A Rancher's Pride(65)

A charter school for deaf AND hearing students. They have resource and mainstream classes. Becky will be able to sign all day. And she’ll be able to be home every night.



Great!



Yes. She had left the information in a highly visible place on Sam’s desk. If only he would agree to the change in schools. He still might balk, but she had to hope his concern would override any roadblocks.

She read Lianne’s next text. It’s the perfect solution for Becky and Sam. But what about you? Kayla sighed. I can’t fight Sam anymore over custody. His admission of how much he loved Becky had stolen her breath. I can’t try to take her away from him. She’s already a part of her daddy’s heart. She needs to be a part of his life, too. No matter how much it hurt her to admit it, she knew the truth in her own heart at last. Becky belongs with Sam.

Kayla would have to go home alone. She would have to leave behind not one, but the two people she most loved in the world.

And there was no sense at all in trying to convince Sam to let her have visitation rights with Becky. Recalling the look on his face that afternoon, when she couldn’t speak the words to tell him she trusted him completely, told her she would get nowhere with that. She’d have better luck attempting to twist the judge around her little finger.

But she had to try. Had to hope Sam could find some compassion in his heart for her.

Even more important, she had to hope he’d be open-minded enough to consider an alternative for Becky.



BREAKFAST WAS ANOTHER awkward meal, except for Becky’s excited laughter as she told them all about Pirate’s night in the barn. How she knew all this, Sam hadn’t a clue, but he listened eagerly as Kayla relayed the story.

Someday, he’d be able to figure out all Becky’s words himself.

If only he could figure out a few other things now. If only he didn’t have even more worries to think about. Since finding the paperwork Kayla had left on his desk the night before, his thoughts had become more confused than ever.

Kayla’s arguments about Becky staying with him had stuck in his mind and wouldn’t let go.

Becky needs to know that she can count on the people around her to be there for her, always.

His daughter could count on him, forever. He’d sworn it.

But Kayla had talked about stability for Becky, too, and the child’s need for a permanent home. He couldn’t help thinking of the way Ronnie had dropped Becky off on him. Had abandoned her.

By sending his child away to school, would he be abandoning her, too?

The phone rang, and he rose to answer it. The real estate company, looking for the go-ahead to advertise his land.

“Don’t do anything yet,” he told the woman. “I’m holding off on putting those acres up for sale. If I decide to go ahead with it, I’ll get back to you.” When he finished the call and returned to his place at the table, he found Kayla looking at him curiously.

“You’re selling some of your land?” she asked.

“Maybe.”

“Why? I thought you loved this ranch.”

“I do. I like keeping it up, too, and paying my ranch hands on time. I like eating regularly. And taking care of my own.” He looked over at Becky. “But it’s kind of hard to handle all that when the debt collectors are standing with their hands out.”

Her shocked look seemed a little forced. “I’m surprised you’d let yourself get into that kind of trouble.”

“I didn’t.”

“Then…” She paused. “You mean, Ronnie?”

“No one else.”

“Oh, Sam. I’m sorry…” She stopped.

The sudden glimmer in her eyes had him shoving himself to his feet. He stood there for a long moment, fighting to keep from reaching out to her.

After everything they’d been through these weeks, and considering what they were facing today, she still had some kind of compassion for him.

Her reaction only added another layer of confusion onto his already mixed-up thoughts.

Yesterday, at Porter’s, she hadn’t been trying to stop him from fighting, as he’d first believed. She had been trying to protect him against the man. Same as she’d done that day in town, out in front of Joe’s barbershop. Same as she’d done that day—and every day—for Becky, even to the point of trying to protect his daughter from him.

How could he hurt a woman like this?

And how could he ever have thought he’d be worthy of her?