Finally, the horse reached the bank, dragging Trey from the water. Kate covered her mouth with both hands when Trey collapsed face first onto the ground, his body seized by a violent fit of coughing. The horse staggered, head down, as if barely able to stand. She took a step forward, not sure what she meant to do, but Mike grabbed her arm, holding her back. An instant later, someone yelled, “Cut,” and applause broke out along both sides of the river.
Beside her, Mike clapped and whistled as Trey jumped nimbly to his feet, shaking water from his long hair. The horse, which had looked on the brink of death a moment before, tossed its head as if laughing. Trey grabbed the bridle and gave the horse a big kiss right on its nose as the crew gathered around them. Jesse rode up and tossed a towel at Trey.
“Had ya fooled, didn’t they?” Mike smiled at Kate.
“Scared the tar out of me is more like it.” She pressed a hand to her heart.
“That was too cool!” Dylan jumped up and down. “Can we go see the horses?”
“You bet.” Mike reached down, grabbed Dylan beneath the arms, and swung the boy up to ride on his hip. Dylan giggled in delight.
Kate froze as all the fear about her son forming an attachment to Mike engulfed her.
Oblivious to her anxiety, Mike started down the hill, calling over his shoulder. “Come on, everyone, let’s go join the party.”
***
“MOMMY, LOOKIT ME!” Dylan called from his perch in front of Jesse on her horse.
“I see you, sweetie.” His mom shaded her eyes so she could watch him riding a horse. An actual horse! Jesse even let him hold the reins after he’d promised not to pull or jiggle them. He wouldn’t either, because Jesse said horses didn’t like that, and she knew everything about horses.
Just like Mike knew everything about movies. Mike had introduced him to all his friends, and even lifted him up onto the horse when Jesse said it was okay.
“I’m a cowboy!” He bounced up and down, wishing Jesse would make the horse go faster, instead of just walking around Mike in a slow circle.
“No, don’t kick,” Jesse said, placing a hand on his leg.
“Sorry.” He glanced up at her and smiled. He liked the way she smiled back at him. She was really pretty. Even prettier than his teacher, Miss Marshall.
“Dylan, be careful,” his mom called. He glanced over and saw she had that funny look on her face she got sometimes, when she smiled even though he knew something had upset her. He didn’t know why she had that look now, though, because today was the most fun day ever! And Mike was the absolute coolest for inviting them. “Maybe you should come down.”
“Nooo!” He pressed back into Jesse even as she pulled the reins and the horse quit walking.
“Kate?” Mike frowned at her. “What’s wrong? Dylan’s perfectly safe. Jesse’s got a good hold on him.”
“I know, it’s just he’s allergic to so many things. I have no idea if that includes horses.”
“Oh.” Mike grimaced, then stepped closer to the horse and smiled up at him. “Hey, buddy, maybe you should come down.”
“Do I have to?” he protested. “I like riding.”
“I know, but I bet riding makes a man hungry, and they’re serving barbecue.” Mike patted his stomach, then held up his arms. “What do you say we hit the chow tent?”
That sounded like fun, especially if he could eat with Mike.
“Okay.” He lunged toward his new friend.
“Whoa!” Mike staggered back, surprised at how fearlessly the kid had jumped and glad he’d caught him. “You’re pretty brave for a little guy.” He settled the boy on his hip.
“I’m gonna be a stunt man when I get big.”
“Oh, you are, are you?” Mike glanced at Kate and saw her eyes go wide. “I think your mom might have something to say about that.”
“I’m okay,” she said, coming over to straighten Dylan’s shirt. To her credit, she kept her smile in place, even though he’d sensed her growing increasingly tense over the past several minutes. Perhaps having Dylan outside around dust and animals worried her. Who could blame her, after that episode in the hospital barely a week ago? “You really liked that, didn’t you?”
“Yep.” The boy bobbed his head.
Mike put Dylan on the ground. “Come on, buddy, let’s grab some grub.”
“You bet.” Dylan took off up the hill. “I’m starved.”
