Lonestar Homecoming

by Colleen Coble

  “Gracie. I’m Hope. Hope Lister,” she said.

  Gracie Lister.The name fit the delicate woman on the bench. Her nose had a dusting of freckles. Translucent eyelids fluttered, then opened wide, revealing eyes as blue as the cheery storefront behind them. A tiny scar gleamed on her forehead.

  She started to sit up, but he pressed her back. “Easy. Here, have a sip of water.” He held the bottle to her lips, and she swallowed a mouthful. “A little more,” he instructed.

  She nodded and took another drink. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me.The heat maybe.”

  He helped her sit, then pushed her gently forward until her head was down. “Sit up when your head clears.Take deep breaths.”

  After a few inhalations, she straightened. “I feel much better,” she said.

  “Hope says you haven’t eaten in two days.”

  A delicate bloom of color stained her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

  “I don’t think so, ma’am. I heard you tell Hope you had no more money.Where’s your luggage?”

  Her hands twisted together in her lap. “I. . . I had to leave it behind.”

  He saw the fear in her eyes, the way she couldn’t hold his gaze.Was she running from an abusive fiancé? A distasteful marriage arranged by her family? Her left hand was bare, so apparently she’d escaped before the marriage happened.

  “Do you live here?” she asked, glancing around. Her pupils dilated as she watched the crowd moving past.The muscles in her throat convulsed, and she shrank back against the bench when a tall man came toward her. Her breath eased from between her lips when the man passed without another glance at her.

  “No, I’m heading to Bluebird Crossing.”

  Her head came up. “Could we catch a ride with you?”

  “Why are you going to Bluebird?”

  She wet her lips, and her gaze darted away. “I’m looking for a job.”

  “In Bluebird ? Ma’am, you’re not likely to find much there.”

  “I—I have a contact there,” she said. “Someone to help me.”

  While he knew the folks in his tiny burg were neighborly, he couldn’t see her finding any real job there. “I can give you a ride when mine gets here.” He glanced at the parking lot. “I don’t think he’ll be here for another half hour, though.”

  “I’d be so grateful,” she said, more color coming to her face.

  “How about we get something to eat?” He held up his hand when objection gathered in her eyes. “My treat. Hope is hungry.”

  The rebellion in her eyes disappeared, and she nodded.“Thank you.”

  He nodded across the street. “A sub sandwich sounds good to me. How about you?”

  “Hope loves turkey sandwiches,” Gracie said.

  He took Gracie’s hand and helped her stand. “You okay? Dizzy or anything?”

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  As he led her across the street, he noticed the way she glanced over her shoulder and the tension in her muscles.What was she running from?

  2

  GRACIE FORCED HERSELF TO NIBBLE IN A LADYLIKE MANNER INSTEAD OF taking the huge bite she wanted. Food this good should have a luxury tax on it.The aroma of fresh-baked bread added to her ravenous hunger.

  Hope had already gulped down half her turkey melt. “Can I have more milk?” she asked.

  “Sure, kiddo,” Michael said. He left his own sandwich untouched and went to the counter for another carton of milk. He pulled out his cell phone as he waited in line with his black beret tucked under his arm.

  Gracie watched him as he stood with his shoulders squared in his army dress blues.The sun shone through the window onto his tanned face. She guessed him to be in his early thirties. Soldiers inspired an innate sense of trust in her, probably from having grown up near a military base. His voice looked like ocean waves, blue with whitecaps that rolled to the shore.What would he say if she told him that? She rarely spoke of her synesthesia.

  She turned her attention back to her sandwich when she saw the stares of the other patrons. She knew how she must look to them: loser should be tattooed on her forehead. The bedraggled wedding gown announced how pathetic she really was. Every time someone came in, she tensed, though she knew her stalkers couldn’t have tracked her here already. At least she didn’t think so.

  “Want me to open your applesauce?” she asked Hope.

  “Yes, please,” Hope mumbled, her cheeks bulging with the last of her sandwich.

