Dodge the Bullet

by Christy Hayes

  “I don’t know why you’re making us start school now when we’ve already finished up the year at home. They’ll be done in two weeks anyway.”

  “I just want you to get the lay of the land and maybe make some friends before the summer begins. I spoke with the school counselor and she agreed it was a good idea.” When Kevin rolled his eyes, Sarah put the car in park and turned to face him. “Think of it this way. You don’t have to do any homework or take any tests. You’re just there to make friends and get to know your way around. Make the most of it,” she said as Kevin and Lyle piled out of the truck and walked slowly toward the building.

  She stayed in the spot until the metal door closed sharply behind Lyle. Maybe if Kevin met an attractive girl or two it would ease his acceptance of the situation. She’d tried several times to talk with him about Jessica, his mystery girlfriend back home. He’d shut her down with a look. She hoped Dodge was right about her hearing about his girlfriends before he got home from school, because otherwise she didn’t think she’d ever find out.

  The tension between them hadn’t eased and would probably get worse when Jenny left in a few days. Sarah knew she needed to stay strong, as Jenny suggested. But with every new experience the boys faced, her apprehension worsened and hiding it was becoming really hard. She’d have to tuck it away, absorb it for awhile until her sons figured out they weren’t going back to Atlanta and accepted life there for what it was meant to be: simple, quiet, and intended to bring them together as a family, not drive them further apart.

  ###

  Benji sat in his office on the second floor of the renovated train depot building in southern Colorado’s largest town of Westmoreland. He was sporting both a hangover and the sweet scent of revenge. He’d just gotten off the phone with Mac McGill, the Valley’s principal land owner and A.J. Dodge’s current landlord. What a stroke of luck. Benji sat back in the worn leather of his office chair and swiveled around to look out the window. He changed his mind when the afternoon light splintered through the cherry wood blinds.

  He turned back to put his feet on his desk and thought about McGill. Benji had bailed the guy’s kid brother out of some major trouble a few years back and Mac owed him big. It’d only taken a phone call to get Mac to agree to terminate the lease Dodge had on his biggest property, over a thousand acres, the home base of his cattle operation. Benji knew Dodge would struggle to find a place to lease when Mac gave him the boot. He only wished he could be there to see the look on Dodge’s face when he got the news. Damn, it felt good to get even with that son of a bitch and at the same time keep Dodge so busy with his own cow operation he wouldn’t have time to help Sarah Woodward.

  With Dodge out of the picture, he needed to create a few more obstacles for Mrs. Woodward, speed along her decision to sell. He’d already arranged for her ranch hand to quit, an easy task considering the guy’s cousins were all illegal. And he’d be able to think a lot clearer now if he hadn’t downed nearly a fifth of Jack Daniels at a fundraiser last night. But with his wife in tow, it was easier to drown her out by drowning in liquor. A little hangover was nothing compared to listening to her whine all night. He reached inside the armoire for a splash of liquor to take the bite out of his throbbing headache.

  ###

  “Hey there, handsome.” Jenny approached Dodge after he’d crammed his cell phone back into his coat pocket. She’d spotted him right away, ranting and raving into the phone on the small downtown sidewalk, not caring or noticing that he was causing a scene. She’d been enjoying a scone and a latte at the only coffee shop in town. When two ladies came through the door, she could hear him screaming until the door closed and it was back to the show of arm flailing and boot kicking. Damn, that was one mad cowboy. Jenny was never one to mind her own business. She slipped the last bite of scone in her mouth, grabbed her purse and headed across the two-lane road. She drew near Dodge just as he’d ended the call.

  “What do you want?” he said.

  “Problems in hick town?” He was fun to poke at, and with him in a snit, she’d get a better handle on him as a possible partner for her sister. Sarah was interested in Dodge. Jenny knew her sister was attracted the moment she failed to mention him in the days before Jenny brought the boys to town. All Sarah had to do was mention his name once, just once, and she’d be able to believe her sister’s claim she wasn’t interested. But the fact that she kept him a secret was proof positive she was attracted and didn’t know what to do. Hell, who wouldn’t be attracted to the big man in front of her, so mad now she could almost see steam rising from under his dirty hat.

