Montana Ranch Series: Love on Willow Creek, Lightning over Bennett Ranch, One Touch at Cob's Bar and Grill, Last Chance for Love, Love Under an Open Sky

by Dawes, Casey

  ***

  Sam sat at the end of the bar by Jack. He spoke to the owner of the bar off and on, and heard about the history of corn, which struck him as odd. He spent most of the time keeping his eye on Anna, but when Jack brought up his love for corn, Sam felt a bit intrigued. He thought about what he knew of Anna’s story and he felt for her. She’d had her hands full with her husband.

  Robert “Trace” Sheets hired Sam about a year and a half ago to find her. Trace said, at that time, Anna was mentally unstable and he just wanted her home so he could care for her. It was after he’d checked on Anna a little that Sam found out about the trust money she’d inherited from her grandfather. The guy was really generous and left funds for all fifteen of his grandchildren. The catch with the fund, though, and what made Trace angry, was the money couldn’t be accessed until the grandchildren turned fifty-two.

  Sam used his sources and followed Anna all over the west, from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Taos, New Mexico, to Bakersfield, California, to Truckee, Nevada and now Willow Creek, Montana. He realized the first time he met her in Cheyenne, that Anna wasn’t unstable. She seemed a little flighty, but he felt that all her faculties worked just fine.

  After he figured out her routine, it became easy to keep tracking her down. Six months ago, he’d found her in Truckee, Nevada where she waitressed tables in a diner. He convinced her to let him buy her dinner and that he just wanted the truth of the story from her, not Trace. She told him that her husband only wanted her around for the money in the trust and had gotten very upset with her when he found out about the fifty-two-year-old clause. Trace berated her as though she’d convinced her grandfather to make that adjustment. Anna explained it was set up that way so they would use the fund wisely and the money would still be there when they retired.

  Anna honestly told him all of this and when she’d finished looked at him with the saddest eyes. “You know what’s funny, Sam? I could care less about the money. All I ever wanted from Bob was a happy marriage and we were fine the first year. Then Papa died and I found out about Bob’s cheating on me. I guess it went on from day one and I never saw it. I just wanted the type of marriage my grandparents share. You know, trusting and faithful.”

  Sam saw tears well in her eyes and was surprised at the amount of sympathy he felt for her heartbreak. He also knew about how her father deserted her and her mom in Spokane, Washington when Anna was a kid. The mother had next to nothing moneywise, but the grandparents stepped in and helped out. Anna and her mom lived with them for a few years and, all-in-all, it was probably a better situation than with her father.

  Anna opened up about her past that one night at dinner. A lot of it Sam already knew, but he let her talk and felt glad to hear her side. He walked her back to the apartment she rented. Before they got to the place, she stopped on the sidewalk and looked at him. “You know, you’re a nice guy, but I wish we’d met under different circumstances.”

  It’d been a long time since anyone said he was nice and he found himself leaning over to kiss her. The fact that she’d responded to him and they’d spent the rest of the night together, was enough to make his heart want her with him on a permanent basis.

  When he woke up the next morning, she’d gone. It tore that want in his heart to pieces and he determined, then and there, to find her again, but not for Trace Sheets.

  Sam returned to Boise and was ready to tell Trace to stuff it when the husband put an envelope into his hands. Trace said all he needed was Anna’s signature and he never wanted to see her again. Since the envelope wasn’t sealed Sam took out the papers and found a no-fault, in absentia divorce decree. From the looks of things, Trace didn’t want to wait thirty some odd years for the money to materialize.

  This last time, Anna made it harder to find her, but a couple of weeks ago, his computer geek connection told him that she’d made a deposit to her account. She didn’t know that Sam knew all about her bank account under the pseudo name.

  He watched her move behind the bar. She wore her hair up in a ponytail and it bounced whenever she shifted. He didn’t remember it being so long, but he hadn’t caught up with her for the last six months. The color was golden-brown and shone beautifully in the subdued lights of Cob’s Bar and Grill.

  Every now and then when it quieted down at the bar, she’d meet that same guy out on the dance floor. They moved well together and Sam felt a little jealous. The guy looked old enough to be her father. Sam also wished he could dance better. A little later, the red-headed waitress told him that the old guy and Anna were just friends. That news made him feel better.

  As two o’clock neared, people started to leave Cob’s and the DJ wrapped up the night with a final slow dance.

  Anna and Jack got things straightened out behind the bar. Jack wheeled empty beer barrels out to the back of the building for the distributer to pick up and the waitresses’ cleaned the tables, swept the dance floor and stacked chairs. Anna took her tip jar off the counter and counted the money. It came out to be a little over three hundred dollars and she felt happy. She’d made her rent for the next month, with a little left over for treats. It was only half way through the month, too.

  Some friends she’d made over the last couple of months, invited her to go with them to Bozeman next week for a girl’s day out. They’d hit the mall and have lunch. Anna hadn’t done anything like it for a long time and now felt glad she’d accepted. She’d have some extra bucks to splurge with and could think of a couple of items she’d like to get.

  She pocketed the cash and looked to the end of the bar. Sam wasn’t there. Jack walked up to her and smiled.

