When Love's Gone Country (Sequel two of the Embracing Love Trilogy) (18 page)

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” Emma asked.

“Yes, very much,” Pure said.

“I heard there was some excitement this afternoon.”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Alex said.

“There’s a sayin’ about what happens in Vegas stayin’ in Vegas.”

“I know that saying.”

“It’s true of the Double Y, as well. We invite people to come here with the understanding that they’re here to learn about caring for the animals and what it’s like to live on a ranch. We don’t appreciate people snooping around on our property and drumming up attention.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we weren’t doing that then.”

Frank put his hand on Emma’s. “What she means is that we feel like our guests are family. We respect ‘em. And we hope that they’ll respect us, too.”

“Why don’t you quit dancing around and say what you mean,” Alex said.

“All right. I know you been to the hot springs. Ya’ll were tore up this mornin’ and now you’re dancin’ and gettin’ along without any pain, stiffness or soreness. There’s only one explanation for that.”

“What about all the salves and muscle relaxers you gave us? Those could have done the trick.” Purity said.

“We just hope you’ll keep its whereabouts to yourself. People been lookin’ for that spring for a long time. We tell ‘em it ain’t real. That it’s just a myth. Some back off. Some don’t.”

“Like the men this morning?” Purity said.

“And the men who poisoned the cows’ water?” Alex asked.

“Everybody has their reasons for doin’ things, but if someone were to find out where that spring was, well, we’d have a real mess on our hands.”

“Have you told anyone?” Emma asked.

Purity shook her head. Alex did the same.

“We don’t have any intention of saying anything to anyone,” Alex said. “Have you ever had the spring tested to find out what properties are in it?”

“Sure. Several times.”

“And?” Purity asked.

“Plain ol’ water compounds, mixed in with some other natural elements. It’s a mystery as to why it heals people. Maybe that’s part of the reason it works.”

“What do you mean?” Purity said.

“Because you can’t explain it. Maybe you have to believe first, then you receive your miracle.”

“Is that how you two have stayed so young looking?” Pure asked.

“No. Our grandkids keep us young,” Emma said.

“And sex,” Frank added with a wink. “Lots of good ol’ fashioned sexual relations.”

“Frank!” Emma’s cheeks tinted pink.

“Hear that, Alex. We don’t need a magic hot spring, we just need to keep having sex.”

“That’s a hardship I think I can endure most willingly.”

Brad approached their table. “Emma, may I pull you away from your adoring husband for a trip around the dance floor?”

“Why I’d love to. The conversation was taking a bit of an uncomfortable turn anyway.”

Brad held out his hand and escorted Emma to the dance floor.

“She’s just as beautiful as the day we met. Hasn’t changed a bit,” Frank said, his eyes filled with love. He saw Courtney standing alone. “Excuse me for a minute, will ya. Turnabout is fair play.”

Purity and Alex watched as Frank asked Courtney to dance. They did a mean bow to the corner of their square and then promenaded around in a circle.

“Do you think when we’re old, we’ll look at each other the way Emma and Frank do?” Pure asked.

“I’m certain of it.”

“Wouldn’t it be funny if we started a ranch of our own and invited city folk to vacation with us?”

“What would we call it?” Alex asked.

“Something reflective of our love, and our family.” Purity ran her hand across her growing belly.

“Bun in the Oven Ranch.”

“Okay, you don’t get to name it if you’re not going to be serious.”

“I was being serious, sort of. Let me take another stab at it.” Alex thought for a moment. “Family Farm.”

“You really suck at this.” Purity giggled.

“Diego’s Den.”

“Stop, please.”

“Cow Hands. We could have the outline of our hands done in metal and the word Cow Hands in great big letters.”

“Honey, I love you, but you’re fired.”

“Want to dance?”

“I’d love to.”

They joined the others in a square, laughing and messing up the movements, especially during the allemande. Purity ended up standing all by herself while Brad and Alex were holding hands.

“I think I went left when I should have gone right,” Pure said.

“I’m thinking Brad and I should team up. He’s a hell of a dancer,” Alex said.

Courtney and Purity laughed as the boys promenaded around the room, ending by bowing to each other.

“If you don’t need me, I’m heading over to get some of that fried chicken,” Court said.

“Oh, that does sound good,” Pure agreed.

“You’d rather eat than dance with me?” Brad asked.

“You seem to be doing fine without us,” Courtney said, heading for the buffet table.

Chapter Twenty-Two

As the night wore on, the music seemed to get louder, the lanterns shone brighter and Courtney was convinced someone had spiked every available beverage, except water.

