Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,28
narrowed her eyes cynically. “I don’t even know you. Why are you doing this? Being nice to me?”
Tess met her eyes for a minute and Clarissa thought she saw something there that couldn’t be. Something that didn’t match this woman who’d lost everything and still seemed full to overflowing with laughter.
“Stearns and the Good Lord saved my life,” Tess said. “It wasn’t easy, but I made it through the storm okay. Maybe I see a little of me in you. Now, I’m going to get my boy from that truck, take him to see his daddy and let him regale us with the tale of that gigantic bandage. He is going to have one heck of a bruise on that noggin. But maybe that will be what he remembers instead of the destruction back home.”
Jed pulled off his work gloves as he headed up the steps into the church activity center. He’d heard plenty about the Rains boy’s accident before the EMT’s had even left the church parking lot. Phone lines might be down all over the city, but the Stearns social media outlets were in fine form courtesy of cell services.
Several children were climbing on one of the firetrucks, and he saw more than a few adult volunteers, but Clarissa was nowhere to be found.
He called out a hello to Joan. He understood her unhappiness about as well as anyone he figured. Mack waved from the inside of the firetruck.
“Daddy! Look at what I can do.”
A few seconds later sirens wailed, lights flashed and the parking lot filled with kids who stared awestruck at his daughter as if she’d performed some kind of magic.
He shot Mack a thumbs up and then pointed with his thumb to let her know he was going inside.
The activity center was dark, shadows broken only by late afternoon sunlight streaming in through windows.
If Clarissa were here, she wasn’t in plain sight.
He kept searching until he found her in the kitchen washing dishes.
“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”
She shrugged and a clump of soap bubbles flew up to her elbow.
“I’m fine. Trevor Rains might be another story.”
Jed picked up a dishtowel and started drying the dishes Clarissa washed. He figured that was a better idea than touching her or pulling her close for another hug.
“Nah,” he said. “Trevor Rains is made of tougher stuff than that. He’s all boy.”
Clarissa stuck her hands in the steaming water, but she didn’t wash anything, and he could tell she was upset.
“You sure you’re alright?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need...”
Mack came barreling into the kitchen, throwing her arms around his legs.
“Daddy, did you see me, did you see me?”
He laughed at her exuberance.
“Oh yeah, Mack Attack, I saw you. I bet Chief Wallace is ready to make you Junior Fire Chief after that.”
Mack shook her head. “Nah. Trevor got Junior Fire Chief. And a concussion. You helping Clarissa do dishes, huh? Mzzzzz Tompkins said you were and Aunt Joan said she just bet, so I snuck in here real fast.”
Clarissa squeezed her eyes shut for a second, but kept on washing. A light red started under her neck and crawled out over her cheeks, but if not for that he wouldn’t even know she’d been hurt by Joan’s words delivered via Mack.
He’d have to have words with Joan if she didn’t learn to hold her tongue. He understood the woman was hurting. Understood their families were tied. But he wouldn’t tolerate her being mean to Clarissa.
“Hey Champ, you better go on out there and play with the other kids.”
Mack scrambled down without complaint. Before she left the kitchen, though, she gave Clarissa a quick hug.
Once Mack was gone, Jed tried to bridge the awkwardness.
“What Joan Anderson thinks doesn’t mean a thing.”
Clarissa unplugged the sink and the water glugged down the drain before she finally answered him.
“But it does, Jed. I can’t let your name be messed up by me and my actions.”
“Trevor...”
“Good grief, I am not talking about Trevor. I’m talking about me staying out at the ranch and spending all this time with you and Mackenzie. It will matter. I can’t see putting your reputation at risk.”
He would’ve laughed if she weren’t so upset.
“The last thing you have to worry about is my reputation, Clarissa.”
She sighed in obvious frustration. “You don’t even know...”
He stepped closer, fought to keep his hands away from her. Instinctively, he knew if he pushed his luck there, she’d bolt. And bolting for Clarissa would probably mean never seeing her again. Instead he used words