Lone Star Longing (Hearts of Broken Wheel, #1)

by Fredrick, MJ

  “Beck, those things are a couple hundred dollars.” She only knew that because one of her patients, Mr. Dunfry, had just ordered one and was complaining about the price.

  “Maybe you can guide it off while I lift. I just don't want it slamming into me. That could hurt.”

  “You shouldn’t have done this.” She stood where she was, her arms crossed.

  “You say that to me a lot. Look, do you want to help me get it off of here or not?”

  “I cannot accept it.”

  He sighed and leaned against the tank, his mouth pressed together. “Why the hell not?”

  “Because I can’t accept it. It’s too expensive.”

  “Lacey, do you know the kind of money I make? It’s fine. Consider it my baby shower gift to you. Now come guide it so I don't hurt myself getting it off, because otherwise I’ll just hang out here until your dad gets back.”

  “I’d put you to work.”

  He met her gaze. “I’d let you.”

  She wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist and studied him. She knew him well enough to know he would do as he said, so she walked down the steps to the truck.

  “Where do you want it?” he asked after she held it upright so he could lower it to the ground, on end like a wheel.

  “Ah. I guess the faucet’s over here, and there’s some shade over under that tree. There’s no grass for it to kill, either. And when I drain it, the tree will get watered.”

  “Which reminds me. I have a pump in the truck so you can drain it pretty easily.”

  “What?”

  “You just put it in the water when you’re done, plug it in, and it will drain it. It has a hose, so you can water whatever you need to.”

  “Beck.” She stopped rolling and looked at him from the other side of the tank.

  “What? You think I’m going to stop thinking about you because you said no?”

  “Yes. And I think you’re going to stop doing nice things for me because I said no.”

  “Maybe I will. But not today. Show me where you want it.”

  She had so much work to do, but the idea of filling the shiny tub with cool water and just sinking into it....

  He helped her pull the hose over and positioned it so it wouldn't pop out with the water pressure, then he went back to his truck, presumably for the pump.

  Why, why, why was he doing this for her? Why was she letting him? His gesture meant so much. She could come home in the evenings and cool off after a long day, for months to come. That he’d even thought to provide a pump....she couldn't help but be touched by his thoughtfulness.

  “Would you like to come to dinner tonight?” she invited when he came back around the side of the house with the pump. She should ask her dad before she issued the invitation, since the purpose was for her to get to know Marianne better, but she wanted to thank Beck.

  “I would like that,” he said. “Can I bring anything?”

  “Sunglasses, because I’m not going to get the rest of the cleaning done. I’m going to get in here and not get out until it’s time to start dinner.”

  He laughed. “Then I can show you how to use the pump this evening. You want me to grab dessert or anything?”

  “Marianne’s bringing dessert, and Dad has the rest. But maybe, if you want, you can bring your bathing suit.” Even this invitation made her heart race

  A smile spread across his face. “I guess I could do that.” He started toward his truck. “I’ll get going so you can relax.”

  “You can, um, bring your mom, too, if you want.”

  She kind of winced at the invitation because she knew Mrs. Conover was not the easiest person to get along with, and she didn't know Marianne enough to know how she’d tolerate Mrs. Conover’s attitude. But Lacey figured she didn't want to leave the old lady alone, and if Marianne was good enough for her dad, she was surely patient enough for Mrs. Conover.

  “THIS IS TURNING INTO a regular dinner party,” her dad said as they set the table with mismatched dishes. They had two sets of four dishes, so an extra guest meant they had to mix and match, two of one kind and three of another. And the sets didn't really go together, but it was what they had, so they were rolling with it.

  “I really should have asked you before I invited them, but I wanted to do something nice for him after he brought that stock tank for me, and I didn't want to leave his mom out.”

  Her dad grimaced. “It’s not going to be the most peaceful of dinners, but we’ll manage.”

  She rolled shoulders maybe a little sunburned from sitting in her tank so long. But she hadn’t been this cool in weeks.

