“A lingerie shop. There isn’t one within fifty miles of here. I’ll also sell other items on the side, like fancy soaps. That sort of thing. If it goes well, I’ll expand and open an adjoining store for shoes and handbags.”
“You’ll be quite the entrepreneur,” Bern said. “My guess is the women in this town will love you for bringing more feminine shops to the area.”
“I hope so. I’m sinking every cent I have into my business. If I fail, I’ll have to go back to the big city to work.”
“You won’t fail,” Lann said. “You’ll get some extra money if I can talk your brother into selling the ranch to me. Would you be agreeable to the sale?”
“What my brother told you earlier today was true. Dad tied up the ranch where I have no part in the decision making. And Alan doesn’t have to give me a cent until he feels I have a good reason to need it. The shop wouldn’t come under that heading.” She took a sip of the tea the waitress had brought. “That’s why I’m going to the bank after lunch.”
She caught Lann and Bern looking at each other and without words, they both nodded. Hmm, what was that about? I shouldn’t have mentioned the bank. I don’t usually rattle off to people I don’t know well.
The waitress put their plates down and checked to see if they needed anything else.
“We’re fine. Thank you,” Bern told her. He glanced at Bliss’s plate. “Is that salad going to be enough for you?”
Bliss looked from his plate with a big hamburger, fries, and coleslaw to Lann’s duplicate order. “I like salads. This will be plenty. You two are obviously still growing boys,” she said with a laugh.
Lann leaned close and whispered in her ear. “We may be growing, but we aren’t boys, sweetheart.”
Bern heard him and shook his head agreeing. “We’d love to show you the difference,” he added in a soft voice.
“Stop, you two. Every time I get around you my face turns bright red.”
“I love teasing you, but there is a lot of truth in the fun.” Lann pulled back and started to eat his burger. For a few minutes the table was silent as they enjoyed the food. They’d almost finished when the door opened, and her sister-in-law, Addie, along with her husbands, Pete and Bob, walked in. She immediately saw Bliss and headed her way.
“Bliss, we were going to ride out to the ranch and try to see you without running into Alan.”
“I’m surprised, but glad to see you in town rather than at the ranch. What are you doing here? Oh, let me introduce you first to Mr. Aznar and Mr. Quinlain. Mr. Quinlain bought the Huggins spread and would like to buy our ranch. But you know Alan, he’ll never agree.” She introduced Addie and her husbands to Bern and Lann.
“I don’t want to interrupt your meal. We were going to eat before driving to the ranch.”
“I’m finished. If Lann and Bern don’t mind, I’ll join you at your table, and we can talk. I have a lot to tell you.”
“We have news, too.”
Bern and Lann stood as Bliss got up. “Thank you for lunch.”
“Perhaps we can do this again after you’ve moved to town,” Lann suggested.
Bliss looked from him to Bern. They were so handsome in different ways. Bern was blond and had slate-colored eyes, a contrast to Lann’s dark hair and green eyes. A woman would have to be insane to say no. But she was wary.
“We’ll see. I’ll be too busy for lunch breaks at the beginning.” Bliss waved and went to join Addie, where she, Pete, and Bob had sat.
She saw Bern and Lann pay their bill and wave as they left. Her conflicting feelings of relief and disappointment to see them go worried her. Part of her wanted to run and catch them, agree to meet for lunch, and pursue the first interest she’d had in any male for a number of years. But the relief made her hesitate. Which was for the best. She had a move to make, a store to open, and finances to juggle. There was no time or place for men in her life.
Chapter Four
Bliss sat beside Addie. “How are you?”
“Missing my kids like crazy. We’re going to change our battle plan.”
“Addie, if you tell Bliss, you’ll put her in an awkward position since she lives with her brother,” Pete warned.
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that angle.”
“I won’t be living with Alan much longer. I’m going to open my shop and live above it.”
“Does Alan know yet?” Addie asked.
