Rancher to the Rescue

by Arlene James

  Meanwhile, he’d keep as much distance between himself and Kathryn Stepp as the situation allowed and clamp down on his personal expenses so he could afford to pay her the difference between what he’d promised and what he, Wyatt and Tina had agreed to. Remembering the surprise and delight in Kathryn’s big green eyes when he’d told her what her pay would be, he smiled. Then he sternly told himself to cut it out.

  He could manage this, and it wouldn’t be for long. Kathryn had as good as told him that she would be looking for another job as soon as possible. Relieved, he congratulated himself on reasoning through the situation. When he walked into the house, he felt calm and unconcerned.

  Tina’s casserole heated in the oven, filling the kitchen with appetizing aromas. He found Wyatt and Tina in the den, snuggled up on the couch watching cable news. Both looked at him.

  Wyatt asked, “Get Kathryn home okay?”

  “Sure.”

  “Tina’s been talking nonstop about Kathryn’s ideas for decorating the house.”

  Jake tried very hard not to acknowledge a swell of pride. He had no business taking pride in her talents. “That’s good.”

  “Kind of funny,” Wyatt remarked, “such a plain woman being such a whiz at decorating.”

  Both Jake and Tina spoke at the same time. “She’s not plain!”

  “She just hides her light under a basket,” Tina added. “Get her into some fashionable clothes, shape up her hair a bit, give her a little confidence, she could be a knockout.”

  “If you say so,” Wyatt muttered.

  Jake wanted to growl at his brother. What nonsense. Kathryn, plain? Hardly. And she was just fine as she was. Wyatt laid his head back on the sofa and smiled meaningfully. Jake didn’t even want to consider what that smile meant, but it reaffirmed his decision to keep his distance from their new employee. Jake changed the subject.

  “Where’s Frankie?”

  “Upstairs playing,” Wyatt said. “When he realized you and Kathryn were gone, he asked for his pony. I took him out and let him pet the pony in its stall.” Wyatt tossed Jake a pointed look. “He promised the horse they’d go riding real soon.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got to do something about that.” One more drain on his time. Still, his son needed instruction. The problem was, he didn’t know what to do. “Nothing Uncle Dodd taught us about horses has settled down that critter or helped Frankie keep control of it.”

  “Maybe we ought to talk to Stark about it,” Wyatt suggested. He and the busy veterinarian had become fast friends. “According to Rex, the man knows more about horses than anyone around.” Rex Billings was a local rancher and attorney, and Stark Burns was his brother-in-law.

  “Good to know,” Jake replied. “I’ll go check on Frankie now.”

  Surprised to find his son playing in his own room, Jake took a seat on the narrow bed, smiling.

  “What’s up? You and Tyler have a little falling-out maybe?”

  Frankie just looked at him. “Ty’er room cars. KKay gettin’ puppies on my wall!”

  “I know. She told me. Won’t that be fun?” Apparently to Frankie, just the promise of puppies was more fun than Tyler’s car-themed room. Nodding, Frankie got up, came over and crawled into Jake’s lap.

  “Where KKay?”

  “I took her home, but she’ll be back in the morning.”

  “S’let go her.”

  “No, we can’t go to her. She has other things to do tonight.”

  Frankie huffed and laid his head on Jake’s chest. What a pair they were, both wrapped up in a woman they barely knew.

  “Hey, want to watch some TV in Dad’s room? We have some time before dinner.”

  Frankie nodded, so Jake stood with the boy in his arms and carried him into his bedroom. He wondered if Tina had shown this drab, utilitarian room to Kathryn, and if so, what her suggestions might have been. Mentally closing off that thought, he dropped Frankie onto the bed and smiled as Frankie bounced, laughing. Jake vaulted over him, jostling the mattress again just to make his son laugh.

  They settled onto the pillows. Picking up the remote control on his bedside table, Jake aimed it at the flat-screen TV on the wall and pressed the On switch. After quickly finding Frankie’s preferred channel, Jake tossed aside the remote and folded his arms behind his head, grinning as Frankie copied the action.

