Authors: Kate Welsh
“How’s Jack?”
Tears flooded her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. “Hanging on to hope. He has a hotel room across the street, but I think he sleeps in the chair by her bed.”
“Adam or I will sit with Beth at night instead. We’ll make him sleep.”
“That’s good. How is CJ?”
“She’s fine. I’m a basket case. Truth is, she ordered me to come. Said she was sick of my worried face. Aunt Meg, I’m going to be a mess when she goes back to work.”
“No, you will not! CJ didn’t make a peep when you put yourself between Glory and Crystal in that ring. Glory could easily have killed you, and all CJ did was hang back and do what you needed. You can be as nervous a wreck as you want, but you have to show your wife you respect her judgment.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ma’am again!
“And speaking of nervous wrecks,” Cole added, “we’d better get Adam to the hospital so he can see his sister.”
E
van heard the SUV Meg had driven into Greeley rumble by the house and pull into the parking area. He glanced at his watch. Nearly seven o’clock. He’d thought they’d all stay in Greeley until evening visiting hours were over. Evan sighed. So much for a few minutes of uninterrupted downtime now that he’d tucked both babies into their bassinets.
It was no wonder he was tired. He’d gotten almost no sleep the night before thinking about Meg. Then today had turned out to be one of those busy days with the twins. In between dealing with two demanding infants, he’d had to pack up all his things and move back to the cabin, along with making up the guest room.
To be honest, company wasn’t the only reason for his move back to the cabin, but it was a plausible
one to give them. It probably would have been simpler to give the cabin to one of the couples and Cole, and let the other newlywed couple use Jackson and Beth’s room. But now that he was sure the monitor extended as far as the cabin, he’d be sleeping there from now on, putting lots of safe distance between him and Meg.
When he got to the parked SUV, Evan was surprised to find fewer people unloading it than he’d expected. The first person his eyes sought out in the semidarkness was Cris.
She stood alone looking toward the barn, the moonlight bouncing off her ebony hair. Her profile was silhouetted against the bright night sky.
His new son-in-law, Jim, had the habit of calling her his warrior princess. But whatever she looked like, she was his little girl. Evan held out his arms to his beautiful daughter.
“Cris. Honey,” he said, and she turned to him, then walked into his embrace. After a long moment he stepped back and continued. “Welcome home. I wish it were under better circumstances. How was Beth today?” He held her by her shoulders, hoping against hope for better news than he’d been hearing for days.
“I think the official word is she’s holding her own. Jackson’s nearly destroyed, Dad.” Cris’s slightly alto voice shook.
“I know. He’s a mess. I tried to tell him ruining
his own health wouldn’t help Beth, he’s not listening.” He grimaced. “Some things never change, I guess.”
“He does look awful, but try not to worry. Adam and Cole stayed behind to spell him at the hospital. They said they’d hog-tie him if that’s what it took to get him to sleep.” She smiled. “I don’t think either of them have a clue what hog-tying is, but they seemed more than willing to try.”
“City boys,” Evan teased, to lighten the mood. That phrase could also apply to Jim, who was pulling the luggage out of the back of the SUV.
“Yes, but Adam was a navy SEAL. He probably has innumerable ways to subdue Jack,” said a woman on the other side of the SUV he didn’t know. She was medium height with wavy dark hair. He assumed she was married to Beth’s brother. She smiled and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Alexandra Boyer.”
“Good to meet you,” Evan said as he took her hand. He still marveled at the marriage of Beth’s brother to the sister of the teen who’d brutally raped Beth when she was fourteen.
Poor Beth. She hadn’t yet recovered when Jackson had met her years later at Laurel Glen. But the Lord and meeting Jackson had helped her finally heal. It didn’t seem fair that she should be struggling for life when her life had, in many ways, only just begun.
“Only you would call someone who grew up at Laurel Glen a ‘city boy,’” Meg drawled as she fi
nally came around the luggage from the far side of the car. “And Adam grew up next door. He and Beth were on horseback before they could ride a tricycle.”
