Always A Will And A Way_Western Romance

by Barbara Gee

  It had taken a supreme effort to put her out of his mind and concentrate on riding Red, the most challenging horse he’d taken on in quite some time. Thank goodness he hadn’t embarrassed himself by falling on his butt in the dirt.

  After the ride he’d immediately sought her out and felt instantly warmed by the admiration in her gaze as she watched him from across the ring. Then that idiot Miller started in with the whole “stud” thing and inviting him to the bar to meet up with the skanky girls who hung out there, and Will had been almost as embarrassed as if he would have bitten the dust.

  Things had ended up okay, though, and he’d enjoyed the unexpectedly deep talk with Kelly in the back yard. Sure, Kelly had teased him a little about being called a stud before he left, but she didn’t seem to be judging him, and it had given him a chance to let her know he wasn’t like that anymore. He hoped he hadn’t come on too strong when he told her about his and Senior’s relationship, hinting that she should have an open mind when Senior explained why he now wanted to be a grandfather to James. Will just wanted to make sure she made an informed decision about how involved she would allow little James to be with his grandparents.

  It had seemed to help Kelly to have someone willing to talk with her for a bit. This visit to Wild Rose was obviously an emotional one for her. When that little tear had rolled down her cheek it had been all he could do not to pull her up and give her a hug, but he knew she would have seen that as a little too extreme, and it would have been, so he stood his ground and settled for talking her through it. And when she’d started to tease him, he knew she was feeling a little better.

  Kelly Matherson should be considered off limits for all kinds of reasons, but his reaction to her had been much stronger than anything he’d ever felt with a woman he’d just met, and that fact alone intrigued Will. Her devotion to her son, bringing James here when it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do—it tugged at his heart. Being a single parent couldn’t be easy, but James seemed to be such a great kid, and it was obvious that Kelly was telling the truth when she said her son was her priority.

  Quite honestly, when he heard Kelly had agreed to come to the ranch after all these years, Will’s first thought was that she must have seen it as an opportunity to have her son put into Senior’s will. It would only take someone a few minutes with Google to find out that James Matherson, Sr. was a very wealthy man, and maybe it wasn’t so wrong for a mother to want to make her child more comfortable financially. But now that he’d met her, nothing about Kelly indicated that money was an issue. Will realized that when she said her sole reason for coming to the ranch was to give James a shot at a relationship with his grandparents, he totally believed her. He barely knew her, but he believed her. The lady gave off good vibes, and Will was already way too interested.

  It was probably a good thing she was only going to be around for a week. Hopefully, given the short time frame, he wouldn’t have a chance to embarrass himself and reveal how strongly he reacted to her presence. But man, he felt so drawn to her, and he couldn’t deny he was already looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.

  Which reminded him that before tomorrow happened, Kelly was going to have to endure that painful talk with James and Maggie.

  Will parked his truck by the stable at his family’s ranch, and took the time to bow his head and say a quick prayer, asking the Father to reward the Matherson family’s willingness to confront their painful mistakes with healing and a bright new future together. Young James Matherson could be a huge power for good in the life of his grandparents, and Will hoped that was exactly what the outcome of Kelly’s visit to Texas would be.

  After a delicious brisket dinner, Kelly took James to their room and waited while he showered and brushed his teeth. He was exhausted from his big day, and hadn’t protested when Kelly suggested bed time right after they finished eating. Maggie invited Kelly to meet them back in the living room when James was sleeping, and Kelly nodded. It was as good a time as any, she supposed.

  James snuggled into the comfy sofa bed, smiling tiredly up at her. “I’m glad you brought me here, Mom. I miss Gran and Pops, but I like it here. I like Grammy and Paw Paw and Uncle Chad and Aunt Amy and Will and Dodger. Do you think they like me, too?”

  “I’m one hundred percent sure of it,” Kelly said, lying down beside him. “What do you like best so far?”

  “Playing with Dodger and watching Will ride that huge horse. Can we really take a video tomorrow?”

