Hill Country Redemption

“Fine.” She swallowed hard. “But you can’t just waltz into her life, get her used to you, and then traipse off after some woman. Or rodeo. And leave Jayda behind and heartbroken.”

“I won’t.” He spewed out a sigh. “I was mad the other day when I popped off about not being here long, but I didn’t mean it. I’m here. For the long run.”

“What about the rodeo? You’ve been a bronc rider for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m not as young as I was.” He rubbed his injured shoulder. “It started hurting more than it used to. And I missed home. So I moved to Fort Worth three years ago when I got an opportunity to get into stock contracting. I’m done with competing. I started my own business so I could come back to Medina.”

“I just wish…”

“What do you wish?” That they’d never broken up? That they’d gotten married, raised their daughter together?

“That I could trust you. To stay. To fully commit to Jayda.”

“You can. That guy in high school, the one who dumped you, the one who went on and dated all those other girls—that wasn’t me. I’m a Christian now. I even attend church.”

“I’ve seen how churches work, and Christians are still all too human.” She rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Regardless of who you are, we seem to bring out the worst in each other.”

“Then let’s change that.” He stood and gently touched her chin until she looked up at him again. “You can trust me now. If you move back to Dallas, I’ll move there, too. I want to be Jayda’s father. I need to be her father. For the rest of her life.”

She took in a deep breath and nodded. “Just give me some time to break it to her.”

Wait? Even though he wanted to rush into the kitchen, gather Jayda in his arms, tell her he was her father and start making up for the time they’d lost? Patience had never been his best trait.

“I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Maybe a little more time than that?”

“How much time could it possibly take to say, ‘This is your father’?”

“I’d like to ease into it slowly, then take time to let it sink in before you blast into her life.”

“Please don’t put it off, Larae. You know I don’t do waiting well.” His feet felt leaden as he walked to the door. Everything in him wanted to bolt for the kitchen. He put one foot in front of the other till he reached the front door and stepped outside. Though everything had changed in an instant, he’d go back to his empty, lonely house. And wait.

If only he’d committed to Christ back in high school, maybe he would have made better decisions. Maybe he could have witnessed to her and they wouldn’t have had a child out of wedlock. Maybe he could have eventually won her dad over, proved himself as a stock contractor. Had Jayda after they were married. Done things right.

Things could have gone so differently. Regrets piled high. But Jayda wasn’t one of them. She was the blessing that came out of their mistakes, and he couldn’t wait to be her dad. Maybe he could find out what Larae had against Christians and witness to her. If they could get on the same page spiritually, everything would be easier.

He dug his phone out of his pocket, scrolled to his father’s number and stopped. Despite the circumstances, his parents would be thrilled to learn they were grandparents. But they’d want to see Jayda right away. And they might hold Larae’s silence against her. He couldn’t tell them. Not yet.

Things didn’t need to get any more complicated than they already were. After he and Larae found their footing with each other—once Jayda knew who he was and things smoothed out a bit—then he’d tell his parents. He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

His old feelings for Larae had to remain buried deep. No one knew he had big-money family ties. If he let himself fall for her again, some people would think he was a gold digger, just as her father had. He had to make a success of his new business before he could even think about anything more than coparenting with her.

Mental and physical exhaustion threatened to overtake Larae. She’d barely slept last night. After all these years of holding her secret tight, Rance knew the truth. Her future was uncharted territory. Everything would change. She’d have to share Jayda.

Perched on the porch swing, her gaze went to the arena, where Jayda was riding Beans. She hadn’t broached the subject of Rance with Jayda yet, and she had to figure out a way. He wouldn’t be patient forever.

How would she break the news to her little girl? Sweetie, I’ve been keeping your father away from you all these years because I thought he was a jerk. But now, maybe he’s not. Or maybe he is and he’s just pretending he isn’t.

At the moment, she needed to focus on the rodeo. The list of phone numbers blurred before her eyes. She should be calling friends and former colleagues to find potential rodeo staff—bullfighters, chute bosses, announcers. The list went on. She couldn’t build a rodeo if she couldn’t staff it. So much to do and so much on her mind. She couldn’t seem to function.

“There you are.”

She jumped at the sound of Rance’s voice. He rounded the side of the house, took the steps in one long lope and settled beside her on the swing as if she’d invited him.