“Yeah, and I protest that city-boy reference, too, Evan,” Jim protested with a laugh. “I’m city born and bred, but I learned to hog-tie with the best of them.”
Evan grinned. “Only if someone else did the roping. I won’t soon forget you trying to lasso calves on that roundup. Kept us all entertained for the whole two weeks. Most fun any of us have had on a roundup in years.”
“So Cole and Adam stayed behind in Greeley to be near Beth,” he repeated, trying to mentally shuffle guest rooms.
Cris and Meg nodded and Jim said, “Which leaves you and me to tote and carry, Evan. Did you put Crystal and me in the cabin?”
Evan shook his head as he walked to the pile of luggage. Why did easterners travel so heavy? He picked up a couple of bags and led the way up the walk. Rather than go around to the formal entrance at the front of the house, he led them in through what he’d always thought of as the family entrance. Because Jackson and Cris had married, the definition of family had grown. He found, quite to his surprise, that he no longer minded the inclusion of the Taggerts.
Everyone made themselves comfortable around the
big table and he handed out hot coffee as Cris prepared tea for Xandra. “I’d been thinking Jim and I would stay in the cabin,” Cris said when she settled next to her husband on the bench. Jim, almost as if it were an unconscious movement, wrapped his arm around her waist.
Evan had to look away. They were so happy. What would Cris do if something happened to Jim? He was a cop, after all. He just couldn’t stand the thought of his kids feeling the kind of soul wrenching pain he had.
He turned his gaze back to Cris. “I moved back out to the cabin this afternoon, honey. I’ll still hear the twins in the middle of the night, so you don’t have to worry about that. The monitor works even beyond that distance, and this way you can all be in the main house with a well-stocked kitchen. Mine’s empty of staples right now, since I’ve been staying in the house.”
“Dad, you didn’t need to do that.”
Oh, yes, I did, he thought, but said, “It wasn’t any trouble.”
Cris grinned. “Well, good, because this’ll work out even better. Until Joy comes back to get us at the end of next weekend, the five of us are taking turns with the babies, and you and Meg are to rest and relax in between visits with Beth.”
Evan looked at Jim. A police detective, a navy SEAL, a veterinarian and two women who, as far as
he knew, had no experience whatsoever with babies? He didn’t think so.
His feelings must have shown on his face. “Before you get all protective, Adam helped out a lot with his son when he was a baby, Jim baby-sits all the time for scads of friends and Cole has had lots of practice for two years now with his little sister, Laurel, and his niece.”
“Close your mouth, Evan, dear. You’ll catch flies,” Meg cracked from the other end of the table.
Meg. She was the big problem with this, too. They might expect him to entertain her. Maybe even go to the hospital together. He didn’t see how he could do either. Now what?
“Have you seen much of the ranch, Meg?” Jim asked, starting that first dreaded ball rolling.
“I’ve been helping Evan with Wade and Maggie or going to and from the hospital since I arrived. There hasn’t been time. Wait till you try juggling those two sleeping angels upstairs.”
“It’ll be good practice. And the weather forecast for tomorrow is perfect for a ride,” Cris said. “Sunny skies and seventy. Jackson mentioned that Glory’s probably about kicking down her stall.”
That was too true. The Irish Draught
was
getting antsy. She missed the attention she usually got from both Beth and Jackson. Since Beth’s advanced pregnancy had stopped her from riding before she even arrived in Colorado, Jackson had taken Glory out for
exercise every couple of days, but Jackson, like Evan and every other sane man on the ranch, didn’t ride English tack or fly horses over fences. It would be selfish to deny the animal the kind of exercise she was used to.
He’d seen Meg ride, and it was truly like watching water flow. Smooth and fluid with a kind of mastery over the animal, like working a quarter horse, she displayed partnership and dominion in one package.
In short, it, no,
Meg,
had been beautiful.
Meg watched Evan’s expression mutate into a scowl. “I can’t believe you flew thousands of miles to baby-sit. I’ll watch the babies and you show Meg around, then, honey,” Evan said. “You probably haven’t had the chance to ride flat-out for months.”
