by Linda Bridey
Geoffrey stood on the dirt road in his fine clothes and looked at his daughter. He knew it was her, but she was dressed as he’d never seen her. Her emerald dress was pretty enough, but there were far less petticoats underneath. Her hair was done in a long braid that reached almost to her waist. Normally, Tessa had worn her hair in a stylish coiffure.
She carried a basket and he could see some berries in it. His daughter was picking berries like hired help. Tessa raised her left hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and he saw the flash of jewelry on her finger. Married? Tessa had married? His feelings were muddled as he stepped forward.
“Tessa!” Above all, he was overjoyed to have found his daughter safe. He had been incredibly worried about her. To find her apparently well gave him immense pleasure. He opened his arms to her.
Tessa couldn’t believe her father had found her at first and then remembered that Geoffrey was a man of vast resources and that he possessed a keen intelligence. She was scared but she had greatly missed him. She ran and let herself be enfolded in her father’s comforting arms.
They stood there, clinging to each other, tears flowing freely for several minutes. Then Tessa drew back and looked up at her father. “Papa, I know you’re angry, but please try to understand.”
He looked down at his daughter, who was so much like him. “Yes, I’m angry. We have been worried to death about you. However, this isn’t the place to discuss it,” he said, with a meaningful glance at the driver. He seemed to notice Sadie for the first time. “And who is this lovely young lady?”
Sadie’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. Tessa broke away from Geoffrey and went to Sadie. She took the girl’s hand and led her to Geoffrey. “This is my stepdaughter, Sadie Samuels. Sadie, this is my father, Geoffrey O’Connor.”
Sadie remembered how Tessa had taught her to greet gentlemen of a higher status. She dropped into a deep curtsy and then rose and looked shyly at Geoffrey. “Pleased to meet you, sir,” she said.
Geoffrey hid his shock over the word “stepdaughter” and smiled at her good manners. He bowed to her then and said, “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Samuels.”
Sadie giggled and picked up her basket again. Tessa picked up her and handed it to Sadie. “Will you please take these to the house and tell your father we have company?”
“Yes, Tessa. Of course.” Sadie said and trotted down the lane to the ranch.
Geoff turned to the driver. “Please take my things to their residence and place them where you are directed. Here is your pay as promised. Thank you for your service.”
The driver took the money, pleased that it was more than they’d agreed on and tipped his hat to Geoffrey. “Thank you, sir. It’s been a pleasure.” He started the horses off again, following Sadie’s path.
Geoffrey regarded Tessa carefully then. Her skin showed signs of sun and there were a few freckles across her nose. She looked healthy. “So this is where you ran off to. The middle of nowhere, when you had everything you could ever want?”
Tessa felt a prick of anger but squelched it as she tried to see things from his perspective.
“Papa, I don’t need material things like Madelyn and Claire do. I told you again and again how I felt, but you didn’t listen. No one did. So I did what I had to do. I had to set out on my own and live my life,” she said softly. “You of all people should understand that. You left Ireland to come to America, after all.”
Geoffrey frowned. “That was different.”
“Why? If you say it was because you were a man, you can turn and leave right now,” Tessa warned.
Geoffrey raised an eyebrow. “Very well. I won’t say it and I’m not leaving. At least not before I meet your husband.”
“You’ll like him,” Tessa said, despite her and Dean’s recent differences. “He’s a good man.”
She frowned despite her words. How can I be proud of Dean and yet be so angry with him, she wondered. Tessa looked back up at her father, who was looking at her with intense curiosity. “Come then, Papa.”
“Her who is here?” Dean said.
“Her pa, Pa,” Sadie said. “He’s tall and looks like Tessa.”
Jack said, “He’s our grandpa then, right?”
“No,” Dean said. “Not really.”
“I think he is,” Jack said stubbornly.
Dean let it go. “Where are they?” he asked, as a carriage pulled up to the house. “Stay,” he said to the kids and went outside to meet the driver.
“I have some luggage here,” the man said as he climbed down from the vehicle. “Where do you want it?”
“I’ll take it, thanks,” Dean said.
The driver handed Dean two suitcases made of fine leather and a briefcase. “There you are.”
“Thanks,” Dean said.
The other man climbed back up on the coach, clicked to the horses, and turned around. He headed off back up the drive.
Dean deposited the bags in the kitchen and warned the children that they weren’t to mess with them and told them to stay put. Then he went back out and began walking up the road to meet Tessa and her father. He was nervous about meeting the man. This wasn’t like when he’d met Sarah’s parents. He’d been fifteen at the time and had become close to them over the years.
