Balancing Act, page 18
“Delicious,” Noah said, licking his fingers when he’d polished off the last bite.
“Very good. Excellent job, Chef Noah.” Gage balled up his foil, wiped his hands with a paper towel, then deposited his trash in a bag. He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his elbows. “I could almost take a nap.”
“Go for it. We’re not on a clock.”
“Yeah, but my bones are too old to get comfortable on this hard ground without an air mattress under me, at least. Last time Emily and I tent camped up here, we needed to airlift in all the gear we needed for the night.” He sighed and smiled bittersweetly. “This is the first time I’ve come here since she died.”
“I’d heard through the grapevine that you lost her to cancer.” Noah flicked his gaze toward the older man, uncertain what Gage needed from him now. “You doing okay?”
“Yes. Yes, I am. I’ll admit I had a few moments while in the water. Maybe that’s why I proved to be such a lousy angler today.”
“As good an excuse as any, I’d say.”
“I had a good marriage,” Gage observed, his gaze on the bubbling mountain stream. “Emily wouldn’t have liked that I’ve avoided this place. She wouldn’t approve of quite a bit of what’s gone down since her death. I had a falling out with my kids. Still paying the price for that with my daughter. Had a falling out with God. I was one unhappy SOB, I’ll tell you.”
Noah scooped a handful of pebbles off the ground and began tossing them toward the water. “Losing someone you love is damned hard.”
“Losing anyone is damned hard. It didn’t matter how much money I had or how much stroke my family has in the area. Hell, in the entire state. Didn’t matter how many prayers I said or what sorts of bargains I tried to make with the Almighty. I couldn’t save my Emily. I was powerless. Made me so damned angry. Made me mean. What good does any of it do if you can’t save the one person who means the most?”
Gage muttered a curse and rolled to a sitting position. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me to give me diarrhea of the mouth. That’s just wrong after a most delicious meal. Guess being up here is getting to me after all.”
“Shoot. Forget about it. I get it, Gage. I absolutely get it. Why do you think I’m hiding out at my grandfather’s cabin in Lake in the Clouds?”
“Hell, I knew there must be a reason I liked you so much. You ready to talk about that?”
Noah considered it. “No.”
Gage nodded. Both men rose and spent a few minutes tending to the campsite and packed up their horses. They made the ride back to Noah’s place in companionable silence. As Noah unloaded his gear from the packhorse, Gage said, “I hope you’re ready to get back to work in the morning. I’d like to get this project finished by the end of the week.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.”
They discussed a few logistics for the coming days, and as Gage prepared to depart, he met Noah’s gaze and said, “Anytime you feel the need to talk, Tannehill, I’m your man.”
“I appreciate it.”
Noah wasn’t ready to talk today, but maybe soon. He had the feeling that sunshine and puppies and physical work might be pulling him out of the black hole where he’d existed for the past year.
Kissing a beautiful woman hadn’t hurt anything, either.
On Friday afternoon, almost two weeks after Jake and Tess’s wedding, Genevieve sat in the back of a luxury sedan and sipped from a bottle of sparkling water while a driver ferried her home from Aspen to Lake in the Clouds. Driving the Maserati through the mountains had been a kick but had totally worn her out. In hindsight, she should have arranged to drive the sports car one way instead of round trip. Next time she did something like this, she’d know better.
Not that there necessarily would be a next time. She had enjoyed the experience, but she couldn’t say she was passionate about it. Same with the drawing classes. Oh, she’d loved the setting—a large estate outside of Santa Fe with private bungalows. The food was fabulous, and the company interesting and eclectic.
She’d have enjoyed it more if Helen had been with her.
Won’t my sister love to hear that?
Based on the tone of some of the texts from Helen that she’d found on her phone when she’d turned it on this morning, Genevieve had some explaining to do. Oh, she’d known to expect that. One of the selling points of the workshop was that the time was “unplugged.” Guests were asked to send the estate’s emergency phone number to loved ones upon arrival, then turn off their phones and not turn them on again until departure.