  “So why do you think he did it? Brought that for me?”

  “I think what you said he said made it very clear why.”

  She braced her hands on the back of a chair. “But I turned him down.”

  “He doesn't appear to be ready to take no for an answer. And based on tonight’s dinner invitation, maybe you’re not sure you’re going to stick with that answer.”

  The sound of a car driving up had him heading to the door without looking out the window to see who it was.

  “I’m going to go help Marianne carry the stuff in. And give her a warning about Mrs. Conover. You got this?”

  Lacey lifted an enormous pitcher of iced tea in salute. “I’ve got this.”

  She set the tea and the glasses on the table, her nerves a little shaky. She’d let her dad carry the lasagna to the table since the last thing she wanted was to spill it and have nothing to serve her guests.

  “Smells delicious,” Marianne said as she walked into the kitchen, carrying a grocery bag. Lacey’s dad was behind her with a round cake carrier.

  “Dad did the hard part. I made the garlic bread,” Lacey said.

  “With just the two of us, we don't get to have lasagna so often, unless we want leftovers for days,” her dad explained, setting the cake on the counter and turning to take the bag from Marianne.

  “Everything looks really nice,” Marianne said.

  “Lacey worked really hard to get everything shiny for tonight.”

  “Oh, I worked hard until Beck brought the tub,” Lacey said, aware of the odd brightness in her tone. Once she knew Marianne better, maybe she would know how to talk to her easier. She’d know the woman’s interests and personality. Right now she was flying blind.

  And suddenly she was grateful she’d invited the Conovers. Beck was a pretty good conversationalist with people he didn't know.

  She wondered why they hadn’t arrived yet.

  “So what did you do today, Marianne?” her dad asked as Marianne took a seat at the table.

  Lacey’s usual seat, but she didn't say anything, just moved the glass she’d already sipped from to another position. She wondered if Marianne usually sat there when she came to visit.

  “Oh, I worked on my quilt, you know, and since I can’t just do one thing, I cut out a purse for my granddaughter.”

  Okay, two avenues for conversation. “I didn't know you were already a grandmother,” Lacey said. “You sure don't look old enough.”

  “Well, thank you, sweetie, but I’m actually older than your dad.”

  Lacey looked at him in surprise, and he wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Older woman. Ten months, but still. And I’m a grandpa. Do I look old enough?”

  “Of course not,” she said affectionately, but turned her attention back to Marianne. “How many grandkids? How old?”

  “I have two kids, and each of them have two kids. The oldest is eight, and the youngest is three. No twins in the batch, though.” She smiled at Lacey.

  “Yeah, that was a surprise.” So his dad had told. Well, now that Beck knew, she supposed she didn't need to keep it a secret anymore.

  “It will be fun. And your dad is excited about getting to help you. I’ve already got a couple of baby quilt patterns in mind. I’ll run them by you before I make them, of course. Are you having a baby shower?”

  “I...don't know. I ha
dn’t thought about it. I’m still a few months away. Aren’t baby showers closer to the due date?”

  “Well, sure, but I didn't know if any of your friends were planning one. If not, I’d be happy to host one for you.”

  “That’s incredibly sweet, Marianne. Thank you so much.”

  “Well, sure.” Marianne smiled first at Lacey’s dad, then Lacey.

  Lacey tensed when she heard the crunch of tires outside. “Oh. Beck and his mom are here. I’m sorry. Inviting Beck was kind of spur-of-the-moment, and I thought he probably wouldn't want to leave his mom.” She rose from the table, and hurried to the front door to see Beck walking up the sidewalk alone.

  “Mom didn't want to come,” he said when she opened the door. “Some days it’s easier to convince her than others. I knew if I pushed too hard, she’d just be unpleasant all night. It was just better this way. I left her with something to eat and her shows. But I came anyway. Is that okay?” He took a step up on the porch. “I didn't know what to bring. If the grocery store had flowers, I would have brought some.” Instead, he handed her a bag of chips and a container of dip. “The grocery store doesn't have a lot in the way of things to bring to a dinner party. This town needs like a bakery or a deli or something.”

