I Cross My Heart

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  She swallowed and pressed her hand against her tummy to quell the butterflies. “I suppose I should get used to this kind of thing. Once I’m a regular on Opal’s show, people will be more curious than ever about my personal life.”

  “It’s the price of fame, so they say.” Nash’s comment sounded sympathetic.

  “And I have no business complaining about it. Plenty of people would love to have the success I’ve had. Not many people feel the touch of Opal’s wand. I’m extremely lucky.”

  He chuckled and reached over to squeeze her knee. “Yeah, but you’re allowed to be uncomfortable having everyone stare at the bed and the rose petals. And you can be cranky once in a while, too, without the world coming to an end. I’ll never forget the picture of you standing in front of that burning recliner, your arms folded, pleased as hell with the destruction you’d created.”

  “Good Lord! The recliner is still there!”

  “Ah, roll with it. They’re fully aware your dad was no model parent. They’ll understand.”

  “But that’s just it. Now that I know he spent his last days raving about how great I am, I don’t feel the same way about him. I’m not angry anymore.”

  “That’s wonderful, Bethany.” He gave her a quick smile. “Really terrific.”

  “Yes, but everyone will see that recliner, and they’ll think—”

  “That you’re human. That sometimes you lose your temper, just like the rest of us.”

  “I hope so.” She sighed. “That’s why I feel at ease with you, Nash. You’ve seen the burning recliner, so I don’t have to pretend that I’m happy every moment of the day. Believe me, when the world knows your motto is Happiness Is a Choice, you feel an obligation to be constantly happy because supposedly you found the answer.”

  “But you didn’t?”

  “I thought I did, but...maybe it’s not so easy.”

  He blew out a breath. “Thank you. You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. Because I don’t find it so damned easy. It sounds simple to say Happiness Is a Choice. But then life happens, and it’s...not easy.”

  “I know. I need to write another book and talk about all I’ve learned since the last book.”

  “That’s one I’d like to read.”

  She wondered if he would. Maybe she’d send him one. And maybe she wouldn’t. As she’d told herself before, a clean break would be best.

  “Well, here we are, sweetheart.”

  “Sorry about the rose petals, Nash. I bet you’ll hear about them for months, if not longer.”

  “At first I worried about that. Jack loves to tease his friends. But you know what? I have a beautiful woman who thinks enough of me to toss rose petals on my bed. That’s not embarrassing. In fact, it makes me look like a real stud.”

  As usual, he made her laugh. “Okay, then. The rose petals stay. Also, can you leave your headlights on and point them at the recliner? I’m going to make a speech about it.”

  “You are?” He seemed surprised.

  “You’ve inspired me to be honest with everyone instead of being so worried about my image.”

  “Good for you.” He steered the truck so the headlights focused on the recliner. “Go get ’em, tiger.”

  Buoyed by his support, she climbed down from the truck and stood by the blackened hulk. As everyone piled out of their vehicles and gazed at her with obvious curiosity, she raised her voice. “You’re probably wondering what this is. Besides Nash, Morgan’s the only one who’s seen it, but she was too polite to comment.”

  “It seemed like a personal situation,” Morgan said. “I thought you’d have hauled it away by now.”

  “It is a personal situation. When I first got here, I was so angry at my father for drinking himself to death that I dragged his old recliner, which stunk of booze, out of the living room and into the yard. Then I doused it with gasoline and torched it.”

  “Damn, woman,” Jack said. “Remind me not to tick you off.”

  That brought a laugh from everyone, which eased the tension.

  “I’m not proud of losing my temper like that, but it shows I’m not perfect. Neither was my dad, but I love him anyway. And besides, the smoke brought Nash over here, and meeting him was...very special. So now I look at this burned chair as evidence that we all have a dark side. It’s also the reason I met Nash Bledsoe, and now, on top of that, I’ve met all of you. My dark side produced lots of benefits.”

  “That’s touching,” Lucy said. “I’m glad you told us.”

  “I agree it’s a touching story,” Jack said. “But that thing is butt-ugly. Did you have some plan for keeping it as a permanent souvenir? Have it bronzed, maybe?”

  Bethany grinned at Jack. “It’s a thought, but no. I don’t think bronzing would improve the look. I’m growing fond of it, but I don’t think it belongs in the front yard anymore.”

  “That’s a relief. I was afraid we’d have to figure out how to dress it up pretty for the cameras. Okay, first thing tomorrow, when we have on our work clothes, we’re hauling it...somewhere.”

  Nash turned off the headlights and stepped down from his truck. “I volunteer for that job.” He walked over to Bethany and lowered his voice. “Nice speech.”

  “Thanks.” She might have said more, but Lucy came toward her.

  “Now that the chair business is settled, Bethany, can I see the house?”

  “Sure thing.” One down, one to go. Bethany maintained her bravado until the moment when Lucy walked through the front door. When Nash’s mother lifted her eyebrows, Bethany wanted to run and hide in the back of the house until everyone had left.

  But that would be cowardly, so she stood her ground. As did Nash, and she appreciated that.

