One Last Letter

by Pema Donyo

  “Oh my goodness! It’s been so long, boy. Well, you’re not a boy anymore.” Dr. Elton clapped a hand over his chest. He adjusted his spectacles with the other hand. Jesse felt his eyes look him and up down, scrutinizing him like he would a new patient. “You look like a man now, and in a much better position than when you left. What have you been doing all these years, anyhow?”

  “I was in California.”

  “What could you be doing there?”

  “Worked at a hotel for a few years until the owner died, leaving it to me. I run the hotel now, me and a few others. Made enough money to be able to travel back here.” More than enough, actually. Enough for Loretta to quit her job, enough for him to buy a house for her, and enough for him to pay for her wedding. Enough to buy his own ranch, if he desired.

  “Seems like you’ve done well for yourself.” Dr. Elton nodded. He pushed his glasses back up, the inspection over. “What brings you back to Hamilton?”

  “Loretta’s marriage. I want to see for myself that my sister’s settled and happy here before I return to California.”

  “You won’t take her back with you?”

  “She wants to stay.” Jesse shrugged. She’d begged him to stay in Texas, too. “I’m only here for a few months.”

  “Have you been to Breighton recently? I am sure they all miss you over there. You and the Lancaster girl were always such good friends . . .”

  Jesse stiffened. It was in the past now, he reminded himself. Lord, how he’d reminded himself. Loretta had written to him that Evelyn wasn’t married yet, but it didn’t change anything for him. He wasn’t enough for her. Never would be. He cleared his throat, about to respond, when the doctor suddenly stepped past him.

  “Why, that’s her coming up now. She seems in quite a hurry.”

  Jesse turned around to look at what the doctor was staring at. As soon as he did, he wished more than anything that he hadn’t.

  The wind whipped her hair behind her, the dark locks flowing in the air. She didn’t bother to ride sidesaddle. Her legs rested on both sides of the horse, and she leaned forward against her mount with the reins gripped tightly in her hand. She rode like a cowboy. Jesse had only ever seen one girl ride a horse so fearlessly: Eve.

  Evelyn, he reminded himself. She’s Evelyn now and you don’t care for her.

  Eve—Evelyn—didn’t notice him at first. Her horse slowed to a trot and she remained seated as she addressed the doctor. “My father needs help,” she gasped. Panic seeped into her voice. “I raced here as fast as I could. I know you treated him recently, but now he seems worse. I have no idea what could be wrong with him.”

  “Mr. Lancaster’s in trouble?”

  Evelyn looked over at the sound of his voice. She seemed taken aback at first, perhaps doubting her sense of hearing. But when her gaze met Jesse’s, her jaw went slack. Eyes wide, she tried to say something, then immediately clamped her mouth shut. There was no mistake that she recognized him. She would say something to him, surely.

  He stifled the disappointment washing over him as her gaze passed from him to Dr. Elton.

  Her voice became firm once more, as if she’d already forgotten he was there. “How soon do you think you can ride up to Breighton?”

  “Well, I’ll get my horse now. Mr. Greenwood, I’m terribly sorry we couldn’t catch up properly. Next time, definitely. You must eat supper with my wife and me.” The doctor shook Jesse’s hand, forcing Jesse to tear his gaze away from Evelyn. He nodded to the doctor, promising they’d speak again.

  A clopping of hooves drew his eyes back to where she had been. This time, though, there was only a cloud of dust and a distant image of Blue Star riding away from the town. Through all his time in California, he hadn’t met a girl who could race a horse faster than his Eve.

  Evelyn, he corrected himself. She wasn’t his Eve anymore.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Jesse Greenwood was back.

  Evelyn finished braiding her hair and swept it into a bun. A few black locks protested, hanging to the sides and away from the up-do. She pinned the rebellious strands in place and checked the back in the mirror before rising from her vanity bench.

  Jesse Greenwood was back.

