Without Colton.
All he could do was drop his hands on hips and curse the man. Well, he supposed he could run them down but that would be ridiculous. He knew the horse well enough that it didn’t matter who had the lines; the passengers were safe.
“Get back to your clinic, Son,” his dad called and waved, then pointed at him. “My son is a veterinarian. You guys have any pets? He’s pretty good.”
The wind carried the family’s answer away with the carriage. When they rounded the block at the end of the street, Goliad glanced over his shoulder for a second, then headed on. Colton shrugged and followed his father’s advice. He had no choice.
Seven hours later, he washed up and headed to the hospital. He had returned, loaded the horses and carriage, and taken them back to the ranch with dad’s help, much of it done in complete silence.
“I’ll be back in the morning,” was all that was said when his dad trudged away. Oddly, though Colton’s shoulders felt like lead and his entire body ached, his father’s steps seemed more buoyant than in years.
Grams looked weaker than expected when he entered the room. Her skin seemed translucent and had lost the ruddy outdoors glow he was accustomed to. She was sleeping so he sat, sprawled his legs out, and closed his eyes.
“Catching flies, Colton?”
He rubbed the sleep away, then pulled himself upright. When he was able to focus, he stared right into flames. Silky, soft flames that ran away from him earlier. They tumbled all around Tess’ face as she leaned down to him with her hand against his shoulder.
“Hey. Never thought I’d see you again.”
“You should go home and get some sleep.” She spoke softly, smelled wonderful, and the hair that had brushed his cheek felt a lot better than the horse’s hair he brushed earlier.
“She’s been sleeping the whole time. I thought I’d stay until she woke. I want her to know I’m here.” He wasn’t going to leave Grams alone in a hospital. That was the worst. Her husband had died, her son rarely visited, and his ex-wife moved away, he was it. He was her family. And he’d not leave without her knowing he was taking care of things.
“I think she’d want you healthy yourself so you don’t end up in the bed next to her.”
He rubbed his face, scratching his palm on the thick whiskers. “Maybe I’ll just get some coffee. Why are you here?”
Tess lowered her voice and pulled him to the door. “I came by to check on her but I’ll go with you. We need to talk.”
As far as he was concerned, they had talked enough. She had said what was on her mind and he didn’t need to be told twice.
Apparently, hospitals dim their hallways at night so the patients could sleep. As they walked to the elevator and then to the cafeteria, they were shadowed with a soft blue haze deepened further by shadows in unlit areas. The quiet was unnerving and he thought how lonely it must be for the patients.
After they’d purchased the coffee, he started back toward the hall. “Wait.” Tess put a hand on his arm and with fatigue encompassing him, all he could do was stare at the small fingers.
She looked into the darkened hallway and spoke. “I need to tell you something. I’ve been keeping it from you and—I hate that. I don’t do that. I’m basically an honest person, so when I knew I couldn’t tell you because she’d be upset, I was all tied up.”
Colton hitched his brow. “About what?”
“I figured if you didn’t know after all this time, that you weren’t supposed to know.”
He had no idea where this was going but he expected she’d tell him about a boyfriend, or worse, a fiancé. It made sense. She was nearly his age and too pretty to be unattached.
“Its okay, Tess. It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have—taken advantage of the situation.”
“Advantage of what situation?”
“At your house, when I kissed you.”
Tess flipped her hair from her face, and let out a breath. “Oh, that. I wasn’t talking about that. Besides you already said it didn’t matter. You didn’t care. No, this is more important.”
“Okay.” He was lost.
“Did you know your grandmother had a secret affair?”
Chapter 10
Sadie was disoriented as she drove her rental car through their old neighborhood. Everything had changed so much. New stores and new roads had been added, even a new school and police station. Had she expected time to stand still after ten years away? She eased by the house and smiled, thankful that at least one thing in her life remained as she remembered. Their house. Their home. Correction, it was his now.
