by Diana Palmer
* * *
Parker stopped at the steps where Katy was standing. “I’ll be over Thursday about six to take you guys trick-or-treating,” he said. “That okay?”
She smiled. “That’s fine. Teddie will be looking forward to it. She loves Halloween.”
“Me, too,” he said with a grin. “I like anything to do with fantasy creatures, although I’m partial to dragons. But giant spiders and bats are okay.”
She rolled her eyes. “You and Teddie,” she mused. “I always decorate for all the holidays, but my favorite is Christmas.”
“I like that one also,” he said. “My mother was traditional. She didn’t celebrate regular holidays, but my cousin’s parents were Catholic, so they always had a Christmas tree and presents. It was great fun.”
She cocked her head. “Crow people have a proud tradition,” she said softly. “I grew up reading about them in Montana.”
“I forgot that you were raised there as well. Where?”
“Near Hardin, where the battleground is.”
He whistled. “The rez is close to there,” he reminded her. “That’s where I was raised.”
She laughed. “I’m surprised that we didn’t know each other then.”
“I’m not. I didn’t venture off the rez until I was in my late teens. When I did, I got into all sorts of trouble. I’ll bet you never put a foot wrong.”
She shrugged. “My parents were strict.”
“My mother died in my formative years. My cousin’s parents were lenient; they pretty much let us do what we pleased,” he confessed. “Probably not the best way to raise a child. But we’re not big on heavy-handed discipline.”
“I had a friend whose grandfather was Crow,” she recalled. “I learned a lot from her.”
His dark eyes searched hers. “Teddie wants to learn to speak it.” He laughed. “I told her it was a lot harder than it looked.”
She nodded. “I know it is. Most native languages have glottal stops and high and low tones and nasalization.”
“Do you speak any of them?”
She shook her head. “I just have Spanish,” she said. “I loved it from the time I was a child. I read a book that had Spanish words in it when I was in fifth grade. I took it all through high school and college.”
“Are you literate in it?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “I love to read books in the original language, books like Don Quixote.”
“I envy you that. I can only read books in English. Well, and in Crow,” he added, “and there are a few, mostly about legends.”
“How about sign language?”
He chuckled. “I cut my teeth on that. My grandfather taught it to me.”
“I learned just a few signs. I can’t even remember them now.”
“You need to brush up,” he teased. “We can talk over Teddie’s head without her knowing what we say.”
“I’ll get out my books,” she returned, eyes sparkling.
He hesitated. “Well, I’d better go. I brushed Bartholomew down, by the way, and put him in his stall. He’s doing fine. Tell Teddie.”
“I will.”
“Have a good night,” he said.
Her eyes searched over his handsome face. “You, too.”
He smiled and turned away with visible reluctance. She watched him all the way to his truck. When he drove off, with a wave of his hand, she was still watching.
* * *
Parker came to get them on Halloween night. Teddie went as Rey from the new Star Wars movies, complete with light saber. Katy was too self-conscious to wear a costume, although she did wear a pretty black silky blouse with pumpkins and lace, and nice-fitting jeans. She left her hair down, because she knew that their new friend liked it that way.
“The fire department is also handing out candy,” he said when they were on the way into Benton. “So we can make a lot of stops.”
“Oh, boy!” Teddie said. “Endless candy!”
“Endless dentist visits,” Katy groaned.
“Stop that,” two voices said at once. Teddie and Parker looked at each other and just howled with laughter as they realized they’d said it at the same time.
“You two!” Katy said in mock anger. “I can’t take you anyplace!”
“We’ll behave,” Teddie promised.
“Speak for yourself.” Parker chuckled. “I never behave.”
* * *
Their first stop was the side of the town square that contained a restaurant and a sports bar, along with a dress shop. The proprietors were wearing costumes and carrying pumpkin baskets full of candy.
Teddie held out her own bag and received handfuls of candy while Parker and Katy watched from the sidewalk.
