Cowgirl, Say Yes. Brenda Mott
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you need anything, hon.” She left the room, shoes padding softly against the linoleum.
“How about a little pudding, Mama?” Tess scooped a small bite onto the spoon and held it out in offering.
Rae took it, the effort for her to swallow just as great as if she’d been chewing on a chunk of solid food. “I heard you didn’t like your breakfast earlier.”
“Yes.” Rae opened her mouth for another bite of pudding, and Tess knew she’d already forgotten the oatmeal. Rae ate the pudding, then focused on Tess’s face, forehead creased, eyes worried. “I need to put the goats to bed.”
“It’s okay, Mama. They’re already in for the night.”
Rae stared at her. Then suddenly, she slapped the spoon out of Tess’s hand. It bounced against the floor. “No!” She shook her head over and over, arms flailing. The Mother’s Day card fell to her lap, then slid onto the linoleum.
“Mama,” Tess soothed. “It’s all right.” She rose from her chair, knowing she was probably going to have to call for Molly.
“Goats,” Rae insisted, her mind fighting to communicate the words she so desperately needed to speak.
Tess knew she was fixating on a time in the past, when Raelene’s own mother had a herd of Nubians. It had been nine-year-old Rae’s job to make sure they were put up in the barn for the night, safe from coyotes.
Gently, Tess placed her hands on her mother’s shoulders in an effort to still her motions. “The goats are fine, Mama. You did good. You got them in safe for the night.” Eyes burning with unshed tears, she gave her mother a tender squeeze. “I promise.”
Moisture filled the corners of Rae’s eyes, and thankfully, the irritation drained from her like air from a balloon. She slumped briefly in Tess’s arms, then turned to stare out the window, lost once more in her own silent world.
“Mama, do you want any more pudding?” Tess asked, her hands still resting on Rae’s shoulders. “I can get you a clean spoon.”
“Yes.” But the word held no true meaning, and Tess knew the pudding was a lost cause.
She picked up the fallen greeting card and set it on the nightstand, then placed a kiss on top of Rae’s head. “I love you, Mama.” Sniffing, she wiped a stray tear away and managed to hold back the rest. She’d cried so many tears for the unjust disease that had robbed Rae not only of her mind and body, but of her true self.
“I’ll be back soon,” she said.
Rae didn’t answer as Tess walked quietly out the door.
CHAPTER FOUR
TESS ALWAYS LOOKED forward to Thursdays as one of her days for working at home, and even though this one hadn’t started out on quite the right note, at least everything had ended up okay. She’d easily located the owner of the three stray geldings—Darlene Johnson, who lived about a mile and a half from Joy Isley’s place. Darlene had been frantic with worry over her missing horses and had stopped by the feed store to tack a Lost notice up on the bulletin board.
A loose latch on her corral gate had allowed it to blow open in the night, releasing the horses onto the road while she slept, unaware. Lloyd Vega had talked to Darlene prior to driving out to tow Tess’s truck to the family ranch for repairs, and he’d given her Darlene’s phone number. Tess put her in touch with Joy, helped her dad with the Dodge, then had him drop her off at her place. She’d spent the rest of the day at her computer, then done her chores, fixed a bite to eat and climbed into the shower to get ready for her weekly 4-H club meeting.
Now Tess stood under the spray of hot water, looking forward to the meeting, which was the main reason Thursday had recently become her favorite night of the week. She loved kids, and had quickly found that working with her group of 4-H children took the edge off the stress she faced in dealing with other aspects of her life. She spent three days a week, plus alternate Saturdays, at the feed store. On her days off, Thursdays included, she worked in her home office, a spare bedroom in the back of the rental house, where she did bookkeeping for her father’s ranch and feed store, along with other data processing jobs that came in from a temp service in town. Working at home relaxed her and gave her ample time to spend with her rescue horses. It also allowed her to be readily available should her mother need her in any way. Tess found comfort in knowing she could set her own hours and therefore go to Raelene’s side at a moment’s notice.
The only dark spot she could possibly foresee this evening was that Wade, according to Macy, usually drove his kids to 4-H. Having taken over the group just last week, Tess had been in charge of only the one meeting thus far. On that particular evening, Macy had ridden Amber to the arena, where the riding meetings were held. But as Tess chatted with her new group, she learned that Macy’s dad rarely missed 4-H. At the time, she’d found that admirable. She knew Wade was a widower, and she’d thought it nice that he made the effort to attend his kids’ 4-H meetings. Jason belonged to a group that met on Tuesdays, with boys and girls his own age and older. That group had projects that involved meat animals. Absolutely not for Tess.
Still, Tess took joy in seeing the local kids grow through their accomplishments. 4-H was a youth organization in which volunteer leaders like her taught skills that included everything from cooking to animal husbandry. The majority of the kids in Ferguson and its surrounding areas participated in projects that involved the raising and showing of livestock. Horses were very popular, and Tess thoroughly loved working with Macy and the other children.
Climbing from the shower, Tess reached for an oversize mulberry-colored bath towel and wrapped it around her body, then wound a smaller one around her hair. She needed to call Seth, her youngest brother, to see if he’d give her a ride to town. As if on cue, the phone rang. Gripping the bath towel with one hand, Tess hurried to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Tess, it’s Macy.”
“Macy, what’s up?” Tucking the phone under her chin, Tess reached to scratch behind the ears of the white cat curled on the back of the couch. Immediately, Champ leaped onto the cushions to vie for Tess’s attention.
“Dad said your truck was broke down. Do you need a ride to 4-H?”
Tess grabbed for the phone as it slipped from beneath her chin. “Your dad offered?”
“Well, sort of. I asked him and he said yes.”
Tess smiled to herself. She could just picture Macy conning Wade into giving her a ride. Sure, he’d offered her one in town today, but it had been the polite thing to do, under the circumstances. Somehow, she couldn’t picture him willingly volunteering to act as her chauffeur.
“That’s really nice of you, Macy, but I was just about to call my brother for a ride.”
“You don’t have to,” Macy insisted. “I mean, we’re going to the meeting anyway. And your house isn’t far from ours.”
“True.” Tess curled the phone cord around her finger, picturing the way Wade had looked that morning in his cowboy hat and faded jeans. He was trouble she didn’t need and didn’t have time for. Still, accepting a ride from him would be handier than bothering Seth. Her brother’s place was five miles away, versus two to the Darland ranch. “Okay, Macy, I’ll take you up on that.”
“Cool! We’ll be there about five forty-five.”
The meeting began at six. “Sounds good. Be sure to tell your dad thanks for me.”
“I will. See ya!” Macy hung up and Tess chuckled.
At their first club meeting, it hadn’t taken long for her to feel truly drawn to Macy. She’d known the little girl from Macy’s occasional visits to the feed store with Wade and Jason, but having her in 4-H had given Tess the opportunity to get better acquainted. Macy was spunky and tough, though she seemed to harbor some hidden feelings about her mother’s death. Tess couldn’t help wanting to reach out to her, and wished