The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek) (18 page)

“I think you’re great.” Jesse hugged her. “And I think you are your father’s daughter.”

She looked at Jackson, who stood across the room talking to their father. “Yeah, I am just like him.”

Jesse looked around the room for Laura. She and his mother had disappeared. Probably to go check on his grandmother. That gave him a few minutes to step outside and make a couple of phone calls and say a few prayers of his own.

Chapter Sixteen

L
aura made good use of the next two weeks when Abigail would remain at Cooper Creek, visiting her only on weekends. She spent time with her aunt Sally and she helped keep an eye on Myrna. Both kept her from thinking about Abigail not living with her and dwelling on Jesse’s imminent departure. The first trip he had to take would only be for ten days. It was the second trip, to Honduras, that made her heart ache.

It was her own fault, she lectured herself every chance she got. She should have kept her distance from him. She had known better.

Now he would be leaving, possibly for a year, and she and Abigail would both miss him. They would both suffer slightly broken hearts. But a year would give them time to heal. A year would give her time to get her life back on track.

The day before he left, Jesse knocked on her door. She opened it and motioned him inside.

“I thought I’d stop by. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have before I leave tomorrow.”

“I have the list you left, of everything that needs to be done. Don’t worry, you’ll have a home to come back to.” She kept her tone light and it wasn’t easy.

“That isn’t why I’m here, Laura. I wanted to say goodbye—not give you last-minute instructions. I think we need to talk.”

“About?” She walked away because it made it easier. In the kitchen she poured two glasses of tea. She took hers and walked out to the back deck. Jesse followed.

“Are you trying to make this difficult?”

“No, I’m trying to make it easier, but you won’t let me. You have to let me, Jesse.”

“Easy? This is going to be anything but easy. I’m planning a trip out of the States for a year. At the same time, a little girl is praying for a daddy and looking at me like I’m the answer to those prayers. Every time I touch you, I feel like you’re the answer to mine.”

“Jesse...”

He stopped her. “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt Abigail. I don’t want to walk away feeling guilty because everyone thought this was a relationship.”

“The only two people who think we’re a couple would be my daughter and your grandmother.” She managed to smile but it hurt deep inside, where promises are made and broken. But he hadn’t made promises. From the beginning she had known his plans.

She leaned against the rail, wishing he would let this go. It would be easier if she didn’t have to think about him being gone. He stopped in front of her and she looked up, her gaze connecting with his.

“Laura, I don’t know what this is.” While she stood there waiting for him to break her heart, he brushed a rough and yet tender hand down her arm. “I’m a planner. I’ve always planned. This is the year I planned a mission trip. I’ll be thirty-four in a few months. I planned on meeting someone when I turned thirty-five. That’s when I thought I’d be ready for marriage and kids.”

Laura smiled at his honesty. She even laughed a little. “What you’re saying is that you didn’t plan on a woman and a child landing on your doorstep or in your life. You probably even had the type of woman you’d fall for planned.”

Beneath his dark skin she saw a hint of red climb into his cheeks. “Possibly.”

Before he could say more, his cell phone buzzed. It was the front gate. He listened and then buzzed in the visitor.

“Laura, it’s your probation officer.”

She shook her head. “Why would he be here?”

“I’m not sure.” With a hand on her back he guided her to the front of the house.

“Two days, Jesse. Abigail is moving in with me full-time in two days.” It hurt to breathe and her face felt hot and her hands felt cold. She shivered and Jesse kept her close. He opened the door and the probation officer stood on the front porch and a female officer stood behind him.

“Laura, I’m sorry to do this but we’ve had a report that you’re using.”

“Frank, you know that isn’t true.” Laura’s voice and hands shook. “It’s Ryan. He’s trying to get back at me for not giving him money.”

“Laura, we have to do the test.” He motioned the female officer forward. “If you could do this for me.”

“Of course I can. But, Frank, what about Abigail? I’m so close to getting her back.”

“Are you clean?”

“I’ve always been clean. I’ve never used drugs. You know that.”

