by Rachel Lee
Gage laughed. “This is a different kind of disturbance. All your neighbors are here.”
And then some, Wyatt thought, looking around. It was beginning to look like a super-size block party. Kids were running around having a good time, their elders were knotted together in chatting groups and some folks had gotten folding tables from his garage and set them up as a buffet.
He held gatherings like this from time to time, but he’d never before had one create itself. Thank goodness he had a large house and yard. And out front, Gage and Jake had left the street blocked off, making it safe for everyone to cross and kids to run heedlessly back and forth.
“Don’t you mind them biddies,” the old man with the cane said as he passed by with a plate full of sweets. “They don’t influence anyone but themselves.”
With a nod, he moved on.
“That was Harry Jenks, wasn’t it?” Wyatt asked. While he knew almost everyone by sight after all these years, there were an awful lot of them, and apart from his friends he was mostly inclined to remember people who came before his bench.
“Believe so,” Gage answered. “He was in town for some reason when he decided to join the party. You know his son, though. Keith Jenks, the rancher.”
“Indeed I do. But I don’t see Harry often.”
“Doesn’t come into town much anymore. I think he’s glad he was here today.”
Wyatt laughed. “I get that impression.”
Gage faced him. “I know you have an election coming. I hope you’re not worrying about it. It’s in the bag, Wyatt. Folks think you’re a good judge.”
“Thanks, Gage, but I haven’t been worrying about it, which seems to be driving my dad crazy.”
Gage snorted. “Earl’s good at that when it comes to you, I’ve noticed. Good thing he moved out of the house. You’d never have been able to breathe.”
It was true, Wyatt thought. Earl had become a lot more enjoyable when they weren’t sharing a roof, and while he still poked his nose into Wyatt’s affairs, it wasn’t nearly as bad as a few years ago.
Just as he was beginning to wonder if Amber had decided to sit this one out, she appeared on the back porch dressed in fresh jeans and a blue sweater. Before she could come to him, she got swallowed by a group of women he knew well: Hope Cashford, with a child on her hip, Julie Archer, swelling with her first pregnancy, and Ashley Granger, the fourth-grade schoolteacher. The only ones missing from their little coterie were Connie Parish and Marisa Tremaine. A group of inseparable friends, they drew Amber in among them.
“Gage?”
“Yo?”
“Where’s Connie? Is she on duty?”
“She got off forty minutes ago. Should be here soon. Why?”
Wyatt shrugged. “She and Ethan were on my guest list for tonight. Just a small gathering. She accepted, so I expected to see them.”
“Small gathering?” Gage repeated. “That got all blown to hell.” Then he gave his crooked half smile. “Now I gotta find out where my wife went.” He limped away to look for Emma.
Wyatt circulated, pausing to chat briefly with everyone but working his way slowly around to Amber. At least she appeared to be enjoying herself. But that was a good group of ladies, and he’d hoped she might find some friendship with them. For however long she was here, she needed people besides him. That was just natural.
The cause of the party was nearly forgotten as everyone turned their attention to having a good time. Wyatt figured that was probably a good thing. Those women might have been a nuisance, but he didn’t want anything stirred up against them. Sure, nobody much cared for that group, but most people were willing to live and let live.
He almost froze when he saw Ellie. What the devil? Why in the world would she have come here? He started to change directions, but she called out his name loudly enough that it carried over the conversations around him.
In an instant the cacophony quieted a bit, and he suspected people were waiting to see what happened. Slowly he turned.
“Ellie,” he said quietly. Conversations in the immediate vicinity died even more. This was the downside of small-town life. There probably wasn’t a person here who didn’t remember him dating this woman.
He hoped she didn’t make a scene, because he’d had quite enough. Her lies, those women out front, Amber being troubled by both Loftis’s women and Ellie...yeah, he’d had enough. If she said the wrong thing, there were going to be words. Words he didn’t want to say, because they were nobody else’s business.
Just then, he felt an arm slip through his. Looking to the side, he realized that Amber had joined him and was smiling. “Hi, Ellie,” she said. “It was nice of you to drop by the other day.”
Oh, boy, Wyatt thought. Here we go. He saw the spark in Amber’s gaze and understood that she was ready to go to battle on his behalf. Funny, he’d always seen himself in the role of protector, and now here she was assuming the mantle.
Reaching across his body, he laid his hand over Amber’s, where it rested on his arm.
“Yeah, thanks for welcoming Amber to town, Ellie,” he said. “I don’t know if I ever told you, but we’ve been friends since law school. I’ve been looking forward to sharing my town with her.”
Whatever Ellie had intended, he’d apparently defused it, because while her eyes narrowed, she said only, “Nice to meet you, Amber,” then quickly moved away.
“Good job, buddy,” said a familiar voice, and he turned his head to see Connie Parish. Quickly he introduced her to Amber, only to learn that Connie’s other friends had already done so. “So, Wyatt, the gals and I want to take Amber out tomorrow afternoon, show her around a bit. After she feels better, of course. That okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” he asked, smiling. “I barely started introducing her to Conard City. I’m sure you gals can do a whole lot better.”