“Whatcha doing?” He glanced at the phone numbers in her file.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait. I haven’t told her anything yet.”

“Yeah, about that… That doesn’t mean I have to stay away, does it? What’s wrong with me being around, letting her get used to me, then telling her who I am? Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.” Jayda’s giggle caught his attention, and he looked toward the arena. His jaw went slack. “But I don’t think I can stay away.” He stood.

“Wait.” She grabbed his arm. Muscles flexed under her fingertips, and electricity sparked between them. Her hand slipped away. “I guess I’ll have to put up with you since you’re obviously not going to do what I say. But I’m not comfortable with you being around her without me. Yet. I’m afraid you’ll let something slip. And I can’t drop everything and hang out with y’all today. I have calls to make.”

“Can I help with the calls?”

“Maybe.” She gestured to her list. “I called Carson and told him to get started on the indoor building and contacted the arena company you recommended to spruce the outdoor site into shape. But now I need to call all my rodeo contacts. I’m trying to find staff and hoping my contacts can make recommendations.”

“So you’re staying? Going ahead with the rodeo idea?”

She let out a sigh. Might as well come clean. “My job in Dallas got downsized and my lease on our condo is up in May, so I can’t really think of anything we have to go back for. Jayda loves it here. The rodeo idea is growing on me. And you’re here.” Her voice cracked. “If you’re going to be a part of her life, I figure we should stay put.” At least for now.

“I know this is hard. But I won’t let you down. Not this time.” He reached over and closed her file. “I have a better idea on how to find rodeo staff, though.”

“How?”

“You’re a marketing guru. Make flyers announcing your rodeo with a list of employment opportunities. Put tabs with your number on the bottom for interested parties to call for details. You can put the info on the radio in the community announcements also.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Your brain’s on overload.”

“But if I call my rodeo contacts, I can get references.”

“This way you’ll find out who’s available and interested. You can still use your contacts to vet any calls you get from flyers. And I know lots of rodeo workers, so I can help you hire the best.”

“Maybe it would speed up the process.”

“Tell you what, let Jayda finish her ride while we go inside and put together flyers. Once we get them printed, we’ll drive into town and the surrounding areas to hang flyers. The three of us.”

“And you’ll still just be my friend from high school?”

“Until you say different.”

“Deal.” She offered her hand. At the fiery touch of his fingers, she wished she hadn’t. She jerked away and stood. “We better get busy then.”

He hesitated, his gaze riveted on the arena. “Can we talk to Jayda first? Just for a minute.”

That was the last thing she wanted, but there was no getting around it anymore. “Sure.”

“Really?” His face lit up like a kid’s on a rare snow day in Texas.

Had Jayda already wound herself around his heart? “As long as you don’t tell her anything or do anything weird—like hug her or cry.”

“I don’t cry.”

But if she didn’t know better, she’d say his green eyes were a little too shiny.

“Let’s go.” He blinked a few times and stood.

Had he actually changed or was he only acting like he cared, the way he had back in high school? Her legs weren’t long enough to keep up with him, and he beat her to the arena.

“Hey, Mommy.” Jayda waved.

“Hey, Pumpkin. You remember Rance?”

“Mmm-hmm.” The little girl looked at him, uncertain.

“I’m helping your mom with some work here at the ranch. Sorry I was kind of grumpy yesterday. I’m not usually like that.”

“It’s okay. I get grumpy when I’m tired.”

“You sure ride well. Did you have a pony in Dallas?”

“No. But Mommy started taking me to the stables when I was three.”

“I can tell.”

Every nerve ending Larae owned stood on end. “Listen Sweetie, Rance and I are going to Grandpa’s office to get some work done. In an hour or so, we’ll go hang flyers in Medina, Bandera and a couple of other towns. You can go with us.”

“Flyers for what?”

“I’m thinking about starting a rodeo here on the ranch.”

“Our own rodeo.” Jayda’s mouth made a small O. “That sounds like fun.”

And a lot of work. “Denny, just send her inside when you get ready. She’ll keep you out here all day if you let her.” Larae pointed her finger at Jayda. “Just a few more minutes. Mr. Denny has work to do. And once you come inside, you can watch cartoons, or hang out with Ms. Stella, or come in the office with us.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Rance, you coming?”

