Tom nodded. “I’ll be in touch. Hey, say hi to Jase if you see him. I appreciate the recommendation.”
“Sure. I’ll see him later today when he comes by to pick up some supplies.” When Jake walked outside, he peered across the road to a cleared area. Nothing much to see other than sand and palm trees under a cloudless blue sky. Memories of Beth Marconi, the high school sweetheart he had mentioned to Tom, left him with a heavy heart. She had left for college, and then his problems began.
Beth waltzed into his dreams more times than he needed. She had loved for them to sneak off to the foothills of South Mountain Park to take pictures of Mystery Castle at least twice a year. Just the two of them for a little fun in the desert—a little romance, and a day of skipping school. All memories…memories of his first love.
They had been together close to three years before it ended. In college, when she’d come back to visit her parents, she had never looked him up or called to say hi, and he had avoided her. Through the years, friends always figured it was necessary to let him know she was in town, and later to tell him she had married. He’d met Paige nearly two years after Beth had left.
After he married Paige, and Trace had come along, his kid loved going to the mountains to ride horseback as he got older. Paige never liked going and complained the whole time. Jake blew out a breath as he headed to his truck.
Back through town, he drove up his ranch road and stopped in front of the barn. Home to a lonely ranch caused a knotting to sit heavy in his belly. Atlas nickered as soon as he got out of the truck. Their Australian shepherd, Kasha, mixed with a bit of German shepherd and chow, came up to him. Her reddish-brown coat of long hair and curled tail came more from the chow breed, but the touches of black within her fur showed the German shepherd. Her gentle personality came from the herder dog breed.
Jake took a walk through the barn, mainly to find comfort with his horses, the dog at his heels, and he patted her while glancing up at his horse. He opened the stall door, hooked a lead rope to his harness to walk his stallion outside to the paddock, then he went back to get Blue. He smoothed his hand across his muzzle and over his ears. “You’ll see your kid this weekend.”
He noted that he had to take the saddle from his early morning ride back to the tack room. Making a decision then and there that, this weekend, he and his son would trailer Blue and Atlas up to the trailhead in Superstition Mountain for a short ride. He missed his kid so much, and he wasn’t even gone yet.
***
Her suitcase thudded against the wood when it hit the porch. Beth Marconi took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled slowly. Her dad’s condition had worsened in the last week. The CAM nurses had told her mom to gather family around now while he remained lucid. If only she could’ve arrived sooner to spend time with him, but it was something she’d have to live with now.
Beth picked up her suitcase and walked through the door. The smell of sickness landed upon her, bringing her to an abrupt stop—the odor about to take her to her knees. Dad. Her eyes teared. Throat caught. She drew her shoulders back. Remaining strong would make it easier on her mom. She stepped from the foyer and entered the living room. Her gaze landed directly on her dad’s empty, brown worn-leather chair in the corner near the window with a small table beside it holding the TV remote, Reader’s Digest, and a box of tissues. “Mom?”
Her mother’s soft voice called out, “In here, honey.”
Beth took her time setting her purse and luggage down, and she didn’t rush to the hallway. In fact, she had to force her feet to move. At the spare bedroom door, she smiled at her mother, who used a straw to drop water into her dad’s mouth, yet she was taken aback at the sight of the hospital bed with stark white sheets and one of Mom’s homemade quilts over her dad’s legs.
“Beth. Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re here, figlia mia.”
“Hi, Mom.” She turned her attention to her father when he faced her. His limp hand opened toward her. “Papa.” She rushed to his bedside, took his hand, and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Hi, Dad.” Beth found a smile when the corner of his lip quirked a bit though his eyes were pale and bleak, his skin pallid, body thinner than the last time she’d seen him. Cancer had won this battle.
“Beth, my darlin’. Thank you for coming.” His eyes closed, and his head lolled to the side.
She peered at her mother. Concern showed on her sweet face, and Beth went around the bed to hug her. Tears fell from her eyes when her mom cried.
