The other was Jack Swinton, then a young Texas Ranger. She hadn't lied to Jenny completely. Jack was an old poker buddy, and occasionally the game ran a little late between just the two of them. But then his career took off and she was busy running her own ranch, and there was nothing but friendship between them.
After the shooting, in her hospital room in San Antonio, when she'd fed Jack that load of bull about a meth lab on the Rocking L, he'd taken her hand and forced her to meet his eyes. "I don't know what in the goddamn hell is going on, Katie," he said, "but could you please not get yourself killed on me?"
"I won't, Jack," she promised. "I just can't tell you the truth right now."
"I didn't hear that," he said, gently kissing her on the forehead. "You take care of yourself, sugar."
She'd laid her free hand on the crisp white fabric of his starched shirt and said, "Thank you, Jack. You're a good man."
As she watched him walk out of her hospital room and felt the throbbing pain in the shoulder she already knew would be worthless for life, Kate assumed there would be no other men for her. Certainly not a slightly goofy archaeologist in perpetual need of a haircut who habitually lost his eyeglasses even when they were on his own face.
But that was the very man who stepped out of the bathroom at that moment clad only in a towel, beads of water glistening on his chest.
They exchanged a long look before Jake grinned at her and asked rakishly, "Who has a dirty mind now?"
Oh yeah, she'd put a dress on for this one, and then let him take it right off her again.
Sometime well after midnight Kate heard Jenny’s footsteps in the hallway and called to her softly. When Jenny appeared at the door of the study, she had a cup in her hand. “Hi,” she said. “You can’t sleep either?”
“Going to sleep is never the problem,” Kate replied. “It’s staying asleep. What are you drinking?”
“Tea,” Jenny said. “There’s plenty of hot water in the kettle. You want some?”
“Sure,” Kate said, starting to get up.
“Stay there,” Jenny ordered, taking in the blanket draped over her sister’s bad shoulder. “You’re all settled. I’ll get it for you.”
When she came back into the room, Jenny put a cup down on the table by Kate and claimed the chair across from her. “Still using the electric logs?” she said, gesturing toward the fireplace.
“It’ll be cold enough for the real thing in another week or so,” Kate said.
“What are you reading?” Jenny asked.
Kate’s iPad was balanced on her knee. Without a word, she passed the device to her sister and grinned when Jenny’s eyebrows shot up. “Evening dresses?” she asked incredulously. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Probably,” Kate admitted. “The Institute for Texan Cultures invited Jake to speak at some black tie thing and he wants us to make a weekend of it.”
“And you agreed?” Jenny said. “Damn. You do have it bad for this guy.”
“Stop,” Kate commanded. Then, hesitantly, she asked, “The green one or the blue one?”
Jenny studied the screen. “Green,” she said. “It’ll make your eyes stand out and the neckline is . . .” She paused as if searching for the right words.
“Better to pull over my shoulder,” Kate finished. “Don’t pussy foot around that kind of thing, honey. I have to think about what I can get on by myself.”
“Jake would help you,” Jenny said.
Blushing slightly, Kate said, “I think he’d be more help getting it off me.”
Jenny laughed. “Typical man,” she said, “but a good one.”
“Yes,” Kate said, “he is. And he wants to do this. He actually said he wants to show me off.”
“That’s a good thing,” Jenny said, handing the tablet back to her. “But it makes you want to run like hell, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Kate admitted. “I have no earthly idea what to do with a man who thinks I’m the living end.”
Jenny groaned. “Okay, first off, nobody younger than Great-Grandma Johanna says ‘living end,’ anymore. And second, you enjoy it, that’s what you do.”
“May I point out to you that Great-Grandma Johanna wore a gun belt and a Colt until the day she died?” Kate grumbled.
“Oh,” Jenny said. “I’m glad you said that. You’ll need to leave that derringer you carry around in your cuff at home, or at least back at the room.”
“Why?”
“Really, Kate?” Jenny asked. “Have you heard of something called 9/11? I imagine this institute place has metal detectors.”
