Dream Country (38 page)

“Yeah,” Todd said. “Is he happy to be back?”

“I think so. I hope so.”

“Where is he? Getting ready for the wedding?”

As James inhaled, he found he couldn’t speak. Todd Rydell was standing before him, waiting for his answer, and the words stuck in his throat.

“He must be excited,” Todd said as they walked outside. “Seeing his parents marry each other all over again.”

James didn’t answer, letting it go at that. He couldn’t speak out loud, tell Todd Rydell that his son had led them to believe he didn’t plan to attend the wedding. Daisy seemed to accept his decision, in her patient, loving way. James was trying, but he couldn’t tell anyone, not even Daisy and certainly not Todd Rydell, that his heart felt almost broken.

That James Tucker’s hard, crusty, unsentimental old rancher’s heart felt like it might break in two because his son had decided not to come to their wedding.

Now that Sage and Jake were within sight of the ranch, riding up the trail, they could hear strains of music filling the air. A big blue-and-gold tent—the colors of the JD Ranch—had been set up, and its soaring peaks echoed the shapes of the Wind River mountains rising behind it. Their mother was probably inside, getting dressed for the wedding. Sage thought she glimpsed her veil—a long cloud of white tulle—flashing by an upstairs window.

“They’re all here,” Sage said.

“I know.”

“Aunt Hathaway, the Rydells, Louisa and Granddad, Mom and Dad—”

“Gave Aunt Hathaway a cool tattoo,” Jake said.

“She’s the best aunt in the world,” Sage told him. “You’ll see. She’s somewhere between a second mom and the coolest big sister you can imagine.”

“I know,” Jake said sharply.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked, feeling anxious.

“No,” he said. “You didn’t. Except sometimes it pisses me off, thinking how much longer you’ve known all these people. You’ve spent your whole life with Mom and Aunt Hathaway, and I’m just getting started. I want my own relationship with Aunt Hathaway—and all the others—without you translating and interpreting every single thing.”

“Okay,” she said quietly.

“Sorry to sound so mad,” he said, frowning as if he was actually furious.

“We’re even with Dad. You have to admit that. Both of us getting to know him at the same time.”

“You say that as if it’s a good thing.”

Sage just shook her head, momentarily unable to talk. She didn’t think that part was a good thing—not at all.

“All there,” Sage said finally, shading her eyes. “Everybody but us.”

“Yeah,” Jake said quietly.

“Your family, Jake.” She knew she was walking a fine line, that anything she might say on the subject could make him mad.

“Quit it, Sage.”

“As long as you know.”

“I know.” She thought his voice sounded thick.

“Don’t mind me, watching out for you every minute,” she said, trying to make light of it. “I’m your sister.”

“Twin sister,” he said in a joking tone, making Sage feel so happy that he got it, that he was ribbing her for a closeness he actually seemed to understand as deeply as she did.

The music sounded bright and festive, but suddenly Sage pulled back on Scout’s reins to hear better. “Listen!”

“I hear it,” Jake said, stopping beside her.

The band was warming up, and Louisa was rehearsing her wedding song. She had written it for James and Daisy, and it was called “The Forever Day.” Jake started to smile, listening to her big voice singing across the lush meadow.

“Not Louisa—” Sage said.
“Listen.”

It was springtime, very warm, too late for this to be happening. But as the twins tilted their heads back, shielding their eyes against the bright Wyoming sun, they saw a great, long V crossing the sky. Snow geese. The sun struck their feathers, turning them white as winter. They were honking as they flew, their voices and wings drowning out everything, even Louisa’s song.

“The geese, Jake.”

“I see!”

“How many are there? Can you tell? A hundred?”

“A thousand.”

The twins knew the story of the geese, how their father had proposed to their mother the second time, how she had said “yes” when he’d sent them flying into that winter sky. The very sight of them now brought tears to Sage’s eyes, and when she looked at her brother, he was standing tall in his saddle while Maisie barked at the sky.

