Sea Of Grass (17 page)

“God, I need you so badly,” she growled and kissed her neck.

Claire gasped as she threw her head back and buried her fingers in her blond hair. “Tess, so do I,” she cried out softly. Realizing what she was doing, Claire then pushed Tess back. “We can’t do this in a barn.
 
This is a little much. We have to be careful. Jack.”

Tess nodded quickly. “I know, I understand. We take this slow. I’m sorry, that was a selfish thing to do.”

 
Claire laughed and tried to regain her composure. “It was not. It was extremely erotic, and my legs are shaking right now. Don’t apologize, please.”

Tess nodded and laughed nervously. “Does this mean Jack can have the stallion?”

Claire laughed along. “Yes, Miss Rawlins. Once again, you get your way.”

Jack nearly swallowed his tongue when Tess handed the reins to him. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope. A good ranch hand needs a good dependable horse. I think this stallion will suit you. He’s even-tempered and has already been broken in. Just take care of him.”

“I will. Thanks, Tess.” Jack looked at Claire. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. Just be careful, please.”

Jack swung up in the saddle, grinning like a kid as he petted the horse’s neck. “Hey, I need a name for him. How about Zeus?”

“That’s a great name, Jack.” Tess slapped at the horse’s flank. “Have a good ride, get acquainted with him. Why don’t you go out to the south pasture and show him off to the boys?”

“Okay. Thanks again, Tess.” Jack beamed with pride as he rode out of the corral.

Tess watched him as he rode out of sight. She glanced at Claire, who had tears in her eyes. She put her arm around Claire’s shoulders. “He’s a good young man. He’ll be fine.”

Claire sniffed and looked up into Tess’s eyes. “You’re a good woman. Thank you.”

“I have an ulterior motive.”

In a very natural move, Claire put her arm around Tess’s waist as they walked back to the house. “And what is that?”

“Best way to the mother’s heart is through the son.”

Claire laughed as she mounted the back porch steps. “You think you’re so smart.” She turned back to Tess, who was standing on the first step. Claire pulled the old black hat off her head and ran her fingers through Tess’s blond hair. “That’s not the best way…”

 
“It’s not?” Tess asked playfully as Claire tossed her hat back to her. She watched as Claire opened the screen door. “What is the best way to your heart?”

Claire laughed. “You’re a college graduate, Professor Rawlins. You’ll have to figure it out.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” Tess said as she followed Claire into the kitchen.

Tess was contemplating Claire’s words as she shoveled the hay into the stall. “So what’s the way to your heart, Claire?” She laughed. “I will find out. This could be fun.”

It occurred to Tess she hadn’t felt this alive in years. Though her passion was teaching, she loved being outdoors on the ranch. Wiping her brow, she stopped shoveling the stall and looked out the window at the landscape. It was amazing to her that she hadn’t thought of Mel at all. It was the end of May; Tess knew Mel was in Hawaii. The thought was once extremely appealing to Tess—long warm days on the beach, romantic nights under a palm tree, sipping an exotic drink—just not with Mel. Tess suddenly had a vision of Claire Redmond clad only in a skimpy Hawaiian dress with a flower nicely tucked behind her ear. Tess closed her eyes and leaned on the pitchfork. Claire Redmond in a sexy dress, her long brown hair blowing in the summer wind, her blue eyes sparkling, her—

She fell forward, and her eyes flew open when she heard her father laughing as he kicked the pitchfork from underneath her. She stumbled into the stall door. “Damn it, Dad.”

“What the hell were you thinking about? I called you twice,” he asked, still laughing.

“None of your business,” Tess said angrily and picked up the pitchfork. “You nearly gave me a heart attack and ruined a great daydream.”

“
Ahh
, dreaming about Claire?” He sat on a bale of hay. “Well?”

Tess leaned against the stall. “I guess, yeah.”

“Do you know now if she feels the same?”

Tess heard the compassionate tone mixed with concern. “I think so. It’s just that it’s been so long for her. Because she has Jack and I think she’s been trying to protect him.”

“It has to be hard with a child and to do it all alone. Your mother and I were very lucky to find a love that lasted. You never know what can happen. You two need some time alone to find out.” He grinned and grabbed Tess by the hand.

“Dad, what are you doing? You’re scaring me.”

Tess followed him outside and around the back of the stable. “There,” he said.

Tess looked at the dilapidated buckboard wagon. “There what?”

“It just needs a little fixing up.” He walked over and shook the wagon, as if testing its sturdiness.

“Fixing up for what?” Tess watched him with a wary eye. “Dad?”

“This is what I took to pick up your mother when I proposed to her.”

“So?”

Jed rolled his eyes. “You have no romance in your soul. You’re a Rawlins, and we have romance.”

“Okay, I still don’t...” Tess scratched her head. “You want me to propose to Claire? Geez, Dad, we just kissed…”

“You kissed her?”

Tess blushed at hearing the incredulous tone. “Yes, and it doesn’t mean marriage—”

“Not yet.”

Tess took a deep breath and shook her head. “Okay, let’s get back to your original idea, which scares me.”

