by Barbara Gee
“Peanut butter chocolate chip.”
“Ah, I love those.”
James followed Diana to the cookie jar and happily took the cookies she offered, even remembering to thank her.
“How about you two?” Diana asked.
“No thanks,” Kelly said, but Will took a handful.
“We’re gonna get going, Mom. Tell Dad I’ll be here in the morning when Doc Harding comes to check on Midas.”
“I will. You all have fun, it’s a beautiful day for swimming.” Diana smiled as James scampered to the door and began tugging his boots on.
Will held his hand out to Kelly and she took it without even thinking. She turned her head to thank Diana for James’ cookies and to say goodbye, but faltered when she saw that Diana’s gaze was fixed on hers and Will’s joined hands, and her warm smile had abruptly faded.
Will’s attention was on James, so he didn’t see his mother’s frozen expression.
“Um, thanks for the cookies, and it was nice meeting you,” Kelly managed to say, tugging her hand quickly from Will’s grasp.
Diana’s eyes bored into Kelly’s, her mouth turned down at the corners. “When did you say you’re going back home?” she wondered, her voice still pleasant, belying the coolness in her eyes.
“We leave Saturday morning.”
Diana nodded shortly. “I’m sure you’ll be glad to get back. Safe travels.”
“See ya, Mom,” Will said, turning around to give her a quick smile.
They left the house and Kelly drew a deep breath. She was sure she hadn’t imagined Diana Connor’s disapproval when Will took her hand, but Will didn’t seem to have noticed anything amiss when he said goodbye. Maybe Kelly was being overly sensitive, but frankly she really couldn’t blame Mrs. Connor if she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the thought of her son developing an interest in an older woman, much less one who already had a child and lived in Virginia.
Kelly sighed. So much for a good first impression.
Will took them to his place next, which was located between the main house and the stables. It was a two bedroom log cabin that had served as the main house when his great, great grandfather had purchased the ranch. It had been well maintained and improved over the years, and was cozy and comfortable, with original hardwood floors and handmade throw rugs. It made Kelly happy to picture Will living in a home that suited him so well.
James was thrilled to find that Dodger was allowed to come inside.
“Where does he sleep, Will? In bed with you?”
“No way, I draw the line there. He sleeps on that rug under the front window.”
“Well I would let him sleep with me if he was my dog,” James declared. “But I’d need a bigger bed.”
Will grinned at Kelly and she knew he was thinking “add that to your list.”
“I’ll grab some blankets for us to sit on.” Will went down the hall and soon came back with an armful of blankets. He added a few bottles of water from the fridge and they headed out to the Mule parked at the side of the cabin.
Dodger and James happily climbed into the back seat of the Mule. Will offered to let Kelly drive, but since she didn’t know where they were going she deferred and tried not to stare at the muscles flexing in his arms as he drove them out through the fields. Kelly guessed they had gone at least two miles when they crested a hill and drove down into a little valley where a surprisingly large creek ran through a copse of trees.
“My brothers spent weeks making this swimming hole with just shovels, sweat and rocks, way back when I was barely walking. It looks like it’s always been here now, but before they worked on it, it was just a spot in the creek that was a little wider and deeper than the rest. It’s still only a few feet deep, but that’s more than enough to cool off on a hot day.”
“It’s a beautiful spot. I’m guessing you don’t let the cattle run through here?”
“Nope, and you don’t have to worry about contamination because this creek is spring-fed and starts just on the other side of that wooded area by that cliff. It’s all fenced in until further down in the valley.” Will pointed out the area, and Kelly marveled at how different the land was here than over at the Wild Rose.
James couldn’t wait to jump in. “Where can I change into my trunks, Mom?”
“Right here. Will and I will turn around so you have some privacy.”
That was fine with James, and soon he was running past them and wading out into the swimming hole, with Dodger splashing excitedly by his side. Will spread a blanket under a shady tree near the creek bank and Kelly gave a satisfied groan as she stretched out on her back.
“What a perfect way to spend a warm spring Texas afternoon,” she said. “It feels so much cooler here by the water, even if it is just a creek.”
“You’ve got shorts on, go ahead and wade in if you want,” Will said.
“Maybe in a little while. I’m fine right here for now.”
Will offered her a bottle of water and she took it and rolled onto her side, propping herself up on an elbow so she could take a drink without dribbling on the blanket.
“So how much older than you are your brothers?”
“Emmet is 39, Travis is 36, and Eli is 34.”
“And then there’s little Will,” Kelly teased.
“Yup, needless to say I was a bit of a surprise.”
“But what a good one.”
“I’m not sure about that. I drove my brothers crazy. I think they’ll always consider me the pesky little brother, to some extent. Eli and I have grown to be fairly close, but I can’t say I’m tight with Emmet and Trav. I mean, we get along and have a pretty good working relationship, and that’s enough I guess. Thank goodness I’m better than they are with the horses, or I probably wouldn’t have been able to make much of a place for myself on the ranch.”
“What about your dad?”
