Keeper of the Stars (13 page)

Trevor remembered the snatches of one-sided phone conversations he'd overheard, sometimes in the van or a car as they followed a highway across one state or another, sometimes in a motel room or while waiting for a meal to be delivered in a restaurant. Whenever Brad had spoken to his dad or about his dad, there'd been a smile on his face and in his voice.

Lucky guy.

Trevor tossed the last of the hay off the back of the
vehicle, then let his gaze sweep over the black cows in the snowy fields and up the mountainsides to the blue sky above. Being here—in Kings Meadow, on this ranch—made Trevor feel a bit lucky himself. There was a . . .
rightness
about it. Hard to say why he felt that way, but there it was. It was almost like . . . like coming home. Which made no sense whatsoever. He might sing country music and like to ride horses, but he'd grown up in the city. He'd never lived on a ranch or been a John Denver–style country boy. And although he loved his mom, he'd never held great affection for the place where he'd grown up. Too many bad memories were attached to it.

After opening the gate again for Rodney to drive through, he got into the cab for the short trip back to the barn.

“I appreciate your help, Trevor. I want you to know that.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I like doing it?”

“Yes, I'd believe you. I've always enjoyed it myself. Too much not to believe you.”

Trevor heard the pleasure in the older man's voice. “Penny said all of the cows out there are going to have calves in two or three months. She said they all give birth every year. Is that right?”

“Yes. That's how a ranch like ours operates. We own a couple of bulls, and we also breed by artificial insemination.”

“So why aren't there any calves out there now? You know. The older ones that were born early this year.”

Rodney stopped the truck and turned off the engine. “The calves are sold after they're weaned. By the time they're
nine or ten months old, usually. By then their mothers are a few months away from giving birth again.”

Will I still be here when the births start to happen?
As the question drifted through his mind, he realized he hoped the answer would be yes.

Chapter 9

L
OCATED SOUTH OF TOWN
, B
ILL AND
D
ONNA
C
ARTER
'
S
large, two-story home overlooked the river. The great room stretched across the entire length of the house and had a wall of windows that afforded spectacular views of the rushing water below and the rugged mountains beyond. Penny had attended many social events in the Carter home over the years. Both Bill and Donna loved to entertain, and Tess, their only child, was a natural hostess. Had been from an early age.

“Come in. Come in.” Tess's smile was warm. “I'm so glad you came.” Behind her, the sound of many voices raised in conversations drifted into the entry hall.

Even though she knew otherwise, Penny said, “I hope I'm not late.”

“No. You aren't late. I expect a few more guests, actually. Here.” She held out a hand. “Let me take your coat.”

Penny obliged and Tess took the coat into the nearby den. When she returned, she hooked arms with Penny and escorted her down the hall to the great room. It was filled with people who stood in groups of twos and threes or more, talking, laughing. Most had beverages in hand. Some were nibbling on munchies of one kind or another. As Tess had promised, Penny knew everyone she saw. She'd grown up with the majority of them, although some had been several years ahead of her in school and some several years behind her.

The doorbell rang, and Tess released Penny's arm. “Get yourself something to drink.” She motioned toward the far side of the room. “I'll be right back.” Then she hurried away.

Before Penny could move, Skye and Grant Nichols greeted her. Married for two months, each glowed with newlywed love.

“What do you think?” Skye drew Penny a little deeper into the room. “Will we survive whatever Tess has in store for us tonight?”

Penny laughed softly. “I hope so.”

Grant said, “I was on my way to get something to drink for Skye and me. Can I get you anything, Penny?”

“No, thanks. I'm good for now.”

Grant walked away, his wife's gaze following him.

“You look so happy.” Penny had worried some about her friend's whirlwind courtship. The wedding had taken place less than four months after the couple met. But it appeared her worries had been for nothing.

“I am happy,” Skye answered. “Deliriously happy, as a matter of fact. I highly recommend the institution of marriage.”

Penny felt a slight twinge of envy. Surprising since she'd never felt an urgent need to find Mr. Right. Someday it would happen. Someday she would meet a man she would love. Someday. At the right time. In the right way. But now was not the right time. Her heart was too broken to make room for anyone to find a home there.

Movement in the entry hall drew Penny's gaze away from Skye. Surprise replaced envy when she saw Tess and Trevor enter the great room, Tess holding his arm the same way she'd held Penny's only minutes before.

“They make a striking couple, don't they?” Skye whispered. “It sure didn't take Tess long to rope in the new guy.”

A desire for the quiet of home swept over Penny, but it was too late now. She was here and here she would stay. Deep down, she even knew it was good for her to be among her friends, to do something just for fun. Still, the desire to leave was strong. She frowned.
And it has nothing to do with Tess's arm in Trevor's.

Grant returned at that moment with Skye's beverage, a welcome distraction. Penny quickly asked Skye a question about their Hawaiian honeymoon. Her friend was only too willing to answer, and the stories that followed took up enough time for the temptation to leave to subside.

