by Kim Redford
Turning around, she quickly stepped down and hurried around the side of the building to the back. She stopped at the sight of Wildcat Spring, a round rock structure that enclosed a constant flow of mineral water. She couldn’t hear a gurgle from here, so she walked down the stone path that wound past overgrown flower beds, herb gardens, and a long bench created out of a single slab of red stone with stacks of flat rocks under each end to give it height.
A trickle of orange-tinted water ran out of the springhouse, down an incline, and disappeared under the low-hanging tendrils of a weeping willow just beginning to turn green and create a deep shady oasis.
Wildcat Spring’s flat-roofed building had three archway entries. She walked up and stroked the smooth rock surface, marveling once more at the clever construction by folks employed by the Works Progress Administration. Almost every community had received a new park, bridge, or school. Wildcat Bluff County was lucky to get this gazebo. She’d also discovered several interesting books written by WPA authors in her school library. She’d learned that the spring had long ago provided water for the Rocky T in addition to the ranch’s natural ponds.
She looked above the main entrance, where an elaborate sundial dated 1929 had been created using Roman numerals to show the time of day. Right now, she could see that it was well past noon.
She stepped through the archway and onto the stone slab floor, feeling the instant drop in temperature. It was always cooler here because the walls were two feet of solid stone plastered and painted white inside. A bench made of a long stone slab on top of stacked rocks like the one outside hugged the wall between each arch. On one side, a round cement basin constantly filled with water from a tall vertical metal pipe. A long red cushion with silver piping covered each bench, inviting visitors to sit down and rest a spell.
She did just that, taking a deep breath of the mineral-scented air as she relaxed her back against the cool stone structure. Home. Hearth. Heart. How had she ever left it? And yet, she well knew why—because two generations had trained her to take her broadcast ability out into the wide world of radio and make them proud. She’d done just that, knowing she couldn’t have done anything else, even if she’d had the inclination.
She’d been here many times after the sudden death of her parents in a car accident when she was in the tenth grade. The spring had soothed her broken heart, so it was the natural place for her to come again. She’d worked in the Wildcat Den with her uncle once he’d inherited the station. After school and on weekends, she’d always done her homework here as she relived memories of the happy moments she’d spent with her mom and dad.
She’d left Jack in charge of KWCB after her uncle’s death, while she’d continued her old life and then disassembled it. Jack had needed help for some time running the Wildcat Den, and in the aftermath of her divorce, she’d found she needed him and the station. So, she’d come home. From here on out, she needed a plan that merged the past with the future, but she wanted one that relied on mind, not emotion, because she’d endured enough drama from her ex and the media to last a lifetime.
As she sat there, letting the peace and quiet and security sink deep into her, she heard the growly engine of a pickup as its tires crunched over the gravel entry. She wondered why Jack was already back, but she shrugged, not letting his return disturb her peace of mind. He’d see her car, purse, sack, and he’d understand she needed a moment out here alone. He’d get on with the work at hand till she joined him.
When the truck’s engine cut off, quiet descended on the spring again. She leaned her head back against the stone wall and listened to the soothing trickle of water. She’d thought she’d miss the fast pace of Los Angeles, with all the important lunches, dinners, interviews, meetings. Instead, she realized the frantic pace and her power marriage had masked the heart that was missing in her life. And yet, she was now so used to protecting her own heart and no longer trusting her own instincts that she didn’t know how she could ever allow her heart to be vulnerable again.
When she heard footsteps on the walkway leading to the spring, she sat up, surprised Jack would come out here…but then again, the footfalls didn’t sound like his carefully measured step. These were long determined strides.
She tensed, feeling vulnerable for the first time at the spring. She’d always been perfectly safe here, but she could no longer take safety for granted after her LA experience. She jumped up, all of her self-defense classes flooding her mind as she braced for trouble.
A tall man’s silhouette—midnight against sunlight—filled the west-facing archway with the shape of a cowboy, from his tall-crowned hat to his pointy-toed boots.
She felt her heart ratchet up a notch, not from fear but from excitement. She’d know that breadth of shoulder and narrow-hipped stance even in the dark, if not by his strong body, then by the power emanating from him.
“Shane.”
Chapter 4
“Hope I didn’t startle you.” Shane raised his right arm and planted his palm flat against the rock surface of the archway entry, as if waiting for Eden’s invitation to enter.
“I wasn’t expecting anybody out here.” She realized her words had come out warm and strong. She hadn’t spoken this easily in months. She’d been so right to come home to heal.
“Barbecue?” He held up a sack in his left hand and shook it. “I figured you might be hungry and not want to go back to town.”
“Thanks.” She’d thought about food when Jack mentioned lunch on the air, but she’d only brought apples, peanut butter, and crackers in her bag from the Easy In & Out. Now, the delicious smell made her stomach growl.
“Peace offering. I probably came on too strong earlier. I’ll be the first to admit I’m sometimes too pushy.” He shook the sack again. “Do you want me to stay or go? If go, I’ll just leave the food for you and Jack.”
