"Ramp. I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I've still got pretty good upper body strength."

"I don't doubt it one bit." Kent gave her a big grin, feeling like finally they were getting their Hedy back.

Lauren pointed toward the ramp. "Aunt Hedy, please put on that safety helmet I ordered for us to use."

"I'll get it. I set it beside the ramp." Kent quickly walked over and picked up the helmet.

"You just want me to look like a wimp," Hedy grumbled as she eyed the helmet with distaste.

Billye Jo laughed. "That's the last thing you'll ever look like. Just wear it to make us happy."

"Okay. I can see I'm outnumbered around here." Hedy motored over to the base of the ramp, then stopped and looked around at everyone. "Let's rock and roll!"

Kent secured the helmet under Hedy's chin. "There you go. You're all set."

Hedy motored up the ramp to the platform overlooking the arena and gave everyone a thumbs-up.

Kent moved to stand beside her, ready to lend a helping hand any way he could from here on out.

Billye Jo led Spot over to Lauren and handed her the lead. "If it suits everybody, I'd like to hold Chancy Boy's lead since he's used to me while Kent takes care of Hedy."

"Suits me this first time. We're all on a learning curve," Lauren agreed as she patted her daughter's cowgirl boot. "Hannah and I will watch from outside the arena."

Billye Jo picked up the lead she'd left by the fence, opened the gate, and stepped inside the arena. She stroked Chancy Boy's jaw, then reached up and clipped the lead to his halter. She quickly led him over to the platform, looked over at Kent, and gave a nod that she was ready to go.

Kent took a deep breath, hoping against hope that nothing would go wrong. "Hedy, if it's okay with you, I'm going to lift you and set you in Lauren's fancy saddle. And if you think the helmet's wimpy, take a look at that fleece-covered, thick pad."

Hedy chuckled as she reached out and stroked both hands across the lambskin. "Softer than my chair. I may need to wimp-out more often."

Kent smiled as he gently picked up Hedy, thinking she felt almost as light as a bird, and positioned her in the saddle. He could tell her old instincts came right back because she immediately grabbed the pommel with both hands and adjusted her seat. He felt a lump in his throat as he slowly eased his hands back from her. She looked good, as if she had perfect use of her body.

"Oh my," Hedy said in a soft, reverential voice. "I thought I'd forgotten, but it's like riding a bike in that you never forget how to ride a horse."

"I know you want to go tearing across this arena." Billye Jo glanced up from where she held Chancy Boy. "But please give us all a break. We're just learning what to do here."

Hedy laughed out loud, sounding like her old self. "Are you telling me that I'm your guinea pig?"

"That's about the size of it," Kent agreed, watching like a hawk in case Hedy suddenly lost her balance.

"Cowgirls!" Hannah cried out. "That's me and Aunt Hedy!"

Hedy gave her great-niece a nod of agreement. "Give us both a little time on horseback and we'll be riding all over this ranch."

"Cowgirl power!" Hannah's voice carried across the arena.

As everybody laughed, Kent felt his heart fill with happiness. Life was coming together in perfect harmony.

"I don't want to be a spoilsport," Lauren said, "but I don't want to push our success today too far either."

"I won't fight you. I've got lots of time now." Hedy leaned slightly forward to stroke Clancy Boy's mane, and then she smiled at Lauren. "Thank you. Up here with four legs under me, I feel young again. Oh, like about fifty."

"That's just what we want to hear," Kent agreed as he reached out to her. "Ready to get down, cowgirl?"

"You bet." Hedy put her strong hands on his arms.

He gently lifted her out of the saddle and set her back in her wheelchair where she'd been confined for so many years.

"Thanks." Hedy looked at Chancy Boy. "I'll be seeing you later, and I'll be bringing treats."

"He'll be waiting for you." Billye Jo led Chancy Boy over to the gate. "I'll just get him back in his stall before I put up Spot."

Kent unbuckled Hedy's helmet, set it aside, and followed Hedy off the ramp. He walked over to Hannah, lifted her from her saddle, and set her on the ground. He felt a great sense of satisfaction in their accomplishments this day.

Hannah ran over to Hedy and gave her a big hug. "We're the best cowgirls in the whole, wide world."

"We certainly are." Hedy blinked back the tears as she smiled at her great-niece.

Kent saw Lauren gazing at her daughter and aunt with love in her eyes. He knew how she felt. He was full of love, too. And he couldn't imagine a better day in a better place.

As he picked up Spot's lead and started for the barn, his phone rang, interrupting the perfect moment. He felt a spurt of apprehension as he dug his cell out of his front pocket. He wasn't rea.s.sured when he saw he had an incoming call from Sheriff Calhoun. He wondered if his day had just taken a turn for the worse.

"Sheriff, what can I do for you?" he asked, nodding at Lauren as she stared at him in concern.

"Howdy, Kent. Is Billye Jo at your place?"

"Sure is."

"Good. I need her to come over to the Sinclair station in Sure-Shot."

Kent felt his gut clench at the news. "Not another fire, is there?"

"Nope." The sheriff gave a big sigh. "Look, just get Billye Jo over here right away. And why don't you come, too."

"I'll be there. You don't need the booster or anything from fire-rescue?"

"Not today."

"Lauren is with me. Okay if I bring her along?"

"Not a bad idea. I've got a head-scratcher here."

"We'll be along as soon as we put up the horses."

"Alrighty." And the sheriff was gone.

"Trouble?" Lauren asked with a puzzled frown on her face.

