“Are you sure? Have you ever really been a pretzel to know what it feels like?”
“I have an imagination. And maybe I’m empathetic with random snack foods. You don’t know!”
“If you’re empathetic with snack foods, I cannot be seen in public with you. I have a rep to protect!”
He shook his head at her. “Just drive me to meet your mother, please!”
She picked up her phone to call her mother first. “Hey, Mom. We’re heading your way from Uncle Simon’s place!”
“I didn’t feel like cooking. Why don’t you meet me at that little Mexican place around the corner from me? You brought your Adam?” her mom asked.
Tiffani blushed, glancing at Adam to see if he’d heard. He grinned at her in a way that told her he’d not only heard, he’d liked it. “Yes, I brought my Adam. He brought me actually. I was tired this morning, so he offered to drive.”
“Out late?”
“The ranch does a cookout every Friday night. We went together and stayed out until it was over. There were s’mores and everything.” Tiffani knew that her mother loved anything chocolate as much as she did.
“I should have been there!”
“I sure wish you were closer.” Her mother had been a cafeteria lady for the San Antonio school district for as long as she could remember.
“I do, too. We’ll see each other often, though. An hour and a half is an easy drive.”
Tiffani sighed. “For me.” Her mother hadn’t driven in her lifetime. She had always used public transportation. “All right. I think we can be at the restaurant in twenty. Does that work for you?”
“It does. I’ll see you and your Adam then.”
Tiffani looked over at Adam, who was openly grinning at her. “I’m your Adam, huh?”
“I never said that. My mom did.”
“Well, I like it. I want to be yours.”
“We’re going out for Mexican,” she told him in a desperate attempt to change the subject. “I know you like Taco Bueno, but do you like other Mexican?” His mother had made Mexican for them, but she needed to get him talking about something else.
“I’m a Texas boy. I have Tex-Mex running through my veins.”
She laughed, shaking her head as she pulled out onto the street.
When they arrived, her mother was standing outside the entrance of the restaurant, waiting for them. After Tiffani parked, she hurried to hug her mother. It had only been a week since she’d seen her, but it felt like an entire lifetime had passed. “Mom, this is Adam McClain. He’s the counselor on the ranch.”
“A counselor? Didn’t I tell you to hold out for a doctor?” Her mother’s eyes were twinkling as she said it, making it clear she was joking.
“Well, I am a psychiatrist, Mrs. Simpson. Does that work for you?”
Mrs. Simpson laughed. “I didn’t mean it! I was just kidding!”
“That’s all right, Mrs. Simpson. I know we’re meant to be together, so nothing you say can dissuade me.” Adam reached over to take Tiffani’s hand in his.
“You know that after two weeks’ acquaintance? You move awfully fast, Adam.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I saw what I needed and I grabbed it. It’s only smart!”
“I guess so…” Mrs. Simpson looked a bit nervous after that. “Well, are we going to eat Tiffani’s favorite Mexican food? She’s begged to come here for every birthday since she was a little girl.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Tiffani led them in, a little nervous about how her mother and Adam would react to each other. They were led to a booth at the very back of the restaurant. The waitress didn’t bother to ask Tiffani or her mom what they wanted. Only Adam.
“Dr. Pepper sounds good.”
“I’ll be right back.” She hurried away, returning with ice water for Tiffani and her mother and a Dr. Pepper for Adam.
“So tell me about the ranch! I want to hear about your little house!”
Tiffani grinned, pulling her phone from her pocket. “I took pictures, because I knew you’d want to see. It’s little, but it’s good for me. And guess what! I got a kitten! His name is Bob.”
“Bobcat? Oh, Tiffani. There are times when your sense of humor makes me wonder about you.” Her mother shook her head. “It’s a good thing I love you so much, and I’m not changing my mind any time soon.”
Tiffani grinned, looking over at Adam who was watching her. “I love the sour cream beef enchiladas.”
“Those sound good! I might try some.” He barely glanced at the menu, enjoying watching her with her mother more.
Tiffani pushed her phone across the table. “Check out the photos of my little place. I finally got everything unpacked and the wall hangings up. I want to live there forever and never move.”
Adam nudged her with his elbow. “It’s a little small for a family.”
She blushed and refused to respond. He needed to quit teasing her with her mother right there. Thankfully the waitress came back then, and she was able to give her lunch order.
When she was done, Adam shrugged. “I’ll have the same thing. Sounds good.”
After her mother had ordered, she pushed the phone back. “The house is very cute. I think you’re really enjoying the ranch.”
“I am. I have some great ideas for their big fundraiser in October of next year, and I really love living there. I’m going to nail down a taco truck this week.” Tiffani leaned forward. “Do you believe the day I started the driver of the taco truck that has been coming to the ranch for the event for over ten years called to say he couldn’t make it? I am not going to do this event without a taco truck!”
Her mother laughed. “If all else fails, bring me down. I’ll make tacos for you.”
“But that wouldn’t be the same. Do you realize I’ve never in my life eaten a taco off a taco truck? It’s like I’m deprived or something!”
