by Carter Ashby
Gideon shoved him away. “What were you doing at the Turner’s earlier today?”
Jake’s attention narrowed to Dallas. What had his brother been doing at the Turner’s earlier that day?
“Dad, what are you talking about?” Dallas asked.
“Someone saw you there, and now it’s all over town that the mystery’s all but solved as to which one of my sons Turner is using his daughter to lure away.”
“I…I didn’t…it wasn’t…”
“Spit it out, boy!”
Dallas drew himself up and cast an imploring glance at Jake. Unfortunately for him, Jake had zero sympathy, just then, and a whole lot of suspicion. When no one spoke up, Jake said, “Maybe he’s trying to make a deal. A sly deal behind our backs. Is that it, Dallas? You want out and you’re gonna throw us to the wolves to do it?”
Gideon stepped menacingly toward Dallas.
“No!” Dallas said. “Honest, Pop, I’d never do something like that. It’s just, I thought maybe I could help get her and her old man off our backs, that’s all.”
It was a stupid excuse. The Turner’s weren’t ‘on their backs’ to speak of. They’d merely renewed their yearly offer to buy out the Deathridge ranch. So Dallas was covering something up, but Jake couldn’t figure what it would be.
Cody arrived, just then, back from one of his evening walks. A little later than usual. He froze as soon as he hit the wall of tension in the room. “What’s going on?”
“Dallas, here, is just about to explain why he paid a visit to the Turners today,” Gideon said.
Cody remained silent and edged toward the hallway, likely leaving room for Dallas in case he needed a fast getaway out the back door.
“It’s just like I said, Pop. I was just trying to get her to back off.”
“Why is it you think she’d listen to you? You ain’t ever been friends with her that I can recall.”
“Well, you see, it’s just…” Dallas looked around the room, meeting the eyes of all his brothers. Jake glared at him and waited, certain whatever came out of his mouth next would be a lie. Dallas rolled his shoulders back, looked his dad dead in the eyes, and said, “Ivy and I have been sleeping together.”
For a moment there was silence. At least for everyone else there was silence. For Jake there was the roar of blood rushing to his ears. “That’s a damn lie,” he said in a harsh whisper.
Dallas slumped, putting on an act of penitence. “We didn’t mean it to happen. It didn’t have anything to do with business. It’s just, we got to shooting pool at the bar one night and…things just sort of happened. Our mistake was meeting at that damn hotel.”
Boone snorted.
Jake glared at his youngest brother, then at Dallas.
“How come you’re just now fessing up?” Gideon asked.
Dallas shrugged and hung his head. “It’s just, I really like her. I didn’t want what we have cheapened by all this gossip. I just thought maybe we could keep our relationship a secret, that’s all.”
Jake’s emotions were strangling him. There was no way Dallas was telling the truth, but having to stand there and listen to Ivy’s honor get besmirched by his asshole brother was almost more than he could take. What was worse, Gideon seemed to be buying into it.
“Son, you can’t trust a woman,” Gideon said, putting his hand on Dallas’ shoulder. “You may think she’s falling in love with you, but the timing’s just a little too coincidental. I’m betting she’s using your feelings for her to worm her way into this family. You can’t let that happen.”
Dallas shook his head. “I’m sure she’s not like that.”
“We all like to think that. But trust me, she’s not after anything but our ranch. Promise me you’ll keep your distance from now on?”
After a long, heartfelt moment of silence, during which Dallas pressed his fingertips against his closed eyes and sniffed a couple of times, he at last nodded. “I promise, Pop. Anything for the family.”
Gideon slapped him on the back before turning to Jake. “I want you to meet with her again. I talked to the bank. They’ll give us a loan to buy that Hampton property from them.”
For a moment, Jake’s anger at Dallas vanished in the wake of his surprise. “You want me to offer to buy a thousand acres from the Turners?”