  Lucy’s gaze, her blue eyes so like Nash’s, took in the bed from head to foot. It paused on the scattering of rose petals, and the corners of her mouth lifted. Not a lot, but a little.

  Then she looked straight at Bethany. “All I ask is that you not break my boy’s heart.”

  “I would never want to do that, Mrs. Hutchinson.” She’d figured out that Lucy had taken Ronald’s last name and was no longer using “Bledsoe.”

  “Considering your close relationship to my son, you ought to call me Lucy.”

  “Thank you...Lucy.” She’d never been a mother, and her own mom had not been protective, but Lucy was. Bethany was a little in awe of Lucy and certainly didn’t want to become her enemy. She had no desire to break Nash’s heart, just as she knew he had no desire to break hers. But there would be pain when they parted. Nobody could keep that from happening.

  “Are you going to show me the rest of the house?”

  “Absolutely.” With a glance at Nash, who covertly gave her a thumbs-up, she escorted Lucy on a minitour. Behind her, she heard Nash welcoming the rest of the Chance family into the house.

  If she hadn’t been so tense, she would have laughed. They’d supposedly come to evaluate how much work needed to be done to the exterior, but everyone seemed far more interested in this little house. As Nash bragged about the work she’d done on the floor in the master bedroom, she had the oddest feeling that the two of them were showing off their shared dwelling to visitors. For a few days, it had been theirs.

  But soon it would belong to him and she’d no longer have the right to walk through these rooms. Thinking of that, she looked at everything with more fondness than she’d ever done before. After all, for more than half her life, it had been home.

  At long last, the crowd of people headed outside. Bethany had never bothered to hook up the spotlights she’d bought to help Nash work after dark. They had become superfluous. But the Chance crew had come armed with powerful flashlights and everyone huddled as they discussed what needed to be done.

  Finally Jack broke away from the group and came toward her.
“We should start at first light.”

  “That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll be up.”

  He hesitated. “It’ll be quite an onslaught. I hope you’re ready for that. This place has been deserted for some time.”

  “Jack, you and your family, and Nash’s family, are lifesavers. Go for it.”

  Lucy approached. “I’ve been thinking that if those newspeople want to go inside the house, you should move that bed. Otherwise it’s liable to end up on TV.”

  Bethany managed to keep a straight face. “I agree. It’s going in the master bedroom.”

  “But that leaves you with an empty living room.”

  “Can’t be helped. The old furniture was hideous. Better nothing than what was there.”

  “Since Ronald and I combined households, we have several pieces we don’t need. Nash may not want to keep them forever, but we’ll bring them over, so you can fill up the space and make it look homey.”

  “Thanks, Lucy.” Bethany smiled at her. “That would be wonderful. Give me until nine in the morning, and I’ll have the living room floor polished for you.”

  “I can tell you’re a hard worker. I’ve always admired that.” She glanced at Nash, who was in conversation with Jack. Then she edged closer and lowered her voice. “Is there any way you could commute back and forth?”

  “No, there isn’t.”

  “I only ask because my daughter, Katrina, works in New York State, and she travels with the thoroughbred racing circuit. Her fiancé, Ronald’s son, is constantly on the go with his photography. I don’t know when and if Hutch and Katrina will settle in one place, but they’re making a go of it. So I wondered if you and Nash...”

  “His life is here and mine is there. We live far apart and we’re both tied to our locations. I don’t see how we could manage a relationship.”

  The soft light of hope died in Lucy’s eyes. “I had to ask.”

  “Of course you did.” Impulsively, Bethany gave her a hug. “I can see how much you love him.”

  “And so do you.”

  The direct statement caught her off guard. “I...probably could, but I haven’t allowed myself to.”

  “Bull.”

  Bethany’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

  “You love him. I’ve lived long enough to recognize the signs. You watch him when you think he doesn’t know it. Your expression goes all soft when he looks at you. You put rose petals on his bed. And he’s in the same fix. That’s why I’m worried. You say you don’t intend to break his heart, but I don’t see how you can avoid it.”

  Despair swamped her. “I have to avoid it. The last thing I want to do is hurt him.”

  “Then stay.”

  “Oh, Lucy, you don’t know what you’re asking. Have you ever watched Opal’s show?”

  “Never miss it. Have a TV in the back of the ice-cream parlor. She’s a wonderful person.”

  “Opal’s supported me from the day I released my first book. She’s arranged for me to have a permanent segment on her show. She’s one of the most powerful women in America, and she’s thrown that influence behind me and my career. Tell me, would you turn your back on that?”

  Lucy frowned in concentration. “I don’t know. I’ve never had one of the most powerful women in America endorse my ice cream and offer me a TV gig. I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Which reminds me. Did that boy of mine bring you the fudge ripple I sent?”

  “He did.”

  “What did you think?”

  “Lucy, I’ll tell you the honest truth. We didn’t get around to opening it.”

  She smiled. “When you do, let me know your opinion. It’s my favorite, so I thought I was safe in sending it as a gift. But you may be one of those people who can’t abide chocolate.”