  Gracie tugged off the foil top and slid the container to her daughter. Her appetite left her when she saw Michael approach. His expression was hard to read with his blue eyes hooded and his lips in a firm line.

  He opened the milk and set it in front of Hope before sliding into his seat. Perching his hat on his knee, he picked up his sandwich. “Who do you know in Bluebird? Maybe I could call them for you.”

  She nibbled on her sandwich to delay her answer.Would he try to dissuade her again? She had nowhere else to go. “Edna Haskell. I designed her living room in California before she left to go back to Bluebird.”

  “Edna Haskell.That’s Dan’s mother.”

  “She said if I ever needed a job to come see her. She runs a day care there, and I’ve done that kind of work in the past.” No need to mention it was far in the past.

  “You have her number?”

  She nodded and dug a slip of paper out of her purse. “I talked to her a month ago, and she knew I was thinking about coming.”

  “Your marriage must have been kind of sudden, then.”

  Gracie bit down on her lip nearly hard enough to draw blood. “It was.”What did he know of the desperation that had forced her to try to build a better life for her daughter?

  Michael dug out his cell phone and punched in the number. Gracie’s nails bit into her palms as she waited.

  “Dan, hi.This is Michael Wayne.Yeah, I figured you’d heard I was heading home.That kind of news travels fast in Bluebird. Listen, could I talk to your mom a second?” His face sobered. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.What about her day care?”

  Gracie’s stomach clenched, and she thought she might throw up. Something bad had happened. She could see it on the handsome soldier’s face. Lifting her bottle of water, she took a gulp of it and nearly choked.

  “Talk to you soon, Dan. I’m sure sorry.” Michael closed his phone. “Edna had a stroke two weeks ago. She’s in a nursing home and not expected to recover.”

  “Oh no!” Gracie had looked up to the older woman as a safe haven. Her eyes burned.What was she going to do?

  “The day care has been turned over to one of her employees, who just hired her sister to help with the workload. I don’t think you’re going to find a job there.”

  She swallowed hard. “I see,” she said, her voice quivering.

  Michael’s kind eyes studied her face. “You’ve worked with kids awhile?”

  She nodded. “I love kids.” She hesitated. “I should tell you it’s been about two years. I thought Edna would give me a chance, though.”

  He chewed on his lip, picked up his soda, then put it down without taking a sip. She noticed there was no ring on his left hand. “My ex-wife died two weeks ago, and I’ve got two kids to raise,” he said. “I’m going to need to hire a nanny or something.”

  “I could do that,” she said quickly. “I know you don’t really know me, but I have excellent references, both in my current job and at the day care where I worked.”

  He nodded. “For tonight, let’s get to Bluebird. I’ll call your references tomorrow, and we’ll decide if the idea will work out. I gotta warn you, though, I live in the wilds of the Big Bend area. No city life.”

  “I’m okay with that,” she said. At least Hope would have a bed to sleep in.

  He nodded. “I’d better explain a few things. I’m renting a house, sight unseen, outside Bluebird.You’ve never been to the area before, have you?”

  “No, but Edna told me about it.”

 
; “We’re near the Rio Grande and very isolated. Big Bend National Park is a few miles away, but don’t let that fool you.You’ll likely see more tarantulas than people.”

  She suppressed a shudder and hoped he didn’t notice. “I-I can handle that.”

  “I’ll be working for the Border Patrol, and I’ll be gone a lot.”

  Border Patrol, just like Cid. She’d landed right in another hornet’s nest. Her initial trust of this man faded.“We’ll be living in your house?”

  He nodded. “I’m told the place is big but rundown. I’ll do the best I can to fix up an apartment for you and Hope, though.The owners have said I can do anything I want there. If you had a car, I suppose you could rent a place in town, but I doubt you’ll find much available.”

  Every instinct shouted for her to run. But where could she run to with no money? Hope would be hungry again in a few hours, and Gracie couldn’t even buy her another apple.Without this offer, she’d have to seek out a shelter to provide a bed for Hope tonight.

  She tipped her chin up. “Would I have a lock on our door?”

