Love Song (7 page)

“Which one?” Andi sat up straight, stretching to see out his window. There were three calves of varying shades of brown on that side of the truck.

“The one that’s making such a racket.” He nudged his hat up off his forehead. “Scoot over this way.” When she slid across the seat, he put his arm around her and pulled her up next to him. “I never realized looking at livestock could be this much fun,” he murmured.

“Me, either. Maybe I should have dated more country boys.” She gave him a teasing grin. A pathetic, high pitched bawling near the truck drew her attention. Andi leaned toward the window, resting one arm against Wade’s chest and the other on the steering wheel, and looked out at brown calf number four. “Oh, the poor baby. He looks so unhappy.”

“He’s hungry. His mama probably left him with a baby-sitter, and he got to playing with some of his friends and went off with them when their mamas came back.”

“A baby-sitter?” She glanced at him, unsure of whether or not he was teasing.

“They take turns. It’s not uncommon to see five or six calves playing around one lone cow while the others are off grazing or getting a drink. Seems like they basically take the duty a day at a time. That’s his mother over there.” He pointed to a cow trotting through a maze of mesquite trees.

“How do you know that’s his mother? A lot of them look the same to me.”

“When you’re around them all the time, you notice details that distinguish each one from the others. See that small pear shaped white spot on her shoulder?” At her nod, he continued, “I was here right after she gave birth to the light brown calf with the white patch on his forehead.”

They watched the happy reunion between hungry baby and worried mother. As Andi settled back against the cushion, Wade moved his arm, resting it across the top of the seat. She sensed that he didn’t want her to move to the other side of the truck, but that he wouldn’t say anything if she did. She stayed where she was.

She pointed to another calf with coloring almost identical to the one that had been separated from its mother. “You knew that calf wasn’t hers because it’s bigger and its coat is a little bit darker brown?”

“The lady learns fast. That calf was born two weeks earlier. His mama is the big one over there with one twisted horn.” He pointed to a cow a short distance in front of them. “She’s older than we are.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Uncle Ray says she’s thirty years old. She had her first calf about the time we were born and has had one a year ever since. This one has more than earned her keep and a lazy retirement.” A loud bellow sounded nearby on the right, and Andi jumped. Wade slid his arm down from the seat, resting it across her shoulders. “That’s the big guy making his grand entrance.”

Andi watched a gigantic, reddish-brown bull strut into view. “He’s beautiful.”

“Handsome brute, that’s a fact. Uncle Ray used to raise purebred Herefords, but he bought a couple of Beefmaster bulls several years back as an experiment. They improved the quality of the herd, so he switched mainly to Beefmaster bulls and Hereford cows. We breed the heifers who haven’t had a calf with Longhorns. The calf is smaller and makes it easier on first-time mothers.”

“Will we see a Longhorn?”

“Not in this pasture. We have to keep them well separated from the other bulls, or they tear them up. In fact, we’ve had to shorten the horns on a couple of them. Hated to do it. Cutting off their horns takes away their pride, but it keeps them out of fights. We’ll go see if we can find one.”

He lifted his arm over her head, putting his hand back on the steering wheel. “Feel free to stay where you are,” he said with a warm, roguish smile.

Andi laughed softly as he drove past the tank, feeling free for the first time in years. Sitting close to him was like coming home, and at that moment, she didn’t ever want to leave again.

Andi and Wade sat on the grassy bank beside one of the three creeks that cut across the ranch, basking in the sunshine, enjoying the peace and quiet. A hawk soared high overhead in lazy circles. A dragonfly flew past, and on the opposite bank, a woodpecker hammered away, looking for lunch in the side of a mesquite tree.

Their trip to see the Longhorn had been a success. Andi was duly impressed with the six feet span of horns, but the thought of Wade working with the potentially dangerous animal frightened her. He had driven past the fifteen acre garden which supplied vegetables for his family as well as those who worked on the ranch. She knew from experience that a garden could take up a lot of space if watermelons and cantaloupes were planted in it, but it was still the largest garden plot she had ever seen, short of a commercial one.

She leaned back on her elbows, watching the hawk. “I’ve heard you should never ask a rancher how big his spread is or how many cows he has because that’s like asking him how much money he makes.”

