Fortune's Heart

Stacey recognized the woman as a member of her church. Stacey had missed quite a few Sundays since Piper had been born. Truth be told, she’d missed more than she’d attended since she’d gotten pregnant. “Mrs. Gordon, it’s good to see you. How is your family?” Stacey asked as she stood and gave the woman a hug.

“We’re hanging in there. My husband has had a terrible time with gout, but we keep plugging. Look at your baby. She’s just gorgeous,” Mrs. Gordon said, and glanced at Colton in confusion. “Colton Foster, right? For some reason, I thought your fiancé’s name was Joe.”

Stacey’s stomach knotted. “He was. Joe moved to Dallas. But Piper is thriving, as you can see.”

“Yes, she is. And how nice for both of you to have big, strong Colton around,” Mrs. Gordon said in a coy voice.

“Hmm,” Stacey said, so ready for the woman to move along. “Thank you for stopping by,” she said. “And please give your husband my best.”

She sank back onto her seat. “Why does everyone have to know everything about everyone around here?” she muttered and took a sip of her hot chocolate. She wondered how long she would be answering questions about Joe and why they weren’t together. At this point, it looked like forever.

After they finished their meal, Colton drove Stacey and Piper back to Stacey’s house. “You’re awfully quiet,” he said.

“I know I said that we have to expect people to talk here in Horseback Hollow because that’s what they do, but I hate having to talk about Joe. People always look at me with pity. Poor Stacey. She couldn’t keep her man,” she said.

“Joe’s leaving wasn’t your fault. He couldn’t handle the responsibility of a baby. He’s the loser in this situation, not you,” he said. “If you need another way of looking at it, aren’t you glad that you and Piper aren’t stuck with a man who doesn’t love you? You deserve better than that.”

“When he first left, I was in shock. I couldn’t believe he would abandon his own child and me. It made me wonder if I ever really knew him,” she said.

“Do you wish he would come back and the two of you could get back together?” Colton asked.

“I did for a while,” she confessed. “It sounded like the perfect ending to a fairy tale that had gotten off track. But I don’t know that I would ever be able to trust him again. I do know that I’m not the same woman who fell for him years ago. I just wish he wouldn’t have rejected Piper. That’s the worst part,” she said.

Colton pulled the car to a stop in the Joneses’ driveway. He leaned toward her. “I’m not sure this little outing cheered you up all that much.”

She blinked at him. “I didn’t know that was the purpose,” she said. “I thought we just wanted to spend some time together. We did that with no meltdowns from Piper, and I had terrific hot chocolate and company.”

“You’re some kind of woman, Stacey, and don’t you forget it,” he said as he lowered his mouth to take hers in a delicious kiss.

Stacey felt her heart race. Her body immediately responded. His kiss triggered all sorts of forbidden emotions and sensations. She slid her hands beneath his jacket to pull him closer. He responded by nearly hauling her onto his lap.

“Damn this console,” he muttered and kissed her again. He slid one of his hands from her waist upward to her breast.

Her nipples turned hard, and she felt her need for him pool in all her secret places. “Oh, Colton,” she whispered and scrubbed at his chest, wishing she could feel his naked skin.

His kiss turned hot with want and need, and she strained toward him, her body and mind recalling how good he’d felt inside her. She wanted him that way again. Now.

The sound of Piper gurgling and talking her baby language penetrated past the mist of arousal crowding her mind. Colton froze. Stacey did the same.

Frustration nicked through her. “This is hard,” she said.

“In more ways than one,” Colton said, his voice taut with forced denial. “Between you living with your parents and me living at the ranch, I feel like a randy teenager,” he said and pulled back.

Stacey felt the same sense of dissatisfaction she heard in his voice. “What do you usually do? How do you usually handle things when you and a woman—” She broke off, wondering if she really wanted to know about Colton’s previous partners.

“That’s part of the reason I want a place of my own,” Colton said. “Privacy. But I’ve felt as if I needed to keep an eye on my father, and I haven’t wanted to tell my parents I want to build. The time is coming sooner than later, though. In the past, the women had their own places or we spent the night in Vicker’s Corners.”

“A whole night?” she echoed. “I’m trying to imagine spending the whole night away from home without a lot of questions.” She sighed. “I wish this were easier.”

He kissed her lightly on the mouth as if he didn’t want to get anything started between them again. “Most good things don’t come easy. Let me walk you and Piper to the door.”

Stacey said good-night to Colton and walked through the door. No sooner had she closed the door behind her than her brother Jude appeared.

