chapter Ten

"I thought we"d seen our share of big shindigs in Texas," Audrey commented as she walked beside Hope toward the main compound. There were already kids in the various corrals practicing sheep and calf roping, team roping, and barrel racing.

"You don"t realize how big this place is until you see all those kids, the adults supervising, the animals, and the parents watching," Audrey commented. "There are well over a hundred people here, and there"s ample room for what"s going on now, plus the biggest corral being decked out for the band and the cowboy competition."

"It"s quite a place, that"s for sure," Hope agreed. "And you seem to be enjoying yourself. I hardly see you."

"I"m sorry. I"ve been spending a lot of time with Grace and Sadie, and they came up with an idea they want me to run by you."

"What idea?"

"About branching out and opening a Magic Threads shop in town."

"Town, as in that place that"s a good hour"s drive from here?"

"Yes."

"And you like that idea?"

"I"m considering it."

"What would happen to the shop in Cotton Creek?"

"I don"t know. Yet. I haven"t decided it"s something I want to do. If you"re against it, then I will definitely say no."

"But you like the idea." Hope could see that gleam of excitement in her mother"s eyes and smile.

"I do think it sounds exciting. New places and new challenges often are, don"t you think?"

"How would I know? Aside from here, I"ve spent my whole life in Cray County, Texas."

"Well, yes, I suppose that"s true. And, like I said, it"s just a thought. Oh, and not to change the subject, but Grace said the Whitebull figure you made for her is amazing, and she always keeps it with her. She said it makes her feel connected to her world and the spirit world beyond, which makes her feel blessed. What did you do special in its creation?"

Hope cut a quick look around. She didn"t like discussing her creations in front of an audience. Not because she was ashamed of what she did, but because she just didn"t think it was something anyone needed to know but her.

And her mother, of course.

"Micah"s wife, Trish, told me about a white buffalo calf that was born on the reservation, and I asked if we could go see it, so Clay had the helicopter pilot take us, and I wondered if I could have a couple of hairs from it to make a totem for Grace Whitebull.

"The people there were very accommodating, and I promised to make the Chairman of the Nation a totem as well. Anyway, I used the hair from the baby buffalo, and small end pieces from two eagle feathers I collected one morning after watching an eagle fish and then bring his catch to the shore and eat.

"I found some small blue stones in the shallow water of the lake, and I asked Brady if I could get hair from the brushes after the horses are groomed and a couple of pieces of leather they have for patching stuff."

"Interesting. Why those items?"

"Well, the white buffalo is a power symbol of hope for indigenous people. Eagles and thus their feathers symbolize what is bravest, highest, strongest, and holiest."

"And the stones and horse hair?"

"That"s spiritual as well. Native peoples have historically forged spiritual relationships with the horse. The tribes of the plains embrace it as a brother in the spirit and a link to the supernatural realm. They embody energy, beauty, and healing power.

"The stone turned out to be Azurite, which Grace said is found in the copper minds and probably washed way down here years ago. According to my research, it holds mysterious sacred qualities. Some Native tribes used it as an amulet to help the wearer contact a spirit guide. I read that when worn or carried, it allows you to feel the presence of the guide and understand the meaning of whatever message you receive."

"And you thought Grace needed all of that because?"

Hope wasn"t quite ready to answer that question. She had spent some time with Grace and Sadie but more with Grace. She felt an affinity with Grace, and they could easily talk about everything and anything. It was like being young again and talking to your best friend.

She knew that Grace had power. She was a Dreamwalker, which meant she could enter the dreams of others. However, Grace didn"t like even attempting to do that. She thought it was an invasion, and it always worried her that some kind of negative energy might attach itself to her and harm the dreamer.

Hope created the little white buffalo with the special items she described to her mother and with prayers attached. She worked on it only at night, sitting at a window where she could see the full moon. It was both a protection amulet and a power boost to help make the crossing into the spiritual or mystical world safe and easy.

What she didn"t tell her mother, and wouldn"t tell Grace, was that in the center of the buffalo was a heart, one she fashioned from clay taken from a stream on the reservation. Once it dried, she pricked her finger. She painted it with her blood, asking the powers of the universe to use her life force to help protect Grace when she needed protection, soothe her when her spirit was low or sad, and inspire her to share her gifts with others.

She had no idea Grace put such value on the totem, but it made her happy that she"d created something meaningful for Grace.

