“Aye.” Bruce chuckled. “That’s one reason I don’t go. I feel out of my element.”
Derek raised his eyebrows. “You’re not going this year?”
Bruce shook his head. “I never do. Once, about fifteen years ago, I attended the rodeo. That was enough for me.”
Kandi folded her arms. “Well you’ll have to go this year, Grandpa. I want to see it, especially the cowboys roping cattle. I’d really like to see a parade, too. Sounds awesome.” She smiled at Derek.
That’s the most I heard her talk all night! “The parades are held three or four days in downtown Cheyenne.”
“Do they have floats?”
“Yep. Floats, marching bands, antique cars. It’s great, especially if the weather is good.”
“And what about the pancake breakfast?”
“They have three free breakfasts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the last week.”
“Awesome.” She turned to her grandfather. “You have to take me one of those days, Grandpa.”
Bruce stopped rocking. “Sorry to disappoint, dear girl, but I can’t stand out in the hot sun all day. Your grandfather is too old for that kind of thing.”
“You can go with our family, Kandi.” Derek hastened to emphasize the others. “My mom and sisters hang out together, and they would love to show you around.” Looking at Bruce, he frowned as a thought popped into his head. “I assume Callie and Tonya will go with us. This is the first summer that both of them are married.”
Bruce nodded. “They’ll drag their men with them, I’m sure, although Murray was on patrol duty last July. He might be on duty again this year.”
Derek rubbed his chin. “Yeah, I remember seeing Twitch in his uniform.”
“Twitch?” Kandi raised her eyebrows.
“My brother-in-law, Murray Twichell.”
“That’s his name?” She shook her head. “Poor guy.”
Derek frowned. “I never thought a thing about Murray’s name. I’ve known the Twichells since I was born.”
“Aye, a name becomes familiar.” Bruce looked at his granddaughter. “Of course, not everyone has a great last name like MacKinnon.”
“It’s the best!” Kandi laughed. “I’m proud to have Scottish blood running through my veins.”
Derek glanced at her, thankful she was finally contributing to the conversation. Perhaps shyness had been the culprit on their date. But it didn’t matter. He should have listened to his conscience in the first place.
Dating and I just don’t get along.
Chapter 7
At nine forty-five on Monday night, Cheyenne glanced up from the book she was reading as Dad’s voice filled the house.
“Come on, Marshal. Time for our walk, boy.”
Marshal barked several times by the back door.
“Cheyenne!” Dad bellowed. “Marsh and I are leaving!”
“Okay, Dad.” She had read the same paragraph three times and still didn’t know what it said.
She waited to hear the back door open, but it didn’t happen. Instead Dad walked to the living room, leading Marsh. “Hey, do you want to go with us?”
She raised her eyebrows. “On the walk?”
“Yeah. It’s a beautiful evening. You could get some exercise.”
With a sigh, she laid aside her book. Even her dad was telling her she needed to lose weight. “Sure, I’ll go with you.”
“We can talk. Seems like I never see you anymore, baby girl.”
They left the house, and Cheyenne fell into step beside him on the smooth sidewalk. For a big man, he walked fast. Marshal trotted at his side with the leash limp in Dad’s hand.
Cheyenne breathed in the warm night air. Every minute or so, they passed under a street lamp, the light spreading a yellow circle around them before they entered the darkness again. A thin sliver of moon peeked through the trees.
“Where are we going?” I can’t believe I’m not winded yet. Maybe she was in better shape than she thought.
“I always go to the park.” Dad looked down at the dog. “It’s peaceful at this time of night, and Marshal enjoys the scenery.”
She grinned. “Marsh would enjoy the slums of Calcutta.”
They turned right on Pronghorn Avenue and passed the Elks Lodge, which was dark. Soon the houses ended, and a glow of lights signaled the park’s entrance. Inside, a maze of sidewalks skirted around trees, benches, and light posts. Several other people strolled the sidewalks, and they greeted them as they passed.
“You’re right, Dad. This is peaceful.” Cheyenne took in a deep breath. “I should do more walking at night.”
