Nowhere to go but home

Six months pregnant, abandoned and without a penny to her name, Lily Hansen has only one place to go. The ranching community—and her traditional father—won’t take kindly to her situation. But when a handsome forest ranger saves Lily from a flash flood, all she sees is concern in his warm brown eyes. She soon discovers that Nate Coates’s own harrowing family history is behind his need to take care of her. Though she dreams of marriage, she’ll have to open her heart to love before she can become Nate’s wife.

“Who are you?” Lily asked.

“Nate Coates. I’m the forest ranger here. I just happened to be out checking for signs of flooding when I found you.”

“Lucky for me.”

He must have heard the unshed tears in her voice, or seen some forlorn emotion on her face, because he reached out and took her hand in his. The warmth of his calloused palm seeped through her skin and sent tingles spiraling up her arm.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Genuine concern gleamed in his expressive eyes. For several moments she couldn’t look away from his handsome face, wishing she dared confide in him. Wishing she had one single friend in this world she could tell her troubles to who wouldn’t hurt or betray her, or try to use her in some way.

Someone who would never lie to her.

His firm, lean fingers tightened around hers. She pulled away from Nate and forced a smile. “I’m just tired. It’s been a difficult day.”

“But a good day, too. You’re safe now. And your baby’s gonna be fine.”

LEIGH BALE

is a multiple award-winning author of inspirational romance, including a prestigious Golden Heart. She is the daughter of a retired U.S. forest ranger, holds a B.A. in history with distinction and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She loves working, writing, grandkids, spending time with family, weeding the garden with her dog Sophie and watching the little sagebrush lizards that live in her rock flower beds. She has two married children and lives in Nevada with her professor husband of thirty-one years. Visit her website at www.LeighBale.com.

The Forest Ranger’s Child

Leigh Bale

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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For as in Adam all die,

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

—1 Corinthians 15:22

This one is for Wade and Bonnie,

with whom I share something unique and wonderful. Our childhood. I love you both dearly.

I always have and always will. No matter what.

And many thanks to Dan Baird,

consultant extraordinaire.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

He wouldn’t want her now. Not after what she’d done.

Lillian Hansen rested her left hand over her rounded stomach. Tears throbbed at the backs of her eyes. Her unborn child deserved a better mother than she could ever be. And yet, Lily couldn’t help believing that out of all the mistakes she’d made in the past, fighting for this baby’s life wasn’t one of them.

She rolled down the windows of her red compact car. Taking a deep breath, she brushed a hand across the back of her damp neck, wishing the air conditioner worked. Drafts of hot, dusty air filtered through the vents as she drove through Jasper, Nevada, the small ranching town where she’d been raised.

The town hadn’t changed much in the past seven years since she’d left home without saying goodbye. The two shabby grocery stores still faced each other across Main Street, Mallard’s gas station stood at the end of the block with the one-room post office around the corner and the red brick church house near the city park. She knew them well.

The wheels of her car thumped over the railroad tracks as she headed outside of town. Within two miles, the asphalt gave way to gravel and then dirt road. With a quick twist of her wrist, she flipped off the radio. Nothing but scratchy static in this part of Nevada.

The April weather seemed unseasonably warm. Either that or her physical condition was making changes in her body she didn’t understand. The warm breeze whipped at her long brown hair as she slowed her car and looked out at Emerald Valley. A hurtful pang of nostalgia caused her to suck back a breath. Memories swamped her as she gazed at the familiar view. Even though she’d turned her back on Dad and everything he’d tried to teach her, she still felt like she belonged here. She always had. She just hadn’t known it back then.

She should have called the ranch first to make sure Dad was home. Getting into the house wouldn’t be a problem. He never locked the front door. But it’d been three years since they’d spoken by phone. Three years since he’d begged her to come home and change her life. She’d hung up on him in anger. What would she do if he tossed her out the moment he saw her again? She had no other place to go. No job, no money, no friends and no husband.

Driving the road on autopilot, her gaze skimmed the fertile green fields filled with alfalfa and tall sedge grasses. Thin fingers of streams crisscrossed the valley, feeding off the numerous lakes higher up in the Ruby Mountains. Herds of black Angus cattle grazed lazily on the rich pasturelands. At the end of each creek bed, a ranch house and barn nestled at the base of the protective mountains.

Nothing much had changed. Except her.

The baby had been the catalyst that brought Lily to her senses. That and several blows from Tommy’s fist. When she thought of all Tommy’s empty promises, she could blame no one but herself. She’d stayed too long, making one poor choice after another. Clinging to the hope that he’d finally marry her. That he’d change and get control over his brutal temper.

And then came the final blow. He was already married.

It’d taken an unexpected pregnancy and a call from Tommy’s wife to shock Lily into reality, and she promised never to look back. She had a child to think about now. A child to protect the way Dad had tried to protect her.

She shook her head, refusing to cry. Her tears had dried up long ago. Other than Dad, she wanted no other man in her life. Ever again.

Wow! Usually Jasper River was nothing more than a dry creek bed. Now, a stream of water ran through it. The winter must have been harsh, with deep snows still showing on the mountains. The unseasonably warm weather must be causing melt-off in the higher elevations.

Lily couldn’t help being jarred from her thoughts as she turned the bend. The car backfired when she slowed it to a crawl. The narrow dirt road demanded attention as she neared the muddy streambed. Normally she should be able to drive right through on dry ground. She hoped her car wouldn’t bottom out as she crossed. If she got a running start and gunned it, she should be able to rush her car right through and up to the opposite side of the road.

She pressed the accelerator and the motor revved. The car entered the riverbed at a good speed, but then the tires dragged, spinning in mud.

No, no! She couldn’t get stuck here. Emerald Ranch was still a good five-mile walk and she didn’t want to lug her suitcase all that way.

A dull roar filled her ears. What on earth—

Looking to her left, she widened her eyes. A rolling mound of sludge, clumps of sagebrush, rocks, tree limbs and debris filled the streambed. Headed straight toward her.

Lily gasped, terror flushing her heated skin.

Flash flood!

She floored the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. “Come on! Get across!”

The tires spun in the mire. Panic climbed her throat. She’d heard stories about flash floods but had never seen one. Not like this.

The car wouldn’t move. The tires whirred, making a shrill zipping sound.

Lily reached for the window controls, rolling up the glass pane on her side just as the muddy water slammed against the car. The force of the blow caved in the door and almost flipped the vehicle over on its side.

She screamed with fear and pain, crossing her arms over her round abdomen to protect her unborn child the only way she could. Her head jerked to the right like a raggedy doll. Thank goodness she still wore her seat belt, but no one would hear her cries. No one but her Heavenly Father.

The flood tossed the car around and Lily held on for dear life. Murky water poured through the open passenger window. The cold muck quickly soaked her clothes and she shivered. She turned her face away from the force of the icy water, gasping for breath.

A broken tree limb caught her eye. It whooshed past, carried by the swift current. She watched it in fascination, feeling broken and alone, just like that limb. How she wished the river could carry her heartache and guilt away as easily as it carried that tree branch.

For one fleeting moment, Lily considered letting the flood sweep her away. If she didn’t fight it, she’d be carried downstream and buried beneath debris. Some rancher would find her days, perhaps weeks, later. She wouldn’t have to face her shame anymore. No more worries or grinding fear. No baby. She wouldn’t have to confront her father and his big, broken heart. A bit of pain and she could give up her life.

And then she’d have to face the Lord.

No! She shook her head, her knuckles whitening around the steering wheel. Something hardened inside of her. She wanted to live. Mom had told her God loved His children. All of them. It was never too late to seek forgiveness. Not if you really meant it and changed your life.

Her fingers clawed at the lever to free her seat belt, but it held firm. “Please, God, have mercy on us. I’ll make things right. I’ll become the woman You want me to be. I’ll do what’s right for this child. I promise.”

