Tory thought she could have burned the entire meal and he wouldn’t have noticed.
Eventually, he gave up any pretense, shoved his plate aside, and rose from the table. “I’ve got to get dressed and get out of here.” He headed for his bedroom while she cleaned up the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher.
He was gone longer than usual. When he walked back into the kitchen, she understood why. He was wearing his full marine dress blues, a white, billed cap tucked under one arm.
For several seconds she just stared. He was clean-shaven and perfectly groomed, wearing pressed blue trousers with a red stripe down the side, navy jacket covered with medals and ribbons. She didn’t know what most of them stood for but she recognized bronze and silver stars.
The uniform fit him perfectly and it said everything about him: that he had served his country with honor and courage; that he had been a decorated hero; that he had suffered and survived.
She looked at him standing there and thought he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
“You look . . .” She wanted to say incredible. “Like a soldier.”
He glanced away. “Pete was a special guy, one of the best. His family wanted a full military funeral. Pete deserves it.”
“Is there . . . umm . . . anything you want me to do while you’re gone?”
He thought for a moment. “You’re still working on the website, right?”
“Yes.” It seemed insane to be talking about mundane subjects when Josh was leaving to pay his respects to a friend who’d been senselessly murdered.
“I’ve hired a webmaster,” she said, “a woman I worked with in Phoenix. She’s really good. We’re designing the pages together. I need to get some photos, pictures of the ranch and one of each of the horses.”
He just nodded, his mind clearly on the loss of his friend. “I appreciate your help with this.” A faint smile touched his lips. “I didn’t realize I was hiring an expert in marketing when you drove up to the barn that day. I got way more than I bargained for.”
She smiled and shrugged. “At least all those years I spent in advertising weren’t a total waste.”
His slight smile faded. She felt a pang in her heart at the misery in his face.
“I need to go.” He started for the door, but Tory caught his arm.
She went up on her toes and very softly kissed him. “Drive safely. If you decide to stay overnight, just let me know.”
“I’m not going to stay. I’ll be back tonight at the latest.”
She took a step backward, but Josh hauled her into his arms, bent his head, and kissed her far more thoroughly. Then he turned and walked away, pausing only long enough to settle his cap on his head before pushing through the door.
Tory stood on the porch and watched him drive away, watched till his pickup disappeared down the dirt road leading out of the ranch.
It was early afternoon when she heard the roar of an engine rolling back down the dirt road toward the house, too early for Josh to be home. For an instant, her nerves kicked in.
But the last time Josh had heard from Ham, Damon was still in Phoenix, continuing his usual routine: work, play, and picking up women at his favorite upscale bars. Tory prayed he had finally accepted that she was out of his life for good.
Knowing Cole and Noah were working near the house—she suspected because Josh wanted them to stay close—she walked out on the front porch. Josh’s newest hire, a black-haired teen named Tyler Murphy, had already finished cleaning the makeshift stalls in the cow barn and left for the day.
She watched the car approach, a beautiful bright red Stingray convertible. It hadn’t rained the past few days. The sun was out, the afternoon warm, but the forecast warned of a coming storm.
Two women sat in the car. She recognized Carly Cain in the driver’s seat, blond hair pulled back and clipped at the nape of her neck, sitting next to a beautiful brunette with long, mahogany-brown hair. Tory walked toward them as they climbed out of the car.
“Hi, Carly. Wow, what a fabulous car.”
“It is, isn’t it? Linc bought it for me for Christmas. I have to say I love it. Carly, this is my friend Brittany Haworth. Britt’s a teacher at Iron Springs Elementary. We’ve been BFFs since high school.”
“It’s great to meet you, Brittany.”
“You too, Tory.”
“I’m afraid you missed Josh. A close friend of his died. The funeral’s today in Fairfield.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Josh has already lost enough friends. But the truth is we came to see you. I’ve been dying to meet your little girl.”
A warm feeling spread through her. She hadn’t really made any friends since she had left Phoenix.
She smiled. “Come on in. Ivy’s watching TV, and I’ve got a pitcher of lemonade in the fridge.”
As the women walked up on the porch, she noticed Brittany looking over at the cow barn. Cole and Noah were hard at work. Cole had his shirt off, and to say the man was ripped would be an understatement. Tory didn’t blame the brunette for staring.
As she led the women inside, Ivy ran up, shiny blond ponytail bouncing against her back. A little pink gathered smock with a unicorn on the front covered a pair of pink leggings.
“Ivy, these are friends of Josh’s. His brother’s wife, Carly, and her friend Brittany.”
Carly crouched down to Ivy’s height. “It’s nice to meet you, Ivy. Josh told us all about you.”
“He did?”
“Well, he told Linc about you and Linc told me so I feel like I know you already.”
“You’re pretty,” Ivy said.
Carly reached out and touched her cheek. “So are you, sweetheart.”
“Brittany’s a teacher,” Tory said.
Ivy looked up at her. “I can’t go to regular kinnygarten because we move around too much. But Josh says we can stay, so maybe I can go to your school when I’m old enough.”
Brittany kept the smile on her face. Tory wondered how much Carly had told her about Damon and what had led to the roundabout journey that had ended in Iron Springs.
“We have some very nice schools around here,” Brittany said. “And the bus could pick you up right out at the gate.”
Ivy swung her gaze to Tory, clearly excited. “Can I, Mama? Can I go to regular school?”
She swallowed. “We’ll see, honey. School doesn’t start till September. We’ve got a long time before then.”
“But maybe?”
“Maybe.”
Apparently satisfied, Ivy hurried back to the living room, plopped back down in front of the TV.
Tory busied herself getting down glasses, filling them with ice, pouring the lemonade, and handing the glasses around.
“I hope I didn’t speak out of line,” Brittany said, taking a sip.
Tory shook her head. “Not at all. It would be wonderful if Ivy could go to kindergarten in the fall. But the truth is a lot could happen between now and then.”
She wasn’t just thinking of Damon; she was thinking of her relationship with Josh. There was no way to know where it was going, if they would still be together in the fall. The thought stirred an ache in her chest.
She looked up at Brittany, saw that her gaze had wandered out the window. From where she stood, she could watch Cole working.
“I’ve got an idea,” Tory said. “It’s hot outside, and the guys have been working hard all day. Why don’t we take them some lemonade, too?”
Brittany beamed. “That’s a great idea.”
Tory glanced at Carly, who gave her a grateful smile. Clearly there was some matching going on here.
“Come on, Ivy, honey. We’re taking a quick walk outside.”
“’Kay.” She jumped up and ran to join them. “I’m ready to go.”
Tory got down a tray for the lemonade and some red plastic cups, poured a cup for Ivy, and they all took their drinks outside. The men spotted them and tossed aside their tools.
When Cole reached for his shirt and began to shrug it on, Tory bit back a smile at Brittany’s disappointment.
“We thought you might be thirsty,” Tory said, setting the tray down on a piece of plywood on top of a pair of sawhorses.