When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) (19 page)

Scents of the season tickled her nose with pleasure before she reached the kitchen. Savory smells of sage and thyme from Cook’s famous dressing, the richness of the turkey roasting as its outside tanned to a golden brown finish, the yeasty smell of fresh baked rolls, the spicy fragrance of cinnamon and cloves mixed with pumpkin. Inhaling, she took it all in, the wonderful once-a-year time, when all the eclectic scents blended together to create a mouthwatering aroma. She loved this time of year.

Cody sat on a stool pulled to the counter, arranging squares of cheese on a platter and looking up when he saw her. “I get to help with the hors d’oeuvres. What are those?”

“Snacks you can eat before the main meal,” she answered, giving a simplified explanation.  “Ready to watch the parade? I already turned it on for you.”

“You betcha.” Cody hopped down from the stool and ran out, going right past her without so much another word.

“I got Cody,” she called out to a very busy Cook, who acknowledged her words with a nod.

She left the kitchen, Cody not in sight, presumably already back in the game room, watching the parade. Going down the hall, she stopped when she heard the voices belonging to Jeremy and her dad. Curious, she didn’t even try to make herself not eavesdrop.

“I’m a proud man, Jeremy, I’ve never been one to ask for help, but Frank and I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“For what?” Jeremy responded, not missing a beat.

“My cousin is on the board of Helping Hands. She called Tuesday evening to tell me they found a new home for their rescue.  On land that you’re leasing to them.”

“The land was just sitting there,” Jeremy replied in his familiar casual tone. “They asked, I gave it some thought and it made good business sense.”

“Except that you refused when they first offered last summer and this time insisted on an amount upfront. The amount that would pay the taxes. An amount paid to you on the same day the taxes were paid.”

So the benefactor was Jeremy. She could cry for joy.

“This place means everything to Lanie. I couldn’t stand by and see her lose a part of her home.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Jeremy.”

Lanie’s stopped breathing. What was her dad going to say? Was he going to berate Jeremy after just finding out what he’d done for Whispering Winds?”

“With all due respect, what am I wrong about?”

“You and Cody mean everything to Lanie, not the ranch. She might love this place, but her home is with you, wherever that may be. Know, though, that you have a home here for as long as you’d like.”

Stepping forward, Lanie gave away her presence. “Dad’s right. All I’ve ever wanted is you;
all
of you. For us to be a family.” She saw her dad slip away, giving her and Jeremy privacy.

“You have all of me.” His voice was low and husky, not quite steady.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ve spent most of the past decade in the limelight, being acknowledged for things I did, and look how it turned out.  All I wanted was to make you happy, not get recognition.”

She blinked back a tear pricking her eye. Any disappointed she felt that he hadn’t told her wilted. “This is different Jeremy. You weren’t doing it for yourself.”

“All the same, I just wanted it done quietly. I didn’t realize you had family on the board, or that Jase would be at the tax office. It seems everyone was meant to know.” He sighed with resignation.

“Jase knows?”

“Yes. Don’t be mad, Lanie. I wasn’t trying to hide anything, this was just something I had to do.”

“I’m not mad.”  She understood his reason why he hadn’t. “How could I be? What you did was the single most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me, and I love you even more for it.” 

“It’s almost noon.” He took her hand giving it a gentle tug until they stood in front of the game room door, still alone but able to see the television.

She didn’t know the reason why he suddenly wanted to watch the parade, but she’d learned to expect the unexpected from Jeremy. On the television, Old St. Nick came into view, riding his sleigh through Herald Square with Mrs. Claus.  He waved to every child watching from the sidewalk. 

Lanie and Jeremy both laughed when Cody jumped from his seat, waving back as though Santa could see him through the television.

“Is it Christmastime now?” Jeremy asked.

“According to Cody, yes.”

“Good. Come with me, please” 

Her eyebrows arched and she looked at him with a tilted head. “What’s going on? You don’t seem yourself.”

She looked into the room; Cody was happily entertained. “Okay. Where are we going?”

“Just for a little walk. I need some fresh air.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He grabbed their coats from the rack, holding hers while she slipped her arms through the sleeves. Sliding her arm through the crook of his elbow, she held on tightly as they walked outside. A few flurries trickled down on occasion, and she’d stick her tongue out, trying to catch the flakes. A pair of squirrels darted across the ground, their heads and tails popping up from the snow. They ran up a tree, sending clumps of the white and powdery sign of winter fluttering to the ground. Temperatures teetered on freezing, but with Jeremy beside her, she was oblivious to the cold.

Sensing his need for quiet reflection, she remained silent.  They circled around the cleared path, making their way back to the wide porch on the front of the lodge.  She reached for the door, but Jeremy stopped her.

“I have something for you.” His hand went into an interior pocket of his Sherpa-lined coat, withdrawing a folded piece of paper.

“What is this?” she asked, taking the paper.

“My Christmas list.” At first she thought he was joking, but his eyes were melted chocolate, staring at her, imploring her.

With tremulous hands, she unfolded the paper.  Once. Twice. She held up the flat paper to read what he wanted. There was only one thing written on his list; two words: 

A Wife

Her hand flew to her mouth, inadvertently dropping the paper, as the pieces came together. Jeremy dropped to one knee, withdrawing a second object from his pocket.  A red velvet box.  He opened it, presenting her with a one and a half carat round cut diamond solitaire.

“I love you, Lanie. We’ve been to hell and found our way back to heaven. It wasn’t an easy journey, one I should never have made for you, but because of you, I’m a better person. You’ve shown me the true meaning of unconditional love and I want nothing more to spend the rest of our lives returning that love to you. Will you marry me?”

