“You should ask her out. She’ll make a man a good wife and—”
He nearly spewed his water, but instead ended up choking on it when it went down the wrong way.
Lucy pounded on his back. “Okay?”
He nodded while his eyes glistened with tears. Slowly he began drawing in deeper breaths. “What are you doing? This is the second person you’ve talked to me about going on a date with.”
“I thought I would help as a friend. You said you needed a nanny or a wife. I was thinking of Abigail at least as a nanny. I can’t answer for the other option. Only you.”
“I can take care of that myself. If I were interested in her, it would be as a nanny. In fact, thanks for pointing out her work in the nursery. I think I’ll talk to her. She would be perfect for that job. It certainly would take care of my immediate problem.” Ben realized he’d toyed with trying to find a mother for Cody, but that couldn’t be hurried. Lucy was right. Only he could make that decision, and for the first time in his life, he was thinking of it as an option for him. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about the arts and crafts.”
“I’ve got just the person to supervise the activities. Candace Quinn. She’s a first-grade teacher, and the kids love her. I remember she is very talented with stuff like arts and crafts. You should ask her.”
Ben eyed Lucy. What was she up to now? Although Candace might actually be the perfect person for the job. “I’m sure you know her better than I do.”
“But this is your project. I’m only helping you, and I’ve been busy running down the leads. Remember the Robin Hoods, not to mention all the other things that happen in our county.”
“Fine. I’ll stop by the school tomorrow and see if she can. But just so you know it, I’m busy, too.”
After Abigail set their chicken potpies in front of them, Lucy bowed her head and blessed the meal, then lifted her fork. “So Maddy, Christie and Lynne are going to help us in the tent?”
“That’s what they said, while a few of their male friends in the intern program will probably do the races. That way it’ll give you another opportunity to be around Maddy.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m hoping the case will be closed by then.”
“That would be nice. Life back to normal in Little Horn rather than neighbors eyeing neighbors with suspicion. It’s clear the person has inside information. I’ve contacted a friend in Dallas, a private investigator. He’ll start searching for Betsy in Texas, then move to the surrounding states. Maddy helped me with what Betsy likes and possible jobs she might apply for.”
“If I can get enough on the McKay twins and they are the Robin Hoods, will you continue to look for Betsy?”
Ben hadn’t thought that far ahead. Maddy had been excited when he’d asked for her help concerning Betsy. But would it be the best for Betsy? “I don’t know. Maybe. She fell through the cracks. We should have done more to help her, especially after her father died.”
“But I can see why she left. A fresh start with no one judging who you are by your past and your family is appealing.”
“And dealing with her cousins, especially Byron. I have a hard time doing that. I’m beginning to think I wasn’t so bad off being in a coma. At least I didn’t have to hear Byron’s rants and raves like the rest of you.”
“With money and power comes responsibility. Byron hasn’t figured that out.”
After a few bites of his chicken potpie, Ben washed it down with coffee, then said, “Maddy did tell me today she thought Gareth and Winston were upset about Betsy leaving town suddenly last year. Gareth told her he and his brother had been looking for their cousin. They wanted to help her even if their father didn’t.”
“A good motive for them to steal from Byron, but the other ranchers?”
“All part of the Lone Star Cowboy League, which wouldn’t help Mac because he wasn’t a member. Byron pushed that through. Technically he was right, but Carson is trying to change that rule. Not easy when Byron and his cronies are balking at it.”
“Byron stands behind rules when it’s convenient for him.”
Hunger satisfied, Ben lounged back in his chair and sipped his coffee. It was nice discussing what was happening in Little Horn with Lucy. He cared about the town, and she did, too. Because he’d been in a coma, he could look at the situation from a more objective mind than the others.
Ben remembered what she said earlier. “So what leads are you running down tomorrow?”
“I’m driving to Austin. There’s a jewelry store that sold the music box. Thankfully it’s on this side of Austin on the outskirts.”
“Why not send a deputy to see if Gareth purchased the music box?”
“I need a break. I’m leaving early, so I should be back early afternoon.”
“I hope you’ll let me know.”
“I’ll call you, and you can let me know if Candace will do the arts and crafts for the Easter-egg hunt.” Lucy tilted her head to the left and looked toward the right, something Ben had figured out she did when she was thinking about what to do or say. “If she agrees, I think we should meet for dinner with her tomorrow, if she can, and then have a meeting with the teens on Saturday at your ranch.”
“Where do you want to have dinner?” He loved seeing her work through a problem and come up with what to do.
“My house. Nothing fancy. Steaks, baked potatoes and salad.”
“Are you going to have time for that with going to Austin? Why not come to my ranch for dinner tomorrow night?”
She fixed her gaze on him. “Because I don’t want you to accuse me of trying to fix you two up.”
“Is that what you’re trying to do?”
She slid the last piece of her food into her mouth; again her head tilted to the left. “Okay, Candace would be a great wife and mother for some man. She’s been here a few years and fits right in. Kids love her. But I suggested her because she’s really good artistically. I did a presentation to her first-grade class about safety, and I saw firsthand all the creative projects her students have done.”