  They watched the kid’s program until Tina called them down to dinner a few minutes later. Baths, books and bedtime followed. As Jake drew the curtains over Frankie’s bedroom window—summer days in Oklahoma were long and bright—he felt his own weariness. He shouldn’t be so tired. He’d worked on Kathryn’s car for a few hours that morning, but he hadn’t even gotten to the difficult part yet. So far it had been about loosening and disconnecting stuff under the hood so he could get to the motor mounts. He hadn’t even made it over to the shop site today, and if he was going to get up early enough to get anything done over there, he’d have to turn in early.

  Settling in to sleep, he closed his eyes. And saw Kathryn gazing at him with that soft, pleased look on her face.

  * * *

  After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, he finally drifted off, only to wake groggy and stiff before dawn the next morning, having slept too heavily for too short a time. He dressed and quietly left the house.

  When he arrived at the shop site mere minutes later, he found Ryder already there, mixing mortar for the cement blocks with which they were building walls. Wyatt must have spoken to him about helping out, because Jake had not. Smiling, he clapped Ryder on the shoulder.

  “Thanks, man.”

  “Let’s get to it,” Ryder said, slapping mortar onto the top of the last row of cement blocks that Jake had laid.

  Working together, they put up almost an entire row of blocks before Jake’s phone told him it was time to knock off so he could make it to Kathryn’s at the specified time. He hated to leave the row unfinished, but Kathryn, Tina and Frankie were depending on him.

  “Time to grab some breakfast.”

  Ryder didn’t argue. Back at the house, they strode into the kitchen together and hung their hats on two of several pegs on the wall. Ryder headed to the bathroom in the back hall to wash up, but Jake decided a quick shower was in order.

  He stopped by Frankie’s room ten minutes later to find it empty. As soon as he stepped into the kitchen, Frankie waved his fork in the air, yelling, “KKay comin’!”

  Obviously, his weren’t the only thoughts constantly hijacked by Kathryn. “She’ll be here soon, so you better finish up there.”

  Frankie began wolfing down his breakfast. Jake, on the other hand, had to make himself eat. He often lost his appetite in moments of stress. He tried not to think about all he had to do that day, but that just gave him space to think about Kathryn. Did she know he had almost kissed her? He prayed not.

  The boys finished eating and ran upstairs to dress for the day. Ryder carried his plate to the counter and headed out to care for the horses. Wyatt announced that he was going over to see a bull that Stark was holding for the owner.

  In a sense, the veterinarian and his family were the Smiths’ closest neighbors. Their place was across the road, loosely referred to as a highway by the locals, and a mile or less east, past Stuart Westhaven’s farm supply store and grain silos. All three establishments—the Loco Man compound, the grain yard and the Burns home and veterinary practice—were located well outside the city limits.

  “I’ll ask Stark what we should do about that pony,” Wyatt commented, taking his hat from a hook by the door.

  Irritated that Wyatt seemed to think he was the ultimate authority where Frankie was concerned, Jake shook his head. Frankie was his kid, and he would take care of this issue. “I’ll stop by there on my way to pick up Kathryn.”

  “Suit yourself.” Wyatt kissed Tina, put on his hat and left.

 
“I should tell you that Kathryn is bringing her portable sewing machine today,” Tina said. “I expect there will probably be some other things, sewing notions at least. Oh, and we’ll need to move the boxes we’ve stashed under the counter in the laundry room.” She started to turn away but stopped. “A chair. We’ll have to find a decent chair for her.”

  “My old desk chair is out in the barn,” Jake said. “It should fit nicely under the counter. I’ll haul those boxes out there and bring the chair in.”

  “Excellent.”

  He quickly toted several boxes from under the laundry room counter to the barn then found the chair and hauled it inside. Frankie and Tyler waited for him in the kitchen.

  “We get KKay,” Frankie insisted happily.

