Storms Over Texas

by Tessa Gray

  “Have you met Kathryn?” Her mother asked, her eyebrows narrowing.

  “No. Not yet, but I suspect in time, I will. Jake’s buying a larger house at the west end of town. He didn’t actually tell me this, but I’ve heard it through the grapevine.”

  Her father motioned Mama to sit down beside him. When she obliged, he placed an arm about Rachel—a smile sweeping across his face. “Let’s talk about this business you’re about to start. You’ll use Gramps’ trust money to fund it, I assume, to get it off the ground?”

  Mama’s eyes dimmed, and began fingering a white doily on the coffee table. “Honey, are you absolutely positive about this? Starting your own business will be a challenge, particularly in such a small town. People there don’t have money to spend like they do here. Are you sure you’re not setting yourself up for failure?”

  Rachel sprang from the sofa and strode to the other side of the room. Her mother’s lack of faith in her frustrated her. Mincing no words, she finally told her parents exactly how she felt.

  Crossing her arms, she spoke. “I’ve always been the dutiful daughter. The dutiful wife. The dutiful mother. When I decided to teach, it was because Michael wanted me to have part of the summer off to care for the girls. It wasn’t really what I wanted to pursue, but he talked me into it.”

  “Well, to be fair—”

  “I know what you’re going to say, Daddy. But please hear me out. I can’t think of a time in my life when I wasn’t trying to please someone. When Michael and I married, the girls arrived so quickly that I barely had any time to myself; time to pursue my own dreams, not the dreams of everyone else.”

  Mama walked over to where she stood, but Rachel continued talking, determined not to let her mother talk her out of this. “I remember one time when Kelsey and Meredith came over. The girls were in second grade then. When Kelsey asked me what my favorite meal was, I had no clue. I’d spent so much time preparing meals everyone else liked, that I didn’t even know what my favorite meal was.

  “I know that seems small and insignificant, but to me, it was a big deal. It told me that I was spending so much time jumping through hoops that I lost myself in the process. For the first time in my life, I know what I want. Do I think there’s a chance of failing at this? Of course I do. But this is my one shot to make my dream of owning a café come true, and I refuse to back down—to quit—to give up before the horse is even out of the gate. I mean it. I’m determined about this. There’s nothing you can do or say to stop me.”

  Her mother stared at her, a puzzled expression on her face. “I’m going to get us something to drink. Your father has good business sense. Maybe the two of you could talk more about this.”

  Before Rachel could say anything, her mother fled the room, leaving her alone with Daddy.

  ~ ~ ~

  Tim Donohue moved toward Rachel, placing a hand on her shoulder. When his daughter’s eyes pooled, he decided now was the perfect time to toss out an olive branch. He’d been hard on her over the years. First he’d given her a hard time about dating Jake, and then he’d criticized her for remaining in Alpine. And, more recently, he’d chided her for switching careers. As well-intentioned as he was, in some ways, he’d crippled her.

  “Honey, I know in the past I’ve been very critical of Jake for creating his own business, one that’s had its share of problems. But to his credit, at least he tried. When he looks back on his life, he can at least know that he gave it his all.”

  Rachel stared at him—a perplexed expression on her face. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this because it supports your point of view about this, and not mine, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Jake’s business isn’t going all that well. He’ll probably end up selling it, or losing it.”

  When Rachel frowned, he suspected that deep down, whether she’d admit it or not, she still cared very much about the West Texas cowboy. She wouldn’t admit it, but she did. But he’d save that discussion for another time.

  “Well-things can turn around. For Jake’s sake, I hope it does.” He reached for his daughter’s hand, unsure of just how to handle this situation with Jake. To his relief, Rachel patted his hand and smiled.

  “I know that starting my own business is risky. I know the pitfalls, Daddy. Trust me. I’ve done all the figuring. I’ve mapped everything out; all the expenses I’d need to update the café; all the supplies I’d need to get it started, and it’s going to be an uphill battle. Initially I thought Gramps trust fund would be enough. But the more I pour over the figures, the more I wonder if I can get this off the ground. And to be honest, seeing Jake struggle with his business gives me pause. But despite that, I really believe I can make a go of this.”

  He smirked when she began waving her arms about—as though thoroughly animated about the notion of owning her own business. Her eyes lit up suddenly, the look of determination on his daughter’s face made him proud. Of the three girls, Rachel had always considered herself the dutiful daughter-rarely giving him and Barbara a moment’s grief. For that reason alone, Rachel deserved his undying support.

  Clearing his throat, he spoke. “Gramps would approve of this, you know. Approve of you spending your trust fund on a new venture.”

  “He might at that.” She smiled and shrugged before continuing. “You know, when Meema and I used to bake together, she always told me how much she would have loved being a full-time baker. She talked about having her own shop years ago. Do you remember, Daddy?”

  “Of course I do.” After Tim said it, he looked away, remembering how his father took sick, snuffing out his mother’s dream of owning her own business.

