When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) (18 page)

“Maybe next time. I’m on my way to meet them at Cody’s school for a parent meeting.”

“Sure you’re not going to trade your truck in for minivan, Soccer Mom?” Jase grinned, trying to bait him.

Jeremy shook his head. “Just wait, man.  I’ll remember those words in about six years.” 

“My truck’s not going anywhere,” Jase said definitively. “If I don’t get home with food soon, there’ll be hell to pay when I make it back. Thanks again for what you did. Just saying it doesn’t seem enough but it means a lot.”

“It was for Lanie.”

“I know. And for the record, I think you should tell her what you did. Don’t let there be any more secrets between you.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking off to his own truck.

Getting in his own truck, Jeremy thought about what Jase had said. Was it wrong to keep what he had done from Lanie? He didn’t want the recognition for his deed, only the satisfaction of relieving a burden from her and see her face come alight with a smile. No answer came as he drove down the dusty road leading to the primary school.  From the look of the dark clouds moving in and covering the sky, it wouldn’t be dusty for much longer.  Four to six inches of snow was in the overnight forecast.  Not enough to disrupt plans, had they had any, but just enough to justify staying in bed a few extra minutes without the guilt of feeling lazy. A few extra minutes in bed holding Lanie? Bring on the snow.

“Cody’s sleeping awfully late this morning,” Jeremy remarked.

“He was up for a few hours in the middle of the night.”

“Everything okay?”

“Just excited.”

Jeremy looked at her confused. “About Thanksgiving? I don’t remember ever being so excited about it that it kept me up at night, not like on Christmas Eve.”

She chuckled. “The annual parade on TV. According to him, once Santa crosses the line, it’s officially Christmastime. Don’t be surprised if we have a Christmas list by the end of the day.”

“Has he mentioned anything yet?”

“Surprisingly, no.” Last year, Cody had spent Halloween and beyond talking about what he wanted for Christmas. By Thanksgiving, he’d created his list by drawing his version of the items he wanted. This year he was remarkably quiet. “Speaking of Christmas presents, I didn’t get a chance to ask the other day, but Allie and I have a favor to ask,” Lanie brought up, as she stuck a feather-shaped pressed silver earring through one earlobe. “Turns out that Lexie’s brother is a fan of yours and we thought if you paid him a visit, it might brighten his holiday.”

“Sure. I’d like to meet the kid. Did you have a time in mind?”

“Since he’s halfway across the state, it would have to be a day you have nothing planned here, but preferably before Christmas.” She placed the matching earring in her other ear.

“There’s nothing going on next week that can’t be shifted to another day, except my doctor’s appointment on Wednesday.  Will Cody still be off school?  We can all go and do some Christmas shopping while we’re out.”

“School starts back up that day. What time’s your appointment?”

“Ten-thirty.”

“If we leave straight from dropping Cody off, I can go along for the ride, but we won’t have time to Christmas shop.”

“That was just an added thought. The main goal was spending time together.” He smiled at her, a mix of sweetness and devilish charm.

“The bad leg doesn’t seem so bad anymore. This past week I haven’t noticed a limp at all.”  Her stomach twisted. 

She should be happy for him that his leg was healing above what the doctors had expected.  Instead, she was afraid. What if he was cleared to return to bull-riding? Would he change his mind and want to resume his career? She wouldn’t blame him if he did. She’d even support him, because that’s what you did when you loved someone.  But she would be lying if she said that’s what she wanted. 

Their time together here, however brief so far, had allowed them a slower pace to enjoy each other’s company. They weren’t always hopping from one party to the next, one city to another. Days didn’t pass before they saw each other again. Rushing out the door meant going to work a few hundred feet from each other, or picking their son up from the bus stop.

Here, at Whispering Winds, they’d become a family.

Jeremy walked to her and tipped her chin. “Why the sudden long face?”

“It’s nothing,” she lied.

