by Donna Alward
“I’ll follow you home,” he said. “In case it’s not your battery, but your alternator or something. You’ll know because you’ll see your charge dropping.”
“You don’t have to...”
“If your phone’s dead and you’ve got your daughter in the back...” He frowned. “I’d like to make sure you get home all right. It’s just flurrying now, but what if it starts snowing harder?”
“In April?”
He snorted. “Come on, it wouldn’t be a Montana spring without a few random storms.”
“Fine,” she replied. “And I appreciate it, Tanner. A lot.” She hesitated, then met his gaze again. “Not everyone would stop and give me a hand.”
It would have been less awkward had she not alluded to her persona non grata status in town. He’d often wondered why she stayed here, but figured it had to do with her grandparents. Or maybe it had been because of Gavin and now it was logistically too hard to move.
Still, she was a tough cookie for facing the community censure day in and day out. Whatever she had or hadn’t done, she’d always been friendly and polite to him—before the baby and every time they’d run into each other since. Tanner tended to judge people on what he saw, rather than what he heard.
He smiled at her. “I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t help a neighbor in need,” he said. “Besides, I’m sure you want to get the baby home.”
“Her name’s Rowan,” she said quietly.
Rowan. There was something restful about the name that he liked. “That’s pretty,” he said, feeling inept at this sort of thing. How did a proclaimed bachelor make small talk about babies? He had a flash of inspiration. “She’s healthy and everything?” Considering her fast entrance into the world, and that he was one of the EMTs that day, it seemed a logical question.
Laura smiled again as the car idled beside them. “Yes, perfectly. She likes to keep me up at night sometimes, but we just work around it.”
“That’s good,” he replied. “And you look good, Laura. Rested. Whatever you’re doing is working.”
“Thanks.” She smiled shyly. And then the silence became awkward again.
“Well, you head out and I’ll follow you just in case.”
“Sure thing. Thanks again, Tanner.”
“Anytime.”
She got in her car and he backed away, letting her out so she could lead. The snow was coming down a little harder now, and would be slick before the night was out if the temperature kept dropping. She lived in a little house just west of town limits, and when she turned into her driveway and gave a wave in her rearview mirror, he thought, as he had that day in December, how lonely it must be out here all by herself, with the neighbors spread out. Her name wasn’t even on the mailbox.
Tanner turned around and headed back toward town and home. It wasn’t until he passed the Silver Dollar again that he thought of Rylan and his comment that Tanner should go out looking for a woman.
If he did, the last one he should set his eyes on was Laura Jessup. She might be sweet as apple pie and gorgeous to boot, but she came with way more complication than he was interested in pursuing.
* * *
“LAURA, IS THAT YOU?”
Laura hadn’t even shut the door when her grandfather called out to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then put Rowan’s car seat on the floor. “Yes, Gramps, it’s me. Sorry I’m late.” She took off her coat and hung it in the closet, then put her boots on the mat. For a few moments, she allowed herself to bask in the lovely warmth that came from knowing Tanner had helped her. He’d smiled as if he meant it—as if the rumors about her didn’t matter. Just as he had the day Rowan was born, when he’d held her hand and assured her he wouldn’t leave.
She couldn’t indulge in the sentimental feeling for long, however. Rowan was just starting to wake and she’d want to be fed soon. Laura had been stuck at the bank longer than she’d anticipated thanks to her dead battery, and she didn’t have any supper made. She checked her watch. Gramps liked to eat at six sharp. It was just after seven.
Before Rowan tuned up and started crying, Laura hustled to the fridge and took out leftovers from last night’s roast beef dinner. Gramps loved meat and potatoes, and it was a good thing because Laura wasn’t the world’s greatest cook. She’d bought one of those ready-to-bake roasts, microwaved frozen vegetables and managed to boil potatoes, all without burning the house down. She checked a small plastic dish and saw there was only a little gravy left from the packet mix she’d made. Maybe she could add a bit of water to it and it would be enough for Gramps.
