by Liz Isaacson
Dr. Fletcher thought so too, and Jace had been stewing over how he could get Belle to see him face-to-face. He had a lot to tell her, but none of it should be said over a phone line. So he’d made small talk about the ranch and other things of little importance.
Her car sat several stalls down, and his pulse skipped. Her declaration of love bounced through his mind, like it had been doing since the rodeo. He caught sight of her, a fast food bag dangling from her fingers, several paces ahead on the boardwalk leading toward the park on the other side of the falls. It would be quieter over there, more private.
He moved quickly, taking long strides to eat up the distance between them. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said when he came within a foot of her. She turned, the bag of sandwiches bouncing into his leg, and stumbled backward when she found him so close.
He chuckled and latched onto her waist to keep her from falling. Their eyes locked, and Jace found everything in hers he’d hoped for. “I miss you,” he whispered, leaning forward. “I’m sorry I’m, well, who I am right now. But I’m miserable without you. At least with you, I was getting better.”
“You said you were seeing a doctor. That he was helping.”
“He is. But he’s not you. You help me. You make me feel like I’m worth fighting for. You make me, well, me.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand and grinned, her eyes shining. “I think that’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“I guess sometimes the truth can be romantic, then.” He rested his cheek against hers and took the deepest breath he could. Oh, how he’d missed the rosy-soft smell of her skin, the orange marmalade of her shampoo.
“I love you, Belle Edmunds. I want to spend my life with you. You make me a better man, and I want to be that man for you.”
He heard the thud of the sandwiches as she dropped them, felt the thrill of her touch as she tiptoed her fingers up his bare arms and through the hair on the back of his neck, the rush of the breeze when she removed his cowboy hat and held it against his back.
He pulled back an inch to find her eyes already closed, her mouth slightly open and waiting for his. He touched his lips to hers, gently, softly, patiently. She sighed into him, pressed closer, and Jace had a whole new reason to love coming to the waterfalls.
An hour later, he lay with his head in Belle’s lap, her fingers stroking a pattern along his scalp. It seemed impossible that such a fantastic, forgiving woman could love him. But he’d felt it in her touch and heard it in her voice.
He knew he still had a journey of healing ahead of him, but he also knew he needed Belle by his side to complete it.
“I finished Rimrod Lodge,” she said, her voice lazy and low.
“That’s great. How’s Flathead Lake coming along?”
“Good.” She sighed. “Real good. I paid for my house for the next six months, and I’m hoping to have clients of my own by the fall.”
“That’s amazing.” He grinned up at her. “You’re amazing.”
She looked out across the park. “Jace, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you believe in soul mates?”
He thought about her question, wondering why she needed to ask it now. “I believe in true love, yeah. I believe two people who love each other enough can work through anything, especially with the help of God.” He shifted up onto one elbow. “I believe that you and me have the same goals. We both believe in God and are trying to be kind and hardworking. If we’re not soul mates today, we will be one day. Might take work, but we can do it.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you.”
“Love you too, sunshine.”
Nerves rioted through Jace as he followed Tom and Rose to Silver Creek. They hadn’t coped as well as they would’ve liked with their recent losses, and Tom had mentioned to Jace that all three of them were going to do equine therapy for a few months. “You should come,” Tom had said. “I worked with patients in Texas. It really works.”
Jace had taken a couple of days to think about it, and then he’d called Tom and asked when they were going. The very next day, and Jace didn’t have as much time to prepare as he would’ve liked.
And he’d mentioned it to Belle, which only added to his anxiety, for reasons he couldn’t name.
Silver Creek sat on a sprawling estate at the base of the mountain leading up to the cabin community. The green grasses spread in all directions, leading up to a beautiful, century-old building. Once they checked in there, Rose led them out the back, where several more buildings stood in the distance. To their left waited a barn and stables—and a tall, wide wrangler wearing a cowboy hat the color of snow.
Jace relaxed at the sight of the cowboy. Jace understood cowboys, and horses, and the therapeutic center suddenly just became the ranch. He walked next to Tom, who held Rose’s hand in his right hand while Mari trailed behind them all.
“Mornin’,” the cowboy said.
Tom shook his hand and called him Owen before turning to Jace. “This is my brother, Jace.”
“Owen Carr.” The man smiled. “I hear we’re all ridin’ today. I’ve got my four best horses ready for you.” He beamed at Mari. “You’re saddlin’ your own, Missy.”
She smiled at him and stepped down the aisle to where a tall, black horse waited.
“I wasn’t sure what you folks wanted to do.” Owen glanced at Tom and Rose with compassion and caring in his eyes. “I can start you at the beginning, with saddling and horse care, or we can go straight to riding, since you’re familiar with the animals.” He lifted his hat and scrubbed his fingers across his buzzed hair. “Honestly, Tom, I feel like you should give the lessons instead of me.”
Tom stepped forward and clapped Owen on the back. “Rose needs to start at the beginning. I want to do it with her.” He cut a glance at Jace. “My brother…Jace, what do you want to do?”
