The Rancher's Answered Prayer Read online

  “Thought you could take my kid and hide, did you?” He slid a glance around the place, his nose wrinkling. “I thought even you had better taste than this, though.”

  Tina let the insult roll off her as she had countless others, feeling a calmness settle over her.

  “We’re happy here, Layne. This is where we’re staying.”

  He chuckled, scuffing the toe of his Italian leather shoe in the dirt. “You can stay. I couldn’t care less what you do. But my son goes with me.”

  Panic flashed over her again, but she widened her stance, refusing to show it. That was when she heard Wyatt.

  Striding from the barn, he raised his voice, saying, “You’d better be armed with a custody order from the State of Oklahoma, then. Otherwise, Ty’s not going anywhere.”

  Layne whirled to face Wyatt. “Who the—”

  “Wyatt Smith.”

  “And just why should I care who you are?” Layne sneered.

  Ryder stepped closer. At six feet three inches, Ryder stood just as tall as his brothers, but he was heavier due to the bulk of his muscles. Anyone could tell just by looking at him that he was amazingly strong. Not once had Ryder wielded that strength in a threatening manner, however. Until now.

  Frowning, Layne turned to Tina once more. “Just what’s going on here?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Who are these men?”

  “We’re the Smith brothers,” Wyatt answered. “This is our ranch.”

  Layne goggled at Tina. “And you’re living here with one of them? Or all of them?”

  Before she could respond, Wyatt chuckled dryly. “Oh, that’s rich. You were caught cheating, and you dare to throw accusations on her? Guess that corresponds with all the lies you’ve told your son about her.”

  Layne’s expression hardened. “Where is my son? I want to see him.”

  “You’ll see him,” Wyatt countered easily, “but you’re not leaving here with him unless you have a court order mandating that we turn him over to you, and I don’t believe you do. Our attorney would have been notified of any court dates or decisions.”

  “‘Our attorney?’” Layne parroted sneeringly.

  Wyatt looked at Tina, smiling. “That’s right. Our attorney. Tina is a valued business partner. And a complete lady.”

  “‘A valued business partner?’” Layne mocked. “Only if you value stupidity. And a lady?” He raked a scathing gaze over Tina. She refused to react. “That’s a laugh!”

  Wyatt shook his head and looked at Tina again, his gaze as warm as the sun shining down on them. “She’s beautiful and compelling and bright, and one of the classiest women I’ve ever met.”

  “So, you’re the one she’s shacking up with,” Layne crowed. “Well, you’re welcome to her. Play house all you want. I couldn’t care less. She’s not worth the effort, though, I warn you.”

  Once that might have wounded Tina, but she watched Wyatt’s hands curl into fists, and her heart swelled. She almost spoke out to ask him not to hurt Layne, for fear of losing Tyler’s affection, but then Wyatt’s hands relaxed. She should’ve known he would keep his cool.

  “No one’s ‘shacking up’ or ‘playing house’ here,” Wyatt said calmly. “We all realize that Tina deserves nothing less than marriage and complete fidelity, both of which she could have in a heartbeat. Whenever she’s ready to marry again. Given past experience, her reluctance is entirely understandable.”

  Layne lost every shred of his urbane, charming veneer then, demanding, “Get my kid out here. He’ll tell you what a failure she is as a mother and wife. And he’ll beg to leave with me. You’ll see.”

  Suddenly, the screen door behind Tina creaked, slapping her in the shoulder as it was flung open. Tyler flew past her, down the steps and straight at his father. Tina’s heart dropped—until she realized that Tyler’s fists were flailing at Layne.

  “Liar! You’re a liar! She’s not a bad mother! You’re a bad father!”

  “Whoa.” Wyatt caught the boy by the collar, pulling him away from his stunned father. Shaking him gently, Wyatt admonished him in a soft tone. “Hey. That’s uncalled for. He’s your dad. Be respectful.” He cupped Tyler’s face in his big hands. “You know how to be respectful. You do it every day around here. With me and your mom, Ryder and Jake, even Frankie.”

