Chapter 26 Aspen
ASPEN
“It was the best!” Cady said as she twirled around the kitchen.
I looked up from the chili I was stirring and glanced at Roan, who watched my daughter with a hint of amusement on his face. God, he was a good man. There was no feeling like watching his tenderness around her.
“Mr. Grizz is going to take me all the time so the meanies aren’t mean,” she added.
My brows lifted at that. “Is that so?”
Roan shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
I filled bowls as his words hit me in the chest. I’d been in this alone for so long. No help. No one to share the load of both the good and the bad. Getting a taste of it now almost hurt.
The buzzer on the oven dinged, and Roan moved. “I’ll get it.”
He grabbed oven mitts and pulled out the rolls. He didn’t ask where anything was. He already knew. He lined a bowl with a towel and placed the bread inside.
Something about the simple task had me fighting tears. I quickly turned away and got to work, placing the bowls on the dinner table. “Cady, what do you want to drink?”
“Milk, please!”
“Roan?” I asked without looking, as if the sight of him so fully living in my space was too much to bear.
What would happen when he left? Would everything feel empty?
It probably wouldn’t be long. Steven and Tyson had stayed away, though I’d caught sight of Steven watching The Brew from across the street.
“Milk’s good,” Roan said, his voice gruff.
I turned my focus to the milk. I poured three glasses and set them on the table.
Cady slid into her chair but bounced up and down. She talked about dance and school and how Dr. Miller said Dory could be released tomorrow. I didn’t know how she ate her dinner between her stream of chattering, but she did.
“Can I please be excused? I want to go practice my pirouettes,” she asked with a smile.
I nodded. “Take your bowl to the sink, please.”
Cady hopped off her chair, dropped her bowl in the sink, and headed for her bedroom.
Then it was just Roan and me.
I took the napkin from my lap, folded it carefully, and placed it next to my placemat. “Thank you for what you did today.”
Roan leaned back in his chair. “It was nothing.”
I shook my head. “It was everything to her. To me.”
Roan’s blue gaze bored into me. “People like Katelyn, her daughter, they just need to know you’re not alone. That people are paying attention.”
I swallowed hard. “You think it’ll work?”
I didn’t give a damn about Katelyn and her snide comments toward me. I cared about Cady. What bullying and cruelty could do to her mental health. I wanted to nip it in the bud before she got to middle school, and there were things like social media and real crushes.
Roan was quiet for a moment. “I’m gonna keep showing up. They’ll know that I’m paying attention. Gonna tell Law to do the same when he’s around. Katelyn wants in his pants, so she might shape up for that reason alone.”
I choked on a laugh. “You’re throwing your brother to the wolves?”
Roan’s gaze locked with mine. “I’d do anything for you.”
“Still and quiet, right?” Roan asked.
“Quiet like a mouse,” Cady whispered as she leaned against me.
We stood at the back of the barn. All the animals other than the ducks were out in the pastures so we could have that quiet.
Roan had the barn door open as wide as it would go. All the stalls were closed, so there was only one path to the outside.
Slowly, he opened Dory’s stall and stepped inside.
The doe eyed him suspiciously. She’d filled out with all the food she was getting here and would be in good shape for winter. She pawed the ground, keeping her distance from Roan.
He moved incredibly slowly, nothing sudden or startling. Just easing her bit by bit toward the stall’s entrance.
Dory looked from him to the open door and back. She sniffed the air, took a step, then another one. Her head poked out of the stall, and Cady squeezed my hand hard.
Dory halted, unsure if she wanted to leave her sanctuary. At least with where she was, she knew what to expect. She had no idea what was outside.
Roan simply waited, giving the deer time to get accustomed to the idea.
Her head lifted again, revealing the little patch of white on her neck. Her ears twitched, and she stepped out into the aisle. Then she froze, staring at Cady and me.
I sent her every loving kindness I could think of. Silent messages that everything would be okay. That she was healed now. Safe. That she could be free.
I swore something passed over the doe’s eyes. Then she turned and trotted down the aisle and into the early morning sunshine.
We followed after her, watching as she bounded down my drive and into a field across the street. Tears gathered in my eyes as Cady wandered down the driveway for a better view.
Roan stopped beside me, glancing down and taking in my falling tears. He lifted his hand and used his thumb to wipe away the moisture. “What are these about?”
“I just want her to be okay,” I whispered.
Roan’s hand tracked down, squeezing the back of my neck. “My Tender Heart.”
My breath hitched. At the nickname. At the claiming of sorts.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to my forehead. “She has a fighting chance because of you.”
“Mama!” Cady yelled. “She found her friends!”
Roan released me, moving toward Cady. But it took me a beat to get my legs to work. As if the brush of those lips had short-circuited my brain. Finally, I forced myself forward.
Cady pressed into Roan’s side. “Do you see them?”
“I do,” he said gruffly.
In the field across the road, a band of six deer gathered. One nosed Dory in greeting, and a fresh wash of tears found me.
“Mama, why are you crying?”
“I’m happy, Katydid. We got Dory back to her family.”
“We did, huh?” she mumbled.
“Not bad for a pre-school activity,” I said.
Cady groaned. “Do I have to go to school?”
My brows rose at that. “You love school. And Charlie will be so sad if you’re not there.”
“I know, but it won’t be nearly as cool as this.”
Roan chuckled. “Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new animal friend at recess.”
Hope lit in Cady’s eyes. “We did find a frog once.”
“See, more adventures to be had. Now, we need to get going or we’ll be late,” I said.
Roan helped me get Cady into my station wagon with her backpack in tow. As I closed her in, I looked up at him. “Thanks. For all your help and—”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” he grumbled.
My lips twitched. “Maybe I like thanking you.”
Roan only grunted. “Text me. Let me know how the drop-off goes.”
I read the subtext beneath his words. He wanted to know if Katelyn gave me any trouble. “I will. See you tonight?”
He jerked his head in a nod. “Drive safe.”
I climbed behind the wheel and headed down the drive. There was a war waging in my chest cavity, hope and fear dueling it out in epic proportions. My fingers gripped the wheel tighter as I turned toward town.
I wanted to let myself sink into the warmth that was having Roan in my life. Not to question what this was or what would happen. But that was impossible when I’d lived through what I had. When the person I loved most had been ripped away. It made me doubt that the good things had the power to stay.
Turning into the parking lot, I realized Cady had been talking the entire drive. I winced. Mother of the year over here.
As I pulled to a stop, I caught sight of Charlie waiting by one of the teachers. “Looks like you’ve got company.”
Cady grinned, unhooking her booster seat straps. She was already out and headed for Charlie by the time I rounded the car. He waved at me and grabbed her hand, leading her toward school. Leaving me in the dust.
The teacher smiled. “Those two are a love story in the making.”
I laughed. “You might be right there.”
I just hoped it had a happy ending.
Climbing back into my car, I headed for The Brew. There were more cars parked out front than usual, and I cursed. Zeke would not be happy dealing with all the customers alone.
There must be a tour group in town. They came through occasionally, led by outdoor guides who put the groups up at the B&B or Caden’s family’s resort, The Peaks, if the trip was fancier.
I hurried out of my car and toward the front door. The bell rang as I stepped inside.
The moment the door closed behind me, people were on their feet. Flashes went off, and microphones were shoved in my face.
“Tara, do you still claim that John is guilty?”
“Do you regret your testimony?”
“Where is Lucy?”
My breaths came in quick pants as the crowd surrounded me, black spots dancing in my vision.
I’d been found.