The Second Family

by Janice Carter

  “What was he doing for NATO?”

  “Bombing bad guys in Kosovo. You know—in the late nineties. He’d always loved flying but that tour of duty finished it for him. He’s never really talked about it.” Karen lowered her voice as they entered the kitchen from the backyard. “We all expected him to make the Air Force a career but when he came home, he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing good things for people. Especially children. I think he saw some horrific things over there.”

  Karen’s story explained a lot about Alec, Tess thought. Like his intense commitment to his job. Unwilling to pry further though, she asked, “Can I help you with something? Will your husband be here for dinner, too?”

  “Yes. He had to pick up some supplies at the co-op in Lyons. He should be here any second. But instead of helping this time, why don’t you check on how the kids are settling in? I’ve put you in the master bedroom and given Molly my old room. Nick’s bunking in with Alec in his old room. Okay?”

  “What about you and your husband?”

  “Oh, Ken and I are staying in our mobile home about half a mile from here. That’s where we planned to build our dream home. Until the bank came down hard on us.” She began to wash and chop vegetables as she talked.

  “I thought you two were living here.”

  “We are for now, while Ken finishes the planting. But although we share the land and assets, the actual house went to Alec. Which is just as well, ’cause Ken’s condition means we’re going to have to live in a single-story home one day. That’s why we wanted to start building.”

  “His condition?”

  “He has MS,” she said, her voice matter-of-fact. “Multiple sclerosis. He was diagnosed two years ago and so far, with medication and proper rest and so on, he’s been doing very well. We’re just planning ahead.” Karen looked up from where she was working. “When you see Alec, could you remind him to keep an eye out for his arrival? He’ll need help getting the seed bags and fertilizer out of the truck.”

  “Sure. I’ll go look for the rest of them now,” Tess said. As she walked along the narrow, dark hallway to the front of the house and the voices emanating from there, she realized how much Alec Malone had on his personal plate. Yet his even-tempered manner and devotion to his job had not hinted of any personal worries.

  The children and Alec were coming downstairs when Tess met them at the bottom. “I was just going to take the kids out to see the horses and chickens.”

  “Great,” Tess said. She felt suddenly embarrassed looking at him directly, knowing that she had just heard so much of his personal history. She smiled at Molly, who was hopping about on one foot at the front door. Nick still wore his wary expression, but there was a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

  “I’ll stay and see if Karen needs any help. Oh, and Alec, your sister asked me to remind you that when Ken comes back, he’ll need help unloading the truck.”

  “Sure. If we’re out back, come and give us a shout. Nick can help, too. Right, fella?”

  Nick shrugged and followed his sister out the door. On his way through, Alec paused and turned around to say, “My sister’s a real talker. I hope she didn’t bore you.”

  “Oh, no. It was all very interesting.” She smiled at the puzzled frown in his face and headed back to the kitchen.

  MUCH LATER, when the crystal-clear night sky lit up with a billion stars, Tess wandered out the kitchen door into the backyard. She’d spotted a wooden swing there earlier, and thought it would be the perfect place for a moment’s solitude. It was the kind of swing she’d seen on the porches of grand houses in home decorating magazines or in old movies set in small towns. She sat down on the torn and weathered cushions and let the big swing gently rock back and forth with her weight.

  A night-light glowed in the kitchen for anyone who wanted a midnight snack, Karen had joked. Though after the evening meal, no one would need to eat for another two or three days. Now silent, the kitchen had been filled with the hubbub of talk, laughter and the clinking of cutlery on plates. The experience of dining with an extended family unit was a new one for Tess, though she vaguely recalled having a similar meal with the family of a high school friend. At times, the noise had been overwhelming, but it seemed that whenever she was feeling lost, she’d catch Alec’s eye and he’d wink or grin. Even Nick forgot himself occasionally and let slip a big smile.

  After everything had been cleaned up, Karen took Molly upstairs and Alec and Nick went to help Ken with the animals. Tess chose to enjoy the night air, in spite of its coolness. Stargazing in Chicago was an exercise in futility. Here, that much closer to the mountains, the sky was magical.

