Once a Wife by Patricia Keelyn

CHAPTER TWELVE

For Reece, the next few days passed slowly.

More than once, he questioned how he used to spend weeks at a time away from the ranch. Away from his son. Whenever he thought about it, he’d shake his head at how things had changed. He’d grown accustomed to having Drew around, to helping him with his chores or homework, or simply standing beside him watching Tod train a new horse. With Drew in Oaksburg, everything was too quiet. Too empty.

Calling and talking to him only made things worse. He seemed to be having a great time and never once mentioned coming home. He spent his days with Sarah’s daughter, working with horses out on some ranch on the reservation. Still, each night, Reece made a point to call, and every night, the conversation went about the same.

“Hey, Drew,” Reece would start off, eager to hear his son’s voice and hoping he’d be ready to come home, “how are things going?”

With his first few words, Drew would pop Reece’s bubble. “Really great, Dad! Joseph helped me with my roping today. He said I could get real good if I practiced.”

“I don’t doubt it. Didn’t I tell you that when we were working with the rope last week?”

“Yeah. But Joseph’s been competing in rodeos for thirty years. He really knows.”

“That long?” Reece was getting tired of hearing about the great Joseph Bright Eagle, but he wasn’t about to let on to Drew.

“He also gave me some pointers on bronc riding.”

Reece felt like an old-woman worrier, but the parent in him had taken over. “Drew, I don’t think that’s such a good—”

“Don’t worry, Dad. He won’t let me try it. He says that’s something you need to teach me.”

“Well, I agree with him on that at least.”

Reece’s comment seemed to sail straight over Drew’s head. “Joseph was just pointing out some stuff while we were watching Adam.”

“Adam?”

“One of Joseph’s sons. The fourth I think.”

Reece rested his elbow on the desk and leaned his head on his hand. “How many does he have?”

“Seven. There’s—”

“That’s okay, Drew. I won’t remember all their names, anyway.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Reece felt like a heel. He hadn’t meant to sound testy. Just because an old man had seven sons. “You’re not getting in the way, are you, Drew?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Lyssa and I earn our keep. That’s what Joseph says. We muck out the stalls and feed the horses. Then Joseph or one of his sons spends a couple of hours with each of us in the ring.”

“Well … as long as you don’t take advantage.”

“Adam’s riding in the rodeo over in Riverton this weekend. We’re all going to go see him. Joseph says he’s got a chance at the buckle.”

And so the conversation went every night. Drew’s thoughts and words were filled with Joseph Bright Eagle and his sons. Reece knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help feeling a little jealous. He often found himself wondering what a man with seven sons, and Lord only knew how many grandsons, needed with Reece’s son, anyway.

Then he got an idea.

It came to him on Wednesday, he nursed it through most of Thursday, and by Friday morning, he’d thrown an overnight bag in the back of his truck and was heading southwest toward the Wind River Mountains. It wasn’t until he was a hundred miles down the road that he admitted the truth to himself. He was going to Oaksburg to bring home his son.

And Sarah, as well.

Sarah checked her watch as she set the casserole in the oven for dinner. The kids would be back in an hour. That would give her just enough time to shower, change, and have a few peaceful minutes before chaos ruled in her house again.

Not that she was complaining.

This week with both Drew and Lyssa around had been pure heaven. They’d taken to each other immediately, arguing one minute and sharing their deepest secrets the next. More than once, she’d caught them huddled together, Drew’s dark head and Lyssa’s almost blond one, and wondered how anyone could not look at the two of them and see them for what they were. Her children.

Fortunately, if anyone had made the connection, they’d kept it to themselves. For now, anyway. But Sarah knew the secret couldn’t be kept much longer. The kids deserved to know. As did their father. And soon, very soon, she would tell him. She just needed a little more time.

The doorbell rang, startling her.

She sighed and wiped her hands before heading for the front door. She didn’t feel like chatting with any of her neighbors at the moment. She’d never get upstairs to shower and change. Then, stepping into the front hallway, she came to an abrupt stop.

