Maybe, With Conditions

by Mariella Starr

  "Barbara didn't like ranch life from the beginning, yet she knew Dalton was tied to it. His first year after graduation, he was obsessed with accepting his responsibilities at the ranch and his work with a local veterinarian. He literally worked two jobs and had no free time. Barbara wasn't much of a wife. She certainly wasn't a helpmate. She would take off for weeks to Las Vegas or Reno, spending outrageous amounts of money.

  "Dalton filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery, six months into their marriage. Then, it turned out she was already legally married. She claimed her ex-husband told her they were divorced, so she wasn't charged with fraud, as she should have been. She's really good at pretending to be the innocent party. It seemed to us, the judge in the case continually leaned in her favor. We tried to stay out of Dalton's business during the court case, but Barbara kept dragging us into it. Dalton was a very angry man for a long time."

  "I've always admired that Dalton is a gentleman, but the other night he wasn't. The things he said to Barbara couldn't be called civil. I could see she was extremely bitter," Nicole said.

  "My grandson doesn't forgive easily," Helen said. "Roy Mac insisted she sign a prenup before they married. The judge granted Barbara a cash settlement, one neither we nor Dalton, or anyone else with half a brain, thought she deserved.

  "Our lawyers blocked her from trying to get half the ranch as community property and rightly so, but it didn't stop her from trying. The Double C has been in the Calloway family for over a hundred and forty years. They weren't legally married. We wanted Dalton to fight the settlement, but our lawyers said it was better to pay it and get her off our backs. We were told it would cost more in attorney fees than it was worth.

  "Barbara is a bitter woman. She's the type who believes she doesn't have to earn her way through this life. She believes she is entitled to take what she pleases with no regard to who she hurts in the process. If we had known she would keep coming back, I believe we would have gone through with the lawsuit. She is the most self-absorbed person I have ever known."

  "You haven't met my stepmother," Nicole said with a rueful grin.

  Helen smiled and chuckled. "Dalton will never help Barbara, again, regardless of what kind of trouble she brings on herself."

  "I disliked her when we were in college, but I dismissed her as one of those girls who are always on the prowl for a wealthy husband. Having met her again, I'm not impressed. I guess I'm not very forgiving, either."

  "Fate has a way of working things out in the best way possible for everyone. Dalton found you, again. If he had not taken me to visit Penelope, think of all we would have missed. We wouldn't have met you or our great-grandson."

  Nicole looked at Helen trying to decide if there was any disapproval or censure in her words, but she only saw a delighted happiness glowing on the woman's face.

  * * *

  Nicole's life after her big win didn't change much. A financial advisor gave her a two-hour lecture before she left the Peppermill Resort. Everyone warned her it would be best if she kept a low profile for a couple months to minimize the impact of the sudden windfall of income. She was advised not to make any major life changes without giving them due process. Roy Mac had sent for an investment counselor friend of his who told Nicole to expect every person she had ever met to knock on her door expecting something, wanting something, or thinking she owed them something.

  Nicole didn't want to believe what few friends she had would try to use her, yet she had received several disturbing calls. Her sudden wealth had a strange effect on others. People assumed, since she hadn't earned her windfall, it was up for grabs by anyone who could talk her into an investment, loan, or gift. Casual friends or even mere acquaintances, not to mention nearly every charitable organization she had ever heard of, had made most of the calls.

  Dalton had not asked for anything, of course, but he became even more overprotective and overbearing than usual. He did not want her answering the phone or going out by herself. If he couldn't go with her, he arranged for Kay or his gran to accompany Nicole. He had valid reasons. The first was her casino win. He did not want people bothering her and asking for money. However, the most important reason was her safety on the road. There were no vehicles on the Double C with an automatic transmission and Nicole did not know how to shift gears with a manual stick shift.

  Nicole took a short trip into Hawthorne with Kay, where she found only two stores with a minimal selection of women's clothing. As her wardrobe was limited, she purchased new jeans, and several sundresses, as well as sandals. It hadn't skipped her attention that both Helen and Kay changed into dresses later in the afternoons for their evening meal.

  Over dinner, Helen gave the family some news. She had received a call from Doris Jackson, their long-time housekeeper who was making plans to return on the following Monday

  "Dalton, you will have to contact her and get the flight number so you know when to pick her up at the Reno airport," Helen said.

  "If I can schedule an appointment at the same time, there's a gallery agent in Reno I need to see," Nicole said. "I could ride in with you."

  "You can't," Kay exclaimed. "You will be in Hawthorne with me."

  "Did we plan something?"

  "I thought you were going with me to register for summer classes at Western Nevada College at the Mineral County High School," Kay exclaimed. "Monday's the first day of registration."

  "What?"

  "Kay, we haven't told her yet," Dalton interrupted.

  "I think you'd better start explaining. Now would be a good time," Nicole exclaimed glaring at the man seated across the table from her.

  "It was an idea we had, only I haven't had time to talk to you about it," Dalton said. "I thought you might like to sign up for courses through Western Nevada College. It's a fully accredited college where you could pick up half a semester's credits taking summer extension courses at the high school in Hawthorne. It was my fault you didn't finish your education. I thought it would be a good time for you to return to school."

