The phone rang. “Hi,” Reese said. His deep voice warmed her. “Just wanted to make sure you made it okay. Some roads are still pretty bad.”
“No problems on this one,” she said as she pictured him in her mind. He would be in jeans, maybe in a dark blue shirt with his worn boots and worn cowboy hat. Probably leaning over the fence and staring at the mustangs.
“It’s a long drive.”
“It’s nothing compared to some of the flights I’ve piloted,” she said. “It’s good thinking time.”
“Reach any conclusions?”
“As a matter of fact, I have,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about your computer on the way here,” she added, trying to keep amusement from her voice. “I think maybe if you named it something warm and fuzzy, like Maggie, it would respond better. I think it senses your hostility.”
There was a silence, then a chuckle. “Maybe I better find another computer fixer.”
“Then she would really throw a tantrum.”
“I can’t let that happen,” he replied. “Maggie it is, and I’ll give all the credit to you.” He paused, then added, “I miss you already,” he said, the laughter gone.
“I’m heading out to my riding lesson.”
“You know there’s a few riding instructors around here,” he said.
“But they’re already booked up to capacity,” she retorted, then added seriously, “I don’t want to compete with my daughter. Eagles’ Roost is meant to be her world. I don’t want to break into it. If I’m there, I want to be in the background. I don’t want to take up teaching time. I do want to see my daughter taming a mustang.
“And,” she added, “Luke and I understand each other,” she continued, trying her best to explain to herself as well as to him. “Student and teacher. However, I am not averse to private instruction from time to time.”
“I’ll see if someone can provide it.”
“How is Julie?”
“She met her mustang this morning. She has the black mare and named her Midnight. The selections were made by picking names from a box. I didn’t want anything to do with it.”
“Chicken!”
“When it comes to choosing mustangs for kids, yeah, I’m a chicken. As for Julie, she’s reading a story to Midnight now. She’s about eight feet away from her and the mare is listening. Julie has a great voice for this. Calm. Soothing. She is definitely your daughter,” he added. “She’s becoming a regular little equestrian.”
“I’m soothing? No one has ever called me that before... Has she said anything to you about her leg?”
“She’s taking off her brace more. Is that okay?”
“Now that the foot is responding, she needs to work on improving the movement. But while on a horse, I worry that the foot might get twisted in some way so I think it’s wise to use the brace while riding.”
“Okay,” he said. “Still staying until tomorrow?”
“No, I decided to head back after the lesson.”
“Great. Enjoy and drive safely.” He hung up.
She glanced at her watch. She had thirty minutes before the lesson. She chose one of the new pairs of jeans and a green-and-white-checkered shirt, brushed her hair back and pulled on her boots.
She packed everything else into her suitcase. She’d had to buy a new one for the trip. She hadn’t used anything but duffels for more years than she wanted to count. She stopped to consider that, nostalgia knocking at her mental door.
When everything was in the car, she checked out, thanked Jimmy for everything and drove to Luke’s ranch.
“You’ve improved,” he said when she cantered around the circle and pulled up neatly when he gave the signal. “You’ve had some practice.”
“Not much,” she replied, “but some, and I have to cancel tomorrow’s lesson. I’m returning to the ranch today.”
He nodded. “You have a new sparkle in your eyes. Mountain air seems to suit you.”
“It does.”
“Might you be staying longer than you expected?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I think you are,” he said with a twinkle. “Reese?”
She nodded. It was impossible to lie to him.
Luke nodded. “He’s one of the good guys. You two are suited for each other if I’ve ever seen it. You’re quiet on the outside and full of heart inside.”
“It’s been such a short time,” she protested as she dismounted and led the horse to the stable.
“When you know, you know,” he said. “I took one look at a girl barrel racing at a rodeo one evening and knew I was going to marry her. She thought I was crazy when we met, and I told her that. We’ve been married now for more than forty years and I love her more each day.” He paused. “Don’t let it get away from you.”
She stretched up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”
He just nodded and turned away.
She glanced at her watch as she hurried back to the car. It was just twelve thirty. She had just enough time for one last stop before heading back to the ranch...
Otis Davies was tinkering again, this time with the two-seater trainer.
“Didn’t know if I would see you again,” he said when she reached him.
“Oh, I think you knew.”
“Mebbe.” He smiled.
“I might be staying in the area longer than I thought,” she said.
“I heard you were at Eagles’ Roost up the road,” he commented.
“My daughter’s there.”
“Heard that, too,” he said.
She just shook her head. She should have known.
“Are you interested in my proposal?” he prompted.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “Not freight. I have a pretty good idea when you make those flights. Storms. Snow. When roads are blocked. I have a fifteen-year-old daughter going on sixteen who lost her father. I can’t take those risks anymore.”
“But...?” he finished for her.