Thank heavens. It was clear from his reaction that he wasn’t feeling the attraction she was. Unless he’s blocking it, just like you, a pesky voice in her head added.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Crystal said. “I’m not letting you bury yourself in yet another kind of work. Jackson told me how much help you’ve been since Beth got sick. He says you ought to be about ready to drop. I’ll remind you of what you said to Jackson. ‘You won’t do the twins any good if you harm your own health.’ We’ll be gone in a little over a week, Dad. Take advantage of the rest while you can. Okay?”
Evan held up his hands. “Okay. Okay.” He glanced at Meg, and his direct gaze made her want to squirm. “I surrender.”
And that was how Meg found herself mounted on Glory and following Evan out of the corral the next morning. He sat so straight in the saddle. A true horseman, even though according to Jack he was considered a cattleman.
“I always thought of Colorado as being cold in winter,” she said, finding Evan’s silence unnerving. She glanced at his handsome face. His blue-gray eyes seemed to sparkle even in the shade of his hat.
“Colorado’s dry and changeable. In a few days we could drop down to zero. Or a blizzard could roar across the plains and dump a foot of snow. Then it could warm up again and melt just as fast.” He looked away, then pointed to a fence. “Think you can jump that fence with her? Glory hasn’t been given her particular type of workout since she got here.”
Meg nodded and urged Glory into a canter. “Race you,” she called over her shoulder. She could hear Evan’s Apple Boy thundering after her, but the fence was there. She knew she’d won as Glory took flight and they sailed through the air, weightless just for a moment at the top of the arc. Then they landed and she turned back to watch Evan’s quarter horse ride the fence line to an opening, practically turn on a dime and race back to her.
Evan rode up to her, grinning. As he came to a stop, he leaned on the pommel, so relaxed in the saddle he looked as if he’d been born there. He shook his head.
“Poetry in motion. And insane.”
She laughed. “You act as if you’ve never seen someone jump over a barrier. I’ve seen Jack jump streams and fallen trees as shortcuts.”
“None of which are four feet high.”
She tilted her head. “How do you feel about Jack changing the focus of the ranch?”
Evan shrugged. “That he’s probably right. Diversification. A big word for a smart idea. Cris has been saying it for years about investments. I listened because I knew nothing about finance and she went to school for it. I wanted my kids to have a good education. It was something I wanted, but never had the chance to get formally. Not just for education’s sake, but for something to use. Jackson felt differently. We disagreed on his major in college. Not the first disagreement we’ve had or the last, of course. He took some courses related to ranching, but he was always interested in history. He got his master’s in it. I thought it was a waste of time. So when he said we should diversify the Circle A, I dug my heels in. Too stubborn to bend. Times had changed, but I didn’t want to. I’d built the place on cattle. Seemed to me at the time we could keep it running on cattle. But he’s right. That market’s shrinking. The quarter horse
market isn’t. Not with Jackson training them, at least. The Circle A will be fine. You have to see him work Duke. Pure magic. He may have done a bang-up job as foreman for both the Circle A and Laurel Glen, but he was wasted in the position.”
“Duke? Isn’t that the horse who kept dragging Jim off his feet when Crystal was teaching him to ride? That didn’t sound well trained to me.”
“You ever seen any quarter horse work?”
“I don’t think so. I once saw a video of a barrel race.”
“That’s rodeo stuff. See those cows over there?” Evan asked, pointing down the hill. “Cows like to stay together, but watch me cut two away from the others. Jackson trained Apple Boy, too.”
Meg’s heart was warmed by the pride Evan took in Jack. It was a side of him she not only hadn’t seen, but one she hadn’t known existed. As she watched the performance of Evan and his quarter horse the pounding of her heart worried her. It had nothing to do with trepidation for Evan’s safety or excitement over the impressive display of talent, however. It was due to one reason and one reason only. He looked…attractive in the saddle. There, she’d said it. Evan Alton was a desirable man and she was suddenly scared to death to be near him.
