Susan unlocked the door to let him in, gave Kara a broad wink, and promptly headed for the kennel area. “Well, there's work to be done. You two take all the time you need. I'll clean up and feed by myself tonight.” She giggled as she looked back at her sister. “And, no, I did not invite him to stop by, so you can't blame me this time.”
Puzzled, Kara frowned up at Tyler. “What are you doing here?”
He politely removed his cowboy hat and held it casually in one hand. “You forgot we had a date? Shame on you.”
“We didn't have a date.”
“Yes, we did. You wanted to get together and go over our lists. Remember?”
“Well, yes, but we both said we weren't able to think of much to add, so I figured—”
“You figured I wasn't serious in the first place,” he concluded. “I thought you knew me better than that.”
“I don't know you at all.”
“That's not what you said right before we had the water fight last Sunday.”
Kara waved her hands wildly at him. “Hush! Susan will hear you.”
“So? We didn't do anything wrong. Unless your dress was ruined after all. Was it?”
“No. At least I don't think so. I just tossed it in the washer and dryer. It looked okay when I took it out and hung it up.”
“Good. I like it on you.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means I like the dress. Nothing more. Nothing less,” he said, starting to get annoyed. “Now, are we having dinner together, or shall I take the hint and just go away?”
“I didn't mean…” Kara felt about two inches tall. “I'm sorry. It's been a rough day.”
“I can see that from here.” Looking her up and down, Tyler stopped at her stained white coat and pants. He raised one eyebrow. “I hope the other guy fared better than you did.”
“The other guy's fine, thanks.” She realized how she must look. “But I can't go anywhere looking like this. And I didn't bring a change of clothes. Maybe another time.”
“Nope. You're not going to brush me off that easy. If I can have my hair cut and take the time to shave—twice in the same day—you're going to go out to dinner with me. Tonight.”
She couldn't tell if he was teasing or serious. His hair did look marvelous—dark, shiny and neatly trimmed. As for his lack of beard stubble, all she could see was the compelling cut of his jaw and the way the fine lines on his face accentuated his smile and made his eyes twinkle. “You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?”
“I'll be even better once I've seen your list and made sure you haven't added anything scandalous.”
Kara gasped. “Me? Don't you dare—” Her sentence was cut off abruptly when he picked her up, swung her feet off the floor, and started to carry her toward the door. “Put me down!”
“Susan!” Tyler shouted over the uproar. “Hey, Susan. Come unlock this door and let me out before your sister gives me a black eye.”
“That's a good idea,” Kara sputtered. Instead, she pushed against his chest, hoping to break free. It didn't help a bit.
Tyler was laughing. “My second good idea of the day. The first one was when I decided to treat you to a nice dinner. I just didn't dream it would be so hard to get you to go with me.” He looked beyond Kara. “Ah, Susan, there you are. I seem to have a problem. The door's locked and I need to abscond with my date. As you can see, she's being difficult tonight.”
“She's always difficult,” Susan said with a wide grin. Hesitating, key poised, she looked at Kara and added, “I suppose I should ask you if you want me to let him out or call the police instead.”
“Look at me! I am not going out in public looking like I've just been dragged through the mud,” Kara shouted. “I tried to tell him that, but he's not listening.”
“Well, why didn't you say so? Wait right there.”
In a few seconds, Susan was back with a pile of neatly folded clothes. “Here we go. My favorite denim blouse and jeans to match.” She ignored the face Kara was making and spoke directly to Tyler. “Put her down so she can go take a shower and change. I'll make sure she doesn't duck out the back door.”
“Well…I don't know. She's pretty sneaky.”
“You're telling me. That was quite a disappearing act you two pulled after church last Sunday.”
“It was good, wasn't it?” He lowered Kara's feet to the floor and carefully released her as he said to Susan, “Let's you and me sit down and have a little talk while Kara's changing. I'll bet you can tell me all kinds of interesting things about her. For instance, was she this stubborn when she was a little girl?”
