5

The day was turning out perfect with Tiffany at his side. Well, not that it was a date or anything, but maybe he could crack that shell of hers. He drove safe and sure, liking her next to him. The highway was always plowed quick in case of emergencies, and they might get to Hearts Crossing in time for a late lunch. Pastor’s wife Joanne, oozing with grandma capability and supplies, had taken Matty in hand when Tiffany accepted Bragg’s offer to rescue her car. No need to take the baby out.

He missed Matty, though, and could only imagine how bereft Rachel might feel, stuck in Rustic Canyon.

As his truck blew past the rolling ranchland, the hills and gullies all covered in snow had become a winter-time dream. Although he’d seen all a million times before, the scenes outside the dashboard gave him pause and shortened breath.

From the sounds coming from the city girl next to him, she was feeling it, too. Denver was surrounded enough by the Rockies to consider itself far from totally urban. But there was nothing quite like the open range.

Stuck here and there were ranchers digging out and cattle heaving through snow. Just another day in Paradise. Pastor’s prayers had brought Bragg peace, and the Scripture passage had rooted in his brain.

He’d take care of his problem with Tony once and for all. However, he couldn’t help a smidge of relief that the swimming coach job wasn’t yet Tony’s.

Don't let the poisonous root of bitterness grow in your heart

Shame stumbled through him. He should be casting off the enmity, wishing Tony well. Bragg had security, responsibilities he enjoyed at the ranch he loved, an accounting business he was good at. Maybe…maybe the job at the Bar R was the only smidge of hope in Tony’s world.

As for Bragg’s world, all was right in it. Phones were working, roads plowed.

“That was nice, meeting Pastor Hale and his wife,” Tiffany mentioned suddenly, after many comments about the terrain.

“Yep. They’re good people. Hope you’ll take up his invitation about attending services tomorrow. The choir’s going to perform a couple of Gregorian advent chants.”

Tiffany perked up a bit. “Maybe so. I like good music. Depends, though. I’m not much of a church person.”

The statement all but broke Bragg’s heart. Of course he was sorry to hear that. Whatever was going wrong in her life sure could use a fix from the Heavenly Father. But he wasn’t much of a preacher. Leave that to Pastor Hale. Despite his wrangle with Tony, and he did mean to tend to it soon, he might find some good words now, words from the heart.

“Well, it might help you feel better.”

She bit her lip. “I can’t deny that Scripture verse back there, about not letting bitterness take root or something like that, sounded good. But real life is more than some ancient words. Then again, I’m pretty much at the bottom of the well, right now. Something’s got to give.”

“That something could be God,” Bragg said, casual as he could.

From the corner of his eye, he watched her stiffen on the seat next to him. “Bragg…”

“Sorry, Tiffany.” Heat flashed, more than what belched from the heater. He ached to open the window a notch to let in the fresh outside. Heaters always stifled him. “I can’t help it. My family, well, we’ve been through a lot and whenever stuff happens, we seek Him. Even when we’re stuck, even when we resist,” he hesitated just a tad, as Tony’s head reared in his mind. “He always pulls us through.”

“I know.” Tiffany held her left hand like she wanted to touch him, but she didn’t, and disappointment flooded him.

“Rachel’s told me a little. About your father passing from cancer. About Hooper surviving it. Mallie’s brain tumor. Money troubles and corrupt financial planners and all the wonderful extras you all do to keep the ranch afloat. All while raising cattle, too.”

Ah, yeah. Bragg’s heart warmed at the active outdoor life that filled his days and years. City-slicker wagon trains in the summers, hands-on training for amateurs in workshops for rodeo skills and cowboy techniques. Guest rooms and amenities for tourists wanting a glimpse of western life and the cowboy code. All going on alongside the working ranch, and soon, destination wedding excursions to a pretty grotto out by a small stream-fed lake.

Around here the headwaters of the Platte River kept things flowing and grass green. And all because of God’s love. How could he get Tiffany to feel that love? Maybe putting into words.

“All because of God’s love.”

She hesitated, and her pain seeped into the air. “A loving God who lets bad things happen.”

