That Woman in Wyoming

by Sherry Lewis

  She didn’t have time to worry anymore about it because a white Chevy pulled into the parking lot at that moment. When she recognized her dad driving, she let out a cry and ran toward it. He slid out from behind the wheel just as she reached him and gathered her into a warm embrace. He wore his usual striped denim overalls and plaid shirt and he looked so good she vowed never to let so much time pass between visits again.

  He held her tightly for a minute and kissed her cheek. “How are you, sweetheart? Have you had any word about Jamie yet?”

  “We’re pretty sure she’ll be here in a few minutes.” She held on to his arm and motioned for Max to join them. “I want you to meet Max.”

  Charlie squinted to see him better and held out his hand. “You’re the man who talked my son into turning himself in?”

  “One of them.” Max shook Charlie’s hand and Reagan knew instinctively that they’d like each other. “Reagan told you he’s at the police station in Serenity? My partner’s waiting until you get there.”

  Charlie tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “She did. After we find Jamie, I’ll follow you back there in my rental car. I’d like to know how you got through to him. I’ve been trying for years to reach him.”

  “Don’t give up,” Max said as he slipped an arm around Reagan. “I know it may not seem like it, but he really wants to know that you care.”

  “Well, that’s good to know.” Charlie smiled gratefully and glanced with interest at Max’s hand on Reagan’s waist. “Is there something else I should know?”

  Reagan grinned, but Max spoke before she could answer. “As a matter of fact, sir, when this is all over, I’d like to ask you for permission to marry your daughter.”

  Charlie regarded him for a moment. His face was utterly serious, but Reagan could see a sparkle in his eyes. “What does my daughter want me to say to that?”

  She laughed softly, again ignoring the twist of uneasiness. “I want you to say yes.”

  “I’ll give it some thought,” he said with a teasing grin and nodded toward a van that was pulling into a spot not far from the climbing teacher’s truck. “Right now, sweetheart, it looks like you have some work to do.”

  THE VAN PARKED and three young girls Jamie’s age climbed out, chattering, laughing and tossing equipment to one another. Reagan started toward them, but the look on her daughter’s face made her grind to a halt. How long had it been since she saw Jamie smile like that? How long since she’d heard that laugh? In the years since Paul’s death, she’d almost forgotten that Jamie could look so carefree, so…happy.

  Just then, Jamie wheeled around and saw her standing there. The joy on her face evaporated and her eyes shadowed, and Reagan’s heart constricted painfully. She’d never meant to take the joy from her daughter’s life.

  Max stepped up and put an arm around her. “Do you want me to come with you, or would you rather talk with her alone?”

  It would be so easy to lean on him, but she shook her head. “Thanks, but I need to do this on my own.” She drew away, but he caught her hand and squeezed it. Somehow she knew this is how he would always be. He’d never push, but he’d be there if she needed him.

  Suddenly nervous at the prospect of facing her daughter, she pulled the edges of her sweater together and crossed the lot. She had no idea what to say. Apologies were needed all the way around, and Reagan didn’t know where to begin.

  Jamie shuffled her feet and dropped her gaze to the ground as Reagan approached. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

  “Not exactly. I’m feeling many different things right now. I’m so relieved to know that you’re all right, it’s going to take me a few minutes to know just how angry I am.” She took Jamie’s arm gently. “You and I need to talk, sweetheart. Leave your things here and come with me.”

  Reagan didn’t speak again until they’d put some distance between themselves and the others. “I could ask if you had any idea how frightened I’ve been, but you couldn’t possibly know. You must know how angry I am that you lied to me. And I’m furious with you and with Travis for forging my signature. What on earth made you think you could get away with this?”

  Jamie ducked her head. “I know it was wrong, but—”

  “Wait. I’m not finished yet. I’m also sorry, Jamie. I’m sorry that I didn’t pay enough attention to what you were asking me, sorry that I didn’t realize how important this was to you. It must be very important to make you go to such lengths to get it.”

  Jamie’s stunned gaze flickered to Reagan’s face. “Mom, it’s the only thing I’ve found since we came here that I really want to do.”

  “I realize that now.” Reagan took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, this was the wrong way to get it. We had half the town out looking for you last night, Jamie. There were a lot of frantic people searching the fields and the forest. Your teachers are worried, Danielle’s been half sick, and Max has only had about an hour’s sleep in the car because he had to turn around and come back out to find you the instant he got back with Travis.”

  Jamie’s gaze faltered again and a slow flush stained her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “I’m sure you are.” Reagan put her hands into her pockets. “I know you want these lessons more than anything, but I don’t know how I can let you take them after everything you’ve done.”