  “Your friend is in the men’s room. He seems like an all right guy,” Jack said and wiped the back counter with a Swiffer duster. “He asked if I needed any security help here.”

  “What did you say?” she asked. Her heart started to thump in her chest.

  “I told him we could use help on Fridays and Saturday, but that Henry can handle it during the week.” Jack leaned against the counter. “You know, it’s been a while since Henry and I got a night off together. If it were during the week, do you think you could handle the bar alone?”

  “Sure, that wouldn’t be a problem, but do you really need another bouncer? It doesn’t seem like there’s too much trouble here on any night.”

  “I’d feel better if we had a backup to protect you lovely ladies.”

  “And Jack, she’s the loveliest of them all.”

  She heard Sam’s voice behind her and turned around to see him walk up to her end of the bar. She thought she should thank him for the compliment, but didn’t want to give him any reason to stay around Willow Creek.

  “Sam, I’ve thought about it and we could use your help part-time.” Jack reached over the counter and shook hands. “Come in tomorrow around seven and we’ll get the necessary forms filled out.”

  Anna rolled her eyes and walked away from the bar. She went into the employee lounge, opened her locker and shoved her tips into her purse. She put on her light jacket and slammed the door shut. Great, just great, she thought. Sam would hang around and she hated being watched - except when she was on the dance floor, and then she could care less if anyone saw her dance. She went back out to the main room.

  Sam still stood at the end of the bar. “Hey, Anna, can I give you a ride home?”

  “It’s only a block and a half, Sam. I can walk it.” She started to move past him toward the front door.

  “Can I walk with you?”

  She looked up at him. “No.” She saw his bottom lip push out and a crease appeared between his eyes as he frowned. She instantly felt guilt stab at her heart. “Fine, whatever. Do I have to walk slowly because of your knee?”

  “Ow, that stung a little,” he said.

  Sam told her on that night in Truckee, that he used to be a cop. He got shot in the knee after being o
n the force for only two years. The recuperation took longer than expected and after three different surgeries and hours of rehabilitation, the police department forced him to retire. It was all he’d ever wanted to do and retiring at twenty-five years of age wasn’t in his plans. He told her that he’d fought the system for over a year and finally threw his hands up, went on disability and spent another year being angry. He’d climbed out of his depression, started to work for himself and liked to arrange his own schedule. He’d check the security around businesses in Boise and follow unfaithful spouses.

  “Look, Sam, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be mean.” Anna shook her head and went through the front door out to the parking lot and then turned to the street. She just wanted to go home.

  “I don’t want to crowd you, Anna. We spent a very nice evening together in Truckee and I’m not going anywhere, so we have time. I’m sure you want to get to know my background better. It’s just, that night with you was incredible and --”

  “Look, Sam,” she cut him off and stopped by the road to face him. “Just because we had a warm, close night together, doesn’t make a good basis on which to build a relationship. You have a great body and are very attractive, but I need more than just the physical.”

  “I know.”

  “Shut up. I want to be able to trust someone again. It hurts when you find out your husband was unfaithful all throughout the marriage and now wants a divorce.” She huffed and started to walk again.

  “Anna, if you would let me finish, that isn’t where I wanted to go with this discussion. Sure, that night was very memorable, but at dinner that night you broke my heart and called me a nice man. It was really weird, but I felt glad you could see that in me.”

  She stopped again and glanced up at him. “When I said you’re a nice man, it meant something to you?”

  He nodded.

  “You are weird. Let’s not discuss this anymore. I’m tired. Where are the papers you need me to sign?”

  “I left them in my car at Cob’s.”

  “Great. Since you’re going to be working there now, bring them in tomorrow and I’ll sign them. Let’s just get this over with.”

  They continued the walk in silence and finally stopped in front of her apartment building. She started toward the front door.

  “Anna, is there any chance I can crash on your couch or floor? It’s late and I’m not sure where to find a hotel,” Sam said.

  “Sorry, not a chance. There are some places up on the interstate.” She smiled and opened the front door with her key. “Good night.”

  “I’d be nice and everything,” he said as she shut the security door behind her.

  ****

  For the next two weeks, Anna tried not to give Sam any ideas. He’d slept in his car that first night in the parking lot at Cob’s. Then, the next morning, which was Anna’s day off, she found out he’d rented the apartment next door to hers. That afternoon, she planned to go to the grocery store, but ended up cleaning her apartment with the front door locked tight. Then she paced back and forth in the bedroom.

  Sam, very kindly got her divorce papers FedExed to an attorney in Boise after she’d signed them. When she asked him why an attorney, he said he didn’t trust Trace to get them filed and the attorney not only would see to that, but would send her notification when the divorce became final.

  That was all fine and dandy with Anna, but she didn’t like Sam so close at home and work. It made her crazy. She felt cornered and suffocated. She’d get home from work early in the morning and lie on her bed wide awake. She packed up her duffle bag with clothes she wouldn’t need until winter and left enough space for some other things. She didn’t want to leave Willow Creek, but wanted to be ready just in case.

