Page 54 of Steers and Stowaways
Mallory swallowed her misgivings and led the woman who’d once been her trusted friend to the living room. Before either of them said anything else, Mallory reached under the Christmas tree to retrieve a large box wrapped in cheerful red paper.
“Here.” She held it out to Martina. She’d purchased the gift under the assumption that Martina couldn’t afford to replace her threadbare jacket. Boy, how wrong she’d been about that!
Martina’s dark gaze softened. “An early Christmas gift, huh?”
“Yes.”
“On your wedding day, no less.” Her bookkeeper fingered the gold ribbon, looking uncertain.
“Just open it,” Mallory begged quietly. What she’d done for the woman had been for all the right reasons, albeit misinformed ones.
Martina tore open the paper and lifted the lid of the box. “Oh, Mallory!” She lifted out the fleece-lined leather coat. “You shouldn’t have!”
I know that now.Strangely enough, she didn’t regret it, though. “Do you like it?”
Martina nodded vigorously, quickly removing her old jacket to pull on the new coat. Her shivering eased. “This is amazing!” She held out her arms to get a better look at the sleeves, running her fingers up and down the soft leather. Her voice cracked as she raised her head to meet Mallory’s gaze. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a…” She stopped and shook her head, swallowing hard.
Mallory had to finish her sentence in her head.The closest thing to a friend? Family? To a sister?“Me, too,” she sighed.But not anymore.
“You don’t have to say that.” Martina’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Too late.” Mallory longed to go back to what they’d been to each other when they’d first met.What I thought we were to each other,she corrected. She now understood their friendship had been one-sided from the get-go.
“While we’re baring our hearts to each other,” Martina’s voice grew thready, “I want to thank you for the way you and Tucker have taken Chip under your wing.”
“He’s a good kid,” Mallory gushed, feeling like she was on safer ground. “So easy to love.”
“Yes, he is.” A tear trickled down Martina’s face. “You wereright to nudge him kicking and screaming toward his GED. Someday, he’ll thank you for it.” Her gaze flitted briefly toward the guest room where her son had been bunking. “Now that he’s eighteen, you could’ve gone around me. Why didn’t you?”
“You’re his mother.” Fear prickled through Mallory, though she was careful not to let it show—fear that Martina had figured out her son was no longer living in the barn loft. She inwardly braced herself to defend her actions if it came to that.
But all Martina did was nod, looking resigned. “I know my parenting skills leave a lot to be desired, but I only want what’s best for him. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“No judgment.” Mallory forced a smile, but it wasn’t easy.
“Baloney!” The edges of Martina’s eyes crinkled with anger. “I can see it in your eyes. I don’t blame you, though. You don’t understand what lengths I’ve gone to in order to protect my son.”
You’re right. I don’t, and I never will.Martina was reaping the consequences of her poor decisions. It was too bad she didn’t see it that way.
“Chip is special,” his mother continued. “What others see in him as weakness, you see as strength.” She gave Mallory a tearful smile. “Just like I do.”
If she was referring to her son’s genius-level computer skills, Mallory couldn’t have agreed more. “He has a bright future in the tech world.”
“I sure hope so.” The finality in Martina’s voice made Mallory’s heart ache. “Keep pushing him toward it, will ya?”
“I will.” She struggled to adopt a lighter tone of voice. “I’ve always wanted a younger sibling to boss around.” In all honesty, she would’ve taken a brother or a sister, olderor younger, book-smart or athletic. Her childhood had been a lonely one. However, her mother hadn’t been well enough to bear more children.
“You’re a good person, Mallory.” Martina snuggled deeper into the folds of her new coat. “Thank you for your early Christmas gift. I’ll, um…go get dressed for the wedding now.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s your big day.”
Something was wrong, but Mallory didn’t dare ask her what it was. Talking to Martina had felt like standing across from a ticking time bomb. The moment the door snapped shut behind her, Mallory let out a breath of relief she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Then she headed to her bedroom to step into her wedding dress.
It wasn’t a wedding dress in the traditional sense. It was a vintage dress of creamy crushed velvet with long, flowy sleeves and lots of creamy lace. She’d found it online and purchased it to wear to a country western dance with some friends—an evening out that her crushing workload at the ranch had propelled her to cancel. The dress had been hanging in her closet ever since, with the price tag still dangling from it.
Waiting for today. This special occasion. This very moment.
As she donned the dress, the folds of crushed velvet tumbled over her slender frame, fitting her like a glove. She rarely wore anything but jeans, so this was a big step up for her. She paired it with her newest cowgirl boots, loving the delicate roses stitched into the leather.
Her hair was still shorter than she preferred, but it would take months to grow it out to its original length. On the upside, Tucker didn’t seem to care what length her hair was.
