The storm-cellar door rattled as if a giant hand wanted to pull it open. Katie wrapped her arms more firmly around Shane and felt Jack do the same to her. They were curled up together on a bench in the shelter. Hattie was across from them, along with several of the ranch hands. Anyone close enough had used the storm cellar. Katie didn’t want to think about the people left outside.
Later she would tell herself that the noise was what she would remember most. The incredible howling sound as the winds swept overhead, the crashes and bangs from objects flying into each other. All three puppies huddled close, whimpering. Shane leaned down to touch them. “We’re safe now,” he said loudly to be heard. “Don’t be scared.”
Good advice, Katie thought, although it didn’t still the rapid pounding of her heart. She’d never been so terrified in her life. If Jack hadn’t come for her and Shane, she didn’t know what would have happened.
She burrowed against his chest. His lips brushed her hair. “We’re okay,” he said into her ear. “Like Shane told the puppies, don’t be scared.”
In less than an hour, the storm was gone. Jack opened the cellar doors and stared into the late afternoon light. Overhead there were patches of blue sky, as if nothing had ever happened. He steeled himself for the probable destruction of the ranch and stepped out.
He hadn’t known what to expect. From the sound of things, he thought every building would be destroyed. He turned in a slow circle. The yard and corrals were littered with debris-wood, broken branches, odd bits of trash-but the main structures were standing. He stared at the barn and then the house. A corner of the porch was gone, as if someone had come along and taken a bite out if it. One of the barn doors was missing while another hung on a single hinge. A small toolshed had been reduced to a pile of rubble, and a second outbuilding used for storage was completely gone. But otherwise, there didn’t seem to be much damage.
“How is it?” Katie called.
“Not bad.”
He bent and helped her up. Shane popped out next, with the puppies scrambling behind him. A couple of the guys lifted Hattie out. She stumbled on the uneven ground, then used her cane to steady herself.
His mother looked around and smiled with obvious relief. “I thought sure we’d lost everything. We were lucky.” Her smile faded. “I wonder how they made out in town. I’ll go see if the phone lines are working.”
Jack shook his head. “They won’t be. At least not here. Everything is aboveground. But try the cellular phone. The storm shouldn’t have any impact on it.”
“Are you going to go check on the men?” Hattie asked.
He nodded and watched her expression turn worried. Half a dozen cowboys had been out with the herd as the storm hit. They all knew what to do during a storm, but information wasn’t always enough. Without a safe place to wait, lives could be lost.
“I’ll take a truck,” he said. “I’ll cover more ground that way.”
“Take a radio, too,” his mother said. “I want to stay in touch with you.”
“Right.”
In case there was a problem in town. Nora was there, along with most of their friends. As Hattie hurried toward the house, he turned his attention to the men. He gave them instructions to check the horses and the rest of the outbuildings. When he was done, Katie put a hand on his arm.
“I’m coming with you,” she said. “You might need help with an injury. I’m a great medic.”
He started to protest, but then he realized he wanted her near him. The tornado wasn’t about to come back, and if it did, she would be safer here. Still, he couldn’t escape the sensation of wanting her within touching distance.
“Good idea. I’ll go get the truck. You head up to the house and grab the first aid kit. Hattie knows where it is.” He looked at Shane. “Can I leave you in charge?” he asked. “Will you be all right here?”
The boy grinned. “Sure. I’ll take care of your mom and you take care of mine.”
Jack ruffled his hair then walked quickly to the vehicle barn. He took the keys for the sturdiest four-wheel-drive truck and slipped behind the wheel. Katie tossed a duffel bag on the bench seat, handed him a radio, then climbed in on the passenger side. After giving Shane a quick wave, they were gone.
Jack headed for the main road through the center of the ranch. “We’ll follow the path of destruction,” he said. “I know where my men are supposed to be. I want to check on them first. Can you handle this?” he asked, returning the radio to her.
“Sure.” She fastened her seat belt, then turned on the radio. “I told Hattie we’d test it right away. Let me raise her and then-”
She stopped talking and sucked in a breath. “Oh, Jack.”
He turned to see what had caught her attention. His small house lay in ruins. Parts of it were missing, but most of it had been reduced to piles of broken boards and windows. He saw part of his sofa about ten feet from the rest of the house. A single unbroken mug sat where the front porch had been.
