Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) (44 page)

             
“Life has a funny way of working out differently than we plan,” she admitted.

             
“I know,” he smiled, his hazel eyes kind. “Hey, look, I don’t want you thinking I’m putting any moves on you; clearly you looking for Cade and all…anyway, could I take you to lunch? Just two friends catching up? I would love to hear how everyone is doing,” Kevin requested.

             
Amanda glanced down, her fist impulse to say no; then she nodded. Kevin had been a good friend to her. “Okay, two friends, but I pay for my own,” she agreed.

             
“Great; I’ll call you,” he smiled. Amanda jotted down her new number for him, her father had convinced her to leave it unlisted, and waved when her employer called Kevin back for his appointment.

______________________________

             
Amanda brushed her hair; Jenny was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

             
“I can’t believe you are going on a date!”

             
“It isn’t a date!” Amanda snapped.

             
“What makes it not a date?”

             
“One: I am meeting him there, two: I am paying for my own food, and three: we both specified it as two friends catching up. In fact, would you like to come? You enjoyed hanging out with Kevin as much as I did,” Amanda countered. “Besides, no one dates a pregnant woman, except the dad I guess.”

             
“Have fun on your non date and no I am not going to tag along like a third wheel.”

             
“There are no third wheels on non-dates.”

             
“Still not going,” Jenny shook her head.

             
“Look, Jenny I am head over heels in love with Cade. Kevin was a good friend to me and I look forward to seeing an old friend; I have no more romantic interest in Kevin now than I did in high school.”

             
“I know that, Mandy, but does he know that?”

             
“He was the one who specified two friends; he knows I’m trying to find Cade.”

             
“Have fun,” Jenny pushed off the door and turned to leave. Amanda shook her head at her friend and went for her coat. She could not believe that Jenny would even suggest that Amanda was going on a date!

              Amanda entered the diner and smiled when she spotted Kevin waiting in a booth.

             
“Hey, Mandy,” he stood to offer her a hug.

             
“Hey, Kevin,” Amanda returned the gesture.

             
“You look kinda cute all round and pregnant,” Kevin informed her.

             
“Cute is not what I think when I look in the mirror,” Amanda smiled and shook her head. She already felt relaxed; Kevin was so easy to talk to. As the evening wore on Amanda found herself telling Kevin what had happened and how her dad and brother had come to chase Cade from town.

             
“Knowing your brother the way I do I can believe he exploded. He made a point of finding me and giving me a warning when he was in one weekend. It was just before I ended up leaving,” Kevin shared.

             
“My brother,” Amanda sighed and rolled her eyes.

             
“He loves you, Mandy. As for your father, he seems pretty intense, I can imagine he’s someone you don’t want to cross.”

             
“They need to back off; I’m not a child anymore,” Amanda frowned at her drink.

             
“Don’t you know that daddy’s little girl holds true your whole life?” Kevin teased her.

             
“I guess!” Amanda laughed. She was glad she had agreed to come. She lingered a while longer before thanking Kevin for good conversation and good company, and then went to do a little shopping before heading home; it had been a pleasant after noon.

____________________________________

             
Amanda rubbed at her belly and then her back; she felt huge and miserable. She was only weeks from her delivery date and was uncomfortable. A foot of snow had been dumped across the region only days before; today the Chinooks were rattling the windows with fury and melting snow, which turned the yard into a muddy quagmire. This did nothing to improve Amanda’s mood at all. Hoping for a distraction, she finally waddled her way to the main house.

             
“Hey, Mandy,” her father glanced up from a farm journal he was reading.

             
“Hi,” she lowered herself into a chair.

             
“You’re looking pretty uncomfortable,” her father noted.

             
“A little,” she acknowledged.

             
“Your mother said the last few weeks are the hardest.”

             
“I think I have to agree,” Amanda propped her feet on an ottoman.

             
“I hear you and Kevin Johnson have been seeing each other; he seems like a nice man,” her father offered. Amanda had met Kevin for a few meals; she had no idea people were saying they were dating.

             
“Kevin is my friend; only my friend and that is all he will ever be. I love Cade, Daddy; I know you don’t want to hear that but it’s true!” Amanda vented. “Just what do you have against Cade? You believe in him enough to help him get to go to college; why are you so against us dating?”

             
“I want better for you, Mandy.”

             
“Cade is a good man!” Amanda came to her feet, her ire rising.

             
“Who slept with his employer’s daughter behind his back!” her father returned.

             
“I am an adult and we were going to talk to you!” 

             
“Mandy, I did not send you to college so you could marry a ranch hand.”

             
“He wants to be a rancher,” Amanda reminded her father.

             
“A rancher either; Amanda. I don’t want you to have to struggle the way your mother and I did. Good years are great but a run of bad ones can really make life miserable.”

             
“So it was good enough you and mom but not good enough for me?” Amanda demanded.

             
“It wasn’t good enough for your mom;
I
wasn’t good enough for your mom! Maybe if she hadn’t worked herself ragged trying to help around here she would still be alive!” Sterling stood, his face anguished.