  Remembering what Tina had said about Kathryn bringing her sewing machine, Jake realized that the boys could easily get underfoot. Strangely relieved to have a reason to deny them, Jake shook his head. He told himself it was because he didn’t have time to add Tyler’s car seat to Frankie’s in his truck, but he worried that he might enjoy those moments when he had Kathryn to himself a little too much. Imagine how he’d feel if the woman liked him. What then?

  For a moment, everything about the current situation weighed on Jake. What if he ran out of money before he got the garage open? What if the business he expected never materialized so the garage failed? Maybe he and Frankie would be better off back in Houston. He could get a job there. He wouldn’t have to worry about building his own shop, running out of money or failing at business, and Kathryn Stepp would be just an interesting memory. But he and Frankie would be living far away from their only family, and Jake had already given up his military career to raise his son with the uncles he adored. They’d added stability to Frankie’s life when Jake and Jolene hadn’t been able to do so themselves.

  He felt a pang of guilt at resenting Wyatt’s penchant for assuming responsibility for Frankie. That was just Wyatt, and Jake had no doubt that if anything ever happened to him, Wyatt and Ryder would step in to raise Frankie without a heartbeat’s hesitation. He couldn’t take Frankie away from them. No, he had to see this plan through, no matter what.

  “Sorry, son. I’m going to be moving some things for KKay,” Jake said. “You boys stay here out of harm’s way. I’ll be back soon. With KKay.” Frankie’s bottom lip plumped, but Tyler slid an arm across Frankie’s shoulders and suggested they go play with his dog, Tipper. Jake let Tina know that the boys had gone outside and set off for Kathryn’s.

  On the way, he impulsively decided to stop at the Burns place. Maybe he could catch Wyatt and Stark and include Wyatt in the conversation about Frankie’s pony. The clinic was closed up tight, though, and Wyatt’s truck was nowhere to be seen. A bull stood by itself in the pen out back. Jake drove around to the house, a large, modern brick affair that completely dwarfed the small clapboard clinic. Meredith, Stark’s wife, said that Wyatt and Stark had gone over to speak to the owner of the bull Wyatt was considering.

  “They won’t be long. You’re welcome to come in and wait.”

  “Thanks, but I have to go pick up Kathryn.”

  Meredith Billings Burns smiled and tilted her head. “Do you mind if I ask how you met Kathryn? She’s been the next thing to a hermit for years. After her mom died, several of her old friends reached out to her, invited her to dinner, things like that. She was polite, but she refused, so we backed off. Then suddenly I see her at church with you and your family.”

  “Church was Tina’s doing,” Jake said, still smarting because Kathryn had refused to accompany him to the midweek service. “All I did was stop and help her when her car broke down beside the road.”

  Meredith considered that. “Interesting. I’d expect to have a difficult time getting her to let me help her, and I’ve known her since kindergarten.”

  “Huh. Well, the thing is, I’m a mechanic, so—”

  “Really? We could use a good mechanic around here.”

  “That’s why I’m building a shop. Already poured the foundation and started putting up the walls.”

  “So that’s what’s going on. We saw the cement mixer come by but just assumed the driver was lost. Who’s your builder? Lyons and Son?”

  “No. Lyons is good, but my brother and I are doing most of the work ourselves. Takes longer, but it’s cheaper, and I’m hoping not to borrow any money.”

  “Sensible.”

  “Hope so. Well, Kathryn’s expecting me, and I’m late.” He started to leave then thought better of it. “She’s working for us now. Working for Tina, I mean. That’s why I’m picking her up. It’s not... Her car’s not running.”

  “Ah. Well, I’m just happy to know that she’s around people her own age for a change. It’s been years, you know, ten at least.”

  “More like eleven or twelve,” he corrected automatically. Meredith’s smile made him wish he’d kept his mouth shut. “Since her mother’s accident, anyway. I don’t know anything about her life before that. Or even since.”

  “She was well liked in school,” Meri informed him, “but her shyness kept her apart somewhat. She never went to the slumber parties or football games. Then, of course, her father left her to care for her mom when she was just seventeen. I doubt she’s ever even been on a date.”

