My Ranch My Way

by Misty Malone

  Chase about flipped out, and Pete was not far behind. "Why salt, and why are you so upset?" Cece asked.

  "I'll explain in a minute," Chase answered, already calling someone. "Ty, emergency. I'm just north of Cece's swimming hole. I need you to get all the men up here, no matter what they're doing. We also need both pickups, the backhoe, and lots of good shovels. Someone dumped a load of salt."

  Cece could see the urgency as he called someone else right away, so she didn't ask any questions, just listened. "I need Sheriff Green right away," he said. "Hi. This is Chase McDermott. We have another problem, a big one. Someone just dumped a load of salt, and it looks like it's going to rain any minute. Okay, we'll do that. I wanted to let you know, in case you want to get out here, but we're going to try to pick it up ASAP. We can't wait, not if it's going to rain. Okay. Thanks."

  He hung up and turned to Cece. "I'm so glad you saw this and called someone right away, Honey. Salt ruins the land. Once it soaks into the ground it not only kills any crops planted this year, but for the next couple years nothing much will grow. We've got to get as much of this up and out of here before it has a chance to absorb into the ground too much. And when it rains it will carry it down onto my land and wipe out everything in its path."

  Her eyes were wide. "Whoever is doing this is getting way too serious about putting you out of business, Chase."

  "I know," he agreed. "I'm thinking it's looking more and more like it's got to be Uncle Ralph."

  Pete just nodded, and got in his truck and backed it up to the pile of salt.

  "Sheriff Green wants some pictures of this before we get rid of it," Chase said as he pulled out his phone and started snapping a few pictures from different angles.

  The first of Chase's men arrived in a pickup, which he also backed up to the salt. They had several shovels in the back of the truck, and both men got out and, along with Chase and Pete, grabbed shovels and started shoveling salt into the two pickups. Within a couple minutes all the men were there with shovels, except Mack, who was bringing the backhoe, which moved much slower. Once it arrived the cleanup went much quicker.

  The men started to panic when a few raindrops fell, but luck was on their side as only a few sprinkles fell before they were able to finish. They were getting the last of what they felt they could get when Sheriff Green showed up.

  "Good golly, that must have been a full load of salt," the sheriff said, as he looked at the three pickup trucks, all full, plus a fairly large trailer.

  They talked about what to do with it. Chase looked from the piles of salt to the sheriff. "Could the county use it for the roads this winter?"

  "That's a possibility, but I think we need to know where it came from and what kind of salt it is, or what's been added to it."

  "Good point," Chase agreed. "They do add stuff to road salt." After a little more thought, he suggested, "For now let's put it on a big tarp on the ground in the old barn we use to store hay. If we put a tarp down first it won't soak into the ground, and the roof on that barn's good. Rain won't get to it."

  "I'll do some checking into it and see if we can find out where it came from," the sheriff said. "Someone had to pay for that, so there should be a paper trail. If we know where it came from we'll know more what we can do with it."

  "How long do you think that'll take?" Chase asked.

  "I know you can't store this forever," he assured Chase. "If I can't find out where it came from, I'll look into other options."

  "That'll work," Chase agreed.

  "Right now, though," the sheriff said, looking up, "Why don't you boys get it on that tarp in the barn. Your trucks will be better if you get it off before it rains on it. Then what I'd do, and Chase, this is your call, but what I'd do is use your backhoe to take the top layer of dirt up where all this salt was sitting. Some of it's bound to have already soaked in, and although it's at the end of the field where you don't have crops, when it rains you could have some runoff. Scatter the dirt here and there in a woods somewhere. A little salt there among all the decomposing leaves and foliage won't be nearly as toxic as runoff through your fields."

  "Thanks, Sheriff. I never even thought of that," Chase said. He made sure Ty knew the plan so he could direct the men.

  After the men left Chase talked to the sheriff a little longer. "Well, Sheriff, what's your take on this?"

  Shaking his head, he admitted, "I don't know, Chase. I was hoping we wouldn't see any more such activity."

  "It seems to me it has to be someone that doesn't want me to succeed," Chase said.

  Cece heard the emotion in his voice, and cringed. "If that's the case, wouldn't it have to be your uncle behind it?"

  "That's what it seems to me," Chase agreed.

  "Everything seems to be pointing to him right now," the sheriff said, "but I'd still like to know if it was truly just coincidental that Leah and Jim both showed up out of the blue, and right when these things are happening. Something about that just doesn't sit right with me."

  "It does seem awfully coincidental," Chase admitted.

  The sheriff scratched his head as he thought. "Would Ralph know Leah or Jim? If he approached Cece, could he have approached them, as well?"

  Chase thought several moments before saying, "I don't know how. I mean, I knew them from school in Texas. They've never been around here that I know of, and Ralph never came to see us down there. It would make sense, but I don't know when they would have met."

  Sheriff Green nodded his head. "Okay, I had to ask. I'll keep looking into it and let you know. I'm thinking I should be able to find where the salt came from. I don't think there are that many people buying a dump truck full of salt. Or that many places where you can buy a dump truck full of salt."

  "Oh," Cece said suddenly. "I have a picture of the truck. Will that help?"

