The Rancher's Twins

by Carol Ross

  Tanner picked up on the second ring. “Lydia! Finally! Are you okay?”

  “Yes. It’s all good. I made it safe and sound. I couldn’t call last night because the phone was dead. I haven’t had a free moment until now.”

  Jon had told her that Tom would drop in to take the girls for a ride in the afternoon. Abby was right; he did talk like a movie cowboy. He’d shown up after lunch with a “Howdy, ma’am” and then a “much obliged” after she’d offered him cookies she’d made. He’d collected the girls’ helmets from the mudroom and politely invited her out to watch them ride. Concern must have shown on her face because he explained that the riding they were going to be doing consisted of him leading their horses around the corral.

  She’d wanted to go. Two things had stopped her, the most pressing of which was this phone call. The other would have to wait.

  “That’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay. How are things going?”

  “So far, so good.”

  “What do you think of Montana?”

  “It’s gorgeous.” That part was true. No way would she complain about the kid mix-up or her grumpy boss, who possibly wasn’t quite as grumpy as she’d thought. “And I feel...safe. Tanner, thank you so much. I would never have been able to get this far without you.” Tanner was one of her oldest friends. They’d met through their work with Hatch House Group Home for Teens, where Lydia had once lived before eventually becoming a volunteer. Tanner was the attorney who handled all the group home’s legal needs. Clive knew how close they were. It would be one of the first places he went. Tears sprung to her eyes, catching her off guard. She blinked them away.

  “We’ll get you farther, I promise.” When the dust settled, she’d be moving on, hopefully overseas. How long that took depended mainly on Clive and how hard he searched for her.

  “Any news? Have you heard from Clive? Have you heard anything about the money?”

  “According to my calculations, I should be hearing about both very soon.”

  “What if he—?” Lydia didn’t want to say it but she was terrified of what Clive would do if he suspected Tanner knew something. Or her best friend, Meredith.

  “Lydia, he knows he’d never get anything out of me. Assuming I know anything,” he joked, like the good attorney he was.

  Lydia managed a shaky smile. “Okay. But what about Meredith?”

  “She’ll be fine. We’ve been over this. Let’s worry about you right now. Just lay low until we figure out your next move.”

  “That reminds me, I need some stuff. I forgot to pack my ranching clothes.”

  “Ranching clothes,” he repeated with a laugh, and she relished the sound.

  “For some reason, even when you told me I was going to a ranch, I never expected it to be this...muddy.”

  She glanced at her suitcase, still open on the floor. Her boots were sitting next to it. What Jon and the girls observed was true—the buttery soft, high-heeled boots wouldn’t be good for much around here. Certainly not for a horseback ride or that barn party Abby mentioned. They wouldn’t even do for a trip out to the barn.

  Lydia was dying to see the ranch. Problem was, she’d only packed two pairs of shoes besides the boots, a pair of flip-flops and some supple leather slippers with no lining or traction. The suitcase was packed weeks before she’d ever left Philadelphia. It had been stashed at Tanner’s house until the day she’d left.

  Stuffing a wide variety of items inside the carry-on had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, it seemed like a meager and odd mix, very little of which was suitable for life on a ranch. She only had one pair of jeans. Why hadn’t she thought to throw in a pair of sneakers? At least she had yoga pants and a few T-shirts.

  “I’d prefer you stay out of sight for the time being. Falcon Creek is a small town and people are going to remember you, Lydia. Especially if you go around buying a new wardrobe.”

  “I know. I don’t know if there’s much for shopping in Falcon Creek, anyway. And it’s a long drive to a city or even a town of any real size.”

  “Is there internet?”

  “Yes, thank goodness.” Smiling, she thought of how much the girls had enjoyed the TV show she’d streamed the evening before.

  “Order online.”

  “I don’t have a credit card anymore.”

  “Inside that bundle I gave you, with the documents and the cash, there is a couple of thousand dollars in gift cards. Use those.”