And there was nowhere to run.
A
s she watched Evan finish cutting the cows away from the herd, Meg knew she had to get a grip on her runaway response to him. But she couldn’t keep resorting to rudeness to keep those feelings at bay. It would be wrong, especially after he’d swallowed his pride and shared with her the tragedy of his early life and the reason he’d been so ill equipped to bring up his children without Martha.
Who was she to judge him, after all? She’d spent years living in a state of solitary grief, working just as hard in her career as he had on the ranch. Her life had turned around only because her brother had called to tell her his wife, Marley, had been killed. When she’d gone home for the funeral, the deep grief in Cole’s eyes, as well as the hollow look of loss in his sister Hope’s, had cried out to her. She’d stayed to help them, but they had helped her just as much.
Ross’s children had given her a new purpose and a chance to mother someone. A chance to be part of a family again.
But she’d had family in her formative years. Evan had had no such experience to miss. Or aspire to. It was no small wonder that, in his grief, he hadn’t missed what he’d never had.
She also couldn’t take her fear out on him. And she
was
afraid of the things he made her feel. Because Wade Jackson had been a careless, reckless youth in comparison to the man riding toward her. Even in his teens, Evan wouldn’t have left her alone and pregnant, Meg could tell. The ring he’d have placed on her finger wouldn’t have been a promise of a future he might not have, but would have been a wedding ring that would have protected her both socially and financially when he went off to war.
She hadn’t missed the significance of Evan’s father-in-law having placed his daughter’s heart and future in Evan’s hands at such a young age. It was also clear that, though Evan had loved Martha from afar, he’d held her in too high a regard to consider himself good enough for her. It hurt to realize that Wade had not had that same esteem for Meg.
She shook her head. No, there was no sense going there. She couldn’t start second-guessing their love and its result. And she could not wish it hadn’t happened, or she’d be wishing her wonderful son out of existence.
She was, however, sorry she’d broken God’s law. As usual, the Lord in His goodness had taken her regrettable choice and made of it something wonderful. Even though she’d had to go through years of pain to find the prize at the end of that long road her love for Wade had started her on, she was thankful, because Jack was in her life.
“And that’s what a cutting horse does,” Evan said, breaking her train of thought as he and his horse stopped on a dime in front of her.
“There’s a good market for them, you say?”
“Seems to be.”
She forced a smile, refusing to show the path her mind had taken. “Then good for Jack that he saw it. I think I’m going to have to learn that kind of riding. It looked like fun.”
Evan could feel Meg’s restlessness as they trotted along next to each other. They’d ridden out to Half-Pint Spring, where they talked for a spell about their lives. He’d told her about the changes he’d made to the Circle A and about the careful land purchases he’d made to expand it. She had explained that her brother had done the same thing with Laurel Glen, through an inheritance of a neighboring estate when his first wife died and the recent purchase of some land from Adam Boyer.
And now they rode on to Aspen Stand, one of the northernmost man-made watering holes, so she could
see a windmill in action. He glanced at her. Was she as nervous as she seemed? Why was that? Did she sense his unruly feelings?
No. No way. He was better at hiding things than that. Besides, he’d been a quarter of a mile away earlier and had returned to find these vibes. So what was wrong? Maybe it was knowing they were out of touch with how Beth was doing. Well, of course that was it! Hadn’t she said Beth was like the daughter she’d never had? This ride had probably been torture for her.
“Maybe we should get back.” He checked Apple Boy and they stopped. Meg wheeled Glory to face him after a few paces. Evan looked at the position of the sun, then reached for his watch to confirm the startling fact that they’d been riding for over two hours. Time had simply taken wing. “You can still make afternoon visiting hours if we head in now. Would you like that?”
She seemed to grasp eagerly at the suggestion. “I would, yes. I’m so worried about her. And Jack.”
Meg looked so concerned Evan felt like a fool. Some leisurely ride. He sidestepped Apple Boy. “I’m sorry. If you’d wanted to skip the tour you should have just said.”
