With This Promise (Windswept Bay Book 7)

by Debra Clopton

  “So do you think you’ll go back home?”

  “Yesterday, I would have said no. Today, I’m not sure. I was trying to stand on my own, away from my overprotective dad and my brothers as much as to get away from the breakup fiasco. I grew tired of them trying to tell me how to live my life. They did it out of love but it just kind of drove me crazy. But now my dad…”Her words faded out and she looked out the window.

  He heard the tears in her voice and glimpsed them in her eyes before she turned away. He didn’t like to see her hurting. There was something deep going on here, he sensed it.

  In the short time he had known her, Cam got the feeling Lana was one to cry easily and she didn’t like anyone knowing she did. There was a softness to Lana that she tried to hide.

  “You have to spread your wings at some point.” He hoped it helped her feel better. Right now, with her dad so sick, he was unsure how to help her. “You have to find your own way and sometimes that means getting away. I did it.”

  “Really? You left to get away?”

  “A little. I wanted to make it on my own. I’m geared that way. But there was no drama about me moving away, though. My family always knew I would go to Texas. Owning a ranch there with horses and cattle had always been my dream so I went looking for a job there as soon as I was old enough.”

  Her shoulders drooped and her eyes were troubled. He wanted to reach over and give her a hug.

  “I didn’t tell you how upset my dad was, is over my leaving. He’s really obstinate, he doesn’t understand.”

  “Why is that? Was he trying to hold you back? Did he not think you could make it?”He was watching the road and heard her sigh. He glanced at her and she grimaced.

  “Maybe. But mostly I think he just wants me near him. But the pressure of my family always trying to tell me what to do gets old.”

  “Sounds like you had good reasons for leaving. You can’t second-guess yourself.”

  “Yeah,” she said, not sounding convinced. “Maybe. But now this…”

  Cam couldn’t help himself; he reached out and placed a hand on her forearm. “It’s going to be okay, Lana. You need to give yourself some grace and some space and stop being so hard on yourself. I’m telling you, your dad will understand eventually. You’re his baby girl and I’m pretty sure when you turn those pretty eyes of yours on him, there is not one thing that he wouldn’t do to bring a smile to your face.”

  Her eyes widened a little bit and dug into his heartstrings all the more.

  “You do have a way with words, Cam Sinclair.”

  He grinned. “I always try to be of help.”

  She laughed, a lighter laugh this time, and a band squeezed around his heart.

  “You brighten my day. Made me think of my dad. He does like to make me smile. Always says it’s like a ray of sunshine.”

  “That’s a perfect description,” he said, before he caught himself.

  But it was true. When she turned the full wattage on in that smile, it could very possibly melt him into a puddle. She probably didn’t even know how powerful that smile of hers could be.

  And maybe it was just the effect it had on him…

  They drove for several miles without saying much. Lana wasn’t sure whether Cam was deep in thought or just trying to give her some space, but the silence wasn’t good for her mind. She kept thinking of her dad, lying in his hospital bed, alive, but she knew him and he was probably thinking about mortality right now. Thinking about how he could have died. And he was probably wondering how long he had to live.

  She was.

  Those thoughts were not soothing or helpful and they just made her want to scream. She needed to be there with him. To comfort him. To talk to him.

  When she managed not to think about her dad, her thoughts shifted to the cowboy driving the truck beside her. Cam made her feel nervous, not get-on-an-airplane-sick kind of nervous but a jittery, nice kind of nervous. But every time he turned those penetrating blue eyes on her, she felt weak in the knees. Then she would reprimand herself for losing focus and go back to thinking about her dad. It was an odd merry-go-round of thoughts.

  “So, I can’t stand not talking. It’s driving me batty, thinking about my dad and everything. So, tell me what’s your favorite thing about the ranch…horses—are you a cutting horse man or is it the cattle you like? Or just like having the land?”

  That toe-tingling smile came instantly to his lips. Her knees went weak. And there were butterflies, lots of butterflies. He did have an effect on her like none other ever had…even Dave.

  “All of the above. I am a complete rancher cowboy. I love being on the land. I love taking my horse out on an early morning ride and seeing the sunrise over the horizon as I ride across the ranch. I love seeing my cattle taken care of. I like watching the mamas and then seeing the babies born, and the colts.”

  “I know you started riding at Bess’s place but how did it all start, this infatuation?”

  “Do you like old Westerns?”

  “Very much.”

  “Me too. When I was a kid, I watched old movies with my grandpa. You know, John Wayne in The Cowboys was our favorite. When he had to hire on all those school boys because the men were all gone, I remember I was little bitty watching that movie but I wanted to be one of those little boys he chose to go on that cattle drive.”

  She laughed, visualizing him as a serious little boy watching that movie.

  “I wanted to be that rough, tough cowboy like him. It never wore off.”

  Lana chuckled. “So are you a rough, tough cowboy?”

  He laughed now. “I get the job done.”

  She liked watching him speak about the ranch. His face grew animated and he spoke with his hands when he could. And when he really meant something, his brows dipped in the center and his eyes sparked with life. It was enough to make a girl…fall in love?

