Honorable Rancher

by Barbara White Daille

  “He did, didn’t he?”

  When Clarice picked up her knitting, Ellamae sat and brooded. Some of the woman’s comments had caused her to reconsider her strategy.

  “You know, Clarice,” she said after a while, “I think on my way home later, I just might stop at Town Hall and look up a few ordinances myself.”

  “It’s Saturday. Town Hall is closed.”

  Ellamae smiled. “Not to me it isn’t.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ben loaded his tools into the back of the pickup. “Almost done,” he said to P.J. His half-pint helper had trailed him around all afternoon. “I’ve got just a few more things in the house.”

  “Don’t forget this.” With obvious reluctance, P.J. held out the plastic container of washers Ben had given him to carry.

  “Hmm.” He pretended to deliberate, then said, “Why don’t you hang on to it? We’ll need it next time I come by.”

  P.J. grinned. “Okay. I’ll go put this on my dresser right now.” He rushed away, not even hesitating when he passed the girls still gathered around the picnic table.

  Ben followed more slowly.

  As he approached Lissa, she looked at him. “Are you staying for supper?” she asked.

  Her expression didn’t tell him whether she wanted a yes or no. The thought made him realize that lately, for the first time, he’d had trouble reading Dana, too.

  Before he could respond, Nate spoke up. “Of course not, Lissa. Ben’s not here for the sleepover. Besides, he came to lunch. If he stays for supper, too, he’d just wear out his welcome. Right, Ben? That’s what Aunt El always says.”

  He smiled. Funny how the two girls seemed to have exchanged their mamas’ personalities. Always the outspoken one, Nate took more after Dana, who’d never lacked for something to say.

  Except recently.

  He nodded at Nate. “You’re right. Don’t think I’ll try pressing my luck tonight.”

  Still, as he turned toward the house again, he wondered what would happen if he hung around until Dana called the kids in to supper. She couldn’t ignore him if he stood right there in front of her. Or could she? He recalled how she’d sidestepped the proposal question.

  Worse, out in the yard at lunchtime, he could see how uncomfortable she’d felt around him. A few times, the conversation—and his heart—had lightened after she’d met his eyes. But for the most part, she had kept her gaze averted and had made sure the handful of kids stayed between them.

  He entered the house and checked the first-floor rooms. All empty. He made his way upstairs and picked up his tools from Lissa’s bedroom. The sound of Dana’s voice coming from her own room drew him forward, tugging him as surely as if she’d thrown a lasso to pull him toward her.

  Damned wishful thinking.

  “I think we’ll go have a—”

  When he stopped in the doorway, she broke off whatever she planned to say to Stacey, who looked up at her from her walker. Mouth shut tight, Dana eyed him almost warily and eased back a step, stopping short against the bed he’d helped set up years ago. The bed he’d like to help her into right now.

  Again, he damned himself. He’d already risked too much with her downstairs on the couch. How could he think of taking her here in the bedroom she once shared with Paul?

  The baby smacked the rim of her walker with a plastic rattle. He knelt to chuck her under the chin, and she giggled. “I finished fixing the shelves in Lissa’s room,” he said.

  “Thanks.” Her gaze focused on the dresser, the open closet, the light switch on the wall. On anything but him.

  Had she read his thoughts in his face? Probably not, or she’d have left the room. And still, he wanted to tumble her down on that bed. Rising, he shoved his hands into his back pockets. “I saw Ellamae leaving Clarice’s earlier. She said you had a message for me.”

  Watching the baby, she said, “Roselynn invited folks over for tomorrow. To welcome Tess and Caleb home. Two o’clock.”

  “Sounds good. Want me to pick you and the kids up on my way over there?”

  “That won’t be necessary.” At last, she looked at him, her brow wrinkled. “Why didn’t Ellamae just tell you herself?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe she was in a hurry to get home. Does it matter?”

  “I don’t know. But have you ever known her not to have some motive for anything she does?”

