Suspicions of the Heart (27 page)

"Let's concentrate on you right now,
Aggie. Now, do you want a veil, or maybe a hat?" Candy
asked.

They tried a few, deciding on a wide
brimmed white straw. Aggie fell in love with it. Dressing up suited
Aggie, Candy decided. The woman had come alive under their
noses.

"Love becomes you, Aggie."

"Oh, and I guess I'll need a pair of
white satin shoes, too," Aggie sighed happily.

"How about a purse to go along with the
shoes?" Candy quickly got her interested in shopping and her mind
off of herself and Joe.

"Roscoe might not recognize me if I get
too spiffed up."

Candy laughed. Roscoe had been a bear
the past week, as nervous as a cat with a hot iron on his tail. He
snapped and Roscoe never snapped. Candy patiently put up with him
though because she knew it was nothing more than wedding
jitters.

"Gonna feel funny not coming here at
night." Roscoe didn't quite look at Candy that same evening. It
seemed he was feeling sorry for her and she couldn't stand
that.

"Nonsense. You are going to have your
very own home. And you deserve it. Which incidentally is going to
take some time at working on? If you get snowed under, call me. I'm
not far, you know."

"Think I'm a foolish old man?" he asked
coming to stand in front of her.

"Of course I don't. I think this is
wonderful. I'm glad you've found someone, Uncle Roscoe. Now, stop
your fretting. Everything is going to be great. You wait and
see."

"You're so much like your mama, girl.
She was always the one to take care of everyone else, never
worrying about herself. That woman was something. I only wish you
could have known her longer." Roscoe cleared his throat and turned
away so she couldn't see him swiping his eyes.

Candy hung her head. "It's funny, but
I've always comforted myself by telling myself that she's gone to a
better place where she doesn't have to suffer. And Fargate
too."

"Yeah," Roscoe cleared his throat, and
stared at her. "I wish I could've been a better uncle or something
for you, though."

Candy grabbed him and hugged him. "Stop
it. You're a wonderful uncle. And you won't stop being my uncle
just because you are married. I'll just be gaining an
aunt."

Roscoe chuckled, his eyes sparkling
with new life. "That's true, honey. Aggie has told me time and
again how much she cares for you. She never had kids of her own,
but she sure taken a liking to you."

"It's mutual. I think we hit it off
from the start."

Roscoe hung his head a minute then
looked at her. "I talked to Jim today."

Candy's head jerked to attention.
"Oh?"

"They're gonna bury Fargate on Friday.
But I don't want you goin' to that funeral, unless you really want
to. I mean me and Aggie won't be here and you shore don't need to
go alone."

"I can't go...not yet. Maybe someday I
can handle it, but it's just too fresh in my mind right now. Do you
think his family would understand?" Candy asked.

"Under the circumstances, I think they
would. You know I never cottoned to him much, but I certainly
didn't wish him any harm and now that he's gone, maybe things will
start straightening out for you a little."

Candy nodded. Getting over the initial
shock Fargate's death would take time, Candy tried not to think
about Fargate too much. It was sad, too sad to think about. She had
to find a way to put it away.

"You don't hold any grudges?" Roscoe
asked her.

"No, it's all over now. And I can go on
with my life. I'm sorry he can't. But I won't waste my life feeling
sorry for him."

Roscoe nodded. "Good. I was almost
afraid to tell you about it."

"I'm fine, really."

But she wasn't fine. She missed Joe so
much she almost went to see him. Still, she didn't think it was her
place. If he wanted to see her, he knew where she lived. She just
didn't understand this silence.

Days passed, and still no Joe. The days
were not that hard, she had plenty of work to keep her busy. But
the nights were miserable. She read books, sewed a set of new
curtains for the trailer, even went shopping for a dress to wear to
Aggie's wedding. Things that would normally make her happy held
little interest for her now. Meanwhile Roscoe hired her a couple of
hands to help out.

One day while she was checking on the
small herd, Sam rode over, tipping his hat to her as he
approached.

"Miss Candy, Joe sent me over with this
pup. It's one of Butch's offspring, just weaned from its mama. He
thought you might like it. He's pretty much a mutt, but if he's
anything like his daddy he'll be a great help with the
stock."

Candy took the Sheltie puppy, a big
ball of tan and white, and smiled. "He's beautiful. But why didn't
he bring it himself?"

"He's not here."

"Not here?" Candy
questioned.

"No, ma'am. He had to go to Austin.
He's been gone most of the week. He'll be back before the wedding
though, I'm sure. Since you've offered the town the mineral rights
to your place, he wanted to see about getting a government loan to
finance the drilling."

"Oh, that's a good idea." Candy nodded
her approval. "Well, tell him thank you. And thanks for bringing
the puppy, Sam."

"Sure thing, Miss Candy. He also wanted
you to know if you need anything you just holler. We can always
spare a hand or two to help out. You getting settled in,
now?"

Candy's face lightened. "Yes, Sam, I
think so. You coming to the wedding?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, ma'am.
I never thought I'd see the day when Aggie would hitch up, but I
think that old rascal Roscoe just swept her off her
feet."

Candy laughed. "It certainly looks that
way, doesn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am. Well, I better be getting
back to work. Just wanted to make sure I delivered the little
feller."

"Thanks again, Sam." She waved
goodbye.

The puppy rode near the saddle horn,
not at all skittish of Lancer's movements. "You'll do fine, Jo-Jo."
Funny how easily the name came to her.

Relief washed over her when she saw how
foolish she had been about Joe not visiting. The word trust ran
through her mind again. Dear God, she hadn't trusted him
again!

