Savannah flushed with pleasure at his praise.
The compliment had apparently earned him points with Caroline, too; she cast him an approving smile. Grady held in a sigh. He needed all the points he could get when it came to Caroline and Maggie. If everything went well, this evening might help him recapture lost ground with the child.
Everyone began to arrive for dinner. With the scent of the meal wafting through the house, it wasn’t long before all the chairs were occupied—except for one. Richard’s. It was just like his spoiled younger brother to keep everyone waiting.
“Where’s Richard?” Maggie asked, glancing up at her mother.
Grady was asking himself the same question.
“He’s coming, isn’t he?” Maggie whined.
Even from where he stood Grady could sense the little girl’s disappointment.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Caroline answered.
“There’s no need to let our meal get cold,” Grady said. If Richard chose to go without dinner, that was fine by him. If anything, he was grateful not to have his brother monopolizing the conversation, distracting both Caroline and Maggie. Grady pulled out his chair and sat down. Laredo, Savannah and Caroline did so, as well. The only one who remained standing was Maggie.
“What about Richard?” she asked in a small stubborn voice.
“I guess he isn’t hungry,” Caroline said and pulled out the chair next to her own for Maggie.
“He promised he’d sit next to me at dinner.”
“It isn’t a good idea to believe in the things Richard promises,” Grady said as much for Caroline’s ears as for her daughter’s. He hated to disappoint the five-year-old, but it was God’s own truth. Richard was about as stable as beef prices. His loyalties constantly shifted toward whatever was most advantageous to him, with little concern for anyone else.
His playful marriage proposal to Caroline worried Grady. She’d laughed it off, but Grady found no humor in it. Apparently his brother knew Grady was interested in Caroline and thus considered her fair game. It would be typical of Richard to do what he could to thwart any romance between Caroline and Grady by making a play for her himself. Grady knew that made him sound paranoid, but he thought his fears were justified. Experience had been an excellent teacher.
He reached for the meat and forked a thick slice of roast beef onto his plate, then passed the platter to Caroline.
Maggie folded her arms and stared defiantly at Grady. “I’m not eating until Richard’s here.”
“Maggie, please,” Caroline cajoled. She glanced at Grady, her eyes apologetic.
“Grady yelled at Richard.”
Once again Grady was the culprit. “I shouldn’t have yelled, should I?” He was careful to speak in a low quiet voice. “I do that some times without thinking, but I wasn’t angry at you.”
“You were mad at Richard.”
No use lying about it. “Yes, I was.”
“And now he won’t come to dinner.”
“I think Richard has other reasons for not showing up,” Caroline explained as she placed a scoop of mashed potatoes on her daughter’s plate. “Do you want one of Savannah’s yummy buttermilk biscuits?”
Maggie hesitated for a long moment before she shook her head. “I won’t eat without Richard.”
“Did I hear someone call my name?” Richard asked cheerfully as he stepped into the kitchen. “Sorry I’m late,” he said, not sounding the least apologetic. He pulled out his chair, sat down beside Maggie and reached for the meat platter all in a single graceful movement.
Caroline’s child shot Grady a triumphant look as if to say she’d known all along that Richard hadn’t lied to her.
Grady’s appetite vanished. For every step he advanced in his effort to make friends with Maggie, he seemed to retreat two. Once more Richard had made him look like a fool in front of the little girl. And once more he’d allowed it to happen.
“Is it true you want to marry my mom?” Maggie asked Richard with such hopefulness that the question silenced all other conversation.
“Of course it’s true.” Richard chuckled, then winked at Caroline.
“I think you should,” Maggie said, hanging on Richard’s every word.
Grady didn’t speak again during the entire meal. Not that anyone noticed. Adored by Maggie, Richard was in his element, and he became the center of attention, joking and teasing, complimenting Savannah, even exchanging a brief joke with Laredo.
Caroline was quiet for a time, but soon, Grady noted, Richard had won her over just as he had everyone else. Despite his disappointment, Grady marveled at his brother’s talent. Richard had always savored attention, whereas Grady avoided the limelight. It had never bothered him before, but now he felt a growing resentment, certain Caroline was about to be caught by the force of Richard’s spell. Other than Ellie Fraiser, Grady had never known any woman to resist his brother’s charms. Ellie was the exception, and only because she was already in love with Glen Patterson, although neither of them had recognized the strength of their feelings for each other—until Richard interfered. Indirectly, and definitely without intending it, Richard had brought about something good. Still, if it hadn’t been for Glen in Ellie’s life, Grady wondered what would have happened. That, at least, was one worry he’d escaped.
As soon as he could, Grady excused himself from the table and headed toward the barn. He would have liked to linger over dinner, perhaps enjoy a cup of coffee with Caroline on the porch, but he could see that was a lost cause.
Not until he’d stalked across the yard did he recognize the symptoms. Damn it all, he was jealous. The only woman he’d ever cared about, and Richard was going to steal her away. The problem was, Grady had no idea how to keep him from Caroline.
