Rancher to the Rescue
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Stella Bagwell
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Harlequin😌 Second Chances
HarlequinChapter One
Grace Hollister was wearily slipping one arm out of her lab coat when a voice called to her from the open doorway of her office.
“I hate to be the messenger to bring you bad news, Doctor, but you have one more patient to see before we shut the doors.”
Grace turned a questioning look at Cleo, one of two nurses who assisted her throughout the busy days at Pine Valley Clinic.
“I do? I thought Mr. Daniels was the last one.”
Cleo stepped into the small space and Grace shrugged the white garment back onto her shoulder.
“Harper scheduled a last-minute walk-in,” the nurse explained. “Guess she was feeling softhearted.”
In spite of being bone-tired, Grace managed to chuckle at Cleo’s explanation for the clinic’s receptionist. “Harper is always softhearted. And her tongue refuses to form the word no.”
“In this case, I don’t think you would’ve wanted Harper to turn this patient away. She’s five years old and as cute as her father.”
Sighing, Grace reached for a stethoscope lying on the corner of her desk and motioned for the petite brunette to precede her out of the office. “Since when have you started eyeing married men?”
The two women started down a short hallway to where three separate examining rooms were located. As they walked, Cleo answered in a hushed voice, “If there’s a wife, she’s not listed on the patient’s information sheet.”
Grace rolled her eyes. Being twenty-five and single, Cleo was always looking for Mr. Right. So far, she’d not found him. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.
“Hmm. I suppose it was necessary for you to take a peek at the parent-guardian information.”
The nurse slanted a guilty glance at Grace. “My eyes just happened to land on that part of the paper.”
“You’re hopeless, Cleo.”
“Yes, but this place would be boring without me.”
No, without her two nurses, Cleo and Poppy, the flow of patients going in and out of the clinic would be reduced to a crawl, Grace thought.
“Like watching grass grow,” Grace joked, then quickly switched to serious mode. “Is the child in room two?”
That particular examining room was referred to by Grace and the staff as the kid-friendly room. The walls were adorned with playful paintings of animals and clowns, while colorful balloons floated from the handles on the cabinets.
“Yes. And her dad is with her.” Cleo followed Grace to the next closed door. “If you can handle this patient without me, I’ll help Poppy finish tidying up three.”
Grace pulled a clipboard from a holder on the wall and began to scan the patient’s information. “I’ll call—”
Her words broke off abruptly as she stared in disbelief at the signature at the bottom of the paper. The cursive writing was barely legible, yet the name seemed to leap off the page.
Mackenzie Barlow!
“Doc, is anything wrong? You look sick!”
Tearing her gaze off the signature, Grace glanced over at Cleo. The nurse was studying her closely.
“Uh...no. Nothing is wrong.” Even though she was trying her best to sound normal, she could hear a tremble in her voice. “I’m tired, that’s all. Go help Poppy. If I need you I’ll find you.”
Cleo cast her a skeptical look before she walked on down the hallway and entered room three. Once the nurse was out of sight, Grace drew in a bracing breath and passed a hand over her forehead.
You’re a physician, Grace. A professional. It doesn’t matter that you once planned to marry Mack. You’ve been taught to turn off your emotions. So turn them off and go do your job.
Determined to follow the goading voice going off in her head, Grace straightened her shoulders. Then, after giving the door a cursory knock, she stepped into the room to find a small, dark-haired girl sitting on the edge of the examining table.
Purposely keeping her focus on the patient, Grace smiled at the girl, who was dressed in a fuzzy red sweater and blue jeans that were stuffed into a pair of sparkly pink cowboy boots. A single braid rested on one shoulder, while her arms were hugging protectively against her midsection. The heels of her boots were thumping rhythmically against the vinyl padding on the end of the table.
To her immediate right, Grace sensed Mack rising from a plastic waiting chair, but she didn’t acknowledge his presence. Instead, she closed the short distance between her and the patient and introduced herself.
“Hello, young lady.” She held her hand out to the girl. “I’m Dr. Grace. And I believe your name is Kitty. Is that right?”
The girl hesitated for only a moment, and then, with an affirmative nod, she placed her hand in Grace’s. “I’m Kitty Barlow. And I’m five years old.”
Grace gave the child a reassuring smile. “Five. I’m going to guess you’re in kindergarten.”
Kitty nodded again, but she didn’t look a bit proud of the fact.
A couple of steps behind her, Mack said, “Hello, Grace.”
