Love Finds You in Groom, Texas (32 page)

She gave him a hug then headed to the kitchen. Jake decided to go for a walk. If he happened by Frances, he might give it a try. Maybe. If his brothers were far, far away, of course.

Seconds later, he strolled out onto the porch. Looking to the right and then the left, he assessed the field. Empty—nothing but wide-open plains. Well, he might as well take a venture out to the pasture. Frances was ready to foal anytime now, after all.

Jake mumbled to himself all the way across the field. He opened the gate to the pasture and was careful to watch his step. Off in the distance, Frances whinnied. She lifted her head and shook it in that playful way of hers, and the weight on his shoulders dropped immediately. Leave it to Frances to make him feel better.

“Happy to see me, girl?” He reached out to run his hand along her neck and then gave her a couple of pats. Afterward, he gave her midsection a feel. “It’ll be soon, girl. Not long at all.”

She whinnied, as if grateful.

For a couple of minutes Jake stood in silence, just thinking about everything that had happened over the last few days. His entire world had been flipped upside down. Everything he ever thought he knew about falling in love was wrong. And he had to do something about it or die trying.

From the sensation taking hold of his head, he wondered if perhaps dying might not be easier. Getting these words out might just do him in.

He drew in a deep breath and released it before giving Frances a pat on the neck. “Well, girl, Mama says I need to practice my speech on you. How do you feel about that?”

The horse tilted her head, as if she understood every word.

“It’s an odd approach, to be sure. But we both know I have an easier time talking to you than anyone. Can’t deny that. So let’s do it this way. I’ll talk out loud as if I’m talking to Anne and you just listen, okay? At the end, you can tell me how I did. One stomp of the foot means I did fine. A whinny means I should try again with something else. Got it?”

Frances nuzzled up against him.

“I know.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I’ve rendered you speechless. Glad to see I’m not the only one short on words.” He swallowed hard, unsure of how to begin. How did a fella go about telling a girl that she consumed his thoughts night and day? That he couldn’t seem to think straight when she came around? That he found himself overwhelmed with feelings and emotions he’d never before known?

“Better to just get right to it,” he mumbled at last. Jake squared his shoulders, ready to begin. “See, Anne, it’s like this. You’ve dropped into my life like a pebble in that old pond out in the pasture—kind of unexpected-like.”

Frances let out a whinny.

“No good, huh?” Jake began to pace, thoughts flying through his head. “Well, what about this…?” He cleared his throat. “Anne, it’s a mighty fine day for a walk. The skies are clear and sunny, and you seem to be the sturdy sort. What say we talk a walk through the pasture…for the rest of our lives?”

Frances let out another whinny and he gave her a curious look.

“Either I stink at romancing women or you’re just being temperamental. It’s hard for me to tell.”

She went back to eating, and he struggled to know what to say next.

He decided to give it another try. Squaring his shoulders, he went for it. “I’m not real good with words, Anne. But there’s something I’ve been needin’ to tell ya. Call me a coward, but I just can’t seem to say it out loud, though my heart says it every time you walk into the room. I suspected it that first night we talked under the stars, but I knew for sure as we looked out over the canyon together.

“I’m crazy about you. There it is. Head-over-heels crazy. And I should tell you. A normal, sane man would tell a girl what he’s feeling. But whenever I see you, all the words go flying right out of my head like a star shooting through the heavens and landing who knows where. It’s like I completely lose control of my ability to reason correctly when you’re around, which frightens me a little but intrigues me even more.”

He paused and chuckled. “But who can blame me for losing words when you’re around? You’re about the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. Those beautiful brown eyes, that shiny hair… No fella even in his right mind could think straight—or talk straight—when you’re around. Don’t you see my problem?”

“I believe I do.”

A familiar voice rang out from behind him. He turned to find Anne standing there.

For a moment he couldn’t say anything. Finally Jake managed a weak, “H–how long have you been listening?” Heat rose to his face and he felt like running, but he forced himself to keep his feet firmly planted instead. There was no point in playing the coward now.

A lovely smile turned up the edges of her lips. “Long enough to hear you say that I’m pretty.”

His gaze shifted to the ground and then back up again. “Well, you are.”

Her brow wrinkled. “Do you mind if I ask why you’re telling the horse I’m pretty…but not telling me?”

“You must’ve missed that part.” He took a couple of steps in her direction. “Anne, I’m an idiot.”
No, don’t say that. That wasn’t part of your speech.
“Let me take that back. I’m…” He tried to rethink the speech in his head. “There’s so much I want to say, but nothing seems to come out right. I want to tell you….”

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Yes, Jake?”

He took another step in her direction.

“I need to tell you…”

“Hmm?” She eased a bit closer to him until he could feel her breath on his cheek.

“Anne, if I don’t tell you this, my heart’s going to explode.” Jake reached out and slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. For a moment he thought about diving back into his speech. Then, realizing the words were gone once again, he did the only thing that made sense.

He kissed her.

Yep. He kissed her. Soundly. On the lips. In the pasture. With his horse standing next to him and several of his nieces and nephews whooping and hollering in the distance. He kissed her until he felt sure she understood every word coming from his heart.

Apparently he had a lot to say.

When the kiss finally ended, Anne looked up at him with a shy smile. “Y–you were saying…?” She giggled.