No, this was a whole new ball of wax and Dean was nervous. He knew from what Tessa had told him that their family was close and if the roles were reversed and this was Sadie, he knew how he’d react. He rounded a curve in the drive and saw Tessa and the man who was her father.
He was tall with dark hair like Tessa’s. His gray suit was made of fine cloth and expertly cut. Even from a distance, Dean could tell that he was physically fit. Dean hastened his pace but not too much. Though he was anxious, he wanted to appear confident when he met his father-in-law.
Geoffrey watched as Dean got closer. He knew without Tessa telling him that this was her new husband. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the man. Geoff could see why Tessa had been attracted to him. Dean’s blond good looks and powerful physique would attract any woman. But Geoff knew his daughter well enough to know that there had to be more to the man than good looks. In Pittsburgh, she’d had her pick of many handsome men, but had chosen none. Good looks were not enough for her and for that he was glad.
“Papa, this is my husband, Dean. This is my father, Geoffrey O’Connor,” Tessa said as they all came together.
Dean held out his hand and said, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. O’Connor. Tessa’s told me a lot of nice things about you and your family.”
“Good to meet you, Dean. I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing anything about you,” Geoffrey said honestly as he shook hands with Dean.
Dean gave Tessa a questioning glance. “You didn’t send a letter home?”
“No, she didn’t,” Geoffrey said. “We didn’t even know where she went. It’s a good thing I know some top notch investigators.”
Tessa saw anger flash in Dean’s eyes and felt a moment’s shame.
“I’m sorry about that, sir. I had no idea,” Dean said.
Tessa gave him a haughty look. “We can discuss this later,” she said. “I’m sure you’re tired from your travels, Papa. We should get you settled and something to refresh yourself.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Geoffrey agreed. He knew he didn’t need to say anything more about Tessa’s wayward behavior. The way Dean had looked at his wife told him that it would be addressed.
He began walking toward the house again. Tessa hung back and put a hand on Dean’s arm.
“Dean, I can explain,” she said.
“You bet your sweet behind you will,” he said. “Seems like dishonesty is going around. I’ll keep him busy while you get your stuff packed and move back into our room. I’m not putting a man like that in one of the bunkhouses.”
“No, I’m not ready to do that yet,” Tessa said.
Dean looked down at Tessa with an unyielding expression. “You better get ready. I can sleep on the floor
. I’ve slept outside enough and it’s no problem for me.” He pulled his arm away and began walking after her father.
Tessa took another couple of moments to gather her wits and then went after the two men. If ever there was a time she needed her mother’s calming influence, it was now.
“So you’re our new grandpa, huh?” Jack said to Geoffrey.
Geoffrey wasn’t sure how to answer the boy. “Sort of, I suppose.”
“But you’re Tessa’s pa, right?” Jack said.
“Yes.”
“So that makes you our grandpa,” Jack told him.
Geoffrey smiled. “Right.”
“Good. So are you gonna live with us?” Jack asked.
“No, no. I’ll be going back to Pittsburgh after a while,” Geoffrey said. “But I wanted to meet all of you.” He looked up at Dean, who gave him a grateful smile.
“We’re glad you’re here,” Dean said.
Sadie sat a glass of lemonade in front of Geoff and he drank it down. The journey from Wolfe’s Point had been long and hot and the cold drink was just what he needed. He asked Sadie for another glass and she readily complied.
Before Dean could stop him, Jack sat down on Geoff’s leg and said, “So, Grandpa, tell us about Tessa when she was little.”
Dean laughed. “Yeah, Grandpa, tell us all about Tessa.”
Geoff gave Dean a sharp look but then relented because Sadie and Jack were looking at him expectantly. He settled Jack better on his lap, thinking that the boy was certainly well fed. “All right. Ah, yes. Here’s a story you’ll like,” Geoffrey began.
Tessa packed her clothing and other things up again, thinking that she couldn’t believe her father was here. She should have known that he would look for her and that he had enough money and clout to hire people who would find her. She hoped that he hadn’t discovered that Edwina had been involved.
As she carried the cases down the stairs, she was glad that things in the kitchen were noisy so that they wouldn’t hear her taking them into her and Dean’s room. She put them around the other side of the bed so they couldn’t be seen. She would unpack again later that night when everyone was in bed. Using the training she’d received all her life about hiding her true feelings to get through a social engagement, Tessa put on a smile and entered the kitchen.
Chapter Thirteen