Maybe it was too late for forgiveness. Maybe—

The car wheeled around, carried along by the swift strength of the current. The roar filled Lily’s ears and she tried to steer the car, but it did no good. She found herself under control of the flood, just as she’d been under the control of evil forces. Finally, she’d found the strength to break free. To beg God’s forgiveness and start anew.

Not this time. She couldn’t break free of the flood. It held her in its grasp.

She sat waist-deep in muddy water. Several times, the force of the tide threatened to roll the car. She screamed again out of sheer terror. And then she forced herself to think. Think!

Should she climb out or stay put? Common sense told her she’d drown if she stayed inside. But if she got out of the car, she might not make it to shore. She was five and a half months pregnant. The powerful current might carry her along, beating her to death with churning rocks, trees and rubble.

What should she do?

“Please, God, give me one more chance.”

As she let go of the steering wheel, a feeling of peace enveloped her. She pressed on the lever one more time hard, and her seat belt released its hold across her body. Crouching beside the open passenger window, she pressed her hands protectively over her stomach. Waves of love washed over her as she thought of the precious life she shielded. She owed everything to this child, who had set Lily back on the road toward the Lord.

Lily watched for the best opportunity, looking for a safe place to go. She’d have to swim hard and strong to make it to shore. To fight the churning tide.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed through the open window and felt the strong, cold current sweep her away. She was in God’s hands now.

* * *

“You don’t see something like this every day.” Nathan Coates spoke to himself before whistling low beneath his breath. Sitting in his green Forest Service truck, he stared out the windshield at the flash flood, amazed by the melee of swirling, muddy water. It rolled past, expanding across the banks of the creek bed, slamming through everything in its path.

Opening the truck door, he picked up his camera and stepped outside. As he walked closer to the banks, he snapped pictures, wondering if the photos could do justice to the powerful, roaring waters. It must be raining hard up in the mountains. He’d never seen anything like this and stood in awe at Mother Nature’s wrath.

Another sound made him pause and he turned his head downstream. Two tires and headlights peeked out above the curve of the riverbank, the rest of the red vehicle buried beneath a layer of mud and tattered bushes. He snapped a few pictures, then took several more steps and paused. Did he hear…

The sound came again. A scream for help!

Nate ran toward the grass edging the creek. His booted feet sank in mud as he hurried through tall sedges and willows.

The growl of the flood swallowed the sound and he doubted his senses. He paused at the edge of the swollen river, paying attention in case a second wave of water exceeded the banks and pulled him into the flood. He scanned the melee, thinking he’d imagined the cry.

There! A woman, buried to her chin in water as she clung to a boulder in the middle of the stream. Her long brown hair lay plastered to her pale face, her eyes closed as she cried hoarsely. “Help me. Please!”

“I see you!” He waved.

She opened her eyes, but fear or fatigue kept her from moving. If she let go, the flood would sweep her away.

He cupped one hand around his mouth like a megaphone and yelled louder. “Hang on! I’ll be right back.”

She didn’t even lift a hand as he turned and sprinted to his truck. Mentally, he took stock of the supplies he had in the back tool chest. His fire pack, ready at a moment’s notice in case he was called out on a wildfire. It included fresh water and food. A first-aid kit, which he might need soon. A toolbox, coils of rope and rappelling clips. He’d definitely need those now.

A sense of urgency pushed him to hurry. He had no idea how long she’d be able to hold on.

Inside his truck, he tossed the camera onto the seat and started the engine. Putting the vehicle into four-wheel drive, he steered it off the dirt road and through the brush, getting as close to the flood as possible without burying the tires in the bog so that he wouldn’t be able to break free.

She was still there, her right cheek resting against the hard boulder. Water rushed over her, slapping her in the face. Now and then she coughed and he breathed with relief. Obviously she had a good hold on the rock, but how long would her strength hold out against the cold, swift current?

After jerking on a pair of leather gloves, Nate secured two lengths of rope to the front fender of the truck. Then he tied one rope around his middle. As an Eagle Scout, he’d learned to tie knots that wouldn’t come loose, thanks to his mother’s persistence to keep him involved in good activities.

Binding the other rope to his belt, he trudged through the mud toward the flood. He gasped as he entered the frigid water. The powerful stream knocked him down, soaking his green forest ranger uniform to the skin. The rope gave him security and he pulled it taut to regain his feet. Without the lifeline, he would have been swept away by the stream and possibly drowned.

With powerful strokes, he fought to swim his way across to the woman. Adrenaline pumped through his body, giving him strength. An entire tree trunk brushed past, its sharp branches scraping his side. In the freezing water, he grunted but barely felt the pain.

Thankfully the majority of rocks and debris had already passed, pushed forward by the flood. Every muscle in Nate’s body tensed as he fought to keep from being whisked away. He barely dodged a boulder aimed at his head. Cold water washed over him again and again and he coughed.

Almost there.

His cold fingers clasped the rock the woman was clinging to, his wet gloves stiff and unyielding. Panting for breath, he looped the rope around the boulder to hold him steady until he was ready to return to shore. He leaned next to the woman, speaking loud over the roar of water. “You okay?”

Her eyes slit open, then closed, followed by a subtle nod. She was alive, but a trail of blood rolled down her forehead where a lump had formed beneath a nasty gash. Without examining her, he had no idea of the seriousness of her injuries.

“Help us. Please,” she whispered in a hoarse voice.

“Us? Is someone with you?” He looked around, his gaze searching for another person he must have missed, but he saw no one else.

She didn’t respond, her eyes rolling backward in her head. She let go of the rock and he grabbed her before she could whisk away. Holding her tightly by the arm, he pulled the second rope free of his belt and tied it around her chest, just beneath her arms.

“Can you hear me?” He patted her chilled cheeks, hoping to rouse her. He’d need her help to get them both safely back to shore.

She didn’t open her eyes, but her mouth moved. He leaned near, feeling her warm breath against his cheek.

“My baby…please don’t let my baby die…sorry for everything…so sorry.”

She was pregnant!

If Nate hadn’t felt the critical situation before, he did now. He had to get her out of here and rush her to a doctor.

“I’m gonna pull us back to shore, okay?”

She gave a brief nod, her eyes opening. In their velvet brown depths, he saw deep, wrenching fear.

“Can you hold on to me?” he asked.

Another nod that didn’t inspire much confidence in him. She seemed too weak. Too fragile and exhausted. But he doubted he could save her if she couldn’t help hold on.

“Wrap your arms and legs around me like a python and don’t let go no matter what. I’ll pull us to safety.”

She did as told, lying against his back as she knotted her small hands in a fist across his chest. With her behind him, he took hold of the rope and pulled, hand-over-hand. The current swept them away and the woman cried out but she didn’t let go.

“I’ve got us. Just hang on.” His words were meant to encourage her and to give himself the nerve to keep going.

The rope burned through his hands, but he found a harder grip. Thank goodness for his gloves. His palms would have been shredded to the bone without the protective layer.

He and the woman jerked hard, tossed in the water like a tiny twig. He pulled and pulled until his arms trembled with fatigue. The frigid water sapped his strength. If he let go, they’d lose headway and he’d have to start over. They still could drown. His stamina wouldn’t last forever. He must make every movement count.

He didn’t look up, focusing on the length of rope directly in front of him. It was a gargantuan effort not to let his gloved hands slip again. His fingers felt like clumps of ice and wouldn’t obey his commands. Hand-over-hand. Again and again. How long was this rope?

Finally! Finally he felt solid ground beneath his feet. He kept walking, carrying the woman on his back as he trudged up the muddy bank, his booted feet sinking deep. He staggered to shore.