“To test us. To get us to turn into His strength. But sometimes…” He hated to go there, but her problem, like his, seemed to be laid upon the actions of humans, not God. Folks who apparently acted before they thought, prayed, or trusted. “God doesn’t make mistakes. It’s humans who make the bad thing happen.” He clicked his tongue. “I know that first-hand. Then they need to lean on Him to lead them out of the mess.”

He was leaning hard, truth was. And he was getting closer than ever to doing the right thing.

“Hmmm.” She stayed quiet for a long time. He reckoned her car was a half mile or so ahead. “Do you think my car’s OK?” she asked, as if reading his thoughts.

“If it was off the road, yeah. The snowplow’s got marker posts to stay center.”

“Oh, it was. Tony made sure of it.”

Tony again. Bragg’s forehead tightened as he recalled the date she’d made. A childish urge had him gun the gas pedal, and he regretted it when the truck fishtailed a bit and Tiffany’s hands gripped her knees hard.

“Sorry,” he grumbled. “Must have hit some ice.”

“I left it unlocked, keys in it. You know, just in case somebody had to move it. Tony said that was best.”

Bragg shrugged. “Likely was. No known felons around here.”

“I made the mess,” Tiffany said suddenly.

He glanced at her quick, but she stared out the truck window. Sure the Hakes had a good-looking ranch, but he knew that wasn’t what held her interest. Not sure what to say, he took his hand off the steering wheel long enough to touch her shoulder.

“I’m a good listener,” he said, “but Pastor Hale’s a ton better. Don’t feel compelled.”

“No. It’s OK. I’ve already told Rachel, and you and I…”

You and I what? He held his breath.

She tossed a glance, her cheeks blushing. “Well, you and I are getting to be friends. Isn’t that what friends do?”

Yeah, except he’d like to be more than that. Or maybe not. His eventual woman would have to be one grounded in faith. One who turned to God in times of trouble, especially when she had doubts or guilt.

“Yep. They do,” he said, hoping she made it quick. The long white road ahead of them would catch up to Shield Nickel crossroads soon, and then they’d be busy excavating her car from the drifts.

“My mom, my real mom, died when I was a baby. Dad never said much about it, so I don’t know how or why, or even who she was. He married quick, only to get killed in a car accident when I was seven, and my brother Paul was twelve.” She rustled, restless, on the bench seat.” They never had kids of their own. Olga took over, and I know she loved us. She tried hard to make everything up to the poor orphans left behind.” He could see her grip her fingers tight together. “I know she loved me. But our real mom’s death hit Paul hard. I was too little to remember anything, but I guess she really helped him through the loss. Because of that, they had a different bond than she and I ever did. She loved being needed.”

Her hand skittered across her cheek, and she breathed deep. “Then, after Dad died and left her alone, she needed Paul. He became the man in her life. I realized early on he could do no wrong.”

About a quarter mile of snow-covered silence crept by them. He felt he should ease her discomfort. “It’s OK, Tiffany. Really. It’s none of my mix, friend or not.”

“Well, I think you need to know. You might understand then why I can’t trust or lean or pray.”

“All right then. But I still think a talk with Pastor Hale would be good for you.” Today’s had already started working wonders on him. “We have singles Bible study on Tuesday nights. This week we’re going caroling after.” He patted her hand. “Everybody’s welcome.”

She gave a watery smile. “Thanks. But back to M-m-mom. I’ve kind of stopped calling her that. But stepmother always sounds so wicked. And when we were little, well, she did try hard. But when Paul got serious about Diana, she let it all hang out. How it was an awful match, how Diana wasn’t good enough, blah, blah, blah. This was one time she didn’t let Paul have his way.” Atop her knees, Tiffany’s fists clenched, and she tossed him a quick peek. “But Paul wasn’t a kid. He was in love. And Diana was all right. Truth is, Olga wouldn’t have liked anybody he picked.