Slowly, she turned and faced the man who’d once held her heart in his hand. As her gaze settled on his face, everything around them turned into a dim haze. “Hello, Mack. How are you?”
Over the years Grace had often imagined how she might react if she ever saw Mackenzie again. But none of those scenarios came close to matching this moment. Pain, joy and longing were flashing through her as though their parting had only happened yesterday.
He offered her his hand, and as she reached to wrap her fingers around his, she hoped he couldn’t detect the cataclysmic effect he was having on her.
“Fine, thanks,” he replied. “And I want to apologize for showing up at such a late hour. I imagine you normally shut the doors before now.”
Her throat was so tight she was surprised her vocal cords could form a sound. “Normally. But not always.”
Fourteen years. That’s how much time had passed since Grace had seen this man. The long years had changed him, she realized, but only for the better. The nineteen-year-old she’d been so in love with had evolved into a rugged hunk of man with broad shoulders, a lean waist and long sinewy legs. Beneath a battered gray cowboy hat, his dark hair was now long enough to curl over the back of his collar. Yet it was his face that had appeared to change the most, she thought. The youthful features she remembered were now hardened lines and angles carved from a weathered, dark brown skin that matched his deep-set eyes.
He said, “I appreciate you taking the time to see Kitty. My schedule has been pretty hectic here lately. But I’m sure you’re accustomed to hectic schedules.”
“Doctors are busy people,” she said, then cleared her throat, withdrew her hand from his and turned back to his daughter.
“Well now, Kitty, I’d like to hear how you’ve been feeling. This paper on my clipboard says you’ve been having tummy aches. Can you tell me how your tummy feels when you get sick?”
Kitty’s big brown eyes made an uneasy sweep of Grace’s face before she finally nodded. “It hurts a lot—like it squeezes together.”
Grace fitted the stethoscope to her ears. “Well, I’m going to do my best to make all the squeezing go away,” she said gently. “Can you tell me when your tummy hurts? Before or after you eat? When you go to bed or go to school?”
“In the mornings—when I get ready for school. And it hurts at school. I want to put my head on the desk, but teacher says if I feel bad I need to go home. So Daddy comes and gets me.”
Grace turned a questioning look at Mack and she didn’t miss the lines of worry on his face.
He said, “I’ve had to pick her up at school a couple of times in the past two weeks and then again today.”
“I see.” She turned back to the child. “Okay, Kitty, I want you to lie back on the table for me. I’m going to figure out what’s causing these tummy aches.”
For the next few minutes Grace gave the girl a slow, methodical examination. Throughout the inspection of Kitty’s physical condition, Mack remained standing, but thankfully he didn’t interrupt Grace with questions. Even so, with his watchful presence, it was a fight for Grace to remain focused on her job.
“Do you think her appendix needs to come out?” Mack asked. “Or does she have a hernia? I know kids her age can get them and she’s always climbing and jumping.”
“I don’t believe we’re dealing with anything along those lines,” she told him as she gathered up her clipboard. “Wait here. We’ll talk in a minute.”
Grace left the room and headed down the hallway in search of Cleo. She found the nurse in the storage room, restocking a cabinet with paper gowns.
“Cleo, I want you to keep our little patient occupied while I talk with her father in my office. I’ll try to make the consultation as quick as possible. I realize everyone is waiting to go home for the night.”
Cleo joined her in the open doorway. “Quit worrying about your staff staying late. We know the score around here. Are you feeling better?”
The nurse’s question caused Grace’s eyes to widen. “Better? There wasn’t anything wrong with me.”
Cleo shook her head. “You could’ve fooled me.”
Grace did her best not to smirk. “Send Mack...uh, Mr. Barlow to my office.”
The nurse’s eyebrows arched, but she didn’t say anything as she took off in long strides toward the examining room.
In her office, Grace took a seat behind a large desk and resisted the urge to run a hand over her hair, or look to see if any of the lipstick she’d applied earlier in the day was still on her lips. How she looked to Mack Barlow hardly mattered. He’d been out of her life for years now. And, anyway, he wasn’t here to see her. This was all about his little daughter.
She barely had time to draw in a deep breath, when a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” she called.
Poppy ushered Mack into the room, then closed the door behind her. Grace forced a smile on her face and gestured for him to take a seat in one of the padded armchairs in front of her desk.
“Please make yourself comfortable, Mack.”
He lifted the cowboy hat from his head, then ran a hand over the dark waves before he eased his long, lanky frame into one of the chairs. As he settled back into the seat, she noticed for the first time this evening that his clothing was splotched with dust and manure. Apparently he’d come straight here from the feedlot.
