Lost Together

by Cynthia Knoble

  “Just one minute.” His firm tone caused her to whip her head back to him. “Sit down, and listen for a minute. There’s a lot to this situation you don’t know, and I’m damn well going to make sure you know it all before calling Myles. Unlike him, you’ll listen to what I’m about to relate. Now, before you condemn an innocent man, take the time to hear all the facts you need before calling Myles.”

  Her expression seemed a mixture of anger over his tone, and curiosity about what he’d said, and she crossed her arms severely. “Fine. What do you want me to know?”

  Rising to his feet, as she apparently wouldn’t sit again, he spread his arms as he began. “I know you’re aware Rory served time in prison for manslaughter. Yes, he killed a man. He let his temper get the best of him, and didn’t control himself as he should have. I’m not condoning his act, but I will make sure you hear the events that precipitated it, even as it’s not my story to tell. Considering the circumstances though, I’ll tell it.

  “Rory’s sister, Zandra, was raped by a man she was dating, Tom Parsons. She called Rory before she called the police, and he rushed over to Parsons’s apartment to confront him. He shouldn’t have, but he did. Now, according to Parsons’s roommate, Parsons pulled a knife on Rory at one point. Rory disarmed Parsons, but didn’t use the knife on him. That part I want you to pay attention to. He had every opportunity to stab that man, but didn’t. Even raging, and out of control, he still didn’t use the knife, but he did beat him, and Parson died of his injuries.”

  Her eyes had widened as he’d related the story, and she unfolded her arms. “Oh my God. He told me he went to jail, but not the rest.”

  “Of course not. It was a horribly traumatic event for Zandra, and for him. Boone too, their brother. I’ve known them for years, well before that event. Boone and I worked together in the RCMP, and are close friends. I couldn’t believe it when I heard what happened. But anyway, Rory went to jail, and served his time. I can’t speak to your beliefs, but in my eyes, he served his punishment, and should be afforded the opportunity to rebuild his life. It hasn’t been easy, but he’s tried so hard. Short of telling everyone he meets that his sister was raped, he’s faced with discrimination due to his record on a daily basis. Again, I’m not condoning his actions because I firmly believe they were wrong. All I’m saying is that I don’t believe a man should continue to serve a sentence after his release from prison.”

  She released a deep sigh, and he continued, eager to get through to her. “Rory loves animals. Although I know it isn’t so, I’d believe the vandalism being Rory’s doing, with proof that is, but never in a million years would I believe Rory would kill an animal. He’s worked on my ranch often enough for me to see how gentle he is with animals, and how much he adores them. Hell, I once saw him move a snail off a walkway so it didn’t get stepped on.”

  “Myles suspects Rory.”

  “Not the animal killing part, he doesn’t,” he shot back. “He suspects Rory will reoffend, I won’t deny that, but he’s wrong. Myles is trying to protect the town, something I’ll never fault him for, but he’s misguided where Rory’s concerned.”

  Flopping down on a chair, she shook her head. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  “Look, just give me a chance to talk to him. He told me I can relate his reasons to you, but he’s too embarrassed to speak with you directly. Let me talk to him, and we’ll sort this out, I promise you, and, if his reasons aren’t good enough, then by all means, call Myles.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly. She looked confused, but willing to wait, and hear Rory’s story. At least he hoped she was.

  Back out on the porch, he met Kit’s eyes. “Why don’t you go in and sit with Saffron, maybe have a coffee or something?”

  Wordlessly, seemingly uncomfortable with the entire situation, and undoubtedly confused by it, Kit entered the house, and Ethan turned to Rory.

  “Talk, and make it good. I figure we have about five minutes before she calls Myles.”

  Chapter 17

  As Rory finished speaking, he watched Ethan carefully. His tense posture had relaxed as Rory had related his reasons for trespassing, and now he shook his head slowly.

  “Well, I’ll be.” Ethan affixed him with a serious look. “Tell her. Everything you just told me.” Doubting it would help his cause, his face must have echoed his thoughts as Ethan nodded to him. “Tell her, she’ll understand. Just be honest, and tell her everything.”

