“You too, Martin. You, too. I can’t believe it’s been over two years.”
“Time flies, indeed,” he said. But we know you’ve been busy out there in Cali’.”
“Yes, trying to make it.”
He shook his head in understanding. ”Just a little warning,” he said. “Thelma is a Nervous Nellie about leaving Carson,” Martin smiled over at her.
“I know, she’s always been a Nervous Nellie, ever since college.” Cynthia remembered Thelma having to pop Xanax on a regular basis to control her bouts of anxiety and depression.
“How are you all getting along, Mr. Hagen?” Cynthia asked.
He sighed. “As you know, we had some rough starting years with the ranch. With over half the horses being wiped out by the virus...” His voice trailed off, as if reliving those treacherous years when a number of breeders in southeastern Montana suffered. A deadly horse disease spread by a species of biting midge had crippled area ranchers.
Cynthia reached over and rubbed him on the shoulder. “But you all made it through it,” she reminded him. He was a big man, yet she could see it still affected him.
“Yes, we made it, but by the grace of God, because we could have lost the entire herd. I know we were lucky. Some folks lost as much as ninety percent of their herd within a week.”
“You all were lucky indeed,” Cynthia said.
She wanted to know about the ranch, too, but her question was really about him and Thelma, as a couple. “Now, how are you and Thelma doing … you know?” she asked, gesturing with her hand.
Martin looked over at Cynthia, knowing what she was asking. He knew his wife had told her about their marital problems a few years back.
“No complaints on this end, but my wife may have a different take on things,” Martin laughed nervously.
“No matter what, I know for a fact Thelma is as crazy about you now as she was the day she met you,” Cynthia said. “I can hear it in her voice every time we’re on the phone.”
“I love her to pieces, but I’ve made a few, let’s just say, errors in judgment.”
Cynthia knew he was talking about the woman Thelma referred to as Apple.
“I’m still not quite sure why she married a poor rancher when she had so many other options in her world.”
“Because her world was you,” Cynthia reminded him, always knowing Martin felt inadequate because he wasn’t a wealthy man -- a lifestyle that had belonged to Thelma since birth.
“I love my wife, but God knows I’m not perfect.”
Cynthia felt like Martin wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. “Nobody is,” she said, taking a sip from the bottle of spring water in her hand. “And I would bet my life on that.”
“A husband needs to hear that every now and again,” he said as he approached the T in the winding dirt road seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Martin looked from side to side for oncoming vehicles as if he were in traffic, but Cynthia had only seen a handful of cars and trucks since they pulled off the freeway onto the country road.
“Speaking of husband,” he said. “When are you going to move out of that rat rice and settle down with a husband and start making some babies?”
The water gushed down the wrong windpipe and Cynthia started coughing to keep from chocking.
Reaching over to pat her on the back, Martin chuckled. “You okay?” he asked.
“I will be, as long as you don’t mention anything like that again.”
Martin threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh as he shifted gears and guided the pickup truck on up the mountain toward the little town of Cattlewood. The town sat in the south-central portion of Montana, a little over forty miles from Billings. It was June, and the weather was beautiful for a drive up the mountainside.
Chapter 3
Less than an hour later …
Martin was finally maneuvering the pickup truck down a winding driveway of dark three-rail horse fence, leading up to a sprawling brick home.
The sight of the giant orange and red mountains jutting from the skyline in the distance took Cynthia’s breath away.
As Martin guided the vehicle on towards the large property in the distance, tall flowering plants lapped at the mirror of the truck as whispering birds fluttered nearby.
“This is a beautiful area of the country.”
“It sure is,” Martin said. “But don’t let it fool you. It’s as treacherous in the winter as it is beautiful in the summer.”
Cynthia placed her hand up to her eyes to block out the sunlight. She could already make out Thelma’s tall, lanky frame on the porch, beating a rug against one of several sturdy wooden balustrades.
Within moments, she and her friend were embracing.
“It’s so good to see you!” Cynthia said, hugging her tight. She could see the cold Montana winters had taken a toll on her friend. Her once thick mane of chestnut hair had become much thinner, and her pale face weaved a tale of a hard life as a rancher’s wife in the Midwest. Cynthia also wondered if she’d taken to drinking.
“It’s good to see you, too,” Thelma said. “Come on into the house. Let’s get you settled in your room.”
Cynthia followed Thelma inside the sprawling, elegantly decorated ranch home, and Martin disappeared out toward the horse stables in the distance.
Thelma and Cynthia chatted for almost an hour while Thelma finished her packing.
A little while later…
The women had just come back from a quick run into town to pick up a few last minute items Thelma had forgotten.
