Heart of Texas Volume 1: Lonesome Cowboy. Debbie Macomber
Grady left. On his way out of town, he decided to stop off at the post office and talk to Caroline. If he couldn’t get through to his sister, maybe her best friend could. Reversing direction, he headed down Maple, then sat in the parking lot, debating the wisdom of his decision. In the past year or so he’d begun to notice Caroline Daniels. She was younger than Savannah, and while they’d been friends for several years, he’d always thought of her as a kid. For some time now it’d become difficult to view Caroline as anything but an attractive woman.
However, Caroline was also opinionated and headstrong. More often than not, her views clashed with his own, and as a result, they argued frequently. Another problem existed, as well.
Maggie.
Grady enjoyed the five-year-old, but for reasons he didn’t understand, the little girl was terrified of him. Savannah babysat her on Monday nights while Caroline did volunteer work, and it had reached the point that Grady stayed out of sight rather than intimidate the little girl.
Things being what they were, it was a risk to ask for Caroline’s help, but one he was willing to take. More than anything, asking Caroline to join forces with him proved how desperate he’d grown to get Savannah to see reason.
Thankfully Caroline was alone when he approached the front counter.
“Hello, Grady,” she said, glancing up from the mail she was sorting.
“Have you had lunch yet?” he asked.
Her eyes widened—but she was no more surprised by his invitation than he was himself.
“It’s three-thirty.”
“Coffee, then,” he suggested gruffly, feeling gauche for not looking at the time. No wonder his stomach growled; he’d missed lunch entirely. Which also went to show how desperate he’d become.
“I don’t suppose it’d hurt if I took a few minutes off,” she said, and set the mail aside.
Definitely curious, Caroline invited him behind the counter. She located a clean mug for him in the back room and filled his cup and her own. “What’s on your mind?” she asked.
“Savannah.” Grady couldn’t see any need to beat around the bush. “I’m worried about her and that drifter.”
“He has a name,” Caroline said, stirring a spoonful of sugar into her coffee.
“Sure. Smith.”
“Laredo Smith.”
“All right, Laredo Smith,” he said impatiently. Grady didn’t know what it was about Caroline that attracted and irritated him at the same time. Lately he found it difficult to carry on a decent conversation with the woman, although he did actually like her.
“What’s the problem?” Caroline asked, her eyes meeting his above the rim of her mug.
“I’m afraid he’s going to abuse her generosity.” In Grady’s opinion, the wrangler was already guilty of that and more.
“Don’t you trust your sister’s judgment?”
“Of course,” he flared. “It’s just that she’s naive and vulnerable. Savannah doesn’t have a lot of experience with men, especially smooth talkers like Laredo Smith.”
“Laredo’s a smooth talker?” Caroline echoed. “I hadn’t noticed.” The mug was at her lips again, and it seemed to him she purposely held it there to hide a smile. Apparently his concern for Savannah amused her.
“Is something funny?” he challenged, disliking the way she made him the target of her humor.
“Of course not.” The amusement left her eyes, replaced by a mock seriousness that infuriated him even more.
“I can see coming here was a mistake,” he said, putting the mug down with a clatter. “I should have known you’d find this all a joke.” He turned away, but she stopped him.
“Grady.”
He hesitated.
“Listen, I doubt there’s as much to worry about as you think. Savannah’s the most levelheaded person I know.”
Grady used to believe the same thing. “She’s not herself. He’s changed her.”
“Yes, he has,” Caroline admitted.
At last they could agree on something. “Then you know what I’m saying?”
“Grady,” she said, her look gentle, “Laredo has changed Savannah, but he’s changed her for the better. Don’t you see how happy she is? You can’t be around her and not feel it. I might not be the best judge of character, but I don’t think Laredo is evil incarnate the way you seem to. Maggie was full of stories about him Monday night after I picked her up. She thought he was great. It isn’t every man who’d sit and read to a five-year-old until she fell asleep. Savannah said the three of them spent an hour in the calving barn, showing Maggie the newborn calves.”
“In other words she likes Smith,” Grady muttered. Maggie liked Smith but not him. Caroline apparently didn’t realize the insult she’d delivered.
“It’s much more than that.”
“Really?” He didn’t even try to hide his sarcasm.
“What is it you’re really afraid of?” she asked.
For the first time Caroline sounded concerned. He held her gaze a long time, then finally said, “I don’t want anyone to take advantage of her.”
“She’s old enough to know her own mind.”
“She’s too damn trusting.”
“Is that bad?”
“Yes,” he stormed. “I’m afraid he’s going to take advantage of her. I’m afraid Savannah’s going to end up alone and pregnant.”
The eyes that had just a moment ago revealed the first shred of understanding and compassion flickered with a jolt of unanticipated pain. It took Grady only an instant to realize what he’d said.
“In other words you’re afraid your sister will end up like me?”
Grady struggled for the words to apologize. They didn’t come easy to a man like him. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he said.
“Of course you did.”
He probably should have left well enough alone, but he was desperate and he knew Savannah would listen to Caroline before she would him. “Will you talk to her?” he asked hopefully. At her absent look he continued, “About getting rid of Smith before he can hurt her.”
“No,” she said flat out.
“No?”
“You heard me. If I was going to talk to anyone about this, it’d be you.” Caroline’s voice gained strength. “And what I’d say, Grady, is leave Savannah to live her own life.”
“And make a fool of herself?”
“Yes, if that’s what it takes. She’s not a child to be chastised and ridiculed; she’s a woman with a woman’s heart. Grady, I swear if you do anything to spoil her chance of finding happiness, I’ll never forgive you.”
“Happiness with a saddle bum like Smith?” He might have laughed if there’d been any humor in the suggestion.
“Yes,” Caroline responded without hesitation.
Furious, more with himself than with Caroline, Grady stalked out of the office. He should have known better than try to reason with Savannah’s best friend. She was as stubborn as his sister. And less tactful about it, too.
* * *
“Good afternoon, Laredo,” Savannah said shyly as she joined him in her rose garden. She carried out a tray and two tall glasses of iced tea. Rocket was at her side,