“Do you have proof? A birth certificate maybe?” Lucy asked.
“My birth certificate says my mother is Anne Bryant and the name of my father is noted as declined.”
The siblings looked at each other. Hannah could practically read their minds. They were doing the math. But she had already done that in Colorado and knew only too well that she was a year younger than Emma.
“I’m confused,” Lucy said.
“Believe me, I am, as well,” Hannah said. “I was born twenty-nine years ago last month. My mother died when I was too young to ask who declined was, and my grandmother wouldn’t discuss my father.” Hannah took a deep breath. “Clementine and I were in Denver for my grandmother’s funeral. Until the reading of the will, I thought she was my only living relative.”
“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Lucy said gently. “We know what it’s like to lose everything. But what led you to think...” She gestured with a hand.
“I inherited a chest of my mother’s things after she passed.” Hannah paused for a calming breath. Again, she reminded herself that she hadn’t done anything wrong. “There was a Bible with photos of my mother and Jake Maxwell tucked inside.”
“Surely there’s more than one Jake Maxwell in all the world,” Lucy said.
“I compared the photos to the Denver Public Library microfiche files with your father’s obituary photo. That’s also what led me to Big Heart Ranch.”
Lucy grimaced and nodded.
“Could we see the photos you have?” Travis asked.
“Yes. Of course. They’re in the trunk of my car.”
The eldest Maxwell’s gaze moved out the window to the pasture of tall grass in the distance. Then she slowly turned back to face Hannah. “I want to be sensitive to you, but this still doesn’t prove that he’s your father.”
Hannah stared down at her tightly clasped hands for moments, recalling the letters she’d read over and over again.
Dearest Anne, you are on my mind constantly...
She raised her head to face the Maxwells. “There are also dated letters from Jake to Anne that indicate a very close relationship.”
Lucy’s face paled as she released a soft, anguished sigh and covered her mouth with a hand.
“I’m sorry,” Hannah murmured.
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” Travis said. “This has to be as difficult for you as it is for all of us.”
“We could do a DNA test. Couldn’t we?” Emma asked while looking at Jack Harris for a response.
The attorney reached out to hold Lucy’s hand. “Sure, but as I recall, without paternal or maternal DNA, the results won’t be absolutely conclusive, though they will show if you’re family.”
“I think we should talk to a lab and find out how to proceed,” Emma returned.
“This is a lot to take in, Em,” Lucy said. “That Dad had a relationship outside of his marriage.”
“Four years before they died,” Travis murmured.
Emma turned to her siblings. “We can’t begin to presume to interpret the past. I don’t think we should even try. I say we deal with facts. Hannah is here and for her peace of mind and ours we should find out if we are indeed family.” She offered Hannah a sad smile.
Travis, too, offered a sympathetic nod. “All of our lives are affected if it’s true.”
Lucy met Hannah’s gaze. “I have to be clear. The ranch is a charity. The land was given to us by our mother’s cousin. The woman who adopted us. Big Heart Ranch is a sanctuary for orphaned, abused and neglected children. This ranch is our life mission, but we have no inheritance. Nothing.”
Hannah’s gut clenched at the words. Inheritance? If only they knew she’d already walked away from one. What she longed for was to find her place in this world.
“I’m here for the same answers you want,” Hannah murmured. “Period.”
Once again, an uncomfortable silence filled the room.
“Where are you staying?” Lucy asked.
“I saw a motel on the way in.”
“The Rooster Motel?” A horrified look crossed Lucy’s face. “Oh, you don’t want to stay there. We have a nice bed-and-breakfast in Timber.”
“That’s not really in our budget, but thank you,” Hannah said without looking at any of them.
“Well then, I’d like to invite you to stay at Big Heart Ranch, at the very least until we can figure all of this out,” Lucy said while she looked to her siblings for confirmation.
Hannah held her head high. “I don’t do charity.”
“Of course not. We can always use help on the ranch,” Emma said.
“What about Clementine?” Hannah asked.
“There is a licensed daycare at the ranch now,” Lucy said. “How old is she?”
“Clementine is five. Almost six.”
“It’s May. Isn’t she enrolled in school?” Emma asked.
“We’ve moved around a lot,” Hannah said. There was no point sharing further details. Her past had nothing to do with the Maxwells other than when it intersected with theirs.
