Hometown Hearts

by Jillian Hart

  “We are spoiled here.” Cheyenne seemed to think he was being complimentary.

  He decided not to correct her. It was a strange feeling being surrounded by wilderness, by forest on one side and the long stretch of fields below. It reminded him how small he was, that all humans were. Similar to being up in an airplane and seeing with your own eyes how vast the world was from a new perspective.

  “When I feel lost, I ride up here. It’s easier to believe when you are in a place like this, surrounded by God’s country. His Hand is everywhere. You can’t miss it.” She picked her way through wildflowers and grasses, keeping up with him. Her fingertips brushed his forearm, a show of kindness and an act of comfort. One he did not want, but her touch remained. “Things always work out the way they are meant to. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”

  “Sure. One of my favorites.” He could hear the coolness in his voice, although he did not mean it. When he pulled away from her touch, it was too quick, abrupt and a little panicked. He watched the dismay trail across her lovely face and the pinch of hurt settle around her eyes. The skin on his arm where her fingers were tingled like a dying nerve, sending shoots of painful prickles into muscle and bone. Even Julianna looked up at him reproachfully.

  He was disappointed in himself, but he couldn’t stop. The walls had to stay up. Panic rattled through him. Even trusting another woman who was no threat to him was too much. He wasn’t ready for it. He doubted he would ever be.

  “Come on, Julianna.” He curled his fingers more tightly around her little hand. “I have things to do.”

  He winced at the confusion written across the child’s button face. He grimaced harder at the upset darkening Cheyenne’s eyes. She didn’t deserve that, but he didn’t know how to explain or apologize. Not one single word came to mind, his cerebral cortex had completely shut down. So in silence he turned away and led his daughter by the hand, leaving the woman behind in the meadow with daisies nodding at her feet and birds serenading her.

  The shadows within him deepened until his entire spirit felt lost in darkness. He couldn’t shake the feeling he had failed at something important, something that God had been hoping for. Disappointed in himself, Adam kept going. He did not look back.

  “Tell me why Dad invited Adam?” Cheyenne asked her younger sister as she carried bags of marshmallows from the pantry and plopped them on the kitchen counter.

  “It was Cady’s idea.” Addy piled chocolate bars onto the counter. “They are like family to her, you know. She thought the girls would get a kick out of the trail ride.”

  That didn’t explain Adam’s presence. He could have stayed at home, she thought, shaking her head. The man really bugged her.

  “Those girls were so cute.” Autumn gathered up a family-size graham cracker box. “Did you see how excited Julianna got when she saw the twin fawns hidden in the underbrush?”

  “Beyond adorable,” Rori added as she picked at the wrapping on a new roll of paper towels, trying to get it to open. “She wanted to go rescue them.”

  “It took a lot of convincing before she believed that their mom had left them there on purpose and we shouldn’t interfere.” Cheyenne yanked out the last bag and closed the pantry door. “Julianna worried about them all the way home.”

  “And all through the barbecue.” Sierra sauntered over, skewers in hand. “My son finally made her understand that’s the way fawns are raised, to stay where their mother tells them, but I’m not sure she completely bought it.”

  “Owen looked like he had a good time on the ride back with Dad.” Definitely time to change subject. She hugged up the squishy bags of marshmallows into her arms. Their powdery scent permeated the plastic with a whiff of sugary goodness. “Did you see how Dad gave him control of Rogue’s reins?”

  “Yes, my little boy chattered about it nonstop for the entire two miles.” Sierra’s laughter rang carefree and light, proof of her happiness. Her wedding to Tucker was getting closer and closer. “Jenny was quiet, though. I hope getting stung on the arm didn’t ruin things for her.”

  “No, she can be very quiet,” Cheyenne spoke up, slightly miffed that the conversation had boomeranged back around to the new doctor. “It wasn’t a serious sting and Adam took care of. It didn’t seem to bother her during supper.”

  “I agree. It’s totally handy having a doc around.” Autumn headed to the back door. “Cheyenne, I saw you and him talking. Don’t you think he’s a nice guy?”

