reminded her.
“Oh, I’ve been busy.” Crystal sighed. “Traveling, you know.”
And sleeping around and such, Bess thought venomously, but she didn’t say anything. She just stared out the window.
When they reached the ranch, Bess showed Crystal up to the guest room. Hoping to take advantage of the moment of privacy, she lingered while Crystal unpacked.
“Seriously,” Bess asked as Crystal dropped her cosmetic bag carelessly on the bed, “how long are you staying?”
“Just a little while,” came the sunny reply. “You don’t mind, do you? I…need someplace to stay, just until I can get my life and my finances in order again.”
Is that it, or are you after my husband? Bess wondered bitterly, but she was geared to keeping her worries deep inside. She fingered the door facing.
“You’re welcome, of course,” she said.
Crystal turned from the window and gazed at her. She made an odd little gesture with one manicured hand. “Marriage not going well?” she asked with faint humor. “Most relationships have rocky starts, darling.”
Bess only stared at her. “How was Paris?”
Crystal looked haunted. “Beautiful, of course,” she said, laughing nervously. She stared at the coverlet. “Bess, I wish…” She glanced toward her stepsister hopefully, but there was no softening. She shrugged. “Thanks for letting me come.”
Bess turned. “Come on down when you’ve unpacked. Katy will be glad to see you.”
“I wish you were,” Crystal murmured, but her stepsister was already out of earshot.
Katy had been courteous to Crystal, but Bess sensed that the young girl really didn’t like her very much.
“She’s not like you at all, is she?” Katy asked later that afternoon, when the two of them were walking around the ranch yard. Crystal had pleaded with Jude to explain his computer system to her, and she’d managed to get him all to herself.
“No,” Bess said, tugging her leather jacket closer. “We were never really close. We had nothing in common.”
Katy sighed, snuggling closer as the wind whipped around them. “Bess, are you going to have some babies?”
“I hope so,” she replied. She glanced down. “Will you mind?”
“Oh, no,” Katy said honestly. “I’d like to have a baby to help take care of. I like babies. They smell nice.”
Bess laughed, daydreaming about how it would be to have a little pink baby to hold and kiss and share with Katy and…The smile faded. Jude hadn’t really meant it about wanting one. He’d only wanted Bess and had been ready to say anything to get her.
“Want to go watch Blanket eat?” Katy asked. “She’s working out real well, Bandy says. She’s going to be a good saddle horse.”
“If she ever stops falling on people,” Bess said, smiling. “Sure, let’s go look.”
Blanket was munching oats when they walked down the long, wide aisle between the hay-filled stalls. She tossed her mane and stared at them with her big soft eyes as they approached the stall warily. Bess reached out a hand to her.
“Careful,” Katy cautioned. “She bites.”
“I know. But she’s got other things to eat besides me right now.” Bess laughed. She stroked the silky muzzle gently. “Oh, Blanket, you’re so pretty. I always wanted a horse, but I never had the time. Mama was sick for so long, and I had to take care of her.”
“What was it like where you grew up?” Katy asked.
Bess’s eyes were dreamy. “Green, darling,” she said wistfully. “With groves of big pecan trees and wisteria and Spanish moss hanging from the trees by the river, and fields of peanuts and soybeans. Our house was two-storied with columns, and a river-rock patio in the back. My great-grandmother was born in the front bedroom.”
Katy was watching her, smiling. “Did you go to a school like I do?”
Bess shook her head. “I went to a boarding school up north. I didn’t like it very much, but it was fashionable. I’d much rather have gone to a public school in
“Oh, I’ve been busy.” Crystal sighed. “Traveling, you know.”
And sleeping around and such, Bess thought venomously, but she didn’t say anything. She just stared out the window.
When they reached the ranch, Bess showed Crystal up to the guest room. Hoping to take advantage of the moment of privacy, she lingered while Crystal unpacked.
“Seriously,” Bess asked as Crystal dropped her cosmetic bag carelessly on the bed, “how long are you staying?”
“Just a little while,” came the sunny reply. “You don’t mind, do you? I…need someplace to stay, just until I can get my life and my finances in order again.”
Is that it, or are you after my husband? Bess wondered bitterly, but she was geared to keeping her worries deep inside. She fingered the door facing.
“You’re welcome, of course,” she said.
Crystal turned from the window and gazed at her. She made an odd little gesture with one manicured hand. “Marriage not going well?” she asked with faint humor. “Most relationships have rocky starts, darling.”
Bess only stared at her. “How was Paris?”
Crystal looked haunted. “Beautiful, of course,” she said, laughing nervously. She stared at the coverlet. “Bess, I wish…” She glanced toward her stepsister hopefully, but there was no softening. She shrugged. “Thanks for letting me come.”
Bess turned. “Come on down when you’ve unpacked. Katy will be glad to see you.”
“I wish you were,” Crystal murmured, but her stepsister was already out of earshot.
Katy had been courteous to Crystal, but Bess sensed that the young girl really didn’t like her very much.
“She’s not like you at all, is she?” Katy asked later that afternoon, when the two of them were walking around the ranch yard. Crystal had pleaded with Jude to explain his computer system to her, and she’d managed to get him all to herself.
“No,” Bess said, tugging her leather jacket closer. “We were never really close. We had nothing in common.”
Katy sighed, snuggling closer as the wind whipped around them. “Bess, are you going to have some babies?”
“I hope so,” she replied. She glanced down. “Will you mind?”
“Oh, no,” Katy said honestly. “I’d like to have a baby to help take care of. I like babies. They smell nice.”
Bess laughed, daydreaming about how it would be to have a little pink baby to hold and kiss and share with Katy and…The smile faded. Jude hadn’t really meant it about wanting one. He’d only wanted Bess and had been ready to say anything to get her.
“Want to go watch Blanket eat?” Katy asked. “She’s working out real well, Bandy says. She’s going to be a good saddle horse.”
“If she ever stops falling on people,” Bess said, smiling. “Sure, let’s go look.”
Blanket was munching oats when they walked down the long, wide aisle between the hay-filled stalls. She tossed her mane and stared at them with her big soft eyes as they approached the stall warily. Bess reached out a hand to her.
“Careful,” Katy cautioned. “She bites.”
“I know. But she’s got other things to eat besides me right now.” Bess laughed. She stroked the silky muzzle gently. “Oh, Blanket, you’re so pretty. I always wanted a horse, but I never had the time. Mama was sick for so long, and I had to take care of her.”
“What was it like where you grew up?” Katy asked.
Bess’s eyes were dreamy. “Green, darling,” she said wistfully. “With groves of big pecan trees and wisteria and Spanish moss hanging from the trees by the river, and fields of peanuts and soybeans. Our house was two-storied with columns, and a river-rock patio in the back. My great-grandmother was born in the front bedroom.”
Katy was watching her, smiling. “Did you go to a school like I do?”
Bess shook her head. “I went to a boarding school up north. I didn’t like it very much, but it was fashionable. I’d much rather have gone to a public school in
Similar Books
