“You’re going to fly one?” Jenna couldn’t help it—fear streaked through her.
“You bet. It’s the chance of a lifetime.” Flynn’s excitement traveled over the airwaves.
“Listen, I’ll let you go. I’m in the car, ready to leave.”
“Sure. Have a good day. I’ll be tied up here for most of it. So, I’ll meet you at the café as we discussed.”
Swamped by uneasy concerns that gave her goose bumps, Jenna said, “If you’re too busy we can skip dinner. Last time we tried to go didn’t work out so well.”
“Nonsense. Andee’s arm was a once-in-a-blue-moon accident. Hey, someone from the air show is hollering for me. If you find the supplement, buy enough to last me till the end of the month. And hang on to the sales slip so I can pay you. ’Bye.”
“Uh, ’bye,” Jenna murmured. Shutting off her phone, she covered her face with her hands and rubbed hard, attempting to abolish fears Flynn would say were uncalled-for.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Andee asked from her seat behind Jenna. “Was that bad news, like when Daddy’s plane fell? I thought you were talking to Flynn. Is he all right? And Beezer. Beezer didn’t get hurt, did he?”
Jenna dropped her hands and sat straighter. She hadn’t thought Andee, who wasn’t quite six at the time of Andrew’s crash, had in any way been aware of that initial devastating phone call. Obviously she absorbed more than anyone realized.
“Sweetie, it was Flynn, and everything is fine. I just needed a minute to decide where to start on our errands.”
Adjusting the mirror, she gazed at her daughter. Andee had Cubby hugged tight. Her little forehead remained puckered and her mouth looked pinched. “Truly, Flynn is fine,” she reiterated. “And I heard Beezer bark in the background. Flynn’s busy right now with those old planes he told us about. I thought he might not have time to meet us for dinner tonight. He said nonsense.” Readjusting the mirror, she started the SUV.
“I heard him say that. Was he mad? He never gets mad like Daddy used to. When people get mad my stomach doesn’t feel good.”
That was an eye-opening revelation.
Jenna reached the end of the lane and turned onto the highway. “Flynn wasn’t mad,” she said firmly. She probably ought to explain that Andrew’s bouts of temper were a form of post-traumatic stress. But that wasn’t easily explained to children. She hadn’t been able to understand Andrew’s mercurial moods. And any time someone mentioned to him about seeing the base doctors, he’d closed himself off.
By the time she reached the bank, she’d managed to shake off her melancholia. After her banking, her second stop was the health-food store. She found Flynn’s supplement and started for the checkout counter, but Andee stopped her.
“Look, they have fat raisins that aren’t in boxes.”
Indeed, they were in the bulk bin. “Okay, we’ll buy a small bag for you to eat in the car.” Crossing to the next aisle, Jenna sniffed the air. “Wow, they have coffee and a machine to grind beans.” Since she and Flynn both loved their coffee, she ground a Kona blend and a rich, dark high-mountain roast. “This is all,” she said, only to pause again next to tables of fresh produce.
Andee’s eyes were level with mounds of tomatoes. “Those are as big and red as Beezer’s ball. And are those watermelons? Mommy, I love watermelon.”
“No more,” Jenna announced after filling a basket. “Yikes, I still need to drop papers off with Mr. Rhodes. If he wants to chat, this will cook in the car.”
Another shopper overheard Jenna’s comment. “They have that covered,” she said. “On the back shelf they have foam coolers and, of course, ice.”
“Thanks, that’s what I’ll have to do. Andee, choose a medium-size melon so we only have to buy one cooler.”
* * *
THEY’D PULLED ONTO the highway when Andee asked, “Do you think Flynn likes watermelon? Before we moved in with Auntie Melody, we got a giant watermelon. Daddy cut it up and we ate a lot. You said we were gonna get sick, but we didn’t.”
“Mmm. Two things you and your father could eat way too much of, ice cream and watermelon.”
“But not together. Daddy said that would curl in my stomach.”
“Curdle. That means they’d sour if you ate them together.”
