A New Life

by Mildred Colvin

  Linda fell back into the chair she’d just vacated with a whomp. Kimberly held her breath. Jamie had never had a grandmother before.

  Travis picked up the coffee pot without even a glance toward Linda and Jamie. “I’ll take this before the men come after it. Is there anything else?”

  Kimberly tore her attention from the drama unfolding before her long enough to answer Travis. “Uh, no. That’s fine.” She watched him leave the room then glanced at Jamie and Linda.

  Jamie stepped closer to Linda until she touched his shoulder. Her chin quivered, and she blinked. “Yes, I certainly am a grandma.”

  Kimberly grabbed a gallon of milk. What else? She couldn’t think. The biscuits. She jerked the oven door open to perfectly browned biscuits no thanks to her diligence. Butter and jam. Anything other than what was going on behind her. She straightened with her load.

  “Jamie, let’s eat now.” She motioned with her head toward the dining room. “Linda, are you ready?”

  “Gran.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Mist coated Linda’s eyes as she stood and made her simple request. “If you don’t mind, I’d like for you to call me Gran just like Travis does.”

  Kimberly met Linda’s gaze and unease trailed up her spine. She couldn’t know. Nothing had changed. Linda didn’t know any more than Travis did. She still had time to tell him. And she would. As soon as possible. She’d promised God, and she wouldn’t break a promise. Then why did her heart pound as if she’d just had a terrible fright? She turned from Linda’s searching gaze. Her eyes would reveal the truth if she didn’t.

  “Come on, sweet boy.” Linda slipped her arm around Jamie’s narrow shoulders. “Can you help an old grandma to the table? I want you to call me Gran, too. Will you do that for me?”

  He looked up with shining eyes and nodded. A smile covered his little face. “I got a grandfather. I like you, Gran.”

  “Well, I like you, too, Jamie.” Linda’s face lit up as if she’d just won a lottery.

  Kimberly pushed the café doors open and waited while Linda and Jamie went through. Okay, Gran. Not Linda. Gran. Surely she could remember with everyone else calling her that. And what would it hurt really? She still wasn’t admitting anything.

  ~*~

  “Hey, buddy!” Elliott pulled a chair out and sat beside Jamie. “I see you got promoted to the big table.”

  Kimberly turned to see Jamie grin at his first friend on the ranch. Jason and Red spoke to him as well, and then Elliott prayed. Travis sat in his usual spot at one end of the table and Gran at the other. Jamie sat across the table from Kimberly at the end nearest Gran. When the men began talking about the work they planned that morning, Gran captured Jamie’s attention. “Do you like jam on your biscuit?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  If Jamie had been any happier, he’d be bouncing in his seat. His sweet smile warmed Kimberly’s heart as he answered Gran’s questions. What did he think about Trixie? Did he like the ranch? Had he ever ridden a horse before?

  That question brought a sparkle to Jamie’s eyes. Next he’d be asking if he could ride after breakfast. Kimberly gave a quick negative shake of her head and breathed easier when he said, “Nope. We don’t have horses in Omaha.”

  “Maybe not in the city.” Travis spoke directly to Jamie for the first time that morning. “But didn’t you ever visit farms nearby?”

  “Uh-uh.” Jamie shook his head.

  “We had everything we needed in the city.” Kimberly met Travis’s accusing gaze. “Why would we go to the country?”

  Travis lifted his eyebrows. “Maybe to learn how the other half live?”

  The ranch hands’ conversation across the middle of the table ground to a halt when Cletus stopped in midsentence and stared at Travis. If anyone else understood the undercurrent of meaning in Travis’s words or tone of voice, they didn’t let on. Kimberly’s heart kept up a steady, if harder than usual, beat.

  Elliott glanced around the table and back. “Hey, Red, what were you saying?”

  After a short pause, Cletus turned back to Elliott and their voices filled in the silence.

  Travis stared at Kimberly. “Or don’t you think your son should learn about common working people?”

