A Texas Family

by Linda Warren

  She looked at him again, her eyes not so troubled. “Why do I trust you so much?”

  “Because you can. My family has hurt you enough, and I will do my best not to do that to you. I will talk to my father again. He wasn’t feeling well and stayed in bed all day yesterday. I’ll get into Jared’s room, too.”

  “Why haven’t you gone in there yet? You just have to unlock a door.”

  “Because the kids are home and I’d rather wait until they’re not there. I don’t know how I’ll feel when I go inside and I don’t want them to see me upset. It’s just going to take a few days until I get the right opportunity.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t have a lot of time. I’ll have to go back to work soon.”

  “Give me a week.” He held up their clasped hands. “We can do this. Please be prepared for the outcome, though.” He wanted to make everything right for her but deep in his heart he knew that might not happen. “And I have to be prepared to deal with my father no matter what he did.”

  She slowly removed her hand. “Either way I can only see heartache down the road.”

  “But we’re adults and we can handle it.”

  She looked off to the creek. “I’ve wondered so many times if I’ve done the right thing in coming home. Although, I just couldn’t seem to do anything else. I have no life until I know the truth.”

  He had kids, so that was easy for him to understand.

  “Daddy!” Trey shouted. “I caught a fish.”

  Carson jumped up and ran to the water and looked at the fish Trey had on the ground. “Son, that perch is about six inches long, and I think you have to throw it back.”

  “I know. Where’s Ol’ Big?”

  Carson patted his son’s shoulder. “You’ll catch him. You just have to be patient.”

  Carson’s cell buzzed and he talked on it as he walked toward Jena. “Okay. I’ll be there as fast as I can.” He slipped his phone in its case. “Walt called and said some guys are causing trouble at the Rusty Spur. Usually the young guys hang out at the Hitchin’ Post, the other beer joint. Do you mind watching the kids? I’ll be gone just a few minutes.”

  “Carson, not again. Why don’t they just call 911?”

  “Harry, the owner, doesn’t want anyone to get arrested. He just wants them to behave. Please. Trey will be really upset if he has to stop fishing.”

  Her eyes softened. “Okay.”

  “Promise I won’t be long. Thanks.” He strolled to his truck. “Trey, I got a call. I’ll be gone a few minutes,” he called to his son.

  “Okay, Dad.”

  He waved out the window to Jena. She was smiling and it crossed his mind that he’d like to see her smiling for the rest of his life.

  * * *

  THE SOUND OF the truck woke Claire. She sat up and pushed hair out of her eyes. “Where’s Daddy?”

  Jena rubbed her back. “He got a call.”

  Claire touched her hair around her shoulders. “My ponytail came undone again.”

  “Yeah, we have to tell Daddy that you need bigger bands. Maybe there’s something in your bag.” Jena opened the bag Carson had gotten out of the truck.

  “Can we leave it down? It doesn’t hurt my head like this.”

  “Sure.” Jena didn’t see any harm in that.

  “Let’s play Barbie.” Claire grabbed her dolls on the quilt. Jena watched her dress and undress them, helping when she needed to. When they were growing up, she and Hilary had received used Barbie dolls from different charities. They were like new to them. She exhaled deeply. She had to stop remembering her crappy childhood and accept it for what it was and move on. Yet...

  “Can we have a snack?” Claire asked. “Daddy bought cookies.”

  Jena found them in the basket. She called, “Trey, do you want a cookie?”

  “Can you bring it to me, please? I can’t leave my rod and reel. A fish might jerk it in.”

  Jena carried him a cookie and Big Red in a cup. Setting the cup in the grass, she handed him the cookie.

  “Thank you, Jena.”

  “You’re welcome.” His fishing cork bobbed on the water. “Are you getting any bites?”

  “Just perch. I’m waiting for Ol’ Big.”

  “Good luck.” She went back to Claire, who was stuffing chocolate chip cookies in her mouth and had a red ring around her lips from the soda.

