Anna Stewart - The Rancher's Homecoming

Chance saw the tears in Katie’s eyes before she squeezed them shut. She may have had her older sister’s eyes and the same fire-red hair, but the resemblance ended there. Where Maura had been soft around the edges, girly, flirty, tall and willowy, Katie was compact, edgy, curvy and all cowgirl. Maura’s dreams had been focused on being anywhere but Montana, while Katie had been firmly situated on Blackwell land, working alongside her father for as far back as Chance could remember. She loved this place just as much—and probably more—than any Blackwell brother ever had. She’d bled, sweated and worked for it. When they sold the place, he hoped the new owners would realize the prize they had in her and keep her on.

But for now, all he could do was watch as Katie and Rosie giggled and hugged and giggled some more. To see his daughter this giddy made the excruciating drive worth it.

“You’re as beautiful as you are in your pictures.” Katie rocked Rosie back and forth until the little girl squirmed. Rosie knocked Katie’s hat off her head as Katie got to her feet and swung Rosie around in a circle. Katie’s dog barked and hopped along with them.

“Daddy said you’d be happy to see me.” Rosie looked back at Chance when she was back on her feet. “You said so, right, Daddy?”

“I did.” Chance barely recognized his own voice. Seeing them together, he couldn’t help but imagine the same scene with Maura. Maura, who had died just before Rosie turned three. Maura, who, once the chemo had taken its talon-sharp hold, hadn’t been able to swing her daughter in her arms or smother a giggling little girl with kisses. But Katie wasn’t Maura. As his lips pulled into a wide, genuine smile, the regret melted away. She wasn’t Maura. No one ever would be. And that, he realized, was okay.

“Welcome home.” Katie grinned, but he suspected it was more for Rosie than him.

He glanced at his minivan, which had yet to cross the border onto the family property. “Not quite.”

“Close enough.” Katie shrugged. “Ty wasn’t sure when you’d be arriving. Or if you’d show up at all.”

“I said I’d come.” Chance cleared his throat. “Unlike some people, I keep my word when I give it.”

“Should have known you’d arrive with your foot in your mouth.” Irritation flashed across Katie’s sun-kissed round face before she turned her attention back to Rosie. “Things aren’t always so cut-and-dried, are they? Let’s see those boots, Little Miss.” Katie stretched out her arms, still holding Rosie’s hands, as if afraid to let go. “You are all cowgirled up, aren’t you?”

“Daddy bought them for me.” Rosie kicked one foot in the air, then the other. “I told him they had to be pink. I like pink. Do you like pink?”

“I like pink just fine,” Katie said with a bit of a snort. “And if you’re planning on staying at the main house, I think you’re going to find it suits you perfectly. Unless you made other arrangements?” She glanced back at Chance.

“No arrangements.” Chance shook his head. “We packed the car and headed out. Given what Ty told us about all the changes to the place, I figured there would be a free bed or two.”

“More than that. Little Miss here can have her pick of rooms if she’d like. Not sure you’ll recognize yours.”

Meaning Big E had probably turned his room into a smoking room or bowling alley. He’d have bet good money his grandfather would have done his best to erase any trace of Chance’s existence once Chance left. Guess he was right.

“And if you don’t like the main house,” Katie continued, “you can always stay with me and Dad. I made up Maura’s room for her.” Katie didn’t blink as she spoke, as if gauging Chance’s reaction.

“Grampy!” Rosie squealed. “I have a room at Grampy’s house?”

“Of course you do. You always have had,” Katie added with a pointed look at Chance.

“The main house will do just fine.” No way would he ever sleep under the same roof as Lochlan Montgomery. Nor was he going to be made to feel guilty about not coming back before now. Lochlan had gone out of his way to make certain Chance was not welcome in his home. In that, Chance was more than content to oblige him. “Rosie, how about you get back in the car? We can meet Aunt Katie down at the house.”

“Or she can ride back with me.” Katie stooped down in front of Rosie and tweaked her nose. “What do you say, Little Miss? You want your first ride on a horse?”

“Oh, Daddy, please!” Rosie asked in that almost whining tone of hers.

Chance looked to the horse standing nearby, its shining gold coat glistening in the sun. He hadn’t been kidding earlier when he’d suggested a pony. Personally he’d been hoping for more of a miniature version when the time came.

“Guess we’d best find out if she takes after me or her mother when it comes to horses.” For Rosie’s sake, he hoped it wasn’t him.

“She’ll be fine,” Katie said. Chance met her challenging gaze, as if she was expecting him to say no just to spite her. Daring him to do so in front of his daughter only stirred up old resentments he’d never attributed to Maura’s kid sister.

Katie Montgomery, however, was no longer a kid. She was a fully grown woman who had spent more time on and around horses than Chance had spent walking. She looked every bit the professional ranch foreman her father had been. In fact, Chance would bet she was far more capable than Lochlan had ever been, especially in recent years.

“Daddy, can I go with Aunt Katie, please?”

He was reluctant to let Rosie out of his sight, but this was one of the reasons they’d come back to Falcon Creek. For Rosie to meet and get to know her mother’s family. For Rosie to get acquainted with her aunts and uncles and cousins. “Sure, Bug. You want Clyde to go with me?”

“Yes, please. Daddy says it’s always polite to say ‘please.’” She raced over and smacked Clyde into Chance’s hand.

“Your daddy’s a smart man,” Katie agreed. “Now hold on! Good girl, Hip.” Katie raced after Rosie when the four-year-old made a beeline for the horse as fast as her little legs would carry her. The horse dropped its head and let out a chuff, as Hip placed herself in front of Rosie. “Good girl, Hip.” Katie gave the dog a good pat. “Let’s get the introductions out of the way. Rosie, this is Hip. Short for Hippolyta. Hold out your hand, Rosie. Let her smell you so she can remember you’re a friend.”

“’Kay.” Fearless Rosie stuck her hand out right under the dog’s nose. Hip gave a good sniff, then angled to shove her nose up under Rosie’s hand as if demanding a pet. “Rosie, Hip. Hip, Rosie.”

“Her nose is cold.” Rosie’s eyes went wide.

“There you go. You’re friends, now,” Katie laughed.

“Hippo!” Rosie threw her arms up and lunged in for a hug.

“No!”

Chance nearly dove through the fence as Katie lunged for Rosie, but Hip let out what Chance could only describe as a sigh and let Rosie wrap her arms around her neck and squeezed.

Hand against her heart, Katie held her other palm out to Chance. “It’s okay. Whew.” That she appeared so relieved was more concerning to Chance than he liked. “You surprise me, girl.” She crouched and looked her dog directly in the eye. She sank her hand into Hip’s fur and rubbed. “I thought you didn’t like being called Hippo.”

Chance heard the dog growl in the back of her throat.

“Rosie, come here, please.” Katie pulled her away from the dog and motioned for Hip to stay. The dog blinked big black eyes at them as if to ask where they were going. “Say ‘Hippo’ again, please, Rosie.”

“Hippo!” Rosie giggled as Hip dropped to the ground and stuck her butt in the air, wagging her tail back and forth.