“You have bad manners, mister,” Andrew said, almost to himself. He continued leading the nervous animal with the confidence of a man who had grown up around horses. He could feel the tension in the young gelding’s muscles and could hear the nervous breathing as if it were his own. He led Tabasco to the small round pen and stood aside as he rushed by him.
“We’ll be working on that, too,” Andrew announced firmly.
Secured in the round pen, Tabasco’s nostrils flared as a gust of wind whipped his long, thick mane around his neck and eyes. Andrew remained calm, though the blowing dust stung his eyes as well. He ran his hands all over the tense animal, crooning softly and allowing him to grow used to the pressure of his gentle touch. Tabasco’s ears twitched in his direction a few times. A few moments later he began licking his lips, so Andrew continued on his other side.
He used the end of the lead rope next in place of his hand. Tabasco tensed a few times, but Andrew continued to soothe him with his soft words. The wind continued to blow and another rumble of thunder warned that the storm was growing closer. Still he pressed forward, liking the distraction that working his untrained horse brought him. His grandmother was right, he thought wryly, it was therapeutic.
He had progressed to teaching circles in the round pen when he heard the sound of a truck pulling into the circular driveway behind him. The engine shut down and the doors slammed closed twice, indicating that his grandmother had company. Instead of turning around, he continued what he was doing. He was not expecting anyone, and it was none of his business if Grandma had friends over.
Tabasco had stopped after two steps for the third time, and Andrew was swinging the end of the lead when he heard a voice behind him.
“You have a beautiful animal there.”
He turned on his heel, and Tabasco used the opportunity to come to yet another stop. Andrew sighed in resignation and faced the newcomer. To his surprise, it was a man who looked vaguely familiar but whom he knew he had never met. He frowned as he tried to place him.
“Can I help you?”
As he finished speaking, he saw another figure come around the back side of the oversized pickup. It was a woman wearing jean shorts and a black tank top. Though a matching black baseball cap covered her head and face, the dark ponytail sticking out of the back immediately gave away her identity. He felt his heart leap in his chest as he recognized Jamie Morton’s tall, lean length.
It occurred to him then why the older man now leaning up against the top pole of the round pen appeared so familiar. He was another of her relatives.
“Yes, actually. I’m looking for Andrew Sheehan.”
Andrew drew Tabasco in closer and led him over to the fence where the stranger was leaning. “That’s me.”
Jamie joined them and smiled hesitantly up at him. “Hello Andrew.”
He nodded in greeting. “Jamie.”
“You’ve met my brother Ian; this is Ford.”
Ford leaned over the top railing and extended a hand. After brushing his dusty palm on his jeans, Andrew accepted the hand and gave a firm shake. “Ford.”
“Nice to meet you,” the older man said.
Andrew nodded. This man had the same tall, lean build as Jamie as well as the same dark eyes and hair. Though his hair was sprinkled with gray at the sideburns, Andrew could still see the similarities in their matching oval faces and large, round eyes.
He was still wondering what had brought them to his grandmother’s house on a stormy afternoon, and he was sure his confusion was plain on his normally closed face when Jamie spoke quickly. “Arlene called me this morning and asked me to come by. She said she had some questions for me.”
He could not hide his surprise. “She did?”
Unfortunately, his surprise did not help Jamie’s obvious nervousness. Her dark brows drew together in indecision, and Andrew wished he could kick himself. His people skills were far too rusty, and the last person he wanted to know that was Jamie.
She blinked and looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. “I hope you don’t mind our interrupting?”
When put that way, he thought wryly. Searching for something to say, he searched his memory for a witty comeback. Instead, only jumbled words spilled out. “Umm, no, not at all.”
Tabasco was nodding his head again, tugging on the lead in Andrew’s hand. He glanced over at the horse and put a steadying hand on his warm neck. Though he was very curious as to why his grandmother had called Jamie, he figured she would inform him soon enough.