“He will later today.”
“Who will care for our children?” Addie wrinkled her forehead.
“There is an older lady, Mrs. Turner. She needs a job, and she’ll be a great nanny. The kids will love her.”
“I remember meeting her. She baked all those good pies and cakes for all the sales the church had to make money.”
“That’s her. Her husbands have both died, and she’d like to make some extra money. I called her early this morning. She’s agreeable at a very reasonable salary.”
“Alan would never agree even if she offered to work for a dollar.” A worried look had come across Addie’s face.
Bliss leaned forward. “Addie, did Alan ever hit you?”
Addie drew back and glanced quickly at her husbands. They nodded their heads.
“Yes, I’ve told Pete and Bob, but I didn’t want to disillusion you about your brother.”
“Don’t worry, I’m already disillusioned. He hit me yesterday.”
“What?” Addie asked.
“He was upset, but that isn’t an excuse. I was going to wait another few months before trying to open my shop, but after that occurred, I decided today was the day to change my life.”
“Well, if it includes those two handsome men you were having lunch with, I’d say go for it.” Addie smiled.
“They’re nice, but I don’t need any more men to put up with after my experience with Alan. I’m going solo.” I hope. If I can keep control of my hormones. She crossed her fingers under the table and hoped she hadn’t lied.
“Don’t let him spoil things for you. I found Pete and Bob, or they found me, and I’ve never been happier.” She glanced across at her husbands. “People in town may think I’m a terrible mother, but Alan was beating me on a regular basis. I knew if I didn’t run away, he’d hurt me bad.”
“Why didn’t you tell the courts about this?”
“I hoped we could have an amicable divorce and our children would never have to know what a bully their father was, and then we could share custody. But I’m going to tell the courts here in town and get full custody. If he’s hitting you, Clara and the boys may be next.”
“Alan isn’t that bad, I hope, but I don’t blame you for taking action against him. I feel sorry for him. He grew up under Father’s iron hand and has become just like him.”
Bliss looked at her watch. “I have to go. There are several more errands I need to run before returning home. Are you staying here for a few days?”
“Yes, we’ll be in touch. Good luck with your plans.”
She waved good-bye to them and headed to the bank. Then she’d check the apartment and go home to pack her clothes. Once she told Alan, she was certain she’d have to leave.
Mr. Black, the bank manager, saw her right away. “Come in, Bliss. It’s good to see you. You haven’t been by in quite a while.” He ushered her into his office. “Have a seat,” he said as he walked around his desk and sat facing her.
“I’ll come right to the point, Mr. Black. I’m going to open a lingerie shop, and I need a business loan. This is my plan.” She handed him the same papers Mr. Crowdy had seen. Then she sat back to wait while he studied them. But Mr. Black looked worried and handed the papers back to her.
“I’m sorry, Bliss. You have no collateral. I can’t take the risk at this time.”
She wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t understand. I own part of our ranch. Use that.”
“I know how the will is written. You may never see your money out of it for two reasons, the way the will was written, and your brother has alre
ady used the ranch for collateral up to the limit.”
“My brother owes a large amount to the bank?” Bliss sat back in shock. No wonder he had a short temper. She knew the lawyers were costing him a lot of money, but she’d never expected he’d dug himself into such a deep hole.
“I’m not surprised he didn’t tell you. He has such a negative attitude about women and them not being smart.”
Mr. Black stood and walked to her side. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to give you the news.”
Bliss stood and shook his hand. He handed her back the business plans.
“Good luck on your shop. I think you’ll be successful.”
“And yet you can’t give me a loan.”
“I represent the bank. Under its guidelines, no, I cannot give you the loan.”
“Thanks for seeing me.” Bliss waved, and not looking to the left or right, she walked outside. She wanted to sit on the sidewalk and bawl. But crying never helped. She straightened her shoulders. Alan had to sell the ranch. Maybe he’d have enough left to leave town and start over, and perhaps there’d be some to help her with her business.
