The Rancher's Second Chance

At least he knew the prognosis.

He couldn’t sit in this room for the rest of the day, avoiding his life. He pulled on his boots, shoved his hat down on his head and left the exam room behind.

He headed for the waiting room and Grace. He’d stopped at Duke’s for coffee that morning and she’d been there. When she’d found out he was heading to Austin, she’d asked for a ride. Of course he hadn’t been able to tell her no.

He was going to have to practice if she planned on staying in Martin’s Crossing any length of time. He mumbled, “No, Grace,” to himself, then shook his head. He was really losing it.

“No, Grace, I don’t need someone to hold my hand,” he grumbled. “No, Grace. I don’t think I’ll give you a second chance,” he whispered to himself.

“Are you talking to me?”

She was heading toward him, coming out a door near the exit. No, Grace. The words evaporated as she stepped close, a sweet expression on her face, lingering dark brown eyes. She could turn a man into a fool with that look.

“Nope,” he said. He’d been talking to himself. It made him half-mad that he couldn’t hold on to his anger when she was around.

His gaze went to the baby bump her loose shirt didn’t hide. Her hand moved to that bump and her smile faltered. He hadn’t meant for that to happen.

“You okay?” Her voice was soft in the quiet room, where a dozen people waited.

“I guess so.” He hooked his arm through hers and they headed for the elevator.

“You’re lying,” she said when the elevator doors slid closed.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

He shook his head and pushed the lobby button. “Nope. Where do you need to go?”

“Brody, we’re at a rheumatologist.”

Yeah, he knew she would put two and two together. That didn’t mean he was ready to talk about it.

“Yeah, I guess we are. Where do you need to go?”

Silence for a blessed moment.

“A department store, please. I need a few things that I can’t get in Martin’s Crossing.”

For some reason that lightened his mood. He doubted she’d planned it that way, but he’d take any rope he could grab hold of.

“What? There are things you can’t get in Martin’s Crossing?” He smiled as he teased her. “I thought the feed store had everything.”

“If everything includes grain, rubber boots, lead ropes and work jeans.”

“Sounds like everything a person needs.”

“Yes, everything a person needs. But what I need the most is my friend,” she said, her amusement fading.

“Don’t.”

He led her across the parking lot to his truck. When he reached to open the door for her, she placed a hand on his arm. He drew in a deep breath and looked down at her. She had a serious look on her face, the kind that went right through him.

“I know you don’t want to talk, but if you change your mind, I’m here.”

“I appreciate that.”

She bit down on her bottom lip as she studied him. “Brody, I do care. We...”

“Don’t. We’re not a ‘we’ anymore. Whatever you do or I do, there’s no ‘we’ involved.”

“I know that. I’m just saying, I know you’re in a lot of pain. And I know your surgery last year didn’t go well. There was a lot of damage that they probably couldn’t...”

He cut her off, motioning her to get in the truck. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Gotcha. But you know as well as I do that you’re going to have to face it.”

“It isn’t fatal, Grace.”

“No, but I’m sure it’s life changing.”

“Yeah, well, there’s been a lot of those moments in the past year.” With that, he closed the truck door.

When they got to the mall, he dropped her at the door, then parked the truck. She waited for him at the entrance. Her hand touched his, but then she must have thought better of it because she walked a little ahead of him. He followed her inside.

The first thing she did was head for the baby stuff. He felt a little itchy when she started touching pretty little dresses and pink shoes. He hadn’t thought about it, really. That baby bump was going to be a little person in a matter of months. It would wear lacy dresses. Or maybe it would wear jeans and cowboy boots. He picked up a pair of miniature cowboy boots and grinned.

“It’s going to be a girl.” She stepped next to him, taking the boots from his hand and putting them back on the shelf.

“It’s a boy,” he teased. “I’ve heard that boys are always right out front and girls spread themselves around their momma’s entire middle.

She looked down, her eyes widening as she covered the bump with her hand. “Do you think?”