“I’m sure you’re wanting to kick me in the shins right about now,” he said.
Surely he didn’t think she was harboring a grudge about their breakup all those years ago, she thought. Yes, he had stomped on her heart, but she’d survived and moved on. Besides, her parents had always taught her, and her seven siblings, that carrying a grudge wasn’t just harmful, it was sinful.
“Oh. Why? For yanking my ponytail in chemistry class?” she asked impishly. “Don’t worry. I’ve forgiven you.”
Grinning faintly, he raked a hand over his hair for a second time and Grace couldn’t help but notice how a thick dark wave fell onto the right side of his forehead.
“Actually, I was referring to a few minutes ago,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked you to explain Kitty’s health in front of her. I know better than that—but I’ve been worried about her. I, uh... It’s not always easy trying to be both mother and father. Especially now that I have so many things going on with the ranch and my vet practice. I...don’t get to spend as much time with her as I should.”
So there wasn’t a mother in the picture, Grace thought. What could’ve have happened? A divorce? His wife died? She could pose the question as a medical one. Kitty’s lack of a mother could possibly be affecting her health. But given their past history, Grace doubted Mack would view the question as a professional one.
Instead, she said, “I heard about your father’s death. Will was a special man. Everyone in the area thought highly of him.”
“Thanks. Losing him—it’s still a shock. I have to keep reminding myself that he’s really gone. Especially now that I’m living on the Broken B. I expect to look around the house and see him. Or find him down at the barns, or spot him riding across the range.”
About two months ago, Mack’s father had died unexpectedly from a sudden heart attack. Grace hadn’t gone to the funeral. At the time, her appointment book had been crammed full and she’d mentally argued that trying to reschedule patients would’ve been a nightmare for Harper. Plus, closing the clinic for the day, for any reason, always caused double loads of work for the staff later on. Yet in all honesty, Grace had skipped saying a public farewell to Will because she couldn’t summon the courage to face Mack. And she’d regretted it ever since.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t at the funeral. But I—”
He interrupted her with a shake of his head. “No need to explain. I’m sure you were busy. And, anyway, your parents and brothers were there. That meant a lot to me.”
Grace felt like a bug crawling across the hardwood floor of her office. “My family always thought highly of your parents. As did I.”
He gave her a single nod. “I’ve not forgotten.”
No, Grace thought. There’d been too much between them to forget completely. She cleared her throat, then steered the conversation back to his daughter.
“Well, regarding Kitty, it’s perfectly natural for you to be concerned and ask questions. But in your daughter’s case, I think you need to quit worrying. She’s going to be fine...in time.”
His dark eyebrows arched upward. “In time? What does that mean?”
Grace was amazed that she could sit here talking to him in a normal voice, while inside she felt as if a tornado was tearing a path from her head to her feet.
“First off, let me say I’m not detecting anything seriously wrong with Kitty’s stomach. There’s no bloating, bulges, lumps or bumps or sensitive spots that I could detect, and her digestive sounds are normal. She told me she doesn’t throw up. Is that true?”
“No. Her meals stay down. She just holds a hand to her stomach and says it hurts.”
Grace thoughtfully tapped the end of a pen against a notepad lying on the desktop. “Hmm. When did these stomachaches start?”
“About two weeks ago—after she started school.”
Grace nodded. “Does your daughter like school?”
“When we lived in Nevada, she loved nursery school and all her friends. She adored her teacher. But now that we moved up here everything is different for her. She says the other kids look at her funny and the teacher is always telling her to be quiet. Which is understandable. At times, Kitty can be a chatterbox.” Frowning, he leaned forward in his seat. “Do you think my daughter is pretending to be sick so she won’t have to go to school?”
“No. I believe she’s honestly experiencing stomach pains and I have a notion they’re all stemming from the stress of moving to a strange place and leaving her friends behind. Tell me, has Kitty lived in multiple places or is this the first move for her?”
He shook his head. “Ever since she was born, we’ve lived on the KO Ranch, not far from Reno. That’s the only home she’s ever known. I was a resident vet there.”
Grace couldn’t contain her interest. “Oh. Must’ve been a huge ranch. Stone Creek can’t afford a resident vet. Although, Dad often wishes he could.”
He shrugged. “It was a good place to live and work. And a nice place to raise Kitty. But with Dad’s death...well, I want to keep the Broken B going. And I’m hoping the ranch will come to be a good home for her.”
