Read Online A Home in Hill Country (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Roxanne Rustand - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Roxanne Rustand
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drive off until Mom’s truck pulled to a stop and Cody climbed in.
“Howdy, Tiger.” Mom reached over to give him a one-armed hug, then put the truck in gear anddrove out of the parking lot. “Did you have a good time?”
Embarrassed by the hug, even though no other guys were around, Cody peered out the window and watched the silver pickup disappear.
Football wasn’t about having a good time. It was about being one of the guys, and trying superhard, and doing something better than you ever thought you could, so people would cheer and say you were great. It was about dads giving bear hugs and way-to-go! punches on a guy’s arm. It was about a lot of things Cody would never have, because he already knew he was awkward and slow…and his dad thought sports were boring.
“Why doesn’t Dad visit us?”
Mom glanced at him before she turned out onto the highway. “You saw him not too long ago—just a couple weeks before we moved.”
Cody picked at a ketchup stain on his jeans.
“Remember?” she coaxed. “You were there for the whole weekend, and he took you out for pizza.”
Where Dad had complained about the waiting line, the slow service and the pizza itself…and had grumbled the entire time about wanting to just walk out of the place. Back at his condo, his new wife, Darla, had kept frowning at Cody as if he might get things dirty if he even breathed. “Yeah, I remember.”
“You know how busy he is—he has a very important job at that bank, and he helps a lot of people. He’ll still come to see you, though, and I know you’ll get to visit him, too.” Mom gave Cody a teasing smile. “Why so glum? You’ve got someone named Rebel waiting for you, and that sure wouldn’t have happened in the city.”
“Can we ride tonight?”
“You bet. If you do your homework while I make supper, we’ll have plenty of daylight left. And I know just the place I’d like to go.”
R YAN PULLED TO A STOP on the crest of the hill overlooking the Four Aces. Below him lay white-fenced corrals, horse barns and loafing sheds, and farther on, the cattle pens. On another gentle rise, the sprawling brick house that had once been his home.
It sure didn’t feel like home anymore, though, and after a week of living under that roof, he figured he’d be happier just about anywhere else.
Trevor put in twelve-hour days as the foreman, then went home to his wife and family. Garrett still hadn’t shown up after his last rodeo…and after supper, Adelfa retired to her own apartment at the back of the main house. Mom had been living in Dallas for years.
That left only Clint, who holed up in his office until nearly midnight working on his upcomingreelection campaign and fielding countless phone calls that came in on his private office line.
The house felt hollow, echoing with memories. It offered far too much solitude now. Too much time to think. To second-guess.
And to mourn.
Shaking off his melancholy thoughts, he promptly ended up with yet another—Kristin. Leland had suggested that Kristin might have received some embezzled money from her father, but that sure didn’t seem plausible.
She was homesteading a rundown house in the middle of nowhere. She drove a rusted truck and mostly wore old T-shirts and jeans. There hadn’t been any evidence of new bikes or expensive toys for Cody at that place, and Ryan had a feeling that if anyone enjoyed nicer things in that family, it would be him.
Kristin’s boy. According to Trevor, Cody was in Hayden’s class at school, but the similarity pretty much ended there.
Hayden was a handful. Wild and exuberant, he was always looking for adventure, his eyes full of mischief and a fast comeback ready at any time.
Standing out on the field alone this afternoon, his chin raised at a belligerent angle and his hands jammed in his pockets, Cody looked like the loneliest kid Ryan had ever seen. There was anger in him, too, and defiance…yet he’d seemed almostpathetically grateful
“Howdy, Tiger.” Mom reached over to give him a one-armed hug, then put the truck in gear anddrove out of the parking lot. “Did you have a good time?”
Embarrassed by the hug, even though no other guys were around, Cody peered out the window and watched the silver pickup disappear.
Football wasn’t about having a good time. It was about being one of the guys, and trying superhard, and doing something better than you ever thought you could, so people would cheer and say you were great. It was about dads giving bear hugs and way-to-go! punches on a guy’s arm. It was about a lot of things Cody would never have, because he already knew he was awkward and slow…and his dad thought sports were boring.
“Why doesn’t Dad visit us?”
Mom glanced at him before she turned out onto the highway. “You saw him not too long ago—just a couple weeks before we moved.”
Cody picked at a ketchup stain on his jeans.
“Remember?” she coaxed. “You were there for the whole weekend, and he took you out for pizza.”
Where Dad had complained about the waiting line, the slow service and the pizza itself…and had grumbled the entire time about wanting to just walk out of the place. Back at his condo, his new wife, Darla, had kept frowning at Cody as if he might get things dirty if he even breathed. “Yeah, I remember.”
“You know how busy he is—he has a very important job at that bank, and he helps a lot of people. He’ll still come to see you, though, and I know you’ll get to visit him, too.” Mom gave Cody a teasing smile. “Why so glum? You’ve got someone named Rebel waiting for you, and that sure wouldn’t have happened in the city.”
“Can we ride tonight?”
“You bet. If you do your homework while I make supper, we’ll have plenty of daylight left. And I know just the place I’d like to go.”
R YAN PULLED TO A STOP on the crest of the hill overlooking the Four Aces. Below him lay white-fenced corrals, horse barns and loafing sheds, and farther on, the cattle pens. On another gentle rise, the sprawling brick house that had once been his home.
It sure didn’t feel like home anymore, though, and after a week of living under that roof, he figured he’d be happier just about anywhere else.
Trevor put in twelve-hour days as the foreman, then went home to his wife and family. Garrett still hadn’t shown up after his last rodeo…and after supper, Adelfa retired to her own apartment at the back of the main house. Mom had been living in Dallas for years.
That left only Clint, who holed up in his office until nearly midnight working on his upcomingreelection campaign and fielding countless phone calls that came in on his private office line.
The house felt hollow, echoing with memories. It offered far too much solitude now. Too much time to think. To second-guess.
And to mourn.
Shaking off his melancholy thoughts, he promptly ended up with yet another—Kristin. Leland had suggested that Kristin might have received some embezzled money from her father, but that sure didn’t seem plausible.
She was homesteading a rundown house in the middle of nowhere. She drove a rusted truck and mostly wore old T-shirts and jeans. There hadn’t been any evidence of new bikes or expensive toys for Cody at that place, and Ryan had a feeling that if anyone enjoyed nicer things in that family, it would be him.
Kristin’s boy. According to Trevor, Cody was in Hayden’s class at school, but the similarity pretty much ended there.
Hayden was a handful. Wild and exuberant, he was always looking for adventure, his eyes full of mischief and a fast comeback ready at any time.
Standing out on the field alone this afternoon, his chin raised at a belligerent angle and his hands jammed in his pockets, Cody looked like the loneliest kid Ryan had ever seen. There was anger in him, too, and defiance…yet he’d seemed almostpathetically grateful
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