“Hey, Lisa, I wanted to invite you to a party at the community center Saturday.”
“I’m not sure if I can...” Lisa replied. Saturdays were always busy at the clinic and she was not in a party mood. It had, quite simply, been a dreadful three days.
“It’s Andy and Nate’s engagement party,” Eve continued in her usual cheerful hard-to-say-no-to voice. Okay, make that impossible. “It’ll be informal. No presents. Clint has arranged for a small band to play—all vets. Gordon and Kerry are invited, as well. There will be other young people there, too, so they won’t be bored.”
Lisa couldn’t say no. There was no plausible excuse unless she or one of her siblings came down with an illness. Andy and Eve had been too good to her and Kerry.
She finally agreed, unable to find an immediate way to say no. She just hoped Jubal found one, because most certainly he’d be invited, as well. But did she really want that? She hadn’t seen him since Sunday night. There had been no reason, and no accidental meetings.
Gordon hadn’t broached the subject again, either, but he was back in his guarded mode.
It made sense. Jubal had been Gordon’s friend first. Their connection had grown strong in such a short time.
In Gordon’s eyes, she’d intruded on that bond, a friendship that was obviously very important to her brother. She’d invaded territory that he’d thought was his. Jubal was his friend. Therefore Jubal couldn’t be her friend. She suspected it went deeper than that—that he knew they hadn’t been just friends. And that it had something to do with the mystery of how he and Jubal had got together in the first place. Why had she allowed it to bother her so much? The friendship between the two obviously resulted in good things happening.
Had she just destroyed something valuable because of her own fear of being rejected? It had been buried so deep she hadn’t considered it at the time. It was why she immersed herself in books, avoided relationships and kept a distance from her own siblings. They had recognized it even if she hadn’t.
She’d hoped Jubal would call. She ached with the need to see that rare smile light his face, even if whatever had happened between them couldn’t last.
The phone rang. She recognized the number and her heart beat a little faster.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi yourself.”
“Want to celebrate with me?”
“Want to give me a hint as to why?” That cautious voice in her head was raising its ugly head again.
“Nope. It’s a surprise.”
“Okay,” she heard herself saying.
“I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”
“When will we be back?”
“Whenever you want.”
“Okay,” she said again. Brilliant replies.
“Should I pick you up at the clinic?”
“That would be fine. I’ll call Kerry and Gordon so they know I’ll be late. They can find something in the fridge.”
“I’ll see you shortly.” He hung up.
* * *
JUBAL HUNG UP before she could reconsider.
Then he swung by the Rusty Nail and talked the owner, another vet who played poker, into giving him a bottle of wine along with two large ham sandwiches.
She was obviously waiting for him. She came out and locked the door to the clinic before he had a chance to step out of the car. She slid inside and looked at him. “Where are we going?”
“I seem to remember something about the falls,” he said.
“I like that idea,” she said. She hesitated, then added, “You said you were celebrating?”
He glanced at her. She was looking at him intently. “Yes,” he said.
“You’re going to make me wait?” she said.
“I just wanted to see the falls with you”
“A mystery?” she said.
“More like a decision.”
“You like secrets, don’t you?” It was a barb and she regretted it the minute she said it.
“No,” he said. “I hate them. Particularly when they involve someone I care about.” He was silent for a moment, then carefully added, “But sometimes it’s the lesser of two evils.” He glanced at her quickly before turning back to the road. “Your brother needed someone he could trust. Before I met you, I made a bargain with him. He kept his end of it. If I broke it, he probably wouldn’t trust anyone again.”
“I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly. “But he...he guessed what happened on Sunday. He was up when I returned that night. He asked if I was sleeping with you. No,” she corrected herself, “he didn’t ask. He suggested it, using some unpleasant language.”
“Now I’m sorry,” he said as he reached out for her hand. “Not for what happened, just that you got grief from it.”
They turned up onto a narrow road marked with a big sign.
“We’re almost there,” Lisa said.
He followed the road to a parking area. There were no other cars. He grabbed the bag from the backseat and they walked to the falls. The sun was dipping behind them. Jubal took her hand, thankful she didn’t pull away.
“Remember Sunday when you asked me what comes next and I told you I’d figure it out somewhere along the way?”
She nodded.
“Well, I figured it out. Sooner than I thought.”
Her large brown eyes searched his face. “What did you figure out?”
“I’m well on my way to becoming a land owner.”
She stared at him. “You don’t mean...the Carroll ranch next to Luke’s place? I overheard it was for sale...”
“Was being the key word. My offer was accepted this afternoon.”
“But why?”
“Everything seemed to fall into place, I suppose. It felt right.” He watched her carefully. “I wanted to tell you before you heard from someone else.”
“So then what about the tumbleweed?”