             
Amanda felt her heart break for her dad. “Daddy, you are not to blame for Mom’s death.”

             
Amanda watched her father sway. “Daddy, are you okay?”

             
Sterling staggered toward the hall door before catching himself on the frame.

             
“Daddy,” Amanda rushed to his side as he started to crumple. “Trent! Naomi!” Amanda screamed as she tried to keep her father from slamming into the floor.

             
“Dad!” Trent rushed from the kitchen and grabbed their father and eased him into the floor. Naomi grabbed the phone to call nine-one-one. Amanda, tears streaming down her face, let Trent lean over their father. It felt like forever before she heard the sirens in the distance. The paramedics bustled into the room and took over, Trent standing and stepping aside. Shaking the young man into action, Naomi handed Trent the truck keys. By the time Sterling was loaded into the ambulance, Trent had the truck ready to follow them into town.

             
It was a tense wait as the three of them paced the waiting room. Jenny came around from her office to join them, her eyes moist with tears.

             
“Any word?” she asked.

             
“No,” Amanda shook her head.

             
“How’d it happen?” Jenny asked of Amanda.

             
“We were arguing,” Amanda admitted on tears.

             
“Oh, Mandy, honey; you know you didn’t cause this,” Jenny wrapped Amanda in her arms.

             
“I was ill and moody and I blew up over something he said.”

             
“Mandy, it could have happened in the barn when he was working; it’s one of those things.”

             
“Excuse me, are you here with Sterling Jennings?” a young doctor asked as he entered the room. They all stood and hurried to hear what he had to say. “He’s had a stroke,” the doctor informed them. “We won’t know the full extent for a while yet, but we do know it seems to have largely affected the left side of his body. Based on what we’re finding we’re starting him on a new medicine now.”

             
Amanda, wishing she could make the doctor’s words go away, wrapped her arms around herself. It was late that night by the time Sterling had been placed in a permanent room and they were allowed to see him. He was awake but very lethargic.

             
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Amanda leaned over to kiss his leathery cheek. It hurt to see her big strong daddy lying helpless in the bed. Her father tried speaking, his words so slurred Amanda had no clue what he was trying to communicate. “Rest, Daddy,” Amanda admonished him. She moved from his bedside and claimed a seat before watching her brother and aunt hover over her father. After Sterling had drifted off to sleep, the three of them moved outside to make some plans.

             
“Hey, how is he?” Jenny had returned to the hospital after running home to change.

             
“Resting,” Amanda offered. “I’ll stay with him tonight,” Amanda volunteered.

             
“You need to rest,” her aunt argued, her gaze sliding to Amanda’s belly.

             
“The chair folds into a bed,” Amanda argued.

             
“I think you should go home, Mandy; you’ve done enough today starting fights and yelling at Dad,” Trent flung at her.

             
Amanda, feeling as though she had been slapped, flinched.

             
“Trent!” Naomi was horrified.

             
“You always have to have the last word don’t you? This time your last word almost cost dad his life.”

             
Amanda felt her tears spill over, she wanted to argue but she had been blaming herself all afternoon too.

             
“Trenton Jennings you are the most arrogant, self-serving bastard I have ever met,” Jenny spat at him. “I have believed for years that I was in love with you but I must be mistaken because I could never love a man who would talk to his own,
pregnant
, sister that way,” Jenny’s voice shook with pain and fury. “Mandy, Naomi, I’ll give you a ride home. Since Trent knows best for everyone he can stay,” Jenny turned and stormed down the hallway before stopping to wait beside the door.

             
Amanda glanced at her brother to find him staring after Jenny; he looked as though he had been sucker punched. For a moment she almost felt sorry for him, almost.

             
“Let’s go, Mandy. I think everyone needs time and space to cool off,” Naomi grabbed Amanda’s arm and steered her toward the door. Amanda was quiet on the ride to the ranch; she felt numb, exhausted, and wanted Cade’s arms around her more than ever.

Twenty-Six

             
Trent apologized to his sister the next morning when she came to the hospital. He also apologized to Jenny, though she didn’t seem inclined to forgive him just yet. A few days later, Amanda paced her father’s room while he was out for tests and sighed. The last several days had seemed never ending and she was utterly exhausted. A knock sounded on the door and Amanda turned to see Kevin waiting.

             
“Hi, Kevin,” she greeted him.

             
“Hey, Mandy; how’s your father?” Kevin entered the room and came to lean against the window ledge.

             
“Decent, considering. We have a long road ahead,” she admitted.

             
“You look exhausted,” Kevin commented with concern.

             
“I feel exhausted,” Amanda admitted. “The last few days have been grueling.”

             
“You need to slow down, Mandy. You have your baby to consider.”
              “I know,” she sighed. “I just don’t see how. We don’t want to leave Daddy alone in case he needs something or the doctor needs to talk with us and there’s still the ranch to run; it’s a lot.”