Free A Home for Haley by Mary Jane Morgan Page A

her as she remembered how her life had been with him. She’d always felt as
if nothing could destroy their love. She missed him terribly, but being Kayla’s
nanny and having Dottie and Ethan treat her like one of the family had definitely
dulled her pain.
    Ethan spread the blanket beside the
nursing lamb. “Nice to see he’s finally got a good appetite.”
    Hank nodded. “He’s a fighter.” The
lamb butted his head against the almost-empty bottle, knocking it out of
Kayla’s grasp.
    Hank picked it up. “He’s not really
hungry anymore. He just wants attention.”
    Kayla petted the lamb between his
ears. “He’s so soft. Oh, look, he’s licking Ryan’s hand.”
    Ryan squealed in delight and held
his palm up, fingers spread, for the lamb to nuzzle. After licking all the milk
off Ryan’s hand, the lamb nudged the boy’s tummy and he fell onto the hay,
laughing.
    “He likes you, Ryan.” Hank grinned,
and Haley was amazed how it transformed his face from tough to handsome. She
wondered why he had left his veterinarian practice and moved out here. She knew
he’d lost his son, but she would have thought his work, which he obviously
loved, would have sustained him through his loss.
    “Here, let’s help the little fella
lie down.” Hank picked up the lamb and laid him gingerly on his side.
    “Can he get up and down with the
cast on?” Haley asked.
    “He can, but it ain’t pretty.
Besides, I don’t want him straining his stitches.”
    “I can sympathize,” Dottie said,
coming into the barn. ”Two more weeks and that’s me. You going to feed me a
bottle?”
    Ethan winked at Haley. “You get an
IV, Mom. Then if you behave, I’ll bring you ice cream.”
    Hank wrapped an arm around Dottie’s
shoulders. “Pay no attention to your son. I’ll bring you a bottle—a bottle of
good red wine.”
    Dottie grinned. “You know how to
heal more than animals, Hank.”
    He snorted. “I know a few people
who’d disagree with that.”
    “A few idiots you mean.” Dottie
patted his arm. “I’m right, so no arguing.”
    “Look, Grandma, he loves us.” Kayla
stroked the lamb’s soft nose and lay down beside it.
    “Nothing sweeter than a baby lamb.”
Ethan ran a hand over the animal’s soft wavy wool, stroking from the top of its
neck to its hindquarters.
    He’s as gentle with the lamb as
he is with the children. Haley watched, mesmerized by Ethan’s gentleness. He
was a good man and incredibly good to her. The day she’d answered his ad for a
nanny had been one of the luckiest days of her life. She breathed deep of the
fresh smell of hay and thanked God for this job. Every day she was with this
family, she felt a little more whole.
    Ethan patted the blanket beside
him. “Sit down and join us, Mom.”
    She shook her head. “I’d never get
back up.”
    “Sure you would. I’d bring in a
crane if I had to,” he replied, holding out a hand.
    She slapped his hand away. “Always
a smart ass.”
    Grinning, Ethan cocked his head at
Haley. “Have a seat before she changes her mind.”
    She sank onto the soft blanket, amazed
at how comfortable she felt just hanging with everyone.
    Hank shoved his cowboy hat off his
forehead. “Guess I’ll go over to Riley’s and find out what he wants me to do
with the lamb once the stitches are out. Its mother probably won’t nurse it
now. You kids let the baby have a nap. He needs lots of sleep. Kinda like your
grandma.”
    “Too many smart mouths in one
place,” Dottie groused.
    Hank laughed. “This smart mouth is
leaving.” He headed for the barn door.
    “Let me at least pull up a bucket
for you to sit on, Mom.” Ethan started to shove to his feet, but she motioned
for him to stay put.
    “I’m going back inside. Amos is
coming over to take me to dinner. And don’t be going and giving me a hard time
about it, either.” She gave Ethan a pointed look. “Even grandmas need friends
their own age.”
    Ethan raised his hands as if in
surrender. “I wasn’t going