  “I don’t have time for you right now, Jenny. We’ll have to play games with each other another time.” He reached into his coat for the phone he’d just put away.

  Humm, he was smart enough to know they were playing games. She watched him scroll through the numbers on his cell, his dark brows drawn tightly together, annoyance shooting off him like rays from a light bulb. “You seem a little stressed. I know a sure-fire way of relieving stress. If you’re interested.” That ought to get his attention.

  “Are you kidding me?” He moved around her to get into his truck.

  Jenny stepped off the curb and leaned into the open passenger window. “Could I bother you for a ride? Sarah won’t be around to pick me up for an hour and your little downtown area isn’t as entertaining as I’d expected.”

  Dodge pulled his phone away from his ear. “Sherry Barton gives a hell of a manicure, or so I hear. Go kill an hour of her time and leave me alone.”

  “My, my, you’re testy today. While I do need a manicure,” she looked at what was left of the nail job she’d gotten at the club before coming to Hailey, “I’m afraid the standards of hygiene there may be less than I’m accustomed. But I will take that ride.” She hopped into the seat next to him and watched his jaw go slack before tightening into a scowl in a matter of seconds. He was too much of a gentleman to throw her from the truck. He was stuck with her and none too happy. Dodge ripped the truck into reverse and gunned it out of his spot.

  ###

  Dodge had been just about to dig into the chili burger in front of him at the diner when his cell rang and he answered the call from Mac McGill. And now, less than ten minutes later, he hadn’t had lunch and he didn’t have a home. He still didn’t understand. Why the hell would Mac break the lease they’d agreed on amicably only two months before? He’d even said he’d pay the penalty for terminating the lease agreement early. But what good did that do when, as of next week, Dodge wouldn’t have a home or a place for his cattle?

  Damn it, why now? Moving his cows would be a huge pain in the ass, and he had no idea where he’d move them. And Mac knew that. He hadn’t even bothered to explain, just said it had to be done and that was that. Damn it. He needed to make some phone calls, figure out who had land for lease, do something, anything but drive little miss big city back to her sister’s ranch. Women.

  “So,” she said. “Are you going to tell me what’s gotten you in such a foul mood, or should I just chalk it up to small town boredom?”

  Dodge shook his head and stared straight ahead at the pavement of the Rifle Range. Just a few more miles and he’d drop her at the front gate so she could walk the three miles back to the house in her ridiculous heeled sandals. Ha. It would serve her right after jumping in his truck. She was old enough to know not every man walked around twenty-four hours a day ruled by his dick. A good many men, yes, but not all. No wonder she wasn’t married.

  “You’re a man of few words.”

  He screeched to a halt by the empty caretakers home and hit the unlock button on the door. “Here’s a few words. Get out.”

  “Here? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m pulling away in exactly five seconds, so if you don’t want your walk home to get any farther, I suggest you get out now.”

  “Fine,” she said. “But pissing me off is no way to get in my sister’s good graces.” She slammed the door and turned quick
ly to avoid the spray of gravel as he peeled away from the drive.

  Chapter 10

  Dodge was exhausted. He’d spent all day on the phone, driving all over the valley looking for land to lease. The best he could piece together were several plots of hundred acre tracts from one end of the valley to the next. Not one of them was big enough for all his cattle and he’d end up spending all his time trying to be eight places at once. Nothing, absolutely nothing had worked out in his favor. He paced the small kitchen of the hundred year-old ranch house he could call home for precisely one more week.

  In a desperate bout of frustration, he flung his papers from the kitchen table where he’d frantically worked. As he watched them flutter to the floor like leaves falling from an autumn sky, the survey of the Woodward property floated down and landed face up on the center of the table. A light bulb went off in his head.

