###
“It’s six to four, Cardinals in the bottom of the seventh,” Lyle said.
Dodge settled in the chair closest to Kevin. The kid had been clued into the adults’ talk and not the game, which is why he didn’t answer. The kid had an agenda. “Think this is the year the Rockies break out?”
“We’re Braves fans,” Kevin answered quickly, defensively. “Even mom’s a die-hard. Location can’t change that.”
Dodge turned to see her smile at her oldest son. He heard affection from the boy and his mother sopped it up like a woman starved for love. He ached for both of them. “America’s team, huh? I’m not surprised.”
He recognized the undercurrent of sadness that ran through the family. It was all too familiar. Someone was missing; husband, father, peace keeper. That’s how Sarah had described her dead husband. Those were some of the words used to describe his mother in the years after her death; wife, mother, soother. They were spoken lovingly and with a hint of wistfulness. He remembered feeling like there was a ghost in the room at all times. She existed for him through photographs and stories, memories weaved like a tapestry that hung on every wall of every house he ever lived in. Missing her, feeling like he’d missed out seemed comforting because it was all he’d ever known. But for these people, this family, they couldn’t find comfort in his absence. He wondered if there ever would.
“Kevin, will you go light the grill please?” Sarah asked.
He huffed a big breath and then strode to the deck at a commercial. Dodge followed him out and leaned against the rail to enjoy the view. It wasn’t hard with the sunlight slipping behind the clouds and the sky a pink swath that bathed the mountains and foothills before them in color so brilliant it almost didn’t seem real. “You play any baseball, Kevin?”
“Used to.”
Dodge turned from the rail and faced the boy. He’d come out on the deck to feel the kid out, pry loose a few details so they could be more comfortable with each other. If Sarah agreed to let him lease the land it would help if they got along.
He had to hand it to the kid, he was smart. Lyle was easy. Jenny was predictable and thankfully, leaving tomorrow. Sarah was…a distraction. But Kevin, he was an enigma. He didn’t put himself out, probably in fear of being hurt or judged, and it worked at giving him leverage with others. Dodge knew he’d have to draw the kid out piece by piece, and with boys, sports usually provided the easiest path. “I’ve got a few nephews who play rec ball. They’re about your age. You’ll probably meet them at school. I could feel them out, see what their plans are for the summer.
“I told you I quit. I bet the rec teams out here aren’t very good anyway,” Kevin said. “Nothing’s as good out here.”
A hawk flew over the deck and swooped into the nearby cottonwood trees. The river babbled nearby providing a harmony that should have been peaceful. Dodge looked up, pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Smaller isn’t always worse. Besides, it’d be a good way to meet some other kids, get out of the house this summer.”
“You trying to get me out of the house this summer?”
Dodge let out a breath and looked Kevin in the eye. “Kid, you’re obviously not real thrilled about living here. Just thought I’d suggest a way to make some friends.” He walked back into the cabin wondering if he’d done more harm than good.
###
Kevin and Lyle disappeared to their rooms after dinner. Jenny and Sarah stacked the dishes to clean later and joined Dodge on the deck where he’d started a fire in the outdoor fireplace. He’d refilled the wood bin from Sarah’s pile under the deck and the popping blaze took a bit of the chill off the approaching night.
Sarah brought another bottle of wine from the kitchen. “Sorry it’s not up to collector status, but it’s all I’ve got.” She refilled their glasses. “So, you mentioned something about a business proposition earlier.” She took a seat and curled into an Indian throw she’d brought out from the cabin. “I assume this is about the circle.”