Rivulets of water drained from his drab olive-green shirt and pants. As he walked, his work boots felt like heavy bricks of cement strapped to his feet. Looking down, he noticed he’d lost his ranger shield, a small hole in his shirt showing the only proof that he’d worn the badge that day. Blood soaked his side where the tree branch had lacerated his shirt and skin. He scanned the injury with his eyes. Just a flesh wound. He’d survived worse injuries riding wild broncs on the national rodeo circuit, but he’d never been this scared even when he’d faced an angry bull.

He dropped his hands to the shore and the woman slid away. She lay on the ground beside him, her blue jeans splotched with dirt. One foot was bare, her tennis shoe and sock obviously sucked away by the flood. Her wet shirt clung to her rounded tummy. Definitely pregnant but not real big yet.

He knelt beside her, touching her face with his shaking hands, searching for life. “You okay, ma’am?”

A single, brief nod.

“How about your baby?”

In response, she slid a pale hand over her abdomen. He had no idea if her baby was alive. He’d heard of traumatic events like this throwing a woman into early labor. She didn’t look far enough along for the baby to survive if it were born now.

A sense of urgency swept him. “Can you stand?”

This time, she didn’t move or open her eyes.

Standing, he tried to pick her up and almost dropped her in spite of her slim weight. The effort to get her to shore had sapped the strength in his arms.

Changing his tactics, he untied the ropes from around them, then took hold of her shoulders and half carried, half dragged her to his truck. Once he got her inside and buckled in, he wrapped a woolen blanket over her, tucking it around her shoulders and feet. The chattering of her teeth told him she was still alive and suffering from the beginnings of hypothermia. The shivering would help warm her body, but he had no idea what the impact might be on her baby.

With slow, awkward movements, he removed the roped clips from the fender and tossed them aside in the brush. He climbed inside and started the engine before turning on the heater full-bore. He had to get her warm. He breathed deeply, wanting to rest but not daring to do so yet.

With jerky movements, he shifted the truck into gear and turned it around in the sagebrush. As he headed back to town, he sped all the way. The truck bounced over the rutted road like a flat basketball hitting pavement.

Glancing at the woman, he noticed her chest moved with each shallow breath she took. She murmured several words, not making any sense. Her spiked eyelashes lay closed against smooth, ashen skin. Her long hair lay in sodden, dark strands around her shoulders. Even in this condition, he could tell she was beautiful. With her thin arms and legs, he couldn’t help wondering how she’d clung to that rock. How long had she been out there? He hoped she hadn’t suffered any trauma to her abdomen. How had she survived the ordeal?

Within fifteen minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of the small clinic in town. He pressed on the horn long and hard to draw attention, then stumbled around the truck to open the door and get the woman out. His strength had recovered a bit and he picked her up, staggering to the sidewalk where Clara Richens met him with a wheelchair.

“What happened?” the nurse asked.

He set the unconscious woman in the chair. Her head rolled back, her hands resting lifelessly in her lap. She looked dead and a blaze of panic overwhelmed Nate. She just couldn’t die. Not on his watch.

“She was caught in a flash flood in Emerald Valley.” Together, he helped Clara wheel the woman inside.

“Do you know who she is?” Clara eyed his soggy clothes and bloodstained shirt.

“No. I just found her and pulled her from the flood.” He stood back on wobbly legs.

Clara looked at the woman’s face, her eyes filled with sympathy. And then her expression changed to stunned recognition. “Oh, my goodness. It’s Lily!”

“What? You know her?” Nate asked.

Without another word, Clara motioned to an orderly to come and help.

As they whisked the woman away, Nate called after them. “She’s pregnant and worried about her baby.”

Clara nodded. “I can see that. I’ll warn the doctor.”

They disappeared behind the swinging double doors and Nate just stood there, adrenaline and fear pumping through his body. Clara must know the woman.

Lily. A pretty flower, just like the woman he’d rescued.

“Nate, you look awful. What happened?”

Nathan turned to find Shelby Larson standing beside him. In this small town, almost everyone knew everyone else by name. Shelby was married to Matt, Nate’s ranger assistant. A pleasantly plump woman, she wore a white nurse’s smock on top of her street clothes.

“Hi, Shelby. It’s been quite a day.” He chuckled and raked a hand through his damp hair before explaining the events that had led him to the clinic.

She touched his arm. “Come with me so I can take a look at that wound on your side. Maybe we’ve got some dry clothes around here somewhere.”

“It’s okay. I’ve got an extra change of clothes in my fire pack. I’ll get them and be right back.”

“But your wound…”

“It’s just a scratch. I’ll let you look at it in just a moment.”

He left, going to retrieve the spruce-green Nomex pants and yellow fire-resistant shirt from his fire pack before returning and changing in the privacy of an examination room. He had two extra pairs of dry socks and pulled one pair on before shoving his feet back into his damp cowboy boots. If he didn’t wear the boots until they dried, they’d be ruined.

Shelby cleaned the deep scratches on his side and bandaged them. No big deal. They’d heal up fine.

Back outside in the reception room, Nate slumped on the sofa and borrowed Shelby’s cell phone to call his office at the ranger’s station. His cell phone had been ruined by water and his people should know what had happened and where he was.

“You don’t know who the woman is?” Margaret, his office manager, asked.

“Nope, but Clara Richens recognized her. Her car’s still out there, buried in the riverbed. She probably got caught in the flood when she tried to cross the stream. Can you make some phone calls to each of the ranchers in Emerald Valley? Warn them to use the Bailey bridges or stay put. I don’t want anyone else trying to cross a flooding stream until it stops raining up in the mountains.”

“Will do.”

“And Margaret? Ask Matt if he’d mind driving out and checking the status of the flood. Tell him not to cross it or do anything that might get him hurt, but see if the flood has passed yet.”

“You got it. You take care and check in with us later, okay?”

Nate hung up the cell phone, his body feeling wilted, his mind full of activity. What if the woman lost her baby? What if she died after all? Somehow he felt responsible for her. His heart went out to her and her child. He should call her husband, but had no idea who that might be. Her ID was probably still in her car.

He stood and approached the front counter. “Any news yet?”

Shelby shook her head. “I’m sorry. The doctor’s still with her.”

An hour later, Nate had laid his head back against the sofa in the waiting room to rest. Dr. Kenner came down the hall, a stethoscope dangling around his thick neck. Nate breathed a sigh of relief and stood. Finally some news.

“Hi, Nate.” The doctor smiled, his bald head and ruddy cheeks flushed with color.

“How is she?”

“She’ll be fine. She’s resting now. A very lucky young woman. What you did was heroic.”

Nate ignored that remark. He didn’t feel heroic. He just felt worried. “And her baby?”

“The baby seems fine. Strong heartbeat, vigorous movement. Lily’s almost six months along, but she didn’t receive any trauma to her abdomen, just her head. She took eight stitches in her scalp, but that’ll heal soon enough.”

“Lily is her name?” The delicate flower of the resurrection.

“Yeah, Lily Hansen. Hank Hansen’s girl. I was there when her momma died after being bucked off one of those wild mustangs she loved to ride. She trained horses for the rodeo. Quite rare for a woman.”

She sounded like Nate’s kind of gal.

“I didn’t know Hank had any kids.”

“Just Lily.”

A twinge of sympathy pinched Nate’s heart. Hank owned Emerald Ranch and was one of the grazing permittees on the national forest. Hank kept to himself for the most part, but he and Nate had become friends. Both men had ridden the national rodeo circuit at one time. Even so, Hank was one of the most irascible men Nate had ever met. If he’d lost his wife in a horse-related accident, Nate could understand why. The man also seemed to be having some financial troubles of late. “Last I heard, Hank was ailing. Heart attack or something.”

The doctor didn’t respond and Nate figured the man knew the details but was maintaining patient confidentiality.

“It’s probably good that his daughter has come home to take care of him,” Nate said.

