all in a day ’ s work.
“ Well, I think Ryder oughta be able to settle down Jakie since he ’ s such a perfect type of fellow, ” Alice teased, handing the baby to Ryder. “ Don ’ t you think so, Dusty? ”
“ Oh, definitely, ” Dusty agreed, staring at Ryder and quirking one daring eyebrow .
“ Fine, ” he mumbled, willingly taking the baby. “ You ladies take a stroll. I got things well in hand here.”
Dusty saw Alice wink at Ryder in thanks as they set out toward the fields. The walk was nice , and Dusty was glad her daddy had left Ryder home to wait for the supplies. It gave Alice a much - needed break, and it was good for her own soul. They talked for quite a while, and Dusty realiz ed that Alice was worried about Alex working too hard. He didn ’ t want to spend the money to hire a hand, so he was working himself into a state of great fatigue. Dusty assured her she would let her father know so he could drop in and try to talk Alex into getting some help.
All at once, they realized t hey ’ d been gone far too long . Alice and Dusty were both concerned the fussy little baby boy might have sent Ryder into yanking his hair out by the handfuls.
Yet when Dusty walked into the parlor, her mouth dropped open in astonishment . She could not believe what she saw before her ! There was Ryder, rocking back and forth, back and forth in t he old, squeaky rocking chair—a nd there was baby Jake sound asleep on his chest. One of Ryder ’ s powerful hands patted the baby sof tly, if not somewhat awkwardly, on the back ; the other cradled him comfortably, providing a perfect rest for his tired little body.
“ Poor little fella. He was just plum tuckered out, ” Ryder spoke quietly, and Dusty imagined the low booming of his voice was a furth er comfort to the sleeping baby— ear nestled firmly on Ryder ’ s chest. “ Look at his little face. That there’s a tired pup . ”
Certainly , the baby did sleep soundly —h is peaceful little face porcelain white and pressed flat against Ryder ’s body, his little mouth open, a steady stream of slobber already leaving a wet mark on Ryder ’ s shirt.
“ Why, Mr. Maddox, ” Alice exclaimed, “ I ’ m just…just…so grateful! I thought I would fly into screamin ’ fits if he didn ’ t settle down soon. ”
Dusty still stared disbelieving at Ryder as he stood and carefully laid the baby down on a quilt lying on the floor —f or there, next to the now - sleeping baby, lay a sleeping Makenna.
“ You put me to shame as a mother, Mr. Maddox! ” Alice exclaimed in a whisper .
“ Nah. They was just tired, ” he answered. “ But I gotta get out to meet ol ’ Leroy. I hear him comin ’ just now. ” He looked at Dusty and nodded. “ Miss Dusty. Mrs. Jones. ”
“ Well, ” Alice began as Ryder retrieved his hat from the hat rack by the door and started to leave, “ it ’ s mighty glad I am that you ’ ve come back to the ranch, Mr. Maddox. ”
“ Same here, ma ’ am, ” Ryder said , smiling.
“ You ’ ll make someone a good daddy someday, ” Alice added.
“ Well, let ’ s hope so, ” he chuckled, winking at Dusty.
Immediately, she felt her face go crimson and hot. Nodding at Alice , he left, closing the screen door quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping children.
“ For cryin ’ in the bucket, Dusty! ” Alice exclaimed once Ryder was out of earshot and the two women had returned to the swing on the front porch. “ Are y a really gonna turn him out on his fanny every time he speaks to y a ? ”
“ I didn ’ t turn him out on his fanny, ” Dusty argued.
“ And it ’ s such a nice fanny at that, ” Alice teased.
“ Alice ! Stop that! ” Dusty ordered.