  His face crumpling, Tyler threw himself into Wyatt’s arms and sobbed out, “I’m sorry.”

  “I know.” Wyatt patted his back. “But I’m not the one you owe an apology.”

  Sniffing, Tyler stepped back and turned to face Layne, muttering, “I’m sorry.”

  Wyatt patted the boy’s shoulder approvingly, and Tyler turned a teary smile over his shoulder at him. Layne suddenly reached out, snatching Tyler by the forearm and pulling him toward his car. Tina gasped and started down the steps.

  “Come on. Let’s go.”

  “No!”

  She halted as Tyler jerked free of Layne. Wyatt stepped up to make sure that Layne couldn’t snatch the boy again, wrapping an arm across the boy’s upper chest. As Tina let out a relieved breath, Layne resorted to wheedling.

  “Don’t you want to come with Dad? It’s what we’ve talked about. We’ll have fun, buddy. You’ll see.”

  “I’m not going!”

  “You don’t want me to spend Father’s Day all alone, do you?” Layne cajoled, bending to bring his face level with Tyler’s.

  “You don’t have to spend Father’s Day alone,” Wyatt interjected, looking down at Tyler. “You’re welcome to come back and spend Father’s Day with your son. At church and then here on the ranch. But you’ll keep a civil tongue and you won’t be taking him with you.”

  “You don’t tell me when and where I can see my son,” Layne snarled.

  “No, but his mother does, and what she says goes.”

  “According to who?”

  “Me. My brothers.” Jake and Ryder nodded at that. “And our attorney. You see, he read the current custody agreement, which you did not contest when it was implemented. It states clearly that she has complete custody and your visitation with her son is based entirely on her wishes. Funny how your only objection at the time concerned child support, which—correct me if I’m wrong—you do not pay.”

  “She agreed to it,” Layne pointed out sullenly.

  “And you agreed to the custody arrangement,” Wyatt retorted. “Wonder what changed your mind.”

  Tina knew perfectly well what had changed Layne’s mind about the custody agreement: Tyler had finally gotten old enough for Layne to use him against her.

  “I miss my son,” Layne sniffed.

  “So come see him,” Tina said, looking at Tyler. “We’ll work out a visitation schedule so you can see each other as often as you like.”

  “Oh, you’d love that,” Layne snapped. “Having me at your beck and call.”

  “I’m willing to work with you, Layne. I always have been. We’ll schedule visits at your convenience.”

  “My convenience? This isn’t about my convenience. When I agreed to have him, you promised he would never inconvenience me, and it’s been nothing but inconvenience since the first time he kicked in the womb!” Layne threw up his hands. “And it just got worse and worse after we brought him home from the hospital!”

  Realizing belatedly how that sounded, Layne switched his gaze to Tyler, who looked as if he’d been struck. Tina doubted that her son even understood the full implications of what his father had just revealed, but Tyler was smart enough to comprehend instinctively that Layne hadn’t really wanted him.

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Layne attempted to make reparations. “Hey. That was then, you know? This is now. We’re buddies now. Right?”

  “Frankie and Donovan are my buddies,” Tyler whispered, mentally putting it all together. As the implications settled into place, h
e backed closer to Wyatt, stumbling slightly over Wyatt’s big, booted feet.

  Wyatt tightened his arms around the boy, crooning softly. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about any of this. It doesn’t change anything.” Tyler nodded solemnly. Then he suddenly whirled and threw his arms around Wyatt again.

  Layne angrily rolled his eyes. “Oh, forget it. You’re not worth the effort. Either of you. I’m done!” He stabbed a finger at Tina before waving his hands in a slashing motion. “I’m done with both of you.”

  “Layne,” she began, knowing how that must hurt their son, but Layne had already whirled and yanked open the door of his car. “Wait,” she entreated. “Let’s talk.” But the only sound was that of his car door slamming shut.

