chapter SEVEN

"Thanks again," Brady shook Billy Sweet"s hand. "This is one nice town you have here. And that"s some world-class barbecue."

"I appreciate that, and we"re all happy as can be that you chose Andy to be part of what you"re doing. That little fella"s something special."

"I"m starting to see why you all say that, and I"ve only known him for a few hours. I share your feelings, Mr. Sweet. Most of all, I"m glad for him because he did it on his own. How many eight-year-old boys can beat out so many who are older and more educated?

"I think he"s a remarkable kid, and I hope he enjoys every moment of the camp." Brady flashed a smile at Billy, then included the crowd gathered around them. "Thank you all for your generous hospitality. If you"re ever up our way, drop on in. It might not be Sweet family good, but we know our way around beef.

"And the trout fishing is amazing," he added with another movie-star-quality smile. At least, it was in Hope"s eyes.

Brady had cast a spell of his own on the good people of Cotton Creek because they were escorted out as if he were royalty.

It was amazing to witness and be part of, but also more than a little disconcerting. Was this the way things were for him? Did this happen wherever he went?

He was a real-world enchanter, spinning a tale and delivering it with eye-to-eye contact that drew a person in, and then they were caught, held prisoner by his smooth, seductive tone.

Hope quickly looked down. This sure as heck wasn"t the time or place to have such thoughts. Those imaginings would likely return on lonely nights when her mind told her she didn"t need a man, and her body said, "Speak for yourself."

Brady was that potent, and despite the fun they"d had talking and dancing and introducing him to everyone in the place, she still felt a bit starstruck. That bothered her. Was she feeding off the reaction of the people around her, or was it all coming from her? Was she seeing him for who he was or who she wanted him to be?

That thought registered when they passed through the doors to leave. Almost simultaneously; lights blinded her from all angles. What the heck?

"Mom?" Andy pressed against her side, clearly uneasy, as was she.

"Hey, little man," Brady stooped and spoke to Andy. "Would you mind helping me explain to these people what you, I, and a bunch of others will be doing at my family"s ranch in Wyoming and why it"s important to everyone? Could you do that for me? I could sure use a friend right now."

Andy"s face brightened with happiness and excitement. "Yes, sir, I"m your friend, and my mom says you always help friends."

"Your mom"s a smart cookie, little buddy."

Andy laughed, clearly tickled by the comment. "Did you hear that, Mom?" He glanced toward Hope. "He called you a cookie." He then returned his attention to Brady, who had been studiously ignoring every question and paying attention to Andy.

"So, are you ready to do this?" Brady asked.

"Yes, sir!"

"Then let"s have at it." He offered Andy a hand, and when Andy accepted, they stood up and turned to face the reporters.

Hope watched, astonished by her son"s composure and the calm and informative way he responded to questions. Her mother stepped beside her, looped her arm around Hope"s waist, and leaned in. "Look at him go."

"Where did he get all that—composure and confidence?"

"Look at his right hand."

Hope did, and her hand flew to her mouth. Andy might appear cool as a cucumber, totally composed, but he had a death grip on Brady"s hand.

That"s all Hope could see until Brady ended the questions and turned toward her. "You ready to fly?"

Hope felt her mom"s arm tighten around her waist, saw the excitement on Andy"s face, and then looked at Brady.

And fell hook, line, and sinker. "I…" She verbally stumbled and restarted. "We"re with you."

It had to be her imagination because she could have sworn she saw a flash of something pass over his face. Anger? No. He wasn"t angry. It looked more like…what?

She gnawed on that thought bone during the ride to her home. She and her mother gathered their things and Andy"s. Brady and his driver refused to let them carry the luggage and took it to the limo as Hope made sure the place was locked.

Hope returned to her thought bone on the drive and mentally gnawed. What was that expression she saw on Brady"s face?

Anger?

No.

Disappointment?

No, that couldn"t be right.

Then what?

Then the car stopped, everyone got out, and they headed for a helicopter. This felt unreal, entirely out of her reality. But Hope hung onto Audrey"s hand and followed Brady, who was holding Andy"s hand.

"Isn"t this cool, Mom?" Andy asked as Brady buckled him into his seat and helped him with a headset.