“Well, yeah. Only makes sense. It’s inconvenient to them, since they can’t get their cattle there without going over the highway. They can’t grow their ranch this direction since we ain’t selling. This way we solve their problem, and we grow our operation. It’s win-win.”
Jake shuffled his feet. “You sure you aren’t just pouring salt in the wound? Goading them?”
“What did you just say to me?”
Jake stood up straight, fighting the inherent urge to duck his head and take his licks. He was going to inherit this ranch one day, he had a right to some say in how it was run. “Take offense if you want, but I never heard you talk about buying that property before. Or grow our operation. Seems you could’ve done it back when it was for sale.”
Gideon squared his shoulders to Jake. Boone, Cody, and Dallas all took steps backward. “Now I don’t take to my own boy questioning how I run my business.”
Jake fought back the urge to roll his eyes.
“So,” Gideon continued, “You’re gonna meet with Ivy tomorrow, like you did last week, in a coffee shop, out in the open so no one can accuse you of sneaking around.” He shot a reproving look at Dallas. “And make that offer.”
“And what if they take it? You’re prepared to go into debt? Hell, Pop, that land’s worth more than our property and business put together. You wanna borrow against what you already own outright?”
“I don’t see how it’s any of your concern.”
“It’s my damn livelihood, Pop. And guess who’s gonna be paying off the majority of that debt? Me, that’s who.”
Then Gideon did the same thing he did every time he was backed into the corner. He pointed at the door and said, “You don’t like how I run things, there’s the door.”
Jake had never called his bluff, and he wasn’t about to start now. Still, it pissed him off. Seemed like an abuse of power. Rather than listen to his grown son who might possibly have some useful ideas, Gideon continued to bully his way through life.
Still, what could he do? Nothing, that’s what. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll meet with her tomorrow.” He turned to Dallas. “You want me to convey your undying love, Romeo?”
Dallas glared at him in response. Jake wanted to punch him. But he’d done that earlier in the day and it hadn’t made him feel any better.
After Gideon left, Jake started to close the distance between himself and Dallas, only to have Cody block him. “Let’s not ruin our nice new carpet,” Cody said.
“You’re lying,” Jake said to Dallas.
Dallas dropped the act and was grinning now. “It ain’t no lie. Me and Ivy’s in true love.”
“Cut the shit, Dallas,” Cody said.
“I know for a fact you ain’t been meeting her in no hotel,” Boone chimed in.
All faces turned toward Boone. “How you figure?” Cody asked.
Boone suddenly went pale. He hitched a shoulder. “I just know, that’s all. Ivy ain’t like that. She’s a lady.”
Jake, who had seen first-hand how deliciously unladylike Ivy could be, nodded his agreement. “That’s right. She’s a lady. So don’t go making this worse for her.”
“I’ll just tell her the secret’s out,” Dallas said. “She’ll be relieved.”
Dallas and Boone retired to their rooms. Jake collapsed in his recliner and Cody fell onto the couch. “Where were you off to, this evening?” Jake asked, even as he switched on the TV.
“Just walking. Nowhere in particular.”
“You were out a little later than usual is all.”
Cody shrugged.
“You think Dallas is telling the truth?” Jake asked.
“Nope. No way.”
J
ake felt a little better. Of all his brothers, Cody was the one he respected most. Mainly because he was quiet and did his work. “Why you reckon he’d lie about that?”
“Probably because he’s hiding a worse secret.”
Jake mulled on that for a while. But he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to Ivy. What was she doing? Did she ever think about him? Was it usual for her to hookup the way she had with him?
Ten Days Ago
The diner sat right on Main Street across from the historic City Hall building. A few years back the town had gotten a historic grant from the state, and what had once been a run down brick building with a sagging green awning, now looked like a French café with little iron tables and chairs on the sidewalk out front and a hand-carved wooden sign that read, “River Front Diner, est. 1953.”