She felt cold—she wanted him to go. She felt hot—she wanted him to stay. Bottom line, she felt as if all her wires were crossed in his presence. A thick wall of self-preservation had been right in LA, but could it be wrong here?
“No hard feelings?” He set the sack down on the rock floor, then stepped back.
“Wait,” she whispered, conserving her voice while sifting through her surging emotions.
He hesitated, still a dark silhouette bathed in bright sunlight—as if he were a sun king offering her a precious gift.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Starving.”
“Me, too.” She smiled as a shared memory warmed her. He’d always eaten like a ranch hand and turned every calorie into muscle.
“Am I forgiven?” He leaned down but hesitated before he reclaimed the sack of barbecue.
“First, I’ll have to see what you brought me.” She teased, falling into their long-standing pattern. She motioned him to come inside the gazebo before she sat back down. “Take a load off.”
“Looks like you’re going to drive a hard bargain.” He picked up the sack, walked across the stone floor, and sat down on the bench facing her. He set the food between his feet.
“Chuckwagon?”
“Where else can you get the best barbecue in Texas?”
“That’s a point in your favor.”
“How many points do I have to earn before I dig out of my hole?”
“I’ll let you know when you get there.”
“Now that’s flat-out cruel,” he said with mischief sparkling in his hazel eyes. “You could have me brush-hogging, fixing fence, rounding up cattle till May Day, and I’d never know how close I was coming to earning my full points.”
She couldn’t keep from laughing at the image he’d conjured for her.
“It’s good to hear you laugh again.”
She nodded in agreement. She hadn’t felt like laughing or teasing in a long time. Maybe she needed to make up for lost time. “How hard did you say you were willing
to work?”
“I’m willing to work as hard as you like.” He gave her a hot look.
“That hard?”
“So long as I get a reward—or several.”
“How about if I send you on Chuckwagon Café runs? I’m beginning to think I may need a lot of comfort food.”
“You let me, Eden, and I’ll get you as much lip-smacking”—he paused, allowing his double meaning to sink in—“comfort as you desire.”
“Oh, Shane.” She felt his words go straight to her heart. His teasing ways had always revealed just how much he cared about her.
He grinned, flashing white teeth, picked up the sack, and glanced around. “No table, so—”
She stood up, breaking the intimacy that threatened to make her vulnerable, and grabbed the cushion off her bench, picked up another, and set them across from each other on the stone floor.
“Suits me.” He tucked the barbecue between the two cushions, set his hat on a bench, and then gave a wide sweep of his arm to indicate her place to sit. “So glad you could join me for this fine dining experience.”
She chuckled as she gave him a slight curtsy. He’d always had the power to ease her sorrows, and he obviously hadn’t lost his touch. “My pleasure, kind sir.” She sat down with only a slight creak of her knees. “I’m sadly out of shape.”
“I doubt it.” He sat across from her. “But if you are, you won’t stay that way long on the ranch. A little horseback riding will do the trick.”
“I haven’t ridden in ages,” she said softly, still not trusting her voice even though it was so much better here.
“It’s like riding a bike. It’ll come back to you, just like all manner of Texas things.”
She leaned forward, took a deep whiff of tantalizing barbecue, and ripped open the sack. She quickly divvied up two bottles of water, two wrapped sets of plasticware with napkins, and two flat, white containers.
“Nothing fancy.”
She opened her box to find a beef brisket sandwich, potato salad, and coleslaw. She grabbed a fork and took a big bite of potato salad, moaning in delight. “Oh yes, lots of mustard. Best food I’ve had in ages.”
“Mostly salads?”
“I haven’t been hungry in a while.”
He gave her a sympathetic look. “Maybe being back in Wildcat Bluff will whet your appetite—for a lot of things.”
“Hope so.” She smiled, realizing that just the sight of him was whetting her appetite in a way that hadn’t happened with a man in a long time. She grabbed her sandwich and bit into spicy beef as a distraction.
“Good sandwich?”
“Great. At this rate, I won’t have any clothes.”
“Is that a promise?”
She couldn’t keep from chuckling as he teased her. It felt good and overdue. Wildcat Bluff was having an amazingly positive effect on her, from her voice to her emotions, or maybe she was simply experiencing the healing power of a cowboy.
“Whatever you want, I’ll get you, but clothes are always optional with me,” he said mischievously as he gave her a once-over again.
She sighed dramatically for his benefit, then looked him up and down with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Ever go skinny-dipping?”
“What do you think? Hot summer day?” he said with a big grin. “Did you?”
“What do you think?” She returned his grin, feeling more lighthearted than she had in a long time.
“I think we should’ve gone together.”
“Oh!” she squeaked, suddenly struggling with her voice again. “Can you imagine our parents’ reactions if they’d found out?”
“It’s a big ranch.” He gave her a considering look as he finished his sandwich and took a drink of water.
“True, but—”
“If it weren’t for the drought and the pond being so low, I’d take you there right now.”
“It’s still a little chilly. And aren’t we too old?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “If Wildcat Jack still skinny-dips, then we’d be in good company.”
“He doesn’t.”
“Sure he does…and with a ladylove.”
Eden felt her mouth drop open. She closed it with a snap.