  “Seriously?” A current of relief flowed through her. “I can’t believe you thought of this. Have I told you lately that I love you and you’re brilliant?”

  “Remember, you need to be untraceable. Speaking of that, it would be best if you only used this phone for communicating with me or for emergencies. And no calling anyone from your old life. Except me. At this number only. If you do use it, don’t store any numbers in your contacts and delete everything, every time you use it.”

  Her old life. Her throat went tight. “Got it. Tanner...” The past few months, with her fear gradually increasing to full-blown terror, it hadn’t occurred to her how much she might miss her life in Philadelphia. She had no relationship with her family, she didn’t own a home and, because of her itinerant ways, she’d never been one to accumulate possessions. She’d never had any pets, probably for the same reason. Those things made moving on easier. But she loved her two best friends, Tanner being one. Meredith was the other and she couldn’t imagine not talking to her every day. They’d been roommates for years.

  “Lydia, hon, I’m so sorry. It won’t be forever. I just don’t know how long it will be. In the meantime, we need to keep you safe.”

  “I know.”

  “How’s the nanny gig? I’m assuming you have your teenaged charge toeing the line by now?”

  “Funny story. Turns out my one fourteen-year-old is two four-year-olds, who recently turned five.”

  “Five-year-old twins?”

  “Yep.”

  “Yowza.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I know you’re good with teens but what about little ones? Do you have any experience with those?”

  “Some.” Meredith had a huge family, and Lydia was an honorary member. Meredith’s sister Hailey had five kids and Lydia had helped babysit occasionally. And she’d been great with her stepsiblings for the short time she’d lived with them. Never mind that it had been more than a decade since she’d left home and she hadn’t seen them since.

  “Tanner, please, don’t worry about me. I’ll figure this part out. You focus on Clive. Stay safe. Keep Meredith safe.”

  * * *

  JON SENSED TROUBLE as soon as he and Trout walked around the corner of the barn at the Blackwell Ranch and saw JT Brimble standing there. The man’s back was to Jon but JT’s ridiculous hair was unmistakable, even with the long blond curls tied back beneath his cowboy hat. JT oozed a sticky-sweet, good-ol’-boy charm and fancied himself a bull rider. He did odd jobs around the Blackwell Ranch for Big E, jobs that took him too long with mediocre results. Jon had warned his grandfather that the guy was trouble, but he had it on good authority that JT was friendly with Zoe.

  Katie stood in front of JT, gloved hands fisted on her hips. With a disgusted shake of her head she said, “JT, I am telling you for the last time, you need to take this up with Big E. He is not here, and I don’t want you coming back ’til he personally informs you that he wants to see you.”

  Of medium height, JT wasn’t a big man, but he was muscled and wiry.

  “And I’m telling you, Katie—” JT took a step toward her, finger pointed way too close to her face. Jon’s blood went hot. If the man so much as touched a hair on Katie’s head, the EMTs would have to pick him off the ground with a pitchfork. “—I need to get paid what I’m owed—”

  Jon interrupted as he approached, “She’s not giving you a dime, JT,
or anything else for that matter.” He stopped a few feet away. “Now, I’m going to make the following suggestion one time and one time only. Back off and remove your finger from the vicinity of Katie’s face or I promise you I will break it off and a couple more appendages, too, for good measure.”

  JT shot an irritated glance in his direction. “Leave it be, Jon. This isn’t your business.”

  “That was your warning.” Jon removed his hat and set it on a fence post off to the side. “Katie, call 911.” He took a step toward JT. Trout let out a growl. Katie’s cattle dog, Hip, joined in.

  JT jumped back, hands raised, palms up in a conciliatory gesture. “Hey, now, there’s no need for violence. I’m just here to collect what’s owed me.”

  Jon settled the hat back on his head and asked, “And what is that exactly?”

  “Three hundred and eighty-five dollars.”

  “Katie owes you three hundred and eighty-five dollars?” Jon repeated skeptically.

  “Big E owes it to me.”

