“And is she in love with you?” Kate asked him, relieved that he hadn’t told her about some sexual dysfunction she didn’t want to hear about. He had her worried for a minute.
“I’ve never asked her.”
“She’d be lucky to have you, Thad,” she said. “Any woman would. You’re a fine man, a great foreman. You’ll be a wonderful ranch owner one day.” And now all his dreams were coming true. She was happy for him. He had earned it, and he deserved it. She turned to smile at him, and he was looking into her eyes seriously. He had never looked at her that way before, and her heart skipped a beat.
“You’re the woman I’ve been in love with, Kate, since the first time I laid eyes on you at eighteen. There’s never been anyone else I cared about, except you. I had nothing to offer you, and I still don’t compare to what you have. But I’d like to make the ranch grow with you, and take it places your dad would never go to. We could do it together.”
“We’re doing that anyway. We’re running it together,” she reminded him.
“I want to be partners. I want to be married to you, Kate. I’m never going to love any woman like I love you.” He said it so gently it was like a whisper in the wind. She didn’t know what to say. She had never guessed that he cared about her or was in love with her, and she had never thought of him that way.
“I’m five years older than you are,” she reminded him, and he laughed.
“Is that supposed to scare me? I don’t give a damn how old you are. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” And before she could come up with another objection, he put his arms around her, held her tight, and kissed her as she’d never been kissed before. It took her breath away and stunned her. She closed her eyes then and he kissed her again, and didn’t stop until they had to come up for air. He was even sexier than she had ever imagined.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that,” she said softly.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he whispered, and kissed her again and she didn’t resist him. She wondered what her father would say. If he’d have been outraged, or would have approved, and as she kissed Thad back, she suddenly didn’t care what her father would have thought. She had never been as attracted to anyone in her life. She had almost forgotten what it was like being a woman, and Thad was reminding her. He smiled at her when they stopped. “You’re even sexier than I thought you’d be. Good things are worth waiting for. You’d have slugged me if I’d kissed you when I was eighteen.”
“Yeah, I would have.” She grinned, but she had no inclination to slug him now. “Are you serious about this, or just bored between barmaids? I don’t like being part of a crowd.”
“Neither did I,” he said. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, except maybe this land. But you’re part of that. We belong here, you and I. The Valley is part of us, the ranch, everything we do here. It wouldn’t mean squat to me without you.”
“I’ve always felt like I was married to the ranch, like a sacred vow. There’s never been room for much else in my life. And I didn’t think a man would understand it.”
“I do.” And she knew he did. “We can build something beautiful together, on the foundation your father left us. What do you think, Kate?”
“I think you’re crazy.” She grinned at him again. “You should be with some sexy young thing and have ten babies with her, not be with someone like me.”
“We can have ten babies if that’s what you want. We should start soon, though,” he looked at his watch, “like tonight maybe.”
“Oh, shut up. You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. I’ve never loved any woman like I love you, and I never will. I had to fight myself not to tell you before this. Now you know, and I’m not going to take no for an answer, and I don’t give a damn about five years. You’re better looking and sexier than any woman in this valley, any age. Gemma’s a star, but I think you’re way more beautiful than she is. You’re real.”
“Gemma’s real too,” she defended her sister, and then she laughed, “well, parts of her are.”
“That’s what I mean.” He laughed too. “Fly with me, Kate. Let’s show everyone what we can do. As husband and wife, not me working for you, or even as business partners. I want to go to bed with you every night, and make love to you.” Now that he had said it, he couldn’t contain himself anymore. He pulled her to her feet and pressed his long lanky body against hers, and she could feel the passion he felt for her. It was dizzying, and she didn’t want him to stop or go away. She had run away from most of the men who had pursued her, but she wanted to run into Thad’s arms, not away from them. Suddenly, he felt like the only place she wanted to be. She clung to him, as the sun began to set slowly, and she didn’t want to let go. Without knowing why or if it was right, she looked into his eyes and nodded.
“Yes…I think we’re crazy, but maybe you have to be a little crazy in life…yes…but let’s take it slow. Let’s get used to it ourselves first. I don’t want everyone to know right away. This is going to surprise a lot of people,” including her sisters, but she wasn’t sure she cared about that either. All she cared about at that exact moment in time was him.
“We can go as slow as you want. As long as we get there in the end. I’ve waited nineteen years. I can wait a little longer. Not another nineteen years though, I hope.”
“I’ll be a hundred by then,” she said with a grin.
“No, you won’t. You’ll probably still be sexy when you’re a hundred. I’ll be ninety-five then.” He kissed her again and they walked through the grass to their horses in the place that was going to be his house one day, their house, if all went well. He gave her a boost into her saddle, and got up on his own horse with ease, and turned to look at her with the broadest grin she’d ever seen. “I love you, Kate, just remember that. I always will.” She nodded. She believed him. He was an honest man, maybe the only one she’d ever known.
