Forever Family (River's End Ranch Book 26) Read online

  Bobbi looked down at the paper bag she held in her hands. She’d almost forgotten, and that wouldn’t be right after begging Wilber to take her on an errand in town during his lunch hour. “I brought you something.”

  Jaclyn put her hand over her chest in surprise. “You did? Well, I don’t have anything for you!”

  “That’s all right.” Bobbi felt like she was on firmer ground now, and she was so glad she’d gotten the gift. It had taken all the tips she’d earned from the few tables she’d waited while the waitresses were on break, but that was all right. It was something special, and she knew it would suit Jaclyn perfectly.

  “Well, come in and I’ll open it while I’m sitting. That will be better, right?”

  Bobbi had no answer for that, so she walked into the house, looking around for a place to sit. “Exactly how many bunnies do you have?”

  “Only twelve. I had four, but…you know how bunnies are. Just scoop one up and you can hold it or set it on the floor.”

  Bobbi was suddenly glad she’d decided to leave Don Juan at home. He would have loved the walk, but he would have wanted to chase the bunnies. It would have been a fun new game for him, but she was certain Jaclyn wouldn’t approve. She scooped a bunny out of the chair and planted her bottom in it, stroking the bunny’s head.

  Jaclyn opened the paper sack and squealed with surprise. “It’s a gnome! For my yard? He’s perfect. I shall call him George, and he shall reign over the fairies with an iron fist!” She leaned toward the gnome, as if she was listening. “What’s that? The gnomes and the fairies are natural enemies? Life is about to get interesting around here, I see!”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t wrap it. There was no time.”

  “It’s perfect. George isn’t one who needs frou-frou wrapping paper. He’s content just the way he is.” Jaclyn sighed happily. “I can’t wait to put him in my yard. Maybe I’ll start an entire gnome village!”

  “I think that would be very wise,” Bobbi said, struggling to keep her face straight.

  “So you really don’t know why the fairies wanted me to help you? Nothing bad is going on in your life?” Jaclyn’s eyes narrowed at Bobbi, obviously thinking she was holding something back from her.

  Bobbi bit her lip, wondering how much she should tell the older woman. Finally, she decided to spill it all. Why not? The whole ranch would soon know that her father was an escaped con. She spilled the story quickly and emotionlessly. She didn’t want Jaclyn to realize just how upset she was over the whole thing.

  “So, has your father called you?”

  Bobbi shook her head. “Not yet. I think he will, though.”

  “How do you feel about seeing him?”

  “I don’t know. As my father, I want to see him, of course. As my mother’s murderer, it’s harder to want to see him.” Bobbi raised her hands, as if confused.

  “I’m not sure that’s why the fairies wanted you to come over. I think you’re here to talk about your feelings for Wilber.”

  “Wilber?” Bobbi blushed profusely. “What exactly am I supposed to say?” How could she admit feelings she had to this woman when she hadn’t even admitted them to herself?

  “How do you feel? I know he saw you and knew he’d marry you, but how do you feel about him?” Jaclyn leaned forward, studying her face.

  Bobbi took a deep breath. “He’s a very kind man, and I like him a great deal.”

  “Enough to marry him?”

  “Having known him for precisely five days, that’s hard to answer. Maybe once I’ve known him for a week, I’ll have a better handle on my feelings.” Even Bobbi was surprised by the sarcasm that dripped from her words. Her foster mother had been determined to make certain she never used that tone of voice again. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

  Jaclyn simply laughed. “Not rude at all. When you’ve only known a man for a week and people keep bugging you about your feelings for him, sarcasm is definitely called for! I approve.”

  Bobbi smiled. “I’m glad you do.” She shrugged. “I like him a lot. I’ve never had a boyfriend before, and he’s a very sweet man to be my first.”

  “And last. I think the fairies are pushing for the two of you to marry. They approve of you together.”

  “Did they tell you that?” Bobbi asked.

