On Lone Star Trail (6 page)

W
hen they reached Rainbow's End, as Gillian headed to her cabin, Eric St. George emerged from the building that served as the resort's garage and his workshop.

“We need to talk,” the heavyset man with hair more gray than blond said as he ushered TJ inside.

Though Eric's tone of voice and his expression indicated that whatever he was going to say wasn't good news, TJ took a quick breath and smiled at the sight of his bike. There was nothing wrong here. In fact, everything was right. The crumpled fender and slashed tire were gone, and a closer inspection revealed that the repairs were invisible. If he hadn't known better, TJ would have said there'd been no accident.

“Wow! I heard you were good, but this is more than good. It's great.”

“Thanks.” Despite the compliment, Eric still looked uncomfortable. “I've had a fair amount of experience with body work, but engines are my real specialty.” He pointed at TJ's bike. “That's why we need to talk. I didn't like the way yours sounded, so I took it apart. Someone did a lot of customization.”

TJ nodded. “The last owner liked to tinker.”

“I could tell.” Eric patted the engine. “The problem is your crankshaft. It's more worn than I would have expected for the mileage. It could last another year, but it's just as likely to break in the next month or so. I don't have to tell you what that would mean if you were somewhere remote.” Meeting TJ's gaze, Eric said, “The decision is yours, but I recommend you replace it.”

No wonder Eric had seemed ill at ease. This was just what TJ didn't need: another major expense. “How much will that cost?” When Eric quoted a figure that seemed ridiculously low, TJ nodded. He could afford that, but he couldn't afford a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. “How long will it take?”

Eric frowned. “The installation is less than a day. The problem is getting the part. I called local suppliers, and no one's got one. I figure it'll be about a week. Is that okay?”

Two days ago, TJ would have shaken his head in frustration, but two days ago he hadn't known how intriguing Rainbow's End and a certain auburn-haired woman would be. Though he harbored no illusions that either one would be a permanent part of his life, he couldn't deny that the last twenty-four hours had been the most memorable since he'd begun his vagabond existence.

If he'd been allowed a redo, he certainly wouldn't have crashed his bike, but he had to admit that being at Rainbow's End had shifted his perspective, if only slightly. The location was one of the prettiest he'd seen. It wasn't spectacular like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, and yet in its own quiet way, it touched him as much as they had.

As for Gillian, something about her piqued his interest. It wasn't a romantic interest. Far from it. When he'd lost Deb, TJ had known that his days of love and happily-ever-after were ended. TJ had had one chance, and he'd lost it. But he found himself thinking of Gillian more than he had any other woman besides Deb and wondering if they could be friends, at least for however long they were both at Rainbow's End.

Perhaps it was because she too had lost something important and was searching for her future. Perhaps it was because, although she projected a cool self-confidence, he'd seen the vulnerability beneath the outer shell. Perhaps it was simply that she had been his Good Samaritan. TJ didn't know the reason, but he did know that it would be no hardship to remain here.

He turned back to Eric and nodded. “The delay's okay.”

“You look like a lady of leisure.”

Startled by the sound of TJ's voice, Gillian let out a small gasp. She'd been sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs in front of the lodge, staring at the lake ever since she finished reading Janice Thompson's latest book. Her favorite author never failed to deliver a heartwarming story with more than one LOL moment, but today Gillian found herself wondering whether she'd ever find a happily-ever-after like Janice's characters. Though they might be confused at the beginning of the book, by the end, they'd found their direction in life, not to mention the perfect husband.

If only real life were as neat. All Gillian was looking for was a direction, but as it was, she felt as if her life had unraveled. Still, there was no reason to bore TJ with her problems. Gillian forced a light tone to her voice. “Is that a fancy way of saying I look lazy?”

TJ shook his head. Dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, he was the picture of relaxation, and yet there was nothing relaxed about his gaze. He appeared to be studying her, almost as if she were some kind of specimen. Did he think former concert pianists were an exotic species? Gillian could assure him that they were not.

“Lazy is the way you're supposed to feel on vacation,” he said.

“I wouldn't know about that. Vacations were never a big part
of my life.” Maybe that was the reason she had these moments of melancholy. Maybe she hadn't known what to expect.

This was Gillian's fourth day at Rainbow's End, and life had already settled into a pattern. After breakfast, she occupied herself with either a walk around the resort or an hour or so of reading while Kate handled the day's business. Most of the day was spent with Kate, but after supper Gillian accompanied TJ to Firefly Valley.

