Clay pulled his truck to a stop at the curb and checked the house numbers against the return address on his sister’s last letter. This was the place.
It had taken seven long years, but he was finally ready to face Maya. He had a lot to apologize for. He waited a minute, gathering his courage.
Maya stood on the front porch sweeping stray fallen leaves from the wooden deck. A small boy Clay took to be her foster son, Tommy, and a little girl he assumed was his niece, Layla, were watching from their seat on a dark green porch swing.
Like Nicki, Maya had changed a lot. Gone was his gangly kid sister. In her place was a lovely young woman with short dark hair and a trim figure.
Catching sight of his vehicle, she stopped her work to stare at his truck with a puzzled frown. He opened his door, stepped out and walked to the front of the vehicle.
She dropped her broom. With a squeal of delight, she launched herself down the steps and into his arms.
Clay caught her up and swung her around laughing. Years of heartache vanished like smoke. Happiness nearly choked him.
Thank You, Lord, for giving me this moment.
As he set his sister back on her feet, she cupped his face in her hands. “I can’t believe you’re here. Let me look at you. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“You have. Talk about the ugly duckling turning into a swan.”
“What?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Did you just insult me or compliment me?”
He grinned. “Go with the compliment angle.”
“I believe I will.” She threw her arms around him, and he returned her fierce hug. “It is so good to see you.”
“Its good to see you, too, sis.” She had no idea how good. Once more he saw how foolish he’d been to stay away. Oh, what his pride had cost him.
Maya released her bear hug. “Why didn’t you call me and tell me you were coming?”
“I didn’t have your number.”
“That’s right. I lost my phone in the tornado and I was using Greg’s until recently. Well, you just hand over your cell phone and I’ll add my new number for you.”
“I don’t own one, and I don’t plan to get one.”
“In this day and age you haven’t found the need for a cell phone? That’s nuts.”
“I get along fine without one.”
“That is caveman thinking.”
He thumped his chest. “Uhg.”
Giggling, she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the house. “Come and meet the kids. Greg is out of town until next Monday, but I know he’ll be excited to meet you.”
Although Greg Garrison had been raised just outside of High Plains, Clay had little memory of him. Greg was several years older, and the Logan family hadn’t traveled in the same social circles as the wealthy Garrisons.
On the front steps, Maya paused, looking at Clay intently. “You are planning to stay awhile, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I don’t have any plans at the moment.”
“Wonderful. Then you’re staying until I tell you to leave. You’ll have to sleep on the sofa, but it’s a comfortable one. We’re in the process of building a new, bigger house, but it’s far from done. Oh, I can’t believe you’re finally here. I’m never letting you leave again.”
Chuckling at her high-handedness, he said, “I’m happy to be here, too, little sis.”
She clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Thanksgiving! You have to stay until after the holiday. My whole family together, praise the Lord, that would be so wonderful. Have you been to the ranch?”
“Not yet.” He was leaving his confrontation with his older brother until last. He strongly suspected it wouldn’t go well.
Maya’s frown returned. “But you will go see Jesse, right?”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
Eyeing Clay intently, she said, “You’d better. You know he isn’t going to make the first move.”
“Same old Jesse.”
“I don’t think that’s true. He’s had a pretty hard time of it. Oh, but you should see his girls. They’re as cute as a bug’s ears.”
“Cuter than this little honey?” he asked, winking at the doe-eyed youngster peeking at him from behind the porch railing.
“Layla, come say hello to your uncle Clay.”
She shook her head.
Laughing, Maya scooped up her daughter, her eyes sparking with maternal pride. Layla hid her face against her mother’s neck refusing to look at her new relative. “She’s a little shy, but she’ll warm up to you.”
Turning to the young boy, Maya held out her hand. “Tommy, this is my brother, Clay. He’s come all the way from Canada to visit us. Finally.”
Clay extended his hand. “Howdy.”
Tommy took it, and the two exchanged a hardy shake, then Tommy asked, “Is Canada a long way away?”
Thinking of the tedious hours he’d put in behind the wheel, Clay nodded. “It sure is.”
“Did you happen to see a black and white dog, about this big on your way here?” Tommy held his hand below his waist. “His name is Charlie. He’s wearing a red collar.”
“No, but I’d be happy to help you look for him.” Clay glanced at his sister, but she gave a tiny shake of her head.
Maya laid a hand on Tommy’s head. “Charlie disappeared during the tornado. He and Tommy were very close.”
It had been more than four months. If the dog hadn’t come home by now Clay knew it wasn’t going to, but it seemed Tommy wasn’t ready to accept that.
The boy shifted away from Maya. “He’ll come back. You’ll see.” Turning, he ran around the corner of the house.
Maya sent Clay an apologetic look. “Tommy was shuffled through four foster homes before he came to live with Greg and me. He was able to keep Charlie with him during every move. The dog was his only real family.”
“Poor kid.”
“Yes, which is why Greg and I are determined to adopt him.”
“He must be happy about that.”
“Actually, we haven’t said anything to him so please don’t. In case…you know.”
“Gotcha. In case it doesn’t work out.”
