Charles smirked a little. “My middle name is Decker.”
Eliza clapped her hands together. “That’s perfect. It’s a strong, wise name.” She hugged her puppy. “With Decker, I will feel like I have brought a little bit of the Rio Lago Ranch home with me.” And be reminded of my first love.
Charles nodded. “True.”
“Come on, Charles, perk up. Let’s be happy. Time for training.” Eliza put Decker down and walked a little ways away from him. He immediately started following after her. “Look, he’s so brilliant!”
Charles laughed. “Well, you have treats in your hand.” He called Patch over, and he came rolling over after he tripped on a dirt clod. “Let’s walk around here a little and get them used to following us.”
They played for another half hour, laughing and teasing. Eliza loved their time together with the puppies. It’s almost like we are parents. She chuckled and hid the tear in her eye.
The puppies wore out pretty fast. Eliza looked over at Charles, who himself looked in need of a nap. “There’s a hammock out by the lake. It’s in those side woods toward the river.”
“That sounds inviting. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
Eliza cuddled her little puppy as they walked back into the stable. The stall door was open and someone was cleaning it out. Eliza hurried over, thinking the puppies would be scared. She looked in, and they were all in a big box, standing on their hind legs, with their faces resting on their paws as they looked over the edge of the box.
“Hey, guys, don’t worry. This is good. Once it’s all cleaned out, you can romp and play in the fresh hay.” She set Decker in with his sibs. “Charles, put Patch in there, and I will take a picture of all of them.”
They both walked out the back door to the stables and went looking for the hammock. Eliza wondered if this hammock was for guests or if it was a private hammock for Carson or someone. She looked around; it was pretty secluded. She didn’t get much sleep last night either. Charles shook out the hammock and looked all over for bugs. Eliza appreciated that. She looked around the ground for piles of ants. Her bites were barely gone now, and she didn’t want a fresh crop.
“Charles, you get in first and balance yourself, and then I will get in.”
Eliza carefully climbed in and cuddled up against Charles. She looked up into the trees overhead. This was a quiet, beautiful place. There was a huge owl sitting on a branch near the top of a tree. She had to look closely to see it, he blended in so well. There was a soft breeze from the Gulf cooling things down just a little. She could smell the cut alfalfa from the ranch next door. Across the highway was a large field planted in cotton. It looked ready to harvest when she had driven in. Not that she knew anything about growing cotton, but she’s seen lots of white cotton balls on the plants. So this is where my chenille shirt comes from. She sighed and nestled down into the crook of Charles’s long arm. Charles was already asleep and breathing deeply. I don’t think I have ever been so content. Eliza closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep as the hammock swung gently in the breeze.
Chapter 11
Charles woke up as the hammock shifted in a warm breeze, and smiled down at Eliza, who was sound asleep with a little smile on her face. He stayed still, just enjoying the time with her. She nestled into his arm perfectly, never mind that her feet only came to just below his knees. I guess I am pretty tall. He chuckled. Eliza would make any life a happy life. Her positive attitude about everything took the sting out of challenges.
He could smell the brisket, and his stomach growled. Eliza stirred and turned her eyes to him. “Hi, there,” she said softly.
“Hello, yourself.”
“Have you been awake long?”
“No, I was just enjoying this moment. I do smell some Texas BBQ, though, and I’m hungry.”
“Me, too.” Eliza got out of the hammock first, and then Charles sat up and put his feet down. They both walked up toward the picnic tables and joined the rest of the group.
The food looked wonderful. Potato salad, greens, black eyed peas, baked beans, tomato pie, and much more besides the brisket. “You know one of my worries coming down here was what I was going to eat.” Charles laughed.
“Yes, I can see you are a happy boy during meal time.”
“The food has been great.” Charles got a plate and handed one to Eliza. He was trying to stay happy and positive, but every time he looked at Eliza his heart broke. Seeing her and loving her and knowing he couldn’t have a life with her was torture. But he wanted to make the most of it because this week would provide a storehouse of memories for years to come. Somewhere he could go for respite.