"It sure is." Hope cut him a smile, reminding herself to stop wallowing in the poor Hope saga and return to what was important.

Andy.

And that"s what she did. For the duration of the flight, she focused on him, mentally shoving aside any thought of Brady that tried to assert dominance.

The flight was surprisingly long, or at least it seemed so to her. Perhaps it had more to do with Brady sitting across from her with Andy, looking in her direction now and then.

Why did he have to be so darn nice?

She had no answer to that or any other question when they arrived at the airport, where a jet waited.

"Wow," Andy breathed when he got a look at it. "It"s like the President"s plane."

"Not quite that big, buddy," Brady said with a chuckle. "But there are three bedrooms and a game room, so if you"re tired—"

"A game room?" Andy"s eyes nearly gleamed with eagerness.

"Yep."

"Can I play games?"

"Absolutely." Brady immediately agreed, then amended. "If it"s okay with your mom."

"Mom?" Andy looked at her pleadingly.

"Sure, as long as it doesn"t bother anyone else. And there"s a time limit, you know."

"Okay, Mom," He turned to Brady with renewed enthusiasm. "I can play, Mr. Brady Blackstone."

"Well, that"s good. Then, as soon as we"re in the air, we"ll get you all set up."

Andy grinned at him and then at Hope, and she saw something. Something beautiful and potentially harmful. Andy"s case of hero worship was growing. Considering his situation in life, it was within the realm of possibility that Andy might try to invest too much into the relationship with Brady.

Hope made a mental note to speak with Brady about it. She didn"t doubt that he was honorable and felt confident he would handle it tactfully if asked to help ensure Andy didn"t over-invest in the relationship.

Good grief, this was supposed to be an adventure, but instead, it felt like some kind of reality game challenge. Meet the man of your dreams who you can"t have and figure out how to be okay with that while also trying to prevent your son from having unrealistic expectations of his relationship with the man. If that were not enough, there was also the matter of her mother, Sadie, and Grace.

Something happened between them, both in the shop today and sometime in the past. What puzzled Hope was that her mother never mentioned she knew Sadie Three Rivers or Grace Whitebull Blackstone.

Why?

There was too much going on behind the scenes of this adventure, and Hope wasn"t convinced she was prepared for any of it. She could keep a lid on her curiosity and impatience with her mother, just as she could control her patience and understanding with Andy.

The one thing she didn"t seem to have the power to accomplish was to suppress her ever-growing attraction for Brady Blackstone.

This was not normal. Not at all. She needed to have a serious conversation with her mother. Something was different about him. He was almost too charming. She needed to know more about him, whether he was genuine or if this was an act.

Within the hour, they were in the air in the Blackstone company jet. All Hope could equate it to was the lavish planes used in films or stories about the rich and famous.

Andy was already ensconced in the game room. Her mother, Sadie, and Grace played gin rummy in the salon and drank wine.

Judson opted to sit in the copilot"s chair, which left Brady and Hope in the lounge. They sat at a table for two. "Want something to drink?" Brady asked.

"Water?"

"Coming up."

When he rose to fetch the drinks, Hope pulled out a small plastic storage bag from her purse, set the purse aside, and spilled the contents onto the table between her and Brady. She then began arranging the items from the bag.

Creating little creatures or figures was a way to clear her mind or shut out the world so she could sink into her own thoughts. Hope wasn"t sure how successful she"d be at that. Shutting out Brady"s presence was going to take some energy, but right now, she needed to try so she could get her footing back. Being around him knocked her off her center.

She glanced down the way to where her mother sat, smiling and chatting. Keeping a lid on her curiosity about how her mother knew Sadie and always pretended not to wouldn"t be easy, either.

*****

Brady returned with the drinks and handed Hope a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she smiled at him as she accepted. He sat, watched her twist off the cap, and take a long drink.

"Oh, that was good," She breathed when she lowered the bottle. "Barbecue always makes me thirsty."

"Same here." Brady agreed as he took a seat. There was silence as he watched Hope arrange items on the table. What in the world was she doing? She had toothpicks, threads of different colors and varying weights, bits of what looked like hair or fur, small pieces of plastic, scissors, and a long needle-like apparatus.

