Discovering Dani (River's End Ranch Book 20)
Page 2
Kelsi reached for the plate and Dani leaned forward to get a whiff of the delicious-looking omelet. As Kelsi reached for the coffee pot and rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at one of the booths. “You don’t think...”
Dani swiveled on her stool to follow Kelsi’s gaze. She exchanged a quick glance with Kelsi and knew they were both thinking the same thing.
Fred Wharton the Third waved at Dani, his button-down shirt neatly tucked into khaki slacks. His navy blue blazer with gold buttons was immaculate and his napkin rested neatly in his lap.
“I don’t think Mom could have sent him that fast, do you?” Kelsi whispered as she passed Dani.
“Not sure, but I aim to find out,” Dani said as she reached for her mug and followed Kelsi to talk to the banker who’d been a thorn in her side ever since her parents left.
She nodded at Jaclyn and Simon as she passed on her way to the smiling banker.
“Haven’t seen you for quite a while, Dani,” Jaclyn said. “Stop by soon for a snickerdoodle and some milk?”
“Huh? Oh, sure,” Dani said, no intention of doing so. Jaclyn had been wreaking havoc with everybody at the ranch, and she sure as heck wasn’t going to have a discussion with her and turn into one of those loopy, love sick people that seemed to land at Jaclyn’s feet like trees felled in the forest. She had bigger fish to fry.
“Good, see you soon,” Jaclyn said absently, and Dani turned to see what Jaclyn was staring at out the plate glass windows. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged at Kelsi as they both watched a huge truck pull up in front of the cafe, its diesel engine rumbling through the floor.
Dani turned her attention back to the matter at hand and slid into the booth across from Fred Wharton the Third, giving him the best smile she could muster.
Chapter 3
Travis Montgomery shut the motel door softly so as not to wake anybody in the other rooms. He’d spent many, many nights in places like this one and there was nothing worse than somebody letting a door slam in the middle of the night or early in the morning when he didn’t have an early call.
He’d slept fairly well for being on the road—although it had been quite a while, he had a thousand motel nights behind him, it felt like—and he’d been ready to finish the last leg to his destination before the sun came up. He’d showered and hopped around a bit on the cold floor, considering actually wearing two pair of pants as he watched his breath mist.
When Mr. and Mrs. Weston had asked him to drive their new truck back to someplace called River’s End Ranch, he hadn’t given much thought to what the weather might be like in Idaho at Christmastime. Heck, he’d been happily warm in Florida since the race season had ended and had grabbed the warmest clothes he could find when he’d set out on this favor—but he could already tell he’d need some warmer ones if he wanted to stay for more than a day or two—and then what would he do with warm clothes back in Florida?
Maybe he’d just fly straight back after delivering the truck to the ranch. But that hadn’t been the original plan. He still had a few weeks before he needed to be back, and he really did want to see River’s End Ranch.
He reached into his pocket and his fingers curled around the letter Mrs. Weston had given to him to deliver with the truck. He’d spent a fair amount of time with the folks as he’d helped his buddy work on their motorhome, and gotten to know them a little bit. He knew they had six kids who ran the ranch, and he’d smiled as he’d listened to their stories while the sunset turned the Florida clouds purple and pink and the water lapped against the sand. They clearly loved their ranch and their family, and when they’d asked if he might be willing to drive their truck out as their motorhome wasn’t big enough to tow it, he thought it might be interesting to see some different scenery for a bit. Mountains instead of waves might be a nice break.
But the snow—that had surprised him for some reason and he blew into his hands as he shut the door of the Dodge Ram and turned the heater on full blast. He turned on the windshield wipers and frowned for a minute as the rubber blades just slid over the ice crystals, not doing a darn thing. Same thing as last night after he’d left the restaurant and was turning into the parking lot of the motel—shoot, he’d almost caused an accident because he couldn’t see out the windshield. He chuckled as he thought of the irony—race car drivers were supposed to avoid accidents, not cause them, and he wished he could apologize to whoever the person was he’d cut off. Professional courtesy, if nothing else.