Kate shifted uncomfortably and reached for her tea as an excuse not to look at Jenny. “I have a license,” she said, “and I don’t like to be without a gun, especially because of this damn shoulder.”
“You’ll be with Jake,” Jenny said. “He’ll . . . “
Kate’s head snapped up. “Don’t you dare say what I think you’re going to say. I can damn well take care of myself.”
Jenny held up a hand placatingly. “My mistake. But I don’t think you want to buy a dress that expensive just to get arrested in it.”
“Okay,” Kate said, still ruffled. “That’s a good point.” Changing topics she asked, “How do the fences look?”
“Fine,” Jenny said. “I fixed a couple of strands of wire up high on the bluff. Nothing else.”
“You see anyone?”
“A couple of jackrabbits,” Jenny said. Then she added sarcastically, “I didn’t get their names.”
“Don’t be a wise ass,” Kate said. “We just need to be careful for a while. I don’t like this business of Josh staying liquored up every night.”
Jenny sighed. “I don’t like it either, for lots of reasons.”
They sat in comfortable silence, staring at the flickering light from the fireplace. Since girlhood the two women had shared countless late nights together. Kate was a lifelong insomniac who sought solace in her books, and for Jenny, the dark hours were often the ones most filled with troubled, doubtful thoughts.
“Oh,” Jenny said after several minutes. “I forgot to tell you. I stopped at Mandy’s on my way home.”
“Which means you came home by the river,” Kate said. “I thought . . .”
“Now you stop,” Jenny said. “I wanted to see the herons. The cave entrance was completely deserted.”
Kate started to continue her lecture and then thought better of it. “How’s Baby Sister?”
“Up to her ears in committees and projects and kids,” Jenny said. “She is gonna pay for her raising with those girls.”
“Good,” Kate said with a chuckle. “Since we’re the ones who raised her, I’m going to enjoy watching that. What are the little stinkers up to?”
“One of them is on the computer all the time and the other got into Mandy’s makeup.”
“Now be honest,” Kate said, “can you tell those girls apart?”
Jenny shook her head. “I wait for Mandy to use one of their names and then go by whatever they’re wearing. If they’re dressed alike, I’m sunk.”
“I was thinking we ought to get them a couple of horses,” Kate said. “Be good for them to have the responsibility of taking care of an animal. They need to start learning about life out here.”
“What about the stock we already have?”
“Bracelet’s too high strung and Horsefly is pretty much yours now,” Kate said. “Besides, you know us Lockwoods and tall horses. The girls are just little kids. Mandy will have a stroke if I put them on a horse that stands 18 hands.”
“How tall is Horsefly?”
“He’s better than 17,” Kate said. “I’m thinking young quarter horses. Fifteen hands or less.”
“Mandy would be happier if you put Sissy and Missy on Shetland ponies,” Jenny suggested, knowing full well she was poking a rattlesnake.
“You can dig a hole and put me in the ground beside Daddy before I have a Shetland pony on this place,” Kate declared. “I will just be damned if
I’m having some runt masquerading as a horse on the Rocking L.”
“Got you,” Jenny teased. “You went full Langston on me there.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Kate growled. “But on this subject, I agree completely with Daddy. A Shetland pony is just a dog with hooves. I saw an ad the other day for some yearlings for sale over in Mason, already broke. I’ll take a ride over with Dusty and have a look at them.”
“Are you gonna run this by Mandy first?” Jenny asked.
“Since when do I have to ask my baby sister before I buy a horse?” Kate said, grinning. “Not gonna be my fault if the kids fall in love with them at first sight.”
“You are bad,” Jenny said.
“I know how to avoid having to listen to Mandy squawk,” Kate said. “We had to practically hogtie her to get her on Horsefly the first time and then we couldn’t get her off. Remember how he just stood there while she crawled all over him? That horse is a saint.”
“He’s a prefect old darling,” Jenny said fondly. “But seriously, Katie, I’m a little worried about Mandy.”