“They really pull out the stops to do this, don’t they?” Katy asked. “It’s so nice of them!”
“It’s dangerous for kids to go alone these days,” he remarked. “And houses are spaced so far apart that it would take forever to go door to door.”
“That’s true.”
“Hey, Mrs. Blake,” a young voice called.
Katy turned. She smiled. The girl, a redhead with brown eyes, was in the class she taught. “Hello, Jean,” she greeted. “You look very trendy!” she added.
Jean, who was wearing a Wonder Woman costume, laughed. “Thanks! My mom bought it for me!”
A woman joined them. She was tall and she looked irritated. “Honestly, all this fuss just for some candy we could have bought at the store,” she muttered. “I’m missing my favorite program on TV!”
Jean flushed and looked as if she could have gone through the concrete with embarrassment.
“We all make sacrifices for the children we love,” Katy said gently, making the tactful remark with just a faint bite in her tone.
The woman actually blushed as she looked from Katy to Parker. She cleared her throat. “Well, of course we do,” she added belatedly. She forced a smile, and Jean relaxed. “Come on, Jean, there’s another bag of treats waiting for you.” She nudged her daughter forward.
“Good to see you, Mrs. Blake,” Jean said.
“Good to see you, too, Jean,” Katy said softly.
Parker made a face as the two of them went out of earshot. “My mother would never have complained like that.”
“Neither would mine,” Katy said on a sigh.
“Parker?” came an almost incredulous voice from behind them.
Chapter Five
Parker turned around and there was his former sergeant, Butch Matthews, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he saw his friend keeping company with a woman. A pretty woman, at that.
“How’s it going, Sarge?” he asked, extending a hand to shake. “What are you doing here? And where did you leave Two Toes?”
“Safely locked in the den,” the man replied. “Double locked. Is that Mrs. Blake?” he added.
“It is. Katy Blake, this is Butch Matthews. He was my sergeant when we served overseas. He owns Two Toes.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Katy said, smiling.
Matthews repeated the greeting and tipped his wide-brimmed hat. “Sorry he got onto your place and scared your daughter, ma’am. He’s an escape artist. I was scared to death I’d find him in the road dead.”
“He’s a very nice wolf,” Katy said. “My daughter was fascinated with him when Parker put him in the truck and drove him home. She said she’d love to meet him sometime.”
The sergeant beamed. “I’d be delighted. Any time at all. I’m a rehabilitator for the fish and wildlife folks. I specialize in mammals, like wolves and coyotes, pumas, raccoons, and so forth.”
“I imagine you stay busy,” Katy said.
“Very busy.” He sighed. “Too many people shoot animals without caring if they’re just wounded. We get a lot of city hunters up here who aren’t too careful about what they put a bullet in.”
“True story,” Parker agreed. “A hunter from Las Vegas came up here with a brand-new gun and shot what he thought was a white deer. It was Old M
an Harlowe’s prize goat. Talk about a lawsuit!”
“It wasn’t just the money, either. He loved that old goat. Said the property was posted and everything and that idiot jumped a fence onto his property and just killed his goat. They caught him with it on the Benton highway. Said he was properly shocked when they told him what he shot.”
“I hope they lock him up,” Katy muttered. “I have no quarrel with responsible hunters, but I draw the line at idiots.”
“So do I,” Parker agreed.
The sarge looked from one to the other of them with twinkling eyes. “Well, I guess I’ll go ask Lucy Mallory for a few toffees to satisfy my sweet tooth. She’s got the cloth shop over there.” He nodded toward the other side of the square. “I never miss Halloween in town,” he added on a chuckle. “See you.”
They waved.
“He’s nice,” Katy said. “What happened to his arm?”