Emma frowned. “I handle childcare at the ranch and I can tell you that kindergarten is mandatory in Oklahoma.”
“It’s not in Texas, Kansas and Missouri.”
“You certainly have traveled,” Emma murmured.
Traveled. Hannah nearly laughed out loud. Not quite. She had been running from her grandmother’s reach for nearly seven years. Staying one step ahead of the wealthy woman who insinuated that she could take Clementine away from Hannah if she so desired.
“I’m sure we have some area you could contribute to on Big Heart Ranch.”
“What’s your background?” Lucy asked.
“Recently, I’ve been a bookkeeper, cashier and mostly a cook.”
“All useful skills.” Travis shook his head. “Can you ride?”
“Yes, absolutely. I have an extensive background with horses. I’ve been riding since I was a kid. I worked in children’s camps and equine clinics when I was a teenager and in college.” Hannah paused and swallowed. “However, there’s something you should know.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I’m pregnant.” Hannah sat straight and proudly. Yes, she was a single mother whose husband had left her not once, but twice. But she refused to give in to the whispers of shame fueled by her grandmother that had dogged her for the past seven years.
“Congratulations,” Travis said. He grinned like a preening peacock as he put his arm around his wife. “AJ and I have a baby due in August.” He glanced over at Emma. “And Emma and Zach are expecting a baby in December.”
“That’s wonderful,” Hannah said.
Emma chimed in, “When is your baby due?”
“Late December.”
“Congratulations,” Emma added, her face lighting up with genuine pleasure. “Oh, my, we’re due at the same time.”
“I’ll add my congratulations, too,” Lucy said. “As you can see, we love babies around here. Your...um, partner is with you in Oklahoma?”
“I’m recently divorced.” She cleared her throat and once again focused on her hands, running her thumb over a ragged hangnail. Recently divorced because once he’d found out she wasn’t going to be a wealthy woman, he’d walked away.
An awkward silence stretched before Lucy cleared her throat.
“You do understand what we do here at the ranch, right?” Lucy asked.
“Not exactly,” Hannah admitted.
“We create a new normal for the children who come to live with us at Big Heart Ranch. We have two ranches here, the boys’ ranch and the girls’ ranch. The children are placed in a real house with house parents, not a dormitory. Though they aren’t a biological family, they are a family of the heart. A forever family. Our children have daily devotionals, lessons, homework and chores, just like any other child.”
Lucy looked to Travis. “We have been promising Tripp an admin to do the paperwork, scheduling and ordering supplies for about two years now, haven’t we?”
Travis nodded with enthusiasm. He turned to Tripp, but the equine manager’s face remained stony. The blue eyes flickered and his jaw twitched, though he didn’t utter a word.
“We’d still have to run a background and fingerprint check,” Emma chimed in. “It’s ranch policy.”
“Would you consider staying?” Lucy asked.
“I don’t know...” Hannah murmured with a glance at Tripp Walker.
“Tripp?” Emma nudged the silent cowboy.
“If the Maxwells welcome you, then so do I.” The words were a slow drawl, his gaze cautious, revealing nothing to indicate he’d changed his opinion about her.
Hannah was silent. So what if the horse manager didn’t like her? This wasn’t about her. She wouldn’t knee-jerk and make a decision based on pride. Clementine and her unborn child deserved to be around family, if that’s what the Maxwells really were.
“Thank you. I’ll stay...for now.”
She glanced around the table for a moment. Did she dare to hope that Big Heart Ranch might be the end of the road? A place where she and her children would be welcomed unconditionally? Or would she always be searching for home?
It’s in Your hands now, Lord, she silently prayed.
Chapter Two
Disoriented, Hannah sat up in bed. Something was off. Normally, she woke to the spring scents of hyacinths, daffodils and lilac that floated into her furnished apartment from the florist shop downstairs.
Her searching gaze landed on Clementine, who slept soundlessly in the next bed, cuddled into a softly faded multicolored quilt with her pink stuffed horse clutched to her chest.
Hannah blinked against the dappled sunlight sneaking into the room through the blinds and realized she was in a guest bunkhouse at Big Heart Ranch. Today was Saturday. She yawned as Friday’s events came back to her.
“This is it,” Rue Butterfield had announced when they arrived at the bunkhouse yesterday afternoon.
Hannah had enough money for one night at the Rooster before they’d have to head back to Missouri. Staying at Big Heart Ranch was an answer to prayer.
