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

“Have no idea, but I can’t imagine it,” Sonny answered. “She moved out to the Panhandle right after you left for the Air Force. I expect Mia belongs to someone she met out there. I always thought maybe you would ask her out, thick as y’all were back in high school.”

“We didn’t want to ruin a friendship.” Jesse wondered what life might have been like if they had dated, and maybe she had settled down in one of his home bases. They would probably have a family by now. Sonny and Pearl would have the grandchildren they’d always wanted.

“Friendship, huh? That’s crazy thinkin’ there, Jesse,” Sonny said. “Your mama and I were good friends before we married. That just made everything better afterwards. We already knew how to talk to each other…” he chuckled again, “and how to argue. You and Addy always reminded me of me and Pearl when we was young. Like I told you, your mama wanted a family and grandkids. You three boys are all starin’ forty in the eyeball right now, and ain’t a one of you brought us home grandbabies, so Mia stepped in to fill that place for us.”

“You really don’t know who her father is?” Jesse asked.

“I didn’t ask, and from what I hear, Addy has never told a soul,” Sonny answered. “Not even her parents. Did your mama tell you that they moved out to the Texas Panhandle about five years ago when Addy’s grandmother died? Little town called Cactus. Strange name for a town if you ask me, but nobody did. They put their acreage up for sale, and since it bordered Sunflower Ranch, I bought the place.”

“Are you renting the house that was on the property?” Jesse wouldn’t mind living over there. He would have space of his own and yet still be on Ryan property.

“I offered it to Addy and Mia since it was her old home place, but she said she feels more comfortable living in the house with me and Pearl. That way if we need a nurse, she’s right there,” Sonny answered.

“Do you think she’s embarrassed about who the father is?” Jesse asked as he drove the last leg back to the ranch house.

“Don’t know. Don’t care,” Sonny answered. “Mia is a great kid, and we love her no matter who she belongs to. I wish we had a dozen grandkids who loved the land as much as she does.”

Jesse parked as close to the yard gate as possible so that Sonny wouldn’t have to walk very far. “Need me to help you or should I go on out to the hay field?”

“I can still get up the stairs fairly well, so get on out there and help Mia with those rowdy boys.” Sonny grinned. “She’s still working on making them believe she’s boss. And thanks for listening to me, son. My door is open if and when you ever need to unload on someone.”

“I’ll remember that.” Jesse gave a brief nod and sat still until Sonny was on the porch before he put the truck in reverse and headed toward the hay field. He hummed an old tune by Travis Tritt, “Where Corn Don’t Grow,” and remembered the day that he’d told his dad he wanted to go to the Air Force and be a medic.

“I’ve taught you to mend fences, to run a ranch, how to bait a hook, and clean fish for supper,” Sonny had said. “I wanted you to be a rancher, but I won’t hold you back. If that’s your dream, then go chase it. But always remember where home is, and that there’s a ranch waiting on you if your dreams don’t work out the way you planned.”

Jesse wondered if he’d stayed on the ranch, maybe gone to college and gotten a business agriculture degree, if he would have a son by now. Maybe one that had a dream that didn’t involve ranching but would come home someday—one that could step into his shoes and run the Sunflower Ranch.

The lyrics of the song talked about a young man and his father sitting on the porch. The son asked his father if he ever wished he had a life where corn didn’t grow. The father told him that there would be dusty fields no matter where he went in life. Jesse had never believed anything more than he did as he sang the last words of the song on his way out to the hay field.

“I’ve been so many places where corn don’t grow that I can’t even remember them all,” Jesse muttered as he thought of all the places in what his team had called “the sand box.”

When he parked at the edge of the hay field and stepped out of his truck, he left his career as combat medic behind, settled his old sweat-stained Stetson on his head, and changed into a cowboy. He had come home to Sunflower Ranch and was staying no matter what the circumstances.

“You ready to work?” Mia wiped sweat from her face with the tail of her T-shirt.

“You ready to try to keep up with me?” He unsnapped his chambray shirt, took it off and tied it around his waist, pulled a pair of gloves from his hip pocket, and picked up the first bale of hay. “This is what you want me to do, isn’t it, boss?”

Mia nodded, grabbing the hay from him, and stacked it on the trailer.

The four boys who were working eyed him cautiously. “Who are you?” one of them finally asked.

“I’m Jesse Ryan,” he said. “You guys going to ask questions or earn your paychecks?”

“You called her boss.” A scrawny red-haired kid tossed a bale up onto the trailer.

“Yep, because that’s who she is on this mission, and we’d all do well to listen to her. She’s a tough one, I hear,” he said.