“What’s the tourist population in the summer?” Kate asked.
“The Weekly Rebel reported that the transient summer tourist population headed to the lakes is around ten thousand.”
“What? That’s fantastic. I never realized. I mean, I knew it was busier here in the summer, but ten thousand is unbelievable.”
“Which is why you should tell me what you need before my cases are empty.”
“A cupcake, any flavor.”
“Just one?”
“Yes. I’m celebrating good news with a friend.”
“That’s wonderful.” Daisy smiled. “Any particular color frosting?”
“Purple is her favorite color.”
“Purple it is. Be right back.”
Minutes later, Daisy returned with a lavender-frosted cupcake in a white box gaily adorned with curls of purple-and-yellow ribbons.
“Oh, Daisy, this is perfect. What do I owe you?”
“Not a thing. We’re family.” She took the box and gently placed it inside a small yellow shopping bag with a daisy printed on the outside.
“Thank you, Daisy.”
She leaned closer. “You look happy, Kate.”
“Do I?” She smiled. “I guess I am.”
“Any particular reason you want to share?”
“Summer in Oklahoma?” Kate offered.
“I’m thinking there’s more to that sparkle in your eyes. Could it be a fella?”
“What?” Kate’s jaw sagged.
Daisy gave a knowing nod. “Someone might have mentioned that you ditched us on Saturday for a date.” She grinned and raised her brows. “Which I totally approve of.”
“It wasn’t a date,” Kate sputtered. “And who told you that?”
“Stop by for dinner after church on Sunday and I might reveal my source. Oh, and the kids claim you owe them a Chutes and Ladders rematch.”
“Rematch? They skunked me last time,” Kate said.
When Kate finally walked out the door of the bakery, she was still smiling, but she was also determined to figure out what information the grapevine had shared.
Her interaction with Daisy had brought home the fact that she was blessed. She had more family than she could count on her fingers now. The idea of staying in Rebel had become more tempting, though it continually warred with her greatest fear. After ten years as a tumbleweed, could she put down roots forever?
Though Memorial Day was yesterday, the sidewalks of Rebel remained busy as Kate took off down Main Street. People peeked in storefronts and strolled along. Many vacationers enjoyed ice cream cones from a pop-up that had opened in the old movie theater next to the Jazzercise studio. At the intersection, Kate crossed to the other side of Main Street and headed toward the Saucy Potter. She’d already checked with Nicole and knew that Susan was working this morning.
Taking a breath, Kate said a silent prayer as she eased open the shop door.
“Kate. How nice to see you.”
Kate looked up to find Susan offering a welcoming smile. Today, Jess’s mother wore a purple paisley scarf with a white silk blouse. Somehow, she’d managed to make blue jeans elegant and dressed up.
“Hey, Susan. Have you got a minute?” Kate’s gaze scanned the busy shop. “I’d like to chat. It won’t take long.”
“For you, I have many minutes. Let’s go into the courtyard. Nicky hires a part-time cashier in the summer, so we’re good unless she calls me.”
Kate followed Susan outside to a secluded spot beneath a huge oak tree where a small outdoor table and chairs waited. The delicate tune of a wind chime tinkled as a soft breeze passed through. “This is so nice.”
“It really is a little oasis, isn’t it?” Susan smiled and reached for Kate’s hand across the table. “Is everything all right, dear? This isn’t about you and Jess, is it?”
“Me and Jess?” Heat rushed to her face. Surely, Jess hadn’t mentioned that kiss?
“I was concerned the whole cooking lesson might have offended you.”
“Oh, no. Actually, I’m grateful. Both he and Olive succeeded where others have failed. I throw things in that cooker and amazingly end up with dinner. I don’t know who’s more surprised, my cat or me. My smoke detector hasn’t gone off once.”
“That’s wonderful. Maybe we can schedule our gingersnap lesson next.”
My mother’s gingersnaps. Kate’s heart swelled. The words only affirmed her decision to proceed with the kidney donation. “Yes. Soon.”
“To what may I attribute this visit?”
“I am here for celebratory reasons.” Kate placed the yellow bag on the table and withdrew the cupcake.
“You have my full attention now,” Susan said.
The carefully worded speech she had practiced seemed less than adequate now that she faced Susan’s anticipation. Kate hesitated for a moment. “I’m a match as a donor. Not a perfect match, but I’ve been cleared as a candidate.”
Susan blinked. “A donor match. A kidney donor?”
Kate nodded.
“You?” Jess’s mother released a small gasp and then stared at Kate, unblinking. “I didn’t realize you were getting tested.”
“Yes.” Kate nodded. “The medical side is all clear. The final okay is pending a psychiatric evaluation.”
“Kate. I don’t know what to say. I never expected you to do this.”
“I didn’t want to tell you anything until I heard the results.”
“I’m absolutely speechless.” Susan wrung her hands together. “I guess that’s why my doctor asked me to come in tomorrow.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Are you sure you want to do this? Donating a kidney is... I don’t know what to call it except for selfless. This is an absolute act of sacrifice.”
