Valentines for the Rancher by Kathy Douglass

Author:Kathy Douglass
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-10-27T17:11:27+00:00

* * *

The children had been talking together happily, but they’d ended their conversation and were now tugging on their parents’ arms to get their attention.

“Sorry, bud,” Miles said to Benji. “What do you need?”

Benji shrugged, unable to put his feelings into words. This wasn’t unusual, so Miles did what he always did. He stooped down and then pulled Benji into his arms for a hug. Benji leaned into him and sighed deeply. He needed attention and affection now, the assurance that his dad was there. Because even though he hadn’t had a problem getting onto the train, he had been separated from Miles long enough for doubts and fears to creep in.

As Miles stood to his full height, he tossed Benji into the air and then placed him onto his shoulders. Benji laughed and kicked his feet a couple of times, striking Miles in the chest. One of these days he was going to remember to hold onto Benji’s feet so that he didn’t end up with tyke-sized cowboy boot bruises.

Lilliana looked up and clapped and laughed. Then she reached out her hands, stretching her arms and standing on her tiptoes. “Me. Me. Up.”

Miles glanced at Jillian, who nodded, so Miles leaned up and caught Benji’s eyes. “Lilliana wants me to pick her up now. Is that okay with you? Can she have a turn?”

Benji nodded. “Lily is my friend.”

Miles lowered Benji from his shoulders, taking a moment to hug him before setting him on the ground.

“Are you ready, Lilliana?”

Lilliana nodded and clapped her hands in anticipation. Before he could reach her, she jumped up in what he supposed was her attempt to hasten the process.

“Up now,” she demanded.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He stooped down and very carefully lifted her into his arms. It was one thing to toss his son into the air and catch him before setting him on his shoulders. It was another to treat a delicate little girl with the same abandon. When he settled her onto his shoulders, she squealed and laughed loudly. “Enji. Look.”

Benji nodded at her, his smile happy, clearly not the least bit jealous of the attention Miles was showing Lilliana.

Miles looked from Benji to Jillian, who had a wistful smile on her face. It wasn’t hard to guess her mood. She was thinking of all that her daughter missed by not having a father active in her life. He felt the same way about Benji not having his mother around.

After a few minutes, he lowered Lilliana to the ground, making sure that she was steady on her feet before he stepped away. Before he could move, Lilliana grabbed him by the neck and kissed his cheek. His heart melted at the affectionate gesture, and he needed to swallow several times to clear the lump that materialized in his throat.

He stood and then looked at the trio. Benji was holding Jillian’s right hand and Lilliana had her left. Miles was struck by the notion that they belonged together. That Jillian had been right. If not for him, they would have been a family.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.