True Horizon

by Laurie Winter

  That statement was her mother in a nutshell—don’t worry about fixing the world, just fix yourself. “I owe him my life, Mother. Tyler’s in Mexico and the wedding plans are all under control. I can help Heath. He trusts me.”

  “Heath is not the type of person you should be spending time with, Grace Ann.” Joslyn reached out and took hold of Grace’s dirt-stained hand. “Oh my. You need a manicure.”

  “I’m twenty-six, not sixteen. You need to trust me. I can take care of myself.” She loved her mother, she really did. Sometimes the woman was utterly exasperating.

  “Okay.” Joslyn raised her hands. “But be careful. Promise?”

  Grace gave her mother a hug. “Of course. Careful is my middle name.”

  “Your middle name should have been Prudence. Then maybe you wouldn’t have been such a wild child.” Her mother headed down the hall and into the kitchen. “Do you plan on joining us for dinner?”

  She followed and entered her mother’s domain. A large island topped with white marble dominated the room. Huge windows draped in floral fabric looked over the back yard. Amazingly, her mother had designed the kitchen to ooze sophistication, yet still remain true to the history of the farmhouse.

  Her brother spent more time in here growing up. He preferred working in the kitchen to tending the animals. They’d often swapped chores, since she loved being outside and was totally useless in the kitchen. She’d supported Alex when he’d followed his dreams and attended culinary school. “No, I’m meeting Molly. We’re going to the Beach Boys tribute band concert in the park.” She noticed the time glowing on the stove’s digital clock and shoved off the counter. “Yikes, I need to get ready.”

  Joslyn came out of the pantry holding a jar of canned green beans. “Go upstairs and get yourself clean. Those barn clothes do nothing for your figure.

  ****

  Heath sat on the porch of the bunkhouse with a glass of cold water in his hand. “Well, that was quite the adventure,” he said to the dog at his feet.

  Shadow, true to his name, had not left his side all afternoon.

  Heath relaxed on the creaky rocking chair and enjoyed the cool breeze. His stomach growled, lunch long forgotten. He’d become used to a large breakfast and lunch, and today’s hadn’t quite measured up. Maybe he’d go to Alex’s restaurant, The Desert Rose, for dinner. Surely, he could stay out of trouble for one night.

  His time with Grace proved a natural medicine for his troubled soul. The voices that plagued his subconscious were quieting. For that afternoon, he’d forgotten about war and death. The ice usually flowing through his veins had melted with the warmth of Grace’s smile.

  Earlier that week, he bought a cell phone at a convenience store in town. The need to make a few phone calls weighed on his conscience. First would be to Julie, John’s widow. He had promised to stay in touch, and until now, he’d been doing a bad job. Next call would be to his grandparents’ lawyer. Time to stop hiding from the world and face my fears.

  The slap of a door closing made him look up to see Grace striding across the lawn.

  She glanced over at him and waved.

  Her face glowed with a wide, genuine smile. When his gaze drifted to her dress, he had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t having a vision. She wore a coral dress which flowed softly in the breeze. Copper bracelets adorned her tan arms. A belt cinched her small waist, and impossible high heels capped off her legs. In his life, he’d never seen a more attractive woman. Grace’s true beauty could only be appreciated by those privileged to know her. Her loveliness radiated and spiraled outward from its source, her gentle heart.

  She walked across the gravel driveway, heading to her car. “Have a good night,” she called out.

  “You, too,” he answered. The sight of her, dressed in all her designer glory, served as a wake-up call. On some level, she was still a country girl who’d spent her childhood on a ranch. But now, most of that person was erased.

  Grace’s life had taken a different direction. After spending the afternoon with her on horseback, he’d forgotten she was a sophisticated woman—more model than farm girl. Grace had no room in her life for someone like him.

  Shadow gazed upward with amber eyes, and Heath rubbed his head. “Way out of our league, dude.”

  The dog barked.

  Maybe in agreement. He watched Grace drive away, down the dusty driveway. “I’m gonna rustle up some grub. See you later.” Heath patted the shaggy dog before standing to stretch his legs. After going inside to get his wallet, he mounted his bike.

