“Did you miss this when you moved away?” Regina asked. “Oh, look! Jace jumped the fence and is sitting with the kids. Isn’t that sweet? All the children will go home tonight with stars in their little eyes.”
Carlene wasn’t even aware that she was standing but suddenly she was light-headed, so she sat down with a thud. From what she could see from her position, Tilly’s eyes really were twinkling as she shook her head and said something that put a huge smile on Jace’s face.
“We hollered for you,” Maribel said.
“I heard you.” Jace sat down between Maribel and Tilly. “That’s what kept me on that buckin’ bronc’s back until they blew the horn.”
“Someday I’m going to ride broncs,” Maribel said.
“What about you, Tilly? You want to learn to ride?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I want to be a clown. That looks like more fun. I like to make people laugh, and Mama can make me a clown outfit. Can you teach me how to be one of them?”
“Sometimes I’m the rodeo clown, so I expect I could give you some pointers if your mama don’t mind,” Jace answered.
The horn blasted loudly and Brody announced: “Fell a little short there, cowboy, but White Demon is a tough bronc. Let’s give him a big hand while our next rider gets set. Only ten more rides and…gate is open and look at that cowboy ride, folks. Now that’s worth comin’ out tonight right there.”
Kasey stopped in front of Jace. “Hey, you got your own fan club?”
“Yep, he does,” Maribel said. “Me and Tilly is the bosses of it. The boys all got to do what we say or we won’t let them be bronc busters when they grow up.”
“You can’t stop me from ridin’, and you ain’t the boss of our club. We done already had it made up before you girls got to the arena tonight,” said a little freckle-faced boy.
“We’ll make our own club, then,” Maribel told him.
Tilly studied Kasey seriously. “Who are you? Have we met before?”
“I’m Jace’s sister, and I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” Kasey said. “Who are you?”
“I’m sorry,” Jace said. “Tilly Rose Varner, this is my sister Kasey, and, Kasey, this is Tilly. Her mama is the new teacher at the school.”
“Well”—Kasey stuck out a hand—“I’m pleased to meet you.”
Tilly shook with her. “You got the same color hair as me. Mama says that it’s like oak leaves in the fall.”
“That’s what my mama used to say too.” Kasey smiled. “Well, I’m going down to the concession stand. My kids are yellin’ for candy bars.”
Tilly’s eyes lit up. “Mama told me that you have kids. Can I meet them sometime?”
“I’ve got three and they’d love to meet you. Their names are Rustin, Emma, and Silas.”
Tilly clapped her hands. “Are you Jace’s sister that gave me the kitten? I named her Jasmine. Maybe your kids could come see her sometime.”
“Emma would like it that you named her after a princess,” Kasey said. “Got to be going. Nice to meet you, Tilly Rose Varner. Nice name. I like it.”
Tilly stood up on the seat and cupped her hand over Kasey’s ear. “It’s really Matilda Rose but I don’t like Matilda too much. Mama said it was for her aunt, Matilda Rosalie Varner. Don’t tell nobody, okay?”
“It’s our secret,” Kasey whispered.
Jace overheard the secret and smiled.
Maribel leaned around Jace’s back and whispered, “What did you tell her, Tilly?”
“A secret because our hair is the same color,” Tilly answered. “I’ll tell you someday, but you have to tell me one when I do, so be thinkin’ up a good one.”
Jace glanced over his shoulder toward Carlene. He’d much rather be up there with her, snuggled up close with his arm around her, so close that he could catch a whiff of the same perfume she’d worn in high school, maybe even bury his face in her hair and kiss her on the neck.
“What are you lookin’ at my mama for? Did she say I have to go sit with her now?” Tilly asked, bringing his head out of the clouds and back to the arena.
“No, I was just seeing if she was still in the same spot. I think I’ll go talk to her and see if she’ll let you be a rodeo clown.” Jace stood up.
“Look, it’s my daddy’s turn,” Maribel shouted, and moved in closer to Tilly. “Scream as loud as you can, so he’ll stay on till the horn blows.”