Not wanting to take that chance again, he got out of the truck and pulled a credit card from his wallet. He stood on the step of the truck and scraped the ice off the windshield until he had a bit of a bare patch on the glass and his hands were red and stiff.
His fingers weren’t quite so numb as he pulled out onto the highway, gripping the steering wheel in one hand and his cell phone in the other. The sun was just peeking over the mountains and he imagined those very same mountains were the reason why he wasn’t getting any cell service and therefore no map. He tossed his phone on the seat next to him and remembered that he’d checked before he left the motel, and it was a pretty straight shot. He decided to just enjoy the scenery and trust that there’d be a sign that would guide him to River’s End Ranch.
“Ha,” he said out loud as he spotted the sign to River’s End Ranch, and had just sped past it when he did a double-take. He’d thought maybe it had been a bear on the sign, but he hadn’t gotten a second look and as he turned onto the road that the arrow had pointed to, he wondered if it had been Bigfoot on the sign and not a bear. No, that would be too weird, even for Idaho.
He winced as he took the last sip of the horrible coffee he’d made at the motel and instinctively started searching for more—and hopefully something more decent. He pulled through the ranch gates and spotted Kelsey’s Kafe, with parking in front. He’d never met a diner he didn’t like, or one that didn’t have great coffee. It was early still, and the person he was supposed to deliver the truck to—Daniella, if he remembered correctly—might not even be around. And he’d driven long enough that it could wait a little bit longer, certainly long enough for him to get a decent cup of coffee and breakfast to go with it.
His deck shoes slid off the step of the truck as he got out, and continued sliding on the ice in the parking lot. He felt like a hockey player in regular shoes on the ice and he pulled himself along on the rail beside the diner until he made it to the wooden steps, laughing as he jumped onto the first one and got his balance.
“Well, that was entertaining,” a pretty—and pregnant—waitress said with a smirk as he entered the cafe.
“Yeah, I bet,” he said as he pushed his ball cap back up on his forehead. “It would appear I am not properly equipped for the weather here in Idaho.”
The pretty girl laughed and peered around him, looking out the window to the truck. “Florida, eh?” she said as she gestured to the plates on the truck. “That explains a lot. If you’re going to hang around here, maybe some boots would be a good idea.”
She lifted the pot of coffee toward him with her eyebrows raised and he nodded, taking the stool closest to the door so he wouldn’t slide more on the floor.
“So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?” she asked as she filled his mug.
“Actually, I’m here to deliver something. That truck, as a matter of fact. The owner of the ranch asked me to drive it up.”
His mug stopped halfway to his lips as the pretty waitress’s eyes grew as big as saucers.
“The owners? Drive it up from where?”
He looked down the counter and noticed that a pretty older lady and the gentleman she was with had stopped talking and stared in his direction. A couple at the end of the cafe kept talking, but he’d definitely said something that was a conversation stopper.
“Um, yeah. Mr. and Mrs. Weston. From Florida. Here, I have a note.” He fumbled in his pocket for the letter Mrs. Weston had handed him and pulled it out, smoothing it on the counter. �
�I’m supposed to give it to her personally, she said.”
The waitress leaned over and read the name upside down, and she looked up from the letter and searched his face. She had the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen—like blue ice, clear and sharp.
She cocked an eyebrow and smiled, looking down the counter toward the older couple. The older woman leaned forward and stared at him for a moment and whispered something to her companion before she wrapped her scarf around her neck and scurried out of the cafe, nodding and smiling at him as she passed.
“I need to go home and talk to the...check on something lickety split, Kelsi. Simon will pay the bill,” she said as she headed out the door.
“Kelsi?” he asked, and the name rang a bell. “Oh, you’re Kelsi Weston?”
