LITMIR.BIZ

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Thanksgiving with harvest, you know, a time to count your blessings like the Pilgrims did. So maybe bales of hay scattered around, a few pumpkins on top, a sheaf of wheat if you could find anyone to make it—that kind of thing.”

      “Sounds good,” she said with a nod. “And easy. Sophie wants to have an evening meal outside so we’d need lights of some kind. I’d thought candles on the tables, but I suspect that’s out because of the fire risk.”

      “There are lots of solar lanterns available. Or battery lights. You could even put some inside hollowed-out gourds and set those inside tipped-over bushel baskets. I’ve seen that done before.” Wyatt felt silly throwing out these ideas about decorating, especially given the state of his ramshackle ranch. “Or you could string some lights in the trees. Maybe even leave them up for Christmas?”

      “I love lights at Christmas.” Ellie’s eyes sparkled, her excitement obvious. “So, will you help me do it?”

      “Uh, no. I mean, I can’t. I, er, I’m busy with Cade,” he stammered. Though he liked Ellie’s enthusiasm, admired the way she threw herself into things, he pulled out the excuse he always used to escape involvement. He wasn’t ever getting involved again anyway, so it was better to maintain his distance.

      “Cade can sleep here while we work, as well as he can sleep at home.” As Ellie called him out her face got a shrewd look. “In exchange for helping me with the decorating I could babysit for you once or twice. Gracie would love that.”

      This man would make a good daddy for us, Mommy.

      Gracie’s words reverberated in his head, and he knew he had to get out of this arrangement.

      “I appreciate the offer, Ellie, but I don’t think it would work.” he said quickly and swallowed his coffee in a gulp. “I’d better get going. I’ve got chores to do at my ranch.”

      “You have a ranch?” Ellie’s face had lost some of its excitement as she rose gracefully and walked with him toward Cade.

      “It hardly deserves the term ranch, but I’m working on improving that,” Wyatt told her, then grinned. “In my spare time.”

      Ellie smiled back before glancing at Cade. “He’ll probably wake soon.”

      “Which is why I need to get home. He always wakes up hungry.” Wyatt gently scooped the sleeping boy into his arms, relishing the baby powder smell of his son and the warm weight of him against his chest. “Thank you, Ellie. I appreciate all your help.”

      “You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.” She brushed one fingertip against Cade’s cheek. “Bye, sweetie. I hope I see you again soon. You, too,” she added, glancing at Wyatt.

      He made a noncommittal response, feeling her gaze on him as he hurried to his truck. Funny how much he wanted to stay and enjoy her company. Ellie’s warm personality, quick laughter and generous nature chased away the gloom and cares that had weighed him down for so long. Talking to Tanner and then sharing coffee with Ellie had, for a little while, brought Wyatt back into the adult world, a place where he didn’t feel quite so incompetent.

      As he drove home, Wyatt decided that today’s excursion proved that both he and Cade could benefit from more time among others. Right now he only had that on Sunday mornings when he took his son to church. But keeping an eighteen-month-old toddler amused and happy didn’t allow much opportunity for Wyatt to hear the sermon, let alone interact with adults later. But at least the Sunday morning outing gave them both a break from their routine.

      Maybe Ellie was right. Maybe there was a way Wyatt could manage to get more work done. After all, Cade slept in the afternoons. It was unlikely he’d know if his daddy was there or not, but even if he did, wouldn’t Cade benefit from contact with more people? People like Ellie? Wyatt grinned. He had a hunch there wasn’t anyone else quite like Ellie.

      Wyatt pulled into his yard and carried a wakening Cade into the house, mindful that he was thinking an awful lot about Ellie Grant. Just as well he’d refused to help her with that Thanksgiving thing at Wranglers.

      He admired her plucky spirit and generous outlook. But no way could he allow admiration to turn into anything else. Wyatt would not allow a relationship to grow between them. He failed at relationships. Failed his father and failed Taryn.

      What he could not do was fail Cade.

      * * *

      The following day, after she’d finished work at Wranglers, Ellie bundled Gracie in the car and drove to Wyatt’s ranch. All day she’d vacillated between compunction about invading his personal space when he’d made it clear he wanted nothing more to do with her and a silly female yen to hold Cade again.

      Okay, and to see his good-looking father. It had been so nice to just talk to a male friend yesterday, one who wasn’t her boss. She hadn’t had that since Eddie had been part of her life.

      “Hey, cut that out. Wyatt’s a nice guy, but he’s nothing to you,” she reminded herself.

      “What did you say, Mommy?” Gracie poked her head out from the book she’d been trying to read. A book about daddies, of course.

      “Oh, just talking to myself, honey.” Ellie gave herself a stern, though silent lecture about controlling her interest in the vet. Since the day they’d met Wyatt in the grocery store she’d repeatedly told her daughter that he could not be her father.

      Well, neither can he be anyone special to you, Ellie Grant. But still, here you are driving onto his ranch on the faintest of pretexts...

      “Is this where my new daddy lives?”

      Her heart sinking, Ellie began, “Gracie, I’ve told you—”

      “Look! Dogs, Mommy. Lots and lots of dogs.” If there was one thing Gracie wanted almost as badly as she wanted a daddy, it was a dog. She clapped her hands in delight as Ellie parked near the house and several animals swarmed around the car, yapping excitedly.

      “Don’t open your door,” she cautioned her daughter. “They might not be friendly. Wait.”

      When no one appeared, she tapped the horn. A moment later Wyatt poked his head around the corner of a dilapidated structure that might once have been a barn. He waved, disappeared for a moment, then began walking slowly toward them with Cade clinging to one hand, toddling along. As they came nearer, he gathered up the boy and shooed most of the dogs into a pen before shoving in a wooden stick to hold the loosened gate closed. But he left an adult German shepherd and a small puppy out. The shepherd went to lie down under a tree, but the puppy followed on Wyatt’s heels to Ellie’s car.

      “Hey,” he said when she rolled down her window. A question feathered across his face, but all he said was, “Welcome.”

      “Thanks.” Seeing Gracie already had the door open and was exiting the car, Ellie followed her. “I’m sure you’re busy, so I won’t hold you up.”

      “No, it’s good you came. I didn’t realize the dogs had gotten out of the pen. That Irish setter is like a Houdini at escaping.” He shook his head ruefully. “It’s a good thing they’re wearing collars for the electric fence.”

      “I think Gracie’s already in love with this little one.” Ellie smiled as a whirl of brown puppy raced circles around the little girl’s sneakers, to her delight.

      “Puppies. Their energy makes me feel old.” Wyatt shook his head as the dog continued chasing his tail. “I was about to take a break. Want to join me for coffee?” He shifted Cade, who was sniffing and crying, to his other hip.

      “Thank you. Oh, and I’m returning this.” She lifted Cade’s newly laundered blanket from the rear seat and held it out. “You left it behind yesterday.”

      He took the blanket, then shot her a confused look. “He has more than one blanket, Ellie. You didn’t have to make a special trip. But thank you.”

      “I thought it might be his special blankie. Gracie would bawl for

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