Frank watched with a smile on his face as Lani and Sunshine took off. He could tell that Lani was scared at first, but then she relaxed into it and seemed to love it. He followed behind, watching woman and horse learn each other’s rhythms, and by the time they pulled up in front of the barn, Lani was laughing. If he could read Sunshine’s emotions, she probably would be too.
“That was fantastic,” she said as she slid to the ground into his arms. As much as he wanted to hold her again, he didn’t because Max, one of the ranch hands, had walked up to claim the horses, and as well as he knew Max, he still didn’t want to be seen flirting with a beautiful woman in public. So he let her go and nodded.
“It looked like you were having a good time.”
“The best. And I think Sunshine did too.”
“I’ll have Ephraim ask her next time I see him.”
“Would you? That would be great.” Her eyes were shining. He could get used to seeing that look on her face every day of forever.
Except that she’d be leaving after the article was written.
“The boys will be home from school any second,” he said instead of dwelling on that depressing thought. “Want to come over to the cabin and chat with them?”
“Absolutely,” she replied, and he took her hand as they crossed the property. He liked the way her hand felt in his—just a little smaller, though not tiny, and soft without being weak.
They waited in the front yard until the school bus pulled up and the boys poured off. Frank sought out Nick first thing and noticed that while the boy seemed tired, he wasn’t upset, and Frank breathed with relief. He didn’t expect that everything would be hunky-dory forever, but he did feel that they were on the right track.
Once everyone was inside and had grabbed their snacks, Frank asked them to gather in the living room.
“Guys, this is Lani,” he said. “She’s a reporter from Texas Times, and she’s doing an article about the ranch. She’d love to chat with you about what it’s like to live here, if any of you are interested. If you’re not, it’s okay—this is totally on a volunteer basis.”
All the boys nodded, even Nick, and Lani smiled. “Thanks so much,” she said. “I’ve been hanging out with Frank and Tiffani, and they’ve been telling me how cool this place is. They’ve also said that the coolest part is being able to live with you boys. So, what are your names?”
Frank sat back and watched as she interacted with each boy. He noticed that she didn’t outright ask Nick anything except his name, but when he volunteered an answer to a question, she listened intently.
“She’s really good with kids,” Gideon said softly, leaning against the wall next to Frank.
“Yeah, she is. I don’t know if that’s her empathy or just how she is,” Frank replied.
“Probably both. I’d say her empathy makes her what she is.”
Frank couldn’t argue with that, but it just went back to the question he’d been asking himself for a long, long time—where did the gift end and the man begin? And why was he so determined to figure that out? It’s not like he was in danger of losing the gift if he couldn’t solve the riddle, but it niggled at the back of his brain like a buzzing mosquito.
Each of the boys except for Nick gave Lani a brief history of what had brought them to the ranch, and the things they liked best about the program. They all agreed that Lillian’s cooking was the best ever, but Claire’s was also pretty good. They liked working with the animals, feeling useful, and earning money for their chores. They all pretty much agreed that working was the pits, but it was necessary. Frank was glad they understood that important life lesson.
“So, what’s the biggest thing that’s different about your lives now?” Lani asked the room at large.
Hunter spoke up. “Daniel and Claire and Maria are helping me get better—I’m a lot healthier because they listened to me when I said I was sick. No one listened to me before.”
Jose was next. “I don’t have to do drugs to feel happy. I’ve found out there are other things in the world that make me happier than I ever was when I was high.”
As each boy shared his thoughts, Frank felt a lump grow in the back of his throat, the kind that came when he was trying not to cry. Not that crying would be a bad thing, but still.
When Nick spoke, though, there was no holding back the tears—not for any adult in the room. “I’m glad I’m here because I’m safe,” he said in a low mumble, then excused himself from the room.
Gideon cleared his throat. “Okay, guys, thanks for chatting with Lani. Go get cleaned up for the barbecue.” He disappeared down the hall as well, leaving Frank all but glued to the wall and Lani frozen on the couch.
“I . . .” Lani wiped her eyes. “I don’t have any words.”
Frank was finally able to move and flopped down on the couch next to her. “You’ve just witnessed a miracle,” he said after clearing his throat. “This is a very good week at the ranch.”
“That boy . . .” Lani blew out a breath. “He’s something else.”
“He’s a survivor. Every boy here is a survivor, and every boy here has my ultimate respect.”
Lani turned toward Frank, and before he knew what was happening, she had buried her face in his chest and he’d wrapped his arms around her. “This place is like nowhere else on earth,” she said at last, her voice muffled. “The things you get to experience . . .”
Her voice broke off again, but he knew exactly what she meant. He just sat and held her, knowing that she didn’t need to be calmed because she wasn’t upset. She was experiencing the rush of emotions that came with connecting with another human being and seeing them for the beautiful soul they were. And he wouldn’t interrupt that for anything.