  “Sure. Will said he doesn’t mind.”

  “I hope I can ride a horse as good as him some day. Do you think he’ll teach me how to break in horses?”

  “Um, maybe when you’re a little older, if we come for another visit.”

  “When are we gonna come again? After school is out?”

  “Oh, I doubt it will be that soon. I’m planning to teach some summer school classes again to make some extra money. I’m thinking maybe if we work at it real hard, we can afford to get a house with a bigger yard so you can get your own dog.”

  James tried to smile, but a huge yawn interfered. “I hope I can find one as good as Dodger. He listens to me and he can fetch a ball so good. Uncle Chad said Will is real good at training dogs.”

  “I think Will is good at almost everything,” Kelly mused.

  “Yeah, me too.” Another yawn, and James was done. Kelly knew he’d sleep till morning, even in a strange bed. Outdoor exercise was the best sleep aid for little boys.

  She sat up and took a moment to steel herself for what was to come. Her bed looked incredibly inviting, but James and Maggie were waiting. Her dread was almost paralyzing. She was so much better at keeping her feelings bottled up and dealing with them her way, and she wasn’t sure how to express what she had gone through to James Sr. and Maggie. Nine years of hurt was a lot to try to control once things were brought out in the open.

  Picking up her phone she idly swiped to Will’s contact screen. Just the thought of his caring offer to lend an ear made her feel a little stronger, a little more ready to see this thing through. The sooner she and her hosts got the big talk over with, the sooner she could really start to enjoy her time at the Wild Rose. That was assuming their talk ended amicably. Kelly sighed and left the bedroom, determined to do her best to make it so. She really didn’t want to make James go home early.

  As promised, James Sr. and Maggie were waiting for her in the living room, sitting close together with their hands clasped. It made Kelly feel more alone than ever, but she settled across from them and managed a smile.

  “James is down for the night,” she said to begin the conversation. “He was completely worn out, but will be ready to go hard again tomorrow I’m sure. He doesn’t want to waste any of the time he has here. Thank you both for making him feel so welcome.”

  Maggie smiled sadly. “It’s wonderful to have him here. And you too, Kelly. We’re just so very, very sorry it didn’t happen before now.”

  Kelly nodded. “I am too.” She hesitated, then took a deep breath and began the conversation. “To be honest, seeing how much James already loves the Wild Rose is a little scary for me. I didn’t expect him to take to the ranch so quickly and completely. He’s already got a lot to lose, and it makes me a little apprehensive. If you have another change of heart, it will be awfully hard to explain to him why he can no longer visit his new Grammy and Paw Paw at their ranch.”

  Senior cleared his throat and spoke up. “After I say what I have to say, Kelly, I believe your fear will be gone. Given your blessing, the only thing that will keep me from my grandson is my death, and I will level with you and tell you that might be sooner rather than later.”

  His bluntness was totally unexpected and it took a moment for Kelly to respond. “I’m sorry,” she whispered finally, a little surprised to find that she not only meant it, but was also truly saddened by the possibility.

  James patted his wife’s knee when she wiped her eyes. “I’ve come to terms with my health situation. Facin
g my mortality has been daunting for me, but it’s also the thing that started my journey back to life, and that’s what I need to tell you about.”

  And he did. For an hour and a half James Senior talked, until his voice was almost gone and he was visibly trembling with weariness and emotion. Maggie and Kelly had gone through handfuls of tissues, making no effort to hold back their tears as James Senior started by talking about Jamie’s childhood, how happy he’d been to have a son to carry on the Matherson name, how he’d never questioned that Jamie would take over the Wild Rose, and how frustrated he’d been when his son had insisted on going to college at TCU instead of closer to home. Frustration turned to anger when Jamie had finally told his dad that he wouldn’t be staying in Texas, much less returning to the Wild Rose. Upon hearing that, James Matherson, Sr. had experienced the ultimate betrayal. He didn’t know how to handle it. However, most people feared him and fell into line, and he was sure that in time he would be able to convince, i.e. force, his son back to Texas. But nothing he tried worked.

