Read Online Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) by Grace Brannigan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Grace Brannigan
Ads: Link
suffered.
Jake had
a feeling he could tell her till he was blue in the face that her leg didn't
matter to him, but he’d be wasting his breath. Perhaps he’d be
lying too. He didn’t want it to matter, but it did. It was gone; that was
a fact. At least the doctors had done a better job on Tye than they had with
his father. Viewing it for the first time made it all very real. Knowledge was
one thing, seeing was another.
Tye had
made up her mind that it made her deficient in some way. She was doing her best
to pick up the pieces and resume her life. That took courage and persistence.
No easy task for a woman hell-bent on relying only on herself.
Jake
knew this was something Tye had to resolve on her own. But the worst thing she
could do was shut herself away from the very people who might help her, family
and friends. Maybe in helping Tye, Jake could rid himself of the fascination
still pulling at him. It was obvious she didn't think she needed anyone in her
life. She had made it clear ten years ago she didn’t need him. This time
around Jake wasn’t going to be a stop along the way.
He dove
into the water and pushed himself harder, but the memories howled after him. At
no time could he let himself forget he wanted her to get well and leave.
#
The next
day, Ben showed up on her doorstep. Spotting her brother through her living
room window, Tye opened the door with a squeal of delight and threw herself
into his arms. Ben promptly dropped the bouquet of flowers he held and caught
her in a tight bear hug.
"Ben,
you’re back!"
"Glad
to see you, too," he said with a big smile. "You look like your old
self," he added approvingly, stepping back.
"I'm
settling in, Ben."
He
squatted to retrieve the flowers he had dropped. "I’m glad
you’re getting along okay out here."
"I
like it here," Tye admitted. "I’ll miss it when I find another
place."
"Actually,
I haven’t had much luck in finding anything yet. I was planning on
tackling that next week."
"I’m
looking, too. I don’t want to hold Jake up any longer than
necessary." Tye stepped back and invited Ben into the house. "Come
on, let me show you the place."
Ben held
the flowers out to her and this time Tye took them. Lifting them to her nose,
she drew in a deep breath.
"So
Jake told you his plans for the apartment?" Ben asked.
Startled,
Tye looked askance at her brother. "What are you talking about?" A
sinking feeling began in her stomach.
"Never
mind," Ben said, too quickly.
"Ben.
Tell me what you’re talking about."
He
grimaced. "I thought you knew. Jake’s going to be renovating the
house. He’s making a combination showroom and workroom out of the area
where you’re living, since it’s got the best lighting in the entire
house. Don’t worry, though, he said a few month’s delay
wouldn’t matter, since nothing’s been finalized with the
contractor."
Tye
gripped the bouquet to her chest. "He never said anything. Is that why
he’s got boxes all over his house?"
"Well,
he’s been in the middle of some general clearing out, what with Amy
moving."
"Is
the workroom going to be for his carvings?"
"So
you know about that? Yes. He’s gotten a lot of interest in the last few
years, and with the elk and moose antlers he’s carving now, he needs more
display room." Ben was looking at her with a worried frown.
Tye
pasted a smile on her face. "Maybe there’s other plans I’m
messing up that I don’t know about." She felt pain jab at her heart.
She might as well be a bulldozer wreaking havoc.
"I
don’t know of any other plans, Tye. You’ll have to ask Jake."
"I
intend to." With determination, she grabbed Ben’s arm. "Let me
show you my place.
Ben
pulled her back around. "We can do that later, Tye. I have a surprise that
has first priority."
Tye looked
at her brother, narrowing her gaze. Placing the bouquet on a small table, she
asked, "What kind of surprise?"
"Don't
look so suspicious. Come outside," was all he said.
Once
outside, Tye
Jake had
a feeling he could tell her till he was blue in the face that her leg didn't
matter to him, but he’d be wasting his breath. Perhaps he’d be
lying too. He didn’t want it to matter, but it did. It was gone; that was
a fact. At least the doctors had done a better job on Tye than they had with
his father. Viewing it for the first time made it all very real. Knowledge was
one thing, seeing was another.
Tye had
made up her mind that it made her deficient in some way. She was doing her best
to pick up the pieces and resume her life. That took courage and persistence.
No easy task for a woman hell-bent on relying only on herself.
Jake
knew this was something Tye had to resolve on her own. But the worst thing she
could do was shut herself away from the very people who might help her, family
and friends. Maybe in helping Tye, Jake could rid himself of the fascination
still pulling at him. It was obvious she didn't think she needed anyone in her
life. She had made it clear ten years ago she didn’t need him. This time
around Jake wasn’t going to be a stop along the way.
He dove
into the water and pushed himself harder, but the memories howled after him. At
no time could he let himself forget he wanted her to get well and leave.
#
The next
day, Ben showed up on her doorstep. Spotting her brother through her living
room window, Tye opened the door with a squeal of delight and threw herself
into his arms. Ben promptly dropped the bouquet of flowers he held and caught
her in a tight bear hug.
"Ben,
you’re back!"
"Glad
to see you, too," he said with a big smile. "You look like your old
self," he added approvingly, stepping back.
"I'm
settling in, Ben."
He
squatted to retrieve the flowers he had dropped. "I’m glad
you’re getting along okay out here."
"I
like it here," Tye admitted. "I’ll miss it when I find another
place."
"Actually,
I haven’t had much luck in finding anything yet. I was planning on
tackling that next week."
"I’m
looking, too. I don’t want to hold Jake up any longer than
necessary." Tye stepped back and invited Ben into the house. "Come
on, let me show you the place."
Ben held
the flowers out to her and this time Tye took them. Lifting them to her nose,
she drew in a deep breath.
"So
Jake told you his plans for the apartment?" Ben asked.
Startled,
Tye looked askance at her brother. "What are you talking about?" A
sinking feeling began in her stomach.
"Never
mind," Ben said, too quickly.
"Ben.
Tell me what you’re talking about."
He
grimaced. "I thought you knew. Jake’s going to be renovating the
house. He’s making a combination showroom and workroom out of the area
where you’re living, since it’s got the best lighting in the entire
house. Don’t worry, though, he said a few month’s delay
wouldn’t matter, since nothing’s been finalized with the
contractor."
Tye
gripped the bouquet to her chest. "He never said anything. Is that why
he’s got boxes all over his house?"
"Well,
he’s been in the middle of some general clearing out, what with Amy
moving."
"Is
the workroom going to be for his carvings?"
"So
you know about that? Yes. He’s gotten a lot of interest in the last few
years, and with the elk and moose antlers he’s carving now, he needs more
display room." Ben was looking at her with a worried frown.
Tye
pasted a smile on her face. "Maybe there’s other plans I’m
messing up that I don’t know about." She felt pain jab at her heart.
She might as well be a bulldozer wreaking havoc.
"I
don’t know of any other plans, Tye. You’ll have to ask Jake."
"I
intend to." With determination, she grabbed Ben’s arm. "Let me
show you my place.
Ben
pulled her back around. "We can do that later, Tye. I have a surprise that
has first priority."
Tye looked
at her brother, narrowing her gaze. Placing the bouquet on a small table, she
asked, "What kind of surprise?"
"Don't
look so suspicious. Come outside," was all he said.
Once
outside, Tye
Similar Books
