Echoes From The Past (Women of Character) (17 page)

"Why?"

She lifted her head and he saw the
film of moisture in her eyes. "We fixed up the place for her, Daddy. Now
she can be over there and not in our house. You’re supposed to be in our house
with me."

Garrett tried to search for the
right words of assurance for his daughter, not certain what they might be.
"Hannah, I know we’ve had a lot of changes in the last year or so and
sometimes change can be pretty scary. It’s like a hard bump you have to climb
up over. It’s okay to be scared."

"You don’t get scared,"
she scoffed.

"Of course I do, honey, but I
also realize change can be okay. If somebody needs help, I’ll give them a hand.
It won’t take any of my attention away from you. You’re my daughter, my first
concern, but sometimes others hit that hard bump in the road and need me. Do
you understand?"

"I guess. Can I go
play?"

Garrett let out a deep, resigned
sigh, uncertain if he’d gotten through to his daughter. "Go ahead. I’ll be
in my tool shed."

Hannah ran away from him toward
her swing set. Garrett followed, then walked past her to the shed behind the
house.

He needed some mental stimulation
right now. Working on his dirt bike usually took his mind off pressing
problems. As he pulled his tools out of the shed where he kept the bike, he
kept thinking of what Christie had revealed about her earlier life. He kicked
some rags aside, still furious over her parents’ obvious neglect. How does
anyone abandon a child? Christie and Ellen had had no one but each other and
they had been children. What about Judith?

When he’d met her she’d been full
of neurosis and barely veiled insecurities. Did he want to go that route again,
care about someone who came with a busload of unresolved baggage? Judith’s
sister. In the end, Judith hadn’t been able to overcome her past, and it had
helped to tear them apart. Christie was from the same background.

What kind of desperation did it
take to leave home one day and head out to unfamiliar territory so you could
keep a promise? Garrett sensed there was more that Christie wasn’t telling him.
What would it take for her to trust him with the full truth?

Garrett adjusted a brake cable,
then pulled himself up abruptly. Why was he worrying about Christie? She
planned on leaving when the month was up. So what if she had problems. Everyone
had them. There was no sense getting worried about her plans. He had his own
agenda. Garrett looked at Hannah playing on the swings. He needed to keep her
safe and secure. She was coming along so well, he wouldn’t chance a setback by
changing anything at the farm. . .especially not taking a lover when Hannah
still felt the loss of her mother so keenly.

Christie’s voice was in his head.
I did what I had to do
.

He felt humbled. He’d never been
so desperate. Even when he’d almost drowned in debt, he’d known he would
survive, even if meant working somewhere for minimum wage. From the time he was
sixteen he’d had a part time job for spending money. His parents had provided
for him. He hadn’t worried about rent or if he had enough money for a gallon of
milk.

Garrett started the bike and
revved it up a few times. When he cut the motor, he heard a vehicle drive into
the yard. Randy drove by in a dark blue pickup and gave him a salute, then
parked by the exercise ring where Ally still worked with the horse.

"Hi Ally!" He heard his
brother call out. "How’s my favorite redhead today?"

With amusement Garrett caught the
"yeah right" expression Ally tossed Randy’s way.

"You’re distracting my
help," Garrett said mildly, wiping grease from his hands. "Cut it out
unless you’re serious."

Randy made his way over to him.
"Serious as a heart attack. What’s up? You look like you’ve got a load of
trouble on your back." Bo Peep came rushing over to Randy and he bent down
to pat the dog, then squinted at the bike. "Need some help with the
bike?"

"No." Garrett dropped a
wrench back in his toolbox and looked at his brother with a raised brow.
"You’re becoming quite a regular around here. Two, three times in one
week. I feel honored." He grinned.

"Am I supposed to call
first?" Randy drawled, his smile crooked. "I wanted to show you my
new truck."

Together they walked over to the
truck to check out all its features. "It’s a beauty," Garrett said,
running his hand along the pickup bed fender. "Quite an improvement on the
last one."

"Yeah, I decided I needed
more reliable transportation."

"You’re getting quite
responsible these days," Garrett said dryly.