Because of the heat, the front door stood open, a screen door keeping the insects outside. But even through the screen and with his back to her, she recognized him immediately. Broad shoulders and narrow hips. The way he stood, hands shoved into the back pockets of his jeans and one hip cocked higher than the other. A typical cowboy stance. But no one carried it off like Reece Colby.

It seemed time was running out faster than she’d thought.

“Reece,” she said, and he turned to meet her gaze through the screen door. “What are you doing here?”

For a breathless moment, he didn’t answer. Then he took off his hat and asked, “May I come in?”

She hesitated and then nodded. “Yes, of course.” She unlatched the door and held it open. He brushed past her, sending a sliver of recognition shimmying through her body.

Please, Lord,she silently begged. Not again.

She let the door snap shut on its own.

“You look good, Sarah.”

She moved a hand to her hair to tuck away the flyaway strands that had escaped her braid. “I was just heading upstairs for—” She stopped. He didn’t need to know that she was about to take a shower. Or had been, before he’d again shattered what little peace she’d found in her world.

“What are you doing here?” she repeated. “We weren’t expecting you for a couple of days.”

He studied his hat, working the brim in his hands. “I thought I’d come and see how Drew was doing.” Then he raised his eyes to hers, and the warmth in them unnerved her.

“You could have warned us,” she said.

“Yes. I suppose I could have.”

She hadn’t meant to sound so unwelcoming. But he disturbed her, standing here in her hall, dwarfing the small space with his size. And she’d thought she had a few more days. A little more time with her children before everything collapsed around her.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally. “I didn’t mean to be rude. You just … surprised me.”

“I don’t suppose Drew is home yet.”

“No.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll get you something cool to drink.”

Reece nodded and followed her to the back of the house.

“Did you drive?” she asked.

“Yes.” He made himself at home, dropping his hat on the table and settling on one of her chairs.

How many times had she thought of him this way? In her home. In her kitchen. She’d fantasized about him for years after she’d left him. She’d dreamed of wild wonderful things, like his coming to claim her, demanding once again to make her his wife. And she’d imagined the mundane, like his sitting in her kitchen, just as he was now, while she cooked him a meal or got him something to drink.

But the only thing she’d ever received from Reece Colby in those years were divorce papers. He’d known where to find her, because they’d come to her grandmother’s house.

“I don’t have any beer,” she said. “Is iced tea all right?”

“Great.”

“So when do you expect Drew back?” he asked after she’d poured him some tea and sat down across from him at the table.

“Within the hour. They have an early day tomorrow.” Then it struck her. “You’re not planning on taking Drew back before the rodeo, are you?”

Reece smiled and she thought her heart would melt. “And risk having him hate me forever? Not on your life.”

“Good.” Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re both looking forward to it.”

“Actually, I thought I’d come along. That is, if you don’t mind.”

Sarah didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t very well deny him, but spending time with him was hard on her. Didn’t he realize that? Of course, all she had to do was tell him about Lyssa, and he’d go away for good. Not yet, she reminded herself. The kids had been looking forward to this weekend. She wouldn’t ruin it for them. Just a couple more days, until after the camping trip—

“Oh, I forgot,” she said. “There’s a camping trip Sunday night. Did Drew tell you?”

“No.” Reece shook his head. “I was planning on taking him home Sunday.”

“You can’t. I mean, I guess he was going to tell you about it when you called tonight. A couple of the coaches from school are taking a group of kids on an overnight trip up into the mountains. They’re not going far, and it’s only for one night. But Lyssa’s been looking forward to it all summer, and they’ve invited Drew to go along.”

Reece studied his glass for a moment and then looked up and smiled. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to stay until Monday then.”

“Reece …” She didn’t want him to stay. Couldn’t he understand that? How was she supposed to forget him when every time she turned around he was there? But she wouldn’t ask him to leave. She’d let her children have their weekend. Then she’d tell Reece the truth about Lyssa. And she’d have the rest of her life to get over him.

“Could you excuse me for a few minutes?” she asked. She told herself she wasn’t running, just getting a little breathing space. “I’ve been working in the yard all afternoon, and I was just heading for the shower when you arrived. I’d like to get it over with before the kids get back.”

“Sure.”