With a wave to Jayda, he regretfully turned to follow her.

This was gonna be harder than she’d thought. She’d have to figure out a way to tell Jayda who he was. Soon.

Chapter Five

Rance stood at the window. He’d watched Jayda until Denny had helped her dismount. His daughter. Surreal. And yet very real. And woven into his heart in the very short time of knowing about her.

Realizing she was in the house somewhere had him wired, wishing he could be with her instead of stuck in the office.

“How’s this look?” Larae leaned back in her chair.

He strolled up behind her and bent to peer over her shoulder. Her apple scent invaded his space. The same scent she’d worn in school. He never could determine if it was her hair or skin or both.

“What do you think?”

He focused on the screen. “I don’t know. You’re the marketing guru.”

“Would it get your attention enough to read and see if stock contractor was listed?”

The word Rodeo was in huge print, followed by “Do you love rodeos? Imagine a rodeo in Medina. Every weekend, year-round. Let’s make it happen.” A bullet list of job openings followed, with “call this number if interested” tabs at the bottom. Rodeo graphics bordered the flyer.

“Yes. And if I wasn’t already hired, I’d be disappointed to see it not listed.”

“But what if I can’t get this thing off the ground? I don’t want to false advertise or get anybody’s hopes up.”

“It’s not something you can waffle back and forth on. You already hired workers to whip the arena into shape and break ground on the indoor facility. And you’re really good at this. With your marketing tactics, I think your rodeo can succeed.”

“Thanks.” She clicked the print tab. Seconds later, the printer hummed out the first copy. “I figure we can go to Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Hondo and Vanderpool, too. We can take separate vehicles if you don’t want to go that far.”

“We can ride together. Nothing else to do until we get this rodeo up and going. As long as we’ll be back in time for church service at six.”

“Oh wow, it’s Wednesday, isn’t it?” She checked her watch. “It’s not quite ten. We’ll be back in plenty of time for you to go.”

“Why don’t y’all come to church with me?”

“No thanks.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you have against Christians? I mean, even back when we were—” he hesitated a moment “—sneaking around to see each other, you weren’t interested in church or anything to do with it.”

“I was raised in church.” She turned to stare out the window, her gaze distant. “But I haven’t been since I was a kid when we attended in Fredericksburg.”

“I remember you telling me that everyone there was snooty.”

“It was my grandparents’ church, on Mama’s side. They were total snobs. Even though Dad had money too, they hated that he moved her to Medina. So to appease them, Mama agreed to go to their church and send me to private school.” She marked a check by one of the numbers she’d called and wrote a note out to the side.

“I remember your dad was into class and status like them, but your mom was completely down-to-earth. Like you.”

“Dad wasn’t a snob. They both taught me that nobody is better than anyone else. But Dad was always worried someone would show interest in me because of money. Before Mama, he was engaged to Delia Rhinehart. Until he found out she only wanted his portfolio. After that, he was wary of anyone who didn’t have wealth.”

It all made so much sense now. Her dad hadn’t looked down on him. He’d feared Rance was after Larae’s money. Because he’d been there. If Rance had only come clean about his Remington family ties, maybe her dad would have treated him differently. But he’d been too proud to rely on his family name to smooth things over for him.

“It was Delia Rhinehart who made me want nothing to do with church.”

“There were some Rhineharts in our school, weren’t there?”

“Her son and daughters.”

“I think I remember her from school events. She was always with that Chadwick woman.”

“That’s her. Delia was the biggest gossip, constantly spreading rumors or making stuff up. Back then, I decided if she was a Christian, I didn’t want to be one.” Her eyes glossy, she blew out a big breath and swallowed hard. “After Mama’s accident, Delia started a rumor that Mama was out at midnight because she was seeing someone else.”

He touched her shoulder. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” She’d never talked about it before. He’d only known that her mom had been comatose after a drunk driver hit her. She died months later when Larae was fifteen. Right about a year before he’d met her.

“In truth, Mama went to the overnight pharmacy to get Dad some cough medicine because he was recovering from bronchitis. I don’t think anyone believed Delia, but Dad and I never stepped foot in that church again. Or any church, for that matter. We’d run into Delia every once in a while. She never changed. It was mostly because of her that I decided to leave for Dallas. So she’d never get the chance to make my baby seem—dirty.”

