Stand-In Rancher Daddy. Renee Ryan

lower lip, but then her chest heaved and tears exploded from her eyes.

      CJ fought for words to ease the children’s misery. He’d never seen the twins this distraught. Their wretched little faces were scrunched up tight and tears tracked down their reddened cheeks.

      At a complete loss, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Who wants ice cream?”

      The question managed to stun them for a fraction of a second, but then the crying commenced once again.

      “I don’t want ice cream,” Anna sputtered between hiccupping sobs. “I want my pa.”

      Sarah’s chin began to wobble and then firmed. Never a good sign. “Pa. He’s got to be here. He’s got to. I’ll go find him.”

      She made a break for it.

      CJ caught her by the sleeve. “No one’s going anywhere.”

      “Oh, my. Oh, dear, I’ve upset the children.” Mrs. Hickey’s voice held a surprising amount of remorse. “You must understand that wasn’t my intention.”

      Ignoring the woman, CJ hauled Sarah back to stand next to her sister. Bottom lip trembling, she stared hard at him from her tear-ravaged face.

      He had no idea what to say. What to do.

      What if he made matters worse?

      This wasn’t his area. He was out of his element. Panic tried to take hold.

      Molly’s soft, calming voice cut through his rising alarm. “Mrs. Hickey, your husband is motioning for you to join him at the ice-cream tubs.”

      A rush of air whooshed out of the odious woman’s mouth. “Why, yes. Yes, I believe you are correct.”

      With the welcome sound of her retreating footsteps in his ears, CJ leaned slightly forward. The gesture brought his face closer to Sarah’s.

      “You can’t run off, not for any reason.” His tone brooked no argument. “I need you to stay close, understand?”

      “But I have to find Pa.”

      “He’s not coming home. But it’s going to be all right,” CJ added in a rush, not sure if he was saying that for the children’s benefit or his own.

      “Did we do something wrong, Unca Corny?” Anna asked the question between two gasping whimpers. “Is that why Pa doesn’t like us anymore?”

      “Your father loves you.” Of that CJ was certain. “He...that is...”

      CJ lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. How did he explain something he didn’t understand himself?

      “This isn’t your fault.” He spoke with more force than necessary. Both girls flinched. Compelling himself to speak slowly, more softly, he stated, “Your father leaving home isn’t your fault.”

      His words brought on more crying. Tears fell in rivers down the girls’ cheeks. For three days, he’d managed to keep them from breaking down like this. Their misery was gut-wrenching to watch. Nothing CJ said seemed to calm them.

      Cold, hard anger at Ned seeped into the very marrow of his bones. With considerable effort, he shoved the emotion aside and shot Molly a desperate look.

      As if she’d been waiting for his signal, she lowered to the ground beside him. “Your uncle is absolutely correct.” She smoothed her hand over each child’s head. “The reason your father left home has nothing to do with you.”

      “Will...will Pa ever come back?”

      “I don’t know.” Molly touched Anna’s tear-stained cheek, then Sarah’s. “What I do know is that your uncle isn’t going anywhere.”

      “That’s right,” CJ reiterated with conviction.

      “You promise?” Sarah drew in a long, shuddering breath. “You promise not to leave us, not ever?”

      “I will never leave you.”

      The child threw her arms around his neck and clung. “I love you, Unca Corny.”

      “I love you, too, sweet pea.” He tugged Anna into the hug. “And you, buttercup.”

      He placed the girls in front of him, set a hand on a shoulder of each. “How about that ice cream now?”

      Sarah slowly nodded, digging her toe at an exposed root beneath her foot. “That would be okay.” Sniffling, she wiped her face on her sleeve. “I guess.”

      Anna glanced at her sister uncertainly, then at CJ, then back at her sister. “We like ice cream.”

      Relieved they were feeling more agreeable, CJ rose. Molly stood, as well. The quiet support in her eyes soothed him all the way to his soul.

      CJ accepted that he was in over his head with the girls. He also accepted that he couldn’t keep wishing Ned would change his mind and come home. Sarah and Anna were CJ’s daughters now. They would be an integral part of his life for at least another twelve years. That was a lot of tears and sloppy hair ribbons and burned oatmeal to navigate.

      The prospect of all that stood before him nearly brought him to his knees. Thankfully, things weren’t as dire as they seemed on the surface. The good Lord had blessed CJ with a kind, beautiful woman willing to help him find his way.

      Molly Carson Langley was a Godsend. More importantly, she’d promised to stick by him for as long as he needed her. For this one moment, that was enough.

       Chapter Five

      In the aftermath of the twins’ emotional outburst, ripples of raw tension moved through Molly. Concern for the children continued threatening her composure. They’d been so upset, practically inconsolable. Even now, though the prospect of ice cream had cheered them considerably, the remnants of tears still glistened on their tiny black eyelashes.

      Chewing on her bottom lip, Molly slipped a glance at CJ. He looked as flummoxed as she felt. Yet despite his obvious unease, he’d confronted the explosion of little-girl panic with remarkable calm. He’d called on Molly’s assistance only as a last resort.

      Molly hadn’t thought she could admire CJ any more than she already did. But watching him with his nieces had charmed her beyond measure. If she wasn’t careful her admiration could easily turn into something deeper, more lasting.

      She put the thought out of her mind.

      CJ asked the twins what their favorite ice cream flavor was as he steered them across the open field. Vanilla was at the top of their list. Molly agreed. Not so, CJ. “I prefer chocolate.”

      He said this with such conviction the girls immediately changed their minds and insisted Molly do the same.

      She refused to be swayed, which earned her a wink from CJ.

      There he went, charming her again. Molly focused on her surroundings instead of the way her pulse sped up.

      Children of all ages and sizes ran past their subdued little group. Boys chased one another in a rowdy game of tag. Several girls played hopscotch, while others sat on blankets with dolls. Molly’s brothers tossed a ball with the Barlow boys and a few others their same age.

      At the end of the grassy field, a long table had been set up in front of large, wooden tubs being hand-cranked by men of the congregation, Molly’s father included. Her sister and their mother had joined other smiling women and were now serving up ice cream in plain, nondescript cups.

      CJ reached for two filled with the twins’ new favorite flavor.

      “Thank you, Unca Corny,” they said in tandem as they took the cups from him. Although their faces were still red and puffy, they dug into the ice cream with enthusiasm.

      CJ watched them eat. His face showed strain, yet he managed a smile for each of the twins, then another, softer