Reunited With The Rancher

He’d believed that his faith died the day Anna died. But if a person’s first thought in crisis was to call on God, maybe he wasn’t so far gone.

After a thorough search of the stable, including stalls where some pretty decent Quarter Horses pawed at the ground or snuffled water from automatic waterers, he exited on the opposite side. Isaac joined him, leading a big chocolate-brown Labrador Retriever.

“This is Maximus.” Isaac patted the animal’s head.

He led the dog in a circle, talking to him in a low tone that got the animal’s attention.

“Does he know what he’s doing?” Carson asked as the dog began to sniff the ground.

“Nah, but he’ll do his best. I hope you don’t mind, I helped myself to this jacket in your SUV. I wanted him to have Andy’s scent.” Isaac held up Andy’s jacket that had been left in his car seat. He adjusted his cowboy hat, exposing a military haircut and a scar on the left side of his head.

“We should keep moving. Is there still a pond past the stand of trees over there?” Carson nodded in the direction of the setting sun.

“Yeah, we’ll head that way. Max seems to like that idea.”

“How do we know he’s on the right track?”

Isaac laughed a little. “We don’t know, but I trust Max. I promise you, we’re going to find your kid.”

The way Carson saw it, he had no other options. He had to trust the dog and Isaac. Carson hoped that God realized he was putting some trust in Him, too.

“Kylie is really beating herself up,” Isaac informed him as they continued in the direction of the pond.

“She shouldn’t. Andy has done this before.” Carson scanned the area and then shifted his focus to the horizon. “It’ll be dark soon.”

“I know. We have to keep moving. How often does he do this?”

“Twice in the past year. One time before that.” Carson hated the feeling of loss each time Andy wandered away. Loss and helplessness.

“There’s got to be a way to stop him or to track him,” Isaac offered.

“I’ve thought about several things. I guess I hoped he would grow out of it.”

Max began to bark and started to pull on the leash.

“He’s got the scent.” Isaac unhooked his leash and the dog took off.

Max headed for a stand of trees a short distance from the pond. Isaac stumbled a bit. Carson passed him and went after the dog. His barking increased in frequency and loudness. Carson hurried to the pond bank where the dog seemed to have something or someone cornered. He prayed it would be his son.

He refused to think of other prayers that hadn’t been answered.

“Andy. You have to come out.” Carson stood, listening. Isaac approached, quieter than a man his size should have been.

“Over there.” Isaac pointed to a huddled form sitting on the ground next to a bush, a tiny kitten in his hands.

“Hey, buddy, what do you have there?” Carson asked as he picked his son up.

“I saved it,” Andy said. He leaned his head on Carson’s shoulder.

Andy was a little muddy, wet and obviously cold. “Hey, Isaac, do you have that jacket?”

Isaac leaned down to pet Max, giving the dog a treat from his pocket. Carson repeated the request for the jacket. This time Isaac looked at him and then shook his head. Carson pointed to the jacket.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” Isaac handed over the jacket with an easy grin. And Carson knew there had to be more to the excuse.

They headed back across the field. As they walked, Isaac texted Jack, Kylie and the men who were helping in the search. As he texted he moved to the opposite side of Carson. The side without a scar, Carson realized.

“Go easy on her,” Isaac said.

Carson knew he meant on Kylie. “I don’t need to be told what to do.”

“You don’t seem to be the most forgiving guy in the world.” Isaac grinned at him and then stuck a toothpick in his mouth. Carson could smell cinnamon.

“And you’ve come to that conclusion because I don’t want to take Jack up on his clinic offer? I’m a trauma surgeon, not a family practitioner. And I need to live in a larger city. I need to make sure we’re somewhere that Andy can get the resources he needs, the education he needs.”

Isaac’s expression softened as he looked at Andy, clinging tightly to Carson’s neck. “Yeah, I get that.”

“Thanks.”

Isaac shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt you to look at the clinic. And you could at least tell the old man that you forgive him.”

“Yeah, I guess I could.” Carson kept trudging along on the uneven ground. Isaac walked next to him, the toothpick between his teeth and a thoughtful expression on his face. It didn’t take a genius to realize the other man looked a lot like family, more like Carson’s younger brother Colt than Carson, but the resemblance was there.

