The Cowboy’s Sacrifice Page 4

  When he got to Rachel, she was struggling to reel it in. He reached around her to hold the pole steady. “Crank the reel,” he said.

  It took them a few minutes, but as they reeled the fish in, the large bass squirming at the end surprised him.

  “Wow,” Ty said. “I haven’t seen anything this big come out of the lake before. Can you hold it?”

  He grabbed the net and scooped the fish up. Definitely a record for their lake. The bass flailed about on the dock.

  “That’s a big fish!” Katie shouted, dropping her fishing pole and running over to them.

  He unhooked the fish and tossed it in the cooler. “It is.”

  “Can I pet it?” she asked.

  “Sure.” He made room for her to come in front of the cooler to touch the fish. It was good she wasn’t afraid. So many people freaked out over touching a fish.

  Katie reached her hand in and stroked the fish. “He’s a nice fish. We should name him. What do you think his name should be?”

  She looked up at Ty like she relied on his opinion.

  “I don’t rightly know. I’ve never named a fish I caught for supper before.”

  “Supper?” Katie looked confused. “He doesn’t look like the fish we eat. That has bread on it, silly. We won’t eat him. He’s going to be our pet. I think we should name him Nathan. Nathan was my friend in preschool, but he moved away.”

  A fish named Nathan.

  No, a prize-winning fish named Nathan that this little girl wanted to make a pet of. As in, not bring back to Wanda to cook for supper. Though if Ricky saw the fish, he’d probably want to keep it and have it mounted, for the size of the thing.

  Ty took his tape measure out of his pocket and measured the fish. A record for sure.

  “Nathan is a big fish,” Katie continued. “Do you have a fish bowl big enough for him? The one we had for my goldfish is too small. He died. His name was Larry.”

  “Sorry, kiddo, we don’t have a fish tank at the ranch that can hold Nathan. The lake is his home. At least until we cook him up for supper.”

  Katie looked confused. “But I already told you. He’s not the kind of fish you eat. He doesn’t have bread on him. Those fish aren’t alive like Nathan.”

  Right. The little girl from the city had no idea where her food came from. No clue that at one point, the breaded fish she ate for dinner were once just as active as Nathan.

  Great. Now he was referring to the fish by name.

  Next to him, Rachel made a strangled noise. Like she, too, hadn’t considered that fact.

  “Great point,” Ty said, squatting beside Katie. “I think we should take a picture with Nathan, then send him back into the lake to his home. If he stays out of the water much longer, he’ll die.”

  Which wouldn’t be such a tragedy if he was going to be supper. He couldn’t imagine either Rachel or Katie being willing to eat Nathan, though.

  At least a picture would prove that they’d caught such a large fish.

  “But Nathan is going to be my pet,” Katie said. “Why else would we go fishing?”

  Ty looked over at Rachel, hoping she’d help him out.

  “Ty said that Nathan is too big to fit in a tank, so we can’t have him as a pet,” Rachel said. “Just like we can’t have a big dog in our apartment.”

  Katie let out a long sigh. “You won’t let us have any dog in our apartment.”

  “It’s not the right time,” Rachel said.

  She sounded just as depressed about not having a dog as Katie did. The little girl clearly loved animals, and while he wouldn’t be able to salvage tonight’s dinner, he could at least help with this one.

  “Why don’t we take that picture, then we can send Nathan back home and I’ll take you to meet some of the other animals on the ranch.”

  “Can I hold Nathan for the picture?” Katie asked.

  This had to be the weirdest fishing expedition he’d ever been on. But he couldn’t stand the thought of breaking a little girl’s heart.

  “Sure,” he said. “You have to hold him tight, or else he’ll wiggle away.”

  Ty gestured at Rachel. “Why don’t you get in the picture with them? It’ll be a nice keepsake to remind you of your visit.”

  Rachel looked like she’d rather do just about anything else. But she gave the sort of fake half smile he’d grown used to from her and nodded. “Sure, why not.”