“So, you went out with Colton again? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Taken aback by his confrontational manner, she tilted her head at him. “I enjoyed Colton’s company, a grilled cheese sandwich and hot chocolate. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Well, not really,” Jude said.

“We had a chaperone. Nothing naughty happened. Trust me, nothing naughty can happen,” she grumbled.

“I just want you to be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt like you did with Joe,” he said.

“Colton is nothing like Joe. Nothing,” she said, and took Piper to the nursery. It was true that Colton was nothing like Joe, but Colton had never asked her to marry him. Stacey felt a stab of concern that Colton wasn’t interested in being anybody’s baby daddy, which also meant he wouldn’t want to be Piper’s daddy.

That night when she went to bed, it took her a long time to fall asleep.

* * *

Colton did a last check around the north pasture, then returned to the house. Grabbing a cup of decaf, he sank onto one of the recliners in the den. He halfway watched a basketball game through his drooping eyes. Feeling himself drift for a few moments, he awakened when his father walked into the room and got into the other recliner.

“Hey,” Colton said.

His father nodded.

“You worn out from the second day of the winter festival?” Colton asked.

His father gave a heavy sigh. “Your mother insists on staying for the whole thing, and she wants me to stay with her.”

“Your back okay?” Colton asked.

“A little sore. Nothing unusual,” his dad said.

“Any time you want to go for lunch in Vicker’s Corners, I’m glad to take you. There’s a chiropractor there,” he said.

“Chiropractor?” his father said. “Don’t they crack your bones and put you in traction? Sounds as if that would make you worse.”

“They make adjustments,” Colton said. “They help get your back in alignment.”

“Hmmph,” his father said in disbelief. “Well, that’s not why I came in here. Your mother wants me to talk to you.”

“About what?” Colton asked, feeling curious and studying his father.

His father sighed. “It’s about Stacey and her baby.”

Colton frowned. “What about them?”

“Well, it’s not really any of our business,” his father began, and Colton immediately knew this wasn’t a discussion he wanted to have with his father.

His father cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “You need to be careful with Stacey,” he said. “After what Joe did, she doesn’t need anyone taking advantage of her.”

Indignation rolled through him, and he pushed the recliner into the upright position. “I wouldn’t take advantage of Stacey. What makes you think I would?”

“Well, you look as if you’re getting, uh, friendly with her,” he said. “I mean you look as if you want to be more than friends,” he said, then rubbed his face with his hand. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. Just treat her right. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

Colton met his father’s gaze. “I’ll treat her right. You and Mom don’t need to worry.”

“Good,” his father said. “I’m glad that’s over. Who’s playing tonight, anyway?”

“The Bulls and Lakers,” he said.

His father nodded. “Looks like a close game.”

Colton didn’t respond. His mind was too busy with his father’s remarks. He resented the interference. He was a grown man. Colton stood. “I’m gonna hit the sack,” he said. “Good night.”

Colton headed down the hall and was intercepted by his sister, Rachel. In no mood for anyone else’s comments, he lifted his hand. “Don’t say a word,” he said.

She frowned at him. “About what?”

“About Stacey and me,” he said.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Stacey and you?” she echoed. “What’s going on? I’ve been crazy busy and haven’t had a chance to talk with her for several days.”

“Never mind,” he said, and headed for his wing of the ranch.

Rachel bobbed along behind him. “Are you two seeing each other? That would be so cool,” she said. “As long as you don’t hurt her. You have to swear you won’t hurt her, but I love the idea. I’ll call her right now.”

“She’s got a little baby,” Colton said. “She might be in bed trying to get some sleep.”

Rachel’s face fell. “True. Well, give me the scoop. When did this happen?”

“Rachel,” he said as gently as he could, “it’s none of your business.”

* * *

The next morning, Stacey awakened with a different sense about herself and her life. She realized that in many ways she’d been hiding from the world, ashamed of how her relationship with Joe had ended, embarrassed that she and Piper had been dumped by him. The whole situation had made her feel like that mathematical expression less than.

She was ready to start reclaiming her life. Taking a quick shower and getting dressed, she fed Piper and dressed her in a cute outfit with stockings. She met her parents just as they were headed out the door to church.

Her mother looked at her in surprise. “Where are you two going looking so spiffy? Is there a mother/baby beauty contest I haven’t heard about?”

Stacey laughed in pleasure at the sweet way her mother had voiced her curiosity. “Piper and I are going to church this morning.”

“Oh, my.” Her mother covered her mouth and sniffed. “I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“I hadn’t turned into a total heathen,” Stacey said.