  Her question reminded him of her claim that he acted with her. He acted now, pretending this conversation could distract him from the thoughts going through his mind.

  She picked up the baby. “I’m going to put Stacey in for a nap.” She walked around him and out of the room, leaving him standing there staring at that big empty bed.

  After a minute, he shook his head and turned to leave.

  Lissa stood in the hallway, her frown a match to Dana’s and suspicion written all over her face. “What are you doing?”

  “Talking with your mama.”

  Her eyes widened. She leaned into the room to inspect it. “There’s nobody in here.”

  “I know—”

  “Lissa?” Dana called. “Are you looking for me?”

  “Yes,” she answered, but she still stared at him.

  Dana appeared in the doorway. “Ben? I thought you’d left. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow at the Whistlestop.”

  So much for an invitation to supper. “Yeah, you sure will.”

  She and Lissa stepped back from the doorway, and he took his leave. As he went down the hall, he could feel their gazes boring into his back.

  Nate had hit it right. He’d outworn his welcome here.

  * * *

  DANA CROSSED TO HER DRESSER and began brushing her hair. Faintly, she heard the front door close downstairs.

  “Ben’s here a lot now, isn’t he?” Lissa asked.

  Dana turned. Lissa had always been her quiet child, so unlike P.J. She very seldom talked about anything that bothered her. Both the look on her face when she’d stood staring at Ben and her hesitant question now made Dana’s stomach twist.

  She couldn’t let her feelings for Ben jeopardize her children’s relationship with him.

  “Why does he have to be here?” Lissa demanded suddenly.

  Choosing her words with care, she replied, “Well...he bought this house, and he needs to make a lot of repairs.”

  “Why? George never fixed anything.”

  “He did, once in a while. But Ben is eager to get things done.”

  And that was another thing about Ben Sawyer. His take-charge attitude. A wonderful quality for a man to have—and Ellamae hadn’t lied about George. He didn’t have it. Neither had Paul. She just wished Ben didn’t feel the need to take charge with her.

  Lissa frowned. “Nothing ever went wrong in our house when Daddy was here.”

  “Sweetie, that’s not true. Lots of things needed to be done around here, but your daddy didn’t always have the...the time.”

  “Ben sure does.”

  She nodded. “Yes. He makes the time and goes out of his way to help other people.”

  “He always helped Daddy, too.”

  She gripped her brush more tightly. “That’s right, he always did.”

  “But Daddy’s gone and he’s not coming back. Why does Ben still have to come here?”

  She swallowed her surprised gasp. “I told you, he owns our house now. Besides, even though he has work to do here, he likes to have the chance to come and see you and P.J. and Stacey.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want to see him.”

  How could she tell Lissa that she didn’t want to see him, either? She couldn’t. Instead, she said softly, “I know it’s hard for you to have Ben over when your daddy’s not here anymore. But Ben would be very sad if he couldn’t co
me and see you.”

  “Then how come he hasn’t been here all along?”

  “Because he lives on his ranch. You know that. We’ve visited there many times.” But that wasn’t what her daughter meant, and she knew it.

  “He’s not like Daddy,” Lissa said. “He didn’t go into the army. And he’s not like Nate’s daddy, either. Caleb was gone being a rodeo star. Ben didn’t go anywhere.”

  “Of course not. He has to take care of his ranch.” Although it didn’t seem like that lately. She forced a smile. “That’s enough talk for now. I think we’d better get downstairs to your guests, don’t you?”

  Lissa left the room.

  She followed, one hand pressed to her stomach, as if that could ease the weight in the pit of it.

  The talk with Lissa had only made her feel worse. Every response she gave her daughter reminded her of yet another of Ben’s many good qualities.

  And of something more.

  Once, she had worried herself sick over how little Paul did with their children, how infrequently he even bothered to talk to them. Ben had treated the kids so much better—and had spent more time with them.

