The Cowboy's Way(51)

The rest of his life depended on it.





Nine

Heather sniffed back tears as she finished packing the rest of the kitchen items into a carton, then taped it shut. She only had a few more of Seth’s clothes and hers to pack and they would be ready to finish loading the small trailer she had rented.

Looking around, her breath hitched on a sob. The Circle W had always been home and she couldn’t believe that when she drove away later that afternoon, she would never again be able to walk through the house where she had grown up. Nor would she be able to take Seth fishing along the creek bank or watch him ride his first horse around the feed lot.

But as much as not being able to do those things bothered her, it was never again seeing the man she loved that filled her with sorrow—a pain deeper than she could have ever imagined. She realized that she should have handled the situation a little differently when he’d confessed what he’d done. But why couldn’t T.J. understand that by choosing not to talk to her about what he wanted to do, he had cut her out of the decisions about her own family’s ranch? He’d made her feel ashamed that she had been unable to do more to save her legacy. He had completely missed, or possibly ignored, her need to be independent and prove herself capable of providing for herself and her son.

“Mom-mom, hossy?” Seth asked, walking into the room.

It tore her apart every time her little boy asked about T.J. She had failed to protect her son from becoming emotionally attached to T.J. and in the end he was suffering as much, if not more, heartache than she was. She was an adult and could understand the choices she had to make. But Seth was too young to realize what had happened.

“No, sweetie,” she said, picking him up. “We won’t be seeing T.J. anymore.”

She had no sooner made the statement than the back door opened and the man in question walked right in. Of course, she supposed he could do that now. After all, he owned the place.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling.

Seth immediately held out his arms and leaned toward T.J. for him to hold him. “Hossy!”

“How’s my partner doing today?” T.J. asked, smiling. He gave Heather a questioning look as if to ask if he could hold her son.

Not wanting to make the situation any more stressful for Seth, she nodded. Her son immediately wrapped his arms around T.J.’s neck and held on to him as if he was a lifeline. It made her feel worse than ever.

“In a way, I’m glad you stopped by,” she said, walking over to the counter for the large envelope with his name on it. Handing it to him, she added, “It will save me having to send you the keys to all of the buildings, as well as the papers you’ll need for transferring ownership of the horses and the deed to the property.”

“Where are you going to go?” he asked. His expression gave nothing away as to what he might be thinking.

“I thought we might go up to Oklahoma,” she answered. “I heard on the news there are several job openings in the Tulsa area.”

He looked so good in his black Western-cut suit jacket, white oxford cloth shirt and dark blue jeans, it brought tears to her eyes. She turned away to keep him from seeing her pain.

“There are a few things we need to get settled before you go,” he said, pulling out one of the chairs at the table.

“Everything you’ll need is in the envelope,” she answered. Noticing that Seth had laid his head on T.J.’s shoulder and gone to sleep, she reached for him. “I’ll put him in the play yard.”

“I’ll do it,” T.J. said, standing to walk into the living room where she had set up the portable bed. “You’ve already got Seth’s bed taken apart and put into the trailer?” he asked when he returned.

She nodded. “All I have left are a few boxes and the play yard to put in the trunk of my car.”

“I’ll carry them out for you when we get ready to leave.” He motioned toward the chair he had pulled out from the table. “Sit down. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“I can’t imagine there’s anything left to say.”

He gave her an indulgent smile. “Will you please sit, Heather?”

Sighing, she walked over and sat down in the chair. It was clear he wasn’t going to tell her what he thought needed saying until she did as he asked.

“There’s something you need to know about me,” he said, leaning back against the counter. He folded his arms across his wide chest and casually crossed his legs at the ankles. “It might help you see my side of things and explain my need to take care of you and Seth.”

“I don’t see how—”