Bliss walked to her car with her head down. She sat behind the driver’s seat, trying to decide if she could make a success of her shop with less funds. It’d be a touch-and-go situation.
* * * *
Bern had parked his car on the other side of the street a half block behind Bliss’s car. “She looks upset. Something didn’t go as she expected in the bank. I’d guess her brother may have maxed out on his credit fighting his ex-wife in court. I’ve heard rumors he’s determined to keep her from having any contact with their children. He hates that she left him for two men.”
“If he was a wife beater, I can’t blame her for leaving.” Lann wanted to go Bliss’s car and take her into his arms and comfort her. But she was a feisty woman and wouldn’t appreciate his interference at this time. Perhaps, though, they could find a way to help her. “Let’s go in the bank,” Lann suggested.
“No one will tell us her business.” Bern turned in his seat toward Lann. “And if we did manage to help her anonymously, she’d resent it later.”
“We can deal with that at the time.”
“All right, but I’m going to put all the blame on you.” Bern grinned and got out. They strolled across the street. “If she looks up, she’ll see us.”
“Life’s a gamble.” Lann walked inside the bank. “I met Sherry during my last visit when I opened a bank account. She’s quite a talker.” He headed in her direction.
“Can I help you?” Sherry asked with a big smile.
“I’d like to rent a safety deposit box like you mentioned when I opened my account.”
“I’d be pleased to help you. Fill out this form, and then we’ll go back and check on the box, make sure the keys work, and all. Mr. Aznar, do you need assistance?”
“Yes, but I need to fill out a slip. I want to take out a few hundred dollars.”
“No problem. I can do that for you.”
When she started writing down his information, Lann raised his head from the form he was filling out. “By the way, I thought I saw Bliss Meades living the bank. I called to her, but she didn’t hear me. She looked upset.”
Sherry leaned closer to her open window. “The boss will can me if he hears me gossiping, but her brother is up to his ears in debt. I heard she needed a loan for the shop she wants to open, but the bank wouldn’t give her one. Poor thing, she’s been dreaming of having that business for a long time. And the women in this town have been looking forward to it. We wouldn’t have to drive fifty miles to get lovely feminine garments.” She gave Lann and Bern an extra big smile.
“That is a shame. Her brother doesn’t sound very reliable,” Lann commented.
“I couldn’t stand him in school. He made snide remarks to some of us. I’m surprised Addie fell for him, and they got married. But she was such an innocent, and he wooed her good.
“I’d better finish your form, Mr. Aznar. The manager is looking in my direction.” She soon handed him his money and took Lann’s form to check it.
“Follow me. We’ll go to the room where we have the safety deposit boxes.”
When they came out of the bank, Bliss’s car was gone. “Do you think she’s headed home?” Lann asked.
“We’ll check the shop first. If she’s not there, we’ll head out to the ranch. I’m not at all comfortable with how her brother will react when she confronts him.”
“I agree. We need to be close. We’ll park a distance away, and walk to the rear of the house near the kitchen. If the door is open, I can hear through the screen into the house quite far,” Lann said.
“One of your superpowers.” Bern grinned. “Wish I had some about now.”
“There’s her car. The shop is closed. She’s probably checking the upstairs.” Bern drove up the street and parked. “When we see her leave, I’ll follow her at a distance.”
“Here she comes, duck down.” Bern slid lower in his seat. Lann did as he said. Then Bern peeked over the steering wheel. “Okay, we can move out.” He started the truck and followed several cars behind.
Once they were in the country, he fell further back. “She’s so upset she’ll never notice us.” Bern drove slow until he saw her make the turn for the ranch. “I know a dirt road just up a bit that will bring us to the spot where we want to park.”
The rutted road was bumpy, but shortly Bern parked to the side and got out. “We walk from here.”
