by Barbara Gee
James and Paw Paw were still happily playing, but they had switched to the board game Sorry. Kelly decided to get a head start on their packing, and then decided to also do a load of laundry so she wouldn’t have so much to catch up on after getting home. The rest of the morning went by quickly, and soon some incredible smells made their way from the kitchen to her bedroom, drawing Kelly out as her stomach rumbled in spite of the big breakfast she’d consumed.
She heard Will’s voice before she got to the kitchen, and she simply couldn’t stop a big goofy grin from splitting her face. Gosh, she had it bad.
He and Chad were standing side by side, leaning over resting their elbows on the countertop and trying to engage Sarah in conversation.
“Come on, Sarah,” Chad was saying. “I know you have a secret ingredient in the shredded chicken you put in those enchiladas. You gave me the recipe but I made it and it didn’t taste like yours. There’s something missing and I think you know exactly what it is.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sarah said as she sprinkled a thick layer of cheese on the enchiladas in question before returning them to the oven. She had let James pick their lunch menu, and enchiladas had been at the top of his list.
Kelly slipped up beside Will and hooked her arm through his.
“Hey,” she said softly.
His smile was dazzling and she was sure her heart actually stopped for a few long beats.
“Hey. How’s your day going?”
“Good. Maggie and I had a nice long walk. And talk. And I did some laundry and packing. How about you?”
“It’s been good. It’ll be even better when I’m eating some of this fine smelling food.”
Kelly put her lips close to Will’s ear. “Suck up,” she whispered. Then in a normal tone, “Sarah, can we set the table for you? It’s the least we can do, since I see you’re making little James’ favorite dish.”
Will grinned and mouthed “suck up” right back at her.
“Whatever,” Sarah said begrudgingly. “You know where everything is.”
Chad left them to it and went in search of his recently returned wife, sulking a little because Sarah wouldn’t give him the secret ingredient he was so sure existed.
Kelly and Will set the table together, carefully placing things to meet Sarah’s high expectations, and then Will grabbed Kelly’s hand and pulled her quickly down the hall to her bedroom. Once inside, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“Missed you,” he said on a sigh, his cheek resting on the top of her head. “What am I going to do when you’re gone?”
“I can’t think about that yet,” Kelly said against his chest.
“Okay. We’ll continue in a state of denial until you leave for the airport tomorrow morning.”
“We don’t have to leave until 9:00. Will you come say goodbye?”
“Mmm hmm. I’ve got some stuff going on at Triple Creek in the morning, but I can get away for a bit to come see you guys off.”
“You don’t have to,” Kelly said.
“I want to,” he assured her. “Now kiss me quick before Sarah calls us to lunch.”
Kelly stood on her tiptoes and linked her hands around his neck.
“You’re a lovely man in every way, Will,” she said, fighting tears. “I’m blessed to have met you.”
He kissed her, hard and quick. “You know what, baby? If you don’t come back here to me, I might have to come to you.” He gave her one more kiss, this one a little more lingering. “Just something for you to keep in mind.”
Chapter 18
After a delicious lunch, Kelly and James spent Senior’s nap time out in the stable. James rode Midnight round and round the corral while Chad and Will gave him pointers to refine his natural riding skills. Kelly hung over the fence and watched, soaking in the atmosphere and Will’s presence. When James was finished riding, he helped Chad brush down Midnight while Kelly walked outside with Will. He had to get back to Triple Creek, but he promised to be back in time for dinner.
He loaded Dodger into his truck and left her with a smile. As he drove off, Kelly acknowledged to herself that her feelings for him had grown much stronger in the past couple of days, and her earlier conclusion that it was merely a strong physical attraction no longer seemed quite so valid.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, too quickly as far as Kelly was concerned. Their time in Texas was winding down and both she and James were feeling it. Her little boy grew more morose as the day went on, and he asked several times if they could stay for just a little while longer.
Finally Kelly had the idea to let him call and talk to Pops and Gran. James became animated again as he told his grandparents about the things he had done at the ranch, and they told him they couldn’t wait to see him, as well as all of his photos and videos. The anticipation of being able to share everything about his trip with them seemed to cheer James up considerably. It was the only reason he was excited about going home, but it was better than nothing.
By the time they all sat down for dinner, Kelly could no longer hold off the dread she felt at the thought of leaving, and it took a lot of effort to hide her sadness. She was seated beside Will, and it was all she could do not to lean up against him and sob. Never in a million years would she have ever believed one week could wreak such havoc in her life.
After they finished dessert, Chad suggested that little James go out and play catch with Dodger one last time. The little boy eagerly ran outside, and then Kelly realized that Chad, Amy, Senior and Maggie were all looking at her with weird, hopeful expressions.
She frowned. “What’s going on?”
Senior cleared his throat. “Amy has something she wants to talk to you about, Kelly.”
Amy nodded. “This is going to sound really wild, Kelly, and it’s so crazy how it all happened. I would call it a coincidence, but honestly, I think it’s more than that.”