  The big house seemed so much emptier than she’d ever remembered. Her childhood memories of Breighton included maids buzzing about the house, filling the rooms with idle chatter. But now they were gone, leaving only idle silence. Not to mention her father being confined to bed rest. She crossed her arms and pressed them close to her chest. Sometimes she felt like she was living in the big house all by herself. She missed the maids; she missed company. It was up to Evelyn to manage some of the kitchen chores, but it wasn’t too bad. The loneliness was worse.

  Jesse Greenwood was back.

  She shut her eyes, as if closing them tightly enough could bid away the thought. Turning her attention to the laundry didn’t seem to do much good. While her father was bedridden, there was even more she could do to help out. He’d always clucked about her not stooping to household chores like cooking and cleaning. Or riding horses, for that matter.

  Jesse had been the one to teach her that skill, not her father. She still remembered the sight of her father being livid when she first refused to ride sidesaddle. Evelyn gave a small smile. Soon enough she was the one to beat Jesse in racing.

  How did every thought come back to him? She pulled out the laundry tub and brought it outside to where the maid, Irene, waited with piles of clothes. After checking to see she had enough soap to scrub away the grime, Evelyn walked back into the house to her father’s study.

  Too bad thinking about Jesse didn’t increase the revenue for the ranch. She had just finished the recent calculation of Breighton’s profits, or lack thereof, really. She didn’t have the heart to tell her father while he was ill. What if learning about the financial burdens made him worse? But the loan still needed to be repaid, and the next payment was due in a week. There was no choice.

  She picked up the receipt from the bank. It was possible to find paid work, but she was needed at the ranch as well. So how was she supposed to come up with that amount of money?

  “Ma’am?” Irene knocked on the open door. “Jesse Greenwood is here to see you. He’s still out on the porch right now.”

  Evelyn nearly dropped the paper in her hand. What could he be doing here? “Tell him to wait in the parlor. I will be right out.”

  Irene nodded and left to relay the message.

  Evelyn tried not to imagine all the worst-case scenarios for him to see her, but somehow she couldn’t manage to brush them away. The possibilities flashed through her mind: he was engaged; he was already married; he was here to insult her for letting him go.

  The train of thought stopped the moment she saw his silhouette against the window. He stood in the center of the parlor, his hands clutching the rim of his black hat as he looked around the room. The lace curtains framing the parlor windows served as a backdrop to outline his tall, broad frame.

  The years he’d spent away from Hamilton had changed him more than when she’d reunited with him after her time at the seminary. He’d even grown facial hair, for goodness’s sake! His jaw had been smooth as a baby’s when he was sixteen. Of course, it somehow made him look more attractive. She gulped. Nothing about him looked like the lanky teenage boy who’d left seven years ago.

  She bit her lip. Not that he would consider her as a romantic interest anymore. Not after she’d spurned him. The moment Jesse’s eyes landed on her, she felt her knees nearly buckle. When had his gaze suddenly turned so intense?

  “Ma’am.” He nodded to her. Not Eve. Not anymore. She was just another woman to him now. “Can I speak to your father?”

  “He is asleep right now.” She threw her shoulders back and feigned confidence. While her father was ill, she was the head of the ranch. “You can say whatever you need to me.”

  He tensed his shoulders. “I come to you with a business proposition.”

  “What
kind of business proposal do you have in mind?” She clutched the bills tighter in her hand. His clothes looked just as expensive as her father’s. His coat was tailored and fitted, and his cheeks no longer sported the weathered look hers did. However he had spent the past few years, they’d been kind to him.

  “I own a hotel in California. As a result, I have some money that I wish to invest with. It shall accrue much more interest in a project, as opposed to sitting in a bank.”

  She held her breath. Even his language sounded more gentrified. “You wish to invest in Breighton?”

  “I noticed some of the other ranch hands have been let go. Preston told me the ranch was operating at a loss.” He shrugged. “I know Breighton. This ranch bounces back from financial trouble better than any other venture. Seems like as good of an investment as any.”

