CHAPTER 6

JANE REMOVED THE BLOOD-PRESSURE CUFF FROM Ruth Bishop’s upper arm and noted the reading on her chart. Ruth’s diastolic and systolic numbers were well within the normal range, which was good. The medication was doing its job.

“Overall, how are you feeling?” Jane asked as she reached for her prescription pad to write a renewal.

“Good,” Ruth said after a short hesitation.

Jane looked up. “Is there anything else you’d like me to check? You’re here now and I’d hate to have you think of something later.” Jane held office hours on Saturday morning because it seemed a convenient time for a lot of people. If Ruth decided, once she got home, that she did have some other concern, Jane wouldn’t be available again until Monday. Not only that, Ruth would have to make the long drive a second time.

Jane waited quietly for a minute or so.

Ruth finally spoke. “Actually it’s my daughter-in-law,” she said.

Jane sat down and made herself comfortable. It’d taken her a while to realize that, when it came to confidences, people shared at their own pace and in their own way. Not just the people in Promise, Texas, but people everywhere.

“Nell was in last night with Jeremy,” Jane said, wanting Ruth to know she was familiar with her daughter-in-law.

“I know. Jeremy said that for a lady doctor you weren’t half-bad.”

Jane unsuccessfully hid a smile.

“He meant that as a compliment,” Ruth said, her cheeks growing pink.

“Don’t worry, Ruth, I hear that all the time.”

“It’s difficult for some folks to get used to the idea of a female doctor.”

Ruth wasn’t telling Jane something she didn’t already know.

“I’m living with Nell,” Ruth explained, “helping her out when I can. Encouraging her. It was a blow to both of us when Jake died… I never expected my son would join his father before me.” Her eyes teared up, and Jane leaned forward to hand her a tissue. Ruth thanked her in a choked voice and dabbed her eyes.

“So…what about Nell?” Jane asked gently, giving the older woman time to compose herself.

“Early this morning I found her in the living room weeping. That’s not like her. She’s not a woman who shows her pain. When we buried Jake, it was Nell who remained strong, who comforted the family, who held us all together. I don’t know what we would’ve done without her.”

From her psychology classes, Jane remembered that in a family crisis there was usually one member who remained emotionally steady for others to lean on for support. She’d seen the truth of this time and again. Sometimes family members traded roles, almost taking turns, at comforting and helping one another through a crisis.

“Nell shed her share of tears, I know that,” Ruth said, “but she did it privately. She loved my son, grieves for him still.”

“I’m sure that’s true,” Jane said. She hardly knew Nell, but the widow was unmistakably a strong independent woman, someone she’d like to call a friend.

“Jeremy’s broken arm shook her more than I realized. I wasn’t home at the time. The Moorhouse sisters, Betty Knoll and I play bridge on Friday nights. Edwina and Lily bring out their cordial—same recipe Dovie uses—and we let down our hair and relax.”

Jane could picture the four older women and suspected they were crackerjack bridge players.

“Nell told me Jeremy had climbed on the tractor. That he fell off and broke his arm.” Ruth grew quiet for a moment. “You may not know this, but Jake died in a tractor accident. It must have been terribly upsetting for Nell finding Jeremy by the tractor. Especially since she’s the one who found Jake. He was still alive and in shock, but was gone before help could reach him.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jane murmured. She could only imagine the horror of finding your husband trapped beneath a tractor. Nell had been pale and shaken when she arrived with Jeremy, Jane remembered; she must have been reliving that unbearable time. Thank heaven Cal had been at the clinic and was able to distract Nell while she dealt with the injured boy.

“It’s been almost three years since Jake’s been gone. It doesn’t seem like it could be that long, but it is.”

“It’s a big adjustment, losing a son,” Jane said softly.

“And losing a husband. Last night I found Nell sitting in her rocker by the fireplace,” Ruth said, continuing with her story. “It was three in the morning, and when I asked her what woke her up, Nell told me she hadn’t been to bed yet.”

