The Rancher's Family Wish (15 page)

“So this place is all yours?”

“Burt, the owner, wanted the ranch turned into a kids’ camp.” Sophie could hear Tanner’s hesitation and knew he didn’t want to reveal too much.

“But you’re in charge, right?” Tige pressed. “You’re the boss here?”

“I guess.” Sophie had a clear mental image of Tanner shrugging, as if being in charge meant little.

“Man, a place like this must be worth a fortune.”

When Tanner didn’t respond Sophie stepped around the corner to rescue him.

“Oh, you’re still here, Tanner. Good. Can you help me in the kitchen, please?”

“Sure.” He rose to his lanky height. “You hanging around for the fireworks, Tige?”

“Me, I love fireworks. Of course I’m staying,” he said in a sly tone. The noise Tige made was not a laugh. “Hey, where’s Amy?” he asked, suddenly sobering.

“Oh, she wanted to try her hand at our dart game,” Sophie said breezily. “Maybe you would, too. There’s a nice prize for the winner.”

“Is there, now? A nice prize.” Tige began to walk away but then paused to toss a “See you later, Tanner” over one shoulder. He grinned, his half-rotten teeth giving him a ghoulish look. “You can count on that, buddy. You owe me and I always collect on my debts.”

As Tige walked away, laughing crazily, Sophie watched Tanner. She blinked when the handsome cowboy suddenly drew her into the shadows, into his arms and held her fast.

“Tanner, what are you—”

She couldn’t say another word because Tanner Johns was kissing her as if she was the only thing that mattered in his world. And there under the whispering mesquite trees, Sophie kissed him back because she couldn’t help herself.

She loved Tanner Johns.

Chapter Thirteen

“O
h, Sophie. I was so scared Tige would try something. I couldn’t bear for you to be hurt because of me.”

Tanner bent his head, unable to stop himself from embracing the woman who filled his world with joy, reveling in the way her lips responded to his, taking and giving. This woman, this special woman, was so dear. He couldn’t help but reveal his deepest longing—to have her stay in his world as she’d stayed in his heart for so long.

“I love you, Sophie. I love you so much.”

He bent his head to tell her without using more words how much she meant to him. To his delight her arms lifted and slid around his neck and she kissed him back with so much passion his heart sang with joy. When she finally drew away to catch her breath, he lovingly traced the delicate curve of her jaw, the graceful arch of her neck, only to home in once more on her lips.

“I love you, Sophie.”

And then the dream ended.

Sophie pulled free of his embrace. “I’m sorry, but I can’t love you, Tanner.”

“Can’t or won’t?” he demanded. “After all this time, after everything we’ve shared, you’re still afraid to trust me?”

Her nod killed every hope he’d clung to. He turned away, unable to stand there and let her feel sorry for him. He wanted her love, not her pity.

“Where are you going?” she asked softly.

“I’m hosting a party, remember?” But Tanner paused because he knew his Sophie and right now she had something to say.

“Amy told me Tige is going to get even with you.” She related the rest of Amy’s warning about Tige and Lulu, then paused, waiting for his response.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.” Tanner took one step but her hand on his arm stopped him. Her glossy dark brown eyes met his.

“I misjudged you about Amy, didn’t I?” she murmured. “She said you went back for her.”

“You needed her to say that? You couldn’t have trusted that I’m not a total jerk?” Looking at Sophie’s beloved face, he felt utterly hopeless. If God had truly forgiven him for his mistakes, why couldn’t He let Sophie love him?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice brimming with regret. But what good was regret?

“It doesn’t matter about then,” he said, unable to cover the ragged tone of his voice. “It’s the past. It has nothing to do with who I am now.” He lifted his head, loving her beautiful face, hating that he’d caused her pain. “I’m sorry you won’t trust me because I would die for you, Sophie. Because I love you more than life.”

Reeling at the pain of never having Sophie’s love, Tanner left. He walked to the shed where the fireworks were stored and sank onto an empty crate. There he silently poured out his heart to the only family he’d ever had—his heavenly Father.

* * *

“Where are your helpers?” Moses asked, surveying the spotless kitchen Sophie was still scrubbing.

“I sent them home.” She glanced at him over one shoulder in concern. “I thought Davy and Beth would be with you.”

“They were. Lefty’s with them while I grab a coffee.” He stepped in front of her. “You cryin’, woman?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be crying?” Sophie sniffed and brushed away the tears from her cheeks. “I’ve just pulled off the biggest job of my career.”

“That make you happy?” Moses asked.

“Ecstatic,” she wailed.

“Huh. Funny way of showing it.” He surveyed the kitchen, then said in a bland voice, “Hoped maybe you and Tanner finally got things sorted out.” Moses poured a cup of coffee and creamed it. “Kid’s crazy about you and yours.”