  “Not so nice.” She tried not to hold his abruptness against him or the fact that he hadn’t glanced in her direction once—not once—as the afternoon turned to evening. She had just been trying to be friendly on the ride. A mistake, apparently.

  “Really? I’ll admit he’s a little quiet.” The skewers clinked and clanked as Sierra crossed the kitchen. “But he’s a really good father. That’s says everything about him.”

  “Not everything.” Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “Can we please drop it? I’m not exactly a fan right now.”

  “I think she protests too much.” Rori unwound the wrap from the paper towel roll.

  “Ooh, I do, too,” Addy agreed enthusiastically. “You don’t think that means she likes him, do you?”

  “I shouldn’t have said a thing.” She knew better, too. She had no one to blame but herself. If she had kept quiet, then the subject may have turned to something much more interesting by now.

  “Maybe you are finally over Edward. Why not set your sights on the handsome doctor?” Autumn appeared hopeful as she gave the outside door a shove.

  “He is handsome,” Sierra agreed. “Not my type, obviously, since I’m about to marry Tucker. It’s a purely objective observation.”

  “I agree. Adam is not as handsome as my Justin, but still, wow.” Rori winked and sailed off to join the others.

  Cheyenne covered her face with her hands. Seriously, if she said another word about Adam either way, they would never stop.

  “Those girls of his are awfully sweet,” Autumn’s voice trailed after her, echoing in the kitchen. “I would take them in an instant.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” Sierra agreed.

  “Don’t worry.” Addy sidled closer. “I can distract them by mentioning Dad and Cady’s big kiss in front of us. Do you want me to?”

  “I’ll survive.” Her sisters could comment, quip and try to matchmake all they wanted. Adam wasn’t interested any more than she was.

  Especially after she overstepped her bounds. Twice. Talking marriage with him and then practically preaching to him. No wonder he’d been avoiding her. If she were in his shoes, she would, too, she thought, the last to leave the kitchen. She’d only been trying to be helpful, but she’d probably scared him good. When she bounded across the porch, his back was squared to her. Everyone was on the shady lawn, where flames leaped in the fire pit and conversations droned pleasantly.

  “Cheyenne, I made this for you.” Julianna’s sweet voice startled her. The girl bopped off the porch swing and hopped to her feet. She held out a dandelion bracelet.

  “Oh, it’s lovely.” What a sweet girl. She set down the slippery marshmallow bags on the swing’s wide cushion before holding out her right wrist.

  “I have one, too.” Julianna worked to secure the ends of the bracelet, twisting the stems. Her pigtails swung back and forth, as cute as could be. “Jenny and I made them all to match.”

  “You did a great job.” Warmth filled her up, leaving little room to breathe. She and Julianna were kindred spirits, there wasn’t a shred of doubt about that. She held out her arm to admire her new piece of jewelry. “Now we definitely match.”

  “We’re the same.” Julianna nodded in agreement, sparkling like the precious gem she was. “I can carry some of the marshmallows.”

  “That would be a great help, as I was in danger of dropping them.” She handed the girl two bags to carry and took the other three.

  “That’s a lot of marshmallows.” Julianna skipped dow
n the steps.

  “True, but with this family you can never tell how many marshmallows we are going to need. We believe in putting a lot of marshmallows in our s’mores.”

  “I like lots of chocolate.”

  “I won’t hold that against you.”

  “Maybe I’ll try lots of marshmallows and lots of chocolate.”

  “Sounds like a good plan to me. Maybe I will, too.”

  “Okay!” Julianna pranced across the grass. “Jenny! Look at all the marshmallows.”

  Someone was really excited. Cheyenne trudged after her, enchanted. The girl was a cutie, all bounce and sweetness as her sandals barely touched the ground.

  “Julianna, look at how high the flames are.” Jenny took a bag from her sister to help with the carrying. “It’s a real bonfire like in the movies.”

  “We could signal planes with those flames,” Dad quipped as he added the last of the folding lawn chairs to the circle around the campfire. “You girls sit down and get comfy. I don’t suppose you kids want any s’mores. That’s all right. That means there’ll be more for me.”