  He grabbed the fish and put it in Katie’s arms. “Hold on tight. He’s really wiggly, and his slick skin will make it easy for him to slip out of your arms.”

  As Katie and Rachel got into position, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Then the fish flipped wildly, smacking Katie in the face, and leaped back into the water. A shot he also got.

  From the startled looks on Katie and Rachel’s faces, it would be a moment they’d always remember. And he had photographic evidence of the size of the fish they’d pulled out of the water.

  “I can’t believe Nathan did that,” Katie exclaimed. “He’s not a very nice fish. So rude that he wouldn’t pose with us.”

  Ty bit back a laugh. “I don’t think Nathan has ever been asked to pose for a picture. He probably doesn’t know how.”

  The little girl nodded slowly. “I never thought about that. Do you think we could catch him again so we can teach him?”

  He’d love to catch Nathan again. Not to teach him how to pose, but clearly he and Katie were not on the same page.

  “Not today,” Rachel answered for him. “I’m starting to get tired, and I’d like to go back to the cabin to rest before supper.”

  Ty smiled at Rachel, hoping she understood that he was thanking her for the save, but she quickly turned away as she always seemed to do when he was just trying to be nice.

  “You’re always tired,” Katie muttered.

  The look on Rachel’s face made him feel bad for her. They’d obviously had this discussion before. So far Katie hadn’t mentioned a dad, and Rachel hadn’t said anything about anyone else in her life. Combined with the lack of ring on Rachel’s finger, he assumed she was a single mom.

  Yeah, he’d noticed. So sue him. He might not trust her, but it didn’t mean he didn’t notice her loveliness.

  “How about we go back to the cabin, and your mom can rest?” Ty suggested. “I’ll get my dog, Bella, and we can play with her on the porch.”

  The murderous look on Rachel’s face told him it was probably the wrong suggestion.

  “I don’t leave my daughter with strangers,” Rachel said.

  She had a point. He should have asked her first. Especially since Rachel still hadn’t warmed up to him. But why? He’d listened thoughtfully to her advertising ideas, and he’d done everything he could to be nice to her. One more reason he had to believe there was more to her story than she was saying.

  Which had him back at square one, trying to figure out Rachel’s real agenda.

  “I’m sorry,” Ty said. “I just thought you could relax on the porch, and I could sit there with Katie and Bella and toss a few balls around. I wasn’t suggesting that you wouldn’t be there to supervise. Whatever you’re comfortable with. I can leave you two to your own devices once we get to the cabin if you want.”

  His answer seemed to mollify Rachel, who nodded. “I suppose that would be all right. I don’t want to impose.”

  She’d said that several times while Ricky made arrangements for them to stay in the cabin. But if she didn’t want to impose, why had she just shown up? The weird hot and cold Ty kept getting from her didn’t make any sense. But hopefully, he’d hear something soon from the investigator he’d sent a photo of Rachel’s business card to that would clear things up.

  They gathered the fishing things, and as Ty put them away in the shed, Rachel came up alongside him. “I should...thank you...for what you did back there with Kati
e. I know you were supposed to bring back some fish to have for supper. I hope you don’t get in too much trouble.”

  Ty shrugged as he locked everything back up. “We have plenty in the freezer. I’ll send Wanda a text to let her know we’re coming back empty-handed.”

  While many places on the ranch didn’t have cell service, the fishing shed did. So he quickly pulled out his phone and sent the text before they were out of range.

  Rachel gave him a grateful but relieved look. As much as he hated to say it, she did look tired. Bone-weary, like she’d been through a lot lately. She’d mentioned wanting this special time on the ranch, and here he was, trying to figure out her real reason for being here.

  Maybe she didn’t have an ulterior motive.

  After all, Katie was a good kid, and other than Rachel’s presumptuousness and stumbled excuse for coming, he couldn’t fault her actions. Except there was still that niggling feeling in his gut that things weren’t all they seemed to be.