“This is really not about me.” Kate pushed back the emotion threatening to overflow. “I’ve prayed, and I have perfect peace about the decision. I know beyond a doubt this is what I am supposed to do. So please, don’t think of it as something altruistic. I’m being obedient to a spiritual nudge.”
Susan nodded slowly and was silent for minutes. “Please don’t think I’m not appreciative. What I am is overwhelmed.”
“That’s okay. I know this is a surprise.”
“Yes. That it is.” She looked at Kate, her gaze searching. “You’re very sure you want to do this?”
“I’m long past if. I’m at when.”
“When? That’s a scary question,” Susan said.
“Not at all. Things are moving perfectly and in order.”
“Do you have any idea when we’d proceed?” Susan shook her head. “I can’t even believe I’m asking you that. I’d pushed the idea of a transplant out of my head. I didn’t want to be disappointed.” She sighed. “That’s a terrible testimony, but there it is.”
“I totally get that.” Kate pulled out the calendar on her phone. “You’ll need to chat with your physician. There are a lot of things to consider. I’m not a perfect match, which means more antirejection medication for you. But if you’d like to proceed, the general discussion is about early September.”
“Oh, my. So soon.” Susan stared straight ahead as though struggling to process the information. Then she turned back to Kate. “Does anyone else know?”
“No.” Kate shook her head. “Susan, please don’t tell Jess.” She took a breath. “I should tell him myself. I also have to tell my brothers.”
Susan cocked her head. “Your brothers may not be happy.”
“That would factor in if I were six years old. But I’ll be thirty-one in the fall, and I’ve been on my own for ten years. I love and respect my brothers, but this isn’t their decision.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll tell them after the hoedown. It’s this Friday, and everyone is focused on that right now.”
“That makes sense.” She nodded. “Mum�
��s the word.”
“Yes, though you aren’t obligated to proceed. You may decide you want to wait for a perfect match.”
“I’ll be praying of course.” Susan leaned across the table and once again took Kate’s hand. “Though right now, I’m feeling quite at peace myself.”
Kate stood. She went to leave and then turned back. “May I ask you something? It’s rather personal.” It was very personal and had been chasing her thoughts since she and Jess were at the rodeo.
“Anything.”
She licked her lips, working up courage. “Why didn’t Jess’s dad like me? Was it really because we were poor?”
“Oh, dear.” Susan gestured with a hand. “You better sit down.”
Kate slowly eased to the chair again.
“Your mother... Margaret and I were very close friends, as you know.”
Susan was again silent as though measuring her words. “I was always aware that Margaret was the pretty one. She had no clue how beautiful she was, and that made her all the more attractive.” She paused. “Jacob, my husband, was in love with her, but Margaret had eyes for only TJ.
“Eventually, Jacob got over it, and he and I began to see each other. Sometimes I wondered if I was playing second fiddle to your momma, but we had a good marriage, though he never forgave your mother for rejecting him. I do believe that’s why he insisted I break off my relationship with her. And why he was horrified when you and Jess became close.”
“I...I don’t even know what to say,” Kate returned. This wasn’t the backstory she’d expected, and she found herself overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
“I’m sharing with you woman-to-woman, and I pray you keep that confidence. Jacob was a good man, a good father and a good doctor. But he wasn’t perfect. He couldn’t see what I could. That you are the woman that God put in Jess’s life.”
“Oh, I’m not sure that’s something I can live up to.”
“I don’t want you to feel obligated, dear Kate.”
That was a good thing, because once again, Susan had left her without a response. But for the first time since she’d left Rebel, she was able to let go of the words of Jacob McNally. There was a freedom that came with forgiving Jess’s father. But was that freedom too late for her and Jess?
Chapter Nine
Jess looped his arms over the fence and pushed his straw cowboy hat to the back of his head. Around him, the scent of horse and Oklahoma dirt mingled with the sweet June sunshine as he observed the new mares in the pasture. As predicted, they were great with the inexperienced riders. Their good nature also made them a favorite for trail rides. Kate had named them Giddy and Gabby, which proved good for a few tongue twisters with the ranch guests.
“Jess, mind if I bounce a few ideas off you?”
He turned to find Dr. Finn Hardy at his side. “Sure. Keep in mind that I’m a couple of eggs short of a dozen right now. And what’s left is scrambled. I spent the morning working on the June livestock budget.”
“I hear you. I spent my morning with an old goat.”
“An old goat?”
“Literally. Over at Ludlow Ranch. Stubborn fella, got his head stuck in a watering can.”
Jess laughed. “Okay, you win. How can I help you, Doc?”
“It’s about a woman.”
Jess nearly groaned aloud. Instead, he held up a hand. “Wait right there. I am not the guy to be dispensing wisdom in that department. In fact, my advice might be hazardous to your health.” And he sure did not want a play-by-play of the vet’s love life either.
“Naw, I get that. Except you happen to be one of the few guys around here who is close to my age and single. Just hear me out.”
Jess assessed Finn. He seemed like a solid guy. So what was the problem?
Finn ran a hand over his face and huffed a breath. “I thought you might have some insight. I want to ask a particular fair lady to the hoedown on Friday, but I don’t know how to get out of the friend zone.”
