Their Ranch Reunion

by Mindy Obenhaus

  He shoved two more boxes of cereal into the already overstuffed pantry. Had it really been only yesterday that he left Denver? Closing the door, he shook his head. So much had transpired since then. Just thinking what lay ahead for Carly had his brain spinning. Though he doubted she had a clue.

  Instead, her sole focus was her daughter, and rightfully so. But come tomorrow, she was going to be bombarded with a lot of things that would need to be addressed right away. And with Carly teetering on the brink of collapse, he couldn’t help feeling that he should step in and help guide her through the aftermath. After all, he was a contractor, and she was...the woman he’d once planned to marry.

  He closed the pantry door and leaned against it. They’d dated the last two years of high school and had their future planned out. Or so he’d thought. He went off to college in Denver, and she followed the next year. Then he left school in favor of the construction job he’d taken over the summer. The money was good, meaning they could marry sooner and start on a solid foundation, instead of struggling the way his parents had.

  But between his work schedule and her classes, they rarely saw each other. Before he knew it, she was ready to go back to Ouray. Hoping she’d stay, he proposed. But she wasn’t interested in building a life in Denver. And he had no interest in coming back to Ouray. His dreams were far too big for this small town.

  Movement had him turning to see Carly coming into the kitchen. She looked like the walking dead. Only much prettier, of course.

  She stopped abruptly, her weary gaze skimming the kitchen. “Where did everything go?”

  “Pantry, cupboard—” he pointed “—pretty much anyplace it would fit.” He paused, suddenly second-guessing the decision. Who was he to organize someone else’s kitchen? A woman’s, no less. He was just a single guy whose refrigerator had more empty space than actual food. Besides, Carly probably had her own way of organizing. “You’re welcome to move things wherever you like, though.”

  “No. I’m sure they’re just fine where they are.” Her tired blue eyes found his. “Thank you for doing that for me.” Her praise did strange things to his psyche.

  “Megan go to sleep okay?”

  “Surprisingly. I was afraid we might have a problem without Boo Bunny, but she barely lamented not having it. At least, not once I told her I’d let her pick out a new stuffed animal at the toy store.”

  “I take it Boo Bunny was the blue-and-white blob she found at the house.”

  “Yes. Her father gave it to her.”

  “No wonder she was so attached.” After a silent moment, he said, “They’re still hard at work next door, so don’t be surprised if you hear noises.”

  “How can they do that? I mean, there’s no electricity.”

  Smiling, he eased toward her, wanting to prepare her for tomorrow. “That’s what generators are for.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She covered a yawn with her gauzed hand. “I forgot about that.”

  She was beyond exhausted.

  Whatever he’d planned to talk to her about could wait until morning. Right now she needed sleep.

  Moving into the living room, he picked up his duffel. “I should go so you can get some rest.”

  She didn’t argue but followed him outside. “I figure one of two things will happen. Either I’ll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, or my mind will be so busy thinking about things that I won’t get any sleep at all.”

  “Well, for your sake, I hope it’s the first one.” He looked up at the full moon high in the sky, illuminating the snow on the surrounding mountaintops.

  The hum of the generator next door filtered through the cool air.

  “What a difference twenty-four hours can make, huh?” There was a hint of hoarseness in Carly’s voice.

  Curious, he faced the woman who was now beside him.

  “Last night at this time, I was slamming the door on you.”

  “Oh, that.” He adjusted the duffel in his hand. “Well, this hasn’t been what I would call an average day.”

  “No. Me, either.” She rubbed her arms. “I appreciate everything you did for us today, Andrew.”

  “I didn’t do much.”

  She peered up at him. “You were there for me. I needed that.” With two steps toward him, she pushed up on her toes and hugged him around the neck. “Thank you.” Her words were a whisper on his ear, soft and warm. And he felt his world shift.

  Releasing him, she turned for the door. “Good night.”

  Still stunned, he managed to eke out “Night” before she disappeared into the house.

  Climbing into his truck a few minutes later, he shoved the key in the ignition and waited for his breathing to even out. Carly stirred something inside him that he hadn’t felt...well, since they were a couple.

  That was not good. Because despite today’s events, there was still the issue of his grandmother’s house. And that was a battle he intended to win. Even with this little hiccup.

  Shifting his truck into gear, he headed in the direction of the ranch. He had only eight weeks before he was needed back in Denver. After that, he didn’t know when he’d be able to break away to work on Grandma’s house. Which meant he had to settle the question of ownership quickly. Something Carly wasn’t likely to discuss until Granger House was up and running again. Meaning he’d have to see to it that the repairs didn’t take any longer than necessary. And that left him with only one option.

  He’d have to do the work himself.

