A Father's Stake (18 page)

He wondered if he’d heard right, and his hand stilled on her cheek. “You what?” he breathed, not daring to move.

“I want you to...to have the...ranch.” Her voice broke, and she had to swallow to finish the words. “I can do that for you. I want to do that for you.”

He drew back, looking down into her upturned face. More tears came, silently, and she didn’t bother to swipe them away. “No, before that. Before the stuff about the land. What was that?”

She grimaced and slowly sank back into her chair, hugging her arms around herself. “Please,” she protested.

He hunkered down in front of her, but didn’t touch her. “No, tell me.”

The tear-bright lavender eyes slowly lifted to meet his gaze and he heard her swallow hard. “I’m in love for the first time in my life.”

He let the words settle in, then he slowly lifted his hands and framed her face. “With me?”

Her tongue touched her pale pink lower lip. “It’s crazy, I know, and it can’t happen, and I didn’t mean to tell you, ever.”

“Why not?”

She shook her head, freeing herself, and pushed to stand, almost knocking him backwards. “Now, I have to...to go home and see about Lilly, and my mother, and figure out how to make this all legal, the land and house and all.”

He steadied himself, but didn’t move to let her pass. “No,” he said, forcing himself not to touch her again. Not yet.

She blinked, her lashes wet with clinging tears. “What?”

“No, I’ve got a better idea. Grandpa just wanted someone on that land that loved it, that would care for it and build a family in the house. That’s what he’s got. And I’m okay with that.”

“You are?”

“Well, almost okay with it. But I need to make one alteration in the setup.”

She nodded. “Anything,” He felt a lightness in him, a sense of the future and not the past. He’d finally managed to say goodbye to Robyn the night before. He’d always love her, but he knew that he could still love in this world, and he would.

“This is my plan. I’ll take care of the land, make it work again, and I’d like to take care of the family, too.” He paused, almost afraid to say the rest, but he went on. It had to work. “I want to build a family there, to make a real life.”

Her face crumpled, and the tears came again. “No, no, no,” she sobbed into her hands.

He grabbed her shoulders, pulled her closer, but not against him. Waiting for her to calm a bit, he finally saw his opening when she sniffled, then slowly lowered her hands. “I can’t take Lilly away from here. I can’t.”

“You won’t have to.” He looked right at her. “I’m going to say something that I never knew I’d ever say again in this world. I loved Robyn, I always will love her, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t love someone else just as much. Maybe differently, but with all my heart.”

She grew very still, the tears stopped, and he felt as if the world was waiting for him to step back into it and make it spin again. “Grace, I love you.”

The words hung suspended between them, and the ensuing silence felt like an eternity. Then slowly, very slowly, Grace seemed to fall toward him, her arms holding on to him for dear life.

He could feel a trembling in her, and she moved back a bit, but did not let go of him. “Really?” was all she asked.

“Really. Things have been so tangled up and confused that I didn’t realize that everything that was happening was happening because I love you. I fought it, I wanted it, I hated it, then I knew that I needed you more than I could ever tell you.”

There was a wariness in her that he didn’t understand. “I can’t be a backup plan, Jack, I can’t. I can’t be just a way to get your land back. I’ll give it to you, I swear I will. You don’t have to say all this.”

His smile came out of nowhere, and he said something he hadn’t even thought about until that moment. “Grace, I love you, and I’m in love for the last time in my life.”

She lifted her arms, clasping her hands behind his neck and standing on tiptoes to meet him in a kiss that didn’t stop his world at all. It started it again, and that took his breath away. Moments passed, then both were breathing hard, still holding to each other, neither willing to let go.

He was grinning, and he knew it. He must look like some lovesick teenager, but he didn’t care. Because he was in love, again, forever.

Could it be that simple? Could it be that miraculous? Both, he knew as he looked into lavender eyes that were filled with warmth and promise.

“I love you so much, Jack,” she breathed, and he knew it was all true. His future had been there, waiting for him in the form of Grace Evans and a little blonde girl with pigtails. His second chance, his future.

* * *

A
N
HOUR
LATER
, Jack and Grace drove up to the old adobe, after promises had been made and a future laid out between the two of them. Her mother was there with Parrish and Lilly on the porch. The arm in the cast was supported by a bright red bandana, and the older man and little girl were playing a game of checkers on a tiny table between them.

Grace got out and met Jack at the front of his Jeep, then he took her hand and they headed toward the porch. Gabriella started to call out, “Things here are good,” then stopped when she saw them holding hands.

She didn’t say anything, but just grinned at them as they took the stairs together. “Mom, I need to talk to you.”

“And I need to talk to you.” She glanced at Parrish, who leaned closer to Lilly and said, “Why don’t I get you settled in the house for a bit. We’ll find you some ice cream.”

“Sure,” she said, and she went with Parrish inside.

