by Laura Marie
Julianna managed to swallow the lump in her throat and breathe as she absorbed it all, including the fact that she now owned part of the ranch and that it was truly her home. Over a hundred and thirty acres of land, of peace and renewed hope, stared back at her. Julianna eased the truck into the parking area closest to the house and caught sight of her aunt and uncle descending the staircase from the front porch.
Aunt Ellie and Uncle Roy greeted her with huge smiles and open arms, and something deep inside told her everything was going to be just fine.
* * * *
Ellie covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of her gorgeous niece. Long, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, down her back, bunching in natural, chestnut-colored curls. Big brown eyes, no longer those of a child, glistened with the same emotion she felt herself.
Pulling Julianna into her arms, Ellie felt the tears flow. The natural bond and connection she felt soared through her, and Julianna’s strong hold seemed to reciprocate the emotion.
Glancing towards Roy, Ellie smiled wide.
Roy gave the women a few moments but couldn’t help but clear his throat and wipe the tear away from his eye before it fell. Julianna was alive and well and here to stay.
“Let me in there, Ellie, I want a hug from my beautiful niece.” Roy squeezed his way between the women as they laughed. Ellie still held Julianna’s one hand in her own.
Roy pulled away ever so slightly, not wanting to let go, just as he was sure his wife Ellie felt.
“You look gorgeous, Julianna…My Lord, our little girl has grown into a helluva woman.”
“She’s the spitting image of her mamma,” Ellie added with a smile, the tears still streaming down her cheeks.
“Look at you two. I’m so glad to see you and to be back at Palmer.” Julianna glanced around the property then back to her aunt and uncle.
“Well, just in case you weren’t certain where your financial contributions have been used, you can see the changes,” Roy stated with a smile, the pride obvious by his facial expression.
“I sure can, Uncle Roy, and just so you know,” she stated, winking then smiling, “there wasn’t a doubt in my mind.”
“I have so much to show you.”
“And I can’t wait to see it all. Do you still have the lake?”
“Of course. Although you missed the swimming season.”
“There’s always next summer. Remember, I’m here for good.” Julianna smiled instantly, feeling the tingling sensation in her belly from her declaration.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind you wouldn’t be,” Roy added with a confident smile, and they laughed.
“Well, come on inside, there’s plenty of time to talk business, supper’s almost ready and you have to be tired from your long journey.” Ellie linked her arm through Julianna’s.
“I’ll get your things from the truck.”
“Call the boys, Roy, so they can help ya.”
Roy watched as Ellie and Julianna headed inside the house.
He looked inside the back of the pickup truck and it was empty. Then he looked inside the crew cab.
Only two suitcases? He was shocked.
Grabbing one and setting it down on the ground before grabbing the second, he heard Rooster’s voice.
“She’s here? Let me help you with that, we can’t wait to meet her.”
Roy smiled, and Rooster and Sammy grabbed both suitcases and started walking towards the front porch.
* * * *
Julianna absorbed the sensation of warmth as the smell of cookies filled her senses. Aunt Ellie’s house always smelled so good, and she was always cooking or baking something. She looked around the old farmhouse, recalling many of the antiques and special items that always reminded her of Aunt Ellie’s home. “You still have that old pig cookie jar!” Julianna exclaimed as she made her way through the oversized kitchen to the counter near the sink.
“Sure do. Look inside.” Ellie smiled, and Julianna couldn’t help but giggle. She thought she smelled something baking when she entered the house.
She took a peek inside, and she laughed aloud. “My favorite. Sugar cookies!”
“Help yourself.”
Julianna quickly washed her hands then dried them on the dish towel before taking a soft, gooey cookie into her hand.
As she took a small bite, she glanced out the window toward the horses grazing near the fence. She felt like a child enjoying the simple pleasure of a warm homemade cookie, and she absorbed it all. If only she could go back to her childhood days. At least until right before she made the decision to leave for New York. The empty, sad feeling filled her stomach.
The sounds of male voices erupted through the house from the front door.
“It’s a pleasure to meet ya, ma’am.” Julianna turned around to see two men with Uncle Roy.
“This is Rooster,” Uncle Roy stated.
“Hi, Rooster, nice to meet you as well. My uncle has told me so much about you.”
Rooster smiled.
“I’m Sammy. I help with the horses and odds and ends around the ranch.”
Julianna smiled then shook Sammy’s hand.
Both men seemed very polite.
“Well, supper’s just about ready, we can all get acquainted then,” Aunt Ellie stated, and the ranch hands moved quickly. It was obvious to Julianna that her aunt was the run of the house.
“Hey, Jules, why don’t you have more luggage and boxes?” Uncle Roy asked as he played with his suspenders. She missed the sight of her uncle and his suspenders. The way he rubbed his thumb and hand up and down over the material brought back memories. It was such a silly and simple thing but the thought warmed her inside.
“I shipped everything else I needed.”
“How long ago did you ship them?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“Heavens! They should have gotten here by now,” Aunt Ellie stated, joining the conversation.
Julianna glanced towards the kitchen. Sammy and Rooster hadn’t returned from washing up yet.
