As if he could see her thoughts, he added, "I also didn't think you'd want to be makin' any rash decisions now. At least, not until you'd had a chance to think 'em through."
As they neared a narrow bridge, he slowed and pulled the truck off the blacktopped road onto a graded trail that had them bouncing along a gently sloping embankment on one side of the bridge. They came to a stop a few yards from the slowly moving creek.
Without a word, Will set the hand break, pushed open his door, and walked to the front of the truck. There he stood, gazing out at the water, until eventually he leaned back against the truck's grille and gazed some more.
Only then did Cassie realize what he was doing. He was giving her complete privacy to pull herself together. The realization made her conscience sting.
She joined him at the front of the truck, and because it would be easier to talk without having to face him, she leaned back against the grille as he had done and gazed at the narrow stream.
"I'm sorry for what happened earlier, Will. My mother—"
"Is a nice lady. She's different. But she's nice."
"She's a lunatic," Cassie said, again echoing what she knew everyone thought. "You can't pay attention to anything she says. She's off in another world most of the time. She doesn't think about anything else."
"She loves you," he contradicted.
Cassie shook her head, her throat tight.
"You're thinkin' about leavin', aren't you?" he asked.
Cassie made no reply.
"All the fight's been knocked out of you."
Although that was exactly how she felt, she couldn't let it pass. "I wouldn't say that," she denied.
"If you leave, that's exactly what you're sayin'."
"If I leave, it's because I want to, not—"
"Want to?" he broke in. "I thought you wanted to see this deal through."
"I do."
"Then why not do it?"
He didn't wait for her answer. Instead, he went to get something from inside the truck, and when he came back, held out the tissue-wrapped honey cakes and winked at her. "I think we're safe to eat these in broad daylight, don't you?"
Cassie found a smile from somewhere deep inside and chose one of the honey cakes. That he was accepting her mother's daft prophecy in good humor eased a little of her mortification.
"I should think so," she said, and bit into the sweet goodness at the same time as he bit into his.
"Mmm," he approved after they'd finished. "Your mother sure makes a mean honey cake. But don't tell that to my Mom. She thinks she has the corner on bein' the best cook in the county."
"I won't," Cassie promised. She kept to herself her certain knowledge that he wouldn't think as much of some of her mother's other concoctions.
He checked the sun's height in the sky. "Guess we'd better get goin', huh? I've got a lot to get done with before this evenin'. You comin' on the hayride?"
"Do I have to?"
He grinned. "No, but it could be fun. We're takin' the kids out to see the calves. That's always good for a laugh."
"I'll think about it," Cassie murmured.
She was smiling as she got back into the truck. At least she was, until she glanced a short distance above the horizon…and saw the ghostly visage of the newly rising moon.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EVEN WITH THE delay Will provided, Cassie still wasn't ready to be "on show" when they arrived back at the ranch. So it was with relief that she learned the Warrens were picnicking by the creek and weren't expected to return until midafternoon.
"Those kids are wearin' me out!" Robbie complained as he dropped into his usual seat at the table.
"You're enjoying them and you know it, Dad," Sylvia teased as she measured brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire, and various other ingredients into a pot on the stove for barbecue sauce.
Robbie eyed Will. "How'd it go with Ray, Jr.?" he asked.
"It went," Will replied.
"Took you a while," Robbie observed.
"Tim Hassat asked me for some help over at Swanson's. He and Ned needed another pair of hands to get his tractor back in shape."
"Yeah," Robbie agreed. "Since Terry's joined up with the Army, Ned's sure missin' him, I bet."
Ned, Cassie knew, was Ned Swanson, the owner of the garage. Terry was his youngest son. The last time she'd seen Terry he wasn't much older than Seth Warren was now.
Will resettled his hat in preparation for going outside. "You mind missin' a little of your siesta, Granddad? I could sure use a hand myself out back."
Robbie was out of his chair before Will finished speaking. "You bet!" he responded enthusiastically, and, stuffing his hat on his head, hurried to be first out the door.
Will and Sylvia shared a smile before Will turned to Cassie.
