The Rancher's Homecoming

Great. She was now going to visit Sam a second time at the Gold Nugget, and he was taking her home. What else could go wrong?

“Mind if I tag along?” her grandmother asked.

“You’re welcome anytime.”

“It won’t be till later, Granny. I’ll be coming straight from work, not stopping home first.”

“Haven’t seen the place in a while,” her grandmother continued as if she hadn’t heard Annie. “Not since last spring.”

“I wanna go, too,” Nessa chimed in.

Annie should have silenced her thoughts when she had the chance. At least Nessa seemed to have forgotten about the pony. For now.

“How are you getting along, Granny Orla?” Sam slowed, taking the turn leading to Annie’s street. She’d given him directions when they first climbed into the truck.

“Terrible.” Her grandmother went from animated to forlorn in the span of a single second. “We lost the inn.”

“I heard. I’m sorry.”

“Not half as sorry as I am. Don’t know how we’re going to make it. Much less rebuild.”

“We’ll find a way. Don’t worry.” Annie’s assurance was as much for herself as everyone else in the truck. Especially Nessa. She might not understand everything they were going through, but she was astute and picked up on people’s moods.

“I told Annie I’d like to help with rebuilding Sweetheart.” Sam parked in front of the duplex. “Your inn and the entire town.”

“We’re fine.” Annie noticed his gaze traveling to the modest duplex. Grabbing her daughter’s hand, she wrenched open the door. “Come on, Nessa.” They were out in a flash.

“I want to see the kits.”

“Later, okay? It’s getting late and the kits are sleeping.”

“But we forgot Granny Orla.”

Nessa was right. Annie’s grandmother hadn’t moved.

“Come on, Granny. Mom’s waiting for us.”

“She is?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“In the apartment.”

“The apartment?” her grandmother repeated slowly. “What’s she doing there?”

Why now? Annie silently lamented. And why in front of Sam? She should have seen this coming. Any discussion about losing the inn brought on these...these...episodes.

“Please, Granny. It’s getting late.”

Sam came around the truck to the passenger side. “How ’bout I walk you to the door?”

The sympathy in his voice hit Annie hard. Half of her wanted to scream in frustration, the other half cry.

Nessa tugged on her hand. “Mommy, I have to go potty.”

“Okay, just a second.” Moving aside, Annie let Sam reach into the truck cab and coax her grandmother out.

Some of the older woman’s animation returned. “Can’t remember the last time a man walked me to my door.”

“Wait here, Lyndsey,” he instructed his daughter.

“The kits woke up. We have to feed them,” she protested.

Annie could hear their soft mewing.

“I’ll only be a minute,” Sam said. “They won’t starve.”

Lyndsey slouched and hugged the box on her lap, her lower lip protruding.

Though it wasn’t Annie’s fault, she felt responsible for the delay. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lyndsey. When I bring the cage.” She made a mental note to remember. “Will the kits be all right till then?”

“Dr. Murry showed me what I need to do.” Her hand reached tenderly into the box.

Annie had no doubt Lyndsey would make the vet proud. If only her father had shown half that much tenderness when handling Annie’s heart.

He did seem to be doing an admirable job with her grandmother, though. Was it possible he’d changed?

The front door swung open before Annie could dig her keys out of her pocket.

“There you are. I was getting worried.” At the sight of Sam, Fiona’s depression evaporated. “Sam Wyler!”

Annie’s mother hugged him fiercely, much as her grandmother had. The gesture made Annie acutely aware that she and Sam had yet to touch since his return.

“How are you?” Fiona asked. “Come in, come in.”

Annie ground her teeth. Say no. Please.

For once, her luck held.

“Thank you, Fiona, but I can’t.” He straightened his cowboy hat, which had been knocked askew during the hug. “My daughter’s waiting in the truck.”

“Bring her in, too. We’ll have some ice cream.”

“Ice cream!” Nessa jumped up and down.

“I appreciate the offer.” Sam shot a look at the truck parked on the curb. “But Lyndsey’s babysitting a pair of abandoned raccoons she found earlier today in a log, and they need feeding.”