“Smart lady.” Tanyon’s phone rang. “What the hell is going on this early?”
Karis threw the cover back. “No work today, huh?”
“I mean it. Hello?” he said sternly. “This better be important.”
“It’s Chief Ramos. Figured you’d be up.”
“Barely. What happened? Is everything okay?”
Chief Ramos chuckled. “You’ll think this early call is important.”
“What is it?” He sat up and gazed at Karis as she donned his shirt to cover her nakedness and strutted into the bathroom. The shower came on.
“We questioned the West family into the night. By the way, a judge agreed to sign over emergency guardianship to you and Karis, but you have to meet with him in his chambers Monday.”
Tanyon sat on the edge of the bed and patted Sparky. “We didn’t have to be there? Did I hear you right? They’re giving us guardianship over Jody?”
“You heard me. Go away for your honeymoon. Jody’s safe and still recovering in the hospital. His aunt hasn’t been tied to the case yet, but she agrees Jody should be out of their care—”
“Wow.”
“You’ll talk to the social worker before you head out. She has paperwork for you to read over… You know, for his care and such.”
“Man, I can’t believe it. I expected a fight. What time Monday?”
“Ten. There wouldn’t be a fight. It’ll end up out of their hands, anyway. Listen, we’ll discuss this whole shebang in a few days. I thought you’d want to know.”
“Thanks Kevin. Besides waking next to my wife, you gave me another great way to start the morning. Talk later.”
Karis huffed from the bathroom door. “Have you no shame saying that to him?”
He laughed. “It’s true. I better go wash your perfume off my body—” A tap at the door interrupted him. “What now?”
He pulled his jeans on and opened the door to find Max standing there with a breakfast tray. Tanyon laughed and took the tray to set it on the table near his chair. “Thank you, Uncle Max. I’ll miss your cooking on the mornings we won’t wake here.”
“Yeah, well, don’t expect this every morning. Your wife will take care of you in the cooking department. This is a special honeymoon breakfast.” Max leaned in. “As long as she isn’t having morning sickness.”
Karis peeked around the bathroom door. “Hush. Don’t give my body any ideas. Thank you for breakfast, Uncle Max.”
Tanyon grinned and eased the door closed. “Thanks, but…see ya. I can handle it from here.”
They’d eaten eggs Benedict and Hollandaise sauce, with fresh fruit on the side, him in nothing but jeans and her tempting him in his shirt.
They’d spent the last two hours in bed. After a shower together, they’d dressed and prepared to leave for Sedona. He smiled inside. They had a lot to make up for. Why not start with wild lovemaking?
“I’ll need to get my biggest suitcase from next door so I can change and gather my things. I don’t know if Seth is up.” She slipped into her dress from yesterday.
“He’s a soldier. He’ll be up. Let’s get going. Hey, bring a nice dress if you have one for dinner out. Something like that little black number you wore in the bed of my truck? I’m sure you remember that night, darlin’.”
“It’s a night I’ll never forget, but do you mean the dress I half wore?”
“Something like that. There’s a good chance you’ll half-wear it again.” Tanyon chuckled.
“I’ll have to buy a new one in Sedona, since for some reason, that one will not fit.” She smiled. “I didn’t miss some of the cute little shops we passed. I’m excited to have dinner there too with such a handsome man.”
He watched her walk around the room while brushing her hair. “You’re the sexy woman who will be accompanying me. In Phoenix, if you have a favorite place for dinner, I’ll make reservations there too.”
Chapter Sixteen
Karis and Tanyon had what they’d take to Sedona packed and in the truck. Sneaking out didn’t happen with everybody having an early rise. Max’s sizzling bacon hexed them all. Later today, the kids and adults had planned on going to Bearizona, Austin’s dream come true. “Come here, you two. Have I told you today I love you? I’ll miss you until Tanyon and I get home.”
“I love you too.” Mia eyed Tanyon, maybe a little unsure of hugging him. If so, he eased her mind by leaning forward to hug her. She wrapped her little arms around his broad shoulders. “Thank you, Uncle Tanyon. Guess what? I love, Austin, Aunt Karis, Uncle Seth, Grandma, and Tanyon. Oh, and Daddy.”