“A thousand!” he said again.

“At least.”

“Hey,” Jake yelled, surprising Sage so much she nearly fell off her horse.

“The geese can’t hear you.” She laughed.

“Not them,” he said. “I’m not talking to them.”

“Then who?”

“Hey!” Jake yelled louder, standing taller in his stirrups.

Their father was standing by the paddock, talking to someone who had come to set up the food.

“They’re back!” Jake called.

“You’re calling Dad?” Sage said, her heart for some reason starting to race. Jake never seemed excited about anything. He never went to their father or mother to talk, never seemed thrilled about any of the good things in any of their lives. Sage knew it hurt both their parents’ feelings, but their father’s most of all.

“The band’s too loud,” Jake said. “He can’t hear me.”

“Louder, then.” Sage was swelling with happiness. “Oh, Jake. Call louder.”

“Dad!” Jake yelled, pointing at the sky. “Mom! They’re back!”

At the sound of his voice, their father turned. Even from here, Sage could see the grin on his face, from hearing Jake call him “Dad.”

Their mother leaned out the upstairs window, her veil billowing, as if she wanted to touch the wind. Sage smiled, waving her huge bouquet of wildflowers, but her parents had their heads tilted back, looking at the sky with the geese flying over.

“They’re back!” Jake Tucker shouted with all his might. He was smiling, too, waving like someone who felt excited to be part of a family whose legend included snow geese and Washakie, exactly like someone who was riding home with his twin sister, on their way to the wedding of their parents: someone who very much intended to stick around and hear them say, “I do.”

About the Author

L
UANNE
R
ICE
is the author of
Silver Bells, Beach Girls, Dance with Me, The Perfect Summer, The Secret Hour,
True Blue, Safe Harbor, Summer Light, Firefly Beach, Dream Country, Follow the Stars Home—
a Hallmark Hall of Fame feature
—Cloud Nine, Home Fires, Secrets of Paris, Stone Heart, Angels All Over Town, Crazy in Love
, which was made into a TNT Network feature movie, and
Blue Moon,
which was made into a CBS television movie. She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut.

ALSO BY
L
UANNE
R
ICE

Silver Bells

Beach Girls

Dance With Me

The Perfect Summer

The Secret Hour

True Blue

Safe Harbor

Summer Light

Firefly Beach

Dream Country

Follow the Stars Home

Cloud Nine

Home Fires

Blue Moon

Secrets of Paris

Stone Heart

Crazy in Love

Angels All Over Town

“Rice’s trademarks are fine writing, a good eye for small detail, and an uncanny way of conveying the mysterious glue that holds families together.”
—
Kirkus Reviews
(starred review)

MORE RAVES FOR LUANNE RICE AND
DREAM COUNTRY

“Captivating . . .
Dream Country
will cast a spell on readers.”
—
Orlando Sentinel

“A transcendent story about the power of hope and family love . . . a compelling plot and nuanced character portrayals contribute to the emotional impact . . . Rice creates believable dramatic tension.”
—
Publishers Weekly

“Engaging . . . a taut thriller . . . Rice’s descriptive gifts are impressive.”
—
Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“A story so real it will be deeply etched into the hearts of its readers . . . Rice once again delivers a wonderfully complex and full-bodied romance.”
—
Booklist

“Poignant.”
—
The Midwest Book Review

“
Dream Country
captures the beauty and strength that can be found in the differences that both pull families apart and reunite them. . . . These people live and breathe, and bleed the blood of life. You care what happens to them and to all the players in this sweeping, unforgettable story.”
—
Tulsa World

“Rice is on my ‘A list’ when I want an intelligent, well-written relationship story. . . . Strong yet realistic characters make the story work. A beautiful, thought-provoking novel,
Dream Country
will enchant readers.”
—
The Romance Reader

“Superb pacing and a stunning grasp of emotion under pressure.”
—
The Houston Chronicle