  She was leaning against the back of the swing, eyes focused on the canopy of stars, when she heard the rumble of an engine from around the side of the house. Seconds later, a shadowy form walked toward the kitchen door, then stopped, hesitated briefly, and came her way. It was Alec.

  “Was that Karen and Ken leaving?” she asked.

  He sat down beside her, setting the swing rocking at a faster rhythm. “Yes. They’ll be back to see us off at breakfast. Molly’s already asleep and Nick’s reading in bed. No television.” Alec grinned. “I think he’s preparing himself for tomorrow night.”

  “I hate to have Ken and Karen inconvenienced like this.”

  He turned toward her, his warm breath fanning across her face. “Don’t worry about it, Tess. They love to have company.”

  His thigh pressed against hers, but moving over on the swing would shift the balance too much so Tess sat still, folding her arms across her chest.

  “Are you chilly?” he asked.

  “Nooo.”

  An arm came around her shoulders. “This will save your going in for a jacket,” he murmured.

  Tess felt herself resisting at first, then as his body heat wrapped around her, the tension eased. “This is a great swing,” she said.

  “Hmm?” He lowered his head to hear, accidentally brushing his mouth against the hair just above her ear.

  When she started to pull back, his hand pressed against the nape of her neck, holding her head firmly in place against his shoulder. Then he brought his other hand around to tilt her chin and before Tess realized what was happening, his mouth set lightly down on hers.

  CHAPTER TEN

  TESS YAWNED and with bleary eyes, peered out the passenger window of the Bronco. She really wanted to check out the sandstone cliffs on the left but decided against that. Anything rather than worry about a face-to-face with Alec.

  She’d tossed and turned all night, though not from any soul-searching about her reaction to his kiss. The kind of heat generated by his lips on hers pretty much ruled out all rational thought. It had been so unexpected that, after the first nanosecond of shock, she’d yielded completely to physiology and responded in kind. And it was that totally unfettered response that had kept her awake much of the night. Along with the nagging question that still tormented her—What the heck did it mean?

  When he finally loosened his grip on her, he didn’t condescend to apologize. That would have shattered the whole two minutes of bliss. Nor did he resort to any half-baked explanations. Instead, he’d simply closed his eyes and groaned a very satisfied, “Hmm,” as if savoring some rare delicacy. It was only the sudden full illumination in the kitchen when someone—Nick?—entered it that was the deciding factor against another kiss.

  Or so Tess believed when she saw the utter regret in his face as Alec stood up, held out a hand to her and murmured, “Perhaps we’d better go inside.”

  Tess closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the Bronco window. Of course, daylight had altered everything. Even her feelings about his lips on hers, tongue probing gently inside her mouth and tracing the outline of her own lips. Now the question of What did it all mean? had been expanded to include What had she been thinking?

  “How’re you doing back there?” Alec asked Nick, staring out the rear window. “Let me know when you spot the turnoff.�
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  Nick gave a muffled grunt, concentrating on the scenery flashing by. Finally, he said, “I remember this crazy rock formation. It kinda looked like an old witch, hunched over. Dad always pointed it out to me just before we made the turn.”

  “Did you follow the river all the way?”

  “No, it went in one direction and like, we went in another.”

  “To the west or east?”

  “I dunno. On the right, I think.”

  He sounded frustrated, Tess thought. Maybe worried they wouldn’t find the place and the whole trip would be canceled.

  But suddenly he shouted, “There it is! I see it.”

  Both Tess and Alec craned round to follow Nick’s hand pointing right, to the east. Alec slowed down, eyes searching the road ahead for the turn. They almost missed it. No more than a single lane of dirt and stone, the cutoff snaked away from the highway through a jumble of sandstone rocks. The Bronco bucked and heaved along the stony lane until it emerged from the rocks into a clearing of stubby fir trees.