“This is where we’re staying?” Hannah had asked Rue. The bunkhouse was a rustic log cabin cottage with six bunks, a small living room and a kitchen area. It was several paychecks nicer than her place above the floral shop in Dripping Falls. Yet, her grandmother would have been appalled.
“Yes,” Rue had answered. “This is the guest bunkhouse.”
Hannah had glanced across the room at a neatly made-up bed. “Who else lives here?”
“That would be me. I stay when I’m needed and, with summer coming up, that will be most of the time.” She paused. “Oh, and Dutch will bring up your car and your bags. He put gas in your Honda.”
“Dutch?”
“Dutch Stevens. Senior wrangler. Can’t miss him. He’s bowlegged and has a silver handlebar mustache.”
“Please tell him thank you. And thank you. For all this.” She had waved a hand around the room.
“You’re family, dear.” Rue smiled.
At that moment, something like shame had clawed at Hannah. Family. As far as she could tell, she might be the illegitimate daughter of Jake Maxwell. Family or not, she’d certainly put a pause and a huge question mark into everyone at Big Heart Ranch’s thoughts yesterday.
Hannah glanced at the clock. It read 7:00 a.m. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked over at the two battered suitcases that the wrangler had brought to the cabin yesterday. Nearly everything she owned had been shoved into those bags or into a cardboard box in the trunk of her car when she’d left Missouri for her grandmother’s funeral in Colorado.
She stared at the ceiling and considered the wisdom of leaving her job as a short-order cook at the all-night diner. The pay was regular and Clementine slept in the manager’s office during her shift, saving Hannah a fortune in childcare expenses.
It wasn’t the career she’d planned on, but there was no point in looking back. She’d learned long ago that the only thing certain in life was that she had to live with her choices. Big Heart Ranch it was. For now.
Just as Hannah swung her legs over the side of the bed, the strong waft of bacon, eggs and fried potatoes hit her full force. With one hand on her stomach and the other covering her mouth, she quietly headed to the restroom.
Morning sickness. She splashed cold water on her face and stood over the sink taking slow breaths, willing her stomach to calm down.
“What am I doing here, Lord? I hope this was Your nudge and not another mess up for You to get me out of.”
Patting her face dry with a towel, Hannah brushed her teeth before coming out to the main area again.
“Morning, Momma.” Clementine sat on the edge of her bunk, biting her lower lip as she concentrated on buttoning up her blouse.
“Well, look at you. No nagging you to get out of bed today.”
Clementine raised her head and smiled, brown eyes sparkling. “Miss Rue said to get ready. Mr. Tripp is coming by to take me to see the horses after breakfast.”
Hannah eased down next to her daughter on the bed and pulled a hairbrush from her purse. “Let me fix your hair.”
“I have a twisty.” Clementine held up a nylon hair tie.
“Good, because the snarls have taken over. I’ll brush it thoroughly tonight,” Hannah said as she pulled the springy orange curls into a ponytail.
“Thank you, Momma.”
Rue popped her head around the corner. “Breakfast is ready. I made eggs, bacon and my special home fries.”
“Toast would be good.” Hannah swallowed, praying she wouldn’t retch. “But you don’t have to cook for us.”
“I was making breakfast anyhow.”
“Coffee?” Rue asked once Hannah had changed into jeans and a T-shirt and was seated at the table nibbling toast.
“Water is fine. I’ll get it.” She stood and moved to the sink. The coffee smelled wonderful, and she’d kill for a mugful, but that would wait until she could get decaf.
“What a good eater,” Rue said to Clementine as she sat down at the table and picked up her coffee.
“She’s filling her reserve tank,” Hannah said.
The five-year-old scooped up another forkful of eggs and shoveled it into her mouth like a starving trucker.
“Whoa, Clemmie. Slow down there, good buddy,” Hannah said.
“This is really good, Momma,” Clementine said.
“Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” She put the water on the table and slid into the chair next to her daughter.
“Yes, Momma,” Clementine said over a mouthful of eggs.
Hannah looked across the table at Rue Butterfield. The woman’s serene smile said that all was well with the world. It was as if Hannah and Clementine belonged in this kitchen, at this moment. There was a peace in the room that Hannah hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“This was very nice of you, Rue. I’m not accustomed to someone cooking for me.”