  He’d learned to trust that feeling. Especially with a woman as pretty as Rachel. Pretty wasn’t even the right word for her; she was... Ty squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and said a prayer to rid him of any thoughts in that direction. He knew better than to be interested in a woman when he had that feeling in his gut.

  The trip back to the cabin was slower than the one on the way up. Usually it was the reverse, but Rachel kept having to stop and rest. It wasn’t a particularly strenuous hike, so it gave more credence to the exhaustion she said she was feeling.

  Katie had once again taken his hand and was asking him all sorts of questions. It was enough to take his mind off figuring Rachel out, but not off keeping a watchful eye on her.

  She was definitely not feeling well.

  But she also didn’t look or act sick.

  What stresses could be in her life that would bring her here?

  None of his business. Ricky liked to say that everyone had their reasons for their hearts needing a connection to the mountains. For Ty, that meant never leaving. But he knew, from many of their past guests, that coming here did provide a special healing they couldn’t get anywhere else.

  Whatever healing Rachel needed, he prayed she found it.

  Just as long as it didn’t involve hurting Ricky or the ranch.

  Maybe he was a fool for spending so much time thinking on these things. But he loved the Double R. Loved Ricky. Sick or not, if Rachel was a threat to everything they’d built, he’d have no problem dealing with her.

  But as the little girl beside him tugged at his hand and pointed to the hummingbirds whizzing by, he wasn’t sure it was going to be as easy as getting rid of every other crazy who’d come by.

  Chapter Three

  Rachel had been so tired when they got to the cabin that she’d wanted to lie down for a while before dinner instead of letting Ty bring his dog over. She hadn’t pushed herself so hard physically in a long time, and it had definitely been too much. Katie had grumbled at having to watch a movie on Rachel’s laptop, and while Rachel wasn’t proud of using the electronic babysitter, she didn’t know enough about Ty to trust him with her daughter. For her, it was the lesser of two evils.

  “Let’s get ready for dinner,” Rachel said, climbing out of the bed. It had been one of the most comfortable beds she’d been in, a surprise since this was a guest cabin. She’d been expecting rougher conditions, but the more she’d observed since being here, the more it seemed Ricky spared no expense in giving everyone a good experience.

  Katie jumped up from the couch. “Do you think Ty will bring his dog? He said he was coming to dinner, but he didn’t say anything about his dog.”

  It killed Rachel to have to keep saying no to a pet. But they hadn’t been able to keep a goldfish alive, and it seemed unfair, with Rachel’s medical situation, to bring an animal that needed more care into the mix. Especially because, if the worst happened, what would become of a beloved dog? No foster home would let Katie bring it, which meant Katie would have to endure two heartbreaks, not one.

  Men like Ty weren’t genuinely interested in a relationship with a child, or with anyone. It was all about the image and getting what they wanted. Chris used to tell her that he’d stay married to her if only she’d do more to present the image he wanted. He needed the perfect arm candy, not a woman who thought for herself. And when he didn’t get what he wanted... Rachel shivered.

  Katie had never seen her father hit Rachel, and it had only taken a couple of times for Rachel to realize that despite all of Chris’s promises and apologies, it was never going to end. Which was when she’d left. Chris had made sure to discredit Rachel in every way he could, getting people to lie about her and ultimately proving her an unfit parent. Even though it made her feel like a horrible person, she was grateful for the skiing accident that took Chris’s life before the divorce was finalized and she’d completely lost custody.

  Chris had been so charming when they’d first met—even later, in between the times when things had been bad. To trust Ty, who had been so gruff with her when they first met, was too much of a risk.

  She’d let Katie see the dog, but she would also stand guard. Make sure Ty did not get close enough to her daughter to hurt her.

  They walked over to the main house. She imagined that at one time it had been a bustling family home, and something about the thought put a strange longing in her heart she hadn’t expected. Rachel had given up on the idea of having a traditional family when she realized that the happily-ever-after she thought Chris would give her would never happen.

