Last-Chance Marriage Rescue

by Catherine Mann

  Shadows cast by the movie screen lights danced over the man’s hard jaw. His green eyes fixed on her as the weight of his question pressed on her. Her own experience with loss threatened to swallow her answer and still her tongue.

  Pausing for a moment, she gathered her thoughts as she played with the hem of her sweatshirt. Material soft against her fingertips anchored her to an answer as she reflected back on the interactions between the man and his fiancée these past few days.

  “I’m so sorry.” She understood how much losing someone you loved hurt. “For what my opinion is worth, she doesn’t look at you like a woman who wants to go.”

  “She’s stubborn, though, and honorable. She’s not going to leave me as long as I’m in the chair.” For a moment, the hard set of his jaw softened.

  “What if you’re wrong?” She cut herself off short, heat flooding her cheeks. “It’s not my place to have said that. I’m sorry.”

  “No need to apologize. I should be the one to apologize for dumping personal garbage on a complete stranger.”

  Bursts of laughter erupted from the folks in the pickup to their left. Nina glanced to the screen, catching a snippet of a scene where the border collie character quirked her head at a frisky feline.

  “This place has a way of breaking down barriers fast.” She scrunched her toes in her boots, cracking away the tension that had Douglas’s name stamped all over it.

  “True enough. What brings you and your family here?”

  “Our girls wanted a family vacation.” She paused. It would take a lot more Top Dog magic to get her comfortable enough to air her family’s dirty laundry. “Things have been stressful at home. We all need some peace.”

  The man nodded as the on-screen dog barked—which elicited a chorus of howls and baying from the dogs in the audience. “We broke up, then I went to work and had an accident during a call. She blames herself.”

  Nina swallowed, knowing all too well what carrying the aftermath of an accident did to a person. Wind stirred her hair, bringing the murmur of children squealing at the sight of the border collie helping the tabby cat across the river. “I can see where that would make things complicated.”

  And as the words left her mouth, she realized that she needed to take her own advice. If she wanted to indulge in one last moment to be with Douglas without risking hurting the girls, she needed to find a way for them to have space to talk, to be together, without interference.

  And to do that? She needed to call in the cavalry.

  “Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to make a phone call.” Standing, she tugged her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts until landing on the person she trusted most in the world.

  Her foster sister Ashlynn.

  * * *

  Kelsey raised up onto her toes, looking for her sister, who’d ditched her while she was waiting in line. Her stomach knotted and her head throbbed. If they didn’t stick together, their parents would be mad. They would fight. Everything, all the hard work in getting the family here, would be ruined.

  Swallowing down the need to be sick, she pushed through the crowd. “Kacie? Kacie, where are you? Kacie?”

  Her head hammered harder. Was this what Uncle Tyler had felt like right before he had his aneurysm? Scared? Heart pounding?

  Panicked?

  And then she heard her sister’s laugh. Thank goodness. Her stomach settled and the pressure in her temples eased. She followed the sound, dodging and weaving past people, sidestepping a pair of dachshunds on leashes just before they could tangle up her feet.

  Finally, she caught a glimpse of her sister’s blue hoodie. Hands shoved in her pockets, Kacie talked to a few boys standing in a circle. The tallest boy, maybe a year older than them, laughed as Kacie gestured wildly.

  Kelsey narrowed her eyes, steps growing more determined as she broke into the circle to stand in front of her twin. She felt the eyes of the other kids press into her back.

  Yanking on her twin’s arm, Kelsey said with as much force as she could muster while still whispering, “Come on. Mom and Dad are waiting for their snacks.”

  “They don’t even know we’re gone.” Kacie tugged her arm away. “The whole point of this trip is for them to have time together, so that’s what I’m doing.”

  “We’re not supposed to talk to strangers,” she whispered through tight teeth.

  Kacie rolled her eyes. “There are plenty of people here and staff, too, so we’re safe. You’re such a rule-follower.”

  “I may be a rule-follower, but you’re a total slacker. Just look at your grades. You could get better marks if you tried.”

  Kacie shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t care about school.”

  “You don’t care about anything except playing with the horses and your lasso.”

  “Shows what you know. I’m not playing,” she said with fire spitting from her eyes. “I’m gonna be a farmer like Dad and Uncle Tyler. Even like our grandpa. Like Dad always says, ‘It’s in our blood.’ Not that I expect you to understand.”

  Kelsey swallowed down a huge lump in her throat. “Why do you hate me so much?”

  Kacie’s eyes went wide. “I don’t hate you. You’re my sister.”

  “I’m not just your sister. I’m your twin.” Then shook her head. “Never mind. Forget it.”

  She pushed past her twin, anger and sadness at the distance everywhere in her family brewing, threatening to be released into a flurry of tears.

  “Wait,” Kacie called out after her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I say things sometimes. My temper just gets in the way. You’re my sister. Of course I love you.”

  Kacie tugged on her arm. Hard. Kelsey stopped walking, the leaves quieting beneath her feet. Her twin wrapped her in a tight hug.

  “Then let’s start working together, like we did with the dog washing. Look what we made happen.” She needed to get Kacie on board with the right way to help their parents in case something happened to her.

