“I told you I remember everything.”
“Thank you, Blake.”
A message seemed to flash between them as she accepted the chocolate and vanilla ice cream twisted together in the same cone as she had always liked. Just as Blake remembered. She bit the cold point from the tip of the ice cream and let it melt in her mouth, all the while trying to ignore the man she could never stop loving.
“This is neat, Blake.” Derek shoved in beside Tessa. “Thanks.”
Seth sat beside Blake while Rob joined some older boys outside. Tessa watched her tall, lanky older son through the window and knew that he would soon be grown up. He hadn’t said much lately about taking his driving exam, but she knew that time would come soon. He wouldn’t wait much longer.
“I had fun tonight.” Blake grinned at the boys. “Coaching isn’t half bad with the team we’ve got. Don’t forget practice Monday. We’ve got a game coming up next Friday, and I plan to win. How about you?”
“Yeah.” Derek and Seth smacked their right hands across the table. “We’re the best.”
“That’s the spirit.” Blake chuckled.
Tessa watched him interact with her boys and saw genuine interest on his part. When he dropped them off at her car, the boys climbed in while she thanked him again for the ice cream.
“I’d like to do something special with you, Tessa.” Blake leaned against a tree several feet from her car. She stood an arm’s length from him and still felt entirely too close for her comfort.
“I don’t know, Blake. That may not be wise.” She gave a bitter laugh as she remembered the clean-cut young man she had fallen so hard for and more than likely led astray. “We didn’t have much in common eleven years ago; I’m not sure we do yet.”
“You’ve changed so much.” His gaze lingered on her face and hair as if he were comparing her clean, natural appearance with the blue eye shadow, glaring red lip color, and harsh black hair of her former life. “It’s almost as if you’re another person.”
“I am, Blake. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I have a new life in Christ. The old has been done away with.” She watched the confusion in his eyes and felt her chest tighten. “Why don’t you come to church with us Sunday morning? Maybe seeing that part of my life would help you understand.”
Blake’s eyes darkened as if a shutter closed at her invitation. He shook his head. “I’m not much into church attendance. Besides, my dad’s operation is Monday morning. I’d better stay pretty close to the folks this weekend. I’m sorry, because Sunday’s the Fourth and I wanted to do something with the boys.”
“Oh Blake.” Tessa saw the sincerity in his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. Your dad comes first right now. We’ll make it another time.”
“Thanks for understanding,” Blake said. “I don’t know if I’ll make it to practice Monday night either. I’ll try, but it all depends on how things go with Dad.”
“I’ll be praying for him.” Tessa felt a heavy weight settle on her heart. She longed to drag Blake to Jesus and force him to accept the free gift of eternal life that awaited him, but she knew she couldn’t. Each person must make that decision on their own. She could only pray and tell him what Christ had done for her. He’d already seen the difference in her life; now it was up to him to accept the same for himself.
“I’ll call you Monday after his surgery.”
Blake shoved away from the tree, and Tessa turned toward her car. She couldn’t help noticing he had thanked her for understanding but not for her prayers. As she started her car and drove toward home, she breathed a prayer for Blake.
Monday afternoon Tessa hung up the phone and turned to her boys. “That was Blake. He wanted me to tell you he won’t be at practice tonight. His dad is doing fine at this point, but Blake wants to stay with his mom because she’s pretty shook up about the whole thing.”
Derek hung his head and mumbled, “Won’t be as much fun without Blake.”
“Yeah, but he can’t help it,” Seth reminded his brother.
“I know.” Derek looked up. “He’ll be at the game Friday, won’t he?”
Tessa slipped an arm around her youngest son as he stepped closer to her. “I imagine he will be. Tell you what. I was talking to Kasi yesterday at church. She asked if we’d like to go Saturday night with her family to Palo Duro to watch Texas! with them.”
“Will Zack go, too?” Derek asked.
“Of course.” Tessa nodded. “Zack and Zandra both. And Travis and Kasi.”
Derek shrugged. “If Zack’s there, I want to go.”