Gabriella took the chair the child had vacated. “Sit,” she said, “We’ll discuss things as soon as Parrish gets back.”

Jack and Grace rested on the top step, side by side, and once Parrish returned, Grace asked, “All right. So, what’s going on?” Gabriella said on an exhale. “Parrish and I, we’ve been chatting, and it seems that he knew your dad.”

Grace turned to the older man. “You knew him?”

“Back a while. He was on his way up north, Canada, and he was working on the same spread I was in Montana. He was a nice guy, actually, and he told me all about you two, and about Lilly. But he was going the wrong direction, and I told him he couldn’t just leave family like that.”

Grace was holding onto Jack’s hand so tightly, she was afraid she was going to hurt him. “What did he say?”

“That he loved all of you, but he was broken, and he couldn’t be fixed. He couldn’t just sit in one place. He had to get out, but he’d taken care of all of you, and done it right. According to his thinking, this business with the land made up for leaving you all those years ago. He told me about this place and left a few days later. When I went into his bunk room, I found that box of photos that I put in the dresser. He must have forgotten it, but I took it and brought it here.”

Gabriella stood and went closer to Parrish. “I told Parrish we understand about Charles. And it was right that he brought the box here. He didn’t want to intrude, but he heard about this job and took it, thinking he’d just stay a week or so to make sure we were okay.” She touched his shoulder and he covered her hand with his. “He’s not leaving. He’s staying.”

Parrish drew Gabriella from her chair and took her into his arms. “I can’t figure out how Charlie let this all go. But I don’t want to. I don’t have much of a family, but always wanted one, and now, I want to stay here, with Gabbie and you all.”

Grace felt Jack pulling her to her feet with him. He turned her toward him, cupping her face. “How about it, Grace? Grandpa would be smiling about this whole thing, I think.”

Grace went up on tiptoes, kissed Jack, and then turned. “Absolutely,” she replied, “with two conditions.”

Parrish and her mother both seemed surprised at the kiss. Eventually he asked, “What conditions?”

“First, Parrish, you have to be in this for the long haul, no leaving on a whim.”

“Absolutely,” Parrish said.

“And secondly, Mom, you have to give Jack your blessing to marry me.”

Gabriella smiled hugely, coming to her daughter and hugging her for a long moment. Then Lilly swung back the front door.

“Parrish, did you tell Mama about the kittens?” she asked.

Parrish looked a bit sheepish. “I did think that cat looked too fat,” he said.

Their laughter echoed in the stillness of the day, sweeping over the land and toward the distant mountains. Grace beheld the people in her life, and knew she’d finally found that love, that connection she’d always dreamed of, and she smiled.

EPILOGUE

Thanksgiving

F
OR
THE
FIRST
time every member of the Carson family was on the land Jackson Wolf had first claimed for his people. The land that had been lost to them was now restored, and Thanksgiving dinner was going to be set out in the main room of the old adobe.

Lark and Gabriella were busy in the kitchen, both refusing to use a catering service, and the children were in the stables, with Parrish. Adam and Faith had just arrived, the couple glowing with happiness, and Faith glowing in her second month of pregnancy. The secret marriage had barely raised an eyebrow, when the impending birth of a Carson grandchild was announced. Merry and Gage were celebrating their adoption of Erin, and the little girl was smiling and talking more.

Lilly and Erin acted as if they’d known each other all their lives. They were both scheduled to be flower girls at the wedding of Erin’s new parents on New Year’s Eve at the big ranch. Gabriella and Parrish were together most of the time, and Grace was pretty certain that Merry and Gage wouldn’t be the only ones to get married in the near future.

Grace and Jack were hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but weren’t anywhere in sight. The two had quietly walked away from the house. Jack had been edgy, unable to settle, and he needed to talk to Grace. With her hand in his, they crossed an irrigated pasture that was greening up nicely.

They didn’t speak until they climbed a rise that overlooked the newer ranch. They stood for a long while, Jack’s arm around Grace, then he spoke.

“Finally, alone,” he said, pulling Grace against him and kissing her temple. Her hair was loose and he loved it that way, a curtain of pale gold. Jeans and shirts had become her clothes of choice and she was wearing her fourth pair of boots. She was still a city girl, but the country girl was there too. “I love you,” he whispered, and kissed her again.

Grace cuddled into him, looking out over the view. “Why are we here?”

Jack hesitated. “I’m tired of going home to the loft, and I want to live at the house with you and Lilly...and your mom and Parrish.”

Grace moved back enough to look up at him, and her lavender eyes twinkled. “So, you want to move in?”

“Absolutely. Enough of empty nights, and missing time with you and Lilly.”

“Okay,” she said. “So, what’s your solution? I don’t think you can just move in and have it go unnoticed in Wolf Lake, let alone by your parents and your brothers and the kids. The kids! What kind of thing is that to do with children around?”