“I better tell Flynn. He really likes ice cream. I hope he likes watermelon.”
Jenna debated shutting down Andee’s line of thought. But how could she when she’d caught herself comparing Flynn to Andrew?
And wasn’t it healthier for Andee to talk about her dad? After his death, she had withdrawn. That had been one of the reasons for their move. However, Jenna saw danger in letting Andee get too invested in Flynn Sutton. Especially now that he was going to be living with them.
Maybe she and her daughter were already too invested.
She’d dickered with herself about that all the way to their town. Entering the restricted-speed zone, she slowed and said, “I have one more stop to make at the realty office. Why don’t you bring your raisins and Cubby inside? But be careful to not drop any on the floor. They’re sticky and I’d hate for anybody to squish one underfoot.”
“Are we getting another ranch?”
Jenna smiled. “No, we may be selling back the house that needs the air conditioner.
“That’s enough with the questions for now, Andee.” She parked, gathered up her purse and the folder with the contract. “There’s a lot of traffic on the street today. Will you scoot across the seat and get out on the sidewalk side?”
“Did you see those big trucks that passed us? One had a big, big octopus-looking thing with red and blue and yellow boxes on the end of its legs. Except they were round.”
Circling behind the Cherokee, Jenna tried to sort through Andee’s narrative to make sense of it. “I must have missed the truck you saw. Maybe it passed when I was parking.”
“No, it wasn’t on this street.”
“Hmm. Okay, well, we’re here.” Jenna opened the door to the office and held it so Andee could enter first.
Bud Rhodes got up from his desk. “Mrs. Wood. I just returned from touring your house in town. I tried to call you, but my call went to voice mail.”
Jenna dug out her phone. “Oh, sorry. I silenced my phone when I went into the bank and forgot to turn it on again. Is there a problem? I have the signed contract.”
“Mayor Parker had a bit of cold feet. He’s spending the city’s money, you see.” Rhodes laughed. “Once he saw the home, he was fine—I hope you don’t mind that Flynn Sutton gave me a key. I have the cashier’s check for the property and another for furnishings. All I need is for you to sign the closing papers.”
He went to his desk, brought another folder to the counter and handed Jenna a pen.
“I must say this is the quickest I’ve ever turned a property around.”
She began scribbling her name on the pages as Bud Rhodes explained each one. After the last one she put down the pen. “I hope this works well for men like Barney.”
“Most of the homeless are vets—some are on board with the project. One has decided to move on. He’s been footloose a long time.”
“I don’t have any say in how the city handles the house, but Barney works for me at the ranch. He said he’d be open to community housing if the rent was reasonable. How will that work?”
“Curtis, that’s the mayor, set out a plan with the city council. They’ll charge rent by the week or month. There’ll be no smoking inside and a no-drug policy that will be enforced by our sheriff. Most homeless veterans have a pension or social security. Some like Barney find work, too. The city will take referrals from the Legion Post.” He stacked the papers. “I’ve no idea how word travels among the wanderers, but they seem to have an effective underground. I think that’s why our legion and our park became a haven.�
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“I’ve lived in a military community almost my entire life. I just find the homeless situation, especially among veterans, so sad.”
“It definitely is. It’s not only Nam vets. Lieutenant Luke, who is in charge of our Legion Post, says he’s fed a lot of young guys over the past several years, too. Anyway, here’s your check, Mrs. Wood. I understand from Lieutenant Sutton that you plan to add to the ostrich ranch.”
Lieutenant Sutton.
She didn’t think of him that way. It gave her pause.
“Yes.” Jenna folded the check. Since it was like cash, she needed to go back to her bank. “I’m sorry you had to bother Flynn. He’s extremely busy preparing for the air show.”
“He didn’t seem to mind.” Bud Rhodes peered over the counter at Andee, who sat eating her raisins. “And, Miss Wood, the lieutenant told us about your unfortunate bike accident. I see your cast. I hope that doesn’t keep you from enjoying the carnival. This morning the café was buzzing over the carnival starting to set up today.”