“Me, too,” Seth agreed.
“Go where?” Rob walked into the room munching on an apple.
“To see the musical Texas! with the Baynes family this Saturday night,” Tessa answered.
“Don’t you have to work at the store Saturday?” Rob asked.
He meant Granny’s Attic, the store whose proceeds went to the women’s shelter she’d told Blake about the week before. She nodded. “Yes, but I’ll be off in plenty of time.”
“Are we going for the steak dinner?” Rob grinned, his dimples flashing. “I’ve heard it’s worth every penny.”
“You could wish.” Tessa laughed at the thought of spending even more money when she was still trying to recoup from their vacation. The show would have to suffice this time.
Even the promise of an outing on Saturday evening didn’t keep the boys or Tessa from missing Blake at practice and through every day that week. On Friday evening, when they saw his SUV in the ball field parking lot, their moods improved and remained high as their team won the game.
After the teams ran through their special handshake, Blake rounded the fence with the boys to meet Tessa. He grinned at her. “Did you see these two play ball? They’ll be ready for the World Series before you know it.”
Tessa just laughed, but both boys looked at Blake with hero worship in their eyes.
“Why don’t we do something to celebrate?” Blake looked from the boys to Tessa. He included Rob as the teenager joined them. “I’ve been in Oklahoma the last couple of days and just got here in time for the game, so I haven’t seen the folks. What about tomorrow night?”
“I’m sorry, Blake.” Tessa frowned as she realized the truth in her statement. “We won’t be home tomorrow.”
“We’re going to Palo Duro,” Seth spoke up.
“Oh. To watch the show?” Blake looked into Tessa’s eyes as if waiting for something. She simply nodded.
“Hey Mom, why don’t we—”
“Well, boys.” Tessa cut into Rob’s suggestion that probably held an invitation for Blake to join them. “Why don’t we let Blake get home to see about his dad? How is he doing, by the way?”
Blake’s eyebrows lifted, but he nodded. “Yeah, I do need to be going. Dad’s doing great considering what he’s been through. The doctors are reasonably sure they got it all. They say he’s got a good chance. Tell you what, I’ll give you a call in the morning, and we’ll talk then since I’m in such a hurry tonight.”
He grinned at her, taking the sting from his sarcasm, then turned to the boys and took turns slapping right hands as he said, “Good game, guys.”
He gave Rob a real handshake. “Sorry I’ve got to run, but maybe we can get together another time.”
“Sure.” Rob watched him leave.
So did the two younger boys.
And so did Tessa.
She swung away as quickly as she recognized the longing in her heart.
Saturday evening Kasi and Zandra rode with Tessa while her boys rode with Travis and Zack the short drive to Palo Duro.
“I’m glad you suggested we go with you,” Tessa told her friend. “We haven’t done anything fun together for a long time.”
“I know.” Kasi shifted in the passenger seat to face Tessa. “In fact, we haven’t had time for that chat where you tell me about the handsome man you met while on vacation. Or are you ready to—”
Tessa choked and started coughing.
She quickly brought her coughing fit under control, but not before her eyes teared up. As she wiped the moisture away, Kasi laughed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause that, but obviously I hit a nerve. So tell the truth. Who is he?”
“I assure you, I did not meet a new man. In fact, most of the men I saw were old, fat, and balding.”
“Oh ho!” Kasi clapped her hands together. “You did meet someone. You forget how long I’ve known you, Tessa. I learned long ago how you can twist words around so you are not lying and still not giving out information.”
She put her finger to her chin as if in thought. “Let’s see. No new men.” She smiled. “That means you saw someone you used to know. He isn’t old, fat, or balding, either, is he?”
“Kasi.” Tessa tried to put a warning in the one word.
Kasi glanced to the backseat at her five-year-old daughter. Although Zandra had earphones on while she listened to music, she kept her voice low. “What are you trying to hide, Tessa? Or should I say who? Obviously he means something to you. If you saw him on vacation, that means he doesn’t live here, so what difference does it make?”
Tessa sucked in air and let it out in a rush. “A lot. He’s here now.”
