A Man's Heart

by Lori Copeland

  Pausing in the doorway, Jules let the declaration sink in. Crystal would fight to keep her children? The thought was totally unexpected. They barely knew one another, and other than a brief past, they were strangers. A more disturbing idea crossed her mind. Would she do the same for Crystal? She honestly couldn’t say that she would—or if she did, it would be out of a sense of responsibility, not a selfless act.

  Crystal got to her feet and stretched. “So, what do you intend to do?”

  “Get a lawyer.”

  “Isn’t that awfully expensive—especially since you plan to give them to the men once they’re financially able to assume responsibility? And you will make the decision. I know you.” She sighed. “Sophie didn’t leave an insurance policy?”

  “Sophie could barely feed the children and keep a roof over their heads. I don’t know what Cruz and Adan will do about the hospital bill.”

  “I’m sure they have ways to work around folks without hospitalization. I’d dread to think about her bill.”

  The amount would be stupefying, and yes, attorneys were expensive and completely unnecessary. She could wring Cruz’s neck for starting this war. Neither of them had the funds to support it, and unless she missed her guess, it was going to be a long, lengthy fight, a fight their “influential friends” would tire of quickly.

  “I have to do this, Crystal. I promised Sophie.”

  “Then perhaps Sophie was wrong to make this demand of you.”

  Jules whirled to face her. “How dare you criticize my friend? You didn’t know her.”

  “I knew her enough to know that what she asked is questionable.” Crystal stepped around her. “Is it possible she had an ulterior motive? That she decided that you and Cruz were meant to be together, and she used the children as pawns?”

  “Pawns! Sophie would never use her children for gain, and I resent your accusation.” And this was the second time Sophie’s questionable intentions had been brought into the conversation. First Cruz, now Crystal. Sophie, have you doublecrossed me? Or simply tried to help me.

  Crystal shrugged. “I’m sorry if I offended you. Excuse me; I hear Livvy waking up. She’ll be hungry.”

  “Fine — but never speak of Sophie in that tone again.” Jules straightened and drew a deep breath. “I have to talk to Pop’s attorney. I won’t be around much today.”

  “That’s okay. We’ll make it fine.”

  Make it fine, Jules seethed when her sister left the room. Sophie using the children as chess pieces — Crystal had no right to suggest subterfuge though Jules wouldn’t put it past Sophie. She loved her children and she loved her brothers, but she knew that a hoped-for relationship between her and Cruz was over. Final. She wouldn’t marry the lout now if he begged her.

  Jules left the house, slamming the kitchen door behind her.

  Chapter 28

  Pretty white lights illuminated the miniature golf course. The churning windmills, frog’s mouths, kitty lips, and water holes delighted Olivia and Ethan.

  Jules putted the ball and watched it roll halfway up the green carpeted ramp, then roll back. Somewhere between home and the lawyer’s office, she’d cooled off and realized that Crystal had a point. Cruz and Adan had every right to fight for the children’s custody, and she wouldn’t put it past Sophie to try to mend her best friend’s severed relationship. Other than Cruz and Adan, Sophie loved her and would do anything to secure her happiness. It hurt to think that maybe her friend was wrong in asking her to be judge and jury, and the lawyer repeated much of what Crystal had said; the Delgado brothers had a good edge up in the case. Still, Jack offered to represent her for a nominal fee.

  On the way home that evening, Jules realized that she owed Crystal an apology for flying off the handle this morning, so after dinner she’d suggested a round of miniature golf in Pasco. She tapped the ball again.

  Giggling, Crystal made some wisecrack about Jules being no Tiger Woods.

  Olivia banged the ball seven times and finally knocked it over the wood supports. Ethan jumped up and down, waving his club. She shook her head, and aimed at a doghouse with a large opening that she was expected to knock the ball through.

  When it was Crystal’s turn, she carefully sat her red ball down and studied it and the target. Jules was learning so much about her sister lately. She was probably some whiz-bang miniature golf player.