She rose from the table. “Make yourself at home. There’s more tea in the refrigerator and a television in the living room if you get bored.”

After Sarah left, Reece picked up his tea and wandered around the house. Sarah’s house. It looked like her, smelled like her, from the mismatch of no-nonsense furniture and handmade quilts and afghans, to the profusion of plants lining the window seat in the living room. Mixed in with the greenery was a progression of childhood pictures, a little girl, starting when she was an infant and going till she was about eight or nine years old.

Reece picked up one of the later photographs of the child he assumed was Sarah’s daughter, Lyssa. She was a beauty. Like her mother. Only different. Sarah possessed a dark earthy allure, which men responded to. Lyssa’s looks were more exotic. Her coloring alone set her apart. She had eyes a rich shade of caramel, hair a mixture of hues from pale blond to light brown—as if she’d been permanently kissed by a tropical sun—and skin a shade lighter, but still blessed with the warmth of her ancestors. Yes, indeed, when she was a little older, Sarah’s Lyssa would turn heads.

He wondered about her father, and a knot of jealousy formed in his gut. The man obviously wasn’t Shoshone, but fair-haired and skinned. So where the hell was he?

Then another, more recent picture caught his attention. One Sarah hadn’t gotten around to framing yet. It was a photo of Drew and Lyssa standing arm in arm. The resemblance was startling, despite Drew’s darker coloring.

Just then, the front door whipped open, and two whirlwinds blew into the front hall. Drew, and a smaller bundle of flying dark blond ponytails and flashing caramel eyes.

Lyssa.

“He did so!” she said, planting her fists on her hips and glaring at Drew. The beauty was a hellion, as well, and Reece smiled.

“What do you know about it?” Drew demanded, and then he spotted Reece and surprise replaced indignation. “Dad!”

“Hey, son.” Reece’s smile broadened. “Sounds like the two of you are having one heck of a disagreement.”

Drew snapped his mouth shut, and wariness crept into his eyes. “Uh, it’s nothing.”

“Do I get a hug?” Reece asked, holding out his arms.

Drew shrugged and moved forward on wooden legs. “Sure, I guess.”

Reece held him as long as Drew allowed and then turned to the girl. “You must be Lyssa.”

“Lyssa Laughing Water,” she said formally. “And you must be Drew’s father. Mr. Colby.”

Reece chuckled. “That I am. Only, you can call me Reece.”

Drew rolled his eyes. “That’s not her real name. She made it up.”

“I did not.”

“You did too.” Drew crossed his arms. “You’re always making stuff up.”

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Sarah asked from the staircase. “Are you kids still arguing?”

Reece turned, and the sight of Sarah nearly took his breath away. She’d left her hair unbraided. Tied to one side with a bright blue ribbon, it hung like a curtain of black silk almost to her waist.

Shaking her head at the battling children, she finished descending the steps. “Sorry, Reece. I see you’ve been properly inducted into the chaotic world of a household with more than one child.”

She’d put on one of those long floral skirts and simple buttoned shirts again. Ah, those buttons, he thought. She colored visibly, and he realized he’d been staring. No doubt she, too, remembered the last time she’d worn a shirt like this around him.

“So how come you’re here, Dad?” Drew’s question brought Reece back to the present. And the two children standing beside him.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” Reece tousled Drew’s hair.

“Yeah, but …”

“I thought you might be a little homesick by now.”

“He can’t leave yet,” Lyssa insisted. “We’re going to the rodeo tomorrow to see Adam win a silver buckle. And then we’re going camping in the mountains on Sunday night.”

“So your mom said.” Reece glanced at Sarah, who gave him an I-told-you-so smile. Only he wasn’t sure if it was because she’d told him about their plans or warned him about her daughter. “I thought I might come with you guys. To the rodeo, that is. And then I can keep your mom company Sunday while the two of you are off camping.”

“All right!” Drew said. “That’ll be neat.”

“Is that okay with you, Lyssa?” Reece asked.

“Sure,” she answered, glancing from Reece to her mother and then back again. “But where are you going to sleep?”

“Well,” Reece replied, a little taken aback by her question, “I spotted a motel on the outskirts of town. I thought I’d stay there.”