She looked startled. “No. I had a nice time. Really.”
He shrugged and started them for home. Halfway there Evan realized Meg might think he intended to
go to the hospital with her. That wasn’t going to happen. He knew with a certainty that if he went near that hospital Beth wouldn’t live to see the twins again. Just as Martha hadn’t lived to see her children grow up. It made no sense. He was as certain that it made no sense as he was that he couldn’t go there.
He pulled up when the ranch compound came into view. “You can get there without me along from here. Tell Tomas to take care of Glory. I have to check out something in the western part of our land. I’ll see you later.” He tipped his hat, pivoted Apple Boy off to the left and kicked him into a canter.
He rode hard for a good hour before returning to the compound, then he showered and kicked back to watch some TV. Except, nothing held his attention. He paced awhile then flipped through the channels again. Bored. He was bored, he told himself. So he fired up the computer and did a little stock trading, adjusting his portfolio. Checked for e-mail messages. Other than a bunch of spam, there was nothing.
Still restless, he decided to walk down to the corral and see if anything was up down there. He found Cris instead, her raven’s-wing hair hanging loose down her back. “Honey, I thought you’d go with Meg.”
Cris turned to him. She wore a pair of tan slacks and a soft red turtleneck sweater. She dressed differently now. No men’s shirts tucked into jeans. There was an air of sophistication and polish about her
these days that made her seem all grown up for the first time.
“Xandra went instead,” she told him. “She and Beth have a special bond. I guess I should explain so you don’t say the wrong thing. Dad, Beth helped rescue Xandra from an abusive marriage by taking her into the women’s shelter she founded. Xandra took over New Life Inn for Beth when they came here. She lived at the shelter until she married Adam.”
Shaking his head in rueful sorrow, Evan said, “You think it only happens in the inner city or among the poor. Not to people with money. And speaking of people with money, I thought Alexandra had parents who could have helped her get away.”
“They thought just like you said. That abuse doesn’t happen at their income level. Or in a beautiful house. Thank God she had the strength to get out. Every time I think about what Xandra went through, I automatically think of the Harts and how Josiah Hart killed his wife in front of Caleb and his sister. If only Mrs. Hart had found the strength to get away the way Xandra did.”
Evan grimaced, remembering as if it were yesterday the day two decades ago when news of the murder had flashed through town. “Short of that, the law should have intervened,” Evan growled. He felt a little guilty. If he hadn’t been so preoccupied with himself, maybe he would have seen what was hap
pening on a neighboring ranch. Maybe he could have helped.
“Sheriff Barrett stepped in and straightened Caleb out when he kept getting into trouble in his teens. I don’t think that would have been possible if Caleb had thought the sheriff could have done more. But I do think Caleb is still pretty bitter about his mom. If he only knew the Lord, maybe he could get past all that.” She sighed. “So, how is Caleb doing still working for the worst sheriff Torrence, Colorado, has ever elected?”
“Caleb’s always done a good job, but people can’t seem to see past the trouble he got into in his teens. I knew it was bound to happen. I feel bad that Caleb lost the election, but now the town’s at risk. That’s why I tried to talk Jim into running.”
“You mean it wasn’t just so your little girl wouldn’t move away?” Cris asked, then sighed. “I really like Caleb. I hate to see him banging his head against a wall like this. He should have just moved away, both from the town and his past.”
Evan winced, understanding Caleb more than anyone did. “He wants to prove himself. I understand it. I also know he’s wasting his time. Not that he won’t do it eventually, but by then he’ll have wasted a lot of years.”
Cris’s gaze sharpened and she propped a hand on her hip. “Are we talking about Caleb Hart or Evan Alton now?”
Smart girl. A year ago he’d have denied it. “Both. I told Meg I’d think about telling you and Jackson about my early life. It seems you know more than I thought.”
“Grandmother thought if we knew you’d had no family and grew up in foster care that we’d understand your lack of affection. That’s about all I know. You came here as a runaway at sixteen and never left.”
