Baby Girl: Dare to Love (15 page)

NINETEEN

“You and Kassie had dinner with his family?” Janna asked as she settled on the sofa in their parents’ home.  “That’s big stuff, Jem.  What’s next?” Kassie and her cousins were in the kitchen with the grandparents.

Jemma sighed. That was the big question.  What was next for them?  “Well, right now he’s in Houston picking up some horses.  They’ll be back this afternoon.  He wants us to come for Sunday breakfast tomorrow.”

“Wow.  Another meal with the family.  I’m impressed,” Janna said.  “You know it’s not just about sex when the family is involved.”

“That’s only part of the problem.  He wants Kassie to ride in the Junior Competition they have at the ranch at the end of January.  He says she a natural on the horse.  What do you think?”

“I think this is great.  She’s doing well in school, so you know she’s not afraid of people.  She’s made such an improvement in just a few short weeks, I think she can do it.   What does Kassie say?”

“Of course she wants to do it.”  Jemma heard a buzzing in her purse.  She’d put her phone on vibrate. 

“Well there you go,” Janna said.  “Who’s texting you?”

She pulled her phone out of her purse.  “I bet it’s Barb.  We’re meeting her for lunch today.”  She looked at the display and bit her lip to keep from smiling.

“I know that goofy look.  It must be from Kyle,” Janna surmised.   She reached for the phone, plucking it from Jemma’s hand.   She quickly scanned the message.  “My, my,” she said.  “He’s texting you while he’s in Houston.”

“He called me this morning.  They were loading the horses into the trailers.  He was texting me to let me know they were on their way back home.”

“Oh, that’s sweet,” Janna cooed. “He’s working and he still called you.  Do you know how many women would kill for that kind of communication?  Damon only calls me from work, if he can’t pick up the kids or something.  Never just because.”

This was just too real, she thought. “There’s more.”

Janna rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.  “What now?”

“He wants Kassie to practice more, so he wants us to eat breakfast out at the ranch then Kassie can ride.” 

“Jem, nothing you’ve told me is a real problem.  Yes, you’re becoming involved with his family.  That’s just part of it.”

She was making a mountain out of a mole hill.  She had to calm down and just enjoy the moment.  “Okay, I got this.”  She took the phone back from Janna and quickly typed a reply to his message.  To her surprise the phone buzzed again.  He told her to call him when she got home.  No matter the time.

Of course, Janna had to read the message.  “Oh, that’s just too dang cute.  He gets ten cool points.”

Jemma laughed.  “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am on your side.  I want you to enjoy life.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  You know I loved Jared, but he’s gone.  You need to grab this thing with Kyle and embrace it.”

Jemma knew her sister was right.  She’d been right about so many other things in her life, like moving out of Dallas, the horse riding lessons, and about Kassie.  She had thought she’d moved on, but she was still holding on to Jared.  She looked down at her left hand.  The brilliant diamond sparkled at her.  It was part of her past and it was time to let it go.  She slipped the rings off her hand and placed them in her purse. 

Janna rubbed her hand.  “I know how much courage that took.  I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you.  It feels funny, not having that weight on my hand.  In the back of my mind, I knew I should have done it a long time ago. I just kept holding on to them, I really don’t know why.”

“You were still clinging to Jared.  Just like Kassie stopped talking, you had stopped living.  We have one cowboy to thank for bringing both you guys back to us.”

She instantly that of Kyle.  He was that man.  He had rescued both of them and brought them back to the world. “Looks like I will be heading back home tonight.”

“Why?”

“Sunday breakfast.”  Jemma smiled, rose and called Kassie.  “It’s time to have lunch with Grandma Barb,” she called toward the kitchen. 

“I bet Barb is going to be so surprised to see her talking,” Janna said. 

“She started crying when Kassie talk to her on the phone the other day.”

Kassie soon joined her mother.  “Can we go to the Olive Garden again?”

“No honey, I’m not sure where Grandma will want to eat.”