“Red said there’s a swimmin’ hole with a swing around here somewhere,” Jeremy said. “Do you think we can look for it tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Bobby said. “There ought to be somewhere to fish, too.”

“I brought my hunting rifle,” Brad said. “There must be something in season that we can shoot at.”

“Brad! I can’t believe you’re okay with killing innocent animals,” Meg said.

“Look out,” Courtney said. “You’ve got Meg’s dander up.”

“I’d eat whatever I shot. It’s not like I’m hunting just for sport.”

“It’s not like you don’t have enough money to go buy meat. There’s no need to kill defenseless animals.”

“You’re chowing down pretty good on that chicken. Someone had to kill it.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Plenty of animals have already been killed. Why add another one unnecessarily? And, before you answer, I already know why. It’s the thrill of the chase. Which goes back to your point about not being in it for sport. You are in it for sport. So why not just go shoot beer cans or clay discs?”

“Because they can’t get away,” Bobby said. “I think hunting and fishing is about survival. It’s you and nature out in the woods. What are you going to do, eat berries and nuts? No, you’re going to find a way to kill a small animal, probably a rabbit or a squirrel. Next is fire. You have to have a way to cook the meat. And, you need a water source and shelter. Once you’ve got all these things, you can survive. Humankind = 1, Nature = 0.”

“Not if I take away your gun,” Meg said. “You can survive on berries, nuts, seeds and other plant life. We don’t have to eat meat. It’s something we choose to do. I’m not even saying it’s wrong. What I’m saying is that I don’t like the idea of killing animals as a game.”

“Your point is understood,” Brad said, deciding to end the conversation before their friendship took a turn neither one would like.

“I need some air.” Meg headed toward the barn doors, grateful no one followed her. She wound her way through the orchard until she found the gazebo, then sat down on the steps. The moonlight filtered through the trees sporadically.

A snapped twig had her peering into the darkness. “Who’s there?”

“Just me,” Purity said. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What was that all about back there?” Purity sat down next to her friend.

“I don’t know. Probably just all this stuff with Jacob.”

“I’m sure that has something to do with it, but I get the feeling there’s something more.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s me, isn’t it? I mean, not me, the baby. It’s bringing up all kinds of feelings you’ve spent time putting away in nice little neat cubbies in your brain.”

“I’m really excited for you and Alex.”

“I know.” Purity held Meg’s hand.

“It’s just that I really wanted Bobby and I to have a baby. It’s so much harder than I thought it was going to be to watch you and Alex together. I’m so sorry. I’m a horrible friend.”

“You are not, don’t ever say that. I’ve been trying not to do anything to hurt you. Not talking about the baby. Not oohing and aahing over baby clothes. Trying to keep it all low key, but I could see the pain in your eyes. What can I do, Meg?” Tears spilled down Purity’s cheeks.

Meg sniffed away her tears. “There’s nothing to be done.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just the way it is. I hate it. Everything in me wants to have a baby. I love Jacob and Jeremy with all my heart, but I have room for so much more.

A woman at church told me that God doesn’t give babies to selfish women. Do you think I’m selfish?”

“Who in the hell said that? Sometimes I could just strangle so-called Christians. Meg, you are the least selfish person I know.”

“Then why? Why would God punish me like this?”

“It’s not a punishment. I hear you when you say it feels like it is, but I think there’s a bigger plan here, one that neither one of us can see. It was no mistake that Jeremy and Jacob ended up in your lives. I wonder how things would have been different if you were pregnant.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, would you and Bobby have wanted to adopt the boys if you’d already started a family together? Their past is hard enough to handle without adding a baby to the mix.

In the past few months, Jacob’s behavior has been unstable and he’s so quiet. That’s so unlike him. Having another kid in the house would have detracted from the time you and Bobby spent trying to understand both Jacob and Jeremy.

I’m not saying it’s right or wrong and I don’t have some crystal ball that can tell the future, but I believe God’s hand is in all of this, in all of us. There are too many coincidences and close calls to make me believe anything else.”

“I keep thinking that God might wait until things are settled and then allow me to get pregnant. Do you think that’s wrong?”

“Meg, you know I don’t do the whole right and wrong thing very well. There’s so much gray area. I think what you feel is what you feel. No right or wrong. Your actions, on the other hand, swing on the pendulum. Some days are better than others.

We all screw up, make poor choices, take paths we never intended to go down. We learn and grow and, hopefully, become stronger, in both our faith and our understanding of ourselves.”

“You have this way of never answering my questions, yet sounding so wise.”

Purity laughed. “I’m not sure how that happens.”