by Deb Kastner
But now was not the time to question the wisdom of his own actions.
“This young man—Thomas. He knows about the baby?”
Kaylie pinched her lips. “I texted him and told him I was pregnant. He said he’s not the father, that he wants nothing to do with me or the baby.”
Cole had to bite his lip to keep from commenting on what she’d said. Only in this day and age would a kid send information as important as telling a young man he was going to be a father through a text message. Texting was too impersonal—and so much easier to simply ignore and hope it would go away. That’s not how it would be if Cole got in this kid’s face. He was already imagining what he’d do to the irresponsible young man. First he’d grab him by the collar and then—
“Thomas is the father,” Kaylie repeated, her voice shaky but resolute. “He’s the only guy I’ve ever—” Her sentence skidded to an awkward halt as heat suffused her face. “I thought we were in love,” she concluded miserably. She shivered despite the heat of the day.
“I’m sorry for that. Men can be real jerks sometimes. I know things don’t always work out the way we’d like them to, and this whole thing might seem impossible to you right now, but I believe God has our backs, even during the worst of it.”
“Yeah?” She sounded as if she desperately wanted to believe Cole’s words.
“Yes. God’s gotten me through more than a few moments like these in my own life. I know He’ll do the same for you.”
“Maybe,” Kaylie conceded. “I’d never been to church, at least not until I came to Redemption Ranch. I’m still learning about God. I’d like that to be true, though—to believe that there’s Someone up there looking out for me. That’s what Tessa says.”
Cole tried to force a smile through the tension coursing through him. “She’s right. You should listen to her. She explains things a lot better than I do. And please—I hope you’ll at least consider talking to her about all this. I know I’ve already said this, but I truly believe she can help you.”
Kaylie shook her head vehemently and seemed to withdraw into herself, and Cole wondered if by his suggestion he’d just undone what little good he’d been able to do for her. He might have broken that thin line of trust forming between them.
“At least let me take you back to the ranch,” he insisted. He still wasn’t clear on what he should or could do for her, but the one thing he did know was that Kaylie shouldn’t have been wandering about the ranch on her own. She could have gotten lost, or injured, or bitten by a rattlesnake. “You can ride Checkers. I’ll lead.”
She nodded and allowed him to help her onto the back of the horse.
“Why do you call him Checkers?” she asked as he adjusted the stirrups to fit the length of her legs. “Those are spots on his back, not squares.”
Cole chuckled, though it didn’t reach his aching heart. “Checkers is short for Spot Check. It’s a military term.”
“You were in the military?” She sniffled and wiped her wet cheek with the back of her hand.
“Navy,” he answered, pulling the reins over Checkers’s ears. “Although I’ve had Checkers for longer than that. Since I was in high school, actually.”
In one way, he was relieved that the conversation had segued into something less personal, but at the same time, he felt as if maybe he ought to continue pressing Kaylie for every last bit of useful information he could, not that anything he might learn at this point would help him assist her in any way.
The hard truth was, no amount of information was going to do him any good. Not unless he could somehow find the answer to the one question that kept echoing repeatedly in his mind—
What would Tessa do?
Chapter Seven
That Friday, Tessa led the teenagers into the community center to practice the music for the June BBQ. The actual performance would take place on a similar platform built on the town green, but for now, Tessa wanted to keep their rehearsals out of the public eye. It was supposed to be a surprise performance. She didn’t want to give away their secret too early.
After much prayer, she’d wrapped her mind around facilitating the teenagers’ musical number herself, and although she knew she would be wrestling with a number of old memories, she imagined the exercise would be good for the young people, giving them the opportunity to work together on something positive. Most of them didn’t have that in their lives, didn’t have close families who supported and guided them. That was often why they got into trouble in the first place. In the case of some of the kids who came from the well-to-do homes, they were given nearly everything in their lives without any work on their part at all, and with those advantages came a misplaced sense of entitlement.
They wouldn’t find that here. This production was just for fun and they’d benefit from a welcoming audience, but they’d have to practice and earn the community praise she knew would be forthcoming. No matter what backgrounds they might have come from, Tessa treated every one of them with the same love and respect.
She had arranged six microphone stands across the front of the stage, imagining she could split the young people into couples and work out whatever manner of choreography she could manage to coax from them. She didn’t have high hopes on that one. It was all she was going to be able to do to get them to sing, never mind put dance steps to the music.
At least the girls all knew and appeared to appreciate her choice of a popular country song. She didn’t know a thing about the guys’ taste in music, but she assumed it probably wasn’t too different from the girls’.
“All right, everyone, let’s line up here in the front, please,” she called, pointing across the stage. “Those stands you see in front of you will have live microphones on them the day of the performance, so I’m going to pair you all up, a girl and a boy on each mic.”
The girls giggled. The guys catcalled.
This would certainly be easier if Cole was around to lend a hand, but Tessa had no expectations of him showing up anytime soon.