  Eying the target, Crystal swung and missed. Retrieving the ball, she set it back in place, glanced at Jules with a grin and straightened her stance.

  Second try, she swung and barely grazed the ball.

  The third try produced a whiff. Setting her jaw, she glanced at Jules. “Whew. This is a hard course.”

  Later they wandered to the concession stand and let the children knock the balls around unattended. The course was empty tonight.

  They ordered a box of popcorn to share, and then took a seat on a wooden swing facing a waterfall. Tension drained from Jules. The past two weeks had been the hardest in her life. She thought losing Pop was bad, but losing Sophie was different and she knew she’d only faced the tip of her absence. The long months ahead, and every rodeo from now on would be a bittersweet reminder of her friend. And now she had the added worry of which brother would raise Sophie’s children. She thought of poor Adan and his unfair disadvantage. Cruz had been closer to Sophie than Adan, though Adan loved her no less. If she and Cruz were married there’d be no contest. But she and Cruz were at sword’s point, so that option was moot.

  “I talked to Pop’s lawyer this afternoon.”

  “And?”

  “He said about what you said: Cruz and Adan have the advantage.”

  Crystal reached for a handful of popcorn. “So you’re not going to fight him?”

  “I’m going to fight because I promised Sophie that I would, but at best I can only delay the inevitable.” The mention of Sophie left her blue. She’d been emotional all day, crying at the least likely moments. Every time her cell phone rang, she checked to see if Sophie’s number appeared.

  She took a bite of popcorn. “Are you and Adan seeing each other?” She should know if her sister was seeing anyone. She should at least take that much notice.

  “Not socially. He’s come to my rescue a couple of times.”

  Jules nodded, recalling the seared shed and the plumbing fiasco that Crystal had never mentioned, but Joe had let the cat out of the bag.

  “The Delgados are in big financial trouble.”

  “I know.” Crystal munched a handful of popcorn. “Can we help?”

  “Their irrigation system broke down and they don’t have the funds to replace it. In another day or so this year’s crop will be ruined if they can’t get water to it.”

  Gazing up, Crystal sighed. “I’d forgotten. It doesn’t rain much here. In Florida, we get a shower almost every day this time of year. Thunder, lightning.”

  “It doesn’t rain here enough to raise potatoes. I don’t know why we even try. We should leave potato growing to Idaho.”

  “Washington has marvelous apples.”

  “True.” Though they were talking apples and potatoes; a vast difference in these parts.

  “So, can we help Cruz and Adan?”

  Jules shook her head. “I’ve thought about offering a small loan, but Cruz wouldn’t take it and honestly, I don’t have it to spare. Pop was struggling.”

  They ate popcorn, watching the children frolic around the miniature golf course.

  “Pop’s crop doing okay?” Crystal asked.

  “It’s good—looks to be a big one this year, and we can sure use it.”

  “Is our irrigation system up-to-date?” Her sister always spoke in the possessive. Jules liked that; regardless of Pop’s will she thought of Blue Bayou as home and its welfare her responsibility. As far as she was concerned, Blue Bayou was as much Crystal’s as it was hers. Whatever the reason Pop had chosen to leave her out of his estate, any profits would be divided equally.

  “It’s old and breaks do
wn a lot, but Joe manages to keep it going. I’m planning to buy a new one next season, if this crop turns out to be profitable.”

  “That’s good.” Settling back, Crystal dropped a bomb shell. “Pop wasn’t my dad. You know that, don’t you?”

  Jules choked on a piece of popcorn. Water filled her eyes and Crystal whacked her on the back. “Are you okay?”

  “What did you just say?”

  “Pop wasn’t my real father.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Mom. My real father was a seasonal worker. I thought you knew.”

  “No — did Pop know?”

  “Of course he knew; why do you think they fought all the time?”

  “I … just thought they didn’t get along.”

  “That too. Mom said Fred was the only man in her life that she both hated and loved at the same time.”

