“I’m right behind you, Dad.” Cash’s mom covered a yawn as she eased out of his grandma’s recliner on the other side of the fireplace. “It’s been a long day.”
Taryn popped up off the couch. “I should be going.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re much younger than we are. Take all the time you need.” His mom gave her a hug. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with you.” She stepped back, her gaze narrowing on Taryn. “And you’ve almost convinced me to try ice climbing.” She held up a finger. “Almost.”
Taryn grinned. “Just let me know when you’re ready, Elise. I’ll be happy to teach you.”
His mother waved at him and started toward the stairs. “’Night, you two.”
Cash reached for Taryn’s hand and tugged her back down beside him. “Finally, I get to have you all to myself.”
She blew out a soft laugh.
He flipped off the floor lamp beside him, leaving only the soft glow from the fireplace and the Tiffany lamp near the front window. He entwined their fingers as Scout snuggled between them. “Something’s bothering you.”
“What makes you say that?” She stared at the fire.
Laying a finger to her chin, he turned her head to face him. “I can see it in your eyes.”
She let go a shaky breath. “My parents can’t cosign the loan for me. It’s not financially feasible for them.” She glanced away now. “So, All Geared Up is no more. At least not for me.”
“I’m sorry, Taryn.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “I know how much this meant to you.”
His heart ached for her. He knew all too well what it was like to have your dreams die. Yet, as much as he wanted to blurt out that he would give her the money, the words fell silent on the tip of his tongue. He’d prayed about it and God had yet to grant him peace.
“Yeah.” A single tear rolled beneath his fingers. “But it’s over.” She pulled away, sniffed and swiped at the unwanted moisture. Fixed her gaze on the fire again. “So, now that your mom’s here, when are you leaving?”
Leaving was the last thing he wanted to think about. But it was inevitable. He twisted toward her. “The week is half over, so I’m staying until Saturday.”
She nodded, her expression hard. Resigned. Did that mean she didn’t want him to leave?
“I was hoping that, with Mom here, maybe we could go ice climbing again.”
Letting go of him, she shoved both her hands between her knees. Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t know. I’m pretty busy this week.”
“Don’t do this, Taryn.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t pull away from me. Try to act all tough. I know you don’t want me to leave any more than I do.”
“I’m a big girl. I’ll get over it.”
“I won’t.” He forced her to look at him again. “I’m falling in love with you, Taryn.”
Her eyes closed. “Don’t.”
He inched closer, searching for the right words. “You know, maybe your not getting All Geared Up is a God thing.”
She glared at him now.
“If you had bought the store, you’d be tied to Ouray, just like I’m tied to Dallas. But without it, you’re free to do whatever you want.” He took hold of her hand. “Like maybe come to Dallas. With me.”
Her gaze searched his and, for a moment, he thought she might say yes. Then her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. “I can’t. I told you before, Cash, I’m never going back to Texas.”
Chapter Sixteen
Cash couldn’t be in love with her. And whatever he felt for her would be gone as soon as she told him everything.
Taryn took a deep breath and prayed for courage. The quicker she got through this, the better off they’d both be. “Things...happened while I was in Texas.” She wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans. “Things I’ve kept hidden from almost everyone, including my family.”
“What things?” He cupped her cheek, the caress of his thumb making it nearly impossible to think, let alone say what needed to be said.
Pulling away, she picked up Scout and hugged her to her chest. Shame and anguish washed over her as she stared at the orange-and-blue flames beyond the glass doors of the fireplace. “When I was a teenager, I could hardly wait to leave Ouray. I just knew I was made for bigger and better things than this little town. So I took my big ego and headed off to the University of North Texas, determined to have a career in television.”
“Sounds like a typical teenager.” Cash’s voice held the hint of a smile.
She knew he was trying to keep things light, to make her feel better. But she had to keep going. No matter how much it hurt. “Shortly after I arrived, I met a guy. Brian. He was a junior, very suave, very charming.” For the first time in a long while she allowed her mind to wander back to that day at the student union. “He said everything I wanted to hear. I fell hard and fast because he was exactly the kind of man I thought I wanted.” Rich, charming... Recalling how she perpetually fed his ego, she wanted to puke.
Cash shifted beside her but didn’t move away. Yet.
“Outside of class, we spent almost all of our time together, days and nights.” Except those few weekends when Brian went home. She should have suspected something when he never asked her to join him.
“Right before Christmas break, he broke up with me. Told me I didn’t fit into his plans.” She kissed the top of Scout’s head, drawing whatever strength she could from her tiny dynamo. “That was the worst Christmas ever.” Most of it spent wondering what she’d done wrong and how she could make Brian love her again. Stupid.
She felt the warmth of Cash’s hand as he rubbed her neck and shoulders. “Then I discovered I was pregnant.”
The rubbing stopped. Only for a moment, but it wasn’t the same. The strength, the tenderness his touch had held before was gone. Nothing would ever be the same between them.