One mean-spirited woman had single-handedly caused Larae’s dad to assume Rance was a gold digger and helped to keep Jayda a secret from him. A deep dislike for a person he barely remembered bubbled up in him, but he couldn’t allow those feelings to take root. He was far from perfect himself. And he had to get through to Larae.

“That’s not how all Christians are. We’re still human. Some don’t quite get their act together.”

“I prayed—” her voice quivered “—so hard for Mama to make a complete recovery.” Her tone grew cold, hard. “Instead, she languished in a coma for six months before she died. I didn’t understand, and it drove me farther away from God.”

Give me the right words, Lord. “Death is part of life. But He wants to help you through the hard times, if you let Him.”

“I know. I figured that out after Jayda came. I was lonely and scared. My landlord led me to Christ and invited me to church.” Larae stiffened and swiveled her chair from his comforting hand on her shoulder. Then she stood and stepped over to the printer. “So I am a Christian, but church just isn’t my thing. I can find crude, catty, snobby people anywhere, so why bother with church? I can read my Bible and pray anywhere.”

It was after Rance lost Larae that he went searching for something. Anything to help him move on. But he couldn’t tell her that. Not without getting into why he’d broken up with her. Not without putting a permanent smudge on her father’s memory for her. Even though he understood her father’s actions better now, the truth would still hurt Larae. And he’d hurt her enough.

He cleared his throat. “After we broke up and you left, I realized I didn’t want to be a playboy. I went to church with my folks, which I’d done the entire time I was growing up. This time, I really listened. And it all sank in. I realized I was a sinner who needed a Savior.”

“I’m glad. I don’t know how I made it through Mama’s death without Him.” She set several flyers in the paper cutter and began making precise slices between each number tab.

“The people at our church are really down-to-earth and supportive. I’m confident you’d like it there.”

“I haven’t stepped foot in Medina for almost eight years. I’m about to show up with a daughter in tow and no husband. And run around town with you hanging flyers.” She closed her eyes. “People might suspect who Jayda’s dad is. I’m not ready for that to be public knowledge. I mean—she doesn’t even know yet. I don’t need a bunch of church tongues wagging, too.”

“My church isn’t like that, and no one in town will suspect anything. Jayda’s small for her age. I didn’t figure it out until she told me how old she was.”

“I told her not to go around announcing her age to strangers. It’s spring break right now.” She finished slicing and set the stack of flyers on the desk. “If we stay here, I’ll have to get her into school, and then everyone will know how old she is. The guessing games will begin on who her father is. I know how small towns are.”

“Eventually, it’s gonna be public news, Larae. You may as well prepare for it. But for now, we’re working on a rodeo together and we went to the same school. Remember, we were very discreet back in the day when we were keeping your father in the dark.” Her dad never would have known if he hadn’t followed Larae when she’d slipped out to meet him one night. “Trust me, no one at my church will concern themselves with your marital status or single mom-hood. They’ll just love you.”

“I guess as long as you don’t make I’m-your-dad eyes at Jayda, no one will suspect.”

“I’ll try real hard not to do that.” He grinned. “And once Jayda knows about me and we’re ready to go public with our little family, I’m certain the church will support us.”

“Mama.” Jayda stepped through the doorway. “Are we going to church?”

“I don’t think so, sweetie.”

“My friend Gretchen always goes to church. She makes it sound really fun.” The wistfulness in Jayda’s tone tugged at her.

The printer spit out the last copy. Larae scooped up the final stack and made the cuts. “Are you ready to go?”

“Can I hang flyers?” Jayda did a little bounce, successfully distracted from the church subject.

For now. But maybe he could use her curiosity to get Larae to try it out.

“I’m counting on it.” Larae handed the little girl the tape dispenser.

Rance grabbed the stack of flyers. He’d have to tread carefully. She’d been hurt by a churchwoman, who obviously hadn’t lived according to biblical values. He had to find a way to show her most Christians were loving and supportive. Her relationship with God would never fully progress if she ignored the Bible’s instructions on assembling with other believers.

For now, though, he needed to focus on spending the day with his daughter—without letting her know he was her daddy.

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