Blake squeezed Demi’s shoulder then touched his hat with one hand when he looked at Cat. “I’ll be back to pick up Demi when you’re ready.” He looked at the girl. “Call me when it’s time.”
She nodded. “Okay, Dad.”
Cat did her best not to stare after Blake and admire his nice ass and the way he filled out his western shirt and his Wranglers as he walked away.
Apparently, she hadn’t done a very good job of hiding her interest because Demi was staring at her when she turned her gaze back to the group.
“As you know, the Flagstaff Junior Rodeo is in two weeks.” Cat smiled at the 4-H’ers standing around her. “We’re going to pack in as much practice as possible between now and then.”
The teens nodded and started talking about who their competition was from the surrounding counties. Unanimously, the kids said Demi was the top barrel racer and Brett was the best at tie-down calf roping. The other 4-H’ers were strong competitors as well.
Demi acted like a pro when it came to participating in the discussions, even when it meant talking to Cat. She was certain, though, that Demi was still unhappy about the relationship between her father and Cat. She could only hope the girl came around and that it wouldn’t take too long—that was, if she ever did.
But Cat wasn’t ready to look that far into the future. What was between her and Blake was incredible, but would it last? Would he stop finding her attractive as time passed?
Cat gave tips and guidance as the 4-H’ers practiced their events. They would need to practice a lot on their own horses between now and the rodeo.
When it was time for Demi to practice her event, she mounted Gretchen and hesitated. She looked down from where she sat on the horse. “Will you teach me that trick again, the one that you showed me at the last meeting?”
“Sure.” Cat felt a little sense of elation that Demi was turning to her for something. She mounted Dolly and the horses moved side by side as Cat went over the move that had helped her to win several championships. “Watch me now.”
Demi sat on Gretchen and watched Cat ride to the starting point on Dolly. Cat felt a sense of elation as she prepared to race Dolly. Even though she wasn’t going to go full out, the pure enjoyment of the moment made her heart thrum.
She raced the barrels, wishing she could run them hard. No matter her insistence on riding horses, a niggling fear was always at the back of her mind that it was possible for her to take a spill and hit her head.
When she finished the cloverleaf pattern and trotted up to Demi and Gretchen, Cat felt a flush in her cheeks and couldn’t help the broad smile on her face.
“You love it, don’t you,” Demi said in a way that sounded like a statement, not a question. “Just like me.”
Cat grinned. “Absolutely. As a 4-H leader, these last couple of meetings are the first time I’ve been back at it since the accident and it feels good to be doing what I loved, even if it’s only in a small way.” She was surprised that she was talking so animatedly with Demi, as if there was nothing between them.
Demi seemed to have a hard time keeping from smiling, too. Regardless of Demi’s feelings about Cat and her dad being together, this was a bond they both shared. Cat hoped it would be enough for them to develop the start of a relationship. It wouldn’t be enough to sustain it, but it was a start.
“I’d better get going.” Demi took off on Gretchen and trotted to the starting point.
When Demi was ready, Cat shouted for her to go and timed her. The girl was poetry in motion, her movements smooth and beautiful. Even though Gretchen wasn’t her own horse, it was like the pair of them had been practicing together forever.
“Beautiful,” Cat said, when Demi returned, and the other teens clapped and called out to her.
Demi’s face looked as flushed as Cat’s had felt and her eyes glittered with happiness as she grinned. Cat knew the feeling. The girl felt more at home on a horse than anywhere else.
Cat and Demi rode side-by-side back to the group and both dismounted.
“Two more weeks.” Amy bounced up and down on her boot heels. “I can’t wait.” She whispered to Demi, “Maybe that cute guy from Coconino County will be there. Clive Turner.” Amy giggled after she said it and Demi grinned.
Cat hid a smile and talked to the group. “We’ll meet again next Saturday, same time, same place. Can everyone make it?”
The kids nodded and said they’d be there. Brett and Demi volunteered to take the three horses to the barn and put them up. The rest of 4-H’ers left as their parents arrived and the two who had come by horseback left the same way.
Blake’s red truck came up the drive and Cat smiled as he pulled up and parked. When he walked up to Cat, he looked around, didn’t see anyone, and gave her a quick kiss.
“How about dinner tonight?” he asked. “My house.”
She brushed back hair that had blown into her face. “Are you sure that’s wise, with Demi?”
He nodded. “She needs to get used to you being around.”
Cat smiled at the thought of being with Blake at his home. She liked being there with him. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” He gave her a light kiss. “Is Demi in the barn?”
“With Brett.” Cat nodded. “Putting up the horses.”
Blake frowned. He started toward the barn and she jogged to keep up with him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Maybe nothing,” he said beneath his breath. “I hope.”
As they walked through the huge door, Cat blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the barn, smells of alfalfa and manure meeting her nose.
Her gaze fell on Brett and Demi—and they were kissing.
Blake made a low growling noise and strode toward the pair.
Demi squealed with surprise and jumped away from Brett the moment she saw her father. The boy looked terrified.
When Blake reached the pair, he put his hand on Demi’s shoulder.
