Lone Star Hero

With determination, she stepped out of her car and moved up the gravel walkway to the deep wraparound porch. Her hand caressed the smooth railing as she climbed the wide steps. The huge glass door sparkled from the waning light.

“I can take the jacket.”

The female voice from deep in the porch caused her to jump. Placing her hand flat against her racing heart, Vickie turned to face Maria Torres, Jake’s mother.

“I didn’t see you there.” Vickie moved to the swing at the end of the porch.

“There’s no reason for you to go inside.” Maria closed her Bible and set it to the side. The slight Spanish accent softened her words. “I can make sure he gets it. Just lay it there in the rocking chair.”

“I...would like to thank him for helping me the other night.” Vickie looked back to the door. Maybe she had made a mistake. Trying to recapture some youthful fantasy that had never even been real wasn’t a good idea.

Maria’s eyebrows went up. “Yes, Jake is very good at helping people. I hear Seth has fully recovered. I’ve been praying for him.” Maria folded her hands in her lap and gently swung, the chains creaking over the wood.

“Thank you for your prayers. I know they helped. The doctors said he was very fortunate.”

“Our children are our most precious gifts from God. We must protect them. Right? As mothers we understand the big picture.”

Vickie didn’t like where this was going. “Right. But as they grow up, we have to allow them to make their own choices.”

“True. Let me speak honest with you, Mrs. Miller.” She smoothed out her blouse, her accent thicker now. “You have hurt Jake in the past, a hurt that was not easy for him to get over. I lost him once because of you. You might care for him now, but we both know you are not what he needs. Please do not pull him back into your life.”

Horrified that Maria blamed her for him leaving for the marines the day after graduation, Vickie looked down to the wood boards. She heard he had built this house with his own hands. Vickie laid the jacket on the empty rocker. “I’m no longer Miller. It’s just Lawson now.” She bit into her bottom lip and looked at the setting sun. “No disrespect, Mrs. Torres, but I was not the one who left without a word.”

“If you truly want what is best for him, you will stay away from him.”

“Mother!”

Jake’s voice startled both women.

“I’m old enough to pick my own friends.” Jake stood at the far edge of the house. The setting sun cast him in silhouette, a bridle in his hand.

How long had he been standing there?

Maria stood and headed for the door. Toting her Bible, she nodded to Vickie. “I’m going to make dinner.” Without a backward glance, she marched to the cut-glass door. With her head up, she swung the door open and glided through it. The gentle but firm click reminded Vickie that she had no right to enter Jake’s world.

Hanging the leather headset and braided reins on a hook, Jake made his way up the steps. “Sorry about that.” He sent her one of his heart-stopping grins.

She could spend hours staring at his smile. Sighing, she pulled herself back to reality. She was lying to herself; she wanted more than friendship with Jake Torres, and that could not happen.

He moved to the swing his mother had just abandoned and patted the space next to him. “As you know, mothers can get protective, no matter what age their children are.”

Shaking her head, Vickie edged toward the railing, putting more distance between them. “She has a point.”

“Come on, sit and tell me how Seth’s doing.” He leaned back, stretching his arms across the back of the seat.

His offer tempted her. She gripped the railing, keeping herself away from him. “He’s good, ready to get back to all his regular activities.”

“There’s a father-and-son flag-football game coming up at the church picnic in a couple of weeks. It’s part of our mentoring program at the church. We’ve been practicing.” He grinned. “More like an excuse to throw the ball around and have fun. I thought I could take Seth. If he’s ready, would he like that?”

“Oh, he loves football. Well, he did, anyway. The last couple of times he played with the YMCA in San Antonio were rough. Tommy had high expectations. He made Seth play quarterback.” She looked down at her feet, and followed the patterns made by the grains of wood. “Well, you know how Tommy is on the field. No room for mistakes.” She looked back at Jake. “He might not want to play anymore.”

