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  Later that afternoon, Nate and Ryland walked out of the barn. They’d finished tagging the new calves on the back pasture and had earned themselves a break with a drink.

  Kevin called after them, hooking his fingers in his belt loops. “Hey, you guys need to take those tarps and fold them up. They go up in the loft. We don’t need them out for a few more days.”

  Nate turned, shaking his head. Spitting to the side, Nate cocked his head to the side and called back slow and steady. “Those tarps aren’t dry. I’m not going to fold them up or take care of them until they are. Another couple days in this sun, and they’ll be dry.”

  Kevin stepped forward, his patchy beard quivering under the loose skin around his weak chin. “Are you talking back, Nate? I told you to fold up the tarp. It’s dry enough.”

  Nate didn’t back down, he didn’t move much or even flinch when Kevin stepped forward again. Instead, he casually tucked his thumb into his front pocket and settled his weight on his hip. “The tarp will rot, if I do that. I’m not doing that to Mr. Bess. You let me do it my way and back off, so we don’t cost the boss man any money. Or you be prepared to deal with the consequences of getting in my face.”

  Ryland glanced at Nate’s expressionless features. A small tic in his eyelid suggested that he wanted the fight, he was counting on Kevin to brazen up and get in his space.

  Maybe Nate needed an emotional release after the hard months and years he’d been dealt. Maybe he was just sick of jerks taking advantage of good people. Either way, Nate was raring for a fight and Ryland would lay money that his cousin could take on five or more men at once.

  Kevin prodded his finger into the air, stepping forward, but not as aggressively as before. His eyes shifted from Nate to Ryland and back to Nate as if he wasn’t sure which man to watch for. He pursed his lips while he spoke. “I don’t care about the money. Bess has plenty of that. I was told to get that tarp taken care of and I want it taken care of. You wrap it up and throw back up in the loft like I said.” He nodded his head in a staccato beat, like they would do what he said simply because he said it.

  “Thank you, Nate, for keeping my costs down. That helps me a lot.” Mr. Bess stepped into view from the side of the barn. His no-nonsense tone left little to the imagination of his disregard for Kevin. He hardened his gaze as he looked at his foreman. “I’d like that tarp to stay out two more days like Nate suggested, Kevin. Once it’s fully dry and you’ve had a chance to turn it over to make sure of that, then I would like you to fold it up and you to put it away.”

  Kevin’s jaw fell open and he turned his startled gaze back to Nate’s. Backing up a step, he narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together. “Yes, sir.” But his eyes promised more to Nate and Ryland hoped he’d follow through.

  Nate needed the therapy a good ole fight would bring. Kevin was just mean enough to deserve one.

  Ryland turned to Nate when Kevin stormed off. His whisper was one of warning but, more importantly, respect. “You just made an enemy.”

  As Mr. Bess approached, closing the distance between them, Nate shrugged as if he was bored with the whole situation already. “Won’t be the first time, not gonna be the last.”

  As if seeing Nate in a whole new light, Ryland watched his cousin without staring. If Ryland didn’t know how much Nate was hurting, he’d think the man had ennui. He really did look like he couldn’t be more bored.

  “Mr. Bess, how are you doing today?” Nate reached out and shook Mr. Bess’s hand.

  Pulling his hat off, Mr. Bess smiled, his teeth white and his silver hair combed just so without a hint of a hat line. “I’m doing good, son. Thank you for sticking up for my ranch and my interests. Makes me glad to hear it, glad to hear it.”

  Looking around Nate, Mr. Bess grinned broadly and spoke to Ryland. “I hear Mary is up there with the baby and Amy. They’re doing a whole bunch of womanly stuff. The baby is making my wife feel young again. I appreciate him being on loan.” Mr. Dean winked at Ryland and clapped his shoulder. “How long have you and this Amy been married?”

  Ryland blew out a puff of air, heat flooding his face. The question asked a lot more than just a time. Ryland would have to share information that wasn’t all his. “No, sir, we’re not married. I actually picked her up on the side of the road because she was having some car trouble.”

