Sea Of Grass (36 page)

Ethan Drummond leaned against his convertible. Tess saw him and hesitated for a moment before walking over with Jed.

“Drummond, I’m indebted to you, son.” Jed held out his hand.

Ethan took the offering, then looked at Tess.

“I’m sorry, Ethan. Thank you. I mean that sincerely.” She pulled him into a strong embrace.

“I miss Stephen, Tess, and I’m glad it’s over,” he whispered in her ear and hugged her once more.

Tess pulled back and nodded. She then turned and grinned happily at the three riders. She gave Claire a disturbed look. “What are you doing up there?”

“Don’t be so smug. I’m in pain. I think I may have broken something of great value,” Claire complained.

Tess laughed and easily swung up behind her. With a whistle, Stella came trotting over to them.

Claire glared at the cocky grin. “Okay, okay. I don’t have a way with animals. I told you.”

Tess reached around her and grabbed the reins. “But you do have a way with me, Claire Redmond. And that’s all that matters,” she whispered in her ear. Claire shivered as she held onto the pommel. “Let’s go home.”

“We couldn’t have scripted this better, Dad,” Tess said and motioned to the setting sun.

Jed laughed as the Rawlins family rode out of
Silverhill
at sunset.

“This is just too cool,” Jack said as he rode next to Claire and Tess.

As they passed by, Jack noticed Rebecca Riley standing outside her father’s hardware store. She grinned and waved. Jack completely avoided Tess and Claire. He couldn’t hide his blushing smile as he touched the brim of his Stetson in her direction.

“Seems like a nice girl,” Claire said. Tess tightened her arm around her waist.

Jack shrugged as he looked straight ahead. “I guess.”

Tess looked back, then leaned closer. “She’s still standing there watching you.”

“She is?” Jack asked, the grin spreading across his tanned face. He sat taller in the saddle as they rode out of town.

“I missed it?” Chuck sat in a dejected heap.

Tess laughed. “Yep. And you missed Claire on a horse.”

Claire closed her eyes and said nothing.

“That must have been better than a sock on the jaw,” Chuck admitted. “Seriously, we always thought Telford had something to do with Steve’s death, and I’m glad it’s over. What a horrible man.”

Jed reached over and took Tess’s hand. She couldn’t get over how strong it felt, even though it was trembling slightly. “It’s over, Tess. I think Steve can rest now with your mother. I know I can rest.” Tears welled in his eyes as Tess held on tight.

“It’s a relief to know the truth. Now, Chuck, is everything ready for tomorrow?”

“Yep. Claude’s men are watching the herd.”

There was silence around the table until Jed spoke. “This might be the last time we do this. Let’s make sure everything goes smoothly.”

“It will. It always does. Claire and I will be waiting here for you. By the time you get back, we’ll have the house ready and the Double R Guesthouse and Ranch will be raring to go.”

Jed smiled and patted her hand. “I know it will, sweetie.”

“But for now, I have a few papers to go over.” Tess stood and kissed the top of his head.

It was quite a domesticated scene laid out before Tess later that evening as she sat at the desk going over the bills. Jack lay sprawled out in front of the fire; Claire was reading, absently twirling her hair between her fingers. Tess smiled at her deep concentration as she flipped the page and marveled at how content they both seemed. What was more revealing was how comfortable Tess felt watching them.

In a few short months, she had come to care for Claire in a way she never thought she would. The idea of falling in love was not averse to her, just falling in love at this time in her life. On the verge of being fifty, Tess thought the days of romance were long gone. And now, sitting there deep in thought was Claire Redmond. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she sat back and gazed at Claire while she read. What a gift, she thought. How she deserved Claire, Tess would never know, but there it was—her life a few feet away from her.

As if reading her mind, Claire looked up and cocked her head. Tess grinned, and like a dope, she waved. Claire chuckled and waved in return, then winked. With that one seemingly innocuous gesture, Tess’s heart fluttered, so much so, she had to catch her breath.

Claire started to say something when Jed walked down the hall and into the living room.
 

“Look what I found,” he said.

He was holding a leather-bound book. To Tess, it looked to be the size of a paperback book. It was then she realized what it was. “I thought you went to bed. Uncle Jeremiah’s book?”

Jed sat by the fire and nodded. “Yep.” He looked at Jack, who was now kneeling by his side. “This was written by my uncle, Tess’s great-uncle. He’s the one responsible for the south pasture. He developed the seed for the grass and the alfalfa that’s growing there now.”

Tess stood behind him and looked over his shoulder at the handwritten pages. As if she were ten years old, she remembered how her uncle would read from his memoir about how the ranch was started by his father Ned Rawlins in 1886 when he went to Missoula and gambled the money he earned as a ranch hand and won enough to purchase the land and turn it into one of the wealthiest cattle ranches in Montana.

Jack was enthralled as he listened to Jed read aloud. Claire and Tess sat on the hearth and listened, as well. At one point, Jed stopped and gazed into space. Tess exchanged a worried glance with Claire, but Jack didn’t notice Jed’s confused look.

