A New Life

by Mildred Colvin

  He looked up from his musing when Gran called out for him to speed up. Kim was headed toward them like an angry bear trying to protect her cub. He was already in trouble, might as well let her see how well Jamie could ride his first time alone in the saddle before she made them stop. He broke into a jog.

  As Travis expected, Kim started yelling. He slowed his pace until he and Sweet Thing stood still. Jamie tried to push forward with his body. “I want to go, Travis. I like riding.”

  Travis stepped beside Jamie and waited. “I know, son, but the opposition’s bearing down on us.”

  “Huh?”

  Travis kept his gaze locked on Kim as she stepped through the gate. At least she’d slowed to a walk. “Your mom is heading this way. I don’t think she likes for you to ride.”

  “Not without my permission, I don’t.” Kim stood toe to toe with Travis. “You got something right, anyway. What do you mean putting my son on a horse and not telling me? Were you going to tell me when he fell off and broke something?”

  “He won’t fall.” Travis figured he’d better not grin, but it was hard to keep from it. He’d never seen a woman as cute as Kim when she was angry. “Your son is a natural on horseback.”

  She snorted.

  He grinned.

  “Oh!” She stomped her foot and crossed her arms. “I want him off that horse now.”

  “The only way we can do that is if you get on and ride in his place.” Travis tried to look serious, but figured the laughter inside showed in his eyes considering the way she glared at him.

  “I’ve never ridden a horse in my life, Travis, and you know it.”

  “About time you did then, isn’t it?”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  Travis looked over her head to the men and Gran who were trying to hear every word. A car pulled in and stopped by the barn. He chuckled as he watched Beth crawl out. What was she doing driving so close to her delivery date? He shook his head and yelled as she got closer. “Hey, Beth, what’re you doin’ out running around?”

  “I came to see the rug Kimberly’s working on.”

  “She’s gotta ride first. Orders from her boss.” He chuckled. “Get over here and help me get Kim on this horse.”

  Beth laughed. “Is that Sweet Thing?”

  “Who? Kim or the horse?” Travis grinned as the anger faded from Kim’s expression. She turned toward Beth where she now stood beside Gran.

  “We know Kimberly is sweet.” Beth smiled at Kim. “I’m talking about your four-footed friend. Hey, Jamie, did I miss your ride?”

  “Uh-huh.” Jamie’s smile had shrunk by half, but he still clung to the horn. “I like riding. Sweet Thing’s a nice horsey.”

  “How about you give your mom a turn?” Travis watched the expressions chase across Jamie’s face.

  After a moment, the little guy pointed to the pasture where some horses grazed. “There’s one she can ride.”

  Travis chuckled. “Maybe later, okay. Sweet Thing’s got a saddle already. How about it? Can you let her have a turn?”

  Reluctance and indecision finally gave way to acceptance. Jamie nodded and reached for Travis. “Okay.”

  To Travis’s surprise, Kim stepped back so he could pull Jamie from the horse. He grinned at her when he set Jamie down, and she pulled her son close to her. “It’s your turn, Kim. You need to learn to ride.”

  “It’s fun, Momma.” Jamie twisted to look up at her, his big brown eyes pleading. “You gotta learn, too.”

  “Come on, Kimberly.” Beth called from the side. “I’ll go riding with you. Well, not today of course but in a couple of months. That’ll give you plenty of time to learn.”

  Gran’s eyes sparkled.

  Jason called out, “Hey, Kimberly, if the boss lets me, I’ll ride with you before then. I’ll even teach you if you don’t want Travis for a teacher.”

  Travis sent a glare Jason’s way that seemed to have little effect. If Jason wasn’t so good at his job, he might be looking for work tomorrow. But what good would that do? If Kim liked him, there was nothing Travis could say or do to keep her from him. Just like before, she’d pick the guy she wanted. He fought off jealousy and concentrated on getting Kim on Sweet Thing.

