Authors: Brenda Minton
“I have to go. Can you hand Violet over to Breezy? I think she has a car seat in her car.”
“Sure thing. I have car seats, too. We're all prepared. Is Brody at the house?”
“Yeah, at least he was when I left. See you there.”
“Yep.” Duke shifted Violet to his other arm and the two waved goodbye as Jake headed out with Rosie.
The young mom and Joe were still walking, the kids staying close to their mom as she tried to shelter them from the rain. Joe took off his jacket to hold it over the little ones. Jake hurried to his truck, unlocked the door and buckled Rose in the car seat.
A few minutes later, he pulled up next to Joe, the mom and those two kids. The rain was falling a little harder now. He rolled down the window and they all looked at him. Joe smiled and tipped that bent-up hat he wore. The mom, who might have been in her early twenties, looked worn down.
“Do you need a ride?” he offered, leaning a little to look down at the two kids, who had backed away but were grinning like the idea of riding in his truck was the coolest thing ever.
The mom started to shake her head but Joe opened the back door of the truck and the kids piled in, wet hair and damp clothes. “Of course she does. It's really coming down and she lives a half mile out. I told her someone would give her a ride.”
“Of course,” Jake agreed. “Joe, you get in, too.”
“I don't have far to go,” Joe answered. The mom had climbed in the front. Jake pushed the armrest back to open the middle seat. She scooted and Joe stood, unsure.
“Nevertheless...” Jake paused. “We have roast on at the house. There's plenty for all of us.”
“I'd never turn down roast.” Joe pulled himself into the truck. “Thank you, Jake.”
Jake glanced back over his shoulder where the boys had buckled in, looking drenched and cold. He introduced himself to the young woman, who was trying hard to tell him he didn't need to feed them. He cranked up the heat.
“No reason to let a good roast go to waste,” he argued back. “Unless you have other plans.”
She shook her head and her arms went around her two boys. “No, sir, we don't have other plans.”
What did his faith mean to him? He glanced at the man sitting next to him and the three people in the backseat and he wondered if he'd have thought to give them a ride last week. How had he gotten so wrapped up in his own life that he'd stopped thinking to look around him?
And what had made a difference this week? A sermon? Or the woman sitting next to him during that sermon? A woman he didn't know that well, but knew without a doubt would have driven this unlikely four to their destination and fed them along the way.
Chapter Eight
B
reezy followed Duke, who'd offered to carry Violet, through the house. She'd been in Jake's house before but only as far as the office. Today she walked down a wide stone-tiled hallway to the kitchen. The home was stone and log on the outside, and the interior walls were the same. The massive kitchen looked like a restaurant. The counter formed an L-shaped bar around the cooking area. Bar stools were arranged around the counter. There was a wood-plank-style dining room table in the open section with French doors that led to a deck overlooking the hills in the distance.
The room was already crowded with people. She smiled at Brody, whom she hadn't been officially introduced to. He had Rose in his arms and was tickling her until she bent over, giggling. Joe was stirring something on the stove. A young mom and two little boys were sitting at the counter bar looking half-scared and out of place. Breezy gave her best encouraging smile and the mom shrugged thin shoulders.
“Hey, looks like a houseful!” Duke grinned big and the little boys shrank against their mom. Of course they did. It wasn't every day a kid learned about Goliath at church and then went to lunch with someone that looked like he might
be
Goliath.
Breezy stepped next to the giant. “Ease up, you're a little bit scary.”
He glanced down at her. “I'm handsome, not scary.”
He grinned again at those little boys.
“No,” she countered, “you're scary. If I didn't know you, I'd want a slingshot and some rocks.”
He laughed at that. “Breezy, I've been described a lot of ways, but you're the first to call me a Philistine.”
“Well, if the shoe fits.” She glanced at his feet. “But do they make shoes that fit?”
He laughed again, then the two little boys laughed and their mom broke into a hesitant smile. Breezy stepped away from the friendly giant. “I'm Breezy, and you are?”
“Cora,” the mom spoke softly. “And these are my boys, Ben and Jason.”
“It's really nice to meet you guys.”
“Do you live here?” the smaller of the two asked.
“No, I don't. I'm just...” What was she, exactly? She sensed the boy wasn't the only one waiting for her answer. She glanced at Jake. He stood at the counter but he'd turned to watch her, those blue eyes narrowed, waiting to see what she'd say.
Was she just visiting? Passing through? She met his eyes and he arched a brow, pushing her to answer.
“I live down the road.” She finally settled on the easier explanation.
She let her gaze settle on Jake, and saw from the corner of her eye that Duke was giving him a look. She had an ally in Duke, she knew that. He'd told her that the twins needed her. She sometimes thought they might.