James had given it eighteen months max when Sadie left. He swore it would take less than eighteen months to win the case that changed their life. It was going to be the one that launched her career as an attorney and solidified her place in the only reputable law firm in Kansas City. Of course that was her opinion.
“It’s okay, honey. Go out there and knock ‘em dead. Dennis is counting on you. We all are. The time will pass before you know it and you’ll be the hottest attorney this side of the Mississippi. Unless we head to Saint Louis and then of course, that side too.” The Mississippi river collided with the Missouri in Saint Louis. He had laughed at his cleverness, which at the time wasn’t all that clever.
Only she had lost and it took two and half years to do so. The case, her husband, her son and her life. God, she missed it. Them. The whole package.
Hey, she had her career, right?
Right.
When she pulled into the diner, an eerie sadness settled over. It should have felt like coming home. Instead when the eyes of one of James and Dennis’ lifelong friends leveled on her with hate—she squirmed. And realized the depth of memory a small town had.
You did the right thing.
Had she? She had violated the very oath that propelled her into the District Attorney’s office. In Oklahoma. Would they have considered her at all if they knew what she’d done? Would James forgive her if he knew that she was solely responsible for Dennis’ conviction? And that she’d done it intentionally? They had been friends since childhood. But in her heart, she knew what they didn’t and she was legally bound to withhold it.
To this town, the one she’d grown up in, she was a failure. No matter how many cases she’d tried since, the only one that mattered was the one she hadn’t won. The one that put an upstanding member of their tiny community in jail for life. God, if they only knew the truth.
I’d told the secret and I felt horrible. While Mona lay in bed upstairs, I was divulging her lifelong secret to her grandson. I had to be open and honest. I should be shot.
Yet, I felt I had to keep going. I couldn’t betray both of them and when she told me, I was a complete stranger. Not him. I had already been uglier than ever with him, and I couldn’t keep hiding it. If she had intended to take it to her grave, she shouldn’t have told me.
So, I committed the cardinal sin of friendships. I told her most shameful of secrets. “She had an affair for years.”
Colton’s eyes widened and he sat down in the nearest cafeteria chair and waited for me to finish. I was amazed at his calm demeanor. “You’re talking about Grams, right? The old woman sleeping upstairs?”
And now I had to add the worst part. “With a woman.”
His eyes flashed for a second, then he brought the coffee in his shaking hand to his lips and sipped. He absorbed my words. When he swallowed his chest started to shake, then it came. A full belly laugh. So loud he doubled over and a janitor peeked in at them from the darkened hall.
He thought I’d lost it.
“I’m serious.”
He kept laughing. When I stomped my foot, he sucked in air and stifled as much as possible. “Where did you get that idea?”
“She told me.”
Okay, that got his attention. He wiped the smirk from his face.
“The first day I rode in her carriage, she told me. I don’t know why she did, maybe she needed to get it off her chest or s
omething. Or maybe she just thought since I was a complete stranger it didn’t matter. I don’t know. She just told me.”
He looked dubious. “When exactly did she say all this happened?”
“I guess it started when she was a kid, a teenager, and well—they’re still . . .”
“Let me get this straight. You think my grandmother had a girlfriend the entire time she was married to my grandfather, who passed away? And you’re telling me she still does—has?”
“Yes.”
He downed the rest of his coffee and stood, now wide awake. “Tess, I don’t know what you’re smoking these days, but that’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe you’d say it. My grandmother thinks you’re the best thing she’s seen in a while and you want to smear her? You’re crazy.”
The Styrofoam cup crackled as he crushed it with his fist, then tossed it in a nearby trashcan. He turned and strode to the elevator. “I think you’ve said enough, don’t you? You’ve trashed Abby, me, and my grandmother. That’s a homerun in the scorebook. You can go now.”
