Renee Ryan (5 page)

“Right. Of course.” Again, Trey’s face crumpled in a look of concentration, and then a spark ignited in his dark eyes. “Annabeth is very devoted to Sarah. Is that going to be a problem?”

Such a loaded question. Such a loaded situation. All of this would be so much easier if Annabeth wasn’t so deeply involved in Sarah’s life. But she was.

“Honestly? I’m not sure.”
No, that was a lie.
“Probably.”
Definitely.
“All I know for certain is that I’m going to do right by my daughter.”

He was ready for a second chance at a new life. Nobody was going to stand in his way of providing a safe, stable home for his daughter, and himself, not even Sarah’s
devoted
aunt.

“Noble, to be sure, but let me give you a piece of advice.”

Hunter knew that look in his friend’s eyes. Trey was about to say something profound. Hunter silently prepared himself.

“Think long and hard about what you want, both in the long term and the short, before you go charging over to Charity House and make your claim.”

“Understood.”

“I mean it, Hunter.” Trey leaned forward, hands on his knees, his gaze intent. “Make sure you have a solid idea of what the future looks like in your mind before you start formulating plans. Your actions will impact a lot of people at Charity House, some good some bad.”

“I get it, Trey.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, I do.” Awash with joy, with terror, with expectancy, he continued, “You’re telling me I need to be in this for the long haul. And whatever I do, make sure I don’t hurt Sarah, or Annabeth, or anyone else at Charity House. That about cover it?”

“I’d say we’re on the same page.”

“Good. And Trey...” Hunter carefully set the mug in his hand on the desk and let out a slow breath of air. “Thank you.”

Trey shrugged. “Happy to help.”

“I wasn’t referring to my current situation, though I certainly appreciate the advice.”
Mostly.
“I meant, thank you for what you did for me two years ago. You helped settle some things in my mind, including the matter of my salvation.”

“You came to your own conclusions.”

That might be true, but Trey had guided him toward those conclusions. He’d patiently explained the difference between godly justice and worldly justice. He’d explained the notion of giving mercy where it wasn’t deserved, as only a man who’d sought vengeance with his own hands could do. In that, they’d shared a common bond. Trey’s first wife had been brutally murdered by a man as evil as Cole Kincaid.

Trey had moved past his anger at God. An example Hunter wanted to follow but still wasn’t sure how. Not completely.

“I also came here today to return this.” He dipped his hand in one of the inner pockets of his coat and retrieved the small Bible Trey had lent him during the trial. The book was frayed at the spine, nearly falling apart in places.

“I see you spent some time in there.”

Hunter attempted an easy smile. “A bit.”

Giving him a long look, Trey took the Bible, flipped through a few pages at random, then offered it back to Hunter. “Keep it.”

Hunter didn’t overthink the suggestion. He simply accepted the offered gift with a single nod of his head.

They spoke a while longer, both settling into the conversation as they had years ago. The fact that this man regularly chewed up outlaws and spit them out like a used-up wad of tobacco wasn’t something Hunter tended to forget. Not while sitting in the man’s jailhouse.

But Trey was more than a tough, dedicated lawman. He was a family man, too, equally devoted to his wife and three children.

“Our daughter is fifteen now.” He shuddered. Trey Scott actually shuddered. “She was always a handful, even as a child, often one step away from open rebellion, but now she’s downright...
difficult.
”

Hunter remembered his own sisters at that age. Both had been...
difficult,
too. “I’m sure it’s just a phase.”

“A phase?” With a visible effort, Trey unclenched his jaw. “A man can certainly hope so.”

Hunter smiled at his friend’s obvious discomfort. Talk of Trey’s daughter brought his mind back to Sarah. Would she hit
a phase,
too? Would Hunter be ready for that eventuality? Would they navigate Sarah’s teenage years with ease, or awkwardness, or a combination of both?

Something remarkable and completely unexpected moved through him as he pondered the questions running through his mind. Anticipation. Followed immediately by dread.

Hunter’s heart nearly split open at the thought of parenting a female. What did he know about raising a girl? What did he know about parenting at all? His gut spun into a ball of sickening doom. He checked the clock above the door, noted the time and slowly rose to his feet.

He had some serious thinking to do before he made the trek to Charity House. “I should go.”

Trey followed him out of the building. “How long are you in town?”