  His blue eyes widened, but he nodded. “Sure, if that will make you feel safer. I’m a pretty decent fellow, though.”

  “Tell me about your children.”

  His smile came, full of pride. “I’ve got one of each. Jordan is eight, and Evan is six.”

  Gracie smiled.“You must have missed them terribly.” She squeezed her daughter’s hand. “I’d be lost without my Hope.”

  “I haven’t seen them in four months, but I talk to them on the phone every week.”

  “I’m sure they waited for your calls.”

  “I made arrangements to get back from Iraq as fast as I could when their mother died.”

  “When did you say that was?”

  “Two weeks ago.”

  “You didn’t waste any time.Was it hard to get leave?”

  He shook his head. “I’m on a special task force to aid the Border Patrol for the next couple of months, then I’ll need to go for training before starting a permanent job with them.”

  “How long will your training be?” she asked, calculating things in her head.This job might work out for longer than she dared to hope.

  “Fifty days. The kids aren’t allowed to go with me, so I’ll need someone dependable to care for them full-time.”

  She studied his expression and saw the concern for his children in his eyes. It did much to endear him to her. “Who has cared for the children since their mother died?”

  “A neighbor, Allie Bailey, has taken charge of them. I’ve met Rick but not Allie.”

  “They live close by?”

  He nodded. “They own Bluebird Youth Ranch.They rescue horses and match them up with inner-city kids who have been abused.”

  Gracie leaned forward. “How wonderful! I’d like to see that.”

  “They’re the next ranch over. The folks are neighborly, so you’ll see lots of them, I’m sure. If we decide you can handle the job, that is.” His tone warned her to assume nothing.

  If. She had to get the job. “I promise to take very good care of your children.”

  “Just love them and make them mind,” he said. “I don’t think they got much love or discipline from Kate.” He put emphasis on discipline.

  “I can handle them.”

  A muscle bulged in his jaw. “I suspect they’ll be a handful.”

  “How long were you divorced?” Not her business. She wished she could have called back the words.

  “Three years.” He pushed back from the table. “We’d best be going. Rick is probably out there looking for me.”

  “You didn’t eat your sandwich,” Gracie said.

  “I’m not hungry.” He scooped the debris from the table and deposited it into the trash bin.

  Gracie winced at the waste.Taking Hope’s hand, she followed him outside. The bright sunlight made her blink, and she coughed at the hot scent of asphalt. Her throat was raw and sore. She couldn’t afford to get sick and started to fish in her purse for some zinc drops until she remembered she didn’t have any.And no money to buy more. She and Hope had nothing but the clothes on their backs.

  Michael glanced at her. “I think you need something else to wear. The last thing we need is the gossip that’s sure to follow you if you arrive in that getup.”

  “I-I don’t have money to buy anything.”

  “A pair of jeans and a T-shirt will hardly break me.” He nodded to a women’s shop. “Pick out what you need.”

  Warmth spread through Gracie’s chest. “I’ll pay you back,” she promised.

  “Jordan will have something to fit Hope, I think,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “Get a move on. Rick will be here any minute.” He handed her a credit card.

  The plastic was still warm from his body. Just like his soul. She’d never met such a generous man. “I’ll be right back.”

  The clerk eyed her but said nothing as she and Hope browsed the racks. It took Gracie no time to find an inexpensive pair of jeans, a pink T-shirt, and a dollar pair of flip-flops. She slipped into the dressing room. She tore the soiled dress from her body and kicked it away. The stains on the wedding dress matched the ones on her soul. The dress held too many reminders of the shambles she’d made of her life. If she had scissors, she’d cut it up.

  The clothes fit fine. She removed the tags and carried them out to the clerk and handed over the credit card. She stuffed the dress in the garbage on the way out.

  THE STRAINS OF THE OLD SONS OF THE PIONEERS SONG “COOL WATER” played on the radio. Gracie rode along the nearly empty ribbon of I-10 in the backseat of the big crew cab truck. The sound waves carried music to her ears and the scent of seawater to her nose. She wasn’t thirsty, but the thought of a shower was more appealing than she ever would have imagined. She longed for crisp, white sheets smelling of soap and sunshine, and a pillow deep enough to bury her worries.