“I’m sure she’s inside. If you want to head on in, go ahead. I have to bring Tabasco in.”
Ford turned to Jamie. “Go on ahead.”
She nodded, but he could sense her continued hesitation. In an effort to be more welcoming before she bolted back to the truck, he nodded his head in the direction of the door. “There’s a slider straight ahead if you want to go in that way. It’ll lead you to the kitchen.”
Jamie offered a tentative smile and eased away from the pen, turning on her heel and walking along the path with her head held high. He watched the sway in her hips and scanned lower down the bare length of her legs. Then he remembered Smack’s words. Hot, he had called her. Andrew could not agree more.
Before he was caught checking out his companion’s sister, he hastily returned his attention to the man who had accompanied her out to his house. Ford was watching him carefully, taking note of the way Andrew absentmindedly stroked the horse’s neck.
“So I guess I should be congratulating you.”
Andrew’s lips twisted. “You’d be one of the first.”
“Well, congratulations. I imagine you’re enjoying being out.”
“Still getting used to it, actually.”
A flash of lightning over the top of the mountain lit up the sky followed moments later by a rumble of thunder that shook the ground beneath them. Tabasco shifted impatiently at the same time Andrew’s heart lurched.
“You should probably get him in,” Ford observed.
Andrew sent him an appreciative stare and nodded curtly. Gathering up the slack in the lead, he walked back to the gate while Ford followed along on the other side. “So you know horses?”
The older man shrugged. “Jamie rode constantly when she was in high school. She had the most ornery Hunter I’ve ever seen, but she handled him well and loved that damn horse. I had to drive her everywhere when she was doing events and picked some things up.”
Andrew made a mental note that Jamie was familiar with horses, though why he was tucking the information away was beyond him. Ford interrupted his thoughts before he could explore that more.
“How many do you have out here?”
“My two are still here. My grandmother has one, though she can’t ride anymore. Every now and then she’ll strap her old mare onto a cart, but that doesn’t happen much anymore. She also has four boarders.”
Ford whistled under his breath. “Jamie mentioned that she was disabled. How does she do all that work?”
Although he had been sizing up the outwardly friendly intruder, he suddenly became aware that the man was doing the same thing to him. His highly sensitive instincts sent off warning bells, but he reminded himself to give this stranger the benefit of the doubt. Obviously he had his reasons, and they would be disclosed sooner or later. He could manage this dance.
“She had hired on the kid who lives behind us, but now that I’m here I’ll probably take over most of the work. The place has gotten a little run down over the last few years. I’ve got a lot to do to get it back into shape.”
“Have you found full-time work yet?”
He snorted as he opened the gate. “In this economy?”
Ford chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
“What do you do?” Andrew asked as he led Tabasco back to his stall. He reached for a brush on the shelf by the door as he passed, and began brushing out Tabasco’s shiny copper coat. He worked swiftly as he waited for the answer.
“Construction.
”
“Ouch.”
“I guess you could say that,” Ford said with a chuckle. “I’m keeping my head above water, though.”
He fell silent as Andrew finished his task and removed the halter from the big chestnut’s head. With a parting stroke, he exited the stall and secured the gate behind him. Brushing the dust off his hands, Andrew nodded toward the back door. “I’ll take you up now if you want.”
“Great. Thanks.”
The sky had darkened to a gloomy hue when they left the small barn. Though the house was a short distance, Andrew’s steps quickened as he considered the amount of time that had passed with Jamie alone with his grandmother. When he reached for the sliding glass door that opened into the kitchen, he noticed that Ford had paused. He was studying the wood supports on the back patio. His hand ran over the highly polished beam and then his eyes scanned the rest of the back.
“This is a nice place,” he said distractedly.
Though he told himself that he had no right, he could not help the feeling of pride that washed over him. “My grandfather and I built this about twenty years ago.”
“You did?” The surprise on Ford’s face was comical, and Andrew almost smiled.