  He glanced at Nate and hurriedly continued before judgment could set in. “She had some problems with her ex in the past. I promised I wouldn’t make her go back there. From what I understand, he threatened the child. So I just kind of took her under my wing and offered to give her a hand.” Ryland offered a smile and tried to downplay his role in Amy’s life.

  “She’s an amazing young woman. I’m glad you had the wherewithal to help her get out of the situation and away from any option to return.” Mr. Bess nodded gravely. He hooked his thumbs into the front straps of his suspenders, staring off toward the pasture and the head of cattle that had ambled in for water and to pick at bales of alfalfa.

  Amy was fast growing on Ryland and he couldn’t agree more with Mr. Bess’s summation. Ryland was excited to go back to the cabin they shared and actually talk to her for more than just a few minutes.

  Something about spending time with Amy made him feel a little less lonely and a whole lot more appreciated.

  Another ranch hand approached, drawing Mr. Bess’s attention. They spoke loudly, talking out the merits of leather belts and one or two buckles. The way the men used higher volumes around Mr. Bess, Ryland couldn’t help wondering, if they thought he was hard of hearing. But the old man didn’t even act like he couldn’t hear anything.

  Nate leaned over, watching Mr. Bess as he whispered, “Be careful, little cuz, this is how it starts. Next you’ll fall in love and want to have a house together. Oh, wait, you have the house...” Wiggling his eyebrows at Ryland, Nate resumed walking beside Mr. Bess. Even with the joking movement of his eyebrows and the facial expressions as he teased, there was nothing teasing in the dead pan expression of his eyes while he spoke.

  Should Ryland be worried?

  His heart really was starting to soften towards the idea of spending a lot of significant time with the woman and her son. They were a package deal and watching her with Cody sent stabbing longing through his chest.

  Ryland could never tell Nate or his brother. He’d never hear the end of it.

  Later that evening, Ryland climbed the steps to the small home. With the windows lit up, it welcomed him like a beacon after a long day. He was tired, but his spirits lifted the closer he got to the house.

  Carefully pushing open the door, he entered quietly in case Cody was asleep.

  Amy’s laughter rebounded off the cozy interior as she stepped around the kitchen with Cody in her arms, singing a lullaby to a faster beat. Her happiness pulled Ryland in deeper.

  He watched from the doorway as Amy cradled Cody in her arms, singing to him like he was the only person in the room. While the little boy couldn’t laugh yet, he watched his mother with enraptured attention.

  Every few steps, Amy would giggle. Her bare toes peeked from beneath her soft worn jeans under a warm brown apron tied at the waist. She’d clipped her hair back in a tussle of curls, leaving her freshly washed face to glow in the warm light of the kitchen.

  She glanced up, startled at his appearance. Pressing her fingers to her chest, she gasped and laughed at the same time. “Oh, Ryland, won’t you join us?” She winked and stepped aside as if to make room for him on a grand ballroom floor.

  Surprising himself, Ryland stepped into the space she indicated. He lifted his arms and moved to the music she came up with, dancing as if they were a small family.

  It was domestic, and Ryland wasn’t sure if he was ready for domestic.

  But, no matter what happened, he wasn’t telling his heart they weren’t a family. He needed the moment with them. He needed to belong.

  Chapter 8

  Amy

  The evening couldn’t come soo
n enough. As much as she enjoyed Mary and seeing a grandmotherly type figure with Cody, Amy missed Ryland. She enjoyed the domestic sensation of being in the house with him and with his long work hours, she hadn’t had a chance to see him much in the last few days.

  When he stepped in to dance with her, she had looked at him with new eyes. It hadn’t been more than a handful of days and it seemed like they’d known each other forever. She didn’t know his favorite color or what his favorite breakfast was, but she knew what his eyes look like when he was worried about her and the way he absentmindedly would replace the plug in Cody’s mouth when it fell out.

  “I hope you like baked potatoes and chicken. Mrs. Bess gave me some staples for the kitchen, so we can have dinners here... if we want. They’ve invited us for breakfast when you’re not so busy with work.” Amy laughed and put the plate at the small table in the living room.