“All right,” Kassie said.  “I have to say bye to Granny.”  She ran to the kitchen. 

Janna shook her head.  “That girl is like an energy drink.  She never slows down.”

Jemma nodded.  “Try keeping up with all that energy all the time.”  She wouldn’t change a thing.

***

“So what do you think?”  Kyle asked Jemma as they walked around the arena.  It had been such a big day for them as a couple.  Were they a couple? 

Jemma and Kassie had attended Sunday breakfast and Kassie had met three new friends.  Ryder liked her immediately, never letting her out of his sight. Turned out Kassie attended the same private school as his nephew.  Talk about a small world. 

After breakfast was finally over, Kassie played with her new chums as Kyle and Jemma walked to the arena.   He’d wanted the day to go perfect, and so far so good. 

Kassie adapted to her environment very quickly.  She talked his mother’s ear off when she warmed up.  Initially, she clung to Jemma, and he feared the worst, but it was for nothing.  She was so smart.

Jemma took it all in. “So about how many people attend?” 

“About five thousand.  Our competition is regional, but some people attend just to get their feet wet in competing.  Registration officially opens next week.”

“How many contestants?”

He knew she was going to be a hard sell on the idea of letting her fragile child attend this competition.  “We had about fifty over all last year.  In Kassie’s class there might be about ten kids competing.” 

She sighed.  “I know you think I’m over-protective of Kassie and I am.  She’s all I have and it’s my job to protect her.  If I thought for one second this would send her to where she was before the horse lessons started, she wouldn’t do this.  She assured me that she’s ready and wants to do this, so you have my blessing.”

“Oh, Jemma.”  He pulled her in his arms.  “Thank you!  I promise you won’t be sorry.”  He kissed her softly. He teased her mouth open and devoured her.  What was it about this woman that turned him into a horny teenager?  He didn’t pull away from her until breathing became a problem. 

“Wow, Kyle.”  She was breathing hard.  “I’m trusting you with my baby girl.  Please keep her safe.”

“Thank you, Jemma.  You know I will.”  He put his arm around her waist and guided her back to the house.  “We’d better get back or they’ll turn on the monitors to see what we’re doing.”

“Cameras?”  She looked surprised. 

“Yes, there’s cameras all over the ranch.  There’s a lot of expensive equipment here, and of course this arena is wired for sound because of the events that are held here.”

“My goodness, I guess I just never thought of it in those terms,” she said.  “How are the new horses?”

“Still getting used to their new surroundings.  Want to see them?” 

She nodded.  “Sure.”

He took her inside the stable.  They walked past the horses used for training and down to the holding pen they used for new horses.  Aubrey, that’s the vet, and Chutney’s mother, is still processing them.  She gives them a check-up before they get their own stall. Once that happens, Mom gives them names.  Then we start working with them.”

“Amazing.”  She was clearly amazed by the whole process.  They walked down another aisle.  “These are the family horses.”

“So everyone has a horse?”  She stopped at a stall and looked inside. 

“No, Mom doesn’t have one anymore.  Dad’s is down there.  This one is mine.  Say hello, Ranger.”

The brown horse shook his head at Jemma. She placed her hand on his head and she laughed.  “As in Walker, Texas Ranger?”

“As in Texas Rangers,” he corrected her. “I can’t believe you remember that show.”

“Blame my dad.  He liked all those kind of shows.  He can’t get enough of them.  I think it makes him feel more Texan.”

Kyle supposed that was true.  “I can see that.  If I was transplanted to another country, I could see trying to soak all the local color.”

“Jared thought it was the craziest thing he’d ever heard.  He and Dad had a love/hate thing going on.  My dad likes you.”

“That’s good, because I like his daughter.”  He led them back to the house.

Okay, one thing Jemma had figured out while Kassie was doing this extra lesson was what was going to do to fill the time.  Kyle had taken, Kassie, Ryder, Cara, and Sylvia, to the arena to practice.  Justin and Turner followed them as well.  Now Jemma was alone with the women of the family while Kassie was training.

