Chapter 6
The next few days flew by in a blur and then it was July fourth. Cecily was having a nice time with Radley, although she didn’t get to spend as much time with him as she would like. She was busy with the ranch from sunup until sundown. At first he followed her around and tried to help out, but then he realized he was getting in her way more than he was helping, so he stuck with Kitty and Dante and waited for her to come back to the house at night.
She learned he could cook, too, and was treated to a few meals by him. As much as she loved to cook, it was nice to come in from a long day of hard work and find supper waiting for her.
“This is how a man must feel,” she blurted one night. She worried she might have offended him, but he laughed.
“I wouldn’t know. You’re the only girl who has ever cooked for me, but it was nice.” He looked like he was going to lean in for a kiss but Kitty and Dante entered the room.
“For a remote ranch in the middle of nowhere there isn’t much privacy,” he whispered.
Cecily laughed, but a part of her was relieved. She liked Radley, really liked him, but she wasn’t sure she was attracted to him. Maybe when she finally did give in and kiss him she would experience the same fireworks she had with Marcus.
Her heart picked up its pace. That would be a dream come true, to find passion with Radley when they had so many other things going for them. They were on the same level and, most of all, he was available. She didn’t have to contend with a beauty pageant girlfriend and millions of dollars in his case.
“I’m not at all sure I want to go to the Fourth of July celebration,” Radley said as they made their way to the Henshaw’s ranch. “That guy we met looked like he wanted to drive me out to the middle of nowhere and leave me for dead.”
Kitty laughed. “He’s harmless. He was probably just having a bad day. Besides, he’s lots older than us and doesn’t hang around with us. He stays with the men or with his girlfriend.”
Cecily frowned and looked out the window. Would perfect Lacey be there today?
The answer was yes. She greeted everyone like she was queen of the castle, a fact which Cecily found supremely annoying.
They’re not even engaged, but she acts like she owns him and the ranch.
Her heart plummeted as a new thought occurred to her. Were they engaged? Had she somehow missed that? Was Marcus secretly pursuing her because he was panicking over his engagement? Surreptitiously she checked Lacey’s hand for a ring. Her heart relaxed when she didn’t see one. She frowned. Maybe it was being sized. She shook her head. She was being ridiculous. Even if they were engaged it was no business of hers.
“Are you all right, love?” Radley asked. He laid a gentle hand on her back. She was as surprised at his touch as she was by his endearment.
“I’m fine,” she said. To her right Marcus cleared his throat. She turned to look at him and he shook his head slightly. What did that mean? It was almost like he was telling her to move away from Radley’s touch. If so, he would have a long wait until she complied. She tipped her head up and tucked her arm into Radley’s elbow.
“Let’s sit,” she suggested.
“Sure,” he agreed. He led her to a straw bale and they sat side by side.
“That’s a lot of food.” Radley nodded his head toward the long food table. “Who’s that girl?”
“That’s Libby. She’s Kitty’s sister. She’s an awesome cook. She and Mrs. Henshaw prepare most of the food.”
“I think you’re an awesome cook, and you provided a lot, too,” he said proudly. He took her hand and twined their fingers together. “How far along is she?”
“What?” she asked. She turned her attention from the food table to him.
He nodded his head toward Libby again. “The girl, Libby, she’s pregnant. How far along is she?”
Cecily’s mouth fell in surprise. She looked at Libby and her shock deepened. Indeed, her stomach was slightly rounded and she looked fatigued and green around the gills. “I had no idea she was expecting. How did you know?”
“My sister is pregnant with her first. Libby looks the same, like she’s uncomfortable and about to fall asleep standing up.”
She shook her head, wondering why Kitty hadn’t told her. Maybe Libby wasn’t announcing it publicly yet. Although after today that was going to be a moot point. Now that she was paying attention her condition was obvious, especially when her husband, Dobbie, came over to check on her and then laid a gentle hand on her stomach when he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“She’s young to have a baby,” Radley said.
“She’s twenty two,” Cecily said. “That’s a normal age here.”
“That’s very young in Chicago, almost still a teenager. People don’t start having kids until their thirties where I’m from.” He paused. “Do you want kids young?”
The question caught her off guard. Did she? She had honestly never thought about it, which was strange considering how much she used to love to play house. “I think I want to wait awhile, at least until I get the new business up and running. Oh, and I have to fall in love and get married first.” She grinned at him.
“If there’s anything I can do to help you out, just let me know. With any part of that.” He wagged his eyebrows at her.
She laughed. “Radley, I think you’ve changed.”
He shrugged. “I’ve grown up, I guess, and become more aggressive about getting what I want.”
She flushed and looked away, suddenly flustered. He knew what he wanted, but did she? Unbidden, her eyes sought Marcus as he stood across the room. Like usual he was staring at her. He shook his head at her again. Her flush deepened and she looked away. What did that mean? Why did he keep shaking his head at her?
“Let’s eat,” Mr. Henshaw boomed. He asked the blessing for the food and the line formed. To her consternation Marcus positioned himself behind her and Radley, and she was sure it was on purpose.
