by Kate Pearce
“Not long now.” Ry looked up to see Chase shutting down his laptop. Chase scrubbed his hands over his face and groaned. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was too busy trying to work out what the hell I intend to say if it really is Mom.”
“Hi? I’m your long lost son?” Ry cleared his throat. “If it is her, she’ll take one look at you and think you’re Billy.”
“And run off screaming? Great.” Chase groaned. “I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t started down this road.”
“Yeah? Then let’s go home.”
“I promised January I’d see it through. She says I need ‘closure’ or something—that we all do. She wants it all sorted before the wedding.”
Ry didn’t bother to argue. He had a sense that he was set on a path and that nothing was going to stop him going forward. It was like that moment when you strapped your hand into your rope on the back of a bucking bull and nodded at the gateman to let it go. You might get the ride of your life or be bucked off in a second.
The pilot’s voice came over the intercom.
“Please take your seats. We will be landing in approximately ten minutes.”
* * *
Humboldt was smaller than Ry had anticipated and dominated by the university. It had a quaint kind of ’60s hippie vibe to it, which made sense with all the students around. Chase had hired a limo, and they were currently en route to the offices of their contact downtown, a law firm, or so Chase said. BB looked so relaxed Ry wanted to kill him, but his bro had been in Afghanistan and other hostile places, so a trip to the far north of his home state was hardly going to rattle his nerves.
Chase looked okay, but he was texting furiously on his phone the entire journey. The most amazing sequoia forest Ry had ever seen surrounded the town. They’d flown over miles of it on their way in. When they got out of the car the scent of eucalyptus and pine still lingered.
The offices of the law firm were situated in a modern five-story building. Chase led the way, BB in the rear, his demeanor that of a soldier protecting his ass in inhospitable territory. Ry kept his head down and kept walking.
The receptionist was very pleasant and took them through into Andrew Gage’s office. Chase advanced on the man behind the desk.
“Hey, I’m Chase Morgan and these are my brothers, Blue and Ry.”
“Good to finally meet you all.” Andrew shook hands and waved them into the chairs in front of his desk. “I understand you have an unsolved missing person case on your hands.”
“That’s right. We’re trying to locate our mother.”
Andrew glanced at the open file on his desk. “Your team of private investigators has been very thorough. They contacted our firm when they needed information on Anne Morgan, usually known as Annie. They believed she had taken an alias and ended up here in Humboldt.”
Ry slumped in his chair, and BB tapped his fingers against his jeans-clad thigh.
“And?” Chase prompted politely.
“We matched the information with that of a client who dealt with our firm about fifteen years ago. She was using the name Anne Langton at that point.”
“That’s not even her maiden name,” Chase murmured. “Why did she need a law firm?”
“She wanted to obtain a divorce.”
“Presumably from our father?” Chase frowned. “I don’t remember hearing anything about them getting divorced.”
“Can you do that without telling the other person?” BB chimed in.
“Yes.” Andrew looked apologetic. “There are legal ways to get around the desertion or disappearance of a spouse, and California is a no-fault divorce state. In his notes, my colleague mentioned your mother claimed your father had disappeared from the marital home, and she had no idea where he had gone.”
Chase nodded. “If she went looking for him five years after she left she was probably correct. He’d gone walkabout by then. How come all of this has just come to light?”
“We currently have an intern working with us who is scanning all our old records online, which is probably how your investigators found us.”
“Did your firm have an address in Humboldt for Annie back then?” Chase asked.
“We did, but I doubt she’s still there. That street is now a parking lot.”
“Then where do you suggest we start looking for Anne Langton?”
“I’d start at the university. There’s a note here in the file, which suggests your mother was planning on attending college. If she did so, the university will have a record of her.”
BB turned to Chase. “Are your guys on this already?”
“Yeah, that’s what I was texting about on the ride over. We’ve got an appointment to meet the registrar next.” Chase stood up. “Thanks for your time, Andrew. We appreciate it.”
“Glad to help.” Andrew shook Chase’s hand. “Let me know if you find her, okay?”
Chase didn’t commit to anything, and they left the office in silence. The limo was waiting for them in the parking lot, and they all got in.
BB asked the obvious question. “I wonder if Billy ever knew she was trying to divorce him?”
“If he did, he never mentioned it.” Chase grimaced. “And it would mean he must’ve known she was alive. I’ll ask him when we get back.”
“He might have divorced her,” Ry said slowly. “He wanted her to be free.”
“Yeah, he did, but back then, I’m not sure he knew what he was doing. He was pretty much a full-time drunk.”
Ry stopped talking and stared out of the window as they turned toward the university. For some reason he felt steadier now—as if having survived the first few steps he could keep on going. He thought about Avery and her struggle to learn how to walk again after all the damage to her hip and thigh. She’d understand, and she’d definitely tell him to keep moving forward. In fact, she’d probably smack him a good one if he didn’t.
