by Brenda Mott
Feeling bad for having ever thought her silly and immature, Wade headed for home—knowing the new light he saw her in still didn’t change anything as far as their differences went. Knowing that his thoughts were about to lead him straight into a fool’s zone. But nonetheless unwilling to change his mind about getting romantically involved with Tess.
TESS RESISTED opening the gift box until she’d pulled into the parking lot of Rosarita’s. What on earth had possessed Wade to give her a second present? She’d been speechless when he’d handed it to her out of the clear blue. Now, heart pounding, she pulled the shiny bow from the silver paper and lifted the lid off the small box. Earrings. They couldn’t have been more perfect if she’d picked them out herself. Sterling-silver horse heads centered in a pair of horseshoes.
Tess closed the box. The earrings looked expensive. She couldn’t possibly accept them. She’d give them back the very next time she saw him.
Then she opened the box again and looked at the earrings once more. When had he noticed she had pierced ears? She rarely wore earrings, but when she did, she loved Western and animal-themed jewelry. She’d had on a pair of cat-shaped earrings the night of her birthday party.
Tess’s face heated as she recalled the way Wade had kissed and nibbled her earlobe on the porch swing. Oh, yeah, he’d most definitely been in a position to notice then. She sighed and fingered the earrings. They were beautiful, and the thoughtfulness of his gift took her more by surprise than she supposed it should have. Surely he didn’t mean anything intimate by giving them to her. But then again…
Torn between returning them and keeping them, Tess placed them in her glove compartment and went inside the restaurant. Bailey showed up minutes later, and her idea turned out to be better than anything Tess had hoped for. She explained how the bank could bestow a certain number of grants on nonprofit organizations each year, and offered one to Tess to help fund Western Colorado Horse Rescue. All Tess had to do was come into the bank and fill out the paperwork. The grant would give her enough money to keep the horse sanctuary going for a little while.
In addition, Bailey suggested holding a fund-raiser of some sort, and volunteered to help out as much as she could. Tess admitted she’d been thinking of doing just that, and thanked Bailey both for the grant and for her offer of help. On the way back from Rosarita’s, Tess stopped by the County Care Facility to check on her mom once more. She still felt horrible for having run out on her earlier.
“She’s resting comfortably,” Molly assured her as Tess walked beside the nurse, down the hallway toward Raelene’s room. “It’s hard to say what sets them off sometimes.” She shook her head sadly. “Alzheimer’s is such a difficult condition to cope with. As I’ve said so many times, I admire your dedication to your mother.” She gave Tess’s arm a sympathetic pat. “I see a lot of things in my line of work. And a lot of variations in the same disease.”
“I imagine so,” Tess murmured.
“At any rate,” Molly said, “I believe Rae’s asleep, but you can go in if you want.”
Tess shook her head. “I think we’ve all had enough excitement for one day. I’ll just look in on her real quick, then go.”
“All right— Oh, your ball cap is up at the nurses’ station. We found it on the floor after you left.”
“Thanks.”
Molly strode off, and Tess made her way to Raelene’s room and peered inside. Her mother lay in bed with the covers pulled up around her shoulders, her head lolling to one side of the pillow. Tess fought the urge to step deeper into the room and smooth the hair back from Rae’s forehead. She hated what had happened earlier, what Wade had witnessed, and again irritation bubbled up inside her.
Why had he wanted to see her mom? He’d acted casual about it, made it seem like nothing. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder. He’d said he’d been passing by and had stopped on the spur of the moment. But somehow, she didn’t believe that. And suddenly she could understand how Wade had felt when she’d pressured him on personal matters regarding Macy.
She turned and walked back down the hall to the nurses’ station to retrieve her favorite cap. Then she headed for the feed store, glad to lose herself in the everyday routine of work.
WADE HAD JUST FINISHED replacing the hinges on the paddock gate next to the barn when the school bus pulled into the yard. Jason bounded down the bus steps, Macy right on his heels, and for a moment, Wade was overcome by the sight of his two children racing toward him in the afternoon sun. When had they gotten so tall? Jason seemed to gain an inch every time Wade turned around, yet he hadn’t really noticed until now that Macy wasn’t far behind her brother. And her cheekbones had become more pronounced lately, as her face lost its baby fat and molded into the lines of the young woman she’d soon be.
