by Regina Duke
Kenzie touched her arm. “No worries, Mom. I’ll do the chores. You rest a bit.”
Marigold nodded. “Perhaps I will. Is soup all right for dinner?”
“Soup is fine,” said Kenzie. “I’ll go feed the animals.” She watched as her mother trudged toward the stove. Had her parents aged that much in four years? She wanted to tell her mother what was going on—about Todd, about the car, about all the lies and her troubles with money—but no way could she lay that burden at Marigold’s feet today.
The barn smells were comforting and helped calm Kenzie’s anxiety about the possible discovery of the car, but now she had even more to weigh her down. Her father was sick. She was sure of it. He never took a nap during the day. He never admitted he was tired. And now her mother had confessed that they were counting on her for financial help. She fed the goats and the chickens, then moved on to the pigs. Her folks only had two sows left. When she was in high school, they had sixteen, and every year, they sold piglets to Four-H kids.
The whole time she was away at school, they never said a word about money trouble. She had worked full-time to pay her way, so she hadn’t come home for summer vacations. For her, there were no vacations. But their phone calls and letters had made everything sound normal. Not that her parents were big on either phone calls or writing letters.
They must not have shared anything with her siblings, either. That made sense, though. Both her brothers were serving in the Marines and her sister was in the Navy, seeing the world, as she had put it when she enlisted.
Dinner with her mother was simple and silent. Kenzie felt like she should try to cheer up her mother about whatever was going on with her father, but she just didn’t have any cheer to spare. None. Nada. Zip. Every time she thought of something to say, she bit it off because it all spiraled back to how upset she was about her own life. Better to say nothing. Her mother was having a bad enough day already.
“How’s the soup?” asked Marigold.
“Good. Fine.” Kenzie forced a brief smile.
Marigold’s gaze would shift upward in the direction of the bedroom where John lay in bed. Then she’d catch herself doing it, and jerk her eyes back to her bowl.
“Homemade,” she said. “Got it out of the freezer,” she added as if in apology. “I’ve been so worried about your father.”
Kenzie nodded and sipped a spoonful of soup. “Is he eating?”
“I took up a tray.”
“Okay.” Kenzie scrambled for something safe to talk about. “Oh, you might like to know that everyone in town thinks you and Dad are wonderful.”
Marigold looked surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. Even the new people. There seems to be quite a few new faces in town.”
“The place really perked up when Kevin Fineman Wake brought his bride back to the Rocking Eagle,” said Marigold, staring at her soup. “I think his mother wants him to run for office.”
“Yes, you mentioned that once already. I remember Kevin! And his kooky sister, Karla. Does she still dress up as a vampire?”
Marigold smiled. “No, she seems to have moved on from that. Bringing the family back to Eagle’s Toe was a real smart move on Krystal’s part.”
“You two were close in school, weren’t you?”
“High school. We sure were.” She shook her head. “That feels like a million years ago.”
“To me, too,” said Kenzie. “I mean, my high school days.”
“She used to come over here to ride on our trails on weekends. So sad, the way her family pushed her to marry that stockbroker fellow. Didn’t turn out so well, did it? But I think she’s happy now.” Her tone hushed. “She got a divorce and married her true love. She had him working as her ranch foreman.”
Kenzie was touched. “That is so sweet. It’s nice to know that sometimes things can work out for the best.”
Marigold pinned Kenzie with a questioning gaze, but a thump from upstairs deterred her from asking what she wanted to know. Instead she got up and hurried to the stairs. “John?! You okay?”
Kenzie heard a muted reply. It sounded like her Dad was back to his grumpy self.
Marigold returned to the table and sat down. She twisted her napkin in her hands. “He said he’s feeling better, but he’s going to stay in bed this evening. Said he’ll be okay in the morning.”
“Good,” said Kenzie. “That’s a relief.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember Dad ever being sick before.”
“Well, we’re all fine until we’re not, aren’t we?”
“Wow, Mom, that’s deep,” teased Kenzie.
