Cowgirl Come Home (26 page)

“Did you?”

Didn’t I?

Bailey sat unmoving, trying to make sense of her mother’s words. “But it didn’t work, did it?”

“What didn’t work?”

“My sacrifice. I didn’t accomplish anything. I never finished college. I lost my husband, my horse and my career. I’m living with my parents and starting over from scratch. I killed my baby for nothing.”

Mom let out a sob and reached for Bailey’s hand with both of her own. “I’m sorry you still have regrets, but I know—in my heart—what we asked you to do was the right choice at the time.”

Bailey wiped her eyes. She
wanted
to believe her mother. Maybe someday…

Before she could bring up the subject of her grandmother, Mom’s phone jingled.

“It’s your dad.”

Louise put the phone to her ear. “Now?” she asked after listening a moment. “Can’t it wait? He’s not going anywhere.”

She looked at Bailey and sighed. “Are we done here, sweetheart? Jack’s ashes arrived via courier.” She gave a bemused sniff. “There’s a career choice you don’t hear about often.”

Bailey couldn’t face another drama at the moment. “Go ahead. I’m going to wander around the grounds and see what Paul’s crew has accomplished.”

As if saying his name had the power to conjure the man himself, a horn beeped and Paul pulled up to the table in a high-performance utility cart.

“Bailey Jenkins. Glad I caught you. Do you have minute?”

Bailey looked at her mother who stood and waved them off. “I’m taking off, too. Paul, thanks again for donating the book bags for the Readathon. With Bailey’s bling on them, they’re going to be a huge hit.”

Bailey walked to the cart and got in. “How’d your meeting go with the new renter?”

“Great. Her name is Serena James. She loves the place. I gave her the same break on the rent I offered Jack and Marla because she’s an animal lover and I think she’ll actually look after my horses, unlike Jack and Marla.”

“That’s terrific. Is she pretty?”

She nearly clapped her hand over her mouth, shocked when the words she was thinking popped out of her mouth like a jealous shrew.

“Probably. I wasn’t thinking about that. My buddy called while I was showing her around and wait till you see what he lent me. Finally. Some space of our own.”

Bailey grabbed his thigh and held on tight.

Paul couldn’t believe his good fortune. Things were finally starting to go right for him. He had a new renter for the ranch. The job he’d pulled his crew off to put out fires at the fairground nearly turned into a lawsuit, until Austen soothed over the homeowner’s miffed feelings with a substantial break on the bill.

Bailey’s work with Chloe had been a huge boon. He felt like they were in constant contact even though he’d only observed a few minutes of training the day his crew was cleaning up Jack and Marla’s mess in preparation for showing a new renter. But seeing Chloe’s proud smile that morning when she got Skipper to back up—a task she’d have to perform for the showmanship judges—made his feelings gel. Bailey belonged in his life. Period.

He just had to convince her—and his family. The fair provided the perfect venue. Neutral ground. Lots of kids around. People…Austen…would be on their best behavior. And, now, he had the perfect place to do that.

A minute later they reached the parking lot where horse trailers and cab-overs would remain for the duration of the fair. His pick-up sat adjacent to but not hooked up to a high-end stock trailer with living quarters included. “Chez Zabrinski for the next fourteen days.”

“Nice,” Bailey said. “Bigger than anything Ross and I owned when we were doing the circuit for a living. Is it yours?”

“Temporarily. I borrowed it from a friend who is taking a break from the circuit.”

He hopped off the cart and hurried around to help her down. “Milady. Want to see the inside?”

“Is there a lock on the door?”

Her sexy little wink triggered a response worthy of his seventeen-year-old, hormone-enriched self. He opened the door and pointed to the automatic step that came out.

“Nice.” She stepped inside and made a three-sixty, running her fingers across the faux-marble countertop with its mini-cooktop. “Does the couch pull out?”

He nodded. “I plan to put the kids up top and crash there myself.”

“Speaking of kids…where are yours?”

“Shopping with their mother.” He settled his arms around her. “They’re headed to Disneyworld the day after the fair ends. So this was her last chance to get them packed.”

