“Well?” Letty pressed. “Doesn’t it concern you?”
Lonny made an effort to disguise his views on the matter. “What does Josh want?”
“All I heard is he’s coming to visit.”
“Here? In Red Springs?”
“That’s what she said. My guess is that he wants to revive their relationship.”
“She told you that?” His jaw went even tighter.
“Not in so many words, but think about it. Why else would Josh come here? It isn’t like he has some burning desire to visit a ranching community. He’s coming because of Joy.” She paused, tilting her head toward Lonny. “I find his timing rather suspicious, don’t you?”
“How?” Lonny asked bluntly.
“Joy’s teaching contract is up for renewal.”
“So, you think he’s hoping to lure her back to Seattle?” His voice fell as he took in the significance of the timing. Right then and there, Lonny decided he wasn’t letting her go without a fight. Not physical, of course—that would be stupid and unfair; Josh wouldn’t stand a chance against him, if he did say so himself. And knowing Joy, she’d be furious with Lonny and immediately side with the city guy. A physical showdown would be the worst possible move. No, this challenge was mental. Emotional. And it had more to do with convincing Joy than scaring off Josh.
“When will he be here?” he asked urgently.
Letty must’ve seen that determined look in his eyes, because she reached over and patted his hand reassuringly. “I’m not sure, but I believe it’s sometime this week.”
He nodded.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
That should be obvious. “I’ve only got a few days to talk Joy into staying here.” Although he knew darn well that more than talk would be involved…
Letty frowned at him. “Why do you care if she leaves or not?”
Lonny didn’t appreciate the question. Nevertheless, he gave her an honest answer. He could pretend he hadn’t heard—or he could tell Letty the words that burned to be spoken. “Because I love her.”
“I know,” Letty replied, leaning back with a satisfied grin. “You have for a long time.”
Lonny expected more of an I-told-you-so and was mildly surprised when Letty didn’t lay into him for his foolishness or recite a litany of rules on how to persuade Joy to make her life in Red Springs, with him.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Letty asked next.
The answer to that wasn’t clear. “I don’t know.”
Letty frowned again, a worried frown. “Promise me you won’t say anything stupid.”
“Like what?” he demanded.
She rolled her eyes. “Like you’re going to charge her insurance company for the so-called damage to your truck.”
“I never really intended to do that. It was a ploy, that’s all.”
“A ploy to infuriate and anger Joy. Because of it—and because of other stupid things you’ve said—you have a lot of ground to recover.”
Lonny didn’t need his sister telling him what he already knew. “I’ll talk to her.” But that didn’t seem to be working, either. He’d left her a note, and she’d thrown it away. Joy wasn’t interested in talking to him, yet every time they were together, they ended up in each other’s arms. The fact was, those few kisses gave him hope and encouragement. They told him that while Joy might deny it, she did have feelings for him, feelings as intense as his were for her. Feelings she wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
His sister turned to stare at him as if he were a stranger. “Can I make a suggestion?” she asked.
“Sure.” He’d been counting on it.
“A woman likes to know she’s wanted and needed and treasured,” she told him. Lonny understood what she was saying—that this was exactly how Chase felt about her. Lonny had seen it happen. His friend had come alive the moment Letty returned to Red Springs. It was the same way Lonny felt about Joy. All he had to do now was figure out how to protect her pride, while keeping his own intact.
“I’ll tell her,” Lonny said, suspecting this might be his only route to Joy.
“Go slow,” Letty murmured.
“Slow,” he repeated. “But I haven’t got time to hang around, not with this other guy hot on her heels.”
“Yes, you do, otherwise Joy will assume you’re only interested now because Josh is about to make an appearance in her life. She’s got to believe your actions are motivated by sincerity, not competitiveness.”
“Oh.” Letty was right about that, too.
This was getting complicated. “Should I approach her with gifts?” He felt at a distinct disadvantage. Joy wasn’t like the girls he’d met in his rodeo days; he’d rarely ever given them gifts, beyond maybe buying them a beer.
Letty nodded approvingly. “That’s a good place to start.”
Lonny rather liked the idea of bringing Joy things. He had a freezer full of meat, some of his best. None of that hormone-laden stuff sold in the grocery stores, either. He’d explain that his and Chase’s cattle were lean, and fed on grass, and he’d make sure she recognized the significance of that. “I could take her some steaks from my freezer,” he said, pleased with himself.
“Uh…” Letty cocked her head to one side, as if she was trying to come up with a way to tell him that wasn’t quite what she had in mind.
“What?”
“Bringing her a few steaks is a nice thought,” his sister informed him. “But women tend to prefer gifts that are more…personal.”
Lonny cast a desperate look at Letty. “Help me out here.”
“Flowers are always nice,” she said.
Flowers from a shop were expensive and died within a few days. “What about perfume?”
“Yes, but that poses a problem. Most women have preferences. They develop their own favorites. A particular scent smells different depending on who wears it, you know.”
Lonny wasn’t sure what his sister had just said, other than that he shouldn’t buy perfume. Well, if there was no better alternative, he’d go with her first suggestion. “Flowers I can do.”
