The Rancher's Promise by Brenda Harlen

Author:Brenda Harlen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-01-08T15:44:56+00:00

* * *

“That was quick,” Lindsay said, when she opened the door in response to his knock.

“I told you I’d be here in ten.”

“And you made it with—” she glanced at her watch “—just about thirty seconds to spare.”

He lifted his brows when he heard a beep from the kitchen. “Were you timing me?”

She laughed. “No. That’s the oven signaling that it’s preheated. We were late getting home from the children’s museum in Battle Mountain and I was just about to put chicken fingers in for the kids’ dinner.”

She turned toward the kitchen, but he caught her shoulders and steered her back around again.

“Your sister’s waiting for you,” he reminded her.

“I know, but—”

“Auntiekwisty’s havin’ a baby!” Drawn away from her toys by the sound of their voices, Avenlea bounced into the foyer to make the announcement.

“I hope it’s a boy,” Elliott said, joining them.

“Giwl!” Avenlea countered.

“Boy or girl, your aunt Kristyne will be having her baby at home if your mom doesn’t leave right now,” Mitch said.

Lindsay swallowed. “You’re right. I have to go. Just let me—”

“You’ve got your keys and your purse,” he noted. “That’s all you need. I can handle things here.”

“I know,” she said again, bending to give her children a quick hug. “Thank you.”

So while Lindsay headed back to Battle Mountain, to the hospital with her sister this time, Mitch cooked the chicken fingers. He even cut carrot sticks and cucumber slices to go with them, because Lindsay believed it was important for the kids to have vegetables at every meal. And because he knew Elliott and Avenlea liked to dip, he squirted little pools of barbecue sauce and ranch dressing on their plates.

When it was time to eat, Avenlea’s previously discerning palate proved that it was either confused or adventurous, because she chose to dip her chicken in the ranch dressing and her cucumber in the barbecue sauce. Of course, this caused her brother to make gagging noises, but Mitch quickly silenced Elliott’s criticism, pointing out that everything was going to the same place.

It was what his mom had always said, insisting that as long as kids were eating—and what they were eating wasn’t harmful to them—there was no reason to worry about unconventional food choices. No doubt that was why leftover pizza was still one of Mitch’s favorite breakfast foods.

After dinner was finished, he enlisted Elliott and Avenlea to help clear the table and put their plates and cups in the dishwasher. Then they washed up and got their pajamas on, ready for bed.

“But we don’t have to go to bed right now, do we?” Elliott asked.

“Not right now,” Mitch agreed.

Though he’d forgotten to verify bedtimes with Lindsay before she left, he didn’t think it would be a big deal if they were a little bit later for one night. And yes, he could have sent her a text message to ask, but he didn’t want to take her focus away from her sister.

She’d checked in with him, though, when they got to the hospital, and again to tell him that Kristyne was four centimeters dilated.

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