  All these months she had avoided him, all the days she’d made excuses to prevent him from stopping by the house, she hadn’t realized just how much his absence had affected her children. Until now.

  P.J. had latched on to him as if afraid he would disappear from their lives again. Lissa had once trailed at Ben’s heels, too. And now he’d become a stranger to her; she didn’t want him around.

  All because Dana had acted out of desperation, trying to save herself from heartache.

  A heartache she hadn’t managed to escape, after all.

  * * *

  DANA SHIFTED ON THE PICNIC bench in the crowded backyard of the Whistlestop Inn. Most of the townsfolk had showed up to celebrate the return of the happy newlyweds.

  The party had started in midafternoon, and the sun now drifted toward the horizon like a worn-out birthday balloon. Still, everyone lingered. Most of the adults had gathered at one end of the yard, while the children played games at the other end. As usual, the women had settled at the picnic tables nearest to the house so they could keep an eye on replenishing food and drinks.

  Almost against her will, Dana had found herself keeping an eye on Ben.

  Now, even as she tried hard to focus on Tess’s story about the honeymoon cruise, part of her attention wandered a few tables away to where Ben sat with Ellamae’s boss, Judge Baylor.

  The two men had settled in with a couple of mugs of lemonade and a bowl of chips. They seemed less interested in the food, though, than in what they were discussing. Their gazes occasionally shifted to the tables where the women sat.

  More than once, Ben’s eyes had met hers. Each time, she looked away hurriedly, yet she couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. Couldn’t help wishing she could turn into a fly and land on their table to listen to their conversation. Or maybe even better, manage to fly away from here altogether.

  Too restless to sit still, she jumped up from the bench. “I’ll go in and get some more lemonade.” She hurried toward the house. Just as she finished refilling the pitcher, the kitchen door opened.

  Tess slipped into the room. “Finally!” she exclaimed. “I’ve waited all day for a few minutes alone with you.” She sank into a chair and grabbed a handful of paper napkins. “My excuse for coming inside. Sit a minute. Fill me in. What have I missed?”

  Dana took a seat. “Not a lot. Though, thanks to Caleb, the best news is we’ve lined up a possible new client.”

  “Yes, he told me Jared’s flying in Tuesday. He’ll stay with us here. We’ve got plenty of vacant rooms, unfortunately. But at least that’ll keep him handy.” Tess laughed. “I can just imagine what Nate and Lissa will say once they hear we have another rodeo star living in Flagman’s Folly.”

  “If we find something to suit him.”

  “We will. I’ll be in early tomorrow to get started.”

  “You’re that eager to leave your new husband?”

  “Well...actually, he needs to go to Montana for a couple of days. Some trouble with his ranch foreman up there. Believe it or not, though, I am ready to get to work again. And it’s so nice to be home.”

  “And to see everyone, I’m sure. Especially Nate.”

  “That, too. You were right—she survived fine without me. I hear she had a great time at your house with the girls.” She raised her brows. “I also hear they weren’t the only ones spending time with you.”

  Dana tried not to sigh. Of course Tess would have found out immediately. “I suppose you mean Ben buying the house.”

  “I do. What a surprise. Mom and Aunt El couldn’t wait to share the news.”

  Despite the situation with her new landlord, Dana responded with the second half of their inside joke. “Of course not,” she said, managing to keep a straight face until Tess rolled her eyes. Then they both burst into laughter.

  “Anyhow,” Tess continued, “I know George wasn’t the greatest landlord, and he certainly didn’t keep up with all the house repairs. You must be so glad to have Ben there.”

  Glad? If she only knew...

  The kitchen door opened, and Ellamae peered from around the edge of it. “You girls planning to stay in here all afternoon? We’ve got thirsty people outside waiting for that lemonade.”

  “Coming right up,” Dana said, grabbing the pitcher again. The interruption couldn’t have come at a better time—because she couldn’t have come up with a decent response to Tess’s comment if they had sat at this table all afternoon.