“He followed you?” Kasi made it sound like Blake was a stalker.
Tessa shook her head. “His parents live in Amarillo. His dad has cancer. He’s opening a new business here so he can be close to his folks.”
“So he isn’t moving back to be close to you?”
“No, of course not.” Tessa denied the idea with little conviction.
“Is he a Christian?” Kasi asked.
She shook her head. “I can’t get him to understand why I’m different from the Tessa he remembers. He knew me when we first moved here.”
“Ooh.” Kasi drew the word out. After a pause, she asked, “How well did he know you?”
For two cents she wouldn’t answer, but Kasi wasn’t a busybody. She cared and Tessa needed someone to talk to. As wonderful as her mom was, she couldn’t talk to her about Blake.
She sighed. “He’s Derek’s father.”
Kasi stared out the windshield while Tessa followed the road to the parking lot and pulled in. Finally she spoke. “I’ll be praying extra for you.”
“Thanks.” Tessa parked two spaces down from Travis.
Another vehicle pulled to a stop in the parking space to their right. Tessa and Kasi stepped out as their boys ran toward them with Travis following. Tessa’s boys ran past while Travis and Zack stopped beside Kasi. Tessa turned to see where they were going just as Rob called out, “Blake, you made it.”
“Hey guys, is this the place?”
“Sure is.”
Tessa took two steps forward to meet Blake head-on. Her three traitorous sons surrounded him, while Kasi and her family stood behind her watching. Her hands landed on her hips. “What are you doing here?”
Blake’s eyes widened, and a grin started at one corner of his mouth. He turned toward Rob with lifted eyebrows. “Something tells me Mom wasn’t in on my invite.”
Chapter 7
R obert Stevens.” Blake watched Tessa turn on her oldest son. He admired the blue sparks that flew from her eyes. She’d done a lot of changing over the years, but she still had a lot of fire. She was a survivor. He had never loved her more. “Did you invite Blake to meet us here?”
A bit of Tessa’s fire flared in Rob’s eyes. “Well sure, Mom.” He gestured toward his brothers. “We took a vote and decided if you weren’t going to invite him, we would. Kasi brought Travis.”
Tessa choked on that last bit of logic. Blake held back a laugh, but Travis didn’t. While his laughter bounced toward the canyon walls, he stepped forward with his hand outstretched.
“Hi, I’m Travis Baynes.” Still grinning, he motioned toward Kasi. “This is my wife, Kassandra, and our children. The young man is Zachary, otherwise known as Zack. Our daughter is Alexandria. We call her Zandra.” He shrugged. “My wife has a thing about Zs.”
Blake liked him instantly. They shook hands, and Blake said, “I’m Blake Donovan. I met Tessa several weeks ago and followed her here. I figure if I keep showing up, she’ll get used to me eventually.”
Travis looked from Blake to Tessa and back. “So you two just met?”
Blake grinned at the frown on Tessa’s face and shook his head. “Nah, we’re old friends.”
“I see.” Travis fell into step with Blake as the group moved toward the trail leading to the natural amphitheater.
The boys swarmed around the men and ran a few feet ahead while the women followed. Blake could hear Tessa’s low voice and her friend’s response, but he couldn’t understand any words. Maybe it was best he didn’t know what they said. At least she hadn’t called security when he showed up.
“So Tessa didn’t expect you tonight.”
Blake grinned at Travis’s attempt at prying. “Doesn’t look that way.” He watched Rob’s easy stride ahead. “In fact, I may have been set up.”
Travis grinned. “Got some young matchmakers?”
Blake nodded. “Could be.”
“So how long have you known Tessa?”
Hmm, Travis must be long in bluntness and short in tact. Blake appreciated that Tessa had concerned friends. He suppressed a grin and answered, “More than ten years. We met at a party not long after she moved here. We dated off and on for a year or so, and then I joined the navy. We lost contact until a few weeks ago when she walked into my restaurant in Oklahoma.”