The waitress laughed and shook her head. “Well, I was, but I’m Kelsi Clapper now. And this,” she said as she rubbed her belly, “is Sophronia.”
Travis nodded slowly. He’d never heard that name before, Sophronia, but he guessed it was as good as any other. Just a name.
“Nice to meet you,” he said as he stood. He held out his hand, and she took it and smiled. “So you’re Daniella’s twin.”
The woman stifled a laugh behind her hand as she nodded. “Yes, I’m Daniella’s twin.”
“Oh, great,” he said as he looked at the menu. “Maybe after I have some breakfast you can tell me where I could find her. I need to deliver the truck and the letter.”
Kelsi cleared her throat and leaned forward, looking to the far end of the restaurant. “I can tell you exactly where to find her.”
Chapter 4
“Oh, Daniella, there’s someone here to see you.”
Dani almost put her hands over her ears when Kelsi used her given name. Nobody used Daniella, except their mother—and only sometimes, when she wanted something. Or Dani was in trouble.
The sound was like fingernails on a chalkboard and Dani cringed as Kelsi strolled down through the cafe, followed by a man, his thin, cotton coat collar turned up and a baseball cap tipped up his forehead. The logo on the cap advertised some oil company, and Dani thought he looked like maybe a truck driver. A delivery, maybe? She was in charge of inventory for most of the ranch, so that could be it—but if that were the case, he wouldn’t be asking for Daniella.
Dani glared at Kelsi, who leaned against the counter, clearly enjoying her twin’s discomfort at her given name.
Kelsi smiled even bigger as she said, “He has something for you. From Mom.”
Dani and Fred both raised their eyebrows at this information and exchanged glances. As the family banker, Fred had been the go-between the entire time Mr. and Mrs. Weston had been gone, delivering the sometimes unwelcome assignments that they’d been given by their parents. His contact had been primarily Dani, and she’d borne the weight of the news that they’d be re-designing the kitchen, building a barn and a Kids’ Korral along with their regular responsibilities—all news delivered by Fred.
So this was a new development for both of them, and they stood as Dani reached her hand out toward the man Kelsi’d brought over.
“Fred Wharton the Third,” Fred said as he tugged at the sleeves of his blazer and reached out his hand toward the man.
“Travis Montgomery. Nice to meet you.”
Dani eyed him as they shook hands. He was tall, but not as tall as her brothers. His brown hair was streaked with a little blond from the sun—so he was definitely not from around the ranch—and it curled a little bit below his collar. She normally didn’t notice what people looked like, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her—nobody called her Daniella.
“Dani Weston,” she said as she gave his hand a good, strong shake. She looked up and struggled against a smile as his eyes crinkled and his green eyes softened, holding hers for a moment longer than was comfortable for her.
“It’s very nice to meet you finally,” he said. He turned toward Kelsi. “Both of you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“And we’ve heard absolutely nothing about you,” Dani said before Kelsi shoved her elbow into Dani’s side.
“Dani, be nice. Travis has been sent by Mom and Dad and needs to speak directly with you,” she said, one eyebrow raised as she cocked her head. “Fred, certainly you understand. He’s driven all the way from Florida. I’ve ordered him one of Bob’s special omelets.”
“What? Oh,” Fred said as he frowned at Travis. “Sure, he can join us.”
“Ahem,” Kelsi said as she folded her arms over her chest. “Privately, Mom said. We need to excuse them for a bit.”
Fred glared at Travis. “Mr. and Mrs. Weston are my most important clients. I’m certain that they would want me included in any message about the ranch.” He sat back down in the booth and reached for his mug of coffee, tilting the empty cup toward Kelsi.
Dani shook her head and laughed. There was no way Fred was going to win a tug of war with Kelsi—not in a million years. She couldn’t believe he was even trying. Twins were great backup when you needed them, and her curiosity had only grown about what Travis could possibly need to tell her—and only her. She could talk to Fred any time.
