready brewing coffee. “You just sit right down there, and I’ll have some of this black gold for you in no time.”

  The smile Hunter gave Wanda made RaeLynn’s heart melt yet again. In so many ways, he was exactly the sort of man she would have liked for herself. Kind, generous, hardworking and always looking out for others. But while she appreciated all these qualities about him, and she didn’t mind helping with the children for the short term, RaeLynn was not about to get herself involved with another set of responsibilities.

  The baby needed changing, and for that, RaeLynn was glad. Not only did it mean Bella was feeling better, but it also gave her a break from thinking about Hunter in a totally inappropriate way. She changed the baby’s diaper, then brought her back to the kitchen to make her a bottle. With Bella in her arms, greedily drinking her breakfast, RaeLynn sat at the kitchen table.

  “You wouldn’t mind dishing me up some of that, would you?” she asked Wanda. “My mouth has been watering ever since I carried it in.”

  “I was hoping to make you something a little bit nicer,” Wanda said.

  RaeLynn shook her head. “I keep telling you guys that I don’t need fancy. I’m perfectly happy with everything you’ve done for me. What I’ve already come to love about the place is how you look out for everyone. I’m sure all of your guests feel very welcome, and the community spirit that you’re exhibiting is exactly the kind of thing I want to write about. People forget about the value and beauty of helping each other in a time of need. It would have been so easy for you guys to let social services put the kids in foster care. But instead, you’re coming together to keep their family intact.”

  “I am her family,” Hunter said. “Just because my wife died doesn’t make her family less important to me.”

  Lynzee came out of the bedroom in her nightgown, carrying a faded baby blanket. “Why are all these people here?”

  Hunter held an arm out to his daughter, who ran to him and gave him a giant hug.

  “Wanda and Janie wanted to bring us some breakfast. You remember RaeLynn. She just came to say hi and have some breakfast with us.”