“Or, we could build a new house and leave this one for guests.”
“A new house?” She pondered the concept, her brow creasing. “That might be better than trying to add on to this one.”
“Think about it. In a few months I’ll have more time and could help oversee its construction.”
“Until the indoor riding ring is finished, I wouldn’t want to take on another project.”
“Mom—Dad-dy.”
Mindy’s voice sounded in the house, causing both of them to turn toward the back door. She rushed out onto the deck, dirt smudges on her cheeks, hay in her pigtails and something Slade didn’t even want to know, on her tennis shoes.
“Is it time to go to school?” Mindy came to a halt in front of them.
“If it was, we’d have to wait until you took a shower. No way, young lady, will you go to school looking like that.” Tory’s nose wrinkled. “And smelling like that. What have you been doing? Rolling around in the hay?”
“Help-ing, Gus.”
“I know, but—oh, never mind. Just go in and take a shower. Our appointment is at eight-thirty.”
“Mom—I have—plenty—of time.”
“Scoot.” Tory waved her hands toward the door.
With a pout on her face, Mindy trudged back into the house.
“I’ve noticed she calls you Mom a lot.”
Tory blushed. “I think she’s just trying to get used to it.”
“I don’t think that’s why.”
She slanted a glance toward him, one brow quirked.
“She feels you’re like a mother to her.”
Tory beamed, her dark eyes shining. “And I feel like she’s my daughter.”
“We haven’t talked about having more children. How do you feel about that?”
“I—I—” she swallowed several times “—I’ve always wanted a large family.”
“So have I. Carol couldn’t have any more children after Mindy was born. We wanted more and were thinking of adopting when the accident occurred.”
The color drained from Tory’s face. She twisted away and walked past him to the railing to stare in the distance. When Slade came up to her side, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was wrestling with something. He waited, wondering if she would trust him with whatever was bothering her. Since she’d told him about the rape, she had opened up more to him. But there was still part of her held in reserve.
“I want children of my own. I just don’t know how long I have. A few years ago the doctor said I would probably have to have a hysterectomy in my not-too-distant future. I have endometriosis and every year it gets worse.”
“I see.”
She spun about. “Do you really understand?”
“I think so. We both want a family, and if we are gonna have that family, it needs to be soon. But you don’t totally trust me yet. You’re still not hundred percent sure about this marriage. Does that about sum it up?”
Tory nodded. “I’m trying. Really, I am.”
The heavy thickness to her voice attested to the truth behind her words. Slade knew when it came to emotions a person couldn’t always control things. He was still working through his own problems concerning the accident and Carol’s death. How could he expect Tory to be over her ordeal and ready to settle down to be his wife in every sense of the word? No matter how much he wished she could get over what happened to her four years ago, it wasn’t going to occur on his timetable, but on hers.
“I know you are, Tory.” He took her hand. “You don’t flinch from my touch or run from me. I believe that’s a good sign.” He forced a lightness into his voice that he wished he felt.
“It was my lucky day when you brought Mindy out for her riding lesson.” She inched closer, her face tilted up toward his.
Their gaze connected and everything around Slade faded from his awareness except the vibrant woman in front of him. His fingers delved into the rich thickness of her hair, for once loose about her shoulders.
“We—need—to leave.”
Tory jumped back as though caught doing something she shouldn’t have. Her face became scarlet red and she busied herself by gathering up the two mugs and starting for the kitchen. “I need to change shoes and get my purse.”
Slade looked at his daughter. He needed to talk to her about her timing.
* * *
“What are we going to do? We have a whole afternoon to ourselves.” Slade switched on the engine to his car and pulled out of the church’s parking lot.
“And you were worried about Mindy with the other kids.”
“I guess I’ll always worry about her. That’s part of being a father.”
“I have an idea what we can do.”
“Nothing?”
“Nope. That does sound tempting, but I thought we might go for a ride.”
“In the car?”
“No, you know very well I’m talking about riding a horse.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
The laughter in his voice belied his words. She gave him an exasperated look. “I want to ride the new mare on the trail to the pond. Get her used to the terrain.”
“Sure. You just want to see me ride again in all my glory.” Slade came to a four-way stop sign and braked.
“You aren’t bad.”
“Yeah, I guess not. I can stay on the horse—as long as it goes at a sedate pace.”
“So no racing across the meadow?”
“No way. Definitely out of my comfort zone.”
“You know that needs to change. After all, I own a riding stable and you are my husband. People will expect you to know how to ride well.”
His laughter rang in the car. “I hate to be a disappointment to all those people.”
He started to ease out into the intersection when a car to his right sailed through the stop sign without coming to a halt. Slade slammed on his brakes, his eyes round as he watched the young teenager barrel down the road, not pausing in his haste to get wherever he was going.
Slade’s grip on the steering wheel was white knuckled. His jaw clenched and he drew in calming breaths. “Are you all right?”
“Are you?” Tory touched
