“Have you eaten?” Freda asked tenderly as she stepped closer to her beau, leading him to the food trucks.
After Freda and James Timothy were out of earshot, Sassy looked up at Ash, who had been holding her hand, and the two broke into laughter.
“Did that just really happen?” Sassy asked through her smile.
“See, Wyoming has everything you could want, Sassy,” Ash said through his own smile, while reaching up and brushing away an undried tear from her face, “dancing and drama…”
“Jealousy and intrigue…” she added.
“And tacos… did I mention tacos?”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Have you eaten?” Sassy asked, taking Ash’s arm and walking towards the food. “You know how punchy you get, and how bad your jokes get when you’re tired and hungry.”
“Then let’s go eat,” he said, putting his arm around Sassy. “You can finish telling me what you started to say on the dance floor. Something I should know?”
“Oh yeah, that…” Sassy took a deep breath, summoning the courage to tell Ash her secret. She was saved by a sweet little voice.
“Uncle Ash! Uncle Ash,” Willow West came running up with Sun and Ford close behind. “I’m back from Yellowstone, Uncle Ash,” she said, “and I can’t wait to tell you about the geysers and the bison. And we saw a bear!”
“A bear,” little Ford echoed in awe.
“Wow!” Ash bent down to be closer to the three children in front of him. I can’t wait to hear all about it, but it might have to wait until tomorrow. You see, I’m as hungry as a bear,” he said, with a theatrical raising of his “claws” and a roar.
The kids all laughed with glee and ran away in pretend fear. When Ash and Sassy looked up again, Kat West was standing in front of them, staring at Sassy.
“Hey Kat,” Ash said tentatively, unable to gauge Kat’s mood.
“Ash,” she said with a cool nod. “Gunnar is by the taco truck, looking for you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with Sassy for a minute.”
Ash looked at Sassy as though he didn’t want to let go of her hand. He felt protective, and something definitely seemed off, but he didn’t know what.
“It’s okay,” Sassy smiled up at him. “I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”
He looked at Kat again and then gave Sassy a kiss on the cheek before wandering away.
The two women sized each other up silently. Each with their invisible shield and armor, protecting themselves from the pain they knew each other could cause.
Sassy fully expected Kat to raise a pointed finger and send her away at any moment; she pictured two cowboy body guards with guns in their holsters taking her by the arms, and carrying her out of West Ranch forever—barring her from re-entry.
Instead, Sassy watched Kat’s steely appraisal of her slowly go from anger and denial to self-preservation, then to curiosity. Maybe even compassion. When at last she detected a slight softening in Kat’s eyes, Sassy spoke.
“You know who I am, don’t you?”
Kat was silent.
“I’m your sister, Kat.”
Chapter 50
“Half.”
Sassy studied Kat’s face in the light coming off the dance floor. The two stood near a tall pine tree, in relative privacy considering the hundreds of party guests dancing, laughing and eating in the vicinity.
The younger girl had no idea how the older had discovered the truth, but judging from the look on her face, there was no doubt she’d somehow put the pieces together.
“You’re my half-sister,” Kat said, as Sassy stood mutely in front of her.
Sassy’s face broke into a tired laugh at the unkind comment.
This was not her first encounter with Kat West, but the first time they faced each other as equals. Sassy felt relief wash over her that the truth was out, knowing she was close to being done with her father’s thankless task. Soon, she could walk away from Kat, and West Gorge, forever.
“Whatever gets you through the night, sister,” Sassy remarked, “or half-sister… I don’t care. I don’t have a horse in this race, Kat. I’m just Jack’s messenger.”
Kat’s mouth squeezed tight, tersely, Sassy observed. Her big-bad-wolf of a half-sister didn’t enjoy not being in control, she could see.
“So, what’s Jack’s message, Sassy?”
Me. I’m the message.