“Well, their first crime was eloping, because Olga-Mom—just couldn’t accept them getting married, and they were tired of her yapping. Things got better when they had Connor. She really liked being a grandma. Still does. But the older he got, the more she harped to me that he didn’t look a thing like Paul. Or Diana, really, other than he has Diana’s eyes. She just wouldn’t shut up.” Tiffany swiped a strand of hair from her forehead and Bragg read tension in the gesture.

He took his hand off the wheel to touch hers, and with a quick peek, he watched her swallow hard, like she just might have something stuck there.“I work, I mean, I worked, at a family law firm, then.” She cleared her throat and tightened her fingers around his. “Olga knew our firm’s clients often do a home DNA paternity test for custody issues before going to a lawyer. She pressured me into getting Connor’s DNA tested. Without telling anybody else. Of course, I knew better than to follow along. She didn’t hold a knife to my throat or anything. But I just wanted to have some leverage to get her to pipe down. To assure her of Connor’s parentage before she said something mean to Diana.” Her hand squeezed his again, hard. “Bragg, I had no doubts whatsoever about my brother and sister-in-law’s faithfulness. I was so certain of the results I didn’t hesitate. I just wanted Olga to leave it all alone.” Tears streaked her bleak eyes before he watched the road again.

Bragg chewed on the new information. It did almost seem mean. He’d lived first-hand the harm done by keeping secrets. “Hmmmmm. So your brother didn’t know? About the test, I mean? Didn’t he need his cheek swabbed or something?”

She pulled her hand away and turned to look out the window. “It can be done that way, of course. Everybody sees that on TV. But DNA can be tested from hair follicles. Not the strand itself. That has no DNA. So it was easy for me to get samples. I knew exactly what to send back to the lab in an at-home test kit.”

“Wow. I had no idea it can be done that easily.”

She shrugged but it was a weak, sad gesture. “Yeah. People can get private DNA tests done for lots of reasons. Genealogy. Inheritance. Infidelity, even.” Her lips twisted. “Things like that. In our case, the results weren’t needed for anything legal, so there was no requirement for a chain of custody.” Her voice wisped away like a dying breeze.

“What’s that?”

Another sigh. “When you have to have permission to get a sample, and integrity from sample to result. This means when a sample in taken in a controlled environment by a neutral professional at a lab so the results can stand up in a court of law. Like we’d need for a judge so nothing can be faked. So yeah. I did it all without telling my brother.”

Bragg cleared his throat, rumbling with unease. Unsure what to say. He knew all about faked tests, had done it plenty during his steroid days. He hoped taking her hand again said enough.

“I guess all along, Olga wanted to discredit Diana somehow. And she was right.” Tiffany wailed. “Paul isn’t Connor’s biological father.”

Bragg’s skin crawled. It was a confession so personal, so full of pain and guilt, that he pulled the truck over to the piled snow and held her close. Her scent filled him with its deliciousness. His brain told him he shouldn’t, but his heart said in his arms was just where Tiffany belonged.

“Tiffany, honey.” The word slipped out so easy and seemed to fit so well. “It’s OK. Let it out.” Her sobs shuddered against his shoulder. “There’s got to be a good explanation. Some couples use, ahem, donors if…things can’t work the natural way.”

“Oh, don’t you think I tried to convince her of that? That it wasn’t our business, anyway?” She curled closer against him. “Connor’s so wonderful, what matter how he got here? But Olga couldn’t wait to blab to Paul, of course.

“To make a long story short, Paul blames me. He said above all, I should have known better. That I abused the fiduciary principles of my profession. Well, I can’t deny he’s got a point. And me, well, I can’t deny it. Because I did do it.” Her voice broke.

“But didn’t your brother think you had some good reason to do it?” Wind wept outside the windows.

“He didn’t need a reason. All he needed to know is I just shouldn’t have done it. And Olga, well, she plain lied to him. Piled it all on me. No way would she ever want Paul to think she did something bad. So his happy home is in tatters, and he needs to blame somebody for his pain. Me”

“But who’s, you know, Connor’s dad?”

