Page 4 of Rancher to the Rescue

Prudence didn’t know the first thing about caring for a baby. She appreciated all the advice she could get. Casey was straight from heaven.

“Any chance you have a diaper in the bag?” she asked.

“They might be too big for her, but yes,” Casey said with a puzzled look on his face. He, like Adam, must be wondering why she had a baby she had no idea how to take care of. That was the baffling part. Prudence’s mind was blank when it came to how it all went down. She knew for a fact the baby wasn’t hers.

Casey guided the bottle right into the little girl’s mouth, who rooted around for it the minute the nipple came close to her cheek. The timing was perfect because she’d run out of patience with her fist and was winding up to belt out her dissatisfaction with the whole situation.

She immediately started sucking, and settled down then, curling her fist up against her chest. Prudence’s heart melted like butter sitting in the sun on a summer day. She looked at Casey. “Thank you so much.”

“Much obliged, ma’am.” Casey looked pleased with himself for being able to help.

“Why don’t you sit down to feed the baby?” Adam motioned toward a table large enough to seat an army.

“Good idea. My feet are killing me.” She had on her usual work outfit of sweats and a pair of tennis shoes.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Adam asked her before thanking Casey and Bronc.

“Water, if it’s not too much trouble,” she said, grateful for his consideration.

“We best be heading out,” Bronc said. He looked to be in his late sixties with weather-worn skin and a permanent tan. His forehead seemed to have a permanent worry line etched into it. “Unless you need anything else.”

“I think we have it under control from here,” Adam said after a quick glance at Prudence.

“Okay then. We’ll get out of your hair.” Bronc looked to Prudence. “Ma’am.”

She thanked him again.

“If you don’t mind me saying…” Casey shifted his weight from foot to foot as he twisted the cowboy hat in his hands that he’d taken off after handing over the bag. “You’re going to want to burp her after the bottle. Otherwise, she can get one heckuva stomach cramp. There’s a towel in the front pocket that you put over your shoulder so she doesn’t spit up on your clothes.”

“Right. I’ll be sure to do that.” Prudence had plenty of experience with dogs and cats, thanks to her pet sitting service. She’d once taken care of a goat while a family vacationed, but she had limited experience with kids of the human variety. But spit up on this old shirt would blend in with the other smudges.

Bronc gave an awkward smile before he led the younger ranch hand out the back.

“Everything all right with them?” Prudence noted how uncomfortable Bronc seemed and hoped it wasn’t her fault. Despite living in Lone Star Pass her entire life, she’d only run into Bronc a handful of times and he had no reason to remember her. In fact, she blended into most backgrounds so much so the comment she heard from people the most was, I didn’t realize you still lived here. She shouldn’t be surprised, considering she kept to herself most of the time. The only folks she knew well enough to wave at were her clients.

Normally, thinking about being in town caused her chest to tighten and panic to set in. Not now. In fact, part of her wanted to march right down Main Street and say hello to everyone she passed. What was suddenly so different?

“Bronc doesn’t think it’s his place to be inside the main house,” Adam said. “No amount of arguing has convinced him otherwise. He was the closest to our grandfather out of anyone, worked for my grandfather longer than I’ve been alive. What can I say? Bronc is old school. Between you and me, I don’t think he likes having any sort of roof over his head.” Adam fixed a glass of water, and then brought it over. He set it on the table beside her.

His demeanor had shifted, softening toward her. She couldn’t help but wonder why. Was it because the baby had quieted down?

“Now, it’s your turn,” he said. She must’ve shot him a severe look because he quickly added, “First, to tell me why you have a piece of paper with my name on it. Then, to tell me what you’re doing on my family’s land with a baby you have no idea how to take care of and no supplies.”

“Good questions,” she said with a shrug.

“Are you running from someone?” His blunt question caught her off guard because it resonated.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I don’t think so.”

Her non-answer seemed to set him off. He stood there, fuming.

“I’m not trying to be evasive. I just don’t have any memory of how I got here or how we ended up on your land. I apologize for tres—”

“Don’t think anything else about it,” Adam interjected, those serious pale blue eyes of his seemed to look right through her. “I’m just concerned for the welfare of you both.”

“I appreciate it.” Before she could ask him to call the sheriff, the bottle was drained and the baby was sucking on air. She pulled it out and the baby practically cooed in her sleep. Prudence hated to wake her, but the diaper was heavy and she needed to figure out how to burp the little angel. “Do you mind handing me the towel Casey mentioned?”

Adam rummaged in the front pocket of the diaper bag and came up with a padded hand towel.