“Had she been up with Jeremy?” The question was prompted by Jane’s concern that perhaps the pain medication hadn’t worked adequately. After the shock of a broken bone, Jeremy needed his rest. His mother did, too.

“No. Nell was…remembering.” Ruth fell silent for a moment. “I…I worry about my daughter-in-law,” she admitted. “It’s time she moved on with her life. Met someone else.”

Jane said nothing, preferring to let the other woman speak.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to spend the rest of her life grieving for Jake,” Ruth said, her own voice trembling with emotion. “I know…knew my son and he wouldn’t have wanted that.”

“Have you told her this?” Jane asked.

“Oh, yes, a number of times. She brushes it off. Last summer, for the Cattlemen’s Association Dance, she received two invitations. I was ecstatic, thinking it was past time the men in this town paid her some attention.”

Jane was thinking Nell had done better than she had herself. No one had asked her, but then, she’d been new to the community and hadn’t met a lot of people yet. By that she meant Cal. He would’ve been her first choice had she known him.

“Nell turned down both offers,” Ruth said, pinching her lips in disapproval. “No amount of coaxing could get her to change her mind, either.” She exhaled noisily and Jane recognized Ruth’s impatience with her daughter-in-law. “As it turned out, Emma had an upset tummy that night, so Nell made a quick appearance at the dance but came home within the hour. I was baby-sitting and I told her to stay as long as she wanted—have a good time, I said, but she’d have none of it.”

It sounded to Jane as though Emma’s upset stomach had been a convenient excuse for Nell to hurry home.

“How can I encourage her?” Ruth asked.

This was at the heart of her worries, Jane realized. “You can’t,” she said.

“But it’s been almost three years,” Ruth said again.

“Nell has to be the one to recognize when it’s time. No one else can do that for her.”

“I know, but I’d like her to get out more. Socialize. Spend time with her friends, but she hardly even does that. Nell works too hard and laughs too little.”

“It’s not something you can force,” Jane said. “Nell will know when she’s ready.”

“I hope it’s soon,” Ruth murmured. “My son was a wonderful man, but she’s too fine a woman to pine for him the rest of her life. Much too fine.”

Jane was sure that was true.

* * *

STORM CLOUDS darkened the afternoon. Glancing toward the sky, Cal hurried outside. Electrical storms weren’t uncommon in the Texas hill country, and he wanted his livestock in the shelter of the barn.

The dogs helped him and he’d gotten Atta Girl and a chestnut mare named Cheyenne safely into the barn when he saw Jane’s car pull into the yard. Damn, with the approach of the storm, he’d forgotten about the lesson. Despite that, she hadn’t been far from his thoughts all day. Not since the moment he’d first kissed her.

He didn’t know what had driven him to do anything so foolish, especially after insisting there was no future in this relationship. Impulse, he supposed—an impulse he planned to avoid from now on.

Frightened by the thunder, Moonshine, Glen’s favorite gelding, pranced about the yard, making him difficult to catch. He wouldn’t have given Glen nearly as much trouble, but there was nothing Cal could do about that now.

The wind howled and the first fat drops of rain fell haphazardly from the sky. “Can I help?” Jane had to shout to be heard.

“Go in the house before you get soaked,” Cal ordered. The rain was falling steadily now, and Cal knew it would only grow more intense.

“I can do something!”

He should’ve known she’d insist on helping him. Dr. Texas wasn’t the type who took orders willingly. Cal groaned; he certainly knew how to pick ’em. He couldn’t be attracted to a docile eager-to-please female. Oh, no, that would be too easy. Instead, he had to go and complicate his life with a woman whose personality was as strong and obstinate as his own.

Against his wishes, Jane ran to the corral and stood on the opposite side, waving her hands high above her head. To Cal’s amazement Moonshine had a change of heart. Either that, or the quarter horse was so unsettled by the sight of a California girl flapping her arms around, he figured the barn was the safest place for him. In an abrupt turnaround, the gelding trotted obediently into the barn, one of the dogs barking at his heels.

Cal followed him inside and out of the rain. He waited for Jane to join him before closing the door. The rain fell in earnest, a real downpour, pounding the ground with such force the drops ricocheted three inches upward.

