At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel (36 page)

K
ate.”

She turned, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Greg striding across the coffee shop. She’d spent the last hour here trying to compose herself but accomplishing little more than drinking two cups of coffee. There was so much she wanted to tell Greg, so much she wanted to know, but right now Kate’s tongue was tangled and her brain frozen. She’d gotten so caught up thinking about Sally that her carefully rehearsed speech had evaporated. That was no problem, she’d assured herself as she’d stirred sweetener into the first cup of coffee. She had hours before Greg would arrive. But here he was, throwing her plans into disarray.

Kate glanced at the Bible she’d kept by her side and smiled.
I haven’t learned, have I
, Lord? I’m still worrying about my plans instead of
trusting yours.
His plans had already proven to be infinitely better than anything Kate could have devised.

Look at Sally and Roy. They were in Sally’s room, making wedding plans. Roy had come out long enough to announce that she had accepted his proposal and that the bride-to-be wanted to see Kate. While Roy scoured the hospital’s gift shop
for wedding magazines, Kate had hugged her grandmother and assured her that she did indeed want to be her maid of honor. And then Roy had returned, his smile as broad as Sally’s, his face beaming with happiness. If Kate had had any doubts about the wisdom of the match, they would have disappeared when she saw the two of them together. Sally and Roy could have been poster children for love.

Sensing that they wanted time alone, Kate had stayed only long enough to congratulate them again and tell them how thrilled she was by their engagement. And Kate was. Though she had never imagined that their stay at Rainbow’s End would result in Sally’s moving to Texas, Kate saw God’s hand in all that had happened.

Sally was meant to be here with Roy, just as Kate was meant to make changes in her life. Hers might not lead to marriage and happily-ever-after, but Kate knew that once she kicked off the Aunt Ivy’s campaign, she would leave both Maddox and New York.

That much was definite. The rest depended on Greg. Kate didn’t know what he wanted to discuss, but she had practiced her speech about possible changes to Rainbow’s End, hoping she would be able to persuade Greg that was the right direction for the resort and, more importantly, for him. She had planned to review her points several more times, but Greg was here now, hours before she’d expected him.

“I didn’t think you’d arrive until afternoon.” Though she longed to throw herself into Greg’s arms, Kate forced herself to walk toward him. His tone of voice when they’d spoken last night had made her hope they had a future together, but until she told him what had happened to her in the chapel, until she learned what had transpired with his father, she could not be certain.

Greg shrugged, the motion highlighting the fact that his shirt
appeared to have been slept in. “I couldn’t wait. I know my mom was disappointed that she couldn’t fix breakfast for me, but the pilot was just as happy to fly at night. There’s less air traffic then.”

“So you took the red-eye.” When she’d realized Greg had gone to Orchard Slope, Kate had doubted he’d flown commercial. His reference to the pilot accommodating his schedule confirmed that he’d chartered a plane.

“Pretty close to it.” When they reached the hallway, Greg looked around, as if searching for someone. “How’s your grandmother?”

“Out of ICU and happier than I’ve seen her in years now that she and Roy decided to get married.” Kate pushed the button to summon the elevator. “It’s not even ten o’clock, and it’s already been an eventful day. They moved Sally to a private room, and Roy wasted no time proposing. He’s with her now, making wedding plans and who knows what else.”

The elevator dinged, and Greg ushered Kate into it. “That’s wonderful news.” His smile faded. “Or is it? How do you feel about this marriage?”

A week ago, Kate’s answer might have been different. Now she could honestly say, “I’m happy for both Sally and Roy. They’re meant to be together.” When Greg raised an eyebrow, she nodded. “I’ve had a chance to do a lot of thinking these past few days.”

“Me too. There’s so much I want to talk to you about, but this isn’t the place.” Greg glanced at his watch as they emerged on Sally’s floor. “Why don’t we go back to Rainbow’s End? Sally won’t miss you if Roy’s here.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Other than a brief trip to buy a change of clothes and some toiletries, Kate hadn’t been out of the hospital in more than thirty-six hours. “I can bring back some clothes for Sally.” More importantly, the discussion
she wanted to have about Rainbow’s End would be best conducted there. The beautiful setting would ease any concerns Greg might have.

“I can pick up my phone.” He shook his head in disgust. “I can’t believe I left it there.”

One question was answered. “So that’s why I got voice mail when I called you.”