"I don't think so. Sheriff Calhoun wants Billye Jo and me at the Sinclair station. I thought you'd want to come along and see what it's all about."

"I do. I'm curious." Lauren glanced at her daughter. "But I can't leave Hannah, and I don't want to take her there."

"Don't fret." Hedy grinned as she settled Hannah onto her lap. "We'll go along to my place where everything is just her height."

"Yay!" Hannah nestled against Hedy and gave a big yawn.

"Maybe we'll bake some cookies, but first I think we'll both take a nap." Hedy kissed the top of Hannah's head.

"You're sure?" Lauren asked.

"It's about time my great-niece spent some time with me, don't you think?" Hedy asked with a warm smile on her lips.

"Hannah?" Lauren said. "Would you like to spend some time with your aunt? I'll come get you later today."

"Yay! We cowgirls got to stick together." Hannah yawned again as she snuggled against Hedy.

"I guess that settles it." Lauren gave Kent a positive nod.

"Okay, folks, let's get on our way." Kent tugged on Spot's lead and headed for the barn. "The sheriff's awaiting us in Sure-Shot."

Chapter 39.

Sure-Shot lazed in the late afternoon sunlight as Kent drove past the Bluebonnet Cafe toward the Sinclair station. Billye Jo pulled her horse trailer behind her pickup in back of him. Hedy and Hannah had gone off together, happy as two peas in a pod, but he still kept fighting the inclination to look in the backseat to check on Hannah. He realized now that he'd stepped into being Cowboy Daddy without even realizing it, and he couldn't imagine life any other way.

Lauren rode quietly beside him as if deep in thought or just resting from her strenuous day. He could tell she'd cried with Hedy because she'd repaired her makeup as best she could on the drive. Not that she needed makeup, but you didn't bring up a Texas gal's appearance, at least not to her face.

Up ahead, he saw Sheriff Calhoun's cruiser parked in front of the Sinclair station. A beat-up-looking four-wheeler blocked the garage's front double doors. Other than the vehicles, the building looked about like it needed as much repair and paint as the last time he'd seen it.

Kent parked beside the sheriff's cruiser and Billye Jo pulled to one side of the station so she had plenty of room to park her horse trailer. He glanced over at Lauren, and she gave him a tired smile.

"Are you up to a little more today?"

"I feel emotionally wrung out, but I'm really happy, too. Everything went so well that I can still hardly believe it."

"Whatever you said to Hedy did the trick."

Lauren nodded, looking teary, but she didn't say anything.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, smiling a bit. "All's well that ends well."

"That's sure the truth." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sheriff Calhoun exit his cruiser. "Guess it's time we find out what's going on here."

"Let's hope it's good news."

Kent got out of his truck, walked around the front of it, and opened Lauren's door. She stepped down and he gave her a quick hug just as Billye Jo joined them.

"If you're pa.s.sing out those hugs, Kent, I deserve one, too." Billye Jo winked at Lauren. "I'm proud as punch after our first go-round with Chancy Boy."

Lauren laughed as she hugged Billye Jo. "You can have all the hugs you want after what you just did for Aunt Hedy."

"That was a combined effort," Billye Jo said. "And a good one."

"Absolutely," Lauren agreed. "And it's just the beginning."

Sheriff Calhoun slammed the door of his cruiser. "If y'all will stop jawing and come over here, somebody wants to talk with you."

Kent glanced over to see a tall, gangly guy about twenty or so with thick, tawny hair and beard stubble exit the pa.s.senger side of the sheriff's vehicle. The guy wore a gray T-shirt and faded jeans with ripped-out knees. His athletic shoes had seen better days.

"Come on." Kent shrugged as he glanced at Lauren and Billye Jo, then they all walked over to the sheriff.

"Afternoon, folks," Sheriff Calhoun said. "Billye Jo, you know Moore Chatham here, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Billye Jo nodded at Moore. "You and your mom moved onto River Ranch a few years ago, didn't you?"

"Yes, ma'am. We came back to Granddad's place after he died. We'd have been back sooner, but he and mom didn't get along."

"Be that as it may," Sheriff Calhoun interrupted. "Moore, I want you to meet Kent Duval and Lauren Sheridan, both of Wildcat Bluff. They helped put out that last fire at the station."

"I'm right sorry." Moore hung his head and looked at his feet.

"Speak up, son," Sheriff Calhoun said.

Moore raised his chin and looked at Billye Jo. "Ma'am, I apologize for any damage I may have caused to your station."

"What!" Billye Jo exclaimed. "You set the fires?"

"Yes, ma'am. I can't pay for the damage, but I'd be happy to work it off."

Billye Jo glared at the sheriff. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, it's not," Sheriff Calhoun said. "Moore called me and turned himself in for setting the fires in Sure-Shot. But after hearing his story, I'm inclined to go easy on him with community work."

"You may be inclined to go easy on him, but he endangered this structure and the entire downtown." Kent wasn't so sure he agreed with the sheriff's a.s.sessment, but he was willing to listen.

"Like I said, I'm right sorry for the damage and trouble," Moore insisted. "It was stupid of me. If you want to press charges and put me in jail, I'll go willingly, but it'd leave my mom in a pickle."

"You should've thought about that before starting fires." Kent couldn't help but think about all the danger and destruction that as a firefighter he'd help stop in the county.

"Kent, let Moore have his say." Sheriff Calhoun put a restraining hand on Kent's arm. "I'm trying to do what's best for our community."