“Oh, no. Not that,” her mother said. “I’m just so proud of you and Piper. I want everyone to see what a good job you’re doing with her. I think you will be an inspiration to many people.”

“I don’t know how inspiring I’ll be if she starts screaming in church,” Stacey muttered. “But I think it’s time.”

“Yes, it’s time,” her father said impatiently and pointed at his watch. “If we don’t get moving we’ll be late.”

“You can sit with us,” her mother said as they were hustled out of the house. “I’ll be happy to take Piper out if she gets fussy.”

“I’ll take her out,” her father said. “Especially if she starts fussing before the offertory.”

“Deke,” her mother said in disapproval. “Shame on you.”

“What? I’m just being a nice granddaddy,” he said and chuckled. He helped Jeanne into his truck, and Stacey tucked Piper into the car seat in her Toyota, then followed her parents to church.

She felt a twinge of nostalgia as she walked into the small chapel her family had attended since before she was born. She’d celebrated so many holidays and Sundays in this place. As soon as she walked inside with Piper in her arms, she saw several familiar faces. She waved at each of her neighbors, then took her seat with her parents.

Piper did well until the minister began to speak. She got a little squirmy, but Stacey couldn’t blame her. There’d been plenty of times she had gotten fidgety when a minister spoke. Despite her squirminess, Piper didn’t let out a peep until the congregation sang a benediction.

“Good job,” she said, praising the baby, and left the pew. Several people greeted her and made a fuss over Piper. There was no mention of Joe, but Stacey was prepared in case someone did. She made her way to the back of the church and found Rachel waiting for her with open arms.

“I decided to come to church at the last minute today. I’m so glad I did. Look at you and Miss Piper,” she said, squeezing the baby’s hand. “All dressed up for church. She must have done well during the service. I didn’t hear her.”

“She, ahem, sang during the benediction,” Stacey said.

Rachel giggled. “Good for her. She’ll be in the choir before you know it. Listen, I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch with you. Changing careers to education and doing my student teaching has made me crazy. I had no idea how much time the lesson plans and parent meetings would take.”

“No worries,” Stacey said. “I know you’ve been busy.”

“Not so busy that I should be the last to know that you are dating my brother,” Rachel said.

Stacey groaned. “Oh, no. Not you, too. It seems as if everyone has an opinion about us seeing each other. And it’s not as if either of us has any privacy where we live.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows. “Privacy?” she echoed. “You want privacy with my brother?”

Stacey shook her head and waved her hand. “Forget I said anything.”

“You sound like Colton,” Rachel said. “He didn’t want to talk about it either.”

“Well, who wants to talk about a relationship when it’s first starting? Who knows where this will go? Colton has a lot on his mind with your father’s back problem. He keeps trying to talk your dad into seeing a doctor, but your father won’t go. Colton says he’s got to stay one step ahead of your dad to keep him from hurting himself.”

Rachel nodded. “My father avoids doctors at nearly all cost.”

“I think Colton wonders if you might be more successful with your father than he has been,” Stacey said, hoping she’d managed to distract Rachel from her questions. “I need to get Piper home to change and feed her, so I need to head out to my car.”

Rachel tagged along. “Well, just so you know, I’m all for this. Colton is a great guy, and you’re the best friend I could ever have. He would be lucky to get you, and in a way, maybe you would be lucky to get him, too. Especially after Joe,” she said.

“I don’t want my relationship with Colton to have anything to do with Joe,” Stacey said as she buckled the baby into her car seat. “I want to leave that behind.”

“Kinda hard to do when Joe is Piper’s father,” Rachel said.

“He’s been invisible for over a year. I need to move on,” she said.

Rachel met her gaze and nodded. “Good for you. But when it comes to my brother, you need to know something,” she said and lowered her voice. “He’s slow at making the moves, so you may have to help him along.”

Stacey bit her lip to keep from laughing at Rachel’s warning. She couldn’t help thinking of the scorching lovemaking she’d experienced with Colton. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she managed.

“Good,” Rachel said. “I’ll call you soon. Maybe I could babysit for you sometime.”

“You may have a hard time squeezing me in with your student teaching,” Stacey said.

“Maybe,” Rachel conceded and gave Stacey a hug. “But I have three reasons to try to make that happen.”

“Three?” Stacey said, hugging her in return.

“My brother, you and me. Wouldn’t it be cool if you were both my best friend and sister-in-law?”

The possibility gave Stacey a jolt. “Oh, Rachel, don’t go there. These are very early days.”

“Well, it’s not as if you haven’t known each other forever.”