“I love you too.” They rode back to her part of the ranch then, and got to the barn as the sun was setting. It was the beginning of a beautiful life together, they were sure of it. And the end of a perfect day.
They went out to dinner that night to celebrate, and he drove her back to her house afterward. She hesitated on the porch and didn’t ask him to come in. She didn’t want to rush things, and wanted to savor the beginning, and he didn’t press her about it. He just kissed her, and then clattered down her stairs before he wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to sweep her up in his arms and carry her to her bedroom. They were both smiling as he drove away.
Chapter 10
Kate and Thad made every attempt to keep their growing attraction from showing around other people. He looked serious when he came to her office. She spoke to him as she always had in the breeding barn. He found a lot of downed fences and grazing fields to show her at the far edges of the property, and as soon as they were out of sight, they dismounted and lay in the grass together, hugging and kissing, and feeling each other’s bodies. They made it through four days after he had declared his love for her, and she couldn’t imagine how she had lived without him in her arms for the past nineteen years. They were cooking dinner together in her house one night, and he put down the fork he was using, grabbed her in his arms, and turned off the flame on the stove so they didn’t burn the house down.
“I can’t stand it anymore,” he said in an agonized voice as he held her.
“Neither can I,” she said, breathless, and they raced each other up the stairs to her bedroom, pulled each other’s clothes off, and made love for the next four hours, as neither of them had made love before. It had all the hunger and passion and desire and hoping and dreaming of everything he had felt for her before, and everything that had been born in her since he first kissed her. And after making love to her until midnight, when he finally pulled himself away from her, all he wanted was to do it again.
“You look happy,” Gemma commented when she first saw her. “Everything okay on the home front?”
“Fine. Nothing new. Thad is over the moon that you’re selling him your share.”
“Me too.” Gemma looked pleased.
“He’s going to build a house out there.” She didn’t have the guts to tell her sister that she was going to live there too and they wanted to get married. She was afraid that she’d be shocked that Kate wanted to marry the foreman. She needed time to figure out how to announce it to her, but for now, they had everything they wanted, nights together, and their plans and dreams for his property. She was going to tell her sisters soon. She just didn’t know when.
“Have you talked to Caroline this week?” Gemma asked her.
“Actually, come to think of it, no, I haven’t. I figured she was busy getting ready to go to Aspen. I think they’re leaving this weekend.”
“Apparently not,” Gemma said, as they sat on Kate’s porch drinking Cokes at the end of the day. “She sent me a text today. It fell through. She wants to come back with the kids till they go back to school. She didn’t tell you?” Kate looked surprised.
“She’s welcome of course, but that’s a little weird. She hadn’t been here in three years and now she can’t tear herself away. Is Peter coming too?”
“She didn’t say.”
“I doubt it. He hates it here. He thinks we’re all rednecks, except you of course. You’re Hollywood Elite.” Gemma laughed. “Did you get work this week, by the way?”
“Not a bit, unless I want to play mother to Miss Frankenstein in a vampire movie. Jerry says he might have something for me in a new British series, but they don’t start casting till September, and it’s a lot of location work. My tenant says he’s going to make an offer on my house any minute. If he buys it, I’ll have to put everything in storage, until I buy something else, smaller, like a condo. I’m in no hurry. It’ll be nice having money for a change. It feels good to be back.” She smiled at her sister. “I missed you this week. This place is addictive. I never realized that before, now that the Big Bad Wolf is gone,” she teased. She loved her father but she didn’t like what she had learned about him since his death and what he had done to their mother. It was hard matching that up with all the moralistic preaching he’d done in his lifetime.
Kate got a text from Caroline that night too. She said she’d be back in the next day or two, and would love to stay for July and August if it was okay. Kate texted back that it was, and didn’t ask about Peter. She had the odd feeling that something was off but didn’t want to ask. That was a major change of plans if she wanted to stay for two months. She wondered how the kids felt about it, and Peter.
Kate drove to Santa Barbara the next day to see their mother. It was the second time she’d gone to see her on her own. She was enjoying spending time with her. She was a good woman, and loved getting to know her daughters. They talked for hours, and when Kate got back, Gemma said she wanted to go with Kate next time. Scarlett entering their lives took away some of the grief of losing their father.