  As he drove the winding country roads, his thoughts of Grace crept into his mind. Soon, she’d be married and living in Dallas. Her future was all laid out before her. For this brief time, his life intersected with hers, and he was thankful. She’d shown him the world was not all darkness. Light could be found in the most unexpected places.

  Acres of farmland flew past his peripheral vision. Wire fences, strung parallel to the road, made an unending line of metal. Cattle hung their heads low, grazing on abundant grass. The power of his bike was under his control, unlike the horse he’d been astride earlier. Given time, he could see himself content at the ranch. The wide open space didn’t leave him feeling confined like all his other jobs had.

  He entered the restaurant, wearing a new pair of jeans and clean shirt, but he still felt out of place. A petite blonde hostess showed him to a small table by a window which faced Main Street. When he noticed other diners stealing glances his way, he self-consciously smoothed his unruly hair.

  A waitress appeared at his side. She was really cute and probably college age. Way too young for him to be interested in.

  “Hey there,” she said. “I’m Berry. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Iced tea with a slice of lemon.”

  “Sweet or regular, honey?”

  “Regular.” Sweet things didn’t appealed to him, well, with the exception of Grace.

  “You got it. Here’s a menu. Our chef’s special tonight is a fire grilled T-bone steak served with rosemary fingerling potatoes and sautéed asparagus. It’s really good.” She looked him over before walking away.

  Heath noticed Alex standing across the room, talking to a middle-aged couple seated for dinner. He liked what Alex had done to the place. The Desert Rose was quaint, with intimate tables and high-backed booths, which gave diners a sense of privacy. Perfect for a romantic night out. The menu was heavy on regional fare, with plenty of local beef and seafood from the Gulf.

  Berry, his perky waitress, returned with his iced tea. “You ready to order?” she asked with a smile.

  “The T-bone special cooked medium rare.” He forced himself to make eye contact. No time like the present to start polishing your social skills.

  “Smart choice. You won’t be disappointed.” She took the offered menu from his outstretched hand. “You’re new around here, aren’t you? I saw you last night at the bar. You caused quite a stir.”

  Best to avoid her line of questioning. “Will you tell Alex I’d like to speak to him when he has a minute?”

  Her smile drooped. “Sure. I’ll go turn in your order.”

  Heath knew this type of woman all too well. She saw him as exciting, rough, and dangerous—the perfect combination to spark a woman’s imagination. He wasn’t interested in being someone’s fantasy, because he really was anything but. He’d tried those kinds of relationships in the past and quickly learned they were more trouble than they were worth.

  Moments later, Alex joined him and reached out to shake hands. “Hey, man, good to see you. How’s the family treating you?”

  “Really good. Ranch work is tough, but I like the physical activity.”

  Grimacing, Alex sat on the other side of the table and adjusted the knot in his purple tie. “I hated farm work so I used to bribe Grace to do my chores. If she cleaned out the chicken coop, I’d let her sit in the rear seat of my car when I drove Tyler to school.”

  “Using your sister’s feelings to get
out of doing your chores…that’s low, man.” If Heath had been around when Grace was in high school, he would have made sure she’d only had eyes for him.

  “I know, I know.” Alex raised his hands in mock surrender. “I was an appalling big brother. What made it worse was Tyler couldn’t stand her tagging along. He acted like he didn’t notice her, but he did. He used to make fun of her and call her names behind her back. On our last day of senior year, he called her a mutt. I finally had enough and punched him in the face.”

  “Why would she want to marry someone who’d hurt her like that?” Heath wanted to punch Tyler in the face, too. He knew Tyler was a jerk, but a mean-spirited bully? His heart hurt for a young Grace—the object of her affection openly mocking her.

  “That’s Grace for ya.” Alex spun a sugar packet in his fingers. “When Tyler saw her again last year, he realized how foolish he’d been to dismiss her. My sister is a lot like my dad. They love everybody, no matter if the people deserve it or not.”

  “Some people don’t deserve that kind of love.” Heath put himself into that category and shuddered.