Genevieve loved that part of the event. The time away from a screen of any kind had been restorative. In addition to the time spent with her sketchbook, it allowed her to think and to dream and to plan. She now had a nice long list of potential passions to explore.
Of course, her phone had blown up this morning, but she’d expected that, too.
She’d read through the messages, answered all that needed a response, and promised to call everyone by the end of the day tomorrow. Now she was ready to be home. She thought she’d probably call Helen and Willow once she arrived and had some privacy. Her driver was nice and friendly, but no way could she tell her sister about the male model they’d sketched while the driver could overhear.
Finally, he made the turn onto her street. Genevieve was surprised to see Willow’s car parked out front. Immediately, worry assailed her. Had something happened? No one had called her this afternoon. Making sure, she checked her phone for missed calls. Nothing.
Oh no. Is something wrong with Helen?
No. This was probably about the air clearing Willow wanted to do, but still.
Reaching into her purse for her keys, Genevieve spoke to the driver. “Paul, that’s my daughter’s car parked in front of my house. She’s not supposed to be there, and I’m a little worried that something is wrong. I’m going to dash on inside as soon as you stop.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Prentice.” He goosed the gas pedal, and the car accelerated, pulling into her driveway a few seconds faster, something Genevieve appreciated. She opened the door the moment it was safe. The driver called, “Good luck.”
She darted toward the front door, the quickest way into the house. Her heart pounded. Her mouth was dry as sand. Even as she attempted to fit her key into the lock with shaking fingers, she tried the knob. It turned. She rushed inside. “Willow?”
Three things hit her at once. Lights blazed in the kitchen. Andrea Bocelli played on the sound system. The aroma of garlic and olive oil drifted in the air.
Genevieve relaxed just a little bit. “Willow!”
“Hey, Mom!” Her daughter emerged from the kitchen, a smile on her face and a tea towel slung over her shoulder. “You’re home!”
“Is something wrong? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I decided to have a welcome-home celebration for you. I knew you’d be hungry from traveling, so I made Tuscan chicken. It’s almost ready.”
Something is wrong. “The kids are okay? Helen? Your sibs?”
“Yes, Mom. Everyone is fine.”
Well, something wasn’t fine. Genevieve knew her daughter. This was about more than a decade-overdue talk. “Okay, then. I’d better see to my driver.”
Fifteen minutes later, Genevieve’s bags had been deposited in her room. She’d changed her clothes, washed her face, and done some deep breathing to bring down her pulse rate. With a glass of wine in her hand, she sat at the kitchen bar and waited for her daughter to tell her what the heck was going on.
“You made an early dinner for us.”
“I did.”
“So, where are the children?”
“At home with a babysitter.”
“A babysitter?” Genevieve drew back in surprise. “Who?”
“Her name is Olivia Brinkley. I found her through a friend of Auntie’s. She’s sixteen, and this is the second time I’ve used her. The kids love her.”
“That’s good.” Genevieve sipped her wine.
Willow set a plate of charcuterie on the bar in front of Genevieve. “So, tell me about the art class. Did you enjoy it?”
“I did. But I’d rather you tell me why you’re here, Willow.” Genevieve chose a piece of cheese. “I know you wanted to talk, but this is a lot of effort. It feels bigger.”
Her daughter grimaced, then topped off her own glass of wine. “I had hoped to ease into this conversation with some small talk, but you always did say it’s best to pull the bandage off fast. That said, I’d rather start with the easiest and work my way up. Okay?”
Genevieve made a sweeping gesture. “This is your show.”
“All right. Well, then. Here goes. Remember how I talked about guiding words on New Year’s Eve? How I told you that mine for the year is listen? Well, I listened to you. I went and talked to Noah like you suggested.” Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she added, “I asked him if you two had a Mrs. Robinson thing going on.”
Genevieve choked on her cheese. She took a sip of wine to wash it down before saying, “You did not!”