“Kid?” she spluttered, ashamed of her tears but unable to stop shedding them.

“Compared to an old man like me Tanner is a kid.” Moses grinned as he sat down at the table. “So you don’t care about him. Too bad. Never find a better man than Tanner. He’s got principles and integrity. Committed to make Burt’s dream live. That takes guts.”

“I know he’s wonderful,” she blubbered. Moses ignored her.

“Lots easier on him if he let the dream go. Sure, he’d lose the ranch but he’d still walk away with a big cash settlement and then he could chase his own dreams.”

“I don’t think Tanner would do that,” Sophie said with a frown.

“Glad you at least figured that out about him.” Moses shook his head. “’Cause he’d never do it. Not in a million years.”

“You sound pretty sure.” His certainty irritated her.

“Because I know Tanner.” Moses’s unblinking stare made her shift uncomfortably.

“You can’t say it will never happen,” she insisted. “You can’t know that.”

“’Course I can!” Moses glared at her. “I figured Tanner Johns out a long time ago. If you think he’d break his promise to the man he loved like a father, you’re blind! Tanner’s one in a million. Ain’t nobody else I’d trust with my life more ’n him. Maybe it’s a good thing you can’t love him.”

“Hey!” Sophie protested. “I never said—”

Moses ignored her.

“That boy’s got a big job to do getting Burt’s camp going.” He shuffled to the door. “He sure don’t need some ’fraidy-cat lady who won’t trust him. You’ll just hold him back from doin’ the Lord’s work.”

Tossing her one last glare, Moses stomped out the door.

Indignation filled Sophie at the outspoken old man. But as she refilled the snack trays one phrase kept repeating in her head:

“Some ’fraidy-cat lady who
won’t
trust him.”

She prided herself on her strength, on her independence. But now she realized that her lack of ability to trust made her weak. Undependable?

Won’t
trust Moses had said.

Was trust merely a matter of will?

* * *

“This was a fantastic idea, Tanner.” Pastor Jeff stopped him before he could move another box of sparklers into the truck bed. “That group of transient kids you found sleeping in the park the other night are having a ball with Moses. Got some ideas for a program we could start for them?”

“A few.” Tanner chatted with the eager pastor for several more minutes, accepting his praise for Sophie’s food while wondering if she’d ever come back to Wranglers. She didn’t need his jobs anymore. Sophie’s cooking had taken Tucson by storm and she was now in high demand.

When Jeff left, Tanner continued loading, praying for God to somehow intervene.

“You’re the boss and you still hafta do this menial stuff?”

Tanner whirled around, hating the supercilious note in Tige’s voice. He clamped his lips shut on an angry reply when he saw his nemesis had hold of a terrified Davy while Lulu gripped Beth by one arm.

“What are you doing, Tige?” he asked in a careful tone. “Let the kids go. You’re scaring them.”

“That’s the idea, buddy.” Evil blazed across his face. “A little insurance policy.”

Lord, help!

Tanner suppressed his fear and smiled at the children he’d come to love.

“Hey, Beth. Davy. You okay?” They both nodded, obviously waiting for him to do something. “Why do you need insurance, Tige?” he asked, using his best conversational tone, though he already knew the answer because of all the questions Tige had lobbed at him earlier.

Where was security? Lefty? Moses? Sophie? His blood ran cold at the thought of her being trapped by Tige.

“You’re a big shot now, Tanner. You’re rolling in it with this place.” There was a crazy gleam in the gold eyes that said Tige needed a fix and fast. In this state Tanner knew he’d go to extreme lengths to appease his cravings.

“How much do you need?” he asked, hoping he could talk Tige into being reasonable.

“Ten thousand.” Triumph shone on Tige’s desperate face. “Cash.”

“The estate is entailed, buddy.” Tanner laughed. “There’s no way I could get my hands on that kind of cash,” he scoffed. “You think a rich guy like Burt would leave his millions to a street punk like me?”

“He’s lying,” Lulu hissed.

“I’m not.” Tanner tried to visually encourage Davy, who, oddly, seemed to be more nervous than Beth. Then he realized why.

Beth, eyes squeezed closed, was praying. But Tige held to Davy’s throat a knife that Tanner recognized as one of Moses’s artifacts.

“I got maybe fifty bucks on me,” he said, slipping his hand into his pocket. “Nope. Forty,” he said as he thumbed through some bills. “Take it.” He held it out and almost heaved a sigh of relief when Tige made a forward movement.

“Tanner? Where are you?” Sophie’s voice, breathless and oozing worry, preceded her through the bluff of trees that kept them hidden from the rest of the ranch. A moment later she appeared and Tanner’s fears multiplied at the eager look on Tige’s face.