Julianna whispered, “I had to be careful. I shipped everything to a friend’s house, then she’ll ship the packages to one place, and then another friend of hers will ship the packages here.”
“Oh my…be careful of what?” Aunt Ellie inquired
“It will be fine, Aunt Ellie. Really. Just a few extra precautions. I’ll explain later.”
“We’re all set!” Rooster stated aloud.
Julianna smiled then headed towards the kitchen counter to help her aunt and uncle as the men followed.
Midway through supper, she was certain that both Rooster and Sammy were good, reliable work hands. Plus, her aunt and uncle treated them like family.
After supper, both Rooster and Sammy helped clean up then headed to bed.
Julianna leaned against the kitchen counter as Aunt Ellie wiped down the table then placed a large, white ceramic vase of wildflowers in the center.
The sight of her brought tears to Julianna’s eyes. The simplicity of her actions, the way her aunt’s hair stayed nestled in a small bun-like ball at the base of her neck and shoulders, reminded Julianna of her mother. Not that Mom and Aunt Ellie were identical twins, but they shared the same facial expressions, body language, and smile. There was peacefulness and comfort in the old house, but most of all there was a strong connection. Julianna could practically feel it embrace her. Watching her aunt made her wish for things she only had as a child. The skirt that her aunt wore clung against her hips then flared out towards the bottom just barely dancing above her shins. Julianna could remember clinging to either her aunt or her mother’s leg, begging for another cookie or just loving the smell of their clothing. Clothes hung outdoors to dry in the fresh country air. Did Aunt Ellie even have a regular washer and dryer?
Curious, she looked toward the left side of the kitchen and a closed doorway, and she wondered if they were hidden there. The memories of her childhood flashed through her mind.
�
��Jules, are you all right?”
Aunt Ellie touched her arm, bringing Julianna back to the present.
On instinct and need, she covered her aunt’s hand with her own, and she smiled as she simultaneously gave it a squeeze.
“I’m fine, Aunt Ellie. Just thinking about how wonderful it is to be home.”
Aunt Ellie smiled, the glossiness of her eyes revealing her emotions. “I’m so glad you’re home too. Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the loft upstairs? It would be like old times.” Julianna smiled at the thought. Whenever she would visit her aunt and uncle’s home she would stay in the small loft upstairs. It was a special place. The idea of being so close to her aunt and uncle called out to her insecure side. Lawrence entered her mind. “Grow up, Julianna! Wipe those tears! No one likes a whiner and no woman of mine is going to be fragile and weak!”
She cringed a moment and nearly started to cry. The hurt, the fear and uncertainty, tainted her ability to think. She wasn’t sure how long she waited before answering, but the troubled look on her aunt’s face told her it was too long.
“Juliann—”
“I think that the guest house will be better for me. Since I’m staying for good, I should establish my own place.” She focused on the polished wooden floor, and she took a deep breath as if needing to absorb the decision and embrace the tiny, shaky step of independence.
When she looked up, she locked gazes with her aunt.
“I need this,” was all she could muster as her aunt sensed the struggle, pulling her into an embrace.
Chapter 5
Julianna took the first week getting to know the ranch hands, looking over the business accounts, and meeting some of the clients who kept their horses at Palmer Place.
“You’d be surprised at how many rich folks buy horses just to say they own one. We’ve got clients who come out here from the city or up north only a few times a year to ride and stay at the house,” Roy informed Julianna while they spoke near the stables.
Julianna was still rather surprised at the fact that recently her aunt and uncle opened up the house as a bed-and-breakfast for certain clients.
“The clients from the city must love it here. But isn’t it kind of funny having complete strangers sleeping in the Palmer family home?”
Roy placed his hand on Julianna’s shoulder.
“Jules, we wanted to do our best to make this business work. Your hard-earned money and partnership means the world to Ellie and I.”
Julianna smiled. “I know that, Uncle Roy.”
Julianna started thinking about the bed-and-breakfast and her business mind was in full motion.
Roy stopped and stared at her. “Oh no. I recognize that look. All you McKay women are the same.”
Julianna laughed. Having lived away from family, she never heard such expressions like “you look just like your ma,” “that’s something that your daddy would say,” and it was nice to hear.
“Do I really look just like the McKay women?”
Roy smiled. “You betcha ya. What were ya all thinking about?”
“Just thinking about the business, Uncle Roy, and the fact that we now have a bed-and-breakfast as well. There’s potential there if you and Aunt Ellie are really all right with it.”
“Well, you’re the one with the business degree and the true knack for this. Whatever you come up with, I’m sure that it will be good and it will keep Palmer Place in the good graces of everyone in Claire County.”
He placed his hands on his suspenders as he gazed into Julianna’s eyes.
“I’ve been meaning to tell ya…I’m real proud of you, Jules. Real proud.”
She smiled at him.
He probably wanted to know about the circumstances of her life back in New York with Lawrence, the secrecy to her moving to Palmer Place under a different name, and the police investigation she had been involved with. But he didn’t ask, and she sure was grateful.
* * * *
The sound of a truck approaching from the dirt driveway caught their attention.