  Both men turned to look at her. "You have a picture of it?"

  "Yeah. I thought it looked like he was dumping a load of lime, but it still didn't look right to me. Why would he dump it at the end of the field, and why now, this time of year? So I took a couple pictures of it, just in case he was up to no good." She showed them her phone with the picture of the truck.

  "Good. Send the pictures to me, Cece. I'll see if we can blow them up and get a license number. That should help a great deal."

  Chase went to see Cece and Pete that evening after supper. "Thank you, Pete, for all your help today. I appreciate you bringing your truck and all the work you did to help me."

  "Actually, I should be thanking you, Chase. That salt was on my land. True, when it rained it would have washed down onto yours, but some of it would have stayed on mine and ruined it for a couple years, as well. Any news from the sheriff yet?"

  "A little bit, yes. That's why I wanted to talk to you. The sheriff was able to blow up the pictures you sent him, Sugar, and it led him right to the place that sold the salt. He was sure when he got the license off the photo it would turn out to be an individual's truck, and he half expected the plates to be stolen. But it was a reputable business. They feel bad now that they know what happened. According to them, the salt was sold basically over the phone. A lady called and ordered it. She gave the exact instructions as to where it was to be delivered and when. She asked the price and said she'd get a check in the mail. The next day they got their payment, but it was in cash."

  "Cash through the mail?" Cece was shocked. "Who sends cash through the mail?"

  "Someone who doesn't want to be traced," Chase answered. "When they asked for her name, she said she was an employee of the landowner. Betty, the lady that took the call, asked if it rained should they still deliver it, and the lady said yes, they'd have equipment out there to take care of it right away. By way of explanation when asked about putting salt on farmland, she said they had somehow gotten a disease that had ruined their crops in a couple fields for the past three years. They were told the only way to get the disease out of the soil was to spread a very thin layer of salt on it. It would kill th
e crops for a couple years, but it would also rid the soil of the disease. Betty had heard of that before, so she set up the delivery."

  "I've heard of that before, too," Pete admitted. "It's been used in extreme cases where there's a disease in the soil and they haven't been able to get rid of it. You have to be extremely careful, though, that it doesn't get on other land. You have to dig a trench and put sand bags in to catch the runoff so it doesn't spread to fields you don't want it in."

  "I've never even heard of it. If it is done occasionally, though, I guess that explains why Betty set it up and the guy delivered it."

  "So does that information help us any?" Cece asked.

  "Well, it tells us it was probably either Leah that called, or Ralph has a lady involved, so we still can't rule either one out," Chase said.

  After a while Chase asked, "Sugar, do you want to go for a walk? It's really nice out this evening, and I'd love to hear what's happening with your book. How soon am I going to be able to buy a case of them?"

  "A case of them?"

  "Sure," he said with a grin. "I'll need one to keep on display in the living room, one to keep in my truck—"

  "What do you want one in your truck for?"

  "So I can show it to anyone I happen to run into. Duh!"

  She and Pete both laughed at his enthusiasm, but he went on. "I'll need one for the kitchen, a few for the library. I'll scatter a couple of them around in there, and I'll need one for the top shelf that stores our family's special books."

  She was still giggling as she said, "Chase, you're crazy, but thank you. And yes, I would love to take a walk."

  "Pete, do you want to go with us? It's awfully nice out tonight," Chase said.

  "No, thank you. I'm good right here. You kids go take your walk and I'll sit here and decide how many copies of her book we'll need." He smiled and winked at them as they left.

  They took a walk around their pond, then sat down under a tree to watch the sun set. He pulled her over onto his lap, where she quickly made herself comfortable leaning against his solid chest. Looking out at the beautiful array of reds and oranges in the sky as the sun was setting, Cece said, "I think I could stay right here, just like this forever."

  "Forever?"

  "Yep. I think so," she confirmed.

  "Wouldn't you get hungry?"

  She was silent for several moments, turning her eyes to look at him a couple times. Finally she said, "It shouldn't surprise me that you'd be the one to think of the practical aspects. You always think things through way more than I do."

  "That's because sometimes you let your heart lead you instead of your head."

  "Is that bad?"

  "Not necessarily, no. A sweet lady with a warm heart is rare, hard to find. But the man who finds a woman like that is very lucky. He needs to help watch out for her, though, because sometimes her heart leads her where her head would know better."

  She looked up at him, trying to decipher exactly what he was saying. He kissed her forehead and said, "I'm one of those very lucky men that found a sweet lady with a warm heart." He took her face in his hands and said, "I love you, sweet lady." He leaned down to kiss her, holding her face gently. She was shocked initially, but it didn't take her long to react. She returned his kiss with the same sincerity she'd received from him.

  When he gently ended the kiss, smiling down at her, she asked, "What did you – did you say—"

  "I said I love you, Cecelia Louise Anderson."

  He watched as a big smile appeared on her face, but there was also a look he couldn't decipher. "What are you thinking right now, Sugar? There's something very mischievous about that look."

  "What I'm actually thinking right now is I love you, too, you big oaf."

  He chuckled and asked, "Big oaf, huh?"

