He wanted them. Like this. Forever.
Was he foolish to pray that was possible?
Shannon waved them over to a prime spot on the western side of the rock. “Seven minutes until sunset by my calculations. And by that I mean I looked up today’s sunset time online earlier.” She stretched out her legs as they took seats beside her. “Anyone else’s calves on fire?”
“Fire?” Cassidy snorted. “Pure lava.”
Shannon thrust her wrist in Wade’s face. “My Fitbit says I climbed sixty flights of stairs. Sixty. That’s how steep this rock is. Who knew?”
“I did.” Wade raised his hand. “Park ranger, remember?”
Piper unceremoniously plopped herself into Wade’s lap. “Did you know my birthday is coming up? I’m turning five. That’s a whole hand and I already know how to spell it too.” She demonstrated her skill for him. “I’m going to have a cowgirl birthday party with a bounce house and everything.”
“That sounds amazing.” Wade handed Piper a water bottle and urged her to drink more.
She took a long sip, then dragged the back of her arm across her lips. “You’ll come to my party, won’t you?”
“Of course, I’ll be there.” Wade tucked his arm around her and pointed to steer her attention toward the horizon. The sky was a brilliant deep purple-pink laced with wisps of white clouds. Stunning Texas Hill Country land spanned out in greens and blues and yellows as far as the eye could see. The world seemed to go on forever from where they were and it made Wade feel very small.
Before he had been diagnosed with cancer, he could have appreciated a scene like this one. Even called it pretty. He had witnessed a lifetime’s worth of spectacular sunsets from boats in the Caribbean. But this one surpassed anything he had ever seen. Surrounded by people he loved while the truth of how quickly life could change, how quickly his own health could be stolen away rested heavily on him; he had to fight back a well of emotion. The God who had taken the time to craft such amazing beauty had also created him and had given Wade a second chance. If the surgery went well, he could even call it a third chance.
And he refused to squander it.
Wade turned his attention to Cassidy. Her face was a mask of intensity as she watched the sunset. Wade’s mouth went dry. Sweat- and dirt-streaked, with hairs falling loose from her ponytail, she was honestly the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
Back on the trail after doctoring her, if he had leaned in after she had brushed the hair off his forehead, he could have kissed her. Probably should have. If he had, would things have changed between them?
As much as he wanted that, he told himself he was glad nothing had happened. He needed to wait until after his surgery. After he had received a clean bill of health. After he was at a point where being in her life wouldn’t equate to being a complete burden.
But as his gaze tripped over Cassidy’s petite features, he prayed that they could reconcile completely. He prayed that the day to kiss her would come sooner rather than later.
A gasp whooshed out of Piper as she nestled against him. “This is so pretty.”
“It is, Piper,” Wade said. “It really is.”
Soon after the sun dipped below the horizon, Piper dozed off. Shannon filled Cassidy and Wade in on the caves they had explored while they were waiting for them to reach the top. Then she shifted to telling Cassidy about Cord.
“I broke things off,” Shannon said.
“For good?” Cassidy reached out and took Shannon’s hand.
Shannon nodded. “It was a long time coming.”
“I’m so happy for you and I’m so proud of you. There’s someone out there who will treat you better,” Cassidy said.
Shannon gave a sad smile. “Who knows? But for now, I have to treat me better. And not being with him is a piece of that.”
Wade was glad Shannon was trusting someone besides him. Rhett would need to be told soon too since the ranch was listed in the protection order.
When it was time to head back down, Cassidy pressed her fingertips to Piper’s face. “It’s a shame to wake her,” she whispered. “I’m sure she’s tuckered out. She’s never up this late.”
Wade shook his head. “I’ll carry her.” Despite the sun setting, the lights from the parking lot and along the trail were enough to see by.
Cassidy stopped him on his way to pick Piper up. “It’s too steep for that. What if you fall?”
“He’s always been as sure-footed as a goat.” Shannon flapped her hand. “He’ll be fine. And we can stick close in case he needs help.”
“Fine. But only because she would probably fall on her own, as tired as she is.” Cassidy held out her hand. “But I’m taking the backpack.”
Wade relented. Cassidy dug a flashlight from the backpack and clicked it on before slinging the bag onto her shoulders. In the wash of her flashlight, they started back down the rock face.
Back toward home.
Chapter Nine
After their trip to Enchanted Rock, the next week flew by. The first wave of campers descended upon the Jarretts’ property and Wade was reminded of how much he cared about the mission of Red Dog Ranch. His father had been dedicated to meeting the needs of foster children and foster families, and Wade was relieved to see that his brother had continued the tradition.
Wade yanked off his work glove, flexed his fingers, then dragged his hand down his face. Sweat clung to every part of his body and he was positive Piper would declare that he stunk if she bumped into him anytime soon.
He couldn’t help but smile when his daughter crossed his mind. She was a little firecracker who constantly kept him on his toes, and he thanked God for her every heartbeat he could. Since their trip to Enchanted Rock, Cassidy had been inviting Wade into their family more and more. Most nights, he was there to help tuck Piper into bed. He would stop by for popcorn and movies with them and they both teased him relentlessly for falling asleep on the couch five or six minutes into the show each time. Piper sought him out each day to play a board game and so far she had won most of them and she wasn’t about to let him forget that fact.
