“Now if I could just find a way to persuade Wyatt to come on staff,” Tanner murmured before he held out his plate for seconds.
Sophie dished up another piece of pie then turned to Ellie. “Maybe you could talk to Wyatt for us, tell him how much we’d love to have him working here on the ranch.”
“Me?” Ellie shook her head. “I barely know the man.”
“That’s easily rectified,” Sophie pointed out.
“Don’t go there, Sophie,” Ellie warned. “I’m glad you and Tanner found each other and that you’re happy together. But I learned the hard way that romance isn’t for me.”
“But—” Sophie stopped when Ellie shook her head.
“I made a bad mistake when I let myself fall in love with Eddie. If I’d known him as well as I thought, I’d have known he’d change after he inherited that money, that he wouldn’t want to be saddled with being a father to Gracie.” A wiggle of pain still festered inside. “But I didn’t really know him because I was too busy thinking that my silly dream of a big, happy family was finally coming true.”
“Nothing silly about that dream, girlie,” Moses piped up. “God gave us families.”
“I know. And I have Gracie. That’s enough.” She saw Sophie was about to speak and shook her head. “Listen, when I got involved with Eddie I took my focus off parenting Gracie, and she almost paid for it. We were only a few weeks away from getting married when he suggested I put her in boarding school.” The memory still made her flinch. “I don’t need to repeat my mistakes. God’s given me the job of raising my daughter and I’ll focus on that. I guess I’m like Wyatt in that way. My child comes first.”
Later, as Ellie drove home with Gracie sleeping in the backseat, her brain revived a mental image of Wyatt Wright. He was good-looking, interesting and seemed to be a great parent, but he wasn’t for her.
Gracie was just going to have to ask God for something else, because Ellie had no intention of including Wyatt, or his very cute son, in their lives. Her broken engagement had proven that being a single mom had to be her number-one priority. Maybe someday, when Gracie was grown up and on her own, maybe then Ellie could consider a relationship.
Maybe.
But not now.
“You’re making a lot of noise for a kid who’s been fed, watered and changed.”
In the year since Taryn’s death Wyatt had grown comfortable speaking to Cade as if he understood everything. What he doubted he’d ever get used to was the volume of noise a small child could generate.
“You’ll give me a bad reputation as a dad,” he complained as he drove into Wranglers Ranch.
While Cade, red-faced and bellowing, continued his vocal outrage, Wyatt parked beside the visitors sign and exited the noisy truck with a sigh of relief.
“Nothing wrong with his lungs, is there?” Tanner appeared and held out a hand. “Nice to see you again, Wyatt.”
“You, too, Tanner.” He shook hands then picked up Cade. “He’s in a bad mood because he wouldn’t settle for his nap.” He offered a soother, but Cade knocked it from his hand.
“Got a temper, too.” Tanner laughed as he bent and picked it up.
“I’m sorry about this,” he said as Cade launched into another earsplitting roar. “I did warn you I couldn’t get a sitter.” Wyatt jiggled the grumpy child in a futile hope that he’d relax and perhaps drift off to sleep. “Maybe you should get another vet.”
“Don’t want anyone else,” Tanner said firmly. “You have the best reputation around these parts when it comes to horses, Wyatt. I want your opinion.”
“Okay. On what?”
“Two animals I’m considering buying.” Tanner winced as Cade amped up his protests. “Come on. We’ll take him to Sophie. She’ll know what to do.”
Wyatt desperately hoped so. He’d been through Cade’s overtired days before, and though his son eventually relaxed and fell asleep, the experience always left him drained.
But his hopes were dashed when he heard someone say, “I’m sorry, Tanner, but Sophie went shopping. She’s catering that barbecue tonight, remember?”
Wyatt turned and saw her. The woman from the grocery store.
Though Ellie smiled as she approached the Wranglers’ boss, Wyatt thought her face tensed when her gaze moved to him. “Hello, again,” she said in a pleasant tone.
“Hi. Sorry about the racket.” He shifted Cade from one hip to the other. “How’s Gracie?”
“She’s fine. May I take him?” Ellie held out her hands with a smile. “Hello there, little man,” she said in that lilting voice he hadn’t been able to forget. “What’s your issue?”
Cade stopped midscreech to stare at her. Then he grinned and clapped his hands.
“Traitor.” The word slipped out without thinking. Embarrassed, Wyatt caught Ellie’s grin. “He missed his nap.”
“And he’s been taking it out on you.” She laughed and nodded. “Been there. Why don’t you leave him with me? I’ll rock him on the porch for a few minutes, and he’ll soon nod off.” She studied Cade’s now-drooping eyes. “See? I doubt he’ll be awake long.”
“Maybe,” Wyatt said doubtfully. “But that’s too much of an imposition. This is your workplace.” He held out his hands. “I’ll just take him home. Maybe I can make it back another time, if you really want my advice,” he said to Tanner.
“Please, leave him. I’d enjoy the break. The morning’s been a little monotonous.” Ellie winked at Tanner. “No kids have fallen off their horse or skinned a knee, so I’ve been a bit bored.”
“Our guests do not fall off,” Tanner protested indignantly.
“Sorry. Of course they don’t. It’s all to do with gravity.” Ellie winked at Wyatt. “Seriously, we’ll be fine. I’ll call Tanner if I need you.”
Wyatt hesitated, watching her face soften as she swayed back and forth with Cade. His son’s eyes were almost closed, his thumb in his mouth. “You’re sure?” he murmured.
“Positive.” Ellie began to hum softly while maintaining the same swaying movements. A tiny smile flirted with her lips. “Walk away now,” she sing-songed, never losing a beat in her lullaby.
Since Taryn’s death Wyatt had trusted his son to only two sitters and then only after a complete vetting by him and Tucson’s premier child care agency. Yet somehow he felt utterly confident in Ellie’s abilities with Cade. Maybe it was because he’d seen her with Gracie and knew her to be a loving parent. Or maybe it was the way she so confidently held Cade that he immediately relaxed in her arms.
“You can trust Ellie,” Tanner added.
“I know.” Wyatt set down the diaper bag he held. “Here’s his stuff.”
Ellie’s gaze met his, a knowing look in her gray eyes. “I promise he’ll be all right.”
Of course he would. Because, thanks to Ellie, Cade was already sleeping.
“I’ll be back in about an hour,” he said.
“We’ll be here.” Ellie’s smile lent encouragement as he went on his way.
* * *
As it turned out, Wyatt’s inspection