Although he’d wondered if Holly was able to bear children, he never would have asked such a delicate question. But now that she’d brought it up herself, he could tell her how he felt about the subject. “I can’t imagine you not being a mother someday. Your outlook on life is incredible. You’d bring so much to a child’s life. Hope. Kindness. Faith. And most of all, an abundance of love. You deserve to live out that dream.”
“Thank you,” Holly whispered, emotion shimmering in her eyes. “Coming from you, that means a lot.”
Dylan reached out and clasped Holly’s hand in his, enjoying the way their hands felt wrapped together.
He looked up at the endless stretch of sky. Set against a velvet backdrop, the luminescent moon sat surrounded by twinkling, dancing stars. He sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the clean country air.
“It doesn’t make any sense at all, but somehow the moon seems bigger here, and I don’t ever think I’ve seen a sky so picture-perfect. Being here at the ranch settles me. It makes me feel as if anything is possible. I feel centered,” he said.
He turned toward her, admiring the way the moon gleamed off her dewy skin. “That’s in large part due to you.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth curved in a sweet smile.
“Me? I haven’t done anything.”
“Haven’t you?” he asked, his voice a low whisper. “I beg to differ. You’ve changed my whole world.”
Holly’s expression was one of pure joy. He leaned over and brushed the side of her face with his knuckles. Their eyes met, and for an instant, he saw something so beautiful and pure in their depths. It took his breath away. He dipped his head down and captured her lips in a tender, romantic kiss.
As his lips moved over hers, he felt a powerful stirring inside his chest. He wanted this kiss to go on and on until the sun crept up over the horizon. She was kissing him back with a gentleness he’d never experienced before in his life. She was cracking his heart wide-open in the process.
As the kiss ended, he found it hard to pull away from her. For long seconds he just laid his forehead against hers. From the moment he’d found out Holly was in a wheelchair, he’d resisted the magnetic pull in her direction, even though he’d felt it from the moment he’d read her first letter. Since he’d arrived in West Falls, he’d been fighting their attraction with everything he had in him. But it seemed as if every time he dug in his heels, something happened to show him how wrong he was to deny the way she made him feel.
Was it wise of him to get so close to her when he knew his time in West Falls was limited? He wasn’t sure. Sometimes feelings trumped wisdom, he realized, particularly when you were with someone who made you feel things you hadn’t felt in a very long time. If ever.
Holly was biting down on her lip, cheeks flushed, her eyes shining brightly. “Was that a friends-only kiss?”
“Friends don’t usually kiss by the light of the moon,” he teased.
He was feeling cocky, buoyed by their amazing kiss. It gave him a rush sharing something so sweet and wonderful with Holly. He’d dreamed of moments like this while he was in Afghanistan, in the quiet hours between darkness and dawn. The reality was far better than his dreams.
“I always want us to be friends, Dylan. No matter what.” Her voice rang out with a sincerity he couldn’t ignore. She held out her hand. “Shake on it?”
Suppressing the urge to grin, he got down on his haunches and clasped it in a firm handshake. “I promise we’ll always be friends.”
Holly let out a relieved sigh, her mouth creasing into the beginnings of a smile.
“But something tells me we’re headed toward something way more special,” he said.
As the fireflies danced in the cool night air, Dylan took off his denim jacket and draped it around Holly’s shoulders. He leaned in so their shoulders were touching, then placed his arm around her. He wanted to be close to her, because being with her was the one thing that made everything else fade away. It was the thing that made the most sense. All the doubts and second-guessing seemed to vanish in a puff of smoke whenever he just focused on her and stopped worrying about the future.
With a lifetime of imperfect moments in his past, this night with Holly was shaping up to be a memorable one. As impossible as he knew it was, he wished he could capture the moment in a bottle for all time. That way he could go back and uncork the bottle whenever he had the urge, allowing the memories of this evening to wash over him like a warm summer shower.
As euphoric as he felt, as deeply satisfied as he’d ever been in his life, he had a niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to make it go away. Something told him that this rare feeling of contentment wasn’t going to last.
* * *
As the celebration drew to a close, Dylan asked her if he could drive her back to the main house. Without skipping a beat, she accepted his offer. Being courted by her cowboy soldier was a heady experience. He’d barely left her side all night. She got goose pimples when his arm brushed against hers as they sat side by side in his truck. Joy speared through her as they sang along in unison to the chart-topping hit on the radio.
When they reached the house, they sat on the porch for a spell, listening to the quiet sounds of a Texas evening. The howl of a coyote rang out in the stillness, cutting through the silence. Dylan reached out and laced his fingers through her own. It had been ages since she’d held hands this way with someone who made her heart skip a beat. It had been so long since she’d felt this in tune with another human being. Many days she’d doubted whether it would ever happen for her.
When Dylan finally saw her to the door, he bent down and brushed a kiss across her cheek, then rubbed his thumb alongside her jawline. “I’d like to take you to the rodeo on Friday night. As my date.”
