Seth finished his run, fed Ghost and went up to his room to shower. He and the dog had really bonded. As he changed, he heard the fishermen come in amid a lot of good-natured guy talk. After he dressed, he sat by his window, half reading a magazine on raising horses, half watching for Lila to drive in. He’d been thinking a lot more about other jobs he might be able to do after he’d turned down Yoti’s urging without much regret over missing out on rubies.
The minute he saw the Jeep’s lights turn off the highway, he dashed downstairs to the kitchen, where he put the teakettle on to heat.
He heard Lila and Rory come inside. They were always caring of guests, so Lila’s tone was hushed. Still, Seth understood she and Rory were having a little tiff before the boy caved and trundled off to bed.
Figuring their argument stemmed around batting practice, Seth prepared for Lila’s verbal combat as she entered the kitchen. However he reeled from her first words.
“Tell me why you filled my son’s head with poppycock about making a million dollars finding rubies or Montana sapphires.”
The teakettle whistled, giving Seth a minute to collect his thoughts. He poured boiling water into two mugs that held tea bags, moved them to the table and gestured for Lila to sit. “I didn’t fill his head. A friend I sometimes join on gem hunts phoned to update me on a cache of China rubies. Rory and I were on the road so I put the call on speaker phone. Rory heard our conversation.”
Lila scowled but finally sat. “Myra told everyone that you broker gemstones and Zeke said you hunted lapis in Afghanistan when he served there. Rory said you find gemstones in mines. He couldn’t stop talking about how much money the guy who called said you were giving up. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, precious gems start as minerals and they’re found in layers of rock or often in old mines. Some, like rubies, diamonds and sapphires, are worth a lot of money.”
“I don’t give a tinker’s damn how much you can earn. With me, mines are totally taboo.” She balled her hands on the table and added, “I think it’d be best for everyone if in the morning you find another place to stay.”
“Hold on!” Seth reached across the table and took her hand. “I hope Rory told you I’m not meeting my friend because I’m committed to teaching Rory baseball.”
Lila tugged loose and gripped her mug. “His second most discussed subject was having you take him to a batting cage. Mostly, though, he raved about blue stones in Montana mines. He said if they were big we could make a million dollars and I wouldn’t need to work two jobs.”
The breath left Seth’s lungs in a whoosh. “Lila, I swear I tried to make clear to Rory what I once told you—gemstones don’t lie around waiting to be picked up. I think I only mentioned mines in passing. He assumed a lot. Cross my heart, I refused a chance to earn big money by going to China after reportedly flawless rubies.”
“What did you tell Rory about Montana?”
“He asked if there were rubies here. I said no but that Montana has sapphires. I maybe said if they were big and plentiful they could be worth as much as rubies. I thought I stressed that it takes digging to find them. But, yeah, I may’ve said they show up in old mines, because they do.” He frowned over the rim of his mug.
“Do you intend to hunt for them? I couldn’t handle that. You may not know my dad died in a mine when I was little. I told you about Kevin. I still jolt awake some nights in a panic, picturing everyone I love trapped deep in a pitch-dark mine. It’s terrifying, Seth.”
He got up and took her in his arms. Feeling her erratic heartbeat and her jerky breath on his neck, Seth knew she was more important than gems. He lightly brushed his chin back and forth over her silky hair. “Babe, I can’t stand to see you so anxious.” His hold tightened. “I don’t have any clue how else I might earn a living, because I’ve been a gem hunter since I left university. I have some money saved. At my age it’s not enough to last. It’s probably enough to allow me to explore other options. Anyway, hunting sapphires here takes a permit, which I don’t have,” he said firmly.
Lila snuggled closer. “Would you really consider doing something else?”
“I would. For you. I did toy with the notion after Zeke left the military and learned to be a rancher. I don’t think cattle ranching is for me, but you make me want to settle here, Lila. I’ll see what kinds of jobs companies around here are hiring for.”
