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Her first thought was that she probably looked like she’d been traveling all day with a toddler, and her second thought was why had he come? Was Heidi in the car? Macie swallowed down the uncomfortable tightness in her throat that she couldn’t quite explain. She knew Holt managed the ranch, so clearly she’d run into him sometime. She just hadn’t expected it to be at the airport after narrowly averting a crisis with Ruby.
And now, knowing that Ruby was still on the verge of a meltdown, and would not forget the promise to get treats, Macie wished she would have opted for a taxi. Or at the very least spent a couple extra minutes in the bathroom freshening her appearance.
Well, it was too late to check her appearance. Holt was looking straight at them, his expression unreadable. Macie supposed he wouldn’t be too happy to have the ranch invaded with guests, but just like Knox always said, Holt was willing to do anything to help his parents out. Even if that meant driving forty minutes to pick up his ex-sister-in-law and her very tired three-year-old.
It had been a sore point for Knox, talking about this family. He had deep resentment against each of his siblings for one reason or another, and Holt seemed to take the brunt of Knox’s vicious comments. He can do no wrong. My parents worship him. They say jump, and he says how high.
Macie had no siblings, so when she and Knox had gotten married, she’d had the faulty vision that she’d become part of a large family. Two sisters would have been amazing. But things hadn’t happened that way. Now, with Macie’s mom’s death, and not remembering her dad, her daughter’s only family ties would be the Prosper family. And as Ruby grew older and asked more and more questions, Macie felt the hollowness that had become their life more acutely.
Every little girl deserved grandparents. And Macie wanted the best for Ruby, even if it came at a great sacrifice on her part.
Like . . . right now.
Walking toward Holt unearthed memories long since buried. Of that hot summer night at the rodeo. How she’d seen Holt casually leaning against the fence, and when her girlfriends caught her ogling him, they’d challenged her to “talk to a real cowboy.”
So that’s what Macie had done. Then Knox entered the picture and changed her life forever.
Macie blinked away the memory as Holt’s gaze went from her, to Ruby, then back to Macie. She forced a casual smile. There was no such return smile on Holt’s face. It appeared he was here to complete an errand—which was what she and Ruby would be to him.
Okay, then . . . Macie kept the smile on her face even though her eyes had started to burn. “Hello, Holt,” she said when they reached him. “This is my daughter, Ruby.”
Holt nodded then dragged his gaze from her face and looked down.
“Ruby, honey, this is your Uncle Holt,” Macie said, keeping her tone upbeat.
Ruby’s brows drew together as she looked way, way up at the man in front of her. “What’s an uncle?”
Hmm.Macie hadn’t expected this. “An uncle is a man who is the brother of your dad.”
Ruby’s nose scrunched. She’d began asking where her daddy was a few weeks ago when she started attending a preschool and the other kids talked about their daddies. Macie had explained over and over that Daddy was working at another rodeo and couldn’t come home.
Technically, she and Knox had been separated for over a year, but his family hadn’t been told until recently that the divorce was final. Ruby’s questions were part of what prompted Macie to call Heidi Prosper, that and her zero balance in her savings account. She’d packed two suitcases, sold whatever else she could, and stored the rest of their belongings at her friend Gilly’s place.
“Then where’s Daddy?” Ruby asked.
Oh boy.“He’s at the rodeo, remember?”
“The doreo is dumb.” Ruby’s lower lip jutted out.
This was not how Macie envisioned introducing Ruby to her relatives. Time to change tactics. “Can you tell Uncle Holt how old you are?”
Ruby promptly held up four fingers.
“You’re four?” Holt said, his voice low.
His voice was deeper than Macie remembered, or maybe it wasn’t something that one could recall three years down the road.
Ruby gave a solemn nod. “My birfday’s in Duly.”
“July,” Macie corrected.
Holt kept his blue gaze fixed on Ruby. “So, you’ll be five on your birthday?”
A zap of gratitude flashed through Macie. Maybe Holt could diffuse the situation.
Then Ruby frowned. “Four!”
“That’s right, you’ll be four on your birthday, remember?” Macie said.
