by Vivi Holt
His eyes glimmered in the twilight. “It was ugly. There wasn’t anything good about it. We tried, we did. But war just isn’t good. And we couldn’t make it good.”
She smiled gently and took his hands in hers. “But you’re good. I know you are. And you took that with you into a horrible war. You carried that goodness with you. And you made a difference – and those people out there, they know it. That’s why you got the award. Because you were good, you saved the lives of other people and you made a difference. You should be proud of that, even if it hurts to think about it.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. “Thanks, Jen,” he whispered.
“Now, let’s go get something to eat before I shrivel up and die of starvation.” She chuckled and released his hands.
He nodded again and started the engine. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Chapter 7
Parker watched Jen out of the corner of his eye as he drove. After dinner at a local diner just off State Highway 520, she’d fallen asleep. They were only five minutes from the ranch, but he wanted to soak up every last moment with her before they got back.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to go to the ceremony that afternoon, but he was glad he did. And it was all because of Jen. She’d talked him into it, literally held his hand through it all, and given him a pep talk when he was about to slip into a dark place afterward.
He took a quick breath. He knew she saw him as a friend, but after today that had changed for him. He wanted more than that. The feelings he had for her had been percolating for a while, he knew, but before today he’d been able to ignore them. Now there was no denying it. He’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was as though his heart was in pain whenever he looked at her or thought about her. The sudden intensity of his feelings overwhelmed him, and he began drumming on the steering wheel with his fingers.
Now what? He didn’t know what he should say or do. If he spoke to her about it, maybe it’d ruin their friendship. Was it worth the risk?
He pulled into the darkened driveway of the Cotton Tree Ranch and jumped out to open the gate. As the truck rumbled into the yard, he spotted his mother’s green Volkswagen parked beside Hazel’s hatchback and shook his head. She wasn’t going to be happy with him. He leaned across the seat and gently woke Jen.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned widely. “We’re home?”
“Yep. A heads up, though – my mom’s here.”
“Oh? That’s great. I’ve been looking forward to meeting her.”
He shrugged as he parked. “She may not be real happy about me going to the ceremony without her. So …”
“Gotcha.” She got out of the truck and followed him up the stairs into the house. He led the way, hoping to protect her from his mother’s prying.
Susan Williams barreled out of the kitchen and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. “Parker, there you are! I’ve been here all alone, wondering where everyone is!” She peered around Parker and noticed Jen standing quietly in the background. “And who is this?”
No dodging it now. “Mom, this is Jennifer Barsby, Hazel’s friend. She moved here to help take care of her.”
Susan hurried to hug Jen. “Hello there, Jennifer. How nice to see you.”
Jen smiled and returned the embrace. “Thank you, Mrs. Williams.”
“Please, call me Susan.” She spun to face Parker again. “And why are you dressed that way, darling?”
He frowned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh … well, I had a thing over at the Ranger Memorial this afternoon, so …”
Susan arched an eyebrow. “A thing?”
“He got a medal for bravery,” Jen interrupted.
Susan glanced at her, then back at Parker, nostrils flaring. “You did?”
He nodded. “Sorry, Mom. It’s just … I wasn’t even sure I was going until the last minute.”
“Darling, I’m so proud of you!” Another hug. “Now if you’ll just excuse me. I’m tired after the drive down here. There’s supper in the kitchen if you’re hungry. I’m off to bed – see you in the morning.” Susan bustled out of the room and down the hall to the guest room, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Parker sighed and put his hands on his hips, his head down and his eyes clenched shut. He felt Jen’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Parker – maybe I shouldn’t have told her. But she’ll find out …”
“It’s not your fault, it’s mine. I should’ve invited her. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d go at all. And I didn’t want her pressuring me about it.”
“Well, nothing can be done about it now.”
“I’m going to talk to her. Thanks for coming with me – it meant a lot.” Parker smiled at Jen and his eyes sought hers for some kind of signal that it had meant as much to her.
But she only smiled faintly and patted his arm. “I’m heading to bed. Thank you for taking me with you. It was really special.” Her heels swinging from her hand, she padded down the hall.
Parker drew a deep breath, then followed her, passing her door on the way to the guest room his mother had disappeared into. He knocked on the door, and after a brief pause she opened it. She was dressed in a robe and slippers, her blonde hair pulled up into a loose bun on top of her head. “Yes?” she asked, her eyes rimmed with red.
“Mom, can I come in, please?” He rested a hand against the door frame.
She nodded and pulled the door wider to let him in, then wandered to the bed and slumped onto the edge. She put her hands in the pockets of her robe and stared at him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Mom. It wasn’t because I didn’t want you there. It’s just that until today, I didn’t really want me there.”
She sniffled and pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe her nose. “Then why’d you go?”
“Jen convinced me I should. She said I’d regret it if I didn’t.”
“Well, she’s right,” she huffed. “You would’ve.”
