Lonestar Angel (16 page)

There was a pause on the other end. The gruff voice softened. “I’m sure she’ll be happy. She’s been hounding my office for several days. Should I give her your number?”

“Could you give me her number? I’d like to be the one in control of when we talk. I want to make sure I’m alone.”

“Of course.” The woman rattled off the phone number. “Would you repeat it, please?”

Eden read the number back to her. “Where is the 214 area code?”

“That’s right here in Dallas. I have her address as well if you’d like that.”

“I would.” It would take Eden some time to decide how she wanted her first contact with her mother to go. When she finished writing down the address, she read it back to the clerk as well. “Thank you for your time.” She hung up and stared at the slip of paper. Why not call right now?

But she couldn’t force herself to punch in the number. In her head, she heard her mother’s voice. “
You’re going to look ugly when your father comes by
.”

Would her mother have changed? She’d always had beautiful skin. Her hair was red-blond. Men turned to look when she walked by. She’d be much older now.

Eden was afraid. That’s what kept her hands in her lap. What if her mother wanted to see her but the mean-spirited comments continued? What possible reason could she have to be looking after all this time?

The riding lesson was over, and Clay turned the girls over to the Rodriguez couple, who would be with them for about an hour as all the children did crafts together. Eden had never shown up, so he went in search of her. When he didn’t find her in the bunkhouse, he started for the back door of the ranch house. As he neared, he saw her bright-blue blouse and walked toward her.

She sat on the porch step with her phone in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. Her hair was curled and perfect. She wore immaculate navy slacks and pumps. He’d been sure that she would drop that mask of perfection within a day of hitting the ranch. To find she still clung to her city-girl image confused him. Was there a real person under that smooth exterior? He’d thought so last night.

His boots crunched on a rock, and she looked up. Her eyes were swollen, as though she’d been crying. “You okay?” he asked. “What did your mother say?”

“I haven’t been able to bring myself to call her.” Her eyes darkened, and her voice trembled. “So many bad memories.”

“Yesterday you remembered good ones too,” he reminded her.

“In the night it seemed possible that she loved me. Missed me. In the daylight, it seems more likely she wants to yell at me more. Maybe she thinks I ruined her life.”

“How could you ruin her life? You were a kid.” He dropped beside her on the stoop.

She hunched her shoulders and clasped her knees. “I suppose it doesn’t make sense. But nothing about this makes sense. Why would she even want to contact me after all these years?”

“Want me to call her?” The words were out before he stopped to think.

Her head came up to reveal eyes full of hope. “You’d do that? I don’t know what to say.”

“Give me the phone.”

She put the phone into his outstretched hand. “Want me to read you the number?” He nodded, and she read the number slowly.

He listened to the ring on the other end and tried to think how to start the conversation. How old would she be? At least fifty, since Eden was thirty. Unless she’d had Eden as a teenager. Definitely a possibility based on what he’d heard about her.

After five rings, the call was picked up. “Hello.” The voice on the other end was male. Pleasant enough, though. Sounded like a man in his fifties or sixties.

“My name is Clay Larson. Eden Davidson is my wife.” It felt strange to say the word
wife
when they’d been apart so long. He glanced at the paper Eden held. “Does Nancy Santiago live there?”
Santiago?
He glanced at Eden and wondered if she’d made the connection in her own mind. It was a common name, but the kidnapper’s name had been Santiago. Coincidence?

“Oh yes, yes, she does. She has been hoping for this call.” The voice grew muffled. “Nancy, Eden’s husband is on the phone.”

Chills raced up his spine at the excitement in the man’s voice. The woman made a smothered exclamation he couldn’t make out, but it was clear she’d been hopeful to hear from her daughter. Maybe this wouldn’t be a bad thing for Eden. He prayed her mother had changed, that this would bring healing and a new perspective to her.

“Hello?” The woman’s voice was eager, almost girlish.

If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was as young as Eden. “Hello, Mrs. Santiago. I’m Clay Larson, Eden’s husband. She was given this number and told you were looking for her.”

“Oh, I have been. For several years now. I’m so glad you called. Can I talk to her?”

He glanced at Eden and mouthed, “She wants to talk to you.” When Eden shook her head violently, he spoke back into the phone. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible right now. Is there a reason you’re looking for her?”

“I’d think it was obvious.” The animation was gone from the woman’s voice. “She’s my daughter. I . . . I didn’t do right by her. I’d like to see if she needs anything. Tell her I’m sorry.”

Praise God
. “That’s really good of you, ma’am.”

“Can I see her? Maybe it would be better to say everything in person. I wasn’t a good mother, Mr. Larson.” Her voice broke.

“Call me Clay. And we all make mistakes.” He saw Eden tense and look at him with a question in her eyes.

“I hope she can forgive me,” the woman said, her voice trailing off.

“I think she will,” he said. Eden was going to kill him, but he gripped the phone and made a decision. “Where could we meet?” Eden shook her head but he ignored her. “We’re in Texas too. How about Alpine?”

