Chemistry Lessons (17 page)

Destry laughed. He wiped his stinging lip with the inside of his
collar—possibly the only unsullied part of his clothing. Then, still on his
knees, he scooped a handful of mud and poured it into Tanner’s right boot. He
did the same with the other. Then, like a creature emerging from a swamp, he
stood up in all his muddy glory, leaving the boots still stuck in the mud.

Since Tanner’s back was turned to him, Destry couldn’t tell if he was
still in a violent mood, but he seemed to be receiving a tongue lashing from
Rosie. Destry couldn’t hear what she was saying, but a stream of words poured
out through her bared teeth. As he got closer, he balled his fists, trying to
read Tanner’s body language. He caught Rosie’s last sentence. “That isn’t any
way for a teacher to act in front of his students.”

Tanner turned toward Destry, his head bowed, one hand in his pocket,
and the other scratching the back of his neck. His stance had relaxed, and it
would have been the perfect time to belt him right in the nose. “I’m sorry I
lost my temper.” He kept his eyes on Destry’s fist as he spoke.

Destry thought through Rosie’s words:
That isn’t any way for a
teacher to act in front of his students.
Even though his nose dripped blood
and his lips stung, he’d have to back down now if he wanted to stay on Rosie’s
good side. He waited until Tanner’s eyes met his to answer. “Nothing a cold
pack and a hot shower won’t cure.”

Tanner brushed his hands together, as if trying to get dirt off of
them. “I don’t know what came over me back there.” He was probably only
behaving for Rosie’s sake.

Destry rolled his eyes. Only a fool would fall for that, and Rosie was
no fool.

Rosie swiveled to face him. “When you figure it out, I’d like to know.”
She spoke through her teeth so her words came out like a growl.

“I think I can clue you both in,” Destry said, keeping his eyes on
Tanner and his arms prepared to block any punches. “Tanner felt threatened and
decided to defend his territory.”

The fireman cracked a smile as he struggled to keep hold of StainMaster’s
collar.

Tanner’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward. “I already told you
both why I’m upset with him. He’s a crook. Not to mention that he also killed
his brother.”

“That’s a lie,” Destry bellowed. He balled his hands into fists,
waiting for Rosie to step away.

But Rosie only came closer, glaring at Tanner. “You promised we wouldn’t
talk about those articles until tomorrow.”

StainMaster broke away from the fireman and rushed in between the two
men, barking, while Rosie took Tanner by his arm and pulled him back a few
feet. “Today isn’t the right time.”

Destry grabbed hold of the dog’s collar and reminded himself again of
what Rosie had said. He could come out the winner if he kept his cool. “At
least there’s one advantage to all this mess,” he said, petting the dog’s fur. “People
always expect pets to look like their owners. We match better this way.”

Rosie didn’t laugh at his joke. She bent forward, trying to get a
better look at Destry’s face. Then she scrunched her nose. “That’s gotta hurt.”

Destry tried for a smile, curving only one side of his lip. “However bad
it looks, it hurts worse.”

The fireman grabbed StainMaster’s collar and pulled him back to finish
working on his ear. “You’re welcome to use the first-aid kit. I’ve got to
finish cleaning up this animal.”

“Let me help you, Destry.” Rosie walked to the kit, pulling out gauze
and some saline solution.

Tanner took the supplies from her hand and passed them to Destry. “He’s
a big boy. He can help himself.”

With her hands empty, Rosie crossed her arms, gripping her wrist. “But—”

Destry’s mouth twitched, despite his split lip. “Tanner’s right. I
can
help myself, and I plan to—in more ways than one.”

Rosie pulled Tanner over to the back of the fire engine, where she
probably thought they couldn’t be overheard. Still, Tanner spoke loud enough
for Destry to hear. “I don’t think he should be able to pass himself off as an
honest man.”

