Crashing Into Tess (20 page)

Tess smiled drowsily
when Jake came into her room,
eyeing the fiberglass around the lower half of her left arm.
“How much pain are you in?”
“I’m okay. It’s going to be a real bitch tomorrow,
though, if it swells. Speaking of that, Rhiannon’s tummy is
getting huge.”
“Let Cassie and I take her to the ranch, then. One less
thing for you to worry about, with that arm.”
“Rhiannon will like that,” Tess sighed, closing her eyes.
Jake squeezed her toes. “Doc Powell said things went
really well in there.”
“Seems that way. Now I’ll just need to keep it iced, so
the pain and swelling stay down. How were my parents?”
she asked suddenly, her eyes open wide.
“I spoke to your dad. He was glad that I called. He
apologized about the mix up.”
“The mix up?” Her brow furrowed, then she rolled her
eyes. “Oh, you mean his yahoo assumptions?”
“The what? Has your anesthesia worn off, Tess?” he
teased, smiling affectionately. “It was all very cordial, don’t
worry. They want you to call.”
“Ugh. I guessed as much. Will you stay until it’s over?”
“Sure, no sense going home, now.”
“No, I mean the phone call. I don’t want them freaking
out.”
“Sure, I’m here for the duration, Crash. I’m taking you
back tomorrow morning.”
“What about Cassie?”
“She’s with Olivia. She’s fine.”
“Can you really swing another night with me in the
hospital?”
“Shhh-h,” he soothed, taking the chair beside her and
rubbing her good hand. “It’s me or Alice, and I’m already
here. Alice has nurse duty tomorrow. Here, drink your ice
water.” He held the capped cup and straw to her mouth.
“Anything else?”
“I just want to sleep.”
“Why don’t I dial your parents, first?”
“Oh, okay,” Tess grinned, rolling her eyes.

Hours after Jake fell asleep on the bed near the window
,
he heard soft sounds coming from Tess’s bed. “Hey,” he
whispered, padding over to her bed in his stocking feet.
“Your pain okay?”

Tess wiped her cheeks with her good hand. “No, and
it’s two hours before I get another pill.”
“More ice might help. I’ll go get some. What’s the
matter, Crash?”
“Nothing, really,” she sniffed.
“Awww, it’s not nothing. You must have a lot on your
mind. I’ll bring you some ice packs, and we can talk.”
After he packed the lower part of her arm with six ice
bags, he rearranged her pillows. “There, let me know if it
gets too cold, but your pain should be better in a few
minutes.” He took the chair next to her, pulling it over so
he was close to her face. “Now, what’s going on?”
“Well, for starters, I’ve really missed you.”
Jake sighed, and caught her pained blue eyes, feeling
guilty.“I’ve missed you, too.”
“No, I mean, I really missed you. Why did the
insurance thing cause so much trouble for us?”
“It wasn’t just the insurance thing, Tess. I haven’t
thanked you for all your understanding when I freaked out,
I know that, and really, I’m over it. It’s just . . .The
insurance thing was a wakeup call. Things were really
happening between us, and I realized it was probably too
much, too fast,” he admitted.
“It felt like you’d just forgotten about me,” she said,
biting her lower lip, wiping a tear from her cheek.
“To be honest, I keep thinking what your dad’s
perspective on all this must be. I’ve got these ranches in the
middle of nowhere, and I’m here for the duration, stuck
with my crazy ex-wife. Her friends just broke your arm. If I
were him, I’d want to keep you far away from a guy like
me. I’d want you out of this hick-mountain town, and back
in Philadelphia.”
“Dad and I have talked about it. He wants what I decide
is best for me. For awhile, it felt like that was Green
Junction.”
“You’re a city girl, Tess. There won’t be enough to
keep you happy here.”
“Maybe not. I’ve been offered a Fellowship at New
Bolton, Jake. It would likely lead to a teaching position
there,” she said quietly.
He felt something smack against his chest, catch and
twist. There was a long silence before he recovered enough
to say, “Congratulations, Tess. It sounds like a very
prestigious opportunity.”
Her blue eyes were full of questions. “It starts next fall,
if I take it. I’ll be here through summer, though, there’s still
lots to learn from Doc. It seemed like things were working
out for me here, but now maybe...” She looked at her casted
arm packed with ice, and tears squeezed from her eyes.
She hiccuped, then sobbed, “Maybe they’re not. You seem
convinced that I don’t belong in Green Junction, and
maybe . . . Maybe you’re right.”
Jake pulled his chair up close to the right side of the bed
and took her good hand, squeezing it to his chest. “Tonight
was rough, Tess. Your work matters a lot in this
community, but New Bolton offers you so much more:
prestige, an academic environment, and lots less stress,
even excluding crazy ex-wives.”
“I’ve had this weight of the Vicki thing on my mind,
Jake, with no way to tell anyone about it. It’s all just been
so painful.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’ve felt
lousy about the distance between us. Cassie is just so
unappreciated when she’s with her mother. When she’s
with you, she can be herself, but it’s like she’s on eggshells,
with Vicki. Her whole demeanor is different. I worry about
her.”
“You think I made a mistake, not fighting harder to
have her live with me?”
“I think you did what you needed to, so things were
settled in her life. But Cassie is happiest on the ranch with
you, anybody can see that. She’d only benefit by spending
more time with you, Jake.”
He stood up for the tissue box, gently wiping her
cheeks. “You’ve really been thinking about this, huh?”
“She’s a great kid, and she doesn’t belong with a
mother who doesn’t appreciate her, when she’s got a dad
who worships the ground she walks on.”
“I can’t disagree with that,” he said, squeezing her
shoulder. “You are a great friend to both of us, Tess. I know
its months away, but Cassie and I will really miss you,
when you leave.”
“I’ll really miss you guys too,” she sobbed, meeting his
eyes with a look that tore him up. “An awful lot.”
*****