Evan nodded and gazed out over the beautiful world his in-laws had opened up to him. It was easier to say that way. He didn’t want to see pity on his daughter’s face, but he knew Meg was right. They had a right to know. It had affected their lives, too. And if his story helped them understand him more, so much the better.
“There’s a little more to it than that. I never told Mary all of it. My parents abandoned me sick at a hospital when I was about six or seven. The age was a guesstimate, kiddo. I didn’t even know my birthday. Frank, Mary and Martha were my salvation in more ways than just showing me the way to the Lord. I’m sorry I didn’t learn more from them about how to make us a family.”
He looked at her then and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She flung herself against him. “Oh, Daddy. I’m so sorry.” She snuffled and backed away, her gaze fierce, her tears clumping her long lashes
into spikes. “Oh, treating a child like that! What is wrong with some people?”
“Cris, calm down, honey. Even I’m not this angry. I made too many mistakes with you and Jackson to hold them in contempt.”
She wiped her eyes. “Oh, don’t mind me. It’s the hormones.” Her eyes widened. “Oops.”
Evan felt his mouth stretch into a wide smile even as he was processing what she’d let slip. “Do you and my son-in-law have an announcement?”
Her hand went to her still-flat stomach. “We were going to wait till Beth’s better. I didn’t know how you’d take it, considering.”
He held out his arms. “I’m thrilled, honey. My only regret is that my grandchild will live across the country.”
She shot him a dark look. “Dad, don’t start the ‘moving home’ stuff again.”
Evan held up his hand, still grinning like an idiot. “I’m not. I know you love it there. Now, come give Daddy a hug.” She did, and they started back toward the house.
“You’ve flourished and blossomed there, Cris. I’d have to be blind not to see it. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the location, other than that’s where Jim hails from, but you look wonderful and happy, honey. So are we going to be surprised or do we know if this is a grandson or granddaughter? You get to break the tie, you know.”
“It’s a girl. Oh, Daddy, can’t you just see Jim with a girl?”
Evan chuckled. “She’ll wrap him around her little finger. But I can also see him standing on your front porch with his arms crossed, staring daggers at her dates, too. Poor little girl. She’s doomed to be an old maid. Then again, if she’s as pretty as her mother, they’ll beat a path to her door in spite of him.”
“Funny, I don’t remember any path-beating around here.”
“That’s because the locals were blind, as Jim says every time the subject comes up. Man seems mighty grateful they were, for all his grousing about it.”
A slight blush tinged her cheeks. “We…uh…we already decided on a name.”
He steeled himself. But it wasn’t necessary.
“Martha Mary,” she said, and shot him a grin. “At first Jim thought that was too many
m
’s, but then he thought we could call her Em or Emmy. Kind of cute, huh?”
Now Evan was the one fighting tears. He slung his arm over Cris’s shoulders and pulled her against his side and they walked to the house in step.
“Thank you, honey,” he said. “I understood Jackson and Beth’s reasons for naming the twins what they did, but Martha had such a short life. It’s nice to see her name carried into the next generation.”
“I wish I could remember her. I always thought I did, but I’ve only begun to realize that it’s the stories
about her I remember. I even thought I remembered her smell, but when I was packing up my things to move east, I came across some of her things and realized it was a sachet someone had put in the trunk of her clothes that I’d smelled over the years when I peeked in there. I was too young to remember that, wasn’t I?”
Evan grimaced. But for the first time the stinging pain he’d been ready for wasn’t there. “I’m afraid so, Cris. But she loved you very much. Both you and Jackson. I like to think you carry that with you, even if you don’t remember how you know.”
She smiled sadly. “I do, too, Dad. She must have been something if you still miss her so much after all these years.”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice sounding wistful but not agonized, even to himself. No, he’d never forget her, but a niggling voice in his head told him she’d have wanted him to go on and live a fuller life than he had been.
Unfortunately, he just couldn’t leave her behind. His love for her was too comfortable. Too much a part of him.