"Pass the potatoes, please," Cole said.
"This is good," Greg mumbled through a large bite of roast beef. "Mom, why don't you cook like this anymore?"
Joey averted her gaze from the glassy eyes of the stuffed moose glaring down at her to the forkful Greg was stuffing into his mouth. And from Betty's satisfied smirk.
Before Joey could speak in her own defense, however, Ellen grinned and pointed her fork at her brother. "A double helping of sprouts for you tomorrow."
Cole spoke to Joey in shocked tones, "You make this poor growing boy eat those nasty green things?"
Greg started to grin, then, seeming to remember where this unexpected help came from, he turned his attention to his food. Watching this by-play, Joey elected to say nothing to Greg. However, she smiled at Cole, letting him know that she appreciated his efforts with her son.
Cole smiled back. He knew this wasn't easy for her and later he'd talk to her, try to ease some of the rough spots, but for now, he'd make sure to help where he could. Ellen appeared to be a smart, sensible girl, and he'd noticed how a couple of the younger ranch hands had just happened to mosey over and offer to help unload the Cherokee.
They'd stumbled all over themselves, as though they'd never seen a pretty girl up close before. Looks like he might have to remind them which end of a horse was which, before they all started acting like the south end going north.
He frowned, remembering as well the glares Greg had gotten. He'd flicked some snotty big-city looks around that hadn't set well with the hands. He'd followed those with a number of disparaging remarks that had more than one callused hand closing into a fist. Sure as cattle dropped cow pies, that boy was in for a lesson.
He had some growing up to do. Well, ranch life had made more than one young buck grow up. Once Greg got a taste of the hard work needed to keep the ranch going, he wouldn't have any time to mouth off.
All the while he thought of the things Greg had to learn, Cole kept his eye on Betty, seeing how she treated Joey and how Joey smiled back and did her best to be pleasant. Damn. He'd have to talk to Sam again. A man had a right to eat dinner in peace. Was it worth it, all this confusion and tension, just to have Joey at the table with him?
He considered that as he worked his way through the apple cobbler and coffee Betty brought out for dessert. Had to admit this wasn't what he thought of when he insisted they try to make a real marriage. He'd gotten used to just the two of them, to the laughter and closeness and the good feelings between them. Not sullen, sulky teenagers and stiff looks.
He missed being able to talk ranch business with Sam while they ate. They hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise with all the commotion going on with Joey and her kids. Still, if this was what she wanted, he guessed he could make the effort to keep her happy. He could talk with Sam later.
After dinner, Joey and Ellen helped Betty clear away the dishes. Then, excusing herself, Joey took Ellen and Greg upstairs to show them their rooms. Cole stayed downstairs, figuring she probably wanted this time to talk to them alone. He sat on with Sam at the table while Betty occupied herself in the kitchen.
Pouring himself another cup of coffee, Cole watched her walk out onto the back porch. Seizing the moment, he put off discussing ranch business. "Sam, did you talk to Betty like I asked you to?"
Sam's eyebrow shot up. "Yeah. Why?"
"I don't like the way she treats Joey. If you can't keep a tighter rein on her, I'm gonna have to say something to her myself."
"She has a right to her feelings," Sam defended his wife. He squirmed uncomfortably in his casts.
"Sure she does. But Joey has a right to settle down without Betty making it harder on her. Joey's my wife, Sam. She'll never replace your mother, but she deserves just as much respect."
Sam sighed. "I'll talk to Betty, I promise, Dad. She's having a hard time with all this."
"Make sure she gets over it," said Cole, then added as an afterthought. "You settling in all right over at the little house?"
"Yeah. It's kinda nice, just me and Betty."
"Yup," answered Cole, who hadn't had enough private time with Joey. Not by a long shot. But he'd fix that, soon enough.
Much later, with Joey tucked under his arm, Cole rolled over and covered her body with his own. She was so soft, so silky. He traced the line of her cheek to her lips then ran his finger over the lower one, feeling a masculine pleasure at how quickly she responded to him. He lowered his head to kiss her. When she murmured and opened her mouth to him, he deepened the kiss. Tempted to take her deeper, all the way into heated passion, he restrained himself and kept the kiss tender.
"How did it go with your kids?" he asked at last.
Joey bit the lower lip he'd just kissed. "Not good," she confessed, making his heart contract. "Well, better with Ellen, but she's older. She can understand, but Greg..."
He braced himself on his elbows, keeping her head centered between his forearms. "What happened?"
