Stars Over Texas (Dreamcatcher Series Book 2)

by Tessa Gray

  “Is there a but here?”

  He looked down, staring at the ground. When he spoke again, his tone was so tender it stirred her deep inside. “I’d be taking advantage of you, and I don’t want to do that.”

  His words resonated with her because what he’d said was true. Of all the men she’d met during the course of her lifetime, she suspected this man was the most honest. She felt tongue-tied as emotions swirled inside her.

  When he looked up at her, he seemed upset. “Meredith, I don’t want you to believe for a minute that you’re not desirable. God knows you are. But as things stand now, the timing isn’t right. Where we take this after tonight? Who knows?”

  He was trying to spare her, of course, Meredith realized. He was just trying to make sure she didn’t take his rejection personally. She felt a rush of relief because the truth was, she didn’t take this personally. Not in the least.

  “I appreciate your looking out for me.” The look of relief on his face after she said it amused her.

  “I am looking out for you, but the truth is, I’m already kicking myself.” He looked tormented in a comical way.

  She laughed at his comment, aware that he’d left no stone unturned. Adam Lightfoot had managed to keep her fragile ego intact, as well as spare her a one-night stand she’d probably regret.

  Despite what happened earlier, overall, it had turned out to be a pretty good day.

  ~ ~ ~

  Later that evening Adam studied Meredith as she lay curled up in his sleeping bag. He’d opted to give her his well-insulated thermal bag and taken one that would do little to protect him from the cold. He’d contemplated both of them spending the night curled up together in the warmer sleeping bag, but of course, if the two of them shared the warmer bag he wouldn’t be able to spend an entire night pressed up against her and not want to make love.

  Self-control was greatly over-rated.

  “Are you asleep, Adam?” She rolled over to face him now, and as the moon’s soft light glowed through the screened window in their tent, he studied her silhouette.

  “No, I’m awake.”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, and I’ve made some decisions.”

  “Such as . . .?”

  “I’m not going to pretend this didn’t happen. I plan on calling a therapist when I get back into town.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “I’m going to see if Blake and I can come up with a compromise. My dad had offered once before that he would pay for a lawyer if I couldn’t afford one. Come hell or high water, I’m going to get that college degree. A college degree is my ticket to freedom, and if there’s one thing I’m focusing on right now, it’s school. And speaking of school, I need a tutor for linguistics. Any suggestions?”

  He marveled at how quickly Meredith had begun rebuilding her life. For a woman who’d seemed intent on giving up just a few hours earlier, she seemed to have a plan and that was the first step to healing. He marveled at her resilience. Well, either it was resilience or she was doing one helluva job pretending everything was going to be fine.

  “I can help you with linguistics, Meredith. I’m actually pretty good at it.”

  “I can pay you . . . a little . . .”

  “You don’t have to pay me anything. I tutor students for free. I’ll do the same for you.”

  When she didn’t continue the conversation, he suspected the events of the day had exhausted her. She suddenly reached over and placed a fist against his chest. “Thank you, Adam, for everything. And most of all, thanks for making sure we didn’t end up sleeping together. That’s the last thing I need right now. And the truth is I need a friend more than anything else. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship. Had we made love, I’d have kicked myself afterwards.”

  He was just about to slip his fingers through hers when she withdrew his hand and rolled over, her back to him. When he heard her shallow breathing, he realized she’d drifted off.

  He rolled over on one hip, stared back into the night sky and realized there was little comfort in the fact he’d taken the high road. As he typically did, he’d made the decision to take “the road less traveled.” He recited the rest of the poem by heart before finally drifting off.

  ~ ~ ~

  Early the next morning Meredith tossed and turned for nearly half an hour before sitting up in the sleeping bag. She’d slept very little last night, and by all accounts, so had Adam. Although the two of them had been careful to keep a safe distance from each other, sometime during the night Adam had reached over, touching the top of her head.

  She’d responded by leaning against him. Initially she’d thought he’d break his promise and they’d end up making love. But he hadn’t. Instead, he cradled her head with his large hands. The gesture felt so intimate it unnerved her.

  Although she’d promised Adam to tell Rachel about her suicide attempt, she regretted her decision. But given how upset he had been, how deeply concerned about her he was, there was no way he’d change his mind and let this go.

  As she struggled to think of some way to convince Adam she was all right, that no one needed to know about this, she considered what would happen if her mother ever got wind of the stunt she’d pulled. There’d be no end to the hell, fire, and brimstone sermonette preachers were so fond of. “People who kill themselves go straight to hell, and well they should.” Her mother’s words echoed in Meredith’s ears, in spite of the fact she was ten hours away from Big Bend.

  Who decided that, anyway? Who made the decision about which souls were worth saving? Meredith straightened out the large ripple in the sleeping bag Adam had loaned her and then crossed her arms. She’d already been up twice during the night, and each time, Adam had followed her about the campsite, never taking his eyes off her.

  “Can’t sleep, huh?” Adam’s deep voice rumbled out the question before he quickly suppressed a yawn. “Wanna go for a walk or something?”

