Melanie automatically cringed at the question.
Seconds later, Grace groaned. “Oh no. Losing your husband and your parents so young in life, poor thing.” Grace patted her hand. “Accident or illness?”
“Neither. My folks are fine. I just haven’t seen them in a while.”
Grace stared at her, searching for what Melanie couldn’t begin to know. Even though she hadn’t known Grace long, Melanie liked her and didn’t want to disappoint her, as she had her parents.
A slow nod made the gray streaks in her dark hair sparkle. “Life’s too short for that, honey.” Grace softened her tone. “Parents try as hard as they can to do the right thing. We’re only human, living by the grace of God. All the prayer in the world won’t give us the right answers for the difficult questions in life. But the good Lord knows we try.”
Appalled she might have insulted Grace, Melanie scrambled. “Of course you do. Raising children is the most difficult task in the world.” She pointed toward the doorway leading to the living room. “Gabe’s a fine man. A gentleman to be proud of.”
“All three of my boys are fine men. But that doesn’t mean mistakes weren’t made along the way.” Grace took a deep breath. “Someday our family will be restored. Melanie, don’t let the chance pass you by.”
“Trust me on this one, Grace. They won’t understand.”
“If you trust the Lord with your life, He’ll make the right choices for your life. But if you don’t trust the Lord, then you’ll never find out what He had in mind for you.”
Easy for her to say. If the shoe had been on the other foot and Melanie hadn’t wanted her child, maybe she could beg forgiveness. But how could she explain that her parents didn’t accept Jason? Even after all the years, the words still tasted acid on her tongue. “It’s hard to make everyone happy. Especially with difficult choices.”
Grace relaxed her shoulders and refilled both their mugs. “So tell me about this job. Do you have friends in Montrose?”
How did she explain the situation to Grace when Melanie barely understood the reasoning herself? “No, I don’t know anyone there. I’ve never even been to Montrose.”
Grace sipped her coffee, looking at her with questions in her eyes.
“I want a new start.” She pushed strands of hair from her face and took a deep breath, encouraged by Grace’s patient silence. “I’ve done nothing but research projects in an office no bigger than a bathroom for six years. Not exciting, but stable. Now, a gigantic corporation bought the company where I work. Reorganization. Cutbacks. My job is safe, but the parameters will change. Same money. More work. Less time with Jason.”
She traced a pattern on her mug. “When this opportunity came up, I didn’t give it a second thought. I called for an interview, packed up the truck and away we went. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Is that what you want?” Grace asked in an even voice. “Adventure?”
“Adventure?” It sounded frivolous when Grace said it. “I don’t need adventure. I need a solid, stable home for my son. I can’t do that when I’m working sixty hours a week.” Melanie stood and wandered to the sink and stared at the reverse reflection of the kitchen in the darkened window. “Jason is my world, Grace. I want to do all I can for him.”
“The mark of a true mother. It’s not easy, is it? You try to do everything you can to keep your children safe, but you can’t do it all. Only God is perfect. We have to remember that.”
Melanie released a quiet sigh. “I learned that a long time ago.”
She needed to change the subject before Grace unearthed more of Melanie’s failures.
Bells and sirens rang in the other room, signaling the start of another game. She nodded toward the living room. “I so wanted to get Jason away from video games. And what happens? We end up meeting the video game king himself.” Melanie blew another sigh. “This is all he does at home. He’s an addict.”
Grace sat silent a moment, the game ringing to announce the end of the race. “You know the more you push, the harder he’ll buck, right?”
“He’s only eight years old. I need to guide him in another direction before it’s too late.”
All emotion aside, Grace pinned Melanie with a look. “That’s all well and good, but he’ll always come back to the things you don’t approve of and he’ll probably not even know he’s doing it.” Grace drew a breath. “Even at eight years old, Jason thinks he knows what he wants. And he wants you to want it, too. The more you disapprove, chances are the more he’ll resist, and then one day he won’t be there to listen to you. Take it from me, I’ve been through it all.”