“My grandfather bought this land back in the 60s. There was a trailer here for the longest time; the barn sits on the foundation now. My grandmother finally had enough when my brother and I decided that we were too big to cram into a tiny bedroom, so Pa sold a bit of his land where that house sits and put us all to work.”
Scanning the property around him, Ford’s gaze turned appreciative. Another luxury home sat on a lot not too far away. Both abutted the state forest land. His critical eye scanned the positioning of the house. Andrew knew that it was obvious to a well-trained eye that the man who had designed it had thought it out well. Mountain and city views were afforded, from both the front and the back.
“I recently had a foreman leave… haven’t been able to find a good replacement. With the illegal immigrant crackdown and the economy so bad we’ve been struggling to find good workers. Jamie mentioned that you did structural engineering, and you obviously know your way around home sites. If you don’t have any luck lining up something and want to check us out, give me a call.”
Structural engineering? Andrew almost smiled again. His time in Afghanistan was a bit different than overseeing a cookie-cutter house. Before Andrew could respond, Ford handed him a card. He stuffed it into his pocket without looking at it and nodded. “Thanks for the offer.”
He pulled open the door and stood aside so his surprise guest could enter before him. As he pulled it closed behind him, the first drop of rain landed on the patio with a heavy plop. He considered warning Ford about the wash that could flood but held his tongue. Again, he did not know why he was not in any rush to see them leave. Okay, well maybe he did, but he certainly was not going to be obvious about how attractive he thought Jamie was.
As he suspected, she was seated at the kitchen table with his grandmother and her caregiver Linda, and the two older ladies were laughing at something Jamie had said. She had removed her baseball cap, and it rested on her lap respectfully. Her dark ponytail hung down her back like a silken rope. The long strands were wind-blown at the ends, and several loose pieces framed her face on either side. She appeared young and happy, as though their shared laughter had taken years off her age. Though he wished he could laugh with them again, for now he had to content himself with the knowledge that Jamie had brought laughter to his grandmother.
The cheerful sound died as he and Ford entered, and Jamie returned her attention to the glass of iced tea in front of her. His grandmother stared up at Ford with a welcoming smile, and she pushed away from the table to approach him.
“You must be Ford,” she said in greeting. “I’m Arlene Sheehan.”
Ford stepped forward to greet her, once more holding out his hand politely. “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine. I understand that you played a large role in helping Jamie come forward.”
Ford’s brows rose in surprise. His gaze darted quickly to his sister then back to the beaming woman in the wheelchair. “Not at all. It was all Jamie. In fact, we fought about it initially, but she was as stubborn and rebellious as always.”
Andrew crossed his arms over his chest and leaned up against the counter, watching the exchange carefully. He noticed at once that Ford was speaking honestly, for Jamie’s cheeks had colored to a soft pink.
“Nonsense. She said she wouldn’t have been able to do it if you hadn’t been there to support her. For that, I’m very grateful. It’s nice to have my grandson back. He’s a good boy.”
“Boy?” Andrew interrupted with a frown.
Like a reigning queen, Arlene waved her hand in dismissal. “You will always be a boy to me, no matter how tough you are, Andrew.” She returned her attention to Jamie. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to see it.”
Andrew shifted uncomfortably, but he could not look away from the woman that had changed his life so dramatically.
“I asked Jamie to come over so that I could thank her properly. I didn’t see you in the courtroom that day, Ford, so I want to tell you how well your sister did. She was very honest and it showed.”
Ford nodded. “I heard about it.”
“I don’t think anyone would’ve believed what we all knew unless a complete stranger came forward. Jamie really understood my boy here. She convinced them when no one else could that he could never do something so heinous.”
Jamie’s face had deepened to a darker color of pink, and she stared into the glass of iced tea as though she saw something very appealing in it. Andrew knew exactly how she felt, for he wanted to sink into the floor, too.