He grinned. “The wind stopped blowing, I guess.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Thought you would never ask.” He grinned. “I’m going to lease part of the pasture to Luke to run more cattle, and then on the rest, I’m going to build a bunkhouse and start an equine program for veterans.”
He saw the shock on her face, then interest as it sunk in. Her fingers tightened around his.
“Luke will be involved, too. I’ve done a lot of research over the past three days. Looked up a lot of programs. Talked to the people who run them. There’s one in New Mexico where a group of ranchers got together and started a program called Horses for Heroes. Most of the volunteers are ex-vets themselves.”
“I like it,” she said, “but it’s a little fast, isn’t it?”
“Had to be. As soon as the word went out that property was for sale, there was a lot of interest. Luke got first refusal because they’d been friends and neighbors for years, but he couldn’t buy it on his own. He didn’t want or need another house or barn, but he did want more land to increase his cattle herd.
“In the beginning we can use his horses, but gradually we’ll train and use rescue horses. That was Luke’s idea.”
Her mouth hung wide open in a mixture of surprise and what looked like it could be joy. Or maybe she thought he was insane.
“I know it’ll take months to put together,” he said. “I still have a lot of research to do. I would have to provide living quarters or maybe participants might prefer to stay in Josh’s inn at a reduced rate. It helps that we have a lot of veterans here.”
She looked incredulous. “That’s a lot to take in. Had you been thinking about it before the property came up for sale?”
“I’d been thinking about ranching. Working with horses again has helped me. It keeps some of the nightmares at bay.”
“I th
ink it sounds like a terrific idea. I think Stephanie will agree.”
“Good. I’ll need you. I’m going to try to find a psychologist in Pueblo to help design the program. Also...it means I’ll be sticking around for a while.”
She leaned against him and his arm went around her. “I’m sorry about Sunday night,” she said. “I said I was worried about Gordon, but it’s more than that.” She hesitated. “I was adopted. My parents were told they couldn’t have children. Thirteen years later, Mom became pregnant with Gordon and then Kerry. Mom and Dad never tried to hide the fact I was adopted, nor did they treat me any differently.
“Dad used to say I was chosen, a wonderful gift, but it always made me feel apart, a stranger in someone else’s house. My birth mother didn’t want me, and I always felt so different. My hair is dark while my brother and sister are blond.
“When Gordon started acting up after Mom died, he said he didn’t have to obey me because I wasn’t his real sister. When you talked to Gordon about his future and he was so secretive about it, I felt it as another rejection. I know it’s silly...”
“No, it isn’t,” he said. “You moved here for his sake. That took a lot of love. You had reason to be concerned.”
She stood on her tiptoes, put her arms around his neck and rested her head against his heart. He leaned down and kissed her and, for the first time in his life, felt truly whole.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LISA COULDN’T CONTROL her nervousness as she dressed for the engagement party.
Jubal had called and offered to drive her and the kids to the party but she said no, fearing her brother would balk at being part of “a date.”
In the past week, Gordon hadn’t brought up the subject again. He’d attended school, received a B on his first chemistry test, reported to Clint and taken a riding lesson with Luke. All seemed fine—even good—on the surface, but she knew he was avoiding her.
Eve had told her attire for the party was informal, but Lisa still wanted to look nice. She finally decided on a pair of black pants, a pearl-gray tailored top. She added the topaz necklace her father had given her when she graduated with honors from high school. It was simple enough not to be ostentatious, but it complemented her brown eyes and dark hair.
Kerry was excited about the party. Gordon not so much. He’d reverted back to sullenness since Sunday night. She’d tried to talk to him, but he hadn’t wanted to listen.
She knew he was reluctant to go to the party and probably wouldn’t have agreed if Luke hadn’t encouraged it. Her brother hadn’t mentioned Jubal, and Jubal, when he’d called about the party, didn’t mention him, either.
In the past two days she knew he’d been busy working out the details of the purchase. She was still stunned by his decision to stay and give it a try.
He was no longer the itinerant ex-soldier. He wasn’t going to love and leave. No reason to avoid him now. None but her own fear of relationships. Her birth mother hadn’t wanted her. Her adopted father and mother had died. Admit it, she told herself, you’re a coward. If you didn’t love, you couldn’t be hurt.
“Lisa.” Her sister appeared in the doorway with Susie right behind her. She wore a pair of capri pants and a lacy top, her blond hair in a long ponytail.
“Call your brother,” Lisa said, looking at the clock. It was a little after seven. “It’s time to go.”
“He says he’s not going.”
She went to his room, knocked, then went inside.
“I want you to go,” she said. “Luke will be there. So will Clint and Josh.”
He shook his head. She saw a kind of despair in his eyes. Maybe he felt the same way she had—that he was destined to lose whoever he cared about.
She sat down next to him. “I love you, Gordon. If you don’t want me to see Jubal, I won’t.”
“I don’t care.”
