Destination: Love (The Sandera, Texas Series)

by Hollister, Raine

  “Oh, my God. I never noticed.”

  Josie glanced down at Stevie, and inhaled sharply.

  Michael and Stevie could have passed for twins.

  Consuelo made the sign of the cross. “My God! I’d forgotten what he looked like. It’s been several years since I’ve looked at these photos.”

  “What happened?” Josie asked, still in shock.

  “The river winds all through this area, and it stays dry about eighty percent of the time. But on occasion it can turn into a devil, destroying everything in its wake, even move rocks and boulders. That’s why it’s called Dry Devil’s River.”

  Josie had wondered about the river’s name. She glanced at the picture again, and her heart turned over.

  Consuelo’s hand clutched her chest as she continued. “When we have an especially heavy rain or storm, the water builds up so much in the high country that it can cause flash floods in the lowlands. The dry ground down here doesn’t have time to soak up the water, so when it comes rushing down, the river fills up fast. That’s why they’re called flash floods.” She swiped at a tear on her cheek. “Stevie had gotten a new bike for his birthday, and he’d been riding it all day. Estelle was on the phone when it happened.”

  “And Logan?” Josie had to ask.

  “On duty.” Consuelo’s voice broke. “Stevie’s bike slid into the water, and he tried to get it out...it was awful

  Josie swallowed the lump in her throat. She needed to know. “Did they...find him?” Tears burned her eyelids.

  “Yes. Downstream about a mile.” Consuelo took a deep breath and reached out to touch Josie’s hand. “And to make matters worse, Logan’s mother had died the year before, of cancer.”

  “Thank you for telling me.” Josie said quietly. Now she knew why Elena Castillo had looked so shocked in the restaurant the night they had met. Looking at Michael, she must have thought she was seeing a ghost.

  Oh God, now she knew why Logan couldn’t bear to look at Michael. Her son was a reminder of what he’d lost. A bleak sense of despair swept through her. No wonder he couldn’t wait for her to leave town.

  “At least now you know why Logan has been acting strangely toward you.”

  “Yes,” she said, rising from the bed, wanting suddenly to see her son. “I’d better go get Michael.”

  Josie wiped tears away as she raced down the stairs to the kitchen, where Michael sat watching Juana make tortillas. His smile lit her whole world. A lump formed suddenly in her throat as she lovingly studied his cherubic face, his small hands, the way his dark hair, soft as silk, curled slightly on the ends. Josie’s arms wrapped around his thin shoulders as she breathed in his little boy scent of sun and sweat and life. What a miracle he was.

  Over his shoulder, Josie’s eyes met Juana’s, and in that instant something passed between them that only a mother could understand.

  And something else. Something so slight that Josie almost missed it.

  Juana’s smile.

  To Josie, it meant everything.

  And dear God, now she understood it all—Logan’s behavior, and his attitude toward Michael. And if the circumstances were reversed, would she feel the same way? She couldn’t bear thinking about it.

  An exhausted sigh escaped her throat. Things were more complicated now, and she wondered what she was going to do about that.

  Chapter 6

  The following Friday night, Dylan and Ben invited Josie, Michael and Consuelo to have dinner with them. To Michael’s delight, Consuelo accepted for all of them.

  “It’s Friday night, Josie. Being with friends will do you good. Hell, it’ll do me good, too.”

  Because Consuelo and Josie were tired of eating Mexican food, they all voted to go to the Oyster Bar and Grill, which had the best seafood in town.

  Consuelo popped a shrimp into her mouth, closed her eyes, and groaned. “Oh, this is delicious. And do you notice how nice and quiet it is in here?”

  Dylan smiled. “You thrive on noise, Connie. If you didn’t have your restaurant you’d go nuts, and you know it.”

  Consuelo thought for a minute. “You’re right. I’d miss all that yelling that goes on between Juana and Sophia.”

