The Rancher's Redemption

Yep, he needed to think on this awhile.

And then there was Erin Dearborn, yet another disruption, albeit a pretty one, to his comfortable, quiet life. Sooner than he was prepared for, he pulled into her driveway. The garage door stood open, and a blue Camry sat inside, the trunk lid raised. As he stepped from the pickup, he glimpsed several cardboard boxes in the trunk.

The house door opened, and Erin appeared alongside the car. “Oh, you’re here already. Sorry, I was just moving in a few more of my things.”

“You say that a lot,” Kent observed, striding toward her.

She cast him a questioning frown. “What, that I’m still moving in?”

“No, that you’re sorry. It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize all the time.”

“I didn’t realize I did that. I’m sor—” She stopped herself with a hand to her lips, and for a moment Kent thought she might start crying. Then a strangled chuckle burst from her throat. Blue eyes twinkling, she hiked her chin. “In that case, I’m not sorry. Not one bit.”

Kent grinned. Did she have any idea how irresistible that smile was? Except he had every intention of resisting. How many times did he have to remind himself this wasn’t a social call? He nodded toward the trunk. “All these go inside?”

“Yes, but I’ll get them later. You’re probably ready for lunch, and I’m sure you’d rather get started with those lights so you can be on your way.”

“No hurry,” Kent heard himself saying, as if a complete stranger had taken over his body. He hefted one of the boxes from the trunk, only to risk his knees buckling at the unexpected weight. “What’s in here—boulders for your rock collection?”

Erin reached out to steady the load. “Oh, sorry—I mean—”

Kent felt downright sorry to think Erin’s lousy marriage could be the reason she seemed so unsure of herself. “It’s okay. Just show me where you want this.”

With a tight nod, she spun around and held the door for him. They stepped into a brightly lit kitchen, and he followed her into the adjoining family room.

She motioned toward a half-filled bookcase. “That’s more books, so right here on the floor is fine.”

The box hit the floor with a thud. How in the world had a petite woman like Erin figured to lift a box that heavy by herself? Kent straightened to ease his back. “Why don’t you get started on lunch while I bring in the rest of those boxes?”

Before she could protest, Kent shot her a no-arguments smile and tramped back out to the garage. By the time he’d carried in the last of her packed belongings, the savory aromas of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches had him salivating. Erin directed him to the powder room so he could wash up, and when he returned to the kitchen, she’d set two places for them at a small dinette.

“Fancy,” Kent murmured as he took in the teal straw place mats, napkins folded just so and the sandwiches cut into four neat triangles surrounding each soup bowl. An intricately woven twig basket, slightly larger than the one he’d seen her making yesterday, graced the center of the table and held an assortment of fresh fruit.

Erin gripped one of the chair backs. “Did I forget anything? Would you rather have something besides water to drink?”

“Water’s fine. And it all looks great.” Amazing, in fact. Unaccustomed to dining in such style, Kent had the sudden urge to do the gentlemanly thing and get Erin’s chair for her.

She didn’t give him the chance. Scooting into the seat, she motioned for him to do the same. “Would you like to say grace?”

“I, uh...” Kent swallowed something hard in his throat. Probably a chunk of his hardened heart, the result of seeing too much action in Afghanistan.

“I understand if you’d rather not.” She smiled as she smoothed her napkin across her lap. “Please, go ahead and eat.”

As he picked up a sandwich triangle, Erin dipped her chin, eyes closed in a moment of silence. He waited respectfully until she looked up. “My turn to apologize,” he murmured. “It’s been a long time since I did any praying.”

“It’s okay. ‘Called or not called, God is present.’” Erin dipped her spoon into her soup and blew gently across the surface.

Kent pondered the words as he took another bite of his sandwich. “Is that a quote from somebody?”

“I don’t know the source, but it’s always given me comfort.” Her gaze shifted toward the window. “There have been plenty of times when I doubted God’s presence. It’s reassuring to know His love and constancy don’t depend on my belief.”

Something else Kent would have to think on for a while. But not today. Best to get through this meal, take care of those security lights and head for home. He still had fences to fix and cattle to tend—things that made sense to him, unlike God and women and anything else that threatened his safe little world.

* * *

Bracing the stepladder with one hand, Erin passed Kent a screwdriver. After a few quick turns, he had the second of the security lights installed, this one over the backyard patio. Before they began, Erin had glanced at the directions. If she had tried to install the lights on her own, she’d still be at step one and utterly confused.

“Almost done,” Kent said. “Pass me up the bulbs and we’ll make sure everything’s working.”

Erin reached into the box at her feet and handed him the floodlight bulbs one at a time. Once he’d screwed them in, he gave her the go-ahead to flip the switch at the breaker box. By the time she returned from the garage, Kent had his tools packed up and the ladder folded.

“Working fine,” he said. “I’ve set the detection zones for both the front and rear fixtures. After it gets dark, anything larger than your neighbor’s cat should trigger the sensor and turn on the lights. Any problems, let me know and I’ll come back to make some adjustments.”

“Thank you. Really, thank you so much.” Erin walked with him around the side of the house to his pickup. As he shoved his toolbox into the space behind the driver’s seat, she said, “Please let me pay you something, though. Lunch hardly seems like a fair trade.”

“Are you kidding?” Kent laughed in a way that made her insides all tingly. “Haven’t eaten so fancy since my last trip home when my mom cooked for me.”

“Where’s home?” Erin asked, realizing she wasn’t particularly anxious for him to leave.

“Tulsa, Oklahoma. My dad has a car dealership there.” Hefting the stepladder, Kent moved around to the pickup bed and laid it inside.

Admiring the way his biceps flexed beneath the sleeves of his Zipp’s Hardware polo shirt, Erin gave herself a mental shake. “Never been to Tulsa. Is it nice?”

“Pretty country, if you can stand the blazing summers and the likelihood of winter ice storms or the occasional blizzard.”

“Is the weather why you moved to Texas?”

A faraway look in his eyes, Kent braced one hip against the side of the truck. “Just always wanted to go into ranching, and when I found the right place at the right price... Well, here I am.” With a smirk, he pivoted to climb in behind the wheel. “And now I’m off to work my cattle. Like I said, call if you have any problems.”

Watching him drive away, Erin sighed as she fingered the Zipp’s Hardware business card he’d given her after jotting his personal cell phone number on the back. She liked Kent Ritter. Liked him a lot. If a man as nice as Kent had come along before she’d met Payne, her life could have turned out a whole lot differently.

Maybe.

Or maybe not. Because she’d had a lot of growing up to do since then, and still had a ways to go. Kent’s words from earlier this afternoon played through her thoughts. You don’t have to apologize all the time. That was the people-pleaser side of her again, making her think the only way to be liked or accepted—or loved—was to continually put others’ needs before her own.

But wasn’t that biblical? Paul wrote in Romans that Christians mustn’t think more highly of themselves than they ought, being kind to one another and putting others first. Jesus Himself said, But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Instinctively, Erin’s hand went to her cheek. She could still feel the sting of the last time Payne had slapped her. Her breath quickened. Her heart slammed against her breastbone.

Never again.

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