“Thank you,” Kate said quietly.
“For letting him ride, or for getting him down?”
“Both.” She laughed as they followed Dylan at a slower pace. That breathy sound, the sight of her gently curving lips, filled him to the brim with so many things he wanted to tell her. How much he’d missed her all week. How he couldn’t wait for the movie to be in the can so they could spend time together.
How much he ached to make love to her again.
Before he could say any of that, Dylan charged back to them. “Are y’all coming?”
“We’re coming,” Kate assured her son.
“Hey, Mom, Trey and Jesse live on a ranch!” Dylan took his mother’s hand, pulling her along. “Well, not a real ranch. Jesse said it’s a… it’s a…”
“Rescue reserve for exotic animals,” Mike supplied.
“They have camels and donkeys and os-riches.” Dylan took Mike’s hand as well and leapt forward so he swung between them, like a monkey swinging from two vines. “They even have a tiger. Don’t they, Mike?”
“They sure do,” he answered.
“Can I go see it?” Dylan asked. “Pleeease? Mike said he’d take me.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” She arched a brow.
Mike saw instantly that she didn’t like the idea. “Did I mention Rowdy, the tiger, is tame as a kitten?”
“No tiger is that tame,” she countered.
“Sadly,” Mike informed her, “Rowdy is mentally retarded, half blind, and clawless, thanks to the stupidity of his previous owners.”
“Oh.” She looked blindsided with empathy for the unfortunate cat.
“Can I go see him, Mom?” Dylan jumped up and down, pulling on their arms. “Can I?”
“We’ll see,” she said in a neutral tone.
Dylan’s shoulders slumped as he looked up at Mike with surprisingly adult eyes. “That means she’s hoping I’ll forget so she won’t have to say no.”
Smart kid . Mike nodded. “I guess we’ll just have to work on her then, eh?”
“You betcha.” With renewed enthusiasm, Dylan dropped their hands and raced ahead toward the tent.
“Talkative little guy, isn’t he?” Mike smiled, watching the boy. “And here I thought he was standoffish the first time we met. Not that talkative is a bad thing,” he rushed to assure when he saw her frown. “I’m getting a real kick out of seeing this side of him.”
Her frown deepened. “Dylan isn’t the type to give his friendship lightly.”
“That makes it even better.” He moved to take her hand, but she pulled it away. He sent her a questioning frown, wondering why she’d rebuff such a simple gesture.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…” Her gaze flickered toward her son.
“Ah. Got it.” He nodded, trying to ignore the little stab of hurt as he realized she wanted to keep up a “just friends” appearance in front of her son. He told himself any responsible parent would want to use caution when bringing new people into their child’s life. Even so, he thought they’d passed that point. Apparently not. Not yet, anyway.
“Mike, about Dylan, I think it would be best if—” Before she could finish, the boy came running back.
“I found us a table,” Dylan panted. “But hurry up, before it’s gone.”
Mike stifled a sigh of frustration as they made their way into the cool shade of the tent. As much as he was enjoying the day and the chance to get to know Dylan, he wished he and Kate could go somewhere quiet and talk. They’d had very little time for that all week. Sooner or later, he had to let her know how he felt. Except, he fe
ared knowing how he felt would scare her even more. It had to be said, though, because this pretense of casualness couldn’t go on forever. He’d go out of his mind.
After going through the line for barbecue, they took their seats with Dylan between them at one of the long tables. Bowls of potato salad, pinto beans, and coleslaw sat on the red-checkered plastic tablecloth.
“What would you like, sweetie?” Kate asked Dylan.
“Everything,” Dylan answered, arching his back to pat his stomach. “I’m hungry.”
Kate began filling his plate with side dishes.
“I’m going to be in a show,” Dylan announced as he took a giant-sized bite of brisket.
“You are?” Mike responded with appropriate awe.
“Not a movie, or anything.” Dylan’s mouth twisted into a smirk with a smear of sauce on one cheek. “It’s just a dumb show at my school.”