  Josie found she enjoyed Dylan’s company. Ben, on the other hand, tried too hard to get her attention. Again, he asked her to come out to his “little” ranch, and again Josie declined. Later, when Ben had gone home, Dylan surprised Josie by taking her off to the side to invite her and Michael to his home on Sunday to go fishing.

  “I think it would do Michael good,” Dylan said solemnly.

  Josie stared at him suspiciously. She liked Dylan, very much, but she had no interest in making it anything more serious.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “Don’t worry, Josie. My invitation is heart-felt, for Michael. Besides, my dad will be there.”

  “What about your brother?” Josie asked, still not convinced it was such a good idea.

  “I don’t know what his plans are, but I don’t intend to invite him.”

  She considered his invitation for a moment, knowing how much Michael would enjoy an outing. Finally, she nodded. “All right, we accept. And Dylan, thanks for not asking me in front of Michael.”

  “I thought it better to ask you first. Now we can delight him with your answer.”

  Josie smiled, content she’d found a friend in Dylan.

  On Sunday, just before Dylan was supposed to arrive, Michael kept running to the door every few minutes. His mounting excitement had everyone in the restaurant laughing; making Josie glad she had accepted the invitation. Everyone was relieved when Dylan finally showed up, because Michael’s excitement had escalated to nervous anxiety, which continued on the drive to the ranch.

  When they arrived, Dylan pulled his Bronco into a wide circular drive edged with Rose bushes and stopped in front of a one-story, sprawling, ranch style home. After they all got out of the car, Josie stood looking out over the countryside and caught her breath. Dotting the landscape was an array of wildflowers—bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and buttercups in their sun-kissed frenzy.

  “Oh, Dylan, it’s so beautiful out here.”

  “Thanks. Our ranch isn’t large by West Texas standards, but we have enough land to raise cattle and goats out here.

  “Would you like to come in?” Dylan asked. “It won’t take me long to get the fishing tackle.”

  “We’ll wait.”

  She looked up and saw a man standing on the porch. Dylan introduced him as Raymond McKinnon, his father.

  Logan’s father, too, thought Josie, wondering what it had been like to raise three rambunctious boys.

  Josie watched Dylan load the tackle, and then they all piled into the car again.

  “There’s a man-made lake on our property, about a mile from here. We all used to come out here a lot, but in the last couple of years we’ve all been pretty busy with one thing or another.”

  He drove on a limestone road until it reached a dead-end, then turned left. They followed the road all the way to the lake.

  Michael squealed with joy as he spotted the lake. “Come on, sport, help me get the tackle,” Dylan said as he shut off the engine and opened the door.

  Josie noticed another car parked off to the side, and she stepped hesitantly out of Dylan’s Bronco. Someone was already fishing, and an uneasiness washed over her.

  “Dad’s going to meet us here in a little bit.”

  Josie nodded, then blinked worriedly as she noticed the car was a blue Ford Expedition. Logan drove one. A moment later, her concern was justified. She could never mistake that tall, muscular body.

  Indecision must have been written all over her features, because Dylan touched her gently on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Josie. It’ll be all right.”

  Josie wasn’t so sure. At the moment, Logan’s strong jaw line was rather forbidding. He glanced sharply at Michael, then looked away just as quickly.

  They walked over and set the fishing gear down. Dylan hande
d Michael a pole.

  Logan spoke first. “With all that noise you’re making, I might as well quit for the day.”

  So, she thought, he’s looking for an excuse to leave. Fine with me.

  When Logan’s eyes pinned her, Josie felt as though she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Ridiculous. She was here by invitation, and she wouldn’t let him spoil their beautiful day.

  She suddenly pretended interest in the lake, and walked to the edge.

  “How long have you been out here? Dylan asked.

  “About thirty minutes. I decided to come out about an hour ago. Looks like I wasn’t the only one.”

  “If you don’t want anyone to bother you, you should tell a person where you’re going.”

  Logan glanced away. “This is your land as much as it is mine.”

  “Well, my little buddy and I can’t wait to catch the biggest fish in that lake, so either move over or leave. I always could out fish you, anyway. I still can.”

