To a girl whose baby book claimed that one of her first words was “horsey,” the hours she’d spent caring for the horses and taking riding lessons had never seemed like a burden. Julia preferred spending time in the barn to hanging out with her classmates, who mistook her shyness for arrogance. Not only that, but the barn offered a refuge when her parents’ arguing escalated to the point that her father had walked out the door one day and never come back.
After he left, Tara had pushed her even harder. As trophies began to line the mantel, life became more about the exacting requirements of the ring and less about the simple pleasures Julia had found in a leisurely ride along the river. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize that a judge’s approval rating earned approval in her mother’s eyes—something she longed for more than another ribbon or trophy.
Julia continued to meet every challenge, and her fearless confidence both in and out of the ring cemented her reputation as the golden girl of the horse show circuit. The reigning princess from Wind River Farm.
And then she’d met her prince.
Julia closed her eyes but it didn’t prevent an image of Steve Ballad’s handsome face from invading her memories. Their paths had crossed at a weekend cross-country event and, although Julia had beaten him, he’d asked her to dinner. Three months later, he’d proposed.
She’d had everything. Until the accident.
Julia had returned to Wind River Farm, not at the top of the world but in pieces at the bottom of it. Everything had changed. Tara had accepted a position teaching at a prestigious riding academy in Kentucky and Steve had broken off their engagement.
But her fiancé wasn’t all she’d lost.
Julia sank against a tree.
When Beth had read the words in the devotional book the night before, a surge of longing had swept through her. And Julia knew why. She was tired of going through the motions of each day, alive but not really living. To anyone watching, she appeared to have everything together. Only Julia knew the truth. The injuries may have healed but the wounds on her heart hadn’t.
Trust in the Lord…trust in the Lord.
Could she?
Julia closed her eyes and her heart formed the words before her mind could shut them down.
Please tell me that You’re here, God. And that You care about me.
When she opened them again, she could see the faint outline of Nick’s house beyond the trees.
Nick’s house.
A smile curved her lips.
When had she stopped thinking of it as the old Kramer place?
When had she’d stopped thinking of it as hers?
Maybe when she’d realized that she loved seeing lights glow in the windows at night. Watching Belle chase squirrels around the yard. Hearing Nick’s tuneless whistle when he was outside working. Witnessing the slow transformation that was turning a weary-looking house into a home.
Knowing that Nick and Beth belonged there.
Beth believed the house was an answer to prayer but was it possible it was the answer to hers, too?
Chapter Ten
“Okay, God. I’m listening.”
Unfortunately, all Nick heard in response was silence. No still, small voice. Only the birds and the excited chatter of a squirrel warning its forest friends about the two intruders who’d crossed into their territory.
After the conversation with his mother, Nick needed to clear his head before he went to work. And since he couldn’t hit the gym, he hit the trail along the river instead.
He still had a hard time believing that Beth had been asking God for a mother. But what was even more difficult to believe was that Beth thought Julia was the answer to her prayer! Julia lived in the country but dressed like a fashion model. She wasn’t an animal lover. She froze whenever anyone invaded her personal space….
Except for last night.
Before he could prevent it, an image of Beth, nestled comfortably against Julia while they read the devotional book, popped up in Nick’s mind. Immediately followed by another. The flash of longing he’d seen in Julia’s eyes when he’d walked her home. It had taken all his self-control not to pull her into his arms but she’d severed the connection between them by walking away. She’d rejected his awkward invitation to dinner. In fact, other than a few rare smiles, she hadn’t given any indication that she was interested in him. In fact, she made it a point to show him just the opposite.
Because she’s afraid of what she’s feeling. Just like you are.
Now Nick heard the still, small voice.
“I’m not afraid,” Nick muttered. “I’m…content.”
Content with memories of the brief but happy years of marriage to Liz, his high-school sweetheart. Content with the career he’d chosen. Content to pour his time and energy into their only child.
Wasn’t that a good thing?
Nick couldn’t help sounding a wee bit defensive when he’d directed the question at his mother.
“Contentment is a good thing. Protecting your heart from pain isn’t,” Claire had gently pointed out on the phone. “When I was about to turn down Robert’s invitation to go out for dinner, a wise person said that I should be open to God’s leading, even if it meant leaving my comfort zone.”
Nick knew exactly who the wise person was that she’d referred to. But he hadn’t expected his mother would turn his words around and use them on him.
The situation was completely different.
He’d have to have a talk with his daughter, that was all there was to it. Just because they’d moved next door to a young, single woman didn’t mean that God had handpicked Julia Windham to be Beth’s mother.
Or his wife.
He and Julia were neighbors. They’d barely formed a truce, let alone a friendship. Nick couldn’t see anything else happening between him and Julia.
Even though you would like it to.
“A guy can only take so much rejection, Lord,” Nick muttered. “I’d have to see a major breakthrough in Julia’s attitude to even consider…” His voice trailed off.
Why was he considering anything?
