A Country Affair(47)

Rorie’s car left a dusty trail on the long, curving driveway that led to the Circle L Ranch. It’d been a week since the telephone call from Kate, and Rorie still had trouble assimilating what the other woman had told her. Their conversation repeated itself over and over in her mind, until nothing made sense. But one thing stood out: Kate was no longer engaged to Clay.

Rorie was going to him, running as fast as she could, but first she had to settle matters with his former fiancée.

The sun had begun to descend in an autumn sky when Rorie parked her car at the Logan ranch and climbed out. Rotating her neck and shoulders to relieve some of the tension there, Rorie looked around, wondering if anyone was home. She’d been on the road most of the day, so she was exhausted. And exhilarated.

Luke Rivers strolled out of the barn, and stopped when he saw Rorie. His smile deepened. It could’ve been Rorie’s imagination, but she sensed that the hard edge was missing from his look, as though life had unexpectedly tossed him a good turn.

“So you’re back,” he said by way of greeting.

Rorie nodded, then reached inside the car for her purse. “Is Kate here?”

“She’ll be back any minute. Usually gets home from the school around four. Come inside and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

“Thanks.” At the moment, coffee sounded like nectar from the gods.

Luke opened the kitchen door for her. “I understand you’re going to be Nightingale’s new librarian,” he said, following her into the house.

“Yes.” But that wasn’t the reason she’d come back, and they both knew it.

“Good.” Luke took two mugs from the cupboard and filled them from a coffeepot that sat on the stove. He placed Rorie’s cup on the table, then pulled out a chair for her.

“Thanks, Luke.”

The sound of an approaching vehicle drew his attention. He parted the lace curtain at the kitchen window and looked out.

“That’s Kate now,” he said, his gaze lingering on the driveway. “Listen, if I don’t get a chance to talk to you later, I want you to know I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got a few things to thank you for. If it hadn’t been for you, I might’ve turned into a crotchety old saddle bum.”

Before Rorie could ask what he meant, he was gone.

Kate burst into the kitchen a minute later and hugged Rorie as though they were long-lost sisters. “I don’t know when I’ve been happier to see anyone!”

Rorie’s face must have shown her surprise because Kate hurried to add, “I suppose you think I’m a crazy woman after the way I talked to you on the phone last week. I don’t blame you, but...well, I was upset, to put it mildly, and my thinking was a little confused.” She threw her purse on the counter and reached inside the cupboard for a mug. She poured the coffee very slowly, as if she needed time to gather her thoughts.

Rorie’s mind was whirling with questions she couldn’t wait for Kate to answer. “Did I understand you correctly the other night? Did you tell me you and Clay are no longer engaged?”

Kate wasn’t able to disguise the flash of pain that leaped into her deep blue eyes. She dropped her gaze and nodded. “We haven’t been in weeks.”

“But...”

Kate sat down across the table from Rorie and folded her hands around the mug. “The thing is, Rorie, I knew how you two felt about each other since the night of the Grange dance. A blind man would’ve known you and Clay had fallen in love, but it was so much easier for me to pretend otherwise.” Her finger traced the rim of the mug. “I thought that once you went home, everything would go back to the way it was before....”

“I was hoping for the same thing. Kate, you’ve got to believe me when I tell you I would’ve done anything in the world to spare you this. When I learned you and Clay were engaged I wanted to—”

“Die,” Kate finished for her. “I know exactly how you must have felt, because that’s the way I felt later. The night of the Grange dance, Clay kept looking at you. Every time you danced with a new partner, he scowled. He might have had me at his side, but his eyes followed you all over the hall.”

“He loves you, too,” Rorie told her. “That’s what makes this all so difficult.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Kate answered flatly, without a hint of doubt. “I accepted that a long time before you ever arrived. Oh, he respects and likes me, and to Clay’s way of thinking that was enough.” She hesitated, frowning. “To my way of thinking, it was, too. We probably would’ve married and been content. But everything changed when Clay met you. You hit him right between the eyes, Rorie—a direct hit.”

“I’m sure he feels more for you than admiration....”

“No.” Kate rummaged in her purse for a tissue. “He told me as much himself, but like I said, it wasn’t something I didn’t already know. You see, I was so crazy about Clay, I was willing to take whatever he offered me, even if it was only second-best.” She swabbed at the tears that sprang so readily to her eyes and paused in an effort to gather her composure. “I’m sorry. It’s still so painful. But you see, through all of this, I’ve learned a great deal about what it means to love someone.”

Rorie’s own eyes welled with involuntary tears, which she hurriedly brushed aside. Then Kate’s fingers clasped hers and squeezed tight in a gesture of reassurance.