  They spoke for several minutes as his daughter shared her plans to renovate the place she referred to as Last Dance Café. Her eyes sparkled and he fought back tears. For the daughter who had done everything by the book—married a man her family approved of, embarked on a career Michael had insisted on—for once in her life Rachel deserved to take a risk on something she was completely passionate about. Not only would he stay out of her way, but he’d help her out financially.

  “How about the two of us drive back to Alpine together? I’d like to take a look at the shop you’re considering buying. If we think it’s a good investment, your mom and I will match what Gramps contributed.”

  When her jaw dropped, he laughed aloud.

  “I can’t believe this. Daddy, are you sure?”

  “Don’t give up on your dreams, Rachel. Just because Meema did, doesn’t mean you have to.”

  She rose from the chair and walked to a window. She’d grown unusually quiet, and as she stared outside, he realized he’d just given his eldest daughter his blessing, and she’d be spending the rest of her life in a town nine hours away.

  ~ ~ ~

  Jake sat on a lawn chair in Nathan’s back yard and popped open a beer. He quickly handed it over to his best friend and retrieved one for himself. “It’s nice to get together with you guys again. It seems like ages since we’ve had steaks on the grill.”

  Nathan took a swig of beer and nodded. “It’s great you could bring Caden and Parker out here. I think our little Tommy enjoys having some boys his age to play with.”

  Kelsey strode across the yard, leaned over, and wrapped her arms about her husband’s neck. Nathan pulled her closer and kissed her.

  Taking a swig of beer, Jake set down the can and began sharing his plans with his best friend. “The house I bought is being updated now, but I expect by Christmas, the boys will be moving in with me. That’s the timeline Kathryn and I came up with.”

  Kelsey smoothed her hair and stared at him. “I-I didn’t know things were this serious between you and Kathryn.”

  She barely got the words out when Nathan stopped drinking his beer and reprimanded his wife. “Honey, let’s not butt into Jake’s affairs.�
�

  Kelsey quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Jake. Forgive me. You know how I am, always wanting to get to the bottom of things.”

  “No apology necessary,” Jake replied. Shaking his head, he picked up his beer, took another gulp and set it down.

  For a split second, he considered leveling with them about Kathryn, telling them she was old enough to be his mother and that nothing was going on between them. But he wouldn’t. If he did, Kelsey would go blabbing to Rachel about it.

  “I’d better go check on the kids. I’ll be right back.” Kelsey meandered back to the swing set the kids were playing on and began pushing Tommy on the swing.

  As the children continued playing, Jake turned back to Nathan. “I haven’t seen Rachel in a while. Adam isn’t working at the bar anymore, but he still keeps the work schedule. I guess he must have given Rachel some time off. I rarely see her anymore. Does Kelsey see much of her? Maybe she knows what Rachel’s been up to.”

  Nathan stared down at the ground and shook his head. “No, and if you want to know the truth, I’m glad.”

  “You never did care much for Rachel, did you?”

  Climbing from the lawn chair, Nathan strolled across the yard, completely ignoring his question.

  ~ ~ ~

  Late that evening, after the children were tucked in for the night, Kelsey strolled into the kitchen where her husband was finishing up the dishes.

  “Leave those, Nathan. I’ll get them in the morning.”

  “You sure?” Based on the fact she generally liked to get the dishes out of the way, the comment probably surprised him. As she looked into his steely, gray eyes, she marveled at what an amazing husband this West Texas cowboy made.

  They’d been married a little under three years, but she felt as though the two had known each other for a lifetime. As a large animal vet, his job proved taxing, wrangling horses and cattle about, and whatever other animal came his way. And yet, as hard as he worked, he’d rush upstairs the minute he got home to clean up. After that, he’d take care of the children while she made dinner. Sometimes he looked dead on his feet. Being a large animal vet at forty-seven couldn’t be easy.

  He set down the towel he’d been trying the dishes with and swaggered over to where she stood. Wrapping his arms about her, he pulled her against him. “I love you, babe.”

  “I love you, too.” His grip was powerful, and she realized the man she was married to had the strength of a bull. And the heart of a saint . . . except when it came to Rachel Martin.

  It was time for the talk, the one they should have had months ago. She’d avoided talking about Rachel, fearing it would upset the apple cart. But given the fact Rachel would probably live out the rest of her life here in Alpine, it was time to get everything out in the open.

  “Let’s head into the living room, Nathan. I have something I want to discuss with you.”

  “Or, we could discuss it in the bedroom.” After he said it, he arched his eyebrows, giving her that Groucho Marx impersonation he appeared to think she found hysterical.

  “We’ll get to the bedroom eventually. But right now, let’s sit on the couch and hash things out.”

  Draping his arm about her shoulder, he nodded. When he frowned, she realized he might already know what this was all about.

  ~ ~ ~

  Nathan flopped down on the sofa beside his wife. As he gazed into those deep brown eyes of hers, he saw a look of intensity on her face. She was a determined woman—a woman of strength. It wasn’t often the two sat down for a heart-to-heart talk, so he decided to let her speak first. While he suspected this was about Jake and Rachel, he decided not to bring up their friends’ relationship since it was something he and Kelsey often argued about.