  "Well, I do love you, Chase, and that's saying a lot because I started out bound and determined to hate you. I tried for all I was worth. And I think I almost had it a couple times, until you messed it up."

  He was outright laughing now. "I messed it up?"

  "Yeah. I'd be well on my way to truly hating you, and then you'd go and do or say something that messed it up, and I'd find myself kind of liking you again. And I hated that!"

  Still laughing, he got more serious. "Was that a result of Tom and how he'd hurt you, Darlin'?"

  "Some of it," she acknowledged. "But some of it was that ridiculously hard hand that appears every time I try to let my heart lead me, which you just said isn't a bad thing. You can be so confusing sometimes."

  He smiled again at her sense of humor, but seriously explained, "It isn't a bad thing. It's a wonderful thing that you have such a big heart and you aren't afraid to follow it. It's a good thing – to an extent. That's where my hand comes in; when you go beyond that extent. If you follow your heart too far it can become dangerous. Then it's up to my hand to lead you back onto safe ground again."

  "So you're saying that together we make a good team?"

  "I think we make a fantastic team," he confirmed.

  "Good," she said, "because so do I." She looked into his eyes and said, "And I've realized now that there's just no way I can hate you. And once I quit trying, I found that it's very easy to love you."

  He again held her face tenderly while they shared a kiss that left no doubt in either of their minds as to their love for each other. She settled against his chest afterward in what had become one of their favorite positions, with his arms wrapped tightly around her. After several minutes of cuddling he said, "You know what? I think this time you and your heart are right. I think maybe I could stay right here like this forever, too."

  She giggled as she cuddled in closer and said, "I knew eventually you'd see things my way."

  He chuckled. "You know what else I'm seeing? You really are my little brat."

  She started to say something, but stopped and looked up at him. She sighed and said, "I was going to object to you calling me a brat, which of course we both know I'm not, but then I thought about your words. You called me your little brat, and that makes it a whole new ballgame. I guess I don't really mind you calling me a brat as long as you call me your little brat, and your arms are around me when you say it." She paused a moment before saying, "And you still love me."

  "Oh, I definitely still love you, my little brat." They shared another kiss, and cuddled there under the tree until the sun was down and it was getting dark and turning cool.

  The next morning Pete watched Cece gliding through the kitchen with a big smile on her face as she was finishing up breakfast, and smiled. "That must have been some walk last night," he said.

  "It was fantastic," she confirmed.

  "It must have been some talk about your book."

  "My book? Oh, yeah, my book. We forgot to talk about my book," she said with a giggle.

  "You two seem to be getting along rather well here of late," he said, watching her expression.

  She turned to face her dad, and with a big smile said, "He loves me, Dad. He told me so last night."

  Pete opened his arms and she flew into them and accepted his hug, hugging him back.

  "I'm glad, Honey. Chase is a good man."

  "He is," she agreed. "I'm so lucky."

  "Yes, you are. But so is he." He looked down at her and asked, "Can I ask about your feelings toward him?"

  "I love him, too," she said, confirming what he was already pretty sure of.

  "Good." He let her finish breakfast, and while they were eating he said, "I hope Sheriff Green can figure out who's behind the mischief at Chase's ranch and put a stop to it soon. It's costing him some serious money, and I know he's worried about it."

  "He is worried, and I don't blame him."

  "Once these things stop happening he'll feel free to date more," Pete said. "I have a feeling you two will be going out for supper and spending more time together."

  "Maybe," she said with a smile.

  "Cece, there's something we need to talk about."

  "What'
s that?"

  "I appreciate the work you've done around here after my housekeeper went to live with and take care of her aunt. But I want to hire a new housekeeper now, and I'd like you to help me with that. Would you do that for me?"

  "Dad, I'm glad I was here to step in when she left. Aren't you happy with what I've been doing?"

  "On the contrary, Honey, I've been very happy with everything you've done. But it's a full-time job. I want you to have time to work on your writing. I also want you to feel free to go out with Chase when he asks, without you worrying about fixing a meal for me first. And eventually, Honey, you're going to be getting married and leaving. I'm not trying to rush you at all, but whether it be Chase or someone else, that day will come. I don't want to have to scramble to find someone. I'd like to hire someone now while you can help her get settled in."

  "Dad, I don't mind—"

  "Honey, I'm going to hire someone. I've already decided that. I'd really like you to help me hire someone and get them settled in, though. I'd like you to have more time to devote to your writing. I'm very proud that you're writing books to help kids learn to love reading."

  His words touched her heart. "Really, Dad? You like what I'm doing?"

  "Very much, Honey. I agree with you, that getting kids to like reading is very important. I didn't know there's a shortage of that type of books, but since you pointed it out to me, I couldn't be prouder that you're trying to help fill that void."

  "Thanks, Dad," she said as she kissed his cheek. "I'll put an ad in the paper and help find someone."

  Chapter 14

  Sheriff Green came to visit Chase less than a week later. "My initial investigation into Leah Hunter hasn't shown anything yet," he said. "And I haven't been able to find anything to connect them with Ralph, either."

  "I've been thinking about that concept," Chase said. "Although I still don't know of any way they would know each other, it would sure be convenient for both of them if they did."