"Sometimes you’ve got to
shake things up a little," Randy stared across the yard to where Ally
worked the horse. He turned his attention back to Garrett. "I also wanted
to tell you about Les. I’ve been nosing around. He’s not working and no one
really seems to know what he’s up to during the day."

Garrett swiped a sleeve over his
forehead. "Come on over into the shade."

Under the shade of a big Maple
tree behind the house Garrett dropped down into a lawn chair and indicated to
Randy the hammock he’d hung from the tree that morning. Bo Peep settled on the
ground beside him. He fondled her silky ears and glanced over at Hannah still
playing on her swing.

Randy sprawled in the mesh
hammock, booted feet crossed. Tipping his hat back he regarded him intently.
"So what’s going on that you’re keeping track of Les?"

"He stopped here one day for
Kim’s check. He’d started drinking and was acting pretty belligerent. I’ve been
keeping in touch with Kim to make sure she’s all right."

"I’ll have the guys swing by
their place on a regular basis."

"Thanks. I knew I could count
on you."

"So, what else is going
on?" Randy asked.

Garrett plucked a blade of grass
and chewed on it. Thoughtfully, he regarded his brother. "It’s business as
usual."

Randy’s glance was skeptical.
"What’s up with Christie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ruth mentioned she moved
into the apartment over the barn."

"Now you’re tapping Ruth for information?
Next thing you’ll be telling me Sam joined the local square dancer’s club.
Since when did Ruth become such a fountain of information?" Garrett asked
with resignation.

"Since there’s someone here
at the farm who might be able to loosen you up, big brother. Hannah called me
this morning and couldn’t wait to spill the news. I get she’s happy that
Christie’s over in the barn."

"Yeah, there’s a bit of a
problem with Hannah. Nothing I can’t handle. As to the other, I don’t need
loosening up. I’d appreciate it if you stopped grilling everyone about my
business."

"Do I detect a touch of
evasiveness?" Garrett couldn’t miss the smile in his brother’s voice, but
he could damn well ignore it.

"Hannah’s not happy anytime
someone new comes in. I suppose with Christie staying in the house she was even
more possessive of me." He shrugged. "Anyway, Christie is leaving in
a few weeks."

"Have you told Hannah
Christie is her aunt?"

"No."

"Don’t you think it’s about
time?"

His jaw firmed. "I will when
I’m ready."

Randy squinted his eyes and looked
over toward Ally. "Ally likes Christie and Buddy swears Christie is the
next best thing to an angel. She’s been helping him with some kind of school
paper. Legal stuff." Randy threw him an intent stare. "What do you
think?"

"I think you ask too many
questions and you’re damned nosy."

"Is that so? Well if you’re
not interested, maybe Christie would like to go out with the fun loving
brother."

"Do you know one?"

Randy just smiled.

The idea of Christie and Randy
together put Garrett in a bad mood. "I think you ought to narrow your
concentration to one woman."

Randy blew on his fingernails and
pretended to polish them on his T-shirt front, but Garrett suspected some of it
was mere bravado.

"Nothing wrong with playing
the field," Randy said. "Speaking of which, how about a double date
this weekend?"

"No."

"It’d be fun," Randy
said patiently.

"Wouldn’t that ruin your plan
to use the Harley’s seductive powers?"

"I can use it another time.
What do you say? Do you want to go out Saturday? Remember how we used to
--" Randy stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly realizing he’d let his
mouth run away.

Deliberately, Garrett finished the
sentence for him. "How we used to double date, you and your girlfriend, me
and Judith? How could I forget?" It seemed like a hundred years ago.
"Thanks for the invite, but no thanks. I’m not into reliving the
past."

"Garrett." Randy sat
forward. "You can’t use Judith as a measure for every woman."

Garrett gave his brother a
narrow-eyed glance. "That’d be a pretty damned short measure. Anyway, it’s
past history."

"Judith was selfish and not
meant for the long run. Cut yourself some slack and have fun."

"What -- with her sister?
Leave it alone."

Just then Garrett noticed Christie
exit the barn and walk over to join Ally at the corral.

Randy glanced at the girls.
"You could ask her to stay longer. How’s everything going?"

"Fine."

"No complications from the
accident?"

"None that she admits
to."

"I’ll ask her if she wants to
do a double date," Randy said blithely, uncrossing his boots.