  Chapter Six

  The air was crisp the next morning as Carly walked a seemingly rejuvenated Megan to school. After much reassurance that Granger House would not forever smell like smoke, her daughter was quick to offer up suggestions for both the kitchen and the family room. Starting with turquoise cabinets and a purple sofa.

  Now, sitting at Livie’s kitchen table, Carly couldn’t help but chuckle. While those were indeed beautiful colors, they weren’t exactly appropriate for a historic home such as Granger House.

  Nursing her fourth cup of tea, she stared out the window at the large blue spruce that swallowed up much of the backyard. She’d spent half the night second-guessing her refusal of Andrew’s offer to pay her full price for her half of this house. That would pay for Megan’s college and then some.

  But it would also mean giving up her dream. Something her brain was too muddled to think about right now. At this point, her mind couldn’t fully process anything.

  Regardless, her daughter’s attitude this morning had apparently rubbed off on her. She was ready to roll up her sleeves and get busy on the repairs. Because the sooner that happened, the sooner she’d be back in business.

  Her phone vibrated, sending it dancing across the table’s wood veneer.

  Picking it up, she saw her mother’s number on the screen. She’d called her parents last night, after Andrew left, to tell them about the fire. So why was Mom calling now? Carly hoped she hadn’t added to her mother’s worry. After all, with Carly’s father recovering from back surgery, the woman had enough on her plate.

  “Hi, Mom.” She pressed the device against her ear and took another sip of the English breakfast tea Blakely had so graciously brought her.

  “Morning. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. Please tell me you were able to get some sleep. You sounded absolutely exhausted last night.”

  “I was.” Too many crazy thoughts running through her head for any real sleep, though.

  “You’re still at Livie’s, I take it.”

  “At the moment. I’m waiting for Phil so we can go over the insurance stuff.”

  “Oh, I so wish I could be there to help walk you through this mess.”

  “I’ll be fine, Mom. Dad’s health is far more important than holding my hand. Besides, I’ve got Phil and Andrew to help me.”<
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  “Be sure to tell Andrew we said thanks for letting you and Megan stay at Livie’s.”

  “What do you mean thank him? I am part owner, you know.”

  “Okay, then tell him I appreciate all the support he’s given you. Not every man would be willing to do that. Especially one you have a history with.”

  “Point taken.” She still didn’t know what she would have done without him and was grateful she didn’t have to find out. “Just so you’ll know, I did thank him for his help.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “I need to let you go, Mom.” She stood and started toward the front door.

  “Call me later?”

  “I will.”

  “Love you.”

  She paused at the front door. “Love you, too.” Ending the call, she shoved the phone in the back pocket of her jeans and tugged open the solid oak door. “Hi, Phil.”

  “Good morning.” He wiped his feet on the mat before stepping inside. “Sounds like the restoration guys are hard at work next door.”

  She nodded, pushing the door closed. “I’m pretty sure they were here all night. Either that or they left late and were back at it by the time I took Megan to school.”

  “That’s good. The sooner we jump on this, the better off you’ll be.”

  “Amen to that.” She pushed up the sleeves of her sweater, grateful her folks took care of the asbestos back in the eighties. Otherwise she’d have to wait weeks on abatement alone. “I am ready to put this behind me ASAP.”

  “In that case, shall we head next door?”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “No. I guess I just thought we’d have to go over my policy or something.”

  Feet shoulder width apart, the silver-haired man thumped his tablet against his thigh. “I’ve already done that. The damage and contents are covered, minus your deductible, of course.”

  “How much will that be?”

  “Two percent of whatever the total is. I won’t know for sure until I’ve assessed the damage.”

  Nodding, she mentally crunched some numbers. Looked like she’d have to tap into the money she’d planned to use to purchase the other half of Livie’s house. Money that had originally been set aside for a kitchen reno. Talk about irony.

  “You also have business interruption. That covers whatever profits would have been earned during the restoration process.”

  “Yes, I remember Dad insisting I put that in there.”

  Phil lifted a brow. “Aren’t you glad he did?”

  “Definitely.” She again reached for the door. “I guess we’d best head on over to my house, then.”

  Outside, the restoration company’s generator echoed throughout the neighborhood. The sun had risen higher in the sky, chasing away the early morning chill. As she approached Granger House, though, a dark cloud settled over her. Things had looked pretty bleak when she surveyed the damage last night. Now, in the light of day, they’d likely appear worse. She wasn’t sure she could go through that again.

  Do you want Granger House up and running or not?

  She didn’t have to think twice.

  Drawing from the steely reserve that had served her in the past, she pushed through the front door. After a brief discussion with the restoration crew, she and Phil stood in her burned-out kitchen. With no heat and blowers going since last night to dry things out, the place was freezing. For now, at least, the blowers had been turned off.

  A high-powered floodlight connected to a generator illuminated things as Phil moved about the room, taking measurements and making notes on his tablet. “I don’t suppose you have an inventory of your belongings, do you?”