“Yep. I should have bought a disposable phone when I was in Orchard Slope, but there wasn’t time.”

As Kate had expected, neither Sally nor Roy seemed bothered that she would be gone for a few hours. In fact, Sally’s eyes twinkled when she saw Greg, and there was a note of amusement in her voice when she told them to have fun.

Kate could practically hear the wedding bells ringing inside her grandmother’s head. Now that she had her second chance at wedded bliss, she was undoubtedly hoping Kate would be the next to walk down the aisle.

“I guess your life will change when Sally marries Roy,” Greg said as he opened the door to his SUV for Kate.

She waited until he’d climbed in and started the vehicle before she answered. She wouldn’t talk about Rainbow’s End until they were there, but she wanted to set the stage. “That’s one part of my life that’s changing. There are others.” She kept her gaze fixed on Greg as she said, “I’ve decided I’m not going to stay with Maddox.”

Greg seemed startled, as well he might, considering how many times Kate had told him this was the perfect firm for her. “They didn’t offer you the partnership?”

“They did.” Kate paused for a second as she framed the rest of her answer. “It was a dream come true. This may sound strange, but I realized that the
offer
was what I wanted, not the actual partnership. Even before I heard what had happened to Sally, I knew it was time for a change.”

The morning commute was winding down, leaving gaps between vehicles. Greg looked at Kate, his expression filled with concern. “What will you do?”

She wanted to say, “That depends on you.” But she wouldn’t do that. Instead, Kate said, “I’m not sure. I’m still waiting to see where God is leading me.” Behind his sunglasses, Greg’s eyes widened in surprise. Kate laughed. “I told you I had a lot of time to think. Do you remember the day you said you’d been led to Rainbow’s End?” When Greg nodded, Kate continued. “I was skeptical about the whole idea. You see, I had never felt as if I’d been led anywhere. I didn’t think I needed to be led. After all, I was an adult.”

Kate gripped the armrest as she tried to control her emotions. “I was wrong. I’d been going in the wrong direction, and it wasn’t because God failed to show me the way. It was because I was too stubborn to listen. That’s going to change.”

Greg smiled. “It sounds as if we’re in the same boat, waiting together.”

Oh, how Kate liked the sound of that.

“Do you think you’ll stay in the New York area?” Greg asked.

Kate shook her head. “I want to be close to Sally, and now that it looks as if she’ll be moving to Dupree, that means a move for me too. I can probably find some kind of work in San Antonio.” Glancing out the window, Kate smiled at the realization that in less than a month, this part of Texas had started to feel like home. “I’ve also thought about setting myself up as an independent consultant to small businesses. One of the things I realized was how much I enjoyed helping Samantha.”

There were other things Kate wanted to say, like how she’d already begun envisioning a marketing campaign for Rainbow’s End and how much she hoped she and Greg had a future together, but she’d wait until they arrived at Rainbow’s End and she had Greg’s full attention.

“I’ve been doing all the talking. Are you ready to tell me about your trip to Washington?” Kate asked, careful not to refer to it as home.

They’d left the city and were now on a two-lane highway. “I guess I am.” Greg gave her a quick smile. “You were right. My dad and I needed to talk.” His smile turned into a chuckle. “At times it was more like a shouting match, but I think we understand each other better now. I certainly do.”

She could hear the difference in Greg’s voice when he spoke of his father. The bitterness was gone, replaced by something else—not resignation, exactly—perhaps acceptance. Whatever had happened, it had brought Greg a measure of peace, and Kate was grateful. “Will you go back?”

He nodded. “Probably not as often as my mother would like, but it’ll be more than an annual twenty-four-hour stopover. I want to spend some time with my sisters too. I want to hear about their dreams, and I want them to see me as more than a checkbook.”

Greg was silent as they passed a slow-moving truck. Then he said, “It’s a funny thing. I was even thinking about inviting the whole family to Rainbow’s End.”

Kate’s heart leapt at the realization that Greg was mending his relationship with his family. The fact that he wanted them to see where he lived—at least temporarily—was promising. “That’s a great idea.” It would be even better if Greg agreed with her plan. Having the entire Vange family there would be the perfect way to open a family-oriented resort.