  Heart hammering, Rory entered the house, passed the empty living room, and then stood at the threshold of the kitchen. Upon seeing him, Kit rose to his feet and left the kitchen, and Saffron turned an apprehensive look upon him.

  “Um, sit, please.”

  He did, and, hoping Ethan was right about how she’d react, he began to speak. “I’m sorry I was on your property without permission. I shouldn’t have been, and I know that. I hope I can explain this properly, but I have to do it.”

  Shrugging awkwardly, he placed his palms upon the table. “I don’t expect you to understand, but I get really stressed out with my life. I live in my brother’s house. He owns it, and won’t let me pay rent, even as I couldn’t most months anyway. He’s set up an account for me to use for groceries, gas, any expenses I might have. I’m a grown man, and live off my brother. I don’t have a choice in the matter, but it eats at me. I get scared sometimes, that my frustration will make me get into a fight with someone, and I try so hard to control myself, but it does eat at me, more and more everyday.” He blew out a breath at the sight of the slight alarm in her eyes. She was scared of him, and, so far, his story had probably scared her more. “I need an outlet, some way to channel that anger and resentment into something else. I’m so damn frustrated with not finding work and, God love him, Boone will continue to support me, but I don’t want him to. I want to be self-sufficient. I want to pay my own way. I want to be a man again.”

  She still sat rigidly, but her expression changed. He thought he detected sympathy, but couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t ascertain if she was receptive to listening to his story, but, so far, she hadn’t told him to stop, so he went on. “I’ve always loved animals, and all I’ve ever wanted to do is work with them. I was in school, studying to be a veterinary technologist, when I went to jail. I knew I’d never get that part of my life back, but when Boone suggested moving here, to cattle country, I thought it would be easy to find work as a ranch hand, and be able to work with animals again. I was wrong. When I do work on ranches, when Ethan or the Carsons hire me temporarily, I’m so at peace. It’s all that calms me. It’s not work to do it, it’s a pleasure. I love it. When I’m not working though, I don’t have that outlet, and the stress just builds and builds. And with Myles hounding me, with not having money, not finding permanent work, it’s just too much for me to handle.”

  Pausing a moment before getting to the part that would undoubtedly upset her, he took in a calming breath, held it a moment, and then released it slowly. “I have been on your property before tonight. Numerous times, in fact, but I didn’t try to break into your house, or paint that message. And I would never hurt one of your animals. If you don’t believe anything else I tell you, please, please believe I would never hurt an animal.”

  “Okay. Then why were you on my land?” Her tone was curt, demanding, but she was talking, and that was a good sign.

  “It’s not just your land, and I know I have a lot of explaining to do to folks, but I’ve been on your property to visit your alpacas. I bring them treats, and just stay with them, talking to them, petting them. I need to be with them. I need to be around animals. Your alpacas, Ethan’s cattle, Sawyer’s horses, any animals. They calm me, and are all that keep me sane. So that’s what I do. I feed them, groom them, and spend time with them. I clear away any garbage that blows near them so they don’t get hurt. I do what I can for them. It helps them, and it really helps me.”

  Finished, he waited to see if she’d accept his reasons as easily as Ethan had, or if she’d c
all Myles. She pursed her lips, and his stomach clenched, but then she tilted her head slightly at him. “You cleared the pasture. Mine, I mean.”

  “Yes.”

  “That was you I saw that night, running from my barn, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, with a wince, “I’d just seen what was written on it, and then saw you from a distance. I bolted before you saw me and figured I’d done it. I didn’t. I haven’t done anything but clean up your land a bit, and visit with your alpacas.” He blinked at the wetness that surfaced in his eyes. “I’m sorry about Lucy.”

  “Lucy?”

  “I named her Lucy, the alpaca that died, because I didn’t know her actual name. She was so beautiful, with that heart-shaped marking over her eye. She was so friendly, she was the first one to come up to me.” Sucking in a sharp breath, he gasped. “Fuck, I hope I didn’t make her trust strangers doing that.”

  “No, don’t think that. Even if she was more trusting because of your visits, it still isn’t your fault. It’s the fault of whoever did that to her.”

  Her words led him to believe she believed his story, and he stared at her in awed relief. When she looked away, and then turned back with a deeply pitying look in her eyes, he sighed.