  “All right, brainiac, what do you have in mind?”

  “Never mind.” Kelsey started to spin away.

  Sighing, Kacie grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry. Really. I was just teasing.”

  Jerking free, Kelsey fought back tears and kept on walking, because if she got teased over crying, she would lose it. Totally.

  “Come on, Kelsey,” Kacie pleaded, jumping in front of her. “How about this time I come up with an idea to make them work together?”

  Now that caught her attention. “Like how?”

  A slow smile spread over her sister’s face. A kind of wicked smile.

  This was going to be good. Because when Kacie set her mind to something, there was no stopping her.

  Kacie hooked arms with her. “So, you know those kids I was talking to when you found me?”

  * * *

  Douglas stomped through the crowd of people who were carrying enough snacks for an army. The scent of popcorn and cheese nachos filled the air. Laughter mixed with the echoes of the movie speakers. Lights flickered as the projection against the mountain screen refracted back.

  But there was no sign of his daughters. He knew the place had top-notch security—he’d checked before attending—but still. They were in the middle of the mountains with wild animals in the woods. He scanned the perimeter of the forest, far enough away that it was unlikely the girls could have gone there alone without being noticed.

  Still.

  He considered going back to check in with Nina, but he wanted to check behind the snack station. He’d been a fool to let himself get so distracted by his wife and her surprisingly enthusiastic response to that sizzling kiss. His own emotions were too close to the surface, courtesy of Top Dog prodding. Did every activity have to be about getting in touch with their feelings? This place was an exercise in torture designed to showcase his emotional shortco
mings at every turn.

  He was angry at the girls for wandering off, but even more upset with himself for not watching them more closely. He angled past a couple with a toddler on the dad’s shoulders and searched for someone who might be able to help.

  A father of three herded his children back toward an SUV with the trunk popped open. Pretzels and churros cradled in his arms, he chased after his children, all under ten.

  Clusters of folks Douglas hadn’t met formed a thick crowd by the hot cider and doughnut station. The sound of the cash register’s antique bell mingled with the mounting movie music.

  Jacob O’Brien leaned against a bale of hay, talking to the grandmother visiting the Top Dog Dude Ranch with her daughter and granddaughter. Her daughter and granddaughter huddled together a few feet in front of them, sitting on an orange-and-red quilt on the ground. A blanket was wrapped tight around them as the granddaughter bit into an oversize s’more.

  Douglas charged forward, carefully picking his way around the quilt. “Excuse me, Jacob, sorry to interrupt.”

  Jacob pivoted toward him. “No problem at all. We were just shooting the breeze. Any chance you chased me down to talk about a land deal?”

  “Actually, I’m just looking for my daughters. They went to pick up more snacks and haven’t returned. Have you seen them?”

  “As a matter of fact, I sure have. They’re right over there.”

  Douglas followed the direction of Jacob’s gesture toward a cluster of kids about the twins’ height. Kelsey was watching from the outskirts. And Kacie... A deeper look, and he located her in the center of the group...

  Talking to—no, wait—flirting with a boy.

  Chapter Nine

  Perched on the tailgate of the truck, Nina held her cell phone to her ear. Once she’d decided to call Ashlynn for help, Nina hadn’t wanted to wait a minute longer. Hopefully, her sister could come to the ranch. It was closer to Ashlynn and would save drive time, not to mention she was impatient.

  But if not? Nina would be grateful for whatever her sister could do, even if only to offer a shoulder to cry on. Her sister picked up a moment later and Nina felt a rush of relief. “I’m so glad you’re home. I was worried you’d be working.”

  “I’m actually on a quick break before closing,” Ashlynn said. “How is the ranch? Is it everything the website promises? What are the girls doing? I want the lowdown.”

  “The place is everything they advertised and more. I can understand why they want to expand the operation.” A low, howling autumn wind whipped through her as she glanced around the drive-in for any sign of Douglas or the girls returning. Nina pulled her knees to her chest for warmth. “It’s tough to describe exactly, but the place is magical. It’s also incredibly efficient. They’ve done an excellent job blending the vacation aspect with down-to-earth activities that forge connections.”

  “And has it rekindled your connection with Douglas?”

  Lost in thought, she dimly registered a chorus of awws from the family closest to her as the dog on screen barreled toward her family. Nina toyed with the laces on her boots, wishing for her own version of the movie scene. Where all it took was love, will and movement to restore things between her and Douglas.

  “Honestly, Ashlynn, it’s difficult to tell. We’re closer than we’ve been in a long while.” And their sexual chemistry was off the chain. “But our core differences haven’t changed.”

  A lump welled in her throat at the memory of her husband’s refusal to be with her if there could be any possibility of a pregnancy. She understood his point since she’d argued for a divorce, of course. But the incident had been a painful reminder of that final argument that let her know there was no healing their marriage.

  And speaking her doubts to Ashlynn made things more real. Tongue pressed to the inside of her front teeth, she inhaled deep, swallowing hard to push past the emotion threatening to swamp her.

  Ashlynn said, “How are the girls doing?”

