A County Girl's Heart

by Dena Blake

“You ain’t kiddin’, brother.”

  Junior threw his arm around DJ’s shoulder. “Let’s go eat some of Mom’s home cookin’.”

  They headed up the steps into the kitchen, where DJ spotted her mother at the stove dipping out bowls of pot roast, carrots, and potatoes. “Sure smells good in here.” She gave her a hug and kissed the side of her head.

  Her mother handed her a bowl of biscuits. “Put these on the table between you and your brother, honey.”

  DJ slid them onto the table and sat down. “Where are the kids tonight?”

  “Hank’s workin’ down at the grocery store, and Janie’s at a sleepover.” Junior reached into the refrigerator, took out a pitcher of iced tea, and set it on the table.

  “That’s too bad. I was hoping to see them.” DJ guessed she had no right to think they’d want to hang around to see her. They didn’t really know her. “How about Dwayne?”

  “Bowling night.” Marilyn said.

  “They’ll be around for breakfast in the morning,” Judy said as she slid a bowl of pot roast in front of her.

  DJ had missed her mother’s cooking. Rosa did pretty well for her in Austin, but there was nothing like down-home country cooking. They waited until everyone was seated, and Junior said a prayer.

  DJ dug a fork into the roast and took a bite. The flavors brought her childhood flooding back. “Just as good as I remember, Mom.”

  Junior took a biscuit from the bowl and then passed the bowl to DJ. “I bet you can’t get cookin’ like this in the city.”

  “Nope. Sure can’t.”

  The meal was topped off with her mother’s famous cherry pie. DJ hadn’t eaten that much in years. She’d had seconds of pot roast and two slices of pie. She was definitely going to have to do double time on the treadmill when she went home.

  Junior cleared his plate and handed an envelope to his mother. “I’ll be in the other room if you need me.”

  “We’ll be fine, Junior.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Something your daddy left for me.” She took the letter out of the envelope and handed it to DJ. “Both your brother and sister have seen it. Now I want you to read it.”

  DJ unfolded the paper, and her neck bristled as she immediately recognized her father’s handwriting. It never did have much style. Just plain writing with a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters.

  My Dearest Virginia,

  If you’re reading this, darlin’, then I guess I’m already gone. I know you’ll never forgive me for pushing Dani away. It wasn’t easy doin’ it. She was your baby girl, and I know how much you love her. Believe it or not, I love her too. Maybe I didn’t go about it the right way, and we lost a lot of years with her because of it, but I thought sending her away was the best thing to do at the time. We couldn’t afford to do it for Junior, but he’s put a lot of sweat into this farm, and now that I’ve passed, he’ll take it on. It’s his birthright. I couldn’t do much for Marilyn either, but she has Dwayne, and he’ll take good care of her. Dani was my last hope for this family to have a better life. The time will come one day when she’ll have to decide about who she really is and what kind of a woman she’s become. She may never come back to our way of life, but at least she’ll have a choice. That’s all I wanted for her. I hope you can forgive me for not being a perfect husband and father. I tried my hardest and did what I thought best. Ginny, believe me when I say you were the love of my life.

  Henry

  DJ swiped the tears from her eyes before she folded the letter and slid it across the table. “Why couldn’t he just say that to me?”

  “Your daddy was a very prideful man, Dani. Besides, would it have made any difference?”

  “You’re damn right it would have.” She popped up from the chair. If her mother knew the turmoil she’d dealt with because of the words she and her father had exchanged, she’d understand.

  “Dani. I won’t have that kind of language here.” Her mother’s voice shook.

  She paced the room a few times before she picked up their empty dessert plates and carried them to the sink. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “Just leave those, honey. I’ll put them in the dishwasher later.”

  DJ reached down, pinched the handle, and opened the dishwasher door. “When did you buy this?” she asked, placing the dishes in the rack.

  “A few years ago, with one of those checks you sent.”

