His Hometown Cowgirl (11 page)

Ruth let out a big sigh. "Well, you've always
liked Pete, but I thought it was just a crush. Is it turning into
something more serious?"

"Yes . . . no . . . I think so. It
used
to be just a crush. Those feelings were innocent and
simple. I always knew I never had a chance with him. He was so much
older. Way out of my league. Besides, I would've been scared to
death if he'd acted the least bit interested. Then I met Chris and
found out what true love was all about. I
didn't
settle on
Chris as second best," she said softly to herself.

Only, Grams heard. "Well, of course you
didn't, sweetie. Why in the world would you think such a
thing?"

Kelsey hunched a shoulder. "I don't know. I
told you I was confused. My feelings for Pete
are
changing,
deepening, maturing. It's made me doubt my love for Chris. I
thought he was
The One
. Now, I'm not so sure."

"Now, you listen to me, Kelsey McCade." Grams
shook a finger at her to make her point. "Don't you
ever
doubt your love for Chris. I saw you with that young man, saw how
you looked at him, how much you loved him. And he loved you.

"There's enough trouble and heartache in this
world; you don't need to go borrowing more. Just remember one thing
holds true.
Love.
Love is pure and good. The human heart is
a powerful organ. There's never too much love for it to hold. That
means you have more than just one chance to find true love.
If
the need arises."

Kelsey frowned as she idly traced one of the
rosebuds embroidered on the linen tablecloth. She'd never had such
a personal woman-to-woman talk with Grams before that she could
remember. It was a little awkward, but Kelsey couldn't see herself
discussing this particular issue with anyone else. Grams had been
through the same experience, only so much more so.

Just ask her already, Kels.

"Grams, why didn't you ever marry again?"
Kelsey cleared her throat. "If you don't want to tell me, I
understand."

Ruth's lips trembled on a sad smile. "Oh, I
don't mind telling you." She was silent for a moment, then sighed.
"I wish you could have known your grandfather. He was such a strong
man, but he had a real soft heart. Well, now, I never married again
after Daniel died because I never met anyone I could love like I
loved him."

"Haven't you ever been lonely?" Kelsey said
in a whisper, thinking how much she missed Chris, how lonely she
was. Then she thought how it had felt when Pete held her in his
arms and kissed her. She'd felt alive again. Not lonely
anymore.

"Lord, yes, I've felt lonely. Let me tell
you, many's the night I've cried myself to sleep." Ruth grabbed her
ever-present lace handkerchief from her apron pocket and dabbed at
the tears in her eyes. "I've never been opposed to another
marriage. Well, at first I was of course. It's just that I've never
fallen in love again. And I promised myself I'd only marry for
love." Her eyes twinkled through the tears. "I know I'm not a
spring chicken, but if I ever do meet a man and fall in love, y'all
better watch out. I'm giving you fair warning." She gave a watery
gurgle of laughter.

Kelsey had to smile. "Good for you, Grams. I
hope you do meet someone some day." She continued to trace the rose
pattern on the tablecloth. "It's hard for me to imagine ever loving
anyone like I loved Chris."

Ruth delicately blew her nose. "That's only
natural, dear. It hasn't been that long since he passed. Your heart
is still hurting. It will always hurt a little. But promise me you
won't make the same mistake your father made. Keep your heart open
to possibilities."

Kelsey nodded. "I'll try, Grams. I definitely
don't want to live like Dad did. He closed his heart and was so
lonely all those years after my mother died. As a child, I worried
about him. I knew one day I'd grow up and go away to college, get
married. And he'd be all alone. I didn't want that to happen. Well,
you know the rest."

Ruth smiled. "You were always a managing
little thing. I never before saw such a matchmaking campaign like
the one you waged on Austin and Theresa."

Kelsey grinned back, remembering. "It was
worth it. Dad got a loving wife, and I finally got a mother
and
a little sister. All's well that ends well."

Ruth's smile faded, and her eyes grew somber.
"For them it did, but what about you? Do you want to talk about
Pete? Something happened today, didn't it? Want to tell me about
it?"