"They're good kids, Cole. Really they are," she said in their defense. "They're so surprised by all this."
Cole kissed her again. "I understand that, honey. I'm sorry they're taking it hard. How can I help?"
"I don't think there's anything you can do. Except be patient."
"Did you tell Greg he's going to finish senior high here?"
Her face clouded. "Not yet. Maybe it was cowardly, but I just couldn't, not tonight on top of everything else. I'm sure he can guess, though, since I told him earlier he'll be staying with us."
Cole hated the way her voice turned bleak. He cast about for something to make her happy again. "I like what you did in here, honey. It's real pretty now."
Joey peered over his shoulder, as if to scan the room. A satisfied look grew on her face. Cole watched her, liking the way her eyes sparkled and her smile brightened.
"It did turn out nice, didn't it? You don't mind that I bought new sheets and stuff?"
He rolled off her and picked up the edge of the colorful comforter and studied the matching sheets and the new blankets. "When did you have time to do all this?"
"When I came up with the kids. Ellen helped me. What do you think?"
At least she hadn't gone in for more of those wild pinks she liked. He liked the greeny-blue color she called teal and that purple she called fuchsia, but the pattern was enough to drive a man crazy. Besides, he didn't know what he was supposed to do with all those small pillows in odd shapes, or even if he'd be able to sleep in such extravagant colors, but if it made her happy, hell, he'd sleep in a paint box. As long as she slept with him.
Seeing the expectant look on her face, he said, "It's fine, honey. Reminds me of you."
She pulled him back to her and kissed him thoroughly. Damn, a man could get used to thanks like this. In moments, he'd lost all idea of keeping things light and was entering her with a powerful thrust. "Oh, God, Joey. You feel so good."
"Love, me, Cole, love me."
He wasn't sure if she were begging him to love her or make love to her. Whatever. He could make her happy, so long as she accepted what he could give her and didn't ask for more. If her voice carried a tinge of desperation, Cole ignored it in favor of listening to her soft cries as he took in with him in a fast and furious ride to completion.
They woke early. Cole was aroused and turning to her even before she had her eyes open, but they brought the day in together with such eagerness that she had no complaints.
By mid-morning however, Joey was ready to ship her son off to outer Mongolia. He'd complained about everything from his lumpy bed to not having his favorite brand of cereal. From there he'd moved on to taking pot shots at Joey. "Jeez, Mom, how could you marry a cowboy, for crying out loud? Do you see him out there, on a horse?"
"He's working, dear."
"Look at those other guys, wearing those same dorky boots."
"Up here, they're working clothes."
"Cowboys!" Greg grunted with disgust. "If you had to get married again, why couldn't you find some guy closer to home? Look at that-—look what that horse is doing! Gross. This whole place is gross."
Joey didn't bother to look. Instead she faced her son, fists planted on her hips. "Gregory Fleming, I have had it up to here with your mouth. You either say something nice or keep your mouth shut!"
"You tell him, Mom," Ellen said as she came into the kitchen. "What's on for today?"
Joey took a deep breath and switched gears. "Well, I hadn't planned anything. I think Cole's intending to show you around, then we'll go see Gramps this afternoon."
"Uh, do you think Cole would mind if I go riding with Jim instead?"
"Jim?" Joey remembered the young freckle-faced ranch hand who had stumbled over his own feet last night. "Well, I guess it'll be okay if he clears it with Cole."
"What do you know about riding?" Greg sneered. "You'll fall off."
"I will not." Ellen tossed back. "At least I'm making an effort, not looking down my nose at everything."
"What's to see except horse...droppings?" he scoffed, changing the last word at Joey's pointed look.
"All right, you two, that's enough."
They subsided. Ellen ate some breakfast and after putting her dishes in the sink, turned to the back door. "I think I'll go explore. Coming, Greg?"
"Fat chance."
Joey watched her daughter walk down the back steps, looking tidy as always in neatly pressed jeans and a bright red shirt. Her athletic shoes were a pristine white. From nowhere, it seemed, two or three ranch hands appeared and clustered around her. Jim lifted his hat. Joey smiled at Ellen's reaction, then turned to frown at Greg, who'd joined her at the window.
"Wouldya look at that? Another minute they'll be drooling at the mouth. Serve her right if she steps in that stuff."
"That stuff is only in the corrals and pastures. Stay out of them and you won't have to worry about getting your hightops dirty." Joey took a deep breath. "When you get a pair of boots yourself, you won't notice it quite as much."
