by Kathy Ivan
A couple of days after coming to live with the Boudreaus, Ms. Patti took him to her secret place—her hidden garden. She’d showed him the differences between the healthy growing plants and the strangling weeds which threatened their lives. She never once complained when he came inside covered with dirt and mud. She’d simply hug him and praise his efforts, and thank him for helping with her garden. Together, they spent hours under the hot sun, fingers in the rich black soil, and he’d learned to love making things grow.
Dropping to his knees, he pulled a few weeds, the nasty little buggers who’d managed to get past the protective membrane, and tossed them into a small pile at his side. It felt good to sink his fingers into the rich dark dirt. Rising, he picked up the first bag of mulch, and glanced toward the street as a black pickup truck pulled into his drive. His sister, Nica, jumped from the passenger seat and raced across the grass, her long blonde hair flying behind her.
“Rafe!”
“Hey, short stuff, when’d you get into town?” Her arms wrapped around him in a hug, and he squeezed back, careful not to let his dirt-encrusted hands touch her. She’d been away at college much of the summer, taking extra classes. Nobody had told him she’d be home this weekend.
“I decided to surprise Momma and Dad. Took a few days off. I missed everybody.”
He nodded to his brother, Joshua, who’d apparently been recruited as chauffeur for their sister. Veronica, or Nica to her family, was the lone girl in the Boudreau clan. They teased her about being the pampered princess, though nothing could be further from the truth. Growing up with a house full of brothers, she’d learned to roughhouse and keep up with the boys, but since heading off to school, she’d gained a bit of feminine grace and polish. Yet deep down, she was still Nica, the baby sister he’d rocked to sleep more times than he could count.
“Made it in time for the barbecue. Why am I not surprised?”
She grinned. “Another reason I made the trip home. Everybody except Ridge and Shiloh are gonna be there, at least that’s what Momma said when I talked to her last week. I can’t wait to see Antonio and Heath. It seems like forever since we were all together.”
“Heath’s coming?” Wonder why nobody mentioned that, either? When did I fall out of the loop? Heath worked with the ATF, and he’d been offered a big chance at advancement if he’d relocate to the nation’s capital. Of course, he’d jumped at the chance, packed up and moved to Arlington, Virginia, and commuted to D.C. He hadn’t seen his brother in over a year.
Nica bounced on her heels beside him, filled with youthful exuberance. He smiled, remembering how she’d always been the hardest to pin down and keep still. Constantly moving, always on the go. “I had lunch with Antonio last week, and he said he was planning to drive down if he could get the time off. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see everybody, so I convinced Joshua to pick me up.”
“And she talked my ear off the entire way. Wouldn’t even let me turn on the radio.” His brother leaned against the corner of the house, his cowboy hat shading his face. “Figured I’d drop her off here, so I could get five minutes of blessed silence.”
“Hush up. I do not talk too much,” Nica scolded, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.
Rafe met his brother’s eyes, and burst into laughter. The family teased Nica endlessly because she was a well-known chatterer. On any subject. At any time. Mention a topic, and she was off to the races. The girl did love to talk.
Sinking to her knees, she tugged a couple errant weeds he’d missed, and tossed them onto the bedraggled pile. “This looks really great, Rafe. You’ve gotten a lot done since the last time I was here.” She pointed to the two gardenia bushes he’d planted earlier in the spring. The white blooms gave off the strong fragrance he liked, so he’d placed them beneath his bedroom window, directly under the painted shutters. In the late evenings, he left the window open, allowing him to catch subtle whiffs of their sweet fragrance all night long.
“It’s coming along pretty good. I planned on getting some mulch down, wanna help?” His gaze shifted between Nica and Joshua.
“No can do, big brother. I promised Momma I’d be back to help get stuff ready for the get together, but I couldn’t wait to see you.” A grin formed on her lips. “Besides, from what I heard, there might be a certain somebody new in your life. I wanted to hear it from the source.”
