“It was a pleasure, Trey.” Murt tipped his hat from across the flames. “Like old times.”
Only better, thought Trey. Because he was finally beginning to get it, the understanding of accepting with grace and not chasing for more.
He picked Belle up, carrying her in one arm and his guitar in the other, then faced Lucy. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Thank you, Trey.”
The combination of the pliant child in his arms and Lucy’s winsome smile made peace in the valley seem close. So close.
They got the kids settled in. Ashley slid into the front seat. She glanced up at them, excited, then held open her hand. “Isabo paid me for this week. She said I did well and I can work Wednesday after school and then next weekend. If that’s okay?”
“Keep your grades up, and it’s fine,” Lucy told her. She smiled at the girl as Trey opened her door. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”
“It feels amazing!” Ashley grinned. “And I did it myself !”
“Yes, you did.” Lucy turned back his way once she settled into the driver’s seat. “Thank you for the song. For the day.” She shrugged and smiled softly. “For everything, Trey.”
“Weren’t much, ma’am, just a pair of old cowboys, pluckin’ away. And I wanted to thank you for standing up to Sallie today. You surprised me. You surprised her, even more,” he added lightly. “And I think she’s finally gotten it through her head that the free ride is over.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything, but I took one look at her and saw that selfishness. It hit every old button I’ve got, and I spouted off. But it wasn’t my place, Trey, and I’m sorry.”
“Those buttons can mess us up. Or they can be a big help to keeping us on track. One way or another, it’s all right. And I wanted you to know that.”
Her smile deepened. She reached up and touched the back of his hand, just that. “Thank you.”
He watched her go, then climbed into his SUV and drove to the cabin.
He hadn’t found much inspiration to write since being home, but tonight was different. Tonight the notes and words and emotions moved him, and he stayed up half the night, working. When his alarm sounded a few hours later, he didn’t fight waking up.
Waking up meant seeing Lucy. Helping her get that old place back into shape. Watching her smile and scold as she taught young boys good manners. And the way he felt when she turned that smile his way, as if anything was possible.
Sure it was quick, maybe too quick, but it was too right to be wrong. God’s timing, that wonderful, simplistic belief, was being played out before his eyes, and for the first time in years, Trey trusted the tangibility of the intangible. And he began to truly believe.
The next two weeks flew by for Lucy. Ashley passed her summer school classes with two solid Bs and a clean slate to start high school after Labor Day.
The boys were getting antsy when they weren’t at the Double S, but they couldn’t be over there, underfoot, every day. Belle caught a cold from Noah and needed snuggles more than medicine, but she wasn’t happy with Ashley snuggles. She wanted her mommy, and no one but her mother would do.
Lucy had approached Sam about a contract, and he’d presented her with one forty-eight hours later. She went over it carefully, found nothing objectionable, and signed on the dotted line.
Lucy Carlton was going to open her own business in town.
The thought thrilled and terrified her because what if she failed?
Then don’t fail.
She ordered books from the Ellensburg library and studied while caring for Belle. She read up on greenhouse production, maximizing profits, and resisting the urge to increase overhead by overstocking.
It all made wonderful, perfect sense, but of course the unknown variable was the consumer. Would people shop there? Would they lay down hard-earned money season after season? And did she have what it took to run a business and build her own version of the American dream?
Trey had finished the barn repairs the previous week. The painting was done. All the buildings wore their new roofs like church ladies wore spring hats, shining softly in the midday sun. Josh and Shannon had installed the porch rails, and the look of them, clean and white, made her feel like anything was possible. The three teen boys were working daily to put a new coat of white on the faded farmhouse, and where run-down had ruled the day, fresh and new surrounded her.
Cade had dashed out when he spotted the mail truck. He raced back up the driveway, looking taller and lankier than in years past. He jumped the two steps, dropped the mail in her lap and ran off again. Trey had promised them an afternoon at the ranch once the lower fields of cattle hay were baled, but she’d given the boys two old stalls to clean and sweep. If the stalls weren’t done, they went nowhere, and she hoped that was impetus enough to keep them working.