Willow offered her mother a napkin. “I did. You threw me a loop with the whole passion thing.”
“Willow Anne,” Genevieve scolded.
“Don’t fret. I never really thought that, and Noah set me straight. I need you to know that I heard you, Mom. I did some hard thinking. I’ve made some decisions, but I want to run them by you before they’re set in stone. You have veto power. No hard feelings if you choose to exercise it.” Willow met her mother’s gaze and stressed, “I totally mean that. Okay?”
Warily, Genevieve said, “Okay.”
“All right. First, I’d like to make our stay in Lake in the Clouds permanent, but I intend to be mindful of your need—of all of our needs—for balance. To that end, after-school and summertime childcare will be handled by Little Ducklings Daycare while I try to get an event-planning business off the ground. Emma starts kindergarten in August, and I don’t intend to homeschool either her or Drew for the fall semester. In the meantime, you’re welcome to take them out of daycare for nana playdates whenever your heart desires.”
Genevieve folded her hands prayerfully in front of her face. “Oh, honey.”
Willow rushed on, anxious to get everything on the table before her mother offered a comment. “Auntie said we could continue to stay at the cabin at Raindrop, but I’m going to start looking for a house. Actually, I have started, but nothing appropriate is on the market right now. I wouldn’t have made an offer before having this conversation, but I wanted—”
“Oh, honey!” Genevieve repeated, rising from the bar stool and rushing toward her daughter. She threw her arms around Willow and hugged her hard. “I’m thrilled. Truly, I couldn’t be happier. This is the most wonderful news.”
“I’m glad you think so. We need you, Mom.”
Genevieve’s heart caught. Tears stung her eyes. “Oh, honey. You don’t know how badly I’ve missed being needed by you.”
“Well, if that’s the case, some of the other stuff I have to share will knock your socks off.”
“That sounds ominous.”
Willow gave Genevieve a crooked smile, then reached for her own wine. “It’s nothing that won’t keep until after dinner. Please, let’s lighten the mood so that we don’t spoil the chicken?” When Genevieve nodded her agreement, Willow continued. “I hope you’re ready to jump right into campaign mode. Auntie has a meeting scheduled for ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“So I understand. I had about one thousand and one e-mails waiting for me when I turned on my phone this morning.”
“How did you like being unplugged for so long?”
“I’ll be honest. I loved it.” Genevieve glanced ruefully toward her phone as she added, “It made me feel young again.”
“Oh, Mom. You are so not old. Tell me, how much fun was it to drive a Maserati?”
They talked about the car and the classes while Willow finished preparing their meal. Over dinner, the conversation turned to the events in Lake in the Clouds. Genevieve asked a few leading questions about Noah Tannehill. Still, Willow apparently hadn’t seen him, but for that one visit Genevieve had sent her on. Dang it. They talked about Helen’s campaign, Emma’s new shoes, and Drew’s latest scrape. Genevieve frowned and thought back over the past weeks. “Why, is that his first set of stitches since Christmas?”
“It is,” Willow confirmed.
“Wow. I hadn’t realized that.”
“Even more, this one was totally not his fault. Emma tried changing him into a frog with her fairy wand, and he accidentally backed over a log and clipped his arm on a rock.”
Genevieve clapped her hands and grinned. “Well, there you go. Smart boy to back away from a girl with a fairy wand. This chicken is fabulous as always, Willow. It’s truly one of my favorite meals ever.”
Willow accepted the compliment with a nod, then added, “Save room for dessert.”
Genevieve’s eyes gleamed. “We have dessert?”
“From Cloud Puffs,” Willow said, naming the local bakery.
“Death by Chocolate.”
“Well.” Genevieve set down her fork and sat back in her chair. For Willow to bring out the chocolate—serious chocolate at that—whatever news she had to share wasn’t good. “Okay. I’m not waiting any longer. Tell me what’s happened to upgrade this conversation from overdue to a calorie bombing? What do I need to know about Andy?”