“Yeah, she grew up here in Jasper, but she left right after high school. After her mom died, she and her dad didn’t get along too well. I’ve just called Hank to let him know she’s here. He’s driving into town as soon as he can.”

Nate frowned, hoping the rancher didn’t try to pass the stream while it was still flooding. Hank should use the high Bailey bridge the Army Corp of Engineers had constructed across the river a couple of weeks ago.

They chatted for several more minutes, mostly with Nate asking questions the doctor did his best not to answer.

“She’s waking up. You can go in and see her for a few minutes if you like.”

“Me?” Nate hesitated.

Dr. Kenner clapped a hand on Nate’s back and smiled broadly. “You’re the man who saved her. Shelby will take you back.”

Shelby stepped around the front counter to guide Nate down the hallway. A happy smile beamed on her face. “What a great day. Lily took up with a n’er-do-well from Reno and broke her daddy’s heart. He’ll be so happy to see her again. This story is sure to make the evening news. You’re a hero, Nate. You saved her life.”

As Nate’s heels thudded against the tiled floor, he didn’t feel like a hero. He felt like a worried husband and father, which wasn’t right. This wasn’t his wife and child. He knew nothing about Lily Hansen or her life, yet he couldn’t stop worrying about her. Her pitiful cries for help still tore at his heart. They each could have died today and he realized how precious life was.

For some odd reason, Nate hesitated at the door to Lily’s room, looking in at her still form lying on the narrow hospital bed. Wrapped in sterile blankets, she looked so helpless. So cold and vulnerable.

He’d saved this woman and her unborn child. He couldn’t help remembering what his mom had taught him about being his brother’s keeper. Some cultures believed if you saved someone’s life, you were then responsible for them until the day you died. A heavy thought indeed. Being responsible for Lily Hansen and her baby the rest of his life made his insides jittery.

Protecting Lily Hansen was her husband’s job.

As he stepped into the room, Nate felt as though he were walking off the precipice of a cliff, prepared to hit the jagged rocks below. And somehow he knew his life had just irrevocably changed. He’d never be the same again.

Chapter Two

Lily slowly opened her eyes, moving her head on a lumpy pillow. Thin blankets covered her and someone had dressed her in a hospital gown. From the dim spray of sunlight streaming through the window, she could tell it was late afternoon.

Her head hurt and she lifted a hand, finding a small bandage covering the right side of her forehead. She flinched as the memory of the flood rushed into her mind. And her rescue.

Scanning the small hospital room, she swiveled toward the door…and froze. He stood there. The man who had saved her life.

Correction: their lives. Hers and her baby girl’s.

She pressed a hand to her abdomen and breathed with relief when the baby wiggled against her palm. Thank the Lord her child was okay.

The man had his hands slung low in his pants pockets. A long-sleeved, yellow shirt covered his powerfully built arms and shoulders. His dark, damp hair had been slicked back, freshly combed. Green pants clung to his long, muscled legs. He looked ready to fight a forest fire.

Who was he?

“Hi, there.” He spoke softly, his deep voice sending a shiver over her body.

“You…you saved our lives.” In spite of her ordeal, she remembered every bit of what had happened with perfect clarity. The terror and pain in her head. The bursting hope when this man had tied a lifeline around her and dragged her to shore. The way he’d pulled her to his truck when she was too weak to move. And then tucked a coarse blanket around her before driving like a madman into town. After that, she couldn’t remember anything. At first, she thought it had been a nightmare, that she’d just imagined it all. Now she knew it was real.

He removed his hands from his pockets and stepped toward her. Her gaze lowered to his belt buckle. She immediately recognized it. Decorated with silver belt plate and gold overlay, it showed a cowboy astride a bucking horse. A national rodeo circuit all-around cowboy belt buckle. Tommy had always wanted one but wasn’t good enough to earn it.

Her rescuer was a rodeo man, just like Tommy. In an instant, she wanted nothing more to do with Nate.

She tensed, her throat convulsing as she swallowed. She’d prayed for help and the Lord had performed a miracle for her. And now that miracle stood in front of her. A tall, strong man with a lean, athletic body.

In one glance, Lily sized him up. His determined, graceful movements, a firm mouth, stubborn chin and piercing brown eyes. She’d seen his kind before. Always in control. Forceful and unyielding.

The kind of man she wanted to avoid at all costs.

“How are you feeling?” He stood beside her bed, too close for comfort.

She stared up at him, trying to form the words to thank him. But her tongue felt like a leaden weight inside her mouth. Her gaze locked with his and her face burned with embarrassment. And then a wave of recognition hit her. As if she knew this man from somewhere but she couldn’t quite place him. A feeling of trust and safety washed over her. Like she’d been reunited with her best friend after a long absence.

Calm as a summer’s morning.

What an odd notion! She shook her head, thinking she must have hit her head very hard indeed to be thinking such things. She would never trust another man as long as she lived. The price was too high.

She blinked and looked away. “I’m fine. Thanks to you. I owe you a lot.”

Okay, she didn’t want to lay her gratitude on too thick, but she did feel thankful, didn’t she?

Yes! In spite of everything, she wanted to make things right again. Mom had told her she could do anything with the Lord’s help. And that’s what she planned to do.

“You don’t owe me anything. I did what anyone would have done.” His voice sounded low and husky.

Again her gaze lifted to his. Again, a sweet feeling of contentment rested over her. A sentiment she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. She decided to ignore it. “But it wasn’t just anyone. It was you. And I’m appreciative. More than I can say.”

“It was my pleasure. I’m just glad you’re both okay.” His gaze flickered briefly to her stomach and he smiled.

The expression crinkled his brown eyes at the corners and deepened a dimple in his right cheek. So familiar. So comfortable. Yet she knew she’d never met this man before today. So why did she feel like she knew him?

He knew about her baby. And she was too far along to pretend. Anyone could see that she was expecting. But she didn’t want to discuss her disgrace with him. No doubt the news would be all over town by supper. The nurse and orderly had been in her room when the doctor visited her. The technician who had taken her blood. They all knew. In this small community, word spread fast. The prodigal daughter had returned. Pregnant with no husband.

A tremor of shame swept her and she inhaled an unsteady breath.

He jerked a thumb toward the door. “The doctor’s contacted your father.”

She almost groaned out loud. She’d wanted her reunion with Dad to be in private, out at the ranch. Not here in the hospital where so many people might overhear their conversation. Hopefully Dad wouldn’t cause a scene. She had no idea if the doctor had told him about the baby, or if that would be her job. Either way, Dad would have to be told that she wasn’t married.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Nathan Coates. Most people just call me Nate. I’m the forest ranger here in Jasper. I just happened to be out checking for signs of flooding when I found you.”

“Lucky for me.” She spoke the words half-heartedly, still unable to dredge up much joy over her situation.

He must have heard the unshed tears in her voice, or seen some forlorn emotion on her face because he reached out and took her hand in his. The warmth of his calloused palm seeped through her skin and sent tingles spiraling up her arm.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Genuine concern gleamed in his expressive eyes. For several moments, she couldn’t look away from his handsome face, wishing she dared confide in him. Wishing she had one single friend in this world she could tell her troubles to that wouldn’t hurt or betray her, or try to use her in some way.

Someone who would never lie to her.

His firm, lean fingers tightened around hers, no wedding ring on his left hand. Tommy hadn’t worn a ring either, but he’d lied so many times. She’d been such a fool.

She pulled away from Nate and forced a smile. “I’m just tired. It’s been a difficult day.”

“That it has. But you’re safe now, and your baby’s gonna be fine.”

He knew about her father, which meant the doctor or staff had blabbed her identity. So much for her quiet return home. But the friendly way Nate spoke to her brought another whoosh of familiarity. Why did she like this man in spite of her desire not to?