“That’s about a day’s drive.” Nancy’s voice was eager. “We could meet Saturday for dinner.”

“That will be fine. I’ll research where we might eat and call you back.”

“I’ll be waiting. Call my cell phone, because we might be on the road. I’ll pack immediately.”

She gave him her number, and he jotted it down, then hung up. Eden’s fists were clenched when he looked at her. “We’re meeting her Saturday in Alpine.”

“I’m not ready, Clay.” Her eyes flashed sparks. “Call her back.”

“Some things you just need to face head-on. And this is one of those. I’ll go with you.”

“You won’t leave me alone with her?”

He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Not for a minute.” He pressed his lips against her hair.

“Did she sound . . . eager? What did you think of her?”

“She sounded younger than I expected. How old is she?”

“Forty-nine, I think. She had me at nineteen.”

“She seemed contrite over how she’d treated you. I think it will go well, honey. We’ll face it together.”

It might be the only thing she’d let him do for her.

After dinner, Eden looked at five eager faces, lips stained red from the Popsicles they were finishing. They had plenty of time before bed. “Let’s build a tent house,” she said.

“You mean we’re going camping?” Katie asked, glancing at the darkening sky through the window.

“Sort of. We’ll get blankets and build rooms out of them. Each tent can be for different things. You can make up what they’re for.”

“I want the red blanket!” Lacie said. She ran for the bedroom and returned dragging the red fuzzy blanket from her bed. “My room is for the stuffed animals to live in.”

“I want to play,” Madeline shouted.

“Hang on, let me get out the blankets,” Eden said. She found a stack of linens in the hall closet and carried them to the living room.

In minutes every chair and sofa was draped with blankets, and the sound of giggles made her smile across the room at Clay.

“My room is for princesses,” Madeline announced. “I must find a dress for the ball. Do you have one I can borrow?” she asked Eden. “Your pink nightgown would be lovely.”

Eden smiled at her serious expression. “It’s in my top drawer,” she said. Madeline raced off to get her costume. “What’s your room going to be for?” Eden asked Katie.

“For Olympic gymnasts. Would you like to see my floor show?” Katie pirouetted across the room, then did a cartwheel and came to a wobbly stop with her arms up.

“Good job!” Clay said. He lifted her to his shoulders and paraded through the room to her tent. “The winner gets to go in first.” He set her in front of the opening to her tent room.

Grinning from ear to ear, Katie bowed grandly. “Thank you. I will do another show soon.” She dropped to her hands and knees and disappeared inside.

“My room is a hospital,” Paige said. “It’s for patients with allergies. No dust mites are allowed inside. I’m the nurse. I think I should take your temperature,” she told Clay. “I need a thermometer.”

“Use this,” he said, offering her a Popsicle stick.

He opened his mouth and she stuck it in. A moment later she pulled it out. “Oh my, you have a temperature. We must put you to bed. Okay?”

“Whatever you say, my nurse.” He winked at Eden, then crawled into Paige’s tent.

Eden stared after them. Clay’s and Paige’s eyes looked so much alike, and Paige had that caregiving spirit she was seeing more and more in her husband.

Madeline returned with Eden’s pink nightgown trailing around her bare feet. She had stuck bobby pins in her hair in an attempt to get her fine locks into an upsweep. Dark blue eye shadow made her eyes look bruised, but her dimples were flashing.

It was all Eden could do to keep from laughing. “You look lovely, Your Highness,” she said. Madeline loved girlie things, just like Eden did.

Oh, which girl was theirs? It was so hard to know. She turned to India. “And what will we do in your room?”

“My room is a Sunday school,” India said. “I’m going to teach my dolls about Jesus. Then we can all pray for God to send me a new mommy and daddy.”

Eden’s eyes filled. The faith of little children put her to shame. She hadn’t even asked God what part she ought to play in this situation. All she’d done was follow Clay’s lead and come here to find her daughter. What did God expect now that she realized she was still married to Clay?

16

E
XHAUSTED FROM THE BUSY DAY
, E
DEN SAT ON THE PORCH OF THE BUNKHOUSE AND WATCHED
the storm approach. The night air held a hint of moisture. Lightning flickered off to the west, illuminating the jagged mountain peaks and leaving the scent of ozone in the wind. Storms exhilarated her. She felt alive with the thunder shaking the house and the flashes of lightning burning into her retinas. She was growing fond of this place of extremes.

The screen door slammed and Clay stepped out to join her on the porch. “Della and Zeke are helping with the games, then I told the girls to pick up their blankets and toys.” He dropped into the rocker beside hers. “Storm’s coming.”

Another flash of lightning arced from the clouds to a tree atop a nearby peak. “I’d say it’s here.”

He straightened and peered up at the display that was nearly overhead. “We should go in. I don’t want you struck.”

“I love to watch it. We’re safe here.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, flinching when a bolt sizzled nearby. “Really, let’s go in. It’s bathtime anyway.”