The Rancher's Unexpected Baby. Jill Lynn
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Her hand dropped back to her lap, shoulders twisting to face him. She gained his empty stare. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“No.” His head shook with a vengeance. “Not even a little bit.”
Emma waited. She’d become good at it over the years. Being the younger sister of twin siblings who were strong and competitive often left her dead last. And they all ran a guest ranch together, so she’d had lots of practice learning to be patient. For the most part, Emma was content with her role. God must have made her that way, because she didn’t remember wanting too much more than the life she had. Except for one small problem. She was a romantic in a town that didn’t allow for that. The men in Westbend were few and far between. Too old. Too young. Not attracted to her or the other way around. And when one did pay attention to her and garner her interest... Well, she knew from experience that led to trouble.
“That sounded like a tough phone call. If you don’t want to talk about it, I under—”
“Do you remember my friend Zeke who passed away about two weeks ago?”
“Yes. Of course.” A young father who’d been flying himself from Aspen to Denver when his plane had crashed and had already lost his wife. It was all so tragic. How could Emma forget? Gage had been a mess. In shock.
“His nine-month-old son—Hudson.”
Emma waited while Gage stared at the dash. Finally his eyes landed on her. “Zeke named me as his guardian.”
Now it was her turn to enter the stages of shock. She didn’t say anything right away. Just let that gigantic news simmer. “Did you know he had?”
Gage’s shoulders inched up. “After Leila died, he was such a mess. His grief was so intense. He asked me to take care of Hudson if anything ever happened to him. Of course I said yes in that moment. I’d wanted to do anything to ease his turmoil. To help. But I didn’t know he’d gone and made it legal.” His hands scrubbed through his hair, leaving the normally well behaved deep-brown, almost-black locks in disarray. “I’m the absolute worst person for this. I don’t even want to have kids.”
Emma couldn’t be further from Gage in that regard. She craved a house full of little ones. Someday. She was only twenty-three and in no rush. But definitely someday.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t do it.” Emma had full confidence in that, even if Gage didn’t.
“That’s exactly what it means.” Gage’s weariness expanded, slithering across the console.
“So what happens now?”
“That was Zeke’s aunt. She’s keeping Hudson for now and his nanny is helping out still, but it’s not a long-term solution. His aunt Rita has too many health issues. I told her I needed some time to process. She understood. I asked her to check with the other family members and see if there’s anyone else interested in keeping the baby. She’s going to talk with her husband—he’s named as the executor of the will—and they’ll investigate some other options.” His groan reeked of desperation. “Anywhere is better than with me. A single twenty-nine-year-old guy? That’s crazy. What was Zeke thinking?”
That you’d be perfect. That maybe a baby would heal that big ol’ hole inside your chest that Nicole carved. Gage’s ex-wife had certainly done a number on him.
“And what if there’s not someone else to take him?”
Gage dropped his phone into the cup holder, and it clattered with the unusually careless movement. “Then I’ll deal with that then. In the meantime, I’m just going to pray there is.”
“I’ll pray, too.” Except... Emma wasn’t so sure she agreed with Gage’s petition for another home for Hudson. She’d pray hard for that sweet baby. That God would provide a loving family for him. That he’d end up exactly where he was supposed to.
And if the answer to those requests was the man sitting next to her in the driver’s seat, then she’d ask that Gage would accept that, too.
* * *
Three days later, Gage pounded on the front door of Luc Wilder’s cabin. He usually didn’t show up unannounced, especially now that Luc had married Cate. But desperate times and all of that.
When no one answered, he knocked again. He needed...someone. He had to process all of this Hudson stuff with a friend, and Luc fit that bill.
The door wrenched open as a swirl of frigid wind wrapped around him. Remnants of a dusting of snow blew from the roof and wafted behind the collar of his wool jacket. His coat blocked most of the chill, but a Mount Everest parka wouldn’t be enough to handle the cold snap that had been hanging on for the last week.
Emma stood inside, her questioning look likely matching his. Why was she answering Luc’s door? She must be over visiting Cate. The two of them had become good friends since Cate had shown up at the Wilder Ranch with a young daughter Luc never knew he had.
Wearing a long sweater and leggings with fuzzy socks, Emma looked like she’d just crawled out from under a cozy blanket. Her hair was up in a haphazard bun, her face devoid of makeup.
No blame for his chilly intrusion registered. Emma didn’t really get upset, did she? At least Gage had never been the recipient of her anger.
“Hey, Emma. Is Luc here?”
“No, we finished up moving the last of our things yesterday. He and Cate are living at the house now, and Mackenzie and I are here.”
That’s right. How had he forgotten? Luc and Cate were expecting twins next summer, so they’d planned to move into the four-bedroom house that Emma and her sister Mackenzie had occupied, and the girls planned to switch over to the two-bedroom cabin that had been Luc’s. Guess they already had.
The last few days since he’d found out about being named Hudson’s guardian, Gage had functioned in a blur.
“I completely forgot about the move. I’ll check there. Thanks.” He stepped back, his vision already directed toward the house down the hill.
“Wait,” Emma called out. “Luc’s not there. He, Cate and Ruby are running some errands, and Mackenzie’s not home, either, so it’s just me.” Another draft of piercing air whipped around them. “Can you come in? Please? It’s freezing out there.”
When he didn’t move fast enough, Emma stepped outside in her socks, grabbed his arm and tugged him into the cabin. The door clicked shut behind him, hemming in the warmth.
A fire crackled, orange flames licking the dried wood. Emma steered him to the couch across from it and gave him a gentle shove so that he landed on the cushion.
“I’m going to make us some tea.”
Gage removed his jacket, tossing it over the back of the couch as Emma bustled along the small line of cabinets and appliances at the front of the cabin. She filled a kettle with water and placed it on the burner. After removing two mugs from the cupboard, she opened a cabinet and retrieved a wooden box.
“Chamomile okay?”
Gage had never had a cup of tea in his life, so... “Sure.”
“Honey or lemon or milk with it?”
“No, thanks.” At least that was his guess. He liked his coffee black, so maybe tea fell into the same category.
When the whistle blew, she poured the steaming liquid into the mugs, added tea bags and brought them into the living room. The cup she set before him on the coffee table said breathe in scrawling letters. Was she sending him a message?
Emma sat in the chair that flanked the couch, one leg tucked beneath her. “Okay, what’s going on? Is it the stuff with the baby? Hudson?”
He nodded.
“I’ve been praying about him so much. Luc and Cate have been, too. I know you’d