  Alec braked to a halt in the shade of some trees and they all climbed out. The first thing Tess noticed was the pungent scent of cedar and pine. The second was the absolute silence. Even the faint traffic noise from the highway had disappeared. Except for the wind hissing softly through the tree branches, the land was dead quiet. And very isolated, she noted. Not a rooftop or fence in sight.

  Nick was charging through the trees.

  “Slow down, fella,” Alec called after him as he and Tess followed.

  Nick waited impatiently a few yards ahead. “There’s a trail here leading down. Don’t worry, it’s not very steep.”

  Tess realized for the first time that they were on the lip of a sandstone cliff that ceded gradually down a ravine to a tiny gem of a dark-green lake. From the top, she could just make out Lyons to the south but when she turned around to the west, she gasped. Snowcapped peaks jutted above the tree-covered foothills. The panoramic view was magnificent. Mountains and foothills to the northwest and a vista of meadows merging into Boulder Valley to the east. She could even make out the Flatirons, south of Boulder.

  “Funny,” Alec said, scanning the view with binoculars, “but I swear that area to the southeast is the very back end of our property.”

  “How big is your place, then?” asked Nick.

  “Couple hundred acres. But the family hasn’t used it all for years.” He removed the binoculars. “Do you know who owns this part right here, or is it government land?”

  “I’m sure my dad said we did. I know we’ve been coming up here since I was about eight or nine and I remember Mom and Dad talking about buying it. I’m pretty sure he did, a few years ago.”

  “Jed Walker would know,” Tess said.

  Mention of the name brought a scowl from Alec. “Yeah, right. Well, let’s not spoil our outing just yet. Where did you usually set up camp?” he asked Nick.

  “Down there,” Nick said, pointing to the ravine and the lake. “The water is glacial fed, Dad said. Very cold and deep. You really can’t swim in it. Dad used to paint up here and down there, too.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Tess exclaimed, breathing in the scenery. “I can see why your…why Richard loved to come here and paint.”

  Nick nodded, seemingly unaware that even now Tess had difficulty calling her father Dad. She wanted to explain why, but the time didn’t feel right. “Nick,” Tess murmured, “thanks for letting us bring you here. It’s a special place.”

  “Yeah,” he said huskily and turned aside at Alec’s approach.

  “Shouldn’t take more than a couple of trips to get everything down there.” Alec glanced at Tess. “Up for it?”

  “Of course,” she said, tossing a nonchalant shrug. “Why not?”

  She came up with a few reasons why not on the second trip. It was almost noon and the sun was relentless. In spite of the elevation and the cooler air, Tess had worked up a sweat by the time she was picking her way down the stony path with part of the last load. Panting, she sank onto a large boulder to watch Alec and Nick put up the tent.

  When they finished, Alec strolled over to ask, “Ready for lunch? You must be starving after that climb.”

  Was he teasing or being sarcastic? “A bit,” she said. “I thought my regular gym workout in Chicago would have prepared me for something like this.”

  “It’s the altitude. Saps the oxygen right out of you. We’re at least another thousand feet above Boulder.” He squatted down next to the rock she sat on. “Check out Nick.”

  Tess followed his gaze to Nick, busying himself with sleeping bags and the fold-up table and chairs they’d brought. “He knows what has to be done,” she commented.

  “For sure. Done it many times, with his father. Okay, you relax while I help him get lunch organized. Then we’ll go for a walk.”

  She was content to do just that—relax and watch them working. A sense of calm and contentment washed over her. No doubt brought on, she told herself, by the exhaustion of carrying down the supplies from the Bronco. Or maybe it had something to do with the quiet way Nick and Alec worked together. Each second-guessing the other’s next move as if they’d been working together for years. In spite of her vow not to think about her decision regarding the children that weekend, Tess hoped that Alec would try to stay in contact with Nick even after he was placed somewhere.

  Okay, Tess. Don’t put a damper on the occasion by getting all serious. Time enough for that when we get back to the ranch.

  When Nick motioned that lunch was ready, Tess practically leaped off the boulder.

