A Baby on the Ranch. Stella Bagwell

to accept her offer. And anyway, he hadn’t had a bite of dessert after the hastily gobbled burger he’d had for supper.

      “Sure. I’m a sucker for sweets. Especially two-crust pies. You ever make those, Miss Katherine?”

      She fetched another paper plate from the cabinet and placed it next to the cookies. “Sometimes. Whenever I have the time and a reason.” She gestured to the plate. “I’ll let you help yourself,” she added.

      He started toward the cabinet, and she backed up and out of his way. Lonnie was a big, gangly man with long arms and legs and feet to match. He wondered if his size intimidated her or if she was put off by the idea that he was a lawman. Or maybe it was merely the fact that he was a man that made her keep a wary eye on him. In any case, he didn’t like the idea of her being skittish around him. He wanted her to trust him. In every way.

      Lonnie tossed several of the Oreo cookies onto the plate, then added a few of the vanilla wafers for good measure. Behind him Katherine said, “A sheriff doesn’t come to a person’s house just to let him know someone has died. He has deputies for that kind of thing. What are you really doing here?”

      Her quickness shouldn’t surprise him. She was half Ketchum, he reminded himself, and they were a damn smart bunch. This woman was no more gullible than her siblings.

      “Let’s go sit down and I’ll tell you,” he said soberly.

      For long moments her green eyes studied his somber face, and then finally she nodded and quickly swished past him.

      Back in the living room they both took up the same seats they’d had earlier. After Lonnie had resettled himself, he took a long drink of the coffee and looked across the room at her. She wasn’t what most people would describe as petite, yet to Lonnie she seemed small and vulnerable and he wished he could simply rise to his feet and say his goodbyes. He wanted to tell Seth to leave this girl alone. She’d already had enough upheaval in her life. But she deserved to know the truth about her parentage, he argued with himself. She deserved to have a family.

      “You remember that a few minutes ago I asked you about your father? Well, I had a reason for that,” he said. “I wanted to know just what your…what Celia had told you about him.”

      A puzzled frown puckered her forehead. “I don’t understand. I’ve already told you what little I know about my father.”

      He let out a long breath and leaned forward in his chair. “I realize that. But I just don’t know how else to get into this, except—” He stopped, shook his head and wiped a hand over his wavy hair. “Let me start again, Katherine, and hopefully I can make some sense to you. I have a friend who’s a Texas Ranger. He contacted me three months ago and asked me for help in finding you.”

      He watched her go very still.

      “A Texas Ranger?” she asked.

      Her voice was quiet and quavery, and everything inside of Lonnie wanted to go to her and hold her hand tightly between his. He wanted to assure her that she was never going to be alone again. But he was a sheriff and he’d never met this woman before. He couldn’t let himself behave in a familiar way with her. It wouldn’t be professional. But then, the strange feelings he got whenever he looked at her weren’t exactly professional, either. They were a little unsettling.

      “Yes. His name is Seth Ketchum. He lives in San Antonio. The rest of his family lives in New Mexico. Does the name mean anything to you?”

      Lonnie watched her mull the name over in her mind.

      “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “It sounds familiar. But Mom never said much about her family or friends. I accused her once of not having any, and she got so angry I never asked her anything else about them.”

      “So she never mentioned her family? Or a woman named Amelia?”

      Frowning, Katherine struggled to remember. “Except for a few cousins out in Arizona, she said her family was gone. As for a woman named Amelia, I remember she used to correspond with someone of that name. She told me that this woman was an old school friend. But, as well as I can remember, I never met her.”

      “Well, Katherine, I don’t know how else to tell you but…there’s been evidence uncovered that leads me, and the Ketchum family, to believe that Celia wasn’t actually your mother.”

      She gripped the coffee cup and scooted to the edge of her chair. “Whh…at?” she stuttered.

      “It’s true,” he said starkly. “Celia McBride wasn’t your mother. She was actually your aunt.”

      One slender hand fluttered up to her cheek where the blood was quickly draining away to leave her skin a pasty-white color. Lonnie was so alarmed by her reaction that he left his chair and hurried over to the couch.

      Quickly reaching for the cup in her hand, he commanded, “Here. Let me take that before you drop it.” After placing the coffee on the floor, out of the way, he squatted on his heels and reached for her hand. “Are you okay? You’re not going to faint, are you?”

      Katherine closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It was hard for her to tell what was more unsettling—what he’d just told her about her mother, or the fact that he was holding her hand in a very intimate way.

      “I…I’m all right,” she insisted. “I just—this is all too unbelievable. You’re going to have to show me some proof. Good proof.” She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I simply can’t take your word about this.”

      “I understand that,” he said softly. “And I understand this has given you a shock.”

      She stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. “A shock! That’s putting it mildly. You’re talking about my mother!”

      He patted the back of her hand while thinking none of this could be good for the baby. Dear God, Lonnie prayed desperately, if he didn’t get her calmed down, it might even send her into labor!

      “I can see why this whole thing sounds like a wild, made-up story to you. And I don’t blame you for not believing it. But I do have a bit of proof. Seth sent a letter with me. One that your real mother received from Celia. Would you recognize your au—well, Celia’s handwriting?”

      His announcement appeared to frighten her, and she drew back in her chair and stared at him with wide, dark eyes. “A letter?”

      Lonnie nodded and reached to the back pocket on his jeans. “Yes. I have it right here—”

      Grabbing his forearm, she blurted, “No! I don’t want to read a letter now!”

      He looked at her with confusion, and she blushed profusely and said, “I mean—maybe I need to hear more about this whole thing from you first. Maybe then the letter will make more sense.” She paused and the corners of her mouth turned downward in a skeptical frown. “But I doubt it,” she added.

      “All right.” He squeezed her hand and peered anxiously at her white face. Her features were pinched, and Lonnie was shocked to find himself wanting to smooth his hand across her brow. He liked women. And he could list a long string of females who were his friends. But once he’d had his heart broken he’d come to the firm resolution that a friend was all he would ever be to the opposite sex. So why was he suddenly feeling so possessive of this one? Just because she was soft and pretty and about to have a baby didn’t make her any different. “If you’re sure you’re okay.”

      She let out a heavy breath, and then all of a sudden she seemed to realize she was still holding on to his forearm. Slowly she pulled her hand away from him and settled it on her short lap.

      “I’m all right,” she said quietly. “Please go ahead.”

      Lonnie probably should have put some space between them and gone back to his chair. But she looked so fragile, and being close to her made him feel a little more assured. Which was a sure sign he wasn’t behaving like himself. Normally he went out of his way to make sure he kept a respectable distance from women.