"Oh God, Grams. I must've been
insane.
" Kelsey laid her forehead on the table, and bonked
it a couple of times, trying to make sense of it all. And then the
dam burst and it all came pouring out. Ruth sat still and silent,
listening intently.

"What the
hell
was I thinking?" Kelsey
lifted her head and sat up straight. "I mean there I was, crying
again,
and Pete was holding me, comforting me
as a
friend
. It felt so good to be in his arms. I just wanted to
stay right there and feel safe forever. After a few minutes, I
stopped crying and peeked up at him, and he was looking at me with
such tenderness in those big brown eyes. I don't know what happened
or
how
it happened, but I got this overwhelming urge to kiss
him . . .
and I did
. I kissed Pete Lafferty. What must he be
thinking of me? I practically threw myself at him. I mean . . . I
managed to control myself all those years I had a crush on him. Why
in the world did I give into impulse
now
?
Today?
Aww,
crap. I
am
insane."

"No you're not," Ruth said. "It doesn't sound
to me like you threw yourself at him. It sounds like a natural
consequence of a man and woman, who like and respect each other,
getting caught up in the moment. A man doesn't kiss a girl unless
he wants to. So you just quit worrying and wondering what he's
thinking of you for kissing him, because I'm sure that's the last
thing on his mind this evening."

Kelsey lifted her eyes to the ceiling and
gave a big sigh. "Oh God, Grams, You're right, because I haven't
told you the worst of it.
Dad came into the office and caught us
kissing.
And he hit Pete.
Twice.
"

Ruth bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Oh my
stars. That wasn't very well done of him, was it? Fathers often get
over-protective of their daughters. That's because they know what
the boy is thinking and feeling. And it scares them to death. Of
course, it was all right when
they
were young and sowing
their wild oats, but Lord help the man who looks at their baby girl
with longing in his eyes." She chuckled softly into her lace
handkerchief.

"It's not funny, Grams. I had to take Pete to
see Uncle Cameron, then I drove him home and helped him get
settled. He took some heavy-duty pain pills that made him act all
goofy. And then what do you think happened?"

Ruth's eyes twinkled merrily. "He kissed you
again?"

"
Yes!
After all that, and telling Dad
he didn't blame him for almost breaking his nose, because he knew
he'd do the same if he had a daughter--then he goes and kisses me
again."

"Did you kiss him back?" Ruth asked
softly.

Kelsey hung her head. "Yes, damn it. I have
no business kissing Pete. Especially when I'm still dealing with
Chris's death."

"Well, it sounds like to me you've finally
started working through your grief. Perhaps you're ready to put it
behind you and move on. So what happens now, sweetie? Are you going
to start a relationship with Pete?"

Kelsey looked at her grandmother and shook
her head. "
Hell no
. . . Pete's totally the wrong guy for
me. Why, he's a bigger heartbreaker than Uncle Tyler ever thought
of being."

Ruth concentrated on folding her handkerchief
and stuffing it back in her apron pocket. "Well, you know Tyler did
settle down when the right woman finally came along. He and Caitlyn
are mighty happy together. There's no doubt about that."

"Yes, they are happy," Kelsey said, thinking
about her uncle and aunt and their three kids. "But there's no
guarantee that . . .
never mind
. There's another reason
Pete's not right for me. I don't want to fall in love with another
firefighter. Chris died fighting that warehouse fire. I can't risk
going through that ever again."

Ruth reached over and patted Kelsey's cheek.
"I hope you never have to either, dear. But life is full of risks.
People can die from anything--sickness, car accidents, choking,
even tripping in the bathtub. You just can't hide your head in the
sand because something
might
happen. Life
does
happen; it unfolds before us every day we're lucky enough to wake
up and live it. You can't withdraw from the human race just because
something bad could chance to happen. That's no way to live. Your
father lived that way for twelve long years. You remember how
unhappy he was."

"I know, Grams. I remember, but this is
different."

"Not that different--
Oh my lands! The
chicken!
" Ruth jumped up and ran to the stove. She grabbed her
metal tongs and plucked the crispy pieces of batter-fried chicken
from the skillet onto a platter. "Whew! Thank goodness it isn't
burnt. We'll continue this conversation later, okay? After supper.
The twins should be home any minute. Why don't you set the table so
we can all sit down to eat as soon as they come in?"

