The Rancher's Prospect

by Callie Endicott

  “Hey, boss,” he called. “Hi, Tara, Mr. Nelson. How was the camping trip?”

  “Terrific,” Josh answered. Unable to tell the ranch hands the real reason for their absence, he’d told them his grandfather had wanted time away to think about things, and that he’d decided to do the same. With Clyde in charge, it had apparently sounded reasonable to them.

  “Is everything in good shape here?” he asked.

  “You bet.”

  While Josh chatted with Andrew and some of the hands who’d ridden in when they spotted them coming, Tara unsaddled her horse, groomed the gelding and put him into a stall. “Good, Ringo,” she murmured, giving him a last rub on the nose.

  She expected to help with the pack horses, but one of the cowhands stopped her, saying, “We’re taking care of them, miss.”

  “Thanks.”

  Josh had gone to talk with Clyde, so she turned to Walt. “I’d better get back to my apartment and check in with Lauren.”

  “It’s been a good trip, kid.”

  Smiling determinedly, she nodded. “The best. I’ll see you in a day or two. I still need to finish organizing those historical records.”

  Holding back unexpected emotion, Tara hurried to her car. She’d expected to find a thick coat of dust on the paint, but someone must have washed it. After loading everything into the trunk, she got in and drove toward Schuyler.

  Already the weeks she’d spent on the mountain seemed like a glowing dream.

  On the passenger seat was a pouch of raw sapphires. She hadn’t wanted to accept the gift, but Josh and Walt had insisted. The two men seemed to be getting along well. The entire ride to the ranch, they’d amicably debated the merits of using the sapphires for commercial purposes or saving them as a private family treasure trove.

  Hopefully, they’d keep making progress on their relationship now that they were home. It concerned her because the Boxing N was an emotional trigger for them both.

  Dropping by the grocery store first, Tara bought vegetables, something she’d been craving; freeze-dried stew had some nutrients and they’d supplemented with dried fruits, but that was no replacement for fresh, crisp veggies.

  At the apartment she started a load of laundry before dialing her sister’s number. She got voice mail.

  “Hi, Lauren,” she said. “It’s Tara. I’m back from the mountains and everything is fine. I’ll talk with you tomorrow. Right now I’m looking forward to crawling into a real bed.”

  She prepared a large salad, but it didn’t taste as good as she’d expected—maybe it lacked the savor of mountain air. Her shower was equally disappointing, though she’d expected to revel in having modern plumbing again. Of course, a fiberglass shower stall couldn’t compare to a hot spring pool out in the wild, but at least it was easier to wash her hair.

  Trying to push away the memories, Tara finally sat down with a biography of Mary, Queen of Scots, that she’d picked up at a library sale. While it wasn’t the most uplifting reading material, she hoped it would help her stop wishing for the impossible.

  * * *

  JOSH WENT INTO Schuyler to shop and get a pizza to share with his grandfather.

  They ate in the kitchen, and memories of Grandma Evelyn crowded in. It was obviously worse for Walt, but the tension eased when they opened the old mason jar from the window over the sink. Sure enough, sapphires had been in plain view all the time.

  Yet knocking around in the back of Josh’s head was the memory of seeing Tara’s car driving away. Why hadn’t she waited to say goodbye? He’d only been gone a few minutes.

  It shouldn’t surprise him. She was great at leaving; he didn’t know if she’d ever be good at staying.

  Later he and his grandfather sat on the porch, watching the sun drop low on the western horizon.

  Josh hated to spoil the companionable moment, but he finally leaned forward. “Grandpa, I’ve been thinking. Let’s split responsibilities on the Boxing N. Your first love has always been horses. Why don’t you take over the horse-breeding program and leave the cattle ranching to me? That way we won’t step on each other’s toes.”

  Walt scratched his jaw. “I suppose you still want to buy bull semen from Texas.”

  “I want to get into producing organic beef. It takes a while to be certified, but I can build the herd until then. Upgrading our other cattle is a good idea, too, and the best way is through artificial insemination.”