She seemed oblivious to him, and he wondered if she was absorbed in what she was doing or just ignoring him. He"d felt a coolness ever since they left the Honky Tonk. He just didn"t understand the cause.

Andy ran in to ask if he could have another hour of games and switch games. Brady gladly offered to switch out the games for him. At present, the silence between him and Hope didn"t seem all that comfortable so he might as well do something else.

An hour passed with Andy asking questions about what they were flying above, how long it would take to get there, how cold it would be, what time it would be, and if he"d get to ride a horse.

Audrey stuck her head in the door and asked if there was a place Andy could lie down and read. It impressed him that Andy didn't argue.

Within minutes Audrey and Andy were reclining on a big bed in one of the private rooms, with drinks on the nightstands and happily reading.

Brady returned to where Hope sat. Earlier, he watched her use toothpicks lashed together with some kind of stiff thread to form a skeleton. After that, she wrapped what looked like a thin wool rope around the frame. She"d wind a short length, stop, and use the needle to punch into the wool. Little by little, a shape formed.

When Brady left to show Audrey and Andy to the bedroom, the figure in Hope"s hand was starting to resemble a dog or something like a dog.

Now, as he reclaimed his seat, he was amazed to see that the shape had been refined, and with the addition of color, it seemed she was creating a tiny little fox, sitting with front feet tucked close, looking up, with its long tail curled around one side.

She continued to work, never glancing his way. What the heck had brought on this sudden change in attitude? For the life of him he couldn"t remember saying or doing anything that would offend or anger her.

Finally, he gave up trying to figure it out. Obviously, he didn"t have all the information he needed to achieve that. So, he just opened his mouth. "What happened?"

Her hands stilled, and she looked up at him. "Pardon?"

"What happened? You seemed so friendly until we left the Honky Tonk, and now you have the air of someone stuck with someone they don"t want to be with or don"t like."

"That"s not true." She protested but looked down at the little figure in her hand rather than meeting his gaze.

"Really?" he asked as he reached over and tried to touch her hand.

She immediately pulled both her hands out of reach. "See?" He hated that his voice carried a tone of annoyance and tried to temper it. "I"m sorry. I just don"t get it. I thought we all had a good day and fun at the Honky Tonk. So, what happened, Hope? Did I suddenly grow a third ear, or was your friendliness just an act?"

The look on her face told him the answer to that. After an initial expression of shock, she blushed and looked away. "Come on," Brady cajoled in a gentler tone. "What"s going on?"

Embarrassment was now compounded with the feeling that she"d hurt his feelings. That wasn"t the way to treat someone who was giving your child one of the biggest opportunities of his life.

"Fear."

"Fear?"

Hope nodded. "This is the first time I"ve been on a helicopter or a plane, and I was a little nervous. Okay, a lot."

"Why didn"t you say something?"

She glanced in the direction of the bedroom. "I didn"t want him to be afraid."

Brady nodded. "That kid makes his own mind up about things. At least, that"s how it seems to me. But back to you. Are you feeling at ease now?"

Hope nodded and scooped up her little figure. "More grounded, thanks." Feeling ill at ease with the attention being on her, she started working on the sculpture.

"I"m amazed you can take what you had in that bag and turn it into something like that. The display in your window looks like something that belongs at that theme park in Florida. A beautiful fantasy."

"It is a fantasy," she admitted, glancing at him briefly before returning to her creation. "When I was young, we lived with my grandparents on their farm. They raised cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and llamas. Since it was my job to help feed and clean up the stalls, pens, and coops, I noticed all the feathers and hair and started collecting it.

"My grandmother paid attention, and one day, she took me into what everyone called her sewing room. She rarely allowed anyone in. I remember seeing my mom go in, but no one else.

"Anyway, she let me in, and it was like stepping into a scene out of my own mind. There were butterflies and birds, fairies with iridescent wings, and dragons that made you want to hug them. They were so cute. Everywhere you looked, you saw her version of the life that shared the land with us.

"I fell in love and begged her to teach me."

"Obviously, she did," Brady commented when she fell silent.

"She let me watch her, then gave me the supplies and tools I needed – pretty much what I had in this bag – and told me to bring my own world to life."