  “Honestly, the fairies talking to me is very new. They told me that you were about to come to the ranch and that you would marry Wilber. They said the two of you are destined to be together, but you would perceive obstacles before you that you didn’t need to worry about. So stop worrying about them.”

  “I can’t marry a man while my father is on the loose. It wouldn’t feel right.” Bobbi knew she was looking for reasons not to marry quite yet. As much as she cared about Wilber, it didn’t feel like it was time.

  “Would it feel wrong, though?” Jaclyn asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe.” Bobbi felt as if Jaclyn’s role in life was to confuse her.

  Jaclyn cocked her head to one side. “The fairies say he’ll be back in prison tomorrow. Will that make you feel better about everything?”

  “My father being in prison doesn’t make me feel good. How could it?”

  “I guess that makes sense.” Jaclyn looked down. “Oh, I forgot to offer you tea and snickerdoodles. Do you like snickerdoodles? They’re the only cookie I bake, but I bake them like a champ.”

  “I think so. I don’t remember ever having them.” There had been few treats in Bobbi’s life for the past ten years.

  “Well, try one!” Jaclyn peered at her anxiously, making Bobbi feel a bit like a bug in a glass jar.

  Bobbi took a small plate and added one of the cookies to it, also pouring herself a cup of the tea. She took a bite of the cookie and closed her eyes, smiling big. “They’re delicious.”

  Jaclyn sat back happily. “I told the fairies that snickerdoodles would be good and you didn’t need chocolate chip. They were very fussy about it though. Do fairies talk to people everywhere you go?”

  “If they do, no one has ever mentioned it to me before. Do you think they’ll stop talking to you? Or will they continue?” Bobbi didn’t believe in fairies, but it was so fun to play along with the game the older woman was playing. Surely it wouldn’t hurt anything for her to pretend fairies were real.

  “Oh, I think now that they’ve opened their big mouths, they’ll never be able to close them. I don’t mind though. It’s kind of nice to have the company.”

  Bobbi shook her head, stopping in front of the house. Over the years, she and Jaclyn had become very close, and she’d grown used to the fairy talk. She’d even spent hours consoling Jaclyn over the death of George.

  Sure enough, as she walked up to the house, Jaclyn stuck her head out. “The fairies said you were coming. I have tea and snickerdoodles. Though the fairies still insist I should be baking chocolate chip cookies for you.”

  “The fairies are silly.” Bobbi didn’t wait for an invitation into the house, knowing she was welcome. They’d been friends for too long for her to suspect anything else at all.

  Once she was inside, Bobbi shooed a couple of bunnies from her favorite chair, determined that she would not have to deal with them. As much as she loved bunnies, what she wanted to talk about was serious, and not meant to be filled with animals.

  She waited while Jaclyn set everything just so and poured her a cup of tea. “I thought you needed something special today, so I made chamomile.” Jaclyn flinched. “Okay! The fairies insisted on chamomile.”

  “Chamomile is perfect,” Bobbi said, accepting the cup. “And as much as I love your snickerdoodles, the fairies were right about the cookies. I need all the chocolate I can get my hands on at the moment.”

  Jaclyn studied her over the rim of her own cup. “Tell me everything.”

  Chapter Six

  Bobbi took a deep breath, trying to decide where to start. “Do you remember when I told you about my father?”

  Jaclyn nodded slowly. “He’d just escaped from prison,
and you were trying to decide what to do.”

  “He’s getting out at the end of the month. He knows where I am, and he wants a relationship with me and his grandchildren.” Bobbi bit into the cookie, wishing it would magically transform itself into chocolate.

  “Wow. What are you going to do?”

  Bobbi shrugged. “I don’t know! We’ve decided to talk to the kids about it on Sunday at the family dinner. We think they have a right to help us decide. He’s their last living grandparent, after all.”

  “Do they know about him?”

  “They know their grandfather killed their grandmother, and he’s been in prison since I was a child. Nothing more.” What more was there to say? If she thought about it, that covered all they really needed to know.