The limo stopped again and they all got out. It was raining and Ry wished he’d brought his jacket. Some of the students paused to point and giggle at the sight of him and BB in their cowboy gear. Chase had sensibly left his Stetson on the plane.
The administrator offered them coffee and led them through to her office, which was warm from the earlier sun. Chase explained what they were after, and repeated the bare bones of the story.
“Yes, we do have a record of an Anne Langton who studied here for several years.” She searched their faces. “I joined the office just about the time she was admitted and I remember her quite well.” She nodded at BB. “She had the same color eyes as you, although her little girl was fair haired, like your brother.”
“You remember she had a daughter?” Chase asked.
“Yes, Rachel was in the day care program with one of my daughters for several years.”
BB let out his breath and glanced at Ry. “Sounds like we hit the jackpot, guys.”
Chase ignored them and leaned forward, his attention all on the woman behind the desk. “Do you have any idea what happened to Anne after she completed her degree?”
“She left for a year or so to do her master’s somewhere farther downstate and we lost contact, but I believe she came back.”
“To teach here?”
“I think so. I left this job to take care of my children, so I missed a few years. I remember one of my colleagues saying that after Anne came back she got married.”
“Married?” BB asked.
“That’s right—to one of the professors here.”
Ry turned to Chase. “Did you know about this?”
Chase shook his head. “It’s all news to me. Do you have a name and address for this guy?”
The administrator sat back in her seat. “I can’t give you that information without clearing it with the university first.”
Chase stood and held out his hand. “Okay, then I’ll be in touch. Thanks for all your help.”
As they walked out to the parking lot, BB patted Chase’s shoulder. “You’re going to find out who this guy is, a
nd get back to us, right?”
“Yeah, we’re close now, can’t you feel it?”
“We could ask around and find out whether anyone knows them.”
“And risk scaring her into running away again? We’ll do this properly and contact her through her new husband.”
BB snorted. “Yeah, and as to that—did that lawyer say she was actually divorced from Dad? Because otherwise she’s in a whole pig’s trough of trouble.”
Chapter Twelve
“So what did you find out?” Avery asked Ry as she passed him a bucket of water to put in Dolittle’s stall. She’d come up to the ranch to see him after her shift ended, but he wasn’t in a particularly chatty mood.
“Well, we didn’t bump into her on the street or anything.”
She hesitated at the door. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
He filled the water trough and gave her back the bucket. “Nothing much to tell. It seems like she applied for a divorce, changed her name, and went back to college.”
He sounded relaxed, but she wasn’t fooled.
“Do you think it might be her, then?”
“Possibly. She has a daughter named Rachel.”
“Wow.” Avoiding Dolittle’s swishing tail, she squeezed past to hug Ry from behind. He was as unyielding as a plank of wood. “You’re tense.”
“Yeah, well.”
She rubbed her cheek against his back and wrapped her arms around his hips. “What’s the plan now?”
“She might have married again. Chase’s team is looking into that right now. As soon as we get more information we’ll be on it.”
“Will you go back there?”
He turned around to stare down at her. “I don’t think I have much choice, do you?”
“Not if you want to meet her.” Avery took a deep breath. “What did she do to you?”
“I’ve already told you I don’t remember.”
“Do you know Dr. Mendez? He operates the physical rehab facility alongside his general practice, and he’s a great believer in natural remedies and techniques.”
“And?”
“Maybe you could go talk to him.”
“About what?”
“About whatever’s bothering you.”
“I’m fine, Avery.”
“You are not. You have nightmares.”
He shrugged. “Who doesn’t?”
“He could hypnotize you and find out what’s going on.”
“Avery, are you kidding me?”
“No. He managed to stop my mom smoking, and he helped me, so why won’t you try it?”
“Because I’m fine.” He slapped Dolittle’s flank to move him out of the way, and squeezed past Avery. “You coming?”
Avery followed him out into the yard. “Why do men think getting help for their issues is like admitting some kind of failure?”
“Because it is?”
“It’s a sign that you are mature enough to realize that you need help!”
His only reply was a snort as he headed for the tack room. She followed right after him.
“Ry Morgan . . .”
She yelped as he turned around and shut them both in the small space, pinning her against the door.
“Let it go, Avery.”
“But—”
He bent down and kissed her hard, one hand moving away from the door and curving around her neck.
“How about you think about something more interesting, like having some barn sex with your favorite cowboy?”
Her body thought that was a fine idea, but she pushed hard on his chest. “I’m not going to let you distract me like that.”
“Like what?” He nibbled her ear, and her knees almost gave way with lust.
“With sex. You need to deal with this, Ry, and I don’t like being used.”
He went still and eased away from her. “What exactly are you saying here?”
“That it’s easier to escape into something else than face the truth.”
“You think I don’t want you?”
“That’s not what this is about, and you know it.”