  The thought startled her. Blindsided her was more like it.

  She hardly knew the man. She wasn’t falling in love. She’d been there, done that. But he did have an effect on her and there was absolutely no sense denying that the man had a way.

  “So you liked those movies set back in the Old West. Do you think that you would have rather lived back then, in those days?” She was really interested. She knew cowboys who did wish they’d been born back in the 1800s,deep in cowboy time. Not her.

  “I know you expect me to say yes but the answer is no. I enjoy the conveniences of life. I enjoy the ability to see more country. Back then, it was really hard to see more country because it took so long to get there on horseback. I don’t relish the idea of fighting Indians and I like hot showers a lot.” He laughed. “I’m not a wimp but I like to go to bed clean, without having had to bathe in a stream. I like cattle drives that last no more than maybe two nights. Does all that surprise you?”

  “A little. You seem so determined to get to Texas I guess I expected you to want to live back in the cowboy days. But I’m with you. I might be a cowgirl today but I like conveniences also. We have a lot in common.”

  “Yes we do,” he drawled.

  “My dad will like you. My brothers too. They are the same way, except my brother Vance. I think he would be a throwback. Before he hit the rodeo circuit hard, he took the winter and actually went north to work on a ranch in Montana. It was almost like living back in the 1800s because he was on a vast ranch in a tiny shack watching over a portion of the ranch through the winter.”

  “Yeah, that’s rough. I have friends who have ranches up there and I’ve visited. Gorgeous in a different way from Texas, but beautiful. If he chose to go in the winter, he was looking for some hardship.”He chuckled and shook his head.

  “Yes, he was looking for a challenge. That’s Vance. It’s why he’s chasing the NFR every year. Him and a bronc fighting it out in the arena suits him.”

  “It sounds like it.”

  The miles seemed to speed by as they opened up about their love of the ranch life. Lana had been trying t
o deny that she missed it but she did. In many ways, at least. Others, not so much.

  Chapter Nine

  They were traveling on the stretch of Florida that really had no view, just trees on both sides of the highway. Normally, a boring and endless stretch. Thankfully they’d been talking and it didn’t seem so boring and endless with Cam at the wheel.

  “Okay, is it time for a pit stop?” Cam asked.

  “Yes, you read my mind. I could use a stretch of my legs and the ladies’ room would be awesome. How did you know?”

  “I was raised with four sisters.”

  “Oh yes. And I was raised with five brothers. They can drive for hours and hours without stopping.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I’ll take better care of you.”

  He took the exit and they pulled into the large, nice-looking truck stop area with a grassy section. He pulled the truck and trailer up to a gas pump. They walked to the back of the trailer to check on the horses. She peered through the rails and was happy to see that the mom and her baby were fine.

  “Hey, little fella.” She rubbed his neck when he moved to stand beside her. “You’re a born traveler.” The colt bucked his head back and then dropped his chin, as if to agree with her. She laughed. “Okay, I need to head inside. But I’ll be back.”

  The colt whinnied and clawed his hoof on the wooden floor of the trailer. The mom looked on with pride.

  Cam looked at the sky. “We might get into some bad weather. You go ahead. I’m going to fill up with gas and check the reports and then I’ll be in.”

  “It is looking dark up there.” Lana cringed. “I know you’d planned on leaving in the morning. You probably already knew there was going to be bad weather when you said you would carry me. I hope I haven’t caused a problem.”

  “I’ve driven through bad weather before with horses and a trailer so I can do this. I didn’t see any tornado warnings. You go ahead inside and it will be fine.”

  She still couldn’t help but worry. He was a capable driver and she trusted him. She’d driven through her share of storms with livestock so she knew that it wasn’t an uncommon thing to do. But she felt responsible.

  A few minutes later, after she had been to the ladies’ room and grabbed a cup of coffee and a bag of chocolate to share on the road, she headed back outside.

  She was crossing the parking lot when she saw an older man and an older lady getting into their car sitting in the handicap zone. The lady seemed to be having a little bit of trouble as the man gently helped ease her down into the passenger seat.

  Lana paused. “Do you need any help?”

  The man smiled at her. “We’re fine but thank you for asking. My wife just has a bad back but she can do it.”

  The lady smiled at her and managed in that moment to sit. “Yes, I fell the other day and I messed my back up. I’ll be fine soon. But getting in and out of the car is a hard thing to do right now. Thank you for offering to help. Are those your horses? We saw you get out of the truck as we were getting gas.”

  “No, ma’am, they’re my friend’s. He’s taking them home to his ranch. In Texas.”

  “We’re headed just across the border in Texas. It’s a long drive.”

  “And bad weather is coming so y’all need to be safe.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, take care.” Lana moved toward the truck and trailer and watched the car pull out onto the road and then turn to get on the highway.

  She hoped they got to their hotel soon and got out of the weather that was coming.

  She smiled when she saw Cam come out of the store behind her. He’d come in while she’d been at the counter paying for her snacks. He carried his own cup of coffee.