Shaking off the melancholy thoughts, Wade let the kids’ laughter flow over him like a pleasant breeze. “Hey, you two. How was school?”
“Great!” Macy said, clutching her backpack as it slipped off her shoulder. “Can I go riding with Becky? Her mom can drop her off here at four-thirty, and Jason said it’s okay with him if she rides Spur.”
“That’s nice of you, son.”
Jason shrugged. “I don’t mind.” Then he grinned. “Macy offered to take my dish night in trade.”
Wade shook his head. “Scratch my compliment on that one, then.” He feigned a punch to Jason’s shoulder, then turned to Macy. “Have you got homework?”
“Nope. Dad, there’re only three days of school left.”
“True. But I figured that gives your teachers a little more time to be mean to you.” He reached down to rumple her hair, stilling his hand just in time. Lately, she’d started taking offense at the gesture. “What about you, Jason?” he asked, glancing at the boy.
Jason shook his head. “No homework, either.” He looked at the tools lying on the ground beneath the gate. “Do you need any help, Dad?”
Having no idea why such a rush of mixed feelings came over him, Wade studied his son. He was so grown-up. And in spite of the way he sometimes taunted his sister, Jason was always willing to help out. Both kids had been his partners for a long while now, particularly since their mother’s death. They’d had to grow up too quickly. Forgo childhood pleasures to a degree. Wade was gripped by an urge to slow the clock, to savor his kids before they did indeed grow up. When was the last time he’d done something fun with his son, one-on-one?
Wade cocked his hip and rested his hand on his waist. “You know what, Jason? I do need some help, but not with the gate.”
“Yeah?” Jason squinted up at him against the glare of the sun.
“I was thinking about putting a line in the water. It’s been a while. You wanna join me?”
Jason’s eyes lit up. “Fishing? You bet!”
“Do you mind, Macy?” Wade asked. “You can come, too, but it’s also okay if you ride with Becky. Just as long as you let me know where you’ll be and you don’t go too far. She’s not had as much riding experience as you have.”
“I know,” Macy said. “I’d rather ride with her if you don’t mind, Dad.”
“That’s fine.” Wade bent to pick up his tools. “You two go change your clothes, then, and grab a snack. I’ll be in shortly.”
“Race ya!” Jason shouted, turning on his heel.
Macy sped after him toward the back door, and Wade’s heart gave a happy little jump. He was a lucky man. And just as fast as that realization came, his thoughts strayed to Tess. To the way he’d held her while she cried, and how good she’d felt in his arms. He’d hated seeing her sorrow, but being there for her had felt right.
After putting the tools away, Wade found his fishing tackle in the back of the barn and readied the poles. By the time he returned to the house, Jason was already outside. Macy came out on the porch as Donna Vega’s truck pulled up in the driveway. Donna let Becky out, spoke briefly to Wade, then drove away. Wade made sure the girls were safely saddled and that their destination for their two-hour trail
ride was clearly mapped out before Jason and he headed for his pickup to load the fishing gear.
A short time later, they were on their way to the stream that ran down the hillside three miles up the road. Ever since the kids were old enough to hold a pole, Wade had been bringing them here. The water pooled in a quiet spot beneath the overhang of some rocks, and several boulders on the embankment made for a good place to sit and dangle a line in the water. Sighing with pleasure, Wade sank onto the rock beside his son.
“Man, this feels great,” Jason said. “Why haven’t we done this lately, Dad?”
Why, indeed?
It was just one more example of how the ranch work had gotten a stranglehold on him. “I don’t know, son. Just lost track of time, I guess.” He shot Jason a smile. “But we can change that.”
