Tess felt sick. What would Slaid think if he knew Tess had so much in common with the women who’d let Devin down? That she’d walked away from her own son and never looked back? Suddenly her throat felt dry and thick and she reached for her water. “Can I ask why she left?”
Slaid stared into his coffee cup. “She never told me, but I think I know. We’d tried to get pregnant for a while. We finally went to the doctor and found out Jeannette couldn’t have children. I think she kind of gave up on having a family after that. Once Devin came into our lives, I thought things would get better for us, but she never really bonded with him. It was hard, adopting a kid with a lot of issues. It takes its toll, I guess.”
“That must be hard...for you and for Devin.”
“Harder for him, I think.” Slaid looked out the window for a moment and then back again. “I don’t talk about this much,” he said. “Never, really. I think we fell out of love, you know? And it was hard for me because I wanted to believe in what I’d been taught, that you get married and it lasts forever and you’re happy that way. But we weren’t. We met so young that we barely knew ourselves at that point. Over the years we became more and more different—different people, each with separate dreams. By the end, she didn’t even want to live around here anymore. She works as a waitress on cruise ships out of Florida now. I hear she’s pretty happy.”
“And are you happy?” Tess asked.
“I’m not gonna lie. I was pretty broken up. I did a few crazy things, had a wild night down in Phoenix...” He winked at her, and Tess flushed. “But then I became mayor, figured I’d better set a good example for my son. And once I realized I was more upset about the marriage ending than I was about losing Jeannette, and once I got used to being a single dad, I realized that it was all gonna work out.”
“And has it?”
“Well, there’s this woman who came to town, trying to talk everyone into supporting this wind project. It was all good until she showed up!”
Humor was familiar territory and helped settle her nerves. “Ha-ha,” she murmured, sipping her coffee. “I think, if you just look on the bright side, you might discover some benefits to having her in town.”
He raised his cup, and she was glad she was sitting down when he flashed her a knee-melting smile. “Absolutely. And maybe, if I’m lucky, she’ll agree to go to Devin’s game with me on Friday.”
“You want me to go to a football game?” She hadn’t meant for her voice to come out at such a high pitch. “Isn’t that us getting pretty serious, pretty fast?”
“Maybe. I don’t feel serious, though, I just feel happy. I like you, Tess. And I’m a dad. This is how I spend a lot of my time. So if I want to spend time with you, I have to figure out how to talk you into things like this. Plus, Devin wants you to go, too. He mentioned it.”
“Really? Or is that just you talking me into it?”
Slaid laughed. “No! He honestly mentioned it. But...did it work? Did I talk you into it? Will you come?”
The idea of a small-town football game didn’t hold much appeal, and about a hundred warning bells were going off in her head.
“It will give us more time together,” Slaid coaxed her. “And folks around here will appreciate that you’re out supporting our team. It could help with the windmills...”
“Okay, I’ll go.” She instantly regretted it. On top of all her other charades was the fib she’d told Slaid a few weeks ago about being a football fan. It wouldn’t take long for him to realize she didn’t know the first thing about the game. She’d just have to hope that she didn’t accidentally bust out in a cheer for the wrong team.
“I’ll pick you up at three?”
“Sure,” she answered. “I’ll be ready. Pom-poms and everything.”
He smiled at her feeble joke. “I’d like to see that.”
“Cheerleading fantasies, huh?”
“Well, I’m a pretty big football fan, so...”
The waitress came by with the check, which Tess insisted on paying. “I can expense it,” she said when Slaid tried to take care of it. “Don’t you think Renewable Reliance owes you a breakfast?”
“Well, if I’d known they were paying I’d have ordered everything on the menu.”
Tess laughed and stood up. “Come on, Mr. Mayor. This town won’t run itself, and I have work to do.”
The walked out of the diner and over to Slaid’s truck. “I had a great night,” he said.
“Me, too,” Tess answered.