***
Twenty minutes later, everyone in the cabin headed over to the picnic area, which was a large outdoor courtyard with a fire pit and the whole nine yards. Lillian had asked Frank and Gideon if their boys could help carry food down from the house, and Lani made herself useful taking napkins out of packages and opening new sacks of plastic cups while the menfolk did all the heavy lifting. Tiffani arrived a few minutes later, and she recognized Claire, of course, who introduced her to Melissa, Natalie, and Brittany, the other women on the ranch.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Melissa said, giving her a side hug. These people were so huggy. Lani figured it was part of the ranch atmosphere. “Tiffani says you’ve been great to work with.”
“I hope I have been,” Lani replied with a smile. She’d just been doing her job, nothing fancy.
They all started jabbering, with Lani standing in the middle feeling awkward. She’d never had large groups of friends, and wasn’t sure if she was supposed to start jabbering too or just listen or what. So she did a lot of smiling and nodding and chuckling, hoping she was fulfilling whatever social obligations were expected of her.
Finally, Frank hunted her down. “I’d like you to meet the rest of my family,” he said, holding out his hand. She took it gratefully and told the women that she’d see them later.
“I’m glad you saw that I needed rescuing,” she said when they were out of earshot. “I never know what to say or how to act when I’m in large groups.”
Frank chuckled. “You realize the group’s about to get a lot larger, don’t you?” He motioned out across the property, where boys were coming from every cabin and ranch hands were coming from the bunkhouse. It was like ants pouring out of a hill, only in reverse.
“Um, yeah. Totally out of my element here.”
Frank chuckled again. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you navigate.” He kept a grip on her hand while they threaded through the tables. “Dad?” he called out.
An older man with roughly Frank’s same build turned from the dessert table, a cookie in hand, a guilty look on his face. “I’ll give you five bucks not to tell your mother I’ve been snitching.”
Frank nodded. “Done. Dad, this is Lani, the reporter.”
Peter McClain shifted his cookie to the other side and reached out to Lani for a handshake. “Hi there. Welcome to our madhouse. Things will get a little calmer once everyone’s seated, I promise.”
Lani had to lean in to hear him over the din of voices that was getting louder the more people arrived. “It’s nice to meet you,” she replied. “I wonder if I could ask you some questions for the article before I go.”
“Of course,” Peter replied. “Catch me right after dinner and we can go up to the house for a few minutes. It’s a lot quieter up there.”
“I’m sure it is,” Lani replied with a chuckle.
Once everyone had arrived, Peter held up both hands. “Everyone, let’s settle down and say grace,” he said, then gave a simple prayer of thanks for the food. That gesture touched Lani’s heart. She’d always had a little spot in her soul that believed, but she hadn’t done much with it in a number of years, and she’d supposed it had gone dormant. Now it flickered, just a bit, and she smiled. Maybe something else to think about once she’d recovered from this trip.
As the special guest of honor, as Peter insisted on calling her, Lani was invited to get into line first. She picked up her plate and stared down the length of the table, wondering how she was ever going to choose. Even taking one bite of everything would leave her stuffed to the gills.
“You can do it,” Frank said in her ear. “It’s not a race. One mouthful at a time.”
She laughed, glancing over her shoulder. “I don’t lift hay bales for a living. It’s going to take me six months at the gym to work this off.”
“Well, maybe you should lift hay bales for a living. It’s very good for you.”
“Um, sure.” She moved down the line, grabbing a spoonful of this and a tad of that. “What are the tags I’m seeing here and there on some of the serving dishes?”
“Those are low-fat. It’s so Hunter knows what he can eat here.”
“That’s fantastic.” She paused at the end of the line to grab a hamburger, then studied her plate. “I feel like I should put half of this back.”
“And I was just thinking that you’re going to starve to death if you don’t take more.” He nodded toward a table. “Does that spot look good?”
“Perfect.”
She kept her head down, trying to ignore how very peopley things had become and concentrating on her food. Every so often, though, Frank would call out to someone and invite them to come meet her. That was a little awkward when her mouth was full, but they all seemed to understand when she gave them a closed-mouth smile and a wave.
When they were done eating, he took her by the hand and they walked up to the house side by side. “Your family is great,” she told him. “Your brothers all seem like really cool guys.”
“Of course they’re cool. They’re related to me,” he replied with a grin.
She tugged on his hand and pulled him to a stop. He turned to her, a question on his face.
“I’m only here for one more night,” she said. “I have to get back to Houston tomorrow.”
“But tomorrow’s Saturday. Can’t you stay just a little longer?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. The magazine schedule is really tight, and I have a smaller article going to press sooner that I have to get turned in, and things are complicated.” She looked down at the ground and then back up. “I’d like to keep in touch, though.”
He didn’t seem too pleased. “That doesn’t seem like enough. Can I come down there and see you? Will you have other assignments up this way?”