Sassy had a sudden urge to shake Kat by the shoulders and wake her up to the realization that they were blood relatives—kin, in a nearly kinless world. Kat was surrounded by Wests, but her only blood family was her mother, her daughter, and now a sister. Half-sister. Wasn’t something so rare worth nurturing and protecting?
Give her more time, she thought. The same thing she herself had wanted from Ash.
“I couldn’t tell you what his message is, Kat,” Sassy said at last. “He gave me a package for you, but obviously I don’t have it with me.”
Kat considered this and nodded.
Sassy watched with interest as Kat’s face reflected the battle warring within her. The hard shell wasn’t sustainable, and eventually melted into a softer expression, with glimmers of both hope and hopelessness. Sassy felt compassion and pity for the abandoned child Kat used to be, and the conflicted adult she’d become.
“Sassy…” Kat said tentatively, “I know I can be… I haven’t made this easy for you, I know. I’m trying to remember that you are not the one I’m mad at. You’re not my enemy.”
Haltingly, Kat lifted her arm up, and Sassy felt a childlike happiness that her sister wanted to take her hand. But just as quickly, she saw that Kat was handing her a small card.
Taking it, she smirked and gave her head a slight shake at Kat’s tough exterior.
Can I ever break through?
Chapter 51
“Oh look, Kat and Gunnar are back,” Liu was on the dance floor with her arms wrapped around Colton’s shoulders. Colton nodded and caught the attention of Pike and Paislee who were dancing nearby, and gestured to where Kat stood, talking to Sassy.
“Something’s going on,” Colton said to his wife, looking into her eyes and pulling her closer—which wasn’t easy. The baby was growing bigger each day.
“Yes, I agree,” Liu said with a smile at the feeling of Colton’s strong arms around her. “As my grandmother says, yǒuyuán qiānlǐ lái xiānghuì, fate brings people together from far apart.”
“You’re so beautiful—so měi lì when you speak Chinese,” Colton said with a slight bow before spinning his wife around with the song. As she laughed, he reached close to nuzzle her soft neck and sleek hair. The hand that sat on her back gently caressed the smooth dress that fit her like a second skin.
“Ah, you’ve been listening in on my language lessons to the children,” Liu teased.
“Shi,” Colton answered.
Liu held his gaze, though it was still counter-intuitive to the way she was raised. Looking into her husband’s eyes, she felt a warmth spread throughout her body as she pressed closer to him. She loved the sound of this boisterous, playful man as he boldly attempted to speak the melodic language of her childhood.
Colton, she believed, had been underestimated his entire life by nearly everyone, and nearly by her. But this former athlete and jokester had hidden depths, and dreams that came to life when they met; dreams that deepened after he left the ranch and began his own building company.
Their own home, impressive in scale, was a masterpiece of thoughtful details—a love song to both Liu’s exotic heritage and contemporary sensibilities. Colton tirelessly designed and built a home with his wife’s extended family in mind, and her love for cooking.
In the mornings, Liu lovingly planted, watered and harvested her kitchen garden, bringing in great armfuls of flowers to put in the jade and ironstone vases. In the afternoons, Colton could find Liu sitting back in the tea house he built for her, adjacent to the West River. There, the two would enjoy the wildlife and views of the
gorge.
In the evenings, Liu would invite her husband to Zuòzhe chī, sit and eat. She nourished his body and soul with fresh dishes, gentle shoulder massages, and stories from her day.
If her parents and grandparents had any reservations about their marriage, they were quickly dispelled. Colton welcomed them fully into their lives. He even designed a custom home with passage to their own. Before long, Zhang and Ling, and the elder Chun and Tao, had been installed as full-time residents. Each a willing babysitter for Sun, Ford, or Willow, and each one eagerly awaiting the arrival of Liu and Colton’s baby.
But for now, the Chens were on an extended visit with family in China, and Liu was enjoying the calm before the excitement that her baby’s arrival would bring.
And without their watchful eyes, Liu felt free to be more American with her demonstrations of love, openly caressing her husband’s shoulders, and stealing a kiss or two under the moonlight.