Nick groaned. This was Beth’s fault. And his mother’s. For putting thoughts in his head that had no business being there.
Rather than wandering around like Moses in the desert, Nick decided it would be better to go to the office and focus on his work.
Speaking of wander. Nick frowned. He’d lost his walking buddy.
“Belle!” He called the dog’s name and tilted his head to listen, expecting any moment to hear her crashing through the underbrush.
Nothing.
With a resigned sigh and a vow to bring a leash next time, Nick started toward the creek, knowing how much the dog loved to wade in the ice-cold water.
As he worked his way through the brush, he passed one of the many yellow No Trespassing signs that peppered the woods between the two properties.
The irony wasn’t lost on him.
“That means you,” he reminded himself sternly. “Julia Windham doesn’t want anyone trespassing on her property. Or in her life.”
Another trail opened up near a clearing by the river and as Nick rounded the corner, he heard Belle begin to bark. The frantic bark reserved for the impudent squirrels that dared to mock her from the safety of a branch above her head.
Nick broke into a jog as Belle continued to raise a ruckus loud enough to be heard in Clear Springs. Julia had already caught them on her porch. He didn’t want her to catch them trespassing on her property, too.
“Belle! Come here, girl.” Nick knew he was probably wasting his breath but if the dog stopped barking long enough to look at him, at least his eardrums would have a few precious seconds to recover.
Belle’s head turned in his direction and there was a blessed moment of silence. Before she started up again.
Nick vaulted over a fallen log and almost fell flat on his face in his haste to get to the animal. “Do you know what the word trespassing means? It means that if Julia finds
us here, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
Belle’s frantic barking subsided to a high-pitched whine but she continued to dance around the trunk of the tree.
“When are you going to learn that you can’t bark a squirrel out of a tree?” Nick peered up at the branches, expecting to see one of the fuzzy little critters grinning down at them.
What he didn’t expect to see was…Julia.
He blinked, just to make sure she didn’t vanish like some kind of forest sprite. No. Still there. And not looking at all happy to see him. Belle, on the other hand, gave him a smug, see-what-I-found grin.
“You’re sitting in a tree.” Brilliant powers of observation. Maybe you should have been a detective instead of a veterinarian.
“And you’re trespassing.”
Nick had hoped she wouldn’t notice. But apparently he wasn’t the only one who possessed brilliant powers of observation. “You weren’t spying on me, were you?” The thought, however far-fetched, cheered him.
“No.” Julia looked a little nonplussed by the suggestion. “Just thinking. Alone.”
Instead of taking the hint, Nick leaned against a tree and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Great. Let me know when you’re done.”
She gaped at him. “You aren’t going to wait for me.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I climbed up here,” Julia pointed out. “I can get back down again.”
“Convince me.”
“I’ve climbed this tree a hundred times. Look at the branches…it’s like going up and down a ladder.”
Nick studied the large gaps between the gnarled limbs of the oak. “You’re right, I have seen ladders like this. In Beth’s Dr. Seuss books.”
Something in his expression must have convinced Julia that he wasn’t going anywhere. She started climbing down.
By the time she reached the last branch, Nick was there, ready and waiting for that final four-foot drop. His hands closed around Julia’s narrow waist as she swung down.
“Feel better?” Julia grumbled the moment her feet touched the ground.
“Yes.” A lot better. That was the trouble. It suddenly occurred to Nick that he hadn’t let go of her yet. It suddenly occurred to him that he didn’t want to.
“Nick.”
When Julia whispered his name, Nick couldn’t have stopped himself from looking at her lips if his life had depended on it. He lowered his head, wondering if they were as sweet as he imagined.
Are. You. Insane?
Out of nowhere, the voice of reason drenched him like a bucket of cold water. Reminding him that if he crossed that line, she’d never speak to him again.
“I’m sorry….” Nick stopped, fascinated by the blush of color that stained Julia’s cheeks. And the look of absolute disappointment on her face.
She pivoted away from him and started down the trail.
If Nick’s knees hadn’t turned to sponges, he would have gone after her. He looked down at Belle.
“Do you think that qualifies as a breakthrough in her attitude?”
The dog barked once in affirmation and Nick grinned.
“So do I.”
Chapter Eleven
“Julia? I was hoping I’d catch you at home.”
When, Julia wondered, was her heart going to stop ricocheting around in her chest whenever she heard Nick Delaney’s voice?
Fortunately, it was easier to deal with him on the telephone than in person. On the phone she didn’t have to shore up her defenses against an engaging smile and a pair of warm green eyes.
“I’m actually not at home right now. I’m at the grocery store.”
“I’m afraid this is becoming a habit. Calling you in the middle of the day to ask for a favor.” Nick’s low laugh proved to be just as dangerous to Julia’s peace of mind. It conjured up memories of the day before, when he’d caught her sitting in the tree.
