A Rancher to Remember

by Patricia Johns

  “What about that place? I feel like I know it.”

  “Yeah?” She was silent for a beat. “That’s where I used to work as a waitress. Where we met.”

  So maybe that was a good place to start. Maybe he’d get back a few more memories while he was at it.

  “Yeah, that sounds good. Lead the way,” he said.

  It felt oddly right to be walking down the street with Olivia at his side—like he’d done this before. She was comforting...but more than that, she just seemed to fit with him. His daughters had gotten attached to her, too, over the last few days. And while he didn’t know if that was normal for them or not, it was a relief that his girls seemed happy.

  What would it be like when she left again? She wasn’t here to stay—she wasn’t one of the regular parts of his life he could get accustomed to again, and he found himself wishing that she were.

  As they approached the diner, Sawyer took in the wide front window, the faded, fluttering fabric of the awning, the sandwich board out front advertising the daily specials in chalk. It did seem familiar, and he felt a tremor of relief. It was coming back...a little at a time, but still.

  He pulled open the door and a bell tinkled over their heads. Sawyer let Olivia go inside first. Lizzie had a handful of Olivia’s curls in one pudgy fist, and Bella drummed on Sawyer’s shoulder. Maybe the girls would like some fries or something. The diner was bright, everything seeming to be decorated in red vinyl. He looked around, the scent of fried food hitting his brain right in the pleasure center. He could see why he would have come here a lot. The stools by the counter seemed to ring a bell—the one at the end specifically. He used to sit there. He remembered a white mug of coffee, a burger and fries on an oblong plate...

  “Hey, there.”

  A man about their age came out from the back, and gave them a cordial nod. He wore a white apron over jeans and a black T-shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to expose his muscled forearms. His face was scruffy, and he had the look of a guy who hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. A toothpick quivered out the corner of his mouth when he talked.

  “What can I get you?” he asked, then he squinted. “Wait... Olivia Martin?”

  He looked from her to Sawyer. A flicker of recognition passed through the man’s eyes, and he nodded toward Sawyer in a silent greeting.

  Olivia stiffened, and Sawyer glanced down at her. Her smile had dropped and she gave the man a curt nod. Who was this guy...and should Sawyer know him? He didn’t like the way Olivia had recoiled.

  “Eddie Dane,” Olivia said. It wasn’t an exclamation. More like a grim announcement.

  Bella put a hand on the side of his face, and he patted his daughter’s back absently. He felt a surge of protectiveness. It wasn’t just Olivia here, but his daughters, too. Something felt off, and his hackles had gone up.

  “Haven’t seen you in a while,” Eddie said with a slow smile. “These your kids?”

  “No, they’re mine,” Sawyer said, forcing the other man to look at him. Sawyer met his gaze with the steely drill of his own—his own message of exactly how he felt about him.

  “Hey, Sawyer,” Eddie said. “Long time, man.”

  “Yeah.” So apparently, he did know this guy. He didn’t look worth remembering.

  “Wow...” Eddie said, shaking his head. “I mean, I haven’t seen you since high school. Senior year was pretty wild, huh, Olivia?”

  “Not especially,” she said dryly.

  “Come on...” Eddie shot her a meaningful look. “I seem to remember you really came into your own that year.”

  “It’s been a long time,” she said pointedly. “I think we’ve all grown up since then, haven’t we?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Eddie said with a laugh. “I hope not too much. Where’s the fun in that?”

  The words themselves were innocent enough, but Sawyer sensed a meaning beneath the surface that irritated him. There was a familiarity on Eddie’s side that felt like overstepping.

  “I’m no fun,” she retorted. “At all.”

  “I could change that...” Eddie leaned forward and gave her a slow smile. “You free tonight?”

  “No,” she said shortly, then she turned to Sawyer. “We should go.”

  A woman about their age came into the diner wearing a waitress uniform. She smiled in their direction, then came behind the counter and stashed her purse.

