Lone Star Heartbreaker (6 page)

Looks like you're having to hand wash your clothes. Now there's no cal for that. You're welcome to use my washer and dryer up at the ranch house anytime you'd like."

"Oh, I couldn't impose like that."

Ruth sat straighter, looking like she meant business. "I won't take no for an answer, young lady. Besides, I'd enjoy a little company. With three of my boys married, Tyler living here at the airstrip now and Tori--she's my baby girl, away at col ege--the big house gets mighty lonesome at times."

She took another sip of sweet tea. "Now don't you go picturing me sitting home al alone just moping about. I stil help my boys manage this ranch and the farmland and that keeps me plenty busy. Plus I work with the ladies at the church over in Salt Fork. But sometimes, I wouldn't mind a little company, like I said. So you gather your dirty clothes and come on over to the house. This evening's good for me. How about you? I'l even throw in dinner."

"I don't know what to say." Caitlyn eyed the older woman for a moment. She felt drawn to her. "It would be nice to spend an evening with someone other than Reba. And I do have a pile of dirty clothes. In fact, I was just thinking I needed to find a washateria--"

Ruth chuckled. "Honey, the closest washateria around here is fifty miles away."

"You're kidding."

Ruth shook her head, her eyes twinkling again.

"Wow, it's going to take me a while to get used to living in the middle of nowhere and not having things close by."

"Out here in West Texas, we have to plan ahead," Ruth said. "We make every trip to Abilene and Lubbock count. That means we stock up on groceries and paper goods, schedule doctor and dentist appointments, run errands, things like that. We make a day of it. Saves time and gas."

Ruth finished her tea and stood. "I need to get on over to see about Tyler. I made a meatloaf last night, and I'm taking him a helping or two. Nice to meet you, Caitlyn Ross. Now I'l be looking for you later this evening. We'l make a girls' night out of it. How about five o'clock? That okay with you?"

Caitlyn smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Ruth stepped closer and hugged her. "I think we're going to get along mighty fine. I'l see you later on."

Caitlyn watched Ruth climb into her truck and drive the short distance to Tyler's place. Meeting the man's mother made her think of her own mom and how much she missed her. For some reason, it brought home the point that she was alone, real y alone, with no family or friends to speak of.

As Caitlyn watered the freshly-potted fern and ivy, a tiny flame of hope flickered in her heart. She'd literal y left everything behind in San Antonio when she'd packed up to take this job at Lone Star Wings. A new chapter of her life stood open before her, a new beginning. Caitlyn made a solemn vow to make the most of it.

****

That same evening, Caitlyn loaded her dirty clothes in a large plastic garbage bag, secured it behind her on the scooter and drove down the meandering dirt road toward Ruth's house. The road cut through vast acres of pastureland. Huge ancient mesquite trees lined the way on both sides, their feathery branches sweeping low across the barbed wire fences. Throughout the pasture, great stands of prickly pear cactus huddled in clumps. Large groups of cattle grazed on brownish-green Bermuda grass, while others rested beneath the shade of the mesquites.

Al and al , a bucolic scene that tugged at something deep inside Caitlyn. A peaceful sense of contentment spread through her, the likes of which she hadn't felt since before her mother had died. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh dry air redolent with nature's smel s.

As Caitlyn rounded a bend in the road, the big ranch house appeared in the distance, stately against the backdrop of the Double Mountains. She had flown over the mountains countless times these past several weeks. There were actual y three mountains, but from the ground only two were visible from most angles. Even though she'd barely settled in at Lone Star Wings, she already loved the mountains. Whenever she felt lonely or the weight of her past threatened to push her down, Caitlyn had only to gaze at the Double Mountains and her demons shrank back into the nether regions of her brain.

As the ranch house loomed before her, she was surprised to see four pickup trucks parked in and around the surrounding yard. One of the trucks belonged to Pete. Ruth hadn't mentioned there'd be other people here tonight. What had happened to girls' night?

Caitlyn parked the scooter, unstrapped the bag of laundry from the seat and made her way to the front door. Thick white columns supported the big wrap-around porch where four white Shaker-style rockers sat facing the magnificent view of the Double Mountains. Before she had time to knock, Ruth was ushering her into the house.