  “Ethan told you about Zandra, and all that happened, didn’t he? You feel sorry for me.”

  “Yeah he did, and I do feel sorry for you, but not because of that.”

  “Why then?”

  “I feel bad for how I’ve treated you, for how Myles has, and anyone else around here who’s mistreated you. I feel bad about not giving you a chance, and for making unfair assumptions about you.” Shocked, he couldn’t respond to what she’d said and continued to stare at her. She shrugged, and then flashed him a small, tight smile. “Can you start tomorrow?”

  “What?” he asked, truly baffled.

  “Tomorrow. I know it’s late, but can you start work tomorrow morning?”

  “You’re giving me a job? After everything that happened?” He couldn’t help the incredulousness in his voice, nor the dumbfounded expression he knew he wore.

  “Yeah, I am. Here’s the thing. Yes, I feel bad for not hiring you, but you still make me uncomfortable. It’s not right, and something I’ll have to deal with. But the real reason I’m hiring you is because of what you said about the animals. You need them to calm down, to heal.”

  “Yeah, I really do.”

  “Well, after contributing to your problems, the least I can do is offer you the opportunity to be around animals all day.”

  Back to staring, overwhelmed with the change in conversation, with her offer of full-time work, something he’d desired for so long, he could do nothing else. Then, amazingly, she smiled at him. Unlike the last one, this one was bright.

  “You don’t know what I plan on doing with this ranch do you?” At the shake of his head, her eyes grew misty, and it confused him further. “It’s going to be a therapeutic ranch, a place those with challenges, both physical and mental, can come, interact with the animals, and be soothed by them. You see, I’m a huge proponent of animal therapy because I know it works. You’ve just solidified my faith in it. So, are you willing to be my ranch foreman?”

  Through blurred vision, almost blinded by the relieved and joyous tears that filled his eyes, he saw her encouraging nod. “Yes, I am. Thank you so much for this, ma’am.”

  “Saffron,” she corrected. “You’re going to call me Saffron from now on. I’m a pretty lenient boss.”

  Not caring what kind of a boss she’d turn out to be, overjoyed with the ability to work finally, he managed a smile in return.

  Chapter 18

  Hopping down from the truck’s cab, Rory spotted Saffron standing in the driveway, waiting for him. He offered a little wave, wondering if her gracious mood of last night still existed this morning, and was comforted when she smiled.

  “Good morning, Rory,” she said cheerily.

  “Good morning, ma’am,” he responded as sunnily. At the raise of her brow, he grinned. “I mean Saffron.”

  “Better,” she commended. “Alrighty then, ready for work?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Great, then let’s pop into the house for a coffee, and I’ll go over what I expect from you.”

  A short while later, having received instruction from Saffron, Rory released the alpacas from the pens into paddocks so they could roam around freely. Saffron had already fed them this morning, but it would be his job from now on, as he’d suspected. In fact, he’d figured he’d be responsible for everything she’d outlined, but, knowing it was her first ranch, he’d sat quietly, even as she explained basic things he’d been doing for years. She watched him with the alpacas, as he gently shooed them into paddocks. When done, he turned to her, eager to see if she was pleased.

  “You’re really good with them,” she commented. “I shouldn’t be surprised though, after our conversation last night.”

  “They’re so beautiful,” he gushed, his eyes drifting back to the animals as he spoke. “It’s going to be a pleasure being with them all day.”

  Looking back to her, he saw the warm look upon her face. “I’ll leave you to it. Meals are on me, of course, so come in the house around noon, and I’ll have lunch ready.”

  “You don’t need to do that. I can grab something later.”

  “No way. I might only have you working for me, but I know my responsibilities as a ranch owner. By the way, you are moving into the bunkhouse today, right? It’s been cleaned, and it’s ready. I thought I’d have staff by now so it was one of the first things I prepared.”

  “Yeah, I am,” he assured her, knowing his presence would ease her mind about the intruder, even if she still seemed uneasy around him.

  “Good.” She turned, and walked away. “Noon,” she called over her shoulder as she left, and he smiled before turning back to pet the alpaca that had head-butt him, eager for attention.

