by Mary Leo
She shrugged. “I didn’t think it was important. Besides, I assumed you knew my dad and I visited a few times.”
Things were starting to gel in Reese’s mind. Now it made sense that he’d seen Avery riding before, and not just in his dreams.
“No, I didn’t know. So, Chuck took the time to essentially teach you how to ride? Chuck Starr, who I’ve never seen without a pressed pair of jeans and a clean white shirt, taught a little girl how to ride a horse?”
“I also took lessons back home, but he taught me how to jump. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but Chuck is a great guy once you get to know him.”
“I’m going to put that aside for now while you tell me just how many times you were in Wild Cross.”
“I don’t really know the exact count, maybe three or four times. My dad would try to bring me during the summer for at least a couple weeks. It was our time together. Once my mom died, my dad felt lost for a long time. Visiting Chuck gave him stability, something to look forward to every year. Besides, my mom had loved Chuck’s ranch, even though in those days it was nothing like it is today. The last time I was here, I think I was about fourteen or fifteen years old.”
“Do you remember anything out of the ordinary about that last trip?”
She thought for a moment as Machala put down the beers on white napkins, then abruptly left to tend to a couple new customers who’d pulled up stools at the bar.
“I think that was the summer when I went exploring on my horse a lot. I would get bored very easily back then, but riding always helped.”
“I think that’s when I saw you. That must be it. You weren’t just in my dreams. You were real. You were here, in Wild Cross.”
Still, there was something nagging at him, something about her, about his dreams that haunted him.
“Did you ever think that maybe because you saw me in town or riding on your land, that was enough to make you dream about me? Our minds are amazingly powerful.”
“Maybe so, but I have a feeling there’s more to it than that.”
“You should talk to Kaya.”
“Chuck’s house manager?”
Reese had seen Kaya on several occasions in and around town. He didn’t know her personally, but knew of her. She belonged to the deeply spiritual Hopi tribe, so talking to her about his dreams would certainly be an education. “I’m sure she has her own ideas about dreams.”
“Let’s just say she thinks we were meant to be together,” Avery said with a warm smile that sent a small eruption through Reese’s body. The woman sent shivers to his soul.
Reese sucked in the breath that caught in his throat and wondered how Kaya, who he barely knew, could possibly know such things. “If you weren’t working for Chuck Starr, I might think Kaya was right.”
“But I’m not working for Chuck. We’re just friends.”
“Then why did you deliver that letter to my mom, and why did you set up a meeting for Chuck and me? And why did you tell me you’re his lawyer? If that’s not working for someone, then what is?”
She tilted her head. “I’m only doing him favors. I’m not getting paid for any of my time, nor would I want to. He’s a friend, a good friend and someone I admire. Like I said, he just wants…”
“To be my friend, I know. But that can’t be the only reason. Not with Chuck.”
She drank some of her beer, then quickly licked her top lip to catch any excess foam. The action sent a hot charge through him, despite his conversation agitation.
“Why won’t you give him the benefit of the doubt?”
“That’s just it. I’m filled with doubt. Too much doubt. I’ve seen him in action. All you’ve seen is the man who taught you how to ride a horse. Believe me, he’s far more than that.”
The dislike Reese felt for Chuck at times had been all-consuming. But lately, ever since Avery had gotten involved, he had to admit his intense distaste for the man was beginning to crack. Besides, he really wanted to know more about his mom’s past with Chuck. Could they have really been in love? Or was it something else . . . something dark? The thought made his stomach roil.
“How much more? What exactly has Chuck Starr done that’s so awful?”
“He killed my father, that’s what, and now he wants me to forgive him so he can take his place.”
CLEARLY, AVERY’S ATTEMPT at softening Reese’s attitude towards Chuck was proving to be much more challenging than she had anticipated.
Once he laid out his true feelings over a beer inside Around The Bend, all bets were off. Getting Reese to accept Chuck into his life, knowing the way he felt seemed impossible at best.
“That’s a powerful accusation,” Avery said, once Reese he calmed down a bit. They hadn’t spoken for what seemed like forever and instead drank down a good portion of their rich-tasting beers. “Do you have the facts to back that up?”
“Chuck liked to torment my dad, liked to turn the screws on my dad’s misfortunes whenever he got the chance. Just days before my dad’s heart attack, Chuck had visited our ranch with another offer on our land. He knew my dad would never sell the last acres of our ranch to Chuck, but he pushed his offer on us anyway, making it sound as if I was considering selling. Which I was not, and would not.”
“You know that’s not a legal reason for your dad’s death.”
Reese shoved a hand through his hair and sat back. “It might not be legal, but I know it weighed on my dad. His health was already compromised and Chuck’s unwarranted and taunting offer only added to my dad’s misery. It’s no secret that our ranch is failing. That we’re operating at a loss. Selling our calves off was a testament to that. But Chuck likes to rub it in. How do you think he’s acquired all the land he now owns? He stepped in when a rancher was having financial problems and offered to buy their mineral rights so they could keep their land. On the surface it sounded like a sweet deal, but Chuck had other plans.
