Her Forgotten Cowboy. Deb Kastner

she’d left, Tanner had come to a belated realization that he really should have pitched in more and done his share of the inside chores, as well.

      He glanced into the living room, where Rebecca was sitting cross-legged on the floor playing ranch with Mackenzie, making her stuffed animals talk in high, funny voices and deep, low ones. Mackenzie grabbed her tummy and rolled over, pealing with laughter as Rebecca made the rooster ride on the horse’s back, squawking wildly.

      There was no sign of the depression which had shadowed Rebecca before she’d left Serendipity. Gone were the sadness and fatigue, the agitation and the way she’d pulled into herself and away from everyone and everything that used to have importance in her life.

      Now she was contentedly sprawled across the living room rug making stuffed dogs bark and plastic cows moo.

      And Mackenzie was eating it up. The little girl had lived her whole life in Denver and was completely enamored of the country lifestyle. She was becoming a regular cowgirl. No dollies or tea parties for this curly-haired sweetheart. Her world was all about horses, cows, goats, pigs, chickens and alpacas, and she loved every moment of it. She was even helping Tanner with minor chores around the ranch, learning the true meaning of what it meant to grow up in the country.

      It was more than that, though. Rebecca was spending quality time with a little girl who’d had too little of that in her life. Though Tanner loved his sister, he wasn’t blind to the fact that Lydia had never been an exceptional mother. She was too selfish, and usually too high, to give her daughter the kind of attention she needed.

      Rebecca gave a lighthearted laugh and Tanner’s gut tightened. She was so good with the little girl, a real natural. He had always believed Rebecca was meant to be a mother. It was part of what had attracted him to her in the first place.

      That was why it had been so hard for him to believe the Lord wouldn’t bless them with a child. Those three infertile years had been heartbreaking enough. And then when finally—finally—the pregnancy test was positive and their firstborn grew in her womb, only to be stillborn at seven months...

      It just didn’t seem fair. Why them? They believed in God, went to church every Sunday. Loved each other and were committed to being good parents and bringing their children up in the Lord.

      He and Rebecca wanted—had wanted—a large family—four kids, at least. His sister, who was completely irresponsible in every area of her life, had, at best, looked upon her child as an inconvenience, during the time Tanner and Rebecca had remained childless.

      After doing everything right, they had lost their child, while Lydia had given birth to a perfectly healthy little girl. Tanner struggled to find God’s purpose in this when everything in his life was upside down.

      And now Rebecca was pregnant again? It was so hard to remain positive when it seemed their whole lives had gone against them.

      It was strange having Rebecca back in the house again, hearing her voice, her laughter. He couldn’t help but respond mentally and emotionally to the woman he’d loved since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her.

      And yet nothing was the same.

      In the months after Rebecca had left him, Tanner had realized just how spoiled he’d become, relying on his wife to pick up the slack while he obliviously worked the ranch. There were so many areas of his life he’d never had to worry about, things Rebecca had quietly taken care of herself and never complained about.