She nodded. “I’ve not forgotten how hard your parents worked to make the Broken B profitable. I’m sure the ranch is very important to you.”
He cleared his throat and glanced to the wall on his right, where a wide window was shuttered with woven blinds. “Mom and Dad wanted that place for me. I guess—” His gaze settled back on her face. “Now that I have Kitty, I understand what it actually means to build a legacy.”
More than once in their young romance, they’d talked about the children they would have and their plans to build their own ranch, together. Unfortunately, some dreams were meant to die, she thought sadly.
The stinging at the back of her eyes caused her to blink several times before she could focus clearly on the prescription pad lying on the desktop.
“Well, uh, I think the issue with Kitty’s stomach will take a little time. Once she gets more settled she should begin to feel better. In the meantime, I’m going to prescribe something mild to soothe her tummy. And don’t worry, it’s nothing she can become dependent on.”
“So how long does she need to take this medication? And if she doesn’t get better soon, how long should I wait to bring her back to see you?”
“Give her two more weeks, at least. And then if you don’t see an improvement, bring her back to see me and we’ll take things from there. Right now, I’d rather not put her through a bunch of unnecessary testing. It would only put more stress on her.”
“Yes, I agree.”
“Do you want a paper prescription? Or I can call your pharmacy?”
“You still do the paper thing?”
Even though her nerves were rapidly breaking down, his question put a smile on her face. “I do. Some of my elderly patients feel more at ease when they have a piece of paper in their hand. And anything I can do to make them feel better is my job. I’m sure you feel that way about your patients, too.”
He smiled back at her and she thought how different it was from the carefree grins he gave her all those years ago. Now she could see the everyday strains of life etched beneath his eyes and around his lips.
“Only my patients can’t talk to me. At least, not in words. A kick, or bite or scratch pretty much tells me what they’re thinking about Dr. Barlow.”
She chuckled. “Sometimes I wish my patients couldn’t talk.”
She reached for the prescription pad and hurriedly scratched out the necessary information. Once she was finished, she stood and rounded the desk. At the same time, Mack rose from the chair.
She handed him the small square of paper. “Here’s the prescription. If you have any questions about the dosage, just call the office,” she told him. “Now, I’ll go say goodbye to Kitty and the two of you will be ready to go.”
“Thank you, Grace. I, uh, already feel better about Kitty.”
She gave him an encouraging smile. “Have faith. Time heals.”
He shot her an odd look and then a stoic expression shuttered his face. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As Grace followed him out of the office, she realized her remark had struck some sort of chord with him. Perhaps she should have made it clear that she was referring to Kitty’s problem, she thought. He’d lost so much in his life already. His mother and father. And somehow, he’d lost Kitty’s mother, too. Maybe he’d considered Grace’s comment as being trite or even insulting.
Why should it matter if you’ve bruised Mack’s feelings? Toughen up, Grace. It hadn’t bothered him to stomp all over your hopes and dreams.
As the two of them walked down the hallway to the waiting area at the front of the clinic, Grace tried to push away the nagging voice in her head. And for the most part, she succeeded. However, she didn’t have any luck at ignoring Mack’s tall presence.
The way he walked, the lanky way he moved and the scent of the outdoors drifting from his clothes all reminded her of how much she’d once loved having his arms crushing her close to him, his lips devouring hers.
Oh, Lord, how could those memories still be so vivid in her mind? she wondered. She’d just told Mack that time heals. And yet time had done little to wipe him from her memory bank.
When they reached the waiting room, Cleo was reading a story to Kitty from a children’s book, but as soon as the child spotted her father, the story was forgotten. She jumped from the short couch and ran straight to his side.
Grabbing a tight hold on his hand, she asked, “Can we go home now, Daddy?”
“Yes, we’re going home. As soon as you thank Dr. Grace for taking care of you.”
Grace squatted to put herself on the child’s level and as she studied Kitty’s sweet face, she could see so very much of Mack in her features. She had his rich brown eyes and dark hair. And her little square chin and the dimple carving her left cheek was a miniature replica of her father’s.
“It was nice meeting you, Kitty. And I hope your tummy gets better really soon. I’m giving your daddy some medicine to give you so you won’t hurt. Will you take it for me?”
Kitty wrinkled her nose as she contemplated Grace’s question. “Does it taste awful?”
Numerous children passed through the clinic on a weekly basis and they all touched Grace’s heart in one way or another. But none of them had pulled on her heartstrings the way Kitty was yanking on hers at this very moment.
