Gift-Wrapped Family. Lois Richer
a character.” Mia continued to study him. “Is it rude to ask how you met?”
“I was her law clerk. She taught me a lot.” Caleb started the car before realizing he didn’t know where to take her. “Do you want to go home?”
“I suppose so.” The way Mia said it made Caleb think she did not relish a return to her dowdy home.
“What would you like to do?” he asked, curious about her thoughts. She looked slightly dazed, but then who wouldn’t after hearing they had a trust fund they’d never heard of, that her husband had betrayed her and that he’d left behind a child? And that wasn’t even mentioning the attempt to steal her inheritance, information that had just been confirmed.
“It’s kind of you, but I don’t want to take up any more of your time,” Mia said after a tiny hesitation. “I can take the bus from here. You don’t have to drive me home.”
“I don’t have to, no.” Caleb could see there was something on her mind. “I’m offering. Is there something else you’d like to do?”
“Yes.” The response spilled out in a rush. “I’d like to see this Riverbend Ranch you mentioned.” Her eyes softened to misty green. “A ride out of the city would be lovely. Space, freedom, nothing but green grass, hills and trees—it’s been so long since I’ve been away from home.” The light in her eyes faded. “But that’s too much to ask.”
“The place is yours. You should see it.” Caleb felt a smug satisfaction saying that. He wanted to be the one to show Mia Riverbend Ranch, to watch her eyes stretch wide with wonder, hear her breathy gasp when they drove up the circular driveway. Somehow he knew that Mia would appreciate everything about the ranch.
“Of all the things Bella explained to me, I understand this ranch business the least. Why would Harlan buy such a place and keep it a secret from me?” Her voice quavered. “I must have done something.”
“No. You did nothing, Mia.” Caleb clenched his hands on the wheel, wishing he had more to offer than paltry words to soothe her wounded heart. “It was Harlan. There was something wrong with him that made him go outside his marriage for companionship.”
“I can’t understand that, either. You’re sure he and Reba—?” Her tone told him she wanted it to be otherwise.
“I’m pretty sure. You saw the resemblance for yourself.” Caleb hated saying it, hated the hurt filling her eyes and the wash of tears. But he’d feel bad for any woman in this situation. “I’m sorry.”
“Our marriage was a sham.” Mia choked out the words. “I’d accepted that it was only because of my mother that he married me, but now I suspect he really married me to get her money.”
“Yes,” Caleb agreed.
“We had nothing in common. Harlan didn’t care about God or keeping His commandments, but this is so far from—” For a few moments she gave way to bitter tears.
Caleb wanted to fold her in his arms and soothe her, but that wouldn’t be proper. He barely knew Mia and yet he longed to make her world right? Silly and impossible. His own past had taught him that nothing could erase the betrayal she must be feeling. So he let her cry, knowing she needed the release.
“You said Lily is five?” Mia hiccupped a sob. “That means they’ve been together about as long as we’ve been married. Why stay married to me if he was in love with Reba?” She dashed a tear from her cheek. “Why not marry her? Create a family with her?”
“There’s no way you’ll ever know.” Caleb refused to restate the obvious lure of her money. He wasn’t sure she had an inkling of how much her mother had left her, but his sources told him the number was high, very high.
“He knew how much I love children,” Mia said on a sob. “I would have liked to meet Lily.” Suddenly she gulped and her eyes went dead. “I guess he thought I’d hurt—”
Caleb waited, curious about the comment.
Mia paused, licked her lips, then continued in a quieter voice, “Harlan said he never wanted to have children.”
“Judging by the amount of attention he paid Lily, I’m guessing that part was true.” Caleb frowned. I’d hurt—? Mia wouldn’t hurt a flea. He knew that for certain, though how he knew it was a question he’d ask himself later.
“If he didn’t want a child, then why—?” Her wounded voice died away.
“Maybe it was Reba’s idea. Maybe she hoped having Lily would solidify their relationship. Or maybe Lily was an accident.” He wanted to lift Mia’s spirits and wondered why it seemed so important to do that.
“I don’t believe any child is ever an accident,” Mia said firmly. “Every birth is a promise from God. I wish—I wish I could have a child.” She began to weep as though her heart was broken.
Caleb watched helplessly, thinking what a wonderful mother this caring woman would make. Somehow he knew that Mia was cut from the same cloth as his mother had been. Mia would welcome a child, make it feel loved, the most important person in her world. Mia would intrinsically know how and when to give a hug. Things Caleb lacked. Because of his father.
“May I give you some advice?” he asked when he couldn’t stand to watch her weep any longer.
“Of course.” Mia blinked away her sadness. Hope fluttered in its place.
“Harlan betrayed you. There’s nothing you can do about that. But he’s gone.” How odd it was to advise Mia to do what he couldn’t. “I’m sure you did your best to be his wife, but now you have to forget all the whys of the past and move on to what’s next.”
“What is next?” She frowned at him. “I doubt anything’s truly changed. I’ll continue designing. I like doing that. Maybe I’ll have some repairs done on the house if I can afford it.”
“Is that all?” Frustrated by her simple response, Caleb wanted Mia to widen her horizons, to think about the possibilities that could fill her life now.
“That’s quite a lot for me, actually,” Mia said pertly.
“But you could do much more.” Caleb turned off the highway toward Buffalo Gap and Riverbend Ranch. “You have opportunities now, Mia. You should take advantage of them.” When she didn’t immediately answer he glanced her way and found her studying him, a pensive look on her face.
“Opportunities like what?” she asked.
“Do you drive?”
“No. I don’t know how.” She shook her head, her amazing hair trembling with the motion. “My mother wasn’t in favor of me learning.”
“You were only seventeen then,” he reminded her. “Your mother probably thought she’d get you lessons later.”
“Maybe. Harlan didn’t want me to drive,” she said thoughtfully.
Caleb wasn’t surprised by that. Freedom to drive anywhere meant Harlan risked Mia seeing him with Reba.
“Why did you ask?” She studied him, her head tilted to one side.
“Wouldn’t now be a good time to take driving lessons? When you get your driver’s license you can buy a car.” Caleb watched her eyes flare, heard her gasp.
“I can’t afford a car!”
“I think if you ask Bella she’ll tell you that you can afford to buy a car,” he said, hiding his smile. So she still didn’t know. “Maybe two of them.”
“Why would I need two cars?” Though Mia frowned at him, she was clearly captivated by the possibility of learning to drive wherever she wanted to go. “I suppose I could learn to drive Harlan’s car, though it’s very big and fancy. I wouldn’t want fancy. I might ruin it.”
“A car can be fixed,”