“Sounds good to me.” Jason threaded a neon-orange salmon egg onto his hook and cast his line out over the water. The satisfying plop the sinker made as it hit the surface relaxed Wade. He cast his own line a few feet away and leaned back against the rock, letting the bobber float downstream a bit. Not caring if he caught so much as one fish. Relaxing out here in the fresh air with Jason was what appealed to him more than anything.
Wade’s thoughts drifted like his line in the water. He wondered if Tess liked the earrings he’d given her. He’d find out soon enough. Tomorrow was Thursday—4-H. The prospect of seeing her again sent a pleasant warmth curling through his middle. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking such things. He ought to just resign himself to accepting Tess as Macy’s 4-H leader and stop dwelling on how much he enjoyed being around her. After all, he’d gone over and over this in his mind and he realized he was treading in dangerous territory.
But the desire to be near her wouldn’t leave him. He watched Jason reel in his line to check the bait, then cast it out again, his movements easy, carefree. The kids meant everything to him. Why on earth should he go and upset the balance by bringing a woman into the picture? But Tess wasn’t just any woman. Somehow he was sure of that. And as far as balance went— A cold hard fact hit him.
Things really weren’t so balanced. He loved Jason and Macy. But the father-son bond he shared with Jason was different from that of father and daughter. Something was missing for Macy. The bond she should have had with her mother. Jason had him, man to man, but Macy had no woman to relate to. Wade had already known that, but somehow now the thought drove home harder than ever. Both his kids had been cheated out of their mom, but Macy most of all.
Maybe he was wrong to think that raising her and Jason by himself was enough. And maybe the sun reflecting off the water was doing crazy things to his brain, luring him with excuses to keep seeing Tess.
Jason’s pole suddenly bent at the tip, and he gave it a jerk, setting the hook. “I’ve got one, Dad!” His eyes lit up, and he grinned as Wade quickly reeled in his own line and set down his pole.
He hurried to his son’s side. “Reel him in easy. Don’t let him get away.”
“I won’t—don’t worry.” Jason cranked the handle on the reel, making it spin rapidly as he pulled in the rainbow trout—a pan-size one of about twelve inches. “Wow, he’s a nice fish, isn’t he, Dad?”
“He sure is. Let me give you a hand.” Wade grasped Jason’s pole to steady it for him, allowing his son the honor of unhooking his own catch.
Jason held the fish aloft, admiring the shine of its silvery scales, marked with the metallic-like colors that gave the fish its name. Then he frowned. “Geez, I’ll bet Tess wouldn’t like what we’re doing one bit.”
Wade’s jaw went slack. “What on earth made you think of that?” he asked, guilt settling in his stomach. Not at the fact that fresh trout for dinner sounded good to him, but at realizing that Tess had been on his mind most of the day, right up until a couple of minutes ago.
Jason pursed his mouth and gave him a teasing grin. “I don’t know. I guess it’s kind of easy to see how much you like her. And I was just thinking about 4-H. I suppose it made me think of Tess. She’s a vegetarian. I heard her talking about it with some people at the barbecue.”
Wade shook his head and smiled. “I guess she’s entitled to her opinion. But I was looking forward to trout for supper tonight.”
Jason looked at the fish. “Me, too.” He walked over to his tackle box, pulled out an aluminum stringer and slipped the trout onto it. After making sure the stringer was well anchored to the bank with a pile of rocks so the fish wouldn’t float away, he lowered the fish into the water.
Wade pushed away another jolt of guilt as he watched the fish swim but get nowhere. He refused to bend to Tess’s way of thinking. Let her enjoy her vegetables. That was fine by him. He liked them, as well, and right now fried potatoes and onions sounded mighty tasty.
And they’d sure go good with a mess of trout.
“Guess I better get my pole back in the water,” Wade said as Jason put another salmon egg on his hook. “Can’t let you skunk me.” He gave his son a grin, and Jason grinned back.
“We’ll see about that, Dad.” He cast his line into the water once more.
They’d always done this when they’d gone fishing. Competed in a friendly way to see who could get the most fish. And if one of them happened to be the only one lucky enough to make a catch or two, then the other one was “skunked” and the teasing on the ride home was merciless.
