The Rancher's Family Wish by Lois Richer Page A

expenses. If we know how much our programs cost it will allow us to plan more effectively. Today’s visit is a great opportunity to see how our plans worked out.”
    “But—”
    “Also, if future visitors bring food to Wranglers, it will cause a whole mess of issues with the health department.” His megawatt grin made Sophie’s heart rate soar. “But you’re a licensed caterer. Your home-cooked treats make our experience more authentic. Believe me, that’s worth paying for.”
    “Tanner, you’ve done more than enough by letting us visit,” she protested but his smile only grew as he pressed her fingers around the check. He pulled his hand away, then he turned his focus to the trays of treats she’d laid out on a nearby table. After several moments’ deliberation he chose a brownie.
    “This is amazing,” he said after he’d tasted it.
    “Personally I like the lemon bars better.” Sophie shrugged. “But then I’m not a chocolate addict.”
    “Like me, you mean?” He chuckled when she wrinkled her nose in dismay at blurting that out. “That’s the only kind of addict I don’t mind being.” Something in the tone of his words made Sophie realize that Tanner’s past still troubled him, but she lost that thought when he asked hesitantly, “Do you really think the visit went well?”
    “Far better than I ever imagined,” she assured him. “Moses was a hit and those stations with your explanations really helped the kids appreciate the past and present at Wranglers.”
    “The stations were your son’s idea.” Tanner took another brownie, smiling at her surprise.
    “Davy?” She blinked at his nod. “How could he...?” Confused, Sophie waited for an explanation.
    “He talked to some of the kids who came here with the church youth group the other night and realized that many of them had no idea about life on a modern-day ranch.” Tanner chuckled at the memory. “Davy confessed he didn’t, either, and pointed out that it would be a lot easier for him to help at Wranglers if he understood what we were trying to achieve. So he and I came up with those information stations. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, your boy.”
    “Good to know.” Though he’d never said so, Sophie suspected her son longed to earn Tanner’s respect. “Davy has changed, thanks to you. I know he has a long way to go to prove himself, but even in the short time he’s been coming here, he’s grown less self-focused.”
    “Because he feels needed,” Tanner suggested. “Everybody wants to feel like their presence is important to someone, that they have a place. I guess Wranglers is becoming Davy’s place.”
    “I don’t think Davy’s the only one,” Sophie murmured as she glanced around the patio. Parents and children were happily sharing the beautiful space. “This was a good idea.”
    “You didn’t think so at first, though, did you?” His grin dared her to refute it. “When you saw the men putting down the flagstones that day you weren’t impressed. But this—” He waved a hand. “This is what I wanted. A space for people to relax, enjoy God’s beauty and each other.”
    “You have a lot of ideas about Wranglers’ future, don’t you, Tanner?” She knew that she’d underestimated him, hadn’t truly considered how he’d use the ranch to minister to kids. “What else would you like to accomplish?”
    A strange curiosity welled inside Sophie, a need to share his hopes and dreams. Maybe because it seemed her own dreams would never happen, that she would never escape her desperate scramble to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.
    Tanner didn’t have to worry about those mundane things. His dreams could soar. Unlike her he had the means to achieve his goals. And strangely Sophie wanted to be part of that, though she didn’t want to get too close to him. Relationships were not part of her life plan.
    “I’d like to figure out a way to keep a vet on staff full-time. The county is