“I don’t judge,” Rachel said. “I’ve faced too much of it in my life, and it seems to me that people’s judgments of others are often completely wrong. But thank you for telling me. I’m sorry that others have made you feel like you owe them an explanation.”
Janie squeezed her hand again, and even though she didn’t say anything, Rachel felt like she’d found a friend. Odd, considering Rachel didn’t have much experience with friends. The ones she thought she had proved to be false friends, and it hadn’t felt worth the effort to try again. And yet, she’d felt that way earlier today upon meeting Della in the café, and now here, with Janie.
But it was a completely ridiculous thought. As she’d warned herself when talking with Della, she wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to find a kidney. And after the situation in Ricky’s office, she wasn’t sure there was anything else here for her. Yes, he’d given his speech about taking care of family, but would they ever see her as that? Or would she always be the enemy who snuck her way into this place to try to ruin their lives?
When Ty arrived at the cabin the next morning, Rachel and Katie were already waiting for him on the porch.
Rachel gestured at her jeans and cotton shirt. “I hope it’s not a fancy church, because we didn’t bring anything else.”
Ty hated the way Rachel kept looking at him like he was her executioner. He wasn’t the one who’d come to the ranch on false pretenses. He wasn’t the one who had been given every opportunity to tell the truth and didn’t. So why did he feel so bad about looking out for Ricky’s interests?
Hoping the smile he gave them was reassuring, Ty said, “It’s fine. Everyone at Columbine Springs Community Church is welcome just as they are. No fancy clothes needed.” He gestured at his own Western shirt and jeans. “I don’t think the Lord cares either way, as long as you’re giving Him proper reverence.”
Instead of looking relieved, Rachel looked more nervous. “The churches I’ve been to are all dress-up churches.”
Ty wished he had better words of wisdom or encouragement for her, but since she looked like she thought he was going to bite her head off at any minute, she probably wouldn’t find comfort in much of anything he said.
“People find our church a refreshing change. It might be unfamiliar to you, but that’s okay. No one’s going to judge you because you did things differently at your other church.”
“I’ve never been to church,” Katie said, jumping up. “Sam and Ryan say it’s a lot of fun, and they promised to teach me all their songs and games.”
Now he got it. Rachel wasn’t a churchgoer, and she had the same apprehensions many people who didn’t go to church had. But Pastor Roberts always made sure that people like Rachel were comfortable and felt welcomed.
“I’m sure you’ll have a great time, Katie,” Ty said, smiling at her and gesturing at his truck. “I saw you had a booster seat in your mom’s car, so why don’t you go get that out and put it in my truck? You guys are going to ride with me today.”
Katie’s eyes shone. “Really? I’ve never ridden in a big truck like that before.”
He chuckled at the little girl’s description. It wasn’t that big of a truck. But he could imagine how a little girl not used to ranch life would see it as such.
“We can drive ourselves,” Rachel said.
“Your car struggled over some of the ruts getting here. It’s too much wear and tear for you to go to town, come back and then leave again. It’ll save you some gas, as well. Besides, this will give me a chance to get to know you better.”
By the scowl on her face, he should’ve left it at the wear and tear and gas. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that Ricky had insisted he drive them today. Mostly because he didn’t want them poking around in the ranch house with everyone at church. While they did their best to keep everything locked up, especially for the peace of mind of guests staying on the ranch, both Ty and Ricky knew that the ranch house itself didn’t have the best security. They’d beefed things up with some of the crazies coming around, but until recently, Ricky had never been the kind of man to lock his doors, so he didn’t always remember to keep things under lock and key. So who knew what Rachel would find available for her to snoop through?
“You mean see what secrets you can dig out of me,” she said.
That, too, but he wouldn’t have put it that way. “It shouldn’t be a problem for you if you don’t have anything to hide,” he said. “If you’re really family, we would naturally want to get to know you, and you would naturally want us to. That’s how you build a relationship. But if you’re not...”
Ty shrugged, letting her put the pieces together on her own. She wasn’t stupid, and neither was he.
He gestured at the truck, where Katie was waiting outside, holding her booster seat.
“We’re going to be late,” he said.
Rachel followed, but she didn’t look happy about it. They got the booster seat situated in the back seat of the truck, and then they were on their way.
“I need to understand something,” Rachel said once they’d started down the ranch road. “You’re not Ricky’s family. What does your own family think of you calling him that?”
She was definitely barking up the wrong tree. “They call him family, too, as does most of this community. That’s what life in a small town is about. Yes, we have our problems, but when it comes right down to it, the only way this town survives is by relying on each other, and isn’t that what a family does?”
Rachel shook her head. “I wouldn’t