  “I can’t believe that,” Jake retorted, aware as he said it that he was giving himself away. “Not that it’s any of my business.” He chuckled to show that what Kathryn had or had not done was of no importance to him. But he was shocked to think that Meredith might be right. No. Couldn’t be. “Well, I’ll stop by to speak with Stark later.”

  “You do that,” Meri said with a smile. “He’ll be opening the clinic shortly.”

  Jake nodded to show that he understood, waved a farewell and was standing at Kathryn’s door five minutes later. He didn’t have to wait long for her to answer his knock. She greeted him with the brightest smile he’d seen from her yet.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Are you late? I’ve been so busy I didn’t notice.” Sweeping an arm at the pile of boxes, bags, sewing machine and plastic tubs, she added, “I have some things to take with us.” Looking over the accumulated stuff, her smile wilted. She bit her lips, as if fearing she had assembled too much. Something in him rebelled at that.

  “We made space this morning.” Jake rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get loaded.”

  She brightened at once and began gathering what she could carry. “I know it’s a lot, but I have whole bolts of fabric and books of swatches that I picked up when the fabric store here closed. You remember when Gladys Page had her shop downtown? Oh, no, you wouldn’t. That was years ago. My mother was still in the hospital. Gladys let me have a lot of stuff for free because I helped her clear out the place. I always wondered what I’d do with some of it, and now I know. I’ve even got an idea for the bunkhouse.” Having gathered up the smaller items, she paused. “I hope I’ve got something that’ll work for the master bedroom. If not, we’ll have to go shopping.”

  “I know how you women love to shop,” Jake commented absently, turning to follow her with an armload of fabric in bolts. Shopping had been one of Jolene’s favorite pastimes, and Tina seemed to spend more time shopping online than anything else.

  Kathryn stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at him with a worried expression. “I hate it. But then since my mom’s accident, I’ve never had any money to shop or anyone to go with me.” She brightened. “I do like a good antique store, though. It’ll be fun to look for things for the ranch house with Tina. We’re hoping to find some wicker accessories.”

  She went on in that vein as they trooped out to the truck and stowed the items. Bubbling over with ideas, she talked nonstop. Jake was shocked by such a babbling, animated Kathryn, but he found this enthusiastic, happy woman breathtaking. It was a good thing he had so much to load. The impulse to hug her made him
dizzy. He wondered what she’d do if he tried it. Then he realized abruptly that she might not be the only one to object.

  No matter what Meredith Billings Burns said, Kathryn could well have a boyfriend—or several—for all he or anyone else knew. Every man in the whole county couldn’t be blind. Besides, what did he really know about her? If she were as private as Meredith said, she could be seriously involved with none the wiser, except the guy himself. But if such a fellow existed, why wasn’t he here helping her? Why wasn’t he driving her around?

  Could be he worked out of town, or drove a semi. Frowning, Jake silently contemplated the possibilities as Kathryn climbed up into the truck cab, still chattering.

  “Oh, and I have the perfect fabric for place mats. They’ll work beautifully with that terra-cotta tabletop.”

  Jake closed the door and walked around the front of the truck, only to realize that she was bailing out before he could even get in.

  “I almost forgot to lock up!”

  He watched her race into the house and return with her bag. She slung it over one shoulder, getting it out of the way while she used her key. The notion struck him that she’d probably made the bag herself. He remembered Meredith mentioning something about it as the women had chatted in the church vestibule on Wednesday.

  What self-respecting man, Jake asked himself, would watch his woman do without the things that other women took for granted, like handbags and new clothes and a dependable car? He remembered what Tina had said about Kathryn’s father abandoning the family after his wife’s accident. With an example like that, Kathryn might be willing to accept far less from a man than a woman like her was entitled to.

  Someone should show her different. Not him, though. Even if she didn’t dislike him, he was in no position to provide for her. It would be all he could do to pay the wages he’d promised her, get her car running and open the garage without bankrupting himself.