Even in his warm embrace, Tiffany shrugged, weary and painfully like an old person. “Apparently Diana had a one-night fling with a high school sweetheart during a reunion. Had too much to drink, got flattered by his attentions. Enjoyed reliving the past. Thing is.” Tiffany’s laugh was bitter. “Diana doesn’t even drink. The one night she tries it…all these years, Paul never knew, or even suspected. And without me sticking my nose in, he never would have. Diana did love him. And they were happy. Except for me, their life wouldn’t have changed.”

Ah, he knew well how temptation could change things. He held her close, hoping her pain could seep into him and he’d share it.

“Diana packed up and left.”

“She left her baby behind?” Bragg wanted to be surprised, but he wasn’t. He’d had a sister-in-law who had abandoned Ella.

“Yeah. Without a fight. She said…all these years, she hoped Paul was the daddy, believed he was. One good thing, Paul’s never taken it out on Connor. That little boy is his life. His son. No matter what. I have to give him credit for that.”

Bragg couldn’t help but consider the other man in the picture. “What about the real dad?”

“Paul is Connor’s real dad.” Tiffany bristled against him.

“I mean, the biological one.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t been in touch with Diana since…since it all happened in September.”

Her fingers tightened at his shoulders. “Bragg, I’ve apologized to my brother until my voice ran out. I’ve begged for forgiveness. I’ve promised to do whatever it takes. But he blames me. Olga does, too. She denies her involvement to Paul, but to me, she claims I should have stopped her.” Her shoulders shook before she straightened against the seat. “And maybe I should have. I had no choice but to leave. There was nothing left. When I saw Rachel’s ad, I knew it was meant to be.”

Bragg realized this might be the right time. “Did you ever think that ad was God leading you here? To Him, maybe?”

“Into Hearts Crossing’s perfect little world? Where everybody believes God makes it better if you hit your knees? No.” Her strangled voice wounded him. “Not for a second, Bragg. It was coincidence. Fate. Karma. Something happening at the right time, for once. I am fully qualified for both my roles.”

“Of course you are. A nanny and paralegal.” He took a stab. “Won’t you just consider for a second that it might be the Almighty’s hand in your life?”

“Why me?”

“Because God is love.”

She shook her head as she wiped her eyes with her knitted scarf. “Let’s get going.”

“All righty.” Bragg said no more as he squeezed her hand one last time. Of course, God was love. But He had rules, and Bragg sure wasn’t the one to be handing out advice. As soon as his truck rounded the bend at the Leaning H, his own hypocrisy smacked him once again. Tony O’Neal, knee deep in snow, was busily digging out Tiffany’s car.

His heart pounded just like it had, poolside, before the beginning of every competition.

****

Aw nuts. She tensed against the bench seat of Bragg’s truck. Breaking down in his arms just now was tempting enough to make her want to snuggle there next time the demons raged. Every time. But Tony had entered the picture. Of all people. And of all the things she regretted, making a date with Tony might be at the top.

She wrinkled her nose. They were both cut from the same mold, people who hurt people. But comparing his mouth with Bragg’s was coming up short. Shivering a little at the memory of Bragg’s kiss, she once again recalled that sweet brush of heaven against her lips, and right now, the warm strength of his arms.

As Bragg braked to a slow stop, the bad blood between him and Tony was almost palpable. Pastor’s scriptural edict and hand-clasping prayers, or not.

She would keep the date. It wasn’t anything long-term, and she needed friends. She had no reason to let it be anything else. Tony was good-looking, and there was nothing wrong with sharing a meal with a nice man who had helped her out. Or sharing the expense of one, if he was an equal opportunity date. Besides, she needed to remind herself that Bragg was off limits. Especially since he’d grown comfortable spouting off about God.

She didn’t live in a prehistoric cave or on a lost island. Of course she’d heard the words. She just didn’t believe them, or need Him. Whoever He was. The Baby in the manger? Doves and burning bushes and other myths she’d heard about? Not her thing. Better to keep her lost soul to herself—if souls even existed—and not have Bragg worry about her.

But Tony’s presence clearly left a visit to the Hearts Crossing ranch off the table, and somehow the disappointment rankled, God-speak or not.