By the way Dodge sat on the edge of his chair with his fingers clasped between his knees Sarah could tell he was anxious to discuss business. “It’s about more than the circle. I had an unfortunate setback today.” He glanced at Jenny and Sarah watched at his mouth twitched in annoyance. “As witnessed by your sister. I’ve got cattle all over the valley, small tracts here and there that I lease on a year-to-year basis. The bulk of my operation is not far from here on a tract owned by a guy from Colorado Springs. He’d just bought the property when I came back to town. He called me today and broke the terms of our lease and gave me one week to get my cows off his property. I’ve spent the whole day on the phone and can’t find a property big enough to work. I don’t have the luxury of time on my side, so…as much as I hate to ask…”
“You want to lease my land for your cattle operation.” When Dodge nodded, Sarah inclined her head and looked out into the darkening sky. What would a lease agreement with Dodge do to her plans? First, she didn’t have concrete plans. She’d had Luis, until this morning, and now she had nothing. No ranch hand and next week she’d have 1200 acres of properly fenced grazing pasture and not a single cow to graze them. “For how long?”
Dodge rubbed his hands together. “I’m not sure. The length of the lease would depend on you. I’ve got 400 pair now that need fattening up, and they’ll be contracted in July for December delivery. I’ll A.I. the heifers in a few weeks. I’d like not to move them again until they calve in February or March of next year. And there’s no telling when another tract of this size will become available. I need at least a thousand acres to support the operation I’ve got.”
“What’s A.I.?” Sarah asked.
“Artificially inseminate. We don’t leave things to nature anymore.”
“How long did you sign the lease for on the property you’ve got to vacate?”
“It was a year-to-year lease, and we’d discussed a multiple year lease if the first year went smoothly for both of us. I can’t tell you how surprised I am that he backed out.”
“And would you want the house?”
“The caretaker’s house? No, I heard you’d hired Luis and I wouldn’t make you kick him out. I can stay with my dad until I find a place to rent.”
Sarah sipped her wine. “Luis called this morning with a sudden change of heart. Seems we’ve both had setbacks today.”
Dodge stood up and stared down at her. “I know this isn’t what you wanted and I hope you don’t think I’m taking advantage of your situation. I just don’t have many options right now. I own some land in Wyoming I could haul the cows to but it’s leased and the expense of it would kill any profit I’d make this year. I’ll understand if you say no, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
Sarah stared into the fire’s blue and orange blaze, fidgeted when the dry wood popped bits out of the enclosure onto the deck near her feet. She took another sip of wine and let the heat of it slip down her throat. “Truth is Dodge, I’m not sure what I want to do with the land right now and I’m equally out of options.” She set her wine on a side table and stood, let the throw pool around her ankles. “I assume I’ll need an attorney to draw up a formal lease? I’ll agree to the same terms you had with your current landlord, a year with the option for more if things go smoothly.” She stuck out her hand so they could shake on her offer.
Dodge took her hand and the relief she saw on his face had her stifling a smile. He began rubbing the back of his neck, a habit she’d seen him do before. “I have to admit I didn’t think you’d agree so easily.”
“I told you before I like to have a plan. This gives me one.” She took her seat and wrapped herself in the throw once more. “You know I’ll have questions.”
Dodge sat back in his chair. “I’d pretty much counted on that.”
“Well, I guess I can leave with a clean conscience,” Jenny said. “I’d appreciate your keeping an eye on my sister, cowboy. In fact,” she raised her glass in toast, “maybe we can put
that in the contract. If you fail to uphold your end of the deal, I’ll be the enforcer of punishment.”
“Have you always been this shy?” Dodge asked.
Jenny lifted her chin in the air and Sarah’s stomach clenched. She knew the look on Jenny’s face enough to worry. “I was a little shy, until my sister started writing her steamy little books. If she can have a wild side, I can too. Except I don’t keep mine tucked away in packing boxes. I prefer to keep it on display.”
“Why?” Dodge asked. “So you can bust some guy’s balls when he tries to take you up on what you’re offering?”
Sarah watched Jenny level a look at him that would have frozen hot coals, but Dodge didn’t seem intimidated. He turned to Sarah, his brows knit tightly together. “Wait,” he said. “What steamy little books?”
Jenny laughed. “It’s her dirty little secret.”
