Living With Lies Trilogy (Books 1, 2, and 3 of The Dancing Moon Ranch Series)

by Watters, Patricia

  Ricky turned to him, and said, "For real?"

  "Yeah," Sam said. "Instead, you're going to search your conscience and think about what you did and what it's done to Becca and Jayne, and we'll see what kind of man you are. When a real man makes a mistake he owns up to the person he's wronged. A coward hides behind excuses."

  Ricky said nothing, just turned and stared out the window again. Sam didn't know if he'd done the right thing, but in the past, Ricky seemed to need time to mull things over before they settled in. He'd done that by standing up for Becca, even if he'd been trying to undo the damage he'd caused. But now, Sam hoped Ricky would take the initiative to do right by Becca. He'd have three days at home to prove the kind of man he would one day become.

  ***

  When Jayne looked up from her desk at the open doorway to her office, she was surprised to see Ricky standing there with a little black kitten in his arms. He gave her an uncertain smile, and said, "Mei Ling had kittens, and we thought Becca might want one."

  Jayne eyed the kitten, a beautiful little mongrel. Mei Ling had been Grace's cat when she married Jack, and Jack always joked that the spoiled, highly-bred, pedigreed Blue Burmese got better treatment than he. But after six years of being confined to the house, Mei Ling managed to slip out when no one was watching her, and she came home from the barn with a smile on her face, as Jack told the story. Solomon, a sleek, solid black tom cat, named because he had so many wives, was obviously the sire of the little kitten in Ricky's arms.

  Jayne realized the kitten was a peace offering, but accepting it meant worrying about finding a place to rent that took animals, when they moved. And they would be moving. Over the weekend she'd picked up a Sunday Oregonian and circled several ads in the classified for jobs for herself. She'd already placed ads in the paper for her replacement, and as soon as school would be out, she'd find an apartment in Becca's old neighborhood so Becca could settle in over the summer and renew her friendships before returning to her old school in the fall.

  Seeing the expectant look on Ricky's face, she said, "That's very sweet of you, honey, but Becca and I will be moving into an apartment in Portland and we won't be able to have a pet." She saw the eager anticipation on Ricky's face change to remorse. He started to say something, but then his eyes brightened with tears, and he turned and left.

  A few minutes later, Sam walked in and closed the door. "I can understand you not wanting to take on a kitten," he said, "but Ricky told me the reason is because you and Becca are leaving."

  "That shouldn't be a surprise," Jayne said. "I told you that last week."

  "But that was before the fight at school," Sam said. "Ricky's trying to make amends with Becca. It was his idea to give her the kitten. At least wait until we see how things go with them."

  "It's not just about Ricky and Becca at this point," Jayne said. "How many parents do you think will want their kids playing with the daughter of a woman who's been in prison? Becca has friends at the school where she was, and what happened in my past won't matter there. I'm glad Ricky's turned himself around, and maybe this is what it took to do it, but as soon as you find a replacement for me we will be leaving. Hopefully you'll start getting some calls next week since that's when the local ads will start."

  Sam looked at her long and hard, and said, "This isn't over. We will talk about it later. Meanwhile..." He reached into his pocket and drew out a one-hundred-dollar bill and handed it to her. "This is for Friday. Take Becca to town on a spending spree. All the kids will have their parents at school for the bring-a-parent-to-school thing, and it will give you and Becca something fun to do since there's no reason for her to be there."

  "You don't have to do this," Jayne said, ignoring the money. "We'll be fine."

  Sam's hand remain outstretched, the bill pinched between in his fingers. "You're not getting paid enough here as it is," he replied. "Consider it a bonus."

  Jayne eyed the bill. She'd need a deposit for an apartment, and that was only the beginning of the moving expenses. "I guess you're right," she said, taking the bill.

  Sam glanced down at the desk and his expression became intense again. She looked in the direction of his gaze and saw the newspaper with the classified ads she'd circled in red, ads that were not bad jobs, two of them looking for someone in motel management, and one in restaurant management. Several others were varied, including a hostess for a restaurant.

