Heart of Texas Vol. 2 (5 page)

Grady was back to testing her patience again. She waited an entire minute before she ventured another question.

“Are you thinking of inviting her and Maggie?”

“Me?” Grady's eyes widened as if this were a new thought.

“Yes, you,” she returned pointedly.

“I'm…thinking about it,” he finally said.

Her face broke out in a smile and she clapped her hands. “That's wonderful.”

“What's wonderful?” Richard asked, wandering into the kitchen. He reached for a banana, peeled it and leaned expectantly against the kitchen counter.

Grady and Savannah exchanged looks. “The church dinner,” she answered for them both.

“Yeah, I heard about that,” he said with his mouth full. “Either of you going?”

“I think so.” Again Savannah took the initiative.

“Then I'll give some thought to attending, too.”

Both Grady and Savannah remained silent.

“I should probably have a date, though, don't you think?” He pondered his own question. “Caroline. I'll ask Caroline,” he said triumphantly. “She'll jump at the chance to go with me.”

“Y
OU'RE A DAMN FOOL,
that's what you are,” Grady muttered as he barreled down the highway toward Promise, driving twenty miles over the speed limit.

The reason for this hasty trip had to do with Caroline Daniels. By dinnertime he'd recognized that either he made his move now and invited her to the church dinner or let Richard beat him to the punch. Of course, he could have just phoned and been done with it, but that didn't seem right, not when anyone on the ranch could pick up a telephone receiver and listen in on the conversation. By anyone, he meant Richard. Besides, Grady preferred to talk to Caroline in person; it seemed more…meaningful.

He'd never been good at this court ship thing, but damn it all, he wasn't going to let his brother cheat him out of taking Caroline and Maggie to that church dinner. Richard wasn't interested in Caroline—Grady was sure of it—any more than he'd fallen head over heels in love with Ellie Frasier. His brother was far more concerned with cheating him out of the pleasure of Caroline's company. Except that he had no intention of standing idly by and letting it happen.

Once he'd made his decision, Grady knew he should act on it. Naturally there was always the risk that he'd arrive at Caroline's with his heart dangling from his sleeve only to learn that Richard had already asked her out for Saturday night.

Even knowing he might be too late didn't stop him. He wanted to attend the dinner with Caroline and Maggie more than he'd wanted anything in a long while. It surprised him how much.

The drive into town, during which he thought about the approach he'd take with Caroline, seemed to take no time at all. His goal was to ask her to be his date before Richard did, and at the same time keep his pride intact if she refused. No small task, considering past experience.

He parked in front of Caroline's small house and leaped out of the truck cab. Eager to get this settled, he took the steps up to her front door two at a time and leaned on the buzzer.

Caroline opened the door, her face registering surprise.

“Grady, hello.” She recovered quickly and held the screen door wide.

“Would you like to sit outside for a spell?” he asked, instead gesturing toward the porch swing. Since he was nervous about this entire thing, staying outside in the semidarkness felt more inviting than her well-lit living room.

“Sure.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and Grady noticed Maggie playing by herself in the back ground. She had her dolls sitting around a small table and was chatting amicably as she stood in front of her play kitchen cooking up a storm. He grinned at the sight.

Caroline sat down, but Grady found it impossible to keep still.

“Did Savannah phone?” he asked. It would be just like his sister to give Caroline a heads-up. He hadn't announced where
he was going when he left the ranch, but Savannah knew. After all, she was the one who'd steered him in this direction in that less-than-subtle way of hers. Grady tolerated Savannah's matchmaking only because he wasn't opposed to her efforts to promote a romance between him and Caroline. Frankly he could use the help. He wasn't keen, however, on letting her know that.

“Savannah phone me?” Caroline repeated. “No, she hasn't.”

Grady released a sigh, and some of the tension eased from between his shoulder blades. “What about Richard?”

“What about him?”

“Have you spoken to him recently—say, in the last four or five hours?”

“No,” she answered curtly. “Is there a reason for all these questions?”

Grady could see that Caroline was growing impatient but he needed the answers to both questions before he could proceed. “Of course there's a reason,” he snapped, annoyed with his lack of finesse when it came to romance. “I don't want to end up looking ridiculous, thanks to Richard.”