  She relaxed a little knowing she didn't have to entertain Mrs. Conover. Beck was easy. “Oh. I didn't expect you to bring anything. We’ve got it covered.”

  Not knowing what to do with her hands once she took Beck’s offering., she turned back to lead him into the house. She stepped back as he shook hands with her dad and Marianne, apparently meeting her for the first time.

  “Your mom didn't come? I thought Lacey said she was coming?” Marianne asked.

  “Yeah, she decided she wasn't up to socializing tonight.”

  Lacey wished she had known Mrs. Conover wasn't coming and she would have reset the table with one set. At least she’d give the appearance that she had her act together.

  As Beck took his seat at the table with the mismatched dishes, Lacey poured the tea, then sat awkwardly beside him, on the edge of her chair, not sure exactly what to do next. They hadn’t had people over for dinner ever, that she could remember, and tonight they had two important people. She exchanged a look with her dad. What had they done?

  “Shall we say grace?” Marianne asked, reaching for her dad’s hand.

  Lacey and her father exchanged a glance before they bowed their heads.

  Conversation turned to small talk as everyone dug in. She couldn't help glancing at Beck to see his reaction to the food, to the conversation. As usual, he was affable and seemed to be having a good time. Her dad and Marianne had wine, but Beck held a hand declining it, and she wondered if that was because he was driving, or because he knew she couldn't have any.

  “So Marianne, you make quilts?” Lacey asked.

  “Oh, yeah, nothing fancy, though. I just started when I retired from teaching. I kind of taught myself from videos online.”

  “So you’re a retired teacher?” Beck asked. “Did you ever teach Conrad Conover? That’s the youngest in my family.”

  “No, I didn't come out here until about five years ago, when they were offering incentives. I’m from San Antonio, originally.”

  “I guess this was kind of a culture shock to you.”

  “In a way, but I’ve really come to love it here. I don't have any plans to go back. I’m on the council with your dad, and it’s fun to make decisions that will make Broken Wheel better for families.”

  Lacey had so many questions. Was her family back in San Antonio? Didn't she want to live closer to her family, since she had grandkids? And if she’d only lived here five years, she might lose interest, like Lacey’s mom had. But she didn't want to grill the woman in front of Beck.

  “What kind of dessert did you make?” she asked instead.

  “YOU GOTTA ADMIT,” BECK said as he stepped into the stock tank beside Lacey. “The woman can make a mean cake. Maybe we can get her to open a bakery and a deli.”

  “I think she’s pretty content with her life. But that was a really good cake.” Lacey leaned back against the side of the tub and looked up at the stars overhead. “I like her.”

  “That’s good, because I think your dad is in love with her.”

  That gave her a jolt, and she snapped her head up to meet his gaze. She’d seen the affection between them, but for Beck to come to that conclusion surprised her. “I’ve been teasing him about marrying her, and making her a grandmother again. But you think he really is?” She had to wonder why he hadn’t mentioned Marianne to him before, why he’d let her discover their relationship on her own. Was it just because he was working it out? Working out how he felt?

  Were she and her father so damaged they didn't know how to handle adult relationships?

  Maybe something she shouldn’t be thinking about while she was sitting in the stock tank with the man who had proposed to her.

  “So now that Austin is back, are you going to be out of work?” he asked.

  “That was something I worried about, and people will be getting more regular check-ups. But part of what I’m paid to do is clean house, like for those who can’t do for themselves, and make dinners. So I don't think I’ll be out of a lot of patients. In fact, with his referrals, I might get more.”

  “And what’s going to happen when you’re on maternity leave? Who’s going to take your patients?”

  “The company is sending a floater in for two months. I’ll show her the ropes for a week or two, depending on when the babies are born. Then she’ll take over for me until I come back.”