“You can have my room,” she said, as if hers was the final say in the matter. “I can sleep with Mom.”

“Oh, I don’t think—”

“Yeah, Dad, come on. It’ll be great.”

“Really, kids …” Reece glanced at Sarah for help, but she looked shell-shocked. He could hardly blame her. He hadn’t planned on moving in with her for the weekend. “I think it’s best if I stay at the motel.”

“Come on, Dad.” Drew turned to Sarah. “Miss Hanson, tell him it’s okay.”

Sarah suddenly snapped out of it. “Well, I guess there’s no reason why not.”

He knew she didn’t want him to stay. But though he hadn’t planned on it, staying at her house might work out. He’d come here to talk to her, to get some answers to old questions. The kids’ camping trip was going to give him the perfect opportunity, and it would be a lot easier if he and Sarah were under the same roof.

“Well,” he said, “if you’re sure it won’t be any bother.”

He saw the surprise in her eyes. She’d thought he’d turn her down. “No,” she said. “Lyssa’s right. She can move in with me for the weekend, and you can have her room.”

“All right!” Drew said. “Come on, Lyssa, let’s go get my dad’s bag.”

The two of them scrambled out the door, leaving their parents alone in the hall.

“This isn’t a good idea, Reece.”

He smiled. “We can’t disappoint them.”

“Yes, we can.”

“Come on, Sarah.” He took a step toward her. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Sarah couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this. Reece staying in her house. It spelled disaster in so many ways she couldn’t even begin to list them. What had come over her? What had come over Lyssa? Offering to give up her room like that? Although Sarah shouldn’t have been surprised by her daughter. Lyssa had a way of taking charge of things, running everything and everyone.

Except Drew.

Sarah had to smile. Drew fought his little sister every step of the way. Bossing her as much as she bossed him. And it had won him Lyssa’s eternal devotion—though she wouldn’t have admitted it to save her life.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with Reece’s staying in their house. She supposed tonight and tomorrow wouldn’t be too bad. They’d have two kids as chaperons. But what was she going to do with Reece on Sunday, once Lyssa and Drew went off camping? Just the thought of spending a night alone with him sent shivers of anticipation through her system, while at the same time scaring her half to death.

“You know,” Reece said the next day as the four of them climbed out of Sarah’s car near the Freemont County fairground, “I can’t remember the last time I was at a rodeo.”

“Mom and I go all the time,” Lyssa said.

Sarah looked at him and shrugged. “We both enjoy it.”

Drew and Lyssa ran ahead, and Reece took Sarah’s hand. She instantly tensed and then relaxed, evidently deciding as he had that, for today at least, they were together.

“I think the last time I went to one of these was before Drew was born,” he said. “Back when you and I were still competing.”

“Haven’t you missed it?”

“Missed it?” Reece let out a short laugh. “I’ve never thought about it. I’ve been too busy. First I was in school for four years, and then when Dad died, I came home to run the ranch.”

Turning her head to look at him, she rested her free hand on his arm for a moment. “Reece, I never told you how sorry I was to hear about your father.”

“That’s okay. It’s been eight years. But thanks, anyway.” He squeezed her hand. He didn’t want to think about his father today. Or anything else unpleasant. “Anyway, after I got a handle on running the ranch, there were, of course, my political ambitions. So, rodeos wound up at the bottom of my priority list.”

She threw him another sideways glance, only this time she grinned. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why I’m here.” He laughed lightly. They’d taught him that this summer, she and Drew. How to relax and enjoy himself with people he cared about.

They reached the edge of the rodeo grounds, and a rush of nostalgia hit him: the grandstands already filling with people, the loud bark of the announcer, the smells of horses and cattle, and the rush of contestants getting ready for their events.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Sarah said.

He stopped walking and pulled her around to face him. Lord, she looked good today, young, fresh, almost like the seventeen-year-old girl he’d fallen in love with so long ago. “Yeah,” he said, taking her other hand. “It reminds me of an Indian princess I once knew. She was the prettiest cowgirl who ever ran a barrel race.”

She laughed nervously. “Sounds like a line to me.”

