Carolyne Aarsen - A Family For The Soldier

“I have your assessment. Dr. Schuster gave that to me so we could start from there.”

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“One of the characteristics of being a physical therapist. A quiet stubbornness.”

He laughed at that, glancing sidelong at her. But he didn’t look away and neither did Chloe. Their eyes held and a peculiar feeling of awareness rose up. An echo of older emotions she had once created.

She swallowed and he saw her take a quick breath.

Did she feel it, too?

Then he took a step closer and his foot caught on the carpet of the hallway. He faltered, thankfully just for a moment, as reality shot down any foolish thoughts he might have entertained.

She turned away, went down the stairs, quickly outpacing him.

And as he made his slow, painful way behind her he was reminded once again the foolishness of allowing himself to feel anything for any woman.

The only trouble was Chloe wasn’t just any woman. At one time he had cared for her. But she’d given him no indication that she returned his feelings. And then Vanessa had come along. After that, the war.

Now his life was a tangle of obligations and unmet expectations. He knew he had to be realistic. He couldn’t offer her anything. Not anymore.

* * *

“So you took the job?” Lucy was asking.

Holding her cell phone close to her ear, Chloe sat back on the bed of the room Mamie Stillwater had shown her to. It was off the nursery and a full floor away from the room Grady stayed in, which was a good thing.

Her room was lovely, though. Painted a soft aqua, trimmed with white casings, the room was large, cozy and welcoming. A chair and small reading table were tucked into a corner beside an expansive bay window that overlooked the ranch. The bed filled another corner, and a small walk-in closet and en suite gave her all the privacy she needed. It was lavish and luxurious compared to the cramped furnished apartment she had been renting.

“I didn’t have much choice,” Chloe said.

“Won’t hurt to see Grady every day,” Lucy teased.

“It’s strictly professional,” Chloe said, trying not to let the image of Vanessa fawning over Grady get to her. “Besides, I don’t know how much one-on-one time I’ll be spending with him. He seems intent on avoiding therapy.”

“If he’s as stubborn as his brother, you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Lucy sighed lightly and Chloe sensed her friend’s extra stress. “You sound tired. Have there been more thefts?”

“Another one at the Cutler ranch last night,” Lucy said. “Some ATVs and a horse. I’m getting worried that this is more organized than people think.”

Chloe twisted a thread from the cuff of her worn blue jeans around her finger. “Do you have any leads?”

“None. Though something has been puzzling me greatly. The Stillwater ranch is the only large ranch that doesn’t seem to have had any thefts at all. A few of the smaller ones have been avoided as well, but I’m still trying to see if there’s a connection. A pattern that I can’t find. I was hoping you could help me out.”

“How?”

“Just keep your eyes and ears open. Maybe get closer to Mamie. I don’t know.”

“And report anything I might hear back to you.”

“Please.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can find out.” She stifled the feeling of guilt that accompanied her statement. She was thankful for the job and she didn’t want to take advantage of that.

Yet Lucy was her friend. And she would be helping her and the community out.

“I should go. Mamie said that dinner was in a few minutes.”

“Hey, thanks for doing this for me,” Lucy said. “I appreciate any help I can get.”

Chloe said goodbye, then made quick work of changing her flannel shirt and pants for a clean pair of blue jeans and an aqua silk shirt. She brushed her hair and, giving in to an impulse, applied some blush and mascara.

For Grady?

Chloe lifted her chin and looked at her reflection in the mirror. For herself, she thought, clipping part of her hair back with a couple of bobby pins. She couldn’t allow herself to think of Grady. Not while she carried another man’s baby.

Before she could give in to doing any more primping, she left. She paused at the door of the nursery, but all was silent.

She hurried down the stairs. However, no one was in the kitchen by the table, so she followed the conversation to the formal dining room.

Grady sat at one end of the table and as she came in, Vanessa got up from her end and sat by him. As if trying to show Chloe where things stood. Grady didn’t seem interested, however, which gave her a small encouragement. He looked up, struggling to stand.

Vanessa frowned at Grady. “Just relax. It’s only Chloe.” Then Vanessa’s icy glance ticked over her. “That’s an interesting look.”

Chloe’s heart turned over as she mentally compared Vanessa’s silky dress and perfect makeup with her own clothes. She had thought she looked okay, but now she felt drab and dull. She didn’t think she needed to dress for dinner.

Vanessa gave her a wry look. “Well, I guess it’s too late to change.”

Chloe wished she could ignore her stepsister’s dismissive attitude.

“I think you look great,” Grady said.

His words shouldn’t have made her feel as good as they did.

Mamie, who wore plain dress pants and a shirt partially covered by her apron, entered and set a platter of ham beside bowls of steaming potatoes and salads and vegetables. At least she looked more casual.

“Do you need any help?” Chloe asked her.

Mamie waved off her offer as she removed her apron and laid it on a side table. “No, dear. This is the last plate. Please sit down.” Mamie pulled a chair away from the table, leaving the only empty spot available opposite Vanessa but beside Grady. Chloe sat down and plucked her napkin out of the ring, ignoring Vanessa’s calculating look.

“Is Cody sleeping?” Vanessa asked, leaning close to Grady, as if staking her claim on him. Again.

“He is.”

“Poor baby. I think I wore him out playing with him,” Vanessa said with a smug smile.

“Well, here we are all together,” Mamie said, but Chloe caught a strained note in her voice.

“One big happy family,” Vanessa chimed in, and reached for the salad bowl. “Grady, can I serve you some salad?”

“I thought we would pray first,” Mamie said.

“Oh. Right.” Vanessa fluttered her hands in an “I’m silly” gesture, then gave Grady another arched look. “I always forget.”

Just before Chloe lowered her head, however, she couldn’t help a glance Grady’s way and was disconcerted to see him looking directly at her.

Then she felt a tinge of nausea, a remnant of what she had been struggling with the first four months of her pregnancy, a reminder, and she quickly drew her gaze away.

Mamie prayed a blessing on the food, asking as well for some solution to the thefts, thanks for family and another request for Ben’s recovery.

Chloe kept her head bowed a moment, adding her own prayer to stay focused on her work here and not be distracted by inappropriate feelings better left buried.

“I heard there was another theft at the McKay spread,” Vanessa said, her voice bright, her expression holding a forced gaiety when Mamie was done.

“I’m sure Byron was upset about that,” Mamie replied.

“And you guys haven’t had anything stolen?” Vanessa asked, taking a tiny bite of her salad.

“Not yet, thankfully.” Grady handed the platter of ham in front of him to Chloe. “Would you like some?”

Chloe felt a start of surprise, her mind as much on the job Lucy had asked her to do here on the Stillwater ranch as trying not to be so aware of Grady sitting only a few feet from her. “Sure. Thank you.” As she took the plate, however, she caught Vanessa’s narrowed gaze.