“If someone would set the table, this is almost ready.” Jake shifted the direction of her thoughts with the proclamation.
“I can do that,” Breezy offered. She turned slowly, looking at the abundance of cabinets. “If you'll tell me where to find plates.”
He pointed and she opened the cabinet. Cora slid off the stool, telling her boys to stay put. “Can I get the glasses ready or anything?”
Jake pointed to another cabinet. “Glasses up there, ice in the fridge door and tea is already made.”
It felt like a family gathering, Breezy thought. Brody was entertaining the twins. Duke was cutting pie and Joe was moving serving dishes to the table. She thought she could learn to feel like a part of this life, this family. Even though they weren't quite a family. Cora and her boys, Joe and even Breezy were strays brought in out of the rain.
As they settled down to eat, Jake's phone rang. He apologized and answered it. As he spoke, he glanced at Breezy. He nodded, said it would be okay and then ended the call.
“Who was that?” Brody asked as he piled roast on bread.
“Marty.” Jake passed salad to Cora.
“And?” Brody pushed.
Breezy wondered how he could have been raised in this home and not realize it was a bad idea to push Jake. She considered kicking his shin since she sat closest.
Jake sighed, shook his head and passed the plate of bread. “She is stuck in San Antonio for a few days. Her sister is in the hospital.”
“Oh, that's rough. You, the ranch, twins.” Brody whistled as he poured gravy over the food on his plate.
Breezy watched the mound of food grow and looked from the plate to the man sitting next to her. Not that Brody was a man. He had to be close to her age but he seemed younger. He wasn't tall like Jake and Duke, and he was lean and wiry. But he obviously could pack away the food.
He caught her staring at his plate and grinned. “You don't think I can eat it?”
“I have a feeling you will,” she countered.
He laughed and dug in. Jake cleared his throat. “I don't think we've prayed.”
Everyone stopped. Jake reached for the hands of the people on either side of him and around the table hands joined. They all bowed their heads. As Jake prayed a blessing on the food, Breezy prayed she'd survive.
After the meal was finished and the dishes were done, Duke offered to give Cora, Joe and the boys a ride back to town. Brody disappeared with the excuse that he had work to do in the barn. Breezy watched as little by little everyone left. The twins were sleeping. It was just her and Jake. And he looked restless.
“Is there a problem?”
“A small one,” he admitted.
“Okay, well, why don't you tell me? Or is this another rule, âdon't question Jake'? Or is there a rule that you have to do everything on your own without help?”
She was goading him, she knew. But she didn't know any other way to get the man to open up, to let her in. Not that she really needed or wanted all of his deep, dark secrets. As a matter of fact, after thinking about it, she was considering pushing Rewind and leaving him to his misery.
As she considered making her exit, he sighed and brushed a hand through his hair, leaving the dark brown strands in disarray. When he looked at her, his blue eyes were troubled. Okay, she did care. He needed someone to take part of the load or he'd work himself into an early grave.
The person to do that was her.
“Tell me,” she spoke softly. “Listen, I know you love your family, but you can't do it all alone. What good will you be to the twins if you don't take care of yourself?”
“You're probably right.”
“I know I'm right.” She said and for some crazy reason took a step closer. Why? Why did she suddenly feel the need to comfort this man? Jake Martin wasn't a man who invited hugs and easy touches. But she touched him anyway.
She put her palm on the smooth planes of his face, aware that she should step back, aware that the room had gone still except the wild pounding of her heart. He didn't move away; in fact his hand slid to her waist and pulled her close. For a long moment they stood toe to toe, forehead to forehead, her hand on his cheek, his hand on her hip.
Breezy knew that they were both waiting for common sense to return. But it didn't. Slowly, ever so slowly, his head bent toward hers and their lips touched. He kissed her slowly, taking his time it seemed, and she closed her eyes.
She moved her hands to the back of his neck. He raised his head for a brief moment then leaned in again, brushing his lips against hers and then moving to her cheek.
The front door slammed. Jake stepped back, releasing her from his hold. She stared up at him, waiting for him to say something, to undo the moment. He didn't. He gave her a long look, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, and then he put distance between them.
Breezy thought she might cry.
* * *
Jake had stepped away from Breezy but it hadn't been an easy thing to do. It should have been. He should have stepped back, said a polite “thank you for the kiss” and let it end. Instead he stood there looking at her, wondering if there would be a repeat, and kind of wishing for one.
That proved he hadn't been getting enough sleep. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, ignoring his brother. Brody shot the two of them a curious look and mumbled something about his horse and antibiotics. Jake guessed he should listen but didn't.
“Jake, the problem?” Breezy called him back to planet Earth with that question. She was right, they'd been discussing a problem.