Tears filled her daughter’s big blue eyes and overflowed to spill silently down her cheeks.
Genevieve grabbed a tissue from the box at the end of the bar and handed it to Willow, who said, “Mom, it’s bigger than just Andy. I hardly know where to start. ”
Gage and Noah set the final fence post at three o’clock on Friday afternoon. By five, as the Triple T Ranch work utility vehicle Gage drove approached Noah’s place, the older man observed, “I’m so hungry that my belt buckle is rubbing against my backbone.”
“I offered you half of one of my sandwiches at lunch,” Noah replied.
“If you didn’t need two, you wouldn’t have brought two. I needed you to work harder than I needed to fill my old man’s belly. I wanted to finish up today. That said, I wouldn’t object if you could find an apple for me in your house when we get there. Or maybe a hunk of bread. A side of beef.”
Noah grinned. “How about beef stew and biscuits? I put it all in the Crock-Pot this morning before you picked me up.”
“Son, you are a king among men.”
Noah grinned, something he’d been doing a lot this past week. Working alongside Gage and talking about everything and nothing to pass the time had been a catharsis neither man had expected, but it was clear both were better for it.
Now that they were back at his place, and since Gage had expressed his hunger so eloquently, Noah saw to getting food served right away.
“You’re a good cook,” Gage observed. “This is mighty fine beef stew.”
“Learning to cook is part of the job when you’re working in a firehouse. Firefighters like tasty, simple food and lots of it. Beef stew was always a basic.”
“Well, me and my belly thank you.” Gage patted his stomach with both hands. “I was getting… What’s that term the kids use when being hungry makes them cranky?”
“Hangry. Hungry and angry combined.”
“That’s it. Hangry no more,” the older man declared with satisfaction. “Right now, I’m happy as a dog with two tails. Work’s done. Belly’s full.”
Noah grinned. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Actually, you can. Got any whiskey around here, Tannehill?”
“I keep bourbon.” Noah gestured toward a cabinet.
Gage nodded with satisfaction. “Pour me a glass, and then go show me these puppies you keep trying to push off on me.”
“I can do that.”
Noah poured two glasses and led the rancher out to the workshop.
“I’ve enjoyed working with you, Noah,” Gage said as they stepped inside and Noah flipped on the lights. “I’ll admit it. I hate to see this time end. We will have to… whoa…” He gazed around the workshop. “You do some serious work here. This is a well-equipped shop.”
“It’s good for my mental health to get out and work with my hands. This workshop saved me. It’s only been lately that my leg has healed to the point to allow me to work like I have with you the past week.”
Gage nodded toward the shelving along one wall. “These are the fire-training dollhouses you told me about?”
“Yes,” Noah confirmed.
“Interesting.” He flicked a slide open and shut. “I’d like to see a demonstration sometime.”
“I can arrange that.”
Gage tested another couple of slides, then wandered over to the workbench where Noah’s latest project was coming along slowly. Very slowly. His day work stringing barbed wire had cut his woodworking time down to one or two hours in the evenings, tops.
“Well, look at this.” Gage leaned over and studied the Victorian dollhouse. Admiration filled his tone. “That is excellent detail work, Noah.”
“I believe if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right. It’s the way my parents raised us.”
Gage gave him a sharp look, and Noah inwardly cursed. He’d just dropped a great big clue with the us there, hadn’t he? He waited for Gage to follow up with the logical question, but perhaps the mulish set of Noah’s jaw warned him off. Gage simply shrugged and said, “Some little lady is gonna be a lucky one. Does she know what she’s getting?”
“No. It’s a surprise.” Noah didn’t want to say anything more. He strode to stand beside the puppy pen. “I thought you wanted to look at the pups?”
“I’m getting to it.” Gage opened then shut one of the miniature window shutters. “You on a deadline to finish this dollhouse, like for a birthday or something?”
“No.”
“Good. For a minute there, I was afraid all that fishing I made you do might have delayed you and disappointed some little darling.”
