Stetson's Storm

by Kathleen Ball

  The regret in his voice washed over her. The lump in her throat felt even bigger. Nodding, she still refused to glance at him. For her own sanity, she couldn't. All she wanted was to rail and scream at him. Another black eye wasn't out of the question, but she couldn't with Scotty in the house.

  "I'm ready, Daddy." Scotty raced over and gave her a big hug and kiss. "See ya later."

  "Have fun." Trying to sound cheerful was difficult.

  The door closed and Storm was alone. Logically, she knew Chrissy's baby was not Stetson's. Her heart knew it was a lie. The Wyoming rodeo hurt her beyond measure. He had planned to leave and that she couldn't forgive.

  Taking a shower made her feel a bit better. She got dressed and tried to pull herself together. Being the cause of Nellie's distress weighed heavily on her. She'd spend her days at the house with Nellie and her nights at the cabin.

  Storm didn't have to look far for Nellie. She sat on the front porch looking like she'd lost her best friend. Her eyes were red and her face was puffy. Her misery appeared soul deep.

  "Oh, Nellie, you look like I feel."

  Nellie gave her a ghost of a smile. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Her smile vanished. "I made a mess of everything."

  "Come on inside." Storm helped her up from the chair. "We'll have a cup of tea. That always makes us feel better."

  Nellie followed. "I think whiskey would work better."

  Storm led her to a kitchen chair, and had her sit. "I don't think whiskey is the key. And before you say anything, I want you to know that I cannot, I will not talk about Stetson. Your friendship means too much to me."

  "We're sisters now." Nellie's eyes watered.

  Grabbing a tissue, Storm handed it to Nellie. "Yes, we are. I think I'll have some type of breakdown if we discuss yesterday. I do want to thank you for all that you did. The limo, my beautiful dress, wearing my favorite color."

  Nellie blew her nose. "I'm thankful orange wasn't really your favorite color."

  Storm filled the kettle at the deep sink. "I just need some time to sort everything out and I want to keep it between me and your brother."

  "No whiskey?"

  Storm smiled. "No whiskey and no caffeine. I'm going to make sure your baby is healthy."

  Nellie nodded. "You're not going to leave, are you?"

  Storm didn't have the heart to mention she had nowhere else to go. "I'm going to help you during the day and sleep at the cabin at night. By the way, how did Joe take being moved out of his place?"

  Nellie blushed. "It's easier to sneak around at night, and we don't have to pretend we're wrestling."

  Joe walked in and grabbed a mug. He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Nothing wrong with a little wrestling," he said, winking at Storm.

  "Why aren't you out working?" Nellie asked.

  Joe bent down and kissed Nellie's lips. "Just wanted to make sure my best girl was feeling all right."

  Storm envied the sheer joy on Nellie's face. Her stomach clenched. That should have been her and Stetson. Turning away, she grabbed the scarred wooden counter for support. No one said life was easy, but no one said it'd be so darn hard.

  The whistling of the teakettle got her attention, and she busied herself making tea. She walked toward the table and put two teacups on it. Joe was giving Nellie another kiss and her heart twisted.

  "You two gals have a good day." Joe went out the front door humming to himself.

  Storm spent the whole day looking over her shoulder. Scotty and Stetson could come back at anytime, and she needed to brace herself. Her nerves were pulled taut, and she felt as though she'd break.

  With Nellie's help, she'd been able to keep occupied. It didn't stop her thoughts though. Part of her was angry and a part of her felt worthless. Hard as she tried to hold on to the anger, doubts about herself kept creeping into her thoughts. Maybe Stetson just married her for Scotty's sake. He planned to leave the very next weekend. She didn't give too much credence to Chrissy's claim. Hopefully Stamos was looking into it.

  "You know staring out the window isn't going to make them get here any faster."

  Storm smiled at Nellie. She looked much better, and they'd had an almost nice day of avoiding the topic of Stetson. There had been plenty of times Nellie would just stare at her, wanting to say something. Thankfully she didn't.