  ~*~

  Kimberly had self-righteous indignation on her side when she’d found Travis giving Jamie a ride without her permission. Then he turned the tables on her, and she didn’t know what to think. If she tried riding a horse, even one named Sweet Thing, she’d be the one falling to the ground. She sent a smile toward Beth and Jason, but what could she say? Sure, I’ll go riding with you, Beth. And yes, I’d rather you taught me, Jason, because you won’t make my heart pound harder than the horse’s feet.

  Instead she said, “I can’t, I’ve got work to do.”

  “Do you see anyone else working, Kim?” Travis stepped closer to her. “Forget the house. Don’t worry about what we’ll eat. I won’t dock your pay. In fact, learning to ride is part of your job.”

  “What?” She frowned at the laughter in his dark eyes. “That’s ridiculous, Travis. You hired me to cook, clean house, and be a companion to your grandmother. That’s all. If I’m not doing my work right, just tell me.”

  “Not doing your work right? Ha, ha, very funny, Kim.” Travis didn’t look overly amused when he glanced toward the gathering at the fence. Jamie had run to Gran and was telling his experience to a rapt audience. “The men are now looking for a woman just like you. If you aren’t careful, that fake proposal you got the first night here, when Elliott asked you to marry him because of your cooking, may turn into a real one.”

  “Elliott?” Kimberly laughed. “I doubt that.”

  “No, probably not Elliott.” Travis patted Sweet Thing’s neck. “I’m serious about riding being part of your job, Kim. We sometimes work where a truck can’t go. If you could bring out lunch, it would save us having to tote cold sandwiches with us.”

  She looked at the horse. The poor thing hadn’t moved since Jamie left her. She didn’t look overly dangerous, but she did look big and scary. Okay, not huge like Travis’s horse, but not like a rocking horse either. She pressed against the flutter in her middle.

  “She’s gentle as a lamb. I wouldn’t put Jamie on a mean horse, Kim.”

  Travis crowded her space. For one illogical, crazy moment, she resisted the urge to lean against him, although she shouldn’t even want to. After all, she was mad at him, wasn’t she? Jamie’s tug on her arm kept her from giving their small crowd of spectators something else to watch. She hadn’t noticed him running back.

  “Momma, ride Sweet Thing. It’s fun.” His eyes pleaded with her.

  “Please, Kim. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll stay right here all the time.”

  Travis’s eyes, so like Jamie’s, looked down at her with the same expression as their son’s. How could she fight them both?

  With a dramatic sigh, she threw her hands out to the sides. “Oh, all right. But I hold you personally responsible if I fall off, Travis.”

  He stepped behind her and circled her waist with his hands. Leaning close to her ears, he spoke for her alone. “If you get a booboo, I promise to kiss it all better.”

  Her gasp was swallowed in a shriek, as he lifted her. “Swing your leg over the saddle, Kim.”

  She did. She also grabbed the saddle horn before his hands left, and she squeaked out his name. “Travis.”

  “You’re fine.” He chuckled as he stepped back. “Just hang on for now. We’ll let you get used to sitting on the saddle first. Later you can mount on your own and you’ll hold the reins instead of the horn.”

  Kimberly was barely aware of the cheer that came from the fence when she landed on the horse. “Doesn’t anyone besides me have work to do? Don’t your cows need attention?”

  Travis grinned. “Don’t worry about the men watching. They had to learn once, too. Besides, they’re rooting for you. They’ve somehow gotten the notion you can do no wrong. If you fall off, it’ll be my fault
—or Sweet Thing’s. But you aren’t going to fall, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  Kimberly’s grip tightened on the saddle horn. She wouldn’t fall off. She wouldn’t give Travis the satisfaction of seeing her flat on her face. Not that he’d want her hurt, but something in his tone said he wasn’t entirely happy with her. He knew she could do wrong. That once she’d been too weak to stand against her grandfather for the man she loved.

  Travis started the horse walking, and Kimberly shoved the past from her mind. She held on with everything she had, hands and legs, and nothing happened. She didn’t wobble to the sides, and she didn’t fall off, but she did enjoy the ride. Gradually she began to relax and feel the movement of the horse. She glanced toward the gate. Jamie jumped up and down clapping his hands. She waved at him but realized that left only one hand holding the saddle horn.

