The Forest Ranger's Child (18 page)

Lily gasped, thinking Nate had lost his mind. Without the halter on, Peg was in control, not Nate.

“We’ve got a world champion here, folks. You ever seen a cutter work without a halter?” the announcer asked over the PA system.

With a subtle nudge of his heels, Nate urged Peg into the herd of cows. Walking slow, the horse selected another beef to segregate from the herd. And then Lily gaped wide-eyed. When the cow tried to get back to the herd, Nate merely sat on the horse’s back while the animal swerved, lunged and turned to keep the beef isolated. Peg did all the work. Nate simply held on to the saddle horn. The crowd went wild. Peg needed no guidance from Nate. He did his job and did it well. Showing the spectators exactly why he was a world champion.

“Wow!” Lily couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Dad chuckled. “But I can’t say it’s easy for me to watch another man riding my horse. I wish I could ride like I used to, but it feels good to see Peg performing again.”

A warm feeling of love and admiration flooded Lily’s chest. “You trained Peg, Daddy. You made that horse a world champion.”

“Yep, but I’m so glad you and Nate are here to help me run the ranch.”

His gratitude warmed her heart.

The buzzer sounded and Nate reached down and patted Peg on the neck. The horse immediately withdrew, letting the cow return to the herd.

Nate had become more than just a horse trainer. As Lily gazed at the man who had turned her life upside down, her throat tightened and she couldn’t help feeling beyond pleased by his accomplishment. He’d more than blessed their lives. Because of him, they now had Toots. A cutting horse who would bring them a tidy sum in contest wins.

For several moments, Lily felt blue as the Pacific Ocean. How she wished Nate would stop pursuing her so she could stop hurting him. Telling him no and pushing him away had gotten harder for Lily. She just didn’t want to do it anymore. It seemed she was doomed to have nothing but sad relationships all her life.

Chapter Seventeen

N
ate refused to give up on Lily, despite how she’d hidden inside the house when he’d returned the night before to work with the horses. Despite her insistence that she couldn’t have a relationship with another man.

Yes, her refusal cut him deep, but he never gave up once he’d set his mind on something. All his life he’d searched for one woman to make his own. One woman to make his heart sing. And he’d never found her.

Until now.

A feeling of recognition and warmth had settled in Nate’s heart. Every time he saw Lily, he felt as if she were an old friend. Someone he could confide in. Someone to depend on.

Someone to adore.

Now he just needed to convince Lily that he was the man for her. And so, he came up with a plan. One that included stealth and subterfuge if necessary. He’d court Lily the old-fashioned way. And be so persistent and gentle that he’d wear down her resistance and she’d have to give in to him.

As he pulled his truck into the yard at Emerald Ranch, he saw Hank riding a large tractor, disking one of the fields in preparation for planting alfalfa. The blades gouged the fertile soil, making a thin cloud of dust rise into the air. As soon as Nate spoke with Lily, he’d go help Hank. Then he’d work with Misty and the other mares.

Nate glanced at the secret weapon he had resting beside him on the seat. A dozen red roses wrapped in green tissue paper. Even if Lily tossed them into the garbage can, he would present them to her and ask her out on a real date. If that didn’t work, he’d buy her chocolates. He’d show her that she could depend on him. He’d woo her slowly. As long as it took.

As he stepped out of the truck, Beans came running from the backyard, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a panting grin. Nate bent over and ruffled the dog’s ears with one hand, holding the roses in his other hand.

“Where’s Lily?” he asked the dog.

As if in response, Beans trotted back around the house. Nate followed, hearing the sounds of a shovel digging through dirt. For several moments, he stood beneath the branches of a plum tree and watched Lily turn soil in the garden. She wore a floppy hat, but her nose had sunburned anyway. And on her feet were a pair of blue, fuzzy slippers. He bit his tongue to keep from laughing at the endearing sight.

Tidy furrows lined the spacious area. Peas, lettuce and carrots had already started to sprout. She’d been busy since she arrived home eight weeks earlier and must have planted them within days of arriving in Jasper.

Tomato gates and a wheelbarrow filled with steer manure sat nearby. He eyed the wheelbarrow, wondering if she’d filled it and pushed it over here from the barn. It looked too heavy for her to push in her condition.

He frowned, glancing at her rounded stomach. Unable to explain the unreasonable amount of worry that filled his mind every time he saw her working so hard.