  “That’s a tough situation,” Jaclyn said, shaking her head. “Are you hoping for help from the fairies? They only seem to have opinions on people’s love lives. They told me you and Wilber are doing a bit better.”

  “There’s nothing like a crisis to help us see eye-to-eye.” Bobbi sighed, running her fingers through her hair. It was still as blond as it had been in the eighties, but now she helped it with regular salon appointments. “And no, I’m not looking for help from the fairies. I thought maybe my friend Jaclyn might have an opinion.”

  Jaclyn looked almost afraid to give her advice. “I only pass on what the fairies say. You know I don’t give advice.”

  Bobbi shrugged. “It was worth a try. This is one of those days when I really wish I had Kelsey around to talk to. She always made me feel like everything was better.” She knew the good relationship she’d had with her mother-in-law wasn’t considered normal by most people, but she’d truly appreciated the older woman’s advice on everything from home décor to cooking.

  Jaclyn frowned. “You think you feel better after talking to her? She was my closest friend for over fifty-five years. Not having her around anymore is hard every single day.”

  Bobbi nodded. “For me too. I know I’m supposed to hate my mother-in-law, but I never could. She was too loving.”

  “She loved you too. She always called you her daughter-in-love, and said you stole her heart the first day you walked on the ranch. Knowing you and Wilber are having problems would make her roll over in her grave.”

  “We’re working through them. I promise. He’s always been my staunchest supporter.” Bobbi felt badly for even being annoyed with him and questioning their relationship, because he had always been very good to her. Well, except for lately, of course.

  “You don’t need advice from me, Bobbi. You know just what to do. Talk to your children, get their feelings, and then make a decision. If you don’t think he’s dangerous, maybe it’s time for you to forgive him.”

  “How do you forgive a man for killing your mother and changing the course of your life?”

  “If he hadn’t killed her, do you think you’d be sitting here talking to me today? Do you think you’d have married Wilber and been happy?”

  Bobbi shrugged. She truly didn’t know, but it was something to think about. She had six children that she loved more than her own life, as well as a niece she’d raised and loved as one of her own. The grandbabies were starting to roll in, and the joy she got from them was indescribable. Could she really keep her father from experiencing the same joy?

  After leaving Jaclyn’s house, she walked over toward the spa. There was rarely an opening without an appointment, but she was hoping she could get in today. She desperately needed a massage—one where she did no talking and she just lay there and let her therapist relax her.

  As she walked, she thought about her father’s call the day after she’d gone to see Jaclyn. She’d just returned to the ranch house after her day of work when the phone rang. Kelsey had called her. “It’s a man. The police are ready to trace the call. Can you keep him on the line?”

  Bobbi shuddered. How had her life been reduced to being bait for her father? She didn’t know, but she would do what was right.

  “Hello?”

  “Bobbi, are you okay?” It was definitely her father, and he sounded frantic. She had no desire to talk to him, but she had to. She had to do what was right, to help the police get him back into custody.

  “I’m fine, Dad.” She nodded at Kelsey who slipped into the office to make a call to the police. “I’m living on a ranch here in Idaho, and if God made a more beautiful place on this earth, I’ve yet to see it.”

  “Well, it’s not like you’ve been a lot of places. I’ve been really worried about you. They told me you left your foster home, but you’d not left a forwarding address. I’ve been searching for you since I got the news. I had to break out so I could find you. I’ve known how for a while, but I didn’t need to.”

  “I see.” She looked over at Kelsey, who gave her a thumbs up. “Where are you, Dad?”

  “I’m staying in a small town near the prison, sleeping in the woods. I had to do research to find you. Research I couldn’t have done from prison. I broke into someone’s house to use their phone. As soon as the police arrive, I’ll give myself up.”

  Bobbi blinked. “What do you mean?” He knew they were tracing the call? How?

  “I knew I’d be caught as soon as I called you. You’ve always been a rule follower, and someone who would do what she thought was right, even if it meant giving up her own father. It’s okay. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

  She stood there frozen, unsure what to say. “You knew?”