“I have an idea if you’re really open to one... After you left the café, Kemper and his parents came in. Mr. Barnes is impressed by how much you’ve taught Rory in a short time.” Leaning back she gazed up into his face. “I hesitate to mention this. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to reorder your life. But...our high school baseball coach plans to retire. Uh, he may also teach science. I know you’d be great in the coaching part.”
Seth released her. “Our tea is getting cold. Let’s sit again and discuss this further.”
She took their mugs and zapped them in the microwave. “It was only a thought.”
“I like giving Rory tips,” he said after she returned to her chair. “I’d enjoy coaching. As for teaching, I have a masters in geology. And I like science. I wonder what I’d need to qualify to teach in Montana.” He spoke almost to himself.
“Myra might know,” Lila said. “She used to teach college math. You can ask her tomorrow if you’re starting to roof their barn. But, Seth, you have to be sure. If in a couple of years you got restless being in one place and then you left, it’d be harder on all of us than it would be if we agreed to part company now.”
“I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t happen. People may envy world travelers, but it gets tiresome and old. Unearthing gems kept me going this long but, to be candid, when I talked to Zeke about visiting, part of me yearned to settle down. Once I got here I felt at home. Meeting you and helping Rory is like icing on the cake.”
Lila blushed. “No one’s ever compared me to frosting before.”
Seth studied her intently. “Your lips taste sweeter than frosting. And at the moment I’m imagining tasting you everywhere.”
“Please...” She ducked her head. “You...you should know I...don’t have a lot of experience. You probably expect more of a woman my age who is a widow. But...”
Seth interrupted by capturing the hand she waved through the air. “Lila, there’s no pressure. I see how difficult it is for us to grab a few minutes alone together. I know your home is full of strangers and that you live in close quarters with a son at an impressionable age. Plus, he’s observant. It’s important that he be willing to share you with me.” Seth brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss in the palm.
“You’re already his hero, Seth.”
“Maybe, but boys can be super protective of their moms. I’m okay with slow and steady. Does that suit you?” he asked, curling her fingers to his mouth to kiss.
“Honestly? Sometimes I look at you and feel in a rush for...more.”
Seth grinned because no sooner had she spoken than she seemed horrified by what she’d said. “That’s good. May I point out that you have a nice hayloft. Or I have a very private end room upstairs.”
Lila snatched her hand away and shoved back her chair. “Okay, it’s not just hot tea making me sweat. Oh, wait, Seth. We’ve covered a lot of topics we both need to think long and hard about. And it’s late. I need to check on Tawana and see how she’s doing.”
Quick to take the hint, Seth stood. He bent, dusted a kiss over her lips and felt relieved when she lightly touched his face and didn’t pull away. He straightened first, collected his mug and set it in the sink. “It’s settled in my mind,” he said, going to stand under the archway. “Tomorrow morning I’m helping Zeke. If you’re cool with me taking Rory to the batting cages for a couple of hours, I’ll pick him up from school. We’ll return to the café around five thirty.”
“As long as you swear he won’t come back filled with pie-in-the-sky schemes to find gems that’ll sell for a million dollars.”
Seth raised his right hand. “I do solemnly swear.”
Lila acquiesced with the barest incline of her chin. It was sufficient, and Seth went upstairs set to start making big changes in his life.
* * *
IN THE MORNING when he got dressed, his gaze fell on the equipment he’d bought to explore the mine. He might return them, but for now he’d store them in the barn. There was a tool chest in the tack room. The flashlights could be useful in case the power ever went out. He thought he still had the receipt for the lighted helmet and harness with oxygen mask. As soon as he had some spare time he’d see about going back to the sporting-goods store. But before he got too excited about a possible coaching job, he needed to learn what applying entailed.
Toting the gear to the barn, he put everything in the toolbox and closed the lid. Turning, he saw Rory watching him.
“What did you put in the wooden box, Seth? Is it more stuff for Little League?”
“No. What’s got you up so early, slugger? Did you come to help me feed the horses?”
The boy shook his head. “Memaw called. She needs Mom to work all day ’cause Mrs. Watson has an appointment she forgot.”
Outside a horn honked.