“His pain medication has taken effect,” her mom, Isabella whispered, patting Beth’s shoulder. “I’ll make some coffee. Come.”
“Thanks, I’ll make it.” She wrapped her arm around her mom’s shoulder to escort her to the kitchen, glancing back at her dad before exiting. It wasn’t until then that she noticed classical music playing in his room—his favorite.
“I’ll be right back, honey,” Isabella said upon entering the kitchen. “Your room is all ready for you. Want me to take your suitcase up?”
Beth leaned against the edge of the speckled Formica countertop, observing the older wooden cupboards along the same wall as the kitchen window. Her mom looked much more worn since last month. “I’ll get it after brewing us a pot. Are you all right, Mom? You look tired.”
“I am tired, dear. I’ll be right back. The nurse will be here in a couple hours.” She headed toward the bathroom.
Beth filled the pot with water. She added a filter to the basket, went to the same cupboard where the can had always been kept, and added enough to the coffeemaker for a strong pot. Then she lit an apple-cinnamon scented candle.
“There now, I’m all refreshed. I hadn’t brushed my hair all day. Your dad needs so much care, and I couldn’t get by without the wonderful nurses and aids helping.” Isabella nodded toward the table and took a seat but got back up to bring a plate of sweet rolls over. “Remember Carla from next door? She made these this morning.”
Beth nodded when she took a seat again. Her mom patted the top of her hand as it rested on the table. “I should’ve come sooner. I’m sorry, Mamma.”
Isabella peered toward the hallway leading to three of the bedrooms. “You were here last month, dear. He was doing so well up until recently. One day he went to bed, and that was it. Dad’s so weak now. The drugs keep him down.”
Beth quietly clasped her mom’s hands, prepared to listen while her mom got it all out.
“At first, it was as if he didn’t understand there was nothing else to be done. He kept wanting to go for his treatments. Once he realized the truth—that chemo no longer helped—he gave up. As you know, the nurse had suggested the hospital bed. He hasn’t gotten up since.”
Beth stared out the back window to nothing but dry, harsh land. Her strong dad had given up? Those words broke her heart.
“The day before he went to bed, he walked on the treadmill, but he tripped.” Isabella pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe her eyes. “That was the saddest thing I’d ever seen. My brave, resilient man, tripped. I’m trying to hold up, but my nerves are on edge, making me so emotional these days.”
“I’m here to help now. You get some rest instead of having caffeine to keep you awake. I’ll keep an eye on Dad. Is there anything I can do while you’re resting?”
“Let your father know you’re with him. He’ll be happy. Our nurse said the next step is to increase morphine for his pain, and…” She lowered her eyes to her lap.
“Rest now.” Beth assisted her mom up and coaxed her to the bedroom she had shared with the man she had loved from the age of a young woman.
Isabella wrapped her arm around Beth’s. “I’ll miss him so much. Well, I already do.”
She lay on the bed, and Beth pulled a light cover over her, patting her shoulder. “I know. Me, too. Now clear your head. I’ll pour a cup and sit with Dad. Rest.”
Before Beth left the room, Isabella asked, “Do you want to let your friends know you’re home this time? It’ll be nice for you to see them again. Espe
cially your best friend, Lilly. This job gets hard really fast.”
“No, not yet. My priority is helping you and Dad. I’d prefer no one knew yet. Let your mind go free now. Sleep.” Outside the door, Beth broke down. “Oh, Dad.” Please, God, let him go in peace. Keep Mom healthy.
Chapter 2
Paige Lawton walked up the back stairs instead of taking the elevator to her office. It wouldn’t be long before Jake learned the truth. She placed her hand over her abdomen. By the time the divorce was final, they’d all know anyway. It would remain her secret for as long as possible—at least until she moved to Baltimore.
