by Verna Clay
Tessa lifted trembling hands to her cheeks and swiped her tears.
Sean said, "Please, just tell me you'll think about it."
She nodded. "I will."
He smiled and set his guitar against the corner of the couch and then turned back around and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.
Just then, there was a knock on his door and it burst open. Candi said, "Oh, sorry. I got so excited I forgot to wait for you to open the door. Tessa, you okay? Your eyes are all red."
"I'm fine, sweetie. What's up?"
"There's this fancy car kinda like Sean's that just drove up and this beeaauuttiiffuull lady who looks like a movie star just got out asking for Sean."
Sean frowned, glanced at Tessa, and said, "Tell her I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay, she's talking to Mommy and Daddy now."
Candi turned and ran from the room.
Sean inhaled deeply and placed his hands on either side of Tessa's face, turning it upward until they were staring into each other's eyes. "No matter what happens, I want you to know I love you and anything that happened before us is history."
Although she felt a terrible foreboding, she nodded.
Sean stood and reached for her hand. They left his room and walked through the barn. When they exited, he still held her hand, rubbing it with his thumb. They approached the porch where Tessa's father and mother were speaking to a woman who looked like she had just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. She was tall, slender, and perfectly proportioned; well, except for her boobs which were too big. Tessa figured they were probably fake. She was dressed in form fitting black leggings topped with a skin hugging ocean-blue lacy top that allowed peek-a-boos of her waist all the way up to just below her boobs. Her flaxen hair was long, straight, and tossed over one shoulder. A peaches and cream complexion and sky-blue eyes to die for, were marred by the immediate jealousy Tessa saw in them. She covered it well though, with a wide smile showcasing perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth.
She stepped off the porch. "Hello, Sean. I've been sent by the powers-that-be to locate you and remind you that you need to be in L.A. on the first."
"Looks like you made a trip for nothing. I haven't forgotten. I'll be there."
The beauty moved her gaze over Tessa and stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Chloe, Sean's publicist. He and I work closely together to make sure the public sees him in the best light."
Tessa almost stumbled backwards. The woman was good. As she'd assessed Tessa, her seemingly innocent words had conveyed by tone and expression, that he didn't need chubby girl ruining his image. Whether anyone else heard the words behind the words, Tessa did. She also knew by Sean's warning in the barn that he'd had a relationship with Chole. Her insecurities suddenly overwhelmed her and she said, "Well, then, I guess you and Sean have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you in privacy." She pulled her hand from his and walked toward the garage, leaving her mother and father mutely on the porch with Candi glancing at everyone looking confused.
Inside the garage, she rushed up the stairs to her apartment. After she was inside, she peered through her window into the yard below. Sean and Chloe were walking toward the first barn. They didn't enter it, just kept walking. The woman reached to hold Sean's arm, but he stepped away from her.
Although Tessa was thinking stronger language, she said aloud, "Queen Witch."
When they reached the end of the barn, she couldn't stand to watch any longer and went to her bedroom to flop across her bed. A half hour later she was still there when she heard a knock on her door. She pulled herself up and went to face her fate.
Sean stood on her doorstep. "Are you okay, Tessa? I'm really sorry about Chloe. She's gone now."
"She was your girlfriend, wasn't she?"
"No. I swear she never was. We just…had a thing. It didn't last more than two weeks and I wish to god it had never happened. I was at a low point and…" He shrugged. "I can't change the past, Tessa. But I can make my future. A future with you."
Tessa shook her head. "No, Sean, not with me. Don't you see how mismatched we are? You're famous, you're every girl's dream guy, and I'm a divorced country girl carrying baggage from a failed marriage." Before he could protest she said, "I'm screwed up, Sean. I'm so messed up I ran off with a bully and married him! What do you think the tabloids will say when they find out about that? And believe me, they'll find out. My dad and Monica have been a target on and off for years. So have Tooty and Miles, and Sarah and Sage. I refuse to drag you over the coals when they rag on me about my first marriage and my weight."
