For years Amanda hadn’t been able to keep in touch with her Arkansas relatives, but as adults, she and Tammie had formed a loose, comfortable family bond. Some members of the family were still angry at Luanna for what they called “poor choices” and the doctors called “manic behavior.” The Allens didn’t understand that Luanna hadn’t always been able to rationally consider her choices.
Amanda pushed aside the old hurts, just as she always did. There was no reason to live in the past.
But as she placed a stamp on the second postcard, she thought about the woman to whom it was addressed. Selma Strong had taken Amanda in ten years ago when her mother died and was now divorced and living in Portland. She was a good woman, a former coworker of Luanna’s, but she had her own problems. She didn’t have time to keep in touch with a former teenage “stray.”
Amanda wanted to stay connected with her, though. If not for Selma, she might have ended up in foster care or worse. Back then, Amanda knew that she’d been one breath away from packing up a bag and blending into the other runaway kids on the streets of some city at the end of a one-way bus ticket. She’d been angry and hurt that her mother had died and left her alone. Angry at all the injustices in her young life.
She could have taken her independent streak too far and become a statistic, but Selma and her then-husband John had welcomed her into their modest home and insisted she do well enough in school to graduate. Just in case she wanted to go to college.
Ha! As if she could afford college. Not back then, and not yet. But someday soon, if the bequest from her mother’s benefactor came through, she could train for a career so she would have an actual job and real security.
A knock on the motel door interrupted her thoughts. She swung her legs off the bed and went to answer. “Who is it?”
“Christie Crawford,” a woman’s voice said. “Do you have a few minutes?”
For a Crawford? Amanda’s heart beat fast as she pulled open the door to meet her sister-in-law.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I LET YOU talk me into dinner,” Amanda said later that night. She and Leo sat in a dark booth near the back of Dewey’s Saloon and Steakhouse. The restaurant had a bar and dance floor, but there was no band tonight. Country-western music played through the speakers. Tables and booths were reasonably full for a weeknight.
“We both have to eat,” he said. “Might as well do it together.”
“That’s what you said earlier, too. But it doesn’t mean you need to pay for my meal.”
“I enjoy your company. And remember I told you we take our hospitality seriously. You’re a guest in our town, and as of tomorrow, in our condo project.”
Amanda was trying to keep her guest status in mind so she didn’t feel as if she and Leo were on an actual date. She’d turned down his invitation to watch movies and eat popcorn, but she’d given in when he insisted she should visit Dewey’s while she was in town.
Besides, she was hungry and semibroke.
“Christie Crawford was as persuasive as you,” Amanda said.
“She’s a woman who goes after what she wants.”
Amanda could believe that. Christie was tall, blond and beautiful. She possessed a grew-up-wealthy confidence that was rare in Amanda’s world. If Christie’s husband, Cal, was as impressive as his wife, Amanda would have to generate her own bravado to reveal their mother’s secret.
“The model condo sounds wonderful,” she said as she reached for the menu. “I can’t wait to see it tomorrow.”
“So, why are you frowning?”
She jerked her head up, realizing her thoughts about the inevitable confrontation had given Leo the impression she was upset or unhappy about something. “I didn’t mean…that is, it’s hard for me to accept charity, from Christie or you.”
“Don’t think about it that way. Just enjoy yourself. I know you’re here working on something, but there’s no reason you can’t have a good time, right?”
“Um, right.” No reason except the impending deadline of the attorney in Oregon and the fact she’d just met her sister-in-law, who had no idea who Amanda was or why she was here. And then there were the nerves when she thought about meeting her brothers, or at least one brother, for the first time. She reached for her water and took a big sip to hide her expression, just in case she started frowning again.
“Do you like wine?” Leo asked.
“Yes, but you don’t need to—” She stopped talking when he looked away and motioned their waitress over.
“Twila, bring me a bottle of my favorite red, would you please, darlin’?”
“Sure thing, Leo.” The waitress flashed him a big smile and headed for the bar.
“You have your own wine?”
“No, just a favorite they keep in stock for me. Most people like beer or mixed drinks, but I prefer wine.” He smiled and leaned forward. “Must be my Italian heritage.”
Amanda sat back a little. “You don’t look Italian.”
“My father’s family is from northern Italy, near the Austrian border. They’re mostly fair. My mother is Scandinavian.” He shrugged. “I didn’t have a chance to be anything but blond and blue eyed.”
And it looks really, really good on you. “Um, interesting. From a genealogical perspective.”
“So, what about you? Where do those cute genes of yours come from?”
That was the second time he’d said she was cute. “Pretty boring. Just your standard English, Irish, Scottish. Nothing outstanding.”
“No Indian princesses or English dukes in your family history?”
“Not that I know of,” she said, looking down at the menu again. She didn’t want to think about her own ancestry, lacking as it was in details. She didn’t know any stories about the Crawfords. They were just names on census files and in county records.
“Here’s your wine,” the waitress said, placing a dark green bottle on the table in front of Leo. “I had Ronnie uncork it. I still don’t have the hang of that fancy opener you got me for Christmas.”
