Her Heart for the Asking (Book 1 - TEXAS HEARTS) (4 page)

"Oh, pretty little lady, I've missed you,"
he said. 

"I'm sorry I haven't been to visit for a
while," she started to say, but he waved her off.

"We'll have none of that.  I'm just
tickled to see you now.  Come on in.  Corrine is in the
studio, but she told me to get her the second you arrived."

Mandy started to turn back to the
truck.  "I need to get my bags."

"I'll bring them in," Beau called out. 
"Just go say your hellos."

Arm in arm they walked through the narrow
hallway leading to a small addition built on the back of the
farmhouse.  Aunt Corrine was an artist.  It didn't matter
what kind you called her.  She created art in all shapes,
sizes and mediums depending on which way the muse struck her, or
what supplies were on sale at the craft store.  Uncle Hank
liked to encourage her creativity, saying if digging her hands in
clay or plaster was enough to keep a sophisticated woman like
Corrine by his side on a small Texas ranch, it was okay by him.

"Is she still working on aluminum
sculptures?" Mandy asked quietly before they reached the
studio.

"Nope.  She's painting now.  Calls
them oils and uses her hands instead of brushes.  Says it
gives her more control.  But I tell you true, it all ends up
looking like finger painting to me," he said, chuckling.

"Mandy?" Corrine screeched from inside the
studio.  "Is that you already, doll?"

"It sure is," Hank said.

Aunt Corrine appeared in the doorway,
wearing paint splattered smock that looked as if it may have been
originally orange beneath all that paint.  Her hands were
indeed covered with gobs of thick blue, green, yellow and red paint
swirled together to make streaks.  When she met Mandy's gaze
she smiled and furiously started wiping her hands on her already
filthy smock.

"I wasn't talking about you, Hank, and you
know it," Corrine said, yanking the smock off and hanging it on a
hook with some others that were just as colorful.  Now void of
paint splatter, she opened her arms to give Mandy a hug. 
"Honey, I can't believe how much you've grown."

Mandy couldn't help but laugh.  "That's
only because every time you see me you expect me to still be
nine.  How are you Aunt Corrine?"

"Missing you.  Come, let me show you
what I've been working on."

Over the years, Aunt Corrine's hobby had
turned into more of a profession of sorts for her.  She hadn't
made a whole lot of money off the sale of her work, but she did
have a showing in Dallas a few years before when she'd managed to
get the attention from an art dealer.    

"The last time we spoke on the phone you
were just about to move into that new townhouse, and I thought
you'd be needing some artwork for the walls." 

Corrine pulled out a large oil canvas behind
a stack of canvases and placed it on an empty stand.  Mandy
recognized the scene immediately and had to draw in a deep breath
to crush the ache in her chest.

"It's beautiful, Aunt Corrine."

Her aunt smiled.  "I'm glad you like
it.  I know how much you always enjoyed swimming in the pond
up in the north pasture.  Now you'll have a little piece of
the Double T to keep with you in Philadelphia."

She hugged her aunt and thanked her.

Hank had retreated to the other room. 
She and Aunt Corrine followed the sound of his whistle to the
living room where she found Hank settled in his favorite
chair.  The smile that had been so bright on Hank's face was
now gone and replaced by a drained expression.  His skin had
turned gray and his breathing appeared labored.  Panic filled
Mandy.

"Come sit and tell me about what you've been
up to," he said.

She glanced at her aunt, who motioned her to
go ahead.

"How's your job at the firm?"

"Fine.  But I'd rather talk about
you."  She gathered up a deep breath of air to gain some
strength.  "Beau tells me you're not feeling well."

"I'm feeling just fine now that you're
here."

"Don't give me that.  Beau told me all
about your heart condition," Mandy said, taking the lead.  She
was used to taking the lead in her job.  She knew Hank better
than to think he’d give up any information without Mandy pushing
for it.  The sooner they got his health and need for surgery
out in the open, the sooner they could deal with it and she could
convince him to have the procedure.

"He did, did he?"

Mandy heard Aunt Corrine's heavy sigh behind
her and wondered how much they'd already argued over this very
thing.