“Start there.”
“I will,” he promised. “Then you’ll help me figure out what I should get her next?” he said, relying on his sister’s assistance. He considered her the strategist; he’d simply follow her directions.
“Don’t be in too big a rush,” Letty reminded him. “If you run into her by accident, be polite and respectful, and then go about your business.”
Lonny saw the brilliance of his sister’s words. He hoped he could restrain himself enough to do that. Every time he saw Joy, all he could think about was how much he wanted to hold her and kiss her. It went without saying that there was more to a relationship between a man and a woman than the physical. Mutual desire was important and necessary, but no more so than mutual respect, honesty and genuine caring. He felt all of that for Joy. Unfortunately, it was easier to convey the holding and kissing part.
“Other than getting Joy gifts, what else should I do?”
Letty’s brow creased in thought.
“Do I have to learn to talk pretty?” Lonny asked, a bit embarrassed. Like most cowboys, he tended to be plainspoken. Besides, it was hard enough not to trip over his tongue saying normal things to Joy, let alone anything poetic.
“She needs to know how much she means to you,” Letty said.
Lonny gestured helplessly as a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. “I’m not sure how to tell her that.”
“Tell me what you like about her physically,” Letty said. “And I suggest you not say anything about her weight.”
“Okay…” A picture of Joy formed in his mind, and he relaxed. “She’s just the right height.”
“For what?”
Lonny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Kissing.”
“Okay…anything else?”
“Oh, sure.” But now that he’d said it, he couldn’t come up with a single thing.
“Do you lik
e her eyes?”
He nodded. “They’re blue.” He said that so Letty would know he’d been paying attention. “A real pretty shade of blue.”
“Good.” She clearly approved. “You can tell her that.”
“Sort of a Roquefort-cheese blue.”
Her face fell.
“That’s not a good comparison?” he muttered.
“Think flowers instead,” she hinted.
“Okay.” But he’d have to give it some consideration. He wasn’t that knowledgeable about flowers. Especially blue flowers.
“If you can persuade her, you and Joy will make a wonderful couple.”
“If?” he repeated, taking offense at the qualifier. His sister seemed to forget that at one time he’d ridden bulls and broncos. It was the sheer force of his determination, along with—of course—his innate skill, that had kept him in prize money. Joy was the biggest prize of his life and he was going to cowboy up and do whatever he had to—even if he got thrown or trampled in the process.
“What took you so long, big brother?” Letty teased. “You’ve been crazy about Joy for two years.”
Earlier, he would’ve denied that, but the time for pretense was past. “Pride mostly.” However, he’d seen the error of his ways. No doubt Letty was happy with his decision, and Lonny’s heart felt lighter and more carefree than it had in years. He felt good. Better than good, he felt terrific.
Lonny followed his sister’s gaze as she watched Chase and Cricket with the spotted pony. He was moved to see how much Chase loved Cricket. He might not be her biological father, but in every way that mattered, Chase was Cricket’s daddy.
His sister’s eyes grew soft and full of love. One day, if everything went as Lonny hoped, he’d have a son or daughter of his own. It would please him beyond measure if Joy was the mother of his children. The thought quickened a desire so powerful that his chest constricted with emotion. He loved Joy. He sincerely loved her and the sun would fall from the sky before he lost her to anyone, least of all an old boyfriend.
Thirteen
T he alarm rang at six o’clock Monday morning and with a groan, Joy stretched out her arm and flipped the switch to the off position. She was warm and comfortable, and a sense of happiness spread through her. In five days, Josh would be in Red Springs. With her!
He’d phoned on Sunday afternoon, and they’d talked for an hour. Toward the end of their conversation, he’d admitted that Red Springs was two hundred-plus miles out of his way; in other words, he was letting her know that he wanted to renew their relationship. That meant he’d missed her and was willing to invest time, effort and expense in seeing her again. She felt the glow of that knowledge even now. Lonny drifted into her mind and she made a determined effort to chase him away. Her willingness to accept his kisses—and kiss him back—mortified her.
In fact, it was Lonny’s kisses that had prompted her to tell Letty about Josh’s visit. Letty would certainly mention it to Lonny, which was exactly what she wanted. It was the coward’s way out, she freely admitted that, but she was apprehensive over what might happen when Josh arrived.
She was afraid Lonny might force a confrontation with her, and she hoped this news would discourage him. She didn’t want to think about Lonny or worry about her reaction to him. She felt so positive about Josh and their future together, and the only person who might ruin that was Lonny.
Josh was thoughtful and generous and as different from Lonny Ellison as a man could get. Just the thought of him incited her to toss aside the warm covers and bolt upright, irritated that this disagreeable rancher kept making unwanted appearances in her life. He was irrational, bad-tempered and, well…It didn’t matter, because she wouldn’t be having anything more to do with him.
Joy got to school early and had just parked her car in the employee lot when she saw Letty Brown drive to the student drop-off area. Either Letty had business in town this morning, or Cricket had missed the bus.
The back passenger door opened and Cricket popped out, greeted Joy with an exuberant “Hi, Ms. Fuller!” and then skipped over to the playground.