She’d heard Belle barking and Nick whistling for her to come back. She’d hoped neither of them would find her. She hadn’t anticipated the dog could boast a bit of bloodhound in its genes. Upon discovery, Julia had done her best to brazen her way through it and she’d nearly succeeded…
Until Nick had almost kissed her.
It was your imagination, she chided the mischievous voice in her head.
Mmm. So you must have imagined your disappointment, too?
This time, she ignored the pesky thought.
Nick had walked with her to the property line, but once they had gone their separate ways, all of Julia’s old fears had crowded in. She wanted to believe. To trust. But what would happen if she lost everything again?
“What can I do for you?” She was relieved to discover that her voice was steadier than her shaking hands.
“I don’t know if Beth mentioned that her birthday is today?”
“A few times.” Julia smiled. More like half a dozen. “She seemed pretty excited, even though she got her gift early.”
“Early?”
“Belle. I remember Beth saying that she was hoping to get a puppy this year.”
“Yes, well…I found something else. Irma Robertson is taking Beth out for ice cream after school and I was wondering if I could stash the present in your barn. To surprise her when she gets home.”
“I suppose so.” Julia fought to keep her emotions grounded against the ridiculous surge of pleasure at being included in Nick’s plan.
“I’m on my way home now. Do I need to wait for you? Irma promised she’d keep Beth busy until four.”
Julia glanced at her watch. It was almost two o’clock. “I’ve got a few more errands to run but the barn isn’t locked.”
“One more thing.” The husky timbre of Nick’s voice sent shivers dancing up her arms. “What’s your opinion of chocolate cake?”
“Chocolate cake is always good,” Julia said cautiously.
“Good, because when I told Beth she could have some friends over to celebrate her birthday tonight, your name was the only one on the guest list.”
“Really?” The word stumbled out before she could prevent it.
“Really.” There was a smile in his voice. “If you don’t have any plans.”
None that compared to spending the evening with him and Beth.
“Should I bring something?”
“Just yourself. That’s enough.”
Julia hung up the phone, wishing it were true.
When had “just herself” ever been enough?
Nick heard the snap of a car door and strode out of the barn, relieved that Julia had arrived before Beth.
He could use some reinforcements. Now that the birthday gift had been delivered, he was having some doubts about the timing of his purchase. And those doubts had more to do with Julia’s potential reaction to the gift than Beth’s.
There was only one way to find out.
Nick stepped outside as Julia slid out of the driver’s seat. Unaware of his presence, she tipped her face toward the sky and closed her eyes. Sunlight ignited threads of gold in her hair, and the simple design of the dress she wore emphasized slender curves.
The carefree gesture surprised him. He hoped it wasn’t his imagination, but her attitude seemed to be softening. And she had accepted his invitation to celebrate Beth’s birthday with them. That had to mean something.
“Did you need help carrying anything in?”
Julia started at the sound of his voice but couldn’t quite conceal the flash of pleasure in her eyes. Nick hoped that meant something, too. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”
“Irma called me a few minutes ago and they’re on their way back. Do you want to take a quick look before the unveiling?”
“Is Beth going to be as excited as you are?”
She was actually teasing him.
One step forward, Lord.
As they entered the barn, Julia stopped so abruptly that Nick almost bumped into her.
“That’s a…”
“Horse.” Nick strung th
e last word onto the sentence when her voice broke off. “Someone called the office and asked me to do an animal welfare check on some dogs at a place out in the country a few days ago. When I got there, I saw Star standing in a pen not much bigger than the kennel they kept their hounds in. The owner mentioned she had a one-way ticket to an auction this weekend.”
Nick had been able to guess its fate from there. The faint outline of the animal’s ribs was visible beneath the dirty sorrel coat. Clumps of burrs matted the mane and tail.
A horse like Star would have been easily overlooked as a potential riding horse, but Nick had taken one look at the sweet-faced mare, up to her fetlocks in mud and waste, and dug out his checkbook.
“You bought Beth a horse.”
Something in Julia’s flat tone sowed more doubt. “I know Star isn’t much to look at, but I checked her over and there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her that some TLC from a little girl won’t cure. I promised Beth we’d get a horse if we found a house in the country. I didn’t think it would happen this fast but I think she’ll work out fine.” The fact that he was rambling made Nick wonder who he was trying to convince.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“Tom said there’s a riding club in the area that offers lessons for beginners—”
“I mean now,” Julia interrupted curtly. “Tonight.”
Nick had thought that was what she meant. “I was hoping you would let us board Star here for a few days until we can put up some fencing and a shelter of our own. I’d pay you, of course—”
“You want to keep her here?” Julia’s voice thinned and cracked on the last word.
“Just for a few days. You won’t even know she’s here. Beth and I will take care of everything.”
“Good. Because I’m not having anything to do with it.”
Nick’s eyes flew to Julia’s face. Her skin was bleached of color, a stark contrast to eyes as dark as uncut amethysts. She whirled around, a slight hitch in her step as she stalked toward the door.
So much for one step forward.
A Mother's Gift (Love Inspired) Page 15