“Did they say when I can go home?” She glanced at the door, trying to ignore his engaging grin.

“I overheard the doctor telling the nurse you can leave the day after tomorrow. He wants to make sure your baby is okay first. But I should let him talk to you about that.”

“Yes.” She definitely didn’t want to discuss her unborn child with this enigmatic man.

“I know your father well. He’s a good man,” he said.

“Yes, he is.” And she realized she meant it. Somehow, being away from home so long had given her a lot of insight into what really mattered. Even though she’d thought she hated Dad when she left, she now realized she loved him very much. He’d been a good father in his own gruff way. Never once had he raised a hand to her. But he’d never told her he loved her, either. But he and Mom had taught her all about horses, something they each dearly loved. And he’d taught her about the Lord, although she’d ignored it at the time.

“Have you been away from home long?” Nate asked.

Yep, just as predicted. Here came the battery of questions. Next would come the fake smiles and soft gestures that soon turned rough when she wouldn’t do what he wanted. Over her dead body would she allow a man to use force against her again.

“For a while.” She didn’t want to get close to this or any man.

“Where have you—”

“Ahem! Lily?”

Someone cleared their throat behind Nate and he turned as Lily looked past him at the door. “Daddy!”

Hank Hansen stepped forward, dressed in faded blue jeans and scuffed cowboy boots. He looked leaner than she remembered, with barely a rounded stomach hanging over his belt buckle. He held his shabby cowboy hat in his hands, his gray eyes narrowed with concern.

Nate stepped away and smiled respectfully as Hank came to stand beside Lily’s bed. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry when she saw her father again, but the baby and nearly losing her life today blew that vow right out the window. Tears burned her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall.

As she looked at her father’s weathered face, she felt surprised by the silver streaks in his hair and more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. A burst of joy coiled through her chest. How glad she was to see him again. To be home, if only until her child was born.

“Daddy,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say.

His chin quivered, his mouth tight. “Lily, I didn’t believe it when they called to say you were here. But my little darlin’ has really come home.”

Dad leaned over and hugged her, squashing his hat between them. The brush of his whiskers scratched her cheek. She breathed him in, the scent of horses and peppermint. Never wanting to let go. Maybe he’d changed in the past seven years. Maybe he’d softened just a bit.

He held her several moments, something he’d done only once before, the day her mother died. Finally. Finally a show of loving emotion from him. How she needed this hug and she clung to him tightly.

Finally he pulled away and she brushed at her eyes. Dad coughed, a wrenching sound deep down in his lungs. He must be more overcome by emotion than she first thought.

Dad glanced at the forest ranger before clasping Nate’s hand and pounding him hard on the back. “Thank you, Nate. Thank you so much. I’m grateful you were there to save my little girl.”

Nate’s face flushed with awkwardness, as if he didn’t know quite how to react. “You’re welcome, Hank. I’m glad to have helped.”

Dad stood smiling between them and the silence ticked by. Lily couldn’t help wondering how much Dad knew about her circumstance. Did he know about the baby? That she’d disgraced herself and their family name?

“Well, I better get going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hansen.” Nate nodded respectfully to her, then took a step.

“Thanks again,” Dad called.

“Yes, thank you,” she agreed.

Nate waved and smiled before closing the door. And with his departure, Lily felt even more alone.

* * *

Nate couldn’t explain the elation filling his chest. This day could have ended in tragedy, but it hadn’t. He’d remember these events as long as he lived. And yet, he sensed something wrong here. Something he couldn’t put his finger on.

As he stood at the receptionist’s desk in the small clinic and waited for Shelby to get off the phone, troubling thoughts tugged at his brain. Obviously Hank Hansen was happy to see his daughter, but she seemed so reserved. Frightened even. Her short, almost curt answers when Nate had tried to find out about her. Her tensed posture and wary glances at the door, as if she longed to escape. And then, when Nate had turned to leave her alone with her father, an expression of pure panic had filled her eyes. As if she didn’t want him to go.

Boy, was Nate getting mixed signals from her. He leaned his forearms against the high counter, fighting the confusion in his mind. The doctor had said Lily and her dad hadn’t gotten along after her mother’s death. Even with their happy reunion, it appeared that she and her father had a lot of past history that needed to be sorted out. Nate had no right to worry about the woman he’d saved, but he did all the same.

“I can’t believe you did this. What would your mother say? I’m disappointed in you, Lily. More than I can say.”

Nate turned, startled to hear the angry words coming from Lily’s room. Hank’s voice boomed behind the closed door, rushing up the empty hallway.

The door burst open and Hank came stomping out, his hat gripped in his fist, his face red as a charging bull. As the man stormed past, he coughed hard and didn’t even glance at Nate. Shelby looked up from her desk, the phone still pressed against her ear, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

Nate stared after Hank as the man trudged through the automatic glass doors and out to the parking lot. Nate felt as though a tornado had just blown through the room. What had happened?

A muffled sob came from Lily’s room and Nate swiveled around and walked to her door. Peering inside, he found her lying on her side facing the wall, her arms wrapped over her baby bump. Even though she made no sound, her thin shoulders trembled. She was obviously crying and his chest tightened with regret. How he hated to see a woman cry.

He rapped his knuckles against the door, wondering what he should say. Wondering how saving her life had made him feel so protective of her.

She glanced over her shoulder and looked startled and self-conscious. She rubbed her reddened eyes with the backs of her hands and sat up quickly, her nose dripping. When she rested her small hands protectively over her tummy, he couldn’t help staring. How fragile she looked.

“What do you want?” Her voice sounded like a croak.

He reached for a tissue on the bedside stand and handed it to her. She whisked it from his fingers and blew her nose.

“I don’t mean to intrude, but I couldn’t help overhearing. I was wondering if I can do anything for you,” he said.

“No, nothing. I’m fine.” Her voice cracked and so did his heart.

“Are you hungry?”

She laughed and shook her head. “All you men are alike. You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

The velvety softness of her brown eyes pinned him with fury. “I don’t want anything from you. Not now. Not ever.”

Okay…

“I didn’t mean to intrude, ma’am. I’ll leave you alone.” He turned to go, but she called him back.

“Wait!” Her features softened with regret. “Look, I…I don’t mean to be ungrateful. It’s just that I don’t want to become involved again.”

She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, her hands clenched. He stood there dumbfounded.

“Why can’t this ever get easier?” She opened her eyes and looked at him.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.” Nate wondered what he’d walked into. He had no idea if this woman was mentally unstable or just overwrought from her ordeal. He’d heard pregnant women had lots of hormones running through their bodies that caused a roller coaster of emotions. And Lily had been through a traumatic event today. He decided keeping his silence might be the best thing for him to do.

“I’m pregnant,” she said.

He nodded, trying to comprehend. Wishing right now that he were anywhere but here. “Yes, I know.”

“And I’ve never been married,” she blurted.

He released a giant huff of air, finally understanding. Joyful and saddened by this news all at the same time. “And your father isn’t happy about that?”

“No. Neither am I, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I…I wanted to be married.” Her voice sounded small. “My father hates me.”

“Ah, I’m sure he doesn’t hate you.”

“Yes, he does.”

She stared at her stomach and a strand of russet hair swept past her face. Nate’s fingers itched to tuck it back behind her ear, but he resisted the urge. He didn’t know how to comfort her. He’d been raised by a single mother in a small, traditional town, and knew how hard it could be. Lily must be frightened half to death.

“Hank doesn’t hate you. He’s just hurting right now, but he’ll get over it. He was sure happy to see you. He’ll remember that once the shock of your pregnancy wears off.” Nate didn’t know why he was comforting her. When he’d been old enough to understand, his mother had explained that she’d conceived him out of wedlock and become the pariah of the town. Nate’s father had deserted her. Her father disowned her. She’d had no friends and no support. To earn a living, she’d worked as a waitress until she’d died shortly after Nate graduated from high school. The hard life had taken its toll, breaking her body and spirit. Now, Nate hated the thought of Lily Hansen and her innocent child going through the same thing simply because she’d made a mistake.