So were memories of his parents fighting, shouting things that his younger self had tried to ignore.

“You really want to raise your kids up there?” Isaac asked.

“There or another city like Chicago. I’ve got to find a job in a city that offers what I’m looking for.”

“Right, of course.”

They were getting closer to the stable. Carson could see people moving, watching. “How many people live here on the ranch?”

Isaac took the toothpick out of his mouth. “Usually a dozen or more. I don’t count them all. Jack likes to take in strays.”

“Interesting hobby for a man who let his wife take his kids.” Carson heard the edge to his voice and stopped there, because Andy had looked up at him, gray eyes troubled.

“You all just need to talk. But I guess that won’t happen if you’re leaving tonight.”

Andy shook his head. “I don’t want to leave.”

“I know you don’t,” Carson responded.

“Give the kid a break. Let him get a good night’s sleep. Does it matter if it’s here or a hotel?” Isaac shook his head. “I thought I was stubborn. You keep making excuses about how you have to get on the road and get your kids settled. But you won’t stop to think that maybe staying a night here could be the best thing for them.”

Carson glanced up and saw Kylie a short distance away, listening and worrying her bottom lip. She’d done that even at thirteen.

“I’m sorry,” she immediately said. Tears filled her eyes.

“You don’t have to apologize. He sometimes wanders away. It happens. It’s happened to me, and to his nanny in Dallas. We do the best we can to keep him safe.”

Andy’s arms went around Carson’s neck, an unusual moment for the two of them. Andy was rarely affectionate. The kitten Andy had shoved between them wasn’t quite as affectionate. He climbed away from them and jumped to the ground, running fast in the direction of the shed where the rest of the litter now played.

“Where’s Maggie?” he asked as they walked through the gate that Isaac had opened.

“Asleep on your...on Jack’s lap.”

“Oh.”

She put a cautious hand on Andy’s arm. “I was worried about you, buddy.”

“Sorry,” he said without looking at her.

“We have stew and biscuits,” Kylie said. “Would you all like to eat before you leave?”

Andy tried to get down from Carson’s arms. “I don’t want to. I don’t like the car. I want to go home.”

Home. Carson sighed. They no longer had a home. They had possessions in a storage facility. They had clothes in suitcases in the car.

He followed Kylie to the back door of the house. Inside they were greeted by a dozen people lined up in the kitchen preparing for dinner. This was Jack’s life, his mission. Or was it a ministry? A group of people starting over. If anyone knew how to help veterans, it would be Jack.

“Well?” Kylie asked, smiling when she noticed where his attention had gone. “This is Mercy Ranch. You should at least take a little time and see what Jack has done with the place.”

“I can see what he’s done. It’s a good thing.” It was easy to admit. A man couldn’t deny what was right in front of his face. The cosmetic changes to the ranch were obvious, but the people were the main reason for the ranch. He got that. He understood why this would mean something to Jack.

“It is a good thing.” Kylie looked over the crowd of people and then her attention turned to Andy. “You should feed your children. There’s plenty.”

“We would like to eat,” he said. With those words Andy relaxed in his arms. “I should get Andy cleaned up first. And let Jack know that he’s safe.”

They could spend the night. He could let his children rest. He could give Jack time and listen to his explanations.

It all sounded easy. It seemed like the best plan. But he knew that nothing was ever as simple as it seemed.

* * *

When Kylie had woken up that morning, it had been a typical Friday like any other day. Chores to do, dogs to train and the weekend to look forward to.

She was happy. Content. Her life here at the ranch was good and she didn’t need anything more. She had a home here, friends, and a career she loved, as a therapist. A career born from the needs of the veterans on the ranch. How could one day, actually just a portion of one day, change everything? She had never expected to see Carson. She hadn’t known that Jack offered him the clinic. Jack had talked about it, of course, but he’d laughed and said Carson would never agree to leave his high-powered job in Dallas for a family practice gig in Hope, Oklahoma.

Carson West was not the boy she had known twenty years ago. He was a man still grieving the loss of his wife. He was a father trying to raise two children alone. He was a surgeon on his way to a new job and a new beginning. Jack’s children might have been gone twenty years, but Jack had kept track of them.