She stopped in the lounge to call Austin—wanting to move sooner than she had planned. “All it’ll take to keep Jake in line will be to leave my son here in Canyon Junction with him for a while. But I have that taken care of to ensure Jake won’t fight me anymore once I tell him…” Paige cut her sentence off on purpose, for it reminded her of how cruel of a person she had become—the lies she was prepared to tell Jake.
“Well, babe, I’ll be happy to have you come early, with or without the boy. If you leave him with his dad, we’ll still have a good life with our baby. What is your plan—”
“Nothing. Forget I even mentioned it. Once I get there, I’ll have to find someone to watch Trace before I take a maternity leave. Before I’m free to start a new life.” Paige sighed. “I have to get back to work. I’ll give you a call later. I love you.”
“Love you, too, but you don’t have to worry about no maternity leave. I plan on taking good care of you and my baby.”
She had never planned on having an affair with a business partner. Working close for months when he stayed in town for a case had done her in. Once he had left, it was over, but when he came back to town, his appendix nearly burst, causing him to stay longer. Temptation won. If only she hadn’t visited him in the hospital. And, if only he hadn’t recovered in the new extended stay hotel right in town—the same place where…well, where they’d meet.
Jake had talked about having another child for a time after Trace was born until she finally said one was enough. It did rip at her heart to know she had hurt him, but the worst was yet to come. Wait until he found out about the pregnancy—proof of her infidelity.
Tears welled. She rushed into her office, closed the door, and let them fall freely down her cheeks. Why was it wrong to want more out of life? She did love him, but not as much as she loved Austin Nettles, and not the same way—never had.
She flipped the light on and went to her desk to get back to work after lunch. Many records and files had to be updated before she left, and she’d have to finish training the new paralegal. Glancing at her cluttered desk, she added cleaning it to her list. But she couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand. Paige hung her head and peered at the keyboard, ashamed but elated at the same time. This was something she had instigated. The move to Baltimore to be with Austin was the real reason, not a promotion. She’d have to tell Jake—to hurt Jake. She picked up her phone to call the senior partner of the firm. “Hi, Ben, I have to leave for a while. Important matters hang over my head right now. I need to take care of them before I move.”
“You sure you’re all right, Paige?”
Staring blankly at her computer screen, she lifted her chin. “I’m fine. Maybe I’ll return tonight to work when it’s quiet.” When her mind was quiet.
***
After changing at home, she got in her car with a guilty heart and headed down the 60 toward the ranch. She made a mental note to get more of her clothes while there. Most of her belongings were nearly all moved out now.
When she pulled up the dusty drive, Jake came around the barn with Atlas and Blue on lead ropes. All he did was glance at her and continue into the barn. Jake was a handsome man and had been a good husband and super father. What have I done? Paige got out of her car and went toward their barn that barely held four horses, but the large supply barn held horses, stable hay, straw, and other ranching supplies, like feed, fencing, lumber, and hardware for sale to locals and beyond.
Since she had left, he no longer had the store open where they’d sell shirts, boots, bridles, and an occasional used saddle. A pang she hadn’t expected hit her heart. Why wouldn’t it? She had lived here for nearly ten years—since the day he had arrived home with a pregnant buckle bunny. She strolled to the barn, patted Atlas on the nose as she peered at Jake, and sighed.
From inside one of the stalls, he removed a harness from Blue. “What are you doing here? Don’t need to work all day now that you got a promotion? I’m kind of busy.”
She deserved his animosity. “I need to talk to you.”
“Just so you know, I have a new lawyer. We’re filing an appeal. You don’t even know what your kid wants.” Jake flung Blue’s harness against the side of the stall when he came out. Something he’d never have done in the past. As he brushed down his horse in the cross ties, she observed him. His dusty blond hair had grown a lot, as if it hadn’t been cut since she left. He studied her, and his coffee brown eyes held a sadness she had put there. An unfamiliar look for Jake who was always upbeat and cheery. She gulped. I’ve ruined him. “We need to talk. You might want to pour a shot of whiskey.”
