AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Compassion turned his eyes to jade. “No. Ican’t see Hutch being easily fooled.”
“Nor would I want to fool him.” She wrapped her arms around her waist, aware of how telling the defensive gesture must appear. “For all Lonnie’s faults, he did the honorable thing by me back then. It wasn’t easy for him. He’s a runner by nature and it must have taken a lot of guts to marry me when every instinct urged him to grab the first bus out of town.”
“So why did he run after five years? Why hang in there so long?”
Cassidy firmed her lips, praying Ty wouldn’t notice how they trembled. But to this day, the memories skulked in the far recesses of her mind like shadowy nightmares. “He didn’t hang in there. He ran at the first opportunity. One short month before Hutch’s birth, to be exact.”
“The month before...” Comprehension dawned, along with a deep, burning anger, an anger directed squarely at Lonnie. “And you spent the next five years chasing after him.”
Hearing it stated out loud made her decision seem downright pathetic. But she’d been so young and so scared. And so desperately broke. Pride had come last in a long list of needs, alist Hutch had topped, just as he topped it now. “Something like that.”
“What stopped you from following him? April Mae?”
“No. Icould have dealt with that. But he hurt Hutch, said unforgivable things. And that made me realize that no father wasbetter than a bad one.” By that time, she’d also discovered she could scrape by on herown.
“I’m sorry, Cassidy. You must know that not all men are like Lonnie. Some of us have staying power.”
A knock at the door saved her from answering. Edith poked her head into the room and glowered at them. “Dinner’s on,” she announced. “Miss Willie arrived while you two were having your little discussion. When she heard the set-to goin’ on in here, she decided to wait in the dining room with young Hutch. She asked for a drink. Astrong one. And the boy asked for one, too. Gave him the most powerful lemonade I had on hand. If we don’t eat soon, the sugar rush is like to knock him loopy.”
Ty nodded. “Go ahead and serve the meal. We’ll be right there.” The second the door slammed behind her, he turned to Cassidy. “This discussion isn’t over yet.”
“It is as far as I’m concerned.” She kicked the upended ottoman back into position. To her surprise, Ty leaped out of the way. Jeez. No need to overreact. It wasn’t as if she was aiming at him or anything. “Now that Hutch has told you about Georgia, you can understand that a relationship between us would be impossible.”
“We’ll see” was all he said. “Shall we eat?”
“I could use the fortification,” she muttered.
A quick grin slashed across his face. “Stoking up for our next battle?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll keep you well fed.” He waited until she swept past before adding, “Not that it’ll do you any good. This is one war I intend to win.”
To Cassidy’s relief, dinner turned out to be a delight. Willie entertained them with stories of her dating agency and the various matches they’d made, breaking off with a laugh and inclining her head toward Hutch. “Good gracious. Ithink it’s time a certain young man turned in.”
Startled, Cassidy glanced at her son. He’d nodded off at some point, his cheek pillowed by an uneaten pile of mashed potatoes. His glasses sat cockeyed on his face, making him appear far younger than ten. And infinitely more vulnerable than when he was awake and busily manipulating the world around him and the hapless mortals peopling it. Beneath his chair, Miz Mopsey snored delicately, apparently as exhausted as her master.
“I’ll carry him to one of the spare bedrooms,” Ty offered. “I think the bunkhouse better wait one more night.”
Cassidy pushed back her chair. “Thanks. Idon’t know what’s wrong with him. I’ve never seen him so worn out. You’d think he’d spent the whole day working instead of exploring the ranch.”
Inexplicably, Ty chuckled. “Oh, Isuspect he found a chore or two to keep him busy. Get used to it, Cassidy. Ranch life might be a bit more physically strenuous than he’s used to, but it won’t hurt him.”
Her maternal concern faded. “I’m sure you’re right. In fact, it’ll probably be good for him.” She watched as Ty levered her son onto his shoulder. Scrawny arms crept around his neck and clung. For some reason, the sight brought tears to her eyes. She cleared her throat, hoping no one would notice how husky her voice had grown. “He doesn’t get out in the fresh air as much as I’d like.”
“Don’t tell me we’re in agreement about something?” Ty demanded. “You’re willing to admit that ranch life is good for the boy?”
She wrinkled her nose at his teasing. “I suppose that ninety-nine percent had to kick in sometime.”
“Ninety-nine point four,” Willie corrected, her tone reflecting intense satisfaction.
Cassidy turned, surprising a smug expression on the older woman’s face. “Excuse me?”
“I reran your form with the alterations Ty gave me and it came up ninety-nine point four percent this time. It seems the changes improved your odds.”
Oh. Just. Great! “Well, maybe,” she conceded, “but there’s still that one percent difference.”
“Point six,” Ty corrected, gently digging potatoes out of Hutch’s ear and wiping gravy off his cheek. “And closing all the time.”