And as much as Kylie tried to pretend it was in the past, she’d held on to each morsel of information about the boy she’d once known.

Carson had changed. But hadn’t they all? She definitely wasn’t the girl she’d been all of those years ago. She smiled at the memory of her teen self. She’d been too skinny, often barefoot and always looking forward to leaving Hope. And now she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

With the others occupied with dinner, she slipped away to check on Jack. She stopped at the door of the family room. Jack had fallen asleep. The gentle rise and fall of his chest assured her he was okay. Maggie lay curled in his arms, her head against his shoulder, her cheeks rosy from sleep.

Carson appeared at her side, a cleaned-up Andy at his side.

“He’s going to be okay,” he said with quiet assurance.

Of course the minute he’d said the words, the tears she’d been holding in managed to trickle down her cheeks. She brushed the dampness away, thinking he wouldn’t want to see her crying.

Instead his shoulder brushed hers and he leaned closer, his breath warm as it ruffled the hair near her ear. “We’ll stay tonight. I’ll give Maggie and Andy a chance to rest. I’ll be here to make sure Jack is okay. You don’t have to take all of this on yourself.”

How did he know her concern? She was so used to taking on the troubles of the people at the ranch, which included Jack. She worried a lot about him.

She closed her eyes, and leaned her head just a fraction so that it rested on his shoulder. Memories were so difficult because she knew how it had felt to lean on the shoulder of a boy. He’d always made her feel safe. Even then, when he was all arms and legs and not so tall.

The man standing next to her wasn’t a boy. She took advantage of his strength, his nearness, just for a moment. Just long enough to feel strong on her own.

“We should get the kids something to eat,” she said as she drew away from him.

Maggie blinked a few times, saw them and slid off the side of the recliner to toddle their way. Her mass of blond curls framed her sweet face and she smiled a sleepy smile. And then she walked right up to Kylie and held up her arms. Kylie lifted the little girl and held her close.

A tiny hand patted Kylie’s cheek.

“Okay?” the little girl asked.

Kylie laughed and shed a few tears because of the sweetness of the gesture. “Yes, Maggie, I’m okay.”

She could get so attached to this little girl with her giggles and sweet smile. And to Andy with his cautious looks and the sadness in his gray eyes. If one afternoon had proven dangerous, she could only imagine if they stayed longer.

“You found him,” Jack said, his voice groggy.

“We found him,” Carson said. “He took a bit of a roll in the mud but other than that, he’s fine.”

Jack studied his grandson. “Rose makes the best stew. That should warm him up and make him feel better. I guess you’re heading out soon?”

“We’ll stay the night.”

Jack nodded. “Good. I have something I want to suggest.”

“I think we’re good,” Carson said. “We both know where we stand. And I’m not interested in the clinic.”

Jack waved a hand at his son. “I’m not talking about the clinic or what’s between us. I’m talking about Andy. He needs a dog.”

Kylie felt her heart drop, seriously drop. It ached as it plummeted. Jack had told her he had an idea. He hadn’t mentioned a dog. She knew it made sense. But she also knew what else it meant. It meant time. Working together. Carson staying here in Oklahoma.

“I can get him a puppy once we find a home in Chicago. I know that kids need pets.”

Jack waved his hand. “No. Not a pet. He needs a service dog.”

Carson paused his denials. “A service dog?”

“We train them here at the ranch, for our wounded warriors and for others in need. Service dogs are expensive but we’re pretty good at keeping the costs down so we can donate them to those in need.”

“Then those dogs are for service members who need them. We don’t want to take someone’s dog,” Carson insisted. But Kylie could tell he was thinking about it. Thinking about a dog for his son.

“A dog would keep him from wandering,” Jack told him. “It would keep him safe.”

Carson sat down, Andy still in his arms. “I get that. But we’re leaving.”

“If you stay, we could get him a dog.” Jack raised his eyes and met Kylie’s, pleading. “What do you think?”

She couldn’t deny Jack. Her gaze shifted to Andy. She couldn’t deny a child. “We could get him a dog.”