Andee slid off the chair and skipped to the counter. “How did a lieutenant know about my arm? And what is a carn...carnival? I don’t think we’re doing that, are we, Mommy?”
“Honey, Flynn used to be a lieutenant.”
“Like Daddy?” Andee’s face lit up.
“Yes, like Daddy. And, uh, a carnival is hard to explain.”
“Carnivals have fun rides and games and things,” Bud said. “Never met a kid who didn’t think it was a highlight of their summer.”
Andee blinked owlishly as Jenna took her hand. “I need to make another trip to the bank. I hope this all works out for the city and the veterans,” she said. “Selling the house came at a good time for me. Come on, Andee. Tell Mr. Rhodes goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” the girl parroted. They were nearly at the car when she said, “I thought we were meeting Flynn for dinner next. You said I could wear my pink dress that goes with my new boots. I want you to wear a pretty dress, too. So let’s go home now.”
“We have plenty of time to return to the bank then home so you can change out of your jeans. I’ve got no reason to put on a dress. Flynn’s probably going straight from work. Besides, we’re only going to the café.”
Andee stuck out her lower lip. “This morning I told you I wanted us to wear dresses. I want Flynn to think we’re...what did he say? Gus-something.”
“Gussied up?”
“Please, Mommy.”
“Okay, already. I’ll wear a sundress. But if Flynn feels bad because we’re overdressed for the occasion, I’ll tell him to blame you.” She made a face at Andee in the rearview mirror and then checked to see the street was clear so she could pull out.
Andee sank into her booster seat wearing a satisfied smile.
Reaching the bank and depositing the check didn’t take long. But traffic had picked up in the interim. After slowing to a crawl for several miles, Jenna noticed a uniformed cop stood up ahead, directing drivers to move their vehicles over a lane. She crept along for several more car lengths before spotting the problem. A big rig had apparently broken down and hadn’t been able to pull off onto the shoulder.
Inching past, Jenna saw it was a long, flatbed truck carrying the pieces of a Ferris wheel. Then it dawned on her the thing on the truck Andee had tried to describe earlier must’ve also been a carnival ride. She’d likened it to an octopus. Which wasn’t too surprising since one of Andee’s favorite things in Florida had been going to an aquarium. But—wasn’t there an amusement ride called an octopus? Wow, for six, Andee was astute.
“Mommy, you said it wouldn’t take long to go back to the bank. It did. And I have to go potty.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. We’re almost home, I promise. Can you hold it a little longer? There’s no place to stop for a bathroom without going way out of our way.”
“Okay, but the road is bouncy.”
Jenna smiled. It was. If she had any extra funds once she’d built the fence and bought the starter group of alpaca from Peggy Johnson, she’d try to gravel the lane.
They did luckily make it home for Andee. Jenna leaped from the car and dashed up to unlock the door. “I’ll get Cubby,” she called back to the girl. “You hurry on inside.”
Her whole gamut of errands had taken more time than Jenna had allotted.
“Instead of giving you a bath, let’s just get a washcloth and clean your face and hands.”
“Are we going to be late? I don’t want Flynn to think we aren’t coming. Then he might leave and we’ll miss dinner with him again.”
“Not to worry. We won’t be too late. Besides, I have his cell number and can call him.”
“But it’s not nice to be late. Daddy said so,” Andee said into the damp washcloth Jenna was using on her face.
She paused in the act of scrubbing. “We won’t be that late,” she said staunchly. Punctuality had been another of Andrew’s bugaboos. The military honed that. And Andrew thrived on being regimented.
Flynn had also served in the military for quite a while. Maybe he would be angry if they showed up late. If so, better to find out now.
“Please hold still, Andee, so I can rework your braids. There. You look snazzy, Ms. Wood.”
Andee giggled. “Now you hurry and get ready.”
Jenna slid hangers around in her closet. Mostly she’d worn skirts and blouses with jackets to gatherings on base. The commander’s wife, the unofficial head of wives’ events, had stressed looking professional whether or not you worked or volunteered. So she owned more office attire than clothes suitable for the desert heat.
