Chapter Six

.Dylan's kiss was gentle. It was meant to soothe, not to arouse; but it was enough to remind Rose of the passion they'd once shared. She moaned. The breath left her body in a shudder, and her toes curled in her boots. She twined her arms more tightly around his shoulders.
But his kiss didn't deepen.
Rose pulled away, confused and upset. "Was that a kiss out of pity?"
With a groan deep in his throat, Dylan pulled her to him. He cupped her face in his hands, and his lips met hers in a hot, sultry kiss that spoke of everything he'd held in restraint the past few days.
Rose gave herself up to Dylan's kiss. At that moment, nothing mattered except the love and passion between them. She returned his kiss hungrily.
But in the next instant, reality returned. She couldn't delude herself, or Dylan — they both wanted very different things from life, and there was no point getting involved again as long as that was the case.
Rose pushed at his broad shoulders. "No. We have to stop. This is wrong."
He brushed his lips along her forehead and his breath ruffled her hair. "No, it's right. Very right."
"Dylan, please. Nothing's changed between us. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking things are different now."
His grip around her tightened, then he released her. He turned and walked away a few steps. Rose could tell from the tension in his shoulders that he was trying to maintain his self-control.
"What do you remember?" Dylan asked, turning around.
"You wanted me to stay, but only if I gave up my dreams and followed yours instead."
He blanched, but didn't contradict her assessment of their past. "And you had something to prove. To me and to the world."
She nodded. The returning memory of her impoverished childhood flooded her heart. "My father was always drunk, always unemployed. My mother and I never knew if we'd have food on the table or a roof over our heads. Mom could have gotten a job, but she refused — she didn't want to hurt Dad's stubborn pride. I learned early in life that I couldn't depend on anyone except myself. I had to prove that I could take care of myself."
"And you have proven that — admirably," he said, stepping toward her. "Isn't it time for something else in your life besides a high-powered career?" More than a simple question lay behind his words. He wanted to know if she'd exorcised her demons, if she was ready to leave her career behind for a life with him.
Rose shook her head. "That's not the point, Dylan. I didn't want to have to choose between you and my career, but you left me no choice." Now it was her turn to ask the tough question. "Do you still want June Cleaver? Or are you ready to accept a wife who has her own interests, aside from yours?"
He raked his fingers through his hair in an obvious sign of frustration. The air thickened with tension.
This was it. She'd taken a step. Would he?
The silence grew between them. Rose couldn't prevent the sudden tightening of her stomach or the bunching of her shoulders. She could see Dylan's emotions play across his face as he thought about his answer.
Rose grew tired of waiting. "Never mind, Dylan. Your silence is the only answer I'll ever need." Quickly she strode toward her horse, jumped into the saddle, and goaded the mare into a quick trot. Without a backward glance, she headed back toward the ranch.
Dylan swore and kicked the ground. Why hadn't he answered her? Probably because he didn't know how, he grudgingly admitted to himself. He still wasn't sure what he wanted. All his life he'd dreamed of the kind of warm, homespun family that he'd grown up with. Was it too late for him to change now?
A swaying movement behind a bush caught his eye. Dylan turned, just in time to hear Willy's muttered oath as he fumbled with his camcorder.
"Hey, don't mind me," Willy said sheepishly, standing up. "I thought if I followed you guys up here, I'd get some great candid shots. I just need to change the tape in this thing.… Just pretend I'm not here."
Trembling with both anger and embarrassment, Dylan stormed toward Willy.
* * *
When Rose entered the kitchen, June greeted her warmly. "Oh, hello Rose. You're just in time for lunch." She glanced behind Rose. "Where's Dylan?"
"I left him up at the meadow. He's got some serious thinking to do."
A look of understanding crossed the older woman's face.