“Your life is so rough. I don’t know how you’ve lived to be twenty-eight with no tacos from a taco truck. Did you check to see if Taco Bueno has a taco truck they can send?”
Tiffani looked at her mother with shock. “I haven’t! What a brilliant idea! I’ll call them first thing Monday morning.” She looked over at Adam. “Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could get a Taco Bueno truck? I could have anything I wanted!”
“You do realize that the taco truck is for the people coming to the event and not for your personal food choices?” Adam couldn’t help but tease her a little.
She shrugged. “There are some things that can be both, and the taco truck is one of them.”
By the time they’d eaten, her mother was smiling. When Adam excused himself for a moment, Mom leaned forward. “You’re so right. He’s the right man for you. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Tiffani smiled. “There’s not one in mine either. He’s the man for me.”
“Have you told him that yet?”
“And let it go to his head? Are you kidding me?”
“What would go to my head?” Adam asked from behind her.
“You always assume we’re talking about you. Adam, Adam, Adam. There are other men in this world.” Tiffani slipped out of the booth and faced him. “Maybe someday you’ll realize that.”
“There are no other men for you.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she wasn’t certain if she should be thrilled or embarrassed.
Turning to her mother, she asked, “Do you want us to give you a ride home?”
Her mother shook her head. “It’s a beautiful day for a walk. Besides, I don’t want to have to fold myself up like a pretzel in the back seat of that tin can you call a car.”
Adam laughed. “Mrs. McClain, I was trying to decide if I liked you until you said that. Now I know I do. You are wonderful!”
“Call me Sharon. I can be wonderful on my own two feet.” She hugged them each goodbye, whispering, “Be good!” in her daughter’s ear before disappearing out the door.
“She walked?” he asked.
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“Mom hasn’t driven for as long as I can remember. She says she used to all the time, but I’ve never seen it. She is satisfied with public transportation, and I drive her where she wants to go.”
“She even grocery shops that way?” He was surprised. Where he lived that just wasn’t possible.
“She used to. There’s this fabulous thing called grocery delivery now. She does all her shopping online and the food magically arrives. It makes her happy, and she doesn’t have to have a car.”
He paid for their meal, and they walked to the car together. “Do you want me to drive back?”
She shrugged. “I was planning on it, but there’s a little more room in the driver’s seat than any of the others. It might be best if you didn’t pretzel yourself and sat there instead.”
“That sounds wonderful to me!” He took the keys from her and carefully moved the seat back before even trying to sit. “Why do you drive a tin can?”
Chapter Nine
On the way back, Tiffani kept up a constant stream of chatter. She was thrilled that her mother now approved of Adam, because she was pretty sure he was what she wanted.
They were just driving onto the ranch when Adam’s phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket and handed it to Tiffani. “Would you answer that for me?”
She slid her finger across the screen. “Adam’s phone.”
“Tiffani, this is Caleb. I think Nick is about to blow. Can you get to our cabin as fast as you can?”
“Yes, of course! We just drove back onto ranch property.”
“Hurry!” Caleb sounded very concerned, which told Tiffani all she needed to know.
She hung up the phone and said, “It’s Nick. Caleb wants us there ASAP.”
Adam nodded, taking a side road from the main one. He drove fast, but not recklessly. When they reached the cabin, he jumped out and hurried inside, not even waiting to see if Tiffani was following him. She understood completely, wondering if she should follow. She wasn’t a trained specialist in kids. She was just the woman who was coordinating their fundraiser. Their fundster.
After a moment of indecision, she followed Adam into the house, prepared to stay out of the way. What she saw when she arrived really surprised her. Every boy in the house was in the living room. Both Benjamin and Caleb were there talking to Nick, and Adam was sitting beside him on the couch, his arm around him while he cried.
Caleb walked over to where she stood and said softly, “We were in the middle of group therapy, and the other boys confronted him about not doing his share of the chores. Every new boy is eventually confronted for it, because none of them consider themselves team players. Not at first.”
“So what happens now?”
“Adam will talk to him for a while. With his gift, he always knows their emotions, and he can get through in a way the rest of us can’t. We’ll wait for him to work his magic, but Nick has to face this in front of everyone, because he’s hurting everyone with his behavior. I know it sounds strange, but it’s the way we do things here.”
“I think that’s great,” she said softly. “He should have to answer to everyone…everyone but me. I’m going to go ahead and drive home. I don’t think I have any right to be here.”
Caleb nodded. “We like you, but you’re right. This is between his housemates and Nick.”
“Tell Adam I left to go grocery shopping. I’ll make something good for dinner if he wants to come over, but I’ll understand if he’s too busy.” She took one last look at Adam, who was doing his very best to get through to the boy, and she left the house, heading for her car.
She would make a lasagna for dinner. If he wanted some, he was welcome to come over. If he didn’t, she could eat on it for a few days. She was a huge fan of leftovers, because it meant she didn’t have to cook for a few days.
She picked up everything she needed for lasagna, salad, and garlic bread at the store, and then headed home. When she got there, she was surprised at how quiet it sounded. Bob came out to greet her, rubbing against her legs. She was surprised, because he usually gave her the cold shoulder when she’d been gone for a while.