“She loves horses,” Kate said. “I can’t imagine she wouldn’t want the girls to learn to ride.”
“Not about that,” Jenny said. “She thinks she doesn’t know how to be a good parent.”
Kate let out a heavy breath. “Because of Daddy.”
“Yes,” Jenny said.
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Good. I tried this afternoon, but I don’t know how much progress I made,” Jenny said, stifling a yawn.
“Why don’t you go on back to bed, honey,” Kate said. “You’ve been up since the crack of dawn. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Kate said. As Jenny stood to leave, Kate added, “I’m sorry for the reason, but it’s good to have you here.”
Jenny leaned down and brushed a kiss against Kate’s cheek.
“What’s that for?” Kate asked, looking up at her and smiling.
“Just for being you,” Jenny smiled back. “Good night, Katie.”
“Night, Jenny. Sleep well.”
116
True to her word, Kate and Dusty drove to Mason later in the week and bought two yearling quarter horses. Jenny walked out to the pen by the barn and stood with Kate when Dusty arrived at the ranch the next day pulling a trailer behind her truck. Dusty backed the trailer up to the open gate, unlatched the doors, and whistled. On cue, two blue roan fillies obediently stepped out.
Jenny turned to her sister in amazement. “Blue roans?” she said. “On the Rocking L?”
“Times change,” Kate said, eyeing the animals appreciatively. “Look at them. They’re beautiful. Gentle as lambs. We both rode them and you couldn’t ask for two better mannered horses. And they’re twins. How was I supposed to pass that up?”
Dusty walked over and joined them at the fence rail. The three women watched as the new arrivals tentatively greeted Horsefly and Bracelet. Both of the older horses towered over the fillies that were compact, well-proportioned animals.
“Do they have names?” Jenny asked.
“That one there with the white blaze is Shadow and the other one is Cinder,” Dusty said. “But the girls can always pick new names if they want.” She turned to Kate. “The saddles will be ready on Friday.”
“The saddles?” Jenny said. “Dare I ask?”
“Nothing too fancy,” Kate said. “But I thought the girls might like to have their names on the fenders.”
“Of course you did, Aunt Katie,” Jenny said. “What about hats and boots?”
“Have to have the girls with me to do that,” Kate said. “Figured we might drive up to Leddy’s in San Angelo over the weekend.”
When Jenny laughed, Kate said indignantly, “What? Mandy wants their minds off computers and makeup. I’m just doing my part.”
“Next thing you know, you’ll have them racing barrels,” Jenny said.
“That would be my job,” Dusty chimed in. “Might give them another year before we start in on that though.”
Jenny groaned. “I can see that the two of you are all poised to re-live your misspent youth.”
“Only part of it,” Dusty said. “I don’t really want to have to shoot some ole boy for looking crossways at those babies quite yet.”
“Me either,” Kate said seriously.
“My God!” Jenny said. “Listen to the two of you. They’re not even ten!”
“Kids grow up faster these days,” Dusty said. “Best to get the message out there from the git go. After all, boys will be boys.”
“And I thought Joe Bob was the one who would be loading a shotgun,” Jenny said.
“You ever seen Joe Bob shoot?” Kate asked. “He can’t hit the side of a barn.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Joe Bob pulled in the front gate and parked by the pen, grinning from ear to ear. He got out of the truck with a Border Collie puppy under each arm. “Look!” he said happily. “I got them for Sissy and Missy. I thought it might help get their minds off computers and makeup.”
Kate pushed her hat back and looked up at the sky. Dusty laughed and Jenny covered her eyes with her hand.
“What?” Joe Bob asked uncertainly. “Don’t you think they’re cute?”
“They’re adorable,” Jenny said. “They’ll go great with the horses.”
“What horses?” he asked in confusion.
“The ones Aunt Katie just bought for the girls,” Jenny said, pointing at the pen.