  “No way!” Little Owen hurried up, hefting a folded chair all by himself. When the family was together, he was never far from Dad. “I got lots of room for s’mores.”

  “Me, too.” Julianna hopped in place. “I’m real hungry.”

  “Then I sure hope there’s enough for you kids because I’m hungrier.” Dad winked and knelt to help Owen set up the chair the little boy was struggling with. Watching the big man and the small child working together made her smile. Owen would be Dad’s first grandchild, and the bond between them was already strong. It was heartening to see.

  She felt a prickle at the back of her neck. The sensation intensified as she dropped the marshmallows on the picnic table. She could practically feel every step Adam took toward her. He drained the oxygen from the air and the light from the sky. He brought the shadows with him as he towered over her, his gaze shuttered, as stoic as a rock.

  “Daddy!” Julianna bounded up to him and grabbed his much larger hand with both of hers. “Frank said we get sparklers when it gets dark! Sparklers are my favorite.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that.” He sounded clipped and formal, but his dark gaze gentled when he gazed down at his youngest daughter.

  “I love it here so much,” Julianna gushed, caught up in the happy moment. “This is the best day ever.”

  “I’m glad, sweetheart.” He tugged affectionately on one of her pigtails. “You’re missing out on the s’more making.”

  “I am?” Her eyes popped wide as she flung around, startled to see Owen and Jenny at the picnic table with Dad. “Oh, no! Gotta go.”

  Cheyenne watched the girl dash away in a flash of purple. “She is revved up.”

  “Too much sugar and excitement, and it’s apparently not over yet.” Adam’s dry sense of humor kept the darkness in his words from holding any bite.

  “Not even close.” Uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what a gal should say to a man who had made it clear she’d gotten too personal. Where were her sisters when a girl needed them? They were always hanging around, but when she was sputtering and in distress they were all huddled on the other side of the campfire chatting about Rori’s pregnancy. Not that she wasn’t interested, but how did she politely excuse herself from Adam and escape without making matters worse? Because no doubt it would be a very long summer dealing with him if she didn’t.

  He jammed his hands into his front pockets and stared deliberately away from her, as if to put more distance between them. His gaze remained glued on his daughters at the picnic table skewering marshmallows and offering their advice on s’more making to Owen.

  Awkward. She slid her thumbs into her jeans pockets and gathered up the gumption to fix the problem she had made. It wasn’t as if she and Adam could suffer like this through the next two months. “I shouldn’t have asked about you remarrying. It was too personal. I wasn’t hinting.”

  “I didn’t think you were.” Mountains could take lessons in inscrutability from the man. What was he thinking? It was impossible to tell with his dark glasses hiding his eyes and his mouth a thin, hard line.

  “Or preaching at you. Sometimes in my eagerness to help, I go overboard. I see a problem and I can’t help wanting to fix it, even if it’s not my business.”

  “I understand.” Not a single hint of emotion rang in his voice. He seemed fixated on the girls.

  Maybe it would be better for both of them if she turned around, walked away and never so much as said hello to the man again. Yes, that sounded like the best plan. She spun around, her first step taking her in the direction of her sisters. The perfect refuge, especially since they were on the far side of the campfire, as far away from Adam as she could get.

  “I didn’t realize how well you knew my daughters.” He broke the silence between them, calling her back.

  She froze in midstep. She lowered her foot to the spongy grass, feeling the cold arrow of his gaze pinned between her shoulder blades. Her escape thwarted, she swallowed hard, straightened her spine and tried not to notice how striking he was with the softer light of approaching sunset casting him in silhouette.

  “We’ve spent some time together. Your daughters are easy to like.”

  “My girls must feel the same way about you.”

  “That doesn’t sound like a compliment exactly.” She squinted up at him, awash in sepia light. “Something about your tone. You haven’t forgiven me for the marriage comment.”

  “I’ve forgotten about the marriage comment.”

