This week, we’re still visiting Flagman’s Folly with another clip from the first book, A Rancher’s Pride.  Here, Sam Robertson has just learned he’s the daddy of a very special daughter.

From the shadows of the barn doorway the next afternoon, Sam stole a glance across the yard to where his little girl played by the back porch steps, unmindful of anything near her.

If he had reason to yell Becky’s name, she wouldn’t hear him. If Porter’s uncontrollable mutt appeared from the ranch next door and made a beeline for her, she wouldn’t know. If the house collapsed behind her, she’d never have a clue—unless she saw the dust cloud kicked up from the falling debris.

And, worst of all, Sam couldn’t explain any of this to her. He couldn’t communicate with his daughter at all.

Jack, his ranch foreman, nodded in Becky’s direction. “Look at her, boss. The girl’s taking things in stride.”

“Better than I am.”

Jack shrugged. “Not every day a man’s ex saddles him with a kid he’s not expecting.”

“Well, I have her now.”

His gut tightened every time he recalled Sharleen’s story of how Ronnie had breezed into and hustled out of the ranch house, waving an over-the-shoulder good-bye as if she’d done no more than deliver a mail-order package. What made her do it, after all this time, he couldn’t hazard a guess at. Maybe her soon-to-be husband had a say in the matter.

“Sharleen’s handling things, too,” Jack said.

“Yeah. But neither of us is going to be able to cope with a child who can’t talk.”

~~~

Thanks for reading! Find out more about A Rancher’s Pride at your favorite retailers, including Amazon.

All my best,

Barbara