  Logan frowned. “You want to put your money where your mouth is, bro?”

  “Sure,” Dylan smiled. “Twenty bucks says my fish will be bigger than yours, and I’ll catch more.”

  Michael’s eyes widened. He stared up at Dylan in awe and said shyly. “Wow, that’s a lot of money to fritter away. That’s what Mommy says, anyway.”

  Dylan threw his head back and laughed.

  Logan smiled.

  “Tell you what, sport,” Dylan told him, “why don’t you hold our money?”

  “Me?” Michael squeaked.

  “Sure. Who else can we trust?”

  “Hey,” a voice emerged from the trees. “What about me?”

  Logan looked up in time to see his dad striding toward them, and he scowled. Couldn’t his dad see the resemblance? What the hell was Dylan up to? Were they all crazy? Or was he the crazy one?

  He glanced out toward the lake, then back toward Dylan. His brother threw him a warning glance. So, Logan hadn’t been the only one to see the resemblance between Stevie and Michael.

  Logan knew that if he left he would lose his brother’s respect. On the other hand, if he stayed, how could he look into that boy’s face and not be reminded of his own son?

  “Here’s my money,” Logan said, taking a twenty out of his billfold.

  Dylan grinned and handed Michael his money.

  Michael looked at both of them and held up a hand to shade his eyes from the sun. “Can I have my mom hold this money? I might lose it fishing.”

  “Do you trust her?” Dylan said, smiling.

  “Oh, yes. She’s my mom,” he said, as though that explained everything.

  Josie couldn’t help grinning. She stuck the money in her purse and sat down on a log that looked as though it had been placed there for just such a purpose. She watched Logan fishing, and thought how relaxed and comfortable he looked. Her heart did a leap when he turned those amber eyes on her.

  “Aren’t you going to fish?” he asked.

  “Maybe in a moment. I thought I’d watch Michael for a while. Besides, I’d have to put twenty dollars in the pot.”

  They all laughed.

  Logan tilted his head to one side. “And you don’t think you’d win?”

  “Not against you three—excuse me, four—macho men.”

  His gaze held hers a moment longer. Then he returned to his fishing.

  Dylan showed Michael how to hook a worm on his pole, then flung the line out in the water and handed the pole back to him. To Josie’s surprise, Michael walked over and stood next to Logan. Josie started to call him back. She didn’t want his day spoiled if Logan decided to ignore him. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she heard her son speak.

  “There sure are lots of birds chirping here.”

  “Yeah, we’ve got a few,” Logan replied.

  “Do you have a dog, mister?

  Logan cast his line out into the water. “I did once.”

  “You don’t have him anymore?”

  “No. He got too old.”

  “Yes, I know. My granny says that when you get old, there’s nothing to do. Nobody wants you anymore.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly say that. Was your granny ill at the time?”

  Michael’s eyes flashed. “Yes. How did you know?”

  Logan centered his attention on the end of his line. “When people feel bad, they sometimes say things they don’t mean. It’s just that they feel down at the time.”

  “You mean like when I had the measles, and I didn’t want anyone to see me? I was mean to Mommy, too.”

  Logan glanced down at Michael. “It’s hard to believe that you could ever be mean to anyone.”

  “Well, I was. When she tried to feed me I slapped her hand, and stuff flew all over the floor.”

  “Well, see there—you were sick, so you didn’t really mean to do that, did you?”

  Michael thought a minute and then shook his head. “No.”

  “Your granny probably didn’t mean it, either.”

  “You didn’t want to get another dog?”

  Logan couldn’t help looking down at Michael. He had changed the subject so abruptly, back to the original one, which caused Logan to smile. He’d forgotten how little boys could be so precocious. The boy probably hadn’t been outdoors like this in a long time. Most likely, he had a lot of stored up energy. And from the looks of him, he didn’t show signs of winding down.