  Of course. She had the perfect size ranch, currently unleased and scheduled to be fenced by the end of the week. He could set up a feed lot for the calves using the old barns at the front of the property near the caretaker’s house and pay her newly hired ranch hand to help him. It was perfect, and his only option. But even as his head cleared, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up and he anxiously rubbed them away. He was attracted to Sarah. Really attracted. And he never, ever mixed business with pleasure. He’d never had to before and he wouldn’t do it now. He just needed to remember his vow.

  Sarah wouldn’t want to lease her land, she’d already said she wanted to get her own cows and learn the business. But she didn’t have a clue where to start. Luis was a competent a ranch hand and he’d help her muddle through. As much as he hated to ask a favor, he needed her to let him lease the land or he’d be sunk. Shit.

  He thought about the way he’d dropped Jenny at the front gate and the furious expression on her face as he’d pulled away. He may need to grovel. Damn, he hated to beg. Fortunately he’d deal with Sarah and not her spoiled brat sister. He knew she would agree, but he didn’t want to have to ask with Jenny around. But now that he’d made up his mind, he needed to talk to her and Jenny wasn’t leaving until the next day. As he stacked the papers neatly on the table and made his way to the bathroom to shower, he decided a nice bottle of wine and maybe some more steaks would do the groveling for him.

  ###

  Sarah heaved firewood into the wheelbarrow and carted it under the deck. She’d begun to stack the wood from some of the nearby cottonwood trees that had fallen during the valley’s many wind gusts. She wondered if she’d ever get used to the feel of grit between her teeth when the wind picked up and carried the dusty earth careening toward anything that stood in its way. Her head reeled, but not from the physical exertion. She’d craved a physical outlet after the day she’d had and the resentment she’d encountered.

  The hostility from the Kevin that morning, which only got worse after the bus had dropped them off at the front of the ranch. You’d think walking a few miles from the road to the cabin would be a welcome break after the miserable day he’d had at school. All she could get from him was that the kids were dumb, the girls were ugly and that he was smarter than everyone in his classes. If she thought starting school would help with his attitude she’d been wrong. Very wrong.

  He disappeared a few minutes after he got home and only scowled at her after she’d gotten on the four-wheeler to find him. He’d been sitting on a log that had fallen into the river. When he heard the engine come up behind him his face changed from quiet reflection to completely rancorous. And she felt sick. Sick, sick, sick for she wondered if he’d ever get beyond his bitterness. First his dad died and now she’d dragged him here where he refused to even try to fit in. Sarah felt like an idiot for thinking a change of venue would help. Even Lyle seemed quiet after school, saying it would take some time to get used to the changes.

  She threw the last of the wood on the pile and moved around the house to put the wheelbarrow back into the garage. Before going inside, she stepped out onto the small concrete drive to pound the dirt from her shoes. That’s when she noticed a truck coming down the long gravel drive. Dodge. Her stomach did a funny little flip-flop as recognition. She wondered why he’d come and why she felt so relieved by the sight of him.

  “Now, I can explain,” he said as he came around the truck.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about making your sister walk home this afternoon from the front gate. She insisted I bring her home today and I didn’t have time to drive her all the way back here so I dropped her at the front.”

  “She mentioned it. Why do you look so guilty?”

  “I…she seemed pretty pissed, that’s all.” He turned back to the truck. “I thought an apology was in order so I brought some steaks and a bottle of wine.” He held the label in her face.

  She shrugged as she accepted the wine. “Thanks.” Jenny’s last night and he brought steaks and wine. Her stomach churned with jealousy and she didn’t like it one bit. “Jenny will be pleased to know you’re seeing her off in style.”

  “I actually have a business proposition for you. I thought we could discuss it over dinner.”

  Of course. The lease on the circle. He’d been excited to discover the full circle and said he’d get with her later about a lease. So later was now. “A juicy steak and some wine sounds pretty good after the day I’ve had. Come on up.”

  “You ok?” He reached for her arm.