“You don’t need to do anything. I’m going to approach Abigail tomorrow about being Cody’s nanny. If she accepts the job, then there isn’t a problem.” Even as he said those words, he couldn’t dismiss the emptiness he felt, especially when he saw Grady and Chloe together. He wanted the best for his son, and he knew a loving mother could make a difference. But the only one he was even vaguely interested in was Lucy. There was something between them he couldn’t describe, nor had he experienced it before. And she’d made it clear she wasn’t a contender.
Smiling, Lucy relaxed back. “Well, then, I’m glad I pointed her out to you, and you can have the dinner with Candace and me at your house tomorrow.”
Yep, he was definitely attracted to Lucy. She could hold her own with anyone—even Byron. She had dated before she left for San Antonio. Why didn’t she go out now? Why didn’t she want more in life than being the sheriff? What had happened in San Antonio?
* * *
The school secretary told Ben that Candace was in her classroom, eating lunch before her students returned. He paused in the doorway to room number twelve and peered inside. Candace had a sandwich in one hand while staring down at a paper on her desk. She was an attractive woman with short brown hair, a petite frame and large blue eyes.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the doorjamb.
Candace glanced up and grinned. “What are you doing here, Ben? I don’t think you need to worry just yet about your son and school.”
Some of the tension siphoned from him as he headed toward the teacher at her desk. “From what I’ve heard, when he is ready, I hope he gets you as a first-grade teacher.”
“He has a fifty-fifty chance, since there are only two of us. What can I do for you?” She put her sandwich down on a paper napkin.
>
“I know you don’t have much time so I’ll make this quick. As you probably know, our church is having the Easter-egg hunt next Saturday at my ranch. I wanted to do a little more for the kids and have suggested an arts-and-crafts tent.”
“My class is excited about the event and would love doing something like that.”
“Good. Would you be willing to come up with some projects they could do in a short time and be in charge of the tent? I already have some teenagers who want to help.”
“I’d told my students I would be there, so why not? Sure, I can do it.”
“Great. Lucy and I thought we could meet tonight at the ranch to discuss the event and make sure we have the right supplies. If tonight doesn’t work, we can come up with another time.”
“Tonight’s fine. What time?”
“Six. We’ll eat, then talk.”
Candace stood and extended her hand, which he shook. “See you then. It’ll be a good time to give Chloe and Grady their wedding gift.”
“They should be there for dinner.” As he left, he remembered their handshake. No sparks had flown when he’d touched her. Nothing. She was a nice lady—but she wasn’t Lucy. That crept into his thoughts unexpectedly. His gait faltered momentarily.
Twenty minutes later he arrived at the ranch, checked in to make sure Cody was all right, then walked to the barn. His cell phone rang as he entered. Noting it was Lucy calling, he hurriedly answered it. “Tell me it’s good news.”
“It is. The staff identified Gareth as the teenager who bought the music box. Get this—for three hundred and fifty dollars, and the necklace was another one hundred and fifty. That’s a lot of money for a sixteen-year-old who doesn’t work. Byron is rich, but I checked with a source and discovered the boys only get an allowance. It would have taken Gareth months to save the money, not to mention the gifts Maddy received at Christmas from her secret admirer.”
“I’m not surprised. Byron is stingy with his money.”
“So where did the cash for the gifts come from?”
“Are you going to talk with the twins or Byron?”
“Not yet. I’d like another piece of evidence. What I have is circumstantial. The cattle thief the New Mexico State Police caught isn’t involved in our case.”
Ben slipped his cell phone into his pocket and went in search of Zed. He remembered being angry with his father, but he’d never considered stealing from the ranch, and certainly not from his neighbors.
Chapter Eight
“You may kiss the bride,” Pastor Mathers announced to the small gathering Friday, not long after six.
Ben stood next to his brother, who wrapped his arms around Chloe and kissed his new wife. The whole time through the short ceremony, Ben had been happy for Grady. The smiles on the bride’s and groom’s faces touched a lonely place in Ben. He wanted that, but no one he’d dated all these years had come close to capturing his love. He wanted someone who would stick by him even through the bad times. He loved his mother, but she’d abandoned his dad when he was dealing with pain. There were always two sides of an issue, and until his coma, he hadn’t seen his father’s. Pain didn’t make it okay to be grumpy and mean most of the time, but it did explain what had happened in their marriage.
When Grady and Chloe parted, their grins encompassed their whole faces. Ben couldn’t help but do the same. His gaze latched on to Lucy’s. In his eyes her beauty surpassed Chloe’s. He didn’t get that many chances to see her in a dress, but the pale green of her outfit made her eyes stand out.
She broke eye contact and hugged Chloe. “I’m so excited for you.”
“Thanks.” Chloe turned to Grandma Mamie and enveloped her in her embrace. “I appreciate all you’ve done to make me feel a part of the Stillwater family.” Then she swept around and looked right at him. “I’m glad you have recovered. We didn’t want to get married without you here.”
Ben nodded. “I aim to please.”
“So when are you going to get hitched?” Grady asked in the sanctuary.