“So...see you Friday? I really appreciate you giving it a try. Devin will be happy when he hears you’re coming.”
Devin. The weight of what she’d learned today came back. How his birth mom couldn’t take care of him, and his adoptive mom had abandoned him. She knew what it was like, to go through so much upheaval as a child. Maybe it was possible to be there for Devin even just a little, in the way she’d never been able to support her own son.
“I’ll see you Friday.” Tess gave Slaid a kiss on the cheek. His eyebrows went up at her chaste goodbye. “Oh, what the hell,” she murmured, and went up on tiptoe to reach his mouth with hers. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, right there on the sidewalk in front of all of Benson. And Tess didn’t care because the kiss felt incredible—like the most real and honest thing she’d done, ever.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“WHY DO PEOPLE play football in winter anyway?” Tess asked. “It makes no sense.”
“Dunno,” Slaid answered, wrapping her scarf around her neck for her and kissing her lightly on the mouth. “But are you all ready to cheer for the Benson Mustangs?”
“Bring it on.” Tess pulled on her parka.
“And by the way,” Slaid added as she shut the door behind them and locked it, “Devin asked to sleep at a friend’s tonight. Just so you know.”
“Oh, just for informational purposes?” Tess teased.
Slaid actually blushed at being caught in the act of dropping hints. “Just in case you wanted to invite me over later. Or go on a date with me and then invite me over.”
“Why, thank you for looking out for me. I’ll keep that in mind.”
He grinned and took her hand as they walked the short blocks to the high school.
The street in front of the football field was packed with cars and trucks. Tess looked up at Slaid in shock. “So many people are coming to the game!”
Slaid looked at her in surprise. “Of course. It’s a big deal. It’s football!”
“But are you sure we should be out together like this? The final public hearing for the windmills is coming up—won’t people get the wrong idea?”
He shot an amused glance at her. “I’m pretty sure they’ll get the right idea. If people can’t deal with the fact that we like each other, too bad. They can recall me. It will give me more time to relax.”
She laughed, loving his confidence, wishing she could borrow a little right now. Her knees were almost knocking at the idea of taking their relationship, or whatever it was between them, so public. But she’d promised herself that no matter what, she wouldn’t run. She wasn’t going to be a coward anymore. And if Slaid knew these people and didn’t care what they thought, well, she’d learn not to care, too.
When they turned into the field entrance, she almost changed her mind about that. It looked as if the entire town was filing through the gates. Across the field, Tess saw the bleachers for the visiting team almost as full. Entire families cuddling under blankets, eating, laughing, excited for play to start.
“Hot chocolate?”
“Will they spike it for us?”
He grinned. “Nope.”
“Oh, well.” She sighed in mock disappointment. “Yes, please. At least it’s warm.” With the sun behind the mountains, the air had cooled quickly. She could see her breath. Slaid purchased two cups of the steaming cocoa from the food booth and she followed him into the bleachers. It took forever to climb up to their spots because everyone wanted to say hello to the mayor
and spend some time looking back and forth between them, trying to figure out their connection.
They ran into Betty Watkins, and a wide, warm smile creased her cheeks when she saw them together. She stood and surprised Tess by pulling her in for a hug. “You are a sight for sore eyes, Tess. Only you could make a down parka and wool hat look as if you just strolled off the runway in Paris.”
Tess blushed at the effusive compliment, and Slaid grinned ear to ear. “Isn’t my date gorgeous? I’m a lucky guy, Betty.”
“Stop,” Tess protested, embarrassed.
“Now, you just enjoy it,” Betty admonished. “It’s clear our mayor is head over heels for you, and most of the single ladies in this town are green with envy. Slaid’s a good man, Tess. You couldn’t do better.”