  Hope had fallen asleep an hour ago, and Gracie’s shoulder cramped from the weight of her child’s head. She didn’t dare move. Her daughter might awaken and sense her mother’s thoughts that maybe, just maybe, she’d made the wrong decision. Alpine was about an hour and a half from Bluebird Crossing, Michael had said, so they should be there soon.The sun crept closer to the horizon with every minute, and it would be dark soon with only the stars for light. No street lamps out here. No people to call to for help either. No shelters, no government agencies. Just endless cactus and mesquite trees.

  At least they were safe in this vast area, and Cid would have trouble finding her. At least that’s what she told herself as she rested her hot forehead against the cool glass of her window.The rumble of the men’s voices could lull her to sleep if she let them. She’d immediately been drawn to the stocky man with the voice that looked like red rocks. Michael had introduced him as Rick Bailey, then the two men talked about ranching and horses for the duration of the trip.The subject left her with nothing to say.

  “How much farther?” she asked, glancing at her watch. Nearly seven.

  Michael twisted in the passenger seat to glance at her. “Another fifteen minutes or so. Need a break?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Though her bladder felt as though it might burst, she wasn’t desperate enough to search out the nearest cactus. She didn’t want to be a bother to anyone. Craning her neck, she stared out at the same landscape she’d been staring at for hours: blue mountains rising in the distance, arid sand, and a bowl of sky that made her feel insignificant.

  And alone.

  “Having second thoughts?” Michael asked, facing forward again.

  She spared a glance at the back of his head. His brown hair was as clipped as his speech. Neat, regimented, and conveying high expectations. She’d earn every penny she received from this man. Her glance went to her daughter’s soft curls. Gracie didn’t have the luxury of pride. Not anymore.

  “I’m not having second thoughts,” she said, struggling to control the slight tremble in her voice.

&
nbsp; “So that vibration back there wasn’t panic?”

  She saw the grin when he turned to face her again. Maybe he wasn’t as uptight as he seemed. “Maybe a little. When you said we’d be out in the boonies, you weren’t kidding.You’re sure there’s a town out here somewhere?”

  “If you can call Bluebird Crossing a town,” Rick said. “I’d call it a wide spot in the road.”

  “Not even a Wal-Mart?”

  Michael hooted. “Not even a convenience store. Just a two-pump gas station, a general store that sells groceries along with hardware, and a couple of cafés. Blink and you’ll miss it.”

  She thought she saw the dim glow of lights in the distance. “Is that it?”

  “That’s my place, Bluebird Youth Ranch,” Rick said. “We’re not stopping there, though. Allie has Michael’s house ready. She’s waiting there with the kids.”

  “I can’t wait to see my kids,” Michael said, his voice eager.

  “Allie wanted to tell them you were coming, but she knew they’d want to come with me, and we didn’t want to subject them to the three-hour trip, plus the wait.”

  “Evan isn’t the most patient kid either,” Michael said.

  “There’s that,” Rick agreed.

  A handful, Gracie decided. “What about Jordan?” she asked.

  “She collects insects,” Michael said. “And snakes.”

  “Aren’t there poisonous ones around here?”

  “Yep, so be prepared.” Michael’s grin flashed again. The truck slowed, then passed the driveway. A wooden sign hanging over the entrance proclaimed the ranch to be Bluebird Youth Ranch.

  “So you rescue horses?” Gracie asked. She spotted a swaybacked reddish horse on the other side of the fence.

  “Yeah,” Rick said.

  The truck accelerated along the dark road. As they left the security lights of the Bluebird Ranch behind them, darkness hid the hills again. Something howled, and she hugged herself. It had been years since she’d heard a coyote. The blackness sent a deeper chill through her, and she wished she had a sweater.

  A wink of light grew brighter in the distance. “There’s your place,” Rick said. “Shannon MacGowan owns it.”