“You lost everything,” she said, sounding stunned.
Jack thought about the bits of furniture in the house. He’d built it about eight years ago, when he’d wanted a place of his own. He’d never bothered to decorate or make it much more than a place to eat and sleep.
“It could have been worse,” he reminded her. “I can always build another house if I want to.” Something bigger, but this wasn’t the time to go into that.
“You’re right. Let me get Hattie on the radio.”
Two hours later they’d accounted for all the men and had surveyed most of the damage. Sections of pasture had been ripped up, and most of the freshly planted alfalfa was destroyed, but loss to the herd was minimal.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Jack said.
“I know. We were all really lucky.” Katie looked at him, her expression concerned. “Could we head over toward the Fitzgerald ranch?”
“Sure.”
He turned the truck and headed west. Hattie had been able to reach Nora in town using the cellular phone, and most of the neighboring ranches by radio. There were a few damaged homes in town and a couple of dozen injuries. Suzanne had said the tornado had hit them pretty hard, taking out one of the barns and ripping up fence lines. Katie’s new house, and its subdivision, had been untouched.
Their route took them by the line shack they’d met at so recently. The rickety old building had survived the storm. But beyond the shack, miles of fence had been ripped out like so much knitting.
“Up there,” Katie said, pointing.
Jack saw what had caught her eye. Two men on horseback, herding cattle through a large break in the fence. He recognized Aaron and his oldest son, David.
As he watched, a half dozen steers broke free and trotted in their direction. Jack hit the gas and drove toward the animals. He tapped the horn, which made the cattle turn and jog toward the rest of the cows.
Aaron said something to David. He turned his horse and headed for the truck. Jack put the vehicle in park and stepped out.
“Fence lines seem to be down,” he said by way of a greeting. “I’ve got three or four men in the area. I’ll have them come over and get started on repairs.”
Katie’s father removed his hat and wiped his brow, then stared at the horizon. “This is my fence. I’ll take care of fixing it.”
Jack grimaced, but he wasn’t surprised by the older man’s answer. The Darbys and the Fitzgeralds had split responsibility of the shared fence line. For years each had been meticulous about doing their part and not one inch more.
“Daddy,” Katie said, coming to the front of the truck. “Is everyone okay?”
Her father glared at her. “What do you care? You’ve made your decision about who matters. Now you have to live with it.”
She sighed. “Daddy, don’t. Please. We’re family. We shouldn’t be mad at each other.”
“I’m not mad,” her father said in a tone that belied his words.
“Then prove it. Answer my question. Is everyone at the ranch all right?”
“No one was hurt, if that’s what you’re asking.” His voice was grudging. “I don’t have time to chitchat. I’ve got work to do.” He turned to ride away.
Jack stepped closer to her and lightly touched her shoulder. She glanced at him gratefully.
“The offer still stands,” Jack called after him. “If you change your mind about the fence or anything else.”
“I don’t need help from any Darby,” Aaron yelled and rejoined his son.
Jack watched them work. Why was Aaron making this so difficult, he wondered. It shouldn’t have to be this way. Katie read his mind. She climbed into the truck, then shook her head.
“I don’t know why he has to be that way,” she said as Jack settled next to her and started the engine. “You were just offering to help. With a couple of extra guys, they could have the fence finished in half the time. But he would rather have his cattle run all over than let you be a good neighbor.” She leaned back in the seat and sighed. “I love my father, but I don’t understand him. He will die to prove his private truth, regardless of anyone else’s feelings, regardless of pain or cost. What does that say about him? How can being right be so damned important?”
“It’s all he knows.”
“Then what he knows is wrong,” she said, sounding frustrated. “I don’t want to be like him.”
“You’re not. You’re reasonable and open.”
She looked at him. “If you ever see me acting like him, please tell me. I swear I’ll do everything in my power to change.”
Jack turned the truck and drove toward the main house. “Hell of a day,” he said.
“Tell me about it. What are you going to do about your house?”
“I don’t know.” His house was the least of it, he thought. What was he going to do about Katie and Shane?