It was pleasant, and yet she felt an emptiness inside her that nothing seemed to fill. In the past, there'd always been a piece to practice, new music to consider adding to her repertoire, the next season's schedule to arrange. Even after the accident, her days had been full, with physical therapy replacing the hours she used to spend at the piano. Now there was a void.

TJ settled into the chair next to her and fixed his gaze on her. “That's a shame.” For a second, she feared he had read her thoughts, but then she realized that he was speaking of vacations.

“There's nothing like heading out and not knowing exactly where you're going,” he told her, his lips curving upward as if he were remembering a particularly pleasant excursion.

As a mockingbird flitted by, landing on one of the live oak trees, Gillian clenched and unclenched her hands, stopping only when she realized she no longer had a reason to keep her fingers limber.

“I can't imagine doing that.” There'd been no spontaneity in her travels, only careful scheduling. Even her childhood trips with Kate's family had been planned. No spur-of-the-moment drives, no impromptu picnics. And once Gillian had won the Brooks, the planning had intensified. Nothing could be left to chance.

But the difference between her experiences and TJ's was more than a matter of planning. While Gillian had seen big cities, hotel rooms, and concert halls, TJ had explored small towns,
national parks, and natural beauty. If something caught his fancy and he wanted to stay an extra day, he did. Gillian knew that from the tales he recounted around the campfire.

“You ought to try it. You never can tell what you might find at the end of the road.”

The image of herself riding into the sunset with the man of her dreams—a man who looked a bit like TJ—was so appealing that Gillian caught her breath. She turned to TJ, a question in her eyes.

“As soon as my bike is fixed, I'll take you for a ride.”

The bubble burst. “No.” The word came out more forcefully than Gillian had planned, so she tempered it with a “thank you.”

“Why not? Are you afraid of getting lost?”

“It's not that. I just don't ride motorcycles.” She never had, and after her one experience with a bike, she knew she never would.

TJ seemed undaunted by her lack of enthusiasm. He leaned forward, his eyes shining with anticipation. “There's always a first time.”

“Not for me.” Gillian needed to change the subject. Though Kate and Sally knew the details of the accident, Gillian's manager had insisted the press release say only that Gillian Hodge had sustained an injury to her right hand. At the time, she hadn't worried about his motivation, and now it hardly mattered. She wasn't going to tell a man whose life centered on his motorcycle that one had destroyed her career. Instead, she said, “Speaking of motorcycles, how's yours coming?”

TJ flashed her a mischievous grin. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

Rainbow's End without TJ. The thought was oddly disturbing. “Why would I do that? If you left, I'd have to go to Firefly Valley alone, and that would be a disaster. My stories can't compare to yours.” Each night seemed easier, but Gillian knew she'd never have the easy rapport with the teens that TJ did.

“You underestimate yourself. I know you said you weren't good with kids, but that's not what I see. The way that group of girls was hanging around you last night, I'd have thought you were Scheherazade. What kind of tales were you telling them?”

Gillian smiled at the memory. “Don't laugh, but it was a dissertation on the fine art of applying blusher and eye shadow.” When the girls had learned she had had professional makeup for some performances, they'd been fascinated and had asked her to share the techniques she'd learned.

To his credit, TJ did not laugh, although the corners of his mouth twitched upward. “Figures.”

“What do you mean?” Did he think makeup was the only topic she could discuss?

“No need to be defensive. Boys want to hear about adventures because they're trying to appear brave. Girls want to be beautiful. There's nothing wrong with that.”

As a gust of wind sent ripples across the lake and threatened to knock Gillian's hat off, she tightened the cord. “I feel sorry for the girls, especially Brianna.”

“The brunette who dresses like a hooker?”

Gillian winced. “Unfortunately, that's an accurate description.” Even by current standards, Brianna's clothes were extreme. Extremely short, extremely tight, extremely revealing. “She's being raised by a single mom who works at night. As far as I can tell, the mom isn't much of a role model.”

Brianna had confided that she'd never met her father and that her mother dropped out of high school when she became pregnant. Though Gillian's parents had married fairly young so that Dad would be exempt from the Vietnam-era draft, by all accounts, they'd had a happy marriage, and George claimed they were good parents.

“Unfortunately, that's an all too common story.” TJ stared at the lake for a few seconds. “What surprises me about Brianna is
that she hangs out with Todd. They're one of the oddest couples I've seen, and believe me, I've seen my share of odd couples.”

