straightening her clothes and hair. Pride welled up inside Shea as it always did when the ranch house came into view, sending a twinge of uncertainty through him about leaving. He pushed it aside to think about another day.
“There it is. Forget Me Not Ranch.”
“Oh, what a beautiful place. Look at all the flowers and trees. It’s like living in a garden.”
Stacey’s face was plastered against the window.
“How long have you worked here, Shea?”
“Well, I became a ranch hand at fifteen, when my daddy thought I could handle it.” He remembered fondly how he’d gotten bucked off his first horse and his daddy telling him to get right back up. “Took years before he trusted me enough to run it with him. Been taking care of the place full-time for the past few years since my father got sick and passed.”
He stopped the truck and cut the engine. The front door opened, and Patty, Craig, and Johnny streamed out to stand waiting on the porch.
Jake stared at him openmouthed, a strange expression in his eyes. “Wait, this is your ranch? You own it? I thought you just worked here as head cowboy or something.”
“It’s mine. And my Aunt Patty’s. I don’t talk about it or treat my workers any differently than I’d wanna be treated myself.” He opened the driver’s side door. “Now do you wanna sit in here talkin’ nonsense, or get inside and have a cool drink and stretch your legs?”
He hopped out and opened the door for Terry, who took his hand with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Shea.”
“My pleasure, Miss Terry. Now don’t you fret about your luggage. The boys ’n I’ll take care of everythin’. Let me introduce you.” He tucked her arm in his. The dog jumped out and raced around them to get to the other side of the truck, where Jake was unbuckling Stacey from the booster seat. Shea had bought it last-minute when Bonnie told him he’d need it for the little girl to ride in his truck.
They mounted the steps to the wide front porch, and he said, “Everybody, this is Terry, Stacey’s babysitter. Miss Terry, this is my aunt, Patty Montgomery. These two cowboys slackin’ off here are Craig and Johnny. And this little princess is Stacey.”
“Well, hello, sugar. I hope you’re ready for a fun-filled week.” Patty bent to give Stacey a smile, and though the little girl didn’t let go of Jake’s hand, she nodded.
Patty treated her like she would any other child, giving her all the right attention but not too much, so as not to make her feel self-conscious. “So lovely to meet y’all. Now come inside.” Patty replaced Shea’s arm through Terry’s with hers. “I have some fresh pecan pie and coffee waitin’. I figure we’d have it on the back porch.”
“Let’s get the luggage and put them in their rooms, fellas. Terry and Stacey will be in the double-room suite, and Jake will be in the VIP suite.”
“Gotcha. That’s sure a pretty little girl he’s got there,” Craig remarked as they unloaded the pickup. “And a dog too. Looks like a ready-made family.”
Shea slammed the truck door shut. “They’re good people.” And that was all he planned on sayin’.
* * *
After dinner, Shea took Terry and Stacey on a tour of the house and gardens. As luck would have it, a hummingbird hovered over the feeder, and they spotted the owl in the tree. Shea could see Stacey struggling to keep her eyes open and Terry unsuccessfully trying to hide several yawns.
“If you’d like to make it an early night, breakfast starts here nice and early at seven, and afterward we can decide what you’d like to do. We have a new bunch of hatchlings in the chicken coop, and some baby goats, piggies, and bunnies that I know would love some attention. Later in the day you can horseback ride or go swimming in the lake. How does that sound to y’all?”
“Perfect, right, Stacey?”
She nodded.
“And the best thing is, you got plenty of time to enjoy it all. No need to rush and do it all in one day. Do you remember where your rooms are?” he asked, just as Jake opened the front door, holding a glass of whiskey and a bottle of beer. “I can take you, if you’d like.”
“Oh, no need.” Terry took Stacey by the hand. “We’ll ask Patty. I’m sure we can find our way. Good night, Shea, and thank you for everything today.”