  She drew much needed confidence from his reminder. Breighton had run into trouble in the past, but her family had always made up for it and made a profit at the end of the day. It was nice to hear someone else finally share the same sentiment.

  But the tension remained. She couldn’t shake the suspicion tugging at the corner of her mind. Evelyn shifted her weight, unsure of how much to reveal.

  “Preston told you the truth. The ranch has fallen into financial trouble. I have not had the heart to tell my father yet. There are . . .” She hesitated. If Jesse was considering investing in Breighton, who was she to refuse the much-needed help? He deserved to know if he was really considering an investment in the ranch. “There are certain bank loans that need repaying.”

  “If I were to repay them, I would expect a certain cut in the profits.” His stare was stern. His hotel experience had apparently given him business sense. Yet while his voice sounded severe, there was still the same sincerity about him she remembered. Too bad she couldn’t trust his sincerity toward her. “The details can be negotiated later. But I expect to be a partner in the ranch with your father.”

  She wanted nothing more than to accept his offer right away. The ranch would bounce back eventually, she knew. But until then, the bank loans weren’t going to pay themselves.

  “I will let him know when he’s in better health.” She could hardly believe her ears. All the nights she’d stayed up, worrying that the bank would seize the land, all the time she’d spent considering the different ways to allocate funds to eke out more revenue—and here Jesse showed up, answering all her prayers.

  Maybe.

  “Thank you so much. Your investment will help Breighton more than you can imagine.”

  He nodded, but there was no smile on his face. The invisible barrier between them had never been torn down, she knew. His offer was simply a financial proposal, not an offer of friendship.

  “Mind if I take a look around the place? It’s been a while.”

  “Oh, of course. I will show you around.” Evelyn opened the front door for him. They headed toward the fences in silence, the clear blue sky above them. She still couldn’t believe he was willing to help finance the ranch; a huge boulder had just been rolled off her chest. “The fences need repair. I help Preston and the other boys with that.”

  Jesse flashed a small smile, and Evelyn’s heart lifted. Maybe he was offering his friendship after all. “You help out around the ranch?”

  “There is a shortage of ranch hands right now. Some of the cowboys moved up north.” They walked past the chicken coops and headed into the barn. They strode down the aisle of horses. The mares and mustangs peered at him through the open stable doors, studying the new arrival.

  “Loretta told me about that.”

  She guided him around the corner to the cows in the barn. Jesse ran his hand along the faded red of the milking stall walls. “I don’t just want to invest in this ranch. I want to help out again as a ranch hand.”

  What fresh torture was this? There was no way she could afford to hire someone else until the ranch started making a profit again. “Oh, but there is no need. Your investment is more than I can ask for.”

  “No, I want to. I miss working in this place, as crazy as it sounds.” He turned from the stall walls to look out at the green pastures in the distance. Barbed wire fences kept the cattle from leaving as the ranch hands watched over them. “Can’t quite turn your back on it. Not a lot of green pasture out there in California.”

  “I cannot pay you.” Her voice was urgent and her embarrassment complete, but there was no story she could offer him other than the truth. “While we need help, there are just not enough funds to keep this ranch going at the same pace you remember.”

  “I’ll be working to protect my investment, not for your payment.” Jesse put his hat back on and gave her a warning look. “If I’m partnering with your father to get this ranch back on track, I intend to see my profit at the end of this deal.”

  “Of course.” She nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Jesse Greenwood’s visit was as surprising as it was welcome. He was only looking for a business deal while he was in town, and he’d chosen Breighton. “How long are you staying in Hamilton?”

  “Three months, maybe. Until Loretta’s married.” He rubbed his chin, his smooth hands scratching over his new beard. The look would take some getting used to, but it fit him. “Encouraged a marriage between her and a doctor’s son, Robert. It’s a good match.”

  Evelyn raised an eyebrow. Loretta and Robert? She’d seen Jesse’s sister coming around the ranch every week to visit Preston. “But she and Preston have always made eyes at each other. Everyone in Hamilton knows that.”