  This conversation with Travis was getting out of hand. If she could think of a good excuse to do so, she’d go back to eating in the kitchen with Jamie. She opened her mouth with a biting retort when Scripture from Proverbs nudged her, reminding her of the truth, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Properly chastised, she backed down. All right, she’d be good. “You’re absolutely right, Travis, but we’re here now, and I must admit I like what I’ve seen so far.”

  She gave Travis what she hoped was a smile rather than a smirk. Sometimes being nice wasn’t as easy as it should be. His mouth hung open. So he’d been expecting something else. Then again, being nice could be fun, too. She said the next thing that popped into her head. “Not hearing sirens all the time is a definite plus.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t agree more,” Linda said.

  No, she was Gran now. Why was that so hard to remember? The men appeared to have lost interest in them now there was no argument. They began discussing a cow that had gotten too close to a porcupine. That held Jamie’s rapt attention, but Kimberly didn’t care for the grisly details of pulling quills from the poor cow’s face and nose so soon after she’d eaten. She propped her chin on her hand and smiled at Gran. “So do you have anything special planned for today? Is there anything I can help you with?”

  A mischievous look crossed Gran’s face so quickly Kimberly would’ve missed it except for her answer. “The laundry’s been piling up something fierce. The kitchen still needs some cleaning, and every carpet in this big, old house needs vacuuming. If you’ve a mind to help, I might make a dent on some of it.”

  With a quick sidewise glance toward the head of the table, Kimberly caught the thundercloud expression building on Travis’s face. She wondered how he could hear her and Gran over the men’s conversation. He’d obviously zeroed in on them because his glare was for her alone. Did he really think she would shove her work off on his Gran? She stood and began gathering dishes. She spoke as loud as Gran had. “Of course, Gran, I can do that.”

  Travis’s chair scraped the floor, but she didn’t turn at the sound. Her amusement grew as she imagined his frustration. “In fact, that’s exactly what I was thinking about doing today. That and fixing a real good meal for all these men. I understand they’ll be branding calves out by the barn.”

  Hot breath fanned the back of her neck as Travis huffed. Gran’s gaze lifted above Kimberly’s head as she covered her smile. Her voice came out muffled behind her hand. “I’ll wait, dear, while the two of you talk. When you’re ready, just let me know.”

  Kimberly was scarcely aware of the three men slinking from the room. The cowards. Didn’t they want to see smoke come from their boss’s ears? She turned and met Travis’s lowered brow. He couldn’t stand any closer without touching. She should feel intimidated by his superior height and strength. Or at least fear for her job. But she didn’t. What had changed? Linda asking to be called Gran? Or Linda recognizing her great-grandson without being told? No, it was the emotion she saw deep in Travis’s eyes that spoke past his anger. If only she could blame fear for the pounding of her heart. She gave him her sweetest smile. “Did you want to speak to me?”

  “Just a few instructions you’ll need for today. In the kitchen.” He turned and stalked from the room. The café doors swung back and forth several times.

  Kimberly raised her eyebrows and shared a smile with Gran. She stacked their dishes together. “He’s right, you know. This is my job. I don’t intend to have you helping me. I’m quite capable of getting this place cleaned up and keeping it that way.”

  “You go on and see what he wants, Kimberly. We’ll talk later.” Gran waved her off and turned her attention to the little boy who had been watching every
thing with wide eyes. “Jamie, while Momma talks to . . .” She glanced at Kimberly. “To Travis, I’ve got something I’d like to show you. It’s upstairs, and I mean way upstairs in the attic.”

  That caught Jamie’s attention. Kimberly lifted a load of dishes and pushed through the still swinging doors.

  “I don’t want her doing your work. I won’t stand for it.” Travis’s accusation hit her before she cleared the threshold. He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, his brows dipped.

  Kimberly froze with her hands full of dirty dishes and glared at him. “How dare you suggest I would use that sweet, wonderful lady in there to do what I’m perfectly capable of doing. I thought you knew me better than that.”

  “Do I?” He spoke low. “I’m not sure I know you at all, Kim. It’s been seven years. You said there’d been changes in your life. You aren’t the only one. We aren’t the same people we were at eighteen and twenty-one. Besides, it was only one summer. How much did we really know about each other even back then? We were kids, playing a grown up game.”