  “Well, Grace would argue about that until the end of time.” Alex laughed. “Tonight, dinner’s on the house. I need to go to my office and balance a few spreadsheets.” He gazed at the kitchen doors. “Some days, I wish I didn’t have to spend my time dealing with cost and profit sheets, employee schedules, and supply orders. I’d rather be in the kitchen. But, I guess you have to take the good with the bad.”

  “Thanks for dinner. I appreciate it.” Heath really did. Not only for the steak dinner, but also for his friendship.

  Alex stood to leave.

  “Wait a sec.” Heath glanced around to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “I have one quick question. Is Tyler good enough for her?”

  A slow smile emerged on Alex’s face. “I don’t know, man. I honestly don’t know. Tyler and I were best buds growing up, even though I knew he could be a real jerk. I know he’s changed a lot since then, and he really loves Grace and wants what’s best for her.”

  “Would he move to Liberty Ridge in order to make her happy?”

  Alex shook his head and laughed. “Anything but that. Tyler couldn’t stand living in a small town.” He walked toward the back of the restaurant and disappeared into his office.

  His waitress appeared, placing his dinner order on the table.

  Filling up most of the plate was a large, sizzling steak. The food smelled out of this world delicious—a heady combination of smoky meat, cooked vegetables, and fresh baked bread.

  While Heath ate his meal, Alex’s answer gave him plenty to think about.

  Chapter Eleven

  Fourteen-year-old Grace had sprinted toward the house, her boots splashing through muddy puddles. “Hey, Molly.” She waved to her friend and pounded up the stairs. Molly had wisely remained on the porch, protected from the rain.

  “Hurry, Grace. The festival starts in less than an hour.” She pointed to Grace’s muddy boots. “You better take off those before you go in the house or your mom will have a cow.” Molly fluffed out her short, brunette hair which bordered her jaw line.

  She did as her best friend suggested, and the girls hustled to Grace’s room. They did their hair and makeup in between singing along to the pop music blasting on the radio. Grace needed to look her best today. Molly laced her hair into a long French braid. Then Grace applied foundation to cover the multitude of red blotches on her face.

  “You look fabulous.” Molly stood next to Grace in front of the mirror.

  “Do you think Tyler will be there?” She twirled to get a better look at herself. The temperature was predicted to reach ninety-five degrees today. Whatever she wore needed to be cool and comfortable. After much debate, she decided on jean shorts and a Garth Brooks T-shirt.

  “Yeah, he should be.” Molly picked up a can of hairspray and released a cumulonimbus-sized cloud over her head. “The football players are in charge of the carnival games. He’s on the JV team so he should be by the dunk tank.”

  Grace coughed and stepped back. The idea of seeing Tyler today left her giddy with excitement. “I can’t believe we’ll be freshmen this fall.” She squealed with a release of nervous energy. Finally, she might have a shot at catching Tyler’s attention and maybe even his heart. “Let’s find my dad so we can get going.” She found Bruce sitting in his easy chair in the family room, reading the paper.

  “Hey, butterfly.” He peered over his newspaper and smiled. “Hi, Molly. You girls ready?”

  “Yeah. Come on…let’s go.” Grace grabbed her dad’s beefy hand and hauled him onto his feet.

  Bruce laughed and put down his paper. “Okay, okay…but first, let me get the keys to your carriage.”

  Grace sat between Molly and Dad in the front bench of the truck. As soon as he parked along one of the side streets bordering Snowfield Park, she nudged Molly to jump out, and then she ran off with her best friend toward the festival.

  “Have fun,” Bruce yelled after them.

  With the rain gone, the sun now shone hot and bright. She moved past crowds of children and their parents until she reached the dunk tank. Grace’s heart beat rapidly when she saw the cutest boy alive—Tyler Lee Ross. This was it. The moment she’d waited all summer for. Please notice me for someone more than Alex’s pesky little sister.

  “Come over and try to dunk my buddy, Ryder.” Tyler called out challenges to people passing by. “Three chances for a dollar.”

  Over the noise around her, all Grace could hear was Tyler’s voice. As she and Molly approached Tyler, Grace handed him her money. He placed three baseballs in her hand and directed her toward the red line, the whole while barely looking her way. Grace cocked her arm back and threw. The ball curved wide and landed in the grass about five feet from the target.