  He shook his head. “Two months doesn’t seem very long to recover from having two babies.”

  “Well, even if I was the wealthiest woman in town, I wouldn't abandon my patients for longer than that.”

  He shifted in the tub, sending ripples through the water. “I’m sure they’d understand if you needed more time with the babies. From what I hear, some of them are pretty invested in your life.”

  “Some of them are, and some, like your mom, won’t do well with whoever my replacement is. They like consistency. I need to think about that.”

  “My mom, and whoever else, will be just fine. It’s not like you’re leaving town, or changing jobs, or abandoning them. You’re going to have to take care of yourself and your babies. You don't know what kind of recovery time you’re going to need.”

  She did not want to get into a financial discussion with him, about needing to go back to work. Her company only gave six weeks of maternity leave, and she needed the money. She didn't know if he would press her to marry him, or if that was a one-time offer. She didn't want him to repeat the proposal out of pity.

  “Beck. Just trust that this is something I worried enough about to figure out, okay?”

  He lifted his hands in surrender. “I will shut up. And we will use this place for relaxing, not worrying, okay?”

  He stretched his legs out so that she felt she had to shift hers away. She could feel the warmth of his legs in the gap of water between them.

  “The water warmed up since I got out,” she said. “I guess the shade wasn't enough to keep it cool.”

  “Remind me to help you empty it out,” he said. “We don't want scorpions or anything to find their way into it.”

  She shuddered. “I hate those things. Creepiest animal ever.”

  “You didn't see the nest of snakes under Mom’s house.”

  She shuddered again, harder. “I wonder if actually seeing it would be worse than how I imagined it.”

  “Yes,” he said definitively, which made her laugh.

  “So let me ask you this. You’ve done all this work on your mom’s place. Why are you building your own place? You’ve made hers really nice.”

  “But it will always be hers. And while my siblings are okay with me building on the land, since they’ll probably never come back here, they wouldn't be as excited about me taking over the house where we grew up. And while I’ve m
odernized hers, there are some limitations in a house that old. My house will be completely modern, and on a slab, so snakes can't get under it. New plumbing and wiring. Big porch, maybe with ceiling fans.”

  “Aha. I knew you were pumping us for ideas when you started that conversation about dream houses the other night.”

  “Yeah, well, a good idea is a good idea. Four bedrooms. Lots of space. What was Poppy’s? Big kitchen?”

  “Which is ridiculous, because Poppy’s current kitchen is the size of a postage stamp, so she never goes in there.”

  “All the more reason for her to want a big kitchen. Two bathrooms will be nice. It’s not easy sharing with my mom, especially since she’s used to living alone and doing her own thing.”

  “And so are you,” Lacey pointed out.

  “Yeah, it’s not been an easy adjustment. Nice to stay in one place, though. It’s been a while.”

  Why were they talking like they didn't know each other? Did they, really? Enough for him to be in love with her? Her to be in love with him? She didn't think so.

  “What do you know about planets? Stars?” she asked.

  “Well, you know, science guy, so I’m pretty okay with constellations and stars. You see that hook? Right over there?”

  “Big Dipper?”

  “Nope, your friend the scorpion. Scorpio. Actually, that’s what your babies will be, Scorpio.”

  “What? Oh, I hadn’t even thought about that. They couldn't be something sweet, huh?”

  “Well, I mean, I don't know. What are you?”

  “Taurus.”

  “That figures.”

  “Why?”

  “The literal only thing I know about personality traits of the astrological signs is that Taurus are stubborn.”

  “Why do you think I’m stubborn?”

  “I don't know. Why are you stubborn?” he countered.

  “You think I’m stubborn because I said no?”

  “No. Look, Lace, I don't want you to marry me if you don't want to marry me, all right? If it’s something that’s going to make you uncomfortable, going to make your life harder, I don't want that, not for either of us.”