The Rancher's Surprise Daughter. Jill Lynn

won’t feel it. You’re going to fall asleep like Sleeping Beauty, take a little nap, and when you wake up it will be all better.”

      Ruby listened, enraptured by the idea of starring in her own fairy tale. “Okay, Dr. Thom fix it.” She went back to playing with the supplies from her activities bag—a small board she could draw on and then erase.

      Over the years and appointments, Cate had told Ruby she had an extra-special heart that held lots of love and needed checkup appointments. She’d accepted that news just as easily as this. Of course, she was too young to truly understand the concept of surgery, but they did need to at least give her an idea of what was to come.

      Dr. Thom’s whole staff was exceptional about knowing what to say and how to say it to make little minds understand.

      Now, if only they had something to eliminate Cate’s apprehensions.

      Cate let Ruby wear headphones and watch a movie on the iPad while Diane outlined the procedure for her and Luc. Diane talked through a few pages of information, including some visuals, then asked if they had any concerns.

      “What will her recovery be like?” For some reason Luc’s question surprised Cate, but then, he had the right to be involved. He was here, wasn’t he? She should be thankful that he was committed to Ruby—that her daughter could depend on him—instead of being so panicked by what his presence meant.

      Pull yourself together, Cate. Even if you can’t trust him, you can trust God. The mantra that had gotten her to the Wilder ranch in the first place eased a smidgen of uneasiness.

      “With cardiac catheterization, the recovery is minimal,” Diane answered. “Nothing like open-heart surgery. Rest is needed while the incision site heals, but many children bounce back at a fast rate.”

      “And will there be a lot of follow-up visits?”

      Cate’s brow furrowed. What was Luc fishing for? Was he really this interested? Or was something on his mind?

      “If things go as planned, we’ll do one about a month after and then we won’t need to see her for another year.”

      “So, if she was living forty minutes outside Denver in a quiet place where she could recuperate—no germs being shared at day care—you don’t think that would be a problem? She wouldn’t be too far from medical care?” Luc’s questions came out in a rush, and Cate’s jaw lunged for her toes.

      What was Luc doing? What was he thinking? Was he attempting to take Ruby from her?

      Had she said those thoughts out loud earlier? Or had Luc plucked them from her mind? Eerie. It was as if she’d allowed the truth to surface for one moment, and Luc had immediately set about making her nightmares come true. Her throat closed off, and she couldn’t speak over the lump of outraged tears she refused to release.

      “We’ll know more after the procedure, but I don’t think Dr. Thom would have any issues with that. Our patients come from all over the place. Not everyone lives in town.”

      Cate resisted a hiss at her answer. At Luc’s audacity.

      And one look at Ruby made it all a thousand times worse. Her headphones were looped around her neck, not on her ears. By the way her face perked with interest, she’d heard everything Luc had just asked. Ruby might not know exactly what Luc was saying, but she knew it involved her.

      Who did Luc think he was, throwing out preposterous ideas in front of Ruby like he was...like he was her father and had a say in her life? Ruby couldn’t just be uprooted. She had a schedule. Day care. Friends. Luc might not see those things—or Cate—as important, but she did.

      Ruby bounced with excitement. “What is it, Mommy? Are we going somewhere?”

      Red flames had to be shooting out of the top of Cate’s head. Her face radiated with heat, now likely the shade of a scarlet crayon.

      Cate sought with everything in her to manage a calm tone. “We’ll have to discuss it, sweets.” Gaze bouncing from Ruby, she raised a menacing eyebrow at Luc. “As a family.” Voice wobbling with barely suppressed anger, she focused on breathing as Diane wrapped up the visit and left.

      At Cate’s direction, Ruby grabbed her small backpack of supplies from the corner of the room.

      Gripping Luc’s arm, Cate lowered her voice. “What are you thinking? That I won’t care if Ruby comes to live with you? She has a life, Lucas. I realize I kept her from you, but trying to take her from me isn’t the answer.”

      Stunned silence came from Luc. His mouth hung open, much like Cate’s had only minutes before.

      “I got the big hostable door open!” Ruby stood with her back propping open the wide door, pride evident.

      They exclaimed what a good job she did, then followed Ruby down the beige hallway, friction wedged between them like a third wheel.

      Luc pulled her behind Ruby’s pace. Out of earshot. “I’m not...” His head shook as if he was clearing away cobwebs. “You think I’m trying to take her from you?”

      What else was she supposed to think?

      “I don’t want to separate the two of you. Even I know that’s out of the question, Cate. What kind of ogre do you think I am?”

      Thankfully, he didn’t wait for her to answer.

      “I’ve just been thinking that if you and Ruby would be willing to live at the ranch, even for just a few weeks or a month, it would allow me time to get to know her. We have guests six days out of the week during the summer. If you don’t, it will be really hard for me to get away and spend time with her. I’ll make it work, somehow, but...it was just a thought.” His voice lowered. Hardened. “And I am not such an idiot or jerk that I think she’d be coming alone. I do realize that she’s young and the two of you are a package. I wouldn’t do that to her.”

      Now it was her turn to fumble for words. Luc caught up with Ruby, leaving Cate a few steps behind. Good. She needed the space to deal with...everything. Luc’s absurd suggestion. Her desire to scream no at his back. Or maybe throw something at those annoyingly broad shoulders filling out a cornflower blue short-sleeved button-down.

      He was wrong, right? She didn’t have to truly consider what he was asking for, did she?

      Not one part of her wanted to uproot their lives to live at the ranch, even for a short amount of time. But since Luc was acting so...so calm about all of it—even logical, if she wanted to give him credit for that, which she didn’t—Cate probably should try to be, too.

      Or at least pretend to be. Right before she told him absolutely not.