Tess seemed in no hurry to tear herself away from Trevor's side or to begin the game portion of the evening. She introduced him to one group of friends after another, making a slow but steady turn around the room. Thanks to the Christmas bazaar, Sunday's church service, his part-time job, and the previous night's Bible study, Trevor had met many of them, and even those he hadn't met made him feel welcome.

The circle of introductions was complete when Tess and Trevor stopped before Penny Cartwright and her two friends. Not that Trevor hadn't been aware of her presence. He'd noticed her the instant he'd stepped into the room.

Tess said, “You know Penny, I think. And this is Skye and Grant Nichols.” She hugged Trevor's arm a little closer to her side. “Everybody, this is Trevor Reynolds.”

“We met last night.” Grant offered his hand.

With a nod, Trevor shook it, then said to Skye, “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Nichols.”

“Call me Skye.” She smiled for a moment, then a look of realization filled her eyes. “Wait. Trevor Reynolds? You're that Nashville singer. Brad was your drummer.”

He hadn't tried to hide that fact, but neither had he broadcast it to everyone he'd met in Kings Meadow. And his past had been surprisingly easy to keep to himself from all but a very few people. He'd enjoyed the anonymity more than he'd expected. He'd liked not having to be “on” all the time. Strange, wasn't it? He'd chased fame for such a long
time without ever achieving it, at least not at the level he'd dreamed of. And now here he was, sorry when someone actually recognized his name.

“Yes,” he answered at last. “That would be me.”

Then his gaze shifted to Penny. Although she made a valiant effort not to show it, the mention of Brad and Trevor's band had unsettled her. Or at least he was convinced that was the reason for the tension in her shoulders and the thinning of her lips.

How do we get past this?

Skye intruded on his thoughts. “We would love to hear you sing sometime.”

Penny looked brittle enough to break in two.

“Maybe sometime,” he answered, his gaze remaining on Penny.

Grant said something before drawing his wife away.

Lowering his voice, Trevor asked Penny, “Would you like me to leave? I don't have to be here.”

“Why would she want—” Tess began, then abruptly fell silent.

Penny shook her head. “No. You needn't leave. You're Tess's guest.” Her shoulders shuddered slightly as she let out a breath. “And it isn't your fault that I react this way when someone mentions my brother. I . . . I know that.”

In that moment, Trevor felt as if he and Penny had taken a giant step forward. Not that she'd forgiven him. Not that she wanted to be friends with him. But they seemed to have made some progress since the last time they were together.
At least she wasn't fleeing his presence or wishing he would leave instead.

Still, he wasn't going to press his luck. It was time he stopped invading her space. He glanced at Tess. “I think I'd like that Coke now.”

“Of course. The drinks are over here.” She smiled, although not as brightly as before, then drew him toward the far wall. After a few steps, she softly said, “That was awkward.”

“Sorry.”

“Is it only because you remind her of Brad?”

“Mostly.” It was a half-truth, but he didn't feel compelled to say Penny held him responsible for what happened to her brother. Tess didn't need to know that. It seemed a private matter.

They stopped at the fancy bar. Tess went to the opposite side and, ignoring the small refrigerator, opened the wheeled cooler that was on the floor. “Regular or diet?”

“Regular. Thanks.”

She wiped moisture from the bottle with a small towel, then handed him the beverage. “So it was
your
band. I should have recognized your name, I guess, but I don't remember hearing it before last weekend.” As the last words left her mouth, her face turned red.

Trevor surprised them both by laughing. “You're not alone, Tess, if that makes you feel any better. There are more people who have never heard of me than I care to admit.”

“So what on earth made you come here? Are you giving up your career?”

“No. Not giving it up. Just taking a break.” His gaze swept the room in search of Penny. “I needed some time off after the accident.” He saw her, standing near the fireplace.

Tess touched the back of his hand, drawing his eyes back to her. “Were you badly injured in the crash?”

This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. Not here and now, and not with Tess. He settled for giving a slow shake of his head.

“I guess you came to Kings Meadow to lick your wounds,” she said softly. “Just like me after my divorce.”

He knew his smile was tight. “I suppose you're right.”

She offered a fleeting smile of her own before stepping out from behind the bar and moving toward the wall of windows. Once there, she raised her hands and her voice. “All right, everybody. It's time we got started. Please make your way to one of the tables set up around the room. Once everyone is seated, I'll reveal the game to be played at each table.”

Trevor's mother loved to play board games. She always had. Growing up, he'd been exposed to the latest craze and to classic games and to most everything in between. Chances were good, whatever table he chose, he would have an edge over the other players.

He went to the first table that had an available chair. There were six participants in all. Trevor even remembered the names of the two guys who, in the manner of lifelong friends, joked and laughed to fill the time until their hostess arrived with their board game—Monopoly.

Thanks, Mom. I've got this
.

Only it wasn't going to be quite that simple. The rules for this party included a kind of musical chairs. When an alarm went off after an unspecified amount of time, scores would be tallied and participants would then have to move to a different table and a different game, men moving clockwise, women moving counterclockwise. Trevor had a feeling that chaos was about to ensue.