Light the Stars

Not sure what to do next, Caroline stood on the broad porch of the ranch house and watched as he strapped both boys into the truck. Wade seemed to have forgotten her very existence. In fact, a moment later he climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away without once looking back at the house.

Now that the first adrenaline surge from the fire and dealing with Tanner’s burn had passed, Caroline was aware of a bone-deep exhaustion. She had almost forgotten her long night of traveling and the worry over Quinn’s whirlwind romance with one of her clients. Now, as she stood alone on the ranch house porch with a cool October wind teasing the ends of her hair, everything came rushing back.

Since she was apparently too late to stop her father from eloping with Marjorie, she should probably just drive her rental back to the airport and catch the quickest flight to California.

On the other hand, that kitchen was still a mess, she was sure. She could scrub down the smoke-damaged kitchen while Wade was gone, perhaps even fix a warm meal for their return.

It was the least she could do, really. None of this would have happened if her father hadn’t run off with Marjorie.

She wasn’t breaking her vow, Caroline told herself as she walked back into the house and shut the cool fall air behind her. She wasn’t cleaning up after her father’s messes, something she had sworn never to do again. She was only helping out a man who had his hands full.

She tried to tell herself she wasn’t splitting hairs, but even as she went back into the smoke-damaged kitchen and rolled up her sleeves, she wasn’t quite convinced.

“There you go, partner. Now you’ve got the mummy claw of death to scare Nat with when she comes home from school.”

Tanner giggled at his uncle Jake and moved his gauze-wrapped hand experimentally. “It still hurts,” he complained.

“Sorry, kid.” Jake squeezed his shoulder. “I can give you some medicine so it won’t hurt quite so bad. But when you try to put out a fire all by yourself, sometimes you get battle scars. Next time call your dad right away.”

“There won’t be a next time. Right, Tanner?” Wade said sternly. “You’ve learned your lesson about roasting marshmallows—or anything else—by yourself.”

Tanner sighed. “I guess. I don’t like havin’ a burn.”

Jake straightened. “You were really brave while I was looking at it. I was proud of you, bud. Now you have to be a big kid and make sure you take care of it right. You can’t get the bandage wet and you have to try to keep it as clean as you can, okay? Listen to your dad and do what he says.”

“Okay.” Tanner wiggled off the exam bench. “Can I go ask Carol for my sucker now?”

“Sure. Tell her a big brave kid like you deserves two suckers.”

“And a sticker?”

Jake hammed a put-upon sigh. “I guess.”

Tanner raised his bandaged hand into the air with delight then rushed out of the exam room, leaving Wade alone with his younger brother.

Unlike old Doc Jorgensen who had run the clinic when they were kids—with his gnarled hands and breath that always smelled of the spearmint toothpicks he chewed—Jake didn’t wear a white lab coat in the office. The stethoscope around his neck and the shirt pocket full of tongue depressors gave him away, though.

Wade watched his brother type a few things onto a slender laptop computer—notes for Tanner’s chart—and wondered how the little pest in hand-me-down boots and a too-big cowboy hat who used to follow him around the ranch when they were kids had grown into this confident, competent physician.

This wasn’t a life Wade would have chosen, either for himself or for his brother, but he had always known Jake hadn’t been destined to stay on the ranch. His middle brother was three years younger than he was and, as long as Wade could remember, Jake had carried big dreams inside himself.

He had always read everything he could find and had rarely been without a book in his hand. Whether they’d been waiting at the end of the long drive for the school bus or taking a five minute break from fixing fence lines, Jake had filled every spare moment with learning.

Wade had powerful memories of going on roundup more than once with Jake when his brother would look for strays with one eye and keep the other on the book he’d held.

He loved him. He just never claimed to understand him.

But there was not one second when he’d been anything less than proud of Jake for his drive and determination, for the compassion and caring he showed to the people of Pine Gulch, and for coming home instead of putting his medical skills to work somewhere more lucrative.

After another few seconds of pounding the keys, Jake closed his laptop.

“Well, I’d tell you happy birthday but it sounds like it’s a little too late for that.”

Wade made a face. “You can say that again. It’s been a hell of a day.”

“And just think, it’s only noon. Who knows what other fun might be in store.”

Wade sighed heavily. Noon already and he hadn’t done a damn thing all day. He had a million things to do and now he had a little wounded firefighter who couldn’t get his bandage dirty to think about.

His mother ought to be here, blast her. He was no good at the nurturing, sympathy thing. Did she ever stop to consider one of the kids might need her to shower kisses and sympathy?

“So what do you suggest we do about Mom?” he asked.

Jake leaned a hip against the exam table, and Wade thought again how he seemed to fit here in this medical clinic, in a way he’d never managed at the Cold Creek.

“What can we do? Sounds like the deed is done.”

“We don’t have to like it, though.”

“I don’t know. She’s been alone a long time. It’s been eighteen years since Hank died and even before that, her life with our dear departed father couldn’t have been all roses. If this Montgomery guy makes her happy, I think we should stand behind her.”

He stared at his brother. The finest education didn’t do a man much good if he lost all common sense. “What do you mean, stand behind her? She doesn’t even know the guy! How can we possibly support her eloping with a man she’s only corresponded with through e-mail and clandestine phone calls? And what kind of slimy bastard runs off with a woman he’s never seen in person? He’s got to be working some kind of scam. He and the daughter are in it together.”

“You don’t know that.”

“They’ve got to be. She trolls for unhappy older women through this life-coaching baloney, finds a vulnerable target like Mom, and then he steps in and charms them out of everything they’ve got.”

“You’re such a romantic,” Jake said dryly.

“I don’t have time to be a romantic, damn it. I’ve got a national television crew coming to the ranch in six days. How can I possibly get ready for this video shoot when I’ve got three kids underfoot every second?”

“You could always cancel it.”

He glowered at Jake. “You’re not helping.”

“Why not? It’s just a video shoot.”

“Just a video shoot I’ve been working toward for almost a year! This is huge publicity for the ranch. We’re one of only a handful of cattle operations in the country using this high-tech data-collection chip on our stock. You know how much of an investment it was for us but it’s all part of our strategy of moving the ranch onto the industry’s cutting edge. To be recognized for that right now is a big step for the Cold Creek. I don’t know why Mom couldn’t have scheduled her big rendezvous after the news crew finished.”

“So what will you do with the kids?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out. You’re the smart one. Any suggestions?”

“You could hire a temporary nanny, just until after the video shoot is over. Didn’t Mom’s note say she’d be back in a week?”

He started to answer but stopped when he heard Cody wailing from the reception area, something about a “stick-oh.”

Wade sighed and headed toward the sound, Jake right behind him.