Will shrugged. “By the time I came along he was kinda over the whole raising children thing. He didn’t have a lot of time to spend with me, but I always knew he was there if I needed anything. Mom made up for it as much as she could, in fact she can still tend to smother me if given the chance. I moved into the cabin almost four years ago, and that’s helped her to let go to some extent.”
“I feel for her. I definitely have a tendency to smother. It’s maybe not such a bad thing at James’ age, but I can see how it will drive him crazy when he hits his teens.”
Will propped himself against a tree trunk, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Kelly decided no one had ever made faded Levis look as good as Will Connor did.
“So it’s time to tell me your life story,” he said, taking off his hat and putting it beside him on the blanket. “Start at the beginning. When is your birthday?”
“February 18.” Kelly watched her son and the big dog splashing in the creek as she began to talk. She kept her description fairly brief, as she didn’t feel her life was all that interesting. She was an only child, enjoyed school and did well, had good friends, spread her wings and went to her Uncle Jay’s alma mater TCU because he convinced her it was the greatest university in the country, met Jamie her freshman year, started dating him during sophomore year, got engaged at Christmas senior year, and the rest he pretty much knew already.
When Will asked how she’d coped when Jamie was killed, she admitted that she and James had moved in with her parents for five months, because she had needed the extra support and help with James.
“Do you still struggle with being widowed so young?”
Kelly nodded. “I guess I do, but mostly because of the way it affects James. I’ve gotten used to being alone myself—I mean it’s been four years so obviously I don’t dwell on things like I did the first year or two. But I definitely miss him the most when it comes to James. I try to make sure James has good male role models in his life, and I’ve realized anew how important that is, after seeing him with you, Chad and James Senior these last few days. He just eats up the attention you guys give him. I
t’s been so good for him.”
“It’s sad that Jamie didn’t get a chance to see James grow up. He’s such a great kid.”
“Thank you. I feel blessed by him every single day.”
Kelly scooted up to sit beside Will, their arms touching. They watched James throw Dodger a stick, the big dog splashing into the water to retrieve it with no hesitation. Dodger was enjoying the cool water on a hot day just as much as James.
Will reached over and took Kelly’s hand, lacing their fingers together. His touch sent a shiver of awareness through her.
“You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but have you dated much since losing Jamie?”
Kelly laughed. “No, and it drives my friends crazy. I’ve gone out a grand total of six times, and actually had a second date with one of the guys, but that was only because he was a co-workers brother and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“All the other guys were one and done?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Because you felt guilty about dating after Jamie, or because you didn’t want to see them again?”
“I didn’t want to see them again. Most of them weren’t interested in having a little boy thrown into the mix, so there was no reason to continue.” Kelly grinned and arched a brow. “Any more questions about my non-existent love life?”
“I do have one more,” Will said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “If we had time to actually go on a date, you and me, do you think I’d make it to date number two?”
A smile curved her full pink lips. “Maybe even three or four, if you kept asking.”
He chuckled. “Is there any doubt about that? I would not only ask, I’d beg if necessary.”
Kelly squeezed his hand and then pushed herself to her feet. “I can’t see you having to beg a girl for anything, Will. And now Q and A time is over. I’m going to go wade in your beautiful creek.”
Will sat back and watched Kelly wade out until the water was halfway up her slender thighs. When James turned around and saw her, his smile was blinding. He bounded towards her, Dodger right by his side. Kelly squealed and turned away as the wet boy and dog reached her and gleefully splashed her. A fierce water battle ensued, and Will wasn’t surprised to see that Kelly wasn’t in the least concerned about getting her hair wet or her clothes muddy. She was a far cry from the high maintenance Lindsay, who would have been furious if a wet dog were to ever knock her on her rear in the water. When that happened to Kelly, she simply laughed and pulled James down with her.
“Come in the water, Will,” James called. “I promise I won’t splash you!”
“I can see your fingers are crossed,” Will replied, smiling.
James quickly put his hand behind his back. “Come on! It’s so fun to swim here!”
“It would take my jeans too long to dry. Next time I’ll be sure to bring my trunks.”
“Can we come back tomorrow?” James asked hopefully, erupting in a belly laugh when Dodger gave a vigorous shake and sprayed Kelly as she made her way towards dry land.
Will chuckled as Kelly reached down and splashed the dog and boy one last time for revenge.
“Not tomorrow, James,” Kelly said. “We only have a couple more days here and we should spend as much time with Grammy and Paw Paw as we can. But wasn’t it nice of Will to take the time to bring us here for a little while?”
“Can’t we stay in Texas longer, Mom? I’m not ready to go home yet.”
“I know, sweetheart, but school starts again on Monday.”
James threw his arms around Dodger and buried his face in the dog’s wet fur. Kelly leaned down and stroked his head gently.
“You can swim for a few more minutes if you want, James. I’m going to sit in the sun for a minute and try to dry out my clothes.”
James went back to the middle of the swimming hole, but his exuberance had diminished considerably. Kelly joined Will and grimaced.
“The down side of having such an incredible time here,” she sighed. “I knew it was going to hit him sooner or later.”