Leo removed the loosely fitted cork and poured red wine into the two glasses Twila had placed on the table. “You need to learn how to do that. Who knows? You might want to move to the big city and get a job in a fancy restaurant someday.”
The waitress laughed. “I don’t see that happening anytime soon. What would you do without your favorite waitress? You enjoy that wine and I’ll take your order whenever you’re ready.”
“Give us just a minute,” Leo said, cupping the bowl of the glass and handing it to Amanda.
“Sure thing.” Twila left in a swirl of denim skirt and faint perfume. She seemed to be a nice person, but Amanda got the impression Twila, like the barista in the coffee shop, would appreciate a more personal relationship with Leo. Well, what single woman wouldn’t? He was handsome, witty and successful. There couldn’t be too many single men around Brody’s Crossing who could compete with him.
“To us, having a nice dinner with no worries,” Leo said, lifting his wine. His large, competent-looking hands cupped the fragile glass as though he’d done this many times before.
Who was this small town hardware store owner who charmed every woman he met and drank wine in a country-western place that served rattlesnake appetizers, for goodness’ sakes?
“To a nice dinner,” Amanda answered, clinking her glass gently against his.
“You just can’t give up your worries, can you?”
No, and not her secrets, either, she silently answered, taking a sip of the seductively smooth wine. If only she could find the answers she craved and get out of town without becoming attracted to Leo Casale.
After that, she could consider not worrying about a thing for quite a while.
LEO WATCHED AMANDA DIG into her steak with absolute abandon. Since their meals had been placed in front of them, she’d barely glanced up from her filet mignon and loaded baked potato. If he could put the same look on her face without food, he’d be a happy man.
She might be glad to hav
e food to concentrate on so she didn’t have to make conversation. Or more specifically, answer his questions. She was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs whenever he tried to steer the subject toward something personal.
He dug into his own tasty meal with a little less enthusiasm than Amanda. Didn’t she realize that the more she eluded him, the more fascinating she became?
No, maybe she didn’t. She seemed oblivious to the fact that he found her intriguing. She looked surprised when he complimented her or took an interest in what she was doing. Perhaps she simply thought he was nosy. That was definitely a trait that had gotten him into more than a little bit of trouble growing up. He preferred to think his interest was motivated by a desire to help Amanda. If not for his interference, she might be sleeping in her car or checking into a cheap motel. She could put herself in danger and not even think about the consequences. No telling what else she might do without him watching out for her.
Now, if he could just find out what she was really up to in their small town.
“How’s your steak?” he asked when she sliced into her filet.
“It’s great. It’s a real treat.” She placed another bite in her mouth.
“You’re in Texas. You’re supposed to eat steak. Well, unless you’re a vegetarian, of course. We don’t have too many of them around here.”
“No, I wouldn’t suppose so.”
He decided to follow up on a hunch, something that he’d wondered about ever since this morning at the Rocking C. “Especially since Troy Crawford and his wife moved back to her native New Hampshire.”
Amanda’s head snapped up. “But the Crawfords have a family ranch here. Why did Troy and his wife move?”
Ah, she was definitely interested. “Raven came to Brody’s Crossing several years ago and kind of converted Troy to her way of thinking about organic food. Troy made the changes to the ranch while Cal was serving in the army in Afghanistan. When Cal returned, he got upset about the bison and all that. But that’s not the reason Troy and Raven moved to her farm in New Hampshire. It was her property and someone needed to be there to take care of it. Troy okayed the move.”
“Oh.” Amanda frowned. “Their lives sound very complicated. I thought…that is, I assumed they decided to convert the ranch because they saw organic ranching as the future.”
“It was Raven who started Troy thinking that way. You’d like her.”
“Well, I’m sure I won’t meet her, since they no longer live here.”
“Maybe they’ll come for a visit while you’re in town.”
“I’m only going to be around until next week.”
“I know you said that, but plans, like ranches, sometimes change.”
“I doubt mine will. As a matter of fact, it would practically take a miracle for me to be here after next Wednesday.”
“Why? What kind of miracle do you need, Amanda Allen?”
“I…I can’t discuss that. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m a trustworthy guy and a good listener.” This afternoon he’d listened to Clarissa claim that Amanda was simply doing genealogy research for a distant cousin of Luanna Crawford’s who had lost contact with Cal and Troy’s mother over the years. Clarissa and the other ladies did not find that suspicious, but Amanda’s interest in the ranch seemed a little excessive to Leo.
She lowered her gaze to her half eaten plate of food. “I’m sure you are, but—”
“Hey, little brother. How are you?”
Leo looked up to see his sister, Toni, and her husband standing beside the table. “I’m just fine,” he answered, placing his napkin on the table and standing up. He gave his sister a hug, then shook Wyatt’s hand. “Just having dinner with someone new in town. Toni and Wyatt McCall, I’d like you to meet Amanda Allen.”
Amanda appeared surprised and a bit unsure of herself. She also put her napkin on the table and stood up, holding out her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Welcome to Brody’s Crossing,” Toni said. “Christie called me earlier. I’m glad you’re staying at the condo. You can give us your impressions of the layout and the staging.”