“Mind if I ask how far along you are, dear?”
Hannah froze. “How did you know?”
“The morning sickness, and you turned positively green when you laid eyes on the bacon.” Rue smiled. “I’d have never noticed otherwise.”
“I’m eight weeks.” Hannah placed a hand to her stomach. “I can barely zip up my jeans.”
“You’re slim as can be.”
A knock at the door interrupted the conversation and had all heads turning. “Come on in,” Rue called.
Tripp opened the door and removed his hat. The lean cowboy stood in the threshold surrounded by the morning sunlight. The man had to be at least six foot five. An inch or so more and he’d hit his head on that low doorway. He ducked as he entered the kitchen. The man had a thick head full of toffee-colored hair, trimmed short and neat.
When Tripp turned a bit more, Hannah noted that with his stubbled shadow and strong jawline, he was almost perfectly handsome. The scar running down his face only added to his rugged and dangerous appeal.
Appeal in general, she corrected herself. Not appealing to her. Nope. Things only became complicated when there was a man in her life.
She placed a protective hand on her abdomen when Tripp’s frosty blue eyes assessed Hannah with an expression she couldn’t define. It seemed the man was constantly sizing her up and each time she fell short.
“Coffee, Tripp?” Rue asked.
He held up a hand. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Horses. Horses. Horses,” Clementine chanted. She jumped up from her chair.
“Hold it right there,” Hannah said. “Clear your place setting and thank Miss Rue for breakfast.”
“Thank you, Miss Rue.” Clementine put her silverware on her plate, turned to the sink and stopped. “I can’t reach the sink.”
Before Hannah could even get out of her seat, Tripp had gently lifted the little girl to the stainless steel sink.
“Thank you.” Clementine giggled.
Tripp turned to Hannah as he lowered her daughter to the floor. “Ready to go?”
“Yes. Let me get our sweaters.”
“Does she have any other shoes besides sneakers?” Tripp asked.
“Oh, I didn’t even think... Clemmie, go put on your cowboy boots.”
Clementine nodded and raced from the room, happy to return wearing her scuffed Western boots. The pint-sized show-off did a little jig of a dance ending with a small, “Ta-da!”
“You’re a real cowgirl, aren’t you?” Tripp said with a wide grin.
Hannah nearly fell over at the smile that lifted the corners of the cranky cowboy’s mouth. It was a genuine smile that transformed the stone-etched face into swoon-worthy. For a fleeting moment, Hannah longed to make Tripp Walker smile again.
Then she remembered that believing in white knights who came with happy endings was how she’d gotten derailed in the first place.
Hannah followed Tripp and Clementine out the door. She couldn’t keep up with his long strides, but her daughter skipped and jumped across the yard to the stables, splashing in a few mud puddles on the way, with joy shining on her face.
Tripp stood at the entrance of the big building, allowing them to enter the stables first. Hannah stopped and met his gaze. “Thank you for keeping your word. That’s a novelty in my world.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His eyes skimmed over her. “You said you’re comfortable around horses, right?”
“It’s been a long time, but yes.”
“How long is a long time?”
When she paused to think, a rope of melancholy tugged at her. There were very few things from her past that pulled at her heart. Her horse was one of those. But when she’d walked away from her grandmother, she’d walked away from everything her money could buy. “It’s been more than seven years. A beautiful mare named Sage.”
“What happened?”
“That’s a story for another day.” She stepped into the building, her boots echoing on the floor. The place was abuzz with activity. “Why are things so busy on a Saturday?”
He shrugged. “The usual. Lessons are scheduled Monday through Saturday. Most of the kids and staff sign up for recreational rides, as well.”
She offered a small nod.
“I manage the equestrian center located on each ranch. We house over twenty ranch horses, plus those owned by the staff.”
“That’s a lot of horses and a lot of work,” Hannah said. Her grandmother hired a team of grooms for her stables.
“The kids muck and groom as part of their daily chores.”
“I’m sure that’s helpful, but someone has to manage the entire program, including veterinarian visits, feed, supplies and the day-to-day issues.”
He stared at her, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
“I worked for the manager at an equine clinic long ago,” she admitted. “Which may come in handy as your assistant.”
“So you said.” He paused. “That starts on Monday.” Tripp offered a dismissive nod, before he turned to her daughter. “Miss Clementine, would you like to ride today?”