  “Hi... Olivia?” She paused and a genuine smile broke over her face.

  “Janice.” Olivia forced a smile. “Hi. It’s been a long time.”

  “Sure has. You look good.”

  “Thanks.” Olivia relaxed a little.

  “So, are you here to pay your brother’s tab?” Eddie cut in.

  “What?” Olivia turned back toward him. “What do you mean?”

  “Brian’s been running up a tab here for a year,” Eddie replied with a shrug. “The owner says the next time he comes in, I’m supposed to throw him out.”

  “Norm said that?” she asked.

  “Yeah. He only started that tab because Brian said you owed him money and that’s why he was short. And Norm always was kinda sweet on you...”

  “He was not sweet on me,” she snapped.

  “Whatever you say.” That slow smile was back. “Norm doesn’t do tabs, but he did one for your brother. You do that math. Anyway, Norm is done with him, so I figured maybe you came to pay up. Unless you missed me, or something.”

  Olivia blushed pink. She adjusted Lizzie in her arms.

  “You want to cut that out?” Sawyer said, his tone menacing.

  Eddie flatly ignored him.

  “How much does Brian owe?” Olivia asked.

  “I’ve got it here,” Eddie said. “Hold on...”

  He rummaged under the till and came out with a little book. “Two hundred and eighty-five.”

  He turned the book around in case Olivia didn’t believe him, and Sawyer glanced at the tally of numbers over her shoulder. Sawyer pulled out his wallet and looked inside. He had about three hundred dollars in his wallet in fifties, and he realized he didn’t know why he had that kind of money on him. Whatever—Olivia needed him right now, and he could sort out the rest later, he was sure.

  Olivia opened her purse, but closed it without looking inside. “I don’t have the cash on me right now. I could use a credit card.”

  “Norm doesn’t take credit.”

  “Still?” She looked exasperated and heaved a sigh.

  “I’ve got it,” Sawyer said.

  “Sawyer, you don’t have to do that,” Olivia said. “The bank is on the other side of town, but I’ll be back in about twenty minutes and I’ll pay it—”

  “No, I’ve got it,” Sawyer repeated. He pulled out the bills and put them on the counter.

  Eddie counted the money and gave a nod. “I owe you some change.” Then he glanced up at Olivia again. “So, you single? You look single to me.”

  Sawyer’s ire rose at that question. It was the tone—oily and insinuating. It was obvious what Eddie thought of Olivia, and it took all of Sawyer’s self-control to keep his mouth shut. But he was holding one of his daughters, and Olivia had his other girl in her arms. He felt hampered.

  “Eddie, you are still a disgusting excuse for a man,” she retorted.

  “You used to be nicer!” the smaller man snickered. “A whole lot nicer, to a whole lot of guys...”

  “I never was that nice,” Olivia said tersely. “Especially not to you.”

  “I know!” He laughed. “But I tried, didn’t I? I’m definitely free tonight, by the way. You could get a piece of this.” He spreads his hands, putting himself on display.

  “That’s rude, Eddie,” Janice said curtly. “Are you still going on about that high school garbage? You’re an idiot. Seriously!” She turned to Olivia. “For me, I’m sorr
y if I ever gave you a hard time, Olivia. I really am. Eddie should be, too.”

  “I’m joking,” Eddie said. “Aren’t I, Olivia?”

  “Hey,” Sawyer growled. “You keep that up, and you’ll be dealing with me, personally.”

  Eddie’s laughter evaporated and he shot Sawyer a nasty look. “Whatever.”

  While Eddie rang up the tab, Sawyer glanced down at Olivia beside him. Her face had gone from pink to stark white, and her eyes glittered with anger. Her grip on Lizzie had tightened, and she’d pressed her lips together into a line.

  “Olivia...” he said softly. It felt good to finally be able to contribute something—even if that was a handful of cash. But there was something else going on here that he only partly understood. Something pointed and ugly, and it had hit its mark in Olivia.