“What's Richard got to do with anything?” Caroline demanded.

“If he's been here first, just say so and I'll be on my way.” The thought of Richard and Caroline together did funny things to his stomach. He'd never been a jealous man; it was an un familiar—and un pleas ant—sensation. But he wasn't about to let Richard walk all over him.

“It seems to me, Grady, that you don't need Richard in order to look ridiculous. You do a damn good job all by yourself!”

Her words took him by surprise. He exhaled, counting to ten, in an effort to calm his racing heart, then leaned against
the porch railing and faced her. “All I want to know is if Richard already asked you to the church dinner.”

Her eyes briefly widened when she understood the reason for his unexpected visit. Caroline smiled slowly and sweetly. It was a smile he'd seen all too rarely from her. He found it difficult to look away.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked.

“I told you,” he blurted out. “If Richard's already asked you, then I'll save my breath.”

“What if I said he hasn't asked me? Does that mean you will?”

His pride was a fierce thing and had gotten him into trouble with her in the past. He tucked his hands in his back pockets, shrugging as if it was of little concern. “I might.”

Caroline set the swing in motion and relaxed enough to cross her legs. She was wearing shorts, and the movement granted him the opportunity to admire those legs.

“Let me put it like this,” Caroline said after a moment. “If Richard
had
asked me, and I'm not saying he has, I'd turn him down.”

“You would?” This gave Grady second thoughts. If she'd turn down his brother, there was nothing to say she wouldn't do the same with him. “What about me?” he asked before considering the question.

“But you haven't asked me,” she reminded him.

If she was leading him on a merry chase, he swore he'd never forgive her. “Will you…would you and Maggie be my date for the church dinner Saturday night?”

The joy that lit her eyes was all the answer Grady needed. His heart felt as if it might fly straight out of his chest.

“We'd love to go with you,” Caroline answered without hesitation.

“That'd be great. Great!” He started to leave, but caught
the toe of his boot on a toy Maggie had left on the porch and damn near fell on his face. Not that it would have mattered. He was too happy to let a minor humiliation detract from his pleasure.

He was halfway to his truck when Caroline stopped him. “Do you want me to meet you at the church?” she called out.

“No.” What kind of date did she think this was, anyway? “I'll pick you both up.” Just so there was no room for misunderstanding, he added, “This is a date, Caroline.”

“Any particular time?”

Details. Leave it to a woman to be concerned about something like that. “When do you want me?”

“Six-forty-five sounds about right.”

“Then that's when I'll be here.”

She walked to the porch steps and wrapped her arm around the white column. “I'll look forward to seeing you Saturday.”

It would have been the most natural thing in the world to jump up and shout, he was that happy. Happy enough to feel almost drunk with it. Damn it all, he hadn't even kissed Caroline yet. If he got giddy from a little thing like this, he could only begin to imagine what it would be like the first time they made love.

 

R
EVEREND
W
ADE
M
C
M
ILLEN
liked nothing better than social gatherings at the church, and this one was special, celebrating the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of the date Promise Christian Church had been established. He'd been ministering to this small but growing flock for five years now. It was his first assignment, and friends in the ministry had told him there was something special about a minister's first church. This had certainly proved to be the case with Wade.
The parishioners who crowded the church hall were as much his family as the people he'd left behind.

Raised in Houston, Wade had been around cattle ranchers and oil men from the time he was old enough to pull on a pair of cowboy boots. No one was more surprised when he was called to the ministry than Wade himself. His experience in Promise had shown him that he loved his work more than any other occupation he might have chosen.

Long tables at the far end of the hall were heaped with a variety of some of the best home cooking in Texas. Main courses, salads, desserts. Once the food had been readied, Wade led the assembled families in grace, then stayed out of the way while the women's group got the buffet lines going. His role in all this was to make sure dinner went smoothly and everyone had what he or she needed.

“In my opinion,” Louise Powell said, pulling Wade aside, “Savannah Smith's teriyaki salad with
chicken
should be considered a main course and not a salad. It's misleading for those of us who're watching our weight to be tempted with salads that under normal circumstances would be considered a main course.”

Louise and her friend Tammy Lee Kollenborn had been a trial to Wade from the start, but he wasn't alone in his struggles with these two women. Heaven help him if he in advertently crossed either of them.