Just like that, Jace was forgotten and a new hero had taken his place. Jimmy Vasquez was a fine rider. There probably wasn’t a horse in the competition that night that could throw him in eight seconds, but Jace hated to give up the spotlight with his daughter.
“What just happened?” Carlene asked when he sat down beside her.
The chemistry between them jacked his pulse up even more than when he lay back on Blaze of Glory and got that rush of adrenaline when the gate opened. “Well, I managed to hang on eight seconds.”
“I’m going to the concession stand to get Randy a beer. He’s manning the gates now that his ride is over.” Regina winked at Carlene as she left.
“Thanks for keepin’ me company,” Carlene said.
Jace nudged her shoulder. “I was real glad that I didn’t bite the dirt since I had such a good little cheering squad. Did you know Tilly wants to be a rodeo clown?”
“I was afraid she’d want to try her hand at ridin’ broncs after tonight. Other than being afraid of spiders, she’s fearless.”
“Does that mean you’ll let me spend some time with her and show her how to be a rodeo clown?” he asked.
“Let’s take this one step at a time. I’ll tell her before Sunday and see how she takes the news. She’s pretty headstrong,” Carlene said.
“Kasey’s hair and your temper? I wouldn’t expect anything else. Will you call me after you tell her?”
“Yes, I will,” Carlene promised.
“Thank you. I should be getting on down to the arena. I’ve promised that I’ll help load the horses and do cleanup in the stands before I go home tonight,” he said.
“You doin’ cleanup? I’d rather watch that than see you ride.”
“Oh, so you’d rather watch me bending over so you can see my butt? I got to admit, I’d rather watch you doing the same than watch you ride a bronc,” he teased.
“Don’t put words into my mouth,” she said.
“Don’t put visions in my head.” He laid a hand on her shoulder.
Yep, there were the sparks again, proving once again that time and space had not erased that chemistry they had years before.
Nothing escaped Hope’s eyes that night. Not the expression on Jace’s face when he sat down beside Carlene the first time, or the way he interacted with the children or when he found an excuse of some kind to talk to her a second time.
Hope turned around and looked up at Henry. He’d been a handsome young man but he was a distinguished-looking older guy with his thick gray hair and that mustache. “If she doesn’t get on the ball and tell that child what everyone in town knows, I’m going to do it myself.”
“She’s only been here a week. Give her a few more days.” Henry’s deep voice was the same as when they were teenagers, back when she’d been in love with him. But he’d gone to the military, angry at her because she wouldn’t go with him. And she’d married the foreman of Hope Springs the next year. She’d loved her husband and they’d had good years together but she’d never been in love with him like she had been with Henry. Now Henry was back on the ranch next door, staying with Kasey and Nash, and those old feelings had sprung up again.
“What was she whispering to you, Kasey?” Hope turned to the other side.
“I’m sworn to secrecy, but it has to do with her name. Tilly is a nickname.”
“For Matilda? That was Rosalie’s first name and she hated it,” Hope said.
“Something like that. You have to promise me you’ll let Carlene take care of this news in her own way,” Kasey said.
“Oh, okay,” Hope agreed.
“Are the kids driving you crazy, Henry?” Kasey asked.
“Not at all. I haven’t been to a rodeo in years and it’s fun to see it through their eyes. So much more exciting than if I was here alone,” he answered Kasey, but his eyes were on Hope, not the next rider out of the chute.
“Are you missin’ Florida, yet?” Hope turned around again and looked up at him.
“Come on up here beside me. Us old folks don’t hear as well as we used to, especially in all this noise,” he said.
She didn’t hesitate and in a few seconds she was shoulder to shoulder with him and suddenly felt like she was a young woman again. When Henry Thomas walked back into her life on Christmas Day, she’d felt like she was sixteen. He’d been her first love but now they were past seventy and their moment had passed years ago.
“Did I tell you that I knew about Jace’s daughter for a couple of years?”
“You already knew? How?” She gave him her full attention.
“They lived not far from me in Florida,” he answered. “I knew who that little girl belonged to the first time I saw her.”
