The Rancher's Unexpected Family. Helen Lacey

name was Deanna. She died eight months ago. Pancreatic cancer.”

      “I’m so sorry,” Ash said, handing him one of the mugs.

      “Don’t be,” he said quickly and then frowned when he realized how odd his reply must have sounded. “I mean, of course, yes, it’s tragic for someone so young...and for Maisy. But I didn’t know her very well.”

      Ash’s brow came up instantly. “Really?”

      “Well, of course I knew her,” he said, clearly uncomfortable. “You want the story, here it is—nearly fifteen years ago I knew her for three days. I was twenty-two, she was twenty. We met at a race and we hooked up, spending three nights together. I never saw her again after that. And then eight months ago a woman from social services knocked on my door and told me I had a teenage daughter.”

      She sat down opposite him. “Deanna never let you know she was pregnant?”

      He shook his head. “It wasn’t exactly a love match. It was a weekend.”

      “How do you think you would have reacted had she told you from the beginning?”

      He shrugged again. “I’m not sure. At the time my life was hectic. I’d just won my first major race and I was regularly traveling around the country. And I wasn’t interested in anything serious. But I’d like to believe I would have tried to do the right thing. I’ll never know. All I know is that now I am in a position to do what’s right...and that’s to try and have some kind of relationship with my daughter and give her a home.”

      Ash admired his honesty. “She seems very resistant to the idea.”

      “She hates my guts,” he said bluntly. “But I’m all she’s got.”

      “Are there any relatives on her mother’s side?”

      “None,” he replied. “Her parents have both passed away and there are only a couple of very distant cousins in Wichita. My parents and both my sisters have tried to help, even offering to have Maisy go and live with them.”

      “But?” Ash prompted.

      “She says she doesn’t want that, either. Frankly, I’m all out of ideas.”

      Ash nodded. “But you want her to be with you?”

      “Of course,” he snapped back quickly. “She’s my kid. I’m her father. We’re family. And family is everything. I just need to work out how to get her to at least like me.”

      “She doesn’t have to like you,” Ash said earnestly. “She doesn’t have to love you. You just have to love her. No one tells you that when you become a parent—it’s something we all learn in our own time and our own way. She’ll come around, but you need to be prepared for a lot of difficulty in between. Anger, despair and probably a lot of silence. As irrational as it seems, she probably blames you for her mother’s death.”

      His blue eyes glittered. “You’re right.”

      “And telling her that you didn’t know about her up until eight months ago will make no difference to her adolescent logic.”

      “You’re right again. You can figure that out by one short conversation with her? How?”

      Ash drank her coffee and then cradled the mug between her hands. “Experience. She needs someone to blame for her unhappiness and you’re it. You’ll need a thick skin to get through the next few weeks.”

      His mouth creased in a half smile. “My mom is black, my dad is white and I grew up in a city that is predominantly white and Hispanic. A thick skin was a necessary part of growing up.”

      Ash nodded slightly. “I guess we all have our trials. I was reading a few articles about you earlier,” she said and drank some coffee.

      “Really?”

      “I Googled,” she explained. “Mostly about your career and the family business.”

      He shrugged lightly. “The family dynasty,” he said. “Three generations of grease monkeys. My grandfather made sure all the grandsons learned our trade under the hood before we were allowed behind the wheel.”

      “Not the granddaughters?” she inquired.

      “We’re an equal-opportunity family,” he said and grinned. “However, both my sisters preferred college to the garage and our five cousins are all male. But you never know, Maisy might just decide to pick up a wrench instead of a textbook.”

      Ash raised a brow. “Good answer. If that’s the case, I may get you to take a look at my old truck. The brake line needs replacing and the darn thing keeps overheating.”

      “No problem,” he replied. “I’d like to earn my keep while we’re here, since Joel made it very clear that you refuse to take any kind of financial assistance from me.”

      “You’ll only be here a few weeks,” she reminded him. “That won’t make me broke.”

      He sighed. “I’d still like to pay my way.”

      She shook her head. “I’m doing this as a favor for Joel. And because I want to help you.”

      “I appreciate that, but –”

      “Money muddies the waters,” she said, interrupting him and then she chewed on her bottom lip.

      “Maybe,” he said and looked at her mouth for a second. “I’ve never really had to worry about it.”

      “Lucky you,” she said wryly. “I shall make sure I stir your coffee with a silver spoon from now on.”

      He laughed and the sound made her heart beat faster.

      When he spoke again she was barely able to meet his gaze. “I guess that comment did make me sound like a pompous ass. Which I assure you, I’m not. My grandfather didn’t believe in free rides in life, and my dad feels the same.”

      “Sounds like you’ve had strong role models,” she remarked. “That will be good for Maisy. Tell me about your mother—I saw a picture when I was surfing the web. She’s striking.”

      “She’s the best,” he replied quickly. “And she’s tried to develop a relationship with my daughter in the last few months, but Maisy...” He shrugged. “Small steps, I guess.”

      Ash nodded. “Absolutely. Once Maisy works out that you’re not her enemy, I’m sure she’ll take comfort in the rest of your family, too. Thank you for being candid.”

      “We’re living at your home, imposing on your generosity, so I have no intention of whitewashing how bad things have become.”

      Ash’s insides contracted. He genuinely cared for his daughter and she felt a sudden surge of compassion for him. “Has it been difficult from the beginning?”

      “She’s been in trouble pretty much since she came to live with me,” he replied. “Once it was confirmed that she was my daughter I sought full custody. Since there were no other close relatives it was granted and she moved into my apartment. But it was hard. Maisy didn’t want to be there. Actually, I’m sure she didn’t know what she wanted. But I enrolled her in school and then within a couple of weeks I got a call from the principal about truancy and smoking. She was suspended for a week and then we had the issue with the shoplifting and she got hauled down to the police station. Thankfully, Joel got the charges dropped, but I knew she was getting deeper into trouble. And frankly, I was all out of options until your cousin suggested we come here.”

      “Can I offer some advice?”

      He nodded. “That’s what I was hoping for.”

      “Don’t expect too much, too soon,” she said and sighed. “She’s obviously still grieving for her mom and learning to trust you will take time. You need to put aside any impatience or judgment and simply let her...be. Tell me, does she have a boyfriend?”

      His