All Roads Lead Home (10 page)

“You’re here,” she said, not quite believing it was me. She then wrapped me up into a hug. She grabbed her carry-on, and we boarded the plane. We took our seats in first class. Wendy was giddy with delight. At least if I had to endure a long flight, we would be comfortable.

She asked, “Ready?” as the cabin doors closed.

Not sure how welcomed I would be once I arrived back home in Wyoming, but my mother did ask me to come home to them. I miss my father too. I can’t wait to hug him and then see Jazzy.
Will my horse even recognize me?
She will probably throw me off. An animal never forgets and sadly, I hurt her too when I left.

Nudging her arm, I looked back over to Wendy and whispered, “I am.”

The take-off was smooth, and although I swore off alcohol, I was in desperate need for a drink, a strong one. I ordered a double Hendricks, getting a glare in return from my travel partner.

“What? I’m old enough for a drink, please refrain from the judgments,” I said as my throat burned with the liquid numbing my throat.

“I didn’t say anything! Oh boy, for a lawyer, you are so defensive.”

“I don’t mean to be. I’m just nervous. When I woke up this morning, this is not how I envisioned my day panning out.”

“So what did you expect? A romp in the hay is not the answer to your problems. I would have thought you learned that tough lesson already.”

“Oh. My. God.”
How the hell does she do this?
I thought as she kept going on.

“Now, don’t you go bringing the good Lord into this. He didn’t make you give up the cookie, now did he?”

“Wendy, I am not even going to dignify your offensive and judgmental comments on my life. What I do behind closed doors and who I choose to spend time with is none of your business. You are way out of line.”

“Seriously? I was right? Hell, I was just razzing you. I didn’t think that actually happened, so spill Tumbleweed: Who was it?”

“I’m going to sleep. Wake me when we land.”

“Oh come on, we’re just getting to the good part. You can’t leave me hanging now.”

“Fine! What do you want to know? If I tell you, then will you be quiet for the remainder of the flight? I have a headache, and you chattering about my sex life is not helping it.” I gritted my teeth as I warned Wendy off. She smiled, or smirked, either one was just agitating me even further.

“Well?” She wasn’t backing down.

“I love you, you know I do, but I forgot how irritating you can be. Maybe you should have been the lawyer.”

“Oh, my baby girl, I’m having too much fun playing the role of your psychotherapist. Now, tell me.”

I let out a long winded sigh and answered her, “His name is Tommy Mills. He’s a friend, a good one, and nothing more.”

“And?” she questioned.

“And, nothing. In the wake of speaking to my mother and hurting her feelings once again, and then your call sent me into a down spiral, I was pretty much lost. So I took that loss and grief I was feeling, and add some layers of loneliness to it, and you have a classic case of falling back into old patterns. I didn’t want to be alone and face going back to my empty apartment, so I went a different way and ended up in my friend’s bed. Do I need to draw you a map? Or can you connect the dots to what happened next?”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“For what? You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

“Yes, I do. I knew sending that letter would devastate you. You would return back to a dark place. Hell, maybe you never left, but I knew. Then I called you and pushed some more. I knew in order to get you home, I had to see you in person. So, that is what I am sorry for.”

“Do my parents know?”

“Yes, they do. Connie wanted to call you first, test the waters, but you refused. Then she received your flowers, and then there was hope.”

“Wendy, I didn’t refuse her. Yes, I was hurting because of the anniversary, but I also was heading out to court to hear the biggest verdict of my career. You remember the case I was asked to take on when I made partner?”

“I do, but I thought you stepped down from that.”

“I lied to you, but only because I didn’t want you to worry. My parents already were upset after the attempt on my life, I couldn’t bear to hurt you too.”

“Oh, Tenley! If anything would have happened to you, they would have never forgiven themselves for not protecting you. Your daddy would have dragged you by your ponytail back home where you would be safe. That was foolish of you and you could have been hurt.”

“Okay, I get it Wendy, but I’m fine, so drop it. Don’t you even care that I won?”

“Of course I do, but don’t you see that I love you more? We all love you more. Open your eyes and see us. If you ever want to be able to carry on with this life you say you want, then you need to come to terms with the old one first. You can have both. Loving your family doesn’t have to be a choice, but it should be the most natural thing in the world to you.”

“And Jagger? Will he see it that way too? You are wearing rose colored glasses, Wendy. How after all of this time can Jagger still want me?”

“I guess you’re going to have to ask him.”

“You’re that sure I will be welcomed to just walk in to his hospital room, as If I belong there?”

“Yeah, I do. Because it’s what Jagger wants.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You’re going to have to trust me.”

“I guess I have no choice but to trust you. I hope you’re right.”

I can’t believe I’m back here again. How could I ever agree to Wendy’s request? Too late to turn back now.
The sound coming over the loud speaker pulled me out of my deep thoughts as Wendy held my hand.

“Passengers, the captain has now turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Please remain in your seats as we begin our decent into Jackson Hole. For those who are visiting, we wish you a great time in the beautiful state of Wyoming. For those of you who live here…Welcome Home.”

BY THE TIME our plane had landed in Jackson Hole, it was nearing midnight. I was beyond exhausted. I didn’t sleep on the plane and the past couple of days had not been the easiest ones to endure. Wendy, on the other hand was almost dancing out of the terminal. She received a massage by some therapist she met on the plane. I swear I saw her blush a few times, but she didn’t pay me no mind when I was teasing her about it.

“So, where do I drop you?”

“Pardon?” I was surprised by her question.

“Where do I drop you? Do you want me to drive you out to your parents’ home? Or hotel it for tonight?”