Garrett shot him a narrow-eyed
glance. "I’m past the age where I need my brother to get me a date."

"Your choice," Randy
murmured. "I’m going to start some fun. That Ally needs some excitement in
her life."

"Why don’t you tell her that
... I’m sure she’ll appreciate it."

Undaunted, Randy rose to his feet.
"Maybe I will." He sauntered toward Ally and Christie.

As Garrett watched his brother
picked up a section of the water hose Ally was using on the horse. He kinked it
so the flow of water almost stopped. Ally saw him and voiced a protest. Randy
released the hose and the force of the water caught Ally across the legs,
soaking her pants and boots.

"Randy McIntyre!" she
yelled, "if I didn’t have hold of this horse, I’d -- I’d give it to you
good."

Randy wagged a finger at her.
"Promises, promises."

Garrett followed in his brother’s
wake. Knowing all hell would likely break loose with Ally’s temper when it came
to Randy, he ducked around behind Christie and relieved Ally of the horse’s
lead line. "I’ll take Houdini out of harm’s way while you take care of my
brother," he said. Garrett led the horse into the barn, laughing when
Randy yelled as Ally turned the hose on him.

Garrett settled the horse in his
stall. He could hear female squeals and his brother’s protests. It sounded like
even the dog had joined in with continuous barking.

When Garrett walked back outside
the trio was still at it. Randy had hooked up a second hose and stood on one
side with Christie and Ally squared off against him. They were all soaked to
the skin. Bo Peep stood halfway between the house and barn, hopping back and
forth and barking excitedly.

"What is this,
kindergarten?" Garrett asked.

Garrett had only a moment to
notice Christie’s white T-shirt plastered to her body before a blast of water
hit him square in the face. Spluttering with disbelief and the shock of the icy
well water, he looked furiously at the culprit.

Christie held the hose. She froze,
watching him with wide eyes. Garrett put his hands up to his eyes and swiped at
the water dripping down his face.

"I’m going to get you for
that," he promised, giving her a menacing scowl.

With a squeal, Christie jerked the
hose up and sprayed him again. Quickly, she ducked to the side, dragging the
hose with her.

"Garrett!" Randy
indicated the bucket on the ground.

Garrett moved across the now muddy
ground as Christie kept the water spray trained on his back and shoulders. By
now he was so wet the spray didn’t matter. In fact it felt good. He picked up
the rubber bucket beside Randy and looked down into it. It was two-thirds full
of water and had a skim of horsehair along the top.

Garrett advanced on her, grinning
no doubt like a fool.

"Put down the hose," he
said softly, turning his head quickly to avoid another blast of water.

"Not a chance." She
shook her head in vehement refusal, her wet hair whipping around her face. She
continued to walk backwards but finally came to the end of the hose length.
Garrett knew he had her.

"Give it up," he said,
threatening her with the water in the bucket. Bo Peep barked at his heels,
adding to the confusion.

"Never!" Christie
shouted, spraying him in the chest.

Garrett lifted the bucket and
poured the water over her.

Christie spluttered and squawked, squeezing
her eyes tightly closed but still keeping her fingers clenched on the water
nozzle.

At that same moment Randy lobbed a
handful of mud and hit Ally in the chest.

"What a foul trick!"
Ally yelled. "This means war."

Garrett laughed so hard he dropped
the bucket. Randy wasn’t any better. He kept laughing as he and Ally wrestled
with the hose until he let her pry it from his hand. Ally and Christie now had
complete control of the water. Garrett and Randy stood there and howled with
laughter as they were squirted from both sides.

Finally, when his sides hurt from
laughing so hard, Garrett looked at Randy and gasped, "What do you think,
should we do the old McIntyre rush?"

"Great idea," Randy
said, shoving the hair out of his eyes. He was a muddy sight. Looking down at
his own clothes Garrett realized he was the same.

"Now!" Garrett said. He
rushed Christie and Randy rushed Ally. In the ensuing wrestle to take back the
water hose, Garrett and Christie slid on the muddy ground and began to fall.
Garrett twisted so he didn’t crush Christie. With a whoomph sound, Garrett
landed with his back in the mud, Christie sprawled on top of him, her laughing
face near his.