  He scoffed. “Ain’t no way in hell she’s marrying Preston. He’s just a cowhand. I’m going to see her into a higher station in life.”

  She furrowed her brow. “A higher station?”

  “She thinks she’s in love, but someday she’ll understand.” His voice was nonchalant. It wasn’t cold, exactly, but dismissive.

  “She and Preston are inseparable, though.”

  “Maybe it’s better if they just forget they ever knew each other.”

  Evelyn drew in a sharp breath. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t remember those last words.

  • • •

  Loretta ran her fingers over the wooden posts of the corral. “I’m so glad you’re helping to fix up the ranch.”

  Jesse surveyed Breighton’s livestock. Glancing over the number of cattle grazing in the far fields was enough to estimate the number of cattle had increased, too. More men were needed to manage such a large herd. “I’m a business partner this time, not just another ranch hand.”

  “How’s Evelyn?”

  Jesse shot Loretta a quick look.

  His sister rolled her eyes. Her fingers stopped over the top of one of the posts, and she leaned forward against it. “Oh, don’t lie to me. You still care for her.”

  He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m just here for business.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you care for her.” Loretta smoothed out the creases of her lavender wool dress. “You never stopped.”

  “I never told you that.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Loretta stepped away from the corral. She shifted her blond curls to one side of her head, all the while peering at him with a critical eye. “Your questions about her spoke loudly enough. ‘Is she married?’ ‘How many men court her?’ ‘Does she ever talk about me?’”

  He gritted his teeth. “Nothing wrong with trying to keep up with the news in Hamilton.”

  “You don’t care about anything that happens in Hamilton.” She smirked. “You came here to see her.”

  He scuffed his dusty stovetop boots against the dirt. “I barely see her around the ranch anyhow.”

  “Only because I’m sure you’re avoiding her. Didn’t she give you a room in the big house?” Loretta asked. She tucked a wisp of blond hair behind her ear, but her gaze wasn’t on him. Instead, she stared at the ranch hands behind him. “You’re dying to get back out there on the ranch again, aren’t you?”

  He lo
oked over his shoulder to see what captured her attention, or rather who captured it. He frowned when he realized who stared back at her. “Maybe I am. And you’re dying to talk to Preston again, aren’t you?”

  Loretta averted her eyes. She dropped the lock of blond hair she’d been curling around her finger as a pink blush bloomed in her cheeks. “And maybe I am, too.”

  “He’s just a ranch hand, Loretta.” Jesse tried to keep his voice even. “I’ve given you enough money to rise out of that station. Robert wants to marry you. He’s from a good family. It’s a much better match.”

  She huffed and walked away toward the house. He turned around to glare at Preston and then followed her. “Loretta! Loretta, come back here.”

  “No!” She spun around. He winced when he noticed her scowl. “You’ve already told me who to marry, haven’t you? I know I can’t marry Preston. But you don’t get to tell me anything else. You can’t stop me from visiting him.”

  Jesse stood there as she stormed away. His sister stopped in the clearing in front of the house, where her buggy was waiting. The driver held his hand out for her, but she refused the help and climbed in herself. Without another look at Jesse, she said something to the driver and the horse and buggy began moving down the road toward Hamilton.

  “You don’t have to be so hard on her, you know.”

  He turned around at the voice, distracting him from the sound of the buggy wheels rolling away. The voice was soft, feminine, and dangerous.

  The sleeves of her oversized blue shirt were rolled up and she wore a pair of cotton trousers underneath. A black-brimmed hat covered her head, and her hair was tucked in a neat bun in the back. Dust covered her clothes. If not for her slim shoulders and short height, Evelyn was just another cowboy helping out at the ranch.

  “Seems like she’s spirited enough even when I try to scold her.” Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. What was he going to do with his baby sister? He hadn’t even told her he was working at the ranch again; she’d shown up on her own. Clearly she hadn’t been here to visit him. He didn’t even want to consider what she would have told Preston if he hadn’t been here.