Fred stood again and pulled some bills out of his pocket, handing them to Kelsi. “Fine. Dani’ll need to be getting to the office soon, anyway. Your mother explained about Wade, and I am willing and able to help in any way I can,” he said and smiled thinly at Kelsi.
His smile faded as he turned to Travis and said, “Again, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Travis said as he stood in the middle of the diner and Fred left, climbing in his Dodge Ram with one last glare through the window.
“Good riddance,” Kelsi said as she cleared a different booth for Travis and Dani.
“Ah, he’s not so bad.” Dani had learned how best to deal with Fred over time and he’d actually been a little sympathetic about all the hoops their parents had them jumping through. She’d even begun to try to get information about what their parents’ grand plan was, and when they’d be returning. But he didn’t need to be involved with whatever Travis had to say—and it appeared their mother wanted it that way, too, no matter what Fred thought.
Dani settled into the booth and nodded at Kelsi as she filled their coffee cups again. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome. Your omelet will be right up, and Dani, I’m bringing your usual,” Kelsi said as she headed back toward the cash register—and Dani was shocked, as Kelsi’s curiosity was usually bigger than her own. Maybe she was just planning on torturing her for the information later—maybe help with baby names or something. She had no doubt she’d do her best to extract the information no matter what.
But for now, she didn’t have any information to extract, except that some stranger had driven all the way from Florida in a Dodge Ram and needed to speak to her.
“So...” she began slowly as she leaned against the wall of the cafe and threw her elbow over the back of the booth seat, strumming her fingers on the table. “What can I do for you?” She looked at the clock on the TV behind the counter—she needed to beat Wade into the office to talk to Bernie and Lily before he did. Bad timing for this new bit of info.
His smile spread wide and he reached into his pocket, setting an envelope on the table.
“I met your folks in Florida. Really nice people, by the way, and they asked me to give you this. Well, this and that,” he said as he pointed out the window of the cafe.
She turned and followed his gaze to a huge—well, it looked huge to her—truck. Sure enough, it had Florida plates.
“A truck? Why?”
“Somebody in the RV park had it for sale, and they thought it would be perfect for the ranch. Low miles, lots of extras, and a diesel. Good work truck.”
“Okay, I guess we could use another truck around here. How did you end up driving it back?”
“Well, that’s another story,” he said as he smiled and drained his mug. Kelsi arrived with their breakfast and set the plates down.
“No, thanks, we’re good,” Dani said as she buttered her toast.
Travis made an appreciative groan at his first bite of his omelet. “Wow. I’ve been to a whole lot of diners, and I’ve never had something like this in one.”
“Bob will be flattered. He prides himself on his cooking,” Kelsi said as she stayed in place.
“Why don’t you go tell him?” Dani set her toast down and leaned against the table. It must be complete and utter torture for Kelsi to not know what was in that envelope, and Dani had to admit she was enjoying it a little. “Like, now.”
“What? Oh, okay,” Kelsi said as she tore herself away from the table. “Let me know if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“You two sure are different for identical twins,” Travis said between bites of his omelet.
“You don’t think we look alike?” Dani asked.
“Actually, you look quite a bit alike, aside from the hair—hers blond and yours—well, not blonde,” he said diplomatically. She knew her hair was a mess—her natural muddy brown color and cropped short, just how she liked it, but she’d never really cared about it much. Besides, it was another way she could stand out as different from her larger-than-life twin.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“And there’s the pregnant thing. That’s different. But you seem to be very different in personality. Night and day, actually, in my expert five-minute impression.”
“Ah, an expert,” she said as her gaze traveled back to the letter. “Well, I’m sure my parents gave you a good run-down on the ranch, and I probably don’t want to know any more than you’ve already told me.”
Travis smiled and wiped his hands on his napkin. “Maybe not.” He slid the envelope over to her side of the table and leaned back as he reached for his coffee.