She set aside two bills and three advertisements, then paused.
In her hand was a greeting-card type envelope, in unfamiliar writing.
She tore it open, smiled, and sighed.
Roses covered the face of the card, trailing along an old farm fence. Pink, yellow, and red, the flowers bloomed against the rustic backdrop, old and new, beautiful together. She opened the card and her smile grew. “Saw this at Hammerstein’s and thought of you. I could deliver it in person, but there’s something real nice about getting mail. Trey.”
Just that.
Her heart stretched wider. It shouldn’t, because she understood the time frame and the meaning of “temporary” better than the kids, so she knew he’d be leaving once Sam was better.
But today, with the late-summer sun slanted more southward, Lucy let the sweetness of the gesture tempt her. Belle had dozed off. She carried her inside to the couch, tucked her in, then crossed the drive to the single greenhouse. Josh Washington was coming by to sketch a plan for the new greenhouses. Trey was coming to pick up the boys and Ashley. Lucy’s world, which had seemed out of whack two months before, had taken on new life and new goals.
She examined the area and the path to the Christmas tree fields, then paced off enough space to allow a transport vehicle access to the new greenhouse area as Josh pulled in. He grinned when he saw her and came her way. “We’ve got another project going, Lucy. Who’d have thought?” He pushed back his hat and crossed his arms over his chest. “I like the sound of this idea, real well.”
“Unbelievable, right?” She could say that to Josh because they’d lived in Gray’s Glen for many years. Not much had changed until everything changed, and that took some getting used to.
“My friend Trey would say you’ve got to make hay while the sun shines,” Josh drawled, half-teasing and three-quarters serious. “And that’s how I see all this. Your farm and the town and that sweet new church rising in the midst of it all. The sun is finally shining on Gray’s Glen, and that’s because it’s shining like a beacon in Sam’s soul.”
“It feels almost wrong to take advantage of that,” she admitted as Trey’s SUV pulled in. He parked alongside Josh’s truck and came their way, looking way better than a cowboy ever should. When he smiled at her, her pulse absolutely, positively refused to behave.
“It’s not taking advantage,” Josh told her. “It’s what folks do to rebuild what’s gone wrong before.” He turned toward Trey, noticed his sunburned neck, and winced. “You might have wanted to use more sunscreen up on that hill. Ouch.”
Trey grimaced. “The fire-breathing skin on the back of my neck is a steady reminder today, and it’s the second time I’ve done it this summer. You’d think I’d learn. Hello, Lucy.” He smiled down at her, as if seeing her made him forget sunburned necks and long hours working hay. “Is it still okay for me to grab the older kids?”
“It’s wonderful,” she told him. “The boys are in the barn. They needed to clean up those first two stalls. If they’re done, they’re free to go.”
“And Ashley?”
“Hopefully Ashley is just finishing her summer book report on local history.
It’s due the first day of classes next week.”
“I don’t want to mess up your time with Josh,” Trey said, “but the Ellensburg Rodeo is this coming weekend, and if you guys would consider heading that way with me, Ashley could come face to face with some local history. The Yakama Indians will set up their old-style encampment outside the grounds, and then they open the rodeo with a show on the tribes and how they descended into the valley every autumn. Have you ever gone?”
She didn’t say there had never been enough money for her to even think of such a thing. How easily life flowed for people of means. Even through hardships, the kind everyone faced, people of means didn’t have to slog and worry about every single penny, and that was a luxury she’d never had. But now, with a new business, with regular money coming in next year, maybe she could join the normalcy of middle-class America. If she could achieve that, she’d never ask for anything more.
“I expect the kids would love that,” Josh added. “Cade and Cody have caught a real fine case of cowboy fever being up at the Double S.”