“Right. What am I doing keeping you standing here on the porch? Come inside. Are you hungry? The kids and I just finished lunch, but I still have a half pot of chili simmering on the stove.”
“You cook?”
She batted his arm. “What kind of question is that? Of course I cook.”
“All I remember is your burned offerings. Burned eggs, burned pancakes, burned beans, burned meatloaf.”
Pressing her hand to her cheek, she giggled. “Oh, the meatloaf. Do you remember how hard it was, and how Dad kept saying it was fine while everyone else was slipping pieces under the table to the dog.”
“As I recall, Shep didn’t touch them.”
“It was years before I made meatloaf again for that very reason.”
Still laughing, Maya headed into the house in front of him. Clay followed, amazed at how easy it was to fall back into the sibling banter they’d always enjoyed.
Inside, Maya lowered Layla to the floor, but the little girl clung to her leg while treating Clay to covert suspicious glances. After taking his coat and hat, Maya led the way to a cozy kitchen where the delicious smell of her chili set Clay’s stomach rumbling.
“Have you had a chance to see the town,” Maya asked as she withdrew a bowl from the cupboard.
“I did. It’s hard to believe all the damage.”
“You should have seen it that first night. I’ve never been so terrified in my life.”
“I wish I’d been here to help.”
After hesitating a second, she asked, “Why didn’t you come back sooner?”
Was she asking about the storm or his original exit? He chose to talk about the twister. He didn’t fully understand himself why he hadn’t come back after his last fight with Jesse.
“I missed your phone call by two days. I’d just left the ranch to guide a group of hunters on a four-week packhorse trip. I called as soon as I got the message, but your phone was still out so I called Jesse.”
“He told me he’d spoken to you. He told you about Marie?”
“Yeah. He mentioned the twister, but he didn’t tell me the town had been leveled. Course, he never was talkative. I offered to come home then, but he said not to bother.” Anger at Jesse’s harsh words reared its head again.
“Jesse said that?” Maya was clearly shocked.
“Pretty much.”
Ladling a heaping serving of chili into the bowl, she set it on the table in front of him and sat down. Sighing, she said, “There’s a lot more to the story, but go ahead and eat.”
Maya propped her elbows on the smooth pine surface and stared at him.
Tentatively, he sampled his first bite. The thick sauce and chunks of meat simmered to perfection with just the right kick of spices warmed him all the way to his toes. “Hey, this is good.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“But I am.”
Rising, Maya picked up Layla. “Let me put this one down for her nap, and then we can talk.”
Clay finished his lunch and sat back in the chair. It wasn’t long before Maya joined him at the table again.
Sitting, she folded her hands in front of her. “Did Jesse tell you anything about the way Marie died?”
“Just that she was killed when a tornado touched down at the ranch.”
“A tree fell on her car. It was the same storm that hit High Plains, but there was more than one tornado that day. Anyway, Marie wasn’t at the ranch.”
“Where was she?”
“On the highway a few miles from here. She’d left Jesse and the babies the day before the storm hit. Jesse found a note on the kitchen table along with her wedding band and the Logan family engagement ring. He was devastated.”
Sympathy for his brother’s loss and humiliation blunted Clay’s anger. “I imagine he would be. I guess I can even understand why he didn’t want to tell me about it.”
“I hoped you’d understand. Their marriage wasn’t happy, but everyone thought the babies would change that, including Jesse.”
“She left her babies?” Even Clay was shocked by that.
“I really think she was suffering from some type of postpartum depression. I can’t imagine leaving my child if I was in my right mind.”
“Poor Jesse.”
“In one of those bizarre things that happens in a twister, the kitchen was damaged, but the note and her wedding ring were still on the table. However, the Logan family ring was gone.”
“That’s a shame.” The ring didn’t have great monetary value, but to the Logans it was a priceless treasure. It had been handed down with love through the family for six generations.
“We all lost so much that night. Especially Jesse. Losing the ring was like adding insult to injury. He feels so bad about it.”
“You say the house was hit. How badly was it damaged?”
“It tore out the kitchen wall and took off a small section of the roof. The dining table Dad made for Mom was broken and Grandmother Logan’s shadow box was smashed. I think I was as upset about that as I was about the ring.”
Clay gestured toward her hand. “You can start a new tradition with your engagement ring.”
She turned the diamond solitaire around on her finger. “I might just do that. I wish you could have been here for my wedding. Not that it was much, just a quick ceremony so we could get custody of Tommy…and all that other stuff that goes along with wedded bliss.”
Her cheeky grin and sparkling eyes told him just how much she loved her new husband. Clay found himself looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with the man.
“I’m sorry I missed it, Maya.”
“That’s all right. You’ll just have to be here when we renew our vows in the new Old Town Hall as soon as it’s finished.”
“I won’t miss it. I promise. When’s this going to be?”
Rolling her eyes, she answered, “Good question. The hall is being rebuilt by volunteer workers and with donated supplies, but some of the work, like the electrical stuff, has to be done by professionals. It seems like every electrician and contractor in this part of the state has work backed up for months. That has slowed our progress.”
“I can imagine.”