  Sam picked up the paper, and after looking over the circled ads, said to her, "You don't need to do this. We can work this out."

  "You will give me a good reference, won't you?" Jayne asked, ignoring Sam's comment. Sam was having pipe dreams if he thought they could work things out.

  "Yeah, I'll give you a good reference," he said, his fingers tightening on the paper, as if about to scrunch it up. Then he set it aside and said. "There's a Catholic school in McMinnville where we could send Becca. The kids wouldn't know about you."

  "Maybe not for a while," Jayne said, "but they would eventually. It's a small community. News travels fast, kids interact between schools, and I can't be constantly worried that Becca would come home from school one day, crying because the kids found out, and she was an outcast again. If I thought things would change and we could work it out I'd stay, but you know, as well as I, that we've reached an impasse. At Becca's old school it wouldn't matter if the kids knew. She's loved there, and if her mother was a jailbird they'd accept that too."

  "So you've made up your mind, and there's nothing I can do," Sam said.

  "Yes, I suppose so."

  Saying nothing more, Sam turned and left. But Jayne had one last thing to do for Becca before they'd move away, and she needed to prepare for that.

  ***

  As Sam concluded his spiel to the kids about the legend of Whispering Springs, he scanned the young faces, ready for questions as several hands shot up and were waving to get his attention. He also saw Ricky, sitting off to himself, arms folded, shoulders slumped, face glum. Sam had no idea what was going on with him, but he was relieved that the two boys who'd been in the fight were on the opposite side of the room. All three boys had purplish bruises fading to yellow around their eyes. He'd almost skipped coming to the parent thing, but at the last minute decided to go. He was glad Jayne and Becca hadn't come though.

  "Yes, Andy?" he said, pointing to one of Ricky's friends who was waving his hand furiously.

  "Do you think there are ghosts in the cave?" the boy asked.

  "The Native Americans claim there are spirits," Sam said. "The legend goes back a ways. No one said anything about ghosts."

  While he was addressing other questions, there was a rustling in the room and heads begin to turn. He looked over to see what had caught everyone's attention, and when he saw Jayne standing in the back of the room, with Becca beside her, and holding her hand, he couldn't help thinking it was a big mistake. From the heads coming together and talking in hushed tones, it was obvious, word about Jayne had spread. He also knew she could not help but realize they knew. Yet, she stood with her back straight, and her head high.

  He'd been the last parent to speak, so after he'd finished, he took his seat beside his mother, who was clearly as surprised to see Jayne there as he was, even leaning toward him and saying, "Did you know she was coming?"

  Sam shook his head, and said to his mother, "I gave her money to take Becca shopping." Then he waited as Jayne walked forward to stand in the front of the room.

  When everyone had quieted down, Jayne said, "My name is Jayne Hamilton, and I want to begin by telling you that I have recently accepted the most important job of my life, and that is becoming the mother to my daughter, Becca, who I was forced to give up for adoption ten years ago, and this is why..."

  After Sam got over the shock that Jayne had come to tell all, he waited intently for what she was about to say...

  "My story goes back to when I was seventeen and I thought I knew better than my parents. Maybe some of you feel that way at times. Before then, I wa
s a good student, and I followed house rules and wanted to make my parents proud, and then this guy came along—Becca's father—and everything in my life changed..."

  As Jayne told her story, including everything leading up to the arrest, and what it was like to be forced to the ground with a foot in the middle of her back, and hand cuffs clamped onto her wrists, Sam could see her hands shaking, and he heard the quiver in her voice, but as she poured out the past, like draining the dregs from a wine barrel, he couldn't help but admire the strength and courage it took for her to stand up there and tell her story to a crowd that wasn't completely receptive, yet listened because they were curious.

  "For ten years," she continued, "I never contacted my parents because I was so ashamed, and when I got out of prison, I still tried to run from my past by hiding it from everyone I met. I even landed the job at Dancing Moon Ranch with a fabricated resume." Her gaze slid to Sam then, and when he started to interject that she was the best manager the ranch has ever had, her dark look warned him not to interfere.