“Luanne Rice can always be counted on for a highly readable, often moving tale. . . . All the elements for a romantic thriller come together in a well-paced plot. . . . Rice pulls off some clever surprises.”
—
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Ms. Rice knows the many ways in which people who love each other can hurt each other, which is why she writes so many bestsellers.”
—
Richmond Times-Dispatch

SUMMER LIGHT

“Enchanting, heartfelt. . . showcases [Rice’s] considerable talent. . . A warm and illuminating summer read . . . a poignant tale of love, loss, and reconciliation.” —
Publishers Weekly

“The prolific Rice skillfully blends romance with magic.”
—
Booklist

“Luanne Rice awakens in the reader the excitement of summer and love at first sight in this enjoyable novel.”
—
Abilene Reporter–News,
Texas

FIREFLY BEACH

“Rice brings her signature sensitivity to this beautifully textured summertime read. . . . As always, Rice excels at evoking the strong but contradictory emotions that both bind and divide families. . . . A lovely celebration of sisterhood, summer, and survival.”
—
Publishers Weekly

“Rice does a masterful job of telling this powerful story of love and reconciliation.”
—
Booklist

FOLLOW THE STARS HOME

“Addictive . . . irresistible.”
—
People

“Involving, moving . . . Rice’s great strength is in creating realistic characters readers care about . . . stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.”
—
The Denver Post

“Uplifting . . . The novel’s theme—love’s miraculous ability to heal—has the ingredients to warm readers’ hearts.”
—
Publishers Weekly

“Rice has once again created a tender story of a new family unit, where love and loyalty are more important than biology and where learning to trust again opens the door to happiness.”
—
Library Journal

“A moving romance that also illuminates the tangled resentments, ties and allegiances of family life . . . Rice is a gifted storyteller with a keen sense of both the possibilities and contingencies of life.”
—
Times Record
, Brunswick, ME

“Powerhouse author Luanne Rice returns with a novel guaranteed to wrench your emotional heartstrings. Deeply moving and rich with emotion,
Follow the Stars Home
is another of Ms. Rice’s classics.”
—
Romantic Times

“Rice’s story of love and redemption will please fans of her tender and poignant style.”
—
Booklist

CLOUD NINE

“A tightly paced story that is hard to put down . . . Rice’s message remains a powerful one: the strength of precious family ties can ultimately set things right.”
—
Publishers Weekly

“One of those rare reading experiences that we always hope for when cracking the cover of a book . . . A joy.”
—
The Library Journal

“Luanne Rice touches the deepest, most tender corners of the heart.”
—Tami Hoag, author of
Ashes to Ashes

“Elegant . . . Rice hooks the reader on the first page.”
—
The Hartford Courant

“A celebration of family and the healing power of love. Poignant and powerful . . . One of those rare books which refreshes and renews the landscape of women’s fiction for a new generation of readers.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz, author of
Sharp Edges

HOME FIRES

“Exciting, emotional, terrific. What more could you want from a late-summer read?”
—
The New York Times Book Review

“Compelling . . . poignant . . . riveting.”
—
The Hartford Advocate

“Rice makes us believe that healing is possible.”
—
Chicago Tribune

“Good domestic drama is Rice’s chosen field, and she knows every acre of it. . . . Rice’s home fires burn brighter than most, and leave more than a few smoldering moments to remember.”
—
Kirkus Reviews

BLUE MOON

“Brilliant.”
—
Entertainment Weekly

“A rare combination of realism and romance.”
—
The New York Times Book Review

“Eloquent . . . A moving and complete tale of the complicated phenomenon we call family.”
—
People

MORE CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LUANNE RICE

“What a lovely writer Luanne Rice is.”
—Dominick Dunne

“Ms. Rice shares Anne Tyler’s ability to portray offbeat, fey characters winningly.”
—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Miss Rice writes as naturally as she breathes.”
—
Brendan Gill