“That’s Mom. She put muffins and stuff out for you and the others. We gotta go, but she knows you’re picking me up from school.” Rory headed for the door.
Seth followed him and waved to Lila as Rory climbed into the Jeep. They drove off and he went back to feed and water the horses. It was too bad there was no market for horses. Raising and training them kind of appealed to Seth. Although, that was what Lila had wanted her husband to do. Seth immediately crossed that off his list. He wasn’t a stand-in for Lila’s first husband.
After chores he grabbed muffins and coffee to go. Twenty minutes later he drove down the lane to the Flying Owl Ranch. Zeke was already up on the barn roof.
Myra, leaning on a stack of brick-red metal roofing material, hailed him. “Zeke’s anxious to get this done before next week’s prediction of rain. Ah, good, you came prepared with gloves, sunglasses and ball cap.”
“Before I scoot up the ladder, I have a question. Lila tells me the high school coach is retiring. He also teaches science. I...may want to apply. She thought you might know what I’d need to qualify.”
His sister-in-law’s mouth dropped. “You’re not going back to gem hunting?”
Shaking his head, Seth tipped his ball cap over his eyes.
“You’d need a provisional exclusion to teach until you could obtain a certificate in education in addition to your degrees.”
“Can I take online classes for that?”
“Yup. Go look at the state education website. It’ll list approved online schools. If you set a plan and start classes, a school can issue provisional certification. Schools always need science teachers, especially rural schools. By chance, is this because you’re falling for Lila?” Myra slipped in the question and elbowed Seth’s arm.
“Would you and the other Artsy Ladies give me the green light?”
“Boy, oh, boy, I would.”
“Hey!” Zeke called down. “Did you come to help me or do you plan to jawbone with my wife all day?”
“He’s touchy,” Seth murmured. “And ‘jawbone’? Not a Bostonian term.”
“Your brother is wholly Montanan now,” Myra said with pride.
“It suits him. And I think it’ll suit me,” Seth said before mounting the tall ladder braced against the barn.
The brothers worked together stripping off old roofing and tossing it into an open trash bin on the ground. They covered a range of subjects, but Seth didn’t share with his twin his growing feelings for Lila Jenkins or his new career plans. They talked baseball. Seth invited Zeke to Rory’s games. “Give him a few games to see how well he learns to bat, though. Lila’s work schedule will keep her from going to his first few games. It’ll do him worlds of good to have someone besides me in the stands rooting for him.”
“Text me the dates he plays. I’ll try to make a game or two while Myra’s building her dollhouses for the Thanksgiving bazaar.”
They went on to discuss the bazaar and how the money the women earned went to band and keep track of snowy owls. “Myra wondered if Jewell’s still going without Tawana to meet with the House Natural Resource Committee.”
“Lila said she is. How angry do you think Leland Conrad will be if the government takes his timberland for owls?”
“Hard to say. I hear he’s not well, but I haven’t heard what’s wrong with him. He did talk to Jewell once about selling the ladies the forest. But his Realtor changed his mind.”
“Uh, maybe it’ll all work out.”
They quit talking and made good progress.
Myra delivered sandwiches and iced tea for lunch, but rode off to check on the cattle.
Climbing back to the roof, the men worked until two o’clock. Then Seth said, “I need to take off to go shower. I’m picking Rory up from school to go to the batting cages.”
“Sounds like fun. I wish I had a son,” Zeke lamented.
Seth laughed. “I trust you know the stork doesn’t bring babies, bro.”
“Would it shock you to hear we’re trying for a baby this soon after marriage?” Zeke asked after they were on the ground. He kept rubbing the arm Seth knew had been shot up in Afghanistan.
“Wouldn’t surprise me at all. Being grandparents could bring the folks back from the Caribbean.”
“Yeah. Call me sentimental in my old age, but I’d like nothing better than for my whole family, including you, to live around here.”
“I’m thinking seriously about it. Well, see you tomorrow. I’ve gotta dash.”
* * *
SETH SQUEAKED IN to collect Rory with two minutes to spare. The boy parted from his friends at the flag pole and ran to where Seth sat parked in the line of parents picking up their students.