Dressed in blue jeans, Lily tucked a tendril of long, dark hair up into the hat. Time seemed to stand still while Nate gazed at her profile. Heavy curls of hair pooled around her shoulders. In the bright sunlight, her face gleamed with an ethereal glow. He remembered the soulful beauty of her eyes. The guarded expression while she’d sat quietly listening in church last week. The way her nose crinkled when she was troubled about something, which was most of the time.

She looked absolutely stunning in her dirty work clothes. If only she’d trust him. If only she could love him as much as he loved her.

His gaze lowered to her pregnancy, outlined by a too-tight man’s T-shirt. Even though the short sleeves gaped from her thin arms and hung almost to her elbows, the cotton fabric gripped her midriff like a second skin.

The baby was growing. Ready to be born soon. And he wanted to be that child’s father.

With the shovel, Lily took a scoop of manure, tossed it into a shallow hole she’d dug, mixed it well with the dirt, and then reached for a seedling tomato plant. The shovel caught in the soil and she stumbled.

Nate dropped the roses at the edge of the garden. In three long strides, he reached Lily’s side and steadied her. She cried out in surprise, tilting her face up to gaze at him with wide, startled eyes.

“Nate! I didn’t know you were here.”

“Are you okay?” He caught the sweet scent of her shampoo and breathed in deeply.

She took a step back, forcing him to disengage his hands from around her arms. For just a moment, he’d forgotten that she didn’t like to be touched.

“Yes, I’m fine. Just very clumsy these days.”

She glanced at her tummy and he smiled at the wistful look in her eyes. There was something special about a pregnant woman. As if they held all the secrets to the universe within their soul. And he supposed that was true. The creation of a child worked hand-in-hand with God to bring a new spirit to earth. No wonder Nate couldn’t take his eyes off this woman.

Realizing he was staring, he blinked and stepped over to retrieve the roses. He handed them to her, thinking how his attempt at gallantly courting her today had been a bit undone.

“These are for you.”

The green tissue paper rustled as she took them, then gave him an impish smile. “I thought they were for my father.”

He chuckled, enjoying her small attempt at humor. The wry smile softening her lips emboldened him. “I only give roses to a beautiful woman.”

Furrows of confusion crinkled her brow. “They’re lovely, but what are they for?”

He cleared his throat, feeling suddenly reticent and out-of-place. “Just because. Every woman ought to get flowers now and then.”

She handed them back to him, her deep sigh signaling her frustration. “I can’t accept them, Nate.”

He refused to take them, putting his hands in his pants pockets instead. He glanced down at her slippers. “Are you starting a new shoe style?”

She chuckled. “My feet are swelling. I know working in my slippers will ruin them, but they’re more comfortable than tight shoes.”

“Sounds logical to me.” In fact, her quirky behavior made him love her even more.

“You’ve been working long hours, Nate. I went out to feed the horses this morning and found it already done. You must have gotten up before dawn to drive all the way out here and take care of our chores before going into town to do your ranger work.”

“It’s no problem. Really,” he said. And he meant it.

She blinked at his declaration. “But then you come out again to work at night. Burning the candle at both ends so Dad and I won’t overdue.”

“It’s just a labor of love.”

She paused, as if considering his words. “But you look tired.” She lifted a hand, as though she might caress his face. But then she lowered it again.

Oh, how he wished she’d touch him. How he wished she could open her heart and let him in. “I don’t feel tired. In fact, I feel great now I’ve seen you today. Don’t worry about me. You just take care of yourself and that baby.”

He looked down at her as a ripple of movement crossed her tummy. His eyes widened. “Wow! Is that the baby moving?”

She nodded and pressed a hand to the top of her stomach. “She moves all the time. Lately, she’s been doing tap dances on my rib cage. Sometimes she kicks so hard, she takes my breath away.”

He stepped closer, hungering for just one touch. “I don’t mean to embarrass you, but can I feel the baby move?”

Lily hesitated, then nodded. He lifted both hands and cupped her abdomen, surprised to find her stomach tight as a basketball. Standing so close, he could hear Lily breathing in shallow gasps, as though being this near to him unnerved her.

The baby wiggled, then jabbed Nate’s palm with a tiny foot. Nate gasped and both he and Lily laughed. For several moments, Nate tracked the baby’s movements lightly with his hands. Marveling at the miracle of life. Awed by the way this woman and her unborn child made him a better man inside and out.

Again and again, the baby kicked. And when Nate looked at Lily, he was surprised to find that they both had tears in their eyes.

“Lily,” he whispered and kissed her forehead.

She looked up at him. So close. So lovely. Not pulling away. Not even flinching.