  After that, he started up the engine, backed the car around in an angry scatter of gravel and dust, and drove away so fast that his tires squealed when he turned the corner onto the highway. As the red-orange dust settled around them, Tyler sobbed. Tina ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and Wyatt both.

  “Don’t cry, baby,” Tina pleaded, going down on her haunches. “He didn’t mean it. You’ll see him again.”

  “He’s just upset,” Wyatt added. “He’ll cool down. Tell you what. We’ll write to him, invite him back again to visit. How would that be?”

  Sniffing, Tyler rubbed at his eyes with both fists. Finally, he nodded, letting out a weak, “Okay.”

  “Give him time,” Wyatt counseled. “He’ll remember what a great boy you are and how much he misses you. He said that. Right? He said he misses you.”

  Tyler nodded again, his breath hitching repeatedly. “Yeah.”

  “There you go,” Tina said encouragingly.

  Suddenly, Tyler threw his arms around her neck. Both thrilled and brokenhearted, Tina hugged him. “I love you so much, son. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I love you, too, Mom,” he said, bringing tears to her own eyes.

  He pulled back as Wyatt said, “Someone needs to go check on Frankie.”

  “I will,” Tyler declared, squaring his shoulders.

  Jake moved forward then, offering his hand. “I’ll go with you.”

  Tyler took Jake’s hand, flashing a weak smile up at him, and the two moved toward the house. At the same time, Wyatt reached down and hooked his hands under Tina’s arms, pulling her up and against him. She buried her face in the curve of his neck and let the tears flow, his arms tightening until she could barely breathe.

  Tina didn’t know where Ryder disappeared to, but when she lifted her head again, she and Wyatt were alone. Wiping her face with both hands, she calmed herself enough to say, “Thank you.”

  To her surprise, Wyatt spun away, bringing his hands to his hips and twisting with agitation. “I wanted to strangle him. I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and throttle him. If he wasn’t Tyler’s father...”

  Realizing how much self-control he’d just displayed, Tina’s love doubled. She went to him and gently placed her hands on either side of his strong neck.

  “You know,” she said through a smile, “I would consider marrying again. If the right man asked me.”

  Wyatt’s face went blank, his gaze searching hers. Then he let out a whoop, wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her in a circle. “Thank God. Thank God!”

  Tina laughed, threading her arms around his neck. “Is that the proposal?”

  He set her on her feet. “I love you. I want to marry you more than anything else in this world.”

  “I love you, too. I think I have almost from the beginning, but because I’ve never really felt it before, I didn’t know.”

  Beaming, he asked, “Is that a yes?”

  “It’s a yes,” she confirmed, laughing when he hugged her so hard her feet lifted off the ground. “But let’s keep it between us for now. Tyler’s had so much come at him today. I think he needs a little time to adjust.”

  Wyatt nodded, bringing his forehead to settle against hers. “Whatever you want. Just don’t keep me waiting too long.”

  “I promise.”

  Standing there within the safe, loving confines of his arms, she knew that God had just answered her prayers.

  God will fix it. He’s got ways.

  * * *

  The third Sunday of June brought a blessed silence. No saws buzzing, hammers hammering or sanders screeching.

  The work had gone quickly, and Tina could not complain about the quality. The old house felt solid and strong, with modern conveniences and upgrades. More and more Loco Man Ranch felt like home, but the reality far surpassed what she’d envisioned.

  Wyatt, who had run upstairs to grab his forgotten Bible while the others loaded into the brand-spanking-new full-sized SUV now parked in the yard, came pounding down the stairs. He’d already had the concrete pad poured for the extended carport that would soon provide shelter for their vehicles. Tina had concentrated on planting flowerbeds and landscaping. Already green shoots were poking through the dirt. Soon flowers would blossom.

  Smiling at the thought, she felt Wyatt’s hand in the fold of her elbow. As he pulled her around to face him, her smile grew.

  He stepped close and lowered his head to kiss her.