Cal led Moonshine into his stall. “I didn’t think you’d come, what with the storm and all,” he told Jane.

“I wasn’t sure I should.”

It went against his pride to let her know how pleased he was she had.

“Do you want me to drive home?” she asked, sounding oddly uncertain and a bit defensive.

It was the way he’d feel had circumstances been reversed. “You’re here now. The weather’s a write-off but we’ll make the best of it.” Which shouldn’t be too hard. Dr. Texas looked damn good in her hip-hugging jeans and boots.

He removed his jacket and handed it to her. “Let’s make a run for the house.” Opening the barn door, he looked out and cringed. The rain was still coming down in torrents and it was almost impossible to see across the yard. They’d be drenched to the skin by the time they reached the house.

Holding the jacket above her head for protection, Jane moved beside him to view the downpour. “My goodness, does it rain like this often?”

“Often enough,” he muttered.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Seeing she’d been born and raised in Southern California, Cal could believe that. He’d read about small towns near Death Valley where the children had never seen rain at all.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Any time,” she said, with a game smile.

Lightning flashed. Not willing to wait any longer, Cal offered Jane his hand. She clasped it tightly and held the jacket over her head with her free hand. They sprinted toward the house, sliding a bit on the muddy ground. He kept his pace deliberately even, fearing she might slip.

Breathing hard, they burst into the house together. Jane released Cal’s hand immediately. The water dripped from him as if he’d just stepped out of the shower, and his clothes were plastered to his skin.

“You’re drenched,” Jane said and gave him back his jacket. Despite the protection it had provided, her hair and face glistened with rainwater.

“So are you,” he said, and for the life of him, he couldn’t pull his gaze away from hers.

“Not like you.” She moistened her lips with her tongue and that was Cal’s downfall. He’d already promised himself there wouldn’t be a repeat of the kiss they’d shared last night, but nothing could have stopped him from sampling her lips once more. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but not her sigh of welcome. Nor had he anticipated her stepping farther into his embrace. His breathing grew heavy and so did hers. The kiss deepened and she slipped her arms around his neck and moved even closer. The feel of her soft body against his was enough to make him weak at the knees.

He lifted his head. “I’m getting you all wet.”

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t have come,” he whispered, although his head and his heart waged battle.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” His response was instantaneous. Direct. Reluctantly he eased her out of his arms. “I’ll go change.”

“I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”

He nodded and headed toward the stairway, taking the steps two at a time. Every minute not spent with her felt wasted, and he was a frugal man.

He stripped off his shirt, then flung it aside, drying himself with a towel. He reached for a sweater and pulled it over his head. He’d just donned a clean pair of jeans and had stepped back into his boots when the electric lights flickered and went off.

The house was almost completely dark. Even though it was midafternoon, the heavy black clouds closed out the light.

“Jane,” he shouted from the top of the stairs, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she called back.

“I’ll be right there.” Cal draped his wet clothes over the edge of the bathtub and ran a comb through his hair before going downstairs. He got a flashlight from the hallway and found Jane in the kitchen standing next to the stove.

“I guess we’ll have to do without the coffee,” she said.

“Will wine do?” he asked.

“Great idea.” His eyes were adjusting to the darkness and he saw her smile at him.

It would be easy to get lost in one of those smiles. “I’ll get a fire going.” He took her hand and led her into the living room. He knelt in front of the brick fireplace, arranged the kindling, then placed a couple of logs on top. The match flared briefly and ignited the wood. Soon a fire burned invitingly, its warmth spreading into the room.

“This is cozy, isn’t it?” Jane said, huddling close to the fire.

“I’ll be back in a minute with the wine.” As it happened, he had a number of bottles left over from the wedding that had never taken place. He’d wanted Glen and Ellie to use the wine at theirs, but Glen had declined, insisting Cal save it for a rainy day. Like right now, Cal thought wryly.

He returned with a corkscrew, two goblets and a bottle of merlot.

