To Save a Child--A Clean Romance Read online

  “I finally finished all the repairs, and it’s just about ready. We could move in, but we decided to have Christmas in the bunkhouse and move later. We felt it was better for the boys that way. They’re comfortable where they are, and we don’t want to disrupt that just yet.”

  Cole patted him on the back. “I’m happy for you, man.”

  “Thanks. It feels surreal at times, but when I see Anamarie’s face, I know it’s real.”

  Cole could hear the love in his voice. He knew it had been a long road for Jericho and Anamarie to find their happy-ever-after. He glanced toward Grace, who was talking to the boys. He just didn’t know if that was in the cards for him.

  Soon Jericho loaded up the kids and drove away. Zoe made a face like she was going to cry. Grace squatted and kissed her cheek. “It’s okay. You might see them again.”

  How’s she going to do that if you’re leaving was on the tip of his tongue. But he didn’t say the words. That would make him a jackass.

  They made their way to the house, talking about Jericho and the kids. Preparations for supper were everywhere. A chicken was in the sink. Potatoes were ready to boil, and there was corn and green beans in jars. Grace was making a big supper. A goodbye supper. In that moment he realized he was acting like a small child. He’d thought he would have a problem with his grandpa when she left. He never dreamed the problem would be with him. Once he realized that, his whole attitude changed.

  “Do you know that Grace is leaving?” Grandpa asked Cole.

  “Um...yeah. I’m surprised that you do.” He glanced at Grace and should have known she wouldn’t leave it up to him to tell Grandpa.

  “She’s taking Bertha ’cause she doesn’t have a car. She’ll bring it back when Lamar finishes her car.”

  “Uh...okay...”

  “There’re too many people in this kitchen,” Grandpa announced as he pushed past Cole. “I’m going to check and see if Andy Griffith is on.”

  “It doesn’t come on until seven,” Grace told him. “You’re supposed to help me.”

  “I’m going to check.” Grandpa marched into the living room with his mind set on not helping.

  “I have no idea how to cut up a chicken.” She made a face.

  “I’ll help you,” Cole offered. “Grandpa taught me how to do it years ago. I don’t know why, because he thinks a woman’s place is in the kitchen.”

  “He told me if I could cook, I would never go hungry.”

  They shared a chuckle.

  “That’s my grandpa.”

  They worked together in the kitchen, and it felt as natural as if he’d been doing this with her for a long time. And it had only been a week.

  They put everything on the table and called Grandpa.

  “Did you make a coconut pie, Grace?”

  “No, Mr. Walt, I did not make a coconut pie.”

  Grandpa took his seat. “What are we going to have for dessert?”

  “There are chocolate chip cookies in the cabinet,” she told him.

  “Ah, that’s not a dessert. That’s a snack.”

  “Grandpa, if you eat all this food we’ve prepared, you’re not going to want a dessert. Now eat.”

  A knock sounded at the back door. “Hey, anybody home?”

  “Come on in, Bertie,” Grandpa called. “We’re having supper.”

  Miss Bertie walked in with a pie in her hand. “Walt said Grace is leaving in the morning, so I made her a pie. Walt said coconut was her favorite.”

  They shared a glance and, unable to stop themselves, they burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Miss Bertie asked.

  “Coconut is Grandpa’s favorite pie,” Cole replied.

  “Grace loves it, too, don’t you?”

  “Yes, Mr. Walt, I absolutely love it.”

  Cole reached out and took her hand. She squeezed it and smiled. Now he could handle her leaving. It had nothing to do with him. She had to get her life together to move forward.

  * * *

  LATER GRACE AND COLE sat at the kitchen table. She had a cup of tea, and he had coffee. She wanted to talk and explain her feelings, but she didn’t want to dredge up those emotions that would make her vulnerable.

  “I really don’t know how to thank you,” she started.

  “Then don’t. I know how much Zoe means to you.”

  She traced the handle of her teacup. “Why did you believe me? You said you would check the facts, but the facts weren’t in my favor.”

