Once and for All

by Jeannie Watt

  When the performance was done, the announcer picked up the mic and proceeded to thank all those who made the games possible, those who contributed to the athletic program by volunteering or by making monetary donations. He especially wanted to thank the people who made the athletes what they were today, those individuals sitting in the family seats. Would they please stand and be recognized?

  Stand? All Jodie had done was to have a few rather entertaining conversations with Beau and Tyler and play a game of two-on-two. But they’d invited her to the game, quite possibly to set her up with their uncle, so she stood with everyone else, feeling like a fraud.

  Two more quarters, a quick thank-you to the boys, and she’d be gone. Hopefully before Sam got back. And in the meantime, she was damned well going to enjoy the game.

  THE HARTLEY FAMILY lived fifteen miles from town, so Sam was at their place within a half hour of the call, ready to help pull a calf or do a C-section, depending on the situation. The Hartleys had only two cows and weren’t exactly experienced, so Sam wasn’t surprised to walk out to their small prefab barn and see a calf struggling to its feet.

  “I take it you don’t need me,” he said.

  Ned Hartley was petting the mother cow’s face and beamed over at him. “I guess not. I thought the cow was all done in, and then out this little guy came.”

  Little was right. It was one of the smallest calves Sam had seen in a long time. The only way this would have been a difficult birth was if the calf had been coming out sideways.

  “Sorry to interrupt, Doc.” Ned left the cow and walked over to him, pulling a wallet out of his pocket.

  “No problem. I’ll be back before the game’s over.”

  “How much do I owe you?” Ned flipped open the wallet and withdrew a tattered check. For some reason Sam wondered if it was his last one.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Travel time?” Ned asked.

  Sam waved a hand and headed to the truck. Ned didn’t know it, but he’d done Sam a favor by calling.

  The sounds of the excited crowd could be heard from the parking lot when he finally managed to wedge the truck into a very illegal space. He hoped all the local deputies were busy watching the game.

  The noise grew louder and Sam quickened his step. Maybe the boys weren’t getting trounced, after all. When he entered the gym, everyone seemed to be on their feet as Beau came thundering down the court, feinted left, then passed to his brother, who took the shot. In it went and all the players except for two raced to the opposite basket.

  The score was 58-62 with two minutes left on the clock. Anything could happen in two minutes. A foul was called and the opposing center took his place at the edge of the key. Sam held his breath, then after the first ball bounced off the rim, he chanced a glance up to where he’d left Jodie. She was on her feet, her expression taut, her fists held together under her chin as she waited for the next shot. Another miss. Sam knew that only from the reaction of the crowd, since his eyes were still on Jodie. Play started again and her fists dropped to her sides as she leaned forward to yell encouragement to the team.

  She could have left after he did, but she’d stayed to watch the game and now she was cheering for the team for all she was worth. And, Sam had to admit, she was beautiful while she did it.

  The coach called a time-out and the crowd slowly sat back down. Sam made his way to his seat while he could, once again coming from the aisle closest to the door and edging through the crowd, since the home team was taking up all the space along the edge of the floor. Jodie glanced up at him as he approached, her face flushed with excitement.

  “It’s a good game,” she said, turning her attention back to the floor.

  The whistle blew and the clock started. The rest of the game passed in a blur, possession passing back and forth between the teams. Jodie grabbed Sam’s shoulder when Beau made a basket, making the score 62-64, then realized what she was doing, and let go as if she’d just been burned.

  “Come on, guys,” she muttered. He could feel her body vibrating with excitement as the Warriors went into a press.

  “Oh!” Jodie fisted her hands again when Tyler stole the ball from the opposing team and then passed off to Chad Bellows. Sam may have had reservations about Chad, but had to admit the kid was either talented or lucky when the three-point shot whooshed through the basket. The opposing team rebounded, racing down the court as the last seconds ticked away. A player shot from the center line just as the buzzer rang. Jodie gasped, then pressed her fists to her chest when the ball bounced off the rim. A second later she was jumping and cheering with the rest of the home team crowd at the comeback win.

  Sam joined in the cheering, but his eyes were on Jodie.

  She could have left. She didn’t. He’d embarrassed her in the barn. Maybe he needed to make some amends here. Maybe they could at least be friends?

  CHAPTER NINE

  SAM MADE HIS MOVE before he could talk himself out of it. He leaned closer to Jodie so she could hear him over the crowd. “You want to go grab a bite somewhere?”

  Her demeanor instantly shifted, as if she suddenly remembered where she was, who she was with. Her eyebrows lifted slightly as she said, “I think the good people of Wesley have had enough to gossip about tonight. They don’t need more.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because…” Her voice trailed off momentarily before she said firmly, “Because.”

  “And you call yourself a litigator?”

  She flushed slightly. “Look, Sam. A few days ago you said we shouldn’t pursue…things. I agree with you.”

  “Maybe I changed my mind.”

  She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Just like a man,” she muttered before edging away from him and into the crowd of people moving down the stairs toward the gym floor.

  Sam followed, putting a light hand on her upper arm so they didn’t get separated. He leaned close again when they came to a stop as an elderly woman struggled out into the aisle ahead of them. “How’s that?”