"Oh look, there"s Ivy and Jud," Audrey pointed. "That little Jackie is the cutest thing."

"Yes, he is. And they"re such a cute couple. Ivy is really great. She"s been letting me help her with vet stuff, and I found out that she loves rabbits, so when we get home I"m going to make her one of those little lamps like we have in the shop window. It"ll have a little tree stump with a carved-out niche lined with moss for the bunny. The tree will have colorful mushrooms around it that glow, as well as tiny fireflies in the grass around the tree and on the leaves. I"ll light it like I did the others, and she can use it as a night light for Jackie."

"That sounds incredible." Audrey smiled. "You"re sure making friends here."

"So, are you, hot mama." Hope gave her mother a look and added, "Yep, gotcha. I saw that big cowboy sneaking out of your room the other night."

Audrey tossed her hair. "What can I say? A woman has needs."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, that"s your fault, girlie. You get asked out, but you"re never interested. No, wait, you were never interested. I think Mr. Brady Blackstone changed that."

"Oh my God, Mom, he is so…" She couldn"t finish the sentence aloud but could sure think the rest. Hot, handsome, sexy.

"He sure is," Audrey agreed. "And you know I won"t say a word if you hook up with—"

"Hook up?" Hope stopped and put a hand on one hip. "I can"t believe I just heard you, Audrey Evans, advocate for your daughter to hook up with some man she barely knows."

Audrey sniffed away Hope"s dramatic presentation and took her arm to keep them moving forward. "Trust me, baby girl, you"ll know him a lot better after you experience what he has to offer."

"I"m always so grateful for your motherly advice, you know?"

"I do indeed." Audrey smiled and, after a second, laughed. So did Hope. She loved that she and Audrey could just be women at times, not mom and daughter, but women who are friends.

There was another blessing she needed to be more mindful of. Not many people were as lucky.

"Oh look, there"s Andy with Brady and Clay," Audrey pointed. "Did you know Andy"s the youngest child selected to be here?"

"Yes, I did," Hope looked in her son"s direction, noticing how his attention shifted from one man to the other, to all appearances, following their conversation. "It concerned me at first because the only child close in age is a twelve-year-old boy from Nebraska."

"Well, our boy is smarter than the lot," Audrey bragged, and when Hope shot her a look, she added, "He"s my grandson, and I can think of him as the best if I want."

"Well, yes, you can," Hope agreed, knowing that Audrey did not deliver false praise or accolades. She gave praise when it was deserved, not frivolously.

Andy spotted them and said something to Brady. After Brady responded, he took off running toward them. "Mom! Gigi, guess what? I"m going to team rope with Nathan. He"s fifteen and a whole lot stronger. But Mr. Clay says I"m better at roping, so it will balance things out if I take the head and let Nathan take the feet."

"And that is about as clear as mud," Hope said with a chuckle, "but I can"t wait to see you do it."

"Same here," Gigi added. "When does that start."

"Pretty soon!" Andy cut a look over his shoulder. "There"s Nathan. I have to go tell him. I hope he doesn"t mind being my partner. He"s older, you know."

"I"m sure he will be fine with it. Have fun. We"ll be watching."

Immediately following that moment, Hope and Audrey were swept up in the competitions, the games, and the excitement.

She cheered for the contestants, applauded the winners, screamed in joy when Andy and his partner won the team roping, and nearly cried when he accepted his award and thanked Mr. Brady Blackstone and all his family for teaching him how to be a better roper and a better boy.

It was the most beautiful celebration of life, and Hope forgot everything but what was happening and the joy on the faces of the people there.

When everyone had finished eating, Clay gave a short speech. Afterward, Grace stood and invited everyone to the grand corral for music and dancing. The Blackstone family got up and followed Clay and Grace.

That left Hope sitting alone with Audrey, but not for long. One of the ranch hands, a foreman named Rick, approached and asked Audrey to dance.

There was no surprise. She was a beautiful woman. And it was clear from the look on the man"s face that he was smitten with Audrey. Who could blame him? She was a gorgeous, vibrant woman.

As Hope watched, Brady approached her and touched her shoulder. "What does a man have to do to talk you into dancing with him?"

"Just ask, handsome," she teased. Hope had learned that the best way to handle her ever-strengthening case of lust for Brady was to be teasing and, hopefully, playful. She"d be mortified for him to know what a crush she had on him.