“Wendy, I can’t believe you are seriously asking me where I would like to stay. It’s the middle of the night, and I just can’t knock on my daddy’s door and yell out, ‘Surprise, the prodigal daughter has returned home to you!’ I don’t want to go to a hotel either. Can I just stay with you tonight, and then I will call my parents in the morning?”

“Of course you can, Tumbleweed. Figured I would ask before I assume.”

“Well, you know what they say when people assume.”

“Watch it. You’re not too old to smack.”

I let out another sigh in disbelief that I was actually here. Not giving it anymore thought tonight, we collected our luggage and left the airport to Wendy’s home. Her home was beautiful and rustic with the Teton Mountains as her view. They were everyone’s view living up here. I used to ride Jazzy as high as her strong legs would carry me up toward the highest ridge on our ranch. I would lean back on my horse and breathe in the fresh air and feel God’s presence. I was as close as I could be near heaven.

“Tenley, wake up. We’re here.”

I slowly opened my eyes and the familiar feeling hit me like an arrow through my chest. I was really home back in Wyoming, and standing in front of Wendy’s home, where I shared many happy times here as a child. It looked exactly the same since the last time I saw it. It’s only snow covered now. Tears were threatening to fall again, but I hampered them down. I was drained, and I had enough reminiscing for one day.

“The guest room is all set-up for you. Make yourself at home and get some rest,” Wendy said.

I smiled. So much for asking where I would like to stay. Wendy was always a few steps ahead of us kids growing up, and tonight was no different. I brought my carry-on bag with me and left the rest in the entryway. I wouldn’t be staying here for long, so why unpack? For a brief moment, I had thought I could sneak into town and leave without anyone being the wiser, but once I found out about Jagger, I knew that would not be possible.

He was all I’d been thinking about since Wendy told me the news about his accident. How and why did his horse just managed to throw him? She never said what horse he was riding, maybe it was not She-devil after all. She loves Jagger, for a horse she had a serious protection over him. Loyal to her rider, She-devil would only allow Jagger on her back. Kind of like how Jazzy treats me, or at least used to. Daddy says she’s in good health, and he keeps her busy on the ranch. He uses her for tours and when the camps are in session.

For the past couple of years now, daddy changed the vision for the Fairchild Ranch. Once he changed the business dynamic of it, he also added a title underneath the Fairchild name: “Where you learn to ride and fall.” How true that was. He still ran it, but appointed Shane as his manager who oversaw all the ranch business.

I was surprised when daddy phoned me and asked me to draw up the contracts. He told me that Shane’s father had merged the Rhodes Ranch with ours, and we took over controlling interest. Mr. Rhodes had fallen ill about a year ago and could no longer handle the day to day. It was Shane who convinced him to sell the land to my father, but under the condition that Shane be in charge and take on more responsibility. Both Jagger and Shane earned their degrees and had of a more modern day approach on how to make the ranch more profitable in today’s markets. The last time I checked the quarterly reports, they were doing more than fine.

Jagger and his father worked the Parrish Ranch together, with Jagger taking on the majority role. As everyone acclimated to the new transition of merging the ranches, Kip Rhodes did get stronger by each passing day. Daddy always said, you can never keep a cowboy down. I only wished that were true for my brother Jamie. I sent flowers to Shane’s mother when I was told of his father’s illness, but respectively stayed away. Shane didn’t need a reminder of his past. It was hard enough knowing I was still a presence in terms of the ranch. We only spoke a few times over the phone in the last five years. It was about ranch business and nothing else. We once loved each other so much as friends, and the few words were spoken were reduced to pleasantries laced with coldness. Kept it simple and to the point, but I could feel he wanted to say more, but he held back. I did the same.

“I’m going to bed. Can I get you anything before I turn in?” Wendy asked.

“A hug would be nice.”

“That I can do. Sleep, sweet girl and don’t worry your overactive brain anymore tonight. Things will look brighter in the morning.”

I hugged Wendy, and she left me alone to my thoughts. Closing my eyes, he was here in my dreams…Jagger.

We were picnicking down by the river. My summer vacation was nearly over and I was due back at school the day after tomorrow. We spent every moment possible together. It was always hard saying goodbye to Jagger, but we always looked forward to the next time we could see each other. He didn’t stopped smiling since we arrived.
What was he up to?
He placed his hands in mine and made me look at him.

“I love you, Tenley. I have something to show you. It represents how much I love you, and how happy I am to have you in my life.”

“I love you too, Jagger. What is it? The suspense is killing me.”

He winked and then began to unfasten the buttons to his shirt. I was clueless to what he was doing until I saw the beautiful words of endearment on his skin:

Ten, My love…my world.

He got a tattoo!
A permanent marking on his body. I wanted to run my fingers over it, but the skin was fiery red. It looked brand new.

“Say something. Do you like it?” he asked nervously.

“I love it, Jagger. How could I not?”

“It’s true, you know. You are my only love. You are my world. This is just a brief separation for us. Not a day will go by that I don’t look at this tattoo—your own personal marking on my soul—and not feel your love.”

I had tears in my eyes. Jagger was already prepared for this and quickly wiped them away.

“Do I have to get one too?” I nervously asked.

He laughed and kissed me passionately on my lips. His eyes were filled with sparkle as he kissed me.

He replied, “Not if you don’t want to. I know you’re afraid of needles.”

“I am! Don’t laugh at me. I probably would have to be sedated before I did something like that. I’m sure my father wouldn’t approve.”

“No worries, baby. I have other ways I can mark your body.”

And then Jagger pressed his hardness against me and began marking me slowly with his kisses. First my neck, then down to my breasts. I wanted him and didn’t care if we were caught. I may have not been ready for a tattoo, but I could show him in other ways. I bucked him off and straddled him. I touched his chest, carefully avoiding his tattoo.