  “Only the antiques.” She rubbed her arms. “Why? Is that bad?”

  “No.” He sent her a reassuring smile. “It just means you’ll have a little homework to do.”

  “Such as...?”

  “You’ll need to walk through each of these spaces mentally and write down everything that was in them. Everything from appliances to salt shakers. Storage containers, pots, pans, utensils...anything that was lost.”

  “I can do that.”

  “By the way, did you have any reservations on the books?”

  Reservations? “How could I have forgotten something so important? I have bookings for this coming weekend and just about every weekend after that.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll need to contact those people.”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ve got their information on my—” She gasped. Her laptop?

  She hurried to the heavily charred table that now rested on two legs. “Where did it—?” Lowering her gaze, she spotted the half-open computer lying on the floor. Her heart sank as she lifted the partially melted, soot-covered device. The business she’d worked so hard to build was crumbling before her very eyes.

  Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked into Phil’s warm gaze.

  “Do you have remote backup?”

  Obviously she hadn’t had enough tea. Or sleep. “Yes.” Dennis had been a computer guru, so the concept of remote backup had been engrained in her.

  Thank You, God.

  “Good. We’ll cover a new laptop.” He took hold of the one she still held in her hand and set it aside. “In the meantime, I have one you can borrow. I’ll bring it by later today.” Turning, he continued. “The restoration company will clean everything in the house, from carpets to draperies to anything else that was affected by the smoke or water.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Did you have a contractor in mind?”

  “For what?”

  “To do the work on your kitchen. Looks like you’ll be getting a new one.”

  “Oh.” While she supposed that was good news, she never realized there would be so many things to consider. “No. I—”

  “Hello?” Andrew stepped into the kitchen. “I thought I might find you here.” He continued toward them. “Phil. How’s it going?” The two men shook hands.

  “Good. How ’bout yourself?”

  “Not too shabby.” Wearing a lined denim jacket over a beige Henley, he rested his hands on his hips. “You two been going over everything?”

  “Actually, I was just asking Carly about contractors.”

  “I guess I showed up at the right time, then.” He smiled at Carly. “Since you and Megan will be staying at my grandmother’s, that leaves me with nothing to do. So—” he shrugged “—I’d be happy to offer my services.”

  “Uh...” Working with Andrew? That would mean seeing him every day.

  “I’d be able to start right away.”

  Phil’s gaze darted between Carly and Andrew before settling on Carly. “A good contractor who can start immediately? That’s pretty rare.”

  Probably. But still...

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you think it’ll take? Two, three weeks?”

  “More like five or six,” said Andrew.

  “Weeks?” Granger House couldn’t be closed for that long. And she definitely wasn’t willing to spend that much time with Andrew. She glanced at Phil, hoping he’d concur that five weeks was far too long.

  “Sounds about right to me.”

  She felt her body sag. If that were the case, waiting for another contractor would only mean the project would take even longer. And she didn’t want Granger House out of commission any longer than necessary.

  But working with Andrew?

  Seemed as though she didn’t have a choice.

  Squaring her shoulders, she looked him in the eye. “Have at it, then. The sooner things get started, the better off we’ll both be.” Because seeing Andrew, day in and day out, was the
last thing she wanted to do.

  * * *

  Sunday afternoon, Andrew stood in the shell of Carly’s kitchen, the space illuminated by portable floodlights he’d hooked up to a generator, awaiting her thoughts on her new kitchen layout. With the help of his younger brothers, Matt and Jude, along with Carly and even Megan, they’d gutted the space, removing everything from cupboards to appliances, debris, you name it. They salvaged what they could and tossed the rest into the Dumpster he’d had brought in.

  On Friday, he went to the city to see about permits. To his surprise, they said he’d be able to pick them up Monday afternoon. Something that never would have happened in Denver. He grabbed his travel mug from atop his toolbox and took a swig of coffee. He was proud of Carly, the way she’d pulled herself up by her bootstraps and dug in to get the job done. Not everyone would have been able to bounce back so quickly. Then again, most people didn’t have a kid like Megan to spur them on. She’d definitely kept things lively during the demo, chattering almost nonstop about school, her friends and how the fire had practically made her a celebrity.

  Shaking his head, he chuckled. Megan was a great kid. In some ways much like her mother, while in others quite different. Like her outgoing personality. Growing up, Carly had definitely leaned more toward the timid side. Something she’d obviously grown out of.

  He was glad he was able to help them. Even if his motives weren’t as pure as they should have been. Working on Carly’s place also gave him an excuse not to be at the ranch. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his father. On the contrary, he rather enjoyed spending time with him. The old man was always up for a good conversation. But the ranch was so...depressing. Sometimes he felt as though the place just sucked the life right out of him. Like it had his mother.