healthier. Don’t you see it?”
Tess smiled warmly as she searched her face. “Yes, I see it. I see it in you, as well. You have some nice color. You look healthy. The Montana weather suits you.”
“Yes, it does. I love it here,” she said and looked up at the full moon. “It is a beautiful moon.”
“Yes, beautiful is the right word.”
Claire looked up to see Tess watching her; the sadness in her eyes pulled at Claire’s heart. “Let me help, please. I can help…”
Tess smiled fondly. “You’ve helped in so many ways, Claire Redmond, you will never know,” she said in a tender, honest voice. She put her hands on the smaller shoulders. “I can afford your wages.”
She continued quickly when Claire started to argue. “If it comes to that, I will let you know, but for now, I appreciate the offer and I’m awfully beholden to you. Awfully beholden.”
Claire noticed a tear in the crystal blue eyes. “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered and found herself staring at her full lips.
“I’m sure you will. I’m beginning to know you. You get that determined tone in your voice.”
“I know. Jack says the same thing.”
Tess saw the faraway look and took a chance. “What happened to his dad?”
Once again, Claire stiffened. Tess went on quickly, “I don’t mean to pry.”
“I know you don’t.” Claire walked over to the porch railing and leaned on it.
Tess watched as she stared out into the darkness. Since she first asked Claire about her life, Tess felt she was holding back. “I know it’s none of my business. I don’t know why I need to know.”
Claire looked at her. “What do you mean you need to know? I’m not a murderer or a thief. I have no criminal background.”
Tess was shocked, and her face showed it. “I didn’t mean that at all. Good God. I just see a loneliness in you, that’s all. I’m sorry you think that of me.”
As she turned to leave, Claire held her arm. “Tess, I’m the one who should be sorry. That was out of line for me to say.”
Tess regarded her for a moment before speaking. “You don’t open up to many people, do you?”
Claire looked down at the railing and shook her head. “I need to make sure Jack is okay.”
“Jack is a fine young man. You’ve done a great job with him. I can’t imagine how you’ve done it all alone.” She was stunned to see tears spilling down Claire’s cheeks. Instinctively, Tess reached for her and gently pulled her into an embrace.
Claire clung to her, sobbing into her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let it out,” Tess whispered into her hair. “You gotta let it out.”
For a few quiet moments, Claire cried mournfully until she pulled back. “I’m so sorry. I have no idea where that came from.”
“I do. You probably haven’t cried like that in a while.” Tess reached over and brushed the back of her fingers against Claire’s cheek, wiping away the tears. “It’s a good cry.”
Claire chuckled nervously. “I never have a tissue when I need one.”
“No one does,” Tess said with a grin.
“I...” Claire stopped and shook her head.
“What? Please tell me.” Tess was still standing so close to her, she got a hint of the subtle fragrance of Claire’s perfume.
Through teary eyes, Claire looked up at Tess, who cocked her head and smiled. “My God, you’re beautiful, Claire.”
Claire lowered her head. “Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
“I take it you haven’t been told that lately. What’s the matter with the men in Portland?” she asked playfully.
“I don’t care about the men in Portland or anywhere else for that matter,” Claire said; she looked anywhere but at Tess.
Tess grinned; she was pleasantly surprised, yet she was still unsure. “A bad marriage might do that for you, but not all men are bastards. You’re young. You can meet the right man. Look at my father, he’s a good guy, so is Chuck. Even Kyle Mathis, though he’s a kid and a flirt, he seems—”
Claire
Tess smiled warmly as she searched her face. “Yes, I see it. I see it in you, as well. You have some nice color. You look healthy. The Montana weather suits you.”
“Yes, it does. I love it here,” she said and looked up at the full moon. “It is a beautiful moon.”
“Yes, beautiful is the right word.”
Claire looked up to see Tess watching her; the sadness in her eyes pulled at Claire’s heart. “Let me help, please. I can help…”
Tess smiled fondly. “You’ve helped in so many ways, Claire Redmond, you will never know,” she said in a tender, honest voice. She put her hands on the smaller shoulders. “I can afford your wages.”
She continued quickly when Claire started to argue. “If it comes to that, I will let you know, but for now, I appreciate the offer and I’m awfully beholden to you. Awfully beholden.”
Claire noticed a tear in the crystal blue eyes. “I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered and found herself staring at her full lips.
“I’m sure you will. I’m beginning to know you. You get that determined tone in your voice.”
“I know. Jack says the same thing.”
Tess saw the faraway look and took a chance. “What happened to his dad?”
Once again, Claire stiffened. Tess went on quickly, “I don’t mean to pry.”
“I know you don’t.” Claire walked over to the porch railing and leaned on it.
Tess watched as she stared out into the darkness. Since she first asked Claire about her life, Tess felt she was holding back. “I know it’s none of my business. I don’t know why I need to know.”
Claire looked at her. “What do you mean you need to know? I’m not a murderer or a thief. I have no criminal background.”
Tess was shocked, and her face showed it. “I didn’t mean that at all. Good God. I just see a loneliness in you, that’s all. I’m sorry you think that of me.”
As she turned to leave, Claire held her arm. “Tess, I’m the one who should be sorry. That was out of line for me to say.”
Tess regarded her for a moment before speaking. “You don’t open up to many people, do you?”
Claire looked down at the railing and shook her head. “I need to make sure Jack is okay.”
“Jack is a fine young man. You’ve done a great job with him. I can’t imagine how you’ve done it all alone.” She was stunned to see tears spilling down Claire’s cheeks. Instinctively, Tess reached for her and gently pulled her into an embrace.
Claire clung to her, sobbing into her shoulder. “It’s okay. Let it out,” Tess whispered into her hair. “You gotta let it out.”
For a few quiet moments, Claire cried mournfully until she pulled back. “I’m so sorry. I have no idea where that came from.”
“I do. You probably haven’t cried like that in a while.” Tess reached over and brushed the back of her fingers against Claire’s cheek, wiping away the tears. “It’s a good cry.”
Claire chuckled nervously. “I never have a tissue when I need one.”
“No one does,” Tess said with a grin.
“I...” Claire stopped and shook her head.
“What? Please tell me.” Tess was still standing so close to her, she got a hint of the subtle fragrance of Claire’s perfume.
Through teary eyes, Claire looked up at Tess, who cocked her head and smiled. “My God, you’re beautiful, Claire.”
Claire lowered her head. “Thank you,” she said in a small voice.
“I take it you haven’t been told that lately. What’s the matter with the men in Portland?” she asked playfully.
“I don’t care about the men in Portland or anywhere else for that matter,” Claire said; she looked anywhere but at Tess.
Tess grinned; she was pleasantly surprised, yet she was still unsure. “A bad marriage might do that for you, but not all men are bastards. You’re young. You can meet the right man. Look at my father, he’s a good guy, so is Chuck. Even Kyle Mathis, though he’s a kid and a flirt, he seems—”
Claire
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