He sat on the carpet with Jane, his back supported by the sofa, a glass of wine in his hand. Jane sat next to him, chin resting on her bent knees.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, not looking at her. It was a big admission, seeing as he’d told her—twice—she shouldn’t have come.

“I’m glad I’m here, too.”

He put his arm around her shoulders and she scooted closer to his side. She turned to him with another one of her potent smiles. It was an invitation to kiss her again, an invitation he wasn’t about to ignore.

She wanted his kisses, her smile said. Cal had thought of little else from the moment they sat down in front of the fire. He’d attempted to discipline his response to her, but his resolve weakened by the moment, and he’d all but given up.

He lowered his head and watched as her eyes closed. He could deny himself no longer. The kiss that followed was intense and passionate. He hadn’t meant it to be—but he couldn’t help it, either. His mouth played on hers until he groaned.

Thunder exploded, and for an instant Cal thought it was the beat of his own heart. Jane had that kind of effect on him. He broke off the kiss and, closing his eyes, leaned his head back against the sofa. Drawing in several deep breaths, he struggled to find his equilibrium.

He couldn’t make himself stop wanting her. But it wasn’t right; he knew that. This relationship had no future.

At last he straightened and took a sip of his wine. Jane did, too, and he noticed that her hand trembled slightly. His was shaking, too.

He’d rarely been more unnerved. He thought of telling her about Jennifer, then changed his mind, afraid she’d read something more into the information than he intended. And yet he couldn’t say what his intentions were.

“Are you cold?” he asked, diverting his attention from these dangerous thoughts.

“No. How about you?”

The wine had warmed him. The wine and her kisses. “I’m fine.”

All of a sudden, they were shy with each other.

Probably in an effort to distract herself, Jane started a conversation, mentioning people in town she was beginning to know. Cal eagerly joined in, answering her questions, bringing up other names. At least when they were talking, he wasn’t thinking about making love to her.

The hell he wasn’t!

“This has got to stop,” he said, and at her look of surprise, realized he’d spoken aloud.

“What’s got to stop?” Jane asked.

Embarrassed, he couldn’t think of a single response. “This,” he said, setting his wineglass aside. The next moment she was in his arms again. The kiss started in hunger and progressed to greed. Her response was immediate and she went soft and pliable in his arms.

“Cal?” she whispered, gazing up at him.

“Mmm?” He spread a row of moist kisses on her neck and jaw. She moaned softly and rolled her head to one side. His senses filled with the taste of her, the citrusy scent of her. He couldn’t make himself quit, couldn’t make himself want to quit.

She moaned again when he let his tongue slide along the hollow of her throat.

“You wanted something,” he reminded her.

“Yes…”

“What?” He worked his way back to her lips.

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but soon her head rested on his lap and he was bent over her.

“You’re right—we should stop,” she murmured with little conviction.

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” he said and kissed her again.

She looped her arms around his neck and raised her head from his lap. They strained against each other, trying to get closer, closer. His thoughts—all the reasons kissing Jane wasn’t a good idea—didn’t mean a thing.

Jane’s mouth parted for him and his tongue curled around hers. The next thing he knew, his hand had worked open the front of her blouse and slipped inside to cup a satin-sheathed breast. Her skin was warm to the touch.

This attraction was becoming increasingly dangerous. And harder to resist.

“What should we do?” he asked, needing her to say or do something to stop this.

“I…don’t know.”

He kissed her again, slowly, thoroughly. “You’re a Valley Girl.”

“No, I’m not! Anyway, you’re a rebel.”

“You belong in California.”

“You punch cattle for a living.”

“There’s no future in this.”

“None whatsoever.”

Cal frowned. “Then why do I feel like this?”

“When you know the answer, tell me.”

To his dying day Cal wouldn’t know what it was about this stubborn beautiful woman that made him laugh the way he did. He threw back his head and howled.

Jane apparently didn’t find it all that amusing. She sat upright, then shocked him by climbing over him and straddling his lap. His eyes grew wide with surprise.

His amusement faded when she threw her arms around his neck and teased him with nibbling kisses that left him hungering for more.

