“We’re glad you’re home. And you must be Tessa.” She stuck out her hand. “We’ve heard a lot about you these past couple of weeks. I am Branch’s mother, Martha. Let me introduce you to the rest of the family. This is Branch’s father, Andrew, and his brothers, Justin and his wife, Lacy, and Darrin and his wife, Vicky.”
Her handshake was firm and her smile genuine, but her eyes said that she didn’t take shit from anyone, especially when it came to her family. She dropped Tessa’s hand and motioned for her and Branch to sit in the two empty chairs. Thank goodness, they were side by side or Tessa might have really turned tail and run.
“We are glad to meet you, Tessa, but Branch has never, ever called an executive meeting of the family, so forgive us if we are worried,” Andrew said.
“It’s my pleasure to meet y’all.” Tessa melted into a chair and was very glad that Branch took her hand in his when he sat down beside her.
Darrin nodded toward his brother. “Okay, little brother, speak your mind. You dragged me away from a backyard football game with my son and his friends.”
“And me from a Sunday afternoon nap and your mother from her garden club party. What’s going on?” Andrew said.
Branch sat down and told them the story of how Avery had shown up on the trip and again that morning. He left nothing out, not even the part that Frankie and Ivy had had in getting rid of her, or what she’d threatened an hour before.
“My God!” Vicky’s high-pitched voice echoed off the walls. “Even if it’s not true, it could ruin your reputation, Darrin.”
“And the firm would suffer.” Andrew pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you think she’ll really stir up that kind of stink?”
“I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t,” Branch answered.
“Well, then let’s nip this in the bud. No need in taking it to court when it can be solved beforehand.” Martha set a big black purse on the table and dug around in it until she found her cell phone. She flicked the screen several times before she hit an icon and then put the phone to her ear.
“Hello, Ramona, this is Martha Thomas,” she said, and there was a long pause.
“Ramona is Avery’s mama. She works at the library where Martha donates a lot of money and time,” Andrew told Tessa.
Martha held the phone out and pushed another icon, then laid it down on the table. “Ramona, I have put my phone on speaker and I want you to know that I have Andrew and all three of my sons right here with me. Also Branch’s girlfriend, Tessa, is here and my daughters-in-law, Lacy and Vicky.”
“Girlfriend? Branch’s girlfriend? Avery told me that she and Branch had worked things out and they were getting married within the month. Why would Branch have a girlfriend there?” Ramona asked.
Martha nodded toward Branch. “Tell her.”
“Ramona, this is Branch. Are you sitting down?”
“Of course I am. Is Avery all right? Has there been an accident?” Ramona’s voice sounded frantic.
Branch leaned in closer to the phone. “As far as I know she is fine.”
“I see her parking out in the front of the house right now. That scared me when you asked if I was sitting down.”
“I will talk fast.” Branch gave her a condensed version of the story he’d told his family, leaving out the part Frankie and Ivy had played in getting rid of Avery at the hotel.
“Mama, where are you? I’ve got wonderful news.” Avery’s voice filled the room the moment Branch finished telling the story.
“If you don’t mind putting your phone on speaker mode, I have something to say to Avery,” Martha said.
“What is going on, Mama?” Avery asked.
“Yes, Martha, I will put it on speaker, and I’m sorry for this. Believe me, it will be taken care of,” Ramona said.
“Who are you talking to?” Avery asked.
“She is talking to me,” Martha said. “And in case you don’t recognize my voice, this is Martha Thomas, Branch’s mama. And here’s the way things are about to play out. You are going to send that engagement ring on your finger to this office tomorrow. Don’t bring it. Send it by registered mail. You will not spread any rumors or we will not only sue you for defamation but see to it that you never find another job in any other firm in this state. And I will personally go before the state bar to press charges to have your license revoked. In short, Avery, you are going to leave us alone. Is that understood?”
“I’m pregnant and it belongs to one of your sons. I’ve been with all three,” Avery said bluntly.
Ramona’s voice raised an octave or two. “Avery Prescott, that baby belongs to your last boss and you know it. You cried about it and said he wouldn’t leave his wife and marry you but you intended to have the child. You told me that Branch loved you enough to overlook it,” Ramona said. “Martha, I assure you, this is over right now. The ring will come home tomorrow and you won’t hear from us again. Don’t you leave this house, Avery! We are going to have a talk right now.”
“Thank you, Ramona. Y’all have a nice day,” Martha said and ended the call.
Everyone at the table stared at her, slack jawed.
“What?” She shrugged. “If they’d let mothers run the government, we’d have far less wars and lots more peace. Now I’m going to my garden club party. If I drive fast, I can get there before that rotten Jules Smith eats up all the cheesecake. Come to dinner next Sunday, Tessa. We have a family dinner at our place once a month, and next Sunday is the day.”
“Thank you,” Tessa said.
“Nice meeting you,” Andrew said. “If I hurry I can catch a nap before Martha gets home from the party and wants to talk my ears off about the thing.”
“This place is intimidating,” Tessa said when they’d all left the room.
“Not as much as visiting your mama’s dance studio will be to me,” Branch said.
“I can’t believe your mama took care of that, just like that.” She snapped her fingers in the air.