The dress she slipped on for the party had been no accident. It felt like a second skin, and she knew Colton would be delighted with the velvety texture. He was a simple man who only desired the affections of his wife.
Nearby, Paislee West enjoyed feeling Pike’s hands on her waist as they danced and twirled under the stars. Her sleeveless dress had a romantic ruffle reminiscent of the prairie, which, she knew, sparked her husband’s imagination.
Though it was full-on summer, they were both easily reminded of the days spent together as strangers, snowed in at a settler’s cabin at the edge of the West property. She had gone in search of him and the answers she thought he might have to long-buried family secrets.
A blizzard on her heels, Paislee was rescued by Pike, who nurtured and cared for her.
Nobody knew where she was, including her then fiancée. And it didn’t take long to fall head over heels in love with Pike West—who was miserably in love with Paislee, knowing there was another man in her life.
Five years later, they shared a spectacular modern farmhouse in West Gorge, a love of fine art, and two beautiful children, Sun and Ford.
Paislee looked up at the tall, trim Pike and flashed a dazzling smile. He was a quiet man whose still waters ran deep. She never knew if he was plotting his next painting or thinking about her, but Paislee allowed him his introspection—he shared when he was ready. And she was always pleased.
If she asked him, he might say, “both, as a matter of fact. I was thinking I might want you to sit for my next painting. Would you?”
Of course, she’d answer. She would do anything for her husband, the man who would give her any life she desired. As an heiress to a large fortune, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t buy—except the love of Pike West. That love was an amazing gift that she protected more than her family’s most guarded treasures.
“Pike,” she asked as he held her close, “what do you make of that Sassy from the ranch office? What’s going on with her and Kat?”
Pike was quiet as he gazed in their direction.
“Time will tell,” he said. “All I can say is that Kat hasn’t smiled much this summer, and I suspect Sassy has something to do with that. That and the hasty trip Gunnar took her on.”
It was Paislee’s time to be silent. She pulled closer to Pike to ward off the ghost of family and marriage troubles, lest they be contagious. As if he understood, Pike tightened his hold on his wife and kissed the side of her cheek.
“Now don’t be borrowing trouble, Mrs. West,” he said into her ear, causing her to shudder from deep within. “You and I have nothing to fear or worry about, do we?”
“Oh,” Paislee whispered back in his ear, as her body flinched slightly at the unexpected pleasure of his rumbling voice. “I suppose we don’t.”
Pike flashed her a private smile, then buried his face in the thick waves of her hair.
Chapter 52
Number 22 was easy to find in the high-end West Gorge condo complex, but Sassy had a hard time bringing herself to knock on the door. Her hands were sweaty and she fumbled the package in her hand several times.
“Come to my condo for lunch on Tuesday,” Kat said at the cookout before walking away. It was an order, not an invitation.
“If Gunnar and Rowdy will let me leave work…” Sassy attempted.
“They will.” Kat said simply, after handing Sassy a card with the address.
Of course they will, Sassy thought.
All that morning and the entire day before, Gunnar and Rowdy had been acting strangely. They weren’t cold or distant, just the opposite. They were looking at her through a new lens, she thought. Sassy also detected a note of pity, as they must know that she was heading into the lion’s den, and that Kat West was a formidable opponent when crossed.
If two strapping cowboys were shaking in their leather boots, then what chance did little Sassy Tate stand against her?
Ash didn’t know anything yet, she could tell.
Sassy lost her nerve and never did tell Ash the secret she brought with her to Wyoming. The moment came and went. She decided that she would stay small and invisible in the interim, to save her strength for her meeting with Kat. Sassy was cool to Ash, turning down invitations to go on plum ranch assignments, or out to dinner. At home, she ate her dinner in silence then retreated to her room.
“I’m just tired, Freda,” she told her roomie. “Let me rest up and then I want to hear everything about you and Jim… I mean, James Timothy Freemont.”
Freda smiled indulgently. Usually so in tune with Sassy, probing into her every mood, the Lander girl was preoccupied with being reunited with her beau, and making plans for their future together.
