Baby Be Mine Read online

  Baby Be Mine

  Whispers in Wyoming

  Book 22

  By

  Danni Roan

  Confused and alone as she faces one of the hardest decisions of her life Marissa Brighton heads to the Broken J Ranch to find solace at her sister’s quiet home. A summer break in the wilds of Wyoming will surely provide the time she needs to sort out her big mistake. Trace Sparak has found a place where he can do the work he loves while providing for his little sister Daisy, the miracle baby that shattered his family years ago. Will his faith, love, and strength keep another from repeating the mistakes of the past or will he fail to show God’s power when times get tough?

  Copyright © 2019 by Danni Roan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. FIRST EDITION https://authordanniroan.com

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 1

  “There’s my little Boo!” Marissa Brighton called bending low and scooping her nephew off the floor of the dining room in the big ranch house of the Broken J then tossing him in the air.

  “Marissa!” Michelle yelled jumping from her seat at one of the long tables. “I didn’t expect you yet,” the petite dark-haired woman cried rushing to hug her younger sister.

  “I needed to get out of the city,” Marissa said settling a two-year-old Kadence on her hip with a grin and hugging Michelle back. “I’m so exhausted after this school year,”

  Michelle hugged her little sister tight one more time then headed back to the coffee machine along the far wall to fill two cups.

  “How long can you stay?” she called over her shoulder fixing the hot drinks. “Won’t Ray want you back soon?” she added wrinkling her nose and placing a cup before her sister who was tickling Kadence until he squealed.

  “We broke up,” Marissa said with a shrug.

  Michelle Ballard gaped at her sister, her dark eyes filling with concern. “You’re kidding me?”

  “Nope,” Marissa confirmed with an angry sniff. “Everything I own is in my car right now. I packed it up and left. You ready for a summer house guest?” she finished tickling her nephew to make him giggle once more.

  Michelle stood dumb-founded her coffee forgotten in her hand. Marissa had been in love with Ray since high school. She’d moved in with him in college, and nothing anyone ever said could make Marissa see what a loser the man was.

  Slipping into her chair Michelle pushed her thoughts away. It seemed that the Brighton women had trouble picking good men. That was one of the biggest reasons she had used a modern-day matchmaker to find her husband Kade.

  “Are you alright?” she finally managed to ask.

  “I will be,” Marissa said. “I believed he loved me,” she said putting Kadence down and taking a seat before sipping her coffee. “As soon as things got tough he was done.”

  “Tough?” Michelle said, “I thought things were good. You have the teaching job you wanted. You have a nice place back home. What happened?”

  “Things got too serious I guess,” Marissa admitted. “Ray doesn’t want a family.”

  Michelle felt a cold shiver run down her back as she met her sister’s troubled eyes.

  “Hey Mini-Mar,” Kade Ballard called stepping into the oversized ranch kitchen and eating area. “I thought I saw your car out there.” The big man made his way to the table and reached down to give his sister-in-law a one-armed hug.

  “Why do you keep insisting on calling me that,” Marissa said thumping the oversized cowboy on the arm. “I’m five inches taller than Michelle,” she finished shaking her head.

  “Yeah, but you're still short to me,” Kade chuckled taking his son from her lap.

  “Everyone is shorter than you Kade, you’re like a freak of nature,” she finished with a good-natured smile.

  “You want me to dump your stuff at the house?” Kade asked heading for the coffee machine to fill an oversized mug.

  “Just my bags,” Marissa said. “I’ve got all my other stuff in the trunk as well but only need the clothes.”

  Kade looked toward his wife, catching the slight shake of her head and letting the questions that popped into his head slide for the time being.

  Kade slipped into the seat next to Michelle, kissing her on the cheek as Kadence squirmed from his arms and headed back to his toys.

  “You staying long?” Kade asked looking across the table at Marissa.

  “At least a few weeks if you can stand me,” she said. “Most of the summer is mine,” she added.

  “Must be nice having summers off,” Kade teased. “Teaching sure is a sweet gig.”

  Marissa rolled her eyes at the man. “Yeah, yeah, we teachers live the life of Riley,” she grumbled. “We get off at three, have every weekend and holiday off, and only work ten months of the year,” she said shaking her head.

  Kade had been shocked at the long hours, heavy workload, and endless professional development a teacher had to handle every year when he’d first gotten to know his sister-in-law. He had been taught to respect his teachers growing up, but that didn’t mean he understood what they did.

  “I’ll keep my all year, all hours job,” he joked. As a partner in the Broken J Dude Ranch, Kade worked all the time, in all kinds of weather, and at all hours, but he was doing what he loved. “At least the cows don’t talk back and my mules, Jack and Scott, know their jobs,” he finished with a grin.