Not exactly what she wanted to hear. “What do I do? There’s more to life than video games.”
“Woohoo! I beat you, Gabe! Did you see? I dodged that rock slide like a pro!”
“You sure did, Champ. Good job.”
“Watch out. I’ve got it now!”
A low rumble of laughter filtered from the room as the buzzer rang signaling a new track. Melanie sank back into her chair. “I’m sunk.”
Grace took a sip of coffee. “Have you ever told him how good he is at his video games? You know, praise him?”
She stiffened. “You’ve got to be kidding? Encourage him?”
“No, let him know you’re proud of his accomplishments.” Grace studied the mug in her hand. “All he wants is your approval. Mark my words, show him you see how good he can be at video games, and he’ll want to show you how good he can be at other things. Kids want attention, good or bad. Trust me. I’ve raised three very headstrong boys. Praise and prayers to the Lord for patience. No better tonic around.”
Squeals of joy blared in from the other room. Melanie rubbed her forehead, the inkling of a headache just above her eye.
She glanced at the clock, searching for a polite means of escape. She’d had enough soul-searching for one night. “Sorry I took up so much time this evening with my problems. The dinner and company were wonderful.”
Grace waved her off. “I don’t often get to share my words of wisdom with new folks who haven’t heard them before.”
Melanie walked into the other room where Gabe played like a pro, cool and calm, while Jason rolled all over the floor in a pattern to match the track his kart raced. Jason maneuvered his car around a sharp curve and headed down the finish line.
“I won again!”
“You’re not half bad once you stop whinin’.” Gabe set his controller down on the coffee table.
“Okay, kid, it’s time to go,” Melanie said as she swallowed her disdain for the video games.
“Aww, Mom.”
Grace nudged her in the ribs.
Melanie wrinkled her nose. “You race like a pro, Jay. I’ve never seen you play so well.”
Jason stopped in midwhine. “You watched?”
“The way you came around the turn just now and drove down the straightaway? Terrific.”
Jason stared openmouthed at her. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome.” She caught Gabe grinning at her and felt heat warm her cheeks. Her next words stuck in her throat. “Maybe if Gabe isn’t too busy, you can come by and play again before we leave.”
Jason frowned and looked down at his controller. Music played behind him, waiting for the players to pick their track. He handed Gabe the unit. “Thanks, Gabe. Maybe we can do this again, sometime?”
“Sure. Just make certain—”
“I know—” Jason lowered his voice “—chores are done first.”
Gabe rumpled Jason’s hair then tickled his belly. “Smarty pants.”
Squeals rang as Gabe and Jason wrestled on the floor. Melanie smiled inside. Maybe she’d stumbled onto something good after all.
Gabe stopped and caught his breath. He grabbed the arm of the couch, pushed up from the floor and stretched his muscles.
Jason wrapped the cord around the controller and set it on the television. “But it’s Saturday night. Mom says I can stay up later on Saturday night.”
“Church time comes mighty early when you go to bed late. Better not chance it.” He snagged his hat from the peg by the kitchen door and settled it on his head. Morning definitely came early. Especially when he had a couple more hours of work ahead of him. “C’mon, I’ll walk you to your cabin so the wild chipmunks don’t get you.”
“Mom?” Jason darted past. “Are we going to church in the morning?”
“Looks like it, big guy. I have some important people to meet if we’re going to get a barbecue planned.” She stood by the door, her hand on the jamb. “Right, Gabe?”
“I’m sure the ladies of Faith Community will be singing their hearts out tomorrow morning.” He nodded to his folks, giving his mom a quick hug. “Mom, Dad. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You done for the night, Gabe?” Martin ambled over to the door.
“Just need to button up a few things.”
“Not too late, son.” Grace kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t want to poke you awake in the pew during Pastor Dave’s sermon.”