He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
He had also been stopping his work outside earlier in order to shower, then head to the dining hall to help Cassidy with dinner cleanup. Now that there were campers, she had more responsibilities and he wanted to lessen her load any way he could. Even with the help of her two teenage kitchen helpers, it could take hours.
He rose from the crouched position he had been working in for far too long, his legs wobbling with the effort. He took a deep breath. If he didn’t start sleeping better, he wouldn’t be able to keep up these hours.
In an effort to forget his upcoming surgery, Wade had thrown himself into rebuilding another one of the cabins. There were only three left and he was determined to complete them even if he had to do it alone.
It hadn’t made him forget he had cancer, but he still found it valuable to fill all his waking hours, zapping his energy so he couldn’t worry as much.
Rhett, Macy and Shannon had become scarce around the Jarrett home, as they were fully involved with running the camp session. They were often on the go, planning and running all activities for the campers from six in the morning until nine at night. Since the cabins weren’t all completed yet, Rhett had been forced to limit the number of campers they could take and wait-list some of the kids. Wade knew it bothered Rhett to have to do it; it bothered Wade too.
Wade made a point to check in on his mom whenever he took a break. His siblings were busy and he enjoyed spending time with her. He had to admit though, in the last week her bad days had outweighed her good ones. The new night nurse had started two evenings ago and so far that seemed to be helping. But he wished there was more they could do for their mom.
“You look worn down,” Rhett’s voice boomed from behind Wade.
Wade pushed his free hand into the small of his back and gave an exaggerated groan. “Guess I’m not as young as I used to be.”
Rhett’s lips ticked up a fraction. “Careful, I’ve got more than five years on you so if you’re old, I’m ancient. Not exactly what a man wants to hear this close to his wedding.”
When Wade first learned Rhett and Macy had planned their wedding to happen in the middle of their summer programs, he had questioned their sanity. Why would they willingly enter into such a big, new part of their journey together when their lives were at the busiest? Fall was only months away and surely they could hold off until then. They had so much going on they wouldn’t be able to take a honeymoon until the end of the season. His brother had usually been so rational and the wedding date seemed to be the least rational choice ever.
But now with Cassidy—Wade understood completely. If he were in a better place, if he had more of his ducks in a row, if Cassidy could ever love him again...well, he would rush a wedding too.
Wade hooked a hand over his shoulder and squeezed at the knots there. “Good thing Macy keeps you young and on your toes.”
His brother laughed. “That she does. But I didn’t come here to talk about me.”
Of course he hadn’t. Always the most introverted of the Jarrett siblings, Rhett wasn’t one to seek out chitchat. Rhett was the brother who fully embodied the cowboy way—quiet, strong, always in a hat and boots. His button-down forever neatly tucked in with his belt buckle glinting in the sunlight. He had turned out to be a carbon copy of their father.
Rhett hooked his thumbs in his pockets and studied the fence line. The muscles in his jaw popped and Kodiak gave a little whine. Wade waited for his brother to speak.
Rhett’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I haven’t been very welcoming to you and I’m sorry about that. You’re family. You belong here. And you’re welcome here.”
Wade lowered his shaking legs to sit on the floor with his feet dangling off the elevated porch. He knew how hard that had been for Rhett to say.
“Thank you for that.”
Rhett’s long stride ate up the space between them until he was standing a few feet in front of Wade. “That’s not all I have to say.” Rhett looked away again. “You saved Shannon from that monster when I couldn’t.” He scrubbed a hand over his forehead, setting his hat askew. “And even if I had, I wouldn’t have handled it as well as you did. I would have wanted to hunt Cord down and deal with him myself.”
“Oh, I wanted to do that too,” Wade said. “But I figured getting him a record was a better long-term solution that could hopefully help more women than just Shannon.”
Rhett ran his fingers across his jaw. “Before you returned, I tried to save her and I went about it all wrong, and she suffered for longer than she ever should have because I couldn’t reach her.”
Wade sighed. “That’s not true, Rhett. She probably wasn’t ready when you tried. With these things, it has to be the person’s decision or they’ll go back. Shannon was finally ready when I talked to her. She hadn’t been before. Neither of us saved or rescued her. She did that really well herself once she had the tools and momentum.”
“I don’t know.” Rhett crossed his arm. “You two have always had this connection the rest of us couldn’t tap into.”
Kodiak must have realized this talk was going longer than Rhett’s normal interactions because she flopped onto the ground with a loud huff.
“We’re twins.” Wade shrugged. “I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s more than that,” Rhett said. “I— There’s more I have to tell you.”
“This is the day for confessions, huh?”
“You know me.” A small grin lit his brother’s usually serious features. “I better get them all out while I feel like it or who knows how long it would take me to come clean with you.”
“Come clean?” That sounded ominous.
“After the tornado hit, there was damage in the office. It opened up this secret compartment in the wall.”
