Stand-In Rancher Daddy by Renee Ryan

Author:Renee Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin (UK) Ltd
Published: 2016-07-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The morning of the Founder’s Day celebration dawned bright and uncomfortably warm, promising a scorching day ahead. CJ had insisted Molly ride into town with her family. She’d reminded him what happened the last time he’d attempted to feed and dress the twins on his own. He’d held firm, but had agreed to meet her at the cottonwood tree closest to the revival tent.

Since their discussion about his mother there’d been no attempts at another kiss. And no more talk of his childhood challenges. Yet Molly felt a new closeness to CJ that went deeper than before. His life had not been easy, certainly nothing like her happy childhood. She couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him, as well as a desire to give him the family he’d never had.

Looking forward to spending the day with him and the girls, regardless of the heartache that eventually lay ahead for her, Molly rode into town with her family as planned.

She took her usual seat next to Daisy. They’d finished preparing their picnic baskets for the auction earlier this morning and had ensured that neither the contents nor the decorations were too similar. Daisy had tossed in leftovers from the supper table. Molly had been more particular, including CJ’s favorite foods.

All three of her brothers sat in the flatbed. They were looking forward to the various events, especially the baseball game that Pastor Stillwell had promised to organize later that afternoon. He’d first seen the game played in Austin during a church revival and had begun teaching the local children the rules.

Molly wasn’t sure she understood all the nuances of the game, but she enjoyed watching. The crack of the bat was always an exciting sound.

Her father steered their wagon across land the color of pine and crumbling rock, then down Main Street. The town pulsed with the hum of laughter and voices in different octaves coming from all ages and genders. The sun drenched Little Horn in a dazzling burst of heat and light.

“I’m going to win the gunnysack race this year,” Donny declared, his chest puffed out in little-boy confidence.

Roy scoffed at this with a loud snort. “Not if you have to compete against me, you won’t.”

“We’ll see about that,” Donny countered.

“You will lose.” Roy seemed certain. “I plan to show no mercy.”

“Now, boys.” Helen Carson twisted in the seat to give each a look. “It doesn’t matter who wins or loses as long as you have fun playing the games.”

Molly’s brothers stared at their mother, mouths agape, one of them saying, “But winning is fun.”

“Yeah,” her father agreed. “Winning is the best part of any competition.”

And so began a rousing argument about how it felt to be the best of the best, which Donny had never experienced and Roy made sure to remind him of several times.

Sighing heavily, Molly’s mother returned her attention to the front of the wagon and muttered, “I have raised heathens with no small amount of help from my husband.”

Chuckling, John Carson

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