Tess was in her pajamas on Monday morning,
just
heating water for tea, when Alice arrived. Rhiannon met
her at the door, sniffing her boots for the scent of her dogs.
“Wow, Rhi’s tummy is really filling out, huh?” Alice asked,
setting a bag of groceries on the counter.

Tess started a pot of coffee for Alice. “She’s putting on
a lot of weight, but she looks good, right? Jake said he and
Cassie will get her settled in her whelping box up at the
ranch this week, before the puppies come.”
“How are you feeling?” Alice asked, digging through

the bags and putting groceries away.
“Better than expected, Al. There’s still pain, but I’m
getting used to the sling. I’m supposed to start using my
fingers as soon as the swellings down, which means I could
be back at clinic for work later this week. I need your help
today though.”
“That’s what I’m here for, honey.” Alice said, too
cheerfully. She poured herself a cup of coffee, set a plate of
muffins on the table and sat down. Her face looked
anxious.
So the news isn’t good.
“Doc found medications missing yesterday, Tess. I’ve
spoken with Jake. His lawyer thinks Judge Reilly will call
an emergency hearing this afternoon.”
Tess shook her head, angry with herself, feeling guilty
for what Cassie had likely suffered. “Ugh. How sad for
everybody, Vicki included. If there’s a hearing this
afternoon, how will it work? I mean, I need to be there,
right?”
“I don’t think Jake wanted to ask, but obviously, your
testimony is critical. You witnessed Jake’s condition at the
accident scene, and Vicki’s situation in the dispensary. It
would be best for you to be there, Tess, if you’re up to it.
This time, Jake’s lawyer told him the judge may speak with
Cassie. Of course, that will be in chambers, not in front of a
courtroom, thank God.”
“This is a mess, isn’t it?” Tess asked, rubbing her
forehead with her good hand.
“It is. Doc is sending me over with our order records,
and the inventory and the dispensary log. I’ll have to testify
as well. Doc and Bea will be there, but they don’t want
Vicki to feel they’ve chosen sides. She’ll need their
support, no matter what, though of course they’re
concerned for Cassie.” Sighing, Alice broke a warm muffin
apart, handing a piece to Tess. “We just have to hope the
outcome is for the best, that’s all. Have a blueberry muffin,
girl. They make even the worst news bearable.”
Nodding, she took a bite. Swallowing, she said, “I’ll
need help figuring out what to wear. I don’t know what I
can fit over this cast, Alice.”
“You’re wearing your boots, right?”
“I don’t think so.” Tess shook her head wistfully. “The
boots belong in Green Junction, but it sure feels like I
don’t.”
“Oh, Tess, Green Junction adores you. I feel terrible
about what happened Saturday night, but the boots are
adorable. You know what they say about falling off a horse,
right? We may only have you through spring calving, but
there will be plenty of broken hearts when you leave. Wear
those boots while you’re here, and when you take them
back to Philadelphia, they’ll carry memories of all the
people who recognize how special and wonderful you are.”

Late that afternoon, her boot heels tapped down the marble
tiled hallway of the courthouse as she hurried towards the
massive exit door.

I am so glad my parents don’t practice family law.
From the witness stand, Vicki had used harsh words against
Jake, disparaging him, criticizing his relationship with
Cassie, and accusing him of alcohol abuse during their
marriage. Jake’s jaw had clenched as he bore it, a dull,
trapped look on his face.
No wonder he’s so afraid of
getting too close, always looking for an out.

A court house guard opened the heavy oak door for her.
Cold air took her breath. The sun was dropping behind the
Sawatch Range, the last of its brilliant orange glow struck
furrowed clouds, melding with a cobalt sky.

Pulling her white coat close around her shoulders, Tess
grasped the rail with her gloved right hand. Her left arm
was in a sling. The cold breeze caught her coat and blew it
open, as she made her way down the steps. In the charcoal
suit he’d worn to court, Jake walked up the sloped ramp
toward her, and pulled her coat closer around her shoulders,
buttoning it for her. “Thank you,” Tess smiled. “Where’s
Alice?”

Grabbing the fuzzy blue wool cap from her pocket, he
pulled it over her tangle of curls. “She went over to the
tavern to fill Lotts in.” Eyes resigned, voice sober, Jake
said, “I want to apologize again for what you’ve been
through the past few days, Tess. It’s been hell for you. I feel
real bad about all of it.”

