Judging by Amy’s expression, the situation called for a whole lot more thanuh-oh. Her stride and expression shouted that I had screwed up. But how? Ranch kids rode horses, and Henry had a good seat. What was the big deal?
“What in the world do you think you’re doing, young man?” Amy stormed into the arena, making King sidestep. I grabbed the halter to keep the horse from bolting as Amy yanked Henry from the saddle. “Did you have permission to ride that horse?” Amy bent over and was eye-to-eye with her son. Henry shook his head before dropping it against his chest. “You take King into the barn to Uncle Jake. He’ll help you unsaddle him and get him rubbed down, and then you go straight to your room and take some time to think about what you did. You understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Henry’s voice was a whisper, but he took King’s reins. Before he led him toward the barn, he turned to look at me and mouthed, “Sorry, Cal.”Now, what was he sorry for?
Amy stood with her hands on her hips until her son disappeared into the barn. When she whirled around to face me, I felt like an errant schoolboy. So I went for my most soothing, reasonable voice.
“He was doing just fine, Amy. Don’t overreact.” I said. “He had alittle slip, but he wasn’t in any danger. I was right there with him.” I still wasn’t quite seeing what the big deal was.
“And that makes everything okay, does it?” Her tone challenged me. “Did you know he fell from a horse four months ago and broke his leg? He just got the cast off two weeks ago. I didn’t plan to let him get back on King yet.”
“I didn’t know,” I admitted, “but it wouldn’t have changed anything if I had. It’s a bad idea to keep a kid off his horse. How else is he supposed to learn to get back up there and try again? Kids and adults fall off horses all the time. You have to know that living on a ranch. The trick is to get back on.”
“And you’re an expert on raising children, I suppose?” She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step closer to me.
“No, ma’am. I’ve just got lots of experience of being tossed off and putting my butt back in the saddle.” I’d done that on days I was so sore I’d barely been able to swing my leg over the horse, but I’d known in my gut that it had to be done.
“So you think that qualifies you to make a decision for my son. You’re not his parent. Hell, you’re just barely a member of this family.” She’d been shouting at me, but now she abruptly dropped her voice. “You should go. Now.”
I nodded and started walking toward the house, trying to shrug off my anger and reminding myself that I didn’t need this kind of crap in my life. I’d say my goodbyes and get off the ranch as Amy requested. I had one family that I loved, and I didn’t need another one, especially one that seemed to be full of land mines.
Laura and Brian were stepping out onto the porch when I approached. I had to assume they’d heard the commotion.
“I wanted to thank you for your hospitality, Laura,” I said and shook hands with Brian. I was going to leave it at that, but Laura caught my arm.
“I’d like you to come for dinner later this week, if you can,” she said.
I was speechless for a minute. I should say a politeno thank youand walk away, but Laura had her heart in her eyes, and, dammit, I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to hurt her any more than I already had, just by looking like the son she’d lost—the one she’d actually wanted.
“That’s mighty nice of you. I’ll be here,” I said, knowing I was going to regret accepting the invitation.
“Good. We’ll let you know when,” Laura said with a slight smile. “Take care of yourself.”
With another nod, I headed toward my truck, surprised to find Amy walking alongside me. Anger still came off her in waves, and I was sorry for that.
“You can find someplace else to be that night, so you don’t have to see me,” I said quietly since I was damn sure she wanted nothing to do with me again.
“That’s exactly what I was planning to do,” she snapped.
“Probably for the best.” Even as I said it, I knew it wasn’t true. The best choice would’ve been for me not to have come here to begin with. Barring that, it’d be best to steer clear of the Thorne ranch altogether from now on. Being here was only going to cause me trouble. Amy would, too. Of that, I was sure.
“Goodbye, Cal.” Her tone was barely civil. I looked at her face for just a second. It was still bright red with her anger and her blue eyes were sharp.
I didn’t bother to respond, sure I’d say something I would regret. I tipped my hat to her, then got in my truck and started driving away. The relief I felt at being away from the ranch settled around me like a blanket and I felt fatigued—probably due to the adrenaline drop. I’d go back and have dinner as promised, but I wasn’t planning on forming a lasting relationship with Laura, my brothers,orAmy.
I hadn’t gone twenty feet when I glanced in the rearview mirror at Amy. Her hands covered her face, and her red hair whipped around her in the breeze. Shit, she was crying. Her shoulders sagged, and it was obvious that all the fight had gone out of her.
Any anger I still carried went, too. It suddenly hit home that her son was all she had left of her husband—the husband who had died way too young in an accident. If that meant she got a little overprotective sometimes, who could blame her? I wanted to turn the truck around and go back to her. I could apologize, give her a hug, something. Damn, I hated to see a woman cry. But I was probably the last person she wanted to comfort her. I kept my eyes focused forward as I left the ranch and turned onto the road into town. How the hell was I going to make it through the next month?
NINE
AMY
“And that’s the end,” I said closing the book on Henry’s bedtime story.
“Come on, Mom. One more,” Henry pleaded.
“No, sir. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what Flat Stanley’s next adventure is.” I put the book on the nightstand and turned on the nightlight. The window was open a crack letting a cool breeze blow in, so I tucked the blankets more tightly around Henry and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