  Warm breath suddenly brushed over her neck.

  “You want a turn in the tank?” Tyler whispered.

  His nearness made Grace almost faint from excitement. “Sure,” she croaked, not even certain of what she had agreed to. She was too distracted by the scent of his spicy cologne to listen to what he said.

  He took her hand and walked her to the dunk tank. “Hey, Ryder, time for a break. Alex’s little sis wants a chance.”

  “Cool,” said a boy wearing a red football jersey. He wiggled his way out and jumped down.

  “Climb on in, sugar.” Tyler held her arm as she climbed the ladder.

  His touch seared her skin.

  A blonde cheerleader approached Tyler and put her arm around his shoulders. “What’s goin’ on?” she asked.

  Grace knew the perky cheerleader, Colleen Gardner, because she’d been at a few of Alex’s parties. No denying the girl was outwardly pretty. Colleen was the object of many boys’ affections. But Grace had also seen on several occasions a side of Colleen that wasn’t so attractive—her mean temper and vicious tongue.

  Tyler whispered a reply in her ear, and the girl let out a giggle.

  Then she said something to him.

  As Grace watched the interaction too quiet to overhear, her jealousy bloomed like a magnolia tree.

  “Baby, you need to be patient,” he said to Colleen. “You’ll get me alone on that Ferris wheel soon enough.” Tyler went back to the red line and grabbed three balls.

  “If you dunk Alex’s sister, he’ll kill you,” Colleen said with a smile.

  Tyler threw the first ball, a weak underhanded toss, and missed.

  Shivering with nerves on the seat above the tank of water, Grace sighed with relief. She watched as the second toss hit closer but not the bull’s eye. Just hurry up and get it over with.

  As he held the last ball in his hand, Tyler smiled at the crowd of teenagers who gathered around.

  “Cut it out, Tyler.” Alex’s voice sounded through the crowd as he marched up to Tyler. “Leave Grace out of it. I know you’re mad at me for not giving you a ride today, but geez, don’t be such a jerk.”

  “No worries, bro.
” Tyler glanced at Grace out of the corner of his eye.

  For a moment, she thought she saw a spark of interest. Maybe after all this time, she would get her chance. As she watched him rocket the last ball toward the dunk tank and hit the bull’s eye, her wish shattered. The scene played out in slow motion. She dropped like a rock into the cold water.

  Sputtering, she climbed out of the tank, dripping wet. Grace wanted to shrivel up and die. Surrounding her were kids that she’d soon be attending high school with, all of them laughing and pointing. Her hair was now plastered to her face. And she was sure her make-up washed away in the water.

  She could barely breathe, and the food she’d eaten earlier threatened to expel from her stomach. Clenching her lips shut, Grace willed her body to calm down.

  Molly shoved her way through the crowd. “Come on, Grace. Let’s get out of here.” She took Grace by the hand and pulled her away from the dunk tank.

  Tyler flung his arm around Colleen’s shoulder, and they started walking away.

  Alex ran up to Grace. “I’m so sorry. That was rotten of Tyler.”

  “I’m fine.” She sniffed. “It’s only water.” Her dreams of a happy-ever-after with Tyler dissipated before her eyes.

  Grace and Molly made their way to the bathrooms.

  At the exit to the game area, her dad stepped in front of them holding a towel. “You get dried off,” he said. “I’m gonna have a nice talk with that Tyler boy.”

  “Don’t, Daddy.” She grabbed onto his arm. “I’m embarrassed enough already. He was only getting payback on Alex. Please promise you won’t talk to Tyler?”

  “All right, but if I ever see that boy treating you like that again…”

  Grace could only imagine what he would do. Her dad’s face was as red as a beet.

  He looked mad enough to lasso Tyler and tie him on top of a fire ant hill. She forced herself to smile, concealing how hurt she’d been by Tyler’s stunt.

  “Thanks for the towel, Mr. Murray.” Molly put her arm around Grace. “I’ll take her in the bathroom to get her dried off.”