Kara's loud, “Aargh!” filled the room. She snatched the clean clothes out of Susan's hands and headed for the bathroom next to her private office. The last thing she heard her sister say, was, “You wouldn't believe it. I remember one time, when she was about six and I was ten…”
Picking up her pace, Kara ran down the hallway and flew into the bathroom, shedding her lab coat as she went. The sooner she got back to Tyler, the less time Susan would have to regale him with inventive tales of her childhood.
She jumped into the shower, washing automatically while her memory zipped from one event to another. What had she done when she was only a six-year-old? The butterfly collection? No, that came later. Maybe Susan was referring to the time she'd been caught sneaking food to a dozen stray cats behind her uncle's garage. Nope. Couldn't be that, either. She'd been at least eight, then.
Maybe it was—Oh, no! Not that! Susan wouldn't… Kara gritted her teeth. Yes, Susan would. Especially if she thought it would soften Tyler's heart.
Jumping out of the shower she grabbed a towel, quickly dried herself, and dove into the borrowed clothes. There was no time to waste.
Tyler was lounging in the office chair behind the counter, his boots propped up, when Kara returned. Susan had perched on the edge of the computer desk. They both looked terribly pleased with themselves.
“Okay, break it up,” Kara ordered. “I'm ready to go.”
“I knew she'd hurry,” Susan said aside. “She didn't dare leave us alone too long.”
“I have nothing to hide,” Kara said flatly. “And I also have all night to get even by telling my version of our family secrets.” The pseudoscandalized look on Susan's face led her to qualify her statement. “I didn't mean literally all night, and you know it, so don't look at me like that.”
Tyler chuckled. “She's been warning me to stop looking at her funny for weeks, and I still don't know what she's talking about.”
“Maybe her conscience is bothering her,” Susan offered. “She always did have an extra strong dose of scruples. Wouldn't let me get away with a thing. I remember one time, when I was about fourteen—”
“Stop!” Kara ordered. She tugged on Tyler's arm. “Come on. We're leaving.”
He feigned reluctance. “Aw, do we have to go? I was just getting interested.”
“I'll bet you were.” She unlocked the front door, pushed it open before he could do it for her, and pointed stiffly. “Out. Now. Go.”
Tyler went without comment. After the fact, Kara realized she'd sounded like an irate parent lecturing a naughty child! That was very wrong. She ought to know. If she'd so much as raised her voice to Alex she'd have been in for a vicious tongue-lashing. The recollection made her stomach churn, her temples begin to throb.
Tyler put his hat back on and sauntered around to the passenger side of his truck. Kara hesitated, waiting for him to turn so she could see his expression and decide if she'd inadvertently made him angry.
He opened the truck door. “Well?”
“Sorry. I'm coming.”
Puzzled, Tyler noticed how reluctant she seemed.
How she averted her gaze. When she was close enough, he reached out and gently touched her shoulder. Startled, she flinched.
“I didn't mean to scare you,” he said quietly.
“You didn't.”
“Then what is it? What's wr
ong?”
His tone was kindhearted. It matched the look on his face, putting her more at ease. She sighed.
“Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just thought…”
“What?”
“It doesn't matter. I was mistaken.” She angled past him, climbed into the fancy vehicle, and promptly changed the subject. “This is a really nice truck. Is it new?”
“Compared to the others on the ranch, yes.” He got behind the wheel. “I'd wanted one for years but I couldn't convince myself it was okay to buy it. About six months ago, I finally gave in.”
“Oh.” She couldn't believe how tongue-tied she suddenly felt, alone in the truck with him as they drove away. They'd been together like that before, so what was making her so apprehensive this time?
“Aren't you going to ask me why I waited?” Kara blinked to clear her head. “Okay. Why did you wait?” Turning to look at him, she noticed his powerful hands clamped hard on the steering wheel and imagined the muscles of his arms tightening beneath the long sleeves of his Western shirt. Quickly, she added, “You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.”