She was happy to have him. But trying to be Martha Stewart while he was here was proving to be a bigger challenge than she’d expected. She was sure he’d get that pinched look on his face when she presented him with a warmed-up version of last night’s meal.
Rowan was awake and grumbling, so Laura took her out of the seat and held her with one arm while using the other one to take off her little pink coat and hat. Laura ventured into the living room, where she found her grandfather in his favorite chair, watching the end of the six o’clock news.
“Sorry about dinner. I’m getting it now. I had some car trouble.”
Gramps was seventy-five and still sharp, but he’d never had to cook or do for himself. With Gram in the hospital for a few weeks with a lung infection, Laura had suggested he stay with her. And she wasn’t sorry. She didn’t have a lot of family around, and they’d been so good to her since she’d come home. But living with Gramps had its challenges all the same.
“Your car all right?”
“I need a new battery. I got a boost in town that got me home. McNulty’s is closed until tomorrow.”
“I was hoping to go see your grandmother tomorrow. Since we missed today.”
Yes, they’d missed driving into Great Falls. Truth be told, Laura was exhausted. Between being up with Rowan, caring for Gramps, and trying to make ends meet, she was stretched to the limit. Today she’d asked to stay home because she was trying to work on a freelance project she’d taken on. The only reason she’d gone into town was because she’d realized she’d run out of diapers.
In the kitchen, the microwave beeped, indicating the first plate of food was ready. “I’ll see what I can do,” she promised. “Come on out to the kitchen, Gramps. Supper’s on.”
She went to the kitchen and swapped the heated meal for the cold one and set the timer again. “Could you put some water on for tea, please?” she asked. “I’d like to change Ro before we eat.”
Gramps grunted a response, but he grabbed the kettle and started to fill it. Laura tried to be patient. Gramps had been the one to work and Gram had stayed home, raised kids and looked after her husband. Laura wasn’t against that kind of existence, even though these days it was rarely practical. That had been their choice. The downside was that Charlie Jessup had never really had to do anything remotely domestic in his life, and at seventy-five he was unlikely to change. He simply didn’t understand why Laura was so incompetent in the kitchen.
Once Rowan was changed, she started to fuss. Laura made sure Gramps had his meal, but it was increasingly clear that she would not have time to eat before feeding Ro. God, she was tired. She poured water into the mugs to let the tea steep. “Sorry, Gramps,” she said, trying to inject some brightness into her voice. “I’ve got to feed Ro. The tea’s steeping, if you don’t mind taking out the bag when the timer goes.”
“Yeah, fine,” he said. “The beef’s good, by the way.”
She didn’t realize how badly she’d needed the compliment until it was given, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. “Thanks,” she answered, scooting out of the kitchen so he wouldn’t see. She went to Rowan’s room. Laura slept in here, too, on one of those blow-up beds with the fold-up frame, since she’d given Gramps her bedroom for the duration of his s
tay. She sank into the padded rocker and settled Rowan at her breast, exhaling several times to help her relax.
She loved being a mom. And these were precious, precious moments. Laura wished she could stop being so resentful. She resented having to breast-feed in here because her grandfather found it so embarrassing. She resented having to work when she was so exhausted because her maternity benefits were long gone. And while she tried to be grateful for her blessings, it was hard when she went into town and received knowing stares from so many people. They also gave Rowan curious looks, as if expecting her to resemble Gavin.
As far as anyone knew, Laura was a home wrecker. General consensus was she’d been having an affair with Gavin Wallace and Rowan was his child. They’d been high school sweethearts, said the whispers. And the moment she’d come back to town, they’d started up again. And then the worst rumor of all: that he’d been leaving her place the night he had the accident and was killed.