“To add insult to injury, when I got back to school, I found out that Brian was engaged.” She dared to look at Cash. “Apparently he had a girlfriend back home the entire time we were together.” Despite the dim lighting, she could see the compassion in his eyes. And it nearly undid her.
He shook his head. “Did you tell him about the baby?”
She nodded, that old feeling of unworthiness intensifying. “He called me a liar. Said I was just using him for his money. Then he pulled out his wallet, handed me a wad of cash and told me to clean up my own mess.” She had never felt so dirty. So...foolish.
Cash groaned and pulled her close. “Oh, Taryn. I am so sorry.” She tried to pull away, but his hold tightened. “That jerk didn’t deserve you.”
In the circle of Cash’s embrace, the tears came freely. “I was such a fool. I gave him everything I had, and it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.”
“Shh...” Cash held her while she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. For the innocence she lost then, for what her mistakes would cost her now. After a few minutes, she straightened and gathered her tattered emotions.
Scout wriggled free and settled between them once again.
Taryn stroked her wiry fur. “I went back to my dorm room, crawled into bed and stayed there. I didn’t go to class, I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep...and when the tears were gone, I felt like a hollow shell.”
Her lips trembled into some semblance of a smile. “But I had a roommate who refused to give up on me. And despite how horribly I’d treated her during our first semester together, she took care of me. She sat with me, brought me food, hugged me, cried with me and prayed for me. It was because of her that I came to know Jesus.”
Cash leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, and looked at her with a sad smile.
“Suddenly I wasn’t alone. But I wasn’t prepared to be a mother.” Half laughing, she shoo
k her head. “And I certainly couldn’t tell my parents.”
His brow puckered in confusion. “Why not?”
“Are you kidding? Appearances are everything to my mother. If I had come back here pregnant, she would have disowned me.”
He reached for her hand again. “Taryn, your mother may be annoying and you may not agree with everything she does, but she’s not heartless. You don’t really think she’d toss her own daughter aside.”
Why had she brought up her parents? Cash obviously didn’t know why her mother was so worried about appearances. Why she guarded her reputation at all costs.
Cash squeezed her hand. “So what did you do?”
“I went to an adoption center.”
“What’s that?”
“A home for unwed mothers.” She stared at their entwined fingers. “I lived there while I was pregnant. Then I gave my baby up for adoption.”
He blew out a long, slow breath. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”
“It was the first unselfish thing I’d ever done in my life. But he was worth it.”
“You had a son?”
She nodded. “David. He was beautiful.” So tiny and perfect. She swiped away the tears that trailed down her cheeks and forced a smile. “But he has the most amazing mom and dad. A really neat Christian couple who weren’t able to have a baby of their own.” And she was blessed that they’d kept in touch with her all these years.
Cash tugged her toward him, but she resisted. “You are an extraordinary woman, Taryn Purcell.”
“No, I’m not.” She quickly stood and retrieved her coat from the post at the bottom of the stairs. “You need to go back to Dallas, Cash, and forget about me.” She shoved her arms into the sleeves. “Because you deserve better.”
“Taryn—” he was beside her in two strides “—come on. You don’t mean that.”
Determined, she bored her gaze into his. “Yeah, I do. Look, we’ve had a great time these past few weeks, and I’m glad I was able to remind you what it was like to have fun. But we’re very different people. Things would never work out between us.”
Arms folded across his chest, he looked hurt and confused. “If you think what you just told me will change my feelings for you, you’re wrong.”
“You say that now, but what about tomorrow or next week?” She felt the beanie in her pocket, yanked it out and put it on. “Once you’ve had time to process things, I’m sure you’ll see that going our separate ways is for the best.” She started for the door. “Scout?”
The dog hopped off the couch, stretched and ambled toward her.
“I know you’re afraid of being hurt, but I’m not that guy, Taryn. I’m not Brian.” Cash followed her. “I’m going to call you.”
Why did he have to make this so difficult? All she wanted was to go home to her bed where she could cry without anyone ever knowing.
“I wish you wouldn’t.” Because it would break her heart every time they said goodbye, always wondering if that time would be the last. She reached for the knob and opened the door.
“Will you promise me one thing?”
She turned to look at him.
He closed the distance between them. “You need to tell your parents. They have a grandchild out there they don’t even know about.” He reached for her hand. “They love you. They’ll understand.”
Tears threatened again, but she managed to blink them away. “I can’t promise you that, Cash.” Any more than she could promise him anything else. “But I’ll think about it.” She gave his hand a final squeeze and walked out the door. “Goodbye, Cash.”
* * *
Cash couldn’t remember ever feeling so miserable. He and Yvette were together for two years and he barely missed a beat when she turned down his proposal. Sure, his pride took a hit, but his heart was still intact. The only thing that had ever come close was when he had to let go of his dream. Perhaps that’s why this was so difficult. Taryn had become a part of a new dream.
Rolling over, he punched his pillow and stared at the taunting red numbers on the bedside clock: 6:00 a.m., and he had yet to get any sleep.