Gabe ushered Melanie and Jason out and closed the door behind him. He’d had fun tonight. Jason turned out a worthy opponent. Ha, the kid even beat him a couple of rounds. Nice having human competition instead of playing the machine all the time. “How’s the cabin working out for you, Melanie?”
She stepped around a rut in the lot before looking up at him. “It’s nice and cozy. I know it’s only been a couple days, but waking up and having coffee out on the porch is fast becoming my favorite pastime.”
“I hear things crawling around in the trees all night long.” Jason ran up and squeezed between them. “Are there any bears up here?”
“Always that chance, but I’ve never seen one.” He ruffled Jason’s hair. “Had a couple mountain lions a few years back. And raccoons. No bears.”
Jason’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. “Mountain lions? Cool. Maybe we’ll see one. Maybe I’ll get a picture of one. Maybe we can catch one.”
“Whoa, Jason.” Melanie stuck out her hand. “How about we plan a picnic without the added guests? I think feeding two-legged creatures will be test enough for me this first time.”
“Gabe?” Jason obviously turned from the answer he didn’t want to hear. “What do ya think? Can we go looking for mountain lions?”
“Bud, always be careful what you ask for. You never know when the good Lord is going to call your bluff.” He was sorry he’d said something. Mountain lions needed to stay well away from people. “I’ll bet there’s something a bit more tame for you to do.”
“And you never know what we’re going to find in Montrose, right?” Melanie shoved her fingers into the front pockets of her jeans. “Remember, we’ll still be in the mountains.”
“Maybe I’ll find a mountain lion up there.” Jason peered past Gabe and searched through the trees. “Hey, if we can’t go lion hunting, can we go four-wheeling, or play Karts again?”
The familiar pressure began to build across the back of his neck. There wasn’t enough time in the day for Gabe to finish all his usual chores, let alone entertain an enthusiastic boy. “We’ll see what kind of time we can come up with, okay?”
“How about catching raccoons? I’ve never seen a real one. You know they hunt at night.” Jason began to recite nocturnal carnivore facts like an encyclopedia. “If you have to work all day, we can go at night, right, Gabe?”
Melanie reeled her excited son in by the shirttail until he bumped into her. “Jason, we’re here to get a job done and we’ve only got a couple weeks to do it. Gabe isn’t on vacation like we are. We have to let him do his work.” She shot him a conspiratorial grin. “Let’s not make him want to get rid of us before the truck is fixed.”
Gabe grinned back, thankful for the diversion. This just wasn’t a good time to entertain guests. “Seems like the work never stops. Always something to do.”
“Great! I can’t wait to see what we’re gonna do tomorrow. This is going to be great.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. We? How had one nighttime video game become an instant daytime we? They reached the porch of the cabin, and Gabe held open the screen as Melanie opened the door.
“Thanks for the escort. It’s so dark up here with only the moon and stars for light.” Melanie tipped her head back and searched the sky, the tips of her hair reaching midway down her back. “The stars look like ice chips.”
Gabe followed her gaze. The inky night sky hosted tiny flecks of light, like a blanket of sparkles across the sky. “It clears up after a rain. The clouds all disappear. Makes you wonder where they came from in the first place.”
“I could stand here forever.”
Gabe peeked at her upturned face, her cheeks smooth and the corners of her mouth turned up. She squinted into the night as if trying to see into eternity. When was the last time he looked up into the night sky with wonder?
Enough wasting time. He had invoices to review, and they weren’t getting done this way. “Well, see you in the morning.”
Melanie gave him a shy smile as she turned toward the door. “Don’t work too hard. Good night.”
“Gabe.” Jason poked his head out the door. “Get everything done tonight so we can do stuff tomorrow.”
He turned on his heel and stepped down the path before Jason came up with more ideas. “Good night and sleep tight.”
The door of the cabin closed behind him and the dead bolt slid into place. As he made his way down to the office, he tipped his head back and studied the night sky.
He didn’t do we. He hadn’t done we in years. Not since Cheryl Slaughter had dumped him, accusing him of being married to his work and informing him she had no intentions of being the other woman.
