Katie let out a long sigh. “You won’t let us have any dog in our apartment.”
“It’s not the right time,” Rachel said.
She sounded just as depressed about not having a dog as Katie did. The little girl clearly loved animals, and while he wouldn’t be able to salvage tonight’s dinner, he could at least help with this one.
“Why don’t we take that picture, then we can send Nathan back home and I’ll take you to meet some of the other animals on the ranch.”
“Can I hold Nathan for the picture?” Katie asked.
This had to be the weirdest fishing expedition he’d ever been on. But he couldn’t stand the thought of breaking a little girl’s heart.
“Sure,” he said. “You have to hold him tight, or else he’ll wiggle away.”
Ty gestured at Rachel. “Why don’t you get in the picture with them? It’ll be a nice keepsake to remind you of your visit.”
Rachel looked like she’d rather do just about anything else. But she gave the sort of fake half smile he’d grown used to from her and nodded. “Sure, why not.”
He grabbed the fish and put it in Katie’s arms. “Hold on tight. He’s really wiggly, and his slick skin will make it easy for him to slip out of your arms.”
As Katie and Rachel got into position, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Then the fish flipped wildly, smacking Katie in the face, and leaped back into the water. A shot he also got.
From the startled looks on Katie and Rachel’s faces, it would be a moment they’d always remember. And he had photographic evidence of the size of the fish they’d pulled out of the water.
“I can’t believe Nathan did that,” Katie exclaimed. “He’s not a very nice fish. So rude that he wouldn’t pose with us.”
Ty bit back a laugh. “I don’t think Nathan has ever been asked to pose for a picture. He probably doesn’t know how.”
The little girl nodded slowly. “I never thought about that. Do you think we could catch him again so we can teach him?”
He’d love to catch Nathan again. Not to teach him how to pose, but clearly he and Katie were not on the same page.
“Not today,” Rachel answered for him. “I’m starting to get tired, and I’d like to go back to the cabin to rest before supper.”
Ty smiled at Rachel, hoping she understood that he was thanking her for the save, but she quickly turned away as she always seemed to do when he was just trying to be nice.
“You’re always tired,” Katie muttered.
The look on Rachel’s face made him feel bad for her. They’d obviously had this discussion before. So far Katie hadn’t mentioned a dad, and Rachel hadn’t said anything about anyone else in her life. Combined with the lack of ring on Rachel’s finger, he assumed she was a single mom.
Yeah, he’d noticed. So sue him. He might not trust her, but it didn’t mean he didn’t notice her loveliness.
“How about we go back to the cabin, and your mom can rest?” Ty suggested. “I’ll get my dog, Bella, and we can play with her on the porch.”
The murderous look on Rachel’s face told him it was probably the wrong suggestion.
“I don’t leave my daughter with strangers,” Rachel said.
She had a point. He should have asked her first. Especially since Rachel still hadn’t warmed up to him. But why? He’d listened thoughtfully to her advertising ideas, and he’d done everything he could to be nice to her. One more reason he had to believe there was more to her story than she was saying.
Which had him back at square one, trying to figure out Rachel’s real agenda.
“I’m sorry,” Ty said. “I just thought you could relax on the porch, and I could sit there with Katie and Bella and toss a few balls around. I wasn’t suggesting that you wouldn’t be there to supervise. Whatever you’re comfortable with. I can leave you two to your own devices once we get to the cabin if you want.”
His answer seemed to mollify Rachel, who nodded. “I suppose that would be all right. I don’t want to impose.”
She’d said that several times while Ricky made arrangements for them to stay in the cabin. But if she didn’t want to impose, why had she just shown up? The weird hot and cold Ty kept getting from her didn’t make any sense. But hopefully, he’d hear something soon from the investigator he’d sent a photo of Rachel’s business card to that would clear things up.
They gathered the fishing things, and as Ty put them away in the shed, Rachel came up alongside him. “I should...thank you...for what you did back there with Katie. I know you were supposed to bring back some fish to have for supper. I hope you don’t get in too much trouble.”
Ty shrugged as he locked everything back up. “We have plenty in the freezer. I’ll send Wanda a text to let her know we’re coming back empty-handed.”
While many places on the ranch didn’t have cell service, the fishing shed did. So he quickly pulled out his phone and sent the text before they were out of range.
Rachel gave him a grateful but relieved look. As much as he hated to say it, she did look tired. Bone-weary, like she’d been through a lot lately. She’d mentioned wanting this special time on the ranch, and here he was, trying to figure out her real reason for being here.
Maybe she didn’t have an ulterior motive.
After all, Katie was a good kid, and other than Rachel’s presumptuousness and stumbled excuse for coming, he couldn’t fault her actions. Except there was still that niggling feeling in his gut that things weren’t all they seemed to be.
He’d learned to trust that feeling. Especially with a woman as pretty as Rachel. Pretty wasn’t even the