Lucy hesitated. If she immersed them in too much Western cowboy lore, how would they react when Trey was gone and the regular invites to the ranch stopped coming? She started to refuse, then caught herself.
She was being irrational. Why shouldn’t the kids have a day to remember? She’d never been able to afford vacations with them, so a day at the rodeo, surrounded by bulls and broncs and Columbian plateau history would be wonderful. “I’d love that, Trey. The kids too.”
His smile grew. “Thought for a minute you were going to turn me down, Ms. Lucy.”
“And if I had?”
“I’d find another invite to issue,” he promised. “But I’m glad you accepted this one. I haven’t been to the Ellensburg Rodeo in over a decade. Even in the busiest of seasons, Dad found a way to get us to the rodeo every year. This will be like old times. Only new.”
“And a great time for all four kids,” Josh agreed.
Trey backpedaled to the barn. “I’ll see you later. Is it all right if we give them supper at the ranch? Isabo’s marinating chicken for the big rotisserie. With salt potatoes, from the back garden. And corn.”
“You had me at rotisserie chicken.”
“Good.” He paused, smiling at her, and drat if she didn’t stand there, stuck in one spot, smiling back.
“Back to greenhouses.” Josh tapped his old-school spiral-bound folder and brought her back on track, as Trey rounded up kids. He showed her basic plans, and they worked out square footage and walking room between the rows of plants, along with a storage area at the end with water and electricity access.
“This is taking a simple greenhouse design and turning it into something beyond the expected,” she said.
“That’s the fun of a new build,” Josh replied. “We can do it right from the beginning, making sure everything’s in place for successful growing. Cuts down on your time, and that helps your profit margin. Sam said he wants two of these done here, and then he wants me to go the next size up for display at the Town Center shop. That way you’ve got plenty of work space here and good display space there.”
“It’s wonderful, Josh.”
Josh bumped knuckles with her. “That’s exactly what Sam said. Now that we’re all on the same page, I’m going to order the materials. Then we’ll have the topsoil stripped here so we can begin construction.” He turned and pointed toward the house and the inviting front porch. “And here’s a thought, Lucy. I’d like to move some of that topsoil over in front of the house, along the porch to create a green space.”
“For a garden?”
He nodded. “What do you think?”
What did she think? She loved the idea; the bland stone drive edging the house went beyond austere. An old farmhouse should always have a little yard and garden, with some clothesline strung for hanging wash. It ought to be a rule. “I’ve always wanted a garden there, but it’s full of stone.”
“I’m bringing the Cat in to break ground, so we can use it to dig that out. I can use that stone to fill in the rough spots along the tractor path, then backfill along the porch with topsoil. That gives us a garden, right?”
It did, and she couldn’t believe how absolutely delightful that sounded. “Yes.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
She wanted to ask if Trey had talked to him, but what if he hadn’t? Josh was a sensible man; he’d understand the importance of her place looking nice if she wanted to sell flowers and plantings to others.
Still—
Maybe Trey did put the idea in his head after they’d talked, and if he had? Lucy was grateful.
“Will there be cowboys there?”
“Yup.” Trey kept his eyes on the busy road to Ellensburg, but he smiled. “And Indians.”
“Real ones?” Cody’s eyes rounded and he let out a whoop!
“Cody Michael, don’t do that.” Lucy twisted around in her seat and scolded him. “What if you scared Trey and we got into an accident?”
“Don’t scare easy, ma’am, but thank you for lookin’ out for me.” Trey touched the tip of his hat but paid attention to the highway. I-90 was nothing to mess with on rodeo mornings. The traffic thickened and slowed as they approached Ellensburg, and the kids’ anticipation heightened.
“Ashley, have you ever been to something like this?” Trey asked.
She shook her head. “Chase promised to take me when I was little.” She shrugged and stared out the window. “We never got to go, so this is my first time.”