It took him a second to realize she was talking about Tessa. Who in the world…he looked at Joshua, who simply shrugged. No help there.
“Get her outta my hair, Josh. I’ve got work to do, if I’m going to make it to the Big House on time.” Reaching down, he gripped Nica’s elbow, and pulled her to her feet.
“But, you haven’t told me about—”
He touched one dirt-stained finger to the tip of her nose. “Curiosity killed the cat, kiddo.”
“A, I am not a cat. B, you might as well tell me. You know I’m gonna find out anyway. And C, I can have Josh drive me over to her house and get all the dirt straight from the horse’s mouth.” Standing there with a self-satisfied smirk, hands on her hips, he realized she’d probably would. There wasn’t a bashful bone in his baby sister’s body. Sighing, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and steered her toward the truck.
“Her name is Tessa Maxwell. She’s the new grade school teacher. There isn’t anything to tell, because we haven’t been out. I’ve been too busy, and she’s getting ready for school to start.”
He almost laughed out loud at the disappointed expression on Nica’s face. “Really? Not even one date? You’re not getting any younger, you know.” Going on her tiptoes, she brushed a kiss against his cheek. “Besides, I worry about you. You’re my big brother and I love you. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, squirt.” Watching her climb onto the passenger seat, he closed the door, and leaned in to whisper. “I’m bringing her to the barbecue, so you’ll get to meet her. But,” he paused, when she started doing a little booty shake in her seat, “give her a break. Don’t pull any of your interrogation tactics on her. Got it?”
Nica grinned. “Got it. See you later, alligator.”
“After while, crocodile.”
At the sound of her joyous laughter, he joined in. She’d been saying that since she was three, and heaven help you if you didn’t answer her with the next line. Seeing her happy and smiling lifted his spirits. His baby sis was a gift from God, and though they might not be blood, he loved her as if she was—because she was family.
And family means everything.
He glanced at Joshua. “Get her outta here. I’ve got to finish the mulch and grab a shower. See you later.”
It wasn’t until the pickup truck pulled away Rafe realized Joshua had barely spoken. Was something up with his brother? He needed make time to talk to him at the party, find out if anything was wrong. Because what affected one Boudreau, affected them all.
They were family.
CHAPTER TEN
Tessa’s first view of the Big House stole her breath away. Several miles outside of Shiloh Springs, the sprawling acreage seemed to extend as far as she could see. Barbed wire fences lined the pasturelands, the land on both sides undulating outward in a sea of green. In the distance, she spotted cattle grazing. But as they rounded a gentle curve in the long driveway, she found she couldn’t take her eyes off the house in the distance.
Huge by small town standards, heck by most people’s standards, the homestead stretched outward, a two-story structure with an enormous wraparound porch. Tall magnolia trees stood as beacons, the two in the front providing shade and giving the place a feeling of permanence. Like it had always been there, and would be there for decades to come.
But most important was the sense of home she felt looking at the grand estate. It almost seemed to open its arms in welcome, beckoning her forward, whispering she belonged. It was a sensation, a feeling, she’d never felt about a place before, and a tingling warmth spread through her the closer they got.
&nbs
p; “It’s amazing,” she whispered.
“It is. The first time I saw this place, I was just a kid, but there was something about it. A sense once I stepped through those doors, my whole life would change. Best way I can describe the feeling…it felt like I was coming home.” Rafe pulled onto the grass in front of the house, parking between two pickup trucks, one shiny and looking brand new, the other dented and rusty with the paint peeling and a weathered, sun-bleached appearance. Several more vehicles lined both sides of the front yard.
“I can’t imagine growing up in a place like this. I’m pretty much a city girl. Cattle and horses, ranching, it’s all new to me.”