“I’m already comfortable around horses,” he said, his throat so narrow the words could barely come out. “But I’ve never looked at them as therapeutic. I’ll start at the beginning too.”
Owen visibly relaxed and gestured them forward. “All right, then. First things first. Horses can sense how a person feels. You have to be calm around them, isn’t that right, Mari?” He passed the stall where she was just finishing latching the nosepiece on her horse. “Take ‘im out to the arena when you’re done,” he told her. “Walk ‘im until I come. I have a new game for you today.”
She glanced up but didn’t make true eye contact. “Mom?”
“I’m going to come watch in a few minutes.” Rose gave Mari a smile and the girl used the bottom rung of the fence to swing up onto the horse’s back.
“I’ve got Yellowstone, Kimchi, and Thomas Edison for you guys today.” He looked at the three of them expectantly.
“I’ll take Yellowstone,” Jace said, and Owen waved him toward a brown and white paint horse.
“You’re going to talk to him,” Owen instructed. “You can tell him whatever you want. Then brush him down—avoid this one’s right back leg. You can see he has an old injury there—and saddle him up. I’ll be back in about a half an hour to take you guys out to the arena.”
He led Tom down to the next stall, where he got assigned Kimchi and Rose took the last horse. Enough distance lingered between them that Jace could speak to Yellowstone and his brother wouldn’t overhear.
But he had no idea what to say. The horse nosed his hand, and Jace ran his fingers up the horse’s head. “Hey, boy,” he whispered. “So I guess you already know that my fiancé left me last year. Can’t imagine that gossip doesn’t get around to horses too.”
Yellowstone closed his eyes halfway, completely unconcerned with Wendy’s departure. Jace smiled, the part of him that had held onto her abandonment for over a year withering, dying. “I’ve found this woman, Belle, and she’s, well, she’s amazing.” He ran his hands down both sides of the horse’s neck, mesmerized by this animal that stood
so still and seemed to be listening so intently.
“She’s patient, and kind, and well, sometimes she says things I just can’t understand, but it makes us work, you know?” Jace was sure the horse nodded. He reached for the currycomb, but Yellowstone didn’t have a fleck of dirt in his hair. He switched to a soft bristle brush and began stroking the horse down his chest and shoulders.
He continued to talk, to tell Yellowstone about the horses on the ranch, and his worries about Tom and Rose and if they’d be okay if they couldn’t have babies of their own. Jace said, “I’d like a baby one day. Guess I better talk to Belle about that, huh?”
Yellowstone nickered, and Jace grinned as Owen said, “Seems like you two are gettin’ along just fine. C’mon.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve got everyone out in the arena.” He patted Yellowstone. “Oh, you’ve been spoiled today, haven’t you? Ready to play a game, then?”
Jace led the horse down the way Owen had indicated, feeling more whole and more content than he had since Wendy left.
Belle called Jace twice before she remembered he’d gone to an equine therapy session with his brother. Half of her wanted to rush over to Silver Creek and watch the session, though Jace had asked her not to come. He wouldn’t let her come to Dr. Fletcher’s office either. Not that she really wanted to go. She just wanted to give him all the support he needed.
The half that wanted to fall back into bed won. She dozed for the next couple of hours, her thoughts tumbling over plans for reaching out to the businesses in the community that might be interested in a remodel and then spinning when she thought about designing and sewing her own wedding dress.
She woke when her phone rang with the popular lyrics of her favorite song. “Jace,” she said when she answered. “How did it go?”
“So great,” he said. “I’m going again next week.”
She pulled her knees to her chest and listened to the bubbly, happy sound of his voice as he spoke about a horse named Yellowstone and a game they’d played where the horse kneed a ball back to him.
“So I have a question for you.”
“Ooh, sounds ominous.” She giggled. “I’m ready.”
“I want you to meet my parents. Do you think we could go to dinner tonight?”
Belle’s heart stuttered before it resumed beating at twice its normal speed. Maybe three times. “Sure,” she croaked. “That sounds great.”
He laughed, the deep timbre of it rumbling in her soul. “You sound like I just told you I was a zombie.”
“I just wasn’t expecting that,” she said, her voice returning to normal. Thankfully. “We haven’t talked about meeting our parents.”
“Well, I’ve already met yours. Lots of times.”
“I know your dad. Sort of.”
“So, tonight? I was thinking we could try that new wrap station.”
“Jace,” she admonished. “Just because you could put anything into a sandwich and like it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for dinner.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
His confusion was cute really. “That’s a fast-casual place. You don’t even sit down.”
“Sure you do. There’s tables and everything.”
“You go through a line and order. I want to be served. I want time to talk to your parents.”
“Well, that’s…. Okay, so not the wrap station. What did you have in mind?”
“Hmm.” She scooted to the edge of her bed and eyed the garment hanging from her closet door. “I just made a new skirt. It would be perfect for the American Bistro on Dover Street. And they serve sandwiches, so you’ll still get what you want.”
“I don’t see how a skirt matters to a restaurant.”
