It's a Christmas Thing (The Christmas Tree Ranch #2)(68)

She gave him a stern look. “Is it okay if I stay mad at you, too? I’ll still love you. I’ll just be mad.”

“Sure. Just tell me when you’re through being mad.” He gave her a quick hug. “You’ve had a long day. Let’s get you ready for bed.”

He helped her out of the princess costume and laid it over a chair. While she was getting into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, he gathered up her scattered clothes, folded them, and put them back in her suitcase.

After he’d tucked her in and zipped the tent flap, he finished picking up the fuzzy remnants of the toy cat. Then he sat by the tent for a time, until he could be sure Clara was sound asleep.

After checking on her one last time, he wandered back to his room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he worked his cowboy boots off his tired feet. The day had been so good. It was a life lesson, he supposed, that his own mistake had added a sad ending.

He had just stretched out in bed and was drifting off to sleep when his phone rang. Without switching on a light, Rush turned over and reached for it. It could be Tracy, calling to say good night. But it was more likely somebody with a sick or injured animal.

“Hullo,” he muttered. “This is Dr. Rushford.”

“Rush.” The all-too-familiar voice seemed to drop his heart into his stomach. He sat up and swung his feet to the floor.

“What is it, Sonya? Where are you?”

“I’m home. I’m back from the cruise,” his ex-wife said. “We need to have a talk.”





Chapter 15


Something in Sonya’s voice tightened the cold knot in Rush’s stomach. Her power over Clara gave her power over him. The woman was aware of this, and Rush knew that she would use it to her advantage. This time she’d caught him off guard. But he couldn’t afford to let her get the upper hand.

“Just so you won’t have to ask, Clara is fine,” he said. “She’s been having a good time here.”

“I’m glad.” Rush sensed an edge in Sonya’s reply. “I know you had no choice except to take her.”

“I was happy to take her,” Rush said. “In fact, I’m counting on keeping her through Christmas. I didn’t realize you’d be back so soon.”

“Neither did I.” Her humorless chuckle sounded forced.

“Actually, it’s fine if you keep her through Christmas and maybe longer. I’d rather not have her here until I’ve hired a new nanny.” Her tongue made a clicking sound. “It was so thoughtless of Annie and Cecil, leaving like they did. At least they could have given notice.”

Rush could have pointed out that Annie and Cecil had a family emergency. But that would have been a waste of words.

“I’ll keep her for as long as you’ll let me,” he said. “But meanwhile, what do I tell Clara? When will you and Andre be taking her home?”

There was silence on the phone.

“Sonya?” Maybe they’d lost the connection.

At last she sighed and spoke. “All right. It’s like this. Andre isn’t in the picture anymore. The bastard’s been cheating all along. I finally caught him when we were on the ship—with a woman in a third-class cabin, mind you. I’m seeing my lawyer tomorrow to file for divorce.”

Rush’s first thought was that now Clara could take her kitten home. But there were more serious complications. What would this mean for Clara? Would Andre demand joint custody? And where, Rush wondered, would he stand with Clara when the dust settled?

“I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it. “I know we had our problems, but I wouldn’t have wished this for you.”

“You were always a decent guy, Rush,” she said. “I was a fool to end our marriage the way I did. That’s why I’m calling now. I’ve thought about this long and hard, and I want to give our marriage another chance.”

“What?” Rush almost dropped the phone.

“Hear me out,” she said. “Andre doesn’t want Clara. In exchange for my waiving child support, he’s willing to give up his parental rights. You could come back, Rush. You could have it all—me, the house, the clinic you left, and Clara. You could adopt her. She’d be your legal daughter.”

Rush switched on the bedside lamp, the sudden light a blinding flash. He could feel a headache coming on. This had to be some kind of crazy dream. Any minute now, he would wake up, sweating with relief.

“Think about Clara,” Sonya said. “Think how happy she’d be to have her real family together again.”

“We need to talk about this in the cold light of day,” Rush said.

“Why? I know you loved me once. Is there a problem?”

“If that’s what you want to call it. But now I’m in love with someone else. She’s a wonderful woman. When the time’s right, I plan to propose to her. But I very much want to be in Clara’s life. If we could agree to some kind of split custody—”

“No!” Sonya’s voice had taken on the tone of a demanding child. “I won’t share my daughter, especially not with another woman. This is an all-or-nothing offer, Rush. Either you come back home to your family, where you belong, or you won’t see Clara again until she’s grown.”

He had to be dreaming. Real life couldn’t be this crazy.