Tyler shook his head. “I do want to. I think it may help you if we talk about it.”
“Help me? I don't understand.”
“You will. I hope.” He continued to watch the road. They'd left Hardy and were headed toward Ash Flat. “At first, I didn't know why I wasn't willing to buy the truck. I found lots of excuses to put it off. Then, one day, I realized what was holding me back.” Tyler paused to give his declaration more emphasis. “I didn't think I deserved it.”
“Why not?”
“Because Deanne wasn't going to be here to enjoy it with me.”
A heaviness bore down on Kara's chest. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him he had no reason to continue to feel obligated, yet she couldn't force the words out. When Tyler pulled to the side of the road, stopped the truck and reached for her hand, she didn't resist.
“Do you see what I'm trying to tell you, Kara?
It was a real awakening for me. I had to accept the fact that my life is not over, in spite of my thinking for a long time that it was…that it should be. If I make myself go on, regardless of how I feel at the moment, things will get better. Easier. I'll never forget Dee. I don't want to. But if I deny my individuality, if I withdraw from life, I'm wasting the time and talents the Lord has given me.”
“That's pretty profound,” Kara whispered.
“I know. I just thought you needed to hear it.”
What had it cost him to expose his private emotions like that? she wondered. It couldn't have been an easy thing to do, yet he'd done it. For her. Because he had a kind heart. Her fingers threaded between his and tightened. “Thank you.”
Tyler's resulting smile was both benevolent and triumphant. He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a light, friendly kiss across the backs of her knuckles before letting go. “You're quite welcome, Doc. It was my pleasure. Now, where would you like to go for dinner?”
Kara didn't want to travel far in the intimate confines of the truck so she suggested a small restaurant close by. “How about Bea's?”
“Over on Highway 62? I thought you wanted some privacy so we could talk?”
She wasn't about to tell him she'd had enough time alone with him to last her the rest of her life. Maybe longer. “It's so noisy at Bea's nobody will be able to overhear a thing we say,” she countered.
“Besides, tonight their special is catfish. And hush-puppies to die for.” A few seconds later, Kara squeezed her eyes shut and said, “Oh, no! I did it again.”
Tyler was amused. “Hey, don't sweat it. I might not agree to give up my life for a hushpuppy but if that's what makes you happy, fine.”
“You know what I meant.” She pulled a face. “Every time we talk I seem to put my foot in my mouth.”
“Well, spit it out,” he said with a laugh. “It'll spoil your dinner.”
Bea's Family Café was famous for its country cooking. A restaurant of one kind or another had occupied the same space for over a generation, which was why Kara could still see the faded remnants of other names painted on the side of the building beneath the current sign. As usual, the parking lot contained as many pickup trucks as it did passenger cars.
Seven people greeted Kara and Tyler with a nod, an amiable wave, or a brief Hello when they entered the cramped dining room. The waitress did, too. “Hi, there, folks. Have a seat if you can find one. I'll be right with you.”
Kara led the way to an available table in the farthest corner. She'd expected Tyler to sit down across from her. Instead, he took the chair next to hers, trapping her between the wall and his broad shoulders.
She nudged him with her elbow. “Aren't you crowded?”
“Nope. You?”
“Yes, now that you mention it. How about moving over there?” She pointed to the chair she'd wanted him to choose in the first place.
“Too far,” he whispered. “We can't talk about personal stuff if I'm way over there.” He scooted his padded, metal-framed chair six inches to the left. “How's that?”
“Oh, much better,” Kara gibed. “I can actually move one arm, now. That should make eating a lot easier.”
“I aim to please.” He flashed a smile at the approaching waitress. “I don't think we need menus. Kara's been raving about eating your catfish special all the way over here, so we'll have that. And iced tea, please.” He looked back at his companion, surprised to see a return of the stress he thought he'd banished. “Did you change your mind about what you wanted?”
