Small-Town Moms (8 page)

Clint pulled his pickup to a stop near the café and looked over at Maegan. A strand of her hair was escaping the bandana she still wore. She had a smudge of lavender paint on her cheekbone. She had none of the makeup she'd worn when they first met and she looked tired. Yet, she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

All of a sudden the precipice he thought he was facing turned into a gentle hillside, the kind he used to roll down as a boy. Those times had been refreshing and sweet. He reached out and tucked Maegan's hair behind her bandana. He left his thumb there, resting on her cheek. She was so still he thought he could feel her pulse.

And then she looked up at him. Her eyes shimmered with emotions. He didn't suppose she liked being shut out any more than he would have liked it if she was holding back.

He smiled and softly moved his thumb down her
cheek until he rested it beneath her chin. “What I meant to say earlier was that I would like it very much if you came to live here in Dry Creek. I know the job might take some doing, but people here have legal problems, too. Between that and the work you're getting from your current firm, you could have a practice.”

She blinked and he knew he couldn't stop there. “It's about you and me, too. I want us to have a future together.” He could feel her pulse quicken. “I don't want to pressure you. There's nothing to worry about. I just want you to know the thought of being with you doesn't make me worry that I'm jumping off a cliff.”

She blinked again and her eyes crinkled with amusement. Her pulse steadied and she put her hand up to his to hold it in place.

“I thought you might be afraid of heights,” she said solemnly.

“Now how would you know that?” he asked, content now that she was curving her face into the palm of his hand.

“Because I'm scared of heights, too,” she whispered.

“Well,” he said. “We'd make quite the pair then, wouldn't we?”

He felt her nod with her head against his hand. He curled his hand under her chin and tipped her face up slightly so he could bend down and kiss her. The first one was quick and much too fleeting. But as he angled his head to kiss again, he heard his heart start to pound in an alarming way. He stopped and realized it wasn't his heart that he was hearing.

He turned his head and saw that Lilly was knocking on the window of his pickup. He saw the bus in the
background and the other children running to other cars. He and Maegan had been in lost in their own world. He glanced over at her and saw she was adjusting her hair.

“The window,” she whispered at him.

He opened the door instead. Lilly was standing there with her backpack slung over her shoulder. “We were just—” he tried to think “—I mean, we were waiting for you and—”

“Please,” Lilly said as she rolled her eyes. “I've seen kissing before.”

“Oh, yes, I suppose.” Clint wondered what the rules were for foster parents. He pulled his seat forward so she could slip into the backseat of his pickup.

“My dad kisses women all the time,” Lilly declared with indifference as she threw her backpack inside and slid in.

Clint frowned slightly as he turned to face the girl. “I really don't think you ought to be—”

Lilly was getting a belligerent look on her face.

“We finished painting your room today,” Maegan interrupted with cheer in her voice.

Clint realized that now wasn't the time to question Lilly on the morals of her father. Besides, he didn't need to ask her much. He knew his brother. That's why he'd devised a proposition for Joe that the man wouldn't turn down.

“Is it lavender?” Lilly asked, not quite relaxing yet. “Did it come out looking like the color it's supposed to be?”

“It's perfect,” Maegan assured her.

The smile on Lilly's face made Clint content. He wished he'd taken out a paintbrush when the girl first
came to his house. He'd do anything to see that the girl was happy. He hadn't told anyone yet, but he'd figured out what he could do for Lilly. He was going to offer the ranch to Joe in exchange for him raising Lilly. He had already bought Joe's portion of the ranch from him ten years ago, but Joe might be ready to settle down and he liked owning things.

Unfortunately, if he gave his brother all of his money, he would be starting over himself. He knew a couple of jobs that were open in Dry Creek and he'd get by. He figured it would sour his chances with Maegan, but he was going to ask her to be his wife anyway when everything was settled with the girl. If a man couldn't risk his pride for love, then he was a poor man indeed.

Clint started the pickup again and backed out of the spot where he'd parked. Maegan was going to have dinner with them tonight and then he was going to drive her back to her room over Mrs. Hargrove's garage. They all had a routine these days and it was one that satisfied him. It was five more days until his brother's birthday and he'd called Joe yesterday reminding him he was expected for dinner that night. Lilly planned to make him a chocolate cake with candles and Maegan promised to make a chicken enchilada recipe that Mrs. Hargrove had shown her.

