A Rancher To Remember. Patricia Johns

down. “Daddy! Horsey!”

      “She must like horses,” Olivia said. “Should we take them over to get a closer look?”

      “Yeah, sure.”

      But his mind wasn’t on his daughter’s delight. He was wondering why he felt some strange sense of connectedness with Olivia, and had felt nothing when Lloyd had shown him pictures of his dead wife. What did that say about him? Had Sawyer been a good husband? Had he harbored feelings for another woman? He didn’t like that thought. He might not remember anything, but he did have a sense of right and wrong.

       Who was I?

      And would he be proud of who he was once he figured that out?

      They headed down a straight road that led to the barn. There were no workers around that Sawyer could see, and the lowing of cattle that came on the grass-scented breeze was oddly soothing to his system. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling the muscles in his shoulders relax.

      Bella came over to Sawyer and held up her hands. He picked her up and she settled against his shoulder, one tiny hand planted on the back of his neck. Lizzie came running up, too, but Olivia swept her up into her arms and made an exaggerated surprised face.

      “What happened there?” Olivia asked Lizzie. “Did I get you?”

      Lizzie laughed, and Sawyer couldn’t help but smile. He’d known these toddlers for all of two days that he could remember, but he was already attached. Sawyer led the way over to the corral.

      The largest of the two horses ambled over toward them, pushing his nose into Sawyer’s chest, snuffling against his pocket.

      “I didn’t think to bring a treat,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Olivia.

      “All we have in the bag is Cheerios and cheese cubes,” Olivia said with a low laugh.

      “Horsey...” Bella breathed, and then she put a hand on the horse’s long nose.

      The horse pulled back, shaking his head, and moved over toward Olivia. She took a step back.

      “Sorry, buddy,” she said.

      The horse ambled off again, and Sawyer felt all of his own tension seeping away. Bella clearly loved horses, but it looked like he did, too. There was something about those rippling muscles, the shining coats, the smell of dust and sweat and the tang of manure...

      “Num-nums,” Lizzie said, patting Olivia’s shoulder. “Num-nums.”

      “I think she wants her snack.”

      Sawyer passed her the diaper bag, and she squatted down, put Lizzie on the ground and opened the bag. Lizzie looked into the depth and pulled out a plastic container of cheese cubes. Olivia opened it for her and she reached in and came out with a single cube between two chubby fingers.

      “Mmm. That looks good,” Olivia murmured.

      “Num-nums!” Bella said, launching herself downward.

      “Whoa!” Her motion caught Sawyer by surprise, and he almost dropped the girl before he was able to get a grip on her wriggling body. He managed to deposit her on the ground right side up. Bella headed straight for the cheese cubes. Such trust—the kid hadn’t even paused to appreciate that she hadn’t landed on her head.

      Olivia held the container out toward Bella. Sawyer was glad that Olivia was here to think of things like snacks. Maybe he needed more help around here than he thought.

      “Lizzie?” Olivia stood up, and Sawyer looked around, scanning for the girl. She was gone...and both of their gazes swung toward the corral.

      Somehow, the toddler slipped away in those few heartbeats when her sister had the attention, and little Lizzie with her ruffled curls and little pink running shoes stood in the center of the corral, her face tipped upward in rapture as she stared up at the massive stallion.

      Sawyer’s heart thudded to a stop.