Branch picked her up and set her in his lap. “You remind me of her.”
“You’d put your mama in your lap and kiss her neck?”
He chuckled. “Not in looks or in size, but in the fierce way you protect what you think of as yours. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ivy and Frankie aren’t still with us at Christmas, simply because you won’t let them go.”
“I hope you are right,” Tessa said. “You think we could go back to the ranch now and have supper? Anxiety makes me hungry, and after the shocks of this afternoon, I could probably eat a couple of hot dogs and a hamburger or two. Even your fancy black forest cake sounds good.”
“Right after I kiss you again and show you my office.”
It was well after four when they got back to the ranch and nearly five by the time Branch had the burgers and hot dogs grilled.
“I thought we could eat out here on the porch since it’s a beautiful fall day. I got everything ready to bring out. You can go on out to the picnic bench and have a seat.”
She put a finger on his lips. “I’m not here for you to wait on me. I know how to tote things from kitchen to deck and I will help. Besides, like I told you, I’m hungry, so if I help, then we can eat quicker.”
He brought out a cooler with beer and soft drinks. She carried plates and flatware in one hand and a bowl of potato salad in the other. On the second trip, he had a relish tray and she brought the ketchup, mustard, and mayo.
“See.” She pulled up a chair beside the table and reached for a hamburger bun. “Now we can eat quicker. And then I bet you have some chores to do. Can I help with those?”
“Do you just naturally fit in everywhere you go?” he asked.
“I told you about my maw-maw,” she said. “I’m not a delicate flower. Maybe a clumsy one, but I do know how to cook, clean, and help with farm chores. Maw-Maw made sure when I came in the summer that I could clean shrimp, scale fish, help butcher a cow, and get the fryers ready for the freezer. She said I might marry a poor man someday and
I’d need to know how to work.”
“Wow!” He leaned forward and propped his chin in his hand. “You keep surprising me. Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical dancing to start with. And I’m not sure I could ever master that knitting business, so I hope Lola doesn’t try to teach me after all. I love baby animals. Cats, dogs, calves, lambs, and ornery baby goats. I’m partial to kittens but we never could have them in the house because Daddy is allergic. I’m not sure about babies, as in the human type, because I’ve never been around very many, but I’m scared to death that I might have inherited Lola and Frankie’s genes and I won’t be a good mother. Anything else you want to know?”
“Do you take mustard or mayo?” He chuckled.
“Mustard on my burger, ketchup and relish on my hot dogs.”
He passed the ketchup across the table and flipped the top off a bottle of beer. “You can forget all about that idea of not being a good mother. Anyone as protective as you are and who loves baby animals will be a wonderful mother.”
Her heart did one of those fluttering things when she looked up and their eyes locked. “I hope so, because I’d like to have a whole yard full of kids someday.”
Cleaning up after supper took fifteen minutes. Feeding chores took thirty minutes, but they were gone from the house an hour because there was a litter of kittens in the barn and she had to cuddle each one and name all four before Branch could sweet-talk her back to the house for dessert and coffee.
The kitchen, living room, and dining room were all one big room divided by floor type and archways: a thick brown carpet covered the floor of the living area, the kitchen was brown tile, and the dining room hardwood. A hallway off the living room had several doorways, one leading into a bathroom where Branch told her that she could wash up. She caught a quick glimpse of a bed and a dresser behind the door where he disappeared.
The bathroom was tidy, with everything in place and the towels folded neatly over the racks. Neatness appealed to her, and she hummed as she washed her hands and checked her reflection in the mirror.
“Hello,” she muttered. “How do you like this place? Would you be happy here? Do you want to go back to New Iberia?”
The last question made her sad. She dropped the soap, and when she bent to get it, her foot got tangled up in the rug and she pitched forward, catching herself on the edge of the tub with both hands.
Was fate telling her that she would be happy here and not to think of going home? Was that why the clumsiness reappeared so quickly?
“Are you okay?” Branch tapped on the door. “I thought I heard a crash in there.”
“You did. Guess it takes more kisses when I’m stressed out,” she said. “But I’m fine.”
The door opened and he scooped her up in his arms. Instead of going down the hall, he carried her to his bedroom, laid her gently on the king-size bed, pulled her boots and socks off, and stretched out beside her. “What are we going to do about us, Tessa?”
“I guess we’re going to follow our hearts. That’s what Frankie said to do,” she whispered.
He pulled her toward him and tipped her chin up with his fist. “That’s not easy for either of us, is it?”
“No, but if we practice for a while it could get easier.”
Her phone rang and she checked the ID. “It’s Clint. He’ll call back later,” she murmured as she turned it off and dropped it on the floor. “You ready for practice? What is your heart saying?”
He slid off the bed, and she held her breath. She’d put herself out there, bared her soul to him, and now had done everything but tell him that she was willing to go to the next level, and he was leaving.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m following my heart.” He removed his phone from his hip pocket, turned it off, and laid it on the dresser, and then he shut the bedroom door with the heel of his boot.
“I often wondered what it would be like if we ever met again. It’s like we weren’t apart all these years.” Lola curled up on the opposite end of the sofa from Sophie.
