by Anna Sugden
Kayla’s attention was torn between her children as they learned the fundamentals of horseback riding. Not surprisingly, DeeDee was keener than her brother, who only seemed to be going along out of his friendship with Morgan. It was interesting, though—Jackson and his daughter seemed to communicate better when animals were involved.
“See if you can lift it,” Jackson suggested after showing DeeDee the different parts of a saddle.
“Jipes,” DeeDee yelped, almost staggering under the weight. She stuck out her bottom lip. “Poor horses.”
“You’d be amazed how strong they are. But don’t worry, the one you’ll be using is lighter.”
He put the saddle down and opened a large double stall. The mares inside had been curiously watching the proceedings and they walked out to stand quietly between Alex and DeeDee.
“These two ladies are Betty and Boop,” Jackson said.
Kayla nearly choked. “Betty and Boop?”
“Yeah, I let my younger brother choose the names. Josh has a wicked sense of humor, or at least he used to.”
“I wanna ride Boop,” DeeDee declared. She watched Jackson slip the bit into Boop’s mouth and adjust the bridle, so eager she was hopping from one foot to the other.
“DeeDee, I’m betting you’re a natural-born rider,” Jackson said when he’d finished saddling the horse. “Put your foot in the stirrup this way.”
Morgan was showing Alex how to mount as well, and Kayla gulped when she saw her kids so high off the ground.
“Can we go out on the ranch now?” DeeDee demanded after circling the paddock several times on Boop. “I don’t want to just ride in a circle.”
Jackson opened his mouth, hesitated and glanced at Kayla. She nodded slowly.
“Okay,” he agreed. “But don’t try going off alone at any time. Kayla, shall I saddle a horse for you?”
“Yikesylvania,” DeeDee exclaimed. “You know how to ride, Mom?”
“Of course she does! I taught her,” Jackson said. His words evoked memories of long-ago days, when he’d patiently taught her about horses while stealing kisses whenever his parents or a ranch hand couldn’t see them.
“I’d love to go,” Kayla affirmed.
Several minutes later, Jackson appeared leading two saddled horses—a black-and-white Appaloosa and a golden palomino that quickly nosed Kayla’s breast pocket, where she’d dropped a handful of sugar cubes.
“Hey, beautiful girl.” Kayla fed her the sugar. “What is she called, Daisy Mae?”
“No.” Jackson cleared his throat. “Madonna. It was my youngest sister’s idea—Madison is a fan.” He patted the Appaloosa’s neck. “And this is Thunder.”
Though she hadn’t gotten on a horse in sixteen years, Kayla avoided Jackson’s helpful hand while climbing onto Madonna. His eyebrows shot upward, but she didn’t care. There were too many memories involved, such as the way he used to run his fingers up her calf or put an intimate hand on her bottom while boosting her into the saddle. Funny, she hadn’t thought about those times in years, and now she could hardly stop thinking about them.
The five of them started out slowly at first, then as Alex and DeeDee became more comfortable, they urged the horses into a faster pace.
Mmm. Kayla had forgotten how enjoyable riding could be. No motors. No roads. No traffic. Just moving through the early-August morning and becoming part of the landscape. Jackson rode beside her. If it wasn’t for the kids ahead of them, she could have almost time-warped back to her teenage days when they’d ridden out on the range to find secluded places for kisses and fondling.
* * *
ALEX DECIDED THAT horses weren’t too bad. In fact, he kind of liked riding, even if it jolted his butt.
DeeDee had been wild to get on a horse for the past year. He hadn’t cared that much, even though Sandy had told him he was a dope; she loved it and had gotten her parents to take her riding every week.
After a while Jackson called out for them to stop.
“Are there mountain lions or wolves ahead?” DeeDee asked excitedly.
“No, I just think we should turn back.”
“We haven’t gone that far at all,” Morgan complained.
“Yes, but remember what happened with Kenny and Lynne.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Huh?” Alex asked.
“Sore bums,” Morgan explained. “My cousins visited from Chicago and they got it bad. Like, they couldn’t sit or lie down or walk for days without groaning and moaning.”
