Page 46 of Rancher to the Rescue

Adam chalked it up to a mother’s instincts.

She wedged her body in front of the baby and his chest tightened with pride. If Angel turned out to be his…

No sense going there at this point. He’d know soon enough, and he didn’t need any expectations on the results either way. The situation was complicated enough without adding to it.

Prudence jogged into the room, carrying a little white puffball in her arms and issuing an apology. She froze the minute her gaze landed on Adam’s mother.

“Mother, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Prudence,” Adam said.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his mother eyeing Prudence up and down. Was she checking for signs that this was the little girl’s mother?

“Pleased to meet you,” his mother said.

“It’s such a pleasure. I was in the same grade as Fallon in school and I’ve heard so much about your family that I feel like I already know you,” Prudence said, much to his mother’s delight.

“If anyone asks where you’re going tomorrow, you could always use the excuse of dog sitting,” Adam suggested.

“I’m very impressed, by the way,” his mother said to Prudence. “I’ve never been able to get a dog to listen to me like that.”

“It comes with the territory for me.” Prudence’s cheeks flushed at the compliment and it made her look even more beautiful. “I own a pet sitting company and it’s the one thing I work on before I accept a new client. If I can’t get the dog to sit from anywhere in the room or no matter what else he or she is doing, I don’t want to be responsible for them.”

“Makes sense,” his mother said. He shouldn’t care that his mother seemed taken with Prudence, but he was. He wanted his mother to like someone he cared about. The same went for Angel. No matter what the paternity test revealed, he wanted to ensure Angel had a good home. He highly doubted that meant having anything to do with Libby’s parents. She hid him from them. She hid her pregnancy.

A few dots clicked into place. Was she afraid they wouldn’t approve of him?

It was probably his ego talking, looking for an excuse other than the simple fact Libby didn’t love him. Crazy, because it was water under the bridge now. And yet, he wanted to know if this child had been conceived with love.

Cart before the horse, Firebrand. First, he needed to see if Angel belonged to him at all.

Looking at Prudence as she talked to his mother, his heart was making designs that it couldn’t afford.

Prudence liked Mrs. Firebrand. The woman had a kind face, gentle disposition, and came across as a doting mother. Her hands looked like a gardener’s, no polish or fake nails there. She had an earthy appeal. As far as Firebrands went, Prudence was now four-for-four. She hadn’t met his father yet, and based on Adam’s description, the man sounded bullheaded. She would reserve judgment until she looked him in the eyes and shook his hand.

“I’ve seen you in town. Now, I have a reason to speak to you,” Mrs. Firebrand said with the kind of warmth that wrapped Prudence in a hug. She was caught off guard by the acknowledgment. Most folks couldn’t pick her out of a lineup to say she lived in the same town.

“I’d like that a lot.” Prudence held Miss Peabody a little closer. The sweet girl was shaking a little less.

Hutch got up and moseyed over, sniffing every surface along the way.

Mrs. Firebrand’s eyes lit up when she looked at her son.

“The Marshall never allowed animals inside the house.” Her mischievous look was endearing. “He could be such an old ninny.” Her nose wrinkled when she said the last word.

“So if anyone asks, you’re pet sitting in the morning. Okay?” Adam asked.

“I suppose it is true,” she responded with a nonchalant shrug. And then the spark returned to her brown eyes. “Plus, it’s no one’s business but ours what I’m doing at the Marshall’s house.”

“Believe me, I don’t like putting you in a bad position. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving out some of the truth, by all means go ahead—”

She waved her son off before he could finish.

“It’s settled,” she said, chin up. “Now, I better get back home and get to bed. Early rise in the morning.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Adam said with a hug and kiss on the top of her head.

She shushed him away as she took a look into the carrier. “She sure is a beautiful baby.”

“True,” he said and Prudence heard the pride in his tone.