Texas Temptation

by Kathryn Brocato

  Before Hailey could begin, Carleen scooted up with a tray of cups and saucers, and a pot of fresh coffee. “Can I get you good folks somethin’ to eat?”

  Hailey shook her head. “We have a real problem, Ms. Carleen. You’re welcome to stay and hear about it, if you want. You’ll hear about it anyway.”

  Carleen glanced across the diner. “Freida! Cover for me, please.” And then she pulled a chair from a nearby table to sit at the end of the booth.

  Jack surveyed the sweet, dimple-faced woman sitting with them. It didn’t seem feasible that she could be the mother of those trouble-making Watson boys.

  Hailey relayed the morning’s catastrophe to the group amid gasps of disbelief and astonishment. No one agreed with Hailey about Rinnie’s involvement. Ms. Carleen sat quietly, shaking her head, while Uncle Frank watched his niece with concern.

  Jack thought from the look on Ms. Carleen’s face, she had to be thinking the same thing he was thinking. And it wasn’t a good thought.

  “Come on, sug, you know your mama isn’t capable of doing something that mean spirited.” Uncle Frank kept his eyes on Hailey’s face. “You know it as well as we all do. She’s got a stubborn streak in her, just nearly as wide as your daddy had. And you, of course. But mean, no ma’am.”

  Aunt Shirley agreed. “After all these years, darlin’, she’s not gonna do anything to harm those planes. She’s been through it all with your daddy.”

  “I don’t know.” Hailey rubbed her finger across a deep heart-shaped scar carved into the wooden table. “She’s unreasonable when it comes to the business and those planes, you all know that. Why can’t she just get over it and let me do what I have to do?”

  The look between Uncle Frank and Aunt Shirley seemed lost on Hailey. But not on Jack.

  The rivet of concern that crossed the table spoke volumes to him, and he knew for certain then. He’d been right all along about Rinnie Holman. There was something more Rinnie Holman didn’t want to share with her daughter. Something he was determined to find out for himself.

  Jack reached across the table and grabbed Hailey’s hand in his. “I’m going back to the house. You stay here with your aunt and uncle.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but Jack was already standing beside the booth with his Jeep keys in his hand. “I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour or two.” He nodded to the group. “It was nice to meet all of you. I only wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances.”

  Hailey tried to scoot her uncle from his place on the seat. “I’m going with you, Jack.”

  “No. You stay here. I want to talk to your mother. Alone.” He turned to make his way across the room.

  She was adamant as she called after him. “You will not. This is my battle!”

  He stopped and turned back to face her. “This isn’t a battle, Hailey. It’s time you learn that.”

  The only thing Jack heard as his hand touched the door to leave the diner was her Uncle Jack’s deep voice boom above the commotion in the diner. “I think you’ve met your match there, Miss Comet.” He was chuckling with obvious admiration. “I think you’ve finally met your match.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  When Jack appeared in the doorway, Rinnie Holman was sitting in the kitchen with her two daughters and Dee, eating eggs and toast. “Girls, the cows need feeding.”

  Lindsey looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. “Yes, Mom.” She lifted Dee from her seat at the table and helped Felicia set the breakfast dishes in the sink.

  Both girls gave Jack a stunned “do you have any idea what you’re doing?” look before obediently heading for the door.

  It surprised Jack that Mrs. Holman so readily agreed to speak to him alone. He was prepared to have to talk her into it.

  She led him into the living room and sat rigidly on the sofa, crossing her hands in her lap, her expression painfully blank.

  Jack settled across from her in the leather recliner, leaning toward her and resting his arms across his knees. “Mrs. Holman — ”

  “I know Hailey thinks I did it,” she interrupted.

  He held his eyes steady on her face. “Yes. She does.”

  “Well, I can’t help what she thinks.” Her frustration was evident. “I’m sorry if her heart is broken, but she’ll get over it. She’ll mend.” Her soft hazel eyes looked directly into his own. “I’ve had to many times.”

  “What do you mean by that, Mrs. Holman?” His tone was sincere.

  She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Mr. Stinson, I believe, in spite of the circumstances of your arrival here, that you may be a fine young man. But you should mind your own business. My daughter loved her father deeply. She thinks that airport will keep him alive forever.” She unclasped her hands and let her palms rest lightly on her lap. “It won’t. He’s gone. And she can’t carry on for him.”

  “You do know that Hailey feels that God has called her to carry on for him.”

  The corners of the older woman’s lips curled up and Jack saw the tiny lines that crinkled around her eyes. “Yes. She feels this is her calling. But Mr. Stinson, God doesn’t expect her to live Web Holman’s life for him. He wants her to live her own life.”

  “She feels this is her life. But what about you, Mrs. Holman? Are you telling Hailey everything she needs to know to help her understand your feelings? Is there anything else, something more in the past that could help her discover if she really is following God’s will for her life? Or is it simply a desperate attempt to be loyal to her dad … ” He moistened his dry lips. “Especially when she feels that you haven’t been.”

  She seemed to stare past him. He continued cautiously.