“True.” Wade glanced at her and grinned. “But you still want to know, don’t you?”

“I’m not interested in how much money you make, but I am curious about how big this place is. It seems like we drove twenty miles today.”

He laughed. “You have to remember we back-tracked a lot. We have close to twenty-five thousand acres, which equals thirty-nine sections or thirty-nine square miles.”

She whistled softly. “Not too shabby.”

“There are bigger ranches around, but we’re doing all right. Aunt Della’s grandfather started the ranch. Each generation has added to it.” He glanced up at the position of the sun. “We’d better head back. It will start cooling off soon, and we have quite a little hike to the pickup.”

They walked along the dry portion of the sandy, occasionally rocky, creek bed in silence, listening to the bubbling music of the shallow stream that flowed beside them. Tall, bright green grass grew along the banks near the water, with mesquites and weeping willows for a backdrop. Andi didn’t think she had ever been in such a tranquil place. Nature’s hushed sounds seeped into her soul, giving her a momentary sense of peace.

They were halfway back to the pickup when weariness began to settle over her. She didn’t say anything and fought the fatigue, hoping that complete exhaustion wouldn’t hit her. For most of the afternoon, she had forgotten about being in the recovery stages of a serious illness. She had felt almost normal, relaxed and happier than she had been in ages. She silently railed against her unwanted limitations.

When they reached a narrow point where they could jump across the stream, she decided to take off her shoes in case she couldn’t make it. She tossed them over the water to the other side.

He stopped with a frown. “You aren’t thinking about wading across, are you?”

“No, but I’m not sure I can jump that far. It looks wider than when we crossed earlier.”

Wade raised one eyebrow. “It’s not.” He slid his arm around her back, supporting her weight, and frowned again. “Andi, why didn’t you tell me you were getting tired? You’re trembling.”

Before she realized his intention, he had swung her up in his arms. “Wade, you don’t have to carry me. I just need to rest a minute. I’ll be okay.”

“Quiet woman,” he said sternly, then softened his command with a smile. “Relax and enjoy it. I’m going to.”

Andi laughed and put her arms around his neck. “If you want to act macho, I won’t stop you. You do it so well.”

He winked. “And don’t you forget it.” Clearing the water with one long step, he stopped so she could retrieve her shoes. Then he picked her up again and quickly covered the remaining distance with his easy stride.

Andi felt a twinge of regret when they reached the pickup, and he gently set her feet on the ground. “Thanks. I hate to admit it, but I’m worn out.”

“You should have said something.” He opened the pickup door, put his hands to her waist, and lifted her up on the seat.

“You’re right, but it irritates the life out of me to give in to it.”

“I do believe you’re as stubborn as you are pretty.”

How was she supposed to respond to that one? She decided not to even try. Instead, she slumped down, resting her head on the back of the seat. “Home, James.”

He touched the brim of his hat. “Yes, ma’am.”

When they arrived at his house, he pointed toward the sofa. “You can nap there as long as you like, unless you want me to take you on home.”

She was practically falling asleep standing up, but she didn’t want to leave. “I might perk up if I rest awhile.” She paused by the back door, slipped off her sandy shoes, and went straight to the sofa. He stopped, too, using a cast iron bootjack to remove his boots, then brought her a heavy afghan, pillow, and a cold glass of water.

After taking a long drink, she lay down on the sofa. Wade was at her side in an instant, pulling the afghan up over her, tucking it around her shoulders and under her chin. “You’ll make a good daddy,” she murmured.

A strange, deep sadness filled his eyes. “I hope I get the chance someday.” He brushed her cheek with his knuckle. “Have a good rest, songbird.”

For the next two hours, Wade relaxed in his recliner and watched her sleep, memorizing the contours of her face, the subtle changes of expression as she dreamed. Spending the afternoon with her had been a mistake in some ways. His love had grown with every passing hour, with each sunlit smile and golden laugh. In those brief moments when she revealed her sadness or showed weakness, the tenderness and protectiveness he felt had almost overwhelmed him. The more he was with her, the harder it would be when she left, yet he would greedily claim every second they could be together, storing up treasures to last a lifetime.