“Teaching. You mentioned that. I could be interested.” She hurried on, “I don’t even know where I’ll be or how long, but I know I love this area and would like to stay around here or farther up in the mountains. I’m thinking maybe classes one or two days a week if you think there would be any demand.”
“Interesting,” he said. “You could talk to the high schools in the area... I think they would swarm over here. I’m just an old coot.”
“Remember, I learned from an old coot,” she said. “I just wanted to feel you out,” she said. “I’m not sure any of it is possible. I might even be leaving the area in a few weeks. It might be a wild, impossible idea but...”
“You’re doing your prep work just in case?”
“Right.”
“Nothing would pleasure me more than having this place fill with people again. But isn’t it a long way from where you’re staying now?”
She shrugged. “A few hours once or twice a week, but I don’t know how long I’ll be there. I do know I like this part of the country. I’m just thinking about possibilities now.”
He nodded and thrust out his hand. “I hope it works out.”
Wheels were turning in her head as she headed for Eagles’ Roost. She wasn’t even sure why she just did what she did. She might be leaving in a few weeks.
It was just that pesky compulsion to figure all angles of any possible move, no matter how impossible it seemed.
She didn’t think Julie would object to leaving Texas. She’d only lived in San Antonio a few months after Lauren’s transfer to Lackland. The rest of the time had been mostly in military hospitals.
But she might never convince her daughter that flying again was safer than driving a car.
All she knew was she wanted to protect her daughter first and have a goal of her own, small as it might be.
* * *
/> She arrived back at the ranch in time to see her daughter standing in front of the large black horse in one of the four pens outside the mustang stable. Soft music came from her small computer and she was reading from her e-reader. The horse was not fooled. She was on alert. Lauren knew the signs now.
Reese and Robin were standing farther away. Watching. Not moving.
Some other hands were watching, as well.
Reese nodded to Julie.
Julie stepped toward the pen as Reese joined her and together they approached the horse. Reese held out a carrot to her. The horse snorted and backed up. He then gave the carrot to Julie and backed away. “Put it on the railing,” he directed her. Julie did as told, then backed up. The horse waited until they retreated, then approached, sniffed the carrot and took it.
Reese nodded his approval. “We’ll offer the carrot again later today and twice tomorrow. She’ll start associating the carrot with you.”
The two of them came over to Lauren, and a broad grin stretched over Julie’s face.
“Julie did great,” Reese praised, “although I’m not sure Midnight is the most cheerful choice for a black horse.”
“I doubt if the horse cares,” Lauren replied.
Robin, who’d been standing with them, laughed. “She doesn’t,” she said. “I’m really proud of Julie. She’s fearless.”
“That’s what scares me,” Lauren replied.
“She apparently takes after her mom,” Reese said.
“That scares me even more.” Lauren hugged Julie. “You’re becoming a fine horsewoman. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to watch everything.”
“It’s boring,” Julie said. “Not to me because I’m talking to her, but it would be to someone watching.”
“I wanted to be here when you had your first visit with the mustang.” Lauren said. “I’m going to take my luggage inside,” she said. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
As she walked toward the house, she wondered about Julie’s lack of enthusiasm this morning when she announced she would be staying. Was she having second thoughts about her mother staying at the house or had she heard something linking her with Reese?
Nathan was coming out of the house when he saw her. “Can I help you, Mrs. MacInnes?”
“Sure. I would appreciate it.”
He led the way to her room and put the luggage down. “That was a pretty neat thing you did last night. The guys all appreciated it.”
“It was the kids,” she insisted. Was it only last night?
He chuckled. “I heard you had a trip today?”
“To Covenant Falls and back.”
“That is long,” he said. “Betty said supper will be at six thirty in the dining room. There’s nothing afterward. I think everyone is pretty exhausted today.”
“Did you get all the cattle safely away?”
“Yes, ma’am. They’ll stay up in the high pasture now for two months, then we’ll bring them back when the weather starts getting cold. We can protect them better here and it’s easier to provide feed if they need it.” He started to leave.
“I hear you’re a musician.”
“I like to play music. Not sure that qualifies me as a musician.”
“I would like to hear you.”
“There will be the celebration tomorrow night. I think Uncle Reese has some special plans for it. He’s asked me to sing a few songs.”
“I look forward to it.”
He went to the door. “Julie’s doing really good in her riding. Even with the brace, she’s one of the best we’ve had since Uncle Reese started the program. She said she won’t need it much longer.”
“She’s right. We’re just being cautious now.”
“That’s...good. I heard she used to run.”
“She did. That’s what is so helpful about this program. She’s competitive, she likes to test herself and she hasn’t been able to do that for a long time. The only thing I fear now is that she tries to do too much, especially with one of the mustangs.”
“We’ll watch her. Thanks for telling me.”
“Thank you,” she said.