Hope"s hands stilled, and she smiled at the memory. "Bring it to life. I didn"t know what she meant until I finished, held it in my hands, and looked into its plastic eyes. It was a cross between a chipmunk and …and something; I don"t know what. But for me, it was a miracle because for one split second, it seemed there was life in its eyes, that its smile widened a bit, and a tremor ran through its body."

"It became real to me, and I loved and kept it with me until the day my mom told me we needed to sit with Gran because it was her time to step through the veil into her next life journey."

Hope blushed and fell silent. "I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to go on like that."

"Actually, I"d like to hear more. What happened after your mother told you that?"

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Hope was shocked that he"d be interested.

"I am. Please, continue."

"Okay, well, we all went to the edge of the stream that ran through the property. It was such a beautiful day." Hope closed her eyes as she remembered. "Dappled sunlight on the ground beneath the trees that sheltered the stream bank created a kind of misshapen circle on the ground as if marking a spot.

"So, we created her pallet there, and my mother sat behind her, supporting and holding her as we gathered around. She spoke to us in person – my mom, aunt, cousins, and finally me.

"She said I was the child of her soul, the one most closely connected to her genetically and spiritually. I didn"t know what that meant, but I liked that she thought we were closer than everyone else. It made me feel special.

"And it gutted me. She was going to leave me, and I couldn"t stop it, and I didn"t want her not to exist. I told her that, and she smiled and reached for my hand.

"'Don"t you worry, my sweet earth fairy. This isn"t the end. The story"s just ready to move to somewhere new. And you know I"ll always be as close as your mind. All you have to do is close your eyes, and you"ll see me.

"'One day, when you"re grown, you won"t even have to do that. You"ll feel me with you like your mother"s presence. We"re part of you, sweet girl, for always. Now, you promise me that you"ll never neglect what you bring to life, that you"ll always breathe strength and love into it, and you"ll let its magic touch others in need. Be someone who heals and soothes, who helps people glimpse the magic. And if you do, I promise, you"ll find the joy you seek.'"

"I put the figure in her hand, wrapped her fingers around it, kissed them, and told her I loved her. And …:"

"Then what?" he asked, and she looked at him, added. "Please."

"Okay," Hope took a sip from her bottle before continuing. "And then there was a—a flare, no that"s not correct. It was a sudden glow. As swift as a heartbeat, lighting the whole area. When it faded, she was gone. My mother said she took her light and traveled to another life."

"I didn"t care about that at the time. I just wanted her back. I felt like my heart would break, and I tried to will life back into her, gripping her hand so tightly that it took my mother and aunt to pry my hands from her."

She sniffed and looked in his direction. What met her gaze delivered a shock. She saw him blink a glistening tear from one eye. Uh, oh. Charismatic, drop-dead gorgeous, kind, and with a big heart. Why the heck was Brady Blackstone, a single man?

"Was she right?"

Hope hated that question. No matter how she answered, she did someone in her life a disservice. But there was no shame in honesty. "I wish I knew. Do any of us know what that joy is that we chase and long for? I wanted to be loved and have a family. I got part of that. I got Andy, and that gave me a kind of joy that was incomparable. And with him and my mom, I have a beautiful family. But, as selfish as it may be to some, sometimes I long for more than my role as a mother.

"I suppose I have dreams and wishes like everyone. I haven"t succeeded in checking things off Hope"s wish list."

"Hope"s wish list," he repeated softly. "Would it be asking too much to know what"s on that list?"

She almost refused, but he seemed genuinely interested, so she acquiesced. "Okay, let"s see. A home with a yard, a place where Andy could learn about being part of the land and maybe learn to do the cowboy things he wants so badly to be able to do. To be able to afford to send him to college and maybe save so when he"s ready to be out on his own, he has a little nest egg."

"That"s all?" he asked. "Nothing for just you?"

"Oh yes, of course. I want my mom to have enough to do whatever she wants. She"s put in her time taking care of all of us. She should get a turn just living and doing what makes her happy."

"Again, that"s not for Hope. What do you want?"

Hope considered it, wanting to answer honestly but needing to cover her unease. "Oh, there"s so much. I"m not a selfless woman at all. I have lots of wishes." She tried to be glib.

"Like what?"

