At Home in Last Chance

by Cathleen Armstrong

  He stood on the steps and watched them walk down the road toward the corrals, accompanied by Olivia and the dogs. They seemed good for each other. Sarah was a lot like Speed Bump—tiny but way full of attitude. Chris was big and pretty quiet, but he seemed like a good guy. And if he was half the man his sister thought he was, Sarah had a good life ahead of her.

  At the thought of Kaitlyn, Steven turned and looked in the kitchen window behind him. He could see Gran and Aunt Nancy Jo talking a mile a minute, most likely still planning Sarah’s wedding. Kaitlyn stood at the sink drying dishes. She was wearing a different smile than he had seen before, neither sad nor teasing. She simply looked content. Her face looked softer, less guarded. He found himself wanting that for her every day, whether he was around or not.

  A sudden gust of wind made him shrug deeper into his jacket and reach for the back door. With the wind came an unexpected sense of loneliness. He’d never much felt the need for family. They were always there, and more often than not trying to get him to do something he didn’t want to do, or to stop doing something he did. But for the first time, he found himself wondering just what the difference would be to anybody if he were taken away permanently. And he had to admit, probably not much. The thought chilled him more than the wind. With a last glance through the window at Kaitlyn, he let himself through the back door and headed to the family room to see if Uncle Joe Jr. was still watching the game. He would have stopped in the kitchen to talk, but he didn’t think he could bear to see that smile disappear when she saw him.

  11

  What is this news that I hear?” Juanita was talking as she came through the front door. “You are one fast worker, Mr. Reed, even though I predicted as much the day you two met, remember?”

  Chris had glanced at the clock when Juanita came in five minutes late as he always did, but this time Juanita didn’t even roll her eyes. She pulled off her coat, tossed it over the back of the booth nearest the door, and headed for Chris with arms open wide. Kaitlyn watched her brother’s annoyed employer expression fade into a goofy grin when Juanita drew him into a hug. How did people around here know things as soon as they happened? Sarah said it blew on the wind, but really, that just didn’t make sense.

  “Now, this is going to be interesting.” Juanita picked up her coat and headed for the storeroom. “Ordinarily, Rita and Lurlene would be planning this wedding in a minute, but I have a feeling that Elizabeth and Nancy Jo are going to have plenty to say, and they are certainly forces to be reckoned with.”

  “Well, Sarah and I thought . . . ,” Chris began, but Juanita had already disappeared into the storeroom.

  Kaitlyn picked up the tray of silverware she had been rolling into napkins and bent to slide it under the counter. “Doesn’t seem to matter a whole lot what you and Sarah thought, does it?” She straightened up and smiled at her brother. “I guess you can count yourself lucky that you got to choose who you were going to marry, because that’s about all you get to decide.”

  “Don’t underestimate Sarah. Remember, she’s cut from the same cloth as her mother and grandmother. Things pretty much go the way she decides they go.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. I think we all have.” Kaitlyn batted her eyes at Chris.

  “Don’t you have work to do? We’ll be opening in a few minutes.”

  Kaitlyn grinned as she watched Chris disappear into the kitchen. It hadn’t taken Sarah long to discover what Kaitlyn had known all her life. Teasing Chris was one of the great pleasures of life. His size and serious demeanor discouraged most people from even thinking about it, but once you discovered how flustered he could become with just a little needling, well, it was just impossible to resist.

  “What about you, Miss Olivia?” Juanita had returned from the storeroom and was tying on her apron. “What do you think about having a brand-new aunt?”

  Olivia, sitting at the counter eating scrambled eggs, shrugged.

  “Are you going to get to be a flower girl or a junior bridesmaid?”

  Olivia shrugged again without looking up, but for some reason this breach of manners didn’t seem to annoy Juanita as much this morning. She gave Olivia a little rub between her shoulder blades. “I guess it’s kind of early in the morning for wedding talk, isn’t it? You still waking up?”

  Juanita went about her work, talking to the room in general as she usually did, but in a much better mood. Her early morning cheerfulness was as puzzling to Kaitlyn as Olivia’s refusal to even acknowledge the upcoming wedding. After all, what little girl didn’t dream of dressing up and being in a wedding?