“Oh, yes, please, Mr. Tripp. I’ve never been on a real horse.” She cocked her head and pursed her mouth for a moment. “Do you have any pink horses?”
“We don’t, but I have a nice horse named Grace who would like to be your friend.”
“Okay.”
Once again, Clementine’s short legs skipped to catch up to Tripp. Hannah’s jaw nearly dropped when her daughter put her little hand in Tripp’s and followed him. Clementine was friendly by nature, but this...this was unusual.
As she followed, Hannah spotted the tack room next to an office with glass windows all around. The sign on the door read Tripp Walker, Manager. They stopped at the last stall on the left where a chalkboard on the outside of the stall had Grace printed in white letters.
“Do you want to introduce yourself and Clementine to Grace while I grab some equipment?” Tripp asked.
“Oh, yes. Sure,” Hannah returned.
“Mommy,” Clementine whispered. “I’m really going to ride a horse?”
“You are.” Hannah knelt down next to her daughter. “It’s very important that you follow all of Mr. Walker’s instructions today.”
Clementine gave a solemn nod and then frowned. “His name is Mr. Tripp, Momma.”
“Mr. Tripp.” Hannah barely resisted rolling her eyes. “I’m going to lift you up so you can pet the horse’s nose. Talk to her and say hello. Be very gentle.”
Clementine reached toward Grace without hesitation. She stroked the animal’s chestnut nose, her fingers lingering on the white patch of her forehead. “Hi, Miss Grace. My name is Clementine,” she soothed, like an old pro.
The animal gave a nicker and nudged at Clementine’s hand.
Clementine’s eyes popped wide, and she giggled. “Momma, she likes me.”
“Why wouldn’t she?” Tripp asked from behind them. He held a saddle, a blanket and a currycomb. “Come on, we’ll get Grace ready to ride and I’ll take you both for a little walk.”
“Oh, I hate to take you away from your work,” Hannah said. “I can do that.”
He looked at her and seemed to be searching for a response. “Sometimes, I like to be taken away from my work.”
“We’ve already imposed,” Hannah protested.
Tripp cleared his throat. “Ma’am, there’s a liability issue here.”
“But I’m about to be an employee.” She paused. “At least temporarily.”
“Monday. After you fill out the paperwork and such on Monday, you’ll be official and all.”
Hannah swallowed and stepped back. “So I have to trust you with my daughter for now?”
“Yes, ma’am. You can watch from outside the corral.”
Could she trust Tripp Walker with that which was most precious to her? Clementine was the reason she’d been on the run for the past nearly seven years. Leaving Colorado, she knew that their running had come to an end and that eventually, she’d have to trust someone. Maybe Big Heart Ranch was the place to start. After all, this ranch was all about trust and second chances, wasn’t it?
She met Tripp Walker’s steady gaze and nodded. “Okay.”
Tripp lifted a grinning Clementine from the saddle and set her on the ground in the stables.
“How’d the ride go?” Rue asked as she entered the building.
“This little cowgirl is a natural,” he said.
“I expected as much.” Rue turned to Hannah. “I’ve got some friends to visit over at the chicken coop. Mrs. Carmody and the rest of the girls. I thought Clementine might like to join me. Would that be all right with you, Hannah?”
“I, um...” Hannah blinked, eyes wide, obviously caught off guard.
“Oh, yes. Please, Momma. It will be all right. I’ll be good.” Clementine’s brown eyes begged as loud as her entreaty.
Tripp narrowed his gaze. The single mother didn’t like to be separated from her baby. Had he misjudged her? Time would tell.
Hannah nodded and offered Rue a shaky smile. “Sure, okay.”
When Tripp led Grace to her stall, Hannah followed. She cleared her throat. “I’ll untack the horse. It’s the least I can do, and clearly, Grace is no threat.”
He glanced from Grace to Hannah and nodded his approval. “Let me know if you need anything.” Tripp turned and headed to his office. “I’ve got to make a few calls.”
Tripp settled into his desk chair and stared at his cell phone. He wrestled the merits of an idea brewing in the back of his mind and finally punched in the number.
A moment later, the sound of boots pounding through the stables could be heard. Dutch Stevens planted himself outside Tripp’s office and knocked on the open door with his fist. The old cowboy pushed his ancient straw cowboy hat to the back of his head and stroked his gray mustache. “I need some help outside.”
