thing." He rested his hand on Tate's knee. "I think that's what you're seeing in Carole.
"I don't want you to start hoping that this incident has rid her of all her faults and left her a paragon of what a wife should be. Dr. Sawyer guaranteed to remove some of the imperfections in her face, but he never said a word about her soul," he added with a smile.
"I guess you're right," Tate said tautly. "Iknowyou're right. That's exactly what I was doing, looking for improvements that aren't really there."
Nelson used Tate's shoulder as a prop as he stood up. "Don't be so hard on yourself or on h^r . Time and patience are indispensable investments. Anything worth having is worth waiting for, no matter how long it takes—even a lifetime."
They mounted and turned the horses toward the house. On the way back, they said very little. As they drew up in front of the stable, Tate leaned on his saddle horn and turned to address his father.
"About that trip to West Texas."
"Yeah?" Nelson threw his right leg over and stepped to the ground.
"I'll compromise. One week. I can't be gone any longer than that."
Nelson slapped Tate's thigh with the reins he was holding, then handed them to Tate. "I figured you'd come around. I'll tell Eddy and Jack." He headed for the house.
"Dad?" Nelson stopped and turned. "Thanks," Tate said.
Nelson waved off the gratitude. "Put those horses up properly."
Tate walked his horse into the stable, pulling Nelson's along behind. He dismounted and began the rundown procedure he'd been taught to do as early as he'd been taught to ride.
But after several minutes, his hands fell idle on the horse's rump and he stared into space.
He had needed her compassion and tenderness that night. He had wanted to trust the motives behind her touch. For the sake of their marriage and Mandy, he had hoped these changes in her would be permanent.
Only time would tell, but his father was probably right. It was wishful thinking to believe that Carole had changed, when her previous actions had shown her to be faithless and untrustworthy. He couldn't give her the benefit of the doubt without everybody, chiefly himself, thinking he was a fool for trusting her even that far. "Damn."
TEN
"After that, we intend to send him up to the panhandle for a speech at Texas Tech." As Jack detailed Tate's itinerary to his sister-in-law, a fresh thought occurred to him. "You know, Tate, there are a lot of cotton farmers in that region. I wonder if Eddy's considered having you speak to a co-op or something?"
"If he hasn't, he should. I definitely want to."
"I'll make a mental note to have him schedule something."
From her bed, Avery observed the two brothers. There was enough resemblance to place them in the same family, but enough difference to make them drastically unlike each other.
Jack appeared more than three years older than Tate. His hair, several shades darker than Tate's, was thinning on top. He wasn't exactly paunchy, but his physique wasn't well honed, as Tate's was.
Of the two, Tate was much better looking. Although there was nothing offensive about Jack's appearance, there wasn't anything distinguishing about it, either. He faded into the woodwork. Tate couldn't if he tried.
"Forgive us for taking him away from you for so long, Carole." She noticed that Jack never looked directly at her when speaking to her. He would always address some other area of her body besides her face—her chest, her hand, the cast on her leg. "We wouldn't if we didn't feel it was important to the campaign."
Her fingers closed around the oversized pencil in her hand and she scrawled "okay" on the tablet. Jack tilted his head, read what she'd written, shot her a weak smile, and nodded curtly. There were unpleasant undercurrents between Jack and his sister-in-law. Avery wondered what they were.
"Tate said you managed to say some words today," he said. "That's great news. We'll all be glad to hear what you've got to say once you can talk
"I don't want you to start hoping that this incident has rid her of all her faults and left her a paragon of what a wife should be. Dr. Sawyer guaranteed to remove some of the imperfections in her face, but he never said a word about her soul," he added with a smile.
"I guess you're right," Tate said tautly. "Iknowyou're right. That's exactly what I was doing, looking for improvements that aren't really there."
Nelson used Tate's shoulder as a prop as he stood up. "Don't be so hard on yourself or on h^r . Time and patience are indispensable investments. Anything worth having is worth waiting for, no matter how long it takes—even a lifetime."
They mounted and turned the horses toward the house. On the way back, they said very little. As they drew up in front of the stable, Tate leaned on his saddle horn and turned to address his father.
"About that trip to West Texas."
"Yeah?" Nelson threw his right leg over and stepped to the ground.
"I'll compromise. One week. I can't be gone any longer than that."
Nelson slapped Tate's thigh with the reins he was holding, then handed them to Tate. "I figured you'd come around. I'll tell Eddy and Jack." He headed for the house.
"Dad?" Nelson stopped and turned. "Thanks," Tate said.
Nelson waved off the gratitude. "Put those horses up properly."
Tate walked his horse into the stable, pulling Nelson's along behind. He dismounted and began the rundown procedure he'd been taught to do as early as he'd been taught to ride.
But after several minutes, his hands fell idle on the horse's rump and he stared into space.
He had needed her compassion and tenderness that night. He had wanted to trust the motives behind her touch. For the sake of their marriage and Mandy, he had hoped these changes in her would be permanent.
Only time would tell, but his father was probably right. It was wishful thinking to believe that Carole had changed, when her previous actions had shown her to be faithless and untrustworthy. He couldn't give her the benefit of the doubt without everybody, chiefly himself, thinking he was a fool for trusting her even that far. "Damn."
TEN
"After that, we intend to send him up to the panhandle for a speech at Texas Tech." As Jack detailed Tate's itinerary to his sister-in-law, a fresh thought occurred to him. "You know, Tate, there are a lot of cotton farmers in that region. I wonder if Eddy's considered having you speak to a co-op or something?"
"If he hasn't, he should. I definitely want to."
"I'll make a mental note to have him schedule something."
From her bed, Avery observed the two brothers. There was enough resemblance to place them in the same family, but enough difference to make them drastically unlike each other.
Jack appeared more than three years older than Tate. His hair, several shades darker than Tate's, was thinning on top. He wasn't exactly paunchy, but his physique wasn't well honed, as Tate's was.
Of the two, Tate was much better looking. Although there was nothing offensive about Jack's appearance, there wasn't anything distinguishing about it, either. He faded into the woodwork. Tate couldn't if he tried.
"Forgive us for taking him away from you for so long, Carole." She noticed that Jack never looked directly at her when speaking to her. He would always address some other area of her body besides her face—her chest, her hand, the cast on her leg. "We wouldn't if we didn't feel it was important to the campaign."
Her fingers closed around the oversized pencil in her hand and she scrawled "okay" on the tablet. Jack tilted his head, read what she'd written, shot her a weak smile, and nodded curtly. There were unpleasant undercurrents between Jack and his sister-in-law. Avery wondered what they were.
"Tate said you managed to say some words today," he said. "That's great news. We'll all be glad to hear what you've got to say once you can talk
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