One of these days, she was going to have to leave Gibson behind. Even if she could live with the rumors and whispers, it wouldn’t be fair to do that to Rowan, especially as she got older. She wished she could tell everyone the truth, but she couldn’t. The only person who knew was her lawyer and Maddy Wallace—Gavin’s widow, who’d promised to keep Laura’s secret. She had to let it go for her own safety. For Rowan’s.
Gavin Wallace was not Rowan’s father. And if Spence ever found out that he had a child...
It would be nothing short of a nightmare.
Chapter Two
Laura clicked the mouse one last time and sat back to look at the banner she’d created. She frowned. Something wasn’t quite right. The background was beautiful, and the graphic highlighted the client’s product perfectly. It was the font, she decided. It needed to be slightly slimmer, and a deeper shade of plum.
So far, the freelance work was paying her bills, but just. Still, it would take time for word of mouth to spread. At least this way she was home with her child instead of having to commute to an office, as she had done during her six-month contract that had ended in December.
Ironically enough, she was still floundering with setting up her own site. She tried to keep her personal details very, very quiet. Plastering her name all over a site made her uncomfortable, and she knew she could decide on a company name, but people still wanted the name of the person they were dealing with. It was hard to advertise and drum up business without a website. Particularly when you were a web designer.
She adjusted the font, felt better, and saved the banner before emailing it off to the client for their thoughts. Then she checked her phone. Damn. They should have left for the hospital half an hour ago. She shut down the computer, dropped the phone into her bag and went looking for Gramps.
She found him sitting on the back deck in a plastic patio chair. It really wasn’t a deck, but rather an oversize landing at the top of the back stairs. There was room for one chair and that was it. She pasted on the customary smile. “Sorry I took so long. Are you ready to go?”
“Sure. Been ready an hour now,” he said, putting his hands on his knees and pushing himself to standing.
There were times she knew he didn’t mean what he said as criticism. It didn’t mean she didn’t take it that way.
Ten minutes later, they were on the road, and it seemed like no time at all and they’d arrived at the hospital. While he visited Gram, Laura sat in the family waiting room and nursed Rowan. Then she popped into Gram’s room to say hello, and left again to get a couple of sandwiches from the cafeteria, as well as some cranberry juice for Gram. The nurses were very good about letting Laura use the kitchen on the floor to make Gram’s favorite cold remedy—cranberry juice mixed half and half with boiling water. She always said it soothed her throat and cough and drove out the chill. Laura made a cup for Gram and a cup for herself, as she’d always liked it, too, and a cup of tea for Gramps.
By two o’clock, Laura reminded Gramps that they had to get back to Gibson, as she had an appointment at the lawyer’s office. So far Rowan had been contented, so Laura dropped Gramps at the diner and said she’d be back in half an hour to pick him up. The appointment at the lawyer’s office was brief. She’d wanted to check on Spence’s status. The idea of him being eligible for parole after what he’d done sent a cold chill down her spine and kept her up at night. With Spence having served nearly a year of his three-year sentence, Laura wanted to make sure she kept tabs on the situation.
Like when she really needed to start worrying. She could breathe easy for another few months anyway.
She found Gramps sitting in a booth with a cup of tea and a piece of half-eaten cherry pie in front of him. She’d taken Rowan out of the car seat and held her in her arms, and when she slid into the booth, she settled the baby on her knee, curled into the curve of her arm.
“That didn’t take long,” he commented. “I’m only half-through my pie.”
“Take your time,” she said, knowing Gramps was tired from being out all day. She was, too, but rushing him wouldn’t benefit either of them. Besides, the food here was better than what he got at home. Unfortunately.
He sipped his tea and took another bite of pie, and a waitress came over to see if Laura wanted anything.
“What can I get you?” she asked.
A hot bath, a glass of wine, and an hour of quiet, Laura thought, but she merely smiled. “A glass of chocolate milk, I guess,” she replied. She’d forsaken caffeine months ago, with the exception of her evening cup of tea. Since she’d never been fond of plain white milk, chocolate was her way of getting her calcium.