“I'm afraid I'm the one to blame for that,” Wade explained, attempting to sound apologetic. “Savannah put it on the table with the main courses, and I suggested that since it was technically a salad, it belonged there.”

“I see,” Louise said and tightly pinched her lips together, letting him know she disapproved.

“I'll make sure I don't make that mistake again,” he said. “Perhaps next year you'd volunteer to help the women's group
set up the hall. I'm sure they'd appreciate your advice on such important matters as what should and shouldn't be considered a salad.”

“I'll do that,” she said with a tinge of self-righteousness. She patted his hand and excused herself to return to her husband.

The buffet line had dwindled down to only a few stragglers, and rather than become embroiled in any more culinary controversies, Wade reached for a plate and a set of silverware, then stepped to the end of the line.

He scanned the group, looking for an empty seat. The circular tables seated eight, perfect for accommodating four couples. The Royal Heirs, the seniors' social group, occupied four of those tables. No space there.

Ellie Frasier and Glen Patterson sat in a corner of the large bustling hall with their friends. There were a few empty spaces, but their table would fill up soon. He enjoyed Ellie and Glen and was counseling them before their wedding. They'd been in for three sessions now, and he had a strong feeling they were well suited. Their marriage would be a good one, built on a foundation of friend ship.

Savannah and Laredo Smith were sitting next to Ellie and Glen. Now, there were two he'd never suspected would be right for each other. Savannah was a gentle soul, a special woman who'd touched his heart. Laredo had drifted into town; somehow he and Savannah had been drawn together. Love had changed them both, Savannah especially. Looking at them now, just a short time after their wedding, it was difficult to remember that they'd been together only months rather than years.

Frank Hennessey, the town sheriff, got in line behind Wade. “This is a great spread, isn't it, Rev?”

“As I've said more than once,” Wade reminded the other
man, “Promise Christian has some of the best cooks in the state of Texas.”

“Amen to that.” Frank handed Dovie Boyd a plate before reaching for one himself. Both close to retirement age, the two had been seeing each other for as long as Wade had served the community, but apparently didn't have plans to marry. Wade had never questioned them about their relationship. That was their business, not his. He was fond of Frank and Dovie. He found their company delightful and was happy to let Dovie spoil him with a home-cooked meal every now and then. The woman was a wonder with apple pie.

One of Nell Bishop's children raced across the room, and Wade's spirits lifted. He'd sit with Nell, he decided. The widow might feel like odd man out, being there without a date, and since he was alone himself, well, it would work nicely. Nell was a safe dinner companion; everyone knew she wasn't interested in remarriage. If Wade chose to dine with one of the single ladies, some women in the congregation, Louise Powell and Tammy Lee Kollenborn in particular, were sure to read it as a sign of incipient romance.

So Nell was the perfect choice. No pressures there. Not only that, he had a great deal of respect and affection for her family. He'd enjoy spending the evening with them.

But Nell was sitting with her mother-in-law and their table was full.

Wade had to admit he felt lonely. Everyone present seemed to be part of a couple, and those who were single had found partners. Even Grady Weston had a date, and frankly, Wade was pleased with his choice. He'd long admired Caroline Daniels; she and Grady seemed right together, a thought that had occurred to him more than once since Savannah's wedding.

Not until Wade was at the end of the dessert table did he spot the ideal location. He smiled, amused that the vacant seat
was at the very table he'd considered moments earlier. The empty spot was next to Cal Patterson. Wade got along just fine with the rancher, although the man had a reputation for being prickly. Cal sat with his brother Glen, but Glen wasn't paying him any heed. The younger Patterson's concentration was held by Ellie, and rightly so.

“Mind if I join you?” Wade asked Cal.

“Mind?” Cal muttered, sliding his chair over to give Wade ample room. “I'd be grateful.”

“This is a great way to celebrate the church's birthday, isn't it?” Wade asked, digging into his food with gusto. He never ate better than at church dinners.

“Growing up, I can remember looking forward to the third Saturday in July,” Cal said. “My mom made her special baked beans every year. Still does. Apparently the recipe's been handed down from one generation to the next for at least a hundred years. If I remember right, it originally came from back East.”