“And enjoy some time away from family demands,” Connie added wryly. She winked at Amber. “Pick you up around one?”
Amber smiled back. “That would be great.”
As they resumed strolling through the crowd, stopping to pick up some finger foods, Amber said, “I feel like I’m surrounded by a squad of protection.”
“You are,” he answered. “You definitely are.” And if he had anything to say about it, she was going to stay that way.
“This is a great party, Wyatt.”
“Not exactly what I’d planned,” he admitted.
“So I heard. But any place that can rustle up a potluck and party this fast...well, I’m impressed.”
He caught her smile and saw that for the first time since she’d arrived, it didn’t hold even a hint of shadows. For just this little while, Amber was free of everything and happy.
He just wanted her to stay that way.
Chapter Eleven
They made gentle love that night, very gentle, but Amber was tired and didn’t take it amiss when Wyatt encouraged her to sleep.
It had been quite a day, she thought. She’d seen a lot of the city, she’d watched Wyatt defuse what could have turned into an ugly situation and there’d been a big party and even an encounter with Ellie.
As she drifted off to sleep, she appreciated just how interesting this town could be. And how full of surprises.
In the morning she was nauseated again, but it didn’t seem quite so bad. She didn’t have to go racing to the bathroom; just took her time eating crackers and sipping water until she felt she could rise.
Wyatt remained with her in case she needed anything, but when she felt over the worst, he headed downstairs to make breakfast and leave her to dress.
She thought over the day before again and actually smiled while she washed and donned fresh clothes. She wondered how much of a mess might be left downstairs. Everyone at the party had helped with cleanup, but sh
e was sure at least some of the mess had been overlooked.
It had been fun. Much better than the formal parties she was used to attending, and she’d met loads of nice people who talked about things besides the law and business. This town was definitely growing on her, even the warts like Ellie and those women who had picketed Wyatt.
She almost giggled remembering it. Picketing him? Seriously? It seemed so extreme and so pointless. Truly over-the-top. And while she had at first been concerned for Wyatt, it had been no big deal for a lot of other people who had stayed to party. Just one of the quirks of this place.
Keeping in mind that she was going out with her new girlfriends that afternoon, she put on a good sweater and slacks. Truth to tell, she’d have loved to just stay here with Wyatt, but it would have been rude to turn down the invitation from the gals, as they called themselves. Besides, she shouldn’t become too reliant on Wyatt. At some point she was going to need to go her own way.
Then she plopped on the bed as she remembered his proposal. He hadn’t withdrawn it. But sitting there, she felt the urge to accept it growing stronger. That didn’t seem fair to him. Didn’t he deserve something better that a woman who was taking advantage of his protection? A woman whose career goals...
Oh, heck, what career goals? The last month or so had given her plenty of reason to reconsider her entire future. She didn’t want to go back to working for a big firm. Not anymore. So what did she want?
Maybe she owed it to herself and Wyatt to figure it out. Only when she was clear about that could she fairly decide such a momentous question for both of them. Or even just for herself.
She’d felt run over, smashed, by all that had happened. Then she’d turned her attention to just getting the hell out and away. Now she’d been here for a week, settling in, discovering that making love to Wyatt was even better than she had dreamed, but she still hadn’t faced up to what lay ahead. She could either let life happen to her again, or she could make it happen.
Well, partly anyway. She knew that chance affected everyone in life, like the extremely remote chance that she would get pregnant while using birth control. But when you could take charge, you should. Not doing anything was a decision all by itself.
Wyatt had made some scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast, and there was a stack of the inevitable dry toast if that was all she wanted. Given that her queasiness didn’t seem quite as bad, she took a tablespoon of the eggs and tried them cautiously, aware that Wyatt watched her.
After she swallowed he asked, “Okay?”
“I think so.”
He grinned. “Then dig in. I made plenty.”
“So do we have much to clean up after last night?”
“Not a thing. My friends were especially nice, but the trash collectors are going to wonder at all the bags in the alley. Well, actually they won’t, because they’ll have heard if they weren’t here.” His dark eyes seemed to twinkle.
“People are going to hear a lot about yesterday, I bet.” She glanced at him. “What in the world do you think Ellie intended to do?”
“I haven’t any idea. Maybe nothing. Or maybe she decided that wouldn’t be the best place to make a scene. It’s even possible she’s giving up her vendetta. It’s probably hard to get anyone to listen after all this time.”
She smiled, remembering. “You sure handled that smoothly. Your old friend from law school. Hard to come back with a stinger on that one.” She looked at him again. “You handled all of yesterday wonderfully.”
“I kind of had to, given that I’m a judge. It wouldn’t have looked good if I’d erupted at those women and chased them down the street.”
She bit her lip, holding in a smile. “Did you want to?”