  Jules knew the feeling. She could wring Cruz’s neck, but then she’d want to wrap it in kisses. “Poor Pop.”

  “Poor Mom. Pop refused to forgive her. It was a onetime indiscretion that Mom regretted the remainder of her life. She begged Pop to forgive her, but he refused. He couldn’t move past her infidelity, which admittedly would be difficult. In the end she knew that she was only hurting us by keeping our lives in a state of upheaval.”

  “Pop never mentioned a word,” Jules vowed.

  “He wouldn’t. Fred was a Christian man in so many ways, but he did not have the capacity to forgive. And Mom wasn’t exactly a nurturer, though she loved us, Jules. I’ve seen her cry on your birthday.”

  “She hardly ever sent a card. Or called — she could have called.”

  “She didn’t talk about you a lot. I think it was too painful for her so she drowned her pain in red wine. She loved her wine. She was drinking the day she died.”

  “Pop made a point of telling me that.”

  A smile broke across Crystal’s features. “She was a great lady, not without faults, but with her own unique personality.”

  Events were unfolding too quickly. Pop’s death. Crystal’s return. Losing Sophie, finding Cruz again. Learning that Pop hadn’t fathered Crystal. Jules’s life spun on axis. The moment overwhelmed her. “Crystal … I …”

  Crystal smiled. “I know. You want to be a sister, but you can’t. I understand, truly. Maybe in time we will form the kind of relationship we seek, but sisters aren’t close just because they’re born of the same womb; sisters grow to love and respect each other and that takes time, time we’ve never had together. In time, we’ll form our indelible bond.” She reached out to touch her. “Don’t question God’s motives; use your energy to prepare for the eternal.”

  Jules felt like an utter fool. All this time she had worried that she didn’t have sisterly feelings, when Crystal had struggled — and apparently understood the situation far better than she did. Sisters weren’t born with a unique tie; they were created by a lifetime of events, similarities and companionship. She and Crystal had only known each other as children, not trusted confidants.

  Crystal knew Jules better than she knew herself. Those were her feelings. She couldn’t help but like her sibling, but sometimes — often she resented her carefree style. Pop spoke of eternal matters often while Mom had her own system of belief. Maybe if she’d left with Mom and Crystal had stayed, she might be tiptoeing through daises instead of wading through potato fields. She changed the subject. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Cruz would never accept my help, but Adan might. I’m going to tell Joe to take the center pivots from the west field and haul them over to Cruz’s place. If we can save one field for him, it would keep the Delgados’ head above water this year.”

  “Pull our irrigation? What about our crops?”

  “They’re fine—best looking crop in years. One field can survive a few days without water, and if we lose it, we’ve done so for a worthy cause.” So she might forfeit a new irrigation system next year; she’d faced worse.

  “That’s risky, isn’t it? Like you said, Pop was struggling.”

  “Maybe, but neighbors are supposed to help out.” And one commandment stood out to her: “love thy neighbor.” She didn’t have an ounce of rebellion with that command. “Our irrigation system is towable. We can set a field real easy. If Cruz can’t get water to his crop, he’ll lose everything. If we lose a field, we have a couple of others.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Call Adan and tell him that Joe will bring the center pivots over tomorrow. They’ll fit because our systems are interchangeable. Tell him to have enough men on hand to install the mechanisms and get the water flowing. We can have him back in business by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “And if Adan refuses?”

  Jules took a bite of popcorn. “He won’t. He’s sensible, and though Cruz wouldn’t accept my help, he’s smart enough to know when he’s beaten.”

  Crystal reached in her purse and took out her cell phone and punched a number. Jules glanced over. “You have Adan’s cell number?”

  She flashed a grin, color creeping up her cheeks. “I call him occasionally when I get in one of my messes.”

