First and Again by Jana Richards Read Free Book Online Page A

of her to show up so completely unprepared.
    “Not to worry. We’ll work on it together, shall we?”
    Glady’s kind smile said the offer was genuine and made without judgment. Bridget’s stomach unclenched “Yes, I’d like that.”
    Gladys pulled a pad of paper and a couple of pens from a drawer. “We like to serve as much locally grown food as we can to our guests. Beef is usually a staple on our menu, but I prepare vegetarian dishes if a guest requests it. Something that’s become a tradition at the ranch is our apple pie. I know Jack would like to have that served at his luncheon.”
    Bridget’s heart fell at the mention of apple pie. Pastry was not her specialty. Far from it. Her specialty was appetizers. She’d been known in catering circles as the queen of the cocktail party.
    “If you like I can make up some pies before I go,” Gladys offered.
    “No, that won’t be necessary.” She didn’t want Gladys, and especially Jack, to think she couldn’t handle the job. She still had some pride left.
    “So apple pie for dessert,” Gladys wrote. “And I think two main dishes, one beef and one chicken. Or if you prefer, maybe a vegetarian dish.”
    Over lemonade and brownies they discussed food and the best places to buy produce in the area. It was decided that Bridget would choose several beef and vegetarian dishes and the three of them together would make the final decision in a few days. She began to think that maybe this venture could turn out all right after all. Perhaps Jack’s luncheon would be a turning point for her and Rebecca.
    The others came back to the house an hour later. From the cheerful expression on Rebecca’s face, Bridget knew her encounter with Candy had been a success. Leslie jabbered happily, still holding Rebecca’s hand.
    “Your daughter is going to be a fine rider,” Jack said. “She’s a natural.”
    Rebecca beamed with pride at his words, and Bridget could have kissed him. It was clear his praise meant a lot to her daughter. Perhaps part of the reason she’d acted out so much was because she’d been starved for attention. Lord knew Rebecca’s father rarely made time to see her. And she was almost as guilty. She’d been so busy trying to make ends meet the last couple of years that the only real attention she’d paid to Rebecca was when she got into trouble.
    “It was so much fun, Mom,” Rebecca said, her eyes shining. “I can hardly wait to ride Candy again.”
    Bridget felt almost faint with relief. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart.”
    “How do Saturday mornings work for you?” Jack asked.
    “Saturday mornings are fine.”
    “Good.” He turned to Rebecca. “We can work on Leslie’s lessons on Saturday mornings for about an hour and then you can ride Candy for as long as you want. I’ll give you whatever pointers you’d like.”
    Rebecca grinned. “That sounds great.”
    As they drove back to town, Rebecca couldn’t stop talking about the fun she’d had. When they pulled into the lot behind the motel, she turned to Bridget.
    “If you want me to, I’ll talk to that counselor.”
    “Okay,” Bridget said, holding back tears of gratitude. Maybe, just maybe, their lives were beginning to turn around. She knew she had Jack to thank for that.
    * * *
    Jack smiled wistfully as he watched Bridget’s little red Chevy leave his farmyard. Rebecca bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother at that age. Looking at her was like looking back twenty years.
    He shook his head. Enough living in the past.
    “Come on, Leslie. Let’s let the horses out into the pasture.”
    She pushed herself out of the patio chair, her face beaming. “Okay, Daddy. I’m coming!”
    She chattered happily beside him as they walked. Rebecca had made quite an impression on his daughter. Leslie understood when someone treated her with condescension, though she couldn’t have named the feeling. But it was obvious Rebecca was genuinely interested in Leslie, and his daughter responded to