  Her best friend would never understand why she didn’t want to have Ben around. No one would, unless she told the truth about Paul. And she couldn’t do that.

  Without a word, she followed Tess and Ellamae outside.

  A couple of the men had joined the group of women at their picnic tables. Not Ben, though.

  No matter how she tried to stop herself, she immediately found herself seeking him again.

  Before she could glance away, he turned his head in her direction. For a long moment, she couldn’t look away. Like a scene from a movie, everything around her—the conversation, the laughter, the movement—all seemed to stop. As if, for just that moment, only the two of them stood in the yard.

  Which was ridiculous.

  She forced herself to turn toward the nearest table. Hands shaking, she grabbed a paper cup and filled it with lemonade. As she sipped the drink, she glanced around her. No one seemed to have noticed anything. Yet again, she gave in to the urge to look in Ben’s direction. He now sat leaning forward, listening to Judge Baylor.

  Could she have imagined that frozen moment?

  Fortunately, she didn’t have time to think about it.

  “Over here, Dana,” Ellamae called. “Bring that pitcher.”

  Happy to oblige, she chose a seat across from Tess and Caleb, putting her back to Ben and the judge.

  At the next table, Kayla sat with her sister, Lianne. With their long, honey-blond hair and blue eyes, they could have passed for twins. Like her little niece, Becky, Lianne was deaf. Unlike Becky, she used her voice and could read lips when people faced her directly as they spoke to her.

  At the moment, Lianne was carrying on a conversation with Becky, Lissa and Nate, who had just slid onto the vacant bench at their table.

  Caleb had draped his arm around Tess, and she leaned into him, her face the picture of contentment. Dana’s heart swelled at the sight of her friend’s happiness.

  “So, Caleb,” Ellamae said, “you decide yet what you’re doing with that new property you’re buying?”

  “Running it as a working ranch, for one thing, raising cattle. Maybe some horses.”

  “Rodeo horses!” Lissa said eagerly, speaking
like a true rodeo fan.

  “And then we can come out and ride them!” Nate said. “Right, Becky?” She put her thumbs against her temples with the first two fingers of either hand extended. “Horses!”

  Becky laughed and fluttered her upright hands in the air. “Yay!”

  Tess laughed, too. “Gee, I wonder where this little once-upon-a-time city girl caught the horse bug?”

  From hanging around with Nate, Lissa and the other girls, of course, who had all long ago been bitten by the rodeo bug.

  “That’s an idea,” Caleb told the girls, smiling at them. “A ranch can always use more horses.”

  “How about a dude ranch?” Kayla asked. “You could bring in vacationers from the city, too.”

  Ellamae, Clarice and a few of the other older women told her what they thought of that—nothing at all.

  “City folks who come to stay are one thing,” Ellamae said. “Dudes are something else.”

  “I have an idea,” Lianne said. “What about a kids’ camp?”

  Caleb’s brows shot up. He turned so she could see his face. “Not a bad suggestion, Lianne.”

  Other folks at the table nodded agreement.

  “That’s not the only good idea around here this afternoon,” Ellamae announced. “Dana, we’ve been talking about you. Or rather, reckon I should say we were talking about Paul.”

  Dana had just topped off a cup of lemonade for the woman next to her. For a moment, she froze with the pitcher in midair.

  “Yes,” said Clarice, “we think it’s high time folks in town did something to honor him.”

  “Sounds good,” Caleb said. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Not sure yet,” Ellamae said. “We’ve just started planning it. We’re thinking of setting up a statue in his memory.”

  Dana wrapped her hands around her cup and stared down at the pulp swirling in the lemonade. Her insides felt as though they were swirling, too. She desperately needed a drink but didn’t feel sure she could swallow.

  “We’ll need to get folks on board,” Ellamae continued. “Talk up the idea, do some fundraising.”