  His words hurt more than she wanted to admit. She’d loved him as much as her eighteen-year-old heart would allow. She thought he’d felt the same way. Maybe not. Love was different to guys, right? Especially when they didn’t really love at all. She crossed the room and set the dishes on the counter by the sink with the others. The men must have carried out their own dirty dishes. Her eyes blurred, and she wiped them before turning to face Travis.

  “I’m sure you’re right, Travis. We were foolish kids. But that’s not the issue here.” She held onto the sink for support. “You seem to think I can’t do my job, yet you haven’t given me a chance to prove one way or the other. I’ve fixed two meals, and no one’s complained. What more do you want?”

  He moved to the outside door as if he couldn’t wait to leave. “I told you. Don’t expect Gran to do your work. She still needs to take it easy.”

  Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. “I cannot believe you are so dense you can’t even see when that dear lady is teasing you. I’ve told you I have no intention of letting her work. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy.”

  She started across the room before he stopped her with one word.

  “Jamie.”

  She swung around, her pulse kicking up speed. “What about my son?”

  “Keep him away from the barn. I don’t have time to babysit. The work we’ll be doing is dangerous and no place for a child.” He pulled the door open but never took his gaze from hers. “Do you understand?”

  She nodded. “I’ll keep him in the house or right outside the door. Don’t worry, he won’t be in your way.”

  “He’d better not be.” Travis closed the door behind him.

  Chapter Six

  Kimberly turned toward the window and watched Travis cover the ground with the powerful stride of a man who knew where he was going. He didn’t mind telling her what to do either. Nor did he hesitate to threaten her. She turned on the water for the dishes. What? Did he think she’d had a maid in that big house she lived in? Travis talked about seeing how the other half lived, but he had no idea how she’d lived the last seven years.

  She had the dishes finished, a load of towels washing, and was sweeping the floor when Gran and Jamie found her. She brushed a cobweb from Jamie’s hair. “Maybe I should start at the top and work my way down.”

  Gran laughed. “The house or the boy?”

  “Both.” Kimberly’s laughter joined Gran’s.

  “Momma, look what I got.” Jamie lifted a large metal can to the edge of the table and pushed it forward. His eyes sparkled.

  Gran pulled a chair out and sat down.

  Kimberly steadied the can. A picture of log cabins covered the outside. She lifted her eyebrows toward Gran. “What is this?”

  Jamie struggled to open the can.

  Gran smiled. “We kept some things here for Travis. He was our only grandchild, so we probably spoiled him just a bit. He spent summers with us since he wasn’t much older than Jamie.”

  “He’s from California, isn’t he?” The question slipped past Kimberly’s lips before she could stop it. She knew he’d lived in California, but she didn’t know how he’d ended up here in Nebraska.

  Gran’s smile widened. “Yes, he is. Or was. He owns the ranch now, so Nebraska’s his home. My daughter and her husband still live in California.”

  The lid came off the can with a clatter. Jamie grabbed it up and turned wide eyes toward Gran. “I’m sorry.”

  “Not a problem.” Gran gave him a searching look.

  “It’s all right, Jamie. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Kimberly touched his shoulder a moment. “So what do you do with logs? Build houses?”

  “Sure, but I want to build a town.” He grinned. “Can I use the table, Momma?”

  “I don’t see why not.” Kimberly gave him a quick hug and picked up her broom to finish the floor. The washer stopped just as she reached for the dustpan.

  “I’ll take care of it.” Gran stood and disappeared through the doorway to the utility room before Kimberly could stop her.

  She swept up her pile of dirt as quickly as she could. If Travis walked in, she’d be in trouble. Regardless of their past, he was her boss now. “Gran, you aren’t supposed to help me.”

  No answer.

  “Linda.” She hurried to the opening and peered in. “That’s my job. Are you trying to get me fired?”

  “Gran, remember?” Gran closed the dryer door, set the controls, and stepped back as it came on. “I’m not used to sitting around doing nothing, Kim. There’s a lot I can do with one arm. Even my left one.” She snapped her left fingers and grinned. “Vacuuming, for instance. I’ll get to that right after I start this next washer load.”