Tessa was surprised when Sean suddenly looked angry. After all, she was trying to spare him.
He ran a hand through his hair and said, "No, honey, it's not me you want to spare. It's yourself. My love is strong enough to withstand anything. Obviously, yours isn't, so I guess it's better this way. As for you being screwed up, yeah, you are, but not the way you think. You're screwed up because you won't allow the best thing that's happened to either of us come to pass. I think you like wallowing in your self-pity. It keeps you from really living, because to really live, you'd have to continue letting go of the past. You're in a vicious cycle that only you can break free of. You've let your head get in the way of your heart."
Suddenly he turned and descended the stairs. Over his shoulder he called, "Goodbye, Tessa."
Sean went in search of Tessa's father. He found him talking to Flatfoot in the stallions' barn. Dirk saw him coming, excused himself, and met Sean in the middle of the barn. He said, "I can see by your expression that you're serious about something."
Sean cracked a sad smile. "Dirk, I'm asking you to release me a week early. I want to grab my gear and go."
"That bad, huh. I knew that woman was trouble as soon as I saw her."
Sean slid his gaze away from Dirk's. "I had an affair with her and she doesn't want to let me go. In one year, all my contracts are up and I'm walking away from the life I've been living for four years." He looked back at him. "I had hoped Tessa would join me in a new life here as my wife, but she…well, she turned me down." His voice cracked. "I just can't stick around any longer."
Dirk rubbed his jaw. "Son, you can go. I won't hold you to staying. But maybe you could give Tessa a few days to simmer down and then talk to her again."
Sean shook his head. "No. I just talked to her and she was clear about what she wants."
Dirk studied Sean's face and finally stuck out his hand for a shake. "You've been a good worker, Sean, and there's always a job for you here if you want it. I'll mail your paycheck to your dad's house. What about Lucky?"
"I've already talked to my dad and stepmom and they don't have a problem with me leaving him until I'm free of all contracts in a year and can return for him."
"Hell, son, just leave him here. It's the home he knows. We'll take good care of him."
Sean felt like he was about to cry, so he quickly grasped the hand of the man who would have become his father-in-law if Tessa wasn't so stubborn, and said, "Thank you. I'll go say my goodbyes to Lucky then."
Tessa heard the roar of a car in the garage and raced to her window. Sean's Porsche jammed backwards out of the garage and then zipped at racer speed down the drive leading to the main road. She watched until it was out of sight and then stood at the window for a long time in disbelief that he was gone, and it was all her fault.
Chapter 20: It's Her
Freckles carried Biscuit into Preston's vet clinic and set him on the floor. The little guy liked to investigate everything. Thank goodness he was on a leash because he'd soon find trouble if he wasn't. She and Biscuit had walked over to say hello to Preston. Well, actually, she'd carried her baby most of the way because he was still so small.
She hoped Preston didn't mind her dropping by. She figured that since he spent most nights at her place, it would be okay. After swearing off cowboys, she couldn't believe she was head-over-heels for another one. But Preston was different from the other men th
at had come and gone in her life. He was dependable, loyal, honest, and all kinds of good things, and she was madly crazy about him.
She saw Chica and Bozo in the waiting room and greeted them and their owners. Everyone in town had been nice to her and she was considering staying longer in this hick town because she actually liked it. She stepped to the counter where Tessa was keying something into her computer. Freckles liked Tessa. The gal was always friendly.
Tessa looked up from her computer. "Hello Freckles." She leaned forward and glanced at the floor. "And hello to you too, Biscuit." She smiled at Freckles. "He's looking terrific. He also looks like a handful. Preston was telling me about how he hid in your house slipper."
Freckles felt her face turn pink when she remembered the night she'd spent in bed with Preston after finding Biscuit. She couldn't believe she was blushing. What was the world coming to when a cowboy could make her blush?