  “Hey, sweetie.” Jena sank down by her and reached for a napkin to wipe her face. “Enjoying the cookie?”

  “Uh-huh.” Claire curled up on the pillow, and Jena moved the red soda out of the way.

  “I tired.”

  Jena ran her fingers through Claire’s long tresses. “Go to sleep. Your daddy said you were up early this morning.”

  “There’s no school and I wanted to play.”

  Sunshine was making Jena a little sleepy herself. All her problems seemed so far away, but they were lurking in the dark corners of her mind.

  “I like you,” Claire said.

  “I like you, too.” Jena smiled. It was so easy to like Carson’s kids. It wasn’t too hard to like their father, either.

  Her cell beeped. She tugged the phone from her shorts’ pocket. It was a message from Hil: I’m home. She wondered what her sister was doing home so early, but then, she’d said she got off early on Sunday.

  “Jena!” Trey screamed.

  Jena turned to see Trey standing in the water desperately trying to reel in a fish.

  “Help me!”

  Before Jena could move, Trey fell face forward into the creek. “Jena!” he screamed again.

  “Oh, my God!” Jena ran toward the water. “Hold on. I’m coming.”

  A fish flopped in the water. Trey held on tight to his rod and reel, his head poking above the water. Jena stepped in, shoes and all, and grabbed Trey around the waist.

  “Help me, Jena. I got Ol’ Big and he’s pulling me in.”

  She held on to him with all her might, but the tug of the fish edged them farther into the water. The creek was deep in parts and she was afraid of Trey drowning.

  “Reel harder,” she suggested.

  “I can’t. Ol’ Big has the line tight.”

  She drew in much-needed air and realized Claire was screaming on the bank. “Shh, Claire.”

  “You gonna drown!” the child cried.

  “It’s okay,” Jena called back to her.

  “I want Daddy.”

  Me, too, Jena thought, but Carson wasn’t here and Jena had to do something about the situation.

  “Okay, tiger, you might have to just let go of the fishing rod.”

  “No. It’s my new one and Ol’ Big can’t have it.”

  Well, that didn’t work. New plan. Her sandals were stuck in the slimy mud. She slipped her feet out of them, feeling the mud squish between her toes. Ignoring that, she planted her feet firmly in the sludge.

  “Okay, tiger, you have to stand. I’ll help. You’ll have more leverage that way. On the count of three I’m going to yank you up.”

  “Okay.”

  “One, two, three...” Feet firmly anchored, she tugged and Trey helped. She had him upright and he still had a grip on his fishing rod. They both were soaking wet. She reached for the reel to help turn it to bring in the fish, but like Trey had said, the line was tight, and she couldn’t budge it. Just then, the fish leaped into the air. The thing was huge.

  “It’s a whale!” Trey shouted.

  “Reel, fast,” she urged.

  They both tried to turn the reel, but it was wet and stubborn. With both hands she lifted the rod forward. At that moment, the fish leaped again and the line popped. Jena and Trey fell forward into the water. She spit and sputtered but never let go of Trey. The water was about waist-deep, and she drag
ged the boy until they could sit up.

  She gulped a breath. “You okay, tiger?”

  “Yeah. I almost had Ol’ Big. Dang it!” He still held tight to his fishing pole. “Wait till I tell this story. Did you see how big he was?”

  “Sure did, tiger. Maybe you’ll get him next time.”

  “Trey,” Claire cried and ran into the water.

  “Claire, no,” Jena called, but it was too late. Claire was splashing, shoes and all, toward them. She fell into Jena’s arms and then hugged Trey.

  “I scared.”

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Jena reassured her. “Now we have to get out of the water.”

  The sound of a truck alerted them.

  “Daddy’s back,” Trey said excitedly. “Wait till I tell him.” He stood up too quickly and lost his balance in the mud. Jena caught him with one arm while trying to hold Claire, too. The water was muddy, and Trey splashed sludge on her face and her hair, which didn’t matter because she was already wet. She was trying to keep them from drowning. And Trey made it difficult by refusing to let go of his fishing pole.