To his surprise Laredo followed him outside. Like Grady, his brother-in-law was a man of few words.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Laredo said, leading the way into the barn.
“I’m not,” Grady told him, which wasn’t entirely a lie. He knew the kind of man Richard was; he knew the in security of Richard’s charm. He didn’t like the fact that his brother was working on Caroline, but he wasn’t willing to make a fool of himself, either. Other men had made that mistake before him. Glen Patterson, for one. The poor guy had come off looking like an idiot at the Cattlemen’s Association Dance. Richard and Glen had nearly come to blows over Ellie, with half the town looking on. They might have, too, if Sheriff Hennessey hadn’t stepped in when he did.
“Good.” Laredo slapped him on the back and the two went their separate ways.
Grady didn’t stay in the barn long. He gave himself ample time to control his resentment, then decided that, while he wasn’t going to accept the role of fool, he didn’t intend to just give up, either. He’d tried to make sure Caroline understood that their lunch today was more than a meal between friends. Hell—despite what she’d said—he didn’t know if she even considered him a friend.
Grady found her sitting on the porch with Savannah sipping hot tea. Maggie sat on the steps cradling her doll. He strolled toward the women, without a clue what to say once he joined them. He supposed he’d better learn a few conversational rules, he thought grimly, if that meant he’d have a chance with Caroline.
The two women stopped talking as he approached, which led him to surmise that he’d been the topic of conversation. He felt as awkward as a school boy and, not sure what else to do, touched the rim of his hat.
Savannah, bless her heart, winked conspiratorially at him and stood. “Maggie,” she said, holding out her hand to the little girl, “I found one of my old dolls this afternoon. Would you like to play with her?”
Maggie leaped to her feet. “Could I?”
“You bet.”
As Savannah and Maggie disappeared into the house, Grady lowered himself onto the rocker his sister had vacated. He felt as tongue-tied and unsure as he had that afternoon. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remember that he’d been talking to Car
oline all her life. It shouldn’t be any different now.
“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” he commented, thinking the weather was a safe subject with which to start.
“Those look like storm clouds to the east.”
Grady hadn’t noticed. He gazed up at the sky, feeling abashed, until Caroline leaned back in her rocker and laughed. He grinned, loving the sound of her amusement. It was difficult not to stare. All these years, and he hadn’t seen how damn beautiful she was. While he could speculate why it’d taken him this long, he didn’t want to waste another minute. It was all he could do to keep his tongue from lolling out the side of his mouth whenever he caught sight of her. He longed to find the words to tell her how attractive she was, how much he liked and respected her. It wasn’t the first time he’d wished he could issue compliments with Richard’s finesse.
“Come on, Grady, loosen up.”
“I’m loose,” he growled and noted how relaxed she was, rocking back and forth as if they often sat side by side in the evening. His parents had done that. Every night. They’d shared the events of their day, talked over plans for the future, exchanged feelings and opinions.
The memory of his mother and father filled his mind. Six years, and the pain of their absence was as strong now as it had been in the beginning. Some nights Grady would sit on the porch, the old dog beside him, and silently discuss business matters with his father, seeking his advice. Not that he actually expected his father to provide answers, of course; Grady was no believer in ghosts or paranormal influences. But those one-sided discussions had helped see Grady through the rough years. It was during those times, burdened with worries, that he’d been forced to search deep inside himself for the answers. And on rare occasions, he’d experienced moments when he’d felt his father’s presence more in tensely than his absence.
“You’ve gotten quiet all of a sudden,” Caroline said.
“I want to talk to you about Richard.” His words were as much a surprise to him as to Caroline.
“Oh?” Her eyebrows rose.
“I realize you must find his attention flattering, but like I said earlier it isn’t wise to believe anything Richard says.” The lazy sway of her rocking stopped. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this,” he added. It wasn’t pleasant for him, either. Regardless of anything between them, though, Grady’s one concern was that Richard not hurt Caroline.
“I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’m a big girl.”
“I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t. It’s just that, well, Richard has a way with women.”
“And you assume he’s going to sweep me off my feet, is that it?” The teasing warmth in her voice was gone, replaced by something less friendly.
“You think I want to say these things?” he asked, inhaling sharply. “It isn’t really you he’s interested in, anyway.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Grady wished he’d never introduced the subject. Clearly Caroline wasn’t going to appreciate his insight, but once he’d started he couldn’t stop. “Richard knows how I feel about you and—” He snapped his mouth closed before he embarrassed himself further. “I’m only telling you this because I don’t want you to get hurt again.” He didn’t know what madness possessed him to add the again. He realized the moment he did that Caroline had taken his advice the wrong way.
Grady had never asked her about Maggie’s father, didn’t intend to do so now. Heaven knew she was touchy enough about the subject. The only other time he’d said something, months earlier, she’d been ready to bite his head off.
“This discussion is over,” she said, jumping to her feet.
“Caroline, I didn’t mean— Oh, hell, be angry if you want.” With an abrupt movement, he got out of the chair, leaving it to rock wildly. Once again he’d botched their conversation. “It appears you don’t need any advice from me.”