“See,” Jack said with a smile. “Kylie is in charge of our dogs.”

Carson smiled at her. “I think Kylie is in charge of everything around here.”

Jack laughed at that. “She is, but don’t tell her. She’ll start asking for a raise.”

“We’ll stay the night and discuss a dog later.” Carson stood. “But right now, I have to feed Andy and Maggie.”

Kylie followed him from the living room. “Do you need me to get anything from your car, or is there something I can do to help?”

“If you can sit upstairs with Andy and Maggie, I can get our bags. You don’t need to carry them.”

“I can sit with them,” she offered.

He nodded and headed up the stairs. She had to hurry to catch up with him. Maggie clung to her neck and stairs weren’t the easiest for her on the best of days.

“You could give me a break and slow down,” she called out to his retreating back.

He stopped and headed back down the stairs. Before she could protest, he took Maggie so that he held a child on each hip. And then he tromped back up the stairs.

“Which door?”

“Second door on the right,” she told him as she caught up. “It has a double bed and a twin with a trundle.”

He opened it and entered the room. She watched as he set both kids down on the bed. “Stay with Kylie. I’ll be right back with clean clothes.”

“You’ve got this parenting thing down,” she said as he brushed past her to leave.

Her words stopped him and she saw the change in his gray eyes. A soft smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, I’ve kind of had to figure it all out on my own.”

She touched his arm, stopping him from walking away. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t.” He paused there, just a breath of space between them. “I’d guess you have your own story. Life never turns out how we expect it to, does it?”

“No, it doesn’t. And I think Jack isn’t who you expected, is he? You thought you’d show up and everything would be the way it was when you left. You thought Jack would be the same person.”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug of broad shoulders.

Time and circumstances had changed Carson the same way they had changed her. The boy she’d known had been fun-loving. In spite of his circumstance he had laughed and found the best in each day. The best in people. He seemed to have lost that side of himself.

The man standing in front of her had jagged edges.

Chapter Four

Carson woke up Saturday to the gray light of early morning stealing through the curtains of an unfamiliar room. Across the room in a twin bed, Andy and Maggie were cuddled together, still sleeping. From downstairs he could hear the sound of water running and dishes clinking. Sneaking from the room so as not to wake the children, he made his way downstairs.

If either of the children woke, he’d hear them or see them as they came down the stairs.

He had expected to see Kylie in the kitchen. Instead Isaac stood at the sink filling a coffee pot with water. He glanced at Carson, grinned, then went back to work.

“Expected someone prettier, did you?” Isaac poured the water in the coffeemaker. “She’s working dogs. Want some breakfast? Or are you heading out early? Chicago is waiting.”

“In a hurry to get rid of me?”

“I like the kids. You I could do without. I can do without your suspicious looks. I can do without your judgment. So can Jack. You haven’t lived his life. Have you ever been to war? Have you ever wondered if the last shot you took...”

Isaac shook his head, raising a hand when Carson tried to tell him they didn’t need to have this conversation.

Isaac poured himself a cup of coffee. “We have to talk about the fact that you think you know everything. But until you talk to people and find out their side, their experiences, you don’t know them. And you don’t know your father...”

Carson grabbed a cup from the cabinet and watched the coffee drip into the pot, ignoring the younger man that he assumed was his brother. He should just ask. As Isaac said, you don’t know a person until you know their story.

“You’re probably right. But I guess that goes both ways. You don’t know my story, either.” Carson met Isaac’s gaze, held it for a minute.

“Shoot,” Isaac said as he raised his cup.

“Shoot?”

“Go ahead. Tell me your story.”

Carson shook his head. “Where’s Jack?”

“Gone to town already. You can’t keep a good man down.” And he put emphasis on good.

Carson glanced out the window and saw Kylie heading toward the house. She was dressed in boots, jeans and a T-shirt. A dog followed along behind her. She was smiling, talking to the animal. For whatever reason, she made this place bearable.

“Is that why you’re still here?” Isaac said, more of a teasing tone in his voice.

“No. I’m here because Jack had an angina attack last night and because I couldn’t put Andy and Maggie back in the car after the long day of driving we had yesterday. They needed a chance to rest.”