“This boy was always the responsible one. He was dependable where his brother…” She trailed off for a minute and stared into space with a look of sorrow on her face. “Well, Adam has his problems. I was telling Jamie just how correct she was about Andrew, even though terrible things have happened since.”
Knowing Jamie was as uncomfortable as he was, Andrew decided it was time to step in. He frowned meaningfully at his grandmother. “Things happen. It’s over now.”
“See?” She exclaimed as though proving a point. “He won’t talk about it.”
Finally Jamie lifted her head and captured his gaze. Deep in the depths of her dark eyes he saw pain, guilt and sympathy. The amount of emotion caught him so off guard that he was finally able to look away and take down two more glasses from the cabinet. He poured some iced tea from the pitcher on the counter while she continued to watch him, and he felt the sorrow of her stare like a brand on his flushed skin. He offered Ford a glass without meeting his gaze as Arlene continued her embarrassing rush about his personality.
“But it’s ok. He’s home now, and soon he’ll be back to his old self.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Ford said. “Everything takes time.”
“Very true,” Arlene agreed. She turned back to Jamie. “Even though this ordeal is over, I would like to see more of you, Jamie.”
“I’d like that,” Jamie said.
Andrew could not tell whether or not she was speaking truthfully or trying to placate his grandmother, but as she spoke he realized he really wanted to see her again, too. Not as a prisoner in chains, but as a man, a real man instead of the shell of a human he had become. He was standing in his grandmother’s kitchen enjoying the sight of a very attractive woman just a few feet away rather than fielding Smack’s incessant chattering because of her. He owed her his freedom. He may, in fact, owe her his life. Plain and simple, he owed her everything. So it was not so surprising that he wanted to see her again. The more appropriate question would be whether or not she wanted to see him.
She came to her feet when she finished speaking with an indulgent smile for his grandmother. Coming around the table, she held out her hand to shake, but Grandma reached out and pulled her toward her instead. He caught the slight flic
ker of surprise cross Jamie’s face before she bent over and returned the tight hug. His mouth went dry as he was granted a nice view of her backside, and he quickly turned away before he humiliated himself.
“I can’t thank you enough for bringing my boy home to me,” Grandma said in a choked voice.
“I, umm,” Jamie began.
Grandma cut her off. “No, don’t say anything. Just know that I think you’re an angel sent from God to fix the wrong that’s been done.”
As if in answer, a strong bolt of lightning lit up the room followed by a loud rumble of thunder shook the windows, and the rain started in earnest. Everyone in the kitchen paused and glanced at the windows with a hushed awe.
“I think that’s our cue that we better leave before that wash floods and traps us here all night,” Ford said.
Apparently the mood was becoming too heavy for him as well, for he broke the emotional moment just in time, Andrew thought with relief. His discomfort levels had continued to increase tremendously, but it was not just because of Grandma’s gushing. Jamie’s scant attire and prettier in the flesh appearance was like welcoming land to a drowning man, and he was finding it harder with every passing moment not to stare. He was a man, after all, but he feared who was going to notice.
Jamie gently eased away from his clinging grandmother and stood up straight. He liked her smile, the way a single dimple appeared in her left cheek and crinkled her large brown eyes. Her laughter lines had deepened since he had first met her, but aside from the inevitable effects of years passed, she was still just as pretty as he remembered. Not that he thought he would ever forget her after all the times he had conjured her image in his mind. For a woman with such a momentary contact, she had certainly left a lifelong impression. If only she knew…
“Thank you for your hospitality,” she said politely.
Ford reached out and shook Andrew’s hand, but he was still watching Jamie out of the corner of his eye. She had bent to offer Linda a hug as well, and his grandmother’s caregiver patted her back and giggled shyly. Then Jamie straightened again and turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick hug. It happened so fast that he had no time to react, but his body retained the feel of her soft body long after she stepped away.
If We Dare to Dream Page 14