“Right. Marty won't be home for a few days. And I'd been counting on her to help with the twins.”
Breezy's eyes narrowed and her pretty mouth, the one he'd just kissed, formed a straight line of disapproval. “You understand that you're not raising the twins alone anymore? There is a will, I think, and it appointed us both guardians.”
Brody hurried past them, head down, hands up. “I'm a neutral party but she's right.”
“Get out of here,” Jake growled.
Brody obliged.
Breezy didn't give him a chance to interrupt. “You're arrogant, Jake Martin. You have this idea that you are the only person capable of doing anything. You run this ranch. You run your family. You are now trying to run me, and that isn't going to work because I'm not yours to run.”
“I kind of got that.”
“No, I don't think you have gotten it. You're worried about how you'll take care of this ranch, take care of the twins, and probably worried about taking care of me. Well, I can take care of myself. And I think I can even help you take care of those two little girls.” She hesitated, locking those caramel-brown eyes on him. “
Our
little girls, Jake. As much as it hurts, they are ours.”
It did hurt. Hurt enough that it felt as if she'd physically pushed him. He took a deep breath that shuddered on the exhale. She started toward him but he held his hands up to stop her.
“I'm sorry.” She said it softly and it felt like rain coming down on him. “I'm sorry that you lost your sister and I'm sorry you lost Lawton. We're in this together, though. And you have to let me help you. Maybe that's what Lawton wanted. Maybe he knew you'd need someone from outside the family who couldn't be bullied and who maybe, just maybe, would bully you back.”
Had Lawton thought that? It made sense, but Jake couldn't delve into the psychology of Lawton's plan. Not now.
“I have to take cattle to an auction tomorrow and I need to make sure the guys move a herd from one field to another. I also have to make contact with a firm in Fort Worth. Lawton and I were putting a system in their office and it has a few kinks. I was counting on Marty.”
“Yeah, I get that. Now you'll count on me.”
“Right, I'll count on you.”
She smiled at that. “See, that wasn't so hard. Now, why don't we get their bags packed and you can bring them over this afternoon?”
He agreed to her plan. What other choice did he have?
* * *
Later, as he pulled up to Lawton's house, he realized it was the only option. And it was the right choice to make. She shared custody with him and it was time for him to let go. As he looked at the house, he realized it was time to stop calling it Lawton's house. It was Breezy's house now. It was her car in the drive. It was Breezy who would open the door when he walked up the steps with the girls.
She was right, it was time to face that Lawton and Elizabeth weren't coming home. This wasn't temporary. The girls were his. They were Breezy's.
Accepting reality meant accepting her in his life. It also meant he'd have to trust that she wasn't going to sneak away in the night. That thought unsettled him a little. He could see that the twins needed her. They were getting used to her songs, to her hugs, to the way she talked to them.
As he'd known she would, she greeted him on the front porch, taking Rose from him. She kissed the little girl's cheek and then leaned to kiss Violet's cheek.
“All ready for this?” he asked as they walked through the front door.
“I think so. I have real food and I put clean sheets on their beds. I'm a little worried how they'll adjust to sleeping in their beds again.”
“They usually do better if they sleep in one crib together,” he offered.
“Oh, I should have thought of that.”
“It isn't something that makes or breaks you, Breezy. But it might make your night a little better.”
They walked into the living room. Violet and Rosie were fresh from their nap and ready to play. Violet wiggled from his arms and Rosie was already pulling a doll from the basket of toys next to the couch. He looked around the room, noticing that it still looked exactly as it had when she'd moved in.
“You know, you can change things. Put out your own stuff.” Weren't women big on personal touches?
She glanced around the room and then looked back at him and shrugged. “I know. It's a strange concept for me. I've never really had a place of my own and I guess I still think of this as Lawton's house that I'm staying in. Like he and Elizabeth will be back. They'll want their lives, their girls...”
She covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
Jake pulled her close. Her hands were still on her face and her arms were between them. She sobbed as he held her. He guessed they both had some adjusting to do. He stroked long blond hair until she stopped crying.
“Shh, it'll get easier. We both have to figure this out.”
She nodded into his shoulder, her head resting there, fitting perfectly. Common sense, which had been in short supply lately, told him to pull back. But she felt good in his arms and he didn't want to let go, not yet.
The twins were playing, sitting close together the way they sometimes did, heads practically touching, their dolls between them. He wondered if they communicated that way. Did they discuss the situation, wonder together where their mommy and daddy had gone to? Those thoughts ached inside him and suddenly he needed this woman in his arms as much as she needed him.
Eventually he let her go and she wiped her eyes and sniffled. “I'm sorry.”