All night she’d been hoping he would ask her. At one point she’d almost swallowed her pride and asked him to go with her. The annual rodeo, held out at the fairgrounds, was a two-day event that drew in crowds from all across the state. The only rodeo she’d ever missed was the one held a few months after her accident.
Being asked on a date by Dylan was a dream come true. Most twenty-six-year-old women took things like this for granted. But not her. The last time she’d been asked out on a date had been in high school. Her outings with Cullen didn’t really count, since they’d never made it past friendship. As attractive as he was and as much as she enjoyed his company, she’d never felt for him one iota of what Dylan sparked inside her. There had been no pull in his direction, no tugging at her heartstrings.
“That would be great, Dylan.” She could feel a huge sappy grin overtaking her face, but at the moment, she didn’t even care. How could she not smile at the prospect of spending an evening in Dylan’s company? Better yet, as his date.
Dylan smiled back at her, a self-assured grin that made her think he’d been counting on a yes.
“See you tomorrow?” He said it like a question. She simply smiled and nodded her head, secure in the knowledge that they would make time to see each other at some point during the day.
Finally they said their goodbyes, even though she felt a strong impulse to stretch the evening out until the stars were stamped out from the velvet sky. Dylan seemed reluctant, also. He kept turning around to look back at her as he made his way off the front porch and into his truck. Once she was inside the house, she listened for the sound of its engine roaring to life as he vanished into the night.
She couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so hopeful. So wonderfully alive. This evening had been full of fellowship and romance. Lots and lots of romance. And there had been such tenderness in the moments she’d shared with Dylan. His denim coat was still wrapped around her shoulders, serving as a reminder of his chivalry. The best thing about being with Dylan was that he never made her feel helpless. Most important of all, he ac
knowledged all the things she was capable of doing. He didn’t treat her as if she were broken.
A pang coursed through her as she remembered one of the things they’d discussed. Children. Listening to him talk about his future was an eye-opener. Carrying a child to full term was difficult for paraplegics. In order to conceive, she might have to go off most of her medications. She’d done the research and talked to her doctor at length about the possibility of someday having a child. Although she had a referral to a top specialist in the field, she’d been putting it off, nervous about the prospect of flying to Boston by herself for the consultation.
A huge sigh bubbled up inside her. Ever since the accident she’d refused to fly alone. The very thought of it triggered an anxious response, a panicky feeling that raced straight through her, leaving her breathless and perspiring. On the few occasions she’d flown, her father had accompanied her. Although she’d been grateful at the time, she couldn’t help but wonder if his protectiveness had held her back. How could she even think about raising a child if she couldn’t stand on her own two feet and face her fears?
And how could she even hope for a future with Dylan when she wasn’t certain she could ever give him the children he dreamed of making part of his legacy?
Chapter Ten
The following day passed by in a flurry of activity at Horseshoe Bend Ranch. There was an undercurrent of excitement as the buzz surrounding the rodeo reached a fever pitch. Holly didn’t come across anyone—not a ranch hand nor a wrangler—who wasn’t itching to attend. She didn’t know a soul in town who wouldn’t be putting in an appearance at the two-day event, including her three best friends. Although she’d promised to meet up with the roses, something told her there was bound to be a big reaction from them when they saw her with Dylan. They were going to tease her for sure, especially since she’d told them they were simply friends. Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face.
After her riding lesson with Malachi, she was able to spend some time with Dylan as he groomed Picasso in the stables. It was nice to be around someone without having to work in order to fill up the silence. Everything flowed so easily between them, even the quiet moments. Before Dylan headed off to the northern pasture to repair fences, they finalized their plans for the evening. He told her he’d pick her up at the main house a little before six o’clock.
The remainder of the day passed quickly, leaving her with little or no time to fret about her outfit or to get nervous about her first date in eight years.
But before she could allow herself to fully enjoy the evening ahead, she needed to make amends with her mother. She’d tossed and turned all night just thinking about their estrangement and her own unwillingness to grant forgiveness. She didn’t want to be the type of person who harbored grudges, particularly against someone she loved with all her heart.
At this time of day, she knew where her mother could easily be found. As Holly maneuvered her chair across the side lawn, she spotted her mother in the distance, up to her elbows in mulch and compost in her garden. When she came closer, her mother whirled around, a surprised expression etched on her face. “Holly! I’m surprised to see you out here.”
Holly’s heart sank. There was a time when her mother wouldn’t have been startled at all to see her in the garden. It showed just how wide the gap was between them. Gone were the days when she’d just show up unexpectedly with a glass of sweet tea and lemon bars.
“I’ve always loved this place and being able to see your green thumb in action. What are you planting?”
Her mother wiped her brow with her gloved hand. “Just trying to plant these wildflower seeds next. Blue bonnets will add a nice touch to the garden. They need a sunny spot in order to thrive. I finished with the pansies and violas. And of course my favorites, snapdragons.” She looked up at Holly, squinting against the sun’s glare.
“Is something troubling you, sweetheart?”