Clint planned to call his brother on Monday and remind him again. As bad as it would hurt to have Lilly ask to go with Joe, he could deal with that better than the hurt Lilly would feel if his brother didn't bother to show up. That's why Clint was going to drop a hint or two that there was money involved for Joe. Significant money. That would bring his brother running.

M
aegan lay in bed the morning of Joe Parker's birthday and wondered if the promised thundershowers were going to come this morning. She didn't need to look out the windows to see everything was unusually dark. Besides, the air felt heavy and the glass in the windows appeared damp. She should be getting up, but she didn't want to move. She was trying hard not to be depressed.

Then, again, why should she bother being happy? Clint had finally told her that he was planning to offer his brother money to raise Lilly, on the condition that he would move to the ranch so Clint could keep an eye on the girl. At first, Maegan thought the idea had some merit. But then Clint explained he would probably not be living on the ranch with Joe and Lilly; he didn't think his brother would compromise that much. Besides, the ranch would be the bulk of the payment to Joe.

Instead, Clint would rent a place in Dry Creek. When he said that, she expected him to make some remark about her moving to the small town, too. But he didn't. So she assumed he'd decided they had no future together.
Of course, he'd probably expect her to visit Lilly sometimes, but that would be the end of it. The thought of a string of Christmas cards tying her to Clint and Lilly, year after year, seemed almost worse than no contact at all.

Almost, but not quite. In her deepest heart, she knew she'd take whatever scraps she was allowed. She had never come so close to having her dreams come true and that made seeing them crumble hard. But she still wanted whatever she could get. Her new Bible, a gift from Mrs. Hargrove, was sitting on the stand beside her bed and Maegan knew she only had to start to read its pages to feel her sorrows ease. Somehow, in all of this, God had a purpose.

So, she swung her legs around to the side of the bed and stretched her arms high. First, she would be thankful that God had blessed her with a niece like Lilly. Even if she wouldn't be able to spend much time with her, she could pray for the girl throughout the years and maybe she would grow into a faithful woman of God. That was no small thing.

In the meantime, Maegan had cheese to grate and refried beans to cook. She was helping Lilly make a Mexican meal for her father and she insisted everything be ready for her to finish by the time she came home from school today. They'd baked the chocolate cake last night so it was ready to frost. Mrs. Hargrove was sending over some homemade flan and Maegan had bought a small can of chilies to put in the enchiladas and the beans. Clint claimed he could make a good Mexican rice so he was in charge of that. The rest was in Lilly's hands.

Fortunately, Maegan thought, the paint had dried in
the living room and yesterday she and Clint had driven to Billings to get a whole box of Mexican-themed decorations. The bold red-and-black stripes of some blankets they'd also bought would make the white room look festive.

If Joe didn't fall down in astonishment at all the trouble his daughter had gone to—that all of them had gone to—Maegan figured she'd be entitled to have some words with the man, somewhere in private so she didn't have to watch her tongue. She had no doubts that the man was used to getting what he wanted in life. He was a charmer from all she'd heard. But he didn't know who he was up against if he thought she would give him a pass on manners. Especially not today.

Clint came to pick her up after he'd delivered Lilly to the bus. The two of them had fallen into the habit of going back to the café and having a cup of coffee or tea once Lilly was off to school, but they didn't today. It wasn't just that they had a lot to do. Things had been strained between them for the past few days.

“I found the cast iron kettle I told you about,” Clint said as he backed his pickup out of the driveway where she'd met him. “It cleaned up nice.”

The sky was still overcast and the road was slightly muddy. She'd set the covered dish of flan on the floor-board before she climbed into the pickup. Now, she bent down and moved it to the seat. “It's going to be quite the party.”

Clint grunted.

She glanced sideways at him and tried to read his face. He didn't seem as upset as she had expected, but she knew he didn't always talk about what was bothering him. There was no betraying tightness to his lips or
strained muscle in his jaw though. His eyes were looking straight ahead, and she didn't think they'd show any distress.