“Wait.” I followed him but as soon as I got there, he pushed into the stairs. My heart sank and for the life of me, I had no idea why it had seemed important to tell the story. I had grappled for honesty, but instead I’d been—mean. He took the stairs two at a time, the sound of his shoes thudding heavily away, leaving me standing in front of the elevator.
Ding. It opened. The door thudded shut on the stairwell and I couldn’t move. Not to the elevator or the stair, it would be humiliating to face him in her room.
So I walked to my car and left.
Three days later, my brother called while I was at work. “What are you bringing to Mom’s?”
“Huh?” No hello, nothing—just straight into a question.
“For Thanksgiving, what are you bringing?”
Oh, yeah. Thursday. This Thursday. I stared at the computer screen that waited for me to finish my boss’ next request. “I don’t know, I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Well, bring that pie you always make then. I love it. See you there.” He started to hang up, then added, “I’m bringing a girl and don’t give her a hard time.”
Click.
Yay! I had tomorrow and Wednesday off. I’d forgotten I had asked for them months earlier, before all the budget cuts and drama. Before my boss said I needed to work harder and after I’d already put in fifty plus hours a week for ages with no time off.
I loved my job, I reminded myself. I had no idea why but I did. Until my boss came in at three and asked me to finish the project I had worked on by the next morning.
“Don’t forget I’m on vacation the next two days.” I silently thanked my brother for his call.
A look of frustration came and went across the man’s face. “Oh, sure, well—can you get it to me this evening then?”
I smiled. Yes, I loved my job. My boss was another story. “Sure, no problem.”
I left the office at a quarter past seven. It was dark and cool—well not cool, it was downright cold. As I left, I checked Mona’s carriage for a glimpse of Colton and was relieved to see someone else. The carriage was lit up like a Christmas tree, beautifully festive, and the old man was waving cheerfully at everyone who passed—including me. A hint of recognition crossed his face; it was the man Colton had dined with.
“Please don’t tell me you’re just now leaving work on a night like this?” The man had Colton’s eyes, and now that I’d become a source of great humor, I also recognized the smile. His features were darker, more edgy, with streaks of gray in hair cut so short it was almost non-existent.
“You’re Colton’s father, aren’t you?” I asked.
“You know my son?” He was startled.
“He taught me to ride a motorcycle.” I didn’t tell anything else. There wasn’t much to say.
“Really? I didn’t know he had time for anything but work. Of course, I can’t say I blame him. I’d teach you how to drive Bullwhip here if I was a few years younger.” He grinned.
“I bet you would.” The old man was a harmless flirt, unlike his son, who didn’t have a teasing bone in him. “Nice talking to you. Stay warm.”
“Say, we’re not too busy tonight, why don’t you ride along for a bit? It’ll keep the horse warm and I can drop you at your car when we come back.”
“My car’s in the parking garage.” I pointed down the street at the eerily dark concrete structure.
“I’ll drop you there then and wait for you to come out. It’s late.” He pulled out a thermos and held it up. “I have hot cocoa.”
Well, it was cold, and close to the holidays, and I didn’t have anything else going on—thanks to my boss and my dateless life. And considering the temperature of my fingers, hot cocoa was like offering gold at the moment.
“Alright then.” I climbed in and looked at the steaming liquid he poured into a cup from the thermos. “You didn’t spike that, did you?”
He laughed and handed it to me, then climbed up and flicked Bullwhip into action. I wrapped my fingers around the cup and sipped. It had to be the epitome of singlehood to ride around in a carriage alone three days before a holiday. I didn’t care. Mr. Scott was charming. How on earth had he and Colton come from the same gene pool?
Okay, maybe I was a little hard on the guy. He had tried to be nice, even laughed at me. Maybe that was the thing—he’d laughed at me. And in our last conversation, I’m fairly certain he thought I was hallucinating. Of course, that was before he got pissed off.
