by Laney Powell
“You are leaving on your own, aren’t you?” Davina asked. “Are you finally getting away from all the shit?”
I nodded, tears of my own flowing freely. “Yes,” I whispered. It felt so big, so overwhelming, that I couldn’t even say it out loud.
She went to her desk and pulled out a handful of twenties. “Take this.”
I tried to push it back, but she took my hands and curled them around the money. “You need this. And I want you to get better. Where are you going?”
I started to answer and Davina held up a hand. “Don’t tell me. If he or any of his family come around, I don’t know a fucking thing. And I can call the police and have them all arrested.” Davina knew about Margaret, and how she bulldozed all over me and Kasper. Not that she cared about Kasper. Her dearest wish was to see both of them in handcuffs.
After talking with Davina some more, and promising to email her once I got where I was going, I went to the hospital. I was so nervous my hands were shaking. And even though this was all on Kasper, Margaret lashed out at me. I supposed she couldn’t handle the fact that her baby was an addict, but for the first time in nearly three years I didn’t feel that was my problem. It had gotten to the point where I didn’t feel safe. I told her that, told her how angry and scary he was—and she didn’t listen. Didn’t want to hear me. I stopped talking and let her yell.
That didn’t mean she was any less intimidating. Damn Kasper and his whole stupid family.
Driving through the day brought me into Paulson after dark. I pulled into the driveway of Mom’s house. It was just her now, since Dad had passed away ten years before. They had been madly in love, and my dad had treated her like a queen. My sister Beezie was the same way—she had a husband, Link, who adored her. They ran a bakery together. I was the odd one out in this.
Mom came to the door before I was out of the car. I braced myself. She didn’t like Kasper and didn’t like what I’d been doing to support him. She told me I was wasting my life. I hated that she was right, but it took me another year to figure it out.
As she walked off the porch, Mom opened her arms. “Is that all your stuff I see packed in your car?”
I nodded, feeling the tears well in my eyes.
“Thank God, Tay. Thank God you’ve gotten away from that mess.” With that, she wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
I burst into tears and we stood there together in her front yard with me crying into her shoulder.
I was home.
Chapter Three
Raif
I looked at the temperature gauge. Shit. It was definitely over the midway line. Well, at least I was close to Paulson. Mona, who’d been my main nurse at the hospital, had asked me to stop here and drop something off for her as I was headed to Idaho. My brother had a ranch there, and he’d offered me a place to land while I figured out what the fuck I was going to do with myself. At twenty-eight, I hadn’t planned on retiring yet. I could have stayed, could have been a trainer, and that was still an option, but for the time being, I was on medical leave. My doctor recommended six months. With plenty of physical therapy.
I’d been doing my exercises every morning and night. It hurt like a bitch, but I liked the idea that even while I stewed, I was working to help myself. And being with my brother, with long days on the ranch, was just what I needed, even though I still had a future ahead of me.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure this was the future I wanted. Which felt like kind of a dick move. There was honor in training other PJs. It was a good career. I knew myself, though. I wanted to be a PJ, and I didn’t know if I could manage what I wanted with what I had. There were many things about me that made me kind of an ass, but I did not lie to myself.
That wasn’t to say I had to be honest with anyone else, I thought with a snort.
Pulling off the highway, I looked up the nearest auto parts store in Paulson. Damn it. I’d planned to drop this package off for Mona and then keep going. Maybe even get to my brother’s by midday tomorrow. That wasn’t going to happen now. I texted him to let him know the truck was giving me hell, and that I’d let him know when I got it fixed.
He replied immediately, wanting to know if I needed him to come and get me. I told him to hold off and pulled into the parking lot. After thirty minutes, I had the problem narrowed down—at least, so I thought. I went into the store to see if they had the part.
Which they didn’t.
Damn it all to hell.
“Sorry, sir, it’s going to take us three days to get that in,” the clerk looked up at me with an apologetic expression.
“Is there any other store here?” I asked.
“I can call around, see if any of the others have it,” she said quickly. “Give me about twenty minutes, OK?”
As she left the counter, I went out to the truck to wait. I left the hood up, so that if they had it, I could get this part in and be on my way.
“You need a hand?” An older man who’d parked a truck a few spaces down from me stopped to ask me.
I sighed. “No, thanks. I just need to see if they have my part,” I gestured toward the store.
“They’re good for the basics, but it might take them a day or so to get anything more specialized,” the man said.
“That’s what I’m hearing,” I said with a grimace.
“Well, good luck,” he said, continuing into the store.
I waved and watched him walk in. He’d probably lived here his entire life. Part of me envied that, even as I loved my job. What I did. Used to do. Ten minutes later, the clerk came out to see me, and I knew before she even got to the truck, the news wasn’t going to be what I wanted to hear.
“I’m so sorry. I won’t be able to get it in before Saturday,” she said.
Three days, as advertised. I sighed. “Thanks a lot for trying. You mind if I leave it here? I might get it towed to wherever I’m going to be staying the next three days, but I don’t have that worked out yet.”