“Uh...okay.”
“But after lunch we can get in the pool, and tomorrow we can go for a longer ride. You get used to it pretty quick.”
Alex nodded. Morgan expected him to come out to the ranch every day, and maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. Jackson might not be too bad, either, if they could just be friends.
And he’d liked meeting the McGregors. All of a sudden he had regular grandparents, the same as most of his friends. He even had more great-grandparents that he hadn’t met yet. He’d emailed to tell Sandy more about it last night; she’d written back and said it was good he was too old to get dorky birthday clothes. That had made him laugh. The first time he’d met Sandy was in the first grade and she’d been spitting mad because her mom had made her wear a sweater from her grandmother with Big Bird on the front.
Anyway, the McGregors were okay. Jackson had seemed surprised when he’d called them Grandpa Parker and Grandma Sarah, but Alex didn’t mind doing it. Other than his grandparents, he only had Uncle Pete on Mom’s side, but Jackson’s family was humongous. Grandpa Parker had promised to give him a chart of the McGregor family to help sort it out.
At the barn, Morgan showed him how to unsaddle Betty. She did the same with the Black, then casually lifted her stallion’s front right foot.
“Don’t fuss, ya big baby,” she scolded as the Black snorted, though she didn’t sound annoyed. “This is a hoof pick,” she told Alex, showing him how to use the tool to clean around the horseshoe.
Alex nervously took one of the picks from the grooming trays on a shelf. Luckily Betty didn’t seem to mind her feet being messed with, though she leaned on his back a little.
Next came a currycomb, then the body brush; he liked doing that part more even though his arms started aching.
“We take good care of our horses on the Crazy Horse,” Morgan said. “If you wanna ride, you gotta know your way around a currycomb and hoof pick.”
“That’s right,” Jackson agreed. He was helping DeeDee, who couldn’t reach as high as she needed to get Boop’s head and back with the body brush.
Alex saw his mom was grooming Madonna as if she knew exactly what she was doing. For some reason he was surprised to find out that Jackson had taught her to ride a horse, but he knew they’d dated and done stuff together...yeah, a lot of stuff. Yuck.
He tried to think about lunch instead, hoping it wouldn’t be barbecued burgers again, or anything else that smelled real good. Being a vegetarian was hard, but he didn’t want to stop being one in front of Jackson...or in front of Dad, not after all the snotty jokes Dad had made about vegetarians with Brant.
He and Morgan finished by cleaning Betty’s and the Black’s bridles and the stirrup treads and went outside to hang around and wait for the others.
“Phew,” he muttered. “That’s a lot of work.”
“You get used to it,” Morgan said, climbing up to straddle the corral fence. “The Black trusts me more because I take care of him. And this way I know where he likes to be touched the most, and what he doesn’t like, all sorts of stuff.”
Alex could see how it would help. He’d already discovered there was a spot on Betty’s neck where she loved being scratched, but he didn’t think he’d ever get used to cleaning a horse’s butt...the dock, as Morgan called it. She’d told him it was the place around the tail, but as far as he was concerned, a butt was a butt.
* * *
JACKSON ENJOYED SHOWING DeeDee how to take care of Boop and even took the t
ime to explain the basics of cleaning and oiling saddles. But it was obvious Alex wasn’t interested, because he left with Morgan. At least he’d seemed to enjoy the ride.
One step at a time, Jackson reminded himself. With every scrap of the patience he could muster, he brought everyone into the kitchen.
“Flora, I think you briefly met Kayla when she came to the house a few weeks ago, and these are her children, Alex and DeeDee Anderson,” he said, resisting the urge to call Alex his son. After all, Flora didn’t need to be told—even if he hadn’t explained the situation to her, the resemblance was unmistakable.
Kayla shook the other woman’s hand. “Hello, again.”
“Hi. I hope you’re all hungry. I’ve got enough lasagna to feed an army.”
DeeDee smacked her lips. “I loooove lasagna, and Morgan says yours is fabulous.”