  “That isn’t how we’ve always done things.”

  “I know, but the business is changing, Grandpa. Property owned by a family for generations is being sold or turned into dude ranches. I don’t want that happening to the Boxing N, which is one reason I want to tap into the organic market. A lot of our acreage won’t support as many cattle, but organic beef commands high prices, which should make up for that.”

  Josh could tell he’d scored a point. The Boxing N hadn’t turned a profit for several years—mostly because the way Grandpa did things was stubbornly out-of-date. They both knew it, but it wasn’t necessary to be hurtful. Walter Nelson had worked hard and done his best.

  “My pop used to say, ‘The view is nice, but it isn’t real sustaining,’” Walt said slowly. “I still don’t understand this organic thing, though.”

  “Does it matter, if we get more money?”

  Walt chuckled. “Nope. You know...there’s room in the foaling barn for more mares.”

  “That’s right.”

  As they continued discussing how to work things out, Josh saw relief on his grandfather’s face.

  “How does Tara fit into all of this?” Walt asked abruptly.

  A humorless laugh escaped Josh. He shouldn’t be surprised. Grandpa was too smart not to have realized something was going on. He’d probably even guessed before leaving on his sapphire quest.

  “I’m not sure,” Josh admitted. “Tara enjoys cities and travel and living in new places. She doesn’t put down roots, so I doubt she’d consider staying in Schuyler, even if her sister is here.”

  Walt’s eyes narrowed. “Does that have to end things between you?”

  Josh stared, confused for an instant. Then understanding crept in...why should Tara be the one to give up her lifestyle? What about compromise? He’d been thinking about whether she’d be willing to settle down in Schuyler, but that wasn’t the only choice.

  * * *

  TARA WOKE LATE the next morning, a surprise because she’d been rising at sunrise for weeks. Unfortunately she hadn’t gotten to sleep for hours last night; the bed had been too soft, the sounds of the town too loud and a feeling akin to claustrophobia had kept her restless.

  It was just a case of getting used to civilization again, she decided. After all, her first weeks in Schuyler had been a shock after living in Paris, and adjusting to Melbourne after her trip to the outback had taken time, as well.

  She dressed and walked over to her sister’s apartment. Lauren must have seen her coming from the window, because she threw open the door and rushed out for a hug before Tara could knock.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” Lauren exclaimed. “And I have incredible news. Carl Stanfield and I are engaged!” Her nose wrinkled. “Go ahead and say, ‘I told you so.’”

  “Okay, I told you so. But it’s also wonderful. Congratulations,” Tara said, despite the hollow sensation in her midriff. “I want to take you both out to dinner to celebrate.”

  “Carl is attending a law enforcement seminar in Rapid City right now, but we can go when he gets back.”

  * * *

  FOUR EVENINGS LATER Tara watched her sister and her fiancé together, determined not to envy their happiness. They practically glowed, and there was a subtle, unspoken communication between them that said more than anything they could have told her aloud.

  Lauren falling in love and getting mar
ried would change things. They’d likely have a family soon, so there probably wouldn’t be any trips abroad to visit her twin.

  That’s okay, Tara thought determinedly. Her sister deserved to be happy.

  She returned to her small apartment after saying good-night and sank onto the couch. Honestly, there wasn’t any reason to feel lonely. She’d found a sister and soon she’d have a very nice brother-in-law. Everything was the way it should be... Lauren was the kind of woman who got married and had children, same as her friend Emily.

  It turned out that Walt had gotten back barely in time for the big event; Emily had gone into labor two days after their return from Smaug’s Mountain. Tara had hoped to spend an extra day at the Boxing N office with Walt practicing email and Skype, but instead he’d been at the hospital to greet his new great-grandson.