“Hi, Tony,” She called out, as she jumped from the truck into the frosty air and approached her car. “What’s up?”

He had the grace to flush even though his exertions had already put color into his cheeks. “Thought I’d get your car back to you safe and sound. I hitched a ride with the plow. Got off at the Double Tree. Helped them shovel their drive and road, borrowed the shovel, and hiked over here.”

“I’ve got an army shovel in the trunk,” she said inanely, wondering why the location and condition of her car hadn’t worried her at all. It was as though she knew someone would take care of it and it would be all right.

Then again, something deep down had hoped that someone would be Bragg.

Her boots slid a bit on the snow as she reached Tony.

Bragg wasn’t far behind.

Uh-oh. Did Bragg hopping out of the truck portend something bad, something dramatic? Maybe the latter, she decided. She knew the pastor’s Scripture had taken root. Like a spider web you walk into, the words seemed to wisp around even her ears.

“I’m almost done,” Tony said with a nod at Bragg. “If I—we can’t get traction, maybe Martin here could give us a tow out.”

Bragg nodded, with a hint of grumble. “Sure.”

Then he looked her straight on, and she felt heat graze her cheeks. Shouldn’t they both be a little bit embarrassed about the scene with her in his arms?

He didn’t blush. “I know Ma would like to have you out to the ranch. Let O’Neal get your car back to Rachel’s, and I’ll drive you home later on.”

Biting her lip, she considered her options. Both had merit. Making a new friend in Tony, hanging out with the delectable Bragg. However, she’d long ago declared Bragg off limits and pinched herself with the reminder. Besides, there was Matty. With Bragg’s trust of Mrs. Hale, she knew Matty was in good hands, but a baby without his mommy or nanny for long hours would upset the little guy needlessly.

“Thanks, Bragg. Another time, I promise. I should get back to Matty.” It killed her to say the words, to let Bragg know she’d rather be with Tony, but it was better all around. Bragg would surely understand the Matty part. Besides, she’d already explained the weirdness of having his sister as her employer, plus all the other baggage. Add to that a kiss and twice, crashing into his arms like a train wreck. Yeah, he deserved better.

Suddenly a brilliant idea flashed in her mind. Tony had asked her to a nice steak dinner, but it didn’t have to be. Matty probably would last another half hour with Mrs. Hale. A casual late lunch would be better all around.

Tony, breathing steamy air, leaned on the shovel and surveyed his handiwork, then raised an expectant gaze to her.

“Tony, I can’t leave Matty for much longer. How about we make that date right now, a late lunch at the Butterbean Cafe? Rachel says their Dutch oven chilies rellenos are to die for.”

He shrugged, with a glance at Bragg. “Sure. Why not? We’ll do the steakhouse another time.”

Or not. “We’ll see,” she said, as sweetly as she could. But Bragg deserved far more than a quick random goodbye. Standing on her tippiest toes, she kissed his cheek, warm piney scent skittering delicious shivers down her spine. Her lips burned at the heat of his skin. “Thanks for everything, Bragg. For being that shoulder. For making Matty a happy little nephew. And for, well, for the advice.”

“You gonna take it?” Half lidded eyes beneath the Stetson brim took her breath away.

Gaining control, she smiled at him with a quick backward nod at Tony. “If you go first.”

Bragg shrugged.

She waved at him before settling behind the wheel of her car. The engine turned over nicely, and she promptly pulled the car out of its overnight burrow.

Tony hadn’t gone all macho, insisting he drive. Somehow, he didn’t seem like the arrogant man who’d doped teenagers and been a womanizer and gone into gambling. Maybe the years had taught him something.

On the slow, careful ride back to town, Tony regaled her with stories of his years on the high school faculty. He probably didn’t know Bragg had already told her his version.

“I can’t believe those twins changed places for their SATs.” She laughed as her car maneuvered quite nicely through the white alpine labyrinth. “You ought to write a book.”

“I reckon every teacher feels the same.”

Tiffany had some tales about her own adventures in family law. Selfish parents who couldn’t make their marriage work and took it out on the children left behind. Evil lies gone public simply to discredit the other; and one time, a felony abduction with the grandmother driving the getaway car. Well, that was then. This was now.