He lowered his head and kissed her lips. Soft, gentle and too quickly for his preference.

She stepped back, pushing against his chest. Her face flooded with color. “I…I better get back to work.”

They’d shared something special in those few moments when he’d felt the baby move. Something extraordinary and wonderful. And yet, the barriers between them seemed even wider. In spite of everything, he couldn’t help feeling that this baby belonged to him. His child. His woman.

The love of his life.

“Yeah, me, too. Thanks for letting me feel the baby. I can’t tell you what it meant to me.”

He stepped away, reluctant to leave her. Then he remembered something he dreaded talking with her about. “I was up in the chopper yesterday evening and I’m sorry to have to warn you of this. There’s a huge debris torrent building above Emerald Ranch. At least fifty feet high.”

Lily sucked back a harsh breath. “Have you told Dad?”

He shook his head. “I’ll speak with him in a few minutes, but I wanted to tell you first. To see if you can convince him to move you and your horses to higher ground.”

“I’ll try, but he’s as bullheaded as Bill Stokely.”

“That was before he saw what happened at the Stokelys’ place. Maybe now he’ll believe me and move you out of here. It’s just for a few weeks, until the danger passes.”

She looked up at the mountain, her eyes filled with dread. “How long do we have?”

“There’s no telling. Just get out of here as soon as possible. If you need help moving, I can do it for you.” He jutted his chin toward the garden, trying to mask his own fear with light banter. “Looks like you’re gonna have a lot of fresh vegetables to eat soon.”

She held the bunch of roses to her chest and her sudden smile softened her face with an iridescent light. “Yes. My mother used to bottle peaches, pears, corn, string beans, tomatoes and anything else she could get her hands on. I used to help, so I think I can do it now.”

He liked her willingness to try new things. “As long as it’s not asparagus, I’m sure your dad will like that.”

“Speaking of Dad, this morning we were discussing a plan to sell our horses. You’ve almost got Misty and Toots ready for buyers and I’d like to get your ideas on how we can market our new performance horse business.”

He paused, thinking. Could asking her out really be this easy? Maybe the Lord had helped her play right into his hands. Nate had sure made this a matter of prayer often enough. He could use a little assistance wooing this woman. “Tell you what. I’ve got to go up on the mountain again tomorrow afternoon, after I’ve worked with the horses in the morning.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t think I can fly anymore. I’m too far along, Nate.”

“No worries. I’ll be driving up in my truck. It’s just a few miles and I’ll ensure you don’t get bumped around on the dirt roads too much. My men are building new restrooms at one of the campgrounds and I want to check their work.”

“Nate, remember I’m not interested in romance.”

Okay, he’d planned for this reaction with a good, reasoning comeback. He’d actually practiced his response in front of the bathroom mirror this morning. Now he couldn’t remember a word of it. His thoughts scattered with the gentle evening breeze blowing down from the Ruby Mountains. He only knew what he felt. Determined, yet bewildered. But he couldn’t give up.

“Okay, then. No date. Just take a ride with me. It might be good for you to get away for a while. You need a break from work.”

“So, it isn’t a date?” Her brown eyes narrowed with suspicion.

He tried not to sound too eager. Hoping and praying she’d be amenable to his proposal. Unwilling to lie to her about anything ever. “I promise if you go with me, there’ll be no proposals.”

She folded her arms on top of her baby bump, looking so fragile. So careworn. “Okay. I really do want to go, but it’s got to be by my rules. It’s just an outing to check the new potties. No romance, no rings, no proposals. Just talk about buyers for our horses. Agreed?”

“Until I can convince you otherwise.”

She shook her head. “Well, you can’t.”

Yet. He’d find a way to change her mind. “We’ll leave from here at noon. Wear comfortable clothes and a good pair of walking shoes. If you have to wear the slippers, that’s okay. I’ll carry you.”

She laughed and glanced at her stomach. “I don’t think slippers will be necessary, but I can’t go hiking, Nate.”

“We won’t. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you, but I don’t want you to turn an ankle on the uneven ground we’ll be walking on.”

“Okay.” She sounded doubtful but willing.

He hesitated. “And you should know something about me.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“I don’t let girls kiss me on a first date, even if it’s not a real date.”

She chuckled. “Now you’re really scaring me.”

He could tell from the twinkle in her eyes that she wasn’t frightened one bit. And he almost gave a shout of victory. Because as small as it seemed, she had let him get close enough to kiss her and she had just teased him back. A major step in the right direction.