  “I can’t imagine doing anything but teaching,” Marissa admitted. “Yes it drives me crazy at least half of the time, and it is getting harder and harder to deal with the insane changes to everything every year, but I love my kids.”

  “Better you than me,” Kade said finishing his coffee. “I’ll put your things in your room at the house while you two catch up,” he added pushing his heavily muscled bulk from the table and slamming his hat back onto his head of dark blonde hair. “I’ll see you at supper,” he finished kissing Michelle on the head before striding to the door.

  “Big lunk,” Marissa said with a laugh. She still didn’t totally understand how her sister had found a modern-day matchmaker to hook her up with Kade, but he treated Michelle like a gem and that was enough for her, even if Michelle had developed some odd notions since marrying the big man.

  “See ya later Mini-Mar,” Kade cast over his shoulder as he ruffled his son’s hair and turned the corner headed for the front door.

  “So how long are you staying?” Michelle asked, “and are you doing okay with the breakup?”

  Marissa shrugged. “As long as you’ll have me and it’s complicated,” she mused noting the hard look in her sister’s eyes.

  “What did you do?” Michelle asked the hair on the back of her neck prickly.

  “Nothing I can’t handle, one way or another,” Marissa said.

  Michelle could tell that her sister wasn’t telling her everything. “Marissa, what’s going on?” she asked worry edging her voice.

  “I already told you,” Marissa finally said. “Ray didn’t want a family, but that can always be fixed.”

  “What are you saying?” Michelle leaned across the table studying her younger sister’s face. “Yo
u can’t mean you’re…”

  “Don’t worry about it Michelle, I’ll figure out what I want to do. I have options.”

  “Marissa you only have one option. You can’t seriously think it would be alright to terminate if you’re really…”

  “I don’t want to hear it Michelle,” Marissa barked cutting her sister short. “I’m my own person and can do what I want. I don’t need any lectures from you. I thought if anyone would understand it would be you after what you dealt with before Kade. You found your way out of that situation and I’ll find mine.”

  “This is different,” Michelle insisted. “I was the only one I had to worry about when I asked for a way out.”

  “Don’t lecture me,” Marissa snapped standing. “I’ll figure it out. I don’t need you telling me what to do or giving me your sanctimonious opinion. It’s my life and my body. I’ll do what I want,” she finished climbing to her feet and storming out of the dining hall.

  Michelle leaned over picking up her son and snuggling him close as tears pooled in her eyes, wordless prayers racing heavenward from her troubled mind.

  Chapter 2

  Marissa stormed out of the big gray ranch house and onto the wide wraparound porch her blood boiling. Of all people, she had believed that Michelle would understand and at least be willing to accept that she could make the best decision for her own life.

  Breathing deeply of the warm heady air of the Broken J Ranch she tried to calm her nerves even as thoughts and unsettled emotions raced through her mind.

  As her temper flared out of existence, Marissa noticed Philomena Haven walking across the dusty yard and plastered a smile on her face, as she pushed her dark hair off of her neck.

  Stepping down the stairs, Marissa headed toward her sister’s oldest and dearest friend who was technically family now since Michelle had married Phil’s cousin, Kade.

  “You need help?” Marissa asked peeking at the noisy bundle in Phil’s arms and the bags hanging from her shoulder.

  “Not unless you want a permanent position as a nanny,” Phil said.

  Philomena Haven looked tired. Her beautiful auburn hair, normally lovingly fashioned, was tangled into an oversized clip and her purple t-shirt had several yellowish stains on it.

  “You look exhausted,” Marissa said with a slight shiver. “Are you getting any sleep at all?”

  “A little. It’s only been three months since my sweet Megan joined our family.” She lifted her daughter in her arms showing the dark-haired pixie’s puckered face as she squirmed and fussed. “I’m sure we’ll adjust.”

  “She’s beautiful,” Marissa said her heart softening as she gazed at the baby. “You look like a train wreck though,” she added with a smile.

  “Thanks brat,” Phil said. Marissa had always been Michelle’s brat sister, but over the past two years, she had become a regular at the ranch and had begun to fit right in with the crazy life both Philomena and Michelle had embraced.

  “I try to help,” Marissa said. “Seriously though are you alright?”

  Philomena smiled the past few years of her life flashing before her eyes in an instant. In a whirlwind, she had inherited a ranch, met the man she would marry and built a business from scratch.

  The Broken J wasn’t only her home it was part of her heart and now, with her baby girl, one of the final pieces had been added to this marvelous, mixed-up life.