"You gonna stay put?" he asked, his expression serious.
Cassie nodded.
Time passed. Seconds...minutes...she had no idea how long their gazes held.
Then Will gave a short nod and followed his grandfather outside.
Sylvia, at the stove, adjusted the burner to simmer, but she must have noted the look shared by Cassie and her son because her expression became thoughtful.
Cassie had meant to go directly to her room upon entering the house, but at the moment, the prospect of being alone there kept her still.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Sylvia invited.
Cassie nodded and sank into a chair. If Will hadn't intervened, she'd already be on her way back to Houston...a thought that sparked a pang of unease because she wasn't. Her life suddenly seemed to be spiraling out of control. Nothing was as she would have chosen.
Sylvia slid a cup filled almost to the brim in front of her, then poured one for herself. "Mindy Parks called to tell me you were in town," she said conversationally as she, too, settled into a chair. "She didn't know I already knew."
Mindy Parks was Reva Henderson's best friend. "Word is spreading," Cassie murmured.
"How do you feel about that?"
"I expected it."
Sylvia spooned sugar into her cup. "Darla Simpson called to tell me Lynette met you in the shoe store. She said Lynette said you looked amazing. Like some kind of TV reporter, or something. Your hair, your makeup, your clothes."
Cassie laughed disbelievingly and fiddled with her cup handle.
"She truly did," Sylvia said, smiling. Her tone altered slightly as she added, "She also said Lynette saw you with your mother, and that she'd heard you and Will went to visit Bonnie."
"Oh, the joys of small town life," Cassie quipped unsteadily.
"Most people don't care, you know."
"And some people care too much!"
"It's not every day that one of our own returns, Cassie, and is so obviously doing well."
Cassie was beginning to feel as if the new Cassie she'd created in Houston was slipping away from her. The town, her mother...all were trying to suck her back into the life she'd worked so hard to escape.
"People should mind their own business," she snapped.
"Does that include me?" Sylvia asked.
Cassie looked into the woman's gentle eyes and looked away again. "No."
"Then let me tell you something, Cassie. Things truly aren't the way you seem to remember them. You were a child, you were hurting. Your mother—"
Cassie cut in. "Do you know that I don't have a picture of my father? Not one! My mother threw them all away after he died. She even took the one I had by my bed." She hadn't meant to say that! She hadn't even known she'd been thinking it! But there it was.
Sylvia reached out to cover her hand. Cassie wanted to break the contact. She didn't want sympathy. But her hand stayed where it was.
"I remember your father," Sylvia said quietly. "He was slender, with hair about the same color as yours that he wore down to his shoulders. And he always had a smile for everyone." She smiled in remembrance. "Your parents created quite a stir when they came to town. You were just a tiny baby."
"I can't
remember what he looked like," Cassie confessed.
Sylvia's smile ebbed. "He died when you were three or four, didn't he? I think he fell doing some kind of work at the county courthouse."
"I was three. I don't remember."
"Carpentry work. Handyman work. That's what he did. And he was good. People liked him despite—" She paused. "Well, they were very different."
Cassie swallowed, her eyes fixed on the table.
Sylvia squeezed her hand. "People are more accepting of things now, Cassie. So much has happened over the years. Your mother's ideas…well, some of them aren't so strange anymore. Organic gardening, yoga exercises, meditation—those were some of the things she was always goin' on about. Maybe the town just needed some time to catch up."
Cassie withdrew her hand. "I'm not going to believe you if you try to tell me that suddenly everyone thinks she's a visionary."
"No, I wouldn't say that. It's more…that she belongs. She may have a funny way of saying things and a funny way of acting…but she's ours."
"To be laughed at!"
"No one ever laughed, Cassie."
"Yes, they did," Cassie countered.
"Kids maybe," Sylvia conceded. "Did some of them laugh at you?"
Cassie raised her chin and Sylvia read the answer on her face.
"What would you say," Sylvia continued, "if I told you that a few of those same kids are now asking your mother for tarot card readings, and are taking what she tells them very seriously?"
Cassie blinked.
"And a couple of their mothers as well. I don't believe any of that stuff myself, but they seem to."