Jed laughed. “Fix up this wagon and take Claire for a ride. Have some time alone. Pack a picnic lunch.”

Tess thought about it and smiled.

Chapter 10

The day before the big barbecue, Claire was busy in the kitchen when she heard a noise outside. She looked out to see Tess in a wagon, driving it up the dusty trail to the house. What is she doing? Claire asked herself as Tess led the team of two horses. She hopped down and walked up the back porch.

“Claire?” Tess called out and smiled when she saw her in the kitchen. “You look wonderful.”

Claire looked down at herself. “Thanks, but blue jeans and a white shirt wonderful? What are you doing with that wagon?”

Tess paid no attention as she opened the refrigerator and smiled. “A-ha!” she said triumphantly.

Claire watched as Tess took out the fried chicken and potato salad.

“Hey! That’s for the barbecue tomorrow,” she protested.

Tess put up her hand. “A few pieces won’t be missed. Good Lord, you’ve been at that stove for two days straight. You have everything ready and you’ve planned everything down to the last fork. Now enough work. No arguing,” she said firmly and gathered the little feast, included a few bottles of beer, and placed them in the picnic basket. “Ah, I nearly forgot,” she said and walked out of the kitchen.

Claire stood there, her hands on her hips as she waited.

“Jack? Dad? I’m taking the buckboard. Claire and I are going for a ride. We will not be back until suppertime. I suggest you go into town for dinner.” She heard Tess’s voice call out and her heart beat wildly in her chest.

Tess came back with two blankets and a smile. “Let’s go.” She grabbed the picnic basket and Claire, pulling her out the door.

“Where are we going, may I ask?”

Tess climbed up next to her; Claire heard the painful groan and hid her grin. Tess held on to the reins and roughly slapped them against the horses. She sported a wicked grin.

“Nope,” Tess said simply and guided the horses around the corral and down the dusty trail.

“It’s beautiful, Tess.” Claire sighed as they drove the small trail through the grassland. The cattle dotted the landscape as they
lazily grazed. “I can see why your family fought so hard to keep it.”

Tess looked around as she held the reins in her hands. “Since the 1880s when my great-grandfather Ned Rawlins gambled with his small fortune in Missoula. He won big and bought this.”

Up on the sloping ridge, a lone huge oak tree stood out. “We use it as a marker. It separates the north and south pastures. It gets dark as pitch at night.” She stopped the team at the bottom of the slope. “We’ll walk from here.”

Tess spread out the large blanket on the grass and under the lone oak tree. It was a beautiful late May afternoon. A few scattered clouds drifted through the blue sky. The sun was warm and the sweet smell of honeysuckle filled the air.

Claire looked around in all directions. Off in the west stood the Bitterroot Mountain range, part of the Rockies. The snow-capped tops majestically reached for the heavens. The grassland below contrasted the rugged mountains wonderfully. “My Lord, Tess. This is heaven,” Claire said in awe as she shielded her eyes from the noon sun.

Off in the distance, at the foot of the mountains stood a huge log house. Behind it, a small river snaked between the house and the grove of trees that seemed to line the foot of the mountains. “Whose house is that?” She knew Tess need not look to know.

“The original Rawlins house. Nobody lives there now. Five children were born in that house. Ned Rawlins built it almost by himself. That’s where the first herd of Double R started. When we were kids, we’d have to avoid many a cow pie, believe me, when we played around that yard.” Tess laughed and opened the picnic basket. “I’ll take you down there later. Now get over here. I’m starving.”

“What else is new?” Claire sat next to her on the blanket.

“I think I’m falling for you, for one,” Tess replied, not looking at her as she ate her chicken. “This is good.”

Claire was dumbfounded as she took a chicken leg. Tess looked up and grinned as she opened a bottle of beer and handed it to Claire, who took a long drink.

“Why doesn’t anyone live in the house?” Claire asked, avoiding her declaration. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she tried to eat the chicken.

Tess shrugged and took a mouthful of potato salad. “Everybody’s either gone or moved away. Dad built our home when my mother was pregnant, so we’d have a place of our own. Now I think my father would like to move back. He and Steve took care of it all these years.” She laid back and put her hands behind her head. “God, what a glorious day.”

Claire looked around and had to agree. The warm breeze blew gently and Claire closed her eyes and lifted her head toward the sun. “Mmm. I agree.” She glanced at Tess, who was staring up at the sky. “This is quite romantic, Miss Rawlins.”

Tess grinned but did not look at her. “Just trying to figure out a way to your heart, Claire.”

Claire lay on her side next to Tess. “You’re getting closer.”

Tess closed her eyes and smiled. “I don’t give up easily.”

“Thank God for that.”

Tess turned her head. “I thank God for many things lately.”

“Like what?” Claire reached over and traced the outline of Tess’s jaw with her fingertips.

“Like my good fortune to come back home. And while I miss Maria, her leaving brought you and Jack into my life.”

“What about Melanie?”

 
“Since it’s been over a month and she has not contacted me nor I her, I think we both realize what our relationship was, or more accurately was not.”