She rose up on her toes and kissed him. “Chloe told me all about it. A bribe to get them to Atlanta where her step-dad is interviewing for a new job. She’s not very happy about the idea.”

She tasted of peppermint gum and cappuccino.

“I know. We had a long talk about the subject last night. Markie’s okay with the idea, which irks his sister to no end.”

“How do you feel about the move?”

“Shitty. Scared spitless. I get a little sick to my stomach whenever I think about them being so far away, but until recently I never felt capable of being a single dad. You changed that.”

“Me? How? You’re a great dad. I’m nobody’s role model for anything.”

“I know this is going to sound strange but…I think there was a part of me that believed the reason you chose an abortion over marrying me was because you didn’t think I’d be a good father.”

Her jaw dropped in obvious surprise. “That’s almost exactly what I just said to my mother. I thought she supported OC’s order because she didn’t think I’d be a good mother.”

He pulled her close and kissed her. “You’re a natural, Bailey. I mean that. Chloe raves about how patient you are and you give her your full attention when you’re with her…not texting or taking calls or planning for something coming up, like Jen and I both do.”

“Horses require your full attention. I learned that the hard way. Plus, I love it when Chloe gets what I’m trying to teach her. It makes me happy.”

“I think Jen’s a little jealous, which has made her step up her game. She’s been spending more time with the kids when they’re at her house.”

He took a deep breath. He’d debated about bringing up the subject but now seemed like the perfect time. “You know Mia’s kids are here, right? They’re staying with Mom and Dad. Mia’s decided to move home, too. She’s meeting with the movers today.”

“Sounds familiar. I hope this move will be as good for her as it has been for me.” She looked at him expectantly. “How are the kids taking the idea?”

“So-so. They’re fourteen and eleven.”

“Teenagers.”

Paul lifted her hand to his lips. “Emilee is about the same age as our child would have been.”

She would have jerked back her hand if he hadn’t been holding it tight. “Oh.”

The happy open look on her face shut down.

“Mia and Ed were in college when they got pregnant. Mia was determined that a pregnancy wasn’t going to derail her goal of getting her law degree. She passed the bar five years after Ed. Juggling babies and childcare and college took a toll—on their marriage and on Mia, physically.”

“You think the stress caused her cancer?”

“I don’t know. But her life is completely f-ed up at the moment. And her kids are really, really unhappy.” He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated that he couldn’t make his words express exactly what he felt. “I guess what I’m saying is if Mia and Ed couldn’t pull off an unplanned pregnancy when they were in college, what chance would we have had in high school?”

“Are you saying you think I made the right decision?” Tears pooled in her eyes like sparkling crystal drops.

He nodded. “Yes, but…”

“There’s always a but.”

He reached out and put his hand against her belly. “I’ll probably always wish things could have been different. I am really sorry for the way I handled things, though. You didn’t deserve all that crap.”

“I wish things had been different, too.”

He took her face between his hands and used his thumbs to wipe her tears. “Do you think it’s possible for us to put the past behind us and start fresh?”

Bailey wanted with all her heart to say, “Yes.” But something stopped her. She didn’t know why. Paul seemed sincere in his apology. She appreciated the perspective time and his sister’s situation had given him. But…could they ever completely let go of the past and move on…together?

He pulled her to him, two hearts pressed together, memories of heat and sex and wanting sweeping away the old pain.

Could they forget? Maybe not, but they could comfort each other in a way their bodies remembered. And maybe for now, that would be enough.

B
ailey didn’t recognize
her first shopper of the morning, but she knew the type—bored, rich and looking to make a statement. Bailey’s target market for big-ticket items.

B. Dazzled’s bread and butter consisted of the under fifty bucks stuff—of which they’d sold a boatload in the past six days. Traffic had thinned out after the weekend, but Bailey was hoping the second weekend would draw new people from all over.

The lady studying Bailey’s twenty-two-hundred dollar necklace was not from Marietta or Montana. L.A. by her tan and perfect, designer breasts. Bailey would have staked her profit on it.

