Page 36 of Rancher to the Rescue

“I didn’t mean to…” He stopped when his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing, “I was a jerk earlier and that wasn’t fair to you. I’m a work-in-progress on my anger and I never meant to direct it at you.”

The sincerity in his voice touched her, but she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook.

She spun around to face him and then leaned back on the bed.

“You either trust me or you don’t,” she said. “It’s that simple.”

“I trust you,” he said without hesitation.

“Good, Adam. Because it hurt when you questioned me,” she stated. “I realize I can’t explain everything and there might be something else that comes up along with the investigation that is a shock. I may not know what happened for those three days I was taking that medication, but I do know that I would never hurt another human being, not intentionally.”

“I believe you,” he said like it was plain as the nose on his face.

“What changed your mind?” She needed to know the answer.

“I’ve seen you with Angel. There’s no reason for you to take care of her. By all accounts, you don’t want children of your own. At least, not at this point in your life. You could have handed her over and walked away. It wouldn’t have made you heartless to get on with your life. But you didn’t. You somehow ended up on our land, looking for me. The look of determination to protect that little girl at all costs is extraordinary, Prudence.” He glanced down at Angel and then his gaze found hers. “You have no ties to a child you’d give your life for. It takes a special person to be willing to put herself in harm’s way for another human being, especially one so helpless.”

Her heart stirred at hearing his words, but she couldn’t allow herself to go there with him. Clearly, he had the power to shatter her. So, she would keep a healthy emotional distance while she made sure Angel was well cared for until her father was found or Libby’s family members came forward.

“Thank you for the kind words,” she said with a small smile. “We should probably head out of here if we’re going to make it the main house before she’s ready for another feeding.”

Shame, she thought about her growing feelings for Adam. He was the first person in a very long time she had a real connection with…one that would set the tone for future expectations. And that bar was high.

Adam said his piece and meant it. The wall he felt come up between them hurt like hell, but he deserved it.

Her handwriting might be a match to the note found in the blanket, but what did it mean exactly? He was beginning to set aside his anger and think logically again. There could be a number of explanations, not the least of which was that she’d written his name down so she wouldn’t forget it.

Once they got to his place, he’d see if he could find a picture of Libby to share. He’d deleted them after she hurt him. There might be one somewhere if he searched hard enough. Maybe seeing her face would jar Prudence’s memory. The two of them together was a strange thought at best. Stranger coincidences had happened.

He also thought about Libby’s family. Why wouldn’t they know she was pregnant? Why would Libby keep a grandchild from them? A relationship with him was one thing and had been a red flag, to be honest. He’d been too love-sick to take it seriously at the time but it had hit his radar.

Unlike with Prudence where there were question marks but no red flags.

There was no use dwelling on it, though. He’d nipped that in bud before it could get off the ground with his attitude earlier. A wall had come up so high in between them there’d be no tearing it down.

Shame, he thought.

Now, that Libby’s family knew she’d had a kid, would they come after Angel? He tightened his arms around the little girl who was staring up at him with the most innocent pair of eyes. To be able to look at the world like that again, through the eyes of a child.

“Ready?” Prudence stood five feet away from him with her overnight bag in hand.

He’d been too lost in thought to notice.

With the back window boarded up, there wasn’t much else to do at Prudence’s house. “We need to stop off and pick up a few supplies.”

“I noticed she’s getting low on diapers and formula,” Prudence agreed as she led them downstairs. “I’ll just use the spare key to lock up.”

She retrieved it along with her laptop before heading to the truck and helping secure Angel in the car seat.

They were back on the road a solid ten minutes before either of them spoke a word.

“If Libby withheld Angel from her parents, she must’ve had a good reason,” he finally said. One he intended to figure out.

“You never met them?” Shock widened her eyes when she glanced over at him.

He immediately returned his gaze to the road. “No.”

“Oh,” was all she said by way of response. Then came, “Doesn’t seem like she was close to her family if she didn’t introduce them to a man she almost married.”