Letty rolled down her car window and waved at Joy.
Joy waved back. Strangely reluctant to see her friend, she trotted over to Letty’s car. Thankfully no one had pulled in behind her. In the next twenty minutes the driveway would be seething with activity.
“Morning,” Letty said from inside her car.
“Isn’t this a beautiful day?” It could be raining buckets and it would still be an absolutely perfect day as far as Joy was concerned. As long as she could avoid seeing, hearing or thinking about one annoying man…
“You seem in a very good mood for a Monday morning.”
“I am,” Joy said, resting one hand on the window frame.
Letty laughed. “Me, too.” She lowered her voice. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course.”
Letty bit her lip. “Chase doesn’t even know. Cricket, either.” Then her eyes brightened and she placed her hand on Joy’s. “I’m pregnant!”
Joy gasped. “Oh, Letty! That’s incredible news!” Because of her medical condition, pregnancy could be a risk. Letty had told Joy that Chase was concerned about the strain a pregnancy would put on her heart.
“I won’t say anything to Chase until the doctor officially confirms it,” she continued, “but I know my own body. And just to be sure, I took one of those home tests. Chase will want to hear what the doctor says, though.”
“But I thought—” Joy closed her mouth abruptly, afraid to say anything about the worries and fears that might accompany a pregnancy.
Letty must have sensed what Joy was thinking, because she added, “I went to see Dr. Faraday, the heart specialist, a little while ago.”
Joy remembered that visit. It was the day Lonny had come to pick up Cricket.
“The doc gave me a clean bill of health,” Letty exclaimed with unrestrained happiness. “The surgery was one hundred percent successful, and he couldn’t see any reason I shouldn’t have a second baby.”
Joy knew how badly Letty wanted another child.
Seeing her friend’s wild joy nearly brought tears to her own eyes. “I’m so thrilled for you.”
“Now, promise me, not a word to anyone,” Letty warned.
“My lips are sealed.” Half leaning into the front of the vehicle through the open window, Joy hugged her friend’s shoulders. Straightening, she said, “I have some news, too—although it isn’t as momentous as yours.”
“Is this a secret or am I free to broadcast it?”
“So you’re the town crier?”
“No,” Letty said with a laugh, “that would be Honey Sue, but I run a close second.”
Joy waited a moment for effect, then nearly burst out laughing at the expression on Letty’s face. “Josh and I talked for over an hour yesterday, and I’m thinking of moving back to Seattle.” She hated to leave Red Springs. But if she and Josh decided to resume their relationship in a serious way, she’d have to return to the Puget Sound area. A few Internet inquiries had assured her there were teaching positions available.
The joy faded from Letty’s eyes. “You’d actually move back to Seattle for Josh?”
Joy nodded. “Of course, everything hinges on what happens this weekend. But at this point, I’d say there’s plenty of reason to believe I would.”
Letty made an effort to smile. “I’d hate to see you go.”
“I’d hate it, too, but I can’t ask Josh to give up his career and move to Wyoming when there are no job opportunities for him. I can get a teaching position nearly anywhere.”
“That makes sense.” Letty’s words were filled with poorly concealed disappointment.
Joy took a deep breath, realizing this had to be said. “I know you always hoped that things would work out between Lonny and me. Unfortunately that’s not the case.”
“My brother can be stubborn, that’s for sure.”
“I can be, too,” Joy admitted. “The tw
o of us don’t really get along. I feel bad about it, because I genuinely like Lonny. I always have, but it’s best to bow out now before either of us gets hurt.”
“You’re certain about that?” Letty’s gaze pleaded with hers.
“Yes,” Joy said quickly. Although she was confident and hopeful about her relationship with Josh, she wouldn’t leave Red Springs without a few regrets. And one of those regrets was Lonny Ellison….
“When will Josh arrive?” Letty asked.
Joy braced her hands against the window frame. “Friday. He’s driving from Salt Lake City and should get here sometime in the afternoon.”
“That’s…great.”
Joy could tell that Letty was trying hard to sound pleased for her; at the same time, the concern in her eyes sent a conflicting message.
“So Josh will be with you at the school carnival?” she asked casually.
“He’s looking forward to it, and so am I.”
When Letty didn’t respond, Joy asked, “Do you think that’ll be a problem?” Although she’d lived in the community for two years, there seemed to be a lot she didn’t understand about people’s expectations. Perhaps bringing a male friend to what was technically a school function would be frowned upon.
Letty gave her a slight smile. “No, everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Joy smiled back but felt tears gather in her eyes.
“I’ll miss you,” Letty whispered.
“There’s always a chance I might not leave,” Joy said honestly. “The school board’s offered me a new contract and I’ve asked for time to think it over. I’ll know more after this weekend. Oh, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she muttered fretfully. “It’s too soon.”
Letty shrugged and then sighed. “We’ll keep in touch no matter what happens.”
“Absolutely,” Joy concurred. “We’ll always be friends.”
Letty nodded and glanced over her shoulder. Another car had pulled into the school’s circular driveway. “You’re right, of course. Anyway, I should go.”