  She sighed and glanced around her living room. It was rather dull—decent furniture, but with no distinctive character. Other than buying flowers, she rarely personalized the places she lived. The exception was a digital-photo frame that rotated through photos of her travels, sitting on the divider by the kitchen. She’d plugged it back in that morning, and the photographs on the memory card were from Great Britain.

  The British Isles were beautiful, green and rich with ancient history. Yet as Tara watched one scene dissolve into another, she felt even more alone. There weren’t any people she knew in the photographs, just strangers who’d seemed interesting—a fish seller in Liverpool, a child staring up in awe at a Buckingham Palace guard, that sort of thing. The slide show could have been scanned from a magazine or culled from the internet.

  Tara raised her chin. The photos meant something to her because she’d seen those places and taken them. Ultimately, pictures were the only belongings she cared very much about.

  Determinedly she took her camera out of her duffel bag. She copied the memory card to her computer and began going through the recent images. There were lovely shots of Montana countryside, a number of Lauren, and a great many of Walt and Josh. This would be a very different set of pictures to put in the digital frame.

  Yet she hesitated. She wasn’t ready to have photos of Josh in her apartment, so she carefully backed them up on a portable hard drive. It was something she usually did, but there was no denying she was taking special care this time.

  In the living room was a small knickknack shelf. On it she arranged the sapphires from her pouch. She wasn’t sure what to do with them. Perhaps they could be a wedding gift for Lauren and Carl. She could sell them, but she didn’t need the money. And keeping the gems would be a painful reminder of Walt...and Josh.

  No, she wasn’t going to think about it that way. Walt would continue to be a friend, and his grandson would be a pleasant memory. After all, few women had the opportunity to swim by moonlight in a mountain hot spring pool and enjoy the company of a very proficient lover.

  But now it was time to go back to her normal life and think about what came next.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  A WEEK AFTER returning home, Josh and his grandfather met with Clyde Hawes to discuss their plan for operating the ranch. The birth of Emily and Trent’s son had taken precedence over everything else, but with the excitement settling down, they needed the Boxing N foreman to know how things were going to operate in the future.

  Questions or problems with the horses would be referred to Walt. Anything to do with the cattle would come to Josh.

  Clyde was too diplomatic to comment on the arrangement, but he was clearly pleased. “One of the new guys seems to have some extra horse sense, Mr. Nelson,” he said. “If you want, I can assign him to muck out the foaling barn for a few days so you can get a feel for his work. His name is Hector Morales. He’s young, but very keen. He grew up on ranch near Tulsa.”

  Walt nodded. “I’ll check him out.”

  As Clyde left, Josh glanced toward the ranch office. “Is Tara finished sorting out the files?”

  “Yes.” His grandfather’s expression became dour. “She left notes on everything, including a set for you. I’ll miss seeing her every day, but she’s shown me how to do email.”

  Josh nodded, amused. “Email is a great way to keep in touch.”

  “I like Skype better,” Walt returned seriously. “That way we can see each other when we talk.”

  Hearing his technology-hating grandfather casually mention Skype was almost more than Josh could handle. “I used to Skype with the family when I lived down south.”

  “Yes, well, Tara has promised to keep me up to date on all her travels, one way or another.”

  Pain went through Josh at the idea of Tara so far away. Never in his life could he have imagined caring for a woman the way he cared for her.

  Walt cleared his throat. “I, uh, was thinking I’d like to go to the cemetery and bring flowers to Evelyn.”

  Josh tried to keep his expression neutral. Grandpa had been too badly injured to attend the funeral and had refused to visit the cemetery since being released from the hospital. Josh had taken that as confirmation of how distant his grandparents’ marriage had been, but no longer. Now he knew how hard it must have been for Walt to consider going to his wife’s graveside. Wanting to go now might mean Walt’s soul was healing as well as his body.

  “Are you sure you’re ready?” Josh asked.

  “I think so. But if you don’t mind, I’d like Tara to come with us.”

  “I’ll ask her.”