"I'm glad he told me.  It seems
everyone knew but me."

"It's been too long since you've been back
at the Double T.  I didn't want to worry you or spend the
entire visit talking about me and my ticker," Hank
admitted. 

"Fine.  Then we'll get the talking over
with now and be done with it.  What are you prepared to
do?"

"Nothing."

Stubborn old fool, she fumed silently. 
"Then I'm sorry, Uncle Hank, but I'm not going to let it go. 
As far as I'm concerned, refusing surgery that will save your life
is not an option."

She heard the same familiar melody she'd
heard just before she and Aunt Corrine had come into the living
room drifting in the air from behind her.  Since her uncle had
just been struggling for air, she realized it hadn't been him
whistling that sweet tune earlier.  It had been Beau. 
Beau's boot heels bouncing down the steps mixed in with the
tune.  He'd probably been bringing her bags to her room.

Hank lifted his eyes and stared at Beau when
he walked into the living room.  Beau stopped whistling as if
he immediately knew by the atmosphere in the room that they were
talking about Hank's condition.

"Come here, son.  I'd like a word with
you," Hank said.  "In fact, I'd like a word with both of
you."

# # #

Chapter Three

He was toast.  He’d seen that look on
Hank’s face enough to know Hank was pissed.   Not that
Beau cared much about getting scolded.  If he had to do it
again, he still would have told Mandy the truth about Hank's heart
condition.  There were too many secrets between them
already.

"Oh, don't you be angry with him, Uncle
Hank," Mandy said, taking Hank's hand in hers.

What the...?  She was actually
defending him?  Did that mean she wasn't angry with him
anymore?  He could only hope.  But she didn't sound like
the same woman he'd just picked up at the airport.

Mandy had wasted no time at all confronting
Hank about having the bypass surgery.  By the way the tension
in Hank's face seemed to ease a bit, Beau realized she'd only said
what she did to defuse Hank.  It surely wouldn't help his
heart any if his blood pressure rose through the roof.

Mandy hadn't changed much in that way. 
She had a way of saying what she felt as if a spirit moved inside
her, guiding her emotions and actions.  There were times she
was so transparent.

Still, Hank cast a strong eye at Beau.

"I didn't see any point in keeping the truth
from her," Beau said.

"She was bound to find out sooner or later,
Hank," Corrine said, placing her hand on his arm.

"I suppose," Hank conceded quietly. 
"It might have come better from me, though."

"It wasn't going to be good any way I got
it."  Mandy's eyes welled up with tears, and she blew out a
quick breath.  "Why are you being so stubborn about
this?  Beau said you could die without this surgery."

"I've got a ranch to run and as of two days
ago I'm down one hand.  Take me out and that makes a whole lot
of work to go around for the rest of the hands."

Mandy glanced back at Beau.  Once
again, her eyes were filled with questions and suspicion.  "Is
that why you asked Beau to come back?"

"If this ranch is going to run without me,
I'm going to need people I can trust to work it.  For your
Aunt Corrine's sake," he said softly.

Corrine bunched up her fingers and closed
her eyes.  Mandy rose up straight in defiance.  No, not
defiance.  It was fear.  She'd been hit with too much too
soon.  He now knew he'd been right to warn her before they'd
arrived at the ranch.  It gave her time to absorb some of the
shock.

"You're not going anywhere, Hank Promise,"
Corrine sputtered, propping a fist on her hip.  "Not if I have
anything to say about it.  And you know me, I have plenty to
say."

"That you do.  But what happens to me,
well, that's up to the good Lord, darlin'.  I just figure
while he's takin' his time deciding what he wants with me, I need
people around me I can trust."

"You have my support in any way you need it,
Uncle Hank."

Hank smiled at that, giving his face a
peacefulness Beau hadn't seen in Hank since he'd come back to the
Double T.  It was almost as if Hank was corralling everyone he
loved around him.  Just in time.

"I know, sweat pea."

"I'll do whatever I can to help you and Aunt
Corrine until you recover from surgery."

For a brief moment the whole room
stilled.  Beau had hoped seeing Mandy would have changed
things for Hank, would have made him see that life was definitely
worth the risk of surgery.  But the quick shake of Hank's head
told Beau that nothing had changed.