  Sam asked her to go to dinner and she said no; he asked her if she needed to go to the grocery and she’d said no. Again, he asked her to go on walks and she said no. He did keep his distance for the most part and she felt grateful for that, but wished he’d go back to Boise.

  All she wanted was the divorce decree from the attorney to arrive and then she could figure out what she wanted and where she could go next. She looked at a map of the western United States and thought maybe Texas or Arizona would be a good choice. She could always find a job. Whether she’d stay in Willow Creek or go, was the big decision on her plate. She’d made some really nice friends and Cob’s was a great place to work. She thought and thought about her options and to put on her walking shoes and hit the road again, was the easiest. Then she figured Sam would only find her again and the question that landed on her was, did she really want him to find her? He was a nice enough guy, but she didn’t trust him. The decision was fifty-fifty and the Clash song “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” started to run through her head.

  On one of her days off, Bridget Lawson picked her up and they headed for Bozeman. They met Bridget’s cousin Callie and a couple other new friends Jessica and Melody for a day of shopping. It was a nice change and she found a couple of low-priced items she could use. One was a drop-waist denim skirt. She didn’t have a clue where she thought she would wear it. She always wore jeans at work, but thought she could find some use for it.

  She and Bridget started a serious discussion about a cute pair of leather cowboy boots that Anna didn’t think she needed, but Bridget thought would go great with her new skirt. Anna caved in the end and bought them. She decided they’d be for special occasions. She tucked them under her bed in the shoe box and laughed. “Right, special occasions coming right up,” Anna mumbled and rolled her eyes.

  It was a fun day and she’d needed the laughs. She felt relaxed when she got home, until she saw the light blink on her cell phone. She looked to see who called and it was from Jack. He wondered if she’d cover for him that evening. He didn’t expect much business, it being a Monday night. She called him back and agreed. Then there was a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Sam on the other side of the door.

  “I saw you come home, Anna. Can we talk for a minute?” She heard him through the door and the tug that she needed to get out of there, hit her in the neck.

  She opened the door partway and waited for him to say something more.

  “I need your help,” he said and looked anxious. She saw he held a navy blue shirt in his hand. “The button popped off and I have no idea how to sew. I was going to wear it tonight since I haven’t done laundry and it’s the only one I have that’s clean.”

  She opened the door and took the shirt from him. He followed her into the apartment and closed the door. She carried a small travel-sewing kit in her purse and pulled it out.

  “I don’t have an exact match for the thread. I only have black. Is that good enough?” She looked up at him.

  “Sure, since it’s around belt level it probably won’t show. How have you been?” He sat down on her couch. “We don’t get much of a chance to talk at work.”

  “I’m fine, Sam.” She threaded a needle and began to sew the button back onto the shirt.

  “Great. Jack asked me to cover for Henry tonight. Did he call you?”

  “Yep.”

  “Are you going in tonight?”

  “Yep.”

  “You know, I’ve been walking into work like you do and I think my knee is getting better. Maybe we could walk in since you’re working tonight, too.”

  “It’s a free world, Button-boy. I leave around five.” She knotted the thread and snipped it off with a small pair of scissors. “All finished.” She held the shirt out for him.

  Sam laughed and stood up from the couch. “Wow that was quick. I knew you’d be able to fix it. Thank you.” He took the shirt and stood in the middle of the living room floor.

  She looked up at him. “I have to get ready now.”

  He nodded. “Right, I’ll see you at five then.” He turned and
let himself out of the apartment.

  Anna locked the door and didn’t know what to think. She knew he really tried to not push her, but she’d gone back to her old emotions of trapped and cornered. It would drive her nuts. She decided there was only one option. She’d get through work tonight and then hit the road again. She hated to leave Jack in the lurch for a bartender, but he’d survive. She glanced around the bare apartment and decided this was for the best.

  ***

  “Why are you behind the bar?” Anna asked Sam as he poured a cup of coffee.

  “I just wanted something to drink.” He turned around and took a sip of his coffee.

  “Next time, just ask and I’ll get it for you. You’re not supposed to be back here.” She cleaned the counter.

  “Sorry. I see Henry get pop and water all the time. I didn’t think it would be a problem.” He saw her glance at him and couldn’t tell if she was mad at him or what. “I won’t do it again.” He moved from behind the bar and stood at the end. He sipped his coffee and looked around the dance floor and tables. There weren’t too many folks in this evening. Music never got played much on Mondays. They used a CD sound system behind the bar and people came in just for dinner. There was a table of ranch hands over in the corner and they were playing poker quietly. Sam decided to keep an eye on them in case something broke out. They were behaved for now, but Sam knew with too much beer involved things could get out of hand and these boys were drinking.

  “I saw you talk to Bridget and Tom earlier. They’re my friends, so don’t get any ideas, all right?” Anna said, as she filled two glasses with beer.

  “Are there any people, who aren’t your friends that I can talk to, sweetheart?” He set his cup down and hoped he wore an angry look on his face.

  “I’m just saying. If you’re trying to get at me by snuggling up to my friends, then I should let you know in advance. It won’t work. Bridget and Tom are too smart for you and they’re on my side. And, don’t call me sweetheart, Button-boy.”