Redemption Ranch. Leann Harris

not to smile, but her story broke the ice. “We’ll see.”

       She took a deep breath, knowing she’d averted disaster. “I’ll check the horses on the other side of the row and make sure they have fresh hay.” Not waiting for his reply, she walked down the aisle.

       Tyler had revealed another layer of himself and her heart whispered he was a good man. He’d slipped past the shield she’d erected around her heart. And oddly enough, that realization didn’t panic her.

      * * *

       Tyler snapped his fingers, calling for Dogger. The dog raced out of the stall and joined him at the door.

       “What’s come over you, friend? Suddenly you’re Mr. Social, rolling over and letting anyone scratch your belly.”

       “Are you expecting him to answer you?” Zach asked, walking up to the stables.

       “I’ve gotta stop talking out loud.”

       “Yeah, my sister can drive any male to talk to himself.”

       Tyler threw a grin at his friend. “What I don’t understand is why Dogger’s decided to make friends with your sister and Riley. It’s put me off my stride, so why shouldn’t I expect him to answer me?” Tyler had discussed with Zach what he wanted to do with Riley. They both agreed that horses would benefit the boy.

       Zach stepped to the fence enclosing the ring in front of the stables. He rested his forearms on the top rail. “This place changed me, so maybe Dogger’s following suit.”

       Tyler joined him. “So I heard.”

       With a laugh, Zach said, “That’s the trouble with sisters. They volunteer your secrets along with advice on how to fix things.”

       Tyler tried to keep a straight face, but didn’t manage it. “That’s true.”

       “When I came here, the first time I rode I tired myself out. Too much pride to tell anyone about my weakness, so when I got off Charming, I fell and my brother caught me. Afterward, Beth asked, ‘How do you feel?’” He shook his head. “I wanted to snarl ‘how do you think?’ but then I looked at that sincere face and knew I couldn’t dump on her.” He grinned and glanced at Tyler. “Of course, it was the stupidest question she’d ever asked.”

       Tyler understood exactly how Zach felt. “I’ve got my share of stupid, too.”

       Zach didn’t say anything for several minutes, but they looked out over the corrals and down the hill toward the setting sun. There was a stillness and a peacefulness here that called to Tyler’s soul.

       “Beth might be pushy, but you know if it hadn’t been for her, I’d still be stewing in my pity. Of course, she doesn’t know when to mind her own business and back off. She means well and her heart is in the right place.” Zach pushed away from the fence. “You’ll just have to take her actions as trying to help. She’s dealt with me. Brace yourself, because it’s going to happen again. Ignore it.”

       “Will ignoring her help?”

       Zach’s mouth twitched. “No. And my brother Ethan can second me.”

       “Thanks for the warning.”

       As Zach walked away, Tyler didn’t know how he felt. So Beth wasn’t going to quit. It didn’t make sense, but Tyler was grateful Beth McClure wasn’t going to give up her fight.

       Yeah, he was glad that little dynamo wouldn’t quit. Not only for Riley’s sake, but his. The thought unsettled him.

       Walking up to the foreman’s house, Riley knew deep in his spirit that God had put her in his life.

       He didn’t know how he felt about that, but he found himself smiling.

       Tyler looked down at Dogger. “So what do you think? You like her, too?”

       Dogger ran up the stairs and faced his master, his tongue out.

       “You’re not going to answer until I feed you. Okay, chow, then I expect an answer.”

      * * *

       “I’m glad you stayed for dinner,” Sophie told Beth.

       Both Zach and Beth cleared the dishes. Sophie put the leftover lasagna in a plastic container.

       “Well, you twisted my arm until I yelled uncle.” Beth popped one of the cherry tomatoes in her mouth as she carried the remains of the salad to the kitchen.

       Stepping to her side, Zach pulled a strand of her hair just as he had so often in the past when they were growing up. She could only thank God for restoring her brother after he lost his leg.

       “What were you going to have, sis? A burger purchased in a drive-thru or a frozen dinner?” He wagged his brows.

       She could act outraged or admit Zach had nailed it on the head. “If you must know, it was going to be a burger.”

       Zach hugged her and glanced at Sophie. “Do I know my sister or what?”

       Sophie shooed him away with her hands. “Go, before I let your sister smack you with one of the skillets.”

       Grinning unrepentantly, he escaped into the living room and turned on the news.

       Beth and Sophie worked together to clean up the kitchen.

       “This reminds me of college,” Sophie said as she filled the sink with soapy water. She rubbed the small of her back.

       “Go and sit. Or exchange places with my brother. You need to get off your feet.”

       When Sophie didn’t argue, Beth knew she’d read her friend correctly. Sophie settled at the table and put her feet on a chair. “You remember that party we went to our sophomore year at Janelle’s apartment? And remember she got so sick on the chicken?”

       The memory of that disastrous party flashed before Beth’s eyes. Janelle had brought some chicken from a local hole-in-the wall café and the stuff had given everyone food poisoning. Beth and Sophie were the only two who stayed with the pizza and the only ones not moaning and throwing up. “That was bad.”

       “And you remember your date got it, too.”

       “Yeah, he turned green, heaved and left the apartment without any explanation.”

       “Well, consider yourself lucky, ’cause my date, who was his roommate, if you remember, heaved on my shoes while telling me they were going home.” Once their dates split, Beth and Sophie were stuck at the apartment without a car. “We lucked out that Janelle lived close to the bus line that ran by our dorm.”

       Sophie studied her and frowned. “You know.” Sophie cocked her head as if a revelation occurred to her. “There were always guys around you, but we all went together as a group. I can’t think of—”

       Beth looked up from the sink. “Of what?”

       Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “Of any man you dated more than once while we were in college.”

       Putting the last dish in the drainer, Beth dried her hands. She settled across the table from Sophie. “I never found anyone who could live up to my standards. I have a wonderful, generous father who is perfect.”

       “True. But you have a couple of brothers with flaws.”

       “I won’t argue there.”

       “But you never—”

       The direction of this conversation made Beth uncomfortable. Back then, the lack of a boyfriend had been intentional. “You know, your pregnancy is making you want to mother everyone.”

       Sophie leaned across the table and took Beth’s hand. “Be careful, friend. Remember, lots of our soldiers return to civilian life with baggage, and Tyler has his share.”

       Beth jerked her hand away. “I know that. Remember who hauled Zach here.”