She was just about to ask Tessa if Preston was available, when she got slammed with reality. She blinked and looked closely at Tessa, remembering something Preston had once said. He'd been angry and blurted that Freckles wasn't his type. That he liked a woman with lots of flesh and a dimple.
Tessa's dimple winked in and out when she asked, "Are you here to see Preston?"
Freckles couldn't believe she'd been talking to Preston's dream girl for weeks and hadn't realized it. The woman wasn't just a fantasy; she was a real flesh-and-blood person. She was full-figured Tessa!
The knowledge was a slam-dunk to Freckles heart and she stuttered, "Ah, n-no. I was just exercising Biscuit and happened to walk by the office. Have a nice day, Tessa." She grabbed her puppy up and hurried toward the door.
As she was leaving, a cat that had been taken out of his carrier and was sitting on his owner's lap, decided to rush Bozo, and all hell broke lose.
Freckles' heart had never hurt as badly as she dashed home. Preston was acting all lovie with her but pining for another woman who worked with him all day, every day. She made it home in record time, put Biscuit in his carrier, and paced her living room. Thank goodness she didn't have any other babies in her care today.
What to do? Her hurt suddenly morphed into anger. How dare he play her! He was just like all the other cowboys. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed information, not caring that it would cost extra when she could have used the phone book. "Give me the number for any airline in Cortez, Colorado."
After she'd booked a flight, she started tossing clothing into her backpack and a carryon. Her duplex had been furnished and she'd purposefully kept her life sparse because of her intent to return to Anaheim. So she wasn't leaving much behind. When her bags were packed, she walked next door to let the sweet old man who was her landlord know she was leaving. She may have faults, but dishonesty wasn't one of them.
Mr. Pettigrew was slow to get around so it took him awhile to open his door.
"Howdy, Freckles. What can I do for ya?"
"I'm really sorry about this, but I have an emergency in California that I have to take care of and I won't be back. My rent is paid for the month and you can keep my deposit for next month's rent. You have my uncle's address in Anaheim, so if I owe you more, just write and let me know and I'll make it right. I moved anything that isn't yours into a pile in the center of the living room and I called a local charity to pick it up tomorrow. I told them to knock on your door and you'll let them into the duplex."
Mr. Pettigrew frowned. "I'm really sorry to hear you're leaving, Freckles. You've been a good renter. But I know how emergencies are. Why, my Flora Ann one time had to travel to Florida when her Aunt Curley broke her hip. It was a terrible break and–"
Freckles bent to kiss the sweetie on his cheek. "Goodbye Mr. Pettigrew. I'll never forget you." She choked back a sobbed and returned to her duplex to load Biscuit into his carrier. A few minutes later the dial-a-ride she'd called to transport her to the Cortez airport, pulled to the curb. The last thing she did after locking the front door was tape an envelope to it. Thanks to Preston's generosity and her ability to pinch pennies, she had just enough money to get home.
Chapter 21: What the Hell!
Preston was ready to call it a day. The cat and dog debacle that afternoon had just been a prelude to the rest of the afternoon. Three emergencies had shown up, two of which were dogs hit by cars and the other a calf that had gotten tied up in barbed wire. The owner of the calf had loaded the animal, barbed wire and all, into the back of his truck and hightailed it to the office. It had taken two hours to get the poor animal fixed up. While Toby had worked on the two dogs, Preston had doctored the calf and suggested to the rancher that he change over to barbless wire. Of course, the emergencies had set the appointments behind schedule and now it was an hour past closing.
He walked to the front desk and was surprised to see Tessa still there. "Hey, what are you doing here? You should have left an hour ago."
"I just had some charts I wanted to catch up on."
Preston scratched his ear. "Tessa, is something wrong. You've seemed despondent lately. I'm not trying to pry, but I'm worried about you."
She glanced at him and he could see she was holding back tears. "Oh, I'm fine." She shrugged.