“Not without Marshal or me.” Dad cocked an eyebrow at her. “A young woman shouldn’t be out by herself, even in a safe town like Fort Lob.”
“I’ll remember that, Dad, especially when I move.”
He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop and face him. “You’re moving, baby girl?”
Oops! How had she let that slip? She looked up into his blue eyes, knowing she had to tell him eventually. “I guess I didn’t tell you my plans.”
“No.”
“I need a change in my life, Dad.” She began walking at a more leisurely pace. “I’m thinking of moving out of the house.”
Dad strolled beside her. “It’s about time you became independent. I suppose you want to buy your own place in Fort Lob.”
They passed a park bench illuminated by a lamppost. “Not in Fort Lob. I’d like to move to Loveland.”
“In Colorado?” He stopped again, and his voice echoed through the park. “That’s crazy!”
“Dad!” Holding up her hands, Cheyenne almost whispered. “Keep your voice down.”
“I am keeping my voice down,” he said, just as loud as before. “Why do you want to move to Colorado?”
She sighed. “I feel stuck, Dad. Maybe if I settle somewhere different, I can meet a new guy.”
Rex Pierson’s handsome face popped into her mind. He came to the post office every day to check his box, and he always greeted her. Sometimes they talked for ten or fifteen minutes before he left, and she enjoyed the conversation. But he was just being friendly.
Besides, he’s too old for me.
Dad pursed his lips, then turned and strode down the sidewalk with Marsh trotting beside him. Cheyenne caught up, knowing better than to interrupt Dad’s thoughts. She prayed he wasn’t offended that she wanted to leave but would instead give his blessing.
After circling the park and coming back to the same spot, Dad motioned to the bench under the lamppost. “Let’s sit down.”
They settled on the bench with Marshal sitting at their feet. He panted as he surveyed the area, and Cheyenne reached down to fondle his ear. No worries for you, Marsh.
Dad placed his hefty arm on the back of the bench behind her. “I assume you’ve prayed about this?”
She nodded. “I already applied for a couple jobs in Loveland, and I feel good about it. Maybe this is God’s will for me.”
“When do you plan to move?”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “As soon as I get a job.”
Dad grunted then looked her in the eye. “You’ll have to join a good church when you move.”
He was giving his blessing! Thank You, Lord! “I know the Lord will lead me to the right church, but do you think I’ll make it, Dad? I have less than two years.”
Dad squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll have to keep praying, baby girl.” He paused. “God’s ways are not our ways. Maybe He doesn’t want you to have that money.”
“But Dad …” Her eyes widened. “Four million dollars!”
He gave her a sad smile. “We’ve lived without it all these years, and the Lord has always provided.” A muscle in his cheek jumped. “ ’Course, I’d hate for George Sommers to inherit that money. He’ll just sink it into his casino.”
She grit her teeth. “That will not happen, Dad. But that’s why I have to move and meet someone different. No one in Fort Lob is standing at my d
oor begging to marry me.”
“Truth to tell, I always figured you’d end up with Derek, but I guess your interest in him died out.”
“I’m still interested. His interest is the one that died.” Admitting it out loud was like twisting a knife in her heart.
“Are you sure? Remember when Derek was sick a few weeks ago? Jake told me Derek was impressed by your help.”
“Big deal, Dad.” She grimaced. “Last Friday night Derek took Bruce MacKinnon’s granddaughter out on a date.”
“Bruce’s granddaughter? Was she in church yesterday—that pretty girl with the red hair?”
Cheyenne nodded. “Kandi.” The girl with the cute face, perfect figure, and impressive bowling ability. “There’s no way I can compete with her.”
“What do you mean?” He pulled his arm from the back of the bench. “You’re every bit as pretty as that girl.”
“She’s tiny—just naturally thin, unlike me.” Cheyenne huffed out a breath. “Derek seems crazy about her.”