Kara lowered her eyes, her hands clasped together tightly and lying in her lap. “No. Catfish is fine. So is iced tea.”
As soon as the waitress left, Tyler asked, “What's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Bull,” he mouthed. “Something's bothering you. Either I upset you or she did. Common sense tells me it had to be me. Now, give. What did I do?”
“Well, if you really want to know, I can order my own dinner. I don't like to be bullied.”
Confounded, he rocked back in the chair until his shoulders bumped the wall behind them. “Bullied?”
“Well, what would you call it?”
“How about courtesy? Or polite consideration? Maybe I was trying to be nice and take good care of you?” Judging by the confused look in Kara's eyes, he was making headway so he pressed on. “It's only bullying if I refuse to listen to your opinion, to consider your feelings. It doesn't matter whether we're discussing what to have for dinner or how to save the world. The principles are the same. You talk. I listen. Then I talk and you do the same for me. We don't have to agree. All we have to do is give each other a chance to speak honestly.”
Fighting to keep the outer corners of her mouth from turning up, she asked, “May I speak honestly, right now?”
“Of course.”
“Do you have any idea how pompous you just sounded?”
“No. Is it my turn?” Tyler waited for her nod of agreement, then continued, “Do you have any idea how hard it is to read your moods? They change faster than the weather in Arkansas, and that's infamous for its instability.”
“Thanks.”
“I didn't mean to be derogatory. I want some help, here. Talk to me, Kara. I won't bite your head off.”
“Oh, yeah? Promise?” She didn't give him a chance to reply. “I suppose that's part of the problem. Every once in a while you do or say something that reminds me of Alex and I have a strong reaction to that. To you. I can't help myself. He used to pretty much manage my life—and my work—for me. I didn't like it any better then than I do now. The difference was, he did bite my head off if I even acted like I might object to his decisions.”
Kara let herself smile and shook her head, remembering. “Face it, Tyler. I'm warped.”
“Then the problem isn't me.”
Rather than reveal more, she answered, “In this case, I think we can safely say no. However, you're far from perfect, in spite of
what Louise and Susan keep telling me.”
He placed his hand over his heart and sighed with a melodramatic air. “I'm not perfect? Oh, no!”
“Stop that.” She elbowed him hard in the ribs. “People are staring.”
“Only because we're such an imperfect pair.” He purposely rubbed the side opposite to the one she'd hit, to tease her. “Ouch. That hurt when you poked me.”
There was no way Kara could miss getting the joke. “I poked your other side, Tyler. If you don't learn your right from your left pretty soon, I don't know what I'm going to do with you.” The instant the shortsighted words were out of her mouth, she wished she hadn't uttered them. They made her think of the future and Tyler Corbett at the same time; a dangerous concept if she'd ever heard one.
“I think I'm teachable,” he said lightly. “For instance, I know that this shirt pocket is on the left side.” Patting it for emphasis, he felt the paper inside. “Which reminds me…” Drawing it out, he unfolded it on the table between them and leaned closer with one arm casually draped across the back of Kara's chair. “I managed to add a few more things to my list and made a copy for you. See how it grabs you.”
The lined yellow paper was there, all right. She was sure of that. And there was writing on it. Beyond that, she was at a loss. Everything was a blur. Her senses were so inundated, so overwhelmed by Tyler's nearness, the room might as well have been pitch-black. She felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek as he spoke.
“I tried to be fair and to put myself in your place, too. Most of these ideas came to me at night, while I was trying to fall asleep.” His breath became a silent sigh. “I have a lot of trouble with insomnia.”
“Me, too,” she managed to say.
“Since you've been alone?''
''Not entirely.” Tyler's presence offered enough sense of sanctuary to allow Kara to explain further. “Most of my worst nights were when I was married. ” She felt him tense, perceived the faint tightening of his arm around her shoulders, offering protection from a threat that no longer existed.
It didn't matter to Kara that Tyler's concern for her welfare came too late. It still warmed her heart.
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