As long as it takes to win over my daughter.
“I haven’t decided.”

“Make it a point to stop back by. Coffee’s always on.”

“I’ll do my best.” He turned to leave.

Trey stopped him. “Hunter. God has given you a well-deserved second chance in life.” Trey clapped him on the back and smiled. “Pray for guidance in the coming days and the Lord will direct your path.”

Translation: keep his head on straight, his eyes on God and his priorities properly aligned.

With that in mind, he left for Charity House.

Chapter Five

B
y late afternoon, the wind had picked up, swirling cold air beneath Annabeth’s collar as she stood on the front porch. She hardly noticed the discomfort. She was too busy watching Hunter’s approach from halfway down the block.

Just looking at him did something strange to her insides. His walk was all his, a smooth, even gait with easy strides that ate up the ground with remarkable speed. He’d taken off his hat and now held it in his hand, swinging it loosely by his side. His hair was disheveled, as if he’d shoved his fingers through it more than once. Eyes dark with banked emotion added to the whole menacing gunslinger look.

Helpless against the pull of him, Annabeth sighed. Apparently, she had a thing for the whole menacing gunslinger look.

He’s not here for you.
She told herself this, repeated it several times, but her heart still skipped a few unwelcome beats. And her head grew far too light for her peace of mind.

A clock from inside the house marked the hour. Four distinct chimes. She’d known he’d arrive on time. Hence the reason she’d taken up her post on the front porch of the orphanage.

Hunter hadn’t noticed her yet. He looked solemn and maybe a little nervous, his gaze darting around as if he was looking for trouble. Did that come from his former life on the run, that constant checking of his surroundings, even on the safest side of town?

For some reason, the thought made her sad. Every muscle in Hunter’s back and shoulders seemed tense. He raked a hand through his sand-colored hair and then opened the short wooden gate with a jerk.

He took a few more steps before his gaze caught hers. He stopped. A silent message filled his amber eyes, one she couldn’t quite decipher. There was a lot going on in the man’s head, and she wasn’t entirely sure all of it had to do with Sarah.

What was she supposed to do with that?

She forced a cheerful note in her voice. “Good afternoon, Hunter.”

He didn’t reply. Just nodded, once, abruptly, then traveled his intense gaze over her face once again. She shifted slightly under the bold perusal. When he still didn’t speak, she sought to still the beating of her heart.

There was no reason to be alarmed, she told herself. She’d had all day to prepare for this meeting.

Nevertheless...

She felt an odd pain in her heart, an ache that had nothing to do with the thought of losing Sarah and everything to do with this man.

Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord.
Whether she was voicing a plea or a prayer, Annabeth wasn’t certain.

She was, however, convinced that standing out on the porch, staring at Hunter Mitchell like a lovesick cow was getting them nowhere.

“Come inside,” she said, pleasantness personified. “I have someone I wish for you to meet.”

* * *

Annabeth directed Hunter into the house and then down a darkened corridor. Shadows swirled around them as they walked, their footsteps filling the silence between them—hers light and graceful, his clipped and efficient. Despite the nature of this visit, the atmosphere in the quiet house was oddly comforting, as if the orphanage was welcoming Hunter into its world.

Or maybe it was Annabeth’s presence that was soothing him, little by little. Whatever the cause, a sense of well-being spread through his hollow soul. He didn’t understand how or why, but this woman soothed him. Relaxed his restless heart.

His throat tightened and he swallowed, hard.

Not the direction his thoughts should be taking.

Annabeth led him into a small parlor overlooking the back of the house. Hunter set his hat on the closest chair and moved to the window. He looked out just as a burst of warm, golden light washed over a pack of children at play in the wide, manicured yard. A group of boys was tossing a ball between them, while some girls were holding hands and spinning in a fast circle. Was Sarah among them?

This time it was his heart that tightened. With expectation, hope, jumpiness.

“I thought you and Sarah would have your initial meeting here.” Annabeth’s voice came from directly behind him. “Will that be acceptable?”

He turned slowly around, taking in the parlor with a practiced eye, locating the exits first then the rest of the room in stages. He ignored the fancy furniture, and focused on the textures and nuances. The attention to detail was impossible to miss, the small area elegant and stylish.