“Guess I let the cat out of the bag, didn’t I?”
“Yeah.” She quickly pushed their empty containers back into the torn sack as she tried not to think about Jack naked in the pond. He could do whatever he wanted to do. Shane was a different matter. She imagined sunlight glinting off his bronze skin while water drops sparkled in his auburn hair.
Shane leaned forward, tucked a finger under her chin, and raised her face toward him. “I’ve only ever wanted to skinny-dip with you.”
She sighed at his touch. She hadn’t felt such strong desire since that midnight up on Lovers Leap. Once more, she needed him, wanted him, craved him to fill all the aching places that had lain empty for so long.
And yet, when he bent to kiss her, she couldn’t do it. Even physically gone from her life, Graham lingered, ready to reach out and taint anything good. She thrust all the bricks in her wall firmly back into place, leaning away from Shane and placing her palms against his broad chest. She felt his heart beat hard and fast, mirroring the pace of her own heart.
“Are you going to make me wait?”
Still, she could tease him and stay on solid ground. “At least till summer and a big rainfall.”
“I’ve got a hot tub up at the house that’ll work right away.”
“No doubt.” She chuckled to take the sting out of her rejection.
“We could go there now.”
She started to respond but heard a sound outside. She held up a hand to stop any more words, then pointed in the direction of footfalls coming closer.
“Do I smell barbecue?” Wildcat Jack burst through one of the open archways, all long limbs and kinetic energy thrust into faded Wranglers and a dark-brown pearl-snap shirt. Two long plaits of thick, silver hair wrapped with multicolored, beaded leather cords dangled over his shoulders.
“You’re a day late and a dollar short,” Shane said, gesturing toward the empty containers.
“Fine friends you are.” Jack turned his sharp, chocolate-colored gaze from one to the other. “You’ll have to make it up to me.”
“Will do,” Shane said.
“So, did you tell her?” Jack gave Shane a look that spoke of closely held secrets.
“Tell me what?” Eden suddenly felt uneasy, as if Wildcat Bluff was no longer quite such friendly territory.
“Long and short of it,” Jack said, rubbing the silver stubble on his strong square jaw, “he needs your water.”
“Do you mean Wildcat Spring?” she asked in shock, her voice ending on a squeak.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed.
“Is that true?” She glanced at Shane, hoping against hope that he’d disagree. If he didn’t, she’d suspect the food, the words, the intimacy were all for an ulterior motive, just like Graham’s self-serving ways.
“Bottom line, we’re in the middle of a drought. Cattle need water,” Shane said in an uneasy voice. “Wildcat Spring never runs dry.”
“But you know the transmitter needs boggy ground to reach KWCB’s complete audience.”
“I’m sorry, but we need to change with the times.”
She felt completely betrayed by Shane’s words. She couldn’t be near him a moment longer, so she stood up, turned her back on both men, and walked over to the basin. As if to lay claim, she thrust her fingers under the spout and let cool water wash over her hand for a long moment. Finally, she swiveled around to face them, feeling ready for battle as she carefully positioned her body protectively in front of the spring.
Why had she ever thought all the big hearts were in Texas?
Chapter 5
Shane realized too late th
at he was way out on a limb regarding Eden and Wildcat Spring. He honestly hadn’t thought she’d care that much one way or another if he closed the whole place down. He’d even thought she’d probably want to get out of the business altogether after that sorry affair in LA. He’d also thought that if she came back to Wildcat Bluff to settle accounts, it’d just be another pit stop on her way to something bigger and better. She’d always been a star. He was hard-pressed to imagine her any other way.
Now he realized he’d bet on the wrong horse. She wasn’t going to make it easy for him. And he couldn’t back down—no matter how much he might like to give her whatever she wanted in life. He cleared his throat, not sure where to go next. He glanced at Jack but only got a shrug in response. He felt the barbecue in his stomach turn over as if agreeing with Eden and disagreeing with him. How the hell had he read the situation so wrong? He rubbed his belly, realizing he’d thought what he’d wanted to think, and it’d been easy to do without input from her. Now that she was here with him in person, obviously hurting from life, everything looked different. And yet, he had the survival of the Rocky T depending on his decision.
“Show’s waiting for me.” Jack’s deep voice broke through the impasse like a whirlwind dusting up a dry pasture. “I’ve got a dog in this hunt, but he’s not gonna bark up the wrong tree.”
“What’s the right tree?” Shane asked, hoping Jack would take his side of the matter.
Jack gave him a look with his dark brown eyes that said plainly he’d been there, done that, and he wasn’t going there again. “I’m short. You two are looking at the long haul—higher stakes.”
“Eighty is the new sixty.” Shane didn’t like to hear Jack allude to age because he couldn’t imagine life without the Voice of Wildcat Bluff County.
“Tell that to my bones.” Jack shook his head as if life were creeping up on him with the intent to bludgeon.
“Hah!” Eden flicked a hand in Jack’s direction. “You’ve been complaining about your bones as long as I can remember, and nobody is as spry as you.”
Jack puffed out his chest a little bit, then winked at her. “Nothing a lady likes more than to lift the spirits of an ailing man.”