But he also wasn’t going to let Janie malign him, either. “First of all, I’m not that bad. Second, if people were just honest about things to begin with, I wouldn’t need to be so suspicious. And third, the fact that I’ve been able to sniff out lies has saved a lot of people in this town over the years. Think about all the charlatans I’ve successfully chased away.”
Janie groaned, then looked over at Rachel. “Sadly, he’s right. That’s why he’s insufferable. The man is always right. And I’m not even being sarcastic.”
Her face softened a little as she turned her attention back to Ty. “But I do think that sometimes you need to give people a chance, and even though they make mistakes, you should give them the chance to make up for them. No one’s perfect, not even you.”
Ty could only shake his head as he tried not to laugh. This was all about the woman who’d stayed at the ranch over the winter whom he’d taken an interest in, only to find that she’d faked her injury to spend time with him. Janie had been so sure it was love, and that they were going to be together forever, if only he’d forgiven her and given her a chance. But he’d never thought of her as more than a friend.
“Or maybe I just haven’t met the right person, and you should let it go. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if I took such an interest in your lack of romantic partner.”
Janie groaned, as he knew she would do, but he caught a hint of a smile on Rachel’s face.
“I can’t imagine having such history as the two of you do,” Rachel said.
The longing in her voice was evident, and he thought about some of the hints she’d dropped about her own life. He knew she lacked family but he also wondered about friends. She seemed to be uncomfortable at the closeness he had with Ricky, and how he considered Ricky family.
So what was she? Little lost girl in search of the family she never knew? Or a con artist, preying on people’s sympathies?
It was especially troubling, given that she’d said she was in need of a kidney. Again, was it legitimate, or was she using it as just one more con?
Janie might have said that he was never wrong, but in this instance, he didn’t know what was right. He’d had a strong feeling that she wasn’t telling the truth when they’d first met, and he’d been right. But now...he didn’t know what to think or feel. Or what to believe.
Chapter Five
After she’d taken the DNA test, Ricky had invited Rachel and Katie to stay longer, but Rachel needed to get home. Not just for work, but also because she had to get back for dialysis. And yet, that plan didn’t work out as she’d hoped. Her car had refused to start when they left Sunday afternoon, so Ricky had lent her one of the ranch’s trucks. Which was why, Friday after work, she found herself getting into a Double R pickup truck to drive back to the Double R.
“We’re going to see Mr. Ricky,” Katie said, jumping up and down when Rachel picked her up from daycare.
She hated how excited her daughter was. No, hated wasn’t the right word. But she didn’t want to see the little girl disappointed. What would happen if the results said Rachel wasn’t related to Ricky?
Deep in her heart, she knew that wouldn’t happen. Ricky was her grandfather. But what did that mean? He couldn’t give her a kidney, and it seemed pointless to develop a relationship with someone if she was just going to die anyway.
As Katie chattered on the way to the ranch, Rachel found herself distracted by those thoughts. But more than that, she also couldn’t stop thinking about being in church on Sunday and the pastor’s words about a relationship with Christ.
She also couldn’t stop thinking of everything Ty had said about the extended family and community in Columbine Springs. Watching his interactions with Janie had made her envious in an unexpected way. And not a romantic way—it was more about the deep, close friendship that Rachel had never had before.
“Mom! You’re not listening,” Katie said.
Busted. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t. You’re right. Can you repeat that for me?”
She did her best to be honest with her daughter. To let her know that while Rachel wasn’t perfect, she loved Katie with all her heart.
Was she succeeding?
She didn’t know. But she hoped that if she didn’t find a kidney in time, her daughter would somehow remember Rachel had done her best.
“I’m going to teach you my song I learned in Sunday school. We’re going to sing it together.”
Katie had been singing Bible songs ever since leaving the Sunday school classroom. Rachel didn’t know who this Zacchaeus was, other than a wee little man, but Katie couldn’t stop singing about him.
“Is it the Zacchaeus one?” Rachel asked.
Katie groaned. “No. My friends at school got tired of hearing it all the time, so they taught me some new songs. And now I’m going to teach you.”
Her friends at school weren’t the only ones, but Rachel wasn’t going to say so.
“All right, let’s hear it.”
As Katie sang about Jesus’s love and Rachel tried to learn the words, she couldn’t help wondering once again if it was true. Did Jesus really love them? Was Jesus really here to save them?
Maybe on this visit she’d spend some time talking to Janie and see what insight Janie could give her. She liked the pastor’s daughter, with her no-nonsense attitude and her belief that despite all of her mistakes, and all the things that seemed to have gone wrong in her life, God still loved