As he cleaned mud from his hands with alcohol wipes, Destry strained to
catch Rosie’s response. “Yeah, well, he’s not the one I agreed to marry. Can
you just behave yourself? I never thought you could be so violent.” Hearing her
words, Destry almost raised his arms in victory.

He couldn’t resist turning his head to observe the scene. That was when
he saw that Tanner had wrapped Rosie in his arms. “I was just putting him in
his place.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

She stood still as a statue, her hands at her waist.

Destry couldn’t hear the rest of
their conversation, but seeing them together like that was the worst blow
Destry could have received. In agony, he remembered the feel of her body
against his—how delicate she felt for a woman so strong. Knowing he might not
hold her again was a kind of torture he had never felt before. But then Rosie
broke free from Tanner’s arms and, Destry clearly saw her push her hand against
Tanner’s chest, putting an end to the embrace. Now there was an image he could
replay in his darkest moments, the picture of hope and new possibilities.

She had seen two extremes of Tanner
in the last week, two sides of him that she had never seen before—a man who
could get angry enough to hit another man and an apologetic romantic who wrote
her a love letter that made her blush just thinking about it.

 He had worked hard to regain her
approval. The day after the fight, he had washed Rosie’s dog and changed the
oil in Grandpa’s truck. The next day, after they finished their work at the
school, he took her four-wheeling in the fields. He brought her a mason jar
full of sunflowers and fixed her dinner twice.

She appreciated that he could
apologize, and she was sure that he would never get violent with her, the way
he did with Destry. Still, a part of her held back, disillusioned.

Her grandmother had warned her that
perfect men didn’t exist. How far, though, should she be willing to go in the
opposite direction? If only Grandma were alive, Rosie could ask her advice. It
wouldn’t be the same asking Grandpa. He was much less likely to forgive a man’s
faults, and he already distrusted Tanner’s ability to be a good husband, but she
couldn’t keep hiding what happened from him. He was bound to hear about it
eventually.

Grandpa sat across from Rosie at the breakfast table that Friday
morning, swirling his fork around in his scrambled eggs while Rosie jabbed at
hers. Telling him how Tanner had hit Destry could cement Grandpa’s opinion
against him for good, but she launched into the story, trying to emphasize
Tanner’s concerns about Destry’s integrity. She didn’t mention Tanner’s
jealousy—or the fact that he had every reason to be jealous.

Grandpa reached for her hand, holding it in his trembling fingers. “Frankly,
I’m glad Tanner had the gumption to hit someone.” Grandpa squeezed her hand and
then went back to eating his eggs. “It’s just too bad he picked Destry. I like
that guy.”

Rosie expected a grin to break through, signaling that Grandpa was
being sarcastic, but it didn’t. He was serious. “So you’re not worried about
Tanner trying to start a fight?” she asked, her muscles relaxing.

“Not at all. In fact, it makes me feel better about him. He’s always
impressed me as a mama’s boy. It’s good to know he can defend you when the need
arises.” She had expected him to say something about Tanner’s bad temper.
Perhaps, all those experiences with angry stepdads made her overly sensitive.

Through the screen door, she heard wheels rolling over the gravel
driveway. Figuring Tanner was here to pick her up for school, she kissed
Grandpa on the top of his head. “I’ve got to go.”

“Tanner isn’t perfect, but he’s a good man—nothing like those buffoons
Azalea picked.”

Rosie laughed, silently agreeing. Her chest felt lighter after talking
to Grandpa.

He pointed an arthritic finger at her and raised his eyebrows. “Now don’t
tell Azalea I said that about her husbands.”

“She would be the first one to agree with you.” Rosie grabbed her purse
and pushed open the screen door. “You take care of yourself. Don’t go walking
around.”

Grandpa huffed and rolled his eyes. The older he got, the more he
reminded Rosie of the sixteen-year-old boys she taught at school.