“And just so you know, I’ll be teaching you a simple dance to go along with the song.”
Her announcement was followed with some not entirely unexpected groans, mostly from the boys. Five of the girls were huddled together, probably whispering about which boy they wanted to be paired with. Kaylie was included as part of that group but was unusually quiet, staring off into the distance instead of gossiping with the other girls. That gave Tessa pause, but at the moment she was far more concerned with poor Whitley, who stood apart from all of the other kids, her arms tightly wrapped around her middle and her chin tucked close to her chest. Even though no one seemed to notice her in the background, her cheeks were infused with cherry red.
Tessa desperately wanted to help her, to close the gap between Whitley and the other girls, but she knew that would be difficult. It didn’t help that Whitley was clearly an introvert and that she came from a different background from the other kids in the group. She even dressed differently than the others, wearing a worn denim skirt and a ruffled shirt that would probably look more natural on someone closer to her grandmother’s age. Clothes Tessa imagined the girl had gotten from the bargain bin or secondhand store. They were nothing compared with the sporty designer clothes many of the other teenagers wore.
Giving Whitley any extra attention might backfire on Tessa and bring Whitley nothing but added misery, yet Tessa had a feeling the girl had often been passed over by others only because she didn’t put herself forward. She was a sweet girl, and today she was going to have the opportunity to shine, if Tessa had anything to say about it.
First, though, she needed to start with the basics. She’d given a lot of thought to the way she paired off the teenagers, but she knew there was no combination that would be universally approved.
“Whitley,” she said, pointing just to the left of center stage. “Why do
n’t you stand in front of this microphone. Matt, you’re going to be her partner.”
Matt wagged his hands at Tessa aggressively. “No way, man. I don’t do—” he paused and leered at Whitley suggestively “—country.”
“You’ll do what Ms. Applewhite tells you to do,” came Cole’s deep baritone from behind her. “And you’ll do it quickly and without another word. You got that?”
Surprise skittered up her spine, and her skin turned to gooseflesh. How long had Cole been standing there? And why was he here at all after the way he’d left things?
The last time she’d seen him, he’d given her the definite impression he didn’t want anything to do with her—or with the project.
And yet here he was, striding across the community center floor, Grayson in his car seat in one hand and a diaper bag over his shoulder. That might have lessened the impact of another man’s words, but somehow the fact that Cole carried his son with him didn’t detract from his rugged masculinity, or his authority with the teenagers and his innate ability to put them in awe of him.
His gaze narrowed on Matt, and the teenager’s jaw twitched with strain.
“Move it,” he said when Matt didn’t immediately comply with his demand. “And lose the attitude, mister.”
It wasn’t exactly the way Tessa would have handled it, but right now she had to admit she appreciated the good cop/bad cop support he was giving her, even if she didn’t know why he’d suddenly decided to help.
Matt reluctantly took his place beside Whitley. Cole turned to Tessa. The leaden smile on his lips didn’t reach his eyes.
That answered one question, apparently. He wasn’t over whatever had set him off the other day and made him leave in such a tizzy. But he was here now, and this was work, so with a great deal of internal effort, she put her own personal feelings aside.
“Did you decide on a musical selection?” Cole asked in an offhanded way.
Seriously? He managed to raise her dander with a single well-placed question. She jerked her chin affirmatively and sent him a look that said everything she wasn’t able to say out loud.
Yes, she had chosen music—no thanks to him.
He evidently read the message loud and clear, because a flash of guilt zipped through his gaze before he shrugged what to Tessa was a pathetic attempt at an apology. But she supposed it would have to do. For now.
“Why don’t I pass out the sheet music to everyone?” he suggested. “I know we didn’t talk about this at our meeting, but are you going to accompany them on the piano?”
Accompany would be a bit of a stretch on her best day. She could pick out the notes of a tune on a piano and that was about it. She’d always wanted to play. She’d even started taking lessons her senior year of high school, but she hadn’t had the time or money to keep going once she was in college.
Not that he would know that. He was long gone out of her life by then. So, no, she wasn’t going to accompany the kids on the piano.
“I brought backup tracks,” she said, pointing to the portable CD player she’d toted along with her. “It’s a familiar song. I think all the kids know it, or at least the refrain.”
Cole nodded. “Harmony?”
“I’ve worked out a little bit near the end. Mostly it’s just back and forth between the guys and girls. Let’s listen.” She turned on the stereo.
“Y’all know the refrain to this song, right?” Since she’d already talked to the girls about the piece, her question was mostly directed toward the guys. She was relieved when they all nodded. Maybe this would be easier than she’d originally imagined, with or without Cole’s help.
“First verse, girls. Second verse, guys. I thought we might use a solo for the bridge.”
Cole’s eyebrows rose and one side of his lips kicked up in a crooked grin. His glittering gaze made her stomach flutter. “In English, please, for those of us who aren’t musically inclined. When did we start talking about Star Trek?”