“You taking me to find that ghost town, Rebel?” she whispered.

“Do I have a choice?”

“None whatsoever.”

He muttered under his breath. “I’ll do it, but I won’t like it.”

She grinned. “There’ll be compensations,” she promised.

“I’m counting on that.”

And then she really kissed him. By the time she finished, he would gladly have taken her anywhere she asked.

* * *

FRANK FELT like a schoolboy as he splashed aftershave on his face and studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror. For the first time in eleven years he had a date with someone other than Dovie. He’d rather be with her, but they remained at an impasse and he was tired of fighting a losing battle.

It’d taken him three days to compile a list of candidates and then pare it down to one woman. His decision made, he’d phoned Tammy Lee Kollenborn and invited her to dinner and a movie. It helped soothe his wounded ego when she eagerly accepted.

Of all the eligible women in town, Tammy Lee was the most attractive. She was a fiftyish divorcée who wore a little too much makeup and was friends with Louise Powell; that was the downside. On the other hand, since Louise was the town gossip, word of his seeing Tammy Lee was sure to get back to Dovie.

Tammy Lee had been divorced for twenty years or more, Frank knew, and that was a factor in her favor. She’d dated a number of men in town and revealed no sign of wanting to remarry. Another plus. From what he heard, she received hefty alimony payments. She routinely traveled and had spent one summer in Europe, returning to Promise with some mighty interesting souvenirs. Apparently she’d brought back a giant round mirror festooned with romping nymphs and satyrs. Rumor had it she’d fastened it to the ceiling above her bed. In time, Frank might have the opportunity to investigate that particular piece of gossip for himself.

Frank didn’t know Tammy Lee well, but she was exactly the type of date he was looking for. Once Dovie heard about this, she was sure to have a change of heart. If she didn’t, well, that was that. He’d done everything within his power to get her to see reason. Short of marrying her, which he refused to do.

He reached for his jacket and headed out the front door, grateful the rain had ceased. He was starting slow, easing into this relationship. Dinner, followed by a movie. They could chat over the meal, get comfortable with each other. A movie was a good way to end the evening, no pressure to carry on a conversation.

Frank picked up Tammy Lee at her house. She opened the door and beamed him a broad smile. “I can’t tell you how pleased I was when you phoned,” she said, draping a fringed wrap over her shoulders. “The first person I called was Louise.”

Louise Powell. Well, it was no less than he’d expected. Louise might be a blabbermouth, but this time, it was to his advantage.

“You look terrific,” he said, thinking a compliment early in the evening would put them on a good footing. She wore a gold lamé jumpsuit with a jeweled belt that emphasized her trim waist and hips. He especially appreciated her high heels, found them sexy. Fewer and fewer women wore them these days.

Tammy Lee stopped and checked her reflection in the hallway mirror, then smiled. “What a nice thing to say.”

Frank waited for her to return the compliment, but she didn’t. He led her outside and opened the car door, wanting to impress her with his manners. Dovie had always enjoyed the little things he did to show her he cared.

“I’m a modern woman,” Tammy Lee said after he’d climbed into the car and started the engine. “I can get my own door, but it’s real sweet of you to do that.”

“You don’t want me to open your car door?”

“It isn’t necessary, Frank.”

He smiled and decided he was pleased. This was a woman who spoke her mind, who asked for what she wanted. He respected that.

They chose to eat at the Chili Pepper, and their appearance created something of a stir. Frank felt he should apologize for the attention they received.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, graciously dismissing his concern. “I know what it’s like when a longtime relationship ends. People are curious, wanting to know the details.”

People like Louise Powell, Frank added silently.

Frank ordered a steak and a baked potato with all the fixings. He’d lost a few pounds pining for Dovie, and was ready to make up for lost time.

He was mildly disappointed when Tammy Lee asked for a plain green salad with red-wine vinegar.

“I’m watching my weight,” she explained.