Eliza sat down at Carson’s table. “Do you mind if we sit here?” Both Eliza and Charles sat down across from Carson.
“Not at all. I’ve been wanting to talk with you both anyway.” Carson drank down his soda and got up to get more brisket.
Charles dug into the amazing amount of food on his plate. He knew he was making a spectacle of himself, but he needed more food than most. He chuckled as he looked over at Eliza, who seemed to be trying not to smile. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. I just can’t seem to get over the amount of food you eat.”
Carson sat back down. “I will have a list of instructions for the puppies for each of you. I am letting them go a little early, but if you follow the food suggestions they should be fine. Do you think you will get the puppies together after you leave here?”
Charles’s countenance fell and so did Eliza’s.
“Oh, well, I just thought it would be comforting for them to see each other once in a while.” Carson turned as if to leave and then stopped. “I don’t usually get myself involved in other people’s business, because frankly I don’t like other people getting involved in my business, but I will say this. Most people in this life never find what you two obviously have found in each other. It’s not something you toss away lightly. You may never find it again.” Then Carson walked away while Eliza looked down at her plate.
Charles tried to look away, but he saw Eliza wiping away a tear and took her hand. They both sat in silence until Mary announced the pies were being brought out. A cart full of pies of every kind along with ice cream and whipping cream was rolled out to the middle of the picnic area.
Eliza laughed. “There’s something very comforting in dessert.” They both got up to wait in line. Charles agreed. Food was comforting. If his life continued as projected, he could see himself eating a lot of dessert.
“What is it?” Eliza looked over, concerned.
“I was just thinking I may have to watch my weight when I get older if this keeps up.” Charles raised his eyebrows in thought.
“It’s not going to kill us to pig out this evening. And I feel like overdoing it.” She took a plate and gave one to Charles. As they sat down to eat, they could hear thunder in the distance. Mary had all the kitchen help wrapping up the food and taking it back into the house. The wind came up, blowing paper plates off of the tables, and everyone picked up their plates and headed for the covered porch. Eliza and Charles ran to the covered bridge. Just as they got there, the rain began. Thunder and lightning was blasting its way across the landscape.
“It’s raining sideways; we are going to get soaked.” Charles laughed as he pulled Eliza closer to the far side of the bridge.
The storm started getting wild. A huge gust picked up the sailboat and flung it to the other side of the lake. The rain was pouring down in torrents, filling up the rowboat that someone had left right-side up.
“I’m getting scared. Maybe we shouldn’t be out here.” Eliza looked up into Charles’s eyes.
“It’s too late to leave now. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
Just then a lawn chair flew by.
Eliza yelped and clutched his arm. “Are we having a tornado? There is stuff blowing away.”
Charles moved them to the middle of the bridge and they both sat down on the leeward side to avoid as much rain as pos
sible. “No, but I have to admit this is definitely a Texas rainstorm. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this at home. Let’s just enjoy it. We have a front-row seat.”
Charles wasn’t as confident as he sounded. He looked down conspiratorially at Eliza and waggled his eyebrows. She looked up and smiled at the challenge. This was exciting and they both felt it. Charles put his arm around Eliza, and she snuggled closer to watch the fun.
After the wind stopped, the sky just opened up and it poured. They looked out and couldn’t see a thing through the rain. “I really can’t believe this.” Eliza got out her phone just to video the rain. “Dad is not going to believe this; I need proof.”
Charles looked down at her, wanting to ask about her family. “What do you think your dad would think about us?”
“Well, you are a Harrington. They have been suggesting certain families to me.”
“Like who?” Charles could feel the burn of jealousy at the back of his neck and ears.
“Well, they keep mentioning the Winstons.” Eliza looked over to see what his reaction would be.
