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

“I went in and asked for the job, filled out a form on the computer, and they hired me,” she said.

“Are you asking for a job as a hired hand on this ranch?” he asked.

“I guess I am,” Mia said.

“There’s no guessing to it. Ranch work is hard. It’s demanding, and it requires long hours. Either you know you want to work here, or you don’t,” Jesse said.

“All right then,” Mia said. “I want a job here. I already know what it takes to do ranch work. I’m experienced. I’ve had responsibilities right here that you already know about.”

“Are you willing to do what I say without back sassing and without attitude?” he asked.

“I guess…” She clamped her mouth shut. “Yes, I am. I’ll work hard to show all of you that I’m sorry for the choice I made and walked away like I did.”

“Then you have a job. Minimum wage like the summer hired help. Tomorrow, you and I will bring the alpacas over to this side of the property. This afternoon, you can get out the lawn mower and weed eater and take care of the yard work. If you’re done before supper, then go ahead and weed Mama’s flower gardens,” Jesse told her.

“Henry usually has one of the boys do that…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I’ll get the mower out and get busy.”

“Ever mowed before?” Jesse asked.

She shook her head.

“Then I think I’ll sit here and supervise, just to be sure you do it right.” Jesse propped his feet up on the rail again and tipped his cowboy hat down over his eyes.

Mia slammed her straw hat down on her head. Her boots sounded like shotgun blasts on the wooden porch as she stomped across it, but Jesse didn’t even blink an eye.

“Good job,” Addy said from just inside the screen door, “but I can’t see you sitting here doing nothing.”

“As mad as she is, she’ll have this done in an hour or two at the most. She and I are going to go straighten up the barn the rest of the afternoon. The stalls need to be ready for the alpacas in case we have to bring them in out of the heat or weather. She’s going to sleep like a baby tonight.” Jesse yawned.

“Think you can keep up with her?” Addy smiled.

“I’ll do my damn best,” Jesse answered. “This raisin’ kids ain’t for wimps, is it?”

“Nope, and especially after they get to be as old as Mia,” Addy answered. “I’m going to take Sonny’s vitals. Just to be on the safe side, I’m going to insist on doing Pearl’s, too. Neither of them needs this kind of drama. It broke my heart when Pearl mentioned how much she wanted to go to Vegas.”

Jesse sat up again and hung his hat on the back of the rocker. “Mine, too. I figure when Henry gets settled in Colorado, I’ll buy them tickets to fly up there, and then in the spring, I’ll insist they go to Vegas. They need to make every minute count before Dad gets any worse.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Addy stood up.

“You think you’ll ever go back to nursing full time?” Jesse asked.

She patted his shoulder. “I’ve got the best of worlds right now. I’m a full-time nurse to the folks, and I’m also doing what I can on the ranch. I’m happy, Jesse. Why mess with that?”

“Amen,” he said. “You might as well come on out here where I can see you.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” she said.

The door opened a few minutes later, and Addy and Pearl both came out on the porch. Pearl brought out two glasses of sweet tea and Addy carried a couple of bottles of water. Pearl handed Jesse a glass of tea and sat down on the swing. Addy opened a bottle of water and hiked a hip on the porch railing.

“We could have had one of the hired hands take care of the yard,” Pearl said.

Jesse took a long drink. “She needs to work off her anger before we do a job together.”

“This something you learned in the Air Force?” Pearl asked.

“It is.” Jesse nodded. “I learned it real quick, too. A team is only as good as its members working together, but if there’s a problem between two of them, then it has to be settled before the team can go on a mission.”

“You would have been a good father all these years,” Pearl whispered.

“I’m not so sure of that, but I do know I had some good role models in both you and Dad. We’ll get through all this, Mama, and when the time is right, Addy and I will tell her the whole story.” He turned to focus on Addy. “How’s Dad’s blood pressure?”

Addy took another drink of her water. “Surprisingly enough, it’s not up too much. He hasn’t slept good all week for worrying about that child.”

“And you, Mama?” Jesse turned back to her.

“I was thirty years old when we got you,” Pearl answered. "I haven’t slept good since that day. It’s a mother’s job to worry about her kids, and you boys all chose paths to travel that have been scary to me. I’m glad you are home, and I wish Cody would come on back and start a practice around here. We have sick people here just like they do in the Sudan or in one of those other places where he goes. And Lucas, running all over God’s creation training horses, scares me, too. He’s promised us a visit when he gets done in Argentina after the first of the year. I’m looking seventy right in the eye now, and your dad had his seventieth birthday a couple of years ago. We need you kids to be close by.”