My anger at my boss had dissipated though—somewhere between the twinkling carriage lights, the smell of steamy cocoa, and the laugh of an old man that couldn’t stop talking about his wife and son. Maybe Colton had a problem with his dad but I thought he was—nice. And quite the gentleman, as I waved at him when I pulled from the darkness of the garage to drive home.
They all seemed to have only one thing in common and that was those horses.
Tuesday morning, I donned my jeans and layered on two shirts and a bomber jacket before hitting the garage button. I intended to try a new path through some farmland that Mr. Scott had mentioned. I tucked my phone into the side pouch of the motorcycle as the door rose. Two legs stood outside hovering. I panicked. Someone was waiting to enter my house!
“I have a gun.” I called as the door rose further, a noisy creak accompanying it.
“You wouldn’t shoot me just because I laughed at you, would you?” The door cleared broad shoulders just as I recognized Colton’s voice.
“I might.”
“Well, then it was a good thing you were bluffing.” He had shaved since I saw him in the hospital and I found myself disappointed. The roughness of that look suited him. Maybe not the tired lines around his eyes, but the rest was—hot.
“What are you doing here?”
“My dad said you wanted me to go riding with you today. Something about showing you the McCrary Creek run?”
Hmmm. His dad said that? And Mona said Chloe was a meddler.
I just stared. A few days ago, he had thought me crazy, even insulting. Now, he shows up at my garage and wants to go with me?
“Your dad is messing with you. I said no such thing. I am going riding, but I didn’t say anything about you.”
He furrowed his brows. “Oh. I get it.”
“He’s nice, by the way. I don’t know what’s going on between you, but I like him.”
“As opposed to me, hmmm?” He walked toward his bike that sat in my drive. I hadn’t heard it drive up so I wondered how long he’d been there.
“I didn’t say that either.” I watched him straddle the bike, realizing he intended to leave. Okay, maybe riding alone wasn’t all that great. After all, the safety class he’d taught said not to. “You told me not to ride alone remember?”
“Huh?”
“In class, that’s what you taught us.” I shrugged. “I guess it would be safer if you came along. If you want to, that is. In case something goes wrong.�
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His lip quirked a bit. “What could go wrong?”
Chapter 11
Checking the weather before leaving would have been a good idea. We left my neighborhood, and ventured south on a road that eventually wound corner after corner and turned to single lane, then gravel. The gravel was difficult, causing the bike to sporadically careen. I had to stay concentrated on the bike, the road, and the man’s backside that I followed. Unfortunately the latter caused me to poorly perform the former.
Colton glanced over his shoulder, making sure I hadn’t disappeared, and kept moving. I had no choice but to stay close. I was lost; returning home would be impossible without him. I wouldn’t dare admit it though and I didn’t care. The hillside was beautiful, the air so crisp my breath floated on it like clouds. The smells of the city turned into country fragrance over time, cut fields, cattle lots, gardens, flowers, even food cooking. It all wafted over us as we rolled along.
He dropped a hand in an open gesture when another motorcycle roared past. I did the same since it seemed to be the expected action.
Things took a turn forty minutes from home, starting with the sky. It became a smoky gray and the sun that earlier had warmed my cheeks disappeared. Then occasional small pellets of rain stung my face and hands. The force of their impact was like needles and my eyes burned from the pain. When we approached a barn-like building with beer lights flashing, Colton pulled his bike to the side, then eased it under an overhang. I pulled in beside.
“We’ll wait it out here,” he shouted over the crescendo of rainfall that pummeled us. Water dripped from his hair and the denim of his jeans had turned a dark indigo, hugging the curves lovingly.
I pulled the helmet from my head and laid it over the handlebars. My hair hung in dripping tendrils around my face, and I was certain the rain had soaked through most of the layers I wore. “Where are we?”
“As a crow flies, maybe twenty or thirty miles from your house, but the roads back aren’t too fast on a dry day. With this,” he gestured at the sky, “it’s not safe to drive. You want to go inside?”
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