“I think I said it loud and clear. But just in case you missed it…” He kissed her again.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I must confess, while menfolk in the Panhandle know how to rope cattle, build houses, and raise barns, they’re a little weak in the knees when it comes to their women. Sure, they try to act tough, but on the inside they’re quivering like their mama’s tapioca pudding. And when it comes time to state the obvious, they tend to get a little tongue-tied. If you’re wantin’ to get a gal to say “I do,” you might start by “I don’t” to a few things—like spittin’, chewin’, and chawin’. And for heaven’s sake, comb your hair and wear your best shirt. There’s nothing that’ll turn a girl away faster than an old shirt. More than anything, though, let the words of your heart shine through. If you state them plain and clear, she might even tolerate your worn-out shirt. And if she doesn’t? Well, then, she’s just not the girl for you.—
“Tex” Morgan, reporting for the
Panhandle Primer

Anne awoke on Monday morning with her thoughts in a whirl. Oh, what a glorious few days she’d experienced. She rolled over in the bed, remembering every detail of Jake’s kiss. In that moment she’d known the truth—he didn’t just care about her, he loved her.

And she loved him too. She loved the way he smiled when she walked into a room. She loved the way he treated people with such kindness. And she loved the way he’d swept her family into the fold as if they’d always belonged there.

Thinking about belonging to the O’Farrell family caused Anne’s emotions to suddenly spiral downward. How could she possibly leave Groom now?

Those emotions gave way to fear. If she had to leave Jake and head for Dallas, would they ever see each other again? Surely Uncle Bertrand would permit it…wouldn’t he? The joy she’d felt only moments before was traded for confusion and then sorrow. For, while she wanted to do the right thing by her family, she suddenly felt as great a desire to stay and pursue her new relationship with Jake.

Lord, You said You would give me the desires of my heart. Father, I’ve struggled so much. And I’ve lost so much. Most of my desires have been swept aside while I’ve tried to meet the needs of my sisters. O God, I don’t want to sound selfish, but I love him. I love him, and I want to be here…in Groom. This is where I belong.

Her prayer eventually gave way to tears, and though she tried to summon up the faith to believe that everything would work out for the best, she could not. How many times over the past few years had she hoped for the best, only to be disappointed? Would this be another of those instances? Just another link in the long chain of events leading her from Denver to Dallas?

The tears flowed in earnest now. So many things worked their way to the surface—her mother’s death. Her father’s struggles. His death. The joy she’d felt during the ceremony yesterday. The peace she felt wrapped in Jake’s arms. The contentment that cocooned her every time she walked onto O’Farrell’s Honor.

All these feelings spilled out at once, making for a lengthy cry. At one point someone rapped on the bedroom door. She wanted to respond but could not. Whoever it was eventually gave up.

A short time later, she got control of her emotions and rose to see how much damage she’d done to her appearance. One glance in the mirror spoke more than a thousand words. She dabbed at her face with a wet cloth and took several deep breaths. Just as she regained some of her composure, another rap sounded at the door. She eased it open a few inches and was surprised to find Emily outside.

“Annie, everyone is worried because you’re not at breakfast.”

Anne dabbed at her eyes. “Tell them not to worry, honey.”

Emily gazed up at her with more tenderness than Anne knew the ten-year-old was capable of. “You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?”

Anne nodded, and the tears started again. “I’m going to miss all of this. The ranch. The people. Jake. All of it.”

“I know just how you feel. And I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you need to get dressed and come out. Uncle Bertrand is here, and he wants to talk to us.”

Anne nodded and sighed. So, the moment had come at last. He would give them their last-minute instructions, no doubt. Then luggage would be loaded into his Cadillac and off they would go to Dallas.

As she dressed, Anne did her best to remain hopeful. Surely she and Jake could work this out. They would come up with a plan. And for pity’s sake, it wasn’t like she was moving to the other side of the country. Dallas was just a hundred miles away. Why, by tonight she’d be sleeping in a bed at Uncle Bertrand’s house.

Though still feeling shaky, Anne knew better than to keep her uncle waiting. As soon as she’d made herself presentable, she went into the parlor. She found him seated on the sofa next to Maggie.

He took one look at her and asked if she felt ill.

“No, sir. I’m just…” She shrugged. “Not quite myself today.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But then, you’ve had a busy weekend. No doubt you’ve worn yourself out.”

“I have.” She nodded. “It’s been very eventful.”

Uncle Bertrand glanced at his pocket watch. “I’m sorry that I can’t stay to chat, but I must leave for a while. I have a meeting in town. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that something has come up and I’ll be detained.”

“Detained?” Anne wasn’t sure what he meant.

He rose and reached for his hat. “I won’t be able to leave Groom for at least another twenty-four hours. I do hope that doesn’t interfere with any of your plans.”

“Another twenty-four hours?” Emily let out a whoop, which was followed by a squeal from Kate. “Is it really true?”

“Yes, well, I’ve got some business to attend to.”

“In Groom?” Anne couldn’t make sense of his words but didn’t argue with him. After all, he’d just offered her a twenty-four-hour reprieve.

Uncle Bertrand nodded. “Nothing to be alarmed about. Rest easy.” He reached over and patted her hand. Then, after going to the kitchen to speak to Maggie, he disappeared through the front door.

“Oh, Anne!” Emily rushed her way and threw wide her arms for an embrace. “It’s just too good to be true, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Anne found herself speechless.

“I wish this next day would stretch out forever,” Kate said. “I’m going to miss my new friends.”

“And this ranch,” Emily said. “It’s been great fodder for my story.”

“And Maggie.” Kate’s eyes filled with tears. “I think I’m going to miss her most of all.”

Anne felt the sting of tears once more. “Well, let’s not focus on the negative today, all right? We’ve got a full day to do as we please. What will you do with it?”

“I was going to dig up my dolls and ask them a host of questions,” Emily said. “But now I’m not in the mood. I think I’ll play with the other children. Willy’s going to teach me how to shoot a gun.”

“W–what?” Anne could hardly catch her breath.

“Oh, don’t worry. Not a real gun. It’s just a piece of wood.” Emily giggled. “What are you going to do with this day, Anne?”