“Hell, yes. Judicial temperament goes just so far. Underneath that robe is a mortal man, and I was angry. I don’t care what they think of me, but I don’t want them bothering you. Not at all.”
She let the smile slip past her guard. “It was so over-the-top, Wyatt. Honestly, they didn’t worry me. I was thinking about you but finding it so ludicrous. Who pickets for those reasons?”
“The Loftis gang. Gage got some of it two years ago when he was up for reelection.”
“What in the world for?”
Wyatt shrugged. “They resurrected his old nickname. I told you. Hell’s Own Archangel. That went away nearly a quarter century ago, but for some reason... I don’t know what motivates them, Amber. Sometimes I think Loftis just stirs these things up to keep the group cohesive.”
“Your dad advised me not to go to the pharmacy. He said he’d go for me if I needed anything.”
Wyatt nodded slowly. “Or I will. Sometimes I’d like to put a gag on that man.”
“Now that definitely wasn’t judicial.” She let laughter escape her and soon he joined her.
“The man behind the robe,” he said in a deep voice, like an announcer. “His secrets, his failings, his...”
“Wonderfulness,” she interrupted. “Of course you’re human. I’ve seen some judges get pretty human on the bench. My favorite, though, was the one who snored his way through my closing argument.”
“No!” He broke out laughing.
“Kid you not. I just kept going because I was talking to the jury anyway, and the bailiff looked almost frantic. He couldn’t decide whether to wake the man or let him sleep. He probably figured he’d be in trouble either way.”
“I hope not. Did you ever get an apology from the judge?”
“No, but he didn’t need to apologize to me. I think the jury deserved that. Well, it was a boring case. The jury probably wished they could nap, too.”
“Did it last long?”
“Weeks.”
He nodded. “Even my longest-running cases rarely last more than a day or two. It’s one of the reasons I like being a circuit judge. Always something fresh, even if I’ve seen it a hundred times before.”
“Now that’s a contradictory statement,” she teased.
“But true. Different people make each case different, even if the applicable laws are the same.”
“Unending soap opera?”
“Sometimes. Almost. I hope I never get so bored or burned out that I don’t see the individuals, just the cases.”
Then he paused and looked straight at her. “What about you? Are you settling? Feeling any better emotionally?”
After two nights in his arms, of course she felt better. But that wasn’t what he was looking for, so she poked around inside herself, testing for the sore places.
“I’m not numb or furious anymore,” she said slowly. “I’m not even sure I’m embarrassed that I was such a fool.”
“Hard to be embarrassed by being conned when you look at what people were doing out in front of my house yesterday.” He winked.
She laughed a little. “Point taken. I’m glad I came here. I spent a month stewing in my own juices, running around inside my own head and feelings. No room for anything else, and no room to start letting go. But since I came here... Thank you, Wyatt. It’s all starting to feel different. I screwed up, but it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes now I can even think about the baby and actually look forward to it. That’s a big change in a week.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Take as long as you need.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “The most important thing to me is that you find yourself again and decide what you want from life.”
“Marriage?” she said lightly. At least she meant it to be light. Instead the one word seemed to suck all the air from the room.
His gaze grew intense, his hold on her hand tightened. “Are you proposing now?”
She pressed her lips together, suddenly in the midst of a whirlwind of uncertainty. Was that what she really wanted? He couldn’t possibly be in love with her. He’d never even hinted
at such a thing.
But as he’d said, there were other good reasons to marry, and love was no guarantee of success.
He didn’t seem to expect an immediate answer, though. He released her hand and leaned back in his chair holding his mug of coffee. “I’m not pressing you. Take your time. But I’m also not withdrawing the offer.”
How weird, she thought. Not bad weird, but still weird. He’d offered her marriage to take care of her and the baby, come what may, but the part that stuck in her mind was that he wanted a family. And from that she had understood that despite knowing hundreds of people around here, despite having an important and satisfying job, he felt lonely. What was missing? The intimacy of a live-in companion? A child?
She hesitated. “Your mother died when you were very young.”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head a little. “Are you going to psychoanalyze me? I’m sure it affected me, but it’s not driving me. I made peace with it a long time ago.”
He did seem awfully well balanced. Shaking her head a little, she sighed. She’d been too sheltered, she guessed. When life had decided to pull her shelters, it had done so in a big way all at once.
Now she was going to be a mother. Day by day, as she finally allowed herself to get used to the idea, that seemed to be the most important thing in her future. A mother.
What would have happened to Wyatt if he hadn’t had a father to look after him? Gazing at him, she almost felt her heart stop. He was such a contained man. He had once referred to himself as staid, but she didn’t see him that way at all. As he had said, he was human like everyone else, and she’d tasted some of his wildness when they made love the first time. She had also, over the years, seen flashes of anger in him, usually about an injustice. He felt, and felt deeply, but he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve.
So what had happened to make him so controlled? Certainly not simply the practice of law. No, he’d probably developed that a long time ago...maybe after his mother had died. He’d had to soldier on somehow.