Close Range Christmas by Nicole Helm (ebook reader for laptop TXT) 📗

What about Reaves Ranch?

She looked to the west. Dev was the only Wyatt brother who’d shown an actual interest in Grandma Pauline’s ranch. If he didn’t have any kids, what would happen to it? Would the Reaves Ranch be sold off to a stranger?

She shook her head as if to shake the thoughts away. There would be many, many years of Dev and Grandma Pauline inhabiting this earth before she had to worry about that. Maybe her baby was technically a Wyatt, but right now Dev didn’t want to acknowledge that.

Not just for his own reasons anymore, but for safety. Because Anth Wyatt apparently existed and was threatening all six brothers.

It made her want to cry. This was supposed to be over—the shadow of Ace Wyatt on their lives gone. Instead, just as they’d settled into this new normal...here was another facet of Ace haunting them.

Would that always be the case?

She knew that was bothering Dev, likely his brothers too. That horrible feeling they’d never be free of Ace even in death. And it wasn’t just them—they’d all married or were in the process of marrying her sisters. Making families of their own.

Wyatts and her sisters pairing up wasn’t a great thing to dwell on with her hands on her stomach, where Dev’s child grew. She marched forward. Maybe she couldn’t muck stalls, ride a horse or even go around breaking up ice in the troughs, but she could tidy the tools or do a little light sweeping or something.

But before she could make it to the stables, Duke pulled up next to her in his truck. She knew he’d been out checking fence lines to make sure they were strong enough to survive any winter storm that blew through.

He put the truck into Park and got out. “What do you think you’re doing wandering around in this cold?”

She smiled at her father. He was a good man, even if he’d kept his share of secrets from them. He did what was right, and he was fiercely protective of his daughters—biological, adopted or fostered.

“I’m just antsy. I’m being careful. Promise.”

He made a noise that was neither belief nor acceptance. Simple acknowledgment she’d spoken and he’d heard it. “Where were you this morning?”

Sarah wouldn’t let herself fidget even though it felt a bit like an accusation. “Let Grandma Pauline feed me.”

Duke studied her, clearly not believing that was the only reason she’d gone over there. Instead of lecturing her more, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Sarah, I hope you know what a joy you’ve been to me. Not just because you love the ranch like I do, but because you’re a fine young woman with a good head on her shoulders.”

Sarah blinked. Duke was the best dad in the world as far as she was concerned, but he wasn’t big on emotional heart-to-hearts. Thank God. She didn’t know what to do with...this. “Well, thanks.”

“I may not be thrilled about the circumstances, but I’ll support you and my grandchild any way I can.”

“I... I know.” She’d always known that, even if him saying it had a lump forming in her throat.

“Which is why I feel like it’s pretty important to tell you something, and usually when I tell you something you get that hard head on and do the opposite. So I need you to promise me you’ll listen.”

Sarah wrinkled her nose. “You fight dirty.”

“You’re darn right,” he said, smiling at her, his big hand still on her shoulder. Because he was always there.

“I don’t know that I can promise outright, but I can promise to try not to be contrary for the sake of it.”

Duke chuckled softly. “Well, I suppose that’s about all I can ask.” Then he sighed, almost sadly, as if the words weighed him down and were far more serious than she wanted to deal with when she was worried about Dev and this new danger.

Which she should probably tell Dad about.

Dad grabbed her other shoulder, gave her a gentle squeeze and met her gaze with his steady one. “Sarah, you can’t save that boy. He has to save himself.”

That simple statement hit its mark—a mark she hadn’t realized she had. She wasn’t trying to save Dev... She was just trying to...to... “I’m not trying to save anyone,” she insisted, though of course she couldn’t believe it now that she’d felt the weight of how right Duke was.

Duke gave her a pointed look. “Baby girl, you have been poking that boy back into the living since the day he got home from the hospital. And you’ve done a good job. He wouldn’t be where he is without you. But the rest of that journey is his to make.”

She thought about Dev’s blankness in the kitchen when he’d recounted Anth Wyatt to his brothers. How could emotional healing be his to do when he could simply shut down like that?

“I haven’t heard the details yet, but if everyone’s descending on Grandma Pauline’s tonight, sounds like more trouble is brewing,” Duke continued. “I don’t want you involved. You’ve got to take it easy for that baby. I want you to stay away from the Wyatts for a while. Including tonight’s dinner.”

The knee-jerk emotions that had plagued her this entire pregnancy sprung to life, and she had to fight to keep the tears out of her eyes. “They’re my family. And yours.”

“Of course they are. I’m not saying it’s their fault they’ve got trouble again. I’m not saying we should all hide and run away. I’m saying you need to stay away from it in your condition.”

Dev had said the same thing, of course. She understood why, but that didn’t mean she needed to be hidden away. “If there’s trouble, I doubt me staying home by myself is—”

“Liza will come here with the girls. You two will babysit.”

Sarah scowled. “While the menfolk have their grown-up conversation.”

Duke sighed. “With four out of your five sisters. Come on now, girl. You have a baby to care about.”

She put