  She spoke, her tone guarded. “I know that you’re delighted Jake has found someone to share his life with, other than Rachel. But the simple fact is that despite that, Rachel will always be in our inner circle.”

  “That’s probably not—”

  “I’ll just cut to the chase here. Mere and I had lunch together a few days ago. She and Rachel have been fairly well-connected since the accident. I know you feel as though Rachel is partly to blame for the accident, but be that as it may, you’ve got to stop being so hard on her. She’s hard enough on herself.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “Nathan, please. Will you just listen for once? I know you absolutely adore Jake, and I like that you do, but you need to respect the fact that Rachel will probably always be a part of his life.”

  “I-I suppose that’s true. He loved her very much. Even though she never reciprocated.”

  Kelsey looked away briefly. When she made eye contact again, her dark eyes illuminated. “Rachel didn’t reciprocate during their relationship, but I’m here to tell you that her feelings for him have changed. I’m not sure when it happened, but she confided in Meredith and told her the biggest mistake she ever made was breaking up with Jake. Like it or not, Nathan. That’s what she said.”

  “If that’s true, it makes absolutely no sense that she wouldn’t tell him that. If you care about someone, you tell them. It’s as simple as that.” He shook his head and stared at his wife.

  “Oh, Nathan, in a perfect world that would be true.” She rolled her eyes, and he suspected she was poking fun at him-at his sometimes overly simplistic view of the world. “Rachel will never tell Jake she’d like to get back together. She knows he’s moved on, and she wants him to be happy. Jake’s changed in many ways, but so has Rachel. She’s just less visible to most of us and is staying behind the scenes. The one thing she told Mere she doesn’t want to do is ruin things between him and Kathryn.”

  “Well, then, I actually have a good deal of respect for Rachel. If that’s true.”

  “It is true, Nathan. And that’s why, down the road, I want you to give her the benefit of the doubt. Stop being so standoffish with her. She truly wants the best for Jake. You can’t fault her for that.”

  Nathan gazed at her, a smile crawling up his face. “I know how close you and Rachel are. And since this means so much to you, I’ll try to do better. I promise.”

  “That’s all I’m asking.”

  As he stared into those beautiful chocolate eyes of hers, he felt a rush of relief. Showing Rachel kindness was a small price to pay for keeping Kelsey happy. He thought back to their own sometimes turbulent relationship. Both of them made mistakes, but in the end, their strong commitment to each other kept them together.

  She slipped her hand through his and sat quietly for nearly a minute. When she spoke, her tone was gentle. “I know that Jake’s been like a brother to you. And I know that you only want what’s best for him. I don’t know Kathryn, but I’m hoping she’s a good woman. I’m pretty sure this has been hard on Rachel, knowing Jake’s found someone else. But through it all, she’s held her head high. I hope down the road she finds someone who can fill the void Jake left.”

  Kelsey’s remarks stunned him, but when she climbed to her feet and continued holding his hand, leading him to their bedroom, he decided to continue this conversation another time. She began kneading his hand with hers, an indication they’d be making love.

  Smirking, he decided it might be a sin to be this happy.

  Chapter 17

  Several weeks later, Rachel stepped outside her new shop and shielded her eyes from the autumn breeze. She loved this time of year and had already begun planning a menu for Halloween. Owning her own business would give her ample opportunity to show off her creativity, something that had been on hold for the past several years.

  Last Dance Café was scheduled to open on October 20th: Meema’s birthday. It’d taken nothing short of a miracle to get all the wheels in motion to prepare for the grand opening, but thankfully, the previous owner was easy to work with.

  The generous
check from Daddy had certainly come in handy. She’d cried when he handed it to her, but he’d downplayed the donation, telling her, “I was going to put this in the will, anyway. Might as well give you the money before I’m six feet under.”

  She felt giddy at the prospect of being sole owner of her very own café. On more than one occasion she had actually pinched herself, fearing this all was merely a dream she’d eventually awaken from.

  Staring at the pristine black and white tiles sparkling as the sun poked through the cotton, Priscilla curtains, she realized it had been a wise decision on her part to replace the entire flooring. This particular floor would be low maintenance, something she would probably be thankful for down the road.

  Walking over to the double oven, she ran her hand across the shiny gray metal, pleased how well everything fit together. The crisp-looking, white clapboard cupboards resembled something out of New England. She loved that her café would have a modern, streamlined look. She’d seriously contemplated having a western theme, but in a town this far West, that felt too predictable. Going for something less traditional felt right.

  But she’d only gotten two walls painted when she ran out of the pale, gray paint. Intent on finishing up the job, she decided to run over to the hardware store and pick up more. “Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today,” Meema had always told her.

  The room looked so well put together—with the exception of the two bare walls—that she wished the painting was finished so she could spend this time baking, testing out the recipes she’d serve for Halloween.

  As she stared at the empty paint cans, she scolded herself for running out of paint. She’d need to get more.