by Susan Crosby
“You’re welcome.” For the first time all day, Vaughn felt light. He loved his parents. His family. He counted on them, and they counted on him. It would always be so. That was the biggest truth in his life.
And it was good.
* * *
Everyone helped clean up except Jim and Dori, who were sent home to get a good night’s rest before their early flight. The younger generations finished up in record time.
Karyn eyed Vaughn as they completed the tasks. He had barely spoken to her all day, only what was necessary and polite. Why? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Unless...
Unless he’d gotten annoyed having her around. It would be just her luck to fall in love with a man who refused to love ever again and who had the willpower to make sure he didn’t. She understood being cautious, but to totally shut out someone who could love him forever, who would be willing to totally change her life for him, to live here, have his—
The bowl Karyn was drying slipped out of her hand. Vaughn caught it before it hit the floor. “Thanks,” she muttered, still in shock at the idea of becoming a rancher’s wife. Of living in the boonies. Of not shopping or getting cupcakes from the ATM or digging her toes into a sandy beach.
A round of goodbyes soon followed. Cass got into Vaughn’s truck with him. Karyn followed in her car.
“I love you.” She tested the words. They didn’t bring her the peace she thought they should. Instead they brought the chaos of uncertainty. “I love you, Vaughn Ryder.”
There. Better. It made sense. He made sense. She’d been waiting for him forever, a real man, one with integrity, who’d lived long enough to know what mattered. Who’d made tough decisions others might have backed down from.
She loved him with her whole heart.
And whether or not Cassidy was Kyle’s, Karyn loved that little girl, too.
Tranquility blanketed her. She knew what she wanted. Now she just had to figure out a way to get it.
* * *
Vaughn let a whimpering Belle out of her crate, and she shot past him and raced to the front door. He was looking forward to her getting her final shot from the vet so that she could come along to the family gatherings and also be able to go farther afield outdoors.
“I’ll be up to read you a story in a minute,” he said to Cass as she climbed the stairs.
“I want Karyn to do it.”
What could he say to that? “All right. I’ll come kiss you good-night.”
“Okay.”
He stayed outdoors with the dog for a while, giving Karyn and Cass time to get a book read.
“I like that story,” he heard his daughter say as he approached the room. He tried to keep the dog quiet so that he could listen. “I’ve never heard that one before. I liked the little girl, Karyn. Like you.”
“It’s one my mother made up for me and my brother when we were little.”
“Is Kyle your brother?”
“Yes. We were twins.”
“But you’re a girl and he’s a boy.”
“We weren’t identical twins. It’s called fraternal twins.”
“Oh. Where does he live?”
“He passed away.”
A couple of seconds ticked. “Like Great Granddad did.”
“That’s right.”
“Are you sad?”
“Yes. It’s okay to be sad about some things, but I also have wonderful memories of him. He was my best friend.... Oh, sweetie. Thank you for the hug. I appreciate it. I can never get enough hugs.”
Unwilling to hear another word, Vaughn entered the room and put Belle on the bed to say good-night. He didn’t look at Karyn, but he wanted to hold her, too, to take care of her, even though he would be doing the exact same thing with her that he did with Ginger, who was clearly better off elsewhere.
Just like Karyn will be when she goes home.
They went into the hall together, shutting the door behind them. They stood awkwardly, the puppy in his arms.
“That was fun tonight,” she said. “I can’t wait to hear about their trip. If I’m still here, that is.”
“We should have an answer before then.”
He glanced at her bedroom door. “I won’t bother you tonight.”
“You’ve never bothered me. Except to get me hot and bothered, and that was good.” Her eyes never left his face. She seemed to be seeking answers to questions she hadn’t asked.
“Still.”
“Okay.” Her voice was low and soft. She rubbed his arm, then moved her hand to cup his cheek. “Good night.”
When her door shut behind her, he felt an emptiness so deep and hollow he didn’t think it could ever be filled. When Ginger left, he’d been angry—and relieved in some ways, too. Nothing like the thought of Karyn leaving.
She doesn’t fit. The words echoed in his head. This life wasn’t right for her. Oh, she may fantasize about how small-town living could be fun, but the truth was, it would be too big of an adjustment no matter how much she wanted to help raise her brother’s child. If Cass was Kyle’s.
He tucked Belle in her bedroom crate, then the phone rang.
“I hope you weren’t in bed yet,” Mitch said.
“Nope. What’s up?”
“Annie and I want to know if Cass can come tomorrow for New Year’s Eve. Austin thinks he’s going to last until midnight, but I doubt it. He and Cass can try to keep each other awake.”
“You mean spend the night?” He and Karyn would be alone in the house?
“Yeah. We’ve got noisemakers and a ton of snack food.”
“Um, sure. She’d like that.”
“And you? Would you like that?”
Oh, okay. It was a setup. Mitch and his charming wife had decided his relationship might have been hampered by having a six-year-old around. Part of him wanted to holler hell, yes. The logical side of him wanted to politely decline the invitation.