“Of course,” she said, smiling, obviously relieved to be able to tell me something good. “I’m Sarah, and I’ll let the manager know about you and your truck. If it comes in early, I can call you.”
“Thanks, Sarah,” I smiled. This wasn’t her fault.
She smiled again, and went back into the store as I leaned back in my seat, staring at the ceiling. I called my brother and let him know that I’d be here for a few days and then got out to shut the hood.
“Get your part?” a voice asked from behind me.
“Nope,” I said, turning to see the older man who’d chatted with me before. “I have to wait until Saturday.”
“Hmmpph,” the man said, coming over to me. “That’s a darn shame.”
“It is. I had to stop off here, but I didn’t have plans to stay overnight.”
“What were you stopping for?” the man asked.
“I am supposed to be dropping off something for a friend. You wouldn’t happen to know where Broken Falls Ranch is, do you?”
He looked at me for a moment and then started to laugh in a wheezing tone. “Do I?”
I wasn’t sure what was so funny, but I asked, “Is it far?”
He laughed harder. “I can tell you exactly where it is, since I live there.”
“Oh, are you Freeze Buckley?” I asked. I could get rid of my obligation to Mona right this moment.
“I am,” he stuck out his hand. “What’s your name, young man?”
“I’m Raif Garzon. I have something for you from my former nurse.”
“Your nurse? What’s wrong with you?” He eyed me up and down. “What nurse?”
“I was in the hospital out at Walter Reed, and Mona Thackery was my main nurse.”
Freeze’s face was immediately wreathed in a smile. “Mona? How is she? She hasn’t been home for a while. I keep inviting her, but she can’t seem to get off of work. Well, how is she?”
“Was she always feisty? Because she’s feisty and takes no shit—” I stopped. I
didn’t have a problem with cussing, but I tried not to do it in front of people who were grandparents. “Sorry,” I finished.
Freeze chuckled. “No worries on the language. Heard worse. Said worse. And yes, Mona has always been on the feisty side. She helped you out? She’s a good woman, Mona is.” His voice held appreciation for my hard ass nurse.
“She is. And she asked me to deliver something to you.”
“What is it?” Freeze’s brows came together as he frowned.
“I don’t know,” I walked back to my truck and pulled out the box that Mona had given me. “It’s not like I snooped.”
His brow cleared as he reached for the box. “Well thanks for getting it to me. That was good of you. It wasn’t out of your way, was it?”
“I’m headed for my brother’s in Idaho, so not too much.”
“If your part’s not in until Saturday, where are you staying?”
I shrugged. “Haven’t gotten that far yet.”
“Well, if Mona likes you, that’s good enough for me. You’re coming back with me, and you can stay until your car’s ready to go.”
“No, that’s not really—” I began.
“I insist. You took the time to do this for Mona, and for me, and now you need a place to stay. I can offer a bed, and good food. My grandson’s wife is a damn fine cook.”
He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Okay. I appreciate it. As long as I’m not putting you out.”
“No indeed,” Freeze laughed. “I warn you, though, you’re probably going to end up having to work for your supper. Grab your stuff and let’s go.” He turned and walked toward his truck.
I pulled my duffle from the truck, made sure it was locked, and followed him.
As we drove from the parking lot, Freeze said, “I wasn’t kidding about the work. Broken Falls is a working ranch, and we’re always just barely keeping it going.”
“Do you need to hire more people?” I asked.
“Well, now, that’s the thing,” Freeze said, looking over at me briefly. “We can always use more help, but I’m picky about who comes to work with us. The ranch is officially my grandson’s, but we have an agreement about who is there. Once I’m gone, he can do whatever he wants. But until then, I do the hiring.”
“Sounds fair,” I said. I had no idea what to say to this. “So what do you raise at your ranch?”
Freeze was very enthusiastic, telling me about how he and his grandson, a guy named Axel, had started a bull breeding program to provide bulls to the rodeo circuit. “We have more horses than asses for them, a bunch of goats, and a couple of turkeys.”
“Um… are you unhappy about it?” I couldn’t tell by his tone.
“Well, my grandson’s wife, Pris, she’s got the softest heart I’ve ever met, even though she’s a drill sergeant at times. She can’t say no to animals who need a home. That’s how the goats and turkeys landed on the ranch. Although I gotta say, I like the turkeys.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because they’re better than dogs. They check out everyone who rolls up to the house.” He laughed. “No matter how many times they’ve seen you. And if they aren’t sure, they bow up and get in your face.”
“You have guard turkeys,” I said, amused.
“We do indeed. You’ll see.” He chuckled again. “So what brings you out here? Why were you in the hospital with Mona?”
I told him about my injury, and he nodded. Then he said, “PJs? I haven’t heard much about them. Tell me what you do.”
We talked the rest of the ride about some of the things I’d done, and the training, and before I knew it, he was turning down a dirt road under a metal archway that declared this Broken Falls Ranch. It fit in with the landscape around it. Rusted, weathered, but still standing.
As we came up to the house, I could see that it was a two-storied house with a porch that ran around the upper story. There was a barn off to one side, and behind the whole thing was a wall of white cliffs that dropped into a river. “Wow,” I breathed.
