“You don’t have to bring us out there,” she said. “I’m serious.”
“Hey, if I’m going to sell it, you should see it once,” he countered. “You’re the only one who’d understand it...you know?”
And she did. It was his last connection to his cousin, and maybe even more than that. She’d clung to a few connections of her own, like her wedding rings that sat in a little mother-of-pearl box in the bottom of her suitcase.
“I’m sorry you have to sell because of me.”
“I don’t blame you,” he said, and she smiled ever so slightly. “I blame Beau.”
She wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, and she eyed him for a moment.
“Hey, I’m glad that you were left something,” he went on. “Josh would have wanted that, and obviously Beau did, too. It complicates things for me, but it’s not the end of the world.”
“But that land—” she started.
“New beginnings,” he said, cutting her off. “Things are going to change around here. There’s no getting around that. I’m not Beau, and those days are gone. Besides, sometimes the stuff we remember wasn’t quite so pristine as we thought.”
Fair enough. Nothing had been as pristine as Jane had hoped, either. Not marriage, not motherhood... Life was harder than anyone anticipated, and maybe it was for the best not to see it coming.
“Let’s ride out tomorrow,” he said. “I’ll borrow some toddler helmets, and we can pack a lunch.”
“You sure?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t turn down the company,” he said, his voice a low rumble. His dark gaze met hers, and she felt that intensity again—and her breath caught in her throat.
“Mama, cracker!” a little voice said, and Jane looked over to see her girls come into the kitchen, eyes bright and hair already tangled from play.
“I’d better go take a shower,” Colt said. “We leave for church in half an hour.”
As Colt headed toward the stairs that led down to his place, Jane watched him go. This inheritance was tearing apart some precious memories for this man, and she couldn’t help but feel bad for that. But maybe a ride out there would be healing in some small way.
For both of them. In very different ways, they both needed to lay Joshua Marshall to rest.
Colt’s mind was on that land as they drove along the gravel roads, small rocks whipping up and rattling against the side of the truck as he went. It was a fair offer, and it would help him out of a bind, but letting go of that land was going to mean lifting the lid on stuff he didn’t want to look at. He’d just buried his uncle—couldn’t that be enough for a while?
But Jane was here, the offer was on the table and he had to pay her somehow for those cattle. More debt wouldn’t be wise since he’d inherited this place with a pile of debt attached to it. But this was Sunday, and he normally tried not to think about the business pressures for one day a week. If possible.
Lord, what do I do? he silently prayed. I need You to show me the way.
The church was coming up on the left, and Colt slowed and signaled his turn. Venton Country Church was located along a back road, nestled between a stretch of trees and pasture. The town of Creekside had a church, too, but the cowboys tended to come out this way because the worship style was more bluegrass and country. They didn’t even have a regular pastor at the moment. A retired minister was volunteering his time for two weeks a month, and other than that they filled the service with some testimonies and rousing gospel music.
They were a little late. The parking lot was already full of pickup trucks and he could hear the familiar cords of some banjo music filtering out of the old church.
“This is it,” Colt said, then he glanced into the backseat where the toddlers were eating Cheerios out of little plastic tubs. “They have a Sunday school here during the sermon, I think. I’ve never done the kid thing before, so—”
“They’re a little young for Sunday school,” Jane said with a smile. “I just take them with me into the service and sit in the back, if that works for you.”
“Sure. Yeah.” That seemed simple enough. “Let’s do it.”
Getting the girls out of their car seats was simpler than he anticipated. Jane grabbed a cloth bag, tossed it over her shoulder and then lifted Micha down to the ground.
“Stay here,” Jane said firmly, then climbed into the truck to fetch Suzie.
Colt and Micha exchanged a solemn look. It seemed that Micha knew that tone in her mother’s voice and didn’t appear inclined to disobey. Jane emerged from the truck, Suzie in her arms.
“Ready,” she said, and Colt slammed shut the truck door.
When he’d asked her to come with him to church, it had been impulsive, just wanting a little more time with her. But now that he was looking at the toddlers, the bag over Jane’s shoulder and impish look in Micha’s eye, he had a fleeting feeling of misgiving. He was very likely in over his head.
Colt carried Micha in his arms, and Jane had Suzie. They made their way up the wooden steps, and he pulled open the front door, letting her go inside first. The music echoed through the foyer, and when he pushed open the swinging door to the sanctuary, there was an empty pew in the back. They slipped into the space and Jane dropped her bag to the seat beside them. Everyone was standing, singing along with a familiar song, so no one noticed their arrival.
When the song service was over, everyone sat down and Jane’s warm arm brushed against his. It felt comforting, close. It was only one week—it’s not like he was going