“Jake, it’s not your fault.”
“Still, I hate the way you’ve been sucked into all this
nonsense, especially the situation with your arm,” he said,
shaking his head miserably.
“It’s not the greatest,” she conceded, swallowing hard,
meeting his eyes. “But we’re all doing what we can for
Cassie’s sake. She’s the one that really matters, here. And
maybe the worst is over.”
His eyes full of sadness and regret, Jake touched her
cheek with warm fingers. Then his eyes flashed pain, and
he pulled back. Squeezing them closed, he cleared his
throat. “Thank you for testifying, Tess. It would have been
impossible for the judge to get a clear picture of what was
going on, without you.”
“It wasn’t any fun in there for any of us, but it had to
be done,” she said sadly. “How is Cassie?”
“She seems okay. She’ll be with Olivia tonight, and her
aunt will get her to school in the morning. With everything
so tense, the judge wanted a cooling off period, to make
sure neither parent could influence her until drug test
results are in. Both Vicki and I were tested. If they are both
clear, my lawyer guesses we’ll go on the way we’ve been.
If Vicki’s show drug use, Cassie will live with me at the
ranch, and we’ll renegotiate custody when Vicki finishes
rehab. Doc took me aside. He admitted he’s afraid she’s
been using. He’s trying to find a good rehab program. I told
him I would help with expenses, if she’ll go.”
“Did Cassie meet the judge?”
“Yeah. My attorney said she was her perky self. She
had her little horse along, and the judge asked about that,
and then what she did when she was with Vicki and me.
The lawyers weren’t allowed to say anything. She talked
about riding Sparky and making pancakes when she’s at the
ranch. At her mom’s said she liked visiting the vet’s office.
He asked her to tell him what she didn’t like. She said the
ranch house was big, but I stayed with her at night so she
wasn’t scared. Then she said she gets nervous in the
mornings before school when she’s with Vicki, in case
there’s no milk for her cereal, or she’s late for school. He
asked if her parent’s yelled at her. She said Vicki did, but
that I was patient.”
“That’s telling,” Tess said gently.
“It is, isn’t it? Much as I hope Vicki’s not doing drugs,
I don’t want to have to stick to this order anymore, Tess,”
he said quietly. “You’ve been right about Cassie. She is
tense when she’s with Vicki, and her mother has only been
getting nastier. I want Cassie with me from now on.”
She could tell Jake felt guilty. She did, too. She said,
“Sergeant Fuller pulled me aside, and asked what happened
at the Jackalope. That’s where I just was. I think he’d like
me to press charges.”
“It’s up to you, Tess. Vicki was the ringleader, but her
two accomplices will likely take most of the heat. It’d be a
shame if you let them off. They hurt you, and they should
be punished. Aunt Olivia says their actions reflect poorly
on the entire community, and I have to agree.”
She sighed. “It was really ugly, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t ever remember feeling as powerless as I did
watching you go down, Tess. I’d do anything to protect you
from something like that happening again,” he said quietly.
Including hiding you feelings for me, so there’ s nothing
to stop me from taking that job at New Bolton, right?
The
thought snapped into Tess’s brain, and stuck there. She was
as certain of it as she’d ever been about anything.
He’ll just
keep pulling back, because he’s decided it’s better for me to
leave.“
What about Ron?”
“You heard Ron’s testimony. The time on the
breathalyzer print out was forty minutes after the 911 log
says the ambulance left the scene. The judge is likely to
strike down the results as irrelevant. Look, you must be
tired, and in pain, with that arm. I don’t want to keep you
out. Shall I take you home?”
“I am tired, but I’d like to spend a few minutes with
Alice and Lotts, and I’ll bet you could use some help,
unwinding.”
“I sure could,” he agreed. “I’d like the company, if you
want to head over to Green Forks.”
As he made a right, heading for the tavern, she asked,
“What will happen to Ron?”
“Judge Reilly wants an internal investigation. He
subpoena’d Ron’s cell phone records. Someone who’d had
a bit to drink breathed into that tube twenty minutes after
the ambulance left with you, and it wasn’t me. The Sarge
wants a confession from whoever it was, so Ron can’t just
say the timer wasn’t properly set, as he did in court. He
could lose his job for providing false evidence. Sergeant
Fuller oversees the police department, but he has an
advisory board for hiring and firing. The judge and district
attorney sit on it, and neither of them have much patience
for the stunt Ron pulled. Ron just better hope the Ag
Department doesn’t catch wind of his stupid tricks.”
“Are you going to file a complaint with them?”
“I want Ron off the police force, I can tell you that, but
I’m not too worried about his Ag job. Any rancher that has
a problem with him can file a grievance. Ron can’t do too
much harm with goats and sheep and pigs and cattle.”
They were at Green Forks, now. Jake opened Tess’s
door and helped her down, forcing a grin. “The lady vet in
Green Junction is the best we’ve ever had. Once Ron’s
fired, we should probably hire a lady cop, too.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Tess winked.
“I’ll let Sergeant Fuller know you think so.”