"Change of plans, dear," she said, taking hold of Caitlyn's elbow and urging her through the living room. "I know I said we'd have a girls' night, but when I saw Tyler this afternoon, I was bound and determined to get him out of that apartment and make him socialize a little bit. I hustled him out to my truck and brought him home with me."

Ruth's eyes twinkled. "I kidnapped him, when al 's said and done. I hope you don't mind too badly. I made a big pot roast and invited the family over for a Sunday dinner. Come on in and meet everyone. Of course, not Tyler and Pete, because you already know them. I mean everyone else. Then I'l show you where the laundry room is."

In a daze, Caitlyn fol owed her hostess through the comfortably furnished living room toward the back of the house. Ruth was a sweet old woman, but she did tend to talk a lot. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it was sometimes difficult to fol ow the threads of her conversation.

Loud voices sounded from the back of the house, and as they neared the kitchen, Caitlyn recognized Pete's voice, but none of the others. Male and female laughter made it sound like a party was going on. A baby's squeal and a young girl's voice added to the cacophony of the family get-together.

"Here we are, dear." Ruth let go of Caitlyn's elbow after urging her into the middle of the kitchen and the center of attention. Nine pairs of eyes zeroed in on her, making Caitlyn feel like she was on exhibit.

Ruth's kitchen was huge and old-fashioned, exactly how Caitlyn imagined a big old farm kitchen should look. Rectangular in shape, the wal s were knotty pine with built-in shelves at one end, lots of brown tiled counter space and custom-built cabinets, also of pine, at the other. The refrigerator looked brand new, but the gas stove had to be going on fifty or sixty years old--very retro.

A large oak table dominated the room, with bench seats on both sides and ladder-backed chairs at the ends. Tyler sat at the foot of the table with his injured leg propped up on the edge of one of the benches. A young girl, who looked to be twelve or thirteen, sat on the bench next to Tyler's booted foot.

The resemblance between Tyler, the girl and the three men--who had to be his brothers--was remarkable. The McCades were big and powerful men; their presence dominated the room. They had golden brownish hair, olive complexions and bedroom eyes. The little girl was sure to be a beauty when she grew up.

Pete and the three men quickly stood. Nice to know there were gentlemen who stil practiced good manners way out here in the wilds of West Texas.

"Here, let me introduce you." Ruth left Caitlyn's side and moved closer to the table. "You know Pete and Tyler, of course. And these three are my other sons--Austin, Dal as and Cameron. And their wives--Theresa, Gil ian and Jessie. The baby's name is Daniel, after his grandfather. My dearly departed husband."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. McCade," Caitlyn said.

"Thank you. It's been a while, but I stil miss him every day. And please, I wish you'd cal me Ruth."

"Al right . . .
Ruth
," Caitlyn said. "I'm sorry for al of you. I know how you feel. I recently lost my own father. It's tough, I know."

Everyone murmured condolences. Ruth walked back over to her and gave her a big hug.

Austin smiled and came forward to shake her hand. "Ma'am, good to meet you. I've been meaning to get up to the airfield, but it's been one crazy month. Welcome to the Diamondback Ranch."

"Thank you, I'm glad to be here," Caitlyn said. "It's nice to final y meet you.
All
of you. You'l have to bear with me until I learn al of your names."

"No problem," said the woman holding the baby boy. "The family's grown quite a bit since I've joined. It won't take you long, I'm sure."

"Thanks . . .
Jessie
, right?" Caitlyn made a stab at the name. When Jessie nodded, Caitlyn started to relax. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Luckily, she had a knack for remembering names. "Your baby is adorable."

Jessie smiled. "Thank you. We certainly think so, don't we, Daniel?" The baby gurgled and smiled.

"Hey, Grams. What about me, huh?" The young girl waved her hand in the air. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Wel , sure enough, sweetheart. I was just getting to you," Ruth said with that endearing twinkle in her blue eyes. "Caitlyn, I'd like you to meet my granddaughter, Miss Kelsey McCade."

Kelsey hopped up from the table and walked over to where Caitlyn stood. She dropped a little curtsy. "How do you do?" she said in a formal tone of voice.

"I'm fine, thank you very much." Caitlyn smiled. "Although I've never been curtsied to before."

Kelsey grinned, her eyes twinkling just like her grandmother's. "Grams taught me after we watched
Pride and Prejudice
the other night. Are you real y a pilot?"