A look of horror crossed Joe Bob’s face. “I am not going to be the one to tell Mandy about this,” he said, backing up. “No, sir. I’m gonna be doing good to get away with the dogs.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Kate said. “Give me one of those pups. Jenny, you take the other one. We’ll all tell Mandy. How in the hell can everybody be so scared of one little woman?”
Within 15 minutes, she would be sorry she asked the question. Mandy was, to put it mildly, fit to be tied. “Did any of you geniuses think to ask me about dogs and horses?” she demanded. “You know, me? The mother? The one who is going to wind up cleaning up after these critters?”
“You haven’t mucked out a stall since you were in grade school,” Kate said.
“And I don’t intend to muck one out now,” Mandy countered, “so you better be ready to make sure those horses are tended if the girls don’t do their jobs.”
“They’ll do their jobs,” Kate said levelly.
“And just how do you know that?” Mandy asked hotly.
“Because they won’t get to ride those horses if they don’t take care of them,” Kate said. “That was the rule when you were a kid and it’s still the rule.”
“How do you know they’ll even like these horses?” Mandy asked.
“Come up to the pen and see for yourself,” Kate said. “Give me your keys, Joe Bob.”
As he handed over his keyring, Jenny said, “Um, I think I’ll just stay down here and help Joe Bob with the puppies.”
Over Mandy’s shoulder, Kate frowned at her and mouthed the word “chicken.”
Jenny nodded and said, “Okay. You two have fun now.”
As they started out, Mandy turned toward her sister and husband and said, pointing her finger for emphasis, “And I suggest the two of you figure out how to housebreak those dogs immediately.”
“They’re already housebroken,” Joe Bob said earnestly. “I promise.”
As if to verify the truth of his words, the little dog in his arms barked encouragingly.
“And that’s enough out of you,” Mandy said, but the suggestion of a smile tugged at the disapproving frown plastered on her face.
Once Kate and Mandy were out the door, Jenny turned to Joe Bob. “Are these dogs really housebroken?” she asked.
“God, I hope so,” he said desperately.
At the sight of the two fillies, Mandy’s protestations died in her throat. “Oh,” she said, her eyes going wide. “You bought them gray ho
rses.”
“I bought them blue roans,” Kate corrected.
Mandy turned to her with with a joyous expression. “Daddy wouldn’t let me have a gray horse and I always wanted one.”
“I remember,” Kate said. “So you over being mad at me?”
“I wasn’t really all that mad,” Mandy said, throwing her arms around Kate’s neck. “Thank you.”
“Come on,” Kate said. “Let me introduce you.”
She unlatched the gate and held it open for Mandy to walk into the pen. The roans raised their heads in interest, and Kate clucked her tongue. Both horses trotted over immediately. Mandy reached up and stroked Cinder’s cheek. “Hello beautiful,” she whispered. “My babies are going to love you. I think I love you, too.” Behind her, Shadow nickered, and Mandy reached for her as well. “And you, too,” she said.
Kate stroked Shadow’s nose. “The girls may love these horses, Baby Sister, but they love you more,” she said. “They’re just acting up right now to test you a little bit.”
Mandy laid her head against Cinder’s warm neck and closed her eyes. “Why would they do that?” she asked. “I don’t understand.”
“To make sure you’re gonna be there for them. They want you to give’em hell. It means you’ll keep their world safe, the same way Jolene did,” Kate answered. “They’re used to having a mama who was strong as mare’s milk. They’re scared, just like you were after our Mama died.”
“I don’t want to screw this up,” Mandy said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I don’t want to hurt the girls and I don’t want to disappoint Jolene. I know she’s watching me and I’m so scared I’m gonna let her down.”
Kate put her hand on Mandy’s shoulder and gently pulled her into a hug. “You’re not going to hurt the girls,” she said, kissing her sister’s hair. “Jolene would be the first one to tell you that you have to set rules and tell Sissy and Missy ‘no’ when it’s for their own good.”
The Lockwood Legacy - Books 1-6: Plus Bonus Short Stories Page 78