“The Boudreaus have lived here for several generations. This used to be one of the biggest spreads around, but Dad’s heart wasn’t in ranching. He went into the military, and when he came home, he worked in construction, building up his business from the ground up. All the Boudreaus since have worked for Boudreau Construction at some point, though only Liam still does. He handles the job sites, runs the crews. Dad deals with the business end of things, although he’s been known to wield a hammer every now and again, to keep his hand in the game. We all pitch in from time to time if there’s a need.”
Rafe slid from the car and jogged around, opening her door before she could reach for the handle. A Southern girl through and through, raised in North Carolina, she occasionally had doors opened for her, but she still hadn’t gotten used to the gallantry Texas men displayed, especially these Boudreau men. She had to admit, if only to herself, she liked it.
Opening the back door, he lifted out the cake box. Jill insisted Tessa take the cake with them, her gift to the Boudreaus, and asked her to express Jill’s regret at not being able to come. The box contained one of her glorious baked creations. When she’d delivered it the night before, Tessa stared in awe, once again staggered by her friend’s creativity and skill. Three tiers tall, somehow she’d managed to convey a sense of fireworks exploding, making the cake appear like an Independence Day extravaganza. The only thing missing was a band playing John Philip Sousa in the background. Though it wasn’t July any longer, the cake was perfect for a Saturday afternoon barbecue at a place like the Boudreau spread. She wished Jill came with the cake, but she’d refused, stating she had something going on in Austin. Tessa didn’t buy it, though. Something else kept her friend from partying with the rest of Shiloh Springs. If Jill didn’t open up soon, she’d have to give her a none-too-gentle nudge. After all, she had experience dealing with Jill burying her emotions deep, and having to pry them out. She’d done in before, back when they’d been in school together.
The front door swung open, and a blonde whirlwind raced across the porch and launched herself at Rafe, skidding to a stop when she spotted the box in his hands. Grinning like the Cheshire cat who’d spotted a plump canary, she turned toward Tessa, and stuck out her hand.
“You’re here! Hi, I’m Veronica Boudreau, but you can call me Nica. And you’re Tessa. I’ve heard all about you from Momma. Come on, everybody’s around back. Rafe, hurry up, you’re already late.”
“We’re not late, squirt. We’re right on time.”
“Well, it feels like you’re late. Besides, I couldn’t wait to meet Tessa. I have the feeling we’re going to be great friends.” Wrapping her arm around Tessa’s shoulder, she glanced toward her brother. “What’s in the box?”
“Cake.”
Nica stopped and spun around, taking Tessa with her, since she still had her arm around her shoulder. “Cake? You brought a cake? Rafe Boudreau, the man who can barely boil water, made a cake?”
Tessa wanted to giggle at the look of indignation on Rafe’s face. Apparently his sister knew him well, and didn’t mind giving him grief.
“Tessa brought the cake, I’m the pack mule.” He shot a scorching glare at his sister, before mumbling under his breath, “I could have baked one if I wanted.”
Nica patted her arm. “Good. You start training him right, right from the beginning. Makes ’em easier to handle in the long run.” She leaned forward, peering through the box’s cellophane lid, and turned to Tessa. “You made this? It’s gorgeous.”
“No, my friend Jill made it. She’s an amazing baker.”
“Jill?” She turned toward Rafe, raising a brow. “Do I know this Jill?”
“Jillian Monroe, Dante Monroe’s sister.”
Nica nodded. “I remember her. She’s sweet.”
“Jill and I went to school together in North Carolina. That’s where I first heard about Shiloh Springs.”
“Can we move things along, ladies? This is getting heavy,” Rafe nodded toward the cake, pretending to almost drop it. Tessa couldn’t help noting the twinkle in his dark brown eyes as he teased his sister.
“Sorry, grouch. We’re going.” Nica winked at Tessa, and began tugging her once again toward the side of the house, Rafe trailing behind. Tessa tried to keep up with the younger woman, all the while taking in the beauty of the Boudreau home. The sound of voices and laughter wafted from the back of the house. Sounded like a lot of people, and for a second, nerves kicked in. When they rounded the corner, she spotted at least a couple dozen folks. A few of them she knew from sight—Liam, Lucas, and Brody—from her first days in Shiloh Springs. Others were parents of students she’d met, and a couple of the kids, some of whom who would soon be in her classroom.