Nothing was moving in the yard around the house. A chicken cackled and a cow mooed, but otherwise the place looked desolate and empty.
“I doubt her brother will be back from the fields for several more hours. She’s probably going to be packing.”
“Bern, why don’t you drive on back to your ranch. No need in both of us waiting out here. When he returns, I’ll send you a text.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’m texting my foreman now to let him know I won’t be back ’til this evening.”
“Don’t forget me,” Bern said. He walked back toward where he’d parked the truck.
Lann found a spot under a shady tree and watched for Alan Meades to arrive home. He kept his eyes on the upstairs windows and got rewarded when he saw Bliss look out. Luckily, he was sitting under the outspread limbs of a large tree, and she didn’t see him.
It looked like she was talking on the phone. But she kept staring off into the distance. It couldn’t be easy for her to leave the home she grew up in. If he managed to buy the farm and win the lady, he’d give her back the ranch house and land immediately around it.
Things were moving quickly after years of waiting to have his dreams come true. He understood how excited and also, for her, how frightened she must be about taking this step. Lann had plenty of money. That was one worry he didn’t have. But if she continued with her plans, and he suspected she would, then the risk of her not succeeding became much higher. He and Bern didn’t plan to see her fail.
Damn, how did I get so tangled up with a woman in such a short time? She grabbed my heart and had me when she faced me in the barn. After seeing her in the light and especially seeing her light-purple eyes, he was a goner for sure. Thank goodness she was the same woman Bern had his eye on, too. They’d planned to find a woman to fit their needs, and Bliss filled the bill very well.
He heard the sound of a horse’s hooves. In a minute, he saw Alan riding into the yard and headed to the barn. Lann punched in Bern’s number.
“He’s come home early and is in the barn,” Lann texted. If Alan took care of his horse properly, it would be time enough for Bern to get back here.
But he must not have taken much time to rub the horse down. Soon, he came striding across the dirt and to the screen door leading to the kitchen. Lann ran to the side of the house, and then crept closer to the door. He heard a soda or beer being popped open. Then light footsteps entered the kitchen.
“Where are the children?” Al
an’s voice sounded grumpy.
“Mrs. Turner just came and picked them up. She’s taking them to a party at the church.”
Lann detected the slight quiver in Bliss’s voice. He wondered if she was lying about where the children were.
“You know I like them home on a school day. That’s the rule.”
“They’ll be back early. We need to talk. Let me get a soda, and I’ll join you at the table.”
The refrigerator opened and closed, and then a chair scraped back. Lann’s hands clenched, waiting to hear what Bliss would say and what reaction her brother would have.
“I went to town today and talked with Mr. Crowdy. He gave me a very reasonable fee to rent the store and the apartment above it.”
“You aren’t really leaving. If you do, you’ll never get anything out the ranch. I can arrange to keep all the money, if we ever sell.”
“The second place I went was to the bank for a loan. It seems neither of us will get any money for the ranch. You’ve borrowed against all we own.”
“It’s none of your business,” Alan shouted and shoved back his chair.
Lann wanted to race inside, but decided to use caution. He didn’t like interfering without Bliss’s permission, unless her brother started to hit her. Footsteps stomped across the floor. He must have been getting close to Bliss.
“I won’t let you leave. I need you. It’s your job to take care of the children.”
Lann moved closer to a window and raised his head just enough to see inside.
Alan stood over Bliss. She pushed back her chair and put space between them.
“Don’t tower over me. I’m your sister. Thank goodness I’m not your wife. Mrs. Turner has agreed to be a nanny to the children and to cook the evening meals for all of you. She’ll be here at breakfast to get the children off, and she’ll take Clara to her house, after prekindergarten and until she comes to the ranch to cook dinner. It’s all set.”
“I can’t afford a nanny. You found out I haven’t got any money. Are you going to pay her?”
Capturing Our Lady's Heart [Commando Cowboys and Renegade Texans Unite 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 4