"No," Cassie maintained stubbornly.
Sylvia shrugged.
Everything Sylvia had told her played again in Cassie's mind. Still, she resisted. There might be changes on the surface, but underneath the town was the same. It mattered to her, though, that Sylvia not think she was impugning her word.
"I know you're trying to help, but…"
"Give the town a chance, Cassie," Sylvia advised. "And you may see things you didn't see before."
Cassie pushed away from the table, wishing she'd done it sooner. Tears weren't far away again as she stumbled over the words that would let her escape. "I, ah— I..."
Sylvia smiled up at her. "Don't forget. We're taking everyone on a hayride later, then we're havin' a barbecue."
All Cassie could do was nod.
~~~~
CASSIE WANTED TO stay in her room the entire afternoon. Heaven knew she'd already been through enough for one day! But after a couple of hours she went downstairs.
Sylvia was hard at work preparing the side dishes for the barbecue when Cassie entered the kitchen. With a flagging smile, Sylvia told her to help herself if she wanted some tea, then went back to slicing an onion.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Cassie asked. Earlier, she'd changed out of her business suit and into a new pair of jeans and pastel pink T-shirt.
Sylvia brushed loose hairs away from her face. "I could use a few ripe tomatoes from the garden. Would you pick them for me? Oh, and a couple of cucumbers. I brought the beans in earlier when I cut the cabbages. The garden has just been wonderful so far this year. Everything's come in early. I took a chance with my tomatoes, put them in before what could've been a last freeze, but the last freeze didn't happen and we started eatin' tomatoes before anybody else," she bragged. "This will be a grand season for canning and freezing."
Cassie walked to the garden and, carefully picking her way between rows, completed the task assigned her. She was returning to the house, her bounty in the basket Sylvia provided, when she came upon Robbie hobbling up from the outbuildings. She fell into step beside him.
"You gotta watch Sylvia," he teased her, motioning to the basket. "Stand still for a minute and she'll put you to work!"
Cassie couldn't help but smile. "I volunteered," she informed him.
They reached the chairs under the shade tree and Robbie tapped her arm, motioning toward them. "Let's sit out here a few minutes and cool off. If we go inside, Sylvia'll just find somethin' else for us to do."
Cassie could hear Sylvia shredding cabbage, so a few extra minutes shouldn't hurt.
Robbie slumped into a chair as she settled on another. Hanging his hat over one knee, he looked around, his weathered features reflecting pride in what he saw.
"Ray'll never understand the simple joy of doin' what we're doin' right now. Sittin' in the shade, lettin' the breeze go by, appreciatin' the rewards of a lot of hard work. The kind 'a hard, back-breakin' work that puts grit between your teeth and sweat on your brow. Where you hafta be smarter than some dumb animal that thinks it's smarter than you and is determined to prove it. Where you hafta keep the water flowin' into the tanks for the herd, and the fence up and mended, and the horses looked after." He shook his woolly white head and snorted in disgust. "He actually thinks workin' for eight hours in that store 'a his is hard work!"
"It is beautiful here," Cassie murmured judiciously.
"Darned right it's beautiful!" Robbie agreed. "Lot's of Taylors have thought so. Me, my son, my daddy, my daddy's daddy. It was hard on the women early on. S'pose it still is," he conceded. "But they loved it, too. So does Will—" His throat closed upon mention of his grandson. He leaned toward her, eyes intent. "That's why I agreed to sell the Old Home Place, ya know. 'Cause 'a Will. That boy don't deserve what's happenin' to him. He don't deserve all the worry he's had heaped on him. He's worked hard all his life on this place. Had'ta leave the university 'fore he was done to come back and fill his daddy's boots. Doesn't have time for a wife or kids. He's makin' too many sacrifices…and all I hav'ta make is one!"
The old man grew silent, lost in deep thoughts. When the silence extended, Cassie murmured a leave-taking—which went unacknowledged—and let herself back into the house
~~~~
CASSIE HELPED SYLVIA steadily for the next hour and was in the kitchen when Will put in an appearance.