  “We’re going to the bank, and I’m paying you back right now,” she said, her voice low.

  “Not necessary,” he said.

  “I’m paying you back,” she repeated, this time with an edge to her tone, but when she glanced toward him, he saw tears mist her eyes.

  When Eddie gave Sawyer his change, she blinked back the emotion.

  “My brother won’t be coming back here,” she said curtly. “And I’ll follow up with Norm, myself, and tell him that I’ve paid the bill. So don’t try anything.”

  “I’m a witness,” Janice said, coming up beside Eddie. “I saw you pay up in full.”

  Olivia and the waitress exchanged a look.

  “Thanks,” Olivia said. “I appreciate that.”

  “We women have to stick together, right? And he’s a piece of work.” She hooked a thumb toward Eddie.

  “Hey, whatever...” Eddie put his hands up. “You staying to eat, or leaving?”

  “Leaving,” Olivia said curtly.

  Olivia turned on her heel and headed for the door. Sawyer followed her, glancing over his shoulder at the man who stood behind the counter, muttering something under his breath. Sawyer might have known who the guy was before this stupid accident, but he was pretty confident that there were no conditions under which he’d actually like the guy. Olivia opened the door and held it until he grabbed it.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as they hit the fresh air once more. The tinkle of the bell was muffled as the door swung shut behind them.

  “No,” she said, and her chin trembled. Then she clamped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut as a tear escaped.

  Oh, crud. He had a violent urge to go back into that diner and punch Eddie square in the jaw. But he was holding a toddler, and so was Olivia. So he did the only thing he could and planted his free hand on the small of her back and propelled her forward, away from the diner and back toward where the truck was parked.

  “Let’s go,” he growled, tugging her close against his side. He didn’t have a plan. He was moving on instinct right now, and everything inside of him was telling him to get her out of here.

  He might not remember much, but he was still a man, and he wasn’t letting her get insulted on his watch.

  * * *

  Sawyer’s hand was warm against Olivia’s back, and he guided her with the firm pressure of his fingertips. Olivia’s heart was pounding, and she held Lizzie close as she did her best to match Sawyer’s much longer strides. Noticing her struggles, he slowed, keeping in pace with her.

  Eddie Dane, of all people... He’d just been some goofy loser in high school—he hadn’t been a part of the original bullying that followed her all of senior year. But that just went to show how far those rumors had flown. This was why she’d had no other choice but to get out of town and start her life in the city—where there were enough people that one stupid rumor couldn’t ruin a girl’s life.

  And yes, she’d pushed her mother to help her get away...she’d begged her mom to apply for those loans for her to go to Montana State so she could escape all the ugliness. For people like the Whites, that was no problem. For the Martins, it had taken everything they had. And it had left nothing for Brian. Anger mingled with guilt tangled up together inside of her.

  “There—” Sawyer said, his voice close to her ear. “The park across the street.”

  Sawyer looked both ways, but Olivia’s eyes were blurred with tears that she was still trying to blink back, and she followed him almost blindly as he led her across the road.

  The park was small—just a slide, a couple of swings and some benches surrounding them. Sawyer took Lizzie from her arms and Olivia sank onto the bench, watching as he set the girls down next to the slide. He patted it a couple of times. The toddlers looked at him with that round-eyed curiosity of young children, and then sat down on their bottoms and reached for a couple of twigs.

  When Sawyer slid onto the bench next to her, he sat close enough that his leg pressed against hers, welcome warmth on that chilly day. She sucked in a stabilizing breath. She was supposed to be here for him, not the other way around. Besides, this was an old problem that had already been solved by her leaving town.

  “So what was that?” Sawyer asked quietly.

  Olivia looked over at him, but his gaze was pinned to his daughters as they scratched in the sand with their twigs.

  “That’s what I meant by this town having a long memory,” she replied.

  “Do you want me to go back there and set him straight?” he asked, and she eyed him for a moment to see how serious he was. He met her gaze evenly, and his jaw tightened.