“I know. That’s why I went in the end. I didn’t tell Dalton or Eamon about it either – they’ve got enough on their plates at the moment. Jen’s the only person I told. So please don’t be upset.” He sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. She buried her face into his arm and sobbed. “Aww, Mom …”
“Eamon got married without telling me. Hazel’s sick and I’ve barely heard anything. And now you didn’t even think to invite me. I …” She burst into a fresh round of tears.
He sighed. “Mom, it’s not because we don’t love you. You know we do. We’re just thoughtless idiots sometimes. Eamon and Em didn’t tell any of us they were getting married. We’re all a bit annoyed at them, to be honest.”
She perked up a little. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. They just came home and said, ‘ta-da – we’re married!’”
She chuckled. “Nice surprise, huh?”
“Yeah. I wanted to be a groomsman, but that’s not an option now. I know Hazel wasn’t happy about it either. But they didn’t want to wait, what with Hazel’s illness and everything. And … you may not know this, but Em’s folks aren’t speaking to her at the moment. It would’ve broken her heart to have all our family at the ceremony and none of hers. So they eloped instead. Nothing to do with you – it’s just what they decided was best for them.”
She sniffled again and wiped her nose. “I guess I can understand that.”
“Please don’t be upset, Mom. We love you. I’m sorry.”
She nodded and put her arm around his waist, squeezing gently. “I love you too, Parker. And I’m so proud of you. Now let me see that medal.”
* * *
Jen opened her eyes, yawned and lifted her arms above her head to stretch out the kinks. Hazel’s surgery was this morning. She’d heard another alarm go off down the hall a few minutes before hers. Time to get up and get moving. She clambered out of bed, gathered her things and headed for the bathroom.
The sound of the shower already running made her grimace. Oh well, no time to wait – s
he’d just have to make do with a splash of water on the face this morning. She did just that in the kitchen, then returned to her room and dressed quickly, pulling her blonde locks still curled into ringlets from the previous evening into an odd-looking ponytail. She applied some basic makeup – tinted moisturizer, blush, mascara. She didn’t know why she felt the need for it, since she was just going to visit her friend in the hospital.
But then, it wasn’t for Hazel, was it? It was the thought of seeing Parker that made her pulse race. Something had changed between them on the drive to the awards ceremony the previous day. But she didn’t have time to analyze that now. She had to get ready.
She checked the contents of the bag hanging from her bedpost – chocolate, magazines, a romance novel and breath mints, all the things Hazel wanted on hand when she had some downtime. Likely she hadn’t thought of them, given the stress she’d been under lately. But Jen knew she’d need things to do once the surgery was over.
Jen yanked the strap of the bag over her arm, grabbed her purse, headed out the door – and smack into Parker’s chest. Again. She looked up at him, rubbing her nose. “We have got to stop meeting like this,” she quipped.
He grinned. “Morning, Jen. Sorry about that. I was just coming to see if you wanted breakfast. I’m making pancakes.”
She nodded. “Thanks, that sounds perfect. Though my stomach’s in knots.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
She followed him to the kitchen and found Susan already there, buttering a stack of pancakes. She handed a plate to Jen as she walked in and set a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the table in front of her. “Here you go, dear. I hope you got some rest.”
Jen nodded. “Thank you, Susan. I slept okay. I’m just worried about Hazel.”
“Of course you are.” Susan sat beside her and took a bite of pancake from her own plate. “These are delicious, Parker. You’ve become quite the chef.” His cheeks colored under her praise.
Jen smiled. They seemed to have talked through the incident the previous night. She admired that in a man – the ability to resolve relationship issues like that. Especially with his mother. So many men would just push it down and live with the pain rather than deal with it. And in the end, family issues always came to the surface again, whether you wanted them to or not.
* * *
The waiting room smelled of flowers and antiseptic. Jen’s nose wrinkled and she stood to stretch her legs. They’d been waiting for four hours already. Emily had assured them the surgery wouldn’t take much longer than that, so Jen was hopeful they’d soon see her come through the swinging doors that led to the rabbit warren of rooms beyond.
She stood on tiptoe and peered through the Plexiglas in the top half of one of the doors. No sign of her yet. With a sigh, she returned to her seat beside Parker, picked up a magazine and flicked through it, unable to focus on any of the articles long enough to read them.
“You okay?” asked Parker, looking up from a thick Jack Reacher novel.
She nodded. “I just can’t sit still. Surely it won’t take much longer.”
He half-smiled. “Yeah, must be nearly over. Don’t worry, I’m sure everything’s fine.”
Emily burst through the double doors, letting them swing shut behind her. She pulled the surgical mask from her face and set her hands on her hips with a smile. “She’s in recovery and it all looks good.”
Susan whooped and threw her arms around Dalton. Eamon stepped forward to kiss Emily on the lips. Jen jumped up and down, faced Parker with her mouth wide open in a cry of relief, and he caught her up in his strong arms, lifting her feet off the ground. “She’s gonna be okay,” she cried against his ear.
“Yes, she is.” He set her back on the ground, then tucked a strand of hair lovingly behind her ear.
“What about chemo?” asked Dalton.
