by Misty Malone
Finally, as she started asking for the tenth time, “I’m really anxious to meet him, but what if he doesn’t like—” Ty leaned down and cut her sentence off with a kiss. She tried pulling back, but he held her shoulders and kept control of the kiss, pulling her closer. Before long she gave up any resistance and melted into him and the kiss.
That was how they were when someone cleared their throat behind them.
Ty quickly ended the kiss and whirled around. “Grandpa!”
Cheyenne felt her face flush as she looked up at a tall man who looked like a thinner and older version of Ty. “Ty, my boy, good to see you.” He gave his grandson a hug, and she could easily see how much they each meant to the other. He turned to her next. “And this pretty little lady better be Cheyenne.”
Ty laughed, but appreciated his grandfather’s humor. “It certainly is. Grandpa, this lovely little lady is Cheyenne Williams. Honey, this is my grandfather, Ted Tomlinson.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tomlinson,” she said, holding her hand out.
He reached for her hand, but used it to pull her in close enough to give her a hug. “The pleasure is all mine, Cheyenne. I’ve been anxious to meet the lady who finally stole my grandson’s heart. I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to meet his special lady.”
Cheyenne was smiling ear to ear. She liked his grandfather already.
Ty grinned at his grandfather. “It may have taken me a while, but I think I finally found her.”
Ted laughed as his eyebrows raised. “It sure looked that way to me. I have to say, though, you surprised me a bit. That’s not how you normally act in public.”
Cheyenne turned a deeper shade of red, but Ty could tell his grandfather was teasing them. He shrugged. “Well, I don’t normally, but she forced me to.”
Cheyenne’s eyes were wide as saucers. “I what?”
Ty winked at her. “She was asking me for the hundredth time, what if he doesn’t like me.” He pulled her in closer to him, away from his grandfather, and gave another helpless shrug. “What choice did I have? I couldn’t listen to her ask that question one more time.”
Ted was laughing now, which put Cheyenne at ease. He turned toward her. “Cheyenne, after all the wonderful things he’s told me about you, I don’t see any way I couldn’t like you. Relax. I’m sure we’ll become good friends by the time I leave.” He turned back to Ty. “So do we have a vehicle, or did you bring horses?”
Now Ty laughed. “We thought about bringing horses, but we were afraid you’d have too much luggage.” Cheyenne enjoyed watching the closeness between the two men as they got his luggage and they all headed back to the ranch.
Chapter Fourteen
Ty and Cheyenne got Ted settled into a guest room at the ranch, and they all came back downstairs just as Maria was putting supper on the table. Ty introduced Sam and Clay to his grandfather, and they all sat down to eat. After a lively meal with lots of laughter, Cheyenne was happy to see that they all felt like old friends, or one big happy family.
“Let’s all go into the living room and have some coffee or wine and continue this conversation,” Sam suggested. “Ted, I’m glad you came to visit. Ty talks very highly of you, and it’s nice to have a face to put with the person now.”
“It’s nice being able to meet all of you,” Ted said. “My grandson says you make him feel like part of your family, so I’m glad I could come out and meet all of you and see where he lives.” He looked at Sam in particular. “I want to thank you for making him feel welcome, and it’s good to see he has a good family here.”
“Ty is as good a foreman as I’ve had,” Sam quickly said. “He and Clay have become just about as close as brothers, so it’s easy for me to think of him as one of my own.”
Cheyenne enjoyed seeing Ty blush for once instead of her.
“Besides, seeing he and my daughter together, he may in fact be my son sometime down the road,” Sam went on to say.
Cheyenne was leaning against Ty, and her dad’s words surprised her. It surprised her even more when Ty gave her shoulders a little squeeze and said, “That’s my hope someday.”
Clay asked Ted if he grew up in the east, and they were all surprised to learn that Ted was actually born on a ranch in Wyoming. The family moved out east when he was in high school, when his mother became ill and there was a doctor in Boston who thought he could help her.
Cheyenne looked up at Ty, nodding her head in understanding now. “So that’s where you got the idea that you wanted to work on a ranch?”
“Absolutely. Grandpa used to tell me stories about growing up on the ranch, and I decided I wanted to at least try it.”
“I’d say you’ve more than tried it, son,” Ted said with a bit of a laugh. “It seems to me you’ve taken to ranching like a duck takes to water.”
Ty smiled and agreed wholeheartedly. “I won’t argue with you there, Grandpa. I love ranching.”
Cheyenne, her eyes full of mischief, looked from Ty to his grandfather. “So, are there any good stories of Ty while he was growing up, or was he always right about everything and never did anything wrong?”
Ted burst out laughing just as Ty said, “We don’t need to bore everyone with stories from my youth, Cheyenne.”
She looked at his grandfather and loudly whispered, “That means there are some good ones, doesn’t it?”
Ted laughed again as he answered, also in a loud whisper. “You bet there are some good ones. Maybe I can tell you a couple while he’s working the next couple days. But we better not tell him.”