After he left, she unpacked her suitcase, then checked her watch. It was nearly time for supper. She chose a new pair of jeans and a tan shirt and went downstairs to the dining room. There were just five of them: Betty, Sally, Chet and Ann, and herself.
“There’s usually more of us,” Sally said. “Reese is catching up on some sleep. Nathan decided to eat with the teens—he’s more involved this year than before—and we usually have some visiting instructors but the storm has sent everything off-kilter.”
Betty explained, “The teens eat at the table in the kitchen. We gave them a choice, and they settled on the kitchen at night so they can talk about us while we talk about them. The morning is catch as you can. There’s a buffet in the dining room. Everyone has a different time schedule. Lunch is pretty much the same.”
“Except for this Saturday,” Chet said. “That will be interesting.”
“Have the teens said anything about the menu?” she asked.
“I think they made Betty take a vow of silence,” Sally replied. “How was your trip?”
The attention turned to Lauren. “Good. The riding lesson was great and now I have my clothes with me.”
“Well, we’re happy you’re joining us,” Sally said. “The evildoer might complain but that’s to be expected.”
“The evildoer?” she asked.
“The computer. Reese swears it’s alive and targets him. The name changes according to his current frustration. Sometimes it’s the monster, sometimes the evildoer. He says now there’s a new sheriff in town and you’re it.”
She raised her eyebrows in mock horror. “I’m the sheriff? I already suggested he take a friendlier tact. Like calling her Maggie.”
“How did he take that?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” she replied. “He was kinda silent when I mentioned it.”
“I bet.” Chet chuckled.
The discussion turned to schedules being changed because of the rain. The weather report predicted clear skies the rest of the week. “Of course, that’s what they said last week,” Sally quipped.
When they finished, most of them headed for their beds as a result of the lingering effects of the storm. When Lauren went to check on Julie, Sally mentioned both girls had gone to bed early.
Lauren was tired as well, but she was also restless. She went outside. The mustangs were in their pens. Each pen was about twice the size of a stall and had its own water and feed bucket. She heard a loud braying of protest and went toward the sound.
“Noisy little beast, isn’t he?” Reese said from behind her.
She spun around. “At least he doesn’t sneak up on people and scare them to death.”
“I just fed him. He was alone in the stable. He couldn’t get into the pens with his friends. Well, maybe friends isn’t the word for it. More like his victims. He likes to terrorize them. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You weren’t at dinner.”
“I caught an hour’s sleep. I imagine you know what that’s like.”
She smiled, remembering. All pilots slept with one eye open. They never knew when or where they would be sent next. They slept when they could. “Yeah, I do.”
“Want to go for a ride?”
“At night?”
“Sure. It’s one of the best times. We’re almost at full moon tonight.”
“Yes,” she said, “I would, but you didn’t have dinner.”
“I just happen to know where the fridge is.”
“I guess you do,” she said with a smile.
“I also know where some horses are.”
“Did you know I would be out here?”
“No, but I hoped.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to see something.”
“And you don’t think anyone will see us tonight?”
He chuckled. “I think nearly everyone is exhausted after last night and should be in bed with the exception of a few I can trust.”
“Okay, where are we going?”
“A favorite place of mine. It’s a short ride.”
He led her into the main stable and went down the aisle until he stopped at a stall.
“Max is already saddled,” she observed.
“I was going for a ride,” he said. “It’s a beautiful night. It often is after a storm. Everything is cleansed.”
“I noticed,” she answered softly. “Who am I riding?”
“I took a chance and saddled Lady.”
“Good. I like her.”
He led both horses out and gave Lauren a boost into the saddle. They walked out and turned in the direction they had taken on their prior ride.
He was right. The moon was huge with only a sliver hidden behind the mountains. The light bounced off the snowcapped mountains to the west and spread its glow over the valley. It was spectacular. He stopped and looked at her.
“You’re right,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s supposed to be clear again tomorrow night. I’m thinking about bringing the kids here for the celebration.”
“I think you should,” she said. “It’s fantastic. What would you have done had I not come down?”
“Come anyway. I wanted to see if it might work tomorrow night.”
“Where are we going now?” she asked.
“Not far.”
They were going on the same trail they took Sunday, then he turned off on another one until they came to a spring. She slipped down before he could reach her. He took her hand and led her to what looked like a small cemetery protected by a wrought iron fence. He led her inside.
He stopped at the smallest marker. “Many of the Howards are buried here,” he said, “including the founder and my father.” His hand tightened around hers. “There’s no one under the smallest one,” he said. “Only a memory. A son that never lived.
“I brought you here because something is happening between us and I want you to know the dangers of living here. I married when I was twenty-eight. Cara was from Denver, an executive with a high-tech firm. My father had died a year earlier and I was ready to start a family.
Home on the Ranch--Colorado Rancher Page 15