  As it turned out, Kelly was unaware until now of the many conversations her husband had had with his father prior to that final, terrible ultimatum being issued. For whatever reason, Jamie had chosen not to share everything with his new wife, and Kelly was pretty sure it was because he didn’t want her to suffer any further guilt about his broken relationship with his parents. While moving to Virginia had been what he wanted to do, it also gave Kelly the chance to live close to her own parents, and she had indeed felt like she was getting the better end of the deal. She had definitely carried some guilt about that.

  After issuing his ultimatum, James Sr. had waited, sure that his son would now come around and realize that his rightful place was at the Wild Rose. Surely he wouldn’t just walk away from the Matherson family’s generations of ranching tradition, and surely he wouldn’t walk away from the millions of dollars of assets he would inherit if he simply moved back to Texas and got back down to business at the ranch.

  But the ranch wasn’t what Jamie wanted. He didn’t want to be a cowboy, he wanted to be a physical therapist. And after years of hoping his son would change his mind, James Sr. finally accepted the loss and from that point on, his son was as good as dead, long before he actually lost his life on that icy Virginia road. Maggie had begged to attend the funeral, but James had refused to even talk about it. Maggie had also told him about Kelly’s pregnancy, but he forbade her and Amy both from mentioning it again, as he had no desire to hear about the baby.

  But life was unpredictable, and even the most proud and indomitable sometimes suffer from circumstances beyond their control. Two years ago, James Sr. had had a stroke. It was a bad one, and he could neither walk nor speak afterward. For a proud, domineering man who was used to being revered and feared, it was a horrible thing. He refused therapy because he didn’t believe it would help. He refused to let anyone other than his family and Will Connor visit him. His doctor finally allowed him to go home from the rehab center, and everyone knew he was going home to die. His will to live was simply gone.

  It was his daughter, Amy, who changed that. She wasn’t ready to let him go, and she figured she had nothing to lose by trying one last, desperate appeal. She had spent days trying to find information about Kelly and little James on the internet, but since Kelly wasn’t into social media and fiercely guarded James’ privacy, her efforts were unsuccessful. Amy had resorted to hiring a PI, who gave her details and photos within a week.

  “I can still see her marching into my bedroom,” James told Kelly, “a manila folder under her arm. She was terrified and looked like she was headed to the guillotine. She knew the information she had would either kill me or save me.” The weary man reached over and picked up a Bible from the end table by the sofa.

  “That day, Amy told me that I had a four year old grandson named James Kincaid Matherson, the third. And she showed me this picture.” His hands shook as he handed it across to Kelly.

  Kelly looked at the photo the PI had taken. She actually remembered that very day. It was the day after James’ fourth birthday, and they were walking down their street, not because they had a dog to walk, not because they were trying to catch the ice cream truck or wanted to go to the park. Their walk had been for no reason other than for James to go out and break in his brand new pair of cowboy boots. And oh, did that four year old wear them proudly.

  James took the photo back from Kelly and tucked it lovingly back into the Bible. “When I saw that picture, with little James Kincaid Matherson the third wearing those cowboy boots, I felt my heart begin to beat again. I felt like Ebineezer Scrooge must have felt when he was given a chance to make things right, to halt the diseased course of his life and reverse the damage he had done. And Kelly, it wasn’t five minutes later that the preacher from the Baptist church in town was knocking on our door. He had come by before, telling Maggie that the Lord had laid it on his heart to come visit me, but she sent him away, knowing I wouldn’t agree to see him. Now, two weeks later, he was back, apologizing to Maggie for being a pest but insisting that she at least ask me if I would consent to see him for just a few minutes.”

  “And this time you did,” Kelly guessed. “But you still couldn’t talk, right?”