  After Walt left, Josh considered phoning Tara, but thought it would be better to tell her the latest development in person. At her apartment he knocked, wondering if he should have called first. Then he heard her light, quick footsteps and the door opened.

  “Hi.”

  Instead of jeans and a T-shirt, she wore a graceful black skirt and gray blouse, with sparkling blue sapphire solitaires in her ears. Lord, she was beautiful.

  “I came to ask a favor,” he said. “It’s for Grandpa. He wants to bring flowers to the cemetery, and he wants you to come with us.”

  “I don’t know,” Tara murmured. “Visiting a grave... Isn’t that a family thing?”

  “Not really, and even if it was, Grandpa’s wishes are what matter.”

  “Yes, of course. In that case, I’ll be happy to go.”

  “Great. I’ll call later and we can work out a good time.”

  * * *

  LATE THE NEXT AFTERNOON Josh drove his grandfather to Schuyler’s community cemetery. Tara had wanted to meet them and was waiting at the gate, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

  They walked toward the Nelson family plot.

  “The McGregors are over there,” Walt told Tara, gesturing across the cemetery. “So I guess in the end, we’re all going to rest in peace together.”

  It was a curious thought that after all the rivalries and tensions between the two families, they’d lie together in common ground.

  There were fresh flowers on Grandma Evelyn’s grave, and Josh knew someone else had been there recently. A pang went through him; there was no sign now of where the turf had been removed and replaced. How could that much time have passed? It still seemed like yesterday.

  “I need to get a proper stone,” Walt said, looking at the small metal plate with his wife’s name. “Your mother wants me to choose one, but I haven’t been able to do it. Makes the whole thing too real, I suppose.”

  Walt bent and set down the bouquet of flowers he’d picked in the garden and along the road. “Evelyn loved the flowers she’d planted,” he said. “And she loved the flowers of Montana.”

  Josh’s eyes burned, remembering his grandmother working in the garden, or sitting and painting pictures of wildflowers.

  “I couldn’t come when you were laid here,” Walt said softly, talking to his wife. “But I hope you know how much I love you.”

  A
s Josh glanced down and saw Tara’s fingers laced with his, the memory of holding Grandma Evelyn’s hand in the hospital rushed back.

  “She knows, Grandpa,” Josh said, Tara’s firm grasp helping him to get the words out. “I’d forgotten, but she reacted at the hospital when I told her I was going to see you.”

  Walt’s eyes sharpened. “Did she say anything?”

  “Not with words,” Josh answered, wishing with all his heart he could say something different. “I was holding her hand, and she brushed my palm with her thumb. Three times. It was very distinct.”

  Grandpa pulled in a sharp breath, and Josh saw tears gathering in his hazel eyes.

  “She always did that when we held hands,” Walt said, his voice choked. “In the beginning Evelyn could never get our anniversary right. She remembered the date she’d proposed to me, but not the wedding. So I started tapping her hand four times for April, and she’d tap back three times. It was for the third of the month, to remind herself.” Walt let out a watery chuckle. “It became our special code. I used to tease that it was a good thing we hadn’t gotten married on the twenty-ninth.”

  Josh grinned back. “She would have lost count before getting that far.”

  “Uh, why don’t you two go for a walk,” Walt suggested. “I’d like to be alone with her.”

  * * *

  TARA WALKED BESIDE JOSH, wondering how to pull her fingers free without being obvious. She’d been trying to support him, but now it seemed too intimate.

  “It’s really something,” he said after a few minutes. “All this time I knew something that Grandpa needed to hear, and I never realized.”

  “Maybe she did it with the others, too, hoping someone would get the message through,” Tara suggested.

  “Possibly.” He glanced over at her. “Has this tempted you to become a sentimentalist?”

  “This isn’t sentimentality,” she insisted. “It’s sentiment—that’s different.”

  “I’m not so sure the dictionary would agree.”

  The debate felt like a continuation of their discussions in the mountains. But the familiarity wasn’t comforting; she needed distance, not friendship with Josh.