Rory tossed his backpack and mitt into the backseat, slammed the door and crawled into the front passenger side. “I brought my mitt, but Mom said I probably wouldn’t need it. Do you have my bat?”
“In the trunk. Did you have a good day at school?”
“Nah. School’s almost out. Our teacher is trying to stuff our heads full of information we didn’t get to in our textbooks.”
Seth supposed he shouldn’t laugh, but keeping a straight face was difficult.
“Mom said I can’t ask you about those blue stones. She got mad at me.” Rory jiggled his feet. “She gets all hyper if anybody brings up mines. ’Cause my dad died in one. I sorta remember him. But... I asked my teacher about gems. She told the whole class that rock hounds find agates all over Montana. Some are worth a lot of money, just like your friend said. Rock hounds are people, Seth, not dogs.”
“Your focus and mine needs to stick to baseball,” Seth said, hoping he sounded stern. “So you play well in your games.”
“But to earn big money playing baseball I hafta be way older. Kemper said not many guys from here get picked to play as pros. His dad says that’s where players make big bucks.”
“That’s true, but money isn’t everything. You live in a nice house, eat well and your mom bought you that New York Yankees shirt,” Seth teased, poking a finger at Rory’s favorite tee.
They arrived, went inside the rec center and were directed to the proper area beyond the paintball section. At the gate, Seth looked over the pricing. “What do you recommend for a beginner?” he asked the attendant. The young man made a suggestion.
“You can upgrade any time. I assume it’s not going to be a one-time visit.”
“I think we’ll be here every afternoon for a while.”
Rory’s head bobbed back and forth between the two men until Seth ran his credit card and was given a key to a specific cage.
A few other machines were in operation and Rory fell behind as he peered through the fencing. “The machine pitches,” he whispered to Seth.
“Yes. And it can be set to change up balls and strikes, which helps you learn what balls to swing at.”
“I wish I had one of these at home,” Rory said, following Seth into their cage.
“They cost several thousand dollars, which is why few kids own one and so many come here.”
“If I found sapphires and sold them for a million bucks, I could buy my own.”
Seth chose to ignore Rory’s statement. Instead he went about explaining how the pitching machine worked. “I’ll set it for all strikes to start, so I can watch your swing and help you adjust. Our second hour we’ll do changeups. Keep your eye on the ball, just like catching. Don’t be distracted by folks talking in the next cage or the noise of their machines.”
At first Rory was awkward. He pouted when he missed. Seth guided him gently and was pleased when he quickly got the hang of batting. “You’re doing great,” he said at the end of the session.
“This is fun. Can’t we stay longer?”
“I told your mom when we’d be back to the café. We’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Rory drawled, skipping along in Seth’s wake. “I like this bat a lot. I never hit anything with Kemper’s ’spensive green bats.”
Seth tugged on the bill of Rory’s ball cap and delivered a smile. After he stopped to collect their points, which built toward free pitches, he put Rory’s bat in the trunk.
“Can I use this bat at Little League practice and for games?”
“We’ll have to see if the team supplies equipment, Rory.” Seth waited while the boy buckled in before starting the car. “If you’ve watched Kemper at practice, does he use his bats?”
“Yeah, but his dad’s always there telling Coach what to do. Even if Mom could go, she’s too nice to do that.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Moms are fierce when it comes to their cubs.”
“She’s too busy to go to practice or a game. That’s why we should go find the blue gems in the mine. Mom takes me sometimes and we leave flowers for my dad.”
Seth had been trying to figure out what to say to deter Rory’s interest in sapphires. “Rory, listen to me. I’m sorry you overheard my friend’s phone call. It’s rare for any gem hunter to make the amount of money Yoti mentioned. Not just rare, extremely rare. So forget any notion that it’s an easy way to make money. It’s not.”
Rory fell silent. Seth glanced at him as he parked down from the café. To say the kid looked sullen would be putting it mildly. “Hey, buck up,” Seth said. “Let’s grab your stuff and find something to eat. Aren’t you excited to tell your mom and grandmother how fantastic you did batting?”