  “Could we?”

  “Sure.” He staggered to his feet, and Meredith suspected that between saving her from jumping off the cliff and keeping a watchful eye on her all night, he was exhausted.

  When he reached down to help her up, she jumped to her feet. He placed a protective arm about her waist, moving her toward the door of the tent. She raised the flap, and they both walked out into the morning dawn. What she really wanted to do was go walking alone to clear her head. But Adam seemed intent on staying with her. Under ordinary circumstances, she’d have told him to take a hike, literally. But as things stood, she was tired of doing things alone or as the only adult, and welcomed his company.

  The instant the two of them got outside, Adam placed an arm about her shoulder. Meredith cocked her head to one side as several owls hooted in the distance. When a coyote wailed, it startled her. As she jumped to one side, Adam stilled her with his hand. “It’s okay, Mere. I’ve got your back.”

  She could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing as he began leading her past Jake and Rachel’s tent. They moved swiftly now, neither wanting to awaken the others. Meredith turned her head toward where a soft sound came from. At first she thought perhaps she’d imagined it, but when she listened for the second time, she realized Rachel and Jake weren’t sleeping.

  “Oh—oh,” a high-pitched moan broke the silence, and she realized Rachel and Jake were going at it.

  More guttural sounds emerged from the tent, and Adam began tugging on her arm, moving them away from the noise. As the sounds grew more intense, Meredith felt her face flush. When she heard Adam chuckle, she began to relax.

  The two of them began walking toward the barbeque pit when she decided that as drawn to Adam as she was becoming, her main focus would have to be on her children and completing her education; in that order. And although shew as starting to see Adam in a different l
ight, she needed to keep her eye on the mark. The game plan was to finish college in the next year, and that’s exactly what she intended to do. She couldn’t recall a time she felt this focused.

  Chapter 9

  Two weeks after the campout, Adam sat in his office, tapping a pencil on the desktop. He stared out the window, studying the hills in the distance. His mother had phoned twice, asking if he’d be willing to fly back to Boston to spend some time with his family. To be sure, he missed them. But the thought of his mother parading him around, prattling on and on about her college professor son to every divorcee’ within a fifty-mile radius wasn’t something he wanted any part of.

  As much as he hated to admit it, meeting Meredith Chapman had changed his focus. He’d spent more time than he cared to admit thinking about the woman. And yet, despite the heartfelt discussion the two of them had during their trip to Big Bend, she had yet to phone him and let him know how she was doing. And she hadn’t taken him up on his offer to tutor her either. Of course, what Meredith Chapman did or didn’t do was her own business.

  Frustrated he had wasted so much time thinking about her, he climbed from the chair, walked over to the trash can and gave it a swift kick. He turned back around to check the small, brass clock on his shelf. The small hand of the clock pointed to the V, signaling it was five o’clock. Grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, he put it on, picked up his briefcase, and promptly left.

  He made his way down the stairs, two at a time, and stopped abruptly when he got to the entry way. Standing outside were Meredith Chapman’s two children, Carly and Travis. The only person missing was Meredith, leading him to conclude she’d left them unattended.

  “Hi, Mr. Lightfoot.” Carly smiled weakly, and he wondered if the stunt she’d pulled the previous month had embarrassed her.

  “Hello, Carly, Travis.”

  The boy broke into a grin, and it occurred to Adam this kid was much more relaxed than his mother. While Meredith typically looked as though she expected someone was about to pull the rug out from under her, Travis had a relaxed demeanor about him. He looked like your everyday rough-and-tumble nine-year-old, and Adam concluded he probably kept his mother busy. His face appeared freshly scrubbed, and when he stared up at Adam, his nose wrinkled slightly. Adam thought of Howdy Doody when he saw the large gap between the boy’s two front teeth.

  “What are you kids doing here?” When he saw Travis’s smile fade, he made a point of being more tactful. “I mean, is your mom around?”

  “Mom’s getting tutored. She’s got a big test coming up.” Carly looked directly into Adam’s eyes as she spoke. “A lady here helps Mom every Monday and Wednesday.”

  “Oh, I see.” Adam checked his watch. “When’s your mom going to be finished? You kids want a soda or something? The cafeteria’s still open.”

  When he saw Travis’s face light up, Adam took that as a yes.

  “Carly . . . text your mom and ask her if it’s okay. If it is, the drinks are on me.”

  The girl nodded her head and began punching the text message out.

  “Mom said it’s okay.” Without waiting for Adam or Travis, Carly began making her way into the cafeteria.

  Adam questioned whether or not reaching out to Meredith’s children like this was such a good idea. But when he saw the way Travis’s eyes lit up at the prospect of being treated to a snack in the college cafeteria, he decided to make good on his promise.

  ~ ~ ~

  Carly looked across the table at Adam Lightfoot and decided that even though he was a grownup, he wasn’t so bad. But when he and Travis began talking about the Texas Rangers, she suddenly felt a twinge of sadness. She missed her home, and the way things used to be. She didn’t miss her classmates, of course. And if they’d stayed in Dallas, she’d have ended up stuck at the alternative school. Still, she missed being close to things. She never made it to the Perot’ Museum. They had moved before it opened.