“Yes, you do. He’s your friend, too, and you’re afraid that will change.” She took a deep breath. “You want to know something?”
He just looked at her.
“When you were born, I was jealous of you. I knew I was adopted, and you were truly Mom and Dad’s in a way I didn’t think I could ever be. You and Kerry looked like them, and the two of you were so close. I felt like an outsider.”
He looked at her with questions in his eyes. “But they were so proud of you...”
“I’m not proud of me,” Lisa said. “I wasn’t there when you needed me most.” She was silent for a moment, then said, “Dad was so proud of that fort you built. He knew you were going to be an engineer. He loved you so much. Both you and Kerry.”
“You didn’t cry when Mom died,” he accused her.
“Yes, I did. At night. I was trying to be strong for you guys, but then I failed you because I poured my grief into my job. I told myself I was doing it for you, that as a doctor I could repay Mom and Dad by putting you through college. But really, I was trying to escape from that grief, just as you were by joining that gang.”
She saw tears in his eyes.
“There’s nothing I want more than for you and Kerry to be happy,” she added softly. “Not only for Mom and Dad, but because I love you.” From the expression in his eyes, she knew he understood what she was saying.
“I need to tell you something,” he said.
“What?”
“Mr. Pierce didn’t hire me to build that bench. Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“The night we moved here, I snuck out to meet a kid I’d met earlier in the day. He said no one lived at the last cabin on Lake Road. He said I should set fire to the dock. That it was an initiation.”
Lisa couldn’t think of anything to say.
“I was so angry,” he said. “I tried to do it. I gathered some firewood and had just lit it when Mr. Pierce caught me. He gave me a choice. I could work off the damage or he would report me to Chief Morgan.”
Lisa felt her heart beat faster as she tried to absorb what he was saying. Jubal had hinted at something, but not arson. Both Gordon and Jubal had been lying to her for weeks. She tried to justify it. No matter how and why, Gordon had changed for the better because of his influence, but Jubal should have told her. The fact that he hadn’t told her he hadn’t trusted her any more than Gordon did.
“Anything else you’re keeping from me?” she asked in a tight voice.
“No. I resented him in the beginning. I even hated him, but then I realized what he was doing. I wanted to tell you but...”
“You were afraid.”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you again.”
“Why are you telling me now?”
“Because I want you to know Mr. Pierce is a good guy.”
But neither of them trusted her and that hurt like nothing else had.
Gordon looked at her for a long time, then said, “I’m sorry. Mr. Pierce told me I should tell you.”
The admission didn’t help a lot. The secret had been held too long. Both had had a chance to tell her even as she thought the relationships were growing stronger. “Kerry and I are going to the party,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I promised.”
He just looked at her, regret in his eyes.
“Are you coming with us?” she asked.
“Later, maybe. I can ride my bike.”
“Okay.” She wanted to hug him but understood he was trying to sort things out himself. “You have your phone?”
He nodded.
“Good.” She didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to see Jubal. She felt her heart bleeding. The one thing she thought she had with him now was honesty. And now she’d learned that was a lie.
“I’m sorry for what I said about you and Mr. Pierce,” Gordon said.
“I know,” she said. She felt like a zombie as
she joined Kerry at the door.
The parking lot at the community center was almost full, and people were spilling out into the park. She and Kerry went inside, where Kerry immediately left to join a group of kids around her age.
Lisa spotted Nate and Andy and went up to hug them both. “Congratulations! When’s the big day?”
“December 20. We’re going to see her family next week,” Nate said while clutching Andy’s hand. They looked at each other with so much love it hurt.
“We’re going to try to convince them to move up here,” Andy said.
“I hope you succeed. Always nice when family can be together.”
She looked around and found she recognized many of the people there—some from Maude’s, some from her practice, some who were friends of Eve’s.
If it wasn’t for the discussion she’d had with Gordon, she would be comfortable. She liked Covenant Falls. She liked the way everyone cared for each other. There was a warmth in the room that was palpable.
Clint appeared. “Glad you came. Can I get you something to drink?”
“A glass of wine, thank you,” she said. She continued to look around as he headed toward the bar, then turned and almost ran into Jubal. He was the tallest man in the room, although Josh came close. She just watched him.
“You look great,” he said. His eyes narrowed. “Something wrong?”
“Yes.”
Clint reappeared then and handed her a glass of wine. “Where’s your brother?”
“He might come later.”
“Good, I know a young lady who wants to meet him. My secretary’s daughter was asking...” He suddenly seemed to catch a vibe. “I’ll catch you two later,” he said, and disappeared.
Jubal looked at her for a long moment. “Do you want to go somewhere more private?”
She nodded.
He led the way out of the room, across the hall to the library. It was dark and no one was inside. He turned on the light and closed the door.
“Something’s wrong,” he said.
“Gordon told me what happened on the dock.”
“Good,” he said, then paused. “You don’t think so?”
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