“Would you please shut up, Jenny.” Sarah finally found her voice.
“My sister’s an author,” Jenny said with a smug smile. “She wrote a series of romance novels a few years back. You’d think she’d show some pride in her work, especially considering her books paid for this beautiful property, but no. She hides them away so they don’t tarnish her reputation as the good sister.” She raised her glass in toast to Sarah. “Well, secret’s out.”
“Romance novels?”
“I haven’t written in years.” Sarah hoped to dismiss the conversation with the wave of her hand. She didn’t want to talk about her books around Dodge. Damn her sister was maddening, and working her way towards seriously drunk if Sarah didn’t put a stop to it. God only knew what would come out of her mouth next.
“Well, I’ve had all the excitement I can stand for one night,” Jenny said and sauntered to the door. “You kids have fun.”
Sarah watched Dodge’s eyes follow Jenny inside the cabin. “Why don’t you two just have sex and get it over with,” she blurted out. Hell. Maybe she was the one getting drunk.
“What?” Dodge turned back to Sarah. “I don’t want to have sex with your sister!”
“Then why do you goad her like that?”
“She’s asking for it and you know it.” He stood up and paced in front of the fire. “God, she’s a classic man-hater.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your sister’s a man-hater.” He moved to take the seat Jenny had vacated. “She acts like she adores men but deep down she hates any guy with a set of balls between his legs.”
“Got some experience with man haters, have you?”
“I’m just saying that’s what she is. I didn’t make her that way, but she defines the category.”
Sarah sat up in her seat. “Category? As in there’s more than just the one?”
Dodge sighed and leaned back in the chair. “You’re not going to understand, so I’m not going to explain.”
Sarah snorted. “You mean I’m not going to like what you say.” She cleared her throat, leaned forward in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. “I’m listening.”
“I’m not saying any more because you’re just going to make fun.”
“I’m about to see deep inside the male psyche. I’m going to have to insist.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“All right, I’ll explain the categories, but only if you promise not to laugh.”
Sarah lightly tapped her finger against her lips. “I can promise I’ll try not to laugh, but sometimes laughter is difficult to control.”
Dodge braced his hands on his knees and stood. “It’s been fun, but I’ve got to be going now.”
Sarah shot out of her chair and grabbed his arm as he tried to scoot by the fire and into the cabin. “Wait a minute. You’re not getting out of here so easy. Tell me, I won’t laugh, I promise. I’ll probably be too insulted to laugh.”
He sighed and sat back down. “I’ve found that all women fall into a series of categories. Its a little system I’ve devised and perfected through the years.”
Oh, this was priceless. “How many are there?”
“Six.”
“Six? All women fall into just six categories?” When he nodded she said, “Please go on.”
“First there’s the ‘never satisfied with anything’ woman.”
Sarah considered and shrugged. “Okay, I get that one. What’s next?”
“Next is the ‘pretty but unintelligent eye candy’ woman.” Again she nodded. “Then there’s the ‘just plain low class’ woman.” She used her fingers to count along as he named them off. “Probably the least harmless is the ‘book smart but no common sense’ woman.” As Sarah held four fingers in the air he seemed to relax and enjoy explaining himself. “Now your sister had me fluctuating between these last two, the ‘I’ll make you want to touch me until you can’t breathe but you never will’ category and the ‘man-hater.’ And as I stated before, she’s the classic man-hater. Well?” he asked.
Wow. He looked like a normal person, sounded like a normal person most of the time, but his little classification system definitely wasn’t normal. “I’m speechless,” she said and rubbed her temples. He’d pretty much nailed Jenny with both of his last two categories, but the question of where she would fall into his demeaning and narrow-minded system made her want to hurl herself off the deck. No, actually it made her want to insist he tell her which category she fell into and then hurl him off the deck. “What am I?”
“Pardon me?”
“What category am I, just for conversation’s sake?”