Jackson was astonished to see a pleased dimple in his housekeeper’s cheek, though she brusquely told everyone to wash up and get to the table before the food got cold. Luckily her culinary expertise with lasagna included a meatless variety and Alex consumed a vast amount, along with salad and garlic bread.
Flora sat next to Kayla during the meal and he saw the two women exchange amused glances when Alex took a third serving.
“That was wonderful,” Kayla said when they were done. Both DeeDee and Alex thanked Flora, as well.
“There will be cookies and homemade ice cream later in the afternoon,” she told them.
“Homemade ice cream,” DeeDee said reverently. “That is so...fantastalicious.”
“The squirt likes to make up words,” Alex explained.
“Someone has to,” DeeDee argued. “Why not me?”
“How about going to my room and playing a game?” Morgan asked DeeDee and Alex. “Dad won’t let us swim until an hour after we eat.”
“Swimming after eating doesn’t cause cramps,” DeeDee said. “I heard they proved it didn’t make any difference.”
“But why take a chance?” Jackson argued back with a friendly smile. “Especially after a big meal. So go have fun, there’s plenty of time for the pool.”
The three kids clattered out, Morgan’s dog faithfully following them.
“What can I do to help?” Kayla asked Flora.
“Nothing,” the housekeeper said. “That’s my job.”
Jackson grimaced. The kitchen was Flora’s domain and she fiercely protected it. He and Morgan often fixed their own breakfast but knew better than to do more than neatly pile their dishes in the sink.
The silence in the family room was awkward as Kayla sank onto one of the large couches.
“Flora seems efficient,” she said finally.
“Yes. She’s one of the best cooks in the area and keeps everything organized,” Jackson answered.
Kayla glanced around, likely trying to think of conversational topics. “This is quite a place. DeeDee was surprised. She expected something more traditionally Western.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The design had largely been Marcy’s choice. Ironically, she’d walked out less than a year after it was built.
“What’s wrong?” Kayla asked.
“Nothing. The house works, though personally I would have chosen something that blends into the landscape better.”
“Oh, I see.” It was clear she’d understood the implication about Marcy. Kayla had always been sharp.
“My brother Trent built it,” he added. “Trent is a contractor now.”
“Trent is one of the cousins your folks raised.”
“Yeah, but Trent and Alaina are just as much my brother and sister as Josh and Madison.” That was something his parents had simply assumed was true when their orphaned nephew and niece had joined the household.
Kayla kicked her shoes off and tucked her legs beneath her. “I remember Trent. He’s older than you—sort of dark and brooding?”
“Yeah, he’s a loner, but we don’t let him bury his head too deep.”
“Alex is trying to sort out all the relatives, but he’s having a hard time.”
“My parents were thrilled to meet him yesterday.”
“I’m glad. They always seemed...nice.” Something in her tone made Jackson frown.
“Nice? You don’t seem that sure of it.”
Kayla glanced around as if to be certain they were alone, then shrugged. “I always liked them, but I’m not sure they felt the same about me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous...” His voice trailed off and she smiled wryly.
“Yeah,” she said. “Admit it, they didn’t approve of me as your girlfriend.”
“Please understand, Mom and Dad were disappointed that I’d broken up with Marcy. Her father’s ranch was next to theirs, and it must have seemed the perfect match to them.”
“Yep. Marcy was the girl next door, not the one whose mother drank her way through every bar.”
Puzzled, Jackson stared at Kayla. Her mother was obviously an alcoholic who’d made her childhood difficult, yet she didn’t sound bitter.
“You never talked about your mom, or about your life before Schuyler.”
Kayla cocked her head. “It wasn’t something I enjoyed discussing. We lived on welfare in the worst sections of town. It usually wasn’t that safe. Mom drank and slept around to forget the past, and sometimes resented having a kid hanging like a millstone around her neck—those are her words, by the way, not mine.”
“Then, why did she bring you back to Schuyler and take you with her when she left?” Jackson still remembered the day he’d learned Kayla was gone. He’d broken up with her because of Marcy being pregnant, which had sucked, but then Kayla had made him really mad by claiming she was pregnant.