“No, Grady, I don’t.”
It damaged his pride that she’d so casually disregard his warning. “Fine, then, for all I care, you can marry Richard.” Not giving her a chance to respond, he stalked away, absolutely certain that any hope of a relationship was forever ruined.
His fears were confirmed less than an hour later when he left the barn and saw her again. She was in her car with the driver’s window rolled down. Richard was leaning against the side of the vehicle, and the sound of their laughter rang in the twilight.
The unexpected twist of disappointment and pain caught Grady off guard. Well, that certainly answered that.
Caroline must have noticed him because Richard suddenly looked over his shoulder. Grady didn’t stick around. It was too hard to pretend he didn’t care when he damn well did. His stride was full of purpose as he crossed the yard and stormed into the house, sequestering himself in the office.
His emotions had covered the full range in a single day. He’d taken Caroline to lunch and afterward felt…ecstatic; there was no other word for it. Before dinner he’d been like a kid, thrilled to see her again so soon. Now, just a few hours later, he’d been thrown into despair, convinced beyond doubt that he’d lost whatever chance he might have had with her.
It was enough to drive a man to drink. He sat in the worn leather desk chair and pulled open the bottom file drawer. His father had kept a bottle of bourbon there for times when nothing else would do, and Grady had followed the same practice. The bottle was gone—which had happened before. Grady suspected Richard, with good reason, but at the moment he didn’t really care. He wasn’t much of a drinking man. A cold beer now and then suited him just fine, but he’d never enjoyed the hard stuff.
The knock on the office door surprised him. “Who is it?” he barked, not in the mood for company.
“Richard.” His brother didn’t wait for an invitation but opened the door and sauntered in. He immediately made himself at home, claiming the only other chair in the room. He leaned back, locked his fingers behind his head and grinned like a silly school boy.
“So what’s up with you and Caroline?” he asked.
Grady scowled. The last person he wanted to discuss with his brother was Caroline. “Nothing.”
His denial only served to fuel Richard’s amusement. “Come on, Grady, I’ve got eyes in my head. It’s obvious you’ve got the hots for her. Not that I blame you, man. She’s one nice-looking woman.”
Grady didn’t like Richard’s tone of voice, but prolonging this conversation by arguing with him would serve no useful purpose. “Listen, Richard, I’ve got better things to do than sit around discussing Caroline Daniels with you.”
“I don’t imagine it would take much to talk her into the sack, either. She’s already been to bed with at least one man—what’s a few more? Right?”
Grady ground his teeth in an effort to control his irritation. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to discuss Caroline.” He stood and walked over to the door and pointedly opened it.
“I wouldn’t mind getting into her bed myself one of these days,” Richard went on.
Despite everything he’d promised himself, Grady saw red. He flew across the room and dragged his brother out of the chair, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.
Richard held up both hands. “Hey, hey, don’t get so riled! I was only teasing.”
Grady’s fingers ached with the strength of his grip. It took a moment to clear his head enough to release his brother.
“You don’t want to talk about Caroline, fine,” Richard said, backing toward the door. “But you can’t blame a guy for asking, can you?”
DRIVING HOME, CAROLINE REALIZED she not only distrusted Richard Weston, but thoroughly disliked him. Before she’d left the Yellow Rose, he’d gone out of his way to let her know that Grady had asked Nell Bishop, a local widow, to the Cattlemen’s Dance earlier in the summer. What was particularly meaningful about the information was that Caroline knew how hard Savannah had tried to convince Grady to invite her. He almost had. She remembered he’d come into the post office a few days before the
dance, but within minutes they’d ended up trading insults. That was unfortunate. He had mentioned the dance, though, leaving her to wonder.
Their verbal exchanges were legendary. Only in the past couple of weeks had they grown comfortable enough with each other to manage a civil conversation.
Now this.
Caroline didn’t believe Richard. She strongly suspected that almost everything out of his mouth was a lie. If the story about Nell was true, she would’ve heard about it. To the best of her knowledge Nell hadn’t even attended the dance. Not that it was unusual for her to avoid social functions—it was widely known that Nell continued to grieve for Jake, the only man she’d ever loved. He’d been her high-school sweetheart, and their affection for each other had been evident through out the years. Caroline had often wondered if Nell would remarry.
“Ask her.” Caroline spoke the words aloud without realizing it.
“Ask who, Mommy?” Maggie looked at her mother.
“A friend.” She left it at that.
“About what?”
“Nothing.” She smiled at her daughter and changed the subject.
As it turned out she had the opportunity to chat with Nell sooner than she’d expected. The following afternoon on her way home from work Caroline stopped at the local Winn-Dixie for a few groceries.
She collected what she needed and pushed her cart up to the checkout stand—behind Nell.
“Howdy, friend,” Nell said cheerfully. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Nell!” Caroline didn’t disguise her pleasure. “How are you?”
“Great. I’ve been working hard on getting the word out that I’m turning Twin Canyons into a dude ranch. The brochures were mailed to travel agents last week.”
Caroline admired her ingenuity. “That’s terrific.”