One thing was certain. This time it wasn’t his imagination. Kait had been in the livestock barn this morning.
Faith released a loud wail and crossed her little legs like miniature pretzels. Though Ryan heard her plea, he couldn’t seem to move.
Kait, however, wasted no time. “Jenna, take the little girl into the restroom, sweetie.”
“Sure.” The young girl at Kait’s side smiled at him before she pulled open the door and followed Faith inside. Merely a few years older than his niece, her long hair was the same rich black shade as Kait’s. In fact, except for the fringe of bangs, she looked exactly like Kait.
“That’s your—”
“Jenna,” Kait quickly added.
He frowned, trying to piece the picture together. Kait was married and had a daughter? Regret slammed into him with the force of an Oklahoma twister.
“Your daughter is adorable, Ryan.”
“Faith is my niece—Maddie’s daughter.”
Kait shook her head and shifted uncomfortably. When she pushed the long hair off her shoulders in a nervous gesture, he glanced at her hand, noting the light band of skin on her ring finger, evidence she’d recently removed a ring.
Hope flared and his breath tightened in his chest. The last ring he’d seen on Kait’s hand was his promise ring—eight years ago.
Ryan tensed, clenching his jaw. Was she married or not?
He sure intended to find out.
“Um, well, it certainly is nice to see you,” Kait finally said.
Numb and speechless, he could only stare. His world had been knocked off-kilter, and she’d just responded like they were old friends who ran into each other once a week at church.
“Come again?” Ryan bit back the slow, simmering anger deep in his gut.
“I said, it’s nice to—”
“Yeah. I heard you.” He jammed his hands into the pockets of his Wrangler jeans and glanced down at the ground. There was no way he could play a game of nonchalance and repartee.
No, this was too cruel, carrying on a polite conversation while sneaking glances to see how she’d changed.
Had she changed? Not really. The woman in front of him was still tall and slim, with high cheekbones hinting at her part-Cherokee heritage. Her hair hung like a satin sheet around her shoulders—not unlike the picture he carried in his heart.
“You look good, Kait. Real good.” The words slipped from his lips before he realized he’d said them.
Her face turned pink. “Thank you,” she said, while fidgeting with the silver chain tucked inside her blouse. As he recalled, she used to keep her mother’s wedding ring on the end of that necklace.
Kait glanced around the fairgrounds, looking anywhere to avoid the intense green eyes of Ryan Jones. What were the odds of finding this particular cowboy among all the cowboys at the Tulsa State Fair?
Yes, she’d come home to deal with the past. But she hadn’t expected it would be today, her first day back in Oklahoma.
When she’d spotted Ryan, she and Jenna were walking and chatting. Suddenly there he was, giving life to the memories she’d put on a shelf eight years ago.
The same unruly golden hair peeked out from beneath his hat, and he wore a familiar uniform of a denim shirt rolled up to the elbows, faded but creased Wrangler jeans and dusty boots. Tall and lanky, there was still a sparkle in his eyes and an irreverent grin on his face.
Flustered, and with her blood beating loudly against her temples, Kait scrambled for a course of action. Her initial instinct had been to hide, but Ryan looked in need, as did the child with him. Her heart kicked in well before her brain.
Now as they stood awkwardly, waiting for the girls to come out of the restroom, she tried not to stare, but again and again her gaze returned to the tall cowboy.
“Hey, Doc, how’s it going? Good to see you out having fun for a change.”
Ryan’s head swiveled around as he nodded a greeting to a man passing by.
“Doc?” Kait repeated the word.
“Doctor Jones. Princess says to tell you hello.”
“Afternoon, Ms. Anderson.” He tipped his hat to an elderly woman
“Princess?” Kait asked.
“Red tabby Persian.”
“Excuse me?” Confused, she cocked her head.
“I’m a vet, Kait. I told you I was going to go to vet school.”
“Your mother said you were going to law school.”
He frowned, and his lips became a thin line. “And you believed everything my mother told you?”
She looked away, shaken by the harsh reply.
“Kait.”
Slowly she glanced back to Ryan.
“I …” He inhaled then released a breath of air through pursed lips. “I’m sorry.”
Kait gave a short nod of acknowledgment. He was angry, and she supposed he had every right to be—more than he realized, in fact.
“Is this the first time you’ve been back since—”
“Yes,” she quickly interjected. “I have to empty out the old house before it goes on the market.”
“You’re selling the house? Your father …”
“My father left the house to me.”
Ryan flinched. “Seems I’m always shoving my boots in my mouth. I heard he was in and out of the V.A. hospital for treatment. But I didn’t realize.” He cleared his throat. “When?”
Kait swallowed and stared straight ahead as she struggled to say the words without emotion. “Six weeks ago.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
“Gotta be tough,” Ryan murmured.
She lifted her chin. “Time passes. Things change.”
“There’s an understatement.” He took off his Stetson and put it back on his head. “How long will you be in town?”
“Long enough to tie up a few loose ends.”
“Loose ends, huh?” A flash of pain appeared in his eyes before he quickly lowered his gaze. “So you weren’t going to even stop by and see me?”
She took a deep breath at the accusation.
What could she possibly say? Yes, Ryan. You’re the reason I’m here. The reason we’re here. I’d like to introduce you to your daughter.
Instead, she barely mumbled out an inadequate response. “I did plan to see you.”
Silence separated them. The same silence that had once been a comforting bond between two friends was now an insurmountable wall.
Ryan shuffled his boots on the cement. “Heard you moved East. Buffalo, right?”
“Philly.” She pulled open the restroom door. “Jenna, are you coming?”
“We’re washing our hands.”
“Maybe we could get together later, for coffee?” He suggested.
“Discuss old times?” The last thing she wanted was to discuss old times. There was nothing to be gained from reminiscing. Moving forward was her only hope.
“Yeah.