“I haven’t been able to put you into a category just yet.”
“Umm.” Liar.
“You may be the first woman who defies my little system. I may have to come up with a new category for you.”
“That’s a rather convenient answer.”
“Now, don’t go making this personal. You insisted I tell you and I did.”
“How can I not make this personal when you said all women fall into one of your six categories and you won’t tell me which one I am?”
“I’m thinking your category might be called the ‘totally condescending woman,’” he said and then laughed when she flew out of her chair.
“You think this is funny?”
“Well, I never imagined I’d be the one laughing at the end of the conversation, that’s for sure.”
She sat back in her chair. “Do your guy friends know about your categories?”
“Guys don’t talk about women.”
“Oh, please.”
“We may mention an attractive body part or two, but we don’t talk about women.” And when she snorted in disbelief he said, “We talk about sports, cows, the price of hay, beer and our softball league. That’s about it.”
“Do any other women know about your categories? Your sisters maybe?”
“Are you crazy? I’m not stupid enough to let them in on my system.”
“You’re smart not to Dodge. It’s a scary reflection of your personality.”
“Is it scary to you?”
Sarah looked at him and shook her head. “No, but it explains a lot.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means if you want to lease my land, don’t put me in a category.”
Chapter 11
The days that followed were busy. Kevin and Lyle resigned themselves to going to school each day, and the taking down and putting up of new fences kept them interested in the changes in the property. Every afternoon after school they’d survey the progress and report back to Sarah what they saw and hop on their four wheelers to check out the rest. They both pitched in to help haul the old cedar posts back to the house. Sarah felt encouraged to see them taking an interest in the ranch, especially Kevin who seemed particularly fascinated with why Dodge had made the changes he’d made.
Dodge came by sporadically to assess the improvements and hammer out the details of the lease. He’d let her use his lease with Mac McGill as a point of comparison with only a few changes pertaining to her water rig
hts. She’d asked Paula to recommend an attorney to look over the lease agreement and had scheduled an appointment with him early one morning after she’d dropped the boys at school.
As she entered the small office on a dead end street off Hailey’s main thoroughfare, she smelled bad coffee and the musty fragrance of a hundred-year-old building. It reminded her of her dad’s basement office in the house she grew up in. The receptionist greeted her with an appraising smile. Her dirty blond hair was going gray at the roots and her makeup looked a bit too colorful for the full glare of the light coming in from the tall windows.
“I’m Sarah Woodward. I have a nine o’clock appointment with Mr. Garrity.”
The woman stood and stuck out her hand for a strangely formal handshake. Sarah took the woman’s hand. “I’ve been wanting to meet you. I’m Regina Winslow.” She pointed to her faux wood nameplate resting atop the otherwise barren counter. “My husband and I live off the Seven North, so I guess that makes us neighbors.”
“Oh,” Sarah said. “Whereabouts is your home?”
Regina smiled shyly, pushed the blonde ends of her frizzy hair behind her shoulder. “You can’t see the house from the road, just our black metal gate with the decorative horses on each side.”
Sarah thought of the long road that led to her ranch and the drive Regina had said was hers. The property appeared neat, with closed gates and the house hidden from view. “Oh, yes. I think your property abuts ours on along the northern edge.”
“It does,” Regina said. “I’ve heard you’ve got young boys. I think I’ve noticed them throwing rocks in the river. Or my daughter has. She’s quite smitten, I’m afraid.”
“Oh?” This was news to Sarah. “How old is your daughter?”
“She’s 13, same age as your son. Her name’s Shiloh--she’s met Kevin at school.” Regina waved a hand in front of her face. “Don’t look so panicked, she’s harmless, I promise. My husband won’t let her date until she’s 20 or later, I’m sure.” Regina’s face reddened and her self depreciating chortle made Sarah warm to her. “Besides, she’d have to wait in line from what she tells me. He’s made quite an impression at school.”
Dodge the Bullet Page 9