“I don’t know if he’ll come back to get me or not.” A plump tear rolled down her cheek and she dashed it away.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be here.”

“How do you know?” She frowned at him. “I don’t even know why I’m telling you all of this. I’m really thankful for what you did today, but please leave now, before I make a bigger spectacle of myself than I already have.”

There was no anger in her words, just resignation. Someone had done a pretty good job of alienating this woman to make her so distrustful. Nate was smart enough to realize she wasn’t herself right now, but her words wounded him just the same.

He nodded, wondering why he’d allowed himself to get sucked into her troubles with her father. She was right. He didn’t belong here. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”

Turning on his heel, he headed for the door, brushing past Shelby as she came in carrying a pitcher of water.

“You okay, honey?” Shelby asked.

“I’ll be fine,” came Lily’s throaty reply.

Nate left the clinic, planning to return to work. Planning to forget the exchange he’d overheard between Hank and his daughter. Or that he’d ever saved the life of a beautiful woman named Lily Hansen.

Chapter Three

Two days later, Nate gripped the steering wheel of his truck and wondered what he was doing here at the clinic parking lot so early in the morning. He’d called the clinic each day to check up on Lily Hansen and find out when the doctor would release her. So much for forgetting their discussion when she’d asked him to leave.

He must be crazy, but he couldn’t get her off his mind. Couldn’t forget her desperate situation or the fact that she was about to become a mother.

After pacing the floor of his Forest Service house most of the night, he’d decided worrying about the small woman he’d rescued had become a full-time job. What would become of her if her father didn’t return and take her home? That question alone had pushed Nate to drive to the clinic instead of in to work.

He’d been sitting here for almost two hours, watching and waiting. He didn’t have a clue what he’d do if Hank didn’t come for her.

Rolling down the window, Nate inhaled a deep breath of fresh, spring air. Morning sunshine glinted off the hood of his truck and he lifted an arm to shield his eyes. Yellow daffodils filled the flower bed edging the sidewalk. What a beautiful day. Now if Hank would show up, Nate could clear his conscience and be on his way to the office.

A rusty green pickup truck pulled into the parking lot. Nate leaned forward and squinted his eyes. Was that Hank Hansen?

Yes! The truck stopped in front of the automatic double doors of the clinic.

Nate sat back and released a satisfied sigh. Hank had come for his daughter, which meant everything was okay. Otherwise, the doctor wouldn’t let Lily go home today. And for some reason, that pleased Nate enormously.

As predicted, the older man went inside, carrying a small brown bag. Within twenty-five minutes, he reappeared with Shelby pushing Lily in a wheelchair. Lily’s delicate hands were folded over her stomach. Glimmers of sunshine glinted off her long russet hair, showing highlighted streaks of auburn. Even from this distance, Nate remembered the velvet softness of her brown eyes. The smattering of freckles sprinkled across her pert nose. He sure wished he could see her smile just once.

With her feet propped up on the footrest of the chair, she wore a red sweater, a pair of blue jeans and tennis shoes. Hank must have brought the clothing to her. Nate had no idea where Hank had gotten the clothes because Lily had just returned home and all her possessions were still buried in her mud-coated car. At least Hank was taking care of her.

They didn’t notice him as Shelby helped Lily stand. Hank didn’t smile as he opened the door and stood back while Lily climbed inside the old truck. She brushed past her father, staring straight ahead, her spine stiff.

Hostile.

Shelby closed the door and waved goodbye. And then Hank got into the truck and drove away. Not one word passed between them.

Nate wished he dared speak to Lily. At least she had a place to stay, but her relationship with her father didn’t look like it’d improved much. The thought of Hank upsetting Lily in her condition bothered Nate. No matter what was going on between them, Lily’s unborn child needed protection.

So did she.

Starting the ignition, Nate put his vehicle into gear and pressed the accelerator. He tried to tell himself to think about the timber study sitting on his desk at work. Tried not to care.

Maybe he should pay a visit to Emerald Ranch later on. Then again, maybe he should mind his own business and stay far away from Lily Hansen and her father.

* * *

The sound of the rumbling engine filled Lily’s ears as she sat tense in her seat. The silence between her and Dad grew louder by the minute.

She’d clicked on her seat belt before loosening the strap across the swell of her lower abdomen. A blanket of contentment rested over her. Her baby was okay. The little girl’s heartbeat was strong and Lily had felt several hard thumps earlier that morning, the stirrings of life inside of her.

“You hungry?” Dad asked without looking at her.

“No, thank you.”

They drove down Main Street and headed outside of town with several more minutes passing in silence.

“You’re lucky Nate Coates found you when he did. He’s a good man. He rode the professional rodeo circuit before he got injured like me. He won all-around cowboy fifteen years ago. Then he went to college to become a forest ranger.”

Lily bit her tongue to keep from uttering a derogative statement. Tommy had traveled often so he could compete in rodeos. She’d waited at home for his return, wondering why he never seemed to win anything. And then his wife had called. Tommy had been cheating on both of them with one-night stands in every town. Buckle babes who followed the rodeo circuit looking for nothing but a good time. When Lily had confronted Tommy with the truth, he’d…

No! She wouldn’t think about that now. Never again would Lily subject herself to that kind of treatment. Maybe she deserved it, but her child didn’t.

In her younger years, Dad had been gone all the time, competing on the professional circuit. Until a bull had gored his shoulder and ended his career. Lily had no desire to be friends with a rodeo-going forest ranger. No sirree.

“I suppose you’ll need some new clothes,” Dad said. “Your bedroom’s just as you left it, but I doubt there’re many clothes in the closet that’ll fit you now.”

“I’ll make out fine with what’s there, Dad.” Even if she had to wash the clothes on her back every night, she would not ask her father for another single thing other than food. She remembered she had some oversize T-shirts in one of her dresser drawers and would wear them.

He cleared his throat. “We’ll drive into Reno for some shopping. Maybe on Friday, after you’ve had a couple of days to rest.”

“I don’t want to put you out.”

“You’ve got to have clothes.” His stubborn tone sounded final.

She angled her body to face him and reached out to briefly touch his arm. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t know where else to go. I wish I could go back in time and do things differently, but I can’t. I can only apologize and move forward. Please believe me when I say I’ve changed.”

He blinked and licked his lips. “Well, I suppose you showed good judgment in coming home at least. I’m glad I’m good for something.”

Lily tensed. “Don’t say that, Dad. You’re the best horseman I’ve ever met.”

He snorted. “Just not much of a father.”

“That’s not true. You’re my father. And if I wished you away, I’d have to wish myself away because I’m a part of you and Mom. And I won’t do that, no matter how bad things get.”

“Sometimes we bring hardships on ourselves, girl. It’s no one’s fault but our own.”

“Dad, I’m not a girl anymore. I’m a woman. And you’re right. I’ve done a lot of things I regret. But now I want to start fresh. All I’m asking is for you to help me do that. I won’t let you down again.”

He looked startled but didn’t comment. She didn’t want to argue with him, not about this. She knew her father to be a man of his word. And once he told her he’d help her, she knew he meant it. But he obviously didn’t like the circumstances. Neither did she.

He coughed, a deep hacking sound.

“Do you have a cold?” she asked.

“Something like that. It’s getting better now.”

As they passed through Emerald Valley, Lily tensed, the memory of the flood rushing through her with icy fingers. But Dad didn’t take the normal route. Instead, they passed over the river on a tall Bailey bridge farther downstream.

“When did they put this up?” she asked.