"Then let"s do it, gorgeous."

For the next hour, they danced, laughed, switched partners, switched back, and did that so many times Hope was sure she"d danced with every man present.

When the circle was complete, and she was facing Brady again, the music slowed from the lively two-stepping tunes to something slow.

Hope had no doubt that she would remember forever what it felt like when Brady took her in his arms. As much as she struggled against it, she was a goner, completely and totally head over heels, crazy about him.

"Finally," he murmured against her hair.

"Finally, what?"

"This. You in my arms."

She didn"t know how to answer. It sounded like the words of a man interested in her, but surely that wasn"t right. As much as she wanted it to be, she simply couldn"t believe it.

–him being so divine and her being so average–in less than a month, he"d be back on active duty and probably forget her entirely.

For her, it would be completely different. She"d never forget him. Hope surprised herself with her reaction to that thought. Once more, she resolved to get every moment of joy she could from it. So, she held on tighter and pressed closer, pretending this was real and he was hers.

When the song ended, Brady escorted her away from the dancers, stopping to say something to his father. Clay nodded, patted Brady on the shoulder, and Brady returned to Hope.

"Do you trust me, Hope Evans?"

"What an odd question."

"But an important one. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

His smile told her that was the answer he wanted. Brady pulled a bandana from his back pocket and folded it. "Then come with me."

"Okay," she agreed, and then, when he reached out with the bandana in his hands, she stepped back. "Hold on, what"s that for?"

"You"ll see. Trust me."

"Don"t make me regret this," she warned in what she hoped was a braver voice than what she felt. What was he doing?

He put on the blindfold, put his arm around her shoulders, and guided her. They walked for a long time, and several people called out, asking what they were doing. Brady passed it off with comments like "Wouldn"t you like to know?" and "Get your own girl."

He helped her into something, she wasn"t sure what until he started the engine. She"d ridden in the ATVs enough the past week to recognize the sound.

"Where are we going?"

"You"ll see. Trust me, it"ll be worth it."

She didn"t argue, she just waited until the vehicle stopped and then asked. "What next?"

"Just wait. It won't be long."

*****

Brady pulled two thick quilts from the back of the ATV and spread them one atop the other on the ground. "No peeking."

"Ok."

When he had the quilts in place, he returned to the ATV and took her hand. "Okay, step out, move toward me."

Brady credited her for not arguing, protesting, or refusing to go along. He led her to the quilt and turned her around. "Okay, take my hands and sit."

"Sit?"

"Yeah, hold onto my hands."

"I better not be getting ready to sit in a pool of pudding or mud or something."

"Naw, it"s better than that."

She did as asked, and then he sat beside her. "I"m going to remove the blindfold, but I want you to keep your eyes closed until I say open them."

"Okay."

He removed the blindfold and put his arm around her shoulders. "Okay, it"s time."

"For what?" She didn"t open her eyes, and he wondered if she was concerned about what would happen next.

"Your wish come true, courtesy of your son, the amazing Andrew Evans."

Her eyes flew open, and she blinked a couple of times, looked up and around, and her hands went to her face as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Oh, my God, Brady. It"s perfect," she said and felt for his hand. "Better than anything I ever imagined."

"Then let"s enjoy it." He lay back and tugged her with him.

For a long time, they lay there, then she sat and looked at him. "Thank you for remembering—for doing this. I—I can"t believe you remembered."

"I don"t know how I could forget."

"That"s really sweet, but me and my wishes aren"t that memorable."

"They–and you–are to me," he sat and faced her. "I wish you could see yourself the way I do, Hope. You"d be very hard to forget. And if you don"t mind me saying so, you"re someone I don"t want to forget."

"Oh, I don"t mind it," she admitted, "but it might be what ends up hurting me."

"I"d never hurt you." His voice carried a note of hurt, and she regretted that, but she wouldn"t lie.

"I know you wouldn"t. Not intentionally. But… we"re different, Brady. This…" She moved her hand, pointing from him to her. "This is normal for you– this flirtation. For me…for me, it"s not."

"You can"t sit here and tell me that men don"t flirt with you."

"Oh, it"s not the flirting that is dangerous," she admitted. "It"s… never mind."

If there was one conversation she wanted to avoid having with Brady, it was this one. How did you tell a man like him that your problem wasn"t with him but that he was way out of her league?