Roy noticed the color leave Julianna’s face at the sight of the sheriff’s truck.
“That’s Sheriff Black. He’s one of our clients and we keep his mare Lightning over in stable five.”
He knew he sounded as if he were rambling, but the look on his niece’s face at the sight of the law enforcement vehicle instantly made him concerned. His gut told him that there was more to her life back in the city, but now wasn’t the time to question her. The sheriff had been by a few times in the past week, but Julianna was always inside or out in the fields riding. The sheriff was an intimidating, somewhat rude type of individual. He did, however, whip Claire County into shape and enforce the law, making Claire maintain its small town, close-knit roots.
He gave a big wave to the sheriff and Julianna stood in place.
* * * *
Her first inclination was to run, but then she told herself she wasn’t guilty of anything. She didn’t want any trouble, and she sure as hell didn’t want anyone to know about her past. Sooner or later she was bound to bump into the town law enforcement and had been doing a good job avoiding the sheriff in particular for the past week. Taking the opportunity to watch him the other day without him knowing, she came to the conclusion that he was mean, egotistical, and full of attitude. His short, dark hair was cropped to his head, a large man, the Incredible Hulk came to mind. Eyeing him, she thought a woman in his arms would surely know she was being held.
He was rugged, rough, and showed little expression. Being around for a week now, she had overheard Rooster talking about the sheriff and the chip he had on his shoulder. Rooster had said that the sheriff nearly growled at him the other day. She watched the sheriff slowly get out of his truck. It was dark black, had slightly tinted windows, appeared mysterious and important, just like the man himself.
He was a sight for the guilty. Wide shoulders, tight black Wrangler jeans that snugly pressed against muscular thighs, skin kissed by the now past summer sun and a black Stetson that hid the sunglass-covered eyes she recalled from her staring fit in town.
He was as tall as Jeremy, his black shirt matching the pants, and the gold star sat over the pocket for all to see. She felt the tightness in her core and the sense of uneasiness consume her.
It had to be the fact that she hadn’t laid eyes on a real cowboy in years. Cowboys were fit and sexy, that’s why so many women fantasized about them. But the sheriff was more than just cowboy…He was the law, and she couldn’t help but think that when he said “jump,” people screamed “how high” and “sir.”
She attempted to compose her annoyance as she cleared her throat. She placed her hands on her hips, hoping to hide the intimidating feeling she had.
“Sheriff Black, this is my niece. Julianna Palmer.” Roy hoped that Johnny hadn’t picked up on his stumbling words. Julianna wasn’t going by her given McKay name. He suddenly had a sister who had a daughter Julianna.
“I didn’t know you had a niece.”
Julianna gulped at the sexy, deep, and stern tone of the sheriff’s voice. For the past week, she had only imagined what he would sound like. It was silly that she wasted time thinking about what he would sound like. Something told her he wasn’t the friendly type and smiles from a face she could barely see were probably few and far between.
He tipped his hat then reached for her hand. The rim of his hat lifted, removing the curtain of shadow and revealing chiseled, muscular features…he was older than she.
Pulling her hand forward, she didn’t move in time to shake his and it appeared he took offense, but only for a moment, as she watched him side step towards the barn.
“How’s my girl?”
Julianna told herself to just breathe. For a second she wasn’t sure whom he was speaking about then it hit her. His horse was there in the stable.
She released the sigh to let the air out and deal with the choking pain in her chest.
She was about to head towards the sanctit
y of the house when she heard her name.
“Miss Palmer…”
Julianna turned towards that sultry, deep voice that made her body temperature rise for some ungodly reason while simultaneously making her shudder.
Still not saying a word, she looked back towards the sheriff and locked gazes.
Uncle Roy continued to head towards the stable along with Rooster, who suddenly appeared.
The sheriff moved closer, but his hat still remained slightly over his eyes. The glare from the October sun kept them shadowed again.
“Just a little warning. We don’t allow tailgating in Claire County.”
She couldn’t help the shock she felt. Was he serious?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, damning her shaky voice.
“Now, Miss Palmer, I’m just giving you some fair warning. Next time I’ll have to ticket ya all. This ain’t New York,” he boldly stated, and Julianna felt her jaw drop. Before she could think of a good response, the sheriff’s long legs had him halfway to the barn while she picked her jaw up off the dirt.
“What a jerk!”
Annoyed, she headed towards the house feeling like a child reprimanded for something silly like sneaking an extra cookie out of the cookie jar.
When Julianna finally recovered from her confrontation with the local badass sheriff, she came to the conclusion that she should stay as far away from him as possible.
* * * *
Julianna shivered as the cold fall breeze whipped past her, causing her to zip up the jean jacket. Leaves continued to fall from all the trees and scatter around the town with the pounding wind. She headed into town to purchase a few pairs of jeans and a heavy winter coat. The temperature was suddenly dropping and the sign of the first snowfall was in sight. Of course her aunt had told her that they were expecting record-breaking temperatures this season in the Panhandle. There was talk about a lot of snow, which was odd because growing up, there was hardly any snow. Maybe a freak cold winter here and there, but for the most part Palmer Place was mild.