He regarded her with a solemn sincerity. “Do you know what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving?” Callused hands used the softest touch to bring her lips to his, leaving only a fraction of space between them. “Second chances.” One hand went to her temple, pushing back her hair. “Love.” Her breath caught. “But most of all, you.”  He moved his mouth to meet hers, engaging her in a kiss that swept away her worries.

Casting aside every other thought, she kissed him back, letting his lips press against hers, giving seductive nibbles until her mind went hazy. Wanting more, she put more pressure into the kiss, gliding her tongue against the lines of his teeth. His hand continued resting on her cheek, sending burning shocks through her. She hadn’t thought their chemistry could possibly be stronger. The last few weeks had proven her very wrong.  A slight touch could ignite her, kisses fanned the flames and when they made love- that set her ablaze. 

And right now, she really wanted to be ablaze, which is why she was sorely disappointment when she came to her senses and pulled back, Jeremy doing the same.

“Did you hear that too?” she asked.

“Sounds like the sleepyhead woke up.”

“Great timing,” Lanie mumbled, her body still humming.

A shaky laugh came from Jeremy. “Tell me about it. I’ll start getting him ready while you finish.”

“I’m almost finished.”

“Guess what mommy.” Cody came barging into the bedroom.

“What sweetheart.” She leaned down, giving her son a good morning hug.

“Christmas starts today.”

A short chuckle escaped from Jeremy and Lanie gave him an
I-told-you-so
look.  “How about we get through Thanksgiving first and let the turkey have its day, okay?”

Cody crooked a finger to his chin and gave it some thought. “Okay. I do like pumpkin pie. There will be pumpkin pie, right?”

“Yes, there will be plenty of it for you to have.  Come on, let’s get you dressed so we can go over to Grandpa and Grammy’s.”  Jeremy snatched Cody up and carried him out of the room on his shoulders, giving him a piggyback ride through the house.

Holidays were one of the rare occasions of late on which she wore makeup.  She applied a layer of taupe eye shadow, just enough to bring out her natural eye color. Blessed with long, but lightly colored lashes, she brushed on a coat of black mascara.  A dap of lipstick and she was finished.

Jeremy poked his head through the door. “Cody’s eating a bowl of cereal to tide him over. Another several inches of snow fell last night, so I’m going to shovel the porch and a path to the truck before we leave. It’s too deep and cold to walk.”

Shamelessly, she stood at the window watching him work, particularly enjoying the view when he bent over. The months of being off his leg hadn’t affected his hard body; if anything, it had strengthened his upper body, adding further definition. He was her rock, the foundation upon which to build her life. He turned around, catching her ogling him, and cast a knowing wink.  She blew him a playful kiss, then went to the kitchen.

When he finished, Jeremy came and carried Cody to the truck. Spots were still icy and no one wanted Cody to end up with a second broken leg for the year. At the main lodge, Cook was busy in the kitchen with his assistant preparing the Thanksgiving meal. For many years, Lanie’s parents and the Tyndales had tried to relieve him of the duty, but every year he insisted. The highlight of his year, he called it. There were no guests currently staying at lodge and no staff had shown up yet, as to be expected since it was only ten o’clock and the meal didn’t start until two. However, the families gathered early, spending the whole day together, meeting in the game room.

Frank and Vera Tyndale, along with Allie, were already there when Lanie arrived. 

“Where’s Jase and my parents?” she asked.

“They’ll be right back. Dad has an announcement to make, but won’t say what it is.”

Jeremy held her hand and she thought she felt him tense for a part of a second. Maybe she’d imagined it.  “Do you know?” She turned to Allie’s parents. All they gave was a patronizing smile.

“Already tried them,” Allie laughed. “They’re not budging. Jase knows too and won’t say a word. Looks like it’s just us out of the loop.”

“Strange.”

Cody tugged on her free hand. “When can we watch the parade?”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll turn it on for you.”

“Can I go help Cook until then?”

