“How are Daddy and Grandpa doing with the hamburgers?” Liz asked.
“Good,” Emma replied. “We’re ’posed to tell you that they’re almost ready.”
“Then you’d both better hang up your jackets and wash your hands.” Liz pointed to the powder room.
The men brought in the hamburgers, greeted Lana and helped set the food on the dining room table. Dinner was the usual chaotic but fun affair, with Connor and Emma causing lots of laughter.
Lana finally relaxed. She was almost home free. With any luck she would skate through the rest of the evening with a smile on her face and then head home filled with the warmth borne out of family harmony. Or so she thought.
Chapter Two
At the end of the Sunday meal, Emma and Connor scampered into the fenced backyard to play. The adults lingered at the table, sipping coffee and chatting.
“I keep forgetting to mention, I ran into Cousin Tim at the grocery yesterday,” Lana’s mother said.
Lana’s cousin from her father’s side was nine years her senior, but he seemed much older. Always a brusque man, he’d grown even more difficult after his wife had divorced him less than a year after their wedding. Having grown up in a bustling city, his ex had decided that the ranching life wasn’t for her. Or maybe the problem lay with Cousin Tim himself. Lana wasn’t sure. Her cousin rarely smiled or laughed, which made being around him a chore. After eleven years, it was long past time for him to get over his ex and move on.
“We haven’t heard from him since last Christmas,” her father said. “How is he?”
“Not so good.” Her mother looked solemn. “He told me that a few months ago, some of the cows at Pettit Ranch died suddenly. It turned out they were poisoned. Sly Pettit has accused Tim.”
Two men named Sly in the same town.... What were the odds? Lana had gone to high school with yet another. Apparently the name was popular among the sixty-thousand-odd residents here in Prosperity. She imagined Cousin Tim’s neighbor, who she’d never met, to be as beefy and bowlegged as her cousin.
“That’s terrible—unless Cousin Tim actually did it,” Liz quipped. Both parents stared at her, appalled. “Well, he isn’t the nicest person.”
Their father frowned. “I don’t care, he’s family, and—”
“Family sticks together through thick and thin,” Lana, Liz and Eric replied in unison.
They meant it, too—especially when times were tough. When Brent left Lana, they’d wrapped her in so much love and warmth, they’d nearly smothered her. But now that she wanted to adopt a baby by herself... Her parents’ disapproval ruled out their support.
Liz made a face. “Just because the man is family doesn’t mean we have to like him. He’s never exactly been fond of us, either.”
“Ranching is a tough business,” her father said. “Tim inherited the Lazy C from your great-uncle Horace, and it never has been a moneymaker. That kind of stress would make anyone grouchy.”
“Living all alone on that big ranch...” Lana’s mother shook her head. “I wouldn’t like that at all.”
“He has a crew and foreman to keep him company,” Liz pointed out.
Under her breath she muttered, “They probably can’t stand him, either.” Then, in her normal voice, she said, “He could sell the ranch and find a job in the city, where he’d collect a regular paycheck,” Lana suggested.
“With acreage prices at record lows, this isn’t the smartest time to sell,” Lana’s dad said. “Besides, Cousin Tim is a rancher through and through. As bitter and rough around the edges as he is, at heart he’s a decent man. He wouldn’t poison anyone’s cows.”
Lana frowned. “Then why would Mr. Pettit accuse him of such a thing?”
“God only knows, but I’m sure Tim is eager tell me all about it. I suppose I’d better call him, since he hasn’t called me.” Her father’s heavy breath indicated it would be a chore.
“Changing the subject...” Lana said. “Remember the reporter from the Prosperity Daily News who took pictures of the day care and interviewed me back in early March? He’s going to highlight the story as the Small Business Profile of the Month. It’ll run in the paper a week from Tuesday.”
Her father beamed. “That’s terrific, honey. My daughter, the businesswoman. Just like your old man.”
Prosperity wasn’t just a ranching town. Thanks to heavily wooded areas, the Ames and Missouri Rivers, Prosperity Falls and the Cascade Mountains beyond, during spring and summer the town attracted thousands of outdoor enthusiasts. Lana’s father had cashed in on those tourists with a popular recreational-equipment business that rented and sold camping, hiking and fishing gear.
“Eric’s good at business, too,” Liz said.
Lana’s father smiled at his son-in-law. “That goes without saying. Eric, you know I’m damn proud of you, son.”
Eric grinned. “I do, sir.”
“You’re the best, Eric,” Lana said. “I never could have opened Tender Loving Daycare without your help. I had no idea how to remodel an old dance studio into a day care.”
“That profile in the paper is sure to drum up business, so you’ll probably need his help again soon for a second day-care center,” her father said.
“I’ve been thinking the same thing—when the time comes.” For now, Lana’s main focus was finding a baby to adopt. But she wasn’t going to mention that. She didn’t want to set her parents off.
“That sounds exciting.” Liz gave her a pleased look. “Any ideas where you’d put it?”
“Someplace downtown.” Home to insurance and title companies, two banks, a library, a hospital, museums, shops, department stores and restaurants. “Think of all the people with kids who work in or around the downtown area. Wouldn’t it be convenient if they could drop off their children near where they work?”
Her father nodded approvingly. “That’s a great idea.”
Everyone started talking excitedly, except for Lana’s mother, who frowned. “You’re already so busy, Lana. If you expand, you’ll only be busier. I don’t know why that social worker cleared you as a suitable mother when your day care takes all of your energy.”
So much for steering clear of any controversy. Lana rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, Mom. I’ve made my decision and I’m happy with it. Because I’m focusing on finding a baby, I’m not going to expand just now.”
“If I was pregnant and wanted to give up my baby, I’d choose a married couple,” her mother said.
Lana was determined to prove that she would be as good as any couple. “I’d make a great mom, and I’ll do whatever I can to convince people that I’m the best choice.”
Her mother’s lips thinned. “You have enough trouble meeting men without bringing a baby into your life.”
Lana’s back stiffened. Her mom just wouldn’t quit. “Just because I’m not dating right now doesn’t mean I can’t meet men.” She’d had no trouble with Sly.... But they weren’t going to see each other again, so she wasn’t going to think about him. “As I’ve explained at least a dozen times, this isn’t a decision I made lightly. I’ve been contemplating adoption for ages.”
For nearly two years now, in fact, after having spent four years trying to get pregnant, first the usual way, and then with the help of fertility drugs.
There