“Not Herbie Winston, please say it’s not him.” He couldn’t believe his Eliza could possibly end up with such a dirt ball.
“I know, seriously. But we have basically grown up together. Their beach house is close to ours, and our parents are always getting together. It’s sickening, and there is no way I will ever marry that disgusting individual.” She scoffed. “My dad suggested I wait and see how he develops. He seems worse every time I see him.”
“Haven’t they mentioned anyone else?” Charles hoped there was someone good and kind out there for his Eliza.
“Not really, have your parents suggested anyone for you, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Charles didn’t think it would hurt to answer her. “For business purposes they mentioned the Jolander family.” He hated to even think about it.
“I’ve seen her, but we travel in different crowds. She is beautiful, but I don’t know her well enough to know her interests.”
“I have no idea what they are either; she never talks when we are together, which is only when our parents get together.” Charles sighed and leaned back. The rain was letting up, but he wiped his eyes and looked out again at the water. The whole pasture around the lake was now part of the lake, and the bridge was becoming an island of its own.
“We need to get out of here. Everything is flooding.” Charles pulled Eliza up. “Here, why don’t we piggy back over to the ranch house.” He wondered just how deep the water was.
“I can walk if you can.” She had that belligerent look. Oh brother, now is not the time to do it yourself, Eliza.
“Look, I am tall and you are not. This is not a man or woman thing. Some of this water could be over your head.”
Eliza looked out at the flooded lake.
“Okay, I guess you’re right.” She stood up on the bench, and then Charles lifted her up and onto his back. Just as they stepped into the water, Eliza grabbed his neck. “What about the alligator? Did they catch him yet?”
“I am glad you mentioned that now. No I don’t think they caught him but hopefully he moved on downriver with the rest of this torrent.” Charles looked around carefully. It was dark, but the porch lights were on, so he had a direction beacon.
Mary called out from the porch. “Are you going to make it alright? We can send a canoe over.”
Charles looked back. Getting in a canoe from the water would probably be worse than just walking over. “No, we’re coming. It’s fine.”
When they reached the porch, Mary had a big blanket to wrap around them and some hot chocolate. So they sat on the bench swing and watched the water continue to rise. Eliza looked over at Mary. “Does the ranch house ever flood?”
“No, not normally. If we get a 100-year flood we may get some flooding, but the hotel is on pier and beams and is above flood level, so I think we are safe.”
“What about the bunkhouse?”
Mary smiled. “The first thing Carson did was engineer the stable and bunkhouse to be totally out of the flood zone. His apartment is over there as well.”
“I guess we won’t be able to train tomorrow.” Eliza said with a hint of sadness.
“Carson usually extends the camp a day or two when this happens. The flood is fun. You can canoe the whole property and even back through the forest behind the lake. It’s magic back there. Just be careful not to get pulled into the main rush of the river.”
Charles perked up. Having another two days with Eliza would be great, and the adventure of exploring the flooded ranch sounded enticing. “I think that sounds fun.”
“Me too!” Eliza got up. “I’m getting tired and want a nice hot bath before bed. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
Charles got up to see her to the door. “Good night.” He was exhausted, but he turned back to Mary.
“Do you have any more of that pie left? Mine got washed away.”
“Follow me to the kitchen and we will see what’s left.”
Eliza filled the deep soaking tub with lavender-scented bubbles. She set her book close by so she could read while relaxing. She needed a break. It was an effort to stay cheery when her heart was about to break and the romantic story of her first love was headed for disaster. This was not how she’d imagined her own love story for all these years. What would her heroines do in these circumstances?
They always had some foe to overcome. In this case, Charles’s dad was the foe. Or was it Charles’s dedication to duty? Surely there had to be some kind of compromise in this story. Eliza sunk down into the lovely, hot water and took a deep, sighing breath. This is how all heroines should consider their plight. She reached over to read but couldn’t bring herself to turn even one page. It seemed her life was becoming much more interesting than her books these days.