Monday afternoon, the girls had rallied and said their farewells to Erik Olsen before the young engineer flew back to Detroit, and his awaiting job at General Motors.
“I’ll never forget you two,” Erik said generously, “or Wyoming. This visit was epic.”
“Epic,” the girls said in unison, and everyone laughed. Ash eyed her longingly, hoping, no doubt, for a private moment with her to find out what had been preoccupying her lately. But Sassy was only focused on her meeting with Kat, and would not be diverted by Ash.
Now, here she was—wondering what Kat’s demeanor would be like today.
Kat opened right away after Sassy rang the doorbell of the condo, and motioned for her to enter. Sassy marveled that her sister owned this luxurious apartment, as well as the large house on the ranch.
“Hey,” Kat said simply. She was barefoot, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Without makeup, and her hair pulled back at the nape of her neck, Kat didn’t seem menacing at all—she almost seemed… approachable.
Using the spatula in her hand, she indicated the kitchen as she closed the door. “Nothing fancy. Grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips.”
“Comfort food,” Sassy said without thinking, hoping she hadn’t overstepped. It was a big deal that Kat had asked to meet, and she didn’t want it to end too soon.
“Everyone needs a little comfort, I guess,” Kat said with a shrug. “Grab the drinks, why don’t you, and we’ll take everything outside on the balcony. It’s a pretty day.”
Sassy followed Kat with the two iced teas and sat down at the table. The rushing waters of the West River provided ambient music in the background, accompanied by the beauty of the gorge, resplendent in mid-day shadows.
“You look just like him,” Kat said before taking a bite.
“I’ve never heard that before,” Sassy said. “I’m usually compared to my mother.”
“It’s in the eyes, and the stature,” Kat said. “Your mother is… well?”
Sassy merely nodded. She understood how hard it was, how gracious it was, for Kat to ask this simple question.
“Your mother?”
Kat nodded back.
Sassy took a bite of her grilled cheese and waited for Kat to continue.
“So…” Kat ventured tentatively, “what did he tell you about me, before he died?”
After a lengthy exhale,
Sassy answered. “That you existed, for starters. That he hadn’t been in touch since he left you and your mother, but he knew where you lived. He told me about your career and achievements. Jack, my dad… our dad… wanted me to know that you were really smart as well as beautiful. So I could look up to you.”
“Do you want money, is that why you came to the ranch?” Kat didn’t sound accusing—she didn’t need to. The words were accusing enough.
Sassy flinched as if slapped and her shoulders fell in defeat—they had a long way to go if this is what Kat thought. “No, I don’t need money. Jack did all right.” She didn’t want to cry, but felt her lip trembling under the microscopic gaze of Kat. Of course that’s what she’d think, marrying into such an immensely wealthy family. She hung her head to conceal her un-spilled tears.
Kat’s hand reached across the table and covered her own shaking hand. When she looked back up, Sassy could see tears in Kat’s eyes, too.
“I’m sorry, Sassy,” Kat said. “That was crass and cold of me. I hate myself a little for asking that question.”
“Kat, I don’t need money, and I’m not here to mess up your life,” Sassy managed to say, “or even be in your life. I’ll probably pack up and leave after today. I’ve got a life to get back to, now that I’ve handled Jack’s last wishes.”
Kat shook her head sadly at the girl’s words.
“Sassy Tate, I confess I just don’t know how to act around you. I still can’t get over the shock. You’re so young and lovely. I look at you and see my own painful past, but also someone so familiar to me.” Kat spoke as if she had a golf ball-sized lump in her throat. “I really did love him, you know. Even though we never understood each other. Even though he left. When you smile, I’m reminded of happier times that I’d pushed down and forgotten. And just maybe, that creates another type of hurt for me to feel. At all that he and I missed together.”
Sassy Cowgirl Kisses: A Sweet Romance (A West Brothers Romance Book 5) Page 14