“Once he had the rights, he made living on the land impossible with his drilling, containment ponds, fencing, and whatever else he needed to tear up good grazing land. Finally, when the rancher got tired of the battle, Chuck bought him out for thousands less than what the land was originally worth. My dad was one of the last holdouts. The realization that Chuck Starr might someday own any part of his ranch, the ranch his family had worked and he had spent his entire life working, was killing him.
“But even more importantly, I think he realized that not only would Chuck eventually get his ranch, but he already had his oldest son . . . me. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to ever give in to any part of it.”
As Reese stood, anger colored his foul expression. He threw some cash on the table and stormed out of the tavern.
“Whewwww!” Machala groused as she walked up to the table. “I don’t know what you said, honey, but I’ve never seen Reese that pissed off in my entire life.”
“I was trying to get him to accept Chuck.”
“Something tells me you might not be going about it the right way. Chuck Starr and the entire Cooper clan have been feuding for decades. Getting them to stop would be like spinning the world in a different direction. Not going to happen. Not as long as Chuck Starr is the first class prick we all love to hate. Sorry hon, but that man wouldn’t know how to be decent if his life depended on it.”
Her words stung deep. Avery resented the fact that most of the residents of Wild Cross seemed to dislike Chuck. “You don’t know him like I do. Chuck is a genuinely good man.”
“Honey, I’ve been dealing with Chuck Starr for years now. Used to work in County Records back when Chuck first landed in this town. Believe me, the Chuck you know from your visits and the Chuck this town knows from having to deal with him, are two different men. I can’t blame Reese for his anger. I’m surprised he’s holding up as well as he is. Learning that a despicable man like Chuck Starr is your bio father would make me want to shoot somebody . . . most likely Chuck.”
“You know?”
“By now, most of the to
wn knows. We just don’t talk about it, at least not openly. Was a foul day when you delivered that letter at Reese Sr.’s memorial!”
“I didn’t know what the contents were. If I had, I would never have delivered it.”
Machala shook her head, grunting. “So, Chuck used you as well. And you’re still defending him? He must have some kind of power over you that’s stunting your ability to think clearly.”
“That’s not it. You don’t understand.”
Machala came out from behind the bar and took the stool Reese had vacated. “You seem like a nice girl, and from the way Reese treated you when you first came in, I think he likes you. And believe me, Reese doesn’t fall for very many women. The man is a true loner, so there must be something special about you. So let me give you some unsolicited advice. If you really want Reese to talk to Chuck about this new situation, you have to be on Reese’s side, not on Chuck’s. And from the anger I saw coming from that hardworking, kind man, who never has a bad word to say about anyone . . . except Chuck Starr . . . if you don’t change your loyalty soon, Reese will be a delightful memory and he and Chuck will more than likely never come to terms on any level.”
Avery felt the tension in her body grip her stomach, causing the beer to feel like acid. “I don’t know how to do that. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Machala smiled. “Just chew on what I said for a spell. Take it or leave it. The decision is yours. Either way, dealing with them will be an emotional rollercoaster ride, that’s for certain. And, honey, I don’t envy you one bit.”
SEVEN
Reese had about ten minutes left until the government offices closed, so he hustled over there while trying his best to push the conversation he’d just had with Avery out of his mind.
The woman infuriated him like no other, and brought out the worst in him. He couldn’t remember losing his temper like that, ever. This whole thing with Chuck Starr being his biological dad had him spinning. It didn’t help that he was still grieving for his own dad, the man who raised him, who was there whenever he needed him and most importantly when he didn’t think he needed him. There wasn’t another man in the entire world who Reese admired more. He only wished he’d said it to him more often, told him how much he loved him, made him understand how much he was admired not only for his advice and compassion, but for his understanding heart whenever Reese needed a little reassuring.
To think he’d never see him again, never feel his dad’s strong arms around him, never shoot the bull with him over a football game or a rodeo or even a TV show, was almost too much for Reese to bear. He’d learned how to hold back the tears over most things, but this one tore at his very core and left him quivering whenever he was alone at night.
He’d heard his sister crying and his mom, too, and he and his brothers had shed some tears at the hospital when their dad took his last breath, but Reese thought he had this. Thought he could control his emotions. Thought that losing his dad was simply part of the circle of life. He hoped that would quell the hurt, but nothing seemed to matter. Nothing could fix the broken part of his heart.
And never had it been so apparent as when he’d lost it with Avery.
He’d been so mad over the whole Chuck thing that if Chuck had been in the room, he may have walked right over to him and punched the son of a bitch right in his damn smug nose.
The County Recorder’s Office lay directly ahead of him, and if he didn’t calm down, there was no telling what he’d say to the poor sap who worked behind the counter, especially if he gave Reese any attitude about searching for any studies his dad may have filed.
Reese grabbed the metal doorknob, tried to get his breathing under control and pushed the door open. At once the fluorescent overhead lights flooded the room, along with his sour mood with the reality of the moment. He told himself to calm the hell down and try to be civil, no matter what kind of crap might be slung in his direction.
There were no lines, so he walked right up to a young man behind the counter.