  “So, Kaitlyn, I’m sure you’re planning on staying at least till the wedding, but what then? With Chris starting his new life with his new wife, I imagine you’ll have places to go and things to do. Last Chance must seem duller than ditch water to you.”

  Ah. That explained Juanita’s cheery mood. She was imagining the diner the way it used to be—without the boss’s sister hanging around.

  “I don’t know, Juanita. I haven’t thought that far ahead.” Kaitlyn suppressed a sigh and turned away to find herself caught in Olivia’s anxious gaze.

  Kaitlyn’s heart caught within her. Was that what was the matter with Olivia? Could she really think her mother had places to go and things to do that didn’t include her? Kaitlyn winked at Olivia and walked over to give her a one-armed hug.

  “How are you doing here? Need a little more cocoa?”

  Olivia just shook her head, and Kaitlyn leaned in and whispered, “Don’t you think for one minute I’m ever going anywhere without you again. Got that?”

  Olivia didn’t look at all reassured and Kaitlyn gave her another squeeze and kissed her forehead. “We’ll talk later, but this is something to be happy about, not worried about, okay?”

  Chris flipped on the neon Dip ’n’ Dine sign and unlocked the front door as the first pickup pulled into the parking lot, and before long the diner was humming with conversation and fragrant with breakfast. Almost everyone had heard the news of the engagement, and those who hadn’t were soon brought up to date by Juanita. As most of the early arrivals were men in hard hats and pickups on their way to work, few specifics were requested. They just shook Chris’s hand and said, “Heard the news. Congratulations,” before turning to other topics of interest. But Kaitlyn had little doubt that the next wave of diners would want details, and she knew that somehow by then Juanita would have details to give.

  “You’re awful quiet this morning, Livvy. What’s up?” The sun was well up but a thin layer of frost still painted the brush in the empty lot next door when Kaitlyn started the engine and put the Jeep in Reverse to drive Olivia to school.

  Silence from the backseat.

  “Livvy? Did you hear me?”

  Kaitlyn glanced in the rearview mirror. Olivia still had nothing to say, and she did not look happy. Kaitlyn shoved the gearshift back to Park and turned off the engine. She turned to look into the backseat.

  “Livvy, what is going on? You are very sad, and I want to know why.”

  Olivia’s whole body heaved a sigh. “Mom, why do Uncle Chris and Sarah have to get married, anyway?”

  The question took Kaitlyn by surprise. “Well, when people love each other, they want to spend the rest of their lives together, so they get married. Why? I thought you liked Sarah. Don’t you want her to be your aunt?”

  “I like her to be my teacher. And I like to go to the ranch and ride horses with her. And I like her to come to our house sometimes, but why do they have to get married?”

  “I told you why they want to get married, Livvy, and I don’t think that’s what’s bothering you. Now, what’s the matter?”

  “I don’t want things to be different.” Olivia’s voice was shaky. “I like living with you and Uncle Chris, and there won’t be enough rooms if Sarah comes to live with us, and there won’t be enough rooms if we go to live with her. And I don’t want anyone to go away.”

  Kaitlyn reached back and gave Olivia’s bony knee a squ
eeze. “Honey, no one’s going away. And weddings are happy times. That’s when families grow, not get smaller. Wait and see.”

  Olivia still didn’t look thrilled, but she didn’t look quite so worried either. Kaitlyn smiled and gave her leg a last pat before turning around, starting the engine again, and heading out of the parking lot.

  “Don’t a couple of Sarah’s nephews go to school with you?”

  “Uh-huh. Jacob and Michael James. They’re bigger, though. Jacob’s a third grader and Michael James is a fourth grader.”

  “Well, guess what? They’re going to be your cousins now. And that means that Miss Elizabeth will be your Gran, I bet.”

  “And your Gran too?”

  “We’ll just have to see.”