Everyone was now laughing, and Cheyenne had a proud, satisfied smile on her face and her eyes were full of mischief as she whispered one more time. “Sounds like a plan. I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Ty looked down at her and said, “Brat.”
Over the next couple days, Ted and Cheyenne did indeed become good friends. She went to her classes and kept up with her studying, but every free minute she had while Ty was working she spent with Ted, much to his delight. He did, in fact, share some stories with her about Ty growing up, and she shared some with him about her childhood on the ranch. She was beginning to remember more and more from that time period, and she enjoyed sharing them.
She also shared her frustration with her one finance class, and the one concept that was just beyond her grasp. She told Ted how Ty had been patiently working with her, but she just plain was not following it at all. Ted asked if he could borrow her finance book while she was at her economics class she was getting ready to go to. “I probably won’t understand a word of it, either, but it’ll give me something to ponder this afternoon while you’re gone,” he told her, chuckling. She got her textbook and found where it started talking about the difficult concept before leaving.
That evening when Ty came over to help her study for her finance test the next day Ted asked, “Do you mind if I sit in the room while you do that? I won’t interrupt you, but since I read a bit of her book today I’d like to hear your discussion on the subject.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Grandpa. If you have anything that might be helpful, please speak up.”
“I doubt I’ll have anything that would be very helpful, but I may have a few questions. I can wait until after you’re done to ask them, though, so I don’t bother you.”
“No, please ask them when you think of them,” Ty insisted. “Your questions may help Cheyenne understand it. It certainly won’t hurt for her to hear the questions and answers.”
Cheyenne agreed completely. “That’s for sure. Maybe your question will spark something in my brain.”
With that decided, the three sat down to study. Both Cheyenne and Ted asked a couple questions as they went along, which Ty answered. As he was answering them, though, he was beginning to see a pattern in Ted’s questions. They were leading up to something, and Ty thought he may know what. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Ted asked, “Okay, so let me ask something here. That whole thing, this whole co
ncept this is talking about, whatever they call it, is it basically saying you can’t run a whole business, or a whole store, or whatever you’re running, on the same theory?”
Ty tried to hide a smile, positive now what his wise grandfather was doing, and nodded his head. Ted went on, “For instance, say you’re running a store. They’re saying you can’t necessarily run the entire store on a forty percent markup basis. Some items you can sell for a much lower profit and advertise heavily as a means of bringing people in, and selling that item in quantity will still bring in a profit. Other items may be big ticket items and although you may only make a twenty percent profit, it’s a big dollar amount and will account for a good profit. You have to be willing to change your strategy per individual item, and not necessarily be consistent throughout the entire store. Is that what that’s trying to say?”
Ty had been watching Cheyenne’s expression during Ted’s explanation, and was elated. She got it now. He’d tried and tried to explain the concept, but never put it in the form of an example she could easily relate to, like a bookstore. The textbook gave several examples, but they were all from the industrial field, which Cheyenne was not at all familiar with. It all seemed so easy now, Ty was a little upset with himself for not thinking of that. He smiled at his grandfather and said, “Exactly. That’s a perfect example.”
Cheyenne looked from Ted to Ty. “That’s what that whole thing is trying to say?”
Ty nodded his head. “That’s it in a nutshell.”
“Then why didn’t it just say that?” She gave Ted a hug. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much that helped.” She turned to Ty and gave him a big hug, as well. “Thank you for your patience.” She turned a bit red as she added, “And not giving up on me.”
He kissed her forehead. “I told you, I’ll never give up on you.” He turned to his grandfather and met his eyes, letting the older man know he was aware of what he’d done. “Thank you, Grandpa. You taught me something very valuable tonight.”
“I’m not sure what I taught you, but I always did learn better by example. Words in a book don’t always mean a lot to me, especially using big terms, but if you can give me an example I can relate to and understand, it makes a lot more sense.”
“And that’s exactly what you taught me tonight,” Ty said. “A lot of people learn better by example, but it has to be an example they can relate to. I’ll remember that. Thank you.”
While the men were talking, Cheyenne was busy going through her textbook. She looked up at one time to see both of them watching her. Ty looked a bit confused. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Absolutely. I was going back over this stuff now that I understand what the heck they’re trying to say, and it’s all making sense to me now. If they would just say that instead of using these big terms it would be a whole lot easier.”
Both men smiled, as she started asking Ty question after question to be sure she had a full understanding now. When they called it a night an hour later, they were all tired, but happy. Cheyenne felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had a test the next day, and for the first time ever in that class she felt ready to take it.
The next day after the test was over Cheyenne went to speak with her professor. “Professor Smith, I have a rather unusual request.”
“What’s that, Cheyenne?”
“Well, as you know, I’ve been struggling in this class. I want to thank you for the time you’ve spent working with me. My brother and my boyfriend have also been trying to help me, but I just couldn’t grasp that one main concept. My boyfriend’s grandfather’s here visiting for a few days, and he explained it last night, and he’s brilliant. I think I finally get it.”
“Wonderful! I know you’ve been working really hard, Cheyenne, and that’s wonderful news. What’s your request?”
