Daniel: Seven Sons, #4

By Amelia C. Adams

Daniel McClain divides his time between the boys' ranch and the local hospital, using his gift to heal injuries and take away pain from his patients. He's well used to how his gift works and what the parameters are, but something's shifting, and he's not sure if that's good or bad.

Claire Hudson is looking for a new home. As a chef used to working in five-star restaurants, she's received plenty of accolades for her talents, but something inside her wants more. She gets on her motorcycle to see where the road takes her and ends up at a ranch outside Bagley, Texas - a place where she must confront her past and accept a future that doesn't even seem possible.

Neither expect the changes that are about to take place, but the powers that be have it well in hand.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia C. Adams
• Release date: Dec 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201686338

Book preview

Daniel

Seven Sons Book Four

by Amelia C. Adams

With thanks to my beta readers—Amy, Deborah, Erin, George, Laurie, Mary, Megan, Meisje, Melissa, Renee, and Shelby.

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Copyright ©Amelia C. Adams 2017

Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

Table of Contents:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

Daniel McClain swung his duffel bag off his shoulder as he stepped inside the cabin he’d be sharing with his brother Ephraim and their next set of assigned boys. Honey! We’re home!

You’re so funny. Caleb walked out from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. Hey there. Ready to take over this motley crew?

We are, Ephraim said, coming in right behind Daniel.

Nick came bounding down the hall, his backpack in hand. He stopped short when he saw Daniel and Ephraim standing there with bags of their own. What’s going on?

It’s time for rotation, Caleb answered. Remember how we explained it when you first got here? Us six brothers rotate around between the different cabins so we each have a chance to teach you different skills.

Yeah, I remember that. I just didn’t know when. Nick dropped his backpack by the door and stomped into the kitchen, yanking open the fridge door.

It’s been on the calendar since day one, Caleb called out, but there wasn’t any reply.

Don’t worry about it, Daniel said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. Rotation’s always a little hard on the boys.

Yeah, I know. I just have to wonder about it sometimes. I feel like Benjamin and I made some good progress with Nick, and I don’t know if he’s ready to move on.

You know we’ll keep a close eye on it, Daniel reassured him. If we need to make an exception, we’ll figure it out.

Caleb nodded. All the chore assignments are on the fridge, same as usual, he said by way of reply. Natalie packed up her stuff before work, so I’m the only one you need to get rid of now.

Take your time, Daniel said. Mom’s over at your next cabin right now trying to decide what fabric to use for her curtain project, so the boys aren’t alone.

Another project? Caleb shook his head.

She just wants everything to be nice for Christmas.

Caleb laughed as he headed down the hall. I won’t be long. Just gotta grab a few things from the closet.

The other five boys assigned to this cabin thumped into the kitchen, ready for breakfast, and Ephraim greeted them there and started them on their kitchen chores. Daniel paused for a moment in the living room, clearing his head. He and Ephraim had just spent two pretty intense months with another group of boys, and they’d developed some good relationships. They’d still see those boys and work with them, but now it was time to shift their focus to these six boys. He’d already gotten to know most of them because they’d been here a while, but Nick was new, and the McClains were still digging through his layers. Daniel hoped he could find a way to help the boy.

Hey, I said I was making the orange juice!

Angry voices exploded in the kitchen, and Daniel took a few steps that direction just in time to collide with Nick, who was barging out of there as fast as he could go. As soon as their arms touched, Daniel was overwhelmed with pain, and he gasped. He staggered backwards and leaned against the wall.

Nick didn’t notice and kept his pace toward the front door. Just then, Christopher called out, Hey, Nick, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d already dibsed the juice. Come back, and I’ll do the eggs instead.

Nick paused, his hand on the doorknob, and then he slowly turned and walked back to the kitchen. As he passed Daniel, he paused. You okay?

Fine, Daniel managed, and Nick nodded before heading back to his task.

The voices in the kitchen returned to a normal pitch, and it sounded like everything was fine now. Daniel pulled himself along the wall and lowered himself onto a chair, dizzy beyond belief. He barely noticed when Ephraim crouched beside him.

What’s the matter? his brother asked, his voice low. Nick just told me you don’t look so good.

That boy . . . Daniel was so nauseated, he could hardly talk. That boy’s been hurt. Badly.

Recently, or in the past?

Up until he came here. Daniel pulled in a breath and tried to sort through everything he was feeling. As a doctor, he used his gift to diagnose. His body took on some of the symptoms of his patients as he was touching them, and then those symptoms faded within a few minutes. This was taking far too long—he shouldn’t still be in so much pain from touching Nick. Broken wrist, broken arm, broken ribs. Concussion. Burns. I know Caleb got some information out of him already, but this is more than I realized. The pain was finally starting to recede, and he unclenched his fists.

I’ll call Adam and see if we can meet up with him after the boys leave for school, Ephraim said. He needs to know about this.

Yeah. And I should probably talk to Dad, too. My gift’s gone haywire—it’s never been as strong as this.

Ephraim stood. Need anything?

No, I’ve just got to rest another second.

Ephraim nodded and moved back into the kitchen to oversee cleanup. With teenage boys, the actual eating part of breakfast only took five minutes, and the rest took half the morning.

By the time he was back to himself, the boys had headed out the door to the bus. Ephraim came into the living room and plopped down on the couch. You’ve got some color back in your face, at least.

How could someone do that to a child? Rage coursed through Daniel, replacing the nausea. He wasn’t sure yet which he’d rather have—they were both debilitating. How could anyone be so . . . so evil? These weren’t accidents—this was abuse. No question of it.

I don’t understand it either, Ephraim said. Their own children. Plus, when I look at some of the animals we’ve taken in, the things they’ve been put through—but we can’t focus on that, Dan. We’re the healers. We’re the fixers. We’re the ones who can set things right—that’s where we need to concentrate.

I know. Daniel pulled in another breath and came to his feet. And I’m grateful we have these gifts so we can do some real good. I just wish . . . I just wish people would love each other as they’re meant to. That hatred and cruelty could be done away with. That we could all see the best in each other and expect it from ourselves.

That’s a pretty tall order, brother.

I know it is, and I’m probably pretty naïve for thinking it’s possible. But I’ll never stop wishing for it.

Ephraim stood up as well. And I don’t want you to. If anything’s going to change in this world, it’s because of people like you who know how it should be and fight for it to come true. Here, on this ranch, we’re setting things right. We’re making a difference one hurt boy at a time.

Daniel laughed and shook his head. You’re something else, you know that? You go on and on about how you don’t know how to talk to people, you only know how to talk to animals, yada yada yada. And then you go and make a speech like that. You’re confused, bro. You don’t know what you’re good at.

Ephraim looked down at the carpet, then back up. You’re my brother. That’s different from trying to reach out to these boys. I never know what to say.

We’re all brothers here. Think about that for a while before you lay any more excuses on me. Now, is Adam free?

Yeah, and Dad’s waiting for you too. They said to be there around ten.

Thanks. Let’s have a good breakfast of our own before we head up to the big house.

Chapter Two

Claire Hudson steered her motorcycle through the gates of the property marked McClain Boys’ Ranch and brought it to a stop in front of a small building with a sign reading Office. She’d