“Two weeks ago. With all the flooding we’ve been having, the ranger made some calls. The governor contacted the Army Corps of Engineers, who brought in men to build several bridges like this so we ranchers have a safe way in and out of the valley. Even the school bus takes this route. You just didn’t know about it.”

“Well, I do now.” And it’d be a long time before she willingly drove through the area where she’d been caught in the flash flood.

Once they passed the flood zone, she relaxed and took a moment to study Dad more closely. The pasty, leathered skin and deep creases around his eyes. The calloused hands and gray hair. She’d been gone a long time. Too long. When had her father gotten so old?

“I reckon you’re planning to keep the baby, right?” he asked.

Hearing her own question voiced out loud made her pause. “I’m thinking of giving her up for adoption once she’s born.”

“It’s a girl?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m glad you decided not to get rid of her.”

The thought made Lily stare. She could never do such a thing. She just couldn’t. “Abortion was never an option for me.”

“Harrumph. At least your mother and I taught you some good things, then.”

A bristle of resentment shivered up her spine, but she realized what he said was true. She just didn’t want to argue with him anymore. She wanted peace. “Yes, you did, Daddy. But more than that, I couldn’t do such a thing. A couple of years ago, I worked with a woman who was adopted and she loved her parents.”

His bushy eyebrows lifted. “Why don’t you want to raise the kid yourself?”

The truck hit a pothole and Lily gripped the arm rest tight. “I don’t have a father for my baby and I think kids deserve two parents, if possible. So I figured adoption was the best choice.”

“Where is the dad?” Dad’s voice rose slightly, but she could tell he was doing an admirable job of controlling his voracious temper.

“He…he’s gone. And I wouldn’t go back to him even if he asked me to.”

“Why not? He was good enough to father your child. Wasn’t he good enough to be a husband?”

Heat flushed her cheeks. She didn’t want to tell Dad about the abuse she’d suffered at Tommy’s hands, or that he was already married with children. Knowing Dad’s temper, he might hunt down Tommy and try to kill him. “No, Dad, he’s not. I just need a safe place to stay until the baby’s born.”

“Well, I suppose I can offer you that.”

Again, a blaze of gratitude speared her heart. In spite of what she’d done, the Lord had brought her safely home. He’d placed good people in her path to help her return. “Thanks, Dad.”

He cleared his voice but didn’t speak. How she wished he’d say something kind to her. Even that he loved her. When he’d hugged her two days ago in the clinic, it’d been the happiest—and saddest—day of her life.

“I can’t say I like the idea of giving my own grandbaby away to strangers,” he said.

“I still have time to think it over. It’s not final.”

“I don’t know what there is to think over. It doesn’t sit right with me to give away one of our own family members.”

“I just want to do what’s right for this child. I’m not abandoning her. I’m thinking about her future.”

“We don’t throw family away.”

Was that what Lily was doing if she gave her baby up for adoption? Throwing her child away?

No, Dad didn’t understand. Lily wanted her baby to be happy. It’d be so easy for her to keep the baby, but she wanted to do what the Lord desired. And because Lily had messed up her life so much, she wasn’t sure at all that she was the best mother for her child.

Taking a deep breath, Lily let it go. Coming home wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t want to be forced into doing something she didn’t feel was right, yet she didn’t want to argue with Dad, either. Thankfully they didn’t need to deal with the issue today.

Chapter Four

As Dad and Lily pulled into the yard at Emerald Ranch, a black-and-white dog trotted from the barn to greet them with several loud barks. Lily looked around with interest. Everything appeared the same, except a long stable had been erected near the corrals. And the place had a slightly disorderly appearance in upkeep. A few rails had fallen off one of the fences and the gate hung on its hinges. The enormous red barn sat off to one side, needing a fresh coat of paint. So did the white house. Never in all her growing-up years had Dad ever let the blue trim reach the point of peeling.

No vegetable garden had been quartered off at the side of the house and furrowed for planting. It wasn’t too late to get some seeds in the ground and Lily made a mental note to take care of that soon. Her mouth watered at the thought of homegrown tomatoes and yellow crookneck squash. She didn’t say anything, but couldn’t help wondering why Dad had let the place fall into disrepair.

Corrals surrounded the barn for working horses, all empty except two. A number of pretty mares and younger colts lifted their heads from a trough of hay long enough to blink at them before going back to feeding. Where was all the livestock Dad used to have around the place? The cows, horses, pigs and chickens?

He parked the truck beside the stable and got out, moving with less agility than she remembered.

“Hi, there, Beans.” He ruffled the dog’s ears and coughed again.

His boot heels tapped against the wooden porch. White wicker chairs sat angled to one side with a small table to rest glasses of lemonade in the evening. Lily remembered sitting here almost every day when she’d been young. Now, the chairs needed a fresh coat of paint and new cushions.

As they walked into the house, Lily was overwhelmed by the scent of pine. Memories flooded her as she gazed around the dingy room. The curtains were drawn closed. Magazines, papers and dirty dishes littered the coffee table. A thick layer of dust coated the end tables and bookshelf. From the looks of the worn carpet, it hadn’t been vacuumed in some time. When had Daddy last cleaned?

He led her back to her bedroom and she was surprised to find it just as she’d left it, except for a layer of dust. The small window where she’d sat daydreaming…and used to sneak out of the house after a fight with Dad. The stuffed animals and dolls crowding her bed, which no longer held any appeal to her. The purple afghan Mom had made for her sixteenth birthday, just before she died. Lily planned to keep that forever.

Without thinking, she reached a hand up to touch Mom’s large engagement ring, which she wore on a chain around her neck. Dad had given the ring to Lily the day they’d buried her mother and she’d never taken it off since. She’d thought of pawning the ring for money to take care of herself and the baby but hadn’t been able to do so. The warm weight of the ring beneath her shirt gave her comfort, as though Mom were always with her, watching over her.

Lily had sure let her mother down this time. And Dad, too. Lily didn’t deserve their affection. And yet she realized they both loved her as unconditionally as she loved her unborn child. She knew now that even Dad with his irascible temper still loved her.

“Once you get settled, I’d like you to meet someone,” he said.

She lifted her hands in a careless gesture. “I’m settled now, Dad. I have nothing to put away.”

“Okay, then. Come on.” He turned and she followed him outside to the stable.

The dog had been lying on the front porch and hopped up to pad after them, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.

“This is Beans?” Lily asked.

“Yep. A good cattle dog, but I haven’t had much work for him lately because we no longer have any cows.”

“Why not?” She walked beside Dad, having no difficulty keeping up with his ponderous stride. She remembered he used to walk so briskly.

“Um, I’m just too busy with the horses to take care of cows anymore.”

She didn’t believe that. Dad too busy to herd a few cows? Even if he wasn’t in the market to sell them, he always raised a couple of cows for beef. But she’d been gone for years and no longer knew anything about her father’s life.

She breathed deep of the fresh air, glad to be out of the stuffy house. This afternoon, she’d start scrubbing the rooms from stem to stern. Right now, she figured Dad had a ranch hand or horse trainer he wanted to introduce her to.

He slid open the wide double doors of the stable. Drafts of sunlight filtered over bales of hay stacked on one side near a small tractor. As Lily stepped inside, she caught the musty scent of straw and horses. A smell she found familiar and pleasing.

Dust motes sifted through the air. Several saddles rested on racks along one wall with tack and various tools hung neatly on hooks nearby. Stalls lined the other wall. She gazed at it with curiosity, liking the building immediately. She remembered how she’d spent hours in the barn, brushing horses, bottle feeding baby calves, or hiding up in the loft to avoid Dad’s temper. Strange how much she now wanted to be back here at home.