Chapter Six: Part Two

Rose twisted her hands, and took a deep breath. She had to ask a favor of June. She hated asking another for help. Just say it quick and don't think about it, she coached herself.
"June, would you show me how to bake a pie?"
"Why, I haven't baked a pie in years." June laughed.
"What? But Dylan was always talking about your great pies."
"Come here, and I'll show you a little secret." June led her to the large chest freezer and pointed to a few boxes in the very bottom. "You buy these in the store and thaw them out."
Rose eyed the frozen pumpkin, apple, and strawberry pies. "But doesn't Dylan see those?"
June laughed with a touch of irony. "For a minute there, I thought you were suggesting that that boy of mine looked into the freezer." They shared a moment of laughter together, then June patted her on the shoulder. "Rose, I know things are confusing right now. I never had a daughter, but for a while there I thought you were going to be my first. You can come to me if you need to talk."
An overwhelming urge to open up, to share engulfed Rose. How easy it would be to lay her problems at this understanding woman's feet. But she had learned the lesson of relying on herself early in her life, and the words would not come.
With sadness, Rose reached for June's hand and squeezed. As if sensing her mood, June changed the subject and pointed out the ******** "While you and Dylan were out riding, the mechanic returned your car."
"That didn't take long." The blood pounded in Rose's ears as realization flooded her mind. She had her car. Her memory. Her freedom.
"It appears the car had less damage than you did."
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go upstairs and rest. The ride took a little more out of me than I expected."
Concern washed over June's face. "You do look a little pale. I'll come and check on you in a few hours."
Rose forced herself to walk to her room calmly. She sat on the bed, but she didn't feel like resting. Instead, every nerve in her body jangled with tension. Dylan would be back any minute. Rose didn't want to face another ugly confrontation with the man she had once loved — still loved. What was the point? He would never change. It would be best if they never saw each other again.
She felt fine. She could go at any time.
So why did she feel guilty reaching for her suitcase?
She opened the closet, pulled out her few clothes, and placed them in the suitcase.
* * *
Dylan opened the sliding door and stepped into the kitchen, followed by a disheveled Willy. "Mom?" he called.
June rushed into the room, tears streaming down her face. "Oh Dylan, thank God you're back!"
"What's wrong, Mom?" Dylan's face creased with concern. Fear gripped his heart as a terrible thought crossed his mind. "Has something happened to Rose?"
June nodded. "She's gone, Dylan! I was in the pantry when I heard her car start. I ran outside and tried to stop her, but she was already halfway down the driveway.…"
Dylan didn't stay to hear the rest. He was already on his way to the garage, where his pickup was parked.

Chapter Seven

Dylan slammed the door of his truck and backed out of the garage.
"Son, wait," his mother called from the driveway.
"Mom, I've got to —"
"You've got to hear what I have to say." June wiped her hands on her ever-present apron and smoothed it back into place as he rolled the window down and put the truck in park.
"I'm kinda in a hurry, Mom." He buckled his seat belt, wondering where Rose had gone. Home? Work?
"I quit."
"I don't know where... What did you say?" He looked at his mother's serious face.
June placed her hands firmly on her hips, reminding him of when he was a teenager and she'd caught him in a lie. "I said, I quit."
"You can't quit, Mom." His forced laugh caught in his throat. "You live here."
"And I can continue to live here without washing clothes or *****ng meals that are hardly eaten except as leftovers. I'm ready for a change."
She patted her silvering hair and looked down the road. "I was thinking about going to school. I've always been interested in real estate."
"Real estate? Now my mother's going to sell off the very land that's given four generations of Lowrys our meat and potatoes?
"It's not as if it wasn't bad enough that the woman I've always loved goes against everything I stand for. Now, in less than 24 hours she's managed to convince you to build useless mini-malls over every hilltop."
Dylan banged the steering wheel as he realized he'd shouted at his mother. Not only shouted at her, but admitted that he still loved... He could hardly breathe his chest was so tight with hurt. First Rose, now his Mom.
June placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is hard for you to accept, dear. What do you think I do all day while you're out chasing cows? Darn socks? If my ancient memory serves, you bought your own socks at one of those mini-malls you detest so much."



Chapter Seven: Part Two

He didn't want to see the truth in his mother's eyes and preferred staring past the stockyards at the land that meant so much to him. His mother's gentle tugging on his chin turned his head. He opened his mouth, but shut it again. He never had been any good arguing with another Lowry.
"My wanting a change has nothing to do with Rose. Well, maybe a little, but not how you think. Talking to her again didn't make me wonder what I've been missing, but what you've been missing."
The sobering truth hit him. He'd been missing a lot and had received his mother's message loud and clear.
"I've got to go, Mom." He added a smile. "Don't wait up."
* * *
"That's ridiculous, Eric. There's nothing wrong with me. I don't need a doctor's release before I come back to work." Rose listened to her assistant repeat his words. "Okay, okay. I'll take the rest of the day off."
Standing in her kitchen, she stared at the book she'd been thumbing through. A cookbook. One of many she'd collected but never used.
"Drat you, Dylan! This is all your fault," she told the rarely used kitchen.
"I can cook anything I want." She pushed the book away from her and looked around the immaculate kitchen, which held every *****ng gadget imaginable. She moved closer to a stainless steel, rather scary-looking instrument that held a number of blades in its evil, smiling mouth and wondered what it did. Surely something as terrifying as that couldn't be involved in making a pie?
* * *
Much later, Rose noticed it was getting harder to read and realized the sun was setting. She flipped on the kitchen light when the doorbell rang.
Her heart lurched as she wondered if it could be… She closed the kitchen door behind her as she went to the front door and saw through the window that it was indeed Dylan. Why was he here? Why now after all the times she'd hoped he would come to tell her he'd changed his mind. Who was she kidding? The impossible Mr. Lowry would never change his mind.
"Are you going to ask me in?" He rested against the porch rail, one ankle casually crossed over the other. His brown eyes twinkled as if he knew something she didn't.
"No. We have nothing to discuss. Just give me whatever I forgot at your ranch and leave." She held out her hand.
Her knees nearly melted when he took her hand and caressed it between his callused fingertips. His crooked smile shocked her to the tips of her toes. But when he tenderly pulled her finger into his mouth, an explosion of memory shot through every vein in her body.
"Is that flour?" he asked, his voice husky.
Rose opened her eyes, her heart stuck in her throat. She yanked her hand away. "What are you really doing here?"
"You asked me a question. I came to give you my answer, but I'd like to say it in the privacy of your home."