Holly swallowed past the lump in her throat. There was so much she wanted to say, yet she didn’t know where to start. She folded her hands in her lap and fumbled with her fingers.
“I’m tired of being angry at you. I’ve been blaming you for all the lost years with Cassidy. But the truth is, you weren’t solely responsible for that. There were so many ripples after the accident. It was like a domino effect that toppled down everything in its path.”
Tears freely ran down Holly’s face, and she didn’t even bother to wipe them away.
Her mother’s face crumpled. “I did an awful thing. I should never have kept those letters from you. You had every right to read them and decide for yourself if you wanted Cassidy in your life.”
Holly nodded. “Yes, it was wrong, Mama. But I forgive you. And I know why you did it. You were protecting me the only way you knew how. Someday I hope to be a mother myself. From what I’ve heard, protecting one’s child is a strong instinct.”
“Yes, it is,” she acknowledged with a nod. “It’s the most powerful force on earth. But in the past few years I’ve come to realize you don’t need me or Tate or anyone else to fight your battles. You’ve grown into a strong, independent and wise young woman, Holly Lynch. And I’m so very proud to call you my daughter.”
Her mother swiftly bridged the gap between them. Holly threw herself into her mother’s open arms like a force of nature. It felt so nice to be embracing her mother without a single issue standing between them. Now there was nothing but love and mutual admiration pulsing in the air around them.
As they broke away from one another, Holly watched as her mother swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. They were happy tears, born of reconciliation and hope. It was a joyful moment, especially in the aftermath of so much heartache and loss.
“So I heard Dylan talking about taking you to the rodeo tonight.” A sweet smile hovered on her mother’s lips. She nodded her head approvingly.
Holly couldn’t hold back her grin. Suddenly it felt as if all was right in her world. Now that she’d bridged the gap with her mother, her thoughts were full to overflowing about her date with Dylan.
“Our first real date,” she said. “I have to admit I’m a little nervous, but more than anything, I’m excited to take this journey with him, wherever it leads.”
Her mother reached out and tightly clasped Holly’s hand. “It’s what your father and I want for you, Holly. To continue to make strides and move forward on your journey. If you decide to follow that path with Dylan at your side, we’ll support you.”
Holly felt her cheeks flush with excitement. There were no guarantees about her future with Dylan, but she had every reason to believe they were headed toward something wonderful. Knowing she had her parents’ blessing made it even more special. Anticipation about this evening was building inside of her, as fragile and precious as a burgeoning flower in springtime.
When Dylan arrived at the house at five minutes before six, Holly was there to greet him. He was standing on her front porch with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands, dressed in a dark pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a black cowboy hat.
“I’ve been wanting to give you flowers for a long time,” he drawled. His grin made him even more handsome than anyone had a right to be. She had to tear her gaze away from him or run the risk of staring as if she were a kid looking through the candy store window.
She reached for the flowers, raising them so she could inhale their sweet scent.
“Thank you. This is way better than the first time,” she said, making reference to the flowers he’d inadvertently given to Cassidy on the day they’d met.
Dylan laughed and shook his head. She felt happy he could look back on that moment and chuckle about it. At the time it hadn’t been a laughing matter. Things had changed so much between them in the past few weeks. It was humbling to acknowledge she’d made such a major mistake with Dylan, yet he was still in her life.
As her parents looked on with barely contained excitement, she sailed out the door with Dylan, eager to get to the rodeo and start enjoying the festivities. It was more practical for her to drive since her van was tailored to her specifications and she had a placard designating her as a disabled driver. With the placard, they’d be able to park close to the venue so she wouldn’t have to travel all the way across the dusty, uneven lot. Being in a wheelchair meant having to plan every aspect of an outing, from the parking situation to making sure the seats were wheelchair accessible.
From the moment they entered the gates, they could see the atmosphere at the rodeo was lively and bustling with spectators. It was a little tricky at times navigating her way through the sea of people, but Dylan was a huge asset. With his commanding height, broad shoulders and no-nonsense demeanor, he easily cut a path for them through the crowd, never leaving her side for a moment.
By the time they made it to their seats, the first event—barrel racing—was about to start. Holly was rooting for West Fall’s own, Lacy Kidd, one of the strongest competitors. She cheered loudly along with Dylan as Lacy outperformed all the other riders and was awarded first prize. Bronc riding, bull riding and steer wrestling quickly followed, making for a thrilling event. When Dylan put his arm around her and asked her if she wanted to go get some refreshments, she almost had to pinch herself. Spending time with him at the rodeo was the most fun she’d had in a very long while. Their rapport was effortless, and she couldn’t help but feel as if she’d known him her whole life. There was no nervousness, no awkwardness during her first date in eight years. Being with him made her feel as comfortable in her own skin as she’d ever been since the accident.
When her stomach started grumbling loudly as they made their way toward the concession stand, they both broke out in laughter. It was funny how she didn’t even feel embarrassed. She felt so comfortable with him, so natural. It was the way her brother had always described the ease he felt whenever he was with Cassidy.
Heart of a Soldier Page 14