"Hope?" His voice was so gentle she couldn"t stop from glancing at him and then quickly away.

"Come on, whatever it is, I swear I won"t be mad. Just tell me what happened to ruin this for you, and if I can, I"ll make it right."

When she finally looked at him, he obliterated her defenses with his words and expression. Brady was being genuine, but she was not. That wouldn"t do.

It was adult time, so she shoved the embarrassment aside and answered honestly. "Okay, look, here it is. I – no, wait, let me start over. You"re a man who can have any woman he wants. You charm everyone you meet, make them fall in love with you, and crave that smile that makes them feel that you reserve that look just for them. You"re sexy and handsome, charming and intelligent ,and as far as I can tell, as nice as you are gorgeous.

"Then there"s me—your average thirty-three year old woman with an eight-year-old son.

"I"m a woman who creates fantasy characters and worlds. A mom with a son who never had a father and tries his best not to let it show that a dad is what he wants most of all. And a mother who"s magic through and through.

"I haven"t had a date since Andy was born and don"t know how to act when someone like you is flirtatious and friendly. You asked me if I was ready to fly when we were leaving the Honky Tonk. I wanted to say something flirtatious that would make you think I was fun or cute, but I couldn"t because I knew that you"d shoot me down at some point. Then I"d feel humiliated and like a fool for even thinking that a man like you would have any interest at all in a woman like me."

Brady listened with growing disbelief. How could Hope have such a distorted view of herself? He"d known her for only eight days and was already wondering how in the world he"d ended up being so enchanted.

That"s how it felt, like magic. And magic didn"t happen to Brady Blackstone. He was pragmatic and very real with himself. Yes, he was a flirt and knew how to turn on the charm, but he did that to cover the fact that his feelings were all surface. He loved women – everything about them – but he"d never been in love.

He"d never been drawn to a woman in any way other than a casual flirtation or sexual encounter. Until he met Hope, that was. This wasn"t supposed to happen to him. It wasn"t part of the plan. He wasn"t made to be thrown for a loop or bowled off his feet by a woman.

Yet that"s exactly what she"d done, and now he was determined not to let the moment pass. It was like his brother Jud told him. When you meet the woman that makes you want to be a better man, grab hold and don"t let go.

Was that what Hope made him feel? She sure made him feel something, and he damn sure wanted to be the kind of man she"d be attracted to.

But did that mean she could be the one Jud spoke of? The one that would make his life fuller and happier and make him feel complete?

"Well, Ms. Hope, I hate to be labeled argumentative, but that"s a load of manure because from where I sit, I see a beautiful woman with talent, grace, and a smile that could charm the most sour person alive.

"You"re sure as heck not less than anything, and what"s most important, at least to me, is that I like you, and I want to be around you and get to know you better."

He took a chance and made his move, took hold of her, and pushed her back, pinning her to the ground and balancing over her on hands and knees. "So, what do you say? Want to be friends?"

Hope stared at him for a long moment, and then a smile rose on her face. "I do."

"The kind who kiss?"

He thought she"d refuse, but she surprised him when she put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him down. When their lips met, Brady knew this kiss was special.

He could feel it in his gut. And there was one thing about that Blackstone gut. It was dead on the money most of the time.

Brady lowered down, deepening the kiss, and felt a slight tremor run through her a moment before a tiny groan sounded in her throat.

That delivered his libido something similar to a dose of adrenaline jabbed into your chest. Sudden, powerful, and almost impossible to combat.

Brady rolled onto his back, staring at the sky and letting his body return to normal. He thought he had control until she rolled over on top of him and sat, straddling his body.

"Wow, I don"t think I ever felt like this."

He wasn"t sure if that statement was flattery or condemnation, so he remained silent. "You"re very—potent, Brady."

Potent.

Well, that word had never been applied to him, but he liked it. Her smile wiped away the remainder of his apprehension.

Brady returned the smile, thinking he never expected anything like this when he flew to Texas to meet and transport Andy Evans back to Wyoming.

"I"ve never been called potent."

"Really?" She wiggled slightly on him as she readjusted her position. "I find that hard to believe."

"It"s true. Oh, and speaking of hard to believe, I didn"t know you helped design game characters. Ellis said he owns one. He and some of his buds went through a gaming phase, and when they had downtime, they spent it blowing things up, out of the sky, the water, or just leveling cities." He became acutely aware that his hands were rubbing up and down her legs, from knee to crotch. He"d not even realized he was doing that. It didn"t appear she minded, which brought a little twinge of excitement.