Her tender little voice brought tears to Karis’s eyes. Her daddy had loved them so much. They needed a male figure in their lives. Now, they’d sure have them. Rory would be pleased.
“Tanyon’s your husband, huh, Aunt Karis?”
“He is, Austin. It’ll be nice having him around, huh?”
“I like him.” Austin glanced at Tanyon. “But you aren’t staying around, Aunt Karis.”
Hold it together a little longer. The kids belonged with her. Rory had asked her after Mia had been born to take care of them if anything had happened to him. After having them the last year, she couldn’t live without them now. Here, they’d have a family again. It’d be easier on her mom. Seth was a single guy, but he’d want to share them and that’d be fine.
Karis knelt in front of them. “Call or text me anytime you need me for anything. Anything.” She glanced up at Tanyon. “But…what if you two lived here too?” She paused to give them a moment to let it sink in.
Austin cocked his head and glanced at the crowd around them. “You mean live here? Can I be a cowboy?”
“You already are a cowboy, Austin,” Tanyon said. “I’ll teach you to be a better one.”
“Okay!” Austin smiled at his sister. “Mia too?”
Tanyon grinned. “Yup. She’ll… Mia, your Aunt Karis is a good cowboy. You can be a cowboy if you want.”
“Nah-uh. I want to be a cowgirl. How can you be a cowboy, Aunt Karis?”
“I work hard like one, honey. You can be a cowgirl or anything you want.”
“How about my cooking partner to start, young lady?” Max asked.
Mia smiled and hugged Max. “I want to, Uncle Max.”
Karis pushed down a lump in her throat. “I’ll be so happy to have you two here.”
Levi stood in front of them. “You two will like going to school here. They have horse riding classes, but I hear you like baseball, Austin. I do too. I can teach you some of my special moves.”
Everybody around them laughed. “You have special moves, all right,” Dusty said, then everyone laughed again.
Tanyon tugged on her arm and cocked his head toward his truck. “We’ll talk about it more when I get home, kids. I can’t wait! I love you so much. No arguing with Grandma and Uncle Seth. Have fun with the bears at Bearizona. See you at home after school on Monday.”
Austin peeked up at Tanyon. “Think I’ll be as tall as you when I grow up?”
Tanyon grinned, placing his hand on Austin’s shoulder. “It’s a good chance.”
“Okay, you guys,” Karis said. “We must leave. Give me one last hug before we go.”
Austin smirked. “Have fun on your honeymoon, whatever it is.”
“It’s a couple days for me and my husband to spend alone. But we’ll have you in our hearts.”
“Like hell,” Tanyon whispered as he escorted her to the truck. “Well, yeah, we will, but—”
“I know, honey. We’ll be distracted.” She waved. “Bye everybody. See you in Phoenix late Monday.”
He held the door but rushed to the back of the truck before getting in. “I had to make sure some smartass like Fox and the guys hadn’t tied cans onto the back.”
“Chicken.”
“You want to hear cans clanging the pavement all the way to Sedona?”
“No, I guess not.”
He blew the horn as they left. “Don’t worry. My truck’s up to p
ar this time. I had it checked over so they’ll be no surprises. Sorry, that’s a lie. There will be one surprise.”
Karis placed her hand against her forehead. “Say it. What have you done now?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Before heading out, they’d stopped to see the hospital social worker and to pop in on Jody, who had thanked them immensely. Karis watched out the window, shaking her head as she pictured a sprawling home with beautiful backdrops where they’d spend their weekends relaxing and loving, and one day watching their own kids running around the yard. She grasped his hand and squeezed, but memories ran rampant. She turned on the radio to a low volume to distract her from wild thoughts to make her cry.
She clenched the neck of her blouse. Her throat tightened. Music hadn’t helped. Seth had been right. Rory would always be in their hearts. Like it wasn’t bad enough when Austin and Mia’s mom had lost custody of them when she’d run off with a loser and had become one herself. She’d disappeared from their lives forever with no apparent regrets.
