The Rancher's Homecoming

“Some. Others weren’t ever able to fend for themselves.”

“What happened to them?” Lyndsey hugged Daffy closer.

“I kept them for the rest of their lives.”

“You had quite a collection,” Sam said. “I’d help you feed and clean the enclosures.” He looked at Lyndsey. “Her mother used to call it the zoo.”

Annie snuck a quick peek at him. The thrill she’d fended off earlier wound through her, proving she wasn’t immune to him and the easy, sexy charm he exuded.

As if she’d ever been.

He was older now. Experience had left its mark on his face and made him even more handsome—and her more susceptible.

“Wow!” Lyndsey’s eyes went wide. “That must have been cool.”

“It was,” Sam concurred. “And then, she’d treat my horses whenever they needed some minor medical attention. Cuts, colic, vaccinations. We were a good team.” His gaze found hers and held it.

“Once, maybe.” A rush of memories assailed Annie, and she forced herself to look away.

“You’re like a vet!”

Thankfully, Lyndsey appeared unaware of the emotions flying between Annie and her father.

“Not hardly. But I thought I wanted to be one when I was your age.”

“What stopped you?” Sam asked.

She turned and faced him. “The inn. I was needed there.”

“Do you ever regret your choice?”

“Not for one second. Sweetheart Inn has been in my family for three generations. It will be for a fourth.”

“What happened to the animals?” Lyndsey asked.

“I stopped collecting so many after your dad...after a while.” Annie went over and retrieved the cage from where she’d left it. “Where are you keeping the kits?”

“In my bedroom,” Lyndsey promptly answered.

“That was just for last night.” Sam bent and stroked her hair. “We talked about this. The barn is the best place.”

She pulled away, her mouth set in a firm line. “You always say no.”

Annie sensed the friction between them wasn’t due entirely to the kits. This battle had been waged before over something else.

“Your dad’s right,” she said gently. “The barn is better. For one thing, unless you clean their cage ten times a day, they’ll smell. Really bad.”

“I’ll clean it.”

“And they’re noisy. Raccoons are mostly nocturnal.”

“Nocturnal?”

“They sleep during the day and are awake at night. They’ll keep you up and everyone else in the house.”

“I’ll sleep during the day.” Lyndsey put the kit back into the crate. He and his brother immediately began play fighting, tussling and growling at each other.

“Sweetie,” Sam said, his patience showing signs of wearing thin, “you can’t.”

Annie had anticipated Lyndsey’s objection even before her father finished speaking.

“Why!” She sprang to her feet, fists clenched at her sides. “I’m not in school or summer camp.” She wrenched away when he reached for her. “You won’t let me do anything.”

Annie should just shut up. She had more than enough of her own problems to deal with without involving herself in Sam’s. Yet, she couldn’t stop herself.

“You could sleep out here with the kits.”

Lyndsey stopped and gaped first at Annie, then Sam. “Can I, Daddy?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“We don’t have a cot, for one thing.”

“Lay a tarp down next to the cage,” Annie suggested. “Put a sleeping bag or some blankets on top of it.”

“I don’t want Lyndsey sleeping in the barn. It’s not safe.” His tone implied Annie might be interfering.

She should quit while she was ahead. Only, she didn’t. “You could sleep out here with her.”

Lyndsey jumped up. “Please, Daddy?”

“We’ll see.” He was clearly not enthused.

“Thank you, thank you.” Lyndsey took his hedging as a yes and hugged him hard, pressing her face into his shirtfront.

He hugged her in return, his hand splayed protectively across her small back. The tender exchange charmed Annie.

Damn Sam. He was always getting to her. And now he’d added his cute, sweet and obviously wounded daughter to his arsenal.

“Come on, kiddo. Let’s get the cage set up.” Annie kept her voice matter-of-fact.

The three of them worked for the next twenty minutes, during which time Annie continued instructing Lyndsey on baby raccoon care. They covered such topics as water for drinking and bathing, diet—the kits would benefit from natural foods like fruit and nuts—and how best to clean the cage without them escaping.

Lyndsey was an apt student, but Annie was aware that Sam spent more time watching her than the kits, causing the back of her neck to heat uncomfortably beneath her uniform collar. Was he still annoyed at her for suggesting he and Lyndsey sleep in the barn?

“I have to run,” she said when the cage was secured atop some wooden blocks and fully equipped with everything the kits would need, including an old stuffed toy of Nessa’s that Annie found in the SUV.