Settled into the corner of the sofa in the living room with a glass of sweet tea in her hand, Sophie nodded. “Me, too, but then, we shared so much that year, didn’t we?” She looked at her watch. “Tessa said she’d be home at nine. Just how serious is this thing between them?”
“She looks at him like you did Derek. Do you still think he’s the best thing that ever happened to you?” Lola asked.
“It’s a tie between him and that precious baby girl you gave me,” Sophie answered. “I heard a vehicle drive up. She’s here!”
“Hellooooo . . . Where is everyone?” Tessa called out.
Lola raised her voice. “In the living room. Come on in here.”
Sophie patted the sofa between her and Lola. “Sit and tell us about Branch and his ranch. Did you have a good time?”
“It’s been an afternoon chock-full of surprises.” Tessa went on to tell them about Avery and Martha and everything that had happened.
“Kittens, huh?” Sophie smiled. “Seems like I remember a pretty boy with blue eyes named Skip Morton who liked the kittens that hung around the barn at the commune.”
“Guess she comes by it honest. I always wondered. He had the strangest blue eyes. It might have been that dark tan or his dark hair that made them stand out, but hers are the exact same color. Almost indescribable,” Lola said.
“Skip? Who are y’all talking about?” Tessa asked.
“Your biological father,” Lola said.
Tessa shrugged. “Oh, I guess I’d forgotten about that. Almost. Having two mothers was such a shock that I’d nearly forgotten that there was a father involved. Where is he?”
“He died when you were two years old, in a motorcycle wreck in California,” Lola said.
“How did you know that?” Sophie asked. “One of those other guys had blue eyes, too, so I never could decide until right now which one might be her father.”
Maybe she should feel something, anything at all, but she didn’t. Not relief or sadness or anything. It was as if Lola had told her that a stranger had been killed on the West Coast.
“I kept up with the four I’d been with that month, in case there was ever a medical problem with Tessa. All of them are gone now. Skip in that accident. Joe was killed in Afghanistan. He joined the army after he left the commune. And Billy Ray drank himself to death at an early age. And Mitch died early with a brain tumor.”
“And then there was Tommy,” Sophie said.
Lola nodded. “He was still alive last I knew. He was the boyfriend, Tessa. His mama moved to Conroe and he still comes to see her about once a year. He called after I’d been back about five years to ask for my forgiveness. Seems he’d gone into the ministry like his mama always wanted him to do and he was making amends for his past mistakes. Last I heard he was in Africa in the missionary work.”
“Life!” Sophie said. “It can sure have some twists and turns, can’t it? Tessa, you got any questions about Skip, your birth father?”
“He liked kittens?” she asked.
“And every other baby animal in the compound. The lambs followed him around like he was a shepherd of some kind. I swear if he’d had a flute the rats might have traipsed along behind him,” Lola said.
Only one question popped into her head. “Did he know about me?”
Lola shook her head. “No, he got on his motorcycle and left the first day I had morning sickness. Several of the folks at the commune had the flu that week, and I remember his last words were that he wasn’t going to kiss me because he didn’t want to catch the flu.”
“Anything else?” Lola asked.
Tessa wanted to see the man who’d be the grandfather to her children if he was alive. “Do you have a picture of him?”
She shook her head. “Not a one.”
Sophie laid a hand on her knee. “I’ve got one at home. It’s the only one that got taken at the compound. It’s me and Derek a
nd Lola. It was taken the day that she arrived and Skip had brought over some moonshine for us to sample, so he’s leaning on the porch post behind us.”
“Can I see it sometime?” Tessa asked.
“Sure you can. But that ringing in my purse says that Clint is calling again. He is about to drive me stark raving mad—he’s been calling and saying y’all haven’t talked in two days and if he doesn’t hear your voice by ten o’clock he’s getting in his car and starting this way,” Sophie said.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll sit on the porch steps so y’all can go on with your conversation.” Tessa hurried outside, thankful for a few minutes to be alone.
Tessa didn’t know where to begin to write that night, so she chewed on the end of the pen for a while, trying to put into words what she’d felt that day.
Strange, wonderful, passionate day: I slept with Branch. No, that’s not right, we did not sleep. It was wonderful, passionate, everything that I’ve never experienced before. I thought afterglow was something that romance writers dreamed up to make their stories spicier. But it’s not true. It happens when things are right, when the moon and the stars and the heart and the mind are all lined up together. That’s what makes afterglow, and I had it today. This feeling inside me was something that I actually feared Mama and Lola could see when I walked in the door tonight.
The strange part of the day was when Mama showed up and she and Lola acted as if they’d seen each other only last week and talked every day. It was strange and yet comforting at the same time. That and finding out that my biological father is dead and not feeling anything at all about that. I mean, he created half of me, gave me my blue eyes and who knows what else. And he’s been gone from this earth many years. Still the heart does not yearn for something it never knew. If I’d never met Lola and Frankie, I wouldn’t yearn for them. But I have and now I can’t imagine life without them.
Or Branch. I don’t want to ever be away from him. All I can think about tonight is that I’d rather be in bed with him than in this big old four-poster all alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The Wedding Pearls Page 28