“Did I really do good or are you saying that so I’ll feel better?”
Seth exited the car and popped open the trunk. “Boy, for nine, you’re cynical.”
Rory hooked an arm through the strap of his backpack. “What’s that mean?”
“‘Cynical’ is distrusting.” Seth collected Rory’s things and slammed the trunk lid. “You really batted well. I wouldn’t have said that if you hadn’t.”
“Cool!” Rory sprinted to the door.
Entering behind him, Seth saw Rory head for the kitchen. Lila had apparently been on the lookout for them. She met her son with a grin and nodded often as he regaled her with his chatter.
Seth made his way to one of the few empty booths. The café was busy, and he thought Lila’s face showed the strain of having worked a long day. He picked up a menu someone had left on the table. As he scanned it, he wished he could lighten her burden. He understood why Rory would feel the same.
Doreen came to the booth. Her arm remained in a sling, but she looked more relaxed than her daughter. “Tonight’s special is spaghetti. My grandson seems keyed up. I hope you didn’t fill his head with more claptrap about getting rich finding sapphires. I told Lila if you’d made close to that much you wouldn’t waste your time hanging around Snowy Owl Crossing.”
Seth bit back his first response. “Spaghetti sounds good. Your grandson had a successful trip to the batting cage. If everyone applauds his efforts, he’ll return to baseball as his main interest.”
She sashayed off. And Rory soon ran over and slid into the booth. “Mom said she has our game dates. She’s gonna ask if Mrs. Watson can work that first afternoon.”
“When is your first game?”
“Next Saturday.”
Seth drummed his fingers on the table. “We should have Zeke’s barn roof on by then. Now that school is out you and I can squeeze extra practice time around League practices.”
“Will Coach let me play in the first game?”
Lila came to deliver their meals just as Seth opened his mouth to answer. “Yes, I need to know, too,” she said, looking anxious. “It’s not easy to get a relief cook for Saturday afternoons. I’d hope if I arrange time off that I can see Rory play.”
“How much lead time do you need? I’ll ask the coach his plans at their first practice. If I ran the show I’d play every kid in the first game to see their strengths and weaknesses. But I’m not in charge.”
“By the way, the high school principal and his family were in earlier. You missed them by a few minutes. If you’re still interested in the job we discussed last night...? Because I said something when he paid his check and he’d like to talk to you.”
“Sure thing. Myra told me what I need to do to teach provisionally while I’d take classes online for a teaching credential.”
A huge smile lit Lila’s face and swept away the signs of stress that had concerned Seth. “We can talk later, if you’re up for tea again,” he said.
“Maybe. I need to cut out the fabric for the infant sleep sacks I plan to sell at the Thanksgiving bazaar. Jewell called Tawana today. She leaves Monday and has her pitch to the House Natural Resource Committee memorized.”
Doreen called for Lila to check something in the oven. She rushed away in the same kind of whirlwind that had brought her to their booth.
Seth picked up his fork and dug into his spaghetti.
“Are you going to teach school?” Rory asked, swirling his fork in his noodles.
“I’m going to see what it’d take for me to teach science at the high school and coach some of their sports.”
“Why?”
Breaking a chunk off his garlic bread, Seth debated launching a first salvo about his growing romantic interest in Lila. Unsure how to go about it, he took a different tack. “I like this town. My brother lives here. You and your mom live here. If I stay, I need to earn money.”
“But...but...can’t you go get the blue stones?”
“Rory, no. The mere suggestion upsets your mother. You understand how much it hurt her to lose your dad in the mine accident, don’t you?”
“I guess. Everybody cried a long time. Mom still does when we go there to leave flowers. I don’t think it looks scary or different from the land around our ranch.”
“You weren’t very old when it happened, Rory. It was probably scary for your mom. Eat now, before your spaghetti gets cold.”
“Okay. If you teach high school, does that mean you can’t help me get better at baseball?”
“The opposite. I’d have summers off.”
The boy’s tension dissipated and he began to eat.