“I was just waiting. You know how you like to be first, big brother.” Ben clapped Grady on his back. “Enough of this. Let’s go celebrate. Martha Rose, Eva and Grandma have been working for the past few days on this shindig.”
Grady and Chloe led the wedding party out of the church. At Grady’s car, he opened the door for Chloe. “We may just take the long way home.”
Mamie stopped next to Ben. “No, you aren’t. You have a lifetime with Chloe. You have guests waiting at the ranch to congratulate y’all.”
Ben could tell by the barely contained grin that Grady had said that just to tease their grandmother. “If you don’t show up, I’ll eat your share, so don’t worry, none of the food will go to waste. Grandma, you can ride with Lucy and me.” He’d picked Lucy up earlier, insisting it was his duty to make sure the maid of honor got to the church on time.
“I’m going with Pastor Mathers. Someone has to keep him company on the drive.”
As Grady and Chloe drove out of the parking lot, Ben turned to Lucy. “My chariot awaits.” He swept his arm toward his truck, at least cleaned with no signs of the dust and dirt from the day before.
“I could have driven myself.” Lucy strolled toward his vehicle.
“The least I could do for the wedding party is pick you up and take you home. Don’t worry. This is not a date.”
She looked at him over the hood of his truck. “I know, and I wasn’t worried. More like preoccupied.”
“Why?”
“Yesterday the Oklahoma State Police informed me they brought in an illegal cattle broker with ties to Texas. They’re offering him a deal today to talk. I’m hoping he takes it and puts an end to the Robin Hoods.”
“When will you know?”
“Sometime in the next couple of days.”
“Then, we’ll have to really celebrate. Of course, if it’s Byron’s twins, we all may be in for a long spring. It makes me feel sorry for those boys. Now that I’m a father, I’m aware of how important it is for me to set a good example for my son.”
“We can both agree that Byron hasn’t.” Lucy climbed into the front passenger seat.
“For tonight, no thoughts of work. Chloe is so good for Grady. I’m getting used to him being around. I’m hoping they’ll stay, and we can work together. There’s so much I’d like to do.”
“Are you sure you weren’t plotting all these projects while in a coma?”
While he left Little Horn and drove in the direction of the ranch, he slid a glance to her. “I have a lot of time to make up for.” Ben looked out the rearview mirror at Pastor Mathers following in his car. “You do know what Grandma is doing, right?”
Lucy peered over her shoulder. “Playing matchmaker.”
“Yep.”
“I’ll just have to let her know we’re only friends.”
“Are we?”
He felt her eyes drilling into him but kept his attention on the highway before him.
“I thought we were friends. Has something happened?”
He pulled off the road onto the shoulder, switched off the engine, then angled toward her. “I think there is more, not less. What’s between us feels nothing like it did in high school.”
Lucy’s eyes grew round.
Pastor Mathers slowed his car, and Ben rolled down his window at the same time Grandma did hers.
“Do you need help?” Mamie asked, a gleam of mischief barely contained by a straight face.
“We’re fine. We’ll be along in a minute.”
“That’s okay. I can take care of the guests at the ranch.” She winked at him.
Ben barely contained his laughter at his grandmother’s tactics. “We’ll be there soon.” When the pastor pulled away, Ben turned back to Lucy. “Can you deny someth
ing is different between us?”
“I think our friendship has grown recently, but I’m not interested in anything else.”
“I’m not the same person.”
She snapped her fingers as she said, “Just like that, you’ve changed.”
“It happens. Look at the story of Paul.”
“I can see you love Cody, but is he your new pet project? Will it last? For years you resisted putting down any roots, but now you want to?”
“My roots have always been here. Stillwater Ranch has expanded since I took over managing it. That wouldn’t have happened without my being serious about my work.”
“I know how you feel about your family ranch, but relationships with people are different. If you want one, you have to be willing to commit to it as much as you do to the ranch.”
Again Ben wondered what had happened in San Antonio to make Lucy so wary and cynical. He wanted to ask but wasn’t sure how. “I’ve committed to my son. I want to be the best dad I can be, and I know that won’t always be easy to do. I’ve seen too many father/son relationships that fell apart. At least now I know it wasn’t all my dad’s fault. We both worked at tearing down the bond we once had.”
She shifted around, so they faced each other. “That’s it. Relationships take a lot of hard work. A person has to be willing to put the time and energy into it and not hightail it the first sign of trouble.”
Like he usually had done in the past. “Did that happen to you?”
Half a minute passed, and Ben forgot to breathe as he waited for her to answer.
“Yes. I fell in love with an FBI agent I’d met while working. We dated for a year—the last six months exclusively—and had even been talking about getting married. But I discovered I wasn’t the only woman he was seeing and spinning that story to. Jesse wasn’t satisfied with one. He needed three in his life. He shuffled his time between us, but all that juggling caught up with him. When I discovered his other two, we met and learned he had spun the same tale for each of us. We confronted him, and I decided to leave San Antonio. After six years, I came back to Little Horn. I’m not a big-city gal.”
A Baby for the Rancher Page 10