Frank guessed that her trim figure demanded sacrifice. He ordered a cold beer to go with his meal, while Tammy Lee requested a highball, her first of three. He wondered about the calories in those, but didn’t ask. At four-fifty a drink, she could have ordered the steak. She surprised him further when she asked to see the dessert menu.

“Every once in a while I allow myself a goodie,” she said.

Frank never ate restaurant desserts. Dovie, when he could convince her to go out, refused to let him eat a pie baked in an aluminum-foil tin. She insisted she could outbake anything that came from a freezer. He’d never argued with her.

Tammy Lee ordered apple pie à la mode.

“Save room for popcorn,” he told her.

She shook her head. “I don’t touch the stuff.”

“Oh,” he said. That was his favorite part of going to the movies. Yes, the theater charged outrageous prices, but it was a rare treat and one of the few indulgences Dovie enjoyed, too. They bought the largest bag, with butter, and shared it.

“I was sorry to hear about your breakup with Dovie,” Tammy Lee said, sounding anything but.

“Yes, well, these things happen.” Frank wasn’t willing to discuss Dovie with another woman.

“I’ve always liked her,” Tammy Lee said.

That statement was patently insincere.

“She’s a special lady,” Frank said, growing uncomfortable with this conversation.

Tammy Lee frowned slightly. “I did understand you correctly, didn’t I? You and Dovie are no longer seeing each other?”

Frank shifted in his seat. “Do you mind if we change the subject?” he asked pointedly.

“Of course not. It’s just that, well, I know you and Dovie were…close, if you catch my drift.”

Frank wasn’t sure he did. “How do you mean?”

“Well…” Tammy Lee lowered her voice significantly. “I understand you spent the night with Dovie at least twice a week.”

Frank opened his mouth to tell her it wasn’t any of her damn business how close he and Dovie were, but she stopped him.

“The only reason I mention this, Frank, is that…” She paused and sent him a pained look. “This is rather embarrassing, and I do hope you’ll forgive me for being blunt, but I’m in a position to help you through these difficult times.”

“Difficult times?” What was she talking about?

“Physically,” she whispered, beaming him another one of her smiles. “I’m currently without a man in my life and I’d welcome your attentions, Sheriff Hennessey.”

He didn’t think a woman had ever shocked him more. Frank shook his head in wonderment. Two years. It’d taken him two full years of courting Dovie before she’d allowed him into her bed. And even after all the time they’d been involved, she was uncomfortable making love without the sanction of marriage. Yet this woman was brazenly letting him know she’d welcome him to her bed on their first date. Sure, he’d admit to a mild fantasy about her supposed sensual bedroom—but checking it out on their first date? What in hell had happened to the world since he’d been out of circulation?

“Well?” Tammy Lee asked.

“Perhaps we should discuss this at a later time,” Frank said.

“Have I shocked you, Frank?” she asked, then laughed coyly.

“Shocked me? What makes you ask that?”

“Your ears have gone all red.” She snickered as if she found this highly humorous.

Tammy Lee’s words irritated him, but he attempted to disguise his reaction. Frank was actually looking forward to the movie for the simple reason that they wouldn’t be speaking. She said the most outrageous things, and he was getting tired of it.

The theater in Promise had only one screen. The seats were rather worn, but comfortable. The feature films weren’t always first-run, but since it was the only show in town, few complained.

Frank purchased their tickets and was putting his change back into his wallet when Tammy Lee decided to get possessive. She rubbed his back affectionately and cozied up to his side, wrapping her hands around his upper arm. He shouldn’t be surprised, he supposed; her actions were certainly in keeping with her conversation.

When he looked up, he saw the reason his date had started to cling to him like a blackberry vine. Standing only a few feet away from him was Dovie Boyd, holding a small bag of popcorn and a paper cup of soda. Her eyes widened with a flash of shock and pain. He feared she was about to drop her drink and admired her for her fast recovery.

Tammy Lee all but draped her arms around his neck, nuzzling his ear like some annoying insect he longed to bat away.

Dovie offered them both a brave if shaky smile. “Hello, Frank. Hello, Tammy Lee,” she said. And then, with the grace of the lady she was, she turned and walked into the theater.