  Jon looked at a scowling Katie. “Katie?”

  She sighed. “He’s owed something, but I doubt Big E would pay him the full amount. He was supposed to dig post holes and put up fencing for the pigpen, but he’s only done maybe half the work.”

  Pigs? The Blackwell Ranch didn’t raise pigs, but that question could wait. Jon wasn’t about to air ranch business in front of JT.

  “All right. Let’s go have a look at the pen.”

  A few minutes later, Jon could see Katie was right, and he said as much. JT claimed that Big E often paid him before work was complete. “Like a draw,” he argued.

  “Big E might operate that way, but I don’t.”

  “But I’m telling you, Big E does. We have a deal.”

  “Do you see Big E here?” Lifting an arm, Jon swept it around for effect. “I’ll pay you what you’re owed for what you’ve done and then you’re not to step foot back on this land until you’re invited by a Blackwell or by Katie. Is that clear?” Jon pulled out his wallet and handed over 150 dollars.

  JT counted out the bills and then stuffed them into his pants pocket. Then he smirked at Katie. “You can invite me anytime, sugar.”

  “JT, I wouldn’t invite you to scrape manure off my boots. Now, get out of here.”

  Jon and Katie watched him head to his pickup and climb inside.

  Jon slid a glance at Katie. “Pigs?”

  “Zoe says they will add ‘atmosphere’ to the guest ranch.”

  “Does she have any idea how much pigs stink?”

  Katie belted out a laugh. “Daddy said the same thing.”

  “Your daddy is a smart man. Big E is okay with this?”

  “Yes, he is. Pigs are only one small part of this project. It’s going to be a petting zoo.”

  “A petting zoo?” Jon repeated, not bothering to hide his disdain.

  Shrugging, she said, “It’s not the worst idea she’s had. The tourists will love it.”

  “I will refrain from commenting.”

  “Probably best.” She flashed him a grin. “We all know your opinions on guest ranching.”

  On that point, he and Ethan agreed. Unfortunately, ranching was a tough way to make a living. Most every beef rancher he knew supplemented their income in one way or another. In addition to the horse-breeding operation Katie oversaw, his grandfather had expanded into guest ranching. Zach raised horses. Jon did consulting work for ranchers seeking to go “green” and wrote articles on the topic for Organic Beef Newsletter and other ranching magazines. Occasionally, he taught a class or gave a workshop.

  In a few weeks when calving season ended, a journalist and a TV crew from a national cable show were coming to interview him for a segment on organic-beef ranching. When they’d contacted him, he’d been reluctant. He hadn’t been thrilled about the notion of having his face and life splashed all over TV. Then Bethany Stouffer had called him herself and assured Jon they’d “work together to raise awareness for the industry and shine a favorable light on grass-fed beef.” He’d accepted.

  Katie pointed her chin toward JT’s pickup crawling along the gravel drive. “Thank you for that. Normally I’d be irritated with you for coming to my rescue, taking care of myself and all that, but with everything going on I’m just glad it’s done. I was running out of patience.”

  “I know it. And I know you can handle yourself fine. That guy rubs me the wrong way.”

  “JT is harmless. I heard he lost a pile of cash gambling the other night. I think he’s a little stressed.”

  “It’s possible I may be wound a little too tight myself at the moment.”

  Katie frowned. “Everything okay?”

  No, he wanted to say, thinking about his nanny dilemma. But he didn’t. Jon wasn’t one to talk about personal matters. He certainly didn’t want to burden Katie when she had a slew of her own ranch-related concerns. “Oh, you know, same as you. Too much to do, not enough time.”

  “For which I’m partially responsible, calling you here and all. I’m sorry about this, Jon.”

  Jon shook his head. “Don’t you apologize to me. This isn’t on you. This is all Big E. And likely Zoe.”

  Katie answered with an affectionate smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. What had Big E been thinking by doing this to her?

  “By the way,” she said, “JT is not why I asked you here. I need you to make a couple calls for me. The bank and the power company will only speak to you or one of your brothers.”