“That’s a hell of a good thing to tell a drunk. You can’t say anything else that’ll shock me, Paige.” He removed the saddle from the saddle post and carried it toward the tack room.
Wanna bet? “You need to file for a dissolution of marriage.” She followed but stopped half way in between.
“On what grounds?” He dropped the saddle before he got to the tack room and faced her.
The pained look on his face was like he had received a punch to his gut. “Abandonment.” What a stupid thing to say.
“You’ve been gone a freaking four months, and you’re right across town. I hardly call that abandonment. Besides, you’re standing here right now.” Jake removed his hat and shook his hair out, then ran his fingers through it before putting the hat back in place. “What the hell are you talking about? If I did file, it’d be for infidelity.”
“No!” How long could she lie?
Jake gave a smirk. “We’re a no-fault state, sweetie. Don’t worry about it. Screw with the truth if you want. It doesn’t matter. Why are you here again?”
“Never mind.” She headed for the car—would get the rest of her clothes later. No way could she tell him now. This didn’t go anything like she had wanted it to. When Jake calmed down.
Jake wouldn’t calm down.
Paige spun around as he picked up the saddle and carried it into the tack room. She went back into the barn and followed. Entering the tack room, she closed the door behind her in case a ranch hand popped into the barn.
“What the fuck do you want from me?”
What the fuck? He hadn’t used that word in front of her in a long time. “We need to start the dissolution of marriage before I leave town. This has to be worked out now.”
“That’s not news,” he said, dryly. “There’s not much to work out other than where my son will grow up.” Jake turned to the sink and removed saddle soap from the shelf beside it. He grabbed a towel from the stack and began to smooth the cream into the bridle to clean it. “I still don’t know why you’re here.”
“I’ve pushed up my move date. I’m leaving soon.”
With a frown, he said in a flat voice, “Moving the date up?” Jake came to a stop mid-swipe. He shook his head but didn’t respond right away. “I’ll be taking Trace and the horses up to one of the trailheads in Superstition Mountain this weekend. Work around it. You’re not taking him away from me for his birthday.”
She stomped through the barn, but first she paused to give a carrot to Baby Bell, her Arabian they had purchased in Scottsdale on their second anniversary. She’d miss training and riding her.
“Paige.”
She waited before going back into the tack room. “What, Jake?”
“We can get a place in Phoenix. I’ll come back here to wor
k every day. If you hate this small town living so much, let’s give it a try. Don’t leave the state. I’ll take T.J. to school on my way to work here, and he won’t have to leave his friends.”
Paige covered her mouth and closed her eyes momentarily. Sweat formed on her upper lip. The smell of straw tickled her nose. One of the horses swished its tail. “What you saw last night in my parking lot wasn’t what you assumed. He’s not the one.” Now was the time to tell him, but she had better let that sink in a moment.
He continued polishing the bridle. Rough and quick movements said it all. Because of the man he was, he had held in his anger the best he could. “You’ll know before long anyway why moving us to the city won’t work. You need to know.” He had it all worked out in his head. Was he in love with her after all this? It could almost work…if not for having Austin’s baby. I’m a tramp. “My job is waiting for me in Baltimore. I never meant to hurt you like this.”
“What the hell did you think it would do? I’ve tried to make us work for years.” He threw the towel down, pivoted, and walked out of the tack room.
“Again, I’ll remind you…I want more than you have to offer me. Please stop!”
Jake turned around and shoved his hands into his back pockets. “What the hell do you want from me? Just leave if you’re so persistent about this. No matter what happens, I’ll find a way to keep my son. Dammit, Paige.” He continued on his way toward the rear of the barn.
“I’m six weeks pregnant. It’s not yours.” Oh, God, that hurt to even say the words.
When Jake whirled to face her, his gaze ran over her body. “But…”
Paige couldn’t make eye contact. She had to leave and spun around to rush to her car, but glanced back at the door.
Whispers of Forever: Mending Christmas (Canyon Junction: Hearts In Love #1) Page 2