  He looked over his shoulder to see if Josie was listening to their conversation, and saw that she had walked over to where Dylan sat gutting a fish. It took Logan only a second to realize he’d been suckered into baby-sitting.

  “Did you?”

  “Did I what?” Logan asked, too busy watching Josie to remember what Michael had asked.

  “Get another dog?”

  “No. I could never replace him.” Logan didn’t bother to tell him that during his teen years that dog had gone everywhere with him, that when he’d died there had been nothing, no substitute, that could ease the pain of losing him.

  “My mom lost a cat, and she went right out and got another one.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. She said that just because you lose one pet doesn’t mean you don’t have enough love to give another.”

  Logan glanced over his shoulder. Dylan and Josie were conversing as though they were in some secret club. He scowled and said, “Yeah? She could have a point.”

  “Oh wow!” Michael shouted. “I got something!”

  Logan turned and saw Michael’s line bob up and down.

  “Okay, bring him in nice and easy,” Logan said, smiling when he saw Michael bite down on his lip as though the action would give him more strength.

  No sooner had Michael brought in his fish then Logan landed one of his own. Michael clapped his hands loudly, and Logan grinned.

  Pretty soon they each caught another one, and Michael’s excitement became contagious. Everyone cheered him on. Another half an hour passed, and Logan found he hadn’t had that much fun in a long time.

  And in sharing his excitement with the youngster, Logan realized, too, with surprise, that he’d been too distracted to think about Stevie.

  Logan willed himself to look at the boy, really look at him for the first time—not as someone who looked like his son, but as an innocent child with his own thoughts and mannerisms.

  This boy was nothing like his son. Stevie had been quiet, a loner. Michael saw excitement everywhere. When he did something wrong, he even laughed at himself. And he had somehow managed to attach himself to Logan.

  Heaving a deep sigh, Logan felt his defenses crumbling. He hadn’t enjoyed a day this much in a long time. He had to admit that Josie and Michael might have had something to do with it. He was also sure it wouldn’t last. He just missed having a family, that was it.

  “Are you okay, Mr. Logan?”

  Logan blinked, then smiled down at Michael. “Yes, son. I’m fine.”

  The sun began to set, so they all star
ted packing their tackle. Dylan looked from Logan to Michael. “Dad and I didn’t have much luck, so which one of you won?”

  Michael glanced up at Logan, waiting.

  “Michael did, by a long shot,” Logan said.

  Michael looked down at the ground. “But I didn’t bet any money.”

  Logan spoke up quickly. “Yes, you did. Your mom put it in with ours.”

  Josie started to say something, but Logan’s warning glance stopped her.

  Up till then she’d kept her distance from him, curious to know what he and Michael had been discussing yet not wanting to intrude on their conversation. She didn’t want to be a part of it, because he might get inside her most private place—her heart, a space she would rather keep closed.

  All the way to the ranch, Michael’s excitement was impossible to contain. Logan had followed them because he planned to spend the night, just as he did most Sundays.

  “Say, Josie, I hope you’re planning on going to the fiesta next Sunday,” Dylan said.

  Josie yawned. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

  You and Michael will enjoy it. The whole town goes. Connie even closes the restaurant.

  Aware of Logan’s presence, Josie said, “I’ll see. Right now, Michael needs to use your bathroom, if you don’t mind.”

  “Sure. And Josie, don’t forget to save me a dance.”

  Something very near anger coursed through Logan’s body. When they all went into the house Logan followed his brother into the kitchen, where he cornered him. “What are you trying to do, Dylan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Are you making a play for Josie?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but what if I am?”

  “I don’t want you hurt. She won’t be in town long.”

  “People change their minds.”

  “Not Josie. She’ll leave. So I wouldn’t get too attached to her.”

  Dylan leaned against the sink. “Why? Because you want her to leave? And we both know why, don’t we?” At Logan’s stubborn silence, Dylan gave him a disgusted look. “Well, until that time, brother, some of us are still alive.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “You aren’t the only one to lose a loved one, you know? It doesn’t mean you have to die, too.”