  She grabbed a second plate for her and moved to sit down across from the spot she’d set for Ryland. With Cody in her arms, she crossed her ankle over her knee and rested Cody on the cross-basket created by her legs. He was too little to really do anything more than just blink at her sleepily after their exciting dance party.

  Amy and Ryland didn’t talk much other than small talk, but it was comfortable and relaxed. Ryland looked tired with extra lines crinkling the corners of his eyes and shadows above his cheekbones. He yawned more than he spoke.

  “Are you tired?” Amy couldn’t help asking an obvious question, a little anxious at his answer.

  Buck would get tired and he would be mean. While she knew Ryland wasn’t like that, she couldn’t quell the nervousness in her stomach.

  He nodded, covering another yawn and smiling. “Yes, sorry. When I get tired I get really quiet. Probably pass out on the couch after dinner.” He glanced behind him at the small sitting area that had been furnished in the log cabin. “If I make it that far.” He chuckled and turned back to his plate. “This is so delicious, though. If could make myself stay awake just to eat this.”

  “Thank you. Mrs. Bess is teaching me some great recipes. I think it’s so cute in here. I love how they have it done in such a simple country style.” Amy scooped a bite of potato and ate it cautiously.

  Food was something she either had access to because Buck didn’t know about it or something she had to ask him for every bite. Needless to say, the baby weight had come right off, but it was a habit she had a hard time getting rid of.

  They finished up dinner and Amy cleared the plates. With the kitchen picked up and her half-asleep son, Amy just wanted a bath. Desperately.

  She leaned over to Ryland offering her groggily blinking boy. “I’ve been dying for a bath, would you mind holding him so I can? He should be fine. I’ve already fed him and he’s been changed. He just needs to be held.”

  She didn’t want to say Cody just needed a man to hold him. That might be putting too much pressure on Ryland and Amy didn’t want to do that to him. She didn’t know where she and Ryland were going in a relationship way. If they were going to stay friends, then she didn’t want to run off the only friend she had.

  Ryland put his cup of water on the table and reached easily for Cody. “I can’t wait until I’m an uncle, or a cousin-uncle or whatever they’re called. I sure love these little guys.” He cuddled Cody close and stood from the chair, not even glancing toward Amy as he walked into the living room.

  But she wasn’t jealous. The tenderness with which Ryan handled Cody reduced a large part of the ache in her chest. The side of her that was a mom screamed in relief for a man that was even somewhat gentle to her boy – somehow she’d found him on the side of the road and he’d been more than an angel to her and her son.

  She needed to see the positive interaction more than Cody needed to experience it. For once, she felt like she was finally worth the good things that others had.

  Glancing back once from the hallway, Amy caught her breath. Ryland had relaxed on the couch and held Cody in the crook of his arm. Ryland’s blond curls had been left free to twist on his head, pushed back from his face. Without the hat to hold the curls down, the bounce to his hair gave him a youthful appearance.

  If she and Ryland ever had children, they would have the blondest, curliest hair. She covered her mouth with her fingertips and ducked into the bathroom. Where had that thought come from?

  There was only one bathroom in the cabin. Located down the hall from the living room by just a few feet, the bathroom was situated before the bedrooms and had a warm feel with fluffy rugs and flowery curtains.

  After Amy got the bath water drawn and she eased herself into the soothing liquid, she leaned her head back and listened. The gentle splashing of the water the only sound that mixed with her breathing.

  After the water settled down and her breathing had slowed, she snapped her eyes open. What was that sound? She inhaled through her nose, the lavender bath salts subtle but aromatically soothing.

  She didn’t move, searching the surface of the water as if she would find the source of the water by just moving her eyes.

  After a moment, she realized what it was. Ryland murmured sweetly to Cody. He was probably sleeping by this time, and yet Ryland continued singing a soft song she couldn’t make the words out to.

  Small tear slipped from her eyes. She was safe, somewhere safe, even if it was just for a couple days. Her son was safe.