Marigold was obviously relieved that John was feeling better. She seemed to relax enough to sop up soup with her bread. “Oh, sweetheart, I haven’t asked how your first day at work went.”
“It was fine. I like Taylor. It’s nice to be doing something other than waitressing.”
Marigold frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Kenzie stumbled over her words. “I mean, in Denver, I was working anywhere I could, and evidently I’m a really good waitress. Not exactly what I went to college for.”
“Don’t worry. All young people have to start at the bottom.”
Kenzie shrugged. “I guess. Although Clayton—the fellow who offered me a ride to work tomorrow—seems to have started out at a whole different level.”
“Nice of him to help you out. You think the old truck is done for?”
Kenzie’s expression contorted in pain. She hated adding more bad news to her mother’s burden. “Brady thinks it has breathed its last. It’s sitting in the Cattleman’s parking lot.”
Marigold shrank in her chair. “Oh, dear.”
Kenzie dunked a piece of bread in her soup. “No worries. Dad can drive the Ford, right?” Her father had parked his more modern pickup next to the barn.
Her mother’s hands began to tremble, and she shoved them into her lap. “The Ford needs a new transmission.”
“Uh-oh. He didn’t tell me.”
Marigold took a deep breath and let it out in a flood of information. “We were really hoping you could help us out, now that you’ve sold the house,” she said. “Getting a functioning vehicle is at the top of the list. And there’s painting the house and maybe putting in a garden in the spring. Fact is, your father hasn’t been able to do much for a couple of years now. And there are pushy folks out there trying to talk us into fracking on the property. And John was desperately hoping you could help us turn things around.”
“I’ll do everything I can, Mom. There’s nothing left for me back in Denver. I feel like I wasted a whole year of my life.”
Mom reached for her hand. “I’m so sorry. I know you were in love with Todd.”
Kenzie made a face. “At least I know what they mean when they say love is blind. I only saw what I wanted to see.”
“You’ll feel a lot better when you get a big check for the house. I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to use some of it to help us get a vehicle.”
Kenzie set her spoon down. The deceit she’d been perpetrating on her parents churned within her. She would have to keep up appearances a while longer. She couldn’t tell her parents what had really happened in Denver. Not with her father falling ill. And even though her mother seemed okay physically, Kenzie feared that she might expire from disappointment if she knew the truth. So she forced a tight smile and lied to her mother’s face. “Once I get that check, I’m going to put the whole thing in your checking account, Mom. So you tell Dad not to worry, okay?” Because I’m doing enough worrying for all three of us.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Clayton knew he should stay on the highway and head west for his cousin’s house. But his mind was full of Kenzie and how much she stirred his blood. Crazy the way things worked out. He came here thinking he might find a fake bride and pull a fast one on his father. Now all he could think about was this spitfire of a girl. Woman. This stunning, puzzling woman with the incredible sadness in her eyes. What could be so terrible at her ag
e? She couldn’t be more than twenty-four. And from an old Eagle’s Toe family, to boot. Not wealthy, but they had roots in the land. That should impress his dad. Not like some roadside café waitress.
Then he shook his head. No, he couldn’t pull Kenzie into a plan to fool his dad. When his father met Kenzie, Clayton wanted it to be under the best circumstances possible. He wondered who the villain was in Denver, the one she wished was dead.
He pulled into a little burger joint called The Nest. It looked like a time machine had picked up a 1950s drive-in and set it down on the edge of town, all shiny and new. It made him smile. He had to eat, and that would give him time to figure out what to do.
He gave his order to a perky youngster on roller skates. Outdoor speakers were playing old rock-n-roll, and when the Beach Boys finished urging him to be true to his school, a radio announcer broke in.
“You’re listening to station KTOE, the voice of Eagle’s Toe. All oldies, all the time. If you want modern music, find a younger disc jockey. But before we get to our next selection, I want to remind you all that Thor Security can handle all your home and business security needs. If you’re worried about your family’s safety, Thor Garrison will set you up with cutting-edge home security systems. Drop in and see him. He’s located just half a block east of the Cattleman’s Inn. And while you’re in the neighborhood, stop on by the Il Vaccaro restaurant for a delicious Italian meal, or grab a snack at the Itty Bitty cafe, just a few doors down from Thor Security. That’s Thor Security. If you love your family, you want to keep them secure.