"Boots?" he scoffed. "No way. I'm not gonna wear any of that stuff. Me, look like a dweeb? Not a chance."
"It wouldn't hurt you to be a little more open, Greg. You're making it harder for yourself by this attitude. Give a little, how about it? I bet if you try to get along, maybe even dress like everybody else, you might find you like it."
He snorted. "This is nothing to do with me. I'll be outta here in no time."
"Afraid not, Greg. Sit down. You and I have a little talking to do."
He gave her a dirty look but sprawled at the kitchen table. "What about?"
Joey paused, steeling herself. "Like I said, you'll be staying here with us. On Monday, we'll register you at the high school. Things might be tough at first, but-—"
"Stay here for school?" Greg surged to his feet, eyes wild. "No way! I'm not staying here with a bunch of hicks. Uh uh."
"Sit down, dear."
Blood rushed to Greg's face, but he sat. "You're turning all weird, Mom. We don't belong here. C'mon, let's go home."
"Like it or not, Greg, this is home now."
He shook his head. "Not for me. I don't hafta stay here."
"Greg, you're a still a minor," Joey said gently. "You have to live where I tell you."
"I can stay with Ellen, just like I've been doing."
"No. That was okay for a short time, for an emergency, but she's got her own life to lead. She can't look out for you, too."
"I'll stay with Gran and Gramps, then."
"Nice try, but no. Gran is going to have her hands full looking after Gramps. She can't take you on, too."
Greg's mouth turned mutinous. "You can't make me stay. All my friends are in Santa Cruz. They'll put me up."
"That's out of the question. You'll live here with me and Cole, and you'll make the best of it."
"You can't make me like it here."
She controlled the urge to shake some sense into him. "I know it'll be hard at first, but you'll make friends here. You'll learn to like it."
"Oh, yeah?" He cast a disparaging glance at the corral visible through the window. "Where do I surf?"
"There's more to life than surfing, Greg."
"Says who?"
"I do. I want you to make an effort here. I want you to try to get along. Will you do that?"
He stood, looming above her, making her realize once again how tall he was. How much he'd changed. In the months following Tom's death, Greg had changed from a happy-go-lucky average student with a healthy appetite to a sullen teenager who could just barely pull in a passing grade. Joey had consulted a psychologist and they'd all conferred with a grief counselor, but she wasn't sure how much any of that had helped Greg.
Only in the last month or so had he begun to snap back. And now, here was a brand new side of him. Where was the boy he'd been just a week ago? She didn't know this tall, gangly stranger. She didn't know how to talk to him. How was she going to get through to him?
"Sure there's nothing else you want?" Greg snapped. "How about my right arm?"
He turned and ran out of the kitchen. Joey heard his size ten sneakers pounding up the stairs, then his door slam. In a moment, loud rock music boomed through the house.
She sat frozen, her head in her hands. She'd have better luck talking to the side of the barn. Should she go up and try to talk to him or leave him to sulk in peace?
She'd known it would be hard, but not this hard. She felt guilty, uprooting him from all he'd known, but she couldn't put up with this attitude. Sweet heaven, why did Poppa have to have a heart attack in Montana?
If she hadn't rushed here, if Sam hadn't gotten hurt...there were a lot of ifs, but nothing changed the fact that she was here. She had promised Cole.
A heavy hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped and squeaked, "Cole! I didn't hear you come in."
He tossed his old, floppy brimmed work hat on the counter and drew off his leather gloves before he bent down to kiss her. "How could you, with all that racket? It's enough to stampede the beeves."
He went into the hall. "Turn down that noise!" he bellowed up the stairs. In a minute, the music disappeared in mid-beat. He returned to the kitchen. "That's better. What's happened? You look like you've been run over."
She tried a nonchalant shrug. "Something like that. I made a mess of things with Greg. He's not happy with the new arrangements."
Cole's mouth firmed. "He give you a hard time about going to school here? I'll talk to him."
"No!" The word burst out of Joey. Seeing Cole taken aback, she tried to soften her reaction. "You'll make it worse. He's already mad at being here. He's not ready to accept you, or the fact that we're married."
"He'd better get used to it, and damned fast."
"That doesn't help, talking like that."
"I raised Sam. I know how to handle a smart-ass kid."
"Sam's your son. He never had to accept someone else." She tried to keep a handle on her temper, but his obstinate look wasn't making it easy. "We're asking my kids to do a lot of adjusting in a very short time."
"What's your point, Joey?"