“Go ahead, but mind your manners and come right back if he doesn’t want your help,” she told him, giving conditional permission.

“Did Jase mention anything to you?” Lanie asked Jeremy.

“Just because we no longer want to kill the other doesn’t mean Jase and I have a secret sharing friendship, Ladybug.”

“Hmm.”  Her curiosity was roused, but it appeared she’d have to be patient. 

“Before Diana comes back, I have a suggestion,” Mrs. Tyndale announced. “I think we should change up partners for our pool tournament this year.”

It wasn’t so much a pool tournament, as a friendly competition between the four head women of Whispering Winds while the men watched the football games. If there were other woman in attendance, they were invited to join also.

“But it’s all you and mom against Allie and I. It’s a tradition now,” Lanie reminded her.

Mrs. Tyndale gave a falsetto laugh. “And as long as that continues, I’ll never win. Lanie, dear, your mother is my best friend in this world but she is hopeless when it comes to a game of pool. Just one year I want to win.”

Those standing in the room laughed, knowing the validity of her statement. Allie’s mom was a wonderful woman with tons of talent in other areas, but billiards escaped her.

Calming her laughter, Lanie asked, “What do you think, Allie?”

“I’ll be partners with Mrs. Diana.  My skill will overshadow her handicap,” Allie boasted. 

Vera Tyndale clapped her hands before any minds could change. “Wonderful. We’ll tell Diana about the change after the announcement.”

At the word
announcement
, Lanie’s parents and Jase walked through the door. It was everything Lanie could do to not pounce on them and demand to know what was happening. The atmosphere was upbeat though, so it couldn’t be bad like the tax announcement. She cringed, trying not to think about that.  Today was to be a happy day and she didn’t want to ruin it with negative thoughts.

“Have a seat,” Everett directed. 

Jeremy led her to a loveseat that formed a horseshoe with another love seat, where Jase and Allie sat, and a sofa, on which her mom and the Tyndales sat.

“Every year, this day is set aside to give thanks for all that we’ve been given and granted.  Diana and I, and I’m confident I can speak for Frank and Vera, have considered ourselves immensely blessed for being entrusted with Whispering Winds. There have been good years and bad years, but we’ve never once questioned if this was the life we wanted. This is our home and we’d fight to keep it ours, but this year had thrown us lemons. Determined though we were to take care of our tax situation, we weren’t sure what was in store for the ranch’s future. Today, I have news to really be thankful for. It seems an anonymous donor has paid the balance of our taxes in full.”

Her heart jumped to her chest with joy. They wouldn’t have to sell off their land and Whispering Winds would remain intact. The season of miracles was beginning early this year.

“No one knows who paid it?” Allie asked.

“When I went to make the payment on Tuesday, it had already been paid,” Jase told the group.

Lanie looked to Jeremy.  Had he had the money after all? Who else would have paid the money? No one they knew had funds like that. However, Jeremy’s face gave no hint of him being the donor, his expression containing the required amount of happiness and relief.  Besides, he would have told her something that huge. He caught her gaze, giving her a smile that said
see, everything’s going to be okay
.

“I wish we could thank the person,” she said.

Frank stood up beside Everett. “We all would, but for now, we’ll take it for what it is. I’m sure whoever did this had his reasons for remaining anonymous, but knows how very grateful we are.”

There were a few more conversations and comments, but Lanie remembered she’d promised Cody he could watch the parade. A flat screen television was mounted above the fireplace. She turned it on, switching the channel to the big parade which was in full swing with large balloons being floated down the streets of New York. Crossing the room, she meant to tell Jeremy that she’d be right back and that she was going to get Cody from the kitchen.  To her surprise, she saw him in an animated conversation with Jase, both of them laughing. She couldn’t hear all the words, but gleaned enough to know he was relaying a story about one of the more notable eight second rides. Her brother and Jeremy had found a truce or sorts, but she’d never expected them to act as friends. Yet another early Christmas miracle. Not interrupting them, she went to find Cody.