Rises studded with snow-dappled pine, and gullies softened by the white stuff peeked out from ranchland where cattle had resumed their normal lives. A rancher drove a slow truck unwinding round bales of hay. The quietude inside her car edged into awkwardness.

“Why’d you leave?” Tiffany asked to fill the silence.

Tony shrugged after an uncomfortable glance. “Got married. We wanted a change.”

Ah. She nodded.

“Aw, Tiffany, you’ll hear about me sooner or later. Might as well give you my version.” His tongue clicked. “None of what you may hear from others will be kindly. Bragg for one, and well, my ex just married his brother, Pike.”

“Yeah. I was at the wedding.”

“Truth is, Bragg got mixed up with steroids and has been trying to cast the blame on me. I was his coach, but I never made anybody do anything. On top of it, Daisy, my ex, dumped Kenn Martin to get together with me. I didn’t twist her arm, or anything. She came willingly. But they all still hold grudges.”

“So the…steroid business isn’t true?” Interesting.

“Oh, it’s true all right. Bragg taking them, I mean. But not by my hand.”

Tiffany made a deep hmmmmmmm. Bragg was man enough to make amends, to cast suspicion on his own reputation just to come clean. And to put blame where it belonged—on him and his coach. In her heart she knew him too upright to lie.

There was a lot more to ask, but it wasn’t her business. Except the obvious. “What brought you back here?” She braved a quick glance.

His cheeks colored.

Their glances collided, and he turned to look out the window.

“I always liked it around here. Grew up outside Rustic Canyon. Found out about that job.”

A part-time job. That did arouse curiosity from someone who knew the difficulties of supporting oneself during a tough economy. “I heard it’s part-time.”

“Yeah. But I can get by. I’ve got some money saved. I was in Reno, in the gaming industry, and I did pretty well.”

Of course. Gaming. Gambling. Another high-quality activity. Turning her head slightly to the left, she rolled her eyes. To go from the honorable profession of teaching seemed ironic in some way.

“Well, I hope things go well with you, then.” She did mean it. Somehow, he was brave to show his face in the land of so much animosity, with a broken marriage and the ex-wife nearby, now part of an influential family.

For a while, all she heard was tires grabbing at layers of snow. Since she didn’t yet know the names of the surrounding ranches or their owners, she took great effort in the silence to memorize the brands hanging from gateposts as she drove by. Maybe the silence bugged him, too, or maybe he foresaw them as having some kind of relationship ahead, for he plunged on.

“Growing up, we had some property outside the canyon. Dad ran a few cattle, raised some decent cutting horses. But he lost it all due to a gambling debt, and Ma took off. I was twelve, I guess. Child services sent me to her brother outside the Springs.”

That tidbit disquieted her. Maybe gambling was a genetic addiction, but abandonment and child services were worse. She braked at a rare stop sign and tossed him some sympathy. What a wretched road for a kid. And mercy, she’d been abandoned as a grownup. Bragg’s wholesome, upright family flashed through her mind. “I’m so sorry.” She meant it with her whole heart.

He grinned at her, and it was a pretty overwhelming one. Drop-dead handsome, wounded, lonely. A powerful combination for one who normally liked to fix things. Although she wasn’t always very good at it. For a second, the sorry state of her own life smacked her gut, and she gunned the accelerator, tires sliding as she fought to right the car.

“Well, Uncle Win was good to me. Kept me on a straight path. Got my college degree.”

“Sounds like a good man. You see him often?”

“He got sick and passed on. But he did manage to see me get my diploma.” Affection clung to Tony’s words, as did a twinge of grief.

Stretched over the road, an arch of elk antlers wearing a crown of snow and a giant pine wreath added another Christmas card moment as she drove under it and under it into town. She parked in front of the café. Not even a night of nine inches of blowing snow could keep Mountain Cove from coming to life. “Come on. Let’s get some lunch. My treat.”

As he protested, she persisted. It was a little thing to make up for all he’d lost.