room.
“You’ve finally come home after all these years,” his grandfather said. “I won’t have you living in another town.” He rubbed the whiskers on his chin. “What about bunking down in the old hunting cabin at the back of the property?”
“I appreciate the thought, Gramps,” Reid said. “But it might be easier—” and less stress on the entire family “—if we find an apartment.”
“If you want our help,” Gramps said, “then you and Jessie should live at the ranch.”
Reid liked the idea of Jessie being closer to family and if they used the cabin, he’d be closer to Scarlett, who he hadn’t stopped thinking about since yesterday. And suddenly the thought of running into Scarlett on a regular basis appealed to Reid.
“What do you say?” Gramps said. “The cabin needs a good cleaning, but Jessie would have her own bedroom.”
“Sure. We’ll give it a try.”
Logan hadn’t said a word and Reid suspected his brother wasn’t thrilled with the living arrangements.
Gramps changed the subject. “Gunner, what time are you bringing Lydia and the baby home from the hospital tomorrow?”
“At noon,” Gunner said. “Why?”
“Stop by the ranch on your way into town. The women are cooking up a surprise party for the baby.”
“You weren’t supposed to tell Gunner,” Logan said.
Their grandfather scoffed. “Men don’t care about parties.”
“I need to get back to the hospital.” Gunner stood and pushed his chair in. “Thanks again for the car seat, Logan. It was easy to install.” Gunner turned to Reid. “Welcome home.”
After the youngest Hardell departed, Logan stood. “I’ve got to get back to the ranch. A group of trail riders arrives in a couple of hours.”
Reid wanted to learn more about the changes at the ranch but kept his questions to himself. If he and Jessie were moving into the cabin, he’d find out soon enough why a cattle ranch had been turned into a tourist attraction.
Logan placed his cowboy hat on his head. “You leaving or staying, Gramps?”
“I got a meeting with the town council at the library.”
“Town council?” Reid looked at his grandfather.
“Gramps is the mayor of Stampede,” Logan said. “You would know that if you’d come home before now.” He walked out of the bar.
“Don’t mind your brother. He’s a Hardell. We’re all too stubborn for our own good.”
Reid swallowed his pride. “I’m sorry.”
“Growing up in this family wasn’t easy. I know that.” His grandfather braced his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet. “You don’t have to like any of us, but family is family and we’re all you’ve got.”
Reid sat alone in the saloon long after his family had deserted him. Again. Gramps and Gunner had been more forgiving than Logan. Reid had some fence mending to do with his older brother.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Reid,” Jessie said after he pulled up to the house at Paradise Ranch Saturday afternoon. “Scarlett’s gonna give us a tour of the petting zoo.”
In the six months that they’d known each other, Jessie hadn’t called him Dad, even though she referred to him as her dad when she spoke with other people. Maybe she just needed a little more time.
He studied his childhood home. His grandmother’s rosebushes looked healthy and lush—a big change from his last glimpse of the sickly shrubs as he’d left for the military. Fresh gravel covered the road leading to the highway and the swing hung on the porch again. The window trim had recently been painted and the white rockers were new. He attributed the homey feel to Logan’s wife, Sadie.
“What’s the matter?” Jessie asked.
“Nothing.” He cracked a smile. “I haven’t been here in a while and the place looks different.” The barn sported a new coat of red paint and the white corral rails gleamed in the sun. Across from the old storage shed was an enclosed barnyard where a handful of animals congregated. A sign reading Paradise Petting Zoo hung above the entrance.
“You’re here.” Scarlett joined Jessie on the porch. Her smile reached her eyes, and the sparkle warmed his insides. He’d desired his share of women through the years and he felt plenty of below-the-belt temptation for Scarlett, but when their gazes locked all that heat traveled upward into his chest, making his heart pound faster.
Jessie descended the steps. “Uncle Logan said he had to take care of the horses.”
A bitter lump lodged in Reid’s throat when Jessie referred to his brother as Uncle Logan. Returning to Stampede was supposed to help him and Jessie grow closer, not Jessie and his brothers.
Tommy flung the front door open and he and his brother raced past Scarlett. “I want to show Jessie my chicken.”
“Me, too,” Tyler said.
Taking a look at the hunting cabin would have to wait until after they toured the barnyard. “Lead the way,” he said.
The twins grabbed Jessie’s hands, then Tommy said, “C’mon, JJ. I’ll show you Captain America.”
“And Superman,” Tyler said. The boys and Jessie cut across the yard.
Scarlett descended the steps and they followed the kids. “JJ?” he said.
“Tommy kept complaining that Jessie was a girl, so she told the boys to call her JJ for short because it sounded like a boy’s nickname.” Scarlett peeked up at him. “What’s the second J stand for?”
“Jones.” He lowered his voice. “We haven’t talked about changing her last name to Hardell.” He figured his daughter needed time to get used to the idea of him being her father.
“Maybe she’s waiting for a signal from you that you want her to take your surname.” Was Scarlett speaking as a friend or a social worker?
“Jessie said the two of you didn’t meet until after her mother died.”
He didn’t want to talk about Stacy—mostly because he felt bad that he couldn’t remember much about her.
Scarlett pulled on his shirtsleeve and they stopped walking. “I’m prying because I care.” She glanced ahead at the kids. “I’ve helped hundreds of girls like Jessie. I’m here if you have any questions or just want to talk.”
Coming from anyone other than a social worker, Reid would have ignored the person, but Scarlett’s offer was sincere and empathy