A minute passed before Dad spoke. “When you were a little girl, your mother would pray for you every night before we went to bed. Sometimes she prayed for a good husband for her daughter. I thought that was strange when you were so young. But Lynn was right. The years have gone by quickly, and now you’re a young woman.” He glanced at her, and Cheyenne was surprised to see a tear in his eye. “I’ll miss you, but God will take care of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Tears crept to her own eyes, but she blinked them away. “Somehow, if I keep trusting the Lord, I know everything will work out.”
Dad patted her knee. “Yep—even if you don’t inherit Florence Ingersoll’s money.”
A sigh escaped under her breath. Why couldn’t she marry the right man and inherit the money?
“Dad, how did you know that Mom was the one for you? Were you super attracted to her, and you just knew she was the one?”
“No, not really. Actually I was dating another girl named Noreen. I met her at my job, and I thought she was the one I would marry. One Saturday our church group went ice-skating, and I invited Noreen to come along. Everything was going great until I skated into one of the girls, and she fell and broke her leg.” He looked her in the eye. “That girl was your mom.”
“Mom was ice-skating? I can’t even picture that.” Cheyenne grinned. “Are you sure she didn’t run into you?”
Dad laughed. “She wasn’t the most athletic person.”
“Just like me.” Cheyenne rolled her eyes. “So what happened? How did you and Mom get together?”
“I felt so bad for knocking her down that I volunteered to take her to the hospital. So I carried her to my car—”
“The big Wilkins body came in handy that time, huh, Dad?”
“Sure did.” He grinned. “We talked all the way to the hospital, even though she was in pain. Then I hung around until her parents got there.” He shook his head. “Noreen was so mad at me for leaving her.”
“Well … you really can’t blame her.”
“Except for the fact that Noreen harped at me for a week. She was so jealous, and she wouldn’t get off my back! Your mom was so different. The next time I saw her in church—hobbling around on crutches—she apologized for ruining my date with Noreen. Right then I realized who I wanted to marry. Your mom and I dated for three months, and I proposed to her on Valentine’s Day.”
Cheyenne gave a wistful sigh. “That’s so romantic, Dad. I wish Mom was still here to tell me her side of the story.”
“I can fill you in. Lynn had been secretly in love with me. She called it ‘unrequited love.’ It hurt her to see me dating Noreen.”
Like me with Derek. Cheyenne sighed again, but it wasn’t wistful this time.
“But Lynn bided her time and prayed a lot. Deep in her heart she knew I was destined to become her husband.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Maybe you shouldn’t give up on Derek.”
“I’ve wanted to marry him for a long time.” Why was she telling Dad this? Yet at the same time, it made her feel closer to him to share her heart. “But how do I know if he’s God’s will for me or if the Lord has someone else in mind?”
“Pastor Reilly says God’s will is revealed through His Word. Keep studying the Bible and praying, and God will let you know. I’ll pray, too. Derek’s a great guy, and he’d make a wonderful husband for you.” Dad glanced at his watch. “It’s almost eleven. We’d better get back.”
Cheyenne stood. She had a lot to pray about when she got home.
Derek swung his flashlight around as he walked over the acres where the sheep had been feeding that afternoon. Shep, his collie, bounded over the hilly terrain beside him. Derek was thankful it was a warm evening, but his heart became heavier as the toll of dead bodies mounted.
Shep gave a sudden bark.
“Did you find one, boy?” Derek strode to where Shep stood, and his light passed over a small white lump. Leaning over, he trained the beam on it. A lamb lay under the sagebrush.
He straightened. “Found another lamb, Dad,” he yelled. Squatting down, he brushed his hand over the animal’s tiny back. Broken neck. A pack of wolves must have killed all these sheep. Coyotes would have eaten what they killed, and they didn’t break their necks.
Dad walked toward him, a rifle cradled in his arm. “Fourteen so far—three ewes and eleven lambs.” He squinted off across the field. “We’ll have to take care of the carcasses tomorrow when we can see what we’re doing. Hector and Miguel will help.” Dad shook his head. “Just don’t know how they got past the electric fence.”