She was sitting in the kitchen with Tesla, Krista, and Megan.  The ladies were sipping tea and discussing the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  “Jemma, what do you normally do for holidays?”

“We go to my parents.  They live in Dallas,” she explained.  “Kassie’s other grandparents are there as well.  Last year’s was our first major holiday without Jared and it was hard.  Especially, for Kassie.  I’m hoping this year is going to be a lot better, since she’s talking again.”

Tesla nodded.  “I can understand.  She should always come first.  Maybe it’s time for new traditions to replace those memories,” she offered.  “I’m not saying that you have to forget your husband, but make the holidays happy again.”

Jemma took a sip of tea.  She had been thinking along those lines, and her mother had suggested a trip, so Kassie wouldn’t always equate the holidays with her daddy being gone.  “That’s a thought.  My mom suggested a cruise or a trip like to Disney World.”

“That’s a thought,” Tesla said quietly.  “You know, Turner has never been out of the state of Texas.  That would be a lovely way to get his feet wet before he retires next year.  I think a Disney World cruise sounds fun.”

Jemma chuckled.  “I was just tossing the idea around, Tesla.”

The older woman sat her cup down and looked at Jemma.  “I know dear, but it sounds like a grand idea.  I think we should all go.”  She glanced at her daughter and daughter-in-law.  “What do you think?  I realize Thanksgiving is less than a month away, and we’d have to act fast.”  She rose and retrieved her IPAD from the counter and turned it on.  “There’s a three night, four day cruise.  What do you say?”

“I say it sounds great, Mom,” Krista said.  “I’ve been wanting to do for years. 

“I’ll have to talk to my parents,” Megan announced.  “We were supposed to go to Houston for Thanksgiving, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.  It does sound like more fun that sitting around the house watching the Dallas Cowboys.”

Tesla nodded.  “Great.  Jemma, what do you say?”

She gasped. “What?”

“I’m asking you and Kassie to join our family on the Disney World Cruise for Thanksgiving.”

“I’ll have to check with the grandparents.”

Tesla nodded.  “In the meantime, I’ll get things in order.”

“Don’t you have to ask Mr. Cosgrove?”

Tesla looked at her with a sparkle in those blue eyes.  “It’s important to me, so I know he’ll do it.”  She continued surfing the Net.  “Let me know as soon as possible.”  She patted Jemma on the hand.  “Thank you, Jemma.”

“For what?”

“I wanted to do something different this year, because we’re retiring after all these years.  This is different and fun.  But I really want to thank you for putting a smile on my son’s face.  I was beginning to worry about him, but you have banished all my worries.  I know he’ll be just fine.”  Tesla dabbed her eyes. 

“He’s helped me too.  He got my daughter to talk.  So I guess we’re both grateful for him.”  Jemma wiped her eyes too. 

“Damn it,” Krista said, joining them at the table.  “You two have me crying too!”

***

“Okay, tell me this again, in my good ear,” said Jemma’s mother, laughing.  It was Sunday night, and Kyle had finally went home.  Jemma had dropped the bomb of the impending trip with the Cosgroves.

“His mother is planning a Thanksgiving trip on a cruise ship.  She’s inviting us?” Her mother asked.

“I guess, I had mentioned it and she kind of ran with it.  Next thing I knew she planning this big family do.”  Jemma surfed on her tablet for cruise information.  “I think it would be good for Kassie.  You think Dad will want to go?” The more she thought about the idea, the more it appealed to her.  They all deserved something nice for the holidays.”

“It does sound like something different.  I don’t know if Janna will be able to go.  I think it’s her and Damon turn to host Thanksgiving for his family,” her mother told her.

“Oh, maybe we should wait,” Jemma said. 

“No way!” Her mother said.  “I think it will be fun.  I say yes.”

“Don’t you need to talk to Dad?”  Jemma already knew the answer to that.

“No, he wants what I want.  Just tell me where to call to give my credit card number.”