  Jason whistled and raised his hat high in a sign of victory. He yelled to her. “I’m claiming the first ride with you outside the corral. How about it?”

  Kimberly laughed and called back to him. “Ask me again when I’m on solid ground.”

  Travis made a disgusted sound. He led her in a complete circle around the corral and stopped by the gate. “Ride’s over. We’ll set up another time when there’s no audience.”

  He reached for her waist, but she stopped him. “I want to at least learn how to get down, Travis. That’s important, isn’t it?”

  He almost smiled. “Most people learn to mount first, but yeah, dismounting comes in handy, too.”

  He stepped back and let her swing down, catching her as soon as her foot touched ground. “There you go. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  She grinned at him. “If I told the truth, you’d say, ‘I told you so.’”

  His smile turned into a cocky grin.

  ~*~

  A few days later, Kimberly took Sweet Thing around the corral while Travis and Gran watched from the side. She held the reins in one hand and waved at Jamie, sitting on the top rail of the fence between them. No crowd gathered at the gate today. She smiled. After that first time, Travis kept the men busy away from the barn during their lessons. She was glad. She brought the horse to a stop in front of the others.

  She swung to the ground without assistance, and sent a triumphant grin to Travis.

  Gran moved closer to Kimberly. “Won’t be long until you’re out riding all over the countryside with Jason or Beth.”

  Travis fell into step with them as they walked toward the barn. “Beth won’t be riding for a good while, and Kim isn’t ready to take off alone yet.”

  “Alone?” Gran chortled. “Jason might resent that.”

  Travis picked up his speed and spoke over his shoulder. “Kim, it’s your turn to brush down Sweet Thing.”

  Kimberly exchanged a smile with Gran behind his back. “I’ll be up to work on the rug in a few minutes. Jamie, can you keep Gran company?”

  Jamie slipped his hand in Gran’s. “I like being company ’cause I like Gran.” He hugged Gran’s arm and looked up at her with a smile. “I love you, Gran.”

  “Oh, sweet boy, I love you more than you know.” Tears sparkled on Gran’s lashes as she met Kimberly’s gaze. “I’m keeping my mouth shut, but it’s hard sometimes.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kimberly forced the words past a lump in her throat. “I’ve got to go. I’ll be upstairs in a little bit.”

  She ran while she had a chance, before she started crying. Travis already had Sweet Thing in the stall. He turned from hooking the saddle over the wall as she joined him. He watched her pick up a brush. “What’s wrong?”

  His question stopped her. She met his gaze. “Nothing.”

  “Don’t give me that, Kim. Something’s bothering you. What is it?” He continued watching her, waiting.

  She sighed. “It’s Gran and Jamie. They’re getting awfully close. I’m afraid they’ll be hurt at the end of summer when we leave.”

  Travis turned away, but not before Kimberly saw the pain in his eyes. For what? For Gran or for himself? No, he didn’t care if she left. Why would he? She’d hurt him a long time ago. He’d never forgive her for her weakness back then. She didn’t expect him to. All she wanted was for him to accept and love Jamie as his son. Gran was right. She had to tell him soon. The longer she waited, the harder it became to find the right words.

  Travis began brushing Sweet Thing. “Gran will be hurt. I’ve known that all along, but what should I do? Tell her she can’t associate with a little boy who’s becoming her pretend great-grandson?”

  Kimberly matched Travis’s strokes with the horse separating them. His words hurt her, but she couldn’t say anything. He didn’t know Jamie was Gran’s just as much as Steven had been. And she couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not when he’d probably order her off his ranch if she did.

  Lord, when will the time be right? When will I feel the release to tell Travis the truth? If only I could get this over and done with. What’s holding me back? Is it Your leading, Your halt to my words that is keeping me from speaking? I want to tell him. Really I do. Please, let me know when the best time comes.

  They brushed Sweet Thing in silence for several minutes. Then Travis spoke. “I don’t want you riding with Jason.”

  “What did you say?” Surely he didn’t mean what it sounded like.

  He straightened and looked over Sweet Thing at her. “You heard me.”

  She nodded. “I thought I did, but I can’t believe you’re going to tell me who I can associate with. You don’t own me, Travis.”