“Dylan,” Kate laughed nervously as she wiped the sauce from his face. “I’m sure Mike would rather hear about your new computer game than school.”
“No, I’m interested,” Mike assured. The kid really was fun once he let his guard down. “What play are you doing?”
Dylan made a point of swallowing before he answered. “It’s not a play, exactly. We’re just gonna do a bunch of skits. You know, like vawdy-villa.”
“Vaudeville?” Mike dug into his brisket. “Sounds cool.”
“Ya think?” Dylan’s eyes brightened as he looked up at Mike.
“Absolutely.” Mike nodded. “I love vaudeville shows nearly as much as the Three Stooges and old Marx Brothers movies. They’re fun.”
“That’s what my teacher, Miss Marshall, says. She says she likes family acts best, like Eddie Boy.”
“You mean Eddie Foy?” Mike asked. “I’ve heard of him. Didn’t he have a whole bunch of kids who performed with him?”
“Yeah.” Dylan’s shoulders slumped as he stirred his potato salad and coleslaw together. “Some of the cool kids at school decided to do something like that. Jason’s dad said he’d play Eddie. They all think they’re such a big deal, just because Jason’s dad plays in a band. Sounds pretty dorky, huh?”
“Dylan, really.” Kate’s smile grew brittle. “We don’t need to talk about the play.”
“It’s okay,” Mike frowned at the waves of tension coming off of Kate.
Dylan poked at his food, refusing to look at him. “I asked my dad if he’d do something with me.”
“Oh?” Mike glanced uncomfortably from Dylan to Kate. She sent him an anguished look, apologizing with her eyes. But apologizing for what? “Dylan,” she said quietly. “Try some beans.”
Dylan heaved a big sigh, ignoring his mom. “My dad said no. He’s real busy, though. You know, doing important stuff.”
If Mike hadn’t already pegged Edward Bradshaw as an A-1 asshole, the dejected look on his son’s face would have done it. “You know,” he said, “if I had a son as neat as you, I’d find the time to be in your play, no matter how busy I was.”
Dylan’s head shot up, and the look of wonder shining from his eyes knocked Mike flat. “You—you mean it?” Dylan whispered. “You think I’m a neat kid?”
“Absolutely.” Mike nodded.
“Only”—Dylan lowered his voice even more—“what if I wasn’t your kid? Would you still want to be in a play with me?”
Mike glanced at Kate, hoping for guidance, but she stared back at him with such horrified fear, he wasn’t sure if she wanted him to say yes or no. “I—” He hesitated. Then glanced down at Dylan’s hopeful face, and caved. “I’d love to do a skit with you, I mean if your mother says it’s okay.” He added the last hastily, in case he’d answered wrong.
“Too cool!” Dylan kicked his feet under the table. “Since you make movies, we could do something really big, like blow up the whole stage. Ka-pow!” He motioned with his hands as if his plate of barbecue had exploded. Then he turned to his mom. “Isn’t that neat, Mom? Mike’s gonna be in my play.”
“It’s… something,” Kate said stiffly.
One look at her eyes, and Mike knew he’d done something really wrong.
Chapter 21
*
KATE STARED STRAIGHT ahead as she drove away from Hope, her emotions strung so tight, she feared she’d snap. How could Mike make a promise to her son so offhandedly when they both knew he couldn’t keep it? The movie project had him pushed to the limit this past week. Surely that would only get worse as they neared the final stages of production.
Beside her, Mike sat sideways, listening to Dylan chatter on from the backseat about everything they’d seen and done that day. With each mile that passed, her nerves stretched tighter. Did the man have no concept of what a huge deal this was for Dylan? Did he not understand how hurt Dylan would be when Mike backed out because of his demanding work schedule?
Just before they reached Lakeway, Dylan’s excitement finally turned to exhaustion and he fell asleep midsentence. Chuckling softly, Mike turned toward her. “I was wondering when his battery would wear down.”
“Children don’t have batteries,” she said in a flat tone.
“No, of course not.” He frowned at her, confused.
