ant; then they flared open, accusing. “It’s Jessy, isn’t it? I’m sorry, but I hate her.” She turned away, hugging her arms tightly. “Maybe because she thrives under this suffocating sky.”
Ty hesitated, finding nothing more to say. “Be happy, Tara.”
“Oh, yes.” Her laugh was slightly brittle. “I’m sure I’ll play the role of the gay divorcee very well.” Then she sighed. “The next time I won’t make the mistake of thinking Daddy’s always right.”
But it wasn’t only that, Ty knew. They had been traveling separate roads for a long time. He turned and slowly walked to the door.
“I’ll keep the ring, Ty.” Her soft voice traveled after him, a hint of tears in it. “Part of my might-have-been memories.”
The sun was a giant shimmer of white light in the high, summer-blue sky. A wind was picking up speed as it rolled over the undulating plains. When Ty drove away from the house, he didn’t look back.
Like an old horse pointed homeward, instinct made all the turns down all the right roads, and Ty didn’t have to make them consciously. When he came to the cabin nestled in the trees along the riverbank, he stopped the truck and stumbled out tiredly.
Flies made buzzing attempts to penetrate the mesh of the screen door, but he paid no attention to them as he entered the house. Jessy was sitting at the table, hands folded, waiting. She’d heard him drive up. There was color in her cheeks, but a definite reserve in her posture.
“I don’t suppose you have any coffee made,” he said, searching for a beginning.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of coffee at The Homestead.”
“But I like your coffee,” he said.
“Now that this business is practically over with Dyson, have you been to see Tara?” She was almost harsh in her demand.
“Yes.”
Too much was contained inside for Jessy to remain seated quietly. She pushed out of the chair and took a step into the center of the room, then swung to face him.
“Is she coming back?”
“I didn’t ask her to, or I wouldn’t be here.” There were no words to fit the powerful gentleness that filled him. It lay choked in his throat, holding him against the desire to take her in his arms.
“If you’re just here because you’re grateful or feel obligated ...” The pride that was so firmly stamped in her made him smile.
“No, Jessy. It isn’t that at all.”
Those eyes that had always watched him with such a waiting look now studied him carefully. The wide mouth began to break its severe line to curve with an unsteady smile. “If you’re sure ...” She let out the breath she’d been holding and took a step toward him. “If you’re really sure ...”
“I’m sure, Jessy.” There was no doubt in his voice. An emotion deeper than time made a brilliant light in his dark eyes. His arms were opening as she came into them. He bowed his head to kiss her. The sensation of the room spinning was so strong his arms pressed hard around her to keep them from being whirled away.
Epilogue
There was a lean look to the land, which was still wearing its winter colors of faded tan and brown instead of the ripe summer-green. On the endless horizon, ominous storm clouds had rolled into black towers, promising rain after long months of drought.
It had been more than a year since Chase Calder had laid eyes on his home ground, and his hungry gaze had been taking in the sight of it for the last twenty-five miles. All the homesick longings he hadn’t permitted himself to feel during the long months in the hospital now rose in his chest. He noticed all the little changes, the subtle differences.
“It looks like those rainclouds are headed this way,” he observed somewhat gruffly to the driver.
Ty let his gaze stray from the road to eye the tantalizing closeness of the dark cloudbank. “I hope so. The Lord knows we need it.” He flexed the grip of his hands on the steering wheel. “All the operations have been cut back about as much as they can be.”
“Anything big is always inefficient; it’s the nature of the beast,” Chase replied with a trace of wryness. “It’s always a battle trying to streamline and modernize the operation.
There’s so much paperwork that sometimes the ranching part of it gets lost in the pressure to show a profit. Sometimes you have to suffer some heavy losses in order to win the war.”
“Yeah.” Ty knew that fact only too well.
“You had quite a baptism of fire.” Quietly Chase studied his son, aware of all he’d been through.
“I stumbled a few times,” Ty admitted.