  Her heart wasn’t.

  ~~~

  Mrs. Bess, no, wait, Mary. How many times had Mary asked them to call her Mary? It wasn’t easy to change a habit, but Amy would keep trying.

  Mary had given Amy a wrap to carry Cody in. She was teaching Amy how to cook a roast and Amy was having a really fun time. Especially with Cody snuggled tight against her so she could feel his every breath and know right where he was at.

  “You ladle the gravy over the meats after it has cooked a little while. This redistributes the moisture.” Mary handed the long handled spoon to Amy and stopped for a moment. She watched Amy and Cody standing in her kitchen.

  Mary sucked her tongue against her teeth creating a smacking sound. “You don’t know how badly I needed to have you in my home. I don’t know by what graces God brought you here, but I’m sure glad.” She blinked, the pain in her eyes sparkling with a sheen of tears.

  “Did you have children, Mary? I sure like being here. You’re more maternal than anybody I’ve ever met. I needed that in my life.” Being open and honest was easy with Mary. She was always complementary, warm, and affectionate.

  The older woman shifted her gaze from Amy’s face towards the window and looked out, melancholy fading her normal cheery demeanor. “I was a mother once. My daughter would be about your age now. She and her son...”

  Mary’s face tightened and her eyes misted. “They died in labor. We couldn’t get them to the doctor soon enough. My little Elizabeth passed away from complications, her son with her.” She pressed her lips together, the age lines disappearing with the pressure. “The fifteenth anniversary of their... death... was the day you guys walked up to our door. I haven’t seen a baby in so long. I saw him and something about the way you look and I remembered her like she was standing there in front of me.”

  “I’m sorry to say it, and I hope it doesn’t sound like we’re using you to remember her, but we needed you. You’re like an answer to our prayers.” She nodded, wiping at her cheeks.

  Amy couldn’t bring herself to speak. She reached out and wrapped her arms carefully around the older woman, holding Cody between them. Pulling back, she met the older woman’s brown gaze. “I’m so sorry. No parent should lose their child before their time.”

  Speaking of parents made Amy’s heart hurt. She missed her mom. She missed everything that she could’ve had with her mom and Cody. But even then, free from Buck, she couldn’t run to her mom. She couldn’t endanger her.

  Mom’s house would probably be the first place Buck would look, if he were smart. Buck had the instincts of a hunter. Maybe he would know s
he would never run to her family since it was the most obvious. But as far as Buck was concerned, who knows what he would do or what he thought.

  Amy patted Mary’s shoulder and pulled back to return to ladling the gravy on the thick cut of meat.

  “You know you don’t have to hide here, Amy, right? You’re safe. We can certainly help you, if you let us.” Mary’s quite voice calmed the storm raging through Amy’s heart.

  Offering a tight smile, Amy threw chopped onions into the roasting pan. “I’m not so sure, yet. I don’t want to bring... any of my nightmares to you guys. You’ve been so kind to me.” She was comforted that Mary would take the time to even say that, whether it was true or not.

  Mary pressed some dough on the flour covered surface on the island beside Amy. “Ryland has tomorrow off. I think most of the guys do. You and your young man should run into town. I know there isn’t much in Godfrey, but maybe you could pick up a chef salad from the market. That Annie does a great job in there. I can watch Cody. You know I would love to.”

  Town wasn’t far but Amy didn’t feel comfortable leaving Cody that long.

  “You and your young man need to get out.” Mary winked at Amy and added some potatoes to the roasting pan.

  Heat rising in her cheeks, Amy spluttered. “No, I mean... Ryland isn’t my...”

  Mary waved her fingers in the air, little flecks of flour sprinkling from them. “That’s okay. Men usually need convincing. You keep working on him. I figured having you two live together would get you hooked together real fast, especially to a girl like you. He has eyes for you, Amy, mark my words.”

  Amy chuckled and looked back at the roast. Eyes for her? She hoped and hoped, but she didn’t know how to force him to see her as anything other than someone’s mom, or a victim, or someone running from danger. How did she make him see her for who she was? Would he like the person she was, once he saw?

  The idea of spending time with Ryland held more appeal than Mary knew. Amy tried adding a nonchalant tone to her voice, but she failed miserably and couldn’t help laughing at herself. “Actually that sounds kind of nice. Would you mind if I brought Cody in the morning? Maybe right after breakfast?”