  Kimberly held her hand up like a traffic cop. “Whoa, stop right there. I’ll start the next washer load. And I’ll vacuum. I want to keep my job if you don’t mind.”

  Gran laughed when Kimberly snatched the laundry detergent before she could grab it. “Travis isn’t going to send you away, and you know it. He watches you like a starving man with his favorite meal just beyond his reach.” She lowered her voice. “Where did you two meet?”

  Kimberly’s hand jerked and liquid detergent left a blue trail along the edge of the washer. She tossed the rest in the tub and started the water running. Would Gran believe they met in the kitchen just yesterday? That would be true if she ignored their first meeting. Three large laundry baskets lined the wall. One held white items, another was filled with various colors of shirts, t-shirts, and pants, while a third was empty. Kimberly scooped out enough shirts and dresses to fill the washer before she answered Gran. “We met in Omaha.”

  “I thought so. Travis spent one summer with his cousin on his dad’s side when he was in college. Something happened there. He changed after that. In fact, he went back to California and got married the day before Christmas that same year. I don’t think he even knew Rosalyn before that fall.”

  Rosalyn. Kimberly ran the name through her mind, but she didn’t like the tightness in her chest from thinking of Travis with another woman. Why couldn’t she have had an ugly name? She closed the washer lid and turned away. “I’ve got to mop the kitchen floor. Maybe I should move Jamie outside. Would you mind if he takes the logs out to the porch?”

  “Of course I don’t mind.” Gran stepped back into the kitchen out of the way. “You go ahead with this room. I’ll get the vacuum cleaner and push it around a little in the living room.”

  “Gran.” Kimberly tried to inject a warning in her voice. She waited with her hands planted on her hips.

  Gran faced her, a determined look in her eyes. “Now, listen to me, Kimberly Burris. I’m perfectly able to push a vacuum cleaner across the floor. There’s nothing wrong with me except for one arm and I don’t plan to use it. If you’re afraid of my grandson, I’ll take full responsibility.”

  The air rushed from Kimberly’s lungs as her hands fl
ew out to each side in defeat. “I’m not afraid of Travis. I’m not afraid of anyone. I just feel responsible. Will you promise me you’ll stop if your arm starts hurting or you get tired?”

  “Yes, dear.” Gran’s meek answer was totally ruined by the triumphant gleam in her eyes.

  “All right. Do you need help getting the vacuum cleaner out?” Kimberly took a step forward, but stopped at Gran’s frown.

  “I’ll manage.” The older woman turned toward the utility room and disappeared inside.

  Kimberly’s brows drew together. She hesitated then shrugged. “Jamie, how would you like to finish building your town on the porch? I need to mop this floor.”

  Jamie looked up at her with a blank expression on his face that quickly focused. “Outside?”

  She laughed. “Yes, Jamie, outside, but only on the porch.”

  He pumped his right fist. “Yes!”

  Kimberly helped him move his construction to the roomy deck and then began the task of scrubbing the floor. The vacuum cleaner whined from the front of the house. So far she hadn’t gone farther than the dining room in Travis’s home. Gran said it belonged to him now, but the G in Circle G Ranch could stand for either Graham or Good. Maybe later she’d ask Gran to give her a tour of the house she was supposed to keep clean. Right now she had plenty to do in the kitchen.

  A cooling breeze drifted through the open window above the sink bringing the distant sounds of men calling to each other and cattle bawling. She could only imagine what was going on in the pen where Travis said they’d be branding. The movies she’d seen probably didn’t live up to the real thing. Surely they had a system that wasn’t as barbaric and dangerous as Hollywood depicted it to be on the big screen.

  She rinsed her mop out and swiped it across another section of floor. The whine of the vacuuming and the voices of men and cattle lulled her as she covered the tiles, watching dirt and grime disappear with each swipe. When she finished, she rinsed out the mop and took it outside to air dry on the porch.

  Something was wrong. “Jamie?” Two tiny log cabins and half of another stood in a row on one wide board of the deck, but their young builder had disappeared. “Jamie, where are you?”