“Good morning. How are you?” She picked up her polishing cloth and a pounded silver cuff. Mornings at the fair were Bailey’s favorite time—especially on a morning after she’d spent the night with Paul. Chloe and Mark were staying with their cousins at grandma and grandpa’s, which gave her and Paul some valuable together time. They’d even socialized with old friends and Mariettans. “If you have any questions about the stones, just let me know. Montana sapphire is quite unique.”

The woman framed the faux marble bust in her cell phone camera and snapped a shot just as Sage Carrigan walked up. Although Sage and Bailey hadn’t been close in high school, the two had a great deal in common now. Both businesswomen trying to make a living in their old hometown.

They’d caught up a few nights ago while the majority of fairgoers were watching Country and Western legend Alan Jennings, in the bandstand.

Sage had a permanent shop in town—and had even offered to display a few pieces of B.Dazzled jewelry if Bailey decided not to open her own store.

“That piece would really complement your skin tone,” Bailey told her prospective customer.

“Do you think so? It’s pretty, but quite a bit more than I usually pay for costume.”

Bailey looked at Sage. They’d also discussed the knock-your-head-against-the-wall mentality that some people brought to the marketplace.

Both Copper Mountain Chocolates and B.Dazzled Western Bling sold unique, handcrafted products. If you wanted mass-made, you were better off shopping at the nearest big chain store.

“That piece is one-of-a-kind,” Bailey told the woman. “The stones are Yogo sapphires we buy from a family-owned company that has been hunting and polishing this type of gem for four generations. The Yogo is almost always blue or purple, and they’re not heat-treated. I guarantee you’ll be the only person in the world with this exact necklace.”

Sage subtly flashed her two thumbs up then cut out, dashing back to her counter when a young mother with three kids walked up. With novel flavors like papaya and chili pepper, her chocolates didn’t generally appeal to children.

Sure enough, the woman took one look at the price tags and said, “How ’bout a corn dog?”

“What kind of metal is this?”

Bailey returned her focus to her customer. She explained about the quality of her silver. “Why don’t you try it on? You’ll love the feel of it against your skin. It’s far lighter than it looks.”

Ten minutes later, the lady walked out wearing her new necklace.

Sage applauded. “Great work, Bailey. Like reeling in an eighteen pounder. Your dad would be proud. Pretty soon we’re going to be calling you the
big
fish whisperer.”

Bailey surreptitiously took a bow.

Their camaraderie felt redemptive in ways Bailey hadn’t expected. Until this week, Bailey hadn’t realized how starved she was for contemporary female company.

In addition to Sage, Bailey had reconnected with several other Marietta classmates back in town for the fair. And the best part of all was realizing the Jenkins family drama she’d always felt separated her from others truly had passed under the bridge.

She jotted down the sale on the spreadsheet and was in the process of picking another piece to display when her parents came in.

Bailey didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing her father in a wheelchair, but OC’s doctor had given strict orders not to walk more than a few yards on his new prosthetic until his stump was completely toughened up. Apparently Dad had set back his recovery a few weeks by pushing too hard, too fast.

“Hi, guys. Mom, I just sold the Yogo necklace.”

“I know. I pointed it out to your dad as we were coming here. He complimented the lady on it.”

“I had her preening like an old hen with peacock feathers,” OC boasted.

“You were ogling her bosom.”

“That, too. There was plenty of it.”

She batted him playfully with her scarf. “I’m going to buy some chocolate. You’d better shape up, mister, or you won’t get any.”

“You know what I like. Don’t come back without it or I’ll turn you over my knee and paddle your behind.” He winked at Bailey. “One of these days I’m going to do it just to see if she likes it.”

Bailey reached for her purse to hide her blush. Ever since OC’s return from Reno, her parents had been acting strangely flirtatious.

Although bemused—and a wee bit grossed out—did a child ever want to think of his or her parents as sexual beings?—Bailey thought she could see a light at the end of the tunnel. A flashing road sign saying: Move on.

She couldn’t live with her parents forever. If she could find the right time to ask OC about giving up Jenkins’s Fish and Game, she might suggest moving the retail part of her business to the front and making the back part into her home.

“Hey, Dad, I was wondering…would you consider—” Her question was cut off by a special ringtone.