Page 38 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

“It’s not that. It’s the fact that you sabotage every relationship that might look promising. You have for years. For some reason, you won’t let go and be like the rest of us. We fall in love…we lose out. It hurts but someone, remarkably like you, always told us not to quit. Fight for what we want. We deserved it. Well, here is a newsflash for you.Youdeserve it now. This is your time. We three are grown up and have our own lives to deal with. So take your own advice and deal with it. And that will be the last I will say on the subject. I’ll make the cake table ready for your creation.” She left Tori alone.

Why couldn’t people just understand? But then she answered her own question with another. How could they understand when she didn’t herself? Cade Lockwood had been a major surprise from the beginning. They had been oil and water. Then something had happened on their trip to view the springs, and now they looked at each other like two people who might or might not like each other. But he had to go and kiss her, not once but twice. And she didn’t like the feeling of being out of control. That had been her strength all her life, it had seemed. She was the problem-solver. But her heart was betraying her over her brain. She needed to hang on to her mind for protection.

Again, she heard the shared laughter coming from the dining room. Why couldn’t she trust what Cassie was saying? And why didn’t she trust him?

Because you are afraid. For the first time ever, you are afraid of losing something very vital…your heart.

Chapter Fifteen

Jillie was happy.From the moment the long limo had pulled up to the front of Tori’s house, and they had stood on the porch to watch its arrival, the child had been treated like royalty. Tori had been informed by Cassie that the limo was Cade’s gift to her. Tori might have known. And she had stepped out like a princess in her purple velvet outfit and a sparkling tiara on her head. Yet another member of her family had succumbed to the smiling cowboy accepting one of Jillie’s special hugs. Seemed she was the only member of the family, besides her other brother, who was on special assignment and couldn’t come for her birthday, who had not given the seal of approval.

“I hope all my friends saw me. They watched when I got picked up after school in a real limo. No one else has even been in one. Wasn’t it a great surprise?” She was gushing and Tori kept on smiling and agreeing. The man had definitely made an impression.

Jillie sat in the guest of honor chair at the head of the table. The food covered the length of it and everyone found room for second helpings. She noted Cade even had a third go at the casserole. She had to smile at that.

Gifts came next. Jillie loved each and every one and had to bestow hugs around the table. Matt just shook his head. “No wonder my daughter is so spoiled with aunts like the pair of you. You have spoilt her since the day she was born.”

“That’s right,” Cassie spoke up. “And you are just jealous because we don’t throw you a party too.”

“We did,” Tori corrected. “We did it twice since he became sheriff and each time he had to be called away and missed his own dinner. So, we gave up.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “But somehow there was always a piece of birthday cake waiting for me in the kitchen cabinet when I finally got back. My big sis would never own up to it, but I know she made sure I was reminded it was my day. Funny how you always managed to do that since we were old enough to realize what a birthday was. Thanks.” And he smiled across at Tori with a lot of love, and she had suddenly remembered she had to do something in the kitchen. She left for a moment.

She dabbed at her eyes, trying not to smear her makeup. The door squeaked open and she knew it was probably Cassie. A Kleenex appeared in front of her. She took it and dabbed a little more.

“Darn that brother of ours, he always manages to remind me that he really is a good guy now and then. He grew up after all.”

“Yes, he did. And he knows that was a lot of your doing.” The voice wasn’t female. She whirled around to find Cade standing there. The look in his eyes made her want to tear up even more. “You raised him to be the man and father he is today. Everyone in that room knows it. You are greatly loved, Victoria Parker. I just don’t think you realize how much sometimes. You have affected people that you probably don’t even realize along the way because that is the woman you are.”

Music began to play loudly. Tori stopped what she was about to say and pocketed the Kleenex. “That is awfully loud and sounds…”

“That would be the second part of my gift. We better get in there.” He took her hand, and she didn’t have time to react as they entered the dining room to find a full group of mariachis serenading the birthday girl who looked to be in absolute heaven.

“You brought mariachis?” She whispered her amazement beside the man.

“Matt mentioned he needed to find a record to play at her party. And I happen to know the leader of the group. They play once a month for the cattlemen’s dinners. He was happy to bring them to serenade Jillie with a couple of songs. Hope you don’t mind?”

She shook her head. She didn’t trust her voice. At that point they broke into ‘Happy Birthday’ and it was amazing. She looked at Jillie and remembered how sad she had been on their shopping day about not having a mother of her own. But she would always know how very much she was surrounded by love, and she had to admit that the man standing behind her made a lot of her special day just that. If he had ulterior motives, she would deal with that later. She could be grateful in the moment. A gentle pressure on his hand from hers and he looked down at her. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ and he gave her one of those warm smiles that always seemed to go straight to her heart. She turned back to the party.

*

That warm feelingthey had shared didn’t last long. Once the party was over and Jillie had retired to the living room to watch one of the videos that Cassie had bought her, the grown-ups gathered in the kitchen to put away the last remnants of the party. She loaded the dishwasher; Cassie cleared the tables and Matt had trash duty. Cade took care of the tall stuff…taking down the decorations and then putting away items that needed to go in high cabinets. He would not think of leaving when the others tried to shoo him away.

“I’m sorry that I won’t be here for Saturday’s party,” Cassie said as she put the lid on a pan of leftovers. “But duty calls and I must go.”

“Funny how the call of duty coincides with the party that was to be outside now being moved in here—and twenty screaming girls and boys running amok is something that you are going to hate to have to miss indeed.” Tori spoke with a tongue-in-cheek overtone.

“Well, I have news for both of you,” Matt said. “You don’t have to worry about rain and having all of them inside with little to do. Our friend Cade has offered a solution, which I gladly accepted.”

Silence fell for a variety of reasons. Most of them seemed centered on the woman standing at the sink, her eyes zeroed on her brother. “Explain.”

Matt realized his mistake too late. He should have waited with his news. Luckily, it seemed that Cade was ready to throw himself on the sword.

“It does look like rain most of the day—in fact, even the night before—so everything will be wet and muddy no matter when the rain comes on Saturday. I have a large show arena that is covered and heated. It has a clean cement flooring in half of it. I have the manpower to transform it to whatever Jillie might want. And if we get the word out to your invited guests tomorrow, then all will know what to expect and where to come. Jillie just needs to tell me if she would like it.”

“Wow, that is amazing,” Cassie began but then became quiet.

“I see. That would certainly be a problem-solver. What does Jillie want?” asked Tori.

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