With the back of her hand, she wiped the tears from her eyes, only to have more form. “Yes.”

Jeremy stood, removing the ring from its box and sliding it onto her finger. The diamond sparkled under the light of the porch lamp.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against him, savoring the moment she’d remember forever.

“I love you,” he whispered, his spicy breath sending shots of warmth through her body.

“I love you too. I never stopped.”

“The ring matches your original wedding band,” he told her in in throaty murmur, still hoarse with emotion. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like for us to use those, our reminder that love can see us through anything.”

At that moment he could have asked her to rope the sun and she’d have found a way.  As it happened, she loved the idea. “It’s perfect.”

She didn’t want the moment to end, but a truck pulled into the parking area. It was time for the remaining staff to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Can we go to tell my family now, before everyone gets here?”

Jeremy opened the door for her and she walked through. They removed their coats, replacing them on the rack.  Lanie held her hand to the light, admiring the glistening rock. It was perfect. With his hand on the small of her back Jeremy ushered her to the game room, where the door had since been propped open. All eyes stared at them expectantly, as though they knew where she and Jeremy had been and what had just happened.

She looked at Jeremy, who was looking at her.

“I asked Lanie to marry me,” he announced.

“And I said yes.”

Everyone in the room clapped, their family celebrating and endorsing the engagement. Cody was the first to come running up to them, throwing one arm around each of their legs.  “Does this mean you’re staying here forever, Daddy?”

“Yes, buddy, it does.”

“This is the best Thanksgiving ever,” Cody shouted.

“I agree,” she said at the same time as Jeremy, followed my murmurs of concurrence from their family.

Jeremy sat in his truck outside of the doctor’s office, more nervous than he’d let on to anyone except Lanie. His leg felt great; he was confident today’s x-ray would reveal healed bones. That’s the news he was hoping for, that he wanted to hear. But today’s results would dictate their future. 

He’d been completely honest with Lanie about his fears. Last night, they’d had a long talk and he’d laid it all out on the table. A few weeks ago, he’d told her he was done with riding bulls, even if his leg healed. It wasn’t a lie; he believed it at the time and still did. Everything was fine until the last few days when a small, but significant, part of his conscience worried the conclusive nature of his decision was not final at all, but rather a defense to help him accept his fate. Faced with the possibility of his leg healing well above expectations and the reality of returning to the rodeo, or at least having the choice to return, he wasn’t as certain.

He wanted to know, needed to know, that his decisions weren’t made simply based on a lack of options. He needed to assure himself that he wasn’t the self-centered man he’d been before.

Lanie sat in the passenger seat, looking straight out the front window. “I meant what I said last night. If, as we suspect, the doctor thinks you can return to riding bulls, and you feel that’s what right, then you need to do that.  Cody and I will stand by you every step of the way.”

Man, he hated her strained voice. He knew what it took for her to give her blessing, if that’s what it came to. She’d sacrifice what she wanted to give him his dream. Selfless, pure, supportive Lanie.  What she saw in him, he often wondered, but he thanked heaven every day for her. He pinched the bridge of his nose.  What if he did want to return?  He could lie and tell Lanie he didn’t want to, but it would still be a lie, no matter how it was spun.

No sense worrying over something that hadn’t happened yet. They walked into the office ten minutes before his scheduled appointment time. Barely five minutes after arriving, a nurse called him to the back. He stood, nudging Lanie, indicating he wanted her to come with him.

“How are you doing today, Mr. Travers?” the nurse, Linda, asked. She wore pink scrubs with little kittens on them. The attire looked ridiculous to him, but he imagined it would make the nurse more approachable to children. At least, that’s the only reason he could think of for wearing such things.

“Doing great,” he answered, pulling out the charm. No one needed to know his inner turmoil.

“I’m just going to take some vitals then send you back to x-rays. After those are taken, they’ll send you back here and the doctor will come in with the results. Can you roll your sleeve up for me?”

Unbuttoning the cuff, he rolled up the denim sleeve of his shirt. Linda wrapped a black cuff around his upper arm, just above the elbow then stuck a thermometer in his mouth. Maybe he should have kept Lanie in the waiting room.  He felt like an idiot, being prodded like this. Daring a glance, lest he see a mocking smirk, all he saw from her was an encouraging smile.  Damn, if he wasn’t the luckiest man alive.

The thermometer beeped and Linda removed it, allowing him to speak again.  “Isn’t my fiancé beautiful?” he asked the nurse, casting her a wink. 

“She certainly is. I’d be jealous if I were thirty years younger.”

“Let him continue talking and you can keep him.” Lanie grinned, laughing with a shade of embarrassment pink on her cheeks.

“Ah, to be young and in love again,” the nurse bemoaned playfully while entering some numbers into the computer. “Do you remember the way to x-rays?”

“How could I forget?”

Linda turned to Lanie. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait here until he’s done. Procedure and all, you know.”

“Not a problem,” she replied, smiling sweetly.

The nurse left, giving him a few seconds alone with Lanie. “I’ll be right back. Sorry you can’t come with me.”

“I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine.” She swatted him away. “Go so you can get back.”

He went back the long hallway, opening the room to a sterile looking room. The x-ray technician came in, instructing him to remove his belt buckle and all metal objects.  He put on the drab blue robe and laid down on the cold bed. The technician put Jeremy’s leg into position then left the room. A few minutes later, the heavy piece of machinery was moving and snapping pictures. 

“All done,” the tech called in, releasing Jeremy back to the exam room.