She’s become so much calmer. Yes, there’s still a wall there, but I’m beginning to have hope that the chinks will start letting the light through. All the therapy and love and support you’re giving her will work.”
She squeezed his arm, but he barely felt it. “I just want her to be happy. And it’s killing me that I have no idea what happened to make her this way.”
“We’ll figure it out one day. Meanwhile, look at her. I swear I’m seeing her ready to break out in laughter any day now.”
The riding over with, Shea lifted Stacey up and Cody led the pony away, but instead of putting her down, he sat her on his shoulders. Jake’s heart sang at the picture they made—Shea’s smiling face and Stacey holding on to him. Jake whipped out his camera and took a burst of pictures.
“I’ve got some precious cargo right here. How about we go over and say hi to the bunnies. Somethin’ tells me they’re lookin’ for a pretty little princess to hop onto.”
“How about it, honey?”
Stacey nodded, and Jake noted she didn’t reach for him to take her but kept her arms around Shea. Bouncing her gently, Shea led the way to the rabbit hutch, about twenty yards from the back porch of the ranch house. He set Stacey in a patch of grass, and Terry reached over the fence to hand him a bunch of carrots she’d pulled from her shoulder bag.
“Here. Patty had a feeling you’d be heading to the rabbits.”
Shea gave the carrots to Stacey, who held them out and waited. Within minutes, at least seven little rabbits hopped out from the wooden hutch to inspect her. Shea nudged him.
“She’s havin’ the time of her life.”
Jake had to agree. She held out the carrots, and the little rabbits swarmed onto her lap. A giggle burst from her lips, and Terry clutched his arm. “Oh, Jake.” Kiss barked and whined, then dropped to her stomach and lay by the gate.
Shea murmured, “I’ll be damned.” He wrapped his arm around Jake’s shoulder.
Unable to answer, Jake remained transfixed at the sight of Stacey giggling like any other six-year-old would with a bunch of fuzzy bunnies jumping all over her. This was the breakthrough he’d been striving for, and after waiting for so long, all it took was five days at a small dude ranch in the middle of Nowhere, Texas, for his dream to come true. Jake knew he was now irrevocably tied to this land, this place, which had been the catalyst to giving his child back her life.
He’d felt it the first time he visited the ranch, but now believed it even more—Forget Me Not was a magical place where anything could happen.
He had no idea how long he spent watching his daughter, her shining face kissed by sunlight, as the rabbits tumbled over her. Shea remained by his side. Terry sat on one of the benches and took pictures of Stacey.
Quietly, he said to Shea, “I’m sorry if you thought earlier that I didn’t want you near me. I wasn’t sure how Stacey would feel, but I can see how much she likes you. And I also know you must have a million things to do. You don’t have to stay with us.”
“Are you kiddin’ me? Nowhere else I’d rather be. Look at her.” Shea’s fingers brushed his nape.
“I know. I can’t stop.”
Shea’s lips touched the shell of his ear. “I can’t stop watchin’ you neither. I’m just sorry I haven’t been able to be with you at night. But I understand.”
Despite the heat of the midday sun, a shudder ran through Jake, and Shea held him tighter. Since they arrived, Stacey had been restless, waking up several times during the night, and Jake had worried about her needing him, so he and Shea had remained apart. “Most men wouldn’t be interested in a relationship when a child is involved.”
“I ain’t like most men.”
Jake laid his head on Shea’s shoulder. “That I know.” He reached into his pocket, and after taking a video of Stacey playing with the rabbits, placed a call. Shea made to move and walk away, but Jake held on to him and shook his head.
“Hello, may I speak with Dr. Aggarwal? Yes, it’s important. No, I’ll hold on.” He blew out an impatient breath, and Shea steered him toward another bench and pushed him down.
“Take a load off and calm yourself.”
“I want to talk to her doctor, but she’s with another patient.”