  “Wanting what you can’t have.”

  “I probably could have had it a few days ago….”

  He felt Jodie’s back stiffen slightly before she glanced over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes candid. “But you dithered. Too bad for you.”

  Sam grinned for real. “Come on. One drink. Start off on a new foot.”

  “Where will we be going on that new foot?”

  He shrugged. “Who knows?”

  “Shouldn’t we wait for Beau and Tyler?” she asked as they stepped down onto the floor. He’d yet to let go of her arm, and people were indeed taking notice.

  “It takes them awhile. We usually meet up at home. I’ll give them a call on our way to the Supper Club.”

  They moved with the crowd toward the exit. Jodie walked silently beside him. “All right,” she finally said. “One drink.”

  Sam called the twins’ phone as he drove to the restaurant, following Jodie’s Spitfire. She parked in the half-full lot and he pulled up beside her just as Tyler finally answered.

  “I’m going to be at the Supper Club.”

  “You are?” Tyler said with mock surprise.

  “Yes, and it isn’t because you set us up. Jodie and I have some business to discuss.”

  “Oh, Jodie is going with you?” His nephew spoke with exaggerated innocence.

  “Do not pursue a career in acting,” Sam advised. “I want you guys home by eleven.”

  “No problem,” Tyler said in his normal voice. “Have fun.” He hung up before Sam could reply.

  Jodie was waiting beside her car, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather coat, her scarf wrapped so that it covered the lower part of her face. He pocketed the phone and got out of the truck. The wind was picking up and before long snow would be falling. He just hoped it held off until eleven, after the boys were home.

  “Come on,” he said, jerking his head toward the entrance. “It’s cold out here.”

  “
I’m originally from Chicago. This isn’t cold.”

  They mounted the steps and Sam held open the large wooden door as she ducked in under his arm.

  The club was busy with a happy after-game crowd, but there were still plenty of tables in the lounge area.

  “Dinner tonight?” the waiter, a young guy in jeans and a Wrangler shirt, asked as he handed over drink menus.

  Sam glanced at Jodie, who shook her head. “Drinks,” Sam told him.

  “Cool. What can I start you with?”

  “Bud,” Jodie said.

  “The same.”

  “They’re watch-ing us,” Jodie said in a singsong voice, stating the obvious when the waiter left.

  “Of course they are. Your dad tried to destroy me not too long after I’d lost my brother.”

  “That wasn’t what he was trying to do.” Jodie automatically defended him.

  “Oh, I think that’s exactly what he was trying to do, because that’s how Joe tackles life. Kill or be killed.”

  “How do you know that?” Jodie asked softly. She seemed surprised by his perception—or maybe that he’d stated it aloud.

  “Because I’ve spent some time with him?” Sam said, thinking that the answer was obvious. “Are you telling me he’s not like that?”

  “I guess what I’m telling you is that he felt justified in what he did. It wasn’t that he singled you out for extraordinary retribution.”

  “Just regular retribution?”

  Jodie bit her lip as she glanced down at the table. When she looked back up there was a glint of grudging amusement in her eyes, which faded when she said, “I think my father was surprised at the town’s response to the lawsuit.”

  “He shouldn’t have been.” Unless he thought he was too important to suffer consequences for his choices. “People in isolated communities tend to hang together. It’s the only way they could survive back in the day, when resources were difficult to come by. The spirit remains.”

  “Do you think they’ll ever become more accepting?”

  “They will tolerate him, but no, I don’t think he’ll be accepted. And I can’t see that it would matter to him.” Joe used the ranch as a showcase and a hobby. A place where he could pursue his urge to compete, and could fly people in for fancy getaways. During the summer he had a crew of four or five college kids who worked around the ranch and served as guides and general help when he had guests—which was just about every weekend. None of the kids were ever local. He did seem to hire ones who knew what they were doing, though.

  “Other than when he needs vet work.”

  “Other than that. I’m surprised he didn’t make arrangements with Eriksson to come up and live here during calving.”

  “He had Mike…or thought he had Mike.”

  “So how has your dad taken the news of Mike quitting?” Sam started shrugging out of his jacket.

  “He doesn’t exactly know.”

  Sam stopped with his arm halfway out of his sleeve. “You haven’t told him?” Whether she admitted it or not, he still believed that Jodie was afraid of messing with her dad. He’d seen her go head-to-head with Joe in a lawyerly way at social functions; she wasn’t afraid of debating with him, but it seemed she was deeply into censoring life at the ranch to keep Daddy happy.

  “I haven’t told him.” Her classic cool expression slipped into place, but her fingers were busy lightly pleating the napkin in front of her.

  Sam pulled his arm out of the other sleeve and dropped the heavy leather coat over the back of the chair. “He’s probably going to find out. Why not tell him now?”

  “He’s taking a grand tour of southern Europe to keep my mother happy. Greece, Italy. But actually…the trip is more for his health than for my mom. I don’t want to give him a reason to come home or to worry.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Sam asked, leaning his forearms on the table and watching Jodie as she spoke. It was all he could do not to ask what was wrong with her, why she seemed so different tonight. Almost evasive. It wasn’t simply because his nephews had conned her into the family seats and tried to set them up. He’d bet his truck on it, and he couldn’t afford to lose his truck.