  DJ smiled. “Good. I’m glad you’ve put them to good use.” When she’d first started sending the checks, she wasn’t sure if her father would accept them. The first few went uncashed. After that, they cleared the bank each month, like clockwork, on the first. DJ guessed her mom had something to do with that. She was a practical woman. She wouldn’t let one man’s pride stand in the way of taking care of her family.

  DJ turned to the sink and gripped the edge of the counter as she looked out the three-by-three wood-paned window. “Did you ever forgive him?”

  “Your daddy? Course I did. I loved him too much not to.” Her mother joined DJ at the sink with the coffee cups. “What’s brought you here after all this time, honey? Don’t read me wrong. I’m glad you’re here, but this isn’t just about your daddy.”

  “You’re right, Mom.” It was about Kat, this farm, that city, and her ranch.

  “What’s her name?”

  DJ grinned. She never could keep anything from her mother. “Kathryn.”

  “That’s a beautiful name.”

  “I’m in love with her, but I’m afraid she can’t forgive me for what I’ve done.” She had no right to ask her to either.

  Her mother took DJ’s chin in her hand and made her look at her. “Sweetheart, if she loves you as much as you love her, she can’t do anything but forgive you.” She hauled her into a warm embrace. “She won’t have anything else in her.”

  DJ smiled at her mother. It was funny how she had the power to put everything into perspective. “I’ll be leavin’ out after breakfast in the morning.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “Soon.” DJ would make sure not to stay away too long. Once she’d seen her family again, she’d realized how much she missed them. She wanted to be part of them again.

  “Will you bring Kathryn with you?”

  She nodded. “If she’ll have me.” Kat and her mother would get along well.

  “She will, darlin’,” her mother said as she took DJ’s face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

  Chapter Thirty

  Kat rolled over and slid her hand across the cool, empty sheet. Another morning waking up alone. She’d never really liked the feeling but was learning to live with it.

  Things might not have worked out the way she wanted with DJ, but it was a journey she’d cherish forever. The voyage back, however, would take some time. It had been close to two weeks since she’d left DJ in Austin, and she hadn’t stopped thinking about her since.

  Rebecca bounded onto the bed. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

  Kat pried her head from the pillow and looked at the clock. “You’re up bright and early this morning.” Not primed with her morning coffee yet, Kat’s voice croaked out in a low, gravelly whisper.

  “Yep. I’m ready to watch my big sister break that filly today.”

  Kat let out a grunt and dropped her head onto the pillow. “Has the rain stopped?”

  “Not a cloud in the sky,” Rebecca said cheerfully.

  It had only been a few days since Rebecca drove in from Austin for the week, and it hadn’t stopped raining since she’d arrived. She’d developed a critical case of cabin fever and was driving Kat absolutely crazy.

  Kat wadded the pillow up under her head and turned onto her side. “What about that cowboy you were snuggling up to last night in the bar?”

  Rebecca’s smile widened. “He’s on horse detail today too.”

  Kat chuckled. “Imagine that.” She found that Rebecca enjoyed playing with the weekend cowboys who frequented the ranch much more than she enjoyed riding t
he horses. They were all friendly and eager to teach a city girl the ins and outs of ranching.

  Rebecca tugged at her arm and bounced off the bed to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go. We’re burnin’ daylight.”

  Kat blinked. Who the hell is this woman? “Coffee,” she grumbled, rubbing her face. “I need coffee.”

  “I’m way ahead of you.” She took a mug off the top of the dresser and held it up. “Half and half, just the way you like it.”

  “You’d better put on some old jeans. It’s going to be messy out there today.” Kat rolled out of bed, swiped the mug from her hand, and took a big gulp.

  “But I don’t have any old jeans.”

  “Then wear the pair you like the least.” Kat headed into the bathroom.

  “I like them all,” Rebecca said, her voice rising. “Maybe I’ll just watch today.”

  “No way, little sister. Find a pair in my dresser. It’s time you got your feet wet.”