"Hmm." Her hands stilled for a moment but went into motion with her words. "I want to be able to hear only the sounds of nature when I first wake and the last moment before I sleep. I want to be away from the energy of others so I can replenish and grow."

"All by yourself?"

"Well, with Andy, of course. And my mom if she wants to be there."

"No." He shook his head and reached over to still her hands, then cupped his large hands around hers. "What do you want for you, Hope? If you could have anything, what would it be?"

"A safe and happy home for my family that is in a place that gives us room to breathe. And—no, never mind, that"s it."

"No, it"s not. What do you not want to say?"

"Nothing." She tried to pull her hands away, but Brady held on.

"Maybe you want to say that you"d like to be more than a mother."

Hope remained silent, and Brady leaned a bit closer. "Maybe you and I have something in common. I"m already a fortunate man. Through no efforts of my own, I"d never need to work a day in my life and could afford all the creature comforts of life.

"But my father taught me that money"s importance is in the good you can do with it to make the world better and that we all should learn the nature of service."

"And that"s why you were in the military?" she asked.

"Reading up on me?" Brady winked and grinned.

"Busted," she admitted after a moment but returned the smile. "But you didn"t answer the question."

"The answer is yes. I put in my time and learned all the military had to teach. When it ends, I"ll come home and work for the family business."

"When will that be?"

"Honestly, I don"t know. Six months ago, I"d have said never. Now? Now I don"t know. Life keeps tossing me curve balls, and I don"t seem to be able to get my glove on one if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I understand. But let"s say you quit soon and went home. Would you then have everything?"

"Not even close."

Hope stared at him for several seconds before responding. "What more could you possibly want?"

"The same as you. To hear the sounds of nature during that first moment of consciousness at the start of the day, and to turn my head and look at the face of the woman I love, looking back at me and sharing the moment."

"Well, heck, Brady, you can have your pick, you know. Of women, I mean."

"Not really," he argued, then added, "Look, I know I"m not an ogre, but that"s genetics. I didn"t do a thing to earn it, so I don"t take credit and don"t let it define me. But it takes more than someone wanting you for your looks, possessions, or bank account if you know what I mean."

"No, I truly don"t," she admitted. "But I am sorry that you think people can"t be attracted to you for who you are. Yeah, you"re smoking hot and could charm the devil, but you"re also a nice person.

"Just ask Andy. You know what he said about you?"

"No."

"That one day there"ll be a little boy who"s the luckiest boy in the world. And you know why?"

Brady shook his head, and she smiled as she remembered the unrestrained honesty and hero worship her son displayed for Brady. "Because you"ll be his dad."

After shaking his head, Brady released her hands and sat back, staring at her. "I reckon that"s probably the nicest thing anyone ever said about me. But I can"t say that"s how things will be."

Hope shrugged and turned her attention back to her creation. "Well, I reckon we have something in common, Mr. Brady Blackstone."

"What"s that?"

"Both of us wish there was someone special in our lives but wouldn"t bet a nickel on it happening."

"I guess so," he agreed. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Nothing," she decided. "Fate will direct things as they were supposed to go. We just enjoy what we have. Like right now. Lll I think maybe you and I just took a step toward being friends, and I don"t know about you, but I could use a good friend."

"So could I." He extended his hand across the table.

Hope took his hand, noticing the strength and warmth in his grip and the look in his eyes. For the first time, she saw loneliness. Maybe because, for the first time, she was seeing Brady for Brady and not for the tap dance he was causing with her hormones.

And like her mom always said, Hope had a soft spot for all the lost souls, the unhappy people trying to find some joy in life.

This time, that soft spot was for a man she"d probably always have a crush on, but also one she admired and felt a huge debt of gratitude to for the gift he and his family had given her son.

If friends were all she could ever be with Brady, so be it. Besides, she consoled herself. She and Andy would only be in Wyoming for two weeks, and then they"d return home, and Brady Blackstone would likely not think of them again unless, in the kindly way you remember an absent friend.

Don"t expect anything, and you never are disappointed. That"s something her grandmother and mother stressed and something she tried to adhere to.

But dang, if it wasn"t tough this time, because, for the first time in her life, Hope was completely enchanted, smitten, mesmerized, and enthralled with a man. One she couldn"t ever have.

Just her luck.