"It's a waste of breath talking about bypass
surgery."

"All the more reason why we should be
talking about it, I'd think," Corrine shot back.

"Darlin', this old heart of mine is going to
hold on for as long as it takes for me to get done what needs to
get done.  After that, it's up to the Lord," Hank said.

Corrine planted her hands on her thighs and
pushed herself up to a stand, abruptly leaving the room. 

The three of them stared as she retreated to
her studio and quietly closed the door.  No doubt there had
been more than enough talk on that subject since Hank was
diagnosed.

"You may be able to get away with that kind
of talk with Aunt Corrine, but I'm telling you right now, I won't
hear any it, Uncle Hank."

"Just because it's unpleasant, doesn't mean
what needs to be said shouldn't be said.  I need to know I can
count on you."

Mandy stared at Hank for a long moment,
squashing down the foreboding feeling that filled her.  Uncle
Hank had always been there for her, supported her unconditionally
in every way.  Even when she could never live up to her
father's expectations, she knew she always had Uncle Hank's
support.  He'd always been proud of whatever she achieved and
didn't expect more.  It made the sting of Damien Morgan's
expectations less severe.

"Of course you have my support. 
Always."

He smiled his approval at her, and then
glanced at Beau, who had been leaning against the doorjamb from the
beginning.  She could tell by her uncle’s reaction that he was
still none too pleased with Beau for spilling the beans before Hank
had a chance to do it himself.

Hank stared at Beau, but he spoke to
Mandy.  "I want you to learn the ins and outs of running the
Double T, Mandy."

Her hand flew to her chest.  "You...you
want me to work the ranch?"

"No, not actually work it.  Despite
being down a man, I've got enough hands to get the work done if
nothin' interferes."

Mandy understood.  Some of the hands at
the Double T had been with Hank since he bought the spread twenty
years ago.  If anything happened to Hank, it would happen to
all of them.  They were all family.

"I want you to learn how to run it.  I
need someone I can trust."

"Why me?  I don't know the first thing
about ranching.  There must be a hundred cowboys within riding
distance who could get the job done right--"

"But none I can trust with something so
important."

She was speechless.  Run the
ranch?  "All right.  You can...teach me anything you
think I'll need me to know."

"Well, therein lies the problem.  I
don't have the breath in me I used to.  I tire too easy. 
You've already seen it.  I need someone else who knows
ranching.  Someone who still has some strength in his bones to
show you everything you need to know."

She shook her head, wishing this morbid talk
would end and her uncle would just agree to have the surgery. 
If he did, he'd be back on his feet in a matter of weeks. 
There'd be no need for talks of numbered days and last breaths.

"Uncle Hank, don't-"

"No, sweet pea, I'm serious.  That's
why I want you to learn the ropes from someone else."

"Well, you can teach me what I need to know
and whatever you can't do, Aunt Corrine will do.  She's been
living on this ranch long enough to know how it all runs."

Hank laughed, a twinkled lit his eye as it
always did when he talked of his wife.  "She's spent more time
picking out the color of paints and clay to pay any attention to
the way things are run around here.  And that's just the way
it should be.  She's not a ranching woman by nature."

Hank looked at her squarely and Mandy's
heart squeezed.  "Mandy, darlin', I know you don't want to
hear this but you have to.  I'm going to die eventually and I
need--"

"No!  You're not going to die," she
said, shoving herself to her feet.  She was surprisingly
steady for a woman who felt as shell shocked as she did. 
"You're a young man.  Too young."

"A young man with a bad ticker," he said
quietly.  "And I'm not messing with any doctors or surgeons
who want to poke and prod me just to give me a few more
months."

Tears filled her eyes again, but she
remained steady, holding them back.  It would do no good to
break down.  "So you're just going to give up?  On all of
us?"

Hank smiled then.  She'd seen that
smile before and knew the depth of his feelings for her. 
Instead of bringing her comfort, it made what was happening that
much harder.

"I'm doing no such thing.  I'm
preparing for the future.  And that means teaching you all you
need to know about the Double T."