“Oh, there you are. I can’t find—” One look and she immediately assessed the situation. “Are you guys okay?” When she would have stepped forward Tanner grabbed her arm.

“The kids are fine, Sophie.” He squeezed her fingers to reassure her. “Tige and I are just talking.”

“Yeah.” Tige’s cackle gave Tanner chills. One slip of that knife against Davy’s throat—
Lord, help us.
“We’re talking about how much your kids are worth, Sophie. Tanner thinks forty bucks is gonna do it.”

“Go back to the house, Sophie,” Tanner told her quietly. Her terrified gaze met his. “The kids will be fine, I promise. Go to the house and pray.”

“Pray?” Tige and Lulu hooted with derision.

Tanner ignored them. When Sophie didn’t move he added, “Trust me. Please? Just this once trust me. I promise I’ll protect them with my life.”

Knowing he had no clue how to handle this, Tanner watched fear war with trust in Sophie’s dark eyes. He ached for the worry he’d caused her. He should never have let her come to Wranglers today, not knowing what Tige was capable of. How many more mistakes did he have to make before he’d give up that silly dream of finally having a family?

“God is our help.” Beth’s clear voice pierced the tension of the moment.

A rush of joy filled Tanner. What a child!

“Beth trusts God,” he said for Sophie’s ears alone. “Can you?”

Finally Sophie nodded. “I will trust you both.”

Tanner hugged her.
Please don’t let me fail her trust.
“Go now,” he urged, his lips grazing her ear. “And pray.”

Sophie nodded, touched his cheek then turned to Tige. “If you hurt my children,” she said through clenched teeth, “you will pay.”

With one last look at Beth and Davy, she slipped out the way she’d come.

“Let’s settle this,” Tanner said with new resolve. “Before Sophie alerts security.”

Fear and greed mingled on Tige’s face. “I want more than forty dollars, Tanner.”

“I’ve got two hundred tucked away. But I’m not getting it unless you let those children go.” Tanner kept his face impassive and unyielding. He held up a closed hand. “I blow this whistle and security will be on you like fleas on a dog. You let the kids go, I’ll drop it and we’ll get your money.” He inclined his head. “Deal?”

As he talked, Tanner kept edging closer to the pair, watching Tige, waiting for his moment. Sophie trusted him. He could not fail her.

“Take it, Tige,” Lulu whined. “I’m hurtin’. I need somethin’ real bad.”

The moment he saw her fingers loosen on Beth, Tanner lunged forward and dragged the little girl free. Seeing what was happening, Davy jerked out of Tige’s grip, grabbed Beth’s hand and obeyed Tanner’s yell to run. Tanner saw Beth and Davy race away and whispered a prayer of praise.

He realized his mistake the moment he felt the knife pierce between his ribs.

“Shouldn’t have done that, buddy,” Tige said as Tanner folded to the ground. “Now your lady and her kids are gonna pay a lot more than forty bucks.” He and Lulu left.

Pain streaked through Tanner’s body but he ignored it, knowing Tige would go to the house to hurt Sophie and find that money. Tanner couldn’t allow that but in this state he would never be able to beat the couple back there.

“I need help, God.” Suddenly he remembered the shortcut through the cacti. It was dark now and it wouldn’t be easy to find the trail but it was much shorter. “Help me, Lord.”

He pushed his way through, ignoring the thorns scraping his skin as blood seeped through his fingers and ran down his side. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but proving that Sophie could trust him. Finally he made it to the back door and yanked it open.

“Tanner!” He felt Sophie’s hand touch his. He laced his fingers with hers but he kept his focus on the doorway. A moment later Tige and Lulu appeared, dazed and confused.

“How’d he get here so fast?” Lulu asked.

“Here.” Tanner held out his forty dollars. “You’ll be a wanted man now, Tige. The cops will be here in seconds to arrest you. You’d better take this and go while you can.”

Tige glared at him, hate and fear vying for supremacy. He grabbed the cash Tanner held out but before he could race away, Tanner said, “I forgive you, buddy. But don’t come back here again unless you want to talk about God.”

“Fat chance,” Tige said and left with Lulu following.

Woozy now, Tanner grabbed the door frame. Sophie slipped her arm around his waist, her tearful face inches from his.

“You shouldn’t have risked your life, Tanner.”

“I had to,” he managed to say. “I love you, all of you. You’re my world.”

He had lots more to add but he couldn’t make his mouth say it.

“Don’t you dare die on me, Tanner Johns,” Sophie said, her voice furious. “Not now. Not after saving my kids. Not before I—”

Tanner wanted so badly to hear this but he couldn’t fight the waves of black descending on him.