"Greg just met you. He's not ready for someone new in his life, especially if he thinks you're replacing Tom," Joey explained with a tug at her heart. If she didn't understand the changes in Greg, how could she explain them to Cole. She needed time to get back on her feet with Greg, to find some way of reaching him.
She gave Cole a pleading look. "Just leave him be for a little while, okay? Let me talk to him. Once he calms down, he'll be fine." She hoped.
"You're too soft on him, honey. He needs to grow up."
"That's not fair," she protested, all her maternal feelings rushing to the fore. "You're seeing him at his worst. How can you expect him to give you a chance if you won't give him one?"
"I'm telling you, Joey. You're spoiling that kid and he's the one who's going to pay for it. You're making it harder for him, being too soft."
"He's my son," she cried, her voice rising. "I think I know what's best for him!"
Cole's lips tightened. "Go ahead. Ruin the kid. That's just what you're doing by mollycoddling him."
"I'll handle Greg without any advice, thank you very much!"
"Suit yourself." He grabbed his hat, jammed it on his head and walked out the door. It slammed behind him, and set up an echo in her mind.
She slumped over the kitchen table and lay her forehead on her clasped hands. Why had she shouted at Cole? He wanted to help, she should be glad of that. She'd heard of other men who completely ignored their step-children. She didn't want to antagonize Cole or make things worse, but that's just what she done. What was she going to do now?
When Ellen came in a few minutes later, she lifted her head wearily.
Ellen studied her. "Trouble in paradise?"
"It's not funny, dear."
"Sorry." Ellen plunked down across from her. "You want to tell me what's going on?"
Exhaling a long sorrowful gust of air, Joey tried to smile and failed. "Well, Greg's mad at me about everything. Cole's mad at me about Greg. Betty doesn't like me. I think I've struck out all around."
"Wana go out in the garden and eat some worms?"
Despite herself, Joey laughed. "How can I keep a good woe-is-me going if you make me feel better?"
Ellen grinned. "I can figure out why Greg's got his drawers in a twist, but what's with everybody else?"
Glad of a chance to talk out her confusing relationship with her step daughter-in-law, Joey confided, "I don't know what it is with Betty. She took one look at me and decided I was her worst enemy. I've tried, but I get nowhere."
"H'mm. That's funny. You're pretty easy to get along with. What's her problem?"
"Well, at the beginning, I thought she resented me taking over here, but it doesn't seem to be that. Last night was the first time I've seen her in days, and she still treats me like I have bad breath. Or worse."
"I noticed. Do you think she has a thing for Cole?"
"Ellen!" Joey gasped. "He's her father-in-law."
"So what? He's one good-looking guy. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Attractive older man, young woman. You know the scoop."
Joey considered that. She thought about the way Cole treated Betty, and the way she acted around him. Finally, she shook her head. "No. It's something else. She's pleasant to him but that's all."
"Well, what then?"
"I don't know. I think it may be connected to Sam, but she couldn't treat him any better. I'm sure she loves him."
"So, keep your eyes open. Maybe you'll find out."
"As if I didn't have enough to do."
"Okay," Ellen counted off her fingers. "So much for the Dragon Lady of Dillon."
"No," Joey countered with a grimace. "That's Millie, the nurse at the hospital." She told Ellen what happened the night she met Cole.
Ellen hid a smile. "Looks like you stepped on her corns, all right. So, what's up with Cole? Lover's spat?"
"He thinks I'm spoiling Greg."
"You are," Ellen said promptly.
"You, too?"
"Look, Mom, sure Greg's been upset. We all have. But you've managed to get on with your life. I'm getting there. Greg's the only one who isn't making any effort at all."
"But he's only seventeen."
"So what? So he was Daddy's favorite, the only boy and all that. I know he misses him a lot. But that isn't going to bring Daddy back, is it?"
"No-o..."
"So what is Greg doing?" Ellen asked rhetorically. "He's milking the situation for all he's worth. And you're not doing anything to stop him. If he's spoiled, it's your fault, Mom."
"Ouch. Didn't you take any classes in tact?"
"Don't turn this back on me. You're the one in trouble here. And not just with Greg, though he's enough of a pain in the neck for any six people. You remember what the counselor said about each of us finding our own way to get through our grief. Anyway, Greg has to do it for himself. Neither on of us can do it for him."
Ellen paused for breath. "What are you going to do about Cole?"
Ready for the next chapter?
Chapter Nineteen -- posted March 8, 1998
Last updated: March 8, 1998