Inside, the floors were tiled and the tables covered in vintage Formica. There was a table for two directly in front of the large window that overlooked the street. This was where Ivy sat, across from Jake Deathridge. She’d dressed in her usual business attire, a pencil skirt and button-down blouse. Her dark blond hair was pulled back in a loose bun at the base of her neck. She could have worn her contacts, but she felt the glasses made her look more professional. Jake, the eldest Deathridge, was clearly not as concerned about his appearance. He looked fresh off the farm in muddy boots, torn jeans, and a t-shirt. He’d taken off his stetson and hung it on the corner of his chair. He’d ordered a tall stack of pancakes, three fried eggs, two slices of bacon, a side of sausage…and was on his third cup of coffee. He ate heartily to the point that Ivy wondered if he realized she was still in the room.
She nibbled at the vegetarian omelet she’d ordered and sipped her coffee. “So,” she said, continuing the speech she’d been giving him for the past ten minutes, “I really think if we could help our fathers communicate, both our families would benefit.”
Jake didn’t even glance up at her. She’d explained to him the benefits of selling his land; how they would be hired on to help work it and they wouldn’t have to give up the house; how Gideon and Clara could retire. She’d even told him the exact offer…a substantial sum that reflected the full value of their property. He hadn’t reacted at all.
When the waitress came by to offer more coffee, however, he smiled brightly, held out his cup, and thanked her. As soon as she was gone, it was back to the business of eating.
Ivy sucked in a breath, very close to abandoning professional decorum. “Mr. Deathridge, I—”
“Are you done?” he asked, sitting back in his chair at last, hitting her with dark, suddenly intense eyes.
She found herself closing her mouth and stiffening her spine. “I suppose so.”
“Good, then I can tell you what I could’ve told you before we even sat down. We ain’t selling.”
She wanted to bang her head on the table in frustration. “We’re just here to discuss the possibility.”
“Listen, honey, there is nothing…nothing…you have to offer that will tempt us to sell. This ain’t about money to us, it’s about family. So I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time—”
“Oh, you are?” she asked, her temper hanging on for dear life. “Why exactly did you sit there and let me go through the whole spiel if you weren’t even going to participate in the discussion.”
His lip quirked up at the corner. “Seemed like you were really into it.”
Her temper slipped even further, now hanging off the ledge by only four fingertips…three…two…
She grabbed her purse and started thumbing through for her credit card. As the waitress walked past, Ivy signaled her for the check. She couldn’t even look at the cocky cowboy across the table from her, though she felt his eyes on her, laughing at her.
“Hey.”
Ivy looked up, then, just daring him to push her the rest of the way over the edge.
His smile had faded and he was looking at her curiously.
“What?” she asked, a little more snap to her voice than she’d wanted.
“Do you remember when you were little and our moms took us all to the State Fair?”
Ivy sighed. He’d successfully neutralized her temper—it was regaining its grip and crawling back up over the ledge and onto solid ground. But she didn’t want to chit chat with him. “Not really.”
“You’d have been pretty small,” Jake said. “Maybe four or five. You held my hand. I took you on the little kid rides and bought you cotton candy. You don’t remember that?”
“I really don’t,” she said. The waitress brought the ticket and Ivy handed over her card.
“I’ll get mine,” Jake said, digging his wallet from his pocket.
“It’s fine. It’s a business expense.” She nodded to the waitress to take her card and go.
Jake frowned at her, sliding his wallet back in his pocket. “You called me Mister Jake, that day.” He grinned. “Ain’t that funny?”
She glared at him, debating the merits of spitting in his face and walking away. But then, out of nowhere, she did remember. It was a golden memory, washed over from the brightness of the sun that day. She remembered him, though, seemingly gigantic, towering over her. She couldn’t remember his face. But his hand holding hers, making her feel safe and cared for, even though he’d wanted nothing more than to go hang out with his friends. “You got stuck babysitting me while Mom and Clara sat in the shade.”
He grinned. “That’s right.”
“There was a girl you wanted to hang out with, but you couldn’t.”