“I got a few last-minute tips from Mrs. Hargrove for the enchiladas,” she said as the pickup left the small town.

It was silent for a moment and then he cleared his throat. “Lilly asked me if I had a present for her father.” Clint glanced over at her. “I'm planning to give him everything I have and she wants a present.”

“The ranch is—”

“I meant Lilly—she's the everything,” he interrupted gruffly and looked over at Maegan a little ruefully. “I had this fantasy going about Lilly and me living on the ranch and then you came and I thought all of us—” He stopped.

She noticed his knuckles were white where they gripped the steering wheel. She waited for him to continue with what he was saying, but he was silent. Maybe it was for the best. She suspected he wasn't exactly thinking they would be together now, either with Lilly or without her.

“Have you made Joe your offer yet?” she asked.

He nodded. “He's thinking about it.”

“What will you do if he decides to take the ranch?”

“They need some help at the Elkton place. And, if that doesn't work out there, I can drive into Miles City and find something. They always need help at the grocery store.”

The thought of Clint selling deli meats or stacking cans didn't seem right. “Surely, your brother can't expect to take it all.”

“You don't know Joe. Besides, he was making noise
about some woman he's met. He might be ready to settle down. He'll need money to do that.”

The drizzle that had been coming down turned to steady rain. Clint turned on the windshield wipers and the steady rhythm they made filled the cab.

“Don't worry,” Clint finally said. “It won't take long for me to get on my feet again. I might even be able to save enough to make a down payment on another ranch.”

He said the last part in the hearty way people did when they knew it wasn't likely.

“I hope you do,” Maegan said softly.

They rode the rest of the way to the ranch just listening to the rain.

 

By six o'clock that night, Clint had put on his white shirt and pulled the lace tablecloth down from the upstairs closet. He'd even rooted around until he found a white candle on the back of a closet shelf. Lilly had been home from school for over two hours and his brother should have pulled in thirty minutes ago. The sun had already set and there were no lights coming down the road.

“He probably just had some trouble with the traffic,” Maegan was telling the girl as they turned down the heat in the oven. She hadn't bothered to say where Joe might have run into a bottleneck of cars. “He'll be here soon, I'm sure.”

Maegan looked up as Clint came into the kitchen and he saw the frustration in her eyes. She clearly knew there was no traffic. They had worried all day and Joe hadn't bothered to be on time. The table was all set and Lilly
had put a wrapped box on Joe's chair. Clint had even bought the lavender paper for the present.

“I'll call his cell phone,” Clint said. Joe didn't always answer, he thought, but it was the best they could do.

Just then he heard the sound of a vehicle coming down the road.

“He's here,” Lilly screamed as she ran to the window to check. It was almost dark outside, but she stood there for a moment, the wild excitement on her face a thing of beauty. Then she turned around. “It must be him. He's really here. Remember, we're going to sing ‘Happy Birthday' right when he comes in the door,” the girl admonished Clint and Maegan, her hands fluttering over everything. She had stepped away from the window and had moved over to the table. “Don't let him see us yet. We won't light the candles, but—”

Clint felt his jaw clench. He hoped he had impressed upon his brother the need to be nice tonight. Lilly was so excited and Joe so unpredictable.

A knock sounded from the back door and Lilly looked to him and whispered, “Answer it, please.”

Clint nodded and walked over, reaching for the knob. The porch light was on, but even if it hadn't been he would have recognized the face of his brother as he stood there looking sheepish. What he hadn't expected to see in the circle of light was a young woman, dark-haired and statuesque. Joe had his arm around her.

“Happy—” Clint heard Lilly's thin voice begin to sing and then stop. By then, the door had opened wide enough that everyone could see the two people standing on the porch.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“Sorry we're late,” Joe finally said as he ushered the
woman through the doorway and stepped into the house himself.

Clint nodded as he stepped back to give his brother some room.

It was awkward as everyone just looked at each other.

“You're probably wondering about my sweet Carina here,” Joe finally said, with a smile at the woman. “I thought it was time she met my family before it was too late to make a difference.”

Clint turned to the woman and bowed his head slightly. “Welcome, Carina.”