  Such a loaded question. “I’ll survive.” She tried to smile, but he didn’t seem appeased.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “I’m tired of whining.” She could barely stand the sound of her own voice and desperately wished she could shut down her brain for awhile. Maybe the wine would help.

  “Look who’s joining us for dinner,” Sarah announced to the boys as they sat on the couch watching ESPN. Sarah could see Jenny reading on the deck. She probably heard Dodge approach and waited to make a grand entrance.

  Lyle waved and Kevin merely pursed his lips and looked back at the television. And then the deck doors opened and Jenny sauntered through, kicking Lyle’s feet off the coffee table as she passed.

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Or are you here to check on my blisters?”

  “I brought a peace offering, Jenny, so you can tuck your claws back in.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes from the kitchen. The prospect of them flirting all evening didn’t help her mood. “Can you two call a truce for one night?”

  Jenny stepped around the barstool and picked up the wine Dodge had placed on the counter. “Hummm, this ought to do for an apology. You didn’t buy this around here.”

  “It was a gift from a client in Chicago. He’s a wine collector and sends me a bottle every now and again. Trying to fancy me up.”

  Sarah looked up from the steaks. Every time he opened his mouth it was like peeling away layers of an onion.

  “Why would a cowboy have a client in Chicago?” Jenny asked.

  Dodge took a seat in the barstool. Sarah added the marinade he’d enjoyed to the steaks and assembled the ingredients for a salad. She listened intently but tried to pretend otherwise.

  “Former client. I used to be a futures trader. Made him quite a bit of money awhile back. He parlayed it into several million more. He shares the wealth with those who helped him along the way.”

  Jenny smiled and sauntered past him into the kitchen, searched the drawer for a cork screw and made a production out of opening the bottle. “Futures trader, huh? Got any more tricks up your sleeve?”

  Sarah remembered Todd struggling with futures in college. Todd was the smartest person she’d ever known when it came to business and the fact that he couldn’t wrap his highly evolved mind around the futures trade made her think that Dodge was, as she’d suspected, smarter than he let on. “Futures? You mean like cattle and corn and stuff? That’s pretty risky, right?”

  Dodge acknowledged her insight with a nod. “The risk
is worth the payoff when things pan out.” He took the glass Jenny handed him and set it on the counter. “You familiar with futures?”

  Sarah laughed uncomfortably. “No, no. I remember Todd having to deal with it in college. He didn’t like it. He was conservative with money, very risk averse.”

  “You can make a killing or lose your ass in futures. A lot of people don’t have the stomach for it.”

  “Or the finances, I’d imagine.” Sarah felt herself relaxing. She hadn’t had meaningful conversation with a man or her boys in, oh…she didn’t know how long. And she’d missed it. She enjoyed the insights and bluntness only a man could bring to a discussion. And this particular man intrigued her more than most. He had a look on his face, like he was studying her and she was a little too interested in what he thought.

  “What did you do in college?” Dodge asked.

  “Advertising.” Sarah watched the play of light in those tawny eyes of his. He had a way of looking at her that made it impossible to forget he was male. All male. “I stayed as far away from business as possible.”

  “And here you want to run a cattle business.” He pushed her glass of wine across the counter and stretched his legs in front of him. “How are the fences coming?”

  “Great. They’re scheduled to start tomorrow. As long as the weather holds, they should be done by next week.”

  Jenny leaned on the counter, offered a tantalizing view of her ample chest. “So I take it you haven’t lived in the valley your whole life then, cowboy?”

  “Been gone a long time. Just came back a few months ago.”

  “Do you plan to stay?”

  He stood up. “There’s no place like home, isn’t that what they say? What’s the score?” he asked the boys as he moved into the den.

  He hadn’t answered the question, Sarah noticed. Jenny passed her a look suggesting they thought the same thing. Even as girls, as different as they’d always been, their minds worked the same. She watched Dodge try to make conversation with Kevin and Lyle. She wanted them to get along. They needed a man in their life, although it seemed unlikely Dodge would be a regular visitor, especially with Jenny leaving town.