The next morning, feeling quite rested and refreshed, she practically skipped down the stairs to breakfast. What she saw stopped her in her tracks. They were in the middle of a huge lake. There were just two islands—the stable and the ranch house, with a bit of the bridge sticking out of the water. The flamingos were back, walking along the edge of the water over by the stables. Someone had tied up the canoes and the paddleboat to the porch railing. She could see Charles out by one of the canoes, loading it with provisions. From the look of it, he was planning a long trip. Eliza laughed. Maybe we could just canoe on down the river to another world and live our own lives somewhere.
Charles looked up. “Have you had breakfast?” She was sure Charles hadn’t missed his. He was dressed in cut-offs and a baseball cap, and he had a fishing pole.
“I’ll go grab something and be right out.” Eliza had long pants on but a light shirt and slip on Keds. She grabbed a hat that Mary offered from the coat rack. She put it on, pulling her hair out the back. I wonder what I will get tangled in my hair this time. Her hair hung down almost to her waist.
Mary came out of the kitchen with a paper sack. “Here you go. There is a muffin in here with some orange juice and a yogurt.”
“Thank you, Mary, that’s perfect.” She took the bag and bounced down the stairs to the canoe.
“Charles, this looks like so much fun. You seem ready for an expedition.”
Charles looked a little mischievous. “Yes we are heading down the Amazon, a magical river that will actually take us to Africa and the Zimbabwe tribes.”
“Two continents, now that’s impressive. Fortunately my lunch bag is magic as well and keeps producing lunch. So we won’t have to worry about food—I know how you like to eat.” Eliza laughed.
“Ha ha, well just in case, I also procured a basket full of food.” He lifted the picnic basket that Mary had prepared. “All aboard!”
Eliza climbed in as Charles steadied the canoe. Vinny came out on the deck and scoffed. “Watch out for gators!”
Charles yelled back. “We will. You be careful too—I hear all the water moccasins are looking for high ground.” Vinny looked around qui
ckly. Charles climbed in as he pushed off into the newly formed lake. It was a beautiful, sunny day with clear blue skies. The air was crisp and clean, and the trees were shining. Eliza took a deep breath. Now this was the backdrop for something amazing to happen. Seldom had she begun a story with such beauty around her heroine.
“Look, Charles, there are giant fish swimming in the grass over there.” The water was shallow next to the ranch house. Charles paddled close to take a look.
“Those are giant carp. They seem to be eating the bugs in the grass, which reminds me this place has fire ants. I hope we don’t find any floating around.” He turned the canoe and headed toward the bridge.
The canoe glided smoothly into the forested river bottom. “Now this is mysterious back here.” Charles looked up into the tops of the trees. They both ducked as the canoe glided under a low-hanging branch. The closer to the river they got, the faster the water seemed to be moving.
A large log smashed into the front of the canoe, shoving them sideways as the river took it downstream. Eliza yelped as they were whipped around.
“Whoa, we don’t want to be this close to the main riverbed. Look at the rubbish that is being rushed downstream.” Charles started paddling backwards and holding onto tree trunks to keep them out of the swiftest of the flood waters. Eliza tried to help by pushing with a paddle against a tree. This turned the canoe sideways, water rushing almost to the top of the canoe. “Hold steady!” But before they could turn it back around, it flipped over, dumping them both into the water.
Charles came up and grabbed ahold of the canoe, looking for Eliza. He couldn’t see her anywhere. “Liza, Liza!” Then he saw a mass of red hair being rushed downstream about ten feet from him. He lunged into the water toward her, swimming as hard as he could. He grabbed her but felt her foot slip out of his grip. He lunged again and caught her arm, pulling her toward him against the current of the water. They were both being pushed toward a bend in the river. Just past the bend, the water looked calmer. A tree came crashing down into the water just past them, it’s roots’ last tenuous grasp on the land eroded away by the flood.
Her Billionaire Secret Romance Page 11