  Leaning into him, Tina gave herself to the kiss. They’d stolen every moment alone they could these past couple of weeks, and her love for this man had only grown. She’d begun planning their wedding in her mind. She wanted a quiet church ceremony, perhaps in the evening. They’d show off the house at the reception afterward, nothing too ostentatious, just appetizers and cake—unless Wyatt preferred something else. She’d ask him. Later.

  A scraping sound reached her ears, but she didn’t immediately identify it. With the door hinges freshly oiled and the screen door on a hydraulic arm that automatically closed it to keep it from banging shut, she didn’t even think about anyone joining them. Until Tyler let out a yell.

  “Whoa!”

  Breaking apart, both Tina and Wyatt stared at him, stunned. The grin on his face signaled his approval, but neither of them were prepared for what he did next.

  Shoving open the screen door again, he shouted, “Guys! Mom and Wyatt got married! Like Mr. Wes and Dr. Alice.”

  “We’re not married,” Tina hastened to correct.

  “Yet,” Wyatt added, slipping an arm about her waist and pulling her to his side. He smiled down at her. “But soon. Right? That is, if you’ll still have me.”

  Considering that Tyler was hopping up and down with excitement, she saw no reason to delay further. “I’d be a fool,” she told him, “not to take what God has given me.”

  Wyatt was hugging her and laughing, her feet dangling off the floor, when Jake and Ryder pushed through the door.

  “What’s this?” Jake asked.

  At the same time, Ryder said, “About time. You two haven’t been fooling anyone, you know.”

  “Okay, okay. We’re engaged. In fact—” Wyatt reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a diamond ring “—I’ve been prepared for this moment for some time.”

  Laughing with delight, Tina let him slip the ring onto her finger. “It’s lovely.”

  “You’re lovely,” Wyatt said, kissing her quickly. “Now, about the wedding date, I am firmly against long engagements.”

  Tina’s smile was so big it hurt her cheeks, but she couldn’t tame it, not that she wanted to. “Now that you mention it, I’ve always wanted to be a June bride. If you’re all right with a small wedding...”

  “Ready, willing and able,” he declared, folding her against him again. But then he released her. “Ty, what do you think? Will you mind having me for a stepdad?”

  Tyler flew across the room, throwing himself against the pair of them. “Now I got a whole fam’ly. A dad and a cousin and uncles. Wait’ll I tell Donovan!”

  Wyatt picked him up and hugged him. Laughing and crying
at the same time, Tina looked around her.

  She was home at last, financially secure with a business still to launch and a man who loved her and her son, who was happier and safer than he’d ever been. She had good friends and more family than she’d dared hope for, and maybe eventually Tyler would have at least one sibling.

  Even prayers she hadn’t yet prayed were coming true.

  She thought of Daddy Dodd and how God had set this plan into motion long ago through him. What else could a woman be but thankful?

  “Let’s get to church,” she said through her smile.

  She had some praising to do.

  And she couldn’t wait to tell Ann and Meri her news.

  Or to be Mrs. Wyatt Smith.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Christmas with the Cowboy by Tina Radcliffe.

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  Dear Reader,

  Most of us have had to start over at some point in our lives. This world often throws us curves and catches us unaware. Nothing, however, catches God unaware. Even when our own poor choices cause us to start over, He is ready with a plan. We can rest assured that He never allows anything into the lives of His children that will not serve the best interests of all involved. Of course, we must exercise our free will and get with the program.

  That’s what Tina and Wyatt find themselves doing, struggling to get with the program. It’s clear they each must start over in life and where that new start should begin. Just how intertwined their new lives should be, though, is a mystery—until they get their individual suppositions and baggage out of the way. Isn’t that always the struggle?

  May your struggles be brief and your trust in Him absolute.

  God bless,

  Arlene James

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired story.

  You believe hearts can heal. Love Inspired stories show that faith, forgiveness and hope have the power to lift spirits and change lives—always.