Chapter 8 #2
She had the best memory out of all the children from the time in their lives when Caleb had been silent because of his personal pain. When her father barely answered her questions at the dinner table, the calculating gaze behind Sasha’s eyes said Tamara could no longer let this lie.
Besides, Tamara realized with a bit of a sigh, she too had been moving cautiously over the past days.
She waited until they were alone. Once the children had gone to bed, Tamara stood and paced to Caleb’s chair.
The report he was supposedly reading had been held in front of his face for the last fifteen minutes without him moving an inch. She caught hold of the papers and tugged them from his fingers.
He lifted storm grey eyes to hers, one brow rising.
She held out hand. “Come with me.”
He didn't say anything when she led him out the door into the cool night air. If it had been later in the year she would have taken him all the way out to the base of Heart Falls—an excellent spot for important conversations—but for here and now, this would do.
Caleb chuckled softly as she guided him onto the porch swing and covered them both with a thick blanket. “It's a hell of a lot warmer inside.”
“Serious conversations need serious privacy.”
“We're having a serious conversation?”
God, she hoped so.
Tamara twisted far enough she could lay a hand on his cheek, his five o’clock shadow rough against her palm. She met his gaze straight on, steady and true, and kissed him softly.
Caleb reacted instantly, surrounding her with his arms and cradling her close, kissing back with a sweet intensity that relieved at least some of her fears.
He hadn’t gone cold and silent inside, thank God.
She pulled back, smiled at him, then linked their fingers together as they cuddled shoulder to shoulder under the blanket. Staring out into the yard instead of looking at him in case that made it easier for him.
“I love you,” she started, because it was the right place to begin and because it was utterly true. “And I don't mind that you’re a man of few words.” She smiled at his low snort of amusement. “But I know the difference between you having nothing to say and you holding back for some reason.”
Beside her, his body tensed and his grip on her fingers tightened the slightest bit.
“I’m not the only one.” She breathed slowly. “Waiting to tell Sasha isn't working,” Tamara shared bluntly. “I think the uncertainty is causing more damage than good.”
He swore softly.
Tamara squeezed his fingers reassuringly. “We made the decision to delay talking to her for all the right reasons, but this isn't an everyday, ordinary experience.”
“Damn right,” Caleb complained.
She twisted on the seat so she could face him. “Add in, we each have our tendencies. No matter how much older I get, or how much smarter I think I've become, I still like to meddle.”
His lips twisted before Caleb dipped his chin slowly. “And I like to brood.”
Her shoulders lifted in an easy shrug. “Broody you is damn sexy at times, but as far as here and now goes, you’re too distracted. The children don't see why, but they sense it. Sasha especially is trying to figure out what's wrong.”
“And there's nothing. So she’s feeling the worry and concern I was trying to save her from for a far worse reason.” Caleb shook his head. “Time to fix it.”
Tamara laid a hand on his knee. “Tomorrow morning? Give her the weekend to think about what we share and let it sink in before she has to go back to school?”
Caleb nodded. This time he leaned closer, tucking his fingers under chin and lifting her face. “Thank you for being so smart. Thank you for loving me.”
His expression filled her heart to the brim. “Of course. Anytime.”
They tagged Sasha the next morning before she could head out to the barn for her chores.
With her little brother well entertained at his Uncle Luke’s, and Emma visiting her friend, the three of them settled at the kitchen table with cups of coffee for Tamara and Caleb, and tea for Sasha.
Worry filled her eyes as she glanced between the two of them. “Is something wrong?” She looked straight at Caleb. “Are you sick? Cancer, or something that you're not telling us about?”
“Oh, pumpkin. No. Nothing like that.” Caleb caught her fingers, shaking his head. “Other than being a bit of a fool, I’m fine.”
“Well, I don't know about the fool part, but that’s a relief.” Sasha eyed him hard. “It seems as if something is bothering you.”
When Caleb paused, Tamara offered him a nudge to the shoulder for encouragement. “You can do it.”
“I know I can. It still feels like a sharp turn in the road that I never saw coming.” He turn to Sasha. “Nothing is wrong, and I mean that. Your old dad’s got himself tangled up thinking things through a million times without all the information he needs.”
Patiently, Sasha waited.
“Uncle Frank's really interested in making sure Crooked Creek keeps going, and part of being a responsible rancher is legacy planning.
There's a whole lot more details we still need to figure out, but one possibility is that you could end up running that ranch.
If that's something you might be interested in,” Caleb said.
Sasha's jaw opened. Closed slowly.
She swallowed hard. “Me?”
“Silver Stone will always be your home,” Tamara assured her. “Nothing will change that, but think of this as a ranch discussion. Just like you’ve started to sit in sometimes when your uncles, aunties, and dad and I talk about the direction Silver Stone needs to go in the next few years.”
Eyes still wide, Sasha nodded. “Long-term planning and the rest of it.”
“Exactly. Uncle Frank is doing that now, and he wants to do it with us. He’s right to ask us to be involved, and we plan to do everything we can to help Crooked Creek continue. Uncle Frank isn't stopping what he's doing any time soon, but planning ahead is important.”
“Of course it is. I understand that.” Her gaze narrowed thoughtfully. “What about Uncle Dustin? Uncle Frank must want him.”
Smart girl. Tamara smiled at her.
Caleb paused but told the truth. “Uncle Frank did talk to Dustin to get this whole conversation started, so that’s where it began. But it always comes back to family.”
Still considering, Sasha frowned before speaking slowly. “Uncle Dustin doesn’t want to move, does he?”
Like Tamara had thought before, smart girl. “Leaving Silver Stone to do something else isn’t wrong, but it might be wrong for some people.”
Her daughter stared her in the eyes, pure honesty reflecting back. “The idea sends butterflies tumbling in my belly, but it also makes my heart beat faster, as if I’m about to start a race. Not terrified because it’s wrong, but because it’s a huge challenge.”
Caleb stood. He pulled Sasha to her feet and enveloped her in a tight hug. “Good reactions.”
He held her, squeezing with his eyes closed for the longest time as Tamara soaked in the love passing between them.
Father, on unsteady ground. Daughter, striving to be stronger than she’d ever been before. United in love.
Tamara’s throat tightened.
Back in the time before, when she was growing up, she would have given anything to know that her father loved and trusted her to the end of the world. Thankfully, her dad had learned better, but the memories—
No matter that she would have liked to spare Sasha the worry of the past few weeks. In spite of not wanting the coming days to hold fear or anxiety.
Tamara wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. Knowing that the family she’d joined was solid to the core?
Priceless.
If Sasha chose to leave, she would do it with a rock-solid foundation and a forever home to return to anytime she needed to be surrounded by people who were one hundred percent behind her.
Tamara rose and joined the hug. She pressed a kiss to Caleb’s cheek. Leaned her forehead against Sasha’s. “It’s a big idea that you have time to think about. We’re with you, no matter what.”
Sasha nodded. “I know. I love you.”
Next to them both, Caleb took a deep breath. “You take as much time as you need. School comes first. Summer will be soon enough, and even then, there’s no rush.”
“Okay.” Sasha leaned into them both, and Tamara met the gaze of her husband.
Rock-solid, firm, and no longer silent.
No matter what Sasha decided, all would be right in their world.