“Now, everything you’ll need is in here. I’ve made a list of…“
“Thelma, would you stop worrying?” Cynthia interrupted her. “I’ve got all the lists.” She placed her hand on her friend’s arm like she used to do in college when she got all wound up. “You’ve been very thorough. I’ve got it, okay?”
Thelma looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow. Lord, she hoped Carson would go easy on her, because she and Martin needed this trip. Their marriage had not quite been the same since the affair. Though it had been a few years, in her mind it still felt like just yesterday. The hurt had not gone away. She didn’t know if it ever would.
She tried to push it out of her mind. After all, in less than two hours, they would be in the air, headed for a proper honeymoon, a long time coming in the South Pacific. If Martin had let her pay for it, at least from the money her grandmother had given them, they could have had one a long time ago, but he would not hear of any such thing.
“A man’s job is to take care of his family,” he’d always say when she reminded him they didn’t have to struggle.
She just wished he’d called on that same frame of thought before he stuck his penis into that trifling other woman.
Cynthia stared at her friend, realizing she’d zoned out like she used to. “Are you okay?”
There was silence.
“Thelma, do you need to talk?” Cynthia prodded again. “I’m here, you know.”
“I’m fine,” Thelma said, avoiding her friend’s eyes as she swatted her hand in the air. She exhaled to get her bearings. “I’ve just been busy, that’s all,” she finally glanced over at Cynthia, as if trying to convince her.
“Alright,” Cynthia pursed her lips. “I should have come out long ago. I’ve just been so caught up with work, you know.” Guilt rushed in.
Out of nowhere, her sister Gail came to mind, and guilt filled her even more.
“I know,” Thelma said. “I know.”
“But in all honesty, if I’d known you all lived like the Ewing’s out here, I would have visited a lot sooner,” Cynthia teased to lighten the mood.
“Hell, Cynthia, did you think we lived out on the open range with a camp fire to keep us warm?”
“No, not that bad, but when you said you were marrying a struggling rancher who wanted nothing to do with your family’s money, I pictured something like that.”
“Well what kind of friend is that?” Thelma a
sked playfully. “Whether I lived in a castle or a humble cabin, you should have been out to visit by now.”
“And just how many times have you been out to San Francisco to see me?” Cynthia reminded her, hands on her hip. “And that quick trip out for your brother-in-laws wedding does not count.”
“Point taken,” Thelma chuckled. “I guess we just get so busy living our own lives we don’t make time for the most important thing of all. Family and friends.”
“Guilty,” Cynthia said. “But now that I know you don’t live in a cabin in the woods, you can best believe I will be scheduling some regular do-drop-ins, Cynthia glanced around at her elegant bedroom suite. Lord knows sometimes I do need to get out of that city.”
“You’re more than welcome, any time.” Thelma glanced at her watch. “Good Lord! Where has the time gone,” she rushed, zipping her make-up bag. “Remember, if you need anything at all Dexter Callahan can help.” Thelma had told her about Martin’s friend who owned the ranch bordering theirs just to the east.
“I know, I’ve got it. Go, go, go, or you’re going to miss your flight.”
‘I’ve got time, one more thing…“ Thelma started, before noting the look on her friend’s face.
“I feel like you don’t trust me to handle things,” Cynthia finally said.
“Oh honey, I do. I don’t mean to come across like that,” Thelma sighed. “It’s just that your world is so different from mine, and having a kid underfoot is not as easy as you may think. I know you’re a high-powered attorney and are used to juggling things, but my little Carson can be very trying, and he’ll have you wanting to run back to corporate in less than a few hours. You will have to watch him every second or he’ll be off into something. The boy is hell on wheels around here. Trust me when I say you will have your hands full.”
“I can handle his little butt, you’ll see.”
Thelma crossed her fingers and looked up to the heavens as if in prayer.
Cynthia chuckled. “And for the record, I’m not a high-powered attorney just yet, but when the hopeful partner position comes through this year, I will be.”
“And you’ll deserve it because I know how hard you’ve worked.”
“Thanks, Thelma. I appreciate that. And don’t you worry about a thing, because I deal with children all the time in my world. Many of them walk around in designer suits but they can be juvenile just the same. Carson would fit right in.”
“Well plan to draw on those skills over the next two weeks.”
“Do you think he’ll remember me?” Cynthia asked as she helped zip the suitcase.
“If not, he’ll love you just the same. He and Dex move around here like they’re glued at the hip, so if it takes him a few hours to warm up to you, he’ll be fine with his ‘Uncle Dex’ nearby.
Cynthia raised an eyebrow at the uncle comment.
Thelma waved her hand. “Oh, Carson has adopted Dex as part of the family is all. Now Miss Emma will be by tomorrow evening with my baby before sunset,” Thelma didn’t miss a beat with more instructions.