“Can I help you?” the young man with the blond hair and blond eyebrows asked. He looked to be in his early twenties, wore a genuine smile, a sky blue shirt, a dark blue necktie, and a name tag that read, Hank Starnes. His hair was parted on the side and slicked down with some type of gel. He looked ready to help.
At least Reese hoped he would.
“Yes, I’d like to know a couple things, and I’m hoping you can help me. First, I’d like to know if the Cooper Ranch owns its mineral rights and I’d like to know what geological studies my deceased father ran on our land. Will that be a problem?”
“Depends. First tell me your father’s name, and then show me some I.D. that proves you’re his son.”
Those words “his son” conjured up bile in Reese’s throat causing him to cough. Hank immediately pushed a small bottle of water at him. “Maybe this will help, sir,” he said, smiling.
Reese drank down the water, then pulled out his driver’s license from his wallet and slid it to Hank.
So far, so good.
“That’s perfect, Mr. Cooper. This will take a bit of time, but if you’ll take a seat, I’ll see what we have and print anything I find for you.”
“But you’re closing in five minutes.”
“No worries. Just don’t leave or you won’t be able to get back inside. The doors will be locked promptly at five.”
Reese located the sitting area next to a water cooler and took a seat. He figured he might be there for a while, so he picked up a magazine off the stack on the small end table next to him. And wouldn’t you know, Chuck Starr was on the cover. His home and his ranch were featured inside Arizona Today.
Reese chuckled and tossed the magazine back on the table and decided to pace instead. He didn’t make it all the way across the room when Hank called his name.
Hank slid a pile of papers about two inches thick across to him. “It seems your dad had asked for a few different geological studies. I think he even employed a private company for some seismic testing. We won’t have those results. All the other results haven’t come back yet, but almost everything he surveyed for are in these documents. I couldn’t get access to some of the documents. I don’t know why. Also, the paperwork on the mineral rights is in this stack as well. Sorry I couldn’t get everything for you, but try again in a few weeks. For now, I hope this helps,” Hank said with a friendly smile.
“Thanks, I’m sure it will,” Reese said as calmly as possible. He’d hit the mother-load and knew it. Hank had been more than helpful, probably too helpful and if someone with authority found out about it, Reese hoped that person wouldn’t come down on Hank too hard.
As Reese walked out, he fanned through the documents, but couldn’t at first glance make out what his dad was looking for. He wondered if his mom knew anything about all these studies, and if she did, Reese wanted to know why she kept it from him.
They hadn’t said more than good morning or good night since the memorial, but maybe it was time to break the silence.
IF REESE WANTED to talk to his mom, he would have to do it at the annual Spring Fling in town, a true barn dance that celebrated all things spring. After that, according to Shiloh, she would be spending a few days with her sister, Janet, in Phoenix, a town Reese had no use for . . . way too big, and way too expensive.
“Do you still remember how to dance?” Shiloh asked as they stood in the doorway of the community center, a center that had seen better days. The floor was still in relatively good shape, but other than that, the roof leaked, several windows were cracked, and the heating system was on its last legs. The air conditioning still worked well enough, but they didn’t really need it tonight. The weather had cooperated and hovered at a steady sixty-five, the perfect temperature for a dance.
Still, with all of that going on with the building itself, tonight the place held most of the residents and their kids, plus most of the residents from the surrounding ranches. Real down home country music bounced off the walls, and t
he entire place was decorated with an abundance of spring flowers perched in well-worn cowboy boots, hats and wrapped around old ropes.
“To answer your question, I don’t dance anymore. I’ve got more important things to do with my time. The only reason I drove out here tonight is to ask Mom a couple questions. That’s if I can get her alone for a few minutes, and once that happens, I’ll be heading back home.”
Reese had driven over, and Shiloh had hitched a ride. She looked great in a pretty, soft yellow dress that Reese had never seen before, and big silver jewelry that she’d designed and made, no doubt. She even wore polished cowgirl brown boots, a real rarity for her . . . the polished part, not the boots. Shiloh rarely wore regular shoes, even with her best dresses, but she mostly never bothered to spit-shine them, at least not like they were tonight. He had a feeling she was meeting someone special.
“Then you’ll have to hitch a ride with someone, ’cause you’re not leaving me here without any wheels to get back home.”
“Somehow, with the way you look, I thought you’d be meeting up with someone.”
“I thought so too, but it doesn’t look as if he’s here.”
“Are you going to tell me who the lucky guy is?”
“No. I don’t want you saying anything to him. It’s tough enough to find a single guy in this town who isn’t already dating someone or already married. I don’t need you or any of my brothers running shotgun for me by giving him the third degree like you guys did to my last three boyfriends.”
Shiloh had a way of picking guys who either had no visible means of income, were on their way out of town or who were simply in it for the sex and nothing else. It wasn’t as if Reese and his brothers didn’t admire Shiloh in all other aspects of her life; she knew what she wanted and stuck with it. Plus, she was a better cowboy, when she wanted to be, than they were. But her ability to pick a decent guy wasn’t in her makeup, never had been even when she was a kid. Reese hoped that one day the right guy would come along for her, but unfortunately, he didn’t see that happening any time soon.