At least now he understood why Taryn refused to go back to Texas. But that was the only thing he understood, and it wasn’t much of a consolation.
God, why won’t she give me a chance? I get that that jerk Brian made her feel unworthy, but she’s no longer that naive girl. She’s a remarkable woman. The strength and courage she has is beyond my comprehension. Taryn deserves to be loved. To have a family. And I’d really like to be the guy to give her those things.
He wouldn’t give up on her. He couldn’t.
His cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. He grabbed it and looked at the screen. Dad. Probably wanting to know when he was coming back. Well, he’d just have to wait, because Cash intended to use these next few days to get through to Taryn.
“Hello.”
“Morning, son.” An actual greeting. Hmph. Maybe the old dog was capable of learning some new tricks, after all.
He rolled onto his back. Ran a hand through his hair. “Hey, Dad. Look, I’m not coming back until Saturday. I need a few—”
“I’m selling the company.”
Cash couldn’t have heard him right. “Excuse me?” He tossed the covers aside and rose to the side of the bed. “You’re what?”
“Selling the company. I’ve had an offer from Chaparral and, frankly, it’s too good to turn down.”
“Chaparral? They’re the largest trailer manufacturer in the U.S.”
“I know. And they’ve got a good reputation.”
This couldn’t be happening. There’s no way his father would sell Coble Trailers. Maybe he was trying to coerce Cash into coming back sooner. “But we’ve worked so hard to build Coble Trailers. You’ve given it your whole life. How could you just up and throw it all away?”
“I haven’t accepted anything yet. I wanted to talk with you first.”
He stood, grabbed his suitcase from the closet and tossed it on the bed. “Good. I’ll be back in Dallas just as soon as I can. Don’t do anything until I get there.” Ending the call, he dropped the phone on the bed.
Unbelievable. This was totally out of character for his father. What would make him decide to sell now?
Who cares? You wouldn’t be tied to Coble Trailers anymore.
True.
But he wouldn’t have a job, either.
He quickly dressed before emptying the drawers and throwing whatever else he had laying around into the suitcase. What else was there? He was forgetting something. He rubbed his chin, the stubble rough against his fingers.
His shaving kit. He padded across the hardwood into the tiny hallway.
His mother emerged from the second of the two upstairs bedrooms. “What’s all the noise?” She cinched the sash on her robe.
“I’ve got to get back to Dallas.” He continued around her and retrieved his shaving kit from the bathroom. “Dad just called. You’re not going to believe this.” He stopped in the doorway and looked at his mother. “He says he’s selling the company.”
“I see.” His mom nodded. “So he decided to accept the offer?”
“You knew about this?” No wonder she was so calm.
“We discussed it the other night, yes.”
“And nobody felt the need to let me in on this little discussion.” He pushed past her. “Good grief, Mom, I’ve poured my entire adult life into this company. I thought surely that would count for something.”
“Cash...” His mother followed him into the bedroom. “I’m sure this was a very difficult decision for your father. But he’s not getting any younger, you know. I worry about him.” She pulled one of the wadded shirts from the suitcase and folded it. “Your father lives in a constant state of stress.
I’m afraid he’s going to have a stroke or a heart attack.”
Cash had thought the same thing on more than one occasion. Still...
“But you should have seen him at Megan’s this weekend. He was so smitten with the twins. And Annie Grace always brings out the best in him.” She dropped the shirt and ran a hand across Cash’s back. “I’d like to see him enjoy life for a change. You, too, for that matter.”
Cash leaned into the comforting touch. “I get that, Mom.” Some of Cash’s fondest memories were the times they’d spent in Ouray as a family, when his dad would let go of work and focus on them. “I just wish he would have consulted me. This is my livelihood, too, you know.”
“I know it is.” The old iron bed creaked as she sat. “I heard you tossing and turning last night. Did something happen between you and Taryn?”
“I don’t want to go into it right now.” His focus needed to be on getting home.
His mom crossed her legs and looked up at him. “You really like her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.” He closed the lid on his suitcase and zipped it.
“So do I.” His mother stood and started out of the room. “I’ll go make some coffee. That is, if your grandfather hasn’t beaten me to it.”
Fifteen minutes later, Cash said his goodbyes and loaded his suitcase in the backseat of his rented SUV. As he fired up the vehicle, he glanced at the house next door. There were no lights to indicate anyone was up. He hated to leave without telling Taryn, but he’d call her from the airport. Maybe, between now and then, he could figure out what to say.
At the intersection of Main and Fifth, he glanced left then right. A two-or more-hour drive over the passes or a forty-minute drive that was virtually a straight shot? No contest.
He took a right and headed toward Montrose. Even if he couldn’t get a nonstop flight, he could potentially be on his way long before he’d even make it to Durango.
On his way out of town, he spotted All Geared Up. The noose around his heart tightened. How he wished he could help Taryn.
Rescuing the Texan's Heart Page 17