“Henry!” a shrill voice squealed, and suddenly Tilly was right in front of them. “Where’s your ice cream truck? How did you get here?”
“It’s still in Florida and I’m visiting here. That red-haired lady that you met is going to be my niece when she marries my nephew. Do you have a hug for me?”
She slung herself into his arms and Hope felt a pang of jealousy. It was her great-granddaughter, for goodness’ sake, and she wanted to hug her too.
“I’d like you to meet my friend, Hope Dalley,” Henry said.
“Hello, Miz Hope. Are you kin to Jace? He gave me a kitten and I named her Jasmine and is there a lot of Dawsons in this town?” She stopped for air.
“Jace is my grandson and I like baby kittens and yes, there are a lot of Dawsons in this place,” Hope answered.
“My mama is right up there.” Tilly pointed.
Henry turned around and waved at Carlene. She waved back and again a little streak of jealousy struck Hope because Carlene had been able to spend time with him when she couldn’t. When they both turned around, Tilly had already gone back to talk to Maribel.
“I wanted to hug her too,” she said.
“All in due time. She’s going to love you,” Henry said.
Chapter Seven
Tilly tucked her hand into Carlene’s on the way home from the rodeo grounds that night. The temperature had dropped and dark clouds shifted back and forth over the moon, so maybe the weatherman was right about a cold front blowing through.
“Did you know Henry is right here in Happy? I wish he woulda brought his ice cream truck with him, Mama. And there’s a bunch of Dawsons in Happy and guess what, Henry has a friend named Hope. He never told us that.” Tilly talked nonstop, barely giving Carlene time to answer one question before another popped into her head and out her mouth.
“I did know that he is here.” Carlene caught a faint whiff of smoke.
“And you didn’t tell me?” Tilly scolded.
A few more steps and the wind blew more smoke in her face. “I was plannin’ on it but we’ve had so much happening this week.”
Tilly’s nose curled as she raised her chin and sniffed the air. “I hate the smell of cigarette smoke.”
“Me too, baby girl.” Carlene gently squeezed her hand.
They cleared the parking lot and Carlene could see a cloud of gray spiraling upward toward the dark clouds and dread washed over her. She lengthened her stride and Tilly had to do double time to keep up.
“Mama, why are you walking so fast? Is something wrong?”
“I hope not.”
They were both jogging when they reached the edge of the yard. Smoke was billowing from the roof and bright yellow blazes were eating up the living room drapes.
“Jasmine is in there!” Tilly screamed, and took off for the front door in a dead run. “I’ve got to get her out.”
Carlene’s knees buckled and she wanted to drop to the ground and weep. But Tilly was about to rush into a burning living room, so she ran after her. “No, Tilly, don’t open that door!” she yelled as she ran through a gray fog.
“I got to save Jasmine,” Tilly coughed and yelled at the same time.
“I’ll do it. Here, take my phone and go stand in the road. Call 911.” Carlene threw up her arm and tucked her nose into it. “Promise me you will stay in the road. I’ll get Jasmine.”
Tilly took the phone and ran back toward the road. Carlene could hear her talking, but she couldn’t see a thing. The back door was locked, but she saw the mop hanging on a hook and quickly grabbed it. Using the handle, she broke the window, slipped her hand inside, and twisted the doorknob. She tucked her nose into the collar of her coat and took a deep breath. The Christmas tree was a bonfire and the intense heat was almost more than she could stand, but she ran past it toward Tilly’s bedroom, hoping the kitten was in there.
She was halfway down the hallway when she heard a pitiful meow to her right and a crash at the same time. She rushed into the small bathroom and found Jasmine behind the toilet. She grabbed her, tucked her into her coat, and ran for the back door. The fire and smoke were now billowing out the front window. Blazing and throwing heat, it had managed to make its way to the kitchen curtains above the sink. Her lungs ached and the kitten was squirming up next to her chest. Tears flowed down her cheeks, attempting to wash away the sting of the smoke, but all she could think about was getting that kitten out to Tilly.
