Rancher Daddy. Lois Richer
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too ready to put a black mark against you.” Holly sniffed. “I’ve seen workers like her before. So suspicious.”
“I suppose she has to be when she’s protecting a child who has no one else to do it for him.” Luc sounded unruffled. “It’s important to know that the people to whom you give the care of a kid like Henry won’t abuse that trust.”
“I suppose.” Holly leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath. Thinking about the past always unsettled her. But she could hardly tell Luc that.
“Can I ask you something, Holly?”
“I guess.” She twisted to look at him. The last vestiges of daylight were almost gone, leaving only the vehicle’s dashboard lights to highlight his reflection.
“Before your fiancé,” he said hesitantly. “Was there someone special in your life?”
What could it hurt to tell him? It had happened long ago. It was in the past.
“I can’t imagine what prompted that question,” she said, giving him an arch look.
“Humor me.” Luc kept watching her.
“When I was going through my medical training I met a resident. Troy.” Holly exhaled. “I thought I was in love with him but I was wrong.”
“How did you come to think you were wrong?” Luc said quietly. “Did he decide that or did you?”
“He did, okay?” Talking of that time, remembering the decisions she’d made and questioned ever since hurt. She wanted Luc to let it go. “He told me he had plans for his life and they didn’t include me. Then he walked away. I never saw him again.”
Holly didn’t tell Luc that Troy’s plans also hadn’t included the baby she was carrying. That was her secret and she intended to keep it that way. Luc was her best friend but as she’d learned to her cost, keeping your friends meant you didn’t share absolutely everything.
Especially to a man like Luc who was desperate to have a child.
* * *
“It’s good to get rid of that ugly wall board,” Holly said right after she’d tossed a sheet of the offending stuff into the back of Luc’s truck.
“Wood paneling isn’t your favorite?” He was glad to see the smile on her face. For the past three days, ever since the Henry incident, Holly had been introverted, obviously stewing about something yet she refused to share the burden with him.
“It’s dark and depressing. I don’t know why Dad ever chose it. Or maybe my mother did. That would explain a lot about what went wrong in their relationship.” She made a face at him then walked back inside her house. “Want some lemonade? I made it fresh this morning.”
Luc nodded. He’d enjoyed these past few days they’d spent working on her renovation. Holly was fun to be with, full of great ideas and eager to implement them. She also didn’t fuss about things like broken fingernails and dust as Sarah had on the four occasions she’d visited his ranch.
Luc sat next to Holly on the deck outside, savoring his drink and the warm spring afternoon. “Can I ask you something?”
Immediately, her eyes darkened and her face got what he termed her worried look. “I guess.”
“Why is there an umbrella in your garden?” He watched her shoulders sag in relief.
“To shelter my pumpkin plant, of course.” Holly’s grin teased him as did her wink.
“Okay. That certainly explains it.” Luc knew she was waiting for him to ask. “Why does your pumpkin need sheltering?”
“I just transplanted it. I’m trying to make sure it doesn’t dry out before it gets established or get broken in a strong wind so I shelter it for part of each day until it’s hardy.” Holly sounded like a worried mom.
“Must be an important pumpkin.” Luc watched the sparkle return to her eyes.
“It is. It’s a gigantic variety. I’m hoping to enter it in the fair in August and win.” When Holly was excited like this, Luc couldn’t take his eyes off her. “First prize is five hundred dollars. I’m also entering a baby quilt. First prize for that is another five hundred. That would go a long way toward a new sewing machine.”
“Great minds think alike. I’m hoping to win a prize with the old truck I’m restoring.” Luc grinned. “And if I could win another five hundred for being best historic entry in the parade this summer, I’d be able to fix up the ’55 Chevy I’ve got stored in my barn.”
“So we’re both out to win.” Holly chinked her glass against his. “Good luck to us.”
“What is it about sewing that gets to you?” Luc asked curiously.
“What is it about fixing old cars that gets to you?” She shrugged. “I pick up a piece of fabric and I see how it could be used. I have to make it. Now you know how weird I am.”
“Not weird at all,” Luc told her. “That’s how I am with old vehicles. I think I got that from my dad. I don’t remember him much but I remember he loved old cars. I think he lived every moment of his life, like you.” He smiled at her blush. Holly always tried to deflect praise. “Is it tonight Henry’s coming for your wiener roast?”
“Uh-huh. And Abby and her family and Hilda and whoever else shows up. I kind of left the invitation for a spring picnic open.” She chuckled at his raised eyebrows. “Well, it’s really hard to know where to stop. This is the kind of place where everyone drops in. At least they did when Dad was alive. I don’t want that to end.”
“I wonder if Henry’s ever had a wiener roast,” Luc mused aloud.
“You haven’t talked to him since the Ornery Joe incident?”
Luc shook his head. “No.”
“Why?” Holly asked with a frown. “Have you changed your mind about adopting him?”
“No way. I want to adopt Henry very much.” Luc couldn’t come up with the right way to say it so he blurted it out. “I felt like you thought I should stay away from him.”
“What? No.” Holly’s eyes narrowed. “If you’d asked I’d have suggested you keep seeing Henry as much as you can. You need to build your relationship so that the two of you will grow comfortable with each other.”
“But—” Luc shook his head. “That’s not the impression you gave that night we found him with Ornery Joe.”
“I was worried, Luc. I thought that Shelly was looking for a reason to give you a black mark and I think I was right. Abby confirmed privately that Shelly suggested to her that you coaxed Henry to visit you, thereby superseding the authority figure she’d chosen—Hilda. But I don’t think you need to worry about Shelly anymore.”
“Why not?” He loved the way her face glowed when she was excited or trying to keep a secret. “What happened?”
“Abby told me today that Henry’s case has been transferred from the Calgary social worker to Family Ties. Abby’s the case worker now thanks to Mayor Marsha’s daughter in Calgary who is credited with getting the case moved here.”
“And that means?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
“That you don’t have to worry about Abby because she’ll give you a fair shake.”
“This town,” he said in pretended disgust. “You have to be in on the rumor mill to find out anything.” In truth he loved that aspect of small-town life. Well, most of the time.
“Yep. Sometimes being the town mascot is good,” she joked.
“The good citizens of Buffalo Gap do not think of Holly Janzen as a mascot,” Luc scoffed. “More like a goal every child should strive to attain.”
“I