  "But the thing is," she said, "living with lies can be very wearing, and you can't run from your past indefinitely because it will always catch up with you. I know that now, which is why I decided to come here today." The soft chatter that followed was accompanied by heads bobbing up and down, and the looks of coolness and curiosity Sam saw earlier had changed to admiration. He felt it too. But what he felt went deeper than admiration. He was in awe of this woman. She had an inner strength one could not help but respect.

  He also decided she would be his wife, even if it meant leaving the ranch and finding a job so they could live where Becca could attend her old school. Ricky would have to adjust, and maybe the move would be good for him.

  When the crowd settled again, Jayne continued. "There's a boy sitting in the room who actually did me a favor." She smiled at Ricky, who looked baffled. "Ricky Hansen gave me a reason to stop running from my past. But now for the good part." Jayne looked to the back of the room, where Becca stood, and said, "I have the honor of being my daughter's mother. Becca is an extraordinary young lady, and now I want to end by telling you a little bit about her..."

  Jayne briefly explained what a person with multiple sclerosis goes through, and followed with a very sensitive account of the devotion and loving care Becca had given her mother from a very young age. When Jayne stepped down to hug Becca, everyone clapped vigorously, and as Sam looked around the room, he saw many faces with watery eyes, his mother's included.

  Turning to him, Maureen said, "I'm sorry, son, for misjudging Jayne, and you're right. She is an extraordinary woman."

  Sam patted his mother's hand, and said, "An extraordinary woman I'll be proud to have as my wife, if she'll agree to marry me. I assume you and the others will have no objection."

  Maureen smiled and squeezed Sam's hand. "I believe she's exactly what you and Rick need in your lives. And yes, the others will be very happy."

  The crowd dispersed, leaving Becca standing within a circle of classmates, with Ricky off to the side, watching her intently. Walking over to where Ricky stood, Sam said to him, "So, what do you think of Jayne now?"

  Ricky gave a shrug, and replied, "I guess she's okay."

  Sam was miffed that Ricky showed no more enthusiasm, but he also suspected he thought Jayne was a lot more than just okay. But the next few days would be the test.

  ***

  Jayne eyed Sam with apprehension. "I think it's way too soon to approach the kids about us getting married," she said, even though she'd decided it wasn't too soon for them to make plans. Maureen and Grace loved the idea of a ranch wedding, but Jayne still didn't have the engagement ring on her finger. That would come after they told the kids.

  With a picnic lunch stashed in the back of the truck, and Ricky and Becca on the bench seat just behind, playing a game of Kids Medical Trivia Pursuit that Becca brought along, they headed for Lincoln City and the Pacific coast.

  The miracle of the children happened the night before, when Ricky learned that Becca planned to be a doctor too, an endocrinologist who would one day discover a cure for MS. Ricky found that immediately cool, and after Becca accepted the black kitten, which she named Sparky because there were little golden sparks in his eyes, the kids seemed to put everything behind.

  Sam's announcement that they pack a picnic lunch and head for the coast was met with cheers. He'd had little time alone with Jayne to plan their approach as to how to announce their intentions, but it was agreed that once at the beach, they'd split up with their individual kids for beach combing, and during that time, pave the way for the announcement. Sam had the ring in his pocket and intended to put in on Jayne's finger, permanently, before the day was done.

  A couple of hours later, Sam turned into a parking area near a beach known for the abundance of agates that washed ashore, and parked the truck. The kids scrambled out and rushed to the water's edge, where they immediately started looking for agates, and Sam took the moment to pull Jayne into his arms and kiss her soundly. "I love you, honey," he said, "and since I want to put a ring on your finger, we'd better get on with things, but from the way the kids have been getting along I think we're half way there."

  Jayne looked up at him, but her face was sober. "I love you too, sweetheart," she said, "but I want you to be absolutely sure you'll never regret being married to a jailbird because that's something I can't change. I am what I am."