  He smiled at her and she had to admit that he brightened up her day.

  Cam had been at the counter paying and saw through the window as Lana had talked with the older couple. He felt protective over her. He wasn’t going to tell her that but he could see why her brothers and her dad wanted to protect her. Despite the fact that she was very much an independent woman, she was still a woman. Not that she was helpless; he had a feeling that if she got mad, she was probably a firecracker. Still, that wouldn’t stop her family from trying to protect her and it wouldn’t stop him from trying to protect her. She was a good person, it was easy to see.

  He watched her hair swinging in motion with the gentle sway of her hips. He had thought the attraction he felt toward her would ease up. After all, she didn’t want to move back to Texas and there was no use being attracted to someone who didn’t want to live where he did. But it was a losing battle because there was definitely a strong and growing attraction.

  She reached the truck and turned to lean against it.

  “I would have gotten you some coffee if you’d asked,” she said. “I should have asked you, though. I did get us a snack.” She held up a good-sized bag of chocolate-covered peanuts.

  “Now that looks like something I could do some damage to.”

  She grinned. “Me too. I don’t know why travel always makes me want to snack on something.”

  “I’m not going to complain.”

  “You’re my kind of man.” She reached for the bag and suddenly her head came up. “I mean, I’m glad you like chocolate.”

  He chuckled, enjoying the rose tinge she’d turned.

  “This will last till supper,” she added.

  He let her remark slide, feeling she wouldn’t want him to tease her about being her kind of man. But he liked the idea.

  “We’ll stop for dinner a little farther down the road. If that’s okay.”

  “I agree.”

  Within minutes, they were back on the road. She ripped open the container of peanuts, reached in, took out one small piece and held the bag out to him. “Grab a handful—they’re delicious.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” He held his hand out and she poured a good portion into his palm. He immediately popped a few into his mouth. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”

  She laughed. “You know you love them.”

  “Okay, I love them.” He smiled and held his hand out for more.

  They ate their way down the highway, enjoying the ease that had settled between them. In the distance, the storm clouds grew darker. He knew it wouldn’t be long before they were right in the middle of it.

  “What made you want to be a teacher?” he asked.

  “I like kids and want to be involved in educating them. And, there is a personal reason, too, because I like the idea of having summers off with my own children eventually. Since my mom died when I was born, I didn’t have a mother growing up. I want to be able to be home with my kids as much as possible.”

  Cam officially joined the Lana Presley fan club in that moment. “I like your way of thinking. I’m sorry you lost your mother. I know that was hard on you. I don’t know what I’d do if I hadn’t had my mom.”

  “As a little girl, I would pretend that I was like other little girls and that my mother was alive. She was like my invisible friend.”

  Cam got a lump in his throat at her words. It was incredibly sad to imagine her with her invisible friend. “People cope in many different ways—that’s a sad way for you to cope.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder, wanting to comfort her in some way. “I hope you have a house full of kids for yourself and you get to experience being a mom.”

  “Thank you,” she said, softly meeting his gaze before he focused on the road. “I hope for a house full too.” She laughed as his gaze swung back to her. Her eyes twinkled.“I hope I have a few girls with a few boys.”

  He laughed. “Well, even if you have five sons and one daughter, your daughter will have you.”

  “God willing, yes, she will. And she will also have her brothers. My brothers were great—overprotective, it’s true—but I’d give anything for any one of them. They’re wonderful.”

  “They obviously care for you. Which I have to admit is easy to do. You make me want to protect you…so
I understand where they’re coming from.” He glanced back at her, unsure how she would take the truth.

  “You’ve quickly become a great friend to me, Cam. I’ve told you so much about my life and I’m not usually so chatty about my personal business. But I’ve told you.”

  “I’m glad you felt comfortable talking to me. I hope you’re telling me this because you trust me. I can be trusted. I’m sure after what you just went through, trust is something you have trouble with.”

  “Oh wise one. You’re right. I struggle with trust issues. So much so that I haven’t started dating. Which is odd since I had no trouble telling Jessica she needed to get back into the dating pool when Levi came along. I had no problem telling her to trust.”

  “Hey, we are talking about Levi. What’s not to trust about my brother? If he can’t be trusted, no one can.”

  “True. But when you’ve been hurt, it’s hard to get your heart to believe it. But you trust me?”Her lips curved upward. “We aren’t talking about the dating pool but about a friend helping a friend out by giving her a ride home.”

  “You’re talking about that. I’m talking about that too, but I’m also hoping for the possibility of a date.”

  “Oh.”She stared at him in disbelief. “Really…”

  The heavens opened up in that moment, making continuing the conversation difficult for now. But there was no way he was abandoning it. Storm or no storm, he was going to pursue getting Lana to agree to give him a chance at a date.

  Lightning lit up the sky and almost instantly thunder cracked, shaking the truck.

  Lana knew they were in for a ride but Cam had both hands on the wheel and had slowed his speed. It was easy to tell that he had driven through all kinds of weather pulling a trailer.