  “Really.” Crystal called Adan regularly. She noted a spurt of jealousy. She was that close to Cruz’s brother, and Jules hadn’t noticed? A thought struck her. What if Adan and Crystal … What if they were to marry and ask for the children …? Panic crowded her throat. That couldn’t happen. She wanted those kids!

  She shook the unprecedented notion aside. No way. There was no way that those two would attract, marry … raise Sophie’s kids.

  Her gaze skimmed her sister’s stunning beauty and she felt a strange tightening in the pit of her stomach.

  Was there?

  Cruz glanced up when Adan walked into the living room. The Delgado home was man’s land. A massive fireplace, overstuffed, worn furniture. The place had a rough look; shirts draped over backs of chairs. Cans of peanuts on end tables sitting next to two leather recliners. Popcorn on the wood floor. Empty glasses. Throw rugs scattered. Boots stepped out of and left anywhere.

  “Guess what?”

  “Just tell me.”

  “The Matiases are sending their center pivots from one field over tomorrow.”

  Frowning, Cruz wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “They’re what?”

  “Sending their center pivots over. We can get water to the north field by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Why would they do that? They have their own fields.”

  Adan shrugged. “Crystal called and said to expect the equipment sometime mid-morning tomorrow. We need to get a crew to install, and we’ll be back in business.”

  Cruz stood. “That equipment isn’t Crystal’s to loan. This is Jules’s idea, and I won’t accept her charity.”

  “Crystal says it is hers to loan, and I’m accepting the offer.” His brother sat in his recliner and reached for the remote. “You can be pig-headed on your own resources. As for me, I’m taking the offer and thanking God that it came in time. We just might be able to salvage one field, and that field will keep us afloat another year.” He flipped to the evening news.

  Cruz sat back, grumbling under his breath.

  “You might as well ease up. So what if Jules thought of it? It’s a mighty nice offer.”

  “I’m not going to be indebted to Jules.”

  “I know. You’d rather be married to her.”

  Cruz got up and stalked out of the room.

  An hour later, Cruz pulled into the Matias barnyard. A lone light burned in the den. Shutting off the engine, he strode to the back door and knocked. It was late, and the kids would be in bed. Car lights caught his eyes and he turned to see Jules’s Tracker coming up the lane.

  Crystal and the kids piled out, followed by Jules. Crystal spoke as she walked past, but he noticed she didn’t linger. The back screen closed and he turned to confront Jules.

  “I won’t take your pity.”

  “Good for you. I like
my men independent.”

  She brushed past him starting for the house. He followed. “I mean it, Jules. I don’t need your center pivots.”

  “That’s not what you said. You said you were going to lose your whole crop unless you could get water in the next few days.”

  “I didn’t ask that you lose yours in order to save mine.”

  “I don’t intend to lose mine. Our crops are in fine shape. We can do without water for a few days. Your fields can’t.” She approached the step. “Just being a good neighbor. You’d do the same.”

  “Good neighbor, my foot.”

  “Is that any way to sound grateful?” Inside, Olivia let out a squeal. She motioned toward the sound. “If you want those kids, you have to have a way to feed them. And you need to start thinking about ways to feed and clothe them. Settle down.”

  “I’m supposed to run out, marry the first woman who looks faintly interesting, and get married so I can get my niece and nephew, who belong to me anyway?”

  “That’s not what I’m asking. I’m not asking you to marry, just start … looking around.”

  “Looking around.” He scratched his temple. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll look around.”

  “Fine. And … I think I’m going to start dating more. We both work too hard. We need diversion.”

  Swiping his hat off, he whacked it against his thigh.

  “Look.” She lowered her tone. “If it helps, think of the pivots as a gift from Crystal, not me.”

  “They aren’t Crystal’s to give.”

  “You’re wrong. Pop might not have left her half of nothing, like he left me, but I consider my nothing to be hers too.”

  “That’s big of you.” His gaze locked with hers. “When did you go all soft on Crystal?”

  “I haven’t, I’ve just started to realize that sisters should have a bond. Just like brothers.” She met his steady gaze.