Jake grunted and looked to the hills, the sun almost gone. “Yeah, I know Tommy. Spent way too many years on the field with him. But there’s more to football than quarterbacking.” He looked back toward her, his dark eyes intense in the last rays of light. “If you don’t mind, I’d love to take Seth and reintroduce him to the fun of football. It’s flag, so not much hitting. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, thank you. It’ll be good for him to be around other boys. He hasn’t made many friends since we came back.”

“You could use a friend, too. You and Ashley can join us. We could grab something to eat afterward.”

For a moment, she imagined them all together, almost like a real family. Her gaze traveled the outline of his house. If she had made the right choice in high school, this warm home and special man could’ve been hers. But she hadn’t. The reality of it hit her hard. As much as she would love to reconnect with Jake, she had to put her life back in order, starting with her kids.

Her kids were the best part of her life. The one thing she got right with Tommy.

Her baggage was too heavy to leave on Jake’s steps. Friendship with Jake sounded good, but now she knew she’d want more.

She made so many wrong choices and it was too late to change them. “Jake, your mother’s right. I’m not what you need.”

He leaned forward, elbows planted on his knees. “Why don’t you and my mother let me decide what I need?”

His intense stare seared right to her heart. She couldn’t handle that look right now. Vickie stepped back. “I’ve got to go. The kids are waiting for me at my parents’ house. Bye, Jake.” She ran to her car, clenching her teeth.

It took two tries for her car to start. She was not good at the dramatic exit. She pulled out of his drive and with one last glance into the rearview mirror, she saw Jake at the top of the steps, watching her. There wasn’t enough light to see his expression.

She needed to focus on the road in front of her. Heading back to her small trailer, Vickie fought the urge to cry for the girl that had not been strong enough to be the woman Jake needed when they were in high school.

* * *

Jake paused in the archway leading to his kitchen. He watched his mother as she lifted the lid to stir the contents of the steaming pot. The rich aroma of the carne guisada encouraged him to forget what he wanted to say. No, he wouldn’t let her cooking distract him. They needed to get some things straightened out.

“Sit, mijo, dinner’s almost done.”

So she wanted to pretend nothing had happened with Vickie. Not this time.

“Mother, I love you, but I’m a grown man. I don’t need you to pick my friends.” Standing at the sink to wash his hands, Jake looked over his backyard. The surrounding hills created a cocoon around the pasture. In the twilight, he could make out his pair of roping horses.

He had put together a life he loved. He just never found anyone to share it with, well, other than Vickie. His mind always went back to her. “You had no right to be rude to Vickie.”

“She’s not your friend. She made her choice and married Tommy Miller. And you do need help. You are almost thirty-one and not married. I should have grandchildren.” She filled two plates with the mouth-watering sauce and meat and set them on the table. Hands in her lap she waited for Jake to join her before continuing. “I remember your pain after she went with that boy to the prom.”

He tried not to roll his eyes. “That’s old history. Vickie’s divorced now. She was married to the wrong man. You should understand that better than anyone.” He dug a fork into his dinner. “If I want to pursue a relationship with Vickie, that’s my business.” He looked at his mother, pointing the meat-loaded utensil at her. “Please be nice to her.”

Across from him, she picked at her plate. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again. You need to move on, and I need grandchildren in my old age. Your sister has run off and shows no sign of settling down.”

Jake grinned. “Amá, she didn’t run away. She’s studying to be a lawyer.”

“Yes, well, she made it clear she has no desire to get married.” She looked around the large kitchen that opened to a cozy family room. “It’s my fault. Look at this beautiful home you made. You built this home for a family, but the only kids ever here are the youth groups from the church. You deserve a family of your own.” She looked him straight in the eyes, lips firm. “I deserve grandchildren.”

“I think you might have already said that a few hundred times.” He used a warm corn tortilla to soak up the gravy on the beef tips. “There’s a side to Vickie no one gets to see.”

“Maybe you’re blind to what everyone else knows about her. She is her mother’s daughter.”