  "I know what you are," Sam said, "and I have never been more sure of anything in my life." He kissed her again, shorter, sweeter. "You are exactly what I want for a wife for me, and a step-mother for Rick, and although I've never had a daughter, I'll love Becca as my own. She will be surrounded by boys at the ranch though, but I think she and Rick will bond as brother and sister. Look how much they've enjoyed each other's company the past couple of days. I just want you to be sure I can live up to your expectations."

  Jayne reached up and touched Sam's face. "I'm very sure," she said. "You are the love of my life, and I do want us to be a real family, and no more sneaking around to do it." She gave him a glowing smile that had its usual effect.

  "You do realize I'm ready to do it right here on the spot."

  "Yes, sweetheart. It's rather difficult for you to hide."

  "Then I propose a small, nice wedding that won't take more than a month to plan."

  "Umm, I was thinking more like a week."

  "Then it's done. A week and no fuss. Just me and my beautiful bride."

  "And your mom. And Grace and Jack and the kids... and Flo... And Brad and Justine and Sophie will have to drive back up from California... And I guess we should ask my mom and dad and Lydia and Denny. And I suppose my Uncle Clay should come too. I haven't seen him in years. And your mom's brother, Greg..."

  "Honey, we'd better make it a month. But you need to keep the cabin clear, since you'll have a ring on your finger."

  "I absolutely agree." Jayne kissed him to seal the deal.

  Reluctantly, Sam broke the kiss and glanced toward the ocean, where Ricky and Becca were bent over something embedded in the wet sand, and called for them to come back. As the kids made their way towards them, Sam said, "Rick, you and I will go this way," he pointed north, "and Becca, you and your mom go that way. We'll meet here in a half hour and see how many agates we have. Ten agates gets us ice cream cones. Fifteen gets us ice cream and a bag of salt water taffy, and twenty gets us ice cream, taffy and tickets to the undersea gardens in Newport."

  After an explosion of "Yeas," they split up.

  A few minutes later, while walking alongside Rick, whose eyes were scanning the wet sand where a wave had just receded, Sam said, "So, what do you think of Becca now?"

  "She's cool," Ricky replied.

  That was easy, Sam thought.

  "You two seem to have a lot in common," he added. "Becca wants to go into medical research, and you want to be a doctor."

  "Yeah, that's cool too," Ricky said.

  Sam felt a little uneasy. He hadn
't expected things to go so well. But then, maybe the time was right, so he forged on. "You and Becca are also each an only child."

  "Yeah, that sucks," Rick replied.

  "I can fix that," Sam said, jumping at the opening he hadn't expected.

  "For real!" Rick yelped. "I always wanted a brother."

  "Not a sister?" Sam said, testing.

  "No way," Rick replied. "Girls are always telling secrets and giggling and acting stupid."

  "But a sister would be different," Sam insisted.

  "How so?" Rick turned and looked at Sam.

  "Well..." Sam paused. This was the moment of truth. How was Becca different from every other ten-year-old girl Rick knew? How would she take the place of a brother, the brother Rick already had and believed was his cousin? Sam felt the usual disquiet that came when he thought about what Rick was being denied, the knowledge that Marc was his brother.

  "Becca's not so bad," Rick said, surprising the hell out of Sam. "She doesn't like girly things, and she knows all about what it's like to be sick since her mother's sick."

  "Then maybe she could replace a brother?" Sam asked, tentatively.

  "No," Rick replied, "but she'd be okay until I get a brother." He looked at Sam and waited.

  Sam said nothing. How did he break it to Rick that because of chemo, he couldn't father any more kids, especially since Rick had also had chemo prior to his cord-blood transplant, and it would be years before they'd know if he was fertile...

  "Are you going to marry Jayne?" Rick asked, pointedly.

  So now, all the chips were on the table. Not the way he'd planned. He'd only planned to pave the way for him and Jayne to make their announcement together. He nodded. "I've asked her to marry me and she said yes. So Becca would be your sister."

  "I still want a brother," Rick said. "You and Jayne could have a baby, and maybe he'd be a boy."