“I want what I can’t have, Lord,” he whispered. “Help me not to cross the line.” As darkness fell, the room grew chilled. He built a fire in the wood stove and turned on a lamp. A short time later Andi began to stir, so he went into the kitchen and heated up some soup and made sandwiches.

When he carried the food in on a tray and set it on the coffee table, she sat up and ran her hand through her disheveled hair. Still groggy, she stared at him and blinked her big brown eyes like a sleepy owl. It was all he could do to keep from taking her in his arms. “Hi, sleepyhead. Want some supper?”

“Umph.” She scratched her head and wrinkled up her face, then yawned and stretched. “Guess so. What is it?”

He chuckled. “Didn’t know you were so picky. Ham and cheese sandwiches, and vegetable beef soup. The canned kind. Nothing I can mess up.”

“Sounds good.” She looked out the window at the darkness. “How long did I sleep?”

“Couple of hours.” He sat down beside her.

“That’s me. Life of the party,” she said with a grimace.

“I didn’t mind. I rested awhile and got some stuff done.” He hoped she didn’t ask what. He wasn’t sure she would consider watching her as “doing stuff,” or if she would be comfortable with it.

“Shall we ask the blessing?” When he held out his hand, she took it and bowed her head. He thanked the Lord for the food and the day they had spent together. After the prayer, he picked up half of a sandwich. “Do you want to watch Country Music Scene and see what’s going on with your cohorts?”

“Sure. They have some good reports.” She began eating her soup as he turned on the television and switched the channel.

The first report, about the making of a new music video by a leading male vocalist, was followed by an interview with a singer who had a secondary role in a Western movie. Another new star had sold a million copies of his first album, and his record company surprised him with a new motorcycle.

“The other day a record company gave a guy a new boat. Do they do things like that for everybody?” Wade asked when the program broke for a commercial.

“There is a lot of competition between labels, so they try to keep their performers happy, at least the ones who are doing well. They threw a big party when my second album went platinum and furnished my bedroom and the bathroom on my new bus, right down to gold plated fixtures for the sink and shower.” She laughed when Wade choked on a spoonful of soup, then pounded him on the back. “Well, I’m not into motorcycles or boats, so they had to come up with something.”

The program returned, and an incredibly beautiful picture of Andi flashed on the screen. Wade caught his breath. It was a publicity shot, elegant in its simplicity. Her dark hair was parted in the center and curved gracefully along her jaw line. She wore a black sweater with a loose cowl collar which exposed the base of her neck and throat. Her faint smile teased the viewer with a hint of her dimples, but her large eyes were dark and mysterious.

“Although singer Andi Carson is recuperating from her bout with pneumonia and anemia in an undisclosed location,” said the pretty blonde broadcaster, “her agent, Kyle Wilson, head of KW Entertainment, told us get well wishes and gifts have been pouring in since she collapsed during a performance in Tucson, Arizona.”

The scene changed to an office reception area overflowing with boxes of letters and gifts. A reporter held out the microphone to a man in his early to mid-thirties who looked like a soap opera heart throb. Wade knew it was wrong, but he detested Kyle on sight, and only partly because the man worked Andi too hard.

“The outpouring of love from Andi’s fans has been overwhelming,” said Kyle. “I talked to her yesterday, and she’s feeling stronger day by day. We’ve sent some mail to her already and will be sending all of these letters and gifts out tonight. I know they will boost her spirits and hasten her recovery.”

“Do you have any idea when Andi will return to work?” asked the reporter.

“As soon as her doctor gives his approval. We’re hoping to have that in a couple of weeks, but of course, we don’t want her to go back to work until she’s completely well. When he gives us the go-ahead, we’ll firm up the new dates for the shows we had to cancel. Andi doesn’t want to disappoint any of her fans. That’s why she tried to do the show in Tucson even though she was very ill. She loves them as much as they love her.”

The scene switched back to the broadcaster. “We would also like to extend our wishes for a quick recovery to Andi. She’s a lady who gives her all to her music and her fans and is destined to go to great heights in the country music industry. We look forward to having you back, Andi.”