Truth was, he couldn’t blame her. Who wanted to date a guy short on time and long on tasks? Ranching came first. He had to weigh his choices, pick his battles. Time didn’t stretch to accommodate his schedule.
How in the world was he going to fit we into his life now?
Chapter Six
It’s a church service, not an execution.
Sunday morning had arrived mighty fast. Melanie brushed her hair in front of the mirror, her faint cowlick making an appearance today of all days.
Nine years of bitter reality swirled through her mind, remembering the gossip and lies from friends in her singles group. The betrayal. The loneliness.
“C’mon, Mom! We don’t want Gabe to leave without us.”
“Just a second, honey.” She was just attending a church service. Maybe two or three, max. She wasn’t getting involved. They wouldn’t know anything about her. They’d have nothing to judge. She studied her reflection in the bathroom mirror, careful to keep her voice steady. “I’ll be right out.”
“You look great.” Jason poked his head in the door. “I never see anyone going to church in jeans. How come we can?”
“Because that’s all the clothing we brought. Besides, the Lord doesn’t care what you look like. The important thing is that you worship.”
Jason frowned into the mirror. “How come we’ve never gone to church before?”
If she explained all her issues with the social aspect of church membership now, they’d be in the bathroom all day. “Let’s see what you think of it, okay?”
She followed Jason out the door and down the path. He scrambled into the backseat of a late-model SUV, his freshly scrubbed face grinning out the window. “Look at this car, Mom. It has a DVD player in the backseat and everything.”
Melanie shook her head. Ah, the important things in life. “We’re ready. Sorry you had to wait.”
“You’re right on time.” Gabe stepped around the back and opened the door for her. Dressed in crisp jeans and a rust-patterned shirt, the look gave a formal touch to his rugged appearance.
His wet hair curled naturally behind his ears and at the collar, making her want to tug at her misbehaving bangs. Why couldn’t her makeup, clothing and hair cooperate when she needed to look halfway decent? This outing was diffic
ult enough without Gabe looking like a prince.
“After you.” He indicated the open door.
Martin and Grace sat up front. Melanie slid in next to Jason, Gabe next to her. The ride to church held small talk centered around the crop progress of various fields on either side of the road. Melanie sat ramrod straight to keep from leaning against Gabe.
By the time they reached the church, it was almost nine o’clock. Finding a place at the far end, they crossed the parking lot with the other stragglers and stepped inside as the organ started to play.
The spaciousness of the sanctuary surprised her, considering the small, plain exterior of the church. Floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows behind the pulpit made the room seem to stretch into forever. A gentle slope of green grasses dotted with yellow and blue wildflowers offered a gorgeous backdrop.
The crew slid into a front pew; Melanie followed Gabe with Jason between them. Grace offered her a hymnal. The smooth cover of the book slid into her hand, the texture of the pages as familiar as the music that filled the air. She fanned through the middle of the book, inhaling a timeless scent long forgotten.
The music stopped and the pastor gave his greeting. Unexpected calm settled over her. She didn’t expect God to forgive her for staying away so long, but then, she wasn’t ready to come running back into the fold, either. She looked at Jason sitting with his hands folded on his knee.
Just like his newly adopted hero.
Tall and strong, Gabe wore self-confidence as if the fit were tailor-made. He certainly wasn’t afraid of her son, like all her other dates.
Dates? Whoa. No, she meant acquaintances. She didn’t do dates.
Paul Margolis had been more than an acquaintance, and look where that had gotten her.
The dark memories shadowed her mind. She pushed them back. She was older and wiser now. Churches were filled with sinners. Some looked to repent, others to pray. Others simply wanted to belong.
“‘…come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.’” The pastor offered a kind smile to his congregation. “The Lord offers you His yoke. Don’t be afraid to try it on. It’s the best fit in the world. Amen.”
Rocky Mountain Hero Page 5