“How long have you two been together?” He ignored Cecily and asked Radley the question.
“Uh, we’ve known each other three years,” Radley said uncomfortably, and no wonder. Marcus was asking about something they’d never discussed or put a name to.
“And have you been together all that time?” Marcus continued.
“Uh,” Radley said.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Cecily asked. She turned to Radley. “Did you know Mr. Henshaw’s girlfriend was a runner up in the Miss Montana pageant?” She squinted as she pretended to think. “Which year was that? My childhood memories are foggy, but I remember watching that pageant right before I watched cartoons.”
Marcus smiled. “I have it on DVD. I would be glad to show it to you in order to jog your memory. Let me know when I can bring it over, or I could just stop by.”
“Sorry, but I’m much too busy for visitors,” Cecily said.
Marcus’s smile widened. “Sorry to hear that.” He turned to Radley. “You must be lonely having to entertain yourself.”
“Radley isn’t a visitor, he’s like family,” Cecily snapped.
“Like your brother I would guess,” Marcus said.
Radley frowned, vaguely aware that he’d been insulted, but not sure how.
“Sleep tight with that thought,” Cecily said sweetly.
Marcus frowned. He opened his mouth to say more but they reached the head of the line. She handed Radley a plate and took one of her own.
“Hello, Libby,” Marcus said softly, sweetly. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Marcus. How are you?” Her question went beyond the surface.
“Hanging in there,” Marcus said.
For some reason the simple conversation pained Cecily. What had been between them? What had caused them to break up?
Behind her Marcus surveyed the food and leaned forward to whisper near her ear. “What did you bring today, Miss Blake, besides a sissified city boy, I mean?”
She dec
ided to ignore the last part and answer the first. “I brought that, and that, and that, and that.” She pointed to all the food she had prepared.
“Your cook really outdid herself this year, dear, the food is excellent,” Mrs. Henshaw interrupted.
Cecily started to tell her she had made the food herself, but that would mean admitting they could no longer afford to keep their cook. “Thank you,” she said instead.
“But,” Radley started, but Cecily squeezed his bicep to keep him from speaking. He shrugged and kept silent. He was becoming used to the fact that the country life had different rules than the ones he normally lived by.
“Not much there to squeeze,” Marcus whispered, referring to Cecily’s hand still on Radley’s bicep.
“You’re being rude,” she whispered.
“Me?” he asked innocently and pointed to himself.
She decided the best course of action was to ignore him, so she turned her back on him and ushered Radley to a table. She probably could have predicted Marcus would sit across from them, and that also meant she would be subjected to his perfect girlfriend.
“I’m afraid I don’t remember your name,” Lacey said to Cecily.
“This is Lee,” Marcus answered for her. “And her friend Bradley.”
“Radley,” Radley corrected him.
“Lee,” Lacey said. Her nose wrinkled delicately in distaste. “That’s an interesting name.”
“I didn’t know anyone called you that,” Radley said.
“They don’t,” Cecily said. “My name is Cecily,” she said to Lacey.
“Are you from one of the Native American tribes around here?” Lacey asked. Beside her Marcus choked on a sip of iced tea.
“No, my maternal grandparents are from Spain.”
“I didn’t realize your lineage was that closely associated with Spain,” Marcus said with some fascination. “Do you speak Spanish?”
“Only what I learned in school,” Cecily said. “My mother is fluent, although she doesn’t speak it much and she doesn’t have an accent. Unless she’s angry, and then she says a stream of words I’m probably not allowed to repeat. She used to say them a lot when she lived here.” She smiled at Marcus and he returned it.
Radley laughed. “Your mom is the best. You remind me of her.”
Cecily took a bite and swallowed before answering. She and her mother didn’t exactly hate each other, but they butted heads frequently. “People usually say I’m more like my dad.”
“Maybe,” Radley conceded. “I guess I didn’t know him as well.”
“How do you know her mother and not her father?” Lacey asked.
“I live in Chicago where her mother lives,” Radley answered.
“Oh.” Lacey looked around. “Is your father here?”
Cecily wondered if it was a calculated question. Surely someone would have filled her in on the gossip about her father.
“No,” Cecily said. She concentrated on her food.
“Where is he?” Lacey persisted.
“Victorville, California,” Cecily replied. It was the nearest medium security federal prison.
“What’s he doing there?” Lacey asked.
“Lacey, could you possibly be any more nosey?” Marcus said it teasingly, but Cecily caught the hint of warning in his tone, and so did Lacey, apparently, because she didn’t ask any more. Instead she turned her attention to Radley.
“What do you do, Radley?”
Marcus looked at him in interest, too.
“I wrote a computer program that’s a new metasearch system,” he said.
“That sounds lucrative,” Lacey said.
“Not yet, but I have high hopes.” He finished his food and rested his arm on the back of Cecily’s chair.
“How long are you staying?” Marcus blurted.
“I guess that’s up to Cecily,” Radley said. He picked up a strand of her hair and twined it around his finger. “I would stay forever if she’d let me.”
Cecily looked at him and realized he meant it. Across from them Marcus jabbed his fork into his plate so hard it snapped in half.