  “It’s a reasonable reaction. I get nervous when I talk about it, too. Who needs that kind of doom?” She tossed a lock of auburn hair over her shoulder, probably the prettiest woman he’d ever set eyes on and one of the kindest.

  “I agree. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve learned to avoid doom at all costs.” The quip surprised him, rolling off his tongue when the last thing he wanted to do was let her close again.

  “That’s the reason for your dour demeanor. I get it.” The fire danced behind her, tossing whimsical light to reflect the copper shades in her hair and outlining her with a gentle haze, as if heaven were drawing his attention directly to her. She was as stunning as a fairy-tale princess, wrapped in light and brightness and charm. She turned on her heel, walking away from him and said, “You don’t have to be that way around me. You’re perfectly safe.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second.” As her gaze caught his one last time, a frisson of awareness filtered through him, as gentle as the first hues of sunset, as sweet as the air he breathed. “You look like a walking hazard to me, drawing in everyone in your wake.”

  “Not true.” She turned to walk backward, neatly skirting the fire pit. “I took an oath to help where I can. Even with you.”

  “Yes, that’s what I meant.”

  It took a moment for her to realize the meaning of his compliment. Her smile turned dazzling. Its impact stealing the air from his lungs. Completely unaware of how she affected him, she spun around, called out a greeting to Buttercup, who mooed for attention at the fence. The cow watched Cheyenne with clear longing as the woman stopped to stroke her nose, gazing up at her lovingly.

  At least his shields were up and full force once more, so it was safe to watch the woman from afar. The same warmth and care she felt for animals she showed toward people, and that warmth was what scared him. Life was easier existing in the shadows, where it was safe. He didn’t know how Cheyenne had done it, but he was no longer in the darkness.

  Chapter Seven

  Cheyenne tucked the cell between her ear and her shoulder, waved goodbye to her boss and took the plastic hamster carrier from Ivy. Behind the clear Plexiglas, Tomasina cocked her head, watching her surroundings change as Cheyenne headed out the clinic’s back door. Heat hit her like a steamroller. “Eloise, you’ve been on my mind today. I’ve been meaning to call.”

  “Busy day?” one of her best friends asked, sounding ha
ppy as always since she’d become engaged to Sean.

  “Busy doesn’t begin to describe it. Hectic or insane would be more accurate.” She let the door swoosh shut behind her and headed straight to her pickup sitting in the dappled shade of a broadleaf maple. “This is the first sane minute I’ve had since I walked into the clinic. Not that I mind.”

  “Yes, I notice the note of joy in your voice. Would you be up for dinner tonight? I know it is last minute.”

  “Way too last minute.” Which was a bummer. She set Tomasina’s cage down in the shady flower bed instead of on the hot pavement, opened the door and swung into the seat. Blistering heat melted her as she started the engine, turned the AC on high and dropped her bag on the floor. “I already have plans. I’m returning Julianna’s rescued bird to the wild. I’m not sure how long that is going to take.”

  “I would offer to wait and meet you when you’re done, but I have a feeling you don’t want to rush that visit.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” She hopped back out to retrieve the bird.

  “Do you really think nobody noticed you and Adam getting along on the trail ride?”

  “Sure, which means everyone would have noticed we didn’t get along.” At least she’d managed to sort of smooth things over with him. She knelt in front of Tomasina’s cage. “You did notice how he went out of his way to keep his distance during the s’more making, right? And when the kids were running around with the sparklers?”

  “Not really. I was a little absorbed.” Eloise didn’t sound ashamed of that one bit.

  “Sean, I know.” She rolled her eyes, thinking of how inseparable her cousin and her best friend had become. Sean and Eloise deserved great happiness and she wanted that for them. “You two were pretty snuggly around the campfire. Have you set a date yet?”

  “We’re thinking maybe an early-spring wedding.”

  “Ooh, romantic.” The baby’s soft black eyes sparkled and the bird opened her beak, eager for attention. Too cute. Cheyenne seized the handle, gently lifted the bird and rose to her feet. “Your grandmother must be thrilled.”