Kelly glanced at Will, but he looked as confused as she felt, so obviously he wasn’t in on the mystery.
Amy began to explain. “You know I went into town this morning to meet a friend for coffee. Her name is Yolanda Crowley, and we’ve been friends since high school. And now Yolanda is a teacher at the high school here, a science teacher, in fact. So we were having coffee and she started talking about getting a STEM curriculum going at the school. I knew what she was talking about, because you told me how you started a STEM program at your school in Virginia. Yolanda was saying that they’re going to start small and just have an introductory class this fall, and then see where it goes from there. I told her that my sister-in-law is here right now and that you know everything there is to know about STEM stuff. She got all excited and asked if you might be able to meet with her so she can pick your brain. I told her you’re leaving in the morning, and she was so disappointed. She said she wished so badly she’d known you were here sooner.”
Pausing to take a drink of water, Amy gave Kelly a bright smile and then continued. “Anyway, after I left the coffee shop, I stopped at a couple of stores, and then on my way home I got a call from the high school principal. Yolanda was with him, and she had already told him about you. To make a long story short, they would be very interested in hiring you as a consultant this summer. They’ve tried to get experienced STEM teachers from other counties around here to consult with them, but everyone seems to already have other commitments, or else they want nothing to do with school during their summer vacation. I told him I think you already have plans for the summer too, but I promised to at least ask.”
When Kelly just sat there, silent and shocked, Maggie jumped in.
“I know this comes as a surprise to you, Kelly, as it does to all of us. But you know we would dearly love to have you and James come back to the Wild Rose for the summer if you decide to pursue this opportunity.”
Senior added that they had plenty of room for Kelly’s parents as well if they would wish to join them for part of the summer.
Kelly was still speechless and Amy smiled sympathetically.
“Sorry to just drop this on you out of the blue, Kelly, but I got so excited when Principal Harris called. I mean, you would be here when the baby comes, and I would love that. Oh, and from what I understand, you could work three, four or five days a week, whatever you’re comfortable with. They would be glad for whatever they could get.”
Kelly reached for her water glass, stalling for time as she tried to absorb what Amy was saying. Was it really possible that she and James could come back and spend the summer at the Wild Rose? It was an incredibly tempting idea, but there would be so many details to work out, and she was at a loss as to how to respond.
Will came to her rescue as he stood and held out a hand to her. “Will you all excuse us for a few minutes?”
Kelly put her hand in his and let him lead her out through the living room and onto the front porch. He closed the door and gently tipped her chin up, his blue eyes searching hers.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked, his voice rough with emotion. “Is coming back for the summer even a remote possibility?”
Kelly put her hands on his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath the soft cotton of his shirt. “I don’t know, Will. I’ve already agreed to teach summer school back home. I’m not sure what it would take to get out of that. And I’m not sure what my mom and dad would think about us being gone for the whole summer.”
“I know it’s a lot to drop on you all at once, but will you at least think about it, Kelly? Pray about it?”
“I will, but what are you thinking? Do you think it’s what I’m supposed to do?”
“I can’t answer that for you.” He smiled ruefully. “I’d like to, but I can’t.”
Kelly pulled away and walked over to the porch railing. She looked out over the ranch to the softly lit stables, where Midnight would soon be settling down for the night. She could hear James’ laughter from the backyard, where he romped with the dog he had grown to love so much. Then she felt Will’s arms come around her from behind and she reveled in the warmth of his body as he pulled her back against him.
“I want you to come back,” he said, his mouth against her ear. “I want you to come back so bad it hurts.”
Kelly let her head fall back against his shoulder.
“I want that, too. If I feel it’s God’s plan for James and me, I’ll make it work, somehow. I promise.”
“That’s all I can ask. We’ll all be praying along with you, Kelly. I know it’s a big decision.”
Kelly turned to face him. “Helping to start a brand new STEM program would be so fulfilling. It’s something I believe in so strongly. It would be so much better than teaching summer school. And James would be beside himself. He loves it here so much.”
She smiled up at Will, her eyes sparkling. “I actually don’t mind it too much myself. There are really, really cute cowboys out here in Texas.”
“I’m hoping you’re only gonna look at one cowboy.”
Kelly gave him a quick hug. “We’d better get back inside. Everyone’s going to wonder what happened to us.”
When they rejoined the Mathersons at the table, Kelly promised them she would give the matter lots of thought and prayer.
“If I feel it’s the right thing to do, I’ll contact Principal Harris and see how he wants to proceed.”
Four wide smiles looked back at her.
“We’ll all be praying, Kelly, I can assure you of that,” Maggie said.
“Thank you,” Kelly said sincerely. “And thank you, Amy, for recommending me. I know if I decide to go for it I’ll still have to interview, but I live and breathe STEM, and I’m sure I can help your school.”
“Principal Harris said he’s fine with a Skype interview, as well as talking by phone to your school principal, so you don’t need to worry about having to make a quick trip back out here just for that.”