  “I’m not one of those people.”

  “Good. Then I think we can be friends.”

  “I think we can.” Bethany didn’t know how that could work out in the long run, but she was more than happy to be friends with Lucy until the inevitable happened and she and Nash broke each other’s hearts. At that point, Lucy would never forgive her. Bethany wouldn’t blame her a bit.

  15

  NASH WAS DETERMINED to wait everybody out so he could be alone with Bethany. But as sometimes happened in gatherings of this sort, no one seemed willing to be the first to leave. Finally Nash went over to Jack. “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful and all, but could you get this herd moving?”

  Jack adjusted the tilt of his black Stetson. “Have plans, do you?”

  “Some.”

  “I would hope so. That’s one hell of a bed. And it has rose petals on it.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. Listen, thanks for helping me order it. And, Jack, I appreciate you and your brothers stepping up tonight.”

  “Ah, you know the Chance boys. We live for this kind of drama. It’s us against the smarmy greenhorns who want to make the good people of Jackson Hole look bad. We can’t have that around here.”

  “I know Bethany was touched.”

  Jack glanced in Bethany’s direction. “She’s a nice lady. I’d have thought, with all that Bledsoe charm, you could’ve convinced her to stick around.”

  “Even if I could, I wouldn’t. She has a golden opportunity to become a really big television personality. What kind of guy would mess with that?”

  Jack nodded. “Good point. Which means you need to maximize what little time you have with the charming Miss Grace.”

  “Exactly. That said, I’m staying the night.”

  “With a woman like Bethany and a bed like that one, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t. We’ll be out of your way shortly.”

  “Thanks, Jack.” He watched in admiration as his buddy maneuvered the group in his own teasing style. He made a joke here, a provocative suggestion there, and within ten minutes, everyone had waved goodbye, piled into their vehicles and started down the bumpy road to their respective homes and beds.

  Bethany walked over to him. “You put Jack up to that, didn’t you?”

  “I couldn’t very well ask them all to leave after what they’re proposing to do tomorrow. But he could.” Nash captured her hand in his and started toward the house. “Let’s go examine that bed.”

  “You have good friends, Nash.”

  “The best.”

  “I know they’re doing this more for you than for me, but their willingness to help my cause is amazing. My dad wasn’t the least bit neighborly, and they don’t really know me at all.”

  “They know you.” He walked with her up the creaky porch steps. By tomorrow night, after the Chance boys had finished with this place, the steps wouldn’t creak. “They know that you chose to sell the ranch to me instead of some stranger who might tear it down and build God-knows-what. Your concern for the history and the future of the Triple G is all the recommendation they need to classify you as good people.”

  “Before I got here, I was sure I’d be able to sell it without a second thought.”

  He opened the screen door and ushered her inside. “Then I guess you learned something about yourself this week.” Closing the door, he twisted the lock. She didn’t seem to notice that he’d locked them in.

  “I learned a lot about myself this week.” She nestled against him. “I can let that chair go, but I’ll never forget it.”

  “I’m not taking it to the dump.” He tilted his hat back and pulled her close.

  “You’re not? But you said you’d handle the job.”

  “And I will. I haven’t figured out exactly what I want to do with it, so until I do, I’ll haul it out to a back pasture and leave it for now.”

  “You’re crazy, Nash Bledsoe.”

  “Yeah.” Crazy
about you. But he wouldn’t say that and mess up a good thing. “Listen, I know we talked about playing around with ice cream tonight.”

  “I kept the shipping plastic if you still want to.”

  He looked into her beautiful gray eyes. God, he was going to miss her. “I think, considering how the bed looks so nice all fixed up with rose petals and clean sheets, that we should just...”

  She reached up and took off his hat. “I agree. But indulge me with one thing, cowboy.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ll show you.” Easing out of his arms, she turned and sent his hat sailing toward the farthest bedpost. It dropped neatly down as if she’d been practicing the move for hours.

  “Good aim!”

  “Lucky throw. But I’ve always wanted to do that.”

  He smiled, more charmed by her than she’d ever know. “Glad I could accommodate you. Anything else I can do to make your wishes come true?”

  “Oh, I think there are plenty of things. But first, let me set the stage.” She walked over to the wall switch and turned off the overhead.

  “Wait.” He peered into the darkness where she was standing. “I can’t see you.”

  “Look at the bed.”

  He shifted his attention, and sure enough, moonlight showcased the white bed as if someone were up in a booth directing the scene. “How did you know that would happen?”

  “I noticed where the moonlight fell last night and made sure that’s where the guys set up the bed.”

  “Nicely done. But I still can’t see you.” His eyes were adjusting slowly, but she must have moved back into the shadows. He heard rustling noises that indicated she was up to something. “I’d rather look at you than an empty bed.”

  “I thought you might.” A gloriously naked Bethany stepped out of the shadows and sashayed over to the bed. Nudging back the covers, she slipped under the white sheets as rose petals fluttered around her. The edge of the sheet almost covered her breasts, but not quite. A rose petal drifted into her cleavage and quivered with each breath she took.