  “No,” she said with a bitter laugh. “Eddie’s not the real problem—and he’s definitely not the only one. Connie Jenkins pretended she didn’t know me when I first came into town.”

  “The waitress seemed to be nice, though,” Sawyer said. “Unless I was missing some context...”

  “Janice did seem to have changed,” Olivia replied. “She never was one of the bad ones, but she was part of it... So I’m glad she stood up to Eddie. Better late than never for some of these things.”

  “So what happened exactly?” he asked. “How did this even start?”

  Olivia brushed a curl off of her forehead. “There was this bush party. I was never the party-going kind of girl. I mean, if Mom had known I’d even gone, she would have marched out there and dragged me home by my ear. But I lied—said I was sleeping over at Mia’s. These guys got frisky with me, and I fought them off, told them to leave me alone. They didn’t back off until I actually screamed at them that I’d report them for attempted rape. That stopped them in their tracks, but they were mad. I’d embarrassed them in front of their buddies. And the next day at school, they were all telling these stories about how I’d gone off and done these unspeakable things with them.”

  “Lying in retaliation,” Sawyer said.

  “Exactly.”

  “And people believed it?”

  “Something that juicy spreads like wildfire. No one cares if it’s true. It made my senior year complete misery. Besides, I was never exactly popular...”

  “So this wasn’t the first time you were targeted with bullying.”

  “There was always someone. Isn’t that the way school goes? There were always girls who would steal my gym clothes, or call me names. I thought I’d gotten used to it. But when the rumors started senior year—I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “And Eddie...was one of the guys from the party?” he asked, his voice carefully controlled. She heard the thrum of a threat in his tone.

  “No,” she said with a hoarse laugh. “He was just some idiot who heard the stories and figured he might have a chance with me.”

  “So these rumors—people really latched on to them,” Sawyer said. “Didn’t your mother go to the principal or anything?”

  “Of course. But none of the taunting happened in front of teachers. Bullying is subtle, and it really took a toll on me. But they figured I deserved it. I was being punished for something I’d never
even done.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that.”

  “I survived.”

  “Mostly,” he said, and he cast her a sad look.

  “Mostly,” she agreed. “But I had to be strong—Mom worked really hard, my dad was gone, and Brian needed a big sister who had things under control.”

  “How old was he?” he asked quietly.

  “About thirteen,” she said.

  She’d tried to be tough, to not care, to push her life forward after that last year of high school. But in the end, when she finally escaped, she’d left behind a brother who felt abandoned. Was there any way to have handled that differently? Not while keeping herself in one piece, there wasn’t.

  “I couldn’t wait to get out of here...” She sucked in a wavering breath. “Being picked on changes how you see yourself. Those words slip beneath your skin. And by the time I left for Montana State, I wasn’t the woman I wanted to be, the one I knew I could be. But life in the city gave me this new chance to see myself differently. I didn’t second-guess every step I took. I wasn’t constantly watching over my shoulder for the next person to say something snide. It’s like I woke up.”

  “You deserve that,” he said quietly.

  “I think so, too.” She sighed. “But even so, I’m wondering now if I might have missed the mark with Brian. Obviously, I went wrong somewhere.”

  “Didn’t he know how people were treating you?” he asked.

  “He had an idea, but he wasn’t in high school yet—he didn’t see most of it. By the time he got there, I was gone...but the rumors had stuck around, and he got teased a lot. Our dad left when he was a toddler, and then I left when things got really hard here, and I guess it just impacted him differently. So when he lost his chance at an education, it all just bubbled up.”

  “Coming back—is it different at all?” Sawyer looked at her hopefully.

  “A bit, but not different enough. Like I said, there have already been a couple of tense interactions, and having Eddie talk to me like that...” Olivia licked her lips. “I feel pieces of myself falling away again. And I’m back to looking over my shoulder. I like myself better in Billings. I’m a whole person there.”