“Consider me intrigued.”
Rhett brushed his hand over a smirk. It vanished just as quickly when he let out a shaky breath. “The compartment held a family secret. Namely that I was adopted.”
Adopted? Wade had to have heard wrong. Hadn’t he just been thinking about how Rhett was a carbon copy of their father?
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Rhett fidgeted with his hat. “I have all the proof if you want to see it.”
“It’s just...” Wade used his hand to encompass all of Rhett. “You’re the most Jarrett out of all of us.”
“I can show you the paperwork.”
“I believe you.” Wade held his hands up in surrender. “I just think it’s amazing that God placed you into our family. You’re this perfect fit and from what I hear, you’ve held us together when the rest of us would have failed.”
Never comfortable with flattery, Rhett cast his gaze to the Texas dirt. “Anyway, I told you that because I wanted you to know I forgive you for everything. For letting us think you were dead. Shannon told me why you did it and I’m sorry if anything I did or said ever made you feel unwanted or like you were a disappointment—you never were, Wade.” His gaze cut to Wade’s—intense and earnest. “We just wanted to save you the same way we have all wanted to step in and help Shannon. Because we loved you and wanted the best for your life. And, well, I wanted you to know about the adoption because I’ve been keeping that from you since you got back and it was wrong of me to be upset with you for keeping something from us when I was keeping something from you.”
Now was the time when he should tell Rhett why he needed the day off on Friday and why he may need most of next week off too. Oh, Rhett, by the way, I have surgery on Friday. It’s for cancer. Yeah, I’ve known for some time but I didn’t tell you.
Wade braced himself. He opened his mouth—
Rhett’s phone blared out a Clint Oakfield song and he answered it. “Hey, beautiful. Yeah, I can be there in two. Love you. Yup, on my way.”
A few minutes later, as Wade hobbled toward the Jarrett house, Shannon intercepted him. She hooked her arm through his and dragged him toward the barn.
“Watch the bicep.” He shrugged away from her. “I’m sore.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “I’ve been trying to catch you when we both had a second alone all week. We need to talk.”
He rubbed his arm. His muscles burned from overuse. “You and Rhett and everyone else.”
“I keep hearing Piper say you’re going to be at her birthday party.”
“Because I am.”
“It’s four days after your surgery, Wade.” She jammed a finger into his ribs. “Do you honestly think that’s a good idea?” She poked his chest as she delivered each word.
He lightly batted her hand away. “The doctor said I should be up and around within two or three days. You were there when he said it. Piper’s birthday is four days after my surgery, so I should be fine.” He would have a scar and possibly still have a bandage on his neck, but those were things that could be covered up with some creativity.
Shannon put her hands up, fingers curled as if she would like to give him a good shake. “He said you could be up in two to three days if you end up having a best-case-scenario situation.”
“Which is what I’m praying for.”
“Me too. But, Wade, what if that doesn’t happen?” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “You have to tell them what’s going on.”
“I am not dropping the C word on people eight days before Piper’s birthday,” he said. “Do you know how much of a damper that wo
uld be? Cassidy and Piper are both so excited. I won’t take that from them.”
He wouldn’t worry them. Wouldn’t do anything to lessen their excitement. It would be selfish to take the attention off Piper and off the camp sessions. He could handle this with God like he had planned. Wasn’t that how a believer showed faith?
Shannon’s voice was a low rumble. “If you love them as much as you act like you do, you would trust them with this part of you.”
“It has nothing to do with trust.”
“Keep telling yourself that. I’m sure it helps.” She pursed her lips as if she wanted to keep drilling into him but instead she asked, “What are you doing with your Thursday?”
The ranch was currently hosting some of their youngest campers so instead of the normal four- or five-day camp session, this one was only three. After they left on Wednesday night, Rhett had declared Thursday would be a paid day off for everyone at the ranch—a thank-you for all the hard work and long hours they had poured into the ranch in order to get it ready for summer. The staff would reconvene on Friday to clean up and get the ranch ready for next week’s campers.
“I’m taking Cassidy and Piper to Gorman Falls.”
“Perfect. So you can tell them then.” So they were back to this. That hadn’t taken long.
The day before the surgery. “It’s a little late at that point.”
“Just promise me you’ll consider telling them. They deserve to know.”
He blew out a long breath. “I’ll consider it.”
For Shannon’s sake, he would give it a little more thought.
Chapter Ten
Cassidy wasn’t ready on Thursday when Wade knocked on her front door. To be fair, she didn’t think it was possible that she would ever get over the thrill that ran through her when she knew Wade was on the other side of the door.
The love she had thought she had lost.
The love she was finding again.
She wouldn’t deny it any longer. Cassidy was falling for this new version of Wade harder than she had ever fallen for the old one—and that was saying a lot. But this Wade was driven in a way he had never been as a teenager and he was dedicated, thoughtful and always willing to help. He was a great dad. He had been nothing but open and honest with her and Piper. They could be a family again if Cassidy was willing to put her heart out there.
His Unexpected Return--A Fresh-Start Family Romance Page 13