  “I did. I love you just the way you are, Bobbi. I’ll do extra time for this, but at least I know you’re safe.”

  She felt the tears streaming down her face. He couldn’t understand as much as he said he did. The phone was taken from her, and Wilber pulled her against him. “They’ve got him.”

  She could hear the sirens through the phone line even as he put the phone back on the cradle. “Please tell me I did the right thing.”

  “Of course you did! You did the only thing you could do.”

  “But he’s my dad.” It was the first time she’d thought of him as her father in years. He’d always just been her mother’s killer.

  “I know, sweetheart. I know.”

  She clung to him, unsure if she’d done the right thing or not. It was the only contact she’d had with her father in ten years, and she didn’t plan to have more contact with him anytime soon. Maybe she should, but he was a killer.

  “Let’s take Don Juan for a walk,” he suggested, kissing her forehead. “I think you need to clear your head before supper.”

  “You’re probably right.” She went to her room, where Don Juan was sleeping on her bed. She’d never known a dog could sleep quite so much. She attached his leash, and went out into the living room where Wilber was waiting, talking to his mom in low tones.

  “You ready?” he asked as he saw her.

  She nodded. “Let’s go.”

  “I’ll have her back in an hour or two, Mom.”

  “Good. She has to be up very early for work in the morning.”

  Bobbi smiled at Kelsey, happy that she still had a job. It wouldn’t have been hard for Kelsey to tell her that it wasn’t working out because of the drama she brought to the ranch.

  As they walked, Wilber talked to her, getting her mind off her father. “Do you want to go down by the lake?”

  She laughed softly. “So it can calm me down, because I’m a woman?”

  “I didn’t say that…”

  “You didn’t need to. I remember your theories.” She sighed. “As it happens, a walk down by the lake sounds absolutely lovely. I can’t think of a place I’d rather go.”

  He grinned. “I’m not saying a word.”

  “You’d better not. I have awfully sharp elbows, and you just might get one in your side if you do.”

  He laughed. “I can’t believe you’re threatening me when I’m taking you for a walk so you’ll feel better…”

  “I guess I’m just mean like that.”

  “Obvi
ously. It’s a good thing I fell in love with you at first sight, or I might just be afraid of you right about now.”

  She shook her head. “You didn’t fall in love with me at first sight. I don’t even believe in love at first sight. I think you need to get to know someone before you can love them.”

  “You do, huh? So you think love is more of a choice than it is an emotion you feel?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. I mean, I know I can choose to love people and not hate them, but it’s more than that. I think that as you get to know someone, that’s when you fall in love…or don’t, as the case may be.”

  “Well, that’s not how it happened for me. I took one look at you, and I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. It came on like a blinding flash.”

  “Jaclyn would say it was the fairies. She says they told her we were meant to be together. I tried to talk to her about my troubles with my father, but she told me the fairies had only told her about you. Not my dad.”

  He laughed. “I love that crazy woman!”

  She grinned. “I think she’s growing on me. I was a little afraid of her at first, because every time she saw me, she was mumbling about fairies, but she invited me over for tea and snickerdoodles yesterday. I don’t think I’ve ever had a snickerdoodle, and while I will always prefer chocolate chip, the snickerdoodles were very good!”

  He frowned. “She hasn’t made me snickerdoodles since I was a boy. I think I need to go visit Jaclyn for my fair share of cookies.”

  “Be my guest. She loved the gnome, by the way. Said she’s naming him George.”

  “I guess George is as good a name for a gnome as anything. I wonder if the fairies have names.”

  “You’re going to have to ask her that. I’m not going to talk about the fairies any more than absolutely necessary.”

  He frowned. “I wonder if we’re going to be required to invite the fairies when we marry. I have no idea what the protocol is when fairies are instrumental in your relationship.”

  “No idea. Maybe you should ask your mother. Better yet, ask your dad. I’m sure he’ll have an opinion.”