But not as merciless as the thoughts that kept coming back to haunt Wade once he settled down to fishing again.
I’ll bet Tess wouldn’t like what we’re doing….
Damn it! When was he going to come to his senses and stop thinking of her all the time?
Wade kept an eye on his red-and-white bobber, trying to rid his mind of a picture of a plate with nothing on it but onions and potatoes.
CHAPTER TEN
DURING THE NEXT TWO DAYS, Tess kept busy not just with work but with mulling over various options in her mind for a possible WCHR fund-raiser, glad for myriad things to help distract her from the mixed feelings she had in regard to Wade.
He’d upset her showing up at the County Care Facility. Raelene’s illness was private, and Tess had never taken anyone outside of family to visit her mother. But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if Wade’s intentions hadn’t been totally honest and good. She just couldn’t picture him harboring some morbid desire to see what it was like to have a family member with Alzheimer’s.
She recalled the way he’d looked at her mom just before Rae had exploded. Not with cold curiosity but with genuine warmth and concern. He’d spoken so sweetly to her mother, and Tess knew he’d only been trying to help. He simply didn’t understand the extent of Rae’s illness.
Tess thought about his invitation to take her, Tess, on a drive. Excitement filled her at the thought of their being alone together. It sounded romantic and wonderful and exactly like something she ought to forget about. But she couldn’t.
Would he really call her? Maybe he’d forgotten about his offer of a rain check. Tess blew a puff of air through her cheeks. She couldn’t believe how much Wade was on her mind lately. This was not good! She kept telling herself that she really didn’t need a man in her life. That she didn’t have time. But that didn’t stop her from feeling lonely at night.
A strange longing she’d never before been aware of haunted her. Frightened her. What was the matter? Had she lost her mind over a few stolen kisses? Reminding herself that there was no reason to make changes in her life, Tess focused on her normal routine.
Thursday’s 4-H meeting was a book meeting—one where the kids worked on their record books and gave an oral report on how their individual projects were coming along. These meetings were held at Tess’s house rather than the arena. Knowing Wade would be here in a matter of hours left her stomach in knots as she worked on her dad’s accounts, then did some data processing in her home office.
The knots turned to butterflies when she heard a truck pulling into the driveway. Calling herself silly for being so nervo
us, Tess hurried to the open front door.
And felt her heart do a cha-cha at the sight of his black Ford.
“Hey, Tess,” Macy called as she skipped toward the porch. “How’s the foal?”
“Hi, Macy. She’s fine. We’re going to do something fun later on in the meeting that involves her.”
“Oh, good,” Macy said. “That’ll be way better than working on our record books.” She shot Tess an apologetic grin and Tess laughed.
“Too much like homework, huh?” She gave Macy a mock thump on the head.
Macy grimaced, but Tess didn’t even hear her reply as she looked up into Wade’s eyes. He stood at the foot of the steps, dressed in faded jeans, a dark-blue Western shirt and his battered old hat. That, dressed up or not, he could still make her heart do such crazy things was not fair. What had happened to her resolve?
“I wanted to come say hi,” he said. “But I can’t stay for the meeting. Jason’s schedule got switched around this week, and I’ve got to drive him to his meeting, too.”
Belatedly, Tess saw that Jason was waiting in the pickup. She waved at him and he waved back. “Oh.” She tried not to sound disappointed. “Do you need me to give Macy a ride home later? Or keep her here until you’re finished with Jason’s meeting?”
He nodded. “Keep her here, if you like. The kids both have plans later, since tomorrow’s only a half day of school, and the last one at that.” He shifted from one foot to the other and slid his hands into his back pockets. “I, uh, wondered if you’d like to go on that drive we talked about. The moon’s full, and I know a spot by the lake where the elk bed down at night. I thought you might like to see them.”
His suggestion took her by surprise. “Elk? You want to go watch elk?”
He shrugged. “Well, if you think it’s boring, we could—”
She cut him off, hiding a chuckle. “No, I don’t think it’s boring at all. I’m just surprised that you’d find them interesting. I mean, they are animals.”