He grinned, and she reached up and touched his dimple with her forefinger. “Exactly. You said it.”

“So, what did your very brilliant criminal mind come up with?”

He grew serious, his heart hammering. “I told you that I’m in love for the last time in my life, and I don’t want to waste any more of it living apart.”

“You sound like you’re ancient,” she said, her finger slowly tracing the line of his jaw.

“No, but I’ve learned....” He had to stop and swallow to clear the threatening tightness in his throat. “I mean, time isn’t made to waste. Right now is all we’ve got, and I want that time to be with you and Lilly. It’s that simple.”

“And...?”

“And....” He pulled her to him, kissing her with a hunger that echoed in her. When he drew back, he looked into her beautiful eyes and whispered, “Marry me, marry me now, as soon as we can work it out. Tomorrow, next week. Just soon.”

She studied Jack, then snuggled into his chest, but she didn’t say anything. He rested his chin on her head, held her close and waited.

Finally she stirred, but didn’t let him go. “Yes, yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”

He closed his eyes tightly, a feeling of joy flooding through him. “Do you want a big wedding?”

She shook her head no. “Just you and me and Lilly and Mom and Parrish, and your mom and dad, and—”

“Family,” he interjected to stop the list-making.

“Exactly.”

“When?”

“In a week, here, simple. And when the ceremony is over, you won’t leave. You’ll stay here with us.”

He hugged her tightly. “Yes!” he said, feeling as if he should be pumping his fist into the air. “Yes!”

Grace drew back, her smile beautiful. “A week,” she said.

Jack reached into his jeans pocket and tugged out the small box he’d been carrying for two weeks. He held it up to Grace. “Grace Carson. I like the sound of that.” He placed the box in her palm, but she didn’t move to open it. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing, love, absolutely nothing,” she said.

“Then open it.”

“A one carat diamond surrounded by local turquoise and set in antique silver?”

“How did you know?”

“Well, Mallory saw you go into Maureen’s new jewelry shop and then leave, and Mallory was going there to have her engagement ring from Moses resized, and Maureen let it slip that you’d just bought a ring, the biggest sale she’s had so far.”

“Oh,” was all he said.

“Then Mallory let it slip to Oscar, and Oscar’s grandson Aaron told my mom about it, and my mom told Parrish and—”

Jack cut her off with a quick kiss. “Enough. I get it.” He took the box back from her, took out the ring she’d just perfectly described, and held it up for the sun to catch the glitter of the stones. Without another word, Grace let him slip it onto her finger.

“Oh, Jack, it’s perfect.”

“I wish it had been a surprise,” he said.

“It was...when Parrish let it slip.”

They looked at each other and started to laugh. “Small town gossip has been fine-tuned in Wolf Lake,” Jack said.

“A blessing and a curse,” Grace said as she kissed his throat.

Jack shook his head. “A blessing.” He slipped his arm around Grace and they headed for the old adobe house.

“Do we even need to announce our engagement?” she asked.

They stepped down into a dry creek bed. Jack held her hand in his and laughed again. “Why, they’ll probably know all about the wedding before we even get back.”

Grace stopped and turned to him. He could tell she was thinking of something besides their upcoming marriage. “What’s on your mind?”

“Your dad. Where is he?”

It had been hard to have a talk with his father, to hear the promises, the hope, and him finally saying it was over. The past was the past. This was their future, and he wanted his dad in it with him.

“He’ll be here. He just had something to do first.”

They started walking again. “What did he have to do on Thanksgiving Day?” she asked.

“A meeting. He goes every day, early in the morning. He’ll be done in time for dinner.”

“Thank goodness,” she said, squeezing his hand.

They continued on in silence until they stepped up and out of the creek bed into the clear day. As they got closer to the house, they could hear voices and laughter, and sniffed the smell of turkey in the air. In unison, they stopped, watched the activity at the house from a distance, then resumed walking.

“What a perfect Thanksgiving,” Grace said.

“Grandpa would be right in the middle of all of this, smoking his turkey, shucking the corn.” He missed the man fiercely, but found himself smiling. “But most of all he’d be in the middle of the family, his heritage.”

They got closer and saw Willie G. on the porch, shucking the corn. Parrish was with him, laughing at something Jack’s father, seated on the stone step with them, was saying.

“Our heritage,” Grace said with a touch of awe in her voice. “Our family.”

“And your father’s legacy to you,”
he wanted to say. Despite his past mistakes, Charles Michaels had sealed the future for everyone at the house. He wished he could thank the man, but knew he’d never have the chance. The one thing he could do was love his daughter and granddaughter forever.

Jack Carson put his arm around his love, and headed with her into their future. It was right here in front of them on the land where it had all begun...in Wolf Lake.

* * * * *