  Nicole closed her eyes and counted to ten slowly. "Dalton, I've told you before, I do not like it when you try to organize my life."

  "Are you telling me you don't want to finish your degree?"

  "No, but when I make the decision to finish my degree, it will be my business, not yours."

  "Of course, it's my business," Dalton interrupted.

  "No, it's not! I moved across the country from my contacts. Right now, it's more important for me to spend my time making connections in the art community out here."

  "You can still do that and pick up a few credits toward your degree," he insisted. "The college extension program is in Hawthorne. It's only thirty-five miles away."

  "No, I can't. I need time to paint! I want to restart my business. I don't have time to return to school. I also have a child to consider."

  "We'll take care of Matty for you," Roy Mac interjected.

  "We can set it up so our classes are on the same days," Kay added. "You can even take courses on-line and only show up in a classroom for the final exams. It won't interfere with your painting. Please say you will go. If you don't, they won't let me go."

  "Kay, no one has said you couldn't go," Dalton protested.

  "It's true," Kay exclaimed. "You don't trust me to go by myself and I haven't done anything to make you believe you can't trust me!" The girl jumped from her chair and ran from the room.

  "Excuse me," Nicole said firmly rising from her chair. "Matty, finish your dinner and then go play in your room. I need a walk."

  "Shit," Dalton said scraping his chair away from the table.

  "Dalton," Helen scolded.

  "Sorry, Gran," he said automatically. Then, he saw his son all eyes looking from one adult to another. Dalton reached into his pocket and laid two one-dollar bills beside his son's plate. "My penalty for swearing, son. It's not polite to swear, especially in front of ladies."

  The boy nodded in agreement. "Dee Dee says swearing is bad. Are y
ou mad at Mommy?"

  "Not yet," Dalton said. "I do need to talk to her. I'll see you later."

  "You should have talked to her before this," Helen chided.

  "I know, I know," Dalton grumbled. "I keep getting side-tracked when we're together."

  Dalton left the table with no idea what direction Nicole had taken. He knew he should have already told her about his idea for her return to school. They simply did not talk much. When they closed their bedroom door at night, they were immediately in each other's arms making love.

  Since Nicole had come to the ranch, his life had improved exponentially. He and Nic were explosive together in private. The everyday stuff was where they had difficulties. She resented his trying to protect her and did not, or would not, pay heed to the warnings from the casino advisor. Dalton had to give Nicole credit for not going on a crazy spending spree, as most winners were prone to do.

  He circled the house with no idea of which direction she had taken. Then, he heard the grinding of gears. He winced as he saw Nicole speeding away toward the main road in one of their older trucks.

  "Shit!"

  "Where's Mommy going?

  Dalton winced, again. Nicole was not the only one who needed to clean up her language. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out," he promised.

  Searching his pockets, again, he handed Matty a dollar bill and four quarters. He pointed his son toward the inside of the house. "Go tell Gran I'm heading out."

  Nicole only had a few recent driving lessons on manually shifting gears. She knew where the gears were, but she had trouble managing the clutch and gears at the same time. Getting the truck moving was always the worst. After it was moving, it was a little more manageable. She thought she was doing pretty well until a steer walked across the road in front of her and she slammed on the brakes. The engine sputtered and died.

  What the heck? She saw 'free-range' signs all over the place, but this was the first time a steer had casually walked in front of her.

  She drifted into a dirt lane crossing the ranch road leading to what appeared to be several small modular homes in the distance. She tried and tried to coordinate the clutch with the gears, but the vehicle would merely jump forward a couple feet before dying repeatedly. She was never going to get the truck restarted and turned around. Belatedly, she realized she had probably flooded the engine. She had been warned about it, although she hadn't exactly understood what the phrase meant before this.

  She'd been so angry she hadn't grabbed her purse when she left, so she didn't have her cell phone. Nicole studied her options. She could walk back to the main house, which she figured was about three miles, or she could walk ahead to the little houses and ask for help. She decided on the shorter walk to the houses.

  It wasn’t until she was almost to the first house when she realized these were the new houses Dalton was having built for ranch hands. The yards were strewn with leftover boards and building materials. The ranch-styled houses looked to be complete. The first house did not have a real front door yet, but rather a piece of rough plywood in its place. She tried the door, and it was open. The walls were painted and the floors covered with hardwood and tile. New appliances were installed in the kitchen. These homes weren't custom top of the line, but they were done nicely. Worktables and folding chairs sat on a tarp in the middle of the living room.

  Dalton had not told her the houses were completed. He had not moved Jimmy Morse and his family out of the guesthouse. She looked around the small home and exploded into a string of obscenities. He was keeping her from moving out of the main house.

  Dalton was lying to her.

  Chapter Eight

  Dalton was not far behind Nicole. He saw the abandoned truck and guessed she had walked to the nearest house. He parked in front of the new construction and found her on the porch of the almost completed house. She was pacing back and forth and spitting mad.

  "You lied to me," Nicole accused.

  "About what?"

  "These houses. You didn't tell me they were finished. All this house needs is a friggin front door! You haven't moved Jimmy Morse and his family out of the guesthouse. You promised me the guest house!"