“He’s only here visiting a few more days, and I’d love to be able to tell him how I did on this test before he goes home.”
“I understand that. How do you think you did?”
“I think I nailed it!” He smiled at her enthusiasm and confidence. “I’d love to be able to tell him that for sure, though. Is there any way you could text me after you grade my test?”
“I’d be happy to do that. Let me get your number.” They talked a few more minutes about how he explained it differently than everyone else. “I’ll let you know as soon as I grade yours, Cheyenne,” he promised as she was leaving.
She went home, anxious to tell Ty and his grandfather she felt she did well.
Later that evening, just before time for supper, she received the text from Professor Smith she’d been waiting for. She read it and smiled as she helped Maria put supper on the table.
Ty came in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “What has you so happy tonight? Does the smile have anything to do with your test today?”
“I’ll tell you when we’re all sitting down.”
Ty’s eyebrows raised, but he simply nodded. “Something we’ll all want to hear, huh?” He took the bowl of mashed potatoes she was holding and led her into the dining room.
Once they’d all begun eating Ty looked over at her. “Okay, Cheyenne, what happened today that’s got you beaming from ear to ear?”
She smiled as she answered. “Well, you all know how I’ve struggled with that one class this semester, and you’ve all tried to help. Ted tried a different approach last night, and it worked! I had a test today, and I talked to the professor afterward. He texted me right before supper with the results of my test.”
Everyone was quiet, all eyes on her. Ty couldn’t wait any longer. “And?”
“I got a ninety-eight!”
Ty, who was sitting next to her, pulled her in for a hug and a quick kiss on her forehead. All four men congratulated her.
“Way to go, sis,” Clay enthused.
“I knew you could do it, Cheyenne,” Sam added. “I’m proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without all of you guys encouraging me,” she said honestly. “I wanted to drop the class, but Ty wouldn’t let me.”
“I’m glad he wouldn’t,” Ted said. “My grandson is a wise man, for such a young buck.”
“Well, I see where he gets it,” she told him.
“So how did he explain it that was different than everyone else?” Clay asked.
Ty answered for her. “He used an example she could relate to. The industrial examples they gave in the textbook, and we all tried to explain better, didn’t mean a lot to her. Grandpa put it in the context of a bookstore, and she followed easily.”
“That makes a lot of sense,” Sam said. “Thanks, Ted, for helping my daughter.” Ted just smiled and nodded his head.
After supper they went to the living room to visit a while. They all seemed tired, though, and called it a night earlier than normal.
Ty pulled Cheyenne aside as they were all leaving the living room. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“You seemed to get a bit quiet. Anything on your mind?”
“I think I’m just tired, Ty. We were up late last night studying, and I was pretty excited when I got the results of my test. Thank you again, by the way. I’ll do okay in that class now, I’m sure.”
“I’m sure you will, too. If you’re sure there’s nothing you want to talk about I’ll let you get some sleep. Remember I’m here, though, if you want to talk about anything tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll remember.” She said good-night and went up to her bedroom.
Ted and Ty talked in the kitchen a few minutes before going to bed. “You’re concerned about her, Ty, I can tell.” Ted had made a statement; not asked a question.
He looked at his grandfather and sighed. “Yes, I suppose I am. Will it always be this way?”
“As long as you love her it will, yes. I worried about your grandmother from time to time right up until the day she left this earth. I can tell the love between you and Cheyenne is genuin
e, and goes both ways. So to answer your question, yes, it will probably always be this way. You’re a lucky man to have found someone you love enough to make you care like that.”
Ty looked up at his grandfather. “I am at that, Grandpa. Thank you.”
“Sure. That’s one of the most important things I think my older generation can do, is pass our wisdom down to your generation. Do you want to talk about your concern for her?”
“It goes back to the whole brainwashing thing she went through. She’s so afraid of allowing it to happen to her again, as she puts it, and I don’t know how to get her past it. I told you what my psychiatrist friend said the other day. I keep talking to her, but so far I haven’t found the magical words that she needs to hear.”
“Keep trying, Ty. You’ll find the right words.” They talked a few more minutes before Ty went back to his house and Ted went upstairs to his room. Both men did some thinking while lying in bed, trying to find a way to help Cheyenne.
The next day was Saturday. Sam suggested Ty take the day off, but Ty insisted on working until noon so he and Clay could finish up checking the fences in the far pasture. They planned to move the cattle there on Monday, so he wanted to be sure the fences were ready.
Cheyenne and Ted spent the morning talking while Ty was working. They had become good friends, and she talked to him now as a friend. “Ted, I’ve thought a lot about Ty and his parents. I hate that they’re not really part of his life. Ty has said very little about it and I can tell it’s hard for him to talk about, so I haven’t asked much. Is there any hope there that his father will contact him and they can mend fences?”
Ted thought a few moments before answering, “I’m certainly not giving up hope. His mother and father both care about him. They ask me every so often how he’s doing and if he’s still determined to throw away a good career.”