Her Christmas Family Wish. Lois Richer

dreams. Maybe you’d only make it worse, make her believe you really are moving into her life.”

      “I’d make sure she understands that I’m her friend, but I can’t be her daddy.” Wyatt had a lot more to say on the subject, including a warning to Ellie not to get the wrong impression about his offer. But he couldn’t say it because the phone rang. “It’s after hours. Let the machine pick up,” he said when Ellie glanced from the phone to him.

      “Wyatt, this is Jim Harder at the Triple T. I’ve been trying to reach you for days. You promised you’d do those inoculations this week, and I’m still waiting. I can’t run a ranch like this. Call me tonight with a time to get it done in the next two days, or I’m looking for somebody else. I’d rather have you, but your hours are too erratic. I need a vet who gets here.”

      In the dead quiet of the room Wyatt stared at the answering machine, ashamed that Ellie had heard but frustrated because he knew he was about to lose his most understanding client. Cade was sick. How could Wyatt have left him with some nanny and walked away? But he also needed the work the Triple T offered. They had the biggest herd around. The income from that call alone could pay off some of Wyatt’s bills.

      “What are you going to do?” Ellie whispered.

      “I don’t know.” He raked a hand through his hair, trying to come up with a plan. “I guess I could do the inoculations in bunches. It would take me a few days, but I could do it. But Cade’s sick with this cold—” He shook his head. “I just don’t know.”

      She studied him for several moments, saying nothing, dealing with her own private thoughts.

      “We both need to pray for wisdom, I guess,” she sighed after a few moments had passed. “Right now I have to get Gracie home. Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder, Wyatt.”

      “I thought it was the other way around.” He followed her into the bedroom, watching as she lifted a sleeping Gracie into her arms.

      “She’s too heavy for you,” he said. “Let me take her.” He didn’t wait for Ellie’s permission but instead scooped Gracie from her arms into his, smiling when the child’s eyes fluttered open.

      “Hi, Daddy,” she murmured, then fell back asleep.

      Wyatt met Ellie’s gaze without saying anything. He followed Ellie out to her car and set Gracie in her car seat, then drew back so Ellie could fasten the seat belt, his mind working furiously.

      “Listen,” he blurted when she emerged from the car and had closed the door. “I have an idea. What if I spend some time with Gracie, just to clear up this daddy notion of hers?”

      “In exchange for what?” Ellie’s eyes searched his face.

      “For you watching Cade for a few hours.”

      The look on her face told him she was about to reject his idea, so he rushed on. “I’ll arrange for a nanny to come every morning as you suggested and handle office calls then. But I have to spend time working my ranch. If you could watch Cade for a couple of hours in the evening, I could get a lot done. Then maybe I’d be able to see more clients here.”

      “But the evenings, before bedtime, those are special daddy moments you shouldn’t miss with Cade,” she protested.

      “Something has to give, Ellie.” He hated admitting that. “I have to work and keep up our home.”

      “I know.” She glanced down at Gracie, then back to him. Her lips tightened as if she wrestled with a decision, then she nodded. “What if I come over after I finish work at Wranglers Ranch? Gracie’s finished school by then. We could stay with Cade, maybe make dinner, and then you’d be free to bathe him and put him to bed. Would that work?”

      “It would.” Wyatt slowly nodded while every brain cell in his head screamed a warning.

      “I have just one condition,” Ellie added, her voice deadly serious.

      “Name it.” Then he’d tell her his condition.

      “You have to agree that this is simply an arrangement between friends and nothing more. I’m not looking for a father for Gracie or a relationship for myself. I need you to be clear on that, Wyatt. Strictly friends.”

      “Agreed,” he said with a nod, relief swelling. “I don’t want any romantic entanglements either. I want help with Cade, and I promise to do my best to help Gracie.” He grinned at her and thrust out his hand. “Deal, friend?”

      Ellie took her time but finally she shook hands with him. “Deal, friend.”

      Wyatt stood there, in the dimness of twilight, holding her soft hand, staring into her lovely face, and wondered if he was making a mistake.

      “I have to go.” Ellie pulled her hand free and got into her car. She started it, then rolled down the window. “Beginning tomorrow?”

      “Sounds good. We’ll be here.” He waved as she drove away until the twinkle of her red taillights had disappeared. Then he walked inside his house and checked on Cade.

      Satisfied his son was sleeping peacefully Wyatt returned to the living room and let his gaze rest on his wedding photo. The same old lump of bitterness toward the youth who had caused Taryn’s death burned inside his gut. If not for that kid his wife would be here and Wyatt’s world would be fine.

      Only it wasn’t fine because he’d kept breaking his promises.

      “That’s not going to happen again,” he told her, his shoulders going back. “I’m focusing on Cade first. Everything else comes second. I promi—”

      Wyatt stopped himself from saying it. No more promises. Turning away he lifted a sleeping Mr. Fudge from his recliner and, after a quick trip outside, locked him in the laundry room to stay safe overnight.

      As he walked past the kitchen to his office to work on his accounts, Wyatt caught a whiff of Ellie’s spicy fragrance. He sat down at his desk thinking of her. She was a focused, determined woman, and she cared deeply for her daughter. She would be an amazing caregiver for Cade, and Wyatt was certain she had no designs on him.

      But what was he going to do about Gracie and her “daddy” quest?