“You didn’t hear the things she saidtome.”
“Let’s get into the truck where it’s warm. I want you to tell me everything. I knew I should have gone in there with you,”hesaid.
After helping her into the truck, Hank ran around to the driver’s side. He’d left the engine running to keep the cab warm. But it wasn’t enough for Carol, who sat trembling intheseat.
“How could she hate me so much?” Carol asked in awhisper.
“She doesn’t hate you. She probably hates herself forabandoningyou.”
“She said she was too poor to take careofme.”
“But she had enough money to fly to New York,”hesaid.
“Maybe someone loaned ittoher.”
His hands gripped the wheel tighter. How could anyone abandon their baby? What kind of a person was her mother? He could never imagine giving up his baby willingly. Not that he had one—not yet—but if he ever had a baby, he wouldn’t abandon her if his life depended on it. He’d take on three jobs if that’s what it took to take careofher.
“But if she was poor, can I really be mad at her?” sheasked.
“That’s no excuse,”hesaid.
As he navigated the road back to the ranch, his bear grew restless. Anger swelled in his chest. He didn’t know much about Carol, but she seemed like a sweet person and she definitely didn’t deserve to be treatedlikecrap.
“I want to go back,” Carol saidsoftly.
“What?” His head whipped to the side so he could lookather.
“She didn’t haveanyfood.”
“You don’t owe her anything,”hesaid.
“Could you leave someone alone if they were starving and cold?” sheasked.
“No.”
His anger dissipated. She was right, he couldn’t turn his back on someone in need, no matter how much the person might havedeservedit.
“We’re almost back to the ranch. I’ll drive myself back. I’m sure I can find it again,”shesaid.
“The sun will be going down soon. Let me drop the groceries off at the ranch first. If you can wait a few minutes, I’ll drive you back to the store and we can buy her some food,”hesaid.
“You’ve been driving me around all day. I can’t keep imposing on youlikethis.”
“It’s no bother,”hesaid.
It didn’t hurt that his bear wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. He’d never felt the beast so satiated this close to sundown. Normally his bear would be doing somersaults in his chest, anxious to escape. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to his bear today, but now that he was, he realized why the beast was so calm—it wantedCarol.
He shook the idea away.No way, bear.Even though she wasn’t the typical tourist on vacation, she clearly had more issues than he wanted to have to deal with. He’d sworn off needy women after his last relationship and he wasn’t about to break that rule now. It didn’t matter how hot she was, or how much his bear wanted her. She was completely off-limits.
After parking behind the B & B, he grabbed several bags from the cab and hauled them into the house. Carol trailed behind. She’d offered to help, but she was a guest, not an employee. She shouldn’t have to lift a finger while shewashere.
He found Madison in the kitchen. She bustled around slapping biscuits onto a baking pan. She whisked them into the oven before waddling over to stir the scrumptious-smelling stew. For a pregnant woman, she moved like lightning. Mack was one hell of a lucky man to havefoundher.
“Oh, I didn’t see you guys come in,”Madisonsaid.
“Sorry it took a little longer than I had anticipated,”hesaid.
“I was getting ready to send out a search party.” Shegrinned.
