A Husband To Hold

She wondered if this concern was just natural for Tessa or if it was because Leah tended to be thought of as fragile by most people. “I can’t believe he is up to poetry by Burns,” Leah murmured before zipping the bag up.

“He sure is. Now, why don’t you answer my question, dear, and tell me why you’re on your way out to the desert when you have a perfectly good helper you’re going to be paying to do the dirty work for you?”

Leah lifted the bag and moved over across from Tessa. Seating herself on the sofa, she dropped the bag on her khaki-covered legs. Smoothing the pink top, she paused to push a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “I am perfectly capable of handling things myself, Tessa, and I can’t believe you said that,” she said carefully.

Tessa dropped her feet to the floor and leaned forward. “You know that’s not what I meant at all. I know how capable you are.”

Leah didn’t believe that. Her face said otherwise.

“I meant, get your money’s worth. Mark is a photographer and has been all over the area out there. Why not leave it to him and concentrate on the rest of the planning you have back here?”

Leah sighed. How did she explain that allowing another person to get close to her was not something she could accept? She’d thought she could, but in the end…

She couldn’t say out loud that she was afraid, without revealing too much of herself.

“He doesn’t know where I want the pictures. I thought I’d go out there and mark two or three of the areas I wanted, take some snapshots to give him ideas of the types of places I want and need, and then let him do the rest.”

Tessa nodded slowly. “That does make sense…. But you do realize there are snakes out right now? They’re especially bad this year.”

Leah interlocked her fingers, clasping her hands firmly. “They are always especially bad, according to everyone around here. Please, Tessa, I’ll be fine.”

Tessa nibbled her lower lip. “You’re sure?”

“If we can teach grade school, we can handle anything nature throws at us. You should know that.”

Tessa chuckled. “I do love teaching. Okay. Don’t forget, Drake said if you need to test wheelchairs and such out there, he’d be available to help out.”

“I’m surprised he is willing to get back in one of those things,” Leah murmured softly, with feeling.

Tessa’s gaze darkened a bit. “He still has his bad days when he has to use one. I imagine he will for a while to come. But I think…well…I think offering to help makes him feel useful. You know, he feels that being in the wheelchair gave him an opportunity to help someone else in need down the road.”

Leah’s gaze softened, a warm feeling filling her. “Can you still believe how much God changed Drake’s life?”

Tessa’s gaze changed from dark to a sweet dreamy smile. “If he hadn’t found Him, I wouldn’t be with him now. And he’s so fresh. I’ll tell you, Leah, his freshness is what restored my faith in God. I think I had forgotten just how wonderful and loving our Father is. Seeing it from a new believer’s point of view made me realize how lucky I really am and how the past doesn’t matter near as much as I thought it would.”

Leah’s bright smile faded a bit at the words. In some cases, a past certainly did matter. Her past did matter. Her entire life had changed because of it. She would definitely end up having her entire life changed if it ever became public.

Deciding it best to change the subject, Leah stood. “I am on my way out to the camping area near the Culpepper Ranch. If you need anything else, call.”

Tessa stood and hugged her. “Will do.”

Tessa had parked on the street, so Leah let her out the front door and locked it behind her. She turned and headed toward the back door and down the steps to her gray compact. Getting in, she prayed that perhaps one day Tessa’s words would prove true, that maybe she would find a place somewhere where her past wouldn’t matter.

However, she feared, that would only happen with Dan’s death.

“She’s not here.”

Mark paused by the door of his beat-up old Jeep. After slamming it shut, he strolled forward to where Tessa stood. There she was, near her car parked just in front of him, her hand on the door, two books tucked under the other arm. “I had thought to catch her so we could speak of a business arrangement,” Mark said, then remembering his manners he asked, “How are you doing, Tessa?”

She smiled. “Fine. I’d be doing a lot better if Leah hadn’t just left to go out looking for a site to camp.”

Mark leaned on the door of Tessa’s car. “She what?”

“She told me she hired you.”

“Word travels fast,” Mark muttered. “But what was this about a camp?”

Tessa flipped a hand up in a general gesture of airy carelessness. “I was on my way over here but stopped by the station. Your sister, Laura, told me you were going to be working for Leah over the next few weeks. Okay, well she hinted at it,” Tessa added tossing her head. “Anyway, when I dropped in to pick up the books Leah had told me I could borrow, I asked her if she’d found someone to take those pictures for her and show her around. Leah’s neighbor delighted in telling me the news when I arrived.” She cocked her head toward the house next-door where a curtain quickly fell back into place.

Mark shook his head, not used to small towns like this.

“Sure enough,” Tessa continued without a pause, “she was glad to have hired you but decided to go ahead and do some legwork herself.”

Mark ran a hand down his face. When Tessa got to talking, she really could talk, he thought wryly. “You didn’t happen to mention, chérie, that the snakes are bad this time of year?”

“I did,” Tessa said, grinning.

“Did you tell her there still might be vagrants wandering around after the trouble we had out that way a few months ago?”

“Actually, I didn’t, Mark. I figured if snakes didn’t scare her, men wouldn’t.” Eyeing Mark speculatively she added, “Though perhaps that would have been the right excuse to use after all.”

“I can’t believe she went out there…. She hired me,” Mark replied, worried. “Which way did she go?”

“Mrs. Culpepper’s,” Tessa replied cheerfully.

Mark tilted his head, studying Tessa. “And just why do you tell me this with such a buoyant attitude?” he queried, that Cajun accent slipping back into his speech.

Her grin widened. “Because I am hoping, Mark, that you’ll go out there and make sure she’s okay.”

“Does this entire town worry about that woman?” Mark asked, hands going to his hips, exasperated.

“We sure do,” Tessa replied drawing a reluctant grin from Mark. “You didn’t think you were the only one, did you?”

“She does tend to bring out that protective instinct, doesn’t she?” Mark replied softly.

“She sure does.”

“Okay, Tessa. I’ll go check on her. After all, it is what I am being paid for,” he replied. “To help her out on this project. And when I find her, we’ll restate just what we each expect from the other in this job,” he added.

Tessa chuckled her deep rich chuckle and replied, “You do that. She’s only got about a five or ten-minute start on you. I’m sure you’ll find her easily.”

“Thanks, Tessa. Tell Drake hi,” he replied.

He turned and headed back toward his Jeep wondering just why Leah had headed out on her own without contacting him.

If he had his way, he was about to find out.

After hopping into the Jeep, he quickly left behind the city limits of Hill Creek and headed out toward the west side of town where Mrs. Culpepper lived. At the fourth mile road, as they called them since the roads were laid out so straight, he turned right.