The waitress returned quickly with her milk and Laura took a long drink, enjoying the cool, sweet taste. She licked the froth from her top lip and settled more comfortably into the vinyl seat of the booth.
“Everything okay at the lawyer’s?” Gramps asked, looking up at her over his mug.
“Yes. Fine.”
“Don’t know why you need a lawyer anyway,” he grumbled. “They’re expensive.”
Didn’t she know it. And Gavin had helped her for free, because they were friends. His colleague was giving her a break because of Gavin, but it wasn’t free.
“It’s complicated,” she replied, drinking again. She put down her glass. “Nothing for you to worry about, though. Promise.” She smiled. Gramps was gruff, but she knew he worried and cared. He wasn’t a fan of her raising her baby alone, but he’d never said a word about Gavin, or the fact that he’d been married. It was as though they’d agreed to not mention it.
He put down his fork. “Laura, are you okay? Really? I’m old and I’m not good for much, but if you need help...”
She melted a bit, her frustration of the last week ebbing away. She touched his fingers with her free hand. “I’m fine, Gramps. I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m working on getting my life back on track.”
“You know how I feel about some of that,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. “But you’re a Jessup. And you’re made of strong stuff. You can do whatever you set your mind to.”
Except protect myself, she thought, hating the idea that she could feel so helpless, hating even more that she was scared. Still, the praise made her feel stronger. “Thank you, Gramps.”
“Humph,” he said, back to his gruff self. But she smiled a little to herself.
Laura didn’t notice anyone approaching the table until she heard the voice that sent shivers of pleasure rippling up her spine. “So, did you end up replacing the battery?”
She swallowed and looked up to find Tanner standing beside the booth, an easy grin on his face.
It would be easier if he weren’t so darn handsome. His dark hair was slightly mussed, his blue eyes twinkled down at her and his plaid shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a small V of tanned skin.
She hoped she wasn’t blushing. “I did, yes. The guy
from McNulty’s was kind enough to bring one out and put it in for me.”
Tanner frowned. “I would have done that, and saved you the labor cost.”
“Thanks, but it wasn’t that bad.” She glanced over at her grandfather. “Gramps, have you met Tanner Hudson? Tanner, this is my grandfather, Charlie.”
Tanner held out his hand. “Sir,” he said, giving a nod as they shook hands.
“Tanner’s the one who gave me a boost the other day,” Laura explained.
“Have a seat,” Gramps said. “Laura’s always so bent on doing everything herself, but I’m glad there are some people who are willing to lend a hand—even when she won’t admit she needs one.”
Laura gaped at him. Hadn’t he just said she could do anything? Of course. He still prescribed to the old school where certain things were “man’s work.” Auto repair clearly being one of them.
Tanner slid into the booth beside her, and she quickly scooched over so they weren’t pressed together. To her annoyance, he gave Gramps his winningest smile. “Happy to do it. Though from what I’ve seen, Laura’s pretty capable of handling herself.”
Gramps gave Tanner a long look, then a quick nod and calmly cut another bite of pie with the edge of his fork.
The waitress came over with a coffee and doughnut for Tanner, and he thanked her with a wink and a smile.
“You’re not working out at the ranch today?” Laura asked.
“I had to make a run in to the hardware store. I was going to grab a coffee to go, but I saw you and thought I’d see how you made out after the other day.” He shrugged. “At least the weather’s improved. Much more spring-like.”
He looked over at her half-empty glass. “Chocolate milk?”
She grinned. “What can I say? I’m a kid at heart.”
“Speaking of kids...” He peered around her shoulder at Rowan. “Wow. She’s cute.”
“Thanks.” Laura looked down at Rowan and a familiar wave of love washed over her. “She’s been an angel all day, so I’m waiting for things to go south really soon. We’ve been to Great Falls to the hospital to visit my grandmother, and then went to a couple of appointments. Babies have a way of letting you know when they’ve had enough.”