  “I can’t help but feel that your motives are deeper, Mrs. Holman. It’s not just that flying scares you, is it? I think maybe you have more reasons to feel the way you do. Reasons that Hailey knows nothing about. Maybe if you confided in her, she’d be able to understand — ”

  He halted as the smile left her lips and a dark cloud shadowed her face. “Some things are best left alone.”

  “Not if knowing could bring understanding.”

  “It’s okay if my daughter thinks I destroyed those planes. I’d rather she believe that and hate me forever instead of … ” She stopped, avoiding his eyes.

  “Instead of what?” He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. Hailey needed to know why her mother objected so fiercely to the business. She deserved to know.

  “That’s all I have to say to you or to anyone else about this matter, Mr. Stinson.” Her voice was firm but suddenly kind. “Let it alone. Please.”

  He let her words sink in before rising to his feet, offering her a slow nod. Understanding washed over him. He was wrong to have told Hailey that he’d stay. He wanted to. But he suddenly knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. They both had life-changing things to work out. He had to do it his way. And she’d have to do it her way.

  “Mrs. Holman, I respect you enough to think that you must have a good reason for disliking flying and the business as much as you do. I just wish you could tell Hailey what that reason is. It could mean the difference between an estranged life for the two of you and letting a whole lot of healing into your lives.”

  He turned to leave but then shifted back to face her. “I don’t know if you played a part in what happened last night or not. I doubt you did. But for Hailey’s sake, I’ll see to it that she no longer blames you. Tell her I did it, if that’s what you want, but let her know that you love her and that you’re here for her. You’ve both lost someone you loved very much and whether the two of you realize it or not, you need each other. Hailey’s lost her father. She doesn’t need to lose her mother, as well.”

  Jack let the heavy storm door close securely behind him, and ma
de his way down the porch steps and along the gravel drive to the cottage.

  Kisses jumped at his legs, begging for Jack’s attention. He smiled sadly and patted the big chocolate colored dog on the head. “Take care of our girl, Kisses.”

  He walked on with Kisses trotting along beside him. When he reached the cottage, he patted the dog’s head one last time. “Go back to the house, Kisses. You’re needed there.” He pointed, fighting the ache that tore through his heart. “Go.”

  The dog’s reluctance to leave touched him. Maybe he’d have a big chocolate colored Lab himself, someday. “They love you, no matter what,” he murmured softly.

  He took the first step up to the porch, and stopped, turning to peruse the open sky. His mind soared with a distant recollection. “He loves us, no matter what.” He marveled at the words. “God loves us. God loves us. No matter what.”

  He’d never said the words aloud. He’d never thought much about the validity of the words he’d heard as a small child. No matter what he’d done. No matter what his father had done. No matter what Rinnie Holman had done — or not. No matter what Hailey harbored in her heart. No matter how evil Neal and Paul Watson acted … He loved them.

  Jack recalled his own mother’s words to him the night before. “We must always try to understand people’s motives.”

  He’d never get to the bottom of Rinnie Holman’s objections, that was evident, but he hoped someday Hailey would. The one thing he could do now was work to discover his own father’s hidden fears.

  Why, Jack wondered, had it been so important for him to help Hailey understand her mother when he hadn’t even tried to understand his own father? Maybe his father thought he had justified reasons to drive himself — and his family — to work harder. There was only one way to find out.

  Jack turned the doorknob and walked into the well-crafted, love-filled cottage. Hailey might shift the blame for the planes to him after he left. Wouldn’t it be as much as an admission of guilt for him to up and leave without notice, especially after he’d already agreed to stay? That might be good. He knew Rinnie wouldn’t take him up on his offer to shoulder the blame. But no matter what happened, the relationship between mother and daughter had to be restored.

  Jack reached for the yellow note pad and pen by the phone. He sat heavily on the chair and put pen to paper. It hurt knowing he told her he’d be here to help her through. But God would explain everything.

  • • •

  Hailey held the folded yellow paper in her hand. “What is this?”

  Lindsey shrugged. “Jack said to give it to you. That’s all I know. I didn’t want to read your mushy old love letter.”

  “I can assure you that it’s not a mushy old love letter.” She unfolded the note and read the first few lines. Her eyes burned. She held the paper to her chest. “How long ago did he give this to you?”

  Lindsey checked her watch. “Thirty-five, maybe forty minutes ago. He said to pick you up here at the diner and give you this note.”

  Hailey grabbed her sister by the arm and ushered her through the door. “Take me back to the house. Fast.”

  Lindsey did as she was told, pushing the speed limit a bit more than usual in the process. When they arrived home, Hailey bolted from the car and raced straight to the cottage. Out of breath, she burst through the door. She knew instantly she was too late. He was gone.

  She took slow steps back to the porch and flopped herself down on the top step. Opening the yellow piece of paper and reading the lines again, her heart began to ache.

  Dear Hailey,

  By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way back to Cryder. In our hearts, we both know it’s best if I leave. You’ve taught me a great deal in the short time we’ve been together. You’ve made me realize that it’s never wise to run from our place in life. But first, a person has to determine where that place is. I have things to work out with my father. And you have things to work out with your mother. I believe you may even have unfinished business with your own father, Hailey. Settle it. Do yourself and your dear family a favor: forget about the planes for awhile. Understand each other first. Love each other. It will all work out. I promise you that.