As she walked down the front steps, Tanner stood holding the passenger
door open for her—a gesture he’d adopted over the past few days. He was dressed
professionally in a black-checked Western Shirt with black slacks. His lips
twisted into a half-smile, and he tipped his cowboy hat as if Rosie were an
acquaintance, not the woman he was going to marry. Why did he seem so formal?

Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him, tasting a hint of spearmint. “Good
morning.”

“I brought a gift,” he said, pulling a ring box from his breast pocket.
He popped it open to reveal a plain gold band. “I didn’t think you’d mind if I
got it by myself. What you wanted wasn’t all that complicated.”

It was the ring she had asked for—the slim yellow-gold band Tanner hadn’t
wanted to get. Tanner took the band from the box and slipped it on her finger.
As usual, he had done his homework. It fit perfectly. She threw her arms around
his neck, and he pulled her in until his belt buckle pressed against her
stomach. He smelled of soap and corral dust. She lifted her lips to his,
knowing he was exactly what she wanted—a man who rose before daylight and
labored until after dark.

She sank into the steady comfort of his arms, hardly believing he had
caved to her request for a simple ring when he had worried so much about people
calling him cheap. “I love it. And I love you for getting it for me.”

As she got into the car, she tried to imagine the two of them living on
the ranch together. Tanner was a man who loved the extremes of ranch
life—feeling the slap of wind in the winter and the sting of sun in the summer.
He knew how to care for sick cattle and how to give himself as a living
sacrifice to the land. In him, she had found a companion for life.

She scooted closer to him on the truck bench. “I keep thinking of that
line in your letter, how it says, ’you’re the missing piece of my heart, the
sweetest melody in my ears, the drop of sweet nectar on my tongue.’ It’s beautiful.
Did you make that up?”

Tanner reached for her hand and took his eyes off the road for a
moment. “The whole letter came straight from my heart.” Of the two of them, he
always seemed to be the one who gave. Had he noticed how unequal their
relationship had become?

She squeezed his hand and spoke in low, serious tones. “I hope I can
write one for you that’s just as beautiful.”

He placed his hand back on the wheel as they rounded a curve. “Don’t
worry about it, Rosie.”

She twisted the ring around on her finger. One thing she hadn’t thought
of—this was a wedding band. People might assume she was already married. Did he
expect her to wear it before they were married? “How come men don’t wear
engagement rings?” she asked Tanner.

Tanner gave her one of his indiscernible looks—the kind that could be
anger or amusement. This time she guessed amusement. “If you want me to wear
one,” he said, “I’d be happy to.”

“It was just a general question. I’m not complaining.” She didn’t have
the money to buy Tanner a ring yet—not when she was still saving for a down payment
on the ranch. Since she had promised to save money, she had spent nearly all of
her paycheck. The fact that she had needed to restock the tank with heating oil
had not helped.

“It’s probably better if we save the money instead of buying another
ring,” Tanner said. “While I was in town, I stopped by the bank. Now, don’t get
upset, but the woman there said it might be better if I apply for the loan by
myself.”

Rosie whipped her head toward him. “What?” She didn’t like the idea of
the ranch being only in Tanner’s name.

“It has something to do with credit scores. She also told me we’ll
probably need a bigger down payment than we talked about.” He huffed in
frustration, as if he might want to give up on the whole idea of buying the
ranch.

“Really?” Rosie fought the urge to groan. It was a disappointment, but
having the ranch in Tanner’s name was still better than not having it at all.
She needed to convince him that she had faith in their plans, that they could come
up with a bigger down payment. “I posted the llama and emus for sale online. I
haven’t heard from anyone yet, but I’m sure I will soon. People just need time
to recover from the flood.”

“That’s good,” Tanner said, as if he wasn’t really listening. He drove
the next two or three miles in silence before he spoke again. “I don’t suppose
your grandpa would be willing to sell for a lower price?”

Rosie shook her head. “Uncle Jeff would never let him. He wants to make
sure Grandpa can remain financially independent for the rest of his life, and I
agree. It wouldn’t be fair for Grandpa to sacrifice his own security for us.”