  “You doing all right, Carly? You’re awfully quiet.” Adam Lightfoot stared over at her, and she decided he was probably expecting an answer.

  “I’m okay. I just get homesick sometimes, that’s all.” She stopped short of telling him that things still weren’t going well at school. It wasn’t for lack of trying. She’d tried several times to sit with several of the girls during lunch, but they weren’t interested in hanging out with her. They weren’t too mean or anything like that, though. Still, she wished making friends was easier. But it wasn’t, and it really never had been. Her mom seemed to attract friends wherever she went, but it was different with Carly.

  “Moving can be hard, Carly. It takes a long time to make friends. Be patient with yourself.” Adam Lightfoot smiled as he spoke, and Carly wondered if he struggled as well. He didn’t seem to be the most outgoing person in the world, from what she’d seen. Not like Carly’s dad. Man, he could talk your head off if you let him. With two outgoing parents, Carly decided she must take after someone else in the family.

  “I guess.” She heard her voice drop and she quickly hung her head, afraid he would notice how upset she’d become.

  “How about we all split a plate of nachos? Think your mom will be okay with that?” He bolted from the chair and walked over to get them before Carly or Travis could answer.

  When Adam Lightfoot returned nachos in hand, Travis asked if he could have ice cream instead. Adam smiled and handed him the change from the recent purchase. After Travis jumped up to get some ice cream, Adam pushed the plate of nachos in front of Carly. “These’ll cheer you up.”

  It surprised her that he’d figured out she was upset. And that’s when she decided to show him the letter of apology, the one she’d written over a month ago but never mailed. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out the note. “Here’s . . . here’s a letter. Mom had me write it. I was supposed to mail it to you, but I didn’t. It’s about the time Josh and I skipped school.”

  Reaching over, he took the letter from her. “I’ll save it for later. You’re not trying to sidetrack me, are you, so you can eat all the nachos?” His comment made her smile because she realized that he’d figured out how humiliating this was. She regretted not following her mother’s instructions, and she suspected that Adam Lightfoot would probably rat her out.

  “Well, hello, there.”

  Carly was startled her mom had shown up early, and judging by the stunned look on Mr. Lightfoot’s face, he was equally shocked. He jumped to his feet, motioning her mother to sit down. He stuffed the letter in the pocket of his coat, and Carly wondered if he would mention it.

  Travis returned with two bowls of ice cream and handed one to his mother. “Want some ice cream, Mama?”

  The gesture seemed to put their mother in a good mood, and when she reached over for a spoon, Travis handed it to her.

  “Thank you for watching over the children. They normally meet me upstairs in the tutor’s office, but I suspect that gets pretty boring.”

  “You’re most welcome.” After Adam Lightfoot spoke, he stared over at Carly, and for a second, she thought he was going to tell her mom that he’d just been given the letter.

  “You kids finish eating up. We need to get home. I’ve got dinner to prepare, although now I don’t see how you’ll be hungry.” After her mom said it, she looked over at Adam Lightfoot. “You’re more than welcome to join us.”

  Her mother scrunched up her face, waiting for his answer. Before he said a word, Carly knew that he was going to turn down her mother’s invitation. “I’d better not. I’ve got grading to catch up on. Maybe another time.”

  As she watched her mom’s smile fade, Carly wondered if Adam Lightfoot had hurt her feelings.

  He got to his feet and began walking away from the table. Just before he headed toward the door, he looked back one last time. “Thanks for the letter, Carly. I really appreciate it. It ta
kes a mature person to admit they made a mistake. I’m proud of you.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Four hours later, Meredith finished tucking Travis in for the night. All things, considered, things appeared to be looking up. She was proud of the progress she’d made so far but wished things would move along more quickly. The psychiatrist she met with several times a week seemed to be totally tuned into Meredith’s situation. At times, the woman was brisk, and yet, the nudging she gave Meredith always seemed to work. The tutoring was also paying off. Meredith had never felt this prepared for a test. The exam wasn’t until Friday, and she was almost looking forward to it.

  Travis had made a slew of friends. As Meredith looked down on him, she reached out and tousled his hair. He smiled up at her, his blue eyes twinkling. “I like Mr. Lightfoot. He’s nice.”

  Meredith nodded, wondering what had prompted Adam to be so kind to her children. But once the reasons why began swirling around in her head, Meredith realized that she still had a long way to go. She was still judging Adam, questioning his motives. And that, in part, was the problem. This notion that people used you to get something they wanted had to go.

  “I need to head into your sister’s room, bubba. Love you.” After she said it, Travis reached out and held her close, the fresh scent of soap from his bath clung to his skin, lingering.

  By the time she’d made her way into her daughter’s room, Carly had already gotten ready for bed. Meredith looked at her daughter who was turning into a young woman before her very eyes and felt a lump in her throat. “Carly . . . you’re growing up so fast.”