Miss Emma was an eccentric grandmotherly lady from one of the handful of churches in Cattlewood.
“She picks him up regularly to take him to church with her. Miss Emma says it’s to run the devil out him.”
Cynthia laughed. “Well does he have the devil in him?”
“Just a touch of clairvoyance that wigs some people out.”
Cynthia gave her friend a curious glance.
“You’re not talking about some Poltergeist stuff are you?”
“No, nothing like that. The boy’s just too smart for his age, and he does sometimes dream things before they happen,” Thelma said a little too cavalierly for Cynthia’s taste. “I don’t know whether I’d call it the devil, but Miss Emma taking him to church gives me a break, so I’ll take it. If it weren’t for her rheumatism, she’d be keeping him for us. And though Dex is great, he has enough to do around here for Martin, keeping an eye on the horses without Carson underfoot.”
Cynthia hoped she liked this Dex guy, because it sounded like he’d be around a lot. Dismissing the thought, she concentrated on helping Thelma with her last-minute packing.
“Finally, a honeymoon, after all these years. I can hardly believe it.”
“I can’t believe you all have been married for eight years now. Boy, the time flies.”
“It does. And to think, if I hadn’t come out here for my thesis research, I never would have met Martin.”
“Nope, knowing you, you’d probably be traveling the world excavating exotic lands.”
“Yes, probably,” Thelma said as they took the bags downstairs.
“You were pretty hot stuff in your field back in college,” Cynthia said referring to her agriculture major and the accolades she received from peers, faculty and research organizations that had already started wooing her before she graduated.
“I guess I was,” Thelma said casually.
“Don’t take this wrong, but don’t you miss the other life you could have had?” Cynthia said, not meaning to be offensive.
“Not one bit,” Thelma responded without hesitation. “I love my life out here with Martin and my boy. We’ve had our problems, and you know them, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said. “Love does that to you. You’ll see.”
“Oh no, I can’t image anything getting me off my career path.”
“Honey if it’s the right man, your career will take a blessed second, maybe third place, if you have children. You’ll see.”
Cynthia pushed the end of the toiletry case sticking out from the floral carry-on snugly into the bag as she shook her head in staunch denial.
Thelma chuckled at her as she glanced around the living room to make sure she had everything.
“Thelma, if you don’t have it, you don’t need it. I mean you all will be in Fiji, so the most you will need is a wrap and some sandals.”
“I guess you’re right,” Thelma said. “Now remember…” she started, getting ready to go into another barrage of caretaker instructions.
“Come on Thelma,” Martin peeked in from the doorway. “We don’t want to miss the plane.”
“Perfect timing, take her Martin!” Cynthia shouted playfully turning her friend toward the doorway.
Martin took his wife by the arm and guided her out.
“Turn the computer off for me please!” Thelma yelled, pointing to her desktop in the corner of the living room.
“Done, scoot,” Cynthia ordered, laughing as she followed them out onto the porch.
As Martin loaded Thelma’s luggage into the truck parked out front, a tall, handsome man, about six-three, got out of the pickup. His broad, ripped body dwarfed Martin’s stocky build-- and Thelma’s husband was not a small man.
Perfect white teeth shone behind a chiseled, golden face.
Thelma beckoned the man to the bottom of the front steps.
“Cynthia Alexander, this is Dexter Callahan,” Thelma said, with more on her mind than the two of them realized. “Dex will be your knight in shining armor if you need anything at all while we’re away.”
The handsome may outstretched his massive palm.
“Hi Cynthia,” he said in a deep, melodic voice that made her knees weak. “You can call me Dex, like everybody else.”
After finding her voice, Cynthia uttered, “Hello.” She placed her hand in his.
He was a powerful man, yet gentle. She liked his touch.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, his deep blue eyes holding her stare.
Cynthia dropped her lids a little, lest he see the wildness of her heartbeat through her gaze. Hardly anything ever really shook her; but he did, and not in a bad way. She couldn’t dare let him see that.
The chemistry between her long-time friend and the trusted neighbor did not escape Thelma. She hoped they’d hit it off, part of her reason for asking Cynthia to come out in the first place. And from the sparks flying between the two of them, she could see her plan just mig
ht work out after all.
Thelma knew Cynthia needed someone in her life. And she couldn’t think of a finer person than Dex Callahan. He was a good man, salt-of-the earth, though he had a past full of emotion and hurt. But hell, they all had some skeletons of pain.
Martin came up behind his wife and placed his hand in the small of her back.
“Playing matchmaker are you?” he smiled, knowing what she was thinking.
If Cynthia could have fallen plumb through the porch floorboards, she would have.
Montana Love: Multicultural Romance Page 2