Even when Gemma was back, Thad continued his nightly visits, staying until ten o’clock after dinner, driving to his cabin, then coming back on foot at midnight and staying until Kate got up in the morning. It made for short interrupted nights, but they agreed that it was worth it. Their affair had taken off like a rocket, and was continuing at a frantic pace with the white heat of their passion for each other. Kate had never had anything like it, and Thad said he hadn’t either. They hadn’t figured out when to tell people, but it still seemed too soon to Kate. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
* * *
—
Caroline packed everything she thought she and the children would need for a two-month stay at the ranch, mostly shorts and jeans and bathing suits, some T-shirts and blouses, sweatshirts if it got cool at night. They didn’t need anything fancy, and what they didn’t have, they could buy in town. They didn’t need a wardrobe at the ranch, and neither did she, unlike Gemma, who had to go to L.A. for auditions occasionally, and had to look the part. She had an image to maintain, now more than ever, since she was trying to find work.
The children were shocked when their mother told them that the house in Aspen had fallen through. She said the owners were planning to use it themselves. But they were even more surprised when they realized very quickly that their father wasn’t coming home at night. That was harder to explain.
“Where is he, Mom?” Morgan asked her pointedly over breakfast on the third night of his banishment. Caroline hadn’t talked to him, they had emailed and texted, and he said he wanted to see the children. She told him to take them to dinner if he wanted, but he hadn’t called them yet to set it up. Caroline guessed that he was embarrassed, and probably terrified about what she had told them. So far, she had said nothing, and didn’t intend to about what had really happened. They weren’t old enough to know, and shouldn’t.
Caroline took a deep breath when Morgan pressed her again. Billy was at the table too, so it was a good time, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was watching something on his iPad.
“Dad and I have decided to take a little break, till the end of the summer. We need to think about some things, and work out some problems.” It was the official line she had decided on.
“What kind of problems?” Morgan looked panicked.
“Grown-up stuff, husband and wife stuff. We haven’t been getting along so well lately. We haven’t said anything, because we didn’t want to upset you.” Billy stopped what he was doing and looked up.
“Are you getting a divorce?” he asked her.
“No, just a break, for now. A time-out.” He nodded and went back to his iPad. The details didn’t interest him at eleven, just the end result.
“Is that why we’re not going to Aspen?” Morgan asked her and her mother nodded. She didn’t want to lie to her more than she had to.
“We didn’t think it would be a good idea, and the summer seemed like a good time to do this.”
“So what are we supposed to do all summer? Everyone’s going away. All my friends are going east or to Europe,” she said plaintively.
“I thought we’d stay at the ranch for a while,” Caroline said cautiously, wondering what they’d think of the plan. Morgan thought about it for a minute and nodded. She didn’t seem to object and Billy didn’t comment.
“Will we see Dad?”
“He can come down to see you, or you can fly up here to see him. I don’t know what his plans are.” Or Miss Ashton’s, she thought. She wondered if he was going to use the house in Aspen with her. It wouldn’t surprise her. She was still furious at him, and he had done nothing to repair it. She suspected he was having a major affair and had lost his mind in some kind of midlife crisis. He was twenty-one years older than Veronica Ashton.
“When are we going to the ranch?” Caroline was relieved that they seemed to have no serious objections to spending the summer at the ranch. They were more concerned about their parents taking a break and what it meant.
“This weekend,” Caroline said with a sigh about when they were leaving Marin.
“Do you think Kate would pay us for the chores we do?” Morgan asked her.
“I don’t know. She might. You should talk to her about it.”
“Do you think you and Dad
will get back together?” Morgan asked with frightened eyes, and Caroline looked at her seriously.
“I don’t know. I hope so.” Morgan nodded. A lot of her friends’ parents were divorced. It wasn’t unfamiliar to her, and Billy’s too, but it worried them anyway. He chimed in then.
“Arnie Rivers’s parents took a break. His father had a girlfriend. They got divorced and then he married the girlfriend,” he supplied, and Caroline’s stomach turned over when he said it.
“Thanks, Billy, that’s really helpful,” his mother said sternly.
“Dad doesn’t have a girlfriend, stupid. He and Mom are just having problems,” Morgan said to him in a fury, and then looked at her mother.
“Does he?”
“I hope not” was all she was willing to say on the subject. Less was more in the circumstances. But the fact was he did, and maybe he would marry her, if she didn’t mind marrying a man twenty-one years older than she was. It still made Caroline feel sick when she thought about it, and the photographs, especially the one of his penis with the heart drawn around it. That used to be hers. Now it belonged to Veronica Ashton, with the fancy Goyard datebook. Maybe he had bought it for her. She thought of them constantly, which only made things worse.
* * *
—
On Saturday morning, Caroline and the children flew to Santa Ynez, and Thad picked them up with the truck, and drove them to the house they had recently furnished. It looked homey and cozy when they walked in and Gemma and Kate arrived a few minutes later to welcome them.
Gemma could see immediately that something was wrong. Caroline was pale, had deep circles under her eyes and looked like she’d lost ten pounds.
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