  HOURS LATER, Tess replayed the scene. Only this time she was sprawled in one of the fold-up chairs while Alec and Nick looked after dinner.

  “Really,” she protested. “Normally I have a lot more energy than this. Back home I can put in a sixteen-hour day if I need to.”

  Nick simply grinned but Alec said, “Yeah. Sitting at a keyboard.”

  Tess was feeling very mellow because she wasn’t even tempted to rise to the bait. Instead, she gave an indulgent smile and watched Alec pump the propane camp stove. “No manly campfire?” she asked.

  “Not here. Risk of forest fire. There was a nasty one a couple years ago. People in Lyons had to be evacuated.” He turned up the burner and set a frying pan on it. “How do you like your steak?”

  “Medium rare, please.” Feeling guilty, Tess dragged herself toward the table. “At least let me make the salad.”

  Alec glanced up and grinned. “If you’re sure you can handle it.” He nodded toward a plastic bag. “Empty that bag into a bowl and the dressing’s in that little plastic bottle.”

  “So it’s all ready! Your sister’s amazing.”

  “Yeah.”

  “How will they run the ranch when…after…?”

  “He’s wheelchair-bound?” Alec thought about that. “Right now, even owning the ranch by the time that happens is looking doubtful.”

  “Why?”

  “There’ve been a lot of medical bills over the last two years, as you can imagine. Plus, there’s been a drought here for a few years now. Ken once had a small herd of buffalo but eventually had to sell it off. Now they’re down to a handful of horses, chickens for themselves and crops. So far they’ve managed to avoid selling off sections of land, but that may be inevitable. It was tough enough when he had his health. Now…” Alec turned off the stove. “Steaks are ready. Why don’t you call Nick? He’s over there, by the water.” He gave a faint smile. “We can save the serious talk for later.”

  Tess took the hint, but hoped the talk wasn’t going to include her future plans.

  IT WAS ALEC’S TURN to watch Tess and Nick work and he had to admit, the sight was damn pleasant. Not so much the working part, but the chance to sit and study Tess without worrying about whether he was acting like a pervert or something. Though if thoughts counted…

  He liked the way she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and sank her hands into the plastic basin. Nick had fetched
water and heated it on the stove and together, they got the job done without complaint or asking for help. Not that it was such a challenging task, but he knew a city slicker like her was more accustomed to rinsing under the tap and stacking in the dishwasher.

  He also liked the way she used her right forearm to brush back a piece of hair that kept straying across her forehead. And the way she gave a half twist of her upper body to reach for the next dirty plate, creating a small gap between the buttons of her shirt. Enough of a gap for a flash of lacey undergarment that didn’t look appropriate for a campout at all.

  Oh, God, Alec sighed. This is what I’ve come to. Mooning over a woman while she’s washing dishes.

  When the dishes were finished, Alec got up to pour the last of the wine and brought a glass over to Tess, sitting a few feet away on a boulder that for some reason she’d taken a shine to. He looked back at Nick reading by the kerosene lamp. He’d been unusually chatty during the meal, even dropping his adolescent cloak of disdain and apathy. Bringing him here had been a stroke of genius and he admired Tess for not only having the intuition to recognize that the outing would be good for the kid, but to be willing to rough it herself. She was a good sport, under all that crusty business demeanor.

  “What’re you thinking?” he asked as he perched on the edge of the boulder, next to her.

  She took a sip of wine before answering. “Just that it’s so peaceful out here and if someone had told me three weeks ago I’d soon be camping in the Rockies, I’d have laughed or…or…” She gave a hapless shrug. “Well, I simply never would have believed it.”

  “Especially since you were planning a cruise somewhere. Weren’t you?”

  She nodded. “Yep. A cruise. God, it all seems so far away and long ago. Right now, I wonder why I even wanted to go on a cruise.” She stared toward the lake, then said, “But that was Doug’s idea anyway.”

  Alec’s stomach muscles gave a little squeeze. “Doug?” Oh, yeah. The cruise guy.