made a mental note to talk to Wes about it, even though it was none of her business. How could a person be untouched by the situation after spending time with these people?
And Grandma knew, Victoria thought as Mrs. Cooper took Katie’s hand and patted her on the shoulder at the same time. Victoria followed Mrs. Cooper and Katie on a short tour of the other rooms, one being Wes’s. She had only glanced
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Joey Light
in as they walked down the hall but that had been amusing. It was messy. Jeans hung from the bedpost; a dirty shirt was pitched across a chair.
An ashtray on his nightstand was overflowing. The bed was made crisply, patchwork quilt serving as a spread. Victoria bet it wasn’t the work of J. Weston Cooper but that of his mother. He liked four pillows on his bed. She hid a smile and followed the pair in front of her. She smiled and turned in a circle, sending her skirt flying about. Skipping to catch up, she finished the tour of the house with them.
82
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Chapter Five
After the tour of the house, they ended up in the kitchen. Katie hadn’t forgotten the gingerbread cookies and enlisted Victoria’s help in putting smiley faces on them. Aprons tied around their party clothes, the two females laughed as Victoria squeezed icing into the shape of large, wide-open eyes and Katie put freckles on her cookie face.
Mrs. Cooper left them there to see to her guests, smiling over her shoulder as she went out.
Later, Katie and Victoria went in search of Wes. They spotted him under a shade tree, hat thrown on the grass. Leaning back in a wooden lawn chair, he strummed his guitar and sang to the delight of several people who sat on the ground or lounges in a circle around him.
The day was wearing on and the sun was setting low in the sky. Streaks of orange and gray rolled over the top of fields of ripe green grass, white fences dotting the landscape and surrounding grazing horses of all colors and sizes.
Wes saw them coming. He almost tripped over the words of the song he had written recently. Catching himself but keeping his eyes on the two of them, he continued with what he thought pretty much explained his feelings.
Cool spring breezes swirling around
First grass rising through new-thawed ground
Like the budding trees and the sun’s warm kiss There’s a lady who’s a part of this.
Joey Light
Blue jeans, boots, and windswept hair
Horses, trucks, and open air
Strong when needed, yet fine and fair
To my mind, she’s the finest kind of lady.
He saw only Victoria…and his daughter. They were hand in hand, both females’ mouths going at the same time. And smiles, big smiles on their faces.
“Daddy’s singing his new song.”
Victoria stopped walking and listened…and watched as Wes sang the words directly to her.
Victoria’s hair tossed with the wind; Katie’s pigtails bobbed at her shoulders.
A warm surge of pride and passion moved through Wes.
And it was then the thought struck him. Could his feelings, the ones that were growing bigger by leaps and bounds, be what they were for his daughter’s sake? Could he be thinking of how much better off Katie would be with a mother in residence…and that Victoria would be a good one? No, that was impossible.
He had become hardened but was not yet granite.
That disturbed him to the point where he tripped over his words and his fingers fumbled with the strings. He set the instrument aside. “Gentlemen, I see two beautiful women who need my immediate attention. I’ll see you all later.”
He didn’t miss the admiring glances Victoria received from his friends. He didn’t miss the swell of emotion that rose in him. When had all this started? He didn’t know. Was he truly intrigued by Victoria for himself or for Katie? He wasn’t certain. But it was something he was going to take the time to explore.
Victoria intrigued him, had interested him from day one. If all he had in mind was his
And Grandma knew, Victoria thought as Mrs. Cooper took Katie’s hand and patted her on the shoulder at the same time. Victoria followed Mrs. Cooper and Katie on a short tour of the other rooms, one being Wes’s. She had only glanced
www.samhainpublishing.com
81
Joey Light
in as they walked down the hall but that had been amusing. It was messy. Jeans hung from the bedpost; a dirty shirt was pitched across a chair.
An ashtray on his nightstand was overflowing. The bed was made crisply, patchwork quilt serving as a spread. Victoria bet it wasn’t the work of J. Weston Cooper but that of his mother. He liked four pillows on his bed. She hid a smile and followed the pair in front of her. She smiled and turned in a circle, sending her skirt flying about. Skipping to catch up, she finished the tour of the house with them.
82
www.samhainpublishing.com
Chapter Five
After the tour of the house, they ended up in the kitchen. Katie hadn’t forgotten the gingerbread cookies and enlisted Victoria’s help in putting smiley faces on them. Aprons tied around their party clothes, the two females laughed as Victoria squeezed icing into the shape of large, wide-open eyes and Katie put freckles on her cookie face.
Mrs. Cooper left them there to see to her guests, smiling over her shoulder as she went out.
Later, Katie and Victoria went in search of Wes. They spotted him under a shade tree, hat thrown on the grass. Leaning back in a wooden lawn chair, he strummed his guitar and sang to the delight of several people who sat on the ground or lounges in a circle around him.
The day was wearing on and the sun was setting low in the sky. Streaks of orange and gray rolled over the top of fields of ripe green grass, white fences dotting the landscape and surrounding grazing horses of all colors and sizes.
Wes saw them coming. He almost tripped over the words of the song he had written recently. Catching himself but keeping his eyes on the two of them, he continued with what he thought pretty much explained his feelings.
Cool spring breezes swirling around
First grass rising through new-thawed ground
Like the budding trees and the sun’s warm kiss There’s a lady who’s a part of this.
Joey Light
Blue jeans, boots, and windswept hair
Horses, trucks, and open air
Strong when needed, yet fine and fair
To my mind, she’s the finest kind of lady.
He saw only Victoria…and his daughter. They were hand in hand, both females’ mouths going at the same time. And smiles, big smiles on their faces.
“Daddy’s singing his new song.”
Victoria stopped walking and listened…and watched as Wes sang the words directly to her.
Victoria’s hair tossed with the wind; Katie’s pigtails bobbed at her shoulders.
A warm surge of pride and passion moved through Wes.
And it was then the thought struck him. Could his feelings, the ones that were growing bigger by leaps and bounds, be what they were for his daughter’s sake? Could he be thinking of how much better off Katie would be with a mother in residence…and that Victoria would be a good one? No, that was impossible.
He had become hardened but was not yet granite.
That disturbed him to the point where he tripped over his words and his fingers fumbled with the strings. He set the instrument aside. “Gentlemen, I see two beautiful women who need my immediate attention. I’ll see you all later.”
He didn’t miss the admiring glances Victoria received from his friends. He didn’t miss the swell of emotion that rose in him. When had all this started? He didn’t know. Was he truly intrigued by Victoria for himself or for Katie? He wasn’t certain. But it was something he was going to take the time to explore.
Victoria intrigued him, had interested him from day one. If all he had in mind was his
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