His remark had everyone laughing, including Tessa, though she would rather have been immune to the chemistry between them. Even Whitley cracked a timid smile.
“That would be Sulu, not solo, you moron,” she teased. “And the only Enterprise we’ll be experiencing is the one where we learn the music and choreography.”
She took advantage of the light moment to put her plan into action. She inhaled a deep, calming breath, hoping she was making the right decision. Her next words could either break Whitley out of her shell or seal her off forever.
Tessa knew that with certainty, for she had once been a girl like Whitley. Leaning toward the shy side. Acting withdrawn, because with a mother in the military, she’d never stayed very long in one place, never made any close friends.
Until she’d found music. Or rather, until music had found her. The spotlight hadn’t seemed quite so glaring when she was singing and lost in whatever character she was portraying.
Tessa had heard Whitley singing to herself when she thought no one was around. The girl had some serious skills. Tessa only hoped her peers thought so. It might be the break Whitley needed, just as it had been for Tessa.
“I’ll explain more as we go along about what a bridge is within a song, but, Whitley, can I count on you for the solo?”
The teenager’s huge brown eyes grew even wider, and she took a giant step backward, shaking her head and waving her hands in dismay.
Tessa smiled, hoping to encourage her to take a chance, to put herself out there just this once. “Let’s just see how it goes, shall we? Whitley, you don’t have to decide right this second. For the time being, let’s focus on the refrain, which we will all be singing together.”
She changed the track to the accompaniment without words and sang the first verse for the teenagers while they all listened. Singing was Tessa’s sweet spot, and she didn’t feel uncomfortable or embarrassed—at least until she glanced Cole’s direction, intending to signal for him to make sure the teenagers knew when they should join in.
Her gaze met and locked with Cole’s. His blue eyes warmed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. For what felt like a lifetime but was probably only a matter of seconds, everything around them faded away. Though the music was still playing and she was still singing, she could no longer hear the background noise—her heart was roaring with music all its own.
She stumbled over the last words of the verse and the moment shattered. Cole effortlessly picked up the melody where she’d left off, his smooth baritone filling the community center with warmth.
She’d missed hearing his singing voice. Despite denying his musical ability, the man had it in spades. He was a natural.
It was how they’d first met. She wondered if he remembered.
“Everyone join in, please,” she encouraged the teens when she remembered she and Cole had a captive audience. The girls started singing, quietly at first and then bolder as the refrain went on. Tessa could even pick out Whitley’s lovely soprano in the mix. One of the guys also started singing but quickly cut himself off when he realized that none of the other boys had bothered.
Cole waved at her to stop the music.
“What’s the deal, fellows? The girls all understood what they were supposed to be doing, but not one of you guys did? You’re making me look bad. We’re all singing the refrain together. All of us,” he reiterated in a voice Tessa was certain had worked remarkably well in his career in the navy. It had a significant effect on the teenagers.
He definitely had the boys’ attention, but their second attempt with the chorus yielded little success and no male voices other than Cole’s. The guys looked as if they wanted to squirm right out of their skins.
“Out of your comfort zones, are you?” Cole said, evidently having picked up on the same vibe.
“I don’t see why we have to do this,” Matt complai
ned. The other guys nodded in agreement. “I can’t sing.”
“No? Have you ever tried? Show of hands, here. Who sings in the shower? In the car? Be honest now.”
One by one the teenagers raised their hands until only Matt held back, his fists jammed into the front pockets of his baggy jeans. Tessa had to give him points for maintaining his stubbornness.
“I’m a football player,” Matt explained when everyone’s eyes turned on him.
“So was I,” Cole replied. “But that isn’t a very good excuse. It’s not like football and singing are mutually exclusive.”
“It is where I come from.”
“I see.” Cole released a breath and gestured for the teens to be seated. “Sit down for a minute. I have a story to tell you.”
Grayson made a gurgling sound, and Tessa pulled him out of the car seat, rocking him gently as she waited to hear what Cole would share. She was at least as curious as the teenagers, maybe more so.
“Once upon a time,” he started, causing the girls to burst into a fit of giggles. He held up a hand and raised his eyebrows, a smile lining his face. “Once upon a time, I wasn’t the old codger you see in front of you now. When I was a senior in high school, I helped lead my football team to win the state finals.”
Matt’s gaze flashed with a sudden interest. Cole had the rest of the teenagers mesmerized, as well.
“I had friends. Lots of them. Guess you could say I ran with the in crowd. But there was one thing I didn’t have—something I really wanted.”
Grayson started babbling, and Tessa checked the diaper bag for a bottle. She should probably take the baby out of the room so he didn’t interrupt Cole’s story with his fussing, but she hesitated.
What had he wanted so desperately back then? What has she missed—not known about him?
When he paused, the only sound was Grayson rooting for the bottle. Cole grinned crookedly and winked at her.