  Love,

  Jack

  She ran a hand through her bangs and attempted to sort the confusion racing through her brain. No, he couldn’t have wrecked the planes. Or did he? Maybe that’s why he left. But that made no sense. It made even less sense to have blamed her mother, though. Rinnie wasn’t a violent person. There were just too many questions. Too much confusion.

  Hailey buried her face against her knees. Help me to understand. I feel angry and helpless. She blinked at the tears stinging her eyes.

  Why did he desert me? Couldn’t he see how much I need him? How dare he … how dare he …

  Her head jerked up and she gasped as the realization slapped her squarely in the face: Am I talking about Jack? Or my dad? She let her head fall back on her knees and struggled to grasp the thoughts chasing each other around in her mind.

  “Hailey, let’s talk.”

  The soft voice startled her and she looked into the weary hazel eyes of her mother. She nodded vaguely and scooted to make room.

  The two sat in silence for a moment, both staring out across the horizon, until Hailey cleared her tightening throat. “Mom, I think I’ve accused you falsely.” She barely spoke the words.

  “No, Hailey.” Her mother reached for Hailey’s hand. “You haven’t. I may not have physically damaged those planes, but I’ve prayed for something, anything to happen to keep you from flying again.”

  “Dad told me. That you were in a plane crash. I thought you should stop living your life in fear and stop trying to put your fear on us. I wanted you to see how God had taken care of you.” She turned tear-filled eyes to face her mother.

  Rinnie touched a soft finger to her daughter’s cheek, intercepting a tear that spilled. “Before I met your father … ” Her voice trailed away and she took a deep breath before continuing. “Before I met your dad, I was married to another man.”

  “Mom!” The shock hit Hailey full force. “How could you have kept something like that from me all these years?”

  “I’ve never told you girls because,” Rinnie squeezed Hailey’s hand and stroked it lovingly, “it was such a big, big mistake. Sometimes children make the same mistakes their parents have made. If you’d known that I was once a divorced woman, then divorce may have become more acceptable in your eyes. It wasn’t an option I wanted you to think you had. It wasn’t something I was proud to tell you.”

  “I can’t believe it, Mom. I can’t see you as divorced. I mean, I understand people make mistakes, and divorces do happen, but … mostly I can’t believe you’ve hidden it from us all of our lives.” Her eyes grew wide and the words threatened to stick in her throat. “Did Dad know?”

  Her mother nodded. “Yes, of course he knew. I married at seventeen because I had hoped having one less mouth to feed and body to clothe would help your Gramma and Granpa.”

  “That’s no reason to marry.” There was no judgment in her voice. “Did you even love the guy?”

  “I suppose I did. He was my high school sweetheart.” A frail shudder encased her. “You know, when he proposed I thought it was an answer to prayer. Your grandmother raised us kids to believe that God would always take care of us. I truly thought marrying him was what God wanted me to do.” She looked deep into Hailey’s eyes. “That’s how easily we can misunderstand God sometimes.”

  Hailey bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

  “Hailey, sometimes it’s hard to know what God wants you to do. And other times it seems to be written across the sky in giant letters.”

  Hailey returned her gaze to her mother’s face. “What happened, Mom? Why did you divorce?”

  Her mother seemed resigned. “He’d
always been so kind to me. That was before he started drinking and staying out all night with his GI buddies. It didn’t take me long to figure out I wasn’t to question his whereabouts, either. The first time he hit me, I was so terrified. I’d never been treated like that before.”

  “Mom, I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.” She regarded her with somber curiosity. “I understand about the crash. But I don’t understand what any of the rest of this has to do with me. Or with Dad. Or flying.”

  “A few weeks after the divorce was final, I learned I was expecting a child. I had nowhere to turn.”

  Hailey clutched her mother’s hand, the blood draining from her face. “I’m not … I mean, I couldn’t be … ”

  “Oh, lands, no, Hailey, absolutely not!” She gave her a reassuring pat on the knee. “You are Web Holman’s daughter beyond a shadow of a doubt.”

  The relief on Hailey’s face was immediate. “Then what happened? To the child, I mean.”

  “A couple on the base where we were stationed in Pensacola took me in. Then your Uncle Frank and Aunt Shirley offered to let me live with them, so I boarded a plane and they were to pick me up in Houston.” Rinnie’s hand trembled at the recollection. “There was a technical problem on the plane and that’s when we made a crash landing. Twelve people died and I lost the baby. At the time I wished I’d died, too.”

  Shreds of understanding began flooding Hailey’s heart and compassion swept over her like a tidal wave. “Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry. I wish you’d told me.”

  “It seemed best not to. How did I know that you were going to fall in love with flying and planes like your father? I tried my best to discourage him — and you — but as you see I failed miserably.”

  Hailey threw her arms around her mother and held on tight. “Oh, Mom, you didn’t fail. I was the one who insisted on having my way.” She released her grasp on her mom and covered her face with her hands. “It took a stranger to see that there was more to your motives than — ”