“I’m sure it’s just fine. Thank you for the offer to use the place. Leo mentioned that the three of you were partners.”
“Yes, and so far we haven’t murdered each other, so I guess it’s working out,” Toni replied with a big grin.
“Hey, how can you even consider being mad at me? I’m the most easygoing guy around.”
“Well, that’s true. Still, you’re my little brother—”
“Enough sibling rivalry,” Wyatt said in his good-natured way. He, Toni and Leo had known each other most of their lives. Leo was glad Wyatt had returned to town two Christmases ago to fulfill a long-delayed public service sentence for painting the water tower in their school colors when he was eighteen years old.
“Christie did a marvelous job on the motel,” Amanda commented. “Does her husband get involved in the renovation projects?”
“He’s a rancher through and through, and no, he doesn’t get involved in the renovation work,” Toni said. “He’s all about family tradition, but doesn’t see the importance of saving old buildings.” She gave Leo a look that told him she was picking up on Amanda’s interest in the Crawfords.
“Oh? But the Crawford family house is still on the ranch, isn’t it? I mean, I saw it when Leo took me out to see the bison.”
“It is, but then, it’s not all that old, maybe from the 1970s. It’s in good condition and it makes a great guest place.”
Amanda seemed at a loss for words, although she obviously wanted to ask more questions. “How’s your house coming along?” Leo asked.
“Slowly,” Toni said. “Wyatt keeps thinking of improvements.” She playfully jabbed her husband with an elbow.
“Hey! The rooftop deck is just what we needed to watch the sunsets. And how could we get by without the heated driveway? It does get icy here sometimes.”
Toni shook her head. “Amanda, do yourself a favor and never marry a man with too much money. They keep finding ways to spend it, which just makes life more complicated.”
Amanda didn’t seem to know what to say to that. She probably hadn’t heard that Wyatt had made a huge fortune in the computer industry before selling his company during the boom years.
“Would you like to join us?” Leo asked. “Have some wine?”
“No, thanks,” Toni said. “We’ve kept you from your dinner long enough. It was nice to meet you, Amanda.”
“Good to meet you, too. Thanks again for the hospitality.”
“No problem. Stay as long as you like. We haven’t had many showings of the model unit so you shouldn’t be inconvenienced much.”
“I’ll be out of there whenever you need to show it. And I’ll make sure it’s clean.”
“I’m sure you’ll be the perfect guest.”
“Nice to meet you,” Wyatt said, taking Toni’s arm. “Come out to the house soon,” he added, looking at Leo. “I’ll show you my latest toys.”
“Oh, don’t get him started on the new additions to our garage. Like we really needed matching motorcycles.”
“You look hot on a bike, babe,” he said, giving Toni a kiss on her cheek.
Leo laughed. “Get out of here, you lovebirds. You’re not even newlyweds anymore.”
Toni smiled and waved as they walked to their table.
“They’re very nice,” Amanda said, sitting back down.
“They’re all right,” Leo agreed, “for a big sister and an overachiever brother-in-law.”
“I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a sibling, especially one nearby. I always wanted more family, but my mother was single and it…well, it just wasn’t meant to be, I suppose.”
“I’m sure you would have been a wonderful big sister.”
Amanda looked up, her eyes troubled. He thought she was going to say something, but she glanced away.
He decided not to press h
er for any answers tonight. He wanted her to finish her steak in peace and trust him with her secrets when she felt the time was right.
As long as she didn’t take too long.
AMANDA BIT HER TONGUE to keep from saying, “I would have been a great little sister, too.” She was grateful Leo hadn’t pursued their conversation, grateful that she could hide behind bites of steak and baked potato, and sips of the delicious wine. Leo’s favorite. Of course it would be superb. He was a man of good taste.
“Dessert?” Leo asked, looking up from his last bite.
“No, thanks. I’m really, really full.”
He motioned to the waitress for the check, then leaned back in his chair. “I hope my sister and her husband’s interruption didn’t spoil your appetite.”
“Not at all. I enjoyed meeting them.” She also wished she’d had more time to question them about the Crawfords.
Twila arrived with the bill. Leo whipped out a credit card and handed it to her.
“Are you meeting the ladies for lunch again?” he asked.
“Yes. They had some suggestions about information I need.”
“For your genealogy research?”
“Yes.”
“For your client?”
“Yes.” Why did he look at her when he asked that question? She’d been very careful to tell everyone that her client had distant relatives from this area. There shouldn’t be anything suspicious about that. Genealogical researchers weren’t common, but they weren’t unheard of, either.
Twila returned with the credit card receipts and a pen. With barely a glance at the amount, Leo filled in the tip and the total, then signed his name. “You’re fast.”
“I have a way with numbers.” He closed the little vinyl booklet with the receipts inside. “Ready?”
“Yes.” He escorted her through the restaurant, his hand a light pressure against her back. She noticed that he said hello to almost everyone before they got to the front door.
A cool, gusty wind blew Amanda’s hair across her face as they walked toward Leo’s truck.
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