  She heard the horses before they came into view. Scotty looked radiant. Whatever it took, for Scotty's sake, she reminded herself.

  "Mommy! We chas-ed little cows. They are called halfs. They are half a cow."

  Storm lifted him into her arms and gave him a big hug. "I'm glad you had a good day."

  "It was the best ever. Right, Daddy?"

  Stetson laughed. "Calf, not half. We sure did have a good time."

  He looked at Storm and held her gaze. She could see he was hurting too. Giving him a weak smile, she set Scotty down and told him to get washed up for dinner.

  "Storm--"

  "Not now. Not with our son around."

  "I never slept with Chrissy."

  "Stetson, I know that. I can't talk about it now. I feel raw inside and I don't want to say something I'll regret, for Scotty's sake. Let it be, please?"

  Stetson's love filled his eyes, and she couldn't take it. Turning away, she walked into the kitchen to check on dinner. Her hands shook and her heart felt as though it had been ripped out and stomped on. Taking slow, deep breaths, she was able to get dinner on the table.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Cattle were missing. Not a great number, but enough for Stetson to become suspicious. His neck felt stiff, and his shoulders felt as though he carried the weight of the world on them. He turned Bandit toward the canyon at the edge of his property.

  Joe checked yesterday, but it wouldn't hurt to look again. It was strange how one day he could feel so happy and the next his happiness was ground to dust. At least he still had Scotty. There was an empty space in his life. The very space that Storm belonged.

  She had quickly returned to the cabin last night after dinner, allowing Scotty to stay for another hour. Stetson walked Scotty to the cabin door, his heart pounding. He hoped for the slightest bit of encouragement, but his hopes were dashed.

  Storm stood behind the door and closed it in his face. Rejection hurt. How the hell had everything gone so wrong? Storm even admitted that she didn't believe that he had slept with Chrissy. He had allowed her belief to give him optimism for forgiveness and understanding.

  He still planned to go to Wyoming. He just had to find a way to convince Storm to come too. Both she and Scotty. He shook his head realizing he hadn't a clue how to achieve it.

  She wasn't the only one hurting. Her mistrust tore a piece of his heart out. He'd thought having her at the house would be a good thing, but it devastated him every time she avoided his gaze.

  "Come on Bandit, we have cattle to find."

  He rode into the canyon and found hoof prints but no cattle. Sighing, he realized he had a big problem. Getting out his phone, he called Joe.

  "Better have some of the men fence this canyon off. I don't know if they are being held here then driven off, or if there isn't a back way through this canyon."

  "Sure, Boss. I might have heard about old trails in that canyon, but I never saw any," Joe told him.

  "I'm heading in. I want to teach Scotty more about horses."

  "Okay, talk to you later."

  Stetson put his phone in his jeans pocket. His whole chest felt heavy. Nothing was going right. Should he give Storm space? Should he be in her presence as much as possible? For once, he was at a complete loss as to how to get her back. This whole thing had been wrong from the beginning. He shouldn't have tried to make her mind up for her. She was more than capable to run her own life.

  Stetson felt weary, older than his years. What he wouldn't give to have the right to kiss and hug his wife. Talk about a letdown. He'd been dreaming of their wedding night. His head hurt with all of his thoughts swirling continuously in his head.r />
  "Bandit, let's head home, boy."

  "Come on, Scotty." Storm tried to keep them moving toward the house despite Buck's tendency to investigate everything in his path, taking Scotty with him.

  "Do you think I can go to work with Daddy again?"

  "I have no idea, but you do know that you can't go with him every day."

  Scotty nodded. "Me and Ph-uck will have to help you sometimes. Daddy said so."

  Her heart squeezed painfully, and she tried to smile at Scotty. Thankfully, Nellie had the door open and Scotty went racing toward her with Buck right behind him. Taking a deep breath, Storm followed.

  Nellie had a determined look about her. A look Storm knew she should dread. Finally, they were going to have the talk. Storm wondered how to head her off. It was all too much. Her heart ached constantly and her mind wouldn't give her peace.

  "Where's Daddy?"