“Right. Of course.” Isaac finished his coffee and put the cup in the dishwasher. “The past has a way of catching up with us. Now if you’ll excuse me, Doc, I have work to do. If you’re bored, you can always saddle up and help out. Do you remember how to ride a horse?”

“I remember how to ride a horse, but I have Andy and Maggie, if you remember. And I need to check on Jack.”

The door opened and Kylie entered, looking from one to the other of them. She carried a basket of fall tomatoes and squash that she put on the counter before heading for the coffee.

“Are the two of you circling each other like old barn cats?” she asked as she grabbed a cup.

Isaac grinned at Carson as he headed for the door. “Nah, only one of us remembers what a barn looks like. Carson is more of a domesticated house cat.”

“If Kylie will watch the kids, I’ll meet you out there in fifteen minutes.”

“I didn’t realize you’d be so easily triggered.” Isaac laughed. “Do you even have boots?”

“I’m sure Jack has a pair I can fit into.”

“Suit yourself.” Isaac headed for the back door.

“Would you be able to watch Andy and Maggie for me?” Carson asked Kylie.

“I don’t mind, but I do have work to do today. And we need to talk about Jack’s suggestion of a service dog for Andy.”

Her tone was cool, professional. It didn’t match her. It didn’t match the warmth of her expression, or the freckles that dusted her nose. It was for him, that cool, distant tone. It was meant to keep him at arm’s length.

He should have appreciated the gesture. Instead it had him feeling as if he was missing something.

“What’s your opinion on a service dog?” he asked.

“I did some research this morning. I think the idea has merit. A service dog for a child with autism can help with social settings and sleep patterns, can stop repetitive behaviors and can also keep him from wandering.”

Impressive. She’d done her homework. He had thought he’d done everything possible to give his son the most opportunities, including this planned move to Chicago. But he hadn’t considered a service dog.

“If I did this, would it take time to train the dog? Would we need to come back?”

“You would have to stay,” she said as she pulled a carton of eggs out of the fridge.

He couldn’t see her face but he knew the idea of them staying bothered her. He knew his reasons for wanting to leave, but her reasons for wanting them gone were a mystery.

“Stay. As in, for a day or two?”

“A few weeks.” She began cracking eggs in a bowl. “Do you want an omelet?”

He watched as she worked. “Is it the idea of Jack giving us a dog that has you upset, or is it the idea of me staying?”

She looked up, guilt written across her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want Andy to have a dog. I think it would change his life.”

“But you don’t want me here,” he said with as much of a smile as he could muster.

“I didn’t say that. I didn’t mean to even imply it.”

But he got the impression it was exactly what she felt. But today he didn’t feel like pushing for answers. If he pushed that meant going down a path he didn’t plan to pursue.

“I can’t stay here for a few weeks.”

She dumped the eggs in a frying pan and glanced back over her shoulder. “I understand.”

“But I do want Andy to have a dog. I’ll figure this out. If you don’t mind watching the kids, I’m heading out to join Isaac. I need to show him that I can still ride a horse.”

“I’ll watch the kids. You try not to break your leg.” She grabbed a granola bar out of a basket. “You have to eat something.”

“Have a little faith in me.” He caught the granola bar Kylie tossed his way.

“I do have faith.” She let the statement speak for itself.

He lifted his foot.

“Will Jack’s boots fit me?”

“I think so. Or you can try the clothes closet. Every now and then a guy moves on and they’ll leave stuff behind. We have clothes, boots, hats, just about everything.” She opened the door at the side of the kitchen. “Laundry room and clothing. Help yourself.”

She’d been right about finding what he needed. Boots, a hat, gloves. He walked back out a few minutes later and she gave him the once-over.

“Even if you can’t ride a horse anymore, you look like you can.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He paused at the stove. “When Andy wakes up, don’t be offended if he won’t eat. He has sensory issues.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“He might be upset when he wakes up.” Carson thought it best she know everything. In response she put a hand around his arm and walked with him to the back door.

“Carson, I handle adults with PTSD. I think I can handle Andy. And I’ll do it gently. I’ll go upstairs and when he wakes up, I’ll be there.”