  “They already suspect we’ve talked about getting divorced, which breaks my heart all over again—” Her voice cracked at their pain. If only she could shield them from the painful shards of a fracturing family.

  “I’m so sorry they’re hurting—and you as well,” Ashlynn said softly, her voice full of compassion. “I wish there was something I could do.”

  She shifted on the blanket lining the truck bed, thinking how much warmer she’d been with Douglas beside her.

  “Well, actually...” Now that the time had come to ask, she wondered if it was too much to expect from someone. She wasn’t used to asking others for help. “I was wondering if your offer to watch the kids is still available?”

  “Of course, it would be my joy.” Her answer was immediate and full of authenticity. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. I can come right away or this time next week and spend a couple of nights.”

  “Well, if you come now, you’ll get to enjoy a vacation at the Top Dog Dude Ranch.” Hopefully, that would make it less of an imposition.

  “That would be amazing. I haven’t had a vacation in over a year. So you would be doing me a favor, too.”

  How like Ashlynn to find a way to sound like Nina’s request wasn’t an imposition. “Well, there’s certainly plenty to do here. I’ll email you a list of what to pack.”

  “Perfect. Maybe I’ll even meet the cowboy of my dreams while I’m there,” she said with a grin in her voice. “Hey, my boss is waving for me, so I need to hang up. I’ll look for your email and I’ll message you with my ETA. Love ya.”

  “Love you, too. And thank you, so very much, for being there for me.” She pushed aside a niggling voice in her head that questioned the wisdom of having sex with her husband after telling the twins they were splitting. She was in such uncharted territory here, it was tough to know what was best.

  All she could do was follow her gut in the moment, and her gut was telling her that even if the marriage didn’t work, they still related physically and what would it hurt to indulge that now that there wouldn’t be any confusion about what it meant? It would be a welcome release, a chance to remember something good.

  Scanning the crowd, she saw her husband and the twins approaching. Her eyes lingered on the hard lines of his face, his chiseled chest, soaking up the sight of him. She just hoped the time alone would give her the answers she needed. And if there weren’t any answers? Then she would settle for closure, peace.

  Douglas held the twins by the hands, moving at a breakneck speed. As she heard the movie ending, she realized how long they must have been gone. How odd that they weren’t carrying any snacks.

  And Douglas was clearly steaming mad.

  Her stomach fell and her throat closed with anxiety. The ever-elusive peace she sought slipped even further away.

  * * *

  Douglas couldn’t remember when he’d been so angry. He needed a dose of Nina’s levelheaded parenting before he blew a gasket.

  From twenty feet away, Douglas saw Nina pocket her phone into her tightly fitting jeans. Her face, even from this far away, was tense with confusion.

  Boots stomping the dusty earth, Douglas held on to his temper. Barely. He was still seeing red over finding his tomboy daughter batting her eyelashes at some scrawny boy who was looking at Kacie like... Douglas didn’t want to follow that thought for one more second or his head would explode.

  He charged past a family of four folding up their blankets from a place on the ground. The twins walked double-time beside him as he ate up the space on the way back to the truck with long strides. He prayed Nina would have the answers he needed for how to handle the girls.

  When had Kacie become boy crazy? She was only ten years old.

  He couldn’t stomach the thought of his little girls growing up without him around. Boys coming to the house. It was all he could do not to scoop them up and keep them under lock and
key until they were eighteen.

  As Douglas closed the last few feet between him and his wife a round of applause sounded through the moviegoers as the last part of the credits blinked out. Car engines roared to life.

  Nina hopped off the tailgate, her forehead creased with concern. “Douglas? Girls? What’s going on?”

  Kacie’s jaw jutted with her signature stubborn nature.

  Kelsey avoided their eyes and scrambled back up into the truck bed. She started folding the blanket with a level of concentration that far outstripped the task, clearly avoiding the conversation. He might as well let that slide, since she wasn’t the offender.

  This time.

  “Kacie,” he pressed, “do you want to tell your mother, or should I?”

  Nina’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me what?”

  Kacie scuffed her toe in the dirt, a blush creeping up her face. “Feel free to tell her.”

  Kacie being shy? That was a new one. Douglas looked fast at Kelsey, wondering for a moment if somehow the girls had swapped places. It would make sense since he would have pegged Kelsey as the one to go boy crazy first. He checked for Kelsey’s pierced ears and the tiny scar in Kacie’s eyebrow. And there had been no swap. Kacie really was acting subdued.

  “Kacie?” Nina asked. When their daughter still didn’t answer, Nina turned to Douglas, voice level. “What happened?”

  Douglas stared pointedly at Kacie, who still stayed silent.

  Finally, Kelsey scooched closer. “She was flirting with a boy and Dad lost his cool.”

  Nina burst out laughing, looking so relieved Douglas felt the anger rising all over again. How could she be so unconcerned?

  “It’s not funny,” he insisted. “She’s too young to be hanging out with boys. And even if that wasn’t the case, we don’t know the kid she was talking to. What if he was dangerous?”

  Kacie fiddled with the hood strings on her sweatshirt. “I doubt he’s a serial killer.”