She laughed, glad when he joined in. “Well, cowboy, you’ll see how tonight.”
“I’ll call my mom and dad right now.” He exhaled. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, you know. This and that.” She didn’t want to tell him she’d been up half the night doing yoga and sketching the outline for her wedding dress, which had prompted her to sleep until almost noon.
“Can I stop by?”
“Are you already out front?”
“Maybe.”
She giggled and said, “I’ll unlock the front door.” She hung up and made her way down the hall. She twisted the lock, and he opened the door in the next breath.
He scanned her from her bed-head to her bare feet, taking in the silk pajamas she still wore. “This and that? Looks like you just got out of bed.”
“I did.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him.
“Mm, I like that.” He kissed her again, his strong arms and capable hands holding her in place against his body. He smelled vaguely of leather and horse, hay and lavender, and she took a deep breath of the cowboy she loved so she could carry him with her always.
22
Belle took careful minutes to get herself ready that night. For some reason, her heart thundered and her ribs felt like prison bars. Jace arrived to take her to the bistro, and she twirled for him in her new red skirt.
“It looks hot,” he said a devilish twinkle in his eye. “I like it.”
She’d paired it with a black and white polka-dotted blouse that showed her shoulders and narrowed at her waist. He drew her close and traced his lips up her neck. “I like all of what I see.”
“Don’t ruin my makeup.” She swatted at him playfully, and he released her with a chuckle.
“I’ve never seen you wear so much makeup,” he commented.
“Rude,” she fired back. “You’re supposed to say how beautiful I look and that your mother is going to love me.” She hadn’t told him about her previous meeting with his mother. She probably should.
He blinked once, twice. “You look great, Belle. My mother is going to love you.” He delivered the lines with all the charm of a robot.
She rolled her eyes and picked up her purse. “Let’s go. Did you look at that menu I texted you?”
“Sure did.”
“Did you see the pulled pork grilled cheese?”
“I might surprise you tonight and not get a sandwich.” He put his hand on the small of her back as she passed him and headed down the steps.
“I would be surprised by that.”
“I do have some tricks up my sleeve.” He helped her into the truck and went around the front to his door. When he got in, she’d slid across the seat and tucked her hand into his.
“She’s going to like me, right?”
“You’ve already met her.” He tossed her a look that said he knew she’d met up with his mother after his disastrous proposal.
“That was just—” She cut her voice into silence. “I was worried about you.”
“Then why are you worried about this?”
Belle lifted one shoulder into a shrug. “I don’t know. Let’s just go.”
“I can’t shift the truck with you holdin’ my hand like that.”
“Jace.” She peered up at him, letting all her fears and worries out.
He pressed a careful kiss to her lips so as not to ruin them. “Of course she’s going to like you. In fact, she wonders how I got someone like you to go out with me.” He freed his hand and shifted into reverse. “Heck, I wonder about that all the time.”
Belle leaned against him on the drive over to the bistro. “I have something else I want to talk with you about,” he said.
“Oh, yeah?”
“It’s kind of serious, so we can wait if you want.”
“I already feel like I have a nest of snakes in my stomach. Can’t be worse than that.”
“Are you really that nervous?”
“They’re your parents.”
“So what? You won’t have to live with them or anything.” He glanced at her, open curiosity on his face.
“I want them to like me.” She couldn’t explain why. Jace didn’t seem like the type of man who would care if his mom didn’t like his girlfriend.
&nbs
p; “And they will.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
She tried to relax, but all she could do was swallow and that didn’t really help at all. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“Kids,” he said. “A family.”
“Okay, yeah, that’s a pretty serious conversation.” Her mind spun with a fresh set of worries. Would they disagree about this too?
“Do you want a family?” He squeezed her hand and laid their joined fingers on her leg.
“Yes,” she said.
“Big or small?”
“Whatever the Lord will give us.”
He yanked the truck to the right, onto the shoulder, and braked.
“Jace!” Belle braced herself as her adrenaline spiked.
He turned toward her. “You just…you want….” His jaw worked and his eyes blazed with heat.
“What is wrong with you?” she asked. “Why’d you nearly kill us by driving off the road?” She searched his face for an explanation, but all she could find was humility and complete adoration. “I don’t understand,” she said. “What did I say?”
“You said you wanted to have a family with me.” His voice came out husky and hollow.
Comprehension dawned on her and Belle leaned into him. “Of course I want to have a family with you. How many cowboys do you think I’m dating?”
He lifted one shoulder and continued to work to contain his emotion.
She focused her attention out the windshield. “You want to know why I slept until almost noon today?”
“If you want to tell me.”
“Because I was up until the wee hours of the morning designing my wedding dress.” She turned back to him, feeling the seriousness and fire ignite in her bloodstream and her eyes. “The one I’m going to wear when we get married.”
“What’s it look like?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She cupped his face in her palm and stroked her thumb over his lips. “You’ll have to decide if you want to marry me first.”
“Belle, I want—”
“Don’t.” She glared at him. “Don’t say it unless you really mean it.”