On the surface, this parlor was far too formal a setting to meet a child in for the first time. But if a person looked past the Persian rugs, the expensive furniture, and the crystal vases filled with fresh-cut flowers, there was warmth in the decor.

Another sense of homecoming filled him. He felt at ease. “This room is perfectly acceptable.”

Eyes wide, Annabeth’s face went through a series of odd little contortions.

He stifled a chuckle at her reaction. “You thought I’d find the room too fancy.” He made a point of sitting on the most delicate piece of furniture he could find. “You wanted me to feel uncomfortable.”

“I... Yes. I suppose I did.” Her cheeks turned a becoming shade of pink as she made the admission.

Well, well. The timid girl had turned into a scrappy fighter. Rather than finding her tactics insulting, Hunter found himself amused at her attempt to gain the upper hand in such a sneaky manner. And maybe he was a bit impressed, too. Not that she needed to know any of this. In fact, best to keep
her
on the defense. “Badly done, Annabeth.”

“Yes, it was. I—” she tangled her fingers together at her waist “—apologize.”

Feeling gracious, he inclined his head. “Apology accepted.”

The tension between them lessened. Not that it mattered. He hadn’t come to see her. Or so he told himself. Yet here they were, holding one another’s gazes, both breathing slowly, something good and right swirling between them.

He cleared his throat.

At the same moment, Annabeth threw back her shoulders.

“I... I’ll just go fetch Sarah now.” She sounded practical and brisk, but sorrow pooled in her eyes, a sadness so deep Hunter drew a sharp breath.

He went to her.

Not sure what he meant to do, he took her hand. There were faint shadows beneath her eyes, a sure sign she’d endured a sleepless night.

He tightened his hold on her hand. A moment of shared pain passed between them, so raw, so fresh, neither pulled away. He must have stared too long, seen too much, because she frowned, then yanked her hand free of his. “Wait here.”

“Of course.”

Alone with his thoughts, he felt a bout of nerves kindle and fire through his blood until he could remain in one place no longer. Letting out a hiss, he paced the room. Back and forth, back and forth. Back. And. Forth.

Hope squeezed in his chest. If he played this right, if he stayed on the narrow path and settled down once and for all, he could have the life he’d always wanted, the one he’d nearly achieved with Jane.

Dare he try again? Did he deserve to have a family of his own, not in the role of a husband to his wife, but as a father to his daughter? Or were there too many mistakes on his ledger to hope for a smooth, uncomplicated existence?

The fine hairs on the back of his neck prickled, sending alarm tripping down his spine. The same sensation had kept him alive in more than one gunfight. Motionless, afraid of what he would see, he didn’t turn around to face the parlor’s entrance. He closed his eyes and opened his other senses instead.

Holding steady, he sorted through the sounds coming from various points throughout the house. He focused in on the high-pitched prattle of a young female voice mingling with an older, more familiar one. The rapid staccato of the conversation made it impossible for him to decipher the words.

But he knew those footsteps.

Annabeth. Her return was a mere seconds away. That meant the other voice must belong to Sarah.

Sarah.

Hunter’s hand started to shake. Flexing his fingers, he opened his eyes and resolved to keep his emotions contained.

No mistakes.

No loss of control.

Calm. Cool. Careful.

The wait was endless, an eternity. The voices grew louder, closer. The individual words were muffled as they mingled with the footsteps, but there was obvious affection in both female voices. Love, too.

Hunter’s throat closed shut.

His daughter—
if
she was his daughter—was well loved. By Annabeth. And no doubt others who lived in this house. His shoulders shifted, then went still again. He forced himself to turn toward the doorway, to remain calm as he did so.

With his arms hanging loosely by his sides, he planted his feet a little apart and tried not to hold his breath.

Another moment passed.

And then...

Annabeth entered the room, her jawline tight. The moment their gazes connected her eyes deepened to a dark violet, the color of thunderclouds. The unmistakable warning beneath the turbulent expression was easy enough to read.

A wasted gesture. Hunter had no intention of hurting his own daughter. Or Annabeth. Regardless of what she thought.

A young girl suddenly shifted into view. And smiled directly at him.

He fell back a step.

Oh, Lord. Lord.

Restraint shattered. Calm evaporated. Well-thought-out speeches died on his tongue. The only emotions left were shock, and longing. Painful, heartrending longing for something always just out reach.

