Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch (The Ryan Family #1) by Carolyn Brown

He and Addy should be dealing with Mia together, like parents, but that would probably never happen, and even if they could work things out, Mia would never accept him—not with the attitude she had. Like Addy had said, they had moved on. Jesse needed to get comfortable in the backseat, or the bunkhouse as was the case.

* * *



Addy had expected things to be totally awkward between her and Jesse that morning when she got into the truck with him, but they weren’t at all. He had every right to scream at her or give her the old silent treatment, but he drove down the lane, took a left-hand turn, drove a mile, and made another left onto the property where she had grown up.

“I wish I had done things different,” she admitted. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I need help in the worst kind of way, and she doesn’t even know you are her father.”

“Want to tell her this morning?” he asked.

Addy shook her head. “No. Not until she gets over this phase. She’s always been such a good girl. So grounded and stable that I’ve patted myself on the back for raising her without a man in the picture. Guess I let my ego build up too soon.”

“I imagine you did a fine job. Some kids just have to go through that painful rebellious age and hit bottom before they realize what they’ve always had right in front of them. But Addy, I’d like to be there when you tell her,” Jesse said.

“Sure,” Addy said. “Looks like she and Tex have them herded up. That’s the last one going into the shed.”

Addy still had high hopes that she could talk Mia out of selling off the flock, right up until they got the first three animals out of the shed and into the shearing area. “What kind of price are you getting for Nellie?” she asked.

“That would be my business,” Mia said as she switched on the first set of shears and started to work.

“How about Buster Boy, here?” Addy began the job on the prize ram that had cost Mia all her wages one summer.

Mia gave her a drop-dead look and kept working. “You can’t guilt me into keeping them by reminding me that I named them. And for your information, Mama, Ricky and I are leaving this afternoon for a little vacation.”

“You can’t leave today. Father’s Day is Sunday,” Addy said.

Mia cut her eyes around at her mother. “I don’t have a father, remember?”

“You have a poppa, who has given you a lot of leeway on his ranch and has paid for your college. You know how much Father’s Day means to him. Give this idea of a vacation a week at least. Stay until after Sunday,” Addy begged, hoping to have time to talk her out of leaving with the local bad boy.

“I have some questions.” Jesse started on a second ewe. “Is Ricky selling off something of his to help pay for this trip, too? Where are y’all going, so we’ll kind of know where you are in case you need help? Are you taking your vehicle or his?” Jesse started on a second ewe.

“We’re going on a road trip and we’re taking my truck, because it’s in better shape than his, and the rest is none of your business. I keep telling both of you that I’m an adult and that Ricky and I can make our own decisions,” she answered. “We’ve been dating for months.”

Addy’s world was falling apart at the seams. Mia had always talked to her about everything. Why had she kept this a secret? The sudden changes in Mia made sense now.

“Are you eloping?” Addy whispered the question and held her breath, hoping that Mia would talk to her.

“Hell, no!” Mia shouted over the top of the noise of the shears. “We don’t need a piece of paper or a fancy ceremony to know that we’re in love. We’re just going on a trip to find a place where we would like to settle down and live together. I want to see more of the world than Texas. I deserve to do what I want. I’ve worked hard here.”

“What do you intend to do when you run out of money?” Jesse asked.

“We’ll both get jobs on a ranch,” she answered. “We’ve worked on them our whole life, and it shouldn’t be hard to find work. There are ranches everywhere.”

Addy finished shearing Buster Boy and turned him out into the corral. She gathered up the wool and put it into the packer at the end of the room, wiped the tears from her eyes, and tried to flush the anger from her heart. Addy couldn’t bear seeing her daughter leave town with that boy; hence the tears. But the anger came from her sensible daughter not being able to see that she was giving up her own dreams for a guy who would break her heart.

“Aren’t you going to help us finish the shearing?” Mia yelled.

“No, I am not,” Addy said. “I will put the wool in the packer and sweep, but that’s as much as I’m doing to help with this foolhardy idea of yours. If you’re going to be an adult and take your life and money into your own hands, then have the guts to go tell Sonny you won’t be here for Father’s Day.”

“I’ll tell them when I go back to the house to get my things. I’m not talking about this anymore. My mind is made up.” Mia stomped her foot on the wooden floor for emphasis.

Addy hoped that when Mia saw the effect her leaving had on Pearl and Sonny, she would take a step back and think about things. Her sheep would be gone, but she could use the money to build another flock, or maybe even invest it in cattle. Addy’s thoughts chased around in her head so fast that she was a little dizzy when the shearing was finished. She gathered up the last of the wool from the floor and put it in the packer.