“Do the test, Laura. We’ll clear this up.”

She stared at the bag the probation officer had handed her, made eye contact with the female officer, then turned to Jesse because he had plans and she was pretty sure this wasn’t in them.

“Go.” She shook her head when he tried to interrupt. “Please, Jesse. I don’t want you here. This is my life and you didn’t ask for it to be yours. I can’t do this with you looking at me like that.”

Frank stood aside and motioned Jesse out the door. Laura watched him go and then she walked down the hall with the female officer behind her.

* * *

Jesse didn’t want to leave her alone, but he recognized that look on her face. She was holding on to her pride. She needed him gone. He got that. He got in his truck and headed down the drive, not even sure where he was headed.

His cell phone rang. He looked at the display on the dash of his truck and shook his head. If he ignored it, Jeremy would just call back. There was no getting away from him.

“What now?” he answered as he pulled out on the road.

“Could you sound any more excited?”

“Not really. It’s been a rough day. I’m on my way to the ranch to check on Abigail.”

“Could you stop by here? I wanted to show you what I’ve managed to do in three short weeks.” Jeremy cleared his throat. “I just want your thoughts on what I need to do next. I’ve talked to Doc Brannon and he’s interested in volunteering.”

“I see.” Jesse flipped his blinker and headed down a back road that led from Grove to Dawson and came out on Back Street. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Thanks.”

The line went dead. Jesse hit the stereo volume on the steering wheel and Brad Paisley filled the cab of the truck. He sang along, glad to be alone for just a few minutes. It gave him time to think and time to pray.

He needed the prayer time. He needed to get his head on straight and decide his next move.

When he pulled up in front of the metal building that now had a sign, Back Street Medical, he sighed. Jeremy knew how to make things happen. He stepped out of his truck and walked up to the building. Jeremy opened the door, smiling as he waved him inside.

There were three rooms in the clinic—a waiting room, office and exam room. A small bathroom was tucked between the office and exam room. He walked through each room and nodded at what his brother had accomplished.

“What do you need me to tell you, Jeremy?”

“First, tell me what’s going on with you. You look like a hundred dollars of old money.”

“Thanks. Laura’s probation officer showed up at the house to have her do a drug test. Seems someone called her in for using.”

“She’s clean, Jesse.”

“I know that.” He brushed a hand across his face. Did Laura know that he believed her? He should have ignored her pride and stayed.

“What are you doing here?”

“She showed me to the door. Actually, she had her PO show me the door.”

“She’s got to be humiliated. I don’t blame her for not wanting anyone to see. But what about Abigail? I hope this doesn’t change things for the two of them.”

“Me, too. I’m going to have Mom make some calls.”

“Jess, it’ll work out.”

“I know.” He put his hat back on his head and looked around the office. “What do you need?”

“Could you help me fill in the gaps? What do I still need? What medical equipment? What supplies?”

“This wasn’t cheap to put together.”

“No, but we had several donors.”

“I admire what you’re doing.”

Jeremy shrugged it off. “I’m just the guy pushing it through. There are several people making it happen.”

“Gotcha.” Jesse was impressed. And then he had a crazy urge to be here, to be a part of something that would be so huge for their community. He thought about the kids who needed care. He thought about parents who sometimes felt trapped. They had bills to pay, families to feed and not enough money to make the daily necessities happen, let alone foot the bill for a doctor’s visit.

“Jess, don’t get that look on your face. This isn’t about trapping you into something. I know you have plans and this will be here when you get back. Until then Brannon and a few others can keep it going.”

“I know.” He walked out of the clinic, back into the warm June sunshine. “I’ll make you a list. I’m really glad you’re doing this.”

“So am I.” Jeremy walked him back to his truck. When they got there, Jeremy stared off at the field for a minute and then he grinned. “You know, you should head back to the house. When a woman says go, she usually means stay.”

“Not this woman.”

“Right, she’s different from all other women. I’m just saying, you should probably check on her. Did you take Gran up on the offer of the sapphire ring?”