* * *
SOME HOURS LATER at home, after Seth had taken Ghost for his nightly run and had a shower, he went online to read up on provisional teaching certificates. By the time he heard Lila and Rory arrive home, he thought it seemed doable.
Unlike the prior evening when he’d rushed downstairs, tonight he gave them time to complete their routine. The fishermen had long since retired.
The kitchen light was off when Seth descended. Thinking he’d waited too long and now wouldn’t have any alone time with Lila struck a blow. Until he realized a light burned in the dining room.
Lila had printed flannel material spread out over the large table. Seth coughed to alert her as soon as he realized she had scissors in her hand.
She looked around and hailed him with a smile and wave of the sharp scissors. “I thought maybe roofing and Rory wore you out and you fell asleep early.”
He walked up behind her, bracketed her narrow waist with his hands, bent and nuzzled her neck with his lips.
Lila relaxed and tipped her head to allow him greater access. “Hmm. You have a nice way of saying hello.”
“I shouldn’t interrupt your work. Your day’s been as long as mine and perhaps more stressful.”
“Will it go to your head if I say glimpsing you gives me a floating sensation?”
“No kidding?” Seth’s hands tightened and he brought her closer for another nibble. “How do you always manage to smell like springtime, morning, noon or night?”
“You like my perfume? Kevin hated it. I stopped buying it for quite a while.” She set down the scissors, turned in his grasp and initiated a solid kiss. “I don’t have many indulgences,” she admitted, dropping flat on her heels. “But I grew up loving the scent of magnolias. Now I buy this perfume for me.”
“You’ll have to write down the name and I’ll gladly keep you supplied.”
She let her hands drift down the front of his shirt. “I should get back to cutting out these patterns. You can pull up a chair and talk to me.”
Seth let her go and went to the other side of the table. Otherwise he’d be too tempted to entice her away from work.
“Did Rory really bat well? He must’ve told me and Mom that fifty times after you left the café.”
“He did. He follows directions and honestly has a lot of natural ability. It’s hard for me to believe the coach never saw that.”
“Do you think the coach will let him play in a game? Some kids might like the idea of being on the team. Rory will want to play.”
“At this level, a coach should play every kid at least part of the game. If he doesn’t, we’ll find another team.”
“Seth, this is Snowy Owl Crossing not Boston. There aren’t a lot of choices here.”
“True. He’s going to be good enough to be chosen.”
Lila shot him a huge smile. “You’re good for us. And I have to thank you for getting Rory’s mind back on baseball and off finding gems.”
Seth shifted uncomfortably in the straight-backed chair. He was glad Rory hadn’t returned to the subject with Lila. So maybe his last lecture had hit home. “Hey, I wanted to ask you if I should phone the high school to talk to the principal about that job. Or does the district hire? The website wasn’t clear.”
Lila folded and set aside material she’d cut out. “I think the principal interviews. You’re really serious, then?”
Hearing the catch in Lila’s voice, and seeing her quick exhale, Seth left his chair and circled to where she stood. Cupping her face in both hands, he said in total earnestness, “I’ve never been more serious about any decision I’ve made in my life. You fill a void I’ve never quite had filled. Just tell me I have a chance to make a difference for you. A positive difference,” he said with feeling.
“You already do, but I keep thinking you’re too good to be true. And I worry that something bad is going to drop out of the sky to wreck what we’re building.”
Seth kissed the tip of her nose. “You mean like the snowy owl sweeping down to take Rory’s baseball? We’re all too big for that, so quit worrying.”
“I even like your quirky sense of humor, Mr. Maxwell.”
Her cell phone rang. She picked it up off the table. “It’s Mindy, one of the Artsy Ladies,” she murmured. “I phoned her earlier. I should take this call.”
Seth skimmed another kiss over her upturned mouth. “I’ll feed the horses in the morning before I go to Zeke’s. Batting practice with Rory again in the afternoon. Maybe tomorrow evening we can talk about how to snag a little alone time together.”
Lila’s eye roll spoke of the futility of that prospect.
Seth, though, wasn’t easily deterred.