He let his gaze drift lower, to the bright red shirt covering her full breasts and the jeans hugging her nicely rounded hips and bottom. Nope. This wasn’t the same girl. This woman was a whole lot better. Stepping a little closer, he said, “It ain’t no line, lady.”

She blushed. “I think we should find the kids,” she said, but the breathless quality of her voice betrayed her. He affected her as strongly as she did him.

“Think so?” He bent to kiss her, just one light touch of his lips, but she backed away.

“Yeah, cowboy,” she said, and pulled her hands from his. “I think we definitely need to find Lyssa and Drew.”

Sarah needed space. Away from Reece Colby. Fat chance, she thought, shaking her head. He was here for another forty-eight hours, and he seemed intent on sticking close. Too close. The man definitely had a warped sense of behaving himself. Of course, that was one of the things she’d always loved about him.

She fought with the best weapon in her arsenal. “Aren’t you supposed to be engaged?”

He hesitated a moment and then said, “We called it off.”

Surprised, she stopped and swung around. “I know you said that Drew had misunderstood about the wedding, but I didn’t realize you’d canceled your engagement entirely.”

“It was a mutual decision.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, reluctant to ask the question uppermost in her mind. But she had to know. “Was it because of what happened between us?”

“Only indirectly.” He took her hand again and started walking. “You see, Michelle and I had an arrangement.”

“An arrangement?”

“We both had political ambitions, although Michelle’s were always stronger than mine. So we decided to combine our families’ names and influence to try and make something of it.”

She shook her head. He couldn’t mean what he was saying. “I don’t think I understand.”

“It was going to be a marriage of convenience.” He shrugged as if that kind of thing was commonplace. “She’s a friend. Nothing else. It never went further than that.”

Sarah could hardly believe it. Did people really do that? Marry for convenience? “You mean you never …”

“Never.” He chuckled. “Actually, I don’t think it ever occurred to Michelle.”

“What about you?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.

He looked at her and grinned. “It would’ve been like making love to my sister.”

The whole thing appalled her. The idea of living with someone you didn’t love was unfathomable. “Were you planning on children?”

He chuckled again, and this time Sarah detected embarrassment in the sound. “Of course. What’s a political career without children?”

“But if you didn’t love each other and there was no attraction …” Lord, she was making a mess of this. She should just leave it alone. “How were you going to …”

“Actually,” he answered, though she’d never completed the question, “the thought did occur to me that things were going to be a bit awkward.”

They continued in silence, while Sarah thought about the eighteen months when she’d been married to Reece. It hadn’t been easy. Not even in the beginning when they’d been wildly in love and thought nothing could ever touch them. They’d both had to adjust to sharing their space with another person. She couldn’t imagine going through that without all the times that were pure heaven, without loving the other person above all else.

Reece broke the silence. “So, I owe you.”

“Owe me?”

“If you hadn’t shown up at the Crooked C, I probably would’ve gone through with it.” He released her hand and slipped his arm around her waist. “You made me realize that Michelle and I were cheating each other.”

Sarah didn’t know what to say to that. Nor how to respond to the feel of his arm on her waist. Some rational part of her mind told her to step away. The rest of her very much liked the closeness. Finally, she spotted Lyssa and Drew. “There are the kids,” she said to Reece. “Over there near the horse trailers with Joseph and Adam.”

Reece groaned silently, and Sarah suppressed her smile.

At dinner last night, Lyssa and Drew had regaled Reece with stories of their adventures over the past week. Sarah felt sure Reece had learned more about Joseph, his ranch and family than he’d ever wanted to know. She’d considered stepping in and rescuing him once or twice, but thought better of it. He’d wanted to stay. So let him deal with the ramifications.

Now he got to meet the children’s hero.

“Come on,” she said, stepping away from his arm. “Joseph really is a nice man.”

“No doubt,” he said dryly.

Meeting Joseph and his son turned out to be less painful than Reece had expected. The big friendly man pumped Reece’s hand and told him what a wonderful son he had. Reece couldn’t argue with that. Then Joseph’s own son needed help getting ready for the first event, and Joseph hurried off.