  After dinner, Rory settled into the bunkhouse, transferring clothes from his backpack into the drawers of the dresser in the bedroom. The small bunkhouse featured a bedroom with a double bed, and another two with a set of bunkbeds in each. Figuring the single-bedded room was his as ranch foreman, despite being the only employee presently, he claimed the room. A bathroom, small sitting area, and tiny kitchen completed the bunkhouse. It wasn’t much, but he loved it, eager for the opportunity to be on his own, and feel independent once more.

  He’d called Zandra before unpacking, to update her on his first day, and see how she was coping on her own. She’d be fine, and he knew as much, but they’d been at Boone’s house together for more than two years now, and this was the first time he’d slept anywhere else in that time. As he suspected, she’d been a little saddened by his absence, but happy for him having found work finally.

  As he closed the last drawer, he heard a light rapping on the front door. Swinging it open, he revealed Saffron standing on the threshold, a box in her hands.

  “I completely forgot to stock your fridge and cupboards. I should have done it earlier today, but it slipped my mind. Anyway, here’s some stuff I grabbed from my kitchen, and I’ll fill in the rest later.”

  Taking the box from her, he shrugged. “Thanks, but you’re providing meals. I don’t need anything else.”

  “It’s just a few things. In case you feel peckish, and need a snack. If you want something in particular, just let me know, and I’ll pick it up for you.”

  He thought her offer was too gracious as, if he wanted anything above the meals she provided, he could get it himself. “Did you want to come in?” he asked.

  “No, thank you. I’m heading off to bed. I just wanted to make sure you had everything you need.”

  “I’m good.”

  “Great. Well then, I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Goodnight, Rory.”

  “Night, Saffron.”

  Holding the box, he watched her walk away, the dusk lighting illuminating her snug-fitting jeans nicely. Telling himself
he shouldn’t be checking out his boss, he stood where he was and continued to do so, entranced by the sight of her swaying hips, the jiggle of her plump ass, and the way her hair bounced on her shoulders as she walked.

  Chapter 19

  Two days later, Rory accompanied Saffron to the Yovenko’s Feed Store in town. He saw the stunned looks from a few passersby as he exited the truck, and circled it to open Saffron’s door. Knowing tongues would wag, he ignored the stares, and grinned at Saffron as she stepped down from the cab. Entering the store, Arden’s surprised expression morphed into a cheerful one.

  “Good morning.”

  They both returned the greeting, and then Saffron inclined her head to him as she addressed Arden. “Rory is my new foreman, so he’ll be coming in here on my behalf. Whatever he gets should be charged to my account.”

  “Absolutely,” Arden replied, then looked up as her father, Theo, and her brother, Bart, exited from the backroom. Rory thought the pair looked tense, but nodded to them politely, and they followed suit.

  “Rory is Ms. Bairstow’s foreman,” Arden informed her father and brother. Bart looked shocked, but Theo grinned broadly.

  “That’s great. Congratulations, Rory.”

  “Thank you,” he replied.

  Despite Theo’s occasional questionable business practices, he liked the man, one of the few people in town who didn’t look down on him. Theo then turned to Bart, and barked out something in Ukrainian. Bart’s shoulders slumped, but he moved to carry out an apparent order issued him. Arden’s eyes moved back to Saffron.

  “What can I help you with today?”

  “Actually, I have a list,” Saffron answered as she pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. “I’m sure you don’t carry some of these things, but I was hoping you could order them in.”

  “Of course,” Arden replied amicably, as she took the paper from Saffron.

  As Arden outlined which items she’d have to order in and how long delivery would take, Rory’s attention diverted back to Theo, who continued to chastise Bart as he stocked a shelf with cans of cat food. At least Rory assumed he was chastising Bart, his tone suggested so, even if Rory didn’t understand a word of Ukrainian. When his ears picked out the word narkotyky, he suspected it meant narcotics, and he wondered if Theo had caught Bart smoking weed on the job yet again. Everyone knew Bart smoked more than recreationally, and Theo had zero tolerance for his son’s vices. He could only imagine what Theo’s reaction had been to Bart’s accidental drug overdose several weeks back, an event that had the entire town yapping, and he felt sorry for Bart.