She was bailing off the porch when two strong arms scooped her up. Even in his yellow turnout gear, she knew it was Jace holding her because there was that instant tingle on the back of her neck. When did he begin to work with the volunteer fire department and how did he get there so fast? Even in the chaos, she was so glad he was there.
“My God, Carlene!” he yelled as he ran around the side of the house toward the yard. “Why did you go in there?”
Her ears were ringing and she was having trouble catching her breath but she managed to cough and say, “Kitten. Is Tilly all right?”
“She’s fine,” Jace answered as he handed her over to an EMT, who immediately snapped an oxygen mask over her nose and stripped off her coat. She held on to Jasmine, and panic filled her breast as Jace disappeared into the grayness again.
“Mama! Mama!” Tilly’s voice rushed to her on the north wind that was now blowing the smoke away from the road. “Mama! I got to see my mama. Let me go.”
“Tilly, I’m fine,” she yelled as loud as she could in between coughing fits.
Then suddenly the EMT was throwing a blanket around her shoulders to stop the shivering. Strange that she could be that cold with all the heat from the fire. Her eyes fluttered and everything started to spin, getting faster and faster. A buzzing in her ears went from sounding like a bumblebee to a high-pitched screech.
“Mama, where are you?” Tilly’s voice jerked her back.
“Right here.” She focused on a little figure running right toward her with a taller one behind her.
“Mama!” Tilly crawled up in her lap and sobbed. “I was afraid you was dead.”
“I’m fine.” Carlene’s voice was raspy and she could only get out a few words at a time, so she held up the cat.
“Jasmine! You saved her, Mama, but what’s that thing on your nose? Are you going to have to keep it forever? Where are we going to stay tonight, Mama?” Tilly cuddled the cat in her arms and snuggled down even tighter against her mother.
She opened her mouth to answer and still yet another coughing fit stopped her. Before she could get control, Lila was at her side with a hand on her shoulder and one on Tilly’s. “It’s an oxygen mask so your mama can get her breath. She’ll only need it for a little while. She breathed in a lot of smoke and her lungs need the oxygen. Have you got a place to stay tonight, Carlene?”
Jace answered before Carlene could say a word. “The fire is out, and she and Tilly can st
ay at the ranch with me tonight.”
Carlene removed the mask. “I can get a motel room.”
“Nonsense.” Valerie and Kasey joined the rest of the family, surrounding the ambulance. “There’s lots of room at the ranch house. You can stay there.”
Carlene opened her mouth to argue but then clamped it shut when Henry caught her eye and mouthed, “Do it.”
“Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “We can find a house tomorrow.”
“That won’t catch on fire?” Tilly’s tone was filled with fear.
Jace removed his headgear and his gloves before he reached out and touched Tilly’s cheek. “We’ll make sure your new house is safe before you move into it. I promise I’ll check it all out myself.”
Brody appeared out of nowhere, ashes in his hair and smudges on his face. “Is everyone okay? Does Carlene need to go to the hospital and get checked?”
“No,” she said emphatically. No way was she leaving Tilly after a trauma like that.
“I want you to have oxygen for a while longer but I don’t think you need to go to the hospital. You are a lucky lady. The bottom of your coat was singed pretty good,” the EMT said.
Tears welled up in her eyes but this time they were emotional. Tilly could have easily been an orphan if that coat had caught on fire.
She’s got a father. Aunt Rosalie’s voice was so real in her head that she looked out over the top of the mask to see if she was there. But she needs her mother.
“Let me put Tilly in the van with Kasey’s kids,” Lila whispered. “She needs to get out of this smoke or she’ll need a mask too.”
“Thank you so much for everything. For showing up.” Carlene covered her mouth when she coughed again. “For offering to let us stay at your house.”
“That’s what friends and family are for.” Lila took Tilly’s free hand in hers. “Hey, sweetie, let’s go put Jasmine in the van with Kasey’s kids. She’s had enough smoke for one night.”
Luckiest Cowboy of All--Two full books for the price of one Page 9