  Suddenly strong, strong arms pulled them from the water to the bank. “What the hell are y’all doing?” Carson asked.

  Trey heaved a breath. “You’re not gonna believe it, Dad.”

  Carson held Claire against him. “Everyone okay?”

  “Yeah, sure.” Trey brushed off his father’s concern. “I caught Ol’ Big, Dad, and he was so huge I couldn’t reel him in. Jena tried to help, but she couldn’t, either. He’s humongous. He broke the line and we fell in the water. Isn’t the line fifteen-pound test, Dad? It wasn’t strong enough. We have to buy stronger line.”

  Trey talked so fast that Carson put his hand over his son’s mouth. “Take a breath. And let go of the rod.”

  Trey looked down at his hands clamped on the rod. “I can’t. My fingers won’t move.”

  Carson pried them off. Trey worked his hands and then laughed.

  “This isn’t funny, son.”

  But Trey couldn’t stop laughing and Claire joined in. Despite herself, Jena laughed, too. It was a much-needed release after the stressful time in the water.

  The children’s laughter was contagious, and Jena saw the corners of Carson’s mouth twitch. He embraced his children and laughed with them. His laughing green eyes stared at her, and everything stopped as she saw something she’d never seen before—hope, trust and a promise of tomorrow. All of a sudden her chest felt light. Almost as if the gigantic boulder that had been sitting on her heart had been moved to allow in something marvelous. Could this euphoric feeling be happiness?

  Trey hugged Jena and she lost her train of thought. “Thank you.” A suffocating feeling came over her as she realized she was getting attached to Carson’s kids.

  She swallowed. “You’re welcome, tiger.”

  “Son, why didn’t you just let go of the pole?”

  “I wasn’t letting him have my fishing rod.”

  “We’ll talk about fishing safety tonight. Your life means a lot more than a fishing rod.”

  “Ah, Dad.”

  “I just ruined a good pair of boots.” Carson yanked off the wet boots and poured out water.

  “Sorry, Dad.”

  “And your reel is probably ruined.”

  “We can clean it up.”

  “We’ll see. And there will be consequences for risking Jena’s and Claire’s lives.”

  “Ah, shucks. I didn’t mean...”

  “I know, son. We’ll talk about this later. Now we have to go home and get cleaned up.”

  They stood and looked a bedraggled, sodden group. Jena’s and Claire’s hair was in rattails.

  “I lost my shoes, Daddy,” Claire said.

  “We all lost our shoes, princess.” Carson threw his boots in back of the truck and then they picked up the picnic stuff. Jena retrieved her cell from where she’d dropped it when Trey screamed.

  Grabbing the quilt from the ground, Carson used it to dry Claire and Trey. While he put Claire in the truck, Jena wiped the water and mud from her body as best as she could.

  Trey was quiet as he buckled himself in. Jena felt sorry for him. He wanted to catch the big fish and now he was going to be punished. Carson held the door open for her. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

  “Are you getting a soft spot for my kid?” His eyes twinkled.

  “A little,” she had to admit.

  “He has to learn safety.”

  “I know...it’s just...”

  “When you look at yourself in the mirror, you’ll probably change your mind.”

  She touched her mud-soaked hair. “That bad, huh?”

  “Not to me, but...”

  Their eyes clung for a few seconds, and Jena had the irresistible urge to kiss him, mud and all, right in front of his kids. Of course, she didn’t, but the strong impulse to do so was there.

  She wasn’t sure how she’d gone from revenge to these new, overwhelming, passionate feelings.

  * * *

  CARSON’S HEART WAS still in his throat. When he’d driven up, he didn’t see anyone on the blanket. He’d glanced toward the creek and seen them splashing about. He thought they were swimming and then realized they weren’t. That was when he knew he could almost fly as he jumped out of his truck and ran to them. His only goal was to get them out of the water and to safety. He’d ask questions later.