Freeze glanced over at me. “It’s something, isn’t it? I love this place. Nothing that the ranch can’t fix. Well, come on in, and watch out for Caleb and Cecil.” As he got out of the truck, he grinned.
As if on a timer, two balls of feathers hurried over to where Freeze parked. Freeze came around to the front of the truck and waited. “Might as well get out,” he called over his shoulder. “We all have to go through it now.”
I eased my duffle over my arm, and got out, stopping to stand next to Freeze just as the balls reached us. They were, in fact, turkeys. And they were big. And annoyed. Not that I was any kind of turkey expert, but I knew hostility when I saw it.
“Hi, boys,” Freeze said, reaching out to pat the white turkey closest to him. “This is Cecil, and the brown one giving you the eye is Caleb. Just let him strut a little, and we’ll be fine.”
Caleb walked around me, his head bobbing as his wings stretched out and his feathers made him look twice his size. I stood still, waiting to see what would happen. I really didn’t want to offend my host by kicking his turkey, one that he was clearly fond of. But I didn’t want to get bit, or pecked, or whatever it was they did.
After he completed a circuit around me, Caleb moved away toward the house.
“We’re good to go,” Freeze said. He started to walk toward the house, and Cecil kept close to him, although not quite touching.
“I’ve never seen birds act like this before.”
“Well, these two are a pair, I’ll give you that. Come on in,” he said to me. “You, get back to the barn before a coyote comes after you.” He patted Cecil on the head again.
And damn if both turkeys didn’t head back to the barn, strutting along as though they didn’t have a care in the world. I laughed quietly.
“They’re something, aren’t they? I couldn’t believe when Pris brought them home, but I have to say, I really like them,” Freeze said at my shoulder as we watched the turkeys.
“I heard that, old man,” a woman’s voice said from the porch above us.
“Always right where you’re not wanted, Pris,” Freeze grumbled.
I looked up to see a woman with curly dark hair and eyes that flashed. She had dark skin and from what I could see, a beautiful smile. She grinned at me, making eye contact for a moment. “I’m right where I need to be. You might have let me know we’re having company for dinner.”
“You always make too much, so I wasn’t too worried,” Freeze shot back as he climbed the stairs. He and the woman embraced, and then he turned to me. “Raif, this is my granddaughter, Pris. Married to my grandson, Axel. Pris, Raif was kind enough to bring me something from an old friend right as his car had problems. I’ve invited him to stay until the part gets here.”
Pris held out her hand. “Good to meet you, Raif. Come on in, and we’ll get you settled into your room.” She smiled again and then walked into the house.
I followed Pris and Freeze into an open room with high ceilings. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were all here, with windows that allowed for an even better view of the cliffs and the river.
“Set another plate,” Freeze said.
A man standing at the stove turned around. I’d guess this was Freeze’s grandson. He smiled, and I recognized a fellow military man. He moved to the sink, a slight limp in his gait, and Pris walked to him to slide an arm around his waist.
“Who’d you con into coming out here?” the man asked.
“Axel, this is Raif Garzon. He knows my old friend Mona Thackery—you remember her? She joined the Army as a nurse, and she’s still out in D.C., and she asked him to stop by and bring me something.” Freeze held up the package I’d brought him.
Axel came from behind the island, wiping his hands on a towel. “Axel Buckley. It’s good to meet you, Raif.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Thanks for having me for dinner.”
“And he’s staying with us until his car parts come in,” Freeze added.<
br />
Pris showed me to a room at the end of a hallway off the main room, and once I’d put my things down and washed up, I went back to the kitchen. “How can I help?” I asked Axel, who was still at the stove.
“Oh, you’re a guest tonight,” he said, without turning around. “But stay more than twenty-four hours, and you’ll be put to work.”
I laughed. This was the kind of thing I understood. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that my truck had broken down here in Paulson. This was far better than any hotel.
Chapter Four
Taylor
I woke the next morning and sat straight up in bed. Where was I? Heart pounding, I looked around, trying to get a bead on my surroundings. I took a breath and allowed my shoulders to relax down from my ears as I realized I was in my childhood home, in my old bedroom.
Kasper wasn’t here. He’d never be here. I was home. I was safe.
I fell back into my pillows, exhausted as though I’d run a marathon. My heart was still pounding, and I forced myself to take deep breaths. They were supposed to be calming, but I wasn’t so sure about that. When my heart no longer felt like it was beating through my ears, I threw back the blankets and got up. Pulling my hair into a bun, I put on socks, and headed out to the kitchen. As it was just after nine in the morning, Mom would be in there.
She looked over her shoulder as I came in, smiling. “Morning, sweetie. How are you?”
I shrugged, easing into a chair at the small table Mom still kept in the kitchen. “All right.”
“That doesn’t sound all right,” she said, turning back to the stove.
“It’s all right,” I said. “Not great.”
“You want to talk about it?”
I sighed. “No. Not really. I feel like all I’ve done is talk about someone else for the past couple of years. I think I’m ready to sit here and not talk about… anything.”