“I know. They can be overwhelming. Keeping everybody straight is a challenge, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick. Oh, look, Lucas is manning the grill with Dad. He’s the best cook.”
Glancing in the direction Nica pointed, Tessa spotted Lucas and Douglas Boudreau, standing beside a huge grill. It had to be at least ten feet long, built into the edge of the enormous patio at the back of the house. The patio itself was covered with a wooden pergola, the rustic beams decorated with glittering lights, which probably looked amazing at night. Chairs were scattered around the space, clustered into several groupings, making for intimate conversational areas. Off in the corner sat a fire pit. She could imagine the kids having a ball, making s’mores later in the afternoon, or roasting hotdogs after racing around and playing the day away.
“Tessa!” Ms. Patti called out, motioning her over toward a group of people seated on the outdoor furniture in a semicircular grouping, the petite woman holding court surrounded by her willing subjects. “I’d like you to meet the Fergusons. They’re neighbors, and live on the other side of our property.”
“It’s a pleasure, Ms. Maxwell.” A tall, silver-haired man stood, grasping her hand. Big and barrel-chested, he stood over six feet, broad across the shoulders with the beginnings of a paunch around his middle. He reminded her of a grizzly bear. Beside him, a plump, older woman smiled indulgently as he reached for her hand. “I’m William, and this is my beautiful bride, Beverly.” Though she tried to hide her surprise at his unusual introduction, he must have read it, because he chuckled. “I always call her my bride, because I love her as much today as the day I married her, almost forty years ago.”
It was one of those aww moments, and Tessa felt a warmth deep inside at the love shining in the man’s eyes. What would it be like, to have somebody love me like that?
“Welcome to Shiloh Springs, Ms. Maxwell.” Beverly Ferguson started to rise, but William’s hand on her shoulder kept her seated, his touch gentle yet insistent.
“Honey, you need to stay off that ankle, remember?”
“How can I forget, Papa, when you remind me every time I stand up? The doctor said I could put a little weight on it.”
“As long as it’s still swollen, you’re staying put.” Though he said it with a smile, there was a core of solid steel behind his words. “Now, you ladies have a nice chat. I’m going over and see if the men need some help with the grill. Don’t want to be serving burnt beef.” He nodded, touched the brim of his hat, and sauntered off.
Beverly chuckled. “Darned old fool. Can’t stand being cooped up with the womenfolk, but he hovers over me like a ma
ma hen with her chicks. Barely lets me take a step without him holding me up. You’d think I broke both legs, instead of spraining my foot.”
“Bev, he’s worried. You did take a nasty fall.” Ms. Patti scooted over on the love seat, making room for Tessa.
“A stupid, clumsy fall. Who ever heard of falling up the stairs?”
Tessa shyly raised her hand. “My sister did once. She was volunteering at the hospital, working in the records room. They had a split-level space with four or five steps dividing the levels. She caught her foot on the bottom step, and fell up the stairs. She was wearing these strappy sandals, and ended up with bruising on her foot. It looked exactly like the shoe she had on. Couldn’t walk on it for a few weeks.”
Beverly chuckled. “Well, it helps to know somebody else did the same thing. Did mine climbing up the front porch steps. One minute everything was fine, the next—splat. I face-planted right into the shrubbery. Honestly, I’m more embarrassed than anything else.”
Nica sat cross-legged on the ground beside her mother. Her long blond hair flowed around her shoulders, and her soft brown eyes appeared almost golden in the sunlight. In the red-and-black plaid button-front shirt and jeans, she looked like she belonged, a part of the family and of the land surrounding them. Ms. Patti’s hand absently smoothed along the top of her daughter’s head, an almost reflexive movement, like it was something she did all the time.