Smiling, Grace said, “Not at all. It tastes like cherries.”
“Oh, I guess it will be okay then.”
“That’s a good girl. And there’s something else I’d like for you to do.”
Kitty’s eyes narrowed skeptically. “What? Take a shot?”
Grace glanced up to see a look of amusement on Mack’s face, and without thinking, she gave him a conspiring wink. He winked back and suddenly the tense knots inside Grace begin to ease.
Turning her attention back to Kitty, she said, “No. You don’t need a shot. I want you to promise me that when you go to school tomorrow you won’t be afraid that your tummy is going to hurt. And you’ll try your best to make friends with your classmates.”
As soon as Grace spoke the word friends, Kitty’s lips pursed into a pout. “But the other kids don’t like me,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Do they really tell you that they don’t like you? Or do you just have a feeling that they don’t?”
Kitty glanced up at her father as though she wanted him to rescue her. When he didn’t, her chin dropped against her chest. “No. They don’t tell me that,” she mumbled. “But they won’t talk to me—that’s how I know.”
Grace patted the girl’s little shoulder. “Maybe they’re waiting on you to talk to them first. Why don’t you try it tomorrow? I’ll bet you’ll find out they’d like to talk to you. Do you have a horse or a dog?”
Her head shot up and she nodded eagerly. “I have both! My horse is Moonpie and my dog is Rusty.”
“That’s nice. So you can talk to them about Moonpie and Rusty and tell them all the things you and your pets do on the ranch. Do you think you can do that?”
To Grace’s relief, Kitty gave her a huge nod.
“Good girl!”
After giving Kitty another encouraging pat, she straightened to her full height and turned to Mack.
“Thank you, Grace.”
His gaze was roaming over her face as though he was trying to read her thoughts. The idea caused a ball of emotion to suddenly form in her throat.
“You’re welcome,” she said, barely managing to get out the words. “And if Kitty has any more problems, let me know.”
“I will,” he assured her.
Father and daughter started toward the door and as Grace watched them go, she was struck by a sense of loss.
“Goodbye, Kitty.”
The girl turned and gave Grace a little wave. “’Bye, Dr. Grace. Thank you.”
Once the pair had stepped outside and the door closed behind them, Cleo immediately jumped to her feet.
“You knew that man! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Grace felt her cheeks growing warm. Which was a ridiculous reaction. She shouldn’t feel awkward about being acquainted with Mack.
“I hardly thought it mattered,” Grace said.
“Grace! He’s hot! Hot! Of course, it matters!”
“To you, maybe. Not to me.”
Turning away from the nurse, Grace walked over to a low counter separating the waiting area from Harper’s reception desk. The young woman with short, platinum-blond hair was busy typing information into a computer, but glanced up as soon as she noticed Grace’s presence.
“Shut everything down, Harper,” Grace told her. “I’m sorry you stayed so late. You should’ve gone home before this last patient.”
The young woman shook her head. “No problem, Doctor. I thought I’d stay, just in case you needed to schedule the girl another appointment.”
“Thanks for being so thoughtful, Harper, but that won’t be necessary. At least, not for now.”
A few steps behind her, Cleo let out a wistful sigh. “Grace, I don’t understand why you didn’t suggest a follow-up. You could have included the cost with this visit.”
Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling, Grace turned to the nurse. “Cleo, if you weren’t so indispensable, I’d fire you.”
Cleo giggled. “Oh, come on! I can’t help it. It’s not every day we get to see a guy like Mr. Barlow. So where did you know him from?”
Not wanting to overreact and cause the nurse to be suspicious, she answered in the most casual voice she could summon. “He’s an old classmate. That’s all.”
“Oh. I thought—”
“What?”
Grace’s one-word question must’ve sounded sharp because Cleo suddenly looked a bit shamefaced.
“Uh...nothing. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll go tell Poppy we’re closing up.”
“I’d appreciate that, Cleo. It’s been a long day,” Grace told her. “And right now I just want to pick up Ross and go home.”
She started down the hallway to her office and Cleo walked briskly at her side.
“Grace, I’m sorry if talking about Mr. Barlow offended you. I never thought it would make you...well, angry with me.”
Holding back a sigh, Grace said, “Forget it, Cleo. I’m not angry. And if I sounded cranky, just chalk it up to exhaustion.”
“Is Kitty going to be okay, you think?”
“Yes. In time.”
“That’s good. She’s an adorable little girl. Too bad she doesn’t have a mother,” Cleo said,
“How do you know she doesn’t have a mother?”