  Phil looked down at her sleeping daughter her eyes full of the light of love and smiled. “I couldn’t be happier,” she admitted. “I’m exhausted. I’m usually covered in some sort of bodily fluid. I never get enough to eat, but I couldn’t be happier.”

  Marissa looked into Phil’s face her heart quivering in her chest. “If you ever want me to take her while I’m here let me know,” she offered kissing the tiny princess-of-the-range on the forehead.

  “I’ll take you up on it,” Phil said adjusting her bundle and heading for the house. God had blessed her bringing her to this place and even living with sleep deprivation for a few months was worth it.

  ***

  Her heart troubled and her mind full of unsettled thoughts, Marissa headed toward the fence line, and the string of horses nibbling hay in the corral. It was always freeing to come to the Broken J and soak in its history and abidance of the place. It was just what she needed to settle and get her head around her mess of a life.

  She couldn’t help but wonder at the changes in Philomena and Michelle. Since they had come to the Broken J, they were so different. It was almost as if someone had switched on a light, letting it shine from within their very souls.

  Looking out across the ranch Marissa knew that soon she would have to make some hard decisions, but one thing she was sure of, no one would make them for her. She was her own person and could do what she wanted. She had rights.

  On the other side of the sturdy fence, old Butch, the dark mahogany bay stallion of the ranch, shuffled his way across the dusty lot. The horse was incredibly old yet had sired many of the younger horses that were now being trained on the ranch.

  The big dude ranch was doing great from all she could tell. Guests ambled about the place taking in the breathtaking beauty of the open range and distant mountains, or chatting about the next planned event.

  Kade’s, big red wagon trundled through the parking lot collecting a gaggle of giggling guests from the airport shuttles and bringing them back to the main house and cabins where employees of the ranch would get them checked in and settled.

  If Phil didn’t expand soon Marissa was sure that there would be a problem. It already seemed that the place was full to capacity.

  Turning her back on the ranch house Marissa noticed a cowboy working a bright bay horse on a long line and she relaxed watching the poetry in motion. She loved horses, and now that Michelle was living and working at the ranch, Marissa could indulge in that love. She often booked a trail ride, or a lesson, or just an information session where wranglers and wranglerettes taught horse sense to guests.

  There was something so peaceful and relaxing about watching a horse in motion, and Marissa smiled seeing the young horse move from pace to pace as the cowboy patiently moved it around in a wide arc.

  Leaning on the railing, she watched the smooth graceful movements of the horse and sighed. If only life was so easy. At the moment, she wished that someone else held the reins to her life directing it, guiding it, and watching over each move, but she was alone and whatever happened was on her shoulders.

  She was still surprised that she hadn’t cried over her break up with Ray. She was more angry and disappointed than anything else. After several years together she had been sure they were ready to move on together, to get on the same page and head for the next level in their relationship. Apparently, Ray was happy with things the way they were and had no desire for something more.

  Marissa’s hand dropped to her stomach as she worried over her little problem. She would have to make a decision soon. Again, she felt annoyance at her sister for not telling her she would support her no matter what, but even as she thought it she knew it wasn’t fair.

  She had ambushed Michelle who knew her better than anyone in the world. She only hoped that it wouldn’t cause problems with her stay because frankly, she had nowhere else to go right now.

  ***

  Trace Sparak looked out across the paddock at the pretty young woman leaning against the rail and scowled. He could tell from her posture that something was bothering her, and he hoped that some time out in the green wilds of Wyoming would settle her mind. He always found his center in God’s creation.

  Clicking to the little bay mare to cover his distraction, Trace peeked out from under his hat studying the young woman. Her dark, almost black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and her soft blue top with large white flowers set off her creamy skin. He wondered if her eyes were dark like her hair, but he couldn’t tell from this distance.

  Pulling his attention back to the horse who had slowed to a lazy walk, Trace ch
ided himself for looking at the pretty young woman. He had enough on his plate with his sister and his job, not to mention the help center.

  Turning his attention back to the horse he focused on finishing out the training session, bringing the mare in for a good scratch once she’d worked through every gait smoothly.

  “She’s very pretty,” the young woman said as she made her way along the fence line watching as Trace coiled the rope.

  Trace smiled noting that her eyes were dark and mysterious. She reminded him a little of Kade’s wife Michelle, but this woman’s hair was straight while Michelle’s was curly to the point of being unruly.

  “Sherri is a sweet girl,” Trace agreed. “She’s eager to please and that makes it nice working with her. She’ll make a good riding horse here at the ranch.”

  “I don’t remember seeing you here before,” Marissa said. “I’m Marissa by the way, Michelle’s sister. She runs the print-shop and graphics business down by the mill stream.”