“There was a lot of enthusiasm for the project when it was first proposed, but that has tapered off. People are busy trying to get their own lives in order, their businesses open and their homes rebuilt before winter. We meet on Monday evenings and Saturday afternoons now. Volunteers come and go as they can.”
She glanced at the clock. “In fact, I’m volunteering there tonight.”
“Doing what?”
“Whatever they need me to do. Hey, why don’t you come, too?”
Nicki might have been the main reason he’d returned to High Plains, but helping the town recover had also been part of it. “Sure, I can drive a nail as well as the next guy.”
“Great! And this way you can see some of your friends from the old days. Oh, wait!” Her smile vanished. She chewed the corner of her lip.
“What?”
“I just remembered. Nicki will be there tonight. Will that make it awkward?”
“Nicki and I have already run into each other.”
Her faced perked up with special interest. “Really? How did that go?”
Nicki unzipped Kasey’s jacket and handed it over to Josie at the day-care area in the annex building at the side of the church. The room, painted brightly with primary colors, had a separate play area lined with low shelves just the right height for an inquisitive toddler. Kasey, all smiles, waved at Josie. “Hi. Hi.”
“Hi, Kasey. Are you ready to play with me?”
Kasey nodded and headed toward the toy she liked best, a red, white and blue plastic horse on wheels. Straddling the riding toy, she pushed herself across the carpet. “’Orsey. My ’orsey.”
Satisfied that Kasey was happy and occupied, Nicki turned to leave. As she did, the door opened, and Maya Garrison walked in with Tommy and Layla. Behind them came Clay.
Once again, Nicki’s breath caught in her throat. Heat rushed to her face as her pulse skipped into double time. Why did he have to be so good-looking? It wasn’t fair that he could still turn her insides to jelly just by entering the room.
He nodded in her direction. “We meet again.”
It had to be some kind of test. What was God trying to teach her? How to develop grace under pressure? Hadn’t she learned that already?
Maya glanced from Nicki to Clay and back again. “I understand you’ve already run into my prodigal brother.”
Nicki tore her gaze away from Clay and smiled at his sister. “Yes, we saw each other earlier today.”
“Clay mentioned that. He’s going to help with rebuilding the Old Town Hall.”
“That’s great. We can use all the help we can get.”
Kasey came hurling across the floor and latched on to Clay’s leg. Startled, he looked down. “Whoa, there, sugar face.”
“’Orsey man. My ’orsey man. Hi.” She held up her hand.
He shot Nicki an uncomfortable look. She supplied a translation of Kasey’s babble. “’Orsey man is her word for cowboy. It’s your hat.”
He smiled down at Kasey. “So you like my hat, do you?”
Taking it off, he plunked it on Kasey’s blond head and tipped it back so she could see out from under it. It was miles too big, but Kasey grasped it with both hands and tried to walk back to her pony.
Seeing that she was about to run into a chair, Nicki stepped forward, but Clay was faster. He scooped Kasey up, carried her to the riding toy and settled her in the saddle. Crouching beside her, he said, “Ride ’em, cowgirl.”
It touched Nicki’s heart to see the gentle way he kept a hand on Kasey to make sure she didn’t fall as she scooted her mount across the play area. After a few minutes, the little girl lost interest in the hat that kept falling over her face and let it fall to the floor.
Dusting off his Stetson, Clay settled it on his head and headed toward the door. Opening it, he nodded to Nicki. “Shall we go?”
He made it sound so personal, like they were going somewhere special together. There wasn’t anything special between them. There never really had been or he would have come back years ago.
Walking past him without telling him required a force of will Nicki didn’t know she possessed.
Clay caught up with her before she’d gone a dozen yards and fell into step beside her. She glanced over her shoulder, but his sister was nowhere in sight.
“Isn’t Maya coming?”
“She told me to go on ahead. I think she needed to talk to Josie about something.”
Great. Nicki resisted the urge to race toward the construction site. Instead, she tried to accept Clay’s company as if he were any other neighbor. It didn’t actually work, but she gave herself an A for the effort.
The wind had abated allowing the late-afternoon sunshine a chance to warm things up. The sunlight cast two long shadows in front of them as they walked eastward from the church. Nicki didn’t need the visual evidence that Clay was beside her. Her nerve endings tingled with awareness of him. She knew exactly how it would feel if he were to take her hand and mesh his strong fingers with hers.
She shoved her fists deep into the pockets of her gray sweater-coat before she did something foolish—like reach for his hand.
“How long are you going to be in town?” she asked, desperately searching for something to say.
“I’m not sure.”
Glancing his way, she caught him staring at her. What was he thinking?
She looked straight ahead. “I told you Maya would be glad to see you.”
“You were right about that. She tells me you’re the preschool teacher here. Screaming kids five days a week. How do you do it?”
“I scream back.”
“I can’t quite picture that. You used to have the patience of Job.”
“Oh, how I wish that were true. Teaching can be trying, but it’s also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”
They had reached the building. He stepped ahead and pulled the door open for her. “What does your husband do?”
“I’m not married.”
Stepping inside the building, she noticed he hadn’t followed. When she looked back, she saw a slow smile spreading across his features.