Then, she passed away.
Rory paid for her memorial service. It had been hard to explain to the kids. It was like one more notch in their belt of hard luck. Losing their dad on top of what they’d been through had been like a cruel joke played on them. Now, they accepted what life had given them to the best of their ability. Two little kids had been forced to grow up fast.
Would life ever be the same again? No. They’d all go on, but no, it wouldn’t be normal for a long, long time. Last night at the first moment of spotting Seth, she’d come close to breaking down at his resemblance to Rory, but instead, now she could handle and appreciate it. She’d come a long way since she’d arrived in May. They all had changed a lot in the past year and this summer.
They drove along the highway that had her on the edge of her seat the first time. Today, she wasn’t disturbed in the least while she enjoyed the view around them. Then again, she hadn’t been driving. Her state of mind lingered in a more peaceful state now.
Albeit, she’d become a rancher too and by coming here for the previous four years, she had a head start into working like one, even if it meant helping Max in the kitchen.
Love had cleansed her. Her stomach knotted at the thought of how devastating grief could be. Instead of showing strength, she’d let it take her down. It had destroyed her. In turn, grief had destroyed the man she’d loved. But Karis observed the sunny day, silk blue sky, downy clouds, and the landscape. The smell of food wafted from the backseat. Max had packed them lunch, dinner, and breakfast for the next morning after Tanyon had told him where they headed.
“A cool spot is coming up ahead. Wanna stop and look, take a hike, or keep going toward home? Ah, sonofabitch!”
“A flat? I guess we will stop. Did you get a new spare? I can’t wait to get there though.”
“No. You said you had it fixed after your flat, so yeah, if it’s been holding air.” He turned on his flashers, pulled into the Slide Rock State Park turning lane, and stopped. “I’ll be quick. You know, you get a whole new perspective of this area with snow on the ground and mountains.”
He’ll be quick, huh? If the tire is still aired up. Tanyon got the tools and jack from inside. She went around the back of the truck with him. He cranked the spare tire down, checked it over, then broke the lug nuts loose on the flat as cars zoomed past them. “There was a dusting of snow when I visited you for Thanksgiving two years ago.”
Tanyon jacked up the truck, then loosened and removed the lug nuts to change tires. “You’ll be with me at Christmas. I never minded being in Phoenix with you over the holidays though.”
“We must admit. The tire went flat at the right place.” While waiting, she studied the beauty of the area. Her jaw dropped in surprise. “Uh-oh.”
Tanyon stopped tightening the lug nuts. “What’s wrong?”
She ducked down a little as Cade’s truck slowed to turn. “Look.”
He stood and followed her finger. “What the hell? Cade’s turning into the state park. Is that… Damn. From what I could see, his passenger looked a hell of a lot like Nadia’s mom. Could you tell?”
“I’d say you were right.”
He went back to the lug nuts. “If it is Faith, I’m not the only one in the family keeping secrets. Cade never said he dated anyone especially while Nadia was with him. Hmm, who’s having a fling with my brother?”
“He knew we’d be coming this way. Maybe he wanted us to run into them?”
“I doubt it. He thinks we left early this morning, which had been the plan. Why would we stop here?”
“They look like a family out for a good time.”
“Nadia will hate it here. The water is freezing.” Tanyon rushed to finish with the tire then dropped the flat in the bed of the truck and secured the tools back inside. “He could’ve had a family with Nadia’s mom if she hadn’t spread her legs for another guy and kept the pregnancy from Cade.”
“Wait. Hold on. You’re not being fair. I believed Faith when she told me. When did you get so judgmental? Cade wasn’t perfect in the whole thing, Tanyon. He should’ve stuck up for the woman he would marry. Nadia is his child. She delayed telling him but never lied to him. Everyone came down hard on Faith for no reason and without getting the facts.”