"Well, I think we're all ready outside," he said. "Got the flatbed hitched to the tractor and spread some hay around on it. When is it you're wantin' to take everybody for a ride?"
"I was thinkin' about five," Sylvia said. "The Warrens should be back and rested by then. Cassie, is that good for you?"
Cassie nodded. In her room earlier she'd thought of refusing to take part, but she couldn't do it now.
Will gave her a quick smile before turning back to his mother. "I'll keep an eye on the time," he promised before the screen door thumped shut after him.
Sylvia sighed. "I wish that boy could slow down a little. Sometimes I feel bad pushing the idea of people comin' to stay with us when it causes Will even more work. If we could just get Ray to agree to—" She stopped, threw a glance at Cassie, and then finished somewhat awkwardly, "to sign the contract. We could afford to take on help, and Will wouldn't have to work all the hours of the day. Or worry so much." She shrugged. "Sorry, Cassie, I'm not saying that to add any pressure. I know you're doin' all you can."
Sylvia had no idea how close she had come to leaving. Cassie felt a tug of guilt that she had allowed her mother's behavior to make her lose sight of her goal. "I understand," she said.
Hands on hips, Sylvia took stock of their preparations. "I think we're about ready in here, too. Thanks for all the help, Cassie."
"I enjoyed it," Cassie said and meant it. She truly had enjoyed working side by side with the other woman, who laughed easily and often.
Boisterous voices closed in on the house, announcing the return of the Warrens. David Warren was the only one to come inside, though, and that was to return the picnic basket.
"The kids are having the time of their lives!" he proclaimed, his face pinkened from the sun. "And so are Cindy and I. We'll keep coming back as long as you let us, Sylvia. And we'll tell all our friends. That lunch you packed us was great, too. As usual!"
"Well, thank you," Sylvia said, and quickly added, "I hope y'all are gonna have some room lef
t for barbecue."
David lifted his eyes to heaven. "Ah, your brisket! You bet, as Robbie always says. This country air!" He hurried outside to his wife and brood and they headed for the bunkhouse.
Sylvia smiled with satisfaction. "A happy man," she said.
~~~~
CASSIE HAD NEVER been on a hayride before and enjoyed the long, leisurely tow around the empty pasture. Will then towed them into another pasture where they could see the cows and calves close up. Will dumped some extra hay for the mothers, who got busy eating while their youngsters played, giving little kicks and running this way and that. One of the calves ran straight toward Will, then sensing that he was coming too fast, put on the brakes so hard that he lost his balance and toppled over, performing a somersault as Will stepped easily out of the way. The calf then got up, shook himself, and came over to sniff Will's hand. Will caught hold of the calf and called to Melissa and Seth, asking them if they wanted to come see him. With David's permission, the kids slid to the ground and cautiously approached the animal—which, from their awestruck remarks, was a lot bigger than they'd thought.
"Now you always have to be careful, just like you are right now," Will said. "This baby's momma is very protective. She'll charge you if she thinks you're about to hurt him."
"Oh, we'd never do that," Melissa said as she touched the calf's hairy black neck.
"But momma doesn't know that," Will said.
Melissa nodded and Seth joined her, a little more tentatively, in touching the calf.
Shortly, Will lifted the children onto the flatbed and, with a nod at the parents and a wink for Cassie, he started up the tractor and towed them around the pasture a little longer, looking at other cows and calves before heading back to the ranch house.
Sylvia met them outside the bunkhouse where she and Robbie had set up a couple of portable tables that were now filled with food. The guests piled off and, plates in hand, helped themselves to the abundance. They sat as they found places, on the bunkhouse steps and narrow porch, and on the stump that Seth had learned to lasso. Will, following cowboy tradition, hunkered down with his plate. From all the yums and aahs that followed, the Taylors had made another hit.
After the meal, everyone helped to clear the tables, including the children. And this time, David and Cindy insisted upon doing the washing up. Will hurried off to do more chores, Melissa and Seth played around the side of the house, and Sylvia sat in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee and talking with David and Cindy. Only Cassie and Robbie had nothing to do. Together, they drifted to the chairs under the shade tree.
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