“Ah, yes, love, love, love. And here’s Elvis, telling us all about it.”
“Love Me Tender” floated out of the speakers as the young waitress delivered Clayton’s burger and milkshake. He paid her and gave her a five-dollar tip. The food was delicious. He sighed with contentment and leaned back in the driver’s seat, thinking about his cousin. Thor had been a firefighter back in Texas. Clayton was a little foggy regarding the tragedy that sent Thor packing off to Colorado, but things had certainly turned out well for him.
Thor Security. He must know a ton about surveillance and all that jazz. Clayton wondered if his cousin had the skills to find out what had happened to Kenzie in Denver. Should he even ask? Maybe he should wait for her to reveal whatever it was in her own good time.
Then again, if he knew what was wrong, he might be able to help her out, make her feel better. And earn that smile he longed to see.
By the time he finished his burger, he knew he had to go to Thor’s place. No point in putting it off. Besides, eventually he wanted to ask Polly about Lulamae. Maybe he should soften her up first.
He got out of the car and went inside The Nest. A white-haired gentleman behind the counter was wiping his hands on a bright red apron.
“Problem with the food?” he asked.
“No, sir. Best burger I ever ate. So good, in fact, I thought I’d take some along and surprise my cousin with dinner. Four cheeseburgers, four orders of fries, and four chocolate milkshakes, please.”
Ten minutes later, he was stacking white take-out bags on the passenger seat of the Mercedes. Maybe small town living wasn’t so bad after all.
Austin had drawn him a map of how to get to Thor’s cabin. Clayton would have felt more secure with an address he could program into the GPS, but Austin confessed he didn’t know the address. He’d never had to mail them anything. He just went in person.
That was so “Austin.”
So Clayton drove slowly, checking the little hand-drawn map as he went. Austin had done a good job. He arrived while the milkshakes were still firm. He admired the landscaping and the dramatic statement the so-called cabin made, a large luxury home surrounded by stately pines and carefully planned flowerbeds, though little color remained at this time of year, except for greens and the dark mottled grays of tree trunks.
Clayton didn’t know if Thor and his family were expecting him because Austin’s conversations wound around so many corners, he wasn’t sure if his brother had called ahead on his behalf or if he thought it was a bad idea. But any desire to change his mind and turn around was squelched when Rocky, the Doberman, bounded around the corner of the house and planted his front feet on the passenger side window, barking furiously.
Clayton remembered that his Aunt Polly used to raise Dobermans. But now she was downsizing to Chihuahuas, as evidenced by the little dog with the shrapnel bark that bounced high enough to be seen from the driver’s side. Bounce, bark, drop. Bounce, bark, drop.
The dogs were soon followed by Ashley Garrison and a toddler, who ran by pumping his chubby arms while his legs maintained the only gait he had mastered thus far, a clumsy shamble. Ashley carried a baby on her hip. Clayton supposed it must be the little girl born…last year? The year before? He should have asked Austin for a summary of the family members when he had the chance.
Just then, his Aunt Polly drove around the house on a shiny new green Polaris. Two other Chihuahuas balanced for their lives on her lap, trying not to be thrown from the vehicle by Polly’s impetuous fits and starts.
The Polaris died as she approached the Mercedes. She got out as if that’s where she intended to park and peered through the driver’s side window, staring directly at him.
“Well, I’ll be. It’s Clayton Masters, as I live and breathe.” When she approached the car, the dogs renewed their hysteria. Her white-blond hair was fighting to free itself from a scrunchy. “Hush, all of you! You’ll get some, whatever it is.” She pulled the front door open before Clayton could kill the engine. “Is that burgers and fries I smell?”
“Hello, Aunt Polly.” Clayton got out and hugged her. His affection was not appreciated by the Doberman.