  Rebecca searched a few of Kat’s drawers until she found a pair of jeans. She held them up to check the size, then flipped them over her shoulder and headed to her room. “Oh, I almost forgot. Mother’s coming out today.”

  “What?” Kat took the towel from the rod on the wall and threw it over the top of the sliding shower door.

  “I told her how nice it is here, and she couldn’t wait to see for herself.”

  Kat flipped the knob in the shower and the water spurted out. “Great. I get to break the filly and my mother.”

  “Come on. She’s not that bad.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Kat inched the door closer to the jamb and then swung it open again. “You’d better be ready, little sister. Just for that, you’re going to help me out in the corral today.” She had to make Rebecca pay for bringing the warden out. “Wait till your cowboy sees you all muddied up.”

  “Hey. That’s not fair.”

  Kat lifted her eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware we were fighting fair.” She clicked the bathroom door shut.

  * * *

  Virgil was sitting in his usual chair at the end of the table reading the morning paper when Kat drifted into the kitchen.

  “Anything good in the news today?”

  “Nope.” He turned the page. “Ain’t been nothin’ good since they threw Victoria in jail.”

  Kat poured herself another cup of coffee and doused it with the usual amount of cream. “You comin’ out today?”

  Virgil continued to skim the paper. “Whatcha got goin’?”

  “I have to break that new filly.”

  “The one DJ did so well with?” Virgil threw DJ at her again in the same obvious manner he’d been using for the past few weeks.

  Kat glared at him over her cup as she brought it to her lips. “Apparently she’s partial to city girls.”

  “Or maybe just one in particular.” Virgil continued to push. “Doncha think it’s about time you gave that girl a call?”

  “Virgil.” Her voice was firm, letting him know, once again, he was entering territory she didn’t care to discuss. “Don’t you think it’s about time you got off your butt and did some work around here?”

  Still on the mend, Virgil wasn’t moving around much yet. Since his room had burned along with the stable, he’d moved into one at Kat’s and spent most of his time yammering at her about DJ. The only other two things that occupied him were keeping up on the investigation into Victoria’s case and sitting on the porch watching whatever was happening in the corral.

  Virgil folded the paper neatly and slapped it to the table. “Now don’t get your dander up, missy. I just want you to be happy.”

  Kat clanged her mug against the bottom of the old porcelain sink. “I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.” She took her baseball cap from its usual hook on the back of the door, shot him the smooth, impassive smile she’d cultivated over the years, and headed out onto the porch.

  “In a pig’s eye,” Virgil mumbled, pouring himself another cup of coffee before moving out into the rocking chair on the porch.

  Kat glared at Virgil but knew he was right. DJ had made her happier than she’d been in a long time. God only knows she’d thought about her more than once during the past few weeks. She’d even started out for Austin once to ask DJ to come back. She’d made it halfway there before realizing it would be just as hard for DJ to live at the ranch as it would be for her to live in the city. She adjusted her cap low on her forehead and headed down the steps. She couldn’t help but think that if DJ was serious about wanting a relationship with her, she’d already be here. She sucked in a breath of fresh air to clear her mind. Today was a beautiful day, and she refused to waste it thinking about what could’ve been. No clouds, no wind, just pure blue sky. After being cooped up inside for the past few days with Rebecca, she intended to make the best of it.

  * * *

  When Rebecca strolled out onto the porch, her mother had already arrived and was seated in the rocker next to Virgil. He’d even taken the old rickety chair and let Elizabeth have his good one in the corner.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee, Mother?”

  “I’d love one, dear, but I can get it myself.” She leaned forward in an attempt to stand.

  What was that all about? As long as Rebecca could remember, her mother had never volunteered to do anything for herself.

  Virgil hopped up out of his chair. “Stay put, Lizzie. I’ll getcha one.”

  Lizzie? What the hell kind of alternate universe am I in? She shook her head. “I have one right here she can have.” Rebecca attempted to hand the piping-hot cup of coffee she’d brought out for herself to Elizabeth, but Virgil plucked it out of her hand and passed it to her.

