Once in Every Life

"It's just up the road about?"

She cleared her throat.

He stopped midsentence and glanced down at her.

"And what road would that be?"

"Lissa, I swear?"

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She shook her head. "Please don't. I'd rather not hear it."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut. Tess got the distinct impression that he was envisioning himself strangling her. "Lissa." His voice had that tight-edged calm that bespoke a storm of emotion underneath. "You know damn well?" "I thought we only had a cistern." He blinked. "Huh?"

This time her smile was blazingly bright. "You were saying something about a well."

His eyes narrowed. For a split second she wondered if she hadn't pushed him too far.

"Fine." The word shot from his mouth like a poison dart. "You want to go to the school, we'll go to the school. But don't expect me to say a damn thing."

Tess had a nearly irrepressible urge to throw her arms

around him. At her sides, her gloved fingers curled into

fists. He was going to go with her! The plan had worked.

She'd gotten him to be a parent, at least for the moment.

She smiled. It was a start.

A few minutes later, Tess stared at the sidesaddle in disgust and wondered if her plan had been as good as she'd thought.

"I'm supposed to ... perch on that thing?"

Jack nodded, making no effort to conceal his smile.

Tess gritted her teeth. "Help me up."

"I don't know, Lissa, wouldn't you rather?"

"I'd rather get behind the wheel of my Jeep, but since

that isn't too likely, what I'd like is a hand up." Jack let his reins drop to the ground and gathered hers

in his hand. "Here." She took the flat leather reins and shoved them in her

mouth, biting down hard. Then she reached for the leather

thingamajig that stuck out from the top of the saddle. Step-

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ping cautiously into Jack's laced fingers, she flung her other leg over the seat.

Jack cleared his throat.

Wincing, she pulled the dusty-tasting reins from her mouth and glanced down.