  She paused at the front door, not sure if she was supposed to knock first or just go in. As she hesitated, Ty came bounding up the front steps.

  “You’re just in time,” he said. “You can go on in. They’re probably already gathering in the dining room.”

  Something about the way he said they’re put an uneasy feeling in her stomach. It hadn’t occurred to her that anyone other than Ricky, Ty and maybe the housekeeper would be at dinner. But as she followed Ty into the dining room, the people gathered reminded her that nothing was ever as simple as she hoped.

  Ricky broke free from the crowd and approached them. “Welcome. I’m glad you could join us. We’re running a skeleton crew, and while some of our ranch hands prefer to have their meals on their own, when we’re this thinly staffed, everyone eats in the main house. Even if we’re busy, anyone who needs a meal is welcome at my table.”

  The warmth emanating from the older man made her glad she was related to him. She’d heard so many bad stories about her father that a part of her had been afraid to come.

  But so far she’d found nothing but kindness and consideration from Ricky. He made her almost wish this wasn’t just about getting a kidney, but finally finding a family.

  “I appreciate the hospitality,” she said. “I’m sorry again for intruding. Ty was kind enough to take us out earlier today, but I don’t want to be too much of an imposition on his, or anyone else’s, time.”

  By starting out with her appreciation and her desire not to be a burden, hopefully her later attempts to rebuff Ty would not be seen as rude. But by the way he watched her, even though someone else had drawn him into conversation, Rachel knew Ty was not going to be so easily gotten rid of.

  “It’s no trouble at all.” Ricky squatted down to Katie’s level. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

  He stood again and smiled at Rachel. “I always thought it was a shame that Rosie and I didn’t have more children. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. I didn’t do so well with Cinco, so maybe the other children we had would have been just as messed up.”

  The regret in his voice made Rachel want to tell him the truth. That they were a match on a DNA website, and while he couldn’t make up for what he’d done with his dead son, he could start over with her and Katie.

  But that was ridiculous. If Rachel didn’t get a
kidney soon, Ricky wouldn’t have her, and Katie would be off in some foster home. Plus, as determined as Ty was to believe she had nefarious purposes in coming, he probably wouldn’t let Rachel have a relationship with Ricky anyway.

  People asked Rachel why she didn’t believe in God, and it was situations like this that made it hard for her to do so. What kind of God would make life full of such difficult choices? It wasn’t even her choice. She didn’t ask to have bad kidneys. She didn’t ask to be a single mom. She didn’t wake up one morning and decide that this was going to be her life.

  So where was God in all of this?

  And where did it leave a lonely man like Ricky, who deeply regretted the choices that led him to losing his family?

  “I’m sure you did the best you could,” Rachel said. “It’s all we can do. I’m sure I make a lot of mistakes with Katie, but everything I’ve ever done since she’s been born has been for her.”

  Ricky nodded. “I used to tell myself that same thing,” he said. “Building this ranch, growing it to be as successful as it’s been, I always said I was doing it for Cinco. For the future generations of the Ruiz family. But it cost me my boy.”

  He gave her a hard look, like he was warning her that her path would turn out the same. But it was different. She wasn’t trying to make a bunch of money or anything like that. She just wanted to live, to be there for her daughter.

  Ty came up behind Ricky and patted him on the back. “You didn’t kill Cinco. Once you fall in love with the adrenaline high of a bull, nothing will stop you. Yes, you made your mistakes, but you also did a lot of good. The trust that you set up for the ranch will endure long past the family line and be a blessing for generations to come.”

  Ricky gave him a wry smile. “I know. There’s no use beating myself up for what’s in the past. But today I’m feeling my age, and seeing this little one with so much promise of the life ahead of her, it makes me wish I’d spent my years differently.”

  The genuine regret in the man’s voice once again made Rachel think she would like to have a relationship with him. She could use someone with such wisdom in her life.