“Mom can’t stay anywhere for long,” Kayla told him. “She has a host of personal demons, starting with my dad dying so young and leaving her alone. She still loves him, but hates him, too, for the way it turned out.”
“That still doesn’t explain why she didn’t leave you in Schuyler. Surely it would have been better for you both.”
“My grandparents asked Mom to let me stay, but I didn’t want her to be alone. Besides, I couldn’t stay.”
It wasn’t logical, but an intense dislike for Carolyn Garrison went through Jackson. Whatever excuses Kayla might make, her mother was a nightmare, too weak and selfish to think of anyone but herself.
Hypocrite, an inner voice taunted.
Kayla might have remained in Schuyler if she hadn’t been pregnant; she might have even stayed if he hadn’t accused her of sleeping around. But he had, and then she’d learned he was marrying Marcy without knowing the whole story—the news about Marcy’s impending motherhood hadn’t come out until after the wedding.
God, no wonder Kayla disliked him. And it was true that his parents hadn’t been happy he was dating her. So even if they’d known about Alex and supported her financially, she might have resented taking the money. On the other hand, she might have felt it was owed to her.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“I did okay.”
“You did better than okay,” he told her.
They fell silent again, but it was more comfortable this time. After exactly sixty minutes, DeeDee came running downstairs. “Can we swim now?” she pleaded. “There’s a neat pool house where we can change.”
“Sure,” Kayla told her. “I’ll go with you.”
Jackson went to his bedroom to put on his swim trunks, then headed outside.
Kayla stood next to the pool in her bathing suit, chatting with Morgan. She looked like a model in one of those vacation-paradise magazine ads—long legs, hair fiery in the sun and a body that made him want to howl.
He was in deep trouble.
CHAPTER TWELVE
KAYLA FOUND IT hard to concentrate as she helped Morgan apply sunblock to her back. The barely concealed heat in Jackson’s gaze made her want to wrap a towel around herself. There was nothing provocative about her swimsuit, but it exposed more of her skin than he�
��d seen since they were teenagers.
“Thanks, Kayla,” Morgan said, almost shyly as she turned around. The teenager looked at Kayla’s black Lycra one-piece. “I wish I had that kind of suit.”
“I’m sure you can find something similar. But yours is awfully cute.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Absolutely.”
The teen wore a swimsuit that reminded Kayla of the 1960s pop song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” though Morgan’s blue suit had white polka dots instead of yellow, and it wasn’t itsy-bitsy. It looked sweet...though Kayla could well imagine Jackson’s reaction the first time he’d seen his little girl in a bikini.
“I went running this morning,” Morgan told her eagerly. “At least four miles.”
“Running is terrific exercise.”
“Yeah. Um, I wanted to say I’m sorry about your... That is, Alex told me about how his dad keeps getting married... Uh, I mean, his other dad, the one who adopted...” Morgan stopped, obviously unsure how to word everything.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kayla advised. “Families are so complicated now, we need new names to describe relationships.”
“Yeah. It’s weird.”
“Of course it is. But we can handle weird, can’t we?”
With a grin, Morgan said, “I guess so.”
“Hey, Morgan,” Alex yelled. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“What do you think, bozo?” She cannonballed into the deep end near Alex and DeeDee and a three-sided water fight quickly started.
Steps extended across the shallow end of the long pool, and Kayla slid into the water to sit down. It was refreshing in the sultry afternoon air and she leaned against the edge, watching the kids play. Jackson dived in and swam laps with a ferocious speed. After a long time he finally stopped.
“Do you do laps every day?” Kayla asked.
He swept his hair off his forehead, breathing hard. “No, though I probably should. Are you going to do any?”
“Not right now. I had a long run this morning, so I can relax and mellow out.”
Nodding, Jackson lounged a few feet away, his bronzed shoulders bare and glistening in the sunlight, his legs spread under the surface, braced again the pool bottom. Even in the cool water, Kayla had to acknowledge the heat in her abdomen. Determinedly she turned her attention to her son and daughter as they shouted and played Marco Polo with Morgan.