He lifted a finger. "Hold on just one sec." He walked to the nearest examining room, picked up the rolling stool, and returned to the front desk. Setting the stool in front of Tessa, he plopped down onto it. "You're not fine. Do you want to talk about it? I promise I can keep a secret. Does it have anything to do with Sean leaving?"
A tear dripped down her cheek and Preston said, "I thought so. Come on, honey, tell me what's going on."
She sniffed and swiped at the tear. "I pushed him away. He…he wants to marry me and I pushed him away. I'm not so sure it was the right thing to do. I feel miserable."
Preston sucked a breath. He'd always known Sean liked Tessa, but he hadn't realized the extent of the man's feelings.
Softly, he said, "Do you want to marry him?"
She nodded.
"Then what's stopping you?" He pulled a tissue from the box on her desk and handed it to her.
She blotted her eyes. "I'm stopping me. Look at me, Preston. Do I look like the kind of girl a famous rock star would go for?"
Preston frowned. "What the hell? If he loves you and you love him, what does it matter what either of you look like? And to tell you the truth, I don't think Sean is all that. The guy rubs me the wrong way, always has." He handed her another tissue.
She blew her nose.
Puffing a breath, he said, "Tessa, I'm about to share something that everyone seems to know, except you."
She swiped her eyes again and waited for him to speak.
He took a deep breath. "I've been in love with you since I was fourteen."
Her eyes widened.
"And the reason Sean and I never got along is because we both wanted you." He smiled slightly. "I can't tell you how many times I wanted to kick his butt."
She said in a weak voice, "I always knew you liked me, but I never thought it was that…serious."
"Oh, it's been serious for years. After you married Jared, I thought my world was over, but then you came back and I tried to get you to go out with me, but you always said no. And then Sean showed up and you were suddenly happy. It hurt, of course, but then something happened to rock my world."
Tessa whispered, "Freckles?"
Preston smiled. "Yes. The woman drives me mad. She's so different from the women I'm used to. She's beyond outspoken, for one thing." He laughed. "She's kind of like a female Toby. Just says whatever's on her mind, regardless of the consequences. Anyway, the day the puppy got lost and I rushed over to help find him, was the day everything in my life changed. You could say everything fell into place. I realized just how crazy in love I am with her. I was also able to view my feelings for you objectively. Yes, I love you. I always will and if you had chosen me, I believe we could have had a good marriage, stable and…boring. You and I are alike in the fact that we're no
t movers and shakers, but we need to be with those who are. We need a special someone who keeps us on our toes." He chuckled. "Someone who brings out our wild side. And the reverse is that Sean and Freckles need our stability. Opposites do attract and can be perfect for each other as long as they realize they're opposites."
Tessa seemed to ponder his words and then nodded.
"However, I have one more thing I want to address."
"Okay, I'm ready to hear it."
"You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. And I'm not just talking about a beautiful heart; I'm talking about your whole package. You have the kind of curves that drive men crazy, and believe me you've driven me crazy over the years. And your face is gorgeous. Do you know how many times I imagined…"
Her eyes widened and he grinned. "Well, we won't go there. So, if you think any of these skinny gals that follow Sean around like puppies have anything on you, you seriously need to have your head examined. I've watched him whenever he's around you. He has a hard time…" He rubbed the back of his head. "We'll we won't go there either."
Tessa inhaled deeply. "Thank you, Preston."
"Anytime, honey. Now I need to go see my ladylove and have a heart-to-heart with her, too."
"Oh, with all the chaos this afternoon, I forgot to tell you that she came in around noon, but she didn't stay. She said she was just out walking Biscuit. I asked if she wanted me to page you to the front, but she said no. I guess she realized how busy we were and didn't want to bother you."
He nodded. "Thanks, Tessa. Now go home. If you need some time off, we'll bring in a temp."
"You know, Preston, you've given me a lot to think about. I'll let you know about the time off."
Preston walked Tessa to her car and then climbed into his truck. He couldn't wait to see Freckles. He'd been thinking about asking her to go some place special, maybe Disney World in Florida.