At just before six, she was putting the food on the table when she heard a knock on the door. Hurrying over to answer it, she opened it wide, glad to see Adam there. He looked exhausted, as if every single ounce of energy had been drained from his body by the ordeal at the house.
She walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and just held on. “Are you okay?” she finally asked.
Adam nodded. “Before I got there, he was threatening suicide. When I walked in, he was ready to do it. I could feel the despair washing off him in waves. I sat with him and talked about what was expected of him here on the ranch again. I told him that each of the boys has gone through the same thing. It took hours, but we got through to him. When I left, the boys were all fixing supper together, and Nick was laughing with the others. He needed to break so he could start mending.”
“Is that typical?”
“Yeah. We go through it with just about every boy who comes to live here. It’s hard to deal with, because I want every one of them to be happy and fall in line, but I know it doesn’t work that way.” He sank onto the couch and rubbed his hands over his face, the exhaustion apparent. “But I heard my best girl was making dinner, and I couldn’t not come. So are you going to feed me? Or are you going to let me sit here and starve to death?”
She laughed. “It’s ready. I’ll just set the table, and we can eat.” She hurriedly set the table and put the salad on, bringing them plates with the rich, gooey lasagna. “I hope you like Italian.”
“I’m surprised you can cook something other than Mexican. You seem to only be happy when Mexican is available to you.”
She shrugged. “I like lots of food, and for some reason, I was craving lasagna tonight.” She got them each a glass of water, and herself an extra glass of ice, before bowing her head for the prayer.
In his prayer, he thanked God that she was there and that they’d been in time for Nick. He asked God to watch out for the boy as well. She was touched that he was already so attached to a young man who had caused nothing but trouble in his time on the ranch. After the prayer, he ran his hands over his face, his eyes full of something she couldn’t quite place.
As they ate, she talked to him about how well things seemed to have gone. “What would have happened if you hadn’t been on the ranch?”
He shrugged. “They’d have held him at bay. If they’re having a group session, and one of the boys tries to leave the room, they make a human wall to keep him from going. The boys have all been there, and they’ve done it time after time. It would have been done automatically.”
“Do your brothers try to counsel if you’re not there?”
“They do, but I’m rarely gone. We’ve never had to face this without me right in the middle of it. I feel bad that I wasn’t here when it started.” He shook his head, the gaze that met hers filled with pain.
She looked at him with surprise. “You think you always need to be here?”
“This ranch is my entire life. It’s not just the Hippocratic Oath for me. It’s that I feel the need to help each and every boy here. I know they count on me, and the state of Texas counts on me. It’s not just my job. It’s my everything.” He ate the last bite of his lasagna and wiped off his mouth. “I’ve never let a woman take me away from my duties before. I think I need to reevaluate where I stand.” He stood up, setting his napkin on the table. “Thanks for dinner.”
He left before she could respond, leaving her staring at her empty plate. Did that mean he didn’t think they were destined to marry? Exactly why did he seem angry with her? She couldn’t figure him out.
She sighed, cleaning up the dishes. She wasn’t about to chase after him when she had better things to do with her time.
She finished up the kitchen and walked to her living room, choosing a favorite book from her shelf. She had no desire to be around a man who didn’t want
to be with her.
She was even able to make out the words on the page through her tears.
Tiffani saw Adam and his entire family, along with all the boys from the ranch, at church on Sunday. Adam sat beside Nick, talking softly to him before and after the service. He never turned to look at Tiffani, and she didn’t go to talk to him either. On her way out of the service, she felt a hand on her arm.
“Give him some time. He’s never divided his time between work and someone he cares about before. It’s always been work for him.” Lillian looked at her earnestly, obviously concerned about their relationship.
“I’m going to keep working here, so he has all the time he needs to get things straight in his head.”
Tiffani left the church and went home to her little house and her books. She ate leftover lasagna for lunch and took a good long nap. Her favorite thing about Sundays were the naps. Why a Sunday nap was so much better than sleeping at any other time, she didn’t know, but it had always been that way for her.
She spent the entire evening listening for a knock on the door as she played with the kitten, read, and made some meals for the week coming up. She preferred to take her own cooking for lunches to work rather than go out as she had been. Of course, if she did take her lunches that would mean she’d have to give up her daily Taco Bueno, and no one wanted that.
When she went to bed, she was sad. He hadn’t come by or even tried to talk to her at church. Maybe he was moving on and deciding he wanted nothing more to do with her. As she closed her eyes, she saw his face in front of her, filled with the anguish he’d shown the night before. She prayed that he’d make a decision soon, because she didn’t want to be left hanging for the rest of her life.
Adam spent Sunday walking the ranch. It was his home and his heritage, and he’d let a woman come between him and his work. How could he reconcile not being on the ranch when he was needed?
As he continued to walk, he sensed someone beside him. Glancing over, he realized it was his father. “Hey, Dad.”
“Adam.”
“What are you doing out here?”
Adam (Seven Sons Book 1) Page 8