  “Let’s just say I’m a sucker for a pretty woman and a sad story.”

  “You are not.”

  He moved uncomfortably in his chair. “I told you I have these instincts, that I can tell when someone is lying. I don’t why, but I can, and I knew you weren’t lying. But I was hesitant at first, because I didn’t know all the facts, and then...”

  “We grew closer,” she finished for him. “This past week I have leaned on you for support because I was so worried about Zoe. And in doing that, I started to have feelings for you. I knew you had a girlfriend, and I didn’t want to do anything to change that.”

  “I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.”

  “Why? You said something about her not liking your boots. That makes no sense.”

  “She didn’t want me to wear boots to Thanksgiving. It was something her mother wouldn’t like since it was a formal dinner. I wore them anyway because that’s who I am—a country boy from Horseshoe, Texas. I realized then that we really had nothing in common and ended the relationship.”

  “I saw her in the ER—or at least I thought it was her.”

  He moved uncomfortably again. “Yes, it was her.”

  “I’m not trying to pry,” she hastened to reassure him. “But if you still have feelings for her, I think you should work it out. I don’t want to get caught in the middle of your relationship.”

  “Grace.” He looked directly into her eyes, and the blue of his was so warm she could feel it. “You’re not in the middle of that relationship. It’s over. I can’t explain it, but when you came here, it just changed everything. You really are Amazing Grace. Grandpa would eat very little, and he talked to my grandmother constantly. It was unnerving. Now he’s eating and can’t seem to stop. Zoe brightened up his world and so did you. He’s like his old self. You want to thank me? I should be thanking you. I was at my wits’ end trying to help him. I thought he would get upset about you leaving, but he’s handling it very well. He’s even letting you take Bertha.”

  Grace clasped her hands in her lap. “It’s hard for me to leave, too. Mr. Walt taught me a lot of things, especially about cooking. I will miss him, but I really believe that you and I need this time apart to sort through our feelings. I didn’t expect to feel anything for you, and now...”

  “It’s okay, Grace,” he assured her. “We’ve only known each other a week, and we do need time apart. I’ll be starting back at my job, and you have to bury your sister and deal with her affairs and Zoe’s paternity.”

  “I know.” She got to her feet and put her teacup in the sink. When she walked past his chair, he reached out and caught her arm and got to his feet, wrapping both arms around her. As she nestled close to him, he kissed her cheek and then her lips. She breathed in the scent of him and kissed him back. Pulling away, she ran to her bedroom. She would remember that moment for the rest of her life.

  * * *

  SUNDAY MORNING WENT SMOOTHLY. Grace had all her things packed and sitting in the hallway. She and Grandpa took Zoe out to see the animals one last time. While they were outside, Cole loaded her stuff in the car and drove it around to the back door. Grandpa held Zoe as the trio slowly made their way to the car. Rascal jumped up and down trying to lick Zoe’s hand as she waved it at him.

  Grace tucked her hair behind her ears. “You didn’t have to bring the car around.”<
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  “I thought it would be better.”

  She took Zoe from Grandpa and put her in the car seat. Then she hugged his grandfather. “Thank you, Mr. Walt, for letting me stay here and for letting me use Bertha. I will take very good care of her.”

  “I know you will.”

  While Grandpa cooed at Zoe, she turned to Cole, her eyes dark and sad. “Please call me as soon as you hear about the DNA.”

  “You’ll be the first person I call.”

  Very cool. Very calm. But inside he knew she was hurting, just like he was. Time was ever evolving and measured in seconds, minutes, hours, weeks and months. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? Could that one second amount to decades of love? He wasn’t that familiar with the word, but he got a happy high in his chest when he looked at her, when he talked to her and when she smiled at him. It had only taken a second. And then it had only taken a week for him to know that he was caught like a fish on a hook. And that’s where he wanted to be—caught in her dark eyes forever. It was up to her to decide if she felt the same way.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He gripped her tightly as the cool north wind blew against them. He kissed the side of her face. “Come back any time you want.”