  He must have looked puzzled because she explained, “I need to know how much money is in the checking account for the other bills that I’m also going to need you to pay. The power company called today. The account is way overdue and they said they’re shutting it off tomorrow if it’s not paid today.”

  “That’s odd. Why wouldn’t he pay the power bill?”

  Katie scoffed. “I think that one is Zoe. She wanted more responsibility, so Big E turned over most of the household bill-paying to her. According to Big E, sometimes she ‘forgets.’” Katie’s air quotes added a little punch to her wry tone. “Funny how she never forgets when it’s something she wants.”

  “Have you heard from him? Any idea where they’ve gone?”

  “Seriously, Jon?” Katie seemed to ponder the matter over his shoulder, her focus shifting toward the mountains for a few long seconds. “What a mess... Zoe hired Billy’s wife, Cindy, to come in and clean once a week. She was here yesterday. Said she went into the master suite to tidy up and Zoe took enough clothes and stuff for a normal person to be away for months, which could translate to weeks for her. What am I going to do? I can’t run this place without the funds to do it. I’m not officially in charge but Daddy isn’t in any condition to take over again right now.”

  A mix of sympathy and anger boiled inside of him. Typical of Big E to think about himself first. No, not first—in this case it seemed he’d only thought of himself. “How’s your dad?”

  “Same.”

  “I’m sorry, Katie.” Lochlan had health problems exacerbated by the grief of losing his older daughter, Maura, to cancer a few years previous. Maura had been married to one of Jon’s youngest brothers, Chance. Katie had taken her sister’s death hard, too. All the Blackwells felt her loss.

  Jaw fixed tight, Katie answered with a nod, and that was enough for Jon to know she didn’t want to discuss the topic further.

  As much as Jon would love to leave his grandfather to clean up this mess when he finally did decide to roll back into town, he couldn’t do that to Katie, or to Lochlan, or the other employees who counted on the ranch for their livelihoods. Or to the livestock, for that matter.

  “I’ve got your back, Katie, you know that. Anything you need, just call and I’ll be here.”

  “I do know that, and I appreciate it. But you’ve got your ranch to run and the girls.”
r />   This was true. How was he going to manage helping here now, too, without child care?

  “Don’t worry about that. I plan on sleeping a whole lot when I’m dead. Let’s head to the house and see what we can accomplish with those bills. Hopefully, he’ll show up soon and we won’t have to worry about it for too long.”

  “Hopefully.” Katie nodded, but she didn’t look anywhere near convinced.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE GIRLS PUT on their boots and coats and headed outside. They were on their way to the bunkhouse to have cookies and hot chocolate with Tom and Dusty. Jon stood at the window and watched them until Dusty stepped out onto the porch and waved them inside. He poured himself a cup of coffee and tried to decide how to begin a difficult conversation.

  Lydia stood across the island fidgeting with a dish towel. “So, how is that mama cow you had to help last night? Did she opt for the epidural or did she stick with the more natural La-mooo-ze technique?” The twitch of her lips and the twinkle in her eyes added to the jest. She was funny. It was a good thing she wouldn’t be here much longer because if he wasn’t careful this woman could get right under his skin.

  Jon laughed. “That’s right, you don’t know about the JB Bar Ranch yet. We’re an entirely organic, grass-fed, free-range paradise. Only natural childbirth will do for my girls. But she did need a little help getting that calf turned.”

  “Breech?”

  “Wanted to be.”

  “What?! No way. What did you do?”

  “Turned it the right way.”

  “Which is?”

  “Front feet first.”

  “Holy cow. You really are a midwife.”

  “Tell me about it,” he said flatly. “I’m sure you can imagine how many different ways things can get turned around in there.”

  A playful grimace on her face, she said, “Yeah, I can think of several right off the top of my head.”

  He laughed again and she joined him. Why did it feel so nice to laugh with her? Maybe because he hadn’t laughed with a woman in a very long time.