“Well, what would you think of dividing up the property? It’s not like
we need all two thousand acres. One of the neighbors might be willing to buy
five hundred of them?”

That meant they wouldn’t be able to run as many cattle as Tanner had
hoped. Rosie pressed her lips together, trying to remain positive. “That could
work.”

Tanner pulled into the school parking lot and circled around to the
entrance. He brought the car to a stop. “Is it okay if I talk to Mr. McFerrin,
and see if he’s interested?”

She supposed asking wouldn’t hurt anything. “Sure.” She hadn’t brought
up Destry’s name since the fight, but it seemed unavoidable now. She leaned to
kiss Tanner’s cheek, keeping her hand on his. “Destry once told Grandpa he’s
interested in buying more property. Why don’t you talk to Mr. McFerrin? I’ll
talk to Destry after school.” Today was Tanner’s first meeting of the debate team,
and Rosie had already asked Destry to drive her home.

Tanner shook his head. “The more I learn about Destry, the more I
despise him.” He pulled her in for a hug, resting his chin on the top of her
head. “Do you know that
resort
he’s building is going to be a rehab
center?” Clearly, Tanner didn’t see Destry’s plan as a service to the
community. He saw it as a danger.

She lifted her head to look at him, speaking in quiet, calm tones. “It’s
not a rehab center. The people who go there will have already gone through
rehab.”

She felt the muscles in his arms tense. “I’m not going to stand for it.”
His voice boomed out, as if he didn’t mind that people could hear him outside
his truck. “I drove past there yesterday. He’s got construction workers
breaking ground already.”

Rosie looked at her watch. She had only two minutes before she needed
to be inside the school. “It won’t hurt to ask him.”

He seemed to be holding his breath as she watched, waiting for his
reply.

Finally, he exhaled. “You’re right.” His voice had come down a few
decibels. “It might be the only way we can keep the ranch.” He paused and then
set his jaw. “But I still won’t allow him to bring drug addicts next door.”

Rosie smiled. “It might not be that bad. He’s really trying to help
people.” She raised her lips to his, imagining that they stood in the middle of
Grandpa’s ranch, surrounded on every side by land that extended to the horizon.
This time, she allowed Tanner to be the first to pull away.

She opened her door, stepping out into the cool of the morning. She
guessed Destry would agree to buy their land. What she hadn’t told Tanner was
that she hated the idea of selling any of it. Giving up the land now could mean
giving it up forever. She tried to think of a better solution as she gathered
the papers from her inbox.

Other concerns took over as she entered her classroom and started to
prepare for the photosynthesis experiment in her first-period class. In second
period, she thought only of her health class’s discussion of body image. In
third period, it was back to photosynthesis. While she ate lunch with Jade in
the teacher’s lounge, she pulled out a piece of paper to list the pros and cons
of selling five hundred acres. In the end, the pros won out. “I think I’m going
to ask Destry to buy part of my ranch,” she told Jade. “We can’t afford a
mortgage for the whole thing.”

Jade wrinkled her nose. “I can see selling your ranch, but are you sure
you want to sell to Destry? There’s got to be some truth to those articles I
found about him.”

“Those articles didn’t include the whole story. They never gave him a
chance to defend himself,” Rosie said, giving each word the weight of iron. “I
trust him, and he’s the only one of our neighbors with money to spare.”

Jade folded her arms, leaning back in her chair and scrutinizing Rosie’s
expression. “It’s seems to me that you’re walking on thin ice. You’re going to
lose Tanner if you’re not careful. He’s a good man, Rosie. I’m not sure you
appreciate how hard it is to find someone like him.”

It wasn’t normal for Jade to give her this kind of lecture, and it
shocked her like a bucket of cold water thrown in her face. She had never
considered that she might ever lose Tanner, but the thought was ridiculous. He
had always been there. Always.