  She got into the car, and Grandpa shut Zoe’s door. She waved and drove away. Rascal chased the car all the way to the cattle guard. Cole stared until the blue streak disappeared. He drew a deep sigh and accepted that time would tell if she would ever come back. Now he had to deal with his grandfather.

  Looking around, his grandfather was nowhere in sight. Oh, no! He probably was in the barn shedding a few tears. Amazing Grace had left the Chisholm men heartbroken.

  Rascal slowly made his way back to the barn, and Cole followed. He heard his grandpa’s truck crank up, and the chicken squawked. Otis cock-a-doodle-dooed, and the truck shot out of the barn. Grandpa pulled up next to him.

  “I’m taking my truck to Lamar to get the muffler fixed. Follow and pick me up.”

  What? He was stunned for a minute. The sad grandfather he had expected was doing fine.

  “Okay.” He didn’t tell him it was Sunday and that Lamar didn’t work on Sundays. They’d figure it out later.

  When they got there, Lamar and Dori were backing out to go to church. Grandpa talked to Lamar for a minute and then got into Cole’s truck.

  “He’ll get it fixed,” Grandpa said, buckling his seat belt. “I want one of those phones you were talking about a few months ago.”

  “You mean a cell phone?” Several times he’d tried to get his grandparents a cell phone instead of a landline, but they refused. Grandpa had refused again when his grandmother had passed away.

  “Yeah. One of those things. I don’t want that internet stuff, but I want one that takes pictures.”

  “O-okay.”

  He drove into Temple and bought a cell phone for his grandfather. That brought on the question of if he had enough patience to teach his grandfather how to use it. They sat at the kitchen table as Cole began the process.

  “Who do you want to call? I have to put their numbers in here.”

  “I have a list by the phone.” Grandpa handed him the list, and he put the numbers in Grandpa’s phone. “Put Grace’s in there, too.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to know how Zoe’s doing.”

  “Grandpa—”

  “Put it in there and stop arguing with you grandfather.”

  His mind told him to keep the door to Grace closed, but his heart sent him a different message. His grandfather cared for Zoe, and he and Grace had a good relationship—who was Cole to tell him who his friends could be?

  “The people on your list are known as contacts in your phone. See.” He showed him on the phone.

  “Got it.”

  Cole went over how to use the phone and went over it again until he thought his brain would explode. Why did he ever think this was a good idea?

  “Okay, Grandpa I’m going outside and you call me.”

  He went outside and waited and waited. Rascal rested on his haunches beside him. He ran a hand over his face, never dreaming it would be this hard. Just then his phone buzzed and he answered.

  “It’s your grandpa.”

  “What took you so long?”

  “I had to go to the bathroom.”

  Cole gritted his teeth.

  * * *

  GRACE WENT HOME to an empty house and an empty life. She sat on the sofa and thought about her decision to leave. She wanted Cole to love her the way a man was supposed to love a woman and not because she needed his help and was some damsel in distress. She wanted them to have a full-blown love affair with all the bells and whistles. And of course she could be delusional.

  Zoe crawled all over the house, looking in every room. Grace knew who she was looking for: Mr. Walt, Cole and Rascal. In her heart, she looked for them, too. But she really needed this time away from the happy, happy experience she’d had at the farm. And the fight for Zoe wasn’t over. She had to arrange a funeral, too.

  Zoe climbed onto the sofa and into her lap, and Grace held on to the only person she had left in her life. Zoe’s father could only be Joel or Kevin, and she had to be ready to fight whichever one it was.

  Frannie arrived home about noon, and just the sight of her made Grace feel much better. They talked and talked, and Grace told her everything that had happened.

  “I can’t believe all this,” Frannie said. “That’s not our Brooke.”