Her heart warmed at hearing him talk like that. So she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want this—whatever it was—to end. “We can figure something out,” she said. “Houston’s not that far away.”
“Yeah.” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “I realized while we were eating that I don’t even know very much about you—we’ve been talking about me or the ranch this whole time. Tell me about yourself, Lani Markland.”
“I’m not used to answering questions about myself,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m the reporter, remember? I’m the one asking the questions.”
“But that means no one gets to know you,” he replied. “And I want to know you. What makes you tick? What’s important to you? What are your passions and your interests and your causes?”
A few weeks ago, she might have been able to answer those questions immediately and without thought. Now, though? After the time she’d spent at the ranch? She’d been shown an entirely different world, and the old one didn’t seem good enough anymore. “I’m interested in you,” she said at last, giving him the first and most truthful answer she could.
He grinned and slid his arms around her waist. “I think I like asking you questions.” Then slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers, and it was the most perfect kiss in the entire world. It wasn’t the longest or the most passionate, but it was perfect because it was with Frank.
He cleared his throat and stepped back. “I think my dad’s waiting for us,” he said, and he led her into the house.
The study where Peter McClain sat was richly furnished, and her leather chair nearly swallowed her whole. Peter chuckled. “Sorry about that. I keep meaning to replace it with something smaller.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Lani said, adjusting her position so she felt more in control of the situation. “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I’ll be finishing my article tonight and sending the draft to my editor, and a few quotes from you will be the finishing touches I need. You’ve lived on the ranch your entire life?”
“That’s right. My parents ran it before me, and I inherited it when I married.”
“Have you ever wanted to do anything else, or was this it for you?”
“This is it for me. You’ve spent two days here now—I’m sure you can see the purpose, the quest behind what we do. There’s nothing I would rather spend my time doing.”
Lani nodded. “I’d like to encourage our readers to support your fundraiser this coming fall. Is that event your main source of income? In other words, if the fundraiser is a failure, will the ranch go bankrupt?”
“We have a few other investments, and we receive donations throughout the year,” Peter replied. “We work closely with the church in Bagley, and the congregation remembers us as they’re able.”
Lani took a deep breath. There was something she had to know. “Mr. McClain, are you aware that the people in town think of your family as being very odd?”
He smiled. “First off, call me Peter. Second, yes, I’m very aware. In addition to all the other family traditions that we pass along, each generation bears that stigma for itself. It’s not something we can prevent or correct. It’s just how it is.”
“And it doesn’t bother you?”
He smiled again. “We are very odd, Lani. Why would it bother me to hear people telling the truth? Fact of the matter is, we have a lot of good friends in town, many of whom call us odd to our faces. And we agree and laugh with them and go on with whatever we were doing. You wouldn’t be offended if someone called you blonde, would you?”
“No, but I might have to correct them,” Lani said. “L’Oreal beeline honey.”
Peter laughed out loud. “Very good. My point is that we are what we are. No point in being bothered by it.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, then Lani asked her final question. “And what’s your favorite part of the fundraiser?”
“The cotton candy machine,” he replied without hesitation. “Oh, and sure, bringing smiles to the faces of the children of the community, but really, it’s the cotton candy machine.”
Lani walked out of Peter McClain’s study genuinely liking the man, something she hadn’t expected at all.
***
Frank walked her to her car, and they leaned on it together. He took her hand in his, neither one saying anything for a long time.
“So,” he said at last. “You’re leaving in the morning.”
“Yup. I’m going to finish the article tonight and get it sent over before I go to sleep—my editor has to go over it and approve it and all that good stuff. Once that’s done, they’ll send out a photographer to get a few shots.”
“And you’ll come with that photographer?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to see what else I’m working on.” It was best to keep things vague. No point in getting his hopes up—or hers. Mostly hers.
“My email address is on the ranch’s website,” he told her. “You’ll keep in touch?”
“Absolutely. But here.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “What’s your number?”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “What? You want to trade numbers? That sort of feels like a commitment. Shouldn’t I follow you on Instagram or something first? That’s how all the kids are doing things these days.”
“Oh, hush and give me your number,” she said, smiling.
He programmed it in, then handed it back. “I’m going to miss you,” he said. “I mean, it’s only been two days, but they’ve been pretty great days. Once we convinced you we aren’t a creepy cult or something.”
“Yeah, getting over that hurdle was good,” she replied as she slid her phone into her pocket. “And I’m going to miss you too.”
He leaned over and kissed her again, this time longer and sweeter. She wrapped her fingers around his lapels and tugged him back when he tried to pull away, and he chuckled against her lips.
“I just don’t know when we’ll see each other again,” she explained when he took a step back. “I didn’t want it to end too soon.”
“It’s already ending too soon,” he replied. “Call me. Or I’ll call you. Or something.”
“Or something,” she echoed, wondering what that something would be.