She was beginning to hurt inside. She didn ’ t want to talk about Ryder anymore. She didn ’ t want to think about how gentle and kind and adept he had been with Alice ’ s children. She didn ’ t even want to think about Alice ’ s two beautiful children. She wanted
“ Well, I think Ryder oughta be able to settle down Jakie since he ’ s such a perfect type of fellow, ” Alice teased, handing the baby to Ryder. “ Don ’ t you think so, Dusty? ”
“ Oh, definitely, ” Dusty agreed, staring at Ryder and quirking one daring eyebrow .
“ Fine, ” he mumbled, willingly taking the baby. “ You ladies take a stroll. I got things well in hand here.”
Dusty saw Alice wink at Ryder in thanks as they set out toward the fields. The walk was nice , and Dusty was glad her daddy had left Ryder home to wait for the supplies. It gave Alice a much - needed break, and it was good for her own soul. They talked for quite a while, and Dusty realiz ed that Alice was worried about Alex working too hard. He didn ’ t want to spend the money to hire a hand, so he was working himself into a state of great fatigue. Dusty assured her she would let her father know so he could drop in and try to talk Alex into getting some help.
All at once, they realized t hey ’ d been gone far too long . Alice and Dusty were both concerned the fussy little baby boy might have sent Ryder into yanking his hair out by the handfuls.
Yet when Dusty walked into the parlor, her mouth dropped open in astonishment . She could not believe what she saw before her ! There was Ryder, rocking back and forth, back and forth in t he old, squeaky rocking chair—a nd there was baby Jake sound asleep on his chest. One of Ryder ’ s powerful hands patted the baby sof tly, if not somewhat awkwardly, on the back ; the other cradled him comfortably, providing a perfect rest for his tired little body.
“ Poor little fella. He was just plum tuckered out, ” Ryder spoke quietly, and Dusty imagined the low booming of his voice was a furth er comfort to the sleeping baby— ear nestled firmly on Ryder ’ s chest. “ Look at his little face. That there’s a tired pup . ”
Certainly , the baby did sleep soundly —h is peaceful little face porcelain white and pressed flat against Ryder ’s body, his little mouth open, a steady stream of slobber already leaving a wet mark on Ryder ’ s shirt.
“ Why, Mr. Maddox, ” Alice exclaimed, “ I ’ m just…just…so grateful! I thought I would fly into screamin ’ fits if he didn ’ t settle down soon. ”
Dusty still stared disbelieving at Ryder as he stood and carefully laid the baby down on a quilt lying on the floor —f or there, next to the now - sleeping baby, lay a sleeping Makenna.
“ You put me to shame as a mother, Mr. Maddox! ” Alice exclaimed in a whisper .
“ Nah. They was just tired, ” he answered. “ But I gotta get out to meet ol ’ Leroy. I hear him comin ’ just now. ” He looked at Dusty and nodded. “ Miss Dusty. Mrs. Jones. ”
“ Well, ” Alice began as Ryder retrieved his hat from the hat rack by the door and started to leave, “ it ’ s mighty glad I am that you ’ ve come back to the ranch, Mr. Maddox. ”
“ Same here, ma ’ am, ” Ryder said , smiling.
“ You ’ ll make someone a good daddy someday, ” Alice added.
“ Well, let ’ s hope so, ” he chuckled, winking at Dusty.
Immediately, she felt her face go crimson and hot. Nodding at Alice , he left, closing the screen door quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping children.
“ For cryin ’ in the bucket, Dusty! ” Alice exclaimed once Ryder was out of earshot and the two women had returned to the swing on the front porch. “ Are y a really gonna turn him out on his fanny every time he speaks to y a ? ”
“ I didn ’ t turn him out on his fanny, ” Dusty argued.
“ And it ’ s such a nice fanny at that, ” Alice teased.
“ Alice ! Stop that! ” Dusty ordered.
She was beginning to hurt inside. She didn ’ t want to talk about Ryder anymore. She didn ’ t want to think about how gentle and kind and adept he had been with Alice ’ s children. She didn ’ t even want to think about Alice ’ s two beautiful children. She wanted
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