When they reached Rainbow’s End and Greg parked the SUV in its usual spot, he turned to Kate. “What do you say to a picnic on the island? I remember you said you hadn’t been there yet, and today seems like the perfect day. You don’t have to rush back to the hospital; I could use the exercise, and I’m sure Carmen can rustle up something for us to eat.”

Kate nodded. Today more than ever, she wanted to see the spot that Sally claimed had the best view of Rainbow’s End, because—depending on Greg’s reaction to her idea—this might be her only chance to visit the island. She started to agree, then looked at the sky. “I’m not sure we should. The forecast calls for afternoon thunderstorms.”

Greg glanced upward. “It doesn’t look threatening now.” Not a cloud marred the brilliant blue sky. “We’ll be back well before the storms start. If they start,” he amended. “You know Texas weather.” He gave Kate an encouraging smile. “I move that we adjourn to the island.”

“I second that motion.”

Fifteen minutes later, Kate was ready. She’d changed into shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and sandals, and had slathered on sunblock. Grabbing a hat and her sunglasses, she hurried to the dock, planning to help Greg. It had obviously taken him less time to change into shorts and a T-shirt, because he already had the boat in the water, a picnic basket stowed inside it.

“I’m not sure what Carmen packed,” Greg said as he helped Kate into the boat and untied the rope.

His grip was warm and firm, and surely it wasn’t Kate’s imagination that he held her hand longer than absolutely necessary to ensure that she was safely inside the rowboat. She wouldn’t dwell on that. Instead, she looked at the basket, then made a show of sniffing the air as if to determine the contents. “Whatever it is, you can bet it’s delicious.”

“And there’ll be enough to feed a troop of starving Boy Scouts.”

Kate smiled, watching as Greg steered them past the dock. He was right. This was the perfect time to be out on Bluebonnet Lake. A light breeze kept the day from feeling sweltering but wasn’t enough to make the ride rough.

“Carmen’s a gem,” Kate said, remembering not just the wom
an’s superb cooking but also her motherly interest in KOB. “I can’t imagine Rainbow’s End without her.”

“Or her without Rainbow’s End.”

Greg had given her the perfect opening. “I’ve got some ideas about that,” Kate told him.

He shook his head. “Relax, Kate. There’ll be time for serious stuff later. You need a rest.”

It wasn’t only the perfect day for a boat ride. It was also the perfect day for relaxing. A few puffy cumulus clouds had appeared and were drifting lazily across the deep blue sky. Kate let herself relax, lulled by the rhythm of the oars dipping into the water. Greg made rowing look effortless, his arms stretching and bending, the muscles flexing as he plied the oars. He might not have excelled at team sports as a boy, but there was no denying his prowess at rowing.

Instead of landing when they reached the island, Greg rowed around it, giving Kate the opportunity to study it. From a distance, she had seen trees in the center but hadn’t realized they were growing on top of a small rise and that the land sloped down to the water, leaving only a narrow strip of flat ground.

That wasn’t the only surprise. The grove was smaller than Kate had thought, a mixture of hickory and mesquite, while the grass was studded with wildflowers. Though she saw no bluebonnets here, the orange of Indian paintbrush was unmistakable and made a vivid contrast to the grass.

“That’s the paintbrush.” A lightbulb went off in Kate’s brain. “Indian paintbrush.”

Greg appeared amused. “Were you picturing an artist’s palette and brush?”

“Exactly. Every time someone talked about Paintbrush Island, that’s the image I saw. I wondered about it, especially since the lake is named for a flower, but I never asked.”

“And now you know,” Greg said as he slowed the boat. “This
is the part of Indian Paintbrush Island I like.” He emphasized the name. The area they were approaching was more private than the side that faced the resort, with no buildings in sight, and the trees were closer to the water, providing more shade. “I thought we’d have our picnic here.”

Kate smiled at the idyllic location and wondered if this was why Sally had declared it a spot for lovers. Without a doubt, it was one of the most romantic places Kate had seen.

When she nodded her approval, Greg jumped from the boat and dragged it onto the shore, then helped Kate climb out. Within minutes, they’d spread the blanket and were exploring the contents of Carmen’s picnic basket. As Kate had expected, the food was delicious, a welcome change from days of hospital cafeteria food. An assortment of barbecued chicken and roast beef sandwiches was accompanied by potato salad and coleslaw. Peach and apple fritters completed the meal, all washed down with a choice of lemonade or sweet tea.