She also wanted to point out that children weren’t robots. They were made of blood and bones and tender feelings, but she kept that to herself.
“I appreciate your giving me a lift home,” he said after an awkward silence.
“Don’t mention it.” She tried to shrug but the gesture barely moved one shoulder. “I’m happy to give you a ride.”
“I could have ridden back with Frank,” he pointed out.
“I told you, it’s not a problem,” she said, trying to keep despair out of her voice. She wanted so much to be with Mike, but how could she if it put her son at risk of being hurt? The thought of not seeing him, though, tore at her heart.
He drummed his fingertips on the armrest. “Look, Kate, you’re obviously mad at me, so would you mind explaining why?”
“I’m not mad at you. I’m—” She glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Dylan. The boy looked dead to the world, but this was hardly the time or place for her to tell Mike she was terrified of him hurting her son and heartbroken at the thought of having to choose between what she wanted and keeping her son safe. If she could just cordon off her life with Dylan safely in one area and her relationship with Mike in another, everything would be fine. Why couldn’t life be like that?
Reaching for the radio, she hoped music would distract her from the ache building inside her. Mike placed his hand over hers before she could turn it on, and the gentleness of his touch almost undid her. She didn’t know whether to scream at the unfairness of life or cry.
“Kate,” he said softly, “would you please talk to me?”
She slipped her hand away when everything in her wanted to cling tight.
“It’s about the play, isn’t it?” he persisted. “What did you want me to do, tell him no?”
They passed through the entrance of Lakeway and she gave thanks. Just a few more blocks.
“Come on, Kate,” he pleaded, barely above a whisper. “You saw how he was looking at me. There’s no way I could have turned him down. I did tell him I’d only do it if you said it was okay.”
“Which only makes it worse,” she laughed raggedly, taking refuse in anger. “Now I’m going to be the bad guy.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“If I say no now, he’ll be mad at me for days while I feel guilty. But if I don’t interfere, he’ll be crushed when you let him down, and then it really will be my fault because I didn’t interfere when I knew I should.”
He pulled back, clearly startled. “What makes you think I’m going to let him down?”
“Because I know your schedule!” She fought to keep her voice quiet. “Do you know how much time children take?”
“Being a former child, I have a small clue.”
“Do you?” Doubt filled her. “Do you remember what your
parents gave up to raise you?”
“We’re not talking about me—” He cut himself off before he could finish but she knew what he’d started to say. They weren’t talking about him raising Dylan. He shut his mouth with a troubled frown.
Exactly, she thought. Welcome to reality. “You’ll do one rehearsal, maybe two, before your job interferes and you beg off.”
“I’m not going to let Dylan down.” He scowled as if offended, but she saw in his eyes that he was thinking it through. “I swear it, Kate.”
The forced conviction in his voice only increased her doubt. She wanted to be with this man, but Dylan had suffered enough disappointment in his young life. Could she possibly find a way to be with Mike without putting her son at risk?
When she reached his house, she braved the steep driveway to park in the shade, then lowered the windows to catch the evening breeze. Without a word, she got out of the car. Mike followed suit. Neither of them spoke until they reached the protective overhang by his front door.
“Are you coming in?” he asked.
“No.” She glanced toward the car where her son slept. “I just needed to talk to you away from radar ears.” With a deep breath, she met his gaze, willed him to understand. “Mike, I want you to call Dylan tomorrow and tell him you can’t do the show. I know you don’t want to, but you and I both know you don’t have time to be in a school play.”
“I’ll make time,” he insisted, but she saw the rapid shift of his eyes as he said the words.
“Be realistic. You know you can’t.” She saw the stubborn objection cross his face and held up a hand. “Even if you do, that’s not the only issue. You just promised a seven-year-old boy you barely know you’d get up with him in front of all his friends and their parents to do what amounts to a father-son skit. Why would you promise such a thing?”
“Because he asked me!”
“Mike…” she gaped at him. “You’re not his father.”
Good Guy Heroes Boxed Set Page 22