Emily smiled again. “I think we got it all, so it’s unlikely she’ll need any. Of course, we’ll have to do some tests to make sure, but …” Before she could finish, Dalton picked her up and hugged her tight. She grimaced, as though he were squeezing the breath from her lungs, then laughed as he released her. “Okay …”
“Thank you, Em,” he said, his voice breaking.
She nodded. “You’re welcome. She’s in recovery now, but if you stick around until she wakes up, someone will come and get you.” She faced the group. “But only Dalton. Sorry, the rest of you will have to head on home and see her tomorrow. She needs her rest.”
Jen was disappointed, but content. Hazel had made it through the surgery – the hardest part was behind her.
* * *
Jen set the mustard on the table beside the slices of fresh multi-grain bread, ham and cheese and the bowl of salad. She sighed, her hands on her hips. There sure was a lot of food preparation involved when so many people lived in one house. She felt like the day just skipped from one meal to the next, with only enough time in between to clean up and prepare all over again.
She pushed the hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ears. Perhaps she should get a hotel room. She wouldn’t need to stay much longer if Hazel’s post-surgery tests came back all clear. And the house was getting so crowded – every single room was full. Even though Eamon had moved into Emily’s apartment, his room was still cluttered with all his things, though he was gradually moving them over.
Jen worried it wouldn’t be quiet or calm enough in the house for Hazel’s recovery. Granted, Jen herself was gone most days now – her veterinary work for Will had picked up in the last couple of weeks. But still, it made sense for her to find her own space. And it would give her a chance to think about the future and what she wanted to do with her life.
Now that Chris had broken things off, did she want to go back to Atlanta? She really enjoyed her time at the Cotton Tree Ranch. Being with friends made her heart sing. And she loved her new job – Will was a fantastic boss. He let her do things her own way, yet also served as a mentor, giving her kindly advice whenever she needed it.
And then there was Parker, though she still wasn’t sure what part he should play in her decision. He was a friend, a good friend. But was he more? Perhaps she’d been imagining things had progressed further than they really had. Nothing was definite, nothing she could quite put her finger on, but she could’ve sworn there was a moment between them after the Ranger award ceremony, and again at the hospital.
It didn’t make sense for Parker to feel the same way about her that she was beginning to feel for him. He was a serious ex-soldier and a very attractive man. She was a scatterbrained, accident-prone veterinarian. Could two such different people ever make it work?
But perhaps she should stick around. For a while at least.
Parker and Eamon burst through the kitchen door in their ranch work gear. They’d spent the morning at the hospital, but there was always so much to be done around a property as big as the ranch. They’d told Jen they intended to spend the afternoon working for as long as there was light enough to work. There was an atmosphere of relief among the group, and they chatted happily as Parker walked to the fridge for a jug of sweet tea and Eamon placed napkins and a bag of chips on the table.
Susan said a blessing and they all filled their plates. Jen put together a ham sandwich with mustard, cut it in half and took a large bite. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. Now that the anxious knots were gone from her stomach, she felt it growl in anticipation.
“So,” Eamon said between bites, “I guess we can plan out Thanksgiving now that Hazel’s surgery is over.”
Susan nodded and swallowed a mouthful of sandwich. “Yes, I was thinking that I’d make turkey and sweet potato soufflé …”
“I make a mean stuffing,” added Parker with a chuckle.
“Perfect,” added Susan.
“I could do potato salad,” Jen said. “And I was thinking – it might be time for me to get a hotel room. It’s getting so crowded here at the ranch, and with Hazel coming home soon she’ll need so
me peace and quiet. This is your home, and I’ve invaded your space for long enough.”
Susan shook her head. “No, you should stay. I’m heading back to Chattanooga after Thanksgiving, and Eamon’s moved in with Emily. It won’t be so bad.”
“And I think Hazel would want you to be here when she gets home,” added Parker.
Eamon nodded. “Yeah. Stay for a while longer, Jen, just until she’s recovered. I’m sure it would mean the world to her.”
Jen took a quick breath. “Okay … well, if you think I should.”
Eamon nodded. “Definitely. Anyway, we’ll need your help to make Thanksgiving happen – Hazel’s usually the cook around here. But between us I think we can pull something together that’ll make her proud.”
Jen frowned. “Okay. If you insist, I’ll stay. But I promise I won’t put y’all out for too much longer.”
“Doesn’t bother me at all,” offered Parker with a grin.
Jen took another bite of her sandwich as her heart skipped.
Chapter 8
Parker hit the ignition button and the tractor’s engine roared to life. He shifted into reverse, looked over his shoulder as he backed across the yard, then pulled to a stop and shifted into first. He needed to plow the southern field – Dalton wanted him to plant oats to harvest next summer. The crop would feed the horses through an entire winter, saving them money. And what the horses didn’t eat they could sell for a nice profit.
Movement in front of the ranch house caught his attention. Dalton’s truck pulled down the long drive and onto the highway, tires squealing. He frowned. Dalton was barely getting any rest since the surgery – he was at the hospital all hours of the day and night, taking care of Hazel. He only came home for a few hours’ sleep and to look over the ranch accounts, then back to the hospital again. He’d burn himself out in no time at this rate.
