A Rancher's Pride(46)

He ran his hand along the edge of the counter, not looking at her. “Wasn’t thinking last night, I guess. Or, more likely, I was thinking—and doing—all the wrong things.”

She scraped the spatula across the pan, stirring the eggs. They looked about as scrambled as her emotions right then. But she wouldn’t let him see how much his crazy idea had hurt her. “I suppose I should apologize, too,” she said, forcing a cool tone. “I guess we were both doing the wrong things.”

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to look his way.

This time, when she glanced over toward Becky, she managed to catch her niece’s eye. She lifted her hand to her mouth, fingers cupped, then gestured with that same hand held palm up. “What do you want to drink?”

Becky squeezed her fingers into a fist, and Kayla’s heart suddenly felt as if it had been squeezed tightly, too.

“Milk.”

The sign she had shown Sam the night before.

Before she could move, he opened the refrigerator door and reached in. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a plastic gallon-size jug. She stared at him. He met her eyes and froze in place.

Her heart seemed to tighten again, and for a long moment, she struggled to blink back tears.

The man might be nuts.

But maybe…just maybe…there was hope for him yet.

“It’s all right,” she said softly, unable to ignore the stunned look in his eyes. “Just like that baby calf of yours, you’ve taken your first step.”





Chapter Fourteen





Sam got through breakfast. Somehow. He felt like he’d eaten in his sleep, and not only from getting up so early for the birth of the calf.

Kayla was quiet all through the meal, too.

Neither of them responded much to Sharleen’s attempts at conversation. Finally, she gave up, saying she and Becky would be out on the front porch. But as they left the room, she glanced back over her shoulder. Sharleen knew something was up between the other two adults.

He knew exactly what was bothering Kayla. She had nailed it the night before. He was out of his mind, all right, or else he’d never have blurted out that dumb suggestion. Crazy as a loon, for sure—over Kayla Ward.

The thought almost made him drop the glass he’d been loading into the dishwasher.

If that kiss they had shared…that kiss he had started wasn’t enough to tell him the woman was trouble, the reminder of her last name definitely shouted it loud and clear. He needed to get away from her.

“I’m going out to check on that calf.”

She just nodded.

But when he left the kitchen and went down the back porch steps, he heard the door open and close again behind him. He stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t talk to her right now. He felt too churned up. Too raw. Things were happening he wasn’t prepared for, and he hadn’t the first clue what to do about them.

But he’d already made a mess of the situation. Ignoring her would only make everything worse.

Slowly, he turned back.

To his surprise, he found Kayla had not followed him out onto the porch, after all. Becky had. She stood on the top step, looking up at him with those silver-gray eyes so like his own.

He stood frozen, just as he had done when he realized he had understood her request for the milk.

He’d understood her.

Kayla was right. It was a first step in building a relationship with his baby. And now he was being offered another one. If he wanted it.

If he could get up the courage to go for it.

He’d missed so many opportunities to be with his daughter. Been denied so many chances to spend time with her. How could he let another one slip by?

“Hey, Becky,” he said softly, “want to go look at a brand-new calf with me?”

He knew she couldn’t hear him. Couldn’t understand. Would she take him on trust, anyway?

Barely able to breathe, he held out his hand to her.

For a second, his entire body trembled. A very real tremor that shook him down to his boots as he waited to see how his daughter would react.

In another second, he knew.

She looked up, her eyes sparkling in the morning sunshine, her face so innocent. And she put her hand in his.

His eyes blurred. He blinked again and again, but no matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t seem to make them clear. With his free hand, he rubbed both eyelids, hard.

Becky came down the steps, her fingers still wrapped securely around his.