"Yes, I am. Do you like to fly?"

"Oh, yes. Uncle Ty takes me up al the time, or at least, he used to. Once in a while, he'd do barrel rol s. It was awesome. I'l be glad when he gets wel . Then I can fly with him again. Hey, maybe you can take me one day. Do you do barrel rol s, too?"

"I sure do. I'd be glad to take you up if your parents give you permission. Or maybe you'd rather wait until your uncle is better." Caitlyn sneaked a peek at the man sitting silently at the end of the long kitchen table. His strong jaw clenched tightly and pain flickered in his eyes. The man had to be hurting on the inside as much, or perhaps more, than on the outside. Being grounded was weighing down his normal cheerful spirit. She'd seen him enough at the air shows to know Tyler McCade was usual y the life of the party.

Kelsey crossed the kitchen to where her uncle sat and hugged his neck. "Please hurry and get wel , Uncle Ty. But in the mean time, you don't care if Ms. Ross takes me flying, do you?"

Silence stretched across the big kitchen, and Tyler felt every pair of eyes focused his way. He hugged his niece, and she stood next to him with her arm looped around his neck and shoulder. "If Caitlyn wants to take you up with her and your dad says it's okay, then it's fine by me, Hotshot."

"Thanks, Uncle Ty. You're the best!" She kissed his cheek and turned toward her father. "What do you say, Dad? Can I please fly with Ms. Ross?"

"We'l talk about it later, Kels. Okay?"

Kelsey gave him a pained look. "O-kay."

"Wel now," Ruth said, taking the bag of dirty laundry from her guest. "Let's get Miss Caitlyn's wash going, so we can get supper on the table."

Tyler watched Caitlyn fol ow his mother out of the kitchen and into the laundry room. Kelsey tagged along behind them, chattering about the different times he'd taken her up in one of his planes. He was thankful the accident hadn't frightened her about flying. He dearly loved his niece. It was bad enough that she'd always bear that scar on her forehead resulting from the crash. It would have been doubly worse if her indomitable spirit were scarred, too.

"Al righty, then. Who's ready for supper?" Ruth asked, hurrying in from the laundry room, with Kelsey right behind her. "I hope everyone's brought their appetites."

Caitlyn fol owed Kelsey into the kitchen, bringing up the rear. Those green eyes of hers were bright and round, taking in the large gathering of the McCade family. Tyler adjusted his position in the chair to relieve the pressure in his groin. Although he'd tried to avoid her for the past month or so, he was unable to avoid the strong attraction he felt for her. His body hardened to rock solid whenever she crossed his path.

"Caitlyn, make yourself at home while I get supper on the table," Ruth said. She grabbed two potholders and opened the oven door.

Pete jumped up from his chair. "Here, Mrs. Ruth, let me get that for you." He took the potholders and careful y lifted the big roasting pan from the oven and set it on the tiled counter.

Jessie rose from her seat and handed the baby to Cameron. "Take Daniel while I help your mom, wil you?"

"Only if you give me a kiss." Cameron puckered his lips as he took the baby from her arms.

Jessie laughed and kissed him. "You are
so
bad."

"You love it. Don't deny it."

"Oh, believe me. I don't." She kissed him again and moved quickly away to help Ruth prepare for supper.

Tyler couldn't help feeling a tiny stab of envy as he witnessed the byplay between his brother and his wife. Between al three of his brothers and their wives. They certainly seemed happy and content with their marriages. He smiled and shook his head when he thought how reluctant each of them had been initial y, in one way or another, about committing themselves.

He glanced at Caitlyn. Her eyes dimmed with what looked like an almost painful yearning. As if sensing his gaze upon her, she looked his way. He had an overwhelming urge to ease the sad expression on her face, so he winked at her. To his delight, she blushed and turned away.

She hurried toward his mom. "Ruth, is there anything I can do to help?"

Her low melodious voice washed over Tyler, and he tried not to squirm in his seat again. He was going to have to do something about his celibate lifestyle pretty damn quick. He wasn't used to going without sex for long periods of time.

His mother bustled about the kitchen, getting things ready for the meal. "You can help Gil ian get the glasses and pour the tea. Theresa, why don't you mash the potatoes, and Kelsey can set the table. Jessie, you're in charge of the corn and applesauce. "