“There’s a lot to see,” Trey told her. They’d stopped as cars crept off the exit, so he met her gaze through the rearview mirror. “The retelling of the Yakama tribal customs might be stuff you can use in your book report.”
“But it’s not in the book.” She didn’t look intrigued but she didn’t look annoyed either. “I can’t use things that aren’t in the book.”
“Sure you can. You just have to say that it’s independent research outside the book.” Trey winked. “Teachers love that kind of thing. If you find any of it interesting today.”
“You mean she’d like me to do extra?”
“What teacher wouldn’t?”
“So this is like a field trip under the guise of being fun?”
Trey laughed and thumped the wheel. “I guess it is. But we’ll sneak the fun side in so the teacher doesn’t know we found learning enjoyable. And if there are funnel cakes or fried dough here, I’m a happy man.”
“Fried dough?” Cade sat up straighter. “Like Bob gave me at the market?” Lucy’s old neighbors brought their fried dough wagon to every county event.
“Bob and Jaycee’s booth will be here. They always cook for the rodeo.”
“Will we see the cowboys and Indians right off ?” Cody strained forward in his seat, scanning left and right as if expecting to see a face-off along the interstate.
“First there’s a parade. And the Frontier Town and the Indian encampment. And the county fair. The rodeo is in a few hours, after lunch. That’s where we actually see and hear the Yakama history in more detail.”
“It’s not like I brought a notebook with me.” Ashley sighed out loud. “How am I supposed to remember it all?”
“You paid your phone bill with the money you earned, right?” Trey glanced back again.
“The notebook feature!”
“All that money for a phone that’s actually like a minicomputer, a girl ought to be able to take some notes. Or even a video,” Trey suggested.
“I never thought of that.”
“There you go.” He smiled at her through the mirror as he slid on a pair of sunglasses. “And we’re here.” The parking attendants directed them where to go, and by the time they’d toured the two historic reenactments and watched the parade, Lucy thought they’d be hungry.
They were, but when Cade spotted the agricultural booths and the farm animals on display, he headed straight that way. “I hafta see the animals first,” he insisted. “T
his is cool, to have all these farm animals right here, right?”
Belle wanted to ride the carousel. Cody wanted to lasso a bronc. But Cade wanted nothing more than to check out the animal pens. “I’ll take Cade in if you guys want to catch some rides before the rodeo,” Trey offered. “I like the barn exhibits too.”
Lucy turned toward Cade. “You don’t want to ride anything, Cade?”
He looked torn initially, then shook his head. “I want to learn about this stuff. I want to learn a lot about this stuff.” He pointed to the barns. “What if Mr. Sam wants workers someday?”
“A big ranch like that needs help, that’s for certain.”
Cade folded his arms, a little smug and a little excited. “So if I know stuff, I can do more on the ranch.”
“Can’t argue logic,” Trey agreed.
“Then I want to stay too.” Cody slipped from Lucy’s side and stood by Trey. “I can ride things another time, right, Trey?”
Lucy handed Ashley some money for the ride tickets. “Can you take Belle on the carousel and the little kids’ rides?”
Ashley didn’t pout or make a face, a welcome change. She tucked the money in her pocket and nodded. “Sure. I haven’t ridden a carousel since I was real little. Do you want a horse or a seat, Belle?”
“A horse!”
“That would be my choice too,” laughed Ashley. “When should we meet you guys?”
“How about twelve thirty near the rodeo gate? Well, actually…” Trey slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. “Take these just in case it’s busy at the gate. That way we can all meet inside, and we can have lunch while we’re watching.”
“Are you buying us lunch?” Cody’s eyes grew wide, and right about then Lucy was hoping he’d stop talking. Of course he didn’t. “We never get to have lunch when we go places.” He turned toward Lucy, eyes shining. “This is like the most special day ever, Mom!”
Before she even had time to push away her embarrassment and wonder if she was setting her beautiful children up for bitter disappointment, Trey tucked an arm around her shoulders.
Peace in the Valley Page 22