“I know how he feels,” Will said softly, reaching out and drawing her into his arms, not caring that she was soaking wet. “I wish you could stay longer, too.”
Kelly gave him a quick, hard hug, then pulled back before James looked their way.
“I was dreading this trip more than I can say, and I would have never, ever predicted that I’d be so sorry to leave.”
Will watched as she twisted her long dark hair to wring the water out.
“I know I need to get you guys back to the Wild Rose now, but can I sneak over again tonight, when the others are in bed? Two days isn’t much time, and I don’t want to waste any of it.”
“I’ll meet you at the hammock at nine-thirty. I might even be able to snag you some of Sarah’s dessert again.”
“I’d be grateful,” Will replied. He looked over to make sure James wasn’t looking their way and then cupped her cheek with a big, warm hand before carefully brushing her mouth with his. “It makes me happy just to be near you, Kelly.” His brilliant eyes gleamed warmly as he smiled down at her. “You’re amazing.”
Kelly couldn’t catch her breath to respond. He dropped one more light kiss on her lips, then walked to the creek bank and called for Dodger.
James’ melancholy stuck with him the whole way back to the Wild Rose, and when Will left with Dodger, Kelly saw her little boy wiping tears away. Instead of going directly inside the house, she steered him to the back yard and snuggled into the hammock with him. First she asked him to list his favorite things about their trip so far. He started rattling things off, mostly what Kelly would have expected, but then he said that the best thing was getting another grandma and grandpa, and a real aunt and uncle.
Kelly’s eyes got wet as she realized how important his new family had become to James. Even though he had always been surrounded by people who loved him dearly, there was just something about family. She had to wonder whether she and Jamie could have somehow tried harder to come up with a compromise that would have allowed some contact with his family. Maybe Jamie had inherited more than a little of his father’s stubbornness, because he hadn’t been willing to give an inch, and Kelly now regretted not encouraging him more to do so, for James’ sake. Family relationships were precious, and severing those ties had such far reaching consequences. She was so grateful that her little James was now benefitting from his grandpa’s complete change of heart.
When James had finally exhausted his list of good things about Texas, Kelly talked to him about how fortunate they both were to have made this trip, and while they were both sad that it was coming to an end, it would be silly to spend their last two days moping around rather than enjoying every minute.
“Can we come back soon though, Mom?” James asked. “I don’t want Dodger and Midnight to forget all about me. And I’m going to have a baby cousin soon and I want to see it.”
Kelly hugged him tight. “Maybe we can come at the end of the summer, when I’m done teaching summer school, right before the regular school year starts.”
James considered that. “It’s a really long time away. I wish we could come as soon as school is done.”
“I know but I’ve already agreed to teach summer school and if we’re going to get a new house with a big yard, and take trips to Texas every so often, we need the extra money. Ya know?”
He sighed. “I guess so. I’m just gonna miss it here so much.”
“We have lots of pictures and videos, though. When we get back we’ll make a photo album that you can show everyone, and I’ll put the videos on the computer so you can watch them anytime, okay?”
Nodding, James snuggled against her, and the gently swinging hammock soon lured the tired boy to sleep. Kelly was content to stay there with him, her cheek against his soft hair. Eventually her own eyes closed, and they napped together until Sarah rang the dinner bell.
Chapter 14
James’ good humor
had returned after his nap, and he eagerly told his grandpa that they might be able to visit again at the end of the summer. Senior’s face lit up at the news, and later, before he went upstairs for the night, he took Kelly aside and informed her that if they were indeed able to come back, he would insist on buying their airline tickets, especially since Kelly hadn’t allowed him to help with their current trip expenses.
Kelly promised to think about it, and then went to get James to bed. That task turned out to be more time consuming than usual, due to the fact that his late nap meant he wasn’t feeling as tired as usual. They read five chapters of his book and looked through all the Texas photos and videos on her phone before his eyes started drooping. It was almost 9:30 before he finally succumbed to sleep, and Kelly hurried through the silent house to the kitchen to see if she could find where Sarah had put the leftover carrot cake from supper.
She saw the cake keeper on the far counter and grabbed a knife from the block by the stove. As it turned out she didn’t need the knife, because beside the cake keeper was a small plate with a very large slice of cake covered with plastic wrap, and stuck on top was a piece of tape with a big “WILL” written with a black sharpie. Kelly’s mouth fell open, and she shook her head, in awe of Sarah’s talent for knowing all things. Evidently Kelly had left some kind of clue that Will was the reason the amount of leftover pot pie and apple crisp from the night before had diminished, and Sarah’s powers of perception had correctly predicted that tonight would be a repeat of the last.
Kelly took the plate and a fork and had just stepped out the back door when Will’s headlights swept up the drive. He parked at the stables again, and Kelly leaned against a tree and watched as his moonlit silhouette approached. The reaction this particular man evoked in her was totally unprecedented, and so strong that she shivered as he neared her.
He didn’t see her until he was only a few yards away, and he gave her a slow smile as he closed the distance between them.
“Hey,” he said softly, sliding his hand into the thick, silky fall of her hair and turning her face into his kiss.