Dad gestured toward one of the stalls far away from the mares and Lily heard the low nicker of a horse. A big sorrel stallion stood inside, a white star on his forehead. The quarterhorse lifted his proud head and took a couple of steps forward, his ears perked. Lily admired his conformation, sleek lines and wavy black mane. Dad had taught her to recognize good horseflesh when she saw it and this was a fine specimen. She could understand why Dad kept the stallion isolated from the mares. Just his presence in the stable could keep the girls agitated.

“He’s beautiful,” she breathed, unable to deny a shiver of delight at seeing such a lovely animal.

Dad grunted. “His name is Peg.”

“Peg? That’s an odd name for a stallion.”

“His name’s Pegasus, but I call him Peg.”

Lily edged closer, extending her hand slowly, palm up. Many stallions were temperamental and she didn’t want to get bit. “Is he gentle?”

“Very. A child could halter and tack him up. But he’s fast. You should see him move. A winged Pegasus. Like lightning.” Dad clapped his hands together and the horse jerked his head up at the sharp sound.

Peg nickered and nudged Lily’s hand. She rubbed the velvety softness of his muzzle, delighted to have a new friend.

Dad chuckled. “He’s after his treat.”

“Treat?” Lily ran her hands over Peg’s face and neck. A thrill of excitement tingled through her as she gazed into the animal’s intelligent brown eyes. How she wished she could ride him.

Dad reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a single peppermint cube. He handed it to Lily. “It’s not good for him, so I only give him one a day. But he loves it.”

Lily stared at the peppermint resting on her open palm, stunned that Dad would surrender it to her. Peg nudged her shoulder, eager for his treat. Lily laughed and lowered her hand so the horse could nibble the candy. She wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t witnessed it with her own eyes, but after the horse swallowed, he waved his head in pleasure. A low nicker came from his throat and he nudged her arm, as if begging for more.

“Well, look at that. He’s taken to you already,” Dad said.

Lily blinked, unable to explain the sudden rush of emotions cascading through her. Funny how much the acceptance of a mere animal meant to her. She’d always been better with animals than with people.

Together, they patted the stallion. Sharing this special moment with her father did something to Lily. Whenever they’d worked with horses, she’d been at peace with Dad. It was their one common ground. Something they both loved and enjoyed. How she wished they could be friends in other areas of their lives, as well.

Tears fogged her vision and she turned away so Dad wouldn’t see. She never used to be a crybaby, but that had been before she’d almost ruined her life. Before she’d turned her back on her father and the Lord. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was determined to mend all her broken fences.

“Wait until you watch him work,” Dad said. “He’s quick and needs very little guidance. I trained him myself. I spent so much time with him that I almost ignored the rest of the ranch.”

Was that why the place seemed in such disrepair? That didn’t make sense. If Dad was so busy, there ought to be some ranch hands around to do the other chores.

Dad jutted his chest out in pride. A pleased smile curved his mouth and Lily couldn’t help wishing he’d look like that when he spoke about her. She’d just need to show him that she could be a person he could be proud of.

“Which event?” she asked.

“Reining.”

“Has he won anything yet?”

Dad chuckled. “Oh, yes. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the horse that won the Limited Open Reining World Championship and the Intermediate Open Reserve World Championship two years ago.”

Her mouth dropped open. Dad never kidded about things like this. “So, he’s a world champion? Are you serious, Daddy?”

He glanced at her, his stern mouth barely twitching with a smile. “I certainly am.”

Awe seeped through every pore in her body. Her father had a world champion reining horse living in his stable. Amazing!

“Are you boarding him? Who’s his owner?”

Dad coughed again, covering his mouth with one hand. “I am, darlin’. He belongs to me.”

Darlin’. He’d called her that name when she’d been young. During the few times when he’d shown her affection.

“A horse like this would also make a good cutting horse. He needs cows to chase,” she said.

“You’re right. Now you’re here, we’ll get some cows as soon as we can.” He took several deep inhales, as if he couldn’t catch his breath.

“Dad, are you all right?”

He lifted a hand, brushing her concerns aside. “Of course. I’m fine.”

She shook her head, trying to make sense of this. “I don’t understand. Where did you get Peg?”

“I bought him just after you left. His previous owner was lazy and didn’t realize Peg’s potential. I worked with Peg and took him to a lot of competitions. We lived on the road for almost a year, driving from event to event. Peg’s a great traveler. I sold most of my livestock and hired a hand to take care of the ranch while I was gone. Peg won almost every event I entered him in, but the ranch didn’t do quite so well. Remember when you called several years ago, I told you I had a sweet horse I wanted you to meet?”

No, she didn’t remember, but she’d been selfish and wrapped up in herself back then.

“Well, here he is. Pegasus. The best horse I’ve ever seen or had the pleasure to own.”

She whistled low beneath her breath, proud of her father’s accomplishment. And a lot of regret that she hadn’t been here to share it with him. No wonder the ranch looked run-down. Dad had been on the road with his horse. But why hadn’t he fixed the ranch up since he’d returned? “To be the world champion in reining, Peg must be worth a pretty penny.”

“He is. About two hundred thousand dollars worth. I’ve got a number of colts and fillies sired by him that I’ve been working with and several quality mares expecting his foals in a few months. And he’s yours now.”

“Mine?” Confusion filled her mind.

“If you’ve got the gumption to stay this time, I’ll give him to you, Lily. I figure we can turn Peg to stud. Now you’re here, we can build Emerald Ranch up again like it used to be when your mother was alive.”

She froze, her mind racing. In spite of everything, Dad wanted her to stay. To help run the ranch. And from the looks of things, he needed her help. Badly.

His request touched her like nothing else could. And yet, she knew it was futile to think of staying. Maybe Dad loved her in his own way but he didn’t like her much. They just didn’t get along. They never had. She couldn’t stand to spend the rest of her life arguing with him. “But you can do that, Dad, can’t you?”

He shook his head. “If you’re not here, I have no reason to work the ranch anymore.”

His words shocked her. He loved Emerald Ranch, just as she did. “But Emerald Ranch is your whole life.”

“No, Lily.” He looked at her, his hazel eyes piercing her to her soul. “The ranch isn’t my life. You are. And now that baby you’re carrying.”

She’d never expected to hear such words from her father. He hadn’t said he loved her, but he couldn’t put his feelings more bluntly. Her heart gave a powerful squeeze.

“I’ve been a bit under the weather lately,” he said. “I’m getting old and my body’s wearing out. I just can’t do it alone anymore.”

Something was wrong here. Something she didn’t understand. Was Daddy ailing? She’d speak with Dr. Kenner when she went in for her next prenatal appointment. He’d been the family’s doctor since she was born. Hopefully he knew something about Dad’s hacking cough and why he didn’t seem to have as much energy anymore. And in that moment, she felt so selfish. Dad had always been here, waiting. Bigger than life. Too tough to ever die.

Or was he?

He stared at her, not quite smiling, his eyes aglow with expectancy. “Well? What do you think, darlin’? It’ll take a lot of work, but once you have the baby, you can start training horses again. We can make a go of this together. Mom would be so happy if she were here.”

He talked as if he expected her to stay. As if he expected her to keep the baby. “Dad, I think we should talk about this a little more. I’m not sure I can—”

“Hello?”

Lily turned and found Nathan Coates standing behind them. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, blocking the sunlight, his warm eyes cast in shadow. The moment Lily saw him, her pulse sped up into triple time.

“Nate! I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” Dad walked toward the forest ranger, his hand extended.

Lily remained where she was. Why was Nate here? If she didn’t know better, she’d think the forest ranger had taken a special interest in her. Not surprising considering he’d saved her life several days ago. But she wanted to be left alone. To have time to heal her relationship with Dad and the Lord.

Obviously her father liked the man. He had a lot in common with the ranger. But Lily didn’t want Nate hanging around all the time. Enough was enough.

Now, she just had to find a way to convince Nate.

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