  Kaitlyn had no doubt that Olivia would be swept into the heart of the Cooley family. They pretty much saw her as belonging to Chris anyway. But Kaitlyn? Well, they were kind and warm and never made her feel like an outsider, but when you got down to it, wasn’t that exactly what she was? Someone who roared in and out of town on a motorcycle, abandoning her daughter on the way, only to come slinking back with her tail tucked? If that thought filled Kaitlyn with disgust and revulsion, what must it do to good, decent people like the Cooleys?

  Olivia’s voice had brightened with the talk of her expanding family, and by the time they pulled up in front of the school, she was wondering aloud if the impending marriage meant that Meeko and Speed Bump would be cousins as well.

  When Olivia unbuckled her seat belt and leaned between the seats to give her mom an awkward hug before climbing out at the curb, Kaitlyn held her just a second longer than usual before sending her off.

  “See you at three.”

  “Mom.” Olivia’s voice took the tone of a tired teacher. “There’s a basketball meeting after school today. Uncle Chris signed that paper, remember? Don’t come for me until four.”

  “Ah, right. Four it is.”

  Kaitlyn sat a moment watching Olivia head up the walk to the big front doors of the school, her pink backpack bouncing against her narrow back with every step. Olivia raised some good points. What would they do when Chris and Sarah got married? He was still her legal guardian, and as Olivia had pointed out, neither their place nor Sarah’s was big enough for the whole family. And even if one of them were, Kaitlyn had not the slightest intention of setting up housekeeping with a couple of newlyweds.

  She watched the front doors close behind Olivia as the first bell rang. Olivia was happy here, and doing well. In fact, everyone seemed to have a plan but Kaitlyn. And truthfully? She didn’t have a clue. She shook her head as she turned the key in the ignition and headed back to the Dip ’n’ Dine. What a mess.

  Uncle Joe Jr. was already at the breakfast table when Steven came in the back door. He barely glanced up from his biscuits and sausage gravy.

  “Get the stock fed?”

  Steven nodded as he pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his coat pocket before hanging it on a hook by the door. “Yep.”

  He hung his hat next to his jacket and sat at the table. Joe Jr. wasn’t much for idle conversation at any time of day, but at breakfast his words were especially scarce and related almost entirely to ranch work. Wordlessly, he pushed the bowl of scrambled eggs toward Steven, followed by the dish of green chile.

  “Thanks.” Steven filled his plate and reached for a biscuit. “I’m going into town later this afternoon. Either of you need anything?”

  Joe Jr. shook his head without looking up from his breakfast. “Nope.”

  “I can’t think of anything either, right now. But stop in before you head out in case I have a list for you by then.” Nancy Jo filled his coffee cup. “You might drop by and see Rita, though. Did she ever get in touch with you?”

  Steven took a big bite of eggs and green chile instead of answering.

  “She called here yesterday looking for you.” His aunt gave him an exasperated look. “She said she’d left any number of messages on your phone, but you hadn’t called her back.”

  Steven looked back at his plate. “Okay, I’ll do that, I guess.”

  “Well, I wish you would. You know she’s not going to just give up and say, ‘Oh, well.’ And I don’t blame her. That boarded-up bar is the first thing anyone sees when they drive into town, and it’s an eyesore. What are you going to do about it?”

  Joe Jr., still intent on his breakfast, forked in his last bite of eggs and sausage and got up. He stopped at the back door and shrugged into his sheepskin jacket and tugged his battered hat down before heading outside. Clearly, Rita and the closed and boarded High Lonesome Saloon were not high on his list of things to worry about this morning.

  Steven watched him go. He wished he could dismiss the High Lonesome that easily, but, man, Rita was persistent. He tried to make sure he stayed out of her way, but every now and then she’d sneak up on him, and he was stuck before he knew it.

  Through the window, he could see Uncle Joe Jr. heading for the barn, and Steven quickly scraped up the last of his eggs. As far as his uncle was concerned, breakfast was purely for fueling up for the day’s work and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to consume. Steven made a couple sandwiches from sausage, biscuits, and green chile to take with him and got to his feet.

  “I need to get going.” He reached for his coat.