  Jena had saved Trey. He knew his son would have hung on to that fishing rod until his last breath. He was that stubborn.

  How did he repay her for that? The answer was easy—find her child. He’d told her he would and he knew he had to do it. And all the while he’d have to fight his attraction to her.

  He dropped the kids at the house so Aunt Fran could get them into dry clothes and then he took Jena home. After he’d parked, he got out and hurried around to her side to help her. She was already halfway out of the truck.

  “I’m not helpless, you know,” she said. Mud coated her hair and her face and Carson thought she was beautiful.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I just need a bath.”

  He had one hand on the truck and the other on the door, enclosing them in their own private space. “Thanks for what you did today.”

  “These babysitting gigs are getting harder and harder,” she replied in a teasing tone that sent his heart soaring.

  His eyes held hers. “You know what I want to do right now?”

  “Yes. The same thing that I want.” She shocked him with her honesty. “But we won’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because the devil lives in Willow Creek, Texas, and he’s your father. Or in the real world the poor girl doesn’t get the handsome guy. Or you can’t build anything on a world of heartache. Or some such crap. But—” she wiped some mud from her cheek “—you’ve exorcised my desire for revenge.”

  “Maybe I could exercise a lot more.”

  “Carson...”

  “Jena.”

  She took a step forward. He didn’t move. “There may be insurmountable obstacles between us, but I’m not going to fight my attraction for you.” He reached out to slide damp hair from her face. “I realize we have a road full of rocks and thorns ahead, but I sincerely want to help you.”

  “Sometimes you’re too nice.”

  “Sometimes you’re too proud.”

  She unexpectedly kissed his cheek, ducked under his arm and ran to the house. “’Bye, Carson,” she called over her shoulder.

  He got in his truck and drove away. Maybe he was too nice, but he would like to have some happiness in his life. If he had to negotiate rocks and thorns, then he was up for it.

  * * *

  JENA OPENED THE doo
r slowly, hoping to get to the bathroom without anyone seeing her. Norma was asleep in her chair, her knitting in her lap. Hilary lazed on the sofa. Silently, Jena tiptoed to the bathroom, but Hil quickly followed.

  “What happened to you?”

  “I fell into Willow Creek.” She didn’t see any reason to lie.

  “What?”

  “I’ll tell you later. I have to get cleaned up.”

  “Whatever.” Hil went back to the sofa and Jena sensed something was wrong. Her sister wasn’t her cheerful self, but after working like a slave, who would be? In a few minutes Jena was back in the living room in clean, dry clothes.

  Her mother was awake. “Oh, you’re home. Look what I knitted today.” She held up a white bootee. “The baby’s going to need lots of clothes.”

  Jena felt as if someone had sucker-punched her in the stomach. She fought tears and went into the kitchen. Hil was right behind her.

  “Why did you have to give Mama her knitting?”

  “She asked for it.”

  “She asks all the time and I tell her I can’t find it.”

  “Why do you do that?”

  “Because she starts all this baby stuff and it’s hell.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Well, you should.” Her sister was angry. That was more than obvious, and she was angry at Jena. “You come back here and... Why did you come to the café today?”

  That anger echoed in Jena’s chest. “Am I not allowed there? Or do you just not want me there? Are you ashamed of me?”

  “No,” Hil mumbled.

  “Then why haven’t you told anyone I’m home?”

  Hil sank into a kitchen chair. “I told you I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to deal with all the gossip.”

  “That never seems to stop, does it?”

  “No. After you left today, it really started up. Mabel, Bea, Tammy Sue and several others wondered what you were doing back in Willow Creek without your child. Mrs. Tisdale mentioned that Ella had said you didn’t bring the kid. And you were seen with Carson, so you must be after money. But Carson wasn’t a fool. He’d want proof the child was Jared’s. On and on it went. They whispered but I could still hear them.”