James came running back into the room at that point, and asked if he could have seconds of Sarah’s blueberry cobbler. Kelly dished him up a generous portion. She knew she couldn’t tell him that they might be back in Texas a lot sooner than expected, because he’d be too disappointed if it didn’t work out. But hopefully she would be able to tell him soon.
As soon as she got back to Virginia she would sit down and talk to her parents. Their reaction would play a big part in what she decided to do.
Kelly allowed James to stay up two hours later than usual, which she realized might not have been such a good idea when she finally told him it was time for bed and her poor overtired little boy realized his last day in Texas had ended. He didn’t just cry, he positively sobbed as he hugged his grandparents, aunt, uncle and Will goodnight.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as Kelly carried him down the hall to their bedroom. Kelly had to seriously wonder whether God would have allowed her and her son to fall so quickly in love with Texas and the people at the Wild Rose if they weren’t meant to come back.
James had calmed down by the time he took a shower and went to bed, but he was still sad. He didn’t want a story, he just wanted Kelly to lay beside him until he went to sleep.
When he was finally in a deep sleep which Kelly knew would last, she got up and joined the others in the living room. Amy and Maggie had started on a jigsaw puzzle, and Kelly joined them for a while. The men sat and talked horses and ranching, as usual. After a while, James Senior said he should probably turn in, and he and Maggie said their goodnights and headed upstairs.
Amy suggested making a pot of coffee and then finishing off the last of the cobbler, and the other three readily took her up on that idea. They sat at the small table in the kitchen, talking and laughing easily as they enjoyed dessert all over again.
After yawning several times, Amy declared she was ready to go home to bed. Chad teased her about having to sleep for two, but didn’t waste any time putting his boots on. He wrapped an arm around his cute pregnant wife as they said goodnight and headed outside.
Will closed the door behind them, and smiled at Kelly.
“And then there were two,” he said.
“Mmm hmm.” Kelly walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist, loving the feel of his arms wrapping her tight in response. She laid her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“I should probably go to bed, too,” she said reluctantly. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I don’t want to be tired and cranky.”
“I won’t keep you long. Just let me hold you for a few more minutes.”
Kelly sighed. “I can’t believe the week is already over. It seemed to fly by, and yet it’s been totally life changing. I don’t know how so much happened in such a short amount of time.” Leaning her head back, she smiled up at him. “Remember how nervous I was about having “the big talk” with Senior and Maggie?” She shook her head. “Wow, that seems like ages ago.”
“Of course I remember. That’s when I realized you were more than just a pretty face.”
Kelly laughed. “I was so desperate to talk about it to someone I practically tied you up and forced you to listen. You should have run the other way as fast as you could. I was almost psycho.”
“Not true. You were hurting, and dreading what you knew was going to be an emotionally draining encounter. I was happy to listen. Plus it gave me an excuse to stare at you.”
Kelly punched him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re nuts. At any rate, I got through the dreaded talk, and it was almost instant healing from years of pain and anger, for all three of us. And then you texted me to see if I was okay.”
Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. “That was really sweet, Will. And that’s when I started to realize how special you are. Which you have continued to prove every day since then, by the way. And all the while, my little boy was falling madly in love with this beautiful ranch and all the beautiful people here, and now, one short week later, all we want to do is get back here as soon as possible. I can’t even tell you how unb
elievable that is, considering how much I was dreading this trip. I mean, I almost had my dad bring James, just so I wouldn’t have to come and face James Senior and Maggie.”
Will cradled the back of her head in a big hand, his blue eyes warm. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Me, too.”
Will lowered his head and gently brushed her mouth with his. Kelly closed her eyes and shut out everything except the exquisite sensation of being held and kissed by Will Connor. His lips were smooth and firm and oh so talented. He smelled divine and his body was big and strong and warm against hers. He made her feel precious and cared for, and Kelly knew she would long for this closeness many, many times over the next few months. She realized she was already clinging to the hope of returning for the summer.
The gentle kiss inevitably deepened. Will slid his hands under her shirt to the smooth skin of her waist, his warm touch igniting the deep desire Kelly hadn’t known she was capable of feeling until him, and wow, could the man kiss. He tilted his head for a better angle and Kelly arched against him, tunneling her fingers into his hair.
When they finally pulled apart their breathing was ragged, both wanting more but knowing they had to stop.
Will sighed heavily, resting his forehead against hers for a moment before stepping away. “I have to go, baby. My good intentions are in danger of going bad. You have no idea how you make me feel.”
Kelly bit her lower lip, her eyes a stormy green. “I think maybe I do,” she countered, her voice soft and husky, her gaze reflecting his desire back at him.
Will closed his eyes for a moment, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he fought for control. He finally raised his head and looked at her, his gaze intense.
“Come back,” he said simply.
She nodded. “I’ll try.”
The goodbyes the next day weren’t quite as bad as Kelly had expected. In her case, it was because she had hope that she and James would be back in a few months. As for James, he had cried all his tears last night, and had finally accepted that the time had come and nothing he could do would change it.