“It sure as hell sounded like it.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “And now you’re going to get mad over that, and use it as another excuse not to face up to your problems.”
He took three steps back, which was about as far as he could go in the cramped tack room, and smiled.
“The only person who’s getting mad around here is you, honey.”
“Don’t call me that, and don’t smile like that—you look like HW.”
He came toward her and she eased back against the wall, but he pushed open the door, obviously intending to get as far away from her as possible.
She called after him. “You’re always telling me I can’t run away from things, so where are you going?”
He stopped and slowly turned. “You run as well.”
“Really, Ry? You’re going to do the classic man thing, and make this all about me?”
“You’re still shit-scared of horses. What good has all that therapy and hypnosis done you, Avery?”
She closed her mouth so hard she snapped her jaw, and just stared at him. “Wow. Well, it worked. I’m not going to argue with you about another damned thing.”
And she was damned if she was going to run, either. She held his furious gaze until he was the one who walked away. Checking her pocket for her keys, she headed for her car, stumbling on the uneven ground, fighting the hot tears that crowded the back of her throat.
Yeah, she really wasn’t the person to lecture anyone about confronting their fears. He was right about that. She bit down hard on her lip. She hadn’t expected her even-tempered cowboy to throw that back in her face. She drove off down the main ranch road, barely seeing the fences and trees that lined her way. One thing she’d learned during all her physical and emotional rehab was that anger hid way more than most people imagined . . . and that sometimes what you thought you were angry about wasn’t the real truth.
Which made sense of Ry’s outburst, but didn’t mean she had to like it.
On impulse, she stopped at the general store and went inside. Maureen, Nancy’s mom, was at the cashier station patiently giving directions to a group of obviously lost Japanese tourists. She winked at Avery and pointed to the family quarters.
“Nancy’s out back if you want her.”
Avery went on through and found her best friend lying on the couch watching some soap opera that Roy and Ruth loved.
She plopped herself on the couch and pressed a pillow to her stomach.
“I think I just screwed up.”
“What did you do?”
“Told Ry to get some therapy.”
Nancy sat up. “You told a man to pay out good money and share his intimate thoughts with a stranger?”
“Yeah, and he told me I was a fine one to talk because I was scared of his stupid dopey horse.”
“Ouch.”
Avery flopped back against the arm of the couch. “I was just trying to help.”
“Yeah, sounds like it. You never tell a guy he can’t fix everything by himself. You make suggestions and keep making them until he thinks he came up with the idea himself, remember?”
“Sometimes I just don’t want to deal with the fragile male ego.” Avery closed her eyes. “I’ve blown it.”
“With Ry?”
“Who else?”
“Nah, he’s totally into you. He’ll be hammering on your door by tonight, begging for forgiveness.”
“Nancy, have you met the Morgan brothers? Stubborn Ass should be their middle name.”
“So you’re going to apologize?”
Avery sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not ashamed of anything I said to him. I still think I was right to say it.”
“Then let him stew for a while. If he really wants to be with you, he’ll find a way to make things right.”
* * *
Ry stormed over to Dolittle’s stall and sl
ammed his fist into the woodwork.
What the hell was wrong with him? Avery didn’t deserve such crap. He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked back the way he’d come. By the time he reached the yard, Avery’s car was turning out of the gate, and she wasn’t slowing down.
“Hell . . .” he breathed.
His temper was so uncertain at the moment—a temper he hadn’t even known he possessed—and all because he’d come back to the ranch and had to deal with his past.
“You okay, son?”
He looked over his shoulder to find his dad watching him from the porch of the house.
“Nope.”
Billy came down the steps toward him. “Was that you and Avery shouting down at the barn?”
Ry took off his hat and smoothed out the brim. “Might have been.”
“Is there anything you want to talk about?”
“Jeez, don’t you start.”
Billy raised his eyebrows. “I can see why Avery left.” He made as if to walk past. “If you’ll excuse me, there are chores to do.”
His father was halfway to the barn before Ry spoke again.
“Do you think Mom was sick?”
Billy stopped moving and slowly turned around. “Before she left?”
Ry nodded.
“I think she was depressed and hadn’t recovered from Rachel’s birth. These days they call it severe postnatal depression.”
“So does that make what she did okay?”
“Walking out on all of us?” Billy asked. “We all tried to help her, we really did, but she was too far gone to even notice. Poor woman.”
“How come you don’t hate her, then?”
Billy looked down at his boots and then centered his gaze somewhere past Ry’s shoulder. “What’s the point? I’m sure she didn’t mean to do what she did—no more than I meant to end up too drunk to take care of you all. Nobody’s perfect, Ry. We all make mistakes. We just have to learn how to live with them.”
“What were you two arguing about on that last night?”
Billy went still. “I don’t remember. Why?”
“Was it something to do with our birthday party?”
“What makes you think that?” Billy came toward him, his lined face the picture of concern.