  "These houses aren't ready, yet."

  "They look ready to me," Nicole shouted. "The flooring is finished and the kitchen is completed. Everything looks spic and span, and done to me!"

  "Look again," Dalton suggested.

  She glared at him.

  "What's missing Nicole?" he demanded gruffly.

  "I don't know! Is this some kind of petty guessing game you're playing?"

  "No, I'm trying to get you to see the house isn't ready for occupation, yet," Dalton said. "I am also trying not to get angry because you are calling me a liar. I may be many things, but a liar is not one of them."

  Nicole didn't like his pseudo calm and looked around the house suspiciously. "Why isn't it ready?"

  He motioned toward the yard and the road before stepping onto the porch. "You tell me what's missing?"

  "I'm not a construction worker," Nicole snapped looking around. "All I see is junk left over from building the houses that hasn't been cleaned up, yet."

  "What you don't see are utility poles and electric lines," Dalton said calmly. "We may live isolated lives out here on the ranch, but we still need utilities, mainly electricity. We're waiting for the county inspections. Mineral County has only three inspectors. Once the overall construction is approved by them, then we'll call the electric company to come and tap into the main lines."

  "How can you build a house without electricity?" she challenged him.

  "We supply the electricity we need with gas-powered generators. The Double C has twelve of these small houses scattered over three different sections of the ranch. This will be the fourth section. My grandfather and father decided a long time ago against building a small suburb of houses in the middle of cattle-grazing land. Cowmen tend to be loners and need privacy, so we give them an acre or two of separation. It provides the hands and their families a sense of privacy and independence without isolating their wives and kids. I won't move the families here until all three houses are completed.

  "I know what I'm doing, Nicole," Dalton explained. "I'm not lying to you."

  Nicole swallowed. "I'm sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion."

  "Yes, you did, twice in the last hour," he said grimly. "Why would you instantly jump to the conclusion that I would pull something on you or lie to you?"

  "I'm sorry," Nicole repeated. She sat down on the porch step. "You don't want Matty and me to leave the main house," she accused again.

  "True, I don't. I want you to stay where you are, and I won't deny it," Dalton said sitting beside her. "What's going on, Nic? You jumped down my throat because I want you to take a few college courses. Now, you're calling me a liar. Those aren't smart moves, babe."

  "I don't want you taking over my life," Nicole complained. "Since I won the money, you've been keeping me a prisoner, telling me when I can go and when I can't. I don't like it. I won't let you boss me around."

  "I disagree. You will do exactly what I want you to do when it comes to your safety," Dalton said firmly. "Right now, there could be any number of crazies lurking around wanting to get their hands on your money. Your picture appeared in the newspaper with a million-dollar check. It doesn't take much to draw out the nuts in this world. I know that's a politically incorrect statement to make, but I don't give a damn. Whether they mean you harm or not, it's dangerous for you to be out by yourself. It only takes one person, slightly off their rocker, to pull something. I don't want you or Matty hurt.

  "I won't sit around and let something happen because I might bruise your precious ego or independence. I'm keeping you close to keep you safe. Even when we get the final inspection approvals on these new houses, you and Matty will stay with us in the main house. It's where you belong."

  "You promised us the guesthouse," Nicole said stubbornly.

  "Circumstances change. We were
n't living or sleeping together before. Whether or not you realize it, when you came to my bed, you made a commitment to a relationship with me. You and I can fight it out later over exactly what it means.

  "Yes, I'm keeping close tabs on you. I'm worried about your casino win. You or Matty could be targeted because of the money. I'm not letting anything happen to either of you if I can help it.

  "This isn't just me, Nic. You were advised by experts to keep a low profile. We need to let some time pass and then reassess the situation. As long as people are pestering you, you're a target. It won't be too much longer. Someone will win a bigger and better jackpot, and the focus will switch to them. There was a lottery recently well over a billion dollars. What you won is chump change compared to some of the larger winners.

  "Chump change! Dalton, I have over a half a million dollars in the bank. You may be used to living a wealthy lifestyle, but I'm not! I hate this!" she complained.

  His serious demeanor cracked and he smiled. "No, you don't. There aren't many negatives to having a well-padded bank account. In comparison to the bigger payouts, what you won is chump change. Listen, brat, sudden money means you can't be quite so trusting. There are a lot of con artists who would be more than willing to relieve you of the burden of spending it. There are also people who could be a threat. Until I determine you're safe, you're staying at the ranch. If you want to go somewhere, you'll be with someone we trust."

  "You can't tell me what to do!" Nicole complained.

  "Wanna bet?" Dalton taunted and with a quick move, he tossed Nicole over his knee and smacked her bottom hard.

  "No!" Nicole screamed.

  He smacked her several more times before letting go. "I've had about all the nonsense and stubbornness I'm taking from you. I've tried to be as accommodating as I can, but it never seems to be enough."

  "It's not nonsense to want independence."

  "It is when it comes between us," Dalton disagreed. "Don't cross me on this, Nic; you know I will blister your ass if you push me too far. Now tell me why you don't want to take the college courses?"