“Running late, aren’t you? It’s already Wednesday.”
“Pure fear has kept me from approaching her sooner.”
His curiosity now piqued, Jess crossed his arms and leaned his backside against the corral fence. “Fear? Has she turned you down before?”
“No. I haven’t given her an opportunity.”
“You’re putting the cart before the horse. She can’t say no or yes if you don’t ask her, Doc.”
“The thing is, I have a history of bad timing. I always seem to be attracted to women who are hung up on someone else.”
“Who’s she hung up on?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet, which is what gives me half a hope that this time I might be wrong.”
Jess cocked his head, his gaze on the vet. “I’m having a hard time believing you have difficulty wrangling a date. From the chatter I hear, you’re on the shopping list of every woman in Rebel.”
Finn raised a hand in defense. “Through no fault of my own. I’m a congenial guy. My mama raised me that way.” He shrugged. “Trouble is those lists belong to every sweet aunt and grandma in Rebel, and each of them has a family tree with a niece or granddaughter I should meet.”
Jess blinked. “That’s a problem?”
“It is when your affections are elsewhere occupied, as mine are.”
“I say go for it. No guts, no glory, Finn.” He shrugged. “Life’s too short to worry about rejection.”
Finn paused, staring out into the pasture. “Go for it, he says. Have I mentioned that this woman is way out of my league? One glimpse and...whoosh.” He shook his head. “All I have to do is see her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders or hear her sweet laughter, and my gut nosedives. My tongue gets so tied, I can hardly get a word shoved out of my mouth the right way.”
Dark hair? Jess frowned as Kate stepped out of the admin house and walked across the gravel toward the stable. She’d had her cast removed this morning and there was a bounce to her step that had been missing since her arrival at Rebel Ranch. It suddenly registered that he hadn’t seen her much since Saturday. Had she been avoiding him since the rodeo? Jess sure hoped not, because despite the lack of wisdom of the action, he was certain that Kate had enjoyed the moment.
She turned in their direction and offered a cheery wave.
To him or Finn? They both returned her greeting.
Then it hit him. Kate. His heart thudded in his chest and his jaw dropped.
Surely, Finn didn’t mean his Kate? Did he? Jess gave the vet a side-eyed evaluation. Willard was right, the guy was a woman magnet. So why was he concerned about a woman rejecting him?
Unless that woman was Kate? Even Jess had to admit that to the average observer, Kate Rainbolt was intimidating. He could understand Finn’s reticence.
Kate was tall and sturdy and beautiful. The woman was whip-smart too. Book smart, street smart. It didn’t escape him that with one arm in a cast, she had been managing Rebel’s books and running the equine side of the ranch, and she hadn’t dropped a single ball since she’d arrived.
Yeah, Kate could hold her own and more. Being raised by three brothers did that to you.
Jess glanced at Finn through new eyes. He didn’t like the conclusion he’d tallied up. Not that he had any claim on Kate.
One kiss didn’t mean anything except one kiss.
Though it had been a very good kiss.
He paused.
Did he want a claim on Kate? He wasn’t sure anymore. The only thing clear was that he wasn’t about to sit around and watch someone else set their sights on her without some resistance on his part.
“Ah, ’scuse me, Finn. I have to take care of something.”
“Sure, man. Thanks for the talk.”
Jess shoved off from the fence. “Yeah. Anytime. Hang in there. I’m sure this will work itself out.”
“I hope it does before Friday night’s hoedown.”
Yeah, and so did Jess.
As predicted, Kate was in Einstein’s stall, prepping for a ride.
“Congrats on the cast removal,” he said. “You look happy.”
“Understatement. I’m over the moon.” She grinned but didn’t face him, continuing to groom her best buddy.
“How’s the arm? Two surgeries and months of being in a cast couldn’t have been easy.”
“The arm is a little puny, but the physical therapist gave me some exercises, and I’m noticing an improvement in the muscle tone already.”
“So this is your first ride in how long?” He felt unable to stop rambling. Anything to keep up the conversation. The connection.
“Since the accident. The end of February.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re more than ready.”
Kate nodded but said nothing further. When the silence stretched awkwardly between them, Jess glanced around to be sure they weren’t overheard.
“Have you been avoiding me again?” he asked. “I’m guessing you’re upset about that lapse of judgment at the rodeo.”
“Is that what that was?”
“We work together. I’m the guy you report to. It’s not exactly...”
“Not exactly what? We weren’t at work.” Kate leaned over, running assessing fingers over Einstein’s legs, examining first one hoof and then another. “Either way, I’m not upset,” she murmured.
“Are you mad about the cooking lesson? Did we insult you barging in like that?”
Kate laughed. “No. Not at all. Right now, I have dinner simmering in that slow cooker.”
“Whoa. I have to admit, I sort of thought you might be humoring us. You really are using it?”
“I am.”
“So we’re okay, then?”
“For the moment,” she said.
For the moment was good.
“I’m a bit wound up is all,” Kate continued. She rubbed Einstein’s flank and reached for the saddle pad. “I could hardly sleep last night. I prayed all the way to the doctor’s office this morning.”
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