“Nice guy,” Reece said, wondering why he’d been dreading this meeting. Joseph obviously thought the world of Drew.

Sarah laughed. “Yes, he is.”

Reece glanced at her, waiting for the “I told you so.” It didn’t come. It didn’t have to. Her warm eyes danced with amusement. Which was just as bad.

“Well,” he said, “looks like they’re ready to begin. You kids think it’s about time we found a seat?” They headed for the grandstand, both kids scampering around them, talking a mile a minute, trying to outdo each other explaining everything they saw.

“One thing’s for sure,” Reece said quietly to Sarah. “This is going to be different.”

“How so?”

“I’ve almost never been into spectator sports,” he answered. “This is the first time since I was a kid that I was at a rodeo and not competing.”

“You get used to it.”

“I wonder.”

“Hey, Dad,” Drew interrupted. “Can I have some money? Lyssa and I want some popcorn and soda.”

Reece pulled out a few dollars. “Need help?”

“Nah.” Drew shoved the bills into his back pocket. “We can get it.”

“Are you sure?”

Drew gave him an are-you-kidding look and turned to Lyssa. “Come on.”

Sarah smiled and nudged Reece with her elbow. “Feeling a little useless, Dad?”

“Hell, no.” He shoved his hat to the back of his head. “I supplied the money.” Still, he moved up alongside the concession stand where he could help carry the stuff if the kids needed him.

Sarah joined him, and they waited as Drew and Lyssa worked their way to the front of the line. Finally, it was their turn, and the man working the stand rested his elbows on the counter to bring himself closer to their level.

“What can I get you kids?”

“Two bags of popcorn, one Coke and one Diet Coke,” Drew said.

Nodding, the man filled their order. “Here you go, partner,” he said a few minutes later. As Drew pulled out the money, the man handed one of the bags of popcorn to Lyssa and asked, “Is the regular Coke yours, honey, or your brother’s?”

Drew scowled as he plopped the money on the counter. “She’s not my sister.”

“Sorry, son.” The man looked surprised. “I thought you were related.”

Reece felt the statement slice through him. Of course Drew and Lyssa looked alike. They both resembled their mother. He glanced at Sarah, who stood rigidly still, her usually warm complexion ashen. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She didn’t answer, but stared at her children as the man behind the concession stand gave Drew his change. Then she turned to meet Reece’s gaze, her eyes wide and frightened.

“It’s okay, Sarah,” he said. He rested his hand on her arms. “It’s no big deal.”

“Reece …” She glanced furtively back at Lyssa and Drew, who’d moved away from the crowd around the concession stand.

“I know. It’s time.”

“Come on, Dad!” Drew called. “It’s gonna start.”

“Just a minute,” he answered, and then turned back to Sarah. “I know how upset you are.”

“Do you know how dangerous this is?”

He sighed and rubbed her arms. “Yes, and it’s time we put an end to it. We need to tell them the truth. Drew should know that you are his mother and that Lyssa is his half-sister.”

She gasped and pulled away from him. Without a word, she spun on her heel and made her way to Drew and Lyssa. She put a hand on each of their shoulders and led them toward the grandstand.

Reece watched them go, wondering what he’d said wrong.

He understood why the concession worker’s comment had upset her. Neither one of them wanted the kids to figure out their relationship on their own. The knowledge that Reece and Sarah had once been married and that Sarah was Drew’s mother needed to be broken gently. But he’d thought Sarah would be pleased, relieved even, that he planned to tell Drew the truth. He’d thought that was what she’d wanted all along. Either she’d changed her mind, or there was something else here that he didn’t understand.

The rest of the day was lost on Sarah.

Beside her, Drew, Lyssa, and Reece immersed themselves in the rodeo events, picking their favorite contestants and cheering them on. Sarah participated on the surface, while underneath, she steeled herself against the approaching pain. Even when Adam won the silver buckle for getting the highest points of the day, her smile, which should have come easily and spontaneously, was forced.

She couldn’t allow herself to think, to feel. Not now. Or else she’d never do what needed doing.

The time had come.

No more excuses. Tomorrow, as soon as the kids left on their camping trip, she would tell Reece the truth.