The Forest Ranger's Child by Leigh Bale Page A

enveloped Lily gave her the answer she sought. God wouldn’t let her down. As long as she sought Him out and tried to do what was right, He would guide her. She had to have faith.
    Standing, she walked over to the window where she gazed at the corrals outside.
    Her child’s birthright.
    Lily sighed and shook her head. She didn’t want to be coerced into doing things she didn’t want to do. And she definitely didn’t want to be friends with Nathan Coates.
    Or did she…

Chapter Seven
    A fter Lily walked away, Nate stared at her empty chair. Obviously she didn’t approve of Hank’s plan. She wanted to give her baby up for adoption. And that filled Nate’s mind with more questions. Like why she didn’t want to raise her own child.
    Hank leaned his elbows on the table and scowled, his sandwich forgotten. “I’ll never understand that girl. Or her mother, either. Never as long as I live.”
    Hank muttered to himself, but Nate understood the confusion. He was feeling much the same way. He shouldn’t care what was bothering Lily, but he did.
    “So what about it?” Hank urged.
    “What about what?”
    “Will you work with my quarterhorses?”
    “Hank, you need a real horse trainer, not me.”
    “You are a real trainer. A good one. I’ll give you stock in the venture. You’d be well compensated for your work, Nate.”
    “You can train your own horses, Hank. You did a great job with Peg.”
    Hank lowered his head, seeming to study the green linoleum. “I know how to train horses, but I can’t do it anymore, Nate. I…I’m sick.”
    A long pause followed while Nate digested this information. Was this the truth, or was Hank trying to play on his sympathy? “Is it serious?”
    “Nah! It’s nothing, really. But I can’t work like I used to. I can’t train the horses.”
    Even though Hank tried to downplay his physical condition, Nate wasn’t fooled. Nothing but a serious ailment would keep Hank from working with his animals. “What’s wrong with you?”
    Hank heaved a labored sigh of disgust. “My ticker’s wearing out. I’d rather not go into more detail than that.”
    “Have you seen the doctor?”
    Hank’s cheeks mottled with embarrassment. As if he should be able to control this weakness. “Yeah, I had a battery of tests about eight months ago. That’s when I quit smoking. I just need to take it a bit easier. But now I’ve got to think about Lily and my grandbaby. I had forced myself to cut back so I could last long enough for Lily to come home. Now she’s here, I’ve got to convince her to stay. I don’t want to see my place sold at auction. It belongs to Lily now. Her inheritance. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s the only name in my will. I’m telling you this in confidence, though. You’ve got to promise me you won’t tell Lily I’m sick.”
    “Okay, I promise.” Nate figured Lily would find out soon enough on her own. All you had to do was look at Hank to see he wasn’t feeling well. The colorless skin. The gasping breaths. The hacking cough. It all made sense now. But Nate hadn’t realized it was so severe.
    “So you can see why I need your help. I’m out of options,” Hank said.
    “Why not hire some hands to help out on the place? You used to employ Deeter Smith. He’s good at caring for horses, although he’s not a trainer.”
    “Yeah, Deeter’s dependable, too. But I…I’ve had some financial setbacks. I can’t afford to pay an extra hand right now. That’s why I thought you might be willing to help out in return for stock in the venture. I could really use your help, Nate.”
    “Is your illness terminal?”
    Hank pursed his lips, as if reluctant to answer. Then he nodded his head once. “Afraid so. Which is one more reason you mustn’t tell Lily. She’s got enough worries without mollycoddling her old man.”
    Nate agreed, but in fairness to Lily, he figured she ought to know the truth. “How long can you live?”
    “Indefinitely, if I cut back on work