“Yep. You really killed my social life that day.”
“You weren’t mean about it.”
“Wasn’t your fault.”
She found herself smiling at the memory. At him.
But something about the way he was looking at her caused her stomach to unsettle and her cheeks to heat. “You sure have changed a lot,” he said.
She stiffened. “I’m an adult, now, of course I’ve changed.”
His grin widened. “Adulthood looks good on you.”
She slammed her hands on the table and stood, just in time to take the receipt from the waitress. “I’m leaving. If you ever decide to be reasonable and have a conversation about how our two families can cooperate, give me a call.”
She walked out as quickly as her three inch heels would allow, confused as hell at the turn that conversation had taken.
Jake drove his pickup through the field toward the creek on the back of the property. The unevenness of the ground jostled him, rattling his already pounding head.
He’d met with Ivy Turner that morning. She’d taken over for her dearly departed mother running the business. Now it was her job to deliver the annual offer to purchase the Deathridge ranch. And since Gideon didn’t want to meet with her, he’d sent Jake.
Jake hadn’t enjoyed the meeting and having his and his family’s inadequacies as ranchers thrown in his face. He had, however, enjoyed the way Ivy’s heeled foot occasionally brushed his shin under the table whenever she was crossing her legs. And the way the tendrils of her hair curled along her elegant neck. And the way, sometimes, when she leaned forward, her blouse would dip just a little too low.
Yes, sir, the little girl next door had gone and grown up sometime when he hadn’t been looking.
The overall effect of the meeting had been a confused mix of emotions that married together to create a pounding headache. Jake figured the best cure for a headache was work…at least, that’s what his Pop had always claimed.
They’d had a sick heifer, a few days earlier. The vet had diagnosed her with hemlock poisoning. It was odd because typically the cattle didn’t eat the stuff unless there was a severe drought, which there wasn’t. Still, that cow had wandered from the herd for a few hours during a move to a different field…never would have happened if Jake hadn’t left Boone and Dallas to do the job. When they found her, she’d been near the creek.
So that was where Jake was headed. The creek bed was flat where the cow had been, so
Jake was able to drive right up to the bank. He was about to get out when he looked up through his dirt-smattered windshield and froze. Beyond a broken fence separating Deathridge and Turner property, lounging on a large, flat rock with her feet dangling in the water, was the little girl next door. In a yellow sundress. With her hair down. Miles from the uptight businesswoman she’d been earlier that day.
She had an open book in her hand, but was staring at him in shock. Jake grinned, got out of his truck, and splashed through the shallow part of the creek toward the broken fence. “Whose responsibility is this fence?” he asked, as though he even cared.
“Sell us your property and it’ll be ours.” She met him at the fence, her book abandoned on the rock, and rested a hand on her hip. She was standing ankle deep in creek water, goosebumps spreading up her legs. The dress was thin enough that he could see other evidence of the chill, too. Jake forced himself to look up at her eyes.
“No chance,” he said.
“Then I guess it’s all yours. Because I’m sure as hell not fixing it.”
He nodded toward her side of the creek. “See that brush over there?”
She turned to look.
“There’s hemlock growing in there. It’s all along that side of the bank on both sides of the fence. We nearly lost a cow because of it.”
“Huh. Weird. Well, thanks for the head’s up. That why you came down?”
“Yup. What about you? Kind of early in the day to be taking off work.”
“I had a rough morning. Some stubborn ass won’t make the best business deal of his life. It’s frustrating watching good people make bad decisions.”
He fought back a smile as he stared at her smart mouth. He leaned to the side to see past her. “Good book?”
She edged over to block his view. “Yes, as a matter of fact it is.”
“Is that a romance novel? You don’t seem like the type.”
“I read serious literature.”
“Just not today?”
“It’s not a romance, it’s…”
“I see a gray cover with a tie. Now I don’t know much about books and reading and all that, Miss Ivy, but that there is a romance novel.”