He hurt, at the core of his being. The sense of loss was overwhelming, loss over all he’d missed in his daughter’s life.

And, yes, this happy child was his daughter. He had absolutely no doubt. Her hair was the exact color of her mother’s, her dark coloring the same. But it was
his
eyes staring back at him in that small, thin face.

His daughter had his eyes. And his tall, lean build, mostly lanky at her age. He’d been lanky as a child, too. As had all of his brothers and sisters. It was a Mitchell trait.

This girl was a Mitchell, through and through.

What was he supposed to say now? Nine years ago he’d created this beautiful child with a woman who hadn’t wanted him, who’d rejected him. Lied to him, prevented him from knowing his own flesh and blood.

Feeling mildly desperate, torn between anger and distress, he glanced at Annabeth for assistance. She was studying her feet as though all the secrets of the world were in the flowered rug beneath her toes.

No help there.

Sarah solved the problem for him. “Hello.” She continued beaming up at him. “I’m Sarah. Who are you?”

There was no nervousness in the child, no fear. Just innocent curiosity. And a welcoming smile that cut straight to the bottom of Hunter’s black heart. The child had his smile, too.

“Hello, Sarah.” He swallowed, cleared his throat, swallowed again. His voice sounded too raw, too hoarse with emotion. He swallowed one last time and tried again. “I’m your fa—”

He cut off the rest of his words, something preventing him from declaring himself, something that ran deeper than his silent vow not to act on impulse. Perhaps he simply wanted the child’s easy manner to continue, didn’t want to watch that beautiful smile disappear when he declared who he was, and why he’d come here today.

“My name is Hunter Mitchell. I’m a friend of your aunt’s.”

Not entirely true, but he had so little to work with here. He’d planned poorly for this moment, he realized that now. Annabeth wasn’t helping matters. She was now staring fixedly at some point over his shoulder, not acknowledging Hunter at all, as if afraid to give him an ounce of encouragement.

“Did you say you were Hunter
Mitchell?
” Sarah’s dark eyebrows drew together slowly, her mind working fast, her eyes lit with excitement. And the sweetest emotion of all. Acceptance. “I know several people with that same name.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. Let me see.” She pressed her fingertip to her lips. “There’s Garrett, the twins and little Janie. Miss Megan.” She paused, her little eyebrows scrunching together. “Did you know Miss Megan used to live here, at Charity House, just like me?”

Hunter smiled. He might not have kept his family abreast of his life, but he’d managed to keep up with theirs. “Actually, I did know that.”

“And did you know that Miss Megan is married to Mr. Logan, and—” She stopped talking midsentence, her eyes wide. “Hey.” She moved closer, staring up at him with a fierce, concentrated gaze. “Anyone ever tell you that you look just like Mr. Logan?”

Despite his turbulent history with the man in question, Hunter felt a slight smile tilt up one corner of his mouth. “He’s my brother.”

“No!”

“It’s true.”

“Does that mean you grew up on a real ranch? With horses and cows and...and everything?”

“I did. My childhood home is called the Flying M, the largest cattle ranch in Colorado.”

“Oh, oh.” Sarah clapped her hands together in glee. “How exciting.”

“Very exciting,” he agreed. And he’d been fool enough to scorn the blessing of his birthright, to run away from it, to seek adventure wherever he could find it, no matter the consequences.

No more running.

He leaned down and set his hands on his knees, capturing Sarah’s attention as he did. “Visitors are always welcome at the Flying M.”

“You think I could go there one day? For a visit, I mean.”

He wasn’t going to take her for a visit. He was going to take her to live there, permanently. The future unfolded in his mind, starting with the small ranch house he would build on the land he would lease from his folks, the cattle he would eventually raise, the mended relationships he would enjoy.

But again, he held back from telling Sarah all this. One step at a time. “I think a trip to the Flying M is definitely in your future.”

Sarah squealed in delight. Her joy was contagious.

Hunter smiled at Annabeth, wanting—needing—to include her in this moment. She stared back, unsmiling, looking positively morose as she smoothed a hand across Sarah’s hair. “We’ve discussed this, Sarah. It isn’t polite to invite yourself to someone else’s home.”

Striking an exasperated stance, Sarah frowned up at her aunt. “I didn’t invite myself. He offered.” She gestured at Hunter with a jerk of her chin.