Derek adjusted his cowboy hat. “We’ll have to ride along the borderline tomorrow and see if there’s a break. With two thousand acres of land, anything could have happened to the fence.”
“That’s true.” Taking off his glasses, Dad rubbed his eyes. “It’s almost eleven. Let’s get back to the house. At least the rest of the flock are safely penned for the night.”
“Yeah, too bad.” Derek stood. “It’s such a warm evening. I wish they could stay outside.”
Falling into step, they strode together over the uneven ground back to Dad’s Jeep with Shep trotting beside them. Removing his hat, Derek glanced up at the sliver of moon and the millions of stars that created a bowl above their heads. Nothing could be heard but the crunch of their footsteps until Dad spoke.
“Mom and I are thinking of turning over the ranch to you in the fall.”
Derek’s eyebrows shot up. “Already?”
“We saw a good deal on an RV last week, and I’m tempted to buy it. Mom wants to start traveling.”
Derek slipped his hat back on. “I thought you were going to wait until you turn sixty-five.”
“Why wait? That’s ten years away, and Mom said she doesn’t want to travel when she’s decrepit.” Dad laughed. “She loves traveling, and she wants to visit the states she’s never seen, especially in the South.” He looked at Derek as they strode side by side. “You’ll have the house to yourself, son. Might as well get married and have a passel of kids. Maybe you’ll end up marrying that MacKinnon girl you took out to dinner last Friday.”
Derek shook his head. “Not Kandi.” He turned to his dad. “To be honest, I’m confused. Every time I pray about my future, it seems that God is telling me to stay single in order to serve Him. But I’d like to get married someday.” Cheyenne’s pretty blue eyes entered his thoughts. “I’m just not sure what God’s will is right now.”
Approaching the Jeep, they both climbed in, and Shep jumped into the back. Dad started the engine.
A cool night breeze hit the brim of Derek’s hat, and he removed it. “Dad, how did you know Mom was the right one for you? Did the Lord strike you with a lightning bolt, and you just knew she was the one?”
“No, that’s not what happened at all.” Dad shifted gears, and the Jeep rolled over the uneven ground. “Your mom was the prettiest girl in high school, but she was dating my best friend, Kyle. The three of us hung out together, and the more I
got to know your mom, the more I liked her. She was a lot of fun.” He paused. “Then during our senior year, I realized I was falling in love. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Derek grinned. “So you stole her right under Kyle’s nose, and she willingly ran into your arms.”
“I wish. Unfortunately I didn’t have the gumption to do that. But Kyle was always starting arguments with Yvette, and I would get so mad at him for yelling at her.” Dad looked at him. “She would yell right back.”
“Yep, that’s Mom.”
Dad stared out the windshield as they slowly bumped along. “Somehow I always managed to calm them down, and they would get back together time after time.”
“You missed your calling, Dad. You should have been a marriage counselor.”
“Ha! I’m more suited for sheep. They don’t argue with you.”
“That’s why I like sheep.” Derek grinned. “So how did you and Mom finally start dating?”
“She and Kyle had another fight, a real humdinger. When I confronted Kyle, he asked me to talk to Yvette for him. To plead his case, so to speak.”
“Sounds like The Courtship of Miles Standish.”
Dad glanced at him. “That’s exactly what happened! I took your mom to this little diner that evening and told her Kyle wanted to get back with her.” A half smile shadowed his face. “She laid her hand on my arm and said, ‘Jake, I’m tired of fighting with Kyle. I want someone who’s more easygoing—like you.’ I was stunned!”
“That was a bold move on Mom’s part.”
“Later she told me she had wanted to date me for months. She tried to break up with Kyle, but he wouldn’t let go. When I took her to the diner, she knew this was her one and only opportunity to let me know how she felt.”
Derek nodded. “She seemed to know what the Lord had for her. But how am I supposed to know God’s will?”
“Keep it in prayer, son. God will make the way clear.” Dad parked the Jeep in back of the house and opened the driver’s door.
Derek climbed out of the passenger’s side. He had a lot to pray about.
Chapter 8
Tumbleweed Weddings Page 36