  “Well, what are you going to tell Rita?” Nancy Jo may not have had much say about Joe Jr.’s silent breakfasts, but she clearly had no intention of putting up with that in her nephew. “I have more things to do with my day than try to explain to her why I think you’re not answering your phone.”

  Steven pulled his gloves from his pocket and replaced them with the paper napkin–wrapped sausage sandwiches. “Okay, I’ll give her a call. And I’ll grab the weed burner before I go into town. If the wind’s not up, I can get rid of those weeds in the parking lot. That ought to count for something.” He tugged his hat low and stepped out onto the back porch.

  The sun had made it over the tops of the mountains to the east but had not yet begun to warm anything, and he turned his collar up. Funny how you either took to this life or you didn’t. And Steven definitely had not. He and his brother Ray had worked off and on at the ranch when they were kids, but it hadn’t taken Steven long to decide he’d much rather be working with his dad at the High Lonesome than be taking orders from his Uncle Joe Jr. He stepped off the porch and headed for the barn. Maybe that was his problem. Even though a stint in the military had gone a long way toward teaching him to bow to the inevitable, he still didn’t like taking orders from anyone.

  Steven stowed the weed burner in the back of his truck and surveyed the parking lot of the High Lonesome. It didn’t look great, but it did look better. Maybe even good enough to keep Rita off his back for a while longer. Because, truthfully? He didn’t have a clue what he was going to do with the old bar. Despite all of Rita’s efforts, Last Chance wasn’t exactly in a growth mode right now, and the only one who had shown any interest in buying the place was some guy from El Paso who wanted to reopen the bar. And Steven already knew that was not going to happen. For one, he didn’t have the nerve to face his grandmother with that news. She might lack an inch or so from reaching his shoulder, but no one could get him shaking in his boots like Gran.

  He glanced at his watch. Just as he had planned, he had an hour or so before he had to be at school. Just enough time to apply a dose of the old Braden charm to the pretty waitress he kept glancing at through the window of the Dip ’n’ Dine across the road. She was a hard one to figure out. One minute she was smiling and happy and having a good time, and the next she was as prickly as a pinecone. Anyone else and he’d just tip his hat and wish her well, but there was something about Kaitlyn Reed that just kept him coming back.

  He grabbed a menu from the rack by the front door and chose a booth near the back. He didn’t need anyone else listening in on their conversation. When he heard footsteps approaching, he decided he’d keep his eyes on the menu f
or just a beat longer before peering up at her from under the brim of his hat.

  “I see you’re finally getting around to doing something about that mess across the road.” Juanita. Of course.

  Steven looked up to find her holding her order pad and staring in marked disapproval at his hat. He removed it and placed it on the seat next to him.

  “Well, it’s a start.” He glanced around for Kaitlyn. She was serving pie and coffee to a couple ladies across the room.

  “Barely. It needs a lot more done than setting fire to a few weeds.”

  Steven turned his attention back to his menu. Maybe Juanita would take the hint and let it drop. He opened his mouth to order.

  Juanita, never known for taking hints, spoke first. “You know, I never did like having a drinking establishment right here at the gateway to Last Chance and was as pleased as anyone when you decided to close it up. But good night, Steven, I never dreamed you were just going to let it turn into a rat palace. What would your father say?”

  “There aren’t any rats.” Steven was offended.

  “Well, you couldn’t tell it by me. Now, what’ll you have?”

  Steven briefly considered continuing his defense of his property but decided he’d rather have Juanita just go away. He handed her the menu. “Just a burger with double green chile, some fries, and a strawberry shake.”

  Juanita wrote it all down and shook her head as she tucked her pencil behind her ear. “I don’t know how you kids can eat all that and still stay trim. Well, enjoy it while you can, honey. One of these days you’re going to look down and find you’re wearing it around your middle. Take my word for it.”

  She headed off to the kitchen and Steven watched her go. There was a time when he’d have stuck his tongue out at her retreating back, but that was a few years ago. Now he just thought of a few choice words he’d say if he didn’t know they’d get back to his grandmother before sundown.