Andee squeezed in front of her mother. “Wear this.” She pulled at the skirt of the green Hawaiian-print spaghetti-strapped dress Jenna had worn to a dinner out when Andrew’d had a layover in Honolulu between short hops.
Her mom had babysat Andee so Jenna could fly to Hawaii for three days. Andrew had been so exhausted she doubted he had noticed what she’d had on. As it turned out his unit shipped out a day early. She’d spent her last day in the hotel alone, not knowing a soul. She hadn’t taken beachwear because Andrew had said they wouldn’t have time to visit Waikiki.
She might have worn this dress in Florida if they’d ever gone out. By then Andrew had grown averse to noise and they’d stopped eating out or attending neighborhood events.
It was so easy now to see she should have pressed Andrew harder to seek professional help.
“I don’t know if Hawaiian print is suitable for a New Mexico café.”
“It’s pretty and it goes with my green frogs.”
That generated a laugh from Jenna. And with time of the essence now, she thought, What the heck? and slid the full-skirted dress from its hanger.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU s’pose Flynn is going to do with Beezer?” Andee asked as they drove toward the café.
“I’ve no idea.” It was still too hot for him to stay in the truck while they ate. Undoubtedly the restaurant didn’t allow pets inside.
She had to park across the street and halfway down the block, which made them even later. “Andee, take my hand while we cross the street. This must be a popular night for people to eat out. Oh, look. Beezer’s tied to the bench outside the café.”
The dog had spotted them and barked excitedly as Andee broke loose from Jenna and ran to hug him and be licked in return.
“We’re going inside to eat with Flynn. You be a good dog and I’ll bring you a treat,” Andee said seriously. “I can bring him hamburger, right, Mommy?”
“Possibly. Look, Flynn left him water under the bench. Now you have to wash before we take our seats.”
The hostess directed them to the ladies’ room, which was at the front of the building and took the pair more time they didn’t have. In total, they were about twenty minutes late by th
e time they emerged.
She was kicking herself that she hadn’t called his cell to at least give him the heads-up.
It surprised Jenna to see a back room had been opened up for a robust dinner crowd. The candlelit oak tables were filled. It was quite a festive atmosphere. Some women were fairly dressed up, she noticed.
As she spotted Flynn, who saw them and rose from his seat, she was glad Andee had chosen this dress for her. She was even happier when they drew near and Flynn ran his eyes from her head to her toes and back, and his face lit with appreciation.
“Hi,” he said, taking her hand and bending to kiss her cheek. “I was beginning to worry that maybe you’d gotten tied up in that breakdown on the highway. I heard about it on the radio.”
“Were you waiting long?” she asked. He didn’t sound as if he had an issue with punctuality.
“Not really. I went by the rental to box the rest of my belongings. The mayor asked if I could do it today.”
“Flynn, did you just kiss my mom?” Andee bellied up to the table and gazed up at him with open curiosity.
“I did at that. She just looked so pretty. And so do you.” With that he lifted Andee and gave her a noisy kiss on her button nose.
She smooched him back, then asked, “Mommy, do I hafta go wash again?”
Pretending to give it serious thought, Jenna finally said, “It’s not necessary,” and grinned.
Flynn parked Andee in a chair across the table. Then he pulled out the one next to him and seated Jenna. “I took the liberty of ordering you ladies iced tea and milk. If you’d like something stronger, Jenna, they serve alcohol.”
“Tea is good,” she said, taking the opportunity to admire how handsome he looked in the low, flickering light cast by the candle.
He’d changed into khaki pants and a hunter-green dress shirt. It accentuated the gold streaks in his hair and complemented the background color in her dress.
“I’ve never seen this part of the café. It’s really nice.” She set down her purse and willed herself to relax.
Before the dinner of parmesan-crusted chicken, red potatoes and baby carrots was over, Jenna acknowledged to herself that she was falling for Flynn Sutton.
An Unlikely Rancher Page 17