  Never would another man tell her who she could be friends with. She wouldn’t put up with it. She wasn’t married to Colin now. She wasn’t afraid of Grandfather anymore, and she wouldn’t live in fear of any other man, either.

  Travis looked down at his hands clasped around the brush as he rested his arms against the horse. After a moment, he looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Kim. That came out wrong. I’m not ordering you. I’m only stating what I want. Or in this case, don’t want.”

  A sheepish grin tugged at his mouth. “I kinda figure you’ll do whatever, anyway. I thought you might be interested in what I would prefer.”

  Kimberly’s heart thudded until she thought it might burst. What did Travis mean by that? Did she even want to know? The thought frightened her more than she’d expected. “Then maybe you should give me a request and a reasonable explanation when you want something.”

  His grin widened and he shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” The look in his eyes said she was playing with fire to ask such a question.

  His answer proved her right.

  “What would you say if I told you I’m jealous?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Travis’s words echoed in Kimberly’s mind as she climbed the stairs to the loft room. His voice stayed with her through Jamie’s chatter about some toys he found in the corner. “Look, Momma.” He held his hand out. Three miniature vehicles nestled in his fist. “There’s lots of these.”

  Travis’s old toys, no doubt. Jamie ran back to play, but Travis stayed in Kimberly’s mind. She settled at the loom to work on her rug, intending to ignore him, while Gran started rummaging in the corner.

  “Maybe I can put this to work.” Kimberly turned at Gran’s voice.

  Gran uncovered what Kimberly had first thought was a desk. Now she wasn’t sure what it was. The machine reminded Kimberly of an electronic piano, only it was obviously not a musical instrument. At least a hundred horizontal hooks stuck out all along the front on the same level, pointing toward the front. A handle sat at one end on top of the hooks. The back was raised with dials and a bookrest.

  She gave up. “What is that thing?”

  Gran looked up with a grin. “You’ve never seen a knitting machine before?”

  “I’ve seen knitting needles, but they don’t look like that.” Kimberly pointed at Gran’s machine. “My grandmother used to knit sweaters.”

  Jamie left Travis’s cars
lined up on the floor and moved closer. “Can you make me a sweater, Gran?”

  “I sure can, sweetie.” Gran tapped her chin. “And I will. Let’s look through my patterns.”

  While she and Jamie sat on a sofa to one side with a stack of pattern books, Kimberly turned back to the loom and worked to the tune of their soft murmurings. After a while Jamie returned to his toys, and Gran set the patterns aside.

  “I know you married after high school, Kimberly. Still, you must have some good memories of the years before that—with your grandparents.”

  Kimberly suppressed a sigh. This was a sore subject for her, but Gran of course couldn’t know that. Her last encounter with Grandfather had pretty well soured any good memories for her. “Yes, my grandmother was a sweet, gentle woman. Everyone loved her.”

  Gran leaned forward. “So, is your grandfather the only relative you have now?”

  “My mother had an older sister, but I’ve lost track of her. Their parents died before I was born. I think I have a cousin on that side of the family, but Grandfather didn’t know and I never found out. My dad was an only child.” Kimberly glanced toward Jamie. He ran a toy truck across the floor and made an engine sound with his mouth. He obviously wasn’t listening. Not that it mattered since he already knew everything. “I had a little sister about his age, but she died with my parents.”

  “I’m sorry. That must’ve been a hard time for all of you.” Gran searched Kimberly’s face.

  “It was a long time ago.” Kimberly took a deep breath. “So, did you find a pattern?”

  Gran stood and took her pattern books to a rack near the knitting machine. “No, Jamie and I didn’t find exactly what we want, but I’ve got more books at my house in town. What do you all say we take a trip into town?”

  Jamie shoved the toys he’d been playing with into the corner and jumped up. “Can I look at your horses, Gran?”

  He’d been listening better than Kimberly had thought. She smiled at his enthusiasm and Gran’s quick acceptance.

  “You sure can. If you’re really good, maybe you can pick another for your very own.” Gran held out her hand and Jamie ran to her side for a hug.