  “I know. He changed her into someone we don’t even know. She believed she loved him and wanted them to be a family. I guess Brooke and I are alike—always dreaming of a family.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry. But you’re strong and you’ll get through this. I’m home to help you.”

  “Thank you.” She knew she could always count on Frannie. She also knew that one day she would leave to live with her son and his family. But she had friends, and she would make a better attempt at staying in touch. She would now have the time.

  Frannie bounced Zoe up and down on her lap. “She’s getting so big. I think she’s grown since I’ve seen her.”

  “She has. She’s almost walking. I wish Brooke could see her.” A tear threatened, and she quickly brushed it away.

  “She does, sweetie. You can count on that.” Frannie put Zoe on the floor, and she darted off to investigate the coffee table. “Now tell me about take-charge guy.”

  “He’s a tough cop with a very soft heart.”

  Frannie eyed her for a moment. “And you’ve fallen in love with him.” She didn’t ask. It was a statement.

  Grace didn’t lie. “Can you fall in love in a week?”

  “Oh, sweetie. You can fall in love in a heartbeat. I fall in love with Tom Selleck every Friday night at nine.”

  Grace laughed, and for the first time it felt good to be home. She was going to be okay.

  * * *

  COLE MADE NEW plans concerning his grandfather. Cole would drive in to Austin for work and return home every day for now. Miss Bertie would check on Walt at lunch, and Cole would be there to make sure he took his medication. He didn’t want his grandfather to be sad or lonely.

  On Monday morning Cole left early, and his grandfather seemed okay. By the time he reached the cattle guard, his phone pinged and he looked at the caller ID. Grandpa. This might be a problem.

  “What is it, Grandpa?”

  “Just wanted to let you know the phone is working.”

  “Okay.”

  He was almost into Austin when it beeped again. Grandpa. He gritted his teeth. “What is it?”

  “I just wanted to see if this thing would work all the way to Austin. That’s a long way.”

  “Yes, Grandpa, it reaches a long way, so don’t worry about it. If I don’t answer, you know I’m w
orking.”

  “Got it.”

  He expected him to call all morning, but Grandpa was suspiciously quiet. Cole was called into the lieutenant’s office and was surprised to see the assistant police chief there. They shook hands, and he waited for a reprimand or something. He was trained to wait for the superior to talk.

  “Good work on the Briggs case,” the assistant police chief said. Cole relaxed. This wasn’t a reprimand about the Briggs case. It was good news. He would continue with his team in missing children, but he would now also work with homicide when needed, as Parker was retiring. He would be busy.

  He picked up ribs and sides for supper and arrived home before six. Grandpa hadn’t called the rest of the day, and Cole felt guilty because he’d been working and hadn’t called him, either. The house was quiet. No one was inside. Cole went to the barn to see if his grandfather was feeding the animals. He wasn’t. He pulled out his phone and called him.

  “Where are you?”

  “In the backyard.”

  Cole opened the gate to the backyard and froze. A big children’s swing set stood in the middle of the backyard. Grandpa sat in one of the swings. What the...

  “Grandpa, where did this come from?”

  “I bought it.”

  “Where?”

  “From a store in Temple.”

  “How did you get it here?”

  “In my truck.”

  “Your truck was supposed to be at Lamar’s.”

  “He and Dori brought it back to me this morning so I had wheels. I didn’t sit around here feeling sorry for myself. I went and bought the swing for Zoe, and I paid a young boy to put it up because I know you’re busy.”

  Cole sat in one of the swings with a heavy heart. “Grandpa, you do know Zoe’s not coming back to stay here.”

  “You don’t know that. Your grandmother said she would, and you know your grandmother. She always gets her way.”

  He was talking to Grandma again. It didn’t bother him like it had before. And if the swing set made him happy, Cole was happy. It was the little things that counted in life. Hanging on to a dream gave a person a strong will. He knew that from experience. His dream of freedom had propelled him to a country far away, where he’d had to grow up fast and become a man. In the dream he never realized he had left the best part of him behind—his grandparents, who had needed him.