  “Some heart irregularities, and he’s stubborn about changing his lifestyle and his stress level. My mom was hoping the trip would help him get a different perspective on life. He’s been in competition with the world for almost sixty years. Mom wants him to see that maybe he can run the ranch as more of a relaxed hobby than a cutthroat business.”

  “Think it’ll work?”

  “No. But I’m hoping his blood pressure will be back under control when he returns.”

  “If he’s got trouble with blood pressure, ranching may not be his best bet for retirement.”

  Jodie huffed out a breath. “Try telling him that.” She smoothed out the napkin. “My dad is not a bad guy, Sam. He’s kind of a larger than life person. He’s accomplished a lot by demanding the best and accepting no excuses.”

  Sam just nodded and smiled. In other words, he was a bully.

  JODIE WAS CONFUSED. Here she was, sitting in the Supper Club with Sam, who’d turned her down when she’d hit on him in the barn. Sam, who could have disappeared after his emergency call and she never would have known.

  Sam, who’d insisted on a drink and was now watching her in an intense way that made her feel even more self-conscious than she’d felt at the game.

  There was a brief lull in the conversation after she’d confessed Joe’s health issues, so she broke it, wanting some answers. Now.

  “Why’d you ask me out for drinks?”

  Sam settled back in his seat, making the chair creak with the movement. “Why’d you come to the game?”

  “The boys asked me. It seemed important to them.”

  His voice was low, his eyes steady on hers when he said, “That’s why I asked you out.”

  She frowned, shaking her head slightly just as the waiter came back with two bottles of Bud and two glasses. He expertly poured the glasses half-full and set them beside the bottles. “Anything else?”

  “Not just yet,” Sam said with a touch of impatience, his eyes on Jodie.

  “I’ll check back with you.”

  “You asked me out because your nephews wanted you to?” Jodie continued once the waiter had moved off to another table.

  “No,” Sam said evenly. “It was because you were nice enough not to disappoint them.”

  “Surprised?” Jodie heard the edge in her voice. Her beer sat in front of her untouched, her hands folded neatly on the table, one on top of the other.

  He shifted in his seat again and she found herself focusing first on his mouth and then the angles of his face. Had his brother been this good-looking? The twins resembled Sam, so he must have been.

  Not your fault.

  Then why does it feel like my fault?

  “Maybe. You were pretty caught up in the game.”

  “I like basketball.”

  “What else do you like, Jodie?”

  “I, uh, like my job.” She loved her job. Or most parts of it.

  He smiled slightly. “Good.”

  “Long walks in the rain.”

  “There’s a lot of that in Las Vegas.”

  One corner of her mouth quirked in acknowledgment. He continued his steady appraisal and she thought of a few more things she liked. “I go to every Rebels game, basketball and football. I’ve started taking karate classes, but I’m not too good at it. Yet.” Or maybe ever. She was really bad at karate, but wanted some kind of self-defense training. She was, after all, a single woman in a big city. She glanced down at her hands. Her nail polish was chipped. “It’s been awhile since I’ve hit on a guy, Sam.”

  She had the satisfaction of seeing surprise cross his handsome features at her rapid change of subject. “Usually men hit on me. So, come to think of it, you might be the first guy I’ve hit on since my divorce.” And he’d shut her down.

  “How long ago was that?”


  “Five years.”

  Sam looked shocked. “How old were you when you got married?”

  “Twenty-two,” Jodie said sheepishly. “I’m ashamed to say I don’t even feel like I’ve been married for real. It only lasted three years. We were very young and dumb and totally unsuited. He spent all his time at his restaurant and I spent all my time studying and then working.” She smiled sadly. “We just grew apart. We tried counseling for a while, but Damian’s heart wasn’t in it. I think my dad was unhappier about the divorce than either of us.”

  “Your father approved of Damian?”

  “He came from a wealthy family,” she said with an ironic smile. And maybe she’d married Damian because her father had approved so heartily.

  Sam looked at her in his direct way. “Why me, then?”

  “I was curious.”

  He glanced down. “Sorry if I was less than tactful that day.”

  “No. You were tactful. To the point, but tactful. Which is why I’m surprised to be here tonight.”

  “Yeah. Well…my personal life hasn’t been the same since I took guardianship of Beau and Ty.”

  Another small twist of the knife. “So it wasn’t just me,” she replied, attempting a light note.

  “I want their lives as stable as possible while I have them. It isn’t easy to wake up one morning to the news that you have no parents. My brother’s family was tight.”

  Jodie hoped her face didn’t go white. She lifted the glass she’d ignored up until now, and drank. “So you have the boys at home for, what? Two more years?” She felt as if she was curling up inside, and fought against it. Yes, she was very, very sorry Dave Hyatt had died. She was sorry she’d had to point out that the police had messed up. But that was her job and she’d done it.

  “If they go to college, which I hope they will.”