The woman smiled her greeting in return and Clint formally introduced Maegan. Then the silence stretched for longer than it should.

Finally, Maegan spoke. “Well, dinner is ready. Why don't you take your coats off so you can be comfortable?”

No one lit the candle in the middle of the table. While Joe and Carina were in the living room, hanging their coats in the closet there, Lilly moved the balloons away from the table.

“I'm sorry,” Maegan whispered as she put her hand on the girl's shoulder. Clint had gone into the living room with his brother, and left her and Lilly in the kitchen to put the food on the table.

“Who is she anyway?” Lilly grumbled in disappointment.

Maegan had no answer to the question so she started pulling the dish of enchiladas out of the oven. After that, she took out the refried beans and the rice. The lettuce salad was in the refrigerator and the salsa was already on the table.

The dinner conversation was awkward. Joe seemed impatient with the prayer Clint offered and his friend, Carina, didn't say a word about anything. Instead, she would turn her shimmering brown eyes on each speaker and smile politely. They were half through the meal when Joe casually mentioned that she didn't speak English.

“I met Carina in Brazil,” he added.

Maegan relaxed at that. If the woman had been visiting Joe, she could understand why he had to bring her to dinner. He could hardly leave her alone in whatever rodeo town he was in. Maegan looked over and met Clint's eyes. By his expression, she could tell he'd come to the same conclusion.

Lilly wasn't as easily satisfied though.

“When does she go back?” the girl asked.

Joe gave a nervous laugh. “We'll talk about that later.”

Maegan felt like she was getting a headache. Why would they need to talk about anything later? The man's daughter was asking for some simple reassurance.

Apparently, Lilly mellowed though because, when they had finished eating, she brought out the matches to light the candles on the cake. Maegan got up and brought the cake back from the refrigerator.

Joe seemed to like the candles and asked for a large slice of the chocolate cake, winking at Lilly.

“You know what I like,” he added and gave the girl a quick kiss on the top of her head. Lilly beamed.

The girl waited for everyone to finish their cake. Then she reached behind her chair and brought out the package for him to open.

Maegan's heart sank when Joe accepted the gift with a smile and then handed it to Carina to open for him.

Clint started to say something, but Joe cut him off. “Carina has those nails. They slice right through tape.”

“Lilly worked very hard on her gift,” Clint warned him.

Maegan prayed. She didn't even really know what to pray for, she just knew this was an important moment for Lilly and so much could go wrong.

“Lilly's a worker, all right,” Joe said with pride.

Carina reached out and held the opened box for Joe to see. Maegan held her breath as the man held up the bridle and examined it.

“Nice,” Joe said in a neutral tone. “Very nice.”

“Lilly looked all over for the beads,” Clint offered pointedly.

Joe nodded as he set the bridle back in the box.

Maegan suddenly realized the man hadn't made eye contact with Lilly since he came in the door. He had patted her on the head and talked to her, but he hadn't met her gaze. And, it was hard to avoid doing so because the girl had her eyes trained on him most of the time.

“Maybe Lilly would like to show you her room,” Maegan suggested. The girl had said earlier she wanted to do that. Maybe the two of them just needed some time alone to get comfortable with one another again. Then when Joe looked at his friend, Maegan added quickly, “I can entertain Carina. There's so much I'd like to know about Brazil.”

Fortunately, no one pointed out the obvious, that Carina couldn't speak English and Maegan couldn't
speak Portuguese. Instead, Joe stood up and gestured for Lilly to lead the way.

Maegan waited to hear footsteps on the stairway up to the second floor before she leaned over to Clint and said, “It's going okay, don't you think? I mean once we got over the initial greetings and all.”

He nodded. “I hope so.”

He didn't look convinced and she didn't want to press him for reassurance. Things of the heart often took time and maybe Joe needed to understand Lilly better and see how much she loved him. What man's heart wouldn't melt in front of the fierce loyalty of Lilly?

Maegan turned to Carina and smiled. She gestured to the necklace the woman was wearing and tried to tell her with gestures how lovely she thought it was. Carina reciprocated by moving her hands to indicate she admired Maegan's hair. Friendships had been built on less, Maegan thought, and then she saw the ring.