“Does everyone in town know about that ring?”

“She did mention it in front of the entire town.”

“Yeah, she did do that.” He shook his head. “You’re lucky she didn’t know about you and Beth until it was too late.”

“We got our ring after the fact.” Jeremy leaned against the door of the truck. “You have to do what’s right for you, Jesse. And I don’t envy you. I know it’s going to be tough.”

“Yeah, it’ll be tough.”

He backed out of the parking space and pointed his truck toward Cooper Creek.

* * *

After her probation officer left, Laura splashed water on her face and then leaned over the sink, trying to get it together. Everything would be fine. God would get her through this. She looked up.

“Please, please don’t let them take Abigail.” She closed her eyes and stood there for a moment, praying for peace.

Her cell phone rang. She answered without thinking, without looking at the caller ID.

“Like my little surprise?” Ryan’s voice chilled her to the core.

“Stay away from me. I’m going to get a restraining order.”

“Don’t be silly. Look, I need money to get out of the state. That’s all I want from you. And if you don’t, the next time your PO shows up, he’ll have the police with him and a search warrant to find the drugs you’re hiding.”

“I don’t have drugs, Ryan.”

“You will. I’ll figure out a way. Or you can give me the money to leave Oklahoma.”

“Why are you doing this?” But she knew the answer. He was desperate. He was high. And he was more like his father than she’d ever realized.

“Because I don’t have any other options, sis.”

She shook her head and slammed the phone down on the counter. She wouldn’t let him take her daughter.

She closed her eyes, blocking his voice and the threats. He was just like his father. They were both abusive, mean people. She’d just never seen it in Ryan. Or in Alex, her ex-husband, another abuser, another person who used her and walked out on her. He also walked out on Abigail. Without a backward glance he packed up and left the state.

A knock on the front door jolted her. She jumped a little and froze. Fear held her in one spot as the door rattled with another loud knock, a fist pounding on the wood.

“Laura, are you in there?”

Jesse. Tears sprung to her eyes. She wiped them away as she walked to the door and peeked out. When she saw him, she turned the dead bolt and opened the door.

She wouldn’t throw herself into his arms. She wouldn’t cry. She would be strong because she had to be. He glanced back at his truck and then stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“You okay?”

She nodded because if she opened her mouth she’d cry. She’d want him to hold her.

“Laura?

“I’m good.” She took a deep breath and got past the emotion.

“You’re pale. You’re shaking. I don’t call this good.”

“I am.” She shrugged. “I will be.”

“I brought you a surprise that might help.” He opened the door and waved.

Laura peeked out and her heart did amazing flips at the sight of Abigail jumping out of the truck. She was wearing boots, shorts and a T-shirt. She had a fishing pole and a brown paper bag.

“Mom, Jesse is taking us fishing.” Abigail ran straight into her arms.

“If you want to go, that is,” he offered with a smile that made everything a little better.

“Yeah, I’d love to go.” Laura hugged her daughter again, avoiding the fishing pole that she waved around. “I’ll pack us a picnic.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to feed the animals and give the two of you time to get things ready to go.”

He reached for the door. Laura touched his arm, stopping him.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

She could have argued that it was a problem. Her heart made it a problem. Instead she closed the door and waited until he was in his truck before she locked it.

“Mommy, have you been crying?”

Laura turned from the locked door and smiled at her daughter. “Only because I’m happy you’re here.”

“Are you sad because Jesse’s leaving?”

“He’ll only be gone ten days.”

Abigail frowned. “Maybe a whole year.”

“Yes, a whole year. But that’s his life and what he wants to do. This is our life. Together. We have a new house. We have a car. We’re going to church together. I’m even going to take college classes and be a nurse.”

“But we’ll still miss him.”

She smiled at her daughter. Only to herself did she admit that she would miss him.

“Let’s get ready to go fishing.”

“I’m ready.” Abigail smiled and pulled a plastic container out of the paper bag.

“What’s that?” Laura pointed to the container.

“Worms!”