  “There you are,” Virgil said to Elizabeth before turning to Rebecca. “Mornin’.”

  “Good morning.” She gave him a polite smile. Rebecca hadn’t seen Virgil much since she’d found out he was her father and still wasn’t comfortable with the newfound knowledge. When her mother slid him a smile, her insides twitched. She turned and went inside to pour herself another cup of coffee. Watching the two of them interact wasn’t on her list for entertainment today, far from it, but she’d promised Kat she’d try.

  “Where’s Kat?” she asked, returning through the doorway.

  “In the stable gettin’ the filly ready.”

  There was an uneasy silence.

  “I think I’ll head over and see if she needs any help.”

  “You ride horses?” Virgil asked.

  “Not since I was a teenager.”

  “She’s just looking for a way to avoid us,” Elizabeth said in her all-knowing tone.

  “This little threesome wasn’t quite the picnic I’d planned on today,” Rebecca shot back.

  Virgil rolled his lips against each other and blew out a short breath. “I know findin’ out I’m your father hasn’t been easy for you.”

  “You’re right about that.” Rebecca sipped her coffee, scowling when it scalded her tongue.

  His lip hitched up at the quick answer. “I’m not askin’ for any more courtesy than you’d be givin’ a stranger.”

  Rebecca turned and gave him the once-over. “You are a stranger to me.”

  The deep creases in his weathered forehead rose. “Then it shouldn’t be too hard, should it?”

  The old guy had a point, and she really wasn’t up for taking this particular type of mud bath today in the corral. She smiled reluctantly, then walked over to him and extended her hand. “Rebecca Belmont.”

  A smile poked out from beneath his thick handlebar mustache, and he took her hand. “Virgil Jackson.”

  “Nice to meet you, Virgil.” She settled down into the bench swing.

  “Likewise,” he said, giving her a wink. “You ever seen Kat break a horse?”

  “No. I’ve never spent that much time around horses. They’re not my kind of fun.”

  “You didn’t like the Belmont Ranch when you were younger?” Virgil asked.

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Horse
s were always Kat’s passion. Rebecca never had much use for them.”

  “She doesn’t know what she’s missin’, does she?” Virgil smiled at Elizabeth, and her eyes sparkled.

  Oh, God. Not again. Rebecca didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She pushed her foot against the railing, and the bench swung back and forth. “I guess I’m about to find out.”

  Virgil chuckled. “I don’t know how two sisters can be so alike and so different at the same time.” His eyes focused back on the corral. “Well, anyway, I think you’re in for a treat this mornin’.” He watched Kat back the filly against the railing and grinned as she slid the saddle across its back and cinched it tight.

  “You taught her how to do this?” Rebecca asked.

  “Gave her a little guidance, maybe.” Virgil shrugged. “Didn’t really have to teach her. Most of it just came natural.” He touched Elizabeth on the knee. “Must’ve got that from her mother.”

  Kat stroked the horse’s face and then its neck to calm it before putting her foot in the stirrup. The filly inched away from her. She let her foot fall to the ground and pressed her face against the animal’s neck. The filly seemed to settle as she spoke to it. She put her foot into the stirrup again but didn’t let it drop this time when the horse inched around. She held on until the horse slowed up, then swung her leg up across the saddle. The filly spun and threw her off.

  Virgil sprang forward in the rocker. “You all right?” Rebecca could see the excitement and then the concern fill his eyes.

  Kat looked over and gave him a nod, then danced around the filly with one foot in the stirrup, trying to mount it again.

  “It usually doesn’t take her long, but with the amount of rain we’ve had these past few days, it’s gonna be messy.”

  “Oh, my!” Elizabeth slapped her hand to her mouth when Kat went flying again.

  “She’s all right,” Virgil said, patting her on the knee. “You almost broke her that time,” he shouted, watching Kat drag herself out of the mud.

  Rebecca shook her head as Elizabeth’s watchful gaze transformed into a horrified stare. “This doesn’t look like any fun at all to me.”