“What a great story, go on,” Jack said, still kneeling by his side. “What’s wrong?”

Tess could see the tears sparkle in her father’s eyes when he looked at Jack. The sad smile had her near tears, as well. “Nothing, son. Why don’t you read for a while?”

“Are you sure?” Jack reverently took the book when Jed handed it to him.

Jed put his head back and stared at the log-beamed ceiling, a ghost of a smile flashed across his face.

Jack cleared this throat and started reading, “I remember Dad telling us how he won the Double R on a hand of poker in a saloon in Missoula.” Jack laughed. “This is so cool.” He turned the page and continued. “He had enough to buy a thousand acres, including the south pasture. And now, he could marry Lucy Rogers. In time, he purchased another four thousand acres and built the big house for my mother and the five children she bore.”

As he continued, Tess felt Claire’s hand in hers, giving it an affectionate squeeze. Jed closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.

“Jack,” Claire whispered.

Jack stopped and followed Claire’s look. Jed was softly snoring, so Jack closed the book and placed it on the table. He gathered the afghan and placed it over Jed, who stirred and opened his eyes. “Steve?” he whispered.

The look on Jack’s face broke Tess’s heart.

“Yes, sir,” he whispered. “C’mon, we have a big day tomorrow. We gotta get the herd to Colorado. You need to get to bed.”

Jed groaned and stood. “You need to get some sleep, too, Jack.
G’night
.”

“Do you think it would be okay if I read this some more?” Jack asked.

“Sure, son.”

“I’ll be very careful with it. I’m going to bed.”

He kissed Claire on the cheek, and to Tess’s surprise, he kissed her, as well. “
G’night
.”

Tess was stunned as she watched him walk away. She turned to Claire, who was wiping her eyes. “If he doesn’t stop making me cry.”

Tess put her arm around Claire’s shoulders. “He’s a good kid.”

“I could use a cup of coffee, c’mon.” Claire pulled at Tess’s hand.

“And I’m sure there’s some pie left, as well.”

“What do you think is going on with Jed?” Claire asked as she cut the pie, placing it on a plate.

Tess took the offering. “It’s been happening for the past few weeks. He gets that faraway look, almost like he’s confused. He’s called me by my mother’s name more than once.”

“You know he’s called Jack by your brother’s name, as well.” Claire sat opposite Tess and drank her coffee. “I’m sure I know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m sure you do. And I hate to think about it.”

“Maybe he’s just tired and needs to rest and not worry about anything.”

Tess heard the hopeful tone and tried to believe it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe. But I have to be realistic about it. He’s had a heart attack and he’s nearly seventy. I know that’s not that old…” She drank her coffee and changed the topic. “Well, Jack seemed interested in my uncle’s memoirs.”

“Yes. He loves this place, Tess.”

“Do you?”

Claire smiled; she reached over and took Tess’s hand. “Yes, I love this place, and I love you.”

“I’m not interrupting, am I?”

Both women looked up to see Jed standing in the doorway.

“Of course not. Sit down. I think there’s one piece of pie left that your daughter hasn’t eaten.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Jed said, sitting at the head of the table.

“You two are hysterical.” Tess saw how tired he looked but said nothing. “I thought you went to bed again.”

“I need to talk to you.” Jed smiled at Claire when she placed the pie in front of him.

“I think I’ll go to bed. You two don’t stay up too late,” Claire said.

“No, Claire, please stay. I didn’t mean to exclude you because this involves you, as well.”

Claire sat and glanced at Tess, who was frowning as she watched her father.

“Lately, I’ve been noticing certain things happening to me.” He looked at Tess and held up his hand. “Let me finish, Tess. I’m forgetting things, and I’m getting tired so quickly. I know I gotta go see Doc, and I’m not looking forward to it. But I’m no fool, either.” He stopped and took a bite of pie. “This is good, Claire. You’re a fantastic cook. We’d be lost without you. Wouldn’t we, Tess?”

Tess smiled and agreed. “Completely.”

Claire blushed and drank her coffee. Jed looked at both women and nodded. “And Jack is an enormous help on the ranch. He’s learned so quickly, he’s a smart boy. Reminds me so much of Stephen.”

The last sentence hung in the air around them until Jed continued. “I want you and Jack to stay on here at the ranch. It’s good for Jack. He can finish school, then we’ll talk about college. He says he loves to write, and I’d hate to see that go to waste. He says he also loves ranching. Tess found she could do both, college and the ranch, maybe someday Jack will feel the same.”

Claire placed her hand on Jed’s arm. “Jed, I appreciate what you’re saying. To be honest, Jack loves it here, and so do I.” She avoided Tess’s grin and continued, “But Maria…”

Jed smiled and patted her hand. “Maria is part of the family. There’s no worrying about her. You and Jack are part of the family now, too, Claire.
 
I know how you two feel or how you’re beginning to feel about each other.” He looked at Tess and Claire. “So we stay together and work this out.”

He stood and picked up his plate. “I’m taking my pie and going to bed.
G’night
, ladies.”