Betty was apparently trying to make Tess feel less embarrassed, but her efforts were backfiring. Tess wondered if she could ever get used to living her life under the scrutiny of her neighbors. Slaid didn’t seem to mind, just came to her rescue, saying, “Betty, I think you got it wrong. Tess is doing me a favor, coming out with me today.” He winked at her and Tess felt something in her stomach flutter—he was that handsome.
Betty laughed and waved them off. “Go enjoy the game, you two. And, Slaid, I know Devin will do just great tonight. I can feel it.”
Betty’s husband, Jed, had been grinning through this entire exchange, his broad arms crossed over his big belly. He reached out and wrapped Tess’s hand in his own, shaking it. “Pleased to meet you finally, Tess. I’ve heard so much about you from Samantha and Betty, I feel like we’re already acquainted.”
She smiled, feeling more at ease already due to his relaxed manner. She’d imagined that people would be upset that she was here, seeing her as an outsider, someone here to change their community for the worse. Maybe it was because she was with Slaid, but tonight, at least, people seemed welcoming.
She sat in her seat in the bleachers, nestled against Slaid’s big shoulder, sipping her hot cocoa. People glanced back to get a look at them, but with Slaid’s arm around her, bolstered by the good humor with which he acknowledged the town’s curiosity, she slowly stopped worrying about the scrutiny.
And then the game started and she was busy watching Devin, excited to see the boy’s talent. When she noticed the pride on Slaid’s face, she felt as though she was seeing a little piece of the deep love he had for his son—his adopted son. She hoped with all her heart that Adam’s parents looked at him with that same pride and joy.
Devin did well, throwing the pass that made the final touchdown, and when his coach put a hand on his shoulder and said something that even from this distance she could tell was a compliment, Tess looked over to see Slaid’s eyes glitter with what she suspected might be tears. She squeezed his hand, happy for him and for his son.
“Does it take you back to when you played?”
He cleared his throat. “It sure does. I spent a lot of time out on this field. There’s nothing like it, hearing people cheer, seeing your friends and family get so excited.”
“You played in college.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I did. I was good, but other kids were better. I clocked a fair amount of the time on the bench. But they gave me some scholarship money.”
They followed the crowd as it meandered off the field and eventually found Devin, who shouted, “Tess!” He seemed genuinely happy she was here, even introducing her to his coach as “the lady who’d helped him calm down.” Then he turned to his dad and said, “Pizza!” and Slaid answered him with a high five.
Tess smiled at this display of masculine affection, wondering at the way the word pizza seemed to speak volumes about the love between these two. Well, pizza and two of the biggest smiles she’d ever seen.
“You’re coming with us, right, Tess?” Devin asked.
She opened her mouth to decline. She didn’t want to intrude, plus a bunch of teenagers and their parents at a pizza party wasn’t really her thing, but Slaid didn’t give her the chance to say no.
“Tess is all about new experiences tonight, aren’t you, Tess? You’ve experienced your first football game, now it’s time for your first after-game pizza.”
“You never went to a game before?” Devin asked in horror.
She turned to Slaid. “You knew it was my first game?”
“You called almost every player the quarterback.”
Devin cracked up and Tess flushed. “Oh...I thought... Well, never mind.”
“And there was that comment the other week, about the Santa Clara Forty-Niners, that gave you away.”
“I was trying to find common ground! It’s what we do in community relations. The truth is, sports weren’t exactly my thing in high school.”
“I can’t picture you in high school,” Slaid said.
“It’s best not to,” Tess countered, casting about in her mind for a new subject.
“Aw, come on!” Slaid put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. “Do you have a high school yearbook picture? How about a graduation photo? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
Tess froze. She’d never had enough money to buy a yearbook. Plus, she’d eventually been kicked out of school for her poor behavior and finished out high school in a continuation class. They didn’t take graduation photos there.
By sheer will she calmed her heart and sent the regret and shame scuttling back to the dank parts of her brain where they constantly lurked. “Oh, no, Slaid Jacobs, you’re not conning me. You were the big football star and I’m sure you were handsome, as well. No frizzy-haired photos of me with my braces are ever going to fall into your hands.”