“Dad, no,” Demi said. “Don’t get mad.”
“Stay away from my daughter.” Blake’s voice was deadly calm as he spoke to Brett. “I never want to see you alone with Demi again.”
Brett’s throat worked as he said, “Yes, sir.”
“We’re going home.” Blake guided Demi, his hand still on her shoulder. Tears filled the girl’s eyes.
Demi broke into a run and raced out of the barn. Through the barn doors, Cat saw that Demi reached Blake’s truck before he did. She climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
Blake looked over his shoulder at Cat. “Six, tonight,” he said and she nodded before he turned and headed toward the truck again.
Cat faced Brett who looked like he’d just escaped being executed. “What in the world were you thinking?” she said. “First of all, you’re sixteen and she’s fourteen. Secondly, this is a 4-H club where you’re here to practice and learn. It’s not some place for you to make out with a girl two years younger than you.”
He hung his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Demi’s father is the one you’re going to need to apologize to,” Cat said. “Now, run along and I’ll finish taking care of the horses.”
Brett nodded and left the barn, leaving Cat behind, shaking her head. She wouldn’t want to be Demi or Blake right now.
Chapter 16
Cat stood at Blake’s front door, waiting a moment before she rapped her knuckles on the wood. She felt a little jittery. She shouldn’t be nervous about being accepted by a teenager, but she was. She liked Demi and wanted the girl to like her as well but she understood if Demi didn’t want to accept her. The girl had had her father to herself all of these years and wasn’t ready to share.
The night was cool, the air fresh and clean. Cat wore comfortable Wrangler jeans and a sleeveless white western blouse with one of her several pairs of boots. Her long black hair was pulled back in a French braid and she wore light makeup. She held a pan of apple crumble in one arm.
Just as she
raised her free hand to knock, the door opened. Blake stood in the doorway and he smiled when he saw her and held the door open so that she could walk in. When he’d closed the door behind her, he lowered his head and gave her a lingering kiss.
She looked past him. “Where’s Demi?”
“Still in her room.” He sighed and shook his head. “This time I don’t know how long it’s going to take her to get past this.”
Cat thought for a moment. “Can I talk to her? We seemed to have connected a little today at the meeting.”
Blake rubbed his hand through his short hair. “She’s also sulking because I took away her phone and she’s not too happy about having you over for dinner.”
“It might be good for us to talk things over,” Cat said.
“Yeah. Maybe she needs a female to talk with.” He gestured down the hall. “Last door on the right.”
“I made apple crumble.” She handed him the pan. “I remember how you used to like it.”
He smiled. “You remember right.”
“I’ll talk to Demi now.” Cat bit her lower lip as she walked down the hall and paused in front of the door that was cracked open. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the wood. “Demi?”
“What do you want?” came the sullen reply.
“Can I come in for a moment?” Cat asked.
“Whatever,” Demi muttered.
Cat grasped the handle and opened the door the rest of the way. Demi was sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, which were drawn to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees.
Demi didn’t look at Cat as she sat on the bed next to the girl. Both were silent for a few moments.
“Why are you here?” Demi said, still not looking at Cat.
Cat watched the girl. “I want to talk with you.”
“Everything was fine before you showed up.” Demi crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re just going to come between me and Dad.”
Cat shook her head. “Nothing will ever put me between you and your father.”
“Right,” Demi said sarcastically. “You already are.”
“Your father loves you,” Cat said quietly. “Nothing will ever change that.”
Demi shifted on the bed. “If he loves me, why won’t he let me date?”
Cat was a little surprised at the switch in conversation. “He just doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“He doesn’t want me to grow up.” Demi stared at the wall. “He wants me to stay a little girl forever.”
“Brett is a sixteen-year-old boy,” Cat said.
Demi scowled. “That’s only two years between us.”
Cat studied the girl. “At your age, that’s a big difference.”
“Not that big,” Demi grumbled.
“Yes, it is.” Cat wanted the girl to understand. “Boys that age are on the cusp of manhood. You’re a young woman but you still need some time to grow up.”
“What do you know?” Demi turned her glare on Cat. “You’re not even a mother.”
Cat felt the familiar ache and pain grip her as the words cut into her heart. For a moment she couldn’t talk. “I was,” she said in a near whisper.
Demi frowned and cut her gaze to Cat. “Did you leave your kid like my mom left me?”
Cat shook her head and tried to hold back tears. “Melanie died when she was four. She would have been your age now.”
A stunned look crossed Demi’s face and she looked ashamed and sorrowful all at once. “I’m sorry, Cat. That was mean of me. I’m sorry you lost your daughter.”
Despite trying her best not to cry, a tear rolled down Cat’s cheek. “I miss her.” She pushed the tear away with her fingertips. “When I tell you that I think you’re too young to be with a boy that old, I’m thinking how I would have felt about my own daughter in that situation.”
“How did Melanie die?” Demi asked quietly.
“Leukemia.” Cat looked at her fingers in her lap. “She developed it when she was two and was sick most of her young life.” Cat took a deep, shuddering breath. “It seemed like I barely got to know her and love her and then she was gone.” She gave a sad smile. “But I still think she’s an angel watching over me.”