The Darby ranch spread around him. In the distance he saw grazing cattle, placid now that the storm had passed. A few miles away stood the main house and the barns. This was his world. He’d taken it for granted, hated it, tried to escape it, or at least change it. Finally he’d made peace with his heritage. He belonged here as much as the contours of the ground and the trees and streams. He would live out his days and probably die on this land.
Jack slowed the truck. He breathed in and felt the connection and sense of purpose. He belonged here. The land defined him as much as his name. He wasn’t just Russell Darby’s son, he was the product of all the generations that had come before him.
His father had lived and worked the Darby land, but he’d never been a part of it. If he had, he couldn’t have walked away. Not from his family and not from the ranch. Jack stopped the truck and turned off the engine.
“Jack?”
He turned to Katie and smiled. “I’m fine.”
He searched her face, taking in the blue eyes and full mouth, the curve of her cheeks, the blond curls, the intelligence, the humor. She was a Fitzgerald down to her bones. She’d gone away, but eventually she’d been drawn back. Just as he would be drawn back if he ever tried to leave.
His father had been a fool, he realized, seeing the truth for the first time in nearly twenty years. Russell may have gained his freedom, but he’d lost everything else. His wife, his children, his chance to be a part of history. Jack could never respect a man like that. He didn’t hate his father anymore; he pitied the man.
He took Katie’s hand in his and squeezed her fingers. “There are never going to be any answers about my father,” he said. “I’ll never see him again, I’ll never be able to ask why.”
She bit her lower lip. “I know. Is that going to be okay? Can you live without the answers?”
He considered her questions, then nodded. “I don’t want to know. There’s nothing he can say that will change my life. He’s gone. I’ve been carrying bad memories and pain around with me as if they were magic talismans, but they’re not. They’re poison. Mom always told me to remember the good stuff and let the rest of it go. She’s right. I should have listened.”
“No,” Katie said, leaning toward him. “You had to learn your own lesson your own way.”
He touched her face. “You’re so damn brave. What were you thinking, telling me you loved me? You had to know I wasn’t ready to hear that.”
“I couldn’t help it. That’s how I feel. I swear I’ll never leave you again. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that, if you’ll let me.”
She was stronger than he’d ever imagined. Not just because she’d made a success out of her life, but because she did the right thing, regardless of how much it hurt. She’d raised her son on her own, she’d moved back to Lone Star Canyon, she’d walked away from her father’s house. She’d told Jack she loved him when she’d known he wasn’t willing to admit his feelings or commit to a relationship.
His fingers curled around her jaw. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” he asked quietly.
“You don’t have to deserve me. I love you, Jack. I probably always have…from the very first time we met, when you taught me to ride a bike.”
He pushed the duffel containing the first aid kit onto the floor and pulled her close. When he could feel the beating of her heart and taste her lips, he breathed her name.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “Sorry for being stubborn, for not seeing everything you tried to tell me.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I understand.”
“No. I have to say the words, and you deserve to hear them. You’ve already missed out on too much because I’ve been a stubborn fool.”
Her eyes widened, then brightened with hope. “Jack?”
He smiled. “I love you, Katie. You and Shane. And I’m sorry about the baby, because I want to have children with you. You’re everything I want, everything I need. I can’t imagine living without you and I don’t want to. I want you to marry me, to be with me always. I want us to build a new house together. I want to be a father to Shane and a husband to you.”
Katie didn’t know what to think. Was she dreaming or was this really happening? She desperately wanted to believe him.
“I love you,” he repeated. “Please marry me.”
She flung her arms around his neck and whispered, “Yes, oh, yes. I’ll marry you. Just promise to love me forever.”
“At least that long.”
She felt tears burning her eyes, but these were happy tears. “You know certain members of our family aren’t going to be happy about this. There’s going to be a lot of gossip and-”
His warm mouth settled on hers, the heat stealing her words.
“To hell with them,” he said between kisses. “Maybe we can teach by example and eventually they’ll get along.” He drew back and looked at her. “Does it matter?”
She shook her head. “No. I want to be with you. I just wanted to be sure that you knew what we were facing.”
“A lifetime together. You in my bed every night, our children’s laughter, birthdays and anniversaries, memories and love. I know exactly what I’m getting into. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
“Me, too.”
They’d come a long way to find each other, and now they were finally where they’d always belonged. Joining the Darbys and the Fitzgeralds in a part of Texas known as Lone Star Canyon.