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bright, his gaze fixed on Katie's pixie face as she continued to tell him about life in Baton Rouge. He looked happy for the first time since the stroke. When he reached out with his good hand to stroke Katie's face, she covered it with her own, holding his callused fingers against her cheek.
    Logan glanced at Megan and found her watching the scene with a soft smile on her face. With her ability to understand his father, he almost wished she could stay. But that wasn't possible. She had a life of her own, and he had work to do. Work that wasn't getting done while he sat here wasting time.
    "I need to get back out to the pasture. Black Bertha's due to calve at any time, and the south fence needs to be patched. I'll be back in time for supper." Logan stood and started to step away. His father grabbed his hand.
    His dad said something Logan couldn't understand, but his eyes were earnest with the desire to communicate. Logan looked at Megan. "Do you know what he said?"
    She tilted her head to the side and smiled at Charlie. "I think he said thank you."
    Logan look down at his dad, feeling a little guilty about the way he'd acted at the hospital when Carol had first told him he would have to help out on the farm. Now his father was thanking him for something he'd practically had to be forced to do. Embarrassed, he nodded and squeezed his father's hand, then turned and left the room.
     
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
    "Come on. You'll love it." Katie tugged on Megan's hand as she led her out the back door.
    "But I didn't bring a swim suit."
    "You don't need one. You can swim in your shorts and tee shirt. That's what I always do."
    Megan followed Katie down a dirt path that wound through a pasture toward a stand of trees. Above the lowing of cows in the pasture and a dog barking in the distance, she heard the gentle gurgle of a creek, a whisper of sound that enticed her closer. A sense of peace settled over her like a warm blanket on a cold winter's evening, both comforting and satisfying. After the noise and bustle of Dallas, this was pure heaven.
    When she stepped into the clearing, the sight took her breath away. In contrast to the parched earth near the house, the clearing was lush with green grass and tiny red and yellow wildflowers. A pool formed by a rocky dam glistened in the sun. A creek fed into the pool from the north in a cascade of rainbow-covered mist, then continued southward to join some distant river.
    Megan knew enough about West Texas to know a creek like this was a treasure for any farmer. As long as the rains came, there would be plenty of water for the cattle and to irrigate the crops. No wonder Logan's father wanted to keep the ranch in the family.
    "Isn't it great?" Katie shed her shoes and socks, climbed on a rock, and, before Megan could remove her Nikes, jumped into the water. "Come on!"
    "I think I'll sit up there and watch you for a while." Megan removed her shoes and climbed onto the rock shelf above the pool to watch Katie until the heat finally drove her into the pool. She splashed and played with Katie for a while, then stretched out on the rock to sunbathe.
    When she heard a commotion in the water, she lifted her head to check on the child. Logan stood at the edge of the pool and a Blue Heeler swam circles around Katie, who squealed every time the dog splashed her. Megan looked up at Logan and smiled. "He's beautiful. What's his name?"
    A corner of Logan's mouth tilted up. "Blue. Original, huh?"
    "That's exactly what I would have named him. I've always wanted a dog named Blue."
    "Daddy, come swim," Katie yelled.
    Megan watched the conflicting emotions cross his face as he seemed to weigh his duty to his father against time with his daughter. Finally, he stripped off his t-shirt and boots, emptied his pockets, and jumped into the pool, drenching Megan with the resulting splash. She was so mesmerized by the image of the broad, tanned chest, lightly dusted with black curly hair, she didn't realize she was