the room shortly after she went to college, but Tess still missed the one place of comfort she’d always retreated to when she was younger. That room was probably the only thing that had changed in this town during the past thirteen years.
She opened the wire door of the carrier. Ricky hesitated and then strolled out, arching his back and stretching his legs one by one.
“I know how you feel, little man.” The cat looked up at Tess and let out a soft meow. He padded over, rubbed alongside her leg and purred loudly. “I hear your motor running.”
She picked up her favorite male companion and gave him a gentle squeeze before setting him on the bed. Leaning beside the window, Tess looked out across the yard, which was enclosed by a picket fence. As if it were yesterday, she remembered her father pushing her on the old tire swing that still hung from the hickory tree.
The frenzied way her mother chased her prized Silkie chickens around the coop provided comic relief for the neighbors within earshot. The coop remained, but the chickens were long gone.
Tess inhaled sharply when the image of Tim’s face interrupted her trip down memory lane. She’d come here to forget the two-timing rat of a man. Sorting through the entire secretary elopement situation wasn’t easy. Tim had his flaws like everyone else, but running off to marry Rachel was the last thing she’d expected. Hell, the woman was in the wedding party, at Tim’s insistence, of course. Why hadn’t she seen the signs sooner?
Tim’s deceit had sent Tess into a tailspin. Why had she wasted almost two years on that poor excuse of a human being? She’d cried all night on her roommate Cheryl-Leigh’s shoulder. And when she’d thought things couldn’t get any worse, she had gone to work the next day and found out the recent corporate merger had left her jobless.
Executive management told her they were “trimming the fat.” She must have been a little chubby, because she was one of the first to go. Cheryl-Leigh remained employed at the web design company where they’d both worked, and Tess harbored a little resentment toward her best friend because of it. They were supposed to be a team.
Jesse Langtry’s wedding had come at just the right time. It was the break she needed to put some distance between her and the pain. Unable to take a real vacation over the past few years, Tess welcomed the chance to come home for more than a long weekend. Although she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself during the day, since everyone she knew in town had a job.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Another text message from one of her friends asking if she’d found Mr. Right at the airport. Clichéd as it sounded, she’d met Tim in an airport bar and her friends had yet to let her live it down.
Tess headed downstairs and crossed the wide-planked hardwood floor. She remembered her grandfather’s weekend visits to help lay the flooring and lend an extra hand with the renovations. She had been barely five when her parents bought the old house, but she recalled how much work it had needed when they first moved in. She loved New York, but there was something about the familiarity of home that tugged at her heart.
Her grade school photos were arranged on the table next to the couch. Riding trophies lined the top of the fireplace mantel. Trophies she had won thanks to Cole’s father, Joe, and his countless hours of lessons. And how did she thank the man? She missed his funeral.
In the kitchen, Tess ran her hand down the front of the refrigerator over the magnets she’d sent home from her travels abroad. Anyone entering the house felt the love the Daltons had for their daughter and one another. Sometimes Tess felt guilty for not visiting more often.
It was still a few hours before her father came home for lunch. Pouring herself a glass of sweet tea, Tess sat on the front porch swing. She rocked back and forth, the worn cedar boards creaking beneath her. Ricky jumped up and lay down beside her, his tail swishing, enjoying the freedom from his earlier confinement.
“I had my first kiss on this swing.” Tess scratched the cat behind his ears while he purred contently. “Cole Langtry.” She whispered his name for fear if she said it aloud he would suddenly appear.
They were in the sixth grade and inseparable. One afternoon, when they were swinging, he’d grabbed and kissed her. Tess was so angry she hauled off and punched him. It was their first and last kiss until they were adults. They were close throughout junior and senior high school and even attended prom together when Travis Gardner stood Tess up at the last minute so he could compete in a rodeo. Scheduled for the same event, Cole chose to escort Tess instead, telling her he would do anything to stop her tears. They were crowned king and queen of the prom, and even though the night was magical, he didn’t try to kiss her again and they didn’t pursue anything more than friendship until a few years ago.
Tess stared at the empty glass she held. She didn’t remember drinking a single sip of the cool liquid. She jumped off the swing, causing it to bang the porch railing and launch her cat through the air. “Whoops! At least you landed on your feet.”
She scooped the angry tabby up in one arm and stormed into the house. Why couldn’t she get that blasted man out of her head? The screen door slammed behind her. One day her father would finally fix that broken spring. She picked up the phone to call the ranch and then hesitated, placing it on the kitchen counter.
Outside, Tess unloaded the rest of her belongings from the trunk of the rental and began carrying them into the house while she debated what to do next. Take a nice hot bath or unpack? The heels of her boots dug deep into the ground.
Come on, eat your crow and get it over with. Tess knew she owed Kay Langtry a personal apology for missing her husband’s funeral. Repeated excuses via her mother only went so far and the woman deserved more respect than that. Guilt weighed heavily on Tess’s mind and the sooner she made amends, the sooner her conscience would stop haunting her.
Gravel flew as she jammed the key into the ignition and stepped on the gas. Without warning, the car jolted when the rear tire drove over something hard.
“What the—” Tess opened the door to see half of her luggage wedged under the car. Preoccupied with thoughts of the Langtrys, she’d forgotten about the rest of her bags. She grabbed the suitcase handle and yanked hard. It broke off in her hand, hurling her backward onto the ground. Tess sat in disbelief, staring at her expensive designer luggage.
“The perfect way to end a perfect week!” Losing all self-control, she started to laugh and felt the stress begin to leave her body. It was either laugh or cry, and at this very moment, laughter did truly feel like the best medicine.
“Are you all right, dear?” Her parent’s neighbor, Janie Anderson, stood at the end of the driveway, her Yorkie pulling toward Tess on a retractable leash. The giant pink polka-dotted bow on the top of the dog’s head seemed to make the situation even more humorous.
“Hey, Mrs. Anderson! Good to see you again!” Tess waved hello, then collapsed into another fit of laughter. Janie shook her head and continued with her walk. Still lying in the driveway, she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the suitcases. “Let’s try this again.”
Tess stood, dusting off her jeans, and proceeded to struggle, kick and swear until she managed to free her suitcases and set them in the house. Then she took a deep breath and headed out to the Langtry ranch to apologize.
* * *
COLE HAD KNOWN for a few weeks that Tess was flying into town today and had been psyching himself up to meet her fiancé. When Maggie informed him the wedding was off, he’d chastised himself for the slight elation he’d felt at the news Tess was single again.