Mentioning his restaurant brought more questions, and by the time they reached their seats, Blake sensed Travis’s acceptance. At least he took Kasi’s hand and left Blake to sit beside Tessa with the women in the middle and the kids in the row in front of them.
Carved from Palo Duro Canyon, the beautiful natural basin where they sat formed an outdoor amphitheater that made the perfect backdrop for the musical. Blake slipped his arm around Tessa’s shoulders as a horseback rider appeared on top of the high cliff. The rider raised the Texas flag, letting it unfurl behind him as he raced around the crest of the canyon walls. Each time he saw the show, Blake’s pride in his home state rose with the swelling music, while the sky came alive in an impressive fireworks display.
His arm tightened around Tessa as she relaxed against him. He watched the bright lights from the stage reflect in her wide eyes, and he lost interest in the story unfolding in front of them. She turned and met his gaze, her lips turning up at the corners. A grin began at the corner of his mouth. His heart leapt with the dancers onstage. She didn’t mind him being there.
While the evening air kept Tessa in the circle of his arm where she belonged, warmth flooded Blake’s heart. He had never loved another woman as he now loved Tessa. Why hadn’t she been this way eleven years before? He loved her beauty, her zest for life, and the way she put her boys first before herself. But more than anything, he loved the peace he saw in her eyes. A peace that made this Tessa so different from the girl he had known before. With his mind full of the woman beside him, Blake scarcely watched the actors depict the historical settlement of the Texas Panhandle. More quickly than he expected or wanted, the show ended.
Back at the parking lot, Blake released Tessa’s hand while she stepped aside to tell Kasi good-bye. Travis was helping his sleepy daughter settle in their car, so Blake waited for Tessa at her car. Rob walked up and leaned against the car near Blake.
“Mom doesn’t want me to learn to drive.”
“Is that the straight of it?” Blake figured this story might have another side. He looked across the trunk of the car at Tessa’s startled eyes and knew she had heard.
“Yeah, I’m doing the lessons, but she won’t let me take the test.”
Tessa rounded the back of her car. “That isn’t entirely true, Rob. I don’t mind you learning to drive.”
“So I can go Monday and take the test?” Rob challenged her. “I’m ready.”
“I don’t know, Rob. You’ve got
plenty of time for driving, don’t you think? You’re only fifteen. Driving a car is a big responsibility.”
“Everyone drives at fifteen, Mom. I’ll bet you even did.”
Tessa shook her head. “No, I didn’t. My mom didn’t have a car then. I got my license when I was eighteen.”
Rob groaned. “I am not waiting three more years. You can forget that idea.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Tessa protested. “I just meant that you need to show more responsibility. I’m afraid you won’t understand the importance of treating a car like a dangerous tool rather than a toy.”
“Oh Mom.” Rob folded his arms and scowled.
Blake cleared his throat. “Maybe your mom has the right idea, Rob. You know she’d hate to scrape you up off the pavement.”
Rob deepened his scowl. “Not you, too.”
Blake held up his hand. “Hear me out here. How about if you and your mom came to an agreement? Set a time limit and if you show her how responsible you can be in that time, you get to take the test?”
Rob’s arms relaxed and his frown cleared. “You mean like keeping my room clean?”
Blake’s eyebrows raised, and he took a step back. “You mean you don’t already?”
Rob laughed, and Blake laughed with him. “Okay, keep your room clean, take out the garbage, have a decent meal ready for your mom when she comes home at lunch. Wouldn’t hurt to have dinner started for her each evening, too. What do you think, Mom?”
Tessa smiled and nodded.
“Rob?”
Rob shrugged. “Sure, I can do all that. I’m not a little kid.”
Tessa stuck her hand out to Rob. “Shall we shake on it? I’ll try to figure out all the details tomorrow and let you know what to cook. Actually, I think this is an excellent idea. I should have had you guys helping more all along.”
Rob grinned and shook his mom’s hand. “You need to put Seth and Derek to work, too.”
“I’ll do that.” Tessa glanced at Blake. “But for now, it’s getting late. I think we’d better call it a night.”
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