“We’re getting out of here. He drove right past us. Cade will tell me when he wants me to know. Come on.” He paused. “Come to think of it, he and Nadia weren’t around this morning. He must’ve taken off after sitting with us last night. If he’s back with Faith, there’s a damn good reason. Cade isn’t an idiot.”
She took his arm and blocked him from opening the door for her. “Have you ever thought maybe he never stopped loving her?” Karis sighed heavily. “Like everything else, the truth will come out.” She kept her eyes in their direction as she got in the truck. If it was Faith, a firestorm would start over this when it came out. How had Nadia not blabbed? Maybe they’d kept it from her until now.
Before pulling out, he said, “I’m sending him a text.”
“What are you saying? Should you?”
“I’m giving him a heads up. If we saw him, anyone could’ve, and then my mom will hear it.” He proceeded to send the text.
“We need to stay out of this. He probably thinks we didn’t see him.”
He pulled back onto the highway. “Too late now. Here we go again.”
“If it is something, you all need to give her a chance. That could’ve been me. What if your mom asks you to get a paternity test?”
“You damn well should know me better than that, Karis.”
“I know your mom would’ve judged me the same way. Why do you think I was afraid to see her the first time since I’ve been back?”
“She wouldn’t judge you. There’s something about Faith she doesn’t like.”
“Yeah, because she believed the lies. If you knew the reason for the rumor…”
“What?” His phone dinged. “Cade replied. Read it.”
“Okay, but Faith’s story isn’t mine to tell.” She read his text to Tanyon: “Sorry I didn’t stop. I’ll explain later. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“That says it all. Cade has never lied to me, but if this is what it looks like, he has no idea what he’s started.”
“Or maybe he wants to make it right.” Karis sat in silence for the next few miles, thinking through the past, present, and their future. Everyone’s future.
A little while later, Tanyon took her hand to bring their fingers together. “You scare me when you’re quiet for so long. What are you thinking?”
She squeezed his hand. “Good things. Years ago, when I was young and a new graduate with a PhD, I knew one day I’d start a clinic of my own. A business to be there to support me through my senior years when I no longer wanted to work. Back then, I never dreamed I’d have a whole new life in the arms of a charming cowboy.”
Tanyon brought her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers. “You’ve always been
a good planner.”
“But now after falling apart as I had, I’ve grown doubtful. I couldn’t help myself. It feels wrong and unprofessional to advise others, my reason for limiting it to consulting and testing now.”
“I bet you’d tell them healing takes time. You’ve lived it, honey. What better way to help someone else in the grieving process? When we became involved the year we met, and I learned you were a PhD., L.P. and all that, I thought you were out of my league. I still do.”
“Don’t be silly. Where is this coming from? You’re a wonderful man and worth so much to me. Stop the negative thinking. I’m a regular person who loves you so much.”
“Our first year when things heated up between us, I couldn’t figure out what you saw in me—a worn out bull rider. By then, I was too far gone. By our second year…there was no going back. Then after that, I knew I’d marry you. I would have asked you to marry me last year, but then…you got the call.”
Tears filled her eyes. She let them fall as she slid her arm across his shoulder and held her hand against the back of his neck. “You were always so tender and loving.”
“I’ll treat you kindly.”
“All I want is to run the ranch with you and your family. To be a mom to your children. I’ll always have the knowledge to offer help to people if they ask, and of course, do the consulting and occasional testing in my clinic in Phoenix, but no, I can’t go back to seeing patients on a regular basis. This is my life now. I’m confident in my CEO who cares about the business as much as I do. My patients will be served well.”
“You need to be sure.”
“Without any doubts. I believe the job was there for me when I needed it. I enjoyed it. Loved it. I’ll benefit from it for years to come, but…” Karis smiled, knowing her next words were true. “I know in my heart this is where I’m supposed to be.”
“Thank you. If you’re sure, I’m on board.” Tanyon brought her hand to his lips again. “I love you, wife. Hey, we’re almost there. Ah, babe? I might’ve held a few things back about this place.”
Sighing, she said, “How come that doesn’t surprise me?”
Imprisoned In A Cowboy's Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Book 1) Page 24