Hope smiled and leaned forward, putting her hands on his chest for support. "I don"t design the games. I have no skills at all for that. But I can create custom avatars for people who want to have a unique gaming presence."

"That"s interesting. Do a lot of gamers do that?" Brady liked the warmth of her hands and how she rocked slightly back and forth.

"The ones who can afford it."

"Are they expensive?"

"I guess that depends on your financial status. For some, yes. For others, it"s not a significant amount."

"Define significant."

"Five thousand."

"For one character?"

"One unique character."

"Okay, I get it. One of a kind has value. So, do you do a lot of those?"

"Not really. Maybe ten a year."

"Not a bad chunk of change."

"It all goes into trust for Andy."

"All? You don"t even get a little something?"

Hope smiled and leaned down so close he could feel her breath on his face. "I get something every day."

"What?"

"The satisfaction of knowing that he won"t start life broke when the time comes. He"ll have a little nest egg for those lean times or to help buy a home or whatever he needs. That"s what matters."

"And that"s all you want? You said you have wishes."

"And I told you what they are."

"There"s nothing else?"

When she shook her head and started to sit, he stopped her by rolling them over and into a position with him sitting Indian style, and her in his lap with her legs wrapped around him.

"Come on, Hope. Just one thing," he cajoled.

"Fine," she said with a dramatic sigh, then smiled. "I"ve never been married, haven"t had a date since Andy was born, and honestly feel like I"m around a movie star or something when I look at you and–and…"

"You were saying?" He saw the flush that"d risen on her face when he ran his hands behind her, across her butt, and up her back.

"I—I uh…". She smacked at his arm. "Stop that, I can"t think."

Brady grinned and mock apologized. "Sorry." He leaned back, supporting himself with his arms. "Don"t stop."

From the disgruntled expression that appeared on her face, he thought she was buttoning up, but she surprised him. "I"m not super educated or super experienced with men. There are some good-looking men in Cotton Creek, but not like you. There"s something about you that"s more than just being big, bad, and sexy.

"And I"ve never been with a man like you. I"m simple, I guess. Or scared. I trusted a man once, and he really let me down. I don"t know how to bestow that level of trust anymore.

"So, I focus on what I can do for Andy and Mom. If something happened to me, I want to know they"d be okay and provided for. So, I do the avatars and create with… with lots of things – glass and metal, fur and fiber. Whatever works to help me achieve what I"m after.

"I created a lot of avatars when Andy first went to school. I paid off my mom"s shop, apartment, and car in three years. Now, my car, Andy"s college fund, and trust are funded, and I can relax and enjoy working a little less.

"And witnessing my sweet boy having the time of his life," she finished. Her smile vanished, and she reached up to place her hand on Brady"s face. "I will never be able to repay what you"ve done for him. And—and it"s not just what you"ve done for Andy. I need you to know that. Meeting you has been the most exciting thing that"s ever happened to me. So, that"s three huge blessings. "

"Three?"

"Well, yes, being here, under this sky, is my number one dream come true." Her thumb gently stroked back and forth on the side of his face. "What about you? Do you have a dream?"

"I think I do."

"Care to share?"

"Well, since you asked." He pulled her close and could feel the quiver that ran through her when his lips kissed her chin.

"Tell me," she whispered.

"I"m more of a showing kinda guy."

There it was, another quiver and he could have sworn her body temperature jumped a few degrees. How incredible that such small reactions could inspire such a surge in desire.

"Then show me," she invited.

For a moment, Brady wondered if he was misreading the situation, and then she kissed him, a slow, light kiss. She drew back and looked directly into his eyes. "Show me now, Brady. Before I chicken out."

"I won"t hurt you," he said and immediately wondered why he spoke those words. Why did he feel the need to make that proclamation?

"Sure you will," she whispered as she drew in close again. "But we"ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, let"s combine dreams. Make love to me under the sky."

Make love. Brady wasn"t sure he"d ever done that. Sex? Oh, hell yeah, he had that down pat. Was there a difference? He didn"t think so but couldn"t argue the point now.

Now, he had a woman in his arms he"d longed to get his hands on. He wasn"t going to let anything interfere with that.