  Jamie paled and her mouth quivered. She tried to act tough, but Reagan could see the heartbreak in her eyes. “I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t let me do it.”

  “Not this session.” Reagan lifted Jamie’s chin until their eyes met again. “But if we don’t have any repeats of this kind of performance, I will let you take them from the climbing school when the next session begins.”

  It took a minute for her meaning to sink in. “Are you serious? You’ll let me take classes this summer?”

  “If you follow the rules between now and then. And if you’ll help me make all this up to the people who’ve helped us.”

  “Sure.”

  “Absolutely no more lies. No more sneaking around. If you do anything like this again, you won’t take the lessons. Are we square on that?”

  Jamie nodded and glanced over her shoulder to her waiting friends. “I guess I’d better get my things, huh?”

  “Yes, you’d better. I’ll talk to the instructor and explain what’s happened. And I’ll talk to the people at the school before we drive back home and put our names on the mailing list for summer session.”

  Jamie started away, then darted back and threw her arms around Reagan’s neck. “Thanks, Mom. And I really am sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have done it. I knew how mad you’d be. But—”

  “For the record, Uncle Travis might not be the best person in the world to take advice from.”

  “Yeah, well, I know that now.”

  Reagan spoke with the instructor who was horrified at what he’d almost allowed to happen, then turned back toward Max, who leaned against the car, talking to Danielle. Charlie was helping Jamie. Reagan took only three steps before she realized why she’d felt so uneasy earlier. She’d done the same thing to Max that she’d done to Jamie. Apparently, she’d been letting fear run her life for a long time.

  Was she so afraid of losing Max that she’d change him just to keep him beside her? What kind of life would that be? What kind of love? Didn’t she love him exactly as he was right now? If she insisted that he change, wouldn’t that make him a different man than the one she’d fallen in love with?

  She leaned against the car beside him and wrapped her sweater around her.

  Max studied her expression carefully. “Did everything go okay?”

  “Fine.” She brushed a stray lock of hair away from her mouth. “She’s getting her things together. I’m going to let her take lessons in the summer.”

  “That’s pretty generous.”

  “There are a few conditions, but I’m also aware that I’m partly to blame for this. And Travis, of course.” She turned to face him, ta
king in his clear gray eyes, his kind face, his full, generous mouth. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to take you up on that offer you made earlier.”

  “Which offer was that?”

  “The one to stay here and find work with Bart.”

  Max’s face froze and his smile slipped from his mouth. “Why not?”

  “Because it’s wrong, Max. I can’t let you change who you are just to make me feel better.”

  “I can’t let you push me away just because of that one part of who I am. I don’t want to lose you, or the girls.” He watched Jamie and Danielle, who were working together now to get Jamie’s things into the car. “I’m growing kind of fond of them, too.”

  “I don’t have any intention of losing you,” Reagan assured him. “And that’s exactly why I’m changing my mind. I want you exactly as you are, and that means you have to be able to do what you love. I’ll just have to learn to live with it.”

  Max took her gently by the shoulders. “Can you do that?”

  “Yes. That’s part of what I’ve learned since I met you. What I can’t live with is the possibility that you’ll turn into a shell of the man I love because I’m so afraid. Look what I’ve done to Jamie by clinging too tightly. I’m not going to do that to her any longer, and I’m not going to start doing it with you. If the girls and I have to move to San Diego, then that’s what we’ll do.”

  Max ran his hands along her arms, as if he wanted to hold her but wouldn’t let himself do it yet. “Well, see…I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, too. I’ve gotten kind of attached to Serenity and the people in it. And the way they all pulled together last night to look for Jamie—It was amazing.”

  Reagan gaped at him. “You’d move to the country?”

  “I’d move to the moon if you were there.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “That’s a pretty weak word for how strongly I feel about it. What do you say we try things this way for a while—I’ll stay in Serenity and we’ll see how things work. Donovan wants me to go into business with him, and since it’s all I really know, I’d like to try it for a while. If my job bothers you too much, we’ll adjust. If I’m miserable in Serenity, we’ll figure something out. I love you, Reagan McKenna.”

  Reagan slid her arms around his waist and held on for dear life. “And I love you, Max Gardner.”

  “How do you want to break the news to the girls?”

  She pulled away and took him by the hand. “There’s only one way I want to do anything from here on out. Together.”

  Max grinned and slipped his fingers through hers. Two short weeks ago, the word would have sent cold chills up and down his spine. Now he didn’t think he’d ever heard anything sound more beautiful.

  “Together.” He pulled her close for one more kiss. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered with a sly smile. “This is just the beginning.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-5155-0

  THAT WOMAN IN WYOMING

  Copyright © 2001 by Sherry Lewis.

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