Page 25 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

She was still basking in the joy over having ridden a horse…and survived. So she didn’t pull away when he offered a hand to provide a steadying support on her elbow.

The trees were much taller as they progressed along the edge of the stream. Then they took a turn and went up a little rise.

“Oh my,” Tori breathed out the words as she took in the beauty of the spot before her. A large, clear pool was just below them. She could see all the way to the bottom the water was so pure and clear. Then as it deepened, it became an amazing shade of blue. Looking farther, she could see another pool just like it, and that was emptying a steady stream of water down into the first pool.

“These are the springs?”

“These are the first set of springs,” he corrected. “I take it that you’re impressed.”

“The beauty and the tranquility is amazing. It’s even more perfect than I imagined. The photos I saw do not do it justice.”

“This is where Destiny’s River begins. Where my great-great-grandfather settled his family. And where each generation of Lockwood has begun their protection of them.”

“I can see why you feel so protective of them. There is something special about this place. You can feel it.”

He was looking at her in such a way that she felt her breath slow to almost nothing. His gaze was drawing her into some unknown world within it. “I knew you were going to be trouble, Victoria Parker. Now I understand what my grandfather meant about the first woman he brought to these springs.”

She made no move when he slowly raised his hand to cup the side of her head. His palm held a warmth that felt like the warmth of coming home on a chilled evening. That thought flashed through her brain just as his head dipped to hers and his lips touched hers. Warm, tempting hers to join in a pleasure like no other. Then they were gone. His hand returned to his side. The silence was deafening.

“My grandfather was right.” The words were low, and did she imagine he had even spoken them? Did he mean to speak them aloud? What was happening?

Chapter Eleven

Have you lostyour mind?

Caleb was transported to another moment, standing at the springs alongside his grandfather. A teenage version of himself and a wise, older man. He had joked that the spot would be great to add a slide to it and have more people able to enjoy some fun in the spot.

“That’s not for this spot, and you need to understand that.” The tone of his grandfather’s voice was one he’d rarely heard in all the years he’d been old enough to understand things. Then he should have let it drop, but he didn’t.

“What is so special about this spot, Grandfather? You have said that over the years, but I don’t understand why. You’ve always said I wasn’t old enough to understand. I’m nineteen now. I’m older than others my age—you’ve said that yourself. I need to understand.”

Grandfather stood silently, his gaze on the springs and beyond. Cade was about to give up ever getting an answer of any consequence from the man. Then he began to speak, focusing on some point unseen to Cade.

“I married your grandmother, but she was not the one who owned my heart. And you know that throughout the years, I gave my best to your grandmother. She wanted for nothing, and we had a good marriage—not one born of a grand passion or the fragile foundation of hearts, but still solid on respect and caring.”

Cade had never expected to hear those words. He was transfixed into silence.

“There was a girl from high school. Her family came to Destiny’s River when her father was transferred here to build the new bank in town. She was quiet, but the moment I saw her and she turned and smiled…something reached inside me and flipped a switch. I had only been going through the motions in life until then. She had a way of seeing life with joy and feeling…even though her home life wasn’t the best, I would learn, she never let life get the best of her. She made her own clothes so that certainly gave the girls in town something to think less of her about. When we had a school dance, she didn’t come. I didn’t know why. But then I saw her sitting alone under that old oak tree beside the swimming hole we had in town. We talked and talked, and before I knew it that had settled my path.

“Except it wasn’t the accepted one, the one my parents expected of me. I had to make a choice. I had told them that I loved her and wanted to make a life with her. They began telling me that we were too young to know what we wanted or to be in love. But they were wrong. Anyway, we took a picnic lunch up here, to these springs. They had become our special escape from all those voices. She loved them. And it was she who first asked me to preserve this spot, no matter what. And I have, and it will be up to you when I’m gone and you take over this land to hopefully honor that request also.”

“What happened?” Cade asked. “Why didn’t you marry her? Did your family talk you out of it?”

“No, I was prepared to walk away from this land, away from my family. But Annie knew better. She said that it would become the biggest regret of my life if I did that. And she would want no part of that. But I was hardheaded and made plans to leave with her.” He was silent for a moment. It clearly still brought pain to the man who Cade thought impervious to such things.

“Annie left Destiny’s River. She left me a note saying she couldn’t take me away from my destiny here on this land. She knew that we could never have a future because of it. So, she was leaving and asked me not to look for her. She would always love me, but she knew I needed to realize that this land was deeper ingrained in me than any other love could be. So, I let her go. My pride was hurt, and I stayed here. I did what was needed for our family and this ranch. But there was never a day when I wouldn’t find my way here to this spot. And remember the first time I brought her to the springs. I knew my heart had found its home with her that moment. And she took it with her when she left.”

“And you kept your promise to her ever since to keep the springs the way they were when she asked you for that promise.”

“I shared this with you so you can understand why I ask that you do what is right.”

Cade had never forgotten that day. And he could now also grasp what his grandfather had felt when he had stood beside the same springs and looked into the eyes of a woman who would have such an impact on his life. It was a sobering and eye-opening moment with the past fusing with the present.

*

“We can talkback at the house. The sky is getting darker, and the wind is picking up. We need to get a move on.” This time he didn’t lend a helping hand to her as they headed back down the path to where the horses stood. He held the reins while she mounted Ladybug. Then he did the same and turned his horse toward their return. Tori followed in silence. What had just happened was hard to process. It was unexpected. And yet, she had to own the fact that she hadn’t objected. And what had he meant by his words about his grandfather? Had he even realized he had spoken them? And while it wasn’t the first kiss she had ever received, it was one that had made feelings come alive inside her in such a way that shocked her.

Tori wasn’t one to play with emotions. And she certainly didn’t care for anyone playing with hers. Or maybe she was taking it too seriously? Maybe Cade Lockwood was used to females hugging him on a public street every day? Whatever was the case, he needed to know that she wasn’t interested in joining the line of candidates.

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