Chapter Seven: Part Three

Rose stepped into the house to give him entrance and realized something was terribly wrong.
"I think something's burning." Dylan gently pushed past her, heading toward the kitchen — which was about to become a raging inferno from the amount of smoke belching out of it.
Rose barely managed to grab the back of his jeans to halt him in the living room. "This is my house, I'll take care of it."
"Don't be silly, Rose. Something's on fire." He swiftly turned and gave her his "are you crazy?" look.
"Dylan Lowry, you are not to step foot in that kitchen!"
He sidestepped her again and with a single look, dared her to stop him. It was too late. White smoke billowed from her oven door. Dylan grabbed the hot pads and pulled a charred mass from the rack.
Looking away from his huge silly grin, above the countertops still streaked with discarded dough and flour, Rose glanced the red light of Willy's camcorder through the ********
Her day was utterly and completely ruined...along with her fourth attempt at an apple pie.

Chapter Eight

."Willy! Would you like a piece of home-baked apple pie?" Without ceremony, Rose threw up the sash on the window over her sink and heaved the smoldering lump of charcoal in his direction.
"Oww!"
Dylan suppressed a grin. He knew better than to try to reason with her when she was this cranked up.
Rose whirled to face him and smiled sweetly. "How about you? Pie?"
"I think Willy got all the best pieces." He glanced out the window to see Willy dust himself off, make a quick check of his video gear, then head for the kitchen door. That was all right. Having this momentous occasion recorded for posterity might not be such a bad idea.
Rose's energy flagged and her face crumpled. "I…wanted to surprise you. To show you that the accident taught me that there is more to life than the next real estate deal."
Without taking his eyes from her plaintive expression, Dylan addressed Willy as he came through the door. "You getting this?"
"Rollin', baby."
"Good. 'Cause I'm going to need to remind her from time to time that there is more to life than work. Especially after we get married."
Rose's eyes widened. "Married?"
"We're getting married."
"We are?"



Chapter Eight: Part Two

Dylan reached behind him for a wooden kitchen chair and dragged it to his side. Gently, he urged Rose to take a seat as he knelt before her. "Rose, I was a fool and almost lost you twice. Once, when I stuck to some archaic idea of what I wanted in a marriage…"
Rose's jaw dropped. Slowly, her gaze swung to Willy. "You getting all this?"
"Rollin', baby."
"And the second time was when I saw you lying so pale and lifeless in the front seat of your car after the accident." Dylan took her hand and kissed her knuckles, and knew that he'd never be happy again without this beautiful, spunky, maddening woman at his side.
"Suddenly, I was able to see what I nearly lost to stubborn pride. Rose, I love you. More than my land. More than my cattle —"
"Willy?"
"Rollin'!"
"— more than anything. If you'll have me, nothing would make me happier than if you'd agree to be my wife."
"Career and all?"
"Career and all."
"You want to marry me? Even knowing that my apple pies would make better tractor tires than desserts?"
"Murder weapons," Willy muttered.
"Shut up," Rose ordered.
Dylan laughed. "I figure you and Mom can shop the freezer section on your way home from work together."
Rose's gaze narrowed. "All this time you knew your mother's pies weren't from scratch?"
"Yes, but don't tell her. She gets a kick out of pretending to be domestic."
"So will I." Eyes bright, lips tremulous, she felt a tear of joy slip down her cheek. "Oh, Dylan. I love you, too. And I'd love to live out on your ranch and have your children and bake your pies and learn to drive cattle."



Chapter Eight: Part Three

Dylan slowly stood, drawing Rose into his embrace.
"Sweetheart, cattle don't much like to be driven around in flashy little sports cars, but I appreciate the sentiment. And I'll take you up on the pies and babies as soon as possible."
"Mmm." Rose smiled as Dylan lowered his mouth to hers. "The sooner, the better."
After a kiss that left them both winded, Dylan pulled back and rested his nose against hers. "Willy?"
"Yeah?"
"Get out of here."

EPILOGUE

Applause rang out as Willy bounded up to accept his "Best ********ary" statue.
After several minutes the hullabaloo died down and Willy was able to begin his speech. "First and foremost, I'd like to thank the Academy. I'm truly stunned."
Wearing a jack-o-lantern grin, Willy fumbled with his notes. "Dazed. Confused. And thrilled. Uhh, okay. I'd also like to thank Rose and Dylan Lowry for allowing me to intrude in their personal lives for several months. They were real sports. And, June, doll face, you bake a mean pie when you're not handling Rose's real estate deals. And Rose, if you're watching this, try not to have that baby tonight. I want to be there to record the sequel to this drama.
"Thank you, and good night!"
The End

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