Gillian had to agree. There'd been girls like Brianna and boys like Todd at her school, but they'd tended to ignore each other. “I can't figure it out other than that Brianna's brighter than she wants people to believe. Maybe Todd sees that, or maybe he's just happy that a pretty girl is interested in him.”

Shifting his weight, TJ leaned toward Gillian. “I've taught teenagers for almost a decade, and I still don't understand what makes them tick.”

Though she didn't understand the reason, because at least from her perspective the man was brilliant with the Firefly Valley teens, Gillian heard a note of insecurity in TJ's voice and decided to combat it. “Now you're the one who's selling yourself short. The kids love your stories. You're reaching them, TJ. I know you are.”

“I hope so.”

S
o, what do you think, Gillian?”

What Gillian thought was that the RV needed a good cleaning. Dirty clothes were strewn everywhere. The counters were lined with dishes bearing the caked-on remains of at least a week's meals. Crumpled movie magazines littered every other horizontal surface. No doubt about it: Brianna's home was well on its way to becoming a secondary landfill.

“Did I do it right?” the girl asked, staring into the bathroom mirror. She wanted Gillian's opinion of her makeup, not the cleanliness or lack thereof of her temporary home.

“It's very nice.” Gillian leaned closer. After her discussion of makeup techniques, Gillian had offered to help the girls shop for cosmetics. Brianna and two of her friends had accepted the offer, but only Brianna had invited Gillian to her home to preview the results before the nightly campfire.

“The taupe shadow is just what you needed. It highlights your eyes.” Not to mention that it was more flattering than the bright purple Brianna had previously caked onto her eyelids.

“You really like it?”

“Yes.”

Brianna tipped her head from one side to the other, considering her reflection. “My mom doesn't like it. If she had her way, I wouldn't wear any makeup at all. She doesn't want boys to look at me. Especially not Todd.” Brianna turned to face Gillian. “You know what, Gillian? I think Todd would like me even if I didn't wear makeup.”

That was one discussion Gillian knew better than to encourage, and so she said only, “He seems like a very nice boy.”

“He is.” Brianna nodded vigorously, setting her hair to bouncing on her shoulders. “Some kids call him a nerd, but he's a great guy.”

She looked at Gillian for a moment, her indecision obvious. Though Gillian didn't claim to be an expert on teenagers, she sensed that Brianna wanted to tell her something important but was debating whether Gillian could be trusted. After a few seconds, she said, “We're going to get married as soon as we're old enough. Then we won't have to live here.”

Not wanting to get involved in such a sensitive subject, Gillian merely smiled and murmured, “You'll be a beautiful bride . . . someday.” She glanced at her watch, grateful for an excuse to end this conversation. It was time to join the group around the campfire.

But Brianna wasn't giving up so easily. She blocked the door. Putting her hands on her hips, she stared at Gillian. “I don't understand you. You're still young. You're pretty. How come you're not married?”

Gillian was tempted to laugh. It seemed that the trio of middle-aged women Kate had called the Matchers had an apprentice. Though she suspected they would have phrased the question a bit more diplomatically, the meaning was the same: it was time for Gillian to marry. Even her father agreed.

“I haven't met the right man.” Gillian gave Brianna the same answer she'd given her father, but tonight was different. As she pronounced the words, TJ's image floated through her mind. How strange.

The kids were in an odd mood tonight. TJ hadn't been kidding when he told Gillian that he still felt as if he didn't have a clue about teenagers. Oh, he'd read dozens of books and taken his share of psychology classes, but he wasn't the intuitive teacher Deb had been. She had had the empathy and the understanding that turned an ordinary teacher into a special one. TJ had never been more than average, and if he were being honest, that had bothered him. It certainly bothered him tonight.

Tonight the boys wanted to talk about wilderness survival and were disappointed to learn that a day hike was as far as he'd ventured into the back country. Fortunately, the lure of flames and marshmallows had kept them by the campfire, but TJ knew he'd have to come up with something different for tomorrow. As it was, the boys were clustered around the fire, waiting for the girls' arrival before they started roasting marshmallows.

And there they were. As Gillian emerged from one of the RVs with Brianna, the others joined them, forming a giggling group of girls. With all his heart, TJ hoped Gillian wouldn't leave Rainbow's End before he did. It was bad enough keeping the boys entertained. Half a dozen girls were beyond his skill.