Disengaging old habits was not that
easy, she discovered. A little at a time. She would deal with it.
Learn to manage it. Somehow.

The day before the wedding Roscoe was a
basket case. He jumped every time someone came near him. Candy
decided to give him a little space. She decided to pay Aggie a
visit.

As she rode over, she ran into Joe. He
tipped his hat, drew his bay closer and kissed her solidly on the
mouth without a word. His glance burned into her as he backed away
slowly.

"Been a long week," he drawled
effectively.

Candy's cheeks pinked; she could feel
the blood flowing in them. Her heart raced to the same familiar
beat, and she smiled. "Thanks for Jo-Jo."

"Jo-Jo?" he questioned.

"The puppy."

"Jo-Jo." His mouth curled into that
familiar toe-curling smile. "That's kinda cute. Where were you
headed?"

"Thought I'd see if Aggie needed
anything." She beamed when his glance slid lazily over
her.

He nodded. "I thought I'd check on
Roscoe."

Candy shook her head. "Well, good luck.
He's a nervous wreck, I can tell you."

Joe smiled. "I figured as
much."

"Did you get the government
loan?"

"Won't know for a few days yet, but it
looks good. Everyone in Austin seemed mighty relieved to know the
water was the main interest. It will save the state lots of revenue
once we get it drilled."

"I'm glad." She smiled.

"Get off your horse," he demanded
suddenly.

"W…why?" she cried, not understanding
his sudden demand.

"Because I aim to kiss you proper and I
can't do it on your horse. Now, climb up here and let me touch
you." His voice grew husky with needs she could identify
with.

She dismounted and shyly came to stand
beside him. Without hesitation, he pulled her up into the saddle,
settling her in his lap. His hands sought the soft fullness of her
breasts, as his lips melted against her own. The words heaven and
dreaming came to mind. She felt like she might float off on a
gossamer cloud, the way he gently held her.

"God, I've missed you," he murmured as
he tore his mouth from hers and looked into her face.

"Me, too," she whispered.

His hand slipped within her shirt and
his fingertips rubbed tenderly over her middle. She arched closer.
He pulled her so he could have better access to her full
lips.

"I was just using Roscoe as an excuse
to get away long enough to see you," he whispered as his lips
trailed over her ears and nose.

"I'm glad you did," she cried
breathlessly.

He pulled away to look into her eyes.
"I'm going to be busy the rest of the day. I probably won't see you
'til the wedding. But we'll have plenty of time later."

"Things are pretty hectic right now,"
she agreed.

"Since Roscoe will probably be walking
the floor tonight, why don't you come over to my place? I won't be
done 'til way after sunset, but we could think of something to do."
He smiled.

"I'll try to get away, sure," she
agreed.

He sealed it with another searing kiss
that threatened to undo her tight reserve. She wanted this man like
no other. Her love for him was growing stronger every
day.

He let her slide down off the horse,
not letting go of her totally, looking into her eyes with a desire
ridden face. "Dammit, kisses aren't enough." Then he adjusted his
hat and rode away at a gallop. Candy watched him, her heart
full.

Aggie was brimming with excitement when
Candy arrived, and full of the day's plans.

"I found a dress," Candy told her as
they sat down for a glass of iced tea.

"What color?"

"Nearly a navy blue, with a white
collar."

"I want you and Joe to stand up with
us. Sorta hold me up in case I get weak in the knees." Aggie
laughed.

"I'll be there for you, Aggie," Candy
agreed.

"I knew you would. I know I'm acting
like a young schoolgirl, but you know, I sorta feel that way.
Roscoe is such an exciting man, full of plans for the place and
making this a real home again."

"I know, and I think it's a fantastic
idea. With a little hard work, this place could shine again, Aggie.
Even I can see that."

"I never expected Roscoe to have such
plans for the place. I thought he might even want to sell and buy
another place, but he loves it here. He said it looked real homey
and was exactly what he wanted."

"It's been a long time since he's had a
home, Aggie. I mean a real home," Candy informed her.

"I know. We've spent many an evening on
that old porch of mine talking about what we wanted to do with the
place. That's part of what drew me to him in the first place. I
related to that lost little boy inside Roscoe. Since my husband
died I let the place go, having no interest in it, until Roscoe
came along. Now it's a new adventure for us."

~*~

They spent the day cleaning out her
bedroom and making room for Roscoe's belongings, fixing up the
living room, and getting all the little things ready for the
wedding ceremony. Aggie spoke on the phone to her minister who was
going to perform the ceremony. Everyone in town sounded as though
they wanted to come, and Aggie couldn't say no.

Joe was having a big barbecue for them
afterwards.

After a light supper, Roscoe told Candy
he wanted to see Aggie before the wedding and would be back
shortly. Candy waited until he was gone, and then ran water in her
tub. She took the time to be good to herself, knowing Joe would be
out on the range for a while.

She added lilacs to her water, enjoying
the sweet fragrance. She combed her hair, did her nails and finally
donned a sundress. Instead of riding Lancer over, she decided she
would drive over, so she wouldn't get her dress dirty or dusty. The
evening breeze echoed the dreams of romance in her ear.

Indulging herself, she stood outside
and watched the sunset. Not very often had she had the chance to
really enjoy all the colors and the vastness of this country.
Tonight, her heart was light and she wanted to savor this time. She
knew this feeling of euphoria wouldn't last forever, but while it
did she would take full advantage.

The way Joe had greeted her out in the
pasture this morning, she knew he had been as hungry for her as she
felt for him. His kisses promised much more. She checked on Lancer,
gave him some feed, took Dumplin' and Jo-Jo for a walk and put
clean water in the trough.