your brother, having a family to take care of at that age.”
Nate scooped out the last of his own pudding cup and shrugged as if there was nothing remarkable about his family’s story. “Kell was going through some personal stuff, just out of high school, trying to be in love and make his place in the world. He gave up a lot for us. Always made sure there was a roof over our heads and somebody to answer to. Jackie and I were still in school, but we held down the home-front. Turned myself into a pretty good cook and ranch hand.”
Watching him double-check the flashlight batteries and drinking water supply, Jolene got the feeling that Nate had done a lot more than cook meals to help his family.
“Sounds like you and your brother and sister are as close as Dad and I are.”
Nate propped some pillows against the tub and settled onto the floor opposite Jolene. “It’s easy to see that Mitch adores you.”
“It’s mutual, believe me.” Just mentioning her father and the deep bond they shared helped Jolene tune out the storm.
Damon’s dramatic arrival had kept Jolene from thinking about how close she and Nate had come to making love, and talking with Nate these past few hours had dispelled any awkwardness she might have felt. Nate had shared enough about his past to help her understand that grave sense of responsibility he carried on his shoulders. But now she chose a more neutral subject. “Tell me about California. All I know is that’s where my mother lives now, with some Hollywood exec type.”
She nearly choked on her next bite of pudding. Had she actually said that out loud? She’d wanted to keep Nate talking, not delve into her own past.
Nate was nothing if not observant. “Is that what you’ve got against California? Your mom? Your stepdad?”
“Stepdad number two.” Jolene laughed, but there was no humor involved. “Anyway, the dad part implies that they’re somehow a part of my life. They’re not. Mom left Dad when I was eight. She never looked back. She said she wasn’t cut out for family life or small towns or boring people. The bright lights of Hollywood were much more appealing than a little tomboy and a salt-of-the-earth hero. She didn’t want us anymore, so she left.”
“Ouch.”
“Big ouch.”
“So Mitch raised you on his own?”
Jolene nodded.
“He did a good job,” Nate said.
She heard the compliment, but didn’t acknowledge it. “That might explain why I’m a little lacking in the fashion sense and sex appeal department. But I can change my own tires and play a mean third base.”
Nate repeated himself. “He did a good job.”
Jolene curled her legs beneath her, pretzel-style, and pulled a pillow into her lap. It gave her antsy fingers something to play with, gave her something to hide behind. Nate watched every self-conscious movement, but made no comment. And she didn’t offer anything more. Thinking about her mother left her feeling as raw and battered as the world outside. “I don’t want to talk about me. Tell me about Courage Bay and your ranch.”
After a lengthy pause, Nate took a deep breath and told his story. “Grandpa Nate named the ranch Whispering Dawn. We raise quarter horses there. Actually it’s in the mountains outside of town. Hills. Trees. A lot greener than this. Courage Bay itself is right on the ocean, on about a ten-mile stretch of white sand beach. It has a small-town feeling for a city, and though we’re not that far from L.A, we’re definitely not Hollywood.”
“Sounds beautiful.” Sounded like he missed it.
He talked about their registered AQHA horses and his brother’s and sister’s recent weddings. He told her the story about a crew of shipwrecked sailors during the Mexican War and the Native Americans whose heroic rescue had given Courage Bay its name. He talked about his buddies at the fire department and the recent crime wave involving a serial bomber nicknamed the “Trigger,” who had terrorized the city. When the culprit had finally been exposed, he turned out to be the fire department’s mechanic, a man Nate had once considered a friend.
Gradually Jolene relaxed. The even cadence of his deep voice was doing the trick. The storm faded into tolerable background noise as the world shrank down to this tiny, insulated room and the man she shared it with. He was a sexy, wounded crusader who had left behind the world he so obviously loved to save her friends, help her dad, keep her