Page 62 of Rancher's Strength

“The social worker called while you were in the shower. He’s got a fourteen-year-old boy needing placement.” I let my head fall back onto his chest.

“When’s he coming?” he asked, his low voice rumbling in his chest.

“Doug said he can’t get him here until tomorrow.”

“What office is he out of this week?” Ryder asked and I could already hear the gears turning in his brain.

“Bozeman.”

“Looks like we’ve got a stop to make after going to the courthouse.”

“Good thing that’s what I told him. I don’t want that young man to have to stay someplace he’s not wanted anymore. Even if it’s just one night.” Tightening my hold on my husband, he held me tighter, too.

“Okay, Saffort kids, get in the truck,” Ryder called, and all five kids froze and looked at us before running full speed to the large SUV we now took everywhere rather than Ryder’s pick-up.

“Okay, Dad,” Ruby shouted, and I watched Ryder freeze mid-step. Slowly, he turned to me.

“I heard it. You’re not hearing things.”

“Ry, if she’s comfortable calling you that, then I think she should.” Ruby was eleven now and had vivid memories of her parents, whereas Sawyer’s were fuzzy, so he’d started calling Ryder dad all the time about a year after they’d come to us. It wasn’t something we’d ever talked about having them do. They had an amazing mom and dad, and while they were gone, we didn’t want to replace them.We were just filling in.

“I’m Dad,” he whispered, pride radiating through those two words.

“Yes, you are.” Turning my head, I kissed his cheek and smiled up at him. This man, who I’d walked away from once because I didn’t think I deserved him, had made all my dreams come true again. Loving this man once had been a gift. Getting to do it again was something I’d never take for granted. He was my strength, and life wasn’t complete unless my cowboy was by my side.

I didn’t think anything would go wrong; we’d shown the courts that we were fit and that the kids were safe and well cared for. Money wasn’t an issue. We had a support system like no other. The only thing that might cause an issue was the divorce, but I would share my truth as to why it happened, and I wouldn’t hide how much I’ve regretted it. I lost three years with the man who was my soulmate, and while I couldn’t get that time back, I was going to show him every day how much he meant to me.

As we left the farm, it was like a parade. Trucks fell into line behind us, and I looked in the side mirror and smiled. The entireFlying Diamond Five Ranch was accompanying us to Bozeman for the hearing.

“We should have rented a bus,” I joked, and Ryder looked in the mirror. With the exception of Jake and Tayla, every truck had a Diamond logo. There wasn’t a question about where we came from.

“A bus might not be a bad idea,” Ryder agreed before taking my hand and lacing his fingers through mine.

“Where did Linc take off to? He wasn’t at supper?” I asked and saw the muscle on the side of Ryder’s jaw tense and his brow furrow.

“Said he’d gotten a call for a job, and he needed to go.” Ryder’s words were hushed, and there was a bit of fear in them.

“Like a job, job?”

“Like a five job, yeah.” As far as I knew, the last job they did was taking care of Fallon’s ex-husband. Besides the day out at the meadow, but that wasn’t done in secret. Every law enforcement department handled that, and legal proceedings were needed to make sure there wasn’t any trouble afterward.

“Why is he going alone? You’ve never gone alone?” I quickly said, a little louder than anticipated, but the kids all seemed occupied in the back.

“I'm not sure. I’ve got Phil looking into it.” Ryder turned to me and gave me half a smile. I knew it was to reassure me, but it didn’t. In fact, it made me worry even more about what he was doing.

Ryder

“Why do you live in the middle of nowhere?” the young man asked as he kicked at a rock. His sneakers looked like they’d seen better days, and the holes in his jeans were because they were threadbare. My heart plummeted when I’d seen him sitting in that office. He wouldn’t look me in the eye, just kept his gaze sternly locked on the floor. His belongings were tossed haphazardly in a garbage bag he’d slung over his shoulder. These kids relied on everyone else to make decisions for them, and they didn’t even get a bag to put their belongings in. It made my blood boil that so little had changed over the years.

“Well, kind of hard to ranch in the middle of a city,” I said with a chuckle, and the boy nodded before I shoved my hands in my pockets. We’d been gone most of the day, so the sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a beautiful pink. Normally, Lexie and I would sit on the porch and watch the kids play as the sky darkened, but tonight, this was where I needed to be.

“Why did you say yes to me? Nobody ever comes to get me. They just make whatever worker I’m with drop me off like I was a bag of trash.” His voice seemed far away, but I’d remembered that feeling and opening up to anyone wouldn’t have been something I did.

“It’s what we do.” There was no other answer. Lexie and I had decided when we’d opened our home that no child who passed through it would be treated any less than one of our own.

“Yeah, but you got your own family. Why’d you want me?”

“Wyatt, this is my family now, but it hasn’t always been this way. You see, Ruby and Sawyer lost their parents in a car accident. Their mom was Lexie’s best friend, so we were guardians for the kids. Sara, Andrew, and West were in the foster system, and we took them in about a year ago. Their mother signed away her rights, and we adopted them so they could stay together. So, this family has come together in manydifferent ways. But I don’t really think that answers your question.”

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