Polly snapped, “Sit! Stay!”
Like magic, the big dog did her bidding, its nose twitching in the air as a long string of drool fell slowly to the ground.
Clayton was relieved. “I knew I brought an extra burger for someone,” he joked. “I just thought it would be Thor.”
Ashley stepped forward and extended her hand. “I think we met last summer, Clayton, when Thor and I took the children to visit Polly’s ranch”
“Yes,” said Clayton. “I doubt anyone forgets you once they’ve been introduced,” said Clayton sweetly. “Your intelligence and beauty compete with the sun for brilliance.” He knew it was corny, but he’d heard his father talk like that for years, and it just popped out.
Ashley smiled. “Oh yes,” she commented, “the one with the silver tongue. Thor should be here soon. Come on in and make yourself at home.”
The toddler mimicked his grandmother’s “Sit! Stay!” and wagged a stern finger at the Doberman. “Fwies! I smell fwies!”
“That’s enough, Odin. This is your father’s cousin Clayton. And I’m sure he will share his fries with you.”
“Sharp nose on that young man,” said Clayton. “I’ll bring the take-out bags.”
“No, no,” said Polly. “I’ll do it. I’m not sure Rocky can resist robbing a stranger but he’ll behave for me.” She was obviously taking charge, so Clayton closed the driver’s door and joined Ashley at the front door.
He said softly, “I’d forgotten how much…energy… she has.”
Ashley laughed. “Tell me about it.” She opened the door wide. “Please come in. It’s so good to see you again.” She led the way through the soaring living room. A playpen sat in one corner and the floor was strewn with toys “Let’s settle in the kitchen. Otherwise we’ll be fighting off canines while we eat.”
A sleek and sassy American shorthair sunned itself in the window over the sink. The last rays were just visible over the treetops.
“Is it sunset already?” asked Clayton.
“Here among the trees, we lose the light early,” said Ashley. She set the baby girl in a high chair. “May I offer you something? Coffee? It’s the least I can do for the man who saved me from preparing dinner.”
“Coffee would be fine,” said Clayton. He stood back against
the counter and watched Polly, Odin, and the dogs parade into the room.
Polly set the bags on the table as Ashley made coffee. She began pulling hamburgers and French fries out of the sacks. When she got to the milkshakes, her eyes lit up.
“Oh Clayton, you remembered my favorite. Chocolate milkshakes. Is this a bribe? Because if it is, it’s working.” She pulled the lid off one and dipped into it with a spoon. Her expression betrayed how much she loved ice cream. When she could talk, she said, “All right. I wasn’t supposed to let on, but this milkshake has loosened my tongue.” She lifted Odin to her hip and gave him a spoonful of milkshake.
“Let on about what?” asked Clayton, surprised at how comfortable he was in his cousin’s kitchen with all its family hubbub.
“Plano called here about an hour ago.”
Clayton froze. “He did, did he?”
“Seems he’s missing his oldest boy and wanted to know if I’d seen you lately.”
Clayton eased himself onto a kitchen chair and leaned back to allow the chubby gray cat to leap onto his lap. “And what did you tell him?”
“Well, I hadn’t seen you yet, so I told him no.” She moaned around another mouthful of milkshake.
“And you weren’t supposed to tell me he called?”
Polly shook her head. “Nope. I’m not supposed to tell you he knows you took the Mercedes.”
“Was he angry? I mean, angrier than usual?” asked Clayton.
“No, not really. He’s trying to decide what to do next.”
“Aunt Polly, you’re going to make me beg, aren’t you?”
Polly’s eyes twinkled. She lifted her milkshake. “Nonsense. You brought me a little bit of heaven. I don’t want to make you suffer.” She gave Odin another spoonful.
Clayton stroked the cat and counted silently to ten. Rushing Polly just made her more stubborn. He knew she was dying to tell him something.
At last, Polly said, “Plano had a couple of visitors this morning. Couple of burly entrepreneurs, so to speak, out to repossess a fancy car. They said the owner was behind in his payments and they wondered if he was at home today.”