“So, was she your girlfriend before, or did you just meet her?”

The boy's question startled him. He hadn't realized that Todd had remained at his side. Tonight the kid was one of the silent ones. Fortunately, he was only quiet, not sullen.

TJ spun around and faced him. “What do you mean?”

“Gillian.” Todd's tone left no doubt that the answer should have been apparent. “She's your girlfriend, right?”

“Wrong.” TJ wasn't looking for a girlfriend. Not now, and probably not ever.

“What's wrong?” Gillian asked as Kate handed her a cup of coffee before stirring sugar into her own mug of decaf. Gillian was the one who ought to look stressed after the mostly sleepless night she'd just spent, but it was Kate who seemed on edge. The silver lining to that was that her friend wouldn't ask why Gillian had circles under her eyes. And that was fortunate, because she didn't have an answer. Admittedly, she'd been disturbed by her conversation with Brianna and by how distant TJ seemed when they'd walked back to Rainbow's End, but that shouldn't have been enough to keep her from sleeping.

Kate laid the spoon on the table and looked up at Gillian. “Sorry. I didn't realize it was obvious. I'm a little nervous about one of the reservations that just came in.”

That didn't sound like Kate. In all the years Gillian had known her, she hadn't been one to worry. Kate had always been a decisive, take-charge person. “Is it a big group? Do you need me to move out?”

Kate's reaction was instantaneous. “No, never! Isaiah's yours for as long as you want the cabin. The reservation I'm worried about is for one person.”

Perhaps the shifting hormones of pregnancy were the reason for Kate's concern. “Then what's the problem? I know you're not full.”

Kate let out a small sigh. “It's who that one person is that worries me. The name Mike Tarkett probably doesn't mean anything to you, but the Tarkett family is one of the most influential in the Hill Country. They practically own the town of Blytheville. And whether it's ranching, oil, gas, or wind energy, you'll find a Tarkett involved. I've even heard that they're planning to get into politics on the state level with a possible eye on Washington.”

If the Tarketts had a résumé like that, Gillian would have thought Kate would be pleased to have a member of the family visit Rainbow's End. If Mike Tarkett was happy here—and
Gillian couldn't imagine that he would not be—he might recommend the resort to others. That kind of word-of-mouth advertising was something even Greg's money couldn't buy.

“I still don't understand the problem. You've had powerful people here before, not to mention that you're married to one.”

Kate's small wince and the way she rubbed her belly told Gillian the baby was extra active this morning, perhaps in response to Kate's mood.

“It's not Mike himself that worries me. The problem is, I can't figure out why he wants to stay here. We're only half an hour away from his family home, and from everything I've heard, that home is a mansion on a huge estate.”

“Maybe he's looking for a change of pace.” That was part of what had brought Gillian here, that and the need to reevaluate her life.

Kate appeared dubious. “The only reason I can imagine is that Mike wants to buy a resort and is checking us out. The hospitality industry is just about the only thing the Tarkett clan doesn't have.”

“But Rainbow's End isn't for sale.” Kate had made it clear that she and Greg had no intention of leaving, although they'd discussed the possibility of building a home in Firefly Valley once the RVs were gone so they'd have more privacy and space when their baby became a toddler.

“That's true,” Kate agreed, “but what if they build something similar and try to put us out of business?”

“They can't do that, can they?” Greg had very deep pockets, which was part of the reason Rainbow's End had a philanthropic arm, providing low or no-cost vacations for people who needed them.

“I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I can't help worrying.”

Though Gillian suspected Kate was suffering from a major case of overreaction, there was no reason to say that. Instead
she leaned forward and placed her hand on Kate's. “What can I do?”

“Stay another week.” The answer came so quickly that Gillian knew it wasn't a casual request. “I need moral support while Mike Tarkett is here.”

“Sure.” As the answer slipped out, Gillian realized how right it felt. The vague malaise that had plagued her off and on all week had disappeared, replaced by a feeling of peace. The distant future might not be clear, but staying at Rainbow's End for the immediate future was the right decision. Gillian knew that as surely as she knew she'd do anything for her friend.

“In fact,” she said slowly as she helped herself to a cinnamon roll, “if you're sure you don't need to rent out the cabin, I think I'll stay here until my godchild arrives.”

“Really?” Kate's eyes shone with excitement.

“Really.”

Kate leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Gillian. “Did I ever tell you that you're the best? Well, you are.”