“I can just picture it! But how come no football games? You grew up in New England, right? I know they like football there.”
“Oh, you know, my parents were pretty strict. I stayed in and did a lot of homework.” More lies. She was so sick of them. It was time for a new subject.
“You’ve talked me into it,” she said. “Pizza, I mean, not bad yearbook photos. All this watching Devin exercise has made me hungry.”
Devin gave a yelp of laughter at her lame joke. “C’mon, then. We gotta go now or we’ll never get a table.”
They piled into Slaid’s truck and drove the few blocks to the restaurant. It was simple and homey with red-checked tablecloths and candles in mason jars. As they stood in line for a table, Devin begged for quarters to go play some video games in the adjacent arcade room where many of his friends were. It seemed that most of the football team came here after the game.
Slaid kept his arm around Tess, holding her tight against his side. He leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head, and when she looked up he kissed her once, softly, on the mouth. “I know this is all new for you...being out with someone like me. Meeting my kid. Standing in restaurants, and me kissing you. I know it’s not your usual way. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you trying it out, trying all this new stuff, for me.”
His simple words had tears prickling at her eyes. She loved the way he could be so totally sexy and cocky in one moment and say words like that the next. But she didn’t have his heartfelt vocabulary. So she teased. “Well, don’t get a big head. Maybe it’s not all about you, cowboy. Maybe I’ve just decided it’s time to be more adventurous, check out the wild ways of you small-town folks.” She looked pointedly around the pizza parlor, at all the happy families. “And, boy, does it get wild around here!”
His laughter boomed out over the line of waiting diners, and several of them turned to see what their mayor thought was so funny. He pulled Tess in again and kissed her soundly on the mouth for all to see. Tess flushed, feeling all eyes on her. But despite her discomfort, she wouldn’t have traded her spot under Slaid’s arm in this funky local pizza parlor for a table at the finest Parisian restaurant. This strange small-town adventure, with this sexy small-town mayor as her guide, was exactly the journey she wanted to be on right now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
&nbs
p; DEVIN WENT HOME from the pizza parlor with his friend Cal. Before he left he made Tess promise to visit the ranch the next afternoon so he could show her around. He wanted her to meet all the horses and even offered to give her a horseback-riding lesson. He was a persuasive kid, funny and smart, and she liked him a lot, so she agreed.
But the sweetest thing was when Devin said goodbye. They were standing on the sidewalk near the restaurant entrance. Cal’s family was busy loading their three children into their enormous SUV. Slaid had just finished reminding Devin to be on his best behavior, and Devin had just finished giving Slaid a hug. Then he turned to Tess and there was an awkward moment when they just looked at each other. But then he stepped up and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug, too. “Thanks for coming to my game, Tess,” he said when he stepped back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tears threatened. Slaid and his son, this tiny, two-person family, were getting under her skin. She couldn’t even speak. She just smiled and waved as the SUV headed off to Cal’s house. When she looked back at Slaid she was surprised to see him watching her intently, an expression on his face she didn’t recognize.
He cleared his throat, and she realized he was as emotional as she was. “Want to go for a drive?” he asked. “There are some amazing stars out tonight.”
“Is that what you all do for fun out here?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
“One of the things. Come on, let me show you a real Benson date.”
“As long as we avoid picnic benches and spiky plants, I’m good,” she quipped.
He rewarded her with that wide smile she was coming to crave and tipped his hat in a “yes ma’am” move. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He opened the door of his truck for her and she climbed inside. When they drove out of town, he kept one hand on the wheel, the other wrapped around hers. At the freeway he turned north, then headed east on a small road, just a narrow strip of darkness lit by his headlights. It eventually started climbing upward and became switchbacks for a few minutes. Finally they came upon an open area that seemed like the end of the road, and Slaid parked.
Convincing the Rancher Page 20