Demi slipped her feet out from under her and let them hang over the edge of the bed. She scooted closer to Cat so that they were shoulder to shoulder. “I’m really sorry,” Demi said again.
Cat turned her head and looked at the girl beside her and did her best to smile. “I think she might have been like you when she grew up. She was a pretty girl with long dark hair and a sweet smile. Toward the end she lost all of her hair but she was still beautiful.”
“If she looked like you, she would have been beautiful,” Demi said as she looked at Cat.
Without thinking, Cat touched the scar on the cheek it crossed.
“The scar doesn’t make any difference.” Demi’s expression was sincere. “I hardly notice it.”
“Thank you.” Cat gave a soft smile. “I don’t know if I’m any good at this since my daughter was so small and you’re a young woman. But I can tell you how I would feel. I would be just as protective as your father is.”
Demi swung her feet from where she sat perched on the edge of the bed. “He won’t let me date until I’m sixteen.”
“That’s a good age to start,” Cat said. “But he lets you go out with groups of friends which includes guys and girls right?”
Demi picked at a fold on the knee of her jeans. “Yes, but Amy’s allowed to go on supervised dates now and she’s the same age as me.”
Cat thought about that for a moment. “Maybe your dad would allow that if you wanted to date a boy your own age.”
With her head tilted to the side, Demi seemed to think about it. “I don’t know if I want Dad on a date with me. That would be too weird.”
Cat held back a smile. “Think about it and talk to your dad.”
“I like Brett, though.” Demi looked up at Cat. “I mean I really like him.”
“It’s not easy being a teenager.” Cat crossed her boots at her ankles. “Even when I was sixteen my grandmother didn’t want me to date your father and we were the same age.”
“It’s hard to think of you and Dad as teenagers and boyfriend and girlfriend.” Demi frowned. “It’s hard to think of you and Dad dating now, too.”
“I can understand that,” Cat said.
“So you really care about my dad?” Demi asked.
“I care for your father more than even I could have imagined.” Cat stared at a poster of a blue-eyed paint horse on the wall. “I loved him so much when we were teenagers. I’ve never felt anything like that in my life.”
“And you love him now,” Demi said.
After a moment, Cat gave a slow nod. “A love like that…I don’t think it can ever go away.”
Demi studied Cat. “Then, why did you leave him?”
“My father was abusive and I wanted to get out of Prescott and as far away from him as I could go.” Cat sighed and stared at her boots. “Your dad didn’t want to leave—all of his family is here. I was young and so full of emotion and pain that I ran the first chance I got.” She’d used Toby as a way to escape her father.
“That’s sad about your father.” Demi was frowning. “He was a mean man?”
“Very. I wasn’t as lucky as you,” Cat said. “One of the reasons I ended up in rodeo is because I’d go to the neighbors and they’d let me ride their horses and train there. It was an escape for me, and horses and rodeo grew to be loves like no other in my life.” She paused. “Of course I loved them in a different way than I’d loved your dad.”
“Why did you come back now?” Demi asked.
“My grandmother is ill.” Cat felt a heavy weight press down on her. “I want to be with her as much as I can during her remaining months and hopefully, years.”
A light rap came on the doorframe. Demi tensed a little as she looked up and saw Blake standing in the doorway.
He looked from Demi to Cat and smiled. “Dinner’s ready, girls.”
“We’ll be right there,” Cat said.
“Don’t take too long. Dinner will get cold.” He turned away and left.
“Your dad is a good man.” Cat smiled. “You know that.”
“Inside, I know he wants what’s best for me.” Demi tugged at the fold in her jeans. “It’s just hard sometimes.”
“I wish I’d had a dad like yours,” Cat said. “My life would have been a lot different than it turned out to be.”
“You never would have left Prescott then,” Demi said.
Cat thought about it for a moment. “Maybe things worked out the way they were supposed to and are now coming full circle. I would never have had Melanie and your dad wouldn’t have had you. You are two blessings who were meant to be.”
“I think you’re right,” Demi said.
“We’d better go.” Cat pushed herself up from the mattress to her feet. “Something smells wonderful and I’d hate for it to get cold.”
Demi nodded and stood then met Cat’s gaze. “Thank you, Cat.”
Cat wanted to reach out and tuck a stray hair that had escaped Demi’s braid but she held herself back.
Instead she smiled and they walked out the door toward the kitchen.
Chapter 17
Sunday morning, Blake stood on his front porch as he looked at the caller ID on his cell phone and frowned. He wasn’t in the mood to talk with Sally and deal with her antagonism, but he wasn’t one to ignore calls or delay in facing anything that came his way.
Last night had turned out well with Demi seeming to have come to terms with Blake’s rule against dating, especially older boys. Although appearing wary at times, his daughter also seemed to be more accepting of Cat.
But now he had to deal with Sally.
“Sally,” he answered.
“I’m taking Demi when school gets out for the summer,” Sally stated the moment he answered. “Permanently.”
He’d had just about all he could take of Sally and her insistence that she was taking Demi from him. “We’ve been through this. You’re not taking her.”
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