“Blown off when we were in Iraq,” he returned bluntly and then winced. “Sorry. He took a direct hit from a mortar. We didn’t think he’d make it, but we had one hell of a battlefield surgeon. Saved his life. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known.” He didn’t add that he’d saved Matthews by running through a hail of bullets to recover him and been wounded in the process. Or that Matthews had saved his life by taking out an insurgent who had Parker in his sights. That was while Matthews was still recovering in the field hospital, too, before they shipped him home. A group of insurgents had actually attacked the field hospital.
“I would love to see the wolf again, now that I know he’s not dangerous,” Katy said.
“I’ll take you and Teddie over there one day. Saturday maybe if it isn’t snowing.”
“Snowing?!”
“It’s in the forecast, I’m afraid,” he said on a sigh. “The nighthawks will be cursing.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“It’s not something we mind, keeping watch over the cattle,” Parker added. “I even pitch in when I’m not working with the horses. It’s just the difficulty of getting equipment where it’s needed if we have an emergency. . . .”
“Well, well,” came an amused voice from nearby. It was the owner of the Gray Dove restaurant in town, a coincidence if there ever was one, because nobody knew it was Parker’s late mother’s name. “Fancy seeing you two in town.”
Katy flushed, but Parker just laughed. “How are you, Mary?” he asked. “Katy Blake, this is Mary Dodd. She owns the restaurant in town.”
“I’m very happy to meet you,” Katy said. “You have wonderful food. Teddie and I ate there one afternoon just last week!”
“Thanks,” Mary replied with a warm smile. “Parker, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you trick-or-treating.”
“I brought Katy and Teddie.”
“Teddie?”
Parker nodded toward the little girl dressed up as Rey in Star Wars regalia.
“Why, isn’t she adorable?” Mary enthused.
“Thanks,” Katy said proudly. “She begged for the costume for two weeks, so I gave in. I have to admit, it does look pretty good on her, even if she is my daughter.”
“That Star Wars stuff sells like mad at the costume shops,” Mary agreed. “I used to go as Princess Leia. But that was years ago. Parker, did you ever dress up for Halloween?”
He shook his head. “We didn’t celebrate it in my family,” he said, and he was withdrawn suddenly.
Mary grimaced. “Sorry. Hit a nerve, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s nothing,” Parker said softly. “Really.”
“We all have our bad memories of that golden childhood everybody talks about. I never had one.”
“Me, neither.” Parker chuckled.
“Sorry,” Katy replied.
Mary pursed her lips and her eyes twinkled. “You’re getting stares,” she warned. “There will be talk.”
Parker shrugged. “Won’t be the first time I attracted gossip.”
“Same here,” Katy said, and she grinned.
Mary just laughed. “At least you have a good attitude about it. I’ll go help my girls with the handouts. Don’t forget to bring your daughter by the restaurant. We made Rice Krispies treats!”
“I wouldn’t miss those for the world,” Katy promised.
“You can have some, too,” Mary promised, and patted her on the arm. “See you. Parker, you watch your mouth.”
He put a finger to his lips and his eyes twinkled.
After Mary left, Katy looked up at him curiously. “Everybody says you cuss like a sailor, but I’ve never heard you say a really bad word.”
“I’m on my best behavior, especially in front of Teddie.” He glanced at her with real fondness. “She’s a sweet child. You and your husband did a great job with her.”
“Thanks. I’m very proud of her,” she said, her eyes on her daughter, who was now talking with some other children who’d been brought to town by their relatives. She looked up at him curiously. “You’re wonderful with Teddie. It’s obvious that you love children. But . . . ?”
“But I never had any of my own, you were going to say, huh?” he asked, and his dark eyes were sad. “I didn’t know until I got back home, out of the military, but my fiancée was pregnant with my child when she died.”
“Oh, Parker, how horrible,” she said under her breath. “I’m so sorry!”