  “That’s correct. And my left side was virtually paralyzed. I could write though, and for an hour Pastor Luke worked to decipher my pitiful chicken scratching, until I was too tired to go on. He came back the next day, and the next, until I had told him the whole sordid story that I’m telling you now. Then it was his turn. He told Maggie and I the story of grace and salvation and I eventually came to believe that even I could be forgiven and saved from my many sins.”

  Maggie brought her husband a cold glass of water, which he raised to his lips with a trembling hand.

  “James began his therapy after that day of salvation,” Maggie said, smoothly taking over where James had left off. “It’s ironic, because he was completely dependent on a physical therapist for his recovery, a wonderful woman dedicated to the career James had grown to despise more than any other. Through that, we came to realize how perfect that profession was for Jamie. His intelligence, his patience, and his great concern for people would have made it a perfect fit, and it’s devastating to know that he had such a short time to impact the people in your community.”

  James and Maggie took turns finishing the story, which ended with them finally gathering the courage to contact Kelly, and her being here with them now.

  Kelly turned her head to blow her nose for at least the fifteenth time.

  “So here we are,” Maggie said softly. “Words aren’t enough, but it’s all we have. We are so sorry, Kelly, so terribly sorry. It’s too late to make it right with Jamie, but we would appreciate any time you would consent to let us have with little James, and with you as well. We want nothing more than to be a true family. You don’t have to answer us now, but please think about it. I know the burden will fall on you because James, my James that is, is unable to travel due to the high probability of more health problems if he exerts himself too much. But whatever we can do to make your visits as easy as possible, we will gladly do.”

  “I don’t have to think about it,” Kelly assured them. “My dad always says kids can never have too many people to love them. James needs both of you, and also Chad and Amy, in his life. And the Wild Rose. I will get him here as often as I can, but I doubt if I can swing more than twice a year.”

  “We’ll take whatever we can get, and we insist on covering all of your travel expenses,” James Sr. said, his voice weak. “Thank you, my dear. You’ve made this sick old man very happy indeed.”

  Kelly gathered up all her used tissues and stood. “We’ll have lots more time to talk this week, and right now I can see you need to get to bed, James. I hope you didn’t over do it this evening. Do you need any help getting upstairs?”

  “We had a home elevator put in last year,” Maggie informed her. “It makes things so much easier. You go on to bed, dear.
We’ll be fine.”

  Kelly nodded and said her good nights before walking toward the hall. Then she stopped and went back, giving them each a gentle hug.

  “I’m glad we’ve finally talked,” she told them, “and I’m also really glad it’s over. I think we’ll all three sleep better tonight than we have in weeks.”

  “Make that years, for me,” James Sr. amended. “I thank you for your graciousness. Bless you, Kelly, and good night.”

  With an incredible sense of relief, Kelly got ready for bed. She was tempted to call her parents, but it was already 11:00 east coast time, and they always went to bed right at 10:00. She thought about calling one of her friends, but she didn’t want to risk waking them up either. She supposed she would just have to wait until tomorrow to reach out.

  Climbing into the comfortable bed, she reached for her phone and once again swiped to Will’s contact screen. She jumped a foot when the phone unexpectedly chimed, and a disbelieving smile curved her soft lips when she saw “Will C” displayed above the incoming text.

  You okay?

  Two little words, and just like that, Kelly felt incredibly warm and content. She quickly wrote back.

  I’m good. Really good, in fact, and really relieved. Thanks for checking.

  Cool. Just wanted to make sure. Night.

  Night, Will C. See you tomorrow.

  Kelly replaced her phone on the night stand, a goofy smile on her face. It really was a very good thing she was only going to be in Texas for a week. Any longer and her crazy attraction to that particular cowboy could pose a real problem.

  Chapter 8

  Chad and Amy showed up for breakfast the next day, and Kelly welcomed her sister-in-law with a tight hug, then took her aside to talk where James couldn’t hear them.

  “Your parents and I had a long talk last night. Thanks for what you did, Amy. And please don’t apologize for not doing it sooner. It wouldn’t have worked until your dad hit rock bottom. We both know that.”