Lone Star Father

Reid swallowed his pride. “I’m sorry.”

“Growing up in this family wasn’t easy. I know that.” His grandfather braced his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet. “You don’t have to like any of us, but family is family and we’re all you’ve got.”

Reid sat alone in the saloon long after his family had deserted him. Again. Gramps and Gunner had been more forgiving than Logan. Reid had some fence mending to do with his older brother.

Chapter Three (#u1ea5f248-7f43-5850-befc-2f2b4c9a8458)

“We’ve been waiting for you, Reid,” Jessie said after he pulled up to the house at Paradise Ranch Saturday afternoon. “Scarlett’s gonna give us a tour of the petting zoo.”

In the six months that they’d known each other, Jessie hadn’t called him Dad,even though she referred to him as her dad when she spoke with other people. Maybe she just needed a little more time.

He studied his childhood home. His grandmother’s rosebushes looked healthy and lush—a big change from his last glimpse of the sickly shrubs as he’d left for the military. Fresh gravel covered the road leading to the highway and the swing hung on the porch again. The window trim had recently been painted and the white rockers were new. He attributed the homey feel to Logan’s wife, Sadie.

“What’s the matter?” Jessie asked.

“Nothing.” He cracked a smile. “I haven’t been here in a while and the place looks different.” The barn sported a new coat of red paint and the white corral rails gleamed in the sun. Across from the old storage shed was an enclosed barnyard where a handful of animals congregated. A sign reading Paradise Petting Zoo hung above the entrance.

“You’re here.” Scarlett joined Jessie on the porch. Her smile reached her eyes, and the sparkle warmed his insides. He’d desired his share of women through the years and he felt plenty of below-the-belt temptation for Scarlett, but when their gazes locked all that heat traveled upward into his chest, making his heart pound faster.

Jessie descended the steps. “Uncle Logan said he had to take care of the horses.”

A bitter lump lodged in Reid’s throat when Jessie referred to his brother as Uncle Logan. Returning to Stampede was supposed to help him and Jessie grow closer, not Jessie and his brothers.

Tommy flung the front door open and he and his brother raced past Scarlett. “I want to show Jessie my chicken.”

“Me, too,” Tyler said.

Taking a look at the hunting cabin would have to wait until after they toured the barnyard. “Lead the way,” he said.

The twins grabbed Jessie’s hands, then Tommy said, “C’mon, JJ. I’ll show you Captain America.”

“And Superman,” Tyler said. The boys and Jessie cut across the yard.

Scarlett descended the steps and they followed the kids. “JJ?” he said.

“Tommy kept complaining that Jessie was a girl, so she told the boys to call her JJ for short because it sounded like a boy’s nickname.” Scarlett peeked up at him. “What’s the second J stand for?”

“Jones.” He lowered his voice. “We haven’t talked about changing her last name to Hardell.” He figured his daughter needed time to get used to the idea of him being her father.

“Maybe she’s waiting for a signal from you that you want her to take your surname.” Was Scarlett speaking as a friend or a social worker?

“Jessie said the two of you didn’t meet until after her mother died.”

He didn’t want to talk about Stacy—mostly because he felt bad that he couldn’t remember much about her.

Scarlett pulled on his shirtsleeve and they stopped walking. “I’m prying because I care.” She glanced ahead at the kids. “I’ve helped hundreds of girls like Jessie. I’m here if you have any questions or just want to talk.”

Coming from anyone other than a social worker, Reid would have ignored the person, but Scarlett’s offer was sincere and empathy shone in her brown eyes. “Thanks.”

A wrinkle appeared across her brow. “It can be challenging bonding with a child you don’t know well.”

He almost asked if she had any tips on setting boundaries for a twelve-year-old but changed his mind, not wanting to appear totally inept as a parent. They strolled through the empty barn, then walked out the rear door into the petting corral.

“Watch this, JJ.” Tommy chased a rooster whose comb looked as if it weighed more than the bird.

“Superman’s hungry.” Tyler pushed the button on the feeding machine attached to the corral rail and pellets spilled into his hands and onto the ground. He offered the treats to the goat and giggled when the animal licked his palm. “He likes his magic food.”

“That’s a weird-looking chicken.” Jessie pointed to a bird with a feather duster attached to its back end. “The tail is longer than its body.”

“That’s an Onagadori chicken. It was first bred in Japan,” Scarlett said. “I didn’t know a thing about chickens before I came to visit, but thanks to Tyler’s chicken-and-rooster books I’m an expert.” She patted a miniature horse. “This is Ruby.”

“We got Ruby from a newspaper,” Tyler said.

Jessie rubbed the mare’s nose. “What do you mean, you got her from a newspaper?”

“Ruby’s owner couldn’t take care of her,” Sadie said. “He put an ad in the newspaper, hoping someone would adopt her.”

“Our grandpa lets us ride her.” Tommy took Jessie’s hand. “Wanna see Wilbur?” They zigzagged between chickens and stopped in front of a doghouse. “Come out, Wilbur.” A pink snout appeared in opening.

Jessie knelt down. “Come out and play, piggy.”

Tyler squatted by his brother and grunted like a pig. Wilbur left his house and nudged Jessie’s hand with his nose. Her laughter warmed Reid’s heart.

“The twins have a new best friend.” Scarlett nodded to Jessie. “I hope they don’t annoy her too much.”

Reid watched the trio play with Wilbur. His family had accepted Jessie into their fold. Time would tell if they rolled out the welcome mat for him.

“How long did you plan to stay in Stampede?” Scarlett asked.

Apparently no one expected him to stick around.

What else are they supposed to believe when you’ve kept your distance all these years?

“I don’t have any intention of leaving soon,” he said. “Jessie and I are moving into the cabin on the other side of the property.”

“You don’t sound excited about bunking down out there,” she said. “My offer to stay at the motel still stands.”

“The cabin will be fine.” He wasn’t pushing Scarlett out of the house. He needed an ally close by. He hoped he and his family could move forward because his daughter was making herself at home on the ranch and if they had to leave, she’d blame him for things not working out.

“Aunt Scarlett?” Tyler patted Scarlett’s leg. “Can we show Jessie our tree house?”

“Check with your mom first.” Scarlett glanced at Reid. “Logan built the boys a tree fort not too far from the garden alongside the house.”

“Jessie, keep an eye on the boys,” Reid said.

“I will.” She followed the twins out of the barnyard and across the lawn to the back door of the house.

“When did you plan to look at the cabin?” Scarlett asked.