He ground his teeth together. So many memories, all painful. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. “I got cold feet after that. All I could think about was how much it hurt to lose her, to lose my child.” He laughed, but it had a hollow sound. “I withdrew from the world. I discovered,” he added, glancing down at her, “that most women will avoid a man who can’t say a complete sentence without a few really blue words. So I started cussing a lot, especially when the boss or the other cowboys had women relatives visiting.” He pursed his lips and his eyes twinkled. “It worked very well.”
She laughed. “Should I be flattered, that you don’t use bad words around us?”
His big shoulders shrugged. “I guess so,” he said after a minute. “I don’t want to drive Teddie away. She’s brought the sunshine back into my life.” He looked down at her. “You’re part of that.”
She caught her breath as they stared into each other’s eyes for just a little longer than politeness required.
“We’re both carrying painful scars,” he said after a minute. “You lost your husband. I lost my fiancée and my child. I’ve had longer to recover than you have, but it’s still fresh, very fresh.”
She drew in a breath and wrapped her arms around her chest. She felt a chill, even with her nice warm coat on. “My husband died doing something he felt a moral obligation to do. It was the most important thing in his life, even more important than us. He said that so few people could do his job, that many men would have died if he hadn’t been there to do it. So I guess it evens out, in a way. But yes, it’s still fresh. A few months’ distance helps. It doesn’t heal.”
“It takes years for that.” He lifted his head and looked where Teddie was opening her bag to another handful of treats from a merchant. “You know, when you have an old dog that you love, and it dies, they all say the best thing for the grief is to go right out and get a puppy.”
Her heart skipped. “They do, don’t they?”
He turned to her. “We’re not speaking of dogs.”
She just nodded. She was spellbound, looking up into those dark, dark eyes.
He moved a step closer, not intimately close, but enough that she could feel his breath on her forehead. “We don’t have to get totally involved, just to have a hamburger together or take Teddie to a movie. Right?”
Her heart was going wild. It surprised and almost shamed her, because she hadn’t had such a violent physical reaction even to her late husband. “N-no,” she stammered. “I mean, yes. I mean . . .” She just stopped, staring up into his eyes.
His jaw tautened and he averted his gaze. “Don’t do that,”
he bit off. “It’s been a long time. A long time,” he emphasized. “I’m more vulnerable than I look.”
She swallowed, hard. “Sorry,” she said in a gruff whisper.
He shifted on his feet, feeling the hunger all the way to his toes. “I would love to drag you behind the nearest building and kiss you until you couldn’t stand up by yourself.”
Her lips parted on a shocked breath. She turned toward Teddie, not looking at him. “I would love it . . . if you did,” she blurted out.
“Oh, God,” he groaned.
“‘Four score and seven years ago’,” she began reciting Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
She turned around again and he looked down at her in shock.
“It’s what I did at school when I got all embarrassed and couldn’t think of what to say to somebody,” she explained, and flushed, and then laughed self-consciously.
He burst out laughing. “I started calculating the absolute value of Pi,” he replied, and now his dark eyes were twinkling.
“Lincoln’s address is much shorter,” she pointed out.
He grinned. “So it is.” He caught her hand in his and linked their fingers together. “People will talk,” he added softly.
Her fingers tangled in his. “Let them,” she said huskily.
He pulled her along with him and they went to find Teddie.
* * *
Teddie, of course, noticed the new attitude between both the adults in her life, and she smiled mischievously when they got back to the ranch house.
“Thanks for driving us, Parker,” Teddie said on the front porch, and impulsively hugged him and then ran to unlock the front door. “Happy Halloween!” she called back as she went inside. “I’m going to eat candy and watch TV!”
“Not too much!” Katy called after her.
“Okay!”
Parker chuckled. “She doesn’t miss a trick, does she? I guess we might as well be wearing signs.”
“She’s intuitive,” she agreed.
He reached out lazily and pulled her to him. “How about a movie Saturday night?” he asked. “We can take Teddie to see that new cartoon one that came out.”
“I’d love to go to a movie with you.”
He bent his head toward her. “We can’t make out in a theater,” he whispered. “Probably a good thing.”