“Yes, but I haven’t always had a baby. I’m not at all sure Colton is ready to be a father to a child that isn’t really his.”

“He might need a little persuading, but I think it could be done.” Rachel shivered. “It’s too cold for me out here. I’ll call you.”

Stacey watched Rachel race to her car and tried to unhear the words she’d just heard, but it was like trying to unring a bell. What if she and Colton got married? Was it even a possibility? Her heart squeezed tight with a myriad of emotions. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She shouldn’t even think about it.

* * *

The next day, Colton went into town to get some equipment to repair some fences and overheard a couple of workers talking about something happening at the bar.

“So, what’s going on?” he asked.

“Live music at the Two Moon Saloon on Tuesday,” the worker said.

“Really? I can’t remember the last time there was live music at the bar,” Colton mused.

“And I hear there might be dancing,” the worker said. “I’m taking my girlfriend.”

“Hmm,” Colton said. He wondered if Stacey would be able to go on such short notice. On the way home, he called and left a message about the live music and continued on with his chores.

Stacey must have returned his call while he was out fixing a fence. Her mom would keep Piper. She sounded excited. He hoped that whoever was performing didn’t bomb. The smile he heard in Stacey’s voice did strange things to his gut. He felt a little lighter, a little less burdened as he pulled into the driveway to his house. His conversation with his father had kept him awake for an extra hour last night, but Colton knew he wanted to spend time with Stacey and she felt the same way about him. He knew his mother and father shouldn’t be involved in this decision, and if they intervened again, he would have to speak his piece.

Colton stomped up the steps to the house with the winter wind whistling through his coat. He was dog-tired and all he wanted was a home-cooked meal. If that wasn’t available, he would heat some canned soup and make a sandwich.

“Hiya,” Rachel called as he passed the den. She appeared to be doing lesson plans or grading papers.

“How’s it going?” he asked.

“I wish I’d earned my first degree in education. This is so time-consuming,” she said.

“I’m not sure it changes much, sis,” he said. “I never hear teachers talking about how much extra time they have.”

“True, I guess,” she said. “But I like it, so maybe I won’t notice the time.”

He nodded. “I’m gonna get whatever is available in the kitchen.”

“Wait,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “I talked to Stacey at church yesterday,” she said.

“Great,” he said and moved toward the kitchen.

“I also talked to her today. Amazing what I can learn about my brother from his girlfriend,” she said, following him.

He shot her a quelling glance.

“What I mean is I didn’t realize how bad Dad’s back is. Stacey said you’ve offered to take him to Vicker’s Corners to see a doctor, but he won’t do it,” she said.

“That’s right,” he said, opening the fridge and hoping to find something wonderful. He spotted a small bowl of leftover beef stew and snatched it up.

“She also said that you thought Dad would be more likely to go with me to Vicker’s Corners to see a doctor.”

“Right again,” he said. He put the stew in the microwave, then pulled some sliced ham, cheese and bread out of the fridge and went to the counter. “The trouble is you’d have to trick him.”

Rachel frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You would need to make an appointment with him and find some other reason for him to go. You’d take him to lunch, then take him to a doctor’s appointment and beg for forgiveness afterward. He would forgive you within twenty-four hours, less if he got some relief from his back pain.”

Rachel’s frown deepened. “That sounds like a lot of trickery,” she said.

“As if you haven’t done the same ten times over for less honorable reasons,” he returned as he slapped the meat and cheese on the bread and slathered it with Dijon mustard.

“I wish Dad would be more reasonable about medical treatment,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You and me both,” he said, when the microwave beeped. He grabbed his bowl of stew and sandwich. He would worry about water later.

Rachel poured a glass of ice water and sat down at the kitchen table. She put the glass at the place opposite from her. “Well, sit down,” she said, waving her hand. “We have to figure out exactly when and how I’ll do this trickery.”

“Dad is a sucker for his little girl. Just invite him to go to lunch with you, then take him to a doctor afterward,” Colton said.

“Stacey and I didn’t just talk about Dad,” Rachel said.

A bite of sandwich lodged in Colton’s throat. He coughed repeatedly and washed it down with a gulp of water. “Oh, really,” he said in a deliberately noncommittal tone.

“Yes,” Rachel said. “Stacey said the two of you could use some privacy. What do you say about that?”

“Privacy begins at home,” Colton said.

Rachel made a face at him. “I’m trying to help.”

“Then stay out of it,” he said. “There’s a baby involved. I don’t want to be responsible for messing up that child’s life. I’m taking it slow or not at all.”

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