What he said was, “Yes, I would like that.”
“Took you a while to answer.”
Mitch was his closest friend as well as his brother. They’d shared a lot. Although he hadn’t confided yet about Karyn’s brother or Jason Humphreys, he could share this much. “So, I’ll change my answer to hell, yes. Does that satisfy you?”
“It does. Want us to take our time getting Cass back to you in the morning?”
“Why don’t I come get her?”
Mitch laughed. “You got it.”
Vaughn stretched out on his bed, his hands tucked behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. He should take her out to dinner, make a night of it. Except that everyone in town knew him, and the speculation would be huge. Then when she left and never came back...
He hadn’t done anything purely for himself in years. And as long as she was willing, he would enjoy himself for one whole night, wherever it led.
Chapter Thirteen
“I get to spend the night?” Cass raised both arms into the air, a sausage link dripping with maple syrup in one hand. “Awesome!”
Karyn shot Vaughn an are-you-serious look. They were all eating breakfast.
“Can I stay up until midnight?” Cass asked.
“That’s the idea.”
“Will you stay up until midnight?”
“Actually, I hope to go to bed early.”
Karyn choked on her coffee. Vaughn patted her on the back and gave her a benign smile. “You okay?”
She pressed a napkin to her mouth and nodded.
“Are you still sore today?”
“A little.”
“One more day of rest then. Cass and I will go out when it warms up a little. Forecast is for snow tonight.”
“Can we work a little more on your portrait this morning, Cass?”
“Okay.” She dug into her pancakes.
Oh, to be young and innocent again, Karyn thought. Then again, it wasn’t so bad being a little experienced either. She made eye contact with Vaughn, who didn’t smile this time, but had her holding her breath at his expression.
After breakfast, Vaughn did the dishes while Karyn sketched. Cass wouldn’t sit still, however, and Karyn feared she may have to work mostly from photographs in the end, so she snapped a few pictures just in case. Cass totally got into modeling for the photos, making even her father laugh. Next, Karyn would get shots of her sitting on her horse. Maybe she could hire an artist to do the work from photographs. She wouldn’t lie about it or sign her name. She would admit she wasn’t up to the task.
Vaughn approached her before he and Cass left for their ride. “Would you like to go out to dinner or eat here tonight?”
Although she was tempted to go on a real date with him, she didn’t want to be seen by people who knew him, who would be eyeing her and speculating. “Here. Should I take something out of the freezer or go into town and get groceries while you’re gone?”
“I’ll take care of it. You like surprises, don’t you?”
“Most of the time, yes.”
He laughed at the bewilderment in her voice.
When they left for their ride, Karyn sat at the kitchen window seat. She’d bought colored pencils at the mall to move a step beyond what she’d been doing. It was too cold to be outdoors sketching, but from the kitchen was a perfect view of Gold Ridge Mountain, the star of the valley she never tired of looking at. While she’d never been a hiker, she would love to go Bigfoot hunting with Cass—
Because if Cassidy was Kyle’s daughter, Karyn was going to figure out a way to live close by, even if it hurt to be around Vaughn and not have him.
She sat back, letting the idea settle. She would need a job. Aside from painting, what skills did she have? She was organized, had formed great contacts—although not here—was enthusiastic, was willing to work hard. Something in the arts, maybe?
Millions of photographs must have been taken of the mountain over the years and hundreds of thousands of paintings created. If she was looking to start a new art career here, she’d have to find an angle no one else had.
Vaughn and Cassidy returned from their ride, took care of the horses, then came indoors. Karyn had kept the fire burning, and they stood in front of it until they warmed up.
“Mom and Dad called,” Vaughn said. “Dad said to say thanks for the clothes.”
Karyn grinned. Dori had told her he’d argued against taking the resort wear. “I can’t wait to see photos of him wearing them.” She laughed.
“I’ll bet he doesn’t let us see any.”
“I’ll bet Dori makes sure we all see them. In fact, I bet she frames one and puts it dead center on the mantel.”
Vaughn chuckled at the thought. Oh, the ribbing his father would take for that, especially because his legs had so rarely ever seen the sun. “Maybe it’ll start a tradition for them on their anniversary.”
“Maybe they’ll get talked into buying a time-share,” Karyn said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
“You’ve got to remember who you’re talking about here. Jim Ryder doesn’t get talked into anything.”
“Shorts and sandals. Need I say more?”
“Okay, maybe he’s softening a little.”
Her laughter wrapped around him. He hadn’t laughed with Ginger. Everything had been so serious all the time. It hadn’t really occurred to him until now that Karyn not only laughed—she’d made him laugh, too. Every day.
She was fun. She was daring, even if she started off hesitant, like with riding the horse.
“Well, young lady, let’s go pack a bag for you.”
“I want Karyn to choose. She has really good taste, Daddy.” She hugged him, softening the subtle insult.
“You’re right about that.”
“Sorry,” Karyn whispered as she walked past him, Cass’s hand in hers.