Kelsey pushed back her chair and stood. "Sure
thing, Grams. Thanks for listening. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Ruth said with a smile. "That's
what I'm here for. And don't worry too much. What will be, will
be."

"Yes, I know. Please don't mention this to
anyone, okay? I mean, I guess everyone will find out since Uncle
Cam patched up Pete, and I'm sure Uncle Tyler will know something's
going on when Pete shows up for work with a bandaged nose. Damn, I
hate being the butt for family gossip."

Ruth set the platter of chicken on the
backburner to keep it warm. "Well, rest assured that
I
won't
discuss it with anybody. And I'll try to deflect any questions that
come my way."

"Thanks, Gram. You're the best." She gave her
grandmother a hug and kissed her cheek again.

Ruth wrapped her arms around her and hugged
her to her ample bosom. "I love you so much, sweetie. You've grown
into a lovely young woman. Things will work themselves out; they
always do. Just give it a little time. Now, let's get this supper
ready."

Kelsey hugged her again, then gathered the
napkins and silverware and placed them on the table. Grams had
given her a lot to think about. A lot to think about, for sure.

****

The next afternoon, Pete sat on his sofa,
drinking a beer and watching an old John Wayne movie. He hadn't
been able to work that day and called in sick. He'd had to endure a
twenty-minute lecture from Tyler McCade on the evils that would be
visited upon his body if he ever messed with Kelsey again. In other
words, Tyler promised to kick his ass if he so much as hurt a hair
on his precious niece's head.

Pete shook his own head as he took a sip of
beer. It was the height of irony that Tyler was so protective of
Kelsey. Austin, he could understand. A father naturally worried
about his daughter. But the uncle who'd been such a lady-killer
himself?

On second thought, maybe Tyler did have a
good reason. Well, hell.

The doorbell buzzed and interrupted Pete's
train of thought.
Great.
Probably Dr. McCade stopping by to
check him out and ask him what his intentions toward Kelsey were.
He'd seen the glimmer of laughter in the man's eyes when he'd
bandaged his nose. The only McCade who hadn't voiced a protest was
Dallas. And Sam Garza . . . although he would probably sympathize
with Pete, because he'd had to face the McCade brothers himself
when he'd been dating their sister Tori.

Mess with one McCade, you mess with them
all.

How many times had Pete heard Tyler say those
words during all the years they'd worked together? He'd lost count,
but that truth had been hammered into Pete's psyche since the first
day on the job at Lone Star Wings.

The doorbell buzzed again. Damn, he did
not
need this. "Coming!"

He jerked open the door and stood staring not
at an angry McCade male whom he'd been expecting, but instead a
very beautiful McCade female who was beginning to become an
obsession with him.

Kelsey smiled a brave wobbly smile and lifted
up the box she held in her hands. "I brought cinnamon rolls from
Sarah Sue's. I know how much you like them, and I thought it was
the least I could do for causing you so much trouble with my dad
yesterday. And my Uncle Cam."

Pete opened the door wider. "Not to mention
Tyler. Come on in."

Kelsey tilted her head back in exasperation,
exposing the silky expanse of her neck. Pete's stomach churned as
the overpowering desire to brush his lips across her smooth skin
hit him square on.

"Oh my God!" she said. "Not Uncle Ty, too?
Damn it! This is getting to be ridiculous. And embarrassing. Maybe
I should just drop off the cinnamon rolls and be on my way."

"Really? You're not afraid of your dad and
uncles, are you?" Pete asked, knowing he'd get a rise out of her,
enjoying the play of emotion in her sapphire blue eyes. Kelsey
McCade did not like to be thwarted in any way. She'd been like that
all her life. He'd always admired her spirit. That's why it had
nearly killed him seeing her so subdued since she'd moved back to
the ranch.

Kelsey took a deep breath and lifted that
stubborn chin of hers. "I have a good mind to make you eat those
words, Pete Lafferty." She walked into the apartment with a defiant
bounce to her step.