  "He had to leave early. You know what it's like being a cowboy." Nellie touched the brim of Scotty's hat.

  He puffed up with pride. "Yes, cowboys have a rough life."

  Storm smiled. "Let's get breakfast started."

  "Everything is ready. Scotty eat up, Joe is taking you to town with him."

  "Yes." Scotty ran for the kitchen.

  "Before you object, we need to talk. I promise it will be a good talk." Nellie hugged her. "No arguing with the pregnant lady."

  Storm nodded. She wanted to smile, but it just wasn't in her. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, and her hands shook.

  It was a challenge to get through breakfast. Storm didn't eat much. Scotty chattered as usual. Finally, he and Joe left. Storm wished she could go too.

  "Let's go sit on the front porch." Nellie grabbed her teacup and started out the front.

  Feeling as though she had no choice, Storm followed. It was a glorious day, not too hot and not too cold. The sun had risen above the hills making the world seem to be a cheerful place. Too bad, she knew better.

  "I'm not sure we should discuss this, Nellie. I don't want to be mad at you in any way."

  "I have a feeling you will be thanking me. You'd know already if you and Stetson weren't so stubborn." She took a folder paper out of her pocket and handed it to Storm.

  Storm's eyes grew wide as she looked at the flyer. "This isn't the one I saw before."

  "I know. This is the real one."

  Her eyes misted as she shook her head. "He wasn't leaving?"

  "No."

  Storm stood up and ran for the bathroom, where she promptly got sick. She splashed her face with water and looked in the mirror. All she saw was a fool. A weak, pathetic fool. How was she going to be able to face Stetson? She all but called him a liar.

  She was instantly sick again until her stomach was empty. No wonder Stetson left early; he probably couldn't stand the sight of her. He must have felt sorry for her. He allowed her to stay on the ranch out of pity.

  Why was life so hard? Is it only when a person is a child that they have happiness? She quickly dismissed that reasoning. Nellie and Joe were happy. Storm didn't know what to do.

  Nellie knocked on the bathroom door. "Storm, are you alright?"

  The concern in her voice was Storm's breaking point. Tears poured down her face. Grabbing a handful of tissues, she opened the door.

  Nellie led her to the old leather couch and sat next to her, holding her as she sobbed.

  Wringing her hands, Storm paced inside the small cabin. It was an old, one-story structure with a big room for cooking and sitting, and two bedrooms in the back. Joe hadn't left his mark on it. There were no pictures or homey touches anywhere. It seemed so generic, but Storm was grateful for a roof over her head.

  She wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to hold herself together. Her heart hadn't stopped palpitating since Nellie showed her the flyer. She knew that if not for Scotty, Stetson would have thrown her off the ranch. No one would blame him.

  Her heart felt shredded. Why would her father go to such lengths? The little girl inside her, wanted to know what she had done. The woman she was now, wanted to know how anyone could be so hateful.

  Stetson probably hated her. The first hint of trouble and she bailed on him. She felt washed in shame. What kind of wife leaves after the wedding and refuses to talk to her husband?

  Nellie said she'd send him over as soon as he got back. She was keeping Scotty and Buck until Storm and Stetson talked.

  What if Stetson didn't want to talk to her? She couldn't blame him. Oh God, he was walking toward the cabin. The urge to run and hide became overwhelming, but she couldn't do that to him.

  Opening the door before he knocked, Storm drank in the sight of him. His golden blond hair appeared as though he'd been running his fingers through it. There were circles under his eyes, but it was his eyes that caused her sharp intake of breath. The pain she saw in them nearly killed her. It was her fault.

  "Nellie said you wanted to talk to me?" His voice was gruff.

  She reached out, took his big calloused hand, and pulled him into the cabin. It hurt to know she was the reason he looked like hell. "I feel as though I've lost my best friend," she whispered, not taking her eyes off his.

  Stetson's Adam's apple moved up and down. He looked down at her hand, and then he met her gaze. "I know the feeling." He sounded so sad it hurt her heart.