Cass had definitely transitioned from jeans and T-shirts to more girly apparel. She would undoubtedly choose the rhinestone headband for tonight, probably thinking she’s going to a party and should dress up for it.
He was right. When she came downstairs a little later, she was wearing a green sweater with metallic threads running through it and her “crown.” He couldn’t remember seeing the sweater before. She also wore jeans and boots, for which he was glad. He didn’t want her to change too much, too quickly.
“Is that new?” he asked, gesturing to her sweater.
“It was a Christmas present from Auntie Jen. It’s like Karyn’s, isn’t it? Can we go now?”
“Say goodbye to Belle.”
She kissed the dog soundly then raced to the door. Vaughn spoke to Karyn. “I’ll probably be gone for an hour. Feel free to nap.”
He left the house anticipating a whole night. Maybe it wasn’t a sure thing, but he held out more than a little hope.
* * *
There was no way Karyn would be able to sleep, so she took a bubble bath instead, then applied a soft-scented lotion and matching perfume. Fixed her makeup and hair. Put on her prettiest blouse, but paired it with jeans, liking the juxtaposition of the two items.
She was nervous. Excited. Anxious.
Into that mix came indecision. She wanted him, but should she take it all the way? What would the repercussions be?
She heard his truck pull up and went to greet him, but he opened the door only far enough to stick his head through and said, “Go back to your room until I come get you, please. I’ve got things to do, then I want to shower.”
Intrigued, she just smiled at him and climbed the stairs. In her room she turned on the television to pass the time, knowing that otherwise she would be fretting and stewing, but the noise from the TV irritated her. She stood at the window and saw it was snowing, as predicted. She’d grown up where they had snowy winters, but she’d been away from them for a long time. She’d forgotten how soft and quiet the world got when it snowed.
He took a ridiculously long time to get ready, although when she looked at the clock she saw only forty minutes had passed. Then came the knock on the door.
Her feet felt glued to the floor. “Come in.”
He’d changed into a shirt that looked softer than his usual, chamois, maybe. His hair was still damp and had a bit of a curl to the ends. His Ryder blue eyes smiled.
“Would you like to come downstairs?” he asked, offering his hand.
Would she? She’d been waiting for this moment since some other lifetime.
He’d closed the blinds in the living room, something he’d never done before, night or day. The fire was lit, and candles glowed on the mantel and coffee table. A bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket. A plate of appetizers tempted her—stuffed mushrooms, big green olives, squares of cheddar, just a few of each item. Music played in the background, another first.
She started to sit on the sofa, but he stopped her, taking her hand, pressing his lips to her palm then the inside of her wrist. The gesture about undid her. He couldn’t have said any words that told as much.
“Hungry?” he asked.
She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Lots of butterflies flitting around.”
“Try.” He held up the plate and let her choose. She settled on an olive. He opened the champagne and poured two glasses.
“Cat got your tongue, Hollywood?” he asked after a while.
“Pretty much.”
“Next step,” he said, guiding her into the dining room.
He’d set the table in the dining room instead of the kitchen. A bouquet of yellow roses sat in the middle. One of the meanings of that color was “remember me.” Did he know that?
She pressed her face into th
e blooms and inhaled, then she discovered the little white envelope.
She glanced at him before she opened it. Remember me. Vaughn
So he did know. She felt the sting of tears but blinked them away. “Thank you,” she said, going up on tiptoe to kiss him. He brought her close, intensified the kiss then let her go just as quickly.
“Have a seat,” he said, heading into the kitchen.
She heard the refrigerator open and shut, then the oven door. He brought salads, crisp and fresh, and chicken cordon bleu with sautéed zucchini and carrots.
“You’re apparently a whiz in the kitchen and didn’t tell me,” she said.
“I figured you were tired of beef, and that’s about all I can cook. There’s an organic restaurant in town. The owner and Annie work together occasionally. I asked for a favor.”
They barely talked during dinner, just made appreciative noises about the food and small talk so inane as to be useless.
But the looks they gave each other spoke volumes.
“There’s dessert. For later,” he said. “No, I’m not going to tell you. And if you stick your tongue out at me, you won’t get any.” Humor brought sparkle to his eyes.
“More champagne?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“I’d say we should probably sit for a while and let our food digest, but neither one of us ate a lot,” he said.
“Those butterflies take up a lot of space. What’s your excuse, Lawman?”
“A different kind of hunger.” Standing, he held a hand out to her. “I want you, Karyn, but I can take no for an answer. We can keep third base in sight.”
She would probably regret it, but there wasn’t any other answer. “I’m ready.”
He swept her into his arms. She gasped, held tight and went along for the ride. Seriously? He was going to carry her up the staircase? She wasn’t petite, by any means. But he made it seem easy, wasn’t even breathing hard as he strode into his bedroom, which she hadn’t seen before. Candles were ready to light. So was the fireplace. He’d been more certain than she. Or even more hopeful.
From her crate, Belle whimpered.
“I forgot the damn dog,” he muttered, then sighed. “There goes the moment.”