“Because she told me so. While I was sitting with her in the waiting room.”
Pausing in midstride, Grace shot the sassy nurse a look of disbelief. “Oh, Cleo, don’t tell me you pumped the child for personal information!”
“No! I promise, Grace, I didn’t. She asked me if I had any kids and I told her no. That’s when she told me she’d never had a mommy.”
Never had a mommy. Grace could only wonder what that possibly meant.
“I see. Well, you know how children are. They say things in different ways. Hopefully she has one somewhere. Because right now she could certainly use one.”
Before Cleo could reply, Poppy stepped out of a nearby storage room. As she joined them in the middle of the hallway, she glanced pointedly at her watch. “Should I go ahead and call the Wagon Spoke for four orders of eggs and toast? Someone at the café might take pity on us and deliver it here to the clinic.”
Grace released a good-natured groan. “I’m definitely starving. But, no. Let’s turn off the lights and get out of here.”
Twenty minutes later, Grace picked up her seven-year-old son, Ross, at the babysitter’s house, which fortunately was located only two doors down from her own home.
Ross was accustomed to his mother’s erratic work hours, but this evening as she unlocked the front door, he was complaining. Grace could hardly blame him. Tonight she was an hour and a half behind schedule.
“Gosh, Mom, I didn’t think you were ever going show up! I’m starving!”
“Didn’t Birdie make dinner for the twins?”
Besides babysitting Ross after school on weekdays, Birdie held down a computer job that allowed her to work from home. Divorced and in her early thirties, she had twin boys two years older than Ross. Normally, if Grace was working late, Birdie would have Ross eat dinner with them.
“Birdie had a lot of extra work to do. So she’s just now cooking dinner,” Ross explained. “She gave us cookies and milk when we got home from school, but I’m starving now.”
With a hand on his shoulder, Grace guided her son into the house. As they passed through the living room, Ross tossed his schoolbooks into an armchair and Grace placed her purse and briefcase on a wall table.
“I’ve had a long list of patients today, honey,” Grace explained as she tiredly raked a loose strand of blond hair away from her face. “That’s why I’m late.”
Ross paused to look at her, and as Grace took in his slim face, blue eyes and wavy blond hair falling across his forehead, Mack’s words came back to her.
Now that I have Kitty I understand what it actually means to build a legacy.
Yes, Grace understood, too. She was Ross’s sole parent. It was her responsibility and deepest concern to provide her son with a good home and a solid future.
It’s not always easy being a mother and father to Kitty.
No, Grace thought, sometimes it was achingly hard to be a single parent. She could’ve told Mack she knew all about being both father and mother, but she’d kept the personal information to herself. He hadn’t brought Kitty to the clinic in order to learn about Grace’s private life. In fact, she doubted he cared one whit about her marital status.
“Mom, why are you looking at me so funny?”
Ross’s question interrupted her thoughts and she let out a weary breath and patted him on top of the head.
“Sorry, Ross. I was just being a mommy and thinking how much I love you.”
He groaned and scuffed the toe of his athletic shoe against the hardwood floor. “Aww, Mom. That’s mushy stuff. Boys don’t want to hear mushy stuff.”
Chuckling now, she playfully scrubbed the top of his head, then shooed him out of the room. “Okay. No more mushy stuff. Go change and wash and I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen.”
Ross started down the hallway to where the bedrooms were located, then stopped midway to look back at his mother.
“Can we have pizza?” he asked eagerly. “Just for tonight?”
Being a doctor, Grace had tried to instill good eating habits in her son. But that didn’t mean she was a strict prude and never allowed him, or herself, to eat something simply because it tasted good.
“Sure we can. As long as you eat some salad with it.”
“Okay! Thanks, Mom!”
He raced on down the hallway and as Grace headed to the kitchen, her thoughts unwittingly drifted to Mack and Kitty. The drive from town to the Broken B consisted of more than fifteen miles of rough dirt road. And once they arrived at the big old ranch house, it would be empty. Just like this one.
Maybe he preferred living a solitary life, she thought. But Grace couldn’t help but wonder if he might think of her as he went about his nightly chores. Moreover, had she ever crossed his mind since that awful day fourteen years ago when he’d told her their romance was over? Had he ever felt a twinge of regret?
No. Mack wasn’t the sort to have regrets, she thought. She remembered him as being the type of guy who, once he made a decision, plowed forward and never looked back. And that was the same way she needed to deal with her own life. Plow forward and forget she ever knew Mack Barlow.
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