  "I know it's my fault, and I also know you probably can't forgive me. I never gave you a chance to explain. I never..."

  Stetson's comforting arms went around her and pulled her close. Storm laid her cheek on his hard chest and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of him. This might be the last time he held her like this and the thought caused her to make a noise of distress.

  Stetson pulled away and gazed at her. "We need to talk."

  She followed him to the threadbare green couch. Sitting, she felt as though she had been sent to the principal's office and was awaiting her fate. Her legs shook and she put her hands on her knees trying to still them.

  "I'm so sorry, Stetson. I shouldn't have run out on you. I never seem to get anything right. My life has been one disaster after another."

  "Don't take all the blame, Storm. Your father and Chrissy caused this. I wish I had told you about Wyoming. I wish you trusted me not to leave you."

  The despair in his eyes was too much. She broke out sobbing. "I'm sorry."

  Stetson drew her to him. "I'm the one who needs to apologize, not you. I'm the reason you don't trust me. That's all on me. I wanted to surprise you with a trip to Wyoming. Nellie had already volunteered to watch Scotty."

  "I feel like such a fool. How could I have believed my father? How did he fake the DNA test?"

  Stetson looked into her eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. "You believed me?"

  "Of course I believed you. You're not that type of man."

  "But I'm the type that would leave you?"

  "You're going to have to realize I'm scared to death that you'll leave me. I thought I had worked through it. I thought it was behind me, but it's not."

  Stetson's expression softened. "I love you enough to overlook that little flaw."

  Storm almost protested, but Stetson had his lips on hers. It felt like a healing of sorts. She knew it would take time, but she could feel the start. It was a sweet kiss, a tender kiss, filled with love.

  "I love you too. I want us to be a family." Storm could hear the longing in her voice.

  "We'll get through this. We'll just take it slow. How about taking a trip to Wyoming with me?" Stetson's eyes smiled at her.

  "I'd be honored to accompany you."

  Chapter Fourteen

  It'd been a long three days since their talk. Storm decided that she'd move back into the house when they got back from Wyoming. Stetson wished it had been otherwise, but he let her have her way. No sense in getting her feathers all ruffled.

  The drive seemed longer than usual. Probably because of the awkward silence. Every time he glanced over at Storm she smiled back, but she didn't
make any conversation. He didn't know what to make of the whole thing.

  Once in Wyoming, Stetson headed straight for the rodeo grounds and got Rosie and Bandit settled. He might not be riding in the rodeo, but he would be riding in the ceremonies and his horses deserved accolades too.

  "You miss it." Storm stroked Bandits head.

  "It was my life for about five years, but I have something better now."

  Storm gave him a curious look. "What's better than the rodeo?"

  Stetson wanted to stomp his feet. She still didn't understand. "You, Storm. You are better than the rodeo."

  "Oh, you mean because of Scotty."

  "Thick sculled comes to mind, but I don't think you'd like me calling you that." Stetson moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You. I love you," he whispered into her ear, and then proceeded to kiss the side of her neck, causing her to shiver.

  Storm was silent. He turned her in his arms so he could see her eyes. She still looked confused.

  "The fact that I love my son is a given. Loving you is a choice. Well actually, it isn't a choice. My heart would break without you."

  Finally, a look of dawning came over her and she blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm just an insecure ninny."

  "No, you are my beautiful, loving wife." Stetson framed her face with his hands. He angled his head and slowly he took her lips. Her sigh of contentment filled his heart with joy. They'd be all right.

  "Hey, bud!" Brian yelled from the other side of the stables. "I was told that you weren't coming."

  Giving Storm's nose a quick kiss, he let her go. "Now who would spread a nasty rumor like that?" he joked.

  Brian looked serious. "My sister."

  "Oh." Stetson didn't know what to say. They'd been best friends for so long and he didn't want Chrissy to come between them.

  "Miss McCrory," Brian greeted tipping his hat.

  "It's Mrs. Scott now." Storm smiled at him.

  Brian's eyes flew to Stetson's. "Now wait a minute. How can you be married and engaged to my sister?"